MELINDA WALDROP PROFILE

Seven community organizations have been selected to receive unrestricted general operating support grants by Central Carolina Community Foundation. The selected Black-led and Black-benefiting Midlands nonprofits range from organizatio... Read More

Don’t miss your chance to nominate a deserving candidate for the 2021 Columbia Regional Business Report Icons & Phenoms awards. These annual awards, in their third year, honor both established leaders who have helped sha... Read More

Claflin University will use a $5 million grant from Google to help foster diverse representation in STEM industries. The Orangeburg school is one of 10 institutions to receive the grants, designed to increased opportunities in the fie... Read More

Harry Lightsey, Gov. Henry McMaster’s nominee as the next secretary of the S.C. Department of Commerce, brings a background in two industries — telecommunications and automotive — that both men believe will be key t... Read More

The city of West Columbia has been awarded the 2021 South Carolina Community Development Association award of excellence for its River District Redevelopment Project. The award, voted on by association members, is presented annually t... Read More

The Blood Connection held a grand opening for its Lexington donation center today. The nonprofit center, located at 5141 Sunset Blvd., will also serve as a hub and packing center for Midlands blood mobiles, according to a news release... Read More

Mauldin & Jenkins LLC, an Alabama-based CPA firm with an office in Columbia, is merging with Certified Public Accounts PC, an Alabama-based accounting and consulting firm. The merger, which will be effective July 1, increases Maul... Read More

The S.C. Department of Juvenile Justice is conducting two hiring events, with the first set for Thursday. The department, in conjunction with SC Works Midlands, will conduct the in-person hiring event from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. at 700 T... Read More

Google has partnered with the S.C. Department of Education to train up to 1,000 public school teachers in districts that use Google as their learning management systems. The Google for Education Level 1 certification offers training i... Read More

A new series of videos, graphics and pamphlets aims to simply Richland County’s zoning process for residents. The first component of the Zoning Made Easy campaign, a video titled “Zoning 101: What is Zoning?” is now ... Read More

Columbia Fireflies fans can nominate first responders for in-game recognition on Thursday. Eight local first responders will be honored during the Fireflies’ 7:05 p.m. game at Segra Park. Nominations can be made online, with tho... Read More

More than $38 million in pandemic-related reimbursements and future expenditures has been distributed to 111 non-public S.C. schools. Nonprofit, accredited or licensed schools which have existed and operated prior to March 13, 2020 an... Read More

Nephron Pharmaceuticals Corp. has donated a critical mission response vehicle to the American Red Cross of South Carolina. A ribbon-cutting celebration for the new Dodge ProMaster 3500 cargo van will be held Wednesday. The vehicle wil... Read More

Mobile car care company Get Spiffy Inc. has launched its second S.C. franchise in Columbia. The move comes a little more than a week after Spiffy began operations in Greenville, and the company plans to launch in Charleston by the end of... Read More

Initial unemployment claims filed in South Carolina since March 15, 2020 have topped 900,000, with 1,887 filed for the week ending June 5. Spartanburg County saw the most claims filed in the state with 130. Lexington County saw 76, Be... Read More

Jack Brown’s Beer & Burger Joint will open its first S.C. location in Five Points. The 2,400-square-foot retail space at 711 Harden St. is across from Home Team BBQ, according to a news release from Wilson Kibler. “... Read More

A former Westinghouse vice president and director of the V.C. Summer nuclear project will plead guilty Thursday to making a false statement to an FBI agent during the investigation of the failed project. Carl Dean Churchman is schedul... Read More

Packaging and protective solutions company Intertape Polymer Group Inc. is investing more than $20 million in expansion of its Richland County operations expected to create 135 jobs in the next five years. Founded in 1981, IPG develop... Read More

Midlands Technical College broke ground on a $30 million, 58,000-square-foot technology center at its Beltline campus today. The four-story, 58,245-square-foot Center for Business and Information Technologies will serve as a high-tech... Read More

Two Columbia-based companies are among four accepted by the S.C. Research Authority as new member companies, while the University of South Carolina Office of Economic Engagement is one of three existing member organizations app... Read More

A two-story, mixed-use development building is being planned at St. Anns Alley, a single-family neighborhood in West Columbia’s River District. The building at the entrance to the development at the corner of Center Street and S... Read More

Turning Leaf, a North Charleston-based nonprofit that provides services to men released from prison, is opening a new center in Columbia. The organization combines behavioral therapy, one-on-one counseling, on-site transitional employ... Read More

ECPI University is issuing digital vaccination certificates to allow quick access to campus facilities for students and staff. The Vax Pass is issued after proof of vaccination is uploaded to an online portal. “We have a port... Read More

