Local News Archives

A new statewide hotline for survivors of sexual assault is available. Jordan Kenendy, a spokeswoman for Governor Rick Snyder, spoke with Michigan News Network about the hotline last month.. ...Read Full Story

With students in most Michigan school districts heading back to school this week, Michigan State Police are reminding everyone to take extra steps to be safe. MSP Trooper Kellie Shaffer with the Paw Paw post tells WSJM News kids who walk to school or the bus stop need to be reminded of the few things by their parents.. ...Read Full Story

Charges are pending against a 21-year-old Detroit man for a deadly single-car crash in Van Buren County over Labor Day weekend. The sheriff’s department says he crashed a 2016 Chevy Malibu around 8:30 Sunday evening in Waverly Township when he went off the road and crashed into a ditch on 28th Avenue west of 44th Street. She was trapped in the car, unconscious and bleeding heavily when first responders arrived. She was airlifted to Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo, where she died from those injuries. Police don’t believe she was wearing a seat belt. The driver’s blood-alcohol level has not been released, and no names have yet been made public.. ...Read Full Story

Van Buren County voters will be asked again in November to approve a local road millage request. Road Commission Engineer-Manager Larry Hummel tells us they made a slight change to the language in the question to clarify that the money collected by each local government will stay there if approved. They’re seeking an additional three mills for 12 years.. ...Read Full Story

Set for September 15 is the next Talons Out Honor Flight. Talons Out is an organization that provides free trips to Washington, D.C. for veterans of the Korean War and World War II so they can see their war memorials. The group’s Bobbie Bradley tells WSJM News they’ve been doing this since 2013.. ...Read Full Story

This is a good time to start planning to get a flu vaccine. Michigan Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson Bob Wheaton tells WSJM News it may seem a bit early, but a recent rash of flu cases stemming from a mail carriers conference in Grand Rapids shows the flu can become a problem anytime. He says the flu vaccine is widely available.. ...Read Full Story

It’s not just nursing and skilled trades in Michigan where there is a shortage of new, qualified people coming into the field. School administrators around the state say they’re feeling the pinch, too, as there aren’t as many new teachers coming out of college as there were a decade ago. Kalamazoo Public Schools Superintendent Michael Rice tells WKZO News there is a shortage in several areas, most notably math and science.. ...Read Full Story

Five people ranging in age from 14 to 69 are safe after a water rescue on the Paw Paw River in Watervliet. The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department Marine Division was sent to the area along with several other law enforcement agencies just after 2:30 Sunday afternoon on a report of two missing tubers. During the search, they came across three kayakers and tubers who needed to be rescued because they had fallen out of their kayak and tubes. The first responders also found the missing tubers, who were 14 and 15 from Kalamazoo, and reunited them with their parents. The other three were a 46-year-old Chicago man along with a 67-year-old woman and a 69-year-old man, both from Eau Claire. A North Berrien Fire Department first responder overturned in a kayak during the rescue, but was able to get out of the water on his own.. ...Read Full Story

The Michigan Department of Transportation continues to roll out traffic cameras along highways across the state. A glance at Michigan.gov/Drive will show you clusters of traffic cams all over heavily driven areas. MDOT spokesperson Nick Schirripa tells WSJM News some cameras were taken down for a while.. ...Read Full Story

Buildings at Lake Michigan College will soon look a lot different as $40 million in construction is underway right now at the Benton Township campus. LMC Director of Facilities Sara VanderVeen tells WSJM News they’re just now wrapping up phase one of a $33 million renovation project at the main building.. ...Read Full Story

You may have noticed that Red Arrow Highway is not in the best shape south of Bridgman in Berrien County, and at least part of that is about to change. Berrien County Road Department Director Jason Latham tells WSJM News they’re going to reconstruct two miles of Red Arrow Highway, from the south end of Bridgman to Browntown Road, starting just after Labor Day.. ...Read Full Story

August car sales should be up about 1% over last year. LMC Automotive analyst Jeff Schuster says it was a pretty good retail month at dealerships and that offset flat fleet sales.. ...Read Full Story

