Local News Archives

BH School Board To Interview Candidates For Board Vacancy

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There will be a special meeting of the Benton Harbor Area Schools Board of Education this Tuesday, and they will be interviewing the candidates for an open seat on the body. Among the names in the running are a couple you may know. Former Benton Harbor City Manager Darwin Watson and former school board trustee Elnora Gavin are on the list. Also on the list are Nicholas Morgan Magee and Shaquille Turner. The board must appoint someone to fill a vacancy created by the passing of Stephen Mitchell last month. Also on the agenda is consideration of the new advisory committee to work on a plan for a district turnaround. The committee was proposed by the Michigan Department of Treasury as school leaders work to avoid the potential closure of Benton Harbor High School.. ...Read Full Story

MDOT Prepares For New Soo Lock

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The Michigan Department of Transportation is working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as an effort is underway to build a new Soo Lock. Congress this year approved more than $75 million for the initial construction and design of a lock to complement the Poe Lock. MDOT contract manager Ryan Mitchell, speaking on the latest MDOT “Talking Michigan Transportation” podcast, says it is important to have a second lock in case the Poe Lock fails.. ...Read Full Story

Perrigo Employees To Make World Record Attempt

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A team of scientists from Allegan-based Perrigo is going to attempt a world record this coming weekend. The drug maker says they’re constructing the world’s largest periodic table to inspire kids to pursue the science, technology, engineering, and math fields. The event is also in honor of the 150th anniversary of the periodic table. The big periodic table reveal will be 108 yards and will fill the football field at Grand Valley State University. All 118 elements are 18 by 14 feet. The record breaking periodic table will be unveiled on Saturday at the Kelly Family Sports Center at Grand Valley State University’s Allendale Campus. The event will be open to the public. Guinness Book of World Records officials will be in attendance.. ...Read Full Story

Groundbreaking For New Library This Week

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A groundbreaking for the new public library in Hartford will be held this week. The Hartford Library has used its current space since 1925, and the new facility will be named the Art and Bonna VanDerlyn Community Center and Hartford Public Library, after the owners of the local Harding’s. Bonna VanDerlyn has pledged big support for the effort to build a new library. The groundbreaking will be this Wednesday at 3 p.m. at the site between East and Church Streets. Bonna Vanderlyn will be attending. Library leaders say they want to show “our sincere appreciation for all that she has done for the Hartford community now and in the past.” The new library will include a 21st century humanities center with areas for literacy and teen involvement, a maker’s space, and a home for the Van Buren Genealogical Society. In addition to the support from Bonna Vanderlyn, the new library project has received a $400,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.. ...Read Full Story

EEE Risk Remains, But Diminishing

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With cooler weather upon us, is southwest Michigan in the clear yet for Eastern Equine Encephalitis? The short answer is probably, but not completely. Gillian Conrad is the spokeswoman for the Berrien County Health Department and says mosquito activity is declining.. ...Read Full Story

UFCU Releases Third Quarter Results

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Earnings are up for St. Joseph-based United Federal Credit Union. The financial institution says net income for the third quarter was $9.3 million, up 11.2% from the second quarter and a rise of 12.8% from the same time last year. Net income for United through the third quarter is $24.7 million. Total assets rose by 5.3% over year-ago levels to $2.87 billion, and total deposits grew $26.8 million to $2.19 billion compared to the second quarter of 2019. Total loans came in largely unchanged at $2.46 billion, and membership for United grew by 1.8% over the third quarter of last year to 176,100.. ...Read Full Story

Traverse City School Board Issues Statement On Ann Cardon

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The Traverse City Area Public Schools Board of Education says former St. Joseph Public Schools superintendent Ann Cardon remains at the helm of the northern Michigan school district. In a statement released this morning, the board says there “has been much speculation in the community about TCAPS and the future of the Superintendent,” calling the turmoil in the district “unfortunate.” Cardon has been on the job for just over two months in Traverse City and has had a few issues pop up with board members on things like how often she wants them to meet, how to handle the district’s budget, and the fact she’s yet to meet with the teachers’ union. Board member Erica Moon Mohr called out others on the panel on Friday, saying they’ve bullied the superintendent while roughly three dozen people spoke in support of Cardon during a raucous meeting that same day. The board held a closed session for about an hour and a half after taking the public comment, and emerged saying Cardon remained the superintendent. She is not doing any interviews, citing personal issues and asking for privacy.. ...Read Full Story

