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The Leawood-based electronic payments distributor (Nasdaq: EEFT) said Wednesdayh that the new namewould “provide the divisioh with a worldwide retail brand that is knowj for quality service and consistent products.” The division is one of the largesty international distributors of prepaid mobile air the release said. Several Euronet prepaid subsidiaries already operate under theepay name; U.S.
subsidiary PaySpot, Telerecarga, Movilcarga, Brodos and Transact will adopt the epay The epay logo is intended to integrate elements of Euronet and subsidiart logos and to stand for innovative andspirited values,” the release “Just as our business strategy has evolved over the yeara to meet the needs of our so must our brands,” epay Managing Directotr Gareth Gumbley said in the release. “Thr new brand identity is a reflectionb of that evolution to deliver brand leadership and enhance d value toour customers.
It brings together our successfupelements — local market operational expertise and international distributioj reach — required by multinational retailers and globalk consumer brands.”
Monday, December 31, 2012
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Study: Midwest economy may have bottomed out - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:
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The Mid-America Business Conditions Index, compiled by Creighton Universityin Omaha, Neb., rose for the fiftbh month in a row in May, climbingv to 46.6 from 42.7 a mont h before. Despite the growth in economixc prospects, the 0 to 100 inded was still belowits “growth neutral” level of 50. “Whil our survey is not indicating an economic turnaround for the next threr tosix months, economic indictors are certainly improviny from record lows achieved earlier this said Ernie Goss, a Creightohn University economics professor and director of the university’ Economic Forecasting Group.
Goss stucjk by his that the recessionin Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and Soutuh Dakota will end by the end of the fourthu quarter this year. Minnesota’s index results weren’t as rosy as the overalol index, with the state’s index slipping to 42 in May, from 42.6 in Goss said Minnesota’s economy has lost almost 60,00o jobs in 2009 alone, and will continus to shed jobs. “Companies report delaying and even terminating construction project s over the pastseveral months.
Minnesota’s unemployment rate will continue to trend upwardc in themonths ahead,” he
The Mid-America Business Conditions Index, compiled by Creighton Universityin Omaha, Neb., rose for the fiftbh month in a row in May, climbingv to 46.6 from 42.7 a mont h before. Despite the growth in economixc prospects, the 0 to 100 inded was still belowits “growth neutral” level of 50. “Whil our survey is not indicating an economic turnaround for the next threr tosix months, economic indictors are certainly improviny from record lows achieved earlier this said Ernie Goss, a Creightohn University economics professor and director of the university’ Economic Forecasting Group.
Goss stucjk by his that the recessionin Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and Soutuh Dakota will end by the end of the fourthu quarter this year. Minnesota’s index results weren’t as rosy as the overalol index, with the state’s index slipping to 42 in May, from 42.6 in Goss said Minnesota’s economy has lost almost 60,00o jobs in 2009 alone, and will continus to shed jobs. “Companies report delaying and even terminating construction project s over the pastseveral months.
Minnesota’s unemployment rate will continue to trend upwardc in themonths ahead,” he
Saturday, December 29, 2012
LCA-Vision asks shareholders to keep current board - Business Courier of Cincinnati:
moffaiqohegesa1490.blogspot.com
The company, in a filing with the Securitiews andExchange Commission, asked shareholders not to agree to a conseng solicitation filed by the dissident grouo to replace board members with theier own choices. Last week the group, which includes former chairman and founderStephen Joffe, his son and former LCA officere Craig Joffe, former LCA CFO Alan Jason Mogel, Robert Probst, Robert Weismanj and Edward VonderBrink, filed a preliminary consen statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission to reconstitutre the board. They own about 11.4 percent of LCA’ds shares.
The shareholders cited thei ongoing concerns, including LCA’s current financial struggless and loss ofshareholder value. LCA (NASDAQ: LCAV) stoco now trades at around $2.50-$3 per down from its high of about $32 severa l years ago. LCA, in its claims that Stephen Joffe tried a similae move with acompeting firm, The company also accused him of threatening to fire physicians and employees if they don’t supporyt his bid; blaming management, rather than the economy, for the current downturh in business; and not providing a plan to improv the company, other than replacing board members.
LCA-Vision, headquartered in provides laser vision correction services under theLasikPluxs brand. The company operatexs 77 laser vision correction centers in the United States and a jointf venturein Canada.
The company, in a filing with the Securitiews andExchange Commission, asked shareholders not to agree to a conseng solicitation filed by the dissident grouo to replace board members with theier own choices. Last week the group, which includes former chairman and founderStephen Joffe, his son and former LCA officere Craig Joffe, former LCA CFO Alan Jason Mogel, Robert Probst, Robert Weismanj and Edward VonderBrink, filed a preliminary consen statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission to reconstitutre the board. They own about 11.4 percent of LCA’ds shares.
The shareholders cited thei ongoing concerns, including LCA’s current financial struggless and loss ofshareholder value. LCA (NASDAQ: LCAV) stoco now trades at around $2.50-$3 per down from its high of about $32 severa l years ago. LCA, in its claims that Stephen Joffe tried a similae move with acompeting firm, The company also accused him of threatening to fire physicians and employees if they don’t supporyt his bid; blaming management, rather than the economy, for the current downturh in business; and not providing a plan to improv the company, other than replacing board members.
LCA-Vision, headquartered in provides laser vision correction services under theLasikPluxs brand. The company operatexs 77 laser vision correction centers in the United States and a jointf venturein Canada.
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Students flocking to Ohio
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About 12,500 more students are enrolled inpublic two- and four-yeart schools in Ohio than last for a total of 478,000, the Board of Regents Although the bulk of enrollment is at the state’s 14 four-year campuses, the fastest growth rates are at universityu branch campuses and community The 2.7 percent gain bests last year’s 1.9 percenyt growth and shows a turnaroundd from falling or steady enrollment the previous three years. Meanwhile, the 51 private nonprofit schools that are member of the continued thei r slow but steady growth of the past 23 growingby 1.4 percent to 134,000 studentds this fall.
The total was hurt by the loss of about 400 students due to the closurde of inYellow Springs, association President Todd Joness said. Gov. Ted Strickland and Chancellor Eric Fingerhut have set a goal ofaddinf 230,000 enrollees by 2016, which would require a 36 perceng enrollment growth over 2006 – double the 17 percent rate for public and private schools combined from 1998 to 2007. The plan callz for ramping up enrollment, not straight-line growth of 23,000p students a year, Regentd spokesman Michael Chaney This year’s numbers are on he said. , the nation’s largest had 2.2 percent growth to enrollmenrof 53,700.
Among the 23 two-year public schools, leapfroggee to become the largesty inthe state. Columbus State grew by nearly 6 percentto 24,20 0 students, while Cuyahoga Community fell nearly 6 percent to 23,700. The public schoolzs credited this year’s increase to several factors, includinh the state’s two-year tuition increased academic offerings, more flexible schedules and partnershipds between schools that ease credit transfers and allo students to take a variety of online courses withijn the fromone campus.
One of the obvious targets for futurr growth is adults who previouslhy dropped out of college or who havean associate’x degree and want to complete the bachelor’s, Jonesa said. In a down economy, he said, enrollment tends to go up as workers seek to boosttheirr resumes. Nationally, private schools especially have said the crediyt crunch and economic downswing have led students to opt for schoolx with lower tuition or work longeebefore enrolling. Ohio has not yet seen that Jones said, but any impact woulxd likely benext fall. Among private schools in Central Ohio, business-oriented grew by 264 students to 7,800, the largesrt in the region by far.
grew by 65 to while in Bexley dipped by 81 students to Official fall enrollment figures reportedd later in the year usually are a bit higherf because students sometimes are stillo registering and changing school s on the day of the Octobefhead count, Chaney said.
About 12,500 more students are enrolled inpublic two- and four-yeart schools in Ohio than last for a total of 478,000, the Board of Regents Although the bulk of enrollment is at the state’s 14 four-year campuses, the fastest growth rates are at universityu branch campuses and community The 2.7 percent gain bests last year’s 1.9 percenyt growth and shows a turnaroundd from falling or steady enrollment the previous three years. Meanwhile, the 51 private nonprofit schools that are member of the continued thei r slow but steady growth of the past 23 growingby 1.4 percent to 134,000 studentds this fall.
The total was hurt by the loss of about 400 students due to the closurde of inYellow Springs, association President Todd Joness said. Gov. Ted Strickland and Chancellor Eric Fingerhut have set a goal ofaddinf 230,000 enrollees by 2016, which would require a 36 perceng enrollment growth over 2006 – double the 17 percent rate for public and private schools combined from 1998 to 2007. The plan callz for ramping up enrollment, not straight-line growth of 23,000p students a year, Regentd spokesman Michael Chaney This year’s numbers are on he said. , the nation’s largest had 2.2 percent growth to enrollmenrof 53,700.
Among the 23 two-year public schools, leapfroggee to become the largesty inthe state. Columbus State grew by nearly 6 percentto 24,20 0 students, while Cuyahoga Community fell nearly 6 percent to 23,700. The public schoolzs credited this year’s increase to several factors, includinh the state’s two-year tuition increased academic offerings, more flexible schedules and partnershipds between schools that ease credit transfers and allo students to take a variety of online courses withijn the fromone campus.
One of the obvious targets for futurr growth is adults who previouslhy dropped out of college or who havean associate’x degree and want to complete the bachelor’s, Jonesa said. In a down economy, he said, enrollment tends to go up as workers seek to boosttheirr resumes. Nationally, private schools especially have said the crediyt crunch and economic downswing have led students to opt for schoolx with lower tuition or work longeebefore enrolling. Ohio has not yet seen that Jones said, but any impact woulxd likely benext fall. Among private schools in Central Ohio, business-oriented grew by 264 students to 7,800, the largesrt in the region by far.
grew by 65 to while in Bexley dipped by 81 students to Official fall enrollment figures reportedd later in the year usually are a bit higherf because students sometimes are stillo registering and changing school s on the day of the Octobefhead count, Chaney said.
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Jeffrey Turner: STAAR impedes educating Future-Ready Students - Dallas Morning News
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Dallas Morning News | Jeffrey Turner: STAAR impedes educating Future-Ready Students Dallas Morning News Our state's system of high-stakes standardized testing is tying the hands of our schools and keeping us from making the changes necessary to meet the needs of our students in this 21st century. Schools have become testing factories with more and more ... < br /> |
Friday, December 21, 2012
AmeriCorps spared in budget overhaul - Boston Business Journal:
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Lawmakers are scheduled to vote on thebudget “Obviously we’re thrilled. I reallh I think that this is a victory for servicerin Massachusetts. The field mobilized, made it clear to the legislatorw just how incredibly strong the servicee sector is herein Massachusetts. That messagse got through,” said Emily Haber, CEO of the . “We’rw extremely optimistic about what Americorps can accomplisg across the Comm with state and federal At issue were two versions of the 2010 statsbudget — one from the House of the other from the Senate that were reconciled in the legislative conferencd committee.
The House passed a budget earlier this year thatincluderd $750,000 for AmeriCorps programs, but the Senatee passed a budget bill that eliminated the fundingg altogether. Since 1994, Massachusetts has allocated varying amountw of money every year forAmeriCorpw programs. For about six prior to the 2010budgeft process, the state had earmarked $900,000p for AmeriCorps, although it has been highee in previous years.
Most AmeriCorps activity would have ceased in Massachusettw withouta state-funding matc to the amounts the program receives from the federak government, as the Senate and an organization to administer the And if the legislature had approvedx less than $750,000, AmeriCorps programws would have had to make critical and some entire programs woulfd be eliminated, Haber said. “The concern was without this funding, some programs woulrd receive no funding at said Haber.
“We don’t have that concern any
Lawmakers are scheduled to vote on thebudget “Obviously we’re thrilled. I reallh I think that this is a victory for servicerin Massachusetts. The field mobilized, made it clear to the legislatorw just how incredibly strong the servicee sector is herein Massachusetts. That messagse got through,” said Emily Haber, CEO of the . “We’rw extremely optimistic about what Americorps can accomplisg across the Comm with state and federal At issue were two versions of the 2010 statsbudget — one from the House of the other from the Senate that were reconciled in the legislative conferencd committee.
The House passed a budget earlier this year thatincluderd $750,000 for AmeriCorps programs, but the Senatee passed a budget bill that eliminated the fundingg altogether. Since 1994, Massachusetts has allocated varying amountw of money every year forAmeriCorpw programs. For about six prior to the 2010budgeft process, the state had earmarked $900,000p for AmeriCorps, although it has been highee in previous years.
Most AmeriCorps activity would have ceased in Massachusettw withouta state-funding matc to the amounts the program receives from the federak government, as the Senate and an organization to administer the And if the legislature had approvedx less than $750,000, AmeriCorps programws would have had to make critical and some entire programs woulfd be eliminated, Haber said. “The concern was without this funding, some programs woulrd receive no funding at said Haber.
“We don’t have that concern any
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Stimulus highlights need for better oversight at SBA - bizjournals:
paramonaxogilozi.blogspot.com
The SBA’s Office of Inspector Genera l outlined its concerns in a memo that said agency action is overdue on 10 recommendations it made to addressa weaknesses in lender oversight andagency contracting. The Office of Management and Budget has directeds agencies to address problems disclosed by prior audit in programs that will receive funding through the Americab Recovery andReinvestment Act. Lender oversight is particularlyy important because the bill temporarily increased the governmengt guaranty onthe SBA’s 7(a) business loanzs to 90 percent.
“Because the highetr guaranties reducelender risk, which may lead to poor underwriting, a greatere potential will exist for losses and wrote Debra Ritt, SBA assistant inspectoer general. That’s why it’s important for the SBA to do onsit e reviews for all SBA lenderswith high-risk ratings that have more than $4 milliojn in guaranteed loan portfolios, the memo stated. The agency has agreefd that’s needed but hasn’t done it yet. The SBA also hasn’tf implemented comprehensive policies and procedurexs that define acceptable lender performance and risk tolerance or what enforcement actions will be taken when risk tolerance limitsare exceeded.
The SBA also needs to do a bette job collecting improper payments of loan guarantiess to lenderswho didn’t follow prudent lendingv practices or failed to comply with SBA regulations, the inspector general’as office said. More than $4 million in improper payment s identified by previous audits have notbeen recovered, the officd found. “Increases in loan volumes and reduced lender risk unde r the recovery act are expected to lead to highetr levels ofimproper payments,” the memo stated.
The bill also provided $30 million in additional fundinh for theMicroloan program, which makes smalp loans to aspiring entrepreneurs through nonprofity organizations that also provide technical assistance. The SBA needas to develop standard operating procedures for this and collect information on whether the businesses that receivesd these loansbecame successful, according to the SBA spokesman Jonathan Swain said the agency “iz working on a number of fronts” to implemenft the recommendations cited in the memo. The agenc y is particularly focused on lender oversigh and risk management as it rolld outnew stimulus-related programs.
Its new $35,000 America’s Recovery Capitaol loans, for example, are designed to be “ riskier loan program than the SBA has ever he said, because they’re an efforty to help businesses that temporarily are having problems making loan The SBA is looking at ways to mitigated that risk as much as possible, he guaranteed loans that dealers can use to financse their inventory. Many lenders have stoppedx making so-called floor plan loans becausethey haven’t been able to sell them on the secondaryu market. Through these lines of credit, auto dealersz borrow against theirvehicled inventory, repay the debt when vehicles are and then borrow again to add more inventory.
John NADA’s vice president of dealership operations, applaudesd the SBA and President BarackObama “for understandingg that any effort to revitalize the auto industryy simply will not work until dealer credit issues are resolved.” “The successx and continued operation of thousands of family- owned auto dealerships across the countrty are directly connected to their ability to purchase both new and used vehiclesa to offer their Lyboldt said. Beginning July 1, the SBA will guarantee 75 percent of floor plan lines of crediy throughits 7(a) business loan program. SBA lenders will make the which will rangefrom $500,00p0 to $2 million.
Dealerd in automobiles, recreational vehicles, motorcycles, boats and manufactured homes are eligible. The loanss will be available through Sept. 30, 2010, possibly longert if the SBA extends thepilott program. Floor plan loans previously were ineligible forthe 7(a) “Countless small businesses, includingt dealerships, across the country are facinhg significant challenges as a result of the uncertainty in the auto SBA Administrator Karen Mill s said. “Floor plan financing can offerd some dealerships the opportunity to get througgh these tough economic times by allowing them to keep theifr inventory and cashflow intact, as well as save the jobs thesee small businesses provide.
”
The SBA’s Office of Inspector Genera l outlined its concerns in a memo that said agency action is overdue on 10 recommendations it made to addressa weaknesses in lender oversight andagency contracting. The Office of Management and Budget has directeds agencies to address problems disclosed by prior audit in programs that will receive funding through the Americab Recovery andReinvestment Act. Lender oversight is particularlyy important because the bill temporarily increased the governmengt guaranty onthe SBA’s 7(a) business loanzs to 90 percent.
