The Benton Harbor Sunrise Rotary Foundation has established a new endowment. The rotary’s Bob Elliot tells WSJM News a recent anonymous donation has made it possible. This will mean more long-term support for the community from the rotary.. ...Read Full Story
Two women are dead and a man from Howard Township is being treated for what police say are life-threatening injuries after a crash in Weesaw Township Monday afternoon. The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department says the man was driving a Chevrolet sedan when he went through a stop sign at Warren Woods and Cleveland roads shortly after 4 p.m., and was hit by a Dodge pickup. The two women killed were back seat passengers in the Chevy. Deputies say one was a 41-year-old from Illinois, while the other was a 37-year-old from Howard Township. Both drivers and two other passengers in the sedan are being treated at South Bend Memorial Hospital. Deputies tell our newsroom it doesn’t appear weather or road conditions were factors in the crash. Whether other issues like alcohol, drugs, or a medical issue were involved remains under investigation. No names have yet been released.. ...Read Full Story
A new report from the Mackinac Center for Public Policy takes a look at the prevalence of cigarette smuggling and finds the higher your state’s cigarette taxes are, the more likely smokes are being sneaked in from states with lower taxes. Police Director Michael LaFaive tells WSJM News the amount of illegal cigarettes brought into Michigan has been going down as other states raise the tax and we don’t.. ...Read Full Story
Michigan State Police will remember two fallen troopers this week. On Friday, the 30th, they’ll hold a memorial service for Gary Rampy and Charles Stark. The two troopers will killed 45 years ago along Red Arrow Highway in New Buffalo. MSP Lieutenant Melinda Logan.. ...Read Full Story
Now that winter is here, state Senator John Proos is reminding everyone there are things they can do to make paying those heating bills a little easier. He tells us a utility won’t shut off your service if you reach out to them.. ...Read Full Story
The cause of a deadly fire in southwest Michigan on Christmas Day is under investigation. The Cass County Sheriff’s Department says the fire killed 63-year-old Gordon Booz at his home in Marcellus. Firefighters and deputies were called to his home around 1:30 yesterday afternoon, and found his body after the flames were out.. ...Read Full Story
The city of Benton Harbor could start working with a local bank on helping more residents buy homes. At this week’s meeting, commissioners heard from Linda Allen, branch manager at Chemical Bank in the city. She asked them to work with her on finding folks who would like to own. From there, the bank would help them.. ...Read Full Story
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is reminding new parents of the importance of following safe sleep practices for their babies with the holidays here. Spokesperson Erica Quealy tells WSJM News even if you’re traveling, the baby still needs a crib. Don’t forget a few other tips.. ...Read Full Story
The Michigan Public Service Commission wants to know how the early closure of the Palisades nuclear power plant will affect the state’s reserve energy capacity. That’s just one of the things the MPSC is looking at as it reviews Consumers Energy’s request to end its Palisades contract in 2018, rather than 2022. Spokesperson Judy Palnau tells our newsroom reserve capacity was in danger of going below the recommended level to begin with.. ...Read Full Story
It’s been a good year for the regional housing market. Philip Amodeo, with the Southwest Michigan Association of Realtors, tells WSJM News 2016 will likely replace 2006 as a reference year, as the market has finally recovered from the recession. Not only are sales up, but so are the prices.. ...Read Full Story
Two parks projects in South Haven will benefit from a couple of grants announced this week. First up is $300,000 for the development of a new $4.1 million park near the Van Buren State Park Trail. It’ll include new ball fields and trails. South Haven Schools Superintendent Robert Herrera tells us the projects are good news.. ...Read Full Story
It’s been another successful Harvest Gathering campaign for the Michigan Secretary of State’s office. Spokesperson Laura Lehman tells WSJM News the office’s annual food drive has resulted in a huge amount of help for food banks all over the state.. ...Read Full Story
