We could be just days away from placing legal sports bets in Michigan. Since Governor Whitmer signed the gambling expansion bills, state regulators have been working on the details of what it will take to bring sports betting to the state. Michigan Gaming Control Board executive director Rick Kalm says Michigan will be like New Jersey, where you’ll have to be in the state in order to place your bets.. ...Read Full Story
Expect to see and hear a lot in the next few weeks as the state launches its largest promotion effort in history to get people to fill out the 2020 Census. Kerry Ebersole Singh is the director of Michigan 2020 Census and spoke to WSJM’s Jim Gifford on “Taking The Lead” about what people will be asked.. ...Read Full Story
A Van Buren County Sheriff’s deputy had to act very quickly Tuesday evening to save the life of a Paw Paw-area man who was about to jump off the M-40 overpass onto I-94. The deputy was responding to a 9-1-1 call that officers had “two minutes to get to the overpass in Paw Paw” when he saw the man stop his car in the middle of M-40 and then crash it into the guard rail before getting out and climbing up onto the ledge.. ...Read Full Story
From the Associated Press — The federal government has awarded grants totaling more than $1.8 million for projects designed to reduce nutrient pollution that helps cause harmful algae blooms in the Great Lakes. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the grants Monday. Regional administrator Kurt Thiede says the money is being divided among five organizations that will use market-based approaches for targeting runoff of nutrients such as phosphorus. The funding will come from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, a program that deals with some of the lakes’ most persistent environmental problems.. ...Read Full Story
The Benton Harbor Area Schools Board of Education has appointed Dashuna Robinson to fill a vacancy on the body. The board interviewed two candidates for the remainder of former Trustee Patricia Robinson’s term on Tuesday night. Robinson is 2003 graduate of Benton Harbor High School who went on to Western Michigan University. She works for the state determining assistance eligibility, and told trustees she has experience with people in distress.. ...Read Full Story
Tuition is going up at Southwestern Michigan College for the next academic year. The SMC Board of Trustees met on Monday and agreed to a 1.8% tuition increase for in-district students and a 2% increase for in-state students. The amount works out to $2.25 per contact hour for those in-district, and $3.25 for those in-state. There will also be a $1 technology fee adjustment. SMC Board Chair Thomas Jerdon says the college always tries to keep expenses low, but some increases are needed to ensure staff wages remain competitive. He noted state funding for the college has been essentially flat this year. SMC says Michigan community colleges charged an average of $5,223 in tuition in the 2018-19 academic year. That’s the lowest tuition in the Midwest, and 31st lowest in the nation, according to Community College Review.. ...Read Full Story
When voters in Van Buren County head to the polls on March 10 to cast their ballots in the presidential primary, they’ll also be asked to approve a millage renewal for local roads. The Van Buren County Road Commission is seeking to continue the assessment that’s been in place since 1978. It was last renewed in 2016. Van Buren County Road Commission Finance Director Linnea Rader told WSJM News last month the funding the millage generates is critical.. ...Read Full Story
A contest to find a new logo for the Dr. Lawless International Dark-Sky Park is underway in Cass County. The Cass County Parks Department says Lawless Park got the Dark Sky designation from the International Dark Sky Association earlier this year thanks to its excellent star gazing. Parks Director Scott Wyman told WSJM News at the time it was exciting to see the attraction about nine miles from Cassopolis be recognized as one of just two Dark Sky parks in Michigan.. ...Read Full Story
The Trump administration is considering a rule that would allow trains carrying a potentially dangerous substance to travel through Michigan and other states. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration is reviewing hundreds of public comments about the proposal to allow the bulk transport of liquefied natural gas in rail tank cars. Nathan Murphy with Environment Michigan says it would pose a threat to anyone who lives near the roughly 3,600 miles of railroad tracks.. ...Read Full Story
A stream gage will be put into the St. Joseph River in the city of St. Joseph this year to give officials more accurate data about the water level in the river and the volume of the flow. St. Joseph City Manager John Hodgson says the nearest one is in Niles, and it’s not effective for St. Joe or Benton Harbor due to the dam between Niles and the twin cities.. ...Read Full Story
A Mattawan woman is facing a felony embezzlement charge as Michigan State Police accuse her of stealing money from the Paw Paw Eagles Club while employed as its secretary. Sixty-nine-year-old Susan Ryan was arraigned Tuesday in district court in Paw Paw. MSP investigators say she’s charged with embezzlement of between $20,000 and $50,000. If found guilty, Ryan faces up to ten years in prison and a fine of as much as $15,000. Troopers from the MSP Paw Paw post launched their investigation in October.. ...Read Full Story
