When the NDK America plant in Belvidere exploded Dec. 7, the Byron Police Department got some curious calls. Journalists and concerned citizens reporting the explosion were being sent to Byron’s phones.
Read more about the Google problem and Belvidere by clicking on the following: When Google Mis-Googles
and Jeep Compass and Patriot, all of which are due for a refresh.
Click on the following for details on all holiday shutdowns: Chrysler extends plant shutdowns to prepare for new models
week ending Dec. 26, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 432,000, a decrease of 22,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 454,000. The 4-week moving average was 460,250, a decrease of 5,500 from the previous week's revised average of 465,750.
Click on the following for more numbers from this original source: ETA Press Release: Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report
This program is more hype than substance,” Jessica Caldwell, a senior analyst at Edmunds.com, told USA Today
A used Pontiac or Saturn does not qualify for the incentives of up to $6,500 that G.M. is offering directly to buyers of new models.
closed-door meeting to plan a mission to deflect 99942 Apophis, an asteroid that will fly close to Earth two decades from now
Click on the following to discover more about this possible danger: Russians to Plan Mission to Deflect Asteroid From Earth - NYTimes.com
Here is a good summary of the new state laws and regulations going into effect 1-1-2010.
Click on the following: Hundreds of new laws take effect Friday - Springfield, IL - The State Journal-Register
whether the state income tax should be raised.
Democratic contenders Gov. Pat Quinn and Comptroller Dan Hynes are for it. The seven Republicans are against it.
Click on the following for more details: Democrats, Republicans seeking governor post differ on how best to fix finances - chicagotribune.com
Fitch said Illinois' failure to tackle its deficits has left it dependent on short-term borrowing and on delaying payments to businesses, pushing the amount of unpaid bills to $3.9 billion at the end of the 2009 budget year. That has allowed the state's total deficit, which includes those left over from prior years, to reach $9 billion, about 32 percent of the budget.
"They need to come up with solutions to their ongoing problems,
Click on the following for more details: Daily Herald | Illinois may have rating on $19 bil of bonds cut
After losing bids to block healthcare legislation, Republicans are seeking traction on national security. “Anything that forces the focus of attention on security issues naturally favors the Republicans,” says GOP pollster Whit Ayres.
Three congressional panels have already announced hearings on US when Congress returns next month.
Click on the following for more details: Unlike 9/11, partisanship has worsened after Christmas attack / The Christian Science Monitor - CSMonitor.com
fresh Mexican government numbers showing a 40 percent drop in Mexicans emigrating in the past two years.
“There is still nor evidence of a massive return of migrants to the national territory,….Stricter enforcement along the US border has also caused
require NDK, among other things, to conduct a thorough analysis of the cause or causes of the Dec. 7 explosion and release, submit a written report of the findings and recommendations for corrective or preventive actions to minimize the potential for similar future incidents
Click on the following for more details: The Belvidere Daily Republican. - Illinois EPA refers NDK to attorney general for enforcement
More than 50 unwanted infants have been turned over to authorities in Illinois during the eight years the Safe Haven law has been in effect.
But 58 others were illegally abandoned – 28 of whom were discovered lifeless.
All 50 states and the District of Columbia have Safe Haven laws with the time for legal relinquishment ranging from three days to one year.
Click on the following for more details: Safe Haven law extended | Daily Chronicle
You may have seen this morning that CNN picked up a story out of Fort Wayne, Ind., on a new salt being used to melt ice on roadways, in parking lots, and other places where snow and ice pose a hazard.
Magic Salt starts out as ordinary rock salt, which is then treated with a liquid, agricultural by-product of the distilling process blended with magnesium chloride. This patented liquid is trademarked as Magic Minus Zero and dramatically transforms rock salt into a new de-icing material.
Magic Minus Zero is a highly effective de-icing agent made from a patented blend of magnesium chloride and condensed distiller solubles. It is non-toxic, bio-degradable and has a corrosion index lower than distilled water.
Magic Salt is safer to use on concrete, is less corrosive, may not harm curbside grassed areas or plants, and continues to melt ice to below -35F° if used as directed.
Click on the following for more details on this product: About Magic Salt - The most highly effective ice melting product
The government’s stake in GMAC, which handles financing for customers and dealers of both General Motors and Chrysler, will rise to 56 percent, from 35 percent.
Cerberus Capital Management, the private equity firm that bought a majority stake in GMAC in 2006 and later briefly owned Chrysler, now will hold 14.9 percent of GMAC. Third-party lenders will own 12.2 percent, and 16.6 percent will be owned or managed indirectly by G.M.,
Click on the following for more details: Treasury to Give $3.8 Billion More to GMAC in a Third Taxpayer Bailout - NYTimes.com
The government now owns majority ownership stakes in those three firms, General Motors and insurance giant American International Group. It also holds large stakes in Citigroup and Chrysler.
The additional aid for GMAC underscores both its struggles and its importance to the administration's efforts to revive the auto industry. GMAC, which already has taken $12.5 billion in direct federal aid along with other forms of government support,
U.S. takes majority stake in GMAC, giving lender $3.8 billion more in aid - washingtonpost.com
resident fishing license will climb to $14.50 from $12.50. Deer permits, which have sold for $15 each in recent years, will now sell for $25. Small game permits will go to $12, up from $7.
A 2006 minivan, if you can find one, will probably cost you $600 or $700 more than a year ago."
Two years ago, our sales would be maybe 70 percent new, 30 percent used," Grady said. "Now it's more like 50-50."
used cars are gradually starting to become more available, and their prices have begun to stabilize or even fall, dealers agree
Used-car market taking big hit from Clunkers :: The Courier News :: Local News
The fact that 46 million people in this country have no health insurance should be intolerable. Every other major industrial country guarantees health coverage to its citizens, yet the United States, the richest of them all, does not.
