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New Book Chronicles Realities of Running for Office
Benton Harbor, MI – 3/6/2025 – A new political memoir, ‘Small Town Politics’, pulls back the curtain on the unfiltered experience of running for state office in small-town America. Written by former Michigan State Rep candidate Julee Laurent, this eye-opening account details the 2010 campaign to unseat a powerful Republican incumbency, the introduction of the Tea Party into the Southwest Michigan political scene and how that pivotal year in politics led to where we are today. This deeply personal
Carly Swanson of Governor Whitmer's Office Announced For March 19th's Commerce & Conversation
For Immediate Release Media Contact: Nancy Kiernan Bridgman CGA Director 269-285-2152 NKiernan@BridgmanCGA.org Carly Swanson of Governor Whitmer's Office Announced for March 19th's Commerce & Conversation For Immediate Release: March 6, 2025 Bridgman, Michigan – The Greater Bridgman Area Chamber & Growth Alliance (CGA) is excited to announce their next ‘Commerce & Conversation’ event on Wednesday, March 19th at 5:00 p.m. at D’Agostino’s Navajo Bar & Grille. Keeping with the theme of
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ST. JOE TODAY HOSTS SAVOR THE SHORELINE, A RESTAURANT MONTH HELD APRIL 4-MAY 4
ST. JOE TODAY HOSTS SAVOR THE SHORELINE, A RESTAURANT MONTH HELD APRIL 4-MAY 4 ST. JOSEPH, MICH. — Get a taste of Southwest Michigan as select restaurants in downtown St. Joseph and the Benton Harbor Arts District offer specials during St. Joe Today’s inaugural restaurant month celebration, Savor the Shoreline, held April 4 - May 4! Sponsored by Sturgis Bank, the Inn at Harbor Shores and Infusco Coffee. “We’re so excited to launch Savor the Shoreline and bring our community together around the
Wolf Financial Advisory Names New President - Expands Operation
ST JOSEPH, Michigan, MARCH 4, 2025 - Wolf Financial Advisory’s Chief Executive Officer, Rob Wolf, is instituting some major changes to kick off his 30th year in financial services at his St. Joseph, Michigan Wealth Management Firm. The first includes naming a new company President. Amanda Opulskas has taken over the main role after previously serving as Wolf Financial Advisory’s Senior Client Service Director & Financial Advisor. She obtained her Bachelor of Business Administration Finance and
THE MELROSE AESTHETIC CELEBRATES GRAND REOPENING
For Immediate Release Media Contact: Arthur Havlicek President & CEO info@smrchamber.com 269-932-4042 The Melrose Aesthetic Celebrates Grand Reopening St. Joseph’s Boutique Practice to Host Ribbon Cutting March 6th For Immediate Release: March 3, 2025 St Joseph, Michigan – The Melrose Aesthetic is thrilled to announce its official grand reopening celebration, marked by a ribbon cutting ceremony hosted by the Southwest Michigan Regional Chamber on Thursday, March 6th, at 12:30 p.m. The new
Registration open for Lake Michigan College 2025 Summer Camps
BENTON HARBOR, Mich. – Registration is now open for the Lake Michigan College Fab Lab Summer Camp series. Ten sessions are being offered in the Hanson Technology Fab Lab on the LMC Benton Harbor Campus, 2755 E. Napier Ave. The complete camp list can be found at www.lakemichigancollege.edu/camps.The Fab Lab is where creativity meets technology. Fab Lab summer camps provide fun, hands-on projects that spark creativity and allow participants to develop collaboration, teamwork, critical thinking, and
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United Way of Southwest Michigan Launches National Reading Month Campaign to Bolster “Dolly Parton’s
ST. JOSEPH, MI (March 3, 2025) – March is National Reading Month, and United Way of Southwest Michigan and our community partners at Honor Credit Union are launching a fundraising campaign to assist in sustaining Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in Berrien, Cass, and Van Buren counties. United Way has a goal of $50,000 in new donations during the month to help meet the sustainability goal for the program.United Way of Southwest Michigan is currently implementing strategies to sustain this popular program
Chick-fil-A Announces First Benton Harbor Restaurant, Opening Feb. 27
