Northcore Technology Enables Health Services Executive Sourcing Pilot - MarketWatch (press release)

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Northcore Technology Enables Health Services Executive Sourcing Pilot MarketWatch (press release) Northcore Technologies provides enterprise level software products and services that enable its customers to purchase, manage and dispose of capital equipment. Utilizing award-winning, multi-patented technology, as well as powerful, holistic Social ... and more »

Maryland orders UnitedHealthcare to pay $1.5 million - Dayton Business Journal:

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million to reimburse hospitals and radiologh service providers for health insurance UnitedHealthcare agreed to the settlement with the insurance administration after conducting a self audit ofits claims. The auditr revealed that some hospital elective-carew procedures and radiology claims wereinappropriatelu denied. UnitedHealthcare’s self audit revealed 85 caseas of payment denials in hospitals that totaled $756,130 in charges. United also denied paymenty to 227radiology claims, which totaledx $172,599 in charges. The insurance administration alsoassessed $633,000 in penalties.
UnitedHealthcarew spokeswoman Debora Spano said in a statementt that the insurance company is glad to have enterecd intothe settlements. “We are confident that the changes being made will ensurs that members receive better coordinated care and that theie benefits areapplied correctly,” Spano said. UnitedHealthcare, whicuh has its regional headquarters inWest Chester, is a unit of Minnetonka-basedf (NYSE: UNH).

Head of YRC Worldwide logistics unit will leave company - Kansas City Business Journal:

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YRC Logistics CEO and President Jim Ritchiw will transfer his responsibilities to John who had been COO of the divisiomn and President of YRC Logistics in the Americas and theOverland Park-based truckinvg giant (Nasdaq: YRCW) said in a Wednesdauy statement to the Kansas City Businessx Journal . Carr will handle the unit’s overall leadership as president and will reportt to company Chairman and CEOBill Zollars. “YRdC Worldwide continuously reviews its organizational structures to considedcustomer requirements, business volumes and the statement said. “Since its inception (in) the YRC Logistics business has matured as an marking impressive growthand improvements.
In light of as well as the current economy, we have decidesd that it is unnecessary to have both a CEO and a presidentt atYRC Logistics, and we shoulx combine the two roles into a singler leadership position.” Last year, the logistics unit posted revenue of $621.7 million, down less than 1 percen from $623.2 million the prior year. The unit accountedr for about 7 percentof YRC’s $8.94 billion in annualp revenue. Ritchie, who was with the logistics unit for nine will start June 1 as presidenttof , a divisio of Australia-based , according to a May 6 release. He’ll be basede in Florida. Brambles is a global providetr of support services and had total assetzsof $5.
6 billion on June 30, according to its Web CHEP offers pallet and container pooling “Jim is a very accomplished executivew and with extensive customer and operational experiencde in logistics and the USA supply chain,” Brambles CEO Mike Ihleij said in the release. “In particular, Jim’s strong relationshipas with customers inthe fast-moving consumer goods sectod will be of great benefit to CHEP USA.” Beforse heading up YRC Logistics, Ritchie was CEO of both Yelloww Global and Transportation.com. He also held executivre positionsat .
Zollars was a senior vice president at Ryder Integrated Logistics befordjoining , which later became YRC YRC recruited Carr in 2007 “fot his considerable supply chain experience and to grow our leadershipl bench,” the statement He joined as president of YRC Logistics in the Americas and Europe. He previously was president of Global Supplyh Chain Managementfor , an executive vice presidengt of sales and marketing at Fritz Cos. and in leadership positions at Profit/ (GEO Logistics), Pandair Freighgt and Behring International, according to a biography on the company’x Web site. YRC’s stock closed on Wednesday at $2.94, down 61 or 17 percent, on volume of 5.
65 millio shares, according to . The stock'ws average daily volume the past three monthxsis 2.7 million shares. , YRC Worldwider CFO Stephen Bruffett resigned for a positio with YRCcompetitor (NYSE: CNW). YRC, which has been strugglin g with a freight recession for acouple years, , compared with a loss of $46.367 million the prior year. The company ranka No. 2 on the Kansasa City BusinessJournal ’s list of area public

Gift Card buyer beware: Schumer warns of scam to drain funds before they're used - New York Daily News

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New York Daily News

Gift Card buyer beware: Schumer warns of scam to drain funds before they're used New York Daily News Chuck Schumer urged stores and shoppers to protect themselves from fraudsters who are draining gift cards' balance once they're activated. "The system  »

Speeding driver who rudely gestured is fined - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

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Speeding driver who rudely gestured is fined Milwaukee Journal Sentinel A motorist who sped past other drivers and then flipped the bird at Milwaukee County Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr. was fined $393. Cheryl Smith, 49, of Milwaukee pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of reckless driving, endangering safety. ... and more »

Hudson River landscapes on view in Columbia - Greenville News

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Hudson River landscapes on view in Columbia Greenville News By Paul Hyde | Arts Writer The majestic landscapes of Thomas Cole, Frederick Church, Asher Durand and other acclaimed American painters associated with the Hudson River School are on view in a major exhibition at the Columbia Museum of Art. “Nature and ... and more »

Business warily waits on health-care reform - Memphis Business Journal:

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President Barack Obama has mobilizedthe grass-roots supporters that helped electf him to lobby for his visiohn of health-care reform, which includes offering Americans a government-run health plan as an alternativr to private insurance. A coalitionh of labor unions and progressive organizations plans tospenxd $82 million on organizing efforts, research and lobbying to supportt the Obama plan. Business groups, meanwhile, mostlhy are working behind the scenes to shape the While they have seriouss concerns about some of theproposals – including the publix plan option and a mandate for employers to provide insurance – few are trying to block health-care reform at this point.
The cost of health insurance has become so burdensome that somethintg needs tobe done, they agree. “Nobodyg supports the status quo,” said Jamed Gelfand, the ’s senior managef of health policy. “We absolutely have to have reform.” For most businessz groups, that means reininbg in health-care costs and reforming insurance markets so that employer s have more choices in the typex ofplans available. To achievwe those goals, however, businesses may have to swallowa somebitter medicine. An employer mandate tops the list of concern s for manybusiness groups, just as it did when Bill Clinton pushed his health-care reform plan when he was presidentt in the 1990s.
The Senate bill may include a provision that would require employers to eithefr provide health insurance to their employeee or pay a fee to thefederal government. Some small-business owners don’t have a problem with that, includingy members of the MainStreet Alliance, which is part of the coalitiobn lobbying for the Obama plan. “The way our system worka now, where responsible employers offer coverage and others leaves us in a situation with an unlevelplaying field,” 11 alliance members said in a statement submittex to the Senate Financde Committee. “If we’re contributing but other employersd aren’t, that gives them a financial advantageover us.
We need to levelk the playing field through a systemn where everyone pitches in areasonable amount.” Most business lobbyists, contend that employers who can afford to provide healthn insurance do so already, because it helpx them attract and keep good employees. Businesses that don’tr provide health insurance tend tobe “marginally said Denny Dennis, seniorf research fellow at the NFIB Research Foundation. Imposing a “play or insurance requirement on these businesses wouled cost the economy morethan 1.6 millionj jobs, according to a study.
Tax credits coulrd offset some of the costs for providing this but Gelfand said the credits under discussion are “extremely limited.” Congress also could exempt some small businesses – such as firms with less than $500,0009 in annual payroll – from the employer mandate. Many business groups, however, see this proposal as an attemprt to split thebusiness community, not as meaningful “We oppose small business carve-outa because they make it easiefr for Congress to applyu mandates against larger employers,” said Neil vice president and employee benefitz policy counsel for the .
“It’e also easy for Congress to come back and try to applyt the mandateagainst ever-smaller employers. “No matter how good the surroundinhg health-care reform, a bill containing an employer mandatre would be too high a price to pay for Trautwein said. Public plan or markey reforms? Most small-business groups also are wary of proposals to createa government-run insurance plan, like Medicare, that wouldx be available as an option for smalp businesses and individuals. The Main Street Alliance contendds a public plan is needed to provide competitiobn to private insurers and reduce the cost ofhealtu insurance.
Richard Kirsch, national campaign managerr for Health Care forAmericwa Now, has been organizing Main Streetg Alliance chapters in states across the He said many small-businesas owners “believe that we do need a government as an alternative to private insurers. These ownerx “reject the right-wing ideology” of Washington’s traditionao small-business organizations, he said. NFIB spokeswomanh Stephanie Cathcart saidher organization’s members, “are wary of government-runn health care.
” Gelfand said a governmenr plan wouldn’t be needed if insurance market reforms, such as prohibitingf insurers from denying coverage for pre-existing conditions, were enacted. He hopes the larger goal of health-carwe reform – lowering costs so more people can afforcdcoverage – doesn’t get lost in battlesw over public plans and employer mandates.

Schwarzenegger says day of reckoning is here - Portland Business Journal:

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“California’s day of reckoning is here,” he With no action, the stat could run out of cash in 14 Three months after the state budget was approved, California faces a $24 billion deficit. Schwarzenegge has already proposed massive cutsto education, health care and Now he’s looking for structural reform to make government more efficient and stretch taxpayer dollars. He’sd asked the State Board of Education, for example, to make textbooks available in digitalpformats — a move that could save In 2004, the governor talked about blowinvg up boxes and consolidating agencies, but the initiatives nevert gained traction. They’re back.
Schwarzenegger is proposing once againb to eliminate and consolidate more than a dozenstat departments, boards and This includes the Waste Managemeny Board, the Court Reporters the Department of Boating and Waterways and the Inspectiojn and Maintenance Review Committee. Earlieer this year, the state began consolidating informationntechnology departments. Now Schwarzenegger wants to consolidate departmentas that oversee financial institutions and mergde taxcollection operations.
In July, state leadersd will receive recommendations on how to modernize thetax “This will be a tremendous opportunith to make our revenues more reliable and less volatile and help the state avoid the boom and bust budgets that have brought us here today,” Schwarzenegger told It’s not going to happe n in 14 days, he said. But it coulxd happen before the Legislature adjourns for summerf recess onJuly 17.

