Curly’s to finalize plans

The owners of Curly’s bar and restaurant in downtown Colon expect this week to finalize rebuilding plans.

Dan and Kathy Earl have purchased the corner business on East State Street that previously housed a Prudential real estate office. The acquisition will add nearly 2,000 square feet when the new Curly’s opens – likely before the end of the year.

The Earls are expected to draft final building plans with an architect later in the week.

Curly’s and Prudential were destroyed by a March fire that also caused smoke and water damage to the nearby Five Star Pizza. It is scheduled to reopen later this month.

A pile of bricks and debris where Curly’s and Prudential previously stood was removed two weeks ago.

Dan Earl said he appreciates the community’s outpouring of support following the fire, which was ruled accidental by state fire marshal investigators.

New fire truck for White Pigeon

Members of the White Pigeon Fire Department recently took delivery of a new truck.

The 2013 Rosenbauer pumper and rescue will be in service by early June. The truck must first be outfitted with rescue and firefighting equipment, Township Supervisor Don Gloy said.

The truck holds 1,000 gallons of water, but has the capability to pump 1,500 gallons of water a minute.

Gloy said the cost of the truck was $460,000 and was built with specifications and features designed by firefighters.

Accidental fire

A home in the 66000 block of Klinger Lake Road in Florence Township was heavily damaged by fire Wednesday afternoon.

Deputies from the St. Joseph County Sheriff ’s Department arrived to find the kitchen area on fire. Firefighters were hampered when the blaze spread from the kitchen to an adjacent attic.

The fire has been ruled accidental, officials said.

Workers can’t be sued

Child welfare workers can’t be sued in the death of a Centreville teen who perished in a fire, even if they knew she was routinely tied to her bed by her parents.

According to the Associated Press, Michigan’s federal appeals court has affirmed a decision by a judge in Grand Rapids. The court says the 2008 death of Calista Springer is “undeniably tragic,” but the state didn’t increase the danger.

The lawsuit was filed by the 17-year-old’s grandmother.

Springer died during an accidental fire while being restrained to her bed. Her father and stepmother were cleared of murder but convicted of torture and child abuse. According to the AP’s report, there was no dispute that the Department of Human Services had visited the home, but the last contact was nearly three years earlier.

Fire ruled an accident

Investigators have ruled a house fire last week in Constantine was started by accident.

The April 11 blaze at 570 S. Washington St. in Constantine has been ruled accidental, as its source was found to be an 11-year-old occupant playing with a lighter.

The fire began around 7 p.m. in a first-floor bedroom and quickly spread to an upper- level apartment. That apartment was a complete loss, displacing four people. The family also lost a cat in the fire.

The first-floor apartment sustained heavy smoke and water damage.

House fire in Constantine

A house in Constantine sustained heavy damage in a fire Thursday evening. Fire fighters from Constantine, White Pigeon, and Fabius Park fought the blaze at 570 South Washington Street. It appears the fire started in an upstairs bedroom. There were no injuries. Traffic on US-131 was rerouted for several hours while fire fighters were on scene.

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