PR-inside.com Press Releases Free Services http://www.pr-inside.com/ Copyright 08 pr-inside.com pr-inside.com Business (PR-inside.com) http://www.hhgregg.com - hhgregg, Inc.(NYSE:HGG) today announced that it will be conducting a conference call to discuss its operating results for its first fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2008 on Wednesday, August 6, 2008 at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Interested investors and other parties may listen to a simultaneous webcast of the conference call by logging onto the Company's investor relations page at www.hhgregg.com. The call can also be accessed over the phone by dialing (877) 440-5796. Callers should reference the hhgregg first quarter earnings call. A replay of the earnings call will be available on the Company's website through .. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:49:03 GMT http://www.pr-inside.com/hhgregg-inc-announces-conference-call-r721709.htm http://www.pr-inside.com/hhgregg-inc-announces-conference-call-r721709.htm Business (PR-inside.com) http://www.heartlandpaymentsystems.com - Heartland Payment Systems(TM) (NYSE:HPY), a leading provider of credit/debit/prepaid card processing, payroll, check management and payments services, has teamed with the Arkansas Community Bankers Association (ACB) to provide its member banks with a full suite of payments solutions. The ACB is a trade association committed to serving the interests of Arkansas community banks and consists of 148 member banks with almost $50 billion in total assets. As the ACB's exclusive referral partner, Heartland can now provide the association's member banks with credit/debit/prepaid card processing, gift cards, payroll and check management services - from deposit through recovery of .. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:48:05 GMT http://www.pr-inside.com/heartland-payment-systems-tm-teams-with-r721707.htm http://www.pr-inside.com/heartland-payment-systems-tm-teams-with-r721707.htm World News (PR-inside.com) BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) - An Argentine court has sentenced a former army chief to life in prison for the 1977 kidnapping, torture and killing of four activists. Luciano Benjamin Menendez was commander of the Third Army Corps in Cordoba for five years during Argentina's 1976-83 military dictatorship. The 81-year-old has been under house arrest for previous «dirty war» convictions. The three-judge panel in Cordoba has ordered his transfer to prison. One of the judges read the verdict on live television Thursday. Seven others were also convicted for the crimes. Hundreds of people waiting outside the .. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:48:05 GMT http://www.pr-inside.com/ex-argentine-army-chief-sentenced-to-r721708.htm http://www.pr-inside.com/ex-argentine-army-chief-sentenced-to-r721708.htm Finance (PR-inside.com) NEW YORK (AP) - Wall Street abruptly ended an earnings-driven rally and closed sharply lower Thursday after a steeper-than-expected decline in existing home sales and worries about the financial sector chilled the market's recent optimism. The major indexes fell about 2 percent, including the Dow Jones industrial average, which lost more than 275 points. The National Association of Realtors said sales resumed their decline in June after a slight rebound in May. Existing home sales dropped 2.6 percent in June, well beyond the 1 percent drop economists had forecast. Homebuilders and financial companies were .. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:47:05 GMT http://www.pr-inside.com/stocks-tumble-after-sales-of-existing-r721706.htm http://www.pr-inside.com/stocks-tumble-after-sales-of-existing-r721706.htm Business (PR-inside.com) http://www.learningtree.com - Learning Tree International (NASDAQ NM:LTRE) has extended its .NET Development curriculum with the addition of a new course entitled, Programming C# Extended Features: Hands-On. Over 4 days, attendees will be led by an expert instructor in exercises using a progressive case study designed to provide experience applying C# extended features. Participants will also be taught how to... -- Streamline data-centric applications with C# extended features -- Apply lambda expressions and extension methods for middle-tier data processing -- Exploit Language INtegrated Query (LINQ) key words to filter and order data -- Access databases with .. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:47:04 GMT http://www.pr-inside.com/learning-tree-adds-new-hands-on-course-r721705.htm http://www.pr-inside.com/learning-tree-adds-new-hands-on-course-r721705.htm Business (PR-inside.com) - Intellon Corporation John Allen, 352-237-7416 x1148 john.allen@intellon.com Intellon Corporation (Nasdaq:ITLN), a leading provider of HomePlug(R)-compatible integrated circuits (ICs) for home networking, networked entertainment, Ethernet-over-Coax (EoC) and smart grid applications, today announced that Walter Amaral has been elected to the Board of Directors at today's board meeting. Amaral has also been named to the Audit Committee of the Board. Amaral has significant financial and business experience in the semiconductor industry. He has served as senior vice president and chief financial officer for four high technology companies: SiRF, S3, NetManage and Maxtor. Prior to those positions, he spent 15 years .. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:46:02 GMT http://www.pr-inside.com/intellon-corporation-names-walter-amaral-r721703.htm http://www.pr-inside.com/intellon-corporation-names-walter-amaral-r721703.htm World News (PR-inside.com) UNITED NATIONS (AP) - South African judge Navanethem Pillay was nominated Thursday to serve as the next United Nations high commissioner for human rights, a high-profile post for pressing nations to improve how they adhere to international rights accords. She was formally put forward for the job on Thursday by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who cited Pillay's «outstanding credentials in human rights and justice.» Pillay, who holds a Harvard Law School degree, serves as an appeals chamber judge with the Dutch-based International Criminal Court, where she has been since 2003. Known .. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:45:08 GMT http://www.pr-inside.com/south-african-lawyer-picked-as-next-r721702.htm http://www.pr-inside.com/south-african-lawyer-picked-as-next-r721702.htm Business (PR-inside.com) - Fitch Ratings assigns a 'BBB+' rating to the City of Pensacola's series 2008 (AMT) general airport revenue bonds (GARBs) and affirms the 'BBB+' rating on approximately $30.3 million of City of Pensacola, FL (the city) airport revenue bonds. Bonds are expected to sell via negotiation on or about August 11, 2008. Net revenues generated from operations at Pensacola Regional Airport (the airport) secure the bonds. Proceeds will be used to fund portions of the airport's capital plan. The Rating Outlook is Stable. The 'BBB+' rating reflects the airport's role as the principal provider of air travel for the .. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:45:07 GMT http://www.pr-inside.com/fitch-rates-pensacola-fl-s-airport-rev-r721701.htm http://www.pr-inside.com/fitch-rates-pensacola-fl-s-airport-rev-r721701.htm Business (PR-inside.com) http://www.cardinalbank.com - Cardinal Financial Corporation (NASDAQ:CFNL) (the 'Company') today announced that its Board of Directors has declared its quarterly cash dividend of $0.01 per share. This dividend will be paid on August 18, 2008 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on August 5, 2008. About Cardinal Financial Corporation: Cardinal Financial Corporation, a financial holding company headquartered in Tysons Corner, Virginia with assets of $1.73 billion at June 30, 2008, serves the Washington Metropolitan region through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Cardinal Bank, with 25 conveniently located banking offices. Cardinal also operates several other subsidiaries: George Mason Mortgage, .. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:44:04 GMT http://www.pr-inside.com/cardinal-financial-corporation-declares-dividend-r721699.htm http://www.pr-inside.com/cardinal-financial-corporation-declares-dividend-r721699.htm Finance (PR-inside.com) NEW YORK (AP) - Energy market investors managed to win back modest gains Thursday following oil's big drop a day earlier, but they again drove natural gas prices sharply lower as a three-week sell-off of that fuel continued unabated. Light, sweet crude for September delivery rose $1.05 to settle at $125.49 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange _ gaining back only about a quarter of Wednesday's decline. August natural gas tumbled 46.5 cents to settle at $9.283 per 1,000 cubic feet, its lowest point since March. At the gas pump, prices .. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:44:04 GMT http://www.pr-inside.com/oil-rises-but-fails-to-offset-r721700.htm http://www.pr-inside.com/oil-rises-but-fails-to-offset-r721700.htm Business (PR-inside.com) http://www.pepsiamericas.com - PepsiAmericas, Inc. (NYSE: PAS) today announced that its Board of Directors approved a third quarter 2008 dividend of $0.135 per share on PepsiAmericas common stock. The dividend is payable October 1, 2008 to shareholders of record on September 15, 2008. The board reviews the dividend policy on a quarterly basis. The Board of Directors also approved an increase in the Company's existing share repurchase program. The Board authorized the repurchase of an additional 10 million shares of common stock. The authorization is effective immediately and does not have a deadline for execution of repurchases. The Company has .. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:43:03 GMT http://www.pr-inside.com/pepsiamericas-declares-third-quarter-dividend-r721697.htm http://www.pr-inside.com/pepsiamericas-declares-third-quarter-dividend-r721697.htm Business (PR-inside.com) - Fitch Ratings has affirmed and removed the following class of notes from Irvington SCDO 2004-2 Ltd. (Irvington) from Rating Watch Negative: --$25,000,000 class A-1 note due 2010 'AAA'. The rating action reflects Fitch's view on the credit risk of the rated notes following the release of its new corporate CDO rating criteria. Although it was indicated previously that the notes will most likely be downgraded to the 'AA' category, the affirmation accounts for the stable performance of the portfolio credit quality, which has remained essentially the same without further deterioration since Fitch placed the transaction on .. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:42:04 GMT http://www.pr-inside.com/fitch-affirms-irvington-scdo-2004-2-resolves-r721695.htm http://www.pr-inside.com/fitch-affirms-irvington-scdo-2004-2-resolves-r721695.htm Business (PR-inside.com) - SBT Bancorp, Inc., (OTCBB: SBTB), holding company for The Simsbury Bank and Trust Company, today announced its Board of Directors has authorized a stock repurchase program which provides for the repurchase of SBT Bancorp's common stock in amounts up to an aggregate of five percent (5%) of outstanding shares for a period of 18 months. The shares will be repurchased in the open market or through privately negotiated transactions from time to time as, in the opinion of management, market conditions warrant. 'We believe the Company's shares are an attractive investment opportunity, and therefore, the repurchase of our .. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:41:04 GMT http://www.pr-inside.com/sbt-bancorp-inc-announces-stock-repurchase-r721693.htm http://www.pr-inside.com/sbt-bancorp-inc-announces-stock-repurchase-r721693.htm Business (PR-inside.com) - Pepco Holdings, Inc.'s (NYSE: POM) Board of Directors today declared a quarterly dividend on common stock of 27 cents per share payable Sept. 30, 2008, to shareholders of record on Sept. 10, 2008. About PHI: Pepco Holdings, Inc., headquartered in Washington, D.C., delivers electricity and natural gas to about 1.9 million customers in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey and Virginia, through its subsidiaries Pepco, Delmarva Power and Atlantic City Electric. PHI also provides competitive wholesale generation services through Conectiv Energy and retail energy products and services through Pepco Energy Services. Pepco Holdings, Inc. Media: Robert Dobkin, 202-872-2680 or Investor: Donna .. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:40:05 GMT http://www.pr-inside.com/phi-declares-quarterly-dividend-r721692.htm http://www.pr-inside.com/phi-declares-quarterly-dividend-r721692.htm Business (PR-inside.com) http://www.pcconnection.com - PC Connection, Inc. (NASDAQ: PCCC), a leading direct marketer of information technology products and services, will release its second quarter 2008 operating results on the morning of Thursday, July 31, 2008. At 11:00 a.m. ET on that date, management will review these results during their quarterly conference call. The conference call will be available to the general public on a live webcast - in listen-only mode - on the Company's website at http://ir.pcconnection.com. About PC Connection, Inc. PC Connection, Inc., a Fortune 1000 company, owns three sales companies: PC Connection Sales Corporation, MoreDirect, Inc., and GovConnection, .. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:39:06 GMT http://www.pr-inside.com/pc-connection-inc-pccc-to-release-r721690.htm http://www.pr-inside.com/pc-connection-inc-pccc-to-release-r721690.htm Sport (PR-inside.com) RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AP) - The United States defeated Poland 25-18, 23-25, 27-25, 18-25, 16-14 on Thursday to remain alive in the World League volleyball finals. William Priddy closed out the fifth set with his fourth ace of the match at Maracanazinho stadium in Rio de Janeiro. Priddy was one of the leading scorers for the United States with 21 points, along with Clayton Stanley. Mariusz Wlazly of Poland led all scorers with 31 points. The Americans, who would have been eliminated with a loss, now have a chance to reach the semifinals if .. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:39:06 GMT http://www.pr-inside.com/united-states-beats-poland-in-five-r721691.htm http://www.pr-inside.com/united-states-beats-poland-in-five-r721691.htm Business (PR-inside.com) http://www.wisdomtree.com - Investor: KCSA Strategic Communications Jeffrey Goldberger, +1 212-896-1249 jgoldberger@kcsa.com or Todd Fromer, +1 212-896-1215 tfromer@kcsa.com or Media: WisdomTree Investments Stuart Bell, +1 917-267-3702 sbell@wisdomtree.com WisdomTree (Pink Sheets: WSDT), an industry leading index developer and ETF sponsor, will host its first corporate earnings conference call for the second quarter, ending June 30 2008. The company will release its financial results in a news release after the market closes on Thursday, July 31, 2008. WisdomTree will host a conference call at 4:30 p.m. ET on Thursday July 31, 2008. Jonathan Steinberg, CEO, Bruce Lavine, President and COO and Amit .. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:38:03 GMT http://www.pr-inside.com/wisdomtree-schedules-q2-2008-earnings-conference-r721688.htm http://www.pr-inside.com/wisdomtree-schedules-q2-2008-earnings-conference-r721688.htm World News (PR-inside.com) BAGHDAD (AP) - A female suicide bomber blew herself up as she approached U.S.-allied Sunni fighters walking in a crowded area north of Baghdad on Thursday, killing at least eight members of the group and wounding 24 other people, police said. The attack in Baqouba comes as the U.S.-backed Iraqi military prepares to expand operations in Diyala province, of which Baqouba is the capital _ the latest bid to tame the last major insurgent belt north of Baghdad. The woman, who was shrouded in a traditional black Islamic robe, detonated her explosives belt .. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:38:03 GMT http://www.pr-inside.com/iraqi-police-female-suicide-bomber-kills-r721689.htm http://www.pr-inside.com/iraqi-police-female-suicide-bomber-kills-r721689.htm Business (PR-inside.com) http://www.argonst.com - Argon ST, Inc. (NASDAQ:STST), a leading systems engineering, development and services company providing full-service C5ISR (command, control, communications, computers, combat systems, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) systems and services to a wide range of defense and intelligence customers, today announced that it will conduct a conference call at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, August 7, 2008 to discuss the financial results for the third fiscal quarter ending June 29, 2008. The Company plans to issue its earnings press release prior to market open on August 7. To participate in the live conference call, please dial the .. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:37:05 GMT http://www.pr-inside.com/argon-st-inc-announces-conference-call-r721686.htm http://www.pr-inside.com/argon-st-inc-announces-conference-call-r721686.htm Sport (PR-inside.com) JEREZ, Spain (AP) - Red Bull's Mark Webber had the fastest lap at a Formula One test session Thursday, ending Torro Rosso's two-day reign. The Australian completed a best lap of 1 minute, 19.176 seconds around the 4.423-kilometer (2.75-mile) Jerez circuit. «We've had a pretty good two days here. The car ran pretty reliably and we've clocked up some good mileage,» said Webber, who was using the penultimate day of testing to prepare for next week's Hungarian Grand prix. Nelson Piquet Jr. was next fastest with a time of 1:19.334 in his Renault, one-tenth .. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:37:05 GMT http://www.pr-inside.com/red-bull-driver-webber-tops-f-r721687.htm http://www.pr-inside.com/red-bull-driver-webber-tops-f-r721687.htm Business (PR-inside.com) http://www.cokeconsolidated.com - Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated (Nasdaq: COKE) today announced that the Board of Directors has declared a dividend for the Third Quarter of 2008 of $.25 per share on shares of the Company's Common Stock and Class B Common Stock payable on August 22, 2008 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on August 8, 2008. Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated Media Contact: Lauren C. Steele, VP Corporate Affairs 704-557-4551 or Investor Contact: James E. Harris, Senior VP and CFO 704-557-4582 .. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:36:04 GMT http://www.pr-inside.com/coke-consolidated-announces-third-quarter-r721684.htm http://www.pr-inside.com/coke-consolidated-announces-third-quarter-r721684.htm Business (PR-inside.com) - BHP Billiton announced today that its Neptune Tension Leg Platform (TLP) in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico, which began production on July 6, has five of six wells on line and has already ramped up the oil production to full design capacity of 50,000 barrels of oil per day. Natural gas production continues to ramp up. 'The achievement to reach full production capacity in just 15 days after start-up on the Company's first operated, standalone deepwater production platform in the Gulf of Mexico is an outstanding achievement and we're very pleased with how the facility and wells are .. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:35:08 GMT http://www.pr-inside.com/bhp-billiton-s-neptune-project-reaches-r721682.htm http://www.pr-inside.com/bhp-billiton-s-neptune-project-reaches-r721682.htm Business (PR-inside.com) http://www.nul.org - National Urban League Tia Jackson, 212-558-5487 tjackson@nul.org or Hill and Knowlton Judi Durand, 703-725-6017 judi.durand@hillandknowlton.com National Urban League: Morial Statement: 'I applaud the coverage that Soledad O'Brien is delivering on CNN this week. As America looks at these issues, the focus should turn to solutions. We need to work on getting Black Americans the education and healthcare services that they need to grow economically independent families. The Black Community deserves the right to go for the American Dream on an equal footing with the rest of the country.' - Marc H. Morial, President and CEO, National .. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:34:05 GMT http://www.pr-inside.com/national-urban-league-ceo-and-president-r721680.htm http://www.pr-inside.com/national-urban-league-ceo-and-president-r721680.htm Business (PR-inside.com) - Southern Governors' Association Charlotte S. Cole, Director of Communications and Marketing, 202-624-5431 charlottecole@sso.org Southern Governors' Association (SGA) will hold its 74th Annual Meeting, hosted by West Virginia Governor and SGA Chairman Joe Manchin III, at The Greenbrier (White Sulphur Springs), West Virginia, from August 8 - 11. Ten of the region's 18 member governors currently are registered to attend. On Saturday, August 9, U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao will provide keynote remarks to open a roundtable discussion on Issues Impacting Workforce Development in the South. Presiding over America's fastest-growing and rapidly-changing region, Southern governors are committed .. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:33:02 GMT http://www.pr-inside.com/sga-s-74th-annual-meeting-to-be-r721678.htm http://www.pr-inside.com/sga-s-74th-annual-meeting-to-be-r721678.htm Sport (PR-inside.com) TORONTO (AP) - Croatian Marin Cilic upset sixth-seeded Andy Roddick 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 on Thursday, adding the American to list of eliminated seeds from the Masters Series event. The 44th-ranked Cilic previously had beaten 12th-seeded Spaniard Tommy Robredo and Czech qualifier Lukas Dlouhy in earlier rounds. Besides Robredo, Roddick became a spectator along with No. 1 seed Roger Federer, who was beaten Wednesday night by Gilles Simon in his opening match at the US$2.6 million (¤1.66 million) tournament. Also on Thursday, defending champion Novak Djokovic advanced to the quarterfinals with a 6-4, 6-4 victory .. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:33:02 GMT http://www.pr-inside.com/roddick-upset-at-rogers-cup-joins-r721679.htm http://www.pr-inside.com/roddick-upset-at-rogers-cup-joins-r721679.htm Finance (PR-inside.com) NEW YORK (AP) - Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Inc. reported a better-than-expected 16.4 percent drop in second-quarter profit Thursday, although the stock fell after Starwood cut its full-year outlook, citing a weakening U.S. market. Starwood shares fell $4.63, or 11.6 percent, to $35.19 in afternoon trading Thursday. The stock has fallen from a 52-week high of $74.05 last July to touch a low of $30.26 last week. «The slowdown we see continues to be consumer-led,» chief financial officer Vasant Prabhu said during a conference call with analysts. He said the company's weakest .. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:32:07 GMT http://www.pr-inside.com/starwood-reports-lower-2nd-qtr-profit-reduces-r721677.htm http://www.pr-inside.com/starwood-reports-lower-2nd-qtr-profit-reduces-r721677.htm Business (PR-inside.com) - Crowley Maritime Corp., Jacksonville, Fla. Mark Miller, Director, Corporate Communications 904-727-4295 miller@crowley.com or Mabel Perez, Specialist, Corporate Communications 904-727-2532 mabel.perez@crowley.com Residents of Coos Bay, Ore., and others following the monumental shipwreck removal of the New Carissa via news reports and the Internet, can see TITAN Salvage means business. Just three-and-a-half weeks after positioning the second jack-up barge in the surf near the New Carissa shipwreck, TITAN has reported that they have successfully removed more than 400 tons of the stern section above the waterline and will soon be ready to begin pulling the rest of the buried wreck out .. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:32:06 GMT http://www.pr-inside.com/titan-removes-over-400-tons-of-r721676.htm http://www.pr-inside.com/titan-removes-over-400-tons-of-r721676.htm Business (PR-inside.com) - The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms said today that the decision by officials in Wilmette, IL to repeal their 19-year-old handgun ban is 'a victory of substance over symbolism.' CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb said the 1989 ban -- made infamous five years ago when Wilmette homeowner Hale DeMar shot a career criminal in the act of burglarizing DeMar's home for the second night in a row -- has never shown that it had any impact on violent crime. 