Humana, BG Medicine partner on study - Business First of Louisville:

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More than 6,800 Humana customersa in Chicago and South Florida have enroller inthe trial, Louisville-based Humanq (NYSE: HUM) said in a news release. The studhy was open to men ages 55 to 80 and women ages 60to 80. Participantsz took a detailed surve and underwent various clinical including an advanced ultrasoundf scan of arteries in the neck anda CT-scab measurement of calcium deposits in the coronary They also provided blood “There is an increasing gap between what researc is teaching academic scientistws and the real world of clinicak medicine,” Carol McCall, vice president of research and development for Humana, said in the “With pioneering studies such as this one, BG Medicinw and Humana are employing a new approach to researchb — with the help of our health-plan members who volunteer to find solutiond that can provide better medical care for lower cos ts.
” Humana, which holds a minority equityh interest in Waltham, Mass.-based BG Medicine, is being paid for its services. More information about the study can be foundat .

Vanpooling service coming to region - St. Louis Business Journal:

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The two-year pilot is expected to beginj bythe fall. The program is a partnershipp of the Capital District Transportation the Capital DistrictTransportation Committee, the Downtown Alban Business Improvement District, the state Department of Transportation and the . is currentlyh recruiting businesses that might have employees coming from the same regionj who would be interested in participating inthe “The main thing is you have to have at leasr a minimum number of people to use the van,” Janack The way the program would work is one of the participantsw would also act as the driver.
The van would be assigned to a stay atthat person’s place of employment during the day and remain at the driver’sd home in the evening. The company providinfg the wheelsis Inc. out of Bordentown, N.J. VPSI had $62 million in revenue in 2008. VPSI was formed in 1977 and startexfor employees. Today, the company has 5,000 vans in operationn in more than 45 statesand 50,000 passengers. VPSI reportex “At this point, as soon as possible we hope to beginn rollingvans out,” said Jesse VPSI’s business development executive. The company expecta to have 20 vans in operation withintwo years.
“W expect to add one van or so each montbh through the life of the he said. For more information, call Mila Vega a CDTA plannerfat 437-6865.

Kendall

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million foreclosure lawsuit against the developer of theRivendelkl single-family home project in West Kendall. The Miami-based bank filer the foreclosure action on June 9agains Miami-based Crestview II, Marsol One LLC and managing membe r Marcial Solis, according to The complaint targets 28 unsold homes and home sitews in Rivendell, which is along Miller Drive (Southwesy 56th Street) between Southwest 167th Avenued and the Miccosukee Golf and Country After starting construction in 2004, Crestview II sold 103 homeds in Rivendell from 2005 through the most recent sale in Fort Lauderdale-based attorney Charles who represents TotalBank in its demand for $12.
w million on the outstanding mortgage, did not immediatel y return a call seeking comment. TotalBani reported having $86.4 million in late or unpaif loans, or nearly 6.5 percent of its total as of March 31. In March, filec a foreclosure action against Crestview II and Solis overa $2.1 millio mortgage.

Japan Budget Dependence on Debt to Rise to Record Next Year - BusinessWeek

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Mainichi Daily News

Japan Budget Dependence on Debt to Rise to Record Next Year BusinessWeek 24 (Bloomberg) -- Japan's budget for the year starting April showed the government more dependent than ever on bond sales to fund spending as Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda struggles to tame the world's biggest public debt burden. ... Jap an Approves Main Budget for Next Fiscal Year W »

Report: D.C.-area home prices to keep falling - Washington Business Journal:

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California-based PMI (NYSE: PMI) reaches that conclusion in its Secondc Quarter 2009 Economic and Real EstateTrendes Report, and its U.S. Market Risk Index. The report says approximately 85 percentg ofthe nation's 381 metropolitan statisticakl areas (MSAs) are now facing increased risk of lowef home prices in 2011. Florida, California, Nevada and Arizonw continue to have the highest risk scorexs but an increased risk of lower future pricez is now spreading across all region s of the nation because of the significant increases in unemployment andforeclosure rates.
The Washington area which includesthe District, Northern Maryland and parts of West Virginiq — showed a 92 percent chance of lower prices. Baltimore has a 90 percent chance of homepricexs dropping, according to the report. "Rapidly risinb foreclosure and unemployment continuing declines in house and weakening consumer demand all workef to increase risk in the general and the housing market saidDavid Berson, PMI's chie economist and strategist.
"As a result of the continuefd weaknessin prices, and the relatively low level of interestt rates, improvements in affordability acros the nation's MSAs will continue to incentiviz e repeat and first-time homebuyers back into the market." The areae with the least chance of lowe prices, each with less than a 6 percen probability, include Cleveland; Columbus, Ohio; San Antonio; Houston; Dallas and Fort Texas, according to PMI. The risk of prices dropping runsat 99.9 percenty in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Tampa and Jacksonville in Riverside, Los Angeles, Santa Ana, Sacramento and San Diegio in California; Las Vegas; Phoenix; Providence, and Detroit.

Boehringer Ingelheim Unveils Diabetes Pipeline

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June 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announcefd its pipeline of oral antidiabetic establishing itself in the type 2 diabetestherapeutid area. The Company is investigating compoundsd in Phase II and Phase III clinicalpdevelopment worldwide. New Phase II data resultas forlinagliptin (BI 1356), a dipeptidyll peptidase 4 (DPP-4) inhibitor and the Company's lead diabetesx compound, were presented today at the 69th Annuak American Diabetes Association (ADA) Scientificx Sessions in New Orleans. To view the multimedia assetsa associated withthis release, please clicj "Type 2 diabetes is a growing publidc health concern," said J.
Martin Carroll , Boehringe r Ingelheim USA Corporation presidenand CEO. "Our Company will draw from its knowledge and experience to help us delive on the much needed treatment options for patientsz who are living withthe disease. Boehringed Ingelheim is inspired to make a difference indiabetes care." Results from the Phase II study presented at ADA show that 1, 5 and 10 mg dosexs of linagliptin achieved clinicallyt relevant and statistically significant reductions in HbA1c, a measure of bloos sugar, when given as add-on therapy to type 2 diabetes patients inadequately controlled on metforminm (placebo-corrected changes from baseline; -0.40 percent for the 1 mg -0.
73 percent for the 5 mg and -0.67 percent for the 10 mg The most frequently reported adverse events in patients treatec with all doses of linagliptin comparex to placebo were (7.1 vs. 9.9 percent) diarrhea (2.5 vs. 4.2 and nausea (3.5 vs. 4.2 No cases of hypoglycemia were reporte d in patientsreceiving linagliptin.(1) "Many patientxs don't achieve adequate blood sugar contro with commonly used diabetes medicationsa like metformin. The significant reductiojn in HbA1c levels seen in this trial is encouragingy as it indicates linagliptin may have a potential role in the management of thisprevalent disease," said Dr.
Thor senior vice president, Medicine and Drug Regulatory Affairs, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. "Type 2 diabetes is a progressivwe chronic condition that frequentlyrequires long-term treatment. A range of treatmentg options and combination regimens are needef so physicians can tailot therapy to the individualpatient needs. We are now awaiting results from additional ongoing studies which will furthetr assess the full potential of linagliptin for the treatment of type2 diabetes. DPP-4 inhibitors are a newer clasa of oral hypoglycemics that target the incretinhormones GLP-1 and GIP, which are believed to be involved with regulatinv blood sugar.
(2) Linagliptin is a compound discovered by Boehringer Ingelhein and is being developed as an oral once-dailyu tablet for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. The compound is currentlu being studied in five pivotal Phaswe III clinical trials including morethan 4,000 These trials are fully recruited and underwah globally and in many states across the U.S.(3) Boehringer Ingelheijm is also investigating sodium-dependent glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT-2 which are a new, emerging clasz of antidiabetic compounds that block tubular reabsorption of glucose in the Phase IIb clinical trials for this innovative approachh to diabetes treatment are There are currently no SGLT-2 inhibitors approved by the U.
S. Food and Drug Administrationb (FDA). The aim of the international, randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled study was to assess the efficacy and safetu profile of linagliptinas add-on therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes who were failiny to achieve glycemic control despite being treated with metformin.(1) The primary endpoint was the change in HbA1c from baseline to week Out of the 333 randomized patients, 268 patientzs received double-blind treatment with linagliptin (1 mg, 5 mg, n=66; 10 mg, n=66) or placebo.(1) An open-labeo arm with 65 patients on glimepiride was added for descriptive control.
(1) The additionb of linagliptin to metformin treatment for 12 weeks resulted in clinicallty relevant and statistically significant reductions in HbA1c and fastinb blood sugar or fasting plasma glucose levels (p-values of less than 0.05%):(1) -- Statisticallh significant reductions in mean HbA1c levels with linagliptib 5 mg and 10 mg comparedc with metformin alone (both p<0.001) were observed from week four though week 12.(1) -- In addition, all linaglipti doses showed significant reductions in FPG levels comparerd with metformin alone (placebo-corrected mean changes from baseline; -19.2 mg/dLo for 1 mg, -34.7 mg/d L for 5 mg, and -29.0 mg/dL for 10 mg).
(1) -- In the open-label comparator arm, the placebo-corrected mean change from baseline in HbA1xc was -0.90 percent.(1) -- More than 85% of the patienta receiving the 5mg and 10mg doses of linagliptinh demonstrated greater that or equal to 80% DPP-44 inhibition at trough at week -- HbA1c reductions of at leastr 0.5 percent were achieved in 44 percent to 53 percenf of patients on linagliptin, but only in 13 percent of the patientxs receiving metformin alone.(1) There are approximatelh 23.6(5) million Americans and 246 millionb people worldwide(6) with diabetes.
Type 2 diabetesx is the most common type of diabetesz accounting for morethan 90% of all diabetes cases in the developed Every ten seconds two people develop diabetes and one person dies from diabetes-related causews around the world.(6) Each year, more than 200,000 people in North America(6) and more than 3.8 milliojn people worldwide die from diabetes and its complications(6) -- a numbert which is expected to increase by more than 50 percenr over the next Diabetes is a chronic diseasee that occurs when the body does not properly produce or use the hormone, insulin.
(6) To addres this unmet need, Boehringer Ingelheim is committed to researchinbg and developing new compounds in this therapeuti area. Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Boehringedr Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., based in Ridgefield, CT, is the larges U.S. subsidiary of Boehringer IngelheimCorporatioj (Ridgefield, CT) and a member of the Boehringedr Ingelheim group of The Boehringer Ingelheim group is one of the world's 20 leadin pharmaceutical companies. Headquartered in Ingelheim, Germany, it operates globallyt with 138 affiliates in 47 countriews andapproximately 41,300 employees.
Since it was founde d in 1885, the family-owned compangy has been committedto researching, developing, manufacturingb and marketing novel products of high therapeutic value for humab and veterinary medicine. In 2008, Boehringe Ingelheim posted net sales ofUS $17 billion (11.6 billion euro) while spending approximately one-fifth of net saleas in its largest business segment, Prescriptiomn Medicines, on research and For more information, please visit . (1) DPP-4 inhibitor linagliptimn improves glycaemic control in type 2 diabetess patients when added to onogoingmetformij therapy. ADA, 05-09 June 2009, New Orleans, (2) Nathan DM et al.
Medicapl Management of Hyperglycemia in Type2 Diabetes: A Consensusa Algorithm for the Initiation and Adjustment of Diabetes Care 21:1-11, 2008. (3) Available at: . Accessed on: Apripl 30, 2009. (4) Jabbour SA, et al. Sodium glucose co-transported 2 inhibitors: blocking renal tubular reabsorption of glucose to improve glycaemic control in patientswith diabetes. Internationao Journal of Clinical Practice, July 2008. 62, 8, 1279-1284. (5) American Diabetes Association. 2007 National Diabetex Fact Sheet. (6) International Diabetes Diabetes Atlas. 3rd edn. International Diabetes Federation, 2006. (7) World Health Organization. Fact Sheet No. 312: What is Diabetes?? Available at: .
Accessed on: February 4, 2009. SOURC E Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Sprint's Decision to Stop Using Carrier IQ a Win for Privacy Advocates - PCWorld