As county fairs are held around Michigan this summer, young future farmers have been receiving a lesson in risk management through a program of the CME Group. The company has teamed up with 4H chapters across the country for the past six years to offer its Commodity Carnival at fairs. CME Group’s Tim Andriesen tells WSJM News the carnival allows young people to simulate raising hogs by having them take part in a game in which they raise small eggs that represent livestock and weigh the costs versus revenue. The lesson they hope to teach?. ...Read Full Story

The date is set for the first concert in the history of Notre Dame Stadium. Country music icon Garth Brooks will perform on Saturday, October 20 in the round with the stage at the 50-yard-line.. ...Read Full Story

The former Western Michigan University building at the Benton Township campus of Lake Michigan College is now the Edward J. Todd Center at LMC. A dedication for the recently-acquired building was held this past Tuesday. LMC President Trevor Kubatzke told WSJM News the building will house several college programs.. ...Read Full Story

The 33rd annual Pokagon Band of Potawatomi “Kee-Boon Mein-Kaa” Pow Wow will be this Saturday and Sunday. The tribe’s Trish Williams tells WSJM News the event is a way to celebrate the Pokagon culture, and everyone is welcome to attend.. ...Read Full Story

The Niles Scream Park is gearing up for another spooky season. The park’s Aaron Smith tells WSJM News they’re putting the finishing touches on the displays and will show them off with a sneak peak party next Friday. You can get tickets for free by performing a good deed.. ...Read Full Story

Governor Rick Snyder is applauding an announcement this week that the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Environment has scheduled a hearing on PFAS contamination in water systems. The subcommittee will learn about the situation in Parchment this summer, hearing from the head of the Michigan PFAS Action Response Team. The governor says the “emerging contaminants known as PFAS are a national concern and need a national spotlight to be addressed appropriately.” Congressman Fred Upton tells us the hearing will be next week, and he believes it will start the process of ensuring the problems of Parchment won’t be experienced again. He says he’s working on legislation that would require the Environmental Protection Agency to publish drinking water regulations for PFAS nationwide. About 3,000 residents of the Parchment area in Kalamazoo County were unable to drink their local water for weeks this summer when high levels of the carcinogen PFAS were found in the system. Parchment is now getting its water from the city of Kalamazoo.. ...Read Full Story

The big event in South Haven this weekend is the 42nd Annual Craft Fair in Stanley Johnston Park. South Haven Area Chamber of Commerce Director Kathy Wagaman tells WSJM News the event has some big draws.. ...Read Full Story

Downtown Paw Paw is gearing up for the 2018 Wine and Harvest Festival that runs September 7th through the 9th. Festival President Doug Craddock tells WSJM News what the festival is about.. ...Read Full Story

Berrien County Sheriff Paul Bailey will be in Washington, D.C. next week to take part in a conference on immigration. As president of the Michigan Sheriff’s Association, Bailey will be Michigan’s representative among the 50 sheriffs who will meet with the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs and members of Congress. Bailey tells WSJM News he has a couple of goals.. ...Read Full Story

From the Associated Press — A nurse who took Valium for her own use and diluted the medicine for others has pleaded guilty to tampering with a consumer product. The Grand Rapids Press says Kristie Ann Mollohan of Kalamazoo pleaded guilty
Thursday in federal court. Police say she was a home-health nurse in 2016 when a 4-year-old boy in her care died of seizures after his medication was diluted. But prosecutors acknowledged that they can’t prove Mollohan’s conduct resulted in the death.
She admits removing liquid Valium, also known as diazepam, from three patients. The medicine was supposed to be used to suppress their seizures. Mollohan told investigators that she diverted the drug because she was depressed about family problems.. ...Read Full Story

Democratic congressional candidate in the Sixth District Matt Longjohn has received the endorsement of Senator Elizabeth Warren as he seeks to unseat Congressman Fred Upton. In a Facebook post this week, Longjohn’s campaign said he’s proud to have the backing of the Democratic senator from Massachusetts. Warren says Longjohn, a physician, “has a proven record of putting people first.” Longjohn is making healthcare a major focus of his campaign. Warren writes he’ll “never stop fighting until families in Michigan have access to affordable healthcare and prescription drugs.”. ...Read Full Story

