AL: Advertiser Editorial -- State struggles to fund Medicaid
From: www.montgomeryadvertiser.com
"Unless Alabama finds a way to fill a gaping hole in the state's Medicaid budget, the impact could be felt by hundreds of thousands of Alabamians -- infants, the elderly and lots of people in between."
AR: Lottery Commission OKs vending machines
From: arkansasnews.com
"The Arkansas Lottery Commission on Thursday unanimously approved a plan to use vending machines to sell lottery tickets."
AR: Lawmakers question 'donut hole' in scholarship program
From: arkansasnews.com
"Appearing today before a state legislative committee, the state's higher education chief faced a barrage of questions about the existence of a "donut hole" in the new lottery scholarship program — a group of students who were denied scholarships despite meeting all qualifications."
AZ: Most Ariz. state offices closed Friday as furlough
From: azdailysun.com
"The state approved a furlough program in order to cut pay of more than 29,000 state employees to save $20 million to help balance the state budget."
AZ: Valley mortgage delinquencies drop
From: www.azcentral.com
"Valley homeowners are doing a better job keeping up with their mortgage payments, according to a new reading of credit-bureau data.
"
AZ: Shifting solar subsidies hurts contractors
From: www.azcentral.com
"Arizona utilities are spending hundreds of millions of their customers' dollars on rebates for rooftop solar-power panels. "
AZ: Goddard offers economic plan in Arizona governor's race
From: www.azcentral.com
"Attorney General and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry Goddard unveiled an "emergency" jobs-recovery plan Thursday, saying improving Arizona's economy should be the No. 1 priority for Arizona's next governor.
"
AZ: Arizona jobs forecast predicts rebound at mid-decade
From: www.azcentral.com
"Arizona has lost so many jobs in the recession that it may take another four to six years for the state to return to the job levels it reported at the beginning of 2008, economists say.
"
AZ: Las Vegas route over Hoover Dam bridge coming soon
From: www.azcentral.com
"More than five years after work began, the Hoover Dam bypass bridge is nearly complete and drivers will likely begin crossing the span in early November.
"
CA: State ethics officials launch investigation into luxury trips taken by CalPERS staff
From: www.latimes.com
"State ethics officials launched an investigation Thursday into the private jet trips and other luxury travel that the embattled public pension fund allowed its top investment staff to accept, without public disclosure, from financial firms with whom they were doing business."
CA: California bill would require more transparency in university foundation fundraisers
From: www.latimes.com
"California university foundations would have to disclose more information on fundraisers such as one headlined recently by former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin under a measure that passed the Legislature on Thursday."
CA: Professional investors move into flipping foreclosed homes
From: www.latimes.com
"Hoping there are big profits to be made in the aftermath of California's housing collapse, professional investors are flocking to the business of buying foreclosed homes at distressed prices."
CA: California furlough days worsen the pain for DMV customers
From: www.latimes.com
"Carlos Cruz left work early Thursday to rush to the Department of Motor Vehicles in Pasadena so he could pay his vehicle registration and avoid a late fee. After waiting nearly two hours in a line that barely moved under the boiling sun, he almost gave up."
CA: Panel knew casino ATMs dispensed welfare funds
From: www.sfgate.com
"Since the practice was disclosed two months ago, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's administration has repeatedly criticized the fact that a state agency under his control was allowing welfare recipients to withdraw cash benefits at casinos and other gambling establishments. "
CA: As California budget deadlock drags, state set to pay steep price
From: www.csmonitor.com
"LOS ANGELES -- With California politicians locked in a stare down over the now 50-day-late state budget, state employees and the state's fiscal standing stand to be the biggest losers."
CO: Land swap triggers Colorado dust-up
From: online.wsj.com
"DENVER—Billionaire energy magnate William Koch's 4,500-acre cattle ranch in western Colorado is split in two by a large strip of federal land — and he wants to change that."
CT: Rail Funds -- Right move on 'inland route'
From: www.courant.com
"Even in a most difficult fiscal climate, the State Bond Commission made the right call Tuesday when it voted to release $260 million to upgrade rail service on the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Line."
CT: Local school districts learn their share of jobs bill funding
From: www.ctpost.com
"State officials have decided the fairest way to dole out $110.4 million from a measure designed to help save teachers' jobs in Connecticut is by the same complicated formula used to distribute Educational Cost Sharing dollars, the chief program for state support of education."
