Local News Archives

From the Associated Press — Michigan Governor Rick Snyder is traveling to Japan and Germany for a 10-day trade trip. The governor leaves Tuesday for Japan, where he will stay until next Monday, when he heads to Germany. Snyder says the world is increasingly interconnected and “it’s important for leaders in other countries to hear about what Michigan has to offer.” In Japan, he will meet with auto company leaders, celebrate Michigan’s relationship with a sister state and attend the Midwest U.S.-Japan Association meeting. In Germany, he will visit the Frankfurt Auto Show. It’s Snyder’s sixth investment mission to Germany and his fourth to Japan.. ...Read Full Story

Police believe they’ve caught the man who’s been breaking into homes in St. Joseph Township in recent weeks and watching people sleep. The 33-year-old was caught at 6 this morning in a garage in the 500 block of Montezuma, just north of Napier east of the St. Joseph River. This came after the man was confronted by a homeowner during an attempted home invasion in the 100 block of West Delaware. That followed police being called to a home on Hoover just after 2 this morning. St. Joseph Township Police say Michigan State Police Trooper Joel Service and his K-9 Patch tracked the suspect after a third call of a home invasion in the 500 block of South Ottawa at 5 a.m. The suspect is in the Berrien County Jail and his name is being withheld pending arraignment.. ...Read Full Story

AAA of Michigan is once again reminding drivers to take it easy now that school is back in session. Spokesperson Susan Hiltz tells WSJM News, each year, the agency reminds everyone when the kids will be out and about once again. Some drivers still don’t get the message.. ...Read Full Story

President Trump’s decision to end the DACA program is being blasted by the Berrien County Democratic Party. Communications Chair Dr. Larry Feldman tells WSJM News the move to force out young “dreamers,” as some call them, was the wrong thing to do.. ...Read Full Story

Benton Harbor City Commissioners have taken a step to save residents some money. At Tuesday’s meeting, they approved a new trash collection contract, opting to sign up with We-Cycle Industrial Sanitation, a company owned by the same person the city once worked with before the appointment of an emergency manager. City Manager Darwin Watson told WSJM News this is the first new garbage contract the commission has adopted since regaining local control.. ...Read Full Story

From the Associated Press — Michigan Governor Rick Snyder is urging Congress to act quickly to authorize and clarify the status of immigrants brought into the country illegally as children since President Donald Trump is phasing out a program that protects them from deportation. The Republican governor said Tuesday many people are “working toward success” under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and Congress should act “for the certainty of their future.” The Trump administration is giving Congress six months to develop a legislative fix before it stops renewing permits for people already covered. The program was created by former President Barack Obama and benefits 6,430 people in Michigan. The Michigan Democratic Party says Trump’s actions are “cruel” because the immigrants “were brought to this country through no fault of their own.”. ...Read Full Story

A two-year-old girl is dead after being hit by a vehicle this week in Cass County. The sheriff’s department tells us it happened around 7 p.m. Monday in the 20,000 block of Old 205 in Mason Township. It occurred during a family birthday party when a 64-year-old woman was pulling into the driveway and struck the toddler who has been indentified as Nayla Ryans of Elkhart. Family tried CPR on the child, but she was pronounced dead at Memorial Hospital in South Bend. Police say the woman whose vehicle hit the child is cooperating with them. The incident remains under investigation.. ...Read Full Story

Congressman Fred Upton is calling on lawmakers in Washington to pass a replacement for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program now that the White House has announced President Trump’s decision to shut it down. Upton tells WSJM News the six months Trump has given Congress to come up with a legislative solution should be enough.. ...Read Full Story

Michigan State Police are investigating a rash of fraudulent checks being deposited at United Federal Credit Union locations around west Michigan. Troopers from the Niles MSP post tell WSJM News the fraudulent activity has been going on since December of last year and has happened at the UFCU branches in Niles, Stevensville, Benton Harbor, and Holland. A suspect described by state police as “a heavy set black female wearing sun glasses” will deposit a check in an ATM on a Friday night so the funds can be drawn over the weekend before business hours on Monday. The woman does take steps to conceal her face, but we have surveillance photos posted in this story. Police say no United Federal Credit Union accounts have been jeopardized.. ...Read Full Story

