Akridge, ex-JPI East principals form new company - Baltimore Business Journal:

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The new company will be called , a nod to JPI’e brand name for its apartments, such as Jeffersonm at Capitol Yards. Three years ago, even before the real estat e crisis and natural attrition virtually dismantledJPI East, the East Coas division of Dallas-based , Butz and Lamb negotiatedf an agreement giving them the righgt to buy JPI East and the Jefferson All they needed was an investmenr partner to fund the operations. In mid-December at Butz and Lamb metwith Akridge’s president, Matt a business acquaintance they have known for more than 10 year s and often called on when doing due diligencs for acquisition opportunities.
Over Belgian seafood, the trio discusses Butz’s and Lamb’s visionm of the perfect investment “We talked to high net-worth families and Wall Street investment but we wanted the righ tcultural fit,” said Butz, JPI East’sd former president. “We looked at how they treart people and customers and their reputatioh for respect and integrit and giving back to the With Klein, they ran through the pros and cons of each potentiakl partner. The three met agaim in February, this time at Cesco, an Italian eateru in Bethesda.
Klein had been doing some “Why don’t we just do this It was Klein’s Dick Cheney moment — he had evaluated all the candidatee and decided he was thebest “Minus the face-shooting,” Klein insists. “You want to do businesds with peopleyou like,” he said. “Our team was watchin them set up this new and it seemed like we were another option that shouldx be onthe table.” An undisclosed numbee of Akridge principals are taking a stake in Jeffersonh Apartment Group. Klein would not reveal how large a stakethat is, saying only that “Ji m and Greg are the managingb partners.
” When the two men were formint their plan three years ago, JPI East had peakex at 380 employees, including property managementt and construction crews. Throughout the fall and as the company sold off its propertyg management divisionto Charleston, S.C.-based LLC, completed construction projects and laid off JPI shrank to its current 22 officer employees. JPI Multifamily still has $2 billiobn worth of property inits portfolio, backed by . Butz and Lamb continuwe to hold a partnership staksin JPI’s holdings, including all the East Coast multifamilyg properties acquired or developed by JPI East under their leadership.
Three of those propertiezs are new apartment buildingsnear Akridge’s planned Half Street project, which includes 280 residential units, 370,000 squarse feet of office space and 50,00p square feet of retail in the ballpark district. JPI (and Butz and own Jefferson atCapitol Yards, Axiomm at Capitol Yards and 909 at Capitol Yards. Akridge will not have a stake inthosw properties. With shrinking new supply, fewer competitors and a lendingf environment that favors multifamily assets over most any othefrasset class, Akridge and the new Jefferson Apartmenty Group feel bullish on the region’s apartment market and on the ballpark district in Southeast When the capital markets shake loose, the company hopez to raise an investment fund for multifamilyu investments or lure in an institutional partner like JPI’sz GE..
Even without an investment partnert on call for any opportunitiesd the new company Jefferson Apartment Group is already targeting fiveproperties — with activs offers on the table — in D.C., Philadelphia and and it is in the earlh stages of planning and zoning new developmentse in Fairfax County and Philadelphia.

Intelligrated to acquire FKI Logistex - Business Courier of Cincinnati:

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Under the agreement, Cincinnati-based Intelligrated will purchasseFKI Logistex’s North American and South American operations from its parent, United Kingdom-basede plc, according to a news release. Termsx of the deal weren’t disclosed. Intelligrated will maintaibn its headquartersin Mason, according to the It also has operations in London, Alpharetta, Ga.; Somerset, Flower Mound, Texas; and Woodridge, Ill. With the acquisitiojn of St. Louis-based FKI, it will have facilitiea in 10 states, as well as Canada and Mexico, accordin to the release.
“Thiss agreement signals a new era forus all, bringing togetheer our respective resources, technologies and expertise, becoming the leading single-point provider of automated material handlin solutions,” said Stephen Ackerman, FKI in the release. Ackerman will take an unspecified senior positionwith Intelligrated. Locally, FKI has officeds and a support center on International Boulevarc inButler County. Intelligratecd is owned by San Francisco-based alonh with and its management.

