Local News Archives

Renovations are set to begin at the Berrien County Jail. WSJM’s Ray Gustafson has more.

Tesla has sued Governor Rick Snyder and other state officials, challenging a 2014 law that ensures automakers can only sell through franchised dealerships. The federal lawsuit filed Thursday seeks a declaratory judgment that the “anti-Tesla” law is unconstitutional

Michigan’s new Amber Alert-like system to quickly warn people of mass shootings, terrorist attacks and other nearby threats is operational. Michigan State Police spokeswoman Lori Dougavito explains that it can be used to interrupt radio and TV

Bravery awards for two members of the Michigan State Police for their actions on November 18 last year in Benton Township. Sergeant Brian Keely and Trooper Carlos Fossati were given the awards yesterday in Lansing. They stormed

A new online tool is allowing the residents of some communities around the country to track crime information in their areas. CrimeMapping.com offers maps of communities with icons indicating what kind of crimes have been reported recently

The top plow drivers in Van Buren County have been honored after getting a chance to compete for glory. The county road commission says its drivers and DPW employees from South Haven and Paw Paw competed in

Set for this weekend is the fourth annual Berrien RESA Festival of Families. RESA Superintendent Kevin Ivers tells WSJM News the gathering at the Berrien County Youth Fairgrounds features information on all kinds of programs offered by

One ticket has been issued for a crash in St. Joseph on Tuesday that resulted in an SUV hitting the steps of a church. The department of public safety tells our newsroom the crash happened around 2

The South Haven branch of Honor Credit Union is moving. The credit union has bought some property on County Road 388 in town where it says it can add more amenities for customers. They’ll include drive-thru lanes,

The job market in Berrien County has been a little sluggish, according to the latest business outlook report from the Upjohn Institute for Employment Research. It says a decline in professional and business services employment pushed the

Set for this upcoming weekend is the annual St. Joseph Fall Festival. St. Joe Today’s Whitney Behnke tells WSJM News the event will kick off with Friday’s Rotary and Slumberland Great Bed Race, when a bunch of

Governor Rick Snyder has signed into law new marijuana regulations that he says clarify Michigan’s 8-year-old voter-approved initiative that legalized the drug for medical use. The Republican governor says the legislation signed Wednesday will implement a “solid framework”

Police documents show the suspect in the disappearance of Jessica Heeringa from a Norton Shores gas station where she worked had visited the store several times. Credit card records released Wednesday also show Jeffrey Willis was at

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 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