News 2008-07-30 Andanh.com

State business climate among nation's best Tue, 29 Jul 2008 22:37:00 PST
Nevada has the sixth-best business climate in the nation, according to a survey of U.S. corporate executives released this week.

Workshop to focus on finding, recruiting skilled students Tue, 29 Jul 2008 22:37:00 PST
A free workshop on how businesses can recruit college students for skilled jobs is scheduled for Aug. 13 at the University of Nevada, Reno.

Washoe assessor offers training session Tue, 29 Jul 2008 22:37:00 PST
The Washoe County Assessor's Office will hold a training session Tuesday for business owners on the proper completion of the personal property declaration form.

Reno's Glenn Group wins ADDY award Tue, 29 Jul 2008 22:37:00 PST
The Reno-based Glenn Group, an advertising, public relations and Web site design agency, has won a national silver ADDY award for its poster illustration created for the 2006 regional ADDY awards.

Judge rules against cell fees Tue, 29 Jul 2008 22:37:00 PST
SAN FRANCISCO -- The fees that cell phone carriers charge customers who break service contracts took a big hit in a California courtroom, when a judge said such charges by Sprint Nextel Corp. likely violate state law.

Home prices drop 15.8% Tue, 29 Jul 2008 22:37:00 PST
U.S. home prices tumbled in May by the steepest rate in years, according to a closely watched housing index released Tuesday, as the housing slump deepened nationwide.

GAO: Truckers on road despite past drug usage Tue, 29 Jul 2008 22:37:00 PST
WASHINGTON -- Tractor-trailer and bus drivers who tested positive for illegal drugs have flouted federal regulations by returning to work without the required treatment, in some cases transporting hazardous materials for many months, congressional investigators said.

Economy 'in the doldrums' Tue, 29 Jul 2008 22:37:00 PST
Taxable sales slipped statewide in May and fell for the 14th straight month in Washoe County, the state reported Tuesday, as rising costs put a chill on auto sales and other discretionary spending.

Dow Jones up 266; oil drops $2.54 Tue, 29 Jul 2008 22:37:00 PST
NEW YORK -- Wall Street shot higher Tuesday, gaining back the previous session's sharp losses and then some, after a drop in oil prices and a rise in consumer confidence gave investors some hope for a letup in Americans' financial woes. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 266 points.

Carano named to state tourism board Tue, 29 Jul 2008 22:37:00 PST
Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons has appointed Cindy L. Carano of the Eldorado Hotel Casino to the Nevada tourism board. Carano, one of five members appointed to the board, is the Executive Director of Hotel Operations at the Eldorado.

Builders want to shed 'positive light' on market Tue, 29 Jul 2008 22:37:00 PST
The Builders Association of Northern Nevada will provide a rundown today of housing and economic conditions in the area as part of its first mid-year construction analysis event.

Aspen taps Serpa for operations post Tue, 29 Jul 2008 22:37:00 PST
Aspen Developers announced that construction industry veteran Joe M. Serpa has been hired as the director of operations for the Reno-Truckee-based company.

Cost at pump dips below $4 as demand falls Mon, 28 Jul 2008 23:13:00 PST
The average gas price fell below $4 a gallon for the first time in eight weeks, the result of declining demand from U.S. consumers and moderating crude oil prices.

1st National Bank of Nevada now Mutual of Omaha Bank Mon, 28 Jul 2008 23:13:00 PST
1st National Bank of Nevada, closed by federal regulators late Friday, reopened as Mutual of Omaha Bank on Monday morning to mostly calm customers at four sites in Reno, Sparks and Carson City.

Massage franchise stresses relaxation Mon, 28 Jul 2008 23:13:00 PST
Joe Wieczorek, owner of the Massage Envy on South Virginia Street in Reno and on Disc Drive in Sparks, opened his sites in 2007.

Ding Communications adds new client Mon, 28 Jul 2008 23:13:00 PST
Reno marketing specialist Ding Communications added Great Basin Imaging and Urology Nevada to its list of clients. Great Basin Imaging provides medical imaging services and nuclear medicine services.

people Mon, 28 Jul 2008 23:13:00 PST
Soroptimist International of Truckee Meadows has installed its new board for the 2008-09 club year. The new board members are: Marilyn Pearson, president; Bev Perkins, president-elect; Ann Steckline, vice president/technical; Jennifer Crowe, vice president/service; Dorothy Nash Holmes, correspondence secretary; Becky Moody, recording secretary; Norma Rash, treasurer/general fund; Paula Ringkob, treasurer/service fund; Pam Robinson and Gayle Baxley, directors; Marna Griffin and Paula Leyba, delegates; Cheryl Powell and Patty Doty, alternate delegates; and Jo Ann Roberts, parliamentarian.

