Precision Dynamics Corp. will review its business operations to find ways to minimize environmental impact, the company announced. The “Thinking About Tomorrow, Today” initiative by the San Fernando-based manufacturer of wristband identification products will look at all operations from product packaging and consumables to procurement and energy consumption to implement environmentally sound business practices. “Precision’s focus on environmentally-friendly projects is the key to successfully making a difference,” said company President and CEO Gary Hutchinson. “Our concerns about environmental safety, its affects on the community, and employees’ well-being have always been a daily part of our company’s mission.” Programs that have already started at the company include an E-Waste recycling event for employees; expanding company-wide recycling program; using recycled paper in copiers and printers; and having preferred parking for hybrid vehicles.

Home prices across the nation continued to fall at a record pace in January, and Southern California showed some of the steepest declines, according to a major indicator released today. The Standard and Poors/Case-Shiller index showed U.S. house prices falling by 11.4% in January from a year ago, the largest drop since the index began in 1987. For the full story visit http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-homes26mar26,1,2888113.story

Ginny-Marie Case can’t forget the night she was jarred from her sleep by massive explosions set off by crews filming last summer’s blockbuster movie “Transformers.” It was the latest cinematic nightmare that led Case and other residents streaming downtown as part of a population boom to push for tougher limits on filming in the nation’s most popular location for movies, TV shows and car commercials. “It was the loudest explosion I ever heard,” Case said. “We had no clue: Was this part of filming? Was this some terrorist thing?” For the full story visit http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_8685817

Studio City-based pharmacist Ira Freeman, of Key Pharmacy, is in his 11th day of a 15 day fast to protest the Gov. Schwarzenegger’s proposed 10 percent Medi-Cal providers cuts, which he believes will negatively affect beneficiaries and the pharmacies that serve them. “Sadly, our most chronically ill patients will become sicker and end up in emergency rooms, which in turn will actually cost the state more,” Freeman said. Freeman serves a high volume of Medi-Cal patients as a volunteer at Valley Community Clinic. Freeman is also concerned about his pharmacist colleagues who serve a heavy Medi-Cal population. “The Medi-Cal population is very vulnerable and these budget cuts put providers in a compromising position of either going out of business or turning patients away,” he said. “It’s a no win situation.”

Image Entertainment Inc. has formed a worldwide television sales division to distribute its programming through broadcast, cable/satellite and video-on-demand platforms. The move brings Chatsworth-based Image closer to being a full service, worldwide entertainment sales and distribution company. “The expansion of our television department increases our sales reach and provides new revenue streams,” said COO David Borshell. Steve Saltman, previously senior vice president of domestic television, heads the new department. Barbara Gomperz-McCarney has been promoted to executive director of international sales and operations; and Tiina Teal was promoted to manager of television sales and international operations. Both report to Saltman.

Royalty free production music is now available to film and television producers through a new business unit of DIC Entertainment. Cuetunes.com makes available music owned by Burbank-based DIC for all premium media productions. The online site provides a vehicle to monetize the music cues, said Deb Clark, vice president of royalty & music publishing administration.

NEW YORK — Consumer confidence sank to a five-year low in March as tight credit markets, rising prices and worsening job prospects made many worry that the economy has fallen into recession. The Conference Board, a business-backed research group, said its Consumer Confidence Index plunged to 64.5 in March from a revised 76.4 in February. That was far below the 73.0 expected by analysts surveyed by Thomson/IFR. The index has been weakening since July, and is watched because lower consumer confidence tends to result in lower consumer buying, which is a drag on the economy. For the full story visit http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-econ26mar26,1,3312400.story

The Los Angeles Fire Department is investigating the cause of a fire that damaged a five-story condominium building in Woodland Hills. The fire broke out the morning of March 24 in the 21000 block of Erwin Street, near Canoga Avenue. About 200 firefighters contained the blaze in about an hour, the Los Angeles Times reported. Construction workers were in the building at the time of the fire but there were no injuries, the Times reported.

The third and final phase of the NoHo Commons project from developer J.H. Snyder Co. was ceremonially launched today, breaking ground for the coming Laemmle movie theater, a Class A office complex and the refurbished Phil’s Diner. The $79.4 million project sits on three acres on Lankershim Boulevard and Weddington Street and is a joint project with the Community Redevelopment District/L.A. Jerry Snyder, the developer’s senior partner, said they will be filing permits this week and expect to begin construction in about 90 days. The parking and office complex will be begun first upon an estimated 15-month timeline. The seven-screen movie house is planned to have a 7-month construction plan, geared to open by Thanksgiving in 2009, or missing that intense movie-going period, it will be set open by the following summer, officials said. Present to promote the ground-breaking were Mayor Antonio Villargaroisa, Councilman Tom LaBonge, Laemmle Theaters owner Bob Laemmle and Snyder, in addition to CRA/LA officials Cecilia V. Estolano and Brice Ackerman.

Steve MacDonald, who stepped in after an embezzlement scandal to head the not for profit on-location permitting agency for the city and county of Los Angeles, will leave as president next month. MacDonald leaves FilmLA Inc. for a position with Strategic Development Solutions, a firm creating business and investment strategies in low-income communities. MacDonald became president of the Entertainment Industry Development Corp. in April 2004 and initiated accounting and governance reforms to set the company on solid financial footing. The EIDC changed its name to FilmLA in 2005. The agency, which coordinates on-location filming for feature films, television and commercials, had been struck by scandal when its former president Cody Cluff was charged with embezzling more than $150,000. Cluff later pleaded no contest to the charge and was sentenced to three years probation in 2004. The FilmLA executive committee have met to discuss an interim plan and to form a search committee for a replacement.