Local News Archives

A website has been launched for the Benton Harbor Area Schools Community Engagement and Advisory Committee. Michigan Deputy State Treasurer Joyce Parker tells us Michigan.gov/EngageComm will provide meeting agendas and minutes, committee member bios, outreach meeting dates, and other information as the 12 member committee creates a financial and academic assessment and operating plan for the school district.. ...Read Full Story

Some major recreation grants have been approved for communities around the state by the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund Board. The board says the grants add up to $25 million, and several large grants are included for areas in southwest Michigan.. ...Read Full Story

After years of work, the Cherry Beach Project in Chikaming Township has ended in success. The Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund Board this week announced its next round of recreation grants to communities around the state, and included is a grant of $2.475 million for Chikaming Township to buy about three acres of land next to the current Cherry Beach along Lake Michigan. Chikaming Township Supervisor David Bunte told WSJM News about the property.. ...Read Full Story

Congressman Fred Upton welcomed a team from Western Michigan University to Washington, D.C. this week for the Energy and Environment Innovation Showcase. He tells us it was put on by the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee as a way to learn about ways to reduce emissions.. ...Read Full Story

From the Associated Press — The U.S. Coast Guard says it has launched ice-breaking operations in the western Great Lakes. Officials announced Wednesday they have started what they call “Operation Taconite” in Lake Superior and Lake Michigan, as well as northern Lake Huron, Georgian Bay, Green Bay, the Straits of Mackinac and St. Marys River. The effort responds to expanding ice in commercial ports. Ice-breaking is done for several reasons, including search and rescue, flood control or to serve vessels or communities in need. Operation Taconite is one of two ice-breaking operations on the Great Lakes.. ...Read Full Story

Reducing the stigma that can be associated with drug addiction is a goal of the Berrien County Health Department as it works to fight drug overdose deaths. Berrien County Health Department Communications Manager Gillian Conrad tells WSJM News they’re spreading a message about the dangers of opioids, as opioid-based painkillers can be very addictive.. ...Read Full Story

There will soon be a new chief judge of the Berrien County Trial Court. At this week’s meeting of the Berrien County Board of Commissioners, current Chief Judge Gary Bruce said he’ll be stepping down from that post on January 1. He will remain a judge, and is just leaving the chief judge spot. Bruce thanked the county board for all its support in implementing new court programs over the years.. ...Read Full Story

Congressman Fred Upton has made it official. He’s against the impeachment of President Trump. Upton spoke with us this week and expressed reservations, and his office issued a statement Thursday with Upton’s official stance. He says “the impeachment process has become exactly what our great founding fathers warned us against. It has been highly partisan and clearly motivated by what I believe is an attempt to overturn the last election. I get it. Democrats aren’t happy with the result. But the time to vote on the next President is next November, not next week.” Upton goes on to say efforts to impeach Trump began within 24 hours of his election. He says, “We can’t have the impeachment process decided by political whim. It must be decided by the standard set by the founders of our democracy. The President’s behavior was wrongheaded, inappropriate, and ill-advised, but was it impeachable? My answer is no.”. ...Read Full Story

Set for Saturday is an open house at the historic Chapin Mansion and Fort St. Joseph Museum in Niles. Niles History Center Assistant Director Molly Watson tells WSJM News this is a chance for everyone to tour the sites for free, and check them out as they are decked out for the holidays.. ...Read Full Story

If the holidays will be taking you over the river and through the woods to grandmother’s house, you’re going to have plenty of company. The holiday season travel forecast from Triple-A projects record numbers of people both in Michigan and nationally are planning trips of at least 50 miles from home. Across the country, the expectation is 115.6 million will travel, while over 3.6 million Michiganders will be hopping in planes, trains and automobiles. Those estimates are the highest ever by the auto club. Around 3.3 million in the state will be driving, and almost 202,000 plan to fly to their holiday destination. Triple-A Michigan says new record levels have been set for holiday travel every year since 2014.. ...Read Full Story

