Sparks casino lays off 24 workers
SPARKS (AP) - John Ascuaga's Nugget says it has laid off 24 workers, most in supervisory jobs, as Northern Nevada prepares for the slower winter tourism season.
Nugget spokesman Michael Traum says the move is designed to help cushion the resort's financial health through the slower winter months.
He says the cut jobs represent about 1.5 percent of the Nugget's work force.
Traum tells the Reno Gazette-Journal that no other layoffs are being planned.
Toyota plugs In to new battery-powered Prius
(LA TIMES) - Toyota Motor Corp. has joined the growing ranks of automakers planning to bring advanced battery-powered vehicles to showrooms in the near future.
The Japanese automaker said it plans to have a plug-in version of its popular Prius hybrid on sale in the U.S. within three years.
Toyota had earlier announced its intention to bring 150 plug-in Priuses to the U.S. by the end of this year, but they are going to be doled out to vehicle fleets in what amounts to a large-scale road test.
Friday's announcement by Irv Miller, a group vice president for Toyota's U.S. sales unit, was the first time Toyota has set a date for making the plug-in version of the Prius available to consumers.
Toyota will have plenty of company. General Motors Co. plans to have its Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid in showrooms by the end of 2010, while Ford Motor Co. plans to have an all-electric version of its Focus compact on the market by 2011.