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Applications on the rise at UC Merced
- Details
- Published on 01/12/2012 - 1:46 pm
- Written by Business Journal staff
More students are applying to the University of California, Merced. And the reason may be that the university has simply become more popular.
Applications from prospective students increased by 9.9 percent this year compared to the 2011 academic year, according to data released on Jan. 12.
UC Merced received 15,054 undergraduate applications for the fall of 2012, up from 13,701 applications in the fall of 2011. Freshman applicants totaled 12,838, which represents 11.3 percent more than last fall.
“An increase in applications points to the campus’ growing popularity," said J. Michael Thompson, assistant vice chancellor for enrollment management, in a release. “It is a direct reflection of the strong value placed on a UC Merced education and the development our our academic programs, hands-on research opportunities and a growing array of student activities and amenities.”
This past fall UC Merced’s student enrollment rose to 5,198, a nearly 19 percent increase compared with the fall of 2012.
Because of the growth, the campus plans to moderate undergraduate enrollment growth in fall of 2012 in order to keep pace with construction of new classrooms, laboratories and housing.
“This will help ensure a quality experience for all,” Thompson said.
According to Thompson, projected enrollment for fall of 2010 is 5,600 students, a net increase of about 400 students.
Consistent with its mission as a major research university, UC Merced has made increasing graduate student enrollment, currently at 5 percent of total enrollment, a top strategic priority.
A record 160,939 students applied to the UC system as a whole.
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Travel picked up at Fresno Yosemite International Airport last year with a 6.4 percent increase in passenger traffic over the year before.
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Thieves broke into a Clovis storage unit over the weekend and stole items used for the Adaptive Sports Program at Children’s Hospital Central California, which provides recreational and athletic experiences for children with disabilities, the hospital said in a statement.
All of the items were purchased with donated funds that took years to collect. The items stolen were used for water sports, and include:
Six life jackets
Ski ropes
A six-person tent that was used to provide privacy for medical support to participating children
Camping tables
A modified wakeboard used to accommodate children with disabilities
“This is a discouraging setback after working so hard to build up the program,” Dr. Jennifer Crocker, medical director of Children’s Hospital’s pediatric rehabilitation center said in the statement. “The children we serve through this program are already at a disadvantage, and it’s terrible that they are being taken advantage of in this way.”
The Adaptive Sports program is the only one of its kind in the Central Valley and is designed for individuals with physical and health impairments and conditions ranging from cerebral palsy to spinal cord injuries.
The items taken can be returned to the hospital or by calling (559) 353-6500.
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Written on 02/06/2012, 2:01 pm by
A new publication by Citi geared toward helping workers take advantage of government tax incentives will appear in Fresno and 25 other metropolitan markets throughout the country.
Money Matters, published in both English and Spanish, is a product of the financial services company's community support arm, Citi Community Development.
The publication promotes refunds like the federal Earned Income Tax Credit, which enables working people who earn $50,000 or less per year to keep more of their earnings through a tax refund.
"There are 20 percent of eligible taxpayers who are still not claiming the EITC, leaving billions of dollars on the table that could be used to increase family savings, invest in small business or prepare for college expense," said Citi CEO Vikram Pandit in a press release.
Money Matters also highlights the availability of free tax preparation services through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program of the Internal Revenue Service. It also include tips on stress-free tax filing, ways to save money and the benefits of having a bank account.
The publications were inserted into the full runs of local newspapers serving mainly ethnic and minority populations. The complete collection of publications is available at www.citicommunitydevelopment.com.
In California, the publication appears throughout Los Angeles, Orange County, Sacramento, Stockton, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose and Santa Clara.
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Written on 02/06/2012, 1:45 pm by
The California Department of Housing and Community Development has made it official — a $1 million grant will benefit the Marjaree Mason Center in Fresno.
The Business Journal reported last month that the award would be used to install a heating and air condition system and remove lead-based paint at the center's 120-bed downtown shelter for women and children.
In addition to the Marjaree Mason Center award, the Fresno County Economic Opportunities Commission is receiving $288,329 to help maintain 20 shelter beds. The FCEOC operates the Sancturary Youth Shelter for young people.
In total, the state made awards of $23.1 million for 2,078 shelter spaces in the latest round of funding dedicated to emergency housing assistance.