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VentureBeat

Sprint's Decision to Stop Using Carrier IQ a Win for Privacy Advocates PCWorld By Christina DesMarais, PCWorld Dec 17, 2011 8:01 AM Sprint's decision to disable Carrier IQ software on its handsets and no longer collect data from the service is good news for people who have privacy concerns, but it also raises questions about how ... Sprint says it has stopped pulling Carrier IQ data from phones Los Angeles Times Sprint disables Carrier IQ software on its handsets Computerworld Here's how AT&T and Sprint are using Carrier IQ's data VentureBeat CBS News -CNN -Wired News  »

Think value-conscious, not just price-conscious, say tourism experts - New Mexico Business Weekly:

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Fortunately, it has a leg up in toutingf its value to travelers thankdsto AAA, which named Albuquerque the second most economical destinatiojn in the country in June 2008. Tourism officials have been incorporatinb that message in theirmarketing campaigns, said Taniaq Armenta, vice president of tourismk and communications with the . “Our spring campaig heavily toutsour affordability,” she said. The ACVB also will focusw on arts and cultural golf andoutdoor recreation. And for the first it will offer online cooperative advertisingfor members.
That’e a more affordable option for some Armenta said, because ACVB is doing the heav y lifting of marketing and advertising nationally to drive peoplew to the Web pages, so member s can get national exposurre through buying space at the ACVB has also been encouraging membersd to think differently and focus on the leisure market becaus e the meetings market is taking a biggefr hit right now, she said. Armenta, who is also presidenf of the , said there are also opportunities closed to home with the RailRunnerf Express. Art Bouffard, executivw director of the , said a numbeer of properties in Santa Fe have create packages around thecommuter train.
Prompting residents to travelo close to home is a focus of many marketingb efforts right now in the statetourisj industry. Some hoteliers are making an extraz effort to reach out to the Rich Verruni, managing director at in Santa Fe, has offered nonprofits special one-day packages for board meetingd or other events. The resort is also offering packages, such as free birthdag brunches anda three-course meal for with a bottle of wine, for $39.95. It’s also targeting its feedeer cities and former customers with offers arounxdkey dates. People are lookintg for anything that offers more valuew for theirtravel dollars, said Keithb Toler, executive director of the .
“What we are doing with our advertiseras is getting back to the basics and encouraging the industry to do the Toler said. “We’re encouraging them to make these types of offers and givinvg them space on our Web site topromotde them.” The Bureau is also shifting its marketing to focuzs on customers within 500 miles and emphasizing that Santw Fe offers something for every traveler’s Toler said. Some hoteliers caution, that discounting alone is a mistake. “I don’t believe in slashing rates. Discounting too much doesn’f create demand,” says Alfred Matter, general manager of the in Santa Fe.
“It takes two minutes to cut your ratesa and two years to getthem back.” Matter says the hotel has had success with its offet of a $199 room that includes a spa “I think consumers are much more value-conscious, not necessarily price-conscious,” he Jerry Westenhaver agrees. He’s the general manager of the . The Tamays has several packages, including a free spa treatmentt on your birthday if you bring a companiohn fora treatment. And Tamaya is gettin into and and already has abour450 “social stalkers,” he says.
“I think it’ the wave of the future,” he “In a recessionary period, you have to look at evert potential revenue source you can use to put yourselr out in thepublic arena.” The Santsa Ana Pueblo resort is also focusing on the locakl market and nearby travel markets. Tamaya got a nice boostt recently when named it one of the top valu hotels inthe country. For smaller propertiesx without a national it can be more challenging toreacbh customers. Kathy and Stevse Hiatt run thein Albuquerque’sw Old Town. They’re looking at additional packages theycan offer, she said, and tryinbg to lure locals for short getaways.

First green project in foreclosure - Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal:

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million construction mortgage. The 33,000-square-foot Vive Verde, also know as EcoCentre, is the first South Florida project seekin g Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification fromthe U.S. Green Building Councikl to face foreclosure. In an Romano said the extra cost ofthe building’s greenb features is not the reasohn it fell into foreclosure. “Thre fact that the building is a green building is not why the buildingb financially isin trouble,” Romani said.
“It has to do with a failure to properlt and adequately financially plan the building in the and I blame myself for Despitea cost-conscious office-leasing the concept of green office buildings is here to according to Christian Lee, vice chairman of in Miami, and Vive Verde’s foreclosure is just one entry on a long list of commercialo foreclosures that will happen regardless of whether a building is He noted that the more important factor for Romano’s building will be office demand in Lake “Building green adds to the cost [of a building], but in the long run, any greej building will be more attractive to an investord because it’s already green,” he said.
“Otherwise, new investorsw would be figuring in the cost to make it because all commercial buildings are going Rob Hink, a LEED-accredited consultan t with the Weston-based , agrees. “k don’t think this one foreclosurd on a green building is any commengt on the LEED system or green Ithink it’s just the he said. “I’m surprised because it’s a leased-up building.” He added that Romano’d large inner courtyard could have been downsizee to fit more rental space inthe building, and yet stillp have retained many of the environmentakl benefits. On May 26, Fort Lee, N.J.
-based filed the foreclosure actiojn against ViveVerde North, managinf member Romano and otherf parties associated with the project, accordintg to Palm Beach Countt Circuit Court records. The four-story at 1005 Lake in Lake Worth, was completerd in August. Its office spacd is about 70 percent leased, and it has two empty retail spaces, Romano said. The green features of the buildint work exactly ashe hoped, he A rooftop garden catches rainwater, while condensation is collectesd from the air conditioner for wateringb plants and ponds and flushing toilets. Grey water is recyclex in the water features ofthe atrium. The use of skylightss and windows cuts down onelectricity usage.
Many fixtures were made with recycledd materials. A sign outside advertises it asa “living Inside, goldfish swim through a pond and a statud of a Native American bathes in the sunlight in the Despite the energy and water savings, Vive Verde North has not made any paymentsd on the $6.9 million mortgage this year, said John an attorney with Carlton Fields in West Palm Beach who representss Meecorp in the lawsuit. “My client would like to get but ifthat doesn’t come to they are prepared to take title to the property and prepared to get paid that way, too,” Hart said. Vive Verdd North has a $4 million second mortgage with Williamsville, N.Y.
-based , whicb is named in Meecorp’s Romano said his company got behind on mortgage payments becausd it ran out of money and could not get the loan refinanceed by atraditional bank. “It is making me physicallty ill that thisis happening,” he “I will continue to work nighft and day to make this all work These days, I’m losing a lot of sleepl over it.” He said his plan for the building was flawed from the beginning because he wrots an incorrect financial plan. He said the construction for his firsg development project came in on budget and its utilitiesoperate efficiently.
Romano said the green features of Vive Verd e attractedsome tenants, although severapl of them would have signed leases in the building withougt them. He is confident the building will earn LEED but said that not opening with that designation has not hurt the Romano was aimingfor gold-level certification from the U.S. Greemn Building Council.

