Local News Archives

Two Hurt In Motorcycle v. Deer Crash

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A Lawrence couple is hospitalized in Kalamazoo after hitting a deer on their motorcycle in Cass County. The sheriff’s department says 65-year-old Leonard and 63-year-old Terri Lee Strefling suffered minor injuries in the crash, which happened around 7:30 last night in Volinia Township. The deer ran out in front of their bike as they were headed north on Decatur Road. Police say both people were wearing helmets, and alcohol wasn’t a factor.. ...Read Full Story

Researchers Using Underwater Robot To Study Lake Michigan

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Scientists are retrieving data from an underwater robot for the first time since it was deployed to gather information about the Lake Michigan fish food supply. The U.S. Geological Survey and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute launched the vehicle August 1. It is measuring volumes of algae and tiny animals called zooplankton, which form the base of aquatic food chains. Experts say the findings will help develop estimates of how many predator fish Lake Michigan can support. They say it’s been hard to develop accurate measures of algae and zooplankton using conventional technologies. The robot will ply the southern portion of the lake for 25 days, at depths ranging from 9 feet to 150 feet. It’s being removed temporarily Tuesday so scientists can download data and recharge the battery.. ...Read Full Story

Study Examines Progression Of Federal Minimum Wage

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According to a new analysis, if the federal minimum wage had grown at the same pace as increases in worker productivity, it would be nearly $19 an hour in 2016. Meanwhile, business groups argue that raising the wage could lead to job loss, especially in the midwest and south. David Cooper, with the Economic Policy Institute, says he doesn’t believe increasing the minimum wage would lead to job losses, as some business groups say.. ...Read Full Story

Berrien Springs Senior Living Community Fire

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No one’s injured, but there were some tense moments at a Berrien Springs Senior Living Community Tuesday when a fire broke out in one of the units. The Oronoko Township Fire Department was dispatched to Timber Ridge Manor at US-31 around 6 p.m. when a stove top caught fire. The building filled with smoke, causing residents to be evacuated. Firefighters had the situation under control quickly, and used fans to clear the building while residents waited outside. The building did not suffer any fire damage, nor was there serious damage to the unit where it started. Everyone was let back in by 8 p.m. ...Read Full Story

Two Arrested Following Dowagiac Shooting

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Two are facing charges following a Monday shooting in Dowagiac. The department of public safety says a car parked in the 200 block of Halstead Street was damaged by gunfire around 3 a.m. During their investigation, officers identified a possible suspect, and by afternoon, had determined where he could be found. When they went to pick him up, he ran off and hid in a nearby garage, along with a 17-year-old girl. Eventually, they surrendered. Police say their search turned up two sawed-off shotguns and ammunition. The suspect was wanted on a domestic assault warrant, while the 17-year-old was wanted on a bench warrant. The two are now in the Cass County Jail while police seek break-in, felony firearm, and property damage charges against the man. The girl is facing gun charges.. ...Read Full Story

General Motors Testing Autonomous Vehicles In Arizona

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General Motors and its autonomous technology company Cruise Automation are testing self-driving cars on the streets of Scottsdale, Arizona.
Testing of self-driving electric Chevrolet Bolts began in Arizona about two weeks ago. It’s the second city for GM’s real-world tests. Autonomous Bolts with Cruise Automation software have been driving around San Francisco since May 20. GM spokesman Kevin Kelly says the company is considering other cities for tests but wasn’t ready to announce locations. He would not say how many Bolts are being tested. Although the cars drive autonomously, Kelly says they all have human backup drivers. GM acquired San Francisco-based Cruise Automation in March for $581 million in cash and GM stock. Kelly says the company has opened an office in Scottsdale.. ...Read Full Story

Berrien County Youth Fair Next Week

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It’s almost time for the 71st annual Berrien County Youth Fair. The event will be next week at the youth fairgrounds in Berrien Springs. Executive Director Karen Klug tells WSJM News, first and foremost, they’ll have a variety of youth exhibits. However, that’s not all.. ...Read Full Story

