Heard on the Street

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SLEEP DEPRIVATION|ret||ret||tab|

With Daylight Savings Time here, that hour of sleep we lost in the wee hours of April 1 is precious and needs to be made up, or we'll pay the consequences. Dr. Ferzana Mir, of the Skaggs Sleep Disorders Lab in Branson, urges Ozarkers to catch up that lost hour right away. "Lack of sleep has a considerable cost: $18 billion annually in lost productivity, and more than 100,000 crashes and 1,500 deaths each year due to drowsy driving," Mir said in a news release from Skaggs Community Health Center, where the lab is housed. If you wonder if you get enough sleep, take the sleep quiz on the National Sleep Foundation's Web site, |bold_on|www.sleepfoundation.org. |ret||ret||tab|

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MOVE OVER, DETROIT|ret||ret||tab|

Missouri has the ninth highest automobile industry employment in the United States, according to a new study by the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturing. The industry directly employs 36,200 Missouri workers, including engineers, sales and marketing employees, and production workers. Another 91,200 jobs spin off from businesses such as suppliers of parts and components, raw materials and support services, making the total 221,200 Missourians who depend on the industry for employment. That employment spawns $7.6 billion in wages and benefits. The state has 533 new car dealerships, which generate about $11.9 billion in annual sales, according to the study.|ret||ret||tab|

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TAKING SHELTER|ret||ret||tab|

If Congressman Roy Blunt gets his way, Ozarkers who live in mobile home parks will be able to use federal Community Development Block Grant funds to build tornado shelters in their parks. The House of Representatives approved 400-6 the bill which would change the law to allow the CDBG funds to be used for the shelters. "Tornadoes are an unpleasant and frightening fact of life in the Ozarks, especially for people who live in mobile home parks, " Blunt said in a news release. "Our district is in the middle of tornado alley, and the biggest loss of life is usually among people who live in mobile home parks. Greene County Director of Emergency Services Joye McElwee knows of only one park out of more than 15 major mobile home parks in Greene County that has a storm shelter. The Missouri Emergency Preparedness Association is drafting rules to require every mobile home park to have a shelter. McElwee said Blunt's legislation is "100 percent needed."|ret||ret||tab|

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JUMP START YOUR CAREER|ret||ret||tab|

How do you get a piece of the job pie? Attend Career Morning, where information about the needs and directions of companies will be available to local job seekers. Insightful information into the hiring process, including tips about applications, rsums and interviews, can be gleaned 9 a.m.-noon April 2 at the Mid-America Cancer Center, 2055 S. Fremont. Attendees will be able to speak with representatives of NorthStar Battery Company, St. John's Health System, Springfield ReManufacturing, The Western and Southern Life Insurance Company, Paul Mueller Company, ANPAC, City Utilities, Firstar, First USA and Lowe's. Marlene Chism, a professional speaker and president of ICARE Consulting and Presentations, will share insights on the critical things that must be done to take charge of your professional life. The event is hosted by the Missouri Career Center, which was created by a merger of area work force development agencies and their partner organizations, including Job Service, Job Council of the Ozarks and the Ozarks Area Community Action Corporation. These agencies have joined forces to offer one central location for job seekers to come and to avoid duplication of services.|ret||ret||tab|

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