Things have been going well for the Krasl Art Center as it seeks $1.7 million as part of a place-making initiative to reopen its grounds and offer an outdoor space. Executive Director Julia Gourley tells us the campaign is now approaching the $1 million mark, having raised $920,000. The money has come from local foundations, businesses, and individuals who want to support the arts. The outdoor area Krasl is planning would be available to the whole community and will feature a newly-commissioned sculpture from artist Richard Hunt as the centerpiece. It’ll be open to the public for use at any time. Anyone interested in finding out more can go to Krasl.org.... [Read Full Story]
Sheriff’s investigators in Cass County believe drugs and alcohol factored into a late Sunday rollover in Wayne Township. 34-year-old Lucas Black of Dowagiac swerved out of the way of a passing vehicle on Ruby Road before 10 p.m. Black was rushed by ambulance to Borgess-Lee Memorial Hospital in Dowagiac. His current condition was not disclosed.... [Read Full Story]
No jail time for one of the first officials sentenced in connection to the Flint water crisis. Corrine Miller ordered staff to delete emails detailing Legionella in the Flint River water. She was ordered to complete community service and write an apology letter to the people of Flint. Todd Flood, with the Michigan Attorney General’s Office, says Miller received the light sentence because she was one of the first officials to cooperate with investigators.... [Read Full Story]
Retired Lakeshore football coach Denny Dock will be inducted in the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame on March 25th in Ann Arbor. Dock coached the Lancers from 1988-2013 also spent time as head coach at Hartford from 1981 to 1983 and Dowagiac from 1984 to 1987. Over his career, Dock compiled a record of 263 wins and 76 losses, going and 209-64 at Lakeshore. Dock continues to serve as the Lakeshore softball coach, leading the Lancers to six state championships, the most recent in 2011.... [Read Full Story]
From the Associated Press — Michigan’s superintendent is dropping a plan to give a letter grade to every public school and instead will issue a report card showing indicators such as each school’s proficiency on the state exam. Superintendent Brian Whiston had intended to develop the A-F grading system as part of an effort to make Michigan a top state for education. But the concept, while supported by some Republicans in the GOP-led Legislature, is controversial and has been questioned by many in the education community. Two officials who were briefed by Whiston – State Board of Education member Tom McMillin and Michigan Association of School Administrators Executive Director Chris Wigent – told The Associated Press that the state Department of Education’s default accountability plan will be a “dashboard” format with no grades.... [Read Full Story]
Miss Blossomtime 2017 is Kaylee Chapin, of Watervliet. The annual pageant was held Monday night at the Mendel Center in Benton Township. Taking the position of first runner up was Miss Bridgman McKenna Smith, followed by Miss Edwardsburg Katelyn Boyer as second runner up. Miss Congeniality is Miss Lawrence Devin Gray. Hunter Ackerman, of Hartford, was named Mr. Blossomtime on Sunday night. The newly crowned Blossomtime royalty will be featured in the Blossomtime Grand Floral Parade through Benton Harbor and St. Joseph on May 6.... [Read Full Story]
Wayne State University is bringing more than 1,000 middle school students and teachers to campus Tuesday for the school’s first STEM Day. Wayne State’s Julie Hasse told Michigan News Network the students will have a chance to use science to pull off something that sounds miraculous.... [Read Full Story]
The question of what to do with Second Street near Lions Park Beach in St. Joseph appears to have been settled. At a Monday meeting, city commissioners voted to preserve Second Street as a public right of way, effectively rejecting a proposal from a local property owner to beautify the area and turn it into a walkway. Mayor Mike Garey told WSJM News he’s not comfortable taking private money to make changes to a public street.... [Read Full Story]
A new partnership called Trading Places will help Michigan inmates reintegrate into society. Heidi Washington, Director of the Michigan Department of Corrections, told Michigan News Network they’re working with two organizations to train prisoners.... [Read Full Story]
A Little Free Library is coming to Benton Harbor this weekend as part of National Reading Month. The Berrien County Democratic Party will hold an event on Sunday at the Wide Awake United Church of Christ at the corner of Bellview and Pipestone in Benton Harbor to put the finishing touches on the Little Free Library which will be installed in the city later this year.... [Read Full Story]
We are under a winter weather advisory until 11 tonight. The National Weather Service is predicting most areas will get two-to-three inches of snow today, with another inch tonight. Some more lake effect snow is possible tomorrow, and forecasters are predicting a total of 3 to 5 inches for the area by the time the system is done. Much more is expected along the East Coast, and that storm is going to impact anyone planning to fly today and tomorrow.... [Read Full Story]
Increased oil production in the U.S. is helping to put pressure on gas prices. We’re starting this week with prices averaging $2.32 in Benton Harbor and St. Joseph according to Triple-A Michigan, which is a drop of 8¢ a gallon. Statewide, we’re down 7¢ to $2.34. The auto club says the lowest average price is in Traverse City at $2.29, with the highest in Jackson at $2.41. Oil services company Baker Hughes tells AAA that seven oil rigs in the U.S. went into production last week, bringing the total to 609, which is the most since October 2015.... [Read Full Story]
