Local News Archives

Berrien County Commissioner Teri Sue Freehling is speaking out to thank her colleagues on the commission for the kindness shown since the death of her husband earlier this year. In a statement to the board read at Thursday’s meeting, Freehling also addressed the issues that have led to both a police investigation and now an investigation by a special counsel hired by the commission into potential conflicts of interest with her late husband’s business. She noted she’s been on “a steep learning curve” since Patrick Freehling’s death, including “learning new information about requisitions for drain contracts presented to the Board for work done by Hartzler Excavating LLC in 2017-18 and REV Excavating LLC in 2018 and 2019.”. ...Read Full Story

The bomb threat against the Benton Harbor-St. Joseph YMCA on Hollywood Road appears to have been an inside job. The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department has arrested 48-year-old Mario Cummings of Benton Harbor, who was an employee of the YMCA at the time the threat was called in just after 7 a.m. today. He is now in the Berrien County Jail on a charge of making a terrorist threat or a false report of terrorism, which is a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison.. ...Read Full Story

Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Billy Joel is slated to be the next artist to hold a concert at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend. The university and LiveNation announced Joel as the just the second concert in the stadium’s history on Thursday, following Garth Brooks last October. WSJM News asked Notre Dame vice president for University enterprises and events Micki Kidder how they went about deciding who would be next to perform.. ...Read Full Story

Things are back to normal at the Benton Harbor-St. Joseph YMCA after a bomb threat this morning. A call was placed to the facility in Royalton Township around 7 a.m. from someone who claimed to have put a bomb inside. The building was evacuated as police were called. The Berrien County Sheriff’s Office called in Spectrum Health Lakeland’s bomb-sniffing K-9 to help with the search, and the dog found no evidence of anything. The all-clear was given shortly before 9 a.m. Sheriff Paul Bailey says they’ve not yet identified any suspects.. ...Read Full Story

Set for this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday is 103.7 COSY radio’s Project Personal Care drive. COSY’s Paul Layendecker tells WSJM News Project Personal Care collects items for those in need, but not the usual canned goods.. ...Read Full Story

Growing up in homelessness is tough for any child, and thousands of these kids in Michigan also are navigating the streets without the care of parent or guardian. There are more than 4,800 “unaccompanied youth” in Michigan’s K-12 schools, who a new report shows are vulnerable to untreated mental-health issues, physical victimization and sexual exploitation. Parker James is with the Michigan League for Public Policy, which released the report.. ...Read Full Story

St. Joseph High School Principal Greg Blomgren says a new partnership between the school and the Boys and Girls Club of Benton Harbor has gotten off to a good start. The club just opened a new location at the high school. Blomgren tells WSJM News it comes out of a pilot program at EP Clarke Elementary last year.. ...Read Full Story

The Frederick S. Upton Foundation has announced a $20,000 matching grant for Emergency Shelter Services. ESS Director Julee Laurent tells WSJM News the organization is now raising money to bring in those extra funds. She says Emergency Shelter Services works to help people who are in danger of becoming homeless.. ...Read Full Story

If you’re dealing with stink bugs in your home, you’re not alone. Nor Serocki of the Van Buren Conservation District has some ideas about keeping bugs from getting in.. ...Read Full Story

One year. That’s all the time that’s left to upgrade your driver’s license or state ID card to one that’s federally REAL-ID compliant in order to take a flight or enter any federal property. Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson says her office is pushing it hard right now to make sure no one gets a surprise next fall if they try to get on a plane without having an enhanced license. She says REAL-ID was born out of the reaction to the 9-11 attacks, with a commission coming out with a report that said every state had their own standards, with some more easily forged than others.. ...Read Full Story

With a goal of fighting racism and helping to improve the health of residents, the Benton Harbor City Commission has approved the creation of a Racial Equity Reform Committee. Commissioners approved the idea at Monday’s meeting. The goal of the committee will be to “ensure ongoing strategic support for racial equity education, relief, recovery, and reform for the residents of Benton Harbor.” The five-member committee will be run under the consultation of resident and former Benton Harbor Area Schools Board of Education member Elnora Gavin. Mayor Pro Tem Duane Seats said during Monday’s meeting there’s a long way to go toward achieving racial equity. The members of the committee have not yet been named.. ...Read Full Story

