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The IRS announced today its optional standard mileage rates for the coming year, raising rates due to higher car and fuel prices last month.

See whether your employer measures up to the IRS recommendations:

Starting Jan. 1, the IRS recommends employers reimburse workers 48.5 cents per mile for business travel. That's up 4 cents from the current rate of 44.5 cents per mile.

For medical or moving travel, the IRS recommends a reimbursement rate of 20 cents per mile, up from 18 cents this year. And the suggested rate for charity travel will be 14 cents per mile.

The IRS bases these rates on an annual study of the costs of operating a car. Charitable mileage reimbursement rates are set through a separate process.

Economic activity in Guilford County saw slight growth during September, as unemployment remained steady and building activity grew, according to the monthly Triad Business Index report from local economist Don Jud.

Jud's Guilford County Business Index, which measures growth in the county, ended the month at 144.7, up 0.2 percent. In a news release today, Jud reported that the county index grew at an annualized rate of 3.6 percent during the 3rd quarter, compared to the 1.6 percent gain experienced by the nation's gross domestic product.

The county's unemployment rate remained at 4.6 percent during September, the level it stood at since March, and total employment in the county grew to 231,719 during September. Unemployment remains down from this time last year.

Residential building permits gained 10.4 percent from September 2005, though single-family permits remain down year-to-date, Jud reported.

County home prices, adjusted for inflation, declined 0.2 percent during the third quarter and remain down 1.1 percent year-to-date. The number of homes sold, Jude reported, declined 12.3 percent during the third quarter. Home-sales numbers are down 14.7 percent in the county during the past year, according to the index report.

Jud eyed the same factors in the Triad Business Index, which follows economic movement in the metropolitan statistical areas of Burlington, Greensboro/High Point and Winston-Salem. The Triad Index was up 0.3 percent in September, growing at an annualized rate of 4 percent during the third quarter.

Unemployment in the Triad was steady from August to September - at 4.7 percent. Notably, initial claims for unemployment insurance are down 51.5 percent during the past year in the Triad, Jud reported.

The region continued to see a decline in residential building permits, an indicator of interest in construction and area growth. Permits were off 2.4 percent during September in the Triad, and planned residential growth in the region has taken a nosedive during the past year - falling 20.2 percent, Jud reported.

Home prices in the Triad have seen growth during the past year, though Greensboro, High Point and Burlington aren't seeing as much of a boom as Winston-Salem.

I know. Today it was 70-something degrees, and heat probably is the last thing on your mind.

But, as we reported last week, the NOAA is predicting that this winter will be 6 percent colder than last year's unseasonably warm home-heating season. That's still not too chilly - the Energy Information Administration is predicting home-heating savings of about $45 for the average household.

Still, that doesn't mean you shouldn't conserve.

The N.C. Attorney General's office released a home-heating tip sheet this week. Here's what Roy Cooper advises the state's consumers to do:

* Set your thermostat low - at 68 degrees or lower for top savings.

* Keep the temperature steady to ensure your heater works best.

* Make sure your vents, radiators and heating strips aren't blocked.

* Open your blinds and curtains during the day to catch some warmth from sunlight. Close them at night for another layer of insulation.

* Skip fires, which draw air warmed by your heating system out of the house.

* Don't run bathroom and kitchen ventilation fans constantly - they also pull air out of the house. Use ceiling fans to move warm air.

* Close unused rooms and don't heat them.

* Vacuum your vents and heaters and change or clean your filters regularly.

* Install weatherstripping around windows and doors to block leaks.

* Insulate your floors, ceilings, walls, attic, ducts, pipes and your hot-water heater. The higher the "R-value" on the insulation, the better job it does.

* Don't buy into cost-reduction offers that are too good to be true.

* If you're replacing your heating system, pick an energy-efficient model. It might cost more up-front, but it will save you cash long-term.

Yes, you read that right. Downtown music-software company VirtuosoWorks has struck a deal with rock icon and actor Meat Loaf to provide background music for two large-venue concerts.

The first of these shows, for Meat Loaf's new "Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster is Loose" album, takes place tonight at the Palace Theater in New York. The second is Saturday at the Elgin Theater in Toronto.

VirtuosoWorks' software program Notion, which lets musicians use computers to compose, edit and perform music in a variety of venues, will augment Meat Loaf's orchestra during the two shows, according to a company news release.

"Combining Notion with live players in performance is one of the things we do really well," VirtuosoWorks Chief Executive Officer Lori Jarrett said in the release. "We're very happy to assist in Meat Loaf's large venue concerts. That's exactly what we're about."

Meat Loaf will perform backed by a 16-piece orchestra, in addition to the software. The first single off his new album dropped in mid-October to relative success on the charts, and the album came out in the U.S. on Halloween. "Bat Out of Hell III" refers back to Meat Loaf's blockbuster album - "Bat Out of Hell" - which he released in 1977 (Think "Paradise by the Dashboard Light"). The follow-up album "Bat Out of Hell: Back Into Hell," dropped in 1993 (Think "I'd Do Anything for Love").

VirtuosoWorks reports that Meat Loaf's shows include three acts, one for each album.

The Greensboro Merchants Association and WXII 12 are midway into a telethon meant to benefit students, faculty and staff impacted by Wednesday's fire at Eastern Guilford High School.

The telethon kicked off at 6 a.m. and will run until 11:35 p.m. Call (866) 207-6954 to make a donation. The phone bank and site for check drop-offs is at the GMA office at 335 Commerce Place in Greensboro. Donors also can drop off checks at WXII studios at 700 Coliseum Drive in Winston-Salem.

The GMA instructs donors to make checks out to WXII Cares, c/o CFGG (Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro), P.O. Box 20444, Greensboro, N.C., 27420. You also can make a donation through the Community Foundation's Web site.

WXII will show coverage of the telethon during the news at noon, 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 11 p.m.

The BB&T Charitable Foundation is giving $1 million to UNCG's Bryan School of Business and Economics for a program to teach students about connections between morals and economics, according to a Thursday news release from the university.

The gift will support the BB&T Program in Capitalism, Markets and Morality, including an undergraduate class on markets and morality in the Lloyd International Honors College, a graduate course and a new BB&T Distinguished Lecture Service in Capitalism. BB&T's contribution also will create the BB&T Ayn Rand Reading Room, a collection of writings on economic freedom, in the Walter Clinton Jackson Library, the university reported.

The foundation directs philanthropic giving for Winston-Salem-based BB&T Corp., which holds $118.5 in assets and runs more than 1,450 banks.

Time Warner Cable has given the state's association for high school athletics sponsorship in exchange for exclusive rights to show high-school championship games.

The cable provider, which operates in the Triad, announced today that it will show the state's eight high-school football championships next month on channel 1234, a free Video on Demand station available to digital subscribers. According to a news release, Time Warner has become the "Official Television Partner of the NCHSAA" and a major corporate sponsor (i.e. they've tossed an unknown amount of cash at the association).

Time Warner also plans to show championship basketball games for boys and girls teams in March and will consider televising other sports championships, according to the release.

The carrier's 24-hour news network, News 14 Carolina, will show the 4AA state championship game at 8 p.m. Dec. 9. News 14 Carolina recently launched in the Triad area.

Check the schedule after the jump:

Cingular Wireless plans to launch an advanced new broadband network in the Triad on Thursday, company representatives said at a meeting with the News & Record today.

The 3G network - which stands for third-generation - speaks of an increasing industry interest in giving consumers every possible service in one device. In this case, the device is the LG CU320, a sleek black cell phone whose design looks cribbed from the Motorola Razr. And the services include a series of video and television networks, music, a combined camera and video camera and compatibility with a laptop.

Cingular, the nation's largest wireless carrier, isn't the first to offer high-speed Internet access through its phones and cards for laptops. Competitors including Sprint and Verizon have jumped on the broadband bandwagon, in addition to adding more capabilities to increasingly slimmer phones.

Cingular plans to add more phones to the network during the holiday retail season, said Cingular spokeswoman Laurie Parker. Company representatives also showed off an unreleased Trio-style PDA and another handheld device that will run off the 3G network.

For now, the LG phone is Cingular’s only 3G offering. Customers can pick up the phone for $49.95 after a mail-in-rebate and with a two-year service contract. Subscribers can choose from Cingular’s traditional voice plans and pay an addition $20 each month for unlimited data access. The phone, which went on sale here Sunday, can be used as a modem, or customers can purchase a 3G data card for $49.95 after a rebate.

The average download speed on the network is between 400 and 700 kilobits per second, though Parker claims her phone picks up bursts of quicker speeds. Cingular currently offers the upgraded network in 110 cities and towns near more than 55 metropolitan markets, including Raleigh and Charlotte. 3G customers who travel outside the network will still be able to use all their data services - at slower speeds - on Cingular's lower-level, 2G network.

The High Point Chamber of Commerce announced today it's adding five new members to its Board of Directors for 2007. The members have been elected to a three-year term beginning in January.

The five new directors joining the 25-member board are:
Al Adams, principal at Senn Dunn Corpening Insurance Center
Jerry Camp, owner of C & D Industrial Tools & Supplies, Inc.
Brian Casey, president of the High Point Market Authority
Tom Terrell, an attorney with Smith Moore, LLP
Jane West, Marketing Manager for North State Communications

The Greensboro Zoning Commission voted, 6-2, Monday against a request from the Warnersville Community Coalition to rezone 30-acres of Greensboro College land for homes.

Members of the coalition, led by President Otis Hairston, requested that the city rezone the land, used for sports practices since 1998, to block Greensboro College from knocking down the historic J.C. Price School and building revamped athletic fields and a stadium.

But zoning officials voted that down Monday, sending the proposal along to the City Council's Dec. 5 meeting. Community residents and college representatives are sure to converge there, and there might be some fireworks. Read more in Tuesday's News & Record.

A roundup of the zoning meeting after the jump ...

