Local News Archives

The Berrien County Prosecutor’s Office says the wife of an active duty Army sergeant who was shot and killed on New Year’s Eve in St. Joseph Township is charged with murder in his death along with the man with whom she’d allegedly been having an affair.. ...Read Full Story

Marijuana will be discussed tonight in South Haven. The City Council has a special meeting starting at 6 p.m. to get a presentation on the legal status of both medicinal and recreational weed in the state. Following public comment and remarks by experts, the council will be asked to come up with direction and guidance for city staff and the Planning Commission for possible ordinances for both.. ...Read Full Story

A 21-year-old Grand Junction man and two men from the Holland area who are 20 and 18 are in the Van Buren County Jail after being caught breaking into vehicles in the Grand Junction area early Sunday morning. They are accused of breaking into two vehicles and a work trailer in the four-thousand block of 48½ Street in Columbia Township. The three were caught due to their tracks in the snow leading Van Buren County Sheriff’s deputies to a nearby home. All the stolen items were recovered. The three are facing charges of larceny from a motor vehicle, and the youngest suspect is also going to be charged with breaking and entering of a vehicle. They’re being held without bond pending their arraignments.. ...Read Full Story

Property owners in the city of South Haven who don’t agree with the assessed value of their property will be able to appeal that assessment starting in March with the board of review. City Manager Brian Dissette spoke with WSJM News about the plan after a city council meeting this week.. ...Read Full Story

The Smithsonian is bringing a traveling exhibit to Van Buren County this year. The Van Buren District Library’s Kay McAdam tells us the Decatur branch will host “Main Street’s Crossroads: Change in Rural America” this fall. It’s one of six locations in Michigan to be selected as a site for the display. It’s all about how small towns became centers of commerce, trade, local politics, and culture in the United States. McAdam says they also have to put together locally-relevant programs.. ...Read Full Story

A meeting of the Benton Harbor Area Schools Board of Education could take place this coming week as district CEO Robert Herrera aims to work more closely with trustees on a vision for the district. After this Tuesday’s CEO meeting, Herrera said he was working to set a meeting date with the board as three new trustees have been elected and another needs to be appointed. He told WSJM News after much organization since he was brought in working under the state, he’d like school board input.. ...Read Full Story

Berrien RESA has been charged with delivering more than 500 glove dryers to schools throughout the county thanks to a donation from Consumers Energy. Consumers spokesperson Roger Morgenstern tells WSJM News the Green Glove Dryer School Project is a statewide effort involving K through fifth grade schools.. ...Read Full Story

A six-year-old girl and a 73-year-old woman are dead and three others are in critical condition following a two vehicle crash in Van Buren County on Saturday.. ...Read Full Story

The wife of an Army sergeant who was shot and killed on New Year’s Eve in St. Joseph Township is in jail on murder charges, according to several news outlets. Berrien County Jail records show 22-year-old Kemia Nekenah Hassel was booked Saturday on murder charges involving a gun and a family member. The St. Joseph Township Police Department tells us two people have been arrested in the death of 23-year-old Tyrone Hassel III. He was shot several times at a home in the 2,000 block of Colfax Avenue while home on leave. Police say a tip that came in on Friday led to the two arrests. They have not released the names of either suspect. The Berrien County Prosecutor’s Office is expected to release more information on the case Monday.. ...Read Full Story

Students at Benton Harbor High School will take soon take part in a driver safety program offered by the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning and Ford Motor Company. Office of Highway Safety Planning spokesperson Kari Arend tells WSJM News Strive For a Safer Drive is a peer-led traffic safety campaign that allows the kids to use a $1,000 grant to reach out to their classmates about safe driving.. ...Read Full Story

One of Governor Whitmer’s first acts was to ask state Attorney General Dana Nessel to deliver a legal opinion on the validity of Public Act 359 – the law authoring a petroleum pipeline replacement in the Mackinac Straits. But can the governor come up with a compromise that works or will it be a politics as usual decision pleasing some while alienating the other half of the state?. ...Read Full Story

New Berrien County Commissioner Bob Harrison is ready to get to work now that he’s been sworn in. Harrison, the former president of Lake Michigan College and now county commissioner for the Seventh District, told Moody in the Morning Wednesday he sees the declining population as a major problem for Berrien County.. ...Read Full Story

