Local News Archives

The Berrien County Prosecutor’s Office says the wife of an active duty Army sergeant who was shot and killed on New Year’s Eve in St. Joseph Township is charged with murder in his death. So is the

Marijuana will be discussed tonight in South Haven. The City Council has a special meeting starting at 6 p.m. to get a presentation on the legal status of both medicinal and recreational weed in the state. Following

A 21-year-old Grand Junction man and two men from the Holland area who are 20 and 18 are in the Van Buren County Jail after being caught breaking into vehicles in the Grand Junction area early Sunday

Property owners in the city of South Haven who don’t agree with the assessed value of their property will be able to appeal that assessment starting in March with the board of review. City Manager Brian Dissette

The Smithsonian is bringing a traveling exhibit to Van Buren County this year. The Van Buren District Library’s Kay McAdam tells us the Decatur branch will host “Main Street’s Crossroads: Change in Rural America” this fall. It’s

A meeting of the Benton Harbor Area Schools Board of Education could take place this coming week as district CEO Robert Herrera aims to work more closely with trustees on a vision for the district. After this

Berrien RESA has been charged with delivering more than 500 glove dryers to schools throughout the county thanks to a donation from Consumers Energy. Consumers spokesperson Roger Morgenstern tells WSJM News the Green Glove Dryer School Project

A six-year-old girl and a 73-year-old woman are dead and three others are in critical condition following a two vehicle crash in Van Buren County on Saturday. The Van Buren County Sheriff’s Department tells us the crash

The wife of an Army sergeant who was shot and killed on New Year’s Eve in St. Joseph Township is in jail on murder charges, according to several news outlets. Berrien County Jail records show 22-year-old Kemia Nekenah Hassel

Students at Benton Harbor High School will take soon take part in a driver safety program offered by the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning and Ford Motor Company. Office of Highway Safety Planning spokesperson Kari Arend

One of Governor Whitmer’s first acts was to ask state Attorney General Dana Nessel to deliver a legal opinion on the validity of Public Act 359 – the law authoring a petroleum pipeline replacement in the Mackinac

New Berrien County Commissioner Bob Harrison is ready to get to work now that he’s been sworn in. Harrison, the former president of Lake Michigan College and now county commissioner for the Seventh District, told Moody in

The St. Joseph Township Police Department says it’s made arrests in a fatal shooting that occurred on New Year’s Eve. Tyrone Hassel III was shot several times at a home in the 2,000 block of Colfax Avenue.

As the Berrien County Parks Commission works to create a new five year plan for parks, the public has a chance to offer its thoughts. Berrien County Parks Director Brian Bailey tells WSJM News there will be

The Cass County Parks and Recreation Department is gearing up to resume Discover Winter Nights for the season. Discover Winter Nights is a program held at Dr. T.K. Lawless Park each year. Now that the snow’s here,

The Van Buren County Circuit Court is starting a new program for mothers to help them better communicate with their children and the fathers of their children. “Understanding Dad: An Awareness and Communication Program for Moms” will

Applications are now available for this year’s Heart of Cook grants. Funded by Indiana Michigan Power’s Cook nuclear plant, the program is administered by the Berrien Community Foundation, says the foundation’s Susan Matheny. “We help them because

From the Associated Press — Michigan’s economy will keep growing but at a slower rate, resulting in stable tax revenue growth at a time new Gov. Gretchen Whitmer begins working to put her imprint on state spending. That

As part of National Human Trafficking Awareness Month, Michigan State Police motor carrier officers are making an extra effort to educate truckers about the crime. MSP Commercial Enforcement Division Lieutenant Brad Cushman tells us troopers will speak

State Senator Kim LaSata is talking about her priorities for the new legislative session. “Michigan drivers pay some of the highest insurance premiums in the nation,” notes the Bainbridge Township Republican. “The time has come to find

The partial federal government shutdown so far isn’t affecting food assistance programs in Berrien County. Berrien County Health Department Communications Manager Gillian Conrad tells WSJM News the county runs the WIC program, which provides nutritious foods to

The Van Buren County United Way is merging with the United Way of Southwest Michigan. The merger will be complete on July 1, and the back office operations are being combined immediately. According to a statement from

Someone dumped around 500 gallons of fuel into a Berrien County drain, and the county board of commissioners would like to know who it was. At this week’s meeting, the Berrien County Board of Commissioners instructed County

The newly-expanded nursing facility at Southwestern Michigan College is now open. The completion of the $9.6 million expansion was celebrated Wednesday with an open house at the Dowagiac campus. The expansion roughly doubles the capacity of the

Property owners in the city of South Haven who don’t agree with the assessed value of their property will be able to appeal that assessment starting in March with the board of review. City Manager Brian Dissette

As the Berrien County Parks Commission works to create a new five year plan for parks, the public has a chance to offer its thoughts. Berrien County Parks Director Brian Bailey tells WSJM News there will be

Three young people are recovering from minor injuries after they were hit by a vehicle in Niles on Thursday. The Niles Police Department tells us it happened just before 3 p.m. at 13th and Sycamore Streets. First

Work is underway in earnest to improve security at Benton Harbor Area Schools. At this week’s district CEO meeting, CEO Robert Herrera said the district has been working with a security consulting firm to put together emergency

By Doug Cunningham Groups across Michigan’s political spectrum are united in support of a bi-partisan effort to change civil forfeiture laws. Charlie Owens is Michigan Director for the National Federation of Independent Business. “Civil forfeiture laws basically

There’s concern about the U.S. food supply because of the partial government shutdown. Inspections by the Food and Drug Administration are down sharply because of the shutdown. Jennifer Holton is with the Michigan Department of Agriculture and