St. Louis Front Page
P.O. Box 1354
St. Louis, MO 63188
Voice: 314-771-0200
Fax: 314-771-0300
To submit news, contact:
editor@slfp.com
To advertise, contact:
advertising@slfp.com
Restrictive Visa Rule for Visitors Withdrawn WASHINGTON, D.C., (SLFP.com), March 4, 2003 - The proposed INS visa rule that would have eliminated the minimum admission period for millions of international visitors to the U.S. was formally withdrawn by the U.S. Department of Justice on March 3rd. In a statement, TIA President and CEO William S. Norman said, "Without the certainty of a fixed admission period, international visitors would have risked thousands of dollars on trips of unknown duration. They would have voted with their feet and their wallets and traveled to destinations where they could be certain of completing their trip. The withdrawal of this rule demonstrates a much welcomed recognition by the Administration that international travel and tourism to the U.S. is a vital part of our nation's economy." The new visa rule proposed eliminating the minimum admission period for international travelers visiting with a B-2 pleasure visa from six months to a shorter and poorly defined "reasonable period" tailored for each individual visitor. The period of time granted to the visitor would be up to the individual immigration inspector and would be determined when the visitor arrived in the U.S. Even in its draft form, the proposed visa rule caused confusion for international travelers wanting to visit the U.S. Overseas tour operators expressed reservations about sending their clients to the U.S. should this rule go into effect. Norman also remarked that, "We are grateful to House Small Business Committee Chairman Don Manzullo for holding a hearing on this issue last June, and highlighting the damage this rule would have caused to the U.S. travel industry." Chrysler Group's St. Louis North Assembly Plant Receives Motor Trend's Truck of the Year Award ST. LOUIS, (SLFP.com), March 2, 2003 - Employees at Chrysler Group's St. Louis North Assembly Plant received a special gift today - Motor Trend magazine's prestigious "Truck of the Year" award, last Wednesday, February 26. The award presentation recognized employees for their contributions in the production of the all-new 2003 Dodge Ram Heavy Duty truck. In a statement, Tom LaSorda, Chrysler Group Executive Vice President-Manufacturing said, "This is one of the most coveted awards in the auto industry. It represents the dedication and hard work of our employees and their contribution to the overall success of our new 2003 Dodge Ram." According to Todd Lassa, Senior Detroit Editor, competitors under consideration for Motor Trend "Truck of the Year" undergo rigorous scrutiny, including testing of on- and off-road performance, towing capacity, and loaded and unloaded hauling capability. Details of the competition are published in the March issue of Motor Trend magazine. "I just want to commend the employees of the plant," stated Tony Candela, President of UAW Local 136. "They deserve this award for their dedication, hard work and commitment to building a quality truck for our customers." St. Louis North is one of two Chrysler Group facilities located in Fenton, Missouri. The second facility, St. Louis South Assembly Plant, builds the Chrysler Voyager, Dodge Caravan and Dodge Grand Caravan minivans. Missouri Trails Receive $1.1 Million in Federal Grants JEFFERSON CITY, (SLFP.com), February 25, 2003 - Missouri Gov. Bob Holden has announced that 17 trail projects around Missouri have been approved for $1.1 million in federal grants from the Recreational Trails Program. The Recreational Trails Program is a federally funded grant program for trail-related land acquisition, development or restoration. In Missouri, Recreational Trails Program funds are administered by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration. "Hiking and other trail uses are great ways to stay healthy and enjoy Missouri's outdoors," Holden said. "These federal funds assist organizations in upgrading existing trails and developing new ones, benefiting all Missourians." Local Recreational Trails Program grant recipients include:
The Department of Natural Resources awarded grants based on the results of a competitive scoring process and applicants' suitability under provisions included in the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century and other federal guidelines. Conference to Explore Renewable Energy JEFFERSON CITY, (SLFP.com), February 21, 2003 - "Growing the Rural Economy with Renewable Energy: Windfarming and Bioenergy - New Crops for Missouri Farms," will be subject of a natural resources conference for individuals, businesses and organizations, March 6, at the Holiday Inn Select in Columbia. The conference is being hosted by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources' Energy Center, in partnership with the Missouri Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Energy. Several topics will be discussed, including the fundamentals, hurdles and opportunities related to renewable energy; wind as a renewable crop; utility scale wind energy development; bioenergy crops and market development; and ways to develop the rural economy by using Missouri's renewable energy potential. "Renewable energy could potentially be a great economic boon to Missouri's rural communities," said Anita Randolph, director of the Energy Center. "We're hoping this conference will help arm interested groups and individuals with the knowledge and information necessary to harness and make use of these great resources." Several guest speakers have been scheduled, including Missouri's first lady Lori Hauser Holden; Steve Mahfood, director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources; Lowell Mohler, director of the Missouri Department of Agriculture; Gary Nowakowsi, U.S. Department of Energy; Dr. Robert Bush, a pioneer in alternative energy at the Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville; Phil Badger, Southeastern Region Biomass Energy Project; George Sterzinger, Renewable Energy Policy Project; David Osterberg, University of Iowa; Travis Creswell, Ozark Energy; Dan McGuire, American Corn Growers Foundation; Lisa Daniels, Windustry; Russ Kremer, Missouri Farmers Union; and Anita Randolph, director of the Department of Natural Resources' Energy Center. For additional conference information and how to register for "Growing the Rural Economy with Renewable Energy: Windfarming and Bioenergy - New Crops for Missouri Farms," please call 1-800-361-4827. STL-News is owned and maintained by the Moore Design Group as a special feature of the Saint Louis Front Page for the sole purpose of disseminating news and information about the Metropolitan Saint Louis area. Text or graphics may not be copied, rewritten or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission. For more information, contact editor@slfp.com All rights reserved world wide © 1996 - 2008 Moore Design Group . |
  Click here for Media Kit 
|
