Local News Archives

Police Identify Man Killed In Benton Harbor Shooting

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Police have released the name of a man killed in a weekend Benton Harbor shooting. The Benton Harbor Department of Public Safety tells WSJM News 21-year-old Kyre Perre Hull, of Benton Harbor, was shot and killed Saturday afternoon outside the River Terrance apartments. An autopsy was done Monday confirming the cause of death. Public safety tells us they’re conducting an intensive investigation. The department asks anyone with information on the crime to contact them.. ...Read Full Story

Indiana Rail Line Rerouting Could Cost Residents Homes

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Some Indiana residents may lose their homes to make way for the realignment of the South Shore rail line. The proposed route near the South Bend International Airport is projected to cost up to $25 million. The line would cut 10 minutes off the trip to the airport by taking a more direct route through an area that contains hundreds of homes. The realignment is part of a larger $290 million project to double track 16 miles between Michigan City and Gary. It has an expected completion date of 2020, pending federal funding approval. The airport and railroad had planned a similar project in 2005. The airport bought several area properties before shelving the project because of lack of funding.. ...Read Full Story

At Least 4 Dead In Michigan Lakes Over Weekend

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At least four people have died in Michigan lakes over the weekend. Police say a 27-year-old Lansing man was found floating face-down Saturday night in Lake Michigan at Holland State Park. Yellow flags were flying at the time, a warning to swimmers that the water could be risky. Across the state in Wayne County, a 61-year-old man drowned in Belleville Lake. A 23-year-old woman disappeared while swimming at Clear Lake in St. Joseph County. In northern Michigan, authorities are looking for the body of a man in Lake Margrethe in Crawford County.. ...Read Full Story

Gas Prices Fall; SWMI Has State’s Lowest Prices

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Early summer gas prices are on the downswing statewide, and we’re starting this week with the state’s lowest prices in Benton Harbor and St. Joseph. The latest survey from Triple-A Michigan puts the local prices at $2.31, down 16¢ in the past week. The statewide average dropped about a dime and now stands at $2.40 a gallon. GasBuddy spotters put South Haven’s average the same as Benton Harbor at $2.31, while Dowagiac has the state’s lowest prices with several stations selling gas for as low at $2.06 a gallon.. ...Read Full Story

Two Hurt In Van Buren County Rollover

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Two Van Buren County men are hospitalized in Kalamazoo after being badly hurt in a rollover crash in Antwerp Township Sunday afternoon. The sheriff’s department tells us the driver was thrown from the SUV, and his passenger had to be cut out using the Jaws of Life. Investigators don’t know yet why the 29-year-old driver from the Paw Paw area went off the road, which caused him to over correct and lose control. The vehicle hit a tree and a telephone pole before rolling over several times and stopping just feet from hitting a house. Tests will be done to see if the driver was high or drunk, and police say it does not appear he was wearing a seat belt. The passenger is a 50-year-old Lawton area man, and both were taken by ambulance to Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo with serious injuries.. ...Read Full Story

Kinexus, Others Call For “Good Jobs For Michigan”

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Kinexus has come out in favor of a plan to encourage businesses to bring large numbers of well-paying jobs to Michigan. The Good Jobs for Michigan plan is legislation that would give tax incentives to companies that create at least 250 jobs that pay 100% or more of the regional average for a trade. Kinexus CEO Todd Gustafson tells WSJM News there would be very real benefits to pushing for such jobs.. ...Read Full Story

Berrien Rep Talks Handgun Bill

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State Representative Kim LaSata tells us it wasn’t an easy decision, but she had several reasons for voting in favor of legislation easing restrictions on carrying concealed handguns this past week. The bill approved by the state House eliminates a requirement to have a license to carry a concealed pistol. It also removes a requirement to get eight hours of training before concealed carrying. LaSata, of Bainbridge Township, tells WSJM News she thinks most gun owners are responsible and don’t need such restrictions.. ...Read Full Story