The mother of the youngest survivor of an Uber driver’s alleged shooting rampage in Kalamazoo, Michigan, is returning to school part-time. Vickie Kopf tells WOOD-TV 15-year-old Abigail Kopf will attend Harper Creek High School in Battle Creek for two to three hours per day, possibly five days per week. Abigail was in seventh grade when Uber driver Jason Dalton allegedly shot her and seven other people in February 2016. She and another woman were the only victims to survive. Kopf says her daughter suffers severe headaches. Part of Abigail’s skull has been replaced with a plate because of damage from a gunshot wound. Kopf says Abigail will have a personal assistant with her at all times to ensure she has all of the support she needs.. ...Read Full Story

The break-up of a drug ring operating in Benton Harbor and Grand Rapids over the weekend has resulted in 18 arrests, with four suspects still at large. Authorities seized about a million dollars cash, 30 kilograms of heroin and cocaine, several pounds of marijuana, a bullet-proof vest, four handguns and an assault rifle. The bust also left one suspect in critical condition with a gunshot wound. DEA agents and the Kent County Tactical Unit executed warrants at the Burton’s Landing Apartment Complex in Grand Rapids at about 4 am Sunday. The drugs were reportedly smuggled on board a tractor trailer that drove to west Michigan from California. The officer who shot one of the suspects has been put on administrative leave while a routine shooting review is conducted. The suspects could face 20 to life if convicted on the federal counts.. ...Read Full Story

Despite warnings that the water was going to be rough over Labor Day, there were still people who braved it. In one instance in South Haven, it could have had some unpleasant results. A small Zodiac boat got flipped in the channel Monday, but the two people aboard were able to get back on top of the capsized boat and get it over to the side. Emergency crews from the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Department and South Haven Fire Department were called to the scene just after 11:30 a.m. and within 10 minutes had cleared the scene with no injuries. We do have a small craft advisory through late tonight for Lake Michigan from the Indiana border north past South Haven.. ...Read Full Story

One of the loudest opponents to the CVS Pharmacy in St. Joseph is dead at the age of 65. David Snyder and his wife, Dorothy, moved to St. Joseph a few years ago after having served on the Roseland Town Council near South Bend. The two made up two-thirds of that council, and Snyder was arrested in 2007 for battery of a police officer for an incident with the town marshal after he was ejected from a meeting. The charges were later dropped. Once moving to St. Joseph, he waged a bitter fight in vain against the pharmacy being built at Niles and Napier, often extending St. Joseph City Commission meetings by hours. Snyder died from complications of multiple sclerosis and is survived by his wife, two sons, parents and siblings.. ...Read Full Story

The Lake Township Fire Department and the US Coast Guard had to go to the aid of four boaters whose vessel capsized about 500 yards from shore off the coast of Warren Dunes State Park yesterday. The fire department’s marine unit had rescued the four by the time the Coast Guard arrived from St. Joseph and a helicopter from Muskegon got to the area. The Coast Guard says thankfully, all four were wearing life jackets and no one was hurt. The owner of the 16-foot sailboat is trying to salvage the craft according to the Coast Guard. The incident happened just after 9 a.m. Monday in choppy waters.. ...Read Full Story

Hurricane Harvey gets the blame for a big 16¢ jump in Michigan’s average gas price, and Triple-A says more price hikes could be coming in the next week. The auto club is warning prices could jump another dime to 20¢ a gallon due to Harvey. The statewide average is now $2.62 a gallon, with our prices in Benton Harbor and St. Joseph up 16¢ to $2.60. The state’s lowest prices are in the Saginaw/Bay City/Midland area at $2.57, and the Upper Peninsula has the highest prices at $2.69 in Marquette. Van Buren County stations aren’t included in Triple-A’s survey, but GasBuddy spotters are reporting South Haven prices at $2.57, with one station in Paw Paw as low as $2.47 this morning.. ...Read Full Story

