About Economy

This page contains an archive of the last 100 entries posted to ProgressNow.org Daily News Digest in the Economy category. They are listed from newest to oldest. You can find older entries using the search box below.

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February 29, 2008

Department of Agriculture expert: Nation needs a rural renaissance | News | The Tribune

http://greeleytribune.com/article/20080229/NEWS/616892818...
Rural development is much broader than farm policy and some in the Nation's Capitol have a hard time adjusting to that, a US Department of Agriculture under secretary told a crowd of nearly 400 Thursday. Thomas C. Door, under secretary for rural development at the USDA, was a featured speaker at the 2008 Governor's Forum on Colorado Agriculture at the Double Tree Hotel. "The new food and fuel economy we currently have is making a new economy not only in the U.S. but in the word" Door said, and that, he said, leads to new economic opportunities.
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Seniors, poor must file for rebate - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_8399609...
Senior citizens and other low-income earners who don't normally have to file a tax return will miss out on federal stimulus refund checks if they don't file this year. To raise awareness, the Internal Revenue Service is mounting a publicity campaign that's expected to hit mailboxes soon. But only those who filed a return last year will see the first letter. Separate letters will be sent to those collecting Social Security benefits and veterans' benefits. "We are working to get the word out to these people that they are entitled to a payment, but they must file a tax return to get one," said Jean Carl, IRS spokeswoman in Denver. "We're still figuring out how to reach those who never file taxes."
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Grand Junction Sentinel - Want your rebate? Better file that return

http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/content/news/stories/2008/02/28/022908_1a_Tax_reb...
Some people who otherwise don’t need to file a tax return may want to take the time to do so this year. Receiving an economic stimulus rebate check depends on it.
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Level 3, IBM share patents : Tech & Telecom : The Rocky Mountain News

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/feb/28/level-3-ibm-share-patents/...
Level 3 Communications Inc. and IBM today announced that the companies recently entered into a long-term patent cross-license agreement. Under the terms of the agreement, Armonk, N.Y.-based IBM granted Level 3 licenses to about of 42,000 of IBM's pending and issued patents, which cover a broad range of telecommunications services and technologies. In turn, Broomfield-based Level 3 granted IBM licenses to those of Level 3's more than 850 pending and issued patents, which cover a broad range of information-handling systems.
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Janus writedown of SIV debt reduces fourth-quarter profit - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_8400225...
Janus Capital Group, the Denver-based mutual fund manager, said a $16.2 million writedown of debt issued by a structured investment vehicle cut previously reported fourth-quarter profit by 6 cents a share. The debt, issued by Stanfield Victoria Funding LLC, was bought from Janus money-market funds, the company said Thursday in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The write-off reduced profit from continuing operations to 30 cents a share.
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Richer digs for Newmont - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_8399606...
Downtown will lose a corporate headquarters when Newmont Mining Corp. relocates to Greenwood Village by the end of the year. Newmont is leasing 166,000 square feet in the $100 million Palazzo Verdi, a 300,000-square-foot building that developer John Madden is constructing at 6401 S. Fiddler's Green Circle. One of the largest gold producers in the world, Newmont is moving its 400 Denver employees to the new building from about 99,000 square feet in downtown's Wells Fargo Center, also known as the cash-register building, and from 33,000 square feet in the Denver Technological Center.
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Daniels Fund OKs 1st-quarter grants : More Business : The Rocky Mountain News

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/feb/29/daniels-fund-oks-1st-quarter-g...
The Daniels Fund approved $8.2 million in first-quarter grants for organizations "that face increasing demands for services during uncertain economic times." Among the recipients: Addiction Treatment Center of Longmont, Boulder County Advocates for Transitional Housing, Colorado Succeeds, Colorado UpLift, Safe Shelter of St. Vrain Valley, Seniors Incorporated and the Women's Bean Project. The Daniels Fund expects to give out an estimated $38 million in grants and $12 million in college scholarships in 2008.
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February 28, 2008

