Local News Archives

Mary Louise Adams age 93, of Kalamazoo and formerly of Paw Paw, passed away peacefully on October 6, 2021 at Friendship Village in Kalamazoo. She was born April 8, 1928, on Easter Sunday, in Paw Paw, Michigan,

From the Associated Press — The president of the University of Michigan says he’ll return to teaching and research “if nothing more interesting comes along.” Mark Schlissel spoke Thursday, two days after saying he would leave the

A grant of $6 million has been announced for the Midwest Energy and Communications Southwest Michigan Advanced Research and Technology Park in Cassopolis. The grant will be used for the construction of road, sewer, and water infrastructure

A new network of biking trails will be coming to the Benton Harbor-St. Joseph area thanks to Whirlpool. The Benton Township Board this past week approved a multi-phased project to create the network of trails in and

The Van Buren/Cass District Health Department is planning flu vaccine clinics to be held at multiple locations across the two counties this month. The department says getting vaccinated against the flu reduces the spread of the illness,

From the Associated Press — Governor Gretchen Whitmer has proposed spending $6.3 million in federal rescue funding to reduce a backlog of felony cases in Michigan courts that was caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The governor’s office

The Veggie Van will be making a stop in Bridgman this month. Spectrum Health Lakeland says the mobile farmers market will be available from 2 to 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 19 at Southwestern Medical Clinic on

The Cass County Parks Department is planning to celebrate the fall and Halloween with a Harvest Fest. Parks Director Scott Wyman tells WSJM News Cass County 4-H is also holding its Trunk-or-Treat event at the same time

The Area Agency on Aging of Region 4 is planning a presentation to help people better understand dementia. “A Journey Through Dementia Minds” will be held at the Heritage Center in St. Joseph and also over Zoom

The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department says a 20-year-old Niles woman is dead after a crash in Niles Township on Friday. Deputies were called to the 2,600 block of Old US-31 around 3:40 p.m. on a report of

From the Associated Press — Gretchen Whitmer has vetoed a bill that would have eased restrictions on feeding birds in areas where deer and elk roam. Whitmer says the bill clashes with state efforts to keep certain

A shortage of affordable housing is a problem nationwide, and it’s also being felt in southwest Michigan communities. During a forum with candidates for the St. Joseph City Commission this week, the candidates were asked how St.

Berrien County will soon have a new map of county commission districts following a vote Friday by the Berrien County Apportionment Commission. The county currently has twelve commissioners, and that won’t change. However, their district lines will

State Representative Brad Paquette is expressing opposition to a new policy at Berrien RESA granting ten additional paid sick days to employees who have been vaccinated against COVID-19. Paquette says the policy allows staff to use the

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has announced some additional bottled water pick up days for Benton Harbor. The department told us the following: Additional dates and locations for City of Benton Harbor residents to

A sketch of the suspect in a sexual assault reported at Grand Mere State Park last month has been released by police. The Lincoln Township Police Department says the assault happened on September 20. A woman reported

Riverside Park in Ypsilanti will be the site of the Canna Jam tomorrow, a state-licensed cannabis event featuring music, comedy, dancing and plenty of food. The organizer is attorney Michael Komorn, he says the goal is to

There are lower water levels on Lake Superior. Physical scientist with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says Lake Superior along with Lakes Michigan and Huron had lower water levels in September. “Across the board, considering where

As Congress continues to negotiate infrastructure and social safety-net bills, advocates for environmental justice say measures like lead-pipe replacement cannot wait. Drinking-water systems for more than nine million homes across the country contain lead pipes, with Black,

Short term rentals are a hot topic in the city of St. Joseph as a bill has been proposed in the Michigan Legislature to strip local control over the number of short-term rentals allowed in a community.

Chris Kleponis/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images (ELK GROVE VILLAGE, Ill.) — President Joe Biden renewed his call for private employers to require their workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19, saying “we are going to beat this pandemic” if

With Berrien County expected to receive around $29.8 million in funding from the American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA, the board of commissioners is bringing in some help to manage some of that money. During Thursday’s meeting,

A Van Buren County man has won $500,000 in a Michigan Lottery game. The Lottery tells us 65-year-old James Watson bought his winning Power 777 instant ticket at the BP station on Phoenix Street in South Haven.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer has signed a bill from state Senator Kim LaSata to rename a portion of I-94 in Berrien County after a Michigan Department of Transportation worker who was killed along the side of the highway.

Hannah Roberts, the 19-year-old Olympic athlete from Buchanan who won a silver medal this summer in Tokyo in Women’s BMX Freestyle has been honored by the Berrien County Board of Commissioners. During Thursday’s meeting, the board’s resolution

From the Associated Press — Governor Gretchen Whitmer says Michigan will pay higher “prevailing” wages on state construction projects, three years after Republican legislators repealed a long-standing law that required better pay. The Democratic governor said Thursday

The Michigan Department of Transportation will be closing the ramp from southbound I-196 to westbound I-94 from Monday through Saturday next week as part of the US-31 relocation and I-94 Rebuilding Michigan project. Southbound I-196 traffic will

It’s hard to avoid rising gas prices. On average, your corner pump has jumped more than 10¢ to $3.39 per gallon. We asked GasBuddy’s Patrick DeHaan if $4 a gallon is a possibility in the near future.

A new study lists Michigan near the top for haunted places. There are 510 spooky spots in the state including schools, abandoned towns, and even old mines out of more than 11,000 reported in the country. The