Local News Archives

(Lansing, MI – AP) – The number of measles cases in Michigan has reached 41, including the first reported in Washtenaw County. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services updated the numbers Monday with two additional cases. Thirty-nine cases have been confirmed in Oakland County.. ...Read Full Story

Medical marijuana businesses are coming to Niles. The Niles City Council passed a measure to allow two businesses to open up if they’re able to obtain licenses from the state. Our partners at WSBT-22 report council members Georgia Boggs and Daniel Vandenheede voted against the measure, based on a presentation from Cass County Prosecutor Victor Fitz. He provided information regarding crime increases in places like Colorado, much like he did trying to convince voters to reject the legalization of recreational marijuana last year in the state. Medicinal marijuana was approved by Michigan voters a decade ago, but the system has only recently started to be fully implemented after years of challenges by former Attorney General Bill Schuette.. ...Read Full Story

Starting this Saturday, hundreds of volunteers will take to the highways across Michigan to pick up litter as part of the annual Adopt a Highway spring clean-up. The Michigan Department of Transportation says the clean-ups will run through April 21. Businesses, churches, non-profits, and families adopt stretches of highway around Michigan to clean up trash each year. MDOT tells us there are 59 active Adopt a Highway clean-up groups in Berrien County, and last year they picked up more than 1,600 bags of trash. Two Berrien County landfills — Orchard Hill and the Southeast Berrien County Landfill — also take the material free of charge. When the volunteers take to the roads this Saturday, drivers are urged to give them plenty of space. MDOT says it could also use some more help picking up litter along more rural stretches of I-94. Anyone interested in creating an Adopt a Highway volunteer group should check MDOT’s website.. ...Read Full Story

LECO Corporation is set to move ahead on an expansion in St. Joseph. The city commission gave the approval for an Industrial Facilities Tax Exemption Certificate on Monday, providing the company with a 50% property tax break for the next dozen years on the $7.2 million in improvements, with construction starting next Monday. Cornerstone Alliance business development manager Cathy Tilley explained.. ...Read Full Story

The South Haven City Council has received an update from Van Buren Conservation District executive director AJ Brucks regarding invasive species which are likely to cause economic or environmental harm. She is encouraging people with Hemlock trees who live within five miles of Lake Michigan to look carefully at the needles.. ...Read Full Story

She made a career for 20 years in St. Joseph City Hall as the city’s marketing manager, and now Susan Solon wants back in, but in a different capacity. She is running for the city commission, and made her announcement during Monday night’s city commission meeting.. ...Read Full Story

The Michigan Department of Transportation will begin a repaving project on M-139 in Berrien County next week. MDOT spokesperson Nick Schirripa tells WSJM News the work will be south of Benton Harbor.. ...Read Full Story

Coming up next month will be the third Pop Up Giving event to be held by the United Way of Southwest Michigan. The United Way’s Jennifer Tomshack tells WSJM News Pop Up Giving events allow attendees the chance to vote for one of three non-profits who will make a presentation on planned projects.. ...Read Full Story

The Area Agency on Aging will hold its 12th Annual Legislative Forum on Senior Issues this Friday. Region IV Area Agency on Aging Chief Operating Officer Christine Vanlandingham tells WSJM News the events are a chance for seniors and their advocates to speak directly with elected officials from southwest Michigan about issues that matter to them.. ...Read Full Story

The driver of a pick-up is unhurt after his vehicle was hit by a train in Chikaming Township Monday. The Chikaming Township Police Department says on its Facebook page it responded to the scene at Red Arrow Highway and Lakeside Road just after 1 p.m. The driver of the small pick-up failed to stop for the railroad crossing light. The driver wasn’t hurt and was released from the scene. Chikaming Township police ask everyone to stop for railroad crossings when the signals are on.. ...Read Full Story

A major election controversy is brewing regarding Senator Kim LaSata and her husband, Berrien County Judge Charlie LaSata. According to emails obtained by Lansing’s MIRS News, Judge LaSata used Berrien County resources, specifically his county email account, to help campaign for his wife’s bid for the state Senate last year.. ...Read Full Story

