Category Archives: Idaho

Business/Economics, Idaho

U.S. Job Losses & Store Closings, 28 – 31 March 2015: “I don’t think we’ve seen the bottom yet.” Hallmark going down!

Incomplete list of publicly announced layoffs & shutdowns:

Alabama: In Helena, after 13 years the owners of Frankie’s Market Café announced they are shutting down in April. They blame rising costs of operations, especially utility cots.  Jefferson County Board of Education will beginning laying off 160 employees in July!

California: In San Pablo, Obama Care forcing Doctors Medical Center to issue a shutdown WARN for April, 709 jobs lost!  In Fort Irwin, tax-sucker Northrop Grumman issued a WARN saying an additional 476 people will lose their jobs by June!  Vose Technical Systems also issued a WARN saying they will layoff 60 people at Fort Irwin, in May.  In San Francisco, Apollo Education issued two WARNs saying 38 people will be laid off between June and August.  Sutton Place issued a WARN saying they are shutting down by the end of May, 98 jobs lost.  Lightspeed-SkilledUp issued a WARN saying 27 people will be laid off in May.  In Mountain View, tech company Symantech continues to kill jobs, this time their latest WARN says 30 people will be let go in May.

Florida: In Panama City, Flexsteel Pipeline issued a WARN saying 70 people will be laid off by the end of the year.

Idaho: In Nampa, after 69 years Nafziger Men’s Store shutdown.

Indiana: In Evansville, Wesselman’s Supermarkets announced they will shutdown their Pollack Avenue store.

Louisiana: Oil derrick operator Loadmaster Derrick & Equipment revealed  they conducted “very minimal” layoffs the week prior.

Maryland: Men’s clothing chain store Jos. A. Bank issued a WARN saying they’re shutting down their Hampstead HQ and 122 people will be laid off between May and December!  It’s blamed on the take over by Texas based Men’s Warehouse.  Reports say at one point Jos. A. Bank employed more than 7-hundred people in Hampstead.

Missouri: Kansas City based Hallmark Cards wants 2-hundred employees to voluntarily quit, and they’re offering buyout bribes for “eligible employees”!  Company administrators blame “changes in consumer spending”.  In Jackson, Nearly Perfect Shoes shutdown, a co-owner said it was because the local economy can no longer support two shoe stores less than eight miles apart.

New York: In Brooklyn, Milestone School for Child Development issued a WARN saying they will shutdown, 73 jobs lost in June.  In NYC, Skyline Tours announced they’ve been sold-off and 120 jobs will be affected! Grandpa’s Bus Service issued a massive shutdown WARN saying they lost their state Department of Education contract, more than 5-hundred jobs threatened!  In Loudonville, Sodexo issued a WARN saying they lost a major food service contract and will shutdown in June, 193 jobs lost!  DAL Global Services continues to warn that they could lose their contract with Etihad Airways at John F. Kennedy International Airport, 122 jobs lost in May!

North Dakota: In Bismarck, Box Office Video shutdown one of its two stores.

North Carolina: What housing market recovery? In Wilson, bathtub maker Bathcraft announced they will shutdown in May, 87 jobs lost.  HR director Sandy Moore directly blamed the crashing housing market.   In Asheville, the owner of Uncle Junebug’s General Store announced it will shutdown in April.  He blames construction projects: “I had no idea there was going to be so much development of hotels in that area. I’m almost certain that the entire length of my lease, which would have been three years, would have just been eaten up by construction.”-David Hawkins

Ohio: Columbus based oil tank maker Worthington Industries began laying off employees, without any warning.  More than 5-hundred people in Ohio and Kansas now unemployed, as one analyst said “I don’t think we’ve seen the bottom yet.” 

Oklahoma: In Tulsa, after 50 years Amir’s Persian Imports shutdown. The owner says he hopes to continue his rug cleaning business.

Rhode Island: The non-profit East Greenwich Animal Protection League shutdown due to lack of donations.

Virginia: 70 years old The Fine Arts Shop shutdown.  Store managers say the shutdown came without warning, and they thought it was financially stable.  The owners basically said they don’t want to deal with it anymore, and they want to retire while they’re on top.

West Virginia: In Huntington, Oregon based Precision Castparts laid off at least 1-hundred people at their Special Metals factory, without warning!  Administrators blame oil prices for its low “level of business activity.”

26 – 27 March 2015: “all options exhausted…no alternative”

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification

The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) doesn’t count the hundreds of layoffs involving less than 50 people each, in its mass layoff reports. It also doesn’t count all the little ‘mom & pop’ businesses that shutdown. It doesn’t count people who get a severance for being laid off.

Business/Economics, Idaho

More Economic Decline: One final look at the Idaho Postal Processing Center most east Idahoans didn’t even know about!

