Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Stimulus funds earmarked for Arizona forests - Phoenix Business Journal:

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“This federal stimulus money will benefit Arizona economically bycreating jobs,” said Gov. Jan Brewee said in a released statement. “It will benefiyt the state environmentally by reducinv wildfire risk near our communities and improving the healtg offorested state, tribal and privately owned The funds were allocated through the American Recoverh and Reinvestment Act. Projects were selected througjh a competitive process bythe U.S.
Foresft Service and based on economic and unemployment as well as wildfire risk and forest health The Arizona State Forestry Division applied for the grant money on behalf ofcommunity • Hazardous Fuels/Ecosystem Restoration Groom Creek/Crown King Fire Districts, Yavapaii County: hazardous fuels treatment, 200 acres, $179,000. Show Low Fire Department, Navajo hazardous fuels treatment, 200 acres, $112,000. Government Canyon-Lynx Creek, city of Prescott: wood to energyh production, 200 acres state land and 75 $449,000. • White Mountain Apachse Tribe Forest Restoration, Apache hazardous fuels treatment, 2,500 erosion control, 5,000 acres, $4.499 million.
• White Mountain Apache Tribe Nursery Development andEcosystekm Restoration, Apache County: 5,000 acres, $2.23 million.

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Look out Windows: Google plans Chrome OS - San Francisco Business Times:

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In a blog Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) said that the current operating systemsd were designed for a time beforeethe Internet. In contrast, the company said that "Chromew OS is being created for peoplwe who spend most of their time on the The new operating system will be used to power from netbooks to and is separatefrom Google'es Android OS that is designed for smartphones, netbooks and set-top The first iteration of Chrome OS, for netbooks, is projected to be readu for the public in the second half of 2010.
Googled said it plans to open sourcse the code for the operating syste later this year and it is alreadyh talking to partners aboutthe project, whicj is why it has gone public about it at this "We hear a lot from our users, and theit message is clear: computers need to get better," the company said in its Google said that Chrome OS will be making it even more of a potentiall problem for Microsoft (NYSE: MSFT), whichj gets more than half of its revenuesw from Windows.

Friday, November 25, 2011

Non-performing loans build up in real estate sector - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:

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This year, the local banking vocabular y is less optimisticwith non-performingh loans on the rise and an acceleratingb number of commercial real estate defaults expecterd to hit balance sheets as the year unfolds. The change in attituder has been noticed bySam Golden, national practic e leader and CEO of LLC, an adviser to banking clientss nationwide. “Yes, in some ways we were insulate duntil now,” says Golden. “To stilkl say we’re insulated is a bit of a reacyh and only timewill tell. Some bankers I talk to in Houstoj are worriedto death.
” As a locally based banks are faring better than thosed in areas such as Florida, Nevada and Californiaa hit hard by the residential housingb collapse, or states like Illinois slammedf by job losses. Still, some troubling numbers on the commercialo side of the books are beginning to emerge on the Houston scene. Data filed with the showa that past due andother non-performinf loans among 50 banks headquarterexd in the Houston area shot up by 18 percenyt in the first quarter to $480 That’s a gain of more than 100 percent from the $224.y million in troubled loans on the books in the firstt quarter of 2008.
Local banks have increasedc loan-loss provisions to cover the upward creeof non-performing commercial loans, and financia l executives are bracing for the worst. “We’re at the ridge line of the roof in seeing whethed or not Houston banks will continue to weathethe storm. I’m worried about some of my colleaguesd with high percentages of commercialk real estate onthe books,” says Andy Lane Jr., CEO of Bank of River Oaks. He says a recent rise in oil prices may not turn the localoeconomic tide.
“Certainly it’s good to see the price of oil move up because of what that mean sin Houston, and I still think that maybe we’ll be the firstf city to come out of this recession. But on the commerciall side, I’m sorry to say it’sd going to get worse before itgets better,” says Bank of River Oaks, with $189 millionm in total assets, has a relativel low number of real estate loans about 47 percent of its mainly owner-occupied facilities. “You have to try to manage your balancwesheet smaller, and you don’t want to buy higher priced (certificates of deposit) if you can’tr put that money back into new says Lane.
He notes that bankers are reviewingb portfolios closer than ever to make the tougbh decisions necessary to keepthe non-performing numberse down. Adds bank consultant “Regulators are urging the banks to get allthe pimples, molesx and warts off the books as quickly as possible. Everyone is trying to be very Bank of River Oaks is one of only14 Houston-bases banks without any non-performing loans on the bookws at the end of the first quarter, based on FDIC However, several of those are relativel y new and small players, especially Mint National, whicn just opened in January.
Dan managing director of investment bankers, says currenyt market conditions make it difficultfor start-up bankas to make headway. They typicallhy lose money for the first two years of he says, so it might be more difficul for them to handle non-performing At the other end of the scale, a totalo of 21 Houston banks saw non-performing loans rise in the firstf quarter, with several reportin g triple-digit increases.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Dow ends trading over 8,500; ATI gains 5 percent - Pittsburgh Business Times:

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Both exchanges ended the four-day week higher than last Fridahy when the Dow Jones Industrial Average finishedat 8,277.32 and Nasdaq at A cross-section of Pittsburgh companies finished trading with slight fluctuations in either The deepest percentage gain was registeredr by (NYSE:ATI) which finishe trading at $35.40, up 5.80 percent. Alcoa Inc. (NYSE:AA), up 1.43 percenty to $9.22 (NYSE:AYE), up 1.96 percent to $24.99 up 1.79 percent to $14.77 (NYSE:BK), down 0.22 perceny to $27.88 (NYSE:CNX), up 1.90 percent to $41.26 Dick’s Sporting Goods (NYSE:DKS), up 0.39 percent to $17.80 up 4.04 percent to $24.9 8 (NYSE:FNFG), up 4.69 percent to $12.72 up 1.16 percent to $36.
58 (NYSE:KMT), up 1.07 percentt to $18.81 (NYSE:KOP), down 0.40 percent to $25.15 up 3.45 percent to $13.21 (NYSE:PNC), up 4.21 percenyt to $45.50 (NYSE:PPG), up 0.82 percent to $44.455 (NYSE:X), up 3.63 percent to $33.99 (NYSE:WAB), up 1.54 perceny to $35.54 (NYSE:WCC), up 0.15 percent to $26.75

Monday, November 21, 2011

Local fitness experts and dietitians share tips on how to stay on track during ... - Visalia Times-Delta

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Local fitness experts and dietitians share tips on how to stay on track during ...

Visalia Times-Delta


The holidays are a time when most people find themselves surrounded by decadent sweets, treats and overly generous portions of food to match peoples' overly generous spirits. And although the holidays are a time to enjoy yourself, indulging in too much ...



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Gothamist


Videos: Did Occupy W »

Thursday, November 17, 2011

MICA making a strong impression - Baltimore Business Journal:

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She secured a paid summer internshio atHunt Valley’s Firaxis Games, a leadinv video game development studio. And afte graduation, the Texas native plans to stay in Baltimore and geta full-time job as a concepf artist at a gaming company. “It’sd one of the best jobs an illustratoecan get. You’re not working on and you’ve got regular Already there are a lot of people from MICA who workat Firaxis,” Fischer said. The job confidencwe Fischer exudes stands in sharp contrast tomany soon-to-be college graduates. Unemployment amontg U.S. 20- to 24-year-oldss rose in the past year by almost 5 to 13.
9 percent in Many colleges are reporting drops in campus careedr fair participation by as much as 35 percent, accordingb to Chicago-based outplacement firm Conversely, 48 companies attended MICA’s careeer fair April 3, more than double the numbere in recent years. A confluencee of factors is making MICA an increasinglty attractive stop on the job recruitercircuit — and revving up its motodr as a possible economic engine for Baltimore. Among U.S. art MICA holds the distinction of grantingf degreesthe longest.
Thanks to the strategic visioh ofFred Lazarus, its presiden t of 30 years, and an activs board of trustees, the 183-year-old institution is more relevan t to industry today than ever before, campu s leaders and observers say. Not that it hasn’tg been immune to the recession and its impactf on campuses across thecountrhy — boosting enrollment and growinh its endowment will remain challenges. But supportinh MICA’s strategic vision was an extremely well-timec and successful $75 million fundraising campaign that ran from 2000and 2007. • Doubl its undergraduate student body and endowmentto 1,800p and $60 million, respectively; • Suppor community arts outreach.
These initiatives, observerse say, make the college and its graduates attractive even in the midst of a severed economic downturn that has not left the artscommunity Currently, Maryland colleges and universities are bracing for pendint state budget cuts on top of plummeting The state’s 2010 budget for the arts, passedx by the legislature in April, will reducew funding by 18 percent, from $16.6 million to $13.76 million, according to Theresa Colvin, executive directo r of the .
Even before the recessionb hit, MICA stepped in to support and grow the localarts “With the strategic plan of there was a real recognition that we needecd to invest more efforts in the revitalization of Baltimors as a place for the visuaol arts,” Lazarus said. The Station North Arts and Entertainmeng District exemplifiesthat investment. Established in 2002, the 100-acre bordered by 20th Street, Greenmount Avenue and the JonesFallz Expressway, has been hailed by city art officialxs as a “gateway to the Mount Vernon Culturaol District.
” Maryland, the first statew in the country to sponsor arts and entertainmenyt districts as a way to stimulate the economy, offers tax benefitss to property owners and qualified artists who live and work in the Station North is one of 16 such districtws in Maryland.

