Buzz

New statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau show that the burden of state taxes is lower in Ohio than most other states, including all of Ohio's neighbors, reports the Urbana Daily Citizen

That's the conclusion of an analysis of census data by the Federation of Tax Administrators (FTA), the association of the nation's state tax departments.

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Any local aerospace supplier hoping to do business with Airbus Americas Inc. had one place to be Tuesday, April 6 � the National Composite Center, reports the Dayton Daily News.

The company has a greater presence in the Buckeye State � spending $4.3 billion in Ohio last year � than any other state, Airbus Chairman Allan McArtor told more than 300 aerospace suppliers, and wants to expand its role.

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Business Insider profiles northeast Ohio's "I Buy NEO" campaign to boost local businesses as one of 10 places where small businesses can catch a break.

Supporters can use their "I Buy NEO" loyalty card -- which go for $10 apiece -- to get discounts and accrue cash rebates at participating businesses, while small businesses pay nothing to join the program.

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One piece of the American effort to develop cheap solar energy is unfolding in a modest redbrick building in Toledo, reports McClatchy Newspapers.

Xunming Deng, a physicist, started Xunlight Corp. eight years ago as a spinoff from his research at the University of Toledo. He now thinks that his Xunlight Corp. is on the brink of profitability and fast growth.

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State energy regulators have given clearance to a wind farm planned for Champaign County, the first to receive a construction license from Ohio, reports the Dayton Business Journal.

The Ohio Power Siting Board this week modified and approved plans for a 54-turbine Buckeye Wind Project wind farm about 40 miles northeast of Dayton.

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The Ohio Turnpike plans to build a pair of "greener" service plazas powered by renewable energy, with electricity for truckers to heat or cool their rigs without keeping their engines running, reports the Associated Press.

Officials say the plazas on both sides of the turnpike in Williams County, 20 miles from the Indiana border, also will offer ethanol and have stations for recharging electric cars.

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The Ohio Department of Development's Global Markets Division will lead an export mission to Tokyo June 25 through July 3, 2010 to help Ohio photovoltaic and renewable energy companies export their products, reports the News Democrat.

Participating companies will have the opportunity to take advantage of free, customized one-on-one business appointments with interested distributors, agents, and others set up by Ohio's Japan Office, as well as briefings from the U.S. Embassy officials and networking opportunities with local business professionals.

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Conventional wisdom among scientists has suggested that because individuals with Down syndrome have an extra chromosome, the disorder probably results from too many genes or proteins, reports R&D.

But a recent study overseen by an Ohio State University researcher reveals that just the opposite could be true.

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A five-year-old statute limiting employees' ability to sue for "workplace intentional tort" on top of receiving workers' compensation payments has cleared a challenge heard by the Ohio Supreme Court, reports Business First of Columbus.

The court, in two related decisions handed down Tuesday, upheld a 2005 tort reform statute that requires injured employees filing legal claims against their employer and receiving workers' compensation benefits must prove the company acted with "deliberate intent" to harm them.

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A group of talented young professionals are using digital media to improve the Cincinnati brand, reports Soapbox.

HYPE Digital Media and Branding, a subcommittee of HYPE Leadership Council, hopes to capture, distribute, and maintain social media streams that promote Cincinnati as a Next City - a hotspot for educated professionals.

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The Ohio Siting Board has approved a new large-scale wind farm in Hardin County, the Marion Star reports. .

The board approved plans by Hardin Wind Energy LLC to construct up to 200 wind turbines with a generation capacity of about 300 megawatts in Hardin County.

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Given this economy, not doing as well in 2009 as in 2008 at attracting capital investment isn't necessarily bad. In fact, it can be great, if you still did better than everyone else. That's how Ohio clinched its fourth consecutive Governor's Cup for total qualifying project announcements in 2009, reports Site Selection Magazine.

Weighing in at 381 projects, Ohio squeaked past runners-up Texas, Michigan and Pennsylvania in a repeat of last year's pecking order.

Read the full story here.