Sunday, October 30, 2011

UCF proposes modified program cuts - Orlando Business Journal:

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UCF previously announced a proposal to deletd several academic programs in responseto $77. 2 million in state budget cuts. But a July 10 releasr said keeping statistics will preservew 12 faculty and two stafcf jobs and allow 75 students to continue in the Statistics will have to increased degree production and put a greatee emphasis on biostatistics anddata mining. “Aftee further consideration in recent I believe a restructuring of statistics will allow us to preserve the prograj as long as it meets newproductivitg measures,” said UCF Provost and Executivde Vice President Terry The suspension of actuarial sciences has the same personnel and instructional impact s as deletion, but allowws the program to be reinstated later if desired.
Actuarial sciencexs would be phased out intwo years. Both statistic s and actuarial sciences are programs in the Collegweof Sciences. Since UCF has had $77.2 million cut from its recurrin gstate budget, which includes a $38.e3 million cut for the 2009-10 budge that took effect July 1. The remainin four programs proposed forelimination are: cardiopulmonary sciences and radiologic sciences; engineering technology; and managementt information systems. The amended proposalp involves 37 employees andabout 1,025 students. If approved, the cuts woule save UCF about $4.6 million.
Programs would be phaseed out overtwo years, and affected employeea would remain with UCF until at leasr the end of spring 2010. Affectexd students would be assisted with a path todegree completion. The UCF boarf of trustees will discuss the revisee proposal at a committee meetingJuly 13. Its educational program committee will vote on whether to recommend the reviseds proposal to thefull board, which will meet later in July to take officiao action. No final decisions will be made at this committee which is open tothe public.

Friday, October 28, 2011

Goodyear Reports All-Time Record Quarterly Sales, Earnings - MarketWatch (press release)

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Goodyear Reports All-Time Record Quarterly Sales, Earnings

MarketWatch (press release)


AKRON, Ohio, Oct. 28, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company /quotes/zigman/228079/quotes/nls/gt GT +6.09% today reported that its third quarter 2011 sales and earnings were the best in its history. ...



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Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Charge to hamper Merge 2Q net income - Boston Business Journal:

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million noncash writedown on the sale of its equith interest in aradiology company. The West Allis-based radiologg software and systems provider said the charge is the resulgt of the sale of its interesg in veterinary radiologycompanyh , as part of Eklin’s acquisitioj by veterinary services provider (NASDAQ: WOOF). With Elkin'as sale to VCA, Merge MRGE) will receive $1.4 million for its interes t in Elkin, but the majority of that will be recognize in thethird quarter. The however, will be recognized in the second quarter, when Mergee will also see $2.
2 million in non-recurrinbg revenue as a result of a new reselleer agreement the company reached with Elkin inJune that'ws being reassigned to VCA. Merge now expectas to post net income for the secon d quarterbetween $100,000 and $800,000, compared with a net loss of $18.2w million a year ago. The company posted net incomwe for the first quartet of 2009of $2.8 million. Excluding the noncash charge, operating income is expected tobe $3.7 million to $4.4 compared with a net loss of $18.3 million a year ago. Revenur is now projected to be in the rangesof $15 million to $15.5 compared with $13.3 million a year ago.

Friday, October 21, 2011

Whistleblower suits filed against medical device companies, including Medtronic, St. Jude Medical - Business First of Columbus:

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A Houston court unsealed documentse related to the legal complaintdon Tuesday. Other companies named in the suitinclude , a Mass.-based firm with operations in Maple Grove and Ardenm Hills, and , of San Ramon, Endoscopic has agreed to pay $1.4 million to settls a claim filed by the U.S. Justicee Department. Fridley-based Medtronic said in a statemenft that the unsealing of the document isa "normal step in the process set forth in the statutd for the handling of these kindss of cases." "As with all litigatio n matters, this case will run its coursew through the judicial process, where Medtronic will file its responseds and argue its positions," the company stated.
Officials from Bostojn Scientific andLittle Canada-based St. Jude Medical couldn’t immediately be reached for commentWednesday morning. The recent allegationa accuse the device companies of marketingv products used to remove scar tissue as treatmentas foratrial fibrillation, an abnormal heary rhythm. Federal regulators had not approvecd the use of the devices as a means to addressatrialo fibrillation.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Chase bank hiring 200 in Milwaukee - Business First of Columbus:

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New employees are working at theChases Tower, 111 E. Wisconsin Ave., and are focuser mainly on negotiating new payment arrangements with homeownerzs delinquent ontheir payments, said spokeswomaj Christine Holevas. Chase is one of the nation’a largest mortgage servicers with a portfolikof $1.5 trillion. The bank addeed billions in mortgage business with the September 2008 acquisitionm ofWashington Mutual. The new hiresd include loan specialists, negotiators, underwriters and supervisors, Holevas Many already have started Chase hasabout 1,400 employees in greater and nearly 950 in Milwaukee, Holevas Chase, which is part of , New York City, runs 41 branchesw in the metropolitan area.
In December Chase cited declining activityin home-equity lending when it announced job eliminations by early Februaru in its downtown Milwaukee home equity servicing center. Some employees who were laid off earlier this year are likely among those being hired for the mortgageservicinbg functions, Holevas said. “We had terrificf people and we want to get the best of those she said. Chase bank officials like the qualit y of employees in Milwaukee and their work Holevas said. She could not predictg the longevity of thenew jobs. “As the businessw changes so do our employment needs,” Holevas said. “Wes staff according to customers’ needs.
” As the numbet of foreclosures continues torise nationally, Chase is far from the only bank to boostr its staff for handling troubled mortgages. Some banks, includint M&I Marshall & Ilsley in Milwaukee, have institute foreclosure moratoriums as they attempt to modify mortgagez toreduce payments. M&I’ds foreclosure moratorium is scheduled to expire onJune 30. In the past six M&I has increased by 50 percent its staf f dedicated to assisting the increasing numbefr of homeowners facingfinancial stress, said Dick Becker, president of the bank’se Wisconsin community bank unit.
He declinedf to disclose the number of jobsthat M&I has M&I works with homeowners before they reach delinquency to avoid foreclosure and also seekas solutions for homeowners alreadyt in foreclosure, Becker said. Minneapolis-based , which has the second-largest depositf market share in metropolitan Milwaukeee and services more than 1 millionmortgagese nationally, announced in March that it is constructing a building in Owensboro, Ky., for its mortgage services unit. The bank alreadg employs 850 people in Owensboro and the new buildinyg will accommodate up to 300new employees. At the community bank the loan modification strategies are implemented on asmaller scale.
For example, , Wauwatosa, increased its collections staffr from two to three plusa half-timde employee to tackle the increased workload, said president and CEO Doug Gordon. Collections employeese review the home-owner’s financial situation in an efforft toavoid foreclosure, Gordon said. The employees discuss what the homeowner can afford for payments and whether the mortgage is he said. The bank has successfully modified many mortgagesx and even stopped some foreclosurew while they werein process, he “We’d much rather modify them work with them — than foreclose,” Gordobn said. “Nobody wins in that.
We don’g want to own the real estate andthey don’t want to lose the real

Monday, October 17, 2011

Aussie Dollar Weakens Before RBA Minutes, Snapping 3-Day Advance - BusinessWeek

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Aussie Dollar Weakens Before RBA Minutes, Snapping 3-Day Advance

BusinessWeek


Oct. 17 (Bloomberg) -- The Australian dollar weakened before the Reserve Bank of Australia releases tomorrow minutes of its meeting on Oct. 4 when Governor Glenn Stevens signaled there's more scope to cut interest rates if necessary. ...



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Saturday, October 15, 2011

County exec nixes severance deals after review - BusinessWeek

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WXYZ


County exec nixes severance deals after review

BusinessWeek


Wayne County employees who voluntarily resign no longer will receive severance deals, the county's top official announced Friday after an internal investigation into a $200000 package given to his former development director. ...


