Local News Archives

It’s almost time once again for the annual Chalk the Block event in downtown St. Joseph. The 20th Chalk the Block kicks off this Friday when more than 30 artists from around the country will be welcomed to town, preparing to cover the sidewalks with chalk art. St. Joe Today’s Whitney Behnke says thousands come down to check out their work.. ...Read Full Story

A museum in Lansing has opened a first responders exhibit that highlights the work of police officers and firefighters over the years. The Lansing State Journal reports that the R.E. Olds Transportation Museum exhibit includes a shiny red 1938 Reo Speed Wagon as well as a Gold Crown fire
truck that sold for more than $1,300 back then and served the Bainbridge Fire Company in Pennsylvania until 1972. Museum director Bill Adcock says the exhibit is intended to show kids that emergency responders don’t hurt the public, they save the public. Adcock describes the exhibit, which opened in July, as a working and living display that’ll be added to over time. Adcock says the idea for the museum grew after the death of firefighter Dennis Rodeman, who was hit by a vehicle in 2015.. ...Read Full Story

With gasoline hovering closer to $2 per gallon these days, it seems like a no-brainer that SUVs are once again hot sellers. However, Ford Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Bob Shanks says SUVs are not the gas-guzzlers of old.. ...Read Full Story

Western Michigan University President John Dunn is stepping down after ten years on the job. Dunn announced Monday he will serve through June of 2017, and then become president emeritus for one year. He said he was announcing his retirement well ahead of time so the university trustees would have plenty of time to find his successor. After ten years on the job as WMU president, Dunn has awarded 50,000 degrees to the school’s graduates. Kenneth Miller, chairman of WMU’s governing board, says the Kalamazoo school is “markedly different and stronger” than when Dunn became president in 2007. Dunn previously had leadership roles at Southern Illinois University, the University of Utah, and Oregon State University.. ...Read Full Story

Two open U.S. House seats will be in the spotlight during Michigan’s primary election. The Republican winner of a Thumb-area contest should have a clear path to Congress, while the victors in the state’s expansive northern congressional district will face off in a competitive race in November. Tuesday’s primary also will set the stage for this fall’s battle for control of the state House, which Democrats are eager to win after years of GOP rule. Republican Congresswoman Candice Miller’s decision to step aside after 14 years representing the Thumb and northern Macomb County has sparked a five-way Republican primary. The winner will be favored in November. Republican Congressman Dan Benishek’s retirement after six years representing  northern Michigan has led to a three-man Republican primary and a two-man Democratic race.. ...Read Full Story

The Lake Michigan College Board of Trustees will hold a special meeting tomorrow morning to discuss putting a capital millage proposal on the November ballot. LMC has not gone to voters seeking a new millage in two decades. Lake Michigan College Foundation executive director Mary Klemm told WSJM News earlier this summer the money would be put toward modernizing and upgrading classrooms to today’s standards with new technology. The $40 million millage would also bankroll a new heating and air conditioning system. The board will meet at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the Mendel Center.. ...Read Full Story

(Detroit, MI – AP) – Scientists have found a significant presence of organic waste compounds in three Michigan rivers. The “Detroit Free Press” reports that the Rouge and Clinton rivers in southeastern Michigan and the St. Joseph River in southwestern Michigan have pollutants from car exhaust, smokestacks, herbicides and detergents. The U.S. Geological Survey sampled water throughout the Great Lakes region from 2010 through 2013. The “Free Press” says some organic waste compounds were 10 times higher than water-quality benchmarks.. ...Read Full Story

There will be plenty on the ballot for next week’s primary elections in Berrien County. First, there’s the Republican race for 79th District state representative, which features four candidates. Ryan Arnt, Mary Brown, Kim Lasata, and Troy Rolling are running to face off against Democrat Marletta Seats in November. Also being decided next Tuesday will be ballot questions in communities all over the county. There are millage renewals to be decided in Bridgman, New Buffalo, Niles, St. Joseph, and Watervliet. That’s not to mention township questions in Baroda, Benton, Coloma, Lake, Lincoln, Niles, New Buffalo, Pipestone, Royalton, St. Joseph, Sodus, and Watervliet Townships. There are also school millage questions in Buchanan, Sodus Township, and Hagar Township. Finally, voters across Berrien County will decide whether to renew the 911, public safety, and senior center millages. You can find out more at BerrienCounty.org/Elections.. ...Read Full Story

