Local News Archives

From too much rain to a trade war with China, Michigan farmers have more than their share of challenges this year. Peach growers in southwest Michigan have their own struggles, all due to the polar vortex in

If you like checking out garage sales, you may want to take a drive on US-12 this weekend from one side of the state to the other, some 200 miles. “The US-12 Heritage Garage Sale takes place

New rankings from Niche puts St. Joseph Public Schools among the best districts in the state. The 2020 rankings have St. Joseph rated 13th best. The criteria used include achievement on the state M-STEP and SAT tests,

There will be an update later this month on the PFAS contamination in Hartford around the site of the former Du-Wel plant. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy will hold a public forum along

We have an update regarding the car-pedestrian crash on East Napier Avenue in Benton Township on Monday. Police tell WSJM News that the man who was hit while walking on the edge of the road, 52-year-old David

By Doug Cunningham When Bob Klint heard about an effort to raise money to forgive medical debt for people financially struggling in Berrien, Cass and Van Buren counties he convinced Harbor Country Mission to join the effort.

Governor Whitmer says Michigan’s farmers are being hurt by the trade war with China. The trade problems are on top of spring flooding that have also wiped out crops statewide. “We’ve got a lot of farmers that

The YMCA of Southwest Michigan is getting larger with the approval of its board of directors and the board of the YMCA of Michiana to merge into one organization. It will be effective at the start of

By Doug Cunningham If you have medical debt that has gone to collection in Berrien, Cass and Van Buren Counties, relief could be coming. Three local organizations – I CAN Relief in New Buffalo, Harbor Country Mission

A 43-year-old Rhode Island man is facing sexual assault charges after police found a 15-year-old west Michigan girl who had been reported missing in is home. Local police acted on information submitted by the Allegan County Sheriff’s

Michigan voters are showing their willingness to spend money to fix roads around the state while action by state lawmakers to fund road repairs remain stuck in neutral. During Tuesday’s primary election, the County Road Association of

There remains a lot of talk around the country about gun control following mass shootings over the weekend in Chicago, Dayton, and El Paso. At an event this week in Grand Rapids, Governor Whitmer was asked for

Residents in Van Buren County with private wells for drinking water can have their water tested by bringing an unfiltered sample to the Van Buren Conservation District in Paw Paw all next week. Technician Kyle Mead says

The sixth annual Michigan Maritime Museum Boat Walk is quickly approaching. It is set for next Saturday, August 17 from noon to 4 p.m. and the Museum’s Ashley Deming says they’ll have as many as 10 boats

By Doug Cunningham Paul Hamel is a WWII vet and music lover from Berrien Springs. His twin sons are throwing him a 100th birthday party at Andrews University Wednesday evening. Hamel is a retired Dean of Music

Benton Harbor Mayor Marcus Muhammad will face City Commissioner Ron Singleton in the election November 5. They were the top vote getters by a wide margin in Tuesday’s primary, taking 88% of the vote combined. Muhammad received

A state lawmaker is pushing for measures to prevent mass shootings. Democratic Representative Robert Wittenberg of Oakland County wants lawmakers to pass his red flag legislation, which would allow a judge to take away a person’s gun

(Detroit, MI – AP) – Fire officials in Detroit are investigating the cause of a house explosion on the city’s east side. The explosion collapsed the home Tuesday afternoon and an ensuing fire scorched at least one

South Bend Mayor and Democratic presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg is ramping up his outreach to Democratic Party superdelegates with a phone call to them outlining the scope of his 2020 presidential campaign. The outreach suggests Buttigieg’s campaign

Michigan State Police say they’ve been flooded with false calls about active shooters, following mass shootings over the weekend. Lieutenant Mike Shaw says the calls have been about active shooters in several cities. “We’re just again reminding

The high number of drownings in Lake Michigan this year and rescues in the water off South Haven have some folks thinking about bringing life guards back to the north and south beaches. The South Haven City

By Doug Cunningham On top of horrible weather that has made the fall harvest uncertain, Michigan farmers are now also reeling from the latest escalation in the U.S.-China trade war. China, responding to Trump threats to levy

Power is out to a good chunk of downtown St. Joseph this afternoon. Indiana Michigan Power says over 11-hundred customers are impacted, and the outage started just before 12:30. The Berrien County Courthouse is closed for the

A change is coming at Southwestern Michigan College. After 18 years as president, Dr. David Mathews is retiring, and his last day will be December 31. Mathews joined SMC in 1997 as Dean of Arts and Sciences

Voters in the city of Benton Harbor will be narrowing down the field of mayoral candidates today. Six candidates are on the ballot: Mayor Marcus Muhammad, City Commissioners Juanita Henry, CF Jones, and Ron Singleton, along with

The South Haven City Council has voted not to adopt an initiated ordinance to prohibit the manufacture and sale of recreational marijuana. The Concerned Citizens of South Haven submitted a petition with over 100 signatures to prohibit

It’s National Health Center Week, and community health centers are celebrating their largest patient reach ever. This year, health centers are serving 29 million people in areas lacking providers – up by 1 million from 2018. Roughly

Efforts are underway to improve the relationship between Michigan State Police and Benton Harbor residents. At Monday night’s city commission meeting, Public Safety Director Dan McGinnis said he and interim city manager Ellis Mitchell were able to

The upcoming decommissioning of the Palisades nuclear power plant will be the topic of a public meeting by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission this fall. The NRC will hold a webinar this Thursday at 1 p.m. in conjunction