Local News Archives

St. Joe Fall Festival Underway

downtownsaintjoegood-7

Taking place this Saturday downtown is the annual St. Joseph Fall Festival. Everything kicked off Friday with the big bed race down Lake Boulevard, and now St. Joe Today’s Whitney Behnke tells WSJM News Saturday features the

Funeral Held For Slain MI Police Officer

americanflag-12

Detroit’s police chief has posthumously promoted a 20-year officer who died five days after being shot while chasing a suspect. Chief James Craig announced the promotion of Sergeant Ken Steil to captain at the end of his funeral

SWM Home Sales Up In August

homesalesmesales2-4

Home sales in southwest Michigan continue to be strong, as the month of August brought an increase in units moved. Gary Walter, with the Southwest Michigan Association of Realtors, tells WSJM News it was a good month

Automaker Tesla Sues Michigan Over Dealership Laws

gavel947-11

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

Snyder Rolling Out Ads For House Candidates

snyderharborvillage-15

Governor Rick Snyder is helping out six state House candidates with a series of TV ads. Among the candidates is state Representative Brandt Iden, of Kalamazoo County. He says he doesn’t think the governor’s ad indicates he’s

SWM Economy Flat In 2nd Quarter

unemployment-14

The latest business outlook report from the Upjohn Institute for Employment Research is out, and it’s anticipating flat hiring in Berrien County for the third quarter. Regional analyst Brian Pittelko tells WSJM News the main indicators for the

Secretary Of State Begins Annual Food Drive

secretaryofstatelogo-5

Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson has kicked off the 26th annual Harvest Gathering food drive. She tells WSJM News the drive began Thursday, collecting non-perishables for the needy at all 131 branch offices. Johnson says Michiganders are

Tesla Suing Michigan Over Dealership Law

gavel900-3

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

Threat Alert System Launched

michiganstatepolicegood-24

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

FOIA Changes Approved By House

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

Service Allows Residents To Track Crime Data

computersafety-10

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

RESA Festival Of Families This Weekend

festivaloffamilies

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

Ticket Issued For Crash With Church

churchcrash

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

Honor CU To Move South Haven Branch

sh-honor

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,

Hiring Expected To Be Flat In Third Quarter

unemployment-13

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

St. Joseph Fall Fest This Week

downtownsaintjoegood-6

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

Snyder Signs Medical Marijuana Regulations Into Law

marijuana-11

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”

More Information Released On Heeringa Case

heeringa-3

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