Local News Archives

They’re about to welcome the Christmas season to southwest Michigan with a weekend party in Stevensville. Christmas in the village is set for Saturday downtown. The Downtown Development Committee’s Susan Phemster tells WSJM News it’s all about the kids.. ...Read Full Story

A $250,000 grant from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources will be used by the Van Buren Conservation District to reduce E coli levels in a couple of southwest Michigan creeks. The district’s Colleen Forestieri tells WSJM News they’ll use the money to work with farmers on reducing runoff into Pine and Mill Creeks.. ...Read Full Story

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has released a series of videos aimed at helping the hearing impaired get mental health services. Spokesperson Jennifer Eisner tells us those disabilities can make it harder for folks to get help.. ...Read Full Story

The U.S. House could approve the 21st Century Cures legislation on Wednesday. The plan, long pushed by Congressman Fred Upton, would increase funding for disease research at the National Institutes of Health while also speeding up the approval process for new drugs and medical devices. Upton tells WSJM News Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is a fan.. ...Read Full Story

State Representative Al Pscholka’s legislation to protect the state’s Rainy Day Fund has been approved by the Michigan House. The fund was set up as a resource for lawmakers to use when the state’s facing a fiscal emergency, but it has been depleted in recent years. Pscholka WSJM News its use would be restricted under his bill.. ...Read Full Story

The Board of State Canvassers has certified the November 8 election results, with Republican Donald Trump as the winner by 10,704 votes. This means a recount effort could kick into high-gear later this week. Governor Rick Snyder has a few thoughts.. ...Read Full Story

With temperatures near 60 degrees in parts of the state, some folks near Grand Rapids are getting in one last round of golf. Jason Sanchez, general manager of Maple Hill Golf Course in Wyoming, says typically the golfers disappear around the beginning of November.. ...Read Full Story

Detroit police say they arrested about 40 protesters who blocked traffic during a rally for union rights and an hourly wage of $15. Officer Jennifer Moreno says about 200 people protested early Tuesday outside a McDonald’s restaurant on the city’s west side and those who wouldn’t get out
of a street were arrested. WWJ-AM reports some locked arms and sat in the middle of the roadway. The crowd chanted “We work, we sweat. Put 15 on our check.” A protest also took place outside a McDonald’s in Flint. The protests are part of a nationwide campaign for higher hourly wages, including for workers at airports and fast-food restaurants. The campaign has included several rounds of actions, including multiple Michigan protests, since the efforts began in 2012.. ...Read Full Story

Kellogg says it will no longer advertise on Breitbart.com, the website formerly run by one of President-elect Donald Trump’s top aides, Steve Bannon. Kellogg Company  spokeswoman Kris Charles says the food company regularly works with media buyers to ensure its ads “do not appear on sites that aren’t aligned with our values as a company.” She says “occasionally something is inadvertently missed,” and Kellogg decided to “discontinue” advertising on Breitbart after learning its ads were on the site. Breitbart is the target of a concerted effort on social media that calls on companies to cease advertising on the site, which has been condemned as racist, sexist and anti-Semitic. The site called Kellogg’s decision “economic censorship” and “un-American,” saying Kellogg was denigrating “to its own detriment” the consumers who
elected Trump.. ...Read Full Story

(Chicago, IL – AP) – Workers at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport are expected to walk off the job over union rights and an hourly wage of $15. About 500 workers have committed to the strike on Tuesday. They include cabin cleaners, janitors, wheelchair attendants and baggage handlers. The workers are employed by private contractors. Strike organizers say many work for minimum wage. They’re trying to unionize with the help of Service Employees International Union Local 1.. ...Read Full Story

Detroit police say they arrested about 40 protesters who blocked traffic during a rally for union rights and an hourly wage of $15. Officer Jennifer Moreno says about 200 people protested early Tuesday outside a McDonald’s restaurant on the city’s west side and those who wouldn’t get out of a street were arrested. Some locked arms and sat in the middle of the roadway. The crowd chanted “We work, we sweat. Put 15 on our check.” The protest is part of a nationwide campaign for higher hourly wages, including for workers at airports and fast-food restaurants. The campaign has included several rounds of actions, including multiple Michigan protests, since the
efforts began in 2012.. ...Read Full Story

Several Kmart stores in Michigan are preparing to close next month, following dozens of others that have shuttered in the state since the
company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection nearly 15 years ago. The Detroit News reports nearly two-thirds of the 2,165 Kmart stores that were operating in the U.S. have closed since 2000. More than 130 nationwide closures have been announced this year. Seven stores in the state are slated to close December 11, including locations in Jackson and Fenton. Some defunct Kmarts in Bloomfield Hills, Woodhaven and other Metro Detroit cities have been resurrected as new enterprises, but vacant Kmart buildings are still scattered throughout the region.
The nature of the aging buildings makes them difficult to fill with other retail as they’re often massive structures tailored to house Kmarts.. ...Read Full Story