Federal officials are charging 18 people with drug counts after a 14-month investigation into crystal meth dealing in southwest Michigan. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Grand Rapids says drugs were sent through the mail, and authorities made nine undercover drug buys of almost two pounds of the drug. Search warrants were executed in Benton Harbor and Kalamazoo and Phoenix, Arizona. Nearly 17 pounds of crystal meth was seized during the investigation along with five guns. Eight suspects are from Benton Harbor, eight are from Kalamazoo, and the other two are from Atlanta, Georgia and Phoenix. One remains on the loose, and the FBI is asking for the public’s help finding 26-year-old Scotty Deandre-Marcus Campbell of Benton Harbor.. ...Read Full Story

Seven people are recovering from injuries in a crash near Edwardsburg. It happened just after 5 p.m. Thursday in Milton Township at the intersection of US 12 and Beebe Road in Cass County, and one person had to be airlifted to a hospital. Police also had to extricate one person.. ...Read Full Story

From the Associated Press — Key business groups are backing Governor Rick Snyder’s proposed fee hikes to pay for environmental cleanup and water infrastructure needs across Michigan. The Michigan Chamber of Commerce and the Michigan Farm Bureau joined the Republican governor at a news conference Thursday to support the $179 million plan, which he first unveiled earlier this year. Snyder wants the GOP-led Legislature to pass the new or increased fees before he leaves office. The plan would raise the landfill dumping fee, costing households no more than $3.99 more per year. Snyder says Michigan’s fee is lowest in the Great Lakes region and would remain below the regional average after being increased. The new fee would replace a bond issue approved by voters that generated $675 million but is expected to dry up.. ...Read Full Story

A small rate cut is coming soon to customers of Indiana Michigan Power. I&M spokesperson Tracy Warner tells WSJM News the Michigan Public Service Commission has approved bill credits totaling $8.7 million for Michigan customers. The bill credit is a result of the federal corporate tax cut approved last year. Warner says the savings are being passed down to customers.. ...Read Full Story

Things are coming together for the next Berrien County land auction. Treasurer Bret Witkowski tells WSJM News there will be auction of foreclosed properties September 18 at the DANK. Up for grabs will be exclusively vacant properties.. ...Read Full Story

From the Associated Press — Michigan State University says the NCAA has cleared it of any rules violations in the Larry Nassar sexual-assault scandal. Athletic director Bill Beekman says the university “cooperated fully with the inquiry” and welcomes the NCAA’s conclusion. The school says it got a letter this week from the NCAA’s vice president for enforcement, Jonathan Duncan.
Nassar pleaded guilty to assaulting girls and women while working as a campus sports doctor for Michigan State athletes and gymnasts in the region. Separately, the university says the NCAA found no violations in how the football and basketball teams responded to assault allegations against players. Beekman’s statement was released Thursday, the same day former gymnastics
coach Kathie Klages appeared in court . She’s charged with lying to investigators about complaints about Nassar. Her attorney says she’ll fight the charges.. ...Read Full Story

With students in most Michigan school districts heading back to school next week, Michigan State Police are reminding everyone to take extra steps to be safe. MSP Trooper Kellie Shaffer with the Paw Paw post tells WSJM News kids who walk to school or the bus stop need to be reminded of the few things by their parents.. ...Read Full Story

A 37-year-old man is in police custody in Sturgis after triggering an Amber Alert overnight when police say he abducted his three children. Fernando Cruz was arrested this morning after a standoff near Sturgis. The three kids, ages 2, 4, and 5, were found safe. Police believe Cruz crossed into Indiana before being arrested back in southern Michigan. Sturgis Public Safety Chief Geoff Smith called Cruz and convinced him to surrender peacefully this morning. He was believed to be armed, and police were called to the home of the children’s mother after Cruz allegedly assaulted her and took off with the kids.. ...Read Full Story

From the Associated Press — The National Weather Service has confirmed two weak tornadoes struck northern Michigan.
It says a brief twister rated EF-1 with estimated peak winds of 100 mph Tuesday night damaged two homes near West Branch in Ogemaw County. The other rated EF-0 with estimated peak winds of 80 mph mainly damaged trees near Alba in Antrim
County. The National Weather Service says Tuesday night’s storms dumped up to 3 inches of rain in the Grand Rapids area. The Muskegon area has received 8 to 10 inches of rain since Sunday. Consumers Energy says more than 80,000 customers remained without power Tuesday afternoon and some might not get have it restored until late Friday. Separately, Great Lakes Energy reported 25,000 outages.. ...Read Full Story

