Govs ready speeches as fiscal woes persist
From: feeds.stateline.org
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As governors prepare their 2010 state of the state addresses, at least 36 of them are still struggling to close budget deficits for the current fiscal year, while worrying about new gaps looming in their 2011 spending plans.
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Iowa governor touts 4-day workweek
From: feeds.stateline.org
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TODAY’S TAKE: Iowa Gov. Chet Culver (D) is touting Utah’s first-in-the-nation move to a four-day workweek for most executive-branch state workers, and he is pushing the proposal as a way to cut costs in his own state. Hawaii and Washington State have also tried the idea.
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AK: Palin's Wasilla book signing feels like a homecoming
From: feeds.stateline.org
"WASILLA, Alaska -- Sarah Palin was treated like a homecoming queen when she brought her national book tour to Wasilla on Tuesday.
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AK: Sullivan, Young call for study of Inlet beluga whales
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Two of the state's top politicians Tuesday said the state should finance an aggressive round of scientific research of Cook Inlet's beluga whales to counter a federal conclusion that the whales are endangered and need special habitat protections.
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AK: Alaska College Savings Plan offers scholarships in promotion
From: feeds.stateline.org
"FAIRBANKS, Alaska -- Administrators of the University of Alaska College Savings Plan hope a giveaway will revive interest from those who need to save money for higher education.
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AL: Riley seeks support from Alabama Board of Education for charter schools
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Alabama Gov. Bob Riley asked members of the state school board Tuesday to support his efforts to authorize charter schools.
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AL: Mobile snail invasion withstands poison, weather
From: feeds.stateline.org
"MOBILE, Ala. -- Despite thousands of pounds of poison, hundreds of man hours and an all-out attack by state and federal biologists, Amazonian apple snails are still hanging on in Langan Municipal Park and Three Mile Creek.
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AL: Birmingham Councilwoman Parker discusses northern area projects with Gov. Riley
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Birmingham City Councilwoman Maxine Parker said she's encouraged with the prospect of landing both a mental hospital for Norwood and a pedestrian overpass in Collegeville following a Monday meeting with Gov. Bob Riley.
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AL: Vote may clear way for Bryce Hospital sale
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A state commission headed by the governor took action Tuesday that could clear the way for the state to sell the almost 150-year-old Bryce Hospital in Tuscaloosa to the University of Alabama.
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AR: Arkansans still waiting out flood waters
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Even after three days of sunshine, some Arkansas families are still trapped in their homes by flood waters.
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AR: Lawmakers say levee data key for plan to avert catastrophe
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A 2008 study presented to lawmakers this spring concluded that without repairs, many levees, particularly in northern and eastern Arkansas, could fail during heavy rains, resulting in catastrophic flooding.
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AR: Officers use deer decoy to catch illegal hunters
From: feeds.stateline.org
"TEXARKANA, Ark. -- Arkansas Game & Fish Commission officers are using decoy deer to catch illegal hunters in southwest Arkansas.
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AZ: Reworked plan reached for checkpoint near Tubac
From: feeds.stateline.org
"TUCSON, Ariz. -- Officials say they have reworked a plan to lessen the impact on businesses during construction of an interim Border Patrol checkpoint on Interstate 19 north of Tubac.
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AZ: Solar facility proposed near Kingman
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The Arizona Corporation Commission is now accepting public comments on the Hualapai Valley Solar project, a 340-megawatt facility that would be built near Kingman.
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AZ: Gilbert lawmaker wants tax info on gas pumps
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A veteran state lawmaker believes you'd think more about taxes — and twice about being asked to raise them — if the subject were in your face every time you gas up your vehicle.
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AZ: Will charity runs leave donors exhausted?
From: feeds.stateline.org
"To raise needed funds, charities in the Valley and across the country are increasingly keying on a tried-and-true venue: the weekend athletic event.
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AZ: Arizona hurt by backlash against lavish business trips
From: feeds.stateline.org
"WASHINGTON -- When it comes to luring convention- and conference-goers this winter, Arizona's resort towns may be too much fun for their own good.
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AZ: Appeals court rules against pet owner
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A pet may be man's best friend. But that doesn't entitle the owner to sue for emotional distress or loss of companionship as part of a claim against a veterinarian for malpractice, the Arizona Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday.
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CA: Angry voters look to government -- Do something!
From: feeds.stateline.org
"In California, residents endured months of bitter, partisan battles in Sacramento over the state's multibillion-dollar budget deficit and the painful cuts, furloughs and program closures that came with it.
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CA: California restaurants can't use trans fat as of Jan. 1
From: feeds.stateline.org
"California will bar restaurants from cooking with trans fat beginning New Year's Day, becoming the first state to crack down on the substance tied to clogged arteries, strokes and coronary heart disease.
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CA: A land deal goes bad, and Mojave suffers
From: feeds.stateline.org
"For a while, it appeared that the economy around Mojave was going to get a badly needed boost.
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CA: Schwarzenegger presses U.S. for more aid for needy California
From: feeds.stateline.org
"LOS ANGELES — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has taken advantage of the holiday lull before the next state budget storm to serve notice on the federal government that he will come looking for billions more in aid.
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CA: National health reform could jeopardize California patient protections
From: feeds.stateline.org
"WASHINGTON — A host of medical services that insurers must pay for in California — from cancer screenings to diabetes treatment to two-day hospital stays for delivering mothers — could be weakened or lost if the health care measures pending in Congress become law.
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CA: Billion-dollar sidewalk makeover for disabled
From: feeds.stateline.org
"OAKLAND -- State transportation officials agreed Tuesday to spend $1.1 billion over 30 years on safer sidewalks and better curb ramps to help the disabled.
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CA: Schwarzenegger to seek federal help for California budget
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Facing a budget deficit of more than $20 billion, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is expected to call for deep reductions in already suffering local mass transit programs, renew his push to expand oil drilling off the Santa Barbara coast and appeal to Washington for billions of dollars in federal help, according to state officials and lobbyists familiar with the plan.
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CA: More Californians planning to travel this holiday season
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The number of Californians traveling during the Christmas and New Year's holidays is expected to grow for the first time in two years, yet another indicator of creeping progress from the depths of recession.
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CA: Report says furloughs delay federal money
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Furloughs are delaying federally-funded programs for disabled and unemployed Californians, according to a report released this afternoon by the Senate Office of Oversight and Outcomes.
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CA: Mistrial declared in age-bias suit against California
From: feeds.stateline.org
"John W. Bersinger II said he found it odd when he applied for a state job and the hiring manager asked him, "If you were a race car, what would you tell your pit crew to make you go faster?"
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CA: Feds take on bigger role in Delta protection
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta stands to draw a lot more attention from the federal government in 2010 under an "action plan" released Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Interior.
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CO: Pot dispensaries pop up in Colorado
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The number of businesses that sell marijuana has increased greatly in Colorado, where use of pot for medical reasons has been allowed since 2000. A mix of confusing regulations and court rulings had kept its distribution in check — until earlier this year. Now pot stores are showing up in many neighborhoods — and there are calls for more regulation.
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CO: Colorado GOP upbeat about 2010 elections
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Bolstered by public frustrations with government, GOP leaders have set their sights on reclaiming the state House and Senate in an election year that will shape Colorado politics for the next decade.
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CO: Bill to grant in-state tuition to illegal immigrants with 3 years of Colo. high school on hold until 2011
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A bill to allow illegal immigrants to receive in-state tuition won't go forward in the 2010 session, says the lawmaker who planned to sponsor the legislation.
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CO: Gardner says state needs to drop some membership dues amid budget crisis
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A state lawmaker says Colorado can no longer afford to shell out what could be more than $2 million annually for dues and memberships in various organizations.
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CO: Colorado lawmakers protest DOT policy to leave some rural highways unplowed
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The state Department of Transportation plans to leave snow on nearly 2,800 miles of less-traveled rural highways during evening hours this winter, and lawmakers who represent those areas are fuming.
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CO: State Sen. Mike Kopp on payroll of climate-change-questioning IREA electric co-op
From: feeds.stateline.org
"As lawmakers once again try to put the heat on the state's largest rural electric co-op this legislative session, at least one state senator will be in the Intermountain Rural Electric Association's corner, even though he may have to recuse himself from key votes.
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CO: Republican AG's eyeing deal that landed Nelson's vote on health care bill
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A cadre of Republican state attorneys general are gathering steam for a possible lawsuit if a provision that secured a crucial U.S. Senate vote on the Democratic health care proposal remains in the legislation.
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CO: Stimulus funds to help UCD program attract doctors to rural areas
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine will receive $575,000 from the omnibus federal spending bill for its program set up to attract new doctors to rural areas.
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CO: Winter storm arrives in Colo. just in time for holiday travel rush
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Just as the holiday travel season shifts into high gear, a winter storm is expected to bear down on Colorado, threatening near-blizzard conditions on the northeastern plains and piling 4 to 8 inches of snow on the Front Range.
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CT: Connecticut earmarks matching funds to help small businesses with new products
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The state has set aside $250,000 to help small businesses develop and produce new products, Gov. M. Jodi Rell said Saturday.
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CT: Connecticut gears up to lobby Washington for railroad seed money
From: feeds.stateline.org
"When the Federal Railroad Administration doles out high-speed rail grants this winter, it will be sending plenty of rejection letters, too.
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CT: Latest estimate pegs state deficit at $327 million
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The governor's budget office just lowered its estimate of the state deficit from $337.5 million to $327.9 million.
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CT: Yearly housimg permit activity down 39%
From: feeds.stateline.org
"As 2009 draws to a close, the number of housing permits issued statewide trails last year's pace by 39 percent, according to data released Tuesday by the state Department of Economic and Community Development.
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CT: Demand, problems bog down jobless claims
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Ed Perez and Phineas Peabody haven't received their unemployment checks for three weeks -- not because their benefits ran out, but because the two men couldn't reach anyone in the state Labor Department to correct problems in their files.