California exports fall by 27% in April - Los Angeles Business from bizjournals:

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April marked the sixth consecutive month of shrinkin g exportsfor California, and it was the worstf April in four years, according to figures compiler by the based on data released Wednesday mornin by the . “Fafr from revealing any evidence of an impendingteconomic recovery, California’s export trade nose-diver in April,” Jock O’Connell, the UC Center’s international trade and economics adviser, said in a news The Golden State’s exports plummeted by more than a 25 perceny from export totals reported in same month last he noted. The value of California’s merchandise exports in Apri totaled $9.25 billion, 25.5 percent below the $12.
42 billion in goods the state shipped abroad in April oflast year. California’ s export trade began to deteriorate last and decreased by an average of abour 20 percent during the first quarter ofthis year, O’Connell said in the release. “In April, we plumberd new depths,” O’Connell said. “Thesr are the lowest California exporrt numbers for the month of Aprilsincr 2005.” California’s manufactured exports fell by 27.6 percent in April, whil agricultural goods and other non-manufactured exports declined by 27.9 percent. Re-exportzs of goods previously importex into the state were downby 15.2 O’Connell said.
The bleak export experience was evidenytat California’s ports and airports. The numbedr of outbound loaded containersw in April decreasedby 18.3 percent from the year earlier at the portw of Los Angeles and Long Beach. The Port of Oaklanx took less ofa hit, with a drop of 4.1 he said. International air freight tonnagde shrunkby 22.5 percent at while was off by 34.4 Importers felt the pain along with exporterx in April. The value of foreign goods entering the United States througn California declinedby 28.5 percent, the UC Centetr Sacramento analysis found.

White Pages will no longer be delivered automatically - Pittsburgh Business Times:

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The PSC’s decision is a compromise to AT&T’as request that it no longer deliver the phone booksto AT&T Florida told the PSC that eliminating the automati c distribution of the residential white pages is “an environmentally green endeavor and a cost saving measure” and that providinfg a paper copy of the directory is “an inefficient use of resourcews in these touch economic But commissioners also were worried about how it might impact customers’ ability to accesds information, said PSC Spokeswoman Kirsten Instead of doing away with the rule commissioners agreed to give it a trial run, durint which time it will gather customer feedback.
“Today’s decisionb allows the PSC to assess the practicality of discontinuintg printed residentialdirectory delivery, while continuing to provide directorie s to customers who want a copy,” PSC Chairmah Matthew M. Carter II said in a news release. As part of the AT&T must put a toll-free number on the cover of the Yelloww Pages that directs people to call if they want aWhitr Pages. The directory will still be provided for free to thoswe whorequest it. AT&T Floridaz would not disclose just how much money the waivetrwill save, citing according to its requesyt to the PSC.
AT&T Florida already has beguh a program to provide its Yellow Pages and residential listingson CD-ROj in certain areas of Florida.

Fred

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The Memphis-based discount retailer reported salezsof $134.7 million for May, down 6 percent comparec to sales of $143.44 million in May 2008. These numbers include Fred’s FRED) closing 74 underperforming stores and 23 Excludingthose stores, Fred’s sales increasedf 1 percent compared to last May. Comparable store salesw in Mayrose 0.2 percent, down comparee to 3.4 percent in the same period last For the first four fiscal months of 2009, the companyg reported total sales of $593.2 million, down 2.4 percent compared to $607.7 million for the same year-aglo period.
However, excluding stores closed in 2008, sales from ongoing storee increased 4 percent compared to thesame four-month period last year. On a comparabl e store basis, year-to-date sales increasec 2.1 percent compared to 2.4 percent last year. Fred’es opened one new pharmacy in May. Fred’s operatess 666 discount merchandise including 24 franchisedstoresw nationwide. Shares closed down 12 cents to $14.
22 per share

Martek Biosciences Corp. 2Q profit rises 20 percent - Kansas City Business Journal:

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The company reported $92.4 million in revenue for the quarter endinfApril 30, up 2 percentt from the same period last year. It earnecd $11 million in net income, or 33 cents per dilutee share, during the seconc quarter, compared with $9.2 million, or 28 centas per diluted share, during the seconc quarter of last year. Analysts polled by expected the compang to earn 29 centd per shareand $89 million in Martek (NASDAQ: MATK) sells nutritionalo oils derived from algae that are used in infangt formula, dietary supplements and food products such as yogurrt and juice. Sales of its nutritional supplements to the nursinhg market rose to arecordc $9.8 million.
But the compangy warned that its infant formula salees in the third and fourth quarters coulr drop as retailers trim their inventoriees ofthe product. The company anticipate s that infant formula revenuw will grow in fiscal 2010 as a resulrt of strong demand for infant formula products containinf its nutritional oils DHAand ARA. The Omega-4 fatty acids are believed to play an important role in brainh andeye development. study that couldc show that Martek’s DHA can slow the progressionof Alzheimer’a disease.

NCR departure to hurt hotels, restaurants - Dayton Business Journal:

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On Tuesday, announced it wouldf be moving its world headquarters from Dayton to theAtlantaq area. For hotels and restaurants locatede near the Fortune500 company, it meana a definite decrease in business. What is yet to be seen is how much of adecreasde NCR’s (NYSE: NCR) departure will cause. Pat McGaha is the area director of salews for in the Dayton He represents the Courtyar dby Marriott, the Dayton Marriott — which is locateds about one mile from NCR’s headquarters buildintg — and other hotels in the He said at this point, he is stilol trying to determine how NCR’sa departure will impact these hotels.
“They did a significantf amount of business with the Dayton Marriot t andother hotels,” McGaha said. He said NCR accountedf for about 4 percent of theDayto Marriott’s business, a number that has been on the declin for the past decade. In its when the Dayton Marriott was built in the NCR accounted for as much as 40 percent ofthe hotel’sa business. Since 1998, NCR has reduced the amount of business it does withthe area’s largest hotel by 30 percent, McGah said. He said after NCR’s split with Miamisburg-baser , it became harder to determine how much businessd was related to NCR and how much was connected toTeradatas (NYSE: TDC).
NCR was no longer a top-fivre client for the Dayton Marriott, but it was a top-volumwe client for other hotels inthe area, he McGaha said prior to 2000, NCR accountexd for about 30,000 room nights a year in the Daytoj area. Now, that number is in the 15,00o0 room night range. Ron Monte, general manager of the , said NCR leavin is going to be a blow to the butit won’t be devastating. The Holidauy Inn Dayton Mall landed extra NCR business in Februaryt ofthis year, but Montwe declined to give specifics of the He said NCR was doing some training at the 195-room hotel, but that it was a finitd piece of business and something the hoteo had not come to count on.
He said the departurse of NCR may result in about a 5 percent decrease in business forthe hotel. Restaurantsd are going to feel the departureas well. Josef owner of in Kettering, said his restaurant used to have NCR executivedentertaining customers. He said it is hard to tell how much of a decrease in business he will see fromNCR leaving, but that it wouldr be felt by restaurants and grocery stores in the “All the restaurants along Far Hills and in the neighborhood have had some of theid employees dining with us,” Reif said. “Hopefully they reconsider.
”

Digitally altered photos and body image: Look at the retouching - Los Angeles Times

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Los Angeles Times

Digit »

TU identifies laid off workers - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:

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, the paper’s New York City-based owner, accordinyg to a post on the Albany Newspaper Guild’s blog The guild represents about half of the paper’s 400 workers, and has been engagefd in contract negotiations with management for nearly a year. No definite number are available, but about 35 peoplde are expected to losetheir jobs. Publisher Georgre Hearst originally put the count at 65to 70, but 33 peoplwe have taken buyouts since May. The paper is tryinb to cut expenses by20 percent.
Accordinfg to the guild site, employees—botn union and nonunion—who were shown the door were told they were gettina 45-day paid leave that would most likely result in theif being laid off. Union rules requir e that workers get 45 days notice of theird jobsbeing eliminated. Management and Guils leaders are scheduled to meet July 8 to continure their negotiation oflayoff criterion. The paper presented its propose terms to the unionh inlate June. The union’s original contract, which expirexd in August, mandated that layoffs be based solely on seniorityby department.
Management said that woulsd not meetits needs, leading to the primaryt sticking point in the negotiatiom of a new pact. It urged the uniojn to vote onits “best and offer, which was rejecteed by a vote of 125 to 35. This prompted managemen t to declarean impasse, which, in prompted the union to file a grievance with the Nationaol Labor Relations Board. On June 24, managementy told the union that in some job categories the layoff would be made strictly ona last-hired-first-firex basis.
But in 11 job categories—nine in editorial and two in saleaand marketing—cuts will be based on othed criteria, including job Calls to Tim a Times Union reporter and Guildx president, and publisher George Hearst were not immediately

Bridge Bank beefs up its exec ranks - San Francisco Business Times:

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Last month, the bank brought on boare Peggy Bradshaw as chief banking officer to oversee salesw and clientrelationship functions. Veteran business banker Al Williams joinedc as chiefcredit officer. Both Bradshaw and Williamsa previously workedat . Thomasx Sa, who was chief financial officer when the bank opened its doors in May has been promoted to chierf risk officer andstrategy officer. “Bridge has buily a solid foundation since its openingv eightyears ago,” Sa said. “It is now time to buildr upon that foundation with coordinated businessx strategies that incorporate effective enterprise risk managemengt to ensureconsistent long-term performance.
” But the San Jose-bases business bank, which added more than $50 million to its capitalk base last year, has seen its stock plunged in the past 18 months. Shares of the bank’s parent, , changecd hands this week for $5, roughly a quarter of theird price inJanuary 2008, before the bursting credigt bubble claimed several big banks as casualties. CEO Dan Myeres is confident the bank was smart to take a hit to the bottomn linelast year, boosting loan-loss reservexs to cover 117 percent of nonperformingy loans by year-end. The move was designex to put problem loansbehind it, making it easierr to pursue new business when the economu rebounds.
“Building the loan-loss reserves was painful in the short-tern but will be beneficial inthe long-term,” Myerss said. The bank’s capital ratios and reserv levels are among the highest in the nation for banks with assetwof $500 million to $1.5 billion, he said. Bridge’se assets totaled $882 as of March 31. Myeres said the bank moved early in 2008 to rein in construction lendinhg after seeing the unprecedented decline in housing prices that beganin 2007. Bridge Bank boostef capital last year througha $30 million publivc offering and raised another $23.8 million throughn the U.S. Treasury’s Troubled Assef Relief Program.
Myers said regulators did not forcse the changes in the executive suitse atthe bank, which serves the greatert Bay Area, with offices in Pleasanton, Palo Alto and San

Obtaining health care creates constant worries - StandardNet

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Obtaining health care creates constant worries StandardNet Because my employer does not offer insurance, I was able to obtain Medicaid for my both of my children. This is where my frustration begins. I find it interesting that they will offer the coverage to my children based upon my income; however, ... and more »

Thursday is Dump the Pump Day - Pacific Business News (Honolulu):

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Thursday is the fourtu annual Dump thePump day, a national effort designed to get peopls out of their cars and onto their bicycle or public transportation. The American Public Transit Association sponsors the and public transportation systems across the countruare participating. In South Florida, four public transitt agencies are partnering together to promotethe day: Broward Countu Transit, Miami-Dade Transit, Palm Tran, and South Florida Regional Transportationb Authority.
“With gas prices increasinhg 33 percentsince December, coupled with uncertainn economic times, people have been looking for ways to save and riding public transportation is a great choice to make,” APTA Presidentg William Millar said in a news release. In the average price for a gallonh of regularis $2.69. In Southg Florida, West Palm Beach has the highest price at followed by Miamiat $2.76, and Fort Lauderdale at $2.74r a gallon, according to AAA's fuel gauge Last year 10.7 billion trips were takej on public transportation in the United States. This was a 52-yeaf high, marking a modern ridership according tothe APTA.
Public transportation use is up 38 percen t since1995 – almost triple the growth rate of the populatiojn (14 percent). Nationally, nearly 2.6 billion trips were taken on public transportation in the firsyt quarter ofthis year. With local and state revenue for public transportatiohn drying up due to the many public transportation systems are beint forced to raise fares orcut services, Milla r noted. In South Florida Tri-Railp officials have been warning that service may be cut approximatel y in half if the statde fails to establish dedicated fundingby Oct. 1. The threag to service comes after Tri-Rail set a recorc year for ridership growthin 2008.
“Raising fares and cutting service drives people away from using publif transit andis counterproductive, as America struggless to create jobs, cut greenhouse gases, and reduce our relianced on expensive foreign oil,” Millar Just last week, South Florida’s congressional delegation sent a letted to the asking for dedicated fundin for Tri-Rail to secure its long-term survival.

Community foundation awarded $300K to promote health and wellness - Wichita Business Journal:

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Strategies for the "Nutrition and Physicao ActivityExpansion Project" will be coordinated througn the 4-year-old Health and Wellness Coalition of Wichita, which boasts more than 40 members ranging from area corporation to nonprofit organizations. Mim Wilkety of the will lead the project and the Wichit a Community Foundation will act as thefiscal agent. "Thiws provides a great opportunity to formulate the next step in promoting and providing physical activityu and good nutrition opportunities toour community," Wilkeyt said in a written "This work will not be a one-time but a leveraging point for our health.
" First-yeafr activities include community gatherings, focuss groups and meetings of health coalition partners to discussd Wichita-specific survey strategies and outreach to communitg groups representing diverse neighborhoods and constituencies. Grants totaling $172,585 will be competitively awarde d in years two and three of the projecf in pursuit of local policies designed to increased physical activity and good nutrition leadingf to the healthylifestyle goal.

Colliers adds to Nashville management team - San Francisco Business Times:

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“Creighton brings more than 12 years of experience in the commercia real estate industryto Colliers,” says Doug Brandon, managing principal for Nashville office. “We are thrille to have him on our team.” Wright’s responsibilitiesa will include the management of largre institutionally owned health andmedical facilities, as well as the growtgh of the business line. Until March of this Wright was vice presidentof mixed-use development for Southern Land Co., where he was responsibld for the development of select real estate projects. Southerh Land underwent a shift in executivw team makeup earlierthis year.
The Franklin-basedr development company announced the appointments of Brianb Sewell as president and Chrixs Bove as CEO inearly February. Southern Land is the developetr of the Williamson County residentiaolprojects Westhaven, LaurelBrooke and McEwen. The company also has projectws inthe Dallas/Fort Houston and Austin, Texas, markets.

Isolagen bankruptcy moves forward - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle):

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Isolagen Inc. (AMEX:ILE), an Pa., biotechnology company developing a cellulat therapy to treat wrinkles and otherskin conditions, filed for reorganizatioh under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptch Code last week. The company and its Isolagen Technologies, intend to continuer to manage and operatr their business as debtors in Under the courtapproved financing, Isolagen is borrowingy $2.75 million from a groupl of undisclosed lenders. The proceedds will be used to provide the company with workinf capital for general corporat purposes and for expenses associated with thebankruptcy proceeding.
In connectionh with the initialbankruptcy filing, Isolage has entered into a restructuring agreement with a largd majority of the holders of the company’sz 3.5 percent convertible subordinated notes, issuedf in November 2004; the holders of about $500,009 of secured notes issued in April 2009; and the agent for the debtor-in-possession lenders. A hearing on final approval of the financingv proposal will be held onJuly 6.

GM files for bankruptcy, plans to transfer operations to Wentzville - The Business Review (Albany):

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Some operations and equipment from a steel stampinvg plant inGrand Rapids, Mich., which is slatedd to close as part of the automaker's will be transferred to Wentzville, according to Bob a spokesman for the Wentzville plant. It'ws not yet known how many, if any, Michigahn employees will opt to transfer to he said. GM officials called Wentzvillre Mayor Paul Lambi at9 a.m. Monday to assure him the local plant wouldremain open. "It's good that they are shippinfg in work forthis plant," Lambi "That's a positive that corporated thinks this plant will be around.
" Still, Lambii said, rival automaker Chrysler plans to shutter its Fentonb factors after investing $130 million in them, so it was importantt for Wentzville to not rely on GM so much and diversifty its revenue stream. When Lambi took office seven yeards ago, Wentzville counted on GM for about 55 to 60 percenyt of itstotal revenue. Today, that's more like 15 percenty of the city's $24 million generak fund, because GM pays the city abougt $3 million a year in real estate taxes, property taxez and other fees, he said.
GM on Mondau by the end of 2010, but the Wentzville planr was sparedbecause it’s the only plan where Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vans are The Wentzville plant will still undergo a previouslyu announced and other production cuts in June and July that will resuly in the layoffs of 300 workers. Monday’s Chapterf 11 filing by the 101-year-old automaker is amongy the largestin U.S. history and largest-ever U.S. manufacturin g bankruptcy. GM listed $173 billion in liabilities and $82 billiojn in assets, according to the files in New York. GM to St.
Louis’ largesg privately held company, Enterprise Rent-a-Car, and to Chapterr 11, which allows the company to operate whilee protected fromits creditors, pusheds GM into a fast-track bankruptcy and provides $30 billion of additional taxpayer funds to restructure. The GM plan as detailed by U.S. officialxs would allow a much smalle GM to emerge from court protectio n within 60 to90 days. The automaker has not provided an updated target for job cuts but was lookinfg toeliminate 21,000 U.S. factory jobs from the 54,00 0 union members it now employs. General Motors employs 92,000p in the United Statezs and is indirectly responsiblefor 500,000 retirees. The U.S.
government wouldx hold a 60 percentg financial interest in areorganized GM, and the UAW woulcd take a 17.5 percent The governments of Canadsa and the province of Ontario have agreeds to a 12 percen ownership stake in exchange for financial aid. GM bondholders would get 10 "It’s a bittersweet thing," Wheeler said. "Yo hate to have to go throughn the process of closing plants andeliminating jobs, but look that’s what's going on with a lot of Hopefully we can rebound, hire peoplr in the future and be the vibrant companyt we once were.
" Download a copy of the

Oprah shines at honorary Oscars gala - Los Angeles Times

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Daily Mail

Oprah shines at honorary Oscars gala Los Angeles Times The costume almost certainly was meant in part as a tribute to Jones, who received an honorary Academy Award for his six decades in film. But the getup also helped bolster the gener »

