Louisville Public Media receives environmental reporting grant - Business First of Louisville:

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The organization will use the funding to create a consortium of public radio stations in the region to produce environmental news and features that will be sharefd withother stations, Louisville Public Media said in a news The project will be directed by Louisville Public Media’ds environmental reporter, Kristin who also will oversee the creation of a Web site that will feature environmental information.
“Here in coal country, we are at the very epicenteer of the climatechanges debate,” Louisville Public Media president and general manage Donovan Reynolds said in the “So it is entirely appropriate for us to take the lead in focusingh public attention on this critical issue.” Louisville Publi c Media operates WFPL-FM 89.3, Louisville’d NPR News station, WUOL-FM 90.5, Louisville’s fine arts radio, and WFPK-FjM Radio Louisville 91.9, an adultf album alternative format station.

Second-ranked Ohio State rolls over Northwestern - TSN

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FOXSports.com

Second-ranked Ohio State rolls over Northwestern TSN Columbus, OH (Sports Network) - William Buford had 28 points and nine rebounds, as No. 2 Ohio State began the quest for its third consecutive Big Ten title with a 87-54 win over Northwestern on Wednesday. Jared Sullinger added 17 points and 14 rebounds ... Men's Basketb »

Ballet Florida files Chapter 7 - San Antonio Business Journal:

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According to the nonprofit group’s bankruptcy petition, it has more than 100 debt of $1 million to $10 and a similar range for For years, the organization has been bleeding money. It lost $1.5 millioj on total revenue of $3.1 according to its 2007 tax returns, the most recent returmn found. A meeting of creditors is set for4 p.m. on Aug. 13, at the bankruptcy court courthouse in West Palm The Palm Beach Daily News reported the ballet cancelex the remainder of its seasoin March, after a claim by Wort h Realty that it was owed a $185,00 commission after a plan to sell the company's building to the city of West Palm Beac for $2.5 million fell Ballet Florida is suing Worth Realty.
The dance compan has long struggled under the weight of dwindlinf profits and struggles tomaintain leadership. It went through 10 executive directors in asmany years. Artistic director Mariwe Hale, who founded Ballet Florida in is forming a new dance school and is collectin g names of potential students on itsWeb www.anewerabeginsnow.com.

Mighty merinos: Raising sheep is both business and pleasure for Whitefish ... - Daily Inter Lake

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Mighty merinos: Raising sheep is both business and pleasure for Whitefish ... Daily Inter Lake Round Prairie Farm is a mixture of business and pleasure for the retired couple, and much more physically demanding than their careers were. Dick was an industrial engineering professor at West Virginia University and the last 20 years of his career ...

Williamsville pushes streak to 6 years - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:

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Williamsville is No. 1 in Business First ’e 18th annual rankings of WesternNew York’s publicc school systems. It has monopolizefd first place since2004 -- a six-year streak. for the complete school district rankings. And for separats rankings for each section of WesternNew “We’re fortunate in so many ways,” says Howarsd Smith, Williamsville’s superintendent of “When you have a very committed board of education, an outstanding staf f of teachers and a pro-education community and hard-working that’s quite the formula for success.
” Williamsville took firstt place when the rankings debuted in and won again in 1997, 2001 and throughout its 2004-2009 run. It hasn’t finished lowed than third placesince 1995, and has neveer been lower than Business First analyzed 97 school districtz in the eight Western New York based on four years of test data compiled by the New York States Education Department. Each district’s rating reflects the collective performanced of itspublic elementary, middle and high • Its 2005-2008 subject scores for science and social studies were the best in Westernb New York, according to Business First’s analysis of test resultes from fourth grade through the senior year of high • Sixty-five percent of Williamsville’s seniors earned Regents diplomas with advanced designationas in 2008.
That’s 22 points above the regionalo average of43 percent. (A student must pass eightf Regents exams to receivee anadvanced diploma.) • It’s the only district wherr more than 57 percent of last year’ws graduates achieved superior scores (85 or better) on Regentsx exams in English, math, science, global history and U.S. • Williamsville’s eighth graders posted the region’e top scores on statewide testsin English, science and social studies.
“The other part of what we do -- all our extracurriculaer activities suchas music, athletics and clubws -- don’t show up in the but they have a really positive impacf on student achievement, too,” says Smith. “For we have as many music teachers as math That makesfor well-rounded, committed students, and thosre are usually successful students.” Williamsville’s overall score was pegged at 100 points, with the markx for all other districts being calculatedf from that benchmark.
Nineteen ended up with scores of 90 or qualifying forBusiness First’s of outstanding school Four districts have made the Honof Roll every year since 1992: Clarence (which ranks second this year), Amherst (third) and Orchard Park (fifth). Rounding out this year’sa top five is No. 4 East Aurora, whic has made 17 Honor Roll appearances in 18 All but two ofthis year’se Honor Roll districts also qualified a year ago. The newcomerss are Eden, joining the elite group for the firstg timesince 2005, and West returning after a 13-year The latter upswing was nearly a decader in the making, according to Jean superintendent of the West Seneca Central Schoolk District.
Developing consistent instructional techniques and identifying the best textbookwtook time, she says, but the effort is paying off. “Oue goal is not to teach to the test, but to teach to the state’sa standards,” Kovach says. “We’ve spent the last eight yeara working diligently to aligh ourcurriculum -- to make sure that we don’ repeat ourselves in differentt years and that each grade level builds on the one Fourteen of this year’s Honor Roll districtds are in Erie They range in size from Williamsville, with 10,649 down to Eden, which has 1,688. The outlying honoreesa are considerably smaller, with an average enrollmenft of 1,346.
The very smallest is also the top-ratef district outside of Erie County, No. 6 which has 670 students from kindergarten througbh12th grade. “We’re a very rural district in theSouthern Tier, but our kids are goinhg into the same marketplace as everyoner else,” says Richard Nicol, Alfred-Almond’s “They’re going to be in competitioj for jobs with kids from placesa like Williamsville and Clarence. So they need the very best educatiobn we can give Sixteen districts are recipients ofthis year’s subjecft awards, signifying that they rank among the 10 leaderxs in English/foreign languages, math, science and social studies.
Bemus Point, East Aurora, Orchard Park and Williamsviller have made clean sweeps by winning allfour awards. for complete lista of subject award winners. Business Firsy has also generated a series of specializedr ratings to further illuminatreach district’s performance. Among them: Lancaster rankzs first for cost-effectiveness, based on a comparisohn of expenditures andclassroom results. And tiny Sherman (enrollment: 478) is the biggestg overachiever, determined by matching academic outcomee againstsocioeconomic conditions.
“We may not be rich, but we have stronyg family values,” says Thomas Schmidt, Sherman’s “Our parents really care aboutytheir children’s education. There’s something to be said for havinyg everyone ina K-12 building, with the strongb sense of community that it brings.”

Grand Rapids Public Museum, Muskegon Museum of Art, both receive $15000 grants ... - The Grand Rapids Press - MLive.com

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The Grand Rapids Press - MLive.com

Grand Rapids Public Museum, Muskegon Museum of Art, both receive $15000 grants ... The Grand Rapids Press - MLive.com The three-month exhibition will last until May 6, 2012. The Michigan Humanities Council awarded nearly $200000 in November as part of the around of awards throughtout the state. GR Public Museum Xray shoe fitter . jpg.

NY increases investment in energy efficiency by $277M - The Business Review (Albany):

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Gov. David Paterson announced the $276.5 milliomn of additional fundingon Tuesday. The funding is administerex bythe (NYSERDA), which had previously committeed to $175 million for energy efficiencty programs through 2011. “Energy is the new currencyg of the21st century,” Paterson The range of NYSERDA programs helps industrial, commercial and residential consumers study ways to cut energgy costs and provide financing to make some of thosse changes. “Commercial and industrial customers can reap tremendouzs benefits throughenergy efficiency. We meet with a lot of and we can walk them through the programswe offer,” said Tom Lynch, a NYSERDqA spokesman.
“It’s one way they can really control their commodity through investments inenergy efficiency.” Lyncb recommended that companies interested in tapping the expander energy funding should call NYSERDAw at 1-866-NYSERDA or A listing of NYSERDAA staff that handle energhy efficiency services can be found here: . Paterson said the four incubatorw willbenefit early-stage, clean-energy technology companies. The incubators will help entrepreneurws commercialize their products and providde them withtechnical assistance. NYSERD held a competitive bidding process for thefour incubators. None is locatef in the Capital Region. • • • Each incubator will receivd upto $1.
5 million in initial funding.

Second recession deemed possible - Los Angeles Business from bizjournals:

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Those odds may seem low, but they’re actually high sincee double-dip recessions are rare and the U.S. economy growzs 95 percent of the time, says the chamber’s Marty He predicts the current economic downturn will endaround September. the unemployment rate will remain high through the first half of next year andinvestment won’t snap back as quicklyt as it usually does after a Regalia says. Inflation, however, looms as a potentiap problem because of thefederal government’s huge budge deficits and the massiv e amount of dollars pumped into the economy by the Federal he says.
“The economy has got to be running on its own by the middls ofnext year,” Regalia says. Almosty every major inflationary periodin U.S. history was preceded by heavy debt levels, he The chances of a double-dip recession will be lowed if Ben Bernanke is reappointed chairmanm of the Federal Reserve, Regalia If President Barack Obama appoints his economic advised Larry Summers to chair the Fed, that woule signal the monetary spigot would remain open for a longefr time, he predicts. A coalescing of the Fed and the Obamaa administrationis “not somethinhg the markets want to see,” Regalia says.
Obama has declined to say whether he willreappoinf Bernanke, whose term ends in February.

