Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/39734
6A Daily News – Friday, August 19, 2011 More people sought unemployment benefits WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of people applying for unemployment benefits rose back above 400,000 last week. Still, the four-week average, a more reliable gauge of the job market, fell to the lowest level since mid-April. The report suggests that the economy is creating jobs but not nearly enough to lower the high unemployment rate. Weekly applications rose 9,000 to a seasonally adjusted 408,000, the Labor Department said Thursday. That's the high- est level in four weeks. Appli- cations have been above 400,000 for 18 of the past 19 weeks. The rise in applications con- tributed to increased gloom on Wall Street about the prospects for the U.S. economy. The Dow Jones Industrial Average plum- meted 483 points in morning trading. Broader indexes also fell sharply. The four-week average dropped for the seventh straight week to 402,500. Still, applica- tions typically must fall below 375,000 to signal healthy job growth. The last time they were dropped to 399,000. That was the first time they had fallen below 400,000 since early April. Separately, the Labor Department said consumers paid more for gas, food and clothes last month, pushing prices up by the most since the spring. The Consumer Price Index rose 0.5 percent in July, follow- ing a drop of 0.2 percent in June. Gas prices accounted for much of the swing. The core index, which excludes volatile food and energy, rose 0.2 per- cent. The report on weekly unem- ployment applications does pro- vide some positive signs for hir- ing in August. Applications are lower than they were in mid- July, when they totaled 422,000. that low was in late February. The job market ''may be improving, but the rate of improvement is very sluggish,'' Steven Wood, an economist at Insight Economics, said in a note to clients. Two weeks ago, applications Thursday's report covers the week in which the Labor Department asks companies about their payrolls for its August report on hiring. The drop from last month suggests slightly more jobs were added this month. Employers added 117,000 net jobs in July, roughly double the totals from each of the pre- vious two months. The unem- ployment rate ticked down to 9.1 percent. Other recent data show the economy gradually improved in July, after growing at annual rate of just 0.8 percent in the first six months of the year. Consumers spent more on retail goods in July than in any month since March. And facto- ry output rose in July by the most since the Japan crisis, a sign that supply chain disrup- tions caused by the March 11 earthquake could be fading. Still, July's job gains are barely enough to keep up with population growth. At least double that many new jobs are needed to significantly reduce unemployment. And a con- sumer sentiment survey taken earlier this month showed con- fidence in the economy fell to the lowest level in 31 years, raising concerns that Americans could pull back on spending. Worries about U.S. econom- ic weakness and the ongoing European debt crisis caused the stock markets to plunge in recent weeks. While stock indexes have recovered some lost ground, the Dow Jones industrial average is more than 1,200 points lower than it was on July 22. In an effort to boost growth, the Federal Reserve last week said it will keep its benchmark short-term interest rate at nearly zero until mid-2013. Previous- ly, the central bank had never given a clear time frame. It hopes the certainty of low rates will encourage consumers and businesses to borrow and spend more. The Fed's assessment of the economy last week was gloomi- er than it had been in June. The Fed said it ''anticipates that the unemployment rate will decline only gradually.'' The number of people receiving unemployment bene- fits rose 7,000 to 3.7 million. But that doesn't include more than 3.5 million people who receive extended benefits under emergency programs enacted by Congress. All told, 7.3 mil- lion people received benefits in the week ending July 30, the latest data available. Yosemite: Strikingly scenic, highly hazardous YOSEMITE NATION- AL PARK (MCT) — For many, the allure of Yosemite National Park isn't just its jaw-dropping vistas but the exhilaration of edging right up to a rush- ing river, cascading water- fall or towering granite face. Here in the glacier- carved Yosemite Valley, the most striking beauty is often found on the most dangerous precipices, and not everyone heeds the park's safety warnings. Hik- ers take unusual risks to get that perfect snapshot and families swim in pools that swirl just above raging falls. Invariably, some get hurt, go missing or die. This summer, the num- ber of deaths at the park had jumped to 14 by the end of July, twice the average at that point in the year, spark- ing a debate about what can be done to improve safety. Park officials say warn- ing signs, barriers and efforts to educate people about the risks at Yosemite are adequate and that it's up to visitors to make the right decisions. "This is Yosemite National Park; we're sur- rounded by 300-foot cliffs and granite walls and rush- ing water," spokeswoman Kari Cobb said. "We have 800 miles of trails in this park, and we don't have a ranger at each and every dangerous spot." Many visitors agree, saying human error is unavoidable. But as Yosemite's rivers swell with record snowmelt and its trails fill with sight- seers, others wonder whether the amusement parklike atmosphere in Yosemite Valley in the summer —the traffic jams, long lines, bustling sou- venir shops and jam-packed shuttle buses — give those unacquainted with the power of nature a false sense of security. "It's a fundamental conundrum for the Park Service that the