Local News Archives

The Michigan Department of Transportation has about $30 million in work planned for the Niles area in the next few years, and it wants the public to be well-informed and also have a chance to offer some

From the Associated Press — The University of Michigan is requiring faculty, staff, student employees, volunteers and visiting scholars to disclose if they’ve been newly charged with or convicted of a felony. The Ann Arbor News reports the

Police around Michigan made more than 200 drunk driving arrests during an end-of-the-year crackdown. Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning spokesperson Kari Arend tells WSJM News the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign took place December

Water filters are being made available for all residents of Benton Harbor starting this week. The Berrien County Health Department’s Nicki Britten tells us the filters are certified to reduce the risk of lead exposure in drinking

By Doug Cunningham Andrews University is celebrating Black History Month with a variety of events, looking back at history while also empowering the future. Dr. Ty-Ron Douglas will give the keynote speech this weekend at Andrews University

(Lansing, MI – AP) – Governor Gretchen Whitmer plans to restructure the state environmental agency that drew criticism for its handling of the Flint water crisis under former Governor Rick Snyder, The Associated Press has learned. The

A lawsuit is being threatened by General Motors against its Canadian union, Unifor, over a Super Bowl ad north of the border. The 30-second spot calls out the automaker for planning to shut down the Oshawa Assembly

A 39-year-old man is facing several charges including possession of a stolen vehicle and possession of meth after police were called to the Speedway gas station in Paw Paw early Monday morning. Jimmy Stacey also had a

Income tax filing season is officially underway. The Michigan Department of Treasury tells us starting this past week, Michiganders can start filing their 2018 state individual income tax returns online, or they can submit paper forms through

Home sales in southwest Michigan were slightly down in December. The Southwest Michigan Association of Realtors tells us December of 2018 sales were down 4% from December of 2017. Also, looking at 2018 as a whole, the

Legislation to prevent additional government shutdowns could be coming soon in Congress. Congressman Fred Upton tells WSJM News the bill being worked on now would allow for automatic funding renewals even when members of Congress can’t agree

Work is underway in Congress to address the issue of PFAS contamination in water. Congressman Dan Kildee told CSPAN this week, first, the new PFAS Task Force wants to ask the EPA to evaluate the standards for

The Children’s Advocacy Center of Southwest Michigan has received a service dog. “Pawnee” is a 15-month-old female chocolate lab who came to the agency through the Canine Advocacy Program in collaboration with Leader Dogs for the Blind

The League of Women Voters of Berrien and Cass Counties will host a forum on Berrien County transportation problems next month. League President Marilyn Klawiter tells WSJM News public transportation is sorely lacking in the area. “It’s

Congressman Fred Upton is hopeful another government shutdown can be averted. The deal last month that re-opened the federal government following its more than 30-day partial shutdown was intended to give Congress and the president three weeks

Heating bills across southwest Michigan will likely go up as a result of the frigid weather we’re having this week, and state Representative Brad Paquette of Berrien Springs wants to remind everyone help is available. He tells

South Haven Area Emergency Services is warning everyone not to go out on Lake Michigan ice. The recent polar vortex has made for some stunning visuals along the lake, especially near lighthouses. SAES spotted some adventurers out

A forum on immigration will be held next week in St. Joseph. Organized by Interfaith Action, “Immigration-Facts, Faces, Fears, and Faith” will feature guest speakers with expertise on the immigration system, along with people who have been

A $50,000 grant has been announced for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Children with Special Needs Fund. The grant comes from the Rollin M. Gerstacker Foundation, and the money will be awarded in two

By Doug Cunningham The state of Michigan is intervening in a federal court case to defend the Affordable Care Act, with health care protections for millions of people, including 650,000 Michiganders, at stake. Governor Gretchen Whitmer and

The proposition that women ought to make the same amount of money as men for the same job is back in the U.S. House of Representatives. The Paycheck Fairness Act was reintroduced on Wednesday and is backed

Students don’t have to worry about this week’s blast of severe weather pushing their school year into the summer. The Michigan Department of Education told districts this week they will get an extra three days of snow

The National Human Rights Campaign for Equity is once again this year ranking Michigan low on their State Equity Index because it is still legal to discriminate against someone based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.

From the Associated Press — More than 250 Michigan communities have banned marijuana businesses just two months after the state became the first in the Midwest to legalize the drug for recreational use. MLive reports that some cities

The Southwest Michigan Human Trafficking Task Force is hoping to see communities around Berrien, Cass, and Van Buren counties take a page from South Bend and approve their own anti-human trafficking resolutions. Task Force founder Cathy Knauf

Michigan State Police say they responded to 183 traffic crashes across southwest Michigan this week. Thanks to the severe weather, the highways were the scene of crashes throughout the region. In addition to responding to all of

With the weather expected to quickly warm up this weekend and into next week, FEMA is advising everyone to watch their homes for signs of possible flooding. Region V Administrator James Joseph tells WSJM News low-lying areas

South Haven isn’t the only southwest Michigan community with an ice fest this weekend. Saturday will bring the 23rd Ice-Time Festival in Dowagiac. There will be ice carving all over the downtown area starting at 8 a.m.

One of South Haven’s largest annual events is happening this weekend. It’s the 26th annual Ice Breaker Festival running Friday through Sunday. With the weather forecast calling for a warm up, organizers say the conditions should be

Consumers Energy CEO Patti Poppe is thanking all natural gas heating customers statewide for cutting back their usage Wednesday night and throughout the day and night today following a fire that knocked a large storage and compression