Local News Archives

The Berrien County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team is searching the Paw Paw River for a missing kayaker. Emergency crews were called to the river near the 42-hundred block of R. Smith Street in Watervliet just before 8

A year of probation is the penalty for a Buchanan man for the deaths of two people from Indiana last April in a crash. 81-year-old Charles Habenicht pulled out in front of a motorcycle in Oronoko Township,

The Bridgman Police Department could use the public’s help in catching some vandals who have damaged windows around town. The department says on its Facebook page someone’s been shattering glass doors and windows with what appears to

From the Associated Press — State legislators have stalled an attempt to repeal a statute that regulates vehicular transportation of marijuana. The Michigan Senate voted 19-16 Tuesday against the House bill Tuesday. It would annul a law that classifies

The search is on in St. Joseph for a man who robbed a gas station in the 2800 block of Niles Avenue Tuesday night. Public safety tells WSJM News the suspect is a white man who was

A new report from the Upjohn Institute for Employment Research takes a look at west Michigan’s economy now versus at the start of the Great Recession. Upjohn economist Brian Pittelko tells WSJM News they looked at data

State and federal leaders from southwest Michigan are waiting for Governor Rick Snyder to accept Berrien County’s disaster declaration following this month’s floods. State Senator John Proos tells WSJM News he toured Berrien Springs and Niles Monday

The Berrien County Treasurer’s office says the Orchards Mall in Benton Township is once again facing foreclosure. Treasurer Bret Witkowski tells WSJM News the mall’s owners owe $275,000 in property taxes from 2015, and if it’s not

Unit 2 of the Cook nuclear power plant is about to undergo another refueling outage. Cook plant spokesperson Bill Schalk tells WSJM News Unit 1 just wrapped up a refueling outage late last year. When Unit 2

Indiana Michigan Power is hoping to restore power soon to 300 homes in Berrien County affected by flooding. Spokesperson Schnee Garrett tells WSJM News the restorations come slowly as public safety officials give them the all-clear. She

Road closures remain in effect in several locations throughout Berrien County due to this month’s flooding. The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department tells us drivers should stay away from roads that are barricaded until the roads get the

A plan to prevent the sexual abuse of young athletes has been introduced in Lansing. On hand for a press conference Monday for the package’s unveiling were victims of former MSU sports doctor Larry Nassar. State Representative

If your home has been damaged by flooding, the Berrien County Sheriff’s Department wants you to know the right way to report that damage. It’s set up a webpage where damage reporting can be done, and there

Democrats in the state House are making their agenda for this coming election known. At the top of their list is fixing Michigan roads. State Representative Jeremy Moss of Southfield says the additional funding recently passed by

The Kalamazoo Public Safety Department has released the name of the man whose body was found by a kayaker in the floodwater near a business along Riverview Drive on Sunday. Captain Shannon Bagley says 48-year old James

From the Associated Press — The federal Education Department has opened an investigation into how Michigan State University handled allegations of sexual assault against Dr. Larry Nassar. Nassar was a campus sports doctor who has been sentenced to

The Better Business Bureau of West Michigan has issued list of what you should and shouldn’t do if you’re a flood victim to avoid scammers. Phil Catlett of the BBB says floods and natural disasters tend to

From the Associated Press — Teachers looking for a way to work Michigan’s animals and plants into their lessons have a new option to choose from. The state Department of Natural Resources has developed a curriculum called Michigan’s

The American Red Cross of Southwest Michigan is providing shelters for residents whose homes are flooded in Berrien County. American Red Cross of Southwest Michigan Director Breeze Ettle tells WSJM News they’re teaming up with the Berrien

You may have seen images online this past weekend of some southwest Michigan residents riding jet skis around in flood water. Berrien County Health Department spokesperson Gillian Conrad tells WSJM News that’s really not a good idea.

The Michigan Department of Treasury is reminding all state residents of the Earned Income Tax Credit. Spokesperson Ron Leix tells WSJM News the federal earned income tax credit can help families to the tune of thousands of

There will be a fundraiser this week at Berrien Springs High School for local residents affected by flooding. Academic studies teacher Andrea Sprague tells WSJM News she’s going to teach an apple pie-baking class on Thursday, and

Two mobile home communities in Berrien County are now under “Do Not Drink” orders when it comes to the water. The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department tells us the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality has requested the water

If you’re in the River Springs mobile home park of Berrien Springs, do not drink the water. The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department has issued a “Do Not Drink” order for the mobile home community stemming from the

The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department has started its damage assessment in the Berrien Springs and Niles areas following this month’s flooding. Chief Deputy Robert Boyce tells WSJM News the sheriff’s department’s damage assessment team was checking out

There has been a guilty plea in a 2017 workplace stabbing in Cass County. The Cass County Prosecutor’s office tells us 24-year-old William Henderson on Monday pleaded guilty to second degree murder, admitting he stabbed Jan Mendez

From the Associated Press — River levels are dropping in Michigan after flooding last week and over the weekend because of heavy rains and melting snow. The National Weather Service says the Grand River in Grand Rapids crested

The United Way of Southwest Michigan is already looking at the long-term needs of Berrien and Cass counties when it comes to flood cleanup. United Way of Southwest Michigan President Anna Murphy tells WSJM News that’s why

The state Senate is poised to take up legislation passed last week by the House to spend an extra $175 million this fiscal year on road repairs. Republican Representative Laura Cox of Livonia said before the House

Ever so slowly, the foodwaters that ravaged Berrien County are starting to recede. Berrien County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Robert Boyce says as the waters go back down, the focus is on cleanup and recovery now that