Bombers, Blowfish, and Fireflies
February 2, 2016
By W. Thomas Smith Jr. Bombers, Blowfish, and Fireflies. If you’re a baseball fan, you probably know something of the history and evolution of our city’s minor-league baseball teams.…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: headlines, sports
What’s behind the stock selloff?
February 1, 2016
By Robert J. Samuelson Capitalism has always been an epic struggle between risk and reward, and the easiest way to understand the present turmoil in world stock markets is…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: headlines, op-ed
Bonfire of the vulgarities
February 1, 2016
By Kathleen Parker At first it seemed too weirdly awful to be true, but there she was: Sarah Palin standing next to Donald Trump last Tuesday and endorsing him…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: headlines, op-ed
Get to know Lara Latto, Principal at Harbor View Elementary School
February 1, 2016Lara Latto is the principal at Harbor View Elementary School. Described by colleagues as a role model for both students and teachers, Mrs. Latto believes that her school is about…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz Category: education, headlines, on-the-move
Good Credit Can Save You Money!
January 27, 2016
Surprising Ways to Improve Your Personal and Business Scores By Mike DuBose and Blake DuBose Many people don’t know that their credit history defines many aspects of their financial…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: advice, headlines
Construction in the Midlands – Build or Bust!
January 26, 2016By Eddie Weaver President, Weaver Systems, Inc. Everyone knows how hard the construction industry was hit by the economic downturn in 2008. Jobs were lost. Companies went bankrupt. Development…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: construction, headlines
Construction in the Midlands – Build or Bust!
January 26, 2016
By Eddie Weaver President, Weaver Systems, Inc. Everyone knows how hard the construction industry was hit by the economic downturn in 2008. Jobs were lost. Companies went bankrupt. Development…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: construction, headlines
What is the stock market saying?
January 25, 2016
By Robert J. Samuelson Just whether the sharp selloff of stocks signals an economic slowdown or recession is an open question. Most economists seem to think not. Strong job…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: headlines, op-ed
Nikki Haley’s righteous gamble
January 25, 2016
By Kathleen Parker By broad consensus, the winner of Thursday night’s GOP debate was Donald Trump, followed by Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, with most of the post-game commentary…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: headlines, op-ed
New Hire Scavenger Hunt: A Fun Way to Engage New Hires
January 24, 2016
By Matt Vaadi You spend so much time trying to find that right person. You phone screen, you interview, you interview again, you background check, you call the references,…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: business-services, employment, headlines, op-ed
National Defense Briefs
January 22, 2016By W. Thomas Smith Jr. NATIONAL DEFENSE BRIEFS is a series produced by National Defense Consultants, LLC, aimed at informing readers with timely military and homeland security news updates,…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: headlines, military
Winter Weather Set to Move across Midlands this Weekend
January 22, 2016
Richland County residents are asked to stay alert of changing weather conditions as winter weather moves across the Midlands this weekend. Richland County is not under a winter weather watch…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: government, headlines, on-the-move
National Defense Briefs
January 22, 2016
By W. Thomas Smith Jr. NATIONAL DEFENSE BRIEFS is a series produced by National Defense Consultants, LLC, aimed at informing readers with timely military and homeland security news updates,…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: headlines, military
State of the State Address
January 20, 2016
As Prepared for Delivery by Governor Nikki Haley Wednesday, January 20, 2016 The Statehouse, Columbia Mr. Speaker, Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen of the General Assembly, constitutional officers and my…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: government, headlines
City Council Convenes
January 20, 2016
By Temple Ligon Columbia City Council held its regularly scheduled meeting last Tuesday night, January 19, following an afternoon work session. One of the big events at the work…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: headlines
Not dead yet
January 14, 2016
By Kathleen Parker Reports of Jeb Bush’s political death may be greatly exaggerated. Not only is Bush essentially locked in a statistical tie for second place in New Hampshire,…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: headlines, op-ed
The next recession?