Click on the following for the complete opinion: Editorial - The Case for Reform - NYTimes.com
commissioner of the housing authority for a five-year term that would expire January 2015; member of the sanitary district board of trustees for a term that would expire May 1, 2012; and member of the Boone County Regional Planning Commission for a term that would expire Dec. 31, 2011.
Boone County looks to fill vacant board positions - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star
Elmhurst-based Brown's Chicken & Pasta Tuesday filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which allows it to financially reorganize while temporarily shielded from its creditors' claims. Brown's 39 area outlets, all but three of which are owned by franchisees, remain open for business.
Click on the following for more details: Brown's Chicken files for Chapter 11 - chicagotribune.com
Crusader Community Health received $5,342,337 in grant funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to construct a new site in Loves Park and continue renovation of unused space at the existing Crusader Community Health on Broadway-Uram Building.
serves multiple counties in northern Illinois including Boone, Winnebago and Stephenson, and provides care to more than 40,000 individual patients annually in our region.
Click on the following for more of the story: Crusader Community Health receives $5.3 million in Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds | The Rock River Times
Lifeline was running hundreds of thousands of dollars in the red by operating two ambulances out of Belvidere. The plan was to pull a second ambulance out of town and gift one to the city to be staffed by the Belvidere Fire Department to alleviate the problem
Firefighters ambulance dies in committee - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star
Batavia has gotten wage concessions from two more of its employee unions, in exchange for agreeing not to lay off workers in 2010.
The city council recently signed a one-year contract with Teamsters Local 673, which represents police department records technicians and community service officers. It also signed a one-year contract with International Association of Firefighters Local 3436, which represents Batavia's full-time firefighters.
The council also cut pay for other city employees. Some hourly employees will have their hours cut 5 percent.
Several water department employees lost four paid holidays - Thanksgiving and the day after, plus Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Other workers in the water and sewer departments will not be paid for eight hours of standby time for their first four on-call assignments of 2010.
The Emergency Services and Disaster Agency director's pay was cut 4.5 percent
Click on the following for more details: Daily Herald | Pay freeze, some cuts - but no layoffs - for Batavia firefighters, police clerks
FDIC employment to increase 23.4%. Unfortunately this is a new growth industry.
staffing level of 8,653 employees, up from 7,010 in 2009. Almost all the additional staff will be hired on a temporary basis. They will be hired primarily to assist with bank closings; to perform follow-on work related to the management and sale of failed bank assets; and to conduct bank examinations and perform other bank supervisory activities.
Click on the following for more details: FDIC: Press Releases - PR-228-2009 12/15/2009
The pending layoffs, which will cut the number of deputies to 57, are to go into effect next month. County officials say they are trying to plug a $420,000 deficit in the sheriff’s budget.
The overall county budget approved by the county board in November called for pay raises for county employees of only one-half of 1 percent, a response to sharply lower county revenues caused by the economic slowdown.
However, the county’s contract with the deputies’ union requires a 3 1/2 percent increase, and union officials have refused to accept the smaller raise.
Click on the following for the rest of the story: County hopes to cut deputy layoffs with expedited retirements - Springfield, IL - The State Journal-Register
The following is taken from NDK’s website: http://www.ndk.com/en/about/philosophy/index.html
Contributing to the prosperity of society and world peace through our service to customers.
The H1N1 flu pandemic may not be conquered until 2011 and continued vigilance is required against the virus which can still mutate, the head of the World Health Organisation said on Tuesday….appropriate to continue to monitor the evolution of this pandemic for the next six to 12 months
Countries including Britain, Canada and the United States have passed peaks of a second wave of H1N1, but outbreaks are intensifying in India, Egypt and elsewhere…H1N1 has now spread to more than 200 countries, with nearly 12 000 deaths confirmed in laboratory, but it will probably take two years to establish the true death toll,
Click on the following for more details: News - Medical: Flu virus can still mutate, warns WHO
The newly amended FOIA law should increase the effectiveness of our media watchdogs. If it also awakens slumbering Illinois citizens and entices them to assume their proper role in a democracy, we may yet have government servants who act in our best interest and not in theirs.
Will citizens take up the newly amended FOIA and use it to shine light on the actions of our elected and appointed officials? If yes, improved leadership can be expected. If not, the ethical climate in Illinois will not improve.
Click on the following to read the entire opinion of the Journal-Register: Citizens need to make good use of amended FOIA - Springfield, IL - The State Journal-Register
Attracting wind power component manufacturers is a key part of the economic development strategy of the Northwest Illinois Development Alliance’s Targeted Marketing and Recruitment Committee, and the project could be very beneficial to the area, organizers say….TMR Committee has developed a database for all wind power component manufacturers and is reaching out to more than 300 such companies to invite them to this region.
Adam Holder, chairman of the TMR Committee, said committee members have made initial contact with all of the companies in the database. The goal is to reach out to company officials on a quarterly basis, and ask them to keep Stephenson County in mind for any future expansion or relocation projects, Holder said
Renewable energy key part of development strategy - Freeport, IL - The Journal-Standard
The scanners coming to O'Hare will be set up initially in terminals served by United Airlines and American Airlines as well as in the international terminal, federal security officials have said in the past.Screeners will view images of both male and female passengers. But only screeners of the same sex conduct physical pat-downs, officials said.
O'Hare may get body scanners by end of March - Chicago Breaking News
The MIG/DeWane landfill is located in Boone County approximately one-quarter mile east of the City of Belvidere and one-half mile north of U.S. Business Route 20.
Between 1969 and 1988, the 47-acre landfill received general refuse and industrial wastes including paint sludge, volatile organic chemicals, asbestos and liquids containing heavy metals. The site was not properly closed and capped, resulting in a 5 to 10-acre depression in the middle of the landfill. This depression collected water, which drained into the landfill, resulting in over one hundred leachate seeps.
