News

One person is dead and another injured following a crash on I-94 near Paw Paw this morning. Michigan State Police say it happened in the eastbound lanes, and led to the closure of the highway for several hours. Around 9 a.m. a westbound van crossed the median and hit a semi head-on. The driver of the van was pronounced dead at the scene, while the driver of the truck was taken to Lakeview Hospital in Paw Paw. The names of the drivers have not yet been released.... ...Read Full Story

Michigan’s public universities collectively have the sixth-highest in-state tuition rates in the country, averaging $11,991, according to a new report. The study issued Tuesday by the Michigan League for Public Policy – a Lansing-based advocacy group for the poor – links rising tuition and student debt to decreased state higher education funding and state financial aid. It says Michigan has cut university funding by more than $262 million since 2003, a 30% drop after adjusting for inflation.... ...Read Full Story

A second direct flight is now available from South Bend International Airport to the New York City metro area. Airport spokeswoman Julie Curtis says the new flight on United will start today with the arrival of a flight from the Newark Liberty International Airport at 4:52 p.m.... ...Read Full Story

A Benton Harbor minister who passed away this year will be remembered with an honorary street name change in the city. On Monday, commissioners approved renaming Main Street between Fair Avenue and the Bicentennial Bridge in honor of the Reverend Emery Varrie. Mayor Pro Tem Duane Seats says Varrie was an important influence.... ...Read Full Story

Work starts this month to replace seven traffic signals in the city of St. Joseph. The Michigan Department of Transportation’s Nick Schirripa tells WSJM News the city is getting several new mast arm signals. Those hang on poles that extend out above the street, rather than on wires. They’re an upgrade.... ...Read Full Story

A reminder from police not to drink and boat. The Van Buren County Sheriff’s Department says an Illinois man was busted for boating over the legal limit on Labor Day in Columbia Township’s Scott Lake. Marine deputies ran into the man, who had a child in the boat with him, and while talking, they realized he’d been drinking. He was arrested on a charge of operating a vessel with a blood alcohol level greater than .08. Police remind boaters the same legal limit when driving a car also applies to boats.... ...Read Full Story

With the price of EpiPens having been jacked up this year by the device’s manufacturer, Congressman Fred Upton says lawmakers in Washington are looking for ways to help those who need them. He tells WSJM News Congress has asked the FDA whether there are any other companies seeking to make a generic version.... ...Read Full Story

Police say a distraught teenager in southwestern Michigan killed himself after fatally shooting another teen while playing with a gun. The two shootings occurred Monday night in an alley in Kalamazoo. A witness explained to police what happened. Police didn’t publicly disclose
which victim was accidentally shot, but said there was no argument or altercation. The 17-year-old victims were identified as Marsavious Frazier and Daquarion Hunter. Hunter graduated from Loy Norrix High School in June, while Frazier was a student at Phoenix High School. Counselors were available Tuesday, the first day of school, to talk to students and staff who knew the victims. Nina Ricardo, who lives in the neighborhood, says she heard gunshots and rushed outside to round up her kids.... ...Read Full Story

Coming up this month will be the second Berrien County land auction of the year. Berrien County Treasurer Bret Witkowski tells WSJM News about 300 foreclosed properties will be up for grabs at the auction on the 20th. They vary in size and location.... ...Read Full Story

It’s now possible to contact Berrien County 911 dispatch via text message. County 911 Director Dave Agens says the installation of new equipment earlier this year has brought the new service. He tells WSJM News there are some situations when texting 911 might be better than calling.... ...Read Full Story

The next round of speakers set to address the Economic Club of Southwestern Michigan has been announced. The club says its 2016-2017 speaker series will kick off on October 17 with former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney. Following that will be former White House Press Secretary Dana Perino on November 14, followed by astronaut Scott Kelly on March 22 and physicist Michio Kaku on April 20. The speaker series will wrap up with CNN’s Anderson Cooper on May 17. Also this week, the Economic Club of Southwestern Michigan announced it’s going to allow the public a chance to see some of its speakers. Individuals can now sign up for memberships or buy single meeting tickets through The Mendel Center Box Office.... ...Read Full Story

