Benton Harbor

The Benton Harbor School District is one of 54 districts around the state of Michigan to be targeted with a partnership agreement with the Michigan Department of Education.

The state says residents can still face lead exposure due to lead pipes inside their homes. Residents are still being told not to drink the city's water.

A 67‑year‑old woman has died after being rescued from a house fire in Benton Harbor.

According to a Tuesday release from the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services, more than 90 percent of the lines in the city have now been inspected and replaced with copper lines or verified non-lead.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced Sunday that more than 80 percent of Benton Harbor’s lead water service lines have been replaced, putting the project ahead of schedule.

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy said the 90th percentile value of lead in the city's drinking water was 14 parts per billion, just within the federal action level.

A group of activists, experts, and a local water council demand that regulators be more transparent about whether Benton Harbor’s water plant is meeting drinking water rules.

The Berrien County Health Department has been offering free filters to reduce lead in drinking water since 2019. But an Environmental Protection Agency study recently found that people may need more help installing and operating the filters properly.

The Michigan State Police are investigating after two police officers were shot and a suspect was killed during a Thursday night shootout in Benton Harbor.

Since elevated levels of lead were discovered in Benton Harbor’s tap water, the city has inspected or replaced roughly one in five water service lines. The goal is to complete the work by Spring 2023.