[VIDEO] Roy Thompson Sentenced for December Murder

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A Benton Harbor man convicted in the shooting death of a Benton Township business owner has been sentenced to 35 to 60 years in prison. Roy Thompson was found guilty by a jury of second degree murder in June in the death of David Krieger last December. The 53-year-old was killed during a confrontation with Thompson about a dog the suspect allegedly kicked near Krieger’s family business, Michiana Supply in Benton Township.. ...Read Full Story

Public Invited To Comment On Mackinac Pipeline Support Plan

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State officials are taking public comments on a plan by Enbridge Energy Partners to install additional supports for its twin oil pipelines in the waterway where Lakes Michigan and Huron meet. The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality says a 20-day comment period began Monday for an Enbridge application for a permit to place the steel supports beneath sections of the Straits of Mackinac pipelines.. ...Read Full Story

Three Arrested After Chase, Fiery Crash In Van Buren County

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Three people are in the Van Buren County Jail after leading police on a chase before a fiery crash in Arlington Township. The sheriff’s department says a deputy tried pulling over an unregistered car on County Road 665 near 38th Avenue in Waverly Township. 22-year-old Walker Woods of Kalamazoo took off and led the officer on a chase down several rural roads and through a vineyard at speeds up to 85 miles an hour before crashing onto a tree about 15 minutes later on 44th Avenue. The car burst into flames and the three ran off through a swamp before being caught. Woods was wanted for five warrants, while passenger Ryan Grady of Dowagiac had three warrants. A 24-year-old Decatur woman is also facing several charges.. ...Read Full Story

Thousands Of Pounds Of Trash Removed From West MI River

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More than 3,200 beverage containers, about 1,500 pounds of lumber, 17 pairs of sunglasses and a folding bed have been pulled from a western Michigan river. The Muskegon Chronicle reports Monday that volunteers in the Fifth Annual Muskegon River Cleanup also removed 400 pounds of scrap metal, seven tires, 74 shoes, four inflatable rafts and two cellphones from the waterway. About 300 people helped remove trash Saturday from the river, northwest of Grand Rapids. Some volunteers were on the river in kayaks, canoes and inflatable tubes.. ...Read Full Story

Donation Makes Bulletproof Vest Possible For Van Buren K9

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A Van Buren County Sheriff’s Department K9 has received a bulletproof vest, thanks to a donation from a Gross Pointe Shores organization. The department says Tico, a 4-year-old Belgian Malinois who’s been with the department for two years, will have extra protection due to the generosity of Sharon Peters and Vested Interest in K9s. Tico works with the department’s Deputy Jason Stasienko in narcotics enforcement. Tico is also certified in tracking, handler protection, and building searches, among other things. The sheriff’s department says Vested Interest in K9s is an organization that works to protect police K9s throughout the country. It thanked Vested Interest, calling it a “wonderful organization.”. ...Read Full Story

Goff Saluted For 30 Years On SJ City Commission

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St. Joseph City Commissioner Mary Goff has been honored for serving 30 years on the body. At a Monday meeting, commissioners commended her for her service, saying it’s been a pleasure to work together. Goff told us she’s proud to have been able to help guide the city as it’s grown over the years. She pointed to a few accomplishments of the commission.. ...Read Full Story

Trump Greeted By Protesters In Detroit

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Donald Trump gave a major economic policy speech in Detroit Monday, and on hand were plenty of protesters. Trump’s ongoing dispute with the parents of a fallen US Army officer has continued to be a topic of controversy. While Trump has said he has strong support in the military community and his campaign believes the spat with the Khan family will soon blow over, Brandon Dillon, who heads up the Michigan Democratic Party, says the state’s Republicans should take a stand.. ...Read Full Story

Centennial Celebration Planned For South Haven’s Ratcliffe Field

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A celebration is planned for next month to mark the 100th birthday of South Haven’s Ratcliffe Field. The South Haven Rams have played football at the field on Hubbard Street since 1916, making it one of the state’s oldest continually-used high school sports fields. South Haven Public Schools Marketing Coordinator Tara Wilkinson says the school and the local historical association are teaming up to celebrate the field on September 9.. ...Read Full Story

