Local News Archives

Wendzel Holding Fall Photo Contest

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State Representative Pauline Wendzel is holding a fall photo contest. She’s asking residents of her district to send in their photographs illustrating the best parts of southwest Michigan. The photos must be taken in the 79th District, which includes Coloma, St. Joseph, Benton Harbor, Bridgman, and Watervliet, as well as several surrounding townships. Wendzel says the top three winning entries will be framed and displayed in her office in Lansing. The photographer must be a resident of the 79th House District, and the winner and two runners-up will be invited to join Wendzel in Lansing for the unveiling of their photos. The winners will be announced the first week of November via Facebook and on Wendzel’s website. You can email the digital photos to Wendzel or submit them to her Facebook page. The deadline to enter is October 31.. ...Read Full Story

Documentary On Pat Moody To Air Next Week

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Coming soon to a television near you will be a documentary on a radio giant of southwest Michigan. Legends of Michiana: Pat Moody will air on WNIT public television out of South Bend starting next Thursday. The one hour documentary focuses on Moody’s 46 year radio career in the region. He tells WSJM News he was honored to get word there was going to be a documentary about him.. ...Read Full Story

Veteran Hiking Around Lake Michigan To Raise Money For Suicide Prevention

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A Marine Corps veteran is walking all the way around Lake Michigan to raise money to fight suicides among veterans. Travis Snyder is originally from Holland, and embarked on his hike from Manistee nearly a month ago. He just made it to Illinois after going through the Upper Peninsula and Wisconsin, and says in a Facebook video he’s doing it all to raise money for Mission 22, an organization that seeks to help veterans with mental health struggles.. ...Read Full Story

South Haven “Road Diet” Intended To Improve Safety

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It’s hoped that Business Loop 196 will be safer now that the Michigan Department of Transportation has approved the city of South Haven’s plans to put it on a road diet. South Haven Public Works Director Bill Hunter tells WSJM News they’re going to repaint the lines in the road to take it down from the current four lanes to three lanes with a center turn lane. Hunter says they want to turn that stretch of road into a “drive to” instead of a “drive through.”. ...Read Full Story

Locally Made Beer And Wine To Be Available At Special Tent At Senior PGA Championship

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Preparations are well underway for the next KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship at Harbor Shores, and one thing we already know is that the Makers Trail 19th Hole will be back for the 2020 event. KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship Director Ryan Ogle tells WSJM News the 19th Hole is a luxury tent that gives championship attendees a place to relax and also sample locally-made beers, wines, and spirits. The menu for 2020 has been chosen.. ...Read Full Story

Groups Slam Feds’ Move to Lower Vehicle Emissions Standards

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Groups that fight for clean air are speaking out against the Trump administration’s move to force states to follow a uniform set of lower vehicle-emissions standards. On Thursday the EPA revoked the Clean Air Act waiver that allowed California and 13 other states plus D.C. to set higher standards. Paul Billings with the American Lung Association says this will create chaos in the auto industry.. ...Read Full Story

Summit Pushes for Water Justice in Great Lakes

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Great Lakes residents concerned about water justice are gathering in Ontario next week. The 2019 Water Is Life Alliance Summit is on September 28 and this year’s theme is “Water Justice in a Climate Emergency.” Diane Weckerle with Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation says water shutoffs in Detroit and the Flint water crisis will be among the topics at the summit. They’re also talking Nestle. Weckerle notes the company pays $200 a year for the region’s freshwater and is proposing to increase its water pumping rate to 400 gallons per minute at one Michigan well.. ...Read Full Story

Animal Aid Mutt March This Sunday

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Animal Aid of Southwest Michigan’s annual Mutt March will be held this Sunday in St. Joseph. The Howling Holloween Mutt March, as they’re calling it, will take place at Lake Bluff Park from 1 to 3 p.m. and feature a costume contest, a pumpkin carving contest, a pet parade, and a chance to adopt a furry friend. There will be multiple animal rescue organizations on hand, and everyone will have a chance to meet some colorful characters, including a pirate and a palm reader. You can find out more details at the Facebook page of Animal Aid of Southwest Michigan.. ...Read Full Story