From the Associated Press — Michigan officials say the state’s 108,000-acre Pigeon River Country State Forest is getting a nearly 600-acre addition. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources recently announced a land deal valued at more than $2 million that was finalized last month. It adds the Elk Forest at Black River, which is in Montmorency County, to the state’s public lands. The area is surrounded on three sides by existing state-managed land and includes public access to Walled Lake. The money for the property purchase came from matching funds from the state agency’s Land Exchange Facilitation Fund and a donation from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.. ...Read Full Story
The city of St. Joseph will look into other options to shoreline revetment plans to protect three homes, two in the 900 block of Lions Park Drive and one in the 200 block of First Street. The city commission heard from Frank Kolberg, who lives at 212 First Street, who told them he can’t afford on his pension to pay the share for his property if the city were to establish a special assessment district.. ...Read Full Story
Congressman Fred Upton is seeking reelection. His campaign announced on Monday he’s seeking another term in the November election. Upton issued a statement, saying “There is unfinished business we have to complete – Cures 2.0, fighting the opioid epidemic, immigration reform, and protecting the Great Lakes, among others.” He goes on to say he’s “committing to work with anyone of any party to deliver results, protect our communities, and simply solve problems.” Upton has represented Michigan’s Sixth District since 1987 after being elected in November of the previous year.. ...Read Full Story
A plan to create a network of teachers around Michigan that could weigh in on state education policy is in the works thanks to state Representative Brad Paquette. He tells WSJM News he led a brainstorming session with a group of teachers and state lawmakers last week to get ideas for how such a network would operate. Paquette says there are several entities that draft education policy without regular influence from teachers.. ...Read Full Story
The Benton Harbor Area Schools Board of Education will hold a special meeting on Tuesday to interview the candidates for a vacancy on the body. Dashuna Robinson and Roosevelt Bell have put in applications to fill out the rest of former trustee Patricia Rush’s term. The interviews will be held on Tuesday during a meeting to start at 5:30 p.m. Also on Tuesday, the board will consider a resolution to place former basketball Coach Paul Wilhite’s name on the gym floor of the Benton Harbor High School, calling it Coach Wilhite’s court. A request to do so was made at a meeting earlier this month by Benton Harbor High School graduate Dayrl Jackson. He noted Coach Wilhite was one of the school’s winningest basketball coaches and a mentor. The school board’s resolution states “people in the community want to thank Coach Wilhite for not only being a coach, but also a great teacher and a friend. He is a legend.”. ...Read Full Story
A winter storm watch has been issued for southwest Michigan. National Weather Service forecaster Chris Morris tells WSJM News it takes effect Tuesday evening and will continue through Wednesday night. He says we could be looking at six to eight inches of snow.. ...Read Full Story
A Paw Paw family still has their dog with them thanks to quick action by Michigan State Police Trooper Brett Skoczylas. The lab mix named Taya had fallen through the ice in a backyard pond on Saturday, and Skoczylas grabbed a ladder from the yard to spread out his weight to go out on the ice to get the dog. A neighbor helped by anchoring the trooper with a broom, and he was able to lift Taya out of the water and get her onto dry land. Taya is expected to be just fine after having only her head and paws out of the water. Her owners were very appreciative of the effort made by Trooper Skoczylas, and allowed him inside with the pup to get warm, dry out, and rest up.. ...Read Full Story
The Secretary of State is adding more self-service machines at Meijer stores. The stations that are now in 28 Meijer stores allow drivers to renew their vehicle plate and registration. Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson says her office will continue to add machines across Michigan.. ...Read Full Story
It’s been a seller’s market for a few years in the real estate business in southwest Michigan, and while January’s sales were strong, the Southwestern Michigan Association of Realtors says buyers got a bit of a break to start the year. The median selling price in January was down 23% compared to a year ago at $137,500. That’s the price at which 50% of homes are sold above and below. The average price, however, was up 11% to $220,881 in January compared to last year. The number of homes sold rose from 175 to 190 over 2019, which was a 9% increase. The number of bank-owned or foreclosed homes as a percentage of all transactions was 7% in January, reaching the lowest percentage in the year-over-year comparison. In December 2019, the percentage was 4%, and the highest percentage in January was 57% in 2009.. ...Read Full Story
