Local News Archives

Voters in Van Buren County had several ballot proposals to consider Tuesday. Countywide, they approved the public safety millage, the ambulance millage, and the Senior Services millage in several townships. Looking at a handful of township proposals, Columbia Township approved a police millage renewal and a road millage renewal but said no to a Headlee override millage increase, Hamilton Township approved a road millage, and South Haven Township approved a police millage and road millage. There were no contested primaries for county commissioner.... [Read Full Story]

Police are investigating a small plane crash in South Haven Township about a mile from the South Haven Regional Airport. Police were called around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday by the Federal Aviation Administration in Chicago as it had not had any contact with the plane since early Tuesday morning when it was leaving. South Haven Police, Michigan State Police, the Van Buren and Allegan county sheriff’s offices, FAA, and U.S. Air Force are investigating. Our newsroom is told there were lives lost in the crash, but don’t yet know how many. The plane went down in a wooded area near 12th Avenue and 72nd Street.... [Read Full Story]

The End of Watch Ride to Remember will be in Paw Paw on Wednesday at 8 a.m. to honor Van Buren County Deputy Sheriff James Lear. Sheriff Daniel Abbott says the motorcycle group will be in the parking lot to the south of the main sheriff’s department office at 205 South Kalamazoo Street. The group is on a ride of nearly 21,000 miles in 79 days to honor what they call an “unprecedented 600 fallen officers killed in the line of duty in 2021.” Their journey began on June 1. Last year, they rode over 22,300 miles to honor 339 officers killed in the line of duty in 2020 and it was the longest continuous ride in the United States, and the longest memorial ride. The event name is from an officer’s End of Watch, a ceremony in which a police dispatcher issues a final call to a fallen officer over the radio, followed by silence. All officers in that department hear the call, and observe the silence, remembering their fallen brother or sister.... [Read Full Story]

A new ordinance is a step closer to being in place in South Haven to give people protection against discrimination for housing, public accommodation, and employment. The ordinance offers that protection to people based on their gender identity and sexual orientation, making it locally illegal to fire someone or deny them housing on that basis. Councilmember Joe Reeser says dozens of communities have already passed it.... [Read Full Story]

A new ordinance is now in place in South Haven to give people protection against discrimination for housing, public accommodation, and employment. The ordinance offers that protection to people based on their gender identity and sexual orientation, making it locally illegal to fire someone or deny them housing on that basis. Councilmember Joe Reeser says dozens of communities have already passed it.... [Read Full Story]

A water main break has the center two lanes east and westbound in the 1000 block of Phoenix Street closed in South Haven. The city’s Water Sewer Authority says it will be one lane in each direction until repairs are made. No estimated time has been given for the repairs. The city is urging people to use caution as the work continues.... [Read Full Story]

The Allegan County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a Thursday morning crash in Otsego that killed 76-year-old Thomas Tamandl of South Haven. Tamandl was heading south on 21st Street when he lost control of his vehicle on a curve and rolled over into a creek. He was pulled from the vehicle by two deputies and two Otsego firefighters, but died at a hospital. The crash happened around 9:30 a.m.... [Read Full Story]

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has been awarded a $5 million grant to resurface 17 miles of the Kal Haven Trail. DNR trails specialist Jill Sell tells WSJM News the funds come through the state’s Building Michigan Together Plan.... [Read Full Story]