Lake Michigan College will be holding an organ donor registration drive next week. LMC Director of Registered Dental Assisting Julie Uribe tells WSJM News the dental assisting program wanted to get more people signed up to donate in honor of Brenda L. Dickey, of Buchanan. She was an instructor at the dental assisting department who died this year when her body rejected an organ transplant.. ...Read Full Story
Consumers Energy is working to donate as many as 150,000 high-efficiency LED light bulbs to west Michigan food banks throughout the month of April. Spokesperson Brian Wheeler tells WSJM News they’ll donate a bulb every time someone buys one at major retailers around the region.. ...Read Full Story
UPDATE!. ...Read Full Story
Drivers are being warned that I-94 near Hartford will be closed for a couple of hours this weekend. The Michigan Department of Transportation’s Nick Schirripa tells WSJM News MDOT, police, and Indiana Michigan Power will be on hand for a utility project between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. Sunday.. ...Read Full Story
Andrews University is planning a special 5K run to raise awareness and funds for an organization that works with autistic children. The Autism Speaks 5K is set for Sunday, April 16, and they’re taking registrations now. Autism Speaks is a group founded in 2005 by grandparents of a child with autism. It’s dedicated to finding autism solutions and sponsoring research. It also does outreach on behalf of autistic kids. Proceeds from ticket sales to the run at Andrews will go to the non-profit. Anyone interested in signing up can do so right here. It’s $10 for students and $15 for everyone else.. ...Read Full Story
With the failure last week of the GOP’s American Health Care Act, the debate over how to fix the healthcare system rages on. A national day of action calling for an end to for-profit solutions, including Obamacare, is set for April 8 when Congress goes on recess. Glenn Pearson, former president of Physicians for a National Health Program, says a single payer, not-for-profit healthcare system would be focused on care.. ...Read Full Story
The Berrien County Health Department is hoping to spread a message about alcohol abuse throughout the month of April. It’s working with the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence to make April Alcohol Awareness Month. The theme this year is “Connecting the Dots: Opportunities for Recovery.” The goal is to raise awareness about the causes of alcoholism and the ways it can be treated. The health department wants to focus much of the education effort on young people, teaching them about the dangers of excessive drinking. The health department also wants to kick the whole thing off with an Alcohol Free Weekend this weekend. It asks parents and other adults to not drink from March 31 to April 2 to show young people you don’t need booze to have a good time.. ...Read Full Story
Governor Rick Snyder has signed a sweeping package of criminal justice reforms championed by state Senator John Proos. The legislation includes programs to help ex-cons find jobs when they’re released, new partnerships between the corrections department and outside groups to train prisoners, and more ways to help probationers avoid getting locked up. Senator Proos tells WSJM News the plan will make a big difference with several reforms.. ...Read Full Story
Set for Saturday at the Lake Michigan College Mendel Center is the first annual Fandom Fest. It’s an event for geeks, kind of like Comic Con, organized by seven local libraries. Bridgman Public Library Director Gretchen Evans tells WSJM News they thought of it at a recent meeting while discussing a similar program done in Kalamazoo.. ...Read Full Story
The owners of the Orchards Mall have bought themselves another year. The 2014 property taxes on the mall in Benton Township were due on Friday, and Berrien County Treasurer Bret Witkowski tells us they paid them. His office received a check for a little more than $141,000. Witkowski tells us the mall has paid for 2014, but still owes its 2015 and 2016 taxes. Still, the mall won’t be foreclosed this year.. ...Read Full Story
U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow has announced legislation designed to help the manufacturing industry by requiring the federal government to buy American. She stopped at a military antenna manufacturer in Grand Haven Friday, and told WKZO News U.S. workers are hurt when the feds buy too many goods overseas.. ...Read Full Story
From the Associated Press — A campaign finance watchdog and a radio network report that a Republican campaign committee lost track of more than $100,000 in the last election cycle. The Michigan Public Radio Network says Friday that its investigation with the Michigan Campaign Finance Network found the House Republican Campaign Committee is facing fines and questions about what happened to the money.
