Local News Archives

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

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

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

(Flint, MI – AP) The Michigan attorney general is announcing more criminal charges in the Flint water investigation. Attorney General Bill Schuette has scheduled a news conference for Tuesday. Nine people so far have been charged in an investigation of Flint’s lead-tainted water system and an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease. Those nine are eight current or former state employees and a Flint water plant employee.. ...Read Full Story

General Motors will temporarily close five factories next month as it tries to reduce a growing inventory of cars. Spokeswoman Dayna Hart says the factories will close anywhere from one to three weeks due to the continuing U.S. market shift toward trucks and SUVs. Just over 10,000 workers will be idled. The company’s Detroit-Hamtramck and Kansas City, Kansas, factories will be shut down for three weeks, while a plant in Lansing, Michigan, will be down for two weeks. Factories in Lordstown, Ohio, and Bowling Green, Kentucky, each will be idled for one week. The factories make just about every car in the General Motors lineup. Last month, almost 62 percent of all U.S. vehicle sales were trucks and SUVs.. ...Read Full Story

The Benton Harbor City Commission has saluted a local success story. At Monday’s meeting, a key to the city was presented to Psychelia Terry, the founder of UI Global Brands. She graduated from Benton Harbor High School, went to Western Michigan University, worked for Whirlpool, and then started a lingerie company that’s now a multi-million dollar cosmetics and apparel operation. Terry told WSJM News she was thrilled to come home for the honor.. ...Read Full Story

Michigan lawmakers have wrapped up all voting for the year, and groups from both sides of the aisle are commending them for managing to get a few things done in a bipartisan way. Rachel Richards, with the Michigan League for Public Policy, tells us one bright spot is a plan to ease some of the rules for expelling students.. ...Read Full Story

The city of Benton Harbor could start working with a local bank on helping more residents buy homes. At Monday’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

Time to pick up your holiday gifts is quickly running out. Walmart spokesperson Molly Blakeman tells us some items are also getting a little hard to find. Take Hatchimals, for example.. ...Read Full Story

The Salvation Army of Benton Harbor is putting out a call for extra help this holiday season. Local Administrator Major David Womack tells WSJM News their annual Red Kettle fundraising effort is coming up short for the year. They’ve raised $25,000 less than they did by this time last year. It’s a common problem.. ...Read Full Story

AAA of Michigan has been plenty busy the last several days. They tell us calls for roadside assistance were up every day throughout the weekend as frigid wintry weather clobbered Michigan. On Friday, calls were up 112%, on Saturday, they were up 81%, and on Sunday, they were up 33%. When it’s extra cold, the most common type of call is about a dead battery. AAA reminds everyone to get their car batteries checked, be aware of the travel and weather conditions before heading out, and to not travel is it’s not necessary. If you get stranded, you’re advised to stay in your car if it’s safe and make sure the exhaust pipe is clear of snow.. ...Read Full Story

State Representative Al Pscholka has made it through all six of his years in the Michigan House without missing a single vote. The last day of voting was last week, and throughout that session, Pscholka cast 1,263 votes. In total, Pscholka has voted more than 4,100 times in the House. He tells WSJM News lawmakers accomplished some big things since 2010.. ...Read Full Story

The U.S. Coast Guard has started ice-breaking operations in response to developing ice conditions in commercial ports along
western Lake Superior and the St. Marys River near Sault Ste. Marie in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Officials say Coast Guard Sector Sault Ste. Marie started Operation Taconite Monday. It encompasses Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, the Straits of Mackinac and the St. Marys River. Coast Guard Cutter Alder is directed to manage the ice-breaking needs of western Lake Superior. Coast Guard Cutter Biscayne Bay has been dispatched to break ice in the St Marys River. Additional Coast Guard icebreakers will join the operation as ice growth continues on the Great Lakes in the coming days and weeks.. ...Read Full Story

