Local News Archives

Recycling Event Saturday In Van Buren County

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Set for this weekend in Van Buren County is a pesticide and tire recycling event. It’s being offered by the Van Buren Conservation District, and will be on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Collection will be at the South Haven Public Works building on 8th Avenue. They’ll take household chemicals, pesticides, and tires and make sure they’re properly disposed or recycled. There is a fee to drop off certain items. Latex paint will be $2 per gallon, and household chemicals $1.10 per pound. However, it’ll be free to drop off passenger tires. You can find out more at VanBurenCD.org/recycling.. ...Read Full Story

Lake Michigan College Night This Month

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It will be 70 colleges in one place on one night this month as Lake Michigan College holds its annual College Night. High school kids planning to head to a four-year university can go and meet with admission reps from all over the country. LMC’s Barbara Craig tells WSJM News the event is a great resource for those students about to enroll in college.. ...Read Full Story

PARK(ing) Day Held in Berrien County

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Information on what the public wants added to their communities has been gathered by Wightman and Associates as part of its annual PARK(ing) Day events in southwest Michigan. The engineering and architectural firm set up temporary parks in parking spaces in Benton Harbor, Watervliet, and Benton Township Friday to talk with folks about development. Wightman’s Shelby Kintz told WSJM News they started PARK(ing) Day three years ago.. ...Read Full Story

$7.2 Million Expansion Planned For Berrien County Jail

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A $7.2 million expansion is being planned for the Berrien County Jail. On Thursday, the county board of commissioners approved moving forward with finalizing plans for the work. It will mean the addition of new cell areas at the jail, new kitchen equipment, a medical area, and holding areas. The work is intended to extend the jail’s lifespan by decades. Plans are being drafted now, and construction could start next year.. ...Read Full Story

Bogseth Found Guilty In Wife’s Murder

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A Van Buren County man has been convicted of first-degree murder in the beating death of his wife. A jury found Brent Bogseth guilty on Friday. Bogseth will be sentenced November 7. 32-year-old Kimberly Bogseth’s body was found September 9, 2015 on a trail in Columbia Township. She was reported missing about a week earlier. During the search for her, police found Kimberly Bogseth’s cellphone and a hammer in her husband’s SUV. The newspaper reports that a medical examiner ruled that she had died from blunt-force trauma.. ...Read Full Story

Machete-Wielding Man Arraigned

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A Niles man is now charged with a pair of counts of assault with a dangerous weapon and three counts of assault and resisting police in Cass County. 44-year-old Marty Ray Gipson was arrested while wielding a machete this week at a home in Howard Township. His girlfriend called police and said he was drunk, had taken a bunch of pills and was acting crazy. An officer used rubber bullets to subdue Gipson, allowing for him to be arrested and taken to the Cass County Jail. He’s locked up with bond set at $10,000. Police were called to the home shortly after 1 a.m. Thursday. They found the woman and a six-year-old child hiding from Gipson in a car outside the house. He warned her that if police came for him, quote, “I’m not going out alive.”. ...Read Full Story

Pscholka Says Beer Tax Hike Unlikely

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Beer taxes won’t be jumping by 200% in Michigan if state Representative Al Pscholka has anything to say about it. Republican Rep. Tom Hooker of Byron Center, near Grand Rapids, is proposing the increase and wants to put the money toward substance abuse courts. Pscholka tells Michigan’s Big Show, heard on News/Talk 94.9 WSJM that Hooker doesn’t drink.. ...Read Full Story

Van Buren County Murder Trial Goes To Jury

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The murder trial of a Van Buren County man is now in the hands of the jury. The prosecutor’s office claims that Brent Bogseth was angry over his wife’s affair with a neighbor, crushed her skull with his favorite hammer and then hid her body in the woods near their home in northern Van Buren County, just over a year ago. The body of 32-year-old Kimberly Bogseth was found by the same neighbor who confirmed their affair on the witness stand this week. The defense claims the evidence is circumstantial and that others also had motive. Bogseth’s hammer has never been found. The jury met behind closed doors for a short time yesterday and will resume deliberations this morning.. ...Read Full Story