A new campaign is highlighting West Columbia businesses and entrepreneurs by personalizing their stories. The Real Faces WeCo Places initiative features decorative pole banners with QR codes that lead to a website with more inform... Read More

As Mark Anthony Brewing’s $400 million production facility in Richland County nears completion, the company is holding a series of webinars to provide information about available career opportunities. Open positions range from e... Read More

A new task force made up of state education, medical and advocacy leaders will work to improve health and environmental services in South Carolina. The Task Force to Strengthen the Health and Promote the Environment of South Carolina ... Read More

Sheppard’s Glass Service has opened a new location in Chapin. The full-service business provides auto, commercial and residential glass services. The company’s original West Columbia location on Platt Springs Road celebrat... Read More

Columbia’s River Rat Brewery is participating in a statewide campaign to boost vaccination rates among young adults. “Shot and a Chaser” is a partnership between the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Contro... Read More

For the week ending May 29, 1,972 initial unemployment claims were filed in South Carolina as the state enters its last month of providing federal unemployment benefit programs. The initial claims filed for the week of May 23-May 29 r... Read More

First Thursday is returning to downtown Columbia and will include a celebration of the Friends of African American Art & Culture’s 10th anniversary at Boyd Plaza. The affinity group of the Columbia Museum of Art will hol... Read More

Columbia-based insurance consulting firm South Risk Management has been acquired by Propel Insurance, one of the country’s largest privately owned insurance agencies and a portfolio company of capital market company Flexpoint Ford.... Read More

The South Carolina Institute of Medicine and Public Health and the North Carolina Institute of Medicine have joined forces to create the Carolinas Pandemic Preparedness Task Force. The goal of the initiative, spurred by the public hea... Read More

Homeless No More will celebrate the reopening of its renovated family shelter during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday. The shelter, located at 2411 Two Notch Road in Columbia, used contributions from public partnerships and priva... Read More

Rock Hill-headquartered 3D printing company 3D Systems has agreed to sell its on-demand manufacturing business to private equity firm Trilantic North America for $82 million. The sale, subject to closing conditions and adjustments, in... Read More

Richland Library will play host to award-winning journalist Craig Melvin’s first event on his virtual book tour on June 13. Melvin, TODAY Show news anchor and author of Pops: Learning to Be a Son and a Father, will participate i... Read More

More than $550,000 has been awarded to 25 state organizations through a COVID-19 response fund coordinated by Central Carolina Community Foundation. The One SC Fund: COVID-19 Response distributed $551,000 in grants to South Carolina&r... Read More

Twenty-two students from kindergarten through 12th grade will receive awards in the Richland Soil and Water Conservation District’s annual Youth Conservation Poster Contest. The Richland County students illustrated the topic &ld... Read More

The executive who strides into her expansive office may have come a long way from the Fulton County government building where she once stood in line to get her water service turned back on, but Lou Kennedy remains the same Lexington ... Read More

The total payout to S.C. residents in a combination of state and federal unemployment benefits since March 15, 2020 has topped $6.2 billion. The S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce paid out $49.6 million in benefits for the we... Read More

The sun is shining on a recent afternoon in Cayce, but it’s not yet the kind of famous Columbia hot that coats the air and crosses the river. The door to the coffee shop opens and the smiles start. Elise Partin is here for a... Read More

The S.C. Rural Infrastructure Authority has approved more than $13 million in grants for 27 water, sewer and storm drainage projects throughout the state. The grants will be combined with more than $25 million in other local, state an... Read More

Work on Phase II of the St. Anns Alley single-family neighborhood in West Columbia, which will include 15 new homes, has begun. The community, bounded by Center, Spring, Herman and Augusta streets in the River District, has releas... Read More

The Richland County Transportation Department will review proposed projects in Blythewood to be funded by the county’s penny tax program during a public meeting Wednesday. The meeting, to be held form 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Doko Ma... Read More

The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control is one of 10 organizations nationwide to receive a Center for Disease Control and Prevention grant to improve the state’s capacity for birth defects surveillance. The $1.5 ... Read More

A new events venue, the second business venture of an established area public relations professional, will open in Cayce on June 3. State & Frink will feature a large art gallery showcasing the works of members of the Cayce Arts G... Read More

Unemployment in South Carolina dropped to 5% in April from 5.1% in March, according to the latest household survey from the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce. While industries including education and health services, which a... Read More

Columbia ranks fifth in the country in a recent survey rating more than 180 U.S. cities as best places for recent college graduates to start careers. WalletHub compared the relative market strength and overall livability of the cities... Read More

Real estate law firm Holliday Ingram is expanding its S.C. presence with a new office in Lexington. The firm, headquartered in Greenville with a location in Summerville, will hold a grand opening celebration for the location at 809 S.... Read More

