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<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Mike Benbow, Business Editor benbow@heraldnet.com   Published: Tuesday, April 14, 2009 Business Briefly: Local unemployed to get free tech training from Microsoft The Snohomish County Workforce Development Council will received 1,750 vouchers from Microsoft Corp. to help unemployed residents get new computer skills. The vouchers will entitle people to take computer classes for free either in person or online. And they'll also be able to take free Microsoft certification exams. To learn more about the program, choose a learning plan or register for a voucher, visit www.wdcsc.org/elevateamerica. "Many are looking to sharpen their skills during the current downturn and Elevate America provides a terrific opportunity to do so," said Sue Ambler, CEO of the development council. Microsoft is offering 30,000 of the vouchers in Washington as part of a national program. Most tax refunds will help pay bills Most people say they plan to use this year's tax refund to pay bills, deciding in this sour economy to be more frugal with their annual windfall. Fifty-four percent of those receiving refunds said they intend to pay off credit card, utility, housing and other bills, according to an Associated Press-GfK poll released Monday. That compares with 35 percent who said the same thing a year ago. Only 5 percent, about the same as a year ago, said they planned to go on a shopping spree. The survey found that 38 percent of those receiving a refund said they plan to spend at least part of it. But the spending appears to be mostly on basic needs: 17 percent said they would use the money for everyday needs such as food and clothing. It was 7 percent a year ago. Pepsi, Coke spar over sports drinks PepsiCo Inc. sued rival Coca-Cola Co. on Monday over ads for a new version of Coca-Cola's sports drink Powerade, saying the campaign makes false claims that could hurt its Gatorade brand. The Purchase, N.Y.-based company asked the U.S. District Court in the Southern District of New York to stop Coca-Cola's campaign. PepsiCo said the ads for Powerade ion4 are false in saying it's the "complete" sports drink, better than Gatorade because that drink is missing two electrolytes -- magnesium and calcium. It said there was no evidence the new Powerade is better than Gatorade and that the Coca-Cola-made drink has the extra electrolytes only in trace amounts anyway. T-bill rates fall in Monday auction The Treasury Department auctioned three-month bills at a discount rate of 0.18 percent, down from 0.20 percent last week. Six-month bills was auctioned at a discount rate of 0.37 percent, down from 0.40 percent. For a $10,000 bill, the three-month price was $9,995.45, while a six-month bill sold for $9,981.29. Separately, the Federal Reserve said the average yield for one-year Treasury bills, a popular index for changing adjustable rate mortgages, rose to 0.60 percent last week from 0.58 percent. From Herald news services READER COMMENTS Be the first to comment. You must be a registered user and verify your e-mail address to post comments to blogs or articles on HeraldNet. To register, click here. To read other terms and conditions, click here. Log out

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