Local News Archives

The South Haven City Council has approved a six month moratorium on new short-term rentals in Wards 1 and 2. Those wards consist of the southern portion of the city along the lakeshore and the eastern portion

State Representative Kim LaSata is among the Michigan lawmakers calling on the Michigan State Waterways Commission to drop plans for a tax on small watercraft like canoes, kayaks, and paddle boards. She tells WSJM News the House

A check for $50,000 will be presented this week to Kay Manufacturing in St. Joseph by Indiana Michigan Power for Kay’s efforts to become more energy efficient. Kay Manufacturing President Brian Pelke tells WSJM News the company

A group of 20 Andrews University faculty, staff, students, and graduates have returned from a trip to Puerto Rico to help provide mental health services there following Hurricane Maria. Andrews Associate Professor of Psychology Melissa Ponce-Rodas tells

There is still work ahead for leaders at Lakeshore Public Schools after this week’s failure of a bond proposal. Voters rejected the $21 million bond on Tuesday on a vote of 2,300 to 1,907. Lakeshore Superintendent Phil

The Friends of the Blue Star Trail will celebrate the grand opening of the recently completed section of the Blue Star Trail in Saugatuck Township on Sunday, May 20. The celebration will kick off at the south

“Why Our Political Is Behaving So Oddly” is the topic South Haven Speaker Series guest Phil Power address on Thursday, May 10th at the Lake Michigan College South Haven campus. Speaker Series Board President Mark Odland tells

It doesn’t look like you’re going to be forced to pay any fees to register paddle boards, canoes, and kayaks with the state. The Michigan House has voted overwhelmingly to oppose the so-called “kayak tax” floated by

An arson at the Flowing Wells Roadside Park in Bainbridge Township is under investigation. The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department tells WSJM News someone noticed the bathrooms at the park on fire around 10 p.m. last Friday and

Michigan State Police plan to target dangerous driving behaviors of motorists using Interstate 94 between the Indiana state line and Wayne County in southeastern Michigan. More troopers will be assigned to patrol the highway during the spring

If you’re behind on your taxes, Berrien County Treasurer Bret Witkowski wants you to know a state program to help pay them off is still available. Last year, Witkowski and other treasurers promoted the Step Forward Michigan

After being diagnosed with cancer last fall, Michigan Schools Superintendent Brian Whiston passed away on Monday at the age of 56. Co-President of the State Board of Education Dr. Richard Zeile told Michigan News Network Whiston had

1,700 business leaders and politicians will attend the Mackinac Policy Conference on Mackinac Island later this month. Highlights include a keynote speech from former Speaker of the House John Boehner and a governor’s debate between the top

Voters headed to the polls on Tuesday is some communities around Berrien County, in all cases deciding school funding. The biggest was a bond for Lakeshore Public Schools, which voters rejected. The vote was 2,300 no to

A couple of Van Buren County communities held elections on Tuesday. In South Haven, voters were asked to renew the operating millage for South Haven Public Schools. It accounts for more than 42% of the district’s operating

Medical Marijuana is a step closer to coming to Benton Harbor. At a Monday meeting, the city commission approved updated zoning rules recommended by the planning commission that will permit up to 25 medical marijuana facilities in

It was a packed house as Steve Martin chatted with the crowd at the Mendel Center in Benton Township Tuesday night. Martin was the closing guest for the season of the Economic Club of Southwestern Michigan. “A

Victims of Larry Nassar are at the state capitol this week to testify in favor of new child protection legislation. Former diver Sterling Riethman from Kalamazoo was abused by Nassar at his MSU clinic. She testified on

St. Joseph City Commissioners and the public have been updated by Public Safety Director Brian Uridge on plans to better police the community this summer. Last summer, St. Joe Public Safety changed traffic patterns to reduce congestion

The reward for information leading to the arrest of Benton Harbor murder suspect Antwan “Tank” Mims has been doubled from $10,000 to $20,000. At a press conference Tuesday, Benton Harbor Department of Public Safety Director Dan McGinnis

There will be another vendor selling hot dogs at a St. Joseph summer attraction this year. On Monday, the St. Joseph City Commission gave its thumbs up to Myles Hambley to have a hot dog cart at

There are school elections in a few areas of southwest Michigan today. In Van Buren County, school millage requests are on the ballot in Coloma, Dowagiac, South Haven, and Watervliet, while the city of Bangor is also

The Orchards Mall is up for sale. WSJM News has learned the owner of the mall is auctioning it off through a Farmington Hills-based company, with a starting bid of $750,000. The auction is scheduled to be

Michigan State Superintendent Brian Whiston has died at the age of 56 from cancer. Whiston had begun a long-term medical leave from the Michigan Department of Education on Friday on the advice of his doctors, and had

From the Associated Press — Federal environmental officials are resuming an investigation into contamination at a former tannery in western Michigan five years after the Environmental Protection Agency left the site under state control. The Grand Rapids Press

This is National Nurses Week. It’s a time to celebrate and honor those who give so much on the job. Many nurses like Beaumont Hospital orthopedic nurse Maureen Cooper tells Michigan News Network it’s not so much

From the Associated Press — A man has been sentenced to life in prison without the chance of parole for the beating death of his girlfriend’s 4-year-old daughter, who was found wrapped in blankets and duct tape

Residents of St. Joseph will be paying a bit more in taxes under a plan given its first reading by city commissioners Monday night. After a lengthy discussion, the commission gave its initial green light to a

This Wednesday is Bike to School Day, and thousands of students around Michigan are expected to take part. Organized by the Michigan Fitness Foundation and the Safe Routes to School program, Bike to School Day is designed

Set for this month is the first ever Niles Renaissance Faire. Niles History Center Director Christina Arseneau tells WSJM News the city decided to hold a renaissance faire because the events are increasingly popular in the region,