A murder charge against a Benton Harbor man has been dropped thanks to a review of cell phone records which show he may not have been in town when the crime occurred. The Berrien County Prosecutor’s office says Reginald Collins was charged in the December 8, 2014 shooting death of Richard Street early last year. Police found Street’s body in a backyard along Union Street on the morning of the 9th, and believed the murder took place sometime between 8:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. the night before. They also had a witness who told them he saw Collins shoot Street. However, a review of Collins’ cell phone calls has shown he was in South Bend around 8:45 p.m. the night of the shooting. Prosecutors say that creates reasonable doubt he could have committed the murder. Collins will now likely be transported to Georgia, where he faces a probation violation charge.... ...Read Full Story

Some discouraging news for Michigan college students digging into the fall semester, as new data shows tuition in the state nearly has doubled at universities since 2003. The Back to School Report from the Michigan League for Public Policy also shows that more than 60% of students in Michigan graduate with debt. Peter Ruark, with the Michigan League for Public Policy, says investment in higher education is crucial to ensure the state has an educated workforce for the jobs of the future.... ...Read Full Story

Two teenagers have been shot and killed in southwestern Michigan. Police report that Marsavious Frazier and Daqarion Hunter, both 17, were found in an alley Monday night in Kalamazoo. Officers initially responded to a report of one person shot in the city’s Edison neighborhood.
Police say both teens were pronounced dead at the scene after 9 p.m. Monday. The deaths are under investigation and no arrests have been reported.... ...Read Full Story

AAA Michigan says gas prices statewide have dropped 10 cents per gallon in the past week. The Dearborn-based auto club says the average price for self-serve regular unleaded gasoline was about $2.28 per gallon on Sunday. That’s about 9 cents less than it was at the same point last year.
Of the 10 metro areas surveyed by AAA, Lansing and East Lansing have the lowest average price of about $2.15 per gallon. The highest average is about $2.38 per gallon in the Ann Arbor area. AAA says the average price in the Detroit area is about $2.35 per gallon, about 7 cents less than the same point last week. AAA Michigan surveys daily fuel prices at 2,800 gas stations across the state.... ...Read Full Story

Family and friends of a 17-year-old who is presumed drowned in Lake Michigan last week are upset that the search for him was called off over the holiday weekend. The Ottawa County Sheriff’s Department say they will continue to watch the shoreline if he washes up on the beach. They say murky water and high waves late last week made it difficult to search. The two teens who drowned off Holland last week were the 72nd and 73rd to drown on one of the five Great Lakes this summer season, and two of ten to have died on West Michigan beaches. Lake Michigan has a reputation as the deadliest of the Great Lakes, primarily because it has the largest population surrounding it and large popular beaches, and the best and the worst beach weather. Long stretches of beach that run north and south, perpendicular to the westerly winds can create rip tides and under tows that can drag uninformed or unsuspecting swimmers to their deaths. Critics say tourism bureaus spend millions luring people from all over the region to Great Lakes beaches and do little to educate them about the dangers.... ...Read Full Story

Governor Rick Snyder led the Annual Mackinac Bridge Walk Monday morning. He says he meets a lot of people on the walk.... ...Read Full Story

They’re trying to catch more criminals in west Michigan. Silent Observer has launched a new web app called “Caught in the Act.” Executive Director Chris Cameron says the page features surveillance photos of people who have allegedly committed crimes.... ...Read Full Story

A man accused by federal authorities of being the Michigan leader of a Chicago-based gang has been sentenced to 121/2 years in prison after being convicted of heroin distribution and conspiracy. The Grand Rapids Press reports assistant U.S. attorneys in court documents described Kenton Taylor as the highest-ranking member of the Black P Stone Nation gang in Michigan. They say the gang used religion to “gloss over” its
actual mission of trafficking in drugs and guns. Taylor and three others were charged with conspiracy to distribute more than
100 grams of heroin and heroin trafficking. The others took plea deals. In addition to the prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Janet Neff on Wednesday also ordered Taylor to serve eight years on supervised release after being released from prison.... ...Read Full Story

