— The Dow Jones opens above 10,000 today for the second day in a row. The index is at 10,023, more than 300 points higher than last week’s open. The Dow held its value Friday despite a national unemployment rate report that came in worse than expected at more than 10 percent. — The WisBusiness index of Wisconsin stocks is up as well. It opens the week at 1,774, up more than 75 points from last week’s open. The Wisconsin index was boosted in part by Neenah Paper’s stock, which rose more than 15 percent last week in advance of its quarterly earnings release today. Other Wisconsin companies due to report their earnings this week include Rockwell Automation and the nursing home company Assisted Living Concepts today and Kohl’s Department Stores on Thursday. See more stock info: http://www.wisbusiness.com/index.iml?Article=140042 — Wisconsin is getting $1.7 million from the federal government to improve broadband internet access in the state. The money will go to map broadband access and to spread high-speed internet networks to more parts of the state. Early next year consumers will be able to use a state website to search addresses and see what types of service are available, and at what speeds. The Public Service Commission has retained LinkAmerica to map the broadband service currently available in Wisconsin and to help plan future expansions. See details: http://wispolitics.com/index.iml?Article=176132 TOP STORIES
Bankruptcy filings in Wisconsin up over last year: Bankruptcy filings in the state are up about 30 percent from this time last year, particularly among seniors struggling with medical expenses. In the western half of Wisconsin, there were about 7,000 filings for all of last year. This year there were almost that many as of last month. Doyle: Saving Mercury Marine jobs could cost $70M: Gov. Jim Doyle says dissuading outboard-engine maker Mercury Marine Inc. from moving its Fond du Lac operations to Oklahoma could cost state taxpayers $70 million. That’s in addition to a $50 million loan funded by Fond du Lac County sales tax and $3 million from the City of Fond du Lac. Industry pushes chocolate milk in schools: The creators of the “Got Milk?” campaign are getting ready to make a big push to keep chocolate milk on kids’ minds and on school lunch menus, a plan that has some educators and obesity advocates none too pleased. Norbco site in Tomah to close : GEA Farm Technologies will close its manufacturing and distribution facility of the Norbco product line in Tomah and relocate it to Galesville by March 31, the company announced late Wednesday. The Galesville location is an existing GEA Farm Technologies manufacturing facility with 115 employees, operating in a 144,000-square-foot facility on 21 acres. Sanford layoffs in Janesville to start Jan. 8 : The business sales division of pen and marker maker Sanford will shut down in early 2010, putting 140 employees out of work. Judge scraps $1.26 billion judgment against Pepsi : If two Wisconsin men’s idea about bottled water was really worth $1.26 billion, now they’ll have to prove it. A Jefferson County judge Friday vacated an earlier default judgment in that amount she had granted to the two men against PepsiCo. The company said it had not responded to the April lawsuit until October because of a secretary’s “human error.”
************************************************************ See commentary from around the state and columns from WisBusiness contributors Jennifer Sereno, Kevin McKinley, Tom Burzinski, Gregg Hoffmann, Tom Still and Steve Jagler: ************************************************************ TECHNOLOGY (back to top)
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MANUFACTURING (back to top) – Paper dumping claim advances as Appleton Coated, NewPage Corp. allege trade violations – Trade agency presses ahead with paper imports probe
LABOR (back to top) – Census Bureau’s Chicago center needs 70,000 workers – Hiring expected to improve in November
SMALL BUSINESS (back to top)
REAL ESTATE (back to top) – Owner plans to reuse pieces of historic Gipfel brewery – Olympia resort wants to make hotel rooms apartments
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TRANSPORTATION (back to top) – Sterilizer helps boost Austin Straubel’s business – Economy causes bumps for Lake Express
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REGULATION (back to top) – Judge orders contractor to pay overdue taxes
TOURISM (back to top) – Brewers, Admirals extend joint ticket promotion
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