Statewide Gas Price Average Falls 11¢

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The state’s average gas price is down 11¢ a gallon according to the latest data from Triple-A Michigan. The auto club puts the average at $2.58, a drop of about 30¢ from this time last year. Traverse City continues to have the lowest prices of the area’s surveyed by Triple-A at $2.47, and Ann Arbor’s prices have been the highest for several months. This week, those are at $2.67. In Benton Harbor and St. Joseph, AAA says the average price is $2.55, down 6¢ over the past week. South Haven, which is not part of the AAA survey, is down to $2.30 according to GasBuddy, and that website notes prices in Niles are as low as $2.40 to start the week.. ...Read Full Story

Auto Industry Looks For Gains With New Trade Deal

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Congressional leaders are still trying to hammer out a new trade agreement with Canada and Mexico, and there’s a lot on the line for workers in Michigan. The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA, would replace NAFTA. Exports within North America account for some 180,000 Michigan jobs, and Michigan is second in the U.S. for trade with its neighbors. Ford Motor Company’s President of Automotive Joe Hinrichs explains the trade deal is especially crucial for the auto industry, which depends on the free flow of trade between the three countries.. ...Read Full Story

Free Smoke Detectors Available

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This is Fire Prevention Month, and 1,000 free smoke detectors are being given away in Berrien County. Servpro of Berrien County’s Bob Rogers tells WSJM News the company has distributed smoke detectors to local fire departments for about 14 years now.. ...Read Full Story

Local Police K9, Handler Finalists In Sweepstakes

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The Van Buren County Sheriff’s Department and one of its K9s are in the running to win a brand new Chevy Tahoe, fully outfitted for police K9 use. The department says Deputy Eric Calhoun and K9 Kuno are finalists in the Vested Interest K9 SUV sweepstakes. Vested Interest is a group that gives protective vests to police K9s around the country. It’s taking votes from the public for which K9 and handler should win the sweepstakes, and you can vote through October 31. Kuno has been with the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Department for about two years, and is trained in suspect apprehension, narcotics detection, and tracking. In 2018, Kuno and Deputy Calhoun located a missing three-year-old boy and reunited him with his family. Everyone’s welcome to go to the sweepstakes website and to put in a vote for Kuno. You can vote at www.vik9s.org/suvvote.. ...Read Full Story

Boys And Girls Club Opens At SJ High School

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The Boys and Girls Club of Benton Harbor has opened a new location at St. Joseph High School. Director of Operations Liji Hanny tells WSJM News the organization ran a pilot last year at E.P. Clarke Elementary School that went well, and then administration at St. Joseph Public Schools inquired about having something similar for the high school. The Boys and Girls Club location opened in one classroom last week.. ...Read Full Story

Drama For Ann Cardon At Traverse City Public Schools

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Only two months after starting her new job as superintendent at Traverse City Public Schools, former St. Joseph Public Schools Superintendent Ann Cardon has run into some problems. Interlochen Public Radio reports the board of education in Traverse City held a special meeting Friday, possibly to discuss Cardon. The outfit reports four of seven board members “allegedly want to remove Cardon from her post due to what has been described as differences in how to handle the school district’s budget.” There was big turnout for Friday’s meeting with IPR reporting nearly 30 members of the public speaking in favor of Cardon. Not one speaker supported removing her. Board member Erica Moon Mohr said Cardon is being bullied. The board went into a roughly 90 minute closed session, and after it emerged, one trustee told reporters Cardon is still the district’s superintendent.. ...Read Full Story

Fatal Crash In Berrien Township Saturday

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The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department is investigating a fatal crash that occurred on Saturday. It says deputies were sent to the scene on Hochberger Road near Hipps Hollow Road in Berrien Township just after 9:40 a.m. They learned Thomas Disterheft of Eau Claire had been northbound on Hochberger when his vehicle left the road and hit a large tree. He was taken by ambulance to Spectrum Health Lakeland, where he was pronounced dead. The sheriff’s department is still determining the cause of the crash.. ...Read Full Story