Stu Sandler, a consultant for the committee, says an attorney and an audit team have been hired and the secretary of state’s office has been notified. Sandler says whatever happened to the money was under previous leadership led by then-House Speaker Kevin Cotter. Cotter’s working with auditors. The committee will file updated reports. House Republicans maintained their 63-47 majority in the election.. ...Read Full Story
The Michigan Senate has passed a bill to create a “Choose Life” specialty license plate. The bills sponsor, Republican Senator Patrick Colbeck, says the plate will cost 35-dollars.. ...Read Full Story
For the first time in 60 years the Mackinaw Bridge will get a make-over. James Lake, spokesperson for the Bridge Authority, says one of the iconic ivory towers will be stripped down to bare metal to remove the lead-based paint and then re-painted.. ...Read Full Story
Michigan State Police are warning people to stay clear of crash scenes. First Lt. Michael Shaw says with traffic cameras and the news, many people see their vehicles or what they think is their vehicles in an accident, and rush to the scene.. ...Read Full Story
From the Associated Press — A driver accused of killing five bicyclists and injuring four others in Kalamazoo County will stand trial on second-degree murder charges. A judge has denied Charles Pickett Jr.’s motion to reverse an earlier ruling that allowed the murder charges. The judge also denied Pickett’s efforts to suppress statements he made to police about the crash. The nine bicyclists were struck June 7, 2016, by a pickup along a rural road in Cooper Township. Pickett also is charged with operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated causing death and causing serious injury.A state police scientist has said Pickett’s blood tests after the crash revealed drugs, including painkillers and methamphetamine.
An April 24 trial is scheduled.The Associated Press left messages Thursday seeking comment from Pickett’s attorneys.. ...Read Full Story
A couple of Michigan cities are in the running for the title of USA Today’s Best Small Midwestern Town. We’ve told you Saugatuck is one of them, but let’s not forget Charlevoix. The town way up along the Lake Michigan coast north of Traverse City is known for its scenic views of the water, says Amanda Wilkin, with the Convention and Visitors Bureau of Charlevoix.. ...Read Full Story
The state of Michigan would provide tax incentives for large-scale business expansions under legislation passed in the Senate on Wednesday. The businesses would have to create at least 250 jobs that pay 125% of the regional average. That’s according to sponsor state Senator Jim Stamas, who spoke with Michigan News Network about the plan.. ...Read Full Story
A government shutdown could be looming. That’s according to Congressman Fred Upton, who tells WSJM News lawmakers in Washington need to approve a continuing budget resolution by the end of April to keep federal programs running. House and Senate leaders are racing on a deal.. ...Read Full Story
A mentorship program started by the Rotary Club of St. Joseph-Benton Harbor has been such a success that it’s become a model for chapters all around the world. Jackie Huie, the CEO of Johnson Rauhoff, tells us she helped get the program rolling around 2007, when the Rotary started reaching out to professionals in all sorts fields to ask if they’d chat with high school students from St. Joseph. Since then, they’ve expanded to districts all over the area, and about 400 kids have taken part.. ...Read Full Story
Lake Michigan College is anxious to show off its new Fab Lab this weekend. The Fab Lab is an open access digital fabrication studio and collaborative workshop featuring all sorts of state-of-the-art equipment for makers. Manager Andrea Oleniczak tells WSJM News you can sign up to use it. She wants folks to come out this weekend to see the Fab Lab for themselves.. ...Read Full Story
State Representative Beth Griffin, of Mattawan, is hailing the Michigan House’s passage Thursday of legislation updating the state’s high school graduation standards. Griffin tells us the three-bill package includes a plan from her to boost technical education in the state by giving students options to have technical courses count toward graduation.. ...Read Full Story
Everything’s back to normal at the Cook nuclear power plant in Bridgman after a computer system failed early Thursday. Spokesperson Bill Schalk tells WSJM News they had to issue a notice to authorities when the failure occurred.. ...Read Full Story