The Lincoln Township Board has voted to formally abandon an old, unused section of road near the Grand Mere area. Lincoln Township Supervisor Dick Stauffer tells us it’s a 55 foot long, 66 foot wide former piece of Ice Street. It was unofficially abandoned in 1958 and isn’t connected to any other road. Stauffer says it’s totally unused, and a nearby property owner asked the township to abandon it to un-complicate his own parcels. Now that the township has abandoned the section of Ice Street, the Berrien County Board of Commissioners will consider whether the county road department should take it over. From there, the fate of the non-road would be decided by the county.. ...Read Full Story

As Michigan lawmakers and county commissioners try to get an emergency declared over Great Lakes coastal erosion, Congressman Fred Upton has been looking into what he can do. He tells WSJM News he met Tuesday with representatives of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and was told the water level on Lake Michigan is expected to break its record in the coming months. So, did the Army Corps tell him they can do anything about it?. ...Read Full Story

A FIRST Robotics Team representing Benton Harbor Area Schools will be in West Bloomfield this weekend taking part in a statewide championship. At a meeting of the school board Tuesday, students in the FIRST Lego League and the FIRST Technical Challenge were honored by trustees for taking part in those programs. Board President Joseph Taylor told WSJM News the Mega Bots will compete in that Detroit area event on Saturday.. ...Read Full Story

Some changes are being made at the Box Factory for the Arts in St. Joseph as it struggles to overcome funding challenges. Box Factory Board President Judy Sokolowski tells WSJM News after an emergency meeting of the board on December 3, the attraction is switching to winter hours and laying off its staff. As of January 1, the Box Factory’s two full-time and one part-time employees will be laid off, and the hours will change to noon through 4 p.m. on Tuesdays through Saturdays. The Box Factory will be closed on Sundays and Mondays. Businesses with offices inside, however, will continue to have 24/7 access. Sokolowski says the loss of a tenant on the top floor and building expenses have eaten into the Box Factory’s savings. Meanwhile, they continue to raise funds to match a grant and a donation. One is a challenge grant from the Gast family of $15,000, and the other is a $25,000 donation from the Frederick S. Upton Foundation. Anyone who wants to help can go to the Box Factory for the Arts website. Also, businesses looking to rent that available space can call.. ...Read Full Story

The Bissell Pet Foundation wants to get forever homes for as many pets as possible this week with their latest “Empty The Shelters” event. Locally, Van Buren County Animal Control in Hartford and the Al-Van Humane Society in South Haven are taking part. Since the Grand Rapids-based foundation began the effort in collaboration with animal shelters in 2016, nearly 27,000 pets have been adopted. The foundation’s “Empty The Shelters – Holiday Hope” event will be Friday and Saturday at 45 shelters in Michigan and at more than 110 in 22 states across the country. A portion of the adoption costs are covered by the Bissell Pet Foundation to help make it easier for humans to find their new furry best friends.. ...Read Full Story

The suspect in the murder of 29-year-old Quintina Jeffries in Benton Harbor on Sunday is dead. Samuel Brown shot himself Tuesday night in St. Joseph after attending the Benton Harbor-Dowagiac basketball game. Brown had been actively posting on Facebook until just after 2 p.m. Tuesday, sharing pictures and video of the two of them and expressing his grief over the shooting death of his girlfriend.. ...Read Full Story

From the Associated Press — Recreational marijuana sales totaled about $1.6 million in the inaugural week of business at the first retail shops in Michigan. The Detroit Free Press and MLive.com report sales during the December 1-8 period brought the state roughly $270,400 in revenue from the excise and sales taxes levied on pot. Michigan’s Marijuana Regulatory Agency has issued 10 retail licenses for recreational marijuana, five of which began selling last week. More than 1,400 of Michigan’s nearly 1,800 cities, townships and villages aren’t allowing pot shops. Illinois starts recreational sales in January.. ...Read Full Story

While the state budget impasse is about half-resolved with lawmakers passing supplemental budget bills restoring $573 million dollars cut from the current fiscal year’s budget by line item vetoes, the work isn’t yet done. They and the governor say they’ll continue working on a road funding solution next year, and the future of the popular Pure Michigan tourism campaign remains in limbo. The program’s funding was eliminated, and House Speaker Lee Chatfield would like to find a way to keep Pure Michigan going.. ...Read Full Story

