From the Associated Press — Gretchen Whitmer is defending a pending overhaul of Michigan’s auto insurance law, saying treatment for injured drivers will “still be there” if they forego what has been a mandatory unlimited personal injury
A former Benton Harbor public safety officer is avoiding jail time for hitting a suspect with his patrol car last May. Our partners at WSBT-22 report Steven Johnson was found guilty by Judge Arthur Cotter of reckless
Memorial Day is normally the high point of the year for gas prices, and Triple-A Michigan says the statewide average is up just a penny from last week. The post-holiday average in Michigan is $2.88 a gallon,
A two-mile project on M-51 south of Niles will get underway on Monday. The Michigan Department of Transportation will be repaving the highway between Chestnut Lane and the Indiana state line. The $3.4 million project is scheduled
The summer tourism season is underway in southwest Michigan, including the tours of the St. Joseph Lighthouse. Kate Ulrey is the community engagement coordinator with the Heritage Museum and Cultural Center, which coordinates the tours and says
(East Lansing, MI – AP) – Michigan State University has named a new president following the most extensive sexual abuse scandal in sports history. Dr. Samuel Stanley Jr., a medical researcher who has led Stony Brook University
The verdict is in for a former Benton Harbor public safety officer charged with assault with a deadly weapon for hitting a suspect with his patrol car. Steven Johnson has been acquitted on that charge, but convicted
Tourists are still going to be welcome in southwest Michigan in June, but the state’s official Welcome Center in New Buffalo won’t be open. The Michigan Department of Transportation is closing the facility on I-94 just over
The OutCenter in Benton Harbor is gearing up for its annual Lake Effect Pride event. Set for Saturday, June 8 at the Four Winds Casino in New Buffalo, Lake Effect Pride is a chance for the OutCenter
A 3% pay increase for full-time, non-union staff has been put on hold by Benton Harbor City Commissioners. At last week’s meeting, they tabled the pay increase in order to get more information on the budget impact
Hands off. That’s the message from the Benton Harbor Area Schools Board of Trustees to Governor Whitmer and her administration regarding the possible closure of Benton Harbor High School after the 2020-2021 school year. The board has
The new Ghostlight Theater in Benton Harbor is getting ready to open for its first season. The black box theater at 101 Hinkley Street held a media day last week to show off to the public what’s
A 78-year-old woman is dead following a Sunday fire in Benton Township. The Benton Township Police Department tells us officers were dispatched to a home in the 1800 block of Wood Street around 3:20 a.m. Upon arrival,
The Southwest Michigan Planning Commission will hold a summit on trails in Van Buren County next month. Senior Planner Marcy Hamilton tells WSJM News the commission is putting together a seven-county trail plan for the Michigan Department
The County Road Association of Michigan has released a plan for getting roads under the jurisdiction of counties back into good condition. Its “Michigan County Road Investment Plan” concludes another $2 billion in annual funding is needed
An effort to clean up tires around the city of Benton Harbor made a splash last week. At this past week’s city commission meeting, Benton Harbor Director of Public Safety Dan McGinnis said the event last Friday
This Sunday will bring a chance for everyone to learn more about how they can stay safe and help protect others along piers in southwest Michigan. St. Joseph Department of Public Safety Director Steve Neubecker tells WSJM
Another Click It or Ticket campaign is underway this Memorial Day weekend to make sure Michigan drivers and their passengers are using their seat belts. The Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning’s Kendall Wingrove tells WSJM News
Martin’s Super Markets in St. Joseph and Stevensville are now offering same-day delivery of groceries. Martin’s has teamed up with Instacart, a North American leader in online groceries, for the program. To use it, you have to
There is a party going on this weekend at the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi campus in Dowagiac. Tribal council member Andy Jackson tells WSJM News they’re holding their tenth annual Memorial Day weekend pow wow. It’s smaller
The Michigan Secretary of State is advising everyone that new and enhanced REAL IDs will be needed to board domestic flights and enter certain federal facilities starting next year. Secretary of State spokesperson Shawn Starkey tells WSJM
A priest who once served at St. John the Evangelist Parish in Benton Harbor is facing two charges of rape. The Michigan Attorney General’s office tells us 84-year-old Jacob Vellian of the Kalamazoo Diocese faces life in
Legislation designed to allow for some medically frail inmates in Michigan to be moved out of prisons and into medical facilities has been signed into law by Governor Gretchen Whitmer. State Representative Beth Griffin of Mattawan told
Benton Harbor Area Schools CEO Robert Herrera doesn’t have much he can say about the proposal by the state to close the high school and switch the district to just grades K-8 starting in 2020. “I know
Look for your auto insurance rates to fall soon. A compromise plan to overhaul Michigan’s unique no-fault system has sailed through the House and Senate in a rare Friday session with broad bipartisan support. The House passed
The OutCenter in Benton Harbor is marking the first time it’s provided inclusivity training to a southwest Michigan business. OutCenter Director Mary Jo Schnell tells WSJM News on May 2, staff provided the training to the Moersch
The head of the state’s teacher’s union is supporting the proposal to close Benton Harbor High School after the coming year. Michigan Education Association President Paul Herbart says the proposal is not ideal, but is the “best
The Michigan Department of Treasury has shed light on what state officials are proposing be done with Benton Harbor Area Schools. The department issued a press release Friday saying it’s proposing operations at Benton Harbor High School
It’s a compromise years in the making, as Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Republican leaders of the state House and Senate have a bipartisan agreement to reform the no-fault auto insurance system in Michigan. The Legislature is holding
From the Associated Press — Voting-rights advocates and a campaign-finance ballot drive group are challenging Republican-enacted requirements that make it harder to qualify proposals for the ballot. A lawsuit filed Thursday in the Michigan Court of Claims
