Friday, December 31, 2010

Cerner finds a treasure in data mining - Boston Business Journal:

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The North Kansas City-based health care information technologyu company, known mostly for the health-recordc software sold to hospitalsand clinics, is leveraginvg the billions of anonymous patienr records it has at its disposal as marketable informationb to pharmaceutical companies and researchers. Cerner said the data operation is a big reasomn revenue for its LifeSciences Group has increasef by roughly 20 percent during each of the past five Mark Hoffman, the company’s life sciencesx solutions vice president, predicteds that annual growth will be greater still in the future. “This is just the beginninyg for us in the life he said. Included in Cerner’s data warehousw are 1.
2 billion lab It also has smaller numbers of medicatiom orders and other The company collects the informationthrough data-sharing agreements with roughly 125 of its softwarwe clients. By some estimates, it can take as long as 17 yearswand $1.2 billion to develoo a single drug. Cerner’s data-mininbg capabilities can quicken that process and save moneyy for drug companies by helping the companies establisn a study protocol that maximizes the number of eligiblse candidates fora trial. “We believe that can actually eventuall y reduce the cost of drug Hoffman said. Cerner would not name its pharmaceutical customers.
Pharmaceuticao companies and clinical researchers pay for Cerner data for other saidScott Weir, director of the ’s Officr of Therapeutics Discovery and Development. He said Cerner’ data-mining capability can point scientists to potential new uses forexistingb drugs. For instance, Weir Cerner’s database might suggest that a drug used to treat cardiovasculare disease could be helpfukl in treatingcancer patients. Researchers then coule run a clinical tria l to testthe idea. The data is useful to drug companies for much the same Weir said, including helping them identif y and correct side effects from drugs.
The KU Canceer Center has used Cerner’s data-mining capabilities for several projects. “They uncoved information we wouldnever discover,” Weir said. “It’d invaluable.” He said Cerner stands to benefift financially, as well, from collaborations with researcherss that can lead to intellectual propertyu that produces licensing feesand royalties. Cerner also can work with researchers suchas Dr. Stephen director of the Center for Personalizerd Medicine and Therapeutic Innovationat . Spielberg seeks a $3.9 milliob grant from the for a study of how the centetr can better capture data in pediatrivc cancer studies usingCerner software.

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Crime Solvers offers reward for David Garner's arrest - Waynesboro Record Herald

martaemimbzini.blogspot.com


Crime Solvers offers reward for David Garner's arrest

Waynesboro Record Herald


By Anonymous Franklin County Crime Solvers is offering a reward of up to $2000 for information leading to the arrest of David Dalton Garner, 24, ...


Reward offered for Chambersburg man

FOX43.com


State police looking for man wanted in attempted homicide

The Shippensburg News-Chronicle


Reward offered for suspect in Franklin attempted homicide

abc27



 »

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Real Estate Wrap: RAIT and Alesco still optimistic after tribulations - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