In 1989 and 1990, the Illinois EPA and U.S Environmental Protection Agency (U.S EPA), in two separate actions, removed approximately 155,000 gallons of leachate. * In 1991, parties responding to a U.S. EPA and Illinois EPA Administrative Order on Consent conducted a number of interim actions including the installation of an interim cap over the landfill. The landfill was placed on the National Priorities List (sometimes called the Superfund List) in 1990.
In April 1999, elevated levels of landfill gas were detected in the soil and in a few homes in Wycliffe Estates directly west of the landfill. The parties responding to the 1991 Administrative Order on Consent installed an active landfill-gas interception system along the western boundary of the landfill. The system significantly reduced landfill gas within a month. No landfill gas has been detected in the subdivision during the past six years.
*Leachate is water that has passed through landfill waste and picked up contaminants present in the waste.
On January 4, 2006, the State of Illinois lodged a proposed consent decree in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District in Illinois regarding the MIG/DeWane Landfill in Belvidere.
Without admitting liability, the defendants have agreed:
The defendants are BFI Waste Systems of North America, Inc. , five past and present owners and 88 former customers of the landfill including municipalities and manufacturers.
Yes. The public may send written comments on the proposed consent decree to Gerald T. Karr, Senior Assistant Attorney General, Office of the Illinois Attorney General, Environmental Bureau, 188 West Randolph Street, 20th Floor, Chicago, Illinois 60601. Comments must be postmarked by February 21, 2006 and should refer to The State of Illinois v. BFI Waste Systems of North America, Inc. , et. al.
The proposed consent decree may be viewed at (1) the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) headquarters in Springfield, Illinois (2) the Ida Public Library in Belvidere or (3) the Illinois EPA website. The locations of these sites are listed on the bottom of page two.
During 2006, the defendants will conduct a predesign investigation to collect information needed to design the remedy designated in the 2000 ROD. This information will include an evaluation of present landfill, leachate, landfill gas and groundwater conditions. Actual construction of the remedy probably will not begin until 2007.
The pipes and wells are an aboveground landfill-gas extraction system. The main extraction system is buried to the east, closer to the landfill. As a precautionary measure, the aboveground system will remain in place to ensure protection against landfill gas moving into the Wycliffe Estates Subdivision. The 2000 ROD requires that a fence be constructed around the landfill and the soil borrow pit area.
Gerald T. Karr, Senior Assistant Attorney General, Environmental Bureau, Office of the Illinois Attorney General, 188 West Randolph Street, 20th Floor, Chicago, Illinois 60601.
Stan Black
Community Relations Coord.
Illinois EPA
1021 N. Grand Ave. E.
Box 19276
Springfield, Illinois 62794-9276
Phone: 217-785-1427
Rick Lanham
Project Manager
Illinois EPA
1021 N. Grand Ave. E.
Box 19276
Springfield, Illinois 62794-9276
Phone: 217-782-9881
The proposed consent decree and other project documents are available at the project repository located at the Ida Public Library, 320 North State St. , Belvidere, IL 61008.
This file contains all the documents that are the basis for Illinois EPA and U.S. EPA decisions for this project. It is located at the Illinois EPA headquarters in Springfield, Illinois. Call 217/782-9878 for more information.
The 2000 Record of Decision (ROD) for the MIG/DeWane Landfill documents the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) decision on the final remedy for this site. The agencies made this decision after carefully considering public comments received during a public comment period held from June 11, 1999 to August 27, 1999. The Illinois EPA signed the ROD on March 30, 2000 and the U.S. EPA signed a letter of concurrence on March 31, 2000. THE ROD includes the following requirements:
As garbage decays in a landfill, it generates methane gas. The ROD requires that up to 15 additional passive gas vents be installed within the interior of the landfill to supplement the existing landfill-gas interception system installed in 1999. These vents can be upgraded to an active system if necessary. The active landfill-gas extraction system will be enhanced if necessary.
A multi-component landfill cap and cover system will be constructed and maintained to meet required landfill standards. The purpose of the cap is to minimize the infiltration of rain or other precipitation into the landfill, thus reducing the generation of leachate* and landfill gases and the movement of contaminants into groundwater, soil and air. The cap will cover the entire landfill. The landfill vegetative cover will be maintained to the maximum extent possible before, during and after construction. Unless the Illinois EPA approves alternate layers, the landfill cover/cap from top to bottom will consist of:
* Leachate is water that has passed through landfill waste and picked up contaminants present in the waste.
A runoff diversion and drainage system will be constructed so that the cap is not eroded. This system will include a drainage ditch around the toe of the landfill and a storm water retention pond.
All ponded water and leachate plus a minimum of two feet of sediments will be removed from the leachate surface impoundment. The liquids will be treated and disposed of in an approved manner, and the sediment will be disposed of on-site or in an otherwise approved manner. The empty surface impoundment will then be filled with clean soil. A leachate collection and management system will be installed to replace the leachate surface impoundment.
The chosen remedy for groundwater treatment is monitored natural attenuation. Natural attenuation occurs when any of several natural processes takes place in the soil or groundwater to reduce the mass, toxicity, mobility, volume or concentration of contaminants. One example of natural attenuation is when naturally occurring microbes in the soil or groundwater break down contaminants into harmless components. Another example is when contaminants become adsorbed (attached) to soil particles, thus preventing the contaminants from moving into the groundwater. Natural attenuation was chosen for several reasons including:
A restriction will be placed on the landfill and the adjacent soil borrow pit area and will be recorded with the Boone County Recorder of Deeds. This restriction will prohibit the following activities on the landfill and soil borrow pit area: construction of buildings, on-site groundwater use, drilling, excavation and any other soil intrusive activities.
The ROD requires an Operation and Maintenance Plan that will cover all aspects of the remedial action including the landfill cap, landfill gas monitoring and groundwater monitoring. The plan must be approved by the Illinois EPA.
