A monthly measure of consumer confidence has rebounded on more upbeat assessments of current business and labor conditions as well as a more optimistic expectations. The Conference Board reported that its Consumer Confidence Index jumped more than six points to 78.1 in December. The latest reading moves closer to the 80.2 reported in September, before […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times Time will tell whether or not labor conditions will continue to improve in Mesa County in 2014. But the outlook at the onset of the new year is better now than it has been in a long time, according to Sue Tuffin, director of the Mesa County Workforce Center in Grand […]
An index forecasting economic performance in the United States continues to signal growth in the new year, although challenges remain. The Conference Board reported that its Leading Economic Indicator rose eight-tenths of a percent to 98.3 in December. The index has gained 3.1 percent over the past six months. “Improving labor markets and new orders […]
The Grand Junction City Council expects to spend less in 2014 than 2013, but still fund a list of capital projects as well as economic development and community partnerships. Mayor Sam Susuras said the budgeting process was a lengthy one for the council and city staff. “It proved to be a tough exercise as we […]
Kelly Sloan, The Business Times Mesa County Commissioners have adopted a 2014 budget that reflects lower revenue and spending levels overall, but still includes allocations for two business development organizations. Proposed cuts to the budgets of the sheriff’s department and district attorney’s offices were not implemented. Mesa County Administrator Tom Fisher said projected revenues for 2014 […]
Kelly Sloan, The Business Times Previously one of the most active energy development companies in Western Colorado, Encana has announced it’s suspending drilling operations in the Piceance Basin. Sandy Kent, community relations director for Encana, confirmed the company has no plans for drilling in 2014, although production operations will continue at existing wells. Encana also will […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times LaVern Williams has lots of ideas — ideas about how to store rainwater, install solar panels in decorative artificial trees and even prevent birds from hitting airliners. “I’ve got it from the ground to the air. I’ve got it covered,” Williams said. Now the inventive Grand Junction woman hopes to enlist […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times Dr. K.C. Lewis has a wide variety of tools and techniques at his disposal to relieve pain in his patients. “If there’s anything that can be done with interventional pain, we do it,” said Lewis, an anesthesiologist who runs Western Rockies Interventional Pain Specialists in Fruita. It’s not just the diversity […]
Kelly Sloan, The Business Times The idling of a Western Colorado coal mine following a fire comes at a time when lower prices and stricter regulations already pose challenges to the coal industry. Oxbow Mining announced plans to idle its Elk Creek Mine near Somerset, laying off another 115 employees. The move follows a fire in […]
Kelly Sloan, The Business Times Even as energy development in Colorado increases and creates more jobs and higher tax revenues in the process, the industry faces efforts to ban a crucial component of production. The threat is significant since about 95 percent of oil and natural gas wells in Colorado undergo hydraulic fracturing. “No fracking means no […]