Niles

In a letter given to employees of Hess Industries of Niles, the company told them it has been forced to restructure because of the economic downturn and the plant will close. The company does not foresee the plant reopening. According to the Milton Township treasurer, Hess Industries owes nearly $15,000 in personal property taxes from 2011. There has been a levy placed on Hess property. A failure to pay the taxes will result in seizure of that property. Employees tell WSBT the more than 150 people who work there are unable to get their final paycheck.

NILES, Mich. - Two people in Niles are behind bars, accused of making meth. 28-year-old Melanie Topash and her boyfriend 39-year-old Robert Cumbess are charged with operating a meth lab and possession of marijuana. Police say they got a tip the two were making meth with a child at the home in 1800 block of North 5th Street in Niles. When police arrived, no children were there, but police say an 8-year-old does live there. Police found two discarded one pot meth labs and some marijuana.

NILES - Late September is always a popular time for Niles. But this fall is reason to celebrate! This September marks 40 years for the annual 4 flags area Apple Festival. Nearly 100,000 people are expected to attend what's known as one of Michigan's top festivals. There are carnival rides, apple treats and dozens of free events all weekend long. Organizers say there is something for everyone this year. "We have apple seed popping, apple peeling, apple pie eating, apple baking,” said Festival organizer Pat Teeter.

NILES -  It's beef jerky, but it looks like some form of chewing tobacco - and it got four students suspended at Ring Lardner Middle School in Niles on Wednesday. One of those four suspended students suspended had chewing tobacco in this beef jerky tin. But the other three actually had the beef jerky in it. "I was confused why I got in trouble for this," eighth-grader Brenton Harrell said. Teriyaki beef jerky. It doesn't scream “suspension.” "It's ground up beef jerky you can put it in your lip or eat it," Harrel said.

NILES - Police are trying to figure out what caused a teenager to drive off a road in Berrien County, injuring two people in the car. The crash happened Wednesday night near the intersection of Copp and Bertrand roads in Niles. Police say three teenagers were in the car. The car left the road and crashed into two trees before stopping. Police say a female in the car was in and out of consciousness. At last check she was in serious condition. A male in the car was also hurt, his condition is unknown.

NILES, Mich. - Power went out in the city of Niles late Tuesday afternoon. It happened around 5 p.m. City Administrator Rick Huff says several substations were down, and a technical problem was to blame for the power outage. Mayor Mike McCauslin says three-fourths of Niles was without power because of a power surge. He says 8,000 people were affected. The city hoped to have the power back on by 7:30 p.m.

We have an update on one of the Dowagiac-based guardsmen injured by an IED in Afghanistan earlier this week. Read more about that incident here According to a family member, Sergeant David Jackson of Niles is "doing great" in his recovery from a concussion and dislocated shoulder. He will be in physical therapy for two weeks and then likely will return to duty. The guard unit is scheduled to return home to Michigan in September.

MILTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. - Cass County police say a Niles man was taken to Memorial Hospital after his moped overturned early Saturday morning, ejecting him off of it. This happened just after 3 a.m. on Gumwood Road just south of U.S. 12 in Milton Township. Police say the moped driver, 44-year-old David Shafer, was heading north when his moped went off the road and he lost control in the gravel. Shafer was not wearing a helmet, say police. The crash remains under investigation.

BERTRAND TOWNSHIP - A 16-year-old Buchanan High School student died from his injuries in a single-vehicle crash in Bertrand Township Sunday afternoon.  It happened just before 2 p.m. in the 2900 block of Oak Forrest Road near Curran Road. Police say a car driven by Dilan Shearer of Niles rolled over and struck a tree. Officers say the teen had just left a Father's Day celebration and was on his way to another relative's house. The crash investigation in ongoing.

NILES — Three Elkhart men convicted of holding up the Berrien Teachers Credit Union, 1501 S. 11th St., have been sentenced in federal court in Grand Rapids, with one receiving 18 years in prison. U.S. Attorney Donald Davis said Travis Allen, 27, and Antiowan Loftin, 26, each received seven years and Chester Higgins, 31, received the 18-year sentence handed down by U.S. District Court Judge Janet Neff. Higgin will serve his sentence after completing an 18-year sentence in Indiana for another armed robbery of a bank, Davis said.