Business, lawmakers debate interest limit on payday loan bill | News | The Tribune

http://greeleytribune.com/article/20080227/NEWS/474741178...
A bill in the Legislature would limit the interest and fees payday lending businesses can charge residents, though opponents say it will drive out the industry and create a black market for loans the state cannot regulate. The bill -- HB 1310 -- would place a limit of 45 percent annual interest rate on short-term loans businesses provide to residents, and it would limit lenders to assessing only one $60 finance fee per borrower, per year. It also would allow borrowers 30 days to repay the loan instead of the 14 days the industry uses now. Now, businesses can assess annual interest rates of sometimes more than 350 percent on payday loans they give. Most payday loan businesses make borrowers postdate a check to use as collateral for the loan. The bill won approval from the Colorado House Monday by a narrow margin and now goes to the Senate for further consideration. Both Rep. Glen Vaad, R-Mead, and Rep. Jim Riesberg, D-Greeley, voted against the measure. Vaad said he received more than a dozen emails from Greeley and Longmont payday loaners who said the bill -- if it becomes law -- will drive them out of business.
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Is it fool's gold? - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_8385961...
With gold and silver prices hitting new highs, more investors are giving precious metals serious consideration. So too, likely, will be some of the same people who once put investors into inflated dot-com stocks and stuck borrowers with subprime mortgages they couldn't afford. "We are finding that there are people who were former mortgage brokers who are getting into this business," said Mark Albarian, chief executive and president of Goldline International Inc., a Santa Monica, Calif.-based precious-metals and coin vendor. Gold futures for April delivery reached an all-time high of $967.70 an ounce Wednesday before closing at $961 after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told Congress more interest-rate cuts could be on the way. Lower rates weaken the value of the U.S. dollar, making gold more attractive. Ken Hallenbeck, executive director of the American Numismatic Association, an industry trade group based in Colorado Springs, said questionable players can jump from hot area to hot area.
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Qwest reaches deal with Jeffco schools : More Business : The Rocky Mountain News

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/feb/28/qwest-reaches-deal-with-jeffco...
Qwest Communications said it has won a 10-year, $16 million contract with the Jefferson County School District to provide high-speed data networking and Internet services.
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State issues warning on latest e-mail scam : More Business : The Rocky Mountain News

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/feb/28/state-issues-warning-on-latest...
Colorado Attorney General John Suthers on Wednesday warned consumers and businesses about a new e-mail scam related to messages claiming to be from the U.S. Department of Justice. The e-mails concern a supposed consumer complaint filed against the recipient and usually contain an attachment. The attachment is either a blank complaint form or some other document. Suthers advises consumers not to open the attachment because it might contain a computer virus or other malicious software. The Justice Department doesn't send messages to the public via e-mail. Similar hoaxes have recently been conducted in the names of other government entities, the Justice Department said in a statement.
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Whole-wheat price woes come to Boulder : County News : Boulder Daily Camera

http://dailycamera.com/news/2008/feb/28/wheat-watching-whole-wheat-price-woes-co...
In light of a nationwide surge in the price of wheat, Boulder businesses such as Spruce Confections, Great Harvest Bread and Boulder Beer Co. are re-evaluating what they make, how much they make and how much they charge. "It's become a major panic in the brewery business," said Tess McFadden, marketing director for Boulder Beer, 2880 Wilderness Place.
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February 27, 2008