Lake Michigan College is preparing to hold a series of regular workshops for students interested in finding out how they can apply for and get financial aid. Financial Aid Fridays will be held each Friday from 2 to 4 p.m. starting January 6 and running through March 24. They’ll be done at the Benton Township, Niles, and South Haven campuses. Any students who want to come and apply should bring their Social Security number, driver’s license, and federal student aid ID, if they have one. LMC students received more than $9 million in federal aid during the 2015-2016 academic year, as well as more than $600,000 in scholarships from the Lake Michigan College Foundation. You can find out more at LakeMichiganCollege.edu/Finaid.. ...Read Full Story
Michigan State Police are celebrating 100 years in 2017, and as part of the commemoration, troopers will be adding some special gear to their uniforms. Melinda Logan, with the MSP post in Niles, tells us they’ve bought new hats, matching those original 1920s troopers would wear.. ...Read Full Story
The Michigan Department of Agriculture is inviting the public to comment on possible plans to set up an invasive species quarantine in Allegan, Muskegon, and Ottawa Counties. Spokesperson Jennifer Holton tells WSJM News they’ve recently found a bug called the hemlock woolly adelgid in those counties.. ...Read Full Story
Michigan Governor Rick Snyder has signed a law that allows community colleges to pursue expanding their tax districts, which could increase the number of students paying lower, residential tuition rates. Snyder signed the legislation this week that passed earlier this month with broad support in the Michigan legislature. Expanding the districts into communities the schools do not border would require approval by local governments and voters. The governor signed several other bills, including one that would require the Natural Resources Commission to review and determine if additional colors are safe and effective for hunters to wear, including “hunter pink.” Another new law would eliminate the requirement that a physician assistant must practice under a physician’s supervision but requires an assistant to obtain a practice agreement from a doctor.. ...Read Full Story
If you’ve got a few minutes to spare in the next couple of weeks, the Red Cross could use your help. Spokesperson Todd Kulman tells our newsroom blood donations go down this time of year because everyone’s so busy. If you give blood between now and January 8, the Red Cross will give you a special present.. ...Read Full Story
Governor Rick Snyder has signed a law that would authorize wolf hunting if Congress or federal courts revisit the issue. State lawmakers quickly passed the bill after the Michigan appeals court recently declared a 2014 law unconstitutional. The law signed Wednesday defines wolves as a game species and authorizes the Natural Resources Commission to designate game.
Money in the law related to Asian carp control could shield it from a statewide referendum. Wolf hunting is not allowed in Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota because of a 2014 federal court ruling. A judge threw out an Obama administration decision to remove gray wolves in the western Great Lakes region from the endangered species list. Michigan’s only hunt was in 2013, when 22 wolves were killed in the Upper Peninsula.. ...Read Full Story
New bills signed by Governor Rick Snyder on Wednesday will compensate wrongfully convicted people who served time in Michigan prisons. Professor David Moran, founder of the Michigan Innocence Clinic at the University of Michigan, says if their convictions are overturned, then they would be eligible.. ...Read Full Story
The Berrien County Health Department is once again reminding everyone that this is a good time of year to clean out your medicine cabinets. With the holidays upon us, many folks will have family over. The health department tells us more than 70% of young people who abuse prescription medications get them from family, sometimes by just swiping them from the bathroom. So, it’s better to get rid of any medications you won’t use. Just drop them into a MedReturn drop off box. Those can be found at Lakeland and Walgreen Pharmacies, and also at many police stations. Within the past year, more than 2,500 pounds of unwanted and expired medications were collected from the various drop off locations in Berrien County.. ...Read Full Story
This is the time of the year many people get all too wrapped up in the hustle of the holidays, and doctors say that can affect their health. Dr. A.K. Misra, with U.S. Health Works, tells us eating balanced meals and healthy snacks is a much better way of keeping your energy up than relying on caffeine, fast food and holiday sugar fixes.. ...Read Full Story