Heritage Museum And Cultural Center To Host Day Of The Dead Celebration

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The Heritage Museum and Cultural Center in St. Joseph will hold a fall celebration with an international twist just after Halloween this year. Director Brian Carroll tells WSJM News it’s the second annual Day of the Dead Celebration in partnership with the Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra. He says the two team up to have a celebration all about the Mexican Dia de los Muertos.. ...Read Full Story

Meeting On Harbor Study Next Week

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Set for Tuesday are two sessions in Benton Harbor for the public to offer its thoughts on how the harbor in St. Joseph and Benton Harbor should be improved for long-term stability. Morgan Beeler with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy’s Office of the Great Lakes tells WSJM News the state was asked to help draft a plan for the harbor at the request of local leaders following a 2015 Andrews University report.. ...Read Full Story

SMC Holds Automotive Day

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Nearly 300 high school students from around southwest Michigan and northern Indiana have had a chance to learn more about the automotive industry thanks to an event this month at Southwestern Michigan College. Automotive Technology Green Flag Day was held on October 4 as tips from automotive industry insiders were provided to the students. Representatives from NAPA Filters and Zolman Tire gave advice on getting hired and the technologies of tomorrow were discussed. SMC says the day hosted students from Van Buren Tech in Lawrence, the Elkhart Area Career Center, Lakeshore High School, Coloma High School, and Niles Brandywine High School.. ...Read Full Story

Line For Pot Licenses Forms Way Too Early In One Michigan Township

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From the Associated Press — A line has formed outside a western Michigan government building more than a week before local officials start accepting applications for recreational marijuana licenses. Several people formed a line Wednesday outside the Muskegon Township Hall, bringing chairs and blankets with them. Township trustees approved an ordinance allowing recreational marijuana businesses to open there. But Muskegon Township Supervisor Jennifer Hodges tells WOOD-TV that only seven licenses are available and they’ll be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis for applicants meeting all requirements. Everyone in Wednesday’s line was getting paid by a business to hold their spot in line. Bill Gillikin says he spent his time sitting in the line just “getting caught
up on some things.” Michigan voters legalized marijuana for recreational purposes last fall, a decade after approving medical marijuana.. ...Read Full Story

Sturgis Middle Schooler Wins LaSata Essay Contest

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State Senator Kim LaSata has announced the winner of her district-wide student essay contest. She says Kayden Jones, a sixth grader at Sturgis Middle School, has taken top honors. The theme of the contest was “What would you do if you were a senator to make Southwest Michigan better?” Jones wrote he would work to improve special education. He cited his own challenges at school as a reason for wanting to help other students in similar situations. As the contest winner, Jones now gets to spend a day with LaSata at the Capitol in Lansing as a junior senator. LaSata says picking a winner out of more than 80 submissions was difficult, but Kayden’s entry stood out the most.. ...Read Full Story

Semi Driver Killed In I-94 Crash In New Buffalo

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An autopsy will be done at Western Michigan University to determine the cause of death of a semi truck driver who was killed in a crash on I-94 in New Buffalo. The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department responded just before 9 Friday morning to the wreckage at mile marker 1 along westbound I-94. The semi was fully engulfed in flames when first responders arrived. Witnesses say the truck hit a guardrail before going off the highway and hitting a tree and then it burst into flames. It’s not yet known if the driver had a medical emergency or if a mechanical issue caused the crash. The truck was taking clothing to Meijer stores in Wisconsin. Police say the driver’s name and hometown are being withheld pending notification of his family.. ...Read Full Story

EPA Proposes Upping Lead Testing At Schools In Rule Overhaul

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From the Associated Press — The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing a major overhaul of rules on lead contamination in drinking water, including tightening testing requirements at the nation’s schools and day care centers. But critics say another change would give utilities decades more to fully replace lead pipes in water systems with high lead. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler on Thursday announced the proposed changes to controls on lead contamination in drinking water systems. The EPA called it the biggest rule overhaul since the 1990s for lead water pipes, which can leach toxins into water and poison children. The changes would follow lead crises in Flint, Michigan; Newark, New Jersey; and elsewhere. Proposals include requiring water suppliers to test for lead at schools and day care centers.. ...Read Full Story

