A Bloomingdale-based company is planning to invest $12 million in the expansion of broadband internet in Van Buren County over the next few years. Bloomingdale Communications General Manager Steve Shults tells WSJM News the company is rolling out fiber to areas north of Bloomingdale to about Allegan County and south to about M-43. He says the need for broadband in Van Buren is great.. ...Read Full Story
Congressman Fred Upton says “everyone,” including President Trump, deserves some credit for recent improvements in the relations between North and South Korea. Upton tells WSJM News he was pleased to see this past weekend’s developments.. ...Read Full Story
From the Associated Press — A man who was under the influence of drugs has been convicted of second-degree murder in a crash that killed five bicyclists in southwestern Michigan. The verdict against Charles Pickett was returned Tuesday in Kalamazoo County
court. There was no dispute that Pickett had swallowed painkillers and other drugs before driving his pickup truck, although his lawyer argued that murder charges were excessive. Pickett’s truck plowed into a pack of bicyclists on a narrow rural road near Kalamazoo in June 2016. Nine people were hit, including five who died from their injuries. The National Transportation Safety Board said better communication between dispatchers might have alerted police to stop Pickett while he was driving recklessly through different communities before the crash.. ...Read Full Story
The Cass County Sheriff’s Department is investigating after a 73-year-old man was killed while cutting wood on Tuesday. The department tells us the accident happened around noon in the 58,000 block of White Temple Road in Penn Township while Robert Wright of Vandalia was working. He was struck by two trees. Police say Wright was cutting a tree down when it fell into another tree which uprooted itself. The two trees then struck Wright, causing extreme injuries. Emergency responders extracted Wright from the downed trees and began medical treatment, but he succumbed to his injuries.. ...Read Full Story
The Michigan Supreme Court has thrown out the conviction of a Benton Harbor activist who was charged with forgery after submitting petitions to recall a mayor. Edward Pinkney was sentenced to at least 30 months in prison in 2014 and has been on parole since last June. The Supreme Court said Tuesday Pinkney’s conviction in Berrien County must be set aside because he wasn’t properly charged under Michigan law. The court says its decision is “unusual” and “not one that we reach lightly.” In a 6-0 decision, the court says Pinkney was charged under a penalty provision of election law. Pinkney was accused of changing dates on recall petitions so signatures would be counted. The recall election against James Hightower was never held.. ...Read Full Story
Everyone will have a chance to learn more about the opioid epidemic at a meeting planned for Wednesday in St. Joseph Township. St. Joe Township Police Officer Rick Knapp tells WSJM News the neighborhood watch program is welcoming a guest speaker from Families Against Narcotics and the Berrien County Medical Examiner to come and speak at the township hall next Wednesday.. ...Read Full Story
From the Associated Press — Michigan election officials are reviewing a letter that requests an investigation into Democrat Abdul El-Sayed’s eligibility to run for governor. The state Bureau of Elections received a letter from Pamela Nelson last week. The DeWitt resident cited questions over whether El-Sayed will have been a registered and qualified Michigan voter for four years before the election. El-Sayed, one of three Democratic gubernatorial candidates, studied and worked in New York until moving back to Michigan in 2015. Nelson says she filed the complaint so the issue is resolved before August’s primary. The deadline to challenge a candidate’s nominating petitions is Tuesday. Spokesman Fred Woodhams says the elections bureau is reviewing the letter and “will decide what the next steps, if any, are.” vEl-Sayed has called the eligibility issue a “manufactured controversy.”. ...Read Full Story
There’s an effort in Lansing to boost the funding in the fight against a contagious and fatal central-nervous-system disease found in deer, elk, and moose. State Representative Beau LaFave told Michigan News Network more.. ...Read Full Story
Heads up,GR! That’s the name of a new summer safety campaign in Grand Rapids for pedestrians and bicyclists. Grand Rapids Traffic Safety Manager Chris Zull told Michigan News Network they have a new law requiring drivers to stop for pedestrians in marked and unmarked crosswalks, a change from yield. Zull says the goal is to have zero pedestrian-involved crashes.. ...Read Full Story
The changes keep coming for Benton Harbor Area Schools. At a Monday meeting, the board of education voted to part ways with or re-assign several administrators. It also moved to terminate a contract for a gang prevention study and drop a standby bus service. Other cuts will come. Trustee Martha Momany warned it won’t be pleasant.. ...Read Full Story