Police are warning everyone to take some precautions about packages left outside their doors as Christmas rolls in. A video of someone stealing a package left outside of a Benton Township home earlier this month has gone viral in the past week, prompting a reminder. The video is now all over Facebook. If you’re expecting a last minute package, the U.S. Postal Service says you can ask a neighbor to watch out for it, or have the carrier hold it so you can go and get it from them. Also this holiday weekend, some police agencies are offering to perform free checks on homes. If you’re going to be out of town, call your local cops and let them know. Among agencies who will check up on properties this weekend is the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Department.. ...Read Full Story
The U.S. Coast Guard says warming temperatures this weekend could pose safety issues on Lake Michigan and frozen inland rivers, streams and ponds. The Coast Guard is urging people to use extreme caution on the water and melting ice. Ice thickness can vary, even in small areas. Water currents around narrow spots, bridges, inlets and outlets can cause thinner ice. The Coast Guard says stay away from cracks, seams, pressure ridges, slushy areas and darker areas. Ice near the shore of a frozen lake may be unsafe and weaker because of shifting, expansion and sunlight reflecting off the bottom. A majority of Coast Guard units around Lake Michigan have winterized their rescue boats. That means the Coast Guard has a reduced ability to respond to anyone in distress on the water.. ...Read Full Story
Repairs are underway on a diesel generator at the Cook nuclear power plant. Spokesperson Bill Schalk tells WSJM News that crews on Wednesday found possible problems in the fuel injection pumps at two generators, one in each of the plant’s units. The diesel generator for Unit 1 was fixed, while the other generator, on Unit 2, will take a few days longer. Since Unit 2 is offline for a refueling outage, anyway, it doesn’t affect operations. The diesel generators are two of several power redundancies at Cook. Schalk says the plant is waiting for some parts to come in for the Unit 2 generator repairs to be complete. The NRC has been notified of the issue, and Cook has until the end of January 4 to fix it. Shalk says the issue doesn’t put the public at risk.. ...Read Full Story
The former treasurer of a baseball league in a Berrien County town has been sent to jail for stealing $37,000. Meanwhile, the Three Oaks Baseball Association is holding bake sales and scrambling to raise money to buy uniforms for the next season. Amanda Macias was sentenced to six months in jail Thursday in St Joseph. Judge Scott Schofield says she stole “from the children of Three Oaks.” Macias acknowledged her crime but insists she’s still a “good person with a heart of gold.” Her lawyer says she’s working two jobs to repay the league. Adam Williams, president of the group, says the baseball league is far short of the money it needs to start the season.. ...Read Full Story
As the Flint water crisis gets closer to Governor Rick Snyder, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette isn’t saying whether the governor could end up being charged. He says his investigation is about making sure there’s accountability, not about pursuing any one person.. ...Read Full Story
A man who’s accused of impersonating a police officer this week in Cass County has been found by the sheriff’s department. It says it got a tip about the alleged false officer after someone reported being pulled over by that person. Turns out the man’s a 53-year-old weather spotter and Red Cross volunteer from Jones. He told sheriff’s deputies he turned on his vehicle’s flashing lights Tuesday to stop someone who had cut him off in Newberg Township. He said he told the woman IF he was a cop, she’d be arrested. Police have turned the matter over to the prosecutor’s office to determine if charges are warranted.. ...Read Full Story
Two parks projects in South Haven will benefit from a couple of grants announced this week. First up is $300,000 for the development of a new $4.1 million park near the Van Buren State Park Trail. It’ll include new ball fields and trails. South Haven Schools Superintendent Robert Herrera tells us the projects are good news.. ...Read Full Story
