BERRIEN COUNTY

BERRIEN COUNTY , MI -- Interstate 94 lane closures are in effect for work in preparation to rebuild the highway near Benton Harbor, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) reports. MDOT started work this week to prepare for the Interstate 94 rebuilding project between Red Arrow Highway and Britain Avenue in 2023 and 2024. Drivers should expect left-lane closures on eastbound and westbound I-94, and single-lane closures on Pipestone Road (with intermittent total closures and a posted detour). Pipestone Road detours are:Northbound Pipestone Road: Eastbound I-94, Napier Avenue, westbound I-94, and northbound Pipestone Road. Southbound Pipestone Road: Westbound I-94, M-139, eastbound I-94, and southbound Pipestone Road.

BERRIEN COUNTY, MI — One female died, and two others were injured Sunday afternoon after a shooting near Benton Harbor. Officers were dispatched to the address at Ogden and Willow Creek Drive after receiving a report of shots fired, Benton Township Police said in a news release. The other female victim, 33, was airlifted to Bronson Hospital in Kalamazoo with multiple gunshot wounds, police said. Investigators said there was a large party near the location of the shooting, and are continuing to follow up on leads. Anyone who may have been at the party or anyone with information is asked to contact the Benton Township Police Department detective bureau at 269-925-1135 or Crime Stoppers at 574-288-STOP.

Morning 4 is a quick roundup of stories we think you should know about to start your day.

A man killed in a Berrien County crash has gone unidentified for 20 years.

BERRIEN COUNTY, MI -- A man has been arrested in relation to a drive-by shooting at a Berrien Springs gas station Saturday morning, police said. At about 9 a.m. Saturday, June 18, officers from the Berrien Springs Oronoko Township Police Department located a man suspected in a drive-by shooting which left one bystander injured at a Speedway gas station earlier that day. Officers arrived on-scene to find a male employee of the gas station who suffered a gunshot wound to his leg, police said. The employee was standing near the entrance of the building was hit in the leg by gunfire, witnesses told police. The gas station itself was also hit with several rounds of gunfire.

BERRIEN COUNTY, MI -- An attempted drive-by shooting injured a bystander at a Berrien Springs gas station Saturday morning, police said. At about 3 a.m. June 18, officers from the Berrien Springs Police Department responded to a reported shooting at a Speedway gas station in the 100 block of North Cass Street in the village of Berrien Springs. Officers arrived on-scene to find a male employee of the gas station who suffered a gunshot wound to his leg, police said. The employee was standing near the entrance of the building was hit in the leg by gunfire, witnesses told police. The gas station itself was also hit with several rounds of gunfire.

BERRIEN COUNTY, MI – An Indiana fisherman who frequents Michigan waters in pursuit of big flathead catfish recently caught a new record-setter, officials said. Tanner has been coming to Michigan almost every weekend to fish for big catfish for nearly 30 years. He’s part of the Michigan Catfish Anglers Trail, or MCATS, an amateur fishing club. To view a current list of Michigan state-record fish by species, visit Michigan.gov/StateRecordFish. river‘Three free’ weekend: Fish, ride trails, visit state parksLake Michigan beaches are getting replenished with dredged sand

An angler from Hobart, Indiana caught a new state-record flathead catfish while fishing in Berrien County, Michigan.

Michigan Airbnb hosts made nearly $259 million last year with rural parts of the state seeing seeing the highest incomes. Here’s a map showing Airbnb host income for each Michigan county in 2021. Hosts in Grand Traverse County earned $24 million, Leelanau County earned $13 million and Charlevoix County earned $10 million. Western Michigan hosts also earned a big chunk of the state’s Airbnb income with Allegan County generating $18 million, Ottawa County with $9 million and Kent County with $8 million. “The data shows the trends of travel.”Related: These top Michigan Airbnb properties are on everybody’s wish listsThis boost, however, did not hit all areas in Michigan.

Four Indiana juveniles have been pulled from the waters off a Lake Michigan beach in Southwestern Michigan.

BERRIEN COUNTY, MI – A Niles teen was shot and killed late Thursday, May 12, during a confrontation outside of an apartment complex, police said. Niles police responded just after 11 p.m. to several 911 calls reporting gunfire near Arbor Trails Apartments on North Fifth Street, with one of the callers reporting someone had been shot. Witnesses told police that they were walking with the victim when a pickup truck entered the complex parking lot and drove past them. The pickup truck returned and the occupants got out. After a brief confrontation, one of them pulled out a handgun and shot the teen, police said.

A 39-year-old woman has been struck and killed by a vehicle while trying to cross a southwestern Michigan road in a wheelchair.