Infrastructure work gets underway next week in South Haven. Specifically, crews will be working to install new sewer and water lines, along with improvements to roads and parking areas on Black River Street. The city tells us the project will require occasional utility shutoffs throughout the next several months, but any residents or businesses to be affected will get notices. During construction, the road will be closed to through traffic with temporary access arranged for nearby businesses and homes. Work starts Tuesday and will be done next spring.. ...Read Full Story

A new event is coming up in St. Joseph to raise money for police causes around Michigan. St. Joseph City Commissioners last week approved the Back the Blue 5K for Riverview Park on September 9. Berrien County Sheriff’s Department Sergeant Roger Johnson tells us this run will raise money for MI-COPS.. ...Read Full Story

State Representative Beth Griffin goes into the next legislative session pleased with how Michigan lawmakers conducted their business before going on break. Pointing to the current state budget, the Mattawan Republican tells us public education funding is at record levels.. ...Read Full Story

Back to school time means time to make sure you kids have all of their vaccines. Dr. Pamela Rockwell sits on two vaccine advisory committees for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and tells us it’s helpful to have a close relationship with a health professional who knows the facts. She adds many parents these days have been reluctant to get their kids all of their shots.. ...Read Full Story

There’s been some good news and bad news when it comes to the Spring Michigan Student M-STEP and MME test results. Director of the office of educational assessment and accountability for the Michigan Department of Education Andy Middlestead tells Michigan News Network they’re encouraged by scores in math, science, and social studies.. ...Read Full Story

A birthday party turned tragic in Mason Township. At 7:00 Sunday night, the Cass County Sheriff’s Department report a two-year-old was struck and killed in the 20000 block of Old 205. They report the family was having a birthday party at the residence. A family member was pulling into the driveway when a two-year-old child was struck by the vehicle. The vehicle continued down the driveway running the child over. Family members began doing CPR until EMS arrived to take over. The child was transported to Memorial Hospital in South Bend and was pronounced dead. The driver of the vehicle is currently cooperating with law enforcement. Information about the driver and the child are being with held at this time pending family notifications. Drugs and alcohol do not appear to be a factor in the crash and the case remains under investigation.. ...Read Full Story

(**UPDATE**). ...Read Full Story

Don’t let your post Hurricane Harvey generosity cause you to get ripped off. That’s the message of Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette, whose office has issued a warning to everyone as more groups start seeking money to help with relief efforts. AG spokesperson Megan Hawthorne tells WSJM News to be wary of groups that call you unsolicited.. ...Read Full Story

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is now seeking public comment on CSX Railroad’s plans to shore up the bluff in St. Joseph in the area of 2405 Old Lakeshore. That’s where residents have reported significant bluff erosion in the past year. This week, St. Joe City Manager John Hodgson told commissioners CSX is anxious to get to work on installing some large rocks along the Lake Michigan shoreline down below to strengthen the bluff. The erosion and possible collapse of the area puts its nearby tracks in danger. Hodgson says the railroad is waiting for the comment period to end and hoping authorities fast track the approval of its plans. If so, something could be installed there by the end of October.. ...Read Full Story

Republican State Senator Rick Jones of Grand Ledge has authored a bill that would allow full background checks on those seeking law enforcement training. The former sheriff of Eaton County told WKZO News his legislation will keep out-of-state felons from entering police academies.. ...Read Full Story

Residents along Wallace Avenue in St. Joseph will lose some of their parking, but at least their street will get reconstructed. That’s after St. Joseph City Commissioners this past week voted to proceed with a Wallace plan which will mean no more parking between Stadium and Lakeshore. The city had to go with that option because it’s required to put in a ten-foot path along the street for bikes. If it didn’t, the project would lose $460,000 in federal funding. Commissioner Mary Goff said the plan isn’t perfect.. ...Read Full Story