Program Exploring Racial Health Disparities

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The next engagement of the Community Grand Rounds program is set for October 22 in Berrien Springs. Spectrum Health Lakeland Director of Population Health Lynn Todman runs the group that invites guest speakers to come and explore health equity issues, often related to race. She tells WSJM News last week’s engagement on privilege with author Debbie Irving attracted a diverse crowd of about 300.. ...Read Full Story

Berrien County Commissioner Teri Sue Freehling Addresses Conflict Of Interest Issues, Thanks Colleagues

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Berrien County Commissioner Teri Sue Freehling is speaking out to thank her colleagues on the commission for the kindness shown since the death of her husband earlier this year. In a statement to the board read at Thursday’s meeting, Freehling also addressed the issues that have led to both a police investigation and now an investigation by a special counsel hired by the commission into potential conflicts of interest with her late husband’s business. She noted she’s been on “a steep learning curve” since Patrick Freehling’s death, including “learning new information about requisitions for drain contracts presented to the Board for work done by Hartzler Excavating LLC in 2017-18 and REV Excavating LLC in 2018 and 2019.”. ...Read Full Story

UPDATE: YMCA Bomb Threat Suspect Was Employee

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The bomb threat against the Benton Harbor-St. Joseph YMCA on Hollywood Road appears to have been an inside job. The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department has arrested 48-year-old Mario Cummings of Benton Harbor, who was an employee of the YMCA at the time the threat was called in just after 7 a.m. today. He is now in the Berrien County Jail on a charge of making a terrorist threat or a false report of terrorism, which is a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison.. ...Read Full Story

Billy Joel To Play Notre Dame Stadium On June 20, 2020

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Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Billy Joel is slated to be the next artist to hold a concert at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend. The university and LiveNation announced Joel as the just the second concert in the stadium’s history on Thursday, following Garth Brooks last October. WSJM News asked Notre Dame vice president for University enterprises and events Micki Kidder how they went about deciding who would be next to perform.. ...Read Full Story

Hoax Bomb Threat Results In Evacuation Of Benton Harbor-St. Joseph YMCA On Hollywood

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Things are back to normal at the Benton Harbor-St. Joseph YMCA after a bomb threat this morning. A call was placed to the facility in Royalton Township around 7 a.m. from someone who claimed to have put a bomb inside. The building was evacuated as police were called. The Berrien County Sheriff’s Office called in Spectrum Health Lakeland’s bomb-sniffing K-9 to help with the search, and the dog found no evidence of anything. The all-clear was given shortly before 9 a.m. Sheriff Paul Bailey says they’ve not yet identified any suspects.. ...Read Full Story

Report Examines Struggles Of Unaccompanied Minors

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Growing up in homelessness is tough for any child, and thousands of these kids in Michigan also are navigating the streets without the care of parent or guardian. There are more than 4,800 “unaccompanied youth” in Michigan’s K-12 schools, who a new report shows are vulnerable to untreated mental-health issues, physical victimization and sexual exploitation. Parker James is with the Michigan League for Public Policy, which released the report.. ...Read Full Story

Recall Effort Underway For MI Lawmaker

From the Associated Press — Work has started on gathering petition signatures toward possibly recalling a Michigan lawmaker facing federal charges of trading votes for campaign money. Republican Representative Larry Inman has denied any wrongdoing and has rebuffed a formal call from the Michigan House that he resign from his Traverse City-area seat. Recall Inman campaign leader Kaitlin Flynn tells the Traverse City Record-Eagle that collecting the 12,000 needed signatures will be a challenge. She says community response has been “overwhelmingly positive” since petition circulation started September 23. Inman’s attorney, Christopher Cooke, says the recall petition violates Inman’s right to an impartial jury by having people seek signatures while the federal case is still pending. Inman is accused of seeking campaign money from a labor union in exchange for favorable votes on wage legislation.. ...Read Full Story