695 people will be fed this Christmas thanks to the efforts of the Southwest Michigan Community Action Agency, Whirlpool, and the PGA. On Thursday, a total of 365 turkeys were given out in Benton Harbor. The agency’s Yvonne Vidt told us it feels great to help folks this time of year.. ...Read Full Story
Michigan now has 41 new state police troopers. They were graduated Thursday at a ceremony in Lansing with Governor Rick Snyder on hand. Lieutenant Mike Dawson, with the Niles state police post, tells WSJM News the legislature and the governor have really pushed to train new recruits this year.. ...Read Full Story
It’s been a good year for the regional housing market. Philip Amodeo, with the Southwest Michigan Association of Realtors, tells WSJM News 2016 will likely replace 2006 as a reference year, as the market has finally recovered from the recession. Not only are sales up, but so are the prices.. ...Read Full Story
A change has come to the law regarding minors in possession of alcohol. Governor Rick Snyder has signed legislation that makes the violation a civil infraction with a fine of $100 for a first offense. It used to be a misdemeanor. Republican state Senator Rick Jones, of Grand Ledge, sponsored the legislation and says most young people don’t even think about the consequences of breaking the law.. ...Read Full Story
A jump at the pump is putting a bit of a damper on holiday spirits, jumping over 20¢ this week in the area. Triple-A Michigan’s Susan Hiltz says the weather will cooperate with travelers, even if OPEC isn’t with the gas prices.. ...Read Full Story
Governor Rick Snyder has signed laws that will ease zero-tolerance policies in public schools and give districts flexibility to
consider many issues when deciding whether to punish a student. Snyder says students will no longer be automatically expelled or suspended due to misconduct. Schools can consider a student’s age, disciplinary history, a student’s disability and whether safety was at risk. The governor says the package of laws is the result of discussions involving educators, judges and the American Civil Liberties Union. Snyder said Thursday the laws emphasize “restorative justice.”. ...Read Full Story
The most popular name for baby girls in West Michigan in 2016 is Olivia. Liam tops the list for boys according to the Family Birthplace at Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids, which delivers more babies than any other hospital in Michigan. The rest of the top five for girls are Charlotte, Evelyn, Ava and Emma, while Levi, James, William and Elijah are the rest of the top five for boy babies. The only names on the list that weren’t there last year were Nora and Abigail for girls, but both were among the top ten in 2014.. ...Read Full Story
(Lansing, MI – AP) Governor Rick Snyder says he has “no reason to be concerned” about being charged in the Flint water investigation. Snyder’s comments to the “Detroit Free Press” occurred as the bill for his legal fees reached $4.9 million, all paid by taxpayers. The governor says much of the money has been spent on producing documents requested by Attorney General Bill Schuette’s investigators. Snyder says investigators “keep on asking” and his lawyers “keep on responding.”. ...Read Full Story
The Salvation Army’s annual red kettle campaign is struggling to hit its goal in the Grand Rapids area, just like we reported recently regarding donations in Benton Harbor and St. Joseph. Major Norman Grainger is the Kent County Coordinator and says they’re about halfway to their $1.6 million goal in the Grand Rapids area.. ...Read Full Story
Governor Rick Snyder will deliver the keynote address at a graduation ceremony for 41 new Michigan State Police troopers in Lansing on Thursday. Snyder says the graduation of the 131st Trooper Recruit School a stepping stone toward the reconstruction of the state police agency. He’s hoping to not just see officer counts improve in the next year, but he also wants to see bonds improve between law enforcement and the communities they serve.. ...Read Full Story
Shoppers are reminded to stay vigilant as Christmas gets closer. If you’re hitting up stores at the last minute, Kalamazoo County Sheriff Richard Fuller tells us you should still take precautions not to get robbed. Watch out for the gifts you buy.. ...Read Full Story
A far-reaching energy plan has been signed into law by Governor Rick Snyder. The package sets the state’s energy goals for the next several years. State Representative Aric Nesbitt tells us it considers just about everything.. ...Read Full Story