State Police To Hold Recruitment Seminar

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Michigan State Police are looking for new recruits, and to that end, they’re planning a recruitment seminar for October 19 in Lawrence. MSP Trooper Kellie Shaffer tells WSJM News as retirements loom, Michigan State Police will have a lot of positions to fill. She says being a trooper is an attractive prospect some might want to consider.. ...Read Full Story

Berrien Community Foundation Announces Awards

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Some grants and awards for 2019 have been announced by the Berrien Community Foundation as it held its 67th annual meeting on Wednesday in St. Joseph. BCF President Lisa Cripps Downey tells WSJM News the new Alamar Non-Profit Sustainability Grant of $75,000 was announced for St. Joseph Today so it can provide health insurance and a retirement plan to its employees.. ...Read Full Story

Arrest In Chikaming Township Robbery

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The Chikaming Township Police Department says a suspect has been arrested in the armed robbery of the Whistle Stop Store on Red Arrow Highway last month. 42-year-old David Floyd was picked up by police in Indiana on Wednesday. Chikaming Township police say he went into the Whistle Stop on the morning of August 23 flashing a handgun and demanding money. He got away with an undisclosed sum. Police say not only is Floyd the suspect in the Whistle Stop robbery, but he is also suspected in multiple other armed robberies in southwest Michigan and northern Indiana.. ...Read Full Story

Animal Control Seizes 77 Animals From Home

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Berrien County Animal Control is now caring for nearly 80 animals seized from a Hagar Township home on Wednesday. Animal Control Director Tiffany Peterson tells WSJM News her office had received several complaints about an animal hording situation. After a warrant was obtained, a search of the property was conducted and authorities found a total of 77 animals kept in crates around the modular home. Peterson said there was one woman living there. Most of the animals were dogs on the smaller side. Peterson says she’s had a vet look at them, and they are now being well cared for at the Berrien County Animal Shelter. However, all of those animals have about doubled the shelter’s load. Anyone who wants to help with a donation for the animals can contact Berrien County Animal Control. Meanwhile, the Berrien County Prosecutor’s office says it’s aware of the situation but hasn’t received any paperwork for charges. It says it’s waiting on the evaluation of the animals.. ...Read Full Story

Plans Call For Amazon Operations At Pontiac Silverdome Site

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From the Associated Press — Online retail giant Amazon has proposed using the site of the former home of the Detroit Lions as a distribution center in a $250 million project that could bring 1,500 jobs. Details of plans for the Pontiac Silverdome site in suburban Detroit were made public Wednesday night. The city says its planning commission approved a permit for the site to be used as a warehouse, distribution and fulfillment campus. Pontiac says Seattle-based Amazon would lease buildings from a developer. Plans call for Amazon to start operating at the site as soon as next year. The Lions played at the Silverdome from 1975-2001. It also was the home of the NBA’s Detroit Pistons and hosted the Super Bowl in 1982. The Silverdome was taken down with a partial implosion in 2017.. ...Read Full Story

Enrollment Up At Southwestern Michigan College

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Enrollment at Southwestern Michigan College is up this year. SMC says it’s managed to buck enrollment trends being seen at many other community colleges in Michigan. It’s one of just seven community colleges in the state with increased enrollment for the fall. After processing final drops and adds, SMC showed an overall head count of 2,171, up 1.2% versus the fall of 2018. The college this year welcomed 509 recent high school graduates to campus, an increase of 54, or almost 12%, and more students — 364 of them — now live in the residence halls than last fall. SMC says it’s been able to keep its numbers up because it has been proactive in identifying what makes it unique and clearly explaining to parents and students the value in starting a college journey there. The current freshman class has declared 42 different majors, with health services, business, biology, criminal justice, psychology, and education being the most popular.. ...Read Full Story