Secretary Of State Benson Pushing Awareness Of REAL ID Changes In 2020

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One year. That’s all the time that’s left to upgrade your driver’s license or state ID card to one that’s federally REAL-ID compliant in order to take a flight or enter any federal property. Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson says her office is pushing it hard right now to make sure no one gets a surprise next fall if they try to get on a plane without having an enhanced license. She says REAL-ID was born out of the reaction to the 9-11 attacks, with a commission coming out with a report that said every state had their own standards, with some more easily forged than others.. ...Read Full Story

Commission Approves Racial Equity Committee

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With a goal of fighting racism and helping to improve the health of residents, the Benton Harbor City Commission has approved the creation of a Racial Equity Reform Committee. Commissioners approved the idea at Monday’s meeting. The goal of the committee will be to “ensure ongoing strategic support for racial equity education, relief, recovery, and reform for the residents of Benton Harbor.” The five-member committee will be run under the consultation of resident and former Benton Harbor Area Schools Board of Education member Elnora Gavin. Mayor Pro Tem Duane Seats said during Monday’s meeting there’s a long way to go toward achieving racial equity. The members of the committee have not yet been named.. ...Read Full Story

Board Searching For New Superintendent

The search is on for a new superintendent at Benton Harbor Area Schools. At a Tuesday meeting, the board of education spoke with a representative of Ray and Associates, the firm that’s helping it find a new district leader. Trustees identified more than 10 qualities they want in the new superintendent, and those include experience in similar districts and experience with improving student achievement. Board Vice President Joseph Taylor spoke with WSJM News.. ...Read Full Story

Police Investigate Shots Fired In Benton Harbor

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The Benton Harbor Department of Public Safety is investigating a Tuesday shooting. It says officers were called to the area of Benton Harbor High School around 1:35 p.m. on reports of shots fired. They found evidence there had been a shootout on Empire and in the alley between Empire and Lavette in the 800 block. Officers searched a home one of the suspects may have gone into, and say they found a large amount of drugs and two guns. Three men from the home were detained and turned over to the Southwest Enforcement Team in relation to the search of the house. Meanwhile, police say a burgundy Cadillac sedan was seen in the area where the shots had been fired, and they’re looking for that vehicle. Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to contact the Benton Harbor Department of Public Safety. The shooting prompted a lockdown at Benton Harbor High School, but police say the incident did not occur there or involve any students.. ...Read Full Story

Van Buren Sheriff’s K9 A Finalist In Sweepstakes

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The Van Buren County Sheriff’s Department and one of its K9s are in the running to win a brand new Chevy Tahoe, fully outfitted for police K9 use. The department says Deputy Eric Calhoun and K9 Kuno are finalists in the Vested Interest K9 SUV sweepstakes. Vested Interest is a group that gives protective vests to police K9s around the country. It’s taking votes from the public for which K9 and handler should win the sweepstakes, and you can vote through October 31. Kuno has been with the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Department for about two years, and is trained in suspect apprehension, narcotics detection, and tracking. In 2018, Kuno and Deputy Calhoun located a missing three-year-old boy and reunited him with his family. Everyone’s welcome to go to the sweepstakes website and to put in a vote for Kuno. You can vote at www.vik9s.org/suvvote.. ...Read Full Story

Commission Considers Firing Legal Firm

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The Benton Harbor City Commission has opted not to fire the city’s legal firm. At a Monday meeting, the body considered a motion from Commissioner Juanita Henry to give 60 days’ notice to the law firm, Bittner Jennings, and to begin seeking bids for new legal representation. Henry said a similar motion was approved by the body in 2017, but never acted on.. ...Read Full Story

South Haven Road Diet On BL I-196 Starts Wednesday

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Changes will be made starting Wednesday to Business Loop I-196 in South Haven from Phoenix Street to Aylworth Avenue. Also known as Broadway and LaGrange avenues, the road will be changing from a four-lane roadway to three lanes, with one in each direction and a center turn lane. Called a “road diet,” the plan is to study the change in the striping of the street for a year before any permanent changes would be made to the pavement. South Haven Public Works director Bill Hunter says Compton, Incorporated has been hired to do the re-striping, which will wrap up later this fall.. ...Read Full Story

