Local News Archives

The wound and hyperbaric medicine program at Bronson South Haven Hospital has received a new distinction by being named a President’s Circle Center of Excellence by Healogics, which is the country’s biggest provider of advanced wound care. Bronson says the award is based on clinical and operational results for at least two consecutive years. It says its wound program in particular offers help to patients suffering from diabetic ulcers, pressure ulcers, infections, and other chronic wounds. Bronson South Haven Hospital COO Kirk Richardson says the new designation is due to the hospital’s “expert wound team in collaboration with Bronson South Haven staff and providers.”. ...Read Full Story

From the Associated Press — The Michigan Supreme Court has agreed to take up a major lower court decision that allows Michigan tax dollars to flow to private schools. A coalition of public school groups and the American Civil Liberties Union had urged the state’s high court to reverse an October opinion by the appeals court. The court said private schools can receive public money to help them comply with health, safety and welfare rules. In Tuesday’s order, Michigan Supreme Court Justice Stephen Markman said the court needs to resolve the issue with a “final decision.” Critics say the Michigan Constitution clearly states that no public money can
aid a private school. The Republican-controlled Legislature and then-Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, a Republican, approved $2.5 million in 2016 for state requirements at private schools.. ...Read Full Story

The city of St. Joseph is working with Whirlpool to provide a safer way for employees to cross Upton Drive from a parking lot to their workplace each day. At a Monday meeting, city commissioners moved forward an agreement that will have Whirlpool pay for changes to the crosswalk just north of the CSX railroad tracks. City Manager John Hodgson tells WSJM News some of the workers had safety concerns about the current crosswalk.. ...Read Full Story

From the Associated Press — A Florida prison inmate has been charged with murder in the strangling of a woman in southwest Michigan more than three decades ago. Prosecutors charged 49-year-old Robert James Waite last week in the killing of 59-year-old Wilda Wilkinson of Bangor during a home invasion in July 1986. Michigan State Police tell WOOD-TV that they matched partial DNA found on
Wilkinson’s clothes to Waite. Detectives say Waite confessed to killing Wilkinson when they interviewed him in April. Authorities say Waite knew specific details about the slaying. Waite is imprisoned in Florida on unrelated kidnapping and sexual battery charges. He will be extradited to Michigan. Prosecutors in March charged another man who police said confessed to killing Wilkinson, but they dismissed the charge without prejudice when investigators confirmed Waite’s DNA match.. ...Read Full Story

A growing movement in Michigan and around the world aims to ensure communities are able to serve the needs of people of all ages. Eight cities and towns in the state are members of the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities, who have committed to creating a place to live that’s inclusive and considerate of residents from all walks of life and of any age. Paula Cunningham with AARP Michigan says safe, accessible living especially is important for older Michiganders. ...Read Full Story

Set for next year is a reconstruction project for parts of Kingsley, Orchard, and Morton Streets in St. Joseph. City commissioners approved awarding the engineering contract to Abonmarche on Monday for $345,000. Plans are still being drafted, but St. Joe City Engineer Tim Zebell tells WSJM News when all is said and done, people will see the roads totally reconstructed and some other changes.. ...Read Full Story

A groundbreaking on the next YouthBuild project in Benton Harbor will be held this Thursday. Part of Kinexus, YouthBuild is a program that teaches construction skills to students between the ages of 16 and 24 while helping them earn their diploma or GED. YouthBuild Director Caleb Weeks tells WSJM News the project this summer will be at a vacant house at 710 Buss Avenue.. ...Read Full Story

State Representative Beth Griffin of Mattawan wants the state of Michigan to keep up its efforts to find PFAS in community water supplies. She’s introduced legislation that would make the state’s PFAS action response team a permanent agency under the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, or EGLE. Griffin tells WSJM News the team has helped to detect PFAS in several communities, including some in southwest Michigan.. ...Read Full Story