Bemis to buy Alcan Packaging Americas unit - Business First of Buffalo:

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billion. Neenah-based Bemis, a manufacturert of flexible packaging and pressure sensitive materialsfor food, consumerf products and other companies, said it is buying the Food Americas operationsz of Alcan from plc, an international miningt company. Bemis will acquire 23 Food Americaz flexible packaging facilities in theUnited States, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, and New Zealand. The transaction include s Alcan facilitiesin Neenah, Menasha and Boscobel, accordingb to a Bemis spokeswoman. The 23 facilities producr flexible packaging for the food and beverages industries and employabout 4,600 workers. For the year ender Dec.
31, 2008, Chicago-based Alcan Packaging Food Americas recorded net salesof $1.5 billioh and adjusted earnings before expenses of approximately $166 million. "Botbh Bemis and Alcan Packaginghave strong, collaborative relationshipz with renowned food and consumer products customers," said Henry Theisen, Bemis president and CEO. "Wed each have a long history of dedicatiob to outstanding quality and manufacturing In poolingour resources, we will diversif our existing technologies and producr lines which will broaden our productf offering and augment our technical capabilities." The transaction will boostg Bemis’s annual net sales 40 percent to approximately $5.
3 with approximately 70 percent, up from 57 percent, of tota Bemis net sales coming from resilient food The addition of Alcan's employees will increase the company's globakl work force to more than 20,000 employees at 84 manufacturiny locations worldwide. Bemis expects to achieve more than $65 milliojn in annual cost savings by the end of thesecond year. Management intends to fund the purchase price with a combinationof $1 billioh in debt and $200 million in equity. and are actinv as financial advisers to Bemis forthis transaction, while LLP is actingf as primary legal adviser to Bemis.

SA to phase-out inefficient lighting by 2016 - Bizcommunity.com

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SA to phase-out inefficient lighting by 2016 Bizcommunity.com  »

Habana hails Williams - SuperSport.com

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BBC News

Habana hails Williams SuperSport.com Springbok great Bryan Habana has paid tribute to Shane Williams ahead of his fellow wing's final appearance for Wales and hopes his old rival can finish with a flourish against Australia. Saturday's match against the W »

Perry signs bill that includes $150 million for UTMB - Houston Business Journal:

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The university will use the fundd to build anew 200-bed hospital tower adjacent to the existing John Sealyg Hospital, restoring bed capacity to 550, as it was priotr to Hurricane Ike. In addition, tuition revenu e bonds of $5 million will go to at Galveston. HB 51 also establishex measures to enhance and maintain the quality ofthe state’z designated and emerging public research creates incentive programs and funding for higher educatiomn institutions, provides higher education fund allocations, and createes an interim committee to study the feasibility of trackinyg specialized technology research projects.
Of the 62 national researchb institutions inthe nation, three universitieds — , The and Texas A&M University — are in The Texas Higher Educatiojn Coordinating Board has designated seven institutions as emergin g research universities: the ; the University of Texas campusesw in Arlington, Dallas, El Paso and San Antonio; ; and the Universituy of North Texas. In HB 51 provides a performance incentive funding mechanism for all ofthe state’sz general academic institutions based on the average number of degreexs awarded annually and an increase in the average number of degrees awarded annually, with weighted consideratio for at-risk students and critical fields.

Centro's near-death experience - Sydney Morning Herald

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Sydney Morning Herald

Centro's near-death experience Sydney Morning Herald CENTRO Properties will now move to its next phase of being a debt-free, simply structured retail landlord, after its court battle with PricewaterhouseCoopers was withdrawn. After close to four years of battling to stay alive, Centro was given the green ... Court OKs Centro merger as refinancing f »

Developer of proposed 93-story condo works to add parking - South Florida Business Journal:

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shareholder Lucia Dougherty saidMiami Beach-base is working on a redesign of Empire'sz garage to provide more than 1,500 parkin spaces, instead of the about 1,300 in the currenyt proposal. The change was triggeref by the MiamiCity Commission's continuance of the application on Feb. 28. Commissionerf Marc Sarnoff made the motion to give the developer an additional 30 days to addressthe commission's concerns.
Commissioners Tomas Regalado and Angel Gonzalez joined with Chairman Joe Sanchezand Vice-Chair Michells Spence-Jones absent for the Sarnoff said he continued the item until March 27 because of the parkiny issue and because he didn't think cars had adequate entry and exit He said the project, which accommodates some parking usinhg lifts to stack cars, needs a minimum of one parkinfg space per condo unit. The developer may add as many as two floors of parkin g tothe 93-story buildings, but is workingb to avoid having to reduce spacew in another part of the buildings.
Architecft Kobi Karp said he may accomplish this by slightlyreducinfg floor-to-ceiling heights and possibly by eliminating some work/live to accommodate the extra spaces. The prior proposal had 1,321 spaces - compared with the 1,557 beinv incorporated into the modifiedproposal - one for each unit. Doughertt said developer Leon Cohen's original proposal includesd 1,557 parking spaces. The original parkinvg plan was reduced to accommodateecity staff. "The city always suggests that you provide less parkinfg because they want you to usepublicf transportation," she noted.
Cohen did not respond to a request for Laura Lavernia, acting spokeswoman for the Miamoi Planning and Zoning Department, did not return calls or an e-mail seekinb comment. As for getting in and out of the Dougherty said Empire World has two lanezs going out and one lanegoin in, and will add another for entering the property to addresz Sarnoff's concerns. The proposal Sarnoff and the otherf commissioners deferred to March was also slightlytaller - at 1,0221 feet in height. The 1,010-foot height is necessar y to meet height Dougherty said.
Cohen envisioned the towers in 2005 as risingto 1,20o0 feet and having 1,000 condominiums and 500 condo-hotel Cohen's current vision, although smaller, is anathema to the current downturn hobbling the residentia condo and single-family home market. he doesn't plan to buildx for another fewyears - possibly five - untipl the market has turned, Doughertt said. The proposed towers would surpass the localheight leader, Miami'sz Four Seasons Hotel and Tower. But it woulx be slightly smaller than developer TiborHollo 's proposed One Bayfront Plazaw project, which would rise to 1,049 feet at 100 S. Biscayne Blvd. The Miami Planning Advisory Boardon Jan.
16 approved a permirt for Empire's twin 1,022-fooft towers at 300 Biscayne Blvd. The project callsz for 1,557 residential units, 3,317 square feet of officd space, 24,741 of retail space and 1,321 parking Cohen may not be the end He has advertised the site on commerciakl listing service LoopNetat $80 million. Jack McCabe, CEO of in Deerfielr Beach, said concerns abouy the impact of hurricanes on buildings ofEmpire World's heighy may be enough to scare away

Board of Trade: Expect Metro disruption - Business First of Columbus:

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Jim Dinegar, president and CEO of the area'w leading business group, sent an e-mai l to business leaders urging locakl employers to work with employees affected by the which occurred on the Red Line betweebn the Fort Totten and Takoma stationws duringrush hour. “There is every reasoh to expect that significant disruption will occur on the Red Line for days to Dinegar wrote. “I encourage you to consider sending out an immediates communication to those on your staff who will be affected by the crash on the Red He suggested employersoffer “aggressivwe use of flex time, telecommutingf or other methods” to their employees to ease demanc on the Red Line.
In a news release, Metro warned customerse to avoid the Red Line on Monday and saying there will be significant delays as investigators examinethe wreckage. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those hurt bythis tragedy,” Dinegad wrote.

Alabaster's loss is Calera's gain - Birmingham Business Journal:

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Alabaster officials acknowledge that wasthe case, although they'res quick to note that things are differeny in the two years since Mayorf David Frings and a new City Councill took office. "They're absolutely right. Alabastere used to be an anti-growth community. Actually, that's why they hired me to turn it around," says Cam Ward, Alabaster'x director of economic development, who is unopposes in November for a seat in the Alabama Hous eof Representatives.
"The Super Wal-Mart going to Caleras and the factthe (Shelby County) airport was annexed into Calera are both due to the fact Alabastert hasn't been friendly" to commercial developers and the businesz community in general, Ward Rather than throw Ward commended Calera Mayor George Roy and Pelham Mayord Bobby Hayes for reeling in developmentg Alabaster shunned, primarily by limiting extension of its sewer system. "Alabaster is still the population center of Shelby but we're working hard to catchj up with those two," Ward says. "Thwe city has mended fences and turnedr around in theopposite direction.
We're extremely proactive in thebusiness community," Mayoer Frings says. Evidence is Alabaster wooing Aronov Realty'x Whitestone Center on Alabama 119, which will be anchoref by a Publix The Shelby West Corporats Park at the north end of the Shelby Countt Airport has recently attracted new large warehous e tenants such as Birmingham Tobacck andArmstrong Relocation, the local franchise of Unitecd Van Lines. But it wasn'ft always that way. "I told the mayor (Roy), 'One of the best thingzs that happened to you is when Alabaster shutdown development.
' They just didn'tf seem to want says former Shelby County Probate Judg Tommy Snowden, who served from 1977-95, and is now a residential and commerciao real estate agent workinbg Calera with Re/Max First Choice in Pelham. Part of Alabaster'd problem, Snowden says, was political infighting. "Thr city fathers sort of seemed like they squabbledsamong themselves, while Calera was more organized like Pelham and (Mayor) Bobby Hayes," Snowden recalls. "Alabastee made you feel like they didn'yt want you there," adds Mark Clayton, developef of several Calera projects viahis I-65 Propertiez and Clayton and Clayton Realty.
"Most everybodyg who has tried to develop there will tell you the same Clayton says. "But it was 180 degrees when you talkef with Calera andMayor Roy. They were even easief to work with thanShelby County." Roy was such a help that Claytonj was successful naming the road through his Millennium Park commercialo thoroughfare "George Roy Parkway." But while Caleraq bends over backward to welcomed commercial and residential development, Roy shrewdly uses the city'sw sewer and natural gas infrastructure to Calera's advantage. "Thes e subdivisions said they wanted to be on oursewe system. We told them, 'Good. Be in the Roy says proudly.
"It was our calling card to get themin Indeed, a map shows pockets of annexed land far from Calera'xs town center, encompassing upscale subdivisions such as Shelby Springs Farms and Willow Cove, whicgh is near the Chilton County line. Developeras are nearly unanimous in their praisefor Roy, the congenialo 74-year-old mayor, who firstg took office in 1966. Roy, they say, is the key to makingf the wheels ofdevelopment turn. "j can't say enough good things aboufMayor Roy," says Mike Graham, president of Graham and Co., developer of a $15 million, 500,000-square-footf multi-tenant warehouse in the Shelby Commerced Park on U.S. 31.
"When we bringh prospects to Calera, we make a point to let them meet himbecausse he's such a positive influence. He gives businesspeopler the confidence that the citysupportw business."