After raising more than five-million dollars for election recount efforts in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein has set her sights on Michigan. Ronna Romney McDaniel, Chair of the Michigan Republican Party, says this is all a waste of time.. ...Read Full Story

The condo development at the former Jefferson School in St. Joseph has another year to be finished. At Monday’s meeting, city commissioners agreed to extend the deadline for the Planned Unit Development. City Manager John Hodgson tells us the project has made a lot of progress in the past year, but still isn’t quite done.. ...Read Full Story

Honor Credit Union has announced the winners of its seventh annual teacher awards. In all, 30 teachers from areas served by the credit union were picked to receive special accolades, as well as $100 to use in their classroom or school. In the St. Joseph area, the winning teachers were Renee Carle and Mary LoPresti, while Dawn Luckritz was the Lakeshore winner. For South Haven, the honored teachers were Cheri Stein and Linda Brzezinski. Honor Credit Union took submissions for teacher awards from more than 300 schools. Entrants had to submit a short description of how they would use the money to better educate their students if they won. You can see the full list of winning teachers below.. ...Read Full Story

St. Joseph City Commissioners have signed on to a request that the no wake zone in the river be extended by about 176 yards upstream. On Monday, they heard from Robert Kincaid, a local slip owner who’s worked with others concerned that wakes caused by boats are damaging their vessels, seawalls, and other property.. ...Read Full Story

Everyone will have a chance to help Michigan State Police collect toys, clothing, and food for kids in the Big Brothers, Big Sisters program this coming weekend. For the third year in a row, the Niles post is holding a Stuff a Blue Goose toy drive Saturday. Trooper DeWayne Robinson tells our newsroom they’ll fill up an MSP vehicle with toys.. ...Read Full Story

An annual survey of toy safety is out just in time for the holiday shopping season. “Trouble in Toyland 2016” from the U.S. Public Interest Research Group Education Fund found that over a dozen recalled toys may be available for sale online. The group’s Mike Litt tells us that over the past 30 years, the annual report has contributed to more than 150 recalls. It’s also helped push for toy safety legislation.. ...Read Full Story

Wahmhoff Farms in Gobles has sent out more than 650 Christmas trees to U.S. military personnel as part of this year’s Trees for Troops program. For the tenth year in a row, volunteers loaded up the trees into trucks Monday. The farm’s Betsy Wahmhoff-Perales tells our newsroom it feels great to send trees to military bases for the Christmas season.. ...Read Full Story

The Niles Scream Park has done it again. During its most recent season of scares, the spooky non-profit attraction managed to raise more than $124,000 for charities all over southwest Michigan. This was the 43rd year in a row for the Niles Scream Park, and the money it collected will go to more than 55 area children’s organizations, civic groups, and other charities. Some funds will also be used to support four college scholarships for local high school grads. This year’s Scream Park had six attractions in all, and it took 530 volunteers giving up 22,000 hours of their time to run for the Halloween season. The park also hit a milestone this year, welcoming its 1.8 millionth visitor.. ...Read Full Story

The University of Michigan may have lost on the football field, but the school topped Ohio State University in an annual drive to get blood donations. The Ann Arbor school says in a statement that Michigan had 2,363 donations and Ohio State brought in 2,355 in the 35th annual blood drive. Michigan and Ohio State competed in the weeks before Saturday’s football game between the Wolverines and Buckeyes in Columbus, Ohio. The blood drive is called “Blood Battle” and Ohio State had won the last two blood drive competitions. The University of Michigan gets the American Red Cross traveling trophy. On the football field, Ohio State beat Michigan in double-overtime.. ...Read Full Story

Today is Cyber Monday. That’s the annual day when holiday shoppers take to the Internet for extreme markdowns and sales. Televisions are again the hot item for purchase, says Jim Barry, with the Consumer Technology Association.. ...Read Full Story

Republican-led states that signed onto Medicaid expansion are in a tough spot as they wonder if president-elect Donald Trump’s pledge to dump the Affordable Care Act means the expansion goes away. Former Arizona Governor Jan Brewer fought her own Republican party in the state
Legislature to push through expansion three years ago. Brewer now hopes one of the pillars of President Barack Obama’s health care  law can be saved. She says there’s no more cost-effective way to provide insurance to the working poor. Nearly 400,000 Arizonans have gained Medicaid
insurance since Brewer’s proposal took effect in 2014 and about 9 million nationwide. Many officials in the GOP-led states that embraced expansion are also strong proponents of the program.. ...Read Full Story