The Michigan Department of Transportation is among the agencies scrambling to cope with issues created by the heavy rain southwest Michigan has been experiencing lately. MDOT spokesperson Nick Schirripa tells WSJM News the latest problem is the failure of a culvert on M-140 between M-62 and Naomi Road in Pipestone Township. It failed Monday.. ...Read Full Story

From the Associated Press — The state of Michigan is launching a $2 million educational campaign to boost the state’s low recycling rate.
The “Know It Before You Throw It” initiative was announced Monday at a recycling transfer station in Lansing. Officials say the goal is to let residents know that they should rinse and dry all plastics, glass and metal before recycling it. People also should not try to recycle plastic bags, which is prohibited by most municipalities. Not recycling properly can contaminate the supply, meaning it goes to landfills or adds costs for communities. The educational campaign includes TV ads, billboards and a website. Michigan’s 15% recycling rate is lowest in the Great Lakes region, despite the 10-cent bottle-return law.. ...Read Full Story

A rate hike could be coming to customers of Indiana Michigan Power as it plans a major investment in the Cook nuclear power plant and other work to improve electric transmission reliability. I&M spokesperson Tracy Warner tells WSJM News the company submitted its plan to the Michigan Public Service Commission Monday.. ...Read Full Story

Another meeting between members of the Benton Harbor Area Schools Board of Education and the administration of Governor Gretchen Whitmer is set for this Wednesday. The two have been going back and forth regarding what to do about the school district’s debt and low academic performance. The governor sent the board a letter on Friday inviting the board to “discuss the proposals that have been put forward and identify next steps.” She writes that she remains “committed to ensuring every child receives a quality public education,” adding she’ll “work with you to ensure all students graduate and get on a path to post-secondary success.” The governor last month proposed that Benton Harbor High School be closed, at least temporarily, while a large portion of the district’s debt is forgiven. The local school board rejected that proposal. It then sent to the governor a turnaround plan of its own. Below is the governor’s full letter to the board of education.. ...Read Full Story

From the Associated Press — The University of Michigan says it’s received two separate, $10 million gifts designed to benefit a campus library as well as its business school and film and television department. The Ann Arbor school’s William C. Clements Library has accepted $10 million from the Avenir Foundation. It recognizes the university’s founding director, Randolph Adams, by naming the directorship after him. The university says the gift also will spur the acquisition and conservation of primary source materials and making collections more accessible. The other $10 million comes from the Patricia W. Mitchell Trusts. It’s intended to honor the legacy of Mitchell’s late husband, Columbia Pictures Television founder John Mitchell. That gift will go toward creating a business and communications ethics
program, as well as scholarships, internships, visiting professorships and a speaker series.. ...Read Full Story

South Bend Mayor and Democratic presidential primary candidate Pete Buttigieg wants the U.S. Justice Department to look into the police shooting of Eric Logan. Logan was shot and killed by a white South Bend police officer who said Logan raised a knife as he came towards the officer June 16th at about 3:30 a.m.. ...Read Full Story

Violence has flared again in South Bend, where presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg is mayor, and a Niles man is among its victims. The St. Joseph County Metro Homicide Unit says 27-year-old Brandon Williams of Niles died after a shooting at Kelly’s pub in South Bend. Another ten people were wounded by gunshots in South Bend early Sunday. A statement says five of the 10 wounded remain in the hospital in stable condition. The others were treated and released. St. Joseph County Sheriff William Redman says that his officers assisted South Bend police in “controlling a crowd of over 100 upset and angry citizens” who came to Memorial Hospital from Kelly’s Pub early Sunday, causing a lockdown at the hospital. It was not immediately clear what prompted the shooting. No suspect has been apprehended. Buttigieg later Sunday faced criticism at a town hall meeting from citizens who are angry about the shooting of a black man by a white police officer a week ago.. ...Read Full Story

