In Iowa, taking the flood's measure
From: www.latimes.com
"ON THE CEDAR RIVER, IOWA - The flood chasers steer their battered flat-bottomed boat around sodden chunks of barn door, skim past telephone poles, and ease by a nearly submerged "no passing zone" street sign."
Single-bid contracts for paving cost Kentucky millions
From: www.courier-journal.com
"Kentucky taxpayers shell out millions extra for road work because of a lack of competition among state contractors, a Courier-Journal computer analysis has found."
Gov. Deval Patrick to sign landmark life sciences bill
From: www.bostonherald.com
"BOSTON - Gov. Deval Patrick is set to sign a landmark life sciences bill at the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston."
Special needs cases tax state education budget
From: www.chicagotribune.com
"Cases like the Levins' are becoming more common in Illinois public schools, and as they do, the bill is skyrocketing for tuition at therapeutic private schools. At a time when the state's budget woes have stanched the flow of new money to public schools, its budget for private tuition has grown by double digits each of the last five years, to $139.4 million this year from $47.1 million in 2003."
Obama to focus on bolstering Michigan's future
From: www.detnews.com
"Sen. Barack Obama today brings his traveling economic policy show to Michigan, the nation's most economically battered state, laying out a series of policies that aides believe will convince voters here he can help reverse the state's decades-long slide."
Incentives lure movie away from La.
From: www.2theadvocate.com
"NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee used more than $3 million in incentives to lure Walt Disney Pictures to film "Hannah Montana: The Movie" in the state."
Missouri asks Bush to expedite declaration for flood help
From: www.kansascity.com
"JEFFERSON CITY- | Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder is asking President Bush to expedite a disaster declaration to help Missouri deal with record flooding along the Mississippi River."
State hit in Bear Stearns collapse
From: www.freep.com
"The subprime slop at Bear Stearns Cos. -- the investment bank that crumbled in the spring after bad bets on high-risk mortgages -- cost Michigan real money. Michigan's state pension funds lost more than $62 million on Bear Stearns stock from Dec. 14, 2006, through March 14, according to state officials."
SCHOOL FUNDING: Nevadans say let tourists pay
From: www.lvrj.com
"Nevada voters favor increasing the room tax, paid primarily by tourists, to increase funding to the state's public school system, a Review-Journal poll shows."
State questions credentials of firm connected to Oury, Ferriero
From: www.northjersey.com
"A consulting firm at the center of a federal investigation did not incorporate in New Jersey or file an affirmative action report, as required by law, according to state officials."
GOP convention will cause some dislocations, schedule adjustments
From: www.grandforksherald.com
"ST. PAUL, Minn. -- A short visit by delegates, lobbyists, journalists and protesters in September for the Republican National Convention has already caused major dislocations and changes in plans for some in this capital city."
TransCanada offers plenty to ponder
From: www.adn.com
"JUNEAU -- TransCanada Corp. has 36,000 miles of pipeline moving natural gas throughout North America -- enough pipe to circle the earth along the equator with about 11,000 miles to spare."
Southcentral power company to charge customers for paying with credit cards
From: juneauempire.com
"ANCHORAGE -- A Southcentral Alaska power company will charge fees to customers who use a credit or debit card to pay bills."
Cruise ships dispute discharge rules
From: juneauempire.com
"ANCHORAGE -- The tour begins in places cruise-ship passengers never see: the sewage treatment room at the bottom of the hull, the garbage room where crewmen sort paper and plastic amid the unmistakable smell of landfill."
TransCanada courting Alaska lawmakers for license
From: www.washingtonpost.com
"JUNEAU, Alaska -- TransCanada Corp. has 36,000 miles of pipeline moving natural gas throughout North America, enough pipe to circle the earth along the equator with about 11,000 miles to spare. "
If state gets Volkswagen, it's back to work this summer for lawmakers
From: www.al.com
"Gov. Bob Riley likely will call lawmakers into special session in late July if Volkswagen decides to build a vehicle assembly plant in the state, Alabama House Speaker Seth Hammett, D-Andalusia, said Friday."
