Local News Archives

The new buyer of the Orchards Mall in Benton Township intends to keep it as a mall property. That’s according to a realtor who helped sell the mall in an online auction last month. Steve Silverman of

From the Associated Press — Michigan regulators will take public comments on a proposal for more anchor supports in the Straits of Mackinac to bolster twin oil pipelines. Enbridge Inc. is asking the Department of Environmental Quality to

If you haven’t visited the Michigan Maritime Museum in South Haven, this could be a great weekend to stop by. The museum is having its annual Fish Boil Fundraiser this Saturday. The museum’s Ashley Demming tells WSJM

A 26-year-old Niles man is facing charges following a crash and chase with police on Wednesday. The Cass County Sheriff’s Department tells us it all started around 7:40 p.m. when deputies were called out to investigate a

Michigan businesses and cities are being invited to become part of a global vision for a cleaner future. The Zero Emissions Vehicle Challenge, announced on Tuesday, is encouraging companies and communities to use their purchasing power and

A former officer with the Benton Harbor Department of Public Safety has been charged for actions during a police chase in May. The Berrien County Prosecutor’s Office tells us that on May 10, 51-year-old Patrol Officer Steven

Frpm the Associated Press — A former western Michigan day care provider has been ordered to pay $1.8 million after pleading guilty to child neglect in the death of a toddler by an 8-year-old girl. The Muskegon Chronicle reports

In Grand Rapids, they’re waiting for a bad smelling, rare corpse flower to bloom. Senior horticulture manager at Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, Wendy Overbeck, told Michigan News Network they’ve had the flower for 18 years, but

The Michigan Department of Transportation will hold an open house next week in Niles to talk about its plans to reconstruct the US-12-M-51 interchange. MDOT spokesperson Nick Schirripa tells WSJM News the $25 to $30 million project

Congressman Fred Upton says a trade war possibly kicked off by the Trump administration’s tariffs on foreign goods will only hurt consumers. The Trump administration is putting 25% tariffs on 800 Chinese products worth $34 billion while

This week brings the annual Celebrate Bridgman festivities. The fun begins Thursday with an Under the Big Top presentation by the Curious Kids Museum, and then the Family Night and Teen Dance downtown. Both Friday and Saturday

A Dowagiac woman is recovering at a hospital in Kalamazoo after being pulled from a fiery wreck on Wednesday morning. The Cass County Sheriff’s Department tells us 31-year-old Trisha Smith was westbound on Dewey Lake Street near

A major change is coming to Lakeland Health. It announced on Wednesday it is integrating with Spectrum Health out of Grand Rapids. Lakeland CEO and President Loren Hamel tells WSJM News the much larger Spectrum will bring

A nature preserve in the Paw Paw area has won an award from the U.S. Forest Service. The Portman Nature Preserve has been selected for the Wings Across the Americas Award for its efforts in the area

Attorneys for the city of Flint and the state of Michigan are asking a federal judge to throw out a class-action suit over Flint water, arguing they can’t be sued because of government immunity. The lawsuit is

The Berrien County Courthouse officers killed two years ago today are still impacting people in the area. At a memorial for Ron Kienzle and Joe Zangaro at the Berrien County Law Enforcement Memorial in St. Joseph, Sheriff

Lakeland Health has announced it’s integrating with Grand Rapids-based Spectrum Health. Spectrum, which is the largest employer in west Michigan with 26,000 employees and 12 hospitals, will make the move with Lakeland official October 1. Lakeland, which

The Michigan Department of Transportation’s Adopt a Highway program will begin its second roadside cleanup of the year this Saturday. MDOT’s Dan Weingarten tells WSJM News more than 2,800 groups statewide are signed up to protect their

The Benton Harbor Area Schools Board of Education is looking to the future as the district’s new superintendent and CEO is set to start next week. At a Tuesday board meeting, Trustee Martha Momany said Robert Herrera,

President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, is preparing for a fierce confirmation battle amidst the turmoil of the upcoming midterm elections. Michigan Senator Gary Peters expressed some concern. “I’m concerned about his ruling on the Consumer

Some Michigan business owners are endorsing a campaign that backs paid sick time for workers. Londell Thomas is manager for the MI Time to Care Campaign. He spoke with Michigan News Network about the effort. “Right now,

A $2.6 million expansion is being planned by Mattawan-based Tri-Mation Industries. Zachary Morris with Kinexus tells WSJM News the company is an automation solutions company founded in 1995 that right now has 35 employees. Its new 40,000

St. Joseph City Commissioners have signed off on $13 million in upgrades to the water plant. At Monday’s meeting, they approved phase one of work laid out in a 2014 Capital Improvement Plan. St. Joseph Water Treatment

A Michigan lawmaker is hailing a legislative plan to regulate autonomous vehicles. State Representative Mike Webber, the vice chair of the House Transportation Committee, says “Michigan is moving forward” thanks to the autonomous vehicle regulations that have

Legislation to fund billions in deferred maintenance in national parks gets a hearing in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday. The Restore Our Parks Act would set up a fund dedicated to national parks using money from onshore and

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is looking into the rise in Legionnaires disease. It doesn’t spread from person to person, but through mist like the kind that comes from air conditioning units, fountains, or

This weekend will be a busy one along the bluff in downtown St. Joseph. That’s because the 57th annual Krasl Art Fair will be taking place. 200 artists from all over the country will be selling their

It’s “clearly a serious matter.” That’s what Governor Snyder is calling an investigation of Attorney General Bill Schuette. East Lansing attorney Mike Nichols has asked for a grand jury investigation into whether Schuette did anything illegal when he

Michigan farmers may feel the consequences of the latest tariffs between U.S. and China. The Trump administration is putting 25% tariffs on 800 Chinese products worth $34 billion and China is retaliating with tariffs also totaling $34

The no wake zone in the St. Joseph River in the area of St. Joseph and Benton Harbor could be moved about 176 yards to the south. At a Monday meeting, St. Joseph City Commissioners held a