Numbers in the news

Some 75 years and 450 million lighters later, Zippo Manufacturing of Bradford is still going strong. The company plans a big anniversary celebration later this year. Among the toughest challenges today is the battle against counterfeits.

75

Zippo Manufacturing Co. continues to plan for its 75th anniversary celebration, set for July 26-28. Since its founding, Zippo has sold about 450 million lighters and expanded its product line. A new butanefueled pocket lighter is set to launch this year.

36.7M

Did you ever wonder how much money the state makes from selling timber on state forest and game lands? The answer was $36.7 million in 2006, down from the $42.7 million in 2005. Of the 2006 total, $5.84 million came from the Emporium-based Elk State Forest, where there were 19 timber sales conducted on 1,349 acres. Statewide in 2006, timber was cut on 13,635 acres.

4.6

Unemployment in Pennsylvania stood fairly steady at 4.6% in December, while the national rate remained at 4.5%. In the local area, Christmas season temporary hiring helped bring down the jobless rate slightly. Some 5.9% of adults were looking for work in Cameron County and 5.7% percent in Potter County.

79

Distractions are the leading cause of U.S. car crashes. Some 79% are the result of the driver not focusing full attention on the road.

Drivers admit they're not paying attention. About 82% look away from the road to tune the radio or CD player; 73% admit to talking on cellphones, even in states where it's illegal; 19% send and receive text messages while driving; 5% use their Blackberry or similar personal communication device.

5,400

CNN reports that cab drivers at the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport, most of whom are Muslims originally from Somalia, are refusing to accept passengers carrying alcohol. In the past five years, 5,400 wouldbe taxi passengers at the airport were refused service, according to the Metropolitan Airport Commission (MAC).

Passenger Bob Dildine says he waited for 20 minutes, and five cab drivers would not give him and his daughter a ride. He was carrying wine he bought on vacation. "We were a lawful customer, and we were denied service," said Dildine. "That's not our way of doing things."

MAC officials are reluctant to impose penalties, such as a license suspension, to drivers who discriminate. The cabbies' actions are defended by Kahlid Elmasry of the Muslim American Society. "Transportation of alcohol for Muslims is against the Islamic faith, and therefore forbidden," he said.

928

Emporium Borough Police responded to 928 calls in 2006. The figure does not count those instances where officers took no action. There was an increase in criminal activity during the fall months.

Among the calls in 2006 were 50 thefts, 21 domestic violence incidents, 15 assaults, 17 burglaries, 21 traffic accidents, 41 vandalism incidents, eight animal complaints, three rapes, three arson investigations, 12 noise or annoyance complaints, 105 traffic arrests, 33 non-traffic arrests, 26 drug investigations, and six incidents of public drunkenness.

A new records management system will allow the department to produce more detailed reports this year.

8,633

DuBois Regional Airport will lose about $850,000 in federal funding because of lower passenger counts in 2006. There were just 8,633 passengers last year, down from 10,349 in 2005.

The money was contingent on at least 10,000 people flying into or out of DuBois. Airport officials blamed the decline on the reduction of daily departures at DuBois from four to three in 2006.

70

One of Emporium's most revered citizens, Buzz Olivett, was honored last week for 70 years of serving the Emporium Volunteer Fire Department.