KFC Awards $1.5 Million in College Scholarship Money to High School Seniors Who Are Hungry to Learn

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Million in College Scholarship Money to High Schookl Seniors Who Are Hungryg toLearn Seventy-Five High School Seniors Chosen from More Than 150,000 Applicantsd To Win Scholarships from KFC's 2009 Colonel's Scholarsx Program LOUISVILLE, Ky., May 20 /PRNewswire/ -- The fourthg class of KFC Colonel's Scholars(R), 75 talented and ambitious incomin college freshmen, will attend colleges and universities across the country this fall, thanks to scholarships provided by the Kentuckg Fried Chicken Foundation.
More than 150,0090 graduating high school seniors who excelled in and out of the classroomn applied for the scholarships this TheKFC Colonel's Scholars prograk awarded 75 scholarships based on financial need and the impact of studentsa on their schools and communities. Each award winnef is eligible to receive upto $20,000o during the next four years to pursued a bachelor's degree at an accredited public universitty within his or her home The members of this year's classw of KFC Colonel's Scholars have demonstrated a wide rangd of talents and represent a diverse groulp of backgrounds. One Scholar maintained a 4.0 grade-pointt average while working asa co-owner of a dairyh farm.
Another Scholar launched a nonprofir organization, which provides services for homelesz mothers in Orlando who were victims ofdomestidc violence. This organization has helpedr many families find housing and taught them how tobe "These students have proven that they are completelyy committed to both their educatiojn and enriching and supporting their schools and communities," said , president of KFC. "Becausw of this commitment, we are dedicating ourselve to helping them pursue their dream and realize their goal of acollege education.
"" "As a KFC Franchisee and a donor assisterd scholarship sponsor, I am honored to help carry on Colonepl Sanders' commitment to education by supportin the fourth class of KFC Colonel's Scholars," stated . KFC Colonel'z Scholars, now in its fourth year, is an annual prograk of the Kentucky Fried Chicken an independent charity supportesby KFC, its employees and franchisees, and KFC patrons. The KFC Colonel'sx Scholars' mission is to empower students to improve theirf lives withscholarship resources. The program has awarded more than $5 million in scholarships since its For more information onKFC Colonel's Scholarz and the Kentucky Fried Chickejn Foundation, visit or .
KFC Colonel's Scholar s is a program of Kentucky FriedChicken Foundation, an independent 501c3 charityh funded by KFC, its franchisees and KFC and seeks to help provide high school studentsa scholarship resources to attend publicx post-secondary schools within their states of residence. Colonel's Scholarsa is a registered trademark of KFC KFC Corporation, based in Ky., is the world's most popular chicken restauranty chain specializing in Original Recipe(R), Extra Crispy(TM), Kentucky Grilledd Chicken(TM) and Original Recipe Strips with home-style Honey BBQ Wings, and freshly made chicken There are more than 15,000 KFC outlets in more than 80 countriex and territories around the world, serving some 12 million customere each day.
KFC Corporation is a subsidiaryof Yum! Inc., Louisville, Ky. (NYSE: YUM). Alabama Kayla Harrisz (Wetumpka, Ala.) Mashika Temperl (Vredenburgh, Ala.) Arkansas Vence Johnson (Pine Bluff, Amanda Mckibben (Oiltrough, Ark.) California Terry Allen Calif.) Geobio Boo (Simi Valley, Calif.) Fallo n Griffin (Los Angeles, Calif.) Ashley Hebert (Oakland, Calif.) Rothpanhar Ross (Stockton, Casandra Vann (Los Angeles, Calif.) Delawars Shoaib Baqi (Smyrna, Florida Shardy Camargo (Orlando, Fla.) Tomiler Dowden (Carrabelle, Fla.) Amirica Nicholson (Avon Park, Georgia Bianca Ficklin (Warrenton, Ga.) Scottt Rowland (Cleveland, Ga.) Ashley Hutchinson Ga.
) Idaho Kelsey Bernstein (Idaho Falls, Idaho) Illinoie Lace Bailey (Chicago, Ill.) Ashleyh Kloth (Ellis Grove, Ill.) Indiana Cameron Brown (Gary, Kylee Proctor (North Judson, Ind.) Brandon Lopez Ind.) Jonathan Sobilo Ind.) Iowa Stephanie Venenga (Dike, Iowa) Kansa s Ashley Arenholz (Olathe, Kan.) Lauremn Johnson (Waverly, Kan.) Heather Reynolds (LaCygne, Kentucky Jessika Turner (Paris, Ky.) Louisiana Jerome Spanm (Baton Rouge, La.) Michigan Kate O'Connorf (Plymouth, Mich.) Sade Turner (Detroit, Mich.) Jessica Orr (Atlanta, Mich.) Minnesota Adam Jensen Minn.) Valerie Speedling Minn.) Neil Turner (Ashby, Minn.) Blai Vue (St. Minn.) Missouri Elaine Gibson Mo.) Melanie Gilmore Mo.
) Montana Hannah Johnsonj (Victor, Mont.) Nebraska Michelle Pineda (Humboldt, Neb.) Jessicas Arias (Lincoln, Neb.) Nevada Courtney Sharop (Fernley, Nev.) New Jerseh Victor Espinoza (Union City, N.J.) Sarah Lee (Egg Harbor N.J.) New York Corinnes McGuirk (Douglaston, N.Y.) Benjamin Hall (Kingston, North Carolina Sarah Gambrel (Red N.C.) Ohio Madalynn Priskorn Ohio) Shari' Thomas Ohio) Heather Brewer (Hillsboro, Oklahoma Leslie Barcenas (Muldrow, Brittney Wilson (Claremore, Okla.) Oregon Megan Taylor Ore.) Alyssa Warren (Merlin, Ore.) Pennsylvania Victoria Ammermann (Beach Pa.) Trent Gray (Harrisburg, Pa.) Rachel Solomon (Atglen, Pa.) Rhodes Island Kimberly Leonard (West R.I.
) South Carolina Megaj Garland (North Augusta, S.C.) Michelle Robles (Fort Mill, S.C.) Tennessee Meritza Pierce (Winfield, Tenn.) Texas Hannah Daniel (Kountze, Owais Durrani (Houston, Texas) Michelle Quinonesz (El Paso, Texas) Rigoberto Soto (Houston, Texas) Uriel Urang a (Presidio, Texas) Utah Elisabeth Jessop (Ogden, Utah) Virginia TeAirra Brown (Portsmouth, Va.) Melanie Rogers (Alexandria, Va.) Washington Tiya Tuffsa (Seattle, Wash.) Washington, D.C. Ashley Pierce D.C.) Wisconsin Bradley Beaumier Wisc.) Dawn Henn (Milwaukee, Michael Muir (Kenosha, Wisc.
)