A bill moving through the Michigan House of Representatives would allow residents to warm up their cars while parked in private drive-ways unattended. Sponsor state Representative Holly Hughes tells Michigan News Network she’s heard from people statewide outraged to hear of a man who was ticketed for leaving his car running. The plan is designed to prevent situations like that.. ...Read Full Story
From the Associated Press — A former lawyer with the state of Michigan has lost his law license in a misconduct case related to his public hostility for a gay student leader at the University of Michigan. Andrew Shirvell’s disbarment was ordered Thursday by a panel at the Attorney
Discipline Board. He can appeal to the full board. Shirvell was an assistant attorney general. He was fired in 2010 after criticizing Christopher Armstrong on an anti-gay blog, on Facebook and during visits to the Ann Arbor campus. Shirvell said he was exercising free-speech rights. But the panel at the discipline board says his motive was “dishonest or selfish,” not simply careless. A message seeking comment was left with his attorney. In a separate matter, a jury in 2012 ordered Shirvell to pay $4.5 million to Armstrong.. ...Read Full Story
From the Associated Press — Michigan senators have voted to more quickly phase in a tax break for people who trade in their car for a new one.
A 2013 law lets buyers subtract some of the value of their trade-in from the purchase price of a new vehicle for tax purposes. The change is being phased in until 2039. The Republican-controlled Senate unanimously approved legislation Wednesday to accelerate the phase-in of the tax cut 10 years sooner, by 2029. Supporters say the law helped boost auto sales and buyers deserve a bigger tax break earlier. The nonpartisan Senate Fiscal Agency says Michigan could lose nearly $18 million in tax revenue in year two. Michigan has a 6 percent sales tax. The bill goes to the House.. ...Read Full Story
Budget woes are leading to the demise of the one person Standish Police Department in northern Michigan come Saturday. City Manager Jerry Nelson says a couple of millages for the department have failed. He tells Michigan News Network the town won’t go without law enforcement.. ...Read Full Story
A Mother is claiming her son developed a painful skin infection after visiting a popular indoor water park. Alexis McCalla has posted on Social Medea that her son caught a bacterial infection during a visit to Surfari Joe’s in Watervliet. McCalla says her son returned home with a suspicious rash. McCalla says doctors explained that her seven-year-old suffered a chemical burn that developed into a bacterial infection. McCalla shared the incident in a Facebook post that quickly went viral, prompting many others to share their concerns and describing similar illnesses they say occurred after visiting the water park. Surfari Joe’s says they are in accordance with state and health department laws and resources.. ...Read Full Story
Indiana Michigan Power is inspecting its power poles and equipment this year. Spokesperson Tracy Warner tells WSJM News they’ve got contractors out and about taking a look at those items in an effort to make sure the power remains reliable.. ...Read Full Story
A complete loss, that’s the description of the scene of a house fire in the 400 Block of Maple in South Haven last night. Captain Owen Ridley with the South Haven Fire Department says there were not injuries. . ...Read Full Story
Now that the healthcare debate is temporarily over, doctors have some advice for navigating the healthcare system. Family physician Dr. Jennifer Aloff tells us patients need to remember to communicate clearly with the office staff about the reason for the visit so they can block out enough time with the doctor.. ...Read Full Story
Lakeland Health is celebrating Doctor’s Day this Thursday. It’s a national day for doctors of all kinds to be thanked for their service. Lakeland Director of Physician Services Stephanie McNeil tells WSJM News they’ll be doing a few things for the docs.. ...Read Full Story
Michigan has gotten its first case of measles for 2017. Jennifer Eisner, with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, tells WSJM News the case was in a southeastern Michigan resident who had just gotten home from international travels.. ...Read Full Story
If you hear the Cook nuclear power plant emergency sirens going off this April Fool’s Day, it’s no prank. The Cook plant’s Bill Schalk tells WSJM News they’re doing their yearly extended siren test on Saturday, the first. The sirens will be sounded for three straight minutes.. ...Read Full Story
