More than $4 billion was lost because of traffic crashes in Michigan in 2015. That’s according to the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning, which just finished a review of University of Michigan research. The state office’s Kendall Wingrove tells WSJM News those monetary costs come in several forms.. ...Read Full Story
A renovation project planned by Lake Michigan College for the Mendel Center’s Grand Upton Hall will have some support from the American Electric Power Foundation. AEP’s Bill Downey tells WSJM News the foundation has been a partner with Lake Michigan College for many years, and that’s it’s giving a $50,000 grant to the LMC project.. ...Read Full Story
The Michigan firearms deer hunting season kicked off Wednesday, with more than half-a-million hunters expected to take part this year. Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard told Michigan News Network hunters should take some basic precautions.. ...Read Full Story
From the Associated Press — Economists say Michigan’s economy would likely absorb the effects of possible changes to the North American Free Trade Agreement fairly well. University of Michigan economists released their annual analysis of the state’s economy Friday. They say the prospect of a U.S. withdrawal from NAFTA is unlikely, but they examined the potential effects of changes. The economists say the effects would depend on whether Mexico and the U.S. place additional tariffs on each other’s exports. They say Michigan could gain
6,400 jobs by 2020 due to more light truck production if there are no new tariffs, but could lose 7,000 manufacturing jobs if there are retaliatory tariffs. The overall 2018-19 forecast for Michigan sees steady job growth, low unemployment, tame inflation and an economy that continues to diversify.. ...Read Full Story
With the Great American Smokeout taking place this past week, the Berrien County Health Department is reminding all area smokers of the programs it offers to help them quit. The health department tells us its next smoking cessation classes will begin in January. The class is open to the public at a cost of $10.00 and provides those who take part with a workbook and stress-relieving techniques. The health department says quitters are most successful when using a combination of therapies, like nicotine replacement, counseling, self-help materials, and a strong support network of family and friends. Anyone who wants to sign up for a Berrien County Health Department smoking cessation class can just call the department. It tells us tobacco use is the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in Michigan, killing more than 16,000 residents each year.. ...Read Full Story
Two Berrien County Sheriff’s deputies have completed training as corrections officers. The sheriff’s department tells us deputies Mark Boelcke and Ryan Streelman attended the officer training academy held at Kalamazoo Valley Community College. The four week academy covers subjects like custody and security, defensive tactics, first aid, suicide awareness, fire safety, and communications. The sheriff’s department says the academy is an important part of teaching deputies how to keep the jail and its inmates safe. Berrien County Sheriff Paul Bailey congratulated Boelcke and Streelman for completing the corrections training.. ...Read Full Story
It could be a year before the battle over a blighted property on Niles Avenue in St. Joseph is resolved. St Joe City Commissioners Monday heard from City Attorney Laurie Schmidt that the owner of the home at 1015 Niles — the house with the tarp on its roof — has filed an appeal with the Michigan Court of Appeals. The Berrien County Circuit Court last month ruled in favor of a city demolition order on the house, which inspectors have said is unlivable. However, the owner had one more place to turn and the state appeals court was it. The city attorney said that owner filed the appeal on the day of the deadline. Now, she says it could be as long as a year before the appeals court makes a decision. She told commissioners it might be quicker, but “realistically, the court of appeals does take a long time.” Meanwhile, some other properties the city has fought to clean up have seen progress. Schmidt said a home at 517 Archer was demolished last week, has a new owner, and there will be a new home built there in the spring. As for other homes on Hoyt Street and Wayne Street, she said they’re about halfway fixed.. ...Read Full Story
