Local News Archives

The Michigan State Police post in Niles is looking for volunteers to help run a program designed to assist people struggling with addiction and reduce drug demand. Michigan State Police have joined with nearly 200 other law enforcement agencies around the country in the Angel Program. Lieutenant Mike Dawson tells WSJM News it allows someone with a drug addiction to walk into a police department and ask for help without fear of arrest.. ...Read Full Story

Congressman Fred Upton is among those criticizing President Donald Trump’s controversial tweet this week about MSNBC anchor Mika Brzezinski. Trump made a remark about the Morning Joe co-host attacking her for her physical appearance. Many have called the president’s tweet an act of bullying. Congressman Upton tells WSJM News it was not a good moment for the president.. ...Read Full Story

Michigan State Police are watching you this weekend. They’ve got Operation CARE set to take place Saturday through Tuesday. Special Lieutenant Jim Flegel tells WSJM News extra troopers will be on the road keeping their eyes out for a few things, in particular.. ...Read Full Story

A Benton Township car dealership has been hit by tire thieves. Management at Brookfield Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep tells WSJM News staff showed up Friday morning to find the wheels and tires had been removed from six Ram pick-ups. They estimate the damage to be at least $18,000. The dealership tells us it has been in Benton Township for five years now, and this is the first time they’ve ever had any such problem. They think the crooks are probably pros from outside the area, and say this crime does not reflect the community. In fact, this is the second time an auto dealership in west Michigan has had tires and wheels stolen off vehicles parked in the lot this month. It happened to a Ford dealership in Galesburg last week. Brookfield Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep tells us Benton Township police came out Friday morning and investigated the scene. Surveillance video is also being reviewed.. ...Read Full Story

A cougar has been spotted near Lansing. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources confirmed the sighting last Tuesday in Clinton County’s Bath Township. The DNR’s Kevin Swanson spoke with Michigan News Network about the cougar.. ...Read Full Story

The 44th annual Tree-Mendus Fruit Farm’s International Cherry Pit Spitting Championship is tomorrow in Eau Claire. Qualifying will start at 10 a.m., with the championships starting at 1 in the afternoon. The farm’s Monica Teichman tells WSJM News the pits can often fly as far as 40 feet, and all the competitors work on developing unique styles.. ...Read Full Story

The Berrien County Youth Fair is still about a month and a half away, but for people planning to exhibit small animals, a deadline is looming tomorrow. Fair officials say small animals have to be registered by noon Saturday to be included in this year’s fair, which will be from August 14-19. Animals included in the deadline are cats, dogs, poultry, pocket pets, and rabbits, and exhibitor handbooks and registration forms are available on the fair’s website at bcyf.org. The deadline to register for the BCYF King and Queen and Prince and Princess contests is July 12, and for all other still exhibit areas, you have until August 1.. ...Read Full Story

Just about everyone loves a good fireworks show, and there are plenty of them planned for this weekend around southwest Michigan. The fun begins Friday with a show in Dowagiac. It’ll be at Russom Park. Saturday will bring fireworks shows at Diamond Lake in Cassopolis, Lions Park in Sister Lakes, and Hays Park in Watervliet. If you’re in the mood Monday for fireworks, they’ll have them at the American Legion in Baroda, New Buffalo Beach in New Buffalo, the Apple Festival Fairgrounds in Niles, Eagle Lake in Edwardsburg, and the north pier in South Haven. Finally, there will be shows on Tuesday, the Fourth of July, at the middle school in Berrien Springs, Grace Lutheran Church in Eau Claire, Silver Beach in St. Joseph, and at the high school in Decatur. All shows begin at dusk.. ...Read Full Story

A southwest Michigan church is putting together meal packages for the hungry this Saturday, and it aims to assemble 80,000 of them. Community Church in Douglas has been doing this every year for the past eight years. It then hands off the packages to the Kids Coalition against Hunger. Organizer Dick Brunvand tells WSJM News the food goes all over the world.. ...Read Full Story