The following pics were taken on 16-17 April 2015, the official last days of the Gateway Processing Center in southeastern Idaho, but do not show all the operations that took place.  (click pics to make bigger)

The United States Postal Service does not make money off taxpayers, they are solely funded by the postage they charge.  The U.S. Congress controls what the USPS can charge, and, according to testimonies by the U.S. postmaster general, Patrick Donahoe, and Fredric Rolando, president of the National Association of Letter Carriers, the U.S. Congress has forced the USPS to over pay into several federal funds.

EAST IDAHO MAIL HANDLERS ‘INVOLUNTARILY’ ESCAPE

Salt Lake Letter Processing Center unable to handle all of east Idaho’s letter mail

MORE ECONOMIC DECLINE: CONFUSION REIGNS OVER EAST IDAHO POSTAL PROCESSING CENTER SHUTDOWN!

MORE ECONOMIC DECLINE: MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT CONFIRMING SHUTDOWN OF EAST IDAHO’S ONLY POSTAL PROCESSING CENTER?

MORE ECONOMIC DECLINE: EAST IDAHOANS OBLIVIOUS TO SHUTDOWN OF THEIR ONLY POSTAL PROCESSING CENTER!

First announced in 2011: SURPRISE POSTAL SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT, WILL CLOSE DISTRIBUTION CENTERS NOT MENTIONED ON PUBLIC POST OFFICE CLOSING LIST. POCTELLO, IDAHO, TARGETED

Business/Economics, Idaho

U.S. Job Losses & Store Closings, 13 – 14 March 2015: Idaho based Great Depression surviving variety store crashing & burning!

Incomplete list of publicly announced layoffs & shutdowns:

Arizona: In Gilbert, Barnes & Noble shutdown their Crossroads Towne Center bookstore. It’s part of the company’s plans to shutdown 225 stores by 2023 (proof there is no recovery).

California: In San Diego, Service America Corporation issued a massive layoff WARN saying 831 people will become jobless in April! Two tech companies merged, Cypress Semiconductor and Spansion, and made it clear they will eliminate 16-hundred Golden State jobs by the end of April!

The quietly vacated and now for lease King's Store in Pocatello, Idaho. Prior to King's moving in 3 years ago it was a sporting goods store.

The quietly vacated and now for lease King’s Store in Pocatello, Idaho. Prior to King’s moving in 3 years ago it was a sporting goods store.

Idaho: Burley based King’s Variety Store is crashing & burning, according to Payette news sources.  The 100 years old (surviving the Great deflationary Depression and numerous recessions) chain store has 26 stores in five states, but now is forced to shutdown six stores within The Right to Work (you over) Gem State; Payette, Weiser, Emmett, Middleton, Twin Falls and Pocatello.  Administrators blame the suck-ass economy!  In Boise, Post Holdings announced it will shutdown their PowerBar factory in July, 165 jobs lost! Company administrators have decided to outsource the making of their energy food to unknown contractor factories, in the name of increasing profits.  In Kellogg, the Sunnyside Elementary school shutdown due to massive population exodus which created what I call DSS (Disappearing Student Syndrome): “Since 1970, we’ve had a 66% decrease in our enrollment!”-Art Krulitz, Kellogg School District

Illinois: In Harvey, after 23 years Ingalls Childcare Center shutdown.  Administrators blamed the bad economy for not being able to pay their employees!    The Adler Planetarium laid off 15 people, blaming lack of public attendance: “We’re trying to make it so that our annual revenues match our expenses. For at least the last few years, we were using money either from our endowment or a fundraising campaign to sustain us.”-Marc Lapides

Michigan: The Right to Work (you over) Great Lakes State shut down its unemployment office in Grand Haven!   State administrators say unemployment isn’t high enough to justify so many unemployment offices!

Minnesota: US Steel continues to slash & burn jobs, this time they’re shutting down their Keetac plant in Keewatin, 412 jobs lost in May!   After 57 years the owner of McCormack’s Furniture said she must shutdown by the end of summer.  Local news reports didn’t explain why, but indicated the owner wanted to retire.

New York: After 61 years the Lindenhurst Diner shutdown. The owners say a property developer made them an offer they couldn’t refuse.  Hospital Kaleida Health says Obama Care forced them to layoff 24 managers.

Texas: In Longview, oil services company FTS International laid off about 37 employees: “The reality is that continued decline of oil and gas prices has caused a slowdown in well completions work.”-Lynaia Lutes

Vermont: State administrators warned the taxpayers that as many as 325 state employees will be laid off!  The state leaders have apparently lost $113-million in tax revenues!  Of course, state social services will be slashed & burned.  State employees reminded taxpayers that they’ve been making sacrifices for ten years now: “Our members have for almost a decade come to the table to help the state to balance the budget! We do not think it’s fair that the way we’re balancing the budget is by picking the pocket of snowplow drivers, administrative assistants and nursing aides, working class Vermonters who provide public services….”-Steve Howard, Vermont State Employees Association

Virginia: United Airlines continues to slash & burn jobs, this time 67 people at the Richmond International Airport will be let go by May.  It’s part of United Airlines’ plans to replace in-house employees with cheap-o contractors.  In Culpeper, the owner of 109 years old (surviving the Great deflationary Depression and numerous recessions) Clarke Hardware announced he must shutdown by June.  News reports say the owner wants to retire, but the owner blames the local Masonic Lodge, who owns the property: “They told me last Wednesday that I have to be out by the end of June. They want the building to renovate. They plan to split it into two sections to get more rent.”-Claude Minnich

Wyoming: God refuses to stop Saint James of the Valley School from shutting down.  Church administrators blame it on what some Christians call The Rapture, or what I call DSS.

