Leading index signals slow growth ahead

An index forecasting economic conditions in the United States has increased for a third straight month, pointing to continued, albeit slow, growth in the months ahead. Separate measures of current and past economic performance also increased. The Conference Board reported that its Leading Economic Index (LEI) climbed five-tenths of a percent in February to 94.8. […]

Lodging taxes dip third straight month

Lodging tax collections have dropped for a third straight month, a reflection of decreased business for hotels and motels in Grand Junction. According to the Grand Junction Visitor & Convention Bureau for February, $60,416 in lodging taxes were collected, 2.7 percent less than what was reported for February 2012. Since lodging tax reports lag a […]

Unique venture cares for patients outside and in

Phil Castle, The Business Times Vicki Filz and Christi Vogt know beauty is more than skin deep. That’s why the two have opened a unique venture that cares for the outsides and insides of their patients, offering not only a range of cosmetic skin treatments, but also stroke and heart attack prevention and education services. […]

Mesa County jobless rate spikes, but lowest for January since 2009

Phil Castle, The Business Times The monthly unemployment rate in Mesa County once again spiked in January, but at 9.2 percent was at the lowest level for the month since 2009. Other measures of the local labor market offer at least some consolation conditions are slowly improving, said Suzie Miller, business services manager at the […]

What’s the bright idea?

What’s the bright idea?

Phil Castle, The Business Times Robert Bryce compares various sources of energy in part by density — how much power can be produced in a given amount of space. Such low-density renewable energy sources as wind and solar power simply require too much space to keep pace on a global scale with an increasingly power-hungry […]

Industry moving ahead with oil shale development

Phil Castle, The Business Times As research and development proceeds in efforts to economically extract oil from shale, issues related to the social and environmental effects, not to mention water use, of commercial-scale production, remain. But so does the promise of a vast resource whose richest formations of all lie beneath Western Colorado. “Stopping now […]

Grand Junction voters get say in zoning dispute

Kelly Sloan, The Business Times Grand Junction voters will have a say in a lengthy zoning dispute that has implications for private property rights as well as recreational development along the Colorado River. Referred Measure A on the mail-in ballot asks voters whether or not to uphold light industrial and industrial office zoning for two […]

Chamber endorses four candidates in council election

Four candidates seeking election to the Grand Junction City Council have received endorsements from the Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. The board endorsed Phyllis Norris in the race in Council District A, Martin Chazen in District D, Duncan McArthur in District E and Rick Brainard in the race for an at-large […]