The Mississippi Business Journal articles from December 2005

The Mississippi Business Journal archives from December 2005

Reeling them in.
December 5, 2005... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: Reeling them in--Customers flocked to the new Bass Pro Shop Outdoor World in Pearl November 30, the first day the retail center was open for business.

Cirlot kicks off 'Mississippi, Believe It!'.
December 5, 2005... This week, The Cirlot Agency Inc. will launch Mississippi, Believe It!, a public service campaign designed to inform and educate Mississippi schoolchildren and others about the many positive attributes of the Magnolia State. Through an...

Digital selling briskly at Deville Camera & Video: tech pushing sales for personal, commercial use.
December 5, 2005... At Deville Camera & Video in Northeast Jackson, holiday shoppers are snapping up digital cameras, especially the automatic point-and-shoot versions. "Digital is definitely the trend right now," said Randy Noone, who opened Deville Camera...

Governor spends Thanksgiving with Mississippi troops.
December 5, 2005... Special to the Mississippi Business Journal Gov. Haley Barbour celebrated Thanksgiving November 24 by helping serve a traditional holiday meal to hundreds of soldiers, including several dozen from Mississippi, on station in the Middle East....

New South Economic Development Course back on track: program gets new location, new date.
December 5, 2005... While the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina presents daunting challenges, it also creates many opportunities. Some of those opportunities will be covered at the New South Economic Development Course, which will be held January 22-27,...

Economic development really about people development.(As I See It)
December 5, 2005... This week, the Mississippi Business Journal's editorial focus turns to economic development, a subject that is near to my heart. If there's anything that Mississippi really, really needs it's a good shot of economic development. Lots of...

Businesses, development getting back on solid track.(Perspective)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... It would be a great understatement to call 2005 a challenging year for Mississippi. Three months after Hurricane Katrina roared ashore with devastating winds and a record-setting storm surge, the Coast and parts of South Mississippi are far...

Mississippi Business Journal Online poll results.
December 5, 2005... Mississippi's Essential Source for Business News (601) 364-1000 1-800-283-4625 As college football's regular season beings winding down, we thought we'd ask MBJ Online readers about the state's Division I coaches. We wondered, "Who's...

Dealing with soil's shrinking and swelling.(From the Ground Up)
December 5, 2005... in Colorado it is called "bentonite. In California it is referred to as "adobe soil." In Mississippi, it is known as "Yazoo clay." "It" is expansive soil, a type of soil that contains high concentrations of clay and can shrink and...

DeSoto Council.(People to Watch)
December 5, 2005... The DeSoto Council is pleased to announce the members of the Leadership DeSoto Class of 2006: Justin Bobo, Community Bank; Jimmy Cart, First National Financial Title Services; Johnnie Cheatham, Kawneer; Emily Cooper, Chuck Roberts Commercial...

Southern Eye Center.(Angel Misenhelter promoted)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Southern Eye Center announced the promotion of Angel Misenhelter to practice development director. Misenhelter has worked for Southern Eye Center for four years. She is president of the Hattiesburg Exchange Club and a member of the ADP where...

BankFirst.(Sandy Collins, Teresa Baker appointed)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Sandy Collins has joined BankFirst as president for the new Rankin County office. She is a Rankin County native and was previously employed with BankPlus as a senior vice president and commercial real estate lender. Collins has more than 25...

Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC.(Eric Hospodor, Brad Moody and Everett White appointed)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Eric Hospodor, Brad Moody and Everett White have joined the Jackson office of Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC, as associates. Hospodor is a graduate of Mississippi College School of Law. Moody is a graduate of the University...

Smith Shellnut Wilson, LLC.(People to Watch)
December 5, 2005... Lynn Pierce has joined Smith Shellnut Wilson, LLC, as operations manager. Pierce was previously employed by Guaranty Bank & Trust Company in Belzoni for 26 years. She graduated from the Mississippi School of Banking at University of...

Mississippi Public Broadcasting (MPB).(People to Watch)
December 5, 2005... Mississippi Public Broadcasting (MPB) promoted Keri Horn to closed caption supervisor. Horn began at MPB as a closed caption writer in 1999. In 2004 she became a promotional writer/producer and helped implement the agency's change from ETV to...