New EEE Case Confirmed In Cass County

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There’s another case of Eastern Equine Encephalitis in the area. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services confirms the latest is a Cass County resident who fell ill on September 20 prior to the start of aerial spraying for mosquitoes in 14 counties on September 30. Berrien, Cass, Van Buren and Allegan counties were among those with areas that the state sprayed to kill off adult mosquitoes. Officials say there have been more human cases of Triple-E this year than at any point in the past decade with 10. Four people have died from the illness, which kills one in three people infected on average. There is no vaccine for people. Along with the human cases in Barry, Berrien, Calhoun, Cass, Kalamazoo, and Van Buren counties, 34 animals in 15 counties have been confirmed to have Triple-E including two wolf pups at the Binder Park Zoo in Battle Creek.. ...Read Full Story

Notre Dame To Announce Next Concert At Notre Dame Stadium

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On the heels of last year’s successful debut concert at Notre Dame Stadium by Garth Brooks, the South Bend university is getting ready for another show. Notre Dame officials say they will have a “major concert announcement” Thursday morning. Unlike the show by the country music legend a year ago this month, the university is tight-lipped about who it could be. Garth Brooks was the first artist to perform in the iconic football stadium, though Notre Dame has held concerts in the basketball arena for decades. WSJM News will be at Notre Dame Stadium for the announcement, and will bring you the news on our Facebook page as soon as it’s announced.. ...Read Full Story

Indiana Stores Expect To Benefit From Michigan’s Flavored Vape Ban

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Michigan’s ban on the sale and marketing of flavored vaping products is expected to send money just south of the border. Vape shop owners in Indiana believe the move by Governor Whitmer last month to outlaw the products will boost their bottom line. A clerk at Michiana Mini Mart in South Bend tells the “South Bend Tribune” they’re looking for a similar jump in sales to when Indiana legalized Sunday alcohol sales last year. Michigan’s prohibition on flavored e-cigarette products followed the declaration of a public health crisis by Governor Whitmer and preceded the first death in the state linked to a vaping-related illness. To date, there have been 18 such deaths in 15 states across the country. However, any boost in business in Indiana, Ohio, or Illinois could be short lived if President Trump pushes forward on his thought that flavored vape products should be outlawed nationwide.. ...Read Full Story

Test Finds No PFAS In Deer At MI Recreational Area

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From the Associated Press — State health officials say consumption guidelines are not needed for deer harvested from Oakland County’s Proud Lake Recreation Area, northwest of Detroit. The Detroit News reports the Michigan’s Department of Health and Human Services says tests showed no per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, in muscle and heart tissue samples from 20 white-tailed deer harvested within 5 miles of Norton Creek in Commerce Township. The toxins are used in various stain- and stick-resistant household products. They’re also a component of firefighting foam. Officials recommend that people not eat livers and kidneys of deer taken from the recreation area. They say perfluorooctane sulfonic acid – a type of PFAS – was found in liver and kidney samples. Some liver samples also had low detectable levels of polychlorinated biphenyls, PCBs.. ...Read Full Story

Commission Tables Marijuana Question

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Benton Harbor City Commissioners have postponed a moratorium on allowing recreational marijuana businesses in the community. As the state prepares to accept applications from prospective recreational marijuana businesses, commissioners were asked last week to approve a ban that could be undone later once rules to govern those operations can be drafted. The body held off, wanting more discussion to take place in committee. This week, the issue was brought to the full body again, and once again, it was tabled for more committee discussion. Mayor Marcus Muhammad said a moratorium is needed while the state gets its act together.. ...Read Full Story

Michigan Has Much To Gain From New Trade Deal

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Congressional leaders are still trying to hammer out a new trade agreement with Canada and Mexico, and there’s a lot on the line for workers in Michigan. The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA, would replace NAFTA. Exports within North America account for some 180,000 Michigan jobs, and Michigan is second in the U.S. for trade with its neighbors. Ford Motor Company’s President of Automotive Joe Hinrichs explains the trade deal is especially crucial for the auto industry, which depends on the free flow of trade between the three countries.. ...Read Full Story

Feds Announce $1 Million For PFAS Study

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has announced $1 million in funding for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to study the relationship between PFAS exposure and certain health outcomes in areas of the state affected by the chemical. Congressman Fred Upton tells WSJM News the funding is being granted as part of a nationwide, multi-site study to understand the health risks posed by PFAS in water. He says Michigan has been at the forefront of efforts to respond to PFAS.. ...Read Full Story

