Tag Archives: crime

Sears Kmart update 05 February 2016 : It’s worse than a Goodwill thrift store! Sears sues to stop economic expansion!

The former owner-operator of two Sears Hometown stores is now facing federal charges of stealing $400-thousand USD from Sears.  The woman operated the stores in Missouri, her contract with Sears stated she didn’t have to pay for the Sears supplied merchandise until after she sold them.  The money was deposited into a special holding account and Sears attorneys say she made unauthorized withdrawals from that account.

Local news media reporting that General Growth Properties (GGP) will tear down part of their Pembroke Lakes Mall Sears store (in Florida) to build a new movie theater, pending approval by the local zoning board.

Also in Florida, Sears Holdings created Seritage Growth Properties is suing to stop Aventura Mall from expanding!  Apparently a contract signed with Sears in 1982 gives Sears control of two parking lots, the mall owners want to expand the shopping area into those parking lots.  In effect, Sears Holdings (thru Seritage) is suing to stop economic development.

Prosper Analytics & Insights surveyed nearly 4-thousand women (sexist survey) and only 1% liked shopping at Sears, even the Goodwill Industries second hand store ranked higher!

22 January 2016: Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, New York, Ohio, Tennessee, Utah! 

Here’s the updated list (new shutdowns in bold) of U.S. store closings that I’ve been compiling since the end of 2011:

Arizona: The Prescott Valley Kmart shutting down by April.  No word on how many jobs lost, but one employee was quoted by local news as saying “Walmart won.”   Local news reports say there is a Now Hiring sign posted on the Kmart store front.   Reports that the Glendale Kmart will shutdown, no word on job losses. Scottsdale Sears/Great Indoors, Chandler Sears/Great Indoors. Recently revealed Arrowhead Towne Center Sears sold-off then rented back! Chandler Fashion Center Sears sold-off then rented back!

Alabama: Prattville Kmart will shutdown in April, 70 jobs lost.   Florence Kmart in March, 64 jobs lost!  A local news report said the employees knew nothing about it and were shocked to hear it from the news media!  Dothan Kmart (south side of Ross Clark Circle) shutting down in March, 56 jobs lost.  Gadsden Kmart (50 jobs lost), Mobile Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Auburn Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Anniston Kmart (no word yet on how many jobs lost), Birmingham Eastwood Kmart (70 jobs lost), Decatur Mall Sears (91 jobs lost), Fort Payne Kmart, Northport Kmart (68 jobs lost), Dothan Sears (68 jobs lost), Huntsville Kmart (73 jobs lost), Sears Store and Auto Center at the Bel Air Mall in Mobile (more than 100 jobs lost).

California: Anaheim Kmart shutting down, 107 jobs lost! Between March and April, the Chula Vista Kmart, San Mateo Sears and Citrus Heights Kmart shutting down, a total of 3-hundred jobs lost!   El Monte Sears (at least 40 jobs lost. Damien Arrula, El Monte’s economic development director, said the store manager had lied about what was going on: “The general manager of the store had just indicated to me that they were remodeling.”), two San Diego Sears (more than 80 jobs lost), Pleasant Hill Kmart (more than 50 jobs lost), Torrance Kmart, Fairfield Kmart (63 jobs lost), Lampert owned OSH taken over by Lowe’s home improvement in bankruptcy court, at least 17 of 99 stores to be closed down (935 jobs lost!), Rancho Cordova Kmart (97 jobs lost), San Clemente Kmart/Sears/Kmart on Camino de Estrella (58 jobs lost), placed on an official hit list in 2011 the Oceanside Kmart on College Boulevard finally being shut down, Banning Kmart (91 jobs lost) recently revealed that Sears Holdings is still paying rent on the abandoned property, Laguna Hills Mall Sears, San Diego Mid-City Kmart (73 jobs lost), Hemet Kmart (77 jobs lost), Oakland Sears repair center (75 jobs lost), San Mateo Kmart (82 jobs lost to an apartment building connected to public transportation), Hesperia Kmart building sold at a loss to a vulture capitalist REIT, no word on if the Kmart will be shutdown. Customers complain that the Kmart employees have a bad attitude, gee I wonder why? Yuba City Kmart (63 jobs lost), Rocklin Kmart (at least 63 jobs lost, the store had just posted “Now Hiring” signs), San Leandro Kmart (102 jobs lost), San Jose Mercury News says the El Centro Kmart to shutdown in January, the website Foursquare says the Covina Kmart is now shutdown (other sources say it will shutdown in December), Cupertino Sears and Auto Center (98 jobs lost), somebody posted on yelp* that the Diamond Bar Kmart was shutting down in December (confirmed by Armijo Newspapers), Westfield Topanga Sears (122 jobs lost), it looks like the Blythe Kmart is being slowly shutdown despite denial by Sears Holdings. San Mateo Kmart being demolished to make room for 599 unit apartment complex, as part of the the Hayward Park Caltrain Station project. Atwater Kmart (74 jobs lost), Los Banos Kmart (67 jobs lost).

Colorado: Broomfield Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Glenwood Springs Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Lone Tree Sears/Great Indoors, Longmont Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Pueblos’ South Side Kmart (52 jobs lost), Denver Kmart (number of jobs lost have not been made public at this time, but could be at least 40), Colorado Springs Kmart at Powers and Palmer Park boulevards (57 jobs lost), Fort Collins Sears (67 jobs lost), Denver-Cherry Creek North Sears store & Auto Center (66 jobs lost).

Connecticut: Waterbury Big Kmart, Torrington Kmart (73 jobs lost), Enfield Sears Optical (no word on jobs lost), Wallingford Sears Appliance & Hardware (employees say the shutdown was a surprise, I guess they don’t read Blind Bat News), Wallingford Sears Appliance & Hardware (at least 13 jobs lost).

Delaware: Dover Kmart (at least 72 jobs lost, some reports said 100), Seaford Sears (30 jobs lost), Claymont Kmart (87 jobs lost).

Florida: The Lutz Kmart shutting down by March, 62 jobs lost.  The 46 years old Daytona Beach Kmart, on International Speedway Boulevard, is shutting down by mid-March, 86 jobs lost.   Fernandina Beach Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Callaway Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Orange City Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Deland Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Stuart Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), West Palm Beach Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Port St. Lucie Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Crystal River Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), New Smyrna Beach Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Saint Augustine Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Pompano Beach Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Jacksonville Kmart on 5751 Beach Boulevard (71 jobs lost), second Kmart in Jacksonville on 4645 Blanding Boulevard (83 jobs lost), Ocoee Sears (102 jobs lost), Pensacola Kmart on Airport Boulevard closed in 2011, Pensacola Kmart on Mobile Highway closed in February 2013 (69 jobs lost), Pensacola Kmart on East 9 Mile Road will close in May (73 jobs lost), Hialeah Kmart (67 jobs lost), Bonita Springs Kmart (67 jobs lost), Mount Dora Kmart (100 jobs lost), Lake Mary Kmart, Panama City Beach Kmart (54 jobs lost), Winter Park Kmart (100 jobs lost), Niceville Kmart (59 jobs lost), Winter Haven Kmart (92 jobs lost), Palm Bay Kmart, Oakland Park Kmart (112 jobs lost), Clearwater Sears Auto Center (21 jobs lost), Zephyrhills Kmart (70 jobs lost), Winter Springs Kmart (69 jobs lost), Naples Kmart (72 jobs lost), New Port Richey Kmart (58 jobs lost), ‘redevelopment’ of Aventura Sears & Auto Center into an “open-air village” (unknown how many jobs affected), Kmart on Northeast 108 Street being annexed by Miami Shores, Sears Holdings threatens to shutdown Kmart as a result of higher local taxes. The property that’s home to an operating Kmart, on South Green Bay Road in Racine, was foreclosed by the local Sheriff and sold-off for $2.5-million, no word on what the new property owner will do with it. Fort Myers Kmart (67 jobs lost). Dicks Sportings Goods subleasing space in an existing Sears store in Palm Beach Gardens.

Georgia: The 37 years old Carrollton Kmart shutting down by the end of April.  Dublin Kmart will shutdown in April, 71 jobs lost.  Milledgeville Kmart shutdown in April, 60+ jobs lost.  Unconfirmed reports that the Rome Kmarts shutting down by mid-April, no word on how many jobs lost. Mount Berry Square Mall Sears and Auto Center shutting down in March, 86 jobs lost.  Macon Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Buford Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Douglasville Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Atlanta Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Columbus Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Jonesboro Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Cartersville Kmart (74 jobs lost), Hiram Kmart (53 jobs lost), Marietta-East Cobb Kmart, Warner Robins Kmart (77 jobs lost), Coweta County Kmart distribution center (164 jobs lost), one of the last two North Augusta Kmart to be torn down by new property owner from Canada, Sears Holdings denies the Kmart will shutdown.

Guam: Sears Hometown Store.

Hawaii: Iconic 25 years old Nimitz HWY Iwilei-Honolulu Kmart shutting down in March, 141 jobs lost!  Honolulu Sears (owned by GGP, 372 jobs lost! GGP spending $573-million chopping it up into smaller store spaces), Kauai Sears (41 jobs lost), Iwilei-Honolulu Kmart for lease (no confirmation of store closing).

Idaho: Boise Kmart on Fairview shutting down by mid-March, 56 jobs lost.   Pocatello Kmart shutting down by April, 65 jobs lost.  Lewiston Sears (at least 60 jobs lost), Rexburg Kmart (63 jobs lost), Chubbuck Pine Ridge Mall Sears shutdown by the end of October/beginning of November 2014 (the remaining 28 jobs lost).

Illinois: Morton ‘green’ Kmart shutting down by the end of April, 47 jobs lost.  Canton Kmart shutting down in April, 38 jobs lost.  Alton Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Melrose Park Sears parts and repair center (50 jobs lost), Zion Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Oak Lawn Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), McHenry Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Peru Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Lombard Sears/Great Indoors (at least 40 jobs lost), Fairview Heights Kmart (81 jobs lost), Freeport Kmart (45 jobs lost), Pontiac Kmart (more than 47 jobs lost), Homer Glen Kmart (82 jobs lost), Streator Kmart (45 jobs lost), Lombard Kmart (70 jobs lost), Naperville Kmart (98 jobs lost), Calumet Sears (164 jobs lost), two Sears stores in Grand Crossing area of Chicago (247 jobs lost!), Mount Vernon Sears (68 jobs lost), Moline Sears (at least 60 jobs lost), Homewood Kmart (185 jobs lost), Belvidere Kmart (91 jobs lost?) revealed is now a perpetual closing sale Kmart At A Discount store, Champaign’s Market Place Mall Sears (56 jobs lost), Sterling Kmart (60 jobs lost), Montgomery Kmart (81 jobs lost), Mattoon Sears (more than 40 jobs lost), Chicago Sears on North State Street (160 jobs lost), Chicago Sears Craftsman Experience store, Galesburg Sears (46 jobs lost), White Lake Township Kmart (42 jobs lost), Orland Park Sears Appliance, Collinsville Kmart (84 jobs lost), Crystal Lake Kmart (at least 77 jobs lost), Danville Sears store & Auto Center (63 jobs lost), Forsyth Sears store & Auto Center (45 jobs lost), Peoria Kmart (73 jobs lost), Forest Park Kmart (107 jobs lost), Chicago Sears on North and Harlem avenues, supposedly it’s being replaced (most likely at taxpayer expense) with a new building and it will become a Sears-Mariano’s store, Bloomington Kmart (79 jobs lost), Hoffman Estates Headquarters 100 jobs eliminated, another 15 corporate jobs eliminated elsewhere, Chicago-Wicker Park Kmart (106 jobs lost), abandoned Market Place Mall Sears location to be occupied by Dick’s Sporting Goods and Field & Stream. 58 Chicago area stores up for lease or sale. North Mayfair Kmart (99 jobs lost), Chicago Kmart at 5033 North Elston Avenue (99 jobs lost). By the way, Illinois elected officials gave Sears Holdings/Hoffman Estates a $150 million USD tax break to keep their headquarters in the state. The tax break was not tied to any promise not to close stores.