Congressman Fred Upton has a challenger with legislative experience in 2020 should the St. Joseph Republican choose to seek reelection. State Representative Jon Hoadley of Kalamazoo is in his third and final term in the Michigan House and WSJM News has confirmed he is running for the Democratic nomination for the 6th District seat. Hoadley’s House district includes Kalamazoo and part of Portage, and currently serves as the Democratic vice chair of the House Appropriations Committee. He previously served as the Democratic vice chair of the House Appropriations’ Higher Education subcommittee. He and his partner, Kris, live in Kalamazoo and Hoadley has been active in promoting LGBTQ equality. Upton squeaked by to be reelected in 2018, defeating Matt Longjohn by less than 5%.. ...Read Full Story

The woman killed in a crash on I-94 in Lake Township early Sunday morning has been identified as 36-year-old Venice Spears of Chicago. The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department says she was stopped in the right lane near mile marker 14 and was hit from behind by a Ford F-250 hauling a camper. That driver, a 67-year-old Wisconsin man, told police a car in front of him swerved to avoid Spears’ Chevy Sonic, but he was unable to do so. Authorities are awaiting autopsy and toxicology reports on Spears, and as yet have no idea why she was stopped in a traffic lane on eastbound I-94. The crash happened around 2:30 a.m. Sunday.. ...Read Full Story

Benton Township police are looking for a suspect in a drive-by shooting late Sunday night in the 100 block of Cardelle. No one was hurt, but several shots were fired at a house. The resident of the home called 9-1-1 around 10:30 p.m. when he heard the shots and realized his home was under attack. Several shell casings were found in the driveway and in the street in front of the house, and witnesses told police they saw a dark colored sedan drive off right after the shooting, heading east on Cardelle. There is no description of the shooter, and police don’t yet know the make and model of the car involved.. ...Read Full Story

A couple of Van Buren County school districts have been selected for Michigan State Police School Safety Grants. State Representative Beth Griffin of Mattawan tells us the Van Burn Intermediate School District and Mattawan Consolidated Schools will both get funds to improve student safety through the purchase of technology. The Van Buren ISD is getting $380,000 and Mattawan Consolidated Schools is getting $43,000. Griffin’s office says, in total, state police are giving out $25 million to 125 public school districts around Michigan. In Berrien County, Coloma Community Schools is receiving $173,000, and New Buffalo Area Schools is receiving $97,000.. ...Read Full Story

Residents of Benton Harbor will soon have a new way to report tips to police without having to speak with the police themselves. At a meeting this week, the Benton Harbor City Commission approved spending $6,000 to sign the community up for tip411. Deputy Director of Public Safety Michael Clark told WSJM News it will mean the creation of a mobile app for residents to submit tips and pictures to a third party that keeps the tipster’s information secure.. ...Read Full Story

Congressman Fred Upton this week joined with colleagues from the Great Lakes states in signing a letter in support of President Trump’s request for $75 million in the next federal budget to build a new Soo Lock. Upton tells WSJM News the Poe Lock, the biggest of the locks, is more than 60 years old, and it’s time a back-up is built.. ...Read Full Story

A Decatur-area man is hospitalized with what the Van Buren Sheriff’s Department says are life-threatening injuries suffered in a crash on his motorcycle Sunday afternoon. Deputies were called to the intersection of 30th Street and 64th Avenue in Antwerp Township shortly before 12:30 when the man hit a Ford Escape at high speed. Deputies tell us the driver of the Escape had stopped at a stop sign and was going through the intersection when the motorcycle hit her on the passenger side. Neither she nor her one-month-old female passenger, who was properly secured in a car seat, were hurt. The motorcyclists is being treated at Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo. No names have been released, and authorities have not disclosed the extent of the man’s injuries.. ...Read Full Story

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources started doing some prescribed burns on state lands this week. DNR Fire Superintendent Dan Laux tells WSJM News the DNR burn season lasts throughout the spring, and there are more burns in the fall. He says those controlled fires are designed to help forests grow and native species thrive.. ...Read Full Story

The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department is trying to figure out why a Chicago-area woman stopped her Chevy Sonic in a driving lane on I-94 early Sunday morning, but they might never know. She was killed when her car was hit from behind by a Ford F-250 pickup pulling a camper trailer on eastbound I-94 at the 14 mile marker in Lake Township just after 2:30 Sunday morning. The pickup was driven by a Wisconsin man who told police a vehicle in front of him swerved to avoid the Sonic, but he wasn’t able to. The impact locked the vehicles together and sent them into the cable barriers. An autopsy will be done on the woman at Western Michigan University’s medical school in Kalamazoo to determine if drugs or alcohol were involved.. ...Read Full Story

