Business

Michigan law drops license requirement for house painters

House painters won’t need a license under a new Michigan law. The law starts Thursday. It removes painting and decorating from a list of trades covered by a state license for residential maintenance and alteration. The Senate Fiscal Agency says there were 432 Michigan contractors licensed in painting and decorating in December. They had to complete 60 hours of education …

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Storm update – Indiana Michigan Power

Indiana Michigan Power has restored power to 94 percent of customers who lost service on Sunday and is working to restore the remainder. Crews have restored power to all South Bend/Elkhart area customers affected by Sunday’s high winds. In Muncie, Marion and Fort Wayne combined, fewer than 100 customers remained to be restored as of 4 p.m.  Monday.  I&M is …

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South Shore offers discount after suspended service

The South Shore Line is offering a 10 percent discount on monthly passes during the month of March to help make up for four days of suspended service during last week’s bitter cold spell. The commuter rail line says discount pricing will automatically be applied at the time a March pass is purchased. The South Shore Line also is offering …

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Southern Michigan Bank & Trust announces promotions

John Castle, Southern Michigan Bank & Trust Chairman and CEO recently announced the promotions of officers Eric Anglin and Matt Moses. Anglin was promoted to Senior Vice President, Retail Banking Services/Chief Deposit Officer. He earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Tiffin University, and joined the bank in 2010. He advanced to the position of First Vice President, where he …

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December’s unemployment rate is released

December’s unemployment rate in St. Joseph County was unchanged compared to the figure from the previous month. The monthly labor-market analysis by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget showed the county’s unemployment rate for December was 3.9 percent again. St. Joseph County was below the state unemployment average, which was 4 percent for the month. The agency said …

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Sears staves off liquidation, stores to remain open

NEW YORK (AP) — Sears will live on— at least for now. The company’s chairman and largest shareholder and chairman, Eddie Lampert, won a bankruptcy auction for Sears in New York, averting liquidation of the iconic chain, according to a source familiar with the negotiations. The person agreed to speak on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to …

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Airline disputes family’s account of woman left at O’Hare

American Airlines says closed-circuit television footage at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport shows a 67-year-old woman in a wheelchair wasn’t left alone nearly as long as her family claims. American released a timeline that shows Olimpia Warsaw was alone 1 ¼ hours after her flight was canceled late Friday — during which time Warsaw twice used a walker to go outside …

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Cracker Barrel near Kalamazoo closing because of salmonella

A Cracker Barrel restaurant in southwestern Michigan will not reopen after a problem with salmonella. The Kalamazoo County health department says it was told about the closing last week. The agency says private tests revealed significant contamination at the Kalamazoo-area restaurant. Results from state tests are expected this week. The restaurant had reopened after closing in June due to health-code …

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Woman in wheelchair whose flight was canceled left at O’Hare

American Airlines is investigating how a 67-year-old woman in a wheelchair was left alone overnight at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport when her flight was canceled. The incident, first reported by CBS 2 in Chicago , started Friday night when Olimpia Warsaw’s flight from Chicago to Detroit was canceled and a porter was assigned to take care of her. Her son, …

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AAA: GAS PRICES ARE LOWEST IN SEVEN MONTHS

Michiganders are finding the lowest prices at the pump since April. The state average price for a gallon of regular unleaded is $2.72; 39 cents less than this year’s high, and the same as this time last year. Gas prices continued their downward trek last week, declining another 9 cents.  The state average declined for the 10th consecutive day on Sunday, for a total discount of 12 cents. Most …

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