Local News Archives

The dredging of the South Haven Harbor shoreline will start on Monday by the US Army Corps of Engineers. They will dredge 57,300 cubic yards from the Black River Federal Channel and place it on the South Beach from the pier south by 1,900 feet. A similar project last August placed around 18,000 cubic yards of sand on the beach. The King Company of Holland will do the work, which is scheduled to wrap up July 10, depending on the weather. That firm is currently dredging the harbor in St. Joseph. The Corps of Engineers says the South Haven work is the first community-directed funding project they have received “in some time” and say there is “lots of excitement to do this one right.”... [Read Full Story]

The South Haven City Council is looking at possibly changing the ordinance on the height of a home to measure it in only feet and eliminate stories. At last night’s meeting, Assistant City Manager Griffin Graham presented the idea after the Planning Commission spent a lot of time on it at the City Council’s request.... [Read Full Story]

Those planning to enjoy the Kal-Haven Trail State Park this summer will likely have to detour their plans.... [Read Full Story]

A crash early Sunday morning on M-43 near South Haven has sent a passenger in the car to the hospital with serious injuries. South Haven Area Emergency Services says they were called to M-43 near 69th Street in Geneva Township around 1:30 a.m. for the crash. The driver left the road and hit a tree. That driver was treated at the scene. What caused the wreck has not been released.... [Read Full Story]

The Michigan Department of Transportation will start working on Interstate 94 in southwest Michigan today. MDOT will have single-lane closures on east and westbound I-94 from Hartford in Van Buren County to Coloma in Berrien County. The $484,000 project will last until June 26. The lane closures will be at night from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.... [Read Full Story]

South Haven’s Harborfest is set for Friday and Saturday. Rides, games, the Beer Garden, Food Fest and Craft Show all open at noon Friday, with live music at 5:30 pm from John Rush and 8 pm with the JR Clark Band. Deb Myers is the festival director and we asked how excited she was for the event to return.... [Read Full Story]

Michigan State Police say a 19-year-old woman from Mattawan was killed in a crash on eastbound I-94 near the M-51 overpass in Paw Paw Township around 6:40 p.m. Tuesday. She was a passenger in a Jeep Liberty that hit a stopped semi from behind. The semi was stopped on the road due to a prior two-vehicle injury crash that was being investigated by MSP troopers, who say they don’t know why the Jeep did not slow down or stop due to the traffic backup. The driver of the Jeep is a 20-year-old man from Benton Harbor, who is in Bronson Methodist Hospital with critical injuries. The driver of the semi was not hurt. Alcohol does not appear to have been a factor, and everyone was buckled up. The crash closed eastbound I-94 for several hours.... [Read Full Story]

Van Buren County Board of Commissioners chairman Randall Peat has pled guilty to a drunk driving charge and will be sentenced on June 22. Peat was arrested in January in Van Buren County but the case was handled by Berrien County and Kalamazoo County chief assistant prosecutor Jeffrey Williams due to his county commission post. The Herald Palladium reports Peat entered his plea on June 6 for the misdemeanor charge of impaired driving. The Michigan Attorney General’s Office was asked to appoint a special prosecutor in the case, which it did.... [Read Full Story]

Michigan State Police are investigating a three-vehicle crash on Interstate 94 in Van Buren County’s Paw Paw Township that took one life last evening. It happened around 6:30 p.m. near Exit 56 heading eastbound. The crash closed at least one lane in each direction for about two hours. No details on the crash have been released.... [Read Full Story]

Two men have been killed in a crash between a car and two motorcycles on Red Arrow Highway in Van Buren County around 11:15 p.m. Friday. The sheriff’s office says a car was found on fire after hitting a tree and two motorcycles were found crashed nearby. The driver of the car, a 39-year-old Hartford man, was pronounced dead at the scene and a 30-year-old Lawrence man who was on one of the motorcycles died at a hospital. The other motorcycle driver is hospitalized with serious but not life-threatening injuries. Police say the three were all heading west on Red Arrow Highway when the car hit the bikes from behind and then hit the tree. The crash closed Red Arrow Highway in the 60-thousand block in Hartford Township for about five hours.... [Read Full Story]

The city of South Haven and South Haven Township are holding a forum on housing tonight at South Haven’s L.C. Mohr High School. City Manager Kate Hosier says it starts at 7 pm and will focus with Ryan Kilpatrick of Flywheel Momentum on drafting a housing plan for the communities.... [Read Full Story]

Floating homes are not allowed on the water in South Haven for the summer. The city council approved a six-month moratorium last night to give city staff time to craft an ordinance. Assistant City Manager Griffin Graham was asked by Councilman Joe Reeser about other communities with such rules and regulations.... [Read Full Story]

A one-year-old has been killed in a crash in Van Buren County. The wreck happened just before 12:30 pm Friday on M-40 between 40th and 44th avenues. Traffic was slowing down as a vehicle was trying to make a left-hand turn and a Chevrolet Colorado rear-ended a Toyota Highlander. The child who died was in the Highlander, while a five-year-old in the SUV was treated and released from Bronson Hospital with a broken collarbone. The 60-year-old woman who was driving the Chevy is hospitalized in stable condition after surgery. The 32-year-old driver of the Toyota was not hurt. Everyone in the crash is from the Paw Paw area, and police say both of the children were secure in car seats.... [Read Full Story]