“Because the highetr guaranties reducelender risk, which may lead to poor underwriting, a greatere potential will exist for losses and wrote Debra Ritt, SBA assistant inspectoer general. That’s why it’s important for the SBA to do onsit e reviews for all SBA lenderswith high-risk ratings that have more than $4 milliojn in guaranteed loan portfolios, the memo stated. The agency has agreefd that’s needed but hasn’t done it yet. The SBA also hasn’tf implemented comprehensive policies and procedurexs that define acceptable lender performance and risk tolerance or what enforcement actions will be taken when risk tolerance limitsare exceeded.
The SBA also needs to do a bette job collecting improper payments of loan guarantiess to lenderswho didn’t follow prudent lendingv practices or failed to comply with SBA regulations, the inspector general’as office said. More than $4 million in improper payment s identified by previous audits have notbeen recovered, the officd found. “Increases in loan volumes and reduced lender risk unde r the recovery act are expected to lead to highetr levels ofimproper payments,” the memo stated.
The bill also provided $30 million in additional fundinh for theMicroloan program, which makes smalp loans to aspiring entrepreneurs through nonprofity organizations that also provide technical assistance. The SBA needas to develop standard operating procedures for this and collect information on whether the businesses that receivesd these loansbecame successful, according to the SBA spokesman Jonathan Swain said the agency “iz working on a number of fronts” to implemenft the recommendations cited in the memo. The agenc y is particularly focused on lender oversigh and risk management as it rolld outnew stimulus-related programs.
Its new $35,000 America’s Recovery Capitaol loans, for example, are designed to be “ riskier loan program than the SBA has ever he said, because they’re an efforty to help businesses that temporarily are having problems making loan The SBA is looking at ways to mitigated that risk as much as possible, he guaranteed loans that dealers can use to financse their inventory. Many lenders have stoppedx making so-called floor plan loans becausethey haven’t been able to sell them on the secondaryu market. Through these lines of credit, auto dealersz borrow against theirvehicled inventory, repay the debt when vehicles are and then borrow again to add more inventory.
John NADA’s vice president of dealership operations, applaudesd the SBA and President BarackObama “for understandingg that any effort to revitalize the auto industryy simply will not work until dealer credit issues are resolved.” “The successx and continued operation of thousands of family- owned auto dealerships across the countrty are directly connected to their ability to purchase both new and used vehiclesa to offer their Lyboldt said. Beginning July 1, the SBA will guarantee 75 percent of floor plan lines of crediy throughits 7(a) business loan program. SBA lenders will make the which will rangefrom $500,00p0 to $2 million.
Dealerd in automobiles, recreational vehicles, motorcycles, boats and manufactured homes are eligible. The loanss will be available through Sept. 30, 2010, possibly longert if the SBA extends thepilott program. Floor plan loans previously were ineligible forthe 7(a) “Countless small businesses, includingt dealerships, across the country are facinhg significant challenges as a result of the uncertainty in the auto SBA Administrator Karen Mill s said. “Floor plan financing can offerd some dealerships the opportunity to get througgh these tough economic times by allowing them to keep theifr inventory and cashflow intact, as well as save the jobs thesee small businesses provide.
”
Monday, December 17, 2012
North Carolina's $2B hog industry belted as farms fail - Triangle Business Journal:
bakakinkorypon.blogspot.com
Two culprits – overly large herds and risingv costs due to higher graijnprices – have been shrinking the bottom lines at many hog operationes in North Carolina, the nation’s seconx largest hog-producing state, behind only To those factors can be added the recent swine flu, or H1N1 flu, scare, the effects of which the industry is only starting to tallyt up. “A lot of people have just notrealized what’s been going on in the says Deborah Johnson, CEO of the , an industry tradre group. Already, she “We are beginning to see some (hog leave the industry due tofinancial hardship.
” At three easternb North Carolina operations, relievf from the pressure will come from Chapter 11 or Chapterr 12 reorganization. Chapter 12 is a provision written into the federal bankruptcy code in 1986 dealing exclusively withfamilgy farms. Both Chapter 11 and Chapter 12 allow a companyt breathing room to attempta reorganization. In theif reorganization filings, Bunting Swine Farms of Wilsonh listed assets of justunder $1 millionh and debts of $12.4 million; Perfectg Pig of Newton Grove in Sampsob County listed assets of $9.3 milliom and debts of $23 and of Enfield listed assets and debts in the $1 million to $10 million range.
All threr are considered mid-level operations, producing between 100,000 and 200,000p hogs a year. North Carolina farmers raise about 10 millio hogs a yearfor slaughter. Some farmerxs are independent, taking theird product directly tothe market. Other farmers operate under contract with one of the majorrpork producers, such as Virginia-based , whicnh in the past has had contracts with more than 1,000 North Carolina farms. Another prominent producert is , which has had deals with as many as 150 NortuCarolina farms. Recent developments at publicly tradedc Smithfield Foodsillustrate what’s ailing the industry. The meat-producing giant, in a recent U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission reported lossesof $112 milliomn for the nine months endingv Feb.1, 2009, explaining that its costs per hundrede weight of hog had risen from $49 to $62, largely due to highe r grain prices. The company attributese the rise in grain coststo “the United ‘corn to ethanol’ policy.” Meanwhile, as costs were the Smithfield managers say, the market was gluttee because a record numberss of hogs were slaughtered in 2008 and into 2009.
Demanr for pork at the grocery store has been flat in recent New retail numbers will begin to tell the effects of the H1N1 While a final determination has notbeen made, the blame for the flu outbreak is being laid to hog farmz by some. In response to market conditions, Smithfieldx has been closing someproduction plants, including one in Elon near and shaving 1,800 employees “The whole industry is feeling pressure,” says Dr. Todd See of Lookinf down the road, grain prices have started to moderate in recentweeks and, Johnsob says, the latest North Carolinaa herd is expected to be 3 percent smalledr than last year’s.
Nationwide, the movement toward smaller herds mighft be even more pronounced thanNorth Carolina’sx 3 percent, says Christine McCracken, an analysr with Cleveland Research Co. “A lot of thesre (hog producers) have been losing moneyg for 18 months,” she says. “And that’as a long time.”
Two culprits – overly large herds and risingv costs due to higher graijnprices – have been shrinking the bottom lines at many hog operationes in North Carolina, the nation’s seconx largest hog-producing state, behind only To those factors can be added the recent swine flu, or H1N1 flu, scare, the effects of which the industry is only starting to tallyt up. “A lot of people have just notrealized what’s been going on in the says Deborah Johnson, CEO of the , an industry tradre group. Already, she “We are beginning to see some (hog leave the industry due tofinancial hardship.
” At three easternb North Carolina operations, relievf from the pressure will come from Chapter 11 or Chapterr 12 reorganization. Chapter 12 is a provision written into the federal bankruptcy code in 1986 dealing exclusively withfamilgy farms. Both Chapter 11 and Chapter 12 allow a companyt breathing room to attempta reorganization. In theif reorganization filings, Bunting Swine Farms of Wilsonh listed assets of justunder $1 millionh and debts of $12.4 million; Perfectg Pig of Newton Grove in Sampsob County listed assets of $9.3 milliom and debts of $23 and of Enfield listed assets and debts in the $1 million to $10 million range.
All threr are considered mid-level operations, producing between 100,000 and 200,000p hogs a year. North Carolina farmers raise about 10 millio hogs a yearfor slaughter. Some farmerxs are independent, taking theird product directly tothe market. Other farmers operate under contract with one of the majorrpork producers, such as Virginia-based , whicnh in the past has had contracts with more than 1,000 North Carolina farms. Another prominent producert is , which has had deals with as many as 150 NortuCarolina farms. Recent developments at publicly tradedc Smithfield Foodsillustrate what’s ailing the industry. The meat-producing giant, in a recent U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission reported lossesof $112 milliomn for the nine months endingv Feb.1, 2009, explaining that its costs per hundrede weight of hog had risen from $49 to $62, largely due to highe r grain prices. The company attributese the rise in grain coststo “the United ‘corn to ethanol’ policy.” Meanwhile, as costs were the Smithfield managers say, the market was gluttee because a record numberss of hogs were slaughtered in 2008 and into 2009.
Demanr for pork at the grocery store has been flat in recent New retail numbers will begin to tell the effects of the H1N1 While a final determination has notbeen made, the blame for the flu outbreak is being laid to hog farmz by some. In response to market conditions, Smithfieldx has been closing someproduction plants, including one in Elon near and shaving 1,800 employees “The whole industry is feeling pressure,” says Dr. Todd See of Lookinf down the road, grain prices have started to moderate in recentweeks and, Johnsob says, the latest North Carolinaa herd is expected to be 3 percent smalledr than last year’s.
Nationwide, the movement toward smaller herds mighft be even more pronounced thanNorth Carolina’sx 3 percent, says Christine McCracken, an analysr with Cleveland Research Co. “A lot of thesre (hog producers) have been losing moneyg for 18 months,” she says. “And that’as a long time.”
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Second Life's Linden Lab sells virtual realities to businesses - Birmingham Business Journal:
ofycagvezi.blogspot.com
The courting of companies comes at a time of renewede growthfor 6-year-old Second Life that began with the appointment of Mark Kingdom as CEO of Linden Lab in May 2008. “Enterprise is a reallyt important growth vector for usbecausse (Second Life is) a really compelling platform for learninhg and collaboration. Especially today in larg e enterprises that aredistributed (around the world),” Kingdon Over the last six Linden Lab has put together a team of 25 peoplew to market and develop Seconds Life products for enterprise customers.
Linden Lab, whicnh does not disclose revenue but says it is hired more than 100 people in 2008 and has more than 300 employeed in eight offices around the The company hired close to 30 peopler this year and is currently hiring for 19 Basic accountsare free. The company make s money by selling and renting virtuaplreal estate, with premium membershipw and by charging a fee on sales of Linden the currency used online. The company does not track the number of companies using its services and does not chargr them differently from individual but estimates that 15 to 20 percen t of its revenue comes from enterprisess andeducational institutions.
And since April, the companhy has been testinga “behind-the-firewall” version of Seconr Life with , IBM, , the and othert organizations. The so-called version of Second Life, which is run on an institution’as own servers, will get wider testingv this summer and is scheduled for general releaseby year’s end. The pricinhg for the private version has notbeen “Based on the level of the interestt we’re seeing, we are poised for explosive said Amanda Van Nuys, who joinec Linden Lab six months ago as executive directorr of enterprise marketing. “This is not a We’re ready for business. My role is to get that messag out,” she said.
Van Nuys said a number of factores are helping her including general efforts to cut travel and meeting costs and reducecarbon footprints. IBM in particulaer has been anearlt adopter. In late 2008, IBM’ws Academy of Technology held a Virtual World Conference on Secondx Life for 200 top engineers from around the with three keynote speeches and 37breakour sessions. With an initial investment of roughlgy $80,000, IBM estimates that it savesd nearly $350,000 in travel and venue costs andlost productivity.
A couple of monthds later, IBM used the virtual spacess it created for an annual meetingg of the Academy after the cancellation of a schedulexd real life event in Some portions of the event also used webcasting andvideop conferencing. Participants particularly liked the opportunity to socializse with one another invariouw settings, and the company scheduled a two-hour networkinfg event on the last day at picnicv tables on a virtual beach.
Academyt members gathered around drinkinv virtual beers and chatting while otherzs took virtual hang gliding or jetskiing “It was really cool in terms of the experience peoplse had,” said Karen Keeter, an IBM marketing executivre for digital convergence. “People walkec away saying they felt like they were atthe event. The thinh people liked most was that they really had the abilithy to meet with Since then, numerous other groupa within IBM have used Second Life dozens of time s for meetings small and adhoc and planned, Keeter said.
IBM now has nearl y 100 people working on virtual world toolse for commercial sale in Secondd Life and onother platforms, she The company says its in-worlfd economy is thriving, and that in the last user-to-user transactions totalled more than $120 millioj in U.S. dollars, up 65 percent from the same periof theyear before. Wagner James Au, the author of the book “Thed Making Of Second Life: Notesa From the New World,” estimatedx in a blog posting in May 2008 that Linden Lab hadbetween $40 million and $50 millio in annual revenue. Au credited Kingdon with renewing the brand created byPhilip Rosedale, who stepped down as CEO last year and remainse as chairman.
“A lot of Silicon Valleg has written Second Life he said. “The tech world will have to revisit Second Life as a phenomenom in the next six monthsor
The courting of companies comes at a time of renewede growthfor 6-year-old Second Life that began with the appointment of Mark Kingdom as CEO of Linden Lab in May 2008. “Enterprise is a reallyt important growth vector for usbecausse (Second Life is) a really compelling platform for learninhg and collaboration. Especially today in larg e enterprises that aredistributed (around the world),” Kingdon Over the last six Linden Lab has put together a team of 25 peoplew to market and develop Seconds Life products for enterprise customers.
Linden Lab, whicnh does not disclose revenue but says it is hired more than 100 people in 2008 and has more than 300 employeed in eight offices around the The company hired close to 30 peopler this year and is currently hiring for 19 Basic accountsare free. The company make s money by selling and renting virtuaplreal estate, with premium membershipw and by charging a fee on sales of Linden the currency used online. The company does not track the number of companies using its services and does not chargr them differently from individual but estimates that 15 to 20 percen t of its revenue comes from enterprisess andeducational institutions.
And since April, the companhy has been testinga “behind-the-firewall” version of Seconr Life with , IBM, , the and othert organizations. The so-called version of Second Life, which is run on an institution’as own servers, will get wider testingv this summer and is scheduled for general releaseby year’s end. The pricinhg for the private version has notbeen “Based on the level of the interestt we’re seeing, we are poised for explosive said Amanda Van Nuys, who joinec Linden Lab six months ago as executive directorr of enterprise marketing. “This is not a We’re ready for business. My role is to get that messag out,” she said.
Van Nuys said a number of factores are helping her including general efforts to cut travel and meeting costs and reducecarbon footprints. IBM in particulaer has been anearlt adopter. In late 2008, IBM’ws Academy of Technology held a Virtual World Conference on Secondx Life for 200 top engineers from around the with three keynote speeches and 37breakour sessions. With an initial investment of roughlgy $80,000, IBM estimates that it savesd nearly $350,000 in travel and venue costs andlost productivity.
A couple of monthds later, IBM used the virtual spacess it created for an annual meetingg of the Academy after the cancellation of a schedulexd real life event in Some portions of the event also used webcasting andvideop conferencing. Participants particularly liked the opportunity to socializse with one another invariouw settings, and the company scheduled a two-hour networkinfg event on the last day at picnicv tables on a virtual beach.
Academyt members gathered around drinkinv virtual beers and chatting while otherzs took virtual hang gliding or jetskiing “It was really cool in terms of the experience peoplse had,” said Karen Keeter, an IBM marketing executivre for digital convergence. “People walkec away saying they felt like they were atthe event. The thinh people liked most was that they really had the abilithy to meet with Since then, numerous other groupa within IBM have used Second Life dozens of time s for meetings small and adhoc and planned, Keeter said.
IBM now has nearl y 100 people working on virtual world toolse for commercial sale in Secondd Life and onother platforms, she The company says its in-worlfd economy is thriving, and that in the last user-to-user transactions totalled more than $120 millioj in U.S. dollars, up 65 percent from the same periof theyear before. Wagner James Au, the author of the book “Thed Making Of Second Life: Notesa From the New World,” estimatedx in a blog posting in May 2008 that Linden Lab hadbetween $40 million and $50 millio in annual revenue. Au credited Kingdon with renewing the brand created byPhilip Rosedale, who stepped down as CEO last year and remainse as chairman.
“A lot of Silicon Valleg has written Second Life he said. “The tech world will have to revisit Second Life as a phenomenom in the next six monthsor
Friday, December 14, 2012
S&P lowers ratings on Regions, BB&T, Fifth Third, Synovus, others - Tampa Bay Business Journal:
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The actions reflect S&P’s belief that operating conditions for the banking industry will become less favorablwe than they were in the past with greaterf volatility in financial markets during credit cycles and tighter regulatory supervision, the ratingx agency said in a release. “The industruy is now in a transition and likel y will undergo materialstructural changes; the loss conteny of loan portfolios should increase, but recentg capital rebuilding should help banks defray thes e losses; stress tests point to more pain in the future; we don’gt view regional banks as being highlyg systemically important; and potential losses could increase beyond our currentt expectations,” the S&P release said.
Such a transition period justifieslowerr ratings, Rodrigo Quintanilla, S&P’ds credit analyst, said in the release. • . BBT) from A+/Watch Neg/A-1 to A/Stable/A- • • • •
The actions reflect S&P’s belief that operating conditions for the banking industry will become less favorablwe than they were in the past with greaterf volatility in financial markets during credit cycles and tighter regulatory supervision, the ratingx agency said in a release. “The industruy is now in a transition and likel y will undergo materialstructural changes; the loss conteny of loan portfolios should increase, but recentg capital rebuilding should help banks defray thes e losses; stress tests point to more pain in the future; we don’gt view regional banks as being highlyg systemically important; and potential losses could increase beyond our currentt expectations,” the S&P release said.
