Local News Archives

The city of South Haven was able to get some federal dollars to have the Army Corps of Engineers do some dredging in the harbor this year. Assistant City Manager and Harbormaster Kate Hosier told WSJM News

The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department is sounding the alarm about a new phone scam. It says this latest one involves a caller who claims to be a sheriff’s deputy. The caller will tell you there is a

Visitors to Warren Dunes State Park in Sawyer may see occasional closures throughout the spring and summer as two renovation projects get underway at the area. Crews have already started a more than $1 million project to

LGBTQ advocates are speaking out in favor of three bills just introduced in the Michigan Legislature that would outlaw discrimination on the basis of religion or sexual orientation by state-funded adoption and foster-care agencies. They would reverse

A public awareness campaign about the dangers of leaving children in parked cars is being launched by state officials. Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning spokesperson Kari Arend tells WSJM News April 22 is Heatstroke Prevention Awareness

A fundraiser for the Alex Mandarino Foundation will be held this Saturday at North Pier Brewing Company in Benton Harbor, and on hand to be dunked will be state Representative Pauline Wendzel. She tells us North Pier

Testimony on the value of the Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates program was taken this week by a Michigan Senate subcommittee. As lawmakers put together the next budget, it’s hoped that funding for Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates can

Berrien County’s 911 Dispatcher of the Year is Nikki Metz of the Niles Police Department. At Thursday’s meeting of the Berrien County Board of Commissioners, Metz received the award for her role in helping to identify a

$500 has been awarded to the Benton Harbor High School Marching Band by Sudexo, the school district’s food service provider. At Tuesday’s Benton Harbor Area Schools CEO meeting, a Sudexo rep presented the ceremonial check to the

Interviews will be held late Friday afternoon by Benton Harbor Area Schools Superintendent and CEO Robert Herrera of two candidates for a vacancy on the school board. The opening was created with the recent resignation of Angelika

There continue to be plenty of rumors circulating regarding potential campaign law violations connected to state Senator Kim LaSata, but at this point WSJM News has learned there is no active investigation underway by the Berrien County

The Michigan House this week approved legislation designed to combat a shortage of psychiatric workers around the state. State Representative Pauline Wendzel tells WSJM News she has spoken with staff from the Berrien County Health Department who

New numbers regarding the measles outbreak in Michigan have been released, and this time, there are a couple of Grand Rapids locations listed as possible exposure sites. Michigan Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson Lynn Sutfin

Help could soon be just a phone call away for anyone in Michigan struggling with their mental health. A bill sponsored by state Representative Mary Whiteford of the South Haven area has easily passed the House this

State Representative Beth Griffin has been pleased with progress on addressing the PFAS problem in the water systems of two Kalamazoo County communities. PFAS, a group of harmful chemicals, were found in the water in Parchment and

Congressman Fred Upton is pleased the report on special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election will be released on Thursday. He tells WSJM News he’s not in Washington right now, but

Governor Gretchen Whitmer hopes to improve jail and pretrial systems throughout the state by signing an executive order to create a 21-member, bipartisan Michigan Task Force on Jail and Pretrial Incarceration. Republican House Speaker Lee Chatfield praised

A man missing out of Cass County since last month has been found dead. The Cass County Sheriff’s Department tells us the body of 78-year-old Larry Waldschmidt of Dowagiac was found in Penn Township. The department says

Sports fans can now support their favorite professional team while driving around. Specialty license plates for the Detroit Lions, Pistons, Red Wings, and Tigers were unveiled by Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and team representatives this week.

A 31-year-old Berrien Springs man is dead as the result of a crash between his motorcycle and a delivery truck in Baroda. The crash happened at the intersection of Stevensville-Baroda Road and Linco Road just a few

The deadline is 4 p.m. next Tuesday for anyone interested in running for the St. Joseph City Commission this year to file their paperwork. Three incumbents: Jeff Richards, Laura Goos, and Lynn Todman, are up for reelection

The former Whirlpool Corporation office building at 150 Hilltop Road in St. Joseph is changing hands. United Federal Credit Union is purchasing the roughly 80,000 square foot facility and will transform it into its new headquarters. The

The former owner of a large Decatur farm is facing prison time for fraud. U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge says 46-year-old Mike Stamp of Decatur pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and conspiracy to commit

From the Associated Press — Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel says if the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision is overturned, she won’t enforce state laws on the books that ban abortion. The Democrat told a

Benton Harbor Area Schools CEO Robert Herrera says an update on the high school graduation numbers for this year will be given to the board of education next month. At this week’s CEO Meeting, Herrera said board

Congressman Fred Upton is hoping to help approve a renewal of the Older Americans Act sometime this year. He spoke to the Area Agency on Aging’s Legislative Forum last week, and tells WSJM News that’s one of

Talks are underway regarding a possible consolidation of the fire departments in Baroda Township, Lake Township, and Bridgman. Baroda Township Supervisor Jim Brow tells WSJM News the idea came up a few months ago, and one meeting

The Coloma Township Police Department is advising residents to be vigilant when they pump gas since a couple of razor blades were reported hidden in a pump handle at the local Speedway Monday. Chief Wes Smigielski WSJM

“A mistake” is how Berrien County Sheriff Paul Bailey characterizes his use of his county email in an exchange with a staffer for the Senate campaign of Kim LaSata last fall. Bailey made that comment to MIRS

Berrien County is experiencing a sharp increase in suspected opioid overdoses. Prosecutor Michael Sepic says heroin-based OD death numbers have been averaging around 30 per year in the county, with a slight downward trend since the introduction