Local News Archives

Money is being raised to make repairs to the iconic Niles River Santa, which has been damaged by recent storms. The reindeer have been swept away, and Santa himself has been knocked over. Mike Peters talked to

From the Associated Press — A technology change is forcing Michigan’s corrections department to spend about $4.6 million to fit more than 4,000 parolees and others under state supervision with new ankle monitors. Michigan Department of Corrections

From the Associated Press — Indiana lawmakers are considering a bill that would undo a landmark Indiana Supreme Court ruling that affirmed that the shoreline of Lake Michigan is owned by the state and held in trust

Officials at the Cass County Parks and Recreation Department are over the moon now that the county’s Dr. T.K. Lawless County Park has been designated an International Dark-Sky Park by the International Dark-Sky Association. Parks Director Scott

The position of Berrien County Administrator is now posted as the Berrien County Board of Commissioners looks for a new county leader. Current Administrator Bill Wolf’s last day will be June 12, and the county board is

Lake Michigan College’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Diversity Award this year has been awarded posthumously to Mabel Lee Johnson. Berrien County Trial Court Chief Judge Mabel Johnson Mayfield accepted the award on behalf of her mother

The sister of a Niles teenager who was killed by her boyfriend in 1993 is speaking out against the decision by a Cass County judge to toss out the mandatory life sentence against the killer. That’s due

Michigan State Police are investigating a six-vehicle accident that shut down southbound I-196 at Coloma Road for about an hour on Sunday. Troopers say a truck pulling a large trailer with a bulldozer jack-knifed and blocked the

Set for this coming Monday is the 25th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast Celebration at Lake Michigan College. LMC President Trevor Kubatzke tells WSJM News they’re expecting more than 600 people, one of the biggest groups

The cost of a Michigan state parks Recreation Passport is about to go up. Michigan Department of Natural Resources Parks and Recreation Chief Ron Olson tells WSJM News the price will go up by $1 in March,

The city of New Buffalo has been approved for a $220,000 grant from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Land and Water Conservation Fund to improve its dune walk. The city says its dune walk is an

Congressman Fred Upton has met with representatives of FEMA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to discuss shoreline erosion and high water levels in the Great Lakes. He tells WSJM News he and two other Michigan

Southwest Michigan farmers will gather at Lake Michigan College next month for the annual Southwest Michigan Horticultural Days conference. MSU Extension pest management educator Mike Reinke tells WSJM News the event is a trade show for those

The Berrien Community Foundation says applications are now available for the next round of Heart of Cook grants. The Heart of Cook program is funded by Indiana Michigan Power’s Cook nuclear power plant and administered by the

The city of New Buffalo has removed the docks from its municipal marina for the winter. City Manager David Richards tells WSJM News this is in response to the high water levels on Lake Michigan that left

The Bridgman Foundation for Educational Excellence and the Greater Bridgman Chamber of Commerce are planning the community’s first ever Polar Party for next month. The event will be held Saturday, February 8 near Bridgman City Hall. The

Michigan Works is offering help to those who are members of the Healthy Michigan plan continue getting benefits now that new work requirements are in place. The Director of operations Quin Braylock tells WSJMM News a new

Work is underway on the partial demolition of a three story building in downtown South Haven that used to be the old Hale’s Department store. South Haven Downtown Development Authority Director Deb Davidson tells WSJM News a

Three meetings will be held next month by Berrien County Treasurer Bret Witkowski to get property owners signed up for tax payment plans. Witkowski tells WSJM News this is for those property owners who are behind, especially

Congressman Fred Upton has introduced a resolution in the U.S. House expressing support for designating February 1, 2020 as Blue Star Mother’s Day. He tells WSJM News it’s in commemoration of the anniversary of the first meeting

A meeting of the Benton Harbor City Commission will be held on Tuesday for commissioners to hear the city’s latest audit report. The audit is a snapshot of the financial health of the city and also outlines

The Dr. T.K. Lawless County Park in Cass County has been designated as an International Dark-Sky Park by the International Dark-Sky Association, making it one of only two areas in the state with that distinction. The Cass

From the Associated Press — A judge has set aside a life sentence for a man who was convicted of killing his pregnant girlfriend when they were teenagers and burying her body in southwestern Michigan. The decision

With Berrien County Prosecutor Mike Sepic not seeking another term, the first to announce his candidacy for the office is Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Steve Pierangeli. He has been with the office for more than 15 years,

The Michigan House of Representatives has approved legislation designed to better protect Michigan’s vulnerable children and improve the performance of the state’s Children’s Protective Services division. State Representative Matt Hall of Marshall tells us his bill requires

The date is set for a joint meeting of the Benton Harbor and St. Joseph city commissions along with the St. Joseph Township board to discuss the formation of the work group on the Twin Cities Harbor

The city of New Buffalo has been awarded a $112,000 grant from the state to further develop a local trail system. The office of state Representative Brad Paquette says the money comes from the 2019 Recreation Passport

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has awarded 51 Michigan water systems with its Water Fluoridation Quality Award for the year. Michigan Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson Lynn Sutfin tells WSJM News most