Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/120087
Friday, April 5, 2013 – Daily News 5B Stocks move higher on Wall Street; Best Buy soars NEW YORK (AP) — The Dow Jones industrial average closed higher Thursday, regaining half of its decline the day before, as buyers returned to the market. The Dow rose 55.76 points, or 0.4 percent, to close at 14,606.11. On Wednesday it dropped 111, its worst fall in more than a month, following weak reports on hiring and service industries. The decline was enough to make stock prices seem attractive again. ''Investors have been looking for a reason to sell, given the rally we've seen in the market in the past couple of months,'' said Joseph Tanious, a global market strategist at JPMorgan Funds. ''Today, you're seeing investors come back into the market and buy on the dip.'' The stock market got off to a strong start in 2013. The Dow climbed 10 percent in the first three months of the year and closed at a record high of 14,662 Tuesday. Investors have been encouraged by signs that the housing market was recovering and Wall Street that hiring was picking up. The market continued a steady advance through the first two weeks of March, but since then indexes have been alternating between gains and losses on a nearly daily basis as investors' confidence in the U.S. economic recovery weakened. There was more discouraging economic news Thursday that held the market in check. The number of Americans seeking unemployment aid rose to a four-month high of 385,000 last week, the Labor Department said. The government will issue its employment report Friday, which investors look at closely for insight into how the U.S. economy is doing. ''The trend seems to be worsening,'' said Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at Rockwell Global Capital. ''We're seeing a little hesitation in anticipation of tomorrow's job report.'' Safer industry groups rose Thursday. Telecom- munications companies and utilities led the gains for the S&P 500, rising 1.3 percent and 0.9 percent. So-called defensive industries, such as health care, consumer staples and utilities, which have stable earnings and dividends, have led the market rally this year. Investors have been seeking out stocks that give them similar characteristics to debt investments after a power- ful rally in bonds over the last year pushed yields sharply lower. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note has traded below 2 percent for most of the last year. The 10-year yield fell to 1.76 percent Thursday from 1.81 percent a day earlier, within a fraction of its lowest level of the year. The note's yield has declined over the last month as demand for less risky assets increased following the financial crisis in Cyprus and signs of a slowdown in the U.S. The yield was as high as 2.06 percent on March 11. Japanese stocks jumped and the yen sank after the country's central bank announced aggressive measures for getting the world's third-largest economy out of a two-decade slump. The Bank of Japan, under new Governor Heartworm risk extremely high The Northern Sacramento Valley Mosquito & Vector Control District regularly monitors mosquito populations and tests samples of mosquitoes for diseases such as West Nile virus, St. Louis encephalitis, and western equine encephalomyelitis. Mosquito traps set in Northern California also regularly collects high numbers of Aedes sierrensis, the western treehole mosquito. This small (about 1/4 inch) mosquito is the primary vector (or transmitter) of the Dirofilaria immitis, the parasite that causes heartworm disease in dogs, coyotes, and occasionally cats. Animals may become infected when bitten by a mosquito carrying the parasite. Female mosquitoes pick up the parasite when they bite an infected animal. The western treehole mosquito prefers to lay eggs in water that collects in treeholes in mature oak and walnut trees but will utilize other trees or suitable sites such as abandoned tires, buckets, and small containers that fill with rainwa- ter and contain leaves. "The rainfall we receive each year fills up treeholes and containers allowing dormant eggs of this species to hatch," Dr. Richard Gebhart, DVM said. "This mosquito is most active at dusk but may be active and biting in shaded areas during daylight hours. We encourage pet owners to protect their pets from mosquito bites and consider placing their pets on heartworm preventive medications available in topical, chewable, or injectable forms. Unfortunately, if your pet spends any time outdoors, it's extremely likely they will contract heartworms. Fortunately, there is a simple test that can be performed by a veterinarian." Preventive injections and preventive products provides protection against heartworms that lasts for months and can be prescribed at all veterinary clinics. April, May, and June is Northern California Heartworm Awareness Season. A special website bringing awareness to the pet owners of North- LEGAL NOTICE ern California was made available April 1, at www.PetHealthAwareness.com . Information about the lifecycles of heartworms, local preventive program information, and local clinics and events will be posted there. The American Veterinary Medicine Association has posted this informational video about the dangers of heartworm: http://www.heartworms o c i e t y. o r g / p e t - o w n e r resources/pet-protected.html Useful knowledge • Keep properties free of standing water • Although more common in dogs, heartworm can be fatal to both cats and dogs • Spring and summer promote more larvae activity, but the