Van Buren County Treasurer Trisha Nesbitt is planning to hold several meetings in early March around the county to help homeowners avoid foreclosure for unpaid 2017 property taxes. Nesbitt will be at the Van Buren District Library Covert Branch on Thursday, March 5 from 10 a.m. to noon; the Hartford Public Library on Monday March 9 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and then the Van Buren District Library Bangor Branch on Friday, March 13 from 9 to 10:30 a.m. She adds anyone interested in the hardship extension program can drop by her office at 219 East Paw Paw Street in Paw Paw every weekday during normal business hours. If taxes from 2017 and prior years are not paid on or before March 31, 2020, the property will be foreclosed, and the Treasurer’s office will be unable to assist residents in keeping their home.. ...Read Full Story
The 8th annual BBQ, Blues and Bluegrass Festival in St. Joseph in May will feature blues singer Shemekia Copeland as the headliner. St. Joseph Today made the announcement Monday, and tickets go on sale next Monday, March 2. They will be $20 in advance and $25 the day of the show for eight hours of music, food and drinks at Whirlpool Centennial Park. This year’s concert is set for May 16. Copeland was the 2019 Blues Music Awards Album of the Year winner. Bluegrass and folk performers will be Dustbowl Revival, Old Salt Union and Grand Rapids-based The Crane Wives. Copeland won’t be the only blues artist, as 18-year-old Michigander Jake Kershaw is also on the bill. Ticket and overnight stay information are available at stjoetoday.com/bbq or the Welcome Center at 301 State St. in downtown St. Joseph.. ...Read Full Story
The Van Buren District Library will be marking March Madness this year in its own way. It’s going to pit books up against each other in a bracket-style competition, says spokesperson Kay McAdam.. ...Read Full Story
Congressman Fred Upton is backing legislation to require the Army Corps of Engineers gives consideration to recreational harbor maintenance projects when it plans for projects each year. Upton tells WSJM News the Safer Harbors for Our Recreational Economy Act would direct the Army Corps to make sure the economic benefits of recreational boating are considered as it allocates funding.. ...Read Full Story
The South Haven City Council is pleased with City Manager Brian Dissette. City Human Resources Director Kim Wise tells us the council filled out Dissette’s annual performance evaluation last month, extending his contract another year. On a scale of one to five, Dissette’s overall score was a 4.67. Council members rated him on categories including communications with the council, in which he got a 4.43 out of 5, professionalism, in which he got a 4.86, and delivery of services, in which he got a 4.71. Council members saluted Dissette for being dedicated, having a wealth of knowledge, and rising to the occasion in a crisis. He was granted a 3% pay increase, bringing his salary up to $113,000, and was also given a performance bonus of $6,000. Dissette has been the city manager of South Haven for 12 years.. ...Read Full Story
The Michigan Secretary of State’s Mobile Branch Office will return to Van Buren County later this week when it visits Lawrence. The mobile office offers most of the services available at a regular branch office. In addition to registering to vote, visitors can renew or replace their license plate, renew their driver’s license or state ID, change their address, and sign up on the Michigan Organ Donor Registry, among other things. The Mobile Branch Office will be parked outside of the Van Buren District Library’s Lawrence branch on 212 North Paw Paw Street on Monday, February 24 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Those who stop by the mobile office can also learn about REAL IDs and how to sign up for one. Starting October 1 of this year, you will need a REAL ID to fly within the United States and enter certain federal facilities, military bases, and nuclear power plants.. ...Read Full Story
Coming up this month will be a one-woman show focused on gun violence at the Ghostlight Theater in Benton Harbor. “The Gun Show” is being brought to the area by Interfaith Action of Southwest Michigan, a group representing around 30 churches and faith-based organizations. Co-lead Vicki Schroeder tells WSJM News Interfaith Action recently heard more about the threat to public health posed by gun violence at a meeting with health officials.. ...Read Full Story
With tax time here, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is reminding those who are filling out their returns they’ll have a chance to make donations to helpful causes. Spokesperson Bob Wheaton tells WSJM News the Voluntary Contribution Schedule Form 4642 contains checkoff boxes for programs including the Fostering Futures Scholarship Fund.. ...Read Full Story
Congressman Fred Upton is hailing news of a federal grant for Western Michigan University. He tells WSJM News he sent a letter to the Department of Energy in November in support of a Western project called “Enabling Advanced Electrode Architecture through Printing Technique.” It’s an effort of WMU to develop a manufacturing process to produce fast charging batteries with high energy and longer life cycles. Upton says the university has been approved for nearly $9.6 million.. ...Read Full Story
