President George W. Bush dropped his opposition today to legislation intended to stabilize the nation's housing market.
Bush had objected to the bill's $3.9 billion provision for neighborhoods hit hardest by foreclosures. The House was expected to vote on the bill today, and it could become law as early as this week.
Under the bill, the government would help struggling homeowners obtain new, cheaper loans and would be allowed to offer troubled mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac a cash infusion, according to a report by The Associated Press.
The bill combines the Democrats' priorities of providing federal help for homeowners facing foreclosure and $3.9 billion for devastated neighborhoods with the Republicans' goal of reining in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Many Congressional Republicans have objected to the plan, calling it a costly bailout for irresponsible homeowners and unscrupulous lenders. At a closed-door meeting this morning, House Republicans denounced the plan, although they acknowledged they don't have enough votes to block it from becoming law, according to the AP report.

Milwaukee-based Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co. announced today that it has sold 5 percent of its interests in its Russell Investments fund group to Nippon Life, Japan's largest life insurance company.
The companies jointly announced today that they have agreed to explore potential joint business opportunities, continuing the relationship between the two leading mutual life insurance companies that has developed over the last several years.
Northwestern Mutual and Nippon Life initially will assist each other in pursuing U.S. and Japanese investment opportunities, including U.S. private equity and mezzanine co-investments, and potential Japanese equity investments. The companies also will periodically share investment insights and consider an exchange of investment personnel. Russell Investments, a global investment firm and subsidiary of Northwestern Mutual, is headquartered in Tacoma, Wash. With $211 billion of assets under management, Russell serves individual, institutional and advisor clients in more than 40 countries.
"This business opportunity is a good one and should prove beneficial to Nippon Life and Northwestern Mutual," said Edward Zore, president and chief executive officer of Northwestern Mutual. "Nippon Life is a premier long-term investor with a significant international presence, making its investment in Russell a 'win-win' for all parties involved.

The Milwaukee Brewers have promoted Andrew Pauls to the position of director of corporate marketing.
Pauls previously worked in the Brewers organization as a suite sales manager, a position he has held for the past three years. In his new role, Pauls will be responsible for all aspects of corporate sponsorship sales including methods to increase team revenue through the sale of team sponsorships, stadium advertising and all Brewers corporate partnership inventory.
"We are very pleased to have Andrew join our corporate marketing efforts and value the many qualities that he adds to this position," said Tom Hecht, Brewers vice president of corporate marketing. "His familiarity and experiences within the organization make him a great fit and we look forward to developing additional sponsorship opportunities with Andrew on board."
Prior to joining the Brewers, Pauls founded and managed two small businesses, including cdINK, a web development company in New York City, and Clear Path Partners LLC, a business development consulting firm in Milwaukee. The Sheboygan native also held a position as a sales executive with Milwaukee interactive agency Fullhouse.

RedPrairie Corp. announced today it has created a next-generation employee self-service application that will enable employers to more effectively communicate with their employees.
As part of the RedPrairie Workforce Management solution, the enhanced self-service capability provides employees with the ability to confirm their work schedules, check hours worked, submit time off requests and receive other job-related information with a secure, easy-to-use web portal interface.
With the solution, employees also can access work schedules through a WAP-enabled (wireless application protocol) device, such as a mobile phone or PDA.
According to Jon Lawrence, vice president of product marketing for the Town of Brookfield-based company, "The demands on managers today, particularly those in the retail industry, are significant because they receive requests and inquiries from many sources. By creating a user-friendly portal that is integrated with our workforce management scheduling application, we help improve both the efficiency and effectiveness of communication between managers and employees. No longer will managers have to answer potentially disruptive phone calls to confirm an employee's work schedule or worked hours.  Instead, they stay focused on the customer and the employees become more self-sufficient."
The efficiencies extend beyond manager/employee communications. For example, when a manager approves a request for time off, the employee is notified and the integrated workforce management application does not schedule the employee for that time.
"To optimize store performance, you need to optimize the activities of the local manager," Lawrence said. "This enhanced capability is one more way that we streamline efficiency and enable managers to be in the right place at the right time - helping both their customers and their company's bottom line."

Pewaukee-based Stay-Lite Lighting has acquired Avon Electric Inc. of Danville, Ind.
Avon is an electrical contractor owned by Jay Anderson and in business for more than 10 years. Anderson will continue with Stay-Lite as branch manager.
"The combination of Avon's electrical business and Stay-Lite's lighting management specialty is an exciting opportunity for the industrial, commercial and retail businesses currently serviced by Stay-Lite as well as prospective clients," said Kirk Tuson, president of Stay-Lite. "Stay-Lite has been providing lighting maintenance and upgrades in Indiana for many years by traveling from Wisconsin. An Indianapolis-area based operation with locally employed technicians will enhance the service offering and response time. Also, the addition of an Indiana electrical license adds further value for our clients."
Stay-Lite also announced a partnership with Lutron Electronics of Coopersburg, Pa., enabling the company to offer electrical and lighting controls to its base of customers. Stay-Lite's factory-trained technicians will commission projects on behalf of Lutron to accommodate specialized installations for theaters, sporting venues and other settings with sophisticated lighting needs, including wireless applications.