For Immediate Release Media Contact: Media Hotline RestaurantOpenings@chick-fil-a.com (800) 404-7196Chick-fil-A Announces First Benton Harbor Restaurant, Opening Feb. 27 Restaurant Brings Approximately 135 Full- and Part-Time Jobs to Community, Honors 100 Local Heroes with Free Chick-fil-A Entrées for a Year BENTON HARBOR, Mich. (Feb. 26, 2025) – A new Chick-fil-A® restaurant will begin serving the Benton Harbor community on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025. Chick-fil-A, Inc. has selected Justin Barnes as
DOWNTOWN ST. JOE COMES ALIVE WITH WEEKEND EVENTS, MARCH 7-8
DOWNTOWN ST. JOE COMES ALIVE WITH WEEKEND EVENTS, MARCH 7-8 ST. JOSEPH, MICH. — On Friday, March 7 visitors can stroll through downtown St. Joseph and enjoy March Mannequins, sponsored by The Boulevard Inn & Bistro and the Southwestern Michigan Tourist Council. Windows will display community volunteers as they pose perfectly still, like mannequins. Watch storefronts of participating businesses come alive from 7:00p-8:30p. This year’s theme features Decades. Attendees can vote for their favorite windows
Lake Michigan College Visual & Performing Arts Department to present a rockin’ Spring musical Five performances of “School of Rock: The Musical” planned
Lake Michigan College Visual & Performing Arts Department to present a rockin’ Spring musicalFive performances of “School of Rock: The Musical” planned BENTON HARBOR, Mich. – The Lake Michigan College Visual & Performing Arts Department presents a high-octane stage experience when they bring "School of Rock: The Musical" to the LMC Mendel Center Hanson Theatre on the College’s Benton Harbor Campus. Performances are at 7 p.m. March 28-29 and April 4-5, along with a matinee presentation at 3 p.m. April 6.
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Southwest Michigan Regional Chamber Announces 2025 Business Recognition Award Winners
For Immediate Release Media Contact: Arthur Havlicek President & CEO info@smrchamber.com 269-932-4042Southwest Michigan Regional Chamber Announces Business Recognition Award Winners FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 21, 2025 St. Joseph, MI – For a second year in a row, six-hundred (600) of Southwest Michigan’s business leaders gathered Friday morning for the Southwest Michigan Regional Chamber’s Business Recognition Breakfast Annual Meeting & Awards Ceremony presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield
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United Way of Southwest Michigan Accepting Funding Requests for the Emergency Food and Shelter (EFSP
United Way of Southwest Michigan Accepting Funding Requests for the Emergency Food and Shelter (EFSP/FEMA) ProgramST. JOSEPH, MI (February 17, 2025) – United Way of Southwest Michigan (UWSM) announced today that it is accepting funding proposals from Berrien, Cass, and Van Buren County agencies for Phase 42 of the Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP/FEMA). The National Board has awarded Berrien County the grant amount of $58,883 for this phase, Cass County the grant amount of $19,779 for this phase,
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Free Tree Care and Maintenance Workshop Hosted by Present Pillars.
ReLeaf Michigan, a nonprofit organization dedicated to planting and maintaining trees across the state, is offering a free presentation on Basic Tree Care and Maintenance at the Pillar Center on Thursday, March 6th, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. This educational event, led by Bob Hunt, an ISA Certified Arborist and grounds supervisor at Hope College, will provide valuable insights into proper tree care techniques. As a project forester with ReLeaf Michigan, Bob will share his expertise on how to maintain
Kennedy’s Kitchen Brings Toe-tapping Irish Tunes to the Box Factory on March 8
What better way to get ready for the upcoming St. Patrick’s Day celebration than with pub songs, sing-alongs and ripping dance tunes from the Celtic tradition? That’s the fare that will be presented by Kennedy’s Kitchen on Saturday, March 8, 7-9 p.m., at the Box Factory for the Arts, 1101 Broad St. Make sure to reserve your seats for this popular Irish-music band from South Bend, IA. Tickets are $25 for cabaret seating in front or $15 general admission if purchased in advance
The Ghostlight Theater 2025 Season OPENS THIS WEEK!!