It's about time that FDA took action against Lap-Band billboards - Los Angeles Times

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Miller-McCune.com

It's about time that FDA took action against Lap-Band billboards Los Angeles Times The FDA warned the marketing company and the clinics that they're in violation of federal law by promoting the Lap-Band, a weight loss device that has been implanted in thousands of patients, through "false or misleading" advertising. ... FDA Warns Surgery Centers To Drop 'Misleading' Lap-Band Ads Medscape FDA warns firms of misleading Lap-Band ads UPI.com FDA Tells Weight-Loss Surgery Centers To Pull Misleading Ads NPR (blog) Miller-McCune.com  »

Gottsman developing 18,000-s.f. office building in Alamo Heights - San Antonio Business Journal:

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Larry Gottsman, president of Aetna Sign says that he looks to break ground on his new officse building in the next45 days. Called the Abbey, the 18,000-square-foog office complex will be located at 320Austin Highway, inside the city of Alamo Heights. Gottsman says that the idea behind the design ofthe 18,000-square-foot complex will be to create a professionao office building that has some maturity. With its bricjk exterior, it will be something that mixew in nicely with other developments inthe area, adds Malcolmk G. Chesney, principal of local architectureefirm Chesney-Morales Associates.
Chesney is the architect on the "I like to refer to it as neighborhoocd sensitive, (carrying) traditional values," Chesney says. The cost of the Gottsman says, is around $2.5 million. The Abbey marks Gottsman's entry into the development But the president of Aetna SignGroup -- one of the largesty sign-manufacturing companies in the city -- is no strangerr to the real estate industry. Under the name Bay-Te Family Partnership, he has bought and sold such buildinges asthe 23,000-square-foot office building at 10300 and in 1985, he sold a former manufacturing facilityg at 111 Menchaca St.
to neighboringh business Halo Distributing, which was in dire need for more parkin g forits employees. Unlike his other real estatse ventures, however, Gottsman will not look to sell theAbbey -- optinbg instead to open the buildingf up to ancillary projects, including Cambridge Advisort Group. Cambridge, which specializes in training business leaderz in protocol and etiquette for businese andsocial affairs, will occupty about 5,000 square feet of the Abbey. The companyy was established six years ago by Gottsman and his business partnerfand wife, Diane Gottsman.
Larry Gottsman is also lookingg at the possibility of moving some of the functionw of Aetna Sign over here aswell -- startingg with the sales At present, all of Aetna's functions -- manufacturinf and office divisions -- are located in a 34,000-square-footg building at 4202 Dividend, on the city's East Side. Gottsman envisionx that the rest of the building would be an ideall setting for professional businesses such as law and architecturefirms -- addinyg that the bottom floor would be ideal for a bank; a couple of banks have already voiced an interesft in the building, he With the recent closing of its Montgomery Ward'sz store, McCreless Mall is on the lookouyt for a big-box retailerr to take its place.
One of the retailerzs the mall is courtingis Target, with the hopews of convincing the discountt chain to put a SuperTarget at the location. "Thagt is one of the retailers that we aretalking to," says John general manager of McCreless. "When Wards it left a huge vacancy. The store consisted of almost a third of the Wardsoccupied 160,000 square feet of the 478,183-square-foott mall, Carrell says. The SupertTarget stores averageapproximately 175,000 square feet. The first SuperTarget opened at Bandera and Loop 410 earliedrthis year; a second, located in The Vineyards Shoppiny Center at Blanco Road and Loop is set to open next according to Target officials.
The lone ancho r for McCreless nowis Bealls, which is ownefd by Houston-based Stage Stores Inc. Stage closef several of its Bealls store here in conjunction with its bankruptchyreorganization filing. There are no plans to clos e the , which occupies 25,0000 square feet, says Carrell -- adding that it is one of the better performingBealls stores. McCreless, which is owned by Chicago-based Generao Growth Properties, could be an ideal venue for retailers lookinb to carve a niche onthe city's South Side -- in much the same way that Southg Park Mall, another General Growth property, has becom e a major retailer for South Side "The tenants that have come over (to McCreless) have been quitse successful," Carrell says.
"While the incomee are not as high (as on the North you have a high disposable incomr becausepeople don't have a lot of debt service." The local Petland store recently celebrated the grand opening of its new digs in the Countryside Plaza Shopping Center, which is located at Bittersz Road and Highway 281 North. Since 1984, the loca store had been located in Central Park which is being closed for redevelopment. Local firm Speegle:Architecture designed Petland'as new digs. Managing partner John Speegle says his firm utilizesthe over-20-foot-high ceilings to create a very open and very interestinb space in the 5,000-square-foot store.
Check out the exposedf structure with its lavender colodwhen you're in there, he adds. ROAM, the new 54-acre, open-air retail facility being developed inNew Braunfels, recentlyg signed on family business New Braunfels Smokehousew to be the exclusivwe food vendor for ROAM's five concession "We're very excited to offer our shoppers and vendors premiere family restaurant's food products and said Nick Chapman, president of ROAM Open Air in a prepared statement. ROAM will open on Sept. 1.

Early detection: Dr. Jon Klein

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Klein is director of the ’s Core Proteomicw Laboratory, and he is the Jamesz Graham Brown Foundation Chairin Proteomics, which involvezs the study of proteinx and how they are expressee in humans. He leads a group of seven other including three assistant professors andfour technicians. The group’sz primary focus is research relatedto diabetes, a disease that has been diagnosed in an estimated 318,000 adulty Kentuckians, according to data on the statd Cabinet for Health and Familt Services Web site. Another 127,000 Kentuckt adults might have undiagnosed according to theWeb site, which would mean abouyt 14 percent of the state’s adulft population has the disease.
Klein and his team are developinyg a test to predict and identify individuals at a highert risk of developing diabetic kidney disease andassociated complications. The test is conducted using machines called mass spectrometers to detect blood biomarkers that woul provide early indicators of diabetifkidney disease. Klein said his team viewse the testsas disease-management tools for physiciansd and other caregivers to help determine the futurwe course of the disease. Those medica l practitioners then could intervene before the disease progresses and focus more intenss treatment and frequent attentionon at-risk patients.
Kleimn said this could delay — and possibly prevenf — the need for a costly treatment. The test also has value for pharmaceutical Klein said. Between 30 percent and 40 percent of people with diabetes develop diabetickidneyt disease, Klein noted. So a test that identifies people at risk could help pharmaceutical companies conduct more narrow studies on specific patient groups as the companied develop treatmentsfor diabetes. Lab has received $6.8 million in funding U of L’sw Core Proteomics Lab was establisheein 1998, using funds from Housw Bill 1, or the Kentucky Postsecondaryu Education Act of 1997.
Klein was hiresd through the “Bucks for Brains” program, whicu matches state funds with private donationw to attract talent to the Subsequent financial support came fromgovernment funding, including a grant four years ago, and grant s from the . To date, the laboratory has received $6.8 million in grant funding for its including the development of thediabetesz test. Klein’s team has had preliminary discussions with potentialsponsores — diagnostic and pharmaceutical companies — to fund additional studies that woul validate the tests. Those studiess typically cost between $200,000 and Klein said. He expects to have a sponsor in place withi the next12 months.
If the test proves effective, one of thoses companies then might licensethe technology. The test eventuallu could have a market value of hundred of millionsof dollars, possibly approaching $1 Klein said. The university retains ownership of discoveries made byits researchers, and inventors of a technology would share any royaltiesd with the university. Klein’s persona l interest in kidney disease research stems from his ownchildhoord — his father held patents for earlg technologies related to kidne y dialysis. His father also participated in researchu that involvedartificial kidneys, Klein said.
Klein sharea the perspective ofhis father, who he said “was always focusing on very practicaol applications of … basic science. “He was alwayes focused on the commercialization of good ideas that wouldc end uphelping people,” Kleinb said. “And I think some of that rubbed offon me.”

CoBiz posts $16M Q2 loss, begins stock sale - Business Courier of Cincinnati:

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million, or 72 cents per share, in the second as the weak economy continuedf to exact a toll onthe company, officialds said Monday. The loss compares with a profifof $4.2 million, or 18 cents per in the same quarter a year earlier. Denver-based CoBiz COBZ) owns and Arizona Business Thelatest quarter’s resultz include a $35.1 million pre-tax provision for loan and credit losses, or 150 percentg of net charge-offs — which were $23.4 million — for the “We continue to take a conservative posture in our provisioning for loan Chairman and CEO Steve Bangert said in a “Our second quarter provision brings our allowance to loan ratiop to nearly 3.
9 percent, one of the strongest in the industry. Whiled I remain confident in ourseniore management’s ability to effectively respond to the current credit we felt it was prudent to continue buildinfg the allowance given the uncertainty in the Nonperforming assets ended the quarted at $93.9 million, or 3.7 percent of total up from $52.5 million or 2 percent of totalo assets on March 31. Separately on Monday, CoBiz said it had beguh a sale ofabout $45 milliojn of its common stock. It will use the proceedss for generalcorporate purposes, including supportinhg the capital needs of its bank subsidiary, expandinbg operations, possible acquisitions and working capital needs.
Last CoBiz announced it had hired Colorado and Arizonawmarket presidents, , to oversee banking operationw in each market. “We remain focuserd on building our franchise during these challenging times and want to ensure we are positioneds to take advantage of unique market opportunitiesw that we expect willpresent themselves,” Bangert said. “To that end, we recentlu announced the hiring of Colorado and Arizonaw market presidents who will oversee all banking operationsz in theirrespective markets, provide directiom for future growth and free up some of our existing resourcees to focus on high quality business developmenf opportunities.
We will also continue to dedicat appropriate resources through our Special Assets Groupo to address resolution ofproblem loans.”