Lotter domestic, Naidoo 'in cahoots' - News24

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Times LIVE

Lotter domestic, Naidoo 'in cahoots' News24 Now R121.95 Durban - Double murder accused Mathew Naidoo worked in cahoots with the Lotter family's domestic worker, the KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Durban heard on Thursday. One of his co-accused, Nicolette Lotter, testified she strongly believed ... Naidoo, Lotter domest ic 'in cahoots' Times LIVE  »

SoftBrands sold for $80M; Golden Gate Capital is buyer - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:

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The buyer, a holding company created by private-equity firm and its portfolii company , will pay 92 cents per share for SoftBrands. Shares of SoftBrands closedd at 47 cents per shareon Thursday. On the same date in SoftBrands’ stock closed at 1.09 per share. San Francisco, Calif.-based Golde Gate Capital has about $9 billion in assets undedr management. Infor, based in Alpharetta, Ga., is a softwars company with about 9,000 employees and $2.2 billion in revenue.
Minneapolis-based SoftBrands (AMEX: SBN) sellss software to the hospitality industry, as well as to small and mid-sized manufacturers under the Its products handle tasks such as making reservationse to setting room SoftBrands CEO Randy Tofteland said in a press statement that the deal will allow shareholdersto “realize significant valu e from their investment.” He also said the company would benefit from an “alliance” with Infor. A spokeswoman for Infor said SoftBrandxs will continue to have a presencin Minneapolis, though it has yet to be determinef how many employees will remain here.
SoftBrands’ boare has already approved the which is expected to close in between 60 and90

Kauai, Big Isle hotels hurting - Pacific Business News (Honolulu):

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For the week ending May 30, Kauai occupancy droppex 10.5 percentage points to 59.8 while Big Island occupancy plungef 15 percentage pointsto 51.9 As compared with the same week in room rates on both islands were down as well Kauai rates fell 12.3 percentg to average $176 a while Big Island rates were off 8.6 percent to average • Oahu occupancy slipped 1 percentagd point to 70.2 percent, whil rates decreased 12.1 percent to and • Maui occupancy incher 0.8 percentage points downward to 63.6 percent, whiled room rates plummeted 17.2 percent to Statewide hotel occupancy declined 3.9 percentage pointws to 64.9 percent, while room rates slumpeds 13 percent to $166.
Nationwide hoteol occupancy dipped 5.9 percentage points to 51.6 while room rates fell 9.6 percent to average $93. The weeklh Hawaii hotel industry snapshot is surveyed byand .

Garage Ventures adds personnel in ongoing hunt for big hit - Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal:

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"The market is coming back, the entrepreneurs are coming the opportunitiesare growing," says managing directot Bill Reichert. "We've got a lot of momentumj and we wanted to bolster the as well as buildout Garage." Palo Alto-based Garages started as an investment bank in raising nearly $400 million for It was founded by three partnersd including Guy Kawasaki, a former Applde executive and author of books on entrepreneurship. The firm earned name recognition byhosting well-attended events and conferenceas for entrepreneurs.
In 2002, following the Garage changed its businessz model to direct investing as aventure firm, but it wasn'tr until 2006 that it was able to convert some legacyh assets from the investment bank over to the ventur e fund. That freed up about $5 millionh more in capital to be Now Garage has addedJoyce Chung, a foundinvg partner of Cardinal Venture Capital, as managin director, and Henry Wong, co founder of Diamond Technologty Ventures, as a venture partner, to capitalize on what it sees as opportunitiezs in the early stage "It's really become a little bit of a gap in the says Chung.
"A lot of existing fundz are moving a little bit upstrean to later stage orlarger rounds, which by definitiob aren't addressing the seed stag e specifically. I felt like there was an opportunity to really fill a void in the markey and work with entrepreneurs really earlty in the process and focus onemerging tech, whichb is pretty broad." The firm's firsyt $20 million fund raised in 2002, Garage California Entrepreneursd Fund, is not fully But so far it has dealt CalPERS, the stat pension fund required to publis its investing data, a 9.3 percent internalp rate of return on its $10 millioh investment.
That was before the firm's portfolio company, information-sharingy site Kaboodle, was sold to the Hearsgt Corporation. "It was a nice return, not a home run, but it was validatiomn of our model," Reichery says, declining to divulge the return on investmentg orsale price. Some reportsz indicated Hearst paidbetween $30 million and $40 Garage has taken some recent hits in the blogosphere and on for not bein able to land any home run dealse -- usually characterized by a return of 10 timew or more on investment. Kawasaki also was recently quotexd as saying venture investingv wasa "crap shoot.
" But Reichert says the firm has a disciplineds approach to investing in earl stage companies with untested entrepreneurs in untestedx markets. The point Kawasaki was trying to make was thatGaragd isn't looking to invest in Web 2.0 companies, which it views as a markeft that is way too crowdesd and could be a potential bubbl e waiting to burst. "We decided we're not goinf to chase popular, faddish Web 2.0 deals," Reichert "We don't want to fund the much less the130th video-mobile-social-ad-dating-matching site." Instead the firm has wide-ranginf investments in some offbeat companies like D.
litw Designs, which makes a lantern that is more energ efficient and cheaper than kerosene for populations withoutr access to consistent It has also invested in companiesa ranging from renewable fuels producers to a jobs databas and search engine to a servicew that prepares visas and a Web site citizenshi applications. Whether that approachu will pay off long term is but it was attractive to Chung who spent most of her investing career dealingin software, at companies like and then at Garage's broad net-casting approach will alloww her to dabble in other industries including clean tech, she says.
With only $25 million to Chung says she'll adjust her personal investment strategies, look at differentr types of deals and differen t typesof entrepreneurs. Chunt says the firm mitigates risk by working extensivelgy with companies before investingin them.

Some mall tenants seeking rent reductions - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:

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A handful of mall stores closed afterf Christmas and a few others are seeking lowedlease rates, mall managers said. Perhapws more ominously, mall executives know that more national chains and some localk tenants will close some or all of theid stores in the coming months as a result of theeconomicv downturn. Stores suffered a soft holiday season and national retailersz are facing pressure on their finances that will causee some closings and limiy openings atnew locations. “We’re vulnerable to retailersz closing a chain or closing a number of their saidChris Jaeger, general manager of Bayshord Town Center in Glendale.
Bayshore and its corporate parent, of Columbus, are working with individual tenants “to get them throughh a rough patch,” Jaeger said. No storesa have said they are closing as of this but what about one monthfrom now? “I don’ty know,” Jaeger said. “It’s day to day. It’as an unknown.” Retailers are clearlyy takinga wait-and-see approach to eithe maintaining existing stores or opening new ones, mall managers and retaipl experts said. Southridge Mall in Greendale lostLinens ’j Things and Steve & Barry’s to bankruptcu in 2008, effectively vacating the southu end of the mall.
Southridge owner of Indianapolis was discussinyg the space with prospective tenants earlieerin 2008, but those talkes ended when the recession took hold, said villagew president John Hermes. “Nobody knows what they’rs going to do in the next two Hermes said. A spokesman for Simon Property Group declineds to comment because the company was in a quief period beforethe Jan. 30 releasd of its quarterly financial results. A KB Toys store at Southridgwe is closing and the mall also has a which is a chain thatis downsizing. Other nationaol chains that are closing stores includeFamous Footwear, Lane Bryant, Ann Taylor Talbots and Old Navy.
None of those chains have announcexd closings inmetropolitan Milwaukee. The , New York said 6,913 stores closed in which was more than any other year since it startexd tracking closingsin 2001. The council predictws thousands more stores will closethis year. The leasinb picture for malls will worsenhthis year, said Dave Brennan, co-directo of the at the in St. Minn. Brennan said vacancy rates will increas e significantly and shopping centers will have to take lower rents and probablt some temporary and nontraditional tenants tofill “I think we’ll see storw closings after February when a lot of leasea expire,” Brennan said.
Mayfair Mall general managerd Steve Smith said a few tenants have soughtg rent reductions but he has yet tograntt any. Months before the holidays, the Wauwatosa mall lost its Sharper Imaged and Whitehall Jewelers storesto bankruptcy. Two more Mayfaidr stores closedafter Christmas: the Lang Store and Club Libby Lu, whichb was a girls’ party Mayfair has already signed a replacement tenanyt for the Whitehall Jewelers space: Swarovski, a crystakl store that’s opening in Smith said some retailers still want to get into Mayfair, whichg has the metropolitan area’s most enviable collectionj of stores.
Mayfair and its owner, of Chicago, are takinhg the opportunity to select new tenants that provide thebest long-termk merchandising and branding profils for the mall, Smith said. Still, Smitu said retailers are being more cautiouasbefore expanding. “Retailers are clearly more selective withwhere they’rwe going,” he said. “They don’t want to take any chances.”

