Print

Email story

Comment

Letter to the editor

Talk of the bay: Fund oversight pressure means higher salary

By Times Staff
Published January 15, 2008

One upside for the person who takes over the Florida State Board of Administration, the state agency under scrutiny for losing local governments' money in the subprime mortgage crisis: better pay. The governor and state Cabinet are expected this morning to discuss recruitment and salary for whoever replaces former director Coleman Stipanovich. The staff recommendation: between $250,000 and $300,000. Stipanovich earned $180,000.

Mattress seller to put name to bed

Expect a name change at Clearwater Mattress. The company, owned by Clearwater's Mel Jones since 1985, was acquired this month by Mattress Giant of Addison, Texas. Mattress Giant, one of the nation's biggest sleep chains with 340 stores, expects to remodel and rebrand all 21 Clearwater Mattress stores by the end of January.

WellCare stock in full recovery

Shares in Tampa's WellCare Health Plans rose more than 20 percent Monday, the largest increase since FBI agents raided the managed-care company's headquarters in October. WellCare, which has 2.3-million members in its Medicare and Medicaid plans, said federal officials have approved expanding coverage for the elderly and disabled into more than additional 800 counties. Despite the ongoing investigation, which reportedly focuses on its Florida Medicaid plans, WellCare added members in each of the 10 states where it offers Medicare plans for a total of nearly 170,000 seniors. The company's stock closed Monday at $56.43, up $9.44, making WellCare the day's second-biggest gainer on the New York Stock Exchange.

Allegiant key in airport turnaround

Talk about a comeback. Rebounding from its lowest annual passenger numbers in at least 14 years, St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport handled just over 747,000 people last year, airport officials said Monday. The 92 percent increase was driven by Allegiant Air, a discounter that now flies nonstop to 14 mid-sized and small cities in the East and Midwest. The local airport was on the ropes when Southeast Airlines shut down after Thanksgiving 2004 and ATA left a few months later.

[Last modified January 14, 2008, 22:55:55]