The Benton Harbor Department of Public Safety is investigating a Tuesday shooting. It says officers were called to the area of Benton Harbor High School around 1:35 p.m. on reports of shots fired. They found evidence there had been a shootout on Empire and in the alley between Empire and Lavette in the 800 block. Officers searched a home one of the suspects may have gone into, and say they found a large amount of drugs and two guns. Three men from the home were detained and turned over to the Southwest Enforcement Team in relation to the search of the house. Meanwhile, police say a burgundy Cadillac sedan was seen in the area where the shots had been fired, and they’re looking for that vehicle. Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to contact the Benton Harbor Department of Public Safety. The shooting prompted a lockdown at Benton Harbor High School, but police say the incident did not occur there or involve any students.. ...Read Full Story

The Van Buren County Sheriff’s Department and one of its K9s are in the running to win a brand new Chevy Tahoe, fully outfitted for police K9 use. The department says Deputy Eric Calhoun and K9 Kuno are finalists in the Vested Interest K9 SUV sweepstakes. Vested Interest is a group that gives protective vests to police K9s around the country. It’s taking votes from the public for which K9 and handler should win the sweepstakes, and you can vote through October 31. Kuno has been with the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Department for about two years, and is trained in suspect apprehension, narcotics detection, and tracking. In 2018, Kuno and Deputy Calhoun located a missing three-year-old boy and reunited him with his family. Everyone’s welcome to go to the sweepstakes website and to put in a vote for Kuno. You can vote at www.vik9s.org/suvvote.. ...Read Full Story

Congressman Fred Upton is among those sounding the alarm over President Trump’s decision to pull U.S. troops out of Syria. Upton told WHTC Tuesday morning the Kurds are in danger of being wiped out by Turkey with no U.S. there to deter that country.. ...Read Full Story

The Benton Harbor City Commission has opted not to fire the city’s legal firm. At a Monday meeting, the body considered a motion from Commissioner Juanita Henry to give 60 days’ notice to the law firm, Bittner Jennings, and to begin seeking bids for new legal representation. Henry said a similar motion was approved by the body in 2017, but never acted on.. ...Read Full Story

Changes will be made starting Wednesday to Business Loop I-196 in South Haven from Phoenix Street to Aylworth Avenue. Also known as Broadway and LaGrange avenues, the road will be changing from a four-lane roadway to three lanes, with one in each direction and a center turn lane. Called a “road diet,” the plan is to study the change in the striping of the street for a year before any permanent changes would be made to the pavement. South Haven Public Works director Bill Hunter says Compton, Incorporated has been hired to do the re-striping, which will wrap up later this fall.. ...Read Full Story

There’s another case of Eastern Equine Encephalitis in the area. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services confirms the latest is a Cass County resident who fell ill on September 20 prior to the start of aerial spraying for mosquitoes in 14 counties on September 30. Berrien, Cass, Van Buren and Allegan counties were among those with areas that the state sprayed to kill off adult mosquitoes. Officials say there have been more human cases of Triple-E this year than at any point in the past decade with 10. Four people have died from the illness, which kills one in three people infected on average. There is no vaccine for people. Along with the human cases in Barry, Berrien, Calhoun, Cass, Kalamazoo, and Van Buren counties, 34 animals in 15 counties have been confirmed to have Triple-E including two wolf pups at the Binder Park Zoo in Battle Creek.. ...Read Full Story

On the heels of last year’s successful debut concert at Notre Dame Stadium by Garth Brooks, the South Bend university is getting ready for another show. Notre Dame officials say they will have a “major concert announcement” Thursday morning. Unlike the show by the country music legend a year ago this month, the university is tight-lipped about who it could be. Garth Brooks was the first artist to perform in the iconic football stadium, though Notre Dame has held concerts in the basketball arena for decades. WSJM News will be at Notre Dame Stadium for the announcement, and will bring you the news on our Facebook page as soon as it’s announced.. ...Read Full Story