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CT: Social services survive state budget ax for now
From: feeds.stateline.org
"School-based health clinics, day care programs for the needy and stem cell research programs are all getting a reprieve in the deficit-cutting plan passed by Connecticut's legislative Democrats.
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CT: New home construction likely to hit record low in state
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A report Tuesday showed permits for single-family houses, condominiums and apartment units fell 39 percent to 2,885 through the first 11 months of this year, compared with 4,757 for the same period in 2008, according to the state Department of Economic and Community Development.
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CT: Connecticut's population continues to creep upward
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The state's population increased by about 15,000 people -- a mere 0.4 percent -- in the last year, to about 3,518,000, according to the latest estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau.
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CT: Support grows for special business zone around Bradley
From: feeds.stateline.org
"WINDSOR LOCKS, Conn. -- Business groups and economic development officials will try to resurrect a bill establishing a special zone in the four towns around Bradley International Airport when the state legislature goes back into session in February.
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DE: Activist wants state contracts to generate jobs
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Moved by official comments that cleaning up after the weekend snowstorm was a "budget-buster," Dwight Davis, a longtime Wilmington activist, called on Gov. Jack Markell and other public officials to hire local workers -- and perhaps save money -- when such opportunities arise.
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DE: PSC ruling puts Verizon on notice
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The Public Service Commission has settled with Verizon over complaints about its copper-wire, land-line telephone service.
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DE: Delmar zoning amendment for possible casino studied
From: feeds.stateline.org
"DELMAR, Del. -- An outline featuring parameters of a possible casino zoning amendment will now head to the town solicitor for review.
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FL: Economy is top Florida story for 2009
From: feeds.stateline.org
"MIAMI -- The state's weak economy beat out the Tiger Woods scandal to be Florida's top news story in 2009.
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FL: Unemployment tax takes toll
From: feeds.stateline.org
"With the recession forcing him to lay off a couple of employees, Sam Varn knew his unemployment-compensation insurance cost would go up — but he was stunned to see it set to more than double.
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FL: 10 stories that drove Florida's economy in 2009
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Economic gloom picked up steam in 2009, then retreated a bit in the face of renewed confidence. The real estate market may have finished its race to a historic new low. But employers continued slashing jobs, undermining an already battered economy. A great big cruise ship arrived to cheer up Fort Lauderdale's gloomy hotel market.
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FL: South Florida homeowners score by renting to Super Bowl fans
From: feeds.stateline.org
"When South Florida hosted the Super Bowl in 2007, the average hotel room cost $499 a night. For the 2010 game, Davona Lynch would just like everyone to know that her three-bedroom, two-bath home, 15 minutes from Land Shark Stadium, is available for a nightly rate of just $300.
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FL: Florida taking part in federal program to get residents back to work
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Florida is participating in a new federal stimulus program aimed at putting jobless people back to work by subsidizing their pay and benefits through Sept. 30.
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FL: New grouper ban could devastate Fla. fishing industry
From: feeds.stateline.org
"On Jan. 1, a new four-month ban on grouper fishing goes into effect to protect the species during its primary spawning season. Fishery managers and ocean conservancy groups say several types of grouper have been overfished for decades and need protection.
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FL: County closer to tax face-off
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A federal judge has given a green light to Monroe County to pursue its claim of unpaid resort taxes from third-party Web sites that book hotel rooms in the Florida Keys.
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FL: South Florida home sales soar; prices plummet
From: feeds.stateline.org
"MIAMI -- Housing sales spiked in November versus last year's anemic levels, as owners continued to slash prices in a market skewed by foreclosures and tight lending.
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FL: Florida Senate report urges blood business to open up
From: feeds.stateline.org
"While asserting that Florida's blood supply is safe and adequate, a state Senate committee recommends that nonprofit blood collection centers open up about their business practices to increase competition and reassure the public that they are ethically and fiscally sound.
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FL: PSC to release opinion on FPL's revenue request
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Another step along an unexpectedly bumpy road for Florida Power & Light Co.'s proposed $1.4 billion rate hike is due Wednesday .
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FL: Rep. Williams asks Crist to give state workers Christmas Even off, with pay
From: feeds.stateline.org
"State Rep. Alan Williams asked Gov. Charlie Crist Tuesday to give state employees a day off for Christmas Eve.
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FL: Lawmakers announce jobs forum
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The incoming leaders of the Florida Legislature announced plans Tuesday for a statewide conference on job-creation next month in Orlando.
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GA: Power struggle blocks Georgia road building
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Gov. Sonny Perdue offered long-suffering commuters a glimmer of hope five years ago when he announced a mammoth building program aimed at speeding up improvements to metro Atlanta's overburdened road system.
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GA: Georgia water task force suggests conservation
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A Georgia water planning group has issued its final report to the governor and the plan doesn't mention tapping the Tennessee River as an option.
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GA: Perdue says 6 more Georgia counties certified 'work ready'
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Floyd, Hancock, Lowndes, Mitchell and Walker counties have been named "work ready" communities of excellence. Elbert County has been named a certified "work ready" community.
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GA: Federal funds for SRS spread across country
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Savannah River Site's bountiful infusion of federal stimulus dollars is jingling in pockets as far away as Nevada, California -- even Canada, according to a breakdown of procurement subcontracts, but plenty of money is going to local companies, too.
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GA: Bio-ethanol "demonstration" plant to open in Thomaston
From: feeds.stateline.org
"An Atlanta bio-engineering firm will join with one of the nation's leading energy companies to produce ethanol in Thomaston, about an hour south of Atlanta.
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HI: Census shows Island exodus
From: feeds.stateline.org
"For the first time in nearly a decade, more residents left Hawai'i than moved here, according to newly released 2009 population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau.
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HI: Community colleges get UH support
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Two new initiatives at the University of Hawaii benefit community college students.
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HI: Hawaii smokers cutting back in response to higher tobacco taxes
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A series of tobacco tax hikes are helping to curtail local sales of cigarettes and cigars.
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HI: Chinatown rats lead state to hold classes
From: feeds.stateline.org
"State health workers are taking another tack to clean up a rat problem in a Chinatown market: educational sessions for merchants.
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HI: Costly benefits may be covered
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Hawai'i is proposing a new free health plan that will cover critical dialysis and chemotherapy treatments for legal migrants from independent Pacific nations.
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HI: Hawaii teachers' furlough deal unlikely by Lingle deadline
From: feeds.stateline.org
"It is unlikely that an agreement to end public school teacher furloughs will be reached in time to prevent the next "furlough Friday" on Jan. 8, a goal Gov. Linda Lingle had set when she proposed her plan last month.
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HI: UHPA will fight pay cut in court, director says
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The executive director of the University of Hawaii Professional Assembly said yesterday that the union is "fully prepared" to go to court and defend a clause in its contract that would prevent the administration from cutting faculty salaries.
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IA: A four-day work week for state government?
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Iowa's governor is pushing the idea of a permanent, four-day work week for most workers in the executive branch of state government.
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IA: Budget bind means parts of state parks to be shut
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The state is moving to close selected trails, parks and beaches and might close entire parks if budget cuts grow, the Department of Natural Resources' director said.
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IA: Department of Human Services vows new 'sensitivity' to disabled
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Gov. Chet Culver said in February that he'd try to find out why the state failed to act in protecting the Atalissa men who worked for Henry's Turkey Service for as little as 40 cents an hour.
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IA: Across U.S. -- Social Security will launch an effort designed to spot Atalissa-like abuses
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The Social Security Administration is launching a nationwide program aimed at preventing the sort of abuses that allegedly took place for more than 30 years at Henry's Turkey Service in Atalissa.
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IA: Where the investigations into Henry's Turkey Service stand
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Ten months after its Atalissa operation was shut down by authorities, Henry's Turkey Service still faces sanctions or investigations on several fronts.
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IA: Disabled workers paid cents per hour at state-run homes
From: feeds.stateline.org
"More than 300 mentally retarded people are being paid less than the minimum wage to work at the state-run Woodward and Glenwood homes for the disabled.
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IA: Some Iowa offices close due to budget cuts
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Some state offices and functions will be shut down temporarily Thursday because of recent budget-cutting measures that included mandatory unpaid furlough days.
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IA: Unemployment benefits to continue through February
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Unemployment benefits set to expire Dec. 31 will continue into next year, keeping 30,000 Iowans from losing benefits, Gov. Chet Culver said Tuesday.
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IA: Annual study breaks down ownership of Iowa farmland
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Single women own 10 percent of Iowa farmland. So says economist Michael Duffy of Iowa State University, who released his annual study of Iowa farm values Wednesday in Ames.
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IA: Unemployment benefits extended for 30,000 Iowans
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The Emergency Unemployment Compensation program was scheduled to end Dec. 31, but President Barack Obama signed legislation to extend it.
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IA: 68 film projects eligible to apply for incentives
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The Iowa Department of Economic Development released Tuesday a list of 68 proposed film projects that are eligible to start negotiating contracts for film incentives.
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ID: After Robert Manwill -- How strong is Idaho's safety net for children?
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Eight-year-old Robert Manwill died, abused to the point of what prosecutors described as torture, in a state that nearly everyone calls a great place to raise children.
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ID: After Robert Manwill -- Idaho puts the family first, but what happens when it breaks down?
From: feeds.stateline.org
"If there's one thing everyone agrees on, it's that the family has a central role in a child's well-being.
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ID: Home health care braces for cuts
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Gary Thietten is used to dealing with difficult news.
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ID: Meridian teacher and GOP legislative hopeful charged with felony burglary
From: feeds.stateline.org
"John R. O'Neal, 33, of Boise, is being held in the Ada County Jail on a charge of felony burglary after police say he stole several items from a large retail store in the 8300 block of West Overland Road Monday.
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ID: State limits water for Foothills developer
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Granting M3's request to pump some 15 million gallons of water per day from an aquifer below the Foothills would hold future development "hostage" to its own plans "that are distant and not yet developed," Idaho Department of Water Resources Interim Director Gary Spackman said.
