Joshua Tree-based Hi-Desert Memorial Health Care has announced the appointment of Lionel Chadwick as Chief Executive Officer.

   Mr. Chadwick brings more than 25 years of healthcare administration experience to this position. Most recently, he was CEO of Natividad Medical Center in Salinas -- a county, public safety-net hospital.

   Previously, Chadwick was CEO at Arroyo Grande Community Hospital (Vista Hospital Systems), in Arroyo Grande.

   Austin, Texas-based Solis Women's Health announced today that it has purchased the assets of Indio-based Breast Health Center (BHC).

   Concurrent with the asset purchase, Solis has entered into a long term management agreement with BHC founder Dr. Marla Lander, a leading southern California breast imager. Under the terms of the agreement Dr. Lander will continue to direct all clinical activities at the center.

Solis Women's Health is a specialized healthcare provider focused exclusively on the screening and diagnosis of breast cancer.

   Inland Empire businesses are invited to attend the Safety Compliance Workshop seminar for small business and safety issues, which has been developed to assist businesses to learn about some of the key safety and health regulations that may apply to their operations.

   The seminar will be held on Nov. 12, from 8:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., at the Long Beach Petroleum Club on 3636 Linden Ave. in Long Beach.

   The seminar will start with Cal/OSHA and then look at hazardous materials compliance, then hazardous waste and storm water prevention regulations.

   This program will help prepare small businesses for a possible inspection by the state's regulatory agencies.

   The seminar's cost is $95, which includes a continental breakfast and lunch.

   To register, or for more information, call (562) 533-5559.

   The Home Depot opened its relocated store in Ontario at 2980 S. Euclid Ave. on Oct. 30.

   The store's previous location was on Walnut Avenue in Chino.

   The Ontario Home Depot features more than 125 associates, including many of the tenured associates from the old location, along with some new hires from the local community.

   The store spans 140,000 square feet with a large outside garden area and an indoor facility for tropical plants.

   Individuals and organizations that promote the use of geographic information system (GIS) technology in health and human services recently received recognition from ESRI,
a Redlands-based geographic software company and world leader in GIS technology, for their contributions.

   Receiving the awards were the Alabama Department of Children's Affairs (ADCA); Pat
Libbey, executive director of the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO); Bruce Ripley of Planning Systems Support Group of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA); and the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre, Canada.

   The awards were announced during the 2008 ESRI Health GIS Conference held in Washington, D.C., from Sept. 28 - Oct. 1.

   "These exemplary people and organizations set the bar and inspire all of us to do better in our daily work," said Bill Davenhall, ESRI global manager for health and human services.

   Five Lake Arrowhead business owners are doing something to try and turn the economic tide. They've formed the 100% Club, which is a bi-weekly educational meeting and accountability system designed to train business owners how to grow their businesses by 100%.

   Once their goals are achieved, each member agrees to contribute $1,000 to a local charity.

   Now open to any business owner who is interested in increasing profitability by 100%, the club meetings include timely topics such as the importance of knowing your numbers, formulating your unique selling proposition and building a healthy referral system.

   For more information, call Kathy Bowling at 909-723-8400, or 909-553-5432.

   The Inland Empire chapter of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP) will host its annual bus tours to highlight industrial and office properties throughout San Bernardino and Riverside counties on Nov. 13.

   Real-estate developers, brokers and other industry stakeholders are invited to take an afternoon tour of several projects.

   Registration begins at 11 a.m. at Victoria Gardens Cultural Center in Rancho Cucamonga, and the buses depart at noon.  They will return at 4:30 p.m., and a networking mixer follows, from 4:30 - 6 p.m. The cost is $50 for NAIOP members and $100 for non-members.

   Please register by Oct. 31.  Visit www.naiopie.org/2008bustour, or call Rob Evans at (951) 324-0350, or e-mail him at rob@naiopie.org

   A free tax seminar for nonprofit and tax-exempt organizations will be held from 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 13 at the Lewis Library and Technology Center in Fontana.

