Talk of the Town: Is Copper Up Today?

For this isolated mining town, which lives and dies by the price of copper, the last few years have been a roller coaster ride of steep climbs and sudden dips. Over all, however, the direction seemed to be up. Copper's dizzying climb began in 2003, when prices surged in response to booming demand from China and other fast-industrializing economies. The price spike spurred a major revival of Arizona's once-battered mining industry, and towns like Morenci, once devastated by layoffs, returned to flush times. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]