Former AngioDynamcs CEO takes top spot with Delcath - The Business Review (Albany):

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Hobbs’ new job is president and CEO of (Nasdaq: which announced the news on Monday. The company did not say what 51, will earn. Hobbs replacesx Richard Taney, who will remain with the company on its boardcof directors. Hobbs has been a board member sincdeOctober 2008. Delcath’s medical devices focus on cancee treatments. The New York City-based company is testinb a new system for deliverinbg drugs to treat liver Company leaders said a growing push to commercializwe their products led them tohire Hobbs. “Eamonhn is a proven leader with extensive experiencew in all aspects of medicaldevice commercialization,” said Dr.
Harolsd Koplewicz, chairman of Delcath’s board. Delcath has accumulated $45.8 million of net losses sincw it openedin 1988. Last fiscal the company posted a net lossof $6.9 million, or 27 centa per diluted share. "We have had no revenuwe to date, a substantial accumulated deficit, recurrint operating losses and negativecash flow,” the company said in its latest annuaol report, issued earlier this year. Hobbs is the co-founder and forme r CEO of (Nasdaq: ANGO), a medical devicre company in Queensbury. AngioDynamics focuses on oncology, radiology and vascular AngioDynamicshad record-high revenure of $166.5 million in its latest fiscal year, whicu ended in May.
Hobbsa stepped down from his role as presidenyt and CEO at AngioDynamicsin March, and he was replacerd by Jan Keltjens. Hobbs remained vice chairmaj untilMay 8, when he resigned that position and left the At the time, AngioDynamics said his resignation was not prompted by any disagreementw with the company.

Southern Co. faces friendly critics at annual meeting - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

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Even shareholders who submitted proposals opposed by the company had kind wordsa forSouthern Co. (NYSE: SO) executives and their willingnesa to discuss sensitive issues ofcarbomn emissions, coal plants and climate “We have been discussing these issues with the company for a long time, and we want to acknowledgee tremendous progress over the years,” Sister Barbara Airews told CEO David Ratcliffe.
Sisted Aires spoke on behalf of the Sisterw of Charity of Saint Elizabeth of New Jersey and other religioues groups that had introduced a shareholder proposal for the companyt to prepare an environmental report that woulcd outline the actions needed to reduce total CO2 emissionsxby September. While commending the company for havint a 2050 target date to reducs current carbon emissions by80 percent, Sistee Aires said she was concerned that the Southern Co.’ds “short and intermediate” plans to reduce emission are inadequate. “I’m helpingf the company here,” she said. “Don’ft think shareholders that we areenemies here.” Mark a Southern Co.
shareholder from Woodland, Ga., who is chairmab of the ’s Georgia chapter, asked about the increased risk shareholders might have as the federal government adoptsa tightercarbon regulations. “Why are we not doinvg more to mitigate our carboh risk and why are you building a coal planftin Mississippi,” Woodall asked After the shareholders’ proposals were defeated, Ratcliffe addressw shareholders by giving favorable financial and operationapl reports.
The company also will increasw its dividends to shareholders thisnext “It will be the 246th consecutive 61 years, that we have paid dividends,” Ratcliffe But Ratcliffe devoted much of his talk to shareholders to talk aboutr energy efficiency, conservation, alternative energy generatio n such as biomass, wind, solare and hydro-electric power. Ratcliffe was particularly pleaseed to say that the company is moving forwar d with two new nuclear plants at the existinyg Plant Vogtlenear Augusta, Ga. And he said the compang is working cutting-edge technology to produce clean coal. Southern Co.’s facility in Alabama is with the to researcjh ways to capturecarbon emissions.
He also said the new coal plan in Mississippi was using coalgasification technology, whichj the company thinks is “ready for commercial The goal is for the plant to capture 50 to 60 percentf of the CO2 emissions, the equivalent of the emissions of a naturalo gas plant. “No single one of these technologies will solve all of our Ratcliffe said. “We need a portfolio.”

Fed expects little inflation - Washington Business Journal:

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The Fed’s benchmark interest rate was held steady in a rangew of 0to 0.25 The Fed “continues to anticipate that economicx conditions are likely to warrant exceptionally low levelz of the federal funds rate for an extendexd period,” it said in a statement released following its Despite rising energy and commodity prices, “the committere expects that inflation will remain subdued for some the statement said. The Federal Reserve also left its bond purchaswplans unchanged, repeating its commitment to buy up to $1.
25 trillion of agency mortgage-backed securities and up to $200 billio n of agency debt by the end of the The Federal Reserve also will buy up to $300 billionb of Treasury securities by The Fed now believes the pace of economi c contraction is slowing, citing further signs of household spendinfg stabilizing and improving conditions in the financia markets. Among economic reports that may supportthe Fed’w belief that the economy will soon be on the mend was the latest data on factory orders, showing orders for durable goodz unexpectedly rose in May for the secons consecutive month.

Adams

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RealtyTrac records indicate that a noticw ofa trustee’s sale has been filedf on homes matching the description of Adams’ Nortn Portland Kenton neighborhood homes. The notice indicates that the homese will be put upfor auction. , whicuh broke the story, noted that lender has filed a “notice of meaning he’s defaulted on his loan agreemenft withhis lender. Adams told the paper he’es catching up on his mortgage afterpayingt “significant” legal bills. The houses that face foreclosure are at2131 N. McClellann and 2121 N. McClellan. Adams lives in the 2121 He also owns a triple at2031 N. McClellan.
Adams, who makesz $118,144 yearly, is facing an impendingh recall, scheduled to kick off in early July, after admitting he had a sexual relationship withBeau Breedlove. The pair met befored Breedloveturned 18. Adams said the sexual relationshipo beganafter Breedlove’s 18th birthday. Oregon’ws attorney general is investigatingy whether Adams didanything improper. The mayor concededr that he lied aboutwhether he’d had sex with Breedlove when a politicap opponent first made the charge durin the 2008 primary campaign season.

JaMychal Green leads No. 16 Alabama over Oakland 74-57 - Washington Post

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Austin American-Statesman

JaMychal Green leads No. 16 Alabama over Oakland 74-57 Washington Post Alabama coach Anthony Grant thought his 16th-ranked Crimson Tide were a different team in the second half against Oakland. “We played with great focus and great intensity, especi »

Kimya Dawson on “Juno” and working with Aesop Rock - Washington Post (blog)

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Express from The Washington Post

Kimya Dawson on “Juno” and working with Aesop Rock Washington Post (blog) If you only knew Kimya Dawson from her twee, adorable contributions to the "Juno" soundtrack, you might have a hard time recognizing her now. On her new solo disc, "Thunder Thighs," the sometime frontwoman of the Moldy Peaches collaborates w ith ... Authentic & Autobiographical Express from The Washington Post Thunder Clap Metro Weekly Kimya Dawson brings lovable folk to Black Cat The Eagle (registration)  »

Economy takes bite out of eateries - Dayton Business Journal:

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Local restaurants have been hit with a varietgy of cost increases this from minimum wage increases to fuel surcharge to rising healthcare costs. Whild restaurants have absorbedthe blows, the slow down in discretionary spendin g may be a shot to the jaw that some Dayton-area operatorws can’t recover from. Josef Reif has seen bad timew in the restaurantbusineses before, but never have so many differen factors nibbled on his profit. “We have neverf had to fight so many obstacles at said Reif, owner of in Kettering. “Everhy restaurant is feeling the pincjh in a time like When discretionarydollars decrease, diners often ditch dining out first.
The decline alreaduy has played a part in localrestauranf closings, including the Lincoln Park Grille in Kettering that is closingg by the end of the The National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant Performancwe Index tells the same A composite index that tracks the health and outlook of the U.S. restaurantt industry, the RPI is at its lowestf point in the past five With a number above 100 indicating and belowindicating contraction, the index stood at 96.7 in down 1.7 percent from That index remained at more than 100 for much of the periocd from mid-2003 to mid-2007.
According to the 15 percent of restaurants expect to have higher salez in the nextsix months, down from 30 percenf compared with September. And 50 perceny of restaurants expect worse economixc conditions in the nextsix months. Reif said his busineszs is down about 15 percent from this timelast “A lot of customers’ wallets have the Reif said. Jay Haverstick, owner of in said his business also is down from last but his losses will be about a thirdx oflast year’s because of cost-cutting. Mike general manager for in Miamisburgand Englewood, said businesx has held steady, but it isn’t growing like it had “It’s not horrible,” Leigh said.
“But when you have projecteed growth you’re not hitting, it starts to be a The original Chumps location in a familysports restaurant, had seen 10 percent to 15 percenf growth every year since 2005, but it is aboug even this year with last year. To get customers back in the restaurants are spending moreon advertising, adjustinh prices and highlighting specials. Reif introducefd a new “recession-proof” menu addition a few monthse back, which offers a three-courswe meal for $30. “Irf you take $30 to Dorothy Lane Market, you can’tr do that,” he said. “And when you add in the houre it takes toprepare it, you can practicallyy eat for free.
” TJ Chumps offer s five items on its lunch menu for unde $6 and has a buy one, get one half-off deal for entrees on Thursdays. Leighg said that deal started last year, but only recently did people staryt to take advantageof it. Leigh said advertisin spending has increased from little to nothintg toabout $1,000 a month for both locations. Chumpsw is putting ads in coupom circulars, local newspapers and some direct marketing packet sfor businesses. Restaurants also are looking at ways to cut Reif said he has focused on gettiny the best price for his freshy produce andother items.

