Business

Refueling started Tuesday night for the Cook Nuclear Power Plant’s Unit 2 reactor in southwest Michigan. The unit in Bridgman ran for 18 months at 100.6% capacity, including a 452 consecutive day run that fell 19 days shy of the unit’s record. Over the course of the outage, about 1,900 contracted workers will supplement the regular 1,198-person plant staff. This …

Only days remain until Michigan shoppers and retailers celebrate the first “Get Caught Blue-Handed” Day on Saturday, Oct. 5, as part of the annual Buy Nearby campaign launched earlier this year by Michigan Retailers Association (MRA). The celebration takes place in stores and communities all across the state. Michiganders are encouraged to go shopping nearby with friends and family and …

A large amount of copper wire was stolen from farm equipment and grain bins at a site in the 29000 block of Brandt Road in Colon Township, according to state police. The incident, which possibly occurred within the past week, was reported Monday morning, according to authorities.

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 …