April is Child Abuse Prevention  Awareness Month, and there are several activities taking place at the Children’s Advocacy Center of Southwest Michigan. Prevention and Outreach Specialist Allie Kibler-Campbell tells WSJM News they were planting a pinwheel garden outside the office on M-139 south of St. Joseph, and holding free training sessions throughout the month. She says each session includes a group discussion, a workbook to take home, an informational video, and a certificate of participation.. ...Read Full Story

It’s time to sign up for summer classes at Lake Michigan College. LMC Director of Admissions Jeremy Schaeffer tells WSJM News the summer term begins May 13 and ends August 22 with sessions that average ten weeks. He says attending a summer class is a good way for a recent high school grad to accumulate some early credits and be ahead of the curve. Some tours are planned for interested summer students on April 13 and May 18.. ...Read Full Story

The Benton Harbor Department of Public Safety’s war on illegal dumping is heating up. At a city commission meeting this week, department Director Dan McGinnis said there had been 13 arrests as of Monday as police investigate. The department has also had some help from the state.. ...Read Full Story

A Michigan State Police trooper from the Niles post is recovering after a struggle with a man he pulled over in Benton Harbor on Friday. State police tell us the trooper pulled a vehicle over on Ogden Avenue near Division around 3:40 p.m. The driver smelled of intoxicants, and when the trooper told him to get out of his vehicle, the man refused. The trooper opened the driver’s door to put him under arrest when the driver put the vehicle into drive and took off with the trooper still hanging on to the door and steering wheel. The vehicle crashed into a parked vehicle after about 1,000 feet, throwing the trooper into the street. The driver then tried to run, but the trooper caught him and placed him under arrest with the help of other arriving officers. Both the trooper and the driver were treated for minor injuries at Spectrum Health Lakeland in St. Joseph. The 32-year-old suspect was taken to the Berrien County Jail on a variety of charges.. ...Read Full Story

The spring kick-off of this year’s Adopt a Beach cleanup events will be this month. Alliance for the Great Lakes spokesperson Jennifer Caddick tells WSJM News from April 13 to April 29, clean-ups will be held along beaches throughout the Great Lakes states. Thousands of volunteers are expected to pick up trash. They log all of it.. ...Read Full Story

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has issued a new directive aimed at helping state residents avoid opioids. Spokesperson Bob Wheaton tells WSJM News it’s due to a law signed by former Governor Rick Snyder before he left office to let patients opt out of receiving opioids.. ...Read Full Story

The city of Benton Harbor is implementing a new system to send notifications out to residents. The Code RED system will give city officials the ability to quickly deliver messages to targeted areas or the entire community. City Manager Darwin Watson tells us residents can register their phone number with the system to be a part of it. He urged all individuals and businesses to log onto the city of Benton Harbor’s website, www.bhcity.us, and follow the link to the “CodeRED Community Notification Enrollment” page. You can also register by calling city hall. He says important information regarding the community can be quickly distributed via CodeRED.. ...Read Full Story

Legislation from 78th District state Representative Brad Paquette aims to address a shortage of substitute teachers in Michigan by loosening the requirements someone has to meet in order to be a sub. Paquette tells WSJM News, right now, you need 60 college credits to be a substitute. His bill would drop that requirement for those who have a relative attending the school where they want to sub.. ...Read Full Story

One of the winners of a NASA contest seeking ideas for how to recycle in space is a St. Joseph native. Derek McFall now lives in the Detroit area and works as an engineer at Troy-based SRG Global. He tells WSJM News NASA sent out a crowdsourcing challenge months ago regarding the International Space Station and other microgravity environments.. ...Read Full Story

The Berrien County Parks Department will be holding a Reduce, Reuse, Recycle day at Lake Michigan College next week. County Environmental Property Manager Jill Adams tells WSJM News this gives Berrien County residents a chance to drop off a variety of household waste items so they can be recycled.. ...Read Full Story

(Detroit, MI – AP) – The Michigan Supreme Court says people who were wrongly accused of defrauding the unemployment program can sue the state, a decision that could cover thousands of victims. The court says victims qualify if they filed a lawsuit within six months of losing wages or tax refunds. The unanimous opinion was released Friday.. ...Read Full Story