The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department could use your help in catching an armed robbery suspect. It tells us Benton Harbor Public Safety responded to a robbery at H and B Liquor Store on Broadway Avenue on Halloween night. Officers learned two male suspects wearing all black went into the store flashing handguns and demanding cash. They got away with an undisclosed amount. The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department tells us Crimestoppers is offering up to $1,000 for information that leads to the arrest of the suspects. Anyone with information on the armed robbery can call Crimestoppers at 1-800-342-STOP.. ...Read Full Story
With the winter here, the Van Buren County Road Commission is reminding everyone how it will handle snowplowing in the coming months. Road Commission Engineer Manager Larry Hummel tells WSJM News the plows will work steadily throughout snowy days from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. When it’s extra snowy, they dial things up.. ...Read Full Story
The Van Buren County Prosecutor’s Office has authorized a charge against a former Mattawan police officer who allegedly fired shots at a car that had sped away from her early this month. It happened on November 3 when Mattawan Police Officer Chelsey Omilian initiated a stop on a stolen vehicle. There was a brief chase and that’s when the officer fired at the vehicle. One of the vehicle’s three occupants was injured in the incident. The Van Buren County Prosecutor’s Office tells us Omilian was arraigned Friday on a charge of reckless use of a firearm. It’s a 90 day misdemeanor that could come with a $500 fine. Omilian is now free on bond. She’s been on administrative leave since the shooting incident.. ...Read Full Story
The office of Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette says he has issued some recommendations to state lawmakers for how they could strengthen hunting rights. AG spokesperson Andrea Bitely tells WSJM News hunting is something that Schuette views as important to all Michiganders. That’s why he’s making some suggestions. For one thing, Schuette asks lawmakers to remove a ban on using or possessing a loaded hunting weapon in a vehicle. Bitely says that’s so DNR rules on duck hunting in a boat will match the actual state law.. ...Read Full Story
Berrien RESA is distributing more than $2.7 million to Berrien County school districts this year. Superintendent Kevin Ivers tells WSJM News it’s a RESA policy to hand off extra county special education millage funds to the local districts to cover their special education costs that were not reimbursed by the state from the prior year. . ...Read Full Story
From the Associated Press — Governor Rick Snyder has signed legislation to repeal a requirement that beer kegs be sold with tags that can identify who bought them.Snyder’s move Monday brings to an end a 2010 law aimed at curtailing “keggers” that attract underage drinkers. Critics say the law hasn’t curbed underage or binge drinking and has led partygoers to turn to hard liquor or cases of beer. The repeal law takes effect in 90 days. Under the keg law, keg buyers must sign a receipt listing their name, address and phone number, and they must show a driver’s license or state I.D. card. Stores attach a tag to each keg and keep a copy of the receipt for at least 30 days. A deposit isn’t returned unless the tag remains on the keg.. ...Read Full Story
The Southwest Michigan Enforcement Team has made four arrests in a string of drug busts around southwest Michigan in the past week. It tells us the first raid was on Monday at a home in the 900 block of Buss Avenue in Benton Harbor. Police had received complaints about drug sales there. Arrested was a 24-year-old Benton Harbor man who is now charged with two counts of delivery of crack cocaine and resisting arrest. . ...Read Full Story
Time is almost up to stuff a truck. 97-5 Y Country’s Matt Malone is among the radio personalities manning the microphone at Roger’s Food Land in St. Joseph for the annual Stuff a Truck drive, which ends tomorrow. Malone tells WSJM News they’re collecting food and other products for the Southwest Michigan Community Action Agency.. ...Read Full Story
Congressman Fred Upton is not going to run for the U.S. Senate in 2018. The St. Joseph Republican announced this morning that it wasn’t an easy decision. Upton says his focus “will remain on helping all my constituents with problems big and small and improving the quality of life for all in Michigan.” He had been weighing a bid against incumbent U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow for the past few months. Upton says “we need focus and fortitude in Washington now more than ever” and he’s “full speed ahead for re-election in 2018.” There are several Democrats in the race vying for their party’s nomination to try to unseat Upton in the U.S. House next year.. ...Read Full Story
