Local News Archives

The County Road Association of Michigan is calling on the state Legislature to look at how the emergence of electric vehicles will affect road funding and how any losses EVs cause can be recouped. Director Denise Donahue

School districts throughout southwest Michigan will receive funding to hire school resource officers to help make their buildings safer. Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced Tuesday nearly $25 million is being awarded to 195 school districts statewide for SROs

The Rotary Club of South Haven has made a $10,000 donation to the We Care Community Resource Center to provide relief for those in need. The Rotary says the $10,000 grant reflects the donations of individual Rotarians

The Berrien County Board of Commissioners will soon consider approving the county’s next five-year master plan. Berrien County Community Development Director Dan Fette told them this week the plan will guide development and the use of resources

So far, this winter has been bleak and gray – but a reprieve is on its way. The St. Joseph Ice Festival is set to return to downtown Feb. 3-5 with ice carving competitions, dozens of ice

Corewell Health South has released its 2022 cancer care report, looking at cancer cases locally and nationally to understand trends, support cancer research, improve prevention, and improve outcomes. Corewell Health South, formerly Spectrum Health Lakeland, says in

The Southwest Michigan Regional Chamber is getting ready to welcome a new business to the community. Environmental consulting firm Point Blue is set to officially join the chamber at a ribbon cutting ceremony Thursday, Jan. 26 from

A development project in Cassopolis has received an award for the improvements it’s bringing to the community. The Imagine Cass-Embrace the Vision, Cassopolis Transformation Project is the recipient of the Southwest Michigan Planning Commission’s 2022 Graham Woodhouse

General Motors has announced it will invest nearly $800 million in its Flint and Bay City plants to strengthen the automaker’s full-size truck and SUV business portfolio in Michigan. GM will spend $579 million to prepare the

Cities, villages and townships experiencing financial struggles can now apply for a grant to help fund special projects and free up tax dollars for important services, according to the Michigan Department of Treasury (Treasury). Applications are now

South Haven Area Emergency Services has upgraded its equipment for confined space rescues. A $5,000 grant from New Covert Generating Facility has allowed SHAES to purchase seven sets of harnesses and seven 200-foot-long ropes. Firefighter and paramedic

An income tax cut is possible in Michigan this year due to a revenue surplus of around $9.2 billion. The rate would automatically drop from 4.25% to 4.05% if the general fund grows faster than the rate

Most experts agree putting more electric vehicles on the road is a major step toward fighting climate change, but a new report says states will also need to find new ways to fund road maintenance. Currently, Michigan

Coming back this summer after a two year hiatus will be the South Haven Cottage Walk. SHOUT for South Haven President Bob Copping tells us they arrange a tour of four or five interesting cottages in town

Everyone’s invited to take a look at Berrien County’s Five Year Hazard Mitigation Plan. It outlines possible disasters that occur in the county and establishes how officials would respond. Berrien County Emergency Management Coordinator Rockey Adams tells

The Berrien County Board of Commissioners is considering its night meeting schedule for the year. Typically, the board meets in the morning on Thursdays, but its bylaws specify it must hold a handful of meetings at night

It’s not often an opening act gets called back on stage for an encore, but that’s exactly what happened the first time Them Coulee Boys first came to Benton Harbor in 2019. Ever since that night, the

The city of Benton Harbor will need to replenish its utility services fund as work to replace lead water service lines comes to an end. Speaking to the city’s Personnel and Finance Committee this week, Finance Director

The Michigan High Speed Internet Office is going on a listening tour and one of the stops will be in Benton Harbor. Speaking to colleagues Thursday, Berrien County Commissioner Teri Freehling said MI-HI, as she called it,

An emerging and dangerous drug has caused a death in southwest Michigan. The Van Buren/Cass District Health Department announced Thursday that there has been a Xylazine-involved fatality in Van Buren County. Xylazine is a potent sedative used

At an event Tuesday, Corewell Health South, formerly Spectrum Health Lakeland, gathered community members and leaders to mark the beginning of construction at the future site of the Center for Better Health and Wellness in Benton Harbor.

After more than a century, St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church in Benton Harbor is closing. Church officials announced late last year that the church will merge with Benton Harbor’s Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and become the Beautiful Savior

Van Buren County now has a new mapping and parcel viewing website online. The site gives people easy access to geographic information including property boundaries, legal descriptions, and parcel ownership information. There is also an interactive map