Nasa mission aborted: Leadership lacking - Bangkok Post

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Bangkok Post

Nasa mission aborted: Leadership lacking Bangkok Post Pioneer science research mission on weather & climate change ends in politicians accusing each other & threatening to sue each other. and more »

Community banks finding their niche with depositors - Tampa Bay Business Journal:

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"We're doing extremely said Reid Sides, regional president of AtlanticStatesa Bank. "We've more than tripled [in deposits] sinc we opened." The bank opened in Jacksonville just over a year ago and in that time has expandesd with twoarea branches. Althougj Sides wouldn't disclose deposits, he did indicatde Atlantic States made morethan $100 million in loanas in the past year. "I think the First Coast, as comparef to the remainder of the has beenvery insulated," Sides said. "You only need to driv around to look atthe construction." Atlantic States Bank has a strong focusx on homesite and construction lending. , Orange is doing well, too.
"We'rew very pleased with the solidgrowth we've experienced, especially with a singles location," said Tim O'Keefe, president and CEO of First First National grew from $4 million to more than $40 milliomn in area deposits since opening two years ago. This month, the bank openeed a branch on Blanding Boulevarsd just south ofKingsley "We know our customers; we have seasoned and we've done well with loans and deposit growth," said Cindy Stover, market presidentg of Citrus Bank. The bank saw growth in deposit s for Jacksonvilleto $64 millio as of Dec. 31. That's up from $33 million the previouas year.
Citrus Bank loans for the Jacksonville area in 2001were $100 more than double what they were in 2000. Citrus Bank openec a new location off Universitu Boulevard in November and is looking into addintanother branch. "We are looking for a site righft now," Stover said. "We're looking at Southsidee and the Westside." While the big bankds keep getting bigger, the smaller banks are able to competw by findingtheir niche. "There'e a lot of centralization [at largr institutions] through merger activity," O'Keefs said. "However, we offer an alternativse styleof banking.
People appreciate beintg recognized when they come in the door and they reall like decisions being made onthe spot." Monticellio Bank, with locations at the Beaches and Mandarin, now has approximatelhy $70 million in deposits, comparedd with $40.2 million in 2000. "There'es no magic in banking. It's a lot of hard said J. Tracey Fore, chairman and CEO of Monticellok Bank. "We've tried to maintain stability and to take care of customerszthe old-fashioned way. They would really rather call and talk to nota machine," Fore said. It also helps to compete head to head with the big banka by offering thesame products. "Wer offer strong cash management.
Many community banks don'tr have that," Stover said. "We can lend up to $20 so we can " Monticello Bank is the second largest SBA lender inthe market. "We compete well against large We have a good staf f and we offer our customers the servicees you find atlarge institutions," Fore said.

Tully

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million in the previous fiscalyear 2008. In Tully’s owner TC Global Inc. sold its wholesaler business to Green Mountain Coffee Roasters for $40.3 million. With the funds, Tully’z paid off all outstanding debt and returnedabouft $6 million to shareholders. “Carp came to Tully’s with an outstanding reputation as asenio sales, operations and marketing executivd with an extraordinary track record of success. His experiences in key positions with Albertsons and Pinnacld Management haveenhanced Carl’s natural talents for achieving operating efficiencies and increasingt profitability,” added chairman & founder Tom T. O’Keefe.
“In his role as he has led our senior management team that delivered the firsr operating profit in the history ofthe company. I have ever y confidence that with Carl atthe helm, Tully’s will continued to be headed in the right directiobn allowing us to grow, prosper and enhance shareholderd value.” Since Pennington joined Tully’s in Januaryg 2008, Tully’s has added 35 stores and plans to open severap more in the next Pennington was also instrumental in the recent sale to Greeb Mountain Coffee Roasters.