11 – 12 March 2015: Harley Davidson motorcycle crashing & burning?

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification

The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) doesn’t count the hundreds of layoffs involving less than 50 people each, in its mass layoff reports. It also doesn’t count all the little ‘mom & pop’ businesses that shutdown. It doesn’t count people who get a severance for being laid off.

Idaho, U.S.

Yellowstone super volcano more massive than first thought!

24 April 2015 (10:54 UTC-07 Tango 01)/04 Ordibehesht 1394/05 Rajab 1436/06 Geng Chen (3rd month) 4713

“In a big eruption, Yellowstone would eject 1,000 times as much material as the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption. This would be a disaster felt on a global scale….”–Scientists find missing link in Yellowstone plumbing

“The Yellowstone supervolcano is one of the largest active continental silicic volcanic fields in the world……Using a joint local and teleseismic earthquake P-wave seismic inversion, we unveil a basaltic lower-crustal magma body that provides a magmatic link between the Yellowstone mantle plume and the previously imaged upper-crustal magma reservoir. This lower-crustal magma body has a volume of 46,000 km3, ~4.5 times larger than the upper-crustal magma reservoir, and contains a melt fraction of ~2%. These estimates are critical…..”–The Yellowstone magmatic system from the mantle plume to the upper crust 

The discovery that the supervolcano known as Yellowstone National Park is far bigger than first thought  comes as U.S. National Park administrators reported that 2014’s park attendance resulted in $543.7-million USD for the local economy.

According to National Geographic, Yellowstone National Park records “1,000-3,000 earthquakes annually.”

Recently 6th graders from West Yellowstone wrote comments about their week long field trip to the National Park.  Apparently one thing that wasn’t discussed with the children was that they were sitting on Mother Nature’s Super Atomic Bomb.

Recent local news reports talked about the threat of drought to the National Park, as well as invasive aquatic animals being inadvertently brought in on boats.

Unexplained & increasing Idaho earthquakes caused by Fracking? 

Homeland Security behind False Flag earthquake drill in Idaho? Real quake hits!

Yellowstone Magma expanding?

Continued mine collaspe could be due to increased seismic activity in Idaho. 

Preparing for Disaster

Fukushima, Idaho

Fukushima – WIPP – Radiation Fallout: Siberian fires prove North America blanketed with Japanese radiation!

23 April 2015 (09:17 UTC-07 Tango 01)/03 Ordibehesht 1394/04 Rajab 1436/05 Geng Chen (3rd month) 4713

Massive wild fires in Siberia, Russia, have been smoking out the Pacific Northwest of North America for days now.  The smoke is now reaching the Atlantic Coast.  The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says the majority of North America is blanketed by the smoke.

The wild fires started about a couple of weeks ago, and have killed dozens of people in Siberia.  If the smoke is already covering most of North America in less than two weeks, then imagine the massive radiation contamination that is still spewing from Japan’s exploded Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactors!   The same wind currents that bring the smoke from Siberia are bringing radiation from Fukushima.  Of course, U.S. and Canadian environmental administrators have denied that high levels of radiation from Fukushima has reached North America.

Japanese news media reported that four years after the explosions at Fukushima new data has been released by the U.S. Department of the Navy.  The data shows 75% of  the initial radiation contamination released after the explosions actually took place several days afterward, and was released for much longer than first thought.  Researchers learned that a metal used to make fuel rods, zirconium, continued overheating even after thousands of tons of water was poured into the reactors.  It turns out the water actually acted as a catalyst and could have contributed to what looks like  a slow burn China Syndrome, that is still ongoing.

To prove that radiation contamination is still ongoing, administrators with Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCo) revealed yet more airborne and waterborne leaks, and admitted they knew about one leak a year ago!  TEPCo says airborne radiation levels inside reactor building 1 (Fukushima #1) are so high they will kill you in one hour!  They determined this after two robots sent into the building were disabled by the radiation levels.

The most recent water leaks happened this week, when all the water pumps failed.  An unknown amount of contaminated water went into the Pacific Ocean.

Then there’s the leak TEPCo knew about one years ago, but said nothing until now.  TEPCo described the contaminated water leak as “highly radioactive” and said it’s been pouring into the Pacific Ocean, from reactor building 2 (Fukushima #2), since April 2014!

