Belarus plans to build nuclear power station, Lithuania opposes project
The Lithuanian authorities expressed their concerns on Minsk?s plans to build a nuclear power stations, suggesting that previous meetings of the representatives of the European Commission and of Belarus should take place before the application of the project, according to a declaration made yesterday in Prague by the Lithuanian Foreign Affairs Minister Vigaudas Ushatskas, at the end of his ...

Anaheim convention business tops 1.2 million in '08
Visitor & Convention Bureau reports more attendees at conventions compared to past 2 years.

Conventions bring cash in but they need it, too
KEARNEY ? Not too long ago, Roger Jasnoch says, you could impress meeting and tradeshow planners with a few perks.

Do You Have an Alcohol or Drug Problem?
Alcohol and drug use can progress into abuse and even addiction so insidiously that sometimes people do not realize that it has become a problem for them and those...

UPDATES: Athena Awards...Coin show...Quilt retreat...Pancakes & Possibilities
Athena Awards: Nominations are being accepted for the Grand Forks Regional Athena Awards and Athena Young Professional Award. Applications are available online at www.gochamber.org . The deadline is 4:30 p.m. March 3. For more information, call (701) 772-7271.

Ex-Secret Service agent picked for Mo. safety job
Fifty-nine year old John M. Britt, of Chesterfield, was picked Thursday to join the Cabinet of incoming Gov. Jay Nixon.

Nixon names former A-B security head Britt public safety director
Gov.-elect Jay Nixon named former Anheuser-Busch security director and Secret Service agent John Britt director of the Missouri Department of Public Safety.

Geekathon potlucks unite computer herd
Jessica Machado/Special to The OregonianIgal Koshevoy, (from left) Audrey Eschright, Peter Eschright, Leif Warner and Mark Gross exchange ideas at the coders' social. Because much of the programming work in Portland is of the freelance or consulting nature, gatherings are...

Tampa Conventions Business Gets Major August Commitment
The city's meetings and conventions business will get a boost in August with a commitment from the Women of Faith group to bring its Grand New Day Conference Tour to the St. Pete Times Forum. The conference will draw about 15,000 attendees, according to a release by Tampa Bay & Co., which markets the visitors industry for Hillsborough County.

Community News & Notes
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Uganda: Garamba Military Action Was Necessary
On December 14, 2008, the armed Forces of Uganda (UPDF), Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) and Southern Sudan (SPLA) launched an attack on the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) hideouts in Garamba, DRC, signaling an end to the Juba peace talks and resumption of war.

Swansea Library plans events
SWANSEA ? Winter Story hour sessions begin on January 12th and January 14th. Three story hour programs are available, Monday's and Wednesday's from 10:30-11:30, and Wednesday afternoons from 1:30-2:30. Call to sign up today. Join us for books and...

Hawaii marketing to Korea put on hold
The Hawaii Tourism Authority has decided to spend more money to market in Japan and North America while putting on hold funds directed toward South Korea.

2007 Chick-fil-A Bowl brought in $12 million
The college football season is set to end Thursday night, and Chick-fil-A Bowl President Gary Stokan is in Miami ready to attend the title game. Sure, he gets a chance to watch one last gridiron contest, and being in Florida in January isn't bad, either. But Stokan said his mission is to see how officials there put on the game and if there's anything the Chick-fil-A organizers might emulate. ...

Redskins Branding Plan Gets Nod From Ad Hoc Committee
Loudoun County's potential to partner with the Washington Redskins has another chance after the ad hoc committee formed to vet the marketing proposal turned out a unanimous vote to recommend approval.

Hotel Spas in the U.S: The Potential to Be Buoyant in 2009, However, Not Invincible | By Bruce Baltin
Spas continued to contribute to the top and bottom lines of U.S. hotels in 2007. Total spa department revenue increased 5.0 percent from 2006 to 2007, while spa department profits grew 5.8 percent. These are among the findings reported in PKF Consulting?s (PKF-C) recently released 2008 edition of Trends in the Hotel Spa Industry, a report that examines the revenue, expenses, and profits of ...

Debate surrounds community center plans
The political saga of the Lompoc Valley Senior and Community Center added a new chapter this week, as City Councilwoman Cecilia Martner proposed a study of whether a change to the building?s floor plan might make it more cost-effective for the city to operate.

Making it big in India and Taiwan
India?s first and largest producer of news, current affairs and entertainment television, New Delhi Television Limited (NDTV), was in the country to shoot its several top travel shows, Confessions of a Travel Bag, Shopaholic and No Big Deal.

Cash needed to lure doctor to Dundalk, mayor says
Southgate Mayor Don Lewis said it?s time for council to start offering financial incentives if it?s serious about attracting a doctor to Dundalk. ?We may [...]

New Orleans visitors' bureau optimistic about '09
NEW ORLEANS - A spokeswoman for the New Orleans Convention and Visitors' Bureau is optimistic about 2009 but says officials early in the year will be watching whether the national recession affects tourism numbers.