Local News Archives

The city of South Haven isn’t the only municipality having to deal with the short-term rental issue. Casco Township has seen a rising number of homes being acquired by investors to rent out as short-term vacation homes.

The winner of this year’s United Way of Southwest Michigan Margaret B. Upton Volunteer Leadership Award is Jerry Flenar of Buchanan. He was among those honored for their community service at the United Way’s annual Volunteer Recognition

Chikaming Open Lands is looking to set up a new nature preserve, and it’s raising money to make that happen. Executive Director Ryan Postema tells WSJM News the conservation group wants to purchase 49 acres in Chikaming

The summer Berrien County Land Auction is Tuesday. Berrien County Treasurer Bret Witkowski tells WSJM News it’s a chance for anyone to bid on recently-foreclosed properties. Although the number of available properties is down, Witkowski says the

Bottled water was handed out Friday in the city of Parchment and Cooper Township in Kalamazoo County following contamination of the water supply by the chemical PFAS. Parchment Mayor Robert Britigan spoke with Michigan News Network about

A former officer for the Benton Harbor Department of Public Safety is heading to trial for running a man down with his squad car during a chase in May. The Berrien County Prosecutor’s office tells us 51-year-old

Berrien County could be lending a hand to Cass County when it comes to managing transportation services. This week, the Berrien County Board of Commissioners tabled a proposal to have the county’s transportation planner and coordinator work

The St. Joseph Lighthouse has a new claim to fame, now appearing on some limited-edition cans of Vernors ginger ale. Working with Pure Michigan, Vernors is featuring historic Michigan lighthouses on its cans. They are the St.

If you live in a city in Michigan, chances are you have good internet service at a fairly decent price. But that’s not the case for rural parts of the state, and Representative Mary Whiteford of the

From the Associated Press — The Michigan Supreme Court says schools can ban visitors from carrying guns. Under state law, local governments must defer to the Legislature on gun policy. But in a 4-3 decision Friday, the court said the

From the Associated Press — Michigan State University has halted payments from a $10 million fund it set up for counseling services for victims of now-imprisoned former sports doctor Larry Nassar amid concerns about possible fraudulent claims. The

As the August 7th primary approaches, Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Gretchen Whitmer is releasing her plan to fight urban poverty. It includes her support for regional transit, the effort to cut auto insurance rates, and expand affordable housing.

Don’t try to boil it or filter it. Health officials in Kalamazoo County are telling residents of the city of Parchment and Cooper Township to not drink the water. Officials are advising residents to immediately stop using

The South Haven Planning Commission will hold a special meeting on Friday to discuss and fine tune two proposals regarding short-term rentals. One of the proposals to be discussed is possibly to prohibit short-term rentals in newly-constructed

The Southwest Michigan Association of Realtors has helped to improve another park in the region. This time it’s the playground area next to Milton Township Hall in Cass County. The realtor’s association provided the township with a

There will be some new faces on the Benton Harbor Area Schools Board of Education next year. That’s because four trustees who could have run in November have opted not to file. Trustees Joseph Taylor, Martha Momany,

Berrien County Judge Donna Howard has a new appointment. On Thursday, Governor Rick Snyder appointed Howard to serve as the new judge of the 2nd Circuit Court in Berrien County. The governor’s office says Howard was elected

The Berrien County Treasurer’s office has been receiving inquiries from residents who would like to chip in to help those in need of property tax assistance. Treasurer Bret Witkowski tells WSJM News since an article published this

Congressman Fred Upton is hailing the U.S. House for approving full funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative for another year. He tells WSJM News the Trump administration tried yet again to gut the $300 million in

The Historical Association of South Haven and the Michigan Maritime Museum are memorializing some of South Haven’s lighthouse keeprs. They are first lighthouse keeper William P. Bryan and the longest serving keeper, Captain James S. Donahue. Both

State Representative Kim LaSata continue to win the support of current and former lawmakers in her bid to jump to the Michigan Senate after just a single term in the House. Former Senator Ron Jelinek, who represented

Congressman Fred Upton is among congressional Republicans who were not impressed with President Trump’s recent statements on Russia. He tells WSJM News Russia should not be considered an ally. “Russia does pose a clear and present danger

Former Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra cellist Susan Dietrich-Reed believes disciplinary action against five musicians older than 65 is not only age discrimination but also punishment for their labor union activity. “I’ve endured intimidation and harassment for years,”

Michigan gets a failing grade for the effectiveness of its Renewable Portfolio Standard in a new report. The group Food and Water Watch examined the R-P-S in states that have established these standards for getting a percentage

From the Associated Press — Lawyers for imprisoned former sports doctor Larry Nassar are asking that he be re-sentenced by a different judge in the first of the major molestation cases he faced. The Lansing State Journal reports

The winner of this year’s United Way of Southwest Michigan Margaret B. Upton Volunteer Leadership Award is Jerry Flenar of Buchanan. He was among those honored for their community service at the United Way’s annual Volunteer Recognition

The 167th annual Cass County Fair gets underway this week. Fair Board President Gail Peterson tells WSJM News the animal competitions and displays start Friday, and the opening day for the events is Sunday, featuring the parade

From the Associated Press — A Michigan-based banking company is moving its headquarters from Midland to Detroit and plans to construct a 20-story building downtown. Officials announced Wednesday that Chemical Financial Corp., the holding company for Chemical Bank,

Governor Rick Snyder is pleased to see his Good Jobs for Michigan tax incentive being used for the first time in the expansion of Pfizer that was announced this week. The drug maker is investing in its

It’s a big weekend in Saugatuck as the 2018 Venetian Festival gets underway this Friday. Sherry Tedaldi from the Cowhill Yacht Club, which is hosting the festival, spoke with WSJM News about opening Friday. “On Friday we