BERRIEN COUNTY, MI – A 39-year-old woman was killed after being struck by a vehicle while attempting to cross a road while using her wheelchair. The woman was identified as Emily Rudman of Royalton Township, according to the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office. Police responded to a 10:36 p.m. report of a car-versus-pedestrian accident in the 4300 block of M-139 in Berrien County’s Royalton Township. Police said Rudman was in a wheelchair and was attempting to cross M-139. Read more on MLive:1 man killed, 4 others injured in two-vehicle crash in Kent CountyMan arrested after several pounds of crystal meth, $20K seized by Kalamazoo policeMissing man’s body found in lake by Flint man and his son

BERRIEN COUNTY, MI – State police are investigating an officer-involved shooting that happened late Thursday, April 7, in Benton Harbor. The incident happened around 11:20 p.m. on Highland Avenue near Benton Street, police said. No details have been released but state police said its Fifth District Special Investigation Section is investigating. Benton Harbor Department of Public Safety is holding a press conference Friday morning. Read more:Masks will remain mandatory at Kalamazoo Public SchoolsPolar Vortex moving off the top of the globe; What that means for Great Lakes regionDefendant’s dad: FBI, informants pushed Gov.

BERRIEN COUNTY, MI – A man died Thursday morning at the Berrien County Jail. Nicholas Alan Jaegar, 35, of Benton Harbor, was found unresponsive in the receiving area around 7:30 a.m. April 7, the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. Jaeger was given first aid but was pronounced dead, police said. The Michigan State Police are conducting an investigation at the sheriff’s office request. More from MLive:Police looking for distracted drivers in several Michigan communities ThursdayMan dies after brutal attack in Battle CreekWestern Michigan must turn around enrollment decline, president says in state of the university address

BERRIEN COUNTY, MI -- A state police dive team is searching the St. Joseph River near Berrien Springs as part of a missing person investigation. State police said the search is happening off U.S. 31 near Snow Road in Oronoko Towship of Berrien County. The missing person report and investigation was handled through the state police Niles post. Police did not release any further information about the investigation. Whitmer kidnap plot trial

A murder cold case out of Southwestern Michigan had gone unsolved for 35 years -- that is, until a group of Western Michigan University students got involved.

BERRIEN COUNTY, MI – Police are searching for a car they believe was involved in a fatal hit-and-run crash. Monica Clubb, of Niles, was on South 3rd Street near Brooks Street in a Niles Township residential area around 4:42 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 20, when she was hit by a vehicle that left the scene, the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office said. Related: Police searching for Jeep or other SUV after fatal hit-and-run in Berrien CountyPolice believe a newer light brown or pewter colored Chevrolet Trax of Buick Encore was the vehicle involved in the crash, a Tuesday, March 29 news release from police said. Anyone who recognizes the car or knows the owner is asked to call the sheriff’s detective bureau at 269-983-7111 extension 7224 or anonymously call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-342-7867. Police previously ruled out the possibility that a black Jeep Compass or smaller SUV were involved in the fatal hit-and-run, the sheriff’s office said.

The I-94/US-31 connector Rebuilding Michigan project will connect U.S. 31 to Interstate 94, rebuild I-94 Business Loop (BL) (Main Street) and the I-196/I-94 interchange, and rebuild I-94 between Britain Avenue and I-196. Starting Friday, April 15, the eastbound I-94 ramps to northbound I-196, and from southbound I-196 to eastbound I-94, will be closed and detoured. The eastbound I-94 ramp to northbound I-196 will be detoured on eastbound I-94 to M-140 Watervliet Exit 41, then back onto westbound I-94 to northbound I-196. The southbound I-196 ramp to eastbound I-94 will be detoured from southbound I-196 to Red Arrow Highway Exit 1, east to M-140, then south to I-94. Gretchen Whitmer’s Rebuilding Michigan program to rebuild the state highways and bridges that are critical to the state’s economy and carry the most traffic.

BERRIEN COUNTY, MI – A $66 million upgrade is in the works for the electrical network in Berrien and Cass counties. The project will bring two new substations, upgrades and expansions to three substations and about 3.5 miles of high-voltage transmission lines, a news release from Indiana Michigan Power said. “The Niles Area Transmission Improvements Projects enables Indiana Michigan Power to upgrade and replace aging equipment, some of which have been in operation since the 1960s,” I&M Community Affairs manager Mona Livingston said. Around two and a half miles of transmission line would be retired. The first meeting is Wednesday, March 30 from 5 to 7 p.m., at Grand LV, 104 N. 3rd St., in Niles.

