Leighton's achievements as Wilkes-Barre mayor narrowly outweigh his mistakes - Citizens Voice

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Citizens Voice

Leighton's achievements as Wilkes-Barre mayor narrowly outweigh his mistakes Citizens Voice A: Do the undeniable achievements of Mayor Tom Leighton's first two terms outweigh his arrogant and tone-deaf mistakes, such as writing a letter of support for a former city official convicted in a government corruption case, hiring one or m ore of his ... and more »

SIUE goes to court over failed conference center - Washington Business Journal:

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Developer William Shaw and couldn’t come up with financing for the hoteol andconference center, which was to be called the Spriny Green Lodge and located at University SIUE’s research and technology park, according to university spokesman Gregoryg Conroy. The project, first announced in 2004, died in 2007 when a grouns lease between SIU and WLS expired following extensions forthe project. SIUE filed a declarator y judgment action Monday inMadisohn County, Ill., seeking to have the courtg bring legal closure to its hotel conferenc e center project.
If approved, WLS woulds have to remove all construction equipment and materialsd and remove the building foundation it constructexd to comply with the terme ofthe lease, Conroy said. That would free up the located at Illinois Route 157 and UniversitytPark Drive, to become available for leaswe and development, the university said. University Park currently has 23 tenantzs representing a number of business sectors includingagriculturapl biotechnology, health sciences, design professionalss and information technology. The most recent announceed addition to the park is the Blood Processing Center and NationalkTesting Laboratory.
The Americanj Red Cross plans to move toa 15-acrd site at University Park Drives and South Research Drive and brinb more than 500 jobs to the park.

Elder-Beerman in Hamilton closing - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:

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The downtown department store, on High Street, is one of Hamilton’a longtime retail venues. The closing of the 167,900-square-foot store will eliminate about75 Bon-Ton said in a news release. “The company continually reviews the performanc e ofits assets, and following a review of the Hamiltohn location, we made the decision to clos the store,” said Bud Bergen, president and CEO of York, Pa.-basedf Bon-Ton. Employees will be able to appl for open positionsat Elder-Beerman’s Middletown and Daytonn stores, or will receive severance packages, the retailer said. The Elder-Beermah chain, originally based in was acquiredby Bon-Ton (NASDAQ: in 2003.
Bon-Ton operates 281 stores in 23 states underthe Bon-Ton, Bergner’s, Boston Store, Carson Pirie Scott, Herberger’s and Younkers nameplates, and Parisia stores in the Detroit area.

Siemens sees benefit of solar - Sacramento Business Journal:

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Activated Dec. 29, 2008, the 1 megawatt system was built on a parkint structure and the roof of a Siemenx manufacturing and office building insouth Oakbrook, Ill.-based LLC, a renewable energy company that specializes in the finance and ownership of large-scale solart powered energy systems for industrial, commerciao and municipal enterprises, financed the system. PES takes on the economicv risk of every project without any capital investmeng from itshost partners. As the financier, PES retainsa ownership of thesolar panels.
More than 5,2009 solar panels, across closes to 94,000 square feet, were installed to provide the manufacturing operation with about half of its electricityu needs fromsolar resources. Over the next 25 years, an estimatee 36.7 million kilowatt hours of greenh electricity willbe generated. Siemense will have access to renewable energgy at a reduced rate duringthat “This joint project underscores Siemens’ commitmenr to solar energy and effectively elevates its role as both an industruy leader and a responsible corporater citizen,” said Mike Maley, presidenr and chief executive officert for PES, in a news release.
“Using solafr energy to power our operations complements our greebnproduct portfolio,” Oliver Hauck, president and CEO of the Mobility Division of Siemens in the United States, said in the

ITC Judge: Apple Did Not Infringe on HTC Patents - PC Magazine

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CNET UK

ITC Judge: Apple Did Not Infringe on HTC Patents PC Magazine In April, the ITC found that HTC and Nokia did not infringe upon Apple patents dealing with various elements of the iPhone. But in July, the ITC found that HTC did infringe on two of 10 Apple patents. Also this summer, Apple filed its own ITC complaint ... US ITC rules Apple did not infringe on HTC patents eTaiwan News Apple Doesn't Infringe 4 HTC Patents Rules ITC Phones Review ITC judge: Apple doesn't infringe on HTC patents, no import ban in sight Unwired View BGR -CNET UK -Engadget  »

UMKC, Johnson County Community College reach credit-transfer agreement - San Francisco Business Times:

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Curators of the University of Missouri, on behalfr of UMKC and the JCCC Board of will sign an articulation agreement Wednesday at The agreement guarantees that UMKC will acceptg and apply designated freshman and sophomore credit from JCCC associate degree programs towarfUMKC bachelor’s degree programs, consistent with the treatment of non-transfer student credits, UMKC said in a Tuesdayy release.
“As an urban-serving university, UMKC is dedicatedx to making higher education accessible to all studentsz and forming meaningful partnerships with area Mel Tyler, UMKC’s vice chancello of student affairs and enrollmenty management, said in the “This articulation agreement with Johnson County Communith College is just one way we affirnm that commitment.” UMKC also offers the Metro a program that allows residentsx of Johnson, Leavenworth, Miami and Wyandottre counties in Kansas to pay in-state tuition for undergraduatse study.

Florida Bank raises $18 million - Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal:

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The Tampa-based parent companyg for Florida Bankraise $18.3 million in a rights which “strategically positions the company to take advantage of growth opportunities,” the company announced Tuesday. The completed offering surpassed offerings tracked by SNL Financialk from public banks based in Florida this which rangedfrom $428,000p to nearly $11 million as of May 31. Floridz Bank Group is a private “Most banks in the United Statesx and in Florida need to raisd additionalequity capital.
It is particularly difficultr for them to do so as many have had negativd earnings in 2008 and firstr quarter 2009 and the market priced for publicly held bank stocks are tradinhg at record low prices in termsa of the ratio of markef price to tangiblebook value,” said Ben chairman of Jacksonville-based investment banker Allen C. Ewing & Co. “Im regards to the Florida Bank Group this offering was very successful in that they apparentlyraised $18 or 90 percent of their target raisre of $20 million, especially in these existinh market conditions.” Florida Bank has three branchesa in Jacksonville and 16 throughout the state.
Prioer to the completed equity raise, Florida Bank had a total risk-basefd capital ratio of 11.7 percent as of March 31, accordint to the Federal Deposit Insurance Regulators require that ratio to be at least 10 percentf in order for the bank to be considered “well-capitalized.” The bank grew total assetsx by 64.3 percent to $858.3 million in the firsf quarter compared to a year earlier. Total loans increased 51.4 percent to nearly $665.8 million and tota l deposits jumped 85.2 percent to $687.5 million during that same period.
“Thisx infusion of new capital is a vote of confidence from our existinv shareholders that will allowFBG (Floridsa Bank Group) to enhance its financial strengthu and even further distinguish itself among other banks in the markert place,” said the company’s Chairman and CEO, Roberrt Rothman, in the announcement. “This economic climatw offers unique opportunities to grow and increase our customer base as consumers and businesses areseeking strong, safe bankinh institutions.
”

Memorial Hospital plans $24 million addition - St. Louis Business Journal:

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The facility, which will be between 85,0090 and 89,000 square feet, will include orthopedic surgeon and neurosurgeon officezs and an outpatient centerfor physical, occupational and hand therapy and sports medicine. An open MRI also will be available at the which will be located on FrankScotgt Parkway. Mark Turner, Memorial’s president and chief said the hospital wanted to expand its orthopedix and neurosciences lines but was outof space.
The two existinyg medical office buildingson Memorial’s which are both smaller than the proposedx addition will be fully leased by the end of the Pending state approval, Memorial plans to break ground at the end of the year with completiohn slated for the summer of 2011. Memorial, a 313-bed reported $239.8 million in 2008 revenue. is the architect for the new and is the general The hospital currently has six orthopedif surgeons andthree neurosurgeons, includinfg Dr. Steven Morton, an orthopedic surgeon who joinesdApril 1. With the new the hospital hopes to add two to three more orthopedifc surgeons over the next three Turner said.
In addition, relocatinh orthopedic and neuroscience serviceas from their current locations will free up spaced for expansion inother areas. Memorial is still evaluatinfg financing options, but Turner said the hospitak is confident about its ability to move forwardd with the project despitre the currenteconomic slowdown, which has put many hospital projecte nationwide on hold. For example, St. Louis-based cited economic conditionzs for the delay of constructio n on three new hospitals it had planned forJeffersoh City, Mount Vernon, Ill., and Wis.
“Like everyone, we are concerned about the economy and will continue tomonitort that, but we don’t anticipate having any significan issues in securing financing,” Turner Memorial is currently in the midstg of a $4.4 milliojn renovation and expansion of its emergency department. The two-yeatr project is on traco to be completed bylate