CT: Rell wants ideas ready for next governor
From: www.nhregister.com
"Gov. M. Jodi Rell and her budget director are asking state agency heads to begin coming up with ideas for the next governor on ways to cut the looming budget deficit."
CT: Budget deficit gives urgency to changes in long-term health care
From: ctmirror.com
"Years of studies have said the state could save hundreds of millions of dollars by providing care for the elderly at home rather than in institutions."
CT: Rell official -- Tighten retirement benefits
From: ctmirror.com
"Gov. M. Jodi Rell's deputy budget director unveiled a new plan Thursday to shave $300 million off annual pension costs by boosting worker contribution rates, raising retirement ages and developing a new 401(k)-style retirement plan for new employees."
CT: UConn clinic tends to migrant workers' health
From: www.courant.com
"n 1997, when Dr. Bruce Gould and two University of Connecticut medical students discussed how they could provide free health clinics to migrant tobacco pickers across the state, they knew next to nothing about the state's migrant workers. "
CT: Connecticut towns to get $15 million for road work
From: www.courant.com
"Motorists and public works directors across the state got good news this week when state officials approved $15 million for street repairs."
CT: Pratt to lay off 129 in Cheshire
From: www.courant.com
"Pratt & Whitney today said it would cut 129 union jobs at its Cheshire jet engine repair factory."
CT: Connecticut unemployment ticks up to 8.9 percent
From: www.courant.com
"Connecticut's employers cut more jobs than they added in July, the first drop in seven months, and the unemployment rate ticked up to 8.9 percent from 8.8 percent as Census and local government layoffs overshadowed private sector growth."
DE: Delaware aims to hold on to Cigna's local jobs
From: www.delawareonline.com
"State officials are again digging into a key investment fund to offer millions in an attempt to save jobs in Delaware. Under a proposed package, health insurance giant Cigna would receive $2.4 million in Delaware Strategic Fund grants to keep offices and 470 employees in the state."
DE: Auction bids on 87,000 Delaware bricks underwhelm
From: www.delawareonline.com
"They might have made a lot of nice paperweights, or half as many souvenir nutcrackers, or more than enough water-saving fixes for every old-fashioned toilet tank in Wilmington. As it was, Delaware surplus property managers swam against the tide on Thursday and gamely called them plain old bricks while auctioning off 87,000 jumbo facing blocks left over from the New Castle County courthouse construction project."
FL: Major study says oil plume in Gulf of Mexico not going away
From: www.tampabay.com
"Scientists on Thursday reported finding a plume of oil the size of Manhattan beneath the surface of the Gulf of Mexico, a plume that's sticking around a lot longer than anyone expected and that poses a threat to marine life."
FL: Where are the jobs? Battling a slowdown in job creation
From: www.tampabay.com
"Few predicted a smooth climb toward economic recovery after the deepest recession since World War II. Still, the setbacks on the employment front this summer have left job placement experts like Dixon exasperated."
GA: National, state job pictures weaken
From: atlanta.bizjournals.com
"The nation's job market continued to contract as the newest data reveals 12,000 more people filed initial claims for unemployment last week compared with the previous week."
GA: Workplace deaths down 47% in Georgia in '09
From: atlanta.bizjournals.com
"Georgia saw a 47 percent decline in deaths in the workplace in 2009, due in part to the higher unemployment level, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries published Thursday."
GA: Georgia gets cut of stimulus funds for broadband
From: atlanta.bizjournals.com
"Georgia will receive $18 million in federal economic stimulus funds for two broadband projects as part of a $1.8 billion package announced by Vice President Joe Biden."
IA: Iowa activists seek crackdown on 'factory farm polluters'
From: qctimes.com
"Members of a citizens' action group Thursday pressured Culver administration officials to crack down on large animal confinement operations that pollute Iowa's air and water."
IA: Iowa board approves assistance for 8 projects
From: qctimes.com
"The board approved $440,000 in assistance for Sedgwick Claims Management Services, which plans to expand its Dubuque office, adding 106 jobs there. It also will open a new office in Bellevue, where 44 jobs will be created."
IA: Narcisse calls cut on income taxes
From: qctimes.com
"An independent candidate running for governor in Iowa called Thursday for eliminating state income tax on overtime hours worked by Iowa employees."