Going over the border in Indiana for Michigan drivers might bring a change regarding your cellphone in the near future. A proposal to ban drivers from using handheld cellphones on Indiana roads is advancing in that state’s Legislature. A state Senate committee voted 8-1 this week to endorse the bill that only permits cellphone use with hands-free or voice-operated technology, except in emergencies.. ...Read Full Story
Congressman Fred Upton is taking submissions for his annual Congressional Art Competition. He tells WSJM News high school students from all over the Sixth District are invited to send in two dimensional art. The Kalamazoo Institute of Arts will help to determine the winner.. ...Read Full Story
Mild winter weather has meant things are slow at Berrien County parks. The Berrien County Board of Commissioners learned this week there have only been four days of cross-country skiing at Love Creek County Park and three days of skiing at Madeline Bertrand. Berrien County Parks Director Brian Bailey tells WSJM News it’s unfortunate.. ...Read Full Story
A church in Oronoko Township is settling into its new home after it was told it could not continue holding services at its original location. The Barn Church is a non-denominational congregation that started about two years ago. Pastors Shane and Kara McLean tell us they felt the call to start their own ministry.. ...Read Full Story
From the Associated Press — A federal judge has approved a settlement with a western Michigan footwear company that faced a lawsuit over groundwater tainted with potentially harmful “forever” chemicals that are turning up in drinking water across the industrial state. Wolverine Worldwide did not admit liability under the settlement approved Wednesday. It agreed to pay $69.5
million in a consent decree with the state of Michigan and Plainfield and Algoma townships that will go toward extending a municipal water system to about 1,000 homes with private wells that were affected by the contamination.. ...Read Full Story
An investigation is underway by St. Joseph Public Safety into allegations the Boys & Girls Clubs of Benton Harbor site director at St. Joseph High School assaulted a student on campus on Thursday. St. Joseph Public Schools superintendent Dr. Thomas Bruce says both the club and the high school are “actively cooperating” with the investigation. Dr. Bruce adds in an email to parents that the site director was immediately fired by the Boys & Girls Club due to the organizations’ zero tolerance policy regarding violence, and says the number one priority for both organizations is the protection of the youth being served. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Benton Harbor have been at St. Joseph High School for the past four months, and that relationship is going to continue.. ...Read Full Story
Berrien County Treasurer Bret Witkowski is stepping down. He tells WSJM News after 16 years as the county treasurer, plus the years he served on the county commission, he’s decided it’s time to move on to the private sector.. ...Read Full Story
Lake Michigan College students can now earn a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Generalist degree from Ferris State University without having to leave southwest Michigan. The Board of Trustees at Ferris State has approved the partnerships with LMC and Kalamazoo Valley Community College, and it will take effect with the Fall 2020 semester. FSU has worked with community colleges in such a manner since the late 1980s, and the university’s Extended and International Operations unit worked closely with the administrative teams at both KVCC and LMC to create the new degree programs through the new partnerships.. ...Read Full Story
{Lansing, MI – AP) – Organizers of a ballot drive to overhaul Michigan’s lobbying rules say they will begin gathering signatures right away after clearing a procedural step. The Board of State Canvassers on Wednesday approved a summary of the proposed constitutional amendment to appear on the heading of a petition sponsored by the Coalition to Close Lansing Loopholes. The panel also OK’d the petition form. The proposal would ban free food and drink for state elected officials and require former lawmakers to wait two years to become lobbyists. The group has until July to submit 425,000 voter signatures to qualify for the November ballot.. ...Read Full Story
State officials say a fourth person has now died of a lung illness related to vaping. Department of Health and Human Services spokeswoman Lynn Sutfin says the latest victim was an adult female, but she isn’t releasing any other details.. ...Read Full Story
An Olympic wrestler is the latest to go public, accusing a University of Michigan doctor of touching him inappropriately during medical exams at the school. Andy Hrovat says the physician’s reputation for such conduct was well known among his teammates in the 1990s. Hrovat competed for the U.S. in the 2008 Summer Olympics. He tells The Associated Press that the encounters with the late Dr. Robert E. Anderson happened during his freshman year in 1998. He is the first athlete to make public accusations against Anderson following public complaints this week from other former students that the doctor sexually abused them decades ago.. ...Read Full Story