   The seminar is being sponsored by Wilmer Amina Carter, state Assembly representative for District 62, and John Chiang, the state controller.

   For more information, call 909-820-5008.

   Redlands-based Corktraders Inc. has created an online community where wine enthusiasts can come together to swap their wine, knowledge and experiences at www.corktraders.com

   Corktraders.com is a subscription-based web site where members throughout the world can browse one another's cellars to locate wines they would like to swap for their own without any monetary exchange.  It enables connoisseurs to expand their trading network and find fellow swappers and wines for trade outside of their immediate circle of friends and acquaintances.

   For more information, e-mail info@corktraders.com

   Applied LNG Technologies USA, LLC -- a wholly-owned subsidiary of PNG Ventures, Inc. (OTCBB:PNGX) -- has announced an agreement to supply liquefied natural gas and fueling equipment to Palm Desert-based waste-and-recycling service company Burrtec Waste and Recycling Services for its fleet of 18 liquified natural gas refuse haulers.

   Founded in 1955, the Burrtec Waste family of companies is the largest privately-held solid waste management organization in the State of California and has already converted more than 50 percent of its fleet to either liquefied natural gas or compressed natural gas fuels.

   Applied LNG Technologies has provided liquefied natural gas to Burrtec at its Fontana location for more than five years.

   Several bonds that will be priced on Nov. 3 and fund projects across Riverside County -- construction of an animal care facility, an 800 MHz public safety radio communication system, and the leasing of several buildings -- were given an "AA-" rating on Thursday by Fitch Ratings.

   "The negative outlook reflects Fitch's concern that the effect on the economy of the real-estate market and the real-estate market's severe deterioration will stress Riverside County's traditionally well-managed finances," a news release states. "Continued credit strength will depend on the county's ability to control spending and maintain its above-average reserves throughout the economic downturn. Further deterioration of the strong, currently well-diversified economy could also pressure the rating."

   Poseeq Inc. has just opened its doors in San Bernardino.

   The company is an Internet-based technology start-up that provides free service which converts travel itineraries to calendar appointments, which can be seen on a mobile phone.

   For more information, visit www.poseeq.com

   The office space vacancy rate in the Inland Empire rose to more than 17 percent in this year's third quarter, according to a report recently published by Studley Inc., a New York-based commercial real-estate firm.

   That's up from about 10 percent during the same quarter in 2007.

   Rental rates for office space continue to drop, too. The average was $23.81 per square foot in the third quarter, down from $24.55 at this time last year.

   About 50 buildings totalling 1.6 million square feet were finished over the last two quarters, "leaving 1.6 million square feet currently under construction," the report says.

   Three large land deals were recently made in the High Desert and Low Desert communities.

   Irvine-based Whittlesey Doyle, a land brokerage and advisory firm, represented the buyer and seller in the sale of an 80-acre, gated property of 212 finished lots in Palm Desert, called Spanish Walk. The buyer was Aliso Viejo-based Highpointe Communities Inc, and the seller was Taylor Morrison Inc. of Scottsdale, Ariz.

   Another buyer -- San Francisco-based Capistrano Homes LLC / Capistrano Lots LLC -- purchased 115 finished lots, called Capistrano At La Quinta, in La Quinta, from Corona-based Vineyard National Bancorp.

   Redlands-based estate planning attorney Nathan McIntyre recently attended an educational conference in San Diego sponsored by the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys. 

   McIntyre completed course sessions covering recent developments in the estate planning industry, including topics such as funeral trusts, legacy wealth planning, trust administration, and family limited partnerships.

   McIntyre owns McIntyre Law Group in Redlands. He devotes his practice to estate planning matters and has helped thousands of families meet their long-term estate and financial goals. Information: (909) 798-5780 or www.mcintyre-law.info.

   The San Bernardino-Riverside area ranked No. 3 nationwide in foreclosure filings from July to September, according to a Thursday report by Irvine-based RealtyTrac, a real-estate data services company.