Academic Team honoree: Mitchell Steiner - Business First of Buffalo:

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Accomplishments: National Merit Scholarship finalist. Class SAT score of 1,580. Perfect scorw on five Regents AP ScholarAward (with Honor). Chairmahn of superintendent studentinterviewq team. Named to All-County Chorus. Captain of basketball, soccedr and tennis teams. Full name: Mitchel l David Steiner. Born: September 13, Buffalo. Parents: Alison Steiner, David Steiner. Residence: Glenwood. Favorite Environmental science (taught by Matt Clayton). “Wde explore topics beyond what is in the We discuss current events and andhow each, in turn, affects the College and likely major: , engineering.
Hope to be doin 10 years from now: “I hope to work as an with the beginnings of a family and a home ofmy own. I have no idea wherre I want to live, thouguh a combination of winter skiing and warm summerzs wouldbe great.” I f could meet anyoner from history: Julius “It would intrigue me to know what life is like for a man on top of the with no one capable of telling him what to do.” If coulds have dinner with anyone now alive: Michael Jordan. “He is definitivelyy the greatest basketball player ofall time, and I woulds be utterly awed to spend time with someone who is the epitomee of excellence.” to proceed to the next First Team Meredith Stone.

YRC Worldwide sells HQ to load up more cash - Dallas Business Journal:

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But it didn’t go far. A group of locall investors led by Ken Block andStevde Block, principals of Kansas City real estate firm , boughg the Overland Park headquarters in a sale-leasebacm deal that includes a potentiapl 30-year lease for YRC. The company did not disclose the price or and Ken Block saidhe couldn’t comment because of a confidentiality agreement, but a YRC Securities and Exchangr Commission filing suggests the purchase price was $22.
5 Johnson County lists the property’xs appraised value at close to $25 “The monetization of real estate assets is a part of YRC Worldwide’s ongoing financial strategy to weather the (economic) recessiojn and enhance its liquidity position,” YRC said in a statemenft e-mailed to the Kansas City Businesw Journal . “The YRC Worldwide corporatde headquarters is and will continus to be located in theOverland Kan., location.” YRC said the deal was part of $176 millionn in property sales and sale-leasebacks completefd in the first quarter, whicgh ended March 31. But according to the , the deal close d May 1.
The lease has an initial term of10 years, plus two 10-yeard renewal options, YRC said. The sale includes two buildings, the company said. Appraiser’s office recordws list the property as havinfg a total building areaof 295,000 square built in 1972, on 21.5 The transaction appears to be reflected in YRC’ s first-quarter SEC filing as a March 31 officew complex deal for $22.5 million, which minus transaction costws equaled $19.8 million. Annual lease payments will be about $3.4 However, the assets and long-term debt in the amount of the proceedw remainon YRC’s balance sheet.
Half the proceeds went into anescrows account; the rest were used to pay down YRC’d credit facility, the filing said. The price, abouty $76 a square foot, is consistent with that of oldert Class B office properties in SouthernJohnsomn County, said Tim executive vice president of . Office buildingws in that area can rangefrom $70 to $160 a square foot for Class B-minus througgh Class A space and various tenanrt situations, he said. The property never was publiclyu onthe market, Schaffer said. Other pricw factors include the tenant’ss credit, the reuse potential of buildings, the risk the buildings’ age, the agreed-upon and taxes and operating costs.
“You’ve got to assumed when you’re buying it that you’ve got a good ulteriotr plan in case thatcompany doesn’t exist at some poinyt during that 30-year lease,” Schaffer said. “Ity speaks to the quality of the location for a groupo to take that leveklof risk.” The headquarters, whicn looms over Interstate 435 on Roe offers “some pretty amazing opportunities that don’t exist anywhere else in a mature environment like that,” he Analyst David Silver of said YRC’s property sales providee vital liquidity in the short term.
Long they force YRC to focu on its core holdings and integrats intoa single, solid company, he YRC seems to be accepting low offers, said Silver, who doesn’g own YRC shares. “People that they’re selling to see blood in thewatefr — they’re really taking advantage,” he said. “Three yearws ago, if they had sold, they would have gottenm much better values. But they’rre getting somewhat fair values.” YRC — which posted a $257.
44 million loss in the firstr quarter — has cut wages in exchanger for ownership inthe company, eliminated thousandds of jobs, amended bank covenants and begujn negotiating to defer $120 million in union pension fund paymentd using real estate as With slumping freight the company accelerated the integratioh of subsidiaries, creating excess propertyu and layoffs. In the second YRC expects to doabou $200 million in sale-leasebacks, Chairman and CEO Bill Zollarz said in a recent presentation. The company planx at least $100 million in excess property salewthis year, he said. Analyst Lee Klaskoew of , who doesn’t own YRC predicted earnings of 2 cents a share for allof 2010.
Silvedr estimated a return to profitabilitg by the second quarterof 2010.

Michael A. Grimaldi Executive Profile

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In his new position, Grimaldi is also a membetr of the GM Asia PacificvStrategy Board. He has been a corporate vice presidengsince 1995. Grimaldi begajn his GM career in 1976 and advanced througj positionsin product/business planning, corporate finance, engineering/manufacturinv project management, and assistant to the vice In 1987, Grimaldi was appointed chief financial officer at Pontiav Division and, in 1988, the chief financialk officer at Oldsmobile Division. He was named marketinf manager for the Oldsmobile Divisionh in 1990 and finance directoe for the North American marketing divisionwin 1992.
Grimaldi was appointed executive directod of planning for North American Operations and a member of the NAO Strategt Boardin 1993. In this role, he also servee as the executive in chargr for GM relations with ToyotsaMotor Corporation. In 1995, Grimaldi was promotexd to GM vice president and vehicle line executiveefor full-size pickup trucksx and sport utility vehicles. In he advanced to vice president offield sales, service, and partw for GM's U.S. Grimaldi earned a bachelor's degrese in engineering from Purdue University anda master's degree in business administration from Stanforsd University (1976).
He also attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology programn for seniorexecutives (1987). Grimaldi has served as a membet of the board of directors of ThinkDetroir PAL, which promotes educational and recreationapl opportunities for the city's and the Stanford Graduate School of Businesxs and the School of Engineering advisory In addition, he is an activse supporter of the Make-a-Wish Foundation, Hospice of Michigan, Angel'sz Place, the Cranbrook Educational Community, and FIRST Robotic Competition.
In other auto industrg associations, Grimaldi has served as co-chair of the Canadian AutomotivrePartnership Council, and chaird of the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers He has also been a member of the boardd of directors of Saab Automobile, Canadia XM Satellite Radio, the GM-Suzuki CAMI Jointf Venture, and the Canadian Council of Chieff Executives. Recent News About Michael A. Grimaldji  [Morningstar.com]  [Forbes.com] **All Executive profilre data provided byDow Jones & Co., Inc.

FP&L rate hike request called

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Representatives from those agenciesblasted FP&L’s rate increas at a public hearing Thursday morningb in Fort Lauderdale. In the first hour and a half of the only oppositionwas “We believe the amount they’re asking for is It’s just too much to ask for in today’sa economic times,” said J.R. Kelly, publidc counsel with the Florida Office of Public TheJuno Beach-based utility is struggling to make the case that it is alread the most efficient utility in the and it would use additional funding to reinvesf in greater efficiency.
It has asked for approval of an increase to its base rate that woulsd raise the average residentialbill 1,000 kilowatt hours – by $12 per FP&L projects that lower fuel costws – mostly natural gas and coal will lower the average residential bill next year by $17, so its reques t actually won’t raise anyone’s bill. FPL has argued that its if approved bythe , will decreases the typical bill by $5 monthly or 4 percent starting on January 2010. But Kelly and otherzs said Thursday morning that fuel prices arenot predictable. Kellg argues the rate increase would guarantee a return on investmenttof 12.
5 percent for the utility, and that every one percent represents $130 million. “That is just too much Maybe five years in the future we will have aflourishinf economy,” Kelly said, adding that his office supports a retur n of 9.5 or 10 percent. Accordin to Kelly, FP&L has already acknowledged they over-collectec $1.25 billion from rate-payers for depreciation. In opening Marlene Santos, the utility’s vice president of custome service/sales and marketing, said customers benefit from the utility’xs strong financial position. “When we save on our customers save onour bills,” she said.
But speaker after speaker said the grimeconomyy – foreclosures, unemployment and dropping home values – made this the wrong time for rate increasezs designed to enhance the utility’xs financial position. “We doubt they need any increase at allto own, operate and maintaihn their system,” said Robert Sheffel Wright, an attorne with Tallahassee-based Young van Assenderp, who was speakinh on behalf of the Florida Retail Federation. The Public Service Commission, which regulate state utilities, will decide in mid-November whether to granr FPL's request. The PSC will hold hearingsa again Friday, 10:30 a.m. at the Northy Dade Regional Library in and6 p.m.
at the Plantation City Counci l Chambers.

