Business briefs

The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Energy will co-host a national renewable energy conference Oct. 10-12 in St. Louis to help create partnerships and strategies necessary to accelerate commercialization of renewable energy industries and distribution systems. For information, visit www.usda.gov.

USDA offers $1.5M in grant funds for minorities

There are nearly $1.5 million in grant funds through the USDA available to eligible cooperatives and associations to help small, minority producers develop business or marketing plans, or to conduct feasibility studies. For information, visit www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/coops/smpg/smpg.htm.

Nevada

Summit Sierra welcomes new retailers

Lucky Brand Jeans, Claire's and ALDO shoes are the latest retail operations to open at the Summit Sierra.

Vans and Bebe are both under construction and plan to open in the next few weeks.

NCED presents railport with $500,000

The Nevada Commission on Economic Development has presented the Northeastern Nevada Regional Railport in Elko with $500,000. The railport, once construction is completed, will be a transloading facility for moving products to western markets by rail and truck, and will be an integral part of the new industrial park planned in Osino, six miles east of Elko.

Business Bank of Nevada enhances deposit products

The Business Bank of Nevada (OTCBB:BBNV) has announced that it has enhanced its array of deposit products to help attract deposits to fund strong loan demand. They recently developed money market accounts and certificate of deposit products that are tied to the prime lending rate and provide depositors with more attractive rates of return in a rising environment.

NDEP employee named recycling coordinator

Chester Sergent, an eight-year Nevada Division of Environmental Protection employee, has been named the northern Nevada recycling coordinator for NDEP. Before joining NDEP, he was an environmental programs manager for Day Zimmerman Hawthorne Corp. in Hawthorne and a bioenvironmental engineering technicians in the U.S. Air Force.