A new survey from AAA shows more Americans are heading to national parks for their vacations. AAA of Michigan’s Gary Bubar says unrest in other countries has been keeping Americans at home. So, when they travel, it’s to a domestic attraction.. ...Read Full Story

In this week’s WSJM Week in Review, for July 29, 2016, Berrien County Sheriff Paul Bailey is seeking new security measures for the courthouse, Silver Beach is seeing record attendance, and more.. ...Read Full Story

A variety of local ballot questions will be decided next week in Van Buren County. There will be countywide ballot questions on a road tax renewal for four years, and a new 0.1 mill levy to pay for the Van Buren Conservation District. Locally, voters sin several communities will decide on whether to renew road millages. They include Arlington Township and Bloomingdale Township. Also, South Haven voters will decide on a quarter mill levy to pay for the purchase of recreational property, in Decatur, they’ll decide on renewing a fire millage, as will voters in Hamilton Township. The elections are on Tuesday, and polls will be open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.. ...Read Full Story

The Michigan Attorney General’s OK2Say tipline has received nearly 5,000 tips in the two years since it was created. Megan Hawthorne, with the AG’s office, says that includes more than 2,100 in the 2015-2016 school year. She says OK2Say gives teens an anonymous way to report troubling situations in their schools.. ...Read Full Story

A Traverse City farmer has caused a social media frenzy after posting pictures of tart cherries he dumped on the ground to rot. Marc Santucci says he dumped the crops to comply with an industry agreement which he claims props up the price of cherries. Cherry Industry Administrative Board Executive Director Perry Hedin says that’s not the case, adding he had other options besides simply dumping %14 of his crop.. ...Read Full Story

A western Michigan camp has temporarily suspended operations after more than 20 children and staff complained of being ill. Camp Gerber Scout Reservation in Muskegon County’s Twin Lake was hosting a Cub Scout day camp and shut down voluntarily Thursday night. WOOD-TV reports that county health officials suspect the illness could be norovirus. The property was to be disinfected and medical checks were to be conducted. WZZM-TV reports that healthy campers and counselors were being sent to other camps in the system. Cub Scout camps scheduled next week will be hosted at a facility in Kalamazoo.. ...Read Full Story

The Al-Van Humane Society is receiving a grant of just under $20,000 from the Bissell Foundation. The Grand Rapids-based organization supports animal shelters all over Michigan, and in its latest round of grants announced $19,875 for the shelter in South Haven. The Al-Van Humane Society’s Jennifer Nuernberg says they’re going to use the money for several programs.. ...Read Full Story

A police chief in southwest Michigan is defending an officer who appears to be making a gun-pointing gesture with his hand in a photo that was posted on Facebook. Kalamazoo Public Safety Chief Jeff Hadley says it’s a misunderstanding. He says the officer is known for pointing when he acknowledges people in his patrol car. The Kalamazoo Gazette says the photo was posted on Facebook by someone who felt threatened by the gesture Friday while standing outside a barber shop. Hadley says the officer was trying to be friendly and is “really broken up” about the reaction on social media. However, Hadley says he also understands “how it raises people’s eyebrows.” Kalamazoo County Commissioner Stephanie Moore says the officer made a poor choice.. ...Read Full Story

Drivers are being advised to take it easy around construction crews on US-31 in Kalamazoo next week. Work is scheduled near Barney Road on Monday and Nichols Road on Wednesday. Michigan Department of Transportation spokesperson Nick Schirripa says it shouldn’t affect traffic much.. ...Read Full Story

National Night Out events are planned for next week in several communities around southwest Michigan. The annual gatherings are a chance for law enforcement agencies across the country to mingle with the public so that everyone is a little better acquainted. The police often do demonstrations of equipment and vehicles, and free hot dogs are provided. All of the National Night Out events are set for next Tuesday. In St. Joseph, there will be one held at St. Joseph Township’s Riverview Park from 5 to 8 p.m. In Benton Harbor, a Night Out will be at Dwight P. Mitchell City Center Park, also starting at 5 p.m. In Van Buren County, National Night Out will be at the Lawrence Park Pavilion in Lawrence starting at 6 p.m. Free hot dogs and beverages will be served, and retiring Van Buren County Sheriff Dale Gribler will be honored. Contact your local law enforcement agency to find out what it’s doing for the Night Out.. ...Read Full Story