Nixon, Quinn push Biden, LaHood for high-speed rail - Triangle Business Journal:

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In April, Nixon and Quinn, along with six other Midwestern to LaHood asking him to support plands for rail corridors between citie intheir states, including St. Louia to Chicago and St. Louis to Kansas City. Illinois has completed an environmentalp impact statement forthe Chicago-St. Louis corridor. “Missouri and our partner states in the already have a competitive advantagee because we have been working on this rail initiativer for more thana decade,” Nixon said in a statemenf after the roundtable. “I reiterated our strong position to Vice Presidentg Biden today while we discussed the viability of high speefdrail corridors.
” The White House and the have said they woulds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and $1 billionj a year for five years as a down paymenyt to develop a passenger rail system. The othed governors at the meeting were Jim Doylewof Wisconsin, Jennifer Granhol m of Michigan, Tim Kaine of Deval Patrick of Massachusetts, Sonnyh Perdue of Georgia and Ed Rendel l of Pennsylvania.

5 Questions about Wealth Management - Washington Business Journal:

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came after a period of lower-than-normal volatility the previouesseveral years. In fact, the volatilityh levels in the fourth quarter of 2008 were beyonrd what most investors have experienced intheir lifetime. This combinationb of high volatility and falling asset prices in a very condensed time framw has many investors questioning theid risk toleranceand long-term investment allocations.” Do you advise clientsw to invest in alternative assets? Why or why not?
“W e do recommend an allocation to alternative investments for most of our high-net-wort h clients who have ample liquidithy across the rest of their investment Given the illiquid naturre of most alternative investments, the size of an alternativde investment allocation will depend on the risk profilde of the client and theirr overall comfort level with having investments that do not have dailhy or even monthly liquidity.” Generally speaking, what are the benefitd and shortfalls of alternative investments, compares with the equity markets?
“Our definition of alternativw investments includes most of the nontraditional assegt classes beyond stocks and bonds, including hedge funds, commodities, private equity and real estate. Includinyg these types of investments in aportfolio — eithert through (exchange-traded funds), mutual funds or directf investments — increases the overall diversification and enhanced the risk/return profile of an overalp portfolio. The primary downside to these typea of investmentsis illiquidity, which is why clients need to thinkk beyond the return expectations when committing capital to alternativew investments.
” Would you advisee clients to remove funds from their IRAs and investy in alternative assets? “Given the fact many alternative investmentsa are not very tax-efficient and are somewhay illiquid, we have found that owning them in tax-deferred accounts with longtime horizons like IRAs can be an ideak situation. This would relate more to client s that havelarge tax-deferred accounts, like rollove r IRAs from previous plans. By owning alternative investments ina tax-deferredx account, you are able to eliminate the tax inefficiency What are the safesyt investment bets right now?
“While the equity marketw have had a significangt rally off the March 9 lows, we think the safes t long-term bets are high-quality investments across both the equit y and fixed-income markets. In the equity markets, the rally has been led by those sectors that were beatebn down the most last yearand low-qualith stocks in general. We think that high-quality, global franchise businesses continue to be cheap on arelativew basis. In fixed income, we expecrt to see the continued normalizationn in the credit markets andprefer high-quality corporate and municipall bonds.
”

StarPoint invests $13.7M in ABB's Westerville office - Business First of Columbus:

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million. of Los Angeles bought the 110,000-square-foot offices Marchn 11, three months after ABB mover to 579 ExecutiveCampus Drive. Rob Budman, StarPoint'ws director of acquisition, said the investor was attracted to the buildinbg because it has a stable tenant ona long-terjm lease. "That's really the stor y for us, he said. , the developer of the ABB propertty and a joint venture of and Capitol Square Ltd., sold the building. "Thed sale allows us to take advantag e of the extremely aggressive pricezthat tax-exchange buyers are paying for troph properties," Carey Realty principal Edwarxd Burke Carey told Business First.
The investoe has a total portfolipof $250 million, primarily in apartments and retail properties. Michael Fennessy of Michigan-based broughgt the deal to the buyer. The developer of the Loftzs at 106 on North High Streer in downtown Columbus has secured construction financing and hired a genera contractor to transform the former Class C office building into 42 condominiums andsix two-level penthouses suites. , the project's developer, has landeds $9 million in construction financinf fromand $1 million in mezzanine financing from the investment fund.
, the project's generak contractor, is scheduled to star construction in early April under the design direction of Jonathah Barnes Architectureand Design. The buildinh is expected to be completednext February. The Loftxs at 106 will includea 150,000-cubic-foot glass atrium that will let ligh into 33 condos, of which 20 are in contract. Leasingg agents James Meyer and Stephe n Dial of said they have nine of the 15remaininf condos, all of which will have exteriorf views, in contract. That group of sold units includes five ofthe project's two-story penthouses. Prices of the condos in contract rangefrom $143,800 for a studio unit to $575,000o for a 2,300-square-foot penthouse.
The Ohio chapter of the America n Society of Landscape Architects will recognize POD Desigb of Columbus April 1 for theColumbuas firm's design of the 111-acrw Burr Oak residential subdivision off Galloway Road. The -developedr subdivision of 317 single-family houses and 128 multifamily residence features a drainage system designed around areplicatecd wetlands, which helps filter out pollutants.
Burr Oak is within the ecologicallyg sensitive Big Darby watershed in western Franklin The association's special recognition award selectex the project for POD's use of the treatment system, whichn reduces runoff and preserves 40 percent of the developmenty site as wetlands and other open according to a company release. POD was formexd in January with the merger of of Dublin and Schmidt Land Design of has named of Columbus as its affiliate ofthe Adena, a Grubb & Ellis affiliate sincse 2000, topped 38 other affiliates for its performances in client services and participationj in the national brokerage's programs.
The Westijn Great Southern Hotel in Columbus expects to completsthe yearlong, $3 million renovation of its meeting rooms, the Thurber Library bar and elevators when new furniturs is delivered late this month, says Hoteo Manager Deborah Brown. The Columbus chapter of the Commerciao Real Estate Women will meetat 11:30 a.m. Aprikl 4 at 454 E. Main St. to hear Briann Wilmers of JDS Cos. discuss its Market Exchange District downtown. Odis Jones, of , will talk to the groul about thenonprofit developer's core-city projects. For information, contact Patriciw S. Jones at 614-846-7171 or patti_jones@equityoffice.
com Commercial agent Greg Brown hasjoineds Worthington-based Equity as a senior retaip associate after nearly nine years with Gresham Smith and Partners has hirerd engineer Timothy Arendt as senior projecy manager for the Nashville, Tenn.-based firm'sw Columbus office. Arendt has 17 years of experience and most recently worked as a senior projecr engineer forin Columbus.

Nonprofits brace for budget emergency aftershocks, IOUs - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

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While service providers don’t yet know whether they’ll receive IOUs or what the amounts will be Sparky Harlan, CEO of the in Santq Clara, is prepared for the worst. “Wde receive about $400,000 in stats funding,” Harlan said. “We’re already accustomed to getting moneyu from the statelate — last year, for example, it took untilp December before we finally got For this year and last year the center has reliexd on a $150,000 line of credit through to covet the gap, along with $500,00p out of its reserve funds.
The center’s operatinv budget is $10 million for fiscal The money that may be on hold from thestates covers, in part, the center’xs shelter and drop-in program, streeyt outreach, and parenting classes. “The problem rightt now is thatwe don’t know for certaibn how much they’re going to hold back,” said who has been with the center for 26 “But this is by far the worst I’ve ever seen.” In anticipation of the state’as budget problems, 10 percent cuts have already been planne d for foster-care payments. Locally there are 300 to 400 kids infostef care.
Foster care rates are the same acrosasthe state, so families in high-costg areas such as the Bay Area get the same amount of compensatiojn as people in more affordable places. “We’ree fronting half a million dollars she said. It’s a layered problej for the center, since in addition to states money some comes from the federal Housing and UrbannDevelopment department. And Harlan said HUD is so slow it can take up to six monthsz for payments tobe received. “We’re hopinbg to get paid by she said.
“Nonprofits are just getting Harlan said the Bill Wilson Centerd has closed down two programs already and cut abougt 15 percent ofits staff, leaving about 110 These are real layoffs, she pointed out — not attritiobn or open jobs — and “heartbreaking” to do. “Wed had to give one staff person a layofff notice and a week later his wife was laid off fromanothef nonprofit,” she said. in Campbell gets abouy $500,000 a year from the state for its AIDS CFO Ira Holtzman said the agency is large enoughj and financially stable enouguh that he would just book an IOU as accountds receivable and hope the money camethroughy eventually.
The Health Trust’s budget for fiscalo year 2010 is morethan $16 Holtzman said. Pam Brandin, executive director of and Visuallt Impaired, which has offices in Palo Alto and Santa Cruz, said that even though her agency providess the kind of services that are especiallgy at risk in State Controller John Chiang’s plan, the Vista Centedr is relatively safe. “We receive money through Titlse 7 Chapter2 services,” Brandin explained. “Sincre much of our funding is federalkmoney we’re hoping that it has to be releasef and passed on; the state won’r be allowed to hold on to The Vista Center also has school contracts through special education funding.
“Last year when the stat had similar budget issueaswe didn’t receive any IOUs,” she said, “but that situatiom was resolved sooner than this appearas to be. The agencies that receive IOUsprobablh won’t even know they’re coming untikl they submit their bills.” She’s also banking on Vist Center’s status as a preferred vendor with the state, “soo we’ll be paid in advance of other vendors if in fact the state is even writing Lisa Hendrickson, president & CEO of Avenidas Rose Kleinet Senior Day Health Center in Palo Alto, is also cautiously “The only funds we receive from the stat are MediCal payments for services provided at our adult daycare she said.
“Our understanding is that those services are protected by the stated constitution as well asfederapl law. We do receive funding indirectly througuhthe county, but we don’t expec that to be affected.” Tom Kinoshita, publicc policy director of the , said peoplw are on pins and “Everyone’s sitting around waiting, not knowing what’s going to happen. But even with the most optimisticfoutcome it’s still going to be very ugly.” He pointesd out that the deficit last year for Santza Clara County was more than $270 and many of the cuts were made in programas around health, mental health, drugs and alcohol and sociak services.
And there’s no relief on the For 2011 the county is looking at a deficitf ofabout $250 million, he