Berrien Springs Carbon Monoxide Death Remains Under Investigation

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Police say they are investigating whether a Berrien Springs woman accidentally left her car running while it was parked in her garage, leading to her carbon monoxide death on Sunday. 78-year-old Anna Bacchiocci was found dead in her home on Appian Way Sunday evening, along with her dog. She was discovered by her son and daughter in law who had gone to check on her. Responding officers performed air quality tests and found the home had a high level of carbon monoxide, and six people had to be treated. They were all released at the scene. The Berrien Springs-Oronoko Township Police Department says a check of possible carbon monoxide sources ruled out several possibilities, but it’s still looking into whether the car was left running in the attached garage.. ...Read Full Story

Couple Arraigned In Alleged Allegan County Crime Spree

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An Otsego couple has been arraigned in a string of break-ins and auto thefts in southwest Michigan last week. The Allegan County Sheriff’s Department says the man and woman’s crime spree went on from early Thursday morning through the evening. They allegedly broke into three homes, in two cases taking off in stolen vehicles. The two were ultimately found at the man’s home. 34-year-old Kenneth Lapham and 21-year old Haley Jenkins were arraigned Monday. Lapham is charged with breaking and entering, unlawfully driving away an automobile, and felony firearm. Jenkins is charged with breaking and entering and unlawfully driving away an automobile. The two remain in the Allegan County Jail.. ...Read Full Story

Thompson Sentenced In Benton Twp Murder

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A Benton Harbor man convicted in the shooting death of a Benton Township business owner has been sentenced to 35 to 60 years in prison. Roy Thompson was found guilty by a jury of second degree murder in June in the death of David Krieger last December. The 53-year-old was killed during a confrontation with Thompson about a dog the suspect allegedly kicked near Krieger’s family business, Michiana Supply. The victim’s brother, Stephen Krieger, remembered him in court.. ...Read Full Story

Michigan Gas Prices Up; Bucking National Trend

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Gas prices nationwide are heading lower, but that’s not the case in Michigan this week. AAA Michigan reports the average statewide price is up 16¢ a gallon to $2.33, with the lowest average in Traverse City at $2.19 and the highest prices in the Saginaw/Bay City/Midland region at $2.38. Our prices locally jumped 21¢ over the past week to an average of $2.30 in Benton Harbor and St. Joseph, while GasBuddy spotters put the prices in South Haven between $2.28 and $2.30. National oil market analyst Trilby Lundberg notes crude oil prices have been weak and supply is outpacing demand nationally, leading to a drop across the country of 6¢ in the last two weeks to $2.16. AAA Michigan says refinery issues in Illinois, Kansas, and Ohio are to blame for our latest spike.. ...Read Full Story

High School Football Practices Begin

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Football season around the state of Michigan officially begins today as the Michigan High School Athletic Association allows teams to practice for the first time this morning. St. Joe, Lakeshore, and Benton Harbor will have their first games on Friday, August 26th. South Haven and Lake Michigan Catholic will be among the schools that have their first contest on Thursday, August 25th. Each team will be adding more and more of their gear as the week goes on, with helmets only on Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday and Thursday players can start wearing shoulder pads before gearing up in full pads for full contact practice on Friday. Of course our radio stations will have live coverage of all South Haven, Lakeshore, St. Joseph, and now Benton Harbor games this fall.. ...Read Full Story

Carbon Monoxide Eyed For Berrien Springs Death

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The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the deaths of an elderly woman and her dog in Berrien Springs. Extremely high levels of carbon monoxide were found in the home in the 4900 block of Appian Way yesterday afternoon. Authorities are eyeing the gas as the cause of the deaths, but the investigation is still ongoing. A haz-mat team was called out for a gas leak, and the carbon monoxide levels were tested about four hours after the gas was shut off. Our partners at WNDU NewsCenter 16 report Sheriff’s Department Captain Rockey Adams says when the levels were tested, the reading was around 1,000 parts per million, with 12-hundred considered a fatal amount. The fire department detected cyanide gas upon arrival. An autopsy will be performed to determine what killed the woman.. ...Read Full Story