Pewaukee-based Trico Corp. has acquired Predict USA, of Cleveland, Ohio.
The acquisition enables Trico to bring oil analysis and monitoring services in house. Trico can now offer a one-stop shop for all predictive lubrication management services to its clients.
"Predict is a well-respected company and brand," said Trico chief executive officer Robert Jung. "Bringing our two organizations together creates a true total solutions package for manufacturers looking to enhance the life of their equipment and improve overall operations."
Predict will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Trico, but will continue to operate under its own brand name, according to Trico president Nick Kroll.

Cricket Communications Inc., a flat rate unlimited wireless telephone company, is bringing its service to the Milwaukee area, where it plans to create as much as 200 additional jobs.
Cricket Communications, which is operated by Leap Wireless International Inc. of San Diego, Calif., specializes in unlimited service plans with no contracts or credit checks, said Christopher Neatherton, district director of the firm.
"That's what our niche is. We come in and typically make a big difference in the market, and really focus on people who are underserved by other cell phone providers, Neatherton said.
The company will host a job fair on Tuesday, Aug. 12, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Hilton Milwaukee Center to fill positions in the area. The company plans to officially enter the market later this year, with multiple locations in the area. Jobs to be filled include retail business managers, assistant retail business managers and retail sales representatives.
"The job fair is really our focus, to tell people we are coming to the market and looking for bright, talented people who are interested in a long term career with a growing company," Neatherton said.
Cricket Communications currently serves about 60 markets across the nation.
"This is one of the top 50 markets in the country, and we had the opportunity to purchase space so we jumped on it," Neatherton said, declining to specify the location of the new Milwaukee area office.

Journal Communications Inc. announced today that its Journal Broadcast Group Inc. and Journal Broadcast Corp. have completed the purchase of KWBA-TV in Sierra Vista from Tucson Communications LLC and Cascade Broadcasting Group.
KWBA-TV, Analog Channel 58 and Digital Channel 44, is the CW Network-affiliate serving the Tucson market. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
In the Tucson market, Journal Broadcast Group already owns KGUN-TV, the ABC affiliate, as well as KMXZ-FM, KQTH-FM, KGMG-FM and KFFN-AM.
"We are pleased to complete the acquisition of KWBA as we continue to build out cross-platform businesses in growth markets such as Tucson," said Doug Kiel, vice chairman and chief executive officer of Journal Broadcast Group. "KWBA allows us to increase our hyper-local news focus. With two television stations and four radio stations in this market, we are in a good position to grow our total audience and serve our viewers in the Tucson area."

Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center plans to build a rooftop healing garden and conservatory atop its Milwaukee hospital.
The rooftop addition will be designed to create a tranquil retreat for patients, families and caregivers.
The project is being paid for entirely with gifts from foundations, grateful patients and local corporations.
Work on the Vince Lombardi Charitable Funds Healing Garden and the Agnes and Morland Hamilton Healing Conservatory will start this week.
"This incredible new garden will help us achieve our vision for patient-centered care, and that means caring for body, mind and spirit," said Mary O'Brien, chief administrative officer of Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center. "The healing garden will provide a welcome respite for patients and families dealing with the stress of a hospital stay."
The 14,000-square-foot healing garden, on an eighth floor rooftop, will offer calming views of nature year-round with a 4,000-square-foot conservatory that will include trees, shrubs, flowers and a water feature. The enclosed area will showcase panoramic views of the Milwaukee skyline, including Miller Park, downtown and Lake Michigan.
The Vince Lombardi Charitable Funds provided $1.5 million toward the $5 million project, and the Agnes and Moreland Hamilton estate donated $1.7 million. Many other gifts came from people who have received care at Aurora St. Luke's.
The project was designed with ideas from patients and caregivers. The design committee was chaired by Don Tendick Jr., a major healing garden donor.
"This is a big day for the community - the patients, families, staff and visitors who will be able to come to the healing garden to find emotional and spiritual relief," Tendick said.
Among the residents in the St. Luke's neighborhood is nationally known horticulturalist Melinda Myers.
"I am thrilled by this project on so many different levels," Myers said. "As someone who lives in the neighborhood, I see how much Aurora contributes on a daily basis, not only as a medical center but as an anchor of the community. As a patient, I have experienced Aurora's commitment to patient-centered care. As a horticulturalist, I know there is a deeply calming, serene strength we can draw from nature that rejuvenates mind, body and spirit. I believe deeply in the therapeutic aspects of gardening and healing gardens and am delighted to see this addition to our community."
Brubaker Architects and Daniel Weinbach & Partners Ltd., both of Chicago, were selected for the project, based on their previous experience with healing gardens. Mortenson Construction is overseeing the project. Mortenson and Brubaker also worked together on a smaller healing garden at Aurora Medical Center in Oshkosh.
The project will get under way this week with the arrival of a crane that will move materials up to the roof. Construction is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