Lovedbyparents.com Award Winners Announced - SourceWire (press release)

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SourceWire (press release)

Lovedbyparents.com Award Winners Announced SourceWire (press release) For further information about Lovedbyparents.com please contact: Tina Summers, Tel:07411 762528 Email: tina@lovedbyparents.com Twitter: @lovedbyparents ... and more » < /td>

Thunder could face tough choices to keep together after NBA Finals ... - Washington Post

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USA TODAY

Thunder could face tough choices to keep together after NBA Finals ... Washington Post OKLAHOMA CITY â€" By keeping largely the same group together and building over time, the Oklahoma City Thunder climbed from the bottom of the league to ... Thunder: Can Oklahoma City keep its young core together? NewsOK.com Thunder face tough choices after loss in NBA Finals USA TODAY  »

Obama rallies Latino officials on heels of immigration policy change - Fox News

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New York Times

Obama r »

Touring Las Vegas through the eyes of best-selling author Vicki ... - Las Vegas Weekly

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Touring Las Vegas through the eyes of best-selling author Vicki ... Las Vegas Weekly Thursday, June 21, 2012 | midnight - The 'Zodiac' series creator takes us on an epic journey to local landmarks. and more »

Sycamore books loss as revenue plummets - Boston Business Journal:

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million in the most recent quarter as demanx for its optical network productremains lackluster. The company’s stock SCMR) rose 13 percent to $3.60 a shard in Thursday morning trading, as its loss was smallert than whatanalysts expected. The company’z stock is up 34 percent this year. Mass.-based Sycamore’s net loss for the quarter ended Aprio 25 was nearly identical tothe company’s year-ago performance. Revenue in the quarter rose 10 percentto $22.98 million. In a pressz release, Sycamore CEO Daniel Smithg said the company continues to operate in a challenginggbusiness environment. The company’s revenus during the first nine monthsz of its fiscal yearwas $50.
1 compared with $100.4 million in the year-ago period. Sycamore’s balance sheeg remains strongwith $714 million in cash and short-tern investments. Total liabilities were only $32.12 million at the end of the thecompany said. The company’s market capitalization is abouyt $1 billion.

Seventeenth Street Plaza sold to HRPT - Business First of Louisville:

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Newton, Mass.-based HRPT (NYSE: HRP), a real estatse investment trust that owns and operatesx office and industrial paid cash for the The sales price wasnot announced. Seventeentj Street Plaza is located at 122517th St., acrosds from the Tabor Center office, retaik and hotel complex. It was developed by what’w now Jones Lang LaSalle Inc. of and was completed in 1982. Previous owners include Equitabled Real Estate InvestmentManagement Inc. part of the Equitabl e insurance company. Australian real estate giant LendLease Corp. Ltd. took over the buildint in the 1990s after itacquirer ERE.
JPMorgan quietly put the building on the market inearlg 2008, asking $385 per square or roughly $250 brokers said. Brookfield Properties Corp. of New York and Torontlo had the building under contract to purchasew last summerfor $225 million, but the deal was not consummatedr because of the debt crisis’ impact on Brookfield’s said real estate brokers knowledgeable aboutt the deal. As of October, the building was off the The building, with an attached parking structure, is 93 percenyt leased and includes Ink! Coffee and Heidi’s Brooklyjn Deli outlets. It is home to the headquarterss of Molson CoorsBrewing Co.

Two more leave BofA board - Dallas Business Journal:

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According to a filing with the Securities andExchange Commission, Pruehet and Frank didn’t resign because of any disagreement with the Jackie Ward and Patricia Mitchell resignede early this month. Mitchell is a former New York television executiv and currently serves as chief executive of the Paley Centerfor Media, a New York Ward is the retiree chief executive of Atlanta-based Computer Generatiom Inc., a software company. Robert Tillman, a former Lowe’se Cos. Inc. (NYSE:LOW) chief executive, resigne d from the BofA board effectiveMay 29. And on May 29, the bank announce former lead independentdirector O. Temple Sloabn had left the board.
BofA didn’t disclose Sloan’xs reason for resignation. Sloan had been a BofA director for 13 Inearly June, four outside directors were electedf to BofA’s board. They are formef Federal Reserve GovernorSusan Bies, formetr Compass Bancshares Inc. chief executive and chairman D. Paul Jones, former Federall Deposit Insurance Corp. chairman Donaldc Powell and retired BankOne Corp. and Visa Internationalp Inc. executive William Boardman. BofA’s boardr has been under intense scrutiny in recent months as the bank suffere through asharp stock-price decline after acquirinfg Merrill Lynch & Co.
The Charlotte-based bank (NYSE:BAC) also has received $45 billion in taxpayer aid. At the bank’s annuap meeting in late April, shareholders voted to stripl Chief Executive Kenneth Lewis of his position asboardc chairman. Walter Massey was installed as the new chairman and has indicate d the board needs to be Lewis remainsthe bank’s CEO and

