| Economic pressures flow along Virginia's section of New River
The designation does little to shield the river from development. Declaring a river Wild and Scenic -- another federal government designation -- provides some protection, but only 26 miles of the New River are Wild and Scenic. All of those miles are in North Carolina. Lawrence said he regularly gets unsolicited offers for his land from eager speculators. "We may be able to help you reach your financial goals," a letter from one Michigan land company said. That could sound appealing to someone like Lawrence, when the county's last tax reassessment tripled the assessed value of his land. "Those kinds of pressures are going to come," Borda said. "There's some balance that has to be achieved there. "I think the key is just to be able to plan for this as much as possible and do it in a very environmentally, ecologically, aesthetically appropriate way." Borda's main jobs are cutting governmental red tape and finding money for projects that serve the American Heritage River initiative's three-fold purpose: economic development, natural resource protection and cultural and historic preservation.
Profits plunge at BofA, Wachovia
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The credit crisis all but wiped out fourth-quarter earnings at Bank of America Corp. and Wachovia Corp., but the banks did make some money _ something that can't be said for Citigroup and some other Wall Street financial firms. Profits fell 95 percent at Bank of America and 98 percent at Wachovia. The numbers, worse than analysts expected, show that the global credit squeeze is still causing more customers to fall behind on their bills and banks to lose money on securities they own. "The continued turmoil in the capital markets and the dramatic change in the credit environment diminished our fourth-quarter results substantially," Wachovia Chief Executive Ken Thompson said on a call with analysts. Last week, the Charlotte-based banks saw their Wall Street brethren disclose billions in losses tied to investments in failed mortgages.
Organizer: Don't Pay Bills Where You Eat
People who do not feel comfortable in their own homes don't have that opportunity," she said. "It is like being on a hamster wheel every second of every day." Everything In Its Place Gracia said everything should have a place within the home. "Items without homes are homeless. And being homeless is never a good thing." Once it has a home, don't forget where it is. Gracia said you could avoid this by placing things in logical places. For example, hair accessories should be stored together in a basket close to where the person does their hair. But when things do get out of place, Brickner said, cleaning up every half-hour doesn't help. "Make putting things away part of your nightly routine," she said. "After you eat, go around and place things back where they belong." As far as your child's space, Brickner said backing off is best.
Ambac: Dividends No, Credit Rating Yes
Ambac Financial Group is the latest company to sacrifice its common stockholders to defend its credit rating in the wake of the sub-prime mortgage crisis. The second-largest bond insurer Tuesday announced that it will slash its dividend by two-thirds, to seven cents per share, as part of a wider plan to boost cash. It also said it would issue at least $1 billion of equity and equity-linked securities in a determined bid to maintain its triple-A financial strength. advertisement "By raising at least $1 billion in capital, Ambac is expected to meet or exceed Fitch Ratings’ current triple-A capital requirements for the company," the company said in a statement. It added that its existing capital position currently meets or exceeds the triple-A capital requirements of both S&P and Moody’s.
California gets a chance to make a difference
We're no longer an afterthought, no longer a June wedding or a June graduation," he said. "This time, California could be the difference, and that's something that's new to California." The leading Democratic presidential candidates - New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama and former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards - are all keenly aware of the Golden State's potential power, and have put Democratic-leaning California on the front burner as they aim for the White House. And the Republicans - Arizona Sen. John McCain, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Texas Rep. Ron Paul - have also set their sights on the delegate-rich state. Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson dropped out of the race last week.
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