Rural America could be in line for a big boost with more broadband internet being made available. Congressman Fred Upton is joining with House Majority Whip James Clyburn of South Carolina to sponsor the “Rural Broadband Acceleration
Calling it a 50-state problem in need of federal help for the solution, Governor Gretchen Whitmer is urging the U.S. Senate and President Trump to act to help states fill massive budget holes created by COVID-19. Whitmer
A resurfacing project on M-40 in Van Buren and Allegan counties will start next week. The Michigan Department of Transportation says it’s investing about $1.6 million in more than seven and a half miles of the road
Southwestern Michigan College is issuing refunds to students who paid for living quarters on campus. SMC has released the following statement: In a goodwill gesture this month, Southwestern Michigan College is refunding $800 of spring 2020 housing
Michigan is reporting 406 additional cases of COVID-19 for Thursday. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services says the total number of coronavirus cases in the state since the start of the pandemic is now 56,014.
The Michigan National Guard has been in Berrien County this week to help with mass COVID-19 testing. The Berrien County Health Department has released the following statement: In support of the statewide efforts to increase testing for
Technical problems forced the Berrien County Board of Commissioners to cancel its Thursday morning meeting this week. The body was all set to meet over Zoom as it has been during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the tech
For the first time since World War Two, there will not be a Van Buren Youth Fair this summer. It had been scheduled for July 20-25. The fair’s board of directors says they’ve had to make the
A new $150,000 fund has been created by the United Way of Southwest Michigan to help schools during the pandemic. CEO Anna Murphy tells WSJM News school districts are going to take a hit because of a
The Michigan Department of Technology, Management, and Budget has announced a grant to expand broadband access in parts of Berrien and Cass counties. State Representative Brad Paquette says Mercury Wireless has been approved for a proposed project
Residents of Benton Harbor will be seeing Michigan State Police troopers and officers of the Benton Harbor Department of Public Safety zipping down the street on bicycles this summer. Michigan State Police Lieutenant Jeremy Carlisle tells WSJM
The Twin Cities Area Transportation Authority in Benton Harbor and St. Joseph is receiving a $2.4 million federal grant. The office of Senator Gary Peters announced this week the funds from the Federal Transit Administration will help
There are 504 new cases of COVID-19 recorded in the state as of Wednesday, with 68 new deaths as a result of the illness. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services says those 68 include 14
If you thought you heard emergency sirens Wednesday morning in Berrien County, your ears were not playing tricks on you. Berrien County’s Emergency Siren System went off inadvertently for 10 to 15 seconds during what was supposed
The Allegan County Sheriff’s Department is investigating a stabbing in Lee Township, northeast of South Haven. Deputies were called to a home around 10 p.m. Tuesday by a man in his 50s who said he’d been stabbed
The United Way of Southwest Michigan has announced the creation of a $150,000 fund for schools hurting due to the COVID-10 pandemic. The United Way of Southwest Michigan has released the following statement: United Way of Southwest
Another change is in place to expand who can get a test for coronavirus in Michigan. The state’s chief medical officer, Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, explained part of a new executive order fro Governor Whitmer. “No one needs
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is taking entries for the Detroit District’s 2020 photo contest. Soo Locks park ranger Michelle Briggs tells WSJM News they’re looking for amateur photos of Army Corps projects throughout the Great
Governor Whitmer is speaking out a bit about controversy that flared up over the weekend. She said her husband “made a failed attempt at humor last week when checking in with the small business that helps with
There is a new tool for Michiganders to use to track what’s going on with COVID-19. University of Michigan associate professor of epidemiology Dr. Emily Martin says the MI Safe Start Map is an interactive dashboard with
Several independently-owned gyms and fitness centers are suing Governor Gretchen Whitmer to overturn the state’s stay-at-home order and allow them to reopen. Attorney Scott Erskine is representing more than 120 gyms in Michigan and filed the lawsuit
The Covert Township Police Department is investigating a fatal crash crash on Saturday. It says officers were called to the 41,000 block of M-140 around 3 p.m. They found the driver in the vehicle and the vehicle
Spectrum Health Lakeland is now offering COVID-19 antibody testing. The healthcare system has released the following statement: Spectrum Health Lakeland is among the first health systems in the state to begin offering COVID-19 antibody testing to the
The state has announced extended food assistance benefits for Michigan residents as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The State Emergency Operations Center has released the following statement: Approximately 350,000 Michigan families will continue to have access
Medal of Honor recipient James McCloughan didn’t let COVID-19 stop him from paying his respects this Memorial Day. He and members of American Legion Post 49 marched through downtown South Haven to Lakeview Cemetery to honor those
Michigan is reporting 202 additional cases of COVID-19 for Monday. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services says the total number of cases around the state since the start of the pandemic is now 54,881. There
Nothing is imminent, but plans are being drafted for the eventual reopening of Four Winds casinos in Dowagiac, Hartford, New Buffalo, and South Bend. The casinos are working with the Pokagon Gaming Commission on how to reopen
It could be because it’s a holiday weekend and not as many local health departments report to the state on weekends, but Michigan’s coronavirus deaths for Sunday are just five, a low not seen in weeks. Overall,
Michigan is reporting 452 additional cases of COVID-19 for Saturday. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services says the total number of cases around the state since the start of the pandemic is now 54,365. There have
The Michigan Department of Corrections has completed COVID-19 testing of every prisoner in its system. The department has released the following statement: Following the completion Friday of testing prisoners at Michigan Reformatory in Ionia for COVID-19, the