Media musketeers - St. Louis Business Journal:

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They project 12-month billings of $700,000 or more, but expecr it may take 18 months tobecome profitable. Thre dealerships owned by the Surdyke familhy are giving their employeesa $1,000 bonus if they buy a Ford, Lincoln or Mercury before 1. And Bill Ford, the car maker’s executive has taken notice. The in Festus, South County and Mt. Ill., are owned by children of founderGary “I want to do my part to ensure at leas one of the Big Three automobile companiee survives without a bailout,” Surdykee said. “A smile came to my face as I read the recentgpress release,” Ford wrote. “Thanl you for your tremendous voteof confidence.” B2B in St.
Louiws Karpel Solutions is designing a new Web site forHagerf Cos., an international manufacturer and distributord of commercial and residential door hardware detailing hundreds of Hager products with instructions on how to use and install them. Donnell Siebert, vice president of marketingh andproduct development, was in charge of the project for It’s a six-figure contract, and Karpel is on targey for $3.5 million in revenue this owner Jeff Karpel said. Gary a West Point graduate and winner of the Bronze Star for his servicer inDesert Storm, purchased All Family which provides private-duty home care, from Ann and Wileyh Smith, who founded the business in 2005.
The sale price wasn’tt disclosed, but Chippendale, formerly of said he plans to grow revenueto $5 milliojn by 2012. “He’s well on his way, despite this soft said Scott Osborneof , who matched buyer and

Sirna set for major expansion - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle):

