Local News Archives

A new lawsuit accuses the Environmental Protection Agency of putting farmworkers in Michigan and other states at increased risk of pesticide exposure. Earthjustice and Farmworker Justice are suing the agency for its failure to issue a notice that updated pesticide training materials are available under the Worker Protection Standard passed in 2015. Earthjustice attorney Hannah Chang tells us the materials have been ready for more than a year, and are needed to protect workers.. ...Read Full Story

Excitement is brewing for the newest wine festival in southwest Michigan. Set for June 9 at Weko Beach in Bridgman will be the Makers Trail Festival, featuring 23 makers of wine and other spirits. Greater Bridgman Area Chamber Director Calli Berg tells WSJM News it’s all about celebrating what may be the region’s fastest growing industry.. ...Read Full Story

A man is hospitalized in Elkhart after being shot in northern Indiana and left at a Cass County gas station. Our newsgathering partners at WNDU NewsCenter 16 report the man was taken to a Marathon station in Union after being shot in Elkhart. Police were called and he was taken back over the border for treatment. The man’s injuries are not believed to be life-threatening, and there’s no word on any suspect or if an arrest has been made.. ...Read Full Story

From the Associated Press — Republican legislative leaders are at odds as a deadline nears to enact a marijuana legalization measure or let it go to a statewide vote in November. Tuesday is the deadline. The Legislature could adopt the citizen-initiated bill, which would enable lawmakers to later amend it. Or it could do nothing and let the proposal go on the ballot. Republican Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof said Thursday there’s support within the Senate to pass the legislation, but he won’t vote unless the House gets on board. He accuses House Speaker Tom Leonard of standing in the way and doing a “poor job” educating his caucus. Leonard says there’s not enough support among House Republicans to pursue the initiative. He adds he’s no “dictator” and would allow a vote if there’s support.. ...Read Full Story

The horses are back in downtown St. Joseph. At least, they are two days a week through the rest of the summer. St. Joseph Today’s Amy Zapal tells WSJM News you can take free rides in horse-drawn trolleys on Wednesdays and Saturdays.. ...Read Full Story

Two of the Democratic candidates seeking their party’s nomination to run against Congressman Fred Upton in November will find out Friday if their names will appear on the primary ballot. Michigan Secretary of State spokesperson Fred Woodhams tells WSJM News the state Bureau of Elections this week made a preliminary ruling against Paul Clements and Eponine Garrod.. ...Read Full Story

The Michigan Manufacturers Association is expressing support for Governor Rick Snyder’s commitment this week of $50 million of state revenue toward the national effort to rebuild the Soo Locks. The association’s Mike Johnston tells WSJM News the manufacturing industry depends on the locks.. ...Read Full Story

If you spent Memorial Day in South Haven, you may have noticed the Dyckman Bridge was up and stayed up for a few hours. South Haven Director of Public Works Bill Hunter told WSJM News what happened.. ...Read Full Story

The death of a six-week-old baby in under investigation in Berrien County. The sheriff’s department tells us deputies were called out to a home in the 3900 block of Fikes Road in Hagar Township around 6:20 a.m. Thursday on a report of an infant not breathing. They arrived to find the six-week-old child dead. The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department says the investigation into the case is ongoing, and an autopsy will be performed Friday at Western Michigan University. Child Protective Services is assisting. The sheriff’s department says upon completion of the investigation, the report will be forwarded to the Berrien County Prosecutor’s Office for review, which is customary in suspicious death situations.. ...Read Full Story

This year’s Mackinac Bridge Walk will have some new rules. The Mackinac Bridge Authority has releases a video outlining to potential walkers security protocols that will affect the walk experience.. ...Read Full Story

There were once seven Democrats running for their party’s nomination to challenge Congressman Fred Upton this fall, and now the field is down to five. Aida Gray was the first to drop out, as her name is not among the list of candidates in the most recent listing by the Secretary of State’s office. Now comes word state elections officials are recommending Western Michigan University professor Paul Clements, who won the nomination but lost to Upton in both 2014 and 2016, be removed from the primary ballot in August. A supporter of Democratic candidate Matt Longjohn filed a challenge that Clements didn’t have enough valid signatures of registered voters in the 6th Congressional District to qualify. If the recommendation stands, voters will chose between David Benac, Rich Eichholz, George Franklin, Eponine Garrod, and Longjohn in August.. ...Read Full Story