Fatal Shooting In Benton Harbor

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The Benton Harbor Department of Public Safety is investigating a Saturday fatal shooting. It tells WSJM News officers were called out to River Terrace Apartments shortly after 3 p.m. and found the 21-year-old Benton Harbor man with severe wounds. He was taken to Lakeland Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The victim’s identity has not been released. Police say they’re following several leads as part of their investigation. Anyone with information on the case is asked to contact Benton Harbor Public Safety.. ...Read Full Story

RESA Board Members Reelected

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Berrien RESA has held its biennial election. School boards across Berrien County get to vote on the RESA board’s makeup every couple of years, and on June 5, they picked Linda Holt and J. Allene Smith to serve once again. Both of their terms are six years, ending in June of 2023. Holt, of Stevensville, has served on the RESA Board of Education since 1993, and is currently the treasurer. Smith, of Benton Harbor, has served since 2007.. ...Read Full Story

State Reminds Swimmers About Rip Current Dangers

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The Michigan Department of Health and Humane Services is hoping the state’s residents have a safe summer on the Great Lakes. It tells us more than ten people die each year because of dangerous currents in the lakes. Those currents develop when winds blow toward the shore, and waves are three feet or higher. The health department also notes the eastern shore of Lake Michigan has the most current-related incidents of any part of the Great Lakes. 71% of such emergencies happen in Lake Michigan. Everyone’s advised to not swim alone, watch out for others, pay attention to water that’s discolored and choppy, foamy, or filled with debris, and to not swim near a structure like a pier. If you find yourself in a rip current, flip on your back, float to conserve energy, and follow the safest path out of the water. It could be along the line of the current until it’s less strong. You can find out more at the CDC’s website.. ...Read Full Story

Upton Co-Sponsors Bill To Build New Shipping Lock

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Congressman Fred Upton is co-sponsoring legislation to authorize the construction of a new lock at the Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie. The Soo Locks Modernization Act would approve the needed funding for a new shipping lock. Upton and other members of Michigan’s congressional delegation this week toured the locks, announcing the need for a new one. They say just one of the two functional locks is big enough for most shipping traffic, and if the one large lock were to have a problem, shipping on the Great Lakes would be severely hampered. They’re looking to build a new lock that would be 1,200 feet long, 110 feet wide, and 32 feet deep. It’s estimated a new lock could cost around $1 billion.. ...Read Full Story

I-94 Paving Work Near Watervliet Starts Sunday

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The Michigan Department of Transportation is planning yet more freeway work in Berrien County. It tells us drivers should know there will be paving done on I-94 between mile markers 39 and 43 near Watervliet starting on Sunday. The work will be done at night, and will involve single lane closures. It will wrap up next Wednesday.. ...Read Full Story

State House Approves Ban On FGM

Legislation outlawing female genital mutilation and allowing victims to receive significant civil damages is headed to the Michigan Senate. That’s following overwhelming approval by the House this week. Representative Beth Griffin of Mattawan tells WSJM News she’s glad they’ve taken action.. ...Read Full Story

Governor, Lawmakers Reach Pension Deal

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Governor Snyder and Republican legislative leaders say that have reached a tentative framework on making changes to Michigan’s teacher retirement system. They reported the agreement after a meeting at the Capitol Thursday. The progress means Snyder will be involved in budget decisions again after GOP leaders excluded him. Details are being hashed out, and it may take some time according to House Speaker Tom Leonard.. ...Read Full Story

One Shot In Benton Township

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A shooting in Benton Township is being investigated. Police tell WSJM News 22-year-old Andrew Butler was shot in the left arm by a shotgun just before 1 p.m. yesterday at the Blossom Acres housing complex. They have not released a description of a suspect, and no arrest has been made. There is also no word from police about what prompted the shooting. Butler is hospitalized at Lakeland in St. Joseph and underwent emergency surgery.. ...Read Full Story

Proos Education Plan Approved By Senate

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A plan from state Senator John Proos to encourage more young people to study math and science while also giving them information on what career fields will be hot in their areas has been approved by the Michigan Senate. Proos tells WSJM News if a student takes a lot of STEM classes, they’ll get a special STEM designation.. ...Read Full Story