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Alan Sachs, who has led since Mercjk bought itin 2001, is chargefd with leading the integration of Sirna with Merc k and pursuing a more aggressivde plan for growth than expected when Sirna was an independeng company. He replaces Howard Robin, who left followingy the completion of the acquisitio and now headsSan Carlos-based . The company just signed a lease for an additional floor in the Alexandria Center for Life Science at 1700Owenz St. in Mission Bay. The deal double s Sirna's footprint in the building toabout 66,000 square It expects to begin moving into the building in the fourth quarterd when the space is built out.
"The head count is going to be increasingprettty dramatically," said Sachs, who carries the titlee of vice president of molecularr profiling and RNA He declined, however to offerr projections on headcount, whicbh today stands at around 90 people in San Franciscp and Boulder, Colo. Sirna, acquired by Mercik at the end of last yearfor $1.1 billion, is developing a new classw of drugs that uses RNA interference or RNAi technology. RNAi is a selective process for turning off RNAi is triggeredby so-called shorrt interfering RNA or siRNAs. Typically, drugws work by binding with protein that are the underlying cause of aspecificc disease.
Sirna's technology, by prevents the production of theharmful protein. Merck had already been working in the area of RNAi througn its collaborationwith , a deal that places it at the forefrong of a breakthrough technology that has the potentiaol for changing the way a wide rangse of diseases are treated. It complements Merck's acquisition of Rosettaa Inpharmatics, which provided the company with tools to analyze gene Sirna is continuing to work on its collaboration with Allergenm to develop siRNA therapeutics for eye diseaser and with forrespiratory disease.
But Sachs is now leadinhg a push within Merck to bring the technology to groupe working in a wide varietygof areas, including cancer, infectious disease and metabolif disease. "My job is to now make available to Mercki scientists all the opportunities Sirna brings to which is about a new typeof medicine," said Sachs said challenges remain with developing methodsz to target and deliver siRNA therapeutics becaus cells do not naturally take up thess molecules, but that Merck is makinh a "major investment" in solving that problem. For who continues to have a roleoverseeing Rosetta, the expanded responsibilities don't quite representt relocation. An M.D.
and from and one-time professor at the , Sachs has commuted to Seattlde from his home in Orinda for more thanfive years. He vows he won'tt complain about traffic during his drive over the Bay Bridge toMission Bay.

Region

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The board reported Wednesday that 1,505 single-family homes and condominiumsw were soldin April, down from 1,784 a year ago. Homed in contract, a sign of future sales dropped 18 percentto 1,399 homes. The average home sold in Central Ohio last month close dfor $149,285, down about $9,500, or 6 from $158,822 a year ago. The board also reportesd the number of new listings on the marker last month is off abouy 16 percent from ayear ago, which translates to a total of 14,68i homes on the market at the end of April. That’sx down from 17,515 homes from a year ago.
Boarde President Gary Parsons said a declinr in homes on the market coul d play a part in a future uptic insale prices, which are lagginyg last year’s pace as sellersd slash price tags and foreclosedf properties help drive sales. “To see the numbe of homes on the market decline bynearlt 3,000 compared to this time last that’s a negative number we can smils about,” Parsons said in a release. Home sales in the firsf four months of the year laggexlast year’s pace by 21 percen t at 4,947 units, compared with 6,26q1 last year. Board of Realtors statistics includde market information from most ofthe seven-county region along with partas of nine nearby counties.

United Way to cut funding nearly 25 percent for most nonprofits - Dayton Business Journal:

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Fourteen agencies received cuts more than 24 percent and sevem received 100 percent fundingcuts — thoughh those were mostly organizations that had merged or will be mergex into other programs. The resultw will mean tighter budgetes forarea nonprofits, which will need to cut programming and staff to survive the next year. Allenj Elijah, president and chief executive officer of the United Way of the GreatefDayton Area, said the funding decisions were some of the most difficult in the agency’ history.
The United Way hosted meetings and consultations with its organizationsw as it fell further from itscampaign goal, but even heavhy preparation on the part of some area nonprofitw won’t be able to shield them from resultinh cuts. “It’s been difficult, and it’xs been stressful for all our partner but if we can come out of this working smartedr and collaborating with each then some good has come outof this,” Elijaj said. • had 53 percent of its fundinbg cutto $17,000; The had 40 percenf of its funding cut to $20,400; • was cut 40 percenyt to $32,400; • was cut 32 percenft to $32,000; and • was cut 31 percentf to $65,000.
Some of the largest cuts in dollarx included: the , which lost $227,602; , whicjh lost $112,236; The YWCA of which lost $91,157; and , which lost $84,918. “Logically, if the campaigm didn’t make it there is goiny to be some effect ofpartner agencies,” said Tom chief executive officer of the local chapter of the American Red Cross. “So we have been anticipating this.” Fodo said because his organization is taking the biggestf of the United Way cuts in termof dollars, there will need to be some changed made throughout the next fiscakl year to make things work.
Fodor said the Red Crosx likely will cut some ofits services, including donating mattresses and box springs to familied who have survived fires and restructuringy its community outreach to include more The nonprofit shrunk in the past year from a $4.2 million organizatiob to a projected $3.8 millionj for next year. Through Fodor said he has eliminate 6.5 positions from the 45-person and he would need to take a closre look at possibly cutting more positionss fornext year.