Consumers Energy has purchased the Covert Generating Station in Van Buren County and is now operating the 1,200-megawatt, natural gas fired plant. The utility says it produces enough energy to power over a million homes and began operating in 2004. The 29 workers at the plant are expected to become Consumers Energy employees as the transition proceeds. Company officials say they are doing their part to ensure there is a cost-effective, reliable energy supply to meet the state’s needs. Covert joins two other natural gas plants in Zeeland and Jackson, along with coal, hydroelectric, pumped storage, wind and solar energy sources that will serve customers as temperatures rise and air conditioners turn on. Consumers says its final coal-burning power plants will be closed by mid-2025.... [Read Full Story]

The city of South Haven is back to the drawing board on the redevelopment of the former Overton factory site at 229 Elkenburg Street. The Habitat Company has informed city officials they are withdrawing their agreement to build homes on the property and are asking the city to refund their $20,000 in deposits “in accordance with the terms” of the purchase and sale agreement. Vice President Jeff Head says in a letter they would be interested in starting discussions again after the November election “if there is renewed political consensus that the project should proceed,” and say they “still believe in the importance of the project.” Head adds the lack of consensus on the city council “increases the level of risk for Habitat, as each step in the process requires additional time and money.” He goes on to say despite their transparency, local support for the project has “eroded.” Assistant City Manager Griffin Graham has responded to say they are disappointed by the decision, and city council and staff “have consistently supported Habitat’s project and worked closely with your team to address obstacles as they arose.”... [Read Full Story]

Road work will start Monday on M-152 from the Berrien and Van Buren county line to M-51 in Cass County’s Silver Lake Township. The Michigan Department of Transportation will also start work Monday to resurface 16 miles of M-40 from M-60 to the Marcellus village limit in Cass County. MDOT says the two projects have a $1.7 million price tag. Lane closures and traffic regulators are expected, but the roads will not be closed. The project is expected to end by July 28. MDOT says the work will directly and indirectly support 21 jobs and will improve the road surfaces.... [Read Full Story]

The family of fallen Paw Paw Fire Lieutenant Ethan Quillen will receive half of the proceeds from Sunday morning’s annual pancake breakfast held by South Haven Area Emergency Services. SHAES Chief Brandon Hinz was asked by us about an estimate of how much they might raise.... [Read Full Story]

South Haven Area Emergency Services will donate half of the proceeds collected at their annual Memorial Weekend Pancake Breakfast to the family of Paw Paw Fire Lieutenant Ethan Quillen, who died on duty February 22 during an ice storm. Quillen was killed responding to a downed power line. The breakfast Sunday will be at Station 3 in South Haven from 7:30 to 11:30 a.m. and cost ten-dollars for anyone 15 and older, five-dollars for kids between four and 14, and free for anyone younger than four. Pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausage, and beverages will be served.... [Read Full Story]

A high speed chase through the South Haven area Monday night ended in a crash and probable felony charges for the suspect.... [Read Full Story]

South Haven Police are looking for two suspects who shot at each other around 3 p.m. Sunday outside a Marathon gas station on Phoenix Street at Blue Star Memorial Highway. The gas station closed for about two hours as a result of the shots being fired. Police say the suspects know each other and they also know who they are looking for. One suspect left a black Chrysler 300 at the scene when they ran off on foot. Police say the public is not believed to be in danger from the shots being fired, and it is not known if either was injured. Michigan State Police and the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office assisted with the investigation.... [Read Full Story]

Van Buren County Commission chairman Randall Peat is charged with operating while intoxicated. He was arraigned this week and court records show he pled not guilty. Peat was arrested January 23 in Kalamazoo County according to Kalamazoo County Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Jeff Williams. Williams says the case will be handled by Berrien County Judge Arthur Cotter. Peat has been the chairman of the Van Buren County Board of Commissioners since January 2022 and has been on the commission since 2019.... [Read Full Story]

Repairs have been completed on a South Haven sewer line near 649 Lake Shore Drive in Casco Township. The city of South Haven says about 100 gallons of raw sewage was discharged to the surface. They add there are no public or environmental health concerns as a result of the overflow. The leak was fixed Thursday afternoon.... [Read Full Story]

The death of a 24-year-old Paw Paw woman in Battle Creek is no longer a murder investigation. Police now say she died from an overdose and two people have been arrested on accusations they moved her body. The remains were found near Poplar and Van Buren streets Wednesday morning. She was at an apartment with people when she overdosed, and police say they panicked and moved her body just after midnight Wednesday. Her identity has not been released, and neither have the identities of the two suspects.... [Read Full Story]

A showcase of car and motorsports culture by day and a music festival by night, one unique southwest Michigan event is revving up for a milestone event this summer.... [Read Full Story]

Safe Kids Greater South Haven is donating 260 life jackets to the city for use on the beaches this summer. The city council approved accepting the gift of 13 boards with as many as 20 life jackets on each. Mayor Scott Smith was pleased with it.... [Read Full Story]

Medal of Honor recipient Jim McCloughan will be honored with a monument in front of South Haven City Hall. The city council approved that at last night’s meeting. City Manager Kate Hosier says it is being donated by American Legion Post 49.... [Read Full Story]

Zach Kenreich as a high school student decided he wanted a career that would serve his community.... [Read Full Story]