Michigan State Fire Marshal Kevin Sehlmeyer is hoping everyone has a safe Fourth of July weekend, and that’s why he’s putting out a safety advisory about fireworks. Sehlmeyer tells WSJM News there’s one big circumstance that leads to someone getting hurt by a firework.. ...Read Full Story

12 students from southwest Michigan high schools are receiving scholarships from the Niles Scream Park thanks to their service in the past year. The Scream Park’s Pete Carlowitz tells WSJM News they’re able to hand out a record amount to students.. ...Read Full Story

From the Associated Press — Officials say an intensive search so far has turned up no additional Asian carp in a Chicago-area waterway system where one of the invasive fish recently was found. The discovery of a live silver carp June 22 about 9 miles from Lake Michigan raised fears that Asian carp might be evading an electric barrier meant to keep them out of the Great Lakes. It triggered a hunt by commercial fishers and crews with federal and state agencies using nets and devices that stun fish so they can be caught and examined. The Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee says the search covers a 13-mile area and will continue through July 7. The silver carp has been sent to Southern Illinois University to determine its age and where it came from.. ...Read Full Story

Auto insurance costs are about to go up in Michigan. Insurance Alliance of Michigan spokesperson Lori Conarton tells WSJM News it’s because the cost every driver has to pay for unlimited medical benefits as required by the state’s insurance law are going up from $160 to $170. The alliance is calling for changes.. ...Read Full Story

Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette wants the petroleum pipeline which runs under the Straits of Mackinac to cease operation. Michigan News Network Lansing Bureau Chief Tim Skubick tells us Schuette has plenty to say about Line 5.. ...Read Full Story

06-29-17 WSJM News Now 5 PM. ...Read Full Story

From the Associated Press — Michigan officials have released a consulting firm’s draft report listing alternatives for dealing with twin oil pipelines beneath the waterway where Lakes Huron and Michigan meet. The state commissioned the report as environmental groups push to decommission the nearly 5-mile-long (section of Enbridge Inc.’s Line 5 in the Straits of Mackinac, which was laid in 1953. State Attorney General Bill Schuette endorsed a shutdown Thursday. The report by Dynamic Risk Assessment Systems Inc. lists six choices. Among them are continuing to operate the pipelines or removing them. Others include building a new pipeline that wouldn’t cross open Great Lakes waters; moving Line
5’s oil through other pipelines; using rail cars, trucks or barges to transport oil; or putting new pipelines in the straits that would run through a trench or tunnel. The report doesn’t endorse a particular alternative but analyzes each for technical and cost feasibility.. ...Read Full Story

There are 41 states with part-time state legislatures, and Michigan Lieutenant Governor Brian Calley thinks this state should be number 42. He joined WSJM’s Pat Moody to discuss his push for a constitutional amendment for that, and believes we will have better candidates for office as a result.. ...Read Full Story

St. Joseph’s Lincoln Elementary School has its next principal. In a message to parents and Lincoln staff, St. Joseph Public Schools Superintendent Ann Cardon says she has decided to transfer Brown Elementary Principal Craig Hubble to Lincoln to replace Mike Wagner, who died earlier this month. Cardon said the school needed someone “who can continue Mike’s good work,” and added staff and parents need someone capable of supporting them. She calls Hubble “the perfect person to pick up the torch and light the way back to normal – well as normal as we can make it.”. ...Read Full Story

The Michigan Department of Transportation says it will be lifting work zone restrictions at the majority of project sites statewide over the Independence Day weekend. That means smoother driving on Interstate 94 through southwest Michigan, but MDOT spokesperson Nick Schirripa says motorists will still need to be aware of a few lane shifts.. ...Read Full Story