Singing River Hospital System.(People to Watch)
December 5, 2005... New officers on the Singing River Hospital System board of trustees for fiscal year 2005-2006 are: Michael Heidelberg of Pascagoula, president; Tommy Leonard of St. Martin, vice-president; and Michael Tolleson of Pascagoula,...

Bill Ray, CEO of BankPlus, recently presented a $700,000 check to Don Paxton, executive director for the Central Mississippi Chapter of the American Red Cross, and Worth Thomas, chairman of the board for the Central Mississippi Chapter of the American Red Cross.(People to Watch)
December 5, 2005... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: Bill Ray, CEO of bankPlus, recently presented a $700,000 check to Don Paxton, executive director for the Central Mississippi Chapter of the American Red Cross, and Worth Thomas, chairman of the board for the...

HORNE, LLP.(promotions)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... HORNE, LLP (CPAs and Business Advisors) recently announced staff promotions. Those promoted in the assurance department were Jennifer Sharp, CPA, team member since 2004, to serve as manager, Emily Provias, team member since 2001, along with...

Phelps Dunbar, LLP.(Dan M. McDaniel Jr. appointed)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Dan M. McDaniel Jr. was recently inducted as the president of the International Association of Gaming Attorneys (IAGA). McDaniel is a partner in the law firm Phelps Dunbar, LLP, and has exclusively practiced in the area of gaming for the past...

Mississippi House of Representatives.(People to Watch)
December 5, 2005... Rep. George Flaggs (D-Vicksburg) was recently honored with the Vernon Dahmer Award by the Mississippi NAACP for his tireless work to reform Mississippi's juvenile justice system. Flaggs is chairman of the juvenile justice committee in the...

Brunini, Grantham, Grower and Hewes.(People to Watch)
December 5, 2005... Robert L. Gibbs has become a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. Gibbs is a partner in the firm of Brunini, Grantham, Grower and Hewes and has been practicing law since 1979. He is an alumna of the University of Mississippi School...

U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center's (ERDC).(People to Watch)
December 5, 2005... Dr. Todd Bridges of the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center's (ERDC) Environmental Laboratory (EL) in Vicksburg was recently promoted to senior scientist for Environmental Sciences. Bridges joined the laboratory team in 1992 as a...

Mississippi Municipal League.(Tracey Searcy, Shari T. Veazey promoted)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Tracey Searcy was recently promoted to accounting coordinator for the Mississippi Municipal League. Searcey joined the staff in 2005 as the receptionist. She handles accounts receivables and accounts payable and serves as the staff liaison with...

Fred Jones coming to Capital City, creating dozens of jobs.(Strictly Business)
December 5, 2005... JACKSON -- Fred Jones Enterprises, an Oklahoma City, Okla.-based distributor of Ford power train parts, will relocate and consolidate its New Orleans and Memphis sales and distribution centers to Jackson by the end of the year. This relocation...

SBA loans surpass $710m.(Strictly Business)
December 5, 2005... MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST -- U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) disaster assistance loans in the Gulf Coast area ravaged by hurricanes this year has passed the $710-million mark, with loans now being approved at the rate of $26.4 million a...

Tidelands lease funds hit record.(Strictly Business)
December 5, 2005... BILOXI -- Mississippi Secretary of State Eric Clark recently presented a check for approximately $7.67 million to the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources for tideland lease revenue collected on the Mississippi Gulf Coast last year. ...

Moody's upgrades state.(Strictly Business)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Moody's Investment Services has removed the State of Mississippi from a "negative watchlist" and affirmed the "Aa3" bond rating, according to Mississippi Treasury Department. "Moody's announcement confirms the wisdom of conservative...

SHRM joins search for Best Places to Work in Mississippi.(Strictly Business)
December 5, 2005... Special to the Mississippi Business Journal The Mississippi Society of Human Resource Management has joined Southern Research Group, U.S. NetworX and the Mississippi Business Journal to find the Best Places to Work in Mississippi. ...