Michigan’s lowest gas prices are right here in southwest Michigan. GasBuddy says South Haven’s prices are as low as $1.78, which is the rock-bottom level in the state. Triple-A Michigan’s latest survey of prices shows the Benton Harbor-St. Joseph area has an average of $2 per gallon, which is the lowest of the 10 areas the auto club surveys daily. Statewide, the average is $2.08, down 3¢ from last week. While prices are falling, they’re still up by 23¢ a gallon from last year statewide and up 18¢ in the Twin Cities.. ...Read Full Story

Black Friday is getting some serious competition from Cyber Monday among Michigan shoppers. AAA’s latest Consumer Pulse survey in the state shows, this time around, Michiganders are split on which day they’ll use to snag the best deals. Spokesperson Susan Hiltz.. ...Read Full Story

Southwest Michigan’s housing market has been strong throughout 2016, although sales took a bit of a breather in the month of October. The Southwestern Michigan Association of Realtors’ Philip Amodeo tells WSJM News sales for the month were down 6% from October of 2016. However, the year as a whole remains strong.. ...Read Full Story

The holiday season can be tough for divorced parents trying to spend time with their children. Family law attorney Jessica Woll says it’s important to put the children’s needs first. She tells us planning and communication are key.. ...Read Full Story

A year-long study done by Lakeland Health has given us a sense of what communities need to help residents live healthy, and also what folks around southwest Michigan are concerned about. The 2016-2019 Community Health Needs Assessment took about a year to compile, and points to several things weighing on the public’s mind, says Lakeland’s Dr. Lynn Todman.. ...Read Full Story

Christmas tree lots are busy places around Michigan now that Thanksgiving is over. Michigan Christmas Tree Association Executive Director Marsha Gray tells us many folks may be buying plastic trees these days, but the real deal are still a $45 million industry in the state.. ...Read Full Story

The selection of Betsy Devos to serve as the next U.S Secretary of Education is getting mixed reactions around Michigan. Among those on board with the appointment are Grand Rapids Schools Superintendent Theresa Weatherall and Congressman Bill Huizenga, who say Devos has been a supporter of education.. ...Read Full Story

The village of Stevensville is gearing up to celebrate Christmas. Its annual Christmas in the Village event is set for next Saturday, December 3. The day will feature crafts, food, Santa, the Lakeshore Lancers Band, and a whole lot more. Santa can be found at the village hall starting at 3 p.m. and there, he’ll take pictures with the kids. The children will also get a free goodie bag and a map for a special goodie hunt. There will also be a photo booth set up next door at the village garage, which will serve for the day as a magical Christmas display. Village leaders invite everyone to come by with the kiddies for some cookie decorating and ornament making. Christmas in the Village will run from 3 to 6 p.m.. ...Read Full Story

A non-profit which wants to open a museum honoring the accomplishments of famed abolitionist Sojourner Truth is hoping to raise $150,000 to purchase Fremont Elementary School in Battle Creek. The Sojourner Truth Museum Foundation published a GoFundMe page Thursday. Truth had long history in Battle Creek. The former slave moved there in 1857, six years after delivering her “Ain’t I a Woman?” speech in Ohio. That speech still sees frequent performances to this day. Battle Creek Public Schools closed Fremont in June, citing declining enrollment. The foundation wants to open the museum by 2019.. ...Read Full Story

It’s almost time once again for Wahmhoff Farms in Gobles to load up a truck with Michigan-grown Christmas trees to be sent to military personnel. Since 2005, more than 176,000 free trees have been sent to soldiers through the Trees for Troops program around the country. At 10 a.m. Monday, Wahmhoff Farms will pack up their shipment for the year. The trees are being sent to Fort Benning, Georgia this time around. Volunteers of all kinds are welcome to come out to the farm to help with the loading event. They’ll also have donuts and cider for all the folks who help. You can find out more about Trees for Troops at TreesForTroops.org.. ...Read Full Story

Ohio Stadium is sure to be rocking on Saturday when the rival Ohio State and Michigan football teams take the field. Geologists will find out just how much. They’ve planted sensors around the stadium this year to measure the seismic activity created by fans. Ohio State and Miami University professors teamed up with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to devise the “FanQuakes Magnitude Scale.” It converts the
shaking coming from fans into the perceived magnitude of a naturally occurring earthquake. So far this season, the biggest quake came after Curtis Samuel’s touchdown catch at the beginning of the second half against Nebraska. The shaking lasted over two minutes and reached a FanQuake Magnitude of 5.2. Researchers say they’re expecting fans at Saturday’s game to “take it to another level.”. ...Read Full Story

