Phil Castle, The Business Times People remain no less resolved at the beginning of a new year to lose weight, get fit and make other changes in their lives. What will be different, Jim Ettenger and Nikki Wilke expect, is the ways people will keep their resolutions in the midst of a pandemic. “We’re here […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times The monthly unemployment rate has increased in Mesa County as a pandemic and winter weather affect businesses and their staffing. “It’s definitely a combination of things,” said Celina Kirnberger, employment services supervisor at the Mesa County Workforce Center in Grand Junction. The trend could continue for several months, although vaccines […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times While a pandemic derailed what was forecast as a good year for the Mesa County economy in 2020, there are opportunities to get back on track in 2021. The unemployment rate has retreated nearly seven points since peaking in April even as the labor force has grown and wages have […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times Employment is expected to grow in Colorado next year, but not enough to recoup job losses attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions. Payrolls are expected to increase 40,500 in 2021, about a third of estimated job losses for 2020, according to the latest Colorado Business Economic Outlook. The […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times As a fourth-generation rancher on a century old family operation in Eastern Colorado, Wil Bledsoe brings a long-term perspective to the agricultural and food industry in the state. His takeaway from 2020 and his prediction for what could happen in 2021? “Always expect the unexpected.” Bledsoe was among five panelists […]
’Tis the season. For, among other things, holiday newsletters. You know, those annual missives you receive, typically from distant relations. You only met once, and that was at a family reunion 15 years ago in Iowa. But every year since, they’ve confided in intimate detail what’s occurred in their lives. And it’s always amazing. Too […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times Diane Schwenke preaches what she believes to be two equally important holiday messages: shop local to support Grand Valley businesses and stay safe in the midst of a pandemic. Schwenke hopes the messages remain more complementary than contrary because the outcome of the holiday shopping season — and for some […]
I fight as a newspaper journalist to write tight. I endeavor to reach a conclusion without using too many words to get there. I prefer lean, muscular prose to corpulent bloviation. Compared to some writers, though, I’m a profligate who squanders words the way a drunken sailor spends money. I’m talking about you, Theodor Geisel. […]
I’ve heard a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind. I’ve also seen evidence for just the opposite. A cluttered desk is a sign of genius. A quote attributed to no less a genius than Albert Einstein poses a good question: Of what, then, is an empty desk a sign? The debate over […]
Phil Castle, The Business Times Help is available for individuals and small businesses struggling to navigate the health insurance market. “Our goal here is to guide people,” said Christie Higgins, a community access manager for Hilltop Community Resources who oversees Hilltop’s Health Access. The program offers assistance in comparing various health insurance options and enrolling […]