The United Way of Southwest Michigan is now signing up volunteers for its annual Rake A Difference event. The United Way’s Jennifer Tomshack tells WSJM News this will be the eleventh year for Rake A Difference. “We
Benton Harbor Area Schools is getting to work on its strategic plan. In July, the Benton Harbor Area Schools Board of Education approved hiring the Michigan Association of School Boards to help craft the plan that will
Michigan State Police say their partnership with the Benton Harbor Department of Public Safety continues to produce results. Since 2015, Benton Harbor has been a part of Michigan’s Secure Cities Partnership with the state. In April, the
From the Associated Press — Experts in the firearms industry as well as gun-rights advocates say more and more Black women are considering gun ownership for personal protection. Fear of crime, especially as shootings and murders have
A cafe in Three Rivers is this month’s winner of state Senator Kim LaSata’s Small Business of the Month Award. LaSata’s office says L.A.’s Coffee Cafe was founded in 2000 by Leslie, Jerry, and Aimee Robbins in
The Berrien County Health Department has issued a mask order for schools as a new academic year gets started. The department announced the mandate Wednesday, not long after the Berrien County Board of Health voted to support
The Berrien County Board of Health is supporting a mask mandate for schools heading into the new academic year. Speaking to the board Wednesday, Berrien County Interim Health Officer Courtney Davis said with increasing COVID numbers, it’s
The Berrien Community Foundation’s Arts Challenge fundraiser has closed. President Lisa Cripps-Downey says it was a success. “We had a $60,000 challenge and had a couple of donors who came together and said if the community raised
From the Associated Press — An environmental group says groundwater around at least six military installations in the Great Lakes region is contaminated with high levels of PFAS chemicals. The Environmental Working Group says Pentagon records show
Spectrum Health Lakeland will offer some drive through flu shot clinics this fall. It says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend a yearly flu vaccine for everyone age six months and older as the best
There will be posters for TalkSooner.org, the anti-drug abuse website and app, at all 77 Michigan Department of Transportation rest stops this Labor Day weekend. TalkSooner’s Vicki Kavanaugh tells WSJM News the campaign to prevent youth substance
A trail is being planned from Niles to Berrien Springs, and plans are in the works for a pedestrian bridge over Lake Chapin as part of the effort. Indiana Michigan River Valley Trail Committee member Deb Conley
If you’re hoping to camp in one of Michigan’s state parks this weekend, you better hurry and make a reservation. DNR assistant Parks and Recreation chief Jackie Blodgett says they’re expecting plenty of people at state campgrounds.
The St. Joseph-Benton Harbor Rotary Club Foundation is taking applications for its next grant cycle. The Rotary has released the following: The St. Joseph-Benton Harbor Rotary Club Foundation is now accepting grant applications for the 2021 funding
From the Associated Press — Michigan standardized test results released Tuesday showed gaps in students’ learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, with state education officials noting lower than usual participation rates. Children in third to eighth grade and
From the Associated Press — A judge has blocked Western Michigan University from enforcing a COVID-19 vaccine requirement on four female soccer players who sued, ruling they are likely to prevail on claims it violates their constitutional
The Michigan Department of Transportation will close several of its rest areas in the coming month for maintenance work. In southwest Michigan, the Watervliet rest area on westbound I-94 will be closed September 9 through September 29.
The Van Buren Prosecutor’s Office will not file criminal charges against Paw Paw Police Officer Tim McMeekan or Van Buren Sheriff’s Deputy Dan Rowse for shooting a man in February 2021. Brad Hirte broke into a home
From the Associated Press — Consumers Energy has reached an agreement to purchase electricity from a solar energy project planned for the site of a former golf course in northwestern Michigan. The Jackson-based utility’s agreement for 30
The OutCenter in Benton Harbor is offering some programs for young people and schools as a new academic year begins. Director Mary Jo Schnell tells WSJM News the center wants to help foster safe spaces within schools.
Michigan State Police are looking for volunteers for the Angel Program. Lieutenant Scott Ernstes of the Paw Paw post tells WSJM News the Angels Program was started locally in 2017 to help people struggling with a drug
As part of International Overdose Awareness Day Tuesday, the Berrien County Health Department is giving away free naloxone kits for the day. Prevention Supervisor Lisa Peeples-Hurst tells WSJM News naloxone is the drug that can save someone
From the Associated Press — At least half of Michigan’s public K-12 students must wear a mask in school, a figure that has grown as local health or education officials order requirements that Governor Gretchen Whitmer supports
Firefighters made quick work of a residential fire in Dowagiac on Monday. The Dowagiac Department of Public Safety says the fire was reported at 102 Halsted around 10:30 a.m. Firefighters arrived to find smoke coming out of
The school year in Benton Harbor is underway for the first time in 14 years with a balanced budget. Benton Harbor Area Schools superintendent Andrae Townsel tells our newsgathering partners at WSBT-22 they have been executing their
The Red Cross has nearly 600 volunteers either on the ground or staged to support relief efforts across Louisiana and Mississippi. Meghan Lehman of the Michigan Red Cross says they are looking for more. “Every day we
Youth advocates for comprehensive sexual education are urging school districts to adopt curricula that use inclusive and anatomically-correct language. In Michigan, sex education is not required – although HIV/AIDS education is – and when it is taught,
The road construction worker killed Friday night on I-94 near Paw Paw has been identified. Michigan State Police say he was 35-year-old Reason Tillman-Morgan of Grand Rapids. He was hit by a semi around 9:30 p.m. on
The Van Buren County Sheriff’s Department is advising everyone of a new scam. It says the suspects are using names of deputies that work for the sheriff’s department to try to collect money. The caller will claim
South Haven’s new disk golf course will have a grand opening next week. The South Haven Area Chamber of Commerce, the South Haven-Van Buren County Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the South Haven Area Recreation Authority all