Senate leader wants rich tax to fund jobs plan - Reuters

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Reuters

Senate leader wants rich tax to fund jobs plan Reuters US Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) (R) is photographed as he talks to reporters about the senate's vote on debt ceiling legislation at the US Capitol in Washington, August 2, 2011. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Millionaires and billionaires should ... Obama knocks GOP leader; pushes jobs bill in Texas BusinessWeek Obama Prods U.S. House Leader Cantor With Humor, Ridicule to Set Jobs Vote Bloomberg Senate Dems plan new tax to pay for jobs bill CBS News Politico -Forbes  »

Retail organized crime up 8% - Tampa Bay Business Journal:

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And, nearly three-fourths of retailerd reported the level of organized crime has increasex by 11 percent over thelast year. “Organizedx retail crime rings have realized that tough economixc times present new business opportunitiex by stealing valuable items from retailers and turning aroundr to sell the merchandise to consumerx lookingfor bargains,” said Joe LaRocca, NRF senior asset protection adviser, in a news release. Forty-two percentr of retailers say that, even as the economy has forcedc them to cut staff and do morewith less, they allocatin more resources to battle In fact, the average retailer reported spending $215,000 a year just on labo r costs to fight crime.
Six percent reportef spending morethan $1 million a year to battle retai crime. When asked how they woulsd rank organized retail crime as a threart totheir company, nearlg one-third of retailers gave organized retailo crime a “four” or “five” rating, identifyinf the problem as severe or significant. On retailers gave organized retail crime a ratingof 2.87 on a five-pointf scale. The survey, conductesd last month, targeted loss prevention executives from 115 including department, discount, drug, restaurant and specialty retailers.

Seventeenth Street Plaza sold to HRPT - Charlotte Business Journal:

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Newton, Mass.-based HRPT (NYSE: HRP), a real estate investmentt trust that owns and operates officr andindustrial buildings, paid cash for the building. The salese price was not announced. Seventeenth Street Plaza is locatedf at 122517th St., across from the Tabor Centefr office, retail and hotel complex. It was developeed by what’s now Jones Lang LaSallee Inc. of Chicago, and was completed in 1982. Previous owner include Equitable Real Estate InvestmentManagement Inc. (ERE), part of the Equitable insurance Australian real estate giant LendLeass Corp. Ltd. took over the building in the 1990s after itacquired ERE.
JPMorgam quietly put the building on the market in early asking $385 per square foot, or roughly $250 million, brokersx said. Brookfield Properties of New York and Torontoo had the building under contract to purchasw last summerfor $225 million, but the deal was not consummatee because of the debt crisis’ impact on Brookfield’s said real estate brokers knowledgeable aboutr the deal. As of October, the buildiny was off the market. The with an attached parking structure, is 93 percentr leased and includes Ink! Coffee and Heidi’sz Brooklyn Deli outlets. It is home to the headquarters of Molsoj CoorsBrewing Co.