St. Joseph City Commissioners have given the green light to a pedestrian bridge over the Paw Paw River from the Harbor Village neighborhood by Harbor Shores. At a meeting this past week, Rob Cleveland with Cornerstone Alliance said it will enhance mobility in the area.. ...Read Full Story

The Nina and the Pinta are now docked at the Michigan Maritime Museum in South Haven. At least, replicas are. WSJM News caught up with Kat, a crew member. She sailed into South Haven from Muskegon Wednesday and told us a bit about the vessels. For example, aboard the Nina, Kat told us the replicas are almost the size of the real ships Christopher Columbus sailed in 1492.. ...Read Full Story

Hurricane relief funding is something Congress will have to arrange when it gets back to work next week. Congressman Fred Upton told WSJM News this week that lawmakers will need to address Texas as they get to work on the broader budget.. ...Read Full Story

A new public-private partnership is resulting in the addition of new cable guardrails to a stretch on I-96 in Michigan. The Michigan Department of Transportation’s Jeff Cranson tells WSJM News the Mitchel Kiefer Foundation was founded by a General Motors executive who lost his son in a car crash on the highway. It’s working with MDOT to pay for about 1.7 miles of cable rail in Ingham County.. ...Read Full Story

From the Associated Press — People buying their own health insurance on Michigan’s individual market could see the sticker price of premiums rise by nearly 28% on average next year if President Donald Trump follows through on his threat to cut billions of dollars in payments to insurers. Companies’ sky-high rate requests – which assume the cost-sharing reductions will occur – were made public by the state Friday. Department of Insurance and Financial Services Director Patrick McPharlin says he’s hopeful insurers will be allowed to change to a lower set of rates if the state receives a commitment that the cost-sharing payments will be made. The average 28% premium increase across ten insurers doesn’t factor in federal tax credits that about 80% of customers receive to offset the cost.. ...Read Full Story

St. Joseph City Commissioners continue to keep their eye on legislation introduced in the Michigan Senate that they say would remove local authority to regulate short-term rental properties. Back in May, the commission expressed its opposition to the idea, and Mayor Mike Garey said at a meeting this week the body needs to remain vocal. He said the plan is intended to back the real estate lobby, and would prevent local authorities from making their own rules.. ...Read Full Story

Everyone around Michigan is encouraged to make sure they’re properly prepared to deal with emergency situations as part of the state’s Preparedness Month. Deputy State Director of Emergency Management and Homeland Security Chris Kelenske tells WSJM News folks need to think in advance about how they’d get through a disaster. For example, you should have an emergency kit.. ...Read Full Story

The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department tells us two people have been arrested in a couple of separate drug busts which took place this past week around the Benton Harbor area. The first bust happened Monday in the 300 block of Walnut Avenue in Benton Township. The Southwest Enforcement Team says it searched a home and seized several grams of crack, a quarter pound of marijuana, a hand gun, and several hundred dollars. One man was arrested and charged with possession with intent to deliver crack cocaine, possession with intent to deliver marijuana, maintaining a drug house, possession of a firearm by a felon, and felony firearms.
The other drug bust happened on Wednesday in Benton Harbor at a home in the 1,000 block of East Main Street. Police say they seized an ounce of cocaine, a half ounce of crack, a half ounce of heroin, and several hundred dollars. One man was arrested in that bust and charged with six felony offenses. The Southwest Enforcement Team is made up of several law enforcement agencies from all over southwest Michigan.. ...Read Full Story

If you hear emergency sirens going off around Berrien County in the next few weeks, don’t be alarmed. Cook nuclear power plant spokesperson Bill Schalk tells WSJM News they’re doing their yearly tests of some 70 emergency sirens. These tests are a little different than the normal weekly tests.. ...Read Full Story

