Local News Archives

Artists Envision Murals For Benton Harbor

There could soon be an effort to beautify areas of Benton Harbor with murals. At this week’s city commission meeting, Anna Russo-Sieber with ARS Arts and Culture Center in Benton Harbor and Detroit-area artist John Sauve made

Cherry Beach Project In Home Stretch

An effort in Chikaming Township to raise money for the expansion of a popular beach is now in its home stretch. Chikaming Township Supervisor David Bunte tells WSJM News the Cherry Beach Project seeks to raise about

Upton Expects Debate

There will be a debate or more between Congressman Fred Upton and Democratic opponent Matt Longjohn in the race for the Sixth District congressional seat. Upton tells WSJM News he’ll make it a priority. Longjohn has called

Fair Attendance Slightly Down

Preparations are already underway for next year’s Berrien County Youth Fair now that the 2018 event is all wrapped up. Berrien County Youth Fair Director Karen Klug tells WSJM News about 105,000 people walked through the fairground

City Manager Talks Continue

Benton Harbor City Commissioners continue to discuss the status of City Manager Darwin Watson. At Monday’s meeting, they emerged from a closed session, requested by Watson, at which they considered his employment agreement. In the end, commissioners

Line 5 Hearing

With concerns about the safety of Enbridge Line 5 oil pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac, Senator Gary Peters held a U.S. Senate hearing in Traverse City today. He took testimony from officials from the Coast Guard,

City Continues Tax Fight

A tax tribunal case between Harbor Shores and the city of Benton Harbor will continue. At a Monday meeting, the city commission rejected a settlement with Harbor Shores regarding its 2017 and 2018 assessments. The golf course

LMC Offering Campaign Class

A new kind of class is being offered this upcoming academic year at Lake Michigan College. The college tells us it’s holding a course to teach students how to run a political campaign. LMC political science professor

Proos Honors Ambulance Service

State Senator John Proos has saluted the Edwardsburg Ambulance Service for reaching its 50th anniversary. Proos on Friday presented the service with a special tribute during a visit to Dowagiac. He tells us first responders “are supremely

Campaign Responds To Calls For Debate

The campaign of Congressman Fred Upton has indicated it is interested in scheduling debates between Upton and Democratic opponent Matt Longjohn, although it’s not being more specific than that. Longjohn last week challenged Upton to six debates,

Car Break-Ins Reported

Another round of car break-ins is under investigation by the St. Joseph Department of Public Safety. The department posted on its Facebook page Monday, saying the culprits are going through unlocked cars. There was also an attempted

Gas Prices Falling

AAA Michigan reports that the average price for a gallon of gas has dipped about 10¢ in the last week on average, from just under $3 to $2.89 per gallon. But, they also say that price is

New Home For Berrien Cancer Service

A move is in the works for Berrien County Cancer Service. Organization CEO Nancy Church tells WSJM News they’re relocating from their building on Red Arrow Highway near Stevensville to the second floor of the Marie Yeager

Closing Tax Loophole Means Big Bucks

School districts around Berrien County have seen their revenues jump dramatically since the closure of a property tax loophole last year. Berrien County Treasurer Bret Witkowski tells WSJM News legislation from state Representatives Dave Pagel and Kim

Rural Development Grants For SWM

Congressman Fred Upton has announced a couple of grants for Berrien and Van Buren counties. His office tells us the first USDA Rural Development grant in Berrien is $95,000 for the village of Baroda. It will be

Prison Closing This Year

The Ojibway Correctional Facility in the western Upper Peninsula will close in December. The Michigan Department of Corrections announced the closure today as the prisoner population continues to decline statewide. State Representative Scott Dianda, who represents the

Public Art On Hold

There will not be any public art on the sidewalks in the city of St. Joseph next year. The program is being paused for a year, partly due to the retirement of communications director Susan Solon, and

Milestone For Horizon Bank

Horizon Bank has announced a new milestone. The bank that serves northern Indiana and southwest Michigan has surpassed $4 billion in total assets. Horizon Bank CEO Craig Dwight says this is the first time the institution has

Group Studies Local Retail Needs

Cornerstone Alliance is looking at all options to help Benton Township replace the Target store in the Fairplain Plaza, which closed earlier this year. To that end, they’ve hired an organization called The Retail Coach to study

Police Citizens Academy

Anyone interested in learning more about police work will soon have a chance to take part in a Michigan State Police Citizens Academy. Trooper Alan Fitzpatrick of the Paw Paw post tells WSJM News the next academy

Online Sales Tax Collections Increasing

The state of Michigan will begin collecting sales taxes on online purchases from out of state sellers next month. The Michigan Department of Treasury tells us a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision has prompted it to change

Push To Improve National Parks

National Parks in Michigan and around the nation could get some TLC if Congress Acts. U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke is promoting bipartisan legislation that would address the $12 billion maintenance backlog at parks across

Local Wines Win Awards

Some southwest Michigan wineries have come out on top in a statewide competition. Held in Lansing on August 9 was the 2018 Michigan Wine Competition. Out of 415 wines entered, wineries of the Lake Michigan Shore Wine

Watch Out For Japanese Knotweed

This is the time of year to keep an eye out for Japanese knotweed. The Berrien County Conservation District’s Jared Harmon tells WSJM News the invasive plant just started sprouting its most distinctive feature last week. “It