Local News Archives

02-11-19 WSJM Afternoon News

Coming up this weekend will be free fishing all across Michigan. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources tells us this coming Saturday and Sunday will be a chance for anyone to go fishing without a license. Also,

From the Associated Press — A public visitation will be held in Michigan to honor John Dingell, the longest-serving member of Congress in history, who died last week at age 92. The visitation will be Monday at Ford

Expect smaller beaches this year once again in the Great Lakes. According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Detroit, water levels on the lakes will be higher than normal once again. Lake Michigan will be

Governor Whitmer will lay out her legislative agenda Tuesday night with her first State of the State speech. Freshman state Representative Brad Paquette of Berrien Springs wants details on how she plans to follow through with the

Local jurisdictions are waiting in line to prosecute a couple from Van Buren County wanted for using a Facebook Marketplace scam to steal two vehicles last week, including a Buick Enclave taken from the wife of a

A suspected propane explosion is blamed for leveling a home in Casco Township. South Haven Area Emergency Services says the home in the 6000 block of 104th avenue near 60th Street blew up around 12:30 Sunday afternoon.

Fernwood Botanical Garden near Buchanan is one of 21 botanical gardens to be selected for a new U.S. Botanic Garden exhibit. “Celebrating New American Gardens” will be on display through October 15, 2019 in Washington, DC. The

Coming soon to the gym at Lake Michigan Catholic High School will be live donkeys. LMC tells us Donkey Basketball is a sport in which the participants are donkeys as well as people. Lake Michigan Catholic Schools

Benton Harbor City Commissioners are now talking about how to spend the money being generated with the city’s new income tax. At a meeting this past week, the commission heard from Abonmarche President Chris Cook, who gave

Talons Out Honor Flight has announced it’s going to start taking Vietnam veterans to visit their war memorial in Washington, D.C. The organization for years has taken veterans of World War II and the Korean War to

Police around Michigan made more than 200 drunk driving arrests during an end-of-the-year crackdown. Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning spokesperson Kari Arend tells WSJM News the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign took place December

He’s been the face and the voice of the Cook nuclear power plant for 24 years, and now Bill Schalk has retired. As Cook spokesperson, Schalk tells us it was his job to keep the public informed

The Cass County Sheriff’s Department is investigating a fatal crash that occurred on Friday night in Porter Township. It was reported just before 10:30 at Sunset Boulevard near South Beechwood Street. Sheriff’s deputies tell us 39-year-old Travis Lee Schlabach

Water filters are being made available for all residents of Benton Harbor starting this past week. The Berrien County Health Department’s Nicki Britten tells us the filters are certified to reduce the risk of lead exposure in

Michigan State Police are advising everyone about an e-mail scam that’s been making the rounds. MSP says it’s been hearing about an increase in e-mails containing malicious links or attachments sent to businesses and individuals. They’ve had

The federal government is proposing to gut rules that protect consumers from short-term payday loan companies. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau already put the Obama-era Payday Lending Rule on hold, but on Wednesday, the agency said it

The Southwestern Michigan Association of Realtors is notifying organizations throughout the region that it’s offering grants to community and neighborhood projects. The Placemaking Challenge Grants are intended for smaller projects intended to improve a community in an

A Benton Harbor man is facing charges following a heroin and meth bust this week. The Southwest Enforcement Team tells us police conducted a sting on Tuesday following a nine month investigation into the 36-year-old suspect for

Coming soon to the gym at Lake Michigan Catholic High School will be live donkeys. District fundraiser Chris Glendening tells WSJM News Donkey Basketball is a sport in which the participants ride around on donkeys trying shoot hoops.

With last week’s frigid weather shutting down many businesses and many government offices, the Berrien County Board of Commissioners this week took a minute to salute those county employees who still came out to work. The board

With tattoos all the rage these days, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is holding a conference this month for tattoo providers to make sure they’re in compliance with all of the rules about health

The longest-serving member of Congress in history has died. Dearborn’s John Dingell represented the Detroit area from a 1955 special election following the death of his father until his retirement in 2015, and died Thursday at the

As a measles outbreak continues in Washington state, many are blaming the state’s relaxed laws on vaccine exemptions. According to The Washington Post, Washington is one of 17 states that allow philosophical exemptions from vaccinations, meaning virtually

The Orchards Mall in Benton Township has paid its taxes. Berrien County Treasurer Bret Witkowski tells WSJM News the mall’s new owners, Durga Property Holdings out of Cincinnati, submitted a check for more than $220,000 on Tuesday.

Fernwood Botanical Garden near Buchanan is one of 21 botanical gardens to be selected for a new U.S. Botanic Garden exhibit. “Celebrating New American Gardens” will be on display through October 15 in Washington, DC. The U.S.

Believe it or not, the Michigan Secretary of State is still using an antiquated mainframe computer system for vehicle records, and by antiquated, the department says it’s from the 1960s. That is about to change, as the

From the Associated Press — Michigan regulators have opened an investigation into a compressor station fire that raised concerns about keeping natural gas flowing to millions of residents in bitterly cold weather. The Public Service Commission voted 2-0