There will be a memorial walk and candlelight vigil on the anniversary of the Berrien County Courthouse attack next month. Retired St. Joseph Public Safety Officer Deniece Fisher tells WSJM News the walk will start at 8:30 p.m. at the courthouse and end at the Berrien County Law Enforcement Officer’s Memorial Monument in Lake Bluff Park.. ...Read Full Story

State Senator John Proos is again calling on the federal government to take immediate action to keep Asian carp out of Lake Michigan. He has put forth countless resolutions in Lansing pushing for the separation of the Chicago River system from the lake and for Washington to release the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers report on long-term solutions.. ...Read Full Story

A Canadian man accused of stabbing an airport police officer in Flint will remain in jail while his case proceeds. Joan Morgan, an attorney for Amor Ftouhi, didn’t object to the government’s request that he stay in jail. She told a federal judge Wednesday that the 49-year-old defendant from Montreal would be held by U.S. immigration authorities even if granted bond in the criminal case.. ...Read Full Story

A draft ordinance to allow medical marijuana businesses to operate in Buchanan is now available for people to review at City Hall. The city commission began discussions on the proposal this week, with the planning commission recommending up to 15 permits for growers and five permits for processors, transporters, provision centers, and safety compliance facilities. State law is allowing for local control of the businesses next year. City Manager Bill Marx told the commission they have time to make sure they get it right, and there’s no need to rush a vote. As Buchanan weighs allowing the medical weed business, Benton Harbor city commissioners were urged recently by the sheriff and county prosecutor to not adopt ordinances for marijuana in their city.. ...Read Full Story

The city of St. Joseph will be removing some dead ash trees from a couple of ravine areas this summer. Monday night, the city commission approved the parks department’s request to take out more than 30 trees from a ravine area between Wolcott and Niles Avenue, and an area near Mohawk and Greenwood. The parks department says the dead trees pose a risk to nearby houses. They have to hire a firm to do the work at a cost of about $26,000. Also this week, the city approved the planting of nearly 50 new trees around town. That work will run about $15,000.. ...Read Full Story

A huge fire continues to burn in southwest Michigan on the border to Indiana at a recycling facility in St. Joseph County. White Pigeon Assistant Fire Chief Tyler Royce tells Michigan News Network the fire began Monday afternoon and burned some 15 acres of the 35 acre facility for Greenstream Recycling on M-103, but it’s now under control.. ...Read Full Story

The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department will have its eye on you this Fourth of July weekend at Silver Beach. Sheriff Paul Bailey addressed St. Joseph City Commissioners Monday to assure them his department and St. Joseph Public Safety are working closely together to keep it safe. Bailey told WSJM News he’ll have a lot of uniformed deputies and deputies in plain clothes roaming the beach all day and until everyone leaves.. ...Read Full Story

As many of 50,000 people will converge on South Haven this weekend for the 59th annual South Haven Art Fair. Center for the Arts Director Thea Grigsby tells WSJM News they invite around 150 artists from all over the region to come and sell their creations.. ...Read Full Story

There will soon be a new face on the Benton Harbor Area Schools Board of Education. It’s Margaret Gast, who was picked Tuesday to fill the vacancy created with the resignation of Elnora Gavin. Gast — no relation to Harry Gast — told WSJM News she wants to see the district returned to how she remembers it in the 1960s. She also views the partnership agreement with the state as both constrictive and an opportunity.. ...Read Full Story

Nearly 1.5 million Michiganders will travel at least 50 miles this Fourth of July. AAA spokesperson Susan Hiltz tells WKZO News that’s an increase of about 3.5%. She thinks more folks are traveling for a variety of reasons.. ...Read Full Story

The Michigan Youth Leadership Academy will graduate 24 young men from the Benton Harbor area this Thursday. MSP Sergeant DuWayne Robinson tells WSJM News the program, offered since about 2006, teaches a variety of life skills to kids between 14 and 15.. ...Read Full Story