'It appears the only people affected by the ban were law-abiding citizens like DeMar .. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:31:04 GMT http://www.pr-inside.com/ccrkba-says-wilmette-trustees-acted-properly-r721674.htm http://www.pr-inside.com/ccrkba-says-wilmette-trustees-acted-properly-r721674.htm Business (PR-inside.com) - The Beckwith Company 323-845-9836 David Beckwith/Jason Wanamaker Jason@thebeckwithcompany.com During ELVIS WEEK this August 9-17th, thousands of people from around the world will converge in Memphis at Graceland, the home of Elvis Presley, to celebrate his life. Fans have made the pilgrimage annually since Presley's death in 1977 and this year's gathering will include various special events including the second annual Ultimate Elvis Tribute Contest, fan club events, charity fundraisers, celebrity guests and other musical tributes. The following are highlights of key events. For a detailed version of events, with additional activities and location information, please visit www.ElvisWeek.com. .. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:30:11 GMT http://www.pr-inside.com/graceland-to-celebrate-the-life-of-r721672.htm http://www.pr-inside.com/graceland-to-celebrate-the-life-of-r721672.htm Business (PR-inside.com) http://www.bernicklifson.net - Katherine Roepke, 612-677-1717 Roepke Public Relations kroepke@roepkepr.com Bernick and Lifson is pleased to announce that Mark Greene and Daniel Greenstein have joined the firm as partners. As a result, Bernick and Lifson, P.A. has officially changed its name to Bernick, Lifson, Greenstein, Greene and Liszt, P.A. In concert with the change, the firm has launched a new Web site at www.bernicklifson.com. 'Mark and Dan are exceptional attorneys in their respective fields,' said Saul Bernick, a partner at Bernick, Lifson, Greenstein, Greene and Liszt, P.A. 'Their experience includes notable achievements within their practice areas. Their outstanding client service .. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:29:04 GMT http://www.pr-inside.com/bernick-amp-lifson-announces-new-partners-r721671.htm http://www.pr-inside.com/bernick-amp-lifson-announces-new-partners-r721671.htm Business (PR-inside.com) http://www.vibrantmedia.com - Vibrant Media, the world leader in contextual advertising, has announced the expansion of its London office to accommodate its growing business in Europe, Russia and Asia. Top-tier talent join the company as its business continues to accelerate and contextual advertising based on keywords increasingly becomes a significant piece of the marketing mix. Vibrant, which was founded in 2000, currently reaches 125 million users* each month and has doubled its revenue every year for the last five. New hires include: Jonathan Baron joins Vibrant as the new Vice President of International Sales where he will lead pan-European sales .. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:28:07 GMT http://www.pr-inside.com/worldwide-in-text-leader-vibrant-media-r721670.htm http://www.pr-inside.com/worldwide-in-text-leader-vibrant-media-r721670.htm Business (PR-inside.com) http://www.thecgs.com - Championship Gaming Series Michael Hope, 310-574-5142 mhope@thecgs.com or Fleishman-Hillard Laura Werkheiser, 212-453-2394 laura.werkheiser@fleishman.com Following Semifinal matches earlier this week where San Francisco Optx defeated Berlin Allianz, 24-17, and Birmingham Salvo prevailed over Carolina Core by a single point in overtime, 21-20, the two finalists compete Monday in a live World Championship match that will award one team with the title of Championship Gaming Series 2008 World Champion, the coveted Mountain Dew trophy and the US$500,000 grand prize. San Francisco Optx and Birmingham Salvo will face off at 7 p.m. PDT/10 p.m. EDT, Monday, July 28 during a .. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:27:05 GMT http://www.pr-inside.com/san-francisco-optx-and-birmingham-uk-r721668.htm http://www.pr-inside.com/san-francisco-optx-and-birmingham-uk-r721668.htm World News (PR-inside.com) LIMA, Peru (AP) - A Peruvian model and showgirl is facing a criminal investigation for posing naked sitting atop the country's red-and-white flag. Lacey Zamudio appears in a magazine photo completely nude _ save for a cowboy hat _ atop a horse draped with the Peruvian flag. It comes just days before the country celebrates its independence on Monday. Peru's Defense Minister Antero Flores-Araoz filed a complaint against Zamudio on Thursday, accusing her of offending patriotic symbols. A prosecutor will investigate and decide whether to press charges. The offense carries a maximum .. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:26:03 GMT http://www.pr-inside.com/dancer-faces-criminal-complaint-for-r721665.htm http://www.pr-inside.com/dancer-faces-criminal-complaint-for-r721665.htm Business (PR-inside.com) http://www.frederickwildman.com - Frederick Wildman and Sons, Ltd. Odila Galer-Noel, 212-230-0911 o.galer-noel@frederickwildman.com Constantly on the move and quickly making smart choices for a forward-thinking and focused future, Frederick Wildman and Sons, LTD. is most privileged to announce many new faces, internal changes and promotions in the company's national business. 'The growth and successes over the past decades have enabled us to develop momentum for change and increased growth,' exclaimed Richard Cacciato, Wildman's President and CEO. 'The time has come for us to take our business to a higher level and this means an increase of 50% in staffing for the .. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:26:03 GMT http://www.pr-inside.com/frederick-wildman-and-sons-moving-forward-r721666.htm http://www.pr-inside.com/frederick-wildman-and-sons-moving-forward-r721666.htm Sport (PR-inside.com) EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France (AP) - Lorena Ochoa shot a 7-under par 65 Thursday to take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the ¤2 million (US$3.25 million) Evian Masters. The 26-year-old Mexican started with a birdie on the first hole and added six more on the back nine in a bogey-free round. «I'm just glad I'm at the top,» Ochoa said. «I had a slow start. I made birdie on the first hole and didn't give myself a lot of birdie chances. I had a break on 10 and 11. I got a really .. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:25:04 GMT http://www.pr-inside.com/ochoa-takes-first-round-lead-with-bogey-free-r721663.htm http://www.pr-inside.com/ochoa-takes-first-round-lead-with-bogey-free-r721663.htm Business (PR-inside.com) http://www.brown-forman.com - Brown-Forman Corporation Ben Marmor Assistant Vice President Director Investor Relations 502-774-6691 or Phil Lynch Vice President Director Corporate Communications and Public Relations 502-774-7928 brown-forman@b-f.com www.brown-forman.com At their annual meeting today, Brown-Forman (NYSE:BFB)(NYSE:BFA) stockholders celebrated a record financial year and another successful milestone in the company's leadership succession, as Geo. Garvin Brown IV officiated at his first annual meeting - and Brown-Forman's 75th since the company went public in 1933 - as presiding chairman of the board of directors. Brown, a fifth generation family shareholder, became a director in 2006 and assumed the additional role of presiding chairman of .. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:25:04 GMT http://www.pr-inside.com/brown-forman-shareholders-celebrate-record-r721664.htm http://www.pr-inside.com/brown-forman-shareholders-celebrate-record-r721664.htm Business (PR-inside.com) - Mountain bike enthusiasts are invited to meet at Vail Lake in Temecula, California on August 2, 2008 to participate in a race to save babies. 'Our goal is to raise $5,000 in one day for the March of Dimes,' notes John Williams, Farmers Insurance Agent in Temecula, and sponsor of the event. 'The cause is a worthy one and proceeds go to help prevent premature births.' (Registration starts at 6:30 a.m. and Races start at 9 a.m. by the pools) The minimum entry fee is $35 and up suggested. Cash or check entry will include one Chick-fil-A .. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:24:03 GMT http://www.pr-inside.com/mountain-bike-enthusiasts-asked-to-r721662.htm http://www.pr-inside.com/mountain-bike-enthusiasts-asked-to-r721662.htm Industries (PR-inside.com) Jobscope, Inc., who delivers a comprehensive ERP solution for order-driven companies, recently made available a newly developed key performance indicator (KPI) dashboard for their JOBSCOPE® software application. Presented in visually informative dashboard graphics, the KPI snapshots of operational, business and department-level performance enable management and supervisor-level personnel to quickly see progress toward production and operational goals at any time. These views enable the organization to focus on their most important activities by measuring them and taking any required action based on the metrics. JOBSCOPE offers KPI's for several business and financial areas related to shipments, sales, receivables, work centers, inventory and .. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:23:12 GMT http://www.pr-inside.com/kpi-dashboard-improves-management-decision-r721660.htm http://www.pr-inside.com/kpi-dashboard-improves-management-decision-r721660.htm Finance (PR-inside.com) NEW YORK (AP) - New York state's top prosecutor on Thursday sued banking giant UBS for fraud Thursday, accusing the company of marketing tens of billions of dollars of auction-rate securities as safe even when they knew the investments were in trouble. The civil lawsuit by Attorney General Andrew Cuomo claims bank executives pulled their personal investments from the floundering market last winter when they realized a crisis was brewing but continued to tell customers all was well. «They knew what was happening to the market,» said Cuomo deputy Eric Corngold. «Buyers of .. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:23:03 GMT http://www.pr-inside.com/ny-s-attorney-general-sues-banking-giant-r721659.htm http://www.pr-inside.com/ny-s-attorney-general-sues-banking-giant-r721659.htm World News (PR-inside.com) MADRID, Spain (AP) - Spanish police say they have found a cache of some 100 kilograms (220 pounds) of explosives belonging to the Basque group ETA. Civil Guards found the explosives Thursday in the northern town of Santo Domingo de la Calzada. They were accompanied by Arkaitz Goikoetxea, one of nine suspected ETA members arrested earlier this week. A police official speaking on condition of anonymity because of force regulations says anti-terror magistrate Baltasar Garzon flew to the scene to oversee the search. .. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:22:02 GMT http://www.pr-inside.com/spanish-police-find-explosives-cache-belonging-r721657.htm http://www.pr-inside.com/spanish-police-find-explosives-cache-belonging-r721657.htm World News (PR-inside.com) BAGHDAD (AP) - Just two weeks before the start of the Olympics, Iraq was told Thursday it's not welcome in Beijing because of a political feud in Baghdad that angered the Games' guardians and exiled a country that arrived to a roaring ovation at the opening ceremony four years ago. Word came from International Olympic Committee in a letter to Iraq sports officials _ saying it would uphold its ban imposed in June after the Iraqi government disbanded its national Olympic panel and moved in replacements not recognized by the IOC. The IOC .. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:19:03 GMT http://www.pr-inside.com/bc-me-oly-iraq-banned-4th-ld-writethru-r721652.htm http://www.pr-inside.com/bc-me-oly-iraq-banned-4th-ld-writethru-r721652.htm Business (PR-inside.com) http://www.dsclogistics.com - DSC Logistics Tracy Drake Marketing Communications (847) 635-4542 tracydrake@dsclogistics.com DSC Logistics, an integrated logistics and supply chain management company headquartered in Des Plaines, Illinois, was awarded Philip Morris USA's Supplier Achievement Award in the area of customer service and merchandising at its annual 'Supplier Recognition and Engagement Event' in April. Philip Morris USA is the nation's leading cigarette manufacturer, and an operating company of Altria Group, Inc. Gary Schmidt, senior director, customer service and merchandising for Philip Morris USA, presented the award to Ann Drake, DSC's CEO. Schmidt reflected on DSC's performance in operating Logistics Centers at .. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:18:06 GMT http://www.pr-inside.com/dsc-honored-by-philip-morris-usa-r721651.htm http://www.pr-inside.com/dsc-honored-by-philip-morris-usa-r721651.htm Business (PR-inside.com) - Omni Financial Services, Inc. (PINK: OFSI.PK) (the 'Company') today announced that Thomas J. Flournoy has joined the Company as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Company and of Omni National Bank. Flournoy comes to the Company with over twenty-five years of senior level bank management experience. He was formerly the Chief Operating Officer of Commonwealth Bank and Trust in Louisville, Kentucky. Flournoy is a CPA and his expertise includes financial accounting and reporting, multi-state banking and taxation, SEC and regulatory reporting, capital planning and budgeting, shareholder/investor communications, loan, deposit and IT operations and process and .. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:17:04 GMT http://www.pr-inside.com/omni-financial-services-names-chief-financial-r721649.htm http://www.pr-inside.com/omni-financial-services-names-chief-financial-r721649.htm World News (PR-inside.com) HALIFAX, Nova Scotia (AP) - Nova Scotia's fisheries minister says he'd like to expand a controversial seal hunt in his Canadian province. Ron Chisholm's comments came a day after the European Union introduced a proposal to ban the import of seal products. Chisholm said Thursday that he believes Canada's hunting methods are humane and that he supports any effort by the federal government to get the European Union to dump the proposed ban. Under legislation proposed Wednesday, the EU's 27-member states would ban seal products from countries where hunting practices are deemed inhumane. .. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:17:04 GMT http://www.pr-inside.com/nova-scotia-s-fisheries-minister-says-r721650.htm http://www.pr-inside.com/nova-scotia-s-fisheries-minister-says-r721650.htm Business (PR-inside.com) http://www.semtech.com - Semtech Corporation Terry Sears 805-480-2052 tsears@semtech.com Semtech Corp. (Nasdaq:SMTC), a leading supplier of analog and mixed-signal semiconductors, today announced it has opened a new design and application center in Shenzhen, China. The new design center demonstrates Semtech's expanded level of commitment to customers in the region. The center will provide design and applications support for Semtech's Protection, Power Management and Advanced Communications and Sensing products. The center's comprehensive Protection testing laboratory matches the capability available at Semtech's US headquarters, offering extensive testing capabilities and ESD protection consultancy to support a wide range of customers in telecomm, mobile .. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:16:02 GMT http://www.pr-inside.com/semtech-expands-presence-in-china-with-r721647.htm http://www.pr-inside.com/semtech-expands-presence-in-china-with-r721647.htm Finance (PR-inside.com) CORNING, New York (AP) - Corning Inc. has agreed to sell its Steuben Glass division to a private equity company that intends to continue operations in upstate New York. Corning executives announced an agreement Wednesday to sell the luxury crystal business to the newly formed Steuben Glass LLC, an affiliate of Schottenstein Stores Corp. Steuben will be part of the Schottenstein Luxury Group portfolio. Corning, which has owned Steuben Glass since 1918, will maintain a 19.9 percent equity stake. Other terms of the agreement, expected to be finalized in the third quarter, .. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:16:02 GMT http://www.pr-inside.com/corning-inc-finds-buyer-for-steuben-r721648.htm http://www.pr-inside.com/corning-inc-finds-buyer-for-steuben-r721648.htm Business (PR-inside.com) - The Eastern Company (AMEX-EML) today announced the declaration of its regular quarterly cash dividend of eight cents ($0.08) per share, payable September 15, 2008, to common stock shareholders of record as of August 22, 2008. This dividend represents the Company's 272nd consecutive quarterly dividend. The Eastern Company is a 150-year-old manufacturer of vehicular and industrial hardware, locks, metal castings, coin collection and smart card products. It operates from nine locations in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Taiwan and China. The diversity of the Company's products enables it to respond to the changing requirements of a broad array of markets. .. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:15:02 GMT http://www.pr-inside.com/the-eastern-company-declares-regular-quarterly-r721645.htm http://www.pr-inside.com/the-eastern-company-declares-regular-quarterly-r721645.htm World News (PR-inside.com) GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba (AP) - A captured driver for Osama bin Laden did not fully cooperate with efforts to find the terrorist leader, FBI agents said Thursday, countering defense claims that he provided valuable assistance. Salim Hamdan initially did not volunteer details about bin Laden's inner circle or the operations of al-Qaida, agents said as they testified in the fourth day of the Guantanamo prisoner's war crimes trial. «I thought he might have been holding back,» said FBI special agent Craig Donnachie, who questioned Hamdan in Afghanistan in January 2002. .. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:15:02 GMT http://www.pr-inside.com/fbi-agents-at-guantanamo-war-crimes-r721646.htm http://www.pr-inside.com/fbi-agents-at-guantanamo-war-crimes-r721646.htm Business (PR-inside.com) - Geni.com, the leading family networking site, today announced that it is emerging from beta with a number of new features including video sharing and tree merging. Combined with existing features such as photo sharing, calendar, timelines, and news, the site provides a complete suite of free tools for families to build their family tree, preserve their history, and stay in touch in a private, secure environment. Video Sharing Geni now offers unlimited, free, and private video sharing for families. Users can instantly tag which family members are in their videos and permanently archive their videos by adding .. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:14:04 GMT http://www.pr-inside.com/genealogy-and-family-networking-site-r721644.htm http://www.pr-inside.com/genealogy-and-family-networking-site-r721644.htm Finance (PR-inside.com) WASHINGTON (AP) - Approval of a merger of the U.S.'s only two satellite radio companies was imminent Thursday after the pair agreed to pay $19.7 million to settle charges they violated federal rules. Sirius Satellite Radio Inc.'s proposed $3.9 billion buyout of rival XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. has been before the Federal Communications Commission for 16 months. The five-member commission is deadlocked at 2-2, but Republican Deborah Taylor Tate was expected to cast the deciding vote approving the deal once a consent decree outlining the enforcement action is circulated for a vote. «This .. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:13:03 GMT http://www.pr-inside.com/satellite-radio-penalty-of-19-7-million-r721643.htm http://www.pr-inside.com/satellite-radio-penalty-of-19-7-million-r721643.htm Business (PR-inside.com) - TSYS announced today that it has rescheduled its second-quarter analyst conference call for July 30, 2008, at 5:00 p.m. EDT, in order to avoid conflicts with analyst calls scheduled by others in our industry. The company will still issue its second-quarter earnings report on July 30, 2008, after market hours as previously announced. Shareholders and other interested persons may listen to this conference call via simultaneous internet broadcast at www.tsys.com by clicking on the 'conference call' icon on the home page. You must download Windows Media Player (free download available) before accessing the conference call or the replay. The .. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:13:02 GMT http://www.pr-inside.com/tsys-advances-time-of-second-quarter-r721642.htm http://www.pr-inside.com/tsys-advances-time-of-second-quarter-r721642.htm World News (PR-inside.com) SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) - Officials say that the eruption of southern Chile's Chaiten volcano is increasing and they want people living nearby to leave. About 4,500 people were evacuated from the town of Chaiten when the volcano erupted on May 2 but some 30 have returned. National Emergency Bureau Director Carmen Fernandez says they should show good sense and leave because a volcanic explosion is possible. Much of Chaiten has been destroyed by flooding of the ash-thickened Blanco river, whose normal course has been impeded by volcanic debris from the 9,400-foot (3,120-meter) .. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:12:03 GMT http://www.pr-inside.com/eruption-of-volcano-in-southern-chile-r721641.htm http://www.pr-inside.com/eruption-of-volcano-in-southern-chile-r721641.htm Business (PR-inside.com) http://www.kaydon.com - Kaydon Corporation (NYSE:KDN) today announced that its Board of Directors declared a 13.3 percent increase in its regular quarterly dividend, to $.17 per share from $.15 per share. The dividend is payable on September 29, 2008 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on September 8, 2008. The indicated annual dividend rate will now be $.68 per share. The Company expects to periodically reevaluate the cash dividend in future periods and will consider its future earnings and cash flow, on-going capital needs, and alternatives for shareholder returns when determining the actual amount of future .. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:12:02 GMT http://www.pr-inside.com/kaydon-corporation-announces-increased-third-r721640.htm http://www.pr-inside.com/kaydon-corporation-announces-increased-third-r721640.htm Business (PR-inside.com) http://www.firemansfund.com/ - Fireman's Fund Janet Ruiz, 415-899-5381 janet.ruiz@ffic.com Air conditioning, heat, and hot water are just a few necessities supplied by equipment that is susceptible to breaking down. That's why Fireman's Fund Insurance Company is offering homeowners a new coverage to protect against the breakdown of equipment used to provide these and other critical services in the home. The coverage is unusual since most homeowners' policies do not cover mechanical, electrical, or heating equipment breakdown, resulting in costly repair bills for the homeowner. Under the new coverage, many types of equipment are covered, including central air conditioning systems .. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:11:04 GMT http://www.pr-inside.com/fireman-s-fund-r-offers-equipment-breakdown-r721638.htm http://www.pr-inside.com/fireman-s-fund-r-offers-equipment-breakdown-r721638.htm Finance (PR-inside.com) CALGARY, Alberta (AP) - Surging crude oil prices helped push Suncor Energy Inc.'s second-quarter earnings to $829 million Canadian dollars ($818 million), up from $738 million ($728 million) last year, despite lower oil sands production. The energy company posted earnings of 89 Canadian cents per common share Thursday, up nine Canadian cents from the second quarter of 2007, boosted by historic highs in crude oil prices and strong natural gas operations. Suncor said its oil sands production averaged 174,600 barrels per day, down 14 percent from the second quarter of 2007.