The bears have been delivered. Staff on and volunteers from the South Bend International Airport dropped off three vehicles’ worth of teddy bears at Lakeland Hospital in St. Joseph on Wednesday as part of the fifth annual Bears in the Air campaign. The airport’s Mike Daigle tells WSJM News it was a lot of fun.. ...Read Full Story
State Representative Al Pscholka has said goodbye to the Michigan House. Outgoing lawmakers got to give their farewell messages on the floor Wednesday. Pscholka has a message for the kids of Michigan, telling them even if they get a bit of a rough start in life, they can still go far.. ...Read Full Story
A Republican congressman said he delayed treatment of his son’s broken arm as an example of the kind of choices Americans will have to make when Republicans’ repeal of the health care law shifts more out-of-pocket costs to consumers. Representative Bill Huizenga told Michigan news site MLive.com that he and his wife opted to place a splint on their son’s arm and wait until the next morning to take him to the doctor rather than seek immediate but more costly treatment at an emergency room. Huizenga is an opponent of President Barack Obama’s health care law and a supporter of tax-free health savings accounts to help people cover their medical bills. Several liberal websites blasted Huizenga, a father of five.. ...Read Full Story
There will be no charges filed in the officer-involved shooting of a Benton Harbor man in October. 28-year-old Darius Wimberly was shot and killed by the officer on October 18 after police say he ambushed them as they responded to a call at a home on Pavone Street. Body camera footage released by the Benton Harbor Department of Public Safety shows the ambush occurring. The Berrien County Prosecutor’s office says it has determined the officer who shot Wimberly was acting in self defense and in defense of others. Prosecutors say their investigation has revealed Wimberly was having a dispute with someone at that home on Pavone who wasn’t there that night. They say it’s not clear if Wimberly knew he was shooting at police when he ambushed them, as it was dark and they didn’t have their lights on. He had been seen at that home the night before.. ...Read Full Story
The Cass County Sheriff’s Department is warning everyone about a possible police impersonator. It says around 2 p.m. Tuesday, two people called dispatch after someone tried to pull them over on M-40 in Newberg Township. Dispatch had them go to a Shell Mart to wait for deputies to arrive. When they got there, the deputies were told the person who tried to pull them over didn’t present any police ID, but had made statements hinting he was a cop. He’s described as a white male, about 65 years old, with white hair and a bear who was driving a red SUV with equipment racks and gear on top. The SUV also had white flashing lights and large antennas, along with several stickers. It may have said “rescue” on the front. Anyone with information is asked to call the Cass County Sheriff’s Department.. ...Read Full Story
A woman is dead after she was hit by a car in Galien on Tuesday evening. Michigan State Police tell us 50-year-old Gracie Harper was walking in the middle of the westbound side of US-12 on the west end of the village around 6:30 p.m. when she was struck by a westbound vehicle. The driver was unable to see her because it was dark and the road isn’t lit there. Police don’t believe alcohol or drugs were a factor for the driver, who was not hurt. They’re still waiting on lab results from the victim.. ...Read Full Story
State officials say the 2-1-1 information service phone number will be available to Michigan residents across the state. The Michigan Public Service Commission announced Tuesday that service was approved for St. Clair County. The move means that 2-1-1 is available in every corner of the state. The abbreviated phone number is designed to connect residents with services,
like for energy assistance. It can also be used during a crisis, like during severe weather. The commission says there are eight community resource call centers in Michigan.. ...Read Full Story
Not-guilty pleas have been entered by three of the four people newly charged in the Flint water investigation. Gerald Ambrose, Howard Croft and Daugherty Johnson briefly appeared in court Tuesday. They are charged with conspiracy and other crimes.
Ambrose is Flint’s former state-appointed emergency manager. Croft is Flint’s former public works director, and Johnson is the former utilities director. They’re all accused of keeping Flint on Flint River water and using a water treatment plant that wasn’t ready for service. The water wasn’t treated to control corrosion. As a result, lead leached from pipes and old fixtures.