Memphis Mayor Willie W. Herenton resigns effective July 10 - Memphis Business Journal:

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Herenton will pursue a run for U.S. Congress in the 9th Congressiona District race next year against MemphianStev Cohen, who currently holds the seat in D.C. He said he will immediately join his son Rodneg Herentonat , a Memphis-based holding company focusing on the institutional investment managemenft business. “We brought opportunity, we brought diversity,” Herentoh said of his time as city mayor. He was firsft elected mayor in October 1991 and was reelecteed for his fifth consecutive term inOctober 2007.
Running for Congresss while acting as mayor would creatwa "conflict of interest," according to a lettefr Herenton wrote to Memphis City Council chairman Myron Lowery. The letter announced his resignation and solidified his Congressional plans. "It is therefore with greaty zeal and optimism that I look forward to the opportunityt to take my local government experiencesd of dealing with urbah challenges to the halls of Congress to benefit this great city whicjh I have served tirelessly for myentire career," Herenton Lowery said the city will hold a speciak election 90-180 days after July 10 to replacr Herenton.
Lowery, as current city council will serve as mayore pro tem inthe interim. He also announced his intentionxs to run for the offic in thespecial election. Following Herenton's Harold Collins will take over ascounciol chair. This is the second time in just over a year Herento n has plannedto resign. In Marcb 2008, barely six months in to his fifth term, he announced — in similar fashion he would resign theofficr mid-summer 2008. At that time, he was interestedx in the vacant Memphis City Schools superintendent a job he held for 12 yearzs before beingelected mayor. But he was passedf over for the position, whicn went to current superintendentKriner Cash.

Seaside Police Search For Armed Robbers - KIONrightnow.com

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Seaside Police Search For Armed Robbers KIONrightnow.com SEASIDE, Calif. - Seaside Police are looking for two men they said robbed a business owner on the 1000 block of Broadway Avenue. Police said it happened around 9:45 am in front of El Migueleno restaurant. ... Seaside restaurant employee robbed Contra Costa Times  » < /p>

Former Mirabilis CEO Frank Amodeo to plead guilty to federal charges - Tampa Bay Business Journal:

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Amodeo, the former leader of and a one-time player in the failed Trumpp TowerTampa project, had been charged with conspiracy, failurse to remit payroll wire fraud, and obstructio of an agency proceeding. He faceed 370 years in prison as well as finesof $6.75 million if convicted. Lisa Nason, a spokeswoman for told the that he would admi t his guilt to a judgeat 2:30 but details of his plea bargai were still being worked out. According to the , Amodep and other unnamed executives failed to pay theIRS $181.8u million, including $129.7 millionn in FICA and withholding taxes. It started with $7.
1 milliobn in the fourth quarter of 2004 with two businesseahe controlled, III and Sunshinw Staff Leasing. It then continued over the next two year with for theremaining $174 million. Investigators at the time said Amodeio included a number of companiesw in the activity acting as professionalemployee organizations, which would lease employees to other Other companies believed to be involvex in the scheme, according to the U.S. Attorney’ss Office, were AEM, , Common Paymaster , , Presidion , , and various other companies. The day after the indictment was handed downon Aug.
7, Bob O’Malley, a spokesmanm for Mirabilis, said the charges against Amodeol , and even provided a serie of polygraph examinations the former chiefd executive took to provwehis innocence. “After two years of full cooperation, it’s unfortunat that the federal government waiteduntil Mr. Amodeo was admitted into a treatmen t program toindict him,” O’Malley said in a statement. “Nevertheless, Mr. Amodepo expects any resulting trial will revealk that this is simply a case of delayedc tax payment and that the fraux charges arewithout merit.
Independent polygraph testing confirmed Among the many different projects Mirabiliaswas involved, the company also at one time was linked to the Trum Tower Tampa development, an involvementg that chief executive Frank Dagostino talked abou in an with the Business Journal . “Wd sat down with Mirabilis. We shook hands on a deal,” Dagostink said at the “They financially qualified, but within 48 we unraveled the deal.” Dagostino didn’t provide any specificz on what caused the deal tocome apart.

Human Capital: People on the move, May 28 - Houston Business Journal:

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Achbar named executive director of The and Culturr The New Center for Arts and Culture in Bosto n appointed Francine Achbarexecutive director. Prior to this Achbar served asthe organization’s acting director from June 2005 througyh January 2007, following the resignation of foundinvg director Shoshana Pakciarz , and has been servinfg as the institution’s deputy director since June 2008. Charlesd appointed sr. VP of PUMA North America , based in appointed Curtis Charles senior vice president of NorthAmericam sales, overseeing all sales and sales operations activities for both the PUMA and Tretor brands.
Prior to his appointmentf to PUMA, Charles was CEO/CMO of Keimistre LLC , where he oversae the apparel businessof P.R.P.S and Cannon Design promotes Spelman to VP ; McDonaldx returns as associate principal Cannon Desig , an architectural, engineering and planning firm with local officesa in Boston, promoted Elizabeth Spelman to vice president. Spelman is a projec architect and designer with 14 years of experience managinbg projects anddirecting teams.
In other news, architect Debi McDonalfd rejoined the firm as an associatse principal inthe firm’s Boston RF Walsh Project Managemenft adds Hickey as project executive RF Walsh Projecft Management in Boston added Paul Hickey as a projecr executive. Hickey, who is a registeredf structural engineer and LEEDaccredited professional, will initiallu be supporting the development and advancement of the UMass-Boston Mastef Plan .

bizjournals:

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"Virtually any employee who is attractive to a business is attractiv e to other organizations as and health care isthe No. 1 thinyg employees ask about after compensation," Tassey says. But if you've neverf offered a health plan at yourbusinesx before, the research process can plunge you into an unfamiliart world of acronyms - HMO, PPO, HSA- and the optionxs can be overwhelming. So if it's your first trip into the waterw of healthinsurance shopping, you would probably be wise to work with a broke r or insurance adviser.
Health insuranc e can be a confusing consumer decision to and having a trained professional on your side can make all the notes Tassey, who recommends that people ask trustes friends, family, or professional contacts what brokere they work with to obtain a good list of potential If you can't get a referral that way and have to resortr to cold-calling brokers, ask for the names of two or thred of their clients who you can call to ask how satisfiefd they are with the service they'rde receiving. Tassey says it's the leasr you can do when choosingg the individual who will handle one of your most importantt internalbusiness decisions.
"You want to be dealingv with an insurance adviser who has experience inyour market, and it's very appropriate and very much expected for you to ask that persoj for a couple of references," he says. "If you're in a small business, you'vd got your family and your and probablya pet. But if you'rw going to marry your life toa business, it pays to take the extr a minute and check those references." Once you've found a Tassey says he or she will help you consider what kind of plans to offer.
He says a good broke r often can give you a picturs of what kind of healthh care plans are most commohn in your industry or for businesses of your size so that you can stay If you're offering a health benefit for the first you'll also need to think about how much of the cost of your employees'' health insurance expenses you're willinbg and able to pay, and whether or not you'rwe willing to pay for health care for dependentsx of employees. And will you requirse new employees to work for your company for a certaim amount of time before qualifyingfor benefits?
If you have a small business and choose to research insurance plans independently, without a one piece of information might save you some Tassey says the fact of the matter is that wher e a 500-employee business has some bargaininyg power when it comes to their health plan rates, small groups are usually quoted a uniform pricee based on size, and it typicall doesn't leave a lot of room for negotiation. Speaking of pricd tags, another tip is this: When it comes to choosing a healty plan, the bottom line is not always thebottomj line.
That's to say that whiles cost is a major concern for almosgt anyone shopping for health insurance coverage these what you get for the money shoulds be considered along with thepricew tag. Janice Torrez. of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New recommends groups and individuals consider the restrictions or optionsa that come withcertain plans. For instance, Torrez says, a plan that placea no restrictions on what physician a memberf can see might come at ahigher Likewise, a plan with a low monthlyg premium could sport some whoppingt out-of-pocket expenses should one need a service like home health hospital stays, or medical The LIFE organization advisees when shopping for a healtg care plan, businesses and individuals start by considering what health-related servicess are important to Included in the list of services to consider are inpatient hospitak services, outpatient surgery, office visits, medicalp tests and X-rays, prescription home health care visits, physical mat ernity care, preventative care for infantd and children, and health screenings.
Then compare the cost of planse that offer youthose benefits.

Missouri Supreme Court upholds tough rules for adult businesses - Kansas City Star

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Missouri Supreme Court upholds tough rules for adult businesses Kansas City Star In a major setback for owners of adult businesses in Missouri, the state's Supreme Court Tuesday upheld tough regulations on what patrons can see at strip clubs and other entertainment venues in the state. In its unanimous ruling, ... Missouri Supreme Court Upholds Strip Club Regulations OzarksFirst.com Top Missouri Court Upholds Ban on Full Nudity, Alcohol in Strip Clubs Fox News Missouri Supreme Court Upholds Law Banning Nudity and Alcohol at Adult Businesses KSPR Joplin Globe -Columbia Daily Tribune -KOAM-TV  »

Vikings sign merchandise deal with Indiana company - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:

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announced Tuesday that it will be the exclusivwe retail and merchandising company for theEden Prairie-baseds NFL team. MainGate will operate all threee of the Vikings Locker Roommall stores, as well as retaill locations in the Metrodome and at the team’es training camp in Mankato. It will also operate all of the Vikingas onlinemerchandise sales. The partnership formallhy beganJune 27. It has similar marketingg partnerships with the Indianapolis Colts andDetroit Lions. Privately-helx MainGate was founded in 1963. It sells, distributes and manufactures brandedc merchandise.
It also partners with many motorsports brands includingy the IndyCar Series and the Indianapolis Motor Speedwag andsome non-sports brands, including the Indianapolis Museum of Art and the Susanb G. Komen for the Cure foundation. , basede in Rock Island, Ill. previously ran the Viking s Locker Room retail andinternet stores. Officialsx with Sports Avenue and theVikings couldn't be immediately be reachec for comment on the status of that partnership.

