TODAY'S HEADLINES / MAY 24, 2011

Mast General to open on Columbia’s Main Street

North Carolina-based Mast General Store will open the company's ninth location Wednesday morning on Columbia’s Main Street, following an opening ceremony at 9:30 a.m. with company President John Cooper and Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin.

Federal Grand Jury issues business-related indictments

A Columbia man was charged by a federal Grand Jury in a two-count indictment with theft from the United States government after he was accused of making a false statement on an application for unemployment insurance benefits.

Midlands Tech commission elects board chairman

Christopher M. Joye has been elected chairman ...

TODAY'S HEADLINES / MAY 23, 2011

Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta names Dozier VP

Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta announced that Robert F. Dozier Jr. of Columbia will join the bank as executive vice president and chief business officer effective June 6.

NRC to revisit design of Westinghouse nuclear reactor

The federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s chairman said Friday that work to confirm the findings of its review of Westinghouse’s AP1000 reactor design have resulted in uncovering additional technical issues.

Former tax lawyer sentenced for money laundering

J. Fitzgerald O’Connor Jr. of Columbia was sentenced to two years in prison last week in U.S. District Court for money la...

TODAY'S HEADLINES / MAY 20, 2011

South Carolina unemployment rate gradually drops

South Carolina’s unemployment rate declined one-tenth of a percentage point in April, to 9.8% from 9.9% in March, the fourth straight month of falling jobless numbers. In Lexington County, which has the lowest jobless rate in the state, unemployment rose 0.2 percentage points to 7.3% from 7.1% in March.

Boeing gets the OK to move into N. Charleston plant

North Charleston gave Boeing a temporary Certificate of Occupancy for the company’s final assembly and delivery plant near Charleston International Airport.

TODAY'S HEADLINES / MAY 18, 2011

Clyburn announces funding for port-deepening study

The Port of Charleston will receive a federal commitment of $150,000 through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to begin a post-45 deepening study, Sixth District Congressman and House Assistant Democratic Leader James E. Clyburn said Tuesday.

Moree group acquires Riverside Pump Manufacturing

Henry Moree of Society Hill and a group of investors are acquiring Riverside Pump Manufacturing, a manufacturer of agriculture, construction and water pumps. Moree said Riverside Pumps' manufacturing jobs will remain in South Carolina.

Cmark International, debt holder reach agreement

The global provider of facilit...

TODAY'S HEADLINES / MAY 17, 2011

Midlands leaders join to back Amazon

About 200 people, including all of Lexington County Council, the leader of the Lexington County Republican Party, as well as Democratic and Republican lawmakers from Lexington and Richland counties, jostled on the Statehouse steps today to urge the state House of Representatives to undo its earlier rejection of a proposal to exempt Amazon from collecting South Carolina sales taxes.

Columbia home sales sank 29.7% in April from last year

Home sales in the Greater Columbia market slumped 29.7% in April, to 517 homes from 735 units sold in April 2010. Conditions were similar statewide, where sales were down 18.4% year-o...

TODAY'S HEADLINES / MAY 10, 2011

Sustainability conference set for June 2-3 in Columbia

The U.S. Green Building Council S.C. Chapter’s SustainSC 2011 Conference and Expo will take place June 2-3 at the Columbia Convention Center. The keynote speakers are Gil Sperling, senior advisor for policy and programs at the U.S. Department of Energy, and Rick Muttart, shared services for Boeing Co. in South Carolina.

Miller-Valentine, Jason’s Deli bring 80 jobs to Vista

Miller-Valentine Group, a real estate development company, and Jason’s Deli have opened for business in new quarters at 823 Gervais St. in Columbia. The companies expect to have 80 employees working at the new mixed-use developme...

TODAY'S HEADLINES / MAY 9, 2011

Michelin to invest $200 million in Lexington

The Greenville-based tire maker said the new investment brings the total amount invested at the Lexington site to more than $1 billion since it was established in 1981. The latest project, for which all equipment will be installed by the first half of 2013, will create 270 new jobs, phased in over the next two years, the company said.

SC Launch invests in three S.C. companies

Three South Carolina companies have received funding from SC Launch after making presentations to the organization’s board of directors, including Dannar of Greenville, Senex Biotechnology of Columbia and Charleston-based Madeira.

TODAY'S HEADLINES / MAY 4, 2011

Chief justice adds foreclosure loan modification steps

S.C. Chief Justice Jean Toal A court order that S.C. Supreme Court Justice Jean Toal issued Tuesday changes the foreclosure process in South Carolina to make sure borrowers and lenders explore loan modifications before homes are sold or cases are dismissed.

Coble to lead law firm’s alternative energy group

Former Columbia Mayor Bob Coble has been chosen as co-chairman of Nexsen Pruet’s alternative energy team along with Charleston attorney Ric Tapp.

TODAY'S HEADLINES / MAY 3, 2011

Anderson representative named House budget chief

The House Ways and Means Committee on Tuesday elected Rep. W. Brian White of Anderson County as its new chairman to succeed another Anderson County Republican, Rep. Dan Cooper.

Centers of Economic Excellence gets new identity

The Centers of Economic Excellence, also known as the Endowed Chairs program, is now called SmartState. The program’s chairwoman said the new identity will better reflect the program’s purpose: transforming South Carolina into a “smart state” that can compete for high-paying jobs based on the value of its knowledge and innovation.

TODAY'S HEADLINES / APRIL 26, 2011

Environmentalists ask feds to stop SCE&G project

Friends of the Earth and the S.C. chapter of the Sierra Club have filed a formal petition with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to halt the licensing review of the V.C. Summer project of S.C. Electric and Gas Co.

Milliken unveils innovation initiative, new product

Spartanburg-based Milliken & Co. rolled out today a new corporate logo and a commitment to more transparency and continued innovation and improvement of existing products.

TODAY'S HEADLINES / APRIL 25, 2011

Clyburn announces rural development grants

Three projects serving a large portion of the rural counties in the 6th Congressional District have been awarded loans or grants totaling more than $23 million through the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Community Facilities Program.

Magazine gives S.C. 2011 Gold Shovel honor

Area Development magazine, a national economic development publication, has given South Carolina its 2011 Gold Shovel honor for the state’s economic development efforts last year. In addition, the state also received the magazine’s Project of the Year award for the First Quality Tissue project in Anderson County.

TODAY'S HEADLINES / APRIL 21, 2011

First Community Bank’s Q1 profit slips 4.7%

First Community Corp., the Lexington-based parent company of First Community Bank, reported that its first-quarter net income slipped 4.7% to $403,000 from $423,000 in the first quarter of last year.

Sonoco elects chief financial officer

Barry L. Saunders has been elected Sonoco’s vice president and chief financial officer, the company’s chairman and CEO said Wednesday. The appointment is effective May 1.