BERRIEN COUNTY, MI – Thirty-five years after a Niles Township murder, a man pleaded no contest in the case. Patrick Wayne Gilham, 67, pleaded no contest to second-degree murder in Berrien County, a news release from Michigan State Police said. He was charged with the 1987 murder of Roxanne Wood. Related: Indiana man, 67, arrested in 1987 killing of Southwest Michigan woman during break-inWood, 30, was found murdered in her home in Niles Township on Feb. 20, 1987. Michigan State Police had the case open since then and started an aggressive investigation in August 2020.

An Indiana man has been sentenced to decades in prison in connection with a 1987 murder in Southwestern Michigan, effectively closing what was once a cold case.

BERRIEN COUNTY, MI – A woman was found dead in a ditch under suspicious circumstances Thursday afternoon, police say. A driver saw a woman lying in a ditch near on Old Pipestone Road, near Shanghi Road, in Pipestone Township around 4:23 p.m. on Feb. 24 and called 911, the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office said. A 52-year-old woman was determined to be dead, police said. Her death is suspicious, police said; however, the sheriff’s office does not believe there is any threat to the rest of the community. More from MLive:Woman, 51, stabbed and burned by relative staying overnight at her Kalamazoo County home, police sayMichigan bakery thrives off community support, a decade after devastating fireSt. Patrick’s Day Parade returns to downtown Kalamazoo in 2022

BERRIEN COUNTY, MI – Police think a Jeep or smaller SUV was involved in a hit-and-run crash that left a pedestrian dead in Berrien County. Monica Clubb, of Niles, was on South 3rd Street near Brooks Street in a Niles Township residential area around 4:45 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 20, when she was hit by a vehicle that left the scene, the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office said. Related: Woman struck, killed by hit-and-run driver near NilesClubb was taken to a hospital where she later died, police said. A black Jeep Compass or smaller SUV were possibly involved in the fatal hit-and-run, the sheriff’s office said. The vehicle, photos of which are being shared by the sheriff’s office, showed up at the scene shortly after first responders and then left, police said.

BERRIEN COUNTY, MI – An Indiana man was arrested Thursday in the murder of a Niles-area woman, almost exactly 35 years after she was killed. A 67-year-old man from South Bend was arrested Feb. 17, for the murder of Roxanne Leigh Wood, according to a news release from the Michigan State Police. The prosecutor’s office expects to charge the South Bend man with open murder and breaking and entering, Pierangeli said. Her husband, Terry Wood, found his wife dead around 1:15 a.m. on Feb. 20, 1987, police said. Investigators do not know if the South Bend man had any connection to Wood, Christensen said.

BERRIEN COUNTY, MI – A person was found dead after a mobile home fire in Berrien County Saturday. A mobile home in River Springs Estates, 9387 Old U.S. 31, caught fire before 9:35 p.m. on Jan. 22, the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. The smoke and fire were so thick that police were not able to enter the mobile home, police said. Burnt human remains were found inside the burned home, police said. An autopsy will be conducted to identify the person and determine a cause of death, police said.

BERRIEN COUNTY, MI – A man was found dead in his living room by firefighters responding to a fire near Niles Tuesday. Firefighters entered the house, where the man was found dead in his living room, the department said. A road department employee saw smoke coming out of the eves of the house. The employee knocked on the door, but no one answered, the fire department said. More from MLive:Portage man found dead in ‘suspicious circumstances,’ police sayVolunteers needed to help count homeless in Jackson CountyTribal testimony partially tossed from Line 5 tunnel case review

BERRIEN COUNTY, MI – There was an unusual event at a nuclear power plant in Southwest Michigan, according to federal regulators. A fire was detected Jan. 6 in an auxiliary cable vault at the Donald C. Cook Nuclear Plant, about 11 miles south of St. Joseph, according to an alert from the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The potential fire was detected at 10:44 a.m. Thursday, but there was no fire, according to the alert. There was no damage to cables or cable trays. The fire protection system is out of service for the vault, but other measures are in effect, the alert said.

BERRIEN COUNTY, MI - A 60-year-old Niles woman was hospitalized with serious injuries after crashing her car into a utility pole and downing power lines in the surrounding area, according to the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office. Just after 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 25, first responders were dispatched to the crash on S. 11th Street near Bertrand Road in Niles Township, police said. Investigators determined the woman was driving south when she left the roadway, her vehicle going airborne and hitting a utility pole, police said. The damage to the utility pole led to downed power lines in the roadway and left the surrounding area without electricity. Police said they do not believe alcohol was a factor in the crash, but suspect “excessive speed” contributed to it.