Indiana: Terre Haute Kmart by April, 62 jobs lost.  Anderson Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Saint John Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Indianapolis Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Richmond Sears (49 jobs lost), South Anthony Kmart (70 jobs lost), Fort Wayne Kmart on South Anthony Boulevard (70 jobs lost), FairOaks Mall Kmart, Logansport Sears (43 jobs lost), Muncie Kmart (59 jobs lost), Fort Wayne Kmart on Coliseum Boulevard North (69 jobs lost), Decatur Kmart (49 jobs lost), Indianapolis Kmart on Madison Avenue (131 jobs lost), Indianapolis Kmart on Washington Street (139 jobs lost), Bedford Kmart (62 jobs lost), Indianapolis (Evansville) Sears & Auto Center at Washington Square Mall (91 jobs lost), Greenwood Kmart (78 jobs lost), Plymouth Kmart (68 jobs lost), Bloomington Sears to be replaced by Whole Foods grocery store.

Iowa: Ottumwa Kmart shutting down by April, 38 jobs lost.  Cedar Rapids Kmart on 16th Ave (at least 40 jobs lost), Davenport Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Burlington Kmart (50 jobs lost), Coralville Sears (94 jobs lost, this is a store sold to GGP earlier in the year), Cedar Rapids Kmart on Collins Road NE (56 jobs lost), Mason City Kmart (50 jobs lost), Clive Kmart (at least 49 jobs lost), Ames Kmart (44 jobs lost), Fort Dodge Sears (no job loss numbers made public, yet. The Auto Center was secretly shutdown in September), 56 years old Mason City Sears & Auto Center (more than 100 jobs lost).   Davenport Kmart (59 jobs lost), Belvidere Kmart (67 jobs lost).

Kansas: North Topeka Kmart shutting down by Spring, 49 jobs lost.  Lawrence Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Merriam Kmart-then Sears-then Kmart (jobs lost unknown), Wichita Sears store & Auto Center (103 jobs lost), Manhattan Sears & Auto Center (number of jobs lost were never revealed).

Kentucky: Middlesboro Sears (in September 2012 the Sears store re-opened under independent ownership, official grand re-opening scheduled for November), Winchester Kmart, Hazard Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Lexington Fayette Mall Sears (114 jobs lost!), Newport Kmart (81 jobs lost), Cannonsburg Sears and Sears Auto Center (no employee info given), Louisville Dixie Highway Kmart/Sears/Kmart shutdown and now being taken over by Kroger basically to sell the same crap the old Kmart did! Madisonville Kmart (39 jobs lost), Owensboro Sears store & Auto Center (52 jobs lost).

Louisiana: Slidell Sears (77 job lost), Gretna Kmart (94 jobs lost), Metairie Kmart secretly sold off, no word if it will be shutdown, Laplace Sears Hometown Store.

Maine: Lewiston Sears (60 to 70 jobs lost), Presque Isle Aroostook Centre Mall Sears (63 jobs lost), Aroostook Centre Mall Sears Auto Center leased out to VIP Tires & Service.

Maryland: Ellicott Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Gaithersburg Sears/Great Indoors, Landover Sears rebuild & call center (115 jobs lost), Baltimore Kmart on Wabash Avenue (107 jobs lost), Parkville Kmart (102 jobs lost), California Kmart (71 jobs lost), Sears Hometown Store in Perryville.

Massachusetts: North Reading Sears Hardware store closed, lease not renewed, Milford Kmart (80 jobs lost), Kingston Kmart (73 jobs lost).   Braintree Kmart on Grossman Drive shutdown.  Also, the Braintree South Shore Plaza Sears store is renting out an entire floor to Ireland based Primark.   Even with the lease to Primark there is still 4-thousand square feet of vacant space in the Sears store.  The Sears at the Auburn Mall shutdown on Black Friday due to electrical fire.  The store was experiencing electrical problems, an investigation is underway.

Michigan: The Bradley Kmart has a new owner who is shutting it down. Retailer Meijer bought the Kmart property for $5-million USD. The Kmart will be shutdown in May, but the new Meijer store won’t be ready until 2018.  The Sears and Auto Center in Fort Gratiot shutting down by mid-March, 48 jobs lost.  Three Kmart stores by April, one in Virginia, Superior and Ironwood, 137 jobs lost!  Sears/Great Indoors, Brighton Sears Grand/Essentials, Harper Woods Sears Full line, Monroe Sears Full line, Adrian Sears Full line, Washington Township Kmart, Chesterfield Kmart, Woodhaven Kmart, Saginaw Kmart on Bay Road, Flint Kmart on Dort Highway (46 jobs lost), Gaylord Kmart (48 jobs lost), Sterling Kmart (58 jobs lost), Bloomfield Township Kmart and Sears, Bad Axe Kmart (61 jobs lost), Ypsilanti Township Kmart (83 jobs lost), Petoskey Kmart (45 jobs lost), Saint John’s Kmart (48 jobs lost), White Lake Township “Store of the Future” Kmart (42 jobs lost), Grand Blanc Kmart (49 jobs lost), Lapeer Kmart (56 jobs lost), Southgate Kmart (155 jobs lost), Detroit’s Telegraph Road Kmart (115 jobs lost), Waterford Township Sears (no word on how many jobs lost), Rochester Hills Kmart (77 jobs lost), ‘perfect Kmart town’ of Port Huron Kmart (188 jobs lost), Flint Kmart on Miller Road (81 jobs lost), Burton Kmart (85 jobs lost), Madison Heights Kmart (179 jobs lost), it’s now official the last remaining Saginaw Kmart (on Gratiot Road) will remain shutdown after its roof collapsed during a snowstorm back in January 2014 (Sears Holdings claims only 18 people worked there at the time of the collapse!), Ann Arbor Kmart (59 jobs lost), Iron Mountain Kmart (54 jobs lost), Bangor Township Sears aka Bay City Mall Sears, the Auto Center was already secretly shutdown some time ago (at least 47 jobs lost), Big Rapids Kmart (about 50 jobs lost). Vacant Wyandotte Sears Auto Center is being renovated at a cost to taxpayers of $1-million & 20-thousand, plus 15 years worth of tax breaks valued at $2-million! Shakopee Kmart distribution center shutdown and sold-off for $17-million in 2013, now it’s finally getting a new tenant; snowmobile and electric cart maker Polaris Industries will rent out a fraction of the building to use as their new parts warehouse. The Kmart Plaza in Sandusky sold to “A group of investors”, no word on what will happen to the Kmart store.

Minnesota: Dundas Kmart by April, 32 jobs lost.   Thunderbird Mall Kmart shutting down in April, 48 jobs lost.  Willmar Kmart, Duluth Kmart, New Hope Kmart, White Bear Lake Kmart, Bemidji Kmart, Monticello Kmart, GGP owned Sears Auto Center in the Apache Mall closed (10 jobs lost), the entire Sears store in the Apache Mall being sold off, Fergus Falls Kmart (40 jobs lost), Fergus Falls Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Alexandria Kmart (46 jobs lost), Grand Rapids Kmart (61 jobs lost), Seritage is selling off three Sears Auto Centers in Minnetonka, Brooklyn Center and Saint Paul, Marshall Kmart (57 jobs lost), Oakdale Kmart (77 hourly wage employees losing their jobs, unknown how many salaried employees will become unemployed), Winona Kmart (67 jobs lost), Minneapolis city officials trying to shutdown profit making Nicollet Avenue Kmart, to make way for a new road. Anoka Kmart (47 jobs lost), Blaine Kmart (60 jobs lost), Burnsville Kmart (62 jobs lost), Waite Park Kmart (57 jobs lost), Northeast Minneapolis Sears Hometown & Outlet store now for sale, Coon Rapids Sears Hometown & Outlet store now for sale.

Mississippi: The 44 years old Greenville Kmart shutting down in April, no word on job losses.  Jackson Sears Full line, McComb Sears Full line, Columbus Sears Full line, Gautier Sears (71 jobs lost), Waveland Gulfport Kmart (32 jobs lost), Pass Road Gulfport Kmart (52 jobs lost), Pascagoula Sears at the Singing River Mall, Olive Branch distribution center (unknown how many jobs lost).

Missouri: Lee’s Summit Sears Grand/Essentials, Saint Louis Sears Full line, High Ridge Kmart (59 jobs lost), Ellisville Kmart (55 jobs lost), Springfield Kmart on South Campbell Avenue (60 jobs lost), South Belt Kmart (64 jobs lost), Florissant Kmart (100 jobs lost), O’Fallon Kmart (76 jobs lost).

Montana: Missoula Kmart (50 jobs lost), Great Falls Kmart (closed “until further notice” due to fire, 63 jobs on hold), Great Falls Sears store & Auto Center (65 jobs lost) due to great sales (ironically) the shutdown date has been moved from 07 December 2014 to 23 November, Bozeman Kmart (37 jobs lost), Missoula Sears store and Auto Center (57 jobs lost).

Nebraska: Grand Island Kmart (55 jobs lost), Omaha Kmart near West Maple Road (50 jobs lost).

Nevada: Sparks Kmart distribution center (100 jobs lost).

New Hampshire: Nashau Sears Grand/Essentials, Keene Sears Grand/Essentials, Portsmouth Kmart (30 jobs lost), Claremont Kmart (59 jobs lost).

New Jersey: Lawnside Kmart (about 80 jobs lost), Howell Kmart (57 jobs lost), Berlin Kmart, Dover Kmart (92 jobs lost), Randolf Kmart (91 jobs lost), Paramus Kmart (74 jobs lost), Closter Kmart (102 jobs lost), Vineland Kmart (74 jobs lost).  After 18 years Sears Holdings shutdown their Roselle Sears Hardware store due to “landlord issues”.

New Mexico: Las Cruces Kmart (58 jobs lost), Albuquerque Kmart on Central SW (80 jobs lost), Rio Rancho Kmart (59 jobs lost).

New York: Staten Island Mall Sears Auto Center will shutdown in February, 20 jobs lost.  Lindenhurst Sears Hardware, North Babylon Sears Hardware, Hauppauge Sears Hardware, Depew (Lancaster?) Kmart (68 jobs lost), Colonie Kmart (72 jobs lost), Fulton Kmart (51 jobs lost), Clifton Park Kmart (74 jobs lost) now revealed to be turned into a Town Center with more than 200 apartments at an estimated cost of $50-million, Latham Kmart (61 jobs lost), East Greenbush-Rensselaer Kmart (70 jobs lost), Tonawanda Sears Appliance and Hardware, Bronx Sears (91 jobs lost), BBN reader reported that the Ithaca Sears and Auto Center shutdown and one month later it’s been officially confirmed (at least 37 jobs lost), DeWitt Kmart (92 jobs lost), Auburn Sears (51 jobs lost), Massena Sears and Auto Center (51 jobs lost), Staten Island Mall Sears leased out to Ireland’s Primark, Bay Shore Sears and Sears Auto Center (144 jobs lost), New Hartford Sears & Auto Center (109 jobs lost), Lancaster Kmart sold for $1.7-million to Dave’s Christmas Wonderland. Herkimer Sears Hometown, Saranac Lake Sears Hometown the ‘independent’ co-owners said Sears Holdings forced them to shutdown. Melville Appliance Repair Division (31 jobs lost).