PSC approves rules to end unauthorized phone costs
From: www.al.com
"Alabama's Public Service Commission took a big step last week toward protecting the state's telephone customers from being billed for services they haven't intentionally signed up for."
Ala. lawmakers would need special session for VW
From: www.tuscaloosanews.com
"A special session of the Alabama Legislature is likely in late July if German carmaker Volkswagen decides to build its vehicle assembly plant in the state."
Russia ripe for business with state
From: www.tuscaloosanews.com
"BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Alabama-based businesses should think more about Russia and Ukraine when it comes to seeking opportunities for growth, according to a Birmingham executive who helps advise President Bush on trade issues."
Energy bill draws fire near finish line
From: www.azcentral.com
"A wide-ranging bill to push energy efficiency and use of power from renewable sources is nearing its final legislative hurdles, with its champion saying it's needed to protect the state's future and a critic calling it an economic threat"
Comfortable retirement a fading dream for many
From: www.sfgate.com
"For millions of older Americans, quitting their jobs is no longer an option. That's cold water for the leading edge of the Baby Boom generation, just now moving into its retirement years."
By 2015, a regional job surge is forecast, but it poses a quandry
From: www.sacbee.com
"A fresh jobs forecast for the Sacramento region shows tens of thousands of new openings coming our way, but not all are the type public schools are emphasizing."
Gay marriage ruling boosts firm that sells interchangeable figures for wedding cakes
From: www.latimes.com
"Not too long ago, Rena Puebla and Ellie Genuardi had a hard time getting distributors to carry their unique cake toppers -- porcelain-like figurines that interchange to make gay, straight and interracial couples."
State Republicans see opportunity amid crisis
From: www.latimes.com
"California has a huge deficit, a looming cash crisis, an angry public and pressure to raise taxes - and in this dismal state of affairs, the state's minority Republicans see opportunity."
Rell vetoes health care bill
From: www.theday.com
"Hartford - Gov. M. Jodi Rell vetoed legislation Friday that would have opened the state employee health insurance plan to municipalities, small businesses and nonprofit agencies to help them save money."
Program to restore lobsters faces loss of funding
From: www.rep-am.com
"BRIDGEPORT, Conn. - A program designed to help Long Island Sound's lobster population recover from a massive 1999 die-off may be forced to shut down because of problems with state funding."
Rell vetoes health care bill
From: www.theday.com
"Gov. M. Jodi Rell vetoed legislation Friday that would have opened the state employee health insurance plan to municipalities, small businesses and nonprofit agencies to help them save money."
Rell vetoes health pool bill
From: www.courant.com
"Gov. M. Jodi Rell vetoed a highly controversial "pooling" bill Friday that would have allowed municipalities and small businesses to join the state's health insurance plan - but she tempered the rejection with a pledge to work with Democrats for a better bill next year."
Program to restore lobsters faces loss of funding
From: www.courant.com
"BRIDGEPORT, Conn. - A program designed to help Long Island Sound's lobster population recover from a massive 1999 die-off may be forced to shut down because of problems with state funding."
Gas prices reshaping hiring practices
From: www.courant.com
"Soaring gas prices have many suburban employers throughout Connecticut and across the nation asking job applicants a new series of interview questions: Where do you live? Are you driving to work, and what's the length of your commute?
"
Cash and a debit card not alike with newly approved legislation
From: www.rep-am.com
"Using a debit card may sometimes be the same as paying in cash, but not at the gas pump."
Wholesale gas tax won't rise as planned
From: www.rep-am.com
"A sales tax on gasoline wholesalers isn't going up as planned, but any savings promises to be small -- maybe a couple of pennies to a nickel off what the price of a gallon of gas would otherwise have been."