disease can spread anytime of the year • If your pet has been diagnosed, it will undergo a blood and urine test, chest X-rays, and a series of injections to end the lifecycle of heartworms • More in-depth information can be obtained by visiting: http://www.heartwormsociety.o rg/ Risk of digging into gas, electric lines This April, during National Safe Digging Month, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) reminds customers to call 811 before starting any excavation project, large or small. Excavation damage is among the leading causes of pipeline accidents in the United States. In 2012, PG&E experienced over 1,000 incidents where a third party dug into its natural gas pipelines or electric power lines without calling 811. Utility lines buried underground can lie just a few feet from the surface due to soil erosion or grading. Whether planting a tree, installing a sprinkler system or building a fence, homeowners and professional excavators need to know where these lines lie underground before digging to prevent injuries, property damage and outages. Striking and damaging underground gas and electric lines creates a serious safety concern for the excavator and the public. It can also impact gas and electric service to homes, schools and hospitals in the community. What's more, repair costs billed to excavators can total several thousand dollars for damage to distribution lines and tens to hundreds of thousands for damage to larger transmission lines. These accidents can be prevented with an easy call to 811, a free service that provides important information on where utilities exist beneath excavation areas. Calling 811 puts customers in direct contact with Underground Service Alert (USA), which notifies local utility companies to mark the approximate location of their underground facilities in and around the excavation site, helping customers and contractors avoid them. Anyone can call USA from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, except for holidays. California law requires anyone doing excavation work to notify utilities at least two working days before digging. Requests will be accepted as early as 14 days in advance of an excavation. Once a request is received, the customer or contractor will receive a list of notified utilities that may have underground lines in the area. PG&E offers these tips for a safe excavation: If you believe a utility has not marked its lines, call 811 again to notify USA. To help utilities, excavators should mark the boundary of the proposed excavation area in white. On paved surfaces, use white chalk-based paint. On unpaved surfaces, use flags or stakes. Homeowners can use other white substances, such as sugar or flour to mark the proposed excavation area. Carefully use hand tools to excavate within 24 inches on either side of a utility marking. Be careful not to erase utility marks while working. If you cannot see the markings, call 811 and request a remarking. 811 requests are active for 28 days. Notify USA if work continues beyond that time. Immediately notify utilities about any type of contact or damage to their wires or pipes. If there is any type of damage to PG&E electric wires or gas pipelines, or if there is a possible gas leak, take these steps promptly: Move to a safe location upwind where you can no longer smell natural gas; Call 911; Call PG&E at 1-800743-5000 For more information about USA, visit www.call811.com. For tips on safe digging during the month of April, visit PG&E's Facebook page or PG&E's Twitter feed at www.twitter.com/pge4me. Public hearing scheduled on area aging plan Seniors, caregivers, adults with disabilities, and other interested persons are cordially invited to attend the Public Hearing on the Area 3 Agency on Aging's Area Plan update for fiscal year 2013-2014. Area 3 includes Tehama County. The Plan identifies the nature and scope of a continuum of services funded through the Older Americans Act. The services proposed in the plan include continuation of direct provision of Information and Assistance, Family Caregiver Support Program, Ombudsman, Elder Abuse Prevention, Health Promotion and HICAP by the Passages Area 3 Agency on Aging, and a variety of contracted services, including congregate and home-deliv- ered meals, transportation, legal services, and medication management. The hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Wednesday, April 17, at the Golden Valley Bank, 190 Cohassett Road, in Chico. The public is welcome. Seniors (60 years of age and older) are especially encouraged to attend. For more information call (530) 898-6768. Publish: April 5, 2013 Haruhiko Kuroda, surprised markets by saying it would greatly increase the country's money supply with the goal of encouraging people and businesses to borrow and spend. The yen weakened 3.6 percent against the dollar, to 96.33 yen, while Tokyo's Nikkei stock index rose 2.2 percent to 12,634.54. U.S.-listed shares of Japanese automakers rose sharply. A weaker yen would make Japanese vehicles less expensive in markets outside Japan, and therefore more competitive. The U.S. shares of Toyota rose $4.75, or 4.7 percent, to $105.63, Honda's rose $2.01, or 5.4 percent, to $39.21 and Nissan's rose $1.03, or 5.5 percent, to $19.85. Japanese electronics makers also rose. Sony rose 57 cents, or 3.5 percent, to $17 and Panasonic climbed 27 cents, or 4.2 percent, to $6.69. In other trading, the Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 6.29 points, or 0.4 percent, to 1,559.98. The Nasdaq composite fell rose 6.38 points, or 0.2 percent, to 3,224.98.