From the Associated Press — An Indiana man power-washing the exterior of a southwestern Michigan church has died after coming into contact with an electrical line. The contracted employee was in a bucket lift Saturday afternoon outside St.
Ann’s Catholic Church in Cassopolis when he was electrocuted. Police say the 65-year-old man was from Bremen, south of South Bend, Indiana. His name has not been released.. ...Read Full Story
A man charged in the murders of the mother of his children and her father in Berrien County has been sentenced to 40 to 60 years in prison. 26-year-old Alex Perez received the sentence Monday in a Berrien County courtroom after long trial delays caused by psychiatric evaluations. Prosecutors say Perez killed 27-year-old Renee and 67-year-old John Mitchell at their Hagar Township on January 15 of 2016. He beat them to death with a hammer. Perez was later found in Colorado with the two daughters he’d had with Renee Mitchell. According to our newsgathering partners at NewsCenter 16 WNDU, Perez told the court Monday that he hoped his actions could be understood by God. Perez had pleaded no contest but mentally ill to two counts of murder in the case.. ...Read Full Story
The Van Buren Youth Fair is underway in Hartford this week. Monday was Armed Forces Day with free admission to veterans and active duty military personnel. Also happening Monday was the opeing of the midway rides. One of the directors of the fair, Paul Garrod, tells WSJM News what group is bringing in the rides.. ...Read Full Story
That flooding in the Upper Peninsula last month didn’t just wash out roads and damage some homes, it also damaged thousands of court documents. Houghton County Clerk and Register of Deeds Jennifer Lorenz says the courthouse took on a lot of water.. ...Read Full Story
The Michigan Department of Transportation will shut down a bridge near Union Pier for some construction work this week. Spokesperson Nick Schirripa tells WSJM News as part of construction on five bridges over I-94 near the Michigan-Indiana state line, the Union Pier Road bridge over I-94 will close on Wednesday and remain closed through August 12. A detour will be posted. Schirripa says MDOT grouped the five summer bridge projects together.. ...Read Full Story
From the Associated Press — U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan has nearly $9.6 million in the bank for her re-election campaign after raising nearly $1.8 million in the last quarter. The Democrat released a summary of her most recent campaign-finance report Monday. Republican businessmen John James and Sandy Pensler are running in the August 7 primary to face Stabenow in November. Whoever wins is expected to face a financial disadvantage against Stabenow in the November election.
The latest quarterly fundraising numbers for James and Pensler were not yet available.. ...Read Full Story
Michigan soybean growers are being hit by the Trump administration’s new tariffs on China. Michigan Farm Bureau Field Crops Specialist Kate Thiel tells WSJM News direct sales of soy to China are expected to drop by 23%.. ...Read Full Story
The drowning death of a Grand Rapids man in Allegan County has authorities reminding people about the need to wear a life jacket while on any vessel in the water. Sheriff’s Sergeant Ken DeVries says Gregory Williams was not wearing a flotation device when he and his son were tossed off their Jet Ski Sunday as they went through a larger boat’s wake, and Williams didn’t survive. DeVries adds finding Williams’ body wasn’t easy.. ...Read Full Story
Former Vice President Joe Biden will kick off the 75th season of the Economic Club of Southwestern Michigan’s Speakers Series. Biden will address members at the Mendel Center on the Lake Michigan College campus in Benton Township on Tuesday, October 16. You’ll remember the club also landed former President George W. Bush for his first speech after leaving office. Robin Hood CEO, best selling author and Army veteran Wes Moore will speak on November 14, followed by NBC News political director and Meet the Press host Chuck Todd on March 26. Founder and CEO of Girls Who Code Reshma Saujani will be the season’s final speaker on April 9.. ...Read Full Story
The no wake zone in the St. Joseph River in the area of St. Joseph and Benton Harbor could be moved about 176 yards to the south. At a meeting this past week, St. Joseph City Commissioners held a first reading on a plan that would allow that to happen. City Manager John Hodgson tells us property owners around Marina Island noticed boats going too fast in the area.. ...Read Full Story