Michigan’s ban on the sale and marketing of flavored vaping products is expected to send money just south of the border. Vape shop owners in Indiana believe the move by Governor Whitmer last month to outlaw the products will boost their bottom line. A clerk at Michiana Mini Mart in South Bend tells the “South Bend Tribune” they’re looking for a similar jump in sales to when Indiana legalized Sunday alcohol sales last year. Michigan’s prohibition on flavored e-cigarette products followed the declaration of a public health crisis by Governor Whitmer and preceded the first death in the state linked to a vaping-related illness. To date, there have been 18 such deaths in 15 states across the country. However, any boost in business in Indiana, Ohio, or Illinois could be short lived if President Trump pushes forward on his thought that flavored vape products should be outlawed nationwide.. ...Read Full Story

From the Associated Press — State health officials say consumption guidelines are not needed for deer harvested from Oakland County’s Proud Lake Recreation Area, northwest of Detroit. The Detroit News reports the Michigan’s Department of Health and Human Services says tests showed no per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, in muscle and heart tissue samples from 20 white-tailed deer harvested within 5 miles of Norton Creek in Commerce Township. The toxins are used in various stain- and stick-resistant household products. They’re also a component of firefighting foam. Officials recommend that people not eat livers and kidneys of deer taken from the recreation area. They say perfluorooctane sulfonic acid – a type of PFAS – was found in liver and kidney samples. Some liver samples also had low detectable levels of polychlorinated biphenyls, PCBs.. ...Read Full Story

Benton Harbor City Commissioners have postponed a moratorium on allowing recreational marijuana businesses in the community. As the state prepares to accept applications from prospective recreational marijuana businesses, commissioners were asked last week to approve a ban that could be undone later once rules to govern those operations can be drafted. The body held off, wanting more discussion to take place in committee. This week, the issue was brought to the full body again, and once again, it was tabled for more committee discussion. Mayor Marcus Muhammad said a moratorium is needed while the state gets its act together.. ...Read Full Story

Congressional leaders are still trying to hammer out a new trade agreement with Canada and Mexico, and there’s a lot on the line for workers in Michigan. The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA, would replace NAFTA. Exports within North America account for some 180,000 Michigan jobs, and Michigan is second in the U.S. for trade with its neighbors. Ford Motor Company’s President of Automotive Joe Hinrichs explains the trade deal is especially crucial for the auto industry, which depends on the free flow of trade between the three countries.. ...Read Full Story

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has announced $1 million in funding for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to study the relationship between PFAS exposure and certain health outcomes in areas of the state affected by the chemical. Congressman Fred Upton tells WSJM News the funding is being granted as part of a nationwide, multi-site study to understand the health risks posed by PFAS in water. He says Michigan has been at the forefront of efforts to respond to PFAS.. ...Read Full Story

The Boys and Girls Club of Benton Harbor has opened a new location at St. Joseph High School. Director of Operations Liji Hanny tells WSJM News the organization ran a pilot last year at E.P. Clarke Elementary School that went well, and then administration at St. Joseph Public Schools inquired about having something similar for the high school. The Boys and Girls Club location opened in one classroom last week.. ...Read Full Story

From The Associated Press — Michigan is the fifth state to partner with the AARP and the World Health Organization to be age-friendly, so people can age in place in their homes and communities. Governor Gretchen Whitmer helped announce Michigan’s application and certification on Monday at an AARP conference near Lansing. Michigan is one of the most rapidly aging states in the country. Projections show that in 2025, it will be the first state where residents age 65 and older outnumber those 18 and younger – a decade ahead of the nation as a whole. Whitmer says Michigan is the first state in the Midwest to join the network, which provides resources so cities, counties and states can become more age-friendly. The resources include access to research, planning models, best
practices and funding opportunities.. ...Read Full Story

Following up on a story we brought to you last week, the parent company of Michigan’s Adventure and Cedar Point is rejecting a merger offer from Six Flags. The $4 billion offer had been made last week. Reuters reports Cedar Fair officials felt the $70 per share buyout offer was too low. Six Flags has 26 amusement parks in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, while Cedar Fair’s portfolio includes 11 amusement parks and five water parks in the U.S. and Canada. Both have parks within a two-hour drive of southwest Michigan, depending on traffic, with Six Flags’ Great America in the north Chicago suburbs and Cedar Fair’s Michigan’s Adventure in Muskegon County.. ...Read Full Story