St. Joseph City Commissioners are pleased with the performance of City Manager John Hodgson. This week, the commission held a closed session review for Hodgson. When they came out, they granted him a 1.5% pay increase. In his review, they rated Hodgson as “excellent” in every category. No other changes were made to Hodgson’s contract. The city commission promoted Hodgson to the position of city manager in the spring of 2015.. ...Read Full Story

From the Associated Press — Online retailer Amazon.com plans to create 1,600 jobs in Michigan by opening a “fulfillment center” in the Detroit area. The Michigan Strategic Fund Board on Tuesday approved a $5 million grant for Amazon to spend up to $140 million on the new facility in Romulus. It’s the second time in six months that the state has authorized an incentive for Amazon, which also plans to open a fulfillment center in Livonia with 1,000 jobs. The company has 277 employees in the state now. For the new project in Romulus, the state incentive will help Amazon offset some costs for “substantial” road and other infrastructure improvements, according to a memo prepared by the Michigan Economic Development Corp. The jobs are related to “general warehousing and storage,” the memo says.. ...Read Full Story

A workplace death is under investigation in Niles. Shortly after 5 this morning, Niles police say 64-year-old Dennis Kobb was run over by the rear wheels of a semi while moving an empty trailer from the loading dock at Paragon Industries in the 18-hundred block of Terminal Road. They say it appears he may have fallen from the cab of the truck and got caught under the tires. Kobb was pronounced dead at the scene.. ...Read Full Story

The new Republican healthcare plan proposed in the U.S. Senate is being blasted by some women’s groups. Janele George, with the National Women’s Law Center, tells us she’s concerned because the bill allows what are known as 13-32 waivers, under which states could make changes to the health benefits insurers now must cover.. ...Read Full Story

Horizon Bancorp, the owner of Horizon Bank, has announced a bit of a change for the institution which it says will result in savings. It’s converted Horizon Bank from a national bank to an Indiana state-chartered non-member bank. While the move is unlikely to affect customers, the Horizon Bancorp tells us it will mean savings of about $430,000 per year, along with efficiency, and aligning the bank’s interests with other Midwest states where it does business. The change was effective Friday.. ...Read Full Story

St. Joseph City Commissioners have approved a Whirlpool request that a commercial rehabilitation district be created in the area of its tech center on Upton Drive. That move comes as the appliance maker aims to bring a $35 million expansion to the tech center. Rob Cleveland, with Cornerstone Alliance, tells WSJM News this is good news for the area.. ...Read Full Story

Earlier this month it was a Bridgman woman who won $300,000 from a Michigan Lottery scratch off. Now, it’s a Niles man who has won $208,000 from the Fantasy 5 game. The Michigan Lottery tells us 59-year-old Stanley Bolle is looking forward to paying off debt with his winnings. He picked up his winning Fantasy 5 ticket at the Phillips 66 gas station on South 11th Street in Niles last week and matched five numbers. One other person also did so, and they split the total $416,000 jackpot. Bolle tells the Michigan Lotto he buys a ticket twice a week, and could “barely move” when he checked out the winning numbers and saw he matched all five. In addition to paying off some bills, he’s planning to use the winnings for some home repairs and to take his wife on a trip.. ...Read Full Story

The South Haven Police Department has big law enforcement plans for the Fourth of July weekend. Sergeant Patrick Carlotto tells WSJM News they’ll have more than 75 officers from multiple departments stationed all over town, many at the beach.. ...Read Full Story

With the summer here, the Berrien County Health Department is reminding everyone of how they can protect themselves from mosquitoes. Spokesperson Gillian Conrad tells WSJM News prevention is key. For example, you can help stop an increase in the summer mosquito population by getting rid of standing water.. ...Read Full Story