Former Flint emergency manager Darnell Earley also is charged. He hasn’t appeared in court.. ...Read Full Story
Although many are concerned that self-driving vehicles will harm the auto industry, not to mention any industry that depends on people driving, Governor Rick Snyder says Michigan will be fine. It’s all about adapting.. ...Read Full Story
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is reminding new parents of the importance of following safe sleep practices for their babies with the holidays here. Spokesperson Erica Quealy tells WSJM News even if you’re traveling, the baby still needs a crib. Don’t forget a few other tips.. ...Read Full Story
The man charged in a January double murder in Coloma is still not going to trial. Alex Perez is charged in the deaths of Renee and John Mitchell, who were found beaten to death in their Coloma home on January 15th. Perez was later arrested in Colorado. In June, he was found incompetent to stand trial. However, the ruling also said he could be made competent through treatment at a state psychiatric center. The Berrien County Prosecutor’s office tells us a status report in court on Tuesday revealed Perez has still not been admitted to the center. His trial can’t happen until he is admitted and treated. The prosecutor says the office is still waiting for space to open up.. ...Read Full Story
Bills are now on their way to Governor Rick Snyder to make it illegal to sell tissue taken from an aborted fetus. The plan, backed by state Senator John Proos, applies to tissue from elective abortions. Proos tells us profiting from that procedure should not be allowed.. ...Read Full Story
In a sign of the continuing work on the building’s demolition, the chimney at the former Mercy Hospital in Benton Harbor is now gone. Berrien County Treasurer Bret Witkowski tells WSJM News it was removed Tuesday. Demolition is on track to be done at the end of the month, and next, Witkowski says they’ll have to clean up the property and find a buyer.. ...Read Full Story
The Michigan Public Service Commission wants to know how the early closure of the Palisades nuclear power plant will affect the state’s reserve energy capacity. That’s just one of the things the MPSC is looking at as it reviews Consumers Energy’s request to end its Palisades contract in 2018, rather than 2022. Spokesperson Judy Palnau tells our newsroom reserve capacity was in danger of going below the recommended level to begin with.. ...Read Full Story
Some Benton Harbor area kids have once again been treated to a bit of a shopping spree with the Shop with a Cop program, thanks to Meijer, local police departments, and Detroit Lions running back Joique Bell. He was on hand Tuesday morning as a group of kids, identified by local schools as needing help, took to Meijer in Benton Township to pick out about $100 worth of items for themselves. Bell’s foundation is a backer of the annual Shop with a Cop event. This year, parents also got to get in on the action by picking out up to $300 worth of food, clothes, or gifts.. ...Read Full Story
Even though he didn’t support Donald Trump for president, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder says he will attend his inauguration next month in Washington, D. C. He says it’s important to get along with everyone.. ...Read Full Story
A Grand Rapids woman has given birth to three identical babies. WZZM-TV reports that Ivan, William and Harrison Vandermolen were born three weeks ago, just minutes apart. The triplets have been doing well in the hospital, and their parents, John and Julie Vandermolen, hope to bring them home in the next few days. The Vandermolens had been trying to have a baby for a while. Julie Vandermolen had a miscarriage, and later became pregnant with the triplets shortly after the
death of her father. Julie Vandermolen says it’s easy to tell the boys apart right now because they’re three very different sizes. John Vandermolen says that task might be a little more difficult in six months, and that they’ll have to get bracelets or
stickers to identify them.. ...Read Full Story
The Allegan County Sheriff’s Department says a woman whose body was found at a Saugatuck Township playground this week died as a result of hypothermia. The woman has been identified as 40-year-old Jamie Jon Dollar, from the Saugatuck area. She was discovered Sunday by some children at the playground near a mobile home park on Blue Star Highway. Police are waiting for toxicology results to find out if alcohol and drugs were a factor. They don’t believe the death is the result of foul play.. ...Read Full Story
More charges have been filed by Michigan’s attorney general in the investigation into the lead-tainted water crisis in Flint, Michigan, including against two former state-appointed emergency managers. Attorney General Bill Schuette on Tuesday charged former emergency managers Darnell Earley and Gerald Ambrose with multiple 20-year felonies for their failure to protect the residents of Flint from health hazards caused by contaminated drinking water. Schuette also charged Earley, Ambrose and Flint city employees Howard Croft and Daugherty Johnson with felony counts of false pretenses and conspiracy to commit false pretenses in the issuance of bonds to pay for a portion of the water project that led to the crisis.. ...Read Full Story
(Kalamazoo, MI – AP) Charitable donations reported to the IRS show that the average household in Michigan donated about 3% of their income to charity. The most recent data from the IRS shows that Michigan residents who filed taxes deducted almost $5 billion in charitable contributions on their 2014 tax returns.. ...Read Full Story
