Wednesday, 29 June 2011
San Antonio adopts Tyler Technologies
million contract to to implementthe company’s municipalp court case management system. Tyler will furnish all softwarw licenses, professional services, maintenance and support. This is the Dallas-basesd company’s largest contract in its history. San Antoni is the seventh-largest city in the United States and the secondx largestin Texas. San Antonio Municipal Courts previouslyu relied ona mainframe-based document management systen and a separate, non-integrated fee collection system. The previous system resulted in massiv amounts of paperwork for clerk Dispositions wereoften hand-written.
The city’sz nine judges, 11 associate judges and 250-membet staff will use Tyler’s INCODE municipalp court casemanagement system. The first of 11 court s will go live with INCODr in the summerof 2009. Implementatiom with the system at the other courts will continue over the next 18monthw “By deploying Tyler’s Courtzs and Justice and Document Management solutions, the City of San Antonioo will be able to improve the efficiencuy of their municipal courts and enhance the overall managemengt of their critical documents,” says Brett president of Tyler’s INCODrE system.
Tyler Technologies (NYSE: TYL) is an informatiob management services company forlocal governments.
Monday, 27 June 2011
Air Methods asks NTSB to change crash report - Denver Business Journal:
Englewood-based Air Methods (NASDAQ: AIRM) on Mondahy announced it filed a petition with the asking the agency to reconsider or change its probable cause finding in theJune 29, 2008, The two helicopters — both Bell 407s collided in the air while attempting to land at Flagstaftf Medical Center. Six people were killed a seventh later died of his Killed aboard the Air Methods helicopter were the flight nurseand patient. The other flight was operatedf by Classic Helicopters ofWoods Cross, The pilot, paramedic and patient were killed, and the flighy nurse critically injured. The nurser later died.
The NTSB reporr said “both pilots failed to see and avoidr the other helicopter on approach tothe helipad.” Air Methods wants the NTSB to deletwe from its report the finding that a contributing cause of the acciden was “the failure of Air pilot to follow arrival and noises abatement guidelines.” Air Methods also wants adde to the report mention that the pilot of the Classixc helicopter had taken a prescriptiojn painkiller, and that the Classic communications center failed to tell its pilot that an Air Methodx flight was inbound to the hospital with the same estimatedx arrival time as the Classi copter.
The NTSB told The Associated Press Mondayit wouldn’t comment on Air Methods’ petition. “We are deeplh troubled by what we considerf to be critical inaccuracies in the NTSB curreng Probable Cause Report and the inconsistencies between the findings in this case versusprevious cases,” Aaron CEO of Air Methods, said in a statement.
Friday, 24 June 2011
Recordings: Corea's consistently brilliant - Ottawa Citizen
Recordings: Corea's consistently brilliant Ottawa Citizen Editors note: The recordings below feature artists playing at the 2011 TD Ottawa International Jazz Festival. Over Forever's two ample CDs, keyboardist Chick Corea, bassist Stanley Clarke and drummer Lenny White demonstrate just how diverse they can be ... |
Wednesday, 22 June 2011
Survey: CEOs still foresee negative conditions - Denver Business Journal:
“This quarter’s results reflect a continuing weak set ofeconomicx conditions,” said Ivan Seidenberg, chairman of Business Roundtable and chairmanh and CEO of “Conditions – while stil l negative – appear to have begun to stabilize.” The D.C.-based associatioj of CEOs represent a combined workforce of nearly 10 milliobn employees and more than $5 trillion in annual sales. When asked how they anticipate theid sales to fluctuate in the nextsix months, 34 perceng said they will increase while 46 percent predicted a decrease. That is a sunniedr forecast over the first quarteroutlook survey, when just 24 percent predictec an increase in sales.
In terms of how theie U.S. capital spending will change over that 12 percent foresee itgoing up, while 51 percent see it Few (6 percent) expect theid U.S. employment to increasw in the nextsix months, whils 49 percent anticipate their employee base to contracf in size. That shows an improvement from the firsy quarteroutlook survey, when 71 percentg predicted a drop in employment. In terms of the overalp U.S. economy, member CEOs estimate real GDP will dropby 2.1 percenrt in 2009, down from the CEOs’ estimat e of a 1.9 percent decline in the firstf quarter of 2009.
The outlookl index -- which combines member CEO projections for capital spending and employment in the six monthasahead -- expanded to 18.5 in the seconxd quarter, up from negativee 5.0 in the first quarter. An index readingy of 50 or lower is consistent with overall economic contractiomn and a reading of 50 or higher is consistenytwith expansion.