In a possibly related story, the residence of the neo-imperialist Japanese prime minister was found to have a highly radioactive RC drone on the roof!  Security personnel say nobody had been on the roof for the past month, and they don’t know how it got there.  The drone was carrying a container of liquid contaminated with cesium that comes from nuclear reactors.   The drone was marked with radiation warning labels.

In Takahama, a Japanese court judge has blocked the re-start of two reactors at the Takahama Nuclear Power Plant.  The judge reviewed data and declared the reactors to be unsafe, and that the new national government regulations for nuclear factory safety to be insufficient.  Even government administrators admit a catastrophic accident could still occur even with the new regulations.  It turns out the Takahama nuke reactors, operated by Kansai Electric Power Company, are built over three earthquake fault lines!

The Journal of Ornithology has published a study that shows radiation is killing off Japanese birds.  The journal Environmental Indicators published a study saying the radiation levels around Fukushima are far worse than Chernobyl.

In the U.S. state of New Mexico radiation problems continue at the Waste Isolation Pilot Project (WIPP).  The DoE accuses the Los Alamos Nuclear Laboratory (LANL) of causing the explosions inside WIPP by improperly packing mixed nuke waste in 55 gallon drums.  The DoE investigation confirmed that at least one drum exploded.

The contractor running the site has been hit with $7.3-million USD in fines!  The U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) effectively accused Nuclear Waste Partnership of failing across the board, from lack of maintenance programs to outright violations of DoE regulations!

To try and remedy their failed operations at WIPP, Nuclear Waste Partnership has selected a new manager to run WIPP.  He was in charge of the plutonium facility at Idaho National Laboratory, and also worked at the Savannah River Site.

The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has also been accused of contributing to the WIPP disaster, as it is one of the users of WIPP for nuke waste storage.  Now the INL is now asking for permission to receive 2-hundred pounds of spent nuclear fuel, for the purpose of researching new ways to store and/or recycle nuke waste.  Former Idaho governors Phil Batt and Cecil Andrus condemned the proposal, pointing out it would violate a 1995 deal banning nuke waste shipments into The Gem State.

Nobody can trust anything administrators say at the INL, it turns out there was a nuclear accident there six months ago, but only now was made public!  It was revealed by the DoE during a local public hearing.  Back in October 2014, at least one employee was contaminated during the re-packing of nuclear waste.  It shutdown the New Waste Calcining Facility for several weeks.

Fukushima – WIPP – Radiation Fallout:  Santa Barbara hit by giant radioactive lobsters?

Business/Economics, Idaho, International

More Economic Decline: Idaho’s failed Hoku leads to 1st Chinese company to default on loan payments? Evidence of economic warfare by United States?

22 April 2015 (10:19 UTC-07 Tango 01)/02 Ordibehesht 1394/03 Rajab 1436/04 Geng Chen (3rd month) 4713

“Our company suffered huge losses in 2014…..Our company has lost financing ability and suffered from a capital shortage. We can’t raise enough money to repay interest, despite all the efforts we have made.”-Baoding Tianwei

For the first time a government controlled Chinese company has defaulted on a massive loan.  Tianwei says it can’t even make the interest payment of 85.5-million yuan ($13.8-million USD)!

If you’ve followed my reports on the failed polysilicon factory in Pocatello, Idaho, then you’d know that Tianwei became the default owner of the troubled Hoku Materials plant, by becoming the only financier of the operation.

Hoku Materials (originally owned by Hoku of Hawaii) was to produce polysilicon for use in solar power products.  The Chinese solar power industry was happy to get involved, but in 2013 market prices for polysilicon hit record lows, then “…the Obama administration jacked up tariffs so high on Chinese polysilicon companies that it wasn’t worth it to do business in the U.S.”

Was the increase in tariffs by the Obama regime, which finally killed the Hoku Materials factory in Idaho, nothing more than economic warfare against China?

Tianwei operates a group of companies known as China South Industries Group, Tianwei Group, Tianwei USA, Tianwei Solution and Baoding Tianwei Solar Firms.

More Economic Decline: New owner of Pocatello’s Polysilicon factory gives up

Business/Economics, Idaho, Influenza

U.S. Food Crisis, April 2015: “…it hit me like a bag of rocks!” McDonald’s crashing & burning! “…cannot afford another two years of substantial losses.” State of emergency declared over food supply! U.S. ice cream can kill you!

Incomplete list of announced United States food supply shutdowns for the month of April, 2015: Many food suppliers/distributors are consolidating operations and killing jobs due to the collapsing grocery store and restaurant industries, as well as rising costs of food production, and spread of disease.