From the Associated Press — Michigan State University is selling pieces of Spartan Stadium. The school says the turf is being replaced after the spring football game on April 13. Sections of grass are being sold for $10 on the school’s surplus store website . The sections will be approximately 18 inches by 72 inches. The grass should be available for pickup on April 15 or soon after that date. MSU plans to contact buyers by email. The turf is described as hybrid Kentucky bluegrass. It should be transplanted within five days of removal from the stadium.. ...Read Full Story

Following the measles outbreak in metro Detroit, there is now at least one confirmed case in northern Indiana. It is unrelated to the southeast Michigan cases. The Indiana State Department of Health is consulting with health officials in both Michigan and Texas due the risk of exposure being found in both states. ISDH says they’re working with local health departments and doctors in LaGrange and Steuben counties to identify anyone in Indiana who may have been exposed to the person confirmed to have the illness.. ...Read Full Story

A man convicted of killing three people when he was a teenager says he was “rotten from the beginning” and is skipping a chance to possibly get a new sentence from a judge in suburban Detroit. Michael Kvam told a judge on Friday that he deserves to die in prison. TV station WXYZ quotes Kvam as saying, “I’m a killer, plain and simple.”. ...Read Full Story

Benton Harbor Mayor Marcus Muhammad is running for reelection. In a Twitter post Friday, he made the official announcement, noting unfinished business in a hashtag. Muhammad was first elected mayor in 2015, defeating incumbent James Hightower by 222 votes. Under him, the city has enacted an income tax aimed at fixing roads and emerged from all state oversight after 6 years. The state had complete or partial control of city government from 2010 to 2016. The oversight included emergency managers appointed by Democratic Governor Jennifer Granholm and Republican Governor Rick Snyder.. ...Read Full Story

The next National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is coming up at the end of this month. In Berrien County, the Voice, Change, Hope Alliance is partnering with police and Spectrum Health Lakeland to accept unwanted and unused prescription drugs on Saturday, April 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Medication can be dropped off during those four hours near the southeast corner of the Lakeland Center for Outpatient Services at 3900 Hollywood Road in St. Joseph and at Lakeland Medical Suites on North St. Joseph Avenue in Niles. The Niles Law Enforcement Complex has a 24-hour drop box as well for anyone who is unable to dispose of their medicines during the National Drug Take-Back event. According to studies, most abused prescriptions are obtained from friends and family, and flushing medicine or throwing it in the trash can pose health and safety hazards. In the fall of 2017, 456 tons of medicines were collected during the event nationwide.. ...Read Full Story

The Berrien County Board of Commissioners has approved a resolution in support of broadband internet access for residents. Following Thursday’s vote, Commissioner Ezra Scott told WSJM News he wanted the resolution so the county could pursue a USDA grant for the roll out of high-speed internet.. ...Read Full Story

April is Alcohol Awareness Month, and the Berrien County Health Department is urging parents to keep an open dialogue with their kids about the dangers of underage alcohol abuse. Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist Lisa Peeples-Hurst tells WSJM News alcohol is harmful to developing brains, adding the drinking age of 21 is based on science.. ...Read Full Story

The U.S. House voted on Thursday to approve the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act, renewing the landmark 1994 law designed to help protect the survivors of domestic violence and to prevent the crime. Congressman Fred Upton voted in favor of the reauthorization this week, with the overall vote being 263 to 158. Upton tells us the act “plays a critical role in combating domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and other terrible crimes,” adding that since it was first approved, “we’ve seen our nation’s response to these crimes improve and the rates of domestic abuse continue to decline.” The Violence Against Women Act provides support to survivors, including funding for shelters, legal resources, and counselling. Upton voted for the original act, and for every subsequent reauthorization.. ...Read Full Story

The Cook nuclear power plant will be running extended tests of Berrien County’s emergency sirens this weekend. The sirens are sounded for one minute the first Saturday of each month at 1 p.m. and this Saturday’s test will be for three minutes. There are 70 omni-directional sirens as part of Berrien County’s Alert and Notification System within the 10 mile Emergency Planning Zone radius of the Cook plant in Bridgman. The Cook plant tells everyone not to be alarmed when they hear the sirens at 1 p.m. on Saturday. If it were a real emergency, the sirens would go off for three to five minutes.. ...Read Full Story