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Written on 02/06/2012, 11:32 am by
San Diego-based California Bank & Trust, which has more than 100 branches across the state including two in Fresno, announced net income of $134.4 million for 2011, up 128 percent from 2010.
The increase was driven by greater demand for credit, the company said. Loan balances, excluding loans supported by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., increased by $111 million during the fourth quarter.
"Pipelines at the start of 2012 are fairly strong," wrote President and CEO David Blackford in a letter to customers.
The dramatic jump in annual net earnings was also fueld by a $159.4 million reduction in the provision for loan losses.
Total assets as of Dec. 31 stood at $10.9 billion, compared to $10.7 billion on the same date in 2010.
California Bank & Trust is an "autonomous subsidiary" of Salt Lake City-based Zions Bancorporation, a bank holding company with more than $50 billion in assets.
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Written on 02/06/2012, 11:04 am by
Valley Commerce Bancorp, parent company of Visalia's Valley Business Bank, announced earnings of $3.1 million (97 cents per share) for 2011 — up 41 percent from 2010.
In addition, fourth quarter net income was $783,000, compared to $764,000 in the fourth quarter of 2010.
In a statement, Allan W. Stone, president and CEO of Valley Commerce Bancorp, said 2011 was the most profitable year in the bank's 16-year history.
"Although the year over year improvement in earnings was mostly attributable to a reduction in the provision for loan losses, we feel that this was made possible by our dedicated efforts to identify, monitor and resolve the credit weaknesses that were an unfortunate reality of the recession," Stone said.
As of Dec. 31, 2011, total assets stood at about $366.5 million, compared to $341.4 million on the same date in 2010.
Valley Business Bank operates business banking centers in Visalia, Tulare and Fresno, with branch offices in Woodlake and Tipton.
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Written on 02/03/2012, 1:27 pm by
Fresno home prices, including distressed sales, declined by 9.4 percent in December 2011 compared to the previous December.
Prices also fell by 10 percent in November of 2011 compared to November of 2010, CoreLogic, a provider of consumer, financial and property information, reports.
Excluding distressed sales, year-over year prices declined by 8.8 percent in December 2011 compared to December 2010 and by 9.6% in November 2011 compared to the same month one year earlier.
In California, the home price index for single-family homes excluding distressed homes dropped by 6.3 percent from December 2010 to December 2011.
“Until distressed sales in the market recede, we will see continued downward pressure on prices,” said Mark Fleming, chief economics for CoreLogic in a released issued Feb. 3.
Written on 02/03/2012, 10:51 am by
Travel picked up at Fresno Yosemite International Airport last year with a 6.4 percent increase in passenger traffic over the year before.
In 2011, more than 1.2 million passengers traveled through the airport. In 2010, that number was 1.18 million.
The latest year was the third-highest traffic year in FYI's nearly 70-year history. Passenger traffic peaked in 2007 with more than 1.3 million passengers, while 2006 came in second with 1.28 million.
Much of the surge is attributed to the return of non-stop service to Guadalajara, Mexico offered through Volaris and AeroMexico, both which began flights out of Fresno in April.
That service alone accounted for nearly 106,000 passengers traveling to and from Guadalajara from April through December.
Air cargo volume also increased over 2010. Last year, 11,000 tons of cargo were transported through FYI compared to 9,000 the year before, an increase of 14.12 percent.
The year ahead is likely to see even more gains with the recent announcement by Alaska Airlines to launch twice-daily nonstop service between Fresno and San Diego beginning June 4.
In all, nine carriers fly in and out of Fresno with around 40 daily domestic and international departures from FYI.
Written on 02/02/2012, 4:59 pm by
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The County’s news release did not state the amount of the grant, but according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the amount awarded to Fresno County was $499,695.
Under the leadership of the Fresno County Department of Public Health, a detailed plan of action will be developed by a coalition of partners representing health, education, business and environment.
“Fresno County will address three priority areas: tobacco-free living, active living and healthy eating and clinical preventative services,” Edward L. Moreno, director and health officer of the Fresno County Department of Public Health, said in the news release. “If we transform our environments to make the healthy choice, the easy choice, more people will be able to adopt healthy lifestyles and reduce their risks for chronic disease.”
Chronic diseases are responsible for 75 percent of the health care costs in the United States. Seven out of 10 deaths among Americans each year are from chronic diseases, and almost one out of every two adults has at least one chronic illness.
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