A Wayne State University Police Officer shot and killed in the line of duty this week was originally from Kalamazoo County. Officer Colin Rose is a native of Richland, where his parents still live. Friends of his family there have been passing out blue light bulbs for homeowners to put in their front porch lights as a salute to Rose. Family friend Tim Sampey says the 29-year-old had a warm personality.. ...Read Full Story

Cyber Monday is giving Black Friday a run for its money in Michigan. AAA’s latest Consumer Pulse survey shows the top shopping day this year for Michiganders will be Monday, when 48% of respondents said they’d try to snag a deal. 47% said Black Friday. As AAA’s Susan Hiltz tells WSJM  News, either way, this is a good time for retailers.. ...Read Full Story

If you’re feeling lucky, then you may want to buy a Powerball ticket this Saturday. The jackpot has now climbed to $403 million, which is the 13th largest lotto jackpot in U.S. history. To win that money, all you have to do is match all five numbers, plus the Powerball. Of course, the odds aren’t exactly in your favor. The chances of actually getting all five numbers plus the ball are 1 in more than 292 million. If someone wins this Saturday, they’ll have the option of collecting their money over 30 years, or all at once in a lump sum payment of about $250 million. You can get your ticket through 9:59 p.m. Saturday.. ...Read Full Story

McDonald’s restaurant owners are donating 1,000 live Christmas trees to Detroit-area families. Five hundred trees, tree stands and gift cards will be given at a private event Saturday morning to families pre-selected by area churches. The remaining trees will be available from 1-3 p.m. on a first-come basis at the McDonald’s on Eight Mile Road near Woodward Avenue. The trees are 5 feet tall to 6 feet tall. Event organizers say Detroit-area McDonald’s restaurant owners also have donated turkeys, hats and scarfs, school supplies and other items to families in need as part of their support for the community.. ...Read Full Story

This week’s school bus crash in Tennessee that killed six students may have parents wondering if their kids are safe on their routes to school each day. A look at crash data from Michigan State Police shows WSJM News that school bus injuries are somewhat uncommon in Berrien County. In 2015, there were 18 crashes involving school buses around the county, with no fatalities. Most of them happened on local roads. Since 2010, Berrien County has had 101 school bus crashes, none with fatalities, and with 32 injuries total. Statewide, one person was killed in a crash involving a school bus last year. It was in Wayne County. In total, there were 910 school bus crashes in Michigan in 2015, according to Michigan State Police.. ...Read Full Story

Michigan shoppers are flocking to stores all weekend for post-Thanksgiving sales. In many places, the deals began Thursday night, and in lots of places, they’ll be available for a few days. Many shoppers hitting up stores say they knew exactly what they wanted.. ...Read Full Story

There will be lots of fun this Saturday in Buchanan. For the first time ever, they’re combining White Saturday with the annual Christmas tree lighting and parade. The chamber of commerce’s Randy Hendrixson tells WSJM News there will be activities going on all day downtown.. ...Read Full Story

Interested in maybe picking up some property in Michigan for hunting or other recreational activities. The Michigan DNR will offer surplus public land in a sealed-bid auction beginning December 6th. That’s according to the DNR’s Michael Michalek.. ...Read Full Story

You can add something extra special to your holiday cards this year — a postmark from Christmas, Michigan in the Upper Peninsula. Lorie Demers is the postmaster in nearby Munising and stamps the boxes full of cards that are sent there each year.. ...Read Full Story

A moon rock from the 1971 Apollo 15 mission is coming to a western Michigan museum. The rock will be displayed starting Monday at Calvin College’s Bruce Dice Mineralogical Museum in Grand Rapids. A reception will be held at the museum Monday night. It will remain in the museum until Feb. 16, 2017. The rock is on loan. Museum director Renee Sparks says the lunar sample is “not a very exciting rock, but something truly beyond value.”. ...Read Full Story

A township official from southern Michigan who faced conflict of interest allegations has resigned from a local board. The South Bend Tribune reports Frank LaPierre recently resigned as chairman of Ontwa Township’s wastewater board. Edwardsburg businessman Robert J. Donnelly had publicly criticized LaPierre for being board chairman while working for an engineering firm the township contracts with for consulting and wastewater system work. LaPierre claimed Donnelly had threatened him, but Donnelly denies that allegation. Police investigated allegations Donnelly had threatened LaPierre and others but did not recommend that prosecutors pursue charges. LaPierre’s resignation letter cites a growing workload but also says disruptions created by some individuals had “made it, not only uncomfortable, but impractical to participate in a secure and safe environment.”. ...Read Full Story

