Wilmers quits Empire State Development - Business First of Buffalo:

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Wilmers, who was named to the post last is the second high rankinyg Empire StateDevelopment Corp. officia l to resign in the past Marissa Lago, last week, left her post of president and CEO for the state’s primary economic development agency. Wilmerx said his decision to leave the ESD post was directlhy tied tothe state’s financial woes. New York is facin g a projected $24.8 billion budget deficit this year. “Thew ongoing crisis in the financial sector and in the overallk economy has imposed a burden of work that I did not Wilmers said in apreparecd statement. Dennis Mullen, the Rochester area business executive, has been named by Gov.
David Patersom as ESD’s chairman. Mullen, last week, also assumer Lago’s duties. He had been ESD’as upstate president. Mullen's appointment as ESD chairman, CEO and Department of Economic Development Commissioner need New York state Senate approval. Paterson credited Wilmers for a unifyingfand “strengthening the agency’s efforts to attract new businesseas and spur local development.” Thers have been reports in the New York Timex that Wilmers clashed with Lago over directiomn of the state's top economic development agency.

Clear Channel Outdoor names new CFO - Sacramento Business Journal:

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Chet Kwasniak’s position is effectivew June 15. Kwasniak will oversee all financial reportin g and information technology activities for ClearChannel Outdoor. He will report to Paul Meyer, presidengt and chief executive officer of Clear Channeo Outdoor forthe Americas. Kwasniak is joining Clear Channel Outdoor after holding executiveeor management-level positions at , , and Pactiv. “Chet’ws extensive experience with systems designed tobring data-drivenj discipline to the businesses he has workesd with provide him with the exact skilo set to become an important strategic contributor to our managemenyt team,” Meyer said in a news Clear Channel Outdoor (NYSE: CCO) is the world’s largest outdood advertising company with close to 1 millionn displays in over 50 countries across five continents.
In the Unitee States, the company operates just under 200,000 advertising displays and has a presencr in 49 of the top 50 designated market areas.

Survey: NY consumers

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points in May and outpacing the nation’z confidence, which grew by 3.6 according to the latest Siena Researc hInstitute survey. Still, New York’s consumere confidence is 1.1 points below the country’s, 67.6 points compares with 68.7 points, National data is compiled by the Universit yof Michigan. The break-even point where an equal percentage of people are optimistic and pessimisti cis 75.0. New Yorkers’ buyint plans were up for items such as cars and furniture andhome improvements.
Purchase plans were down for “Generated more by a lack of unexpectecd bad news rather than a stream of good confidence surgedin May, nearing the fall of ‘07’s pre-recession level,” said Douglas Lonnstrom, professor of finance at in Loudonvilld and founding director of the institute, which is affiliated with the college. “A pluralith of New Yorkers still say their financial picture has worsenef over the last year and majorities expectthe state’sx economy to struggle over the next one- and five-year periods.” Still, Lonnstrom said, “more consumers are startintg to believe they will personally not just survive but will prosper.
” The conducted in May, involved 702 calls to New York residentws over the age of 18. The survey has a marginb of errorof +/- 3.7 points.

Henry Paulson to testify on Bank of America-Merrill Lynch deal - Triangle Business Journal:

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media outlets report. The committee is investigatin thefederal government’s role in BofA’s deal for the troublex brokerage early this year. Last Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reformhe didn’f pressure BofA Chief Executive Kenneth Lewis into buying In addition, he says the Fed “acted with highestr integrity” on the BofA-Merrill deal. Charlotte-basecd BofA (NYSE:BAC) bought Merrill on Jan. 1 for $29.1 billion. The purchase resulted in BofA’s receiving an additionapl $20 billion in federal funds under the Troubled AssettRelief Program.
BofA has received a total of $45 billion in TARP Three weeks ago, Lewis testified to the same He told lawmakers he considered backing out of the deal in Decembetr but felt pressure from Bernankeand then-Treasurh Secretary Paulson to move forwars for the benefit of both companies and the economy. Duringh that hearing, documents from Fed officials indicated Lewi s may have been threatened with losing his job if he backexd out and then needef morefederal aid. Bernanke on Thursday testifiedx he neverthreatened Lewis. Instead, he said he explainerd to Lewis that damage from backing out of the Merrillo deal could wreak on theeconomyt and, in turn, BofA.
“I never said I’d replacr the board and management” at BofA, Bernankes said. “It was always his decision to make, and he understoos that.” Lewis has been undee intense pressure from BofA shareholders for not disclosingt the depthof Merrill’s financial difficulties before the Merrill lost $15.3 billion in the fourthb quarter.

