From the Associated Press — State officials say overdose deaths jumped by 18% last year in Michigan with the majority of cases involving opioid abuse. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services announced Thursday that nearly 1,700 of
Fair season in southwest Michigan starts Saturday. The Van Buren Youth Fair will run from July 15-22. Monster trucks will be featured this year for the first time with the Michigan Monster Truck Shootout Wednesday night. Friday
Wednesday was Net Neutrality Day of Action as websites of all stripes posted messages to their visitors asking them to reach out to the FCC on the issue of maintaining an open internet. The agency is on
All this week, Warren Dunes State Park is offering programs to teach young people about the wildlife that live there. Specifically, they’re focusing on mammals, as this is Mammal Week. Park Explorer Guide Mike Latus tells WSJM
The Good Jobs for Michigan plan isn’t pleasing everyone. As the governor is widely expected to sign into law the incentives designed to create new jobs, the National Federation of Independent Business is crying foul. Michigan Director
The Berrien County Health Department is making a new push to promote sexual health. Spokesperson Gillian Conrad tells WSJM News the department wants to get people thinking about how the issue is important while also getting the
Governor Rick Snyder has signed legislation making female genital mutilation illegal under state law. State Senator Tonya Schuitmaker is among the lawmakers who pushed the legislation through in the last session. She tells WSJM News the 12
From the Associated Press — Beginning in January, Michigan will have rules in place for the disclosure and retention of audio or video recordings from body cameras worn by police officers. Legislation signed by Governor Rick Snyder Wednesday
The U.S. House Appropriations Committee has introduced legislation fully funding the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative at $300 million. Michigan Congressman John Moolenaar is on the Committee and spoke with Michigan News Network about the plan. “It’s the
Police have identified a man killed in St. Joseph Township this week when he was struck by a vehicle. 23-year-old James Servillas, of St. Joseph, was pronounced dead from his injuries at Lakeland Hospital Wednesday morning. He
From the Associated Press — The Michigan House has approved the Good Jobs for Michigan tax incentives plan. Qualified companies that create hundreds or thousands of Michigan jobs would receive state tax incentives under bills approved by
A deadly hit-and-run accident this morning is under investigation in St. Joseph Township. WSJM News has learned a person was found laying in the road in the area of South Lakeshore Drive near Victoria Path, just north
Strong thunderstorms are responsible for several thousand Indiana Michigan Power customers being without any electricity this morning. After the first round of storms rolled through, there were 4,655 customers in the dark in Berrien County, with 23
It’s been a busy couple of months for St. Joseph Today. The organization’s Amy Zapal addressed St. Joe City Commissioners Monday and told them downtown events have continued to attract a large number of visitors. She told WSJM
Several hundred people have marched to remember two fallen heroes and to express support for law enforcement in southwest Michigan. A memorial walk on the one year anniversary of the Berrien County Courthouse shootings was held Tuesday night. The
A massive police training exercise will be held this week in Allegan County. Sheriff’s department Sergeant Todd Wagner tells WSJM News marine units from Berrien Van Buren, Allegan, Barry, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Kalamazoo, and St. Joseph counties
A town hall is planned for this week in South Haven for everyone to learn more about what the programs offered at the local public school district. South Haven Public Schools spokesperson Amy Nichols tells WSJM News this is
The man charged in a 2016 double murder case in Coloma is going to trial. On Tuesday, a Berrien County judge found there is enough evidence for Alex Perez to be tried in the deaths of Renee
A 42-year-old Watervliet man is in the Berrien County Jail following a chase with the Berrien County Weighmaster Tuesday. Michigan State Police tell WSJM News the weighmaster pulled over a vehicle on County Line Road for a
Benton Harbor Area Schools is now looking for a new athletic director. Fred Smith has submitted his resignation, effective immediately. Benton Harbor Area Schools Superintendent Dr. Shelly Walker tells us Smith will be missed, adding, “He has
From the Associated Press — Four job fairs are being planned for positions at the tribal casino that’s under construction in northern Indiana. The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians expects to have about 1,200 positions at the
From the Associated Press — Michigan is expected to tighten rules about firewood in state parks and some other public lands starting next year as part of efforts to curb destructive invasive species. Jason Fleming, resource protection and
Today marks one year since the deadly shootings at the Berrien County Courthouse in St. Joseph that claimed the lives of security director Joseph Zangaro and bailiff Ron Kienzle. The two were killed by an inmate trying
The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department is investigating after a seven-year-old-girl drowned in a Galien Township pond on Monday. It tells our newsroom deputies were called out to a swimming hole on a rural property along Jeffery Road near Spring
St. Joseph City Commissioners have taken the biggest step they needed to take in order to help a Whirlpool Tech Center expansion move forward. On Monday, they approved a commercial rehabilitation district certificate for the area of
The west Michigan economy is still growing. That’s according to Grand Valley State University economist Brian Long, who chatted with WKZO News about his latest economic outlook survey. “The numbers that we recorded in June look very
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is urging low income residents who have Bridge Cards to consider doing some of their shopping at a local farmer’s market. Spokesperson Erica Quealy tells WSJM News many farmer’s
The son of Van Buren County Sheriff Daniel Abbot is facing charges in connection with a Bangor murder case early this year. MLive reports 23-year-old Nikolas Abbot is charged with being an accessory after the fact to
You can count Governor Rick Snyder as among the supporters of a plan to give a big tax incentive to companies that create a large number of jobs in Michigan. The Good Jobs for Michigan plan would
Once again running for Congress in Michigan’s Sixth District is Paul Clements. He’s a professor at Western Michigan University who tells WSJM News President Trump and Republicans, in general, have been motivating more to vote Democratic. He
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