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IL: State fire marshal -- Upgrades to grill hoods not necessary
From: feeds.stateline.org
"ROCKFORD, Ill. -- A present arrived just in time for Christmas for restaurants, eateries and any commercial operation that fries food: Upgrading to the latest in fire-suppression equipment won't require expensive new exhaust hoods and ventilation systems after all.
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IL: Unemployment spring thaw possible
From: feeds.stateline.org
"CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Unemployment rates have increased in each of the southernmost 21 counties in Illinois in the past year, the most recent numbers from the Illinois Department of Employment Security show.
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IL: Attorney general backs proposed changes to lending act
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Attorney General Lisa Madigan is urging the Federal Reserve to eliminate financial incentives for loan officers and mortgage brokers to place borrowers in more expensive, higher-risk loans.
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IL: Are jobs cut during recession gone for good?
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Long-term job prospects in the Springfield area are best in health care, social services, mining, education, tourism, and professional and business services, based on projections from the state of Illinois.
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IL: Democrats, Republicans seeking governor post differ on how best to fix finances
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Among all the issues facing Illinois' next governor, there is no greater divergence among the Democratic and Republican candidates in the Feb. 2 primary than on whether the state income tax should be raised.
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IL: Chicago-area home sales jump 72% in November
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Chicago-area home sales soared 71.6% in November compared with the same month last year, according to the Illinois Assn. of Realtors.
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IL: Unemployment extension helps thousands in Illinois
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Thousands of Illinois workers on the verge of exhausting their unemployment benefits will continue to receive them following a two-month extension passed by Congress.
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IL: With state bills unpaid, agencies prepare to close
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Social service providers across Illinois have warned for months that unless the state started paying its bills, the day would come when agencies would be forced to lay off workers en masse, or worse, close their doors for good.
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IL: Some Illinois state workers to get raises Jan. 1
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Thousands of unionized state workers are in line to receive 2 percent wage increases on Jan. 1.
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IL: Hearing on Illinois state layoffs scheduled
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A hearing that could decide the fate of Gov. Pat Quinn's push to lay off state workers has been set for Jan. 6.
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IL: Lawmaker puts tuition-waiver savings at $7 million
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Nearly $7 million could be added to the state's budget if a bill to repeal a university employee benefit makes its way through the Capitol, the bill's sponsor said Monday.
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IL: State borrows $1 billion to pay out unemployment benefits
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The state of Illinois has been forced to borrow $1 billion from the federal government since mid-summer to help cover unemployment benefits, and some estimates are that the figure could go as high as $8 billion by 2012.
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IN: Legislature has long list of goals for new session
From: feeds.stateline.org
"It's now or never. That's how Gov. Mitch Daniels frames the debate over property tax caps that is likely to once again dominate the 116th Indiana General Assembly as it begins its second regular session Jan. 5.
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IN: Indiana lawmakers hopeful about renewable energy bill
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Legislation that could bring more wind turbines and solar power projects to Indiana has a good chance of passing in the upcoming legislative session after failing in the last session's closing hours, two state lawmakers say.
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IN: Passage of overhaul draws cheers, jeers in Indiana
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Many of Indiana's big health-care companies -- such as Eli Lilly and Co., Zimmer, WellPoint and Cook Medical -- made progress in the health-care debate, but none of them came away complete winners Thursday when the Senate passed a sweeping reform measure.
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IN: I-65 widening to go from I-865 to Lebanon
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The never-ending highway construction season will expand to I-65 in southern Boone County, which will be widened over the next two years.
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IN: The way the governor sees it
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Gov. Mitch Daniels has called for round after round of budget cuts for state agencies, frozen state employees' salaries for two straight years, cut higher education funding by 6 percent and most recently called for K-12 spending cuts of at least 3 percent.
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IN: Signs of revival in heartland
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Eight months after unemployment in Elkhart County, Ind., hit 18.9% and helped make this middle America spot a symbol of the economic meltdown, people are starting to go back to work.
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IN: Farmers fear record years = record taxes
From: feeds.stateline.org
"LOGANSPORT, Ind. -- Indiana farmers could face property tax increases because of record commodity prices during the 2007 and 2008 seasons.
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IN: State reviewing Benton Harbor finances
From: feeds.stateline.org
"BENTON HARBOR, Ind. -- The governor has put together a review team to determine whether the state should temporarily take over Benton Harbor's finances.
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IN: A cool spell for Indiana's home resales market
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Home resales had brokers in Indiana and the rest of the nation a-leaping in November, but the extension of a federal tax credit through April and record-low mortgage rates don't hold much chance of increasing sales in the state this winter, a local real estate leader said.
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IN: Bill designates site for I-64 interchange
From: feeds.stateline.org
"CORYDON, Ind. -- A new federal appropriations bill has designated a site preferred by local leaders for a new I-64 interchange in Southern Indiana even though state officials say the location doesn't meet federal highway rules.
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KS: Revenue numbers add up to unprecedented budget crunch
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Those of us who have been covering the budget crisis have been inundated with statistics.
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KS: Universities save time, money under state's pilot purchasing program
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Higher education officials say freeing regents universities from state government purchasing requirements will save money for Kansas taxpayers.
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KS: Health Department temporarily shuts down The Corner Restaurant, a Westport favorite
From: feeds.stateline.org
"During a routine inspection Monday, the Kansas City Health Department temporarily closed The Corner Restaurant, 4059 Broadway, due to critical and repeat non-critical violations.
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KS: Kansas ranks 39th in funding tobacco prevention programs
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Kansas ranks 39th in the nation when it comes to funding tobacco prevention programs.
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KS: Kansas House Majority Leader to serve on budget committee
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The Kansas House majority leader also will be the next vice chairman of the chamber's Appropriations Committee.
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KS: Attorney General criticizes payments to CLO, but says no laws broken
From: feeds.stateline.org
"State officials bypassed their own procedures but didn't break any laws in giving extra Medicaid funds to a nonprofit group with ties to the state Democratic Party chairman, Kansas' attorney general said Tuesday.
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KY: Defense spending bill includes more than $500 million for Kentucky, Southern Indiana
From: feeds.stateline.org
"WASHINGTON — More than $500 million in military research, projects and programs in Kentucky and Indiana are included in the defense spending bill signed by President Barack Obama.
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KY: Steve Henry found guilty of violating campaign finance laws
From: feeds.stateline.org
"No sooner had Steve Henry been pronounced guilty Tuesday afternoon of violating Kentucky election-finance laws in connection with his unsuccessful 2007 gubernatorial campaign than he proceeded to launch a spirited defense that he chose not to present in court.
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KY: More than 45,000 still without power
From: feeds.stateline.org
"More than 45,000 customers were still without power Tuesday in Eastern Kentucky after the weekend snowstorm, according to the Kentucky Public Service Commission.
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LA: Property taxes up only slightly
From: feeds.stateline.org
"In another sign of a slowing economy, property taxes due for collection this year are up only 4.6 percent — less than half the rate of growth in 2008, according to figures from East Baton Rouge Parish Assessor Brian Wilson's office.
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LA: La. retirement funds up
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The four state retirement systems are heading into the new year with a better outlook for 2010 than the last year offered.
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LA: La. restaurants suffering credit card 'nightmare'
From: feeds.stateline.org
"An investigation by the U.S. Secret Service found that hackers attacked at least 15 restaurants in Louisiana and two in Mississippi. Customers' credit card numbers were used to make illegal purchases around the world, federal officials said.
"
LA: Spending cuts ordered
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Gov. Bobby Jindal ordered wide cuts in state spending Tuesday to cope with an unexpected drop of $248 million in tax revenue. Higher education and health spending, as they often do, will absorb the brunt of the latest reductions — 77 percent.
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LA: More state budget cuts are announced
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Obligated to close a $247.9 million gap in the current-year state budget, Gov. Bobby Jindal announced cuts for agencies across the board Tuesday, including $108.1 million in health dollars and $84 million from higher education.
"
MA: UMass hospital system posts $92M surplus
From: feeds.stateline.org
"WORCESTER,Mass. -- UMass Memorial Health Care Inc., the dominant hospital system in central Massachusetts, posted a $91.6 million surplus during the recently completed fiscal year by cutting costs, deferring purchases, treating more patients and reversing investment losses.
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MA: Paying high price for delaying care
From: feeds.stateline.org
"CAPE COD, Mass. -- In at least a few instances, the cost of such delays has been fatal.
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MA: State-federal link boosts Web access
From: feeds.stateline.org
"CAPE COD, Mass. -- In an era when Internet access is available in the palm pilot of your hand, it's hard to believe that some Massachusetts residents still struggle for a Web connection.
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MA: A decade of snap, crackle and pop
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The first decade of the 21st century comes to an end later this week, having economically transformed the region over 10 years of boom-bust-boom-bust activity that ultimately left the state with fewer jobs and fewer corporate titans calling Boston their home.
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MA: Patrick expects 'fear mongering' by foes
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Firing an early salvo in the 2010 gubernatorial race, Governor Deval L. Patrick predicted yesterday that his opponents in next year's election would use "fear mongering'' and seek to prey on voters' apprehension about their economic security.
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MA: Stimulus flows to roads but bypasses buildings
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Since the federal stimulus program was passed in February, the fortunes of Jim Reger and Lee Michael Kennedy have moved in opposite directions.
"
MA: Mass. home sales surge
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The Bay State housing market posted the highest number of home sales for the month of November since 2005 as first-time buyers chased the $8,000 federal tax credit.
"
MA: Sen. John F. Kerry -- Health bill will help state
From: feeds.stateline.org
"As the state that provided the template for the nation's health-care reform effort, Massachusetts stands to benefit from its pioneering ambitions, U.S. Sen. John F. Kerry said yesterday at the Children's Hospital in Boston.