“We will have to develop stricter bio-security measures to eliminate any possible contact between migratory waterfowl…..and our commercial farms.”-Simon Shane, North Carolina State University, interviewed on Nightly Business Report about massive H5N2 outbreak

China, Republic of Korea (aka South Korea), Taiwan, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts-Nevis, Jamaica, Antigua and Barbuda have banned U.S. poultry products.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has banned imports of poultry products from Canada.  The USDA implied the H5N2 outbreak in the U.S. might be linked to Canadian poultry.  Taiwan and Japan have banned Canadian poultry.

U.S. based Albertsons-Safeway announced it will shutdown it’s King Edward Street warehouse in Winnipeg, Canada, by 2016.  At least 172 jobs lost!

Bermuda based booze maker Bacardi announced it will layoff about 80 people in North America, including the United States. It’s blamed on crashing booze sales.

Arkansas: Poultry industry hit by H5N2.

California:  Poultry industry hit by H5N2.  Albertsons-Vons announced it will shutdown its Riverside La Sierra Plaza Vons and two Bakersfield Vons in May, because they are “not meeting company goals.”   In Fresno, Charlotte’s BakerEatery sold to competitor Dusty Buns.  After more than 50 years San Francisco’s iconic Capp’s Italian Dinners Family Style shutdown.  The owners blame the greedy landlord and legalities with insurance for their closure.  In Sherman Oaks, Jerry’s Famous Deli issued a WARN saying they will shutdown in June, 60 jobs lost.  In San Jose, NYC Food and Beverage issued a shutdown WARN for June, 144 jobs lost!  Seafood supplier Prospect Enterprises issued multiple WARNs saying at least 130 people will become jobless in July! The seafood distribution ops of Prospect Enterprises were taken over by rival Santa Monica Seafood.

Colorado: In Denver, Texas based Del Frisco’s Restaurant Group announced they will shutdown the 15 years old Wazee Street Sullivan’s Steakhouse at the end of May.  They do not want to renew the lease.

Connecticut: The Carmen Anthony Restaurant Group shutdown two steak restaurants, one in Waterbury and one in New Haven.  At least 70 jobs lost.  The Carmen Anthony Restaurant Group blames Mother Nature, ongoing road construction and the suck-ass economy: “The challenges of this relentless downturn of our fragile economy, in addition to Phase I of road construction that lasted approx 28 months on Chase Avenue, directly in front of my Waterbury Steakhouse, has caused me a tremendous hardship and substantial unrecoverable financial losses. Phase II of this road widening construction has started up again in April 2015 and is projected to last approximately another two years or more to complete this project. I cannot afford another two years of substantial losses. These challenges alone were very difficult to manage but adding this year’s disastrous winter was the last straw that I could not overcome. January, February and March are normally difficult months but this year’s extremely cold weather and snow storms, most of which fell on weekends where I do 30 to 40% of my sales, was devastating.”

Florida:  Albertsons issued a WARN saying they will shutdown their Clearwater grocery store in May, 86 jobs lost.  After 40 years the Siesta Market shutdown in Sarasota.  In Niceville, food service company Sodexo issued a WARN saying 176 people will become unemployed in June!

Idaho: Poultry industry hit by H5N2.  State administrators deny the reports.

Illinois: Oak Brook based McDonald’s crashing & burning in the U.S. of A!  McDonald’s administrators report their profits fell $400-million USD during their 1st quarter of 2015, their biggest profit decline ever!  As a result they will begin shutting down hundreds of U.S. restaurants!   And in Japan McDonald’s is crashing & burning as well. Administrators say the economy is so bad in the east Asian country that they expect to lose between $210-million to $318-million USD by the end of the year (at least triple their losses last year),  so, they will shutdown 131 Japanese stores, more than 1-thousand jobs affected, and they will layoff about 1-hundred jobs at their Tokyo HQ!  They blame logistical problems getting reliable food!  Globally, McDonald’s says they will shutdown a total of 7-hundred stores this year!  In Normal, That’s So Sweet cheesecake shop shutdown, the owner blamed it on her pregnancy which made it difficult to commute to her Normal store.  In East Saint Louis, grocery store Schnucks shutdown on State Street.  Company administrators refused to explain why.  Central Beverage issued a WARN saying 124 employees are now unemployed!  It’s blamed on the company’s takeover by Lakeshore Beverage.   Airline food supplier Flying Food Fare Midway issued a WARN saying 32 people will become jobless in May.   In Old Irving Park, Mirabell German restaurant shutdown after 38 years of operations, apparently due to the death of the chef.

Indiana: Administrators with Marsh Supermarket announced they will shutdown stores in Lafayette, Mooresville, Fishers and Indianapolis!  They claim the grocery stores “do not meet our business requirements regarding sales or future growth potential”.

Iowa: 5.3-million laying hens will be culled due to an outbreak of H5N2, 3.8-million have already died!  Iowa is the largest supplier of chicken eggs to the U.S. food market, gov’na Scott Walker declared a State of Emergency and called up the National Guard: “Anybody that has a poultry operation, whether large or small, whether you’ve got hundreds of birds or one bird, this should be a wake-up call!”-Randy Olson, Iowa Poultry Association

Kansas: Poultry industry hit by H5N2.