North Carolina: Cary Kmart (71 jobs lost), High Point Sears, Moorehead Sears, Rocky Mount Sears, Statesville Sears, Durham Kmart (79 jobs lost), Asheville Kmart (53 jobs lost), West Smithfield Kmart (59 jobs lost), Winston-Salem Kmart (69 jobs lost), Hendersonville Kmart (58 jobs lost), South Ashville Kmart on Hendersonville Road, Raleigh Kmart (88 jobs lost), Garner Kmart, Cleveland County mall Sears (56 jobs lost), Charlotte Kmart (89 jobs lost), Conover Kmart (74 jobs lost), Raleigh Kmart on Capital Boulevard (53 jobs lost), High Point Kmart (71 jobs lost), Boone Kmart (41 jobs lost), Greensboro Kmart (96 jobs lost), Gastonia Sears store & Auto Center (65 jobs lost), Kinston Kmart (64 jobs lost), Cary Sears (66 jobs lost), Greensboro Kmart distribution center (130 jobs lost), Greenville Kmart (75 jobs lost), Kinston Sears Hometown Store shutdown with little notice, Lexington Sears Hometown Store.

North Dakota: Jamestown Kmart (45 jobs lost), Dickinson Kmart (41 jobs lost, despite a “Now Hiring” sign on the front of the store).

Ohio: The 28 years old Sears and its Auto Center in New Philadelphia shutting down by mid-April, 46 jobs lost.  Without warning the Medina Sears Appliance & Hardware Store shutdown.  Warren Kmart on Parkman Road NW will shutdown in April, 63 jobs lost.  Zanesville Kmart shutting down mid-April, 47 jobs lost.  Steubenville Kmart shutting down by April, 65 jobs lost.   Boardman Kmart by April, 81 jobs lost.  Chagrin Falls Kmart, Springfield Kmart, two Toledo Kmarts, Medina Kmart, Columbus Kmart, Columbus Sears/Great Indoors, Zanesville Sears (67 jobs lost), Trotwood Kmart (71 jobs lost), Austintown Sears auto parts and service on Interstate Boulevard, London Kmart (no word on number of jobs lost), Trotwood Sears (67 jobs lost), Westlake Kmart/Sears (at least 57 jobs lost), Xenia Kmart (at least 57 jobs lost), Norwalk Kmart (52 jobs lost), Blue Ash Kmart (77 jobs lost), Northwood Sears at Woodville Mall (36 jobs lost), Conneaut Kmart (43 jobs lost), Anderson Township Kmart (71 jobs lost), Brooklyn Kmart (200 jobs lost), Columbus Lockbourne Industrial Parkway Sears distribution center (200 jobs lost), also in Columbus, Sears Product Rebuild-Call Center (112 jobs lost), Marion Sears Auto Center (at least nine jobs lost), Springfield Kmart #3767 (68 jobs lost), Fairborn Kmart (66 jobs lost), Solon Sears & Auto Center (at least 53 jobs lost), Tiffin Sears Hometown Store. Also, Van Wert Sears franchise bought out by Kirk Berryman, owner of Computer & Networking Technologies (CNT), who plans on moving the store to a new location. Fairlawn Sears Appliance & Hardware, Macedonia Sears Appliance & Hardware, Lorain Sears Appliance & Hardware, Elyria Sears Appliance & Hardware, North Olmsted Sears Appliance & Hardware, Sheffield Village Sears Appliance & Hardware, Akron Sears Appliance & Hardware.

Oklahoma: Oklahoma City Sears (98 jobs lost, GGP owned, GGP wants a $2 million sales tax rebate, claiming it’s needed to offset capital investments needed to bring the space up to the standards for potential new tenants), Shawnee Sears (31 jobs lost), Sand Springs Kmart (52 jobs lost), Muskogee Sears (60 jobs lost), Enid Sears and Auto Center (at least 38 jobs lost), Tulsa BigKmart (51 jobs lost).

Oregon: Roseburg Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Tualatin Kmart Center (new property owner from California is tearing everything down for new shopping center, so far no indication the Kmart will be part of the new shopping center), Milwaukie Kmart (61 jobs lost), Coos Bay Kmart (25 jobs lost), Bend Sears (48 jobs lost), Klamath Falls Kmart (64 jobs lost), Albany Kmart (64 jobs lost), Portland Sears Homes Services (no notice), Albany Sears (57 jobs lost), in October a BBN reader warned that Oregon City Kmart was being quietly shutdown, confirmed on 06 November 2014 by Sears Holdings (70 jobs lost). Ontario Kmart (55 jobs lost).

Pennsylvania: Reports that the Exton Kmart will shutdown, no word on job losses.  Upper Darby Sears Full line, Pottstown Sears Full line, Pittsburgh Kmart, Wilkins Sears, Warminster Kmart (85 jobs lost), Shippensburg Kmart (46 jobs lost), Moon Kmart (143 jobs lost), Bethlehem Township Kmart (62 jobs lost), Philadelphia Gallery Mall Kmart (120 jobs lost), Philadelphia Kmart on Orthodox Street and Castor Avenue (169 jobs lost), Levittown/Middle Township Kmart (87 jobs lost), Waynesboro Kmart (43 jobs lost), Sanatoga-Lower Pottsgrove Kmart (65 jobs lost, the store was also advertising for new hires!), West Mifflin Sears store & Auto Center (88 jobs lost), Rochester Kmart (78 jobs lost), Frazer (Pittsburg Mills Mall) Sears and Auto Center (97 jobs lost), Bloomsburg Sears (57 jobs lost), Frackville Sears and Auto Center (84 jobs lost), North Cornwall Township Sears (51 jobs lost), King of Prussia Sears and Auto Center (no word on number of jobs lost), Lebanon Sears (51 jobs lost), Scotland Chambersburg Mall Sears and Auto Center (62 jobs lost), the upper level of the Willow Grove Mall Sears store to be leased by Primark, King of Prussia Sears store leased out to clothing retailer Primark, East Towne Mall Kmart (51 jobs lost), Frackville Kmart in the Skuylkill Mall (80 jobs lost), Mount Pocono Kmart (66 jobs lost), Fairless Hills Sears Hardware. Granite Run Mall shutdown, meaning the Sears and Sears Auto Center now apparently on a month to month (possibly day to day) lease are soon to follow. Brookhaven Kmart (89 jobs lost).

Puerto Rico: Vega Baja Kmart (206 jobs lost).

South Carolina: Sumter Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Orangeburg Sears (57 jobs lost), Columbia Kmart on Fort Jackson Boulevard in 2012, Columbia Kmart on Bush River Road in 2009, Columbia Kmart on St Andrews Road (66 jobs lost), Irmo Kmart (no info on how many jobs lost), both Greenville Kmarts (140 jobs lost between the two), Mount Pleasant Kmart (43 jobs lost), Harbison Sears & Sears Auto Center in the Columbiana Centre mall (97 jobs lost), Aiken Sears & Sears Auto Center (at least 54 jobs lost), Inlet Square Mall Kmart (50 jobs lost), West Ashely Kmart (69 jobs lost), Myrtle Beach Kmart (59 jobs lost), Easley Kmart (62 jobs lost).

South Dakota: The Pierre Kmart shutting down by the end of March, 45 jobs lost.  The Michell Kmart shutting down in April, 52 jobs lost.   Spearfish Kmart (51 jobs lost), Sturgis Kmart (57 jobs lost).

Tennessee: The Murfreesboro Kmart shutting down by the end of April, 43 jobs lost.  A Memphis Sears and Auto Center (on Poplar Avenue) shutting down in April, 109 jobs lost!  Clarksville Kmart shutting down in April, 68 jobs lost.  Cleveland Kmart shutting down by mid-March, 67 jobs lost.  Antioch Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Cleveland Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Oak Ridge Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Hendersonville Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Morristown Sears (about 70 jobs lost), Clinton South Kmart, Franklin Cool Springs Galleria Sears (92 jobs lost), Memphis Hickory Ridge mall Sears (job loss data not revealed), 48 years old Nashville Kmart on Nolensville Pike to close by January 2014 (57 jobs lost), Franklin Kmart (33 jobs lost), Dickson Kmart (65 jobs lost), talks in progress to end lease for Bellevue (Nashville) Center Mall Sears, Nashville Bellevue Center Sears & Auto Center (at least 44 jobs lost).

Texas: Two Sears parts and repair centers closing in The Woodlands (117 jobs lost), rebuild center in Garland (58 jobs lost), Farmers Branch Sears/Great Indoors, Houston Sears Great/Indoors, Dallas Sears home appliance parts distribution center (77 jobs lost), Simon Property Group owned McAllen Sears store & Auto Center (so far no word on how many jobs will be lost), recently revealed Palestine Sears Hometown (franchise owner quit to work as assistant manager at a local Dollar General).  Wichita Falls Sears (56 jobs lost right before Xmas).

Utah: 35 years old Richfield Kmart will shutdown in April, 63 jobs lost.    North Logan Kmart shutting down by April, 58 jobs lost.  Murray Sears (local news media in Utah never reported the closure, but they reported that the building was demolished), Orem Kmart (no details reported), Woods Cross Kmart (54 jobs lost), Provo Kmart demolished in anticipation of yet another AtHome furniture store.

Vermont: The Bennington Sears Hometown Store shutdown.  Rutland Sears store & Auto Center (65 jobs lost),  South Burlington Kmart (66 jobs lost).

Virginia: The Cedar Bluff (50 jobs lost), Covington (36 jobs lost) and Virginia Beach on General Booth Boulevard (no job numbers reported)  Kmarts shutting down by mid-April!  The Sears Hometown Store in Culpeper shutting down by the end of the month.  Norfolk Sears (at least 40 jobs lost), Midlothian Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Richmond Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Lynchburg Sears (84 jobs lost), Fairfax Kmart (no word on how many jobs lost), Christiansburg Sears (59 jobs lost), Norfolk Kmart on East Little Creek Road (77 jobs lost), Manassas Kmart (71 jobs lost), Stafford Sears Hometown, Newport News-Denbigh Kmart (at least 50 jobs lost), Wise Kmart (58 jobs lost), Harrisonburg Kmart (79 jobs lost), Winchester Kmart (91 jobs lost), Dale City Kmart (69 jobs lost), Chesapeake Sears and Auto Center (82 jobs lost), Front Royal Kmart (88 jobs lost), Pembroke Mall Sears renting out part of their store to DSW & Nordstrom Rack, Sears Holdings say they’re still looking for a “third tenant” for their occupied space. The current nearby Sears Auto Center will be rented out to REI. Colonial Heights Kmart (113 jobs lost), Virginia Beach Hilltop Square Shopping Center Kmart (82 jobs lost).

Washington: Eatonville Sears Hometown store.  Walla Walla Sears Full line (in August 2012, it was reported that an independent owner of Sears Hometown stores will open a store in Walla Walla), Lacey Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost), Kelso Sears (47 jobs lost), Lakewood Kmart (59 jobs lost), Bellingham Sears (92 jobs lost), Seattle Kmart (85 jobs lost), East Wenatchee Sears (59 jobs lost), Puyallup Kmart (51 jobs lost), Oak Harbor Kmart (68 jobs lost), Sodo Sears and Sears Auto Center (79 jobs lost), Everett Kmart (65 jobs lost), Marysville Kmart (at least 40 jobs lost).

West Virginia: Oak Hill Kmart (59 jobs lost), Morgantown Kmart (100 jobs lost), Bluefield Sears store & Auto Center (64 jobs lost).