MSU To Unveil New Sparty Monument

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Work is moving forward on a new bronze monument to Michigan State University’s Sparty mascot. Those involved in the project say an October 12 unveiling is scheduled at the MSU Union in East Lansing. The statue will be perched on a bench with his muscular arms extended out. People will be able to sit next to Sparty and pose for photos. Oregon-based sculptor Alison Brown created a clay rendering that will be used to cast the statue, which is expected to weigh 1,500 pounds. The MSU Senior Class Council for 2016 picked the Bronze Sparty Statue Fund as its senior class gift, an annual fundraiser for special campus projects. Another statue known as “Sparty” is a popular campus photo spot. That statue
is located outdoors, within view of Spartan Stadium.. ...Read Full Story

Huge Crowd packs Summer Jam

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Shadowland Pavilion at Silver Beach in Saint Joseph was a busy place on Saturday afternoon and evening as 97.5 Y-Country held its annual Summer Jam event. More than three-thousand people showed up to see Stephan Neal, Jared Knox, and headliner Michael Ray. Y-Country Summer Jam started in 1998. From 2005 through 2011, the event was part of the Sunday festivities at the Venetian Festival on the St. Joseph River, which is no longer in existence. The event has always highlighted bright, new, rising Country stars. Over the years, headliners have included artists and groups such as Toby Keith, Blake Shelton, Little Big Town, Darryl Worley, Jack Ingram, Luke Bryan, Lee Bryce, Parmalee, Cassadee Pope, and more!. ...Read Full Story

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It was originally a golf outing fundraiser for breast cancer research and awareness. It changed its focus this year as a benefit for three St. Joseph children. The Denise Bohn Strong Golf Outing was held on Saturday. For the past six years, the event was known as “Tee-Off for TaTas”. Proceeds are going to the children of Denise Bohn-Stewart, who was killed by her husband in a murder-suicide at their home in April. The golf outing was at the Indian Lake Hills in Eau Claire to ensure their kid have the resources they need as they grow up. Event Organizer Kim Thum says the turnout was great…. ...Read Full Story

Security Enhancements Being Made At Berrien County Courthouse

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Two additional deputies will now serve as full-time guards at the Berrien County Courthouse in St. Joseph. The county board of commissioners approved the expenditure at a Thursday meeting in response to last month’s courthouse shootings. Berrien County Sheriff Paul Bailey says they used to always have two deputies or one deputy and a bailiff transport inmates, but budget cuts around 2005 meant there were fewer deputies employed at the courthouse. He says always having two officers with the inmate will immediately improve security. The department is making other changes, as well.. ...Read Full Story

Electronics Recycling Event Set For This Month

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Berrien County will hold another free electronics recycling event this month at Love Creek County Park in Berrien Center. Any county resident can come out on Wednesday, August 17 between 3 and 7 p.m. to drop off old, unwanted electronic items so they can be properly recycled. The only items for which there will be a fee are televisions and computer monitors, which will cost $20 and $10, respectively. For a complete list of the items that will be accepted, go to BerrienCounty.org/Recycle. You can also call 983-7111, extension 8234.. ...Read Full Story

Ann Arbor Bans Tobacco Sales To Those Under 21

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Ann Arbor is banning the sale of tobacco to people under 21. City Council voted 9-2 on Thursday to give final approval to an ordinance raising the minimum age to purchase tobacco products in the city from 18. It’s joining the Tobacco 21 movement, which has been embraced by other communities in the U.S. The Ann Arbor News reports it takes effect January 1. Councilman Kirk Westphal says he’s “happy to do anything we can to play a leadership role on this effort in Michigan.” Supporters argue that the measure will make it harder for teens to get cigarettes, help prevent early tobacco addiction and save lives. Opponents argue it’s an overreach by the city and say those under 21 will go to other nearby
communities to buy cigarettes.. ...Read Full Story