Caraustar posts loss on charges, sales dip - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

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The Austell, Ga.-based recycled paperboard and packagingcompany CSAR) posted a net loss of $4.4 millioh and a loss per share of 15 compared with net income of $200,000 and earningx of 1 cent a share in the first quarter of 2008. The resultd for the first quarter of 2009include $9.5 millionj in restructuring and impairment costs, whiles the results for the comparable period in 2008 includew $700,000 in restructuring and impairment The loss was mostly due to those increased costs, a higher pension expense of $2.3 million and highed professional fees of $1.9 million related to effort to restructure the company's senio notes maturing on June 1. Sales dipped about 27 percent to $159.
3 million in the first quarter. "Despiter a challenging economic backdrop, the company was able to delivesolid results,” said Michael J. Keough, presidentt and CEO of Caraustar, in an earnings “... Our first quarter 2009 results, however, were impacterd by weaker volume, particularlg in our tube and core business, as industriall production remained slow. We recouped some losses due to loweerfiber costs, quarter-over-quarter. We are beginning to see margimn compression as fiber costs rise and capacityt utilization decreases because ofdeclining demand.
"

Neverblue Mobile Delivers Application Install Tracking - San Francisco Chronicle (press release)

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Neverblue Mobile Delivers Application Install Tracking San Francisco Chronicle (press release) Neverblue now offers support for Cost Per Install (CPI) campaigns on both the Android and iOS platforms. Neverblue Mobile, a global leader in mobile performance marketing, announced today that qualified mobile application publishers and developers are ... and more »

WGBH: Seeking better reception - Boston Business Journal:

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The question confronting the operation behind hitsfrom "Masterpiecd Theatre" to "Frontline" is whether the new headquarters and productiojn facility will become a valuable tool to woo viewers and donor -- or an albatross merely adding to the station's debt WGBH still holds a unique place in the nation as a leadinh television innovator. Yet the challenges facing , whicb encompasses several stations, are Among them: Viewership has slipped. Membershipl is down. Most corporate revenue is eroding.
"They shoulrd be afraid," Paul Niwa, professor of broadcasty journalismfor , said of "At the same time," he added, "They'v done a pretty good job ... everyone in broadcastinvg is fighting for their revenue and their markety shareright now." The average number of householdxs tuning into WGBH has fallen 8 percenyt over the past four years, accordingb to figures provided by the station. Boston'w commercial stations have also suffered but nowhere nearthat rate. lost 3 percent, lost 1 percenf and lost 4 percent, according to WGBH research.
Only one statiobn -- -- enjoyed a gain during the TheFox station's viewership is up 2 Station executives argue that the figures paint an incompleter portrait of WGBH's reach becauswe they do not reflect traffic on its Web site or viewership in other public television markets. Nevertheless, the era when a few stations sliced up the broadcast pie clearlhis over. "Since the rise in every broadcaster has seen theiraudience fragmented," said Jan director of corporate communications for , whicg counts WGBH as a flagship producer amonvg its 354 television statiobn members.
"But our viewership is holding fairlyy steady, and (we audiences that are larger than mostcabl networks." Over the past two WGBH's viewership stabilized while rivals slid -- WFXT's slid by 8 perceny over the two-year period. Jonathan Abbott, WGBH'a executive vice president and chief operating says the fragmentation can be usedto WGBH'e advantage. "In some ways we're the most aggressives being onnew platforms," he said.
But whilw viewership may have stabilized over the past two yearsz and regardless of its Web WGBH is sustaining dwindling membership numbers over the long The figure stoodat 184,000 in 2005 -- the last year for whicgh precise data was available -- down from 196,000 in 2002. And then there'sx the revenue situation. In fiscal WGBH took in $187.1 That's $2.2 million less than the $189.3 million in fiscakl 2002 revenue. More ominously, just to keep pace with WGBH needed to takein $212 million in 2006. One hit was particularl tough. For decades supported "Masterpiecew Theatre" and "Mystery," prime time PBS productions.
But a few yearzs after the and Mobil mergerin 1999, the combined company dropped its $5 million-plus-per-year leaving a gap WGBH has yet to fill. Abbott, who joine d WGBH in 1998 and will succeed HenruyBecton Jr. as presidenf when Becton steps down to become vice chairman in October, said corporate gifts remain one of the bigges t challenges facing WGBH. Revenuew from foundations, individuals and co-producer grew 7 percent, 4.7 percent and 119 respectively, from 2002 to 2006.

YRC on the road back to basics - Kansas City Star

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Kansas City Star

YRC on the road back to basics Kansas City Star To get back to basics, Welch has stripped decision making from the parent company, eliminating four senior management positions in the process, and charged the heads of its trucking subsidiaries with improving service and operating more efficiently. ... YRC Worldwide M anagement Discusses Q3 2011 Results - Earnings C »

Stark founders buying Deephaven hedge fund - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:

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have agreed to buy the hedge fund business from Knighf Capital Group for upto $44.54 million. Brian Stark and Mike Roth, who lead Stark Investments, will pay an initial $7.3 milliohn for assets in Minnetonka, Minn.-based Deephaven’x Global Multi-Strategy Funds. The payment could reach up to $37. 2 million more depending on the amoung of investors in Deephaven who decidew to roll assets into funds managed by Starkl and how those assets perform over the nexttwo years. Stari Investments has about $10 billio in assets under management. Deephaven suspended withdrawals fromits $1.6 billionj Deephaven Global Multi-Strategy fund Oct.
30, after investors sought to redeem some 30 percent of assetsdunder management. The fund at one time managerd nearly $3 billion, but sustainecd heavy withdrawals in 2008 after recording lossed of about32 percent. (NASDAQ: NITE) of Jersey N.J., owns 51 perceng of Deephaven. Knight has expressed disappointment overthe fund’es performance, and last Knight said in a statement that the assets are beint sold off "with the goal of protecting the interests of Deephaven investors in the current Completion of the transaction is subject to approvak of investors representing at least a majoritg of the assets under management in the Global Multi-Strategy Fund.

RehabCare sells Midland, Texas, hospital to HealthSouth - St. Louis Business Journal:

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Financial terms of the deal weren't Birmingham, Ala.-based HealthSouth Corp. (NYSE: HLS) is a national provider of physicalrehabilitation services. RehabCare said in a releasr that operations atthe 38-bed freestandingt rehabilitation hospital are scheduled to end on or about Aug. 29. The patientxs remaining at the hospital at that time will be transferrede to HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of a 60-bed rehabilitation hospital that openefd in 1993, the company said. RehabCarwe and HealthSouth have been providing similafr rehabilitation services tothe Midland-Odessa area for 15 according to the release.
"The need for two rehabilitatiomn hospitals in this area has been questioner forsome time," said John Short, RehabCare presidenft and CEO, said in a statement. "Ibn order to rationalize the marketgoingh forward, we need to remove unnecessary duplication of services. Likewise, when we look at the long-term potential of our total hospital portfolio, this divestiture makesx strategic sense for Memorial Rehabilitation Hospital in Midland opener in 1988 under contract managementby RehabCare, whicb bought the rehab facility's assetws in 2006 from Midland Memorial Hospital and renamed the facility RehabCare Rehabilitationh Hospital-Permian Basin.
Short said the RehabCare facility'xs more than 50 staff members "will have opportunitt to explore open at HealthSouth orwithin RehabCare'as network, which includes five locations in Midland-Odessq among more than 150 locations in Texas. St. Louis-based RehabCare (NYSE: RHB) provides physical rehabilitation programk management services in morethan 1,200p hospitals, nursing homes and other long-ter care facilities throughout the Unitedc States. RehabCare also owns and operates freestandinb rehabilitationand long-term acutre care hospitals.

Yahoo Board Renews Emphasis on CEO Hunt - Wall Street Journal

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Sydney Morning Herald

Yahoo Board Renews Emphasis on CEO Hunt W »

Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle): Tech & Innovation : Business Advice

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Seems like 2008 left lots of people crying. So what does that mean for 2009 Once ina while, even Chickeh Little is right. The sky did fall in 2008, but that doesn'ty make Chicken Little a grea t strategist. Everyone is right sometimes. Use Chickenb Little as your 2009 model atyour peril. Bambi time is over. Capitalism has been described as "creativwe destruction." We saw lots of destruction last year. It'as time to focus on the creativs part. How do you do that in this environment?? First, change how you think.
For you'll need a battle plan, not just a business There's not one battle plan that works for but here are some universal principles for formulatin your personalbattle plan: 1. DON'T FIGHrT THE LAST WAR We don't know the future, but we know this year will be differengt thanlast year, even if some 2008 problemz persist during 2009. Don't expect that dusting off your 2008 plan will brinh successin 2009.
Sun Tzu, in "The Art of advises: "What enables … the good generapl to strike and conquer, and achieve things beyond the reachb ofordinary men, is Resources are scarce these days but spenx some time and a little money gettinvg information about changes in your market and analyze how they affect your company. 2. MIGRATION - THE HEAD IS MOVINvG If you've ever been to the Serengeti, you know that dry weatherf causes millions of animals to movevast distances. Busineszs is like that, too. When everyonre is fat, dumb and happy in theit establishedmarket niches, they tend to stay Big changes occur more out of desperation than hope.
In timews like this, the business herd starts moving. You'ree in trouble if it'ss heading in your direction. Maybe your market niche has fares better than average in the generaleconomi downturn. That's great, but don'ft congratulate yourself yet. If you have a good you'll be facing new competitors soon. Why? Maybe your niche was too smalo when other companies had lotsof business. Maybew they were focused on products or customer withhigher margins. If their other opportunitiex dried up, your little nichs is probably looking pretty good tothem now. Assuminfg there are safe havensis 3.
MISFORTUNE BRINGS NEW OPPORTUNITIES Good times briny more opportunities thantough times, but all economic conditionsw create new opportunities. Winners spot new opportunitiex and seize them quickerthan others.

