Local News Archives

A donation of up to $300,000 has been made to Benton Harbor Area Schools. Superintendent Andrae Townsel said during a Tuesday virtual session of the school board the money is for cultural climate and security. “If the

State Representative Beth Griffin is seeking reelection. The Republican from Mattawan tells WSJM News with the COVID-19 pandemic continuing, the top priority is obvious. “I’m fighting really hard to help return some people to their jobs, and

Some surgeries, procedures, clinic appointments, outpatient therapies, and radiology studies are going to resume at Spectrum Health Lakeland. President and CEO Dr. Loren Hamel joined WSJM’s Jim Gifford to talk about the decision, which was based on

Congressman Fred Upton hopes the nation can reopen itself for business safely as many states start pulling back from COVID-19 restrictions. Upton’s Problems Solvers Caucus this week released its Reopening and Recovery “Back to Work” Checklist. He

In addition to public outreach and contact tracing during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Berrien County Health Department is encouraging people who can help the community to do so. Spokesperson Gillian Conrad tells us there are plenty of

Governor Whitmer has some words most of Michigan has been eager to hear. “The data we’ve seen in the past week has lead me to believe that it’s time to re-evaluate the “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order,”

Michigan is reporting 999 additional cases of COVID-19 for Wednesday. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services says the total number of cases statewide is up to 33,966. There have been 113 additional deaths from Tuesday

The Berrien County Trial Court is making public access to court proceedings possible during the COVID-19 pandemic. The court has released the following statement: Due to the Michigan Supreme Court’s Administrative Order 2020-6 which indicates that local

Spectrum Health Lakeland CEO Dr. Loren Hamel continues to urge everyone to keep themselves and others healthy by constantly washing hands, observing social distancing, and staying home as often as possible to limit the spread of coronavirus.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is starting to show up in the area’s housing market, but not fully just yet. The biggest impact is in the inventory of homes for sale in the area, which has

It’ll be at least another week before the Benton Harbor Area Schools Board of Education votes on the district turnaround plan drafted by its Community Engagement and Advisory Committee. The board was set to vote on the

Congressman Fred Upton is headed back to Washington on Wednesday to vote on a COVID-19 relief bill approved by the U.S. Senate on Tuesday. He tells WSJM News the Senate has come up with a nearly $500

A $5,000 grant has been awarded to the Boys and Girls Club of Benton Harbor by the Heart of Cook program for Earth Day activities. The Heart of Cook is run by employees of the Cook nuclear

The leadership of the Small Business Association of Michigan is encouraged by what they’re hearing from Governor Gretchen Whitmer concerning how her administration has responded to COVID-19 and her plans to safely reopen the economy. In joining

Bronson Healthcare is cutting its CEO’s salary by 25% as it prepares to attempt a recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The health system says other corporate employees are also getting pay cuts, company contributions to retirement accounts

Two more people in Berrien County have lost their lives to COVID-19. The latest numbers from the state show Berrien County’s total cases are now at 170, up by six from Monday, with a total of 10

The city of South Haven is moving forward with its budget proposal for the coming fiscal year as it was worked out prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. City Manager Brian Dissette says they presented that idea to

Another protest of Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order is planned for this week around the Capitol. Last week, thousands drove in from all over the state, and some left their vehicles and gathered in

The St. Joseph Public Schools Foundation’s 2020 Distinguished Alumni of the Year is former state Senator Harry Gast. A member of the class of 1938, he died in 2015 at the age of 94. Congressman Fred Upton

Berrien County has a new treasurer. Shelly Weich of Baroda has been appointed to the post and will serve the rest of the term of former Treasurer Bret Witkowski, which runs through December 31. Weich has been

The city of Benton Harbor is giving out personal protective equipment and hand sanitizer to residents thanks to $250,000 in federal funds it’s receiving through the CARES Act. During a Monday virtual meeting, Mayor Marcus Muhammad said

From the Associated Press — A federal judge has delayed a deadline for Michigan candidates to file petitions to qualify for the ballot. U.S. District Judge Terrence Berg on Monday cited the state’s stay-at-home order that’s in

The Van Buren Conservation District has been awarded a $413,000 grant to help prevent runoff into waterways. Watershed coordinator Erin Fuller tells WSJM News the funds from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative will be used to reduce

The federal government is distributing financial relief to Michiganders during the COVID-19 pandemic through stimulus checks. However, some people need to take action to ensure they get their payments. Households without a federal tax filing requirement will

More people are eligible to get a test for COVID-19 in the state. Michigan’s chief medical officer, Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, says first responders and healthcare workers without symptoms are now eligible to get tests without showing any

Governor Whitmer has signed an executive order creating the Michigan Coronavirus Task Force on Racial Disparities. Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist will chair the new panel. “This disease, this infection, has proved particularly deadly to black people in

Boxes of food are being delivered to senior citizens around southwest Michigan thanks to a state program and the Region IV Area Agency on Aging. The agency’s Christine Vanlandingham tells WSJM News the state has bought 10,000

Volunteers are being sought to help with local COVID-19 response efforts. The Berrien County Health Department has released the following statement: With still more than a week left in the “Stay Home, Stay Safe” Executive Order in

The state of Michigan is reporting 576 new cases of COVID-19 for Monday. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services says there have been 77 additional deaths from Sunday to Monday. The total number of cases