While spring has arrived in Michigan, some folks still are trying to catch up on their heating costs from winter. There is still one month available to apply for energy-bill assistance through the State Emergency Relief program. Consumers Energy Customer Assistance Manager Whitney Skeans tells us they have at least 100,000 qualified households among their customer base who have difficulty paying energy bills each year.. ...Read Full Story
Everyone is encouraged to take part in a special event set for this Friday to help promote environmental responsibility. Chris Martin with the Southwest Michigan Planning Commission tells WSJM News it’s Clean Commute Day.. ...Read Full Story
The Cass County Sheriff’s Department is investigating after a Dowagiac man was killed in a motorcycle crash on Monday. It happened shortly after 5:30 a.m. on Calvin Hill Street near North Shore Drive in Calvin Township. 29-year-old Jerry West of Dowagiac was eastbound on Calvin Hill when his motorcycle hit a truck that was pulling out of a driveway. Police say West was pronounced dead at the scene, while the driver of the truck, a 52-year-old Cassopolis man, was taken to a hospital for treatment and then released. Police don’t believe alcohol was a factor in the crash, which remains under investigation.. ...Read Full Story
The Berrien County Prosecutor’s Office has cleared two sheriff’s deputies of wrongdoing in a crash this month that killed three.. ...Read Full Story
Monday brought the ribbon cutting for the new the Al-Van Humane Society animal shelter on Blue Star Highway in South Haven. Executive Director Jennifer Nuernberg told WSJM News the move means a lot to the staff.. ...Read Full Story
A whole heap of pills and other prescription medications are now being handed off to the Drug Enforcement Agency for safe disposal thanks to a drug take-back event held on Saturday in St. Joseph. Michigan State Police Lieutenant Melinda Logan tells WSJM News the number reflects the pills collected at just one site, Lakeland Center for Outpatient Services on Hollywood Avenue.. ...Read Full Story
A 911 call made from an Apple Watch enabled first responders to rescue a man who fell into the Black River in South Haven on Monday.. ...Read Full Story
From the Associated Press — The city of Detroit has been released from active state oversight just over three years after exiting the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history. A nine-member review commission unanimously voted Monday on a waiver that returns financial control to the mayor and City Council after Detroit delivered three consecutive years of audited balanced budgets. A $36 million operating surplus also is expected for fiscal year 2018. The waiver must be approved annually for 10 years before the commission is fully retired.
A state-appointed emergency manager overseeing Detroit’s finances filed for bankruptcy in 2013. Detroit exited bankruptcy in December 2014 after restructuring about $7 billion in debt. The financial review commission was created in 2014 and given oversight for
borrowing and large city-issued contracts as part of the bankruptcy restructuring plan.. ...Read Full Story
Attorney General Bill Schuette’s campaign is getting the support of the White House. President Trump announced his endorsement of Schuette at a suburban Detroit rally Saturday night.. ...Read Full Story
“Why Our Political Is Behaving So Oddly” is the topic South Haven Speaker Series guest Phil Power address on Thursday, May 10th at the Lake Michigan College South Haven campus. Speaker Series Board President Mark Odland tells WSJM News Power is the founder of the Center for Michigan.. ...Read Full Story
A former insurance agent in Paw Paw is facing decades behind bars for allegedly stealing nearly $300,000 from a client with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Attorney General Bill Schuette has charged 57-year-old Brian Lietzau with seven felonies, saying he abused his position when he was given power of attorney for the woman. He is the former owner of Farm Bureau-Lietzau Insurance and obtained power of attorney for the client in 2012. Schuette is accusing him of writing checks to himself from her account along with converting her money to his own. Lietzau is accuse of stealing the money while the woman was hospitalized and after she had died. The Attorney General’s Elder Financial Crimes Unit started investigating the case this year after it was turned over to Schuette’s office by the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services.. ...Read Full Story
It’s something Michigan’s congressional delegation has been pushing for years, and President Trump Saturday night said he’s going to start working on repairs to the Soo Locks in northern Michigan soon.. ...Read Full Story
A public hearing on the budget and the local tax rate will be held by St. Joseph City Commissioners next month. Mayor Mike Garey tells WSJM News the commission is grappling with multiple considerations as it looks at possible millage increases. That includes the need for street repair money. He credits city staff with being on top of the looming challenges.. ...Read Full Story