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MA: Menino aide helped in Boston liquor license deal
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A key East Boston aide of Mayor Thomas M. Menino - charged with peddling powerful prescription painkillers - helped another accused Eastie narcotics pusher score a hard-to-get Hub liquor license last year - the latest bombshell in the widening scandal.
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MD: County gets some good economic news for a change
From: feeds.stateline.org
"BALTIMORE -- County and state elected officials see nothing but dark fiscal skies for the next year, but there is a silver lining, too, courtesy of the growing federal presence at Fort Meade, where thousands of new jobs and billions of new dollars are heading.
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MD: Inside-out, topsy-turvy politics
From: feeds.stateline.org
"BALTIMORE -- Weren't Maryland politics always predictable? Heavily Democratic and a bit of an election night yawn? Not this decade.
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MD: Despite down economy, tech companies grow in Md.
From: feeds.stateline.org
"CHEVY CHASE, Md. - On a rainy November night, the seventh floor of Microsoft's recently opened offices in Chevy Chase are a flurry of celebration.
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MD: Gasoline shortages ease from Va. to Conn.
From: feeds.stateline.org
"HAGERSTOWN, Md. -- Scattered gasoline shortages caused by a record-breaking winter storm eased yesterday as fuel trucks sidelined by up to 2 feet of snow resupplied gas stations from Virginia to Connecticut, industry workers said.
"
MD: Unlikely alliance forms to fight Anne Arundel mall casino
From: feeds.stateline.org
"An unlikely coalition of anti-slots activists and Maryland horsemen vowed Tuesday to collect enough signatures to force a public vote on the new zoning law that allows construction of the state's largest casino at Arundel Mills mall.
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MD: Md. doctors push opposing views on health care bill
From: feeds.stateline.org
"BALTIMORE -- Dr. Zaneb Beams is doing everything she can to get Congress to approve health care legislation. Dr. F. Michael Gloth III is trying just as hard to kill it.
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MD: Md. vaccine maker recalls FluMist
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Gaithersburg-based MedImmune announced Tuesday evening a voluntary recall of early batches of its nasal spray vaccine against swine flu after tests revealed that the doses lost strength within months of being shipped.
"
MD: Cordish moves forward with slots plans
From: feeds.stateline.org
"BALTIMORE -- Developer David Cordish wasted no time after overcoming perhaps his biggest obstacle to building a slots emporium at Arundel Mills mall - winning zoning approval Monday night from a County Council that had avoided voting on it for 10 months.
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MD: City Council OKs energy park concept
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The Annapolis Renewable Energy Park is planned as a small power plant on a closed city landfill off Defense Highway in Parole. Once built, it would use resources such as sunlight and yard clippings to produce energy.
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MD: Council finally OKs slots
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The door has been opened for Arundel Mills mall to become the largest and most lucrative of the five casinos proposed for Maryland.
"
ME: 'Tough times build character'
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Gov. John Baldacci sat down recently with the Kennebec Journal to talk about his goals for the new year, and to reflect on his time in office.
"
ME: Judge clears way for tax reform vote
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A Superior Court judge has dismissed a case seeking to invalidate thousands of petition signatures gathered by opponents of a recent tax restructuring bill passed by the Legislature.
"
ME: State tax amnesty programs proposed
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Gov. John Baldacci is proposing a pair of new tax amnesty proposals in his budget plan just weeks after the successful conclusion of a program that waived 90 percent of the penalties on overdue taxes.
"
ME: Maine highway ranking falls to 28th
From: feeds.stateline.org
"In 2002, Maine was ranked 12th in the U.S. in an annual study of the nation's roads and bridges, but in the recently released updated study, based on 2007 data, Maine has dropped to 28th in the nation.
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ME: Home sales in Maine up by 49 percent
From: feeds.stateline.org
"SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine — A real estate group says home sales in Maine were up nearly 49 percent in November from a year earlier, marking the sixth straight month of increased sales.
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ME: Casino backers try again
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Backers of a proposal to build a resort casino in western Maine delivered more than 90,000 petition signatures to state officials on Tuesday in hopes of triggering the sixth statewide referendum on gambling since 2000.
"
ME: Maine colleges set in-state marketing initiative
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Maine's colleges and universities -- public and private -- are coming together in a marketing push. Their goal? Get more Maine students to enroll in home-state colleges.
"
ME: Tax overhaul -- Judge backs Republican chairman
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A deadline is a deadline, regardless of whether it applies to a citizen or state government.
"
MI: Medigap info could overwhelm
From: feeds.stateline.org
"John and Rita Cox had to find another Medicare policy this fall after Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan eliminated their plan. They wanted a Blue Cross Medigap plan for $112.12 a month each, just like Rita's cousin has.
"
MI: Film growth in Michigan?
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Few of the films produced in Michigan during the past two years under generous state incentives cast the lead actors here, but Michigan talent agency veteran Margery Krevsky hopes to change that.
"
MI: General Dynamics Land Systems gets $134 million combat vehicle contract
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Sterling Heights-based General Dynamics Land Systems has received a $134 million contract for design-engineering work and refits on up to 550 Stryker eight-wheeled combat vehicles deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan, the company announced this week.
"
MI: Michigan unemployment benefits extended by two months
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The latest extension is the fourth since the recession began, which means some unemployed workers in the state could qualify for up to 99 weeks of benefits: 26 weeks from the state, 53 weeks under the Emergency Unemployment Compensation, and 20 weeks of extended benefits.
"
MI: Forget snowstorms -- Solar explosion predicted for Michigan in 2010
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Michigan Solar Solutions, an alternative energy company in Commerce Township, is predicting an explosion in the solar industry in Michigan for 2010.
"
MI: Gov. Jennifer Granholm -- School, tax reform would mean 'some pain all the way around
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Gov. Jennifer Granholm says while she is willing to help craft a "grand bargain" on school finance and business tax reforms in the coming year, it will require compromise not much evident in the state budget struggles.
"
MI: Corrections officials -- Michigan will make money on Pennsylvania inmate transfer
From: feeds.stateline.org
"MUSKEGON, Mich. -- No, the state of Michigan will not be losing money on its deal to house Pennsylvania inmates at Muskegon Correctional Facility, prison officials say.
"
MI: 3 state worker groups sign off on concessions
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Gov. Jennifer Granholm's office says three groups of state workers have ratified concessions that are part of a $50 million cost-saving plan.
"
MI: Online sales cut into Michigan revenue
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Online sales from companies not based in Michigan continue to bite into the potential tax money that Michigan could be getting from retail sales.
"
MI: Michigan governor's legacy a mixed bag
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm has dealt with a short-lived government shutdown, the bankruptcy of two of the state's iconic businesses and a recall attempt, all in the last year.
"
MI: Michigan's winter tourism jumps obstacles
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Michigan ski slopes, snowmobile dealers and snow sports stores are reporting strong traffic and sales.
"
MI: Michigan wants to fill more prisons
From: feeds.stateline.org
"DETROIT -- Michigan is still looking for federal or out-of-state inmates to fill a pair of recently shuttered prisons after reaching a deal with Pennsylvania to house 1,000 of that state's prisoners, an official said Tuesday.
"
MI: Michigan's population drops below 10M
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Economic woes continued to force thousands of Michiganians to leave the state, leading the overall population to drop below 10 million for the first time since 2000, according to population estimates released Wednesday morning by the U.S. Census Bureau.
"
MI: Granholm says she'll lead campaign for tax changes
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Gov. Jennifer Granholm said Tuesday she would lead a campaign next year to revise Michigan's taxes, but only if business leaders and the Legislature agree on a plan.
"
MI: Plan for wind energy farm on Lake Michigan has neighbors howling
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A proposal to construct a massive wind turbine farm, capable of producing 1,000 megawatts of power, over 100 square miles of Lake Michigan, a few miles offshore from Pentwater and Ludington, has many residents howling.
"
MI: Michigan one of three states to lose residents
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Michigan lost population for the fourth year in a row, one of three states to lose residents, according to estimates released early this morning in the run-up to the 2010 U.S. census.
"
MN: Minn. gets $1.7 million for broadband initiatives
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Minnesota is getting $1.7 million from the federal stimulus to map broadband Internet access and plan for service improvements.
"
MN: Indigent burials, and cost to public, on rise
From: feeds.stateline.org
"MINNEAPOLIS -- It's a grim but necessary county job that, unlike building roads or jailing bad guys, usually escapes notice -- burying the dead when no one else can.
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MN: Minnesota leads Midwest in a hot trend -- cremation
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Just as there are blue states and red states, there are burn states and bury states.
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MN: City's hard lesson -- Even a $1 price tag won't sell these houses
From: feeds.stateline.org
"When you can't sell a home that you've priced at $1, what's your next step? Cut the price to 50 cents? Try paying someone to take the house for a buck?
"
MN: A foot of snow for Christmas? Bah humbug
From: feeds.stateline.org
"MINNEAPOLIS -- Like that one uncle, a huge winter storm could arrive just in time for Christmas and then overstay its welcome.
"
MO: New law gives reprieve on car inspections
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The state of Missouri is trusting more people to take care of their cars in 2010.
"
MO: Grant to be used for rural health, long-term care
From: feeds.stateline.org
"BOLIVAR, Mo. -- The Missouri Foundation for Health has awarded more than $700,000 in grants to seven Springfield-area nonprofits.
"
MO: Missouri judge orders new election on unionizing in-home care providers
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A Missouri judge has ordered a new election for in-home care providers who are seeking to gain union bargaining rights.
"
MS: Perks of Miss. city jobs are among the best
From: feeds.stateline.org
"COLUMBUS, Miss. -- Mississippi municipal employees' salaries comparatively may be low, but their benefits packages largely are among the best offered, say officials at The John C. Stennis Institute of Government.