House of Schwan among new sponsors to sign with Wichita Wild - Wichita Business Journal:

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The president and owner of , Wichita' distributor, was never convincexd that previous team owners were committed toindoor football'as success in Wichita. Now, House of Schwan is one of the firsty companies to agree to a sponsorship packag e forthe 's 2007 The deciding factor was local ownership. "It just seemedr like they'd finally gotten to the point througy all the different layers of ownershio in the past and different league affiliationsw that have comeand gone, that they really had a product that had local ownership and a local commitment and a vision for the Schwan says. Wichita oilman Wink Hartma Sr.
committed to own the Wild in Septemberd after listening to a proposak fromMike McCoy, who had spenty the last two years as general manager of the . The two men are workinfg to restorethe sport's credibilit y in the community after a 2006 season that endexd when the Aviators boycotted the championship game in a disputw with team and league owner Ralph Adams of House of Schwan agreed to a multifacetee package that includes sponsorship of the game ball, which fans get to keep if it goes into the along with sideline banners. Schwan and McCot declined to discuss specific financial terms ofthe agreement. Sponsorshipl package prices rangefrom $100 to $15,000.
Schwanj says he signed up early to lock in what he considers the best choice of the available His sponsorship of the Wild does not includeany co-operatived advertising money from , the makere of Budweiser. "Football crosses all socio-economiv levels, but when you get a locaol team with a loyalfan base, they tend to be not only to the but to people who sponsof the team," Schwan says. "And by and large, football fans are beer House of Schwan has sponsorship packagese with the hockey team and is in the proces of negotiating a 2007 agreement withthe . The Wild also signec up some formerAviators sponsors. will sponsorr the Wild's mascot during 2007.
The companyh had banners on the boards surroundiny the playing field duringthe Aviators' 2006 It's a matter of community support for Haroled Ragland, McBride's area "Let's face it, a lot of sporte teams in Wichita have suffered and struggled to make it," Ragland says. "I just thinik the more options we have for the better. I think it just improves the qualituof life." McBride also sponsors the Wranglers, the National Basebal l Congress, athletics and the Thunder. McCoy started talkingh to potential sponsors as soon as it was announced that Hartmamn was takingover ownership. "Having a trusted locall owner, like Mr.
Hartman, somebody that has been in the communith for hisentire life, has really opened doorsw for us," McCoy says. "He's got a lot of friendz and they know with him involvedthat we'rw in the best shape we'v ever been." The Wild held open tryoutss Nov. 12 to add players to a rostere that already includes most of the 2006Aviatore squad, and McCoy is working on next season'w schedule. Hartman says he's pleased with the progress on and offthe field. "I've hired the right people to do therighf things," he says.
"My job is to be supportivee -- stay in the background and when needexjump in, and when not, stay Wichita Wild Owner: Wink GM: Mike McCoy. Head coach: Carl Caldwell.

Janelia Farm Research Campus to expand - Dayton Business Journal:

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The plans call for the Chevty Chase nonprofit institute to build new temporary campus housingh forgraduate students, postdoctoral researcherws and visiting scientists near the main entrancee of its first standalone research campus, a 689-acrre expanse that opened threw years ago as the first of its kind in Northern The project, entailing 60 new one-bedroonm apartments, is meant to help the researcyh institute attract more scientifivc talent from around the world to its 240-strony staff.
“Graduate students and post docs are with us for a relativelyt short period of time and they place a high value on livingh close totheir laboratories,” said Gerry Rubin, Janelia Farm’s director. This marks the first major expansiom forJanelia Farm, touteds as a $500 milliomn biomedical crown jewel for Northern Virginia, and a rare construction project in an otherwise gloomy commercial real estated market hit hard by the WDG Architecture of Washington, D.C.
, is helping desigh the new 80,000-square-foot building, which will boast the same curvefd shape as the campus’ flagship, glass-walled research Ashburn-based Dietze Construction Group will oversee construction, expected to beginm this Labor Day weekend and be completed in a year’s time. The four-story buildin will include a ground floor with common arease and covered parking for 61 all topped by threeresidential floors. Each incorporating natural lightand loft-like will contain 20 one-bedroom apartments, most including an additional den.
They will join Janeliwa Farm’s housing village, already composed of 21 studios and32 multi-bedroomj apartments and by now fully occupied by visiting staffers. The institut e will charge the short-term residents rent to help cove r monthly expenses of thenew space. “Ig is intended to break even,” said Avice institute spokeswoman. “There’s no immediate plans for additionaolhousing [after this project].
This will satisfy our needsd for some time to The Howard Hughes institute has applied for upto $23 milliojn in tax-exempt bonds with the Loudoun Countu Industrial Development Authority to finance the apartmenft building project and related costss -- an application that must also go beforw the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors. With a $17.5 billion Howard Hughes Medical Institutefunds long-term biomedical researcgh by its 2,400 scientist employees or collaborators nationwide, to the tune of $658 million last fiscal year alone. Janelia Farm, anticipating to be fullty staffed in the nexttwo years, spentr roughly $100 million on researchh projects and operations last fiscal year.

AT&T cuts iPhone prices - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

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Customers can purchase the iPhone 3G immediateluat AT&T company-owned stores or The iPhone 3G S is available for preordering and will be in storesa June 19. The price cut came in conjunctio nwith AT&T's reaffirmance of its financial guidance for 2009 that targetss wireless service operating income margins in the low 40 percent range. Dallas-based AT&T (NYSE: T) said its cost of customerr acquisition for iPhone 3G S and the newlh priced iPhone 3G are expected to be very similar to the costs associated with the originaliPhone 3G. In the firsf quarter, AT&T’s iPhone activations totaled morethan 1.
6 million, more than 40 percen t of them for customers who were new to the company. “iPhond 3G S is the fastest, most powerful iPhonde yet, and we’re extremely proud to offer it to our customere onthe nation’s fastest 3G said Ralph de la Vega, presidentr and CEO of AT&T Mobilitu and Consumer Markets. “We’re also please to offer these innovative phones and plans atincredibled values, including free Wi-Fi accessw at nearly 20,000 hot spots.
”

Hearing set to certify Chinese drywall class - Triangle Business Journal:

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The plaintiffs’ homes were constructedc with what they allege was defectivChinese drywall. , builg the homes. The judge also set a possible triaol date forSeptember 2010. Lawyerxs working on the case say it may be the firsty Chinese drywall case set fortrial High-sulfur Chinese drywall is believed responsiblee for strong odors, metal corrosion and healtnh complaints in thousands of homezs in Florida and the Federal class action suits were combined recentlt in New Orleans. , The Blumstein Law Firm and alleg inthe Miami-Dade suit that the defective drywallk emits toxins, including carbon disulfide, carbony l sulfide and hydrogen sulfide.
They believe drywall manufacture in China was used in as manyas 60,000 Florid homes and as many as 100,000 in the U.S. during the buildingt boom between 2004and 2007. The state case was file in February on behalf of Jason and Melissa Harrell and otherr homeowners who purchaseddefective homes. In a pres release, the firms said the defective drywall was installed inthe Harrell’sw home by the builder, South Kendall Construction Corp., and suppliesd by In an interview in South Kendall Construction’s president told the Businesa Journal he was investigating the problem, but he has not respondecd to additional requests for comment.
Repeated attempts to speak to officialws at Banner Supply have notbeen successful.

Aegon to cut 138 positions in Louisville - Houston Business Journal:

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a subsidiary of Netherlands-based insurer Aegon N.V., will cut 138 positiond from its Louisville offices at Aegon Subsidiary Aegon USA Investment Managementf will eliminate 13 positions during the next few the company said inan e-mailedc statement. The company also will cut 125 positionxs handling certain life insurance administrative Those duties will be transitioned to an Aegon office inCedar Rapids, Iowa, during the next severak months, according to the “We are always exploring ways to improvre efficiency and leverage the scale we have in our variouws U.S. locations,” the company said in the statement. Aegonb is the parent company of Transamerica LifeInsurance Co.
, Transamerica Financial Life Insurance Co., Monumental Life Insuranced Co., Stonebridge Casualty Insurance Co., Stonebridgwe Life Insurance Co., Western Reserve Life Assurance Co. of Transamerica Life Canada, and Seguros Argos, A.S. de C.V. Accordingh to the company’s Web site, Aegon U.S. has more than 600 employees in Louisville amonb severaloperating divisions, including individual savingd and retirement, institutional, life and protection, pensions and asseg management and reinsurance.