The St. Joseph Township Police Department says it’s made arrests in a fatal shooting that occurred on New Year’s Eve. Tyrone Hassel III was shot several times at a home in the 2,000 block of Colfax Avenue. Hassel was an active duty Army sergeant who was home on leave. St. Joseph Township police say they got a tip in the case on Friday, and that resulted in the arrest of two suspects. No names are yet being released. More information will be released on Monday. The St. Joseph Township Police Department was assisted in the investigation by the Berrien County Sheriff’s Department and Michigan State Police.. ...Read Full Story

As the Berrien County Parks Commission works to create a new five year plan for parks, the public has a chance to offer its thoughts. Berrien County Parks Director Brian Bailey tells WSJM News there will be two town hall-style meetings this coming Wednesday for input on the plan. The document will guide parks development from 2020 to 2024. Bailey says it includes planned improvements. He gave us some examples.. ...Read Full Story

The Cass County Parks and Recreation Department is gearing up to resume Discover Winter Nights for the season. Discover Winter Nights is a program held at Dr. T.K. Lawless Park each year. Now that the snow’s here, the celebrations will resume January 19 and be held each Saturday through February 9. It’ll include lighted hill tubing, three miles of lighted cross-country ski trails, a bonfire, crafts for the kids, tractor-pulled sleigh rides, winter biking, and star gazing. Discover Winter Nights takes place from 5 to 9 p.m. and each date is weather permitting. It’s $2 to get into Discover Winter Nights, and you can find more information right here.. ...Read Full Story

The Van Buren County Circuit Court is starting a new program for mothers to help them better communicate with their children and the fathers of their children. “Understanding Dad: An Awareness and Communication Program for Moms” will be a nine week program delivered through two hour weekly sessions starting January 17. The circuit court’s Amanda Hoefle tells WSJM News it’s intended to help families going through a divorce.. ...Read Full Story

Applications are now available for this year’s Heart of Cook grants. Funded by Indiana Michigan Power’s Cook nuclear plant, the program is administered by the Berrien Community Foundation, says the foundation’s Susan Matheny.. ...Read Full Story

As part of National Human Trafficking Awareness Month, Michigan State Police motor carrier officers are making an extra effort to educate truckers about the crime. MSP Commercial Enforcement Division Lieutenant Brad Cushman tells us troopers will speak to truckers when they stop them next week.. ...Read Full Story

State Senator Kim LaSata is talking about her priorities for the new legislative session.. ...Read Full Story

The partial federal government shutdown so far isn’t affecting food assistance programs in Berrien County. Berrien County Health Department Communications Manager Gillian Conrad tells WSJM News the county runs the WIC program, which provides nutritious foods to woman, infants, and children. That money is from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.. ...Read Full Story

The Van Buren County United Way is merging with the United Way of Southwest Michigan. The merger will be complete on July 1, and the back office operations are being combined immediately. According to a statement from the United Way of Southwest Michigan, the consolidation is being done to “increase efficiencies, reduce duplications and build on the collective thought.” UWSM CEO Anna Murphy and VBCUW executive director Vera Sebree say the merger will also provide more resources for residents and nonprofits in Van Buren County. Sebree says both organizations are excited about the move.. ...Read Full Story

Someone dumped around 500 gallons of fuel into a Berrien County drain, and the county board of commissioners would like to know who it was. At this week’s meeting, the Berrien County Board of Commissioners instructed County Administrator Bill Wolf to study options when it comes to paying for the clean-up of the drain at Napier Avenue and Park Road in Bainbridge Township. Drain Commissioner Christopher Quattrin tells WSJM News the spillage was discovered last week when the drain was reported clogged. A contractor found red fuel in a manhole. Quattrin says, fortunately, the blockage in the drain stopped the fuel from spreading far.. ...Read Full Story

The newly-expanded nursing facility at Southwestern Michigan College is now open. The completion of the $9.6 million expansion was celebrated Wednesday with an open house at the Dowagiac campus. The expansion roughly doubles the capacity of the SMC nursing program, says SMC President David Mathews. He tells WSJM News this will help address a nursing shortage in southwest Michigan.. ...Read Full Story

Property owners in the city of South Haven who don’t agree with the assessed value of their property will be able to appeal that assessment starting in March with the board of review. City Manager Brian Dissette spoke with WSJM News about the plan after a city council meeting this week.. ...Read Full Story

As the Berrien County Parks Commission works to create a new five year plan for parks, the public has a chance to offer its thoughts. Berrien County Parks Director Brian Bailey tells WSJM News there will be two town hall-style meetings next Wednesday for input on the plan. The document will guide parks development from 2020 to 2024. Bailey says it includes planned improvements. He gave us some examples.. ...Read Full Story