Craig Daily Press / Social security recipients eligible for stimulus plan

http://www.craigdailypress.com/news/2008/feb/27/social_security_recipients_eligi...
Sunset Meadows resident Marilyn McKinney is worried. When the United States Department of the Treasury begins sending out economic stimulus payments in May, she fears Moffat County senior citizens may miss out on their share of the money, she said. The payments were authorized by the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008, which was passed this month. More than 130 million American households are estimated to receive the income-based payments that range from $300 to $600 per person or $600 to $1,200 for joint returns, the Internal Revenue Service Web site reported. Taxpayers may receive an additional $300 for each child under 17 years old. “The law also allows for payments for select taxpayers who have no tax liability, such as low-income workers or those who receive Social Security benefits or veterans’ disability compensation, pension or survivors’ benefits received from the Department of Veterans Affairs in 2007,” the IRS reported in a news release.
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Grand Junction Sentinel - Region bucks national slump, economist says

http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/content/news/stories/2008/02/26/022708_1a_Economy...
As long as the energy industry keeps “poking holes into the ground” on the natural resource-rich Western Slope, the Grand Junction economy should be in good shape, a noted economist said Tuesday. “You are the poster child for growth,” said U.S. Bank Chief Economist Tucker Hart Adams in a nod to the strength of the regional economy. Adams, who made her remarks at a luncheon sponsored by U.S. Bank at Two Rivers Convention Center, said the regional economy isn’t recession-proof but is better positioned than the rest of the nation. “As long as the drilling continues,” she said.
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Bioscience bill that would expand research grants gains initial approval from House | News | The Tribune

http://greeleytribune.com/article/20080227/NEWS/600774687...
A bill that would increase the availability of bioscience grants gained initial approval from the state House Tuesday. The bill, which would make $26.5 million available for research grants over five years, passed by voice vote in the House. It will be further considered in the House later this week before moving on the Senate. Rep. Jim Riesberg, D-Greeley, sponsored the bill — HB 1001 — that would expand the Bioscience Discoveries Grant Program. Under the bill, as much as $150,000 will be provided to each research project on subjects such as AIDS, cancer and biofuels. Democrats say the bill would extend a grant program that helps the economy because biosciences already contribute $415 million per year in tax revenue to Colorado.
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Colo. No. 5 as dream trip, No. 22 in visits - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_8372342...
Colorado ranks fifth among states as a dream destination behind Hawaii, Florida, Alaska and California. Yet it ranks 22nd in actual visitation. "There is a huge opportunity to close the gap between Americans' desire to visit Colorado and their actions," said Michael Erdman, senior vice president of Longwoods International, which produces annual tourism reports for the state. Erdman used Colorado's tourism history as a cautionary case study Tuesday during a call with national tourism experts. He advised representatives from states and marketing firms about the importance of spending on marketing for tourism promotion.
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Qwest gives execs stock awards : Tech & Telecom : The Rocky Mountain News

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/feb/27/qwest-gives-execs-stock-awards...
Qwest has given five of its top executives stock awards valued at nearly $17 million. The annual awards include stock options, restricted stock and new "performance shares." All the awards can gain or lose value based on how Qwest stock does over the next few years. CEO Ed Mueller received awards valued at $8.4 million, with half coming in the form of stock options and the remainder split between restricted stock and performance shares. The remaining executives - John Richardson, Richard Baer, Paula Kruger and Thomas E. Richards - received awards with values ranging from $1.92 million to $2.54 million. The "performance share" program is new.
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Aircraft makers' layoffs hit hard : Airlines & Aerospace : The Rocky Mountain News

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/feb/27/aircraft-makers-layoffs-hit-ha...
Peppino's Pizzeria & Restaurant in Centennial lured plenty of Adam Aircraft employees over the years with its lasagna, meatball subs and New York-style pizza. But you'd be hard-pressed to find any of those workers nestled in the restaurant's booths these days. Adam Aircraft recently laid off more than 650 employees in the area before plummeting into Chapter 7 bankruptcy. The company's workers accounted for "at least" 5 percent of Peppino's lunch rush, said Frank Cammarota, one of the restaurant's owners.
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Companies at confab ready to woo venture capitalists - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_8372359...
Nearly 300 investors from around the country are set to descend on Beaver Creek today for the Venture Capital in the Rockies conference. The two-day confab is held at Park Hyatt Beaver Creek. More than 20 companies will present their business plans, products and services to venture capitalists looking to seed new, early-stage and growing companies. Presenting companies have raised more than $3 billion over the past five years. Companies in attendance include AlbEO, a maker of efficient lighting systems; Nilar, a producer of batteries for electric-powered vehicles and tools; Yieldex, an online advertising optimization company; ISONAS, a maker of network security appliances; ProStore, developer of removable disk storage; and Newmerix, a maker of management software.
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The Longmont Times-Call - Wi-Fi goes to DHB

