Statewide efforts to raise the graduation rate in Michigan appear to be paying off The 2024 graduation rate is the highest since 2008 Some of the programs are making a difference locally too Benton Harbor Area Schools saw graduation rates jump up 10 percent from 2023 to 2024 “So we're starting to see a lot of academic progress,” says Benton Harbor Area Schools Superintendent Dr Butts is nearing the end of his time leading the district He is stepping down and moving onto “new opportunities on the horizon” on June 30th he will send off the Benton Harbor High School graduating class of 2025 “I’ll be here at the high school graduation We'll be here for the remainder of the year,” says Butts Butts has been leading the district for the last 3 years He was appointed interim superintendent in the summer of 2022 he said he wanted to use data to boost achievement and help guide instruction in the classroom The following year he was officially named Superintendent His job leading the district hasn’t been easy Graduation rates and test scores at Benton Harbor Area Schools have been low for years But Butts says the data this year is hopeful Graduation rate data from MI School Data shows the four-year graduation rate for 2023-2024 at Benton Harbor Area Schools jumped 10 percent from 2022-2023 Benton Harbor Area Schools 4-Year Graduation Rate The 2023-2024 graduation rate is still lower than in 2022 but Butts says any increase is worth celebrating “So our ultimate goal is to see continued growth while giving that personal touch to each student ensuring and making sure that they have what they need,” says Butts Enrollment in BHAS has been falling for years The 2024 cohort of students or 151 is the smallest class since 2016 That factors in when you are talking about graduation rates because a few students can make a big difference in the data Benton Harbor’s graduation rate is still much lower than the state average. Michigan’s four-year graduation rate improved to its highest level since the state adopted the federal formula for calculating the rate in 2008 The statewide 2024 four-year graduation rate of 82.8% increased from 81.8% in 2023 educators are looking at the data throughout the school year and using it to target kids for individualized support This is especially important at the high school level can make or break what's needed to earn a diploma is to start concentrating on the ninth graders because we know they come in We have to make them aware that these credits start to count now so that when we get to this point then we don't have to go through all these changes to get you across the stage,” says Butts Butts says the counseling team is always working with seniors to make sure their academic needs are met Butts says the district has been leaning into personal curriculums for students who need it is an ability to meet the students where they are,” says Butts There's a lot of geometry in construction So ,if that instructor is able to teach those strands under that personal curriculum Benton Harbor isn't the only district helping students in this way the Michigan State Board of Education talked about the state's efforts to improve graduation rates State leaders explained personal curriculum has had a positive impact on graduation rates around the state The state's data showed the number of students with personalized curriculum has increased since the 2017-18 school year and more of those students are graduating The state has found the personal curriculum option improves students’ attendance and chances of graduating. In Benton Harbor, Butts says it is still too early to know what the 2025 graduation rate will be. Butts says steering the graduation rate up will take time and he hopes it continues to increase in the coming years. "We're trying to get at least on an average with our with our surrounding districts. That is that is our goal," says Butts. A church in Benton Harbor is preparing to mark 150 years in the community. Second Baptist Church, located at 600 Donald Adkins Drive, will hold a celebration May 13 through May 16 to mark the occasion. Pastor Kenneth Robinson tells us the church was founded in 1875, growing out of First Baptist Church in St. Joseph. It was initially a Sunday school the St. Joe church operated to meet the needs of residents in Benton Harbor. “They decided that it was best to move from a Sunday school class-based mission to organizing a church that would service the people that were relocating from the South to the North after the Emancipation Proclamation had been signed some 13 years earlier,” Robinson said. Robinson says Second Baptist eventually took on a life of its own as Benton Harbor grew. “The church has a long history. They have been influential in the civil rights movement, influential over the years in building and helping to build the community.” Over the years, the church has occupied several buildings. Robinson says many people remember its old location at Main Street and Eighth Street. It later moved to Cherry Street near Pipestone, and then finally to its current location on Donald Adkins Drive. That street is named after the