From the Associated Press — Michigan officials are taking applications from owners of forest land who would like to enroll their property in a program that shields it permanently from development. Michigan’s Forest Legacy Program uses federal and matching funds to protect
environmentally important woodlands in certain areas. That could mean buying the property and converting it to public ownership. Other arrangements involve leaving the land in private hands and paying the owner to make sure it stays protected. Some owners might also get tax benefits for limiting the future use of their property. Kerry Wieber of the Department of Natural Resources says the legacy program is
important for preserving wildlife habitat and recreational opportunities. Applications are due by June 16. Additional information is posted online.... [Read Full Story]
Wednesday brings the 11th annual Chili Cook Off and Walk in Buchanan. Randy Hendrixson, with the chamber of commerce, tells WSJM News 31 chilies will compete for three awards as folks walk around the downtown and sample them. They’re made by all sorts of locals.... [Read Full Story]
A report from Crain’s Detroit Business finds Michigan has ranked fourth in the nation for power outages over the last six years, despite ranking tenth in population. Judy Palnau, with the Michigan Public Service Commission, tells WSJM News there are a few reasons why we’re so often in the dark, and one of them is infrastructure.... [Read Full Story]
A Niles-based metal stamping company seeking to expand into Benton Township has been granted a tax break to make it possible. Modineer is looking to locate its coating division in the township, creating 21 new jobs. Township trustees approved the tax abatement on Tuesday. Modineer has been working for several months with Cornerstone Alliance on the project, and it’s also seeking some state help. Cornerstone says it appreciates the township’s support in helping to keep the company in Berrien County.... [Read Full Story]
Two Berrien County Sheriff’s deputies have received extra training to be better prepared for service as corrections officers. The sheriff’s department tells our newsroom Devonte Hureskin and Brandon Dipert just wrapped up a four-week course at the Kalamazoo Valley Community College Law Enforcement Training Center. There, they learned about things like custody and security, defensive tactics, first aid, suicide awareness, and interpersonal communications. Berrien County Sheriff Paul Bailey tells us the training the deputies have received will help them better serve the jail and keep inmates and staff safe.... [Read Full Story]
Southwest Michigan grape growers still have another nervous month ahead of them. That’s because of all this warmer-than-usual weather. MSU Extension’s Brad Baughman tells WSJM News the crop could be in trouble if it stays warm for a while and then gets cold again suddenly.... [Read Full Story]
Lawmakers met in Lansing Tuesday to discuss eliminating the state’s twice annual time change. Jada Paisley, with the Michigan Golf Course Owners Association, told them eliminating Daylight Saving Time would have a negative effect on her industry.... [Read Full Story]
From the Associated Press — The rusty patched bumblebee is officially an endangered species. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says the designation took effect Tuesday, making the rusty patched bumblebee the first bee species in the continental U.S. to receive federal protection under the Endangered Species Act. Advocates say the bee has disappeared from about 90 percent of its range in the past 20 years. Bees are crucial for pollinating crops and wild plants. The listing was announced in January and had been scheduled to take effect February 10. But the Trump administration ordered a last-minute review and postponed the listing until Tuesday. Some environmentalists had feared the designation
could be canceled. The Natural Resources Defense Council filed a lawsuit over the delay, saying it had been ordered without required public notice and comment.... [Read Full Story]
From the Associated Press — Governor Rick Snyder has written letters to every member of Michigan’s congressional delegation to warn how House Republicans’ health care legislation would “adversely impact” the state’s most vulnerable residents. The Republican governor’s letter, dated Tuesday, says the debate has largely focused on people participating in the expanded Medicaid program. But he says half of all Michigan children are served by the traditional Medicaid program, which would also be affected by the bill. Snyder says the legislation would shift financial risk to state taxpayers, and he is concerned it would also lead to “significant cost increases” on older residents who buy insurance in the individual market. The House is scheduled to vote on the bill Thursday. Nine of Michigan’s 14 House members are Republicans. Democrats plan to oppose the legislation.... [Read Full Story]
The two anglers who drowned in Keeler Lake over the weekend have been identified. According to Michigan State Police, the victims were 45-year-old Douglas McIntyre of Decatur and 64-year-old Robert Novick of Illinois. The two died at separate hospitals. Their boat overturned Saturday, and they were found about 75 yards offshore.... [Read Full Story]