Despite progress in child outcomes since 1990, a new report reveals serious racial and ethnic disparities persist in Michigan and other states. The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s 2019 Kids Count Data Book ranks the state 32nd overall in its measure of how kids are faring. Kids Count Project Director at the Michigan League for Public Policy Alicia Guevara Warren says Michigan’s child poverty rate is 11% worse now than when the report was first published three decades ago.. ...Read Full Story

The Berrien County Parks Department has been awarded a grant to help pay for a new beach mat at Rocky Gap County Park. At a meeting of the Berrien County Board of Commissioners this month, the Berrien Community Foundation presented a $1,000 check to Parks Director Brian Bailey. He told WSJM News more about what’s being installed at the park.. ...Read Full Story

Police are investigating a shooting late on Saturday in Benton Township. The Benton Township Police Department says it happened in the 100 block of Quince at the Blossom Acres housing development just before midnight. Police were sent to the scene on a report of several people fighting, and were told while on their way that shots had been fired. Officers arrived to find 31-year-old John Orr of Benton Harbor with gunshot wounds to the arm and leg. They also found 21-year-old Jaton Gunn of Benton Harbor with lacerations to the forehead, nose, and cheek. Witnesses told officers there had been a fight, and then four or five gunshots went off. Police found bullet holes in a window at 124 Quince, but no one inside was hurt. Orr and Gunn were taken to Spectrum Health Lakeland to be treated for non-life threatening injuries. Police don’t yet have a suspect. Anyone with information on the crime is asked to contact the Benton Township Police Department.. ...Read Full Story

Anyone who would like to learn how they could help someone experiencing a drug overdose will have a chance to do so this coming week in Niles. Denise Peters with the Niles-Buchanan branch of the YMCA of Southwest Michigan tells WSJM News they’re hosting a training session Wednesday. She says the session will demonstrate how to administer anti-overdose drug Naloxone, and also go over the overall opioid epidemic and related topics.. ...Read Full Story

Indiana Michigan Power has announced its next solar farm, and this one will be its biggest. I&M spokesperson Schnee Garrett tells WSJM News the facility in South Bend will be near the Indiana Toll Road and about 10 miles northeast of the University of Notre Dame.. ...Read Full Story

The Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs says the number of opioid prescriptions dispensed in Michigan is going down. LARA says the rate was down 15% in 2018 from 2017. It credits the drop with the recently-overhauled Michigan Automated Prescription System, or MAPS, which tracks controlled substance prescriptions. LARA Director Orlene Hawks says in a promotional video for MAPS that it’s useful to prescribers and pharmacists.. ...Read Full Story

The Berrien County Parks Department has received a donation of eight adult and six child-sized mountain bikes for use at Love Creek County Park. The bikes come courtesy of Whirlpool Corporation and the Bike Michiana Coalition. They’ll be used on the mountain biking trails at Love Creek County Park, and the public will be able to rent the adult ones for the cost of $10 an hour. The children’s bikes will be complimentary with the rental of an adult bike. Love Creek County Park naturalist Derek Pelc says the donations create another recreational opportunity at the Berrien Center park, adding someone who is thinking about buying a mountain bike can now just rent one to check them out. Park staff remind everyone to ride safely, wear a helmet, and respect nature.. ...Read Full Story

The Cass County Sheriff’s Department says a Friday night shooting in Vandalia was in self-defense. Police responded to a home in the 62,000 block of Cass Avenue in Vandalia around 10 p.m. after getting a call that a man had been shot. Officers gave first aid to 37-year-old James E. Hodges, Jr. and he was taken to South Bend Memorial Hospital with a gunshot wound to the abdomen. He’s listed in critical but stable condition. Police say their investigation found a 15-year-old boy had shot Hodges in self-defense and in defense of another. No charges are being sought against the 15-year-old at this time. Reports on the incident will be sent to the Cass County Prosecutor’s office and the case remains under investigation.. ...Read Full Story

