Local News Archives

Leaders at Benton Harbor Area Schools have a plan if the next academic year is canceled due to COVID-19. During a Tuesday meeting of the board of education, Superintendent Andrae Townsel said the district’s online learning plan has been approved by Berrien RESA and the Michigan Department of Education.. ...Read Full Story

The $3 trillion coronavirus aid package introduced this week by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is being reviewed by Congressman Fred Upton. He told WSJM News Tuesday he asked that Pelosi work on a package with a chance of passing.. ...Read Full Story

COVID-19 is changing things quite a bit for those looking to buy or sell homes, but Michigan Realtors Association president Maureen Francis says they’re glad to be back to work.. ...Read Full Story

The Berrien County Health Department is in constant contact with nursing homes throughout the community during the COVID-19 pandemic. Spokesperson Gillian Conrad tells WSJM News the department is acting as a partner to assisted living facilities.. ...Read Full Story

Michigan State Police are planning an increased presence in Lansing for Thursday’s demonstration against Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s stay home orders. The MSP public information team put out a social media video Wednesday asking those who attend to wear masks.. ...Read Full Story

The 2020 Mackinac Bridge Walk has been suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Michigan Department of Transportation has released the following statement:. ...Read Full Story

A crowdfunding campaign has been launched to try to save Forever Books in downtown St. Joseph. Store owner Robin Allen tells WSJM News the business is struggling to stay afloat during the COVID-19 shutdown with less in sales and all of the normal events being canceled.. ...Read Full Story

Governor Whitmer last week laid out a six-phase plan to reopen the state fully from COVID-19, noting then and again Wednesday that we remain in the middle in phase three, the flattening of the curve of the epidemic. She was asked for specific numbers for when she felt it would be safe to reopen more things in regard to cases, deaths, and hospitalizations.. ...Read Full Story

Governor Whitmer said on The View that COVID-19 has been spreading to rural areas of the state due to the protests that have happened around Lansing over the past few weeks, and was asked during Wednesday’s briefing what proof she has of the claim.. ...Read Full Story

Michigan is reporting 370 additional cases of COVID-19 around the state for Wednesday. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services says the statewide total since the start of the pandemic is now 48,391. There are 40 additional COVID-19 deaths to report for Wednesday, bringing that total up to 4,714. Locally, the Berrien County Health Department reports 14 new cases of coronavirus for the day, bringing the county’s total cases up to 425. There has been an additional COVID-19 death in the county, bringing the total to 26. The health department says the patient was a woman over the age of 90 who had underlying health conditions. It also says 272 patients have recovered from the illness since it was found in Berrien County. Cass County is reporting one new case for Wednesday, making the county’s total 44 with two deaths. Van Buren County is reporting no new cases of COVID-19 for Wednesday, with its total remaining 94 cases and four deaths.. ...Read Full Story

There will be a commencement ceremony for the class of 2020 at St. Joseph High School on Sunday, July 26, but it’s still not known exactly what it will look like. The high school’s latest blog post announced the ceremony with three different options. The first is the most optimistic and most hoped-for, being a full on face-to-face graduation ceremony at Steve Upton Field at Dickinson Stadium without any restrictions. The second option would be a hybrid graduation with either a parade or drive option or scheduled appointment times for students and parents to arrive at the stadium to individually receive diplomas. The school calls that one “not ideal but we can make it work.” The third and “least favorite” according to the high school would be an all virtual graduation ceremony. Bottom line, though, is a commencement ceremony of some sort will be held by St. Joseph High School on July 26.. ...Read Full Story

Leaders at Benton Harbor Area Schools are planning for substantial state funding cuts in the coming year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During a Tuesday virtual session of the school board, district Chief Financial Officer Scott Johnson said he’s already been warned.. ...Read Full Story

The Benton Harbor Area Schools Board of Education has approved a turnaround plan drafted for the district by its Community Engagement and Advisory Committee. During a virtual meeting Tuesday night, Superintendent Andrae Townsel read from the resolution noting his team is confident in the final turnaround plan that was drafted.. ...Read Full Story