Monday, 20 June 2011
ColumbusChamber finds exec to promote Central Ohio
Dan Ricciardi, 56, will head up the , a consortium of executives and researchers focusedon studying, developinvg and publicizing Central Ohio’sx distribution and logistics industry – a sectoe identified by the chamber and other economic-development officialas as key to the area’s As executive director, Ricciardi will overseed the group’s daily operationsz from an office at the chamber and will work with councikl board co-chairmen John Ness, president of , and Battell Vice President Ben Ritchey. Ricciardi most recentlyh was a logistics industry consultanfin Cincinnati.
Until last year, he was generalo manager and operations director in New Orleanszfor LLC, a logistics consulting group. Ricciardk holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from and an MBA from in Law firm seeking class action against In thes e days of plummeting realestate values, those who have recently paid off theirr homes may have a chancs to get some of that lost monehy back. Cincinnati-based law firm filed a lawsuit 5in U.S. District Court in Columbus that partnefr Jeffrey Goldenberg hopes will become aclasx action.
Goldenberg is targeting the FreddieMac – for failing to timelt file mortgage satisfaction paperwork with county recorder Goldenberg filed the lawsuit on behalt of James and Jacqueline Goldson of Columbus. They hope to represent perhap s thousands of Ohioans who the lawsuit claims may be in thesame boat. The Goldson made the last payment on their mortgage to Freddiwe Mac onMarch 13, 2003. Accordingb to Ohio law, Freddie was required within 90 days to notifg the that the loan hadbeen satisfied. the lawsuit said, Freddie didn’t get arouns to it until 10 months lateron Jan. 30, 2004.
Ohio law says the and anyone elsesimilarly affected, are entitled to $250 in damagex because a failure to record satisfactionm of a mortgage can prevent a homeownef from either selling their housse or getting another Goldenberg said. With 10,000 Ohioansa potentially in the class, Freddie could end up payinfg out atleast $2.5 million. But it may be difficulr to getthat money. We hear and sister , are having money troubles oftheir own. Filene’s Basement may face a thirf holiday season without its biggest The chain’s owner, Columbus-based , said Sept. 8 the reopenin of its flagship Downtown Crossing store in Boston is behindschedule again.
The store was idledd last fall because the building housing it is beinb redeveloped asa retail, office and residential “We don’t control the construction,” CEO Heywood Wilansky said in a call with stockk analysts. “The last info we had, and it keepx changing, was that construction is slightly delayed.” He said the stors could open in the fourtg quarter next yearat best. But at worst, it will be the first quarter of 2010. The original target was springf 2009. Retail Ventures estimated the chaihlost $5.8 million in sales after the store was closedf last fall.
Wilansky said the company receives an undisclosed amountf of compensation from its landlord for the lost A graduate of will return to the Granville campus to screen his directorial John Jeffcoat, a 1994 is promoting his movie Outsourced, billed as a “cross-culturap comedy about a customer service call-center manager who lose s his job and must travel to Indiaq to train his own replacement.” Jeffcoaty based the movie on stories he heard about companies in Seattle, where he resides, doinhg just that to American workers. The free screeninf will take placeat 7:30 p.m. Sept. 24 in Slayte r Hall.
For information, call
Friday, 17 June 2011
Abercrombie asks Aloha Stadium Authority members to resign - Hawaii News Now
Abercrombie asks Aloha Stadium Authority members to resign Hawaii News Now Hawaii News Now's media partner, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, reported that some members of the Stadium Authority were stunned when they received the letter from Abercrombie asking them to resign. The governor would not speak with Hawaii News Now on ... |
Wednesday, 15 June 2011
State audit says DHHR failed to adequately monitor grants - Daily Mail - Charleston
State audit says DHHR failed to adequately monitor grants Daily Mail - Charleston The state Department of Health and Human Resources has failed to adequately monitor millions of dollars' worth of state and federal grant payments, according to an audit report released Tuesday. The state Post Audit Division reviewed the agency's ... Audit finds spotty monitoring of W.Va. DHHR grants; agencies defends its policies |
Monday, 13 June 2011
Academic Team honoree: Grace Cannon - Business First of Buffalo:
Accomplishments: Class valedictorian. SAT score of 1,60o0 (perfect). Perfect score on three Regents exams; scoresw of 98 or 99 on four others. Captain of Scholasticv Bowl team. Named to All-County Chorus. Full name: Grace Elizabeth Cannon. Born: April 15, Amherst. Parents: Deirdre Cannon, Timothy Cannon. Residence: Akron. Favorite Literature (taught by Matthew Baumgarten). “It’s my favorite for everything it has taught me about myself andother people.” Collegr and likely major: , linguistics. Hope to be doingt 10 years from now: “I hope to be livingy overseas, working and traveling as a translator, and volunteering my spare time tocommunityy education.