A package of bills aimed at helping Michigan’s craft beer industry is headed to the state Senate. The House approved the bills, spearheaded by Representative Pauline Wendzel of Watervliet, on Thursday. She says it will double the amount of beer that breweries can self-distribute without having a distributor from 1,000 to 2,000 barrels a year and will exempt taproom sales.. ...Read Full Story
Benton Harbor City Commissioners have plenty of applications to sift through as they decide which businesses should be granted licenses to operate medical marijuana provisioning centers in the community. A provisioning center is a retail outlet for medical marijuana producers. The city commission heard from Nobo of Michigan, LLC on Tuesday, and then from four more applicants on Wednesday. First up was Redbud Roots out of Buchanan. They’re seeking to open a location at 241 East Main Street. The group’s Alexander Leonowicz told commissioners they have 82 employees in Buchanan, where they produce.. ...Read Full Story
State Representative Beth Griffin of Mattawan is promoting cardiovascular health among women. This week, she introduced a resolution declaring February 19 as “Go Red for Women Day.” Griffin said on the Michigan House floor her sister died at 41 from an aortic dissection, a condition that causes an aorta to burst.. ...Read Full Story
From the Associated Press — Marijuana sold in Michigan shops will have to have labels warning pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers about the health risks for their fetuses and infants under newly enacted laws. Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist signed the two bills Wednesday because Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was out of the state. The labels must be placed on legal recreational and medical marijuana products. They will warn that use by pregnant or breastfeeding women may result in fetal injury, preterm birth, low birth weight or development problems for children. The laws also require that an informational pamphlet be made available at every point of sale.. ...Read Full Story
Indiana Michigan Power has received approval from the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission to build a new solar facility in St. Joseph County, Indiana. I&M spokesperson Schnee Garrett tells WSJM News it will be located near Granger.. ...Read Full Story
The Kal Haven Trail is one of three Michigan trails to be recognized as Pure Michigan Trails this week by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. The DNR says Pure Michigan Trails are highlighted as some of the best destinations in the state for hikers and others looking to experience nature. The announcement of three new Pure Michigan Trails was made at the Governor’s Conference on Tourism in Grand Rapids. In addition to the Kal Haven Trail, the Canada Lakes Pathway in Luce County and the Haywire Grade in Schoolcraft and Alger counties were added to the list. The DNR says the Kal-Haven Trail is 33 miles long, linking the cities of South Haven and Kalamazoo via numerous bridges and small towns. It adds the Kal-Haven Trail also is of historic interest, noting this past year, the Michigan History Center completed a project to install dozens of historic panels along the heritage trail. Now that it’s a Pure Michigan Trail, it will get extra promotion in state tourism materials.. ...Read Full Story
Finding solutions to mitigate what’s expected to be a record high for Lake Michigan and all of the Great Lakes this summer is on the minds of many people, including Benton Harbor Mayor Marcus Muhammad. He joined Congressman Fred Upton, St. Joseph Mayor Mike Garey, and the city managers of both cities to tour a St. Joseph marina and the riverfront in Benton Harbor Thursday morning. Muhammad says it’s impacting more than just the shore, as the high water is also to blame for flooding along Main Street in Benton Harbor.. ...Read Full Story
It will take the use of dental records and DNA to make a positive identification of a body found off the shore of Tiscornia Beach in St. Joseph Wednesday evening. An autopsy was done Thursday at Western Michigan University’s Homer Stryker School of Medicine, and there were no signs of trauma on the woman’s body. St. Joseph Public Safety says the woman was Asian, around 55 years old, and was wearing a dark green jacket and sweatpants. The woman matches the description of a missing person out of Chicago, but her name won’t be released until a positive identification is made.. ...Read Full Story
Benton Township police are looking for two men who got into a shootout at the Blossom Acres Housing Complex. It happened Wednesday afternoon after somebody shot a dog in the 100 block of Concord. While several shots were fired between the suspects, police say it appears no one was hurt. The two managed to disappear before officers arrived on the scene. Berrien County Animal Control was called in to assist the dog, but it did not survive. Police have not released descriptions of the suspects.. ...Read Full Story
An investigation is underway after a body was found washed up along the shore of Lake Michigan at Tiscornia Park in St. Joseph Wednesday night. The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department is assisting in the investigation with Sheriff Paul Bailey confirming the discovery to WSBT. The medical examiner responded to the scene with plans for an autopsy to be done Thursday in Kalamazoo.. ...Read Full Story