church’s longest serving pastor, who also happened to be the father of comedian Sinbad. These days, Robinson says Second Baptist is a thriving congregation that took a hit during COVID, like many churches, but is now in a revival period. To mark the 150th, the church will hold a three-day revival each night on May 13 through the 16th. Then, on the 16th, they’ll host a black-tie gala at The Inn at Harbor Shores with live music, guest speakers, and dinner. Robinson says all are welcome for the banquet. The city of Benton Harbor is receiving a state grant of $183,000 through the state’s Financially Distressed Cities, Villages and Townships Grant Program. Michigan State Treasurer Rachael Eubanks on Wednesday announced a total of $2.5 million in grants to 13 municipalities through the program. It seeks to support cities experiencing one or more conditions indicative of “probable financial distress” as defined in state law. The grants announced this week will help those cities improve infrastructure and public safety. In Benton Harbor’s case, the $183,220 grant will be used for public safety enhancements through the replacement of communications equipment. Eubanks says the grants announced Wednesday will “help provide movement toward financial stability for our local communities.” You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser or activate Google Chrome Frame to improve your experience Dowagiac senior Rebecca Guernsey (12) gets ready to uncork a pitch to the plate to a Benton Harbor hitter in the first game of Tuesday's Lakeland Conference doubleheader at home (Scott Hassinger | Leader Publications Contributor) Veteran Dowagiac varsity softball coach Mike Behnke addresses his Lady Chieftain players following their doubleheader sweep Behnke recently surpassed the 400-win mark in his 21st season guiding the program DOWAGIAC — It didn’t take the Dowagiac girls’ softball team long to return to its winning ways After getting swept in a non-league doubleheader at Stevensville-Lakeshore on Monday Dowagiac returned to the diamond Tuesday and crushed visiting Benton Harbor 16-0 and 18-0 in a Lakeland Conference twinbill Both games were called in the third inning on the 15-run mercy rule Dowagiac had started the season with 16 consecutive victories before falling twice to Lakeshore 10-9 and 10-0 Tuesday’s wins improve the Lady Chieftains to 18-2 overall and 4-0 in the league with a key league twinbill against Niles Brandywine coming up next Tuesday at home “These two  games gave us a chance to work on some things All of the kids got to play and we brought up a couple girls from the junior varsity who combined to go 4-for-4 for us at the plate All of the girls were patient at the plate and took the best pitches we could tonight and hit the ball hard,” said Dowagiac head coach Mike Behnke who is in his 21st season guiding the program “I felt bad for Benton Harbor today and the teams we play next week because the two losses on Monday to Lakeshore left us with a bad taste in our mouths We just have to fix a few things and our girls know what they have to do to keep improving.” Dowagiac senior pitcher Rebecca Guernsey tossed a perfect game in the opener with six strikeouts The Lady Chieftains scored 10 runs in the first inning Charleigh Reed belted a two-run single that scored Guernsey and Marlie Carpenter Claire Hess’ RBI single plated Bree Behnke Bree Campbell had a two-run double that scored Hess and Reed Wilson’s RBI single drove home Campbell Behnke laced an RBI single that scored McIntosh in the Chieftains’ second trip through the lineup during the frame Addie Wilson and Carpenter all scored during the same inning on walks Dowagiac tacked on six more runs in the bottom of the second Hess and Campbell all scored on Wilson’s three-run double Guernsey’s RBI single plated Emily Henry Dowagiac’s bats remained hot in the nightcap The Lady Chieftains scored 10 runs in the first and eight in the second Carpenter blasted a two-run triple that scored McIntosh and Guernsey to highlight the first Henry’s two-run double scored Reed and Hess McIntosh returned to the dish later in the frame and laced a two-run triple that scored Campbell and Henry McIntosh scored on Guernsey’s RBI single Behnke punched a single that scored Guernsey Carpenter and Behnke scored the other two Chieftains’ runs on bases-loaded walks Wulson’s two-run double scored Dari Brooks and Wilds in the second Henry added a two-run single that scored Wilson and Campbell Carpenter drove in McIntosh and Guernsey with a single Wilson got the win for Dowagiac in the circle with eight strikeouts She struck out the first three Benton Harbor hitters in the first and second innings The Tigers got their only baserunner of the day in the final inning of game two via a walk Dowagiac returns 10 letterwinners from the 2024 squad that finished the season 25-8 will pitch a majority of the innings for Dowagiac this Spring as the Lady Chieftains’ No “She (Campbell) has really thrown well and kept us in some tough games so far this season against some good teams,” Dowagiac’s head coach said the team’s starting shortstop and also a