   A so-called "foreclosure filing" includes mortgage defaults, auction sales and bank reposessions.

   "California accounted for six of the top 10, and Stockton took the top spot, with 3.69 percent of its housing units receiving a foreclosure filing during the (third) quarter," states a news release.

   Bakersfield was No. 4, Sacramento was No. 7, Fresno was No. 9 and Oakland was No. 10.

   "Foreclosure filings were reported on 765,558 properties during the third quarter, up more than 3 percent from the second quarter and 71 percent from the third quarter of 2007," the release states.

   Sportsman's Warehouse -- a Bass Pro-type outdoors sporting store -- has shuttered its doors in Victorville due to a battered economy, laying off 85 employees.

   The company has about 70 stores nationwide but has been closing other stores over the past year.

   The Victorville location had opened in June and closed on Oct. 15.

   "All they saw was slow sales getting slower," said former employee, Mike Pacer, who was a sales clerk in the hunting department. "There was too much overhead. It was too expensive."

   Harbor Guard Boats, a subsidiary of San Bernardino-based Medina International Holdings, Inc. (OTCBB: MIHI), completed delivery of its 2008 twin jet drive Defender 28' with Harbor Guard Boats Patented 2000 GPM fire-suppression diverter system option on Sept. 22, to the Richland County Sheriff's Department, Columbia, South Carolina.

   The boat was featured in a news story run by the local Richland, S.C.-based CBS television affiliate station, WLTX.  The story can be viewed at the following link: http://www.wltx.com/news/story.aspx?storyid=66655&catid=63

   Medina produces commercial fire, rescue, police and patrol boats.

   The San Bernardino County Workforce Investment Board -- based in San Bernardino -- has announced a new board member, Lt. Colonel Thomas Fisher, who is an officer at the U.S. Marine Corps' logistics base in Barstow and was appointed to the board by 1st District San Bernardino County Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt.

    Fisher oversees the management operations of the base, including environment, administration and security, and has established relationships with local community colleges. He hopes to provide a link between the workforce board and the needs of regional programs.

   The workforce board helps workers build skills to meet the needs of employers in the county.

   Colton-based Arrowhead Radiology Medical Group has selected San Francisco-based McKesson Corp. (NYSE: MCK) to manage its revenue cycle operations. The nine-physician radiology group is part of Arrowhead Regional Medical Center.

   McKesson's Revenue Management Solutions group will provide an array of services, including billing, accounts receivable management, reporting and account management services.

   "Arrowhead (Radiology Medical Group) will leverage McKesson's extensive experience to help increase revenue through improved collections, reporting and account management," a news release states.

   The Ontario-San Bernardino-Riverside unemployment rate was 9.1 percent in September, according to a recently-released report by California's Employment Development Department.

   That's down from 9.2 percent in August, and above the year-ago estimate of 6.3 percent.

   In September, total nonfarm employment increased by 5,600.

   But from September 2007 to September 2008, total nonfarm employment dropped by almost 20,000 jobs -- about 1.6 percent. The local construction sector keeps posting the greatest month-over declines.

   The region's unemployment rate was less than 5 percent in October 2006.

   Home sales across Southern California jumped a whopping 65 percent over one year from the record lows of September 2007, according to La Jolla-based DataQuick Information Systems, a real-estate data information services company.

   More than 20,000 new and resale houses and condos closed escrow in the six-county Southland area in September, up 5.8 percent from August and about 65 percent from September 2007.

   In San Bernardino County, about 63 percent of existing home sales had been foreclosed on, and about 69 percent in Riverside County.

   Nonetheless, last month's sales were still the second-lowest for any September since 1996 and were 17 percent below the 20-year sales average for that month.

   Lake Forest-based water distributor Empire Water, which owns West Riverside Canal Company and 350 Inch Water Company -- both based in the Inland Empire -- is one step closer to increasing water production by installing pipelines along its canal property throughout San Bernardino and Riverside counties.

   The Phase I Environmental Site Assessment on the canal property has been considered sufficient for the property, and a second phase is not recommended.

