In 2007, 67 percent of teens indicated an interest in entrepreneurship; in 2008 that number declined to 60 percent-perhaps as a result of the stagnating economy.

Teens cited "unemployment," "possibility of recession," and "the federal budget deficit" as the top three threats to the U.S. economy. But in a show of optimism, more than half (53 percent) predicted they would be better off financially than their parents.

(I've not been able to find the survey online anywhere. Junior's Achievement's Web site is here.)

The poll was taken online by 712 teens in February and March 2008 -- and that's before the recent economic crisis.

Meanwhile, we'll get a read on how current entrepreneurs are doing this week, when the Arkansas Venture Forum Conference gets underway in Little Rock on Wednesday.

As we've noted earlier, we're big fans of Twitter when it comes to sharing news and information. And for a while, I've been using my LT account to tip followers to breaking business and sports news.

Now, though, we've gone and created Twitter feeds for ArkansasBusiness.com daily news and ArkansasSports360.com daily news.

You can follow ArkansasBusiness.com at http://twitter.com/ArkBusiness, and you can get your sports fix at http://twitter.com/ArkSports360.

Both feeds update with links to the latest news headlines every half-hour. But we're also able to pop any breaking news or other tidbits in between.

And remember, if you set up your Twitter account to work with your cell phone, you can get news headlines throughout the day from ArkansasBusiness.com and ArkansasSports360.com sent directly to your phone via text message.

Also: Feel free to shoot us direct messages and other comments via both feeds. We're always looking for news tips and feedback.

It's been a long time coming, but the 2008 presidential election has come to end with Barack Obama winning.

Here's the latest updated vote counts for major races in Arkansas. Also, AP on the challenges that await the next president.

Lots being made about this year being the year that the youth vote gets out and really matters in a presidential election. And of course the conventional wisdom is that the youth vote will benefit Democrat Barack Obama.

"Today's THV" is doing a segment on the youth vote tonight at 5 p.m., based on today's panel discussion at the Clinton School of Public Service, featuring five Clinton School students discuss their perspectives on the 2008 race. You can read more about the THV piece here. It appears to focus on what's driving the youth vote this year.

I'm wondering to what extent the youth vote will show up this year. A Gallup Poll survey on Friday reported -- surprise -- little evidence of a surge in the youth vote:

Gallup polling in October finds little evidence of a surge in young voter turnout beyond what it was in 2004. While young voter registration may be up slightly over 2004, the reported level of interest in the election and intention to vote among those under 30 are no higher than they were that year.

What's more, 18- to 29-year-olds continue to lag behind Americans aged 30 and older on these important turnout indicators.

As a result, 18- to 29-year-olds now constitute 12% of Gallup's traditional likely voter sample, basically the same as the estimate in the final 2004 pre-election poll (13%). Gallup's expanded likely voter model, which defines likely voters differently (on the basis of current voting intentions only), estimates a slightly higher proportion of young voters in the electorate (14%). However, even if the share of the youth vote were adjusted upward, doing so has little or no impact on the overall Obama-McCain horse-race numbers using either likely voter model.

The story notes that it's still possible that "the 18- to 29-year-old share of the likely voter electorate will grow in the final days of the election." The so-called "ground game" currently taking place in many of the toss-up states (our neighbor to the north, Missouri, among them), might be a big driver in that regard. We simply won't until the votes are counted.

But there's some clues here in Arkansas. This, from the Harrison newspaper today:

As of 4 p.m. Saturday, 7,379 people had voted early in Boone County, representing some 34 percent of all registered voters and shattering the record of 5,726 who voted early in 2004. And early voting continues through today.

Of those votes, 1,042, or 14 percent, have been cast by voters in the age range of 18 to 35.

For comparison, in Baxter County where about 8,700 early votes had been recorded Saturday afternoon, only 663, or about 8 percent, were cast by voters in the 18 to 35 age range.

In Pulaski County, some 22 percent of about 67,000 early voters by Saturday afternoon were in that same age group.

Maybe the kids are alright after all.

More

Be sure to watch Jeff Hankins and I Tuesday night, as ArkansasBusiness.com joins with Today's THV for live coverage of the presidential race.

Jeff Hankins and I are joining Today's THV Tuesday for live local election coverage on THV's broadcast channel at 7 p.m., and for three hours live on THV2.com and Comcast Ch. 233.