Michigan is making an effort to keep foster kids in family settings, with a 9% improvement over a 10 year period, according to a new report. Michigan is home to almost 12,000 foster children, and researchers from the Annie E. Casey Foundation found the percentage being placed with families increased from 80% in 2007 to 89% in 2017. Rob Geen with the Casey Foundation tells us while the overall trend is positive, the numbers are still stubbornly low for teens and children of color.. ...Read Full Story

The Kent County Prosecutor’s office will decide if charges will be filed against a 19-year-old man for defacing the grave of former President Gerald R. Ford. Chris Johnson tells the “Grand Rapids Press” he took the letter “E” from the word “committed” on the grave because it had come loose. He added he had been skateboarding in the area with a friend and thought the grounds of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum were part of a park. Johnson added he did not know the names of President Ford and First Lady Betty Ford and had never heard of them. He had moved from Indiana to Grand Rapids within the past month, and went to police Thursday after seeing news reports and realizing authorities were looking for him.. ...Read Full Story

Michigan State Police are handling the investigation into an officer-involved shooting in Kalamazoo. Inspector Dale Hinz tells WSJM News police were trying to arrest a parole absconder around 10 a.m. Thursday on East G Avenue in the city of Kalamazoo, and the man was making threats regarding a weapon. Several officers opened fire, and the man was pronounced dead at Borgess Hospital. His name and criminal history have not been made public, and no officers were hurt. Hinz says officers from the MSP Fifth District Special Investigation Section, US Marshals Service, Michigan Department of Corrections, and Battle Creek police were involved in the incident.. ...Read Full Story

A Berrien County man is a half-million dollar richer thanks to a Michigan Lottery scratch off game. He won the top prize on the 777 instant game, purchasing the ticket at the Meijer on Pipestone in Benton Harbor. The 62-year-old has chosen to stay anonymous, but told Michigan Lottery officials the win brought him to tears and said “there is such a happiness and joy that comes with winning,” adding he thanks God that he will be debt-free. The man plans to remodel his home and pay off his bills with the winnings. Since 777 launched in March, the Lottery says players have won over $6.5 million through the $5 ticket. Two other tickets are still out there with the top prize of $500,000.. ...Read Full Story

Set for April 20 is the Humane Society of Southwestern Michigan’s third annual Village Charcuterie Festival in Stevensville. Humane Society Director Jill Svoboda tells WSJM News the event is a fundraiser that comes in the form of a party held downtown. It will feature a variety of locally-made brews and other spirits.. ...Read Full Story

It was a packed house at Benton Harbor High School Wednesday night for a town hall regarding the future of Benton Harbor Area Schools. On hand were members of the State Board of Education, and local residents who spoke told them years of state intervention in the district haven’t helped, too many programs have been lost, and the district relies on too many substitute teachers. There was also support for having the state help district out of its $18 million debt. State board President Casandra Ulbrich told WSJM News they will take the information they heard back to Lansing.. ...Read Full Story

The Hartford Public Library is now ready to move forward with plans for a new home thanks to a $400,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Library Director Stephanie Daniels tells WSJM News the goal is to acquire the old Red Arrow Elementary School on East Street, and then replace it with a new facility to be called the Art and Bonna VanDerlyn Community Center and Hartford Public Library.. ...Read Full Story

Residents of Benton Harbor and people who work in Benton Harbor take note — the new city income tax will be due this month. City Manager Darwin Watson updated everyone at this week’s city commission meeting.. ...Read Full Story

The spring kick-off of this year’s Adopt a Beach cleanup events will be this month. Alliance for the Great Lakes spokesperson Jennifer Caddick tells WSJM News from April 13 to April 29, clean-ups will be held along beaches throughout the Great Lakes states. Thousands of volunteers are expected to pick up trash. They log all of it.. ...Read Full Story

The Allegan County Sheriff’s Department is mourning the loss of K9 Medo. The dog had been with the department since 2011, and lived with the family of Deputy Ben Haas. The department says it received Medo as a gift from the Gun Lake Tribe and Casino. It tells us in their career, Deputy Haas and Medo were active in hundreds of cases that included catching suspects, finding missing persons, drug detection, and school programs. Haas says the most memorable search was in May of 2015, when he and Medo found a 2-year-old who had gone missing from his home. The sheriff says the 8-year-old Medo will be missed.. ...Read Full Story

