ANNISTON, Ala. — Alabama Governor Bob Riley has appointed Jim Farrell, President of Blastcrete Equipment Co. in Anniston, Alabama, to the Alabama Iron & Steel Council. With the completion of the ThyssenKrupp plant in Mobile, the state of Alabama is expected to become the second largest steel producer in the U.S. by 2010. “The Alabama [...]

ORLANDO, Fla. — Auditel Inc. today announced that it has been awarded by General Services Administration (GSA) schedule of Telecommunication Audit & Financial Training Services (SIN 520 14). Auditel Inc. can now offer GSA rates to military, federal, state, and local Government agencies to reduce telecom expenses and control telecom budgets through Telecom Expense Management [...]

CLEVELAND, Ohio — NewsChannel 5 Troubleshooter Joe Pagonakis is making a difference! His stories about problems between northeast Ohioans and their home improvement contractors have led to new legislation designed to protect home owners throughout the state. Pagonakis’ stories caught the attention of State Senator Bob Spada (R-North Royalton), who today passed Senate Bill 275, [...]

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Los Angeles business leader and environmental sustainability advocate David S. Honda has been appointed to the Sunshine Canyon Landfill Local Enforcement Agency (SCL-LEA). SCL-LEA is a recently created joint powers authority (JPA) formed in part to adjudicate operating issues surrounding the controversial urban landfill at Sunshine Canyon as they arise, while [...]

ORLANDO, Fla. — Martha Rose Construction, Inc, joined today with U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman to announce a new national energy-saving initiative - the U.S. Department of Energy’s Builders Challenge. Martha Rose was at the Builders Challenge kick-off event held at the International Builders Show in Orlando, Florida.

FRANKFORT, Ky. — “It’s not legal, not appropriate use of public funds, and a deep insult to non-profit organizations across the Commonwealth who have worked to legally get, or even have just thought about getting, specialty plates,” said Don Shelton, spokesman for the Kentucky Division, Sons of Confederate Veterans.

IRVING, Texas — A balanced approach to fire protection that includes the installation of both fire detection and suppression systems will save lives according to the National Burglar & Fire Alarm Association (NBFAA), and for that reason, NBFAA urges that consumers support two legislative initiatives now pending in Congress.

NORTH MIAMI, Fla. — City of North Miami Mayor Kevin Burns along with representatives from the Florida Office of Financial Regulation kick off an initiative to show Florida citizens how easy the road to financial security can be if you know the basics of simple investing. There will be a press conference Monday September 24th at 11:00 a.m. at the North Miami Public Library.

AMES, Iowa — While Republican presidential hopefuls are in Ames, Iowa this weekend shaking hands and jockeying for position among party faithful, two new technology tools are being offered to Iowa voters and political junkies. ElectionMall’s eTicketing software and text messaging (SMS) system are being provided through IowaGOP.org allowing supporters to purchase their tickets online to the Iowa Straw Poll and receive results on their cell phone.

DAKAR, Senegal -­- The U.S. Goverrnment, in partnership with the Ministry of Health, launched two new activities under the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) in Senegal yesterday with the start of the first large-scale community-based spraying campaign in Senegal in the village of Keur Moussa and the delivery of 200,000 bednets in outlying areas of the capital, Dakar.

PHOENIX, Ariz. — Relationship Marketing Systems, LLC, a lottery products company in Phoenix, Arizona has a patent-pending lottery ticket designed to increase sales of state lottery jackpot games. According to Andy Amada, president of RMS, “Believing in the myth of ‘Jackpot Fatigue’ is holding state lotteries back from generating a lot more sales and revitalizing their online games.”

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — In his new book, “The New Income Tax Scandal: How Congress Hijacked the Sixteenth Amendment” (ISBN 1413495443, Xlibris) John C. Garrison, who has served honorably on the legal staff of a major State of Florida law enforcement agency, and who has been active for over two decades in tax history research and tax reform activism, has delved into the history of those questionable events in Congress that led to the establishment of our modern income tax, fearlessly revealing in his book the legislative corruption that went into the system at its inception.

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif — Because someone has to step up and suggest something: this year’s StateoftheState.com address deals with California’s property tax — All aspects of California Proposition 13 on property taxes are to remain the same except that homes of “4,000 square feet or more” are to pay an additional 1%.