A Marcellus man is recovering after he was shot in Cass County on Friday night. The Cass County Sheriff’s Department says 22-year-old Tyler Blentlinger was at a bonfire in the backyard of a home in the 300 block of East Dibble Street in Marcellus when he got into an argument with the suspect. The suspect got a gun and fired twice in in the direction of Blentlinger, who was hit twice. 911 was called and sheriff’s deputies responded to the scene, arresting the suspect. He’s now charged with attempted murder and is in the Cass County Jail. His name has not been released. Blentlinger was taken to Bronson Hospital in Kalamazoo to be treated for non-life threatening injuries. Police say the shooting remains under investigation.. ...Read Full Story

With all of the rain southwest Michigan has been experiencing this spring, the Berrien County Drain Commissioner’s office has been kept busy. Berrien County Drain Commissioner Christopher Quattrin tells WSJM News there have been a lot of drains to unclog.. ...Read Full Story

The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department is cracking down on drivers who illegally pass farm vehicles moving large equipment on public roads. Berrien County Board of Commissioners Chair Mac Elliot tells WSJM News he’s been hearing from farmers about people who recklessly go around them as they’re moving ag equipment. He says those drivers need a little patience.. ...Read Full Story

From the Associated Press — A Michigan man has been sentenced to a second life sentence without parole for killing his ex-wife’s husband.
Zachary Patten was convicted in May of first-degree murder and other charges in connection with the death of Shane Richardson at the victim’s home in Florence Township during a July 2017 crime spree. WOOD-TV report s he was sentenced Friday. Earlier on the same day, the Portage man shot 31-year-old Graciela Portillo-Esparza at a mobile home park in Kalamazoo County. The mother of four was fatally shot after stepping between her brother and Patten, who were arguing. Oscar Portillo at the time was the ex-boyfriend of Patten’s girlfriend.
Patten was found guilty of first-degree murder in February 2018. Patten was arrested in South Bend, Indiana, after voluntarily walking up to police.. ...Read Full Story

A 21-year-old South Bend man is facing a variety of charges following a hit and run crash in Dowagiac Friday morning. The Dowagiac Police Department says officers were sent to the scene at East Division Street and West Railroad Street just before 9:40 a.m. They arrived to find an SUV on its side and three people stuck inside. Witnesses told officers the suspect’s vehicle had been headed south on West Railroad when it ran a stop sign at East Division and hit the SUV, causing it to roll. The suspect then sped off. The three people in the SUV — a 65-year-old woman from Alabama, a 76-year-old man from Niles, and a 65-year-old woman from Dowagiac — were all freed and taken to a hospital for minor injuries. Acting on tips, police were able to find the suspect driver at a home in Dowagiac. The 21-year-old has a suspended license and had been drinking all morning. He’s now at the Cass County Jail.. ...Read Full Story

An Edwardsburg couple is asking people to be looking out for one of their vehicles, which was stolen out of their locked garage this week. Our news partners at WSBT report the woman who owns the white GMC Yukon Denali saw a notification on her phone when she woke up Thursday morning that their security camera had detected motion overnight. The footage, which police now have, shows two suspect using the keypad on the outside of the garage to open it up around 1:30 in the morning, realize no alarms would go off, and then they came back two hours later. Upon their return, they stole both SUVs from the garage, with one being recovered around 7:30 Thursday morning in Buchanan. It’s not known if the thieves knew the garage code or if they were using some sort of device to override that and open the door.. ...Read Full Story

Berrien County Treasurer Bret Witkowski is warning everyone about a scam aimed at local property owners. He tells WSJM News people have been getting letters marked as being from Berrien County and stating “Property Seizure is Imminent.” The letter says the recipient must call an included phone number and pay the balance of a lien on their property over the phone. Witkowski says it’s a scam. The letter is not from the county.. ...Read Full Story