DeKalb County has made final distributions of its 2008 tax levy, has Boone County distributed all of 2008? What about 2007 levy and the $1,000,000 which the Boone County Treasurer was unable to determine which taxing agency it belongs? To read more about the “lost $1,000,000” go to: http://boonecountywatchdog.blogspot.com/2009/10/management-letter-to-boone-county.html
The final distribution of DeKalb County property taxes has been made. In 2009, the treasurer’s office collected and distributed $181,933,964.51 to DeKalb County taxing bodies, according to a written statement from DeKalb County Treasurer Christine Johnson. The total is about $1 million less than the anticipated $183,118,029.17.
Illinois EPA requests that NDK be required, among other things, to conduct a thorough analysis of the cause of the explosion and release a written report of those findings and recommendations for corrective or preventive actions to minimize the potential for another similar incident. The state EPA is also asking that NDK provide the agency with detailed diagrams of the locations of the floor drains at its facility and a description of what process chemicals may have entered water sources via surface runoff.
State seeks NDK data on pollution from blast - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star
House Bill 4720, filed Wednesday by state Rep. Jack Franks, D-Marengo, would cut off new entrants into the General Assembly’s pension program effective Jan. 1, 2011, meaning that newly elected representatives and senators from 2010 onward would not qualify for pensions.
Franks said he hoped that if the General Assembly made the first change that teachers and other government employees might be willing to follow suit.
"Those pension systems are something ... that can't be sustained anymore," Burzynski said. "We need to look at changing them."
Franks also said the General Assembly was supposed to be a part-time job for its members, and that private businesses in Illinois don’t give part-time employees full-time benefits.
Click on the following for more details: Bill would end legislators' pensions | Daily Chronicle
Thu Nov 5, 2009 10:00pm EST
Nov 6 (Reuters) -NIHON DEMPA KOGYO CO LTD
CONSOLIDATED EARNINGS ESTIMATES
(in billions of yen unless specified)
Full year to Full year to
March 31,2010 March 31,2010
LATEST PREVIOUS
FORECAST FORECAST
Sales 51.50 50.00
Operating 4.20 3.50
Recurring 3.60 2.50
Net 3.50 2.00
NOTE - Nihon Dempa Kogyo Co Ltd is a leading manufacturer
of quartz electronic parts.
For latest earnings estimates made by Toyo Keizai, please
double click on 6779.TK1
Research a stock:Latest Key Developments
NIHON DEMPA KOGYO CO., LTD. Expects Extraordinary Loss and Raises Full-year Consolidated Outlook for FY Ending March 31, 2010
Thursday, 5 Nov 2009 10:00pm EST
NIHON DEMPA KOGYO CO., LTD. announced that it expects to record a JPY 959 million extraordinary loss caused by the accommodation expenses, for the second quarter of the fiscal year ending March 31, 2010. The Company announced that it has raised its full-year consolidated outlook for revenue from JPY 50,000 million to JPY 51,500 million, operating profit from JPY 3,500 million to JPY 4,200 million, ordinary profit from JPY 2,500 million to JPY 3,600 million, net profit from JPY 2,000 million to JPY 3,500 million and earning per share from JPY 101.88 to JPY 178.30, for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2010. The Company raised its full-year consolidated outlook mainly due to the increased sales, decreased price and improved exchange profit and loss.
NIHON DEMPA KOGYO CO., LTD. to Increase Investment in Subsidiary; Announces Waiver of Debt
Friday, 21 Aug 2009 02:00am EDT
NIHON DEMPA KOGYO CO., LTD. announced that it has decided to acquire 50,000 shares of its Miyazaki Prefecture-based subsidiary's newly-issued common stock, at the price of JPY 100,000 per share and JPY 5 billion in total, through private placement, on August 31, 2009. After the transaction, the Company's stake in the subsidiary, which is engaged in the manufacture and sale of crystal devices, will be still 100%. The Company also waived JPY 2 billion debt for the Miyazaki Prefecture-based subsidiary.
NIHON DEMPA KOGYO CO., LTD. announced that it has raised its consolidated mid-year outlook for revenue from JPY 24,000 million to JPY 25,000 million, operating profit from JPY 1,500 million to JPY 3,000 million, ordinary profit from JPY 1,000 million to JPY 2,700 million, net profit from JPY 800 million to JPY 3,000 million and earning per share from JPY 40.75 to JPY 152.82 for the fiscal year ending March 2010. This is due to the more-than-expected sales and decreased loss on appraisal of inventories.
NIHON DEMPA KOGYO CO., LTD. announced that the Company expects JPY 8,562 million extraordinary loss on impairment, as well as JPY 4,280 million extraordinary loss on revaluation of inventories for the third quarter of the fiscal year ended March 31, 2009. The Company has also lowered the year-end dividend forecast from JPY 10.00 per share to JPY 0.00 per share for the same fiscal year.
NIHON DEMPA KOGYO CO., LTD. announced that it has lowered its consolidated full-year outlook for revenue from JPY 68,000 million to JPY 58,000 million, operating profit (loss) from JPY 1,300 million to JPY (3,500 million), ordinary profit (loss) from JPY 1,500 million to JPY (3,000 million), net profit (loss) from JPY 900 million to JPY (11,500 million) and earning per share (loss) from JPY 45.85 to JPY (585.82) for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2009. The Company lowered its consolidated full-year outlook due to the recording of JPY 7,860 million impairment loss as extraordinary loss and the influence of the finance crisis. According to Reuters Estimates, analysts on average are expecting the Company to report full-year revenue of JPY 59,000 million and net profit (loss) of JPY (11,500 million). The Company also lowered its year-end dividend outlook from JPY 25.00 per share, which was announced on May 8, 2008, to JPY 10.00 per share, for the same fiscal year.
