http://www.wfae.org/wfae/ Feed provided by WFAE 90.7 FM: Charlotte's NPR News Source en-us Copyright 2012 WFAE 90.7 Fri, 06 01 2012 15:53 EST Fri, 06 01 2012 15:53 EST Jobs Deal For Badin Falls Apart Clean Tech has abandoned plans to open a silicon metal and recycled steel plant on the former Alcoa smelter site in Badin. Clean Tech had threatened to pull its plans unless Stanly County Commissioners withdrew their opposition to another hydropower license for Alcoa. http://www.wfae.org/wfae/stat_search.cfm?id=8118&action=display Mon, 19 Dec 2011 12:00 EST Eastern NC Cities Lead Charge Against Duke, Progress Merger Federal regulators have dashed any hopes Duke and Progress Energy had of getting their merger approved by the end of this year. The utility companies are scrambling to address concerns their marriage will be too much of a monopoly in the Carolinas , but say they're committed to the merger, even if it takes longer to tie the knot than they'd hoped. http://www.wfae.org/wfae/stat_search.cfm?id=8104&action=display Fri, 16 Dec 2011 12:00 EST Charlotte Council To Approve Chiquita Incentives Tonight After all the yellow bow-ties and "We're bananas for Chiquita" fanfare of the last two weeks, it's pretty clear tonight the Charlotte City Council will formally approve the unusually generous incentives deal it offered the company. http://www.wfae.org/wfae/stat_search.cfm?id=8079&action=display Mon, 12 Dec 2011 12:00 EST Alcoa Postcards Pressure Stanly County Alcoa and a company called Clean Tech have given Stanly County commissioners an ultimatum: Support Alcoa's request to renew a 50-year hydropower license on the Yadkin River, or miss out on 450 jobs. The deadline is December 15. http://www.wfae.org/wfae/stat_search.cfm?id=8072&action=display Thu, 08 Dec 2011 12:00 EST CRVA Hires A New CEO The Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority has named a new CEO to take over for its embattled leader. Tom Murray will lead the organization which markets the region to visitors and manages several entertainment facilities as well as the convention center. More http://www.wfae.org/wfae/stat_search.cfm?id=8055&action=display Tue, 06 Dec 2011 12:00 EST Tentative Deal Could End Dispute Over Boeing’s SC Plant There could be a breakthrough in the federal government's dispute with Boeing over the company's decision to open an airplane production plant in South Carolina. The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace workers says it has reached a tentative contract deal that calls for Boeing’s 737 Max aircraft to be built at union facilities in Renton, Washington. More http://www.wfae.org/wfae/stat_search.cfm?id=8037&action=display Wed, 30 Nov 2011 12:00 EST Banana Giant Coming To Charlotte Chiquita Brands International is poised to relocate its world headquarters to Charlotte. A North Carolina economic development panel voted Tuesday to approve a $22 million incentives deal to lure the banana company's headquarters from Cincinnati. The move is expected to bring at least 375 jobs to Charlotte by 2014. More http://www.wfae.org/wfae/stat_search.cfm?id=8030&action=display Tue, 29 Nov 2011 12:00 EST NASCAR Hall Of Fame Doesn't Draw Crowds On Thanksgiving The NASCAR Hall of Fame was open on Thanksgiving Day this year. But it didn't lure the crowds that some had hoped it would. http://www.wfae.org/wfae/stat_search.cfm?id=8028&action=display Tue, 29 Nov 2011 12:00 EST County Governments Sue MERS To Recover Recording Fees Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems may not be a household name, but perhaps it should be. If you've bought a house or refinanced in the last decade, there's a good chance you signed a document at closing that designates MERS as your new lender. http://www.wfae.org/wfae/stat_search.cfm?id=8022&action=display Mon, 28 Nov 2011 12:00 EST Black Friday Also Big For Plumbers Post Thanksgiving shoppers are out in force, and so are the city's plumbers. Think about it: All the extra holiday guests, and extra cooking. And all the extra... stuff... poured down the kitchen sink. http://www.wfae.org/wfae/stat_search.cfm?id=8020&action=display