Wisconsin: Superior Kmart shutting down in April, 42 jobs lost. West Baraboo Sears (at least 40 jobs lost, local village officials say the store generated 3% of local tax collections), Rice Lake Kmart (about 71 jobs lost), Brookfield Kmart (56 jobs lost), Racine’s Regency Mall Sears (52 jobs lost), Fort Atkinson Kmart (51 jobs lost), Greenfield Kmart (107 jobs lost), Portage Kmart (78 jobs lost) and Hales Corner (129 jobs lost), Chippewa Falls Kmart (79 jobs lost), Menomonie Kmart (at least 50 jobs lost), Ashwaubenon Kmart recently revealed now owned by Green Bay Packers, will be torn down (80 jobs lost), Shawano Kmart (55 jobs lost), Fond du Lac Sears (42 jobs lost), Glendale Sears store & Auto Center (86 jobs lost), Janesville Kmart (70 jobs lost), Glendale Sears Rebuild center (67 jobs lost), Sheboygan Sears & Auto Center (at least 31 jobs lost), Eau Claire Kmart (93 jobs lost), Plymouth Kmart (59 jobs lost before Xmas), Sheboygan Sears Rebuild Center (30 jobs lost), Wauwatosa Kmart (103 jobs lost).

In April 2015, Sears Holdings (through Seritage Growth Properties) and General Growth Properties (GGP) became 50/50 joint owners of 12 Sears stores.

Here’s a list of 11 Sears stores 100% owned by GGP:

Iowa: Coral Ridge Mall (it’s official the Sears is closing, see above), and Mall of the Bluffs

Texas: The Woodlands Mall (this does not involve the two repair centers being closed by Sears)

Florida: West Oaks Mall

Utah: Fashion Place, and Provo Towne Centre (note the evil British empire way of spelling town & center. Due to a favorable lease agreement the GGP owned Provo Sears will continue to stay open under Sears Holdings management)

Oklahoma: Quail Springs Mall (it’s official, the Sears closed, see above)

Hawaii: Ala Moana Center (closed, see above)

Washington: Bellis Fair Mall (Bellingham store, see above)

Minnesota: Apache Mall (see update above, GGP will close Sears store by 2014)

Illinois: Market Place Shopping Center (see update above, GGP closing store)

Catholic & Orthodox churches to unite, thanks to Islamic State!

05 February 2016 (16:22 UTC-07 Tango 01) / 16 Bahman 1394/25 Rabi’a’-Thani 1437/27 Wu Yin 4713

For the first time in 962 years the leaders of the Catholic and Orthodox ‘christian’ churches will officially meet, next week in Cuba!

Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill will meet to discuss an end to the Great Schism which began in the Gregorian year 1054.  Reports say a major motivation for re-unification is the U.S., U.K., Israeli, Saudi created Islamic State-ISIS-ISIL-DAIISH (DA for al-DAwla, I for al-Islamiya, I for al-Iraq, SH al-SHam [al-Sham=Syria]).

However, I’ve documented that Pope Francis is part of a group that has been pining to bring all ‘christian’ denominations under the control of the Vatican.

Pope says Christians will be united through bloody persecution! 

coming Civil War among Christians and failure of the War with Islam 

Iran refuses U.S. Dollar for oil payments!

05 February 2016 (15:54 UTC-07 Tango 01) / 16 Bahman 1394/25 Rabi’a’-Thani 1437/27 Wu Yin 4713

“In our invoices we mention a clause that buyers of our oil will have to pay in euros……  Iran shifted to the euro and cancelled trade in dollars because of political reasons.”-unnamed administrator with National Iranian Oil Company

The true reason the U.S. invaded Iraq was because Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti stopped taking U.S. dollars for oil, and started taking euros.  The true reason the U.S. and U.K. allowed the destruction of a stable Libya was because Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi  refused to join the U.S. created United States African Command, and wanted to create a new African currency based on gold.

Now the National Iranian Oil Company has signed a deal with several European oil companies in which the U.S. dollar is banned!  Only euros will be used.

Not only does Iran want euros for oil payments, but all past international debts now owed to Iran under the nuclear agreement must be paid in euros.

Wells Fargo home foreclosures covering bad U.S. oil industry debts

Iran to push oil to $10 per barrel! U.S. to impose new sanctions! 

Destroy U.S. Dollar: China & Iran deal in Rial & Yuan, only? 

Proof the oil industry is full of shit, oil company hands out $100,000 bonus to all employees! 

Destroy U.S. Dollar: U.S. petrodollar meet the new Iran Petroleum Contract! 

Louisiana movie theater shooting….Oil industry involved? 

man who helped the U.S. & U.K. assasinate Gaddafi is tortured to death!

U.S. ambassador to Libya assassinated, blowback for assasinating Gaddafi! 

Libyan Rebel leader says Western Powers wanted Gaddafi killed, because of his knowledge of the evil secrets of Europe & United States 

NEW EVIDENCE SUGGESTS LIBYA NOT INVOLVED WITH PAN AM LOCKERBIE BOMBING! GADDAFI WAS INNOCENT?

Gaddafi died after being stabbed with a bayonet in the anus and not in a firefight as originally claimed

U.S. & U.K. were paying Gaddafi to torture suspects in the U.S. led War on Terror 

Western sanctions not about Iran’s nuclear industry…it’s all about controling the international oil market 

Gaddafi right, Rebelion came from outside, not Arab Spring!

“…deteriorating beyond repair for…several years.” Layoffs skyrocket 218%! Idaho beggars for donations! : U.S. Job Losses & Closings 04 February 2016

Incomplete list of job loss announcements and shutdowns.

Arizona: In Yuma, a local business is blaming currency wars for its demise.  After two years restaurant Carnivores of Yuma shutting down due to lack of Snow Birds from Canada.  The Canadian dollar has dropped in value against the U.S. dollar, making it too expensive for many Canadians to travel within the United States.  I lived in hot-as-hell Yuma for almost two years and I can tell you that Snow Birds from the north, during winter, are a major source of revenue for local mom-n-pops.  The rest of the year revenues come from taxpayer funded Yuma Marine Corps Air Station and Yuma Army Proving Grounds.

Arkansas:  In Little Rock, non-profit Lewis Burnett Employment Finders shutting down after 29 years of helping former prisoners find jobs.  It’s blamed on health problems of the founder.

Connecticut: Governor Dannel Malloy is calling for the elimination of thousands of state jobs, by July!  The gov’na also wants cuts to state benefits and pay in order to cut $500-million USD from the state budget.   The first state employees to be laid off will be non-union members.  Ohio based Xpect Discounts shutting down the last three of its stores in The Constitution State, 178 jobs lost by April!

Florida: BlackBerry issued a WARN for its Sunrise factory, 75 jobs lost by the end of the month.

Idaho: It’s been revealed that state Department of Parks and Recreation has been running on $70-thousand USD in private donations after running out of normal fees and taxpayer funding!  The majority of the donations came from corporations Airstream and Cabela’s.  State ‘lawmakers’ allowed Parks & Rec to beggar for donations last year, in order to offset massive state funding cuts.

Illinois: Chicago based employment analysts Challenger, Grey & Christmas report a 218% increase in U.S. job losses from December 2015 to January 2016! Even compared year to year (January 2015 vs January 2016) U.S. layoffs jumped 43%!

Indiana: In Fort Wayne, drugs pusher Walgreens shutting down their 20 years old store on Pettit Avenue.  But don’t cry, local news reports say Walgreens has a monopoly on the Fort Wayne market, with at least 15 other drug pushing stores in the city.

Iowa: What automotive industry recovery?  Ireland based Eaton announced it’s no longer worth it to continue its transmission factory in Shenandoah, 250 jobs lost within six months!  Local news reported that at one point there were at least 1-thousand employees at the factory, between October 2015 and now hundreds were let go! 

Kansas: After 50 years friend to unwanted pets Merriam Great Plains SPCA’s Lost Pet & Intake Center shutting down by the end of the month: “After being the center point of animal welfare in Johnson County for 50 years, the building just simply can’t keep up with the volume of animals. It’s been deteriorating beyond repair for the past several years.”-Courtney Thomas, CEO

Michigan:   Flint based McLaren Medical Group eliminating 89 jobs by April.  The layoffs will hit medical operations in four cities.  In Muskegon County, maker of printing inks and paints SunChemical laid off 20 employees without warning, and then had them escorted off the work site.

New York: CNN forcing Maslow Media Group to issue a shutdown WARN for several NYC locations, 97 jobs lost by the end of April.

North Carolina: California based Too Big to Jail Wells Fargo continues to kill jobs, this time 87 people in Raleigh losing their jobs to “better align with current market volumes.”

Ohio: Oil pipe maker TMK-IPSCO laying off 106 employees, in Brookfield, within 60 days!

Pennsylvania: Texas based upChuck Cheese, I mean Chuck E. Cheese pizza joint shutting down in the Clearview Mall by the end of March.

South Carolina: South State Bank shutting down two Orangeburg offices, as part of bigger plans to shutdown offices across South Carolina and Georgia.  It’s the result of South State Bank taking over failed Bank of America offices in 2015.

Tennessee: What automotive industry recovery? In Bristol DlhBOWLES shutting down, 1-hundred jobs lost by April!  The company makes parts for the automotive and other industries, the shutdown is the result of two companies merging;  DLH and Bowles Fluidics.

Texas: In Austin, restaurant Arro shutting down on Friday, apparently it’s being turned into a bar.

Virginia: Catabwa Hospital shutting down as part of the governor’s plan to shutdown mental health hospitals.

Washington DC: National debt now at record $19-trillion USD!  $1-trillion in debt added in the past 13 months!

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification

Former employees who receive severance are not counted as unemployed

The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) no longer issues mass layoff reports: “On March 1, 2013, President Obama ordered into effect the across-the- board spending cuts (commonly referred to as sequestration) required by the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act, as amended. Under the order, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) must cut its current budget by more than $30 million, 5 percent of the current 2013 appropriation, by September 30, 2013. In order to help achieve these savings and protect core programs, the BLS will eliminate two programs, including Mass Layoff Statistics, and all ‘measuring green jobs’ products. This news release is the final publication of monthly mass layoff survey data.”

“…we just didn’t realize the enormity of it.” Target kills 10-thousand jobs in 1 city! Idaho’s ObamaCare kills 1-thousand people in 3 years! : U.S. Job Losses & Closings 03 February 2016

Incomplete list of job loss announcements and shutdowns.

California:  After four years the Malibu Bank of Books shutting down in April.  The owner blames lack of sales and points out that the landlord actually tried to helped the bookstore.  Yet more proof the internet is not recession resistant; San Rafael based AutoDesk eliminating 925 jobs in order to expedite its transition to ‘the cloud’!  Plus the administrators claim they “over-hired” in 2015.

Florida: In Lake Buena Vista, Fulton’s Crab House issued a shutdown WARN, 214 food service jobs gone by mid-April!

Idaho:  The Gem State’s version of ObamaCare is being directly blamed for the deaths of 1-thousand Idahoans since 2013!  That accusation came from Kenneth Krell, director of Eastern Idaho Medical Center in Idaho Falls.  He targeted the claim at state Right to Work (you over) ‘lawmakers’ whom he was testifying in front of: “And I kept asking myself, how could this be? How, in a state like Idaho where we care about each other, could I be seeing deaths and really damaging illness on a nearly daily basis as a result of failure to expand Medicaid that cost tangible lives? It’s difficult to understand.”

Louisiana: In Lafayette, after seven years Jolie’s Louisiana Bistro shutting down next week.

Michigan: What automotive industry recovery?  After announcing it will shutdown its sales operations in Japan and Indonesia, Dearborn based Ford announced it will eliminate $200-million USD worth of jobs in Europe!  Administrators say the job cuts are necessary to “build a viable business in the future”.

Minnesota: The Minneapolis Downtown Council discovered that retail giant Target eliminated 10-thousand jobs within the city over the past two years!  Local news reports say Target administrators confirmed the number!

Mississippi: Hattiesburg Public Schools cutting pay and eliminating jobs “immediately”.  No details about how many jobs will be lost, local news reports say employees have yet to be notified.

