State Representative Mary Whiteford of South Haven is now in her first full term in the House after winning a special election to replace the expelled Representative Cindy Gamrat. Whiteford talked on the first day of session
Continued economic growth will ease the ability of Governor Rick Snyder and lawmakers to enact a new state spending plan. The administration and legislative experts agreed Thursday that tax revenues in Michigan’s two biggest accounts will grow by
It’s that time of year again when aches and pains could be a sign of the flu. Michigan Department of Health and Human Services spokeswoman Angela Minicuci says there are confirmed cases of the flu in the
(Lansing, MI – AP) – Michigan’s auditor is again finding fault with the state Unemployment Insurance Agency, finding that it has only partially complied with a past audit that criticized efforts to collect delinquent taxes employers pay
Flint officials, along with Michigan and federal officials, say the most recent test results show the level of lead in the city’s water is dropping. Officials also told a town hall meeting Wednesday that chlorine residuals have
It’s just about time to give Uncle Sam his share, and some changes this year could affect when those who often rely on tax refunds will get their money back. The IRS will begin accepting 2016 income
A Norton Shores woman who died in September has become the first hand transplant donor for Michigan’s federally designated organ and tissue donation program. The Detroit News reports that 21-year-old Shayna Sturtevant died after developing a brain abscess
It’s time once again for Kalamazoo Beer Week. The fun kicks off officially Saturday, but many local breweries will be holding special events Friday. Brian Steele, with Boatyard Brewing, tells us there will be all sorts of
There’s talk in Lansing of possibly getting rid of the Michigan income tax, and opposition is already mounting. Gilda Jacobs, with the Michigan League for Public Policy, tells WSJM News other states that don’t have an income tax
Two Michigan State Police troopers who serve out of the Paw Paw post have been honored with an award in Lansing. Troopers Steve Shiel and Paul Plangger have been given the Corporal Samuel A. Mapes Criminal Patrol
There have been a few controversies since Congress got back to Washington. First, there was a vote last week to impose fines on members who try to live stream from the House floor. Congressman Fred Upton tells
Michigan lawmakers have commenced a new two-year term. A veteran Republican senator on Wednesday planned to quickly propose eliminating the state income tax – a proposal that’s unlikely to be embraced by Governor Rick Snyder but which could
Police in Atlanta, Georgia say three people from Benton Harbor are dead following a crash over the weekend. It happened Sunday when the car they were in hit a utility police and then burst into flames. Killed
Utility crews still have some work to do to get power restored to everyone who lost it in this week’s high winds. Indiana Michigan Power’s Tracy Warner tells us on Tuersday night, they had about 5,300 customers
An arrest has been made in the theft of a Toys for Tots donation jar in Cass County last month. On December 12, Dowagiac police were called to a Shell Mart station after a man made off
A cleanup effort will be getting underway at the Chicken Coop in St. Joseph following this week’s fire. The St. Joseph Township Fire Department tells us the building suffered plenty of smoke damage in Tuesday’s blaze, but
State health officials say they’re following up on 17 cases of Legionnaires’ disease last year in Genesee County after winning a legal dispute over access to records. The Department of Health and Human Services sent a letter Wednesday
An Elkhart man is jailed in Cass County following what police say was a homicide at a Mason Township factory. The Cass County Sheriff’s Department tells us deputies were called out to Ameri-Kart on Grange Street around 5:30
Marletta Seats and Elnora Gavin have been sworn in as Benton Harbor School Trustees. At Tuesday’s work session, they took their seats for the first time. Seats was picked by the board to fill a vacancy created
Some members of Congress are making another run at taking gray wolves in the upper Midwest and Wyoming off the endangered list. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service had tried to take wolves in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and
What will a Donald Trump administration mean for the U.S. auto industry? Michigan’s two U.S. senators discussed that on the floor of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit Monday. Senator Gary Peters was asked if
The Benton Harbor Board of Education will decide next week whether to place a 10 year renewal of the district’s sinking fund millage on the May ballot. The sinking fund pays for a variety of building improvements
Michigan State Police are celebrating their department’s 100th anniversary this year, and one thing they’re doing is painting some cruisers to look like vintage MSP cars. Spokesperson Lori Dougovito tells WSJM News 50 black and gold cars
The Chicken Coop in St. Joseph will have some cleaning up to do following a fire Tuesday evening. Crews from the St. Joseph Township Fire Department were called out around 6:30. They arrived to find smoke coming
Coming up next week will be a special forum for seniors at Buchanan High School to learn more about a scholarship program. The Buchanan Promise will send any Buchanan grad to college, paying up to $2,500 per year
The Michigan Department of Education says Bangor Schools is going to be assessed a penalty after it determined the district’s superintendent and high school vice principal didn’t have administrative certifications. The department’s Bill Disessa tells WSJM News the
If you’re a photographer, whether amateur or professional, then state Representative Kim LaSata could use your help. She’s looking to decorate her Lansing office with photographs of Berrien County, so she’s started a contest. Just send her
Utilities are taking steps to be prepared in case high winds over the next day cause power outages. Consumers Energy spokesperson Roger Morgenstern tells WSJM News the winds around west Michigan could take out some transmission lines,
A key state senator is proposing to repeal Michigan’s school-turnaround law and to overhaul a system that potentially could lead to the closure of academically failing schools. Senate Education Committee Chairman Phil Pavlov said Tuesday he will introduce repeal
More than 309,000 Michigan residents have signed up for health insurance under the health care law, despite Republican efforts to repeal “Obamacare.” That’s about 14,200 fewer people than at the same time last year. Federal figures released Tuesday
