The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has announced $3.6 million in grants to fight invasive species around the state. The DNR’s Joanne Foreman tells us this will mean plenty of activity in southwest Michigan. For example, the
Voters headed to the polls Tuesday in Michigan’s presidential primary and in some local elections. In Berrien, Cass, and Van Buren counties, Donald Trump handily won the Republican nomination for president, just as Joe Biden won the
A new effort has begun in Allegan County to address the shortage of housing. The Allegan Community Foundation says a coalition of groups last year commissioned a report on housing needs in the area, and it found
This is National Invasive Species Awareness Week, and Michiganders are encouraged to do their part to help prevent the spread. Jennifer Holton with the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development tells us there are several species
The city of Harford is seeking a state grant for improvements at Ely Park. The city says the SPARK grant application has been submitted after a lengthy process of seeking public input on needs for the park.
The South Haven/Van Buren County Convention and Visitors Bureau has purchased a property in downtown South Haven. The bureau says it doesn’t yet have a plan for the parcel at the southwest corner of Phoenix and Broadway,
The Van Buren County Sheriff’s Department is looking for a missing woman. It says 42-year-old Stacey Marie Brugh of South Haven Township has been reported missing by family and friends. They say they have not heard from
Legislation to regulate short-term rental properties in Michigan has been introduced in the Michigan House. State Representative Joey Andrews says it will create a registry of STRs and an opt-in excise tax on short-term rentals, set at
Members of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 951 have voted to ratify new contracts with Meijer. The union that represents more than 25,000 Meijer employees in Michigan says there are three separate contracts covering
State Senator Aric Nesbitt and Republican colleagues have introduced legislation to protect Michigan from the effects of illegal immigration. Nesbitt tells us the Strong Borders, Safe Communities plan would increase the penalties for possession, manufacture, and delivery
A $3 million state grant will help to fix up a dilapidated property in the village of Decatur. Van Buren County Treasurer Trisha Nesbitt tells us the the Van Buren County Land Bank Authority has been awarded
State Senator Aric Nesbitt is calling for Governor Gretchen Whitmer to release a second budget. Nesbitt tells us Whitmer’s first budget proposal, released this month, relies on some funding sources that may not come through. They include
The Great Lakes have seen record low levels of ice cover this winter. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says the percentage of the lakes covered with ice was in the single digits for much of February,
State Representative Pauline Wendzel has announced the return of the Southwest Michigan School Spirit Tournament. The tournament invites high schools throughout the 39th District to send in photos of students showing their school pride. It’s styled like
Police have identified a body that was found along the Lake Michigan shore in Allegan County last week. The Allegan County Sheriff’s Department says the body was spotted on the beach by a homeowner near the 22,000
A six-month moratorium on short-term rentals has been approved by the South Haven City Council. At a Monday meeting, members heard from several residents on both sides of the issue. Some said short-term rentals enable them to
Michigan has experienced record low levels of ice cover on the Great Lakes this year, and scientists are highlighting why that’s important. Melissa Widhalm is the associate director and regional climatologist at the Midwestern Regional Climate Center
It took the support of the entire community to help the Van Buren County Historical Society repair its museum in Hartford. Society President Sandra Merchant tells us the museum was damaged in a storm in June of
Congressman Bill Huizenga has joined colleagues from around the region to introduce a reauthorization of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. Huizenga tells us the program, which is set to expire next year, has led to major cleanup
Repairs are finished at the Van Buren County Historical Society’s museum in Hartford, and volunteers are preparing to move everything back in. The museum was damaged in a storm in June of 2022. The wind tore off
A woman is dead and a man is hospitalized after they were found unresponsive in a parked vehicle in Hartford on Wednesday. The Hartford Police Department tells us an officer was on patrol around 8:20 a.m. when
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Holtec International held a meeting this week to discuss some of the technical aspects of Holtec’s plan to restart the Palisades nuclear power plant in Van Buren County. The NRC’s Viktoria Mitlyng
Could lifeguards be coming back to the city of South Haven’s beaches? The South Haven City Council is talking about it as the public asks for more protections for swimmers. At a meeting this week, council members
The Speakers Series of South Haven has announced its upcoming programs commemorating a decade of lectures. The series says the spring series will kick off on April 18 with “The Impact of Climate Change on Lake Michigan,”
A Hartford man has been found guilty of two of three charges in a crash that killed a Van Buren County Road Commission worker last year. Logan Brown was charged with drunk driving causing death, operating in
Following the death last month of a Michigan State Police trooper on the side of I-75 in Saginaw County, drivers are being reminded of one of their duties when behind the wheel. Michigan State Police Lieutenant DuWayne
South Haven Area Emergency Services responded to a record number of calls during 2023, according to the department’s annual report. Released this week, the report shows SHAES saw the number of calls increase for the tenth consecutive
The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity’s Office of Global Michigan has announced $738,000 in grants for 17 ethnic and community-based organizations around the state to help them strengthen infrastructure and build capacity. Among the recipients
Legislation to regulate short-term rental properties in Michigan is expected to be introduced in Lansing next week. State Representative Joey Andrews addressed the Berrien County Board of Commissioners this week, saying the new plan will create a
A 30-year-old man is facing nine felony charges after he was found in South Haven this week with a 14-year-old girl missing out of Washington state. Van Buren County Sheriff Dan Abbott said on Friday his office