NIHON DEMPA KOGYO CO., LTD. announced that it has lowered its consolidated mid-year outlook for revenue from JPY 37,500 million to JPY 35,600 million, operating profit from JPY 1,600 million to JPY 930 million, ordinary profit from JPY 1,600 million to JPY 1,020 million and net profit from JPY 1,000 million to JPY 690 million for the first half of the fiscal year ending March 31, 2009. The Company also lowered its consolidated full-year outlook for revenue from JPY 79,000 million to JPY 68,000 million, operating profit from JPY 3,900 million to JPY 1,300 million, ordinary profit from JPY 3,900 million to JPY 1,500 million and net profit from JPY 2,500 million to JPY 900 million for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2009. This is mainly due to downturn of mobile phone, digital appliance and auto mobile's need, as well as the increased primary material's cost. According to Reuters Estimates, the Company is expected to report full-year revenue of JPY 76,300 million, operating profit of JPY 3,900 million and net profit of JPY 2,600 million.
NIHON DEMPA KOGYO CO., LTD. announced that for first half 2009, it expects net sales of JPY37,500 million, operating income of JPY1,600 million, net income of JPY1,000 million and earnings per share (EPS) of JPY 50.94. The Company also announced there was no change in figures of forecast for fiscal 2009. The Company expects net sales of JPY79,000 million, operating income of JPY 3,900 million, net income of JPY2,500 million and EPS of JPY127.35. According to Reuters Estimates, analysts were expecting the Company to report revenue of JPY37,650 million, operating profit of JPY1,880 million, net income of JPY1,260 million and EPS of JPY50.94 for first half 2008; revenue of JPY79,000 million for fiscal 2009.
NIHON DEMPA KOGYO CO., LTD. announced that it has decided to dissolve its sub-subsidiary, NDK FRANCE SARL, which is engaged in sales of crystal oscillator in France, in August 2008. The sub-subsidiary is owned 99.96% by its wholly owned subsidiary, NDK EUROPE LTD., and the business in the NDK FRANCE will remain as a branch of NDK EUROPE in France.
NIHON DEMPA KOGYO CO., LTD. announced that it has completed share repurchase, which was announced on December 21, 2007. The Company repurchased 402,300 shares of its common stock at the price of JPY 1,580,356,000 in total, during the period from January 4, 2008 to February 29, 2008.
Here is slightly more informative posting form NDK in Japan regarding the impact of the Belvidere plant. See the embolden text—that section appears to be new.
- Report on the present situation on December 10, 2009 (local time) -
Dec 11,2009
An explosion occurred at NDK Crystal Inc., our affiliated company in Illinois, U.S.A., at approximately 2:30 p.m., December 7, 2009 (local time). We report on the outline of the accident confirmed on December 10 (local time) and the expected impact on our future operations.
We express our heartfelt condolences to the victim and sincere sympathy to the bereaved family. We are investigating the causes of this accident and will inform you of the conclusion of the investigation as soon as it is reached.
1.
Outline of the accident and the situation of damage
(1) Date
Around 2:30 p.m., December 7, 2009 (local time)
(2) Site
Premise of NDK Crystal Inc.
(3) Situation of damage
An explosion at NDK Crystal Inc. destroyed parts of the production facilities at the plant and killed a man in a nearby area. Local officials have not confirmed any other injuries. No plant employees were injured.
NDK Crystal Inc. leases office space to an affiliate, NDK America, Inc., which sells NDK Group products. The office area of NDK America, Inc. is not badly damaged.
(4) Causes
Under investigation
(5) Amount of damage
We expect that the damage to NDK Crystal Inc.'s production facilities and plant building will have a negligible impact on our financial results for the year ended March 2010 because such facilities and plant building have almost been fully depreciated. At this time, we are unable to determine at this time the amount of damage to the physical structures.
We are unable to determine what claims may arise from the explosion. We are investigating all of the possible damages and losses.
The sum of the book value of NDK Crystal, Inc.'s inventory assets and that of the in-use fixed assets is about 50 million yen (as of the end of October).
(6) Resumption of production
To be announced
2.
Others
The main product of NDK Crystal Inc. is synthetic quartz crystal. We believe we can maintain a stable supply of such products because we have sufficient stock and the volume of synthetic quartz crystal production at our Sayama plant (a plant in Japan) accounts for a large share of the total production by the NDK Group.
a cleric in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, sued the government, claiming that the F.B.I. had threatened to scuttle his application for a green card unless he agreed to spy on relatives overseas — echoing similar claims made in recent court cases in California, Florida and Massachusetts
[FIAT’s]Marchionne said that restoring large numbers of dealerships could “cause havoc within Chrysler.” G.M. and Chrysler proposed their own review processes last week in an effort to keep Congress from getting involved.
“The offer that we made had all the elements of equity and fairness
Click on the following for more details and an update on GM/Chrysler’s federal loans: Chrysler Considers Challenge to Dealer Legislation - NYTimes.com
Below is the list of stipends and payments received by our public officials from the State of Illinois.
The States Attorney and Public Defenders salaries are determined by the state, paid by the county and reimbursed by the state. The other public officials listed have a salary set by the county and a stipend paid by the state in addition to this salary..
Click on the photocopy to enlarge.
With all its flaws, the Senate health bill would be the biggest expansion of the social safety net since Medicare, greatly improving the lives of millions. Getting this bill would be much, much better than watching health care reform fail.
Click on the following for more details: Op-Ed Columnist - Pass the Bill - NYTimes.com
“The tall, 55,000-square-foot building, visible from Interstate 90, opened in 2003 at a cost of $12.5 million
it seems to me that the building should not have been constructed close to a busy Interstate highway and a busy tollway Oasis.
Read Chuck’s complete comment by clicking on the following: Sweeny Report » Why was NDK building constructed so close to I 90 and Oasis?