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office is looking for a smaller, red SUV with front end damage that was involved in a hit-and-run crash in Mason Township. It happened just before 6:30 Sunday evening in the 70-thousand block of 5 Points Road. An Elkhart woman was turning left into a driveway when the SUV tried to pass her and hit her in the driver’s side. That driver, 32-year-old Alexandra Pressler, was taken to Elkhart General Hospital to be treated for undisclosed injuries, and her condition has not been released.. ...Read Full Story

Somebody has several high-end new iPhones that are worthless. The Xtreme Mobile Boost Wireless store was broken into last week on October 4, with the suspects breaking out the front door to get in. An employee tells WSJM News several iPhones were taken, but they won’t work without being activated by the retailer. Benton Township Police have no information on the crime, but the store says they do have surveillance footage of the incident. The store remains open.. ...Read Full Story

Michigan’s average gas price is up a bit over the last week. Triple-A pegs that at $2.69, up 7¢ a gallon from last week and 3¢ higher than the national average. The highest prices are in Ann Arbor at $2.74, while Traverse City’s $2.52 is the lowest average in the state. In Benton Harbor and St. Joseph, the auto club puts the average at $2.62, the second-lowest in the state. According to GasBuddy, South Haven’s prices range from $2.59 to $2.64. South Haven isn’t part of the AAA survey.. ...Read Full Story

Indiana Michigan Power is seeking permission from state regulators to hike electric rates by almost 19%, and to that end the Michigan Public Service Commission will hold a forum this evening at Lake Michigan College. The MPSC wants to hear from area residents who are I&M customers from 5 to 7 pm at the Blue Lecture Hall on the LMC campus in Benton Harbor. The utility submitted its future plans to the commission this summer, which include modernizing the electrical grid in southwest Michigan to cut down on the number and length of power outages, replacing poles and wires, and doing $478 million worth of improvements to the Cook Nuclear Plant. The 19% proposed rate hike would raise the monthly bill for an average customer by around $36.. ...Read Full Story

The Spectrum Health Lakeland Auxiliary has pledged another $500,000 to the Lakeland Medical Center Pavilion project, bringing its total gift to $1 million for the work. This is the organization’s largest pledge to the hospital so far. The $500,000 announced on Wednesday will go toward the renovation of the Courtyard Café and Main Street which will connect the front of the hospital to the new pavilion when it’s all finished in 2020. Spectrum Health Lakeland Auxiliary President Linda Freeze says the group is pleased to renew its commitment to the Lakeland Medical Center Pavilion. Spectrum Health Lakeland says the community has contributed more than $5.7 million to the pavilion project so far. You can follow its latest progress at SpectrumHealthLakeland.org/Pavilion.. ...Read Full Story

An after-school program focused on local history could soon be coming back to Benton Harbor High School. The board of education this week heard from Princella Tobias, who ran the local history program at the school in 2016. She wants to do it again this year, and tells WSJM News she learned the last time that teaching the kids about the history of their own community had a great impact on them.. ...Read Full Story

The Trump administration has the right to repeal Obama-era net neutrality protections. That’s the decision Tuesday by the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. The ruling means internet service providers like Verizon, AT&T, and Comcast, will continue to have the legal right to block or slow down websites they don’t like, or charge more for faster internet service. Timothy Karr with the nonprofit group Free Press, says the ISPs may now be emboldened to push websites that they own, and thus stifle competition and freedom of expression.. ...Read Full Story

On Monday, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed the current fiscal year budget into law, but did so with 147 line item vetoes that took nearly $1 billion in spending off the table. Freshman state Representative Pauline Wendzel of Watervliet is still upset about how it was done.. ...Read Full Story

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and the Cora Lamping Center for Survivors of Domestic and Sexual Violence is telling everyone what they can do to help. Center supervisor Salena Jonjevis tells WSJM News everyone would just do one thing, they could contribute to fighting the problem.. ...Read Full Story

