Local News Archives

Berrien County is seeing an increase in the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 each day, but it’s not time to panic. That’s according to Berrien County Health Officer Nicki Britten, who spoke to the Berrien County

Benton Harbor Area Schools is the recipient of a major donation from the Whirlpool Charity Golf event. Superintendent Andrae Townsel made the announcement during a Tuesday meeting. “We are very thankful to the Whirlpool Charity Golf Event

Berrien County Sheriff’s deputies will take part in “Operation Safe Stop” from October 19th through the 23rd. Their enforcement efforts will be in and around school bus pick-up and drop-off locations and speed zones near schools. They

Guilty to a charge of negligent homice. That is the plea deal for the grandfather of an area toddler in Puerto Rico for her death on a cruise ship in July 2019. Salvatore Anello is hoping the

From the Associated Press — Tailgating and alcohol are banned on football Saturdays at Michigan State University. Campus police say parking lots will also be closed, all in an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

A group of U.S. House members has sent a letter to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee asking that funding for the Brandon Road Lock and Dam project be included in this year’s Water Resources Development Act.

A proposed Financial Recovery Agreement for Benton Harbor Area Schools by the state has been rejected by the local board of education. At a Tuesday meeting, Superintendent Andrae Townsel said the district’s attorneys took issue with aspects

A dedication for the brand new Arthur and Bonna Vanderlyn Community Center and Hartford Public Library will be held this weekend. Supporters will gather on Sunday to celebrate the more than $2 million project’s completion. On hand

A project to replace a culvert along M-139 in Royalton Township will be undertaken by the Michigan Department of Transportation next year. MDOT spokesperson Nick Schirripa tells WSJM News they’ll be working between Linco Road and John

A 71-year-old woman is charged with felony murder related to vulnerable adult abuse in the death of a man in Van Buren County. The Van Buren County Sheriff’s Department says a lengthy criminal investigation into the death

The Lake Michigan Catholic School Fund says it has been able to raise $800,000 for endowments to provide tuition scholarships and instructional support for teachers. More than half came in from two area families as LMC graduate

Unit 2 of the Indiana Michgan Power Cook Nuclear Plant is back online after a 50-hour outage. It was safely brought back to service at 3:35 a.m. Wednesday after tripping automatically due to lowering water level in

Michigan has experienced substantial trade-related job losses in recent years, according to a new report. U.S. Labor Department data shows Michigan suffered a 211% increase in jobs lost to offshoring between 2017 and 2019 compared with the

The Berrien County Health Department is noticing an uptick in COVID-19 cases in the community. Spokesperson Gillian Conrad tells WSJM News daily new cases are up. “For close to two months, we had been seeing, on average,

South Haven Area Emergency Services has named its Firefighter of the Year. Captain Ron Ridley has been selected by his peers for the honor for a second time. He was first the Firefighter of the Year in

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is scheduling a procedural vote on a COVID-19 relief bill for next week. He says aid to hard-hit businesses shouldn’t be held up by gridlock involving other aid proposals. This is giving

As visitors are allowed back at Spectrum Health Lakeland hospital in St. Joseph, the facility wants people to know there are still rules in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Lakeland Communications Specialist Jessica Springer tells

Making an appearance in Detroit on behalf of House Democratic candidates, Governor Gretchen Whitmer is again weighing in on last week’s revelations of a plot to kidnap and possibly kill her. 13 people have been charged. The

Since prisoners in Michigan prisoners have not been able to have visits from family and friends since March because of the pandemic, the state Department of Corrections is setting up video visits at a couple of prisons.

From the Associated Press — It’s a roadside ritual in rural Michigan: Shake your mailbox before the snow flies. County road commissions are urging Michigan residents to check the stability of their mailboxes, the ones that are

From the Associated Press — Animal shelters and rescue groups around Michigan’s state capital have seen a big spike in adoptions since March as people have increasingly turned to the companionship of furry friends during the coronavirus

The Van Buren District Library is planning an online question and answer session to help parents better understand homeschooling. Set for October 22, the Zoom session will be a chance for parents to get their questions answered

State Representative Pauline Wendzel is hailing final approval of legislation to reform the expungement process in Michigan. She tells WSJM News a bipartisan group of state lawmakers have been working on the plan for more than a

From the Associated Press — The Michigan Supreme Court has rejected Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s request to delay by 28 days the effect of its decision striking down a law she had used to keep intact sweeping orders

Legislation reforming Michigan’s expungement laws has been signed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Among other things, the bipartisan package allows a person to set aside marijuana offenses if they would not have been crimes if committed after the

A motorcyclist is at South Bend Memorial Hospital for a head injury suffered in a Sunday crash in Cass County. Deputies were called to the crash scene near the intersection of Dutch Settlement Road and East Street

Police in Van Buren County still haven’t had any luck in locating a man who went missing out of Lawrence last week. 45-year-old Jimmy Ray Green of Parchment was visiting friends in Lawrence when he just walked

The Berrien Community Foundation this week announced $175,000 in grants to local organizations at its 68th Annual Meeting and Celebration. Held in the parking lot of the Mendel Center at Lake Michigan College, BCF President Lisa Cripps-Downey

Southwestern Michigan College is making good progress on getting its new cross country team up and running, so to speak. SMC Chief of Staff Brent Brewer tells WSJM News they expect to have approval from the National

October is National Dyslexia Awareness Month, and some Michigan senators are promoting a package of legislation that would better help children struggling with the learning disability. Four bills introduced in the Michigan Senate aim to better prepare