The following federal report is taken from:
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
COUNCIL OF ECONOMIC ADVISERS
WASHINGTON, D.C.
This technical memo describes the likely economic impacts on the local economy of the purchase and modification of the state prison in Thomson, Illinois and its subsequent use by the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Bureau of Prisons (BoP) as a federal facility. This memo assumes that BoP occupies 75% of the facility and DoD occupies the remaining 25%. The primary estimates are:
1. The total increase in expenditures in the area over the first four years of operation through construction, operation costs, compensation, and visitors to the area is between $0.9 billion and $1.1 billion.
2. In the first year, the modification, opening, and running of the facility will generate between 2,290 and 2,960 jobs in the seven-county area. Local residents will be excellent candidates for 1,240 to 1,410 of these jobs. The other jobs will be filled by people relocating to the area. In this first year, total earnings will increase by between $131 million and $185 million.
3. In the second year, the operation of the facility will generate between 2,820 and 3,520 jobs in the seven-county area. By the third year, when the BoP facility is fully operational, the facility will generate between 3,170 and 3,870 jobs in the seven-county area. Local residents will be excellent candidates for 1,720 to 1,920 of these on-going jobs generated by the facility. By the third year, earnings will
increase by between $233 and $289 million, relative to current levels.
4. The ongoing increase in employment reflects jobs created by yearly capital improvements (490-560 jobs), direct hires (1,900-2,400 jobs), jobs created by visitors to the area (280 jobs), and indirect jobs due to increased spending and economic activity (510-640 jobs by the fourth year). In addition, start-up costs that occur in both the first and second year as well as one-time construction costs generate a substantial number of year-long jobs (840-910 jobs).
5. Over the first four years, the 840 - 910 temporary jobs and the eventual 3,180 -3,880 ongoing jobs generated by the facility are expected to increase local earnings by a cumulative $793 to $1,015 million.
6. Approximately 80% of all of the jobs created by the facility will be held by people residing in Illinois, while people in Iowa will fill the remaining jobs. These jobs could reduce the unemployment rate in Carroll County, Illinois, where Thomson is located, by 2 to 4 percentage points. The remainder of the memo provides background and explains these estimates.
I. Background on the Local Economy
The local economy consists of seven counties. First is Carroll County, where Thomson is
located. Four other counties in Illinois with major population centers within a little over one
hour drive from Thomson, Illinois are also included: Whiteside County, Jo Daviess County, Lee
County, and Rock Island County. In particular, Rock Island has a relatively large population and
a military installation, so spillover effects from the Thomson facility are expected. The local
economy also includes Clinton County and Jackson County in Iowa, which have cities nearby.
The economies of the Illinois counties are distressed. The September 2009 unemployment
rate for Carroll County was 10.5%. The comparable rates for Whiteside County, Lee County,
and Rock Island County were 10.6%, 10.9%, and 9.5% respectively. The unemployment rate in
Jo Daviess County was a more modest 8.1% in September, but this rate is up from 5.1% a year
earlier. In addition, the fraction of adults in Carroll County that have a college degree is about
one-half of the national rate, which poses a challenge in today’s economy that increasingly
requires higher education for good jobs.
Nearby counties in Iowa appear to be less economically distressed. For example, the
September 2009 unemployment rates for nearby Iowa counties, Clinton County and Jackson
County, were both 7.7%. Nonetheless, per capita income in these counties was under 85% of
national per capita income in the latest data (average from 2006 to 2008).1
Carroll County has capacity to absorb new economic activity. In a population of roughly
16,000 people, the BLS estimates that 840 people are currently unemployed. In addition, there
are 3 industrial buildings, 7 building sites, 5 retail buildings, 13 commercial buildings, and 2
other buildings for sale in Carroll County.2 The county has at least 18 hotels, motels, and the
like with at least 250 beds.3
The other counties in Illinois and Clinton County and Jackson County in Iowa also have
capacity to absorb new economic activity. We estimate that nearly 17,000 people are currently
unemployed in these six counties. As mentioned above, commuting times from the largest
population centers in these counties to Thomson, Illinois range from 20 minutes to a little over
one hour.4 Thus, it is likely that people in these counties will be willing to work in Thomson and
its environs. In addition, these six counties have at least 170 hotels, motels, and the like.5
II. Description of Facility
The opening of the facility will have a large and immediate direct effect on the local
economy. BoP expects to occupy 75% of the facility, and DoD will occupy the remaining 25%.
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ALAW is a self-described "grassroots" group organized in 1996 against McHenry County's stillborn 2020 Plan for development. It turned up again two years ago in the battle over a failed Kishwaukee Valley Water Authority to regulate water supplies in Boone, DeKalb and western McHenry County.
Berendt said she would post the names of ALAW members on the group's website except for two "silent members", one a government official and one a "prominent member of the community".
Click on the following for more of this story: FirstElectricNewspaper: Transparency Group To Reveal Membership
ALAW’s web site is: https://sites.google.com/site/landagricultureandwater/home To date no list of directors or members has been posted. The following description is taken from that site:
Welcome to the Alliance For Land, Agriculture and Water (ALAW). Our mission is to inform, educate and influence the use of area natural resources, for the purpose of preserving and protecting open land, agriculture and water.
We first organized in December 2005 to defeat a destructive, environmentally unsustainable McHenry County, Illinois, 2020 Land Use plan with our Fix-It-Or-Nix-It campaign. We went on to petition and campaign for the Kishwaukee Valley Water Authority (KVWA), and although the measure was defeated, we succeeded in raising awareness of the critically sensitive nature of our water supply. For more information on the Kishwaukee Valley Water Authority effort or the Fix-It-Or-Nix-It campaign, click on the links at the left.