Nebraska: Food giant ConAgra shutting down a frozen food production line in Council Bluffs, administrators claim this time they won’t layoff any employees.

New York: In NYC, D’Agostino Supermarkets on 3rd Avenue shutting down, 41 jobs lost by the end of April.

Ohio: In Cincinnati, House of Adam clothier shutting down after 61 years.

Pennsylvania: Waynesboro, after 15 years Dru’s Books-n-Things Hallmark gift store shutting down by the end of the month.  Despite massive layoffs throughout the state, partly caused by failure to create a state budget on-time, ‘lawmakers’ enjoy “generous pay, benefits and job security” according to Berks & Beyond.  Steel worker Dan Adam even blasted state ‘lawmakers’ because “They do live in their own little bubble and it’s not right! But what are we going to do about it?”

West Virginia: Boone County Schools eliminating 77 jobs after the bad economy caused tax revenues to be cut by more than half: “There were signs that it was happening….just didn’t expect it all at once…came on very quickly….we just didn’t realize the enormity of it.”-Jerry Pcholinsky, Boone County Education president

Wisconsin: More layoff points for Right to Work (you over) Scott Walker as Public International shuts down its Yorkville office, 50 jobs lost because a major client walked.

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification

Former employees who receive severance are not counted as unemployed

The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) no longer issues mass layoff reports: “On March 1, 2013, President Obama ordered into effect the across-the- board spending cuts (commonly referred to as sequestration) required by the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act, as amended. Under the order, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) must cut its current budget by more than $30 million, 5 percent of the current 2013 appropriation, by September 30, 2013. In order to help achieve these savings and protect core programs, the BLS will eliminate two programs, including Mass Layoff Statistics, and all ‘measuring green jobs’ products. This news release is the final publication of monthly mass layoff survey data.”

U.S. central bank going negative? Insurance wants martial law enforcement of ObamaCare! : U.S. Job Losses & Closings 02 February 2016

Incomplete list of job loss announcements and shutdowns.

British empire based British Petroleum (BP, formerly known as Anglo-Iranian Oil) boosting its January layoff announcement by another 3-thousand! Last month it said it would eliminate at least 4-thousand jobs around the world, now it’s 7-thousand jobs gone by the end of 2017, including within the U.S.  Low oil prices and lawsuit settlements caused BP to lose $5.2-billion USD in 2015 (its biggest loss ever).

Alabama: Birmingham based Regions Bank (aka Regions Financial Corporation) announced it will eliminate 260 jobs across several states!  The layoffs will take place by the end of March.

California: In Los Angeles, t-shirt shop Johnny Cupcakes shutting down by the end of April.  News reports say despite being popular sales weren’t high enough to justify the “overpriced lease”.  In Oakland, Outer Harbor Terminal now chapter 11 bankrupt busted. It’s the result of a major client shifting to other port operations along the U.S. west coast.

Connecticut: Hartford based health insurance giant Aetna is now accusing the federal government of not enforcing ObamaCare with martial law, saying current enforcement is “not sufficient”!  Greedy Aetna administrators blame low ObamaCare participation rates for their loss of revenues.

Florida: In Bradenton, after almost five years Tarpon Pointe Grill & Tiki Bar shutting down by the end of the month, because of an evil landlord: “Our landlord has chosen not to renew our lease. Why? He states we are not successful. We have always paid our rent and a percentage of our sales to him on time, which has equated to almost $1.1 million in five years, and our initial investment of over $800,000 to build Tarpon Pointe.”-Facebook posting

Illinois: Eastern Illinois University quietly issuing layoff notices to non-instructional staff (latest reports say as many as 2-hundred!).  It’s blamed on the state ‘lawmakers’ failing to come up with a budget. The layoffs will start in March, university administrators say the state owes them at least $40-million USD.  Chicago Public Schools (CPS) warning of even more layoffs after the teacher union rejected their latest offer.  The Failed State system CPS claims it is lacking $500-million for its latest budget, but they’re actually $1-billion ‘in the hole’, structurally!  In Carbondale, after 32 years The Great Outdoors clothing store shutting down, the owner said his retirement is an “economic decision”.  Local news media revealed that three other Carbondale/Route 13 area businesses shutdown in January; KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken), Show Me’s Restaurant and Advanced Auto Parts.  In Galesburg, after 21 years Casey’s Party Creations shutting down in March.

Kansas: In Wichita, payday loan shark Speedy Cash laid off 50 people at its HQ and call center.  Administrators blame a ‘slow’ federal tax return season.  However, Speedy Cash also shutdown ten offices in the British empire country of United Kingdom (can’t blame U.S. tax refunds on that).

Louisiana: In Lafayette, the Winn-Dixie grocery store, on Ambassador Caffery Parkway, shutting down.  61 jobs lost by March.

Michigan: Midland based Dow Chemical revealed it eliminated 1-thousand 2-hundred jobs and will eliminate another 1-thousand jobs, for a total of 2-thousand 2-hundred!  Administrators say they need to cut $300-million USD in costs this year.

Mississippi:  Chapter 11 bankrupt busted (for the second time in nine years) Baldwyn based Hancock Fabrics shutting down/liquidating at least 70 stores across the U.S.  

New York:  In Brooklyn, after seven years the owners of Bark Hot Dogs shutting down their Park Slope eatery this weekend, saying “…economics just weren’t working out.”  NYC based music event promoter SFX Entertainment now chapter 11 bankrupt busted after only two years on the NASDAQ.  In Yonkers, Sterling National Bank eliminating ten jobs by June.

Oklahoma: Non-profit Sayre Memorial Hospital shutdown without warning, due to “continual financial strain” caused by declining Medicare reimbursements, and the crashing-n-burning of the local economy.

Oregon: In Portland, California based logistics company UTi Worldwide issued a WARN, 41 jobs lost by the end of March.  After 36 years Sewick’s Dive Bar shutting down, to be replaced by a 46 unit apartment building.

Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh based Horsehead Holding now chapter 11 bankrupt busted.  Administrators blame the low prices of zinc, however it also sounds like financial incompetence as the bankruptcy attorneys could only guess that the company had between 1-thousand and 5-thousand creditors!

Virginia: In Fredericksburg, after 27 years The Cat’s Closet shutting down in late Spring. The family owners will rent out the building to somebody else.   Huntington Ingalls Industries eliminating 738 jobs at the crashing-n-burning Newport News shipyards!  It’s blamed on the completion of construction of new USN aircraft carriers, and reduced taxpayer spending by the federal government.  In Richmond, God refuses to get involved with the scandal with ‘his’ Southern Baptist Convention International Mission Board (IMB).  The so called Christian organization began laying off employees without warning, drawing criticism from fellow Baptists: “Unexplainably, IMB planned no announcement about eliminating its entire communications department. Nothing was to be said about jettisoning about 10 percent of its staff or about how IMB would tell its missions stories going forward.”-Bob Terry, editor The Alabama Baptist

Washington DC: The Federal Reserve Bank about to go the way of Japan and officially charge negative interests rates.  Essentially Too Big to Jail banks would actually be paid to ‘borrow’ money from The Fed.

Wisconsin: Sussex based Quad Graphics announced it will shutdown two printing ops, one in Pennsylvania and one in Kansas.  The newspaper insert shutdown in Pennsylvania will cost 150 jobs, that’s on top of 4-hundred Pennsylvania Quad Graphics jobs lost at the beginning of January!  About 1-hundred jobs lost in Kansas!

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification

Former employees who receive severance are not counted as unemployed

The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) no longer issues mass layoff reports: “On March 1, 2013, President Obama ordered into effect the across-the- board spending cuts (commonly referred to as sequestration) required by the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act, as amended. Under the order, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) must cut its current budget by more than $30 million, 5 percent of the current 2013 appropriation, by September 30, 2013. In order to help achieve these savings and protect core programs, the BLS will eliminate two programs, including Mass Layoff Statistics, and all ‘measuring green jobs’ products. This news release is the final publication of monthly mass layoff survey data.” 

“We fought a battle we just couldn’t win…” : U.S. Job Losses & Closings 01 February 2016

Incomplete list of job loss announcements and shutdowns.

Florida: Preferred Medical Plan eliminating 18 jobs in Coral Gables, by the beginning of April.  At Patrick Air Force Base two contractors, GCR and InDyne, issued mass layoff WARNs for 209 people by the end of March!

Illinois: Peabody Energy’s Arclar Mine Complex eliminated 75 coal mining jobs due to crashing demand for coal.  In Evanston, Montoya Fiber Studios shutting down after 13 years of tying up locals in yarn.  The owners said it’s time for them to travel.

Maryland: C&S Wholesale Grocers shutting down their distribution ops on Lums Road, about 2-hundred jobs lost by April!  A county administrator said she was surprised because C&S was recently advertising to hire more employees!  C&S administrators told county officials they could not stop the shutdown due to the sudden loss of a major contract.

Massachusetts: In Somerville, after five years Sabertooth Vegan Bakery shutting down so the owner can get the hell outta Boston Weak Massachusetts and go on “permanent vacation”: “…things here just haven’t been working out. It’s always been my dream to live in California and work on an animal sanctuary and I was offered an amazing opportunity to do that.”-Evie Noël   

Missouri: Doe Run Company announced it must eliminate 75 mining jobs as a result of complying with Environmental Protection Agency lawsuits.

New York:   New York Life Insurance is shutting down their IT & Finance office in Sleepy Hollow, layoffs will take place between April and December. Administrators indicated they were moving the jobs elsewhere, but didn’t say where.   Principal Service Solutions-Global Foundries revealed they laid off at least 28 people in Hopewell Junction due to loss of a maintenance contract.    Brach’s Supermarket issued a shutdown WARN for their Lawrence grocery store, 127 jobs lost by the first of May! Administrators blame the bad economy.

Despite a grand opening send-off by U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer, Constantino’s Market in Rochester’s College Town shutting down after less than one year in business!  It’s blamed on lack of sales: “Unfortunately, Constantino’s was ultimately not supported at a level that allowed them to be profitable.”-Randy Ruttenberg, Fairmount Properties

North Carolina: Flex Global shutting down their Charlotte logistics operation, 255 jobs lost by April!

Ohio: Key Bank shutting down their Canton office by the end of April.

Oklahoma: Oil company Unit Corporation confirmed to local news media that it laid off several Tulsa employees in the past week, no numbers given.   In OKC, Texas based Spaghetti Warehouse suddenly shutdown, with no explanation why: “After more than 30 years in the community, we have made the difficult business decision to suspend operations and announce the closure of the Spaghetti Warehouse Restaurant in Oklahoma City. The closure is effective on Tuesday, February 2nd. ….we are hopeful that in the near future we can reopen Spaghetti Warehouse….”

Texas: Houston based Southwestern Energy issued a mass layoff WARN saying 376 people will lose their jobs by March!  National Oilwell Varco has begun laying off 129 employees!  And yet another of what I call Ripple Effect Layoffs (REL) as Argentina based steel oil pipe maker Tenarus shutting down their Houston factory, 166 jobs lost by the end of March!   Forth Worth based bankrupt Quicksilver Resources will eliminate 164 oil industry jobs!   Retailer Kohl’s shutting down their Plano store by mid-February, supposedly the 80 employees are being transferred to other Dallas area Kohl’s.

In El Paso, Airline International Luggage shutting down their Westside brick-n-mortar shop, blaming people who buy luggage over the internet.  The owners of Airline International Luggage should know about the shift to internet shopping, they began selling on the internet in 1995! They continue to operate their Eastside location which includes their online shop and warehouse.

Washington: Cardinal Health issued a WARN for its Auburn ops, 59 jobs lost by the end of March.