"
MS: Ishee, Brown butt heads about proposed route for Miss. 15
From: feeds.stateline.org
"GULFPORT, Miss. — State Rep. Roger Ishee said Southern District Transportation Commissioner Wayne Brown is supporting an illegal plan to run the new Mississippi 15 through Jackson County instead of Harrison County.
"
MS: State rebuilding fishing reefs
From: feeds.stateline.org
"When the former menhaden fishing vessel the Great Wicomico settled to the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico last month 13 miles south of Horn Island, it became part of an effort to rebuild Mississippi's artificial reefs devastated during Hurricane Katrina.
"
MS: Mixed reviews on vote in Miss.
From: feeds.stateline.org
"To some Mississippi leaders, the U.S. Senate's vote to pass a historic health reform bill will bloat government while raising health care costs and taxes.
"
MS: Holiday helper -- Swine flu shots available to all
From: feeds.stateline.org
"TUPELO, Miss. -- Swine flu shots will protect you through the rest of the winter, and they're free at county health departments.
"
MS: Bid to charge for reserved Grove spots draws mixed response
From: feeds.stateline.org
"OXFORD, Miss. – Depending on who's talking, a proposal to reserve tailgating spaces at the University of Mississippi is either a tax on a sacred rite or a welcome solution to an ongoing problem.
"
MS: AG warns about e-mail scam
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood is warning people about what he says is an e-mail scam seeking sensitive information.
"
MS: Grant funds Miss. jobs program for mentally disabled
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Hudspeth Regional Center, a residential facility for the mentally disabled, has received a $79,550 grant to help secure jobs for residents with severe disabilities.
"
MT: HUD renews funds for homeless
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development this week announced it is renewing grant funding to keep 19 local homeless-assistance programs in Montana operating.
"
MT: $14M deal would create state park
From: feeds.stateline.org
"SUPERIOR, Mont. — A massive land deal south of Alberton could produce Montana's second-largest state park.
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MT: Smurfit-Stone workers meet with Schweitzer, state labor leaders
From: feeds.stateline.org
"How will Smurfit-Stone Container Corp. workers get help if the Missoula Job Service and the College of Technology are already overextended with the jobless clients they're already serving?
"
MT: Schweitzer meets with laid-off Smurfit-Stone workers
From: feeds.stateline.org
"MISSOULA, Mont. - About 40 Smurfit-Stone Container Corp. workers met with Gov. Brian Schweitzer and state labor officials to discuss the workers' prospects when the mill closes at the end of the month.
"
MT: Schweitzer cancels renovation of Montana State Hospital building to save $4.5M
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Gov. Brian Schweitzer on Tuesday announced the state would halt the planned renovation of the receiving hospital on the Montana State Hospital campus at Warm Springs, a move that will save $4.5 million.
"
NC: Advisers scour state for savings
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Gov. Bev Perdue, faced with the deepest budget crisis in decades when she took office, assembled a group of outside experts and asked them to put North Carolina state government under a microscope and to report back how it could be improved - and how money could be saved.
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NC: Easley's ear bent by developers
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Records and interviews show that during the coastal land rush several years ago, Easley created a program to grant permits much more quickly than normal at relatively little extra cost to developers.
"
NC: State's population growth slows
From: feeds.stateline.org
"North Carolina's population growth slowed in the year ending July 1, hurting the state's chances of gaining another congressional seat after the 2010 Census.
"
NC: Fiscal problems derail governor's plans in 2009
From: feeds.stateline.org
"When Gov. Bev Perdue was asked whether her plans for her first year in office had been "derailed" by fiscal crises, she objected to the term but acknowledged 2009 had not gone according to script.
"
NC: Sweepstakes stay ahead of the game
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Across the state, sweepstakes parlors offer the chance to win cash on the spin of the slots or a hand of video poker. But video gambling is banned in North Carolina, a fact upheld by the N.C. Court of Appeals on Tuesday.
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NC: AAA -- Fewer North Carolinians travel for holidays
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Holiday travel will decline in North Carolina during the upcoming holiday season as a rise in gas prices and high unemployment force many people to celebrate at home.
"
NC: State -- Bridges pose no threat, won't be overhauled
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The state said Tuesday that the Beltline bridge where two men have plunged accidentally to their deaths is not inherently dangerous, and it will not make sweeping changes in such bridges across North Carolina.
"
NC: Perdue eager for 2010
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Having survived a year dominated by the fiscal crisis, North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue said Tuesday that she hopes to focus more intently in 2010 on her signature issues of jobs and education.
"
NC: No-bid deals draw criticism
From: feeds.stateline.org
"State officials say the motivation behind a no-bid contract to provide diabetes supplies for people on Medicaid was the need to cut costs in difficult budget times.
"
ND: Fargo hospitals support North Dakota funding provision
From: feeds.stateline.org
"MeritCare and Innovis health officials in Fargo said Tuesday that they support a provision in the U.S. Senate's health care reform bill that would mean millions in additional funding for North Dakota providers.
"
ND: Fargo hospitals announce support for health care bill
From: feeds.stateline.org
"FARGO, N.D. -- MeritCare and Innovis health officials said Tuesday they support a provision in the Senate's health care reform bill that would mean millions in additional funding for North Dakota providers.
"
ND: Fewer Christmas trees in ND
From: feeds.stateline.org
"GRAND FORKS, N.D. -- North Dakota is harvesting fewer Christmas trees, in part because more consumers apparently are switching to artificial trees.
"
NE: Survey shows success of Nebraska hunting program
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A survey of hunters shows 32 percent of the total Nebraska pheasant harvest during the 2008-09 season took place on Conservation Reserve Program-Management Access Program lands.
"
NE: Who do you want protecting the Niobrara? State or feds?
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Those who oppose an instream flow water right for Nebraska's most scenic river probably see the state Game and Parks Commission as the enemy.
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NE: ICE official has been on both sides of immigration fence
From: feeds.stateline.org
"As he steps down, Heinauer supervises a staff of about 600 at the Office of Citizenship and Immigration Services in Lincoln, one of four of its kind in the U.S.
"
NE: Community Development Block Grant funds awarded
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The Nebraska Department of Economic Development has awarded more than $156,000 in Community Development Block Grant funding to help seven communities with ongoing planning efforts.
"
NE: Nebraska homeless assistance programs net nearly $3.3M
From: feeds.stateline.org
"WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is awarding nearly $3.3 million in grants to programs in Nebraska that help the homeless.
"
NE: Nebraska moving past bovine tuberculosis scare
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The latest facts on Nebraska's first brush with bovine tuberculosis in 17 years took a much more reassuring turn Tuesday.
"
NH: Court to hear case against city tax cap
From: feeds.stateline.org
"MANCHESTER, N.H. – The state Supreme Court has agreed to hear arguments over Manchester's newly approved tax cap in a case that could have implications far beyond the Queen City.
"
NH: Towns seek $44m stimulus grant for road rehabilitation
From: feeds.stateline.org
"BERLIN, N.H. – With its worn, cracked pavement and carnival ride ups and downs, Hutchins Street is illustrative of miles and miles of roads throughout the North Country.
"
NH: Search for mortgage firm's assets -- 'That really stinks'
From: feeds.stateline.org
"MANCHESTER, N.H. – Dozens of civil suits filed against bankrupt Financial Resources Mortgage Inc. and CL&M Inc. of Meredith have been frozen by U.S. Bankruptcy Court, including attachments against properties, bank accounts and trusts.
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NH: Cicilline asks delegation to reject governor's local aid cuts
From: feeds.stateline.org
"With the city looking at a potential loss of $22 million, Mayor David N. Cicilline on Monday urged the city's legislators to reject Governor Carcieri's plan to reduce the state deficit by cutting local aid.
"
NH: NH getting $300,000 grant for geothermal project
From: feeds.stateline.org
"New Hampshire Geological Survey officials say the state is in line for a $197,665 federal grant to help create a geothermal resource data system.
"
NH: Firm had history of problems
From: feeds.stateline.org
"State investigators for years found repeated problems with Financial Resources Mortgage, a Lakes Region company whose owner is alleged to have defrauded investors of millions of dollars, according to documents released yesterday by the New Hampshire Banking Department.
"
NJ: Audit questions scope of pension fund fees
From: feeds.stateline.org
"New Jersey's pension funds spent $166 million on Wall Street fees and commissions during the last fiscal year, including $5 million it didn't need to pay, according to a new state audit.
"
NJ: In a tough economy, education and hard work don't always guarantee success
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Teal Nola-Jae Washington is 7 months old, and her parents are brimming with dreams for her.
"
NJ: N.J. lawmakers target unsolicited text message ads
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A pair of lawmakers are hoping to stop unsolicited text message advertisements from being sent to state residents by sponsoring legislation to heavily fine violators.
"
NJ: Incoming NJ Gov. Chris Christie planning to slash spending up to 25 percent
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Governor-elect Chris Christie and his transition aides are compiling plans to slash New Jersey state spending and state programs by as much as 25 percent in response to the continuous flow of dim financial news from the New Jersey Treasury Department, according to an internal document obtained by The State House Bureau.
"
NJ: Habitat loss threatens wild quail
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Coveys of quail were once more common than the dogs and hunters who pursued them through the brushy fields of New Jersey.
"
NJ: Corzine restores state aid to towns
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Gov. Jon Corzine unveiled his final spending cuts yesterday and Gov.-elect Chris Christie warned the state could run out of money by March unless even more programs and services disappear.
"
NJ: N.J. Gov. Corzine unveils $839M in cuts to help close budget gap
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Governor Corzine Tuesday detailed $839 million in cuts and savings to help the state close a budget gap of nearly $1 billion.
"
NJ: N.J. to get disaster aid for November storm damage
From: feeds.stateline.org
"President Barack Obama has issued a disaster declaration and ordered federal aid to help repair damage in New Jersey shore communities affected by the November nor'easter.
"
NM: Lawmaker wants quicker action on fraud cases
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Attorney General Gary King has yet to act on nearly 100 cases filed under the state's Fraud Against Taxpayers Act — and that could discourage potential whistleblowers from coming forward, the legislative sponsor of the law says.