Berrien Representatives Split On Handgun Bill

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State Representative Kim LaSata tells us it wasn’t an easy decision, but she had several reasons for voting in favor of legislation easing restrictions on carrying concealed handguns this week. The bill approved by the state House eliminates a requirement to have a license to carry a concealed pistol. It also removes a requirement to get eight hours of training before concealed carrying. LaSata, of Bainbridge Township, tells WSJM News she thinks most gun owners are responsible and don’t need such restrictions.. ...Read Full Story

Kinexus Backing Good Jobs For Michigan Plan

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Kinexus has come out in favor of a plan to encourage businesses to bring large numbers of well-paying jobs to Michigan. The Good Jobs for Michigan plan is legislation that would give tax incentives to companies that create at least 250 jobs that pay 100% or more of the regional average for a trade. Kinexus CEO Todd Gustafson tells WSJM News there would be very real benefits to pushing for such jobs.. ...Read Full Story

Berrien Sheriff Opposed To Handgun Bill

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Officials across Michigan have been split on the handgun legislation approved this week by the Michigan House. Berrien County Sheriff Paul Bailey is among those against it. The plan eliminates a requirement to get a license to carry a concealed handgun, while also eliminating a requirement to get special training. Bailey tells WSJM News that’s the part he dislikes.. ...Read Full Story

Lake Michigan Community Aiming To Break Sand Angel Record

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From the Associated Press — A western Michigan city is looking to break a mark set by the Guinness World Records for the most people simultaneously making sand angels at a beach. “Be Someone’s Angel” is scheduled for this Saturday and is organized by the Spectrum Health Ludington Hospital Foundation. Foundation Director Kaley Petersen says the event will also be a fundraiser for the hospital’s cancer service center. The event is free with a $20 suggested donation. Participants will create sand angels at the same time for 30 continuous seconds. An official Guinness judge will be at the event to verify in real time if the event breaks the current record, which was set in 2015 in Pembrokeshire,
United Kingdom, with more than 350 angels completed. The foundation’s goal for the record is 5,000 angels.. ...Read Full Story

No Charges To Be Filed In Niles Carbon Monoxide Death

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The Berrien County Prosecutor has decided no criminal charges will be sought in the carbon monoxide poisoning death of a 13-year-old boy in the pool area of a Niles hotel. Prosecutor Michael Sepic told us Thursday negligence may have played a role in the April 1 death of Bryan Watts at the Niles Quality Inn, but it did not meet the definition of gross negligence necessary for a criminal charge. Sepic says the poisoning likely resulted from a pool heater ventilation pipe disconnecting from the heater, causing carbon monoxide to leak into a maintenance room and be vented into the pool area. About 10 other people, mostly children, required hospital treatment after being sickened by the carbon monoxide.. ...Read Full Story

Cass County Crash Injures Two

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Two people are hospitalized as the result of a car crash in Cass County. The sheriff’s department tells WSJM News that a vehicle driven by 28-year-old Adam Tyszka of Cassopolis went across the center line on M-62 in Silver Lake Township and hit the vehicle of 77-year-old Richard Schuenenman of Benton Harbor around 5:30 last night. Schuenenman had to be extricated from his vehicle, and he was airlifted to Bronson Hospital in Kalamazoo. Tyszka’s car rolled over due to the impact, and he was taken to Borgess Lee Hospital in Dowagiac. Police say both men were wearing their seat belts, alcohol doesn’t appear to have been a factor, and they’re still trying to figure out what caused Tyszka to go into oncoming traffic.. ...Read Full Story