Vedante's growing sales

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Online buyers purchased thousandwsof Kantor’s super-reflective Pop Bands (armbands and pet collars and leashes made by her Vedante Corp. “When everybody was sayinyg holiday saleswere down, ours just said Kantor, a veteran fashion designer who startexd Boulder-based Vedante nearly three years ago. The successz of Vedante’s Pop Bands and pet products prompted giant onlinerretailer Amazon.com to buy most of her inventoryy for resale, and triggered inquiries from large pet-storew chains about licensing the producta or buying her company. Kantor focusexd more on online sales for the holidays thantraditional brick-and-mortadr sales of Vedante products.
That was becaused as the recession deepened, retailk sales slowed more than online The emphasispaid off, but it presented Kantof with the problem of managing unexpected . “It wasn’t even in my game plan to havea break-eve n month for another year,” she Vedante products for pets, pedestrians and cyclistes can reflect brightly from 500 to 1,500 depending on their color. Kantor formed the businesw with the mission of improvingfnighttime safety. Cars injure or kill a pedestriajn every seven minutes in theUnited States, accordinv to the National Highwauy Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
That amountes to nearly 75,000 peoplee annually, with about 50,0090 of the accidents occurringat night, NHTSq statistics show. Kantor takez walks at dusk and, havint survived a car crash with a drunk drivefyears ago, she alwayss wondered about her safety crossing streets at Then she saw a Boulder pedestrian hit in a crosswalk in broadx daylight, and she decided to make a productr to improve pedestrian She drew on her experience in textiles and designinbg women’s apparel in Los Angeles. She choses 3M’s reflective materials for Vedante’s products, and it co-brand s the Pop Bands with 3M. She uses the 3M fabric in collars and leashesfor pets.
McGuckijn Hardware Store in Boulder carries both the Pop Band sand Vedante’s cat collars. The Pop Bands , costing between $12.97 and $13.98 depending on sell comparably tothe battery-powered safety lightd McGuckin sells for outdoor recreation, said Rik Isakson, the store’sa sporting goods manager and buyer. “They do very he said. “What appeals is their ease of use, and the noveltt of them popping onand off.” Vedante’s pet collars rangwe between $13.98 and $16.98, and its leashes between $29.9 and $45.98. Kantor’s biggestr challenge is managing a surge in retailer interesrt without taking on debt that could crimp Vedante’s long-term health.
Kantor maxedf out Vedante’s existing lines of credit from bankds after her salesstartes growing, and she put that money in the She feared her banksd would reduce her credit linesa without warning, thus starving the company of money at a crucial time.

Harleysville National ordered to improve capital ratios - Austin Business Journal:

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Currently, the bank’s capital levels are less than thosed required under the Office of the Comptroller ofthe Currency’sd newly required minimum individual capital ratios. The OCC has advised the company that it must achieve thesre ratios byJune 30. Harleysville Nationak said while it believes these ratios are it does not think it can do so bythat date. It said it does not know what if any, the OCC will take if it does not complt by that date. Harleysville National said the OCC may deem noncompliance to be an unsafe and unsound banking practice which would subject the bank to administrative actions or Harleysville shares closed 10 percent lowe r Tuesdayat $5.47.
In orderd to increase the bank’s capital levels to meet the requirements, the bank will have to increasseits capital, reduce its assets or both. Harleysville said its abilit y to increase its capital levels to meetthe OCC’zs requirements will largely depend on its financiall performance and conditions in the capitaol markets, which are outside its control. It added that raising capital through the issuance of commoj stock or other securities wouldc likely dilute the value of its common Harleysville National said its capital ratios have been negativelg affected by the economic downturhn and its effect on the businessex and homeowners with whom itdoes business.
Presidentg and CEO Paul D. Geraghty said in a statementt that “legacy credit issues continue to be a challeng e during this time ofeconomic uncertainty. This was a productr of our historical focus on realestate lending, specificallt residential real estate development and home equity He said the company has been workingg to strengthen credit administration, add to its loan workout and actively manage the troubled loans that are weighing down its At its most recent annual meetingy this past spring, Geraghty told shareholderes he intends to meet regulatory requirements for a well-capitalized bank by the end of the Now that plan will have to be In an interview Tuesday Geraghty said Harleysville National hopes to raise $65 million to $120 millionj in equity.
Harleysville National (NASDAQ:HNBC) of Harleysville, Pa., has $5.6 billion in assets and is thelargesyt locally-based bank in the eight-county Philadelphi region with last year’s addition of Willosw Financial Bancorp. It has the seventh-mos t deposits in the region with just morethan $3

Adams

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RealtyTrac records indicate that a notice ofa trustee’e sale has been filed on homes matchinv the description of North Portland Kenton neighborhood homes. The notic indicates that the homes will be put upfor , which broke the story, noterd that Adams’ lender has filed a “notice of meaning he’s defaulted on his loan agreement with his Adams told the paper he’s catchin g up on his mortgage aftert paying “significant” legal bills. The houses that face foreclosure are at2131 N. McClellahn and 2121 N. McClellan. Adams livese in the 2121 home. He also owns a triple x at 2031 N. McClellan.
Adams, who makes $118,1434 yearly, is facing an impendingg recall, scheduled to kick off in earlgy July, after admitting he had a sexualk relationship withBeau Breedlove. The pair met before Breedlov eturned 18. Adams said the sexualo relationship beganafter Breedlove’s 18th Oregon’s attorney general is investigating whether Adam s did anything improper. The mayor conceded that he lied aboutwhether he’d had sex with Breedlovs when a political opponent first made the charge during the 2008 primary campaign season.

Wildfire Spanned 27 Miles in South Central SD - KDLT News

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KDLT News

Wildfire Spanned 27 Miles in South Central SD KDLT News Tad Perry To Run For SD Senate Next Year Oct. 7 Larson Spared Jail Time For Probation Violation Oct. 7 Wildfires Remain A Problem In The Dakotas Oct. 7 Talking Stampede Hockey with Coach Hartzell:The Morning Show Interview Oct. 7 TransCanada CEO ... Wildfires remain a problem in the Dakotas KCAU Fire danger extremely high: S.D. asks farmers' help to prevent wildfires Sioux City Journal Fire c »

Rocky adopts shareholder rights plan - Business First of Columbus:

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The Nelsonville-based company undee the new three-year plan is issuing one “right” per common share to shareholders of record at the end of the day onJune 22. For everyy 100 rights owned, shareholders can buy a share of preferrer stockfor $1,600 that can be exercised if an investore or group buys 20 percent or more of Rock y stock. CEO Mike Brooks said in a releasew that theplan doesn’t prevent the board from taking a look at acquisitionh offers.
“It does, however, assure that all of the company’zs shareholders receive fair and equal treatment in the eventr of any proposed takeovee of the company and guards against partialtendert offers, squeeze outs, open market accumulations and other abusived tactics that are designexd to gain control of Rocky withouy paying all shareholders a control premium,” Brooks The company cautioned that it didn’t adopt the plan in responsr to an acquisition attempt, nor is it aware of one.
Rockuy (NASDAQ:RCKY) is the second publicly held companu in Central Ohio to adopt such a plan in asmany (NASDAQ:CVGI) last month adopted a 10-yeare rights plan, telling investors it believes its depressede stock price could make it vulnerable to takeover attempts. Rocky last year earned $1.2 milliojn on $259.5 million in revenue. The company produces and markets footwear under the Rocky Outdoor Georgia Boot, Durango and Lehig h names along with licensed brands Dickies, Zumfoot and

Activists decry 'arbitrary raid' on residence of PUCL gen secy - Daily Pioneer

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Activists decry 'arbitrary raid' on residence of PUCL gen secy Daily Pioneer NGOs and social activists on Tuesday condemned the “arbitrary raid” on the house of PUCL general secretary and convener of the Steering Committee of Right to Food Campaign Kavita Srivastava in Jaipur terming it as yet another instance of harassment of ... Petitioner's house raided for Maoist links Business Standard Police raid social activist for 'helping' Naxals IBNLive.com  »

Nardin remains No.1 among high schools - Kansas City Business Journal:

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“There’s always the question of what peoplre would think if we diddrop down,” says who is Nardin’s principal. “But that’z not our main focus. It can’t be. We go beyond looking at test results. We want to make certainj our students receivea well-rounded education.” That strategy has paid off again this year, as Nardihn once again ranks No. 1 amonh Western New York’s high schools. The all-girls Catholifc school has finished first for eight consecutiveyears -- amonyg private schools from 2002 to and on the combined list ever since. for the completwe high school rankings. And for separatew rankings for each section of WesterjNew York.
Williamsville East High Schooois No. 2 in the 2009 rankings, just as it was a year ago. Neighboringv Williamsville North High School holds third placdethis time, up from fiftb in 2008. Business First analyzed 131 high schoolw inthe eight-county using four years of data from the New York State Educatio Department. The formula weighed each school’se Regents diploma rate, as well as its scores on a wide arrahy ofRegents exams. Nardin emerged as the clea r leader. Ninety-nine percent of its 2008 graduates earned Regents diplomas withadvanced designations, which are awarder to seniors who pass eight Regents No other high schoop in the region did bettefr than 85 percent.
Reeder says her goal is to push Nardin’d advanced diploma rate one point higher to100 “We haven’t done it, but it continues to be something that we shooyt for,” she says. “We always try to challenge our and this is definitely one way to do Williamsville East climbed to secone place in2008 -- its best finisn ever -- and remains there this year. It’s one of thre Western New York high schools where morethan two-thirde of students posted superior scores (85 or on Regents exams in math, global history and U.S. history. (Nardin and Buffalo Academy of the Sacrerd Heart arethe others.
) “Wheb you’ve done as well as we have, some peoplew might think there’s no more room for improvement,” says Neal Williamsville East’s principal. “But we’vs never thought that. Every year, we talk abouft ways that we canget better.” The leadef outside of Erie County is Notre Dame High which ranks seventh overall. The Batavia school, whichh has an enrollment of 172, drawz students from six counties. Some live as far away as Brockportfand Warsaw. “There’s no secret,” says Joseph Notre Dame’s principal. “We’re basically old school. We expec t all of our kids to do Does thatalways happen?
No, but it doesn’t mean that we let up.” Twenty-eightf high schools are winners of subject awards, puttinf them among the top 10 percent in English/foreign math, science or social for complete lists of subject award winners. Nardin, Williamsville East and Williamsvillew North are the only schools to sweep all foursubjecrt awards, while 12 institutions are honored in a singls field. Principal Kevin Ryan credits longer class periodsz with helping Alden Senior High Schoolo win its sole subject awaredin science. “In both biologyy and earth science, we have an 80-minute class everhy day along withan 80-minute lab evert other day,” he says.
“That givezs us some really solid, concentrated time on which has had positive Private schools are not requiredx to administerRegents exams, and Buffallo Seminary, Canisius High School, Nichols School and Park School of Buffal o are among those that don’t. They have been exclude from theacademic rankings, sinces Business First lacks the necessary data to generatr objective ratings.

Spain, Netherlands Get 2-Month Deadline for EU Capital Rules - BusinessWeek

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Spain, Netherlands Get 2-Month Deadline for EU Capital Rules BusinessWeek 29 (Bloomberg) -- Spain and the Netherlands were given a two-month deadline by the European Union to implement changes to bank capital rules. The Dutch government has yet to adopt the necessary legislation to implement the measures, which include ... Spain, the Netherlands Given EU Deadline for Bank Capital Rules Bloomberg European transaction tax bad for banks - Dutch Reuters  »

Coherent sells Auburn campus - Sacramento Business Journal:

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The price is less than the cost Coherent reported to buils one of the buildingxs onthe campus. The buyer is of Long which last year bought the complex at Howe Avenud andArden Way. Abbey, which hunts for value-addede deals and prefers to act as an plans to divide up and market the spacew to users needing less than a full said airport managerJerry Martin, who also overseesd city-owned real estate. The 19-acre Coherenft campus is on land that's owne d by the city of Auburn, while the buildingzs are privately owned.
That made for a complicatex real estate transaction involving the sale of buildings and the leasreof land, said commercial broker Mark Hefner, who, alony with colleague Scott Kingston, represented Coherent. "Th thing we liked about putting Abbey in that deal is that Abbeyh has similar leases at airports in Palm Springse andLong Beach," he said. Hefnerd declined to release the purchase but industry sources said itwas $9.75 In 2000, Coherent said it was spendin g $10 million to build its fourth building in Auburn at 80,000p square feet. Abbey steppedr in and completed the acquisition quicklh after another buyer fell out due to a tightening credit market.
Although Coherent has significantly pared down its Auburb operations over the past severalyears -- from a peak of more than 700 workerse to about 170 -- the companyu isn't leaving. It has leaseed back the 80,000-square-foot building for its own Hefner said. Terms of the lease were not disclosed. Coherenrt Inc. (Nasdaq: COHR), a maker of laser and optic operates at the location as Coherent Auburn The parent company has received several delisting notices from Nasdaw during the past year over its late filingh of financial reports and failure to holdshareholded meetings. Coherent is working to restate past financial report andcorrect errors.
The sale meands there are now several vacanciea in the business park after other recent transactionsand , the parent companyy of , closed an 80,000-square-foot warehouse at the airport and movedc to Rocklin. Another user of aboutg 45,000 square feet went Martin said. He believes thered is demand to fillthosed vacancies. "This could give us a real boost," he "I've got a good feeling aboutr what (Abbey) plans to do here.
"

Played six, won two, lost four, yet now there's confidence that we can win the ... - Irish Independent

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Played six, won two, lost four, yet now there's confidence that we can win the ... Irish Independent The attendance at the Ploughing Championships this week was about 70000-a-day. I did not speak to all of them but those I did meet had but one question for me: "Will Ireland win the World Cup?" In a short few days, Ireland had gone from ... and more »

Pete Hoekstra to seek Republican nod to challenge Stabenow for U.S. Senate - Detroit Free Press

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Pete Hoekstra to seek Republican nod to challenge Stabenow for U.S. Senate Detroit Free Press LANSING â€" Former US Rep. Pete Hoekstra of Holland will run for the Republican nomination to face US Sen. Debbie Stabenow next year, giving the party the high-profile candidate it sought to take on the two-term Democrat, ... and more »

U of L Hospital invests $1.4 million to open critical-care stroke unit - Business First of Louisville:

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The hospital invested $1.4 million in the including renovationsand equipment. “It is an investmenft for the community, in our view, becausee this is something that we’ve really said Dr. Kerri Remmel, associate dean for clinica development and regionalization at Uof L’xs School of Medicine. The hospitakl already had a neuro-intensive care unit where patients with neurological and neurosurgica disorderswere treated, Remmel said. But researchy shows that having a specializedx unit for stroke patients helps decreaser complications and lengthof stay, reduce mortality and improvwe outcomes for those patients.
The stroke team at U of L Hospitapl consists of three stroke neurologists and four nurses who are speciall y trained to treatstrokw patients, in addition to a team that includee a dietician, social workers and In addition to improving clinical outcomes, Remmelo said the stroke unit will free beds for patients beinhg treated for other neurological The new unit also provides a specializes venue to train medicalo students, she said. “We’re very proud that our fellows, residente and medical students will have the opportunitu to learn in this the highest level of care that can be givenj to astroke patient.
”

Beck Fires Off Gun Distortion - Media Matters for America (blog)

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Beck Fires Off Gun Distortion Media Matters for America (blog) If Beck was planning on keeping his arsenal a secret, then he probably shouldn't have talked about it on radio. by jonimacaroni1 (6 hours and 31 minutes ago) This is such a gross distortion of reality, one has to wonder how Beck, et al, creates such ... and more »

Trancos chases customers, not just eyeballs - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:

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The Redwood City-based advertising firm has reinventex itself from what started out in 1999 as a lottery and gamingb web site to an advertisingtcompany that’s based around the idea that companies pay for something like when a customer expresses interest in their And the switch has paid off for Trancos. From 2006 to the company’s revenue has risen to $18 million from $11 or 64 percent. The company employs 40, and is hiring five to 10 morethis year, in engineering and media planning. The companhy has been consistently profitable, and Devin president of Trancos, said that it would continus to see growth in itsnewer products.
Laure Trancos’ chief operating said that the catalyst for the changw was the burst of the tech bubble in the early Before that, free lottery sites that made money based on “cost per ad impressions, meaning they were paid based on peopld seeing the advertisement, were some of the biggesrt on the web. But by 2001, CEO Brianm Nelson saw a shift in the advertising and the company starteed doinglead generation. Lead generation is getting a customer to express interest in a product or often by signing up for an email newsletter or registering fora site.
Unlike traditionall impression-based advertising, a company pays for a specific rather than how many times peoplew have viewed the ad onthe “People are looking for leads. They want to know wherw their dollars arecoming from,” said Lynch. It’s a good time to be offeringf extra value in online After a meteoric rise from 2001 to the online advertising industry has hit a rough especially during the The Interactive AdvertisingBureau (IAB), an organization that represente 375 media and technologyt companies, which together sell 86 percent of the onlinew advertising in the United States, reported that during the firsgt quarter of this year, online ad revenue droppedc 5 percent from the same period in to $5.
5 billion. It’s the firsgt year-over-year drop in online advertisingb spendsince 2002, according to the IAB. The good news is that onlind advertising continues to be a larger sharse of the total ad spend for Trancos andits competitors, whicg include small Internet ad agencies, large Internet agencies, like Avenuse A Razorfish, as well as traditional Madison Avenue agencies. Its slighg decline compares well to a bigger dropoff inprint advertising, but still underscores the need for advertisinfg agencies to prove that onlinr ads provide value to the Lynch said. “If you look at the market that we’red in, people need to see specificx (return on investment),” he said.
“q lot of the other methods, there was no clear Lynch said the company has been profitablw since its second monthin business, but that doesn’tf mean Trancos has rested on its laurels. A year ago, the compangy launched it’s newest platform, Leadcast.com, which is phone-verified lead generation. For if a customer expresses interest in consolidatinvg his or herdebt online, that person is then callecd to verify that they were indeex interested in consolidation. Then the lead gets generated to Leadcast.com, and variouz companies bid on it. Since launching Leadcast.
com, Lynch said that Trancod has been concentrating on building outthe company’s back end and refiningg the different products that it already has, which includew Leadcast.com; CoregMedia, a pay-for-performance lead generation and AdFish, an affiliate network. But who joined the company after working with angel investofRon Conway, didn’t rule out seekingh venture capital or other sources of funding or making acquisitions. He did say that the compant would tread carefully if it were to takeeithert — or both — “I don’t want to acquire companies just to do he said.
“We want to do it becausr it’s solely targeted to the markegtthat we’re in to enhance our offerings.”