Kurdish immigrant and Berrien County restaurant owner Ibrahim Parlak says it’s time for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to drop its efforts to have him deported to Turkey. Parlak held a press conference Wednesday to announce his attorneys have field their latest brief in the ongoing struggle to keep him in the U.S. as Homeland Security appeals a 2018 ruling granting Parlak relief under the Convention Against Torture Act. Parlak says he would be in great danger if sent back to Turkey. He says he should know what it’s like there.. ...Read Full Story
Congressman Fred Upton and colleague Bill Huizenga are celebrating a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers decision to include funding in the fiscal year 2020 budget to dredge Holland Harbor. The budget at first did not include the dredging funds, but Upton tells WSJM News he and Huizenga were able to convince the Corps the work is needed.. ...Read Full Story
The South Haven City Council is pleased with City Manager Brian Dissette. City Human Resources Director Kim Wise tells us the council filled out Dissette’s annual performance evaluation last month, extending his contract another year. On a scale of one to five, Dissette’s overall score was a 4.67. Council members rated him on categories including communications with the council, in which he got a 4.43 out of 5, professionalism, in which he got a 4.86, and delivery of services, in which he got a 4.71. Council members saluted Dissette for being dedicated, having a wealth of knowledge, and rising to the occasion in a crisis. He was granted a 3% pay increase, bringing his salary up to $113,000, and was also given a performance bonus of $6,000. Dissette has been the city manager of South Haven for 12 years.. ...Read Full Story
Nobo of Michigan, LLC, the company that bought the former Alreco Metals property in Benton Harbor with plans to grow medical marijuana there, is now seeking permission to operate a retail location. At a Tuesday meeting of the Benton Harbor City Commission, Nobo CEO Alan Bonsett told commissioners the company is looking to buy 107 Water Street for its provisioning center. They already have an office there. Bonsett said the retail operation will draw traffic into the community.. ...Read Full Story
First Michigan State, and now the University of Michigan is investigating allegations one of its former sports doctors sexually abused student athletes. U of M is looking for more potential victims of Robert Anderson. Spokesman Rick Fitzgerald says they know of a handful of cases so far involving Anderson, who examined young men playing for Bo Schembechler and Lloyd Carr from 1968 to 2003. Fitzgerald says there is a hotline to help those who may have been abused find resources to help.. ...Read Full Story
The Inn at Harbor Shores is one of two hotels to earn AAA of Michigan’s Four Diamond Designation this year. There are now 19 such hotels in the state. Along with the St. Joseph hotel, Detroit’s Shinola Hotel has been added to the list. The awards were presented today (Wednesday) in Grand Rapids during the Pure Michigan Governors Conference on Tourism. According to the auto club, a Four Diamond hotel is “refined and stylish, providing upscale physical attributes, extensive amenities and a high degree of hospitality, service and attention to detail.”. ...Read Full Story
A Stevensville-area home is being torn down, with the erosion from Lake Michigan to blame. Bruce Smothers spoke to our partners at WSBT-22 as crews demolished his house today on Notre Dame Avenue, and was asked about not being too emotional about it.. ...Read Full Story
Efforts to figure out how to fix the chronic flooding problem on Main Street in Benton Harbor by the Whirlpool Riverview Campus will result in the street being closed Thursday starting at 9 a.m. The Michigan Department of Transportation is going to have the road closed between the Bicentennial Bridge and Riverview Drive for crews to perform surveying and inspection for a project design.. ...Read Full Story
Congressman Fred Upton is backing legislation to require the Army Corps of Engineers gives consideration to recreational harbor maintenance projects when it plans for projects each year. Upton tells WSJM News the Safer Harbors for Our Recreational Economy Act would direct the Army Corps to make sure the economic benefits of recreational boating are considered as it allocates funding.. ...Read Full Story
Benton Harbor City Commissioners have heard about an excessive force complaint regarding a public safety officer. Gwen Swanigan of the anti-police abuse group, the SHARP Foundation, told commissioners at a Tuesday meeting that Public Safety Officer Drew Wagner punched a suspect who had run from him on December 28. Wagner pulled over 27-year-old Michael Thompson at May Street Market at 131 East May when the officer noticed Thompson didn’t have a registered plate. According to the police report, when Thompson ran from Officer Wagner, Wagner fired a taser at him twice and then tackled him. At Tuesday’s meeting, Swanigan said the way Thompson was treated was uncalled for.. ...Read Full Story
