Dave DeWitte – The Gazette, Cedar Rapids, Iowa – Rockwell Collins is collaborating with NASA on a data link that will enable unmanned aircraft to safely operate in the national airspace. Rockwell…
Category: Business
The NorthIowaToday.com Business Section. Business stories and a directory of top North Iowa businesses.
C.R. jumps to 13, I.C. to 8 on Milken ‘Best Performing Cities’ lists
Dave DeWitte, The Gazette, Cedar Rapids, Iowa – Cedar Rapids and Iowa City ranked near the top in the annual Milken Institute ranking of cities by economic performance for 2011, according to a…
MidAmerican takes 49% of big Arizona solar project
by Dave DeWitte MidAmerican Energy Holdings has agreed to buy 49 percent of a $1.8 billion solar photovoltaic project under development in Arizona. The Des Moines-based company said it will acquired the…
SEC suits target 6 former Fannie, Freddie executives
WASHINGTON — More than three years ago, the government rescued the nation’s housing finance giants, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, from collapse in the wake of the mortgage market meltdown. On Friday,…
IBM’s Watson computer to help doctors
By Ricardo Lopez LOS ANGELES — IBM’s Watson supercomputer may be best known for handily beating “Jeopardy!” game show champs. Now it’s being harnessed to help doctors at Cedars-Sinai’s cancer clinic in…
Iowa State provost Elizabeth Hoffman still being considered as president of UNM
James Monteleone, Albuquerque Journal, N.M. A group of University of New Mexico faculty members argued Friday that two of the five presidential finalists are a bad fit for UNM and should no…
At FedEx, no elves but plenty of workers and tech to move gifts
By Ricardo Lopez, Los Angeles Times LOS ANGELES — With Christmas less than two weeks away, it’s crunch time at the nation’s shipping companies. (PHOTO: Packages are sorted at the LAX FedEx…
Insurance industry entering age of innovation
By Becky Yerak, Chicago Tribune CHICAGO — The insurance industry hasn’t been known for innovation. But imagine if you could file a claim after an auto accident by simply snapping a photo…
Competition for pet medicines could drive up vet prices
By Barry Shlachter, McClatchy Newspapers FORT WORTH, Texas — Veterinarians, who have traditionally derived about a fifth of their gross income from pet medicines, face ever-new rivals scrambling for a piece of…
Stock indexes end two-week win streak
By Kate Gibson, MarketWatch NEW YORK — U.S. stocks on Friday finished with weekly losses after a rating agency warning on Europe pulled the plug on what began as an upbeat session…
Competitors hot on Japanese automakers’ heels
The Yomiuri Shimbun TOKYO — What worries Manish Sahay, the sales manager of Star Hyundai-Bayside, a New York City dealership in Queens for South Korean automaker Hyundai Motor Co., is a stock…
Pay phones follow in footsteps of car phones, 8-tracks
By Paul Hampel, St. Louis Post-Dispatch ST. LOUIS — At 62, Jim Nesselhauf is not sure which will come first, retirement or the demise of his business — pay phones. Three years…
Casinos, online poker get state attention
By Pamela M. Prah, Stateline.org WASHINGTON — Football fans in New England and Miami could go from the stadium straight to a slot machine next door if plans to launch large, destination-resort…
SEC sues former Fannie and Freddie execs for fraud
WASHINGTON _ The Securities and Exchange Commission announced a dramatic lawsuit on Friday alleging that six former top executives of mortgage finance titans Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac committed fraud by authorizing…
Home-care aides get boost from Obama
By Noam N. Levey, Tribune Washington Bureau WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama circumvented Congress and moved Thursday to require that home-care aides be paid minimum wage and overtime, giving the fast-growing workforce…
Chinese duties on U.S. cars heat up trade tension
By Don Lee, Tribune Washington Bureau WASHINGTON — U.S.-China trade tensions are starting to heat up, an especially ominous development as global export growth is slowing and both countries face significant political…
Iowa Transportation Commission approves grant for Coralville
AMES, Iowa – Dec. 13, 2011 – Today, the Iowa Transportation Commission approved a Revitalize Iowa’s Sound Economy (RISE) Immediate Opportunity grant application submitted by the city of Coralville. Up to $154,734…
China to levy tariffs on U.S. automakers for sedans, SUVs
By Todd Spangler, Detroit Free Press WASHINGTON — China’s Commerce Ministry announced Wednesday it will levy tariffs on U.S. automakers for imports of sedans and SUVs, touching off bipartisan criticism of Chinese…
Lee files bankruptcy plan with most creditors’ support
By Lisa Brown, St. Louis Post-Dispatch ST. LOUIS — With nearly all of Lee Enterprises’ creditors backing a refinancing plan, the publisher that owns the St. Louis Post-Dispatch should be able to…
Ford F-150 named Motor Trend Truck of the Year
By Greg Gardner, Detroit Free Press DETROIT — Motor Trend magazine named Ford’s F-150 the Truck of the Year, edging out the Nissan NV commercial van, the Ram HD Laramie Longhorn and…
