Local News Archives

The Twin City Players have announced the cancellation of the remainder of their season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The players say the decision comes following federal, state and CDC recommendations to reduce social gatherings in an attempt to curb the spread of the illness. TCP Board President Kraig Kirkdorfer says it was a difficult decision, but the theater group must put the safety and health of patrons and members first. The cancellation affects two shows. They are The Women of Lockerbie, which had been set for March 20 through April 5, and Fun Home, which was to have taken place from June 5 through June 28. The Twin City Players are now working on reaching ticket holders and those with season passes. They’re hoping patrons will simple donate the cost of their ticket as the organization says it’s taken a significant financial hit as a result of the cancellations. Twin City Players say they continue to plan for the 2020-2021 season, which is slated to start in September.. ...Read Full Story

The Twin Cities Area Transportation Authority, or Dial A Ride, says it remains open, but it’s urging riders to only use the bus service when it’s absolutely necessary for trips to work for essential service providers, to pick up food or prescriptions, or to travel to emergency medical appointments not related to COVID-19. Dial A Ride offers three fixed routes as well as on demand response service in the Twin Cities area. Dial A Ride Director Paul Gillespie says the organization is committed to providing service as long as it’s safe for passengers and drivers. He says Dial A Ride urges people to stay at home and heed the warnings to avoid unnecessary travel. Anyone who is sick or showing signs of respiratory illness should not take the buses or any public transportation.. ...Read Full Story

Congressman Fred Upton expects a quick U.S. House vote on an economic stimulus passage once it’s approved by the Senate. He told WSJM News from his home in St. Joseph on Tuesday he was hoping the Senate package could get complete support by House members.. ...Read Full Story

Michigan is now under a “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order signed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer. She says public health scientists are clear that a 14-day freeze on movement will stop the spread.. ...Read Full Story

Governor Gretchen Whitmer is calling on everyone to make donations of some supplies to help keep people safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her office has released the following statement:. ...Read Full Story

The Berrien County Health Department has stepped up efforts to trace the contacts of individuals in the community who could have been exposed to COVID-19. The Berrien County Health Department has released the following statement:. ...Read Full Story

There’s another sharp increase in the number of coronavirus cases in the state. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services says the number now stands at 1,791 with 24 deaths. In southwest Michigan, one case is in Allegan County, eight cases are in Berrien County, with three in Kalamazoo County. Cass, St. Joseph, and Van Buren counties remain without any confirmed COVID-19 cases. Kent and Ottawa counties numbers are up, with 31 in Kent and 15 in Ottawa.. ...Read Full Story

End the school year now. That’s the plea from Detroit Public Schools Community District superintendent Nikolai Vitti to the Michigan Department of Education. In a letter, Vitti says there are too many questions about how things will proceed once the three-week shutdown of K-12 schools around the state is over in April. He wants measures put in place for seniors to be able to have enough credits to earn their diplomas and for 8th graders to have what they need to advance to high school in the fall.. ...Read Full Story

The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department is recommending everyone have an emergency plan for their pets as the COVID-19 crisis continues. The department has released the following statement:. ...Read Full Story

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is keeping state parks open for now, but has closed campgrounds and other parks-related facilities. The DNR has released the following statement:. ...Read Full Story

The city of Benton Harbor is the latest municipality in the area to close its offices to the public. The closure took effect today and will be in place until April 13. However, city staff remain on the job and things will be done. The Public Safety Department and Benton Harbor Water Plant are operating normally without interruption to services. Water payments can be made online at bhcity.org or by putting those in the payment drop box in front of city hall. The city commission approved a moratorium earlier this month on water shutoffs for the duration of the coronavirus pandemic, and those who need water service turned on can get that scheduled through the city’s Water Payment Center. There will be no additional costs to turn on service. All other departments will service emergency calls only for the time being.. ...Read Full Story

Because the coronavirus can survive on surfaces for several days, stores in Michigan are no longer accepting bottle and can returns. That recommendation was made this week by the Michigan Retailers Association, the Michigan Beer and Wine Wholesalers Association, and the Midwest Independent Retailers Association. Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, Oregon, and Vermont have stopped taking in the returnables already. The move is meant to help stop the spread of coronavirus and protect the health of the retail workers who handle those returned cans and bottles.. ...Read Full Story