http://www.timescall.com/News_Story.asp?id=6834...
Chris Harris knows DHB Networks has some making up to do. Harris, president of the Ohio-based company that is buying Kite Networks’ citywide Wi-Fi system, compared the deal to a bad breakup. But he plans to market DHB’s wireless Internet services aggressively to woo back customers jaded with Kite Networks — and court new subscribers. “We want to make sure customers who have paid for this service are well taken care of,” Harris said Tuesday night. The Longmont City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to transfer the city’s contracts with Kite Networks to DHB, a necessary step to allow the company to own and operate Longmont’s wireless Internet system that has been struggling for the past few months.
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Pharmion deal gets OK from proxy firms : More Business : The Rocky Mountain News

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/feb/27/pharmion-deal-gets-ok-from-pro...
Pharmion, based in Boulder, says that all four major proxy-advisory services have recommended shareholders vote in favor of its merger with Celgene. "We are pleased that ISS, as well as the other leading independent proxy advisory firms - Glass Lewis & Co., PROXY Governance and Egan-Jones Proxy Services - have all recognized the strategic and economic logic of our merger with Celgene," said Patrick Mahaffy, Pharmion's president and chief executive officer.
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Sprint's signal may be fading with Qwest as Verizon enters partner talks - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_8372482...
Verizon Communications is in talks to replace Sprint Nextel as the wireless partner of Qwest, according to Verizon executives. The second-ranked mobile-phone carrier is considering whether to work with Qwest, chief executive Ivan Seidenberg told investors at a closed-door meeting Tuesday in New York. Spokesman Robert Varettoni confirmed Seidenberg's remarks and declined to comment further. Qwest, which has resold Sprint's service since 2004, is seeking a new agreement and may replace its current partner, chief executive Edward Mueller said Monday. Denver-based Qwest, with 824,000 wireless subscribers, wants to sell newer handsets and more data services than its contract with Sprint allows, Mueller said. Sprint also is in active discussions with Qwest, Sprint spokeswoman Melinda Tiemeyer said.
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February 26, 2008

House passes bill restricting payday loans : More Business : The Rocky Mountain News

