Thursday, May 28, 2009

Thursday updates

 
Reminder: Full coverage of Friday's Cartersville Purple Hurricanes' AAA championship games on WBHF 1450 AM and Web cast here on Bartow Headlines.
 
Regional jobless rate drops from 11% to 10.3% in April

Coosa Valley's unemployment rate dropped to 10.3 percent in April vs. 11.0 percent in March. The regional report includes Bartow, Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade, Floyd, Gordon, Haralson, Paulding, Polk and Walker counties. In metro Rome, the jobless rate also was 10.3 percent, the same as in April.

We're expecting county-by-county numbers later today from the state Labor Department and will update those as soon as available.


As for Georgia: April's jobless rate was 9.3 percent, up from 9.2 percent in March and in February. In April 2008, 5.8 percent of Georgia's labor force was idle. The state Labor Department reports 446,560 Georgians were looking for work last month, a 60 percent jump from 12 months earlier.

>Where jobs were lost: Manufacturing, professional and business services, including temporary employment agencies, along with trade, transportation and warehousing, and the construction industry.    
>Job gainers (14,200 in all): health care and educational services.

Business

Mixed results for banking:

>Georgia banks lose $1.2 billion in first quarter> AJC

>U.S. picture: best three months in a year; $7.6B profit> MarketWatch

Politics:

-DuBose Porter, a Democratic gubernatorial hopeful, in Rome today: The Georgia House minority leader and Dublin newspaper executive will speak to Rome Rotary at noon, Coosa Country Club> More politics

Thursday's Buzz:

-Big cuts for state parks, historic sites: (From a media release) The Georgia Department of Natural Resources is slashing services and staff, citing a nearly 39 percent reduction in state funds and 24 percent drop in revenue. What it means:

*"Reducing operational days and/or pursuing community support at 12 state historic sites" including the Etowah Indian Mounds, New Echota in Calhoun and Chief Vann House in Chatsworth. Later in the media release, this stunner is included: "and future closures are possible."

-Shorter School of Nursing forms advisory team> Click

-Gingrey honored by American Conservative Union> Gingrey

-Preston Smith named 2009 'Guardian of Small Business'> Politics

Dining & Drink (Click)

-First bites at Okinawa. Think of it as Blue Fin with a different spin.

-The News Vine: Cycling, sipping in Dahlonega's wine country this weekend.

WeatherCenter:

-Thursday:  60% chance of showers, thunderstorms. High of 85.
-Thursday night: Low of 62, 30% chance of rain.
-Friday: 20% chance of showers, high near 83.

Norman Arey's Sports Roundtable/brought to you by Riverside Toyota

-You need binoculars to find Dale Jr.; SEC commish says toughen up schedules


Rome Braves updates:

-Braves, Drive split Wednesday double header. Drive wins game one, 5-4; Rome uses home run in extra innings to win game two, 4-3.
-Braves off Thursday, open four-game set in Bowling Green Friday

-Latest Mills Fitzner game photos
> Gallery

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