Local News Archives

Tuition is going up at Southwestern Michigan College for the next academic year. The SMC Board of Trustees met on Monday and agreed to a 1.8% tuition increase for in-district students and a 2% increase for in-state

The Michigan Department of Education has approved a waiver for Berrien County school districts to start the next academic year before Labor Day. Berrien RESA Superintendent Kevin Ivers tells WSJM News a hearing was held this past

Berrien County Treasurer Bret Witkowski is preparing to step down. He made the announcement this month. Witkowski tells WSJM News after 16 years as the county treasurer, plus the years he served on the county commission, it’s

The Kal Haven Trail is one of three Michigan trails to be recognized as Pure Michigan Trails this past month by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. The DNR says Pure Michigan Trails are highlighted as some

Michigan lawmakers had a chance to meet with students enrolled in the Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates program this week. Students from across the state went to Lansing for JMG’s annual Legislative Day. Kinexus tells us legislators heard

Set for this Saturday is 103.7 COSY radio’s annual We Care Island Sit Marathon in South Haven. COSY’s Paul Layendecker tells WSJM News this is the 19th year for the event. It’s COSY’s way of raising funds

State Senator Kim LaSata has announced the start of her office’s annual Southwest Michigan Spirit Tournament. The tournament, started by LaSata predecessor John Proos, gives high schools throughout LaSata’s district a chance to compete in a bracket-style

The Michigan League for Public Policy has released its latest report on infant and mother health in the state. The league’s Amber Bellazaire tells WSJM News the Right Start 2020 report considered several things when ranking the

Berrien County Treasurer Bret Witkowski will hold a meeting this weekend to get property owners signed up for tax payment plans. He’s worked throughout the year to reach property owners who are behind on their taxes so

With concerns about the coronavirus worldwide, Governor Gretchen Whitmer has activated the state Emergency Operations Center to coordinate with state, local and federal agencies to prevent the spread of the virus. “For the safety of our families

The deadline to file your 2019 income taxes is coming up soon, and state Representative Pauline Wendzel is offering some help this weekend. She is hosting a tax open house on Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon

The graduation rate at Benton Harbor High School in the last year plummeted. Data released this week by the Michigan Department of Education shows the graduation rate went from 75.64% in 2017-18 to just 46.71% in 2018-19.

From the Associated Press — A 72-year-old suburban Detroit man man who police say threatened Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has been sentenced to jail time served and probation. Neil Billington of Groveland Township pleaded no

March 10 will be the day for Michigan’s presidential primary, and Berrien County Clerk Sharon Tyler is hard at work getting the county’s roughly 500 election workers prepared. She tells WSJM News she’s expecting a lot of

The Berrien County Board of Commissioners is urging everyone to fill out their census forms this year. A big push is being made statewide to get out the census message, and commissioners paused for a moment ahead

Berrien County Parks Director Brian Bailey is retiring. He made the announcement to staff this week, and tells WSJM News after nearly 30 years with the county, it’s time to step down. “I’ve had a good run

From the Associated Press — The state of Michigan has agreed to pay $80 million to settle a class-action lawsuit on behalf of male teens who said they were sexually assaulted in prison while housed with adults.

Four people are facing charges following a drug raid in Benton Harbor this week. The Southwest Enforcement Team says officers executed a search warrant at a unit of the Harbor Towers Apartments complex on East Wall Street

Congressman Fred Upton’s decision to seek another term in this year’s elections was influenced by the prominence of Bernie Sanders in the Democratic presidential primaries. According to the Associated Press, Upton says downballot Democrats would be harmed

A Paw Paw family is working to raise $60,000 to pay for surgery for their four-year-old son to fix a birth defect called microtia that left the outer part of his right ear underdeveloped. Roy Collins is

The state Senate has rejected the appointment by Governor Whitmer of former Grand Rapids Mayor George Heartwell to serve as the chairman of the Michigan Natural Resources Commission, which regulates hunting and fishing. In committee this week,

The Benton Harbor Area Schools Board of Education has voted to honor former basketball coach Paul Wilhite by having his name placed on the high school gym floor. Wilhite was a coach for the school for 35

From the Associated Press — Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s administration is asking for a quick court ruling on the legality of Michigan’s Medicaid work requirements. The state hopes to avoid sending notices to more than 80,000 people

A Dowagiac man is headed to jail after resisting a police officer who was trying to arrest him for an outstanding warrant. The Cass County Prosecutor’s Office says 26-year-old Travis Fletcher was found guilty by a jury

The Michigan Department of Education has approved a waiver for Berrien County school districts to start the next academic year before Labor Day. Berrien RESA Superintendent Kevin Ivers tells WSJM News a hearing was held Tuesday night

The Berrien County Health Department is hard at work staying on top of all the most recent novel coronavirus developments. Spokesperson Gillian Conrad tells WSJM News they are constantly on calls with both state and federal officials.

St. Joseph Today is busy planning for the next March Mannequins event, which is now slated for Friday, March 13 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in downtown St. Joseph. St. Joe Today’s Daniele Crevier tells WSJM News

We could be just days away from placing legal sports bets in Michigan. Since Governor Whitmer signed the gambling expansion bills, state regulators have been working on the details of what it will take to bring sports

Expect to see and hear a lot in the next few weeks as the state launches its largest promotion effort in history to get people to fill out the 2020 Census. Kerry Ebersole Singh is the director