Local News Archives

10-22-19 WSJM Afternoon News

The Van Buren County Road Commission has launched a new app to allow residents to report non-emergency road problems. With SeeClickFix, people will be able to take a photo of a road issue, like a pothole, give

A team of scientists from Allegan-based Perrigo has made a stab at a world record. On Saturday, the group was at the Kelly Family Sports Center at Grand Valley State University to put together the world’s largest

Meetings are being held all over Michigan over the next few weeks to help those who are on the Healthy Michigan Plan to keep coverage next year when new work requirements go into effect. “We want to

A new report has been released showing that nearly all K-12 students in the U.S. now have access to high-speed internet and the future of digital learning in is bright in Michigan. Governor Gretchen Whitmer says there’s

Military veterans and active duty service personnel are being invited by Berrien County Veterans Services to take a nine-week course to get their financial house in order. Lee Lull is the county’s Veterans Services director and says

There’s a petition being circulated around Breedsville to disincorporate the village and become part of Columbia Township. The petition states in part that the local government doesn’t have the money to maintain the village and do needed

The red-hot housing market in southwest Michigan is showing signs of cooling down. Sales of existing homes in September were down by 12% from August and off by 3% compared to a year ago. For 2019 to

U.S. Senator Gary Peters is trying to increase the funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. He is filing an amendment to a government funding bill to increase the amount from the current proposed $301 million to

From the Associated Press — Authorities say a “well-organized machine” of thieves appears to be behind the theft of tons of apples and pumpkins from orchards and farms in Michigan and Indiana. An estimated 7,000 pounds (3,175

The street repairs being paid for with the city of Benton Harbor’s new income tax are almost complete for the year. At Monday’s Benton Harbor City Commission meeting, City Manager Ellis Mitchell reported the 2019 work is

A new president for Southwestern Michigan College has been selected by the SMC Board of Trustees. The board on Monday voted unanimously to hire Dr. Joseph L. Odenwald to succeed Dr. David Mathews. Odenwald has served as

The city of St. Joseph is holding a trunk or treat event this weekend. Trunk or Treat events are designed to be like trick or treating, but safer because they’re held in one location with kids not

The Community Engagement and Advisory Committee for Benton Harbor Area Schools has been established by the board of education. Board President Joseph Taylor tells us the body held a retreat Saturday and signed off on the state-proposed

The South Haven Police Department is warning residents about utility scams. It says many businesses in South Haven have been affected by scam attempts. A caller will pretend to represent a utility company and say electric or

High winds are causing more than shoreline erosion around southwest Michigan today. Indiana Michigan Power is dealing with more than 13,000 outages in Michigan as of late afternoon. Many are smaller and scattered around Berrien County, but

Countryside Academy’s board of directors is on the record opposed to the line-item veto in the budget by Governor Whitmer of a funding increase for charter schools. The veto stripped the $240 per-pupil increase that had been

Former Benton Harbor Area Schools superintendent Dr. Leonard Seawood isn’t getting his conviction overturned. The state appeals court has ruled Seawood violated his contract with the district by being paid $46,000 for 110 unused vacation days because

Allegan County Sheriff’s deputies are investigating a break-in at Lakeshore Tackle and Firearms in Saugatuck. Several guns were stolen. Police were called to the business just before midnight Sunday night by the alarm company, and were on

Berrien County Sheriff Paul Bailey is warning residents about a rash of thefts from vehicles — and vehicle thefts — that have been occurring all around the county. He tells WSJM News neighborhoods in Royalton and St.

An effort to relieve medical debt for struggling residents of Berrien, Cass, and Van Buren counties is now well underway thanks to Harbor Country Mission, Lake Street Community Church, and the I CAN Cafe. They announced at

The Berrien County Health Department is urging women over the age of 40 to get screened for breast cancer this October, with it being Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Spokesperson Gillian Conrad tells us one in eight women

Opening soon in Stevensville will be a dog park. Village Treasurer Barbi Hoge tells WSJM News the Hickory Creek Bark Park is opening in part of the existing Hickory Creek Park. “We already have a playground and

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is recognizing 164 schools around the state that have earned the MI HEARTSafe School designation for the 2018-2019 academic year. Department spokesperson Lynn Sutfin tells WSJM News the HEARTSafe

The Benton Township Police Department is looking for a suspect after a 16-year-old was shot on Saturday afternoon. Officers were called to Spectrum Health Lakeland on a report of a gunshot victim. When they arrived, they were

The 2020 tax season isn’t far away, and free income tax filing programs are looking for Michiganders willing to give their time to help others. The Consumers Energy Foundation has provided a $200,000 dollar grant to support

The Heritage Museum and Cultural Center in St. Joseph will hold a fall celebration with an international twist just after Halloween this year. Director Brian Carroll tells WSJM News it’s the second annual Day of the Dead

There will be a statewide drug takeback event this month. The Drug Enforcement Agency is teaming up with Michigan State Police and others to collect unneeded prescription medications. If you have any sitting in your cabinet, you’re

This coming week is National Teen Driver Safety Week, when parents are urged to talk with their fledgling teen drivers about the importance of caution behind the wheel. The Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning’s Kari Arend