Adoption Day will be held at the Berrien County Court House today. The day is marked nationwide to salute the families who have taken the step of adopting. Many cases involve stepparents adopting children they’ve been raising. Sometimes, adults also want to recognize a stepparent by formally being adopted. At the Berrien County Courthouse, remarks will be made by Michigan Court of Appeals Judge David Sawyer. Each November is marked as Adoption Month, intended to highlight the needs of foster children. In Michigan, there were more than 12,600 children in the foster care system last year.. ...Read Full Story
A 67-year-old Buchanan man has died while hunting in Cass County. The sheriff’s department tells WSJM News David Newsom’s body was found around 5:30 p.m. yesterday at an address in the 30-thousand block of Pokagon Highway, about a mile east of Barron Lake Road in Dowagiac. Newsom’s body was found in the woods and his death is not considered suspicious. His death remains under investigation.. ...Read Full Story
There will be a recount of the votes in Benton Harbor regarding the city income tax. Berrien County Clerk Sharon Tyler has scheduled the recount for Monday at 9 a.m. at the Berrien County Courthouse. The tax passed by just 21 votes on November 7, 511-to-490. If the result is upheld, city residents will pay 1% of their income, and non-residents who work in the city will pay a half-percent. Businesses will also taxed 1%, with Mayor Marcus Muhammad saying the revenue will be put toward infrastructure improvements.. ...Read Full Story
From the Associated Press — More than 100 people have paid their final respects to a World War II veteran from Michigan who died with no known relatives. WOOD-TV reports that about 150 people, some of whom never met Gordon Hale, gathered for his funeral Thursday at Grand Haven’s Lake Forest Cemetery. Hale died at age 90 on November 10 at a Grand Haven nursing home where he’d lived for 14 years.
After records showed that Hale was an only child who had no children himself, a local American Legion post joined with nursing home staff and others to make sure he had mourners at his military funeral. Nurse aide Sequita Henry says it’s a blessing so many people turned out for Hale’s funeral. She says he wasn’t alone because “we were all his family.”. ...Read Full Story
There’s still time to donate to the annual Y Country Radio Stuff a Truck food drive. Y Country’s Matt Malone tells WSJM News the radio crew is out at Roger’s Food Land in St. Joseph through noon on Saturday. They’re collecting items for the Southwest Michigan Community Action Agency.. ...Read Full Story
Now up and running is a redesigned Berrien County website. Berrien County IT Director Ken Hoffman tells WSJM News the county board this year approved an update for the site in order to meet new state accessibility requirements. The new site launched Thursday morning. It’s designed to better handle mobile devices and has other features.. ...Read Full Story
Hunters have fanned out across the state to seek out that prize deer as part of firearm hunting season. It kicked off this week, running through November 30, and Berrien County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Robert Boyce tells WSJM News hunters must be cautious. He notes some may face an increased heart attack risk if they’re out in the woods lugging things around.. ...Read Full Story
Hunters have a chance this month to do their part in preventing the spread of invasive species. The Van Buren Conservation District’s Eleanor Serocki tells WSJM News a hunter should clean off their gear and boots before moving from one forest to another. That’s because small pieces of invasive plants can get on those things and then cause their spread elsewhere. That could be bad for deer habitat.. ...Read Full Story
Sentencing has been held for four educators at Three Oaks Elementary School who were accused of failing to report a possible abuse situation. In August of 2016, a 12-year-old boy was found along some railroad tracks in Galien Township and turned over to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Doctors found he was undernourished, weighing just 47 pounds. He told them his parents had kept him from eating. Doctors also found other signs of abuse. The Berrien County Prosecutor’s Office tells us a principal, a guidance counselor, a special ed teacher, and a teacher at Three Oaks Elementary had previously noticed signs the boy was being abused. The prosecutor says they failed to report it. They pleaded no contest this week to failure to report suspected child abuse, a 93 day misdemeanor. They’ve been sentenced to to probation through the end of the 2018 school year, 100 hours of community service, and fines.. ...Read Full Story
AAA of Michigan is expecting a busy Thanksgiving travel period next week. Spokesperson Susan Hiltz tells WSJM News AAA’s Thanksgiving travel forecast predicts more than 1.6 million Michiganders will travel at least 50 miles.. ...Read Full Story