Cass County Deputies Use Rubber Bullets To Nab Machete-Wielding Man

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A man who made threats while wielding a machete is in custody in Cass County, thanks to quick action by sheriff’s deputies armed with rubber bullets. The department says deputies were called to a home on Little Street in Howard Township around 1:15 a.m. Thursday and found a woman who told them her boyfriend was inside screaming and swinging around the large blade. She also said he was on pills. The deputies forced their way into the home and the man came at them with the knife, so they shot him with “less than lethal” rubber bullets. That gave them a chance to cuff the man and he was arrested. After a trip to a hospital, he was then lodged in the Cass County Jail on a slew of charges.. ...Read Full Story

Saturday Jean Klock Park Cleanup Moved Back To Sunday

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A cleanup event planned for this Saturday at Benton Harbor’s Jean Klock Park has been rescheduled. Friends of Jean Klock Park says due to expected rain, they’ve bumped the volunteer event back to Sunday. It was supposed to happen on Saturday. Everyone’s welcome to show up to Jean Klock Park to pick up trash and log it for the Alliance for the Great Lakes database. Sunday’s cleanup will take place between 9 a.m. and noon. If you go, bring along a pair of gloves.. ...Read Full Story

Upton: Plan Would Improve Rural Phone Service

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Legislation designed to improve phone service in rural areas is making its way through Congress. The House Energy and Commerce Committee held discussions this week on the Improving Rural Call Quality and Reliability Act of 2015. Congressman Fred Upton tells WSJM News it would add new requirements on carriers.. ...Read Full Story

Muhammad Meets With Snyder In Lansing

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Benton Harbor Mayor Marcus Muhammad has met with Governor Rick Snyder to discuss the future of the city and its relationship with the state. The meeting on Tuesday took place at the Romney Building in Lansing, and Muhammad tells WSJM News he talked to the governor about the city’s needs.. ...Read Full Story

MI Schools Have New Guidelines For LGBT Students

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The Michigan Board of Education has issued new guidelines to districts on how to treat LGBT students. The guidelines are voluntary, but have spurred criticism from conservative lawmakers, especially over restroom and bathroom policies for transgender students. State Representative Jon Hoadley says the policy is needed because LGBT students are more likely to face bullying.. ...Read Full Story

Zika Virus Shows Up In West Michigan

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Nine cases of the Zika virus have been confirmed in west Michigan, specifically in Ottawa County. Kristina Wieghmink, with the Ottawa County Department of Public Health, says they’re all travel-related cases in people ranging in age from a teen to 50, but there are no pregnant women. She has advice for anyone traveling to countries where Zika is prevalent.. ...Read Full Story

Flags To Be Lowered For Lawmaker Killed In Traffic Crash

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Governor Rick Snyder has ordered that flags be lowered Friday in the state Capitol complex and within the northern Michigan legislative
district of a lawmaker who was killed in a traffic accident. Flags will be lowered to half-staff for third-term Republican Representative Peter
Pettalia. He died Monday when his motorcycle collided with a pickup truck whose driver turned into his lane on southbound M-33 in Montmorency County. A memorial service is scheduled for Friday afternoon at the Presque Isle Lighthouse. Pettalia’s 106th House District includes all or parts of five counties along Lake Huron in the northeastern Lower Peninsula. Snyder says an outpouring of condolences for Pettalia from across Michigan “show how much his commitment to public service was respected and how much he will be missed.”. ...Read Full Story

2-Year-Old Boy Hit By Car In Sodus Township

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A 2-year-old boy is being treated at Bronson Hospital in Kalamazoo after he was struck by a car in Sodus Township Thursday. The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department tells our newsroom deputies were called to Meadow Springs Trailer Court around 12:40 in the afternoon. When they arrived, they found a car stopped in the road and the boy being held by his father. Medic One took the boy to Lakeland Hospital, and he was airlifted from there to Bronson in Kalamazoo. Police say alcohol was not a factor in the crash. It’s still under investigation.. ...Read Full Story

Suspected Drunk Driver Causes Transformer Fire

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A suspected drunk driver has turned out to be the cause of a power outage that affected parts of Lincoln and St. Joseph Townships overnight Thursday. The Lincoln Township Police Department says 72-year-old Thomas Zabadal, of St. Joseph, rolled his 2005 Buick near 500 Glenlord Road around 10:45 p.m. Wednesday. Police say he sheared an American Electric Power pole while doing so which caused a transformer to catch fire. That led to a power outage that shut down Upton Middle School and hit other businesses on Thursday. Officers found Zabadal’s blood alcohol level to be over the legal limit, and he’s been charged with drunk driving. He suffered minor injuries in the crash.. ...Read Full Story