CRI joins MSNA.(Strictly Business)(Carr, Riggs & Ingram, LLC)(Moore Stephens North America Inc. )(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... RIDGELAND -- Carr, Riggs & Ingram, LLC (CRI), one of the largest accounting and consulting firms in the Southeast, has joined one of the largest CPA firm associations, based on revenues, in the United States. The recently announced merger of...

Lee to retire in 2006.(Strictly Business)(J. Charles Lee resigns from Mississippi State University as president)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... STARKVILLE -- Mississippi State University (MSU) president J. Charles Lee will step down as head of the university sometime before the end of the current academic year. Lee said he has asked the board of trustees of State Institutions of Higher...

Vue Crescente wins approval.(Strictly Business)
December 5, 2005... BILOXI -- The Biloxi Planning Commission has approved the Vue Crescente Resort and Marina Project, a luxury condominium is to be located on a 6.8-acre site on the Biloxi Back Bay. The project will now go before the Biloxi City Council for final...

Emerald Coast works on project.(Strictly Business)
December 5, 2005... GULFPORT -- Emerald Coast Software Company recently contributed to a significant upgrade project for Cingular Wireless in collaboration with its partner, InfoSpace Inc. of Bellevue, Wash. Infospace's mobile portal services platform is powering...

Grant, loan guarantee presented.(Strictly Business)
December 5, 2005... CLARKSDALE and BATESVILLE -- USDA Rural Development state director Nick Waiters joined local economic development leaders and elected officials in Coahoma County November 17 to commemorate a USDA Rural Development value-added grant that could...

DSU offering intersession courses.(Strictly Business)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... CLEVELAND -- Beginning this December, Delta State University (DSU), through the Division of Graduate and Continuing Studies, will introduce intersession courses. Designed for students wanting to take courses to meet a goal of graduating earlier...

Isle reports losses.(Isle of Capri Casinos Inc.)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... BILOXI -- Isle of Capri Casinos Inc. reported a net loss during its second quarter of $4.2 million, or $0.14 per basic common share, compared to net income of $450,000, or $0.01 per diluted common share, for the same quarter last year. ...

Challenge returning.(Strictly Business)
December 5, 2005... JACKSON -- Teachers can now register their teams for the third Mississippi Economics Challenge, which is sponsored by the Mississippi Council on Economic Education (MCEE). The challenge, scheduled for March 30, 2006 in Jackson, provides the...

Facilities win again.(Strictly Business)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... VICKSBURG -- ConventionSouth magazine, for the second consecutive year, has presented the Vicksburg Convention Center and Vicksburg Auditorium with its Reader's Choice Award. Only the top vote-getters out of approximately 2,000 meeting...

CFNM backing Wellspring.(Commission on the Future of Northeast Mississippi)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI -- The Commission on the Future of Northeast Mississippi (CFNM) has voted to endorse and support Project Wellspring, a tri-county industrial development initiative. Project Wellspring is a 1,700-plus-acre site located...

Corps facility acquired.(Government Properties Trust Inc)(U.S. Army Corps of Engineers building)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... VICKSBURG -- Government Properties Trust Inc. has completed the acquisition of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers building at 4155 Clay Street in Vicksburg for approximately $26.5 million. The property is a regional facility for the U.S. Army...

Beautiful Bride 2006 slated.(Strictly Business)
December 5, 2005... VICKSBURG -- The bridal show Beautiful Bride 2006 will be held January 7, 2006, beginning at 1 p.m. at the Vicksburg Convention Center. The event will feature everything a bride needs to plan her wedding plus a fashion show featuring...

NRF revises forecast.(National Retail Federation)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... WASHINGTON -- The National Retail Federation (NRF) has revised its holiday sales forecast and expects total holiday retail sales to increase 6% over last year to $439.53 billion. This marks the first time that NRF has ever officially upgraded...

United Way to offer 2-1-1.(Strictly Business)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... JACKSON -- The United Way of America has awarded a $200,00 grant to the United Way of the Capital Area to start and support the new United Way 2-1-1 system for the entire state. "We are looking forward to making this service available to...