From the Associated Press — Grand Valley State University in Michigan has banned a fraternity chapter from campus for at least five years after an investigation into hazing and alcohol use. The school in Allendale says an investigation after the 21-year-old Sigma Phi Epsilon member was treated after consuming too much alcohol revealed student code violations for hazing and consumption of alcohol. The Sigma Phi Epsilon chapter’s appeal was denied last week. Fraternity member Jacob Gaft tells WOOD-TV that the man was “drinking under his own conditions” when he slipped and fell. Gaft says the man had a concussion, but other students shouldn’t be punished after fraternity members helped him. Sigma Phi Epsilon’s national organization says in a statement the “chapter’s behavior…illustrates that the membership is not committed to living by our values.”. ...Read Full Story
The Pokagon Tribal Police Department is expanding to South Bend as the Pokagon band prepares to open its new casino there. On Monday, tribal police will hold the grand opening of the new Pokagon Band Tribal Police Substation on Prairie Avenue in South Bend. The substation is located on tribal land which is also the site of the Pokagon Tribal Village and Four Winds Casino South Bend. On hand for the grand opening of the new police substation will be representatives of the Pokagon Band who will highlight the partnerships being formed between local law enforcement and the tribal police. The South Bend Four Winds Casino is expected to open early next year.. ...Read Full Story
Downtown St. Joseph will be a sight to see this Friday as the 23rd annual Luminaries Festival takes place. St. Joseph Today’s Amy Zapal tells WSJM News the festival is a way to light up the downtown, everyone a chance to take advantage of special sales, and celebrate the coming of the holidays. . ...Read Full Story
With more than 2,600 children in Michigan waiting to be adopted, the Van Buren County Circuit Court’s Family Division next week will celebrate those who have navigated the process. It’s national Adoption Day, with the court’s Veronica Stillson telling WSJM NEws special guests will be on hand, along with some choirs. She says it’s a joyous affair.. ...Read Full Story
More than $4 billion was lost because of traffic crashes in Michigan in 2015. That’s according to the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning, which just finished a review of University of Michigan research. The state office’s Kendall Wingrove tells WSJM News those monetary costs come in several forms.. ...Read Full Story
The Michigan firearms deer hunting season kicked off Wednesday, with more than half-a-million hunters expected to take part this year. Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard told Michigan News Network hunters should take some basic precautions.. ...Read Full Story
Countryside Academy in Benton Harbor will take part in a new kind of summer reading program this year thanks to an $8,000 grant the school has received. Administrator Sarah Brookshire tells WSJM News kids in kindergarten through grade three will be part of the Kids Read Now program. It sends them educational books throughout the summer. It could help reduce summer brain drain.. ...Read Full Story
Congressman Fred Upton expects the U.S. House to approve a tax reform proposal by the end of Thursday. That was his prediction when we spoke to him this week. Upton tells WSJM News the package is the first serious tax bill in decades.. ...Read Full Story
The Pokagon Fund has teamed up with a Harbert church to conduct a study on food insecurity in Harbor Country and how it can be addressed. The fund tells us documenting the basic food needs of local residents has been a key project for the past two months of the Neighbor by Neighbor program, which is run by the Episcopal Church of the Mediator in Harbert. The Pokagon Fund has provided $40,000 for Neighbor by Neighbor. The program conducted surveys at recent mobile food pantries to gauge the need for food assistance locally. The Pokagon Fund tells us the surveys found there’s a need for mobile food pantry visits more than just twice a month. It also found people need more protein and access to fresh vegetables. Moving into the next year, Neighbor by Neighbor will work with the members of a grassroots coalition to better plan food programs. The Pokagon Fund tells us they’re still learning how to serve those in need.. ...Read Full Story