   Field surveying has been completed on roughly 70 percent of the canal property, one of the company's most important assets. The balance is scheduled to be completed by mid-November.

   Irvine-based KTGY Group Inc., a planning and architectural design company, was selected to be the architect for Villaggio at Route 66, a workforce housing project in Rancho Cucamonga.

   The project is a 166-unit mixed-income apartment community, with about 80 percent of the units set aside for those who earn 35 to 60 percent of the area's median income. Foundations and slabs are expected to be poured next month.

   Rancho Cucamonga-based Workforce Homebuilders LLC -- in partnership with nonprofit organizations National Community Renaissance and Hope Through Housing -- is helping with the project's design.

   Inland Empire businesses are invited to attend Mobility 21's 7th annual Southern California Transportation Summit at the Wilshire Grand Hotel in Los Angeles on Oct. 20, which will target transportation issues amid the current economic slowdown.

   Mobility 21 -- a coalition comprising leaders from San Bernardino, Riverside and other Southern California counties -- is a collaborative effort to address the nexus between a healthy environment and efficient goods movement, how to fund congestion-reduction strategies, priorities for the next federal transportation bill authorization, and supporting and expanding local transportation revenue mechanisms.

   Tickets cost $150 each. For more information, visit www.mobility21coalition.com

   For sponsorship opportunities, call Lee Ligons at 213-580-7523 or e-mail lligons@lachamber.com

   The San Bernardino Community College District is holding the last two nanotechnology training classes paid for by a grant from the Economic and Workforce Development Division of the California Community Colleges System Office.

   The free training is scheduled to take place from Nov. 10 - 14 and Feb. 9 - 13 at the Donald F. Averill Applied Technology Training Center located at 114 S. Del Rosa Drive in San Bernardino. To register, call Albert Maniaol at (909) 382-4074, or e-mail him at amaniaol@sbccd.cc.ca.us

   Nanotechnology gives experts the ability to design and manipulate materials at the molecular level, atom by atom. It's one of the highest growth job sectors in the nation.

   The fast-pace construction of industrial buildings in eastern San Bernardino and Riverside counties has made the real-estate market "a victim of its own success," according to a third-quarter report by commercial real-estate broker Colliers International.

   About 20 percent of industrial buildings across the San Bernardino-Riverside metro area are empty, the report says, which is a clear sign that commercial developers overbuilt for the local market. Most professionals consider a 10 percent vacancy rate a healthy market.

   The industrial vacancy rate in the Corona-Ontario-Rancho Cucamonga region stood at about 8 percent.

   The report predicts vacancy rates to rise even more in the fourth quarter and rental rates to keep dropping.

   Home prices in San Bernardino and Riverside counties are now back to their 2004 levels, according to a third-quarter report recently published by Redlands-based economist John Husing.

   The median price of a new home in the region stands at $389,924, and $256,325 for an existing home.

   Existing home prices dropped about 34 percent from second-quarter 2007 to second-quarter 2008, and new home prices fell about 19 percent over the same period.

   New and existing home sales in the region are now at 1998 levels, the report says.

   Out of 65 hotels and 36 restaurants across Southern California that are on the Automobile Club of Southern California's prized 2009 AAA Four Diamond Award list, Alpenhorn Bed & Breakfast -- located in Big Bear Lake -- is one of them.

   But it's the only business in San Bernardino County to make the list.

   Along with seven other hotels and restaurants across Riverside County, Riverside-based Duane's Prime Steaks & Seafood, located at the Mission Inn hotel, also made the list.

   These Inland Empire establishments are "among the top 4 percent of more than 2,600 Southern California hotels, motels and restaurants inspected by the Auto Club, the nation's largest AAA affiliate," according to a recent news release.

   The California State Board of Equalization (BOE) will extend its Taxpayer Information Call Center operating hours from Oct. 14 through Oct. 31 in an effort to reduce wait times and better help taxpayers during peak return filing period.