MI Unemployment Unchanged In August

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Michigan’s jobless rate was unchanged at 4.5 percent in August from July, remaining at its lowest level in 15 years. The Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget says that total employment recorded a reduction of 7,000 in August as the state’s labor force decreased by 5,000. The number of unemployed in Michigan rose by 2,000. Michigan seasonally adjusted jobless rate in August was below the state’s
August 2015 rate of 5.1 percent. The U.S. jobless rate was unchanged at 4.9 percent in August. Jason Palmer, director of the Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives, says Wednesday the state’s labor market situation was stable. Governor Rick Snyder says in a statement Michigan needs to “continue our efforts to strengthen our workforce and create more opportunities for all Michiganders.”. ...Read Full Story

ITT Tech Shutting Down Friday

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The for-profit college ITT Technical Institute says in a federal filing that it will stop operating Friday. Carmel, Indiana-based ITT Educational Services Inc. said in a Wednesday filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that it would stop services about a week after it announced it would close its campuses. The company’s main lender recently seized ITT’s bank accounts. The college chain is shutting down all 130 of its U.S. campuses. The move affects more than 35,000 students and more than 8,000 jobs. Federal education officials banned the company last month from enrolling new students who use federal financial aid. The Education Department said the company had become a risk to students and taxpayers. ITT has laid off at least 660 Indiana workers. It had about 1,900 students in Indiana.. ...Read Full Story

Legislation Would Increase Michigan’s Beer Tax

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At least one Michigan lawmaker wants to raise the state’s beer tax by 244%, and the organization that represents wine and beer sellers is crying foul. State Representative Tom Hooker, of Byron Center, introduced the plan on Wednesday. The beer tax hasn’t been raised since 1966, but Brett Visner, with the Michigan Beer and Wine Wholesalers Association, tells WSJM News that’s no reason to mess with a growing industry.. ...Read Full Story

Bill Aims To Make Fresh Fruits And Vegetables Available In Underserved Areas

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A plan from state Representative Dave Pagel to help people in rural and urban areas get access to fresh fruits and veggies is getting high marks from the American Heart Association. The legislation had a hearing in the state House Wednesday, with the association’s Dave Hodgkins speaking in favor. He tells WSJM News folks in certain areas just don’t have any grocery stores in their towns, and have to buy food at little corner shops.. ...Read Full Story

Trump Visits Flint

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The city of Flint is again making national headlines this week as Donald Trump has paid it a visit. On Wednesday, Trump toured the city’s water plant, and spoke at an historically black church. He said Flint can be helped.. ...Read Full Story

Suspect Arrested In String Of Dowagaic Burglaries

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A suspect has been arrested in a string of burglaries in Dowagiac. The police department tells our newsroom the home break-ins happened between between last Wednesday and Monday of this week. Homes on Orchard Street, Oak Street, and Florence Street were broken into, and the stolen items included guns. Police say they spoke with several witnesses, leading them to a suspect in Berrien County on Monday. 20-year-old Brett Adam Gibson, of Dowagiac, is now facing a variety of charges. Police say he’s confessed to all three of the break-ins, and is now in the Cass County Jail on $75,000 bond.. ...Read Full Story

Graves Of Veterans Vandalized In Bangor

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50 graves markers honoring veterans have been damaged by vandals at a cemetery in Bangor. Police Chief Tommy Simpson tells WSJM News the graves of veterans at Arlington Hill Cemetery are given special markers with American flags on them. Someone broke the markers and took the flags. It was discovered Wednesday morning.. ...Read Full Story

State Education Board Issues Guidance On LGBT Students

Michigan’s education board has approved guidance to schools on creating an inclusive environment for LGBT students. The guidelines are voluntary but have spurred criticism from conservative lawmakers, particularly over restroom and bathroom policies for transgender students.
The Democratic-controlled State Board of Education passed the guidance 6-2 Wednesday, after receiving passionate public testimony from people in support and against. Recommendations to schools include making good faith efforts to address students by their chosen name and pronoun when asked. The guidance also urges schools to let transgender students use bathrooms and locker rooms consistent with their gender identity. Education officials say the draft guidance was amended to encourage local school districts to engage their communities in the development of their own policies and to urge greater consideration for parental involvement. Critics say the revisions are meaningless.. ...Read Full Story

