Local News Archives

About one in four Americans are planning to take a trip this fall. AAA’s Susan Hiltz tells WSJM News the latest travel forecast shows autumn is becoming a more popular time for a vacation. She says there’s

Lake Michigan College is seeking the lease for the Western Michigan University building on its Napier Avenue campus. The board of trustees Wednesday voted to move forward on a request to transfer a long-term lease agreement with

Benton Harbor City Commissioners have shot down, at least for now, a request for the purchase of some public safety cameras. At Monday’s meeting, the commission tabled a plan to spend $67,000 on five HD, 360 degree

Coming soon to Andrews University will be a performance by the United States Air Force Band of Mid-America. The university tells us the 45 piece ensemble plays music from symphonic band masterworks to traditional marches to modern

Taking place this Saturday is yet another Bissell Pet Foundation “Empty the Shelters” event. Bissell’s Holly Kroeze tells us the Grand Rapids-based Bissell foundation will pay the adoption fees for animals adopted in nearly 20 shelters around

Van Buren County residents are being invited to sign up for the sheriff’s department’s next Citizens Police Academy. It’s a chance for anyone in the public to learn all about what a police officer does. The program

If you’re looking for a new animal friend, then the Van Buren County Animal Control Shelter is the place for you tomorrow afternoon. They’re holding a special adoption event thanks to the Bissell Pet Foundation. Animal Control’s

Set for next Wednesday is Southwestern Michigan College’s annual College Night. SMC Vice President of Marketing Mike O’Brien tells WSJM News it’s for both SMC students and high school students. “College night is an opportunity for college-bound

Continuing through this Saturday is the St. Joseph County Grange Fair in Centreville. It’s one of the latest in the season county fairs to be held in Michigan, and a big focus is agriculture. With that in

One person is dead following a crash in Cass County on Friday. The Cass County Sheriff’s Department tells us it happened shortly before 4 p.m. on Robinson Road south of Buffalo Lane in Jefferson Township. A vehicle driven

Some students who took part in an Andrews University summer program have created a new sculpture for Cafe Gulistan in Harbert. The Renaissance Kids, a summer architecture camp run by Andrews, spent the season working on the

The spirit of the fall is being celebrated this weekend in St. Joseph. It’s time for the annual Fall Festival downtown on Friday and Saturday. St. Joe Today’s Amy Zapal tells WSJM News there will be family

The Michigan Public Service Commission has met to consider a request from Consumers Energy to pay $184 million for a plan to get out of its contract to buy power from the Palisades nuclear power plant. At a Friday hearing,

Set for Saturday is the Berrien RESA Festival of Families. RESA spokesperson Karen Heath tells WSJM News the fifth annual event will feature information on all of the services offered to kids around Berrien County. On hand

Berrien County is planning a household chemical and electronics recycling event for this weekend. On Saturday, you can stop by Silver Beach County Park between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. to drop off items sitting around in

An Indiana man who pleaded guilty to killing his cousin in 1977 in southwest Michigan has been sentenced to 12 to 18 years in prison. Cass Circuit Judge Mark Herman sentenced 58-year-old Raymond Richmond on Friday after

There is now a specially-trained crime analyst working for the Michigan State Police in Benton Harbor. MSP Captain Michael Brown tells WSJM News Whirlpool has teamed up with state police to pay for the analyst who is

With the Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference underway on Mackinac Island, speculation is ramping up about the future for several southwest Michigan members of the GOP. There are now multiple reports that Congressman Fred Upton is seriously weighing

New polling results have been released regarding the race for governor. If the Republican primary were held today, MRG Polling Firm says Bill Schuette would garner 33% of the vote, others significantly less. Michigan News Network Lansing

The clock is ticking on Congress to approve a replacement for DACA, or the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. It’s enabled nearly 800,000 illegal immigrants brought into this country as children to work and avoid the

From the Associated Press — A relative says the baby born of a Michigan woman who chose to forego chemotherapy to give birth to the child has died. Sonya Nelson says her niece, Life Lynn DeKlyen, died Wednesday

With Michigan lawmakers back at work, state Representative Kim LaSata is waiting to see her first pieces of legislation pass the Senate. First, she has a plan to close a loophole allowing vacation homeowners in Michigan to

The Michigan Board of State Canvassers is green-lighting a ballot initiative that would raise the state’s minimum wage to $12 per hour by 2022. Alicia Renee Farris is the Michigan Campaign chair for the group One Fair

The Michigan Senate Judiciary Committee has unanimously approved legislation from state Senator John Proos to let some low-level juvenile offenders get their records cleared. Proos tells WSJM News they would have to complete the 17.5 month Youth

Now available is the fall land auction book from the Berrien County Treasurer’s office. Treasurer Bret Witkowski tells WSJM News it lists all of the properties that will be available for auction next month. There are about

A 24-year-old Elkhart, Indiana man is in the Cass County Jail after speeding off from a traffic stop in Penn Township. The sheriff’s department says he was pulled over for going 96-miles-an-hour on Decatur Road near Kelsey

The Michigan appeals court won’t review a judge’s decision about evidence in the case of a man charged with killing six people in the Kalamazoo area. Jason Dalton’s attorney had asked the court to look at a

From the Associated Press — A Lansing company is getting $100,000 from the federal government to develop zero-emission, reconstituted wood panels for building interiors. Metna Co. will replace organic resins used in its manufacturing process with inorganic polymer

From the Associated Press — The American Civil Liberties Union says Michigan is illegally allowing faith-based groups to reject gay couples who want to adopt kids or become foster parents. Michigan pays groups such as Catholic Charities and

Lake Michigan College is seeking the lease for the Western Michigan University building on its Napier Avenue campus. The board of trustees Wednesday voted to move forward on a request to transfer a long-term lease agreement with