Trial Court Opens Special Waiting Room For Children

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The Berrien County Trial Court’s Family Division has opened a new waiting room just for children. The new kid-friendly waiting area for children attending their own Child Protective Services proceedings is located on the fourth floor of the Berrien County Courthouse in St. Joseph. It’s decorated with a mural painted by artist Kathy Zerler and filled with donated toys, books, blankets, and other items of comfort. Trained volunteers will be staffing the waiting area during child protective hearings. The court says the goal of the project is to encourage participation of children in their own protective proceedings, which is a nationally recognized best practice. As part of that, the court wanted to have a quiet, supervised, child-friendly waiting area for those kids. There will be an open house for the new waiting room on October 10 from 4 to 5 p.m.. ...Read Full Story

Paquette Holds Tele-Town Hall On Auto Insurance Reforms

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State Representative Brad Paquette of Niles is working to explain the auto insurance reforms coming to Michigan next year. On Wednesday night, he held a tele-town hall with state Representative Jason Wentworth to answer questions from callers. Come July 1 of next year, drivers can choose what level of personal injury protection they want in their policies, rather than having unlimited coverage as they do now. Paquette said you can opt for $50,000 of PIP coverage and see a 45% reduction in those costs. Wentworth went on…. ...Read Full Story

South Haven Elementary School Getting A Pollinator Garden

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Lincoln Elementary School in South Haven is preparing to do its part to protect the ecosystem. The school is installing a pollinator garden, which will give budding young botanists a chance to grow. Lincoln Elementary teachers will be out with students installing the garden this week, and it should be done Thursday. Stepping stones will be installed for students to make up-close observations of the plants, and teachers say the students will have the chance to observe the cycle of life there. Most of the plants flower in the spring or the fall, with just enough summer plants to maintain attractions for the pollinators. The pollinator garden was made possible after a community partnership was established between a few teachers and the South Haven Garden Club. Midwest Energy and Communications is also supporting the project with a Strengthening Schools Grant.. ...Read Full Story

Adopt A Highway Cleanup This Weekend

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Starting this Saturday will be the final Adopt a Highway cleanup of Michigan roads for the year. Michigan Department of Transportation spokesperson Dan Weingarten tells WSJM News there are more than 2,800 volunteer groups who pick up trash along stretches of road three times a year.. ...Read Full Story

Flavored Vaping Ban Takes Effect

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Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s ban on flavored vaping products is now in effect. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services says her emergency rules banning those flavored nicotine vaping products were released Wednesday. The ban was developed in response to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services finding of a public health emergency. As of Wednesday, stores around the state have two weeks to get flavored vaping products off their shelves. The ban is effective for 180 days and can be extended for six months. You can find out more at Michigan.gov/E-Cigarettes.. ...Read Full Story

Striking Workers Question Integrity Of UAW Leaders

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From the Associated Press — The strike against General Motors by the United Auto Workers is playing out amid a corruption scandal inside the UAW that has caused distrust of the union leadership among many rank-and-file members. On picket lines at plants across the country, many of the 49,000 workers have expressed doubts about whether leaders are acting in their best interests. Some have gone so far as to wonder whether the leadership took them out on strike to show that the union is working for them. Last month, the FBI raided the suburban Detroit home of the UAW president. He has not been charged. Earlier this month, a union official in Missouri was charged in a $600,000 embezzlement scheme, and another leader pleaded guilty to taking kickbacks. The UAW, in its defense, says union members authorized the walkout.. ...Read Full Story

Land Auction Pulls In $288,000

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The fall Berrien County land auction has been held, netting more than $288,000 for the county’s foreclosure fund. Berrien County Treasurer Bret Witkowski tells WSJM News 112 of 120 properties were sold Tuesday. That money goes into the foreclosure fund to take care of other foreclosed properties.. ...Read Full Story