Residents of South Haven are being offered a chance to own a piece of local history. City Manager Brian Dissette tells WSJM News as underground work is done as part of the Center Street reconstruction, they’re making some interesting finds.. ...Read Full Story

State Representative Beth Griffin of Mattawan is not pleased Governor Gretchen Whitmer vetoed nearly $1 billion in appropriations approved by the Michigan Legislature this week. Griffin tells WSJM News lawmakers have seen many important programs slashed by the governor.. ...Read Full Story

The Krasl Art Center in St. Joseph is going to hold a panel discussion on the benefits of public art installations this coming Tuesday. Krasl Marketing Manager Matthew Bizoe tells WSJM News they’re going to have artists Richard Hunt and John Sauve on hand for the open discussion. He notes St. Joseph-Benton Harbor has more than 40 public art installations.. ...Read Full Story

US House investigators have released dozens of text messages between American diplomats in Ukraine discussing President Donald Trump’s demands that the country launch an investigation into Joe Biden’s family. In return, the texts suggest, Ukraine’s new president would get a high-profile visit to Washington.. ...Read Full Story

Michigan’s Unemployment Insurance Agency has announced a new partnership with job searching social network LinkedIn to help clients find new employment. Unemployment Insurance Agency Deputy Director Kimberly Berry tells WSJM News Michigan is part of a three-state pilot being launched by LinkedIn to have special portals for those who are unemployed and receiving benefits.. ...Read Full Story

From the Associated Press — The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has announced the state’s first death associated with an outbreak of vaping-related lung illnesses. The agency said Friday that it was notified Wednesday of the death of a man whose lung illness was linked to vaping. No other details were released. Of the more than 1,000 confirmed or probable vaping-related illnesses in the U.S., 30 have been reported in Michigan since August. No single device, ingredient or additive has been identified as the culprit. Most of those sickened say they vaped products containing THC, the high-producing ingredient in marijuana. Others say they vaped both THC and nicotine. A smaller group report they vaped only products containing nicotine. Governor Gretchen Whitmer recently banned the sale of flavored e-cigarettes.. ...Read Full Story

Berrien County Treasurer Bret Witkowski will hold a workshop on reverse mortgages this month. He tells WSJM News a lot of people have questions about what they are.. ...Read Full Story

An effort to acquire about three acres of lakefront property in Chikaming Township to be used for expanding a public beach is inching toward success. Chikaming Township Supervisor David Bunte tells WSJM News after the Cherry Beach Project was passed up for a state grant last year, they started collecting donation pledges again this year.. ...Read Full Story

News/Talk 94.9 WSJM and 98.3 The Coast are again teaming up with City Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning for the fifth annual Flush Out Cancer in downtown St. Joseph on Friday, October 11. Mike Ross of City Plumbing says it started through his friendship with the late Denise Bohn and a collaboration with The Coast. Ross says that happened after his mom was diagnosed with cancer. The proceeds go to Berrien County Cancer Services, and he personally took their money to them last year.. ...Read Full Story

An overnight fire has heavily damaged the state’s largest deer-processing plant that’s known for its iconic meat market. The fire began early Friday morning at the Country Smoke House in Lapeer County’s Almont Township and spread quickly through the business. Owner Steve Francis says it’s been a hard week.. ...Read Full Story

A Benton Harbor man is being treated for critical injuries after he was struck by a vehicle on Friday morning. The Benton Harbor Department of Public Safety says the crash happened on Main Street near Fair Avenue around 5:40 a.m. Officers arrived to find the 38-year-old man lying in the road and a vehicle that had sustained damage. It was driven by a 61-year-old Benton Harbor woman who had been eastbound. The man was taken to Spectrum Health Lakeland for treatment. The woman was not hurt. The crash remains under investigation.. ...Read Full Story

More than 50 people are temporarily displaced from Sunset Landing Apartments in Bridgman after a fire in a third floor unit on Thursday afternoon. It’s believed the fire started by someone cooking. The flames were contained to that unit, but several apartments have water and smoke damage. An inspection and repairs need to be done before residents will be allowed back in. No one was hurt in the fire, which started around 4 p.m. at the complex along Red Arrow Highway. Bridgman police thanked Harbor Country Mission for helping residents with food and water and with the use of their building to allow the Red Cross a spot to help people find a place to stay.. ...Read Full Story