Hearings inspired by the PFAS contamination in the water system of Parchment could be held soon in Congress. The Kalamazoo County community was unable to use its local water for weeks when the chemical PFAs was found in dangerously-high levels. Residents got the green light to drink the water again this week, and Congressman Fred Upton tells WSJM News he wants leaders in Washington to learn from what happened.. ...Read Full Story

Former classmates reunited in Coloma this past weekend to uncover a time capsule they buried 30 years ago, but they couldn’t find it. The Herald Palladium reports the seven classmates and two teachers spent two hours on Sunday digging outside Coloma Junior High School. Tracy Gilmer says she remembers putting a Michael Jackson cassette in the box, along with assignments in an accelerated writing-and-reasoning program, including a flag for a fictional country. A teacher, Sandi Sanders, says information about the capsule was filed away but lost. Coloma Superintendent Dave Ehlers says the box may have been unearthed earlier when work was performed to alleviate flooding behind the school. The group still might use a metal detector and keep hunting. Anyone who knows anything about the time capsule’s location can call Coloma Community Schools.. ...Read Full Story

Kinexus is gearing up for its 6th annual Manufacturing Day with a new twist this year. The organization tells us they’re going to hold a whole Manufacturing Week. Slated for October 1 through October 5, the week will be a chance for local students and their parents to tour manufacturing facilities and learn about the job opportunities the industry is expected to offer in the coming years. Kinexus Director of Business Solutions Jeff Hannan tells WSJM News more than 1,200 people attended last year.. ...Read Full Story

The St. Joseph City Commission will hold a special meeting Thursday night. They had to cancel Monday night’s regular meeting for a lack of a quorum, with City Manager John Hodgson telling us one commissioner was out of town and two others had health matters that prevented them from being there. The meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall and is expected to be brief with just five items on the agenda. Hodgson says those matters require attention and votes now and couldn’t be put off until the September 10 meeting. Commissioners will vote on a pavement preventative maintenance program, which will have an asphalt seal put on some roads for the first time. They will be considering a contract with an Iowa contractor to do the work.. ...Read Full Story

The Lake Michigan College Board of Trustees this week heard the results of an economic impact study on the college. Susan Hackett, a consultant with EMSI, a labor market analysis firm, said a look at 2016 and 2017 data for southwest Michigan showed LMC resulted in added regional income of more than $170 million when you consider the higher earnings for graduates, ripple effects, and direct employees. Hackett told WSJM News there are also the “social savings” of having a college.. ...Read Full Story

Classes are underway for the year at Michigan State University, with the campus community still recovering from the Larry Nassar sex abuse scandal. Interim MSU president John Engler spoke with WSJM Wednesday morning about the changes that he’s made since taking over to try to address what happened and the cover-up of the abuse at several levels.. ...Read Full Story

Bridgman police say the story about a dog biting a three-year-old boy isn’t entirely true. The child’s father, 24-year-old Elex Dubar, is now facing charges of filing a false police report. His friend, 55-year-old Douglas Essig, is also facing charges in the case of having a dangerous animal causing serious injury and conspiracy to falsely report a misdemeanor. Investigators say Dubar and Essig made up the story about a woman walking her dog that attacked the little boy to try to cover up the bite that actually came from Essig’s dog. Dubar had told police his son was attacked by a brown lab mix that was being walked by a woman in a pink shirt and blue yoga pants, and authorities spent several days trying to find a woman that didn’t exist. Essig’s dog is quarantined, and Dubar told police the idea to come up with the story came from his friend during a phone call from the hospital.. ...Read Full Story

From the Associated Press — A federal judge says Michigan’s law governing how independent candidates can qualify for the ballot “severely burdens” the constitutional rights of attorney general candidate Christopher Graveline. District Judge Victoria Roberts issued a preliminary injunction Monday ordering the state to certify Graveline for the November ballot as long as he
submitted at least 5,000 valid voter signatures. She says the requirement to obtain 30,000 valid signatures within 180 days is arbitrary. Graveline, a federal prosecutor who quit his job to run, filed his lawsuit in July. He turned in roughly 14,000 signatures. Major- and minor-party candidates for attorney general are chosen at nominating conventions and do not have to circulate petitions. Republicans nominated state House Speaker Tom Leonard on Saturday, while Democrats backed lawyer Dana Nessel on Sunday.. ...Read Full Story