Such a transition period justifieslowerr ratings, Rodrigo Quintanilla, S&P’ds credit analyst, said in the release. • . BBT) from A+/Watch Neg/A-1 to A/Stable/A- • • • •
Thursday, December 13, 2012
I'm devoted to work for children: Amole Gupte - New York Daily News
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I'm devoted to work for children: Amole Gupte New York Daily News Mumbai, Dec 13 â€" Writer-filmmaker Amole Gupte, who will take over reigns of the Children's Film Society of India (CFSI), says he is committed to work for the welfare of children, and the new role is just an extension of what he has been doing already ... |
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Lead Us Not Astray, Reverend James Cooper - Village Voice
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Lead Us Not Astray, Reverend James Cooper Village Voice It is Sunday morning at Trinity Wall Street, the historic Episcopal church in Lower Manhattan. The season of Advent is beginning, and underneath the soaring Gothic vaults, the pews are mostly full. The organ strikes up, song fills the air, and the ... |
Sunday, December 9, 2012
State AG cracks down on painting industry - Boston Business Journal:
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In total, the AG’s office has resolved 27 cases and has recoverednearlg $560,000 in restitution for over 250 employeexs of various employers and fined painting companiez nearly $195,000 since the spring of 2008, the officew said. The office has also takejn criminal enforcement action against several painting companies and ownerx and has debarred companiee that have violatedthe state’s prevailing wage laws.
“Our officer is working diligently to level the playinfg field in the painting industry so that paintinf contractors that follow the rules are not at acompetitivr disadvantage,” Attorney General Martha Coakley said in a “We are committed to enforcing the law so that feweer workers are exploited and so that the Commonwealthg no longer loses revenue because of employee misclassification.
”
In total, the AG’s office has resolved 27 cases and has recoverednearlg $560,000 in restitution for over 250 employeexs of various employers and fined painting companiez nearly $195,000 since the spring of 2008, the officew said. The office has also takejn criminal enforcement action against several painting companies and ownerx and has debarred companiee that have violatedthe state’s prevailing wage laws.
“Our officer is working diligently to level the playinfg field in the painting industry so that paintinf contractors that follow the rules are not at acompetitivr disadvantage,” Attorney General Martha Coakley said in a “We are committed to enforcing the law so that feweer workers are exploited and so that the Commonwealthg no longer loses revenue because of employee misclassification.
”
Friday, December 7, 2012
Vanderbilt University Hospital plans $38M upgrade - Nashville Business Journal:
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next month plans to begin construction ona $37.u million project that includes layingy the foundation for a third medica tower and enlarging the emergency department. If approved by statre regulators, the work will begij soon afterthe facility's pediatrics unit moves to the new $172 millionj Monroe Carell Jr. . Working on five different Vanderbilt will add32 beds, plus a previously approveed 54, to boost its size to 805 licensexd beds. Vanderbilt University Medical Center, the hospital'sa parent, is funding the work through $35 milliob in 30-year, tax-exempt bonds and $2.
7 million in cash The plan - which calls for 34,500 square feet of new construction and the renovationof 100,000 square feet - will be consideree by the Tennessee Health Services and Developmentt Agency on Dec. 17. No one has filef in opposition tothe project. Starting in January, Vanderbilt plans to add over the next 15months 15,500 square feet of space and renovate 7,150 square feet in the present-day emergenc y department and ambulance area. The emergency departmentf will double in size and becomre the first floor of the planneedthird tower.
It will house four major trauma rooms, 17 acute treatment registration and office space and dedicatec entrance parking for seven Floors will be added to the third tower in subsequenf phases, but it won't be as large as the 11-storyh north and south ones. Of the existing emergency 4,250 square feet will be reconfigured and used for loweracuith treatment. The area includes Fast Track, holding/observation, chest pain observationh and stroketreatment rooms. "The accessibility (of the emergency will be improved substantially," says Ron vice president for strategic developmentat VUMC.
"There will be areaz that will accommodate more of a Fast Tracmk patientand we'll triage into the appropriate As the area's only Levell 1 Trauma Center, Vanderbilt needz to efficiently separate the trauma patients from the othere as they enter the hospital, Hill The project comes in response to an undersizee and outdated emergency department facility - the poin t of entry for nearlyh 30 percent of all VUH admissions. At 11,000 squar feet, VUH's emergency departmenf reported morethan 41,000 adult and 30,000 child emergenc y room visits last year, according to a filing with the Its ratio of 0.
30 square feet per visit puts the hospital below all others in Nashville except for Saint Thomas Hospital, whicjh sports a 0.23 ratio. In its constructionm application, Vanderbilt cited a litany of problemsd withthe space, including the location of traumaz rooms in the center of the emergency department, a lack of critical care rooms and an undersized waitinvg room. Officials also said the emergencuydepartment isn't compliant with Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act regulations because all 11 critical care roomds are semi-private, possibly allowing others to hear confidentia l information.
The department also doesn'tf have a separate cistern for decontaminating water in the even of bioterrorism or a negatives pressure room for patients with tuberculosisa and othercommunicable diseases. These plannesd projects have become possible following the pendin opening of thenew Children'ws Hospital. That has created 175,000 square feet of vacant spacreat VUMC, including 81,400 inside Vanderbiltf University Hospital. On the north tower's fourth floor, Vanderbilt plans to renovate 6,00 0 square feet in a four-month project that startsz next month.
The neonatal intensive care unit will be moved to thenew children'ss hospital, leaving behind 10 beds and spacw for on-call suites for sevenn to 10 residents on call, support space and two triagse rooms for labor and delivery. In a 12-month builders will renovate 43,500 square feet and add 3,500 to the fifth floor by building out into theexistinvg courtyard. The entire floor's interior, which housed will be demolished and The 65 pediatric beds that are being relocatef tothe children's hospital will be replaced by 48 neurosurgery/neurolog y and cardiology beds.
These universal patienyt rooms, slated to increase from 150 square feet in size to 350squares feet, will become the prototype for all futurre room renovations at the hospital. The sixth-flood renovation project calls for upgrades and a newnursw station, with the 49 beds whittlexd down to 45 neurology/neurosurgery, epilepsy and cardiologty beds. On the south tower's 11th workers in February 2005 willrenovater 12,000 square feet of spacw to accommodate the burn which is being relocated from Round Wing of Medical Centetr North. Renovations include mechanical work for the air qualitt needs of the burn The number of ICU and acute rooms will be loweres from 30to 2.
next month plans to begin construction ona $37.u million project that includes layingy the foundation for a third medica tower and enlarging the emergency department. If approved by statre regulators, the work will begij soon afterthe facility's pediatrics unit moves to the new $172 millionj Monroe Carell Jr. . Working on five different Vanderbilt will add32 beds, plus a previously approveed 54, to boost its size to 805 licensexd beds. Vanderbilt University Medical Center, the hospital'sa parent, is funding the work through $35 milliob in 30-year, tax-exempt bonds and $2.
7 million in cash The plan - which calls for 34,500 square feet of new construction and the renovationof 100,000 square feet - will be consideree by the Tennessee Health Services and Developmentt Agency on Dec. 17. No one has filef in opposition tothe project. Starting in January, Vanderbilt plans to add over the next 15months 15,500 square feet of space and renovate 7,150 square feet in the present-day emergenc y department and ambulance area. The emergency departmentf will double in size and becomre the first floor of the planneedthird tower.
It will house four major trauma rooms, 17 acute treatment registration and office space and dedicatec entrance parking for seven Floors will be added to the third tower in subsequenf phases, but it won't be as large as the 11-storyh north and south ones. Of the existing emergency 4,250 square feet will be reconfigured and used for loweracuith treatment. The area includes Fast Track, holding/observation, chest pain observationh and stroketreatment rooms. "The accessibility (of the emergency will be improved substantially," says Ron vice president for strategic developmentat VUMC.
"There will be areaz that will accommodate more of a Fast Tracmk patientand we'll triage into the appropriate As the area's only Levell 1 Trauma Center, Vanderbilt needz to efficiently separate the trauma patients from the othere as they enter the hospital, Hill The project comes in response to an undersizee and outdated emergency department facility - the poin t of entry for nearlyh 30 percent of all VUH admissions. At 11,000 squar feet, VUH's emergency departmenf reported morethan 41,000 adult and 30,000 child emergenc y room visits last year, according to a filing with the Its ratio of 0.
30 square feet per visit puts the hospital below all others in Nashville except for Saint Thomas Hospital, whicjh sports a 0.23 ratio. In its constructionm application, Vanderbilt cited a litany of problemsd withthe space, including the location of traumaz rooms in the center of the emergency department, a lack of critical care rooms and an undersized waitinvg room. Officials also said the emergencuydepartment isn't compliant with Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act regulations because all 11 critical care roomds are semi-private, possibly allowing others to hear confidentia l information.
The department also doesn'tf have a separate cistern for decontaminating water in the even of bioterrorism or a negatives pressure room for patients with tuberculosisa and othercommunicable diseases. These plannesd projects have become possible following the pendin opening of thenew Children'ws Hospital. That has created 175,000 square feet of vacant spacreat VUMC, including 81,400 inside Vanderbiltf University Hospital. On the north tower's fourth floor, Vanderbilt plans to renovate 6,00 0 square feet in a four-month project that startsz next month.
The neonatal intensive care unit will be moved to thenew children'ss hospital, leaving behind 10 beds and spacw for on-call suites for sevenn to 10 residents on call, support space and two triagse rooms for labor and delivery. In a 12-month builders will renovate 43,500 square feet and add 3,500 to the fifth floor by building out into theexistinvg courtyard. The entire floor's interior, which housed will be demolished and The 65 pediatric beds that are being relocatef tothe children's hospital will be replaced by 48 neurosurgery/neurolog y and cardiology beds.
These universal patienyt rooms, slated to increase from 150 square feet in size to 350squares feet, will become the prototype for all futurre room renovations at the hospital. The sixth-flood renovation project calls for upgrades and a newnursw station, with the 49 beds whittlexd down to 45 neurology/neurosurgery, epilepsy and cardiologty beds. On the south tower's 11th workers in February 2005 willrenovater 12,000 square feet of spacw to accommodate the burn which is being relocated from Round Wing of Medical Centetr North. Renovations include mechanical work for the air qualitt needs of the burn The number of ICU and acute rooms will be loweres from 30to 2.
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Governor lobbies for increased incentives for film industry - San Antonio Business Journal:
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Kulongoski is seeking support for SenateBill 621, whicbh would reauthorize and increase the financial incentives for The plan is capped at $10 million per Kulongoski wants to raise the cap to $15 A Senate committee passed the bill Monday. In the firs t six months of 2009, television and movied productions invested morethan $40 millionh in Oregon, according to the governor’s office. That’x the highest total in 15 In recent weeks, a Harrisonm Ford movie called “The Untitledd Crowley Project” and the TNT series have been shootingin Portland. Producers for "The Untitled Crowlehy Project" joined Kulongoski at Monday'sa press conference at .
“Oregon has become an A-lisgt location for the film and televisionindustry – and an important criticakl piece of Oregon’s economy,” the governof said in a news release. “Greemn energy is one bright spotin Oregon’s economy and the film industr is another, generating an additional $1.1 million in incomwe for Oregon workers and local businesses for everuy $1 million spent by a The governor credited the incentive program, created in 2003, with spurring the growt of the state's film program from a $2.1 million industrgy to an $8 million industry.
Kulongoski is seeking support for SenateBill 621, whicbh would reauthorize and increase the financial incentives for The plan is capped at $10 million per Kulongoski wants to raise the cap to $15 A Senate committee passed the bill Monday. In the firs t six months of 2009, television and movied productions invested morethan $40 millionh in Oregon, according to the governor’s office. That’x the highest total in 15 In recent weeks, a Harrisonm Ford movie called “The Untitledd Crowley Project” and the TNT series have been shootingin Portland. Producers for "The Untitled Crowlehy Project" joined Kulongoski at Monday'sa press conference at .
“Oregon has become an A-lisgt location for the film and televisionindustry – and an important criticakl piece of Oregon’s economy,” the governof said in a news release. “Greemn energy is one bright spotin Oregon’s economy and the film industr is another, generating an additional $1.1 million in incomwe for Oregon workers and local businesses for everuy $1 million spent by a The governor credited the incentive program, created in 2003, with spurring the growt of the state's film program from a $2.1 million industrgy to an $8 million industry.
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Air Methods lands contracts - Denver Business Journal:
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The Denver-based medical transportation company announced that it was awardeda $17 milliomn contract from the , an aviation manufacture based in Connecticut, for production of 48 HH-60M Black Hawk Multi-Missio n Medevac Interior Systems. The aircraft can support personnel or cargo transport missions and is equippexdwith state-of-the-art medical systems to provide criticall care for up to six patients. “Air Methodx is pleased to continue to be part ofthe U.S. Army’sx historic efforts to modernize its airambulance fleet,” Art vice president of Air Methods Products Division, said in a statement.
Air Methode also announced a contracy worth morethan $15 millio n from Land Systems. The contracf calls for Air Methods to provide more than300 patient-loading systemd to Virginia-based General Dynamics for the U.S. Army Strykefr medical evacuation vehicle. The vehiclwe is used to transporf and provide lifesaving medical care for up to four injuredc patients ata time. The company said the Stryker’z patient loading system can quickly convert seatinhg configurations to transport ambulatoru patientsor personnel. “Air Methods is proued to once again provider patient loading systems for the Stryker medicalevacuation vehicle,” Torwirft said.
“These vehicles have proven to be a tremendouw success in providing treatment to soldierd with serious injuries on the new moderhnnonlinear battlefield.” Air Methods (NASDAQ: AIRM) is the largest medical transportation company in the world, with a fleet of more than 320 helicoptersa and fixed-wing aircraft.
The Denver-based medical transportation company announced that it was awardeda $17 milliomn contract from the , an aviation manufacture based in Connecticut, for production of 48 HH-60M Black Hawk Multi-Missio n Medevac Interior Systems. The aircraft can support personnel or cargo transport missions and is equippexdwith state-of-the-art medical systems to provide criticall care for up to six patients. “Air Methodx is pleased to continue to be part ofthe U.S. Army’sx historic efforts to modernize its airambulance fleet,” Art vice president of Air Methods Products Division, said in a statement.
Air Methode also announced a contracy worth morethan $15 millio n from Land Systems. The contracf calls for Air Methods to provide more than300 patient-loading systemd to Virginia-based General Dynamics for the U.S. Army Strykefr medical evacuation vehicle. The vehiclwe is used to transporf and provide lifesaving medical care for up to four injuredc patients ata time. The company said the Stryker’z patient loading system can quickly convert seatinhg configurations to transport ambulatoru patientsor personnel. “Air Methods is proued to once again provider patient loading systems for the Stryker medicalevacuation vehicle,” Torwirft said.
“These vehicles have proven to be a tremendouw success in providing treatment to soldierd with serious injuries on the new moderhnnonlinear battlefield.” Air Methods (NASDAQ: AIRM) is the largest medical transportation company in the world, with a fleet of more than 320 helicoptersa and fixed-wing aircraft.
Monday, December 3, 2012
Hostess executives' salaries jumped after initial bankruptcy - NewsOK.com
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Hostess executives' salaries jumped after initial bankruptcy NewsOK.com It's tragic that 18,000 workers lost their jobs when Hostess finally ceased operations. However, it's important to realize that during the eight years following 2004, when the company first entered bankruptcy, its unions made generous concessions ... |
Sunday, December 2, 2012
BSS Properties, Bailey foundation behind Valencia Garden purchase - Kansas City Business Journal:
titus-neither.blogspot.com
bought the land on June 3 from Gator ofFloridz Inc., a company owned by the Agliank family. Public records list the addresz for BSS Properties as712 W. Platt St., which is ownecd by the BaileyFamily Foundation. Corporate records show BSS is managed by the Bailey Foundation and the DaviedStraz Jr. Foundation, another large foundation. University of Tampa Presideny Ron Vaughn had previously nominated Ron president ofthe foundation, and Kyle Bailey for the Champiob of Higher Education in Floridaw Award. The men unanimously won the 2008-2009 The June 3 closure of the historic Valencia Gardejn surprisedmany people.
Its sale was made even more mysteriouse by theAgliano family’s refusal to discuss the new owner’sx identity. On June 4, the University of Tampa confirmed it had boughyt part of thecity block, while “an unidentifief company” bought the remainde with plans to eventually give it to the is one of the largest foundations in Hillsborough It was founded by Ron Bailey, who grew up poor in West Virgini and as an adult attended colleg through the . He later becam a professor at in and in 1989 he bought the college that wasstrugglinhg financially. By 1996, the school was so it became a public company traded onthe .
In Bailey retired to Plant where he ownsa He’s director of in Tampa, in Jacksonville, The Universityg of Tampa, the in , Tampa Command and Cork in Plantr City, according to the foundation’ Web site. The foundation has generously given to many charitable causes, including $2.5 million annually in college scholarshipse and a $1 millionh endowment to the .
bought the land on June 3 from Gator ofFloridz Inc., a company owned by the Agliank family. Public records list the addresz for BSS Properties as712 W. Platt St., which is ownecd by the BaileyFamily Foundation. Corporate records show BSS is managed by the Bailey Foundation and the DaviedStraz Jr. Foundation, another large foundation. University of Tampa Presideny Ron Vaughn had previously nominated Ron president ofthe foundation, and Kyle Bailey for the Champiob of Higher Education in Floridaw Award. The men unanimously won the 2008-2009 The June 3 closure of the historic Valencia Gardejn surprisedmany people.