From the Associated Press — Michigan’s high school graduation requirements would include a mandatory career readiness course under recommendations announced by Governor Rick Snyder. Snyder on Monday urged lawmakers to change the graduation requirements, known
as the Michigan Merit Curriculum, to make them more flexible and to mandate that a career exploration/job skills class be completed in seventh or eighth grade. He also says computer science should count as meeting a foreign language requirement and students should be able to meet health and physical education requirements by completing career health programs. Snyder says the proposed “career pathway” changes are among a number of ways the state could better help students train for jobs in the trades and other in-demand sectors. He also wants to boost career counseling and to expand career and technical education.. ...Read Full Story

Two Decatur teenagers allegedly went to Knoxville, Tennessee last week to make a deal for some high-grade marijuana, and didn’t come home alive. Police in Knoxville say 18-year-olds Sergio Rivera and Jaleon Morris were shot and killed in a car last Thursday. Two people, 15-year-old Rico Cook and Deon Nolbert, have been arrested on murder, attempted murder, and armed robbery charges, and Cook is charged as an adult. A 16-year-old from Knoxville was also shot and wounded in the drug deal gone bad.. ...Read Full Story

A state senator from Traverse City is seeking to end the controversy over the use of the Redskins nickname by schools. The school board in Paw Paw earlier this year voted to keep the nickname in place, and Saranac schools also still use it. North of Grand Rapids, Belding recently changed its nickname from Redskins to the Black Knights. Senator Wayne Schmidt says his bill was crafted with the help of the five Native American tribes in his district, and adds it’s time for the use of a nickname considered by Native Americans to be “particularly offensive” to go away for good. The bill was introduced last Thursday and is now in committee.. ...Read Full Story

The death of a 21-year-old Galien man is being investigated by the Berrien County Sheriff’s Department. Deputies tell WSJM News Christopher Herman was hit by a train around 10:30 Saturday night on Main Street near Elgin Street in the village of Galien. Herman was pronounced dead at the scene. Details about the circumstances of the accident have not been released.. ...Read Full Story

A new collaborative aims to connect businesses in Michigan with skilled, experienced older workers. “Experience for Hire” is working to find candidates to help fill the 100,000 unfilled jobs in the state. AARP Michigan is part of the initiative, and State Director Paula Cunningham tells us the program can interview a screened pool of applicants who require little training, are open to flexible schedules and often aren’t seeking additional job benefits beyond earning money.. ...Read Full Story

The Berrien Community Foundation has announced $130,000 in scholarships. It held its 17th annual scholarship celebration Thursday announcing the awards with a birthday party theme as this is the 65th birthday for the Berrien Community Foundation. Specifically this year, it is celebrating 47 new scholars plus 42 renewed scholarships. In its history, the Berrien Community Foundation has awarded more than $2.4 million in scholarships. It’s also encouraging students interested in pursuing a scholarship for next year to apply now. You can find out everything you need to know at BerrienCommunity.org/Scholar.. ...Read Full Story

The Michigan Senate has approved legislation setting up new standards for doctors and pharmacies that prescribe and dispense certain prescription drugs that could be abused. State Senator Tonya Schuitmaker tells WSJM News her legislation requires the state’s prescription drug database to be checked before someone is given a Schedule 2 through Schedule 5 level drug.. ...Read Full Story

The latest Republican effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act is being shunned by U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow. The Michigan Democrat told Michigan News Network the Senate bill would cut coverage while increasing costs.. ...Read Full Story

The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the death of a 22-year-old man who was hit by a train Saturday night in Galien. It happened around 10:30 p.m., and the man was pronounced dead at the scene. His family has been notified, but the man’s name has not been released. Police have also not released anything about the circumstances of the accident, other than it happened on Main Street near Elgin Street in the Village of Galien.. ...Read Full Story

There’s been another blow to the Orchards Mall in Benton Township. The Sears Hometown Store is closing. It’s posted a message on its Facebook page announcing a going out of business sale. The sale will run through July 24, and the store says everything must go. The Sears Hometown Store is the remnant of what used to be a full-service Sears department store at the Orchards Mall. The departure of the Hometown location creates another empty space at the struggling Orchards Mall, and that’s not all. Also closing is the Kids on Stage performance center. Its owner has announced he decided it’s time to move on.. ...Read Full Story