West Virginia: Kingston Mining laying off 89 coal miners, blaming declining demand for coal.

Wisconsin: In Sheboygan, after five years restaurant Weimann’s Sports Center shutting down this weekend, despite being voted best sports bar.  The owners blame constant road construction projects among other issues: “We fought a battle we just couldn’t win and ultimately felt it would be a lot less stressful for our family to not be in business. It’s a tough business.”

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification

Former employees who receive severance are not counted as unemployed

The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) no longer issues mass layoff reports: “On March 1, 2013, President Obama ordered into effect the across-the- board spending cuts (commonly referred to as sequestration) required by the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act, as amended. Under the order, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) must cut its current budget by more than $30 million, 5 percent of the current 2013 appropriation, by September 30, 2013. In order to help achieve these savings and protect core programs, the BLS will eliminate two programs, including Mass Layoff Statistics, and all ‘measuring green jobs’ products. This news release is the final publication of monthly mass layoff survey data.” 

Harley-Davidson crashes 43%! Massive REL! No more Live365! : U.S. Job Losses & Closings 30 – 31 January 2016

Incomplete list of job loss announcements and shutdowns.

Alaska: Taxpayer funding cuts (caused by the crashing & burning oil industry) are forcing University of Alaska Fairbanks to shutdown the Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station Soil and Plant Analysis Laboratory.   It’s the only soil testing lab in the state and is not only helpful to gardeners but is used to help pilots land on unprepared runways: “That lab has been responsible for saving the aviation industry probably millions of dollars in aircraft damage. The closing of the lab has so many ripple effects that are just hard to calculate.”-Steve Brown, Agricultural Extension agent

California: San Ramon based Chevron confirmed it eliminated 3-thousand 2-hundred jobs in 2015, and that another 4-thousand oil jobs will be destroyed in 2016!  Administrators say they lost so much money in 2015 that they need to cut more than $9-billion USD in operating costs!

More proof the internet is not recession resistant; Foster City based Live365 internet radio officially shutting down, analysts are blaming the Copyright Royalty Board.  Back at the end of December it was reported that Live365 was laying off the majority of its employees, no word on how many people will lose their jobs.  Health insurance company Blue Shield of California eliminating at least 99 jobs at their Lodi call center, apparently forcing people to buy ObamaCare insurance isn’t generating enough captive audience profits.

Georgia: In Garden City, Daylight Donuts shutdown due to problems with the building and low sales.

Illinois: Jake’sTavern shutdown after 78 years in Galesburg, the current owner refused to say why. 

  Here’s three fine examples of what I call Ripple Effect Layoffs (REL);  Illinois base heavy vehicle maker Caterpillar issued a press release stating they will eliminate 10-thousand jobs between now and 2018, due to the crashing mining-oil industry!   In Danville, Germany based ThyssenKrupp Crankshaft eliminating 48 jobs due to declining sales caused by the declining heavy vehicle industry, which is the result of the declining mining-oil industry.  Also in Danville, Freight Car America eliminating 180 jobs by mid-February, blaming the declining railroad industry, which is the result of the declining mining-oil industry!

Missouri: In Clayton, after five years Coastal Bistro & Bar shutdown, no comment from owners. In Chesterfield, Miller’s Crossing Pub & Grill shutdown with no warning or explanation.  In Krikwood, after five years Petra Restaurant shutdown, no further info.

New Jersey: In Freehold, Top Tomato grocery store shutdown, a manager of another Top Tomato store told local news media that relative to sales volume the Freehold store is “too big for them”.    However, on Facebook the owner of the Top Tomato chain straight up blamed the greedy landlord: “…due to circumstances with our landlord that could not be resolved and were out of our control, we were forced to close our Freehold sister store.”

New Mexico: Illinois base heavy vehicle maker Caterpillar eliminated 50 jobs without warning when it suddenly shutdown its Santa Fe factory.  Caterpillar took over the factory from CleanAir Systems in 2010.  In Albuquerque, after 18 years stationary and gift shop Gatherings shutdown, the owner blamed competition with the internet.

New York:   RCS Capital (Realty Capital Securities) now chapter 11 bankrupt busted.  Back in December they WARNed they were shutting down their NYC office by March.  The bankruptcy filing will somehow provide the failing investor $150-million USD and take it ‘private’.  No wonder big companies like to file bankruptcy so much, who knew it was just another way for them to make money?   That Which CanNot Be Named refuses to stop the shutdown of ‘its’ 51+ years old kosher bakery Monsey Kosher Bake Shop (aka Frank’s Family Bakery).  Yehuda Frank began crying when he told local news media that “circumstances made that we close”.   Those “circumstances” include the health and age of the owners.

North Carolina: In Greenville, Fitgerald’s restaurant shutdown without warning less than two years after opening.  Local news media report that the building now has a sign that says “Do not enter, no one”.   Asheboro Elastics shutting down their Narrow Fabrics military fabrics factory.  The vice president of AEC Narrow Fabrics admitted that selling products to the military is not as profitable as they thought, 90 jobs lost between March and April.

North Dakota:  In Fargo, Eloise Boutique & Gift shutting down by the end of March.  The store owner is also the property owner and she admitted she could make more money just being the landlord instead of the tenant.

Ohio: In Columbus, after 29 years Patrick J’s Food + Drink shutdown, apparently the owner could end up in prison for 20 years after pleading guilty to charges of ‘interference with commerce by threats’.

Oregon:  For the second time in one week,  Aequitas Capital Management announced layoffs.  This time 1-hundred people, almost all the remaining employees, will be laid off! Company bosses blame significant financial problems after it was revealed their debt/investment agency was involved in questionable student loans.

Wisconsin: Illinois base heavy vehicle maker Caterpillar eliminating 220 jobs at its factory in Prentice!  What automotive industry recovery?  Milwaukee based iconic Harley-Davidson dropped its expected 2016 shipments of motorcycles from 3% to 1%!  Profits were down 43% for 2015!  Lack of sales means they’re stuck with a 31% increase in leftover inventory compared to 2014.

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification

29 January 2016: Governor kills state jobs claiming lack of money, then Senator reveals $400-million+ cash surplus!

Former employees who receive severance are not counted as unemployed

The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) no longer issues mass layoff reports: “On March 1, 2013, President Obama ordered into effect the across-the- board spending cuts (commonly referred to as sequestration) required by the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act, as amended. Under the order, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) must cut its current budget by more than $30 million, 5 percent of the current 2013 appropriation, by September 30, 2013. In order to help achieve these savings and protect core programs, the BLS will eliminate two programs, including Mass Layoff Statistics, and all ‘measuring green jobs’ products. This news release is the final publication of monthly mass layoff survey data.” 

The Real Iran : Life Under Sanctions

This most recent documentary of Iran under U.S. led sanctions (produced by puppet ally of the United States, neo-imperialist Japan’s NHK) reveals how ineffective the sanctions are as “the country is flooded with foreign goods”.

https://youtu.be/5NUp7tERJV8

U.S. Food Crisis January 2016: “We were not ready to close 10 years ago, but we’re ready now.”

Incomplete list of announced United States food supply shutdowns for the month of January, 2016: 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, spread of disease and extreme weather.

Alabama: Earth Fare shutdown two grocery stores; one in Montgomery and one in Hoover (Birmingham).  In typical Orwellian double-speak company administrators said the shutdowns were necessary “…for continued expansion.”   No word on how many people will become unemployed.  In Selma, the Winn-Dixie grocery store shutting down in February, apparently due to low sales.  Local loyal customers are pissed off, Gracie Bennett exclaimed “I don`t want to hear that! I won`t like that at all! It is just an inconvenience.” referring to the long drive she’ll have to make to go to the nearest grocery store.

Arkansas: Kroger shutdown one of four of their North Little Rock grocery stores blaming low sales.  Good Food by Ferneau shutting down because the owner-chef is taking a job working for somebody else.

Arizona: In Hereford, after almost 30 years The Mesquite Tree restaurant shutdown.

California:   In Santa Maria, Eldorado Berry Farms issued a “permanent” layoff WARN, 654 jobs lost by the end of April!  Superior Farming issued a layoff WARN, 225 Santa Maria jobs lost by the end of June!   In Camarillo, MAC Berry Farms issued a layoff WARN, 90 jobs lost by mid-July.  In Oxnard, Coastal Green Vegetable Company issued a shutdown WARN, 88 jobs lost by mid-March.  In Cambria, after less than one year restaurant-market Centrally Grown shutdown without warning, at least 16 jobs lost (back in December reports said the entire staff was fired, with no explanation).  Food giant ConAgra issued a shutdown WARN for their Helm operation, 102 jobs lost by mid-March!   Albertsons-Safeway eliminating an additional seven jobs at their Pleasanton office, in March.  In Canoga Park, after only a few months ConfeXion Cupcakes shutdown without warning.  News reports say it’s the first business in the new Village at Westfield Topanga plaza to shutdown, and other businesses are considering leaving as well.  A co-owner of ConfeXion Cupcakes blames outrageous rent.  In San Francisco, after 23 years the owners of El Majahual finally wised up and realized it’s better to own than rent, they’re moving to their new location ‘across the bay’.   Also in San Francisco, popular Ames restaurant shutdown after ten years. The Walnut Creek Pyramid Alehouse shutdown, 49 jobs lost.  Belcampo Meat Company shutting down one of their San Francisco butcher shops.  The operators of the butcher shop chain said the Mission Street location could not maintain enough volume sales to justify its existence.  Staying in San Francisco, the Gangway bar shutdown due to ignoramus owner failing to pay his employees at least minimum wage.  In California the so called Tip Credit does not apply, food service workers must be paid minimum wage even though they’re paid tips by customers.  According to the lawsuit the owner, who’s lived in California for decades, thought the Tip Credit rule was valid in California (I knew about that rule back in the 1980s, how can people who’ve lived in California longer than me be so stupid regarding The Golden State’s wage laws?).  Still in San Francisco, after more than ten years the upscale Bourbon Steak shutting down in March, the owner said he decided not to renew the lease and is looking for a new home. In Irvine, the 24 years old IHOP restaurant in Parkview Center is shutting down, local news reports say no reason is being given, other than the lease is not being renewed.  Another Irvine restaurant also not renewing its lease, Marie Callender’s  shutting down.    San Diego based award winning gourmet Donut Bar shutdown their Fountain Valley shop (apparently replaced by yet another donut shop). In Escondido, after 44 years Champion’s Family Restaurant shutdown.  In Santa Ana, Pinkberry shutdown their City Place food shop.  Carpinteria based burger joint Carl’s Jr. shutdown two Canadian restaurants in Toronto, about 40 jobs lost.  Employees say they were not given a reason for the shutdowns, however, company administrators claim they will eventually open 30 new restaurants across the Great White North. Inside the hotel Montage Beverly Hills, restaurant Scarpetta shutting down sometime in Spring to be replaced with food service that can remain open all daylong.    In Anaheim Hills, after at least 30 years popular Foxfire An American Chophouse shutting down at the start of February, to make room for a shopping plaza.  In Los Altos, Main Street Cafe shutdown, apparently to eventually be replaced with yet another restaurant “concept”.  In Cathedral City, after 40 years restaurant El Gallito shutting down.  The co-owners admitted their sales have been declining for some time saying “We were not ready to close 10 years ago, but we’re ready now.”