For the week ending May 15, 2,545 initial unemployment claims were filed in S.C., a drop of 543 from the previous week. The S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce paid out nearly $60 million in a combination of state and federal ... Read More

A new partnership between Fort Jackson and Columbia International University will make business administration degrees available to soldiers enlisted in the Chaplain Corps. Soldiers attending U.S. Army Chaplain Center courses will be ... Read More

A new civic campaign seeks help from residents to mark local storm drains while sprucing up area neighborhoods. A partnership between Richland County Stormwater Management and Columbia Water will give neighborhoods the chance to have ... Read More

The S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce is partnering with the S.C. Restaurant and Lodging Association to host on online hospitality and tourism hiring event with more than 150 registered employers. The job fair, which will ta... Read More

The Columbia International Festival returns to the S.C. State Fairgrounds June 5-6 with a food court, bazaar, fashion show and other events to celebrate the state’s multicultural communities. The festival, in its 26th year, miss... Read More

Staff shortages may lead to delays in curbside pickup of garbage and yard waste in Richland County. The county is working with its four contracted trash haulers to “to alleviate the problems we are now facing,” John Ansell... Read More

Columbia entrepreneur and multimedia personality Shennice Cleckley is Richland Library’s new entrepreneur-in-residence. Cleckley, CEO of business development firm Smart Cookie Coaching and host of business lifestyle podcast Live... Read More

For the ninth year, S.C. families with babies born on May 29 can receive a $529 grant toward future college savings. The Future Scholar 529 College Savings Plan is once again celebrating national 529 College Savings Day with the Palme... Read More

As Gov. Henry McMaster directed South Carolina to terminate all federal unemployment program benefits, the number of initial unemployment claims filed in the state increased by 232 from the previous week. For the week ending May 8, th... Read More

A young man in a dapper hat turns his head to gaze at an office building as people mill about on either side of him. The man’s hat, a swirl of green, yellow and orange, accents a bright green vest and echoes vibrantly hued scene... Read More

A three-year legal battle centered around allegations of trade secrets theft from Nephron Pharmaceuticals Corp. has been resolved in a $7.9 million settlement that the case’s lead attorney said sends a strong message. Arkans... Read More

With a recent survey finding that more than half of the state’s nonprofits faced an uncertain future in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the eighth annual Midlands Gives philanthropic drive provided a needed boost to a record... Read More

The BullStreet District has picked up momentum in the last 14 months despite the COVID-19 pandemic, with a new brewery on pace to open next summer and demolition for the University of South Carolina’s new medical school campus ... Read More

Consumers needing legal help in the Midlands now have an additional, proven resource to call upon. Five attorneys with decades of experience have formed the new law firm of Richardson, Thomas, Haltiwanger, Moore & Lewis, led by ve... Read More

As the COVID-19 pandemic changed the rules in almost every industry on a near-daily basis, nursing homes in particular struggled to keep up with the ever-shifting landscape and may face even more uncertainty going forward. “... Read More

A year after the COVID-19 pandemic gripped the U.S. and South Carolina, plunging industries including construction into uncertainty, contractors are expressing relief at how they’ve come through it — in some cases, with r... Read More

Women make up just 29.5% of a manufacturing labor force that needs to fill 4.6 million jobs during the next decade, and three S.C. industry leaders think it’s high time that number grew. Lindsay Leonard, senior director of natio... Read More

Robert Hughes shouldered a shovel and took a deep breath Thursday afternoon. As Columbia city officials joined the president of Greenville-based Hughes Development Corp. to break ground on the newest addition to the BullStreet Dis... Read More

Lexington Medical Center’s new 225,000-square-foot facility in Northeast Columbia is, as Lexington County Health Services District board chair Dr. Tripp Jones noted at its Tuesday ribbon cutting, larger than the health system&r... Read More

The COVID-19 pandemic has spawned a myriad of health concerns, but one local organization is working to make sure that mobility is not one of them. The S.C. Assistive Technology program, part of the Center for Disability Resources at ... Read More

For the 25 million people in the United States with limited English proficiency, optimal health care outcomes after hospitalization and access to preventive care present challenges in the best of times. In the midst of a pandemic that... Read More

The University of South Carolina generates a total economic impact on the state of $6.2 billion a year and is responsible for one out of every nine jobs in the Midlands, but the region faces challenges keeping its graduates from seeking ... Read More

The curriculum at Sandhills School in southeast Columbia recently took on a new wrinkle. A $2.1 million expansion is adding a 9,000-square-foot educational wing and exterior courtyard, and nine classrooms are being renovated. The ... Read More