Now in front of Benton Harbor High School on Colfax Avenue is a Black Lives Matter street mural. Volunteers painted it on Saturday morning with organizer and citizen activist Trenton Bowens telling WSJM News it was great
The Van Buren County Road Commission will be spraying herbicides along roads this fall. It says it’s hired The Daltons out of North Webster, Indiana to perform custom chemical vegetation control services along the road right-of-way on
The fast food chain Steak n Shake has announced it will auction off 15 of its locations in August, including the Steak n Shake in Benton Harbor. In all, three locations in Michigan will be up for
The United Way of Southwest Michigan is closing its office in Paw Paw. Spokesperson Jennifer Tomshack tells us the group has kept the Paw Paw office open since it merged with the United Way of Van Buren
The National Blueberry Festival in South Haven is set for this weekend, although it will be different due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Festival organizers say there will not be live music or pie eating contests. There will
The Krasl Art Center is planning a meeting to discuss social justice policies. The St. Joseph City Commission has been holding meetings to talk about what it could do to improve racial equity and to fight racism
The city of Benton Harbor will close Colfax Avenue this weekend to allow volunteers to paint a Black Lives Matter mural near Benton Harbor High School. The volunteers will be out on the street Saturday and Sunday.
The Allegan County Sheriff’s Department is investigating a Thursday fatal shooting in Lee Township. It says deputies responded to the scene near the 500 block of 55th Street around 6:15 p.m. and found a 50-year-old man dead.
Michigan is reporting 762 additional cases of COVID-19 for Friday. The state also says it’s had zero new deaths for the day. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services puts the total number of COVID cases
From the Associated Press — Governor Gretchen Whitmer has extended Michigan’s coronavirus emergency through September 4, enabling her to keep in place restrictions designed to curb COVID-19. The Democratic governor on Friday pointed to an uptick in
From the Associated Press — Two successful graduates are committing $6 million to help the University of Michigan expand opportunities for students in real estate and investing. Stephen Ross and Jeff Blau say they want to help
From the Associated Press — A Democratic senator says he is launching an investigation into changes at the U.S. Postal Service that are causing delays in deliveries across the country. Democrats say the delays will be especially
The Michigan National Guard will do free community testing for COVID-19 in Allegan this weekend. The State Emergency Operations Center has released the following statement: The Michigan National Guard will continue its partnership with the Michigan Department
Coming to Benton Harbor this month will be the famous Veggie Van. It’s a mobile food pantry that distributes fresh fruits and vegetables to anyone who wants them, and it’s offered thanks to a partnership between Spectrum
Congressman Fred Upton is inviting district residents to send him photos of their favorite protective masks. He tells WSJM News his office is encouraging everyone to mask up. “We know that they work,” Upton said. “We know
With Michigan State Police now having dedicated six troopers to Benton Harbor for the summer, the Berrien County Sheriff’s Department is also chipping in. Sheriff Paul Bailey told the Berrien County Board of Commissioners this week some
A major drainage project will be done in Watervliet this year in tandem with water system improvements. The Berrien County Board of Commissioners signed off on the $2.6 million South Watervliet Drainage District project Thursday. Watervliet City
The Berrien County Health Department is looking to hire new staff members as it works to combat COVID-19 in the community. Berrien County Commissioner Bill Chickering told the board of commissioners this week federal CARES Act money
A record 2.5 million votes were cast in Michigan’s primary, as people took advantage of no-excuse absentee voting amid the coronavirus pandemic. The count released Thursday surpassed the previous record of 2.2 million from 2018, when –
The state has 722 new COVID-19 cases Thursday, putting the overall number at 85,429 since March. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is reporting 26 new COVID-19 deaths as of Thursday for a total of
Another month means another record for selling prices of existing homes in southwest Michigan. The Southwestern Michigan Association of Realtors says key to that is 24% fewer homes on the market from July 2019 in Allegan, Berrien,
Governor Gretchen Whitmer has signed an executive order requiring the use of masks at child care center and camps. The office of the governor has released the following statement: Today, Governor Whitmer signed Executive Order 2020-164 which requires face coverings to be
The state has more than 100 fewer new COVID-19 cases than it did on Wednesday, but the number remains high at 542. That brings the total cases since March to 86,249. The Michigan Department of Health and
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is focusing on the enforcement of state orders for long-term care facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her office has released the following statement: To make sure long-term care facilities are operating within the requirements
An argument during a dice game on Agard in Benton Township last night has resulted in a 33-year-old white man being hospitalized at Spectrum Health Lakeland with a gunshot wound. Witnesses tell township police the victim was
Baroda-Lake Township Police are investigating a deadly crash on I-94 Wednesday night that shut down the westbound lanes for about 5 hours. Just before 7:30, an eastbound semi went off the road, through the cable barrier, and
From the Associated Press — A Michigan couple who came under attack for displaying the Norwegian flag because some observers mistook it for a Confederate flag have found another way to show their Scandinavian pride. Greg and
From the Associated Press — A tax proposed to repair roads in a western Michigan township ended up in an election tie. In Ionia County’s North Plains Township, the millage result was 110 in favor and 110
The Baroda-Lake Township Police Department is among agencies that responded to a fatal crash involving two semis and one other vehicle on I-94 Wednesday evening. It says the incident happened around 7:25 on westbound I-94 near the
The Benton Township Police Department is investigating a shooting that occurred on Wednesday evening along Agard Street. It says officers were sent to the scene in the 1,300 block of Agard around 7:15. They found the victim