Two people from South Haven and one from Bloomingdale will serve two-year terms on the Michigan Blueberry Commission. Governor Whitmer reappointed Creela Hamlin of South Haven to represent at-large growers. She owns Lake Michigan Berry LLC. Cornerstone Ag Enterprises owner Robert Bodtke of South Haven succeeds Steven Hunt, also of South Haven, and will represent District 2 growers. Also appointed was Brookside Farm LLC partner Carly Jo Parsley of Bloomingdale to represent District 2 farmers. She will succeed James Sumners. The Michigan Blueberry Commission is part of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and works to improve the economic position and competitiveness of the state’s blueberry industry through support of research, education, and promotion programs. The appointments are subject to state Senate approval.. ...Read Full Story

Despite a legal victory against a major corporation, some environmental and community groups are not letting their guard down when it comes to protecting Michigan’s water. The Michigan Court of Appeals last week ruled Osceola Township had the right to deny a zoning permit to Nestle for a booster station to increase water extraction. The company had argued that local zoning officials were improperly influenced by public opposition. However, Peggy Case with Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation says the court ruled that elected officials should be sensitive to residents’ concerns.. ...Read Full Story

As the Benton Harbor Area Schools Board of Education prepares to hold its final interviews with the two remaining candidates for superintendent next week, the community will also have a chance to meet the prospective hires. At a Tuesday meeting of the school board, President Joseph Taylor said Patricia Robinson and Andrae Townsel will talk with students, teachers, administrators, and the public prior to their interviews on Monday. The meetings at the school buildings will start at 1:30 p.m. with each group getting a half hour with each superintendent candidate. The community engagement time will begin at 5 p.m. Residents can meet with Robinson from 5 to 5:30 and then with Townsel from 5:30 to 6. The two will interview with the board of education starting at 6. The board could select the district’s new superintendent at that meeting. Robinson is the current interim superintendent at Benton Harbor Area Schools, while Townsel is the assistant superintendent at Wayne-Westland Community Schools in metro Detroit.. ...Read Full Story

A warning about rental scams has been put out by the Better Business Bureau of Western Michigan. It says an in depth investigation it’s done has found 43% of online shoppers have encountered a fake listing and more than five million consumers have lost money to such scams. The study — “Is That Rental Listing Real? A BBB Study of Rental Scams Involving Apartments, Houses and Vacation Properties” — notes 85% of consumers don’t fall for the fake listings, but the sheer number of them, the organization says, “is staggering.” The most common rental scam is when someone posts a rental property online using a picture of a property they don’t even own. When a prospective renter contacts them, the scammer may claim to be out of the country and unavailable to show the property. Or, they only will communicate using email. A victim sends a deposit on the property, and never hears from the scammer again. Those who are looking to rent are advised to use caution. Also, landlords are encouraged to use watermarked photos when posting a listing online.. ...Read Full Story

Berrien County Commissioner Ezra Scott is back home after spending some time in Washington, D.C. last week talking with federal officials about shoreline erosion. Scott introduced the county board resolution asking the governor and state Legislature to declare a state of emergency regarding Great Lakes coastal erosion. He tells WSJM News while in the nation’s capital he talked with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Congressman Fred Upton, representatives of Senators Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters, and the liaison office of Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Scott wasn’t exactly impressed with that last meeting.. ...Read Full Story

The House Judiciary Committee is expected to debate and vote on two articles of impeachment of President Trump later this week. That could lead to an impeachment vote in the full House by Christmas. So what does Congressman Fred Upton think? He told us Tuesday afternoon he hadn’t yet read the articles alleging abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, but it seems to him as though the House is on the march to bring the articles to the floor.. ...Read Full Story

Members of the Michigan Senate have sent a letter to Governor Gretchen Whitmer asking her to declare a state of emergency for the entire Lake Michigan shoreline because of the increasing problem of beach erosion. Among the senators to sign the letter are Kim LaSata and Aric Nesbitt. The group of senators writes to Whitmer that constituents “have been left to literally pick up the pieces of what was once their homes, businesses and infrastructure.” The letter also says if the governor were to declare an emergency, then additional state resources to deal with coastal erosion could be opened up, leading to the possibility of federal help. The action out of the Senate this week comes after a group of state House members sent the governor a similar letter last week.. ...Read Full Story

