Midday Thursday updates

Breaking news:

-Former wife of Rocket Wheeler, the Rome Braves' first manager, has died following a traffic accident in Pawleys Island, S.C. > Click

-Fred Green, the president of Synovus, parent company of Citizens First in Rome and GB & T in Calhoun, has resigned> Click

Regional jobless rate drops from 11% to 10.3% in April

	April working	April jobless	April % jobless	March 09 % jobless	April 08 % jobless
Bartow	40,576	4,997	11.0%	11.4%	6.5%
Chattooga	9,674	1,523	13.6%	18.0%	8.5%
Floyd	43,739	5,016	10.3%	10.3%	5.2%
Gordon	23,636	3,179	11.9%	11.6%	6.0%
Polk	19,425	2,384	10.9%	10.4%	5.5%
Georgia	4,336,501	432,643	9.1%	9.1%	5.0%

Source: Georgia Department of Labor

The unemployment rate dropped in Bartow and Chattooga counties, stayed the same in Floyd but climbed in Gordon and Polk counties last month, according to the latest statistics from the Georgia Department of Labor. The drops are little comfort: All five counties still have jobless rates in the 10-plus percent range with around 5,000 people out of work in each of Bartow and Floyd counties.

>The context: Forget the percentages for a minute and drill in on the work force numbers. In April 2008, Floyd had 47,051 people employed vs. 43,739 last month, a drop of 3,312 or 8.1 percent. In Bartow, the labor force was 43,627 in April 2008 vs. 40,576 last month, a drop of 3,051 jobs or 7 percent.

>The region: Coosa Valley's unemployment rate dropped to 10.3 percent in April vs. 11.0 percent in March. The report includes Bartow, Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade, Floyd, Gordon, Haralson, Paulding, Polk and Walker counties. In metro Rome, the jobless rate also was 10.3 percent, the same as in April.

>As for Georgia: April's jobless rate was 9.3 percent, up from 9.2 percent in March and in February. In April 2008, 5.8 percent of Georgia's labor force was idle. The state Labor Department reports 446,560 Georgians were looking for work last month, a 60 percent jump from 12 months earlier.

>Where jobs were lost: Manufacturing, professional and business services, including temporary employment agencies, along with trade, transportation and warehousing, and the construction industry.    
>Job gainers (14,200 in all): health care and educational services.

Business

-Synovus president resigns: The Board of Directors of Synovus. parent company of Citizens First Bank in Rome and GB & T in Calhoun, announces the resignation of President Fred L. Green III. He'd been in charge of the company's banking activities since 2006.  Green joined Synovus in 1995 when the company acquired National Bank of South Carolina where he served as President and CEO.  Richard E. Anthony, Chairman and CEO,   will assume the additional responsibilities of President> Synovus