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Charleston Business

#CharlestonAgenda: Home Values Up...Slightly, Unemployment Rises...Slightly, George Sink V. George Sink II, San Francisco Is Sinking

May 03, 2019 03:11PM ● By Chris Haire

By now you've read the national employment news--263K jobs were added last month while unemployment dropped to 3.6%. Here in the Palmetto State, 12,900 jobs were filled but the unemployment rate held steady at 3.2%. Among four of the major metros, unemployment actually increased, with Charleston's rising from 2.8% in February to 2.9% in March, Greenville rising from 2.9% to 3%, Columbia 3% to 3.1%, and Spartanburg 2.9% to 3%. Be that as it may, those are still great numbers.

And things look even better on the manufacturing front--the vehicle that has driven much of the Palmetto State's recent prosperity. In Charleston manufacturing grew by 2.6%, February 2018 to February 2019; in Greenville it was 1.4%; Columbia 3.7%; and Spartanburg, 5.1%

Statewide home sale prices are also up year to year, March '18-'19, rising from $196.8K to $207K. In Charleston, prices went from $255K to $270K; Greenville, $203K to $209; and Columbia, $167K to $172K. Spartanburg, however, saw a dip with the home sales price falling from $170K to $160K.

Building permits were down in Greenville and Columbia, up in Charleston, and flat in Spartanburg.
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Why pioneering Greenville restaurant owner Larkin Hammond is a big advocate for gluten-free food (Greenville News)

Lowcountry lawyer George Sink sues son George Sink Jr., over similar firm name(Live 5 News)

City of Columbia to purchase main downtown post office for possible Finlay Park expansion (The State)

Charleston County considering sale of Naval Hospital site to Cigar Factory developer (Post and Courier)

Lander University, Cosentino deny wrongdoing in defamation suit response (Greenwood Index-Journal)

CFO of Charleston’s Benefitfocus is leaving, third to depart in three years (Post and Courier)

AirBnB bookings surge for Clemson graduation, but not as much as these football weekends (Anderson Independent Mail)

New task force aims to control hotel growth in Charleston (Live 5 News)

SC to field offers for Santee Cooper, but lawmakers haven’t decided whether to sell it (The State)

GB&D and Bake Room are moving out of the Village of West Greenville and to the future Unity Park (Greenville News)

A bill requiring genetic counselors to obtain state licensing before they can practice is likely headed back to the drawing board. (Greenwood Index-Journal)

Construction at iconic building on Dave Lyle? Here’s what may be coming to Rock Hill (Herald)

Boeing’s Own Test Pilots Lacked Key Details of 737 MAX Flight-Control System (WSJ)

GSK dumps universal flu vaccine after interim data readout (Fierce Biotech)

Trump administration finalizes rule allowing providers to deny care over religious beliefs (Becker's Hospital Review)

U.S. Added 263,000 Jobs in April; Jobless Rate Fell to 3.6% (WSJ)

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Four LS3P Projects Win IIDA Carolinas DesignWorks Awards

Southern Current Launching New Solar Project In Hampton County

SENTIO Receives SC Launch, Inc. Investment

Inaugural Class Of Nurses Graduating From The Citadel May 4

50 Most Influential
Danny McBride
Rough House Pictures
Actor, Writer & Producer 

Like many people who visit Charleston, Danny McBride came to the city for work and didn’t want to leave. In 2017, he told Charleston native Stephen Colbert that he bought a house in the Holy City after a scouting trip for his HBO show “Vice Principals.” He was also encouraged by Bill Murray, a resident and part owner of the RiverDogs. 

McBride made the move from Hollywood in July 2017, according to Rolling Stone magazine, along with his wife, two young children, and various friends and colleagues, including writer-director David Gordon Green. McBride and Green run Rough House Pictures, along with writer-director Jody Hill, and opened an office in Charleston. “We came here and just dug it,” McBride told Rolling Stone. “We’re like pioneers in reverse. We came back from the West.”

McBride recently earned accolades as co-writer and executive producer of Halloween, a 2018 sequel to the John Carpenter original, that was filmed in Charleston and made $253.5 million at the box office. In addition to writing and starring in “Vice Principals,” the Georgia native is also known for his HBO show “Eastbound & Down” and roles in movies such as “Pineapple Express,” “Tropic Thunder,” and “This Is The End.” Up next is “Righteous Gemstones,” an HBO show starring McBride along with John Goodman as his father.