Oracle to Demonstrate How Cable Operators Can Rapidly Launch and Fulfill New ... - MarketWatch (press release)

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Oracle to Demonstrate How Cable Operators Can Rapidly Launch and Fulfill New ... MarketWatch (press release) Oracle, in conjunction with Cognizant, IBB Consulting, Incognito Software, Infonova, OpenVault, Tektronix Communications and TMNG Global, will demonstrate how cable operators can rapidly launch and fulfill new cable services as part of the TM Forum's ... and more »

Farmers develops

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Customers who add Farmers’ “Eco-Rebuild” option to their policies willhave access, as part of claims, to $25,000 to rebuilde or replace a home using materials, upgrade qualified homes to meet Energy Star requirements and be reimbursedf for recycling debris rather than disposingg of it. Jeff Reinig, seniorr vice president of home product management for says the company is workin g togive earth-conscious consumers an option previouslyu not available to them in “This is quite literally an investment in our global future and we are excitedf to be the industry leaders,” he Farmers is making the Eco-Rebuildx option available in 29 states altogether, includinb Texas.
Los Angeles-based Farmers is the nation’s third-largest personaol lines property and casualtyinsurance group. Farmeres provides homeowners, auto, business, life insurancwe and financial services to more than 10 million The company is a wholly owned subsidiaryof . Web www.farmers.com

Lodgian names new CEO; reports Katrina damage - Business First of Louisville:

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Edward J. Rohling, who the Atlanta-based hotel owner and operatodr (AMEX: LGN) as president on July 15, has been namedf the new CEO. Lodgian said Parrington will remain activer in thehospitality industry. "Tom did a remarkable job in turning ourcompany around," Rohling "We are wrapping up a $100 million-pluxs renovation program and our portfolio is in highl y competitive condition, with properties locatecd in strong and growing markets. In the company has significantly strengthened itsbalance sheet." Lodgian recently a $1.9 million profit for the second Prior to joining Lodgian, Rohling was the foundere and principal of The Rohlinfg Co.
, Hotel Equity Advisors, whichg provided acquisition, disposition, consulting and asseyt management services for more than 100 American and Europeamn hotels. Before that, he was a general partner of Harve Hotels, a predecessor of , and one of the founders of Bristolk Hotels. In other news, Lodgian reported two of its hoteles in New Orleans suffered damagd as a result of Hurricane One hotel remained open and is operatinhg in alimited capacity, while the other hotel is closed. A third Lodgiam hotel, the Courtyard by Marriott in Lafayette, La., 135 mile from New Orleans, was unaffected by the The 244-room Radisson New Orleans Airportin La.
, 10 miles northwest of New received moderate water damage on the first as well as wind damage to the roof and guest room tower, which affected approximatelt one-half of the guest rooms. Power has been restored to the propertt and construction crews have repaired the roof and driesd outthe building, Lodgianb said. Currently, two-thirds of the rooms are in very good with the remaining third expecteds to be backto pre-hurricane status by the end of The 205-room Quality Hotel & Conference Centee in Metairie, La.
, seven miles from downtowhn New Orleans, had more significany damage and is Water penetration damaged the first and secondf floors, and hurricane winds impacte the roof, awnings and blew out some windows. The companu hopes to have the property open in thefourthg quarter, pending full restoration of public services. Rohling said the company has not yet determinedthe hurricane'sx impact to its but that both of the affected properties are coveref by insurance, including coverage for business "We will bear the cost of insurance and we currently are determining repair and lost businesa estimates with our insuranc e carrier," he said.

Keep Rez Beautiful litter blitz coming up - Rankin Ledger

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Keep Rez Beautiful litter blitz coming up Rankin Ledger A local beautification group recently was honored for its innovation in its litter-free campaigns, and the group plans to continue its mission by hosting a cleanup day at the Ross Barnett Reservoir this weekend. A litter cleanup hosted by Keep the Rez ...

Activists criticize US studio for working with authorities in city where blind ... - Washington Post

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MiamiHerald.com

Activists criticize US studio for working with authorities in city where blind ... Washington Post BEIJING â€" Rights activists have criticized a Hollywood studio for filming a buddy comedy in an eastern Chinese city where a blind, self-taught activist lawyer is being held under house arrest and reportedly beaten. Relativity Media is shooting part of ... Hollywood Studio Under Fire for Filming Near Site of Chen Guangcheng's House ... China Digital Times Activists slam US studio for filming in China city Boston.com  »

CBS News Heads Back 'On the Road' - New York Times (blog)

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CBS News Heads Back 'On the Road' New York Times (blog) CBS announced Friday that a correspondent, Steve Hartman, would travel the country for the series, which will have its reintroduction Friday evening on the “CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley.” “On the Road” will be modeled after the ... and more »

Southern California starting over for 3rd straight season under O'Neill - Washington Post

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San Francisco Examiner

Southern California starting over for 3rd straight season under O'Neill Washington Post LOS ANGELES â€" Kevin O'Neill had Southern California's offensive scheme set for the season, using guards Jio Fontan and Maurice Jones to run pick-and-rolls as part of one of the Pac-12's best backcourts. Throw that idea out the window. ... Southern California loaded with newcomers Houma Courier  »

Army-Navy game coming to FedEx Field - Business First of Buffalo:

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The , the and Destination D.C. have announcecd that the 112th Army-Navy game will be playes at in Marylandon Dec. 10, 2011. Along with the footbalol game, the event brings with it a weekenrd ofancillary events, including the Army-Navy Gala. “Thix is a phenomenal achievement by the three organizations to secure such an historic event forour nation’s said Robert Sweeney, president of the Greater Washington Sports “With nearly a half million active and retiree military personnel currently living in our region and the historic memorial that honor our nation’s servicw men and women, it just makes sense to have a game of this magnitudee played in Washington.
” The event is part of an eight-yearr packaged announced Tuesday by the and the . Philadelphia will host the gamein 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2017. The game will take placw in Baltimore in 2014and 2016.

Attorney General and Other Officials to Deliver Remarks at the National Institute of Justice Annual Crime and Research Conference

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, Forensic Anthropologist and Authorof "The Bone A Forensic Anthropologist's Search for Truth in the Mass Grave s of Rwanda, Bosnia, Croatia, and Kosovo," will also delivefr remarks. MONDAY, JUNE 15 8:30 A.M. ET Acting Assistant Attorney General Robinson will make opening remark and then moderate a panekl on homicide in theUnitedd States. Arlington, Va. 12:00 P.M. ET The Attornegy General will address criminal and juvenilejustice practitioners, policymakersz and the general public. Arlington, Va. 12:15 P.M.
ET Clea forensic anthropologist and authorof "The Bone Woman: A Forensiv Anthropologist's Search for Truth in the Graves of Bosnia, Croatia, and Kosovo," will be the lunchtime keynote Arlington, Va. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17 12:009 P.M. ET Acting Assistant Attorney General Robinson willintroduces , Director of the Office of National Drug Contro l Policy, who will deliver the keynote As the Nation's "Drug Czar," Kerlikowskwe coordinates all aspects of the President's National Drug Control Arlington, Va. NOTE: No multbox or press risere will be available atthe event. Press inquiries shoulds be directed to Sheils Jerusalem orat 202-598-0377 or and . SOURCEw U.S.
Department of Justice

Fungi identification - Smallholder

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Fungi identification Smallholder Fungi can be incredibly difficult to identify as so many of them look so similar but this month David Chapman introduces us to some of the more distinctively shaped fungi that can be seen in the countryside. Stump Puffball (Lycoperdon pyriforme) The ...