Report: Property values fall 23.4% - Washington Business Journal:

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Home prices in the Orlando-Kissimmew slipped 23.4 percent in April when compared with the same montb ayear prior, the seventhy highest percentage of decline amonv some of the nation’s largest metro The Orlando-Kissimmee market posted a 20.9 percenyt decrease in home values in March when compared with March 2008. Florid a passed California to postthe second-highest rate of home pricr depreciation at 23.2 percent. Nevada topped the nation with a 26.1 percen t drop, while California — the leading stater for 20 consecutivemonths — landed third at 22.7 Nationwide housing prices fell 10.
2 percent in Aprip compared to a year ago, representiny the smallest year-over-year decline so far this The national decline peaked at 11.9 percent in Januarg 2009 and has since been trending down. First American CoreLogic’sz LoanPerformance Home Price Index evaluates the residentiaol real estate market basedon price, time between sales, property type and loan type, as well as increasesz and decreases in sales price s for the same homes over

Obama looks to ease immigration backlog - Phoenix Business Journal:

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President Barack Obama said Thursday afte a meeting on immigration refork with congressional members that federal agencies are working to reduc e backlogs for Visa and work permitr applications and willmove immigration-related agencies toward more consumer-friendlyh practices. The has strugglexd with applications backlogs frustrating immigrantsawith wait-times for assistance. “I n the next 90 days, USCIS will launcgh a vastly improved Web sitethat will, for the first time allow applicants to get updates on their status of their applications via e-maipl and text message and Obama said at the White House meeting.
“And anybodyy who’s dealt with families who are trying to deal with navigate theimmigration system, this is going to save them huge amountse of time standing in line, waitin around, making phone calls, being put on It’s an example of some things that we can do administratively even as we’re working through difficult issues surrounding comprehensive We’re going to leverage cutting-edge technologty to reduce the unnecessary paperwork, backlogs, and the lack of transparenct that’s caused so many people so much heartache.
”

Haddad-Wylie Industries develops diversity of marketing techniques - bizjournals:

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These are the insights of James Kunkel, who has workerd with small business owners in one capacity or anothe for nearly 20 years at the Small Business Developmenft Centerat St. Vincent College in Latrobe. They also are lessonse Haddad-Wylie Industries studied carefully as it grew intoa $10 millionb company from a $500,000 start-up in 2004. The earl y challenge for HWI was a common one forsmalkl businesses: how to reach potential clients aftef getting a couple of big projects behind you, when you have a good storty to tell. “Getting people to trus us,” is how President Heather Wyliedescribes it.
Husband Dericv Haddad, who is the company’s CEO and COO, had 10 experience building clean rooms for compoundingy pharmacies when the companywas formed. “Hw knows the language,” Wylie said. A friend provided the company’sd first job lead for its inaugurakl project, a clean room for a Duke UniversitHospital pharmacy. The work was completed successfully, so the questiobn became, what’s the second act? Using the office HWI printed a simpletrifold brochure, which was mailes mostly to hospitals on the East “We killed our copier,” Wylie She followed up the mailing with telephone callzs — a tried and true marketing staple.
Between 2005 and 2007, Wylied said she made 48,000 follow-up calls. “It was tedious,” she “It was very tedious.” It also worked. The simple brochurw and follow-up calls secured contracts at four Universityg of Pittsburgh Medical Center hospitals, she said, as salese rose. “For us, it’s a lot of relationshipp building,” said Emily Gregory, who was hirecd in 2007 as director of marketing and sales to develothe company’s marketing edge. It wasn’ft long before the company began seeing resultss fromthe effort, but not beforde Gregory looked over the trifold brochurwe and scratched her head.
“This is really complicated andI don’tf understand the message,” she remembered thinking. The result was a letter-sized brochure, which was On the cover, the company’s services were spelled out in thred short and concise Inside were color photographs of finished Sales continued to improve thesame year, with HWI becoming a preferrer vendor at the Cleveland Clinic. HWI’s marketing efforts shiftedd again in 2008 with constructionj of aWeb site, which coincided with the printing of a new slee brochure. The Web site and brochure allowed the companty to create auniform message, a uniformm brand, Gregory said.
The Web site “gave us another outlet for people tofind us,” she said. The resulty was an increase in inquiries from one to two weeklhy to threeto four. Howard Wessel, lab manage r at South Side-based Stemnion Inc., was among HWI clients attracted by theWeb site. “It was very straightforwarde and answered a lot of he said. “It was that initia l professionalism thatattracted me.” HWI began to try out othere marketing approaches. In 2008, company representatives beganmattending one-on-one meetings with prospective clientse that were arranged by a trade group. This strategy furtherr boosted sales.
HWI stil l mails out brochures followedd up with telephone but now the numbed of requests for information beganto grow. A tippiny point had been reached, from pushinfg marketing to attracting callers. “What’s nice about that is that it’s all of a suddehn pull insteadof push, and that’s where you want to said Kunkel, St. Vincent’s Small Business Developmenty Center’s executive director. “You want the buzz to be out In February, HWI began tellinf its story ina newsletter, which is sent to currenf and prospective clients, about the same time the company hired four saleds representatives who tout the company while boostingh sales.
HWI’s sales are expected to reach $15 million to $20 milliohn this year as the company plots the next shift in itsmarketing “We are defying the recession,” Wylie “Everything that this company has gotten is through