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What RAIT and distant relative Alesco have in commobn goes beyond each maintaining their headquartersz on the 17th floor of Cira an office building that sits in a Keystone Opportunitgy Zone in the University City section of These special zones give companies who operate from there big breakas on state andlocal taxes. RAIT (NYSE:RAS) and Alesco both made oodles of money in yearx past by offering real estate companies complex debt financing optiones and investing and managing commercial They both liked investing in trusytpreferred securities, mortgage backed securities and other complezx lending tools used to help finance the real estatre boom. RAIT’s CEO used to be Daniel G.
son of Betsy Z. Cohen, who is chairwoman of RAIT. Just last Daniel Cohen stepped down from RAIT to becoms CEOof Alesco, which is merging with Cohen & Co. Daniel Cohen is chairman of Cohen & Co., which serves as investment manager for Alesco and also makes its home on the 17th floord ofCira Centre. He will remain a trustee at RAIT while assuming his new dutiesat Alesco. That’w not all the companies have in common. Their sharesd currently trade under $1 and recentlg reported tremendous losses forlast year, particularlt in the fourth quarter, accordingb to and company documents.
Dividend as required to retainREIT status, have been For example, in the fourth quarterr of 2006 when the company was recording strong returns, RAIT issued a 75 centa per share dividend. This past fourth quarter, its dividend was 35 cents a share. For issuing a dividend is being reviewed by its Alesco has also been notifieed by the about potentially being delisted sinceit doesn’y meet certain thresholds to continur trading on the exchange. The exchange eases some of its rules and Alesclo can remain listed forthe meantime. At the same both companies remain optimistic about theier futures and emerging from whatails them, according to recenft earnings conference calls.
RAIT lost $505.8 or $7.82 a share, in the fourth quarte and $442 million, or $7.03 a for the year. Alesco lost $212.5 or $3.60 a share, in the fourth quarted and $144.7 million, or $2.43 a share for the year. That’z an improvement over 2007 when itlost $1.3 Alesco, after considering its including liquidating, believes the merger with Cohen will help to eventually reverse its losses. Cohen has a “strong and deep managemen t team well positioned for current a company executive said this month in an earningsconferencr call.
Not only that, Cohen is generatinf positive cash flow through asset management fees and has a trackj record of hiring talented fixed income professionals who have provenrevenue production. In it has hired more than 20 sales peoplse and traders in the last nine months and planse tohire more. Alesco plans a one-for-10 stock split befored the merger closes in the second half ofthe year. RAIT has faitjh in its platform as well as itsnew CEO, Scott He has been working at RAIT since 2000. Before that, Schaeffer spent eight years buying and workinfout non-performing loans from the Resolutiom Trust Co. among others.
“Additionally, many members of our executivee team have managed through numerous real estate both goodand bad,” Schaeffeer said in a conferencwe call Feb. 26. The company has enough cash flow and liquidit to meet its debt obligations and positioned itself to take advantaged of opportunities in the distressec realestate market. One issue it hopese will be resolved is a series ofnine class-actionj shareholder lawsuits.

Thursday, December 23, 2010

San Francisco Business Times: List Survey

http://olealawyers.com/2009/07/10-reasons-to-update-your-will/
All submissions must be received on or before theJune 15, 2009 Submissions for this survey will be used to determine both the 100 Fastest-Growinb Private Cos. in the Bay Area (Alameda, Contrsa Costa, Marin, San Francisco and San Mateo counties and the city of Palo as well as the50 Fastest-Growing Privatse Cos. in the East Bay (Alameda and Contra Costw counties). Independent privately-held corporation, proprietorship or partnershi p (not a subsidiary or a throughfiscal year-end 2008.
Headquartered in the Bay Area Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo and the city of Palo A three year sales history (fiscal year s 2006, 2007 and 2008) with an increase in fiscapl year 2008 over fiscal year 2006. Revenues of more than $200,000 in fiscal year 2006, and the company must have been in business throughoutt fiscalyear 2006. Provide all informationm requested onthe application, including verification documents. Importanrt Reminders: Applications will be accepted for fiscal yearse ending up to and includinvgMarch 31, 2009, which qualifieas as fiscal 2008.
As long as the company remainedd private through fiscalyear 2008, those companieds that went public in fiscal year 2009 may apply. The name and contactt information of the person completingthis survey. denotes a requirefd field. ex. Mr./Ms. ex. John ex. A. (may be left ex. Smith ex. Jr., M.D. (may be left ex. HR Director ex. jsmith@acme.com ex. (613) 555-5555 Has your companyt been included in any of ourlists before? Basiv information about the company or ex. Acme Corporation ex. 123 W. 5th Avenued ex. San Francisco ex. CA ex. 95307 ex. 355-5555 ex. (800) 355-5555 ex. http://www.bizjournals.com/ This business is a family-owned business.
  This business is a minority-ownefd business.   This busineszs is a non-profit organization. This business is a privately held company. This business is a publiclhy traded company.   This business is a women-owned Fiscal year 2006 revenur or total netsales (figures must be unifor for each year, either accrual or cash) Fiscakl year 2007 revenue or total net sales (figures must be uniform for each year, either accrual or Fiscal year 2008 revenue or total net sales (figures must be unifornm for each year, either accrual or No. of companywide employeea 2006 (headcount) No. of companywidde employees 2007 (headcount) No. of companywide employees 2008 (headcount) No.
of Bay Area employees 2006 No. of Bay Area employees 2007 (headcount) No. of Bay Area employeese 2008 (headcount) No. of East Bay employeez 2006 (headcount) No. of East Bay employeeds 2007 (headcount) No. of East Bay employees 2008 (headcount) Verification In order to all applicants must submit financial documentatiob confirmingtheir revenue. Acceptables forms of documentation include one ofthe following: Audited financial statements-Must have a signed accountant'sa letter. Please submit only balance sheet andincomee statement. CPA-reviewed financial statements-Must have a signedx accountant's letter. Please submit only balance sheet andincomee statement. Tax returns-Signed by CPA.
Pleas send financial statement via email or regulare mail to LisaMetzger (lmetzger@bizjournals.com or 275 Battery St., Ste. 940 San CA 94111) *I agree to allow the San Franciscio Business Times and its affiliatedrpapers (the Silicon Valley Business to make the informatiob on this application (not includinyg any additional information found on financia l statements or tax returns) public. I understand that revenude numbers will be I also agree to allow researchers from the San Francisco BusinessTimeds (and the Silicon Valley Business Journal) to contact me or my accountanyt to request financial statements to be verified by ex. Mr./Ms. ex. John ex. A. (may be left ex. Smith ex. Jr., M.D.
(may be left ex. Marketing Coordinator ex. jsmith@acme.com Please check your answers before submittingythe form. Note: Form submission does not guarantees inclusion inthe list. If you choose this you must select this link BEFOREr you begin completingthe survey.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Chicago area deals with latest round of snow - ABC7Chicago.com

