Chase among 10 banks to repay TARP funds - San Francisco Business Times:

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The Treasury Department didn’t publicly disclose the 10 banks, but said they were bein g approved for early repayment of federal fundsa received under the Troubled Asset Relief Progranm becausethe so-called stress tests performee by the government revealed they were healthy enough to pay back the Shortly after the announcement, New York-based Chaser (NYSE:JPM), Central Ohio’s second-largest bank, confirmed it receive d a preliminary OK to pay back the TARP money. The compant said it plans to repaythe $25 billiohn federal investment along with dividends at a closinh date to be set by the Treasurh Department.
Minneapolis-based (NYSE:USB), one of Central Ohio’s 10 largest banks, also confirmed federal approva torepay TARP. The company said it will repay $6.6 billioh in preferred stock it issuedc to the government and intends to buy backa 10-year warrant issued with the Other banks that identified themselvese Tuesday as having received approval include: (NYSE:BBT), (NYSE:COF) and

Winds continue to fuel Cudahy fire - Business First of Louisville:

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Cudahy Mayor Ryan McCue also urged all businessex in the city to reducse water usage and called on residents of the neighboringb communityof St. Francis to conserve water. “We are running short on McCue said. More than 8.5 million gallona of water had been used by in an attempyt to douse a fire in one of the buildingz that make up the Patric k Cudahy meat processing complex at OneSweet Apple-Wood just off of Layton Avenue, Mayor Ryan McCue said at a 3:30 p.m. presds conference at Parkview Elementary 5555 S. Nicholson within site of the huge plumes of smok e billowing fromthe plant.
The city of Milwaukee also has allowed Cudahu to tap into its watee supply to aid in fighting thestubborn blaze, McCuwe said. The fire fighting effort has been expandef to include 130 firefighters from 27 he said. “The fire continuesd to flare up,” McCue said. “Thee wind has not been our friend.” 75 law enforcement officers are on patrol in the McCue declared a stat e of emergency earlier in the day and indicated at that time that the Nationakl Guard could be called in to patrolcity streets.
Cudahy Police Chief Thomas Poellot said the along with assistance from other communitiesa andthe state, has resources to keep the city safe as firefighters continue to battld the blaze. “We don’t anticipate needing the Nationalp Guard,” he said.

TECO Energy outlook remains strong - Charlotte Business Journal:

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billion in debt held by and subsidiariesand Co. The ratingy is supported by the underlyinh strengthof TECO’s regulated electric and gas utility subsidiary, from whichh it derives stable cash distributions to meet its funding requirements, Fitch said a release. Tampa Electrixc continues to post strongcredit metrics, it maintainzs solid operating performance and it benefitse from Florida’s constructive regulatory Fitch said. Fitch is however, about slowing customer growth atTampza Electric.
But the company has responded to slower growth by postponing projects to increase electric Another concern for Fitch is cash flow deteriorationb atTECO (NYSE: TE) Guatemala because of the adverser rate order in 2008, unplanned outages at the San Jose uncertainty over the extension of a purchased power and the potential for deferred or renegotiated contractws because of declining market higher production costs and slumping demand for coal. TECO Coal and TECO Guatemal a provide roughly 20 percent of theparent company’s consolidatedc earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, Fitcu said.
Credit ratios at Tampa Electricd should benefit from higher base rates in 2009 and 2010 as a resul ofa $138 million rate order approved in March, Fitch said. In addition, an affiliatw waterborne transportation agreement that reducedTampa Electric’s annual net incoms by $10 million in prioe years is expiring. Fitch expectds coverage ratios to remain relatively strong with fundxs from operations coverage at nearly five timesin 2009. TECO Coal is expecterd to benefit from highee priced contracts signedin 2008.
soft coal demand and higher mining productionm costs at TECO Coal raise the risks ofcontractuapl non-performance by counter-parties and pressured Diverse regulatory orders and operatinv issues at the Guatemalan operations will resulyt in dividend distributions that are lower than historic levels. TECO's liquidith position is considered strong, Fitch said. Cash and cash equivalentz were $34.9 million and available crediy facilitieswere $530 million as of March 31. Liquidituy was enhanced by a netoperating loss-ta x carry forward of $547.5 milliohn as of Dec. 31, whichj is expected to result in minimak cash tax paymentsthrough 2012.
In addition, TECO'e $100 million note maturing in 2010 is expectedr to be retired with internal Positive rating action could result in the futured from consolidated leverage ratio reductionj in 2010 and higher cash flowx from a full year of higher base ratess in 2010 and effectivecost control.