Heritage Bank of Nevada going strong -- despite confusion Mon, 28 Jul 2008 23:13:00 PST
What's in a name? Confusion.

IBM acquires software firm with Incline office Mon, 28 Jul 2008 23:13:00 PST
The signing of an agreement on a proposed acquisition by IBM of ILOG was announced Monday. IBM will combine its business process management, business optimization and service-oriented architecture technologies with ILOG's Business Rules Management Systems software through the proposed transaction.

Work begins on South Meadows Middle School Mon, 28 Jul 2008 23:13:00 PST
United Construction Company has begun work on South Meadows Middle School for the Washoe County School District. Located at 9300 Wilbur May Parkway in Reno, the $37 million project is United's eighth project for the district and will serve as the prototype for future middle schools in the county, the company said.

Washoe plan panel OKs 632 homes east of Callahan Ranch Mon, 28 Jul 2008 23:08:00 PST
More than 150 residents along the Mount Rose Highway corridor tried to convince the Washoe County Planning Commission on Monday night not to allow up to 632 homes in the high desert hills east of Callahan Ranch or any more commercial land on the county's only scenic highway and gateway to Lake Tahoe.

Black hired at credit union Mon, 28 Jul 2008 23:13:00 PST
Nevada Federal Credit Union announced the hiring of Wanida Black as Northern Nevada district assistant vice president.

Inflation, credit, earnings not as bad as they seem Tue, 29 Jul 2008 22:37:00 PST
Just for a minute let's set aside all the bad things plaguing the financial world. Even in these gloomy times, there's some good news worth checking out.

Thunder can't always be heard Tue, 29 Jul 2008 22:37:00 PST
Sometimes, all it takes is a little tickle in the atmosphere to turn perfectly blue skies into a thunderstorm. That's what happened to us Tuesday. Although it wasn't a real barn burner as far as our weather can go, a weak impulse that came up from the south did bring in some clouds, and it even stirred up a couple of isolated thunderstorms to the north of the Truckee Meadows. As of this writing, I am watching the smoke from a brush fire that was sparked by one of those thunderstorms. Let's hope it doesn't spread too much.

Obama vows effort Mon, 28 Jul 2008 22:37:00 PST
to revive ailing economy

McCain has patch of skin removed from his face Mon, 28 Jul 2008 22:37:00 PST
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- Republican John McCain said Monday he had a small patch of skin removed from his face and biopsied as part of a regular checkup with his dermatologist.

Cold front will clear air in a few days Mon, 28 Jul 2008 22:37:00 PST
I knew I shouldn't have said anything.

FDIC insurance protects your business and your personal money Mon, 28 Jul 2008 23:13:00 PST
With the collapse of a major bank, Americans are, rightfully, concerned about the safety of their money. The U.S. government, through the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., protects up to $100,000 per individual, but what about your business deposits?

Go over rules to see if you can stay in mobile home park Fri, 25 Jul 2008 22:37:00 PST
Q I am thinking about buying a mobile home located in a park. There is a sign at the entrance to the park that says that the buyer of a home must be approved by the landlord. What do I need to do to make sure I can leave the home in the park?

If lender can't prove it, there can be no late fee Fri, 25 Jul 2008 22:37:00 PST
DEAR BENNY: My loan, with a failed institution, was sold by the FDIC. After two years of servicing my loan, the new lender demanded payment for an alleged late-charge balance transferred with my loan. However, it also stated that there were no history records. I was never late, and this year the new lender admitted the late charges were not verified and made a partial refund. The FDIC has been in the loop. Who's at fault in this scenario and what are my legal options? -- Carl

Gas prices spur consumer buying change Tue, 22 Jul 2008 22:37:00 PST
NEW YORK -- Americans' struggle with $4 gas doesn't just mean we are turning in our gas-guzzling SUVs for more fuel-efficient cars, forgoing vacations or socializing more at home.

Visibility in Reno Sat, 26 Jul 2008 22:37:00 PST
While we are still expecting a lot of smoke, the old song "On a Clear Day You Can See Forever" doesn't always sing true around here -- especially with a couple dozen fires still burning to our west. That may have been on Mike McDade's mind when he wrote in with the following question: "When the weather part of your (Web site) says '10.0 m' visibility, at what elevation is that determined? Now with the smoke, how can it be 10 miles visibility? Thanks for your time."

Why the storms miss you Fri, 25 Jul 2008 22:37:00 PST
No storms should land in our area for the foreseeable future. And now that we've gone from several hundred fires inNorthern California to a couple of dozen, the smoke situation should be a little more tolerable. Expect sunshine and highs in the mid-90s throughout the weekend.

High-pressure ridge to keep storm fronts out Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:37:00 PST
To be honest, there's not a lot of weather that we have to pass along to you today.