Three young people are recovering from minor injuries after they were hit by a vehicle in Niles on Thursday. The Niles Police Department tells us it happened just before 3 p.m. at 13th and Sycamore Streets. First responders learned a vehicle driven by a 40-year-old Niles resident was northbound on 13th and had stopped at the stop sign. Four juveniles were walking west on the sidewalk of Sycamore, and when the vehicle started moving north again, it struck three of the pedestrians when they stepped over the curb and into the street. They were taken to area hospitals. Alcohol or drugs are not believed to have been factors in this crash, and the Niles Police Department continues to investigate.. ...Read Full Story

Work is underway in earnest to improve security at Benton Harbor Area Schools. At this week’s district CEO meeting, CEO Robert Herrera said the district has been working with a security consulting firm to put together emergency plans and handbooks for staff in the event of a major incident.. ...Read Full Story

There’s concern about the U.S. food supply because of the partial government shutdown. Inspections by the Food and Drug Administration are down sharply because of the shutdown. Jennifer Holton is with the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and says they cannot step in for the FDA and do the work of the federal inspectors.. ...Read Full Story

Eight Republicans in the U.S. House joined with Democrats last week to approve legislation to reopen the federal government without including any money for President Trump’s border wall as a first step to end the partial shutdown. As we reported then, Congressman Fred Upton was among them, and he was the only Republican from Michigan to do so. He says it’s time to move on.. ...Read Full Story

Berrien RESA will deliver more than 500 glove dryers to schools throughout the county thanks to a donation from Consumers Energy. Consumers spokesperson Roger Morgenstern tells WSJM News the Green Glove Dryer School Project is a statewide effort involving K through fifth grade schools.. ...Read Full Story

The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department is investigating a two vehicle head-on crash in Bainbridge Township Wednesday that left one of the drivers trapped in their vehicle. The department tells us it happened just before 5:30 p.m at Napier Avenue and Arent Road. The driver of a Nissan Sentra crossed the center line and struck a GMC Sierra pick-up. The pick-up then left the road and hit a utility pole, breaking the pole in half. The driver of the Nissan Sentra had to be freed from their vehicle by first responders and was then taken to Lakeland Hospital. The driver of the pick-up was also taken there. Police believe alcohol was a factor, and the names have not yet been released. American Electric Power was brought in to replace the utility pole. The crash caused traffic in the area to be re-routed for several hours.. ...Read Full Story

With the snow now here again, the Michigan Department of Transportation says you can track the condition of roads in your area without having leave your home. MDOT spokesperson Nick Schirripa told WSJM News earlier this winter Michigan.gov/Drive offers a map of the state that can show you where all the plows are.. ...Read Full Story

New Berrien County Commissioner Bob Harrison is ready to get to work now that he’s been sworn in. Harrison, the former president of Lake Michigan College and now county commissioner for the Seventh District, told Moody in the Morning Wednesday he sees the declining population as a major problem for Berrien County.. ...Read Full Story

A major meth ring has been busted in Kalamazoo. Michigan State Police tell us after a six month investigation also involving federal and local detectives, it was found the drug trafficking organization had delivered more than 400 pounds of methamphetamine from California to Kalamazoo in the past two years. On Tuesday of this week, the Southwest Enforcement Team got information that another shipment was on the way. Officers were able to intercept it, finding 27 pounds of ice hidden in a vehicle. Officers from SWET, the DEA, and troopers from the Michigan State Police Paw Paw post then executed a search warrant in Kalamazoo, finding two men in their 50s — one from Kalamazoo and one from California — who were taken into custody. While this was going on, officers in California found another 30 pounds of meth. The case is now being turned over to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Grand Rapids, who will be working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in California to prosecute.. ...Read Full Story

Michigan Congressman Dan Kildee has some praise for Sixth District Congressman Fred Upton. Speaking to Michigan’s Big Show this week, the Flint Democrat said Upton’s vote last week to end the partial government shutdown was the right thing for Upton to do.. ...Read Full Story

All but one of the water fixtures in need of replacement due to lead at Benton Harbor Area Schools have now been replaced. That word at this week’s district CEO meeting. Benton Harbor Area Schools had the water at all of the district’s facilities tested for lead after recent issues in the community and announced in November five fixtures were found to exceed the federal action level of 15 parts per billion. In addition, the district applied the stricter state standard of five parts per billion, finding a total of 20 fixtures above that. It then announced it would replace all of them. 19 are done. The one that has yet to be replaced requires some electric work as well, causing the delay. The district COO said at Tuesday’s CEO meeting that work is slated to be completed this Thursday.. ...Read Full Story

