Local News Archives

There will be some new faces on the Benton Harbor Area Schools Board of Education next year. That’s because four trustees who could have run in November have opted not to file. Trustees Joseph Taylor, Martha Momany,

Berrien County Judge Donna Howard has a new appointment. On Thursday, Governor Rick Snyder appointed Howard to serve as the new judge of the 2nd Circuit Court in Berrien County. The governor’s office says Howard was elected

The Berrien County Treasurer’s office has been receiving inquiries from residents who would like to chip in to help those in need of property tax assistance. Treasurer Bret Witkowski tells WSJM News since an article published this

Congressman Fred Upton is hailing the U.S. House for approving full funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative for another year. He tells WSJM News the Trump administration tried yet again to gut the $300 million in

The Historical Association of South Haven and the Michigan Maritime Museum are memorializing some of South Haven’s lighthouse keeprs. They are first lighthouse keeper William P. Bryan and the longest serving keeper, Captain James S. Donahue. Both

State Representative Kim LaSata continue to win the support of current and former lawmakers in her bid to jump to the Michigan Senate after just a single term in the House. Former Senator Ron Jelinek, who represented

Congressman Fred Upton is among congressional Republicans who were not impressed with President Trump’s recent statements on Russia. He tells WSJM News Russia should not be considered an ally. “Russia does pose a clear and present danger

Former Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra cellist Susan Dietrich-Reed believes disciplinary action against five musicians older than 65 is not only age discrimination but also punishment for their labor union activity. “I’ve endured intimidation and harassment for years,”

Michigan gets a failing grade for the effectiveness of its Renewable Portfolio Standard in a new report. The group Food and Water Watch examined the R-P-S in states that have established these standards for getting a percentage

From the Associated Press — Lawyers for imprisoned former sports doctor Larry Nassar are asking that he be re-sentenced by a different judge in the first of the major molestation cases he faced. The Lansing State Journal reports

The winner of this year’s United Way of Southwest Michigan Margaret B. Upton Volunteer Leadership Award is Jerry Flenar of Buchanan. He was among those honored for their community service at the United Way’s annual Volunteer Recognition

The 167th annual Cass County Fair gets underway this week. Fair Board President Gail Peterson tells WSJM News the animal competitions and displays start Friday, and the opening day for the events is Sunday, featuring the parade

From the Associated Press — A Michigan-based banking company is moving its headquarters from Midland to Detroit and plans to construct a 20-story building downtown. Officials announced Wednesday that Chemical Financial Corp., the holding company for Chemical Bank,

Governor Rick Snyder is pleased to see his Good Jobs for Michigan tax incentive being used for the first time in the expansion of Pfizer that was announced this week. The drug maker is investing in its

It’s a big weekend in Saugatuck as the 2018 Venetian Festival gets underway this Friday. Sherry Tedaldi from the Cowhill Yacht Club, which is hosting the festival, spoke with WSJM News about opening Friday. “On Friday we

Three members of the Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra have chosen to resign rather than go through work to make improvements as the result of getting musical warning termination letters. Susan Dietrich-Reed and her husband Steven are two

Even the strongest swimmers and most experienced boaters will be in big trouble if they fall into fast-moving river water. That’s a lesson to learn after a Kalamazoo kayaker was found dead in the St. Joseph River

The Michigan Department of Transportation has released its next five-year plan and is taking the public’s comments. MDOT spokesperson Nick Schirripa tells WSJM News the biggest projects tend to be in the large metro areas, although there

Congressman Fred Upton expects Ibrahim Parlak may seek U.S. citizenship now that a federal immigration judge has allowed him to avoid deportation. The judge last week approved Parlak’s application for deferral of removal under the Convention Against

State Representative Kim LaSata has received the endorsement of the man she is running to replace in the Michigan Senate’s 21st District. State Senator John Proos tells WSJM News he’s backing LaSata because he believes her priorities

A 12-year-old boy has lost part of his hand and suffered injuries to his face due to a fireworks accident over the weekend in Berrien Township. Michigan State Police tell us the incident happened shortly after 10

From the Associated Press — The Michigan Civil Rights Commission has directed an agency to continue investigating complaints of discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity despite the state attorney general having declared its interpretation of

From the Associated Press — Pfizer Inc. has been awarded $11.5 million in state incentives to build a new manufacturing facility in Michigan and add 450 jobs. The Michigan Strategic Fund Board approved the deal Tuesday. State officials

The Michigan elections bureau says enough voter signatures have been submitted by proponents of ballot drives to raise the minimum wage and require employers to provide paid sick time. The bureau released reports Tuesday, and the Board

The city of South Haven isn’t the only municipality having to deal with the short-term rental issue. Casco Township has seen a rising number of homes being acquired by investors to rent out as short-term vacation homes.

Whirlpool stock remains down after the release of second quarter earnings this week. The appliance maker reported a loss in the quarter of $657 million, and fell short of Wall Street expectations with just $3.20 earnings per

One of the water intake pipes from Lake Michigan for the city of St. Joseph’s water supply needs to be cleaned out. Greg Alimenti is the city’s water plant superintendent and utility services director and told the

Standard and Poor’s has increased Michigan’s credit rating. Michigan Department of Treasury spokesperson Ron Leix tells WSJM News this is the first credit rating increase for the state in the past ten years. S&P has moved Michigan

An autopsy will be done in the next few days on the body of a Kalamazoo man pulled from the St. Joseph River. Berrien County Sheriff Paul Bailey says remains believed to be 35-year-old Michael Scott were

City officials in St. Joseph are remaining tight-lipped about the sudden resignation on Friday of Public Safety Director Brian Uridge after a little less than two years on the job. City Manager John Hodgson wouldn’t address rumors