Group - Biden isn't helping homeowners
From: www.delawareonline.com
"After Tracy Gibson's mother died, he was left with a $300,000 medical bill. The sagging economy also took a toll on his income from a realty business and side job as a public relations and marketing agent."
Could you live on $275 a week? That's Florida's maximum unemployment benefit
From: www.sun-sentinel.com
"Florida ranks as one of the lowest-paying states in the nation in what it pays unemployed workers."
FSU OKs higher tuition
From: tallahassee.com
" When the fall semester begins at Florida State University, students will face higher tuition, fewer classmates and larger classes."
Universities raise tuition 6% to 15%
From: www.miamiherald.com
"Saying they remain a bargain for higher education, the state's three largest public universities announced tuition increases of up to 15 percent beginning this fall."
Perdue's fishing initiative survives drought
From: chronicle.augusta.com
"Last fall, as several fishing tournaments came to Thurmond Lake, local organizers had a problem with the "mega-ramps" that served as launching sites for contestants."
Medical school gets bad grade on freebies
From: starbulletin.com
"A student medical organization gives the University of Hawaii medical school a grade of F for its lack of a policy governing the acceptance of money, gifts and free samples by doctors and trainees from pharmaceutical companies."
Iowa City's flood response is inspiring
From: www.desmoinesregister.com
"IOWA CITY, Iowa -- The dean of the University of Iowa College of Engineering sat for a minute on a pile of sandbags and said, yes, there isn't much more to do but wait. The Iowa River is maybe 100 yards from the engineering building. It's supposed to get closer."
In Iowa, worries about flood damage, insurance
From: www.npr.org
"Murky, muddy floodwaters were receding Sunday from neighborhoods in Iowa's two largest cities. In Des Moines, officials said they broke open a levee in a second spot downstream from where the levee was breached Saturday to allow water to flow out of a flooded neighborhood."
36,000 Iowans homeless as floodwaters recede
From: www.usatoday.com
"CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - Marie Welton figures her daughter will have to bulldoze her flooded home here. She worries about the survival of her own business, a children's hair salon, as people recover from epic flooding that put 1,000 blocks underwater."
Big Ten Network, Comcast ready to call a truce
From: www.chicagotribune.com
"There were times when a Big Ten Network-Comcast union appeared as likely as uncovering scratchy footage that showed Woody Hayes screaming "Go Blue!" But that day is here. Almost."
A state panel asks CMS -- Why are IDOT workers leaving?
From: www.sj-r.com
"A state board that reviews building leases wants more information about why Illinois Department of Transportation employees slated to move to southern Illinois can't stay in Springfield."
In Illinois, pay-to-play ban a big deal, but not a done deal
From: www.chicagotribune.com
"In most states, tight controls on political fundraising are the norm. Yet in Illinois, with its reputation as the Wild West of campaign finance, legislation to limit pay-to-play politics by barring some contributions is a big deal. But it's not a done deal. "
Illinois has coal, so why not burn it?
From: www.southernillinoisan.com
"Illinois needs a lot of electricity. The state also has a lot of coal to burn. Nevertheless, building a coal power plant in Illinois has proven difficult over the last several years as increasing pollution controls and ballooning construction budgets have hampered several projects across the state."
Tax relief nets budget headaches for local officials
From: www.nwi.com
"Officials of Lake County's biggest municipalities have begun the contentious work of whittling down their budgets to meet a state mandate to reduce property taxes."
Horse track slots change luck for casinos
From: www.indystar.com
"SHELBYVILLE, Ind. -- Now that casinos are up and running at Indiana's two horse tracks, officials are waiting to see how long it takes for the state's other casinos to feel the pinch from the new competition."
Indiana's trackside casinos are odds-on favorites
From: www.courier-journal.com
"SHELBYVILLE, Ind. -- Surrounded by the serenade of 1,900 slot machines, Duane Mathews watched his friends slap the buttons on the penny machines at Indiana Live -- the state's brand new horse-track casino."