From the Associated Press — Michigan school districts would no longer be required to administer a workforce-readiness test to 11th-graders as part of the state’s standardized assessment under a bill advancing in the Legislature. The Republican-led House approved the measure 85-24 Thursday and sent it to the Senate for further consideration. The ACT WorkKeys assessment was touted as a way for employers to find prospective workers, but critics say it has not met expectations. Few employers refer to WorkKeys or a career-readiness certificate in job postings. Supporters of the bill say the WorkKeys test is unnecessary, duplicative, and costly. Opponents say if utilized appropriately, the test still has a place and nixing it would further tilt testing to only measure college readiness at the expense of kids not going to college.. ...Read Full Story

Michigan State University is authorizing what it says will be an independent investigation of the school’s handling of sexual assault complaints against now-imprisoned former sports doctor Larry Nassar. The board of trustees unanimously approved the probe Friday. It intends to hire Chicago-based law firm McDermott Will & Emery to investigate and release a public report.. ...Read Full Story

Farmers in Michigan will be eligible for low-interest loans soon thanks to action by the state House and Senate to help provide financial relief due to what is so far the third-wettest year on record. Just how bad is it in the fields? WSJM News put that question to Michigan State University Extension’s field crop specialist Bruce MacKellar.. ...Read Full Story

Berrien County could lose out on millions of dollars in the next decade if the 2020 Census is undercounted locally. Because of that, the Berrien Community Foundation is working as the Census Hub to mobilize communities to make sure everyone is counted. BCF president Lisa Cripps-Downey says nonprofits like churches and schools will be key contact points for residents who might not fill out the census form, and they will have mini-grants to support efforts to educate people about the importance of the census and plans to “get out the count.” The grants will focus on organizations serving “hard-to-count populations” like low-income individuals and families, homeless people, young kids, people of color, college students, and people with mental or physical disabilities. There will be a series of information sessions as follows:. ...Read Full Story

Everything is clear at the Cass County Law and Courts Building in Cassopolis after the place was evacuated Friday morning due to a bomb threat. The threat was called into 911 shortly before 9 a.m. Cass County Sheriff Richard Behnke tells WSJM News the caller said court staff were “going to get it,” and indicated a timed device was planted somewhere in the building. The court and the historic court were both evacuated, and the sheriff’s department conducted a search with deputies and a bomb-sniffing dog brought in from Berrien County. The building was declared clear and everything was back open before noon. Behnke says the sheriff’s department is now investigating the source of the call. He says they’ve gotten some tips, and could have their suspect very soon.. ...Read Full Story

Anyone in Cass County’s Milton Township who wondered why they lost power around 6 last evening, here’s the answer. The sheriff’s department says a 38-year-old Niles man suffered a medical issue and blacked out while driving north on Bell Street at US-12. Nicholas Smith went off the road, knocked over a telephone pole on US-12, and the car finally stopped when it hit trees. He was wearing a seat belt but was injured. The power interruption was brief, and the crash remains under investigation.. ...Read Full Story

A Cass County jury didn’t take long to convict a Howard Township man of a drug charge on Thursday. The case stemmed from a raid by the Cass County Drug Enforcement Team in November of last year. Detectives searched the home of Gene Robertson and say they found a burnt piece of foil and burnt straws with white powdery residue in a bedroom. The Cass County Prosecutor’s office says Robertson admitted he had smoked methamphetamine the day before his house was raided, and a crime lab confirmed the white residue was meth. He has been convicted of possession of methamphetamine. The prosecutor says because Robertson has five previous felony convictions, he faces up to life in prison when sentenced on July 26. Cass County Prosecutor Victor Fitz says drug users need to clean up or “face hard time.”. ...Read Full Story

The Berrien County Democratic Party has presented a resolution to the Berrien County Board of Commissioners calling on them to pursue opportunities to expand broadband internet access around the area. The party’s Jerry Sirk read the resolution to the county board Thursday, and told us having high-speed internet is crucial to all.. ...Read Full Story