From the Associated Press — A lawmaker is warning of a potential 25% cut in state funding for K-12 schools due to economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. Republican Senator Wayne Schmidt, who chairs the Senate’s education budget subcommittee, said Tuesday that 25% is “certainly the high end,” but schools should brace for the worst. There is uncertainty over whether federal rescue aid can be used to help balance the budget. About 40% of the $14 billion in state revenues for the school aid fund comes from sales taxes. Schmidt says “there’s no way around” cuts to base funding that districts get from the state.. ...Read Full Story

Congressman Fred Upton is calling on the Trump administration to work with the auto industry to make sure it can meet its supply chain needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the pandemic, auto sales are projected to drop as much as 30% for the year, from more 17 million cars sold in 2019. Upton tells WSJM News funds must be targeted to the purchase of raw materials by suppliers and other critical costs due to the way turnaround works in the auto industry. ...Read Full Story

The city of South Haven is installing some barriers to protect high priority infrastructure from coastal flooding. It says its new HESCO barriers are being installed at the waste water treatment plant and at the water treatment plant near South Beach. The city plans to leave the barriers in place for as long as the water level in Lake Michigan is near its current high. South Haven has struggled with Lake Michigan flooding along its shore for much of the past year.. ...Read Full Story

The Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra has cancelled all of its performances through the end of August. The SMSO says due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it felt the health and safety of the community should be the top priority. In the meantime, it says it’s working with its four music director candidates to establish a timeline for the orchestra’s return. It also says having “been an integral part of the cultural fabric of our community since 1951, we look forward to the time when we can safely return to enrich and unite our community through shared musical experiences.” The SMSO adds it appreciates any donations supporters might want to make at this time.. ...Read Full Story

Michigan is reporting 469 additional cases of COVID-19 around the state for Tuesday. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services says the statewide total since the start of the pandemic is 48,021. There are 90 additional COVID-19 deaths to report for Tuesday, bringing that total up to 4,674. The Berrien County Health Department is reporting ten new cases of coronavirus for the day, bringing the county’s total cases up to 411. The number of COVID-19 deaths in Berrien County remains 25. Cass County is reporting one new case for Tuesday, making the county’s total 43 with two deaths. Van Buren County is reporting one additional case of COVID-19, bring the county’s total to 94 with four deaths.. ...Read Full Story

Governor Gretchen Whitmer is hoping the federal government will come through with aid to states facing budget shortfalls because of the COVID-19 crisis. She says we’re looking at a possible $3 billion hole.. ...Read Full Story

Lakes Michigan, Huron, Erie and St. Clair all hit record high water levels in April and they are expected to rise through the end of summer. Drew Gronewald is an associate professor at the University of Michigan’s School of Environment and Sustainability. He told Michigan News Network the past ten years have been the wettest decade in U.S. history, coupled with less evaporation and climate change.. ...Read Full Story

From the Associated Press — Governor Gretchen Whitmer says she wants 450,000 Michiganders to be tested for the coronavirus this month, an average of nearly 15,000 a day. She said Monday the goal is critical because social-distancing measures cannot go on indefinitely until a vaccine is developed. The state wants to have 30,000 tests a day in June and beyond. Deaths from COVID-19 increased by 33 to nearly 4,600. A top state physician says there are signs Michigan may have children with a mysterious illness possibly associated with COVID-19. Symptoms are similar to Kawasaki disease, a rare multi-system inflammatory disease in
children.. ...Read Full Story

The city of St. Joseph is the latest to call off the Independence Day fireworks celebration due to the COVID-19 pandemic.. ...Read Full Story

The Berrien County Health Department is offering everyone advice about how they can avoid COVID-19 related scams. Emergency Preparedness Coordinator Brandon Vallee says in a new video there are five basic things you can do. First…. ...Read Full Story

Should the next federal coronavirus stimulus package contain funding for transportation agencies? The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials thinks so. It sent a letter to both chambers of Congress asking that $50 billion be set aside for state transportation agencies. Speaking on MDOT’s “Talking Transportation” podcast, group spokesperson Lloyd Brown said funding to keep roads and bridges functional has dropped.. ...Read Full Story

A maintenance project on part of Napier Avenue in Benton Township and Bainbridge Township is now underway. The Berrien County Road Department says the project involves the application of an HMA overlay from Blue Creek Road to Morgan Road. The work will mean some lane closures to be controlled by flaggers. Drivers are asked to slow down and be extra cautious. The work started Monday and should be finished on May 22.. ...Read Full Story

Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s briefing on the state’s response to COVID-19 took on a more somber tone than previous sessions toward the end during the question and answer period. Right out of the gate came a question on the pledge by the Michigan Militia to help keep a Shiawassee County barber shop open, despite those businesses not yet being include in what can open up. Whitmer says she understands the frustration.. ...Read Full Story

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there will not be a Berrien County Peace Officer’s Memorial Day Service this year. It had been scheduled for noon on Friday. The Blossomland Lodge #100 Fraternal Order of Police says the decision was not taken lightly, but calling it off “was in the best interest of the families of our fallen officers, the first responders and all of those who attend the annual event. The service honors the officers who have died in the line of duty, dating back to August 1907 for Niles City Patrolman Clarence Shockley and most recently Berrien County Courthouse Security Supervisor Joseph Zangaro and courthouse security officer Ronald Kienzle. There are 17 Berrien County officers honored every year along with three others who are former residents killed in the line of duty elsewhere in the country.. ...Read Full Story

Michigan is reporting 414 additional cases of COVID-19 around the state for Monday. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services says the statewide total since the start of the pandemic is 47,552. There are 33 additional COVID-19 deaths to report for Monday, bringing that total up to 4,584. The Berrien County Health Department is reporting 10 new cases of coronavirus for the day, bringing the county’s total cases up to 401. There have been three additional deaths from the illness, making the total 25. The patients included two males over the age of 80 and one female over the age of 90, all of whom had underlying medical conditions. Cass County is reporting one new case for Monday, making the county’s total 42 with two deaths. Van Buren County is reporting five additional cases of COVID-19, bring the county’s total to 93 with four deaths.. ...Read Full Story

A freeze over the weekend could mean damage to some of the area’s fruit crops. Michigan State University Extension’s Mark Longstroth from the Van Buren County office says the coldest temperatures were along I-94 between Benton Harbor and Kalamazoo.. ...Read Full Story

Unit 2 of the Cook Nuclear Plant is now back in service. Indiana Michigan Power says repairs have been completed to the unit’s pressurizer system and it was safely returned to service on May 11 at 1:07 a.m. It was removed from service just before 11 a.m. on May 1 when a small leak was discovered on a pipe in the unit’s pressurizer spray system.. ...Read Full Story

The Berrien Community Foundation is switching its focus this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It normally provides two competitive grant cycles each year for its For Good Grants, but says this year it’s supporting non-profits with For Ever Grants to help them stay alive long-term. The Berrien Community Foundation has released the following statement:. ...Read Full Story

Michigan is reporting 382 additional cases of COVID-19 around the state for Sunday. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services says the statewide total since the start of the pandemic is now 47,138. There are 25 additional coronavirus deaths in the state to report for Sunday, bringing that total up to 4,551. The Berrien County Health Department is reporting seven new cases of COVID-19 for Sunday, bringing the county’s total up to 391. Berrien County has had 22 COVID-19 deaths, and 228 patients have recovered. Cass County is reporting 41 total cases for Sunday, the same total as Saturday. Van Buren County is reporting four new cases of the illness, bringing the county’s total to 88. Van Buren County has now had four COVID-19 deaths, while Cass County has had two.. ...Read Full Story

The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department is investigating a single vehicle crash on Saturday that injured a Three Oaks woman. It says deputies were called to the scene at South Pardee Road near Sawyer Road in Weesaw Township shortly before 7 a.m. They learned a 20-year-old woman had been driving a 2012 Nissan Maxima when she lost control and the vehicle left the road and hit a tree. The driver was trapped in the vehicle and had to be freed by the Weesaw Township Fire Department and Lake Township Fire Department using the Jaws of Life. She was taken by ambulance to Spectrum Health Lakeland hospital in St. Joseph, and then later airlifted to a hospital in Kalamazoo. The crash remains under investigation by the Berrien County Sheriff’s Department.. ...Read Full Story

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is urging those who use ORV trails to be extra cautious due to the suspension of maintenance along those trails. The DNR has released the following statement:. ...Read Full Story

Employees of the Michigan Secretary of State who have been laid off due to the COVID-19 pandemic will be off the job for at least another week. The Michigan Secretary of State has released the following statement:. ...Read Full Story

