Improved returns on investments helped reduce the shortfall in the state’s public employee pension system, but it is still facing a $7.6 billion deficit.

The state’s economy is improving but thousands of people are still looking for work, Kansas Labor Secretary Jim Garner said Friday during his annual “State of Labor” report.

Health-care reform and its effect on small business

The List: Athlete salaries
 
Here are the world’s highest-paid female athletes, according to Forbes.com:

The Citizens State Bank has made it easier for customers to receive their banking information while on the go. With either Mobile Banking or CSB Text Message Banking, customers have access to their banking accounts using their cell phone key pads.

Thomas A. Adrian has been named to a list of “Best Lawyers in America” in the practice area of trusts and estates. Best Lawyers is regarded as the definitive benchmark of excellence in the legal profession, a news release stated.

Dear Dave,
When is it OK to buy toys for the lake — things like boats and jet skis — when following your plan?

August survey results at a glance

• Leading economic indicator declines to lowest level since January but remains in healthy range.

• More than one-third of supply managers expect a recession in 2011.

• Inflation, not deflation, is the major concern.

• Growth push from inventory buildups is waning.

The American Heart Association has announced Teri Mather, corporate events director for the Start! Heart Walk in Wichita and Hutchinson, as the recipient of the Rome Betts Award for Excellence.

Many retailers are reporting surprisingly solid gains for August, helped by aggressive discounting, even as unusually hot weather and job worries kept a lid on back-to-school buying.