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/feb/26/house-passes-bill-restricting-...
"We applaud the Legislature for taking decisive action to protect hardworking Coloradans from predatory payday loans," said Spiros Protopsaltis, president of the Center for Policy Entrepreneurship, said in a statement. "House Bill 1310 provides reasonable reform for the payday lending industry and closes a loophole that traps borrowers into an unanticipated and costly cycle of long-term debt they cannot easily escape."
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House passes payday loan cap - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_8362972...
A bill tightening regulations on payday loans narrowly passed the House on Monday after critics said it would run short-term lenders out of business — hurting, rather than helping, the poor. House Bill 1310, sponsored by Rep. Mark Ferrandino, D-Denver, would cap the annual interest rate for payday loans at 45 percent. Supporters of the bill say current law allows payday lenders to charge three-digit interest rates annually, rates that trap the poor in a cycle of debt as they take years to pay off a loan of a few hundred dollars. "This industry currently has an incentive to keep rolling over (customers') debt," Ferrandino said. Under the proposal, lenders could charge a maximum finance fee of $60 per year on a loan. Short-term lenders argue it is unfair to compare their services to traditional, annual bank-loan rates, because payday loans are for only a few weeks. Critics of the industry say that argument is misleading because many payday borrowers get extensions on loans, sometimes lasting for years.
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DIA, Aurora rush bond refund - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_8362900...
Denver International Airport and the city of Aurora are rushing to refund at least $600 million in bonds as credit problems roiling Wall Street have spread to Colorado and the rest of the country. DIA and Aurora are refunding the bonds to avoid a potential jump in interest rates to 12 percent or 14 percent from about 3.5 percent on some debt. "We're getting hurt because interest rates are going higher than we wanted to pay," said Karen Feeney, Aurora's acting debt administrator. "This all has been really heating up in the last two weeks." Recently, the market for insured auction-rate bonds — which are rebid every seven, 28 or 35 days — collapsed as investors worried about the financial health of the bond insurers who guaranteed the debt. Those companies historically backed only safe municipal securities. Recently, the insurers took on subprime mortgage debt and other risky securities. Exposure to this crumbling sector of the market led credit-rating agencies to downgrade the ratings of some insurers, who are frantically pursuing their own financial bailouts.
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ID theft cases soar - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_8362743...
Sheldon Chrysler says his finances are in ruins since he became a victim of identity theft and a collection related to a DirecTV account in Detroit landed on his credit report. Chrysler, who has never lived in Detroit, filed police reports and sent letters to DirecTV and the credit bureau Experian explaining that he was a victim. The 61-year-old Denver resident said his pleas went nowhere and his credit score plummeted. "No one should have to go through this," Chrysler said. "All I want is my good credit back and my chance to make a good living." Chrysler has filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court that says DirecTV, the collection agency that DirecTV used and Experian are violating the Fair Credit Reporting Act, a federal law that says the agencies have a duty to clear the errors. Hundreds of cases like Chrysler's have been filed across the country in the past five years since identity-theft crimes became more frequent, said Robert Sola, an Oregon-based lawyer who specializes in the lawsuits. "There are way more of these lawsuits than there were 10 years ago and more than five years ago," Sola said. Most of the lawsuits Sola has filed, including some in Colorado, are on behalf of consumers whose names and Social Security numbers have been erroneously mixed up with another person's who has bad credit.
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Qwest's "Billion-dollar opportunity" - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_8362661...
Qwest chief executive Ed Mueller said Monday that the company intends to leverage new and existing partnerships to boost its revenues. "We need partners to help us do this. We can't do this alone," he said at a meeting with analysts in New York. Mueller spoke about changes he is considering to Qwest's wireless partnership with Sprint Nextel and about his commitment to spend millions to improve Qwest's broadband network. "We have a hole in wireless," he said.
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Circuit City investor wants chief replaced : More Business : The Rocky Mountain News

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/feb/26/circuit-city-investor-wants-ch...
Circuit City Stores Inc. investor Mark Wattles, who owns 6.5 percent of the money-losing electronics chain, said that he is seeking to replace Chief Executive Officer Phil Schoonover and gain five seats on the retailer's board. Wattles, who bought Thornton-based Ultimate Electronics out of bankruptcy, sent an e- mail requesting a meeting with Schoonover to discuss strategy at the retailer, whose shares plunged 78 percent last year. He said he was rebuffed and referred to investor relations. "That was the extent of the communication with a 6.5 percent shareholder," Wattles said Monday. "I suspect that will change soon."
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The Steamboat Pilot & Today: Bank feels ‘betrayed’

http://steamboatpilot.com/news/2008/feb/26/bank_feels_betrayed/...
Bank officials expressed shock and disappointment Monday in response to an alleged $1.2 million embezzlement from five bank account holders in Steamboat Springs. If the arrests last week of Pamela Jean Williams and Terri Dawn Moody Fatka rocked Routt County, they also put officials at Alpine Bank, the pair’s former employer, and Bank of the West, their current one, back on their heels. “I think there’s disappointment in being betrayed by colleagues,” said Glenn Davis, Alpine Bank’s regional president for Eagle and Routt counties.
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The Longmont Times-Call - City could have buyer for Wi-Fi

