Demolition experts say tearing down building by I-81 could be a nightmare

Several local contractors say the demolition of the building by Interstate 81 could be a nightmare. Contractors are scheduled to submit their bids today to demolish a building that has closed the highway for two weeks. One local contractor, Welch & Sons, says it will not be submitting a bid. 

“If a job starts bad, it’s going to end bad, and this one has started bad,” Charlie Welch, who owns the company, said. “Whoever gets that job, I say good luck to them.”

The state's request for bids is the first progress toward opening the highway that normally carries 50,000 drivers a day. The Post Standard is reporting the state expects to pick a company by Monday. The city says the demolition might cost $2 million.

Contractors say it will take less than a week to demolish the building. But, the dispute between the city and state could mean a delay in getting paid.

Tiger Woods may return for the Masters

After a long hiatus from the sport, people close to Tiger Woods say the golfer will return for the Masters. ESPN is reporting Woods intends to remain out of golf until the first major of the year.

Woods Longtime friend, Mark O'Meara, says he expects the golfer to play in the Tavistock Cup, a competition between two high-profile golf clubs in Orlando where several PGA Tour players are members. The event is scheduled for March 22-23 at Isleworth, less than three weeks before the Masters. 

"It's been a rough road the last three or four months in Tiger's life and his family's life," O'Meara said. "It's a very difficult situation. Golf is what Tiger does, and possibly part of the healing process is to get back at it."

Woods' swing coach Hank Haney flew to the golfer's home earlier this month, less than a week after Woods returned from family therapy in Arizona. The golfer has not played since Nov. 15, when he won the Australian Masters in Melbourne.

U.S. retail sales increase in Feb.

The Commerce Department reports retail sales rose during the month of Feb., despite snowstorms in parts of the country and safety concerns for many car dealerships. The government says sales increased by 0.3 percent for the month, much better than the 0.2 percent decline forecast by Wall Street.

The New York Times reports analysts had expected snowstorms and high unemployment to cut retailers' sales. But, consumer spending was up across the board, including significant increases in electronics, clothing and building materials.

“We remain concerned that consumers will stay on the sidelines during this economic recovery,” a research note from Capital Economics said. “Weak jobs growth, low wages growth and tight credit mean that any further acceleration in consumption growth is unlikely.”