If you’re a fan of Saugatuck-Douglas, you can help it win an online contest. The area is in the running for the title of USA Today’s Best Midwestern Small Town. The poll is going on right now, and currently, Saugatuck-Douglas is ranked 5th. USA Today writes Saugatuck-Douglas is notable for its B&Bs, art galleries, and “stunning Lake Michigan shore.” Ahead of the area in the poll, as of Wednesday afternoon, were Grand Marais, Minnesota, Nashville, Indiana, Charlevoix, Michigan, and Chagrin Falls, Ohio. You can vote for Saugatuck-Douglas right here.. ...Read Full Story
Following last week’s failure of the House Republican healthcare legislation, Congressman Fred Upton is still hoping something will be done to replace the Affordable Care Act. However, he tells WSJM News it will probably take a while.. ...Read Full Story
Leaders at Benton Harbor Area Schools and the state are a step closer to reaching their partnership agreement. A lengthy meeting was held Wednesday for details of the deal to be hammered out between not only the state and the schools, but also local community partners that will be involved. Superintendent Dr. Shelly Walker tells WSJM News those partners include Whirlpool, Lakeland, Andrews University, and Riverwood. They’ll all work together to improve Benton Harbor Schools.. ...Read Full Story
From the Associated Press — The Michigan House has passed legislation that would allow minors to refuse requests by police to submit to breathalyzers. Officers would be prohibited from administering the tests that measure a person’s blood-alcohol level without consent by the minor or a judge-signed court order. The bill also would eliminate tickets and fines and the two points tacked onto a minor’s driving record for refusing to submit to a breathalyzer. A minor still can be arrested for refusing to take a breathalyzer if an officer has probable cause that the minor was driving under the influence. The legislation is sponsored by state Representative Pete Lucido, a Republican from Macomb County’s Shelby Township. It passed 102-6 Wednesday and now heads to the state Senate for future consideration.. ...Read Full Story
Gas prices are expected to be up in Michigan this summer, according to AAA. Spokesperson Susan Hiltz tells WSJM News there are several reasons why they auto club predicts the average price will be up 40 cents.. ...Read Full Story
From the Associated Press — The Michigan Senate has approved a $5 million state loan to help repair a sinkhole in suburban Detroit and has voted to allot $100 million in federal funding to address Flint’s water crisis. The mid-year budget bill cleared the Republican-controlled chamber 36-1 Wednesday. The House authorized a $3 million infrastructure grant for Macomb County to make sinkhole repairs. But Senate Republicans instead backed a $5 million interest-free loan, saying it’s up to local governments to maintain their infrastructure. Democrats and some Republicans opposed the switch.The House could take a final vote this week. The bill would formally allocate $100 million in Flint aid that Congress and former President Barack Obama enacted into law in December. It also includes $1 million for capital improvements to the Michigan Capitol building.. ...Read Full Story
From the Associated Press — Michigan Supreme Court Justice Robert Young plans to retire and return to his former law firm. A statement from the court says Young announced his plans Wednesday during a meeting with fellow Michigan Supreme Court justices. The 65-year-old says his
retirement from the court is effective April 30 or earlier. He’s going back to the Dickinson Wright firm. Young served three years on the Michigan Court of Appeals and 18 years on Michigan’s highest court, including six years as chief justice. Young says he’s proud of his accomplishments, including helping to reduce acrimony among the court. He says in a statement “we proved that good people who may differ in their opinions can come together and accomplish important things for the people we serve – and we do it amicably.”. ...Read Full Story
From the Associated Press — Ford Motor Co. is investing $1.2 billion in three Michigan facilities, including an engine plant where it plans to add 130 jobs. President Donald Trump applauded the move in an early morning tweet. Ford will spend $850 million to upgrade the Michigan Assembly Plant next year to build the Ford Ranger pickup and Ford Bronco SUV. The suburban Detroit plant currently makes small cars, which are moving to a plant in Mexico. Ford will spend $150 million to upgrade its Romeo Engine Plant outside Detroit. The company says it will create or retain 130 jobs at that plant. Ford is also spending $200 million on a data center that will store information collected from advanced vehicles.