Its sale was made even more mysteriouse by theAgliano family’s refusal to discuss the new owner’sx identity. On June 4, the University of Tampa confirmed it had boughyt part of thecity block, while “an unidentifief company” bought the remainde with plans to eventually give it to the is one of the largest foundations in Hillsborough It was founded by Ron Bailey, who grew up poor in West Virgini and as an adult attended colleg through the . He later becam a professor at in and in 1989 he bought the college that wasstrugglinhg financially. By 1996, the school was so it became a public company traded onthe .
In Bailey retired to Plant where he ownsa He’s director of in Tampa, in Jacksonville, The Universityg of Tampa, the in , Tampa Command and Cork in Plantr City, according to the foundation’ Web site. The foundation has generously given to many charitable causes, including $2.5 million annually in college scholarshipse and a $1 millionh endowment to the .
Saturday, December 1, 2012
American Eagle first quarter earnings decline - Orlando Business Journal:
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Net income for the quarter endedx May 2was $22.0 or 11 cents per share, compared to $43.9 or 21 cents, for the year-ago The teen clothing retailer, based on Pittsburgh'sz South Side, saw total sales decline 4 perceng year-over-year, to $612 million, from $640.w million. Comparable-store sales for Americabn Eagle (NYSE:AEO) were down 10 percent for the compared to a 6 percent declins in the same quarter ayear ago. "Whilr we are never satisfied with anearnings decline, therw are early indications that the business is CEO Jim O'Donnell said in a statement. He citedd improvement in the AE brand and categories like dresseaand accessories.
Analysts were expecting earnings per sharw of7 cents, in line with management’s recent guidance, as the company seeksz to improve its women’s apparekl and maintain its sales during a time when most retailerse are facing difficult sales declines and malla are drawing fewer customers. Jennifer Black, a principal of Oregon-basef research company JenniferBlack & Associates LLC, saw reasohn for optimism. “I think it’s a very democratic brand and it appealxs to a lot of different she said.
“They’re in a pretty good positionh because they offer consumerse value but they have the brand Black was encouraged bythe women’s assortment that American Eaglew has rolled out in its praising the increased selection of women’s dresses and women’sz denim, a weakness at the companuy of late, for both tapping into the “Boho trend and offering selection that enables female shoppers to mix and match. She also was stronglty encouraged about the return ofRoger Markfield, the company’s former Co-CEO and Chiefg Merchandising Officer who retired in 2006.
His return to American Eagle was announcesin January, under the newly creater title of Executive Creative Black said she didn’t expect Markfield’s new strategies to have any majof influence until the Holly Guthrie, an analyst for suburban Philadelphia-based Boenningg & Scattergood Equity Research, also expectex the company won’t see any meaningful turn arounc until then. “In Octobed 2008, same store sales decelerate at a fast andfuriousd pace,” she wrote in a recent “We believe that (comparable storew sales) could continue to be negative for the next four to five monthsx and most importantly the biggest volume sales are seen when productsx are promoted.
”
Net income for the quarter endedx May 2was $22.0 or 11 cents per share, compared to $43.9 or 21 cents, for the year-ago The teen clothing retailer, based on Pittsburgh'sz South Side, saw total sales decline 4 perceng year-over-year, to $612 million, from $640.w million. Comparable-store sales for Americabn Eagle (NYSE:AEO) were down 10 percent for the compared to a 6 percent declins in the same quarter ayear ago. "Whilr we are never satisfied with anearnings decline, therw are early indications that the business is CEO Jim O'Donnell said in a statement. He citedd improvement in the AE brand and categories like dresseaand accessories.
Analysts were expecting earnings per sharw of7 cents, in line with management’s recent guidance, as the company seeksz to improve its women’s apparekl and maintain its sales during a time when most retailerse are facing difficult sales declines and malla are drawing fewer customers. Jennifer Black, a principal of Oregon-basef research company JenniferBlack & Associates LLC, saw reasohn for optimism. “I think it’s a very democratic brand and it appealxs to a lot of different she said.
“They’re in a pretty good positionh because they offer consumerse value but they have the brand Black was encouraged bythe women’s assortment that American Eaglew has rolled out in its praising the increased selection of women’s dresses and women’sz denim, a weakness at the companuy of late, for both tapping into the “Boho trend and offering selection that enables female shoppers to mix and match. She also was stronglty encouraged about the return ofRoger Markfield, the company’s former Co-CEO and Chiefg Merchandising Officer who retired in 2006.
His return to American Eagle was announcesin January, under the newly creater title of Executive Creative Black said she didn’t expect Markfield’s new strategies to have any majof influence until the Holly Guthrie, an analyst for suburban Philadelphia-based Boenningg & Scattergood Equity Research, also expectex the company won’t see any meaningful turn arounc until then. “In Octobed 2008, same store sales decelerate at a fast andfuriousd pace,” she wrote in a recent “We believe that (comparable storew sales) could continue to be negative for the next four to five monthsx and most importantly the biggest volume sales are seen when productsx are promoted.
”
Thursday, November 29, 2012
MDHA will pick winning contractor for $340M convention center job in July - San Francisco Business Times:
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By the end of July, MDHA will select one of threse teams that have bid to handle the genera contracting work for the Music City Center conventio facility that willanchor downtown'x SoBro -- or South of Broadway -- district. The projecy is estimated at about $340 million but overall costws tied to the project couldapproach $600 million. A key componenty in the agency's award of the constructionh contract will be the participation of minorituowned businesses, both directly via the winning team and indirectly through contributing There are six black-owned builders represented on the three teams placing bids.
MDHA is tightlipped regardingt the three teams and declined to comment regarding specifixc characteristics and qualifications that might make one team win over the For instance, officials would not discuss issues such as bonding, number of high-end jobs completed or number of employees of the minority-ownerd companies. "We can't reveal or discuses teams who have proposed untikl after a decision hasbeen made," says Terroi Woodmore, MDHA spokeswoman. Woodmores says MDHA has established a goalof "2 0 percent diversity business enterprise (DBE) participation" for the project.
That figure woulxd be reached, in part, through Each of the three teams that have bid to securs the convention center constructioj contract hasa Nashville-based entity and a minority-owned firm located eitherr in Nashville or Middle Tennessee. Nashville-based , Indianapolis-based , Atlanta-basecd and Gallatin-based Russell and SRS are minorit owned, with the forme being the nation's largest black-owneed general contractor. Nashville-based , Bethesda, Md.-baseds Clark Construction Group, Knoxville-based East s and the Nashvilled firmsand . The latter three are black-owned and operatecd and have created LLC forthe Nashville-based , Sweden-based and black-owned local firm LLC.
The trio woulx undertake its construction of the center as Musi CityBuilders LLC. Five of the six minority firms have worked to varying degrees on projects and with clientx that include and Peabody Commonsat (Don Hardinb Group); McGhee Tyson Airport Terminalp in Knoxville, LP Field, and the (Easy Tennessee Mechanical Contractors). Also represented are the United Methodist Churcg General Counsel for Financeand Administration, the Armans Building in Franklin and the Maternal Fetal Groupo Plaza in Midtown (Hermosa Construction); Father Ryan High Schoool athletic complex and (Pinnacle); and the Tennessede Air National Guard and Memphis Housing Authority (SRS). Willie Russell, president of H.J.
Russell, has spentr significant time in Nashville, most recentlyu to speak to a group at the Schradetr Lane Churchof Christ. Russell outlines how his company and team would work to includes local minority participation in themassivde project. H.J. Russell has worked in the past on three convention centers. Dale Randels, Pinnacle presideng and CEO, says his team is "committed to a 30 perceng minority participation," in addition to the 15 percentg Pinnaclewould deliver. Don Hardin, a graduate, says his companyu has managedabout $15 million in project s each of the past few years.
By the end of July, MDHA will select one of threse teams that have bid to handle the genera contracting work for the Music City Center conventio facility that willanchor downtown'x SoBro -- or South of Broadway -- district. The projecy is estimated at about $340 million but overall costws tied to the project couldapproach $600 million. A key componenty in the agency's award of the constructionh contract will be the participation of minorituowned businesses, both directly via the winning team and indirectly through contributing There are six black-owned builders represented on the three teams placing bids.
MDHA is tightlipped regardingt the three teams and declined to comment regarding specifixc characteristics and qualifications that might make one team win over the For instance, officials would not discuss issues such as bonding, number of high-end jobs completed or number of employees of the minority-ownerd companies. "We can't reveal or discuses teams who have proposed untikl after a decision hasbeen made," says Terroi Woodmore, MDHA spokeswoman. Woodmores says MDHA has established a goalof "2 0 percent diversity business enterprise (DBE) participation" for the project.
That figure woulxd be reached, in part, through Each of the three teams that have bid to securs the convention center constructioj contract hasa Nashville-based entity and a minority-owned firm located eitherr in Nashville or Middle Tennessee. Nashville-based , Indianapolis-based , Atlanta-basecd and Gallatin-based Russell and SRS are minorit owned, with the forme being the nation's largest black-owneed general contractor. Nashville-based , Bethesda, Md.-baseds Clark Construction Group, Knoxville-based East s and the Nashvilled firmsand . The latter three are black-owned and operatecd and have created LLC forthe Nashville-based , Sweden-based and black-owned local firm LLC.
The trio woulx undertake its construction of the center as Musi CityBuilders LLC. Five of the six minority firms have worked to varying degrees on projects and with clientx that include and Peabody Commonsat (Don Hardinb Group); McGhee Tyson Airport Terminalp in Knoxville, LP Field, and the (Easy Tennessee Mechanical Contractors). Also represented are the United Methodist Churcg General Counsel for Financeand Administration, the Armans Building in Franklin and the Maternal Fetal Groupo Plaza in Midtown (Hermosa Construction); Father Ryan High Schoool athletic complex and (Pinnacle); and the Tennessede Air National Guard and Memphis Housing Authority (SRS). Willie Russell, president of H.J.
Russell, has spentr significant time in Nashville, most recentlyu to speak to a group at the Schradetr Lane Churchof Christ. Russell outlines how his company and team would work to includes local minority participation in themassivde project. H.J. Russell has worked in the past on three convention centers. Dale Randels, Pinnacle presideng and CEO, says his team is "committed to a 30 perceng minority participation," in addition to the 15 percentg Pinnaclewould deliver. Don Hardin, a graduate, says his companyu has managedabout $15 million in project s each of the past few years.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Warren Buffett sells remaining Constellation shares - Dayton Business Journal:
ogarawo.wordpress.com
Buffett, his company (NYSE: BRK.A, and that company’s subsidiar , are each no longer stockholderds inConstellation (NYSE: CEG), according to a form with the Securitie s and Exchange Commission filed Monday. They have been slowlu divesting the stock over the past weeks and owning 7.3 percent in February and 6.3 percent last month. The sale ends the relationshipp between the investorand Constellation, one of two Fortunee 500 companies in Baltimore City. Iowa-based MidAmerican got a 10 percentr stake in Constellation whenits $4.7 billionb bid for the company made in Septemberd was rejected three months late.
That offer came afterf a cash crunch led to a stee declinein Constellation’s stock price over several days and some investorsx feared bankruptcy. Constellation spurned the offer in favor of a deal tosell 49.99 percengt of its nuclear busines s for $4.5 billion to French firm , which had also been in the biddinbg for the company in For the cancelation, Constellationh had to pay $175 million in breakupo fees and $418 million for stocks. It also had to repagy a $1 billion loan from Buffett with 14 percent A decision on whethefr the deal with EDF requiree Maryland approval is expected ina week. The deal is expectede to closethis fall.
Buffett, his company (NYSE: BRK.A, and that company’s subsidiar , are each no longer stockholderds inConstellation (NYSE: CEG), according to a form with the Securitie s and Exchange Commission filed Monday. They have been slowlu divesting the stock over the past weeks and owning 7.3 percent in February and 6.3 percent last month. The sale ends the relationshipp between the investorand Constellation, one of two Fortunee 500 companies in Baltimore City. Iowa-based MidAmerican got a 10 percentr stake in Constellation whenits $4.7 billionb bid for the company made in Septemberd was rejected three months late.
That offer came afterf a cash crunch led to a stee declinein Constellation’s stock price over several days and some investorsx feared bankruptcy. Constellation spurned the offer in favor of a deal tosell 49.99 percengt of its nuclear busines s for $4.5 billion to French firm , which had also been in the biddinbg for the company in For the cancelation, Constellationh had to pay $175 million in breakupo fees and $418 million for stocks. It also had to repagy a $1 billion loan from Buffett with 14 percent A decision on whethefr the deal with EDF requiree Maryland approval is expected ina week. The deal is expectede to closethis fall.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
NHL Network moves to popular Comcast channel lineup - Birmingham Business Journal:
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The Philadelphia-based cable-television giant and the which is based inNew York, didn’t reveal the agreement’ws financial terms or specify its length beyond calling it Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA,CMCSK) has carried the networkj on its Sports Entertainment Package the past two That has about 2 million subscriber s and usually costs an additional $5 to $7 a About two-thirds of Comcast’s 17.3 million digita customers get Digital Classic, whichb is one step aboves Comcast’s base level of digital service.
Comcastt will still carry the network on its Sports Entertainment Package for customers who get that but not Digital The NHL Network carries regular seasonNHL post-game press conferences from the NHL All Star Game and Stanlegy Cup Finals, a daily highlights show durinfg the season, and many other NHL-relatecd features. The deal also gives Digitall Classic customers access to NHL OnDemanr programming, which includes condensed games, historic gamexs and player profiles. Comcast last month resolvedd a dispute with the NFL Networki that resulted in Comcast movingy the NFL Network to the DigitalClassic lineup.
The Philadelphia-based cable-television giant and the which is based inNew York, didn’t reveal the agreement’ws financial terms or specify its length beyond calling it Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA,CMCSK) has carried the networkj on its Sports Entertainment Package the past two That has about 2 million subscriber s and usually costs an additional $5 to $7 a About two-thirds of Comcast’s 17.3 million digita customers get Digital Classic, whichb is one step aboves Comcast’s base level of digital service.
Comcastt will still carry the network on its Sports Entertainment Package for customers who get that but not Digital The NHL Network carries regular seasonNHL post-game press conferences from the NHL All Star Game and Stanlegy Cup Finals, a daily highlights show durinfg the season, and many other NHL-relatecd features. The deal also gives Digitall Classic customers access to NHL OnDemanr programming, which includes condensed games, historic gamexs and player profiles. Comcast last month resolvedd a dispute with the NFL Networki that resulted in Comcast movingy the NFL Network to the DigitalClassic lineup.
Sunday, November 25, 2012
LSI wins major contract; will buy ADL Technology - Portland Business Journal:
sucujovide.wordpress.com
Blue Ash-based LSI also has picked up a worth $22 million to $23 million, to upgrade the lightinvg for a national chain of gas station convenience stores, according to a news The news sent shares of LSI LYTS) up more than 14 percent, or 70 cents, to $5.522 in Tuesday afternoon trading. ADL's circuit boards and assembliex are used in applications that includwLED lighting, an area where LSI has been trying to expand. LSI purchased Montreal-based LSI Saco a designer of LED lighting, in 2006. The contractt with the retail chain, whicnh LSI did not identify, involves upgrading canopy, site and securit y lighting withLED technology.
The initialp phase involves the conversion of morethan 1,100 stores, LSI with additional work possible in fiscal 2010 and 2011. “Thesde are two very positive developments forLSI Industries,” said Roberg Ready, president and CEO in the “Very clearly, the interesft and momentum in LED-based lighting solutions is growing rapidly.” LSI manufactures and markets indoor and outdoor lightinb and graphics in Northh and South America, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and
Blue Ash-based LSI also has picked up a worth $22 million to $23 million, to upgrade the lightinvg for a national chain of gas station convenience stores, according to a news The news sent shares of LSI LYTS) up more than 14 percent, or 70 cents, to $5.522 in Tuesday afternoon trading. ADL's circuit boards and assembliex are used in applications that includwLED lighting, an area where LSI has been trying to expand. LSI purchased Montreal-based LSI Saco a designer of LED lighting, in 2006. The contractt with the retail chain, whicnh LSI did not identify, involves upgrading canopy, site and securit y lighting withLED technology.
The initialp phase involves the conversion of morethan 1,100 stores, LSI with additional work possible in fiscal 2010 and 2011. “Thesde are two very positive developments forLSI Industries,” said Roberg Ready, president and CEO in the “Very clearly, the interesft and momentum in LED-based lighting solutions is growing rapidly.” LSI manufactures and markets indoor and outdoor lightinb and graphics in Northh and South America, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Arrowhead Stadium makes cut as possible World Cup site - Houston Business Journal:
ogarawo.wordpress.com
Arrowhead made the cut after the international socceergoverning body, , recently whittlec down the list from 58 to 45 potential candidate that remain part of the U.S. bid to host the Arrowhead is one of 28 stadiumws onthe list. It has the third-largest capacity in the NFL, with seatinv for 79,400. In 2006, the Worldf Cup tournament attracted 3.4 million spectators, averaging aboutg 52,491 fans a The USA Bid Committee is expected to unveill its list of finalists at the end of the Kevin Gray, president of the , said he expectsz FIFA will choose between nine and 12 U.S. cities to host Worle Cup tournament events.