Congressman Fred Upton has sent a letter to the Centers for Disease Control seeking more information about Eastern Equine Encephalitis. He tells WSJM News the increase in cases around Michigan this year is a concern.. ...Read Full Story

This is Fire Prevention Month, and 1,000 free smoke detectors are being given away in Berrien County. Servpro of Berrien County’s Bob Rogers tells WSJM News the company has distributed smoke detectors to local fire departments for about 14 years now.. ...Read Full Story

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is raising awareness about liver cancer this month. Spokesperson Lynn Sutfin tells WSJM News cases of liver cancer in Michigan have risen dramatically in the past decade or so.. ...Read Full Story

The Krasl Art Center in St. Joseph is going to hold a panel discussion on the benefits of public art installations next week. Krasl Marketing Manager Matthew Bizoe tells WSJM News they’re going to have artists Richard Hunt and John Sauve on hand for the open discussion. He notes St. Joseph-Benton Harbor has more than 40 public art installations.. ...Read Full Story

Three people are dead and three others are critically injured after a plane crash near Lansing Thursday morning. The single engine plan carrying the six passengers went down around 9 a.m. in a field near the Capital Region International Airport. Officials say the flight originated in Indianapolis and the plane was attempting to land when the crash occurred. Clinton County Sheriff Larry Jerue says the scene of the crash is not as some might expect.. ...Read Full Story

Michigan’s Adventure could be getting new ownership. The amusement park in the Muskegon area is currently owned by Cedar Fair, which also owns Cedar Point in Ohio. Reuters is reporting Six Flags is interested in a merger, and Cedar Fair is considering the cash-and-stock offer. No details have been released about the possible merger. Cedar Fair owns and operates 11 amusement parks and five water parks in the United States and Canada, while Six Flags is the largest amusement park operator in the world with 26 parks in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. According to the Reuters report, Six Flags is viewing the potential buyout of Cedar Fair as a way to increase its ticketing pricing power, which could mean it’ll cost us even more to go to Cedar Point or Michigan’s Adventure if it goes through.. ...Read Full Story

This year’s official state Christmas tree will be the fourth from Dickinson County and the 23rd from the Upper Peninsula. The Department of Technology, Management and Budget says the 61-foot blue spruce is being donated by Jordan and Sarah Wolfenberg of Iron Mountain. It will be cut down on October 24 and hauled to Lansing to be placed in front of the state Capitol. The tree will be lit as part of the city of Lansing’s annual Silver Bells in the City celebration on November 22. This will be the 35th annual Silver Bells event, and will include a concert by 1980s pop star Tiffany to wrap up the evening’s festivities.. ...Read Full Story

The Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the shooting deaths of a husband and wife in Paw Paw. Officers were called to the home in the 46-thousand block of 30th Street on a report someone had been found dead just before 10 a.m. Wednesday. Both had been shot, and investigators say there is no threat to the public, indicating a possible murder-suicide. Investigators are awaiting autopsy results, and the sheriff’s office says they will not be releasing the names of the couple until family members are notified.. ...Read Full Story

The Trump administration has the right to repeal Obama-era net neutrality protections. That’s the decision Tuesday by the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. The ruling means internet service providers like Verizon, AT&T, and Comcast, will continue to have the legal right to block or slow down websites they don’t like, or charge more for faster internet service. Timothy Karr with the nonprofit group Free Press, says the ISPs may now be emboldened to push websites that they own, and thus stifle competition and freedom of expression.. ...Read Full Story

State Representative Beth Griffin of Mattawan is not pleased Governor Gretchen Whitmer vetoed nearly $1 billion in appropriations approved by the Michigan Legislature this week. Griffin tells WSJM News lawmakers have seen many important programs slashed by the governor.. ...Read Full Story

An after-school program focused on local history could soon be coming back to Benton Harbor High School. The board of education this week heard from Princella Tobias, who ran the local history program at the school in 2016. She wants to do it again this year, and tells WSJM News she learned the last time that teaching the kids about the history of their own community had a great impact on them.. ...Read Full Story