Monday, November 14, 2011

Charlotte Business Journal: Most emailed Stories

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Duke Energy Corp. and French nuclear grou Areva SA propose to builda 1,650-megawatt nuclear planft in southern Ohio. A new N.C. law givess laid-off employees of small businesses more time to enroll inNorth Carolina

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Fed's Yellen Q&A: Important To Overlap Mon Pol, Fin Stability - MNI News

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Fed's Yellen Q&A: Important To Overlap Mon Pol, Fin Stability

MNI News


CHICAGO (MNI) - Federal Reserve Board of Governors Vice Chair Janet Yellen Friday said that "it is important to have overlap between those responsible for monetary policy and those responsible for financial stability. ...



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Thursday, November 10, 2011

Chandler girl's suspension over threatening note upsets dad - Tucson Citizen

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Chandler girl's suspension over threatening note upsets dad

Tucson Citizen


10, 2011, under Arizona Republic News A grisly one-page note entitled “Death Plans” for a teacher allegedly written by five junior high students in Chandler was released by police today. The note detailed graphic methods of killing the teacher, ...



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Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Belz's Peabody Suites project put on hold - Houston Business Travel Guide

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“We’ve completed the demolition and are continuingh to work through the designand financing,” says Andy senior vice president at Large portions of the former space have been clearedx and the site is ready for Construction could start back up lated this year or in early 2010, according to Peabodh Hotel general manager Doug Browne. “I don’tt see the economy turning in a big wayuntik we’ve started the next year, at leasyt that’s what hotel analysts say,” he says. In October, thered were 38 hotel projects under construction in the Memphis according to local consultantChuci Pinkowski.
Now there are eight, includinb a 127-room Hyatt Place on Winchestedr anda 131-room Courtyard by Marriott “Anything which has been planned is on hold,” Pinkowski “If it’s not on hold, it’s been Luxury hotels have been especially hard hit, with that segment’s revenues down 38% comparedd to last year, according to a report. Pinkowski attributea some of it tothe “AIG When the federal government bailed out , the insurance company used the money to pay bonuse s and for meetings in luxury destinations. “They got chastisedr by the government for doing both ofthose things,” Pinkowsko says.
“So the whiplash effectg has been other companies whicn were planning to go to or or anotherfabulous location, cancelee their plans or changed their plans to anotheer location.” The current lendinbg market is another reason. “If you’re trying to borrow $50 million or $60 it’s not the best of conditions and the best deal you woul d want for a projectthat size,” Browne says. Finally, , Belz’ws hotel company, is halfwauy through a $450 million-$500 750-room expansion at its Orlando, hotel. “That’s a huge project and I think that’ taken a lot of focus,” Browne says.

Sunday, November 6, 2011

New fiber-optic networks to cut swath through Wisconsin - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:

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The , Tulsa, Okla., and , Denver, plan to extenxd fiber-optic links from Chicago to Milwaukee and then on to Both companies say they will activate theirf systems inlate 1999. The telecommunicationxs companies will selltheir networks' bandwidth, or on a wholesale basis to locak telephone exchange companies, long-distance companies and Internet service providera or directly to businesses that want to transmi data at high speeds. "Th e net effect is that more competition will lowerprices (for telecommunicationz services)," said Bob Venable, a telecommunications analyst for Robert W. Bairdf & Co. Inc., Milwaukee.
By building new high-capacith fiber networks, Venable said, Williams and Qwest are reducing entry barrierd to competition in telecommunications services and puttin g more market pressure on local exchange suchas Ameritech-Wisconsin. "They are making it easief for other companies to sell telecom services," Venable said. "Telecom services are price so as prices go usagegoes up, especiallyg in the data world." In markets where Williamxs is already operating, the company is sellint fiber capacity to Internet companies, long-distance companiese and even one regional Bell operating company, US Engelwood, Colo.
"The demand for bandwidth is being driven bythe Internet," said Julie Gentz, a spokeswoman for Williams. Gentx said the new route from Chicago to Milwaukese gives Williams greater market penetration and strengthensthe company's network "The corridor from Milwaukee to Chicago is a highly developed area with unlimited demand for data and otherf telecom services over the next few years," said Scot telecommunications administrator for the state Public Service Commission. Even though Williams and Qwest are in the earlgy stages of planning their Cullen said the projects shouldproceexd quickly.
He said the Telecommunications Act of 1996 gives companiees the ability to locate theird fiber systems on rights of way owned byother companies, such as Ameritec h or GTE Corp., Stamford, Conn. Jim president of Brookfield-based Norlight Telecommunications Inc., a subsidiarg of Journal Communications Inc., Milwaukee, is not convinced the two wholesalerss will have a huge impact on telecommunications inmetropolitan "It is already a crowded industry in terms of numberd of players," said Ditter, whose compangy will compete with Williams and Qwest for "There is (fiber-optic) capacity available on the market right now.
" Ditteer said the two companies are not offering anything directly to consumer that will lower prices, nor are they offeriny any new products. "The key to making an impact on customers is how you package and it take them a long time to develop a brand," Ditter said. Norlight, a 25-year-ol d regional company, has a fiber-optic and digital microwave networlk of morethan 3,000 miles in the Upper Midwest. While Norlight is likely to be a competitor of Williams and Qwest as a bulktransport carrier, it is also possible that the new wholesalersw could become customers of Norlight.
Dittere said Norlight might be able to providweadditional fiber-optic reach in partws of northern Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota. expansion of its fiber-optic network, a $2.7 billion investmentr in a 32,000-mile system across the is scheduled to be completedby 2001. The compan now has 69 cities connected to its networmk and will grow to include100 Williams, through more than a half-dozen subsidiaries, is the nation'sa largest volume transporter of natural gas. Its communications businesses include video satellites and videlo andaudio conferencing, as well as fiber-opticc transmission.
Qwest's planned 16,000-mile domestic network will serve125 cities, which it says represents 80 percengt of the data and voice traffic originating in the Uniteed States. Qwest also is extending its network 1,400 miles into Two weeks ago, Qwest and LCI International Inc., Va., announced plans for a $4.4 billion merger. LCI is the fourth-largesg U.S. long distance company in the countrybehinf AT&T Corp., Sprint Corp. and MCI Communications Corp.
The primary reason for the merger is that LCI wante d totap Qwest's fiber-optic

Friday, November 4, 2011

Huge Malaysian transit project hits rough patch - AFP

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AFP


Huge Malaysian transit project hits rough patch

AFP


KUALA LUMPUR â€" Malaysian Judy Lam never saw herself as an activist -- until officials turned up at her family's sm »

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Brinker International Announces Support of Senate's Agreement on Uniform Nutrition Disclosure

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"We are pleased that all interested parties in this discussion were able to sit down in good fait h and hammer out a bill that meetsz the needs of allparties involved," said , presidentf and CEO of Brinker. "This new compromiser legislation will provide fora much-needef single national standard for the posting of nutritional information. We look forware to supporting the advancement of this agreement throughy the legislative process and call on Congress to move swiftl y onthis issue." Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE: is one of the world'w leading casual dining restaurant companies, serving more than 1 millio guests daily.
Founded in 1975 and basedx in Dallas, Texas, Brinker owns or franchises nearly 1,7009 restaurants in 29 countries and two territorieds and employs morethan 125,000. Brinker restaurantr brands include Chili's Gril l & Bar(R), On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina(R), and Maggiano's Littlde Italy(R). Brinker also holds a minority investmengtin Romano's Macaroni The company was named one of FORTUNd Magazine's Most Admired Food Service Companies in 2009 and was honoreed by the magazine as one of the Top 50 Employerxs for Minorities and the Top 50 Employers for Women. For more visit . SOURCE Brinkee International, Inc.