CLYDE's OPENS THURSDAY! Our Season Premiere!! Click here for tickets NOW! Actor Daniel Rivera (Rafael) prepares the grill in CLYDE'SCLYDE's OPENS THURSDAY! Our Season Premiere!! Click here for tickets NOW! Click the video below to see part of our presentation from last weekend's Michigan Black Summit! CLICK here to get your tickets to CLYDE'S February 13-23rd!!CLICK here to get your tickets to CLYDE'S February 13-23rd!! Join us in a very important Post-Show Discussion on Sunday, February 23rd at 5pm
Lake Michigan College Mendel Center to host free community concert featuring the U.S. Army Field Ban
Lake Michigan College Mendel Center to host free community concert featuring the U.S. Army Field Band and Soldiers’ Chorus BENTON HARBOR, MICH. – The internationally acclaimed United States Army Field Band & Soldiers’ Chorus will continue its long tradition of presenting free public performances when it returns to Southwest Michigan this spring. The Lake Michigan College Mendel Center will host this special community performance at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 8, in the Jenkins Theatre. The Concert Band &
HEART MONTH: New analysis examines why snow shoveling, paired with sedentary lifestyle, increases he
New analysis examines why snow shoveling, paired with sedentary lifestyle, increases heart attack risk in men Royal Oak, Mich., Feb. 10, 2025 – Not so fun fact: Shoveling snow for just ten minutes involves lifting and throwing nearly one ton of frozen precipitation, according to a newly published analysis from Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital. This finding and others further distinguishes snow shoveling as a significant risk factor for acute cardiac events in sedentary men. Led by
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DEADLINE EXTENDED! 2025 Southwest Michigan Regional Chamber Business Recognition Breakfast
Good Morning, Chamber Community! Due to an influx of requests, we're pleased to announce an extended deadline! You now have until close of business on Friday, February 14th, to secure your tickets for our highly anticipated 2025 Business Recognition Breakfast & Awards Ceremony. The morning promises an exciting lineup: a brand-new keynote from Drew Dudley, insights into our 2024 achievements, and a sneak peek into what's ahead for 2025. Plus, don't forget the live voting for our prestigious
Village of Stevensville Downtown Development Authority Seeking Input For Downtown Development Plan
For Immediate Release Media Contact: Kacey Dominguez, Village Manager Village of Stevensville manager@villageofstevensville.us 269-429-1802 VILLAGE OF STEVENSVILLE DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY SEEKING INPUT FOR DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - February 9, 2025 Stevensville, Michigan – The Village of Stevensville Downtown Development Authority (DDA) is creating a long-term Downtown Development Plan to chart the path for the future of Downtown Stevensville. The DDA will
United Way of Southwest Michigan Celebrates 211 Day, Highlighting a Lifeline for the Community
United Way of Southwest Michigan Celebrates 211 Day, Highlighting a Lifeline for the CommunityST. JOSEPH, MI (February 11, 2025) – Today, February 11th (2/11) is National 211 Day – an annual observance celebrating the go-to, 24/7 three-digit (2-1-1) resource that helps millions of people in the U.S. and Canada – including those in Berrien, Cass, and Van Buren Counties. The three-digit service connects information about resources and services available in our local community and is free to utilize.Based on
St. Joseph, MI Businesses: How to Respond to the CTA, BOI and FinCEN Now
The Corporate Transparency Act may require certain U.S. companies to disclose beneficial ownership information to FinCEN to combat financial crimes. While a Texas federal district court’s preliminary injunction puts this requirement on hold, many experts expect that to be overturned. In that event, failure to file could lead to fines of $500 per day, up to a maximum of $10,000, and possible criminal penalties. However, filing your Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) report will help you avoid fines