Chamber elects 2008 executive committee - Birmingham Business Journal:

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The executive committee is the policy-settinfg body of the chamber. Ten new members will be joinintthe 19-member committee. They are: Sam Tortorici, chairman After a one-year absence, Tortoricii returns to the executiver committee. He is an executive vice president and regional president atRoberyt Kelly, vice chair for business He is currently the chairman of the African-American Busines s Council and president of Kellyh Construction Co. Mark vice chair for educatiomn andworkforce development. Crosswhite is a senior vice president and legal counsel for AlabamaPower Company. Alan T. vice chair and legal counsel. Rogers is a managingf partner with . Bruce Ely, vice chait for public policy.
Ely is a partne r at Bradley, Arant Rose & Hatton C. V. Smith, vice chair for Smith presidentof . John Johns, vice chair for regional cooperation. He is the CEO of Van L. executive committee member. Richey is presiden t of American Cast Iron Pipe William J. "Bill" Stevens, executivse committee member. Stevens is president of Vice chaifr foreconomic development. This seat will be determined when the Metropolitam Development Board electsits Chairman. Dudley C. chairman of the board. Reynolds is presidengt of Dr. Carol Z. Garrison, immediate past chairman. Garriso n is president of the University of Alabamaat Birmingham. Fox vice chair and treasurer.
A long time membefr of the Chamber's Board of Trustees, deFuniamk serves as president ofSuperior Bank's Birminghanm market. David Sher, vice chair for Sher is co-CEO of AmSher Receivables Management. He serve as the Chamber's Chairman in 2005. Robert vice chair for membershipand development. He is the regionao CEO for Mid-South region at Wachovia. Blair Liggins, vice chairt of young professional retention. Liggins is servingb his third term in the seat that was created more than a year ago to allo w young professionals a seat at the table with fullvotint rights. He is a trust and investment officer with RegionsFinancialo Corporation.
Deidra Perry, vice chair of younhg professional retention. Perry was also appointedx to this newly created seat in April 2006 and is serving her third term on theexecutivee committee. A Birmingham native, Perry is an account executivw at TheBirmingham News. Randall L. Haines, executivde committee. Haines is the Alabamqa corporate banking executive and Birmingham city president for RusselpCunningham III, ex-officio. Cunningham is the presidenf and CEO of the Birmingham Regional Chambeerof Commerce.

Capella announces special education program - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:

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The Minneapolis-based online university, ownedf by , said the specialization, approvec by the Minnesota Boardof Teaching, is meantt to help meet shortages in the field. “Thes vast majority of children with special needs spenxd at least part of their day in regular so not only is there a nationwide callfor special-educationj teachers, but many regula r classroom teachers could also benefit from training in this said Barbara Butts Williams, dean of Capella’s School of Education. The recessiohn has proved to be a time of forCapellaw (NASDAQ: CPLA) possibly because its coursesz are a way for professionals to make themselves more marketablw in the job market.
First-quarter enrollment was more than up nearly 20 percent from the sameperiod 2008. Revenus was up 17 percenyt compared to the same periodlast year. Last week, Capellaa said it was .

Foreign bank account holders face deadline - Houston Business Journal:

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The Department of the Treasury quietly unveilede the stipulationin March, but with a June 30 deadlined approaching, tax professionals around the country are being swampeed with last-minute questions about the ruling. The rulingb applies to any U.S. citizen, green-carcd holder, U.S. corporation, partnership or trust that has controlk over any foreign bank mutual fund or any securities account with a balanceof $10,00o0 or higher. The form, known as Reportg of Foreign Bank andFinancialk Accounts, or FBAR, must be completee annually. The minimum penalty for “non-willful failure” to file an FBAR is set at with a penaltyof $100,000 for deliberatelyt avoiding to file.
Mary Thomas, directoer of international services withWeaver & Tidwell in Dallas, said Wednesday that she has been inundated with last-minute phone calls from clients and otherd members of the public. “We’re advising clients to get it in to Treasuryu byJune 30. When in doubt, It’s better to be safe than sorry,” Thomass said, noting that the deadline cannot be Thomassaid it’s most likely that Treasury was reacting to the controversgy over the high-profile case beingh pursued by the Justice Department in a probse of Swiss financial services gian UBS AG over tax evasion by U.S. clienta with Swiss accounts.
Taxpayers who have properlyh reported taxable income earned from such foreign sourcez and listed those accounts on required IRS forms can file priorr year FBARswithout penalty. Taxpayers who reported and paid tax for 2008 on foreigmn account income but will not have sufficient time to completer the FBAR by June 30 can fileby Sept. 23 but must includ e sufficient reasons why the FBAR is filed late and includee a copy of their 2008tax return. The form must be filled out and mailed to the Treasuryg Department and cannot be completed in anelectronicv version. To access a PDF copy of the form, .

SAO names new president - Business First of Columbus:

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Taking the helm is Matthew Nees, the foundee and CEO of , a Beaverton-based marketing and communications firm, and president and founder of Wintre’s Wishesx Foundation, a nonprofit focused on battling child sex abuswein Oregon. Prior to that, Nees held varioua executive positionsat Hewlett-Packard and Intel. In recent months, the SAO has been workingb with the officeof Gov. Ted Kulongoski to identifyy projects that could be eligibles for federalstimulus spending, among other public outreach Scott Kveton, the interim SAO president and a boards member, said Nees’s background working for both establishef tech companies as well as start-ups will provde invaluable in working with Oregon’s tech which includes a balance of start-upds and corporate behemoths.
“As the organization’s president, I will focus on buildinbg a strong connection betweenm technology professionalsthroughout Oregon’s business community,” Nees said in a news “With the expertise and assistance of this extraordinaryu group, SAO will fortify its leadingb role in driving opportunities for economicx growth and stability during theser tough economic times.
”

Groups helping refugees find region is too pricey - Boston Business Journal:

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IRC officials said their work in Boston was crippled by a combinatioof factors: the area’s high cost of housing, federall funding limits set too low to make ends fewer refugees assigned to startg their lives in Boston and dwindlinb philanthropic support. Headquartered in New IRC will continue its refugee resettlement programs in othed cities acrossthe country. The Boston IRC offices opened in 1979 to fill a gap in the servicea being providedfor single, and mostly male, Vietnameses refugees.
From there, IRC continued as one of the leadingh organizations working with an evolving stream of refugeexs arriving inBoston — from Russians escaping communism, to Kosovars and Bosnians fleeing the to East Africans seeking safety from civipl war to the most recent refugees from Iraq. Over the IRC in Boston — and a sistert office in Worcester, which the organization closed about six yearsago — builft a specialty in managing some of the most complicated refugewe medical cases, an expensive pursuit that required more stafff time and resources.
Whilee federal funding comprisesthe lion’s share of the IRC’es budget, private contributions make up the differencee and those plummeted over the past six years in dropping to approximately $25,000 in 2008 from $207,009 in 2003. “We were just lookinv at the same picture withoutr any feeling that the economic situatiom wouldturn around,” said Kay Bellor, vice presiden t for U.S. programs for the IRC.
The closur of the IRC is starklyt symbolicof Boston’s struggle to maintain a strong refugeee population while balancing housing costs that remaib among the highest in the country despite the spiraling It comes as a blow to a handfull or so major organizations, also working with refugees in that make up an informal networi providing a safety net for new arrivals. “Ther closing down of IRC is more than the closing down ofan It’s the closing down of a playe r that was critical in our network,” said Moira program director for Refugee and Immigrant Assistance Center. “There’s a loss of strengtbh in our system.
” The factors leading to the IRC’s decisio n to leave Boston are perhaps more significant even than theclosurw itself. With a steady decline in the numbetr of refugees resettling in Boston there is a potential corresponding decline inpopulationm statewide, a number factored into decisions about the composition and size of Massachusetts’ Congressional delegation and certain types of federal funding. Where to resettler refugees, one city or stat e versus another, is a decisionj that rests at the federal reviewed weekly by the and a groulp of national aid organization that provide services for refugees.
These national organizations, in turn, assignn cases to local affiliates based onseveraol factors, including housing cost and The IRC, for example, assigned refugee case to its Boston-based office, while the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops assignz cases toin Boston. As the IRC closure Boston has lost its appeal inrecengt years, most acutely since 9/11 and particularl for refugees who have no relatives in the Catholic Charities managed 450 refugee resettlementt cases at a time in Boston during the 1990s; today, its caseloadf is 127, said Marjean the operation’s director of refugee and immigration services. To be sure, many U.S.
cities are expensive and unemploymenr is high all over the country these but Boston’s housing prices are its stumbling block, posinhg a tougher challenge for refugees trying to get a financial Cities with lower housing costs are experiencing an increasew in refugees —Worcester, for one, has surpassed Boston this year in the numbere of refugees resettling there, and Springfield also is welcoming more, said Richarx Chacon, executive director of the Massachusetts Office for Refugeexs and Immigrants.
Housing costs are critical in lighrt of the amount of federal fund s that refugee organizations receive to help resettlednewcomers — a one-time payment of $900 for each refuged with $450 going directly to the refugese and the other $450 to the resettlement organization. “It’ss not enough to do anythinhg in Boston, it’s not enough to do anything almost anywherwein America,” said Carolyn Benedict-Drew, CEO and presiden t of the International Institute of “We have to go out and raisde hundreds of thousands a year to make up that Chacon said he is lobbying hard on the national levep to keep refugees coming to Boston, and said he hopes to see the IRC returm to the city “It’s not just about where are you goinyg to find the most affordablde apartment.
You have to think holistically,” Chaconn said. “We have perhaps the strongesr educationsystem here. We have one of the strongest health care We have issues withhousing costs, but we’ves been working hard to addresw that, working with landlords and managemenyt companies to come up with solutionz on housing.”

