Thursday, July 23, 2009

Thursday's headlines

 
Floyd, Stuenkel under fire from Georgia Watch focus on hospitals

-Georgia Watch, which bills itself as a nonprofit consumer advocacy group, takes a closer look at the operations of Floyd Medical Center in its Hospital Accountability Project report now posted (click Georgia Watch).  The report has been picked up by the relatively new investigative reporting site, Atlanta Unfiltered, which also features FMC president chief executive officer Kurt Stuenkel's reported annual compensation package of $800,000-plus as its "salary du jour." Floyd says Stuenkel's annual package includes not only his base salary but also incentives and retirement. Full report: click Floyd

Local, state jobless numbers soar in June

 
Working in June 09
Unemployed in June 09
% jobless in June

% jobless

in May

% jobless in June '08

Bartow 39,937 5,731 12.5% 11.4% 6.8%
Chatoooga 9,533 1,448 13.2% 13.1% 9.2%
Floyd 43,941 5,681 11.4% 10.4% 6.5%
Gordon 22,244 3,500 13.6% 12.9% 6.9%
Polk 19,072 2,425 11.3% 10.6% 6.2%
Georgia 4,283,128 503,205 10.5% 9.4% 6.2%

Source: Georgia Department of Labor

Nearly 19,000 people in the five surrounding counties were out of work in June as each community posted jobless rates of 11.3 to 13.6 percent. That's compared to those mostly in the 6.5 percent range a year earlier. Georgia's jobless rate hit 10.5 percent in June as well. Among the hardest hit communities: Gordon County with 13.6 percent of its labor force idle last month. Chattooga County also posted a 13.2 percent jobless rate.

-The state overview: Georgia's adjusted unemployment rate jumped to 10.1 percent in June, the highest rate ever recorded in Georgia.

-Check watch: 160,249 people were receiving state unemployment insurance benefits last month while 93,000 were receiving federal extended benefits. 
-Job losses: Payroll jobs decreased by 209,500 vs. June 2008. The over-the-year losses came in professional and business services, including temporary employment agencies, manufacturing, trade, transportation and warehousing, and in the construction industry.

-Job gains: Healthcare and educational services, a combined increase of 12,000 jobs.

-Chart below, from the Labor Department, tracks Rome's jobless rate.

 

Employment updates:

-July 29/Veterans workshop in Dalton, featuring one-on-one interviews with employers, educational institutions, veterans service agencies and others, is set for 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, July 29, at the state Department of Labor's Dalton Career Center.

-Sept. 24/Shorter, Forum, Labor Department team up on job fair:   The Northwest Georgia Shorter College Job/Career Fair is set for 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 24, from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. at The Forum. Shorter, The Forum and the Georgia Department of Labor are sponsoring the event. It is free; preregistration is required. Click

Thursday's Buzz:

-Mount Berry Square has busy late summer, fall ahead: Back-to-school specials, health fair, other events set for coming weeks> Business

-Area Comcast high-speed internet subscribers to get ESPN360: Just as college football season warms up, Comcast.net is adding the popular ESPN option with plans to cover up to 3,500 games a year--available only online.

-Synovus (Citizens First, GB&T) to post financials today> Synovus

-DOT open house on widening Ga. 140 set for July 30> Buzz

-Final 'Cherokee Art' exhibit: Chieftains Museum/Major Ridge Home announces the last special exhibit in the year long series, "Cherokee Art."  See Cherokee-made jewelry, dolls, flutes, basket weaving, paintings, clothing, pottery, gourd artwork, stone and wood carvings. Call 706 291-9494 or click Chieftains

-Higgins certified to help with terminally ill, families, grief counseling> HP

'The Druck Report' local business update premieres on WRGA: Local business news, updates and analysis premiere Monday at 7:45 a.m. and 12:50 p.m. on WRGA 1470 AM. Listen to a sample by click TDR

Downtown Headlines:

-What's ahead in downtown Rome. Plus: Bryan Mullins' updates on downtown entertainment from MullinsMania.com

Weather:

-Thursday: 30% rain chance. High of 87, low of 61.

-Friday: More sun, high of 92, low of 64.

-Your extended forecast> Weather / Local radar > Radar

Norman Arey's Sports Roundtable

-Sorry, Mike, but there's no way Tar Heel fans are gonna love you , no matter what

Rome Braves' updates:

-Braves win first game of road trip, beat Hickory,  6-2

-Braves vs. Hickory tonight at 7

-Latest Braves' photos by Mills Fitzner> Gallery

Georgia High School Football Daily

-Preseason predictions continues with the 7-AA reviews and predictions.

-How they say the North will finish: Calhoun, Chattooga, Gordon Central, Adairsville, Sonoraville, Dade County

-How they say the South will finish: Pepperell, Armuchee, Rockmart, Model, Coosa, Temple

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