AT&T Illinois will forgo $5.5 million in future rate hikes through 2011 as part of an agreement to correct billing errors on certain rate packages in Illinois, according to Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan.
The concession is an addition to the $1.59 million in refunds the company has already paid out to erroneously charged customers. The refunds were mandated in late 2007 after the attorney general's office detected that AT&T overcharged for some of its products.
"AT&T has made refunds and reduced the rates as originally agreed and has further agreed to defer future increases that the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) had authorized," Madigan said.
Read more at MidwestBusiness.com, a media partner of Small Business Times.

Dane County officials are working on a regional transportation plan that would include a light rail corridor stretching from Middleton to Sun Prairie. Read more in SBT's daily roundup of headlines from newspapers across the state at www.biztimes.com/#news.

People's Choice Corp. plans to build a five-story, 99-room Hampton Inn & Suites hotel on a vacant Franklin site northwest of South 76th Street and Rawson Ave. Read more in the latest edition of the BizTimes Real Estate Weekly bulletin.

The BizTimes Stock Index recovered .88 points to close at 140.67 Tuesday, and local stocks bounced around in a volatile session of trading this morning. The largest local gainers this morning were Johnson Controls Inc. (up $1.11 to $32.09), Kohl's Corp. (up $1.10 to $44.01) and Ladish Co. (up $1.04 to $23.50). The largest local decliners this morning were Joy Global Inc. (down $1.95 to $67.02), Bucyrus International Inc. (down $1.38 to $59.22) and Badger Meter Inc. (down $1.43 to $55.00). The BizTimes Stock Index was created by Small Business Times and is monitored by North Shore Bank. The index, which measures the stock values of publicly held companies based in southeastern Wisconsin, is updated daily and can be viewed at www.biztimes.com.

The Rotary Club of Milwaukee recently launched its summer concert series, Live @ the Lakefront, with a performance by Rumbrava at the Milwaukee Amphitheater at Discovery World.  The free concert series runs every Wednesday through Aug. 13, from 5:30 to 9 p.m. "The Rotary Club of Milwaukee is proud to have helped Discovery World create a new music venue in Milwaukee. The outdoor, lakeside location of the Rotary Amphitheater could not be better for a free summer concert series," said Dan Nelson Jr., chairman of the Rotary's Maritime Committee. "Milwaukee has a great music scene, and a Great Lake. With the LIVE @ the Lakefront concert series, we have an opportunity to create more free access for all Milwaukeeans to both." To view a photographic slideshow of the new concert series, visit the latest edition of SBT Around Town. For more information about the events, go to www.liveatthelakefront.com.

Recent rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court will be bad for businesses, according to Elizabeth Milito, author of today's Milwaukee Biz Blog.

Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle today joined Congressional leaders representing Great Lakes states in unveiling bipartisan, bicameral legislation to give Congressional consent to the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact.
Joining Doyle, who is chairman of the Council of Great Lakes Governors, at a press conference on Capitol Hill today were the six lead sponsors of the legislation: Senator Carl Levin (D-Mich.), Senator George Voinovich (R-Ohio), Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.), Rep. James Oberstar (D-Minn.), Rep. Steven LaTourette (R-Ohio) and Rep. Vernon Ehlers (R-Mich.).
"I applaud the members of Congress for their leadership in protecting the Great Lakes," Doyle said. "It is gratifying to see the consensus that we have built in our region reflected in the bipartisan Congressional support for this historic measure.  We must now do all that we can to work with our Congressional partners to turn these protections into law."
Doyle is in Washington meeting with Congressional leaders to urge them to pass the Compact.
The Great Lakes Compact has been approved by the eight state legislatures and now must be consented to by the U.S. Congress to achieve full force and effect as an interstate compact.
Once implemented, the compact would create unprecedented protections for the Great Lakes and ensure their continued availability for regional economic growth. It will ban long-distance diversions and provide a framework for ensuring sustainable water use in the Great Lakes basin.
The compact has attracted the support of key members of Congress, mayors and local government officials as well as more than 150 diverse groups of stakeholders who depend on the Great Lakes. More than 1,300 state legislators have voted to approve the compact—about 95 percent of all legislators who have cast a vote on it. 
The Great Lakes generate $55 billion in tourism for the region and create nearly $377 million in personal income from wages and salaries. Wisconsin's harbors handle more than 40 million metric tons of cargo that support 11,000 jobs and are worth more than $7 billion a year.
The Small Business Times Commercial Real Estate & Development Conference will examine "The Fresh Coast Advantage" of living and doing business in the Great Lakes region. For more information about the conference, visit BizTimes.com.