backup catcher “Marlie is only a junior and has put alot of work in over the past few years She’s just very strong and a well-disciplined hitter,” Mike Behnke said Guernsey is the Lady Chieftains’ starting centerfielder when she’s not pitching “Rebecca has played just about every position for us during her four-year varsity career She’s a person that always works hard and gives you 100 percent effort no matter what,” Dowagiac’s coach said “We’ve had alot of different players who have helped us win several games this season It’s not just one player who contributes defense and timely hitting have been among our biggest strengths in the games that we’ve won this season In some of our closer games we’ve just been able to get people on base and score when we need to,” Mike Behnke said Winning a Lakeland Conference title and hoisting a district championship trophy are two of the Lady Chieftains’ biggest goals “We haven’t won a conference title here at Dowagiac since 2007 or a district since 2006,” Mike Behnke said “There have been countless many times thatr we’ve finished second in conference or fell short in districts.” Dowagiac’s veteran head coach recently surpassed the 400-win mark for his coaching career with a doubleheader sweep of perennial state power Buchanan on April 16 “It’s nice to reach that kind of milestone but I tell people it means two things The first one is that I’m old and I’ve been around awhile I’ve had some really good players and teams to be able to win that many games I just try to get them in the right positions to win those games They deserve more of the credit than I do,” Mike Behnke said Among the best players to keep an eye on when the Los Angeles Kings play the Chicago Blackhawks… will be on the ice Monday against the Los Angeles Kings at… Ryan Donato and the Chicago Blackhawks will play on Monday at 8:30 PM ET meet the Los Angeles Kings on Monday at 8:30 PM ET Spring is upon us, and the world is emerging from its winter sleep. Nearly ten years ago, Despina Peters and Cassie Lynn Wright formed Fox Crossing Stringband as an all‑female four‑piece bluegrass ensemble the band has undergone a rebirth—expanding into a five‑piece lineup with three new members While retaining its signature female perspective Friday nights at the Livery in Benton Harbor have become a beloved tradition of great music, beer, and food. Tonight, Fox Crossing is on the run to begin their summer tour and fans are ready for an evening of exceptional bluegrass Despina and Cassie are joined by Roman Niziolek on bass and Micah Vogel on fiddle; mandolinist Caleb Peters will join them for the rest of the dates The show opens with an engaging mix of originals and covers including Joni Mitchell’s “Big Yellow Taxi,” a moody take on the Steeldrivers “Dark Whiskey,” and one of my favorite originals “Bleeding on the Blacktop.” Their own songs highlight impressive songwriting spotlights Micah Vogel’s virtuosity and previews the excitement to come in the second set.  Set one concludes with an uplifting rendition of Paul Simon’s “Late in the Evening.” After more than an hour onstage and 17 tunes delivered with tireless energy the band still looks as though they could play for hours more Cassie Lynn Wright keeps bluegrass fans informed about upcoming events via Bluegrass Chicago an online resource for bluegrass and old‑time music around the city When Despina Peters isn’t touring with Fox Crossing she and her husband Caleb (of Miles Over Mountains) can be found on the road with their band The second set is packed with hard‑hitting originals—“Whiskey and Me,” "Little Black Heart," and "Good News," and the humorous “Winter and the 4th of July.” Fully in their groove they deliver a heartfelt version of “You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive” by Daryl Scott and "Pour Me" by Trick Pony Micah shines not only on fiddle but also on vocals during “Calling Baton Rouge,” showcasing the band’s tight harmonies The evening closes with Billy Joe Shaver’s “Georgia on a Fast Train,” a fast‑paced country classic that perfectly illuminates this talented group’s strengths Fox Crossing Stringband will tour the Midwest this summer with 30 confirmed dates. Catch the Foxes on the run at your favorite bluegrass festivals—and keep an ear out for new music: they plan to release another recording after the tour, but in the meantime, you can find their existing work on all major streaming services. Visit their website for tour dates Progressive jam giants Umphrey's McGee‘s return to Las Vegas for the seventh installment of the massively popular UMBowl production was marked once again by a stand-out tour closing dual evening extravaganza where all stops were pulled out and the power given directly to the fans, for better or for worse. Privacy Policy Michigan State Treasurer Rachael Eubanks today announced a total of $2.5 million is being awarded to 13 municipalities through the Financially Distressed Cities Villages and Townships (FDCVT) Grant Program $183,220 will go toward public safety enhancement through replacement of communications equipment in the City Municipalities can participate in the