Michigan is expected to approve $30 million in tax incentives for Ford on Tuesday.. ...Read Full Story
Medical marijuana dispensaries are coming to southwest Michigan. This week, the Niles City Council approved a resolution stating the city intends to adopt three medical marijuana laws passed by the state last year. Plus, Buchanan leaders have held a similar vote, and plan further discussions on details April 11. Supporters are hoping medical marijuana dispensaries will lead to economic growth while helping patients of some chronic medical issues. However, some police agencies have their concerns. Niles Police Chief James Millin says the dispensaries could lead to theft. Michigan voters approved the use of marijuana for some medical conditions in 2008.. ...Read Full Story
U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters are both opposing President Donald Trump’s nominee to the Supreme Court. Each of Michigan’s senators, both Democrats, released statements Tuesday, saying Neil Gorsuch will get a vote of no from them when his appointment is finally brought to the Senate floor. Stabenow says a review of Gorsuch’s rulings shows “he has a long record of siding with special interests and institutions instead of hard-working Americans.” She says Gorsuch doesn’t meet standards of “balance and impartiality.” Peters, meanwhile, says “Judge Gorsuch’s previous rulings indicate he “believes that corporations have greater rights than individuals.” Gorsuch could get his vote next week.. ...Read Full Story
The new president at Lake Michigan College will start on April 10. That’s according to LMC Board of Trustees Chair Dr. Michael Lindley. He tells us Dr. Trevor Kubatzke, who’s coming to southwest Michigan from Milwaukee Area Technical College, has already moved to buy a house in the area. Lindley says Kubatzke is a good fit and has experience with a lot of the things LMC is doing.. ...Read Full Story
With Michigan considering the legalization of marijuana, a former White House drug policy adviser is telling the state to just say no. Kevin Sabet is head of the group Smart Approaches to Marijuana. He’s in Detroit this week to discuss the impact of today’s stronger, more potent pot. Sabet tells Michigan News Network it’s worse than it used to be.. ...Read Full Story
It’s been a busy first quarter for St. Joseph Today. On Monday, Executive Director Amy Zapal gave her quarterly report to city commissioners, saying the St. Joe Welcome Center has had nearly 3,000 visitors this year. She also went over the events the organization’s had the past three months. Zapal tells WSJM News as more activities are held downtown, even in the winter, the area sees more visitors overall.. ...Read Full Story
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The Michigan State Police Cyber Command Center has a few pointers for parents when it comes to their kids and cell phones. First Lieutenant Jim Ellis tells our newsroom you’ve got to know which apps your kids are using. He tells WSJM News predators use messenger services to meet up with young people.. ...Read Full Story
State Representative Beth Griffin, of Mattawan, is hailing a Michigan House committee’s passage Tuesday of legislation updating the state’s high school graduation standards. Griffin tells us the three-bill package includes a plan from her to boost technical education in the state by giving students options to have technical courses count toward graduation.. ...Read Full Story
An Elkhart, Indiana man is charged with open murder in the death of his father in Cass County Monday night. Michigan State Police say they were called to a home in the 16,000 block of State Line Road in Mason Township about 8:30 p.m. There, they found a 59-year-old man dead from stab wounds. 32-year-old Joseph Allen Craigo was arrested in the death. He was arraigned Tuesday afternoon in Fourth District Court in Cassopolis. Police say the case remains under investigation.. ...Read Full Story
After about three and a half years on the job, Louis Csokasy is stepping down from the Berrien County Road Commission as its managing director. He tells WSJM News he’ll be 70 in July and the time is right to exit the position he’s held since being hired in October 2013. Csokasy was hired after the Berrien County Board of Commissioners removed several road commissioners and managers over allegations of a hostile work environment and fiscal mismanagement. The commission was also investigated by the U.S. Department of Transportation earlier in the decade. Csokasy says rumors that he’s being “forced out” are not true, and his contract runs through May 26. He adds he’s not aware of what plans the road commission may have to fill the post after he leaves this spring.. ...Read Full Story