Weapons provision surprises leaders
From: www2.ljworld.com
"Several area legislators say they were surprised to learn that a bill they voted for in 2007 loosened the restrictions on concealed-carry holders bringing loaded weapons into bars."
Local leaders see a $10 million choice: Cut smog or lose
From: www.kansas.com
"Wichita residents may soon be asked to gas up their cars at night and use electric lawn mowers to reduce smog levels."
Subplots likely to spice up session
From: www.kentucky.com
"On the last day of this spring's General Assembly session, Gov. Steve Beshear explained to a class of children touring the Capitol how he was about to sign into law a bill requiring tykes to ride in booster seats."
Governor's Scholars cut back
From: www.kentucky.com
"An educational program that for 25 years has aimed at keeping high-performing teens in Kentucky after college is facing tight financial times because of state budget cuts."
Life sciences industry lauds Deval Patrick
From: bostonherald.com
"What a difference a year makes. Last May, Gov. Deval Patrick announced ambitious plans for an economic stimulus package to position Massachusetts as a leader in the life sciences industry. Today, he is expected to make good on that promise, by making that stimulus package a law."
State plan is dismissed as par for the course
From: www.boston.com
"CANTON, Mass. -- The state is planning an elaborate, multimillion-dollar reconstruction of the famous - some would say infamous - Ponkapoag Golf Course, with changes that include installation of a new drainage system that will stop some chronically soggy fairways from flooding and importing truckloads of peat to raise holes that have sunken from years of neglect."
Patrick keeps a promise to the biotech industry
From: www.boston.com
"When the world's biggest biotechnology trade show opened in Boston last year, Governor Deval L. Patrick unveiled a bold proposal to pump $1 billion into the state's growing life sciences industry over the next decade."
Bill targets municipal cost savings
From: www.boston.com
"A bill pending before Beacon Hill lawmakers could significantly change the way communities do business while saving tens of millions of dollars statewide to help pay for skyrocketing municipal expenditures."
State plan is dismissed as par for the course
From: www.boston.com
"CANTON, Mass. - The state is planning an elaborate, multimillion-dollar reconstruction of the famous - some would say infamous - Ponkapoag Golf Course, with changes that include installation of a new drainage system that will stop some chronically soggy fairways from flooding and importing truckloads of peat to raise holes that have sunken from years of neglect."
Patrick plans cross-country campaign
From: www.boston.com
"Governor Deval Patrick is preparing to hopscotch the country from California to Chicago to Capitol Hill next week, an aggressive swing to promote the state largely made possible by fellow Democrats in the Legislature who are handing him, at long last, some victories back home."
Slots an issue at fair
From: www.baltimoresun.com
"The Maryland State Fair is usually a forum for cotton-candy vendors and kids in 4-H clubs showing off livestock - not political controversy."
Green scores drop in assembly
From: www.washingtontimes.com
"Maryland's lawmakers aren't as green as they were a year ago, but the economy is likely to blame, according to the state League of Conservation Voters' annual report card on the lawmakers' environmental voting record."
Md. weighs nursing home curbs
From: www.baltimoresun.com
"Alarmed that the purchase of nursing homes by larger companies could cause a decline in care, Maryland is studying whether restrictions should be placed on ownership as regulators face criticism that private equity groups make it more difficult for the public to hold nursing homes accountable for poor care."
Drink tax spurs intense action
From: pressherald.mainetoday.com
"Opponents of new state beverage taxes don't know yet whether they have enough support to submit their repeal effort to Maine voters on Nov. 4, but already an intense campaign is under way to sway voters."
DOT sale may bring new hotel
From: bangornews.com
"ELLSWORTH, Maine - The Maine Department of Transportation has sold its former garage and office site on High Street to a Freeport development group for $1.4 million."
Maine syrup production down, U.S. output up
From: bangornews.com
"PORTLAND, Maine - Maine maple syrup production fell this year even as the output nationally rose by 30 percent. New Hampshire's output went up by 41 percent, but the state still is way down on the list of production."
