Month: January 2016

In their meeting on Jan. 5, the Board in Berwick, ME, listened to an update on a proposed “Pay to Throw” trash program. The update came from the director of community development for WasteZero, Diane Doyle. WasteZero is a company that makes and distributes the trash bags used in retail outlets and other community locations throughout South Carolina. Doyle pointed out in her update that one-third of Maine’s communities have a pay-as-you-throw program of some kind, and her company runs … Continue reading “Berwick, ME Considering “Pay to Throw” Trash Program”

Tech giant International Business Machines (IBM) has publicly warned investors that revenues for 2016 are going to be lower than initially expected. The end of 2015 marked the 15th consecutive quarter of sales drops. Fourth quarter revenue dropped by 8.5%. While this may seem troubling to some, IBM’s overall profit still managed to hit tens of billions of dollars. According to the Wall Street Journal, 35% of IBM’s $29 billion revenue in 2015 was attributed to data analytics, cloud computing, … Continue reading “IBM Revenue Slides, Cloud Computing Soars”

A city in Southern California got the green light to initiate a $6 million project that will replace more than 1,000 feet of aging downtown water and sewer pipelines. The City Council of Oceanside, CA, unanimously approved the project, understanding the need for a system rehabilitation. According to The San Diego Union-Tribune, the project planners will use the massive budget to replace more than four miles of pipeline that has reached the end of its lifespan. Officials say some of … Continue reading “California City Approves $6 Million for Downtown Sewer Replacement Project”

The cost of dental care has skyrocketed in recent years. To counteract the surge in prices, many dentists across the country are making efforts to provide either low-cost or completely free dental treatment to their patients. From New Jersey to Washington, several dentists plan to make comprehensive dental care more accessible to their local population. A common trend is to hold a “Free Dental Day” to give back to the community and to help those who simply cannot afford it. … Continue reading “Dentists Across the Country Hold Events to Offer Free Treatments to Patients”

People across the country are undoubtedly enjoying the plummeting gas prices. However, the oil industry is not sharing their delight: crude-oil prices decreased over 5% this week. Currently trading around $30 a barrel, oil prices this low could spell trouble for significant players in the U.S. oil industry. One word is on the lips of many major oil companies: bankruptcy. According to The Wall Street Journal, major investment bankers such as Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs predict that oil prices … Continue reading “Falling Oil Prices Could Spell Bankruptcy for Major Oil Companies”

Despite its economic challenges in recent years, the U.S. economy is improving year after year thanks to the addition of new jobs. And 2015 proved to be one of the best years yet, adding 2.65 million jobs to the economy. CNN Money reports that 2015 was the second best year the American job market has seen since 1999. Employers added 292,000 jobs nationwide in December, but the growth won’t stop there. Economists surveyed by CNN Money predict that another 211,000 … Continue reading “U.S. Adds 2.65 Million Jobs in 2015, Has 2nd Best Year Since 1999”