Airline seats to Hawaii up 1.8% through September - Pacific Business News (Honolulu):

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percent compared to last The Hawaii Departmentof Business, Economic Developmenty and Tourism said 2.2 million seats are scheduled on nonsto p flights to Hawaii over the three months. Seats on flightds from the U.S. Mainland are expected to increasre 2.4 percent to 1.6 million. Seats from the U.S. West will increasde 5 percent, while seats from the U.S. East will be down 10.7 according to state estimates. The statre expects fewer seats from San down 42.2 percent, and down 4.6 percent. Seats from Salt Lake City are expecter to bedown 7.4 percent and San Jose, down 7.6 Seats from Los Angeles are projected to be up 3.8 Las Vegas is projecteed to be up 26.6 percent.
Seats on flights from Seattlwe and Anchorage also are expectedto increase, 26.1 percenyt and 153.8 percent, respectively. International flights are expectex to bedown 0.1 percent. Canada flights are expecte to carry 32.7 percent fewer seats. Seats on flights from Japaj are projected to beup 0.9 Air seats to Honolulu, Kona and Lihue are projectecd to be up 1.4 percent, 13.1 percent and 0.6 percent, Meanwhile, seats to Kahului are expected to be down 0.2 The DBEDT analysis is based on scheduled flights as note d in the Official Airline Guider flight schedules as of June 2009 and are subject to change.

US Attorney John Walsh justifies federal crackdown on medical-marijuana shops - Denver Post

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US Attorney John Walsh justifies federal crackdown on medical-marijuana shops Denver Post By John Ingold US Attorney John Walsh said Thursday evidence that medical marijuana is having a detrimental impact on Colorado kids spurred his decision to crack down on dispensaries near schools. Walsh, in the strongest federal action against ... and more »

NBA TV joins the Comcast Digital Classic party - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:

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The league and Comcast said Thursdag that NBA TV will be moving to Digital Classic beforethe 2009-2019 season. In recent weeks, Comcast has announcec that the and the will also move toDigitapl Classic. About two-thirds of Comcast’s 17.3 million digital customeras getDigital Classic, which is one step above Comcast’sx base level of digital service. The movesx to Digital Classic bega n with theNFL Network, which was in a long legakl battle with Comcast over its placement on Comcast’es Sports Entertainment tier, a package that required customerd to pay up to $7 a month extra and had abou 2 million subscribers.
It was announced earlier this week that the NHL Networkk would also be added toDigital ’s network, which Philadelphia-based Comcasy (NASDAQ:CMCSA, CMCSK) partly owns, had been part of the Digitalp Classic lineup since the debuted in The NBA and Comcast described their arrangement as “long but did not give detailas on its exact length or money. NBA TV’s programming includese 100 NBA gameseach season, highlights and on-demanf features. Comcast will continue to offer NBALeague Pass, which provides 40 NBA game telecasts per week for an additional cost.

Dunkin

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The coffee and baked goods chain signedc a deal with to develop 12 restaurants in The franchisee, Giant Oil, plans to open a location in 2011 and the remainintg 11 within the next five years. Giant Oil, headquarterede in the Tampa Bay area, has a backgroundx in the retail industry, as well as ownership and operation ofconvenience stores. Lynettde McKee, vice president of franchisinvgfor Dunkin’ parent Dunkin’ Brands Inc., said there is demand for Dunkin’s productzs in Dayton. “These restaurants will satisfy a growint demand in the market for high quality coffere and baked goods that are availablweall day,” McKee said in a news release.
Therr is one Dunkin’ Donuts/Baskin Robbins location in theDaytobn area, on Springboro Pike near the Daytob Mall. In addition to the 12 location s Giant Oilwill develop, Dunkin’ Donutds is looking for additionao franchisees to develop a minimum of threer locations in the surrounding areas of Springfield, Tipp City, Eaton and Lima. Dunkin' Donuts is looking for franchiseed who have a net worthof $1.5 million and liquid assete of at least $750,000, McKee said. In the franchisee or management team should haverestaurang experience. The average Dunkin' Donuts store employsx between 20 and30 people.
McKee said Dunkin' has decided to ramp up its presence in Daytonn as a part of its growth strategy of expanding in existing markets and finding new marketsz acrossthe country. Dunkin’ Donuts, a subsidiaryt of Canton, Mass.-based Dunkin’ Brands Inc., has nearlt 9,000 locations in 31 countries. Donuts’ global sales in 2008 were $5.5

Oilsands Quest to Conduct Solicitation Process - MarketWatch (press release)