   The extended hours are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.  On Oct. 31, call center representatives will take calls until midnight.  Depending on the volume of calls, hours may be extended further.

   Customer service representatives help taxpayers with diverse questions about electronic filing, registration, return preparation, the Statewide Compliance and Outreach Program, tax exemptions and other BOE-related questions.

Call center: (800) 400-7115. Information: boe.ca.gov

   For the first time ever, the National District Export Council Conference is being held in the Inland Empire this week, from Wednesday to Saturday.

   Sponsored by the California Inland Empire District Export Council, the event will showcase how companies and small businesses can access foreign markets through export strategies.

   Top experts from around the nation will converge on the Wyndham Hotel in Palm Springs, including leaders from the Commerce Department, Office of the United States Trade Representative, and diplomats and CEOs from around the nation.

   For more information, visit www.decconference.com, or call Luisa Stowe at (909) 466-4136.

   The Inland Empire Center for Entrepreneurship (IECE) at Cal State San Bernardino has announced the finalists for this year's 6th annual Spirit of the Entrepreneur Awards program, and winners will be announced at the Nov. 12 black-tie gala at the Riverside Convention Center.

   "We have another outstanding group of success stories to recognize at the event," said Mike Stull, director of the center, in a news release.

   Individual tickets are $85 per person, and tables of 10 can be purchased for $750. Commencing at 6 p.m., the gala includes dinner, entertainment and a silent auction benefit.

   For more information or to make reservations, call (909) 537-3708, or visit www.inlandspiritawards.com

   Hosted by the South Coast Air Quality Management District, the Southern California Clean Vehicle Technology Expo will return to the Ontario Convention Center this week, from Oct. 13 - 15.

   This year's event includes one full day of presentations and workshops focusing on available funding for the newest and cleanest in alternative vehicle technologies. There will be displays, presentations and exhibits featuring a range of clean vehicle technologies, including diesel, hybrid and electric technologies.

   The convention center is located at 2000 E. Convention Center Way in Ontario. For more information, visit www.cleanvehicleexpo.com

   Cal State San Bernardino economist and business professor Thomas Pierce will discuss strategies to increase sales and profits at the next Inland Empire African-American Chamber of Commerce mixer. 
   This mixer is set for 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Oct. 28 at the Acquire Learning Center, located at 1188 W. Leiske Dr., Rialto.
   For more information, call (909) 875-3356 or visit www.acquire3.net 

   QuickHealth Inc. recently invited community leaders to celebrate and learn about their newest location in San Bernardino.  This location has an affiliation with St. Bernardine Medical Center and Community Hospital of San Bernardino.

   Dave Mandelkern, CEO of QuickHealth Inc., and Karin Koonings, vice president of marketing for QuickHealth, welcomed representatives from St. Bernardine Medical Center, the American Heart Association, the San Bernardino Area Chamber of Commerce, the Diocese of San Bernardino, Congressman Joe Baca's Office, the Mayor's Office, Supervisor Josie Gonzales' office, among others to mark QuickHealth's joining the St. Bernardine community.

   All Inland Empire business women are invited to learn more about correct business etiquette at For You Network's Oct. 20 meeting.

   Pauline Lee, president of Etiquette Works, Inc., will present talk about proper networking, increasing net worth and building business relationships.

   The meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. at For You Network's new location at the Courtyard by Marriott hotel at 11525 Mission Vista Drive in Rancho Cucamonga.

   Those attending may present a short forum about their own business.

   To make reservations, call K. Presto at (909) 985-3041 or D. Chilson at (909) 920-9200.

   The member's price is $22 for early registration, and $25 for everyone showing up at the door.

   Howard Friedman, CPA with San Bernardino-based Friedman & Brounstein, LLP, has been appointed to the board of nonprofit organization Options Child Care.

   Options Child Care funds and operates child-care facilities, including "Head-Start".

   Friedman also serves on the board at The Foundation for California State University, San Bernardino. 

   "We must invest in our educational system on all levels," Friedman said in a news release.  