FDCVT Grant Program if they are experiencing one or more conditions indicative of “probable financial distress” as defined in state law including infrastructure and public safety enhancements village or township toward financial stability Benton Harbor City Commissioners have approved a new parks policy that limits what kinds of events can be held at Dwight P a resolution was approved amending the parks rules to state that “only government related events will be held at City Center Park in downtown Benton Harbor,” adding all others may apply for use of Jean Klock Park or another suitable park location The resolution states the city manager wants to avoid having “events that are large or have the potential to become large and possibly difficult to control at that location.” Commissioners approved the amendment as part of the consent agenda without comment although Commissioner Juanita Henry objected during the roll call to the lack of discussion “I demand that we have an opportunity to discuss these agenda items,” Henry said The new park policy comes after The OutCenter of Southwest Michigan complained it was denied permission to use City Center Park for it PrideFest in June City Manager Alex Little announced the new policy The PrideFest was interrupted last summer by demonstrators who harassed attendees The policy approved this week also sets rental costs for parts of Hall Park and Yarbrough Park at $150 and costs for parts of Union Park and June Woods Park at $100 Thursday is the big day for the Benton Harbor Soup Kitchen as it completes its move into a new location We reported in March the kitchen reached a deal to purchase the former Lark’s Bar-B-Que building at 174 West Main Street after learning it would need to vacate its previous home at 233 Michigan Street because of a need for major repairs to the facility Gast tells us within just about eight weeks the kitchen has managed to secure the new place and get moved in “We’re moving the last of our stuff into the former Lark’s building and we will be serving sandwiches out the door as we did during COVID on May 1,” Gast said Gast says there’s a whole convoy of volunteers helping to move the operation to the Lark’s property “People have just been so willing to help out with everything Gast says it’ll take a few months for the Berrien County Health Department to approve the new kitchen so they’ll only be serving sandwiches out the door through sometime this summer Once health department approval is obtained Gast promises the new Soup Kitchen will “look like a first-rate diner” that closes at 1 p.m each day so it fits in with the atmosphere on Main Street It takes about 1,000 volunteers per year to run the Soup Kitchen It dishes out about 40,000 to 50,000 meals per year We recognise you are attempting to access this website from a country belonging to the European Economic Area (EEA) including the EU which enforces the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and therefore cannot grant you access at this time e-mail us at eaccounts@TheHP.com or call us at 269-429-2400 “The Lakeshore Trail project will create further connectivity amongst the developing regional trail network in Southwest Michigan,” said MEDC Regional Prosperity Managing Director Paula Holtz “We are pleased to support and provide resources for this project through our Public Spaces Community Places program.” “Completion of the Lakeshore Trail project will provide multiple benefits to Berrien County,” said Dan Gilmartin CEO and Executive Director of the Michigan Municipal League “This trail will attract visitors from within and outside the community giving people a safe and accessible way to experience the outdoors and connect with the world around them.”  The Public Spaces Community Places initiative started in 2014 with MEDC providing matched funding of up to $50,000 for community improvement projects throughout Michigan MEDC has provided more than $13.6 million in matching grants 402 projects have been successful in reaching their goal with more than $15.5 million raised from 73,965 individual donors Communities have a 97 percent success rate in achieving their goals and earning matching funds About Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) 2025 — Ashley and Brianca join from Benton Harbor Community Development Corporation to explain what they are putting in motion for the community garden as well as other projects designed to uplift Benton Harbor residents To learn more about the community garden and other development projects, visit BentonHarborCDC.org. KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Two men from Kalamazoo have been charged in connection to a Benton Harbor carjacking. Friday, Ontario Morgan, 19, was charged in Kalamazoo County with receiving and concealing a stolen car, according to Kalamazoo Public Safety (KDPS). Edward Longmire, 19, was also charged with carrying a concealed weapon, resisting and obstructing arrest and felony firearm. All charges against the pair stem from a carjacking that happened in Benton Harbor on Wednesday. Public safety officers in Kalamazoo were alerted to the incident, and