Doctor opens no-insurance practice
From: bangornews.com
"BANGOR, Maine - Amid all the sound and fury of the health care debate, one local doctor is taking a quiet step toward simplicity."
Businesses decry 'tax on tax'
From: www.crainsdetroit.com
"Tobacco wholesaler Motor City Distributors Inc. has seen a lot of challenges in its 90 years in business. But not like the 1,944 percent increase in its business-tax bill that it's facing."
Michiganders train for jobs in film industry
From: www.freep.com
"HOLLAND, Mich -- Candace Lilley has done a little of everything as a single mom trying to support her two daughters."
MSU tuition to go up 6.8%
From: www.freep.com
"Michigan State University students will pay 6.8% more for tuition for the 2008-09 school year, based on a budget the Board of Trustees approved Friday."
Eco-friendly wind power's growth to deliver less-popular side effect
From: www.minnpost.com
"Giant wind turbines have been popping up like springtime dandelions throughout western Minnesota ever since 1991. That is when the state first enacted financial incentives to capture the same breezes that churned smaller windmills on farms in the early 20th century."
Angel investor tax credit again bedeviled at Legislature
From: www.startribune.com
"Maybe next year. For supporters of a venture capital tax credit, that phrase carries an all-too-familiar whiff of resignation. Despite a dearth of early stage venture capital money in Minnesota, proposals for an angel investor tax credit once again failed to survive the recently concluded legislative season. "
Loss of state funding threatens senior services
From: minnesota.publicradio.org
"For several years, the grants have gone to nursing programs that assist seniors in the home, provide check-ups and give them rides to the doctor. Supporters say the cutbacks could mean that more seniors could be forced into a more expensive option - the nursing home."
Gas tax increase bringing in money
From: minnesota.publicradio.org
"New numbers show the state's gas tax increase is already bringing in more money, even though Minnesotans are pumping less gas."
McClatchy to cut 10 percent of work force
From: hosted.ap.org
"SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- McClatchy Co. said Monday it will cut 10 percent of its workforce in a move to save $70 million a year as the newspaper publisher continues to struggle to attract advertising dollar"
Water parks serve as local oasis
From: www.hattiesburgamerican.com
"As gas prices go up, Pine Belt residents are choosing close-to-home outings, and area water parks are benefiting from that."
Shrimping's sad state
From: www.sunherald.com
"The blessing of the fleet with flags flying from the trawls and priests or bishops asking for a safe and bountiful season make for pretty pictures."
Board won't call off bison hunt
From: www.trib.com
"HELENA, Mont. -- State wildlife commissioners have rejected a plea to call off Montana's 2008 bison hunt and tentatively supported keeping the season and quotas the same as in 2007, when hunters reported killing 166 bison."
State works to make jobs enticing
From: www.newsobserver.com
"The N.C. General Assembly dictates most of the details involving pay and benefits of state employees, limiting options for agency bosses unless lawmakers cough up more money."
State braces for worker exodus
From: www.newsobserver.com
"Despite consecutive years of across-the-board pay increases, North Carolina is struggling to attract and keep quality workers. Coming baby-boomer retirements will highlight gaps in pay and benefits between the state and private sectors, according to a N.C. Office of State Personnel report last week."
N.D. Supreme Court to hear grain payment dispute
From: www.bismarcktribune.com
"North Dakota's Supreme Court will decide whether grain elevator bonding laws cover farmers who haul their crops outside the state, in a case industry officials say may put producers' financial safeguards in jeopardy."
N.H. towns find small ways to conserve fuel
From: www.fosters.com
"NASHUA, N.H. - As fuel prices continue to rise, some New Hampshire towns are finding creative ways to cut costs or conserve fuel without compromising public safety or services."
Temporary driver's licenses cause confusion in NH
From: www.fosters.com
"MANCHESTER, N.H. - New Hampshire bar and restaurant managers say they've have been caught off-guard by the temporary drivers licenses some customers have been showing."
