Local News Archives

A big event in west Michigan, the Amway River Bank Run, is going virtual this year because of COVID-19. Russ Hines is the owner of River Bank Events and Media, the owner of the races. He spoke

A 27-year-old Berrien County man is in the Van Buren County Jail for meth possession, a concealed weapons charge, possession of a gun during a felony, and two outstanding Berrien County warrants. Deputies arrested Austin Haney on

Michigan is reporting 419 additional cases of COVID-19 for Thursday. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services says there have been a total of 94,697 cases of the illness in the state since the start of

From the Associated Press — A TV station says it found mail sorting equipment dismantled outside a U.S. Postal Service facility in the Grand Rapids area. The discovery occurred a day after the postmaster general said equipment

Benton Harbor City Commissioners are moving forward with bringing trash collection in-house. The city in the past has hired contractors to pick up trash, but this year the commission voted to make it a municipal operation. During

“Today, Attorney General Dana Nessel and I announce a $600 million agreement to settle the civil lawsuits brought against the state of Michigan by Flint residents after their water supply was switched to the Flint River in

From the Associated Press — Governor Gretchen Whitmer says she’s reassessing the risk of opening Michigan businesses that have been closed for months under her orders to curb the coronavirus. She’ll have more to say next week.

Two weeks after Governor Gretchen Whitmer declared racism a public health crisis, there are calls for Michigan lawmakers to make it even more official. A concurrent resolution introduced in early June would make the same declaration, and

From the Associated Press — Michigan has applied for federal funding to provide an additional $300 a week in unemployment benefits. It’s less than the $600 boost that expired last month but still more than the maximum

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is getting ready to hold some property auctions. DNR resource specialist Michael Michalek tells WSJM News they sell off surplus properties each year. This fall, there will be 225 properties around

Leaders at Southwestern Michigan College are remaining flexible as they plan for the coming academic year. SMC President Joe Odenwald tells us the board of trustees this week approved moving the spring of 2021 semester back by

Michigan is reporting 616 additional cases of COVID-19 for Wednesday. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services says there have been a total of 94,278 cases of the illness in the state since the start of

We’re in the midst of back to school shopping, but it’s nothing like in years past. Instead of stocking up on new clothes and backpacks, parents are buying items for their kids to deal with the coronavirus

UPDATE: The woman referenced in the below story has been found safe. The Lincoln Township Police Department has released the following statement: “Ms. Donayre has been located and is in good health. Thank you to all those

Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced that she will allocate nearly $65 million in federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act dollars to Michigan school districts, higher education institutions, and other education-related entities. “This funding will go to

A 90-year-old woman from Niles is dead following a crash in Cass County on Wednesday. The Cass County Sheriff’s Department says it happened on US-12 at the M-60 interchange in Milton Township around 10:20 a.m. A vehicle

South Haven Area Emergency Services responded to a construction accident in Casco Township this morning. A worker was buried in a trench collapse on Lakeshore Drive. He was pronounced dead at the scene, and no other information

Congresswoman Debbie Dingell and Congressman Fred Upton continue to call for more civility in politics as COVID-19 affects the country. The two held a meeting on Tuesday with Dingell saying now is not the time for partisanship.

A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found excessive use of alcohol is responsible for more than 93,000 deaths each year, and that Michigan is eighth highest in terms of total deaths among

Congressman Fred Upton will be back in Washington this Saturday as the U.S. House seeks to understand what’s going with the Postal Service. He tells WSJM News cuts have been taking place that are now affecting the

Benton Harbor City Commissioners will meet this week to discuss purchasing garbage cans now that the city is bringing trash collection in-house. During a Monday meeting, Commissioner Ron Singleton said a committee has selected a vendor for

A 71-year-old Chikaming Township man is facing a variety of charges after a drug bust last week. The Southwest Enforcement Team says its detectives and officers from the Chikaming Township Police Department, the Unites States Postal Inspection

From the Associated Press — The state of Michigan is joining other states in suing the U.S. Postal Service over service changes. Attorney General Dana Nessel says a lawsuit was is the works Tuesday in federal court

Three Lake Michigan College students have been named 2020 Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Scholars. They are among 207 Phi Theta Kappa members named for the distinction this week. Sophie Paar of Stevensville, Tamlin Le Roux of Niles,

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services says there are 476 new COVID-19 cases in the state and 15 new deaths. That brings the totals to 93,661 cases and 6,340 deaths since March. In Berrien County,

The Michigan Beer and Wine Wholesalers Association says nearly one-third of the 1.5 million bottles of alcohol delivered into the state from January to September of last year were shipped illegally. President Spencer Nevins explains how the

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer set social media alight briefly Monday night by mouthing a cuss word just before addressing the Democratic National Convention. “It’s not just Shark Week,” said Whitmer, adding “it’s Shark Week (expletive deleted,)” to

From the Associated Press — Michigan’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is making data on programs related to weather conditions available to farmers. The Geographic Information System viewer allows the agency to take different types of

The United Way of Southwest Michigan says its upcoming 21 Day Equity Challenge will be an opportunity for the whole community to improve itself by coming to a better understanding of racism and how it affects everyday

A good Samaritan was able to help Bridgman police locate a missing piece of the “I Love Weko” sign at Weko Beach that went missing over the weekend. The Bridgman Police Department posted to Facebook Sunday that