Berrien County’s COVID-19 cases are rising quickly. They were at 4 on Sunday, and have now doubled to 8 as of Tuesday morning. There have not been any deaths in southwest Michigan from the coronavirus outbreak, and the Berrien County Health Department has not released information on the three positive tests since Monday. Three of the first five were of two people who attended the Sandi Patty concert on March 8 at Andrews University, and the husband of one of those women. There are officially 15 people in the state who have died from the illness, but that number is expected to be increased this afternoon when the latest figures from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services are released, as a Detroit police officer has died from COVID-19.. ...Read Full Story

The office of Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is going to mail out absentee ballot applications for elections planned for May 5. The Michigan State Emergency Operations Center has released the following statement:. ...Read Full Story

Community leaders from Detroit and clean water organizations are calling on Governor Gretchen Whitmer to establish public hand-washing stations because of the slow pace of returning water service to households whose water has been cut off. Detroit resident Nicole Hill has experienced shutoffs several times in recent years, and says limited access to drinking water is impacting her family’s health as it makes eating adequately difficult. She adds more also needs to be done to inform residents about how to get water restored and protect themselves from the virus.. ...Read Full Story

Antiques on the Bluff is the latest event put on by St. Joseph Today that’s being impacted by coronavirus. Executive director Amy Zapal says they are canceling the first show of the year, which had been set for Saturday, May 3. As a result, this year’s Antiques on the Bluff season is set to start on Sunday, June 7, but that can also change depending on the latest developments with COVID-19.. ...Read Full Story

Governor Gretchen Whitmer is urging the federal government to open a special enrollment period for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act. Last week, the governor and Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services Director Anita Fox issued a call for an extra enrollment period so people without coverage could get another chance to sign up. Whitmer reiterated her call this weekend, saying it “is more important than ever for Michiganders to know they have health insurance coverage that will pay for them to be tested and treated for COVID-19.” Her office says Michigan and 32 other states with federally-facilitated marketplaces need the Trump administration to allow the state to open enrollment. As of Saturday, nine states that operate state-based exchanges have opened special enrollment periods to allow people to sign up for health insurance coverage. The governor’s office says special enrollment periods have been allowed by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in the past. For example, after Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, they were allowed for residents affected.. ...Read Full Story

The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department, the Berrien County Health Department, and Spectrum Health Lakeland have issued a statement to answer some of the questions they’ve been getting about the stay at home order issued by Governor Gretchen Whitmer. The statement is below:. ...Read Full Story

With many businesses now being forced to temporarily close due to Governor Whitmer’s “Stay Safe, Stay Home” order, she is acknowledging there will be pain felt in the economy. But, there is also help available. Cornerstone Alliance president and CEO Rob Cleveland is reminding businesses that they are the Small Business Administration provider for Berrien, Cass, and Van Buren counties.. ...Read Full Story

Bangor Police are teaming up with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to try to find 17-year-old Joanna Serrano. She was last seen on February 18, but her last known location has not been released. Serrano is multi-racial, 5’2″, 130 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. Bangor police say she is Asian, black, Hispanic, and white. She has been known to wear glasses and has pierced ears. Anyone who knows where she may be is urged to call 9-1-1.. ...Read Full Story

People are using more disposable wipes in the last few weeks to clean surfaces in their homes due to the coronavirus pandemic, but a reminder is going out from the city of South Haven to only put those in the trash and don’t flush them in the toilet. Sure, there are some baby wipes and others that say on the packaging they’re “flushable,” but city officials say they’re anything but. Wipes don’t have the ability to break down like toilet paper, and wind up clogging home and municipal sewer pipes. They can get hung up on a root, or any imperfection in the pipe, and then start to collect everything else. They can also damage pumps at wastewater treatment plans. The city of South Haven concludes its reminder by saying they “realize everyone is concerned about disinfection, and using disinfection wipes, flushable wipes, and paper towels for this purpose are admirable. However, these items do not belong in the toilet.”. ...Read Full Story

COVID-19 cases in Michigan are now up to 1,328 with 15 deaths. The latest figures from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services shows the virus remains concentrated in metro Detroit, but is spreading with five cases in Berrien County, one in Allegan County, and 3 in Kalamazoo County in southwest Michigan, all new since the end of last week. The city of Detroit has now overtaken Oakland County for the highest number of cases with 411, as Oakland has 329. The state is counting cases in Detroit separate from Wayne County, which has 227 cases of its own. Of the 15 deaths, six are in Detroit, one is in Kent County, two each are in Macomb and Wayne counties, and four have died in Oakland County.. ...Read Full Story