   Punch Television Network, which just started business in San Bernardino, will launch an array of family-oriented shows on satellite cable this month.

   Punch Television will bring "wholesome, inspirational television suitable for the entire family... and offer an entire line-up of original programming and movies," according to Ashley Boylan, director of marketing for Punch Television Network.

   The network will be nationally syndicated to over 600 million homes in the United States, Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean and be a resource of inspirational movies, documentaries, sitcoms, talk shows, news, music videos and reality shows.

   For more information, visit: punchtelevisionnetwork.com

   Consent statements were sent to shareholders of 1st Centennial Bancorp on Wednesday, the Redlands-based parent company of 1st Centennial Bank.

   1st Centennial is setting the stage to raise capital in the future if it needs to. It is asking shareholders to vote on the proposal between now and 5 p.m. on Nov. 5.

   A "yes" vote would give 1st Centennial the power to issue up to 10 times the amount of stock shares the company currently is authorized to issue. The move would let the company decide if it wants to put up to 90 million more common stock shares on the market for investors, along with another 1 million shares of preferred stock.

   UPS (NYSE:UPS) has announced that 56 elite drivers from California are among 692 nationwide newly inducted into the Circle of Honor, an honorary organization for UPS drivers who have achieved 25 or more years of accident-free driving.

   Four of these drivers live in the Inland Empire: Robert Anderson of Loma Linda, Steven Gray of Perris and Michael Mitchell of Menifee.

   California boasts 346 active Circle of Honor drivers with a combined 9,787 years of accident-free driving.

   Nationwide, 4,582 active UPS drivers are members of the Circle of Honor.  Collectively they've racked up 129,632 years and more than 5 billion safe miles during their careers, or the equivalent of 10,000 trips to the moon and back.

   On Oct. 16, the 2008 High Desert Opportunity conference will convene business leaders, real estate professionals and site locators from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. to encourage economic growth and showcase business opportunities in the High Desert.

   After the conference -- which will be held at the San Bernardino County Fairgrounds at 14800 7th St. in Victorville -- the Inland Empire chapter of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP) will host a special program and networking reception from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

   The program will feature a panel of local developers that will provide updates on their current projects and forecast development trends in the High Desert during the next two years. The program will also feature a Railroad Panel to discuss the proposed rail-served business parks in the High Desert.

     For ticket prices, visit: www.highdesertopportunity.com

   Loma Linda University Health Care has signed a seven-year lease for 6,000 square feet of medical office space in Phase Two at Medical Park at Riverwalk in Riverside.

   Medical Park at Riverwalk is located within Turner Riverwalk, a 1 million square-foot master planned business park.

   Turner Riverwalk is comprised of 400,000 square feet of Class "A" office space, 375,000 square feet of R&D and industrial space, 100,000 square feet of medical office space and 125,000 square feet of retail, including 11 restaurants and a 131-room executive style hotel.

Loma Linda University Health Care will be located on the first floor of 4244 Riverwalk Parkway, part of Phase Two of the Medical Park at Riverwalk, which is comprised of two buildings totaling 72,000 square feet of medical office space.

   Developers plan to break ground on a new 90,319-square-foot neighborhood center in Calimesa -- called The Shoppes at Calimesa -- on Oct. 16, at noon.

   The $30 million 9.4-acre project, which is located on Calimesa Boulevard at Myrtlewood Drive, will be built in two phases.

   The first phase, which consists of 50,000 square feet, will feature Fresh & Easy, Walgreens, Carl's Jr., Subway and Denny's plus nearly 16,000 square feet of shop space. There is also a drive-thru pad opportunity at the entrance of the center that is available. Phase one is slated to open in May 2009. The opening of Walgreens at The Shoppes at Calimesa will be the first major drug store to open in the city.

   HCL Technologies Ltd. (HCL), India's leading global IT services company, announced on Monday, Oct. 6, a strategic partnership with Circor Aerospace, Inc. -- a Corona company focused on the design, development and manufacture of fluid controls, landing gear and actuation systems for aerospace and defense applications.

