Business

The society of Certified Insurance Counselors (CIC) recently honored Rodney Chupp, CIC, of Chupp Insurance Agency in Sturgis for dedication and leadership in the insurance industry. Mr. Chupp was awarded a certificate of achievement, recognizing five consecutive years of active affiliation with the Society of CIC. The CIC designation carries commitment to advanced knowledge and customer service. The Society’s President, …

The August unemployment rate in St. Joseph County fell by more than two percent compared to the previous month. The monthly labor-market analysis by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget showed St. Joseph County’s 7.7 percent August unemployment rate was less than July’s 9.8 percent. The August 2013 unemployment rate was three-tenths of a percent less than the …

Sturgis municipal officials said three new programs are being introduced as a result of the Generate Sturgis entrepreneurial forums earlier this year. A committee of 12 members has continued to meet since the Generate Sturgis sessions and has developed the programs BizCon, Business Boost and Buy Sturgis. Biz Con is a business conduit that will focus on events happening in …

The creator and producer of the critically acclaimed AMC drama “Breaking Bad,” which is ending this weekend, has inked a deal to launch a new series on CBS featuring Battle Creek. Vince Gilligan first wrote the script a decade ago, and Battle Creek Police have been discussing the series for the whole time while the right cast was sought. It …

Six people were in a vehicle involved in a personal-injury accident last weekend in Cass County. Sheriff Joe Underwood Jr. said deputies were called shortly after 1 o’clock Sunday morning to North Peninsula Drive, near Union Road, in Porter Township, regarding a one-vehicle accident. Underwood said the driver, 18-year-old Connor Gest, of Elkhart, was the driver of a vehicle that …

A 41-year-old woman from Climax was charged with drug-related offenses following a traffic stop last week in Fabius Township. The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department said the woman was stopped for speeding. While interviewing the woman, deputies noticed inside the vehicle were methamphetamine, meth precursors and paraphernalia used to smoke meth. The woman, whose name was not released prior to …

A boa constrictor and an aquarium to house it were stolen during the breaking-and-entering of a business over the weekend in Sturgis. The back door of a business in the 1100 block of South Centerville Road was pried open between 9 p.m. Saturday and 7:45 a.m. Sunday, allowing access to the store. Sturgis Police said the Colombian Red-Tailed constrictor was …

The official attendance count for the 2013 St. Joseph County Grange Fair was 140,547 patrons. The numbers, released Monday by fair director Bill Johnson, were just a few hundred shy of the 2012 attendance figure. Johnson said weather played a role in attendance not only at the grandstand and its nightly entertainment, but the fair overall. He said Saturday’s ideal …

Three dirt bikes were stolen from a storage shed last month in Constantine Township. State police investigators were called Friday to the 11000 block of Riverside Drive, where the Suzuki, Honda and Yamaha motorcycles were stolen, likely between Aug. 6 and 27. An extended-cab Chevrolet pickup towing a black trailer was spotted in the area and is suspected of being …

A lumber and building materials supplier is planning to open a new distribution center in northern Indiana and potentially hire about 70 people in the next couple years. Zeeland Lumber Operations says it will spend nearly $1.6 million to buy and equip a facility in Elkhart. The Zeeland, Mich.-based company says that site will allow an expansion of its business …