Berrien County officials have issued a joint statement on the stay at home order issued today by the office of Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Below is their full statement:. ...Read Full Story

Congressman Fred Upton has co-sponsored legislation urging President Trump to make effective use of the Defense Production Act in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Upton has joined colleagues in calling on the president to immediately share with Congress plans for the use of the Defense Production Act powers, including targets and timelines to produce supplies needed to address the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the results of the ongoing use of those authorities. The resolution also states the House stands ready to make additional appropriations available to meet the needs of Defense Production Act invocation. Upton says “we need all hands on deck, and the bipartisan resolution we introduced today urges the President to use the Defense Production Act to ensure we as a nation unleash the stockpile of supplies to help health care workers and save lives.”. ...Read Full Story

Governor Whitmer is issuing a new executive order shutting down most of the state. The following is the release from her office:. ...Read Full Story

Berrien County is now up to 5 COVID-19 cases. The first two were announced Saturday and were women who had attended the March 8 Sandi Patty concert at Andrews University. Two more cases were announced on Sunday, and the fifth has been announced today. Of the three cases made public since Sunday, one is the spouse of one of the first to test positive who attended the concert, and another is a man over the age of 60 who had no link to the exposure site at the concert. The third new case announced this morning is a man over the age of 60 who is being treated at Spectrum Health Lakeland in St. Joseph, and the Berrien County Health Department does not know if he had any connection to the concert.. ...Read Full Story

Governor Gretchen Whitmer is expected to announce a “stay at home” order during 11 a.m. press conference according to the Detroit Free Press and MIRS News. Illinois and Ohio have already done so. The Michigan Chamber of Commerce and other business organizations had opposed the shutdown, but Chamber CEO Rich Studley and the others spent time meeting with the governor over the weekend about the coronavirus pandemic.. ...Read Full Story

WSJM Morning News-3/23/20. ...Read Full Story

From the Associated Press — Governor Gretchen Whitmer says Michigan needs the federal government to provide not only more test kits and masks but also clear guidance on how best to fight the spread of the coronavirus. Whitmer spoke Sunday on ABC’s “This
Week.”She says Michigan and others are doing the best they can, “but it would be nice to have a national strategy.” As it is, she says the states are “all building the airplane as we fly it.” She is criticizing the federal government for not focusing on the threat much earlier. Michigan has reported a total of 787 cases of COVID-19.. ...Read Full Story

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Michigan is now at least 1,035 with eight deaths. The latest figures from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services show the area of the state most affected by coronavirus remains southeast Michigan. Detroit has 325 cases with four deaths. Wayne County, which the state is counting separate from Detroit, has 152 cases with one death. Oakland County has 277 cases with one death. Macomb County has 140 cases with one death. The state has Berrien County listed with three cases, but the Berrien County Health Department is reporting there are four. There is an even 50% to 50% split by gender in the state, and 58% are over the age of 50.. ...Read Full Story

Berrien County now has four COVID-19 cases. According to a post on the Berrien County Health Department’s Facebook page, one is someone who attended the March 8 concert by Sandi Patty at Andrews University, but the other person was not at the show. Officials say that backs up the assumption under which they’re working that the virus “could be present in many public places in our community. That is why everyone should be taking prevention measures like practicing social distancing and heeding Executive Orders in place. If people are feeling sick, they need to stay home!”. ...Read Full Story

Bronson Healthcare is turning to the public to help meet its needs at its southwest Michigan hospitals and offices. Starting Monday, Bronson will be collecting items at five of its sites in Battle Creek, Kalamazoo, Paw Paw, Portage, and South Haven. They are in need of disposable face masks; N95 masks, also called respirators; eye protection like safety goggles and face shields; disposable gowns, gloves, surgical caps, and foot covers; antimicrobial or bleach wipes; hand sanitizer, and bleach. Bronson is also accepting home-sewn face masks which will be used by staff in appropriate areas to conserve the supply of personal protective equipment. The donations will be accepted from 1 to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Bronson is not taking donations of medication, blankets, toys, clothes, or any other medical supplies.. ...Read Full Story

Governor Gretchen Whitmer has signed an executive order closing facilities that provide non-essential personla care services. The governor’s office has released the following statement:. ...Read Full Story

State Senator Kim LaSata is urging everyone to follow guidelines for preventing the spread of COVID-19. Her office has released the following statement:. ...Read Full Story