Sony in talks to buy Ericsson out of phone venture: source - Reuters

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Reuters

Sony in talks to buy Ericsson out of phone venture: source Reuters By Tarmo Virki and Reiji Murai HELSINKI/TOKYO (Reuters) - Sony Corp is in talks to buy out Ericsson's stake in their mobile phone joint venture, a source said, in a bid to catch up with rivals. The move could help Sony recoup ground in the battle ... Sony in talks to buy Ericsson out of phone JV IBNLive.com Sony may buy out Ericsson's half of phone partnership Digitaltrends.com Sony Looking To Buy Out Ericsson, Streamline Phone And Tablet Markets Android Police W »

Gay and lesbian chamber names new leader - Austin Business Journal:

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Jimmy Flannigan, the former president of the hasstepped down. Chad Peevy, formerly executive vice president, has taken over as president. “Jimmy has worked incredibl long and hard hourz to promote the Gay andLesbiam Chamber, gay and gay-friendlu business, Austin Pride, and the Austin lesbian and gay communitt as a whole,” Peevy said. “We are looking forward to buildinvg upon the groundworkof collaboration, cooperation and community he laid.” Flannigan has led the Gay and Lesbian Chamber since 2007. He resignedf his position to pursue other interests and to focux onSite Street, his Web design and hosting, and e-commerce business.
In the last two years the Gay and Lesbiajn Chamber publishedForward Austin, a quarterly magazine, and has been one of the only lesbiam and gay chambers in the nation to producre and organize a Pride Parade in its “No doubt about it, 2009 was one of the best Pridse celebrations Austin has seen, and I [attribute] that to the entir e [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender] community coming together,” Peevy said. “But … there is room for and we’re committed to makingy those improvements.
” According to the Gay and Lesbiab Chamber, the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communitgy makes up 7 to 12 percentyof Austin’s population, the sixth largestr per capita in the and the largest per capitaz in the Southern United States.

Two MERC commissioners resign - Denver Business Journal:

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The resignations of Gary Reynolds and Janice Marquix come about two weeks before councilors for of which MERC isa subsidiary, plan to vote on a measurw that would give the council more control over MERC’s generaol manager. The move could ostensibly lead to the firingh of MERC General ManagerDavid Woolson, who’s under fire from Presidenf David Bragdon. Reynolds and Marquis both opposethe proposal. president of the Portland accounting firmPerkine & Co., mentioned the buildintg problems between Metro and MERC in his resignationj letter. “During the economic times, my attention needs to be focusedx on our clients atPerkins & Co.
,” Reynoldzs wrote in his letter to “That said, I am disappointed in the receny breakdown in the working relationshiop between the Metro Council and the , and believs it could have been handled differently.” Marquis, a commercial real estate broker and the commission’s vice chair, didn’t mention the upcoming proposal in her letter to Bragdon, but resigned two years before her term was set to end. In a lette to Portland city commissioners earlieerthis month, Marquis and commissionb member Ray Leary urgee the council to help delay Metro’ s vote on the MERC oversight matter.
Leary, Reynolds and three of the other four remaininv MERC commissions also sent Bragdon a letterbackinhg Woolson. The letter came after Bragdon questioned the leadership of MERC Genera l ManagerDavid Woolson. The other commissionj member, Don Trotter, resigned last montuh and will leave the boardJune 30. Reynolds’ resignation takes effect June 30. Marquis’ takes effect July 15. The terms of Trottet and Reynolds would have expired at the end of 2009 while term was to expire at the endof 2010.
The Metroo Council plans to vote on the MERCmeasur — which would give Metroo the authority to hire and fire the MERC generaol manager — at its July 9 It was introduced by councilors Rod Park and Rex who also have concerns about Woolson’s performance. MERC oversee s the Oregon Convention Center, the Portland Center for the Performingt Arts and the Portland MetropolitanExposition Metro’s councilors are mulling a $457 million budgetf for fiscal year 2009-2010. The regional government serve s 1.
4 million people in the metropolitan area’s 25

Santa Clara approves financing for 49ers stadium - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

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City Councilors Will Kennedy and Jamie McLeo were the only ones to side with the dissentera in the audience who opposed any publiv subsidy forthe stadium. The 5-2 vote on a $79 million subsidyg for the project came aftera two-and-a-half-hour presentationm and lengthy public comments that included concernx raised by the owner of California’zs Great America, Cedar Fair of Ohio, has been negotiating to sell the sprawling thrill-ridre park which is next to the proposeed stadium site to the 49ers.
An attorney representing the park John Hickeyof , asked for a delay on the “We want to reach an agreement (to sell the park), but while you have been working on the term sheet for we and members of the public have only had two businese days to read this complex document.” Hickey said he was surprisedr at earlier comments made by Jenniferr Sparacino, Santa Clara’s City Manager, that he regarde d as overly optimistic about the closenessw of an agreement betweenh Cedar Fair and the 49ers to sell the Jed York, president of the praised Santa Clara officials for creatinvg “the best infrastructure in the Bay Area” and told city officialsw and a crowd of more than 150 onlookerse that the proposed 68,500-seat stadium to be built on an overfloe parking lot at the amusement park would not only host up to 10 NFL gamed annually, but possibly a variety of glamorous including the World Cup soccer tournament, in the Stadium proponents also view it as a likelyg venue for major concerts, collegwe football bowl games and even the Super “I feel the excitement in this city about the York said.
“This deal will make Santa Clarw a better placeto live, work and play in the As part of a 40-year agreement with the 49ers, city officials agreed to contribute $79 million to the including $42 million in redevelopment agency $20 million from the city-owned utilithy district to relocate an electrical substation near the site and $17 millionm to build a parking That figure is well below the $222 milliohn city officials proposed spending on the project when it was firstr proposed two years ago, as they citec the poor economy and shrinking city revenuwe as reasons for a much-reduced contribution.
Another $35 million woulxd be raised by a tax on guests stayingh at any one of eight hotels inthe city’s North Bayshore redevelopment area surrounding Great City officials stress no General Fund monehy -- which pays for city services such as police, fire, parkds and libraries — will be used to pay for stadium constructiohn or operations. A Stadium Authority, a joint powers governing body comprised of city and team along with the 49erse and the NFL would be responsiblefor $825 million in stadium constructiohn costs under the agreement.

Bernards blanks North Plainfield - MyCentralJersey.com

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Bernards blanks North Plainfield MyCentralJersey.com As Bernards coach Joe Laspada explained, the goal came at exactly the right time. “It was very important because we stopped their momentum,” Laspada said. “We've been playing close games like this all year but after halftime we didn't panic, ... and more »

Broadway renews Matrix, MultiPlan leases - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle):

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The private real estate investmentf and management firm is renegotiating leases with tenantzs at the same time it is trying to cleart up debt issues withits Broadway, which lost ownership of the Hancock Towedr after it defaulted on a loan, has debt that matures this month. The financing in question is securesd byseveral properties, including the 980,000-square-foof Bay Colony. Broadway is in discussions with lenders to renegotiate the terms ofthe loan. Broadway was given an extensiob onthe loan, which was due earlier this month, according to a source with knowledgd of the situation. However, the landlorf renewed MultiPlan Inc.
, which leasews 105,062 square feet, and Matrix Partners, which leases 11,421 square feet, at the officre complex. CB Richard Ellies represented MultiPlan. DTZ/FHO Partners represented Broadwayh Partners and Matrix in thelease negotiations. Broadwa y acquired Bay Colony from Beacoj Capital Partners LLC in May 2007 as part of a larged portfolioof assets. The four-buildinf complex office park sits ona 58-acre site overlookingy Route 128.

Cobra Electronics Expands AURA Camera & Driving Hazard Database Line of Products

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(Photo: "The SL3 GPS Safety Locator providessa simple, safe way to warn drivers of potential dangersd at a price that is less than most traffid violations or deductibles," said , senior vice presideny of marketing and sales." An audible and visuak alert provides the driver added awareness." Drive by the proprietary AURA the SL3 uses a seriesw of LED lights and tones to alertf the driver to both the type of threat and its relativse proximity. The 3-Zone Notification System escalates the alertsd based onthe driver's speed ensuring enough time is given beford the intersection is reached.
The AURA database stores GPS coordinatesa of speed and red light cameras and driving Users can access this database online and download daily updates 24 hourz a day 7 days a The SL3 Safety Locator connectsvia USB, synchronizinhg the coordinates for the most current and accurate camera and dangerous intersection Drivers can also add up to 1,000 location-baseds alerts to ensure that they are alerted to temporargy or moveable driving threats. With dedicated professional research teamsd working out of its Chicagoworlr headquarters, Cobra has succeedef in developing a systematic verification process to minimize false alerts and establish the most dependable database on the market.
In North America, Cobrq verifies 100 percent ofthe database's speed and red-lightr cameras and dangerous intersections by communicating directly with municipal polic departments, traffic bureaus, state transportatiob agencies and proprietary data partnera to guarantee that every single alertg is accurate. The SL3 will be on display in the CobrqaBooth #C-9 at the CEA Line June 10-11, 2009 in New NY. The SL3 is legal in all states and providencezs in Canada and has an introductory price of $99.95 that includews one-year of free updates to the AURA database. The SL3 Safeth Locator is available nowat .
To learn more abouyt the AURA Camera & Driving Hazard Database and othert AURA-enabled products, visit . Cobra Electronics is a leadinf global designer and marketer of communicationm andnavigation products, with a tracj record of delivering innovative and award-winning products. Building upon its leadershipp position inthe GMRS/FRSe two-way radio, radar detector and Citizens Band radiio industries, Cobra identified new growth opportunities and has aggressivelh expanded into the marine market and has expander its European operations.
The Consumer Electronics Association, Forbes and Deloitte & Touche have all recently recognized Cobra forthe company' s innovation and industry leadership. To learh more about Cobra Electronics, please visit the Cobra site at .

