Macon Telegraph : Business News

People lined up Thursday in front of Jo-Ann Fabrics & Crafts during the first day of the store’s three-day grand opening event at The Shoppes at River Crossing, 5080 Riverside Drive.

Winn-Dixie plans to close its stores in Bonaire and Dublin in late September, the Jacksonville, Fla.-based grocery chain said Thursday.

People who are proactive concerning themselves with plans being hatched in their community deserve a lot of credit.

The U.S. government estimates that identity theft affects nine million people every year. Identity theft ranges from a minor unauthorized credit purchase to stealing another’s name and good credit to establish new accounts and spend thousands of dollars. There are many steps that can safeguard against this type of crime. One way to protect yourself is to closely guard access to your Social Security number.

The “push” versus “pull” marketing debate continues with no relief in sight. In one corner, the e-mail marketing advocates tout the virtues of message control and database power. Social media aficionados claim that pushing a sales message into the e-mail boxes of their customers — whether or not they have signed up/opted in to receive it — is a bad, unfriendly practice. Several factors come into play including customer convenience, online usage and ideas about what is user-friendly among communication channels.

Plans for a bowling center in north Bibb County were held up after some neighbors objected to the project at Monday’s zoning meeting.

Middle Georgia Mechanical, an East Dublin heating and cooling contractor, has been named one of Ruud Reliable’s Top 10 contractors for 2009.

Celebrities such as Angelina Jolie, Sandra Bullock, Madonna and many others are building families through adoption. While celebrities might make it look easy, the Better Business Bureau recommends doing your research when enlisting the help of an adoption agency. Adopting a child is a complex, lifelong experience; it is also a legal transaction that can be complicated and expensive.

Name: Nichole Mitchell

QUESTION: After starting a new job with a small business, I noticed that there seems to be a lot of sexism here. Everything was fine at first, but lately things have gotten worse. The older men treat the younger women terribly, and the older women do nothing to stop it.

Charles ‘Chips’ Brooks and Justin Heartsill have passed an exam to become registered professional engineers, according to a news release from Geotechnical & Environmental Consultants Inc. Brooks is a project engineer working in the Macon office. Heartsill is a project engineer who works in the geotechnical and construction engineering department.

A new bowling center may be coming to north Bibb County.

One of the several displays at the Macon Health Club promoting the fitness center’s place in downtown’s history features a pair of old leather, lace-up boxing gloves.

While some downtown Macon business owners have mixed feelings about a proposal to install parking meters, they agree that money earned should be reinvested downtown.

Macon-based Atlantic Southern Financial Group reported a net loss of $4 million, or 96 cents per diluted share, for the second quarter compared to a net loss of $23.8 million, or $5.65 per share, in the second quarter of 2009, according to a news release.

Ideas, innovation and thinking outside the box. In today’s business climate, these ingredients are key to survival.

About 70 people, or 35 percent of the workforce at Cox Communications in Middle Georgia, will be affected by the company’s consolidation with Cox Florida.

Unemployment rates in Macon and Warner Robins moved up in June from the previous month, according to the Georgia Department of Labor.

The Macon-Bibb County Industrial Authority voted Wednesday to apply for a federal grant to assess the cost of removing underground fuel tanks at the Allied Industrial Park.

Hilda Solis does not like you. It does not matter if you’ve never heard of her. It’s irrelevant whether she knows your name. When she finds you, she intends to harm you.