How To Reach Us:
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
|
|
|
ST. LOUIS NEWS TODAY - Sunday, December 9, 2007
|
State Agencies Take Action to Aid Missourians Recovering from Severe Winter Storms
ST. LOUIS, (SLFP.com), December 11, 2007 - Gov. Matt Blunt has declasred state of emergency across Missouri to ensure state resources are positioned to aid Missouri communities impacted by the severe winter weather storms that began Saturday, December 8, and are expected to continue through mid-week.
"Whether it is power generation, clearing roads and debris, or health and welfare checks, Missourians can be confident we are taking the necessary steps to ensure state agencies are available to assist however possible," Gov. Blunt said. "With more severe winter weather expected, Missourians' safety remains our first priority. I am encouraging Missourians to continue checking on their neighbors, especially the elderly and disabled, so we can help those who require warming shelters or other assistance."
Gov. Blunt also activated the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC), the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), and the Missouri National Guard.
So far the state has provided twelve generators to local agencies and has another seven staged and available if requested. Today more than 100,000 Missourians were estimated to be without power across the state.
To aid in emergency relief efforts, the Missouri Department of Transportation has also waived certain state and federal regulations for carriers who participate in emergency response.
The hotline number is 888-377-2100 for areas of Missouri without 211 access. However, all life safety emergencies should continue to be called into 911.
The lines will be staffed from 8 a.m. - 9 p.m. seven days a week. Calls will roll over to an answering machine if all lines are busy or after hours. Missourians are encouraged to leave a message and a phone number because all calls will be returned.
AmeriCorps and the Missouri Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (MOVOAD) are supporting the human services and disaster relief coordination for impacted communities.
Anyone wishing to donate items or volunteer through an established organized group should contact their local chapters of the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, or faith-based group with a disaster mission such as the Southern Baptists, the United Methodist Disaster Response, Catholic Charities, the Seventh Day Adventists, Lutheran Disaster Response or other faith based denominations with a volunteer disaster response mission.
Rate Freeze as Important Step in Protecting Homeowners
ST. LOUIS, (SLFP.com), December 9, 2007 - The National Association of Realtors has expressed support of President George W. Bush's efforts to curb the increase in foreclosures due to irresponsible lending practices and complicated mortgage products by allowing modification of certain loans or freezing the interest rates for up to five years.
"The dream of homeownership should not turn into a family's worst nightmare," said NAR President Richard Gaylord, a broker with RE/MAX Real Estate Specialists in Long Beach, Calif. "As the leading advocate for housing issues, NAR has been working with Congress and the administration to protect homeowners who may be facing foreclosure as the result of predatory lending practices and as the interest rates on many subprime loans reset. The loan modification program introduced by President Bush and U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson is a good first step in helping deserving families keep their homes."
NAR has been working with Congress throughout 2007 to modernize Federal Housing Administration programs that will once again make the FHA a viable mortgage product and help protect many current and future homeowners by offering a secure alternative to subprime loans. NAR has also been pushing Congress to reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and increase their conforming loan limits, which will not only help home buyers but also will help improve liquidity in the lending industry. "We are pleased that the administration has taken action today and are hopeful that Congress will now move quickly to approve FHA modernization and GSE reform," Gaylord said.
NAR participated in meetings with Secretary Paulson and other industry influentials that he assembled to focus on the problem and finding a workable resolution. In addition, NAR has strongly communicated the need to change the IRS code that permits people who have been forced into foreclosure or short sale to pay income tax on the loan amount that is forgiven. Also known as the phantom income tax, NAR has called it an unfair burden and applauded the House of Representatives for passing legislation to change this. At the same time, NAR is pushing the Senate to act quickly to enact similar legislation.
Today's announcement by the president is not a bailout, but is designed for borrowers who have been making their payments on their existing loan. The administration estimates that 1.2 million families could be protected under his plan.
"The president has offered the American people an early holiday gift today. We hope Congress will also help make the holidays happy for millions of Americans by doing their part and move swiftly with FHA modernization, GSE reform and elimination of the mortgage cancellation tax," said Gaylord.
Missouri Exports on Track to Set New Record in 2007
ST. LOUIS, (SLFP.com), December 9, 2007 - Missouri exports through the third quarter of 2007 were up by 7.15 percent compared to the same period in 2006, according to the World Institute for Strategic Economic Research (WISER).
In a statement, Gov. Matt Blunt said, "Missouri's outstanding employers and entrepreneurs set export records in 2005 and 2006, and it appears that momentum is continuing for the third year in a row. Over that same period, we have turned an inherited $1.1 billion deficit into two surpluses in a row without raising taxes. I applaud Missouri's workers for their tireless commitment and productivity that is generating this economic growth. We are assisting with pro-job, pro-growth initiatives that have helped Missourians create nearly 92,000 new jobs since January 2005."
Through the end of September 2007, exports by Missouri companies totaled $9.8 billion, compared to $9.1 billion after the third quarter of 2006. In 2006, Missouri set a record for exports with $12.8 billion in global sales, a figure that surpassed the $10.4 billion mark set in 2005.
Fifteen Missouri product categories each topped $100 million in export sales through the third quarter of 2007, including transportation equipment ($3.3 billion); chemicals ($1.7 billion), machinery ($871 million); electrical equipment ($519 million); food and kindred products ($515 million); agricultural products ($410 million); computer and electronic products ($367 million); fabricated metal products ($311 million); minerals and ores ($287 million); primary metal manufacturing ($239 million); waste and scrap ($204 million); plastics and rubber products ($178 million); printing and publishing ($149 million); miscellaneous manufactured products ($127 million); and leather and allied products ($123 million).
Enrollment Growth Slows at U.S. Nursing Colleges and Universities in 2007
ST. LOUIS, (PRNewswire-USNewswire), December 9, 2007 - The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) has released preliminary survey data that show that enrollment in entry-level baccalaureate nursing programs increased by 4.98 percent from 2006 to 2007.
Though this marks the seventh consecutive year of enrollment growth, the rate at which nursing schools have been able to increase student capacity has declined sharply since 2003 when enrollment was up by 16.6 percent. While this increase represents a positive trend, AACN is concerned that more than 30,000 qualified applicants were turned away from baccalaureate nursing programs last year due primarily to an intensifying shortage of nurse faculty.
"In an environment of diminishing faculty and financial resources, nursing schools nationwide must be commended once again for managing to expand student capacity in professional nursing programs," said AACN President Jeanette Lancaster. "Still, with the nation facing a nursing shortage into the foreseeable future, more must be done to ensure that all qualified individuals looking to enter the field are accommodated in baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs."
By the year 2020, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) projects that more than one million new Registered Nurses (RNs) will be needed in the U.S. healthcare system to meet the demand for nursing care. HRSA projects that nursing schools must increase the number of graduates by 90 percent in order to adequately address the nursing shortage. With preliminary data showing a 7.4 percent increase in graduations from baccalaureate nursing programs this year, schools are falling far short of meeting this target.
Trends in Nursing School Enrollments:
AACN's annual survey is the most reliable source for actual (versus projected) data on enrollment and graduations reported by the nation's baccalaureate- and graduate-degree programs in nursing. This year's 4.98 percent enrollment increase is based on data supplied by the same 427 schools reporting in both 2006 and 2007. This is the seventh consecutive year of enrollment gains with 7.6, 9.6, 14.1, 16.6, 8.1, and 3.7 percent increases in 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, and 2001, respectively. Prior to the seven-year upswing, baccalaureate nursing programs experienced six years of declining enrollments from 1995 through 2000.
|
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 .
|
|
Archived St. Louis News:
|
|