As the County Planning Commission works to develop a 2030 Land Use Plan our task force, The McHenry County Green Alliance continues to monitor the 2030 Plan progress. The McHenry County Green Alliance is a task force of McHenry County residents who want to preserve the rich farmland and open space that defines the historically rural character of the McHenry County. In doing so, we will protect our future drinking water supply, which comes solely from underground aquifers.
The Planning Commission has turned over the plan to the Planning And Development Committee of the County Board where it will be subject to review and changes prior to one more public viewing, round of comments and then a vote by the full county board. For details on the recent changes including the reduction in population projections (which will save more farmland) please click the Green Alliance link. For text of Amendments submitted by the Alliance click here. We must continue to be vigilant and proactive. The global movement toward heightened awareness of the importance of farmland and water protection has not yet reached our county realtors, developers, builders and their attorneys.
ALAW's current project is the Conflicts Disclosure Ordinance that was submitted to the County board on Thursday, December 1, 2009. Right or wrong, the perception that public officials in this county control land use and other decisions for their own personal gain is becoming pervasive. We hope to put a stop to this with a requirement of full disclosure and recusal from discussion and voting on decisions that affect the owned interest. For more details and to view the ordinance click here or on Conflicts Disclosure.
Since submitting the Conflicts Ordinance, we have been asked "who is ALAW?" More specifically ‘who are these people?” We didn't know that our identities were secret, but will publish the Board of Directors list as requested. Current Board Members are Patricia Kennedy, Emily Berendt, Kim Willis, Joseph Daleiden, Richard Brook, Nancy Jung and John Kunzie.
As we did last year, we will be sending out a Candidates Survey in the next two weeks on environmental and related issues for County Board candidates in the February 2 primary election. We will publish the results and any endorsements we make on this site and follow up with a second survey for the general election.
Fuel System Component Manufacturing Technology Improvement Program – $1.6 million for the Northern Illinois University ROCK program (Rapid Optimization of Commercial Knowledge)
Thermal and Energy Management for Aerospace program (THEMA) – $3.2 million for a Defense Department research project – The project, which will be completed by Hamilton Sundstrand in Rockford,
Click on the following for more details: Manufacturing 2.0 » Manzullo Secures $4.8 Million in Defense R&D for Rockford-Area Manufacturers
Come see what $2,500,000 PLUS BROUGHT.
Open House at 1212 Logan Avenue, Belvidere, Illinois. Saturday, January 16, 2010, 10Am-2PM.
Logan Avenue Administration Building
Boone County is proud to present the new Administration Building located on Logan Avenue. The new portion of the building will be powered by geothermal energy for heating/air-conditioning and is environmentally friendly. Geothermal energy is heat from within the earth. We can use the steam and hot water produced inside the earth to heat buildings or generate electricity. Geothermal energy is a renewable energy source because the water is replenished by rainfall and the heat is continuously produced inside the earth.
The building will house the Administrative, Building, County Clerk & Recorder and Treasurer's Departments and will include space for a County Board Room.
The new stock is expected to be priced at $3.15 a share — below the $3.25 price at which the government assumed its one-third stake in Citigroup. The Treasury is now expected to retain its stake and try to sell the stock over the next 6 to 12 months.
Abu Dhabi Investment Authority had filed a multi-billion dollar arbitration claim claiming “fraudulent misrepresentation” on the part of Citigroup after the government-run fund’s $7.5 billion investment in Citigroup went south.
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Since June 10, 2009 this blog has been requesting action from the county board on this federal stimulus program. See the posting at: http://boonecountywatchdog.blogspot.com/2009/06/northwest-herald-recovery-bonds-clear.html It looks as if at long last the board will vote on the issue tonight. Please read the next posting regarding what Sterling, Illinois did with the private portion of their Recovery Bonds. There also is a public portion which could be used by a school district or other government unit.
Click on the photocopy to enlarge:
The city of Sterling was given authority Tuesday to issue $6.2 million in federal economic stimulus bonds to an undisclosed retail builder interested in moving into the city’s east end. The unanimous vote by the Whiteside County Board does not release the money, but it gives Sterling the authority to issue the bonds if the builder commits to the project.
Click on the following for more details: saukvalley.com | Sterling gets bond authority to develop: Unnamed retailer interested in east end
Barely 18-months after completing current record-holder, work begins on link between mainland, Macau and Hong Kong --Y-shaped link between Hong Kong, Macau and China will be around 50km (31 miles) long in total, 35km of which will span the sea, said the state news agency Xinhua. Due to be completed by 2015
Click on the following for more details: China stretches the imagination with world's longest sea bridge | World news | The Guardian
This article was posted on Monday. It mistakenly indicated that Elgin Community College expended more than $31,472 last year for trustee expenses. I apologize to ECC for this inadvertent error.
school districts and colleges spend anywhere from $3,000 to more than $31,000 to cover board member expenses, including travel, conferences, hotel rooms and banquets
Carpentersville-based Community Unit School District 300, with 32 percent of its population considered low-income…Over the past five years, the district has spent $18,114 on board member travel expenses and conference registration fees
Elgin School District U46, with nearly 50 percent of its population considered low-income…spends "well under" $10,000 each year on board members,
St. Charles-based Community Unit School District 303, with 8 percent of its population considered low-income, its board member budget is more flexible….It spent more than $25,000 on items related to board members,
Elgin Community College spent $31,472 during 2008-09 on conferences and travel for the Board of Trustees. This covers the cost for their attendance at American Community College Trustees and Illinois Community College Trustee Association meetings and annual conferences. Additionally, the cost of tickets purchased by the College of Trustees to attend college-sanctioned events totaled $3,150.
Click on the following for the complete story: Unpaid service has cost :: The Courier News :: Local News
paying Global $420,000 in January while terms of a longer contract are worked out. The village estimated that running the 11,000-seat arena will cost $1.2 million to $1.9 million in 2010
Daily Herald | Hoffman Estates expected to take Sears Centre deed Wednesday
how $1.5 million will be cut from the fire department's spending plan remains in question.
city and fire union attorneys have been in communication, but he doesn't expect any face-to-face sessions to take place until next week or the following week.
