Frances Beinecke, the president of the Natural Resources Defense Council, called the Republican strategy of tying the pipeline proposal to the payroll tax cut extension “political opportunism at its most cynical.” “Republican leaders used what everyone agree is the urgent need to extend the payroll tax (cut) and provide unemployment benefits to millions of Americans in order to score points with the oil industry,” Beinecke said. Jennifer A. Dlouhy, FuelFix.com
Submitted 1 years 150 days ago

SAN ANTONIO - San Antonio activist investor Sardar Biglari's bid for election to the board of Cracker Barrel Old Country Store apparently has failed. Cracker Barrel, based in Lebanon, Tenn., said in a news release Tuesday that preliminary results provided by the company's proxy solicitor showed that, "by a significant margin," all the company's nominees had won shareholder election to the board. chron.com
Submitted 1 years 150 days ago

Submitted 1 years 150 days ago

Oklahoma's unemployment rate held steady in November at 6.1 percent, both the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and Oklahoma Employment Security Commission reported Tuesday. Oklahoma was one of four states that registered no rate change for the month, while 43 states and the District of Columbia recorded lower rates and three states posted increases, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said. LAURIE WINSLOW, NewsOK.com
Submitted 1 years 150 days ago

GULFPORT -- Mayor George Schloegel has temporarily tabled plans to borrow money for a new municipal center, but still hopes to convince the City Council it should be built. The mayor also wants to expand downtown revitalization northward. Schloegel said the council wants a guarantee that money is in hand to pay off any loan, or to fund construction outright, for the municipal building. Anita Lee, SunHerald
Submitted 1 years 150 days ago

Southern University at New Orleans has reached an important achievement in renewing its decennial accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. But for the first time, SUNO completed the review without recommendations for corrective action -- and that's a significant milestone. The accomplishment is more remarkable as the university is still recovering from Hurricane Katrina and the levee breaches. Indeed, Chancellor Victor Ukpolo said completing the SACS review without needing corrections was "one of the most accomplished feats for the university" since its inception. The Times-Picayune
Submitted 1 years 150 days ago

Submitted 1 years 150 days ago

New Orleans power provider Entergy Corp. says it has completed the $346 million purchase of a Rhode Island generating plant from NextEra Energy Inc. The Rhode Island State Energy Center is located in Johnston, R.I. The natural gas-fired plant with 583 megawatts of generation entered service in 2002. Richard Thompson, The Times-Picayune
Submitted 1 years 150 days ago

The Greater New Orleans Foundation announced on Wednesday a total of $680,000 in grants to 33 local nonprofit organizations that work in arts, education, health and human services, and youth development. The average award was about $20,000, foundation spokeswoman Martha Landrum said. John Pope, The Times-Picayune
Submitted 1 years 150 days ago

Major-college football assistant coaches now have something over their bosses: Their pay is increasing faster. The average Division I assistant made nearly 11 percent more in 2011 than he did last year, USA Today's third survey of assistant coaches' compensation finds. Since 2009, the average pay for Division I assistants has increased to $182,000 from $155,000 -- a 17 percent jump. During the same time frame, Division I head coaches' pay has increased to $1.47 million in 2011, a 7.3 percent rise. Their average salary was basically unchanged from 2009 to 2010. Montgomery Advertiser
Submitted 1 years 150 days ago