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is going to take action to reduce shoreline erosion in the New Buffalo area. That’s according to Berrien County Commissioner Ezra Scott, who tells WSJM News federal dollars have been set aside for the issue.. ...Read Full Story

Opening for the summer next Wednesday is the Benton Harbor Farmers Market. The Berrien County Health Department’s Gillian Conrad tells WSJM News the market will be held each Wednesday through September 18 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. She says the department is excited for this year’s program.. ...Read Full Story

A software glitch is being eyed as the reason Benton Harbor High School only had about a third of the class of 2019 expecting to graduate back in March before those numbers went up by the end of the year. Assistant superintendent LaWanna Shelton talked to our partners at WSBT-TV about issues that they noticed with the PowerSchool software that handles grades. She says the issue that was found during an audit dealt with students’ grades being updated by teachers, but administrators not being alerted.. ...Read Full Story

The Michigan House and Senate have both approved a bill setting aside $15 million to be used for low-interest loans to farmers who have suffered losses due to wet weather. The plan cleared both legislative chambers on Thursday, and Governor Gretchen Whitmer is expected to sign the bill. The spending would cover upfront loan-processing fees and subsidize lenders so they can provide 1% interest rates to farmers, processors and others in the agriculture industry. Voting in favor of the bill was state Senator Kim LaSata, who says “Michigan’s agriculture industry has been deeply impacted by the overwhelmingly wet spring weather our state has experienced this year, and they need some help.” Many farmers have had trouble planting crops because of the seemingly endless rain.. ...Read Full Story

Fans of ham radio will have something to do this weekend in Berrien County. The Blossomland Amateur Radio Association is holding an American Radio Relay League Field Day on Saturday and Sunday. The event will include discussions on amateur radio techniques and demonstrations. It will also be a chance for ham radio enthusiasts to meet each other. The event will take place at the Oronoko Township Public Safety Building in Berrien Springs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. both days.. ...Read Full Story

Trying to find a parking space in downtown South Haven on the weekend can be frustrating. The South Haven/Van Buren County Convention and Visitors Bureau and Van Buren Public Transit have announced the first ever South Haven Downtown Parking Loop. Scott Reinert is the bureau’s executive director says starting Saturday, June 29, it will be available every Saturday and Sunday for eight weeks and will have four stops.. ...Read Full Story

A list of charges is pending against a Covert man who was arrested Wednesday night after leading a Van Buren County deputy on a high-speed chase in Geneva Township on what turned out to be a stolen motorcycle. The deputy stopped giving chase due to the speed and the reckless behavior of the 29-year-old suspect, and the man drove the motorcycle into a field at 56th Street and 18th Avenue right after. The deputy chased him on foot and made the arrest, with the suspect admitting he was high on meth and ecstasy. The bike had been reported stolen in Allegan County last year. Along with resisting and obstructing, the man is expected to be charged with fleeing and eluding police, possession of a stolen motorcycle, and operating under the influence of drugs. He also had a traffic warrant out of Kalamazoo County.. ...Read Full Story

Michigan’s first West Nile virus activity of the year is in three counties. Mosquitoes in Saginaw and Oakland counties have been confirmed to be carrying the virus, along with one Canada goose in Kalamazoo County. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services says there are no human cases as yet. Symptoms of West Nile virus include confusion, a high fever, muscle weakness, and a severe headache, with neurological illnesses like meningitis and encephalitis being more serious possible complications. The state had 104 serious illnesses and nine deaths from West Nile virus. Health officials say the best way to prevent infection is to take precautions like using insect repellent with DEET, wearing a long-sleeved shirt and long pants when possible outdoors, and getting rid of standing water around your home to prevent mosquitoes from having a breeding area.. ...Read Full Story

The end is near for what’s become a relic of the past in St. Joseph. The Family Video store is no longer renting movies and games, as it’s preparing to shut down. Everything is being sold as people started streaming movies online and video game discs started becoming more rare in favor of downloadable content. The owners of Family Video tell Moody On The Market they’re planning to sell the building, and had been making money on real estate much more so than renting and selling movies and games. The last day for the business will be on or before July 6, depending on how long it takes to sell off the inventory.. ...Read Full Story

