Smoking ban advances (Times-Dispatch)
The Republican-controlled House of Delegates — the last barrier to a further clampdown on smoking in public — could vote as early as Monday to ban lighting up in restaurants and bars across a state built in part on the riches of tobacco.
Hard times hit Mattress King (Times-Dispatch)
Henrico County retailer Mattress King has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as it tries to work through a trifecta of hits it has taken in the past year.
UR endowment plummets 15 percent, but officials downplay losses (The Collegian)
The University of Richmond’s endowment has fallen 15 percent since December 2007, from a $1.7 billion high to $1.45 billion as of October, but it’s difficult to predict how it will continue to fare in response to the deepening worldwide recession.
Delay again plagues Roanoke hotel project (Roanoke Times)
Work shut down again last month and remains stalled on the Cambria Suites hotel under construction in Roanoke on Reserve Avenue, where building has halted before for long periods. Previous delays occurred when Wisconsin-based developer Telemark Hotel Group changed architects, appealed for city incentives and suffered financing challenges. At one point, the project sat idle for nearly a year.
Sales Fall Sharply for Retailers Not Named Wal-Mart (NY Times)
Sales for the entire retail industry fell 1.6 percent last month compared with the same month a year ago, the International Council of Shopping Centers, an industry group, said Thursday. The research firm Retail Metrics put the industry decline at 1.8 percent and said that without Wal-Mart Stores, the nation’s largest retailer, sales would have fallen 5.6 percent.
As hotels struggle for business, some guests find an upside (USA Today)
For those who do travel, there can be an upside: bargain rates, less-crowded hotels and rooms available at the last minute at popular hotels. Many also are enjoying improved service and special treatment, such as free upgrades to suites or club floors, as hotels roll out the red carpet to try to attract and hold on to customers.
First, Throw the Bums Out (Slate)
There is no apologist for CEO excess who will make the argument that, say, Bank of America CEO Ken Lewis should get paid more than $500,000. He’s not worth the $3.5 million he got last year. Heck, he’s not worth $1—and there’s the problem. Corporate America’s big issue with bad CEOs isn’t how to find a way to pay them less. It’s how hard it is to get rid of them.
How You Can Leverage a Layoff (Entrepreneur)
The transition from worker bee to lonely boss is never easy, but experts say that there’s a history of successful endeavors that were started in a down economy. Workers can take advantage of buyouts, severance packages and cashed-in 401(k)s. They can translate their experience in bureaucratic operations to more efficient, service-oriented companies. And some, at least, will become financially independent in the process.
The weekly wind-down: Peyton Manning leads a clinic for the United Way but loses his temper (NBC)
We should have run this one on the Friday before the Super Bowl. Better late than never.
Smoking ban advances (Times-Dispatch)
The Republican-controlled House of Delegates — the last barrier to a further clampdown on smoking in public — could vote as early as Monday to ban lighting up in restaurants and bars across a state built in part on the riches of tobacco.
Hard times hit Mattress King (Times-Dispatch)
Henrico County retailer Mattress King has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as it tries to work through a trifecta of hits it has taken in the past year.
UR endowment plummets 15 percent, but officials downplay losses (The Collegian)
The University of Richmond’s endowment has fallen 15 percent since December 2007, from a $1.7 billion high to $1.45 billion as of October, but it’s difficult to predict how it will continue to fare in response to the deepening worldwide recession.
Delay again plagues Roanoke hotel project (Roanoke Times)
Work shut down again last month and remains stalled on the Cambria Suites hotel under construction in Roanoke on Reserve Avenue, where building has halted before for long periods. Previous delays occurred when Wisconsin-based developer Telemark Hotel Group changed architects, appealed for city incentives and suffered financing challenges. At one point, the project sat idle for nearly a year.
Sales Fall Sharply for Retailers Not Named Wal-Mart (NY Times)
Sales for the entire retail industry fell 1.6 percent last month compared with the same month a year ago, the International Council of Shopping Centers, an industry group, said Thursday. The research firm Retail Metrics put the industry decline at 1.8 percent and said that without Wal-Mart Stores, the nation’s largest retailer, sales would have fallen 5.6 percent.
As hotels struggle for business, some guests find an upside (USA Today)
For those who do travel, there can be an upside: bargain rates, less-crowded hotels and rooms available at the last minute at popular hotels. Many also are enjoying improved service and special treatment, such as free upgrades to suites or club floors, as hotels roll out the red carpet to try to attract and hold on to customers.
First, Throw the Bums Out (Slate)
There is no apologist for CEO excess who will make the argument that, say, Bank of America CEO Ken Lewis should get paid more than $500,000. He’s not worth the $3.5 million he got last year. Heck, he’s not worth $1—and there’s the problem. Corporate America’s big issue with bad CEOs isn’t how to find a way to pay them less. It’s how hard it is to get rid of them.
How You Can Leverage a Layoff (Entrepreneur)
The transition from worker bee to lonely boss is never easy, but experts say that there’s a history of successful endeavors that were started in a down economy. Workers can take advantage of buyouts, severance packages and cashed-in 401(k)s. They can translate their experience in bureaucratic operations to more efficient, service-oriented companies. And some, at least, will become financially independent in the process.
The weekly wind-down: Peyton Manning leads a clinic for the United Way but loses his temper (NBC)
We should have run this one on the Friday before the Super Bowl. Better late than never.
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[…] they want to debate the law. But he is also a guy that entrepreneurs and business owners should NewsFeed 2.6.09 – richmondbizsense.com 02/06/2009 Smoking ban advances (Times-Dispatch) The Republican-controlled […]