Michigan’s 100th Legislature is now in session. Speaking on Wednesday, new House Speaker Lee Chatfield came forward to say that Michigan cannot afford to imitate national politics.. ...Read Full Story

From the Associated Press — Blight elimination funding is available for land banks and governmental units in Michigan counties with fewer than 50,000 people. The Michigan Land Bank Fast Track Authority says the Michigan Rural Community Demolition grants are designed to help communities remove vacant and abandoned structures from neighborhoods to prepare the areas for developments that spark business investment and provide good jobs. The maximum award per proposal is $50,000 and can be used toward dealing with vacant and abandoned, blighted commercial or residential structures. Proposals will be evaluated based on their anticipated impact in promoting
public safety, enhancing economic development, public and private investment in the project and alignment with the community vision or other place-making efforts. Applications will be accepted until 2 p.m. on February 15.. ...Read Full Story

From the Associated Press — Republicans and Democrats in the Michigan House want to make it tougher for law enforcement to take ownership of property seized in drug cases that don’t result in convictions. The first bills introduced in the 100th Legislature Wednesday relate to asset forfeiture. Republican House Speaker Lee Chatfield joined Democrats, including Attorney General Dana Nessel, to back the legislation. One bill would prohibit prosecutors from permanently confiscating assets thought to be associated with criminal activity unless a defendant is convicted of a drug crime, has entered into a plea agreement or no one claims any interest in the assets. The measure wouldn’t apply in seizures of property and cash worth more than $50,000, excluding the value of contraband. The House passed similar legislation last year, but it died in the Senate.. ...Read Full Story

By Doug Cunningham. ...Read Full Story

The Smithsonian is bringing a traveling exhibit to Van Buren County this year. The Van Buren District Library’s Kay McAdam tells us the Decatur branch will host “Main Street’s Crossroads: Change in Rural America” this fall. It’s one of six locations in Michigan to be selected as a site for the display. It’s all about how small towns became centers of commerce, trade, local politics, and culture in the United States. McAdam says they also have to put together locally-relevant programs.. ...Read Full Story

A meeting of the Benton Harbor Area Schools Board of Education could take place next week as district CEO Robert Herrera aims to work more closely with trustees on a vision for the district. After Tuesday’s CEO meeting, Herrera said he’s working to set a meeting date with the board as three new trustees have been elected and another needs to be appointed. He told WSJM News after much organization since he was brought in working under the state, he’d like school board input.. ...Read Full Story

Students at Benton Harbor High School will take soon take part in a driver safety program offered by the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning and Ford Motor Company. Strive For a Safer Drive is a peer-led traffic safety campaign that seeks to reduce traffic crashes, the leading cause of death for teens. The Office of Highway Safety Planning announced this week 62 schools statewide have been selected to receive grants of $1,000 to create the driver safety campaign. The top five in the state will get cash prizes ranging from $500 to $1,500. Also among the schools picked for Strive for a Safer Drive is Cassopolis Ross Beatty High School.. ...Read Full Story

Civil rights groups are celebrating a new directive from Governor Gretchen Whitmer that bans discrimination against LGBTQ people who work for the state or its contractors, or who service state properties. The directive specifically forbids discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Erin Knott, with the group Equality Michigan, tells us the move will affect thousands of people.. ...Read Full Story

From the Associated Press — An annual ice-breaking effort is starting on waterways in and around northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. The U.S. Coast Guard Sector Sault Ste. Marie says Operation Taconite commenced Monday in response to expanded ice growth in commercial ports along western Lake Superior and the St. Marys River in the eastern Upper Peninsula. Operation Taconite encompasses Lake Superior, the St. Marys River, the Straits of Mackinac, Georgian Bay, Green Bay, northern Lake Huron, and Lake Michigan. The Coast Guard says that various commercial waterways may close in the coming weeks after due consideration is given to the protection of the marine environment and the safety of island residents who use naturally formed ice bridges to get to and from the mainland.. ...Read Full Story

Police are asking for the public’s help in solving the theft of several guns in Van Buren County this week. The Van Buren County Sheriff’s Department tells us someone broke into a home in the 63,000 block of 54th Avenue in Hartford Monday. The break-in happened sometime between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. Stolen were a shotgun, a muzzleloader, and a 9 millimeter handgun. Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Department.. ...Read Full Story

Newly-elected state Senator Aric Nesbitt and his staff will host an open house at his Lansing office on the first session day of the year tomorrow. Nesbitt will welcome constituents from the 26th District to the Binsfeld Senate Office Building near the Capitol starting at 10 a.m. We asked the former state representative if he was used to the new title of senator.. ...Read Full Story