Mr. Blossomtime for this year is Hunter Ackerman of Hartford. This year’s Miss Blossomtime will be crowned tonight at the Mendel Center at Lake Michigan College starting at 7 p.m. If you can’t make it to LMC for the event, tune in to News/Talk 94.9 WSJM for coverage with Zack East, Sandie Lieberg, and Lindsay Kay Zvonar. Something new this year is a public vote for one of the queens in the top ten. The other nine will be selected by the judges.... [Read Full Story]
We all have things to do this weekend because of the switch from daylight savings this weekend, and an hour less to do them, because we will all be springing forward tonight.... [Read Full Story]
(Lansing, MI – AP) – Michigan should make community college free for all and give merit-based scholarships to high school graduates who attend the state’s public universities, says a commission formed by Governor Rick Snyder. The panel released a report Friday that calls for getting rid of grade levels and instead advancing students only once they master content.... [Read Full Story]
Mr. and Miss Blossomtime will be crowned Sunday and Monday night. The pageant has been running for over 110 years in southwest Michigan and the public gets a say for the first time. One of the Queens will be elected to the top ten based on votes on the Internet, and the other nine will be selected by the judges. The poll can be found here, and this year’s Queens can be found by following this link. Tickets are available for $15 for Sunday and $20 for Monday night. If you can’t be there in person, News/Talk 94.9 WSJM will again broadcast Monday night’s event with Zack East, Sandie Lieberg, and Lindsday Kay Zvonar.... [Read Full Story]
Evening tours of the Van Buren County Courthouse and Jail are now being offered starting next Thursday. Frank Hardester is the trial court administrator in Van Buren County and tells our newsroom the tours are being done to show people why they’re asking for a millage to pay for upgrades.... [Read Full Story]
The Michigan House has approved legislation to prohibit a lawmaker who resigns or who has been expelled from office from running in the special election to fill the seat. The bill which passed 72-36 Thursday is a response to former Representatives Todd Courser and Cindy Gamrat running in special elections to finish the remainder of their terms in 2015. Representative Aaron Miller of Sturgis sponsored the bill.... [Read Full Story]
Exactly what caused an Allegan County Sheriff’s deputy to lose control and crash on M-40 in Valley Township early Friday morning is under investigation. Extensive damage was done to the police car when it went into a ditch and hit several trees. The deputy was not hurt thanks to the airbags deploying and his seat belt. He was treated and released from a hospital, and the department is waiting to figure out just what happened before any action is taken. The crash happened just before 4 a.m.... [Read Full Story]
This weekend we’ll lose an hour with the start of Daylight Saving Time. An effort is underway in Lansing, however, to get rid of DST and keep Michigan on Eastern Standard Time year-round. State Representative Peter Lucido of Macomb County is the sponsor.... [Read Full Story]
President Trump has made revising or even repealing the Dodd-Frank Act a priority. The law was passed in response to the banking crisis that helped spark the Great Recession, and Congressman Bill Huizenga of Zeeland is on board. He says small banks are being hurt by the regulations.... [Read Full Story]
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is anticipating a good year for coho salmon fishing in Lake Michigan. The lake’s coho season is open year round, but the DNR says activity normally starts picking up in March. The fish have a consistent migration pattern, moving north into New Buffalo, St. Joseph, and South Haven before moving away from the shore for the summer. Coho harvest on Lake Michigan was up 25% last year compared to 2015, and the DNR expects this year to be just as good – if not better. More than 20,000 mature fish returned last year for spawning, indicating this year will be a good one. The DNR also plans to stock 1.5 million coho salmon in Lake Michigan this spring.... [Read Full Story]
The Michigan attorney general’s anti-bullying tipline OK2SAY is gaining in popularity. Spokeswoman Andrea Bitely tells WSJM News that in 2016, the program received nearly 34-hundred tips, up nearly 55% from 2015.... [Read Full Story]
The state’s Emergency Operations Center is up and running, as Governor Rick Snyder lends a hand to those without power across Michigan. The governor says in addition to providing clear communication across many agencies, they also have to think ahead, especially as temperatures drop in areas already dealing with outages.... [Read Full Story]
The Lakeshore Sports Complex on Cleveland Road is going to get bigger. SWM Kickers and the Lakeshore Youth Soccer League are teaming up for the expansion, and LYSL president Mark Smith says it’s especially needed for soccer.... [Read Full Story]
A realtor from Buchanan is this year’s Realtor of the Year for the area. The Southwestern Michigan Association of Realtors has honored Linda Johnson of Integrity Real Estate Professionals in Niles with the award this year. She has been licensed as a realtor for the past 14 years and serves on the association’s Standard Forms Committee and Finance Committee. Johnson has previously won several MLS Production Awards, winning Silver Awards in 2008, 2014 and 2014 and the Gold Award in 2013.... [Read Full Story]
Michigan lawmakers have approved legislation that aims to keep 100,000 criminals who are under state supervision from breaking the law again. The 20-bill package passed by the House Wednesday limits the length of incarceration for offenders who violate their probation and creates a more intensive parole program. Senator John Proos sponsored several of the bills.... [Read Full Story]
