Local News Archives

Next Tuesday is the National Night Out and the first ever held in Allegan County. You’re invited to Saugatuck’s Coghlin Park Tuesday, August 7 from 6 to 8 p.m. for food and drink, giveaways, and demonstrations of fire district and safety equipment. The Saugatuck-Douglas Convention and Visitors Bureau will be sponsoring a free parking shuttle bus. It will run between Saugatuck High School and Coghlin Park from 5:30 to 8:30. More information available at Saugatuck’s City Hall and on Facebook.. ...Read Full Story

We will get to vote on a constitutional change regarding how congressional and state legislative districts are drawn. The Michigan Supreme Court issued a ruling around 10:30 Tuesday night dismissing a lawsuit challenging the ballot proposal from Voters Not Politicians to take the responsibility of drawing the districts out of the hands of lawmakers. The lawsuit contended the proposal made too many changes to the state Constitution, and would create a new branch of government, but the state’s highest court disagreed. Katey Fahey is the executive director of the grassroots group that worked to get the measure before voters, and is very relieved.. ...Read Full Story

Caught. The FBI says Antwan “Tank” Mims of Benton Harbor is in custody after being added to the bureau’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list earlier this summer for two murders on March 25. Mims was arrested just after 4 p.m. yesterday at a home in College Park, Georgia by FBI agents and the FBI Atlanta Metro Major Offenders Task Force. He is wanted for the murders of Cortez Miller and Michael Johnson at a house party on Lavette Street in Benton Harbor, during which witnesses say he shot them both, and then shot them again while they were on the ground. Mims is the 486th person captured of the 519 who have been on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list since it was established in March 1950. He will be brought back to Benton Harbor to face charges.. ...Read Full Story

Buchanan’s summer Thrill on the Hill is this weekend. The fun actually starts Thursday at 4 p.m. with a giant Slip and Slide set up on the big hill downtown. You can pay $5 to ride an inner tube or flotation device down it. The action will continue Friday and Saturday. The “riding at high speeds down a big hill” angle isn’t the only fun taking place as part of Thrill on the Hill. Other planned activities include an adult luau on Friday from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. The Thrill on the Hill will also feature music, games, and contests throughout the weekend. The summer event compliments the annual winter Thrill on the Hill when they rig up the downtown hill to be extra slippery by bringing in snow. You can find out more at the Buchanan Thrill on the Hill Facebook page.. ...Read Full Story

Election workers in Berrien County have been busy this last dew weeks preparing for next Tuesday’s primaries. Berrien County Clerk Sharon Tyler tells WSJM News voters should know there are some new machines in place.. ...Read Full Story

A new effort is being launched by a bi-partisan group in Congress to get some procedural rules changed so more can get done. Spearheaded by the Problem Solvers group, Congressman Fred Upton tells WSJM News the “Break the Gridlock” campaign aims to implement new rules when the next Speaker is chosen. He said the changes are a bit “Inside Baseball,” but gave us some examples.. ...Read Full Story

The Red Cross of Southwest Michigan continues to provide a shelter in St. Joseph for residents displaced by a Saturday motel fire. The Cosmo Extended Stay Motel on M-139 in Sodus Township was evacuated due to the deadly blaze, leaving many residents with nowhere to go. Breeze Ettl with the Red Cross tells WSJM News they were devastated.. ...Read Full Story

From the Associated Press — A Michigan appeals court has ruled certain statements made to police by an Uber driver charged with killing six people and wounding two others in southwestern Michigan cannot be used at trial. The three-judge panel said Tuesday that some of Jason Dalton’s statements should be suppressed because a detective continued questioning him after Dalton “invoked both his rights to counsel and to remain silent.” The 48-year-old Dalton is charged with murder and attempted murder. Investigators have quoted him as saying a “devil figure” on Uber’s app was controlling him on the night of the 2016 shootings in Kalamazoo County. He’s not accused of shooting customers. Prosecutors say they are reviewing the appeals court ruling. Dalton’s attorney, Anastase Markou, says the appeals court “did an excellent job rendering a very thorough and thoughtful opinion.”. ...Read Full Story

From the Associated Press — Tests of a groundwater well in southwestern Michigan show chemical contamination levels far above federal guidelines. MLive reports Tuesday that levels of perfluorooctanesulfonic acid of more than 900 parts per trillion and perfluorooctanoic acid over 800 parts per trillion were found in the Parchment-area well. The newspaper says the government’s lifetime health advisory is 70 parts per trillion for total PFOS and PFOA. The substances are referred to as PFAS and are used in manufacturing, firefighting and thousands of household and consumer products. About 3,000 people in Parchment and Cooper Township have been told not to drink or cook with the water, and bottled water is being distributed while the water system is flushed. Parchment is about 125 miles (200 kilometers) west of Detroit.. ...Read Full Story

Next Tuesday will bring the 35th annual Police National Night Out as local police departments look to mingle with the public and establish good relations. St. Joseph Township Police Officer Rick Knapp tells WSJM News there will be a gathering at St. Joseph’s Riverview Park featuring demonstrations for the public.. ...Read Full Story