BERRIEN COUNTY, MI – A driver is facing a murder charge after he allegedly chased another driver at high speeds, causing a fatal crash. Related: Indiana man dies after Berrien County crashThe driver was chasing a car driven by Travis Germain, 21, of Indiana. Germain’s vehicle was hit multiple times by the other driver, causing the crash. The man turned himself into the Berrien County Jail on Dec. 9. He is facing charges of second-degree murder, possession of heroin, reckless driving causing death, reckless driving causing serious impairment of body function, failure to stop at an accident causing death and failure to stop and identify and accident causing serious impairment of body function.

ST. JOSEPH, MI — Police released the names of a divorced couple who were found dead in their home. Ruth Kruger, 72, and her ex-husband, Benjamin Head, 78, were found dead in their home in the 1000 block of Michigan Avenue, at 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 5, the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office said. Related: Ex-husband and wife, believed to be dead for over a month, found in Berrien County homeKruger’s brother, Kurt Kruger, called police to report their deaths weeks after it happened, police said. Police estimate they had been dead more than a month. Kurt Kruger was later arraigned in Berrien County District Court on charges of failing to report the deceased bodies, police said.

BERRIEN COUNTY, MI — A divorced couple in their 70s was reported to have been found dead inside the ex-wife’s home and her brother is in custody for failing to report the deaths in a timely manner. The deaths are being investigated as suspicious, but there were no obvious signs of trauma, Neubecker said. The brother of the deceased woman was also a resident of the home, and the woman’s ex-husband used to live there as well, Neubecker said. The brother was lodged at the Berrien County Jail after calling to report the deaths weeks after they occurred. The police are waiting to release the names of the deceased until all next of kin has been notified.

BERRIEN COUNTY, MI - A 21-year-old Indiana man is dead after a late Saturday evening crash that also injured two passengers in Chikaming Township, according to a news release from the Chikaming Township Police DepartmentFirst responders headed to Red Arrow Highway near Harbert Road just before midnight Saturday in response to reports of the crash, according to the release. Chikaming Township Police officers found a heavily damaged car on the east side of the road when they arrived, which appeared to have rolled over multiple times before hitting a tree. The driver, identified as Travis Lloyd Germain of Michigan City, Indiana, died at the scene, according to the release. One has been released while the other is still receiving treatment in stable condition, according to the release. Read more:Ottawa County police searching for driver who abandoned injured passenger after crashOceana County crash leaves one dead, four injuredWinter weather creates dangerous roads in Southeast Michigan, officials say

BERRIEN COUNTY, MI – A passenger who was helping an injured woman after a crash was killed when another vehicle crashed into their disabled sport-utility vehicle on I-94, police said. Berrien County sheriff’s deputies blamed icy road conditions for the crash Thursday, Nov. 25, that injured five others. The crash happened around 7:15 p.m. on I-94 near Maudlin Road in Berrien County’s New Buffalo Township, sheriff’s deputies said. The driver of a Ford Escape was going east when he lost control of his vehicle on the slippery road. The other driver was taken to Spectrum Health Lakeland in critical condition then airlifted to Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital.

BERRIEN COUNTY, MI – Police are trying to identify a woman’s body found on a Lake Michigan shore in 1988. The woman’s body was exhumed Nov. 9 so a DNA sample could be collected and used to try to identify her, Michigan State Police said in a news release. Her unidentified body washed up on the shores of Lake Michigan near New Buffalo on April 8, 1988. Technology advancements in DNA and genealogy means Michigan State Police thinks there’s a good chance of identifying the woman, Detective John Moore said. Anyone with information that can help identify the woman is asked to contact Michigan State Police Niles Post at 269-683-4411 or the New Buffalo Police Department at 269-469-1500.

Free blood lead testing is being offered to Benton Harbor residents next week.

BERRIEN COUNTY, MI – One person died in a crash early Monday morning. A 35-year-old Stevensville man was driving around 2:56 a.m. on Nov. 8, in the 2300 block of Lake Shore Drive, the St. Joseph Department of Public Safety said. The man hit a pole with his car, police said. Police said they believe speed was a factor in the crash, which is still under investigation. More from MLive:Police arrest man on bicycle after pair of afternoon bank robberies in KalamazooNorthbound U.S. 131 closed for crash in Kalamazoo CountyKalamazoo man acquitted of murder released after serving 711 days for weapons charge