Two Pick Up Flu From West MI Pig

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Officials say two people who participated in a county fair in western Michigan picked up the flu from a sick pig. The Muskegon County health department is trying to reach other pig exhibitors who may have become ill. The county fair was held July 25-30. Jennifer Eisner of the state health department says the sick people were not admitted to a hospital. The flu is known as a variant of H3N2. A federal lab in Ames, Iowa, confirmed that the pig had the virus. Symptoms of the swine flu in people can be similar to other flu viruses: fever, aches and vomiting. The federal government says Michigan had nine cases from 2012 through 2015.. ...Read Full Story

Kalamazoo Fountain Added To National Register of Historic Places

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A fountain in downtown Kalamazoo’s Bronson Park that’s been criticized for its depiction of a Native American and a settler has been given its own listing on the National Register of Historic Places. The Kalamazoo Gazette reports the “Fountain of the Pioneers” was previously on the register as part of the Bronson Park Historic District, but was approved this year for individual inclusion. Designed by Alfonso Iannelli and installed in 1940, it depicts a settler standing above an Indian wearing a headdress. Iannelli said in a 1940 statement that it was meant to convey “the advance of the pioneers and the generations that follow” with the Indian in “a posture of noble resistance.” The fountain was intended to depict history in Kalamazoo, but it’s been criticized as being racist.. ...Read Full Story

Opioid Abuse Summit This Month In Cass County

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A summit on the state’s growing opioid abuse problem will be held this month at Southwestern Michigan College in Dowagiac. The all-day event slated for August 19 was partly organized by Cass County Prosecutor Victor Fitz, who says law enforcement and health professionals need to work together to help solve the opioid crisis. Fitz tells us special guest speaker will be Lieutenant Governor Brian Calley, who headed a commission to examine the opioid issue.. ...Read Full Story

Olympics Get Underway Amid Zika Concerns

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More than 40 athletes with Michigan ties will compete in the 2016 Rio Olympics. Opening ceremonies were held Friday in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. The games are happening with concerns about the Zika virus, as it’s circulating in Brazil and other parts of Latin America. Michigan State Entomology and Microbiology Professor Ned Walker says anyone at the Olympics is at risk, especially pregnant women.. ...Read Full Story

Kalamazoo County I-94 Project Nearing Completion

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A Michigan Department of Transportation construction project on I-94 is scheduled to wrap up soon. MDOT spokesperson Nick Schirripa says the work on the highway near Galesburg in Kalamazoo County is halfway finished. He says a new 40th Street bridge over I-94 is open, Michigan Avenue in both directions is now open, two of the new ramps for 94 at 40th Street are open.. ...Read Full Story

Cardboard Boat Races To Raise Money For United Way

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The United Way of Southwest Michigan will be the recipient of funds raised by Whirlpool employees this month with their “Rock the Boat” Cardboard Boat Races event at the Inn at Harbor Shores. Whirlpool’s Casey Tubman says those who participate will have a chance to use an empty appliance box to build a boat which they can then race in the river.. ...Read Full Story

Couple Arrested In String Of Break-Ins, Auto Thefts

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A boyfriend and girlfriend have been arrested in a string of break-ins and auto thefts in Allegan County this week. The sheriff’s department says the suspects, ages 34 and 21 and from Otsego, began their crime spree around 8 a.m. Thursday when deputies responded to the scene of break-in. Police say the sister of the female suspect returned to her home in Watson Township to find the couple had been there and then fled. Not long after, deputies were called to a second home that had been burglarized, with a firearm and a Chevy Impala among the things stolen. The next break-in came around 5:30 p.m. and involved the theft of a Dodge Ram. Police finally caught up with the couple around 9:30 p.m. when they found the stolen Ram at the male suspect’s home. Both were arrested, and are now in the Allegan County Jail.. ...Read Full Story

Berrien County To Receive Extra Help To Fight Homelessness

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The state of Michigan is receiving $4.5 million to fight homelessness in three counties, including Berrien. Bob Wheaton, with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, says the federal grant money will be used to expand an already-existing program in Detroit to both the Lansing area and hard-hit areas of Berrien. The agency will work with Emergency Shelter Services to identify homeless individuals, get them into housing, and then address root causes of their homelessness.. ...Read Full Story

