Local News Archives

Bangor Public Schools Closed Due To Fire

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Classes are canceled at Bangor Public Schools today due to an electrical fire near the high school gym. Firefighters were called to the school before sunrise and the district says there is smoke damage in the middle school and high school hallways. There is not much structural damage from the fire. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.... [Read Full Story]

Fire At Bangor High School

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A fire has damaged Bangor High School. The fire department responded early this morning to the flames, but the extent of damage is not yet known. It is also not known if anyone was inside when the fire began or if anyone has been hurt.... [Read Full Story]

South Haven Man Shot In The Head

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South Haven police are investigating after a 60-year-old man was shot in the head around 1:30 a.m. Sunday by a 33-year-old woman. The shooting happened in the 72-thousand block of M-43. Police were notified as he was being taken to the hospital in a private vehicle. South Haven K-9 Ryker and a Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office K-9 searched the area for hours tracking the suspect before she was arrested just after 6:30 a.m. No names have been released, nor has his condition. Police say the two were in a relationship. The shooting remains under investigation.... [Read Full Story]

South Haven Short-Term Rental Workshop Held

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The years-long battle over short-term rentals in South Haven won’t be going away anytime soon. The city council held a forum on the issue at South Haven High School last night with five roughly 15-minute presentations followed by a short break and over an hour of public comment. Mayor Scott Smith says he was not surprised by anything he heard from either side.... [Read Full Story]

Milk Tanker Overturns On I-196 In South Haven Township

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Northbound I-196 was closed for nearly three hours this morning from just after 2 a.m. until shortly before 5 a.m. from M-140 to Phoenix Street in South Haven Township. The closure was due to a tanker carrying milk overturning in the driving lanes. None of the milk spilled, and the driver was not hurt. South Haven Police, SHAES, and the Michigan Department of Transportation all responded. MDOT handled closing and reopening the highway.... [Read Full Story]

Jury Acquits Former Hartford Officer Of Using Excessive Force

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Former Hartford police officer Mathew Mistretta has been acquitted of using excessive force during an arrest nearly three years ago. Jurors deliberated for only around two-and-a-half hours yesterday after the four-day trial before delivering their verdict. Mistretta was seen in a social media video taking Lauro Espino to the ground believing he was the suspect in a shooting. Espino admitted he was drunk, bleeding from his head and speeding at the time but was not involved in a shooting.... [Read Full Story]

South Haven Hiring Beach Enforcement Employees

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South Haven is working to hire beach enforcement employees for the summer. City Manager Kate Hosier tells the “Kalamazoo Gazette” the employees will have the authority to give $1,000 tickets for beach ordinance violations. The primary job duties are monitoring weather conditions, changing flags as needed, educating people on the dangers of Lake Michigan, and talking to people on the beach. The tickets would be for people not getting out of the water under a red flag or not leaving the pier when weather conditions force it to be closed. Other violations eligible for tickets include having dogs on the beach or smoking on the beach. South Haven’s new beach ordinances went into effect in 2022.... [Read Full Story]

Wildfire Burns Around 250 Acres In Allegan County

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Around 250 acres have been scorched in a wildfire in Allegan County. The fire started in the Allegan State Game Area near Ely Lake Campground in Clyde Township yesterday afternoon. Michigan Department of Natural Resources fire prevention specialist Paul Rogers says nearly 75-percent of all fires in Michigan annually happen around this time of the year and adds winds were blowing at 30 miles an hour, helping to fuel the flames. They have not yet determined the cause, but Rogers says there was an active red flag warning prohibiting any burning.... [Read Full Story]

Hartford Schools Closed Friday After Staff Member’s Death

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Hartford Public Schools will be closed Friday due to the death of a staff member. Superintendent Brad Geesaman says Ken Briley died over the weekend and his funeral will be Friday. Briley had been employed in Hartford’s transportation department since 2015. Geesaman says Briley was “a highly respected and much loved” staff member and asks parents to watch their kids closely in case they need extra guidance or support.... [Read Full Story]

Van Buren County Holding Drug Take Back Day April 22

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Police will hold a national Drug Take Back Day on April 22. In Van Buren County, unused, unwanted, and expired medicine can be dropped off at the Bronson Wellness Center at 950 South Bailey Street in South Haven and the Antwerp Activity Center at 24821 Front Street in Mattawan. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on that Saturday. Other locations and more information can be found at DEATakeBack.com.... [Read Full Story]

South Haven Roadwork Underway

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A $5.1 million investment to repair and repave five miles of the Interstate 196 Business Loop in South Haven is underway. It includes the ramps at exit 20 for Phoenix Street and the intersection of Phoenix Street and Blue Star Highway. That intersection is closed in both directions through April 23 according to the Michigan Department of Transportation and City Manager Kate Hosier gave an update at the city council meeting last night.... [Read Full Story]