danger in nature is part of the appeal," said Andrew Kirk, an envi- ronmental history professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. "One of the rea- sons the parks exist and the public has supported their preservation is that they offer a unique experience for people to have a close encounter with some really RANDAL S. ELLOWAY DDS IMPLANTS DENTISTRY 2426 SO. MAIN ST., RED BLUFF 530-527-6777 FACT SHEET ON DENTAL IMPLANTS DENTAL IMPLANTS: * are the most advanced tooth replacement system ever devised *help preserve jawbone to prevent the appearance of premature aging *look and function like natural teeth *are placed/restored in the doctor's office with minimal discomfort *improves comfort, appearance, speech * have a 95% success rate * allow you to eat the foods you love and talk, laugh and smile with confidence * represent a conservative treatment option-- adjacent teeth are left untouched * never develop decay * can provide great stability for lower denture * can completely eliminate the need for a denture * can help people of any age * give patients a third set of teeth that are natural looking and very long-lasting Ask yourself the following questions: Are you missing one or more of your natural teeth? Do you have a complete or partial denture that is no longer completely comfortable? Have you ever been embarrassed by a denture or a bridge? If you answered "yes" to one or more of these questions, call us today at (530) 527-6777 to schedule an evaluation appointment. We would be pleased to evaluate your oral health and discuss treatment options with you. • RESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL • NEW CONSTRUCTION • SALES • SERVICE • REPAIRS www.CascadeComfort.com Tehama Counties Factory Authorized Bryant Dealer Whatever it takessm CASCADE COMFORT SERVICE INC. Air Conditioning & Heating Lic #593323 24 HOUR SERVICE 530 529-1990 Your First Call For Comfort raw, natural forces that are inherently dangerous." The majority of search- and-rescue calls at Yosemite come from one corridor: the popular Mist Trail, where on summer weekends up to 2,500 hik- ers a day plod 1.5 miles up a steep, paved footpath and a mist-slickened rock stair- case to the top of Vernal Fall. Last month three young people from a Modesto- area church group were swept over the edge of the 317-foot drop-off after ignoring warning signs and climbing over a metal guardrail at the top of the waterfall. In May a hiker from Austin, Texas, slipped from the steps of the Mist Trail and fell to his death in the Merced River. Park rangers posted pho- tos along the trail of the three hikers with a plea for information about any sightings. Two of the bodies have yet to be found. After the accident, a makeshift memorial — a cross lashed together with yellow rope — was placed near the edge of the waterfall, just beyond the safety railing. Scott Garibaldi, a 49- year-old concrete worker from Danvill, hiked up the Mist Trail on a trip to the park last year. But on a visit to Yosemite earlier this month, he left the trail off toward the edge. "There's a tendency to assume that the national park is just like the park down the street from your neighborhood," said Michael P. Ghiglieri, a Flagstaff, Ariz.-based river guide and coauthor of the book "Off the Wall: Death in Yosemite." "It's not. And the most spectacular, dan- gerous places are the exact places everyone wants to go." Park officials say a num- ber of factors may account for the apparent spike in fatalities. With snowpack at twice the normal levels and a colder-than-usual spring and summer, the park's waterfalls and rivers have gushed fuller and later in the season than in many years. his itinerary. Dr. Andrew PomazalD.O. Physician & Surgeon General Medicine Saturday Appointments Available • High Blood Pressure • Diabetes • Joint & Muscle Pain • Lung Problems We offer Osteopathic Manipulation 530 528-2066 2050 Main St, Red Bluff Care home offering a Accepting New Patients Full-time or Part-time position As a Direct Support Professional caring for Adults with Developmental Disabilities Experienced preferred, but not mandatory Please contact Autumn Walker at (530) 209-2748 $10 OFF Mention this ad for SERVICE CALL 'Yard Sale Map' Updated Thursday afternoon – for weekend Yard Sales! Click on locations To see items for sale at each location, exact addresses and driving directions! ' ' can be easily accessed from our top menu at www.redbluffdailynews.com . Mouse over the red ' ' tab and scroll down to ' ' and click. "You're just one step away from something hap- pening," he said. "I just started thinking: Anyone could slip at any time, even if you're doing the right thing." Not everyone is so cau- tious. Some hike to Vernal Fall wearing flip-flops and swim trunks, ignoring signs that warn not to swim in Emerald Pool, where the river's water slows to a deep lull before moving swiftly Six of this year's deaths are tied to water, including two hikers who drowned in Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in June. The last known fatali- ty in the park was a hiker who died July 31 descend- ing Half Dome's slick gran- ite face in the rain. A 17-year-old hiker from Fresno died Aug. 10 of a head injury sustained at Yosemite, four days after falling from the slippery steps of the Mist Trail. Park officials do not count the teen's death toward the annual total because he died outside the park's boundaries. Of the 14 fatalities in the park so far this year, six drowned, two fell to their deaths, one died in an auto accident and five died from natural causes. Typically, between 12 and 15 people die in the park by year's end, though the number can vary widely. Last year 15 people died in Yosemite; the deadliest year was 1978, when 39 perished. Check Out our online Ya Ya rd Sale Map Classified rd Sale Map