http://www.timescall.com/News_Story.asp?id=6812...
DHB Networks plans to buy the citywide Wi-Fi system from Kite Networks. But the Longmont City Council must turn over the city’s contracts with Kite to DHB. The council is scheduled to vote on the contracts tonight. “I’m pretty sure the deal will be completed by the end of the week,” said Longmont Power & Communication director Tom Roiniotis. When the sale is final, the Ohio-based company plans to finish installing the network and resume customer service operations — including billing, Roiniotis said.
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Superior: Door-to-door no more : Superior : Boulder Daily Camera

http://dailycamera.com/news/2008/feb/26/town-door-to-door-no-more-superior-may-a...
Superior's Board of Trustees voted Monday to require door-to-door salespeople to consult a do-not-solicit list before pitching a product or service to homeowners, the first measure of its kind in Boulder County. Similar to Colorado's do-not-call list -- whereby people can place their phone numbers off-limits to telemarketers -- Superior's measure allows its residents to put their addresses on a list that solicitors must check before heading out to neighborhoods. If salespeople knock on the door of a prohibited address, they could face a fine.
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Suits against dairy, retailers will be grouped - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_8362518...
At least 15 lawsuits accusing Aurora Dairy Corp. and retailers of selling milk mislabeled as organic will be grouped together in a federal court in St. Louis, a panel of judges decided. Target, Costco Wholesale, Wal- Mart, Safeway and Whole Foods Market are alleged to have sold milk produced by closely held Aurora Dairy that didn't meet organic standards set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
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February 25, 2008

House backs bill on payday lending | Politics West

http://www.politicswest.com/20523/houses_backs_bill_payday_lending...
The proposal would cap annual interest rates for short-term lenders at 45 percent, the same as bank loans. Payday lenders argue the interest cap on short-term, fast-cash loans would put them out of business. But supporters of the bill say the industry is preying on people who are struggling financially by ripping them off with high finance charges. The bill faces a final vote in the House, which could come as soon as Monday. It would then go to the Senate.
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The Coloradoan - Author: Poverty is triggering world crisis

http://coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080224/NEWS01/802240328/1002/...
The United States' inability to improve the lives of its working poor has triggered a global financial crisis, a noted author told a group of about 500 in Fort Collins on Saturday. "The chronically poor have become a trip wire in the American economy - generating defaults on debts, depressed consumption and the possibility of a worldwide recession," said Barbara Ehrenreich, the author of "Nickel and Dimed" and "Bait and Switch," which examined issues that create and aggravate poverty in the United States.
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The Growth Effect: Ag still the king in Weld | News | The Tribune

http://greeleytribune.com/article/20080224/NEWS/995827961/-1/NEWS...
Construction and technology have been the benefactors of big headlines for their contribution to the economies of Greeley and Weld County the past few years -- and rightfully so. But with those economic engines sputtering during the recent downturn, eyes have turned to the one constant in Weld -- agriculture. No matter how many houses have been built, and despite all the shopping centers that have popped up, agriculture is still the region's backbone. In the bigger picture, Weld is the engine driving the state's agricultural economy -- an economy conservatively estimated at $16 billion annually. That comes in spite of more and more land that continues to be sold and put into growing houses instead of crops, putting a strain on water supplies in particular. It is estimated the South Platte River basin, from Denver to Julesburg, will see another 2 million or so people in the next 15-20 years, with the majority of those coming to the Front Range area of the river basin.
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The Growth Effect: Keeping the dream alive | News | The Tribune

http://greeleytribune.com/article/20080224/NEWS/784918563/-1/NEWS...
During the day, when Randy Schwalm looks west of his farm, "I can see the mountains, and it looks so great." At night, the lights in the distance come on. Schwalm, a farmer south of Windsor, can see the housing and industry closing in around him. Sometimes he wonders how much longer farmers in western Weld County can survive the population growth occurring around them.
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Qwest courts analysts in N.Y. amid skepticism - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_8341569...
Qwest chief executive Ed Mueller's trip to New York to meet with analysts Monday is an important step in convincing analysts that he has a solid, long-term plan for the company. The last time Qwest held an "Analyst Day" was in December 2001 here in Denver, its hometown. This year's event will be at the St. Regis Hotel in Manhattan. About 200 people are expected to attend. While Qwest is rolling out the red carpet, some analysts have voiced skepticism about the meeting and Mueller's pending remarks.
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Broncos tickets rule House : Broncos : The Rocky Mountain News

