Local News Archives

A brand new 14 by 12 foot mural has been painted on the outside brick wall of the St. Joseph Welcome Center downtown. St. Joseph Today’s Amy Zapal tells WSJM News the organization hired Houston-based artist Anat

From the Associated Press — Members of a northern Michigan resort community have eliminated a bylaw being challenged in court that requires homeowners to be of “Christian persuasion.” The Petoskey News-Review reports members of the Bay View Association

There is plenty to be decided tomorrow at the ballot box. Along with state races for governor and the U.S. Senate primary, Berrien County voters are choosing candidates for the state House, state Senate, and county commission

Residents of Van Buren County are invited to come to Lawrence for the National Night Out. Reserve Captain Rodney Bridgeforth of the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Department told WSJM News what’s happening. “It’s just an opportunity to

When you cast your ballot today, the Michigan Secretary of State’s Office is reminding you to stick to just Republicans, Democrats, or Libertarians. Spokesman Fred Woodhams says any ballot with more than one party selected will be

This year’s summer auction of property tax-foreclosed properties by Berrien County is one of the most successful ever in terms of selling parcels of land that had homes or vacant businesses. Treasurer Bret Witkowski says they had

Next Tuesday is the National Night Out and the first ever held in Allegan County. You’re invited to Saugatuck’s Coghlin Park Tuesday, August 7 from 6 to 8 p.m. for food and drink, giveaways, and demonstrations of

Two men in their 50s are recovering with just minor injuries after a plane crash in Dowagiac this weekend. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the Saturday evening incident, which happened around 7 p.m. The 54-year-old pilot

Michigan’s latest water crisis is coming from a chemical used in manufacturing, fire suppression foam, and other uses. PFAS has turned up in wells north of Grand Rapids, near Kellogg Airport in Battle Creek, and most recently,

Banking will get a little more convenient for Honor Credit Union members in Buchanan next year, as currently their closest branches are in Niles and Berrien Springs. The financial institution is announcing plans to open a branch

State Senator Tonya Schuitmaker has endorsed Aric Nesbitt in the race for Michigan Senate in the 26th District. Schuitmaker currently occupies that post and is being term-limited out of office. She tells WSJM News Nesbitt, a former

The Van Buren County Sheriff’s Department is warning the public about the latest phone scam. It tells us it has been hearing from residents who have been called by someone claiming to be working for the sheriff’s

A new effort is being launched by a bi-partisan group in Congress to get some procedural rules changed so more can get done. Spearheaded by the Problem Solvers group, Congressman Fred Upton tells WSJM News the “Break

We will get to vote on a constitutional change regarding how congressional and state legislative districts are drawn. The Michigan Supreme Court issued a ruling around 10:30 Tuesday night dismissing a lawsuit challenging the ballot proposal from

Election workers in Berrien County have been busy this last dew weeks preparing for next Tuesday’s primaries. Berrien County Clerk Sharon Tyler tells WSJM News voters should know there are some new machines in place. “The difference

Housing permits for single family home construction have increased nearly 4% in Michigan during the first half of this year, but production is not meeting the demand. Bob Filka is the CEO of the Home Builders Association

With the state of emergency declared this past weekend in Kalamazoo County for PFAS in the drinking water in the city of Parchment and Cooper Township along with the discovery of the chemicals in northern Kent County,

Tuesday will bring the 35th annual Police National Night Out as local police departments look to mingle with the public and establish good relations. St. Joseph Township Police Officer Rick Knapp tells WSJM News there will be

Andrews University will hold its summer graduation ceremonies this weekend. Graduation coordinator Dalary Payne tells WSJM News there will be 305 students receiving degrees. It’s a diverse bunch. “There are 49 countries represented by the graduates this

Two men are facing charges following two separate drug raids in Benton Harbor in the past two weeks. The Southwest Enforcement Team tells us it raided a home in the 200 block of Hull Street on Tuesday,

Michigan Sixth District candidate for Congress George Franklin is making one final push to drum up support for his primary candidacy with a tour this weekend. Franklin, seeking the Democratic nomination to take on Congressman Fred Upton

Cornerstone Alliance is making an aggressive push to bring more retailers to Benton Township. Cornerstone President Rob Cleveland tells WSJM News the group has hired The Retail Coach, a national retail recruitment and development firm, hoping to

The Bridgman Police Department has closed its investigation into a reported dog attack on a child and says the story was not true. Early this week, the department on Facebook asked for the public’s help in identifying

Berrien County’s newest park is close to opening to the public. Berrien County Parks Director Brian Bailey tells WSJM News he took some county commissioners on a tour of Paw Paw River County Park in Watervliet this

From the Associated Press — Michigan officials are warning dog owners to keep their pets at home if they’re sick to prevent the spread of canine influenza. The Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development said Thursday that

Berrien County officials are looking for a new chief public defender and the county commission has approved assigning chief assistant public defender Christopher Renna to head up the department on an interim basis. Renna will assume that

Berrien County will be helping out Cass County on managing transportation services. After tabling a resolution to allow county transportation and planning coordinator Evan Smith to work one day a week for Cass County last week, commissioners

It’s time once again for Chalk the Block in downtown St. Joseph. St. Joe Today’s Amy Zapal tells WSJM News it starts Friday with chalk art right on the pavement downtown. It’s provided by both amateurs and

Congressman Fred Upton isn’t terribly concerned there will be a government shut down this fall. President Trump has threatened one if he doesn’t get his border wall, but Upton tells WSJM News the spending plan outlined by