January 12, 2016
By Robert J. Samuelson It’s hard not to wonder: Is the stock market telling us something? True, the market’s record in forecasting recessions is horrendous. Stocks often move according…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: headlines, op-ed
The “hollowing” of the middle class?
January 11, 2016
By Robert J. Samuelson We’ll be hearing a lot about the middle class in the coming months. That’s one sure bet for 2016, as both parties compete for votes.…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: headlines, op-ed
Obsessed with guns
January 11, 2016
By Kathleen Parker It is axiomatic that congressional Republicans will oppose anything smacking of “gun control,” which may as well be read as “Your mama.” Thus, it comes as…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: headlines, op-ed
The Affordable Care Act brings change for employers in 2016
January 7, 2016
By Molly A. Thomas, RP® Becoming familiar with the proposed changes to the Affordable Care Act and its rules and regulations will help employers understand how the Affordable Care…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: banking-and-finance, headlines, health-care
Grilled Salmon with Balsamic Glaze
January 7, 2016
By Kay MacInnis With the New Year, most of us have a few resolutions that we have set for ourselves. However, more than half of us give up on…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: food, headlines, life
When It Rains, It Pours: Disaster Management Lessons from South Carolina’s Catastrophic Floods
January 6, 2016
By Mike DuBose and Blake DuBose Disasters can happen to anyone at any time. Both organizations and homeowners learned this painful lesson in the first few days of October…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: headlines
Governor Nikki Haley of South Carolina to deliver Republican Address following State of the Union
January 6, 2016
House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced that Gov. Nikki Haley (R-SC) will deliver the Republican Address to the Nation following the State of…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: government, headlines, on-the-move
Construction in the Upstate – The Comeback Kid
January 5, 2016
By Keith Smith Everyone knows how hard the construction industry was hit by the economic downturn in 2008. Jobs were lost. Companies went bankrupt. Development stalled. It wasn’t just…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: construction, headlines, on-the-move
City Manager’s Spotlight – January 2016
January 4, 2016
By Teresa Wilson The City Manager’s Spotlight provides details about what is happening in the City of Columbia in an effort to keep citizens informed about City operations. The…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: government, headlines, on-the-move
Rising Costs and Limited Options for Columbia Office Tenants
January 4, 2016
Research & Forecast Report Q4 2015 COLUMBIA | OFFICE Key Takeaways The Columbia, South Carolina office market ended 2015 with positive absorption for the quarter and the year, increased…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: construction, headlines, on-the-move
How Trump does it
January 4, 2016
By Robert J. Samuelson Welcome to what I’ve called “the politics of self-esteem.” By this, I mean that increasing numbers of people, on both the right and left and…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: headlines, op-ed
Can we talk?
January 4, 2016
By Kathleen Parker When President Obama addressed the nation following the terrorist attacks in San Bernardino, he reiterated the call to resist animus toward Muslims. This was a familiar…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: headlines, op-ed
Top Ten SC Leaders in 2015
December 29, 2015
By Alan Cooper Publisher, MidlandsBiz The following is a recap of comments that I made on the South Carolina Business Review with Mike Switzer. It has been an…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: headlines, op-ed
‘Liftoff’ at the Fed
December 28, 2015
By Robert J. Samuelson Barring an unforeseen calamity, the Federal Reserve will raise short-term interest rates this week. Among Fed watchers, this is known as “liftoff.” The analogy is…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: headlines, op-ed
Women in combat put men at risk
December 28, 2015
By Kathleen Parker Crickets. This was the sound of America reacting to news earlier this month that all military positions, including ground combat, will be opened to women. It…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: headlines, op-ed
Giving and Receiving: Brightening Minds and the Holiday Season
December 21, 2015
By Dr. Brenda Mack-Foxworth This is the time of year for giving and receiving. At Ridge View High School we are enjoying some fruits of our labor, and we’re…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: education, headlines
9 Tips: Financial safety online
December 17, 2015
By Stephen J. Scott We continue to hear about major retailers and governments having large data breaches. Security threats are growing as we continue to spend more of our…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: banking-and-finance, headlines
