Business

Business and home owners, as well as renters impacted by February and March flooding, can apply for low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration. Twenty counties, including St. Joseph, Cass and Branch, were declared disaster areas due to the extent of flooding they endured from the three-day rainfall that started Feb. 19. SBA customer service representatives will be …

February’s unemployment rate in St. Joseph County was two-tenths of a percent lower than the previous month. The monthly labor-market analysis by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget showed the county’s 4.1 percent February unemployment rate marked a decrease from January’s 4.3 percent. St. Joseph County was below the state unemployment average, which was 5.2 percent in February. …

Michigan officials have approved a permit allowing Nestle Waters North America Inc. to pump more groundwater for its Ice Mountain brand. The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality ruled Monday the company’s application to increase water output to 400 gallons a minute meets state standards. Officials say in a statement that most of public comments they received expressed opposition to the …

The commuter rail line that links northern Indiana and Chicago is planning a ticket price increase to help pay for operating a new train safety system. Officials say the proposed 5 percent increase would raise the one-way fare to Chicago from stations in Hammond east to Michigan City by 50 cents effective July 1. Fares for stops east of Michigan …

Portage officials are considering property tax breaks for a $465 million expansion project by Pfizer Inc. The company is seeking the tax exemption from the city of Portage a two-story, 400,000-square-foot sterile processing facility. MLive.com reports Pfizer has told the city the project will lead to 140 additional jobs within two years and 450 jobs within six years. Portage Mayor Patricia Randall …

A split House on Wednesday voted to preemptively bar municipalities from regulating what Michigan employers can or cannot ask during job interviews, sparking criticism from Democrats who said such ordinances can help close the wage gap between men and women. The Republican-sponsored bill, which won Senate approval previously, will go to Gov. Rick Snyder on Thursday for his expected signature. …

A reactor at a nuclear power plant in southwestern Michigan is shutting down this week for refueling, maintenance and testing. Indiana Michigan Power says power has been reduced at Cook Nuclear Plant’s Unit 2 and the unit will be shut down starting Thursday. The outage is expected to last several months. About 1,800 contracted workers will supplement the plant’s 1,100-person …

The Michigan Department of Transportation says $384 million in track improvements have led to faster train speeds and reduced travel times to Chicago. The Amtrak Wolverine route, which runs from Detroit to Chicago, has reduced transit time by 20 minutes, said Michael Frezell, a department spokesman. The Blue Water route, which runs from Port Huron to Chicago, has been reduced …

Burr Oak Tool representatives will attend the 2018 Acrex India trade show Feb. 22-24 at Bangalore International Exhibition Centre in India. Burr Oak Tool and Oak India staff will be available for discussions about production solutions for the heat exchanger manufacturing industry. The show features more than 600 exhibitors from 30 countries, and is expected to receive at least 50,000 visitors …

The Republican-led Michigan Legislature voted Wednesday to override Gov. Rick Snyder’s veto of a speedier tax cut for those who trade in their car for a new one, the first override in his tenure and just the fourth in the last 67 years. Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof said the “timing was right” — the same day the chamber approved …