A new Michigan State Police Museum and Learning Center opened on Wednesday in Dimondale with a ribbon cutting. MSP Captain Mike Krumm told Michigan News Network the museum features weapons and vehicles that state police used back when the department began in 1917. He says it’s interactive.. ...Read Full Story
Former Lake Michigan College President Bob Harrison is now running for the Berrien County Board of Commissioners. He’s filed to run for the Republican nomination in the 7th District, which includes the village of Stevensville and part of Lincoln Township. Harrison tells WSJM News he sees the county commission facing challenges specific to southwest Michigan.. ...Read Full Story
Indiana Michigan Power has been saluted for its green energy policies. The company has been named a 2018 Environmental Champion from a Cogent Reports study by Market Strategies International. I&M spokesperson Tracy Warner tells WSJM News the honor is for the company’s renewable energy portfolio. He says I&M gets two thirds of its electricity generation from emission-free sources, with the Cook nuclear power plant in Bridgman being a big part of that. I&M also has solar, hydroelectric, and wind programs.. ...Read Full Story
The Berrien County Health Department is reminding everyone to talk with their doctor about getting the Hepatitis A vaccine. Spokesperson Gillian Conrad tells WSJM News Hepatitis A is a liver disease that has been on the rise in Michigan, especially in the southeast part of the state.. ...Read Full Story
A Macomb County ten-year-old girl is the winner of a national poster art contest to help find missing children. Michigan State Police Missing Children’s Clearinghouse Manager Jolene Hardesty tells WSJM News more than 2,000 submissions from 17 states came in for the 2018 National Missing Children’s Day Poster Contest. Now that a winner has been picked, her art will appear on posters reminding the public of missing children throughout the year.. ...Read Full Story
An award has been given to state Senator John Proos for his work to promote organ donation in Michigan. This month, the Michigan Secretary of State’s office gave Proos the Shining Star Award. It’s for his role in getting Lauren’s Law approved in the state. Proos tells WSJM News the law requires the Secretary of State to ask people if they want to sign up for the organ donor registry when they renew their licenses.. ...Read Full Story
The north pier in St. Joseph will have life rings installed by Memorial Day weekend. So says St. Joe City Manager John Hodgson, who told city commissioners Monday night the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is on board, and the Berrien County Sheriff’s Department will help with maintenance. Hodgson told WSJM News the north pier model will follow the county’s example with life rings at the south pier.. ...Read Full Story
The Michigan House has approved a budget for the next fiscal year, and it includes an increase in funding for schools. State Representative Beth Griffin of Mattawan tells WSJM News she’s pleased to see lawmakers are committing to education.. ...Read Full Story
There is a new Republican now running for the Michigan House in the 79th District. It’s Bruce Gorenflo of St. Joseph. Gorenflo is a technical writer and graphic designer who has lived in southwest Michigan almost his entire life. He tells WSJM News a big priority is reducing auto insurance rates.. ...Read Full Story
Legislation has been introduced to make the OK2Say school safety tip line a permanent program. State Representative Brandt Iden of Kalamazoo County’s Oshtemo Township tells WSJM News his bill and a couple of others would not only establish that OK2Say is here to stay, but set aside funding for the program each year. The OK2Say tip line was launched by the Michigan Attorney General’s office in 2015 to create a way for students to report potentially dangerous situations in their schools without fear of repercussions.. ...Read Full Story
The Al-Van Humane Society is preparing to open its brand new shelter in South Haven next week. Executive Director Jennifer Nuernberg tells us the new 8,000 square foot building on Blue Star Highway is just around the corner from the current facility, and the animals will be moved this coming weekend. The Humane Society had to raise $500,000 to make the move possible.. ...Read Full Story
April is Alcohol Awareness Month, and the Berrien County Health Department is hoping to remind all parents and young people about the dangers of underage drinking. The department’s Lisa Peeples-Hurst tells WSJM News the brain doesn’t stop developing until the age of 25 for some. Introducing alcohol to a young brain can make a variety of already-existing problems even worse.. ...Read Full Story
About 600 silver and blue pinwheels were placed in a park near the state Capitol in Lansing this week as part of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services 10th annual Child Abuse Prevention Awareness Day. Spokesperson Bob Wheaton tells WSJM News a rally was held at the Capitol Wednesday to show support for those who fight child abuse and to raise money for the state’s Children’s Trust Fund.. ...Read Full Story
