Local News Archives

Congressman Fred Upton is hoping to help approve a renewal of the Older Americans Act sometime this year. He spoke to the Area Agency on Aging’s Legislative Forum last week, and tells WSJM News that’s one of

Talks are underway regarding a possible consolidation of the fire departments in Baroda Township, Lake Township, and Bridgman. Baroda Township Supervisor Jim Brow tells WSJM News the idea came up a few months ago, and one meeting

The Coloma Township Police Department is advising residents to be vigilant when they pump gas since a couple of razor blades were reported hidden in a pump handle at the local Speedway Monday. Chief Wes Smigielski WSJM

“A mistake” is how Berrien County Sheriff Paul Bailey characterizes his use of his county email in an exchange with a staffer for the Senate campaign of Kim LaSata last fall. Bailey made that comment to MIRS

Berrien County is experiencing a sharp increase in suspected opioid overdoses. Prosecutor Michael Sepic says heroin-based OD death numbers have been averaging around 30 per year in the county, with a slight downward trend since the introduction

A crackdown on vaping in schools is underway in Mattawan Consolidated Schools. Superintendent Tim Eastman has sent a letter to parents reminding them that students are banned from anything that provides them with nicotine while in class,

It’s on to the World Championship in FIRST Robotics for several area high school teams. Three, including St. Joseph and Berrien Springs, performed well enough at the state championship recently at Saginaw Valley State University to move

A success is how a massive training exercise involving South Haven Area Emergency Services and six other fire departments went on Sunday in downtown South Haven. SHAES Chief Ron Wise says the purpose of the event was

The first quarter of fundraising for another term in the U.S. House is in the books for Congressman Fred Upton. The St. Joseph Republican says his campaign has raised $323,000 in the quarter and has more than

The Rotary Club of St. Joseph-Benton Harbor and Berrien RESA are honoring the winners of this year’s Rotary Scholarship Essay Contest. Lakeshore High School’s Carter Welch took first place and earned a $2,000 scholarship, with second place

A Paw Paw woman will spend between 31 and 50 years in prison for killing her three-year-old stepdaughter. Kate George was sentenced Monday after pleading guilty earlier this spring to charges of second-degree murder and child abuse

Any Benton Harbor residents looking to run for the five city commission offices up for election this year has just a few more days to turn in nominating petitions. The deadline is next Tuesday, April 23 at

Bridgman police say the abduction attempt reported last week was a hoax. In a Facebook post, police say the student who reported the stranger danger situation admitted to making it up due to an unrelated disagreement with

The County Road Association of Michigan has given awards to the Berrien County Road Department for three of its projects in 2018. Berrien County Road Department Managing Director Jason Latham tells WSJM News one of the IMPRESS

The Michigan Department of Transportation will begin a repaving project on M-139 in Berrien County next week. MDOT spokesperson Nick Schirripa tells WSJM News the work will be south of Benton Harbor. “We will be repaving about

The Hartford Public Library is now ready to move forward with plans for a new home thanks to a $400,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Library Director Stephanie Daniels tells WSJM News the goal

April is Alcohol Awareness Month, and the Berrien County Health Department is urging parents to keep an open dialogue with their kids about the dangers of underage alcohol abuse. Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist Lisa Peeples-Hurst tells WSJM

Coming up next month will be the third Pop Up Giving event to be held by the United Way of Southwest Michigan. The United Way’s Jennifer Tomshack tells WSJM News Pop Up Giving events allow attendees the

Starting this Saturday, hundreds of volunteers will take to the highways across Michigan to pick up litter as part of the annual Adopt a Highway spring clean-up. The Michigan Department of Transportation says the clean-ups will run

Set for April 20 is the Humane Society of Southwestern Michigan’s third annual Village Charcuterie Festival in Stevensville. Humane Society Director Jill Svoboda tells WSJM News the event is a fundraiser that comes in the form of

State Representative Beth Griffin of Mattawan is pleased her bill to encourage the roll-out of broadband internet in rural areas has gotten a House committee hearing. She tells WSJM News the bill would allow for a tax

Michigan is making an effort to keep foster kids in family settings, with a 9% improvement over a 10 year period, according to a new report. Michigan is home to almost 12,000 foster children, and researchers from

State Representative Beth Griffin of Mattawan is hoping to boost state support for in-home programs for seniors. The Mattawan Republican attended the Area Agency on Aging’s legislative forum in St. Joseph Friday, and tells WSJM News the

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson says you should be able to do more things with her department’s website and also with the self-service kiosks in its branch offices. Benson this week released a list of recommendations

Thursday will bring the ninth annual Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates Mock Interview Day at the Riverview campus of Whirlpool in Benton Harbor. Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates Deputy Director Mollie Waller tells WSJM News Mock Interview Day will

Preparations are underway for the next Girls on the Run 5K in southwest Michigan. Director Tess Carragher tells WSJM News Girls on the Run works with girls in grades three through eight. It’s a ten-week program that

Bangor Public Schools has received grant funding to improve safety. Superintendent Lynn Johnson tells WSJM News the district applied for funds from the Michigan State Police via the Van Buren Intermediate School District. “We were able to

The Benton Harbor Department of Public Safety says an overnight shooting that caused Benton Harbor Area Schools to be shut down for the day may have been gang-related. The department tells us officers were dispatched to the

WSJM News is continuing to try to unearth emails allegedly sent from the county work email account of Judge Charlie LaSata that are connected to the campaign of his wife, Senator Kim LaSata. We caught up with

An overnight shooting in Benton Harbor has prompted Benton Harbor Area Schools to close for the day. In a press release sent to families, BHAS CEO Robert Herrera said that while the victim injured in the shooting