Taylor expects federal help in rebuilding region.(Gene Taylor)(Interview)
December 5, 2005... BAY ST. LOUIS -- Since Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast August 29, U.S. Rep. Gene Taylor, a Democrat from Bay St. Louis, has been leading the charge for federal assistance in rebuilding efforts. The 52-year-old shares the...

Project will recreate genetic code of Coast housing: plans will reflect unique architectural styles.
December 5, 2005... The Coast lost 31,000 homes to Katrina, an incredible wealth of different architectural styles. But as part of the Governor's Commission effort, two plans books that normally would cost about $300,000 are being developed that will provide...

Businesses rebuilding in flood zones face challenges.
December 5, 2005... There is a major issue facing the rebuilding of businesses in areas of the Coast near waterways where flood levels were high. in areas like East Biloxi, FEMA is recommending that Base Flood Elevations be increased in height by four to eight...

Certified retirement communities.(Directory)
December 5, 2005... City Director Address Aberdeen Susan Evans Aberdeen Visitors Bureau, P.O. Box 288, Aberdeen, MS 39730-0288 Booneville Lori Blansett Booneville Area...

Brandon, Laurel have what it takes for retiree program.(Focus Economic Development)
December 5, 2005... After 10 years of no new communities named to the Hometown Mississippi Retirement Program, Brandon and Laurel have joined the ranks of this distinctive statewide list. There are now 21 certified cities in the program administered by the...

Leland Speed relishes the highs, tackles the lows.(Focus Economic Development)(Interview)
December 5, 2005... As 2005 draws to a close, Mississippi Development Authority (MDA) chief Leland Speed is looking back at "one helluva year." On Thanksgiving Eve, he took time to chat with the Mississippi Business Journal about the year's highs and lows for...

Heidel aggressively marketing Mississippi's Capital City.(Focus Economic Development)(Jimmy Heidel of Mississippi Development Authority)(Interview)
December 5, 2005... JACKSON -- When newly-elected Mayor Frank Melton lured former Mississippi Development Authority leader Jimmy Heidel to the post as the city's new economic development chief, he told him "you're totally in charge. Revamp it any way you want....

Itta Bena native steers Brookhaven's development efforts.(Focus Economic Development)
December 5, 2005... BROOKHAVEN -- As a child riding the school bus through Itta Bena to Pillow Academy, Cliff Brumfield often daydreamed about living in the stately brick house fronting Roebuck Lake that he passed daily. "It was nothing tremendous, no castle,...

Starkville, Oktibbeha experiencing wide-ranging growth.(Focus Economic Development)
December 5, 2005... STARKVILLE -- Things are hopping in Starkville and Oktibbeha County. According to David Thornell, there are a variety of good things happening that include growth in industries, jobs, retail, housing, highways and population. "We have a...

Economic outlook bright in South Mississippi despite hurricane.(Focus Economic Development)
December 5, 2005... Economic development activity is booming in South Mississippi despite Hurricane Katrina--or in some instances, because of it. These are the best of times and the worst of times as counties deal with devastation and rebuilding while also...

The Book Rack's inventory, owner wins customers.(Book Business)
December 5, 2005... JACKSON -- Though tucked away in a little shop in the Canton Square Mart, The Book Rack has built a large and loyal customer base over the years, particularly under the leadership of current owner Margaret McMullin. One has to wonder, are...

Campaign promotes city as holiday destination.
December 12, 2005... Jackson Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) is On a roll with "Jingle Bell Jackson," a citywide celebration of festive events geared to market the city as a holiday destination. Only in its second year, the number of special hotel packages...

BancorpSouth title sponsor for Sports Hall induction.
December 12, 2005... Special to the Mississippi Business Journal JACKSON -- At a December 5, 2005, press conference, David Barrentine, region president of Tupelo-based BancorpSouth, announced that the financial institution would be the title sponsor at the 44th...

Swedes hop pond for trade mission to Madison County: 15 companies offer hurricane recovery goods, services.
December 12, 2005... Fifteen Swedish companies pitched their products and services to U.S. companies last week during a trade mission in Madison County. The Swedes hope to have a hand in the massive cleanup and rebuilding following the hurricane disasters. The...

