Sam Knef
WWMT-TV
Battle Creek, MI, United States
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Past articles by Sam:
Despite 2020, Battle Creek families thankful for more than just free food from restaurant
Despite all of the challenges and hardships 2020 has presented, people were still finding things to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. The COVID-19 pandemic made 2020 a difficult year for a lot of people, financially and health wise. On a day when families usually come together to pick each other up, health officials warned against having Thanksgiving celebrations with more than one household,… → Read More
Battle Creek native Tauren Wells nominated for 2 Grammy awards
Tauren Wells, a Christian music singer who grew up in Battle Creek, was nominated for two Grammy awards in 2020. Wells said he owes a lot of his success to his upbringing in West Michigan and even after racking up his eighth career Grammy nomination, he's staying humble. “I never expect this to happen. It is actually extremely rare, and very difficult to create music that’s recognized on this… → Read More
Historically conservative 3rd District race enters Election Day as a toss up
As Election Day dawned, polls showed a close race in the historically conservative 3rd congressional district in Michigan. Two political newcomers are seeking to replace U. S. Rep. Justin Amash in the district, which stretches from Grand Rapids to Battle Creek. Republican Peter Meijer and Democrat Hillary Scholten, both from Grand Rapids, have been campaigning to fill the historically… → Read More
Battle Creek Police say body cameras will aid in future officer shooting investigations
Michigan State Police are investigating a Battle Creek traffic stop that lead to an officer shooting a passenger early Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2020, but lack of body camera footage has made the job of determining if the shooting was justified harder. For the second time in two months state police have investigated a Battle Creek officer shooting their gun while not wearing a body camera. Battle Creek… → Read More
Police chief details traffic stop that led to Battle Creek officer shooting passenger
A person shot by a Battle Creek officer during a traffic stop early Tuesday morning was in the hospital and expected to survive. Michigan State Police are investigating the shooting, which happened just after midnight near the intersection of Columbia Avenue and LaVista Boulevard. Battle Creek police said an officer stopped a car driving erratically. The interaction started peacefully, but… → Read More
Battle Creek landlord arraigned on charges of murder after couple found dead
A Battle Creek man accused of killing his two tenants was arraigned in court Monday. Battle Creek police said Chad Reed confessed to killing Joseph Soule and Jaclyn Lepird on Oct. 7, 2020. He appeared in Calhoun County District Court by video Oct. 19 where he faces six felony charges, including two counts of open murder, and felony firearm charges. → Read More
Whitmer campaigns for Democratic House candidates during visit to West Michigan
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer traveled to West Michigan on Wednesday to help fellow Democrats on the campaign trail. In Battle Creek, Whitmer endorsed State Rep. Jim Haadsma for re-election in House District 62. On the ballot: View the biographies of the West Michigan candidates. A crowd of about 30 people applauded the governor as she arrived at Bailey Park. → Read More
Michigan lawmakers say federal dollars helped parties come together on state budget
The Michigan legislature has approved a $62. 7 billion budget resolution for 2020-2021 a week ahead of the Oct. 1, 2020, deadline and billions of dollars in federal relief are allowing the state to avoid major cuts feared from the COVID-19 pandemic. State Rep. Jim Haadsma, D-Battle Creek, said despite the tremendous amount of work that went into planning around a pandemic, negotiating the budget… → Read More
Aerial spray to begin in Calhoun County after first horse tests positive for EEE
Calhoun County health officials said parts of Calhoun County would be sprayed for Eastern Equine Encephalitis after the first horse in the county tested positive for the virus. Eric Pessell, a Calhoun County health officer, said he expected the spraying would begin next week. Pessell said health officials were concerned about EEE for two reasons: its high fatality rate, and its increased… → Read More
Data shows Michigan economy recovering faster than most states
Some national data suggests Michigan might be recovering faster than most states from the COVID-19 pandemic’s economic downturn. A business index created by Moody's Analytics and CNN Business showed how close each state's economy was to its pre-pandemic level. Michigan ranked 10th on the Back-to-Normal Index as of Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020. COVID-19 recovery: President Donald Trump acknowledges… → Read More