Berrien County has big plans for a nearly $1 million grant they have received from the federal government. The city of Niles Fire Department was awarded a regional "assistance to fighters grant. " This will help replace several outdated communication consoles at dispatch centers throughout the county. It's important these are up to date because dispatchers are the initial commanders on every incident and make a difference in those early pivotal moments -- be it a house fire, an accident, a domestic issue or medical situation.

NILES --   We told you the bomb squad was at the Niles Post office investigating a suspicious package. WSBT has learned that package was empty. Police say a woman saw the box on top of a trash can outside the post office and called police. The box had no markings on it. Police used a robot to learn the box was empty and have since cleared the scene.

CASS COUNTY, Mich. - Speed is being blamed on a deadly crash just north of the Indiana-Michigan line in Cass County. Police say around 9:15 p.m. Wednesday, 19-year-old Dajauna Davis of Niles was heading north at a high rate of speed on Ironwood Road, south of Redfield Road, in Milton Township when she lost control of her minivan and hit a tree. Davis had to be extricated from the van before she was taken to South Bend's Memorial Hospital where she later died from her injuries.

As the debate over gun control continues, the NRA is offering a "women-only" gun training class in Niles. The class is called "Women on Target" and it filled up within three weeks. The targets are up, the guns locked and loaded. And the people behind them are all ladies like Jennifer Cauwenberghs. She signed up to get educated about firearms and she says the Sandy Hook massacre motivated her to do so. "It influenced my decision to be educated, it influenced my decision to learn more about what the government is trying to do about the regulations.

WSBT has learned a company in the Netherlands has purchased Hess Industries. Fontijne Formitt bought the intellectual property of the Niles company. The company's sales and marketing assistant who tells us this will mean new jobs in the area, but she didn't know how many. About 175 people lost their jobs when Hess Industries closed their doors in June of last year. We will continue to follow up on this developing story and will bring you the latest as we learn it. The full news release is below: Vlaardingen, The Netherlands - The Fontijne Grotnes Group is expanding and proud to announce the acquisition of Intellectual Property (IP)

The St. Joseph River is high along Marmont Street in Niles.   The National Weather Service issued a flood warning for that part of town -- starting tomorrow evening, running through Tuesday.   Neighbors say they're watching the forecast closely, but caution there's no need for alarm right now.  They say the river has a ways to go before it causes any serious problems.   As a precaution, the city of Niles blocked off part of Marmont Street, to keep people from driving too close to the water.

A group of runners from Michiana finished the Boston Marathon just minutes before the deadly explosions. Tracy Eaves of Niles and Lisa Smith of South Bend ran the race along with two other friends who are members of the Michiana Runners Association. “I crossed the finish line and stopped my watch and then I heard this huge explosion,” said Smith, who was running the race for the first time, “it was right at the corner where I turned the corner to come into the finish chute.” “Lisa had started in another class and doing the math mentally I knew she would be like right at the finish line when they went off, so there was a bit of panic,” said Eaves, who just completed her third Boston Marathon.

A new punishment for one of the five teenager convicted in the Niles "sextortion" case from almost two years ago. Martell Miller and four other Niles High School students were accused of secretly taping a girl having sex with one of them and threatening to post the video on Facebook if she didn't have sex with the others. Miller was the only teen in that case not sentenced to prison. He did serve some time in a local jail and was put on three year's probation.   This morning Miller was sentenced in Berrien County court to 100 hours community service for violating that probation.  He was accused of starting a new Facebook account, not staying in touch with his probation officer and not completing counseling.

CASSOPOLIS, Mich.  - We have an update on the case against a Niles man charged with a brutal double murder. The trial won't take place next month as planned. 28-year old Keith Lintz is charged with beating and stabbing John and Carolyn Tarwacki in their home on Carberry Road near Niles three years ago. Lintz was in court Monday afternoon, and several motions were filed in the case. The judge had six motions to rule on, four filed by the prosecution, two by the defense.

NILES -  It's beef jerky, but it looks like some form of chewing tobacco - and it got four students suspended at Ring Lardner Middle School in Niles on Wednesday. One of those four suspended students suspended had chewing tobacco in this beef jerky tin. But the other three actually had the beef jerky in it. "I was confused why I got in trouble for this," eighth-grader Brenton Harrell said. Teriyaki beef jerky. It doesn't scream “suspension.” "It's ground up beef jerky you can put it in your lip or eat it," Harrel said.