LaSata Announces Veteran of The Year Contest

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State Senator Kim LaSata is holding a Veteran of the Year contest. She says southwest Michigan is blessed with a large community of veterans, and she wants to recognize them for their service. Anyone who wishes to nominate a veteran should include their name and contact information, the veteran’s name, his or her military branch and era of service, and a description of why the veteran deserves the award. The submissions will be taken through October 4, and they can be made online. You an also make submissions via email at SenKLaSata@senate.michigan.gov or by phone at 517-373-6960. The Veteran of the Year will be announced on Veterans Day, November 11.. ...Read Full Story

Benton Harbor School Board President Dies

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Benton Harbor Area Schools Board of Education President Stephen Mitchell has died. Board Vice President Joseph Taylor issued a statement Tuesday, saying the board, the district, and the community “are forever grateful for President Mitchell’s leadership and his many years of service with Benton Harbor Area Schools.” He adds, “We are heartbroken and our prayers are with the Mitchell family.” The school district has not released a cause of death, but The Herald Palladium reports Mitchell suddenly fell ill. He was 71. An afternoon meeting of the school board that had been scheduled for Tuesday was cancelled.. ...Read Full Story

Whitmer To Lawmakers: Send Me Budget Bills This Week

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From the Associated Press — Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer is urging Republican legislative leaders to send her budget bills this week, so she has time to review and sign them before a September 30 deadline. Whitmer wrote a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey and House Speaker Lee Chatfield Tuesday. She said they should pass spending measures before a GOP “getaway” on Mackinac Island starting Friday. Republicans have begun advancing their proposed budget without a deal with Whitmer, after the sides agreed to table talks on a road-funding plan. She said budgets should ideally be presented to her two weeks before the end
of the fiscal year. Shirkey counters that Whitmer will know all the details Thursday – when more committees vote – but senators will wait until next Tuesday to take final action.. ...Read Full Story

Chris Heugel Leaving Southwest Michigan Regional Chamber To Return To Hospitality Industry

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Chris Heugel’s exit as president of the Southwest Michigan Regional Chamber is due to his return to the hospitality industry. Heugel tells our Pat Moody he’s taken a job with Aimbridge Hospitality, which is North America’s third-largest hotel management company. His submitted his resignation on September 9, it was accepted by the Board of Directors today, with Heugel’s last day at the Chamber set for Friday. Board vice chairman Greg Parrett has been named the interim president by the Chamber’s Board of Directors, and they are now conducting a search for a permanent successor. Heugel will remain on the Berrien County Board of Commissioners, as he won’t have to move out of the area with his new position. You can read the full story on Moody On The Market here.. ...Read Full Story

Man Arrested For Flagship True North Fish Market Break-In In Benton Harbor

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A 25-year-old man is jailed for allegedly breaking into the Flagship True North Fish Market in Benton Harbor early Tuesday morning. Officers responded to the alarm just after 4 a.m. and found the suspect nearby. He was arrested on unrelated warrants, and investigators determined he was their suspect during questioning. His name is being withheld until his arraignment. The business will be open during normal hours, despite the break-in.. ...Read Full Story

State Employees Notified Of Possible Layoffs

Notification has gone out to around 48,000 people who are state employees in Michigan warning them of a possible temporary layoff starting October 1 if a new budget isn’t in place. Republicans in the House and Senate are working to move their own budget bills after talks with Governor Whitmer broke down last week. If there is a shutdown, which both sides say they’re trying to avoid, several things would be closed right away like state parks.. ...Read Full Story

More Than 30 State Parks Holding Fall Festival

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From the Associated Press — More than 30 of Michigan’s state parks are hosting fall harvest festivals this year. They feature activities such as hayrides, pumpkin carving, trick-or-treating, costume contests, haunted trails, nature programs and horse-drawn carriage
rides. Leelanau and Tawas Point state parks are even offering a “haunted lighthouse” tours. The events are scheduled for September and October. The state Department of Natural Resources has a full listing online. Activities in state park campgrounds typically are open only to registered campers. The DNR says it’s advisable to reserve camping spots early. Reservations can be booked online or at 800-44-PARKS. You can find out more right here.. ...Read Full Story