Boys And Girls Club Opens Location At St. Joseph High School

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The Boys and Girls Club of Benton Harbor has opened a new location at St. Joseph High School. Director of Operations Liji Hanny tells WSJM News the organization ran a pilot last year at E.P. Clarke Elementary School that went well, and then administration at St. Joseph Public Schools inquired about having something similar for the high school. The Boys and Girls Club location opened in one classroom last week.. ...Read Full Story

Michigan Becomes Fifth State To Join Age-Friendly Network

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From The Associated Press — Michigan is the fifth state to partner with the AARP and the World Health Organization to be age-friendly, so people can age in place in their homes and communities. Governor Gretchen Whitmer helped announce Michigan’s application and certification on Monday at an AARP conference near Lansing. Michigan is one of the most rapidly aging states in the country. Projections show that in 2025, it will be the first state where residents age 65 and older outnumber those 18 and younger – a decade ahead of the nation as a whole. Whitmer says Michigan is the first state in the Midwest to join the network, which provides resources so cities, counties and states can become more age-friendly. The resources include access to research, planning models, best
practices and funding opportunities.. ...Read Full Story

Cedar Fair Says “No” To Six Flags Merger

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Following up on a story we brought to you last week, the parent company of Michigan’s Adventure and Cedar Point is rejecting a merger offer from Six Flags. The $4 billion offer had been made last week. Reuters reports Cedar Fair officials felt the $70 per share buyout offer was too low. Six Flags has 26 amusement parks in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, while Cedar Fair’s portfolio includes 11 amusement parks and five water parks in the U.S. and Canada. Both have parks within a two-hour drive of southwest Michigan, depending on traffic, with Six Flags’ Great America in the north Chicago suburbs and Cedar Fair’s Michigan’s Adventure in Muskegon County.. ...Read Full Story

Cass County Deputies Investigating Hit-And-Run

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The Cass County Sheriff’s Office is looking for a smaller, red SUV with front end damage that was involved in a hit-and-run crash in Mason Township. It happened just before 6:30 Sunday evening in the 70-thousand block of 5 Points Road. An Elkhart woman was turning left into a driveway when the SUV tried to pass her and hit her in the driver’s side. That driver, 32-year-old Alexandra Pressler, was taken to Elkhart General Hospital to be treated for undisclosed injuries, and her condition has not been released.. ...Read Full Story

New iPhones Stolen From Xtreme Wireless In Benton Township

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Somebody has several high-end new iPhones that are worthless. The Xtreme Mobile Boost Wireless store was broken into last week on October 4, with the suspects breaking out the front door to get in. An employee tells WSJM News several iPhones were taken, but they won’t work without being activated by the retailer. Benton Township Police have no information on the crime, but the store says they do have surveillance footage of the incident. The store remains open.. ...Read Full Story

Gas Prices Up, BH/St Joe Prices Second-Lowest In Michigan

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Michigan’s average gas price is up a bit over the last week. Triple-A pegs that at $2.69, up 7¢ a gallon from last week and 3¢ higher than the national average. The highest prices are in Ann Arbor at $2.74, while Traverse City’s $2.52 is the lowest average in the state. In Benton Harbor and St. Joseph, the auto club puts the average at $2.62, the second-lowest in the state. According to GasBuddy, South Haven’s prices range from $2.59 to $2.64. South Haven isn’t part of the AAA survey.. ...Read Full Story

State Regulators Holding Forum In I&M Rate Hike Request Tonight

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Indiana Michigan Power is seeking permission from state regulators to hike electric rates by almost 19%, and to that end the Michigan Public Service Commission will hold a forum this evening at Lake Michigan College. The MPSC wants to hear from area residents who are I&M customers from 5 to 7 pm at the Blue Lecture Hall on the LMC campus in Benton Harbor. The utility submitted its future plans to the commission this summer, which include modernizing the electrical grid in southwest Michigan to cut down on the number and length of power outages, replacing poles and wires, and doing $478 million worth of improvements to the Cook Nuclear Plant. The 19% proposed rate hike would raise the monthly bill for an average customer by around $36.. ...Read Full Story