Affordable housing comes before panel
From: www.nj.com
"The Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee will take up its own version of a sweeping affordable housing proposal Monday, one that has been amended to make it identical to a plan moving through the Assembly. "
State taking steps to prevent another EnCap
From: www.northjersey.com
"A series of reforms designed to prevent EnCap-style abuses are being quietly set in place by state officials who say the landfill-to-links fiasco could never happen again."
NJ weighs bill encouraging alternative farm energy
From: www.washingtonpost.com
"TRENTON, N.J. - For centuries, farming has involved plowing the fields and tending to livestock. Soon, farmers in New Jersey may also be tending to solar panels and windmills."
Gibbons' approval rating at 21 percent
From: www.rgj.com
"A new poll is giving Gov. Jim Gibbons low marks for job performance, but not just because of his messy divorce proceedings."
As troubles mount, Gibbons disengages
From: www.lasvegassun.com
"Gov. Jim Gibbons called an emergency budget meeting with elected officials last week, but he and his staff failed to notify key legislators, who learned of it from media reports."
Odds may favor Capital Play
From: www.timesunion.com
"While much attention has been centered on making sure New York City's Off-Track Betting Corp. doesn't close, state government leaders have also been sweating over how they can open a huge video slots parlor at Aqueduct Raceway."
State seeks way to save benefits for workers
From: www.nytimes.com
"State officials say they may have to create a $200 million emergency fund to finance workers' compensation benefits for thousands of injured New Yorkers because 12 trusts that provided insurance to their employers have failed financially."
Late deal pulls OTB from brink of shutdown
From: www.nytimes.com
"Confusion and discord gave way to handshakes on Sunday as Gov. David A. Paterson and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg agreed on a deal authorizing the state to take over the city's Off-Track Betting Corporation while still granting the city a share of gambling revenues."
Taxes and economy top worries in New York poll
From: www.nytimes.com
"Gov. David A. Paterson, elevated unexpectedly to the job three months ago, has won the support of nearly half of New Yorkers, according to a New York Times poll. But many of those surveyed are increasingly worried about the economy and taxes and uncertain about the governor's ability to address those problems."
Strickland vetoes items, signs plan to create 50,000 jobs
From: www.daytondailynews.com
"Gov. Ted Strickland has signed legislation to enact a $1.57 billion economic stimulus plan that aims to create 50,000 jobs."
Plunging real estate values crash into property tax ballot issues
From: blog.cleveland.com
"It's been "What if?"ed for more than a year, mulled over as a sort of doomsday scenario in the world of budget forecasts."
Ohio to be center of military's human-performance testing
From: news.enquirer.com
"DAYTON, Ohio - The largest construction project at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base since World War II - an undertaking that will make it the military's center for human-performance research - is about to begin."
State workers feeling a financial squeeze
From: newsok.com
"It used to cost state worker Thomas Kalayilparampil just $16 to fill up the small Subaru he drives to nursing homes where he works with the families of elderly residents to arrange Medicaid payments."
Agencies feel pinch of gas
From: www.statesmanjournal.com
"SALEM, Ore. -- Not all the news about higher gasoline prices is bad for public agencies"
Number of women farmers growing
From: hosted.ap.org
"In recent years, the number of women running farms and ranches in Jefferson, Deschutes and Crook counties has increased at a higher rate than for men."
Oregon considers changing fees on wheat growers
From: hosted.ap.org
"SALEM, Ore. -- Oregon is considering changing the fees it collects from wheat growers, which could boost state funds gleaned from the hot commodity."
Drilling into shale for gas taps concerns
From: www.pittsburghlive.com
"The Marcellus Shale is bringing some prosperity and some worry to Pennsylvania."
Natural gas below state's deep shale attracts speculators
From: www.post-gazette.com
"HARRISBURG, Pa. -- David Pursell isn't a native Pennsylvanian, but he knows something important about the Keystone State that few Pennsylvanians know."