Michigan officials say four public employees charged with crimes related to Flint’s lead-contaminated water crisis have been suspended without pay. The Environmental Quality and Health and Human Services departments said Friday that two workers from each department are off the job for now. They are Adam Rosenthal and Patrick Cook from the DEQ and Nancy Peeler and Robert Scott from HHS. The Associated Press couldn’t reach the employees for comment. The two other people charged Friday had either already retired or were fired. Attorney General Bill Schuette’s office filed the charges. He says they hid the truth about Flint’s problems. The struggling city used the Flint River water for 18 months to save money. Residents consumed improperly treated water that released lead as it coursed through aging pipes. Elevated levels of the toxin were discovered in children.Three public workers previously were charged.. ...Read Full Story

A report from the National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund shows that the number of law enforcement officers killed in the United States this year is up over last year. As of July 20, 67 federal, state, and local officers died on the job, an 8% increase from the same time last year. The Memorial Fund’s Craig Floyd says people need to work with law enforcement to build safer communities.. ...Read Full Story

Berrien County Sheriff Paul Bailey is requesting security changes at the courthouse following the shootings there this month. Bailey met with the Berrien County Board of Commissioners on Thursday to voice his concerns. A new ad hoc committee was formed, and it was set to meet with Bailey to start talking about specific procedures and how much new security measures might cost. Bailey isn’t saying yet what his recommendations are. His request comes after the courthouse shootings on July 11 which resulted in the deaths of two courthouse security officers. Two others were also shot by an inmate trying to escape, and they are now recovering. The inmate was shot and killed by officers.. ...Read Full Story

A Cass County man convicted in the fatal shooting of his wife has been sentenced to 20 to 40 years in prison. The prosecutor’s office says 43-year-old Terry Ray Steinback shot and killed Laura Steinback during an argument at their Wayne Township home on May 12 of last year. Steinback was convicted of second degree murder, assault with intent to murder and felony firearm on June 10 following a jury trial. Cass County Prosecutor Victor Fitz said at sentencing that the murder was “a senseless execution of a wonderful woman.” He also said that Steinback has deprived their 9-year-old daughter of the person who raised her since infancy. Steinback will serve an additional 2 years for possession of a firearm in the crime.. ...Read Full Story

A 17-year-old from Grand Junction has been arraigned for the robbery of a Van Buren County bank on Thursday. The sheriff’s department says Ebony Dukes is charged with bank robbery, and her bond has been set at $1 million. She’s accused of walking into the Chemical Bank in Bloomingdale with two others and demanding cash. They made off with an undisclosed amount, and were found later in the day. The money was recovered. The other two suspects are described as a 16-year-old girl from Grand Junction and a 15-year-old boy from Covert. They’re being processed in juvenile court, and their names have not been released. They were also arraigned Friday. All three suspects have their next court dates on August 10.. ...Read Full Story

Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette on Friday announced charges against six state employees over the Flint water crisis. He says the individuals charged knowingly altered documents to hide the facts about the quality of the city’s water.. ...Read Full Story

In this week’s WSJM Week in Review, for July 29, 2016, Berrien County Sheriff Paul Bailey is seeking new security measures for the courthouse, Silver Beach is seeing record attendance, and more.. ...Read Full Story

Van Buren County Sheriff’s deputies have arrested three people who they say robbed the Chemical Bank branch in Bloomingdale early Thursday afternoon. Deputies say they walked into the bank at around 1:15 p.m. suggested they were armed, and demanded cash from the cashiers. They apparently parked their getaway vehicle, a dark blue mini-van at a nearby gas station. They were in custody within hours after the robbery.. ...Read Full Story

Kalamazoo is getting $70 million from philanthropists and others to be used to create a foundation to help solve the city’s budget problems and cut property taxes. The Kalamazoo City Commission decided Thursday to move forward with the idea of creating the Foundation for Excellence. City leaders secured donations from Kalamazoo philanthropists William Johnston and William Parfet, among others, over a 3-year period. Officials expect the foundation would be fully-funded by 2020, so revenue from investments would be available for long-term. It would allow Kalamazoo to cut property taxes by 38% starting in January and spend $10 million annually on “aspirational” projects.. ...Read Full Story

With Hillary Clinton now the Democratic nominee for president, the former secretary of state and first lady is tasked with essentially reintroducing herself to the country as the person best suited for the job. That’s according to Aaron Kall, director of debate at the University of Michigan. He says Clinton has a tough task ahead of her from a branding standpoint. With a recent FBI investigation into her emails and a fairly high unfavorable rating, he says Clinton has to project confidence and inspire.. ...Read Full Story