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. MLive reports the IRS numbers are the best window to individual giving, but the data is limited to taxpayers who file a Schedule A, which allows them to itemize deductions such as home mortgage interest, state and local taxes and charitable deductions. About 27% of tax returns in Michigan included a Schedule A in 2014.
The remainder of Michigan residents who filed taxes took the standard deduction. The IRS doesn’t have information on charitable giving for those tax filers.. ...Read Full Story

A Covert Township home has suffered serious damage in a fire that broke out Monday morning. Firefighters from four departments were sent to the scene on 77th Street, south of County Road 376, around 10 a.m. South Haven Area Emergency Services tells our newsroom a neighbor reported the fire when he went to feed the pets of the woman who owns the place. The dogs, cats, and birds appear to have died in the fire. It broke out in the basement, and the cause is still under investigation. The homeowner wasn’t there at the time. One South Haven Area Emergency Services firefighter was injured when he fell off a ladder, and he was taken to a local hospital. He’s expected to recover.. ...Read Full Story

The Allegan County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the discovery of a woman’s body on a playground in a trailer park in Saugatuck Township over the weekend. Children found the woman’s body around 2 p.m. Sunday near a trailer in the Shangrai-La Mobile Home Park on Blue Star Highway. Deputies say the 40-year-old woman appeared to have been dead “for some time.” An autopsy will be performed Tuesday, and police plan to release more information at that point. The woman’s name has not been released.. ...Read Full Story

The Cass County Sheriff’s Department is investigating a deadly weekend crash in Newburg Township. Deputies tell WSJM News the head-on crash on M-40 yesterday just after noon killed 18-year-old Matthew Miller of Middlebury, Indiana. He was a passenger in a car driven by 17-year-old Lucas Lambright of Millersburg. Lambright lost control on M-40 and went into the path of a southbound vehicle driven by a Grand Rapids woman. That woman and her passenger were taken to Three Rivers Hospital, as was Lambright. Miller was pronounced dead at the scene.. ...Read Full Story

(Lansing, MI – AP) – Electors in Michigan are in line to obey state law and vote for Republican President-elect Donald Trump. The state requires the 16 members of the Electoral College convening Monday at the statehouse to vote according to the results of the Michigan’s presidential election, which Trump won by .2 percentage points. Still, electors surveyed by The Associated Press say they support him regardless. Elector Joseph Guzman, a Michigan State University assistant professor, says Trump is “my candidate,” and he would vote for him even “if there were no rules.” Electors say they aren’t swayed by missives from people urging votes for Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton or another Republican. Hank Fuhs, an elector from Grand Rapids, says it’s their right to express opinions but “they don’t understand” or “appreciate” the electoral process.. ...Read Full Story

If you’re looking for Michigan’s lowest price on gasoline, you’re not going to have to go far. Triple-A Michigan says the Benton Harbor-St. Joseph area is the lowest in the state to start the week at $2.20 on average. Our prices locally have fallen 8¢ a gallon from a week ago, far more than the statewide drop of 2¢. The state average is $2.25, a penny higher than the national average and up 41¢ from this time last year. The most expensive gas in Michigan is in the U.P. in Marquette at $2.30.. ...Read Full Story

With the low temperature Sunday night possibly dipping to zero, AAA of Michigan is reminding drivers to take some steps to make sure their cars will start. Spokesperson Gary Bubar tells WSJM News you should do a few things to help out the battery.. ...Read Full Story

With news this week that another billion Yahoo e-mail accounts have been hacked, we thought we’d check in with some Lake Michigan College security experts to find out what you can do to keep your information safe online. Derrick Griffin is LMC’s Assistant Security Engineer, and tells WSJM News one big tip is to have a good password.. ...Read Full Story

With Christmas just about here, many families have their trees up, and fire officials want to remind them to be safe. St. Joseph Director of Public Safety Brian Uridge tells WSJM News the biggest fire safety tip involving a Christmas tree has to do with where it’s placed.. ...Read Full Story

The cold expected this week is a reminder for pet owners not to leave their animals outside. Jill Svoboda, with the Humane Society of Southwest Michigan, tells WSJM News if you leave Fido outside, give him a good shelter.. ...Read Full Story