The former Western Michigan University building at the Benton Township campus of Lake Michigan College is now the Edward J. Todd Center at LMC. A dedication for the recently-acquired building was held Tuesday. LMC President Trevor Kubatzke told WSJM News the building will house several college programs.. ...Read Full Story

As lawmakers spend most of their time this summer on the campaign trail, they’re still meeting with constituents. Sometimes, they’re not even old enough to vote. Representative Mary Whiteford, who represents part of Van Buren County along with Allegan County, says she asked visiting students from Allegan’s Dawson Elementary this summer about what was important to them and their family. She says one raised his hand and said he wanted to be sure there were police officers.. ...Read Full Story

From the Associated Press — The opening period of Michigan’s elk hunting season is getting underway during the centennial year of the species’ return to the state. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources says 100 hunters will have 12
days beginning Tuesday to pursue an elk. Seventy antlerless-only licenses and 30 any-elk licenses have been issued.
Officials say the early period lets hunters shoot an elk anywhere within the elk management unit except within the core range area. That approach is designed to keep most of Michigan’s elk inside the core range. It was 100 years ago that seven elk were brought from the western U.S. to re-establish Michigan’s herd. The population is now estimated at 1,200, exceeding the goal of 500 to 900. A September 8 celebration of the centennial is planned in Gaylord.. ...Read Full Story

Congressman Fred Upton is remembering Senator John McCain, who passed away Saturday. Upton, who campaigned with McCain in 2007 as the Arizona senator was seeking the Republican nomination for president, tells us he and McCain had a special bond. Upton tells WSJM News he remembers one early morning in February of 2007 when he and McCain were in Traverse City knocking on doors and asking for support.. ...Read Full Story

The Michigan Department of Transportation continues to roll out traffic cameras along highways across the state. A glance at Michigan.gov/Drive will show you clusters of traffic cams all over heavily driven areas. MDOT spokesperson Nick Schirripa tells WSJM News some cameras were taken down for a while.. ...Read Full Story

August car sales should be up about 1% over last year. LMC Automotive analyst Jeff Schuster says it was a pretty good retail month at dealerships and that offset flat fleet sales.. ...Read Full Story

The water in the city of Parchment and Cooper Township is again safe to drink. The state found extremely high levels of the suspected carcinogen PFAS in the water system last month at over 14-hundred parts per trillion, and new tests find that level is less than 10 parts per trillion now. City of Kalamazoo utilities director Jim Baker says they also found some other levels on the high side, including lead, which they have addressed.. ...Read Full Story

U.S. Senator Gary Peters of Michigan says John McCain always treated everyone with the utmost respect. Peters told Michigan News Network Monday that’s what he will remember about his Republican colleague from Arizona. McCain who died Saturday from brain cancer.. ...Read Full Story

As a drinking water advisory is lifted for the community of Parchment in Kalamazoo County, health officials say the job of keeping residents safe is not over. In June, groundwater wells were contaminated with chemicals known as PFAS. The water system was then flushed out by the city of Kalamazoo. Kalamazoo County Sheriff Richard Fuller spoke at a news conference on the situation Monday.. ...Read Full Story

This is a good time to start planning to get a flu vaccine. Michigan Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson Bob Wheaton tells WSJM News it may seem a bit early, but a recent rash of flu cases stemming from a mail carriers conference in Grand Rapids shows the flu can become a problem anytime. He says the flu vaccine is widely available.. ...Read Full Story

The Boys and Girls Club of Benton Harbor will host a teen mental health summit this week. The club’s John Sams tells WSJM News the gathering will be all day this Wednesday at the Joel E. Smilow Teen Center. The day will include break-out sessions on controlling one’s emotions, how the legal system treats mental illness, and bullying. Sams says the 2018 Teen Summit on Mental Health is hosted by the Keystone Club, a teen leadership group at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Benton Harbor.. ...Read Full Story