You can also catch three hours or nonstop local coverage from 7-10 p.m. online at THV2.com and on THV2 digital cable channels on Comcast (Ch. 233) in Little Rock, Conway Corp. (Ch. 170) in Conway, and Wehco (Ch. 247) in Pine Bluff and Hot Springs.

And of course, we'll have breaking election news headlines all night on ArkansasBusiness.com.

Also: Send us you comments and tips via Twitter. I'll be updating my Twitter feed with news and analysis all night here. Today's THV's feed is here.

Next time you're in one of those awkward moments where your boss as walked you to your desk to see you busily checking Facebook or MySpace, be sure to show him this from Reuters:

Good news for workers addicted to Facebook, Bebo and MySpace -- a British think-tank says bosses should not stop their staff using social networking sites because they could actually benefit their firms.

The report by Demos said encouraging employees to use networking technologies to build relationships and closer links with colleagues and customers could help businesses rather than damage them.

Author Peter Bradwell said that while companies were using specific systems to share information, online social networking sites could also play a role, helping with productivity, innovation and democratic working.

The study said networking can be valuable to business, and since so much networking is done online, with professional and personal connections mingling freely, it would be a mistake to try and restrict that networking at the office.

But don't go crazy. Authors of the study said there should still be practical guidelines to limit non-work usage.

KATV: http://twitter.com/KATVNews

KLRT Fox 16 News: http://twitter.com/FOX16News

KARN: http://twitter.com/karnnewsradio

The Den: http://twitter.com/ArkSt_com

Kelly Dudzik: http://twitter.com/kellykdudzik

Sandra Kirk: http://twitter.com/skirk16

John Payne: http://twitter.com/djazzycool1

Blake Rutherford: http://twitter.com/blakerutherford

Bryan Jones: http://twitter.com/bryanjones/

Doug Krile: http://www.twitter.com/dougkrile

Pleth Networks, LLC Partner / Co-Founder Cotton Rohrscheib: http://www.twitter.com/powersitedesign

Pleth Networks, LLC business partner Stephen Smart: http://www.twitter.com/skspilot

Arkansas Discovery Network: http://twitter.com/arkdiscovery

People

Ed Nicholson: http://twitter.com/ederdn

Waynette Traub: http://twitter.com/waynettetraub

Angel Galloway: https://twitter.com/angelmg

Karl Hills: http://twitter.com/karlhills

Kat Hills: http://twitter.com/kat22stl

Mary Wagoner: http://twitter.com/MaryroseWagoner

Clark: http://twitter.com/clarknwark

Emily Reeves: http://twitter.com/reeves501

Amanda Galiano: http://twitter.com/AboutLittleRock

Eric Britt: http://twitter.com/ericbritt

Megan Knight: http://twitter.com/megan_knight

Brent Birch: http://twitter.com/brentbirch

Zack Hill: http://twitter.com/zackhill

Michael Paladino: http://twitter.com/mpaladino

Mayor James F. Valley: http://twitter.com/jamesfvalley

Anthony K. Valley:http://twitter.com/akvalley

Jonny Dover: http://twitter.com/alphagator

John Boozman: http://twitter.com/JohnBoozman

Corinne: http://twitter.com/cozcoz

Duncan Baird: http://twitter.com/duncanbaird

Mitch Breitweiser: http://twitter.com/mbreitweiser

Luke Williams: http://twitter.com/lukewilliams

Stacey Jones: http://twitter.com/Sharkushka

Cary Hague: http://twitter.com/caryhague

Brooke Vines: http://twitter.com/brookevines

Corey and Jay: http://twitter.com/CoreyAndJayShow

Elleoelle: http://twitter.com/elleoelle

Leigh Ann Golden: http://twitter.com/leighanngolden

Elise Mitchell: http://twitter.com/elisemitch

Natalie Ghidotti: http://twitter.com/ghidotti

Vicki Malpass: http://twitter.com/vlmalpass

John Brown University in Siloam Springs today announced an interesting new degree: a bachelor of science in renewable energy.

From the news release:

John Brown University is pleased to announce the addition of a Bachelor of Science degree in Renewable Energy beginning fall 2009.  JBU is the first university to offer a renewable energy degree in Arkansas and one of only a few U.S. institutions offering a four-year degree in this field.