Organize - Sacramento Business Journal:

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Take, for example, the decision this month by the owner of to shut the El DoradioHills company's doors after 64 yearzs in business. Cecil Wetsel was negotiating an assegt salewith , but the sawmil will almost certainly close forever, putting 120 employeews out of work. Wetsel probablgy felt like the short, bespectacled kid at a dodge-ball game by the end, with projectile s coming in from ever point ofthe compass.
Despite recored demand for lumber, the business was beset by declininb revenue, amid strong foreign competition, and by increaser costs -- for everythingt from natural gasand electricity, to meeting environmentakl regulations, to paying for workers' compensation That last factor was likely the finao straw; Wetsel-Oviatt's workers' comp tab doubled in the past year, to $1.7 As we reported in June, union laborers at the company vote to help it stay afloat and cover the insurance hike by denying themselves a 3 percent raise that they had negotiater as part of their contract.
When labofr and management are on the same side anda 64-year-oldf business still goes something is seriously wrong. In some ways, Wetsel-Oviattr could be the posterf child forunintended consequences. It fell victimj to a lot of things that seemefd like pretty good ideazs atthe time. Environmental rules, intended to preserve or conservwnatural resources, that have become legal thickets and pushed unsightl y but vital industries to other states or countries. Free tradse rules that open the doorfor low-priced importes but don't protect domestic businesses from unfaier competition. Changes in workers' comp that fueled but eventually led to rate s belowthe break-even point.
As losses piled up, ratee soared in an inefficientand boondoggle-plaguee system that now is amony the nation's most expensive but still provides bottom-tierd benefits. Labor is often the target of accusations by businesx owners that the bills it supportsare "job killers," but some of the factors that killed Wetsel-Oviatt can't be laid at labor'sd door. They are, of crucial interest to both workers and Ifbusinesses die, so do Wetsel-Oviatt's workers did what they could to preserve its economicc engine, but failed.
Given the confluence of current threats to the healtbof California's businesses, the time has come for an organizer effort by labor leaders to identify the issue s on which they can agree with business owners and bring their formidable combined lobbying power to bear. With the recall circuds in full swing, a united fronf may be the only way to get theiremessage heard.

Clinton Memorial mulls tough decisions - San Antonio Business Journal:

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The time has come “to make some strategic and operationa ltough decisions,” CEO Andy Riddell wrot e in an employee newsletter distributed Friday. the hospital is $211,000 in the red. Charity care has It was $2.1 million year-to-date as of April 30, compared with $1.6 millio at the same time last Each serviceline manager, Riddell will make a presentation to the hospital’s operations team “tio justify the future existence of the service “For about 12 months, we have been riding the wave of uncertainty, not knowing how or when the air park business decline would really kick in,” he said.
“Tpo be quite honest, I’v considered (the hospital) fairly luckyu in that the impacg hasn’t hit us sooner.” The hospitakl is pursuing a merger or partnership with a largerhospitapl organization. But, Riddell wrote, “Affiliation or no affiliation, thess changes must be made to justify our future There isn’t a white knightf to ride in and save Hospital business from air park employees was accounting for between $600,00p and $700,000 a month at the beginning of the In April it was down to little more than Package-carrier and local partner are layingv off about 8,000 people in Clinton Memorial has discussed affiliation options with and .
“Unfortunately, we have to work on the timetable of thepotentialk partners,” he said. “Ift is an uncertain financial environmenft andthe ‘due diligence’ to identify any leve l of risks on their part is at an all-timwe high.” Two other troubled hospitals in Greater Cincinnati are lookin for help from a larger hospitakl operator. Deaconess and Brown County Generalk hospitals are looking for organization s to merge with orbuy them.

Md. colleges given $11M to combat nursing shortage - Los Angeles Business from bizjournals:

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The grants, being divvied among 17 Marylandnursing schools, will be used to lure faculty and and improve technology at the universities. Maryland’s nursin g shortage is expected toreachg 10,000 by 2016, according to the . The current vacancy rate of nurses at statde hospitals is8 percent. The economic downturn has helpeed the industry because many retired nurses have come backto work, but once the recessioh ends the shortage will worsen, said Carmela Coyle, CEO of the Marylansd Hospital Association. The first round of grantw will increase the number of nurse s graduating by 300 students and add 20 faculty positionws at nursing programs acrosdthe state.
“The number of nurses graduating from Marylandf schools are simplynot enough,” said Ronald B. Peterson, president of and co-chaie of the “Who Will Care?” campaign at a press conferencee Monday. “We cannot take our eye off thenursingv demand.” The campaign’s goal is to add 1,500 new nursinyg students. The program has raised $15.54 million to date through the state’xs business community, including funds from the Baltimorew constructionform , , the region's largesf hospital system, and , the region'e largest health insurer. Greater Baltimore Medica Center, for example, gave $500,000.
The goal is to raisw $20 million from the private sector by the end of the and then raise anaddition $40 milliom in state, local and federal funds. • • • • • ; and, • .

Mighty wind - Boston Business Journal:

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As Jim Gordon and Cape Wind have been enmesherd in an endless regulatory battle to builcda large-scale wind farm in Nantucket Sound, there’sw been a side story across the state. Smaller wind developer have hit regulatory turbulenceas well, small-timed versions of the nimbyism that has slowed Cape Wind. Developera easily have gotten caught inregulatorhy cobwebs, especially on the local By establishing regional wind siting boards, the proposal would streamline the permitting process for Thus, the Hoosac Wind project, whicj has been bogged down for eight yearse in permitting, might be generating power by now. The state has a goal of generatinbg 2,000 megawatts of wind power by 2020.
If this bill goes it will at leasft have afighting chance.

Matrixx must refile Zicam application; stock plummets 70 percent - Triangle Business Journal:

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The news sent sharese plummeting nearly 70 percentor $13.4t cents per share to close at $5.77 Tuesday. Matrixx must file a new applicatiob with the FDA for its Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Gel and Zicam Cold RemedytGel Swab. The FDA said thosr products must contain warnings of the risk of possible which is lossof smell, said Siobhan DeLancey, spokeswoman for the FDA. “Thety are to stop marketing the products,” she “They have to provide us with a plan forinventory that’s already out there. If they want to continue marketinghthis product, they need to bring us a new drug applicatio n with studies and data to provde safety and efficacy.
” Matrixx officials did not return telephone but in an announcement said: “The companyy believes the FDA action is unwarranted and is in the proces of determining its response, whichb may include removing these productse from the marketplace,” the statement said. “These productsd constituted approximately 40 percent ofthe company’ s net sales in 2009.” DeLancey said the FDA does not have the authorituy to tell companies to recall their products. “Alk recalls are voluntary by the company,” she said. we tell the company we have a concern and they usuallhy work with us and do avoluntary recall.
” Matrixx’zs stock (Nasdaq:MTXX) closed at $5.78 on June 16. That set a new low for the company’a 52-week range, which had been trading near the $19.74 For the fiscal year endedsMarch 31, Matrixx reported $13.8 millionb in net income on $112 million in net up from $10.4 million in net incomee on $101 million in net sales a year ago.

FBI's Rape Definition for Crime Statistics Should Be Broader, Advisers Say - Bloomberg

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FBI's Rape Definition for Crime Statistics Should Be Broader, Advisers Say Bloomberg The current definition includes only vaginal intercourse. If adopted, the new definition would more closely align the FBI's statistics with states' definitions of rape, said Carol Tracy, executive director of the Philadelphia-based Women's Law Project, ... and more »

Established area attracts tenants - Sydney Morning Herald

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Sydney Morning Herald

Established area attracts tenants Sydney Morning Herald Prime warehouses with office space, such as Preston Industrial, has been attracting blue-chip tenants. A BIG volume of industrial and commercial tenancies has been completed in the Dandenong industrial precinct. Crabtrees Real Estate agent Tony Aminian ... and more »

Crescent Resources files Chapter 11 - San Francisco Business Times:

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The Charlotte-based development firm’s chief executive, Arthu Fields, has retired and will work with Crescentt in anadvisory capacity, the company says. Andrew Crescent’s chief restructuring officer, has been named CEO. “Wer have been in active discussions with our lenderzs and other stakeholders as we work towards an agreement that will bring our capital structure in line with the curren teconomic environment,” Hede says. Crescent has more than 5,000 according to its filing. Its assets are estimated at morethan $1 The local projects listed in the Chapter 11 filintg include Piedmont Row and The Sanctuary at Lake Wylie.
Crescent says it intendss to operate its continuinb businesses without any significant interruption during therestructuring process. The compan y says that’s possible because of a recentlyobtained debtor-in-possessiobn financing facility of $110 million from a group of its existingf lenders. As part of the Chaptet 11 filing, Crescent says it seeks court approval “to make certaib payments and to maintain key agreementswith employees, vendors and partners of continuing operations to ensure the compan y can maintain its commitment to delivering a high level of amenitie and services.
” Crescent says the filing is necessary to reorganizse its finances, reduce its debt levell and improve its capitakl structure. “We intend to reach an agreement on our new capital structure and emerge from bankruptcy Hede says. The Chapter 11 petitions were file inthe U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Western District of Austin division. The company has 120 days from the filin g date to submit areorganizatiomn plan. A hot line has been set up as part of the Crescenty restructuringat (877) Attorney Eric Taube of LLP in Austin, Texas, will represeny Crescent in the proceedings. (NYSE:BAC), , Ranger Construction Co.
, and are amonbg Crescent’s largest unsecured creditors in Charlotte. In the Charlotte Business Journal reported that Crescenty had adopted an aggressive new business strategy driven bya $1.2 billiomn term loan that must be paid in full by Septemberf 2012 — selling assets at fire-sale prices. In Crescent sold 4,500 acresx in Berkeley County, S.C., to for $40 million. In December, the companh sold a Florida apartment projectfor $11.35 less than half the $27 million it paid for the comple x three years earlier. This year, the firm has closer on the sale ofa 773-acre tract of land in Oconere County, S.C., for just over $10 million. Crescent recently sold 18.
4 acres in Fort Mill to a warehousinh companyfor $1.6 million. The companyu — jointly owned by and — is best knowhn here for high-end real estate communities such as The Peninsulza and BallantyneCountry Club. Before the Chapter 11 filing, Crescenf faced payments of $50 million by the end of this $75 million in 2010 and $100 millionn in 2011 on its Duke (NYSE:DUK) formed Crescent in 1969 to develop propertuy it acquired through its core utility businesxs thatit didn’t need for powerf generation. In September 2006, Duke entered into a joinrt venture with Morgan StanleyReal Estate.
Morgamn paid Duke $415 million in cash and assumefd $656 million in debt for its stakre inthe company, then worth $2.1 billion. As part of the transactiomn Crescentborrowed $1.2 billionm and distributed the proceed s to Duke to transfer the debt off Duke’sa balance sheet. Duke and Morganh Stanley each have a 49 percent stakerin Crescent. The remaining 2 percen t interest inCrescent — which would have been worthh $42 million when the deal closed was issued to former CEO The disposition of that interest will be determined through the reorganization proceedings, accordinb to a spokesman for Crescent.
Duke no longer reportds Crescent’s financial results, but its own filings, and those from Morgan Stanley, shed light on Crescent’s financial For 2008, Crescent lost about $470 of which Duke sufferedf about $230 million in according to filings. In the first quarter of this Crescent cost Duke and Morgan Stanlehabout $150 million in direc t losses and loan The energy company has guaranteed abou t $100 million in surety bonds for Crescent, for which it has paid out at leasrt $33 million.
Duke pegs its tota exposure atabout $40 million for the Crescent is active in commercial and residential real estatde development and land management across the Southeast and Southwest, with interestas in 10 states. Crescent’s portfolio includes mixed-usw developments, business and industrial country-club communities, single-family neighborhoods and apartment and condo In thelate 1980s, Crescenft expanded into developments such as The its first country-club community and Coliseum Centre, its firsr office park. The companyg developed Sugarloaf Country Club near Atlanta inthe mid-1990s.
Developmentsw that followed include Ballantyne and The Crescent also expandedinto Texas, Arizon and Florida. Last year, Crescent introduced its Circl e apartment communities and is developing two of them in theCharlotted region. The company has 38 residentiap communities under development inthe Carolinas, Georgia, Florida and Arizona, and is currently building 1,20 apartment units. It also owns 75,0090 acres of land. Crescent has 264 employees.

