A South Carolina primer-y
February 21, 2016By Kathleen Parker CAMDEN, S.C. — Out on the hustings, people often ask me: “Can you explain South Carolina?” I just shake my head. It’s complicated, I say. The…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: headlines, op-ed
The crash of 2016?
February 15, 2016By Robert J. Samuelson You cannot understand the vulnerable state of the U.S. and global economies — and nervous stock markets — without coming to grips with the crash…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: headlines, op-ed
The crash of 2016?
February 15, 2016By Robert J. Samuelson You cannot understand the vulnerable state of the U.S. and global economies — and nervous stock markets — without coming to grips with the crash…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: headlines, op-ed
Hillary’s golden tongue
February 15, 2016By Kathleen Parker PALM BEACH, Fla. – As speaking fees go, Hillary Clinton’s allegedly scandalous $200,000 per engagement is chump change compared with Donald Trump’s $1.5 million. But, of…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: headlines, op-ed
Hillary’s golden tongue
February 15, 2016By Kathleen Parker PALM BEACH, Fla. – As speaking fees go, Hillary Clinton’s allegedly scandalous $200,000 per engagement is chump change compared with Donald Trump’s $1.5 million. But, of…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: headlines, op-ed
Short-Term Energy Outlook
February 11, 2016Highlights North Sea Brent crude oil prices averaged $31/barrel (b) in January, a $7/b decrease from December and the lowest monthly average price since December 2003. Brent crude oil…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: energy, headlines
Short-Term Energy Outlook
February 11, 2016Highlights North Sea Brent crude oil prices averaged $31/barrel (b) in January, a $7/b decrease from December and the lowest monthly average price since December 2003. Brent crude oil…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: energy, headlines
Should you outsource CMO duties?
February 10, 2016By Kelly Coulter 5 situations where an outsourced CMO is the best investment you can make Your Chief Marketing Officer has a big job. She works with senior leadership…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: headlines, marketing-and-communications
Should you outsource CMO duties?
February 10, 2016By Kelly Coulter 5 situations where an outsourced CMO is the best investment you can make Your Chief Marketing Officer has a big job. She works with senior leadership…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: headlines, marketing-and-communications
I took the bus!
February 9, 2016By Alan Cooper It took 15 years of living in Columbia, SC, but I can now officially say that I took the bus. Stop the press. I took the…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: government, headlines, transportation
Deficits … who cares?
February 8, 2016By Robert J. Samuelson Just how far have budget deficits drifted off the radar screen of presidential politics? Here’s one indicator: Last week, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO)…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: headlines, op-ed
Oh, Donnie boy
February 8, 2016By Kathleen Parker If you ask Donald Trump fans what they like about him, there’s an excellent chance they’ll say, “Because he’s not politically correct.” But this is only…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: headlines, op-ed
National Defense Briefs
February 4, 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: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: headlines, military
National Defense Briefs
February 4, 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: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: headlines, military
What is your role in the family business?
February 3, 2016By Edward W. Kramer, CFP® Family businesses often have competing goals of the family and the business because the family side of the company (i.e., members of the family)…
Read MorePosted in: midlandsbiz Category: advice, banking-and-finance, headlines
Out of State Drivers Pay 30 Percent
February 3, 2016By Bill Ross, Executive Director of the South Carolina Alliance to Fix Our Roads This past week the Senate Finance Committee met to discuss the status of a bill to…
Read MorePosted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc Category: government, headlines, on-the-move, transportation
Bombers, Blowfish, and Fireflies
February 2, 2016By 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
Bombers, Blowfish, and Fireflies
February 2, 2016By 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, 2016By 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, 2016By 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, 2016Surprising 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, 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
What is the stock market saying?
January 25, 2016By 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, 2016By 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, 2016By 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, 2016Richland 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, 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
State of the State Address
January 20, 2016As 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, 2016By 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…
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Not dead yet
January 14, 2016By 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, 2016By 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, 2016By 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, 2016By 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, 2016By 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, 2016By 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, 2016By 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, 2016House 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, 2016By 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, 2016By 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…
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Rising Costs and Limited Options for Columbia Office Tenants
January 4, 2016Research & 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, 2016By 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, 2016By 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, 2015By 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, 2015By 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, 2015By 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…
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Giving and Receiving: Brightening Minds and the Holiday Season
December 21, 2015By 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…
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9 Tips: Financial safety online
December 17, 2015By 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








