Hot and Sunny

Missoulian: THURSDAY'S FORECAST: Sunny and hot, high of 96

State of the Climate National Overview June 2012

The average temperature for the contiguous U.S. during June was 71.2°F, which is 2.0°F above the 20^th century average. The June temperatures contributed to a record-warm first half of the year and the warmest 12-month period the nation has experienced since record keeping began in 1895. Scorching temperatures during the second half of the month led many cities to set all-time temperature records. 

Building / i3 Education Funding

 Missoulian: US builders start most new homes since Oct. 2008

NEW RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION INJUNE 2012

“Privately-owned housing units authorized by building permits in June were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 755,000. This is 3.7 percent (±1.0%) below the revised May rate of 784,000, but is 19.3 percent (±1.8%) above the June 2011 estimate of 633,000.”

Missoulian: Obama proposes$1B for science, math teachers

Investing in Innovation Fund(i3) 

“The Department is pleased to invite 124 Development pre-applicants to submit an application for the FY2012 Full Application Development Competition. The Department encourages applicants to review the documents on this page and other i3 pages to learn more about the i3 competition. The Department is pleased to invite 124 Development pre-applicants to submit an application for the FY2012 Full Application Development Competition. The Department encourages applicants to review the documents on this page and other i3 pages to learn more about the i3 competition.”

Gas Prices /

Helena Independent Record: Cheaper gas keeps US consumerprices flat 

Consumer Price Index 

“The energy index continued to fall in June, but its decline was offset by increases in the indexes for food and all items less food  and energy. The energy index fell 1.4 percent as the gasoline index  declined for the third month in a row; other energy indexes were mixed. The food index rose 0.2 percent after being unchanged last  month as the index for food at home turned up in June.”

Helena Independent Record: US factory output rose 0.4percent in June

PRODUCTIVITY AND COSTS-BLS

“Nonfarm business sector labor productivity decreased at a 0.9 percent annual rate during the first quarter of 2012, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The decline in productivity reflects increases of 2.4 percent in output and 3.3 percent in hours worked. (All quarterly percent changes in this release are seasonally adjusted annual rates.) From the first quarter of 2011 to the first quarter of 2012, productivity increased 0.4 percent as output and hours worked rose 2.7 percent and 2.2 percent, respectively.”

Libby Asbestos

Missoulian: Libby reaches asbestos cleanup milestone

Libby Asbestos
Since November 1999, EPA has cleaned up the major source areas of contamination around town. EPA is now cleaning up smaller sources found in a variety of places such as around homes and businesses. EPA conducts stringent clearance sampling after cleanup and has begun some targeted sampling to measure the effectiveness of cleanup several months later.