Avoid hantavirus exposure during spring cleaning

With spring comes spring cleaning — and the potential for exposure to the dangerous and even deadly hantavirus. Precautions are especially important while cleaning homes, sheds, out buildings, cabins, barns or other areas where mice or mouse droppings are present. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) is a caused by virus that is carried primarily by deer […]

Report details health care coverage in Colorado

More than 15 percent of Coloradans carried no health insurance coverage last year. Health insurance premiums grew at a faster pace in 2009 than did inflation or wages. And about 14 percent of premiums were used for administrative expenses and producer commissions. The numbers are included in the 2010 health insurance report from the Commissioner […]

Small business owners regaining optimism

The latest results of a monthly index tracking optimism among small business owners reflect a more upbeat outlook, although not yet a robust economic recovery. The National Federation of Independent Business reported that its Index of Small Business Optimism rose four-tenths of a point in February to 94.5. “This is not a reading that characterizes […]

Labor trends index forecasts modest job growth

A monthly measure of labor trends keeps rising, forecasting continued job growth, albeit at a modest pace. The Conference Board reported that its Employment Trends Index (ETI) rose 1.6 points in February to 101.7. With gains in each of the last five months, the ETI has advanced more than 8 percent in the last year. […]

U.S. jobless rate decreases as payrolls increase

The U.S. unemployment rate continues to fall even as payrolls increase. According to the latest Labor Department estimates, the national jobless rate fell to 8.9 percent in February, the lowest level since April 2009. At the same time, nonfarm payrolls increased 192,000, the largest monthly gain since June 2010. With declines in each of the […]

United Way: Collections down, but participation up

United Way of Mesa County fell short of its latest fund-raising goal, but still collected more than $1 million and involved more employees in workplace campaigns in the process. United Way announced at its 2010-2011 campaign celebration on Feb. 24 that it had raised $1,081,035. That total is about 90 percent of the $1.2 million […]