U.S. Steel Plans To Close Plants Affecting 545 Workers

U.S. Steel Corp. said on Wednesday it plans to close two coke-making units and a tin mill that makes sheet for cans at plants in Illinois and Indiana, actions that would affect 545 workers.

The closings are the latest to be announced by the Downtown-based steelmaker as it “moves through its Carnegie Way assessment of all our operations,” said spokeswoman Courtney Boone.

Two weeks ago, U.S. Steel said it will shut down two more oil and natural gas pipe plants and lay off 756 workers. In August, it closed pipe plants in McKeesport and Bellville, Texas, affecting 260 workers.

CEO Mario Longhi has moved to restore confidence and improve performance. He has closed mills and saved almost $1 billion under its Carnegie Way initiative to cut costs and by halting an iron ore expansion project in Keewatin, Minn. The company also has relinquished control of its money-losing Canadian unit.

Read more: http://triblive.com/business/headlines/7610821-74/steel-plant-oil#ixzz3PUwjOrRD
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Brains Stolen, Sold On eBay, Man Arrested

Skyline of Indianpolis. This photo was also taken from the top floor of an IU Hospital parking garage in spring 2007. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Jars of brain tissue were recently stolen from an Indianapolis medical museum and sold on eBay, according to a report.

Apparently a “hot” brain goes for $100 plus shipping these days.

At least that’s the rate a San Diego man paid for six jars before he got suspicious about some labels and called authorities, according to the Indianapolis Star.

Indianapolis police set up a phony deal in a Dairy Queen parking lot on Dec. 16, and arrested David Charles, 21, a city resident, who just the day before allegedly stole another 60 jars of human tissue from the Indiana Medical History Museum.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/Stolen_brains_sold_on_eBay_arrest_made.html#4F5OMX6vmlxkMFGQ.99

Faculty At State-Owned Universities, Including Millersville, In Line For Pay Raises

Get ready. The cost of a college education in Pennsylvania might be on the way up.

After 18 months of negotiations that included the threat of the system’s first-ever strike, unionized faculty at the 14 state-owned universities are hoping that on Wednesday the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education board ratifies its four-year contract proposal.

The most controversial element of the contract has been the need to raise salaries without causing significant tuition hikes, said state system spokesman Kenn Marshall.

Related: List of salaries at Pennsylvania’s state-owned universities for 2013

The deal calls for salary increases of 11.5 percent for senior faculty and 19 percent for junior faculty over the four years of the contract, with junior faculty members getting the higher increases. Faculty members now receive salaries ranging between $44,795 and $107,870 a year.

Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/827693_Faculty-at-state-owned-universities–including-Millersville–in-line-for-pay-raises.html#ixzz2O1Bmm4zt

Growing Amish Community Heading West

The number of Amish is growing!  A recent study estimates the Amish population has increased 10% in the last two years.  It is believed there are 249,000 Amish in North America.  In 1992 there were 124,000.  Land in Lancaster County is hard to find and very expensive.  This has forced many Amish to look elsewhere for farmland.

The Midwest is attracting more and more Amish.  Farmland in Lancaster County can cost $15,000 an acre compared to $2,000 – $3,000 an acre in other parts of the county.  That being said, two-thirds of the Amish live in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana.  Pennsylvania has the largest population.

Amish families tend to have 5 or more children which accounts for their swelling ranks.  Half of the Amish population is under 18 years old and 85% of young adults remain in the church.

South Dakota is the latest state to get an Amish settlement. 

Go West, young Amish.

Nice Way To Ruin Your Life And Flush Your Career Down The Toilet

Thank God this idiot didn’t kill anybody drunk driving!  Glad the police were actually watching this guy and stopped him before anything worse happened.

So I guess calling a cab or calling a friend would have been too much like right?!?  Your mother will be so proud.

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2009/1110091dress1.html