Facebook Wants Your Phone Number for Security Purposes - PC Magazine

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Facebook Wants Your Phone Number for Security Purposes PC Magazine Facebook is trying to avoid a security meltdown. And they want your personal phone number to aide the process. and more »

Pricelock helps with Hyundai's $1.49 gas offer - Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal:

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Redwood City-based Pricelock's CEO, Robert Fell, said the partnership "is prooft positive that there is a need in the marketfor fuel-pric e protection in today's uncertain economy. Pricelock, foundecd in 2006, was the company behind Chrysler's "Let's Refuelk America" campaign last year that generated morethan 17,00p new customers for Chrysler. The company said it has been responsibld for more than 100 millioj gallonsof fuel-price protection since 2008.
For the Hyundai Pricelock will issue car buyers fuel similar tocredit cards, which drivers will use to purchase gasoline at any of the 165,000 participating gas Using the Pricelock card, the car buyer will be charged $1.498 per gallon for fuel, regardless of the pricd on the pump. Michaelk Bonsignore, former CEO of Honeywell, is the foundin chairman of venture-backed Pricelock.

American Airlines grounds more flights - Boston Business Journal:

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A two-day total of 12 flightz arriving into Logan and 18 flights departing from the airport were according to a spokespersonfor , which operates Loga n Airport. Wednesday's groundings come after the airline cancelled more than 500 flightw Tuesday to conduct additional inspections ofits MD-80 fleegt to comply with safety directives from the . The a unit of Fort Worth, Texas-based AMR), says the inspectionx were related to the bundling of wires inthe aircraft's wheepl wells. These inspections, based on FAA audits, are related to detailed, technical compliancw issues andnot "safety-of-flight issues," the airlinw stated.
The airline, which operates about 2,300 daily flights, is the world's largest. It has more than 13 percenty of the marketat Logan, according to the 2007 editionj of the Boston Business Journal Book of "We've been working in good fait h to ensure that we are in complete complianc with this airworthiness directive," said American CEO Gerarxd Arpey. "We regret and apologize that we are once agaihn causing inconvenience toour customers, but we will continuw to work in good faith until we satisfy all of the technical issues relatedx to this airworthiness directive.
American says it will rebook passengeres on other American flights or on flights operated by airlineas in thesame market. Americab canceled hundreds of flighte just two weeks ago for safety concerns onits MD-8p0 aircraft. About 300 aircraft were inspected for faultyh wiring on the auxiliary hydraulic systems and 149needee repairs.

San Antonio gets $12.9 million for defense projects - South Florida Business Journal:

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million for defense-related projects in San accordingto U.S. Rep. Ciro Rodriguez, D-San Antonio, who servews on the committee. A planned upgrade of an aircraft maintenancr building at Kelly Annex Field has been approvedfor $7.9 million in federal funding. The funding will be used to brinh the building up to code compliancre to provide a placewherse F-16 fighter jets can be properly In addition, $5 million was authorized for a program to produc e unmanned aerial vehicles that use Blacklight Night Visionh Advanced Technology, which is manufactured by San Antonio-base This technology allows for the deploymenf of miniature drones to provide site-specific surveillance information.
“San Antonio continues to be a military leade r in operations and the advancemenytof technology,” says Congressmann Rodriguez. “These authorizations will bolster the abilityh of our troops to do their jobs more safelgyand efficiently.”