There will be plenty on the ballot for next week’s primary elections in Berrien County. First, there’s the Republican race for 79th District state representative, which features four candidates. Ryan Arnt, Mary Brown, Kim Lasata, and Troy Rolling are running to face off against Democrat Marletta Seats in November. Also being decided next Tuesday will be ballot questions in communities all over the county. There are millage renewals to be decided in Bridgman, New Buffalo, Niles, St. Joseph, and Watervliet. That’s not to mention township questions in Baroda, Benton, Coloma, Lake, Lincoln, Niles, New Buffalo, Pipestone, Royalton, St. Joseph, Sodus, and Watervliet Townships. There are also school millage questions in Buchanan, Sodus Township, and Hagar Township. Finally, voters across Berrien County will decide whether to renew the 911, public safety, and senior center millages. You can find out more at BerrienCounty.org/Elections.. ...Read Full Story

The Michigan Attorney General’s OK2Say tipline has received nearly 5,000 tips in the two years since it was created. Megan Hawthorne, with the AG’s office, says that includes more than 2,100 in the 2015-2016 school year. She says OK2Say gives teens an anonymous way to report troubling situations in their schools.. ...Read Full Story

A new survey from AAA shows more Americans are heading to national parks for their vacations. AAA of Michigan’s Gary Bubar says unrest in other countries has been keeping Americans at home. So, when they travel, it’s to a domestic attraction.. ...Read Full Story

Delegates to the Democratic National Convention are preparing to head home, and many say they’re ready to move on and fully back their candidate, Hillary Clinton. Southwest Michigan Clinton delegate Sunny Sahu says some Bernie Sanders supporters are still upset about the senator’s loss, but he believes there can be healing by November. Sahu respects the dissent.. ...Read Full Story

A Decatur man is facing charges after police say he broke into the home of his ex-girlfriend, attempted to force her into his vehicle, and then pointed a gun at her father. Michigan State Police say it happened at a home in the 61,000 block of 40th Street in Paw Paw Township around 6 p.m. Wednesday. The 28-year-old suspect pulled the gun when he was confronted by the 27-year-old woman’s father during a struggle. The woman managed to get away and the suspect fled. He was later found at a home in Portage and arrested. Police say he was wanted on six unrelated warrants.. ...Read Full Story

Records show pollutants that have been linked to health problems including cancer and childhood developmental issues have been found in public drinking water supplies for two Michigan communities. MLive reports utilities serving Kent County’s Plainfield Township, near
Grand Rapids, and the city of Ann Arbor reported perfluorooctane sulfonate, known as PFOS, and perfluorooctanoic acid, known as PFOA, in raw and treated water. So far, samples haven’t exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s health advisory guidelines for the chemicals. Officials are monitoring the water. The source of the chemicals hasn’t been confirmed, but a closed landfill is suspected as the source in Plainfield Township. They’ve been traced to the township’s backup well field at Versluis Park. In Ann Arbor, they’re coming from the Barton Pond impoundment on the Huron River.. ...Read Full Story

Mike Pence says he has a lot in common with Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump – just not in matters of rhetorical style. The Indiana governor and Trump’s running mate said at a Wednesday campaign stop in Grand Rapids, Michigan, that the two are “a bit different in style.” He then trailed off and paused for several seconds before adding that their differences also extended to the Pence’s family’s “balance sheet.” But Pence said the two are united by a shared appreciation for hard work and value their families. And he says both had grandfathers who were immigrants to the United States.. ...Read Full Story

The old Benton Harbor Area Schools Technology Center will soon meet the wrecking ball. A nearly $69-thousand dollar grant to the Berrien County Land Bank Authority from the state will pay for tearing down the abandoned building. It has turned into an illegal dumping site in recent years despite efforts to security the property at 653 Valley Drive. The building is located behind Martin Luther King Elementary and has been targeted by vandals as well. State Representative Al Pscholka calls it a “great example of how state and local government agencies can partner for the greater good.” The grant is one of five issued by the Michigan State Housing Development Authority totalling almost $305,000. The money comes out of a $1 million grant from MSHDA.. ...Read Full Story

Gas prices have fallen back below $2 a gallon in South Haven, Kalamazoo, and Grand Rapids, which is something that Michiganders haven’t seen during the summertime for more than a decade. GasBuddy.com’s Patrick DeHaan says fill up soon because the savings may not be around for long.. ...Read Full Story

