WLKM Radio 95.9 FM

The federal government and local partners are contributing $13.6 million into an initiative to boost water quality in the St. Joseph River Watershed, which covers 210 miles in Michigan and Indiana. U.S. Sens. Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters of Michigan, and Joe Donnelly of Indiana, on Monday announced details of the project, which includes $6.8 million public investment that is …

Police say a 55-year-old southwestern Michigan woman who died after accidentally shooting herself in the head in January was adjusting a handgun in her bra holster at the time. The St. Joseph Public Safety Department is awaiting a full autopsy report in the death of Christina Bond, but Director Mark Clapp on Wednesday released details about the circumstances surrounding the …

All of Ken Bennett’s Tuesday morning barbershop customers wear orange jumpsuits. The owner of the Hair Shed in downtown Battle Creek has spent every Tuesday for the past 20 years cutting the hair of inmates at the Calhoun County jail. In a one-chair shop deep inside the facility, Bennett trims hair, beards and mustaches and doesn’t talk about crime. “I …

One of two Kalamazoo men charged with home invasion at a Schoolcraft Township residence last weekend was arraigned Tuesday. Meanwhile, the other suspect remains hospitalized after he was shot by an occupant of the residence. Kyle Wilson, 27, was arraigned in Kalamazoo County District Court, while 26-year-old Allen Palmer will be arraigned later as he recovers from being shot in …

Approval of a sheriff’s department personnel change was the most noteworthy matter of business during Tuesday’s St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners meeting. In advance of Capt. Tim Schuler’s impending retirement, commissioners OK’d the department’s request to fill his position. Subsequently, the commission agreed to hire Kitty Buchner to succeed Schuler. Buchner, who has served as administrative secretary and is …

St. Joseph County’s Board of Commissioners this week agreed to a change in program description related to the Michigan State Housing Development Authority Community Development. The amendment to the funding award calls for the county to use community development block grant funds for the Homeowner Rehabilitation and Emergency Repairs program. The project will include administrative costs. St. Joseph County will …

Four personnel matters were approved Tuesday by the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners. Mark Harter was brought aboard as a full-time park ranger at $15.90 an hour. Meanwhile, Linda Wyckoff and Virginia Soule were hired as home-care aides with a pay of $10.70 an hour. Also, Melton Powell was hired as a chore worker for $9.50 an hour. The …

The recent cold is making the Great Lakes ice cover grow rapidly. An MLive meterologist reports that all of the Great Lakes have seen the amount of ice grow in the past week, but Lake Michigan’s ice cover has almost doubled in the last seven days. The amount of ice currently is still behind last winter at this time, but …

A Dowagiac man died Sunday after being pinned by a skid-steer loader he was using to plow snow. Police say they were called Sunday afternoon to Cass County’s Wayne Township after 53-year-old Paul Williamson become pinned by the loader while clearing snow. Officers say Williamson was reaching out of his skid steer when his foot hit the hydraulic pedal to lift the …

I consider myself to be a fun-loving person. I’ve been known to play a few practical jokes on friends from time to time, and I’ve had practical jokes played on me more times than I care to remember. We can all use a good laugh as long as no one gets hurt either physically or mentally. My oldest brother used …