Here’s a Black Friday deal that won’t cost a dime: free entry to Michigan state parks if you don’t have the annual recreation passport. The state is waiving fees Friday at 103 state parks and recreation areas and 138 rustic campgrounds. Parks chief Ron Olson says a hike “is the perfect way to
burn off some of those Thanksgiving calories.” The Department of Natural Resources is joining a national effort to get people outside on the day after the holiday. It was started last year by outdoor recreation retailer REI.. ...Read Full Story

A homeless man who was ordered to tear down a shanty in the Grand Rapids area has found a new home — with a piano. John Foster Bentley tells WOOD-TV that he’s been “overwhelmed” by the kindness of others. A business owner, Mike Rose, heard about Bentley’s ordeal and said he could live in one of his rental homes in exchange for fixing it up. Bentley built a shanty on public land in Wyoming, a Grand Rapids suburb. He was ordered to tear it down by Thanksgiving. Bentley got offers of food and shelter after the TV station reported about the order. The 53-year-old says he’s a former factory worker who doesn’t have a job.. ...Read Full Story

A new plan to help the craft distillers in Michigan is being pushed by state Senator John Proos. He tells WSJM News the small makers of beer get big tax breaks in Michigan, so why not the small makers of liquor? Proos thinks the tax burden faced by craft distillers in the state put them at a disadvantage.. ...Read Full Story

Big box stores around southwest Michigan may be busy this week with the annual fun of Black Friday, but shops in downtown St. Joseph are inviting everyone to carve out some time the next day for Small Business Saturday. St. Joe Today’s Tess Carragher tells WSJM News there’s all kinds of stuff going on downtown.. ...Read Full Story

A year-long study done by Lakeland Health has given us a sense of what communities need to help residents live healthy, and also what folks around southwest Michigan are concerned about. The 2016-2019 Community Health Needs Assessment took about a year to compile, and points to several things weighing on the public’s mind, says Lakeland’s Dr. Lynn Todman.. ...Read Full Story

Police are urging everyone who hits up big box stores for Black Friday to be courteous and take it easy. Berrien County Sheriff Paul Bailey tells WSJM News you don’t want to contribute to any problems.. ...Read Full Story

State wildlife regulators say another deer in southern Michigan may have been found with chronic wasting disease. The Department of Natural Resources says a hunter shot the 1 1/2 -year-old buck last week in Clinton County’s Eagle Township and took it to a check station. Preliminary tests came back positive for chronic wasting disease. A federal lab in Iowa is studying the carcass to see if the diagnosis was accurate. If so,
this would be the ninth free-ranging deer in Michigan to test positive for the fatal disease. DNR biologist Chad Fedewa says the find underscores the importance of taking deer killed during this month’s firearms hunting season to stations for examinations. The checks are mandatory in the Core CWD Area, which includes 17 townships in Ingham, Clinton, Shiawassee and Eaton counties.. ...Read Full Story

On the orders of the FDA, most blood donation organizations around the United States are now testing samples for the Zika virus. That includes Michigan Blood, which started doing so last week. Michigan Blood’s Cindy Raven tells us it may affect your donation experience just a tiny bit.. ...Read Full Story

Police could use the public’s help in solving a break-in and robbery in Buchanan this week. The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department tells us it was reported about 7 p.m. Tuesday at a home on East Glendora Road. Deputies were told a woman came home to find a man there. He demanded her purse and then took off. It’s not known if he had a vehicle. Police say the suspect is described as about 55 or 60 years old, around 5’10, and with light brown and grey hair. Anyone with information on the crime is asked to call the sheriff’s department at 983-7111.. ...Read Full Story

Southwest Michigan’s housing market has been strong throughout 2016, although sales took a bit of a breather in the month of October. The Southwestern Michigan Association of Realtors’ Philip Amodeo tells WSJM News sales for the month were down 6% from October of 2016. However, the year as a whole remains strong.. ...Read Full Story

New questions have been raised about the presidential election count. So, could there really be a recount in Michigan? J Alex Halderman at the University of Michigan Center for Computer Security is among those raising the alarm about possible tampering here and in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. Chris Thomas, of the Michigan Department of Elections, casts doubt on any fraud here, though.. ...Read Full Story

President-elect Donald Trump has added a well known Michigan Charter School advocate to his administration. Betsy Devos has been named Secretary of Education. Michigan News Network Lansing Bureau Chief Tim Skubick says many public educators in the state aren’t going to take this appointment well:. ...Read Full Story