Massachusetts: The Look Restaurant shutdown in Leeds.  The owner blamed the bad economy and rising costs of operation.  At one time he had 17 employees, but by the time he decided to shutdown he had only five.

Minnesota: Poultry industry hit by H5N2.  As of 17 April, 1.7-million turkeys have died or been culled due to H5N2!   Wild turkey hunters in five counties are being forced to turn in their kills.  In Saint Paul, after five years Bars Bakery shutdown both of its stores.  The owners say they need more family time.

Missouri: Poultry industry hit by H5N2.  Grocery store chain Schnucks laid off 52 people, and eliminated eight open jobs, at its Saint Louis HQ.   No explanation given.  This comes weeks after administrators spent $1.69-million buying a property that they’ve rented for years.  Administrators admitted they weren’t using the Saint Louis property for anything, and had no future plans for it!

Montana: Poultry industry hit by H5N2.

New Jersey: Freshcut Produce issued a layoff WARN saying 1-hundred employees will become unemployed in June!  Company administrators blamed “economic reasons”.

New York: In Buffalo, Dug’s Dive shutdown. It might have something to do with the new landlord.  In Wayne County, the Heluva Good! cheese factory and shop joining the exodus from The Empire State and moving to Wisconsin in June, 53 jobs lost.

North Carolina: In Asheville, booze maker Blue Kudzu Sake shutdown, blaming the crashing U.S. market for preventing them to “secure a large enough market share to make our operation profitable”.  In Salisbury, famous Rick’s BBQ shutdown, the owner blamed his bad health.  Raleigh’s last registered bed-and-breakfast, The Oakwood Inn, shutdown after 31 years. The owner blames “illegal” competition from internet company Airbnb saying “If I have to [be licensed], why don’t they have to do it? And if they don’t have to do it, then I shouldn’t have to!”

North Dakota: Poultry industry hit by H5N2.

Ohio: Columbus based Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams joined Blue Bell and recalled all their products! The state of Nebraska discovered the bacteria listeria monocytogenes in Jeni’s ice cream.  In Montgomery, after less than one year Verde Salad shutdown  for “personal and financial reasons”!   In Short North, after ten years the Surly Girl Saloon shutdown, the owner indicated that demand for such a bar in Short North is crashing.  New Albany based Bob Evans Farms announced they will shutdown 20 restaurants!  After spending millions of dollars trying to improve their restaurants, administrators decided that at least 20 of them still weren’t “meeting expectations.”  They said most of the failed restaurants were outside Ohio.  Lancaster based EveryWare Global, owner of food preparation products companies Anchor Hocking and Oneida, is now chapter 11 bankrupt busted. They report overall sales crashed 17% in their 4th quarter 2014 (so much for Xmas sales). For the year they lost $4.87-million USD!

Oregon: Poultry industry hit by H5N2.

Pennsylvania: Snack maker Pepsi/Frito-Lay announced they will eliminate 7% of jobs at their Williamsport factory. It’s part of Pepsi’s ongoing plan to slash and burn operating costs (jobs).   After more than 90 years (surviving the Great deflationary Depression) restaurant Cohick’s Trading Post shutdown. One of the co-owners turned evil greedy and actually sued the other co-owner to force them to sell the family business! In Lawrenceville, after six years the owner of restaurant Tamari announced it will shutdown in May, but promised to open a new restaurant in the future. After 65 years Del’s Bar & Ristorante DelPizzo shutdown. The family owners had tried to sell it for the past year, but nobody was interested, the owners say the bad economy sucked them dry: “It’s just time to go, we’ve got nothing left in us.”-Marianne DelPizzo

South Carolina: In Winston-Salem, the owners of New Town Bistro and Bar announced it will shutdown in May.  They said it needs updates and in the current economy “it just didn’t make sense” to spend the money.   The King Street Grille in the Citadel Mall shutdown: “Due to uncontrollable circumstances, we have determined that it is in the best interest of the King Street Grille as a company to close the Citadel Mall location.”

South Dakota: Poultry industry hit by H5N2.  In Roberts County, 66-thousand 6-hundred turkeys dead from H5N2!  In Sioux Falls, after 25 years Valentino’s restaurant shutdown.  The owner said the restaurant business ain’t what it used to be: “This is such a demanding industry right now, and right now most people don’t realize we’re still ranked very high in the nation for restaurants per capita. So it’s gotten more challenging over the years, so it takes a lot. It takes a lot out of you.”-John Jones

Texas:  Brenham based ice cream maker Blue Bell Creameries recalled all their ice cream across the United States!  Company administrators claim they are being pro-active in fighting a listeria outbreak, however, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed that ice cream made by Blue Bell has contained listeria for at least five years, beginning in 2010!  The CDC also blames Blue Bell ice cream for three deaths this past year.   Yet another cupcake shop goes down, this time in San Antonio.  The owner of Kate’s Frosting Events announced she will shutdown her last cupcake shop in May.  She shutdown another shop at the beginning of the year.  Her reason is that she wants at least one day off per week.   San Antonio based Food Management Partners shutting down 70 Carrows and Coco’s Bakery restaurants across Arizona, California and Nevada!  Administrators blame the suck-ass economy: “The current market climate has forced us to make difficult decisions about many of our restaurants that are not performing at a competitive financial level.”