   HCL will provide product R&D, IT and engineering services to Circor from its global delivery centers, including utilizing a team based out of HCL's new delivery center in North Carolina.

   KTGY Group Inc., a planning-architectural design services company, announced that KTGY's principal, Ken Ryan -- head of the firm's community planning and urban design studio -- has been invited to speak at the Association of Commercial Real Estate Executives (ACRE) Inland Empire Chapter's program.

   The event is, "The Effects of Climate Change on Future Real Estate Development in California," and will be held at the Ontario Convention Center on Oct. 15 at 3:30 p.m.

   Ryan will offer his insights with a panel of experts addressing the legal, environmental, planning and development implications of global warming on future real estate development in California.

   The Inland Empire Culture Alliance and Arrowhead Credit Union will host a legislative summit on Oct. 23 at Cal State San Bernardino. 

   The alliance is an "informal alliance of the ethnic chambers of commerce throughout the Inland Empire," said Dolores Armstead, vice president of the Inland Empire African-American Chamber of Commerce, in a news release. "We have formed the alliance to provide a format for our communities to meet their future legislators to and to be heard."
 
   This summit, which will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Lower Commons, Pine Room, is an opportunity to meet candidates from Riverside and San Bernardino Counties who are running for office at all levels from local school boards to United States Congress.
 
     All candidates who appear on ballots in San Bernardino or Riverside counties have been invited. They will provide campaign materials and answer questions in a one-on-one setting with constituents.
 
   The Alliance will provide refreshments. For more information, call (909) 888-5223 or email info@ieaacc.com

   Several foreclosed homes -- 207 of them throughout the Inland Empire -- will go on the auction block on Oct. 9 and Oct. 12, hosted by Dallas-based auction company, Hudson & Marshall.

   Buyers will be required to make a $5,000 deposit in the form of cash, cashier's check or certified funds for each property which they are the winning bidder.

   According to a news release, "Homes auctioned by Hudson & Marshall are sold 'as-is,' and prospective buyers should inspect properties before placing bids. An open house is scheduled for Oct. 4 and Oct. 5 from 1 - 4 p.m. Properties may also be viewed by contacting the listing agent and making an appointment. A complete list of properties and additional information may be found at www.hudsonandmarshall.com or by calling 866-539-4172."

   Henry Wong, vice president of the Bing S. Wong Scholarship Foundation in San Bernardino, has joined the Newport Beach office of Cubellis -- an architectural-engineering-interior design firm that serves clients throughout the world.

   Wong will work as the studio leader for the Hospitality Practice Group. "He will add senior leadership to the Newport Beach studio, with a focus on the overall management of the Hospitality Practice Group Studio and its initiatives, including business development, project management and design," a news release says.

   The proposed $700 billion government bailout of big banks and lenders is putting Inland Empire companies on the alert.

The U.S.'s economic crisis is having a profound impact south of the border.

The amount of money Mexicans in the U.S. sent home suffered its biggest drop in history.

The Bank of Mexico said today that remittances fell 12 percent in August to $1.9 billion. That compares to $2.2 billion in August 2007.

Migrants living in the U.S. have sent home $15.5 billion in the first eight months of the year, 4 percent less than the same period the year before.

When Mexicans send less money home, it becomes economically devastating for many small towns that live off the stipends.

Remittances are Mexico's second-largest source of foreign income, after oil exports.

More poverty in rural areas equates to increased illegal immigration to the U.S., experts say. 

     The Inland Empire's manufacturing industry is getting pounded.

     A report released Wednesday morning by Cal State San Bernardino's Institute of Applied Research and Policy Analysis shows the region's slow-growth manufacturing trend spiraled even more downward during September.

     Forty-five companies responded to the institute's monthly survey, which researchers use to produce a puchasing manager index number (PMI).  A number below 50 equals contraction, and above 50 means growth.

     September's index number was "the fifth consecutive month of PMI figures below 50," the report said.