IA: Iowa Film Office says it has process of checks and balances
From: qctimes.com
"The Iowa Film Office, wracked by scandal last year, has put in place a comprehensive process governing the tax-credit program, the office's interim director told the board of the Iowa Department of Economic Development at its monthly meeting Thursday."
IA: No illnesses reported in the state from recalled Iowa eggs
From: www.radioiowa.com
"A top official at the Iowa Department of Public Health is reminding people to take precautions, but don't panic, when it comes to cooking and eating eggs. "
IA: Narcisse -- Solutions, not politics, needed
From: www.desmoinesregister.com
"Jonathan Narcisse, an Iowa Party candidate for governor, told people at the Iowa State Fair on Thursday that he is willing to make tough decisions on state spending, the economy, education and other critical issues, while ignoring lobbyists and single-issue political groups."
ID: Allred says cronyism helped Qwest win contract
From: www.journalnet.com
"Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Keith Allred has suggested a big telecommunication company's ties to Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter helped it win a contract with the state.
"
IL: State owes $2.2 billion to feds for unemployment benefits
From: www.sj-r.com
"Illinois has borrowed more than $2.2 billion from the federal government since July 2009 to pay unemployment benefits."
IL: Gas station owners charged with stealing sales tax money
From: www.chicagotribune.com
"Six Illinois gas station owners have been indicted on charges of pocketing sales taxes that customers paid when they fueled up."
IL: Illinois gets word out about egg recall
From: www.pantagraph.com
"The Illinois Department of Public Health is getting the word out about a massive nationwide egg recall."
IL: Could Boeing begin revival at MidAmerica?
From: thesouthern.com
"MASCOUTAH, Ill. -- A Boeing manufacturing facility at MidAmerica St. Louis Airport announced Thursday by the company could be the start of a long-term relationship that will bring more jobs and opportunity to the region, a Southern Illinois congressman says."
IL: Local tourism next year could depend on state budget
From: www.sj-r.com
"Response to the first "Living History" summer in Springfield was positive, but state budget problems could complicate planning for 2011 and beyond."
IL: Construction strike skews Illinois jobless numbers
From: chicagobreakingbusiness.com
"Illinois lost 20,200 jobs in July, but the numbers look worse than they are because of last month's construction strike that shut down projects across the state."
IN: Eggs are safe, not part of big recall
From: www.post-trib.com
"Local consumers concerned about the safety of eggs in Northwest Indiana have nothing to worry about, according to state health officials."
IN: BP may have found source of pipeline leak
From: www.post-trib.com
"HAMMOND, Ind. -- BP believes it has found the source of the pipeline leak that spread noxious fumes throughout the neighborhood and shut down several streets near Gavit High School for the past week."
IN: Ind. panel awards recycling money from frozen fund
From: www.nwitimes.com
"An Indiana panel that distributes money to attract recycling industry jobs to the state awarded a combined $500,000 to four companies Thursday, its first grants since the state froze the board's funds in 2008 to help offset state revenue shortfalls."
IN: Ind. workplace deaths fell 14 percent in 2009
From: www.nwitimes.com
"Indiana Labor Commissioner Lori Torres says the number of fatal workplace incidents in Indiana has fallen the past five years. "
KS: State unemployment rate rose in July
From: www2.ljworld.com
"The Kansas unemployment rate for July increased to 6.9 percent, up from 6.5 percent in June and down from 7.9 percent in July 2009, the Kansas Department of Labor reported."
KY: Kentucky unemployment rate dips below 10 percent
From: www.courier-journal.com
"Kentucky's unemployment rate was 9.9 percent in July, the first dip below 10 percent since February 2009, the state said Thursday."
LA: Gulf oil spill -- Most of the oil remains
From: latimesblogs.latimes.com
"NEW ORLEANS -- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released a controversial "oil spill budget" Aug. 2 estimating that a large part of the oil released into the Gulf of Mexico by the Deepwater Horizon spill was gone."
LA: Jindal wants rebuilding funds on hold
From: www.2theadvocate.com
"A $7.8 billion federally funded program designed to spur the rebuilding after hurricanes Katrina and Rita is drawing to a close, and concerns are being raised about the Jindal administration's grab for dwindling dollars."
LA: Blowout preventer from damaged oil well in Gulf of Mexico will be replaced
From: www.nola.com
"The once-gushing Macondo oil well in the Gulf of Mexico won't be permanently sealed via a relief well until after Labor Day, the government's point person for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill response said Thursday."