” If could meet anyone from history: Motherd Teresa. “She is my choice because of the respect I have for herlife work, and becausd when I was I wanted to grow up to be If could have dinner with anyonew now alive: Paulo Coelho. “Hiw writing fascinates me.” to proceed to the next First Team honoree: Cary Chester.
Saturday, 11 June 2011
General Motors files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, Baltimore plant to stay open - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle):
Monday’s filing by the 101-year-old automaker once the world’s biggest companyh — is among the largesf in U.S. history and largest-ever U.S. manufacturinvg bankruptcy. Chapter 11, which allows the compan to operate while protected fromits creditors, pushees GM into a fast-track bankruptcgy and provides $30 billion of additional taxpayer funds to restructuree itself. The company in its filing listed $172.81 billion in debt and $82.29 billiob in assets. The GM plan as detailed by U.S. officials would allow a much smaller GM to emerges from court protection within 60 to90 days.
Al a managing director at the advisory companyy AlixPartnersLLP inNew York, is name in the filings as the company’e chief restructuring officer, reporting to GM CEO Fritz Henderson. GM GM) also plans to close 11 U.S. facilitied and idle another three plants by the endof 2010. The company'a Baltimore transmission plant employs more than 200 people was not listed amongthe closures. GM's Del., assembly plant, however, will close in July. That plany employs 1,060 workers. The automaker has not provided an updatef target for job cuts but was looking toeliminate 21,00p0 U.S. factory jobs from the 54,00o union members it now employs.
General Motors employas 92,000 in the United States and is indirectly responsibldefor 500,000 retirees. The U.S. government woulds hold a 60 percent financial interesy in a reorganized GM and the UAW would takea 17.5 percentg stake. said Monday on GM's bankruptcy. The governments of Canada and the province of Ontario have agreed to a 12 percentr ownership stake in exchange forfinancial aid. GM bondholdera would get 10 percent. Holderz of GM stock, which hit its lowest pricew on record Friday at74 cents, are expecter to own none of the company. Trading was halted on Monday'd news. Listed among GM's top creditors are (NYSE: T) and (NYSE: CSX).
The list of facilities that GM said will be closefd and their dates include two the Wilmington assembly plan t and onein Pontiac, Mich. (October 2009); three stampingb plants — including the previously announcecd closing in June ofGranf Rapids, Mich., Indianapolis, Ind. (Decemberr 2011), and Mansfield, Ohio (June 2010). Also, six Powertraib plants including Massena, N.Y., which closed on May 1 - Mich. (June 2010), Flint and Willow Run, (both December 2010), Parma, Ohio (December and Fredericksburg, Va., (December Three locations will beidler — assembly plants at Orion, Mich. (September and Spring Hill, Tenn. (November and a stamping plantat Pontiac, Mich.
, (December In addition, service and parts operations and warehousing and partx distribution centers in Boston, Fla.., and Columbus, Ohio, will close by Dec. 31, 2009. For a PDF of the bankruptchy filingpetition .
Wednesday, 8 June 2011
Target wins proxy fight with Ackman, Pershing Square - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle):
In a preliminary tally of voting, more than 70 percen t of the shares that were cast were votexd in favor ofthe company’s proposed slate of directors whilee also voting to keep the size of the boardf the same by the same votinh margin. Target Corp. (NYSE: TGT) urged its shareholderss to vote for a proposal to set the size of the boarrd at 12 and to vote forthe company’s nominees — Mary Dillon, Richard George Tamke and Solomon Trujillo. Dilloj is executive vice president and global chief marketing officerof McDonald’s Kovacevich is chairman of Wells Fargop & Co.; Tamke is a partner at privated investment firm Clayton Dubiliere & Rice Inc.
, and Trujillko is CEO of Telstra Hedge fund manager William Ackman is the founder and managinyg principal of , New York City. Pershing Square owns 7.8 percentr of Target’s common shares, accordingt to the Target proxy statement. Pershin g Square proposed alternative director but Target executives urged shareholders not to return any proxu card sent byPershing Square. Ackmahn was trying to gain a seat for himselfon Target’s board along with four former Winthrop Realty Trust CEO Michael Ashner, formed Starbucks CEO Jim Donald, Juniper Financial co-foundetr Richard Vague and corporate finance and governancre expert Ronald Gilson.
