Bank bonuses are bouncing back, at least to some extent ... To be sure, they're not climbing to the heady levels of three or four years ago. And for many bankers, a bigger portion of their bonus pay will be tied to company stock and isn't immediately spendable, a nod to populist anger about perceived fat cats on Wall Street. Still, there is some cause for celebration inside the Charlotte towers of Bank of America and Wells Fargo ... At Bank of America, employees have been learning this month
S.C. lawmakers voted Wednesday to formally rebuke Gov. Mark Sanford, again sparing him from impeachment over secret trips to see his Argentine mistress and his use of state planes ... The House Judiciary Committee unanimously agreed to censure the Republican governor for bringing "ridicule, dishonor, disgrace and shame" to the state. The scathing reprimand has no practical effect on Sanford's ability to govern for the 13 months that remain in his term, but legislators insisted they were not
Jo Anne Byerly said Friday she will retire as Kannapolis City Schools superintendent at the end of the current academic year, after 33 years with the school system ... Byerly, who has headed the school system since 2001, said she is leaving the position to have more personal time ... “I love this school system, and I'll always be a part of it,” said Byerly, who was hired in Kannapolis in 1976 as a teacher at Fred L. Wilson Elementary School. “But after almost 40 years in education, I feel
(By Kirsten Valle, kvalle@charlotteobserver.com) As GlobalLab Solutions searched for a new office a few years ago, when the economy was thriving and jobs were easier to find, one of the big questions on owner Mike Sullivan's mind was whether the space had two bathrooms ... His company's waiting room was often full. Dozens of job candidates lined up for the plastic cups and quick instructions – don't flush and don't wash your hands – that come with pre-employment drug tests ... “When you
(By Christina Rexrode and Rick Rothacker, Staff Writers) Although Bank of America Corp. reached a settlement with federal regulators Monday related to its Merrill Lynch & Co. acquisition, the legal problems stemming from the deal are far from over ... For one thing, the $33 million settlement still needs the approval of a New York judge, who has called a hearing for more information. And the settlement focuses only on whether Bank of America properly disclosed bonuses paid to Merrill employees
Inside a 100,000-square-foot plant in southwest Charlotte, the production line rumbles with power tools and clanging steel. More than 50 workers assemble the frames and inside seating for green, blue and black buses that run off battery-powered motors ... DesignLine International buses generate less noise and pollution than normal diesel-powered buses. The quiet, environmentally friendly ride has landed the Charlotte company more than two years' worth of contracts, including recent public
There's little chance that a national bank or other major corporation is anxious to donate graphic design services to Charlotte's Third Ward Neighborhood Association ... Ditto for photography or food for the center city association's meetings and events. Most big businesses get more requests for partnerships than their budgets allow ... Yet the association's board has found committed partners in smaller businesses – most of them in the association's backyard ... Even better, Third Ward's
Outbound Wilkinson Boulevard remains closed today in Charlotte's West End district because of a broken sewer pipe and storm drain ... The construction also affects a portion of Morehead Road ... Crews have been working since Wednesday to repair the pipe and drain, in the 2300 block of Wilkinson Boulevard, at Morehead Street. Authorities had tried to keep one outbound lane open, but they were forced Thursday to close all the lanes ... At last report, crews hope to have the work finished by late