A Gobles man is facing several charges after being caught not only driving while drunk with five kids in the car, but he and a passenger were also still drinking when police found them parked along 6th Avenue in Gobles near M-40. The Van Buren County Sheriff’s Department says they were called to a park on a report of two adult men who appeared to be drunk while five young children were running around. Deputies found the car about a half-mile away from the park and noticed the children, between the ages of two and seven, were not buckled up and were climbing all over the back seat. The driver was uncooperative and refused all sobriety tests at the scene and also refused to take a breath test after being sent to the jail. Investigators then got a warrant to take the man’s blood. He’s facing five counts of operating while intoxicated – child endangerment, felony resisting and obstructing, and driving with open intoxicants. No names have been released.. ...Read Full Story

A 33-year-old Coloma man has been killed while trying to cross I-94. Michigan State Police tell us the man was hit and killed around 6:15 Monday evening near mile marker 34 in Benton Township by a 38-year-old Delton woman. Investigators have not yet been able to figure out why the man was walking on the highway. The woman called 9-1-1 to say she thought she had just hit a person, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. There’s no word yet if she will face charges, but she did stay at the scene of the crash.. ...Read Full Story

Officials with the OutCenter in Benton Harbor are cheering Governor Whitmer’s latest executive directive regarding LGBT Michigan residents. Executive director Mary Jo Schnell called it a “stellar first move on all things LGBT,” and added it’s about more than just civil rights.. ...Read Full Story

South Haven officials will hold a special educational meeting on potential medical and recreational marijuana businesses next week. The purpose is to get the city council more information on all the legal aspects of both according to City Manager Brian Dissette, who tells us they will also bring in some outside experts.. ...Read Full Story

Local governments around the country are starting to feel the pinch from the partial shutdown of the federal government. Benton Harbor City Manager Darwin Watson told city commissioners Monday night that U.S. Housing and Urban Development funds are missing in action right now from Washington.. ...Read Full Story

Watervliet police are asking for help finding a missing teenage girl. Jaci Duncan is 14 and has not been seen since around 10 pm on Wednesday, January 2nd and is believed to have run away from home. In a Facebook post, police say they believe she may be with a Dowagiac man named Casey Carter, and add she has a history of running away. Duncan also took her dog with her when she left home. Anyone with information on where she and Carter might be is urged to call Watervliet police.. ...Read Full Story

There will be no varsity boys basketball game Tuesday for the South Haven Rams, as they are forfeiting the contest against Dowagiac. The move stems from the brawl that erupted during the Rams game on December 21 against Paw Paw, during which not only did the benches clear, but spectators also got involved. South Haven Public Schools superintendent Kevin Schooley has released a statement saying the players are being “disciplined consistent with MHSAA and local athletic code guidelines” and adds the team has met with the Paw Paw team to talk about how athletes need to support each other as part of healthy competition.. ...Read Full Story

A man charged with killing 6 people and injuring two other in and around Kalamazoo has pleaded guilty to murder charges. Uber driver Jason Dalton, charged with the shootings in between picking up Uber passengers in 2016, pleaded guilty to all charges in front of a Kalamazoo County judge on Monday, saying he’d wanted to enter the plea for “quite a while.”. ...Read Full Story

(Lansing, MI – AP) – Governor Whitmer has signed an executive directive to prohibit discrimination against LGBT people by state government, contractors and others, superseding an order that former Governor Rick Snyder signed just days before leaving office. Whitmer’s directive, like Snyder’s, requires all recipients of state contracts, grants and loans to extend protections to their employees. But hers does not provide an exemption for religious organizations. The Democrat signed the directive Monday at an LGBT community center in the Detroit suburb of Ferndale. It clarifies that employment protections cover all state employees and prohibits discrimination in state services, including on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity or expression. LGBT advocates and civil rights groups are applauding Whitmer’s move.. ...Read Full Story

The federal government shutdown has been a mixed impact on one national park in northern Michigan. Kerry Kelly of the Friends of the Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore says they are helping pick up trash and clear trails as much as they are allowed.. ...Read Full Story

A crash between a van and a horse and buggy in Van Buren County is resulting in charges for the van driver. The Van Buren County Sheriff’s Department said over the weekend that 69-year-old Robert Rawson of Bloomingdale Township was charged late last week for the September 11 crash. The horse was killed, and the driver of the buggy suffered critical injuries. Police say Rawson’s van crossed the center line and hit the buggy head-on near the intersection of 46th Street and County Road 388 in Bloomingdale.. ...Read Full Story