West Michigan schools with online learning fighting off threat of hackers
Schools in Michigan, and across the country, are trying to overcome the inherent challenges that come with trying to teach kids online and dealing with the potential threat of hackers. Officials from Godfrey-Lee High School in Wyoming told police a hacker interrupted a Zoom classroom meeting Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020, and police said the disguised hacker pointed what appeared to be a gun to their… → Read More
Michigan health department to stop reporting new COVID-19 cases on Sundays
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said they would be reporting new COVID-19 numbers six days a week, which wouldn't impact its ability to identify trends, and would give the staff a much needed break. The health department has been posting new COVID-19 case numbers, and deaths, on its websitedaily. Lynn Sutfin said the department was in a position where it could take Sundays… → Read More
West Michigan parents applaud teachers efforts on first day of school
While the first day of school can be nerve racking, or incredibly exciting, the looks are a lot different for all children for the start of the 2020-2021 school year, as districts built their plans around the COVID-19 pandemic. For a lot of Michigan districts, like Kalamazoo Public Schools, Portage Public Schools, and Comstock Public Schools, Monday, Aug. 31, 2020, was the first day back to… → Read More
Family Video offering telemedicine consultations, health discounts for customers
KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WWMT) – Video rental stores are adapting to the times and while there is only one Blockbuster store left in the United States, Family Video expanded its business model by stepping into the world of medicine. The sign in front of the Family Video on Gull Road in Kalamazoo advertises $0 co-pay for telemedicine. While customers grab a moviethey can sign up for a consultation with… → Read More
Whitmer: State aims to vaccinate 1 million more Michiganders this flu season
Michigan prepared for this year's flu season to hit while it continues battling COVID-19. COVID-19: Find the latest news on the outbreak in West Michigan by visiting the Newschannel 3 coronavirus page. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and state health officials urged Michiganders to get their flu vaccinations during a news conference Aug. 25, 2020. "Preventing the flu will help us save lives and preserve… → Read More
Gov. Whitmer to provide update on state's COVID-19 response
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Chief Medical Executive Dr. Joneigh Khaldun were expected to provide an update regarding the state’s response efforts to COVID-19 on Tuesday. They were scheduled to take the stage at 1:30 p. m. Aug. 25, 2020. COVID-19: Find the latest news on the outbreak in West Michigan by visiting the Newschannel 3 coronavirus page.… → Read More
Judge issues arrest warrant against suspect of deadly Gull Lake boating crash
The Kalamazoo County Prosecutor’s Office has authorized charges in the deadly boat crash that killed an 18-year-old on Gull Lake. Read more:Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Office identifies teen dead in Gull Lake boating crash. A Kalamazoo County District Court judge signed an arrest warrant for Tyler Boyd on Aug. 24. The prosecutor authorized a charge of operating a boat under the influence of… → Read More
Whitmer to provide update on state's COVID-19 response
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Wednesday that through a bipartisan agreement, the state is sending $65 million to Michigan schools to help districts address such things as buying masks and ensuring all students have access to online learning. "As we continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic and approach the start of the new school year, we must continue doing everything we can to protect our… → Read More
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to provide update on state's response to COVID-19
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II, and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Chief Medical Executive Dr. Joneigh Khaldun were expected to provide an update regarding the state’s response efforts to COVID-19 at 11 a. m. Friday, Aug. 14, 2020. COVID-19: Find the latest news on the outbreak in West Michigan by visiting the Newschannel 3 coronavirus page. → Read More
Executive order has couples scrambling to alter, postpone and cancel weddings in Michigan
Weddings are one of the many casualties of COVID-19 restrictions that change by the week and many have been drastically altered, postponed, or flat out cancelled. The latest executive order from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer allows no more than 10 people to gather indoors for events throughout Michigan. Couples planning to get married this weekend had their plans derailed with the executive order, which… → Read More