The city of Benton Harbor will honor a former mayor next week by naming the municipal building after him. A dedication ceremony for the Wilce L. Cooke Municipal Building will be on Monday. Wilce Cooke was Benton Harbor’s mayor from 1981 to 1987, and then again from 2004 to 2011. The dedication of the building will be at 7 p.m. in the Lula Lee Commission Chambers when the city commission meets. Everyone is invited.. ...Read Full Story

Efforts are underway from both political parties to try to find ways to bring down the cost of prescription drugs across the country, with each side saying their plan is better than the other. Congressman Fred Upton says House Republicans have a bill called the “Lower Cost, More Cures Act” that they’re trying to get as a substitute for the Democrats’ “Lower Drug Costs Now Act of 2019” that’s before the House. Upton says their bill will build on the progress made over the last three years by his bipartisan 21st Century Cures Act. On Tuesday, he talked about meeting with a girl last week with spinal muscular atrophy.. ...Read Full Story

The woman shot and killed on Sunday at a home on West May Street in Benton Harbor has been identified by public safety as 29-year-old Quintina Jeffries. No arrests have been made in her murder, but detectives say they’ve had “great cooperation” with several potential witnesses. They’re still looking for more information, and the case remains under investigation. Jeffries leaves behind an eight-year-old son and other relatives according to authorities. She was pronounced dead at the scene after being shot in the head, and police say the autopsy has confirmed the gunshot was the cause of her death.. ...Read Full Story

The man called a person of interest in the disappearance of 30-year-old Jessica Gray is in custody in another state, but she is still missing. Benton Township police confirmed reports this morning that 38-year-old Willie Lark Jr. was arrested on a parole violation on Monday, but have not said where. Authorities had been called to a home in the 300 block of Crystal in Benton Township last Monday on a welfare check on Lark. One of his relatives had gone to the home early in the morning on December 2 and found the front door open and blood in the doorway. Police found spent shell casings in the home. Gray was last seen around 8 p.m. on Sunday, December 1, and police add she needs medical attention. Lark’s extradition to Michigan is pending the status of charges out of state.. ...Read Full Story

From the Associated Press — Michigan farmers and lawmakers want the federal government to impose a hefty tariff on dried tart cherries imported from Turkey, arguing that a subsidy on the fruit is impeding American farmers’ ability to compete. Cherry  companies from Michigan and Utah on Tuesday asked the U.S. Commerce Department and International Trade Commission for a nearly 650% in tariff hikes on tart cherries imported from Turkey. The petition request would increase the price of $1 worth of cherries to $6.48. The Detroit News reports the companies are asking the commission to determine that Turkey has injured their business or at least threatens to do so.. ...Read Full Story

Discussions will continue between the city of St. Joseph and those who live near and along the shoreline whose properties and houses are threatened by the erosion from Lake Michigan. City Manager John Hodgson and others met with more than 20 residents over the weekend. ...Read Full Story

The next superintendent of Benton Harbor Area Schools could be chosen next week by the board of education. Trustees on Monday interviewed four candidates for the job, and then voted to bring back two for additional interviews next Monday. Now in the running for the position of district superintendent are current Interim Superintendent Patricia Robinson and Wayne-Westland Community Schools Assistant Superintendent Andrae Townsel. Benton Harbor Area Schools Trustee Patricia Rush said Patricia Robinson has served the district well as a home grown acting superintendent.. ...Read Full Story

St. Joseph City Commissioners don’t want a pay raise. The city’s Municipal Officers Compensation Commission met on Friday for the first time in four years and recommended a 3% increase in what the commissioners are paid, noting they hadn’t had a bump in eight years. The recommendation gave three options: do nothing and the raise would take effect automatically in 30 days; vote to approve it; or reject it. Commissioner Jeff Richards made the motion to turn down the extra money.. ...Read Full Story

