As we move toward more electric vehicles in the United States, a lack of proper infrastructure is becoming a problem. University of Michigan Mechanical Engineering Professor Jeff Sakamoto says we’ll need more lithium battery factories and fast
From the Associated Press — Ford wants to control the key technology for electric vehicles, so it plans to build a battery development center near Detroit by the end of next year. The company said the 200,000-square-foot
Police are asking for the public’s help finding a suspect in a January shooting at the Pilot Travel Center in Benton Township. The Benton Township Police Department says late on the night of January 19, officers were
Michigan’s slow population growth over the past decade will cost the state a U.S. House seat, continuing a decades-long trend as job-seekers and retirees have moved to other states. The U.S. Census Bureau listed the state’s 2020
Some Michiganders are part of a multi-state effort this week to clean up and protect the Great Lakes. The volunteer campaign involves seven Great Lakes communities, and is made possible through $300,000 in funding from the EPA’s
From the Associated Press — Michigan’s August primary date would be moved six weeks earlier, to June, and the state would be required to more quickly check if ballot drives have submitted enough qualifying signatures for the
The inventory of homes for sale grows tighter and tighter in southwest Michigan as sale prices soar. The Southwestern Michigan Association of Realtors says in its latest report the average selling price from February to March of
There will be another mural painted on the bluff stairs in St. Joseph this summer. During a city commission meeting this week, St. Joseph Today Director Amy Zapal said she’s working with the same artist who painted
A bipartisan infrastructure improvement package is being worked on by members of the Congressional Problem Solvers Caucus. Congressman Fred Upton tells WSJM News they met last week with a group of governors and senators to learn about
Legislation from state Senator Kim LaSata designed to make nursing homes safer has been approved by the Michigan Senate. LaSata tells WSJM News Senate Bill 213 would allow the state’s Long Term Care Ombudsman to inspect a
Frank Hardester will be the next county administrator for Van Buren County. The Van Buren County Board of Commissioners has approved a contract with Hardester to take over effective June 1. He’ll replace John Faul, who will
From the Associated Press — Attorneys for Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s administration are defending coronavirus tests for young athletes. They told a judge Tuesday that state law gives the health director extraordinary power to respond to a pandemic.
A new healthcare and educational facility is about to open in Van Buren County. Van Buren-Cass District Health Department Deputy Health Officer Danielle Persky tells WSJM News the Public Health Education Facility on South Street in Lawrence
A 21-year-old man is recovering after a shooting in Niles on Tuesday. The Niles Police Department says officers were sent to the area of Chicago Road and Hillcrest Street around 1:15 p.m. They found the victim with
While the number of cases of COVID-19 is dropping in Michigan, health officials are still concerned about people who are hospitalized. Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Director Elizabeth Hertel says there are still high in-patient
Another $52 million has been pumped into the Thompson Working Families Scholarships. It’s money that will go to students at Michigan Tech, Saginaw Valley State, Bowling Green, and Grand Valley State University. The money is from a
The Michigan real estate market is red hot, with listed homes getting accepted offers within days and many times above asking price. Jeff Duneske, owner of Duneske Real Estate Advisors, told Michigan News Network prospective buyers sometimes
Cities around Michigan are having a hard time filling seasonal jobs for the summer. Port Huron City Manager James Freed told Michigan News Network this week in his community they need people to handle jobs in parks
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has some tips for those who encounter groups of wild turkeys while they’re out walking. This is the breeding season for turkeys, and the males can get aggressive. DNR wildlife communications
The Van Buren County Sheriff’s Department is inviting residents to sign up for neighborhood watch training. The sessions will each be 30 minutes with time for questions and answers. The days are also a chance for the
A proposal to allow a social district in downtown St. Joseph remains under review by city commissioners. During a Monday meeting of the St. Joseph City Commission, St. Joseph Today’s Amy Zapal told the body about the
South Haven Area Emergency Services is following a decades-old tradition by placing the image of Yosemite Sam on its new heavy duty rescue truck. SHAES says the department settled on the Looney Tunes character as its mascot
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has announced a new initiative to detect and stop elder abuse. She says the new Sentinel Project is focused on protecting vulnerable adults residing in nursing facilities. “The project will involve specially
The Berrien County Health Department is resuming use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine after federal health officials recommended it be put back into use. The agencies previously recommended a pause while experts did a safety
An Elkhart, Indiana woman is dead following a crash in Cass County Monday. The Cass County Sheriff’s Department says it happened on US-12 west of Beebe Road in Milton Township around 11:21 a.m. Police found two vehicles
The St. Joseph Harbor will be dredged this year, after all. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers hadn’t been planning to dredge in St. Joseph this year, but Congressman Fred Upton says he requested emergency dredging to
Michigan restaurants are facing a variety of difficulties a few weeks after Governor Gretchen Whitmer encouraged residents to pause indoor dining to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Bob Ostendorf, owner of Stella’s Blackdog Tavern, in downtown
There were 6,524 new cases reported for Sunday and Monday combined this week. That averages out to 3,262 per day. The state recorded 35 additional deaths across the two days with Michigan’s death total now at 17,324.
From the Associated Press — Michigan’s lagging population growth over the past decade will cost the state a U.S. House seat, continuing a decades-long trend as job-seekers and retirees have fled to other states. The U.S. Census
The Michigan Department of Treasury is advising collegebound students the deadline to submit FAFSA applications is approaching. The department has released the following: Students who want to be given priority consideration for state of Michigan financial aid