"Renewable energy sources are becoming an important share of the mainstream energy supply in the United States," said Fernando Vega, director of the renewable energy program.  "Economic, political, and environmental concerns are among the drivers contributing to this rapid growth.  The scientific and engineering communities are being pushed for breakthroughs in this area.  JBU is developing this program and will be seeking to integrate sustainability topics into other curricula to match the demands of this emerging trend."

JBU's program in renewable energy will include courses in wind, solar and biomass energy, practical experience in designing, construction, monitoring renewable energy generators, and possible related study abroad opportunities. Students will choose between one of three focuses within the renewable energy degree: design, management and international development.  

As Arkansas takes its place in the renewable energy industry, with new manufacturers building products for wind energy, this degree seems to come at a good time.

More on the degree program is available at JBU's Web site here.

It's beyond sad to hear news over the weekend that KATV-TV, Channel 7, anchor Anne Pressly has died from injuries suffered after an attack, in her home, early Monday morning. Tributes are pouring in:

Mourners left flowers, stuffed animals and other mementos outside the home where a TV anchorwoman was found brutally beaten, as tributes poured into the Web site of the Little Rock station where her colleagues mourned her death.

...

In front of Pressly's house, still wrapped with yellow crime scene tape, mourners passed by throughout the day Sunday, some leaving bouquets of flowers or other tokens to express their unity with Pressly's grieving family, friends and co-workers.

Hundreds of comments flooded the station's Web site from across the United States, including messages from loyal viewers accustomed to seeing Pressly on TV to those who said they'd never heard of her before the attack.

I didn't know Anne personally, but I know many of her friends. They've all been shocked by the attack, and hopeful that she would recover. Little Rock Police have no new information in the investigation.

Arkansas Business Outtakes media writer Mark Hengel this week talks to Al Thompson of the Poynter Institute, a journalism think tank in St. Petersburg, Fla., about speculation that Pressly's celebrity as a television personality could have led to the attack:

Tompkins ... said it is fairly common for TV personalities to experience fans who are a little too fanatical. Most are harmless, but a few have taken their interest to the point of obsession, he said.

Tompkins has 25 years of experience working as a television reporter and news director in various markets. During that time he's had several nuisances, he said, but none whom he felt might harm him. Being known and threatened by viewers is an unfortunate part of the business, he said.

"Journalists can't lead a sheltered life and still be a journalist," Tompkins said. Well-known people in any walk of life – "athletes, teachers, politicians," he said – sometimes have fans who go too far.

[KATV] also will remain cautious about covering the story. Another local TV station, KARK-TV, Channel 4, and the Arkansas Blog, published by the Arkansas Times, publicized a break in the case upon learning that Pressly's credit card was used at a Little Rock gas station. Both news outlets pulled the reports from their Web site after the LRPD contacted them.

A complicated story, indeed. And one that this weekend became even more heartbreaking.

More

More on Anne Pressly from the ArkansasBusiness.com archives

Looking for a good way to help a good education program? Look no further than this weekend's Access Group semiannual plant sale.

The sale takes place Friday, from 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., and Saturday, from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. at Access Schools at 10618 Breckenridge Dr., Little Rock. From the news release:

The sale benefits ACCESS Schools and supporting programs, which serve students with learning disabilities, including autism, ADHD, apraxia, dyslexia and others.
 
Students enrolled in the schools’ retail enterprises program grow the plants for the semiannual sale each year. More than 1,200 high-quality plants will be available for sale.
 
“Our plant sale has enjoyed tremendous support over the years,” said Tammy Simmons, ACCESS Group Inc. chief executive officer.  “The students learn and manage every aspect of the business – from determining what to plant and caring for the plants during the growing season to marketing and pricing items. It’s a win-win situation, where our students are learning life skills and environmental responsibility as well as supporting their school programs.” 

More on Access is available at the program's Web site here.

• Survey: A Bad Economy Dampens the Mood of Future Entrepreneurs
• Arkansas Business, ArkansasSports360.com on Twitter
• The Presidential Election, Finally Over
• Is This the Year of the Youth Vote?
• Catch Our Election Night Coverage on Today's THV
• Caught on Facebook at Work? Show Your Boss This
• For Breaking News, Other Content, Follow Me on Twitter
• JBU Announces Renewable Energy Degree
• Tributes Follow Death of KATV Anchor Anne Pressly
• Access Schools Event Helps Kids with Special Needs

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