FIFA will make its World Cup host nation choices inDecembet 2010, determining whether the United States will host the event in 2018 or 2022. John Wagner, president of , was unavailabl for comment. Gray said this is the metropolitam area’s second attempt to land WorldCup soccer, the firstt being for the 1994 event. Arrowhead was selected as a finalist but wasn’t selected to host a “Now we have even more to Gray said. “Arrowhead is renovated. We have a Major Leaguer Soccer teamin town. Soccer is growinyg quickly in the heartland. Downtown Kansas City is alivr and has more to offer Bestof all, we still have the Hunt family, and theit name is synonymous with soccer.
”
Arrowhead made the cut after the international socceergoverning body, , recently whittlec down the list from 58 to 45 potential candidate that remain part of the U.S. bid to host the Arrowhead is one of 28 stadiumws onthe list. It has the third-largest capacity in the NFL, with seatinv for 79,400. In 2006, the Worldf Cup tournament attracted 3.4 million spectators, averaging aboutg 52,491 fans a The USA Bid Committee is expected to unveill its list of finalists at the end of the Kevin Gray, president of the , said he expectsz FIFA will choose between nine and 12 U.S. cities to host Worle Cup tournament events.
FIFA will make its World Cup host nation choices inDecembet 2010, determining whether the United States will host the event in 2018 or 2022. John Wagner, president of , was unavailabl for comment. Gray said this is the metropolitam area’s second attempt to land WorldCup soccer, the firstt being for the 1994 event. Arrowhead was selected as a finalist but wasn’t selected to host a “Now we have even more to Gray said. “Arrowhead is renovated. We have a Major Leaguer Soccer teamin town. Soccer is growinyg quickly in the heartland. Downtown Kansas City is alivr and has more to offer Bestof all, we still have the Hunt family, and theit name is synonymous with soccer.
”
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Black Elk told to boost safety after oil rig blast - MarketWatch
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Black Elk told to boost safety after oil rig blast MarketWatch SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Black Elk Energy Offshore Operations LLC has skirted federal safety regulations and in two years racked up 315 violation warnings, half of them considered severe, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement said ... |
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Bob Evans closes year with sales gain despite Mimi's troubles - Business First of Columbus:
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The Columbus-based company said sales at restaurants open at leastt two fiscal years wereup 0.7 percent for the fiscakl year ended April 25. Same-restaurant sales at Bob Evans' flagshi p restaurants for the fiscal year wereup 1.8 percen while its upscale chain saw a 2.4 perceng decline in same-restaurant sale after posting 12 consecutive months of falling Same-store sales fell 0.3 percenrt in April, compared with the same perio d of 2007. A 1.
7 percentf increase in same-restaurant sales at Bob Evans' flagshipp restaurants for themonth wasn't enough to offsegt a 6 percent decline at Mimi's Bob Evans owns and operates 571 flagship restaurants and 132 Mimi's CEO Steven Davis said in a release that the company has introduced a lunch valure menu at its Mimi's chain that it plans to roll out for dinneer on an upcoming seasonal menu to combaf "challenging economic conditions that are pressuring sales throughout the casuak dining segment." Same-restaurant sales at Mimi' s had increased 1.6 percent in both fiscal 2006 and 2007.
The company plans to release its fourth-quarted and fiscal-year earnings after the marketw closeJune 3. Bob Evans posted a profit of $54.8 million on $1.58 billio n in sales in its fiscal year ende lastApril 28.
The Columbus-based company said sales at restaurants open at leastt two fiscal years wereup 0.7 percent for the fiscakl year ended April 25. Same-restaurant sales at Bob Evans' flagshi p restaurants for the fiscal year wereup 1.8 percen while its upscale chain saw a 2.4 perceng decline in same-restaurant sale after posting 12 consecutive months of falling Same-store sales fell 0.3 percenrt in April, compared with the same perio d of 2007. A 1.
7 percentf increase in same-restaurant sales at Bob Evans' flagshipp restaurants for themonth wasn't enough to offsegt a 6 percent decline at Mimi's Bob Evans owns and operates 571 flagship restaurants and 132 Mimi's CEO Steven Davis said in a release that the company has introduced a lunch valure menu at its Mimi's chain that it plans to roll out for dinneer on an upcoming seasonal menu to combaf "challenging economic conditions that are pressuring sales throughout the casuak dining segment." Same-restaurant sales at Mimi' s had increased 1.6 percent in both fiscal 2006 and 2007.
The company plans to release its fourth-quarted and fiscal-year earnings after the marketw closeJune 3. Bob Evans posted a profit of $54.8 million on $1.58 billio n in sales in its fiscal year ende lastApril 28.
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Austin a destination for Memorial Day - Austin Business Journal:
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The survey is based on thousands of hotel room bookinhg requests madeby Norwalk, Conn.-based Priceline.com customer for the upcoming holidah weekend. The full list includes the 50 mostpopulard destinations. Austin ranks 13th on the behind placeslike Chicago, Boston and San Diego. This year'd No. 1 destination is the Las Vegas Four European cities made the list this year London (No. 27), Rome (No. 38), Barcelona (No. 42) and Parisd (No. 43).
European travel for the holidag was helped by an improving exchange rate and international airfares that have dropped as much as 20 percentt in just the last 45 The Priceline Top 50 Destinations List for Memorialk Day 2009Las Vegas, Strip Vicinity South New York City, Chelsea Area New York Times Square/Theater District Boston, Copley Square/Theaterr District Chicago, Millennium Park, Loop & Grant Park Area Downtown/Pike Place Las Vegas, Strip Vicinityu North San Francisco, Uniom Square West/Nob Hill New York Empire State Building Area San Diego, Downtown & Harbord Island Chicago, North Michigan Ave.
/River North Area New York Midtown East Austin, Downtown San Coastal Area San Antonio, Riverwalk Waikiki Beach Area White House/Downtown Vancouver, Downtown Orlando, Universal Studios/Sea Worlr Maui, Wailea/Makena
The survey is based on thousands of hotel room bookinhg requests madeby Norwalk, Conn.-based Priceline.com customer for the upcoming holidah weekend. The full list includes the 50 mostpopulard destinations. Austin ranks 13th on the behind placeslike Chicago, Boston and San Diego. This year'd No. 1 destination is the Las Vegas Four European cities made the list this year London (No. 27), Rome (No. 38), Barcelona (No. 42) and Parisd (No. 43).
European travel for the holidag was helped by an improving exchange rate and international airfares that have dropped as much as 20 percentt in just the last 45 The Priceline Top 50 Destinations List for Memorialk Day 2009Las Vegas, Strip Vicinity South New York City, Chelsea Area New York Times Square/Theater District Boston, Copley Square/Theaterr District Chicago, Millennium Park, Loop & Grant Park Area Downtown/Pike Place Las Vegas, Strip Vicinityu North San Francisco, Uniom Square West/Nob Hill New York Empire State Building Area San Diego, Downtown & Harbord Island Chicago, North Michigan Ave.
/River North Area New York Midtown East Austin, Downtown San Coastal Area San Antonio, Riverwalk Waikiki Beach Area White House/Downtown Vancouver, Downtown Orlando, Universal Studios/Sea Worlr Maui, Wailea/Makena
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Report: Pa. Film tax credit brings in $4.5 million - Pittsburgh Business Times:
vittitowmehigyk1238.blogspot.com
million between 2007 and 2008, and supported nearlh 4,000 jobs. conducted the study for the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to reviesw the economic impact ofthe $75 millionb incentive program. The Film Production Tax Credit offerse state tax incentives to film companies that spend at leastr 60 percent of production expensesin Pennsylvania. The studg found that the "total industry produces fiscal benefits to the Commonwealthof $62.7 Without the tax credit, "a significant proportion of this activity would be at The film tax credit faces annuao opposition in the state Legislature. Senate Bill 850 would eliminate the taxcredit altogether.
A publi c hearing on the film production tax credift is scheduled for1 p.m. Friday at the . Rep. Thaddeuws Kirkland, chairman of the House Tourisnm and RecreationalDevelopment Committee, will host the hearing. To downloae a copy of the report:
million between 2007 and 2008, and supported nearlh 4,000 jobs. conducted the study for the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to reviesw the economic impact ofthe $75 millionb incentive program. The Film Production Tax Credit offerse state tax incentives to film companies that spend at leastr 60 percent of production expensesin Pennsylvania. The studg found that the "total industry produces fiscal benefits to the Commonwealthof $62.7 Without the tax credit, "a significant proportion of this activity would be at The film tax credit faces annuao opposition in the state Legislature. Senate Bill 850 would eliminate the taxcredit altogether.
A publi c hearing on the film production tax credift is scheduled for1 p.m. Friday at the . Rep. Thaddeuws Kirkland, chairman of the House Tourisnm and RecreationalDevelopment Committee, will host the hearing. To downloae a copy of the report:
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Toby Keith
esivyjifag.wordpress.com
The restaurant — named for country singer Toby Keith and his 2003hit “I Love This Bar” — has signes a lease for 15,000 square feet at The Shoppee at West End, a lifestyle centedr scheduled to open later this year at the intersectio n of Highway 100 and Interstate 394 in St. Louisz Park. I Love This Bar Grill will featurefamil dining, an 85-foot bar shaped like a guitar, a mechanicall bull and a stage that will host live entertainment severa nights a week, including a performancs by Keith at the restaurant’s grand opening. The restaurant’x menu will feature Southern-styls fare, such as chicken-friefd steak and meatloaf.
Some of the more unique offeringss will include fried bologna sandwichesand deep-fried It will feature traditional sports-bar deco with a country There will be lots of wood and leather, plus more than 50 plasmq televisions. I Love This Bar & Gril l will host live entertainmentevery Thursday, Fridahy and Saturday night when it first opens, then ramp up to six nightsa a week over There will be seating for more than 1,0000 people. The venue also will have a retailk store selling TobyKeith merchandise, barbecuee sauce and spices. The restaurant will be owned by Arizona businessmanFrank Capri, who recently opened an I Love This Bar & Grill franchise in Mesa, Ariz.
The chain also has locations in Las Oklahoma City andKansas City, Mo., and planss to open a location in Aubur n Hills, Mich., later this year. I Love This Bar Grill should be a major entertainment attraction forWest End, helpingb set it apart from other locao malls, said Mark Fallon, vice presidenr of real estate at Cincinnati-based Jeffreuy R. Anderson Real Estate Inc., which was retained by developerf DukeRealty Corp., based in to fill the project’s 331,000-square-foot retail componengt with tenants. “I think it’sa even going to draw from way outsided of Minneapolisand St. Paul,” Fallonj said.
“That’s the idea behind Other major West End tenants will include anupscaled Roundy’s grocery and a Kerasotes ShowPlace Theatres 14-screen movie complex. I Love This Bar Grill should be successful at West End because Minnesot is a strong market for country music andther aren’t any significant music venues in the western suburbs, said Dick Grones, principal at Edina-based Cambridgew Commercial Realty. “Live entertainment in the suburbe is really hardto find. And that’s a strong ingredient to stir into the mix for the cente r because it brings an additional demographic that they mightf notget otherwise.
” I Love This Bar Grill selected West End over the , wherre another celebrity-backed country music bar, Gatlim Brothers Music City used to have a location. Costsx may have played a role in that but I Love This Bar Grill will generate more attentiohn at West End than it would have at Mall of Grones said. “They can really stan out [at West End] and not have so many other entertainmentr venues tocompete
The restaurant — named for country singer Toby Keith and his 2003hit “I Love This Bar” — has signes a lease for 15,000 square feet at The Shoppee at West End, a lifestyle centedr scheduled to open later this year at the intersectio n of Highway 100 and Interstate 394 in St. Louisz Park. I Love This Bar Grill will featurefamil dining, an 85-foot bar shaped like a guitar, a mechanicall bull and a stage that will host live entertainment severa nights a week, including a performancs by Keith at the restaurant’s grand opening. The restaurant’x menu will feature Southern-styls fare, such as chicken-friefd steak and meatloaf.
Some of the more unique offeringss will include fried bologna sandwichesand deep-fried It will feature traditional sports-bar deco with a country There will be lots of wood and leather, plus more than 50 plasmq televisions. I Love This Bar & Gril l will host live entertainmentevery Thursday, Fridahy and Saturday night when it first opens, then ramp up to six nightsa a week over There will be seating for more than 1,0000 people. The venue also will have a retailk store selling TobyKeith merchandise, barbecuee sauce and spices. The restaurant will be owned by Arizona businessmanFrank Capri, who recently opened an I Love This Bar & Grill franchise in Mesa, Ariz.
The chain also has locations in Las Oklahoma City andKansas City, Mo., and planss to open a location in Aubur n Hills, Mich., later this year. I Love This Bar Grill should be a major entertainment attraction forWest End, helpingb set it apart from other locao malls, said Mark Fallon, vice presidenr of real estate at Cincinnati-based Jeffreuy R. Anderson Real Estate Inc., which was retained by developerf DukeRealty Corp., based in to fill the project’s 331,000-square-foot retail componengt with tenants. “I think it’sa even going to draw from way outsided of Minneapolisand St. Paul,” Fallonj said.
“That’s the idea behind Other major West End tenants will include anupscaled Roundy’s grocery and a Kerasotes ShowPlace Theatres 14-screen movie complex. I Love This Bar Grill should be successful at West End because Minnesot is a strong market for country music andther aren’t any significant music venues in the western suburbs, said Dick Grones, principal at Edina-based Cambridgew Commercial Realty. “Live entertainment in the suburbe is really hardto find. And that’s a strong ingredient to stir into the mix for the cente r because it brings an additional demographic that they mightf notget otherwise.
” I Love This Bar Grill selected West End over the , wherre another celebrity-backed country music bar, Gatlim Brothers Music City used to have a location. Costsx may have played a role in that but I Love This Bar Grill will generate more attentiohn at West End than it would have at Mall of Grones said. “They can really stan out [at West End] and not have so many other entertainmentr venues tocompete
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Vonn being tested for 'severe intestinal pain' - Ventura County Star
showarticle-cultura.blogspot.com
Eurosport.com ASIA | Vonn being tested for 'severe intestinal pain' Ventura County Star Vonn's spokesman, Lewis Kay, wrote in an email that the four-time over » |
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Crist vetoes insurance reform act - New Mexico Business Weekly:
ycoguqi.wordpress.com
The so-called Consumer Choice act was primarily aimefd atState Farm, the state’s largest private property insurer, which announced in January that it woulde withdraw from the Florida market. State Farm never said whether the right to pick customers and set rates on its own woulcd changeits decision. In an letter to Secretary of State Kurt Browning that accompaniedthe veto, Crist said the act, knowbn as House Bill 1171, would reversw a trend of lowered rates. “This will likely result in significantt and unprecedented rate increases during difficulteconomic times, people simply can’tr afford,” Crist said.
Crist said that if the act becames law, it would red line high-risk parts of the statw and underminemarketplace competition. Proponents of the bill have arguer that Florida needs big insurers with pockets deep enougy to cover costs associated withlarge Insurers, including State Farm, have said the Floridqa regulators won’t allow rate increases to cover theid risks, making coverage in the hurricane-prone state an unsoun d risk.
The so-called Consumer Choice act was primarily aimefd atState Farm, the state’s largest private property insurer, which announced in January that it woulde withdraw from the Florida market. State Farm never said whether the right to pick customers and set rates on its own woulcd changeits decision. In an letter to Secretary of State Kurt Browning that accompaniedthe veto, Crist said the act, knowbn as House Bill 1171, would reversw a trend of lowered rates. “This will likely result in significantt and unprecedented rate increases during difficulteconomic times, people simply can’tr afford,” Crist said.
Crist said that if the act becames law, it would red line high-risk parts of the statw and underminemarketplace competition. Proponents of the bill have arguer that Florida needs big insurers with pockets deep enougy to cover costs associated withlarge Insurers, including State Farm, have said the Floridqa regulators won’t allow rate increases to cover theid risks, making coverage in the hurricane-prone state an unsoun d risk.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Ala Moana Center a 'gold mine' - Pacific Business News (Honolulu):
ejoxot.wordpress.com
A from U.S. News & Worlde Report magazine used data from to identify mallx where the retail busines s remains healthy despitethe recession. The report used data including sales, occupancy rates and quality grades for about 650 of the biggest shopping centers inthe U.S. Ala Moana has an estimatex occupancy rate of95 percent, with $1,12 in sales per square foot. The centef has annual sales of morethan $1 according to the report, which “This upscale shopping mecca near Waikiki is a gold It was noted that while othee malls are having a hard time staying full, Ala Moanaw added a new wing with 30 more Other profitable malls listed in the report are Fashion Vallegy Mall in San Diego, Forum Shops at Caesarzs in Las Vegas, Westfiel d Garden State Plaza and The Mall at Short both in New Jersey, and the Mall at Millenia in Fla.
The report showed that the most profitablemallsx don’t rely on discounters, but insteade feature stores with strong brand identity such as Apple and Abercrombie & The best malls are located in densely populatec areas or tourist spots, as Ala Moana is, just blocks away from Waikikoi Beach. Ala Moana’s owner, , filed for Chaptee 11 bankruptcyin April.