Colorado: In Denver, after a little more than three years Park House-Peacemaker’s Cajun Kitchen shutdown, the facebook posting didn’t explain why.  Albertsons-Safeway shutting down their Denver bakery, 95 jobs lost by the end of February.  Denver based Chipotle Mexican Grill is shutdown all its restaurants across the United States in February, blamed ongoing and unexplained microbial infections in numerous restaurants.  However, the shutdown is for one day only, basically a ‘come to Jesus meeting’ for employees about food safety (that’s right, blame the employees). Chipotle’s sales crashed 40% in 2015!   Lafayette, the Crossroad’s Tavern shutdown by the greedy landlord.  The landlord is the Flatirons Community Church.  In Denver, after 48 years iconic Andre’s Confiserie Suisse dessert restaurant shutting down because the A-hole city jacked up the taxes: “The city basically doesn’t want us here anymore. We got priced out.”-Bruno Gegenszhatz, owner

Connecticut: After 17 years restaurant Inn at Newtown shutdown.  In New Milford, after 24 years restaurant Salsa shutdown, the owner sold it so he could retire.  In New Canaan, after six years popular Chicken Joe’s restaurant shutdown by astronomical rent.  After 11 years Westport’s Bobby Q’s Bodacious BBQ & Grill shutting down by the end of March.

Delaware: Local news media discovered that all four Sussex County Donut Connection shops have been shutdown!  The owners of the franchise claim they’ve “retired”, but a former employee said “Business really had slacked off.”   Tax records show $26,320-USD are still owed and a lawsuit says $31,211 in rent and utilities have never been paid!

 Georgia:  Property developers forcing popular restaurant Alfredo’s to shutdown after 41 years, the restaurant owner bemoaned “What can you do? That’s progress. It’s all about the money.”   In Garden City, Daylight Donuts shutdown due to problems with the building and low sales.

Florida: In Fort Myers the franchised Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery shutdown without warning, the manager said in the past 12 months sales crashed “we are simply a victim of not enough sales”.   After two years The Juice Spot in the Brickell area of Miami shutting down.  There are signs the owners, the LeBron James family, is hurting for cash as the basketball star sold his Miami mansion in August for $13.4-million USD.  Bowling, movies, food  joint Latitude 360 shutdown its Jacksonville location, no reason given.   In Orlando, after five years burger & beer joint Oblivion Taproom shutdown.   In Quincy, BFN Operations issued a WARN for their Zelenka Farms, 64 jobs lost by the end of March.  Coca-Cola laid off 70 people at their Brandon finance office.

Hawaii:  The Hawaiian Commercial and Sugar Company suddenly shutdown and laid off 645 people!  Administrators blame low commodity prices for causing them to lose $30-million USD in 2015, which is enough to shut them down!  It’s the last sugar farm in Hawaii!   Kahului Trucking & Storage began laying off drivers as a result of the sudden shutdown of the sugar farm.

Idaho: It’s been revealed that as more people move into The Gem State (domestic and foreign migrants) residences are being landscaped with poisonous shrubs, and it’s killing off the elk.  In the Ketchum-Hailey area at least 13 elk have been found dead.  Autopsies revealed poisonous ornamental Japanese yew shrubs in their stomaches.  In one case the locals who found the most recent poisoned elk followed the elk tracks in the snow back to a home landscaped with Japanese yews.

In Idaho County, according to local news reports two Texas billionaires bought-up 38-thousand acres of land and then shut it down to local residents for use in recreation and hunting!  Residents are outraged as previous land owners allowed public access for recreation and hunting.

According to a new report called The Financial Condition of Idaho Agriculture: 2015, Idaho farmers saw an overall 9% drop in cash receipts (even with a 2% drop in operating costs) from 2014 to 2015, due to crashing food prices: “The low prices in 2014 bled over into last year. The shortages, the supply and demand factors bleed into the following year.”-Garth Taylor, University of Idaho agricultural economist

The good news is that prices for livestock went up, but the low crop prices were low enough to adversely affect state tax collections. To break it down with a few examples; milk prices resulted in revenues dropping by one third.  Wheat down 17%.  Hay down 12% and potatoes down just under 3%.  Sugar beets and barley made revenue gains, with sugar beets bringing in a whopping 20% increase.

It’s been revealed that pesticides have contaminated farms in eastern Idaho.  At least 809 hectares (2-thousand acres) are affected and must be cleaned up, at taxpayer expense of course (an estimated $250-thousand USD has been quoted as an initial payment!).  The contamination was discovered when farmers reported mutations in their crops and animals.  Investigators traced it to the massive use of Methyl Bromide back in 2006.  The contamination affects potatoes, hay, alfalfa, wheat and barley.  In 2006 paranoia erupted over the discovery of a nematode that destroys potato crops, state and federal agriculture ‘experts’ told farmers to use methyl bromide to kill the microbe.  It was farmers who first reported the crop and livestock mutations, concluding that it must be the result of using the toxic chemical.

University of Idaho shutting down their Caine Veterinary Teaching Center.  Apparently the university plans on teaching veterinarian skills directly through livestock owners, news reports say the university veterinarian faculty are being laid off.

Grocer Supervalu issued a WARN for three Boise stores (North Ancestor, South Denver Way and Parkcenter locations), at least 80 jobs lost by March.  It might be connected to Supervalu’s plan to take its Save-A-Lot discount grocery ops ‘public’.  Back in October Supervalu laid off 115 people at their East Baybrook Court, Boise location, in connection with the merger of Albertsons and Safeway.  Also in Boise, after at least 25 years the Twin Dragon restaurant is shutting down by March.  The owners are trying to sell it to help fund their retirement plans.  Trader Joe’s is recalling cashews sold in Boise (as well as in 31 other locations across the U.S.).  The nuts are suspected of being contaminated with salmonella.

To counter the growing trend of chain restaurants openly opposing guns, local Gem State eateries are offering discounts if you’re packin’ heat!  Dueling Irons restaurant knocks off 15% from the price of your meal: “The open carry discount is being expanded to included ccw permits, and increasing to 15%.”-Dueling Irons facebook post

Gem State Right to Work (you over) ‘lawmakers’ are apparently realizing  how bad the financial situation is for families and are creating a new law that will exempt ‘cottage food’ businesses (literally mom-n-pop food sellers working out of their home) from the same health codes that traditional retail establishments must obey.

Illinois:    The Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery shutdown in the Chicago Ridge Mall.  Restaurant III Tomassos Italian Bistro in Springfield shutdown, blaming lack of development and lack of neighboring tenants for lack of customer traffic in the new Legacy Pointe complex.  Also in Springfield, Brickhouse Pub & Grill Downtown and Julia’s Kitchen shutdown.  In East Dundee, after only one year Blues BBQ & Grill now bankrupt busted and shutdown.  The owners are hoping to re-open as soon as they settle with creditors.  Oreo cookie maker Mondelez International shutting down its allergy free Schiller Park factory by Summer, about 130 jobs affected as work is being consolidated to a new factory in Indiana!  Mondelez also told 277 Chicago workers they will become unemployed starting in March, as part of the company’s plans to move to Mexico!  Jake’sTavern shutdown after 78 years in Galesburg, the current owner refused to say why.

Indiana:  Two shops shutdown in the Southlake Mall; Tilted Kilt and Jamba Juice.  The Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery shutdown without warning, in fact it was shutdown during the lunch hour!  Essentially the franchise owner baled under the excuse of sudden retirement.  News reports say the mall’s Jamba Juice also shutdown without warning or explanation.  Bowling, movies, food  joint Latitude 360 shutdown its Indianapolis location, no reason given.  In Irvington, after 17 years Dufour’s restaurant-bakery shutting down, the owner admitted “As I’ve aged, this business gets harder. My insides feel 18, but my outsides don’t.”  

Iowa:  In Ames, after 30 years restaurant Valentino’s shutdown, the owners saying “Recent circumstances beyond our control, coupled with changing demographics in our current location and declining sales made this very difficult decision necessary.”    A pizza joint known for helping homeless people, Rock Power Pizza, shutting down due to escalating operating expenses and de-escalating sales/donations: “It’s going to affect hundreds and hundreds of people, and we don’t know where that’s going to take it. That’s the part that really tears me up.”-Derrick Walton, owner who says he was once homeless

Maine: Chipotle Mexican Grill killing off Hutamaki.   The paper product maker said it had to layoff 30 employees due to crashing packaging orders from the troubled chain restaurant.

Kansas:  In Saint John, Dillions Market shutdown.  Dillions was the town’s only grocery store meaning residents will have to travel 20 miles to buy food!

Maryland:  Florida based Acosta Sales & Marketing eliminating 93 jobs at it’s Hanover food service ops, WARNing that more layoffs are in the works over the next three months!  After 18 years restaurant Donna’s shutdown, the owners admitted they were losing money and could not renew the lease.

Massachusetts: In Longmeadow, after more than 40 years the Hu Ke Lau restaurant (on Williams Street) shutting down next week.  Local news sources could not get a reason. In Cambridge, after 30 years East Coast Grill shutting down by the end of the month.  No reason was presented.  In Clinton, after 87 years (surviving The Great Depression and numerous recessions) the Old Timer restaurant shutdown.  It’s been for sale ever since a co-owner died in 2013, obviously nobody wants to buy it.

Michigan: In Bloomfield Hills, after more than 40 years Hogan’s restaurant shutting down at the end of the month.  The owner admitted his old golf themed eatery can’t compete with the new “really trendy” restaurants.  Proof Americans are going hungry, non-profit Feeding America is shutting down two food warehouses because they’re too small, administrators say they need bigger locations to meet the huge demand: “…the need has grown over the last decade…We know we have the ability to fully meet the need…To put it simply, we’ve outgrown these facilities.”-Ken Estelle, Feeding America West Michigan CEO

Minnesota: In Minneapolis, after two years Brasserie Zentral shutting down, a co-owner saying “This industry has always been hard.  But right now, it has never been harder.”  In Saint Paul, after ten years the Highland Park Chatterbox Pub (deep fried cheeseburgers) suddenly shutdown, the owners say they were not able to find a needed third business partner and will now focus on their two smaller restaurants.

Missouri: In Clayton, after five years Coastal Bistro & Bar shutdown, no comment from owners. In Chesterfield, Miller’s Crossing Pub & Grill shutdown with no warning or explanation.  In Krikwood, after five years Petra Restaurant shutdown, no further info.  In Amazonia, after 45 years Hunt Orchards shutting down. The current operators say they’re too old to carry on and hope somebody will lease the orchard, otherwise the property owner will sell to commercial developers.  Georgia based Printpack shutting down its Hazelwood food packaging factory, 115 jobs lost starting in March!   Local news reports say the Hazelwood Printpack factory employed at least 3-hundred people at its peak in the late 1990s.  Administrators did not say why they were shutting it down.  Evil Saint Louis based chemical & GMO food maker Monsanto continues to kill jobs, this time 1-thousand people added to the previously announced 2-thousand 6-hundred job eliminations to take place later this year!  Mike Shannon’s Steaks and Seafood shutdown their 30 years old downtown Saint Louis location,  claiming it will help them focus on “franchise expansion”.   Also in Saint Louis, after almost 20 years Harry’s Bar & Restaurant shut down.  It’s starting to sound like city re-development projects are killing off local businesses: “It’s the economy, the highway closing, Ballpark Village. Downtown is just a dead area right now….nobody is talking about it. Iconic places are going out of business, and nobody cares.  Ballpark Village was the nail in the coffin. It shut down Washington Avenue and took 70% of our business.”-Tim Pieri, co-owner

And owners of Mile 277 join other Saint Louis restauranteurs in blaming the A-hole re-development projects and greedy landlords: “The development of other venues such as Ballpark Village along with numerous lease terms has significantly impacted the operations of Mile 277. The combination of these factors has resulted in significant losses of revenue and profits. Mile 277 cannot continue to sustain these losses.”