Don't delay: smart tax planning starts now, if not sooner.
December 12, 2005... It was my privilege to have served as a tax advisor for some three decades. Though I am retired from the tax consulting business, this time of year always reminds me of the hustle and bustle of trying to make clients' tax problems disappear...

Only a few short days left to shop local, buy Mississippi.(Brief Article)
December 12, 2005... Communities around the Magnolia State go to great lengths this time of year to encourage folks to do their holiday shopping locally. Have you been wandering the mall since the day after Thanksgiving, muttering to yourself and wondering what...

'Community' still alive and well for Americans.(From the Ground Up)
December 12, 2005... Editor's note: This column first ran in the December 24-31, 2001, issue of the Mississippi Business Journal. This past month I have been doing a lot of thinking about the term "community" and what it means. A few years ago I made a...

Mississippi Municipal League.(People to Watch)
December 12, 2005... June Dunlap has been promoted to member services coordinator of the Mississippi Municipal League (MML) where she is responsible for maintaining the League's database and the transcripts for over 650 municipal elected officials currently...

Community Bank.(People to Watch)
December 12, 2005... Carl L. Nicholson Jr. was elected to the board of directors for Community Bank. Nicholson currently serves as president of the accounting firm he opened in 1977, Nicholson & Company, P.A. Nicholson is a former member of the board of trustees of...

Better Business Bureau.(appointment of Linda Ferguson as board of directors)(Brief Article)
December 12, 2005... The Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBBB) has named Linda Ferguson to its board of directors. Ferguson is owner of Pearl-based Safeway Cleaners. She has been appointed to serve on two committees of the CBBB Board, including udit and...

Singing River Hospital System.(People to Watch)
December 12, 2005... Two physicians have joined the medical staffs of Ocean Springs Hospital. Dr. William Evans, neurologist, is a native of New Orleans. Evans received his medical degree and performed an internship at Tulane School of Medicine. Evans is in...

Cingular Wireless and non-profit Invest USA recently teamed up to help law enforcement agencies in need of vital protective equipment.(People to Watch)
December 12, 2005... Cingular Wireless and non-profit Invest USA recently teamed up to help law enforcement agencies in need of vital protective equipment. Cingular is donating $10,000 in the form of 20 bulletproof vests to begin to help those agencies that have...

PEER Committee review focuses on State Health Department.
December 12, 2005... JACKSON -- The PEER Committee has conducted a review of the current state health officer, Brain Amy, M.D., who assumed office in October 2002, in response to a citizen's complaint alleging that Amy's management decisions have negatively...

HMA buys Gilmore Memorial.(Strictly Business)
December 12, 2005... AMORY -- Health Management Associates Inc. (HMA) of Naples, Fla., has completed the acquisition of Gilmore Memorial Hospital located in this Northeast Mississippi city. The transaction was effective as of December 1, 2005. Terms were not...

BancorpSouth completes merger.(Strictly Business)
December 12, 2005... TUPELO -- BancorpSouth Inc. has completed its merger with American State Bank Corporation of Jonesboro, Ark., and the merger of American State Bank with its subsidiary BancorpSouth Bank, effective December 1, 2005. The merger expands...

The Pantry buying stores.(Strictly Business)
December 12, 2005... ACROSS MISSISSIPPI -- The Pantry Inc. has signed a definitive agreement to acquire 39 convenience stores in Mississippi and Louisiana from Waring Oil Company, LLC, which has been operating the stores under the Interstate Food Stop banner. The...

Rolls-Royce delivers propeller.(Strictly Business)
December 12, 2005... PASCAGOULA -- Despite the significant impact of Hurricane Katrina, Rolls-Royce has delivered the first of four propellers for the USS George H. W. Bush (CVN 77), the nation's newest and most advanced nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. The...

UMC creates development office for private fund raising.(University of Mississippi Medical Center)
December 12, 2005... JACKSON -- Decreasing federal and state support for medical education is a national trend and Mississippi is a part of that trend. With the establishment of a development office at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMC), Mississippi...