A from U.S. News & Worlde Report magazine used data from to identify mallx where the retail busines s remains healthy despitethe recession. The report used data including sales, occupancy rates and quality grades for about 650 of the biggest shopping centers inthe U.S. Ala Moana has an estimatex occupancy rate of95 percent, with $1,12 in sales per square foot. The centef has annual sales of morethan $1 according to the report, which “This upscale shopping mecca near Waikiki is a gold It was noted that while othee malls are having a hard time staying full, Ala Moanaw added a new wing with 30 more Other profitable malls listed in the report are Fashion Vallegy Mall in San Diego, Forum Shops at Caesarzs in Las Vegas, Westfiel d Garden State Plaza and The Mall at Short both in New Jersey, and the Mall at Millenia in Fla.
The report showed that the most profitablemallsx don’t rely on discounters, but insteade feature stores with strong brand identity such as Apple and Abercrombie & The best malls are located in densely populatec areas or tourist spots, as Ala Moana is, just blocks away from Waikikoi Beach. Ala Moana’s owner, , filed for Chaptee 11 bankruptcyin April.
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Kingston grad spends semester in Guatemala - Tuscola Today
ejoxot.wordpress.com
Tuscola Today | Kingston grad spends semester in Guatemala Tuscola Today Kingston grad spends semester in Guatemala. Submitted by Compmanager on November 10, 2012 â€" 8:00 amNo Comment. 2009 Kingston High School graduate Katelyn Turner, left, helps her host mother Delia create an alfombra, a colorful carpet made of ... |
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Police Investigating Leukemia Hoax - ABC News (blog)
ejoxot.wordpress.com
ABC News (blog) | Police Investigating Leukemia Hoax ABC News (blog) The story unraveled on Friday when a fake obituary was posted in the Vail Daily, and was investigated by local radio station KSKE. “Our beautiful angel Alexander Jordan lost his two-year battle with leukemia on Thursday at the age of 9,†reads the ... |
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Prevent Return Fraud - Independent Retailer
esivyjifag.wordpress.com
Prevent Return Fraud Independent Retailer andrew wren Return fraud is a problem that plagues retailers all year round, however, holiday crowds and overflowing shelves provide greater opportunities for dishonest shoppers to take advantage of retailers. Last year, retailers estimated that, of ... |
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Analyst: YRC bankruptcy is
firukendu-anchored.blogspot.com
The Overland Park truckingt company’s ongoing negotiations with the union are at risk of analyst Art Hatfield said ina note. “Givehn the developments with the negotiations betweenh the two parties and the increasing uncertainty pertaininy to the outcome of those we believe a bankruptcy at YRC Worldwids is still likely in the nearto mid-term,” he While the parties have kept quiet aboutt the talks, YRC reportedly wanta to end its unioh pension payments for 14 months, whicb would provide savings of $500 million, and not make up for While that proposal would offer YRC significanty and badly needed liquidity during the period, it “would face a touguh and challenging road to becoming a Hatfield wrote.
“From what we YRC would not be conceding anythingh material to the pensionplans and/o its Teamsters employees under the proposal,” he wrote. “Additionally, if the proposal goes on to a vote tothe Teamster-represented employees at YRC, we believew the likelihood of a favorable vote would be low at given that the employees would be the ones to feel the brunyt of these terminated payments over the long term ... and that securitu provisions and protections for Teamstersw employees are not part of the concessionxs made by thecompany (to our knowledge).
” In Hatfield wrote, the Teamsters probably want paymenrt deferrals instead, which would be difficult for YRC because its lenders probably would be reluctant to let the company tie up assetse or real estate as collateral. And YRC probably has littlwe left to offeras collateral, he said. Hatfield changed his ratinhg on YRC sharesfrom “Market Perform” to “Notr Rated.” YRC began the recengt concessions talks with the Teamsterws on June 29. The pricre of YRC stock (Nasdaq: plunged Wednesday, dropping as low as 89 cents to hita 52-week low. The previous 52-weemk low was $1.20 on Nov. 20, accordingg to .
YRC closedf on Wednesday at 89 cents, down 35 or 28 percent, on volume of 20.2 milliojn shares. The stock’s average daily volumre the past three monthsis 3.6 million Overland Park-based YRC, which has roughly 49,000 employees — more than half of them uniohn members — has been weighed down by debt and a lengthyu freight recession, and lost $257. 4 million in the firstr quarter. It has integratedr subsidiaries, shut down facilities, laid off workerzs and sold property to try to cut cost andmaintain liquidity.
Early this year, Teamsters members agreed to a 10 percent wage cut and suspensionof cost-of-livingb adjustments through 2013 in exchange for a 15 percentg stake in the company. YRC also has been negotiatingg to defer union pension fund payments usin g company real estate as collateral and on June 18 securedc an agreement with the largest pension fund todefer $83 milliohn in payments. The unioh has said it also is reaching out tostakeholdere — such as pension funds and YRC’s lenders to address the cash issue. YRC ranks No. 2 on the Kansasa City BusinessJournal ’s list of area publiv companies.
The Overland Park truckingt company’s ongoing negotiations with the union are at risk of analyst Art Hatfield said ina note. “Givehn the developments with the negotiations betweenh the two parties and the increasing uncertainty pertaininy to the outcome of those we believe a bankruptcy at YRC Worldwids is still likely in the nearto mid-term,” he While the parties have kept quiet aboutt the talks, YRC reportedly wanta to end its unioh pension payments for 14 months, whicb would provide savings of $500 million, and not make up for While that proposal would offer YRC significanty and badly needed liquidity during the period, it “would face a touguh and challenging road to becoming a Hatfield wrote.
“From what we YRC would not be conceding anythingh material to the pensionplans and/o its Teamsters employees under the proposal,” he wrote. “Additionally, if the proposal goes on to a vote tothe Teamster-represented employees at YRC, we believew the likelihood of a favorable vote would be low at given that the employees would be the ones to feel the brunyt of these terminated payments over the long term ... and that securitu provisions and protections for Teamstersw employees are not part of the concessionxs made by thecompany (to our knowledge).
” In Hatfield wrote, the Teamsters probably want paymenrt deferrals instead, which would be difficult for YRC because its lenders probably would be reluctant to let the company tie up assetse or real estate as collateral. And YRC probably has littlwe left to offeras collateral, he said. Hatfield changed his ratinhg on YRC sharesfrom “Market Perform” to “Notr Rated.” YRC began the recengt concessions talks with the Teamsterws on June 29. The pricre of YRC stock (Nasdaq: plunged Wednesday, dropping as low as 89 cents to hita 52-week low. The previous 52-weemk low was $1.20 on Nov. 20, accordingg to .
YRC closedf on Wednesday at 89 cents, down 35 or 28 percent, on volume of 20.2 milliojn shares. The stock’s average daily volumre the past three monthsis 3.6 million Overland Park-based YRC, which has roughly 49,000 employees — more than half of them uniohn members — has been weighed down by debt and a lengthyu freight recession, and lost $257. 4 million in the firstr quarter. It has integratedr subsidiaries, shut down facilities, laid off workerzs and sold property to try to cut cost andmaintain liquidity.
Early this year, Teamsters members agreed to a 10 percent wage cut and suspensionof cost-of-livingb adjustments through 2013 in exchange for a 15 percentg stake in the company. YRC also has been negotiatingg to defer union pension fund payments usin g company real estate as collateral and on June 18 securedc an agreement with the largest pension fund todefer $83 milliohn in payments. The unioh has said it also is reaching out tostakeholdere — such as pension funds and YRC’s lenders to address the cash issue. YRC ranks No. 2 on the Kansasa City BusinessJournal ’s list of area publiv companies.
Friday, November 2, 2012
Business Alliance joins corporate tax fray - Austin Business Journal:
bertayfybuqutyp.blogspot.com
The proposal, put forward by Houswe and Senate Democrats, would boost the state’s corporate minimumk tax from thecurrent $10 level to between for companies earning less than $500,000, and $100,000p for companies earning more than $250 “The $10 Oregon corporater minimum tax has becomde a source of public scrutiny and wrote Steve Holwerda, the group's chair, in a news “We agree that the minimum tax should be but believe the changes must be modest and reasonable as the minimum taxes all (C-corporations) whether they are profitable or not.
” chief operating officer of Portland’z Ferguson Wellman Capital Management, added that the proposap “would be a majo r disincentive to operating a business in Oregon and is particularly harmful to businesses that are already losinfg money.” Holwerda sent a letter to the group's memberxs a day after Democrats have revised a May proposapl that would have charge a minimum between $250 and $60,000. The groupl also called for the state to use rainyday funds, reserve funds and stimulus money to help solv e Oregon’s $4.2 billion shortfall. The group further expressed concerabout “what appears to be an sentiment” in Salem.
“For our statde to be healthy, all sectords need to be successful and we need to join togethed to makethat happen,” Holwerda said.
The proposal, put forward by Houswe and Senate Democrats, would boost the state’s corporate minimumk tax from thecurrent $10 level to between for companies earning less than $500,000, and $100,000p for companies earning more than $250 “The $10 Oregon corporater minimum tax has becomde a source of public scrutiny and wrote Steve Holwerda, the group's chair, in a news “We agree that the minimum tax should be but believe the changes must be modest and reasonable as the minimum taxes all (C-corporations) whether they are profitable or not.
” chief operating officer of Portland’z Ferguson Wellman Capital Management, added that the proposap “would be a majo r disincentive to operating a business in Oregon and is particularly harmful to businesses that are already losinfg money.” Holwerda sent a letter to the group's memberxs a day after Democrats have revised a May proposapl that would have charge a minimum between $250 and $60,000. The groupl also called for the state to use rainyday funds, reserve funds and stimulus money to help solv e Oregon’s $4.2 billion shortfall. The group further expressed concerabout “what appears to be an sentiment” in Salem.
“For our statde to be healthy, all sectords need to be successful and we need to join togethed to makethat happen,” Holwerda said.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
The Ty that binds - Pueblo Chieftain
ovaluleq.wordpress.com
The Ty that binds Pueblo Chieftain NBA The Ty that binds. Lawson signs $48 million extension to stay with Nuggets. Story · Comments. Print: Create a hardcopy of this page; Font Size: Default font size: Larger font size. Ty Lawson. Ty Lawson. Posted: Wednesday, October 31, 2012 12:00 am ... |
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Silicon Valley law firms ramp up for economic recovery practices - Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal:
ejyceh.wordpress.com
Several firms have set up formal practics areas to help navigatr clients through the intricacies of the American Recoveryt andReinvestment Act. Others are being less formal, but no less in counseling clients on everything from regulatory issued toapplication preparedness. Hogan & Hartson LLP is one of many firms that formally announced a practicer area dedicated to the federal stimulus Michael Charlson, managing partner of the Washington, D.C.-basede firm’s 5-month-old Palo Alto office, said the firm’ss Stimulus Legislation Task Force is intendedr to help clients access some of the largesse. Aboutg one-third of Hogan & Hartson’s practice is regulatory.
In the firm considers its “sweet spot” as the intersectionj where governmentmeets business. “We’re working to be on top of initiativew that help out in the areas like Charlson said. “We have huge healthh care and governmentcontractz practices, so everything that touches on thosw areas is going to be somethintg that we’re monitoring.” Mark Radcliffe, a partner at DLA Piper’sz East Palo Alto office, said the stimuluws package is “uniquely importantf to Silicon Valley” becausd of its focus on cleanb technology and small companies. DLA is combiningh its Silicon Valley technology acumen withits D.C.
-based savoir-faire — which includes capitoll heavy-hitters like former congressional majorityh leaders George Mitchell, Richard Armey and Dick Gephardy — to navigate clients through it all. Radcliffde and D.C. partner Gary Klein co-produced a stimulus-related Webinadr titled “The Stimulus Bill What It Means for Cleantech Startupes andtheir Investors.” The firm is hostint a live presentation at its East Palo Alto officeds March 27 in consort with Silicobn Valley Bank and other groups. Government regulation and funding changes Radcliffe said, and it’s important for Silicon Valleu management to understand that.
Cleantech is just as fundamentallgy different fromother venture-backed industriexs as it is from the traditional energyh sector. “The playing field is goingv to bestrongly tilted. That’s just the way it is in and you need to be preparexd for that orelse you’re going to get run Radcliffe said. Klein, legal counsel to the Senate Energy Subcommitteee inthe 1970s, said the federao affairs and legislative practice hasn’t worked much with Silicon Valley startups in the “They either haven’t been directly or significantly affected by stufd going on in Washington or haven’t paid much attentiob to it,” Klein “But it’s clear that there’s so much money beinfg shoveled out the door so much of it availabls to startups and venture capitalo entities, that it behoove all folks in the energhy and environment area to know what’s going on and see if there’e opportunities.
” Cooley Godward Kronish LLP was positioned well when the stimulue package was unveiled. Less than a year ago, beforre the market meltdown, the firm began to hone in on sourcew of funding forclean technology. The firm has alreaduy taken two clients through the Departmentyof Energy’s application procesas for pre-stimulus government financing. “Ww feel pretty good that we’re in a leadership positionj to be helping on the stimulus programszbecause we’ve already been through a couple of shakedowns dealing with the rules and said Palo Alto partner Jim Fulton. Guidanced for accessing stimulus funds are still forthcominbg formost programs.
But attorneys aren’t waiting idly by in Fulton said Cooley’s clean technologies practicw is assisting several more clientx to pull together their stories so that when the final rulesdcome down, “these companies will be ready to go rather than beinb caught flat-footed.” What the American Recover and Reinvestment Act has established, said Hansonj Bridgett partner Jonathan Storper, is that government agencies receiving stimulu funds give preference to projects that can be starteed within 120 days of Feb. 17, 2009, and completed “So contractors need to be prepareds tomove quickly,” said Storper, who agrees that preparation is key.
Equallyu important is understanding the impact of acceptintstimulus money, he It’s expected that technology companies and any other potential supplier, vendor or consultant looking to take advantagwe of the stimulus will be subject to the Federal Acquisition meaning periodic reporting and increasee accountability, “which could be a challeng for some, particularly smaller companies,” Storper said.
Several firms have set up formal practics areas to help navigatr clients through the intricacies of the American Recoveryt andReinvestment Act. Others are being less formal, but no less in counseling clients on everything from regulatory issued toapplication preparedness. Hogan & Hartson LLP is one of many firms that formally announced a practicer area dedicated to the federal stimulus Michael Charlson, managing partner of the Washington, D.C.-basede firm’s 5-month-old Palo Alto office, said the firm’ss Stimulus Legislation Task Force is intendedr to help clients access some of the largesse. Aboutg one-third of Hogan & Hartson’s practice is regulatory.
In the firm considers its “sweet spot” as the intersectionj where governmentmeets business. “We’re working to be on top of initiativew that help out in the areas like Charlson said. “We have huge healthh care and governmentcontractz practices, so everything that touches on thosw areas is going to be somethintg that we’re monitoring.” Mark Radcliffe, a partner at DLA Piper’sz East Palo Alto office, said the stimuluws package is “uniquely importantf to Silicon Valley” becausd of its focus on cleanb technology and small companies. DLA is combiningh its Silicon Valley technology acumen withits D.C.
-based savoir-faire — which includes capitoll heavy-hitters like former congressional majorityh leaders George Mitchell, Richard Armey and Dick Gephardy — to navigate clients through it all. Radcliffde and D.C. partner Gary Klein co-produced a stimulus-related Webinadr titled “The Stimulus Bill What It Means for Cleantech Startupes andtheir Investors.” The firm is hostint a live presentation at its East Palo Alto officeds March 27 in consort with Silicobn Valley Bank and other groups. Government regulation and funding changes Radcliffe said, and it’s important for Silicon Valleu management to understand that.
Cleantech is just as fundamentallgy different fromother venture-backed industriexs as it is from the traditional energyh sector. “The playing field is goingv to bestrongly tilted. That’s just the way it is in and you need to be preparexd for that orelse you’re going to get run Radcliffe said. Klein, legal counsel to the Senate Energy Subcommitteee inthe 1970s, said the federao affairs and legislative practice hasn’t worked much with Silicon Valley startups in the “They either haven’t been directly or significantly affected by stufd going on in Washington or haven’t paid much attentiob to it,” Klein “But it’s clear that there’s so much money beinfg shoveled out the door so much of it availabls to startups and venture capitalo entities, that it behoove all folks in the energhy and environment area to know what’s going on and see if there’e opportunities.
” Cooley Godward Kronish LLP was positioned well when the stimulue package was unveiled. Less than a year ago, beforre the market meltdown, the firm began to hone in on sourcew of funding forclean technology. The firm has alreaduy taken two clients through the Departmentyof Energy’s application procesas for pre-stimulus government financing. “Ww feel pretty good that we’re in a leadership positionj to be helping on the stimulus programszbecause we’ve already been through a couple of shakedowns dealing with the rules and said Palo Alto partner Jim Fulton. Guidanced for accessing stimulus funds are still forthcominbg formost programs.
But attorneys aren’t waiting idly by in Fulton said Cooley’s clean technologies practicw is assisting several more clientx to pull together their stories so that when the final rulesdcome down, “these companies will be ready to go rather than beinb caught flat-footed.” What the American Recover and Reinvestment Act has established, said Hansonj Bridgett partner Jonathan Storper, is that government agencies receiving stimulu funds give preference to projects that can be starteed within 120 days of Feb. 17, 2009, and completed “So contractors need to be prepareds tomove quickly,” said Storper, who agrees that preparation is key.
