Herald-Journal (Spartanburg, SC) articles from September 2007

Herald-Journal (Spartanburg, SC) archives from September 2007

Edwards calls for law limiting payday lending.
September 1, 2007... Byline: Trevor Anderson Sep. 1--Presidential hopeful John Edwards fired a stern warning at predatory and payday lenders, who are high on his list of targets for reform, Thursday during the Spartanburg County Democratic Party's annual...

Spartanburg County, S.C., hospitality tax passes first reading.
September 4, 2007... Byline: Trevor Anderson Sep. 4--The jury still is out on whether County Council's endorsement of the 2 percent hospitality tax to fund future parks and recreation projects is the right decision for Spartanburg. While council voted...

Allegiant Air adding nonstop routes from GSP to South Florida.
September 5, 2007... Byline: Trevor Anderson Sep. 5--Low-cost carrier Allegiant Air is providing a way for Upstate air travelers to reach sunny South Florida in less than two hours. The airline announced Tuesday it will add nonstop jet service from...

BMW reports tougher road for X5.
September 5, 2007... Byline: Trevor Anderson Sep. 5--After rolling along smoothly for several months, U.S. sales of the X5 sports activity vehicle hit a bump in August, the BMW Group reported Tuesday. Sales of the Z4 roadster, meanwhile, continued to...

Downtown shop C. Edward Cigars adds beer-and-wine bar.
September 7, 2007... Byline: Trevor Anderson Sep. 7--Ben Wienand is adding hops and bouquets to the aromatic atmosphere of his cigar shop in downtown Spartanburg. Wienand, co-owner of C. Edward Cigars at 113 N. Church St., has built a beer-and-wine bar...

Spartanburg, S.C., decor shop to close after nine years.
September 8, 2007... Byline: Trevor Anderson Sep. 8--Cathy Smith will close her home decor and accessories shop, Fields of Dreams, on Sept. 30 after nine years at the Converse Corners shopping center on East Main Street. Window signs announced the closure...

Long-running toy shop reopens in downtown Spartanburg, S.C.
September 11, 2007... Byline: Trevor Anderson Sep. 11--Mark Slotin is adding imagination to downtown Spartanburg. A month after closing the education-themed toy shop Imagination Station at the Hillcrest Shopping Center, Slotin is reopening with the help of...

Regional tees it up for school defibrillators.
September 12, 2007... Byline: Emily Dagostino Sep. 12--The heart center at Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System will host a Sept. 21 golf tournament to raise money to outfit every school in Spartanburg County with automatic external defibrillators, which can...

Theater curfew steams teens.
September 12, 2007... Byline: Trevor Anderson Sep. 12--A month-old curfew at Spartanburg's largest theater might be drawing a few jeers from local teens, but an executive for the cinema's parent company said he believes more people are buying tickets with the...

BMW crossover vehicle to be built in Spartanburg County.
September 13, 2007... Byline: Trevor Anderson Sep. 13--BMW has taken the cover off its much-anticipated X6 coupe-crossover. The company unveiled the "sports activity coupe" concept car Tuesday at the International Auto Show in Frankfurt, Germany. The...

Inman's economy primed for rebound.
September 14, 2007... Byline: Trevor Anderson Sep. 14--The city of Inman was one of Spartanburg County's outlying communities whose economy ground to a halt after the departure of the textile manufacturing industry a few years ago. In March 2001, Inman...

Richardson, McColl take over Bojangles'.
September 14, 2007... Byline: Robert W. Dalton Sep. 14--Carolina Panthers founder Jerry Richardson's newest business venture could be called a high-stakes game of chicken. Falfurrias Capital Partners, an investment group headed by Richardson and former Bank...

Expanding Protec goes to Greer.
September 15, 2007... Byline: Jessica L. De Vault Sep. 15--With the assistance of the Greer Development Corp. and the Spartanburg County Economic Development Corp., Protec Enterprises LLC has relocated to Greer. The business is moving from its headquarters...

Allegiant Air drops service to Las Vegas.
September 18, 2007... Byline: Trevor Anderson Sep. 18--A flight from Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport to Las Vegas was fit for a king. In fact, it included the "King of Rock 'N' Roll" -- or at least an Elvis impersonator. But less than a month...

Restaurant company trimming 80-90 jobs.
September 18, 2007... Byline: Trevor Anderson Sep. 18--Spartanburg-based Denny's Corp. announced Monday it will cut 80 to 90 jobs as part of a realignment of its field-management structure for both company-owned and franchise restaurants. The company said...

Developer buys downtown properties.
September 19, 2007... Byline: Trevor Anderson Sep. 19--Johnson Development Associates Inc. has purchased two properties near its headquarters in downtown Spartanburg that will be redeveloped over the next few years. Johnson Development recently paid $2...

Manager of local EchoStar plant honored with award from state.
September 20, 2007... Byline: Trevor Anderson Sep. 20--Raymond White, plant manager for EchoStar Communication Corp.'s Spartanburg Service Center, has been honored by Gov. Mark Sanford and the state Department of Commerce as Spartanburg County's Ambassador for...

Widow gets $119,000 for Superbike site.
September 21, 2007... Byline: Trevor Anderson Sep. 21--Terry Guy was in attendance Thursday for the auction of Superbike Motorsports, the site where two of his family members were slain in a 2003 quadruple homicide, but he wasn't there to place a bid. ...

Advance America to shutter 103 stores.
September 21, 2007... Byline: Trevor Anderson Sep. 21--Spartanburg-based payday lender Advance America announced Thursday it will close 103 stores and slash 105 jobs to cut costs and reduce revenue losses in several markets around the U.S. According to...

West-side restaurant J-Bones open again, with revised menu.
September 21, 2007... Byline: Trevor Anderson Sep. 21--Joe Nix, owner of J-Bones restaurant on Reidville Road, which he closed in December, has reopened it with a different twist to his business. Nix, who also owns a Burger King franchise in Roebuck, has...

Restaurateur trades football stats for serving food.
September 22, 2007... Byline: Trevor Anderson Sep. 22--Bill Vigodsky's love for family, football and food mesh with a new franchise restaurant he has brought to Boiling Springs. The 1998 Dorman High School graduate has opened the doors to Beef 'O' Brady's...

Lan-Yair site has businesses weighing options.
September 23, 2007... Byline: Trevor Anderson Sep. 23--An empty field along East Main Street, the site of the former Lan-Yair Country Club, is stealing thunder from Centro Property Group's multimillion-dollar renovation of Hillcrest Shopping Center's Specialty...

Best Buy, Circuit City to face new west-side challenger, hhgregg.
September 25, 2007... Byline: Trevor Anderson Sep. 25--Indianapolis-based hhgregg Inc., a leading retailer of consumer electronics and household appliances, is moving into the neighborhood of Spartanburg's largest electronics stores, Best Buy and Circuit City....

'Halo 3' midnight launch draws a crowd.
September 26, 2007... Byline: Trevor Anderson Sep. 26--Hoping to be a part of entertainment history, hundreds of video game enthusiasts lined up at Spartanburg stores for the midnight launch of "Halo 3" for the Xbox 360 console. Logan Ownbey of Spartanburg,...

Carolina Alliance Bank hosts 'topping-out' ceremony for headquarters building.
September 27, 2007... Byline: Trevor Anderson Sep. 27--A final steel beam was added Wednesday to the shell of the 22,000-square-foot Carolina Alliance Bank building, which is under construction at the corner of South Church and Kennedy streets. The...