From the Associated Press — A western Michigan city has adopted a new policy that says city officials and staff won’t ask residents about their immigration status. The Grand Rapids Press reports that the Grand Rapids City Commission adopted the policy Tuesday. The ordinance was drafted over the last year by the Community Relations Commission, the city’s diversity and inclusion manager, local police and the city’s lawyers. The policy doesn’t bar police officers from asking about immigration status. But the policy says police must follow the Grand Rapids Police Department’s Impartial Policing Policy, which prohibits racial profiling but doesn’t explicitly stop officers from inquiring about immigration status. Police Chief David Rahinsky says the department doesn’t ask about immigration status. But he says the policy doesn’t stop Kent County, the Michigan State Police or federal authorities from enforcing federal immigration laws.. ...Read Full Story
11-15-17 WSJM News Now 5 PM. ...Read Full Story
From the Associated Press — Michigan’s unemployment rate rose by two-tenths of a percentage point to 4.5 percent in October as the number of people in the state’s workforce saw a slight decline of about 2,000. Figures released Wednesday by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget show Michigan’s October unemployment rate was four-tenths of a percentage point above the national rate but a half percentage point below the state’s October 2016 rate of 5.0 percent. Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives Director Jason Palmer says that 10 months into 2017 the state’s jobless rate has declined moderately from 2016, while payroll job gains remain steady. The department says October’s jobless rate increase was the third consecutive monthly rate gain since Michigan’s unemployment rate fell to 3.7 percent in July.. ...Read Full Story
Now that the cold weather is here, you might notice your furnace running for long periods of time without your home warming up much. There are simple things you can do to make sure your furnace is running efficiently. Jack Heron, owner of Haven Heating and Air Conditioning in South Haven, told WSJM News some home heating tips.. ...Read Full Story
Last month, home sales were up in Michigan about 4% on average. One thing that hasn’t changed, according to Keller Williams realtor Jeff Glover, is the number of homes on the market. He spoke with Michigan News Network about the market.. ...Read Full Story
As a judge and state officials prepare to make decisions that will impact whether the world’s largest water bottler can increase pumping out of its well near Evart, Michigan, one group is calling on the state to immediately bottle up the whole operation. Nestle has asked the state for a permit to increase its pumping at the White Pine Springs well to 400 gallons per minute, and will face off against Osceola Township in court on Wednesday over construction of the booster station needed to do so. Peggy Case with Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation says her group has proof the current pumping rate is violating Michigan law.. ...Read Full Story
With the winter here, the Van Buren County Road Commission is reminding everyone how it will handle snowplowing in the coming months. Road Commission Engineer Manager Larry Hummel tells WSJM News the plows will work steadily throughout snowy days from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. When it’s extra snowy, they dial things up.. ...Read Full Story
A Hagar Township business has announced an expansion project. According to Cornerstone Alliance, Monte Package Company, a manufacturer and supplier of packaging for the produce industry, is adding 3,600 square feet to its shipping and receiving area in its warehouse facility in Riverside. The total investment for the expansion project is $140,000, and two new jobs will be created. Cornerstone tells us Hagar Township has been supportive of the expansion plan, granting it a tax abatement this week. Monte Packaging says remaining in the area was always important to the company. The business has operated in Berrien County for 92 years.. ...Read Full Story
One person is dead following a single vehicle crash in Oronoko Township on Tuesday. The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department says it happened about 6:45 p.m. at Scottdale and Linco Road near Berrien Springs. The car crashed into a ditch. The sheriff’s depatment was assisting at the scene with accident reconstruction while Berrien Springs-Oronoko Township police were leading the investigation. The cause of the crash and the name of the victim have not yet been released.. ...Read Full Story
Benton Harbor Area Schools has received a clean audit for the most recent fiscal year, with its business office getting some praise this week from auditors. At a Tuesday meeting, the board was told the district added $6.3 million to its fund balance last year. That’s partly due to a loan, the auditor said, of $3.4 million. Also in the most recent year, Benton Harbor Area Schools reduced the deficit from $11.7 million to $5.4 million. Again, the loan factors into that. Nevertheless, School Board President Joseph Taylor thanked retiring Chief Financial Officer Scott Johnson for improvements in the business office.. ...Read Full Story