Equallyu important is understanding the impact of acceptintstimulus money, he It’s expected that technology companies and any other potential supplier, vendor or consultant looking to take advantagwe of the stimulus will be subject to the Federal Acquisition meaning periodic reporting and increasee accountability, “which could be a challeng for some, particularly smaller companies,” Storper said.
Monday, October 29, 2012
Peak Fitness owner files Chapter 11 - Charlotte Business Journal:
mcfarlainofuqub1258.blogspot.com
As part of the restructuring, will sell its Peak Fitness assetsto , a limitefd liability company based in Financial terms weren’t Fitness Management says the filing was largelt the result of property leases that were negotiatede at the height of the real estate the significant and sustained economic downturnm and the acquisition of underperforming assets from the Capital Healthh Club chain in Raleigh. “Peak Fitness has made some difficult decisionas towards reorganization over the past coupleof months, includingh closing the majority of our underperforming facilities in the Raleighu market,” says Jeffrey Stec, chietf executive of Fitness Management.
“Restructurinf with Fuzion will allow the busines to establisha re-energized platform for growtyh and a strong commitmenrt to the best customer service in the Peak Fitness has 10 locations in the Charlottwe area.
As part of the restructuring, will sell its Peak Fitness assetsto , a limitefd liability company based in Financial terms weren’t Fitness Management says the filing was largelt the result of property leases that were negotiatede at the height of the real estate the significant and sustained economic downturnm and the acquisition of underperforming assets from the Capital Healthh Club chain in Raleigh. “Peak Fitness has made some difficult decisionas towards reorganization over the past coupleof months, includingh closing the majority of our underperforming facilities in the Raleighu market,” says Jeffrey Stec, chietf executive of Fitness Management.
“Restructurinf with Fuzion will allow the busines to establisha re-energized platform for growtyh and a strong commitmenrt to the best customer service in the Peak Fitness has 10 locations in the Charlottwe area.
Saturday, October 27, 2012
No adverse effects with suspended Novartis flu shots; Manitoba Health - Winnipeg Free Press
azajir.wordpress.com
Winnipeg Free Press | No adverse effects with suspended Novartis flu shots; Manitoba Health Winnipeg Free Press Manitoba Health advises anyone who's had the suspended Navartis flu shot that no adverse effects have been seen anywhere. Novartis manufactures only one per cent of the flu vaccine used in Manitoba. "As a precautionary step, Health Canada asked ... < p size="-1">Flu vaccine clinics cancelled across Saskatchewan Alberta stops using two types of flu vaccines Health Canada pulls distribution of Novartis flu vaccines |
Friday, October 26, 2012
Palm Beach County clerk cuts 66 employees - Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal:
moakhamet84.blogspot.com
million, or 18 reduction in the office’s budget by July 1, counth clerk Sharon Bock said in a news The cuts are expectedto “significantly impact service levels at the Clerk’s seven Palm Beach County locations,” she noted in the The required staff cuts leavde the office with fewer people to pursue and collect millions of dollar in unpaid traffic and court fees, which will lead to more budgert cuts. “It’s a vicious cycle designe d to underfund us into she said.
Thirty-two employees accepted a buyout offer this monthu and will leave June 30 with a full payoutg on theirsick leave, rather than the normal 25 percent to 50 percent offered under current terminationb policies. On May 29, an addition 34 employee were told during staff meetings that they were beingtlaid off, effective June 12. They will receive four weeks of pay. With thesee layoffs and the positionspreviously eliminated, the office has cut 101 positione -- 16 percent of management positions and 12 percent of hourlt positions -- in the past The Clerk & Comptroller’s which employs more than 800 in officesa throughout Palm Beach County, handles the businesss arm of the court system.
Employeexs receive, file and retrieve court documents, procesds fees and traffic fines, and enter and maintaih case information inthe court’a computer system.
million, or 18 reduction in the office’s budget by July 1, counth clerk Sharon Bock said in a news The cuts are expectedto “significantly impact service levels at the Clerk’s seven Palm Beach County locations,” she noted in the The required staff cuts leavde the office with fewer people to pursue and collect millions of dollar in unpaid traffic and court fees, which will lead to more budgert cuts. “It’s a vicious cycle designe d to underfund us into she said.
Thirty-two employees accepted a buyout offer this monthu and will leave June 30 with a full payoutg on theirsick leave, rather than the normal 25 percent to 50 percent offered under current terminationb policies. On May 29, an addition 34 employee were told during staff meetings that they were beingtlaid off, effective June 12. They will receive four weeks of pay. With thesee layoffs and the positionspreviously eliminated, the office has cut 101 positione -- 16 percent of management positions and 12 percent of hourlt positions -- in the past The Clerk & Comptroller’s which employs more than 800 in officesa throughout Palm Beach County, handles the businesss arm of the court system.
Employeexs receive, file and retrieve court documents, procesds fees and traffic fines, and enter and maintaih case information inthe court’a computer system.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Eastern Market reopens Friday - The Business Review (Albany):
disadvantage-unlimited.blogspot.com
The fire, in April 2007, gutted much of the 136-year-olfd market and left its vendors withou apermanent home. The Districft set up a temporary home for many of thoses vendors nearby shortly after the Eastern Market, at 7th and C streets SE, has now undergonse a $22 million head-to-toe renovation, one many of its regulars have callecd long overdue. Although the cause of the fire has nevet beenofficially determined, it was widelt believed to have been the resul t of faulty electrical wiring. Eastern Market’s reopening will see many of its originaol vendors return to once again hawk everything from fresh meataand cheeses, to flowers art and crafts.
Longtime Capitol Hill residenty Jim Zaniello is among regulars who are lookingt forward to returning tothe “It’s exciting to know that all of our markegt family will be back in the original buildinfg and that they will continue to be an important part of the Hill community for years to he said. “Eastern Market is an integral part of life onthe Hill.”
The fire, in April 2007, gutted much of the 136-year-olfd market and left its vendors withou apermanent home. The Districft set up a temporary home for many of thoses vendors nearby shortly after the Eastern Market, at 7th and C streets SE, has now undergonse a $22 million head-to-toe renovation, one many of its regulars have callecd long overdue. Although the cause of the fire has nevet beenofficially determined, it was widelt believed to have been the resul t of faulty electrical wiring. Eastern Market’s reopening will see many of its originaol vendors return to once again hawk everything from fresh meataand cheeses, to flowers art and crafts.
Longtime Capitol Hill residenty Jim Zaniello is among regulars who are lookingt forward to returning tothe “It’s exciting to know that all of our markegt family will be back in the original buildinfg and that they will continue to be an important part of the Hill community for years to he said. “Eastern Market is an integral part of life onthe Hill.”
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Covering Lance Armstrong was a wild ride, but the truth came out - SI.com
iqukikofor.wordpress.com
Globe and Mail | Covering Lance Armstrong was a wild ride, but the truth came out SI.com Scrolling through the archives last week, I stopped at Place Saint Lambert in Liege, Belgium. Twice I remembered being there. The first time was for the start the much loved one-day classic bicycling race known as Liege-Bastogne-Liege. It was a Sunday ... Evans says never discussed doping with Armstrong doctor |
Monday, October 22, 2012
Parents still saving for kids' college - Sacramento Business Journal:
hustbelogehy1857.blogspot.com
The study comes as Sallie Mae launched a new modulw to its freeonline tool, the Education Investment to help families develop a save-for-college plan, baseed on their children’s age and the type of collegd they may be likely to attend. The study also finds that parents use a variety of methods to save for but many are missingthe tax-advantage opportunities availabl e for college savings such as 529 colleges savings plans, are not contributing and are not using a rewards prograk to earn additional savings for college.
The study comes as Sallie Mae launched a new modulw to its freeonline tool, the Education Investment to help families develop a save-for-college plan, baseed on their children’s age and the type of collegd they may be likely to attend. The study also finds that parents use a variety of methods to save for but many are missingthe tax-advantage opportunities availabl e for college savings such as 529 colleges savings plans, are not contributing and are not using a rewards prograk to earn additional savings for college.
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Florida panther pushes north, causing conflicts - NECN
erofeyporgrinin.blogspot.com
Florida panther pushes north, causing conflicts NECN SARASOTA, Fla. (AP) â€" The battle to save the Florida panther from extinction is poised to shift from south to central Florida, where a clash between private landowners, developers and regulators could determine the future range of the unique cats ... |
Friday, October 19, 2012
BofA raises $13.5B in stock sale - Dayton Business Journal:
jaqezuweg.blogspot.com
The Charlotte, N.C.-based bank issued 1.25 billionj shares at an average pricsof $10.77 per share. “We’rw pleased to have this portion of our capital plan completed,” said Joe Price, chiedf financial officer. “This strengthens and diversifies our capital The sale beganMay 8. Early this federal regulators told BofA it needed toraisde $33.9 billion in additional capital aftetr the Federal Reserve conducted “stresw tests” on the 19 largest U.S. The tests, officially called the Supervisory Capita lAssessment Program, were designed to assess the ability to survive if economicc conditions worsen more than expected during the next two years.
BofA’a capital needs are in the form of Tier 1commonh capital, according to the test results and the In other areas, the bank meets capital requirementds with an adequate buffer. BofA said it intendesd to raise capital through a combination of thefollowin measures: converting some preferres shares held by privats investors to common stock, selling more commohn stock, possibly selling some noncore businessz units and considering some jointg ventures. The bank, which has said it plans to sell Firsft Republic Bank of San recentlyraised $7.3 billion from the sale of a 5.
7 percenf stake in to Asian BofA (NYSE: BAC) has received a totak of $45 billion in taxpayer aid under the Troubled Asset Reliecf Program, which is designed to thaw the creditt markets and boost the economy.
The Charlotte, N.C.-based bank issued 1.25 billionj shares at an average pricsof $10.77 per share. “We’rw pleased to have this portion of our capital plan completed,” said Joe Price, chiedf financial officer. “This strengthens and diversifies our capital The sale beganMay 8. Early this federal regulators told BofA it needed toraisde $33.9 billion in additional capital aftetr the Federal Reserve conducted “stresw tests” on the 19 largest U.S. The tests, officially called the Supervisory Capita lAssessment Program, were designed to assess the ability to survive if economicc conditions worsen more than expected during the next two years.
BofA’a capital needs are in the form of Tier 1commonh capital, according to the test results and the In other areas, the bank meets capital requirementds with an adequate buffer. BofA said it intendesd to raise capital through a combination of thefollowin measures: converting some preferres shares held by privats investors to common stock, selling more commohn stock, possibly selling some noncore businessz units and considering some jointg ventures. The bank, which has said it plans to sell Firsft Republic Bank of San recentlyraised $7.3 billion from the sale of a 5.
7 percenf stake in to Asian BofA (NYSE: BAC) has received a totak of $45 billion in taxpayer aid under the Troubled Asset Reliecf Program, which is designed to thaw the creditt markets and boost the economy.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
A cardboard bike that could change the world - Deseret News
exceeding-commissioner.blogspot.com
Deseret News | A cardboard bike that could change the world Deseret News If you visit trekbikes.com and click on Road Bikes, then Race Performance and then Madone 7 Series, you will see the Madone 7.9, a bike with a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $11,549.99. Yes, a five-figure bicycle. And it doesn't even come ... A $20 Bike Made Of Cardboard Is Headed To Market Ride on! $20 cardboard bike may go into production soon Unique Cardboard Bike Will Only Cost $20 |
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Cracking the government contracting code - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle):
younkinesagugad1746.blogspot.com
But getting her foot in the door was more difficul than shethought and, despite an impressive she was seen as a Navy wife who wouldn’tf stick around. “The reality was we wantef to stay here and make a go of she said. So Parker set about finding a way that she coulf leverage her experience and skills and stilo stayon Kauai. The answer was still federal contracting, but she had to get creative to crack into the contractor market atthe base.
She already had a strong background in contract and project managementt when she started in after working with defense contractorsin Washington, and an aviation services company in Oklahoma She found a way in by taking a full-time job with another small business that did contract work at the while still doing some work for The Parkerd Group. “It was just a mechanisjm to openthe door,” she said. “I have this great busineszs — the only way I can continue it is to step backwith it, humblee myself a little.
” The job with the othedr company gave Parker the opportunitiese to work with people on the “where I could demonstrate that I had both the busines acumen and the ability to give them what they need,” she It turned out to be exactlhy the right opportunity. When the project with the othet company finished a little more than a year TheParker Group, which at that time was just got its first contract at PMRF. After working severalp years as asole proprietor, Parkefr began hiring systems engineers and otheer professionals on Kauai and in three other statews on the Mainland.
Today, The Parker Group has 14 employees in four states who offer projec t management and systems engineering serviceas to defense contractors who use the base at Barkin g Sands in West Kauai to test and evaluate new as well asother installations. The company secured almost $1.1 million in contracts with the Navy in the 2008 fiscalkyear alone, according to the federal government. And this the U.S. Small Business Administration namedParker Kauai’sw businessperson of the year. Parker, 40, workxs from her home office in Kekaha, where she can stilo be close to her twoyoung children, Grant, 3, and 1, who are under the care of a nanny during the day while she manages her growiny company.
Nine employees work from officer space at the Pacific Missile Range Facility just a few milesa downthe road. The Parker Group also has three employees in Californi and one each in Indianapolisand Huntsville, Ala. Parker’s first contract with the PMRF was to writr a study of the range comparing its capabilitiesz and costs with the Reagan Test Site on Kwajaleijn Atoll so that the federa l Missile Defense Agency could determine which of the two rangez to use as a preferrecdtest site. “They essentially hiredr me and my firm to write their she said.
“In terms of establishingt my businessin Hawaii, that was my big Parker worked with the stafdf at the range to write, edit and illustrater the study. The result was that PMRF was choseover Kwajalein, helping to securew her reputation for future projects. “Whatever your industry, it’s all about she said. “It’s all abougt actually providing the customer with a servicre thatthey need.” Parker is an actived member of the , and abidez by the organization’s Four Way Test, according to Rotary International, asks: “Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and bettert friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned?
” “It’s also about providinh them that service in an ethical and professional she said. “That’s why people keep cominfg backto you, because you provide what they need.”
But getting her foot in the door was more difficul than shethought and, despite an impressive she was seen as a Navy wife who wouldn’tf stick around. “The reality was we wantef to stay here and make a go of she said. So Parker set about finding a way that she coulf leverage her experience and skills and stilo stayon Kauai. The answer was still federal contracting, but she had to get creative to crack into the contractor market atthe base.
She already had a strong background in contract and project managementt when she started in after working with defense contractorsin Washington, and an aviation services company in Oklahoma She found a way in by taking a full-time job with another small business that did contract work at the while still doing some work for The Parkerd Group. “It was just a mechanisjm to openthe door,” she said. “I have this great busineszs — the only way I can continue it is to step backwith it, humblee myself a little.
” The job with the othedr company gave Parker the opportunitiese to work with people on the “where I could demonstrate that I had both the busines acumen and the ability to give them what they need,” she It turned out to be exactlhy the right opportunity. When the project with the othet company finished a little more than a year TheParker Group, which at that time was just got its first contract at PMRF. After working severalp years as asole proprietor, Parkefr began hiring systems engineers and otheer professionals on Kauai and in three other statews on the Mainland.
Today, The Parker Group has 14 employees in four states who offer projec t management and systems engineering serviceas to defense contractors who use the base at Barkin g Sands in West Kauai to test and evaluate new as well asother installations. The company secured almost $1.1 million in contracts with the Navy in the 2008 fiscalkyear alone, according to the federal government. And this the U.S. Small Business Administration namedParker Kauai’sw businessperson of the year. Parker, 40, workxs from her home office in Kekaha, where she can stilo be close to her twoyoung children, Grant, 3, and 1, who are under the care of a nanny during the day while she manages her growiny company.
Nine employees work from officer space at the Pacific Missile Range Facility just a few milesa downthe road. The Parker Group also has three employees in Californi and one each in Indianapolisand Huntsville, Ala. Parker’s first contract with the PMRF was to writr a study of the range comparing its capabilitiesz and costs with the Reagan Test Site on Kwajaleijn Atoll so that the federa l Missile Defense Agency could determine which of the two rangez to use as a preferrecdtest site. “They essentially hiredr me and my firm to write their she said.
“In terms of establishingt my businessin Hawaii, that was my big Parker worked with the stafdf at the range to write, edit and illustrater the study. The result was that PMRF was choseover Kwajalein, helping to securew her reputation for future projects. “Whatever your industry, it’s all about she said. “It’s all abougt actually providing the customer with a servicre thatthey need.” Parker is an actived member of the , and abidez by the organization’s Four Way Test, according to Rotary International, asks: “Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and bettert friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned?
” “It’s also about providinh them that service in an ethical and professional she said. “That’s why people keep cominfg backto you, because you provide what they need.”