Michigan House Passes Bills On Concealed Pistol Licenses

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From the Associated Press — The Michigan House has passed a package of four bills that would make concealed pistol licenses optional for people living in the state. The primary bill passed 59 to 49 Wednesday while others passed on similar votes. The bills now go to the state Senate. They would remove the restriction of requiring a license to carry a concealed pistol and let people voluntarily get education or training since a permit would not be required. Rep. Michelle Hoitenga, a Republican from Manton, says she knows of law-abiding citizens without licenses who get in trouble when their clothing accidentally covers their pistol when they are open-carrying. Opponents say not requiring concealed pistol licenses — and the training required to get them — could pose dangers to police and the public.. ...Read Full Story

Snyder Unsure About Signing Anti-Abortion License Plate Bill

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From the Associated Press — A spokeswoman for Republican Governor Rick Snyder says he’s undecided about signing legislation to require Michigan to create an anti-abortion fundraising license plate. The Republican-led Senate enrolled the bill Tuesday after it previously won
mostly party-line approval in the legislature. The measure would require a “Choose Life” plate to be issued by June 2018. Michigan has fundraising plates for universities and causes like breast cancer awareness. The anti-abortion plate would cost $35 initially. The money would go to a fund whose board is controlled by Right to Life of Michigan. The board would disperse grants to crisis pregnancy centers and other nonprofits promoting “life-affirming programs and projects.” Senators fell short of giving the bill immediate effect, which could delay the
plate’s release in 2018.. ...Read Full Story

State Panel Approves Higher Education Budget

From the Associated Press — Michigan’s 15 public universities would get an overall 2 percent boost in state funding under legislation ironed out by lawmakers. A Republican-led conference committee voted 5-1 for the $1.6 billion higher education budget bill Tuesday, with one Democrat in opposition. Schools’ funding increases would range from 1.5 percent to 2.7 percent. Five universities’ state aid would remain below levels from seven years ago. Legislators are advancing spending measures after setting targets without Governor Rick Snyder due to an impasse over closing the pension system to newly hired school employees. It’s unclear if the full Legislature will vote without a deal with the Republican governor.
Twenty-eight community colleges would see an overall 1 percent funding boost under another bill approved Tuesday. Increases would range from 0.6 percent to 3.2 percent.. ...Read Full Story

BH Schools Could Adopt Plan To Sell Off Surplus Properties

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A final plan for Benton Harbor Area Schools to drop ten unused properties could be approved next week by the board of education. At a Tuesday work session, trustees were told a firm will be hired to handle the sale of surplus buildings and other properties. If they don’t sell within a year, they’ll either be auctioned or given to the land bank. Superintendent Dr. Shelly Walker told WSJM News the goal is to save money.. ...Read Full Story

This Is CPR Awareness Week

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This is CPR and AED Awareness Week, observed by the American Heart Association every year in June to remind people that CPR is easy to learn and can save lives. When a person has cardiac arrest, their survival depends on quick administration of CPR, says Dan Grejcyzk, a CPR teacher.. ...Read Full Story

Detroit Tigers To Honor Fallen Officers

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Ron Kienzle and Joseph Zangaro will be honored tomorrow by the Detroit Tigers along with five other officers who were killed in the line of duty in the state last year. You’ll remember Kienzle and Zangaro died when they were shot by an inmate trying to escape the Berrien County Courthouse last July. The Tigers’ 6th Annual Law Enforcement Appreciation Night at Comerica Park will include a special Michigan State Police helicopter flyover, and Lieutenant Governor Brian Calley will throw out the ceremonial first pitch before the game against the Los Angeles Angels. $10 from each ticket sold tomorrow night will be donated to the fund for the National Law Enforcement Museum, which is being built in Washington, DC.. ...Read Full Story

Free Fishing This Weekend

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Coming up this weekend, you’ll be able to go fishing in Michigan waters free of charge. State Representative Kim LaSata tells us it’s another Free Fishing Weekend, June 10 and 11. That’s when the Michigan Department of Natural Resources waives all fishing license fees so everyone can check out the state’s fishing opportunities without having to pay up. Representative LaSata tells us there’s something special about southwest Michigan in that department, and so she urges everyone to take part. All other fishing rules still apply throughout the weekend. You can find out more at Michigan.gov/FreeFishing.. ...Read Full Story