Commission Approves Moratorium On Billboards

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Benton Harbor City Commissioners have approved a six month moratorium on new billboards. At a Monday meeting, Mayor Marcus Muhammad read from the resolution stating the ban on new off-premises advertisements is to be in effect while a review is conducted. It said the city “intends to conduct a review of its various sign ordinances to ensure the furtherance of the city’s master plan and to address the city’s concerns of visual blight, traffic, health, safety, and welfare issues that have emerged with regulated and unregulated off-premises advertisement signs/billboards or similar structures and certain off-premises signs.” The city attorney said the moratorium would ban new billboards for six months, and could be extended up to a year. The action to approve the moratorium came just before commissioners went into closed session to hear an update on Adams Outdoor Advertising’s lawsuit against the city over its proposed digital billboard on Main Street. However, commissioners came out of the closed session on that matter and took no further action.. ...Read Full Story

St. Joseph Finalizes Lease Deal With County To Clear Way For DNR Grant

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Berrien County is set to move forward with making improvements to the waterways in St. Joseph and Benton Harbor. The St. Joseph City Commission gave final approval to a long-term lease agreement with the county for two access points on land owned by the city. Berrien County Community Development director Dan Fette explained to the city that the state Department of Natural Resources required the county to either own the property that will be improved or have an interest in it, prompting the 20-year lease.. ...Read Full Story

Sources: Heugel Out As Southwest Michigan Regional Chamber President

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There is no official word as yet, but sources confirm to WSJM News that there is a change coming at the top of the Southwest Michigan Regional Chamber. The board of directors plans to issue a statement after this morning’s board meeting, but we’ve learned Chris Heugel is out as Chamber president. He had been at the helm since August 2015 of what had been previously known as the Cornerstone Chamber of Commerce before the organization changed its name in recent months, helping to avoid confusion with the economic development outfit, Cornerstone Alliance. Prior to that hire, he was the general manager of The Boulevard Inn & Bistro in St. Joseph for just over seven and a half years. The reason for the split between Heugel and the Chamber is not yet known.. ...Read Full Story

Andrews University Change Day Next Week

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Around 800 students and faculty members from Andrews University are set to be out and about around southwest Michigan volunteering for non-profits next week. That’s because the third annual Change Day is Tuesday. Change Day coordinator Teela Ruehle tells WSJM News Andrews cancels classes for the day so as many students as possible can take part.. ...Read Full Story

Road Association Gives Fall Color Preview

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The fall color season is about to start in Michigan. County Road Association of Michigan spokesperson Dustin Earley tells WSJM News people from outside of the state come here just to check out the fall colors. The prime season starts in the U.P. around this Friday, and will work its way down through the state.. ...Read Full Story

State Notifies Employees Of Potential For Layoffs

From the Associated Press — Michigan’s 48,000 state government workers have been notified of potential temporary layoffs in case the next budget is not enacted before October 1. Budget director Chris Kolb and department directors emailed employees Monday.
About 30,000, or 62%, of state workers would be temporarily laid off. The rest would be deemed as essential to protecting the health and safety of residents and continue working. They include prison guards, state troopers, child protective services caseworkers and others. The Republican-led Legislature has started approving spending bills, though there is no deal with Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.. ...Read Full Story

River Valley Cancels Rest Of Varsity Football Season

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The rest of the varsity football season at River Valley High School has been cancelled. River Valley School District Superintendent William Kearney says the team was left with too few players to complete the season after the coach cut three due to a disciplinary issue. Kearney says the three were the ringleaders of a boycott of practice last week. He doesn’t know why they started the boycott. The other players who took part have been suspended. Kearney says the three who were cut, along with one injury, meant the rest of the season was over. He says the school is now putting together a JV team and has scheduled some games for it. That JV team will play for homecoming, which is still set for October 18 versus White Cloud. Kearney says he supports the decision of the coach, adding that high standards must be maintained for the players. He says things will hopefully return to normal next year.. ...Read Full Story