Michigan State Police will have expanded patrols this Labor Day weekend. It’s once again time for Operation CARE, or Crash Awareness and Reduction Efforts. In addition to more troopers being out on the roads, more than 150 local enforcement agencies will have extra patrols. Police are also taking a zero tolerance approach to drunk driving with the national Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign. Last year, there were ten fatal traffic crashes on Michigan Roads during the Labor Day travel period. State police remind everyone to buckle up, put down their phones when behind the wheel, and to pay attention to what other drivers are doing. The Labor Day travel period runs through 11:59 p.m. Monday, September 4.. ...Read Full Story

Breweries around Berrien County are planning to help Feeding America West Michigan raise money for hunger relief this month with special events at their locations. It’s an effort called Hops Against Hunger, and each pace has its own spin on the idea. Feeding America West Michigan spokesperson Sean Little told WSJM News about some details.. ...Read Full Story

Destination Sawyer with Sawyer Home and Garden Center. ...Read Full Story

With the Mackinac Bridge closing for the first time this year for the annual Labor Day Bridge Walk, Michigan State Police will be monitoring traffic northbound on I-75 and may create detours. That’s according to Mark Harris, with the Gaylord post. He spoke with Michigan News Network about traffic for this year’s walk.. ...Read Full Story

It’s time once again for the Michigan State Fair. This year’s fair at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi on the east side got underway Thursday and runs through Labor Day. Executive Director Steve Masters told Michigan News Network there’s always something new every year.. ...Read Full Story

Fernwood Botanical Garden near Niles is looking for some help. The attraction located on 105 acres of property along the St. Joseph River will hold a fair next month seeking folks who want to donate their time to its operations. Volunteer coordinator Judi Jason spoke with WSJM News.. ...Read Full Story

Volunteers from the Salvation Army in west Michigan are on standby to be sent down south to help with hurricane relief efforts. West Michigan Division Commander Major Glen Caddy tells WSJM News the Salvation Army already has some volunteers from southern chapters helping out.. ...Read Full Story

State Senator John Proos is taking submissions for the Pure Michigan Summer Photo Contest. He tells us this is your chance to show off the beauty of southwest Michigan during its peak season.. ...Read Full Story

The first day of school this year will be Monday, September 11 at Hartford Public Schools. The district has to bump the start date back a week due to ongoing construction. It tells us renovation work at Woodside Elementary has taken longer than anticipated due to the scope of the project expanding and some unexpected problems. The work is the result of a bond proposal approved in 2014. The original first day of classes at Hartford Public Schools had been Tuesday, September 5. Now, it’s September 11. Anyone with additional questions should contact their individual school’s principal.. ...Read Full Story

U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow says there will be a shortage of people to fill manufacturing jobs within the next seven years. She’s been holding workforce discussions statewide, visiting Northwestern Michigan College in Traverse City on Thursday. Stabenow spoke with Michigan News Network.. ...Read Full Story

Gas prices are up as expected in the area, with most stations in St. Joseph, Benton Harbor and South Haven around $2.65 or so a gallon. It’s all due to Hurricane Harvey and refineries in the Gulf being shut down. GasBuddy.com analyst Patrick DeHaan says the uptick should be somewhat short-lived.. ...Read Full Story

Job cuts are coming to a southern Michigan food giant. Kellogg Company is proposing changes in Battle Creek that will eliminate over 220 full-time and salaried jobs. The plan is to idle two existing lines at the plant, cease warehouse operations and transition distribution to a direct-ship model similar to the system adopted by other Kellogg facilities across the country. Layoffs are not finalized at this stage. Kellogg will discuss the plan with the union in a process they say will take about two months. If the cereal-maker follows through, changes would first be seen in early 2018 and completed by the end of the year. Kellogg said it would cut 250 jobs at the company headquarters and close 39 distribution centers earlier this year.. ...Read Full Story

Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette has issued a warning to state gas stations not to gouge or take advantage of customers following refinery closures in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. This outage could potentially affect other states, including Michigan, and Schuette has made it clear to gas station owners that taking advantage of this type of disaster would not be tolerated. The nation’s largest refinery in Texas is currently shut down due to Harvey. GasBuddy.com puts the statewide average at $2.61 a gallon, up a dime from last week and the ninth-highest average in the country.. ...Read Full Story