The Michigan Department of Transportation has projects underway along Interstate 196 in Berrien and Van Buren counties to remove trees and create a larger vehicle safety area when cars and trucks unexpectedly leave the highway. MDOT’s Nick Schirripa says they will be repaving a seven and half mile stretch between I-94 and the Hagar Shore Road exit on I-196 this year, as it’s become badly marred by potholes.. ...Read Full Story

The University of Michigan is among six colleges competing to host a presidential debate during next year’s election season. Spokesman Rick Fitzgerald says there’s a chance students could even question the candidates if the university if chosen.. ...Read Full Story

Illegal dumping has become a serious concern across the state, as we’ve seen in Benton Harbor with a renewed effort to crack down on the problem. State Representative Cynthia Johnson of Detroit has submitted two bills to increase penalties on those who dump, especially those who don’t live in the neighborhoods. The current punishment is a fine of up to $500 and 90 days in jail for a first offense. Johnson’s bills would raise the fine to $2,500 for the first offense and extend the sentence to up to one year.. ...Read Full Story

An investigation is underway into vandalism on the graves of President Gerald R. Ford and First Lady Betty Ford. Grand Rapids police have released surveillance images of two people seen defacing the graves on the property of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library & Museum on March 27. One is a heavyset white man with short brown hair, sideburns, and scruffy facial hair who was wearing a black hoodie, grey pants and yellow Nike shoes. The other appears to be a white woman with shoulder-length brown hair who wore a red and black shirt or jacket, black jeans and black Converse Chuck Taylor shoes. GRPD says the two are wanted for larceny of U.S. Government Property. President Ford died on December 26, 2006 and Betty Ford died July 8, 2011. He is the only President from Michigan and the only one to serve having never been elected President or Vice President.. ...Read Full Story

The death of a 59-year-old Lawton man who drove his Hyundai into Cedar Lake in Marcellus is under investigation. The Van Buren County Sheriff’s Department has identified him as John Catalino, who was found shortly before 5 p.m. Tuesday inside his car, about 20 yards offshore. A witness saw Catalino drive into the lake backwards, and then called 911 after watching the car sink. A wrecker driver and Lawton fire fighters used a nearby boat to pull the man out of the vehicle before the county’s dive team arrived to help remove the car from the lake.. ...Read Full Story

Two area nonprofits are being recognized for being among the best such organizations to work for in the country. Kinexus Group is 29th on the list put out by “The NonProfit Times,” and the United Way of Southwest Michigan is 14th. This is the third straight year Kinexus has been on the list of the top 50 nonprofits for which to work. The list is dominated by small organizations with between 15 and 49 employees and medium-sized outfits employing between 50 and 249 people. The United Way notes 18 small organizations like theirs are in the top 50. UWSM is the highest-ranking Michigan organization, while NOWCC Incorporated of Arlington, Virginia is at the top. A Lansing nonprofit is the only other from Michigan included, with Cinnaire ranked 31st.. ...Read Full Story

From the Associated Press — Automobile sales in the U.S. fell 2% in the first quarter, another sign the nation’s economy is starting to slow.
Automakers sold just over 4 million vehicles from January through March. Industry analysts blame the drop on rising vehicle prices, competition from late-model used vehicles, and relatively high interest rates. Weak sales of cars, harsh winter weather and the partial government shutdown also had an impact. Edmunds.com analyst Jeremy Acevedo says new vehicle sales are past their peak. He says that with prices on the rise, interest rates at post-recession peaks and leases growing in cost, the U.S. auto market is under pressure. Most analysts are predicting sales of around 16.9 million this year, still strong but down from last year’s 17.27 million. Sales peaked in 2016 at 17.55 million.. ...Read Full Story

The 135th Trooper Recruit School of the Michigan State Police will hold its graduation on Wednesday. That means 101 new MSP recruits will be sent out to posts throughout Michigan, including five coming to the Niles post. First Lieutenant Mike Dawson, the post commander in Niles, tells WSJM News it’s good to get them.. ...Read Full Story

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources started doing some prescribed burns on state lands this week. DNR Fire Superintendent Dan Laux tells WSJM News the DNR burn season lasts throughout the spring, and there are more burns in the fall. He says those controlled fires are designed to help forests grow and native species thrive.. ...Read Full Story