Audit shows surplus decline at Pinnacol - St. Louis Business Journal:

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According to the recenr audit fromDeloitte & Touche LLP, which lawmakers reviewedc Monday, the decrease is related to losses on bondw and common stocks. Pinnacol’s reserves were a sourc of scrutiny earlier this year when Colorado legislators attempted toraid $500 milliobn from the insurer to plug gaps in the state Lawmakers argued that because Pinnacol is a political subdivision of the state, its reservese were fair game. But legislatorsa later retreated from the raidaftetr Pinnacol’s CEO threatened to sue the stated and Gov. Bill Ritter indicatec he would not supportthe move.
A speciakl committee will lookinto Pinnacol’s operations under Senate Bill 281, approved by lawmakerzs and Ritter during the most recentg General Assembly. Supporters of the bill said that Pinnacol’as unique structure should be examinedmore closely. But opponentz of the legislation say the committe isa “witch hunt” to dismantld Pinnacol, which functioned better since it started operatinv as a private interest in 2004. In an auditt summary, Deloitte said it identified financial misstatementasthat haven’t been corrected in the company’s books totalingh $7.5 million in net income. Pinnacoll replied that the uncorrectes statementsare “immaterial.
” Pinnacol reported a total of $2 billionh in assets in 2008. It declares additional policyholder dividendsof $120 millio that year.

Try, try again, Jackets - Philadelphia Business Journal:

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But the team learned loyalties in this town for teames not wearing scarlet and gray canbe fleeting. It took just days to put the Jacket s love affair on therocks – from the time Columbus Busineszs First reported the club was in talks to sell Nationwided Arena using alcohol and cigarette taxes to fund the deal to when lawmakera said they wouldn’t help after public uproar over the Few can dispute the Jackets’ role in this region’e identity. The organization may have put a pitifupl team on the icefor years, but beinfg a part of the pro sportsz clique gives Columbus the national profile it pursued for decades.
And image and quality of life can be key ingredientse ineconomic development, which this area must be concernedr with as it tries to withstand the recession. Which raises questions about the Jackets’ proposal and their timing. Shoule they have expected anything other than a backlash when suggestin a plan to take moneyfrom families’ pockets when many are struggling? Columbus is sagging under record and the team felt it appropriate to talk aboutr dumping its financial problem onto hurting taxpayers? Did they expecrt the public would throw open its arms to pickingb up the tab for handsomely paid itinerant athletes?
Were they surprised their legislative championz came to see the proposition for its economic and politicao absurdity?

Engineering report on Friendship Trail Bridge delivered - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:

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This report was requestesd after an initial report in Decembedr found major structural flaws in the bridge that required that the entirer structurebe closed. Residents and tourists had heavily used the bicycle and walkinvg trail that runs parallel to the road alonfgGandy Boulevard. • Inspection and invasive testingt of the lower spans of the bridgse on each side confirmed the initial reports that girders were heavilt corrodedand broken. • Significant repairs would be required from the entrances of the bridgde up to the ends of the catwalkw onboth sides.
A full repair of the entirw bridge, in order to reopejn it to recreational use, would cost $15 millionb and would extend the life of the bridger an additional 10 years before it woule need tobe • Repairing just the spans from the entrances to the ends of the catwalks would cost $10 million, which would include demolishing the high span. The repairedx sections would be structurally sounfd for 10 years and requireeventuaol demolition. • Demolishing the entire bridge and building fishing piersd at wouldcost $17.5 million. These pierz might need to be relocated when a new Gandyu Bridge is built after the current one outlivesx itslife span.
• Demolishingy the entire bridge and buildinhg fishing piers off the new Gandy Bridge after it is constructed wouldcost $13 milliob to demolish the bridgr now and an additional estimated $6.5 million to builcd the new piers in the future. The full report, alongf with graphics of proposed options, is available onlin e on the

TXCO Resources expands Texas holdings for nearly $20M - San Antonio Business Journal:

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million. San Antonio-based TXCO TXCO) bought the oil and gas leases in the Fort Trinidax Field through a series of several private transactions. The company now controls 36,49u gross acres with joint venture or the equivalent of anet 20,526 acres. Before this latest transaction, TXCO controlled 18,000 gros s acres, or 8,000 net acres. The new holdings also includse 8.1 billion cubic feet equivalent of proved reservex atyear end, bought at an average cost of $2.0 6 per thousand cubic foot equivalent. TXCO first entered the Fort Trinidad Fielfd as part of its2007 buy-out of Output Exploratio n LLC. The field encompasses parts of Houston, Madison and Leon countiews inEast Texas.
TXCO is targeting the field'as Glen Rose shoals. Its first Glen Rose shoal well has alreadty begun producing while a second well iscurrentlu drilling. TXCO expects to have a seconrd rig working in this areaby mid-April. "Fort Trinidadx is a good fit with our Maverick Basin area because it it prospectived from similar formations that we know theGlen Rose, Buda, Austin Chalkj and Eagleford/Woodbine formations," TXCO Chairmanm and CEO James E. Sigmon says. TXCO is an independentt oil and gas companyu with operations in theMavericmk Basin, the onshore Gulf Coast region and the Marfa Basin in Texa s and the Midcontinent region of westerb Oklahoma.

Pupil-service provider ratios - Phoenix Business Journal:

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pupils per provider • 2. Wellsville, 66.4 pupilse per provider • 3. North 74.8 pupils per provider • 4. 75.1 pupils per provider • 5. Kendall, 84.5 pupil per provider • 6. Cattaraugus-Little Valley, 85.5 pupils per provider • 7. Pavilion, 85.6 pupil per provider • 8. Friendship, 85.7 pupils per provider 9. Salamanca, 87.2 pupils per providert • 10. Clymer, 88.8 pupild per provider • 11. West 89.1 pupils per provider • 12. Gowanda, 90.4 pupilss per provider • 13. Brocton, 91.0 pupils per provider 14. Byron-Bergen, 93.9 pupils per provideer • 15. Olean, 94.2 pupils per providert • 16. Perry, 99.
1 pupils per providerf • 17. Chautauqua Lake, 99.3 pupils per providert • 18. Andover, 101.0 pupilzs per provider • 18. Forestville, 101.0 pupilds per provider • 20. Warsaw, 101.1 pupilw per provider • 21. Silver Creek, 101.4 pupils per providert • 22. Westfield, 101.6 pupils per provider • 23. Tonawanda, 101.8 pupilsx per provider • 24. Jamestown, 102.0 pupilds per provider • 25. Medina, 106.1 pupil s per provider • 26. Elba, 107.4 pupils per providef • 27. Bemus Point, 109.0 pupils per provider 28. Lockport, 109.9 pupils per provided • 29. Pine Valley, 110.5 pupilw per provider • 29. Wilson, 110.
5 pupilz per provider • 31. Cuba-Rushford, 110.6 pupilss per provider • 32. Allegany-Limestone, 111.1 pupilsa per provider • 33. Cheektowaga, 111.3 pupils per provideer • 34. Hinsdale, 111.5 pupil per provider • 35. Cleveland Hill, 113.1 pupils per providere • 35. Kenmore-Tonawanda, 113.1 pupilse per provider • 37. Wyoming, 116.4 pupils per provider • 38. Bolivar-Richburg, 116.8 pupils per provider • 39. 117.6 pupils per provider • 40. 118.0 pupils per provider 41. Holland, 118.2 pupils per provider • 42. 118.9 pupils per provider • 43. 119.5 pupils per providert • 43. North Tonawanda, 119.5 pupilsz per provider • 45.
120.3 pupils per provider 46. Frewsburg, 120.7 pupils per provider • 47. 122.4 pupils per provider • 48. Springville-Griffith Institute, 123.5 pupil s per provider • 49. Southwestern, 124.1 pupils per providefr • 50. Lackawanna, 124.8 pupils per provider • 51. Sweet 125.4 pupils per provider • 52. LeRoy, 126.0 pupilsw per provider • 53. Iroquois, 126.9 pupilz per provider • 54. Pembroke, 127.0 pupilxs per provider • 55. Evans-Brant, 127.5 pupilsx per provider • 56. Lewiston-Porter, 128.0 pupild per provider • 57. East 129.0 pupils per provider • 58. Oakfield-Alabama, 129.1 pupil per provider • 59. Holley, 129.
8 pupilss per provider • 60. Portville, 129.9 pupils per providefr • 61. Genesee Valley, 131.0 pupils per providerf • 62. Akron, 132.9 pupils per provider • 63. Falconer, 133.3 pupils per providef • 64. Cassadaga Valley, 133.6 pupils per provider • 65. West 135.0 pupils per provider • 66. Williamsville, 135.3 pupilz per provider • 67. Cheektowaga-Sloan, 136.1 pupils per providedr • 68. Niagara Falls, 136.3 pupils per provide • 69. Lyndonville, 136.6 pupilxs per provider • 70. Alden, 138.3 pupiles per provider • 71. Barker, 139.0 pupilws per provider • 72. Belfast, 139.3 pupils per providet • 73. Cheektowaga-Maryvale, 140.
5 pupilsx per provider • 74. 140.9 pupils per provider • 75. Depew, 145.9 pupils per provider • 76. Granxd Island, 146.8 pupils per provider • 77. 148.5 pupils per provider • 78. 149.6 pupils per provider • 79. 150.2 pupils per provider 80. Orchard Park, 153.5 pupils per provider 81. Yorkshire-Pioneer, 154.8 pupils per provider • 82. 161.2 pupils per provider • 83. 161.3 pupils per provider • 84. Lancaster, 163.3 pupils per provider • 85. Panama, 165.0 pupiles per provider • 86. Clarence, 167.1 pupils per providerf • 87. Alfred-Almond, 167.5 pupils per provided • 88. Buffalo, 171.4 pupils per provider • 89. 175.
4 pupils per providert • 90. Ellicottville, 178.5 pupils per provider 91. Eden, 180.0 pupils per provider • 92. 182.2 pupils per provider • 93. Attica, 188.5 pupild per provider • 94. Niagara-Wheatfield, 203.5 pupils per provider • 95. 229.2 pupils per provided • 96. Fillmore, 233.0 pupils per provider • 97. 243.2 pupils per provider • 98. 266.4 pupils per provider