Lowe’s faces backlash over pulling ads from ‘All-American Muslim’
By Shan Li, Los Angeles Times LOS ANGELES — Home improvement giant Lowe’s Cos. continues to come under heavy criticism from activists, some politicians and customers after pulling its ads from a…
Labor agency abandons case against Boeing
By James Oliphant, Tribune Washington Bureau WASHINGTON — The National Labor Relations Board dropped a much-criticized action against Boeing Co., a move praised by Republicans as overdue but one that deprives the…
The Week Ahead: Fed, Congress poised to act on economy — or not
By Tom Hudson, McClatchy Newspapers Which will act first this week: the Federal Reserve or Congress? Lawmakers must do something by Friday to avert a government shutdown. The Federal Reserve may feel…
Merrill Lynch fined for violating cotton-speculation limits
By Kevin G. Hall, McClatchy Newspapers WASHINGTON — A key financial regulator said Wednesday that it had fined Wall Street powerhouse Merrill Lynch $350,000 for violating rules that limit how many speculative…
Iowa Economy Gains 2,300 Jobs in October
DES MOINES, IOWA – Iowa’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained at 6.0 percent in October, while the number of unemployed dropped below 100,000 for the first time since November 2009. The statewide…
FDIC closes Iowa bank
DES MOINES – Polk County Bank, of Johnston, Iowa, was closed on Friday, November 18th by the Iowa Division of Banking, which appointed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) as receiver. To…
New Iowa Economic Development Authority Board Awards Incentives to Create up to 142 New Iowa Jobs
November 21, 2011 (DES MOINES, IA) – At its second official board meeting, the new Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) Board approved awards today that will create up to 142 jobs in…
$778,500 in Vision Iowa Grants awarded to Iowa communities
DES MOINES – The Vision Iowa Board awarded $778,500 in grants to a year-round public market in Cedar Rapids and a library expansion project in Rippey. The grants were approved last Wednesday…
Visit Mason City announces Tourism Marketing Award recipients
MASON CITY – Since 1996, Visit Mason City has financially assisted nearly two hundred groups and organizations to market their events and activities through the Visit Mason City Tourism Marketing Grant Program….
Armour-Eckrich of Mason City gifts $3,000 to the Cerro Gordo County Conservation Board
MASON CITY – The Cerro Gordo County Conservation Board (CGCCB) was pleased to accept a cash donation from the local Armour-Eckrich food processing plant in Mason City. Smithfield Foods, Inc. the parent…
More layoffs reported at Curries in Mason City
MASON CITY – A source has told NorthIowaToday.com that more layoffs are happening at Curries in Mason City. According to our source: An employee of “nearly 30 years let go this morning…
North Iowa attorney David Grooters explains child support options for parents
Publisher’s note: NIT published an editorial earlier Wednesday morning submitted by a reader about his views on how child support ought to be spent. We asked local attorney David A. Grooters, an…
NanoLoan Funds Available
MASON CITY – The North Iowa Area Community College John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center announced that applications are now being accepted for their NanoLoan Program.
Chilton: “Markets are not much safer than they were when the economic meltdown occurred”
Statement of Commissioner Bart Chilton before the CFTC Public Meeting,June 14, 2011. We are taking these actions today out of necessity in an effort to provide time to craft thoughtful regulations and,…
Hy-Vee East expansion underway behind the scenes
by Joe Buttweiler – MASON CITY – A new pharmacy, wine and spirits store, club meeting room and specialty foods counters are among the many additions that will be built into Hy-Vee…
Watching your tax dollars: City pays for five Chamber memberships
MASON CITY – NorthIowaToday.com has learned that the City of Mason City pays for at least five memberships at the Chamber of Commerce.
Mason City officials tour Curries manufacturing plant
MASON CITY – Earlier this week, Mason City officials took a tour of Curries door plant in Mason City on what Mayor Eric Bookmeyer calls a “business retention visit.”
Max Weaver looks to ease nightmare on Main Street
MASON CITY – NorthIowaToday.com has learned that Councilman Max Weaver has asked City Administrator Brent Trout to look into the possibility of amending the 16% tax assessment levied against the businesses along the Streetscape project area in downtown Mason City.
Technicolor Tattoos guide to a great tattoo experience
Getting a tattoo can be a great experience if you follow a few simple guidelines: The first question you need to ask yourself is, are you 100% sure that you want a tattoo.
North Iowa Corridor forms social group for “young people”
MASON CITY – The North Iowa Corridor sponsored an event on Monday evening, October 4th, 2010, at the Prime ‘N’ Wine in Mason City. The agency introduced North Iowa Connect, a sort-of club for young people in the area.