Everything is falling into place for the 2018 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship at Harbor Shores in Benton Harbor. The PGA Championship Director Ryan Ogle tells WSJM News there will be several new features this year for the event slated for May 22 through May 27.. ...Read Full Story
AAA has released a new report showing the number deaths from hit and run crashes has been increasing. Spokesperson Susan Hiltz tells WSJM News the latest numbers are troubling.. ...Read Full Story
37 at-risk students from Benton Harbor, Hartford, Dowagiac, and Cassopolis have had a chance to learn what it’s like to interview for a job at Whirlpool thanks to the Youth Solutions program. Youth Solutions Engagement Director Jan Ennis tells WSJM News the students took part in mock interviews with Whirlpool Wednesday.. ...Read Full Story
The Berrien County Land Bank is prepared to approve the sale of the former Alreco Metals property in Benton Harbor to a medical marijuana operation, but only as long as the city of Benton Harbor approves it. Berrien County Treasurer Bret Witkowski tells WSJM News the land bank got a letter this week from Mayor Marcus Muhammad expressing support for the sale of the vacant industrial property to the Harvest Foundation, a medical marijuana producer.. ...Read Full Story
Benton Harbor is getting a new theater. Planned for May of 2019 is the brand new GhostLight Theatre to be located at 101 Hinkley Street right behind the Citadel Dance and Music Center. GhostLight co-owner Martha Hesse tells WSJM News the place is vacant right now.. ...Read Full Story
Flick Pick – Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero. ...Read Full Story
Visitors to some of Berrien County’s most popular parks will soon be able to use credit cards to gain entrance. Berrien County Parks Director Brian Bailey tells WSJM News Wi-Fi technology will be installed at the entrances to make the transactions possible.. ...Read Full Story
There will be a drug take-back event tomorrow, Saturday the 28th, in Berrien County. Michigan State Police Lieutenant Melinda Logan tells WSJM News law enforcement offices and the Lakeland Center for Outpatient Services on Hollywood Road in St. Joseph will take unused prescription medications so they can be safely disposed.. ...Read Full Story
State Senator John Proos is praising school security money approved this week by a Senate committee. He tells WSJM News a supplemental appropriation bill for the current 2018 fiscal year allows $15 million for competitive grants for schools to beef up security. Proos says the program will allow for some flexibility on a case by case basis.. ...Read Full Story
Police say they have recovered a body found at a park in Benton Township. The Benton Township Police Department tells WSJM News it responded to Rocky Gap Park about 9:20 a.m. Friday on the report of a body that washed up near the shore. Investigation found the deceased was Ralph Ford of White Pigeon. Ford was reported missing on April 10 from Brian’s Marina in St. Joseph where he was seen on his dock. The body was taken to Lakeland Medical Center in St. Joseph by Medic 1, and police say there is no evidence of foul play at this time.. ...Read Full Story
From the Associated Press — A Michigan electric utility says decommissioned power cables it owns beneath the waterway connecting Lakes Huron and Michigan may have been damaged in the same incident that ruined two cables belonging to another company. Consumers Energy said Thursday it was notified by American Transmission Co., which recently used an underwater vehicle to inspect a network of its cables on the floor of the Straits of Mackinac. Two had been severed in what state officials say was an April 1 tugboat anchor strike. The strike caused the release of 600 gallons of insulation fluid. Consumers says the inspection found potential damage to other cables in the
area. The company also says its cables were taken out of service in 1990 and would not experience a similar leak. The Jackson-based utility says it will do its own inspection.. ...Read Full Story
As marijuana legalization language was approved Thursday by the State Board of Canvassers, the Speaker of the House Tom Leonard says a vote by lawmakers in the state House will not happen.. ...Read Full Story
Everyone will have a chance to learn more about the opioid epidemic at a meeting planned for next week in St. Joseph Township. St. Joe Township Police Officer Rick Knapp tells WSJM News the neighborhood watch program is welcoming a guest speaker from Families Against Narcotics and the Berrien County Medical Examiner to come and speak at the township hall next Wednesday.. ...Read Full Story
Shri Thanedar is defending himself against an eight-year old report which has resurfaced online. In 2010, the now leading Democrat in the race for Michigan governor was forced to close a New Jersey-based research clinic due to financial trouble. It said over 100 animals were left behind. Thanedar spoke about the situation with Michigan News Network.. ...Read Full Story
