Local News Archives

More Michigan school districts are contracting out support services these days in order to save money, and the Mackinac Center for Public Policy says that’s a good thing. Director of Fiscal Policy James Hohman tells WSJM News

The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department is reminding everyone of some safety tips ahead of the start of a new school year. Deputy Kelly Laesch tells WSJM News drivers need to mind their manners around school buses. “If

A St. Joseph Girl Scout is making good in the community by encouraging young people to read. Elise Voglewede is about to enter the ninth grade at St. Joe High School, and she’s built a Little Free

A candlelight vigil for suicide victims will be held next month in St. Joseph. September 10 is World Suicide Prevention Day, and the local event will take place on the veranda of the Whitcomb from 8 to

Two charges of assault with intent to murder are now faced by a 47-year-old man from Missouri for a stabbing attack on two people in a vehicle near Paw Paw late Sunday night. Boyd Hicks is in

Michigan restaurant owners are optimistic that the second half of the year will be better than the first half. That’s according to a survey by the Michigan Restaurant Association. Justin Winslow is its president and CEO. “The

AAA of Michigan is awarding some scholarships to high school graduates around the state. Spokesperson Gary Bubar tells WSJM News the AAA Student Safety Patrol Scholarships go to kids who not only perform well in the classroom,

Another public hearing has been held on the question of the Berrien County Road Commission. Board of Commissioners Chair Jon Hinkelman tells WSJM News the board is thinking about creating a new county roads department to take

Plans are already being made for next year’s Berrien County Youth Fair now that the 2017 edition has wrapped up. The attendance numbers are in, and Berrien County Youth Fair Director Karen Klug tells WSJM News more

State Representative Kim LaSata is planning an energy town hall. Her office tells us the meeting is specifically about clean energy issues. LaSata notes there are more than 80,000 clean energy jobs right here in Michigan, and

Higher wages for people in Michigan are just some of the expected benefits of the recently-enacted “Good Jobs for Michigan” law. Business Leaders for Michigan’s Doug Rothwell tells WSJM that he’s proud of state lawmakers for passing

From the Associated Press — A Republican strategist has filed a complaint against Michigan’s elections bureau, alleging staff improperly gave advice on the wording and legality of an anti-gerrymandering ballot initiative. The Board of State Canvassers approved the

A new television spot will soon be airing around the region to attract more tourists to South Haven. South Haven-Van Buren County Convention and Visitors Bureau Director Scott Reinert tells WSJM News the ad shines a light on

Set for next month is the third annual Berrien County Area Law Enforcement Torch Run. Michigan State Police Lieutenant Melinda Logan tells WSJM News the run and walk in St. Joseph is about one mile, and it’s to

Tax reform will on the agenda of Congress when it gets back to work next month. Congressman Fred Upton tells WSJM News the Trump administration is expected to send a proposal to the House soon. “We’re expecting

More information is now available on some vandalism done at a couple of Benton Harbor schools in the past week. Benton Harbor Department of Public Safety Deputy Director Michael Clark tells WSJM News the damage was found

Southwestern Michigan College President Dr. David M. Mathews is celebrating 20 years with the school. He received a service pin from the board of trustees on Monday. Mathews tells us when he joined the school in July

A second suspect has been charged in a shooting death in Benton Harbor this month. 32-year-old Nathaniel Lee was shot twice and killed outside of the River Terrace apartment complex on August 15. The Berrien County Prosecutor’s

From the Associated Press — A 24-year-old man has been charged with reckless driving in the death of a fire chief who was hit while responding to a crash in southwestern Michigan. Brandon Clevenger of Springfield was charged

A wild overnight incident for Michigan State Police along with the Berrien County Sheriff’s Department and police from the city of St. Joseph, St. Joe Township and Lincoln Township. All of those departments were involved in the

Some traffic changes are coming to I-94 in Berrien County this week as a result of construction. The Michigan Department of Transportation tells WSJM News the ramps to both east and westbound 94 from Pipestone Road in

The Powerball jackpot for Wednesday’s drawing is now up to $700 million. That’s the second highest it’s ever been. The Michigan Lottery’s Jeff Holyfield tells WSJM News he’s met Lotto players who have won some of those massive

A Cass County man could get life in prison in a case involving a total of 59 charges, many of which are child porn related. The Cass County Prosecutor’s office tells us 44-year-old Jason Ryans is charged

The St. Joseph Public Schools Board of Education has released the results of Superintendent Ann Cardon’s annual evaluation. The board this week congratulated Cardon on what it called an outstanding performance with highly effective outcomes for the

City leaders in St. Joseph expect more than $80 million will be needed over the next 20 years for infrastructure like streets, the water system and sewers, and they need to figure out how that money will

An employee of a water supply company is facing charges in Van Buren County after police say he used his position to break into the homes of customers to steal prescription drugs. Sheriff’s deputies were called out

One man is facing felony charges following a break-in to a utility payment drop box in Dowagiac this month. The police department tells us 53-year-old Garry Means was picked up on a warrant August 13 while charges

Benton Harbor Areas Schools has suffered a blow just ahead of the start of a new academic year. Superintendent Dr. Shelly Walker tells WSJM News two of the district’s buildings were vandalized over the weekend, with “significant”

You may want to avoid a day at the beach for the next day or so. National Weather Service meteorologist Nathan Jeruzal tells Michigan News Network there’s a beach hazard advisory in place through Wednesday afternoon. “With

A motorcyclist is dead after a crash with a car on eastbound I-94 in Coloma Township Monday night. The Coloma Township Police Department tells WSJM News the crash happened around 9 p.m. The motorcyclist has been identified as 66-year-old