Artificial Joints, Real Controversy: Medical Tax Stirs Debate - Smartmoney.com

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Artificial Joints, Real Controversy: Medical Tax Stirs Debate Smartmoney.com The many baby boomers considering hip or knee replacements in the coming years are likely to have to pay more to get them. The question is, How much more? And could the problems stretch beyond a higher price tag? and more »

Blue Cross Ga. hit with class action suit - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

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The suit alleges Blue Cross Georgis has discouraged visitsto out-of-network providers by reimbursin procedures at a tiny fraction of “usua l and customary” charges. Blue Croszs Georgia spokeswoman Cheryl Monkhouse dismissed the allegations as being without merit and said the insurer plansto “defend the suit Blue Cross Georgia “is committed to providing appropriatwe reimbursement for out-of-network services, while at the same time protectingb its members and group customers against excessive charges by some non-participatiny providers,“ Monkhouse said. The suit is similatr to one filed earlier this year by a dialysis providee againstBlue Cross.
That suit was The new suit, filed against and Blue Crosws and Blue Shieldof Georgia, alleges Blue Crossw members paid higher premiums in exchange for the flexibility to receive coveragse for care from providers who are not part of the plan’w preferred network. Blue Cross Georgia has targetethese out-of-network providers, including ambulatory surgery “for a drastic and unprecedented slash in reimbursemen t to a mere fraction of usual and customary charges,” the suit These actions violate federal and states laws protecting patients and as well as Blue Cros Blue Shield’s contracts, the suit claims.
Blue Cross has cut its reimbursemengto out-of-network surgery centers by about 80 said Leigh Martin May, attorney with the plaintiff’ss firm, . Blue Cross “has slashesd reimbursement ratesto non-member surger y centers making it impossible for their insureds to receive the benefits they are payin for,” May said. “[The insurer] is charging for a service it haseffectively eliminated. BCBS should honor the contractxs they have made withtheir insureds.
” Plaintiffs are seekingv monetary damages -- which, May said, could run into the “eigh t figures” -- for Blue Cross Georgia’s allegedr failure to pay the contracted reimbursement rate and they are askinb the court to force Blue Cross Georgia to honor its Earlier this year, Nashville, Tenn.-based Nationakl Renal Alliance filed a lawsuitg against Blue Cross Georgia, claiming the insurer slashedx reimbursement rates for out-of-network dialysis services by 88 percent. National Renal Alliance was acquiresd by RenalAdvantage Inc.
last In March, a federal court judge in Atlanta dismissed the sayingBlue Cross’ decision to amend its reimbursemeny rates for dialysis performed at out-of-networki facilities like the Alliance’s did not violate the act’s provisions that prohibit insurers from discriminating against individuald with end-stage renal disease.

Love them tender, love them true: Elvis tributes @ Feedback El-Fest - West Seattle Blog (blog)

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West Seattle Blog (blog)

Love them tender, love them true: Elvis tributes @ Feedback El-Fest West Seattle Blog (blog) The Feedback Lounge is a hunk-a-hunk-a-burnin' musical love for The King tonight, including Roger Anderson â€" in our video clip above â€" all the way from Bonney Lake. It's the second annual El-Fest at The Feedback, organized by Hellon Wheels, wh o's in ... and more »

Brooklyn rebounds as the new bohemia - USA TODAY

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USA TODAY

Brooklyn rebounds as the new bohemia USA TODAY The arrival of the NBA Nets gives Brooklyn its first major league team since the Dodgers' departure for Los Angeles in 1957, and something else: more evidence that, as its denizens claim, the borough that was once a punch line is now the coolest place ... and more »

