Business

The American Red Cross recently recognized SERVPRO®, a cleanup and restoration company, for participation in its Disaster Responder Program1. As a Disaster Responder Program member, SERVPRO pledges a donation to the Red Cross in advance of disasters, allowing the organization to respond quickly and effectively to nearly 66,000 disasters annually, most of which are home fires. SERVPRO is entering their third …

A bill that would affect auto parts at Michigan repair shops is getting different treatment in the House and Senate. The Senate version would force repair shops to use parts from original manufacturers. But the House scrapped that requirement when it approved the bill Tuesday, 86-23. An amendment by Republican Rep. Pete Pettalia of Presque Isle would allow vehicle owners …

The April unemployment rate in St. Joseph County decreased by four-tenths of a percent compared to a month earlier. The monthly labor-market analysis by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget showed St. Joseph County’s 3.4 percent April unemployment rate was less than March’s 3.8 percent. April’s unemployment rate was eight-tenths of a percent less than the same month …

A suburban Detroit police officer stepped in after a pizza delivery driver was injured in a car crash to make sure a still-warm order made it to its destination. Lincoln Park police Cpl. Joe Sparks tells The Detroit News that Monday’s collision sent the Jet’s Pizza driver to a hospital with bruises and a sore head. Sparks spotted an oven …

Nursing homes are increasingly evicting their most challenging residents, testing protections for some of society’s most vulnerable, advocates for the aged and disabled say. Those targeted for eviction are frequently poor and suffering from dementia, with families unsure of what to do, according to residents’ allies. Removing them allows an often stretched-thin staff to avoid the demands of labor-intensive patients …

A utility that serves five southern Michigan communities plans to shut down its coal-burning power plant on May 31. The Daily Reporter of Coldwater reports the Michigan South Central Power Agency will end operations at the 55-megawatt Endicott power plant. Officials have said cost is the reason for shutting down the plant. Plans call for the plant to be demolished …

U.S. safety regulators are expanding a recall of Takata air bags, already the largest recall in U.S. history. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Wednesday that it’s adding up to 40 million air bags to the ongoing recall of 28.8 million air bags made by Japanese supplier Takata Corp. Inflators inside the air bags can explode with too much …

Operators of southwestern Michigan’s Donald C. Cook Nuclear Plant say one of its units is back online after being shut down for routine refueling and maintenance. Plant spokesman Bill Schalk says the Unit 1 reactor is connected to the transmission grid after a 36-day outage that began last month. The Herald-Palladium of St. Joseph reports workers also completed several large …

Michael Caywood and Joseph Haas, the shareholders of Dresser, Dresser, Haas & Caywood, P.C., are pleased to announce that effective May 1, 2016 the name of the firm will be changed to HaasCaywood PC. The firm will remain at its current office location at 112 S. Monroe Street in Sturgis. HaasCaywood PC is a general practice law firm that provides …

The National Rifle Association has chosen a northern Indiana gun range to host a competitive shooting championship for the next five years. Chief Wa-Ke’-De Outdoor Range held the National Smallbore Rifle Championships the last two years. The National Rifle Association called the facility “excellent” and awarded it a five-year contract for the event. The NRA also said it had “overwhelmingly …