An often-unseen hole in North Carolina’s infrastructure is making life harder for working parents and holding back the economy: A child care shortage. Lauren Hayworth sees it every day at the day care centers she oversees in Forsyth and Davie counties, where she tries to thread a needle: If she doesn’t pay staff enough, they’ll leave for higher-paying jobs. But pay bumps mean raising rates. And if she raises rates, she risks losing clients who find it makes more sense financially to stay at home with their kids. Because of thin margins, day cares don’t have much wage flexibility. Average day care salaries in North Carolina run about $12 an hour, according to state regulators. That’s less than many fast food restaurants pay. “We have lost some really wonderful people with great hearts,” said Hayworth, chief operating officer at A Child’s World Learning Centers. “We’ve lost them to do things like empty the trash on a manufacturing floor because everyone is short staffed.” Iris McRae sees it in Richmond County, where she’s struggling to keep the night shift going on her 24-hour day care. Single mothers bring their toddlers to Over the Rainbow Child Development Center to sleep while […]

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Julie Smith/News Tribune photo: Crane operator Corey "Big Iron" Martin slowly sets down a 10-ton payload Wednesday in the front part of the Schnucks parking lot in Jefferson City. Martin works for J Boessen Crane & Rigging in California, Mo., and was contracted to pick the 15-foot by 34-foot prefabricated building that will house the operation of a new business in Jefferson City, the free-standing coffee shop 7 Brew. The building was constructed in Springfield by Custom Modular Construction and delivered via flatbed trailer from where it was hoisted to the recently poured foundation. The goal is to open around mid March. Jefferson City’s 7 Brew location settled into place last week, quickly setting itself up to launch in around a month. The pre-built structure was dropped into place at the new location in front of Schnucks on Wednesday afternoon following the presentation of a $2,000 donation to the Fire Museum of Jefferson City. Location owner Brandon Sebald said interaction with the communities that 7 Brew serves was among the company’s highest priorities. "The mission of 7 Brew is to cultivate kindness and joy with every drink through service, speed, quality, energy and atmosphere," Sebald said. "With the belief […]

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The Gazette’s Business Notes is a compendium of the week’s promotions, new hires, certifications, added business lines and business events, among other items, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa City and the rest of the Corridor. Information and photos can be submitted to Business Notes by email to businessnotes@thegazette.com , or on our website at thegazette.com/businessnotes . Appointments Julie Stephenson has been appointed executive vice president and chief operating officer at UFG Insurance. Kudos For the second year in a row, GreenState Credit Union has been recognized with the Top Workplaces USA award, ranking No. 5 among employers with 500 to 999 workers. The winners are chosen based on feedback gathered though an employee engagement survey, issued by Energage. GreenState, Iowa’s largest credit union, also received the No. 1 Top Workplace Award for businesses in Iowa Sixteen nurses from UnityPoint Health-Cedar Rapids have been named to the 2023 Great Iowa Nurses list. Honorees include Kelli McAfee , Marion; Laura Barner , Springville; Peggy Bragg , Mount Vernon ; Mark Butschi , Robins , Penny Dullea , Swisher ; Jordan Hagarty , Cedar Rapids ; Paige Holland, Monmouth ; Jeremy Gardemann, Independence ; Jessica Newsom , Cedar Rapids ; Jayne Nirschl , […]

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Google logo displayed on a phone screen and Bard sign on Google website displayed on a screen are … [+] NurPhoto via Getty Images Here are five things in tech that happened this week and how they affect your business. Did you miss them? 1 – Google shows off more of what its ChatGPT competitor Bard can do. Next-level internet search functions were presented on a livestream in Paris on Wednesday. Bard – Google’s answer to Microsoft’s OpenAI’s ChatGPT – was demonstrated by Prabhakar Raghavan, Senior VP at Google. Using the example of buying an electric car, Raghavan demonstrated how Bard can help users narrow down choices by offering comprehensive information, such as “the pros and cons” of electric cars. Google CEO Sundar Pichai indicated that Bard is being developed with artificial intelligence—but it would require vigorous testing. Pichai will also require employees to test the technology so programmers can correct any flaws before its official launch. (Source: CNBC ) Why this is important for your business: This stuff’s for real, folks and you know Google is quaking. ChatGPT is already enormously disrupting the search industry. Could this be the end for Google’s monopoly? Will small businesses actually get […]

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Giacomo Bagnara What’s Up? (Feb. 5-11) An A.I. Arms Race Microsoft’s often-overlooked search engine, Bing, is mounting a comeback with ChatGPT , the suddenly ubiquitous chatbot capable of composing song lyrics, writing academic essays and answering all manner of questions. The new version of Bing was released to a limited group of users on Tuesday. The revamped product is part of Microsoft’s $13 billion investment in OpenAI, the artificial intelligence lab behind ChatGPT that Microsoft is betting on to stay competitive with its big tech rivals like Google, Apple and Meta. But those companies are also racing to incorporate the new technology into their own software. A day before the unveiling of the new Bing, Google announced that it would soon release an experimental chatbot called Bard for its own search engine, which is much more widely used than Bing. And Meta is fast-tracking the development of chatbot technology for its products. Biden Defends His Record In President Biden’s second State of the Union address, he focused on the bright spots in the economy . He emphasized that inflation was falling, the job market was strong and the best was yet to come. He pointed to the many benefits […]

