Business

A state House committee has heard from people who say they worry about the health effects of radiation from smart meters that utilities use to measure consumption.  Rochester Hills Republican Rep. Tom McMillin chairs the House Oversight Committee and led Tuesday’s hearing.  Michigan utilities are installing smart meters as a way to make it easier to measure customers’ use.  The …

While many shoppers will be scanning the internet searching for bargains this “Cyber Monday,” local retailers say if you’re more a “hands on” shopper, you should head to your local shop. Michigan Retailers Association President and CEO Jim Hallan says some shoppers like to browse online but still like that face-to-face interaction you get at a local retailer. He says …

The city of Sturgis will stage a public hearing next month regarding the removal of a portion of Magnolia Street. The hearing, which takes place Dec. 17, will center on Magnolia Street from the Prairie Avenue right of way to the west property boundary of Carls Park. Sturgis voters earlier this month approved the transfer of Carls Park to Burr …

The formation of a task force, whose members would attempt to raise public support for a millage request to improve county roads, was proposed last week. During their quarterly St. Joseph County Township Supervisors meeting, members talked at length about the two-question ballot measure road commission officials posed to county voters in August. The requests sought a 1-mill renewal and …

St. Joseph County’s township supervisors were given a detailed summary of the county’s delinquent-tax fund during their quarterly gathering last week at White Pigeon’s township office. County administrator Pat Yoder was a guest at Thursday’s township supervisors meeting. The delinquent-tax account is one of a few matters he was asked to speak about. He said the county over the past …

Driving too fast for conditions appears to be the cause of a single-vehicle accident that injured two people last week in Cass County. Sheriff Joe Underwood said deputies were called at 10:30 a.m. Saturday to a stretch of Harvey Street in Porter Township, where a pickup struck a tree. Upon arrival, deputies found Joshua Westphal, 26, of Vandalia, had lost …

State police are looking for a man who fled the scene of a hit-and-run incident last week in Fabius Township. The incident occurred shortly before 8 a.m. Friday on Corey Lake Road near Shafer Brothers Road. Troopers said the driver of a 2001 Buick Lesabre was traveling west on Corey Lake Road when he lost control and the vehicle left …

Economists at the University of Michigan say the state’s economy will steadily move forward during the next two years after five years of solid growth. In their annual forecast, George Fulton and colleagues Joan Crary and Donald Grimes said the state will add more than 132,000 jobs during the next two years. The U-M economists predicted employment gains of 59,400 jobs …

Michigans unemployment rate in October was the lowest in the state since January through March 2008. According to the Department of Technology, Management & Budget, the jobless rate last month edged downward by one-tenth of a percentage point to 7.1 percent. Total employment rose by 13,000 over the month while the number of unemployed fell by 8,000. The net impact …

Legislation is now before Congress from U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow and Congressmen Dan Benishek and Gary Peters to halt a massive electric rate increase in the Upper Peninsula. The three lawmakers are attempting to require additional oversight by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to allow FERC to prevent the 100-million dollar rate increase. Customers in the U.P. would be forced to pay …