From the Associated Press — A southwest Michigan man has been sentenced to a year in jail for his 16-year-old son’s fatal drug overdose. Prosecutors accused Gary Birkhead of knowingly allowing his son to use illicit drugs over two years. He pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in November. Birkhead, a Bangor resident, has been in the Van Buren County jail for months and will have roughly 100 days left on the sentence. Cole Birkhead died in 2017 at Bronson hospital in Kalamazoo.. ...Read Full Story

Berrien County Treasurer Bret Witkowski looking back on the first year of his office’s Hopeful Home Fund as a success. He says the fund was started after donations poured in to pay off the property taxes of an 88-year-old Niles woman who had faced foreclosure. When her story got around in the media, Witkowski says he heard from many people who would want to help in that kind of situation.. ...Read Full Story

Michigan lawmakers and Governor Gretchen Whitmer are expected to approve some spending bills this week. That’s after the governor line item vetoed nearly $1 billion in funding included in the budget approved by the Legislature earlier this year. State Senator Kim LaSata tells WSJM News lawmakers last week restored funding for the Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates program, and also for student loans for those enrolled in private universities. That’s not all.. ...Read Full Story

There will be a couple of public meetings of the Community Engagement and Advisory Committee tasked with drafting a turnaround plan for Benton Harbor Area Schools this week and next week. The Michigan Department of Treasury says these are community outreach meetings, and everyone’s encouraged to attend at least one of them to offer their thoughts on the school district. This week’s meetings will both be Tuesday at the Benton Harbor Public Library. One will be at noon, and the other at 5 p.m. Then, there will be two more meetings next Tuesday. Once again, they’ll be at the Benton Harbor Public Library, at noon and at 5 p.m. There will be more community meetings announced later. The committee will provide an assessment of the school district in 90 days, and then an operating plan in six months.. ...Read Full Story

Here’s your chance to buy a piece of Michigan state land as the Department of Natural Resources holds its annual winter auction. Almost 150 parcels of land, including some in southwest Michigan, will be up for auction starting tomorrow. The Department is offering some parcels that are less than an acre in size. Michael Michalek is a Resource Specialist for the DNR he says the largest parcel is 160 acres.. ...Read Full Story

The South Haven City Council spent part of its meeting this past week reviewing its accomplishments in 2019. City Manager Brian Dissette tells WSJM News housing development was the top priority. Accomplishments on that front have included the new mixed used development on Center Street with commercial space and 18 apartments, and a development at the site of the former Macdonald Drug on Phoenix Street. Dissette says more will come with the former Overton factory site on Elkenburg Street.. ...Read Full Story

Benton Harbor Public Safety detectives are investigating the shooting death Sunday of a 29-year-old woman. Director Dan McGinnis tells WSJM News the woman was found shot in the head at 185 West Main Street just before 11:30 a.m., and was pronounced dead at the scene. McGinnis says they don’t know the circumstances of the shooting just yet, but do suspect foul play. The woman’s name is not being released at this time pending notification of her family.. ...Read Full Story

The office of Governor Gretchen Whitmer has announced that, as of this week, survivors of sexual assault can seek help via text message. They can text 1-866-238-1454 to receive immediate help and support from trained professionals. The texting feature is an expansion to the 855-VOICES4 hotline, which offers confidential support to survivors of all kinds, along with help for their family and friends. The hotline launched in 2018 to help ensure the 40% of Michiganders without access to direct sexual assault services had somewhere to turn. The governor made the announcement about the new texting support service at Eastern Michigan University this past week during the fifth annual “Let’s End Campus Sexual Assault” summit. The “Let’s End Campus Sexual Assault” initiative was started by former Michigan First Lady Sue Snyder with the goal of changing the culture surrounding campus sexual assault. You can find out more about the state hotline right here.. ...Read Full Story

An Elkhart man picked the wrong house to break into in Cass County on Friday. The sheriff’s office says the 34-year-old man was shot by one of the residents, 35-year-old Jonathon Niswonger, during a fight after forcing his way in, and is now at Elkhart General Hospital. Authorities have not released the name of the suspect pending his arraignment. Police talked to Niswonger and Shasta Blankenmeyer, who also lives at the Volinia Township home, shortly after the shooting and are continuing to investigate.. ...Read Full Story

465 Christmas trees have been sent to two U.S. military bases thanks to Wahmhoff Farms in Gobles and nearly 100 volunteers who turned out this past week as part of the annual Trees for the Troops effort. The trees collected from Michigan farms were loaded on to FedEx trailers by the volunteers and then shipped out to Fort Knox and Fort Hood on Monday so soldiers can have a more merry Christmas. Among those to help load the trees were local dignitaries that included state Senator Aric Nesbitt. Wahmhoff Farms thanked all of those who helped for showing their kindness and love of country. The farm says the efforts of those who came out will ensure hundreds of military families can celebrate around a real tree knowing someone cares.. ...Read Full Story

The Krasl Art Center in St. Joseph has opened its latest exhibit. Krasl Curator Tami Miller tells WSJM News Resiliency is the new members show.. ...Read Full Story

It is time to get your flu vaccine. So says the Berrien County Health Department. Spokesperson Gillian Conrad tells WSJM News it’s not too late.. ...Read Full Story

The South Haven City Council has added its voice to the growing list of those seeking disaster relief funds due to coastal erosion. City Manager Brian Dissette tells WSJM News the council this week took action.. ...Read Full Story

The Lincoln Township Police Department is investigating an early Saturday morning armed robbery at the Shell gas station on Red Arrow Highway in Stevensville . The department says two “partially masked white males” went into the store around 2:40 a.m. demanding money. One of them pointed a handgun at the clerk, and the men ran off with the cash from the register. A K9 tracked the suspects to a nearby apartment complex, but the trail ended there. There were no injuries in the robbery, and police ask anyone with information on the crime to contact them.. ...Read Full Story

Fifth grade students from all across Michigan are invited to enter the 2020 Missing Children’s Day Poster Contest. Michigan State Police Missing Children’s Clearinghouse analyst Jolene Hardesty tells WSJM News there are around 800 missing kids in Michigan right now, and the annual poster contest asks students to draw attention to them.. ...Read Full Story

Anyone who owes late fees to the Bridgman Public Library has a chance to pay them off this month while helping those in need. The library tells us they will accept donations of unopened, non-perishable food items or toiletries in lieu of money to take care of late fees. All donations will go to two local food pantries. The library says the offer is good through January 6, and there’s no required amount for donations. The offer only applies to late fees and not to book replacement fees.. ...Read Full Story

Van Buren County Sheriff Daniel Abbott is getting ready to fly out to New York for his appearance on the A&E show, Live PD next week. He tells WSJM News he leaves Tuesday, and doesn’t really know what to expect.. ...Read Full Story

Legislation from state Senator Kim LaSata to honor fallen police officers has been approved by the Michigan Senate. LaSata tells WSJM News her bill updates the rules for the Michigan Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Monument.. ...Read Full Story

There will be extra Michigan State Police troopers out on I-94 this coming week, but it’s not the average drivers they’re necessarily watching. Inspector Patrick Morris with the MSP Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division tells WSJM News the Eyes on 94 initiative has troopers stepping up enforcement for large commercial vehicles.. ...Read Full Story

There’s a short film being shot in Three Oaks this weekend. The Funeral Photographer is directed by Ashley Thompson, and was written by Mark Strauss of Sawyer. Strauss tells WSJM News it’s a bit of a mystery story.. ...Read Full Story

Donations are being sought to help the Greater South Haven Area Community Foundation raise money for the new splash pad under construction near South Beach in South Haven. The city project comes with a cost of more than $600,000, and the foundation’s Jim Marcoux tells WSJM News his group wants to help.. ...Read Full Story

The Benton Harbor Area Schools Board of Education will interview four candidates for the position of district superintendent Monday. The board hopes to have a district leader picked this month as the Community Advisory and Engagement Committee established by the state gets to work on its turnaround plan for the district. The interviews for superintendent will take place at the Benton Harbor High School library from 4 to 9 p.m. Among the candidates is district Interim Superintendent Patricia Robinson. Also set to be interviewed are Dr. C. Michael Robinson Jr., Larry Gray II, and Andrae Townsel. The school board reviewed eight candidates for the post last week, and then whittled the number down to four. After Monday’s interviews, the board will invite two candidates back for interviews a week later, and then make a hiring decision at that time.. ...Read Full Story