• According to figures released by the federal government, some segments of the economy are on the upswing. The Labor Department reports consumer prices rose by 2.5 percent last year, the lowest increase since the 1.9 percent jump in 2003. In 2006, energy costs went up only 2.9 percent after increases of 17.1 percent in 2005 and 16.6 percent in 2004. Also, average weekly earnings for non-supervisory workers rose by 2.1 percent last year after adjusting for inflation, the largest gain in nine years.
• The Jacksonville Aviation Authority is seeking bids for a company to build 20, three-tunnel passenger boarding bridges. JAA is currently in the middle of another expansion project that will see Concourses A and C widened and lengthened.
• The Ed Ball Building is beginning to fill up. Over the weekend, about 250 from the City’s Information Technology Department moved into space on the ninth floor.
• City Council member Lynette Self is asking for $425,000 to build a skate park at Ed Austin Park in Arlington. The funds will come from a Dist. 2 bond ($300,000) and Dist. 2 park funds ($125,000).
• The state of California is experimenting with a new method to increase bus ridership. MagniScent technology makes the bus shelters smell like chocolate-chip cookies in an effort to both lure riders and make the waiting experience more tolerable. The campaign comes on the heels of the state’s 13-year-old “Got Milk?” campaign, which is sponsored by the California Milk Processing Board. No word on whether the Jacksonville Transit Authority may try a similar concept.
• Compensatory negligence, anyone? Michigan Lawsuit Abuse Watch, a watchdog group whose stated mission is to limit lawsuit abuse, has announced the winners of its “Wackiest Warning Label Contest.” First place went to Alliance Laundry Systems of Ripon, Wis., for a label placed on the company’s front-loading washing machines: “Do not put any person in this washer.” Second prize went to a personal water craft manufacturer for “Never use a lit match or open flame to check fuel level.” Third place was a tie between the label on a Super Lotto ticket warning – “Do not iron” – and a label on a cell phone stating “Don’t try to dry your phone in a microwave oven.” Honorable mention went to a telephone book distributed with this warning: “Please do not use this directory while operating a moving vehicle.”
• The YMCA of Florida’s First Coast has launched a new Loyal Member Program. It allows people to maintain their memberships at their current types with no fee increases – ever. CEO Trigg Wilkes said the program is available due to “positive things in the industry” and he’s excited about being “better able to serve families without the obstacle of rate increases.” The YMCA of Florida’s First Coast has 18 facilities and 65 program service locations. For info, visit www.FirstCoastYMCA.org.