Local News Archives

Michigan’s COVID-19 cases are at 96,792 with 768 new cases on Sunday. Four additional deaths have been recorded to bring that total to 6,393. In Berrien County, there are 1,337 cases and 69 deaths. Cass County is

Benton Harbor City Commissioners are moving forward with bringing trash collection in-house. The city in the past has hired contractors to pick up trash, but this year the commission voted to make it a municipal operation. During

Leaders at Southwestern Michigan College are remaining flexible as they plan for the coming academic year. SMC President Joe Odenwald tells us the board of trustees this week approved moving the spring of 2021 semester back by

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is getting ready to hold some property auctions. DNR resource specialist Michael Michalek tells WSJM News they sell off surplus properties each year. This fall, there will be 225 properties around

Congressman Fred Upton is among members of the U.S. House to support a bill to allocate $25 billion in emergency funding to the U.S. Postal Service. Upton’s office has released the following: U.S. Rep. Fred Upton (R-St.

Three Lake Michigan College students have been named 2020 Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Scholars. They are among 207 Phi Theta Kappa members named for the distinction this week. Sophie Paar of Stevensville, Tamlin Le Roux of Niles,

A 17 year old boy is dead after a crash involving alcohol in Hartford on Friday. The Van Buren County Sheriff’s Department has released the following statement: Sheriff Daniel E. Abbott reports that Deputies responded to an

The United Way of Southwest Michigan says its upcoming 21 Day Equity Challenge will be an opportunity for the whole community to improve itself by coming to a better understanding of racism and how it affects everyday

A Return to Learn plan for Michigan schools this fall will allow for flexibility, both for parents and local health officials, according to state Senator Kim LaSata. The state Legislature approved the plan developed on a bipartisan

The Berrien County Health Department says the county has been showing a steady rate of new COVID-19 cases of about eleven per day for the past two weeks with a 3% positivity rate on tests performed. In

Lake Michigan College will be able to enroll more students in its nursing program now that it’s adding a second entry point. LMC says the competitive RN program, which celebrated its 50th anniversary during the 2019-2020 academic

This Saturday brings the annual Trolling with the Troops fishing event. State Representative Pauline Wendzel tells WSJM News more than 100 southwest Michigan veterans will be headed out into Lake Michigan aboard dozens of boats to go

A South Haven man is charged with murder in the death of a woman this week. The South Haven Police Department says officers were called to a home on Pearl Street around 11 p.m. Wednesday. They found

A Niles company is among six businesses statewide to be cited by the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration for not taking enough steps to protect employees from COVID-19. MIOSHA has released the following statement: To protect

Grand Valley State University is getting ready to welcome 5,000 new and returning students to the Allendale campus starting tomorrow. Greg Sanial is the Chief Financial Officer at Grand Valley and says this year’s move-in period has

FEMA has approved a request from Governor Gretchen Whitmer for an extra $300 per week to be paid to those receiving unemployment benefits. The governor’s office has released the following statement: Today, the United States Federal Emergency

The Michigan Court of Appeals has ruled in favor of Governor Gretchen Whitmer over her COVID-19 emergency orders. The governor’s office has released the following statement: Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s office sent the following statement from Press

Governor Gretchen Whitmer is establishing a Black Advisory Leadership Council in Michigan, and southwest Michigan is “more than likely” to have representation on the body. So says Benton Harbor Mayor Marcus Muhammad, who told city commissioners this

Congressman Fred Upton is still holding out hope leadership in Washington will return to the negotiating table for a new coronavirus relief package. The talks broke down this month over disagreements regarding unemployment benefits, sending Republicans and

The Berrien County Historical Association won’t be holding an in-person fundraiser next month after all. The group had been planning to welcome supporters to the museum grounds in Berrien Springs on September 17 with a celebration called

Nine people have been arrested in Van Buren County as part of a warrant sweep. The Van Buren County Sheriff’s Department says all were wanted for felony warrants and were picked up on Wednesday. During the sweep,

The next Berrien County land auction will be on September 26, and it will be all online. Berrien County Treasurer Shelly Weich told the county board of commissioners on Thursday there will be plenty to bid on.

A big event in west Michigan, the Amway River Bank Run, is going virtual this year because of COVID-19. Russ Hines is the owner of River Bank Events and Media, the owner of the races. He spoke

A 27-year-old Berrien County man is in the Van Buren County Jail for meth possession, a concealed weapons charge, possession of a gun during a felony, and two outstanding Berrien County warrants. Deputies arrested Austin Haney on

Michigan is reporting 419 additional cases of COVID-19 for Thursday. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services says there have been a total of 94,697 cases of the illness in the state since the start of

From the Associated Press — A TV station says it found mail sorting equipment dismantled outside a U.S. Postal Service facility in the Grand Rapids area. The discovery occurred a day after the postmaster general said equipment

Benton Harbor City Commissioners are moving forward with bringing trash collection in-house. The city in the past has hired contractors to pick up trash, but this year the commission voted to make it a municipal operation. During

“Today, Attorney General Dana Nessel and I announce a $600 million agreement to settle the civil lawsuits brought against the state of Michigan by Flint residents after their water supply was switched to the Flint River in

From the Associated Press — Governor Gretchen Whitmer says she’s reassessing the risk of opening Michigan businesses that have been closed for months under her orders to curb the coronavirus. She’ll have more to say next week.

Two weeks after Governor Gretchen Whitmer declared racism a public health crisis, there are calls for Michigan lawmakers to make it even more official. A concurrent resolution introduced in early June would make the same declaration, and