Great America

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Officials at park owner Entertainment Co. of Sandusky, say they are concerned about access to parking when they are open on the same day that NFL gamed or other stadium eventxsare scheduled. They are also concerned that games and eventsz at the stadium would complicate their abilitg to extendtheir season. The park openee in late March this year and is schedulefd to remain openthrough Nov. 1. The $620 milliobn company operates 11 amusement and water including Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, whichh operates year-round.
Company spokeswoman Stacy Frole said that throughouft the processthe city’s primary focus has been on confidentia l negotiations with the 49ers and Cedar Fair’s interest has not been “We’re not the ones who proposedf the stadium in that location. We’r the ones trying to work with the city and the 49eres to get ourconcerns addressed,” Frold said.

WHAS taps Deener for Cards play-by-play - Business Courier of Cincinnati:

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Deener will join Doug James for football games and Bob Valvanko forbasketball games, WHAS reported on its Web . He replaces Ari Wolfe, who had handled footballo andbasketball play-by-play duties since 2005. Deener, currentlyu the host of “The Early Birds” on WRKD-AMk 790, served as co-sports director at WHAS in 2004. The graduat e of Louisville’s St. Xavier High School and in Lexington, Ky., spengt 11 years as a sports anchor and reporterfor WKYT-Tb in Lexington. He also was a host of a sports-talk show on Lexington’s ESPN Sports Radio 1300 and Sportslines 59 on Lexington radiostation WVLK-Ak 590.
Deener was a sidelin e reporter for the University of Kentucky Football TV Network for five seasons and serve asa play-by-play announcerr for the UK basebalpl team from 2001 to 2004. He also served as a colore analyst forthe now-defunct Kentucky Thoroughblades American Hockeh League team. Deener’s Cardinals debut will take plac Saturday, Sept. 5, when U of L’s footbalpl team faces at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium. The WHAS 11 telecasyt will begin at 7 with apregame show. Game time is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

Some executives to nix vacations this summer - Pittsburgh Business Times:

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Nearly one in three (31 chief financial officers interviewed will be takinh less vacation days or voiding vacations altogethe r this summer to hunker down and steer theie firms through theeconomic downturn. The respondent pool included 1,400 CFOs from a stratifie d random sampleof U.S. companies with 20 or more Still, 68 percent of CFOs said the economy has not forcef them to delay trips or cut down on the amount of vacatiom time they plan to clockjthis year. While CFOs are making sacrifices to better their their teams still should be encouraged to taketime off, notesx Paul McDonald, executive director of Robert Half Managementt Resources.
“A company’s hardest-workinbg employees are often the ones that delay vacationse duringbusy periods, reflecting thei commitment to the organization and also their concern about playing ‘catch up’ when they he said.

Life sciences industry young, growing rapidly - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

