From the Associated Press — House Democrats want a quick up-or-down vote on disbursing $5 billion in federal coronavirus relief throughout Michigan, saying the funding shouldn’t be delayed by Republicans pushing to curtail state-issued COVID-19 restrictions. The
The Berrien County Parks Department has found a way to make some souvenirs of its parks while recycling plastic. Environmental Property Manager Jill Adams tells WSJM News outdated Berrien County Parks Annual Entrance Passes are being repurposed
Market Van Buren has announced the 2021 Market Van Buren Awards, set to be given out in May. Market Van Buren economic development coordinator Sarah Snoeyink tells WSJM News the organization wants to salute the businesses that
A man and a woman from Indiana are facing charges after being caught with a large amount of drugs during a traffic stop in Benton Township on Monday. The Benton Township Police Department says officers pulled over
Lake Michigan College’s 2021 Winner’s Circle Benefit Auction has been postponed. The Lake Michigan College Foundation says because of the pandemic, the auction can’t be held safely and in person on its scheduled date, which was March
Michigan has reported 2,066 additional cases of COVID-19 for Sunday and Monday combined. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services says that works out to an average of 1,033 cases per day. Since March, the state
Michigan has passed the one million dose mark when it comes to administering vaccines for COVID-19. The office of Governor Gretchen Whitmer has released the following: Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced that the State of Michigan has administered over
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson says her legislative agenda for the year with a goal of advancing the vote and protecting democracy. Assistant Secretary of State Heaster Wheeler outlined the basics. “Require that absentee ballot applications
From the Associated Press — The first year of state-licensed recreational marijuana sales in Michigan saw $511 million of sales in recreational and $474 million in medical sales, generating over $100 million in tax revenue, but the
A 36-year-old St. Joseph man is facing charges of aggravated possession of child sexually abusive material. Michigan State Police say they have arrested Alexander Rendell after they noted a large amount of the material was being downloaded.
South Haven Area Emergency Services responded to a record number of calls during 2020 according to the department’s Annual Report. They were called out 2,358 times last year compared to 2,171 in 2019 and the old record
A committee in the Michigan House is talking about human trafficking and how the state can help to combat it. State Representative Mary Whiteford of Casco Township is the chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on the
A survey on broadband availability in Berrien County will launch soon. During a meeting of the Berrien County Board of Commissioners this past week, Commissioner Teri Freehling said Merit Network out of Ann Arbor held a webinar
State Senator Aric Nesbitt has introduced legislation intended to help telecommunications companies expand broadband access in rural areas. He tells WSJM News the plan would grant a break on personal property taxes to companies that add new
The Michigan Department of Transportation is waiting to see what effect the new Biden administration will have on road funding moving forward. Speaking on the most recent episode of Talking Michigan Transportation, MDOT’s podcast, American Association of
A grant from the U.S. Department of Justice is going to the city of Benton Harbor to help improve neighborhood safety. U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge has announced $252,000 in Project Safe Neighborhoods grants for four cities in
The Michigan Department of Treasury is looking to help college bound high school students understand the financial aid system with a series of virtual meetings next month. Chad Somerville from the MI Student Aid team tells us
The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department says two arrests have been made in the Saturday morning burglary of the Ace Hardware store in St. Joseph. The department has released the following: At approximately 5:57 a.m. on January 30,
A Baroda company is moving into Bridgman now that it’s acquired a more than 50,000 square foot property on Red Arrow Highway. Cornerstone Alliance says Oronoko Iron Works, Incorporated has closed on a new property in Bridgman
UPDATE: Two of the suspects have since been arrested. Original story: Police are looking for suspects after the Ace Hardware on Niles Avenue in St. Joseph was robbed early Saturday. The store’s Facebook page says nine individuals
The Michigan Maritime Museum in South Haven is hoping to return to something resembling normal this year, and it’s taking steps to prepare. The museum says it’s hiring for summer jobs in 2021. The museum will have
The Berrien County Office of Emergency Management says its public warning system will be tested on Friday, February 5. The testing is scheduled for 3 p.m., but procedures allow the test to be delayed until 4 when
The Economic Club of Southwestern Michigan Speaker Series will present its next online speaker series event on Thursday, February 25. The topic will be Social Justice Advocacy — Moving from Words to Results, and the guest speakers
Legislation from state Representative Pauline Wendzel is designed to help autistic children get a diagnosis and treatment. She says she worked with the LOGAN Center in Benton Harbor to draft a bill to eliminate a regulation that
Berrien County’s COVID-19 numbers have been trending down. Berrien County Health Officer Nicki Britten spoke during a Friday update. “It’s continuing to look really encouraging,” Britten said. “We are seeing a stable rate of cases. Two to
Michigan is reporting 1,774 new cases of COVID-19 for Friday. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services says that brings the state’s total to more than 557,000 since the pandemic started in March. There were six
State Senator Kim LaSata is calling on Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to allow high school winter sports to resume. She is a co-sponsor of a resolution to that effect.
The Berrien County Trial Court is returning to Phase Two of its reopening plan on Monday. This means some proceedings that had been suspended will resume. The court has released the following: In compliance with the Michigan
From the Associated Press — A suburban Detroit man has been charged with cheating investors out of $19 million to fuel his lottery habit. Prosecutors say Viktor Gjonaj was buying as much as $1 million in Daily
From the Associated Press — Governor Gretchen Whitmer says she will not cede her authority to issue certain COVID-19 restrictions, calling Republicans’ attempt to hold back federal pandemic relief unless she changes course “cruel and reckless.” The
