Indiana Michigan Power has completed its solar plant in Watervliet, and the facility is now up and running. Spokesperson Tracy Warner tells WSJM News the 50,000 panel solar farm will generate about 4.6 megawatts of power, which is enough for about 2,000 homes.... [Read Full Story]
In this week’s WSJM Week in Review, for November 11, 2016, Election Day brings victory for Southwest Michigan Republicans, a solar plant in Watervliet is now online, and more.... [Read Full Story]
The Michigan Department of Transportation has added the completion of the US-31 corridor to its five year construction plan. State Representative Al Pscholka has been working on getting MDOT to commit to the project for years, and tells us he’s relieved US-31 will finally be connected to I-94. He’s always asked about it.... [Read Full Story]
If you have some trouble paying your gas or electric bill this winter, there are places to turn for help. Consumers Energy this week announced it’s partnering with five west Michigan non-profits to make $12 million available for home energy assistance. Spokesperson Roger Morgenstern tells WSJM News they do it each year.... [Read Full Story]
Flint says water shut-off notices are being posted by city employees on commercial properties with past-due utility accounts. Friday’s efforts follow months of work by the city to obtain payment on commercial water and sewer accounts with high outstanding balances. It’s part of
a state requirement to maintain water credits being provided amid Flint’s crisis with lead-tainted drinking water. Flint says police officers will accompany those posting notices. The notices are being put up at a number of locations in Flint, including apartment complexes. The city says some owners of apartment buildings have been collecting rent, which includes utility fees, but they haven’t been paying the city for sewer and water service. Representatives from the Red Cross and United Way will be available next week to offer assistance, if needed.... [Read Full Story]
There’s been a growing number of thefts of veterans grave markers from cemeteries and state Senator John Proos tells us it’s got to stop. Proos was recently alerted to the problem by former state Senator Ron Jelinek, and says it’s disturbing. That’s why he’s introduced legislation to crack down on it.... [Read Full Story]
It’s time once again for 97-5 Y-Country’s Stuff a Truck food drive. The week-long effort starts Monday, and it’ll have Y-Country staff broadcasting live from Roger’s Foodland in St. Joseph alongside a 23-foot truck, stuffing it with things people donate. Y-Country’s Matt Malone tells WSJM News it’s the 20th year for the drive.... [Read Full Story]
Firearm deer hunting season starts Tuesday, and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources is reminding those who plan to head out into the woods to be safe. It’s issued a quick list of tips to be sure this hunting season is a successful one. First, it’s telling hunters to treat every firearm as though it’s loaded. Keep the safety on until you’re ready to fire and never point the muzzle toward anyone. Also, use a safety harness if you’re up in a tree blind, make sure someone knows just where you’re going to be, and have a cell phone with you. The DNR adds that camouflage hunter orange is legal provided 50% of the pattern is hunter orange. Meanwhile, utility companies remind hunters their property is off limits. You can get the DNR’s app, MI-Hunt, that’ll tip you off to good hunting spots around the state.... [Read Full Story]
The van Buren County Circuit Court will hold a special ceremony this month to mark Adoption Day. At 10 a.m. on Tuesday the 22nd, Michigan Supreme Court Justice Stephen Markman will be on hand to oversee some adoption confirmations at the court. There are about 13,000 children in the Michigan foster care system, with around 2,400 seeking adoption. Each year, Adoption Day is held around the state to recognize their plight and to celebrate those families that choose to adopt. Anyone interested in signing up to be a foster home can call the Van Buren County Department of Health and Human Services.... [Read Full Story]
Protesters say they’re opposing Trump’s behavior and campaign rhetoric and fear a loss of rights under a Trump administration. Michigan Republican Party Chair Ronna Romney-McDaniel says they’re just sore about election results.... [Read Full Story]
The Van Buren County Road Commission has marked its 100th birthday. The agency was founded in 1916 under a 1912 state law calling for uniformity in road standards statewide, and it’s changed quite a lot since then. The road commission welcomed the public to a party last week where it showed off historical photographs, and let people put their hand print on a special 100th anniversary plow. The road commission started out with just one employee, and today has about 50 who care for more than 1,3000 miles of road. Leaders are thanking all of the friends and family who came out to the birthday celebration.... [Read Full Story]
The Michigan senate has approved a long-awaited energy policy. State Representative Aric Nesbitt, of Lawton, is the chair of the House Committee on Energy Policy, and has led the charge on the package. He tells WSJM News the plan is about making sure the state relies on a wide array of energy sources.... [Read Full Story]
Michael Moore is blasting the government, and Democrats, for not listening to the working people of Michigan. On MSNBC’s Morning Joe Friday, Moore says Flint residents and others didn’t feel that Hillary Clinton was on their side and that’s why she lost the election.... [Read Full Story]
The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department is working to solve a wave of thefts from parked cars. It says the reports of items being stolen from vehicles have come in all month long from Berrien, Buchanan, Watervliet, Hagar, and Royalton Townships. There’s been about 40 of them. In most of the cases, the vehicles were unlocked, and the thefts happened overnight. Police remind you to lock your car doors and not to leave anything valuable inside the car overnight. If you see anything suspicious, call police.... [Read Full Story]
The Mason Jar Cafe in Benton Harbor is this year’s local winner of the Celebrated Service Award. Celebration Cinema gives out the award to a business in each of its service areas each year to honor those places that go the extra mile for customers, says the theater chain’s Emily Loeks.... [Read Full Story]