This Tuesday will bring the Berrien County Health Department’s third annual Back to School Bash. It’ll be held at the health department office on East Napier in Benton Township from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The health department tells us anyone can stop by with their kids to prepare them for the start of new school year. The department will provide free hearing and vision screenings, vaccines required for school entry, healthy snacks, activities, and giveaways for the kids. You can also get information about WIC, parenting education, and health insurance assistance. Police will be on hand to meet with kids and show off law enforcement equipment. Everyone is welcome to stop by.. ...Read Full Story

From the Associated Press — Dozens of Ferris State University faculty members took to a picket line as they went on strike for the first day of fall semester classes. Striking tenured teachers at the university in Big Rapids chanted “No contract, no work” while lining a sidewalk Monday. The strike followed a Sunday negotiating session that didn’t result in a new contract agreement with the Ferris Faculty Association, which represents some 450 full-time faculty members. The 14,000-student school says on its website that some professors might not be present for classes but that students should attend as scheduled. Faculty union President Charles Bacon tells The Detroit News that he’s frustrated with lack of progress. The two sides are split over pay increases. School spokeswoman Michelle Rasmussen says declining enrollment has reduced tuition revenue.. ...Read Full Story

An Illinois man is dead following a crash on I-94 in Royalton Township Monday morning. The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department tells us the crash happened around 6 a.m. on the eastbound side of the highway on the bridge over the St. Joseph River between the Niles Road and Scottdale Road exits. It was between a van driven by 56-year-old Myles Ullenbrauck of Skokie, Illinois and a Jeep driven by 29-year-old Stephen Byers of St. Joseph. Ullenbrauck was killed, while Byers was taken to Lakeland Hospital. Investigators say neither driver was wearing a seat belt. The crash closed eastbound I-94 in the area for about three hours.
. ...Read Full Story

One person is dead from a crash on I-94 in Royalton Township this morning. The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department says the crash was between a 2013 Chrysler van and a 2002 Jeep Liberty on the bridge over the St. Joseph River between the Niles Road and Scottdale Road exits. The crash closed the eastbound lanes of I-94 for about three hours, opening back up around 9 a.m. Investigators say neither driver was wearing a seat belt, and the driver of the van was killed. The driver of the Jeep is recovering at Lakeland Hospital.. ...Read Full Story

We will know more this afternoon about the Garth Brooks concert at Notre Dame Stadium. The country music titan will be in South Bend today to talk about the details of the first-ever concert at the stadium, which was announced this summer. As yet, we don’t know the date of the show. Brooks is the reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year and was the first artist to ever receive 7 Diamond awards, given for each album that has sold over 10 million copies. He is the top-selling solo artist in U.S. history, selling more than 148 million albums since his self-titled debut was released in April 1989. WSJM News will be at today’s press conference along with 97.5 Y-Country, and as of now, we are planning to air the press conference live on Y-Country at 1 p.m.. ...Read Full Story

Two people are jailed in connection with vehicle break-ins in South Haven and South Haven Township. An 18-year-old man from South Haven Township and a 21-year-old woman from the city of South Haven were arrested Friday and are in the Van Buren County Jail. A witness called in a license plate early Friday after seeing the suspects trying to break into cars in the city. Police found a stolen handgun along with several items reported stolen recently from cars. They’re also trying to identify other victims and get their belongings returned.. ...Read Full Story

Preparations are already underway for next year’s Berrien County Youth Fair now that the 2018 event is all wrapped up. Berrien County Youth Fair Director Karen Klug tells WSJM News about 105,000 people walked through the fairground gates last week. That’s compared to 121,000 the previous year. The biggest attractions?. ...Read Full Story

There could soon be an effort to beautify areas of Benton Harbor with murals. At this week’s city commission meeting, Anna Russo-Sieber with ARS Arts and Culture Center in Benton Harbor and Detroit-area artist John Sauve made their initial pitch to commissioners. They had no details; just a proposal that murals be painted on buildings throughout the city. Sieber told WSJM News public art has been shown to be a boost for communities.. ...Read Full Story

State Senator Tonya Schuitmaker will not be on the ballot this fall for the first time in over a decade. The term-limited senator from Lawton fell short in her bid to be the Republican nominee for attorney general, with delegates at the Michigan Republican Party’s convention selecting state House Speaker Tom Leonard of Mt. Pleasant, instead. Schuitmaker handed out a 14-page document to delegates to outline her qualifications and go after Leonard’s positions on issues.. ...Read Full Story