MA: State agencies get $7M for weatherization
From: www.bangordailynews.com
"The U.S. Department of Energy announced Thursday it will distribute nearly $120 million across the nation to bolster the Weatherization Assistance Program, with $7 million going to agencies in Maine."
MA: Wonderland Park shuts down, rekindling debate over slots
From: www.boston.com
"Wonderland Park, the former greyhound racing facility in Revere, abruptly closed yesterday and laid off 85 employees, ending 75 years of operations and triggering a new round of recriminations over the failure of expanded gambling legislation on Beacon Hill."
MA: Martha Coakley calls for crackdown on Craigslist
From: www.bostonherald.com
"Attorney General Martha Coakley yesterday demanded that Craigslist shut down the smutty sex ads predators troll to target and attack women, labeling the social networking site used by accused killer Philip Markoff as flat-out "dangerous.""
MA: Lawmakers set to kill Fall River LNG plan
From: www.boston.com
"FALL RIVER, Mass. — Two Massachusetts congressmen said yesterday they hope to deal a final blow to a proposed liquefied natural gas terminal in Fall River with an attempt to bar the US Department of Energy from spending money on its regulatory review."
MA: Out of the fray, onto the Vineyard
From: www.boston.com
"TISBURY, Mass. — President Obama returned to the cooling breezes of Martha's Vineyard yesterday to begin a 10-day break from Washington's oppressive heat and partisan atmosphere, leaving with a parting shot at Republicans' "obstruction'' of a jobs creation bill."
MD: Developer linked to ex-mayor leaves Md.
From: www.baltimoresun.com
"The developer whose gifts to former Baltimore mayor Sheila Dixon led to a corruption scandal has moved his business out of state.
"
MD: City slots developer likely tabled
From: www.baltimoresun.com
"Even if he is able to overcome the legal obstacles to his proposed Baltimore casino, Canadian developer Michael Moldenhauer is unlikely to be granted a license to operate slot machines in the city, according to court documents filed this week.
"
ME: Maine BEP OKs landfill cleanup plan
From: www.bangordailynews.com
"The Maine Board of Environmental Protection on Thursday ordered the former owner of the HoltraChem factory in Orrington to remove two large landfills from a site blamed for leaching massive quantities of mercury into the Penobscot River."
ME: Attorney general warns of new credit card scam in Maine
From: www.bangordailynews.com
"Maine Attorney General Janet Mills is warning of a new credit card scam that's targeting some residents."
MI: Enbridge readies test of ruptured oil pipeline
From: www.mlive.com
"Enbridge Inc. says it's preparing to test a pipeline that ruptured last month and poured up to 1 million gallons of oil into the Kalamazoo River and other southern Michigan waterways. "
MI: Senate -- Gov's budget 'do-able'
From: detnews.com
"A day after Gov. Jennifer Granholm released proposed budget fixes to erase $800 million in red ink, something unusual was heard in Lansing on Thursday: Silence. "
MI: Michigan jobless rate falls for fourth consecutive month
From: detnews.com
"Michigan's record-high rate of unemployment continues to slowly recede, with a slight decline of one-tenth of a percentage point in July nudging the state jobless rate down to 13.1 percent.
"
MN: Will Pawlenty turn down $263 million?
From: www.startribune.com
"WASHINGTON -- Millions of dollars in health care funds seemingly destined for Minnesota after last week's emergency session of Congress have yet to clear a final hurdle: the signature of Gov. Tim Pawlenty, an outspoken critic of the new federal spending."
MN: Minnesota's student safety net torn
From: www.startribune.com
"The little office just inside Normandale Community College's entrance was the reason Farhiyo Abdulqadir went back to college."
MN: Minnesota jobless rate stays at 6.8 percent
From: ap.brainerddispatch.com
"Minnesota's unemployment rate hasn't budged."
MO: Local firm gets broadband money
From: www.columbiatribune.com
"Columbia-based BlueBird Media has received a $45.1 million federal grant that will enable the company to move forward with plans to extend broadband infrastructure across northern Missouri.
"
MS: Barbour -- Will apply for stimulus
From: www.clarionledger.com
"Republican Gov. Haley Barbour says Mississippi will apply for federal stimulus money for K-12 education and won't have to rearrange the state budget to do so."
MS: Desperate cuts cost state millions
From: www.hattiesburgamerican.com
"Mississippi Department of Revenue Commissioner Ed Morgan makes an interesting point that we hope legislators will heed when they return to work in January."