The Heritage Museum and Cultural Center in St. Joseph has released the schedule for this summer’s lighthouse tours. Curator Tracy Gierada tells us this will be the third year for the tours, which opened up in 2016 following the lighthouse renovations. She tells us there are a few different types of tours, starting with the walking tours.. ...Read Full Story

Among the topics being discussed at the Mackinac Policy Conference are “Opioids in the Workplace.” The discussion led by Barbara McQuade, the former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan and law professor at the University of Michigan.. ...Read Full Story

Japanese knotweed has been a problem for a few years in St. Joseph and Benton Harbor, and now the invasive plant is in South Haven. City officials in the Van Buren County city have identified 13 locations where the plant has been found and are working to educate people about not trying to remove it. The city will be working on eradication by hiring a qualified contractor this fall. The plant can have roots ten-feet deep, and using normal weed killing chemicals only causes it to get stronger. New signs have been put up in South Haven helping people identify the plant and warning them to stay off of it and not cut it down, as that causes it to spread faster. The BBC reported in April that the largest study to date, done in Wales, determined there is no currently available method to get rid of Japanese knotweed.. ...Read Full Story

This year’s Bids for Barks auction to benefit the Humane Society of Southwestern Michigan was a resounding success. So says the Humane Society, which tells us a record amount was raised at the event, held May 19 at the Mendel Center in Benton Township. Humane Society of Southwestern Michigan Board President Don Blackmond spoke with WSJM News about the auction.. ...Read Full Story

The fight that shut down Silver Beach County Park early on Monday evening is pushing a high school wrestling coach in South Bend to resign. Tony McWilliams posted on Facebook that he was stepping down as the coach at Washington High School because he’s upset by the school’s inaction regarding the bullying of his daughters. McWilliams says video of the fight shows his daughters being jumped by girls who had been bullying them at school. He says he will fight until he’s “satisfied with the outcome,” adding “zero tolerance is supposed to mean zero tolerance.” McWilliams says he “played along for a year” and is seeking “justice from everyone.” Berrien County Sheriff Paul Bailey told WSJM News this week that the fights at the beach were started by women who had come to town from northern Indiana.. ...Read Full Story

Democratic Candidate for governor Abdul El-Sayed says he has come up with a plan to fix Michigan’s crumbling roads. He spoke about the plan with Michigan News Network at the Mackinac Policy Conference.. ...Read Full Story

Students at Michigan’s 15 public universities and 28 community colleges are finding more success, according to data reported this week by the state’s Center for Educational Performance and Information. Spokesperson Lauren Leeds tells WSJM News university students successfully complete their degrees after six years about 71% of the time. As for community college students…. ...Read Full Story

Among those gathered at the Mackinac Policy Conference this week is state Senator John Proos. He told WSJM News just before leaving that he’d be on the island from Wednesday through Friday morning, not just meeting with other lawmakers.. ...Read Full Story

AAA of Michigan is calling the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day the 100 deadliest days on the road. For that reason, it’s reaching out to teens and reminding them of some safe driving tips. AAA spokesperson Gary Bubar tells Michigan News Network teen drivers have little to no experience, and are on the roads making mistakes like not leaving enough space between themselves and the vehicle in front of them.. ...Read Full Story

Coming up this Saturday is the fourth annual Southwest Michigan Mini Maker’s Faire at Whirlpool Centennial Park in St. Joseph. The fair is organized by Berrien RESA to celebrate that maker spirit that’s been growing in southwest Michigan. RESA Technology Consultant Joe Rommel tells WSJM News there will be all kinds of makers showing off the things they’ve produced. There will also be interactive displays.. ...Read Full Story

A Hartford man has been formally charged with felony assault for striking the arm of his uncle with a machete, causing a deep cut, during some sort of dispute between the two last week. 22-year-old Duane Dishman blurted out during his Tuesday hearing that he felt his uncle was trespassing and he was just defending his property. The victim was hospitalized at Bronson Lakeview for treatment of the deep cut, and is expected to recover. Dishman was on probation at the time of the assault, compounding his legal problems.. ...Read Full Story