The South Haven Community Foundation has awarded $14,000 in grants to local non-profits. The money will be used to make facility improvements, provide summer programming for children in need, fund mentoring programs, and host music and speaking performances. The goal is to enhance the living experience in the South Haven area. This year’s grant recipients include the Historical Association of South Haven, the South Haven Center for the Arts, Youth Development Company, Junior Achievement, the City of South Haven, and the Al-Van Humane Society. All of the recipients have been invited to a gift distribution reception set for next Tuesday. Since 1996, the South Haven Community Foundation has awarded more than $250,000 to local organizations.. ...Read Full Story

Southwest Michigan’s housing market slowed down a little during the month of May. After April saw a record-setting number of homes sold in the region, May saw sales slip about 4% from the previous year. However, prices continued to rise and the total dollar volume from homes moved was also up. The number of homes sold in southwest Michigan during the month of May this year was down to 341 from 357 last May. However, the average selling price from May of last year was up 8%, while dollar volume was up 3%. The Southwest Michigan Association of Realtors tells WSJM News a good sign is that the percentage of foreclosed homes continued to trend down in May. Only 6% of the homes sold during the month were bank-owned.. ...Read Full Story

The city of St. Joseph and the Krasl Art Center are teaming up to offer a recycling program for this summer’s Krasl Art Fair and the Fourth of July celebrations. Since the two events will essentially be back to back this year, the two thought it would be a good time to launch their recycling partnership. During the Fourth of July, the city will install about 35 recycling bins throughout the downtown, and then they’ll be moved over to the bluff for the Krasl Art Fair on July 9. St. Joseph City Manager John Hodgson tells WSJM News the Krasl and the city have talked about a recycling partnership for years, and this summer will give them a chance to see how it works out.. ...Read Full Story

157 students will graduate this weekend from a state academy that teaches job skills to the disabled. The Michigan Career and Technical Institute, located in Plainwell, was started in 1944 to train World War II veterans. In the years since, it’s switched to helping the disabled find work. That’s according to Michigan Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson Bob Wheaton, who spoke with WSJM News.. ...Read Full Story

The Cass County Sheriff’s Department has identified a 6-year-old boy who was killed in a landscaping accident this week. It tells us Holden High, of Dowagiac, died when he fell off a skid loader he was riding in. The incident occurred Wednesday on property in the 19,000 block of Dewey Lake Street in Volinia Township. A 55-year-old family friend from Three Rivers was operating the skid loader when the boy fell out and the machine partially rolled on to him. The boy was pronounced dead later at Borgess-Lee Memorial Hospital in Dowagiac.. ...Read Full Story

A live Asian carp has been found closer to Lake Michigan than ever before. Jennifer Caddick, with the Alliance for the Great Lakes, tells WSJM News one was found Thursday at the Brandon Road Lock and Dam near Joliet, Illinois. First, she says the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers needs to get a better handle on its electric barrier currently keeping the fish at bay. Second, she says it’s up to the Trump administration to take bold action.. ...Read Full Story

The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department is investigating a series of business break-ins spanning two states. It tells us, within the past month, there have been about six breaking and entering incidents involving liquor stores and gas stations. The thieves steal cash from each location. The stores have all been in Berrien County and St. Joseph County, Indiana. Anyone with information on the crimes is asked to contact Crimestoppers at 1-800-342-STOP. Information that leads to an arrest could mean a $1,000 reward.. ...Read Full Story

The Michigan Department of Transportation says drivers in Kalamazoo can expect to see several closures on I-94 throughout the weekend. A bridge seal project was scheduled for last weekend, but was delayed by stormy weather. MDOT spokesperson Nick Schirripa told WKZO News drivers will need to be alert with several areas affected.. ...Read Full Story