MT: Payday loan initiative opponents ask to halt already-completed Montana ballot
From: missoulian.com
"Rebuffed by the Montana Supreme Court, opponents of an initiative to cap interest rates charged by payday lenders asked a Helena district judge Thursday to stop the secretary of state from certifying it for the November ballot."
MT: Montana workers' comp overhaul gets green light
From: billingsgazette.com
"A proposed workers' compensation overhaul hammered out by business and labor is going to the full Legislature, despite stiff opposition from the equally powerful trial lawyers and doctors groups."
MT: Montana passes Wyoming as deadliest place to work
From: billingsgazette.com
"Wyoming no longer is the nation's deadliest place to work. The dubious distinction now belongs to Montana in workplace fatality figures released Thursday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
"
NC: N.C. attorney general probes roof company
From: www.charlotteobserver.com
" American Shingle & Siding sent workers to neighborhoods across the Charlotte area with a shiny promise: a new roof at no cost to you."
NC: Hunting bucks
From: www.newsobserver.com
"The various spokespeople for businesses that kicked in a total of $1.2 million for Democrats in a highfalutin' Cary gathering last April all spoke of the contributions solicited by Governor Perdue with basically the same public-spirited tone."
NC: Workers' reviews rosy but, audit says, pointless
From: www.newsobserver.com
"Rest assured taxpayers: State employees, almost to a person, meet or exceed expectations."
NC: State will release July jobless rate today
From: www.newsobserver.com
"North Carolina's unemployed are looking for news that the state's unemployment rate is dipping below double digits."
ND: WSI should be returned to regular review
From: www.bismarcktribune.com
"Workforce Safety and Insurance staff members must feel like they have auditors looking over their shoulders all the time."
ND: North Dakota second-deadliest place to work
From: www.inforum.com
"CHEYENNE, Wyo. -- Wyoming no longer is the nation's deadliest place to work, a dubious distinction that now belongs to Montana, with North Dakota coming in second. "
ND: Convicted agent due $34K benefit, court rules
From: www.inforum.com
"An insurance agent who was found guilty of running a federal farm payment scam is still entitled to a $34,000 annuity he earned from his sales in the year he was convicted, the North Dakota Supreme Court ruled. "
ND: Dakota Carrier Network gets $10.8M in stimulus money to expand broadband services statewide
From: www.bismarcktribune.com
"Dakota Carrier Network is getting $10.8 million in federal stimulus money to expand broadband services in North Dakota."
NE: State broadband project gets $11.5 million of federal recovery funds
From: journalstar.com
"NebraskaLink, LLC, a consortium of Nebraska telephone companies, said it has been awarded more than $11.5 million in federal recovery act money to build an optical network covering the state of Nebraska at a total cost of $16.5 million."
NE: Business leaders hear from Nebraska Congress members
From: journalstar.com
"STRATEGIC AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM -- Staring into the snout of a B-1 bomber probably is a good metaphor for beleaguered members of Congress this year."
NH: Revenue chief refutes audit criticism
From: www.concordmonitor.com
"Last legislative session, small business owners took a vocal role in protesting state tax policy. At the heart of many of the complaints was the claim that the Department of Revenue Administration was targeting small businesses with burdensome audits and had been since 2004."
NJ: Behind fraud charges, New Jersey's deep crisis
From: www.nytimes.com
"New Jersey got in trouble with federal regulators this week for misrepresenting the health of its pension funds. But the bigger problem may be what the state was trying to hide: a long-brewing crisis in its ability to pay retirees."
NJ: Gov. Chris Christie signs offshore wind power bill
From: www.nj.com
"PAULSBORO, N.J. — A new wind may be blowing in electricity for New Jersey but there are concerns it may bring a chill to ratepayers. Gov. Chris Christie today signed an act that aims to facilitate offshore wind power for use in the state.
"
NJ: More special-interest money in NJ elections
From: www.app.com
"An analysis by New Jersey election monitors finds record spending among political action committees set up by unions, professional and trade associations, and other special interests."
NJ: Poll- Majority of N.J. voters approve of Gov. Chris Christie's job performance
From: www.nj.com
"After his stampedes on budget cuts and property tax caps, the payoff for Gov. Chris Christie is a bounce in his approval rating, according to a poll released today."