State Representative Dave Pagel has been named the Legislator of the Year by the Michigan Association of School Social Workers. The Berrien Springs Republican was honored with the distinction due to his work on mental health care. Pagel is a member of a bipartisan House panel that spent part of the summer and fall traveling around Michigan to discuss how the corrections system and state government could better treat those suffering with a mental illness. Pagel says he “will always be a strong advocate for public education in our state, and will continue to work with my colleagues on the House CARES taskforce.”. ...Read Full Story
State Senator John Proos is calling for more opportunities for Michigan students to receive a STEM education. He took to the Senate floor last week as part of National STEM Day. He pointed to the expected demand over the next decade for workers trained in science, technology, engineering, and math right here in southwest Michigan.. ...Read Full Story
It’s been busy lately for St Joseph Today and the Heritage Museum and Cultural Center. Both gave St. Joe City Commissioners their latest reports Monday, with the Heritage Museum’s Tracy Gierada saying this summer’s lighthouse tours went very well. She told WSJM News they more than doubled the number of people who took them.. ...Read Full Story
From the Associated Press — A western Michigan school district has ended a teacher’s faith-based discussions with elementary school students following complaints by a civil rights group. Hudsonville Public Schools’ assistant superintendent, Scott Smith, says the district didn’t know a fifth-grade teacher had been meeting with students for lunchtime Bible studies until the Michigan Association of Civil Rights Activists contacted the district on November 6. Smith says officials met with the Alward Elementary School teacher the same day and ended his talks. Smith tells MLive.com the teacher “thought it was okay because it was occurring during a non-instructional time.” Michigan Association of Civil Rights Activists spokesman Mitch Kahle says “every public-school teacher, principal, and superintendent should know that they are prohibited from engaging in any activity with students that involves religious beliefs, rituals, or doctrines.”. ...Read Full Story
Chikaming Township Police Chief Todd Taylor says Officer David Wyman has had to undergo several surgeries after being hit by a car around 9:30 Sunday night after a traffic stop on Interstate 94. It happened near the 12 mile marker in the eastbound lanes when a 67-year-old man hit Wyman and then hit the back end of his patrol car. Chief Taylor says Wyman is in stable condition at Lakeland Hospital in St. Joseph and is recovering. The extent of his injuries has not been released. The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the crash, and Taylor notes details will be released later. Those are likely to include possible charges against the driver who hit the officer.. ...Read Full Story
The Cass County Sheriff’s Department has identified the man killed in a crash in Penn Township Monday morning. Authorities say 34-year-old Russell Jett Jr. of Kalamazoo died when his vehicle went off the road on Decatur Road near Shurte Street and hit a tree. Jett was on his way to Cassopolis at the time. He was wearing his seat belt, and police say alcohol and drugs did not play roles in the crash.. ...Read Full Story
New polling data shows almost half of the Republicans in Michigan haven’t yet made up their mind in a GOP primary for the U.S. Senate. They’ve still got plenty of time ahead of the primary next year, but polling by Target Insyght puts Congressman Fred Upton second in the race. Political newcomer John James, who is calling himself a “conservative outsider” has the lead with 24%, followed by Upton at 19% and former Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Bob Young at 7%. “Other” candidates are supported by 5% of those polled, while 45% are still undecided. James has been releasing daily videos to speak directly to voters, while Upton has not made a decision on whether to run for the U.S. Senate or seek re-election to the U.S. House. Democratic incumbent Debbie Stabenow is seeking re-election to the Senate. Singer Kid Rock said recently he was not serious when he teased a possible run against Stabenow as a Republican, and admitted that was a promotional stunt for his new album.. ...Read Full Story
From the Associated Press — Governor Rick Snyder has signed bills to require that special problem-solving courts receive state certification to operate. The courts are designed to address criminals’ underlying substance abuse or mental health issues so they do not re-offend.