Utah: Cereal maker Kellogg Company (aka Kellogg’s) announced they are shutting down their Clearfield facility, at least 2-hundred jobs lost!  It’s part of the company’s “efficiency and effectiveness program”.  Idiotic and out-o-touch city officials say they’re confident “Another company will come in right behind, and we’ll still continue to have a lot of employment here in Clearfield.”

Virginia: In Arlington, after 28 years Mother’s Macaroons Bakery shutdown.  The owner blames the death of her husband and the crashing economy saying “It was a series of things, and it hit me like a bag of rocks!”

Washington: Poultry industry hit by H5N2.    It was discovered that the Safeway in Spokane Valley shutdown in March, 60 jobs lost. Company administrators said it was not due to the takeover by Cerberus controlled Albertsons, but that the lease expired and it wasn’t worth renewing it.

Wisconsin: Poultry industry hit by H5N2.  In Barron County, 126-thousand 7-hundred turkeys possibly infected with H5N2!  In Milwaukee, restaurant Nourri forced to shutdown after its chef and its general manager walked out.  The owners blame frustrations with ongoing road construction that is killing off sales.  Food service company Sodexo told state employment administrators that 3-hundred people will become unemployed at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, in June! Sodexo lost their contract.

March 2015: “…sales dropped off a cliff…”

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification

Business/Economics, Idaho

More Economic Decline: New owner of Pocatello’s Polysilicon factory gives up, starts chopping up the former Hoku Materials factory!

17 April 2015 (15:57 UTC-07 Tango 01)/27 Farvardin 1394/28 Jumada t-Tania 1436/29 Geng Chen 4713

“We did a worldwide marketing effort to sell the plant. We obviously wanted to find a user.  It’s a damn shame!”-Mark Fleischauer,  JH Kelly senior vice president, Idaho State Journal interview

After a little more than a year, the winning bidder for the failed Hoku Polysilicon Materials factory has given up trying to find an operator, and is now chopping up and selling off the factory bit by bit.

JH Kelly is the contractor hired by Hoku to build the factory in Pocatello, Idaho.  Hawaii based Hoku failed to pay JH Kelly about $25-million USD for the work, and then JH Kelly spent their own $8.3-million buying the failed factory (which was valued at $700-million).

The entire Hoku Materials story is an example of optimistic thinking run wild, involving local and state administrators basically giving away the land for the factory, to company administrators failing to understand the polysilicon market and becoming financially dependent on Chinese sources of money, which was finally ended when the president of the United States imposed heavy tariffs on products tied to Chinese solar power companies.

Read More about the Hoku Materials saga, beginning with: Unpaid contractor is winning bidder for abandoned Hoku….again! 

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

More Economic Decline: East Idaho Mail Handlers ‘involuntarily’ escape the Hotel California!

15 April 2015 (16:54 UTC-07 Tango 01)/25 Farvardin 1394/24 Jumada t-Tania 1436/27 Geng Chen 4713

On 14 April 2015, Pocatello's Gateway Processing Center Mail Handlers were given this notice of work "release".

On 14 April 2015, Pocatello’s Gateway Processing Center Mail Handlers were given this notice of work “release”. Note that the letter is dated “April 10, 2015”. Why did administration wait until the 14th to hand out the notices?

Welcome to the Hotel California!

Your Post Office Receives Zero Tax Dollars

Business/Economics, Idaho

U.S. Job Losses & Store Closings, 04 – 05 March 2015: Another debt collector bites the dust! Capitalism blamed for killing off Lifestyle Lift! Obamacare to cause “more change than we’ve seen in the past 75 years combined.”

Incomplete list of publicly announced layoffs & shutdowns:

What real estate recovery?  Internet based commercial office space seller 42Floors laid off at least 14 people in the cities of New York and San Francisco.  The company halted its commercial real estate brokerage ops and will focus on providing internet searches and listings only: “Over the past few months, 42Floors has experimented with being a brokerage in addition to being a commercial real estate data and search website. We’ve decided today to stick with what we’re best at…”-Jason Freedman, founder

U.S. based barrel maker Greif Incorporated announced it will end metal barrel production in two U.S. states, and in Germany.  The number of jobs to be lost were not made public.

Spain based ‘fast casual’ restaurant Mondatidos chain has placed 1-hundred of its U.S. restaurants into chapter 11 bankruptcy. It should be noted that none of Mondatidos restaurants in other countries are part of the bankruptcy, apparently the economy is that bad in the U.S.