Ford Motor Company has announced it will be ditching its sedan lines over the next few years. That includes the Taurus, Fusion, Focus, Fiesta, and C-Max models. They don’t sell like their trucks and SUVs, and the automaker needs to cut $11 billion in costs. Auto Analyst John McElroy told Michigan News Network this week the price of gas isn’t a big concern as Ford is making trucks more fuel efficient at a time when domestic energy supplies are in better shape.. ...Read Full Story
There’s a new Republican in the running for the Michigan Senate in the 26th District. That’s the district currently represented by state Senator Tonya Schuitmaker, who is being term limited out of office. The latest to announce for the post is Don Wikstra, a dentist and township planning commissioner from Allegan County’s Hamilton. He spoke with WSJM News.. ...Read Full Story
The Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning says alcohol and drug-related crashes remain a significant problem in the state, even though a new report shows overall traffic deaths decreased 3% last year. MSP spokesperson Kendall Wingrove tells WSJM News the latest statistics are a bit troubling.. ...Read Full Story
May will bring the first of two Girls on the Run 5Ks planned in southwest Michigan this year. Girls on the Run of Southwest Michigan Dirctor Julie Bos tells WSJM News the organization will stage the runs in Berrien Springs on May 17 and in Decatur on June 1. Nearly 900 girls will take part, and Bos says the atmosphere is exciting.. ...Read Full Story
The Van Buren District Library has big plans for Cinco de Mayo next month. Van Buren District Library Adult Education and Community Relations Coordinator Kay McAdam told WSJM News more.. ...Read Full Story
From the Associated Press — A legislative leader says initiated legislation to legalize marijuana for recreational use will go on the November ballot. The Michigan Legislature could enact the bill on its own after it was certified by election officials Thursday, but House Speaker Tom Leonard says there is “not much support” within his Republican caucus. Assuming the GOP-controlled Legislature does not act within 40 days, voters will decide the proposal’s fate in November. The proposal would let people 21 and older possess up to 2.5 ounces
of marijuana and grow up to 12 plants at home. A 10 percent tax on marijuana would be assessed on top of the 6 percent state sales tax.. ...Read Full Story
The Michigan House has approved a budget for the next fiscal year, and it includes an increase in funding for schools. State Representative Beth Griffin of Mattawan tells WSJM News she’s pleased to see lawmakers are committing to education.. ...Read Full Story
From the Associated Press — A group is trying to stop Nestle Waters North America Inc. from pumping more western Michigan groundwater for its Ice Mountain brand. Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation says Wednesday that it’s preparing a petition for a contested case against Michigan’s Department of Environmental Quality, which approved Nestle’s application to remove 400 gallons (1,514
liters) of water per minute from an Osceola Township aquifer. The group says the DEQ will get the administrative challenge within 60 days.
Nestle had been permitted to withdraw 250 gallons (946 liters) a minute from the aquifer. The conservation group says the DEQ has “clearly bent the law to favor Nestle” by granting the permit before the company could provide “real data” on the consequences of withdrawing the additional water. The DEQ declined to comment on the petition. Nestle did not respond to a request for comment.. ...Read Full Story
Cedar Point has introduced its latest roller coaster to the media. Steel Vengreance was unveiled Wednesday, and it’s being called the world’s first ever hyper-hybrid roller coaster that climbs over 200 feet into the air before diving back down to earth into a series of hills, twists, dives, and over-banked turns lasting 2 and a half minutes. Cedar Point General Manager Jason McClure told Michigan News Network it’s easy to lose your senses on this ride.. ...Read Full Story
From the Associated Press — Lieutenant Governor Brian Calley is escalating his criticism of Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette’s prosecution of top state officials for the Flint water crisis, calling it a “gross abuse of power.” His comments to The Associated Press on Wednesday are the strongest words to date from Governor Rick Snyder’s administration on the criminal cases. Calley and Schuette are running to succeed the term-limited governor. Schuette’s criminal probe has led 15 current or former government officials to be charged, including two members of Snyder’s cabinet. Calley said the ongoing, long-running preliminary exams for state Health and Human Services Director Nick Lyon and chief medical executive Eden Wells are “show trials” and “political stunts.” A Schuette spokeswoman declined comment, saying the cases are still before a judge.. ...Read Full Story