BERRIEN COUNTY, MI – One person is in critical condition after a shooting Monday. A 56-year-old man was shot in the chest after a domestic dispute with a 17-year-old male around 11:50 a.m., Nov. 1 in Oronoko Township, the Berrien Springs Oronoko Police Department said in a news release. The 56-year-old man is in serious but stable condition at a hospital, police said. The 17-year-old male was arrested and is at the Berrien County Juvenile Center, police said. More from MLive:One dead after crash on southbound U.S. 131 near I-94Voter information resources available online as Kalamazoo County offices closed on Election DayKalamazoo County deputy killed during chase was shot from moving vehicle by fleeing driver, investigators sayPhotographer who worked with Michael Jackson, The Rolling Stones featured at Kalamazoo Institute of Arts

Here’s your chance to help restore and protect Michigan’s public lands. Several state parks across southern Michigan are hosting volunteer stewardship workdays in November. According to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, volunteers are needed to help remove invasive plants and collect native wildflower and grass seeds. More details about each workday and how to register can be found on the DNR volunteer events calendar. RELATED:3 fun ways you can help Michigan birds this fallA remote Upper Peninsula white pine has been crowned Michigan’s tallest treeCensus shows Michigan’s once-endangered Kirtland’s warbler is thriving

BERRIEN COUNTY, MI – A new drone will help police find missing people and collect evidence in Berrien County. Donations allowed the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office to buy a new drone equipped with a thermal camera, the sheriff’s office said in a news release. It has a high-resolution thermal camera which can collect two image sets at once, police said. The new drone is the second drone the sheriff’s office has acquired. So far, police have used the technology to arrest seven people, collect evidence at crashes and crime scenes and find missing people.

Volunteers and other community members gathered at the Brotherhood of All Nations church in Benton Harbor to distribute water bottles.

A county health officer frustrated with the “politicization of public health” during COVID-19 is quitting her job in southwestern Michigan.

Political opposition to school masking orders is pitting elected officials against health departments charged with protecting their communities from COVID-19. State law empowers local health departments to issue emergency orders to protect public health during an epidemic. Gillian Conrad, communications manager for the county health department, also announced her intention to resign. Public health officials are stuck between a rock and a hard place, Hughes said. A statewide mandate would help take the pressure off local officials and ensure uniformity across the state, Hughes said.

The city of Benton Harbor is in the midst of a lead water crisis and it’s now getting national attention.

NILES, MI — A 24-year-old Niles man has been charged with multiple assault and weapons-related offenses in the shooting of a Michigan State Police Trooper on Oct. 6 in Niles, the Berrien County Prosecutor’s office reports. The charges stem from allegations that the man fired a pistol at a Michigan State Police Trooper during a traffic stop. The man now facing charges was a passenger in the motor vehicle, the news release states. A struggle ensued when the passenger exited the motor vehicle and refused to show the trooper his hands, which were in his pockets, the news release states. The trooper remains on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, Michigan State Police said.

BENTON HARBOR, MI — Testing over the past three years shows an uptick in elevated blood lead levels among children in the county that’s home to Benton Harbor, where the state of Michigan has been distributing bottled water out of concern with lead in the municipal supply. “It’s too late if you look at the blood lead data,” said Hanna-Attisha, a Flint pediatrician and public health advocate whose work exposed the Flint water crisis. “There’s lead-based paint, there could be lead plumbing, there’s lead dust in the home; there’s just a lot of different factors. Because the blood lead data tends to underestimate exposure, Hanna-Attisha said it can be used to downplay or minimize a lead issue in a community. The state’s 2022 budget includes $10 million for replacement of lead lines in Benton Harbor.

BERRIEN COUNTY, MI – Police released the name of a woman who was killed in a crash Friday. Chastity Stanfill, 20, of Niles, died in a crash around 3:42 p.m. Oct. 8 along Old 31, near Walton Road, in Niles Township, the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office said. She was pinned in the vehicle and later pronounced dead. An 18-year-old passenger was ejected from the car. More from MLive:Man accused of shooting sister’s boyfriend sentenced to jail after pleading guilty to lesser chargeCiting labor shortage, Fricano’s Kalamazoo County restaurant closing for remainder of 2021Officials ask voters to extend property tax supporting fire operations in Kalamazoo County community

BERRIEN COUNTY, MI – A state police trooper and suspect suffered gunshot wounds in a shooting during a traffic stop. The shooting suspect is in serious condition. The trooper had stopped the driver of a Nissan for failure to stop at a stop sign. The passenger got out of the vehicle at the trooper’s request before a struggle ensued and shots were fired by the passenger and trooper, state police said. The trooper suffered a gunshot wound to his leg.