93-Year-Old Woman Drowns In Lake Michigan

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The Allegan County Sheriff’s Department says a 93-year-old woman is dead after she was pulled from Lake Michigan by first responders Friday. It happened at a beach southwest of Fennville. Deputies arrived at the scene to learn Elizabeth Bennett lived in the area, and regularly would swim in the lake at that location. She was described as being in good physical shape, and witnesses said she always swam with a floatation device. Fire and ambulance personnel pulled Bennet from the water and attempted CPR, but were not successful. The sheriff’s department says an autopsy will determine the cause of death, which could have been the result of a medical condition.. ...Read Full Story

Sculpture Of King, Hesburgh Planned In Downtown South Bend

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A sculpture of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. and University of Notre Dame President Theodore Hesburgh is planned for a downtown South Bend plaza. The bronze sculpture is being modeled after a photograph of King and Hesburgh joining hands during a 1964 civil rights rally in Chicago. South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg says people will be able to hold hands with the King and Hesburgh figures as others did at the rally. The sculpture will be created by retired Indiana University South Bend art professor Tuck Langland. The project’s estimated $240,000 cost will be paid for by donations, including from Notre Dame, which Hesburgh led from 1952 until 1987. Officials plan to unveil the sculpture next June on a plaza near the St. Joseph County Courthouse.. ...Read Full Story

Off-Road Vehicle Riders Can Use Trails For Free August 20-21

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Off-road vehicle enthusiasts can ride free of charge on state-designated routes and trails for a limited time later this month. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has scheduled a free-ORV weekend for August 20-21. No ORV license or trail permit will be required on those two days, which officials say will save riders up to $36.25. The DNR designates two free-of-charge ORV weekends each year. Officials say the policy is meant to encourage riders to buy a license and trail permit for use during the rest of the year on the 3,800-mile ORV trail network. Fees collected from riders are used for trail expansion, maintenance and upgrades, as well as law enforcement and fixing damage from illegal use.. ...Read Full Story

BP Whiting Refinery Discharges Waste Into Lake Michigan

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An operational issue has caused BP’s large northern Indiana refinery near the southern shore of Lake Michigan to discharge about five times more industrial waste into the lake than allowed. The Times of Northwest Indiana reports that the refinery has been dealing with the problem at its wastewater treatment plant since Friday. The company told the Indiana Department of Environmental Management that it discharged more than 8,900 pounds of total suspended solids Monday. It’s allowed to discharge nearly 5,700 pounds per day.. ...Read Full Story

Michigan Getting $3.4 Million In Settlement With Drug Maker

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Michigan is expected to get nearly $3.4 million of a multi-state settlement with a pharmaceutical company. Attorney General Bill Schuette says in a statement Friday that the money ispart of a $125 million national settlement with Cephalon. Part of the money will go to Michigan consumers who bought the drug Provigil. The settlement ends a multistate investigation into conduct by Cephalon that delayed generic versions of Provigil from entering the market for years, causing consumers to pay higher prices. The company denied wrongdoing. The settlement is subject to court review.. ...Read Full Story

Berrien Commissioners Approve Use Of Additional Courthouse Deputies

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Two additional deputies will now serve as full-time guards at the Berrien County Courthouse in St. Joseph. The county board of commissioners approved the expenditure at a Thursday meeting in response to last month’s courthouse shootings. Berrien County Sheriff Paul Bailey says the department used to always have two deputies transfer inmates, but that had to be cut. He’s glad to get the old positions back.. ...Read Full Story

Poll: Police Harassment Familiar To Some Minorities

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Two-thirds of young African-Americans and 4 in 10 Hispanics say that they or someone they know has experienced violence or harassment at the
hands of the police. That’s according to a new GenForward poll. The poll found about 2 in 10 in each group say that was a personal experience, including about 3 in 10 black men. GenForward is a survey of adults age 18 to 30 by the Black Youth Project at the University of Chicago with the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The poll follows several recent killings of young black men by police and the killing of police officers last month in Dallas and Baton Rouge, Louisiana.. ...Read Full Story