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/feb/22/broncos-tickets-rule-house/...
House lawmakers gave kidney-wrenching testimony to their devotion as Broncos fans today. Then they extended their drive in winning fashion. Representatives gave initial approval to a bill to stop sports teams and other entertainment event operators from barring fans from reselling their tickets. Rep. John Soper, House sponsor for SB 24, said diehard Broncos fans only resell their tickets in an emergency — not to turn a profit. "I've had my Bronco tickets since 1968," the Thornton Democrat drawled. "And since 1968 I doubt that I've had to miss more (games) than I can count on one hand. Kidney stones kept me from going to one game." The bill was introduced at the urging of Broncos fans after the team sent season-ticket holders a letter last spring instructing them that they could not resell their tickets. Broncos officials have said they're just trying to enforce their scalping policy. Rep. Kathleen Curry, a Gunnison Democrat, talked about how she and her husband have been Broncos season-ticket holders for 20 years.
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Anschutz's $23 million tops donors in Colorado : More Business : The Rocky Mountain News

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/feb/23/anschutzs-23-million-tops-dono...
It takes giving more than $1 billion to charity to be named among the most generous philanthropists in the country these days. In Colorado, it takes $23 million. Denver financier Phil Anschutz tops the Rocky Mountain News' first list of the state's biggest living charitable donors, narrowly edging out University of Colorado professor Marvin Caruther's $20 million gift for a new biotechnology laboratory on the school's Boulder campus. It required a donation of $1.2 billion for William Barron Hilton to lead the Chronicle of Philanthropy's top 50 list for 2007. Another hotel baron, Leona Helmsley, would have leapfrogged that with a $4 billion bequest had her estate been settled in time. Unlike in past years, no Coloradan made the Chronicle's annual cut because it took parting with $38 million to gain a spot.
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Shareholder objections muddle Pharmion buyout : More Business : The Rocky Mountain News

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/feb/19/shareholder-objections-muddle-...
Not all Pharmion shareholders are on board with the company's plan to sell out to competitor Celgene. The Boulder-based drug maker struck the $2.9 billion deal last November, negotiating a price of $72 a share in cash and Celgene stock. It was a 50 percent premium over the company's recent share price. From the start, however, some investors were displeased:
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Newmont deadline extended into March : Energy : The Rocky Mountain News

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/feb/25/newmont-deadline-extended/...
Newmont Mining says the Indonesian government has extended until March 3 the deadline for the company to divest 10 percent of its Indonesian subsidiary. Denver-based Newmont is one of the world's largest gold producers. The previous deadline had been last Friday. It announced the extension today. Under terms of a 1986 contract with Indonesia, the Newmont subsidiary is required to sell 51 percent to the Indonesia government or nationals by the end of March 2010.
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Gates developer falling behind in paying firms : Real Estate : The Rocky Mountain News

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/feb/23/gates-developer-falling-behind...
Joseph Freed and Associates, the Chicago group tapped as the developer of the $1 billion Gates Rubber Co. redevelopment two years ago, has not paid a number of local firms it hired to work on the project. Although an executive at Freed told the Rocky Mountain News this week that the firms will be paid, the company's relationship with the property, called Metropolitan Gardens, has changed. Freed no longer will buy 24 acres of the property it had under contract near Santa Fe Drive and Interstate 25. It also will not buy 23 acres near Broadway it had an option on. "Our relationship with Freed has changed somewhat," said Ferd Belz, president of Cherokee Denver, a subsidiary of Cherokee Investments in Raleigh, N.C., which owns the site. Belz called it a "mutual decision" between Cherokee and Freed. Freed may still be on board as a developer paid to construct buildings and find tenants, with Cherokee remaining as the owner, Belz said. Cherokee also may sell parcels of land; it recently sold five acres to Trammell Crow Residential, which is building luxury apartments.
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UNC-Greeley partnership focus of new effort | News | The Tribune