MI House Approves New Medical Marijuana Rules

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The Michigan House gave final approval to bills Wednesday that would further regulate medical marijuana nearly eight years after its use
was first authorized by voters. The main legislation, which passed 83-22, would impose a new tax and establish a state licensing system to grow, process, sell, transport or test marijuana. Non-smokable forms of the drug such as food and lotions would become legal under a bill that was approved 93-12, surpassing the constitutionally required three-fourths needed to amend a voter initiative. Another measure, OK’d 85-20,
would create a monitoring system to track marijuana from “seed to sale” and flag excess purchases.. ...Read Full Story

SUV Crashes Into St. Joseph Dunkin’ Donuts

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One person is nursing a minor injury after an SUV crashed into the St. Joseph Dunkin’ Donuts on Wednesday. It happened around 11:30 a.m. when the Chevy Traverse drove right over the concrete parking barriers, going through the window. There was a lot of broken glass, but damage to the inside of the store was small, and no one suffered any serious injuries. We’re told one person who was sitting close to the window at the time had a cut to his leg. The St. Joseph Department of Public Safety had the crashed vehicle removed from the scene by 12:30, and now the owners of the store are working to repair it.. ...Read Full Story

Michigan: Court Goofed And Should Reopen Sex Offender Case

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(Lansing, MI – AP) – The Michigan attorney general’s office is asking a federal appeals court to reopen a dispute over Michigan’s sex-offender registry. The court recently said Michigan is illegally treating many sex offenders as “moral lepers” by putting additional restrictions on them long after their convictions. But in a new filing, the state says the court overlooked a key decision from 2007 that should have led to a different result.. ...Read Full Story

State Sued Over Poor Reading Skills Of Detroit Students

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The state of Michigan is being sued over the poor reading skills of Detroit students at five schools, including two charter schools. The lawsuit says the schools are in “slum-like conditions” and “functionally incapable of delivering access to literacy.” The case, filed Tuesday in federal court, accuses Governor Rick Snyder, the state school board and others of violating the civil rights of low-income students. The governor’s office declined to comment. The lawsuit says the state of Michigan is responsible for complying with constitutional mandates in education. The lawsuit seeks literacy instruction at all grades, screening for literacy problems and regular oversight. In 2012, a similar lawsuit was filed in Wayne County court on behalf of Highland Park students. It was ultimately dismissed in favor of the state.. ...Read Full Story

Rock Band Teaches Financial Literacy To MI High School Kids

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A Michigan rock band is mixing music and a message about financial literacy for kids. The band Gooding is performing a few shows in the state this week as part of a 60 date nationwide tour at high schools. The idea is to get a message to kids about saving money and avoiding payday or “same-day” loans to get by. Frontman Gooding says the earlier kids learn how to handle money, the less likely they are to make life-altering mistakes.. ...Read Full Story

Pscholka Remembers Lawmaker Who Died Monday

The Michigan Legislature is mourning the second member of the state House to die this year. Republican Representative Peter Pettalia died Monday night in a motorcycle crash in northern Michigan. Representative Al Pscholka tells our newsroom he just recently spent time with Pettalia on Mackinac Island.. ...Read Full Story

Rock Alliance 3 Day Ride This Week

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This Thursday is the departure day for this year’s Rock Alliance 3 Day Ride. Motorcyclists from all over will leave from the St. Joseph Holiday Inn Express for a ride throughout the northern part of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. Tom Woltman, with the Berrien Riders tells WSJM News it’s always a great experience.. ...Read Full Story

Lobbyist Backs Away From Claims About Pscholka, Kahn

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A story that a former lobbyist paid the bar tab for state Representative Al Pscholka and was pressured to buy alcohol for the wedding of former state Senator Dr. Roger Kahn’s daughter turns out to be just that – a story. Steve Marino is running for the state House in Macomb County and admitted to the “Detroit Free Press” he made up the story after a recording of him bragging about it was released by Michigan Democrats. Pscholka says he’s never met the guy, and it’s become par for the course in politics.. ...Read Full Story

Minor-In-Possession Changes Considered

State Senator Rick Jones has proposed a couple of bills that might just get him invited to some fraternity parties. A bill due up for a vote today in a House committee would turn the first arrest for being a minor in possession of alcohol from a criminal violation to a civil infraction. Jones says it’s just not right that some young lives are ruined because they have a beer. Jones, a Republican from Grand Ledge and former Eaton County sheriff, has also just proposed new legislation that would allow stores in Ann Arbor to ignore a new city ordinance that changes the legal age for purchasing cigarettes from 18 to 21. Jones thinks it will hurt mom and pop stores in the city, driving business to the burbs.. ...Read Full Story