Ackman, calling his groul The Nominees forShareholder Choice, urged Target shareholderas to vote against the proposal to reducde the size of the Target board. His group said a vote agains the proposal would help ensure that at leasr one of the Nomineezs for Shareholder Choiceis elected. The shareholders meeting was held at a new Targety Store being completed at 1250 West Sunset Drivsin Waukesha. Target executives said the site allowedr the company to showcasd its latest general merchandisestored design.
The store is scheduled to open in Target executives said they have met sincwe 2007 with Ackman to discuss hisideaes and, said they were disappointed that Pershing Squarde has decided to pursue what Target management callec a costly and disruptive proxy The company, in part, followedc Ackman’s earlier suggestion to sell Target’s credift card receivables. The compang completed a transaction in May withJPMorgan Chase, in whichj Target sold slightly less than half its receivables for cash proceedsd of about $3.6 billion dollars. Ackman in May 2008 presentedx the first in a series of proposals involvinhrestructuring Target’s real estate around the themre of a REIT.
Target’s board concludeds that the REITproposalo “was not in the best interestr of our shareholders” because it wouldn’y create much value, Target executives said. On May 20, Target reportef net earnings of $522 million, or 69 cents per share, for the first quarter ended May 2, compared with $602 million , or 74 cents, a year Retail sales increased 0.4 percent to $14.4 billion from $14.3 billion in due to new store expansion that partiallh offset bya 3.7 percent decline in comparable-store Target Corp.
operates a credit card segment and 1,698 Target stores in 49
Monday, 6 June 2011
Schwarzenegger says day of reckoning is here - The Business Journal of the Greater Triad Area:
“California’s day of reckoning is he said. With no action, the state couls run out of cash in 14 Three months after the state budgetrwas approved, California faces a $24 billion Schwarzenegger has already proposed massive cuts to health care and prisons. Now he’s looking for structurak reform to make government more efficien t and stretchtaxpayer dollars. He’s askesd the State Board of Education, for to make textbooks availabler in digital formats a move that couldsave millions. In 2004, the governord talked about blowing up boxes andconsolidating agencies, but the initiativess never gained traction. They’rse back.
Schwarzenegger is proposinh once again to eliminate and consolidate more than a dozehstate departments, boards and commissions. This includesz the Waste Management Board, the Court Reporters Board, the Department of Boatingg and Waterways and the Inspection and Maintenance Review Earlierthis year, the state begajn consolidating information technology departments. Now Schwarzenegger want to consolidate departments that oversee financial institutions and mergde taxcollection operations. In July, state leaderz will receive recommendations on how to modernize thetax code.
“Thias will be a tremendous opportunity to make our revenuews more reliable and less volatilew and help the state avoid the boom and bust budget that have brought us here Schwarzeneggertold lawmakers. It’s not going to happenm in 14 days, he said. But it could happen beforer the Legislature adjourns for summert recess onJuly 17.
Saturday, 4 June 2011
Wednesday, 1 June 2011
Queen's pays $2.5M to settle Feds' claims - Houston Business Journal:
million to settle lawsuitss thatalleged Hawaii’s largest hospital overbilled government healthj care programs for prescriptioh medications, federal prosecutors said The settlement was the result of two whistleblower lawsuits broughtr by former pharmacy technicians, who alleged that Queen’zs overbilled the state’s Medicare and Medicaid programs, as well as the federal health insurance progran for military dependents, according to a news release from U.S. Attorneuy Edward H. Kubo Jr.
The lawsuitsd were filed under the federal and state FalsrClaims Acts, which allow the government to claim up to tripler the damages, plus penalties, for submitting false claims to governmenft programs. The two forme r employees allege Queen’s submitted fake billsz for anti-psychotic medications that were dispensed by the hospitaol pharmacy from 1999 to 2002 and were authorize bya doctor, but not necessarily by a psychiatrist, as The hospital was also accusef of billing from 1999 to 2006 for serviceas provided by medical residents who were supposed to be supervisec by other doctors, but that the supervision did not Kubo’s office said.
Under the Queen’s paid $2 million to the federa government, which shared $400,000 of the proceeds with the twoformer employees, and $500,000 to the attorneys for the two Queen’s will also maintainn a compliance program to ensures its billings conform to the rules for five yearzs under a corporate integrithy agreement with the U.S. Departmentf of Health and Human Queen's issued this statement: " denies any intentionall wrongdoing, but after five years of discussione and negotiations withthe government, has agreecd to settle this matter so that its resourcee may be spent on providinhg quality health care rathed than on legal fees.
"