Few details are being released, but Edwardsburg police say a 32-year-old employee at Duo-Form Plastics was killed mid-afternoon Wednesday when he was were crushed in a machine press at the factory. The victim is a man from the Cassopolis area, and police are trying to contact family members. The company produces large plastic panels for the auto industry and plastic sinks, bathroom fixtures and other large plastic products. An investigation is underway to determine why safety equipment designed to prevent such accidents failed in this instance. Police were dispatched to the plant just after 3 p.m., and they are calling it a very tragic accident.. ...Read Full Story

A police officer in southwestern Michigan has shot and killed a pit bull as the dog was mauling a 60-year-old man. The Kalamazoo Gazette reports that the dog attacked the man late Wednesday morning in Kalamazoo. Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety assistant chief Donald Webster says the man was riding a bicycle when “the dog came out of nowhere and jumped up and got hold of him.” Other people in the area tried to help the man, but Webster says the dog would not release the man’s arm. The first officer to arrive shot the dog. The victim is hospitalized with extensive wounds to his arm. Police were not able to locate the dog’s owner.. ...Read Full Story

Coming up this Friday is the annual celebration of the OutCenter in Benton Harbor. The Lake Effect Pride event is set for 6 to 10 p.m. at the Inn at Harbor Shores. OutCenter Board Chair Todd Dockerty says it’s a fundraiser for the organization, but also a party, in general. He adds it’s a good way for the OutCenter to celebrate its allies in the community.. ...Read Full Story

Travel Michigan will be promoting the West Michigan Pike in upcoming materials now that the pike has been named a Pure Michigan Byway. Pure Michigan Byways are routes the travel campaign urges visitors to take. The used to be called Michigan Heritage Routes. Travel Michigan’s Dave Lorenz says they’re not the fastest way to see the state, but they’re the most interesting, enabling tourists to see the most.. ...Read Full Story

As the presidential campaigns ramp up, some experts are concerned the issue of child poverty is being ignored. Child poverty has gotten worse in many states, including Michigan, since the end of the Great Recession. An estimated one in five children lives in a family below the poverty threshold, meaning they struggle to meet basic needs like food, safe housing, and affordable child care. Bruce Lesley, with First Focus, contends child poverty is a critical matter.. ...Read Full Story

An 84-year-old Indiana man who fell into Cass County’s Diamond Lake and nearly drowned last Friday is now expected to make a full recovery. The Cass County Sheriff’s Department says the quick use of CPR saved Paul Schafer’s life. Family members administered it to him with directions from a County County 911 dispatcher. Schafer was taken by ambulance to a hospital, and initially listed in critical condition. He was scheduled for released this Wednesday.. ...Read Full Story

A suburban Detroit motorcyclist was apparently fast enough to leave police in the dust during a chase, but not swift enough to stop from bragging about it on Facebook. Lake Orion police say 33-year-old Michael Brown, of Rochester Hills, turned himself in on Tuesday, three weeks after the incident. He’s charged with fleeing police and reckless driving. Police say an officer pulled up to Brown outside a restaurant after seeing
loud motorcycle maneuvers in the street. Brown sped off and the officer eventually stopped pursuing him. Police say Brown boasted on Facebook that he was going “140 in a 35 mph” zone. He added: “#nojailthisweekend.” Someone shared the post with police. Brown doesn’t have a listed phone number and couldn’t be reached for comment Wednesday. He’s due in court August 2.. ...Read Full Story

New information on an investigation into alleged sexual misconduct by Berrien County Jail personnel has been released. The prosecutor’s office says it’s reviewed the Berrien County Sheriff’s Department investigation into four deputies and found three had sexual contact with former jail inmates, but none of it occurred at the jail. At least 15 women were interviewed as detectives looked into whether anything illegal was done. In the end, one former deputy was charged. He’s been identified as 23-year-old Keegan Trail, of Eau Claire. Trail this week pleaded no contest to a prostitution-related charge, and was sentenced to fines and community service. The names of the other three deputies have not been released. One still works at the jail.. ...Read Full Story