Human Capital: People on the move, Apr. 30 - Boston Business Journal:

http://www.efkoli.com/0/posts/3-Dating/6-M-W/
taps trio of execs to fill operations, marketing and salesw posts Virtify Inc. , a Cambridge-basedd provider of enterprise content compliance software productsz forlife sciences, added Stephen Bergsonn as executive vice president of commercial Bergson is a former and Capgemini executive. Virtif y also added Dwight Galler as seniot director of marketing and Michael Engro as regional directorof sales. Pechinksy joina CHA Malden Family Medicine Centerr added Geoffrey Pechinksy to the staff of the CHA Malden Family MedicineCenter . He previouslyy oversaw primary care services atthe U.S. Naval Hospitalk in Rota, Spain.

Amelia Lily likens cruel X Factor exit to 'having your heart ripped out' - Metro

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Metro

Amelia Lily likens cruel X Factor exit to 'having your heart ripped out' Metro Amelia's mother Aranka Oliver said: 'What's happened is so cruel, it's disgusting. We are very upset by it  »

Commercial Real Estate Week - Orlando Business Journal:

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Lured by incentives from the counthand state, Capital Lighting and Supply, which provides electrical products and lighting in the mid-Atlanti region, will move its corporate office from Alexandria to a 200,000-square-foott facility at Eastgate Business near the interchange of Pennsylvania Avenue and Interstatre 495 not far from . Construction on the which will also serve asthe company's centralo distribution center, will begin soon, with completionm slated for mid-2007. The central distributioh center currently is at Newington inFairfaxd County.
The company has 95 employees there and about 40 in Many of those are expected to stay withCapitao Lighting, which has plans to create 95 additionaol jobs. The company scouted locationx throughout Marylandand Virginia. "We were very aggressivs in working with them to identify saysKwasi Holman, CEO of the Prince George'ds County Economic Development Corp. "We have available land and excellent Capital Lightingand Supply, which has 20 branchesx throughout Maryland and Virginia, expects to add six to eigh t more branches in Maryland over the next five years, according to Prince George'z officials.
"The economic expansion that is taking plac in the county creates an excellent climate forour long-terjm goals and growth," CEO John Hardt says in a statement. Capital Lighting joina other companies moving toPrince George'w for its sizable labor reasonable real estate prices and other amenities, regional economists say. "oI think the world is moving in aPrince George'se County kind of way," says Anirbamn Basu, chairman and CEO of Baltimore-baseds Sage Policy Group, an economicc consulting firm. Hillside Holdings to build $8.
5M retai l center near Quantico baseA Reston-based developer is adding retail to a growing commercial park near the Quantico base in Princr William County. Hillside Holdingas will developa five-building, 27,500-square-foot retail project in the Quanticoi Center complex at the juncture of Routre 234 and Interstate 95 in Dumfries. The $8.5 millioh project will include stand-alone pad sites for a restaurantand bank, along with a collection of smalled users in the other buildings, says Mark Larsen, a partnet in the project with Rob Seidel and Dariio Davies.
No tenants have been signed, but Larsenj says he has several prospects for the bank andrestauranf sites, which are in high demand becauswe of the government contractors flowing toward Quantico's fringes. Larsenb hopes to break ground on the site by July and complete the buildingd by the endof 2007. He wouldn't identifg potential tenants but says, "They'll be household The 60-acre Quantico Center complex, developed by D.C.-based Standar d Development, is anchored by a pair of 52,000-square-foot office buildings.
One buildin already houses divisions of government contractorsand California-basedd , and the shell of the second building is ready for interio fitting for tenants, says Jay president of Quantico Center's Manassas-based . Norman Realtyu has a letter of intent from an unidentified tenantrfor "a substantial portion" of the second Norman says. The tenant is a defense contractor, he declining to identify the Elsewhere atQuantico Center, a 107-room is expected to open in earlhy 2007, and Reston-based Jonas B. Cooks Interests is close to finishing threed speculative office buildings with a totalof 51,600 squaree feet at the development.
Standard Developmenyt recently acquired a parcel that neighborzQuantico Center, and the developer is planning a 100,000-square-foot officde building there, Norman says. Spaulding & Slye, Bozzuto finalizew plans for Metro Plaza in Wheaton have completed theire plans to build Metro Plazaq atWheaton Square, a mixed-use developmentf in downtown Wheaton. The on a 3-acre site at the southwestf corner of Georgia Avenue and Reedle Drivwe adjacent to theMetrpo station, is tentatively slated to have a 500,000-square-foot offices tower with street-level The developers are looking for build-to-suit tenants, says Art Frye, seniodr vice president at Spaulding Slye Investments.
The design and construction of the buildingb would depend on theprospective clients' There's no price tag yet for the project.

Dean Foods to relocate corporate office - Nashville Business Journal:

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Dallas-based Dean (NYSE: DF) will relocate from its currenyt location at 2515McKinney Ave. into 240,000 square feet of space inside Cityplace. The move is expecte to take place in the first quarte rof 2010. "We are pleased to be able to relocate our officees within Dallascity limits. Many factors workedc in our favor, including the real estate market, spacw availability and other economicd elements," said Gregg Engles, chairman of the boarsd and chief executive officer ofDean "The City of Dallas is our home, and we are pleaseed to remain here and continue our many civiv and community partnerships.
" Dean said in a statement it is movinvg because the company has outgrown its curreny workspace, and new space is needed to address the company’ s changing needs. The lease will take occupancty at Cityplace to about 80 percent from about 60perceny now, said Sarah Payne, vice president at Stream Realty Partners, whichg handles leasing in the building. Employees will begi moving in December and the move will be phasedr inthrough March, Payne said. "Thiws was a huge win for the City of Dallasx to keep them in the because they lookedall over," Payne said.
She said Dean Foodsd considered existing spaceand build-to-suits in the Legacy/Friscok area, as well as othert buildings downtown. Brokers familiar with the search said Dean Foodes considered Fountain Place and Bank of America Plazs among other downtown buildings with significant squarerfootage available. The asking lease rate for space in Cityplaceis $24 per square foot, plus Dean Foods will occupy floors 34 through 40 in the 1.2-million-square-foot building. Dean Foods occupies about 150,000 square feet at its currenrt location.

Minn. ballot question donors face state regulation - BusinessWeek

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Minn. ballot question donors face state regulation BusinessWeek The state's Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board approved a new "statement of guidance" on political spending for ballot measures that identifies some instances in which private donations to national groups trying to influence Minnesota ballot ... and more »

Google Takes Page From Sunday Newspaper With New 'Circulars' Ads - Bloomberg

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Search Engine Land

Google Takes Page From Sunday Newspaper With New 'Circulars' Ads Bloomberg The online-search giant is working with advertisers such as Best Buy Co. and Macy's Inc. (M) to create Web-based circulars, similar to the ad inserts included in newspapers. ... Google takes page from newspaper for circular ads San Francisco Chronicle Google Launching Interactive, Newspaper-esque Ads PC Magazine Google works with Best Buy on 'circular' ads Bizjournals.com Search Engine Land  »

Pandora sings for web radio advertisers - San Francisco Business Times:

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Its service also lays the groundwor for fresh marketing initiatives that coulsdbenefit non-mainstream musicians, said Tim founder and chief strategy officer. Some 85 percent of advertisere are doing repeat businesswith Pandora, which recently predictedc that it could be profitable next year. This year’ s revenues are projected to double toabouf $40 million, Westergren said. The service has 27 milliob registered users, 10 million active a month, and is addingf 50,000 to 60,000 a day.
“We’re the biggest radii in almost everymarket already, and we’re doubling in size annually, so we’vwe been hiring fast and furiously to build up locapl ad salespeople,” Westergren said. Pandorza can target ads by demographics, genre, artisty and ZIP code. It can guarantee a specifix number of ad impressions because it deliverds the impressions only when a user has just takenban action, such as giving a thumbs-up to approvs a song choice.
The company this monthg began offeringan ad-free premium service for $36 a Santa Barbara-based home music system manufacturer ran a 30-day ad campaign targeting exclusivelyh IPhone users from mid-March to mid-April on and found the click-through rate to be “Far and away, it was the most successful campaig we’ve ever conducted,” said Sonos spokesmanj Thomas Meyer. Westergren said he decided to makehis company’s revenure public because advertisers had repeatedly questioned the company’sd health. Pandora has 135 employees, 30 of them hired last a dozen this and another dozen expected to be addede by the endof 2009.
Most employees are in the Oaklandd headquarters, and the company has officed inNew York, Los Angeles, Detroit and Boston. One reason Westergren feelz so optimistic is thata two-year battle with record companiees and artists over how much Internet radio services shoule pay in royalties may be , which collects royaltieas for copyright owners and is negotiating for the recorc labels, announced “a potential agreement” with Also, Pandora has been rapidly adoptef by IPhone and Blackberry users 5 million in 11 months, about 1 million afterd two months respectively.
Now that Pandorq is solid, Westergren wants to develop tools tohelp non-mainstream musicians get For example, Pandora’s user preference data can be plotted on a map for an artis t to decide where to Pandora could also send emails to fans alerting them to an upcomingf show and offering tickets or merchandiswe for sale. Seventy percent of the 650,000 songs in Pandora’s libraryu are from artists not signexd to arecord label, he said.
“We give access and promotion to this huge sea of reallhy talented but otherwiseinvisible artists,” Westergren

GM files bankruptcy - Pittsburgh Business Times:

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billion and assets of $82.3 billion. The bankruptcy, fileds in New York, listsw unsecured claims by the ($20.6 billion) and the Internationalo Union of Electronic, Electrical, Salaried, Machine and Furniture Workers/Communication Workers ($2.7 billion). Other unsecured debt listefd in the filingincludes $22.8 billion serviced by and $4.5 billiomn by . Boca Raton-based has a claim for $4.75 according to the petition, filed with the U.S. Bankruptcyy Court of the Southern District of New Auto retailers that survive the bankruptcies of GM and which filedin April, hope it helps to pave the way to recoveruy in the industry.
“Today’s action will allow GM to move forwarxd and be competitive inthe marketplace,” spokesman Marc Cannon said Mondayt in an e-mailed statement. “The goal of makinfg GM profitable ata 10-million, new-unirt selling rate will position them for when the industry begins to recover later in 2010.” Fort Lauderdale-based AutoNation, the nation'ss largest auto retailer, has six GM franchisez and seven Chrysler franchises on the automakers’ closurr lists.
Although viewed as inevitables and necessaryby many, Chairman John McEleney said in a news releasde that the filing marks “a historically sad day for American Chrysler is expected to emerge from its Chapter 11 process soon afte r shuttering 789 dealerships. GM also announcefd plans to close 1,100 dealerships. GM announced Aprik 27 that it anticipates reducingits U.S. dealer couny from 6,246 to 3,605 by the end of 2010. Dealershipo closings already have started. According to Associatexd Press, GM will rely on more government $30 billion of additional financial assistanc from theand $9.5 billion from Canada, on top of about $20 billion it already received in low-interestt loans.
GM’s lead bankruptcy law firm is WeilGotshaaw & Manges, with attornety Stephen Karotkin signing the filing. In a news release, the automaketr said it would focus on the following priorities when emergintgfrom bankruptcy: Focus on four core brands in the U.S. Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC - with fewer nameplates and a more competitivd level of marketing support per Close a competitive gap in activd labor costs compared with foreign auto Increase the percentageof U.S. sales manufactured Feature lower costs ata U.S.
total industry volumr of approximately 10million vehicles, which would be substantially below the 15 milliohn to 17 million annual vehicle salees rates recorded between 1995 and 2007. Achievew lower structural costs, in part, by further reducing 2009 salaried employmentf in North America toapproximately 27,200, from a year-ens total of 35,100, and continue to improve its balancer sheet by reducing retiree benefits for salaried retireesd and non-UAW hourly Increase its investment in fuel economuy and advanced propulsion Click to read the

Roberts backs KU Cancer Center's push for NCI designation - Pacific Business News (Honolulu):

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Roberts, R-Kan., spoke at The ’s Westwood medical building. He said that it now takews 10 years to 17 yearsand $1 billiom to bring a new drug to which Roberts called a “nationaol disgrace.” The National Cancer Institutse said in November that the KU Cancedr Center has a Sept. 25, 2011, application date for its efforts to get aninitial five-year designatio as an NCI cancer center. The months-long applicatioh process for institutions seeking new designations begins with submission of documentatiom that sometimesexceeds 1,000 pages and includes a site visift and other steps. The earliest that KU Cancer Center’s applicatio could be approved is the springof 2012.
Nationwide, 64 cancef centers receive Cancer Center Support Grantsa to support research to reducewthe incidence, morbidity and mortality rates of There are 23 cancer centers and 41 comprehensive cancer The KU Cancer Center is part of , whichg is the medical research and education arm of the University of NCI designation — KU’x No. 1 priority — typically is granted to academicmedical centers. KU Medical Center is the entity that will appluy forNCI designation. • Increasex regional patient accessto cutting-edge clinical trials. • More than $1.3 billio n in annual economic benefits inthe region.
An increase in KU Cancer Center’s annuap NCI financing from thecurrent $7.5 million to abouf $40 million. NCI-affiliated institutions also attract world-class researchers who bring NCI grantszwith them, and part of the estimater increase is based on Many of these researchers double as clinicians, adding expertise and dept h in various cancer-care sub-specialties.

Catch the Wind secures $18.8M - Washington Business Journal:

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million in a private placementt financing to help push more sales of its new wind sensofrfor turbines. Manassas-based Catch the Wind, which trades on the Torontk Venture Exchange, sold roughly 16.7 million sharews at a price ofCanadian $1.30 apiece in what it hopess to be its last major equity financinhg before generating enough revenue from its laser wind-sensint product, Vindicator, to pay for Company officials also participated in the investmentr round, along with institutional investors, bringinv its total equity fundraising to date to nearlt $35 million. , Research Capitaol Corp. and Canaccord Capital Corp.
served as placement agente for this latest fundraising in return for 6 percentf of the gross proceeds and additionalstocm options. Spun off last year from LLC, a fiberr optics laser company that still share s the sameheadquarters space, Catch the Wind has been developinf similar technology that senses when wind is imminent, helpinfg reorient a turbine to capture that wind beford it passes. Most wind turbines can realign its blades only after itfeels wind, so they’re often too late to actuallyg benefit from gusts, company officials said.
“Before, it was the horse-and-buggyt approach to measuring wind,” said Phil who founded Optical Air Data Systems nearly 20 years ago with his wife beforre leaving recently to serve as CEO for Catchthe “Think about increasing the gas mileagre of your car,” he said. “You’ve alreadg bought your car. But if I can sell you somethint that doubles the gas mileagre ofyour car, you would save more He estimates the Vindicator can capturre 10 percent to 30 percentg more wind for turbines, whicuh in turn helps generatwe more clean electricity and ultimately revenue for theid operators.
Catch the Wind recently sold its first unitto , a Canadiab environmental monitoring equipment maker, while startint its first two-month field test with the Nebraska Public Power District on its largesr wind farm with 36 wind The local company, which said it’x also talking to federal hopes to use that trial’s resultw later this summer to market to otherd wind turbine manufacturers and wind farm operators. With six full-times employees, Catch the Wind expects to at least double that count by the end of this The company, which had $5.
5 million in cash and equivalents on hand as of Marc 31, is also considering whether to list itself on an American exchange later this “We aspire to that,” Rogers said. “o just can’t say when.”

Virtual building audit spots energy savings - CNET

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CNET	Virtual building audit spots energy savings CNET Big data meets green buildings: FirstFuel analyzes utility and weather data to generate a profile of energy use and efficiency recommendations without having to inst »

Shasta County Considers Handing Over Animal Control To Haven Humane Society - KHSL

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Shasta County Considers Handing Over Animal Control To Haven Humane Society KHSL After years of looking over all options, Shasta County administrators are recommending the county hand over all animal control services to Haven Humane Society Inc. under a 25-year contract. The new arrangement would include a $2.8 million dollar ... and more »

ARRA

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Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solisd announced the grants at a press conferencee this morning from thein “Emerging green jobs are creatingt opportunities for workers to enter careere that offer good wages and pathwaysa to long-term job growth and prosperity,” said Solis. “Workers receivinvg training through projects funded by thes competitions will be at the forefrony as our nation transforms the way wegeneratd electricity, manufacture products and do businesxs across a wide range of Four of the grant programs are designed to train workera through national, state and community outlets.
$100 millionj will go to the Energy Training Partnership to directlyu train and place workers ingreen $150 million, for the Pathwayw Out of Poverty program, will be speny to provide training programs for “target populations” to help them preparew for and get green jobs. $190 the largest line item in the ARRA green jobs will be spent on State Energy Sectoer Partnershipsand Training. This program will be used to form andimplemenf comprehensive, statewide energy sector strategies. $5 million will be spenyt on training programs toprovide entry-level training for “targeted groups” that will lead to caree pathways in green industries.
The fift h competition grant, for State Labor Market Information Improvement, will fund state work force agenciesto collect, analyze and disseminats labor market information. On her visit, Solis also toured the solat panelproduction facility. She also visited in West Memphis, Ark., and the University Plac public housing siteon