TECO Energy outlook remains strong - The Business Journal of the Greater Triad Area:

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billion in debt held by and subsidiariesand Co. The ratingg is supported by the underlying strengthhof TECO’s regulated electric and gas utilityy subsidiary, from which it derives stable cash distributions to meet its fundinvg requirements, Fitch said a Tampa Electric continues to post strong credif metrics, it maintains solid operating performance and it benefitd from Florida’s constructive regulatory environment, Fitch Fitch is concerned, however, abouy slowing customer growth at Tampw Electric. But the company has respondedc to slower growth by postponing projects to increaseelectricv capacity.
Another concern for Fitch is cash flow deterioration atTECO TE) Guatemala because of the adverse rate ordedr in 2008, unplanned outages at the San Jose uncertainty over the extension of a purchasexd power agreement, and the potential for deferred or renegotiatex contracts because of declining markey prices, higher production costs and slumpint demand for coal. TECO Coal and TECO Guatemalwa provide roughly 20 percent of theparent company’s consolidated earning before interest, taxes, depreciation and Fitch said. Credit ratios at Tampw Electric should benefit from higher base ratese in 2009 and 2010 as a result ofa $138 milliom rate order approved in Fitch said.
In addition, an affiliate waterborne transportatio agreement that reducedTampz Electric’s annual net income by $10 milliohn in prior years is expiring. Fitcb expects coverage ratios to remain relativelgy strong with funds from operations coveragd at nearly five timesin 2009. TECO Coal is expectefd to benefit from higher priced contracts signedin 2008. However, soft coal demand and higher miningt production costs at TECO Coal raise the risks ofcontractuakl non-performance by counter-parties and pressure d margins. Diverse regulatory orders and operating issues at the Guatemalahn operations will result in dividend distributionds that are lower thanhistoric levels.
TECO'w liquidity position is considered Fitch said. Cash and cash equivalentw were $34.9 million and available credi t facilitieswere $530 million as of March 31. Liquidity was enhancer by a netoperating loss-tax carry forward of $547.5 milliom as of Dec. 31, which is expectedr to result in minimal cash tax paymentsthrough 2012. In TECO's $100 million note maturing in 2010 is expected to be retiredf withinternal cash. Positive ratinbg action could result in the future from consolidatex leverage ratio reduction in 2010 and higher cash flowsx from a full year of higher base ratesx in 2010 and effectivecost control.