"
NM: Empty Stocking Fund -- Disabled woman needs help paying back rent
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Jocelyn, 53, has been working out a deal with her landlord after falling behind on her rent.
"
NM: Sides gear up for state budget fight
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The wealthiest New Mexicans have benefited the most from recent state tax changes, according to a study providing ammunition for those advocating higher income taxes to solve a budget shortfall.
"
NM: Furloughs to shut museums, state offices
From: feeds.stateline.org
"State-run museums and monuments will be among facilities that will be closed Thursday as thousands of state employees take the first in a series of unpaid, one-day furloughs ordered by Gov. Bill Richardson.
"
NM: Hospital eases state officials' concerns about care
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The state secretaries of Health and Human Services are apparently satisfied with Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center's response to a letter they wrote the hospital, requesting clarification of certain hospital polices including end-of-life care and women's reproductive health services.
"
NM: Officials warn about holiday borrowing
From: feeds.stateline.org
""Don't let a payday loan company be your Santa Claus." That was the basic message Tuesday from Lt. Gov. Diane Denish and Attorney General Gary King.
"
NM: New law bans disclosure of pension amounts
From: feeds.stateline.org
"At a time when double dipping has invited extra scrutiny in New Mexico, a new state law bans disclosing to the public the pension amounts for tens of thousands of public-sector retirees.
"
NM: Furlough fallout hits small businesses
From: feeds.stateline.org
"New Mexico's 35 state parks will be closed Thursday while most of the state's 20,000 employees are furloughed for the day because of budget shortfalls.
"
NV: Great timing or it's about time?
From: feeds.stateline.org
"When Rory Reid proposed a series of ethics reforms last week, his timing seemed impeccable.
"
NV: Nevada probes allegations of shoddy work on I-580 bridge
From: feeds.stateline.org
"RENO, Nev. — State transportation officials are investigating claims by a construction worker who says a new highway bridge south of Reno is unsafe because he was ordered to use substandard concrete to save money building it.
"
NV: Brothel owner plans to hire men to service women
From: feeds.stateline.org
"In as little as three weeks, the Shady Lady Ranch brothel plans to launch a live-action sociology experiment that could open a whole new market for the state's legal bordellos or destroy the industry altogether.
"
NV: Urban planner -- Dreams for Nevada rest on waking change
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Futurists are always the first to tell you anything can happen.
"
NV: Lawsuit seeks to block convention smoking
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The American Cancer Society is suing the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, seeking to invalidate a newly enacted state law allowing smoking at some trade shows.
"
NV: Casino industry -- Outlook -- Unfavorable
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The impact the recession had on the casino industry in 2009 has not been completely accounted for, but by all measures the year will go down as the worst on record.
"
NV: Politicians join in opposition of Northern Nevada landfill
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Two politicians of different stripes have joined in an effort to stop a plan to bury an average of 4,000 tons of California's garbage a day in Northern Nevada.
"
NV: Not a cure-all, but stimulus money helped Nevada
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The federal stimulus may not have created many jobs in Nevada, but it did keep tens of thousands of people from sliding into poverty, according to a new study.
"
NY: The recession begins flooding into the courts
From: feeds.stateline.org
"New York State's courts are closing the year with 4.7 million cases — the highest tally ever — and new statistics suggest that courtrooms are now seeing the delayed result of the country's economic collapse.
"
NY: Local doctors, patients look behind new women's health guidelines
From: feeds.stateline.org
"When two unrelated health panels recently announced new guidelines for mammograms and Pap tests, the recommendations became associated as much with economics, emotion and uncertainty as they did with care.
"
NY: Demolition day arrives for Vt.-NY bridge
From: feeds.stateline.org
"CROWN POINT, N.Y. -- The day of reckoning -- and wrecking -- has arrived for the Champlain Bridge.
"
NY: Fewer leave the state, pushing up population
From: feeds.stateline.org
"New York State's population grew faster in 2009 than in any year since 2001, helped by a slowdown in the number of people who moved out of the state, estimates from the Census Bureau show.
"
NY: States settle with plant polluting region's air
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Air quality in the New York tri-state region stands to benefit from a court settlement requiring Duke Energy, one of the nation's largest electric power companies, to drastically cut sulfur dioxide emissions from a coal-fired plant in Indiana, state and federal officials said Tuesday.
"
NY: Sick state of Medicaid fraud
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli scolded state health officials yesterday for failing to prevent Medicaid fraud while he released audits exposing another $92 million in sham payments by the health-insurance program for the poor.
"
NY: Health care reform may benefit New York
From: feeds.stateline.org
"WASHINGTON — The health care reform bill the Senate is poised to approve Thursday includes a provision to make sure New York counties get $300 million to $400 million in federal stimulus money for Medicaid through the end of next year. It's one of several provisions specific to New York.
"
NY: Surge in housing sales -- Will it last?
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The federal tax credit for first-time buyers sparked a rush to buy homes in November, boosting property sales across the Capital Region.
"
NY: Group blasts misuse of state environmental fund
From: feeds.stateline.org
"An environmental group has issued a report bashing the state's handling of the Environmental Protection Fund, claiming too much of the fund has been used to pay the state's bills and not to help the environment.
"
NY: Robutrad -- Robert Morone admits he defrauded taxpayers
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The future for Robert Morone, the key figure in the Robutrad Corp. scandal, now depends on how much help he can give authorities in the ongoing investigation into trades workers who defrauded county taxpayers.
"
NY: Cold weather slows bridge demolition
From: feeds.stateline.org
"CROWN POINT, N.Y. -- Cold winter weather has slowed preparations to demolish the decrepit Lake Champlain Bridge, which is now scheduled to be dropped into the lake on Monday.
"
OH: Strickland defends policy reversals as strong leadership
From: feeds.stateline.org
"With his third year in office marred by one budget crisis after another, Gov. Ted Strickland did very public about-faces on closely held positions on gambling and taxes, potentially arming his 2010 opposition with ammunition.
"
OH: OH Senate leader behind May proposal for tech jobs
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Ohio's Senate president now says he's willing to work toward a May ballot issue to renew a technology jobs program, erasing a point of disagreement between Republicans and Democrats over the job-creating program's future.
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OH: Unproductive '09 for Ohio lawmakers
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Legislatively, 2009 has been one of the least productive years in at least a decade at the Ohio Statehouse.
"
OH: Bigger budget problems loom
From: feeds.stateline.org
"It took Ohio lawmakers more than two months of grueling debate to figure out how to deal with an $851 million budget shortfall. Some wonder what will happen in 18 months, when the deficit is a few billion dollars or more.
"
OH: Stimulus program for youth in limbo
From: feeds.stateline.org
"More than 2,100 jobs that Ohio reported creating with federal stimulus money are already gone. That's the number of summer jobs the state's 20 work-force investment agencies reported creating for young people this year using about $39.4 million in stimulus money.
"
OH: National, Ohio home sales surge in November, boosted by home buyer tax credit
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Home sales surged in Ohio and across the country in November, as first-time buyers rushed to take advantage of a tax credit that had been scheduled to expire at the end of the month.
"
OH: American Greetings will outsource its party goods business, cut about 237 jobs
From: feeds.stateline.org
"BROOKLYN, Ohio -- Eight months after selling off all of its retail stores, American Greetings Corp. has reached a deal to buy all of its party goods from Amscan Inc. of Elmsford, N.Y.
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OH: Tax in health care bill could put Invacare jobs at stake
From: feeds.stateline.org
"WASHINGTON -- A new tax on medical device manufacturers in the U.S. Senate's health insurance reform bill may force Elyria-based Invacare Corp., which employs 1,300 people in Northeast Ohio, to shift jobs to China or Mexico to remain in business.
"
OH: Non-profit utility in rural Ohio gets stimulus money for high-speed Internet
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A non-profit utility in rural Ohio is among the first to get federal stimulus money to bring high-speed Internet access to areas without it.
"
OH: Strickland signs bill to fill gap in budget
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Gov. Ted Strickland made it official yesterday, signing a bill that fills an $851 million budget shortfall by delaying this year's 4.2 percent income-tax cut.
"
OH: Bill would shine light on campaign cash
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The next time a casino operator or any other special interest shells out big bucks for a campaign, Sen. Jon Husted wants to make sure voters know who's getting the money.
"
OH: $2.4 million grant to give rural area broadband access
From: feeds.stateline.org
"WASHINGTON -- A Mount Gilead-based electricity cooperative has received an early Christmas present from the federal government in the form of a $2.4 million grant and loan package that will help extend broadband access to parts of rural central Ohio.
"
OK: Agencies embrace furloughs
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Six state agencies have furlough plans approved by the Office of Personnel Management to deal with declining state revenues.
"
OK: Oklahoma legislators, governor seek new budget deal
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Legislative leaders and the governor hope by the middle of next month to reach an agreement on how to handle this fiscal year's critical revenue shortfall.
"
OK: Oklahoma agency funding drops but demand stays up
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A decrease in state revenue collections means state agencies will have to meet increasing needs for services with fewer funds.
"
OK: Oklahoma anti-smoking proposal expected next session
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Lawmakers who want public smoking banned will try again next year to rid bars and other smoky spaces of tobacco use.
"
OK: State survives legal challenges
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The state's poultry-industry lawsuit survived a series of procedural challenges Tuesday as trial testimony wrapped up for the holiday-shortened week.
"
OK: Thousands of teacher bonuses in doubt
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Nearly 2,600 Oklahoma teachers who obtained national board certification may not get the $5,000 bonus they were promised, State Superintendent Sandy Garrett said Tuesday.
"
OK: Gov. Henry says cuts could continue through next year
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Deeper cuts in state allocations to agencies could continue through the rest of this fiscal year if Oklahoma's steep economic downturn continues, Gov. Brad Henry warned Tuesday.