Columbia City Council and Junior League Move Ahead on Roy Lynch Park
December 16, 2015
By Temple Ligon Columbia City Council met at 6:00 p.m., Tuesday, December 15. Under the heading “CONSIDERATIONS OF BIDS AND AGREEMENTS” No. 19 was to approve the purchase of…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: government, headlines, on-the-move
Holiday Office Etiquette
December 16, 2015
By Brian Maynor When it comes to mixing work with food and gifts there are some special rules you need to remember. It’s been long established that sharing a…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: advice, headlines
The multinational tax muddle
December 14, 2015
By Robert J. Samuelson Whoever wins the White House next year will have to deal with an issue of almost-impenetrable complexity and contentiousness: How to tax multinational companies? On…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: headlines, op-ed
The few, the foolish
December 14, 2015
By Kathleen Parker As the Islamic State amped up attacks around the world, the Pentagon responded by bravely announcing that American women will now be put in direct ground…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: headlines, op-ed
Wordless News
December 11, 2015By Maria Fabrizio The story here: Assisted reproduction for dogs may yield benefits for their species and ours Wordless News is a project by illustrator + designer Maria…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: headlines, life
16 Customers Whose Business You Don’t Want
December 7, 2015
By Mike DuBose and Blake DuBose Whether you are part of the retail, wholesale, or service spheres, any business leader, owner, or employee who deals regularly with customers knows…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: advice, headlines
Generational warfare, anyone?
December 7, 2015
By Robert J. Samuelson An enduring puzzle of our politics is why there isn’t more generational conflict. By all rights, younger Americans should be resentful. Not only have they…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: headlines, op-ed
The pathology of Trump-itis
December 7, 2015
By Kathleen Parker Surely he’s finally gone and done it now. Donald Trump, insulter extraordinaire, was bound to cross a line too far. Two days before Thanksgiving, he made…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: headlines, op-ed
GOD AND FAITH
December 5, 2015
A Review: From Pearl Harbor to Calvary By W. Thomas Smith Jr. A few days before the 74th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attacks, I was introduced to…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: headlines, life
Wordless News
December 5, 2015By Maria Fabrizio The story here: The San Bernardino shooting is the second mass shooting today and the 355th this year Wordless News is a project by…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: headlines, life, wordless-news
SCDOT reviews flood damage & costs with SCDOT Commission
December 3, 2015
Interim SCDOT Secretary Christy A. Hall reported the damage costs to South Carolina’s Highway System as a result of the 1,000 year flood stands at $137 million. Of that $137…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: government, headlines, on-the-move, transportation
EngenuitySC Midlands Regional Competitiveness Report
December 3, 2015
At a gathering of EngenuitySC board members and stakeholders on Dec. 3, 2015, founding co-chair Steve Benjamin, Mayor of Columbia, S.C. and chair Keith Shah, Assistant VP at BlueCross BlueShield…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: headlines, on-the-move
City Council meets
December 2, 2015
By Temple Ligon Columbia City Council last Tuesday, December 1st, held its work session in the afternoon and its regular meeting that evening, both in City Hall. The big…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: government, headlines
Crazy is as crazy does
November 30, 2015
By Kathleen Parker One week, Beirut and Paris; the next week, Mali. The nightmare is young. Where next? The pace and threat of terror seem to have picked up,…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: headlines, op-ed
Education is Key to Financial Health
November 30, 2015
By Curtis M. Loftis, Jr. South Carolina State Treasurer As State Treasurer, I believe that achieving a strong financial future for our children is crucial to achieving a strong…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: education, government, headlines, op-ed
For thin-skinned students, we have nobody to blame but ourselves
November 28, 2015
By Kathleen Parker It would be easy to call protesting college students crybabies and brats for pitching hissy fits over hurt feelings, but this likely would lead to such…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: headlines, op-ed
Why Fannie and Freddie survived
November 23, 2015
By Robert J. Samuelson One of the most interesting and uncovered stories these days is the survival of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac — the giant housing entities created…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: headlines, op-ed