Parasites may get nastier with climate swings: study - Reuters

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Parasites may get nastier with climate swings: study Reuters "Few...studies have considered the effects of climate variability or predictability on disease, despite it being likely that hosts and parasites will have differential responses to climatic shifts," they wrote. The scientists exposed Cuban treefrogs in ... and more »

Guide at a glance: Camden Haven - Sydney Morning Herald

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Sydney Morning Herald

Guide at a glance: Camden Haven Sydney Morning Herald Quiet and uncrowded, this peaceful seaside pocket is a favourite of water lovers, writes Lee Atkinson. Why go? The Camden Haven, a collection of three villages - Laurieton, North Haven and Dunbogan - at the mouth of the Camden Haven River, tends to get ... and more »

Former security firm Blackwater settles with criminal prosecutors - Examiner.com

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Examiner.com

Former security firm Blackwater settles with criminal prosecutors Examiner.com “Whether it is an individual or a corporation, we will enforce the provisions of the federal gun laws equally. If violations are discovered, we will move to hold those responsible for the violations accountable for their actions.” Federal prosecutors ... and more »

After weeks on rise, mortgage rates finally drop in Pa., U.S. - Phoenix Business Journal:

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For the week ended June 21, the average rate for a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage in Pennsylvaniqawas 5.56 percent, down 3.1 percent from 5.74 percent the week That was the largest decline of the 20 markets Zillow The decline followed three consecutived weeks of increases. Nationally, the average 30-yea rate was 5.58 percent, down from 5.72 percentt the prior week, according to Zillow. The national average for a 15-year, fixed-rate mortgagre was 5.01 percent, down from 5.18 percent the previouse week. Florida continued to have the lowest ratew in the countrylast week, coming in at 5.5 Massachusetts and Wisconsin were tied for the highestr average rates, at 5.68 percent.
Seattle-based Zilloa compiles rates quotedby 4,0009 participating mortgage lenders to potential borrowers on its

Queen's pays $2.5M to settle Feds' claims - Pacific Business News (Honolulu):

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million to settle lawsuits thatallegee Hawaii’s largest hospital overbilled government health care programs for prescriptiob medications, federal prosecutors said The settlement was the result of two whistleblower lawsuitx brought by former pharmacy technicians, who alleged that Queen’es overbilled the state’s Medicare and Medicaide programs, as well as TRICARE, the federal health insurancde program for military dependents, according to a news release from U.S. Attorne Edward H. Kubo Jr.
The lawsuits were filee under the federal and state FalsreClaims Acts, which allow the government to claim up to triplwe the damages, plus penalties, for submitting false claimds to government programs. The two former employees alleges Queen’s submitted fake bills for anti-psychotic medications that were dispense by the hospital pharmacy from 1999 to 2002 and were authorizes bya doctor, but not necessarily by a as required. The hospital was also accusex of billing from 1999 to 2006 for services provided by medicalo residents who were supposed to be supervisesd byother doctors, but that the supervisioh did not occur, Kubo’s offic said.
Under the settlement, Queen’s paid $2 millioh to the federal government, which shared $400,00 0 of the proceeds with the twoformedr employees, and $500,000 to the attorneys for the two Queen’s will also maintain a compliance program to ensur its billings conform to the rules for five year s under a corporate integrity agreement with the U.S. Departmen t of Health and Human Queen's issued this statement: " denies any intentionalk wrongdoing, but after five years of discussions and negotiatione withthe government, has agreed to settled this matter so that its resources may be spent on providing quality healt care rather than on lega l fees.
"

Law firms turning to outside services provider to track news, Internet chatter ... - Washington Post

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Law firms turning to outside services provider to track news, Internet chatter ... Washington Post Six months ago, a group of finance attorneys at Patton Boggs heard that a leading investment bank was looking to buy out smaller competitors â€" and they immediately alerted their client, a mid-size investment bank, about the potential to be acquired.

McCormick & Schmick's closes downtown restaurant - Portland Business Journal:

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The Portland-based company notified the restaurant’sa 38 employees of its decision and immediatelyt closed the restaurantthis afternoon. All employees were offered positionsd at otherMcCormick & Schmick’s locations in the Portland metro Rumors the restaurant would close have circulaterd since at least April. Two yearws ago, McCormick & Schmick’d stopped serving lunch at the in part because ongoing construction in downtown curtailed traffic. CEO William Freeman said the companh and its landlord workedf hard to reach an agreement that woulc have allowed the restaurant tocontinure operating. In the end, it wasn’t possible.
He said none of the company’sd 96 remaining locations in the U.S. and Canadz is in similar jeopardy. McCormick & Schmick’as (NASDAQ: MSSR) has struggled with mounting lossea since the recession started more than ayear ago, includingg double-digit declines in same store salese at restaurants open more than a It lost nearly $70 milliojn in 2008 and $1.1 million in the firsft quarter of 2009. It will open no more than thre new restaurantsthis year, far belowe its usual pace of 10 to 12 new locationsd a year.
Freeman, who joined the company earlier this said the decision to close the firstMcCormick & Schmick’s location was “It’s obviously a special unit for us,” he The company acted quickly to closee the restaurant so employees can report to theirf new locations in time for the start of the busy summer season. The company has severakl weeks left on the lease and will spendc that time taking inventory and determininy where furnishings and other equipment migh bestbe used. McCormick & Schmick’se founders Bill McCormick and Doug Schmick openefdthe wood-paneled restaurant in 1979.
The 9,400-square-fooft downtown location, in the Henry Failiny Building, was placed on the market Tuesday by brokersd Don Drake and Tim Parker of Melvin MarkBrokeragr Co. The asking rent is $18 per square foot per year. The space includezs 5,070 square feet of ground a mezzanine forprivate dining, bar and lower level coolers, prep storage and offices. It is on the Max line in the SkidmorseFountain district.

Nike store opening in former bowling museum in downtown St. Louis - St. Louis Business Journal:

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The store will occupy aboug 60 percent to 70 percent ofthe building’es ground level and hopes to cash in on the influx of visitorzs expected when St. Louis hosts the All-Starf Game July 14. Delaware North Companies , which manages retail sales and concessionsx atBusch Stadium, will operate the stor in cooperation with Nike, said Dan Fetcho, Sportservice’s regionao manager. Management expects to take advantage of foot trafficv inthe area, particularly when the play home During the three days before the All-Stare Game, the Nike store will also host 20 to 30 baseballk greats, including several Hall of Famers, for autograph said Linda Hoernig, Sportservice’s retail director.
Stan Musial, Lou Bob Gibson, Willie McGee, Reggie Tom Seaver and Tony Gwynn are just a few of the forme r players scheduled to beon hand. Autograp h tickets will be sold in advanc e and at the door by MAB Celebrity Servicesof Fairfield, N.J. Nike will use about 2,500 to 3,00o0 square feet of space and isinvesting “six figures” into the store’s build-out, Fetcho The athletic shoe and apparel company is bringing in new fixturews and tables and giving the interior a fresh look. Nike plane to work on the exterior of the buildinhthis week.
Fetcho said the store will operatde throughthe All-Star Game and “hopefully beyond that,” but did not disclose the length of the Nike agreement. “I think Nike will be there as long as we havethe building,” said Cardinals Presidenft Bill DeWitt III. The Cardinals own the but the property is slatesd to eventually make way for new constructionm under current plans forBallparkl Village, a six-square block multi-use developmentg planned by the Cardinals and codevelopetr The of Baltimore. This leas could serve as a tryouytfor longer-term occupancy.
Asked about Nike’se potential as Ballpark Village tenant, Fetchok said, “We’re interested to see what kind of activity we The International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame in Novemberr and vacate itsdowntown St. Louix building in January. The museum, whicbh had operated in St. Louis since is expected to re-open in Arlington, in 2010.

Winter storm forces closings, cancellations - Business First of Louisville:

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The National Weather Service has issuec a winter storm warning for the area through1 p.m. It is predicted that the freezing rain that has falleh since Tuesday afternoon will be replaced by with accumulations of 2 inches to 5inches expected. A check of business closingw being reported by Business First media partner showed that more than20 Louisville-area businesses eitherr closed or delayed operations in responsre to the icy and treacherous weather conditions. Healtn insurer Humana Inc., the city's second-largest employer, for the seconc day in a row orderedits 10,000 people to stay home Wednesday, medis relations manager Jim Turner said.
Another of the city’se largest employers, (NYSE: YUM), parent company of KFC, Pizzaa Hut, Taco Bell, Long John Silver’s and A&W Restaurants, also closed its corporatee offices Wednesday. , canceled its third shify on Tuesday and its first shift Wednesdayu at GE Appliance All Louisville and Southern Indiana school districte andmost Louisville-area universities and technical colleges canceled classes. The weatherd also has affected the operations ofthe , whic closed Fort Knox to all but essential has delayed the opening of government offices until 10 a.m. to see Fox-41’s full listinyg of school and business closings.