The Michigan House has approved an early literacy bill that requires that third-graders be held back if they lag in reading, unless they qualify for an exemption. The Senate is expected to pass the legislation later in the
The Michigan House has voted to make the governor’s office and the Legislature subject to the state’s public records law. Michigan’s 40-year-old Freedom of Information Act explicitly exempts the governor’s office from records requests. And a 1986 opinion
The second property tax foreclosure auction of the year by the Berrien County Treasurer’s Office is being deemed a success. Treasurer Bret Witkowski tells our newsroom they sold about two-thirds of the properties available yesterday. He says
Four children between the ages of four and 19 are dead in suburban Detroit, and their mother has been critically injured. Dearborn Heights Police Captain Michael Petri says a suspect has been arrested and it appears the
(Lansing, MI – AP) – Michigan lawmakers have given preliminary approval to compromise legislation designed to improve third-graders’ reading but that has been caught up in a dispute over making students repeat a grade if they lag
(South Bend, IN – AP) – The U.S. Postal Service plans to issue a stamp honoring the late Rev. Theodore Hesburgh, who served 35 years as president of the University of Notre Dame until retiring in 1987.
Americans waste more than $2 billion per year on premium gasoline, says a new report from AAA. The auto club’s Gary Bubar tells WSJM News they studied different vehicles and the effect premium fuel had on their gas
Halloween isn’t far off, and up and running for the season is the Niles Scream Park. It just had its opening weekend for the year, and manager Matt Herm tells WSJM News the theme is 1930s monsters. Visitors
The Berrien Springs Oronoko Township Police Department is offering senior citizens a chance to get their cars checked for safety next week. The department’s Rick Smiedendorf tells WSJM News Car Fit inspections will be held Wednesday at the Berrien
A lane closure is in effect on I-196 this week in Van Buren County. The Michigan Department of Transportation says one lane is shut down between mile markers 15 and 11 on the southbound side of the
A planned renovation project for the Berrien County Jail is expected to keep the facility up and running for another three decades. Berrien County Sheriff Paul Bailey tells WSJM News the county commission has given the green light
Legislation from state Representative Al Pscholka granting limited exemption from prosecution to people of any age reporting a possible drug overdose to police or medical authorities is now headed to Governor Rick Snyder. The state House gave
The Great Lakes Restoration Conference is underway this week in Ohio, and representatives of both the Clinton and Trump campaigns are scheduled to be on hand. Gildo Tori is with Ducks Unlimited, a group calling for the
Someone damaged more than a dozen street signs around Berrien and Oronoko Townships over the weekend, and the Berrien County Road Commission would like some help in catching them. The commission says stop, curve, arrow, and other
Michigan lawmakers are nearing a deal on legislation designed to improve third-graders’ reading but that has been caught up in a dispute over making students repeat a grade if they lag too far behind. A conference committee is
Authorities have charged a man with murder in the 2013 disappearance of a gas station clerk in western Michigan. Jessica Heeringa disappeared from the gas station where she worked in Norton Shores, near Muskegon. The body of the
The scene is clear after a car crashed into a church in St. Joseph Monday afternoon. WSJM’s Jacob Holmes was on the scene and has this report.
North Carolina has declared a state of emergency after a pipeline burst in Alabama, spilling 300,000 gallons of gasoline In Shelby County. It’s one of a number of east coast states that could see fuel shortages and
(Lansing, MI – AP) – Efforts to rid Michigan communities of plastic shopping bags would be banned under a bill set to advance in the Republican-led Legislature. The House Commerce and Trade Committee could vote on the legislation
Michigan’s largest teachers’ unions have released results of a survey of roughly 11,000 members, finding morale among educators is low, and they have several concerns. Michigan Education Association president Steven Cook was not surprised by the results.
We’ve known for months that former President George H.W. Bush wasn’t planning to vote for Donald Trump. Now, a member of the Kennedy family says Bush has told her he will be voting for Democrat Hillary Clinton
The latest presidential poll from Epic-MRA in Michigan shows the race getting tighter. The agency’s Bernie Porn says 38% back Clinton and 35% support Trump. “This is much closer than the 43 to 32% lead that we
Teaching kids about drugs, alcohol and sex at school is less controversial than in the past, according to a national poll on children’s health. 70% of parents with kids in middle and high school support covering these
$18,000 in repairs will be made to the boulevard at Jean Klock Park following a lengthy discussion by Benton Harbor City Commissioners Monday. The vote came after some debate about whether Harbor Shores should pay for the
Next week will bring a party to celebrate the 125th birthday of Child and Family Services of Southwestern Michigan. Executive Director Joseph Goepfrich tells WSJM News the agency was created on September 28, 1891, and it’s changed quite
With November’s presidential election looming, the Michigan Secretary of State’s office is making a push to get more people registered to vote. Spokesperson Fred Woodhams tells WSJM News the office’s mobile office is visiting 18 college campuses this
This is Child Passenger Safety Week, and safety experts are spreading the word about the importance of proper use of car seats, boosters and seat belts. Kendell Wingrove, with the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning, says
State Senator John Proos has introduced legislation that would let hunters and anglers show their proof of a license using their smartphones. Proos says someone whose enjoying the outdoors should be able to show they’re doing so
Members of Michigan’s congressional delegation are pushing to get a new missile defense interceptor site installed in the state. This week, the delegation sent a letter to the director of the Missile Defense Agency voicing their support
Michigan health and law enforcement officials say they have identified what could be the state’s first death related to carfentanil, a deadly painkiller used to tranquilize elephants. The Michigan State Police and Health and Human Services Department said