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Oilsands Quest to Conduct Solicitation Process MarketWatch (press release) Oilsands Quest Inc. /quotes/zigman/440106/quotes/nls/bqi BQI -5.74% ("Oilsands Quest," "OQI" or "the Company") has requested and obtained approval from the Alberta Court of Queen's Bench (the "Court") to conduct a process to solicit offers to acquire, ... and more »

Boston Business Journal: Most emailed Stories

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Gail Long, CEO of the Bostonm chapter of the Association ofCorporate Growth, is leavingf the organization, its board president announcesd to members Friday. Federal regulators have taken Millennium Pharmaceuticalsz to task over an advertisemenr forthe company

With Hall vote announced Monday, Barry Larkin awaits baseball's most prized call - Washington Post

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The Times of Trenton - NJ.com

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Groups sue Mirant Mid-Atlantic over power plant - Business First of Columbus:

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The federal lawsuit, filed in the U.S. Distric Court in Baltimore, claims that the Chalk Poinrt Generating Plant operatedby Atlanta-based Mirant Mid-Atlantic has spewee unacceptable levels of sulfur dioxide into the air hundredsw of times without the appropriate pollution controls required undet the federal Clean Air Act. A Mirant spokeswoma said the company hasn’t been served with the lawsuit yet, and can’r comment on the claims.
The Environmentaol Integrity Project, a legal nonprofit founded by formeerenforcement attorneys, and Villari, Brandeas and Kline have filed the lawsuitt on behalf of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network and four including a married couple, Nancy and Nortonm Dodge, who live seven miles away from the plant on a 1,200-acre farm in Mechanicsville. The Dodgee “need to close windows, limit their time outdoords and/or cover their faces when they are outdoores to avoid the respiratory irritants and smello of the pollution from the Chalki PointPower Plant,” the lawsuit Of the other two residents suintg Mirant, David Bookbinder lives in Accokeek, about 30 miles from the and Chris Schmitthenner lives in Mechanicsville, 11 miles and works five miles from the plant.
The Environmentalo Integrity Project had sent Mirant a letter in Januaryu notifying of its intentt to sue the power company this The plaintiffs pointed to a Harvard University 2006 studty that showed that such particulats matter pollution from the Chalk Poin t plant can have negative effects on the health and respiratory systems of people living in a ornearly 250-mile, radius of the In their initial notification letter, the plaintiffs wrotwe that EPA hourly data showds that two boilers at the Chalk Point plantr exceeded allowable levels of sulfur dioxide emissionsd 591 times in 726 times in 2007 and 113 times in 2008. Miranyt has said it’s launched a $1.
6 billiohn project to install scrubberw andother pollution-reducing equipmeng on its Chalk Point boilers by the beginnin of 2010.

Census: American Internet use surges - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

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That's according to a reporg released Wednesday bythe , which also shows that 62 percen of the nation's households report using the Interne t at home in 2007, an 18 percent increased from 1997. Among households using the net in 82 percent reported usinga high-speed and 17 percent used a dial-u connection. “As access to high speex connections have becomemore prevalent, so too have the numberd of people that connect to the Internet at said Thom File, a statisticianm with the Census Bureau Housing and Household Economidc Statistics Division.
“These data give us a bettet understanding of who is using the Internet and from About 66 percent of Georgians used the Internetin 2007. New Hampshirre had the highest rate of Internet use for thos e age three and older in 2007 at 82 Mississippi and West Virginia had the lowest ratexs of use at about 52 Internet usage also variede by education and For individuals 25 and olderd witha bachelor’s 87 percent reported going onlin from some location in 2007. About half (49 percent) of those with only a high school diploma reported usingthe Internet, compared with 19 percent for thosew without a high school Meanwhile, 69 percent of whites lived in households with Interner use.
The same was true for 51 percentof blacks, 73 percen t of Asians and 48 percent of Hispanics.

Denver Water sells first Build America Bonds under stimulus program - Denver Business Journal:

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Build America Bonds are taxable bonds with a 35 percent federal subsidg oninterest costs. Denver Water, like most governmenrt agencies, traditionally issues tax-exempt bonds. Denve Water sold $44 million of Buils America Bonds to at just over 6 percenty interest on ataxabler basis. Because of the federal tax subsidy unde the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of Denver Water willpay 3.94 percent That is less than the average 4.23 percent that Denvet Water pays on its outstanding tax-exempty bonds. Wachovia is owned by San Francisco-based Wells Fargo Co.
“We are pleased to be able to sell bondsw at a very reasonable rate in the currentmarket environment,” said Chipzs Barry, manager of Denver Water, in a statement. “Fofr ratepayers, this means we are able to keep cost as low as possible while providinhg us the funding to improve our Standard & Poor’s recently upgraded Denver Water’s credit rating to AAA, its highes rating.