Alabama: Bogue’s Restaurant now chapter 11 bankrupt busted: “A prime motivation factor for Bogue’s filing its reorganization case was to be able to pay its tax debts in an orderly manner.”-Bradley Hightower, attorney

California:  What housing market recovery?  Agoura Hills based InterThink sold off its mortgage division, resulting in at least 70 people being laid off.

Colorado: In Longmont, ‘spy’ satellite operator DigitalGlobe laid off 64 people.   It’s part of the company’s plan to kill 155 jobs across the United States!  Company administrators have been reporting profits but said their outlook for the future of the economy is grim, so they’re cutting jobs now.

Florida:  In Tampa, Ohio Retail Security & Mainstreet Maintenance issued a WARN saying at least 49 people will be laid off by the end of May.

Idaho: Will nuclear power plant operator Areva shutdown their Eagle Rock project?  The French government owned Areva revealed they lost more money.  This time they lost $5.4-billion USD, and as a result they will begin cutting back on their international operations (they refuse to give details about those cuts).

Indiana: In Vincennes, flat glass maker Schott Gemtron laid off 65 employees.  News reports did not indicate why.    hhgregg appliance store chain announced they will shutdown stores in Indianapolis and Richmond, at least 30 employees affected.  Two other stores are being consolidated.

Massachusetts: In Fenway, after four years Jerry Remy’s sports bar and grill shutdown.

Michigan: Byron Township based grocery chain owner SpartanNash announced they will shutdown ten grocery stores in their “western store base”. They say it’s necessary as part of their plans to “expand”.   In Flint, Kroger shutdown yet another grocery store. They shutdown their Davidson Road store, 65 jobs lost.

Minnesota: Bus operator SmartLink Transit announced they will layoff employees, including all its drivers, due to the loss of several contracts.  Company administrators say they will now contract out all the jobs, for less pay and no benefits.

New Jersey: Kean University announced it will layoff 54 janitors and grounds keepers.  The jobs will be contracted out.  University administrators claim they’re trying to cut $3.4-million per year, yet this didn’t stop them from spending $219-thousand on a conference table made in China!

New York: In Cortland, fishing materials supplier Cortland Line shutdown their three years old Riverside Plaza store.   In Orleans County, Brown’s Berry Patch shutdown its retail berry picking ops.  At LaGuardia Airport Terminal D, Airserv issued a shutdown WARN saying they lost their Gate Aviation contract and 178 people will become jobless at the beginning of June!  News reports claim that call center operator Sitel issued a WARN on 02 March, saying 120 people at their Painted Post call center will become jobless by April, however, I checked the New York Department of Labor’s WARN site and couldn’t find any such notice dated 02 March.  The same news reports said Sitel also WARNed in January they would layoff 278 people, but again, I couldn’t find the WARN on the New York Department of Labor’s website.   Pioneer Credit Recovery lost their federal contract to harass people who owe money on student loans.  4-hundred debt collectors to become jobless (That’s good news)!

North Carolina: Thinking about getting that plastic surgery?  Lifestyle Lift suddenly began shutting down their clinics, with no notice or explanation.  News reports say employees have been working without pay!  One doctor blames capitalism: “The more it’s treated like a commodity, the more you’re going to see failures like this.”-Stephen Finical

Ohio: The Buckeye State losing at least five CPS Operations owned Sears Appliance & Hardware stores, and possibly two Abtroit Limited Partnership owned Sears Appliance & Hardware stores by May (or until merchandise is sold out). They employ about 15 to 20 people each. Apparently the franchise owners of Sears Appliance & Hardware did not want to renew their contracts with Sears Holdings.

Pennsylvania: In Saint Marys, hospital Penn Highlands Elk announced they will eliminate 43 jobs and reduce the hours for 25 employees.   A local news report blamed “systemic changes implemented under the Affordable Care Act”.  Hospital administrator Raymond A. Graeca said “We’re facing a very different healthcare delivery environment today than we were five years ago, and the American Hospital Association is projecting that the next five years alone will hold more change than we’ve seen in the past 75 years combined.” 

Virginia: In Bristol, the soon to be officially owned by Staples Office Depot announced it will shutdown its customer care center, causing 140 people to become jobless by the end of May!  According to local news reports the shutdown was actually planned after Office Depot and OfficeMax merged in 2013.   In Fredericksburg, home decor store This and That shutdown their brick-n-mortar op.   One of the co-owners is pursuing a job in healthcare.  Apparently they still sell on the internet.

01 – 03 March 2015: “We weren’t expecting this at all!”

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification

The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) doesn’t count the hundreds of layoffs involving less than 50 people each, in its mass layoff reports. It also doesn’t count all the little ‘mom & pop’ businesses that shutdown. It doesn’t count people who get a severance for being laid off.