KBNW Business Briefs For 07/25/14

Business BriefsBEND, OR — Portland General Electric is recalling 70,000 residential meters because some are not performing up to standards and, in rare cases, catching fire. The meters are primarily installed at rental properties and contain a specific technology that allows the meter to be turned on and off remotely.   The company said customers whose meters are affected have been mailed letters that were sent Wednesday.

Starbucks reported quarterly sales at stores in the western hemisphere grew by 6%, which was stronger than expected. That increase included a 7% rise in the United States.

The Dick’s Sporting Goods chain has laid off 478 Professional Golfers’ Association teaching pros months after the company reported that sales of golf gear are dwindling. Dick’s didn’t immediately respond Thursday to the layoffs, which were announced by the PGA on Wednesday. Dick’s operates more than 500 stores nationwide, including one in Central Oregon.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. says U.S. discount-store chief Bill Simon is stepping down. The world’s largest retailer has named the head of its Asian business as his replacement.   The Bentonville, AR-based retailer says that Greg Foran, 53, president and CEO of Wal-Mart Asia, will succeed Simon.   Wal-Mart has two locations in Central Oregon.

The risk of losing your job is getting smaller and smaller. As the U.S. economy has improved and employers have regained confidence, companies have been steadily shedding fewer workers. Which is why applications for unemployment benefits have dwindled to their lowest level since February 2006, nearly two years before the recession started. The trend means greater job security and suggests a critical turning point in the economic recovery. It raises the hope that workers’ pay will finally accelerate after grinding through a sluggish recovery for the past half-decade.

If you see local news happen, call the Horizon Broadcasting Group News Tip Hotline at 541-323-NEWS, or email us.

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Beaver Walk & Beaver Believers Screening

Beaver Natural History Walk & Restoration Site Tour, 4-5 pm Followed by a screening of The Beaver Believers and Q &A Hosted by Maureen Thompson, Beaver Works Program Manager and Kolleen Miller, Education Director for The Upper

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8th Annual Locavore Gala & Fundraiser

We invite you to be a part of something extraordinary – an evening that transcends the ordinary and celebrates the heart of our community. Central Oregon Locavore proudly presents its 8th Annual Gala and Fundraiser, a special