Ficano apologizes, disciplines aides over severance scandal

Detroit Free Press


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Thursday, October 13, 2011

Ten banks allowed to repay TARP funds - East Bay Business Times:

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The Treasury Department did not name the 10 but said they were being approvexd for early repayment of the federal bailout funds under the Troubled Assetf ReliefProgram (TARP) because the so-called stress tests performede by the government revealed they were healthyt enough to pay back the money. The department said the institution have met the requirements for repayment established by federal banking It noted that many banks recentlyt have raised equity capital from private investors and haveissuedx long-term debt that is not guaranteed by the government. “These repayments are an encouraginh sign offinancial repair, but we stilpl have work to Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner said.
More than 600 bankas received a total ofnearly $200 billion through the department’s Capital Purchase Program. About $2 billion of this mone was paid back Underthe program, banks that repay their preferreds stock can repurchase the warrant s that the Treasury Department holds. Besides the proceeds from the sales of the the department also hasreceived $4.5 billion in dividend payments from program Proceeds from the repayments to go the Treasury Department’ds general fund. They can be used to reducew the national debt and can servw as a cushion in case the department needws to respond to financiapl emergencies inthe future, the departmen said.
The list of 10 bankes was not publicly disclosed, but many of the banke confirmed separately in presse releases that they received approvak to buy back preferred sharesa sold to thefederal government, including two banks with sizable Milwaukee-area (NYSE: USB) and J.P. Morgaj Chase (NYSE: JPM). U.S. Bank was cleare d to repay $6.6 billion in TARP funds and Chased was approved to repayall $25 billion in TARP funds it Locally based banks that received TARP funds includr and of Milwaukee, of Menomone Falls and in Brookfield. M&I, the Milwaukee-area's largesg bank, was not among the list of 10 bankxs approved to repay its TARP according tomedia reports.
M&I said in May that it began to sell stock in a sale that coule raise as muchas $350 milliob in proceeds, part of whicg the bank said it may use to repa a portion of the $1.7 billion capital infusion it received in November 2008 under TARP if approved by regulators.

Monday, October 10, 2011

How to expand your entrepreneurial vision - Kansas City Business Journal:

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But changing is easier said than done. How do you acquire a freshh perspective? How do you open your mind to new possibilities?? You start by at least consideringg opportunities you would never have entertained in the by trying to approach problems from adifferenyt angle, by venturing outside your comfor t zone and by taking some carefully measureds risks. If you keep asking yourself thesame you’re going to keep getting the same So, let’s tickle your brain and switch up the Let’s view your business through fresh eyes. Take a look at your sales Let’s look at your sales upsidee down: What is it you aren’t selling?
Thin of all the recent sales you failed to What were the reasonesyour would-be customers gave you? • Are your customers askinfg for a product or service that you don’t offer? In that is it time to expand your portfolio to includ something new? • Are customers objecting to your prices? Shoulde you re-evaluate your pricing methodology? Provide less expensiv version of current offerings ? Expand payment terms to make purchasing more attractive? Are customers asking for smaller quantities than your current minimums allow? In a soft market, increasingv throughput is smart. Can you adjust your work flow to make smaller ordersprofitable ? Think back over the past year or so.
Is there anything different aboutyour customers? For example, one entrepreneurt I know owns a martial arts studio. In the he’d require that students register for six monthsz of classes at a Back in the goodold days, customers signed up withouy thinking twice. Today, registrations are plummeting. Yet he’s stillp sticking to his six-month rule, because “I have to pay my The problem is, customera are increasingly unwilling to committo six-month What if their kids lose interest ? What if a parent loses his or her job? His classexs haven’t changed, but his customers Because of the tight they’ve become commitment-shy.
If he wants their business, he’lk find a way to accommodatew them. For example, he could offer month-to-month memberships. Or, he could take a cue from the auto industry and guarantee tuition refunds if someone loseaa job. Yes, he has to pay the rent. But gettingv the rent money one month at a time beatse not getting itat all. He’se operating under an outdated assumption. Now, what about you? Are you operating by obsolete that discourage customersfrom buying? Now, look at yourseld During tough times, entrepreneurs have to steel themselve to do things they find This is true.
However, if you’re brainstorming ways to strengthenyour business, it helps to focus on those aspects you most enjoy. Chancesz are, these are your strengths. If you like what you’r doing, you’re more likely to stick with it. So ask what is it you like best aboutyyour business? What strengths can you build on? What areasx can you grow? For example, are theree related services you’ve thought about offering your customers, but nevet have? Perhaps now is the time to act. Ray Silversteinh is president of PRO: President’x Resource Organization, a network of entrepreneurial peer advisory groups in Phoenixand Chicago.
He also is the authofr of “The Best Secrets of Greart Small Businesses” and a columnist for Entrepreneur.com. You can reacg him at 800-818-0150 or

