Business

Ford Motor Co. has let loose of the latest souped-up, high-performance Mustang. The 2015 Shelby GT350R drove off the line Thursday at Ford’s Flat Rock Assembly Plant, southwest of Detroit. Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford, who drove the car, said in a statement that it’s “a special day for all Mustang enthusiasts.” Ford says the vehicle rolling off the line …

Refinery problems at a BP facility in Indiana are already resulting in higher gas prices in Michigan. Gasbuddy.com’s Patrick DeHaan says the refinery issue is causing prices to rise as much as 60 cents per gallon in the short term. The BP refinery is the seventh largest in the country and the largest in the Midwest. And if the wholesale …

The 78th Abbott’s Magic Get-Together is underway! Greg Bordner, owner of Abbott’s Magic Co. in Colon, said the bar for talent at the Abbott’s Magic Get-Together is exceptionally high and for the four-day Get-Together, there’s not a stronger showcase of talent anywhere in Michigan. He said there are no less than four performers at each of the nightly shows Wednesday through Saturday. …

The Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport is getting a federal grant worth roughly $3.3 million to help with projects. The grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation was announced Monday by U.S. Sens. Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters. Work supported by the grant includes rehabilitation of the airport’s runway, an extension of its taxiway and installation of taxiway lighting. Stabenow said …

Michigan officials reacted cautiously Monday to the Obama administration’s plan for cutting planet-warming gases from power plants, saying they needed time to study how it would affect the state’s economy and electricity rates. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is seeking a 32 percent reduction in carbon dioxide from power plants by 2030. In Michigan, that would mean a cut from …

State police are appealing to the public for help in identifying suspects involved in a rash of larceny-from-vehicle incidents last week in Park Township. According to a department media release, the incidents occurred between 11 p.m. Tuesday and 6:30 a.m. Wednesday along Buckhorn Road between Heimbach Road and South Fisher Lake Road.

GreenMark Equipment, Inc., will host their 2015 Drive Green Demo Days event at their dealership just north of Three Rivers on August 15. This event will give area residents a chance to check out the latest utility tractors, lawn and garden tractors, loaders, implements and other equipment from John Deere, as well as take advantage of special Drive Green savings. …

A three-way traffic signal on South Nottawa Street at Wenzel Street will become a blinking light for the next 90 days, in anticipation of its potential removal. Sturgis city commissioners have approved a temporary control order that will change the stoplight to a flashing yellow signal for two-way traffic on South Nottawa Street and a red flashing light for Wenzel …

Officials are advising Michigan’s propane users to lock in prices before the heating season gets underway. Valerie Brader of the Michigan Agency for Energy says customers can save money by signing contracts now, while propane supplies are significantly above the five-year average. Prices in more than 30 states jumped during the 2013-2014 heating season after cold temperatures and other factors …

Michigan’s unemployment rate has held steady in the latest month at 5.5 percent, 1.6 points lower than a year earlier. The state announced Wednesday that the seasonally adjusted jobless rate for June was identical with the rate in May. The U.S. rate fell 0.2 points to 5.3 percent in the latest month. The Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget …