One way or another, this happens every time there a disaster.

It’s not just the Gulf of Mexico that’s being sullied by the BP oil spill – it could also affect your pocketbook.

The state Department of Financial Institutions and the Securities & Exchange Commission have issued an alert aimed at investors who may be presented with “scams promising financial gains from investments in companies that claim to be involved in cleanup operations.”

Regulators have issued the alert “to warn investors about potential scams that exploit the Gulf oil spill and related cleanup efforts. While some of the companies touting their role in the cleanup may be legitimate, others could be bogus operations that are only looking to clean out unsuspecting investors.”
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Returning soldiers will be the special guests at the RecruitMilitary Opportunity Expo slated for Thursday, June 10, at the Tacoma Convention and Trade Center.

Representatives from national companies and colleges will be on hand to talk to returning soldiers, veterans and other service members, said Chris Adams, a spokeswoman for RecruitMilitary, which is based in Cleveland, Ohio. The recruiting firm plans to hold about 40 similar events around the country, she said.

Spouses are welcome, too, Adams said.

The convention center is at: 1500 Broadway in Tacoma. For more information, call Adams at: 513-683-5020.

Walmart will break ground on a 50,000 square foot expansion of its Lakewood store on Tuesday at 11 a.m. The public is welcome to attend.

The expansion will add space for a full-service grocery store, including bakery and deli, plus space for the garden department and a drive-thru lane for the pharmacy.

Beyond that, the store will be adding 85 new, full-time jobs, according to Walmart spokeswoman Jennifer Spall.

To apply for the positions, she advises that jobseekers visit the company’s website, www.walmartstores.com, and go to the careers section.

Tuesday’s celebration, slated for the field just north of the store …

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The Port of Tacoma Commission today narrowed its search for a new executive director to five finalists including interim port director John Wolfe.

The finalists have wide-ranging experience from leadership of a statewide ports authority to the presidency of a truck line. The commission plans in-person interviews next month when the candidates’ schedules permit.

Commission President Don Johnson said the commission has targeted naming a new director by the end of the month. The pay range for the job is $200,000 to $240,000 a year.

The five finalists are:

Bernard S. Groseclose . Groseclose served as executive director of …

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Boeing has moved its number 4 test 787 Dreamliner to Colorado Springs for high altitude testing.

The plane had been operating from Mesa, Ariz. for high temperature tests.

The ZA004 plane will explore how the Dreamliner operates at Colorado Springs’ nearly 6,200-foot airport altitude.

The Colorado Springs airport longest runway is 13,500 feet long because the thin air at higher altitudes require aircraft to accelerate to higher speeds before they can take off.

The test plane is expected to operate in Colorado Springs for several days.

The four-plane Dreamliner test fleet has accumulated more than 850 hours of test flying. …

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Continental Airlines today became the world’s first airline to announce where it will fly the first of its new Boeing 787 Dreamliners.

The Houston-based carrier, which may be merged with United Airlines by next year, said it will inaugurate a route from its Houston hub to Auckland, New Zealand. The 7,400-mile route will be the longest flight on Continental’s schedule.

Continental will receive the first of its 25 Dreamliners in the fall of 2011. The first Houston-Auckland flight is set for Nov. 16, 2011.

The mid-sized, twin-engine Dreamliner was designed for just such long, thin routes allowing non-stop flights …

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There’s still hope for funding of a program for summer jobs.

The News Tribune recently presented a look at the chances for summer employment for youth – and now comes news from the Other Washington that Sen. Patty Murray, chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Employment, has successfully included funding in a final version of a bill that will restore a national youth summer 2010 jobs program.

The program, which last year helped employ over 313,000 teens nationally – including 1,200 in Pierce County – is set to receive $1 billion.

According to a release from the senator’s office, …

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The Governor’s Industrial Safety and Health Advisory Board is accepting nominations for the 2010 governor’s lifesaving awards, presented to Washington residents who saved a life this past year.

According to a release from the Department of Labor & Industries, the award is open to all Washington residents covered by industrial insurance, whether through the state’s workers’ compensation system or at a self-insured company.

The life-saving effort must have taken place between June 1, 2009, and May 30, 2010 – but is not limited to actions in Washington. The deadline for applications is June 30.

Nominees must have made a …

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