Harbaugh Denies Eating Booger During Michigan Game

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Video seems to show Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh picking and eating a booger during the Wolverines’ game against Central Florida on Saturday. The Internet has lit up with comments about it, but Harbaugh says it’s not what it appears. On his weekly radio show Monday night, which is heard on 95.7 and 1400 WSJM Sports, the coach denied eating a booger.. ...Read Full Story

Legislature Poised To Approve Medical Marijuana Regulations

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Michigan lawmakers are poised to give final approval to a new regulatory structure for medical marijuana. Voters legalized the drug for medical use in 2008. But there have been conflicts in the courts, particularly over the legality of dispensaries where patients can buy the drug and whether non-smokable forms are legal. Legislation up for a vote Tuesday in the Republican-controlled House would create a tiered regulatory system. A state license would be required to grow, process, sell, transport and test marijuana. Dispensaries would pay a 3% tax on their gross retail income. Allowable marijuana could include infused, non-smokable forms such as lotions and edible products. More than 211,000 qualifying patients now grow their own marijuana plants or obtain the drug from nearly 37,000 registered caregivers under the 2008 law.. ...Read Full Story

Northern Michigan State Rep Killed In Crash

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A three-term state lawmaker has died in a motorcycle accident in northern Michigan. Republican state Representative. Peter Pettalia was killed Monday evening in an accident on M-33 South. No further details were immediately available. A Montmorency County sheriff’s dispatcher and Michigan State Police told The Associated Press a statement would be issued later. Pettalia was elected to his first term in 2010. Governor Snyder issued a statement offering condolences to Pettalia’s family and saying flags will be lowered in his honor. GOP House Speaker Kevin Cotter called Pettalia a dear friend and longtime colleague well known for his expertise, hard work and love for the outdoors. Michigan Democratic Party Chairman Brandon Dillon also issued a statement, saying his party’s “deepest sympathy and heartfelt condolences go out to the family, friends, and colleagues of Representative Peter Pettalia.” Pettalia was 61 and had lived in Presque Isle since 1977.. ...Read Full Story

Report Recommends Eliminating Court Fees For Juveniles

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A new report from the Juvenile Law Center shows many juvenile offenders who wind up in the court system are being hurt by the fines and fees given to them. The center’s Jessica Feierman says that includes the cost of tests and evaluations, rehabilitation, and court operation. She says court costs can put families in stressful situations where they face difficult choices.. ...Read Full Story

WMU Southwest Location Reaching Out To ITT Tech Students

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Another southwest Michigan college has stepped forward to offer help to displaced students of ITT Technical Institute. Western Michigan University’s Southwest location in Benton Harbor is offering to enroll ITT Tech students for the fall while having application and late-registration fees waived. It’s also set up a team of admissions and financial personnel to help ITT students transfer, as well as a website. WMU is urging any ITT Tech students looking for a place to go to give them a call. Last week, Southwestern Michigan College extended a similar offer.. ...Read Full Story

SMC Students Working To Verify World Record Attempt

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It will take about 12 weeks for organizers of the record attempt at Southwestern Michigan College over the weekend to find out if they succeeded, but they’re pretty sure they did. On Saturday, more than 100 students worked to build the biggest blanket fort ever. SMC’s Branden Pompey tells WSJM News they have to send proof to Guinness World Records.. ...Read Full Story

Appeals Court Upholds Emergency Manager Law

An appeals court has ruled in favor of Governor Rick Snyder in a challenge to Michigan’s emergency manager law, which was passed by Republicans. The appeals court on Monday upheld a decision by a federal judge, who swept aside much of the lawsuit in 2014. Emergency managers have exceptional power to run local governments and school districts, while elected officials typically are pushed aside for 18 months or more. Critics sued, arguing that the law violated many of their constitutional rights. The appeals court says the law might not be the “perfect remedy” but it’s “rationally related” to fixing distressed local governments. Michigan voters overturned Snyder’s first emergency manager law in 2012. But he and lawmakers quickly returned with another.. ...Read Full Story

Upton: Congress Is Seeking Answers On EpiPen Costs

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Congressman Fred Upton says the House is working to find help for those who use EpiPens after the company that makes them jacked up the price. The life-saving devices are used to treat severe allergic reactions, and they’ve gone up in price from about $100 in 2007 to $600 today. Upton says the House is seeking answers from the FDA.. ...Read Full Story