NJ: Poll- N.J. voters want state involved in horse racing industry, out of Atlantic City
From: www.nj.com
"New Jersey voters want state government to stay involved in the horse racing industry and to keep out of Atlantic City, a poll released this morning found."
NJ: The SEC's Jersey score
From: online.wsj.com
"The movement to clean up state pension funds is gaining momentum, and the latest evidence is that even the Securities and Exchange Commission is getting in on the action. In the Wonders Never Cease Department, the SEC has scored the state of New Jersey for lying to bond investors that its state pension funds were adequately funded."
NM: Federal aid to pay for extra highway projects
From: www.daily-times.com
"The state Transportation Department says more highway projects will be financed with federal economic stimulus money. "
NY: Audit -- Aid went to adopted kids state didn't know were dead
From: www.democratandchronicle.com
"The state made more than $214,000 in improper payments to the adoptive parents of hard-to-place and handicapped children who had either died or were too old to receive aid, according to an audit released today by the state Comptroller's Office. The Office of Children and Family Services doled out $180,783 in aid for 25 children who were listed as deceased, according to an audit."
NY: Courts -- We'll do it our way
From: www.timesunion.com
"One of the hallmarks of Gov. David Paterson's early-retirement plan is the mandate that state agency supervisors who grant it to their workers must abolish those job titles. That aspect of the program has led to charges that agency heads are reluctant to let people take the retirement incentive for fear they will lose too many staffers permanently."
OH: Ohio officials seek OK to raise truck weight limits to ease exports
From: blog.cleveland.com
"Gov. Ted Strickland's administration wants certain freight trucks to carry heavier loads on highways so Ohio farmers and manufacturers can increase exports."
OH: 80-acre solar farm in Wyandot County offers glimpse at Ohio's energy future
From: www.cleveland.com
"UPPER SANDUSKY, Ohio -- A part of Ohio's energy future is emerging in a tiny farming town about 100 miles southwest of Cleveland. "
OH: Obama had facts wrong about visit here
From: www.dispatch.com
"A local project that President Barack Obama cited during a visit Wednesday to Columbus as an example of how the federal stimulus package has worked isn't actually being funded with stimulus dollars."
OH: Higher construction bids at state deaf, blind schools blamed on union-only clause
From: www.dispatch.com
"The architecture firm that designed improvements for the state deaf and blind schools said the Ohio School Facilities Commission signed off on cost estimates four times, then decided to add a union-only construction clause that probably drove the cost of bids way past the budgeted amount."
OR: A year after restrictions on grass-seed field fires, who's getting burned?
From: www.statesmanjournal.com
"It has been a year since the Oregon Legislature passed Senate Bill 528, significantly reducing the number of acres that grass seed growers in the Willamette Valley can burn.
"
OR: State cuts prompt Multnomah County to alter budget; Another round of cuts may be required
From: www.oregonlive.com
"When Tuesday began, the budget landscape for Multnomah County programs serving the elderly, children, people with mental illnesses and others looked more manageable than it had in weeks. "
OR: Salmonella-tainted eggs not detected in Oregon
From: www.registerguard.com
"Two grocery store staples -- milk and eggs -- remain at the heart of recalls both local and national, but officials caution that the overall risk of illness remains low."
OR: Employment falls in Oregon's largest counties
From: www.portlandtribune.com
"Oregon's six largest counties -- three of which are in the Portland area -- lost jobs between December 2008 and December 2009, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Thursday."
OR: Foreclosure rate soars in suburbs
From: www.portlandtribune.com
"While Portlanders continue to be plagued by home foreclosures, the number of distressed homeowners is spiking even faster in the suburbs these days."
PA: Pennsylvania parks seen as vulnerable to Marcellus developers
From: www.pittsburghlive.com
"Ohiopyle State Park attracts thousands of visitors every year, thanks to 14 miles of scenic river canyon and 27 miles of bicycle trails through hemlock and hardwood forest in Fayette County.
"
PA: Gas drilling group wants low well tax
From: www.post-gazette.com
"A trade group wants state officials to reinforce their authority over natural-gas drilling operations, force some reluctant landowners to sell their gas and tax new wells at a low rate during years when they're at their costliest but also producing the most gas."
PA: Rendell moving ahead with plan to offset funding gap, says only 100 layoffs now necessary
From: www.mcall.com
"Gov. Ed Rendell now says only about 100 Pennsylvania state employees — out of tens of thousands on the payroll — will have to be laid off this year."
