Local News Archives

LaSata Opposes Watercraft Tax

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State Representative Kim LaSata is among the Michigan lawmakers calling on the Michigan State Waterways Commission to drop plans for a tax on small watercraft like canoes, kayaks, and paddle boards. She tells WSJM News the House

New Vendor Approved For Beach

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There will be another vendor selling hot dogs at a St. Joseph summer attraction this year. On Monday, the St. Joseph City Commission gave its thumbs up to Myles Hambley to have a hot dog cart at

POW Presentation At Local Museum

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The North Berrien History Museum is hosting a program called The German POW Experience in Michigan tomorrow. The program will feature Dr. Howard Poole speaking about the 400,000 German prisoners of war being placed in 32 camps

Homeowners Reminded Of Tax Program

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If you’re behind on your taxes, Berrien County Treasurer Bret Witkowski wants you to know a state program to help pay them off is still available. Last year, Witkowski and other treasurers promoted the Step Forward Michigan

USDA Talks Grilling Safety

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Barbecues can be fun, but that can change quickly if someone gets food poisoning. Marianne Gravely with the USDA has some advice that she shared with Michigan News Network. “The Center for Disease Control estimates that 128,000

Students, Others Help In Puerto Rico

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A group of 20 Andrews University faculty, staff, students, and graduates have returned from a trip to Puerto Rico to help provide mental health services there following Hurricane Maria. Andrews Associate Professor of Psychology Melissa Ponce-Rodas tells

Lawmaker Talks Veterans Issues

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State Representative Beth Griffin of Mattawan is hailing word that Van Buren County has now hired a veterans services officer. She’s been behind legislation to create grant programs for counties to have full-time staff that work to

Public Safety Planning For Summer

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St. Joseph City Commissioners and the public have been updated by Public Safety Director Brian Uridge on plans to better police the community this summer. Last summer, St. Joe Public Safety changed traffic patterns to reduce congestion

Troopers Watch Out For Tailgaters

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You can expect to see more Michigan State Police troopers on patrol on I-94 this spring and summer, all the way from the Indiana border to Wayne County. As traffic crashes on I-94 went up last year,

Four Vehicle Crash

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The Cass County Sheriff’s Department is investigating a crash involving four vehicles that occurred early Saturday morning. The sheriff’s department tells us the crash happened around 4:15 a.m. on M-60 near Reum Road in Milton Township. A

Big Parks Grants Approved By Senate

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The Michigan Senate has signed off on the recommended Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund parks grants for the coming year. State Senator John Proos tells WSJM News the trust fund is supported by interest earned on funds

Lakeshore Considers Options

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There is still work ahead for leaders at Lakeshore Public Schools after this week’s failure of a bond proposal. Voters rejected the $21 million bond on Tuesday on a vote of 2,300 to 1,907. Lakeshore Superintendent Phil

State Issues Bear Reminders

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As people start to spend more time in woodland areas this season, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources has some tips to avoid conflict with bears. Katie Keen with the DNR tells us the agency has to

Manufacturer Honored For Saving Energy

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A check for $50,000 was presented Friday to Kay Manufacturing in St. Joseph by Indiana Michigan Power for Kay’s efforts to become more energy efficient. Kay Manufacturing President Brian Pelke tells WSJM News the company has invested

Pagel To Hold Senior Safety Event

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State Representative Dave Pagel is hosting a senior safety event on Monday. Set to take place at the senior facility, Brentwood at Niles in Niles, the gathering will be held with the help of the Michigan Attorney

KitchenAid Saluted This Month

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Now on display at businesses throughout Berrien County are specially-decorated KitchenAid stand mixers. St. Joseph Today’s Amy Zapal tells us it’s a project called “Stand Mixers on Parade,” intended to thank the appliance maker for its support

Cook Plant Unit Back Online

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Unit 2 at the Cook nuclear power plant is now back up and running. Cook plant spokesperson Bill Schalk tells WSJM News the unit was shut down in March for a regular refueling outage. The 67 day

OutCenter Lake Effect Pride Event

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The OutCenter in Benton Harbor has announced the details of its 2018 Lake Effect Pride event. The annual party is held to recognize the organization’s successes for the year and to celebrate the LGBTQ community. This year’s

Girl Scouts Give Cookies To Veterans

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372 boxes of cookies are being given to southwest Michigan American Legion posts by a Girl Scout troop as the girls thank veterans for their service. On Friday, Elise Voglewede and Alexandria Smith from Girl Scout Community

St. Joe Street Project

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A major street reconstruction project is about to get started in St. Joseph. City Engineer Tim Zebell tells WSJM News they’re going to get to work on June 11 not only repaving but also installing new water

Relay For Life Registrations

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Relay for Life of Van Buren County is once again holding its yearly event at Bangor High School. If you are a cancer survivor or know someone who is, there’s an open invitation for you to attend

Health Department Salutes Police

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Local police have been honored by the Berrien County Health Department with its 2018 Friend of Public Health Award. Spokesperson Gillian Conrad tells WSJM News the award is given each year to an individual or organization that

Grant For Niles Library

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The Dollar General Literacy Foundation has picked the Niles District Library to be the recipient of a grant. This week, the foundation announced a round of more than $145,000 in grants for organizations around Michigan that include

Lawmaker Honored By Firefighters

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The Michigan Professional Fire Fighters Union has named state Senator Tonya Schuitmaker its Legislator of the Year. Schuitmaker, a Republican from Lawton, is also running for Michigan Attorney General, and says it’s an honor to receive the

Engler Addresses Nassar Case

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Former governor and now Michigan State University President John Engler spoke about the Larry Nassar sexual abuse at a breakfast event in Birmingham Thursday morning. He said he was surprised with how things were being handled at

Health Department Talks Lyme Disease

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This is the time of year when infections of Lyme disease increase, and the hazard is a particular concern here in southwest Michigan, Berrien County Health Department spokesperson Gillian Conrad tells WSJM News Berrien County has a

More Info On Fatal Crash

A 23-year-old Hartford Township man is dead following a crash last week. The Van Buren County Sheriff’s Department tells us the crash happened on the evening of Wednesday, May 2 on County Road 362 east of 70th