From the Associated Press — Michigan officials are taking applications from owners of forest land who would like to enroll their property in a program that shields it permanently from development. Michigan’s Forest Legacy Program uses federal and
Wednesday brings the 11th annual Chili Cook Off and Walk in Buchanan. Randy Hendrixson, with the chamber of commerce, tells WSJM News 31 chilies will compete for three awards as folks walk around the downtown and sample
A report from Crain’s Detroit Business finds Michigan has ranked fourth in the nation for power outages over the last six years, despite ranking tenth in population. Judy Palnau, with the Michigan Public Service Commission, tells WSJM News there
A Niles-based metal stamping company seeking to expand into Benton Township has been granted a tax break to make it possible. Modineer is looking to locate its coating division in the township, creating 21 new jobs. Township
Two Berrien County Sheriff’s deputies have received extra training to be better prepared for service as corrections officers. The sheriff’s department tells our newsroom Devonte Hureskin and Brandon Dipert just wrapped up a four-week course at the
Southwest Michigan grape growers still have another nervous month ahead of them. That’s because of all this warmer-than-usual weather. MSU Extension’s Brad Baughman tells WSJM News the crop could be in trouble if it stays warm for a
Lawmakers met in Lansing Tuesday to discuss eliminating the state’s twice annual time change. Jada Paisley, with the Michigan Golf Course Owners Association, told them eliminating Daylight Saving Time would have a negative effect on her industry.
From the Associated Press — The rusty patched bumblebee is officially an endangered species. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says the designation took effect Tuesday, making the rusty patched bumblebee the first bee species in the continental
From the Associated Press — Governor Rick Snyder has written letters to every member of Michigan’s congressional delegation to warn how House Republicans’ health care legislation would “adversely impact” the state’s most vulnerable residents. The Republican governor’s letter,
The two anglers who drowned in Keeler Lake over the weekend have been identified. According to Michigan State Police, the victims were 45-year-old Douglas McIntyre of Decatur and 64-year-old Robert Novick of Illinois. The two died at
A retired Kellogg Corporation vice president is said to be eyeing a run for Congress in Michigan’s 6th Congressional District. Lansing’s MIRS News reports George Franklin is considering running against Congressman Fred Upton if the St. Joseph
The Van Buren County Sheriff’s Department is crediting the cable barrier in the median on I-94 with preventing what could have been a very bad accident Monday afternoon. Deputies say the driver of a semi fell asleep
A southwest Michigan teenager will be returning home soon after being found in Ames, Iowa on the campus of Iowa State University. Michigan State Police issued an Endangered Missing Advisory yesterday for 16-year-old Joy Dene Martin of
A committee of the Benton Harbor City Commission will soon take a look at how much the city manager should be allowed to spend before getting permission from the full body. On Monday, commissioners were asked to
From the Associated Press — Isaiah Livers of Kalamazoo Central has been named Mr. Basketball for the state of Michigan. Livers, who has signed to play at Michigan for the Wolverines next season, edged Xavier Tillman of Grand
Should Benton Harbor City Commissioners be paid more for all the meetings they attend? That question could soon be decided by the city’s compensation commission, now that the process of setting it up has begun. At a
If you’ve been putting off your taxes because you don’t want to deal with the paperwork headache, there could be a place for you to turn for help. Every year, hundreds of IRS-certified volunteers help people file
The Michigan Department of Transportation has begun a culvert replacement project in Three Oaks. The work on the US-12 culvert over Deer Creek started Monday, and will be wrapped up in July. MDOT’s Nick Schirripa tells WSJM
Hilltop Road in St. Joseph will be under construction for the next several months. St. Joseph City Engineer Tim Zebell tells WSJM News they’re reconstructing the road in two phases, north of Cleveland and then south of
Animal Planet is currently running a contest in which the public can vote on which animal shelter should receive $50,000 for renovations, and one of the five finalists is the Al-Van Humane Society in South Haven. The
From the Associated Press — Geologists in Illinois are launching a helicopter survey of sand in Lake Michigan in the Chicago area. The Chicago Tribune reports that beginning as early as Wednesday, a low-flying helicopter hauling what appears
Michigan State Police say two people are dead following a boating accident in Van Buren County on Saturday. Troopers were called to Keeler Lake in Keeler Township about 7:30 p.m. on a report of a drowning. Upon
Michigan State Police are looking for a 16-year-old girl missing out of Saugatuck. They say Joy Dene Martin may have left the state on a Greyhound bus to meet someone she met on the KIK messenger app.
Southwest Michigan has lost an academic icon. Southwestern Michigan College founder Dr. Fred Mathews died Sunday at the age of 87. State Senator John Proos says he’s “deeply saddened” by the loss of a friend. He calls
Individuals and businesses who helped the United Way of Southwest Michigan in the past year reach its fundraising goal have been saluted by the organization. It held its annual awards dinner Thursday at the Mendel Center, with
The new partnership agreement between Benton Harbor Area Schools and the state of Michigan is starting to come together. Benton Harbor Superintendent Dr. Shelly Walker tells WSJM News she’s learning new things each day about how the partnership
If Royalton Township leaders get their way, the township could get some big park improvements next year. The township has applied for two state grants, totaling $300,000, to pay for work at Bicentennial Park and the nature
This month’s wind storms and subsequent power outages have prompted Michigan State Police to issue a warning about carbon monoxide. MSP First Lieutenant Gabriel Covey tells WSJM News some folks around the state got sick last week because
The president’s budget proposal is calling for the elimination of the Corporation for National and Community Service, which is best known for its AmeriCorps program, and that’s got the United Way of Southwest Michigan concerned. The United
Michigan State Police say two people are dead following a boating accident in Van Buren County on Saturday. Troopers were called to Keeler Lake in Keeler Township about 7:30 p.m. on a report of a drowning. Upon
