Is the economy getting better? It depends on who you ask. A congressional study projects disaster for Social Security…going so far as to say it’ll run out of benefits by 2037. At the same time, an associated press survey of top economists found growing optimism—including a prediction that employers will hire more workers this year, although unemployment will likely stay at these high rates until around 2016.
Pink slips for about 1700 managers of North Carolina based Lowe’s Home Improvement, but it’ll open the door for other jobs. The company says it’ll start taking applications next week for eight to ten thousand weekend jobs
The NC DOT has unveiled maps that show proposed routes for Highway 109 between Old Greensboro Road and the Interstate 40 / Hwy 311 interchange. . They want to hear concerns of the public who may be affected by the changes. The first public meeting will be held tonight @ 7pm at Ledford Middle School .
A new sheriff in town. Yadkin County Sheriff Mike Cain resigned yesterday and pleaded guilty to nine misdemeanor charges, mostly using public resources for personal benefit. The county welcomes longtime resident William Ricky Oliver as the new sheriff…he was appointed just minutes after Cain’s resignation, and will finish out Cain’s four year term, which started in November.
If you still think Facebook is free, consider this new way they’re using you. There’s a new feature on the social networking site that will send an advertisement message to all your friends pages anytime you “like” a brand or check into a store. In a nutshell, it’s like a personal endorsement of a store or product, whether or not you actually recommend it, and here’s the annoying part…there’s no way to disable the feature.
The driver of a delivery truck fortunately wasn’t hurt yesterday when a chunk of concrete the size of a baseball broke off the new Bridford Parkway Bridge and smashed into his windshield. The DOT called it a freak accident, and the windshield will be repaired at the expense of the contractor. They’ve had other problems with this bridge under construction…they discovered last summer it had a two inch shortage on the clearance height.
Blood donations at the local Red Cross are way down due the winter weather earlier this month. To schedule an appointment or locate a Red Cross Blood Drive in your area go to the News Blog at wbfj.fm
A new study of the Gulf waters has raised concerns about the long term effects of the dispersants used to control the damage of the oil spill last spring. The full report is in the Environmental Science and technology journal. There’s evidence that much of the chemical stuff dropped in the water didn’t break apart as it should have. On the other side of the picture, the report says the dispersants did a good job of protecting the vulnerable marshes and wetlands.
Well now they’ve done it…they’ve changed the NASCAR points system to put a little more emphasis on winning races in the quest for the championship. Chairman Brian France says the system is easy to understand, and it changes the way it’s been done since 1975.