State officials have released the second part of a 30-year plan to manage, protect and improve Michigan’s water resources. The Department of Environmental Quality’s Office of the Great Lakes developed the strategy. The portion announced Wednesday says that there should be an
increased focus on sustainable expansion of water recreation and water-based business. The focus includes renewing waterfronts and improving the state’s commercial and recreational harbors. Michigan Office of the Great Lakes Director Jon Allan says in a statement that: “Care for our natural resources and investment in sustainable water-based industries will benefit Michigan citizens and play a key role in moving the state forward.” The initial phase announced in June includes educating citizens about the importance of healthy waters while nurturing and restoring aquatic ecosystems.. ...Read Full Story

Cass County Prosecutor Victor Fitz is putting his support behind Undersheriff Rick Behnke in the race for Cass County Sheriff. Three people are running to succeed the retiring Sheriff Joseph Underwood, and the August 2nd primary will determine who the next sheriff will be as all the candidates are Republicans. Behnke is running against Cass County Deputy Tim Cochran of Niles and Berrien County Sheriff’s corrections officer James Ellis of Edwardsburg. In making the endorsement, Fitz says he has worked weekly with Behnke for the past 13 years and says the sheriff’s department has had “strong leadership” under him and Underwood.. ...Read Full Story

The Michigan Court of Appeals has upheld the conviction and 30-month prison sentence of Edward Pinkney. The Benton Harbor activist was convicted in 2014 of election law violations in a recall attempt against former Benton Harbor Mayor James Hightower. The prosecution had alleged that he changed the dates on some of the signatures on petitions. The appeals court ruled 3-0 on Tuesday against his appeal. Pinkney had claimed the prosecution presented insufficient evidence for a conviction and that the court erroneously instructed the jury, among other things. The appeals court disagreed on all points, and Pinkney remains behind bars.. ...Read Full Story

The Benton Harbor Department of Public Safety and the Benton Township Police Department are teaming up for a second straight year to host a National Night Out event on Tuesday. The program will start at 5 p.m. at the Dwight P. Mitchell City Center Park in downtown Benton Harbor. Officers say the event is meant to help foster positive relationships between the public and the police. Free food, snow cones, games and a book bag giveaway for kids will be among the highlights of the night.. ...Read Full Story

Van Buren County residents will have a chance to get their well water tested next month, thanks to the Van Buren Conservation District and the Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program. The conservation district says samples can be brought in to its office on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. throughout the month of August. The office is located at 1035 East Michigan Avenue in Paw Paw, next to the Secretary of State. Samples will be screened for nitrates and nitrites which reach drinking water when nitrogen from the soil works its way deep into aquifers. The sampling is open to anyone with a private drinking water well. To find out more about how to collect your sample, call the Van Buren Conservation District at 269-657-4030, extension 116.. ...Read Full Story

The Michigan Department of Transportation will soon be replacing traffic signals all over the city of St. Joseph. City Engineer Tim Zebell says the city is kicking in $488,000 to make sure the lights are of the mast arm variety. That means they’ll be suspended over their intersections on metal bars, instead of hanging from wires.. ...Read Full Story

Michigan U.S Senator Gary Peters says he thinks Democrats can overcome any disunity caused by the primary race between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. Peters watched Sanders give his address to the convention Monday, and says the speech impressed on all Democrats the need to avoid a Donald Trump presidency.. ...Read Full Story

Congressman Fred Upton is hoping to see passage of his signature 21st Century Cures legislation by the end of the year. He says House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell have publicly joined in the push for the package.. ...Read Full Story

A woman suffered injuries when her vehicle was struck by a semi on I-94 Tuesday morning. Michigan State Police say the crash happened around 7:30 a.m. on eastbound I-94 in Lawrence Township. The woman told police she was merging into the right lane when she became blinded by the sun. Her vehicle was hit by the semi, struck a guardrail, was side swiped by the same semi, and then went into the ditch. The semi also wound up in the ditch. The woman was taken to Borgess Medical Center in Kalamazoo with non-life threatening injuries. The semi driver was not hurt.. ...Read Full Story

Some of Michigan’s top Democrats believe a united front will emerge at the party’s national convention. The DNC chair will be stepping down after the event, essentially taking the heat after leaked emails indicated party leaders favored Hillary Clinton during the primaries over Senator Bernie Sanders. Progress Michigan Executive Director Lonnie Scott is on the ground in Philadelphia this week, and says Democrats are ready to move forward together.. ...Read Full Story

The St. Joseph City Commission has signed off on an amendment for a Harbor Shores development along the riverfront. WSJM’s Andrew Green reports.. ...Read Full Story