News In Brief

ANTEING UP THE PENNY If you have a jar overflowing with pennies on your dresser and live within driving distance of Cape Girardeau, Mo., here's an opportunity that might interest you. You'll have almost two weeks to take advantage of it. The Mercantile Bank there is offering a 10 percent premium if you'll bring in those one-cent pieces and exchange them for larger denominations. It seems the town is so short of pennies that businesses are asking their customers to pay for purchases with exact change. The US Mint isn't expected to ship more pennies to the Federal Reserve Bank in nearby St. Louis - from which Cape Girardeau's banks get their supply - until June 1.

CORRECTION A headline in this space May 4 on an item about selling a World Wide Web address contained an incorrect number. The headline should have read: 'Their Profit: A Mere 1.4 Million Percent."

Setting up a factory? Maybe you should site it in Spain

Industry Week magazine has put Barcelona, Spain, at the top of its ranking of the world's best communities for manufacturers. In an accompanying article, the magazine says it takes more than strategic locations and natural advantages to raise an area to the summit in this industry - including visionary efforts from executives, wise government officials, and a work force of dedicated employees. Of Barcelona, Industry Week comments that it has made a "cultural commitment" to manufacturing as the mainstay of the city's economy. The magazine's top selections:

1. Barcelona, Spain

2. Chicago

3. Detroit

4. Houston

5. Osaka, Japan

6. The Randstad region of The Netherlands

7. San Jose, Calif.

8. So Paulo, Brazil

9. Seoul, South Korea

10. Shanghai, China

11. Singapore

12. Tokyo

13. Toronto