Monthly bank statements only confirm what Mark Anderson already knows. He’s worse off than he was a year ago. Mr. Anderson didn’t lose his job. No family members fell ill and went to the hospital. He can’t think of any large, unexpected expense that would have set him back financially. Bank accounts don’t dwindle all by themselves. So what’s the problem?

The tough economy soon will get tougher for some employees at a local manufacturing plant.
Snorkel International has announced that it will lay off up to 125 workers by the end of September at its factory in Elwood, Kan.
The move is a reaction to decreased demand for the company’s aerial lift trucks, according to Dan Jenkins, spokesman for Snorkel’s parent company, England-based Tanfield Group. Mr. Jenkins said increased costs in the construction industry have slowed many projects, which had led contractors to order fewer Snorkel products.

Snorkel International has announced that it will lay off up to 125 workers by the end of September at its factory in Elwood, Kan. The move is a reaction to decreased demand for the company’s aerial lift trucks, according to Dan Jenkins, spokesman for Snorkel’s parent company, the Tanfield Group. Mr. Jenkins said increased costs in the construction industry have slowed many projects, which leads to fewer contractors ordering Snorkel products.

Scott Downing knows the routine. By the time the sun went down and the speakers flared up, Civic Center Park would fill up for one of Trails West!’s nightly concerts. The beer garden would be packed and food lines would block the street. The Downings, however, headed for the gate before Night Ranger played its first note Sunday evening. Nothing against the band, some families just like to have their fun a little earlier in the day. “It’s hot, but you don’t have to deal with the crowds,” Mr. Downing said. “We pretty much have the run of the place until 4 or 5.”

It’s the economy, stupid. Political pundits pull the phrase out for their audiences every four years when searching for the key issue in the upcoming presidential election. Of course, the economy is a broad topic that gives candidates plenty of wiggle room to claim that they — and only they — can point the market in the right direction.

Jimmy John’s will bring its gourmet sandwiches to The Belt sometime in the next week. Maybe. I just don’t know for sure. I know what you’re thinking. “Wow, the reporter is so lazy that he didn’t even track down the date for the restaurant’s opening.”

St. Joseph is No. 1. Or perhaps numero uno is more appropriate. New data from the Census Bureau shows that St. Joseph has the fastest-growing Hispanic community in the United States. The Hispanic population in Buchanan County grew from 2,397 people in July 2006 to 2,980 in July 2007, a 24 percent increase. The majority of the growth occurred in St. Joseph, where a 21 percent jump was the largest by percentage in the nation.

The Missouri Legislature has found a way to combat one of the state’s most serious problems.
No, not gas prices. The stifling heat.
In July, Gov. Matt Blunt signed a bill that made the ice cream cone Missouri’s official state dessert. The bill was originally proposed to bill sponsor Sen. John Loudon of St. Louis County by a group of students who wanted to recognize Missouri’s role in inventing the ice cream cone, which debuted at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair.

America’s new interior design star may reside a few miles to the south, but she’s close enough for St. Joseph to stake a claim.

WHITESVILLE, Mo. — With profits tightening in the beef industry, cattlemen are on the lookout for new ways to maximize production on their pastures.