Local News Archives

A Coloma priest will spend 58 days in jail, be on probation for five years, and has to register as a sex offender for 15 years for an assault on a teenage boy in 2013 at St.

The Michigan Department of Treasury says you can begin to file your state income tax returns today. Department spokesperson Ron Leix says there’s a good reason to file tax returns earlier rather than later. “If you’re a

Countryside Academy in Benton Harbor is hosting a new program this year for its FFA students. FFA adviser Steve Rigoni tells WSJM News the kids in the past have taken care of sheep and pigs, but this

The sudden resignation of Ann Cardon as superintendent of Traverse City Area Public Schools in October is prompting a lawsuit. Cardon took the Traverse City job last summer after serving as the St. Joseph Public Schools superintendent

Some awards to recognize those who have worked to improve infrastructure in the past year around southwest Michigan have been announced by the Southwest Michigan Planning Commission. Associate planner Kris Martin tells WSJM News the group’s board

We reported this month that Michigan State Police are working with the trucking industry to help stop human trafficking. Another industry that is responding to the crime is hospitality. Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association President Justin Winslow

The Southwest Michigan Regional Chamber of Commerce and Cornerstone Alliance have announced the keynote speaker for their 2020 Combined Business Recognition Breakfast and award ceremony. The gathering will be Thursday, February 13 at the Lake Michigan College

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has awarded 51 Michigan water systems with its Water Fluoridation Quality Award for the year. Michigan Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson Lynn Sutfin tells WSJM News most

The Van Buren County Board of Commissioners has approved a resolution asking the Michigan Legislature and the governor to declare the Great Lakes shoreline a disaster area. Van Buren County Administrator John Faul tells WSJM News the

The Michigan Department of Transportation unveiled five pedestrian bridges being built as part of the new Gordie Howe International Bridge to Canada in Detroit this month. Speaking on the MDOT podcast, Talking Transportation, the governor’s point man

Lawton Village Manager Daniel Bishop will be the next managing director of the Van Buren County Road Commission. The Board of County Road Commissioners of Van Buren County announced his hiring this week. Bishop has more than

Several southwest Michigan wineries have gained some recognition on the national wine circuit as winners in recent contests. Lake Michigan Shore Wine Trail Director Kathy Sturm tells WSJM News local wines were included in the San Francisco

Your electric rate is about to go up. Indiana Michigan Power says it’s reached a settlement with the Michigan Public Service Commission regarding the utility’s request to raise rates by 19% to earn it another $58.5 million

As the Michigan Department of Transportation prepares to start work on the extension of US-31 to I-94, the Berrien County Board of Commissioners has signaled its support for part of the plan that will affect Empire Avenue.

State health officials are monitoring three possible cases of coronavirus. All are on the east side of the state, with two people in Washtenaw County and one in Macomb County presenting with mild symptoms. Specimens from the

How important is Michigan to the 2020 presidential election? Very by the looks of it, as Governor Gretchen Whitmer has been tapped to deliver the Democratic response to President Trump’s State of the Union address on February

State Representative Brad Paquette this week led a round table discussion with other Michigan lawmakers on the shoreline erosion problem being experienced around the Great Lakes. Paquette tells WSJM News about a dozen members of the state

A sergeant with the Bridgman Police Department will be featured on an episode of “In Pursuit with John Walsh.” The show on the Investigation Discovery television network is focused on tracking down wanted criminals. Bridgman Sergeant Tom

A leader at the Berrien County Health Department has been selected to sit on an advisory panel created by Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Health Officer Nichole Britten is the only southwest Michigan representative on the new Environmental Justice

The elected leaders of St. Joseph, St. Joseph Charter Township, and Benton Harbor have all agreed to form a joint work group to set in motion the creation of an authority for the Twin Cities Harbor. At

Congressman Fred Upton is still waiting on a response from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to a letter he and other members of Congress sent last year asking that Canada not store nuclear waste near the Great

Recreational marijuana is now available in Berrien County for the first time legally. ReLeaf Center in Niles began selling to adults 21 and over at 10 this morning. The facility is the first in the county to

From the Associated Press — Sports bettors may be able to place wagers in person at Detroit casinos this spring but will wait until 2021 to do so online. Mary Kay Bean, spokeswoman for the Michigan Gaming

The elected leaders of St. Joseph, St. Joseph Charter Township, and Benton Harbor have all agreed to form a joint work group to set in motion the creation of an authority for the Twin Cities Harbor. At

It’s another clean and unmodified audit for the city of Benton Harbor. City commissioners on Tuesday heard from Paul Matz of the auditing firm Rehman Robson, who presented the annual audit for the fiscal year ending last

The Southwest Michigan Regional Chamber of Commerce and Cornerstone Alliance have announced the keynote speaker for their 2020 Combined Business Recognition Breakfast and award ceremony. The gathering will be Thursday, February 13 at the Lake Michigan College

From the Associated Press — Officials are raising money for repairs and renovations on Grand Haven’s two iconic lighthouses. According to Wood-TV, the goal is to open both lighthouses to the public as museums and interpret them

A resolution from state Senator Aric Nesbitt of Lawton urging a reversal of the Whitmer administration’s rules mandating marijuana businesses have union approval before being able to open is headed to the House. The vote was 21-15,