The Berrien County Health Department is working to prevent further transmission of COVID-19 after the county’s first two cases were identified on Saturday. The first two positives are adult women under the age of 60 who attended a concert at Andrews University on March 8. The performer, singer Sandi Patty, announced this week she’s been diagnosed with COVID-19. At a press conference on Saturday, Berrien County Medical Director Rick Johansen said things moved quickly from there.. ...Read Full Story

The first presumptive case of COVID-19 in Allegan County has been reported. The Allegan County Health Department has released the following statement:. ...Read Full Story

Confirmed cases of COVID-19 are in southwest Michigan for the first time, with two cases in Berrien County that resulted from close contact with singer Sandi Patty during a March 8 concert at Andrews University in Berrien Springs. She announced on March 17 that she had tested positive, but that was not done in the state of Michigan.. ...Read Full Story

A Pullman man is in the Van Buren County Jail on multiple charges after trying to run away from sheriff’s deputies around 11:30 Friday morning when they spotted his vehicle and realized it matched one reported stolen out of Allegan County. The chase started in Bloomingdale Township and ended in Allegan County when the suspect ditched the vehicle near 110th Avenue and 49th Street and ran into the woods. An Allegan County Sheriff’s Department K-9 officer tracked the 22-year-old man and he was arrested. He’s facing charges of fleeing and eluding, possession of a stolen vehicle, resisting and obstructing police, driving with a suspended license, possession of meth, and for being a fugitive.. ...Read Full Story

The following is the full news release from the Berrien County Health Department announcing two cases of COVID-19:. ...Read Full Story

The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department says two Kalamazoo residents are facing charges over two church break-ins on Saturday morning. Deputies were called  out to the Chapel Hill Church at 4071 Naomi Road in Sodus Township shortly before 6 a.m. when the alarm went off. They found a smashed window on the north side of the building. While they were still at the scene, the deputies were told of another business alarm that had gone off at the Eau Claire Seventh Day Adventist Church at 6562 Naomi Road. Arriving officers found a window on the east side of the building had been smashed. While checking the area, officers found a vehicle sitting on the side of the road with a woman in it. They also found a man walking down the road, and determined the man and woman had been involved in the two break-ins. They were arrested and taken to the Berrien County Jail on charges of breaking and entering, possession of burglary tools, and possession of meth. The names of the suspects have not yet been released.. ...Read Full Story

The Benton Township Police Department is investigating a shooting at the Blossom Acres housing development on Friday night. It says officers were called to the area of Blossom Lane and Concord around 11:40 p.m. on a report of two men in a shootout. The officers arrived to find a 23-year-old Ohio man with a gunshot wound to the shoulder. He was taken to Spectrum Health Lakeland to be treated for non life-threatening injuries. Police say they collected a large number of shell casings from the scene and are continuing to investigate. Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact the Benton Township Police Department.. ...Read Full Story

Governor Gretchen Whitmer has issued a new statement after saying she was “dismayed” by a Michigan Department of Education memo that indicated online learning during the shutdown won’t count toward this year’s learning requirements.. ...Read Full Story

The American Electric Power Foundation has announced it’s donating $240,000 in emergency funds to help communities throughout Michigan and Indiana during the COVID-19 crisis. Indiana Michigan Power’s Schnee Garrett tells WSJM News the funds will be made available to non-profits throughout I&M’s service area.. ...Read Full Story

A body found in Lake Michigan late Thursday at Holland State Park is that of missing 16-year-old Eliza Trainer of Flushing. The Flint-area teen had been missing since being swept off the pier around 11:30 p.m. on New Year’s Day while visiting the lake with a friend for the first time. Trainer’s body was identified through an autopsy Friday in Grand Rapids. Her 19-year-old friend survived and tried to pull her on shore after he was able to get to some rocks, but another wave hit and pulled her away from him. Trainer’s body was found wedged in rocks along the side of the pier.. ...Read Full Story

The Michigan Department of Treasury is telling those who owe taxes to the state to reach out to make arrangements during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. Specifically, it’s offering collections assistance to newly-unemployed Michiganders paying on past-due state tax debts or other state debts. Treasury says effective immediately, individuals who have been laid off or had their place of employment closed due to COVID-19 should contact them to see what options are available. To get assistance, people are encouraged to call Treasury’s Collections Service Center at 517-636-5265. Michigan Treasurer Rachael Eubanks says the department’s “first and foremost priority is the health and safety of Michiganders.”. ...Read Full Story

It’s too early to tell if Michigan will have a state shutdown like has happened in Illinois, New York, and California. Governor Whitmer said Friday afternoon the situation is changing rapidly, but said right now, she’s not ready to take that step.. ...Read Full Story

Berrien County has announced the closure of its county buildings due to COVID-19. The county has issued the following statement:. ...Read Full Story

As of Friday afternoon, there were still no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Berrien County, but that is expected to change. In a livestream on Friday, Spectrum Health Lakeland President Loren Hamel said there is strong demand for tests right now.. ...Read Full Story

Michigan’s COVID-19 positive cases now stand at 549, a jump of 225 from Thursday. There remain none in southwest Michigan – Allegan, Berrien, Cass, Kalamazoo, St. Joseph, and Van Buren counties. Oakland County has 184, followed by 149 in the city of Detroit. Two have died in Detroit, and one has died in Wayne County. The state is separating the numbers from Detroit and Wayne County. Macomb County has 86 cases, followed by 67 in Wayne County and 16 in Washtenaw County. In west Michigan, Kent County’s positive cases have gone from 7 to 12, while Ottawa County remains at one. The Ottawa County patient is a woman who had been treated at Holland Hospital, but has since been discharged. Most of the cases, 55%, are of people 50 and older, while 21% are in their 40s.. ...Read Full Story

Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed Executive Order 2020-17, which imposes temporary restrictions on non-essential medical and dental procedures beginning as soon as possible but no later than March 21, 2020 at 5:00pm. The governor’s office has issued the following statement:. ...Read Full Story

Cass County has announced the closure of several of its buildings. Cass County administration has released the following statement:. ...Read Full Story

Michigan Attorney Dana Nessel says COVID-19 related scams are on the rise. Her office has received more than 800 consumer complaints. The Michigan Attorney General’s office released the following statement on Thursday:. ...Read Full Story

Don’t look for a travel ban or stay home order from Governor Whitmer anytime soon following orders in California for people to shelter in place at home.. ...Read Full Story

Michigan households now are receiving 2020 census forms in the mail – and while the goal is to count everyone, there is concern that some children may be overlooked. Millions of federal dollars are at risk if every child isn’t counted, and nearly two million kids age five and younger were missed in the 2010 census. Children of color and Latinos are especially vulnerable to under-counting. Christine Suave with the Michigan Immigrant Rights Coalition notes there is some distrust in the immigrant community about the use of census data, but she says the benefits are too great to not be counted.. ...Read Full Story

The Berrien County Health Department is preparing for the area’s first COVID-19 cases. Spokesperson Gillian Conrad tells WSJM News as of late Thursday afternoon, the county still had no confirmed cases.. ...Read Full Story

Governor Whitmer announced today that Michigan’s licensed distilleries are now permitted to produce ethanol-based hand sanitizers in order to help meet demand as the state of Michigan mitigates the spread of COVID-19. The State Emergency Operations Center has released the following statement:. ...Read Full Story

Local restaurants are working to adjust to the new normal of only being allowed to serve customers via takeout as the COVID-19 outbreak continues. Jayme Bendoski with the Full Circle Cafe in Stevensville tells WSJM News she’s trying to get used to it.. ...Read Full Story

The Berrien County Board of Commissioners has voted to proceed with applying for some grants to expand two county parks. At a Thursday meeting, it authorized the Berrien County Parks Department to put in for a $300,000 grant for Paw Paw River County Park and a $300,000 grant for Madeline Bertrand County Park with the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund. In the case of Paw Paw River, the money would be used to purchase 63 acres, and in the case of Madeline Bertrand, the purchase would be 33 acres. In each case, the county would have to make a $100,000 match. If approved by the state, the Madeline Bertrand expansion could allow for new hiking trails, biking areas, cross-country skiing, and turkey and deer hunting opportunities. With Paw Paw River County Park, the expansion would allow for more hard surface trails, overlook decks, and fishing. The county won’t hear back from the state about the grant applications until later this year.. ...Read Full Story

Getting things done at a Secretary of State branch office in Michigan will be a bit different for the next several weeks or months. Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson tells WSJM News the changes are due to the coronavirus outbreak.. ...Read Full Story

The Berrien County Board of Commissioners is remaining flexible when it comes to the COVID-19 outbreak. At this week’s meeting, Chair Mac Elliott said the nation’s response to the crisis has once again shown that “when we get focused, when we get purposeful, when we get geared up, we get things done.” He told WSJM News on the county level, the Emergency Operations Center has been partially activated, and responders are adjusting to a dynamic situation.. ...Read Full Story