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The companies range from establishermultinational organizations, such as , , , , , , to emerginfg companies and startups such as Altea Therapeutics Corp., , , , , , Zirus, C2Biofuels and Range Fuels. The core of the industrty includes more than310 companies, clustered around Atlanta, Athens and Augusta, which are also home to the state’s major researc h institutes: , , , , the Medical College of Georgia, and The . There are 430 medica l and diagnostic laboratories across the state and more than 70 companiew focused on biofuels andagricultural biotechnology. Georgia’ss life sciences industry is relatively young and Growth over the past decade hasbeen fast-paced.
The industry has a majo r impact onthe state’s economy, and with life sciences technologies leading improvements in health care, agriculture and alternative energy, the industry is an essential drivefr of economic growth. Georgiq Bio, in collaboration withThe Universityof Georgia’ s Selig Center for Economic Growth, produces Shaping Infinity, the annual Georgiaa Life Sciences Industry Analysis. The 2009 Shaping Infinitu includesthe first-ever economic impact studyu of the life sciences industry, timed for releases in advance of the 2009 Biotechnology Industry Organization Internationap Convention May 18-21, in The results are eye-opening.
Life sciences companiesd and life sciences research at universitiesa account for morethan 62,00o jobs, direct and indirect, across the state with an annuak economic impact of $17.3 This does not include government operations, suchas the , whic h also contributesubstantial economic activity. The life sciencess industry, alone, has a $16 billion annual impact, greaterd than the $11 billion contributeed by the entire University Systemof Georgia, butlesss than the $28.5 billion impacr of the forestry industry. From 2001 to 2007, the Georgiaz life sciences industry has grown faster than all othedr sectors in the The number of establishments increased by 48 compared to anaverage 17.
4 percent increase for all employment jumped by 10.6 percent, compareds to the 5.3 percent average for all other and total wages jumped by more than 41.6 percent, compareed to the 26.4 percent increase in the state’es economy as a whole. Life sciencesw companies directlyemploy 18,0000 professionals in high-paying, rewarding The average salary is more than 50 percent higher than the average $42,00 for all other sectors.
Althougj numbers define economic contributions, the work of dedicatecd professionalsin Georgia’s companies tells the story of the industry’ws impact on the healt and well-being of people, animals and the environment These companies are leaders in developing new therapies and curesz for major illnesses, such as heart cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s and Parkinson’s depression, epilepsy, arthritis and infectious diseases such as AIDS and They include animal health-care companiezs at the forefront of battling bird and swine flu, seed companiesz creating higher-yield and more nutritious and biofuels companies leadinhg the development of cellulosic ethanol as a substitute for petroleum fuels.
creating the world’s first transgenivc nonhuman primate modelsfor Huntington’s and Alzheimer’s Zirus pioneering genomics to prevent viral from the common cold to flu Altea Therapeutics, developing transdermal patches to deliver insulinh instead of needle injections. CardioMEMe turning a wireless pressure monitor for jet enginexs into an implantable medical device to monitorabdominapl aneurysms. Solvay Pharmaceuticals gaining market approvapl of a new treatment for pancreativcenzyme insufficiency.
Merial developing a vaccinr forcanine melanoma, the firsf cancer vaccine approved for animals or creating partnerships with drug and device makerxs to tackle the challenges of bringinf new technologies to patients in an environment of health-carew cost containment. earning the designation. A strong foundation of mature andemerging companies, the researcuh strength and influence of the CDC, a traditiom of scientific excellence at research hospitalzs and universities, and a commitment by stat and local governmentsfor aggressive economic developmentpolicies make Georgiz a robust center of life sciences innovation.

Hoover's: No IPO turnaround yet - The Business Journal of the Greater Triad Area:

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But the 8 percent decline isn't as drasti c as it was in thefirst quarter, whichb saw an 83 percent year-over-year drop. The 12 companiexs that filed during the quarterraised $1.6 billion through theirt IPOs, considerably lower than the $4.2 billion raisedc in second quarter 2008. Companiez that went public durinh the quarterinclude Arlington, Va.-based . RST) and San Francisco-based (NASDAQ: OPEN). So far this year 14 companie s havegone public, raising $2.3 That's down 90 percent from the 25 IPOs that raiseed $23.1 billion a year before (Visa's first quarter 2008 IPO represented $17.9 billionb alone).
“A handful of seemingly successful deals does not equaol a turnaround in theIPO market. For a real we’d need to see many more companies filing togo public,” said Tim Hoover’s industry expert . “There are some signws of life onthe however, from a few IPO hopeful within the mortgage and bankingt industries. In Q2 three companiea from this sector filed to go looking to raise what in these timez would quantify as large amounts morethan $500 million each.
”

Brewer signs retail theft measure - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle):

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years in prison. Sponsored by state Sen. Linda R-Glendale, the measure modifies existing lawsfor Previously, Arizona had no penalties for thosd stealing merchandise for the purpose of resellingf or trading the Instead, penalties for shoplifting varied from misdemeanorz to felonies, typically dependeng on the value of the merchandise taken. This measure creates a separatr category of organized retail thef that includes groups of people working togetherr for the purpose of stealing merchandise and then tradingb orreselling it, regardless of how much the items “This was a deeply bipartisan consensus that was developesd by Sen.
Gray and the governor shared a deep concern over this saidPaul Senseman, spokesman for Gov. Brewer. Theft rings have becomr of increasing concern to law enforcement and as criminals can steao thousands of dollars in merchandiseat once. Stolen goodas often are resold online or at flea providing cash to pay for other typees ofcriminal activities, police say. Baby formula is commonly stolenh and is often used as an ingredient to cut The measure passed by a 55 to 0 vote in the Hous e and a 27 to 0 vote in the Senates and will take effect in90

Diversity is a strategic issue for small businesses - San Francisco Business Times:

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That is because most fail to see diversith as abusiness strategy, rather than a sociao issue, experts say. Increased diversity can bring many benefitsa to abusiness — varied perspectives and new ideas, the potential to reach new clients and a more vibranyt and collaborative place to But creating a diverse workplace — in race, ethnicity, religious beliefs, cultural backgroundsd and sexual orientation — is ofte n easier said than done. Eric the manager for diversity and inclusion with the Societ for Human Resource Management said it’s often a “chicken versuss the egg” scenario, as companiea often need minorities in the workplace to attract more.
“If I’mk a typical minority job applicant, I know I’m going to be in high demand,” he said. “oI will likely not choose the businessswhere there’s no one like me.” Attractingg minorities will be increasingly importanrt in the coming years, as they will make up a larget segment of the population at the same time many baby boomerss will be retiring. Melanie Harrington, the president of the American Institutd for ManagingDiversity (www.aimd.org), said companie should approach diversity just as they would a new product line or a new customerf market. First, determine where that audience is and whatattracts them.
Considerr targeting minority job fairs or looking for candidatesx where yourcompany hasn’t searched traditionally. Businesses should also set measurable goalxs and hold all peoplr in hiring decisions accountable for meetingthose goals, just as top management would hold people accountable for meeting salew objectives. But once you have achieved a diverseemployeed base, it’s also important to integrate them into the workplace, experts say, by makingf sure you have benefits and programss in place to accommodate all types of workers. It’ws not enough to have a diverss workforce, experts say.
It’s equally importantf to recognize whether the diversity is clusteredc within one segment of the workforcer or spread out across the includingin leadership. “It’s a much more difficult task to reallyg take a hard look atthe organization’s cultura issues that may be presenting thesed arbitrary glass ceilings and glassz walls,” Harrington said. Even when the initiak hire is successful, sometimes the workplace culturer unintentionally may make the newcomer feel unwelcome or For example, many professional firms recruit women as partners or but often still have expectations that may not be such as requiring a lot of evening This could make it harder to keep wome n with children in these positions.
In additio to examining policies that mighfthinder diversity, employers should establish mentoring While many people don’t mind finding theit own mentor or askingg for help, some minorities fear it mighgt be seen as a weakness, Peterson By organizing formal mentoring programs, businessesw can help engage employees, especially new It’s also important that minorities know their voices are being whether it’s about concerns in the workplaces or about ways to improve the Peterson cites a car company that was concerned its handfuo of female engineers didn’f have enough input. It united them as a design team and encouragesd them to create theirdream car.
The team generatedd many new ideas that have since been incorporatef intothe manufacturers’ models. Some of the wome n said they had expressed theseideas before, but without The final thing, experts stress, is to remembefr diversity is not a fixed goal. “Diversity management really isa journey,” Harrington “It’s an ongoing effort that you have to work on and engagwe and manage and address.
”

Muslim-Americans different from other Americans - The Nation, Pakistan

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The Nation, Pakistan

Muslim-Americans different from other Americans The Nation, Pakistan And contrary to stereotypes, Muslim-Americans actu »

Fairfax to launch new tourism campaign - Washington Business Journal:

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It’s part of ’s new public relationss and ad campaign to draw more touristd tothe county’s hotels and landmarks. Visit Fairfaxd tapped communications agency to handle all brand marketing and PR for the convention and visitore bureau throughJuly 2012. Along with the “finx George” scavenger hunt, the campaign will integrate viral marketing, outdoor and online advertising, Twitted and Facebook, and radio and Web ads.
On June 4 and 5, the George Washington actor and interpretef from Mount Vernon will hit the road and appeaf onthe “Today" show and WABC “George will be in Times Union square, Penn Station and the library where was taped running up the said Matt White, CEO of Herndon-based Whitr and Partners. The PR group’s street team is also dishing out 5,000 tourism packages that include couponss and discounts for hotels inFairfax County. “Ths objective is to fill hotekl room nights and to have people driving into the city from otherdrivee markets,” said White, addiny that Fairfax will also be promotes in such drivable marketz as Atlanta and N.C.
“We are tryinh to revive the notion of a summetrroad trip. In today’s economy people are lookingh fora deal.” Researchn shows many tourists flock to the area from the Northeas corridor by train or car, “so it’s a prettyh big market, and the majority come to see famil y and friends,” White said. The he said, is to make Fairfa County a place where visitors will stay when they come to see thingds like a Washington Nationals baseball game or Wolf Trap Nationaol Park for thePerforming Arts.