BERRIEN COUNTY, MI — A man shot and killed by two Berrien County sheriff’s deputies Thursday night has been identified as 28-year-old Benton Harbor man, Chaz Nathan McGowen. Related: Deputies shoot, kill man who charged them with knife in Southwest Michigan, police sayThe deputies involved in the shooting have both been placed on administrative leave, pending the outcome of the investigation, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office. “This is a tragic incident and our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends,” a statement from the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office reads. Deputies reported that McGowen then charged at them knife in hand. The deputies were then “forced” the deputies to use lethal force when firing again at McGowen, according to a statement issued previously by Berrien County Undersheriff Charles Heit.

BERRIEN COUNTY, MI – Sheriff’s deputies shot and killed a man late Thursday, Sept. 30, after he charged at them with a knife, police said. The shooting happened at Franklin Woods Mobile Home Park on South 13th Street in Berrien County’s Niles Township. The incident began around 10:45 p.m. when a 911 caller reported a man having a knife at Franklin Woods. Two deputies were forced to shoot the man, according to a statement issued by Undersheriff Charles Heit. The names of the victim and sheriff’s deputies who shot the man have not been released.

Two more local health department in Michigan rescinded their school masking requirement Sept. 30 despite Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer saying she will not enforce Republican-written budget provisions that threaten funding for counties...

BERRIEN COUNTY, MI — A Michigan husband and wife are facing 39 counts of Medicaid fraud. The man was a licensed marriage and family counselor, while his wife worked as officer manager, administrator and biller at Highland Counseling Center in Niles, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a news release. The business is still in existence but is not in good standing with the state of Michigan as of March 2019, per records. The husband is facing 22 felony counts of Medicaid fraud – false claim. “Billing Medicaid for services never provided takes valuable public resources away from those who need it,” Nessel said in the release.

BERRIEN COUNTY, MI – Westbound I-94 is closed after a semitrailer crash in Berrien County. A semi rolled over on west I-94 at the Napier Avenue exit in Benton Township, Michigan State Police said. The freeway closed at 12:30 p.m., Sept. 27 because of the crash, the Michigan Department of Transportation said. There are minor injuries from the crash, police said. Drivers in the area should use an alternate route, police said.

BERRIEN COUNTY, MI — Troopers from the Michigan State Police Niles Post investigated a crash on a wet roadway that killed a 42-year-old driver and a 13-year-old passenger, police said. The crash happened about 6 p.m., Monday, Sept. 20, on Sodus Parkway, west of Watson Road, in Berrien County’s Sodus Township. The 2015 Toyota Corolla was then struck on the passenger side by a 2018 Subaru Outback which was traveling east on Sodus Parkway, police said. The driver of the Toyota, a 42-year-old Niles man and the front seat passenger, a 13-year-old St. Joseph male, were pronounced dead at the scene, police said. The front seat passenger was described as a 21-year-old Berrien Springs woman and the back seat passenger was described as a 21-year-old Arizona woman.

MDOT produced a YouTube video to update residents on the project to rebuild I-94 Business Loop (Main Street), connect U.S. 31 to I-94, and rebuild I-94 between Britain Avenue and I-196 in Berrien County’s Benton Township. Related: I-94 widening, Portage Street rebuild among 2021 road projects in Kalamazoo County“This is a Rebuilding Michigan project,” McAndrew said. “The Rebuilding Michigan program funded about $94 million of the $122 million it takes to build this project, and without the Rebuilding Michigan program this wouldn’t be happening.”Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s Rebuilding Michigan program aims to rebuild the state highways and bridges that are critical to the state’s economy and carry the most traffic. Whitmer ran for governor on a promise to “fix the damn roads,” and has said she is following through on that pledge with projects funded through Rebuilding Michigan.

BERRIEN COUNTY, MI – A police chase ended in a crash Wednesday evening in Berrien County. Michigan State Police troopers saw a stolen vehicle driving east on I-94 near Stevensville around 7 p.m. Sept. 1 in Berrien County. Police said the 2015 Dodge Challenger was stolen from the Chicago area. The pair face charges of fleeing and eluding, resisting and obstructing police officers, possession of a stolen vehicle and minor in possession of marijuana. After a medical evaluation at a hospital, the two men were taken to the Berrien County Jail.

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – The Michigan Department of Transportation is temporarily closing five rest areas in September. The facilities, located along well-traveled highways in Northern Michigan and near the Michigan-Indiana border, are being closed so crews can complete exterior work to bring the facilities up to Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards. The work will affect the following rest areas:ADA improvements will also be made at the New Buffalo Welcome Center on eastbound I-94 in Berrien County from Tuesday, Sept. 28, through Monday, Nov. 1, but the facility will remain open.