South Haven Lifts Boil Water Advisory

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The city of South Haven has lifted its boil water advisory for part of the city. It went into effect after crews accidentally broke an 8-inch pipe when replacing a fire hydrant at Broadway and Huron on Friday. It was for the area from Broadway Street to Blue Star Highway and Erie Street south to South Haven Place. The broken pipe resulted in a low water pressure situation.... [Read Full Story]

Consumers Pauses Van Buren County Power Line Plans

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Consumers Energy is pausing its plans to build a 20-mile long high-voltage power line in Van Buren County. The utility tells residents they are working to evaluate and explore their options in Lawrence after residents began voicing their concerns last month. Consumers says any trees within 80 feet of the line will be removed, with current plans to run that through residential properties.... [Read Full Story]

Hartford City Worker Accused Of Selling Cocaine

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A Hartford city employee is in the Van Buren County Jail for allegedly selling cocaine to undercover detectives while at work. Forty-five-year-old Justin Ryan was arrested this month while at work with the Hartford Department of Public Works. The county sheriff’s office says they investigated Ryan for two months after getting tips about the drug sales. Cocaine and a handgun were seized from his home.... [Read Full Story]

South Haven Announced Spring Leaf Pickup

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The city of South Haven will start its spring leaf collection next week. It will run from April 3rd through the 14th. The city says garden trash, boards, sticks, rocks, or other items that would prevent the leaf truck from quickly sucking up the leaves are banned from being in the leaf piles. Also, bagged leaves won’t be removed. Leaves are to be placed unbagged on the edge of the lawn by the street or in the driveway. Officials say leaves cannot be placed in the road or raked into the ditch.... [Read Full Story]

Otsego Man Arrested After 100 MPH Chase

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A 28-year-old Otsego man is in the Van Buren County Jail after leading police on a pursuit late Tuesday night. A sheriff’s deputy tried to pull him over for an obstructed license plate on County Road 388 near 32nd Street in Pine Grove Township just before midnight. He turned off his lights and sped away, going around 100 miles an hour during the 15 minute chase toward Kalamazoo County. The driver hit a deer and kept going before stopping at a gas station at D Avenue and US-131 in Kalamazoo County after his vehicle was disabled by spike strips from the Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office. He was arrested for fleeing and eluding along with driving on a suspended license.... [Read Full Story]

Teenager Rescued After Climbing Almost 65-Feet In Tree

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The Graafschap Fire Department had to call in for help in the rescue of a 17-year-old girl who had climbed about 65-feet high in a tree near Saugatuck. Ax Man owner Christopher Brennan was called to assist and says it took about an hour to get her down. Brennan says the fire department was on point and easy to work with as he got the girl down. She told him she was “kind of adventuring” when she realized she had gotten up too high.... [Read Full Story]

South Haven To Add Bike Path On Aylworth Avenue

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A new bike path will be under construction in South Haven along the south side of Aylworth Avenue. The work will start on Monday and is expected to take about four weeks. City officials say there will be some minor traffic delays as a result of the project. Prein & Newhof, the city’s engineering firm for the project, will have an inspector on site and can help with answering questions and facilitating jobsite construction issues with the construction contractor.... [Read Full Story]

Market Van Buren Hosts 3rd Annual Municipal Summit

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Market Van Buren has welcomed over 50 business leaders from Cass and Van Buren counties for their 3rd Annual Municipal Summit in Lawrence on Tuesday. The event was held at the Van Buren ISD Conference Center and discussed state and local grant opportunities along with helping leaders better educate themselves on how to apply and successfully receive the grants to improve their communities. At both the state and federal levels, there are what Market Van Buren calls “unprecedented amounts of money” available in the form of grants and strategic allocations. In Michigan alone, there are several billion dollars of unallocated money, some of which will be available to local communities in the form of grant dollars.... [Read Full Story]

South Haven Woman Celebrates 108th Birthday

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A South Haven woman has celebrated her 108th birthday. Helen Sharp has been a resident of the city all 108 years and has been at South Haven Nursing and Rehab for the past three years. Family and friends held a party for her yesterday, with relative Glenn Crow saying her will to live is amazing. Sharp has said she wants to live to 110.... [Read Full Story]

South Haven Council Approves Food Trucks

Food trucks have been approved by the South Haven City Council for 2023. The vote Monday followed several months of debate on the issue. They will be allowed to operate year-round. Assistant City Manager Griffin Graham says the Planning Commission made no changes to the plan up for a vote.... [Read Full Story]