Cuts looming for Elgin Fire Department :: The Courier News :: Local News
Since closing the program to new students in October, the Foundation board has been discussing ways to keep it going
Promise program initially provided free tuition to McHenry County high school graduates who performed 16 hours of community service and kept a 2.0 grade-point average. After 939 students signed up – twice as many as expected – the foundation board suspended new enrollment to keep it solvent.
Students already enrolled in the program are guaranteed four semesters of tuition, but they must comply with more demanding grade-point and service requirements.
Three private $1 million donations put the program in motion, but higher-than-expected enrollment, coupled with a recession, threatened to drain those resources before new enrollment was put on hold.
For more details click on the following: Northwest Herald | Promise getting face-lift
22 million missing White House e-mails from the administration of President George W. Bush and the Obama administration is searching for dozens more days' worth of potentially lost e-mail from the Bush years, according to two groups that filed suit over the failure by the Bush White House to install an electronic record keeping system.
Two federal laws require the White House to preserve its records
Click on the following for more details: 22 million missing Bush White House e-mails found - Yahoo! News
Back on October 30 I posted the CPA management letter of July 14, 2009 to Boone County. [Click on the following for the complete letter: http://boonecountywatchdog.blogspot.com/2009/10/management-letter-to-boone-county.html] Well finally four months later, the administration begins compliance. See below the monthly financial reports from the Sheriff and County Clerk submitted to the county board for their oversight as required by Illinois law.
Well one month has been received. Will the other 11 months for the FY 2009 be submitted, if so when?
Click on the photocopy to enlarge:
Since early November, cases of H1N1 have continued to decline nationwide…Will there be a second wave of cases in the new year?
The answer depends on whom you ask. "We took an informal poll of about a dozen of some of the world's leading experts in influenza,’…. "About half of them said, Yes, we think it's likely that we'll have another surge in cases. About half said, No, we think it's not likely. And one said, Flip a coin."
CDC estimates, released by health officials Thursday, about 10,000 Americans have died from H1N1 and 50 million — or one-sixth of the population …
In other words, the more people who are vaccinated this year, the less likely the H1N1 virus, which will probably still be around next year, will take hold and spread.
Read more go to: H1N1 Flu Pandemic: New Wave in 2010? - TIME
Dr. Irwin Redlener, director of The National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University in New York will release Tuesday [a report] detailing deficiencies in the response to H1N1 and recommending changes in how future health emergencies are handled. The response to the flu, he said, mirrors government failures to fix glaring deficiencies in responding to the 9-11 terrorist attacks and Hurricane Katrina.
Click on the following for more details: Daily Herald | Swine flu's lesson: We're not ready for anything virulent
The following is the center’s website, it is anticipated that the report will be posted there on Tuesday: http://www.ncdp.mailman.columbia.edu/
Make certain you click on this Chronicle article and READ THE COMMENTS. 
The job market for any chosen major may have changed dramatically over the past couple of years, Walzer said, so some graduates may need to be more flexible than they had planned. The number one goal, he said, is to get a good job, even if it’s not where they thought they would be.
Education is one of those fields where retirements have slowed…Budget cuts at many school districts have also led to hiring freezes and staff cuts
Click on the following for more details: Real world woes | Daily Chronicle
Wogen said his decision is related to a difficult divorce and concerns in his personal life, and not to controversy surrounding city contracts awarded to his now-defunct masonry company.
Click on the following for more details: Victor Wogen resigns as alderman | Daily Chronicle
$300,000 from its casino tax money to complete an inventory and forestry management plan for city-owned trees…the city has qualified for a grant of close to $1.8 million in stimulus package money from the U.S. Forest Service to expand and improve its forestry efforts.
That Elgin already was considering a tree count made it easier for the city to obtain the funding
The count is part of the city's "green" goals. crew of up to 10 inventory arborists will hit the streets and parks of Elgin -
Elgin branching out with sustainability program :: The Courier News :: Local News
school districts and colleges spend anywhere from $3,000 to more than $31,000 to cover board member expenses, including travel, conferences, hotel rooms and banquets
Carpentersville-based Community Unit School District 300, with 32 percent of its population considered low-income…Over the past five years, the district has spent $18,114 on board member travel expenses and conference registration fees
Elgin School District U46, with nearly 50 percent of its population considered low-income…spends "well under" $10,000 each year on board members,
St. Charles-based Community Unit School District 303, with 8 percent of its population considered low-income, its board member budget is more flexible….It spent more than $25,000 on items related to board members,
Elgin Community College spent $31,472 during 2008-09 on conferences and travel for the Board of Trustees. This covers the cost for their attendance at American Community College Trustees and Illinois Community College Trustee Association meetings and annual conferences. Additionally, the cost of tickets purchased by the College of Trustees to attend college-sanctioned events totaled $3,150.
Click on the following for more details: Unpaid service has cost :: The Courier News :: Local News
Beijing Autos, also known as BAIC, said it plans to buy the rights to some powertrain technology for Saab's 9-5 and 9-3 sedans, including engine and gearbox knowhow.
The production equipment used to make the 9-5 will be moved to China to produce BAIC cars, and Saab will help integrate the technology into the Chinese company's vehicles, the two sides said.
Click on the following for more details: Beijing Autos to buy Saab car, engine technology - Yahoo! Finance
Very interesting read. Click at the bottom and read the whole article from England.
Drugs money worth billions of dollars kept the financial system afloat at the height of the global crisis, the United Nations' drugs and crime tsar has told the Observer.
Click on the following: Drug money saved banks in global crisis, claims UN advisor | World news | The Observer
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