| LAYOFFS, FEWER HOURS: Slowdown lands on gaming Company officials say ...
The economic slowdown that has affected other job sectors throughout the past year has found its way to the gaming industry. Large Strip companies and local gaming operators throughout Clark County have begun taking steps to trim hours and payrolls wherever possible because of a slowdown in business, company officials acknowledged Thursday. "The notion that Las Vegas is immune from these downturns in the economy is completely false," MGM Mirage Senior Vice President Alan Feldman said. "We may be better able to withstand it than other marketplaces. Through the years we've proven that we are, but we're not immune from it." The gaming companies will not say exactly how many people have been affected by layoffs and cuts in hours, although they have acknowledged some of the cutbacks.
Crossbow hunting advances
The establishment of a crossbow hunting license in Virginia raced through the General Assembly without a glitch, but it faced a challenge at the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries board meeting in Richmond Thursday. What's the hurry, was the question of several leaders of bowhunting organization. The General Assembly put the bill on an emergency track that gives the DGIF authority to rush the license into place by the fall hunting seasons. That's the goal of the department, but some bowhunters are likely to have a different view during a series of hearings scheduled across the state. Several bowhunting critics of the license said they did not oppose crossbows, they just don't want to share their archery season with them. The new license fee would be $12.50.
County awards $72.9M treatment plant contract
The contract for expanding Frederick County's water treatment plant on New Design Road has been awarded to a St. Louis-based firm. Fru-Con Construction was won the $72.9-million deal to expand the plant from 8.8 million gallons a day to 25 million gallons a day. The expansion includes a pre-sedimentation basin, rapid mixers, three flocculation basins, three sedimentation basins, six filters, four filter effluent pumps, an ultraviolet disinfection system and high service pump station. Modifications and upgrades will also be made to the existing sedimentation basins, rapid mix area and filters. A new backup power generation system will be provided. No target date has been set for the project, which was designed by Rummel, Klepper, Kahl of Baltimore, in association with Hazen and Sawyer of New York.
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