A plan to reduce truancy in Michigan has been proposed in the state Senate. Co-sponsored by state Senator Tonya Schuitmaker, it would create a statewide definition of what truancy is, along with protocols for dealing with chronically
Tickets to this year’s Blossomtime Pageants will go on sale this month. The public sale begins on February 14. This year’s theme is “If it starts with B, it must be Blossomtime,” and the pageants will be
Congressman Fred Upton has proposed legislation that would prevent big-time lottery winners from receiving Medicaid benefits. The St. Joseph Republican tells WSJM News someone who wins $80,000 or more in the lotto should have to count that
Michigan lawmakers met Tuesday in Lansing to increase the fine for selling tobacco to minors and the fine for minors trying to purchase tobacco products. The sponsor of the bill is state Senator Steven Beida, from Macomb
Governor Rick Snyder’s budget proposal, so far, is looking pretty good to state Representative Kim LaSata. The Berrien County Republican tells WSJM News she’s glad the governor is setting aside more for higher education. Still, there’s more progress
Governor Rick Snyder is proposing to grow Michigan’s savings account, known as the Rainy Day Fund, to $1 billion as he layed out his new budget on Tuesday. State Budget Spokesman Kurt Weiss told Michigan News Network the governor’s
From the Associated Press — Ann Arbor officials say 96 deer have been killed this year as part of the city’s deer management efforts. The Ann Arbor News reports that sharpshooting as part of the city’s second-annual deer
A parental kidnapping in Benton Harbor is under investigation by the Berrien County Sheriff’s Department. Deputies accuse 34-year-old Scottie Hall and 27-year-old Courtney Gibson of taking their two children against a court order, and fleeing to Indiana
Benton Harbor Area Schools, Superintendent Shelly Walker, and former high school principal Rodger Triplett are being sued in federal court by the family of an autistic teenager over the girl’s sexual assault by a former star football
Police are investigating a parental kidnapping in Benton Harbor. The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department tells us Scottie Hall and Courtney Gibson allegedly took their children from a home at 600 Nate Wells Sr. Drive just hours after
State Representative Mary Whiteford says she hopes to hear talk about infrastructure needs when the Rick Snyder administration gives its 2018 budget presentation Wednesday. The Casco Township Republican tells us she also wants to hear about natural resources spending.
Are political opinions getting loud and emotional where you work? Dan Bretz, a labor law expert at Clark Hill in Detroit, tells Michigan News Network you’d better watch what you say. “A private employer could say, ‘I
The Van Buren County Sheriff’s Department is looking for a few good weather spotters. SkyWarn coordinator Paul Reissmann tells WSJM News they train volunteers each year how to spot weather conditions that are about to get serious.
It looks like the Benton Harbor High School band program will soon be getting new uniforms. Next week, the board of education will vote on a bid for the first new uniforms the band’s had in quite
Coming soon will be a resurfacing project for Hilltop Road in St. Joseph. It’s an effort being taken on jointly by the city, the township, the road commission, and the Southwest Michigan Planning Commission. Project Engineer Alan
Democrats have failed to prevent the confirmation of Betsy DeVos as education secretary, and Congressman Fred Upton predicts they’ll fail to stop all of the other cabinet appointments of President Donald Trump. That’s why he tells WSJM
There’s been a bumper crop of potholes this year. Nick Schirripa, with the Michigan Department of Transportation, tells WSJM News this winter’s freeze-thaw cycle has created the problem. “Water gets into the ground, it freezes when it gets
From the Associated Press — As Republican lawmakers push for an income tax cut, Governor Rick Snyder instead will propose growing Michigan’s savings account to $1 billion. State budget director Al Pscholka told The Associated Press Tuesday that Snyder
Cold temperatures may cause some problems for your phone. Verizon’s Steve Van Dinter told Michigan News Network you should take some precautions to keep it from getting damaged. “In the least, make sure to leave your phone
Following President Trump’s executive order calling for a travel ban from seven predominantly Muslim countries, Governor Snyder says this is the perfect time to discuss “how to be welcoming.” “We need to have a thoughtful discussion on
The six people killed in last February’s shootings in the Kalamazoo area will be honored with a permanent memorial. The idea is still in the planning stages, and fundraising is yet to begin. Last February 20, Uber
The Benton Harbor City Commission has added its voice to the chorus of those opposed to the possible closure of three schools in the community. At Monday’s meeting, the commission unanimously passed a resolution condemning the possible
New cyber security guidelines by the Department of Defense are expected to have a huge impact on at least 800 Michigan manufacturers which have to meet the guidelines by the end of the year. That’s according to Elliott
From the Associated Press — Democratic and Republican party leaders in Michigan and Kent State University are condemning online comments from a county-level Republican that appeared to suggest shooting protesters. Dan Adamini, secretary of the Marquette County GOP,
Democrats in the U.S. Senate have started out the week trying to prevent the confirmation of President Donald Trump’s choice for education secretary. Speaking on the Senate floor Monday, Michigan Democrat Gary Peters said there’s bipartisan opposition to
Schools all over the state are being asked to do emergency drills for cardiac arrest this week. Michigan Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson Bob Wheaton tells WSJM News about 326,000 people go into cardiac arrest each year
The mother of an 8-month-old boy who prosecutors say was murdered last year has been sentenced to 270 days in jail for her role in the case. Autumn Atchley was in Berrien County Court Monday for sentencing
From the Associated Press — A Michigan lawmaker with a lengthy criminal record has resigned from office as part of a deal to resolve charges alleging he submitted fraudulent pay stubs to secure a $3,000 loan in
A 19-year-old Bangor man remains in the Van Buren County Jail following a fatal shooting Friday night. Michigan State Police tell us Thurman Fletcher is charged with open murder and felony firearm in the death of 28-year-old
That green thing that shot across the Midwestern sky early Monday morning was a rock that crash landed into Lake Michigan from outer space. At least, that’s according to preliminary findings from the American Meteor Society. Mike