A retired Kellogg Corporation vice president is said to be eyeing a run for Congress in Michigan’s 6th Congressional District. Lansing’s MIRS News reports George Franklin is considering running against Congressman Fred Upton if the St. Joseph Republican decides not to seek another term in the House. It’s not known if Franklin would run for the seat if Upton decides to run for the U.S. Senate against Debbie Stabenow, which has been rumored previously in MIRS reports, but so far denied by the congressman. Franklin has contributed to Upton’s campaigns in the past. He would run as a Democrat if he gets into the race, and has the support of former Congressman and one-time Democratic gubernatorial nominee Mark Schauer.... [Read Full Story]
The Van Buren County Sheriff’s Department is crediting the cable barrier in the median on I-94 with preventing what could have been a very bad accident Monday afternoon. Deputies say the driver of a semi fell asleep just before 1 p.m. and crashed at full speed into the barrier near the 58 mile marker west of Paw Paw. 37-year-old Lane Halter of Ohio was cited for reckless driving. His rig destroyed 45 cable barrier posts, and got entangled in the cables as they are intended to do. The sheriff’s department says had he not been stopped by the barrier, the results “could have been catastrophic.” Halter was not hurt.... [Read Full Story]
A southwest Michigan teenager will be returning home soon after being found in Ames, Iowa on the campus of Iowa State University. Michigan State Police issued an Endangered Missing Advisory yesterday for 16-year-old Joy Dene Martin of Fennville, and say she was located safe and sound last night. Martin had left home voluntarily on Saturday, taking a Greyhound bus to meet up with someone she had been talking to over the internet using the KIK messenger app. Investigators have not released any information about who Martin had taken off to meet.... [Read Full Story]
A committee of the Benton Harbor City Commission will soon take a look at how much the city manager should be allowed to spend before getting permission from the full body. On Monday, commissioners were asked to amend a 1950s ordinance setting the spending limit at $1,000. They’re being asked to raise it to $5,000. City Manager Darwin Watson tells WSJM News all kinds of things the city has to purchase on a routine basis exceed the $1,000.... [Read Full Story]
From the Associated Press — Isaiah Livers of Kalamazoo Central has been named Mr. Basketball for the state of Michigan. Livers, who has signed to play at Michigan for the Wolverines next season, edged Xavier Tillman of Grand Rapids Christian in voting by members of the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan. The Hal Schram Mr. Basketball award is given to the state’s top senior by the coaches group in conjunction with the Detroit Free Press. Schram covered high school sports for the Free Press for over 40 years. Past winners of the award include Chris Webber, Glen Rice, Shane Battier and Jason Richardson. Livers averaged 17.5 points and 14 rebounds per game during the regular season. Kalamazoo Central faces Grand Rapids Christian on Tuesday in a Class A quarterfinal.... [Read Full Story]
Should Benton Harbor City Commissioners be paid more for all the meetings they attend? That question could soon be decided by the city’s compensation commission, now that the process of setting it up has begun. At a Monday meeting, city commissioners approved an appointment to the five-member body, which has not met since the mid-2000s. Mayor Marcus Muhammad tells WSJM News us he thought the matter should be discussed, and this gets the ball rolling.... [Read Full Story]
If you’ve been putting off your taxes because you don’t want to deal with the paperwork headache, there could be a place for you to turn for help. Every year, hundreds of IRS-certified volunteers help people file their taxes for free in Michigan. Marshall Hunt, with the Accounting Aid Society of Detroit, tells us you can just call 211 to get hooked up with someone who won’t steer you wrong. He notes there are some tax preparers you want to avoid.... [Read Full Story]
The Michigan Department of Transportation has begun a culvert replacement project in Three Oaks. The work on the US-12 culvert over Deer Creek started Monday, and will be wrapped up in July. MDOT’s Nick Schirripa tells WSJM News traffic will be affected.... [Read Full Story]
Hilltop Road in St. Joseph will be under construction for the next several months. St. Joseph City Engineer Tim Zebell tells WSJM News they’re reconstructing the road in two phases, north of Cleveland and then south of Cleveland. He notes the effort is a joint project of the city, the road commission, the township, and the sanitary sewer authority.... [Read Full Story]
Animal Planet is currently running a contest in which the public can vote on which animal shelter should receive $50,000 for renovations, and one of the five finalists is the Al-Van Humane Society in South Haven. The organization’s Lisa Galdikas tells WSJM News she’s hoping all of its supporters vote.... [Read Full Story]
