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Baldacci Welcomes New Jobs

Maine – Barclays PLC, a London-based banking company, announced from Gov. John Baldacci’s office that it is opening a customer service call center in Wilton. The company, which is the 11th largest credit card issuer in the United States, expects the center will initially create 50 jobs and projects it will employ 200 people over 10 years. “Barclays has a great reputation and is known as a high-quality employer,” said Baldacci.
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EDUCATION NEWS

IA – Culver Calls for Keeping Kids in School, Raising Dropout Age. Gov. Chet Culver gave a nudge to lawmakers, urging them to pass a requirement that Iowa students stay in school until they turn 18. “As a former teacher, I can tell you that, you know, the higher we set the bar for our young people I believe, the higher they’ll be able to reach,” Culver said. If schools set the expectation that students should not drop out when they are 16, that sends the right message to students, he said. “We should do everything we can to encourage young people to graduate from high school.”
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VA – Kaine Creates Office of Early Childhood Development. Gov. Tim Kaine announced that he has created the state Office of Early Childhood Development. According Kaine’s staff, the new office will expand access to development programs for children from birth to age five. Kaine says the program is aimed at “Virginia’s neediest children and their families.”
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WV – Manchin Signs Research, Community College Bills. Two bills signed by Gov. Joe Manchin put Marshall University and Marshall Community and Technical College in line for millions of dollars. The “Bucks for Jobs” program, originally introduced by the governor during his State of the State address in January, will divide $50 million in state money between West Virginia University and Marshall University if they can obtain private donations to match it. Paul Hill, vice chancellor for science and research at the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, said the bill will increase research efforts at the state universities and generate new businesses and create thousands of jobs.
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HEALTH CARE NEWS

DE – Minner Program Pays for Residents’ Cancer Care. The idea for the program that pays for the cancer treatment of all uninsured residents began in 2001, after newly elected Gov. Ruth Ann Minner heard that her tiny state had big cancer numbers, big enough to give it the nation’s sixth-highest cancer mortality rate. “As soon as I saw the numbers, I knew we had to do something,” said Minner. Over the following years, Minner, along with doctors and advocates, embarked on a program to offer free cancer treatment for all residents diagnosed after 2004. Between July 2004 and June 2007, the Delaware Cancer Treatment Program paid for cancer treatment for 348 patients.
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NC – Easley Launches Health Care Plan. Gov. Mike Easley has launched a plan to restructure the delivery of health care in North Carolina by standardizing the care and insurance coverage for the five most common chronic diseases. For more than a year, the state’s major health insurance providers, physicians and hospitals have been meeting with Easley to design a set of guidelines to treat diabetes, asthma, hypertension, congestive heart failure and heart attack. All of the state’s major health insurers have agreed to support the program. “This is going to be a revolutionary approach to the delivery of health care in North Carolina,” Easley says. “With more effective treatment, many patients will be able to avoid more serious and expensive medical problems.”
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OK – Henry Unveils Rating System for Nursing Homes. A new “star rating” system that’s designed to give families more information about nursing homes was unveiled at the state Capitol. Known as the Focus on Excellence program, the voluntary online system will work much like the state’s Stars Program for day-care centers. Gov. Brad Henry said at the program’s debut that it will help Oklahomans “make a very difficult decision” about how to care for relatives. “Those are some of the most difficult decisions we have to make,” he said. “This Web site will allow Oklahomans to compare the various long-term care facilities across the state.”
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TN – Bredesen Pushes Long Term Care. Gov. Phil Bredesen was in Roane County to talk about long-term care for seniors. He said that changing TennCare’s rules to free up more money will allow 2300 more lower-income Tennesseans to get help get and pay for more services in their own homes faster. Bredesen said, “We’re working hard on making sure there are good licensing standards, good oversights. We’ve got the people and facilities to do that, and we’re going to make sure this is first class care.”
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GENERAL NEWS

IL – Blagojevich Praises State’s Wind Energy Capacity. State Illinois ranks third in the nation for construction of new wind energy conversion systems in 2007, according to a report by the American Wind Energy Association. “We’re now beginning to tap the great potential of clean, renewable wind energy that is so critical to reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and cutting the greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming,” Gov. Rod Blagojevich said. “The wind farms being built across Illinois are producing pollution-free energy, creating good-paying jobs, boosting investment in rural communities, generating property taxes to support local schools and helping to protect consumers from volatile energy prices.”
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MD – O’Malley Awards Grant for Firm to Expand. Akonni Biosystems, a life science company, plans to use $200,000 in state money to expand its manufacturing operations in the region. The company which develops, manufactures and markets a diagnostic system for infectious diseases and genetic testing received the state investment from the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development. “It is critical that Maryland continues to foster a supportive environment for homegrown life sciences companies like Akonni Biosystems, which will ensure that Maryland is well positioned for tomorrow’s economy,” said Gov. Martin O’Malley.
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MA – Patrick Delivers Aid to Struggling Homeowners. The Housing Assistance Corp. has received $87,800 in state grants to expand its efforts to prevent foreclosures in the region. The funds are part of $2 million in grants awarded yesterday by Gov. Deval Patrick as part of an initiative to improve foreclosure education and homebuyer counseling across the state. Of the total grant money awarded to the organization, $60,000 is designated for the formation of a regional foreclosure education center.
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MI – Granholm Requires Mortgage Officer Registration. Gov. Jennifer Granholm has signed bills aimed at requiring mortgage loan officers to register with the state. Supporters of the legislation say it could help protect Michigan consumers from mortgage fraud and unfair lending practices by mandating background checks and training. The legislation also establishes a mortgage industry advisory board that will make recommendations on educational requirements and loan officer applications.
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OH – Strickland Tours Ethanol Plant. Marveling at steel and concrete grain bins capable of holding 3 million bushels of corn, Gov. Ted Strickland called Ohio’s largest ethanol plant just one kind of “energy infrastructure” he wants to grow through a newly proposed, bipartisan $1.57 billion jobs stimulus package. “Nearly every energy source imaginable has its critics,” Strickland said after touring the ethanol plant. And while “there is a tendency to blame ethanol” for higher food prices, I don’t think that’s a serious concern. Food prices remain relatively affordable.”
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WA – Gregoire Grants Student Employees the Right to Unionize. Washington State University academic student employees have taken the first step to become unionized. With new legislation signed into law by Gov. Chris Gregoire, the university’s ASEs, which include teaching, research and staff assistants, readers, graders and tutors, secured the right to be represented by the United Auto Workers, a union with more than 1 million members.
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