Greensboro-based RFMD will dedicate a home built with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Greensboro on Saturday, according to a report posted on the local dBusinessNews Web site.

A producer of cell-phone chips and components, RFMD has built four homes with Habitat since 2001, according to the report. The second and third homes were finished, respectively, in 2002 and 2003, the report says.

The fourth home will house a Liberian refugee and her children and is located at 1214 Lombardy St., the report states.

Black Friday? Why bother.

Millions of shoppers plan to avoid the holiday crunch at malls and shopping centers this year in favor of shopping from their homes, online. I'm certainly one of them (shopping in pajamas? with hot chocolate? what could be better), though I'll probably be hitting the stores for work come Nov. 24.

If you're planning to shop from home this season, here are some tips from the local Better Business Bureau.

1. Update your spam filters, anti-virus and anti-spyware software. And make sure you have a solid firewall. Download and install any security updates and updates to your operating system. All these steps take a bit of time - but they'll ensure that you have the best protection.

2. Be in the right frame of mind. You don't have to buffer yourself to deal with crowds, but you do want to make sure you're ready to shop savvy.

3. Check out the seller's reputation. Look for customer feedback, or run Web searches. See if the seller has a profile and record with the BBB, and survey the Web site to see whether there's a seal from the BBB or another approving business group. You can search for BBBOnline merchants using key words or gift types here.

4. Don't trust retailers who don't give you an address and a customer-service phone number. Make sure you know how much the product costs, what the shipping charges are, the delivery time-frame, whether there's a warranty or guarantee, the seller's privacy policy and cancellation and return policies, the BBB says. Print out a copy of your confirmation page and keep it for your records.

5. To make sure your purchase is secure, look in the URL address box for the 's' in "https://" and the lock symbol in the lower right corner. Right-click on the page and check out the Web site's properties - you can see the real Web address and whether the site is encrypted or not.

6. Read the site's privacy policy to find out how your personal information could be used.

7. Follow your instincts. And don't believe offers that are too good to be true.

8. Be wary of e-mails that ask for additional personal information. If you receive such an e-mail, call the customer service number from the Web site and talk to a real person about whether there were problems with your transaction.

Attorney General Roy Cooper's office reported Monday that the state is one of 14 that reached an agreement with the federal government to set new standards for appliances that conserve.

The U.S. Department of Energy will create new standards for more energy-efficient ovens, water heaters, air conditioners and other appliances, as part of a settlement of a federal lawsuit filed by 14 states, New York City and public-interest groups.

"Consumers don't need power hungry appliances adding to their energy bills," Cooper said in a news release. "This is a smart settlement that will save money and help the environment."

The Greensboro Merchants Association will hold its 100th birthday party today from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at its offices at 225 Commerce Plaza. The event is free for employees of GMA member companies.

The Salvation Army of Greensboro plans to start its bell-ringing season at The Shops at Friendly Center on Friday.

The Salvation Army Band and Grimsley High School's Gold Madrigals will perform at the new shopping center's gathering area the mega-Harris Teeter at the gathering area during a kick-off event that starts at 11:45 a.m.

For more information about the kick-off event, call Christy Hardy, the Salvation Army's gifts-in-kind coordinator, at 235-0349.

Update: Sorry about the wrong location up there. Friendly's marketing department sent out a message today with the updated locale for Friday's events.
Update 2: The gathering place is the right location, Friendly says now.

The N.C. Employment Security Commission is offering employers its version of a holiday treat - make a voluntary tax contribution and you may be eligible to reduce you 2007 unemployment insurance tax rates.

Making the voluntary contribution by Dec. 15 could lead to savings from $50 to $1 million next year, according to the commission. A contribution of as little as one dollar may reduce an employer’s 2007 tax rate. Voluntary contributions will be applied to the balance of employers’ unemployment insurance tax account.

Thurmo-Pudic USA, a sleep products manufacturer based in High Point, will open its' first and only local factory outlet store Friday (Nov. 24) at 1200 Corporation Drive.

The outlet will offer standard and luxury version memory foam mattress sets at discounted wholesale prices. The procedes will go to benefit the Yogi's Friends and Open Door Ministries charities.

Paul Toms, chairman and chief operating officer of Hooker Furniture, in Martinsville, Va., was elected president of the American Home Furnishings Alliance during the organization’s annual meeting Nov. 16-19, in Sonoma, Calif.

The alliance is the largest association of home furnishings companies in the world and represents more than 250 leading furniture manufacturers and distributors, as well as 225 suppliers to the furniture industry worldwide. It is located in High Point and Washington, D.C.

Motorsports Designs Holding Inc. of High Point, the leading provider of racing graphics for NASCAR teams has acquired Corporate Image Motorsports Inc. of Concord.

Frank Bolter started Corporate Image in 1995 as a supplier of racing graphics for Busch Series and Craftsman Truck Series teams

Graphic Printing Services Inc. of High Point has acquired the Dorsett Printing Corp. of Thomasville. Dorsett Printing specializes in the design and production of flexographic labels and tags for leading manufacturers and retail stores chains in the U.S.