Benton Harbor 150th Birthday Party

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Birthday cake, refreshments and local community leaders were on hand Thursday night as the Morton House Museum threw a party to commemorate Benton Harbor’s 150th birthday. Museum Board of Director Chuck Jager says the Morton House is the oldest house in Benton Harbor. And to celebrate…. ...Read Full Story

Cardboard Boat Races To Raise Money For The United Way

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Time to register for the Rock the Boat Cardboard Boat Races is running out. The event organized by Whirlpool employees is set for August 27 at The Inn at Harbor Shores, and the registration deadline is next Monday. The Cardboard Boat Race will raise money for the United Way of Southwest Michigan. Everyone who takes part will get to make a small board out of cardboard and then see how long, or if, it floats. You can also sponsor a boat if you’d like to contribute. To find out more about signing up, go to UWSM.org/RockTheBoat .. ...Read Full Story

Coloma Glad-Peach Festival Starts Friday

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Starting this Friday is the 49th annual Coloma Glad-Peach Festival. The event celebrates the region’s peach growers, and gives everyone a chance to have a good time. Festival President Julie Pupedis says vendors open up around noon Friday and then the opening ceremony is at 6:15 p.m. Then, it’s on to the evening’s entertainment.. ...Read Full Story

Lansing Court Reviewing Security After Attempted Attack

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Security policies are being reviewed at a courthouse in Michigan’s capital after a man on trial for sexual abuse tried to attack a prosecutor with a long piece of metal. Video of the incident was posted online by the Lansing State Journal. It shows Joshua Harding pulling something from his sleeve Tuesday, crossing the courtroom and lunging at prosecutor Jonathan Roth. Roth got out of the way at the last second while a Meridian Township police detective tackled Harding. Ingham County Sheriff Gene Wriggelsworth says the video, taken by a courtroom security camera, is “breathtaking.” The sheriff says he doesn’t know where Harding got the metal piece. Chief Judge Janelle Lawless says she’s in favor of having jail inmates pass through a metal detector before entering court.. ...Read Full Story

“Breastfeeding On The Bluff” Planned For Saturday

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The benefits of breastfeeding are the inspiration for an event planned for Saturday on the bluff in downtown St. Joseph. “Breastfeeding on the Bluff” is set for 10 a.m. The event is being organized by the Berrien County Breastfeeding Coalition and the county health department, and will feature moms from all over the area. Health department spokesperson Gillian Conrad says it’s better for both the baby and the mom when a mother breastfeeds.. ...Read Full Story

Judge Won’t Intervene In Juvenile Lifer Resentencings

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A federal judge won’t stop the process of resentencing hundreds of Michigan prisoners who are serving no-parole sentences. Judge John Corbett O’Meara on Wednesday turned down a request for an injunction that would have affected so-called juvenile lifers, prisoners who were sentenced
to life for murder committed when they were under 18. In the months ahead, they’ll be resentenced because the U.S. Supreme Court says automatic no-parole sentences for teens are illegal. The punishment still is possible but only after a thorough hearing at which a judge would learn more about the defendant’s background. Lawyers for juvenile lifers claim a no-parole sentence still would be an unconstitutional punishment. But O’Meara says any challenge should first be made at the resentencing hearings in state court, not in federal court.. ...Read Full Story

Milestone Reached In Construction Of New Red Wings Home

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The new home of the Detroit Red Wings has reached a construction milestone. A ceremony took place Thursday to mark the placement of the final piece of structural steel for the roof of Little Caesars Arena. Olympia Development of  Michigan says the piece of steel, in keeping with tradition, bears the signatures of the project’s ironworkers. The arena is scheduled to open in 2017 after the Red Wings play a final season at Joe Louis Arena. It’s part of an entertainment district being built north of
downtown. Mike and Marian Ilitch co-founded Little Caesars in 1959 and bought the Red Wings in 1982. Mike Ilitch bought the Detroit Tigers in 1992.
. ...Read Full Story