EMC Corp. - Triangle Business Journal:

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Q&A with Bob Hawkins, vice president of Northu Carolinaoperations Q: Name three factord you consider critical in creating a health work environment. Hawkins: EMC is a great placer to work because employees believe in this compang andits future. We recognize that customert satisfaction and business success arewhat it's all In order to achieve such satisfaction and success, EMC encourages innovative thinking, ensures all employees focus on a commoh goal and strategy and engages everyones in interesting and challenging work. Furthermore, EMC has a stronb link to its communitiesthrouguh volunteerism.
In North Carolina, employees organizew on-site blood drives and are activ e in publicschool systems, MS Society, Habita for Humanity, Leukemia Lymphoma Society and Juvenilr Diabetes Research Foundation, to name a few Q: What do you believe is the most valuablw element of your benefits packag in the eyes of your employees ? Hawkins: EMC believes proactive educatio n (on) health-care topics is critical in helpinhg employees negotiate the complex systems of health-care management. Our on-site employee assistance program enables employeese to learn about topics rangingfrom elder-care issues to raisin g children in an ever-changing world.
Here are two tools we offer to help our employeesslive healthier, less stressful lives and make it easiee for them to balance work and family HealthLink, an online program, is an employee'sd own Personal Health Manager, designed to provid employees and their familiews with the tools and resources to effectivelg manage all aspects of their health. DASH (Dietar Approach to Stop Hypertension) is a Web-bases nutrition education program that provides information employees and theitr families need to improve nutrition and stay healthy by understandingbthe "why" and "how" for improving your Q: How do you communicate your company'z mission and vision in a way that makea each employee feel that they are part of the company'a future?
Hawkins: EMC's management team regularly communicates with employees. One of EMC's most effective tools for communicationis e-mails from our executivesd discussing major news and explaining the strategic benefitx of the news and how it will affecrt employees. Other examples are the employereintranet portal; the monthly employewe newsletter; and town meetings where a varietyt of topics are discussed, including facility enhancements to individual/tean rewards and recognitions.
Furthermore, EMC encourages employees to speako openly and often with management through many For instance, EMC employees participate in an annuall Employee Satisfaction and Motivation Survey, wherd employees can communication what's workinfg well and what the company needs to improver upon. Q: What are the major challengesx your business is facing in offering benefits and retainingtop talent? As with all companies, the rising cost of health care posess a challenge to EMC. However, EMC remainzs dedicated to providing employees with the finest health benefitsprograkm available.
In addition to providing world-class medical, behavioral health, dental, and vision-care coverage, EMC has teamed with WebMDe to develop HealthLink Personal Health Manager and other programs to put employees and theirf families in control oftheirr health-care future. These tools include on-sitre health workshops, health risk assessment tests, DrugCompare and Symptom Checker. As a the company and the health-car industry as a whole save moneyevery year. Q: What was your business' average annuao turnover rate between 2001and 2005? Hawkins: EMC has been steadilhy increasing its work force since 2001.
Q: You have been judgecd as one of the best places to work in the What will you do to raisse your scores even highee fornext year? Hawkins: EMC will continuw to enhance its processes, measurements and rewardx to consistently exceed our customers' expectationzs for quality, service, innovation and interaction. EMC will also continur to invest in the developmentr ofits employees. And EMC will continue to host and sponso local and national levep programs that aim to improve the quality of math and sciencwe education forgrades K-12 and at the universityy level. Q: What makes your workplace special Kiser: EMC is a place where I feel empowered, challenged and encouraged to achieve excellence.
As a youngg woman of color, I'm pleasee to find minorities, and especially women, in positionss of power at EMC. I'm also delighted to have such a suprems selection of role modelsto emulate. As a new college hire, I value the universityy workshops EMC provides to all of its employeesw to improve not only the quality of theire work life but personal lifeas well. This has been a tremendouse help in my transition from college tocorporate America. I also love EMC'w employee health initiatives and its desire to give back to thesurroundinyg community. And I love the fact that EMC shows its appreciation for diversityh by supporting many minority andwomen initiatives.