Despite economy, or maybe because of it, enrollment climbs at area colleges
From: www.beaufortgazette.com
"When Skip Land enrolled in the Technical College of the Lowcountry's paralegal program in the fall of 2006, he needed a new beginning."
Local firefighters incensed by governor's veto of sprinkler tax credit bill
From: www.beaufortgazette.com
"Gov. Mark Sanford's veto of a bill that would have given the state's home and business owners a tax break for installing sprinklers systems has drawn the ire of Beaufort-area fire officials."
Exclusive -- Critics rip Harrell for lobbying
From: www.thestate.com
"House Speaker Bobby Harrell asked a state agency last year to quickly approve allowing a Medicaid insurer a new option to purchase drugs."
Georgia, Tennessee: Interstate assistance crews see impact of gas, economic crunch
From: www.timesfreepress.com
"Georgia and Tennessee highway departments are seeing the nation's struggling economy reflected in the help calls they receive from interstate drivers."
More students taking online classes
From: www.knoxnews.com
"More students are taking online classes as a way to save money on high gas prices, a Tennessee Board of Regents official said."
Tennessee - TennCare ?cuts? brings accusations of misinformation
From: www.timesfreepress.com
"TennCare Bureau officials and advocates for enrollees are trading barbs over the impact of a $80 million reduction to the program's 2009 budget as both sides charge the other with misleading the public."
Senate panel to hear testimony on property taxes on Monday
From: www.dallasnews.com
"A Senate panel will take testimony this morning on two issues that have divided state lawmakers in recent years: limits on annual property tax appraisals and new caps on how much property taxes can be increased without voter approval. "
State targeting girls to boost ranks of hunters
From: www.dallasnews.com
"BURLESON, Texas - Move over, fellas. From all-female hunts to co-ed shooting camps this summer, Texas wildlife officials and industry advocates are looking to girls to save a nationally declining hunting trade. "
Texas Lottery ticket sales slump
From: www.dallasnews.com
"Cooler doors fly open and slap shut as customers at Fuel City on South Industrial Boulevard grab for soft drinks and beer. And snack food bags crinkle as a steady stream of patrons snaps them up."
Ga. residents tee off for charity
From: www.baltimoresun.com
"Two men from Atlanta rolled through Baltimore in a luxury coach early yesterday, stopping at the city's oldest public golf course to play 18 holes. "
Gauging the 'lake effect' of gas prices
From: www.deseretnews.com
"JORDANELLE STATE PARK, Utah - John and Judy Boyd didn't let the high price of gas stop them from hosting their annual June family vacation at the lake. They're Americans. They're adaptable. They're not going to let a downturn in the economy and an upsurge in the price of petrol keep them from enjoying their traditions and freedoms."
State tax revenue takes hit in May
From: www.washingtontimes.com
"State tax receipts fell nearly 14 percent last month, reflecting a strained economy and uncertainty over whether Virginia will finish ahead of its budgeted expenses in the fiscal year's final weeks, according to a state report released late Friday."
Future of oystering in Va. may lie with private sector
From: www.inrich.com
"LOTTSBURG, Va. - With sales jumping almost sixfold in the past three years, private oyster farmers might be the key to rebuilding Virginia's oyster population."
Virginia 'Scratchers' called misleading
From: www.washingtontimes.com
"ROANOKE, Va. The Virginia Lottery has taken in millions of dollars illegally by misrepresenting the prize money available for its "Scratcher" games, according to a Washington & Lee University business professor."
Panel wants people's opinions about immigration
From: www.roanoke.com
"When the Virginia Commission on Immigration meets Tuesday in Roanoke City Council chambers, there's one opinion the panel's chairman doesn't want to hear voiced. His own."
