Local News Archives

Come next year, Benton Harbor City Commissioners will be doing things a little bit differently. At their final regular meeting of 2018 on Monday, they voted to amend the council rules to allow members to suspend the

Heating devices are the leading cause of fires during the winter months. Consumer’s Energy spokesperson Debra Dodd tells us has an important warning for people who use space heaters. “Always buy something that’s UL-listed, Underwriter’s Laboratory listed,

The OutCenter in Benton Harbor will kick off its new program for college-bound students in southwest Michigan with a forum Tuesday. OutCenter Executive Director Mary Jo Schnell tells us the LGBTQ+ Journey to College “It Gets Better”

From the Associated Press — Plans are moving forward on a $450 million health care campus adjacent to Michigan State University. A ceremonial groundbreaking was held Monday at the University Corporate Research Park in Lansing with officials from

Volunteers from Four Winds Casinos and The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi will be distributing 200 holiday meal baskets to those in need Tuesday. The band tells us the distribution is part of more than 1,000 holiday meals

After school activities at Benton Harbor High School were canceled Monday due to a possible threat. Administration tells us the district heard from a third party about a statement regarding the school that could have been construed

A 32-year-old Arabian horse has had to be euthanized after falling into an access hole for an old septic tank. South Haven Area Emergency Services, Harbor Towing, and the city of South Haven’s Public Works Department responded

South Haven Police will be taking 20 kids to lunch and then shopping at WalMart tomorrow as part of their annual Shop-With-A-Cop program. Officer Shawn Olney says the South Haven Public Schools give them the names of

It’s not too often drivers in Michigan can say they’re getting a nice Christmas present at the gas pump, but that’s where we stand right now. Triple A Michigan’s Nancy Cain says prices are at two-year lows

Michigan State Police say skeletal human remains found near I-94 in Lawrence last Wednesday have been identified as those of 27-year-old Jerome Ezell of Lansing. He has been missing since November 2017 when his five-month-old son was

With the new federal Farm Bill now headed to President Trump for his signature, the Food Bank Council of Michigan is thanking the lawmakers who approved it without major changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or

Two broken legs and a broken arm are the result of a forestry accident in Bainbridge Township on Sunday. The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department says a 55-year-old South Haven man was cutting down a large tree in

A 21-year-old Niles Township man is in the Berrien County Jail after an assault Friday that resulted in Merritt Elementary School being locked down. Police surrounded the suspect’s home in the 16-hundred block of Florence Avenue, only

The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department has kicked off another holiday Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign. Chief Deputy Robert Boyce spoke with WSJM News and told us extra patrols started going out during specific times this

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is reaching out to those with a gambling problem to let them know help is available with the holidays here. Spokesperson Lynn Sutfin tells WSJM News the stress of

There’s been plenty of negative reaction from conservation groups was swift to a Trump Administration proposal to remove federal clean-water protections from many smaller streams and wetlands. On Tuesday, the EPA announced a replacement for the Waters

Michigan State University Extension is working to answer the questions Michigan residents might have about PFAS, the water contaminant that rendered the water in Parchment undrinkable this past summer. MSU Extension water quality specialist Lois Wolfson tells

Another Harvest Gathering food drive has wrapped up for the year. Michigan Secretary of State spokesperson Laura Lehman tells WSJM News branch offices collect items to be given to local food pantries each year. “Our residents, as

Once again, Benton Harbor and St. Joseph area residents can apply for the gift of a free turkey and holiday food basket thanks to the Holiday Food Sharing Program. It’s an effort of the Southwest Michigan Community

Live Christmas tree or artificial this year? That’s a question many families ask. If you choose to purchase a real tree, South Haven Emergency Services Chief Ron Wise spoke with WSJM News and suggests not keeping that

$26 million in recreation grants have been announced for the year by the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund Board. The board each year selects parks projects around Michigan to receive grants taken from interest earned on funds

Merritt Elementary School in Niles was placed on lockdown Friday as the Berrien County Sheriff’s Department responded to an assault nearby. The department tells us deputies were called out to a home in the 1,600 block of

State grants totaling more than $780,000 have been announced for Van Buren County’s specialty courts. The specialty courts are the Drug Treatment Court, the Family Reunification Court, the Swift and Sure Sanctions Probation Program, the Adult and

The Cherry Beach Project in Chikaming Township has suffered a blow. It was not included in this week’s announced Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund grants. Chikaming Township Supervisor David Bunte tells WSJM News the effort to raise

A new effort to help LGBTQ+ high school and college students is being launched by the OutCenter in Benton Harbor. The OutCenter tells us “LGBTQ+ Journey to College” will hold several events in the coming months. Everything

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has confirmed a second case of Acute Flaccid Myelitis, or AFM, in a child from Oakland County. The first case was confirmed earlier this month in a child in

A mistrial and a plea deal in a Van Buren County shooting death. Troy Taylor was facing a murder charge for shooting and killing his ex-wife’s new boyfriend, Tim Henley, earlier this year. The jury was unable

(Detroit, MI – AP) – The General Motors’ massive 14,000-person layoff announced last month might not be as bad as originally projected. The company said Friday that 2,700 out of the 3,300 factory jobs slated for elimination

(Lansing, MI – AP) – Governor Rick Snyder’s proposal to increase trash fees to fund environmental cleanup is dead. The Republican-led Legislature did not act on the legislation this week, meaning it cannot be passed before the