A German company that makes compressors for industrial air-conditioning and refrigeration equipment is planning to open a manufacturing facility employing 289 people in the East Syracuse area, state officials say.

State and local officials would normally make a big deal when a manufacturer decides to open a plant and create nearly 300 local jobs.

Hominy warms to Mexican cuisine

On a hot Sunday afternoon toward the end of summer, a Jeep SUV was parked on Main Street with the doors unlocked and the engine running.

In Tulsa, you'd be kind of brave -- or maybe kind of dumb -- to leave your keys in the ignition. But in Hominy, Alex Galvan and her father don't think twice about walking down the street for a snow cone to give the air conditioner time to work.

"Crime?" her father says. "In Hominy? Don't worry about it."

Javier Galvan used to run an authentic Mexican restaurant in east Tulsa, where he attracted loyal customers and earned a positive review from the World's food critic. But crime was a constant worry.

"Stealing. Shooting. Robbing," he says. "Too much goes on there."

A year and a half ago, when he heard about an old burger joint going out of business in downtown Hominy, Javier jumped in his Jeep to have a look around.

Major Weapon Systems Are Another Victim of Iraq

But a more damning set of figures emerge if one examines what has happened within the procurement accounts. In 2001, big ticket procurement items such as Navy shipbuilding and Navy and Air Force aircraft procurement, totaled nearly $35 billion (in 2007 dollars). Those activities accounted for about half of all defense procurement. By 2007, spending in those three categories accounted for only $38 billion, or less than 5 percent of the $60 billion inflation-adjusted increase in procurement spending.

Where is the rest of the money going? Procurement for the Army and Marine Corps grew from $12 billion in 2001 to $55 billion in 2007—an increase of 350 percent. The single category of greatest growth was "Army Procurement Other," which includes among other things, trucks, mine protection equipment, and High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles.

Sony steps up green drive

The organisations have signed the Tokyo Declaration aimed at tackling global warming and enacting industry-wide change.Sony has vowed to promote a low-carbon lifestyle to consumers, and to make its carbon footprint more transparent by highlighting related reduction activities.The company's 'Product, Process, Planet' initiative aims to highlight the measures Sony has taken to reduce the environmental impact of its products in the manufacturing process and through consumer use.Serge Foucher, executive vice president at Sony Europe, said: "This marks the first time that Sony is addressing consumers directly across various channels to enhance the communication of meaningful environmental information."This should ultimately help the consumer to make the right decision when it comes to their own contribution to sustainability through their purchase."Around 66 per cent of Sony's sales are generated by consumer electronics, and the energy efficiency of these products plays a crucial role in reducing its carbon footprint.Sony is investing in research and development to further improve the environmental performance of its products and help minimise this impact.The company claims to have reduced the power consumption of its LCD TVs, and is looking for further reductions through the development of OLED TV panels.