http://greeleytribune.com/article/20080223/NEWS/36422311...
A partnership of private investment and university brainpower, with an eye toward revitalizing downtown, is the goal behind efforts to ramp up the University of Northern Colorado's profile in Greeley. Those efforts took a step forward last week when officials from UNC, the Greeley Chamber of Commerce, the Downtown Development Authority and Greeley City Council attended a two-day conference, "University as a Civic Partner," in Phoenix. Presenters talked about city-university partnerships that re-energized downtowns in Phoenix, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Springfield, Mass., the latter being comparable in size to Greeley-Evans. Kay Norton, UNC president, said the conference pointed out that universities, unlike businesses that come and go with market shifts, in many ways become the anchors of urban economies.
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February 22, 2008

Hotel occupancy report's news mixed : More Business : The Rocky Mountain News

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/feb/22/reports-news-mixed/...
Hotel occupancy rates dropped, but average room rates in the Denver area and in Colorado rose in January, compared with January 2007, according to the Rocky Mountain Lodging Report. The report, by Robert S. Benton & Associates, showed that the average occupancy rate in the Denver area was 56 percent in January, compared with 57.2 percent in January 2007. And the average daily room rate rose to $109.37 from $102.72.
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The Steamboat Pilot & Today: 700 team suggests metro district to city officials

http://steamboatpilot.com/news/2008/feb/22/700_team_suggests_metro_district_city...
The Steamboat 700 development team Thursday suggested implementing a metropolitan district in the site that could be annexed into Steamboat Springs, but received little support from city planners. Land use attorney Bob Weiss told the Steamboat Springs Planning Commission that such a district would allow the Steamboat 700 community to conduct its own reviews of some architectural standards in some new development. Steamboat 700 could one day include 2,000 homes and more than 275,000 square feet of commercial space between Steamboat Springs Airport and Silver Spur. Weiss’ comments came during a continuation of the project’s pre-application review in Centennial Hall.
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Northern Colorado truck dealers could see windfall from JBS-Swift | News | The Tribune

http://greeleytribune.com/article/20080222/NEWS/916955114...
JBS-Swift plans to have a fleet of 200 of its own trucks in place by the end of the year, but that apparently is only the start. The meat company announced its plans Wednesday. On Thursday, company officials said it will base its new fleet of trucks from a facility at 2600 2nd Ave. and will need at least 200 drivers plus another 20 or so for the office and maintenance center. It is not yet known when that facility will be operational. Marco Sampaio, JBS-Swift spokesman, said that while the initial plan calls for 200 tractors and a little more than that in the number of trailers, the company plans to expand that fleet from that point once it becomes operational.
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Crocs and NBA reach licensing agreement : More Business : The Rocky Mountain News

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/feb/22/crocs-and-nba-reach-licensing-...
Crocs, the maker of colorful resin clogs, can now add the National Basketball Association to its bench. Niwot-based Crocs on Thursday announced it expanded its licensing agreement with the NBA to cover all 30 teams. Crocs has agreements with all National Hockey League, Major League Baseball and National Football League teams as well as 75 colleges.
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4th quarter far from golden for Newmont : Energy : The Rocky Mountain News

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/feb/22/newmont-posts-q4-loss-on-write...
Newmont Mining Corp., one of the world's largest gold producers, said Thursday it showed a loss in the fourth quarter because of a $1.1 billion write-down and lower gold sales. Although the average price of gold rose in the quarter, so did costs, the Denver-based company said. The results were issued as Newmont faces a deadline today to sell a 10 percent stake in one of its Indonesian properties to th