A murder is under investigation by the Michigan State Police in Cass County. A 32-year-old Elkhart man is in custody and accused of stabbing a 59-year-old man to death in Mason Township last night. Troopers were sent to a home in the 16-thousand block of State Line Road just after 8:20 last night and found the victim dead. No details about what lead to the murder have been released. Authorities have also not released the names of the suspect or victim.. ...Read Full Story
Property inspections in the city of St. Joseph have begun for the year. City Chief Building Official Cecil Derringer says the staff is in place to go property by property looking for violations for their owners to address. They’ll check out each lot from the street or the adjacent property and look at everything from the roof down to the ground. Folks with violations will be notified, and they’ll have several weeks to address each matter. This season, the city is focusing on homes from about Old Lakeshore Road to the St. Joseph River, almost all of them west of Main Street. Then, they’ll do another area next year, and so on. It’s been about ten years since such inspections were conducted.. ...Read Full Story
From the Associated Press — Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly says he told members of the Detroit area’s Arab-American and Latino communities that he is committed to keeping the country safe without targeting anyone based on a person’s ethnicity or religious affiliation.
The retired Marine general spoke to reporters after the private meetings that took place Monday in Detroit’s suburbs. He also toured a U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility in Detroit just across the river from Canada. President Donald Trump has focused on building a wall at the Mexico border in an effort to boost security. He also wants to restrict immigration from six majority-Muslim countries, but federal judges in Hawaii and Maryland blocked his revised executive order on the topic. Messages left with some people who attended the meeting were not immediately
returned.. ...Read Full Story
The city of St. Joseph continues efforts to have a dilapidated house on Niles Avenue torn down. Last week, the city’s Property Maintenance Board of Appeals granted the owner of the home near the AT&T store a five week delay as part of his appeal of the demolition order. That was only because one of the board’s members wasn’t present, which St. Joe City Commissioner Jeff Richards tells WSJM will be fixed soon with more alternate appointees. He says the property’s owner has run out of time to do needed repairs.. ...Read Full Story
A convoy of trucks has left Michigan for Kansas and Texas to help relief efforts following some devastating fires there. You may have spotted some of those trucks over the weekend after they left the Thumb region. Trucker Matt Schaller, with Hunt Farms, tells WKZO News it all started as a small thing on social media and just kept growing and growing.. ...Read Full Story
St. Joseph could become just the second city in Michigan to have a playground that caters to special needs children. That’s after the city commission Monday night approved the concept for Riverview Park. They heard from Craig Carlson, of the Ray Carlson Memorial, a non-profit that operates under the umbrella of the Elks Lodge. He tells WSJM News he’s looking to raise money for a playground with a variety of features for kids with all sorts of disabilities.. ...Read Full Story
This is the last week property owners behind on their 2014 taxes will have to pay up. Berrien County Treasurer Bret Witkowski tells us 5 p.m. Friday is the deadline to get that money in or sign up for a payment plan. Don’t think you can put it off.. ...Read Full Story
The Trump administration could be reducing the ranks of international students at American universities. Among them is Western Michigan University, which currently has about 1,000 such students in Kalamazoo. President Dr. John Dunn tells WKZO News there are important skills students from other cultures can bring.. ...Read Full Story