Vermont leads nation in maple production
From: burlingtonfreepress.com
"Vermont's maple syrup production rose by 11 percent this year, and it maintained its traditional position as the nation's largest producer of the sweet stuff. "
Despite economy, tourism looks good in Vermont
From: burlingtonfreepress.com
"When marketing to out of state visitors, Vermont's largest lake and the mountains practically sell themselves and the fall foliage reels tourists in. Plus, there's a nostalgia that people feel about the state, whether born from childhood memories or the fantasy of a bucolic idyll, that draws people here."
Sales tax deduction battle -- Here we go again
From: www.thenewstribune.com
"WASHINGTON -- They're known as tax extenders, and in the arcane world of the Internal Revenue Service code they include renewing tax breaks for everything from motor sports entertainment complexes to rum distillers in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands."
Gas prices fuel surge in inflation
From: seattlepi.nwsource.com
"Inflation shot up in May at the fastest pace in six months, pushed higher -- both nationwide and in the Puget Sound region -- by soaring costs for gasoline and other types of energy."
Farmland gets new advocate
From: www.jsonline.com
"One of the nation's largest and most vocal organizations advocating farmland preservation has joined state agriculture officials in a new push to enact policies designed to protect Wisconsin farms from development."
Some waters are still rising
From: www.jsonline.com
"Jefferson, Wis. -- This picturesque town has turned into a city of sandbags, sump pumps and turbid water."
Mountaintop removal coal mining resolution falls short
From: theintelligencer.net
"Delegates to the West Virginia Democratic Party convention weighed in on mountaintop removal coal mining, and a slim majority rejected a resolution to condemn the practice."
Environmental groups cry foul over logging without notice
From: wvgazette.com
"Allegheny Wood Products, based in Petersburg, did not follow an agreement to give notice before it began a controversial logging project in the heart of Blackwater Canyon on March 26."
State taxes not so high, report says
From: wvgazette.com
"West Virginians may feel the blow of high taxes at the gas pump, but their overall tax burden per person ranks near the bottom of the states, according to a new report."
How to handle human remains?
From: www.trib.com
"CHEYENNE, Wyo. -- The increase in construction and energy development in Wyoming corresponds with the discovery of more human remains in unmarked burial grounds, officials say."
Higher gas prices exhaust incomes in Wyo
From: www.trib.com
"The Salvation Army sees people weekly who may lose their jobs because they can't fill their tanks."
McCain, GOP govs split over disaster fund
From: www.stateline.org
"A congressional proposal to create a national “catastrophe fund” to help states recover from natural disasters has put Republican presidential hopeful John McCain at odds with a handful of GOP governors — including two state chief executives frequently mentioned as possible vice-presidential picks for the U.S. senator from Arizona."
Jobs are at risk if Congress doesn't fix the Highway Fund
From: www.stateline.org
"State budgets and nearly 400,000 jobs are at risk if Congress fails to replenish the Highway Trust Fund, John Horsley, executive director of the American Association of State Highway & Transportation Officials, writes in a commentary for Stateline.org."
Tax hikes rare among states — so far
From: www.stateline.org
"Most states are holding off raising taxes to patch holes in their 2009 budgets, but if you live in Maryland, Minnesota, Maine and New York, you’re out of luck."
Scalpers beware: States target ticket sellers
From: www.stateline.org
"The online hijacking of huge blocks of tickets for hot concerts and sporting events for resale at many times face value has raised the ire of consumers and caught the attention of several states that have taken steps to address the problem."
The economic downturn: an opportunity for governors?
From: www.stateline.org
"Most governors recognize that they have the best political job in America. Most also would concede that the job is more satisfying when the economy is strong and revenues are growing than during an economic downturn, when cutting budgets becomes the major task. But even a recession can present opportunities for governors to make improvements that yield lasting benefits for their states."
Visit the Stateline.org Economy & Business Page
From: www.stateline.org
"Most governors recognize that they have the best political job in America. Most also would concede that the job is more satisfying when the economy is strong and revenues are growing than during an economic downturn, when cutting budgets becomes the major task. But even a recession can present opportunities for governors to make improvements that yield lasting benefits for their states."
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