BERRIEN COUNTY, MI – Police released the name of a man killed in a crash Saturday evening. Gerald Louis Hudson, 58, of Three Oaks, died after a crash around 7:45 p.m. Aug. 28, on Warren Woods Road near Prairie Road in Chikaming Township, according to a release from the Chikaming Township Police Department. Related: Man dead, woman seriously injured in Berrien County crashHudson was a passenger in the car. The driver, a 58-year-old Three Oaks woman, was taken to a hospital where she was in stable condition. The car Hudson was in was driving east on Warren Woods Road, and was hit by a car that was driving west, police said.

BERRIEN COUNTY, MI - A Berrien County Sheriff’s Deputy helped care for an owl injured in a Friday evening car crash, eventually placing it in the care of a Kalamazoo-area rehabilitation center, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office. Around 9 p.m. Friday, Deputy Jerad Phillips responded to a report of a car colliding with an owl on M-140 in Watervliet Township, according to the release. Phillips found the injured owl near the road. Phillips went “above and beyond the ordinary call of duty” to help the owl, according to the release. Read more:Prisoner attacked, killed by fellow inmates at Muskegon facilityMan dead, woman seriously injured in Berrien County crash38-year-old Kalamazoo man stable after Sunday morning shooting

BERRIEN COUNTY, MI - A man is dead and a woman is seriously injured after a Saturday evening crash in Berrien County, according to a news release from the Chikaming Township Police Department. Around 7:45 p.m. Saturday officers responded to a report of an injury crash in the area of Warren Woods Road near Prairie Road in Chikaming Township. The driver and passenger of the eastbound vehicle, both 58-year-old Three Oaks residents, were seriously injured in the crash. The case is still under investigation, with the Berrien County Sheriff’s Department Traffic Crash Reconstruction Team assisting. Police do not believe alcohol and drugs were a contributing factor in the crash, according to the release.

Here are the races and issues that will appear on local ballots for the Aug. 3, 2021 Primary Election in Michigan.

BERRIEN COUNTY, Mich. – A large barn fire killed multiple animals Thursday morning in Berrien County. According to authorities, the Chikaming Township Fire Department were called to the fire at about 5:30 a.m.Fire crews were able to save two horses, two goats and some of the chickens, but some chickens, a peacock and four llamas -- including three babies -- were killed by the fire. “By the time we were able to do anything, it was so totally involved there was absolutely no way that anybody could go inside to try to get the other animals out,” said fire chief Mike Davidson. “It had too much of a head start on us.”The cause of the fire is under investigation, but authorities believe no foul play is involved.

LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy’s Air Quality Division has released its Annual Air Quality Report for 2019. The overall air quality improved across Michigan in 2019, according to the report. The report focuses on information for specific pollutants, including those with National Ambient Air Quality Standards and toxic air contaminants, air quality trends, and an overview of the air monitoring network. A nonattainment area is considered to have air quality worse than the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. View the full report below:More information on the Air Quality Division’s annual program activities can be found in the Year End Air Quality Program Report or at Michigan.gov/Air.

NILES, Mich. – The Michigan State Police department is reminding residents to not text and drive after a distracted driver was involved in a multiple-vehicle collision Monday. The crash was captured by a MSP trooper’s dashcam near Niles, on Michigan’s southwest side. According to the National Highway Trafic Safety Administration, distracted driving killed nearly 3,000 people in 2018 -- 1,730 drivers, 605 passengers, 400 pedestrians and 77 bicyclists -- and injured about 400,000 people. Click below link to learn more.https://t.co/nZ4evR3dOU pic.twitter.com/LOiMET1Iyo — MSPSouthwestMI (@MspSouthwestMI) November 23, 2020A Plymouth high school student is getting national attention for a project spotlighting the dangers of distracted driving. With the support of Students Against Destructive Decisions and Lear Corporation, students across the nation were invited to create videos and memes to drive the message home.

BERRIEN COUNTY, Mich. A 45-year-old man was found dead in the the Saint Joseph River in Berrien County on Sunday, WOOD-TV reports. According to police the man jumped into the river to save a child from drowning on June 19 and was not seen since. The man was found Sunday a half mile from where he went missing in the river, the Berrien County Sheriffs Office said. His identity has not been released. Officials say an autopsy will take place at the Western Michigan University Homer Stryker School of Medicine.

NILES, Mich. – A tattoo shop in west Michigan had its license pulled because piercing equipment was not being sterilized. The equipment at Paparazzi Tattoos and Piercing in Niles was only being sanitized. Anyone who has been a customer at the shop is urged to get blood tests to check for HIV and hepatitis B and C.The shop will remain closed until inspectors confirm changes have been made.

