More than $250 million in back child support has been collected by the Michigan Attorney General’s office since it opened the Child Support Division in 2003. State Attorney General Bill Schuette tells us the focus of the
A new bill in the Michigan Legislature is designed to shine a light on big companies that pay their workers so little they qualify for government-funded healthcare. House Bill 61-46, the Fair Share Health Care Disclosure Act,
The housing market in southwest Michigan is cooling off a bit, but it’s still red-hot for sellers because there still aren’t many homes on the market. Those that do go up are getting multiple offers within hours
Some new improvements have been made to Galien River County Park, thanks to the Pokagon Fund. Berrien County Parks Director Brian Bailey tells WSJM News work to fix up the parking lot was completed last week. “Our
A lot of us are planning a trip for the upcoming Independence Day weekend. Triple-A Michigan is projecting an increase of 5.5% in the number of people going on vacation, with that number at almost 1.6 million
The South Haven City Council is working on amendments to the city’s ordinance governing short-term rentals. Assistant City Manager Kate Hosier gave an overview of the possible changes. “Inclusion of increased rental fees for renewals and then
There is optimism in Michigan’s agriculture community that this year’s federal Farm Bill will be finished and on the desk of the President before the current law expires this fall. Michigan Farm Bureau national lobbyist John Kran
This past Wednesday brought the re-opening of the Benton Harbor Farmers Market. Held by the Berrien County Health Department, the market is intended to give Benton Harbor residents a place to purchase fresh fruits and veggies, says
Lake Michigan College is trying out a new kind of summer jobs training program this year. Dean of Career Education Ken Flowers tells WSJM News Automation Engineering Pre-Apprentice Academy starts at the Hanson Tech Center Monday. It’s
The city of St. Joseph and Berrien County Board of Commissioners are among local governmental units concerned that a new bill sponsored by Senator John Proos of St. Joseph is going to hit their bottom lines. Proos
Now that summer is officially here, the Van Buren Conservation District is reminding all boaters of the things they can do to help prevent the spread of invasive species. The district’s Eleanor Serocki tell us they’re asked
The U.S. House has approved a bill from Congressman Fred Upton designed to fight the opioid epidemic. Included in the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, the Upton bill encourages the development of non-opioid painkillers. He spoke
Berrien County has been hit with more flooding in some areas due to steady rain on Thursday. St. Joseph Township Manager Denise Cook tells WSJM News the township offices fielded a wave of calls about flooding throughout
23 young women from Berrien and Cass counties will head out this weekend for a four-day stay at the Michigan State Police Training Academy in Lansing. The 14 and 15-year-olds are part of the Michigan Youth Leadership
The Bridge Academy at Kinexus has celebrated the graduation of another 24 students. Kinexus Director of Youth Services Zachary Vaughn tells WSJM News the Bridge Academy helps students ages 16 to 19 either finish high school or
The Michigan State University Board of Trustees has rejected a motion to consider firing interim president John Engler. Bryan Tarrant’s daughter was sexually assaulted by former MSU sports doctor Larry Nassar and he ripped into the trustees
State Senator John Proos is apologizing for comments he made this week to WSJM News regarding communication with the Berrien County Board of Commissioners. In talking about Senate Bill 1031, which would get rid of personal property
A St. Joseph Township home has a “do not enter” sign posted by the township after flooding from Hickory Creek ripped a hole in the foundation and caused a natural gas line to rupture today. The fire
Governor Snyder has signed a $39.9 billion general spending bill and will sign the education part of the bill next week. He said he’s pleased with the plan, which marked the eighth straight year he was able
A murder suspect is on the loose somewhere in southwest Michigan or northern Indiana. The Van Buren County Major Times Task Force is hunting for 38-year-old Troy Taylor of Bloomingdale after police say he killed a Kalamazoo
Even though it’s not supposed to happen until October, a new event at Love Creek County Park has attracted the attention of the Berrien County Board of Commissioners. At this week’s meeting, they discussed the new “Fat
Berrien County’s lead public defender is stepping down. Carl Macpherson came to lead the county’s public defender’s office in 2015 when the county created it anticipating new state standards. Berrien County Administrator Bill Wolf tells WSJM News
With steady rain throughout much of Thursday afternoon, the Berrien County Road Department is advising drivers to watch out for flooding. It writes on its Facebook page, “Extreme caution when traveling lots of flooding in Berrien County,
The Berrien County Board of Commissioners has unanimously approved a resolution opposing legislation from state Senator John Proos that would exempt utility properties from personal property taxes. The bill is intended to reduce the cost of equipment
School districts around the country will soon be able to apply for federal grants to conduct facility reviews. Congressman Fred Upton tells WSJM News the U.S. Justice Department is now taking applications for the grants due to
From the Associated Press — Michigan State University’s interim president is apologizing for emails in which he said a victim of former campus sports doctor Larry Nassar probably received a “kickback” from her plaintiff’s lawyer. John Engler issued
A change is coming to St. Joseph City Hall. City Marketing Director Susan Solon is retiring. She sent a message to friends this week announcing she’ll step down in August. That’ll be after one more summer packed
The South Haven City Council is reviewing an Abonmarche study regarding waves on the Black River. High lake levels and winds are causing damage to boats docked at some marinas on the Black River. Harbormaster Kate Hosier
Governor Snyder has made it official, enacting the next fiscal year’s budget months before the current one expires. He signed the spending plan this afternoon in Lansing. State Senator Tonya Schuitmaker of Lawton is proud of what
A campaign finance complaint has been filed against against a Washington D.C. non-profit corporation for advertisements supporting Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gretchen Whitmer. Michigan Republican Party spokeswoman Sarah Anderson says the group “Build a Better Michigan” is behind
