LITTLE ROCK — QUOTE OF THE DAY
“The results of this first-of-its-kind study make it clear that consumers should check their credit reports regularly. If they don’t, they are potentially putting their pocketbooks at risk.”
Howard Shelanski, director of the Federal Trade Commission’s economics bureau Article,1D
Meat inspection panel adds Marcy
John Marcy, an extension food scientist with the University of Arkansas Agriculture Division, has been named to the National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced Monday.
“Being selected for the National Advisory Committee for Meat and Poultry Inspection is an honor and a validation of my years in industry and in Extension as an educator to the poultry and meat industry,” Marcy said in a statement. “I hope to contribute to the process of improving the safety of meat and poultry.”
Marcy is part of the Agriculture Division’s Center of Excellence for Poultry Science. The national advisory committee provides advice to the agriculture secretary on federal and state inspection concerns, as well as policy development.
Other new members of the 17-member advisory committee include Michael Rybolt of Hillshire Brands Co.; Carol Lorenzen of the University of Missouri; Sherika Harvey of the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce; and Christopher Waldrop of the Consumer Federation of America.
Oil and gas sites host safety talks
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is working with the National Service, Transmission, Exploration and Production Safety Network to hold talks and events in five states about safety at oil and gas exploration sites.
The events, which started Jan. 24, are being held at production sites in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, New Mexico and Texas until the end of February, according to a news release.
“Participating companies dedicate 30 minutes, one hour, or more of a work day to talk about the causes of accidents in the industry,” said Elizabeth Todd, spokesman for the U.S.
Department of Labor.
“It is not expected for companies to stop working for the complete workday, but to make an individual choice on dedicating part of the day to a concerted effort of training on safety and health,” she said.
More information about the program is available at: oshastanddown.org
German: Fracking prospects doubtful
BERLIN - Germany’s environment minister said he doesn’t expect the extraction of natural gas by “fracking” will start any time soon in Europe’s biggest economy.
Shale gas is located underground across Europe, but environmental concerns over extracting it are widespread. Hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” frees natural gas from shale by injecting a well with chemically treated water and sand.
Supporters say it can be an economic boon, but critics say it can pollute groundwater.
Environment Minister Peter Altmaier told Deutschlandfunk radio Monday that Germany’s government is working to ensure the practice is subject to limits and he wouldn’t advise anyone to seek drilling licenses soon.
Altmaier said he “can’t see fracking being used anywhere in Germany in the foreseeable future.”
N.J. casino to allow betting by TV
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. - Guests at one New Jersey casino won’t even have to get out of bed to place a bet.
The Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City said it will become the first casino in the United States to let guests gamble over hotel room TV sets, starting Monday.
Its E-Casino program will let guests with player’s cards set up electronic accounts and risk up to $2,500 a day. Slots and four kinds of video poker will be the first games offered.
The casino says the technology can be expanded to include gambling over hand-held devices anywhere on casino property, which New Jersey recently authorized, and full Internet gambling, if the state approves it.
“This puts us in a position to leverage the technology into true mobile gaming and Internet betting later on,” said Tom Balance, the Borgata’s president and chief operating officer. “We’re moving forward with the future of gaming, and this is that first step.”
John Forelli, the casino’s vice president of information technology, said it is designed not only as an added amenity, but to get them familiar and comfortable with the concept of electronic gambling accounts for the day when Internet wagering comes to New Jersey. Gov. Chris Christie last week vetoed an Internet gambling bill, but said he would sign one with some moderate changes.
- The Associated Press
Hostess approved to auction brands
Hostess Brands Inc. on Monday won bankruptcy court approval to hold auctions for brands including Wonder bread, Twinkies and Drake’s.
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Robert Drain in White Plains, N.Y., approved Flowers Foods Inc., McKee Foods Corp., United States Bakery Inc., Apollo Global Management LLC and C. Dean Metropoulos & Co. as the so-called stalking-horses, or lead, bidders for most of Hostess’s cake and bread brands, setting the thresholds other suitors will have to exceed. A sale hearing is set for March 19.
Apollo and Metropoulos offered as much as $410 million for the Hostess snack-cake business, which includes Dolly Madison brands, five bakeries and equipment. Leon Black’s Apollo, based in New York, managed $109.7 billion in assets as of Sept. 30. Metropoulos, based in Greenwich, Conn., is the private-equity firm that owns Pabst Brewing Co.
Flowers, based in Thomasville, Ga., made the lead bid for Hostess’s Wonder, Butternut, Home Pride, Merita and Nature’s Pride brands, 20 bread plants, 38 depots and other assets. Flowers offered $360 million, plus $30 million for the Beefsteak brand. An auction is set for Feb. 28.
Flowers, established in 1919, produces and markets packaged baked goods for retail and food-service customers. The company’s top brands are Nature’s Own and Tastykake.
McKee, maker of Little Debbie snacks, agreed to pay $27.5 million for Drake’s. United States Bakery offered to buy the Sweetheart, Eddy’s, Standish Farms and Grandma Emilie’s bread brands, four bakeries and 14 depots, plus certain equipment, for $28.9 million. A March 15 auction date for Drake’s and the four bread brands has been set.
Hostess, founded in 1930, is liquidating after failing to reach an agreement with striking bakers on concessions to help the company emerge from its second bankruptcy.
Business, Pages 24 on 02/12/2013