From the Associated Press — Geologists in Illinois are launching a helicopter survey of sand in Lake Michigan in the Chicago area. The Chicago Tribune reports that beginning as early as Wednesday, a low-flying helicopter hauling what appears to be a giant, mechanical Hula Hoop
will be carrying a large electromagnetic array from Kenosha to the Illinois-Indiana state line. The Illinois State Geological Survey hopes to figure out where the lake’s sand has gone. Illinois Department of Natural Resources’ Coastal Management Program director Diane Tecic says there’s not enough sand in some areas and too much sand in other spots. Equipment on the helicopter will diagram the landscape of the lake floor by
using electromagnetic signals. Researchers will be able to get a clearer picture of the lake’s profile and better understand its composition.... [Read Full Story]
Michigan State Police say two people are dead following a boating accident in Van Buren County on Saturday. Troopers were called to Keeler Lake in Keeler Township about 7:30 p.m. on a report of a drowning. Upon arrival, they were flagged down by a man who said two of his friends had been fishing in a boat when they started yelling to him for help. The troopers then spotted a capsized boat about 75 feet from shore and were able to reach the two victims. Both were taken to area hospitals where they were pronounced dead. The victims have been identified as 45-year-old Douglas Charles McIntyre, from Decatur, and 64-year-old Robert E. Novick, from Evergreen Park, Illinois.... [Read Full Story]
Michigan State Police are looking for a 16-year-old girl missing out of Saugatuck. They say Joy Dene Martin may have left the state on a Greyhound bus to meet someone she met on the KIK messenger app. She had bags of clothing with her when she left. Martin is described as about 5’6, 180 pounds, with blonde hair and blue eyes. She also has a diamond stud nose piercing. Anyone with information on her location is asked to call Michigan State Police at the Wayland post. The number is 269-792-2213.... [Read Full Story]
Southwest Michigan has lost an academic icon. Southwestern Michigan College founder Dr. Fred Mathews died Sunday at the age of 87. State Senator John Proos says he’s “deeply saddened” by the loss of a friend. He calls Mathews a “leader for all of Southwest Michigan” and a “voice for good government as long as I knew him.” Dr. Mathews founded SMC in the 1960s to fill a void in higher education in Cass County. His son, David, is the current SMC president and has served in that position for the past 20 years. Dr. Fred Mathews was the college’s chairman from 1964 to 2015.... [Read Full Story]
Individuals and businesses who helped the United Way of Southwest Michigan in the past year reach its fundraising goal have been saluted by the organization. It held its annual awards dinner Thursday at the Mendel Center, with President Anna Murphy noting the special work regional businesses each year to help.... [Read Full Story]
The new partnership agreement between Benton Harbor Area Schools and the state of Michigan is starting to come together. Benton Harbor Superintendent Dr. Shelly Walker tells WSJM News she’s learning new things each day about how the partnership allowing three struggling schools in the district to stay open will look. She says the deal won’t just be more state control.... [Read Full Story]
If Royalton Township leaders get their way, the township could get some big park improvements next year. The township has applied for two state grants, totaling $300,000, to pay for work at Bicentennial Park and the nature trail off Bacon School Road. Township Manager Steve Tilly tells WSJM News they want to fix up the trail.... [Read Full Story]
This month’s wind storms and subsequent power outages have prompted Michigan State Police to issue a warning about carbon monoxide. MSP First Lieutenant Gabriel Covey tells WSJM News some folks around the state got sick last week because they didn’t keep their generators fully outdoors where they belong.... [Read Full Story]
The president’s budget proposal is calling for the elimination of the Corporation for National and Community Service, which is best known for its AmeriCorps program, and that’s got the United Way of Southwest Michigan concerned. The United Way’s Rachel Wade tells WSJM News her organization works with several other non-profits that rely on AmeriCorps volunteers.... [Read Full Story]
Michigan State Police say two people are dead following a boating accident in Van Buren County on Saturday. Troopers were called to Keeler Lake in Keeler Township about 7:30 p.m. on a report of a drowning. Upon arrival, they were flagged down by a man who said two of his friends had been fishing in a boat when they started yelling to him for help. The troopers then spotted a capsized boat about 75 feet from shore and were able to reach the two victims. Both were taken to area hospitals where they were pronounced dead. The victims were a 45-year-old man from Decatur, and a 64-year-old man from Evergreen Park, Illinois. Neither of their names have been released.... [Read Full Story]