Budget chief seeks wholesale reordering of government priorities - Los Angeles Times

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Boston Globe

Budget chief seeks wholesale reordering of government priorities Los Angeles Times CBO Director Douglas Elmendorf tells the congressional super-committee on deficit reduction that the nation is heading into 'unfamiliar' territory and cannot afford the status quo. Congressional Budget Office Director Douglas W. Elmendorf testifies on ... Debt Panel Opens With Bleak Economic Picture New York Times Wonkbook: The  »

Cincinnati-area firms win Ohio incentives - Nashville Business Journal:

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, a maker of marketing simulation andplannintg software, received $1.1 million from the Innovationb Ohio Loan Fund, at an annual interest rate of 1 percent for the first year and 8 percenft for five years. The Cincinnati-based company will use the loan to develo p a new generation of its Emerging Marketplace software and buycomputer equipment. The $2.2 million project is expectes to create 36 jobs and retain 10 Two local firms also received Job Creation Tax Creditws forexpansion projects. • , a supplietr of labeling systems for thebeverage industry, was awardee a 45 percent tax credit for five yearsz for a $1 millionb expansion project in Mason.
The company expects to use the credit, worth about $52,7090 over its term, to create 25 jobs and retaih 118. • won a 45 percent job for a six-year term, for a $170,000 expansion projecf at its regionaloffice downtown. The credi is valued at about $119,750 over its Advantage expects to create 33 position s andretain 65. The headquartered in Spokane, Wash., provides energy managemeng consulting services.

Swine flu pandemic declared; Colorado cases at 75 - Wichita Business Journal:

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WHO raised its pandemic warnint level for H1N1 fluto six, the highest RESOURCES: See links and informatiob at the end of this report. The declarationb means infections are spreading around the worlr but is not an indication of how seriou thesymptoms are. Many health experts say swinde flu is generally no more or less dangerousz that the usualseasonal flu. The Geneva-basec agency said 27,737 cases of H1N1 flu has been confirmedr in74 nations, causing at least 141 "At this early stage, the pandemidc can be characterized globally as beingg moderate in severity," a WHO statemen t said. It did not call for international travel or trade restrictions orborder closures.
In no deaths from H1N1 flu havebeen reported. In the Unite States, the latest tally from the federalis 13,21u7 confirmed cases nationwide and 27 The only other nations with more than 1,0090 confirmed cases are with 5717; Canada, with 2,446; Chile, with 1,694; and with 1,224, WHO reported. The last declared pandemifc was the Hong Kong flu outbreakof 1968, which killedr about 1 million peopld worldwide, the Associated Press reported. The CDC and othedr health authorities say that thosewith flu-likew symptoms should avoid contact with stay home from work, and seek treatment only if seriouslhy ill.
"It is expected that most peoplre will recover without needingmedical care," the CDC says. Cover your nose and mouth with a tissuwe when you coughor sneeze. Thros the tissue in the trash after youuse it. Wash your hands often with soapand water, especiallh after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleanerxs are also effective. Try to avoid close contact with sick In May, the Denver-based "Upgrade hygiene protocols for both office environments and employees including maintenance of air-conditioning systems and sanitation of common areas such as bathrooms, kitchens, and "Advise employee to stay home if they feel ill.
And to contacr their personal physicians if theyhave flu-likd symptoms. "Review leave policies relatexdto illness. Will pay provisions be relaxed to encourage employees to stay at home if they are potentiallycontagious ? Assure that your policies do not discourage workersx from staying home if they are. "Check and follo w health advisories prior to sending employees on business travel to affectex areas or temporarily suspend travel tothosew areas.
" In the event of a more seriouzs turn in the flu outbreak, the MSEC advisexs these actions: "Identify core activities essentiapl for business continuity and the skills necessary to stay Cross-training of employees may be required. "Explorse how work would continuew if half your workforce is notat work. Absenteeism rates between 20 percent-60 percent could be expectesd during the height ofthe pandemic.
"Provids equipment and support for employees to telecommut if theirjobs 'Social distancing' is a key tactic to limit the spread of the "Encourage flex hours to avoid overcrowding the "Review corporate-wide insurance policies, specifically health, disability, salarhy continuance, business travel and life insurancse related to the pandemic. Communicate policy provisions to employees." Additionall information is availablefrom swine-flu websites established by the , the and the .
The Coloradi Department of Public Healthand Environment's informatiojn line for the swine flu is

Portland-area economy weakens Q1 - Dallas Business Journal:

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percent, an accelerating decline compared tothe 13.5 percent drop in the fourth quartef of 2008. Of the nine indicatorsw included inthe index, six declinedf significantly, said Tim Duy, director of the Oregon Economic Foru m and a UO adjunct assistanft professor, Labor market trends continue to deteriorate. Help-wantexd advertising in The Oregonian fell duringthe quarter, consisten with a decrease in hiring demand. Similarly, initial unemployment claims continuedto rise, reaching a month average of 16,819 claims. Non-farm payrolls continue to fall as under the dual forcess of increased layoffs and slackhiring demand; payroll stand 3.9 percent lower than year-agoo levels.
The expected slowdown in lodging activityh finally came to said Duy,with estimated lodging revenuer (seasonally and inflation adjusted) down 15.4 percenf from the fourth quarter. Passenger traffic at Portland Internationak Airport was effectively unchanged from the previous Housing markets weregenerally weaker. Housing sales were effectivelgy unchanged, while average days-on-market fell, partially offsettinh a particularly sharp rise in the fourtjh quarterof 2008, attributable to the intensificatiobn of the financial crisiss and unusual weather conditions, said Duy. Ongoing declines in the in pointg to continued economic deterioration in the Portland he added.
Signs of stabilization are difficultgto find, he said; expectations for a firminb of economic activity in the second half of 2009 are largelyg based on some tentative signz of stability in the national Moreover, the impact of fiscal and monetary policiez should become more evident as the year Still, the pace of the recovery is expected to be subduedx as the economy adjusts to an environment less dependent on debt-supported consumer spending

Job losses jumping as crisis hits home - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

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First-time unemployment claims soared in Georgiaq last month to nearly according to the statw Departmentof Labor, a 76.3 percentf increase over initial filings in Septembere of last year. Among the areas hardest hit by the growinbg joblessness werenorthern Georgia’s carpet belt, center to an industrhy that relies on residential construction to keep ordersa flowing, and metro Atlanta’s outer suburbs, wheres the housing boom has turned into a “Housing has been good to Georgis over the last decade,” Georgia Commissioner of Labor Michael Thurmonf said. “Now, we’re feeling some of the repercussionsd ofthe downturn.
” Thurmond pointed to some partx of Georgia where the job market remaina in relatively good shape. Forts Benning and Stewarf were among the few net winners during the last round of militar y base closings severalyears ago. unemployment claims in the Columbus and Hinesville areaas are running well belowq thestatewide number. Likewise, west central Georgiqa is gearing up for the plannec opening of a plant in Troup County latenext year. In sharpo contrast, first-time unemployment filings in Dalton ---— ground zero for the carpett industry — shot up almost 106 percent duringy thelast year. Gainesville was even leading the state with a 126 percent jumpin joblessness.
While that coulr be attributed in part to the loss ofcarpetg jobs, a bigger factor was the decision by Germanm auto parts maker to close its aluminunm wheel plant in Gainesville, resulting in nearlu 300 layoffs. Too recent for the September statisticx was an announcement by that it will clos a spun yarn plant in Dade in farnorthwestern Georgia, laying off 440 Roy Bowen, president of the Georgia Traditional Manufacturers Association , puts the blame on the slumlp in residential construction. “A number of folks we represen manufacture products that go directly to he said.
“They’re impacted directly by the housing First-time unemployment claims in metro Atlanta rose almost 79 perceny during thelast year, only slightly above the statewide But that masks large increases in joblessnese in the region’s outer counties. Cherokee, Dougla and Fayette counties saw increases in initiakl unemployment filings of more than100 percent, while first-time claims in Henry Countyu rose 97 percent.
The most dramatic evidence of the trend came in July with the closured ofof Woodstock, metro Atlanta’s 19th-largest home builderr according to the ’s 2007-2008 Book of Kay Pippin, president of the Henruy County Chamber of Commerce , said it’as no surprise that the housing slumpo has affected metro Atlanta’s fast-growing outlying counties more than the alreaduy built-out core counties. “We were fourthu in America in new housing startds when allthis began,” she said. “Housin has come to a stop, and it’s having a significant impact onour community.
” Thurmonfd said the diversified economies of Atlanta’ s inner counties give them an advantagw over the outer counties, which are primarily bedroom communities. “Tha t creates some economic insulation during a he said. But Jeff Humphreys, directot of economic forecasting atThe ’s , said the slumpingf economy has entered a phasew that likely will blunt such geographical disparities. He said that whilde the downturn was limitedto housing, unemploymentf hit some areas more than others. “It’s been a slow-moving he said. “It hadn’t spread to Main It was mostly in the housing sector and anything relateddto housing.
” Humphreys said the crisis that beganh hammering the financial industry last month has changedr the nature of the Now, every community is feeling the he said. “We have a broad-baseed recession,” he said. “There’s goinb to be a conversion towarcd thehigher average.” Humphreys said he expects job lossezs to continue at least into the seconxd quarter of next year. He said that even when initialo jobless claimsbottom out, the unemployment rate is likelyu to remain high, probably into 2010. “Things will get Thurmond said. “But it will be later ratherr than sooner.
”