Local News Archives

Michigan’s maple syrup producers will be tapping thousands of Maple trees in Michigan over the next month to make maple syrup. Owner of Out of the Woods Farm in northern Michigan near Elk Rapids, Joe Woods, says

There will not be fireworks in South Haven over Independence Day this summer for the second straight year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. City leadership decided to cancel the annual show out of an abundance of caution

Some Berrien County Commissioners continue to have concerns about COVID restrictions on some businesses. Speaking during Thursday’s Berrien County Board of Commissioners meeting, Commissioner Ezra Scott raised questions about how the rules affect event venues. Chair Mac

The Berrien County Health Department has got its mind on equity when it comes to the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. Speaking to a committee of the county commission Thursday, Berrien County Health Officer Nicki Britten said vaccination

From the Associated Press — Business groups are urging Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer to let employers reopen their offices for in-person work rather than extend a coronavirus-related restriction set to expire in mid-April. In October, after a

Michigan is reporting 1,526 new cases of COVID-19 for Thursday. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services says the state has had more than 593,000 COVID cases since the pandemic started. 37 deaths were reported for

Several animals have died in barn fire in Chikaming Township. The fire department rescued two goats, a pair of horses and some chickens but couldn’t get to a peacock, several chickens and four llamas. The 9-1-1 call

The Berrien County Trial Court will move to a new phase of reopening on Monday. The court has released the following: In compliance with the Michigan Supreme Court’s Administrative Orders 2020-14 and 2020-19, the Berrien County Trial

Indiana Michigan Power has issued an update on its efforts to support communities in its service areas during the COVID-19 pandemic. It says it’s given out a total of more than $4 million. I&M has released the

Following a state announcement this week that eligibility for COVID-19 vaccines is being expanded, the Berrien County Health Department is preparing to keep up. The department has released the following: The Michigan Department of Health and Human

From the Associated Press — The Biden administration is reviving an Energy Department program that disbursed billions of dollars in loan guarantees to companies such as electric car maker Tesla and the failed solar company Solyndra. In

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is expanding COVID-19 vaccine eligibility this month. It says starting on Monday, the vaccines will be offered to anyone age 50 and older with medical conditions or disabilities and

A 76-year-old Berrien Township man is recovering after falling through the ice on O’Brien Lake near Berrien Center on Wednesday. The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department says 76-year-old Donald Skibbe and 59-year-old Ryan Huff were ice fishing when

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has launched a new campaign to help those who are struggling with substance abuse during the pandemic. Spokesperson Lynn Sutfin tells WSJM News there will be ads to talk

With a new COVID-19 vaccine available thanks to Johnson and Johnson, Congressman Fred Upton says the nation can see progress on beating the disease accelerate, and that will mean more work is needed in Washington. Upton tells

Michigan is reporting 1,536 additional cases of COVID-19 for Wednesday. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services says the state has had a total of more than 591,000 cases of COVID since the pandemic started. The

The Michigan Legislature has approved a $4.2 billion COVID-19 relief plan without getting a deal with Governor Gretchen Whitmer. State Representative Pauline Wendzel is praising the plan. Her office has released the following: Rep. Pauline Wendzel today

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is expanding COVID-19 vaccine eligibility. The Michigan State Emergency Operations Center has released the following: To help reach the state’s goal of vaccinating 70% of Michiganders over age 16 and

A new poll of 600 Michiganders by EPIC-MRA for the Detroit Free Press finds a partisan split over COVID-19 vaccines. Of those polled, 47% of Republicans say they will not get the vaccine compared to 10% of

Benton Harbor High School students could soon be back in the classroom. The Benton Harbor Area Schools Board of Education heard from Superintendent Andrae Townsel during a Tuesday meeting and he said there’s been a lot of

State Senator Kim LaSata isn’t pleased with Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s pick to be the director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. LaSata says the state Senate should vote to reject the appointment of Elizabeth

The city of Benton Harbor is receiving $410,000 in Community Development Block Grant funds this year. During a Monday meeting of the Benton Harbor City Commission, Community and Economic Development Director Alex Little told commissioners he received

Congressman Fred Upton is looking to the U.S. Senate to make changes to the COVID-19 relief package approved narrowly in the House over the weekend. He tells WSJM News he voted against the $1.9 trillion Democratic package.

The Niles Scream Park is looking for non-profits that would like to team up with it for the next season while helping to raise money for their causes. The Scream Park is itself a non-profit, and operates

Michigan has 1,067 new COVID-19 cases for Tuesday for a pandemic total of 590,217. The state Department of Health and Human Services says 24 deaths were recorded for the day, with 12 being from vital records reviews.

From the Associated Press — Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson says state audits of the 2020 general election show it was secure and reflected the will of voters. She announced the results Tuesday of 250 audits

From the Associated Press — Former Michigan Department of Public Health and Human Services director Robert Gordon will receive more than $155,000 as part of a separation agreement. The agreement revealed Monday calls for Gordon to drop

Starting Friday, restaurants and bars in Michigan can expand and be open until 11 p.m. Governor Gretchen Whitmer made the announcement this afternoon. “We are announcing that restaurants and bars can operate at 50% capacity,” says Whitmer.