Sat, 26 Nov 2011 12:00 EST Lowe's 3Q Earnings Report A Mixed Bag Home improvement retailer Lowe's had a rough third quarter. As WFAE's Scott Graf reports, the Mooresville company saw earnings decline by more than 40 percent. http://www.wfae.org/wfae/stat_search.cfm?id=7981&action=display Mon, 14 Nov 2011 12:00 EST BofA Sheds Even More Chinese Bank Shares Bank of America is continuing to shed assets as a means of raising capital. Scott Graf reports that the bank is selling most of its remaining shares in China Construction Bank. http://www.wfae.org/wfae/stat_search.cfm?id=7980&action=display Mon, 14 Nov 2011 12:00 EST A Conversation With CommunityOne Bank CEO The parent company of North Carolina's CommunityONE Bank recently completed its purchase of Bank of Granite Corporation, in a merger designed to rescue two financially-faltering community banks. The combined bank will take the CommunityONE name--and is led by a team of former First Union, Wachovia and Bank of America executives. WFAE's Mark Rumsey spoke with Brian Simpson, CEO of the new CommunityONE Bank. http://www.wfae.org/wfae/stat_search.cfm?id=7952&action=display Fri, 04 Nov 2011 12:00 EST Charlotte Airport To Offer Only BofA ATMs The Charlotte Airport is moving toward an exclusive arrangement with Bank of America to be the sole provider of ATMs for passengers in need of cash. Airport Director Jerry Orr says Bank of America outbid Fifth Third Bank for the exclusive contract by $245,000. The three-year contract guarantees Bank of America will pay the airport a minimum of $1.2 million dollars a year plus $.75 per ATM transaction. More http://www.wfae.org/wfae/stat_search.cfm?id=7945&action=display Thu, 03 Nov 2011 12:00 EST Consumer Utility Agency Says Duke Rate Request Too High Duke Energy's request for a 15 percent overall rate increase in North Carolina has hit a snag. The state's key consumer advocacy agency says Duke is asking for way too much and recommends a rate boost of less than five percent. http://www.wfae.org/wfae/stat_search.cfm?id=7938&action=display Wed, 02 Nov 2011 12:00 EST BofA Ditches $5 Fee Bank of America has canceled plans to impose a $5 monthly fee on debit card customers. http://www.wfae.org/wfae/stat_search.cfm?id=7933&action=display Tue, 01 Nov 2011 12:00 EST BofA's Competitors Abandon Debit Fee Plans So much for safety in numbers. Virtually all of Bank of America's big competitors have completely backed away from plans to charge customers for using their debit cards: Wells Fargo, Sun Trust and JP Morgan Chase. http://www.wfae.org/wfae/stat_search.cfm?id=7927&action=display Mon, 31 Oct 2011 12:00 EST BofA Looks To Pull Back On $5 Debit Card Fee Bank of America Corp., under continued pressure from consumers, shareholders and politicians, will likely make it easier for more customers to avoid a $5 monthly debit-card fee. Meanwhile, Wells Fargo and JP Morgan announced if will cancel its pilot programs for $3 debit card fees. More http://www.wfae.org/wfae/stat_search.cfm?id=7924&action=display Sat, 29 Oct 2011 12:00 EST Weak Economy, Higher Bank Fees Give Boost to Payday Lenders The payday loan industry is thriving as customers weather the economic downturn and become unhappy with growing fees charged by banks. One example: Spartanburg-based Advance America reported another strong quarter of earnings this week and plans to spend nearly $47 million acquiring another large quick-cash chain. http://www.wfae.org/wfae/stat_search.cfm?id=7918&action=display Fri, 28 Oct 2011 12:00 EST A Furniture Manufacturing Comeback? Changes In China Create Opening The world's largest furniture market gets underway Saturday in High Point, NC. It's the industry's showpiece event where manufacturers show off and sell their products to retailers. This year's market will have an old-school component. There will be a large pavilion for furniture that's made in America. In fact, there are signs that changes in China could spur a furniture comeback in the U.S. http://www.wfae.org/wfae/stat_search.cfm?id=7903&action=display Fri, 21 Oct 2011 12:00 EST