From the Associated Press — An Upper Peninsula nonprofit group has received a federal grant for a “green infrastructure” project intended to protect Lake Superior waters near Marquette. The Environmental Protection Agency awarded the $288,500 grant to the Superior
Watershed Partnership. The project will relocate an open-channel drain in Marquette that discharges storm water across a public beach and into the lake. The drain’s outfall will be moved to an adjacent wetland. Watershed partnership senior planner Geraldine Grant says in addition to reducing runoff into the lake, the adjustment will provide a consistent water source for the 12-acre wetland. It filters pollutants and provides important wildlife habitat. City officials say the project will improve nearshore Lake Superior water quality and help Marquette deal with intense storms and changing water levels as the climate gets warmer.. ...Read Full Story

Volunteers with AT&T of Michigan will present some backpacks filled with school supplies to a Paw Paw elementary school on Thursday. AT&T’s Ruth Gaudard tells WSJM News they were put together a group called the AT&T Pioneers.. ...Read Full Story

The Michigan Department of Transportation will shut down most of its construction projects around the state for Labor Day weekend to help drivers make it to their vacation destinations safely and quickly. Spokesperson Nick Schirripa tells us there will still be lane changes in effect in some places, though.. ...Read Full Story

With Michigan lawmakers getting back to work next week, the Insurance Alliance of Michigan is crossing its fingers something will finally be done to reform auto insurance costs in the state. Spokesperson Lori Conarton tells WSJM News they’ve got to change the requirement for unlimited lifetime benefits for the catastrophically injured.. ...Read Full Story

The Nina and the Pinta are now docked at the Michigan Maritime Museum in South Haven. At least, replicas are. WSJM News caught up with Kat, a crew member. She sailed into South Haven from Muskegon Wednesday and told us a bit about the vessels. For example, aboard the Nina, Kat told us the replicas are almost the size of the real ships Christopher Columbus sailed in 1492.. ...Read Full Story

Whirlpool volunteers and the United Way of Southwest Michigan are working together to make sure local seniors are ready for the winter. The United Way’s Julee Laurent tells WSJM News the volunteers put together packages for the seniors on Wednesday at the company’s Riverview campus.. ...Read Full Story

More than one million Michiganders are expected to hit the road this Labor Day weekend. AAA of Michigan spokesperson Susan Hiltz tells WKZO News everyone should be extra sure to drive with caution.. ...Read Full Story

The American Red Cross is encouraging people to donate money on its website or to text 90999 to donate $10. Other organizations include the Salvation Army, Samaritan’s Purse and Heart to Heart International. The crowdfunding website Global Giving is trying to raise $2 million to provide “food, water, and medicine in addition to longer-term recovery assistance” to Harvey’s victims.. ...Read Full Story

Some renovations are planned for the Watervliet Parcourse. That’s a 1.1 mile track located behind Lakeland Hospital, Watervliet that’s been open to the public for the past 30 years. The track is worn, and so Lakeland’s Regina Ciaravino tells WSJM News they’re raising $125,000 to redo it. The renovated track will be different.. ...Read Full Story

Don’t let your post Hurricane Harvey generosity cause you to get ripped off. That’s the message of Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette, whose office has issued a warning to everyone as more groups start seeking money to help with relief efforts. AG spokesperson Megan Hawthorne tells WSJM News to be wary of groups that call you unsolicited.. ...Read Full Story

A suspect who police say fled from them in Van Buren County has been arrested after a long search through some harsh terrain. The Southwest Enforcement Team tells us officers were conducting surveillance in South Haven on Tuesday when they noticed a suspicious vehicle. They say they trailed the vehicle to the Covert area, and when they tried to stop it, the passenger in the front seat jumped out of the window and ran off into some woods. Police say the driver confirmed to them the passenger was a fugitive, and so they set up a perimeter. The enforcement team tells us it caught 39-year-old Toby Allen Farly after a lengthy track. He was taken to the Van Buren County Jail on two felony warrants.. ...Read Full Story