Hundreds of people gathered at Michigan State University to protest hateful political rhetoric and promote unity following the presidential election. The East Lansing event Thursday was organized by the MSU College Democrats as a way to come together after the election. Organizers say it wasn’t intended as a protest against President-elect Donald Trump. As the crowd dispersed, some protesters gathered at the MSU Union. The Lansing State Journal reports police locked the building’s doors to keep people from staying inside. No arrests were reported. In Grand Rapids on Thursday night, hundreds of anti-Trump protesters marched through downtown. And in Detroit, hundreds marched from Wayne State University to protest Trump’s election. It was the second day of postelection protests in Michigan. On Wednesday, protesters rallied in Detroit and Ann Arbor.... [Read Full Story]
In this week’s WSJM Week in Review, for November 11, 2016, Election Day brings victory for Southwest Michigan Republicans, a solar plant in Watervliet is now online, and more.... [Read Full Story]
Authorities say two bicyclists have been taken to a hospital with injuries following a hit-and-run crash near Kalamazoo. The Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Department says a pickup truck hit the bicyclists on Thursday night in Alamo Township. The department says the two injured bicyclists were among four bicyclists involved. Injuries were described as non-life-threatening. Investigators say the truck has front passenger-side damage. Anyone with information is asked to contact the sheriff’s department. In June, a motorist plowed into a group of bicyclists with his pickup truck, killing five and injuring four, in Kalamazoo County’s Cooper Township, which is nearby. On Monday, a judge ordered Charles Pickett Jr. to trial on second-degree murder charges in that case.... [Read Full Story]
A federal judge has ordered the state of Michigan and the city of Flint to deliver bottled water to lead-tainted homes under certain conditions. Judge David Lawson granted an injunction Thursday sought by the American Civil Liberties Union and Natural Resources Defense Council. They’ve argued that many residents can’t get to water distribution sites or have other challenges. Flint residents are urged to use bottled water or filtered tap water while the city’s water system heals from lead contamination. Corrosive water from the Flint River wasn’t treated properly for 18 months. Flint has free water distribution sites, but the judge says some residents still “are encountering great difficulty.” Lawson says home delivery isn’t required if officials verify that a filter has been properly installed and maintained. Residents also can decline delivery.... [Read Full Story]
A South Haven man is in line to receive the nation’s highest military honor for his acts of heroism during the Vietnam War. Congressman Fred Upton and Michigan’s U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters have introduced legislation to make James “Doc” McCloughan eligible for the Medal of Honor. He is credited with saving the lives of 10 members of his platoon during the Battle of Nui Yon Hill from May 13-15, 1969. In a statement, Upton says McCloughan is “no doubt” an American hero, and his recognition is long overdue. Medal of Honor recipients must be honored within five years of their actions, but the Defense Department has recently recommended the recognition for the South Haven native. During his service, McCloughan was highly decorated and received multiple honors that include the Combat Medical Badge, two Purple Hearts, two Bronze Stars with “V” device for valor, and more.... [Read Full Story]
During this National Diabetes Awareness Month, doctors are reminding everyone of the warning signs of the disease, as well as how you can avoid it. Vascular surgeon Dr. Gary Gibbons tells our newsroom 29 million Americans have diabetes, including almost 800,000 in Michigan. Lifestyle choices can affect whether you get it.... [Read Full Story]
State Senator John Proos is introducing legislation that would crack down on anyone caught stealing veterans grave markers. Some thieves will take the markers and sell them to collectors or scrap metal dealers, and Proos tells our newsroom that’s just disturbing.... [Read Full Story]
Manufacturing is leading the way in reducing southwest Michigan’s unemployment rate. Southwest Michigan First Chief Executive Officer Ron Kitchens tells our newsroom manufacturers in the region are adding jobs left and right. It’s helped to push the unemployment rate down.... [Read Full Story]
The Michigan Department of Transportation has added the completion of the US-31 corridor to its five year construction plan. State Representative Al Pscholka has been working on getting MDOT to commit to the project for years, and tells us he’s relieved US-31 will finally be connected to I-94. He’s always asked about it.... [Read Full Story]
Friday is Veterans Day, and there will be plenty of chances for Berrien County vets to receive a special thank you. Martin’s Supermarkets, for example, are serving up free meals to veterans from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Just head over to the Martin’s deli and you’ll get fried chicken. The Four Winds Casino in New Buffalo also has something planned, as veterans and one guest each can get a 50% discount on meals at the buffet. Applebee’s, Chili’s, and Texas Corral are offering free meals for veterans, while IHOP has free stacks of red, white, and blue pancakes. If you’re a veteran, or just someone looking to take a veteran out for lunch or dinner, you can call ahead and find most places have some kind of a deal. In all cases, it’s important to remember to bring along proof of military service.... [Read Full Story]
State Representative Tom Leonard is the new leader of state House Republicans. He was picked for the job of speaker on Thursday, and says there are a lot of things on his plate.... [Read Full Story]
The Great Lakes area is remembering the Edmund Fitzgerald tragedy, 41 years after the boat sank amid a furious storm on Lake Superior. The Great Lakes Maritime Academy in Traverse City is one of several places that held a memorial today. For good reason, says academy superintendent Jerry Achenbach, who’s spent his career on the water.... [Read Full Story]
Several Michigan companies, including the Michigan Blueberry Growers and Naturipe out of Grand Junction are introducing themselves to China this week. Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Director Jamie Clover Adams is leading her first food and agriculture trade mission to the country with the goal of the introducing Michigan companies to the ever growing and expanding Chinese market. Adams says Michigan already has a good relationship with China.... [Read Full Story]
Students at Michigan State University have been cutting back on drinking and smoking. Dr. Dennis Bartell is MSU’s director of health promotion and says the campus becoming tobacco-free is definitely a factor.... [Read Full Story]
Indiana Michigan Power’s new solar power plant in Watervliet is now finished and up and running. WSJM’s Andrew Green reports.... [Read Full Story]