TV recycling bill awaits Perry

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The Texas Senate passed the Television TakeBack which requires television manufacturers to provid e Texas residents with free and convenient recycling forused TVs. Authored by Rep. Davied Leibowitz, D-San Antonio, and sponsored by Sen. Kirk Watson, the bill follows one passec in 2007 that set up a recycling prograkm for computersand monitors. Olde r televisions typically contain between four and eight pounds of which can cause health problems when it enters the water or according to the Texas Campaign forthe Meanwhile, newer flat screens contain mercury, and almost all electronicsa are coated with brominated fire retardants and otherr chemicals.
Current programs for recycling televisionsis limited. Goodwill locationsx across the state will accept old TVs thatstill work, but the cost or recyclin is sometimes prohibitive for non-working

IAR Systems provides C99 compliance to 8051 software tools - MarketWatch (press release)

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IAR Systems provides C99 compliance to 8051 software tools MarketWatch (press release) IAR Embedded Workbench for 8051 is a set of reliable and powerful C and C++ tools for building and debugging embedded system software for embedded systems. It provides a user friendly integrated development environment including a project manager, ... and more »

Copan Systems gets $18.5M in venture capital - Denver Business Journal:

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million round of financing from venture-capital The money will help expand the company’s product developmenty and sales efforts. Longmont-based Copan announced the new investmentglate Monday. New investor , baed in N.Y, led the investmenyt round. It included funding from previous Copaj Systemsinvestors Texas-based , Boston-basex , New York City-based Firstmark Capital and Boston-basesd . Copan makes electronic data storage devices that store massives amountsof information. Its products are designed to require less energy to power and cool the devices than traditionak datastorage products.
Most of Copan’s clients are in healthu care, media, technology, education, financial services and About a thirdof Copan’s revenus comes from federal government agencies. That part of the company’a business is expected to grow as mandates on preservingy more information and cutting energy use affect moregovernment work, Copan’s announcement said.

Michal Anne Rogondino, Founder and CEO, Rocket Communications Inc. - San Francisco Business Times:

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Favorite task: Talking to the clients I do Because it’s fun to try to help them figure out a Leastfavorite task: Paperwork. Dealing with financial numbers. Biggesft frustration: The small things that come up unexpectedly that ruin your plan forthe day. Sourcre of support in a businessd crisis: My partner, Karen. Key goal yet to Creating a product. (We have one and) it’z going to come out in the Apple Store, but I’k not sure when. Firsg move with capital windfall: I have specifi people I’d like to hire. Five-year Very modest steps. We want to make sure we stay that everything we do is focused ondelivering high-quality solutions and providing good value.
Inducement to It would definitely need to be with theintentg I’d have something else to do. Firs t choice for new career or Software company. Most interested in meeting: Thomas Edison. Stresss reducers: Being outdoors. Sharing time with my two Favorite book: “East of Eden.” Favorite “Pat and Mike.” Favorite restaurant: Suppenküche in San Favorite destination: Tahoe. What’s on iPod: Mozart to U2. 1997 Land Rover Discovery.

At Monk Competition, a Sound Worth Returning To - New York Times

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New York Times

At Monk Competition, a Sound Worth Returning To New York Times Kris Bowers, 22, won the $25000 first prize Monday at the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz competition at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington. By BEN RATLIFF WASHINGTON â€" Hod Moshonov, a 22-year-old pianist from Israel, ... Kris Bowers Wins 2011 Thelonious Monk Competition Washington City Paper (blog) And the winner of the Monk jazz piano competition is…Posted on Sep 13, 2011 Ottawa Citizen (blog) Joshua White performs Sunday in the semfinals of the Thelonious Monk ... SignOnSanDiego.com Daily Herald -San Diego Reader (blog)  »

Despite loss, don't write off Federer's glory days just yet - SI.com

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Sydney Morning Herald

Despite loss, don't write off Federer's glory days just yet SI.com NEW YORK -- The temptation is to write off Roger Federer after Saturday's most recent come-from-ahead capitulation, a 6-7 (7), 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-5 loss to Novak Djokovic that ensures the 30-year-old Swiss will finish without a Grand Slam title for the ... US Open Tennis: Ultimate Heartbreak for Roger Federer Fans Bleacher Report US Open Live Blog: Federer-Djokovic W »

Patrick Cudahy fire 'devastating,' exec says - Los Angeles Business from bizjournals:

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More than 130 firefighters from 27 area fire departments continuedf to battle the blaze lateMonday afternoon. "Wre have a lot of sore and stifft firefighters," Mayer said. As of earlyt Monday afternoon, no injuries to firefighters had been Mayer said firefighters hadbeen "gaining on the until winds shifted to the northwest after blowing to the southeasrt earlier in the day. The shift preventedr the fire, for the time being, from spreading to other buildingws at the PatrickCudahy complex, Mayer However, the change in wind directionj allowed the fire to spread to anothedr part of the buildint where the blaze is focused.
Firefightersx have been unable to get water into part of the which has caused the fire to continue to he said. "This is a very old and large Mayer said. McCue had calles on all residents and businessew in Cudahyand St. Francis to curb theirf use of water while firefighters continue to battlre a blaze that repeatedly flared up throughoutthe day. At about McCue considered requesting a National Guarfd presence in Cudahyto "secure the city's should the fire continue on into the nighty and force residents to remain away from their But later in the day, he said he no longere anticipated that the National Guard would be In addition to the evacuation of residentz in the area, businesses within the evacuationj area also have closed, includiny the vast majority along Packard Avenue, McCue said.
The closurese include the city's largest employers. In addition to the city'xs largest single employer, Patrick Cudahy, the fire has forcedf the temporary closuresof , , and the Pick 'b Save location on Packard Avenue south of the The chain's operator, Roundy's Supermarketsa Inc. of Milwaukee, said its Pick 'nm Save store in St. Francis, on Whitnalpl Avenue, remained open and provided water to the Ladish Co. sent its first shif t of workers home Monday and is askingits second-shift workerz not to report to work. The forging operationm has yet to decide whether tohave third-shift workersa report to the plant, 5481 S. Packards Ave.
Patrick Cudahy posted on its Web , to provide more informatio n for neighbors, employees and customers.

Staycations could boost state's tourism industry - Boston Business Journal:

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Last year at this time, gas prices rose to more than $4 per putting the brakes on traditional summereroad trips. Now gas is back around $2 a but a deep recession lingers after putting hundreds of thousands of Americans out of work and causing millionx more to rein intheir spending. “Gax prices are not as much of a concern righg now as theoverall economy, consumer confidence and people’s concernes about their jobs and retirements,” said John Edman, who has been executiver director of for the past nine years. Consequently, this will be a particularlh challenging year for Minnesota though there is hope that Minnesotanxs who travel will do so closeeto home.
At Madden’s on Gull Lake in Brainerd, ownerd and General Manager C. Briah Thuringer said this has beenthe “mosgt serious” of the four or five recessions he has seen during his 36 yearsw at the resort. “This is the first time that the bottomn has reallyfallen out,” Thuringer “Before, there was always that feeling that there was a slump and things weren’t flowing, but tomorrowq was going to be great.
This is the firstr time when people don’t really know when tomorrow A recent survey conducted by Explore Minnesotaq found that 57 percent ofthe state’s lodging businesses saw revenue and occupanchy decline in April and May as comparexd to a year ago. However, 51 percent of Minnesotz hotel and campground operatoras said they expect business to remaij flat or increase this summer compared tolast summer. Abou 60 percent of survey respondentes described the financial health of their businessesas “growing” or but positive.
” There are some concerns aboutf declining rates, but overall, Edman expects this to be a relativelhy strong summer for the state’s $11 billion-a-year tourismn industry. The state typically generates about 37 percent ofits travel-related revenues during the months of July and August, and he thinks those peak months will be busy agaij this year. “People are still goingh to want to Edman said. “They’re just going to travelo differently than they did in the People still need to get away for stress relief andhealtj reasons.” The biggest difference this Edman predicts, will be where people decidew to go.
He expects that most peopl will stay closer to home andbook less-expensive trips within driving distancr of where they live. That’s why Explore Minnesota is changing itsmarketing Typically, it spends about 80 percenft of its marketing budget to promote the statwe to nonresidents, with the remaining 20 percent aimed at this year, that split is closer to “We don’t have oceans and we don’t have but we do have a lot of things that are Edman said. “Whether it’s fishing or hiking or biking, thosee are relatively low-cost activities that you can do You don’t have to go far.
” That couldf bode well for Minnesota resorts, as Twin Citie residents book trips to Duluth or instead of venturing on week-long, cross-countryh trips, said Dave Siegel, president and CEO of Hospitality Minnesota, whic h oversees the state’s restaurant, lodging, and resortt and campground associations. “I think it’s goinb to be a good summer,” he “… I’m not projecting an but I expect [resorts] to hold their Camping and fishing also couldx see a boost in popularity this Siegel said.
Meanwhile, officials at convention and visitors Meet Minneapolis, remains “cautiously optimistic” about business this said President and CEO Melvin “A lot of our hospitality-industry executives believw we’ve either hit bottom or are closwe to hitting bottom, and that from this point on, we’re going to be able to see some very modestr growth. … I think this summeer could be very goodfor us.
” Meet Minneapolis advertiserd its “Downtown Sizzle” campaign, which includesz discount packages at 12 participating hotelas through September, with 450,000 promotionalp inserts in newspapers in the Twin Cities; Des Moines, Iowa; Fargo, Madison, Wis.; Milwaukee; and Manitoba. Getting a true read on the summer hospitalitg businessis difficult, however, because people are waitinf longer to book their So even the northern Minnesota resorts that anticipatwe a busy summer stillk have numerous openings during peak “It’s a much more last-minute vacation-planning Siegel said.
“I think that’s If people are nervous aboug their jobs or theireconomic futures, they’re waiting until they have a greatert degree of security before they make that