Tracking storms via Doppler Wed, 23 Jul 2008 22:37:00 PST
I don't see any clouds coming to the region today -- unless you're talking about clouds of smoke. As of press time, thick haze from the California fires has drifted back into the area and will likely be somewhere nearby over the next couple of days. Keep in mind, the number of fires has diminished over the last couple of weeks, so subtle shifts in wind can make a big difference when it comes to the amount of smoke we'll have to put up with.

Pressure center, high combine for tornado sightings Mon, 21 Jul 2008 22:38:00 PST
Holy cow.

Sun nukes skin rather than burns Sun, 20 Jul 2008 22:37:00 PST
The sun doesn't burn you like a frying pan but rather nukes you like a microwave. UVB radiation excites the molecules in the outer layer of the skin (the epidermis), causing the damage that can lead to painful aftermaths, not to mention many skin cancers.

Getting a sunburn Sun, 20 Jul 2008 14:08:00 PST
Since July is UV Awareness Month, it's a good time to try and bone up on all aspects of what can be a deadly killer.

Skies should have only a few clouds Fri, 18 Jul 2008 22:37:00 PST
We really don't have a lot of changes in store for today, although there is a very weak disturbance that is setting up off the Northern California coast that could bring us a few clouds this afternoon and maybe even pop up an isolated thunderstorm, although those that occur probably will stay to the south of the Reno area.

Don't forget UV danger Thu, 17 Jul 2008 22:37:00 PST
Now, it's getting hard to forecast the smoke, and all in all, that's a good thing. While the overall wind patterns haven't changed that much, firefighters are making enough gains on the fires themselves that subtle shifts in the wind will at least bring us some temporary relief now and then. Mind you, there are still a lot of fires burning, and the haze will drift in and out for a while, but at least it's progress.

Stability likely for right now Wed, 16 Jul 2008 22:53:00 PST
We may have to wait a long time before we have a chance at another shower in the Truckee Meadows. The ridge of high pressure that will keep our temperatures in the mid-90s is flat enough to allow a westerly flow to come in off the ocean. This time of year, that is usually a stable pattern, which means a lot of sunshine, without much of a chance of any thunderstorms popping up, even with the heat.

As long as fires burn, area must deal with smoke Tue, 15 Jul 2008 22:37:00 PST
The rain we had Monday did wonders for the air quality around here -- for about a day. I'd like to say that the effect of the rain would last, but now that we've returned to a drier westerly flow, I am afraid that as long as the fires are burning over the mountains, we will have to put up with at least some smoke in the region.

Recent dry spell broken by area's thunderstorms Mon, 14 Jul 2008 22:37:00 PST
It's been a long time, but we finally broke the dry spell on Monday.

Airport as good a place as any to record temps Sun, 13 Jul 2008 22:38:00 PST
Sunday, Steve Buckley asked why we use the airport as the official weather site for Reno. He questions whether all the concrete surrounding it doesn't contaminate the readings somewhat. My response is I couldn't agree more. One must be very careful here in Reno when looking at temperature records and comparing them with previous years. When they started taking temperatures at the airport, it was surrounded by irrigated alfalfa fields instead of the present day tarmac. That changes average temperatures, especially nighttime lows. The "urban heat island" has had a definite influence on recorded temperatures here.

Readers question temperatures taken at airport Sat, 12 Jul 2008 22:37:00 PST
All of the talk we've had over the past few days about temperature differences between car thermometers and the readings at the official Reno site has elicited a lot of comments on the reliability of the Reno site. Steve Buckley makes the following observation: "I can understand why no one would want to measure temperatures on a freeway. To me, it seems fairly obvious that one would get a major heat island effect on them. But to use the airport complex seems to me to provide the same issue.

Air flow eases smoky conditions Fri, 11 Jul 2008 22:37:00 PST
We did manage to catch a break from the exceedingly dense smoke Friday as a weak low to our south combined with a high to our north to steer the flow around from the east. It wasn't a real strong flow, but just enough to ease the thickness of the smoke. I think the same overall pattern will be here today, so while I don't expect the smoke to up and go away, hopefully it will be a bit more tolerable.

Air might improve a little bit Fri, 11 Jul 2008 00:08:00 PST
It may only be a small victory, but I think we should get a bit of a reprieve from the very bad air quality this afternoon. In fact, it may improve from very bad to just bad. A light northeast flow will help dilute the smoke at the surface. Although the air aloft might not look much better, what we are breathing down here ought to be a little healthier. That should make our high a little more tolerable.

CD reviews: See what bands visiting Reno sound like lately Sun, 27 Jul 2008 22:37:00 PST
Phantom Planet

DVD reviews: 'Vantage,' 'Superhero' not worth the rental Sun, 27 Jul 2008 22:37:00 PST
Vantage Point

Latest area DUI-related cases Wed, 30 Jul 2008 11:24:00 PST
Following are actions involving people arrested on a charge of driving under the influence:

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