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Amarillo Globe-News Northwest Texas Healthcare System announces Behavioral Health CEO Northwest Texas Healthcare System has announced Steven Bond, PhD, LPC, as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Northwest Texas Healthcare System Behavioral Health, located at 1501 Coulter St. in Amarillo. Dr. Bond has been a leader in behavioral health and psychiatric care settings for more than 20 years. “I am excited to be a part of the community and continue my message of advocacy for mental health,” said Dr. Bond. “I look forward to working with this talented and compassionate team and delivering favorable outcomes for the patients in our care.” Dr. Bond is a member of the American Psychological Association, Mid Texas Counseling Association, Texas Counseling Association, EMDRIA and American Association of Suicidology. He received his Doctorate from Trident University and his Master’s from Texas A&M Central Texas. Cattlemen’s Beef Board elects new officers at 2023 winter meetings, including Amarillo resident NEW ORLEANS, LA. – Cattle producers Jimmy Taylor, Andy Bishop and Ryan Moorhouse are the new leaders of the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion & Research Board (CBB). This officer team is responsible for guiding the national Beef Checkoff throughout 2023. Taylor, Bishop and Moorhouse were elected by their […]

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Host Fred Kocher is joined by Cameron Shilling to break down the proposed bill that could impact your privacy and personal information MANCHESTER, N.H. — In today’s digital age, many of us have questioned whether or not our privacy is at risk of being compromised, and the issue is being addressed by state legislators. There is a bipartisan bill in the New Hampshire Senate that would establish privacy rights for consumers in the state and privacy requirements for businesses and other organizations. On the latest installment of NH Business, host Fred Kocher is joined by Cameron Shilling, Chair of the Cyber Security Practice Group at McLane Middleton, to break down this proposed bill and the impact it could have on your privacy.

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ENCINITAS Food program receives USDA grant PlusBox (+BOX), a nonprofit that offers programs that improve nutrition, expand access, and support food sustainability, recently received funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The grant of more than $137,000 will be used to develop +BOX Connect, an app-based technology aimed at increasing participation and connection to nutrition resources. PlusBox will pilot +BOX Connect at Bella Mente Academy, a K-8 charter school in Vista. PlusBox’s warehouse and distribution center are in Carlsbad. Volunteers are always welcome to participate in Pack Outs at 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday, where boxes are packed with nutritious food for students and their families. Visit plus-box.org/volunteer . ESCONDIDO Firehouse Subs underwrites grant to firefighters The Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation recently gave a $16,147 grant to the Escondido Fire Department, which used it to buy two thermal imaging cameras. The cameras will allow first responders to see through smoke, darkness and heat-permeable barriers to help locate the source of a fire or victims needing rescue. Proceeds from purchases made at U.S. Firehouse Subs restaurants provided the funding for the grant. To date, Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation has granted more than $1.7 million to first responder organizations […]

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A version of this story first appeared in CNN Business’ Before the Bell newsletter. Not a subscriber? You can sign up right here . New York CNN — Many people don’t have the time or inclination to do deep research on stocks. It’s often easier to buy an exchange-traded fund that owns a basket of the top blue chips, like Apple (AAPL) , Microsoft (MSFT) and Amazon (AMZN) . Other investors like to bet on themes and memes instead of poring over a company’s financial statements and regulatory filings. Hence the recent craze for momentum stocks like GameStop (GME) and AMC (AMC) . But for old-fashioned investors with a little gray in their hair (and veteran business journalists like yours truly) there are other ways to find winning stocks for the long haul. I’ve been running stock screens using market data software, first from FactSet and now from Refinitiv, on and off during the more than 20 years I’ve worked at CNN Business. (It was CNNMoney when I first started.) Looking for bargains? Here are the stocks we love I’ve typically done this stock picking feature in early to mid February as a Stocks We Love type of story, […]

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This story is part of a series spotlighting the contributions of Black Portlanders to the regional economy. The Business Journal is profiling one Black-owned business a day through February. You can read the coverage here . We’ll be updating the page as we publish profiles, so check back often. Company name : COR (formerly known as City of Roses Disposal & Recycling Inc.) Founded: 1996-97 What it does: Solid waste collection, disposal, recycling and innovation Web: www.cordr.com COR CEO Alando Simpson loves to talk about sustainability and environmental stewardship. But his passion for planet goes beyond talk and into action through his strategic management of the family run solid waste collection and recycling business he leads. COR is a Certified B Corporation that offers alternative and sustainable ways to remove, repurpose and recycle material. For example, COR is working with Providence Park , home of the Timbers and Thorns, to lay the foundation for fully closed-loop, zero-waste generation. The company is also in the process of securing the first electric trash truck in Oregon . Simpson is incoming chair of the Portland Business Alliance executive committee and is chair of the Black Business Association of Oregon . Here’s what […]

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