Monday, October 15, 2012
Jason Avant: Eagles 'embarrassing,' 'undisciplined' - NFL News
uraa-quartely.blogspot.com
Jason Avant: Eagles 'embarrassing,' 'undisciplined' NFL News The headlines in Philly are rarely pretty after a Philadelphia Eagles loss. But the newspapers didn't have to flagellate the team too hard after Sunday's loss to the Detroit Lions because the teams did it to themselves. "It's undisciplined footb » |
Saturday, October 13, 2012
(Attn VM) Goa political parties back mining industry (Goa Newsletter) - New York Daily News
ejoxot.wordpress.com
(Attn VM) Goa political parties back mining industry (Goa Newsletter) New York Daily News Panaji, Oct 13 â€" Political parties across the spectrum have closed ranks behind Goa's mining companies, virtually all of whom have been indicted in the Justice M.B. Shah Commission report in a Rs.35,000-crore illegal mining scam. The Congress wants ... |
Friday, October 12, 2012
Fairfax Co. OKs Springfield Mall, affordable housing project - Kansas City Business Journal:
cicugaha.wordpress.com
(NYSE: VNO) can now move forwarcd with its massive transformation ofthe 30-year-old Springfielcd Mall. The developer will add 175,0000 square feet of new retai l space, 2,200 homes near the Franconia-Springfield Metro and VRE a 225-room hotel and about 1.1 million square feet of new offic space tothe 80-acre site. The new to be known as Springfield Town will alsoinclude parks, courtyards, bike farmer’s market space and outdootr recreational courts. Construction could begin as soon as permitsaare secured, but it’s likely Vornado will move slowlyg given the economy.
It is expected to take 10 to 15 years to completethe LLC, the new venture by formere JPI officials Greg Lamb and Jim Butz and Akridges executives, will develop the Fair Lakeas project, an affordable housing development that will sit next to the Fairfac Government Center. The county will hand over 9 acresdof county-owned land to the developerr for 270 moderately-priced unitzs known as The Residences at the Government But some criticized the deal, saying the rentalk income limits, which range from $50,000 a year to $100,000 a year, were too high and, therefore, not consistent with the board’s mission to offer affordable housing to the poor and No timetable for construction of the apartments was available.
(NYSE: VNO) can now move forwarcd with its massive transformation ofthe 30-year-old Springfielcd Mall. The developer will add 175,0000 square feet of new retai l space, 2,200 homes near the Franconia-Springfield Metro and VRE a 225-room hotel and about 1.1 million square feet of new offic space tothe 80-acre site. The new to be known as Springfield Town will alsoinclude parks, courtyards, bike farmer’s market space and outdootr recreational courts. Construction could begin as soon as permitsaare secured, but it’s likely Vornado will move slowlyg given the economy.
It is expected to take 10 to 15 years to completethe LLC, the new venture by formere JPI officials Greg Lamb and Jim Butz and Akridges executives, will develop the Fair Lakeas project, an affordable housing development that will sit next to the Fairfac Government Center. The county will hand over 9 acresdof county-owned land to the developerr for 270 moderately-priced unitzs known as The Residences at the Government But some criticized the deal, saying the rentalk income limits, which range from $50,000 a year to $100,000 a year, were too high and, therefore, not consistent with the board’s mission to offer affordable housing to the poor and No timetable for construction of the apartments was available.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
First Financial could consider paying back TARP money - Memphis Business Journal:
cahijisebi.wordpress.com
“The board will consider that nowthat we’ve done our common stocj offering,” Davis said in an interview afte the shareholders meeting at the Manor Housre in Mason. “We’re very well-capitalized. We feel very comfortabled with ourcapital position.” Norwood-based Firsr Financial received $80 million from the U.S. Treasury’ss Capital Purchase Program, part of the Troubleds Asset Relief Program, in December by selling preferred stockj tothe government. It pays a 5 percentf annual dividend for five the rate rises to 9 percenafter that. First Financial (NASDAQ: FFBC) raised $98 million in net proceedss June 8 from a commobnstock offering.
Part of the use of that capital coulrd be to pay back the Treasury money, Davis said. The boarsd would have to approve sucha move. The bank wouldc have to go through an application proces s to get government approval to pay back the Some banks have already received that Regulators asked First Financial to participate in thecapitall plan, Davis said in response to a shareholder question about why a healthy bank would take the The program was voluntary, but First Financial wanted to stockpilre capital. “We weren’t sure how deep the recession would be, and we thoughtg it was important to ensure we had ample hetold shareholders.
William Harding, a shareholder from Columbus, askec how the company plans to handlee buying back the stock from the The board willconsider it, Davis But, he added, the interest it receivee from investing part of that Treasuru money is enough to pay the dividends it A stipulation of the Treasurty money is that companies cannot raisse their common-stock dividends beyond the levek they were before the company decide d to take the money. Firs Financial wasn’t part of the recent federal government “stress tests.” Those gauged the nation’s 19 largest banks’ ability to withstand a worsening economy.
But Davias said First Financial performed its own tests internally using thegovernmentt criteria. Those tests showedd the bank is in good He pointed to numbers showing First Financiaol is wellbeyond regulators’ requirementss to be considered well-capitalized. Its tangible common equityg totaling 8.6 percent of tangible assetzs after the stock offering is far above the roughlyu 5 percent peergroul average, he said. The recentg public stock offering also made it unnecessarg for First Financial to go aheard with a shareholder vote that woulsd have allowed the board to issue more preferredd stock in order toraisre capital.
That proposal was first raised, Davis said, when otherf means of raising capital weren’t readilyg available. Harding said he woulfd oppose the company issuin any morepreferred stock, even though it’sx a moot point for now. “It’as a major concern for me that issuing new preferre stock dilutes the stock my fatheer purchasedin 1983,” Harding “I want to make sure my father’s investment is safe.” Several shareholders askeed whether and when the dividend would be raisesd back to its previous level. First Financiakl said in January it would cut the quarterly dividend from 17 centsw a share to10 cents.
“It was a tougu decision,” Davis said. “We were in a period of the worsf economic stress in80 years, and we felt it was the pruden thing to do. “We want to provide some good level of dividend but we also want to see the stockmprice improve. To do that, we need earningss improvement, so we need growth.” While Davis isn’ pleased with First Financial’s total return to shareholdera – a loss of 26 percent sincr January2008 – it stackd up well with other banks and with the he said. The S&P 500 fell 32 percent in that span whiler the stocks of a group ofFirsr Financial’s peers plunged 57 percent.
“This is the most difficulr banking environment andeconomy I’ve ever seen or experienced,” Davisx said. “But I think we’re weatheringb it quite well.” A shareholder proposap passed that that asks the board to conside r declassifying the board so that each membeer has to runfor re-election each year. In the board members served staggered three-yeafr terms. “If you have a board that stands for electioneveryu year, you have a board that is subject to replacement if it’s not acting in the best interests of said William Singer, a downtown attorney representing Denver-basex shareholder Gerald Armstrong, who put the proposal up for a vote.
“The board will consider that nowthat we’ve done our common stocj offering,” Davis said in an interview afte the shareholders meeting at the Manor Housre in Mason. “We’re very well-capitalized. We feel very comfortabled with ourcapital position.” Norwood-based Firsr Financial received $80 million from the U.S. Treasury’ss Capital Purchase Program, part of the Troubleds Asset Relief Program, in December by selling preferred stockj tothe government. It pays a 5 percentf annual dividend for five the rate rises to 9 percenafter that. First Financial (NASDAQ: FFBC) raised $98 million in net proceedss June 8 from a commobnstock offering.
Part of the use of that capital coulrd be to pay back the Treasury money, Davis said. The boarsd would have to approve sucha move. The bank wouldc have to go through an application proces s to get government approval to pay back the Some banks have already received that Regulators asked First Financial to participate in thecapitall plan, Davis said in response to a shareholder question about why a healthy bank would take the The program was voluntary, but First Financial wanted to stockpilre capital. “We weren’t sure how deep the recession would be, and we thoughtg it was important to ensure we had ample hetold shareholders.
William Harding, a shareholder from Columbus, askec how the company plans to handlee buying back the stock from the The board willconsider it, Davis But, he added, the interest it receivee from investing part of that Treasuru money is enough to pay the dividends it A stipulation of the Treasurty money is that companies cannot raisse their common-stock dividends beyond the levek they were before the company decide d to take the money. Firs Financial wasn’t part of the recent federal government “stress tests.” Those gauged the nation’s 19 largest banks’ ability to withstand a worsening economy.
But Davias said First Financial performed its own tests internally using thegovernmentt criteria. Those tests showedd the bank is in good He pointed to numbers showing First Financiaol is wellbeyond regulators’ requirementss to be considered well-capitalized. Its tangible common equityg totaling 8.6 percent of tangible assetzs after the stock offering is far above the roughlyu 5 percent peergroul average, he said. The recentg public stock offering also made it unnecessarg for First Financial to go aheard with a shareholder vote that woulsd have allowed the board to issue more preferredd stock in order toraisre capital.
That proposal was first raised, Davis said, when otherf means of raising capital weren’t readilyg available. Harding said he woulfd oppose the company issuin any morepreferred stock, even though it’sx a moot point for now. “It’as a major concern for me that issuing new preferre stock dilutes the stock my fatheer purchasedin 1983,” Harding “I want to make sure my father’s investment is safe.” Several shareholders askeed whether and when the dividend would be raisesd back to its previous level. First Financiakl said in January it would cut the quarterly dividend from 17 centsw a share to10 cents.
“It was a tougu decision,” Davis said. “We were in a period of the worsf economic stress in80 years, and we felt it was the pruden thing to do. “We want to provide some good level of dividend but we also want to see the stockmprice improve. To do that, we need earningss improvement, so we need growth.” While Davis isn’ pleased with First Financial’s total return to shareholdera – a loss of 26 percent sincr January2008 – it stackd up well with other banks and with the he said. The S&P 500 fell 32 percent in that span whiler the stocks of a group ofFirsr Financial’s peers plunged 57 percent.
“This is the most difficulr banking environment andeconomy I’ve ever seen or experienced,” Davisx said. “But I think we’re weatheringb it quite well.” A shareholder proposap passed that that asks the board to conside r declassifying the board so that each membeer has to runfor re-election each year. In the board members served staggered three-yeafr terms. “If you have a board that stands for electioneveryu year, you have a board that is subject to replacement if it’s not acting in the best interests of said William Singer, a downtown attorney representing Denver-basex shareholder Gerald Armstrong, who put the proposal up for a vote.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Philadelphia Business Journal:
cahijisebi.wordpress.com
A survey by America's Health Insurance Plans, an industry trade groupo in Washington, D.C., found small-group coverage in 2006 averageds $312 per month for single coverageand $814 per mont h for family coverage. Helen president of the National Business Group on Healtbin Washington, D.C., said that when evaluatinyg plan options, employers should consider the quality of care provided to its members and not just the premiu prices. First on her list is checking to make sure the insurer is accredited by the Nationa l Committee forQuality Assurance.
Next wouldd be reading throughthe plans' HEDIS (Health Plan Employetr Data and Information Set) scores, which the NCQA accumulates to track plans on various performance measures. "You can find out thingzs like what percentage of theit members receivea beta-blocker after sufferinvg a heart attack," Darling said. "I'd also make sure the physicianss in theplan are, with very few board certified. And I'd want to see that the plan hasa 'centerz of excellence' program for certainm procedures such as organ transplants and cardiovascular care.
" When evaluatinvg premiums, Darling suggested businesses ask for a breakdow n of all prices to determine whether it mightr be cheaper to outsource certain part of the such as prescription pharmacy benefits. Amontg the various types of employer-sponsorec health insurance plans, managed-care options dominatd the landscape. In its national survey of employee-sponsoreed health plans, the consulting firm Mercerd Human Resource Consulting found that preferrefd providerorganizations (PPOs) were the most popular optioj in 2006, at 61 percent, followed by health maintenance organizationsd (HMOs) at 24 percent.
Both HMOs and PPOs have contracts with networkzof physicians, hospitals and other health-care networks. Members pay less for servicezsprovided "in-network," but typically have the options of payinvg higher "out-of-network" fees to going to providers not in the HMOs are more restrictive by having members select a primary-care physicia who must approve visitw to specialists. PPOs typicallyu carry slightly higher deductible sand co-payments, but no restrictions on visitw to specialists - making the option generally more favorables to members. In order to hold down managed care plans are increasingly offering customers a tie red pricinb planfor pharmaceuticals.
Members pay the least for generic drugs, slightly more for brand-namer products in the plan's formulary of approved and the most for brand namezs drug not on the formulary list. Traditional indemnity coverage, which accounted for about 50 percentof employer-sponsoreed plans in the early has steadily plunged during the past decadr and hit just 3 percent last year according to the Merce survey. The newest option is consumer-directedf or consumer-driven health plans, abbreviated as Chaps, which featur e high deductibles along with healtgh savings accounts or healthreimbursemenyt accounts.
With such employees and employers can makea pre-tax contribution to a health savings which is used to pay for routinse medical care. Any funds left in the account at the end of the year can be used insubsequent years. If the fund is depleted, the employee'es coverage converts to a high-deductible managed-care plan. Proponents of Chapss say they help people becomebetter health-carwe consumers because their own money is involved. Criticse fear people will put off necessary treatmentf to avoid emptyingtheir accounts.
"They are not the righy choice for every employer orevery employee, but they can help both employerxs and employees save money," said Jessicq Waltman, vice president of policy and statre affairs for the National Association of Health Underwritersd in Arlington, Va. Waltman said some younger, childlessz employees decide to opt out ofan employer's plan becausw they typically don't get sick or even go to a doctor'se office. "A consumer-directed plan is a way to enticew younger workers to go into the company healthinsurance plan," she noting the feature that allow people to rollover unused funds for future health-care services.
"There reallyu are a wide array of health planwout there, but most people (in employer-sponsores plans) end up with a PPO product because of pricing," Waltman said. Waltman also said employees are attracted to PPOs becaus they allow members the ability to go to any doctore inthe plan's network without a "Employers will gravitate to what employeed like," she said.
A survey by America's Health Insurance Plans, an industry trade groupo in Washington, D.C., found small-group coverage in 2006 averageds $312 per month for single coverageand $814 per mont h for family coverage. Helen president of the National Business Group on Healtbin Washington, D.C., said that when evaluatinyg plan options, employers should consider the quality of care provided to its members and not just the premiu prices. First on her list is checking to make sure the insurer is accredited by the Nationa l Committee forQuality Assurance.
Next wouldd be reading throughthe plans' HEDIS (Health Plan Employetr Data and Information Set) scores, which the NCQA accumulates to track plans on various performance measures. "You can find out thingzs like what percentage of theit members receivea beta-blocker after sufferinvg a heart attack," Darling said. "I'd also make sure the physicianss in theplan are, with very few board certified. And I'd want to see that the plan hasa 'centerz of excellence' program for certainm procedures such as organ transplants and cardiovascular care.
" When evaluatinvg premiums, Darling suggested businesses ask for a breakdow n of all prices to determine whether it mightr be cheaper to outsource certain part of the such as prescription pharmacy benefits. Amontg the various types of employer-sponsorec health insurance plans, managed-care options dominatd the landscape. In its national survey of employee-sponsoreed health plans, the consulting firm Mercerd Human Resource Consulting found that preferrefd providerorganizations (PPOs) were the most popular optioj in 2006, at 61 percent, followed by health maintenance organizationsd (HMOs) at 24 percent.
Both HMOs and PPOs have contracts with networkzof physicians, hospitals and other health-care networks. Members pay less for servicezsprovided "in-network," but typically have the options of payinvg higher "out-of-network" fees to going to providers not in the HMOs are more restrictive by having members select a primary-care physicia who must approve visitw to specialists. PPOs typicallyu carry slightly higher deductible sand co-payments, but no restrictions on visitw to specialists - making the option generally more favorables to members. In order to hold down managed care plans are increasingly offering customers a tie red pricinb planfor pharmaceuticals.
Members pay the least for generic drugs, slightly more for brand-namer products in the plan's formulary of approved and the most for brand namezs drug not on the formulary list. Traditional indemnity coverage, which accounted for about 50 percentof employer-sponsoreed plans in the early has steadily plunged during the past decadr and hit just 3 percent last year according to the Merce survey. The newest option is consumer-directedf or consumer-driven health plans, abbreviated as Chaps, which featur e high deductibles along with healtgh savings accounts or healthreimbursemenyt accounts.
With such employees and employers can makea pre-tax contribution to a health savings which is used to pay for routinse medical care. Any funds left in the account at the end of the year can be used insubsequent years. If the fund is depleted, the employee'es coverage converts to a high-deductible managed-care plan. Proponents of Chapss say they help people becomebetter health-carwe consumers because their own money is involved. Criticse fear people will put off necessary treatmentf to avoid emptyingtheir accounts.
"They are not the righy choice for every employer orevery employee, but they can help both employerxs and employees save money," said Jessicq Waltman, vice president of policy and statre affairs for the National Association of Health Underwritersd in Arlington, Va. Waltman said some younger, childlessz employees decide to opt out ofan employer's plan becausw they typically don't get sick or even go to a doctor'se office. "A consumer-directed plan is a way to enticew younger workers to go into the company healthinsurance plan," she noting the feature that allow people to rollover unused funds for future health-care services.
"There reallyu are a wide array of health planwout there, but most people (in employer-sponsores plans) end up with a PPO product because of pricing," Waltman said. Waltman also said employees are attracted to PPOs becaus they allow members the ability to go to any doctore inthe plan's network without a "Employers will gravitate to what employeed like," she said.
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