later that evening, detected the stolen car through the city's license plate reader system, according to KDPS. By 9:15 p.m., the car was found on Shire Lane near North Westnedge Avenue. Four people were spotted running away from the area when deputies arrived, but were quickly caught, public safety officers said. However, Morgan and Longmire were the only two arrested, as two other unnamed individuals were let go pending further investigation, according to KDPS. In addition to arresting Morgan and Longmire, public safety officers recovered stolen property tied to the incident, as well as a gun. As of Friday, Morgan and Longmire may face additional charges in Berrien County related to the carjacking. Those with information about this case are asked to call KDPS' Criminal Investigations Division at 269-337-8139, or Silent Observer at 269-343-2100. Armstrong Williams takes on the news of the week and asks the questions you want answered. Don’t miss our weekly town hall. Benton Harbor assistant basketball coach no longer with team after post-game incidentby WSBT 22 (WSBT) — The Benton Harbor assistant basketball coach involved in a post-game incident at Dowagiac High School is no longer working for the school district the Benton High School principal says the assistant coach is no longer associated with the program or employed by the school district The issue stemmed after an official had objects thrown at him just as the game between Benton Harbor and Buchanan high schools was coming to an end Chaos erupted as objects were thrown onto the court in a letter Benton Harbor Area Schools Superintendent Dr “Following thorough internal investigations and a report from the Dowagiac Union Schools School Resource Officer (SRO) we have confirmed that an assistant basketball coach was involved in the post-game incident with an official we are bound by FERPA regulations and therefore cannot provide specific details we assure you that the District is actively reviewing this matter in full compliance with Board policies Butts released a statement largely placing the blame on fans saying student-athletes had shown “outstanding sportsmanship and composure.” community and staff to resolve concerns and focus on accountability (WSBT) — Bring beauty back to Benton Harbor A new code enforcement program is aiming to revitalize the city City leaders said they are listening to you “Beautify Benton Harbor.” The name speaks for itself The program aims to re-enforce city ordinances and bring everyone back into compliance code enforcement leaders say the city of Benton Harbor has lost its shine “We have a lot of illegal dumping that takes place here a lot of illegal rental properties abandoned vehicles things that take away from the town," said Brian Kazmierzak But it's time some rules need to be enforced “We’re gonna start with this program throughout all four wards of the city and it’s the goal of the program is not to ticket anyone the goal of the program is just to get compliance,” said Kazmierzak Kazmierzak says they'll start with notices of issues adding everything they’re enforcing is already an ordinance He believes the lack of enforcement has led to a lot of the problems “Whether it be a collapsing house and abandoned vehicle a fence that’s broken down downed trees anything like that and then hopefully they’ll be given a timeframe depending on the seriousness of the ordinance violation and then hopefully through voluntary compliance people will clean up the town and get the place looking like what it needs to look like,” said Kazmierzak While the program has not officially started Kazmierzak says they have already caught five illegal dumpers But the overall main goal is to revive the city “It’s pretty much a wide gamut anything that is blight Would be the best way to put it you know illegal dumping is blight abandoned homes are blight so it’s all those things to make the city look like it should,” said Kazmierzak The program will officially run from March 30th and until September 30th but Kazmierzak says while that is considered enforcement season Eighteen months after the closure of the United States Postal Service facility in the Orchards Mall the USPS has identified a new location for a Benton Harbor facility The new location is at 1958 Mall Place in Benton Harbor near the Michigan Secretary of State office negotiations are still underway to finalize the siting “If this location is not adequate or an agreement cannot be reached with its owner the Postal Service will consider other sites,” – USPS Statement The need for a new location was brought about by the permanent suspension of services at the Orchards Mall retail services location at 1800 Pipestone Road customers have been directed to use the facility at the Benton Harbor Main Post Office at 525 Riverview Drive in Benton Harbor located 3.8 miles away.