"
OK: Board clears way to tap state's 'rainy day' fund
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The State Board of Equalization on Tuesday declared a revenue failure for the current fiscal year, paving the way for the state's "rainy day" fund to be tapped.
"
OR: Dudley -- jobs key issue in Ore. race
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Chris Dudley is known to many Oregonians as a former NBA player. But as a Republican candidate for governor, he's still largely an unknown quantity.
"
OR: Oregon 2009 -- Bleak, murderous, sad ... some relief
From: feeds.stateline.org
"It was a bleak news year in Oregon. The jobless rate was persistently one of the worst in the nation. Bankruptcies and foreclosures rose as a result, and few thought the economy would improve soon or quickly.
"
OR: Oregon health care on life line
From: feeds.stateline.org
"PORTLAND -- Of the $1.27 billion Oregon is getting in federal stimulus money for health and human services, most of it — $833 million — is going to people whose medical benefits are paid by the Oregon Health Plan.
"
OR: Another Oregon gold rush? Some miners say high prices, unemployment could lure prospectors
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Some veteran Oregon miners expect soaring precious metals prices and high unemployment to trigger a gold rush next summer in eastern Oregon.
"
OR: Tax measures aim at the top
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Oregon is home to 400,000 businesses, from the smallest of mom and pops to the world's biggest makers of microchips and athletic shoes. And under next month's Ballot Measure 67, most of those 400,000 businesses would not pay a penny more in taxes, while a quarter would see their taxes increase by $150.
"
OR: Russian owner of Oregon Steel gets huge loan
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Evraz Group North America, which owns Oregon Steel, has secured $225 million in financing from a bank syndicate.
"
PA: Audit shows Legislature has reserve of $201 million
From: feeds.stateline.org
"If state legislators need to find some funds to balance next year's budget, they could look to a $201 million kitty of their own.
"
PA: High state court backs mercury pollution ruling
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Pennsylvania's highest court is upholding a decision to throw out a state rule that required coal-fired power plants to cut mercury emissions beyond federal standards.
"
PA: Orie's staff to be summoned before grand jury
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Investigators with the Allegheny County district attorney's office questioned an aide to state Sen. Jane Clare Orie, R-McCandless, for eight hours, according to her attorney, who says he expects the senator's staff members to be summoned before a grand jury investigating her.
"
PA: Rendell -- Might have to close Pa. museum, parks
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Gov. Rendell yesterday upped the ante in his bid to balance the state budget, saying that without a table-games bill he would have to close the State Museum of Pennsylvania and some state parks in addition to laying off at least 1,000 more government employees.
"
PA: Ex-aide testifies of 'cover story'
From: feeds.stateline.org
"House Majority Leader Todd Eachus directed campaign activities by legislative employees and raised campaign funds from inside the Capitol, according to witness testimony in transcripts obtained by The Associated Press.
"
PA: Rendell fires back at Republican criticism of budget handling
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Gov. Ed Rendell said today he's not holding state employees hostage to win approval of table games at casinos, saying his only alternatives are slashing positions and cutting programs to plug a $200 million hole in the state budget.
"
PA: State parks on chopping block
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The closure of state parks is inevitable if lawmakers fail to reach agreement on legalizing table games at casinos to produce $250 million in tax revenue needed to close the state budget, Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell said Tuesday.
"
PA: Open records law adds costs, puts strain on staffers
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The five-page right-to-know law request that arrived in March at the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare was so broad that officials worried how much it would cost to fulfill it.
"
RI: 2009 politics in R.I. -- Hard times and protest
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The race for governor percolated. The Assembly, consumed with the state's unrelenting budget problems, droned to an end in October. And as the state GOP struggled with its identity, citizen unrest produced the stirrings of a new political party, an independent candidate with a famous last name, and demonstrations at the State House by swarms of protesters "mad as hell."
"
RI: For the state's economy and it job seekers, 2009 is a year to forget
From: feeds.stateline.org
"In a year when the state's economy continued to contract, sinking deeper into its worst slump since the Great Depression, when more than 16,000 jobs evaporated, when housing values continued to slip and paychecks shrank, few Rhode Islanders escaped unscathed.
"
RI: R.I. house sales up, prices rise for 1st time in three years
From: feeds.stateline.org
"November saw a dramatic increase in the number of houses sold in Rhode Island — up 61.1 percent compared with November 2008, according to statistics compiled by the Rhode Island Association of Realtors.
"
RI: R.I. lawmakers discuss proposed cuts to education aid
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Everyone agreed that these are "extraordinary times" for public school funding in Rhode Island. But no one had any solutions.
"
RI: Chevron affiliate to build 4 wind turbines in Narragansett
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A clean-energy developer related to the Chevron oil and gas company will install and operate up to four wind turbines on public land in coastal Narragansett. It would be the first large renewable-energy project that uses state-owned property in Rhode Island.
"
SC: SC environmental group fights permit for nuke dump
From: feeds.stateline.org
"South Carolina environmentalists hope a court will force a nuclear waste dump in Barnwell County to bury its garbage differently.
"
SC: SC Highway Patrol rewarding drivers, passengers for wearing seat belts
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The cows want you to eat more chicken — and so do the police in some parts of South Carolina. At least that's the enticement they're using during the holidays to encourage drivers to use their seat belts.
"
SC: Boeing buys last piece of Charleston complex
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Boeing said this morning it has taken full control of the 787 Dreamliner midfuselage plant in North Charleston, by buying the 50 percent stake of its Italian supplier Alenia.
"
SD: South Dakota sees drop in millionaires
From: feeds.stateline.org
"MITCHELL, S.D. -- South Dakota has seen a decline in its number of millionaires since 2007, and an economics professor said the events that followed the ethanol boom from 2005 to 2007 could be a reason why.
"
SD: Storm's approach prompts SD emergency plans
From: feeds.stateline.org
"South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds has declared a state of emergency and announced plans as the state prepares for a major winter storm.
"
SD: Rounds stresses safe travel before blizzard
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Rounds and two of his cabinet secretaries flew to Sioux Falls on Tuesday to issue the warning that a powerful winter storm could bring 8 to 16 inches of snow across the state.
"
SD: S.D. would see effect of reform
From: feeds.stateline.org
"WASHINGTON -- A Senate health care bill headed for an expected Christmas Eve passage has several provisions that affect South Dakota, including one that would end Medicare reimbursments to physician-owned hospitals.
"
TN: TN gets $1.8M stimulus for broadband mapping, planning
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The money will go to Connected Tennessee, the organization that helps accelerate the availability of broadband in the state.
"
TN: Country singers stump for Wamp
From: feeds.stateline.org
"U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp, R-Tenn., is looking to a group of Tennessee residents not usually associated with politics to help him in his campaign for governor: Country singers.
"
TN: Tennessee road projects delayed after federal funds rescinded
From: feeds.stateline.org
"When the $787 billion federal stimulus passed earlier this year, it was supposed to be a boon for state road projects.
"
TN: Wineries say TN law discourages shipping
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Want to mail order a special bottle of Chardonnay for that holiday toast? It might be a little harder than you think, despite a new law that lets wineries send bottles directly to Tennessee residents' doors.
"
TN: Deadline brings rush of lawsuits in TVA ash spill
From: feeds.stateline.org
"CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Hundreds of people sued the Tennessee Valley Authority for damages before a one-year deadline to file personal injury claims related to the utility's huge coal ash spill at Kingston.
"
TN: Tennessee to appeal guns-in-bars ruling
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The state attorney general's office said it would appeal a recent court ruling that prevents licensed handgun owners from taking their weapons into restaurants that serve alcohol.
"
TX: Finger-pointing grows on state education board
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A simmering feud on the State Board of Education has spun off a new round of conflict-of-interest questions, this time regarding senior member Geraldine "Tincy" Miller, R-Dallas, from two colleagues who doubt she can stay clear of $1.2 billion the board plans to invest in real estate projects.
"
TX: State auditor reviewing Texas food stamp system
From: feeds.stateline.org
"State auditor John Keel said today he is reviewing the state's troubled food stamp application system after being asked to do so by Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Tom Suehs.
"
TX: Legislative, regulatory issues, price collapse color energy industry's year
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Legislative and regulatory moves on the federal, state and even local level surrounded the oil and gas industry as 2009 began.
"
TX: Sibling squabbles
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Four Texas teachers groups fight about almost everything — except their priorities.
"
US: Metro areas get chunk of rural stimulus aid
From: feeds.stateline.org
"WASHINGTON — More than $2.7 billion of stimulus aid for struggling parts of rural America has gone to the nation's biggest metropolitan areas.
"
US: Recession slows population rise across Sun Belt
From: feeds.stateline.org
"MIAMI — States in the South and the West that grew by exceptional leaps and bounds during the real estate boom of just a few years ago are now experiencing sharply slower growth in population, the Census Bureau said Wednesday.
"
US: Census reports slow growth in states
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Population growth nearly ground to a halt this year in many longtime boom states, a sign the recession has taken a toll on the migration habits of Americans.
"
US: U.S. states look abroad for debt buyers
From: feeds.stateline.org
"U.S. state governments, seeking to expand the pool of potential lenders as their borrowing balloons, are beginning to look offshore.
"
US: Tax credit gives a lift to housing
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Data released on Tuesday indicated that the economic recovery, while still uneven, has carried into the end of the year, and analysts expect it to gain strength, a view seconded by investors.
"
UT: Billboard law comes under fire
From: feeds.stateline.org
"PROVO, Utah — A Utah law that favors billboard companies when they have to relocate signs during freeway construction has drawn complaints from local officials.
"
UT: Legislature putting a lid on out-of-state trips
From: feeds.stateline.org
"When the National Conference of State Legislatures held its fall forum in San Diego this month, it was missing much of its usual Utah contingent.
"
UT: State eager for more minority foster families
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Ask "Ann" what she likes best about her new family and she doesn't hesitate at all.
