Governor Rick Snyder has signed legislation rescinding an annual tax break worth up to $80 million that was inadvertently given to auto insurers four years ago. His signature Friday had been expected as part of a state budget deal. The bill was sponsored by Representative Al Pscholka of Stevensville.. ...Read Full Story
The city of Benton Harbor is now officially free from state oversight after six years. The Department of Treasury has released the city from receivership following the vote Thursday by the Receivership Transition Advisory Board to disband and return local control. Benton Harbor is once again governed by its city charter, which means city commission resolutions and ordinances no longer need approval of the RTAB. Governor Snyder called it “an important day for the citizens of Benton Harbor, the mayor, and city council who have all worked diligently to move the city from a financial hardship to a place of stability.” The RTAB noted key accomplishments for the city in recent years, including making payments of 110% of its annual required contribution to the Municipal Employees Retirement Systems to reach an 80% funding level, and increasing the General Fund balance by over $750,000 between 2014 and 2015.. ...Read Full Story
Guilty of second degree murder. A Berrien County jury has convicted Roy Thompson of Benton Harbor on the most serious charge he faced in the shooting death in December of David Krieger. The 53-year-old was killed during a confrontation with Thompson about a dog the suspect was kicking near Krieger’s family business, Michiana Supply, in Benton Township. The victim’s brother, Stephen Krieger, testified in December that Thompson fired a single shot into David’s chest. Stephen Krieger and Thompson exchanged fire as well, but neither was hit by bullets. Sentencing is set for August 1, and the penalty could be as severe as life in prison.. ...Read Full Story
Rainfall in some parts of Michigan is less than half of what we normally see in June — so how will it affect crops? MSU professor and State Climatologist Jeff Andresen says Michigan’s apple crops should be okay.. ...Read Full Story
The government is urging owners of older Hondas and Acuras to stop driving them and get them repaired after tests found that their Takata air bag inflators are extremely dangerous. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says it has new data showing that chances are as high as 50 percent that the inflators can explode in a crash.. ...Read Full Story
The annual Queen’s Cup yacht race gets underway Friday morning in Milwaukee and will end in St. Joseph Saturday. The event is one of the oldest cups in world yachting that is still open for competiton every year. St. Joseph River Yacht Club member Dr. Stuart Boekeloo says the race across Lake Michigan spans generations of sailors.. ...Read Full Story
Pending the approval of Governor Snyder, the city of Benton Harbor is no longer under any state oversight. With a unanimous vote, the Receivership Transition Advisory Board voted Thursday to terminate the city’s receivership and move it back to local control. City Manager Darwin Watson says it’s a win for the city, but they’re not yet out of the woods financially and the biggest challenge remains being fiscally responsible.. ...Read Full Story
There will be more police patrolling Silver Beach on the Fourth of July to try to avoid a repeat of a melee last year. Berrien County Sheriff Paul Bailey says his department will have at least 10 officers on patrol along with public safety officers from the city of St. Joseph.. ...Read Full Story
The OutCenter in Benton Harbor is calling it a missed opportunity for Governor Snyder to meet with the gay rights organization about expanding Michigan’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act. Executive director Mary Jo Schnell says the law needs to be modified.. ...Read Full Story
The OutCenter wants to meet with Governor Snyder to talk about LGBT civil rights. The governor will be in Southwest Michigan Wednesday for a reception at the Inn at Harbor Shores, and the OutCenter is requesting a meeting with him in Benton Harbor beforehand. A statement from the OutCenter says the focus would be on amending the state’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to add sexual orientation, protecting Michiganders from attacks like what happened at a gay nightclub in Orlando, and discussing political speak that dehumanizes groups. OutCenter leaders note the invitation has not yet been accepted by the governor’s office.. ...Read Full Story
The state of Michigan continues to bail out the Benton Harbor Area Schools. The district has received another emergency loan – this one for $4.4 million and will be able to meet payroll on July 15 as a result. The Treasury Department’s Emergency Loan Board also approved restructuring the district’s three previous emergency loans, issued in 2012, 2013 and 2015. The latest loan will be repaid over 15 years with an interest rate of 1.85%. The first five years will be interest-free. As for the previous three loans, the payments will be interest-only for the first three years, with principal payments starting in year 4. All told, the district now owes the state just over $7.5 million.. ...Read Full Story
Whirlpool executives are closely watching how the decision by voters in the United Kingdom to leave the European Union will impact the company and the appliance industry. Chairman and CEO Jeff Fettig said in a statement released today the Brexit vote “has created a number of uncertainties, many that will take some time to play out.” Fettig says the Benton Harbor-based appliance maker will continue to monitor the situation closely to see if they need to take any actions to protect market share and business interests. Whirlpool Corporation will announce second-quarter earnings on July 18, and reaffirmed its full-year guidance of GAAP earnings per diluted share of $11.25 to $12, and ongoing earnings per share of $14 to $14.75.. ...Read Full Story
