Local News Archives

Meth possession busts have become so common in recent years that they almost don’t warrant news coverage, but a weekend arrest in Dowagiac was a bit on the unusual side. An officer spotted a man on a

The Krasl Art Fair is coming up in about a month, and it could use some volunteers. Art Fair Manager Dee Hodgson tells WSJM News with an estimated 50,000 people coming into downtown St. Joe, all kinds

The Berrien County Health Department wants everyone to be aware of the dangers of ticks, and how to avoid them this summer. Spokesperson Gillian Conrad tells WSJM News ticks spread Lyme disease, which typically appears with a

Public input is being sought on a multi-year transportation plan for the Niles, Buchanan, and Edwardsburg areas. Southwest Michigan Planning Commission associate planner Brandon Kovnat tells WSJM News the Niles-Buchanan-Cass Area Transportation Study, or NATS,  put together

This month will bring a chance for anyone in Berrien County to rid themselves of unneeded pesticides. Berrien County Environmental Property Manager Jill Adams tells WSJM News a Clean Sweep pesticide collection day will be Wednesday, June

The spring rains this year have made it the wettest planting season for Michigan farmers in recent memory. That’s according to Michigan University Extension’s Paul Gross, who says things are especially bad for corn growers. “Just 63%

A workshop to teach young people about the ins and outs of owning livestock is being offered by the Cass County 4H program. Coordinator Hailey Harman tells WSJM News “Showing Livestock…Fun, Fair and in My Future!” will

The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department says it believes it has found the body of a Niles area man who was reported missing this month. Police say they started looking for 47-year-old Garen Patrick Collins on June 9

The city of South Haven is stepping up publicity for its smoking ban at parks and beaches. Public Works Director Bill Hunter tells WSJM News the city council approved the ban last July, and it took effect

One year after it was signed by President Donald Trump, the the VA Mission Act went into effect last week. Congressman Fred Upton tells WSJM News the new law increases the options for healthcare available to veterans.

There are just 15 states in the U.S. without toll roads, with Michigan being one of them. It was considered in the 1950s for the routes that became I-94 and I-75, but the idea was shelved because

The employment rate is going up in Michigan for those suffering from a major mental illness and getting one form of state help. Michigan Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson Lynn Sutfin says the latest report

From the Associated Press — A sheriff’s office in western Michigan has reopened its investigation into the death of a jail inmate following a television station’s reports about the circumstances of the death. WOOD-TV ‘s review of

The Berrien County Parks Department has received a donation of eight adult and six child-sized mountain bikes for use at Love Creek County Park. The bikes come courtesy of Whirlpool Corporation and the Bike Michiana Coalition. They’ll

An Illinois man has died after he was pulled out of Donnell Lake in Cass County this month. The Cass County Sheriff’s Department says 50-year-old Parish Swanson was out on a dock in the 17,000 block of

Millions of new documents never reviewed related to the Flint water crisis are now being scoured by the new prosecution team looking into what happened. Attorney General Dana Nessel says they have about 20-times more information that

The Benton Harbor Area Schools Board of Education wants to continue working with the state on finding a solution to the school district’s problems. At a meeting today, the board turned down a May 24 proposal from

Video Playback Not Supported <iframe class=’wpb_videoplayer video-single-player-iframe’ allowfullscreen scrolling=’no’ width=’600′ height=’330′ frameborder=’0′ src=’https://www.wsjm.com/wp-content/plugins/wpb-video/wpb-video-embed/wpb-video-embed.php?blogid=321&id=65200&flag_call=singleVideo&playerid=fbqwxde&player_slug=wsjm-com-stories&chkFlagFrom=meta_insert_video’></iframe> The Benton Harbor Area Schools Board of Education wants to continue working with the state on finding a solution to the school district’s problems.

Letting police in Benton Harbor know of crimes is now easier for smartphone users. The city has released its Tip411 mobile app called Benton Harbor DPS, which can be found in the Google Play Store and Apple

No deal. The Benton Harbor Area Schools Board of Education has voted to reject the proposal from the state to temporarily close Benton Harbor High School in exchange for wiping out $12 million of its $18 million

For what it’s worth, there’s a new poll of Michigan voters showing former Vice President Joe Biden with a wide lead over President Trump in the state. EPIC-MRA finds a double-digit lead for the Democrat at the

The St. Joseph City Commission won’t be putting off action on a pair of Commercial Rehabilitation Exemption Certificates which were tabled earlier this week. They’ve called a special meeting Monday at 6:30 p.m. to hold the public

Two 37-year-old men are in the Berrien County Jail on drug charges after the Southwest Enforcement Team carried out a narcotics raid in Benton Harbor this morning. Troy McClinton is facing a charge of possession with intent

Indiana Michigan Power has announced its next solar farm, and this one will be its biggest. I&M spokesperson Schnee Garrett tells WSJM News the facility in South Bend will be near the Indiana Toll Road and about

The Berrien County Parks Department has been awarded a grant to help pay for a new beach mat at Rocky Gap County Park. At this week’s Berrien County Board of Commissioners meeting, the Berrien Community Foundation presented

Set for Saturday is a Juneteenth celebration in Benton Harbor. Juneteenth is an annual event to mark the end of slavery in the United States. It started in 1865 on June 19. The local event will begin

From the Associated Press — A Catholic graduate college that has operated in Detroit for 92 years will close in December at the end of its upcoming fall semester. Marygrove College announced Wednesday it had informed staff

The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department is cracking down on drivers who illegally pass farm vehicles moving large equipment on public roads. Berrien County Board of Commissioners Chair Mac Elliot tells WSJM News he’s been hearing from farmers

A growing number of Michigan residents are playing a version of To Catch a Predator, and police want it to stop. Michigan State Police Lieutenant Liz Rich says it’s happening across the country. It started here about

Dozens of food pantries in Berrien and Cass counties have stocked shelves thanks to the efforts of 26 businesses that took part in the United Way of Southwest Michigan’s “Christmas in June” challenge. Over 20,000 items have