PA: PA Sen. Casey lauds gas industry's jobs promise but says drilling must be tightly regulated
From: www.mcall.com
"SCRANTON, Pa. — U.S. Sen. Bob Casey said Thursday that Pennsylvania's emerging natural gas industry has the potential to create jobs and wealth, but also carries environmental risks that must be addressed.
"
RI: Delaware politics -- Carney touts wind-power jobs
From: www.delawareonline.com
"Democratic congressional candidate John C. Carney Jr. was talking wind energy again Thursday, this time on the waterfront property of Steel Suppliers Erectors, with huge spans of crane parts lying on the ground behind him."
RI: Chafee spokesman blasts Carcieri 'arrogance'
From: politicsblog.projo.com
"In a letter to independent candidate for governor Lincoln Chafee, Governor Carcieri denied Chafee's request to speak at a Monday meeting of the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation in opposition to a $75-million loan guarantee to retired Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling's video game company."
SC: S.C. jobs expected to remain elusive
From: www.postandcourier.com
"Working harder than ever these days? Get used to it. "
TN: Gov. Bredesen team is winding down
From: www.tennessean.com
"Five months before the swearing in of a new governor, the administration of Gov. Phil Bredesen is starting to wind down. Two senior administration officials have announced their departure in recent days, and a third will be moving into his office to serve as Bredesen's last top deputy. The shuffling is a clear sign that the popular governor, who because of term limits must leave office in mid-January, is beginning to wrap up his work."
TN: Compostable chip bag made in Memphis creates big racket of snark online
From: www.commercialappeal.com
"The snack bag heard round the world crackles with a Memphis sound."
TN: TVA to revive mothballed Bellefonte
From: www.timesfreepress.com
"The Tennessee Valley Authority plans to revive one of its unfinished nuclear reactors from the 1970s before pursuing the next generation of nuclear power."
TX: Co-op board given warning -- will it listen?
From: www.statesman.com
"If members of the Pedernales Electric Cooperative board of directors were wondering about their image with a couple of area legislators, they should wonder no more."
TX: University chiefs sweat their Tier 1 funds
From: www.chron.com
"University presidents shooting for top-tier status for their institutions pressed lawmakers Thursday to preserve funding for an initiative to help them get there, despite warnings of tough budget times, competing priorities and a tight job market."
US: Unemployment insurance claims hit 500,000 last week, the worst in 2010
From: www.csmonitor.com
"Unemployment insurance filings rose to 500,000 last week, reflecting continuing layoffs in the private sector and state governments. Economists say a healthy economy averages fewer than 400,000 claims per week."
UT: Utah could save $10 million annually with optimization, Gov. Herbert's commission says
From: www.deseretnews.com
"For a government that already is doing more with less, it's difficult to find places to save money. But the Utah Advisory Commission to Optimize State Government has found at least $10 million in annual savings if new efficiencies are implemented immediately. "
UT: Utah will apply for fed schools money
From: www.sltrib.com
"Gov. Gary Herbert has decided to apply for $101 million in federal cash for schools despite criticism from some who say the feds are forcing the money upon states.
"
UT: Utah takes in more than $3B in federal stimulus money
From: www.sltrib.com
"The amount of federal stimulus cash pumped into Utah by the controversial American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has now surpassed the $3 billion mark in spending and as much as another $1.5 billion in tax cuts.
"
UT: Utah A.G. may join effort opposing violent video game ban
From: www.sltrib.com
"Utah may join efforts by the video game industry to persuade the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down a California law banning the sale of violent video games to teenagers.
"
VA: With budget surplus, Virginia lawmakers seek to restore retirement, sales tax policy
From: www.washingtonpost.com
"RICHMOND -- Even before Gov. Robert F. McDonnell officially announced Virginia's $403 million budget surplus Thursday, members of both parties had begun to urge him to use the money to reverse two accounting maneuvers used to close this year's state budget that many describe as gimmicks. "
VA: State panel to try to figure out how health reform will work in Va.
From: www2.timesdispatch.com
"Under health-care reform, individuals and small businesses will be able to go to health-insurance exchanges that have dozens of different plans and shop for the option best for them. Virginia, like other states, is trying to figure out just how those health-insurance exchanges will work."
VA: Skeptical Putney unsure about McDonnell's liquor privatization proposal
From: www2.timesdispatch.com
"The head of the powerful House Appropriations Committee isn't sure that getting Virginia out of the liquor business makes dollars and sense."