BRIDGMAN, Mich. – Michigan State Police say a trooper was injured when a suspect’s car struck the officer as the driver sped away from a traffic stop. The suspect’s vehicle continued east on I-94 in southwestern Michigan, with police in pursuit, before exiting in Bridgman and getting onto westbound lanes of I-94. Police say the Jeep Cherokee then struck a tractor-trailer and rolled before striking a second tractor-trailer. The Jeep Cherokee’s driver was arrested for driving while intoxicated, fleeing and eluding police and resisting/obstructing police. Police say the driver and three passengers are all from the Chicago area.

Several counties in Michigan will undergo aerial treatment to combat Eastern equine encephalitis, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Three more EEE animal cases have been confirmed, with Allegan and Livingston counties impacted. The counties slated for treatment include area 3-1 in Berrien County, area 5-2 in Cass County and areas 12-2 and 12-3 in St. Joseph County. Additional treatment will begin in areas 13-1, 5-1 and 12-1, which encompass parts of Van Buren, Cass and St. Joseph counties. As of Sunday, EEE has been confirmed in nine people and three people have died in Barry, Berrien, Calhoun, Cass, Kalamazoo and Van Buren counties.

HAGAR TOWNSHIP, Mich. - Officials say they've reopened old animal control facilities in southwestern Michigan as they care for nearly 80 dogs and cats that were removed from a filthy home. Berrien County Animal Control Director Tiffany Peterson says floors at the home in Hagar Township were "mushy" due to urine and feces when authorities went there this week, and in all they found 66 dogs and 11 cats. Radio station WSJM reports a woman was living at the home. The Herald-Palladium of St. Joseph reports the county's old animal control buildings in Berrien Center were vacated in 2016 when new $4 million facilities in Benton Township were opened, but the county held on to the property. Peterson says many of the animals likely will be put up for adoption.

Tommy Richards, 49, raped and killed 10-year-old Shimika Hicks in Berrien County in 1987. He then placed her body in garbage bags and dumped it in an abandoned harbor lot. Richards was sentenced to life in prison without parole, the Herald Palladium reported. Richards expressed remorse for his crime during Thursday's hearing before Berrien County Trial Court Judge Angela Pasula. "I want you to do whatever you have to do to keep him in jail," she told Jeffrey Taylor, chief trial attorney for the Berrien County Prosecutor's Office.

The Berrien County Sheriff's Office identified the driver who was killed as 66-year-old Robert Klint of Sawyer. BUCHANAN TOWNSHIP, Mich. - Officials have identified the four people who were killed when another car ran a stop sign at a high rate of speed and slammed into their vehicle in southwestern Michigan's Berrien County on Friday. The Berrien County Sheriff's Office identified the driver who was killed as 66-year-old Robert Klint of Sawyer. The passengers who died have been identified as 60-year-old Melissa Klint of Sawyer, 22-year-old Landyn Klint of Sawyer and 52-year-old Virginia resident Kent Williamson. Copyright 2019 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved.

The Herald-Palladium reports that the retailer was at the mall for 40 years after about 55 years in downtown Benton Harbor. BENTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. - A J.C. Penney store has closed after more than 90 years at two locations in southwestern Michigan's Berrien County. Display racks and shelves were sold Friday to mark the last day at Orchards Mall near Benton Harbor. The Herald-Palladium reports that the retailer was at the mall for 40 years after about 55 years in downtown Benton Harbor. A longtime customer, Rose Thomas, says she "wanted to cry" when she saw the closing sign.

The Herald-Palladium reports that the retailer was at the mall for 40 years after about 55 years in downtown Benton Harbor. BENTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. - A J.C. Penney store has closed after more than 90 years at two locations in southwestern Michigan's Berrien County. Display racks and shelves were sold Friday to mark the last day at Orchards Mall near Benton Harbor. The Herald-Palladium reports that the retailer was at the mall for 40 years after about 55 years in downtown Benton Harbor. A longtime customer, Rose Thomas, says she "wanted to cry" when she saw the closing sign.

LANSING, Mich. – Winning $500,000 playing the Michigan Lottery’s 777 instant game brought a Berrien County man to tears. “When I counted seven of them, I started crying like a baby and couldn’t stop.”The 62-year-old player bought his winning ticket at the Meijer store, located at 1920 Pipestone Road in Benton Harbor. Each $5 ticket offers players a chance to win prizes ranging from $5 up to $500,000. More than $24 million in prizes remain, including two $500,000 top-prizes, 23 $7,777 prizes, and 50 $1,000 prizes. In 2018, Lottery players won more than $1 billion playing instant games.