“Due to ongoing maintenance issues at the above location the Postal Service has decided to relocate retail services The Postal Service anticipates providing the same services at the new location as were previously provided to our customers at the previous location the Postal Service plans to continue services at the Benton Harbor Main Post Office located at 525 Riverview Dr until the replacement facility is open and operating as a Post Office.” DOWAGIAC, Mich. (WSBT) — WSBT 22 is learning new information about an assault on a referee. The official had objects thrown at him just as the game between Benton Harbor and Buchanan high schools was coming to an end Benton Harbor's superintendent commending the student-athletes for their composure new findings from law enforcement paint a different picture The incident happened after a district tournament game between Benton Harbor and Buchanan High Schools in Dowagiac Wednesday night The game ended with Buchanan winning 39 to 36 but instead of the focus being on the competition the attention quickly shifted to what happened after the final buzzer Benton Harbor Area Schools Superintendent Dr Kelvin Butts released a statement largely placing the blame on fans saying student-athletes had shown “outstanding sportsmanship and composure.” You can read their responses here. stating that a Benton Harbor basketball coach and players were among those who threw objects at the official there are now many questions about the district’s initial response including whether school officials have spoken to the coach and players identified by police Butts says his initial remarks were based on an early report from another superintendent who was present at the game who described the Benton Harbor boys basketball team's conduct as commendable He went on to say that the Dowagiac Police Department has not contacted his office with any updates as well "Benton Harbor Area Schools takes all allegations of student and adult misconduct seriously and will adhere to district protocol in addressing each situation Please be assured that the district maintains high standards of professional ethics and conduct Once we have completed our fact-finding investigation and received verified information from our collaborative efforts with the other school districts involved appropriate action will be taken in accordance with established policies for both staff and students," said Butts The district is promising a full investigation and Dowagiac Police are still working on their own Officers have released images of additional people of interest who have not yet been identified asking anyone with information to come forward Dowagiac Union Schools is hosting the final District Championship game Friday night for Buchanan vs Edwardsburg The Dowagiac Police Department will have officers present and fans to display good sportsmanship so the game can be enjoyed in a safe environment by all who attend Election recall petitions were denied in Berrien County Benton Harbor Mayor Marcus Muhammad and 2nd Ward Commissioner SaTanna Ward both attended an election recall clarity meeting (WSBT) — Election recall petitions were denied in Berrien County Benton Harbor Mayor Marcus Muhammad and 2nd Ward Commissioner SaTanna Warren both attended an election recall clarity meeting The County Election Commission denied all petitions to remove them from office due to technical errors The Berrien County Election Commission held a clarity hearing regarding recall petitions filed against those two Benton Harbor City officials Election recall petitions were filed this past month aim to remove Benton Harbor Mayor Marcus Muhammad and 2nd Ward Commissioner SaTanna Warren from office It's all related to hiring Benton Harbor's Director of Community and Economic Development Alex Little as new City Manager back in December With the majority of petitioners present in the meeting the commission struggled to determine what was being petitioned it's gonna be filed over again because there's corruption in the office And what we've made here by the corruption in the office," said Tommie Earl Jackson From incorrect offices to misspelled elected officials' positions and incorrect names on multiple petitions filed by Jackson and others Chief Judge Mabel Mayfield reminded citizens that accuracy matters for petitions like these SaTanna Warren says she is happy they were denied "My reaction from my hearing is that justice was served One of the things that I hope the community can realize about me is my leadership and my call to help the community is in me One Benton Harbor resident who plans to also file a petition against Muhammad said he's not phased as he can now file his own petition I'm actually kind of happy that they denied Marcus because I wanted it to be I don't want to be personal or whatever I understand that he violated the city and he violated the rights of everyone," said Dennie Brown a Benton Harbor resident spoke in favor of Muhammad and Warren Hoyh says these errors on the petitions are intentional by today’s petitioners "We don't rake up the time and the money of our county officials to have a chief judge sit down there for an hour and a half It's just it's become a nuisance and our community All present petitioners say they plan to correct their mistakes and file again CASSOPOLIS — Charges have been filed against three individuals – including one minor – involved in