Supporters say the legislation is needed so Michigan has a more consistent and effective approach for the courts and defendants. Under legislation signed Monday, specialty courts – including drug, sobriety, mental health and veteran’s treatment courts – will have to be certified by the State Court Administrative Office starting in January. The office currently offers recommendations, but the courts are under no mandate to adopt them.. ...Read Full Story
When the St. Joe Bears step out on the field of Dickinson Stadium to open the 2018 regular season, the football team will not be playing on the normal natural grass that’s been in place since the stadium was redone in 2003. A gift from Steve and Elizabeth Upton will pay for artificial turf to be installed, and St. Joseph Superintendent Ann Cardon tells WSJM News it will be in place before the first football practice next summer. The high school boys and girls soccer teams will also be able to return to playing games at the high school with the new playing surface after spending more than a quarter-century at Upton Middle School. St. Joseph will become the fourth high school in Berrien County with artificial turf, and the sixth in the Southwest Michigan Athletic Conference. In a statement, Steve Upton said he and his wife are proud to help with the improvement and are “excited to improve the facilities at the high school and this will benefit all area student athletes for years to come.”. ...Read Full Story
Berrien County Treasurer Bret Witkowski sees a trend that will probably continue when he considers the upcoming closure of the Benton Harbor Target store. He tells us the store’s closing is the result of a general decline in shopping at brick and mortar retailers. As far as the Benton Harbor Target’s tax contribution to the county, Witkowski says not a whole lot is being lost. In 2007, the Target paid $131,000, but last year it paid $59,000. However, Witkowski can see a bigger problem being caused as more retailers close.. ...Read Full Story
It’s a first in Michigan. A flex route along US-23 north of Ann Arbor. Michigan Department of Transportation Director Kirk Steudle told Michigan News Network the shoulder will be used during peak traffic times starting this week.. ...Read Full Story
It could be a year before the battle over a blighted property on Niles Avenue in St. Joseph is resolved. St Joe City Commissioners Monday heard from City Attorney Laurie Schmidt that the owner of the home at 1015 Niles — the house with the tarp on its roof — has filed an appeal with the Michigan Court of Appeals. The Berrien County Circuit Court last month ruled in favor of a city demolition order on the house, which inspectors have said is unlivable. However, the owner had one more place to turn and the state appeals court was it. The city attorney said that owner filed the appeal on the day of the deadline. Now, she says it could be as long as a year before the appeals court makes a decision. She told commissioners it might be quicker, but “realistically, the court of appeals does take a long time.” Meanwhile, some other properties the city has fought to clean up have seen progress. Schmidt said a home at 517 Archer was demolished last week, has a new owner, and there will be a new home built there in the spring. As for other homes on Hoyt Street and Wayne Street, she said they’re about halfway fixed.. ...Read Full Story
The new St. Joseph City Commissioners have been seated. Following their wins in elections last week, Laura Goos and Peggy Getty were sworn in Monday night, along with the re-elected Michael Garey. Goos, a newcomer, told WSJM News her first task is to learn. After that, she wants to engage more of the public. She hit the ground running Monday, being appointed mayor pro tem.. ...Read Full Story
West Michigan’s contribution to the war effort during World War II will be the topic of discussion at a presentation at the Michigan Maritime Museum in South Haven this week. The museum’s Ashley Deming tells WSJM News they’ll have a guest from the Joint Archives of Holland on hand to talk about the ships made for the military right there in Holland.. ...Read Full Story
A renovation project planned by Lake Michigan College for the Mendel Center’s Grand Upton Hall will have some support from the American Electric Power Foundation. AEP’s Bill Downey tells WSJM News the foundation has been a partner with Lake Michigan College for many years, and that’s it’s giving a $50,000 grant to the LMC project.. ...Read Full Story