The state of Michigan has announced some contracts it has reached to manage COVID-19 contact racing. The State Emergency Operations Center has released the following statement:. ...Read Full Story

Michigan’s overall COVID-19 case numbers are up by 430 for Saturday to 46,756 with 133 additional deaths for a total of 4,526. However, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services says 22,686 have recovered, which is defined by surviving 30 days post-onset of the virus. The recovery number is updated every Saturday, and this week’s number represents 48.5% of all cases. The overall case fatality rate in the state is 10%.. ...Read Full Story

Testing capacity for COVID-19 is continually going up in Berrien County, but the supply is still too short. So says Spectrum Health Lakeland CEO Loren Hamel, who gave a coronavirus update with Berrien County officials Friday. Hamel said there are now more sites doing testing in the county with the opening of a drive-thru location at the Benton Harbor Walmart Friday. As for antibody testing, he said Lakeland has the equipment, just not the materials. They’re using what they do have to give plasma transfusions to the sick. He put out another call for donations from those who have recovered from the illness.. ...Read Full Story

Fruit growers in Michigan are bracing for the worst as freezing temperatures are expected to hit tonight. Michigan State University Extension’s Mark Longstroth in Van Buren County says peaches, cherries, and pears are already blooming in southwest Michigan and apples are starting to open up. He says projections are for 32 degrees along the lakeshore overnight and 26 to 28 degrees inland.. ...Read Full Story

Jobs For Michigan’s Graduates has received a boost that will help nearly 800 youth in southwest Michigan and almost 33-hundred statewide. Lyons Industries president Lance Lyons awarded the program $10,000 to support vulnerable youth in the state, which is part of a larger fundraising effort called #ProjectMIYouth. That effort seeks to raise $100,000 in 90 days from May 5 to support at-risk teens, as they’ve been heavily impacted by the cumulative impacts of COVID-19. JMG participant Austin Kuhl of Dowagiac High School accepted the check from Lyons on Friday, while managing to keep themselves socially distanced as well as possible. JMG delivers employability and education services to over 3,200 young people across the state and has been largely state-funded since it began, but that funding source is at risk with a budget hole of at least $2.5 billion that needs to be addressed.. ...Read Full Story

A large landscaping project has been finished at South Haven High School, just days after landscaping businesses were allowed to reopen in Michigan. The new 300 foot berm sits on the east side of the school facing LaGrange street leading into the city. South Haven High School says it provides the property with “an impactful visual makeover.” South Haven Project CURB raised more than $10,000 to construct the project. The sound reduction berm is comprised of 1,000 cubic yards of dirt, 17 trees, and three types of shrubs. deBest, Incorporated designed and installed the project. It’s the first of eleven such projects planned for the high school. The majority of remaining projects in the high school landscape master plan are estimated to cost between $3,000 and $8,000 each. The high school is working with partners to raise the money.. ...Read Full Story

Berrien County’s coronavirus cases are higher by 22, rising from 354 on Thursday to 376 with 216 listed as having recovered by the Berrien County Health Department. The virus has claimed 22 lives in Berrien County, up one from Thursday. Cass County has 39 cases with two deaths as the number of new cases has risen by 3, and Van Buren County is up by eight to 81 cases with the number of deaths steady at 2. The Van Buren Cass District Health Department says 18 have recovered in Cass County and 26 have recovered in Van Buren County, Statewide, there are 650 news cases for Friday and 50 additional deaths to bring those totals to 46,326 and 4,393, respectively.. ...Read Full Story

A barn and a vehicle are total losses after a fire in Bangor Township on Friday morning. South Haven Area Emergency Services says firefighters from the Bangor Community Fire Department responded to a property at 38th Avenue near 69th Street around 10:40 a.m. and found the structure engaged. High winds caused the flames to spread to nearby woods, but firefighters were able to put that out quickly. The building was not occupied when the fire was discovered by its owner. Mutual aid was provided by Covert Township Fire Department and South Haven Area Emergency Services. There were no injuries.. ...Read Full Story