VA: Virginia Beach acts to stop West Nile virus
From: www2.timesdispatch.com
"The city's Department of Public Health is warning people to protect themselves from mosquito bites after mosquito pools and sentinel chickens have tested positive for West Nile virus."
VA: McDonnell solicits reform ideas at Chesterfield forum
From: www2.timesdispatch.com
"Gov. Bob McDonnell brought his town-hall government reform tour to Chester last night, the third of eight meetings planned around the state. McDonnell is soliciting ideas on reforming government and taking the opportunity to pitch his plan to sell off the state's liquor stores.
"
VT: Grant to help Vermont review health insurance rates
From: www.burlingtonfreepress.com
"Vermont will receive $1 million under the federal health care reform law to help state regulators improve their review of health insurance rates. Insurance rates are reviewed to protect consumers from unjustified and excessive increases."
VT: Agribusiness booms as Vermont wineries host open house weekend
From: www.burlingtonfreepress.com
"He was a chemistry major at college who deferred admission to medical school before deciding not to go. Next up: Law school, though he really wanted to be a writer — but not a starving one. (So fussy!) So who would've thought that Harrison Lebowitz, formerly of the Vermont Attorney General's office, would become founder and owner of Snow Farm Vineyard in South Hero, Vermont's first vineyard and winery."
WA: Columnist on vacation -- Thanks, Danny
From: crosscut.com
""Seattle Times" columnist Danny Westneat is right about the benefits of time off, but happy furloughs might give our bosses the wrong idea. They should pay a premium for our vacations. "
WA: State agency -- No OT from furloughs
From: www.theolympian.com
"Washington's experiment with temporary state-employee furloughs is on track to save money and is not costing extra for overtime, Gov. Chris Gregoire's budget office reported Thursday.
"
WA: Washington returns $1M in WaMu funds in one month
From: seattle.bizjournals.com
"The state's getting rid of Washington Mutual deposits as fast as it can.
"
WA: Major local stores say their eggs aren't on recall list
From: seattletimes.nwsource.com
"No Albertsons, Safeway, Fred Meyer or QFC stores in Washington carried eggs involved in the voluntary recall of millions of eggs by Wright County Egg of Galt, Iowa, that are linked to a salmonella outbreak, according to store representatives."
WI: Doyle tells UW regents more tough times ahead
From: host.madison.com
"Gov. Jim Doyle warned the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents on Thursday that more tough economic times are ahead, but encouraged board members to stay focused on making education affordable."
WI: For-profit colleges come under fire in Wisconsin
From: host.madison.com
"Now that she knows Westwood College was never authorized to operate in Wisconsin, Janesville resident Melissa Willes wants her $25,000 back."
WI: Wisconsin jobless rate eases to 7.8% in July
From: www.jsonline.com
"Wisconsin's unemployment rate ticked down a tenth of a point in July as the state showed modest improvement amid an increasingly gloomy national jobs scene."
WI: State divvies up new federal school funds
From: www.jsonline.com
"Gov. Jim Doyle and the Department of Administration on Thursday submitted paperwork for $179 million in federal education jobs money, which could send more than $14 million to Milwaukee Public Schools and millions more to other districts throughout the state to support school employees in instructional positions."
WI: Egg prices jump with news of salmonella threat
From: www.jsonline.com
"Egg prices for wholesalers have gone up an average of 18 cents a dozen since Monday, when word of a salmonella outbreak began to spread."
WV: Carte Goodwin backs jobs bill
From: www.dailymail.com
"RIPLEY, W.Va. -- Sen. Carte Goodwin urged passage of federal legislation designed to give tax breaks and incentives to small businesses, but he said nothing coming out of Washington in the short term would solve the nation's woes in one swoop."
WV: W.Va. mine probe includes methane detectors
From: www.dailymail.com
"MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- A regulatory filing by Patriot Coal Corp. reveals that federal investigators have demanded information about methane gas detectors as they investigate questionable safety records at the Federal No. 2 mine in northern West Virginia."
WY: Workplace deaths hit record low
From: trib.com
"Wyoming's economic downturn has had at least one unintended, positive consequence -- a historically low number of workplace fatalities.
"
Visit the Stateline.org Economy & Business Page
From: www.stateline.org
"Wyoming's economic downturn has had at least one unintended, positive consequence -- a historically low number of workplace fatalities.
"
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