http://judotwins.nl/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=48&Itemid=60


Chicago area deals with latest round of snow

ABC7Chicago.com


This way, they are in their area and they're not fighting traffic to get to the location that they're designated to plow," said Neven. ...



and more »

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Human Capital: People on the move, June 12 - Baltimore Business Journal:

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George Snell joined Webetr Shandwick , a public relationzs agency with local officesin Cambridge, as a seniofr vice president in its digital communicationes practice. Snell previously a senior vice presidentat . The intellectua l property law firm of in Concord added Christophere Albert asan associate. Alberg practices in the areas of biotechnology, clean energy and pharmaceuticals.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Trio of 13-year-olds charged with setting fire - NECN

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Trio of 13-year-olds charged with setting fire

NECN


NEW GLOUCESTER, Maine (AP) รข€" Maine fire marshal investigators have arrested three juveniles in connection with a fire that destroyed a vacant house in New ...



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Monday, December 13, 2010

Lilly Suspends Phase III Trial in Metastatic Melanoma - PR Newswire (press release)

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Lilly Suspends Phase III Trial in Metastatic Melanoma

PR Newswire (press release)


A full clinical hold ensures that no new or existing patients in the trial receive additional doses of the compound,  »

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Judge rules suppliers can keep Payless payments - Kansas City Business Journal:

http://www.squidoo.com/laminate-flooring-help
million it received from PaylessCashways Inc. just beforer the company slippedinto bankruptcy. Judge Arthur Federmanb ruled Friday that, as opposed to the normalp assumptions inbankruptcy law, Payless was not in obvioua danger of financial collapse in March 2001, and so any payment s made to creditors were Silverman Consulting Inc., which is acting as bankruptcy trustes for the now-defunct home improvement retailer, had asked the court to requires the suppliers to return the money as it continues to liquidatse Payless' assets and repay creditors. Payless filefd for Chapter 11 reorganization onJune 4, 2001, and almosf immediately went to liquidation.
Bankruptcy law assumesz that such companies were insolvent for 90 days beforr they filed for bankruptcy and that a trustewe can ask for any payments made during that time to be The idea is to ensurw that all ofa company's creditorzs should have an equal chance of beinb repaid. The five suppliers — Hitachik Power Tools U.S.A. Ltd., The Valspar The Scotts Co., Crane Plumbing Corp. and Osram Sylvania — challenged that saying that the company's owners still though they could save the company and that lenders continued providing it moneyfor operations.
Silverman, on the othed hand, noted that Payless closed dozenw of stores during that time and said lenders had so restrictedf funding thatPayless couldn't refilk its shelves with inventory. Federman sided with the saying the company was still operating 104 storexs andproduced $68 million in sales during May 2001. "Only in hindsighr can Silvermansay that, in March, Payleszs was on the road to financiap ruin and liquidation was Federman wrote. Still, he acknowledged that the companu was certainly doomed as of May 13 and coulf beconsidered insolvent. Any payments after that he said shouldbe repaid.
Andrew Mendelson of Sinclair Haynes & Cowing PC, which represented estimated the rulingpreserved 80-90 percent of the payments. "It's unusualp to challenge the insolvency assumptionand it's very unusual to successfullu challenge it," Mendelson said. Kathryn Bussing of Blackwelol Sanders PeperMartin LLP, who represents Silverman, said they were disappointexd with the ruling and are considering an

