How will Europe’s economy escape the doldrums?

  November 5, 2014

By Robert J. Samuelson  Can Mario Draghi save Europe? Draghi heads the European Central Bank, the continental equivalent of the Federal Reserve. The fact that the question is being asked…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: headlines, op-ed

The “magic” of a few good men

  November 3, 2014

By W. Thomas Smith Jr.   Decades ago I spent 13 long weeks living within the closest thing to a monastery I will ever know. It was a Spartan all-male…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: headlines, military, on-the-move

The “magic” of a few good men

  November 3, 2014

By W. Thomas Smith Jr.   Decades ago I spent 13 long weeks living within the closest thing to a monastery I will ever know. It was a Spartan all-male…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: headlines, military, on-the-move

Reaching peak performance – How to achieve your dreams

  November 2, 2014

By Jerry Bellune  Know anyone who wants to be a low-performer? Of course not. You don’t associate with those people. I personally avoid people like that. They’re losers. Business owners…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: advice, headlines

Be Kind and Respectful to Your Fellow Travelers

  November 2, 2014

 By Deborah O’Connor Kids kicking your seat from behind, the person in front of you reclining his seat into your lap, an infant seat falling out of the overhead bin…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: advice, headlines

A Vote for Education is Critical in South Carolina

  November 2, 2014

By Kara Kerwin   In a state where just 31 percent of eighth graders are proficient in math and 29 percent are proficient in reading according to national assessments, education…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: headlines, op-ed

A Vote for Education is Critical in South Carolina

  November 2, 2014

By Kara Kerwin   In a state where just 31 percent of eighth graders are proficient in math and 29 percent are proficient in reading according to national assessments, education…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: headlines, op-ed

The family deficit

  October 27, 2014

By Robert J. Samuelson   We Americans believe in progress, and yet progress is often a double-edged sword. The benefits and adventures of change often vie with the shortcomings and…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: headlines, op-ed

The family deficit

  October 27, 2014

By Robert J. Samuelson   We Americans believe in progress, and yet progress is often a double-edged sword. The benefits and adventures of change often vie with the shortcomings and…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: headlines, op-ed

The millionaire’s club expands

  October 27, 2014

By Robert J. Samuelson The millionaire’s club isn’t what it used to be. Time was that “being a millionaire” was a mark of unimaginable success. You’d joined the financial elite.…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: headlines, op-ed

The millionaire’s club expands

  October 27, 2014

By Robert J. Samuelson The millionaire’s club isn’t what it used to be. Time was that “being a millionaire” was a mark of unimaginable success. You’d joined the financial elite.…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: headlines, op-ed

Stock market turmoil and the global debt trap

  October 22, 2014

By Robert J. Samuelson   Six years after the onset of the financial crisis, the world still has too much debt. The total in 2013, according to the McKinsey Global Institute,…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: headlines, op-ed

Bears and wolves find a voice in the wilderness

  October 22, 2014

By Kathleen Parker   If politicians preying upon your attentions this season fail to inspire, you might seek common cause with the beasts — the four-legged variety rather than those…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: headlines, op-ed

Finding ways to fix our roads, five years after the stimulus

  October 12, 2014

By Richard Eckstrom S.C. Comptroller You’ve probably heard much discussion lately about the condition of South Carolina’s roads and bridges, and how to fund their repairs and maintenance. Policy-makers agree…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: headlines

Finding ways to fix our roads, five years after the stimulus

  October 12, 2014

By Richard Eckstrom S.C. Comptroller  You’ve probably heard much discussion lately about the condition of South Carolina’s roads and bridges, and how to fund their repairs and maintenance. Policy-makers agree…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: headlines

National Defense Briefs – October 8, 2014

  October 8, 2014

By W. Thomas Smith Jr.   National Defense Briefs is a series aimed at informing readers with timely military and homeland security news updates, trends, definitions, and short commentaries. Defense…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: headlines, military

National Defense Briefs – October 8, 2014

  October 8, 2014

By W. Thomas Smith Jr.   National Defense Briefs is a series aimed at informing readers with timely military and homeland security news updates, trends, definitions, and short commentaries. Defense…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: headlines, military

Beer & Wine: Comparison Of Popular Brands

  October 2, 2014

 By Alex Hillsberg   “If you can’t drink it, don’t cook with it,” so said the late celebrity chef, Keith Floyd, about using wines to flavor food. If the guy…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: headlines

Our shared battle against mental illness

  October 1, 2014

By Richard Eckstrom SC Comptroller     Some of my earliest public service was serving on the board of the Greenville County Mental Health Center — including as its chairman…

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National Defense Briefs – September 30

  October 1, 2014

By W. Thomas Smith Jr.   National Defense Briefs is a series aimed at informing readers with timely military and homeland security news updates, trends, definitions, and short commentaries. Defense…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: headlines, military

Doing Business the Eleanor Roosevelt Way

  September 25, 2014

By Jen Lawrence Eleanor Roosevelt wrote “You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” While she was encouraging personal boldness, the message is also applicable to corporate life. In 2010,…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: advice, headlines

National Defense Briefs – September 17, 2014

  September 17, 2014

By W. Thomas Smith Jr.   National Defense Briefs is a series aimed at informing readers with timely military and homeland security news updates, trends, definitions, and short commentaries. Defense…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: headlines, military

Lessons from Hugo

  September 17, 2014

By Richard Eckstrom S.C. Comptroller     It’s been a quarter century since South Carolina felt the wrath of Hurricane Hugo, but it remains a defining moment for our state.Shortly…

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National Defense Briefs – September 12, 2014

  September 12, 2014

By W. Thomas Smith Jr.   National Defense Briefs is a series aimed at informing readers with timely military and homeland security news updates, trends, definitions, and short commentaries. Defense…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: headlines, military

The benefits of shopping locally can’t be overstated.

  September 8, 2014

[row] [col col=8] By Richard Eckstrom S.C. Comptroller   When we spend our money at locally-owned businesses, we’re often reinvesting in our community. The dollars spent at local stores, shops,…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: government, headlines

NFL could always use another dose of sportsmanship

  August 25, 2014

By Richard Eckstrom SC Comptroller   I’m always excited to see Clemson or USC athletes ascend to the NFL, but it was particularly thrilling to watch former Gamecock quarterback Connor…

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The case for low taxes

  August 11, 2014

By Richard Eckstrom They boast about how they “bring home the bacon.” They take credit for new buildings, new parks and new programs for which they’ve secured public funding. But…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: headlines

The case for low taxes

  August 11, 2014

By Richard Eckstrom They boast about how they “bring home the bacon.” They take credit for new buildings, new parks and new programs for which they’ve secured public funding. But…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: headlines

National Defense Briefs – August 5

  August 5, 2014

By W. Thomas Smith Jr.   National Defense Briefs is a series aimed at informing readers with timely military and homeland security news updates, trends, definitions, and short commentaries. Defense…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: headlines, military

National Defense Briefs – August 5

  August 5, 2014

By W. Thomas Smith Jr.   National Defense Briefs is a series aimed at informing readers with timely military and homeland security news updates, trends, definitions, and short commentaries. Defense…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: headlines, military

Apollo 11 an achievement worth remembering

  July 28, 2014

By Richard Eckstrom, S.C. Comptroller July 21 marked the anniversary of one of America’s great triumphs. Forty-five years earlier, the eyes of a nation were transfixed to their black and…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: government, headlines

Apollo 11 an achievement worth remembering

  July 28, 2014

By Richard Eckstrom, S.C. Comptroller July 21 marked the anniversary of one of America’s great triumphs. Forty-five years earlier, the eyes of a nation were transfixed to their black and…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: government, headlines

South Carolina’s Employment Situation June 2014

  July 21, 2014

 Unemployment Rate Unchanged for Second Consecutive Month   COLUMBIA, SC – The state’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate held firm at 5.3 percent in June, reflecting no change since April. An estimated…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: government, headlines

South Carolina’s Employment Situation June 2014

  July 21, 2014

 Unemployment Rate Unchanged for Second Consecutive Month   COLUMBIA, SC – The state’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate held firm at 5.3 percent in June, reflecting no change since April. An estimated…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: government, headlines

  July 6, 2014

By W. Thomas Smith Jr.   National Defense Briefs is a series aimed at informing readers with timely military and homeland security news updates, trends, definitions, and short commentaries. Defense…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: headlines, military

  July 6, 2014

By W. Thomas Smith Jr.   National Defense Briefs is a series aimed at informing readers with timely military and homeland security news updates, trends, definitions, and short commentaries. Defense…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: headlines, military

In and Out

  June 24, 2014

By Jerry Smith   A couple of weeks ago, I was sitting on a porch overlooking the Charleston Harbor at a channel passage directly across from Ft. Sumter. What I…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, upstatebizsc   Category: headlines

South Carolina’s Employment Situation May 2014

  June 20, 2014

Unemployment Rate Holding Steady In May, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained at 5.3 percent, reflecting no change from April’s estimate. An increase of 736 people moved the estimated…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: government, headlines, on-the-move

South Carolina’s Employment Situation May 2014

  June 20, 2014

Unemployment Rate Holding Steady In May, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained at 5.3 percent, reflecting no change from April’s estimate. An increase of 736 people moved the estimated…

Read More

Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: government, headlines, on-the-move

National Defense Briefs – June 18

  June 18, 2014

By W. Thomas Smith Jr.   National Defense Briefs is a series aimed at informing readers with timely military and homeland security news updates, trends, definitions, and short commentaries. Defense…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: headlines

National Defense Briefs – June 18

  June 18, 2014

By W. Thomas Smith Jr.   National Defense Briefs is a series aimed at informing readers with timely military and homeland security news updates, trends, definitions, and short commentaries. Defense…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: headlines