an incident during a state playoff basketball game between Benton Harbor and Buchanan back in February according to the Cass County Prosecutor’s Office have been charged with assault and battery and disturbing the peace The charges are 93 and 90-day misdemeanors respectively The Cass County District Court will set the above matters for arraignment at a future date One minor has also been charged with one misdemeanor count of assault and battery and one misdemeanor count of disturbing the peace Since the juvenile resides outside Cass County it is expected that the case will be transferred by the Cass County Juvenile Court to the appropriate Juvenile Court system for further processing and adjudication After the conclusion of the Benton Harbor-Buchanan district semi-final game several objects were thrown toward a game official The incident took place following the conclusion of a district semifinal game between Benton Harbor and Buchanan where several objects were thrown toward a game official OutCenter Southwest Michigan has held an annual LGBTQ+ pride event at the Dwight Mitchell City Center Park in downtown Benton Harbor But now it's unclear if the event will return to the park under a proposed policy change City Manager Alex Little cited security concerns as the reason for the proposal with large events making policing and public safety difficult when a group of anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-abortion protesters showed up to that year's PrideFest insulting attendees and recording their reactions "They were holding signs that were pretty gruesome handing out pamphlets with the same type of graphic imagery to kids," said Program Director Gerik Nasstrom Benton Harbor Public Safety eventually got involved OutCenter Executive Director Mary Jo Schnell criticized the city's response during a City Commission Meeting the following August and safety were obliterated twice over,” Schnell said “First by the arrival of six individuals who set about intimidating and harassing our community in the very center of the park for which we had a permit And second by the arrival of Benton Harbor law enforcement and city officials and their absolute failure to reinstate the safety of residents they were feeling at Pride Fest prior to the arrival of protesters.” OutCenter hoped to host its 2025 PrideFest at the park again this year but the city has indicated it will not issue a permit After speaking with City Manager Alex Little OutCenter Program Director Gerik Nasstrom said the organization was told no events would be held at the park going forward Little denied this in a follow-up email to Outcenter saying that only events presenting "special problems" would not be held at the park "The City is not going to approve certain types of events for City Center Park in the coming year and future," the email read "I did not say that we would not hold any events in City Center Park but would not permit certain events that present special problems for the City in terms of security and control." But it seems this policy may change yet again In a meeting of the Benton Harbor Legislative Committee on March 5 City Manager Little proposed that only "government related events" be held at the park No clear definition of what constituted a "government related" event has been put forth by Little or the city Commissioner Sharon Henderson asked if the annual Juneteenth celebration and parade would be allowed at the park since it was "in partnership with the city." Manager Little said the event would be allowed under the proposed policy change the Benton Harbor Juneteenth Cultural Awareness Committee is not formally connected to the city government The committee is a separate non-profit organization He said this lack of a clear definition in the policy could give way to inequity there's the potential for discriminatory action and there's the potential for folks to work out whatever their personal biases may be." Nasstrom added that a vague policy also provides no clear avenue for how events can become "government related." He said this could create a members-only atmosphere around event applications “If you're not plugged in to what the city commissioners are doing if you're not plugged in to the city manager’s personal Rolodex are you going to be able to get an event?” but Nasstrom said City Center provides something the others cannot: visibility but there's one public park on Main Street There's one public park that has the footprint that City Center Park does." In response to the security concerns that sparked the policy debate Nasstrom said the proposed change will not fix anything only moving the harassment they face away from the public eye we feel that this is not a time to be telling marginalized groups to go hide in the corner." City Manager Little declined a request for comment citing his busy schedule before hanging up City Clerk Tiffany Moore said Little planned to edit the proposal before it would be considered by the commission It is not on Monday evening's city commission agenda Michael Symonds reports for WMUK through the Report for America national service program