The Michigan Time to Care Coalition has turned in over 382,000 signatures to the Bureau of Elections, more than enough to qualify for the November ballot. The ballot measure would provide nearly two million workers in Michigan the chance to take a day off when they’re sick or need to care for an ill child. The “Earned Sick Time Act” would guarantee employees at least one hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked. Proponents of the ballot proposal argue that after years of waiting for action from elected officials, the people have stood up and have taken this issue into their own hands. Many employers already offer their workers paid sick time, but it is not a requirement.. ...Read Full Story

Hot weather and summer vacation with the kids often means a trip to the beach. South Haven has seven public beaches and all them have beach warning flags that will inform you about swimming conditions in Lake Michigan at the beach where you are. South Haven Area Emergency Services Chief Ron Wise spoke with WSJM News about the matter.. ...Read Full Story

From the Associated Press — A newspaper investigation has found the Michigan fire marshal’s office hasn’t performed annual inspections of churches, theaters, restaurants or other places of public assemblage as required by state law. The Lansing State Journal reports that the Legislature has never funded the requirement. The state fire marshal’s office alleges local fire departments perform the inspections.
But surveys show that most fire departments statewide are all-volunteer with no inspectors on staff. Michigan also doesn’t track fires across the state or whether the burned buildings had been inspected. Lansing Fire Marshal Marshaun Blake says his office only inspects public
assemblage places if there’s a complaint, request or significant change to the building. Former state Fire Marshal Julie Secontine says Michigan has ignored the issue for four decades. She worries that Michigan won’t dedicate the resources needed until after a tragedy.. ...Read Full Story

It was a deadlier Memorial Day weekend this year than last. Preliminary reports sent in to Michigan State Police show 15 people were killed in 11 separate crashes, up from 10 dead in 10 crashes in 2017. Of those wrecks, alcohol was a factor in two, and five involved motorcycles. One of the people killed was a pedestrian. State police say the numbers could still go up, as those figures are only what had been reported to them as of yesterday morning. The holiday weekend ran from 6 p.m. Friday through 11:59 p.m. Monday.. ...Read Full Story

Downtown Bridgman will be a livelier place this summer thanks to a new series of events organized by the city and local merchants. Bridgman City Manager Juan Ganum tells WSJM News this past Friday brought the first of four Bridgman Family Friday Fests. The events are inspired by the winter Holiday Village festivities.. ...Read Full Story

A Michigan House committee has approved legislation from state Senator John Proos to encourage high school students to take more STEM classes. Proos tells WSJM News students who take extra science, technology, engineering, or math classes could get a STEM certification on their diploma or transcript. He says that would help those students find work.. ...Read Full Story

From the Associated Press — Michigan Governor Rick Snyder is expected to sign into law bills inspired by the Larry Nassar scandal, including one that would give childhood sexual abuse victims more time to sue. The current cutoff to file a lawsuit in Michigan is generally a victim’s 19th birthday, which critics say is out of step with the laws in other states and doesn’t account for how many victims are afraid to report abuse or have suppressed it. The state Senate passed a bill Tuesday that would allow people who were sexually abused as children to sue until their 28th birthdays or three years from when they realized they had been abused. Nassar victims would get a 90-day window to sue retroactively.Snyder is also expected to sign legislation that would give prosecutors additional time to file charges in second- and third-degree sexual conduct cases if the victim was younger than 18.. ...Read Full Story

Volunteers will be sprucing up part of South Haven on Thursday. SHOUT for South Haven tells us new soil has been placed in the planters on the Dyckman Bridge, which means it’s time for flowers. Starting at 9 a.m. Thursday, SHOUT volunteers will be out planting those flowers to serve as decorations for the whole summer. Anyone who wants to help is welcome to show up. Just bring some gloves and a trowel. The project should be completed in an hour or two. It was originally scheduled for Wednesday, but moved to Thursday due to expected rain.. ...Read Full Story