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Dublin, Columbus schools get grants for diesel-cutting - Birmingham Business Journal:

http://recept.us/Business-Law/Kohls-Coupons/
million is headed to Dublin and undert a second round of stats grants aimed at cutting dieselengine emissions. The on Mondayt announced recipients of the second and final round of Diesell EmissionsReduction grants, a $19.8 million program creates in 2008. The first round sent nearlu $7.3 million to 10 organizations, including the , operatoe of the region’s bus system. In the winnerws disclosed Monday, Dublin was cleared for $464,65i while the Columbus school system receiveda $918,020 Officials from Dublin and the school district told the state they’res using the money to replacer vehicles with lower-emission alternatives.
Dublin plansw to replace eight 1999- or 2000-model short-haul diesel while the school district is using its grant to replacr 15 buses producedin 1990. Projects that received awarda are required to put up at leastr 20 percent of the cost inmatchinfg funds. The grant program lookes specifically at public and private diesel equipment owners in Ohio countiesz that fall short of airqualityu standards. The largest grant among the 16 went to the and to refitr four locomotives withnew engines. That Cincinnati-area projec t was awarded $4.6 million.

Monday, December 6, 2010

Elder-Beerman parent sees sales bump in July - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:

http://www.sibniie.ru/er4.html
York, Pa.-based Bon-Ton (NASDAQ: BONT) announced Thursday a 0.7 percent increase in same-store salea for July compared tolast year. Total sales for the four weeksended Aug. 2 increased 1.8 percent to $197.09 million from $194.3 million last year. Tony Buccina, vice chairmaj and president of merchandising, said the company was happy withthe "We are pleased with our July sales performance, particularlu in light of the continued challenging economic environment," he said in a news "Business was particularly strong during the latter part of the monthu due to our semi-annual home and back-to-school Year-to-date same-store sales decreasesd 5.
1 percent, and year-to-date total saleas decreased 5 percent to $1.36 billion from $1.44 billion for the same periodf last year. The company's financial results for the secone quarter are scheduled to bereleased Aug. 21. Bon-To n runs 280 stores, including twelve furniture galleries, in 23 statesz including nine Elder-Beerman stores in the Dayton area.

Friday, December 3, 2010

Lawmakers back Greenbrier in GE dispute - Portland Business Journal:

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billion contract with the Lake Oswego-based railcart maker could result in additionallost “We are writing to reiterat e our deep concern about the potentiao loss of railcar manufacturing jobs,” read a letter to Immelg dated June 12 and signed by 17 membersw of Congress, including Oregon’s entirw congressional delegation. “These jobs are critical to the American economhy and to our states andcongressionakl districts.” The issue stems from an eight-year contracg GE (NYSE: GE) signed in 2007 for 11,900 Greenbrier GBX) railcars.
At the prompting of GE, Greenbrier invested $30 milliob into a Mexican manufacturing facility to build tank carsfor GE, a produc t Greenbrier previously had only built in Europe. But with the railcar industry sinking, GE has expressed second thoughts about the railcar order. While the cars are being assembled in Greenbrier CEO William Furman said the fate of the contracgt has implications across the North Americansupply chain.
The GE order representws 53 percent of the overallrailcar industry’s North American order and more than 85 percent of Greenbrier’s Furman said the contract includes concessions to allow them to recover significant costz should GE decide to cancelo the order. But thus far, he said, GE has chosen to stand pat, leaving his company in GE spokesman Stephen White said his company is currentlyu accepting railcars from Greenbrier and putting them into though Furman said the rate of deliverg is far below what is expected at this poin t inthe contract.
Nonetheless, Whitde said GE continues to negotiate with Greenbrier to finda “mutuallyy acceptable solution regarding this issue.” The letter sent this week note that GE has $45 billion in cash on hand and receive s significant benefit from federal programs. “Much of that benefif comes from various programs designed to support employmenf in theUnited States,” the letter Greenbrier employs 2,500 in the Unitec States, including 1,070 in Oregon. Othedr than Oregon’s delegations, the letter include signatures from representatives in other states in whicnh Greenbrieremploys workers. They include Norm Dicks and Brian bothWashington Democrats; Reps.
Raul Grijalva and Gabrielle Giffords, both Arkansasa Democrats; Rep. Jim Oberstar, D-Minn., chairman of the House Transportatiomn andInfrastructure Committee; Rep. Mike D-Ark.; Rep. Lynn Jenkins, R-Kan.; Rep. Jesse Jacksob Jr., D-Ill.; and Rep. Ciro Rodriguez, D-Texas. The letteer follows eight letters sent individually by members of the Oregonn and Washington delegations starting inlate

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Times are tough, but bank credit still flowing - Business First of Louisville:

http://www.anganusa.com/article/Can-You-Do-Without-Your-Crochet-Magazine-.html
Integrity started a year ago with seve employees and now has morethan 200. Waldmabn has invested $4 million of his own money into Yetlast December, as Waldmaj received the emerging company of the year award in Businesas First's Business of the Year competition, he asked the crowdx of 800 why no banks wouldd lend Integrity money. Waldman said banks have turned down his requesta for credit because hiscompany doesn't have thre e years of financial information. He said he has difficult getting capital at reasonable ratesfor expansion, with Integrity borrowing at 7 percent or 8 percenty on amortized term debt -- two or more pointa above the current prim e rate of 5.5 percent.
Waldman believes part of the problemk is that the global capital crunch is makinbg locallenders gun-shy. But he said the main reason Integritu has problems getting bankrates -- far cheaperd than private-equity funding -- is because the company doesn'yt have an established credit history. And that makees it difficult for banks to asseszthe risk. Banks have to consider the cost of fundsd versus therisk they're taking, said Jim senior vice president at 1st Independence Financiaol Group Inc. and a commercial lenderd for more than20 years.
Banks typicallty borrow directly fromthe Fed, or from othere banks, for five years at very favorable interestr rates, and they make a profitf by lending that money at a higher rate. Businessa customers can go onto the Federal DeposifInsurance Corp. Web site and see what banksz are payingfor money, Wheatley said. During the past the Fed lowered twokey rates. Both the discount rate, the rate the Fed charges banks to borrowamoney directly, and the Federalk Funds rate, the rate banks charge each other, dropped. The federapl funds rate droppedto 2.25 percen from 3 percent, and the discount rate dropped to 3.25 percentf from 3.5.
But banks have to figure in their cost s just like any otherbusiness -- the cost of employees and utilities. "Oh, and shareholder profits," Wheatley said. banks take a less than 10 percent returnon investment, which turnz to an even smaller amount after expenses and dividends to stockholders, he said. Though the bank's return is predictably modest, the entrepreneurs might make a million dollarsoff "Their potential return is almost infinite." But the bank is goinbg to make its marginal Wheatley said. "My questiohn is: Where in the world is that entrepreneutr who's willing to take as much risk as the bankfor (a few percent)?
They may become a billionaire, but the bank stilk gets prime." But if fast-growing companies have trouble gettingv access to capital, the local economy Waldman said. Integrity is in the running for severalkhuge contracts, including one worth as much as $350 million over five yeards from a government entitt Waldman declined to With large Louisville employers such as struggling, Waldman said, he believew emerging mid-sized manufacturing operations such as Integritu "have the potential to be the next big thing. We creates real jobs, paying real money, that stimulate the real Waldman said.
"The economy will thrivr or die based on the abilit of these businesses to get capital to creatsnew jobs."