From the Associated Press — Some Michigan farmers say the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s plan to buy tart cherries to feed communities and support farmers will help the industry as cold weather threatens their crops. The Traverse City Record-Eagle reports that the department announced this week that it will buy $20 million worth of U.S. tart cherries. The Agricultural Marketing Service will purchase other fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy and seafood products to distribute to communities amid the coronavirus outbreak. A news release says the purchase is in response to changing market conditions brought on by the pandemic.. ...Read Full Story

Berrien County has launched a new website to help businesses as they plan to reopen during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Berrien County Health Department has released the following statement:. ...Read Full Story

Michigan State Police are investigating a possible drowning in Weesaw Township. They say a trooper from the Niles post spotted an overturned boat on Rug Lake off Gardner Road around 2:15 p.m. on Thursday. The trooper found nearby residents who said a relative had recently been fishing using the same boat. The trooper used a canoe to get into the water and found an 82-year-old man deceased. The victim, who was from Kalamazoo, was not wearing a life jacket. Police say further investigation will be done at the medical examiner’s office at Western Michigan University Medical Center. The name of the victim has not been released.. ...Read Full Story

Planning is still underway for the Benton Harbor Farmers Market this year. The Berrien County Board of Health this week accepted a $5,000 grant from the Spectrum Health Lakeland Community Health Endowment to run the market this summer. Berrien County Health Department spokesperson Gillian Conrad told the board the market is important to the health of Benton Harbor residents.. ...Read Full Story

The Michigan League for Public Policy is making some recommendations for how the state’s unemployment system could be improved. Policy analyst Peter Ruark tells WSJM News steps have been taken recently to help the system function as more than a million Michiganders sought aid.. ...Read Full Story

Actor Jeff Daniels is headed to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in a way. During a solo acoustic concert livestreamed from his Purple Rose Theatre in Chelsea, outside of Ann Arbor, Daniels said he’d had a lot of feedback to the tribute song he wrote for Detroit Tigers legend and his boyhood hero Al Kaline. There was one email, however, that really caught his eye.. ...Read Full Story

Berrien County Health Officer Nicki Britten says contact tracing is a key way the area can stamp out lines of COVID-19 transmission. She gave an update to the Berrien County Board of Health this week, saying the local health department has made around 8,000 phone calls throughout the pandemic as it tracks down people who have had close contact with others who have COVID-19. She noted the stay home order has helped.. ...Read Full Story

There are more details coming out from Governor Whitmer regarding how the reopening of the state’s economy will be handled. She says there are six phases in her MI Safe Start Plan, of which we are currently in the middle in Phase 3, the flattening of the COVID-19 epidemic.. ...Read Full Story

Manufacturing is gearing up to resume in Michigan amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Governor Whitmer says automotive suppliers can resume work on Monday, with Ford, General Motors and Fiat Chrysler slowly ramping up production on May 18.. ...Read Full Story

Benton Harbor Mayor Marcus Muhammad is telling residents a shipment of personal protective equipment is arriving this week. He posted a video update to followers on Facebook Tuesday.. ...Read Full Story

Congressman Fred Upton says work on a vaccine for COVID-19 can proceed faster than it would have just a few years ago because of legislation passed in 2016. He tells WSJM News his 21st Century Cures Act took down firewalls that used to separate researchers from different teams.. ...Read Full Story

The Southwest Michigan Cares Fund has raised nearly $900,000 since it was created in March to help residents in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. Berrien Community Foundation President Lisa Cripps-Downey tells WSJM News the fund is still in Phase One, helping people with emergency needs.. ...Read Full Story

Spectrum Health Lakeland is asking everyone to take a moment to honor front line healthcare workers next week. Spokesperson Jessica Springer tells WSJM News that’s as they mark Nurses Week and Healthcare Week.. ...Read Full Story

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says Lake Michigan continues to get deeper. For the fourth straight month in April, Michigan and Huron, considered the same body of water, set a record for the water level and topped the 1986 record by 2.76 inches. The lake is 581.69 feet deep, up 13 inches in the past year and three-feet higher than the long-term average level. The Corps says Lake Erie also set a record for April, with the previous mark set in 1985. Compared to March, Lakes Michigan and Huron rose three inches, Lake Erie was up four inches, Lake Superior rose two inches, and Lake Ontario was up six inches. The new forecast from the Corps of Engineers predicts Lake Michigan to continue setting records until September or October.. ...Read Full Story