The race for president has come to Berrien County, with the Democratic party opening a campaign office for Hillary Clinton in St. Joseph over the weekend. WNDU reports the office is now up and running at 2700 Niles Avenue. There, Democrats can make calls, get campaign materials, and mingle. Polls show Clinton leading in Michigan, and Democrats hope to keep it that way. A Clinton campaign office also opened in Traverse City Saturday.... ...Read Full Story

Battle Creek city commissioners are scheduled to cast final votes Tuesday on ordinances aimed to regulating panhandling and loitering. The Battle Creek Enquirer reports the proposals would outlaw remaining “idly” within 25 feet of an intersection and soliciting money from anyone waiting in line or near building entrances. Last month five commissioners voted in favor of the ordinances and four dissented. The proposals have led to debate about whether laws are needed to protect those who feel threatened by panhandlers and whether such laws are constitutional.
Federal court rulings have found bans on begging violate the First Amendment. The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan sent a letter to city officials arguing the proposals “would not survive constitutional scrutiny.” City attorneys say those issues have been addressed.... ...Read Full Story

Federal officials say it will take at least three months of testing before Flint can distribute water from a new pipeline in the in the wake of its crisis with lead-tainted water. The Flint Journal reports Friday the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency told city and state officials that Flint must
demonstrate its ability to treat water from the Karegnondi Water Authority. Flint switched from Detroit’s system to the Flint River in 2014 to save money, but the corrosive river water caused lead to leach from aging pipes into homes. Flint has switched back to Detroit water. It was done as a cost-saving measure in anticipation of eventually going with Karegnondi when it starts taking water from Lake Huron.... ...Read Full Story

A Michigan State University engineering professor plans to install sensors on the Mackinac Bridge to monitor stress on the aging structure.
Professor Nizar Lajnef tells the Lansing State Journal the stress sensors that will be placed on the bridge later this month are a test of a project he’s been working on for seven years with funding from the Federal Highway Administration. A recent grant of $1.5 million to MSU, Washington University at St. Louis and the University of Nevada-Reno will put sensor prototypes in place at several spots around the country. He says if it works, the stress sensors could become commonplace on structures around the country. The 5-mile-long Mackinac Bridge that connects Michigan’s two peninsulas is the third-longest suspension bridge in the world.... ...Read Full Story

Consumers Energy says its customers will be able to choose their own billing dates as the utility rolls out new smart meter technology statewide. The company says smart meters enable residents to check out how much power they’ve been using on a day to day level. The meters also make billing more accurate. As Consumers Energy gets more of the meters installed in homes, it says customers will be able to pick when they’re billed by logging into their accounts at the company’s website. The utility is now in the process of installing smart meters, and will roll them out in more cities throughout the fall.... ...Read Full Story

A group associated with victims of General Motors Company’s faulty ignition switches is putting up a billboard in Detroit aimed at reminding the
company about its promise to improve its safety record. The billboard paid for by GM Recall Survivors is scheduled to go up Monday along Interstate 75 and reads: “Let’s make sure they never forget.” The billboard shows six people who died in crashes. In 2014, GM recalled 2.6 million cars worldwide to replace the faulty switches and ordered a record 84 recalls. Last year it announced it had settled 1,385 death and injury cases for $275 million and a class-action shareholders’ lawsuit for $300 million. The company paid nearly $600 million to settle 399 claims made to a fund it established, covering 124 deaths and 275 injuries.... ...Read Full Story

Apple growers around southwest Michigan say they’re pleased with this year’s crop. The Michigan Apple Committee announced this week 2016’s harvest will be much larger than usual, and Sarah Jollay, with Jollay Orchards in Coloma, tells WSJM News that sounds right to her.... ...Read Full Story

Foreclosure is a possibility for the Orchards Mall in six months. The owner of the Orchards Mall in Benton Township owes $324,000 in back property taxes to Berrien County and is flirting with foreclosure. County Treasurer Bret Witkowski is hoping a resolution is found.... ...Read Full Story