Nebraska:  Grocery seller SpartanNash announced the shutdown of three Omaha area stores, under the brands Bag-n-Save and No Frills, hundreds of jobs lost!  It could be because Michigan based SpartanNash is spending $14-million USD to renovate eight other stores into their new Family Fare brand.  Food giant ConAgra eliminating more jobs due to an ‘expected’ drop in sales.  News reports say several hundreds of ConAgra employees in Omaha will lose there jobs to cheaper contractors as ConAgra attempts to cut operating costs!    The reports are based on a video leaked last week, but what’s really interesting is that ConAgra execs are also killing 40 sales positions (maybe that’s why they expect sales to go down?).

Nevada:  Whole food store Reno Provisions suddenly shutdown.  Reports say the store struggled with problems like lack of revenues, e-coli outbreaks and now a new lawsuit.

New Hampshire:  In Dover, the Uno Pizzeria & Grill joint shutdown, even though days prior local news media were told by managers the shutdown was just a “rumor”.   Corporate administrators in Boston Weak, Massachusetts, refused to talk to local news media.

New Jersey:  In Westfield, Robert Treat Delicatessen shutdown, the owners blamed their ongoing personal health problems.  After 37 years the Cherry Hill Coastline Bar and Grill now bankrupt busted and shutdown.  In Atlantic City, 89 years old (surviving The Great Depression and numerous recessions) Tony’s Baltimore Grill pizza joint now bankrupt busted.  The operators haven’t been able to pay their debts and blame it on the high cost of unionized labor.  In Freehold, Top Tomato grocery store shutdown, a manager of another Top Tomato store told local news media that relative to sales volume the Freehold store is “too big for them”.    However, on Facebook the owner of the Top Tomate chain straight up blamed the greedy landlord: “…due to circumstances with our landlord that could not be resolved and were out of our control, we were forced to close our Freehold sister store.” 

New Mexico:  Coca-Cola shutting down its Portales bottling factory, 59 jobs lost to consolidation.   Coca-Cola’s warehouse in Clovis is also being shutdown.  Winter Storm Goliath killed thousands of dairy cows in the Clovis area.  At one point dairy production was down to just 10% of capacity.   Kroger shutdown their Smith’s Food and Drug Store in Socorro, 66 job lost.  

New York:  Maines Food & Party Warehouse shutting down their Ithaca and Greece grocery stores by February, no public explanation given.  In NYC, after 40 years kitchen supplier Broadway Panhandler shutting down.  The owner tried to sell the business but nobody wanted to buy it.  In Saugerties the McDonald’s junk food joint on 8 Manor Lane shutdown, the owner saying “It’s a business decisions…”, revealing that even when the restaurant was “making money” it was considered “under-performing”!  Honest Weight, one of the last food co-op grocery stores in The Empire State, is warning that state employment regulations will force them to shutdown.  In Nyack, popular Hartell’s Deli shutdown.  Hartell’s has operated in Nyack since the 1970s, no word on why they shutdown.   In Haverstraw, after nearly 70 years 20 acre restaurant Platzl Brauhaus shutdown because it was sold-off.  Cumberland Packing shutting down its artificial sweetener (Sweet-n-Low) factory in Brooklyn, 3-hundred jobs lost by the end of the year!   Angry Wade’s bar shutting down after the greedy landlord jacked the rent to $16-thousand USD per month!  Netherlands based food wholesaler Ahold shutting down its Lancaster and Cheektowaga warehouse operations, 602 jobs lost by August!  Ahold joins the mass exodus from The Empire State and is consolidating warehousing to Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.  In Freeport, the Stop&Shop grocery store shutting down in February, residents say it will leave them with only one grocery store in their city.  Stop&Shop is one of several grocery chain stores owned by Netherlands based Ahold.  In Manhattan’s Upper East Side, restaurant David Burke Fishtail shutdown due to the greedy landlord.  News reports say it’s the third David Burke restaurant to shutdown in less than a year.   In NYC, Restaurant Associates lost their food service contract with Germany based Deutsche Bank, 59 jobs lost by April.   That Can Not Be Named refuses to stop the shutdown of ‘its’ 51+ years old kosher bakery Monsey Kosher Bake Shop (aka Frank’s Family Bakery).  Yehuda Frank began crying when he told local news media that “circumstances made that we close”.   Those “circumstances” include the health and age of the owners.

North Carolina:  In Raleigh, after less than ten years restaurant The Borough shutting down, the owner saying she has to sell it.    In Raleigh, The Oxford pub shutdown.  Morrison Healthcare continues to kill jobs after losing a food service contract with Carolinas HealthCare Systems, local news reports say layoffs will now hit 350!  In Greenville, Fitgerald’s restaurant shutdown without warning less than two years after opening.  Local news media report that the building now has a sign that says “Do not enter, no one”.    Grace’s Café, an eatery at Duke University, is shutting down at the end of the semester.  The operator said sales are not enough to pay for needed renovations to the kitchen.

North Dakota: Farm vehicle maker CNH (Case New Holland) hitting Fargo with even more layoffs, this time 70 people becoming unemployed.  Local news reports say that since 2014 CNH has eliminated 260 jobs in Fargo.

Ohio: After 47 years Buehler’s Fresh Foods shutting down their Delaware store in February, 131 jobs lost!    In Mansfield, after 29 years Lee’s Ancient Wok shutdown, the owners want to retire but their adult son has no plans to continue working the popular restaurant.  With no warning Columbus based chain restaurant Max & Erma’s shutdown 13 operations in Ohio, Michigan and Indiana, hundreds now jobless!  Corporate administrators said they have to “streamline” operations due to the economy.  Overwhelmingly employees say they’re shocked that their employer could shutdown overnight, (I’ve been there experienced that several times, so welcome to reality. Now try living with so many of your peers not believing that your former employer could lay you off with no warning, your employed peers always think you did something wrong! It’s amazing what the working class takes for granted, oh the power of false belief).  The only Krispy Kreme donut shop in the Dayton area shutdown, 20 jobs lost.  No explanation.  In Columbus, after 29 years Patrick J’s Food + Drink shutdown, apparently the owner could end up in prison for 20 years after pleading guilty to charges of ‘interference with commerce by threats’.

Oklahoma: In Utica, after more than 70 years Petty’s Fine Foods shutting down in February, 50 jobs lost. 

Oregon:  In Portland, after 114 years (surviving The Great Depression and numerous recessions) grocery store Strohecker’s shutdown.  Local news reports say no reason was made public (the corporate owners, Lamb’s Markets, refused to talk). Indications are that the store’s pharmacy operations will continue in a different location.   What’s that about Goodwill creating jobs? In Salem, it was revealed that seven years old Thai Beer Restaurant was forced to shutdown when the property owner sold-out to Goodwill Industries.  The Terrace Cafe in Valley River Center shutting down after 36 years of serving up yummy food, because the mall management refuses to renew the lease.  The restaurant owner said no reason was offered and “I was not prepared to have been told that no more leases would be given to me.” 

Pennsylvania:   After more than three years Marty’s Market shutdown without warning, the owners saying only “We have had to make the extremely difficult decision to close…”    In Allentown, after only six months Shula’s Steak House shutdown without warning, it might have something to do with a lawsuit in which the Florida based restaurant chain settled claims that it failed to make rent payments.   In Queen Village, after eight years Cafe Fulya shutdown.   In Bridgeville, after 30 years restaurant Tambellini’s shutdown.  The building was sold.   In State College, Callao Cafe shutting down due to the owner’s health problems.  In Flourtown, after 65 years eatery Cisco’s shutdown.  In Philadelphia, Marabella Meatball restaurant shutdown.  Bring Your Own Beverage restaurant Blue Cat shutdown because sales sucked: “I was burned out. Business was OK, but it was not worth it, I was shopping by myself, cooking everything. There’s no lunch business up there….”-Guy Shapiro, co-owner

South Carolina: In Myrtle Beach, “high end” cookware seller Williams-Sonoma (on Howard Avenue) shutdown.

Tennessee: In West Nashville, The Stone Fox shutdown, 30 jobs lost.  After four years of success the restaurant-live music joint is apparently being replaced with something else.  In Gatlinburg, Davy Crockett’s Tennessee Whiskey shutdown without warning or explanation.  After spending money to paint their eatery in the colors of East Tennessee State University the owners of Alley Kat Sandwich Shop shutdown.  Jerky maker Oberto shutting down its two years old Nashville meat factory despite promising to create 310 jobs and getting almost $2-million in taxpayer funds and grants (not tax breaks, outright cash!).  State ‘lawmakers’ swear they’ll go after the jerky maker for a refund of the tax funding.  The Nashville factory never got above 82 employees, despite Oberto’s promise  (see more below in -Washington-).   Here’s what Karl Dean, the now former mayor of Nashville, said back in 2012: “Oberto’s decision to locate a plant in Nashville speaks to the vitality of our city and the talent of our workforce. I’m especially pleased that Oberto will be bringing an existing facility back to life. Filling vacant buildings in and around our urban core is important to the strength and future of our city.”

Texas:  Texas Association of Dairymen upped the number of dairy cows killed by Winter Storm Goliath to 5% (one report says at least 40-thousand killed!).  The estimate counts only mature cows.   Now if you think beef prices are high enough, add this to the mix; one beef rancher says he lost 350 beef cows to Goliath, and he says there are at least 30 other ranchers in the area with similar losses!  In Dallas, after 40 years the original Black-eyed Pea restaurant was suddenly shutdown due to the company going bankrupt.  At least 15 Black-eyed Pea restaurants have been shutdown in Texas.  The bankruptcy will affect restaurants in the state of Colorado as well.  Also in Dallas, after 45 years Herrera’s Tex Mex shutdown because the landlords want to re-purpose the property.

Utah:  Wild West themed Porter’s Place shutting down its Lehi restaurant because city administrators are running the operator outta town.  The city owns the building and they want to tear it down.  The owner of Porter’s Place say he hopes to open a new restaurant in the city of Nephi.

Virginia:  In Roanoke, restaurant Stefano’s on the Market shutdown, the owner wants more time with his family.  Richmond’s four years old Carytown Dixie Donuts shutdown.   In Pulaski, Food Lion shutting down its Memorial Drive grocery store by February because it’s not worth it to renew the lease.  In Lexington, Healthy Foods Market & Cafe shutdown, the owners blame increased competition for their decreased sales.  In Alexandria, Old Time Coffee, Tea and Spice shutting down in February because the landlord is jacking up the rent. The 1950s style K&B Drive Inn south of Eveleth shutdown without warning.   After 93 years (surviving The Great Depression and numerous recessions) Falkowski’s Market shutting down, Mike Falkowski blames “The tough Range economy is hurting our business. Can’t keep operating losing money every month. Just couldn’t survive.” 

Washington:  Kent based mass produced jerky maker Oberto announced it will shutdown its two years old meat factory in Tennessee (well, the factory is two years old, I don’t know about the meat) and sell-off a meat factory in Oregon!   The suck-ass economy is forcing Oberto to consolidate jerky treat making to its Washington ops.  Seattle based Starbucks announced it will shutdown several two years old Teavana ‘tea bars’ in New York and California.  Regional grocer (and bankrupt no thanks to being tricked by Albertson-Safeway) Haggen issued a shutdown WARN for their Puyallup store, 87 jobs lost at the beginning of March. 

Washington DC: Once touted by politicians like Obama, the 10 years old Five Guys Burgers and Fries joint on Wisconsin Avenue shutdown.  There was no explanation, just a note taped to the door.

Wisconsin: After 50 years elitist Feiler’s Restaurant shutdown.  In Milwaukee, after only two years Simmer Cafe shutdown. The owners blamed it on their expensive attempt to start another cafe in the Mayfair Mall.  Low farm sales continue to force CNH (Case-New Holland) to eliminate even more factory jobs.  105 Mount Pleasant employees became unemployed!

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification

Global Food Crisis: No more Salmon from South America?