Mississippi Sports Medicine wraps up expansion.
December 12, 2005... JACKSON -- The burgeoning demand for sports medicine prompted Mississippi Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center to double its one-stop shop for people with sports injuries. Mississippi Sports Medicine recently completed a...

Local firm markets lifelike prosthetics around globe.(Healthcare Mississippi)
December 12, 2005... A Brandon-based prosthetics firm has developed a new skin production technique that allows the company to make life-like prosthetic devices for amputees around the world. Alatheia Prosthetics has developed Dermatos prosthetic skin that...

Hospitals don't let flooding, wind, waves stop service.
December 12, 2005... Coast hospitals took a beating during Katrina. Hancock Medical Center in Bay St. Louis, for example, was completely shut down for a month after floodwaters swept through the entire first floor, effectively taking out the emergency room,...

Coast physicians rebuilding and caring for patients.(Healthcare Mississippi)
December 12, 2005... Imagine losing your home and medical office in Hurricane Katrina, and then learning that most of the community thinks that you are dead. Dr. Ben Kitchens and his wife lost their home in Katrina, and it wasn't the first time the Kitchens...

Pay attention to signs of depression during holidays.(seasonal affective disorder )
December 12, 2005... It may be the season to be jolly, but depression is not uncommon this time of year. Mental health agencies provide tips and counseling to ease the holiday depression that for some is inevitable. For many state residents holiday depression will...

Physical therapy centers growing to meet demand.(Healthcare Mississippi)
December 12, 2005... Baby Boomers refusing to slow down and young athletes pushing their bodies to physical limits have created a burgeoning market for physical therapists. "Definitely the middle-age athletic population has increased exponentially," said Dr....

Medical clinic provides needed services to Katrina survivors: Camp Coast Care part of Lutheran Episcopal Disaster Response's effort to help region recover.
December 12, 2005... LONG BEACH -- Camp Coast Care is providing a multitude of needed services for people of the devastated Gulf Coast. Chief among those is the medical clinic that is open six-and-a-half days a week and staffed by volunteer physicians and nurses...

Physical rehabilitation centers.
December 12, 2005... Company Name Top Officer(s) Address Telephone * FAX Methodist Rehabilitation Center Mark Adams 1350 E. Woodrow Wilson (601)...

Physician incorporates latest technology into new facility: interior touches designed to provide soothing experience for patients at family medicine practice.(Healthcare Mississippi)
December 12, 2005... CLINTON -- Some men don't like to admit that they have picked out the colors for a new interior, but not David Wheat, M.D., owner of the recently-constructed, 3,900-square-foot Clinton Family Clinic, LLC. The family practitioner, who sees...

Plant making Marsellus caskets.(Brief Article)
December 12, 2005... BATESVILLE -- Batesville Casket Company has added Marsellus caskets to its manufacturing operation in the Magnolia State. Beginning in late November, the first Marsellus casket will come off the production line at the company's plant in Panola...

USLF, STP form alliance.(United States legal forms)(Specialty Technical Publishers)(Brief Article)
December 12, 2005... JACKSON -- U.S. Legal Forms (USLF) has entered into an alliance with Specialty Technical Publishers (STP) to market a comprehensive online legal form subscriptions service. FormsPass is designed to provide users with immediate access to...

Freddie Mac extends grace period.(Strictly Business)
December 12, 2005... MCLEAN, VA. -- Freddie Mac is extending through February 28, 2006 its foreclosure suspension on mortgages on homes in Hurricane Katrina and Rita disaster areas and adopting other policies so servicers can continue to extend the mortgage payment...

Hancock sales decrease, completes transactions.(Strictly Business)
December 12, 2005... BALDWYN -- Hancock Fabrics Inc. reported that sales in the four-week period ended November 26, 2005, totaled $38.1 million, compared with $41.2 million in the same period of the prior year. Sales in comparable stores decreased 9.2% in November....

Market watchers anticipate monthly employment report.(Current Employment Statistics)
December 12, 2005... The employment report or employment "situation" for each month is released the first week following the end of that month by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in the Department of Labor (www.bls.gov) and is one of most important economic ...