The site vice president at the Palisades nuclear power plant in Van Buren County is retiring. Charlie Arnone [[ are-none ]] has worked in the nuclear industry for nearly 43 years. Prior to becoming site vice president at Palisades, he served the Entergy nuclear fleet as general manager of operations support. He’s also been the director of nuclear safety assurance at Palisades. Now that Arnone stepping down, Darrell Corbin, currently the general manager of plant operations at Palisades, will take on the position of site vice president, effective August 5.. ...Read Full Story

The next installment of the OutCenter’s Southwest Michigan VOICES speaker series will be this Thursday at Lake Michigan College. The OutCenter’s Paula Camp tells WSJM News representatives of Spectrum Health will make a presentation about the importance and challenges of accessible local healthcare for the LGBTQ community. Camp says, for example, there can be complications when transgender people seek medical treatment.. ...Read Full Story

Pipeline safety legislation is among the things Congressman Fred Upton is working on right now in Washington. The House Subcommittee on Energy discussed the topic on Wednesday. Upton wants to renew legislation set to expire in September, and tells us right now, all the subcommittee has is a draft bill. He tells WSJM News there are a few things he thinks should be put into the legislation.. ...Read Full Story

The Michigan House has approved legislation from state Representative Beth Griffin designed to protect student athletes from sexual assault. She says the bill would add athletic trainers to the list of professionals required to report evidence of child abuse, neglect, and sexual abuse.. ...Read Full Story

Despite progress in child outcomes since 1990, a new report reveals serious racial and ethnic disparities persist in Michigan and other states. The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s 2019 Kids Count Data Book ranks the state 32nd overall in its measure of how kids are faring. Kids Count Project Director at the Michigan League for Public Policy Alicia Guevara Warren says Michigan’s child poverty rate is 11% worse now than when the report was first published three decades ago.. ...Read Full Story

Cherry Beach in Chikaming Township is closed until further notice. The Berrien County Health Department closed the beach due to high bacteria levels Tuesday afternoon. The township’s parks department has posted on Facebook that it is unsafe to swim off of Cherry Beach, and the water will be tested again today. The health department has not released what bacteria has caused the closure.. ...Read Full Story

The big unanswered question remains now that the school board has sent its plan to fix the school district’s financial and educational issues to the state: will Benton Harbor High School be closed? No commitment yet from Governor Whitmer.. ...Read Full Story

From the Associated Press — Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel says the state Civil Rights Commission is not bound by her predecessor’s determination that LGBT people are not protected by an anti-discrimination law. The Democrat’s office provided the informal guidance to the commission Tuesday. Nessel declined to issue a formal opinion because of pending litigation. Former Republican Attorney General Bill Schuette issued an opinion last year saying the commission overstepped when it said the state’s civil rights law
covered sexual orientation and gender identity. Nessel’s office says the U.S. Supreme Court in April decided to review a case involving a Michigan funeral home’s firing of a transgender woman. It’s among three cases that look at whether federal civil rights law bans job
discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.. ...Read Full Story

Months after he resigned and stopped coming to work, Benton Harbor City Commissioners have accepted the resignation of former city Finance Director Andrew Clark. At a meeting on Monday, Commissioner Edward Isom said with Clark gone, the city has been operating without a finance director, and it’s time to start looking for a new one.. ...Read Full Story

The Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs says the number of opioid prescriptions dispensed in Michigan is going down. LARA says the rate was down 15% in 2018 from 2017. It credits the drop with the recently-overhauled Michigan Automated Prescription System, or MAPS, which tracks controlled substance prescriptions. LARA Director Orlene Hawks says in a promotional video for MAPS that it’s useful to prescribers and pharmacists.. ...Read Full Story