Eileen Gilbert , Director of Operations for BIE presents the 1st place Best of Show awrad to Don Luicana Jr. of Luicana’s Unique Design Kitchen and Bath…Photo/TomKelly III

Photos by Tom Kelly III Jake, left, and Ben McGee of McGee Electric show a 20KW portable standby generator at the Tri-County Home & Garden Show on Friday.

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State and local government arguably have a greater impact on business development and job creation than the federal government.  Two states recently took diametrically opposed approaches in trying to handle deficit concerns while still inspiring businesses and job creation.

It’s worth looking at these states’ actions.

Wisconsin Under Governor Scott Wagner’s leadership, a number of measures favorable to small business have been put in place:

1. The Governor pledged to reduce spending rather than raising taxes.
2. A state-level deduction has been created for contributions to health savings accounts, a health care arrangement that’s attractive to many small businesses.
3. The governor signed into law the Relocation Tax Credit, which effectively waives income and franchise taxes for two years on a business moving to Wisconsin. This app

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A major supplier to blind maker Kresta Holdings, whose vote could determine who controls the company, has admitted failing to lodge substantial shareholder notices with the company for the past 11 years.

Taiwan-based Si Chuan Cheou confirmed yesterday that he held as much as 9.19 per cent of the stock for more than a year.

In his letter to Kresta, Mr Cheou did not mention up to another 4 per cent of the company which sources close to the group believe is held by his associates.

“I apologise for the inadvertent failure to provide these notices to the company at an earlier date, however I was unfamiliar with the Australian legal requirements at the relevant time and have prepared the required forms as soon as I became aware of such a requirement,” Mr Cheou wrote.

Mr Cheou appears not to be the only major Kresta shareholder stricken with this problem. Get full info…

The threat of further shocks from countries such as Italy, Portgual and Spain will hamper recovery of the European property market, according to a new report.

Although London, Munich, Paris and Istanbul are set to be investment hotspots, a combination of new regulation, European austerity, the debt crisis and a weak lending market pose challenges for other cities, says the report by PricewaterhouseCoopers and the Urban Land Institute.

“Winning cities” such as London and Paris will continue to attract property investment, but a two-speed Europe will emerge in its property market. “London and Paris are just big, transparent markets.

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Grand Buffet in Eastland Shoppes retail center

EVANSVILLE — An international buffet, called The Grand Buffet, has opened in Eastland Shoppes, off North Green River Road just south of Morgan Avenue.

Owner Tony Dong said the 300-seat restaurant offers American, Japanese and Chinese cuisine, among other international flavors. It includes 9,000 square feet of space, which recently was vacant.

Dong also owns restaurants in Ohio.

The previous tenant in the Eastand Shoppes space was the Asian Super Buffet, which opened in January 2010 and closed a short while later.

The space originally housed the Old Country Buffet, which abruptly closed in October 2005 after operating there for 16 years. T

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