Bangor Woman Sentenced For Attempted Murder

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A 26-year-old Bangor woman is headed to prison for a stabbing attack on a man in Grand Junction in December. Niki Leigh Murphy was sentenced to between 10 and 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to assault with intent to commit murder. The victim survived the incident on Decemeber 14 of last year. Murphy was arrested several hours after the stabbing at a home in Breedsville, and has been in custody ever since. She was sentenced on Monday in 36th Circuit Court in Van Buren County.. ...Read Full Story

Benton Township Man Facing Attempted Murder Charge For Monday Shooting

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A Benton Township man is facing an attempted murder charge for allegedly shooting his girlfriend in front of a home in the 13-hundred block of Agard early Monday morning. Police were called to the Sunny Spot gas station on Pipestone in Benton Harbor shortly after 1 a.m. when Ashley Rockett showed up there with a gunshot wound to her upper right arm. Officers found the boyfriend, Dewayne Osler, and arrested him without incident on the charge of attempted murder along with carrying a concealed weapon, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.. ...Read Full Story

No Deal: Auto Workers Strike Against GM In Contract Dispute

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More than 49,000 members of the United Auto Workers union went on strike early Monday as contract talks with General Motors broke down. Union members walked out of factories and set up picket lines at 33 plants across the nation as well as 22 parts warehouses. UAW Vice President Terry Dittes says a strike is the union’s last resort because both sides are far apart in bargaining over a new four-year contract, including on issues like health care and fair wages.. ...Read Full Story

Cass County K9 Faust Catches Stolen Car Suspect

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The Cass County Sheriff’s Department K9 Faust has caught a man who is accused of crashing a car that may have been stolen in Berrien County. The 59-year-old Niles man was found by Faust while trying to hide in the middle of a large cornfield in Howard Township following a crash just after 7:30 Sunday evening. Witnesses to the wreck told officers the man was seen running away into the field. After he was caught, he was taken to Lakeland Hospital in Niles to be treated for injuries before being booked into the Cass County Jail for an outstanding warrant. Charges related to the crash are pending.. ...Read Full Story

Work Requirements Coming For Healthy Michigan Program

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The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is notifying those who receive healthcare through the Healthy Michigan program that work requirements are going to kick in on January 1. Spokesperson Bob Wheaton tells WSJM News because of a change in law, those who are enrolled in Healthy Michigan will be required to report at least 80 hours of work per month to continue receiving benefits. It’s a policy inherited by the Whitmer administration.. ...Read Full Story

Creek Cleaned Up By Volunteers

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A cleanup event along Ox Creek in the Benton Harbor area late last month attracted 29 volunteers from several organizations. Southwest Michigan Planning Commission senior planner Marcy Hamilton tells us local Rotary clubs, the Two Rivers Coalition, and the planning commission collected trash. How much of a difference did they make?. ...Read Full Story

Annual Health Department Report Now Online

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The Berrien County Health Department has released its report for 2018. Spokesperson Gillian Conrad tells WSJM News the department gave its report to the Berrien County Board of Health earlier this month. She says some people might not realize how many things the county health department does around the community in a given year.. ...Read Full Story

Police Investigate Thefts From Vehicles In Van Buren County

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Several thefts from parked vehicles are under investigation in Van Buren County. The sheriff’s department says the thefts occurred in the village of Bloomingdale in the early morning hours of Friday. In all, eight vehicles in the north end of the village were entered. They were unlocked, and police say valuables were taken from them. So far, police have identified no suspects. The Van Buren County Sheriff’s Department reminds all residents to lock their vehicles. Anyone with information on the thefts is asked to contact police.. ...Read Full Story