"
UT: Century's first decade changed face of Utah
From: feeds.stateline.org
"First they changed the name but kept the sign.
"
UT: $4 million in federal grants may help reclaim abandoned Utah mines
From: feeds.stateline.org
"The Interior Department announced Tuesday that is has $4.2 million in grant money available to Utah to help restore abandoned coal mines, and another $6.5 million available for the Navajo Nation of Utah, Arizona and New Mexico.
"
UT: Utah cops pension benefits extended to some in desk jobs
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A generous retirement benefit paid to law enforcement officers for putting their lives at risk is also being paid toward the pensions of several dozen administrative and even warehouse workers who shouldn't qualify for the benefit, a legislative audit has found.
"
UT: Shurtleff's book brings big charity donation
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Over a five-day period, half a dozen bidders skirmished on eBay to purchase copy #10 of a limited edition of Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff's first novel.
"
UT: More bad luck for Utah's poorest
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Starting at the first of next year, poor, disabled Utahns will no longer be able to apply for a small state stipend to help pay their rent and afford medication, a change that advocates say guarantees those in need will end up on the streets.
"
UT: Utahns, like many other Westerners staying home for holidays
From: feeds.stateline.org
"WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah — About every other Christmas, Mike Byczkowski and his family visit relatives in New Jersey or North Carolina.
"
UT: Where are the cheapest gas prices in Utah? Depends on the day
From: feeds.stateline.org
"With hundreds of Utahns hitting the roads this week for holiday travel, many will be asking the same question: Where's the cheapest gas?
"
VA: Va. farmers lament cut in coyote program
From: feeds.stateline.org
"PULASKI. Va. — Gov. Timoth M. Kaine's decision to cut $120,000 from a program to help farmers deal with nuisance coyotes could be felt by the 200 farms it assists annually.
"
VA: Va. local governments face budget woes
From: feeds.stateline.org
"County and municipal governments across Virginia are facing the grim prospect that 2010 might not be much better than 2009.
"
VA: 2009 was a tough year for job losses in the region
From: feeds.stateline.org
"HAMPTON ROADS, Va. -- The bad news of 2009 began and ended in downtown Norfolk.
"
VA: Eustis-Langley merger to save cash long term, officials say
From: feeds.stateline.org
"HAMPTON ROADS, Va. -- Two more local military bases will merge into one next month as part of a national effort to run installations more efficiently. But don't expect any big changes right off the bat, officials at Langley Air Force Base and Fort Eustis said.
"
VA: FBI deluged by fraud cases from real estate bubble
From: feeds.stateline.org
"HAMPTON ROADS, Va. -- Federal agencies are seeing an explosion in mortgage-related fraud prosecutions. Virginia is top 10 in states with the highest mortgage fraud rates.
"
VA: Toothache gets relief, taxpayers get the bill
From: feeds.stateline.org
"FREDERICKSBURG, Va. -- This year, Virginia taxpayers will pay $193 million for indigent care at two state-run teaching hospitals. VCU Medical Center will receive $118 million and the University of Virginia Medical Center will get $75 million.
"
VA: Virginia holiday travel expected to stay steady
From: feeds.stateline.org
"HAMPTON ROADS, Va. -- The recession has not taken the cheer out of holiday travel in Virginia.
"
VA: Va. crime lab stretched thin coping with ruling
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Virginia's crime lab is falling further behind in conducting drug and alcohol analyses as forensic examiners spend more time in court.
"
VA: State rejects colon-scan plan
From: feeds.stateline.org
"FREDERICKSBURG, Va. -- Virginia residents who want their colonoscopies done by CT scan in a doctor's office will have to travel elsewhere for it or wait for the state to change its mind about the idea.
"
VT: Vermont town sees surprise surplus
From: feeds.stateline.org
"DORSET, Vt. — In the town of Dorset, they're facing a pleasant dilemma — how to spend a $252,000 surplus discovered by the town's auditor.
"
VT: Vermont milk prices -- Supply management plans gain momentum
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Vermont's dairy farmers have been losing money on milk all year. The global recession put a dent in demand, creating a glut in supply. The oversupply pushed down milk prices and compelled dairy farmers to sell for a loss.
"
VT: Recession had broad impact
From: feeds.stateline.org
"It is hard to recall 8,000 employees working at IBM's Essex Junction plant, the median Vermont home priced at $110,000, gasoline costing $1.50 a gallon and an unemployment rate of 2.5 percent. The good old days? You bet. January 2000.
"
VT: Local ground beef recalled
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A Williston butcher, Harrington and Sons Packing, is recalling 68 pounds of ground beef because of possible contamination with the bacteria E. coli, according to the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service and the Vermont Department of Health.
"
WA: State data center work has far-reaching effects
From: feeds.stateline.org
"A new state agency headquarters building and data center are beginning to rise from a pit just east of the Capitol, and everything about the emerging project seems large.
"
WA: Relationship of builder, residents less rocky
From: feeds.stateline.org
"About four months into the $255 million project to build a data center and a new DIS headquarters east of the Capitol, Verbon is among a handful of neighbors who say the project is turning out to be more interesting, and a better neighbor, than they had expected.
"
WA: Med school gets funds to use for new colleges
From: feeds.stateline.org
"YAKIMA, Wash. -- Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences in Yakima has received a one-time federal appropriation of $400,000 to expand offerings of its two newest colleges, the College of Allied Health Sciences and College of Post Graduate Studies.
"
WI: Net income at state credit unions down 28.5%
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Net income at Wisconsin credit unions was down about 28.5% through the first nine months of 2009 as deposit insurance premiums cut into earnings and more money was set aside to cover loans that could go bad, a new report from a regulator shows.
"
WI: Utility forecasts stronger earnings
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Wisconsin Energy Corp. said Tuesday earnings for the fourth quarter will be better than forecast, and projected that full-year earnings in 2010 will increase 15% to 20% when its new power plants begin operation.
"
WI: Health care bill deals prompt angry responses
From: feeds.stateline.org
"WASHINGTON -- Voters across the country are angry over sweet deals in the Senate health bill for a handful of Democrats who once threatened to block the legislation. Some Wisconsin residents are also wondering why their own senators failed to cut similar deals for the Badger State.
"
WV: Schools using local growers
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Star chef Jamie Oliver, who filmed his latest television show in Huntington, wants school cooks to use fresh ingredients. Some Kanawha and Cabell officials say that's not economically feasible. But Jefferson County Schools are making it work.
"
WV: Crews work to restore power to thousands in the state
From: feeds.stateline.org
"More than a week after a snowstorm took out power to more than 150,000 people around the state, several thousand still don't have electricity.
"
WV: State shows economic momentum, report finds
From: feeds.stateline.org
"An array of economic indicators suggests that West Virginia is entering 2010 better positioned than nearly all other states to weather the recession.
"
WV: State still struggling with power outages
From: feeds.stateline.org
"It's day five without power for many state residents as repair crews continue working to restore electricity to more than 65,000 homes and businesses in southern West Virginia.
"
WV: PSC rejects proposed sale of Dominion Hope
From: feeds.stateline.org
"West Virginia has rejected the sale of natural gas utility Dominion Hope to a San Francisco investment company.
"
WV: State takes action in Turnpike snowstorm
From: feeds.stateline.org
"State officials said Tuesday they are taking steps to avoid a repeat of a "perfect storm" of circumstances that left hundreds of travelers stranded on the West Virginia Turnpike and other state highways in last weekend's snowstorm.
"
WV: W.Va. to get $50 million in AML funds
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., announced Tuesday that the U.S. Office of Surface Mining is sending nearly $50 million in Abandoned Mine Land funds to West Virginia this fiscal year.
"
WY: Fewer docs practice full-time in Wyo
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Wyoming granted a record number of medical licences in 2009, but fewer newly licensed doctors are setting up full-time practices in the state, newly released figures show.
"
WY: Wyoming unemployment rate drops slightly, job losses continue
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Wyoming's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell from 7.4% in October to 7.2% in November, according to a report from the Research & Planning Section of the Wyoming Department of Employment.
"
WY: Wyo legislature not so "tech savvy" after all
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Bringing the Wyoming legislature's diverse 90 members into the computer age has been a process full of fits and starts, say those who have watched the process over the past few years.
"
WY: Work underway on innovative environment-friendly UW building
From: feeds.stateline.org
"LARAMIE, Wy. -–Construction is under way on a building that will be the new home of the University of Wyoming's Haub School and Ruckelshaus Institute of Environment and Natural Resources.
"
WY: Reduced state budget, but 44 new state employees included
From: feeds.stateline.org
"In a downsized budget for 2011-12 fiscal years, Gov. Dave Freudenthal is asking for 44 more state employees to be added to state government.
"
WY: Economy hits home
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Wyoming realtors sold 67 percent more homes in November than they did a year ago, thanks in part to federal tax credit, low interest rates and a comparatively stable state economy.
"
State budget gaps linger at year's end
From: feeds.stateline.org
"Over the past few months, state legislators around the country have been confronted with unfinished fiscal business tugging at them like a bad dream. Mid-year budget gaps have opened in dozens of states, brought on, in part, by overly hopeful revenue projections.
"
Weekly wrap: Governors offering dire spending plans
From: feeds.stateline.org
"On the eve of state legislative sessions, chief executives are proposing grim budgets; Las Vegas gets encouraging economic news.
"
Nightmare scenarios haunt states
From: feeds.stateline.org
"One question keeps coming up as governors and legislators grapple with a seemingly never-ending stream of gloomy budget news that keeps getting worse: How bad can it get? The answer, according to experts and a look through history, is probably that it could get worse than it has been in a generation — maybe even a lifetime — but not catastrophic.
"
Economist Mark Zandi: On stimulus, jobs, state finances, inflation and the year ahead
From: feeds.stateline.org
"
A leading economist agrees with President Obama's plea for additional money to help financially strapped state governments.
"
Visit the Stateline.org Economy & Business Page
From: feeds.stateline.org
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