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Crucifix that survived violent 1980 New Mexico prison riot finds new home at ... - Washington Post

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Crucifix that survived violent 1980 New Mexico prison riot finds new home at ...

Washington Post


By AP, SANTA FE, NM â€" A crucifix that survived one of the most violent prison riots in US history has been permanently relocated. KOAT-TV reports (http://bit.ly/nfrYPw) the crucifix provided a symbol of survival for hundreds of inmates and prison ...



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Thursday, October 6, 2011

Filling NCR headquarters space to be difficult - Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal:

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Brokers said donating NCR’s (NYSE: NCR) 1.3 million-square-fooyt building to an education institution or the city of Daytonm may be thebest bet. The brokers said tryinfg to market the space to another corporate user woulcd be difficult as there are few singles users out there needing that much It could be parceled into an offics complex formultiple users. NCR intends to sell the a companyspokesperson said. The five-storu property is among the largest office buildingsz in theDayton area. Paul owner and broker with Dayton-based , said a good option woulsd be to donate the building tothe .
NCR woulsd gain the benefits of atax write-off and the universituy would have a business campus, complete with a cafeteria and plenty of space for to mold for its needs. “kI bet they’ve already talked about donating itto UD,” Hutchins said. “Giving it to UD is a NCR gets a hugetax write-offv and UD gets a high-tech technology center.” Mark owner of Centerville-based , agreed. “It would be really nice if they give it to Fornes said. “It would be a nice gesture in return for taking theirheadquarters out.” NCR’ds headquarters, at 1700 S. Patterson Blvd.
, sits on 54

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

The 2011 Maximum Warrior Competition Tests Special Ops Operatives & Civilians ... - PR Newswire (press release)

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The 2011 Maximum Warrior Competition Tests Special Ops Operatives & Civilians ...

PR Newswire (press release)


Presented by MAXIM, in partnership with the Jeep® Brand, Maximum Warrior is broken down in to two separate programs â€" the authentic Maximum Warrior Competition that pits special ops operatives against one another; and the inaugural Maximum Warrior ...



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Sunday, October 2, 2011

Barbash back at state post - Business First of Columbus:

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Mark Barbash returned to the economic development post Mondat after agreeing to repayment plans for overdue taxe with the and the Ohio Departmentof Taxation, and makingg payments on a mortgagw he had fallen behind on. Barbash, 60, stepperd down from his post to take a personal leave May 15 aftet Columbus Business First reported on his tax debts and that had initiatedx foreclosure proceedings on his Bexley The IRS in April filedf liens against Barbashtotaling $146,313 in back taxes and penalties datingv from 2000 to 2004 as well as 2006. The Ohio Departmen t of Taxation in March fileca $12,460 tax lien against him.
“Thw governor is satisfied that Mark has addressedr his personalfinancial issues, and he’s please to have Mark back,” said department spokeswomam Kelly Schlissberg.