Charleston loses out on back-to-back Halloween sequels: Filmed for a tidy sum of $10 million in Charleston, 2018's Halloween reboot was a monster hit, bringing in a domestic box office of nearly $160 million and elevating the profile of the creative team of director David Gordon Green and funnyman Danny McBride and Charleston as a go-to shooting location.

Along with writer-director Jody Hill, McBride and Green head Mt. Pleasant-based Rough House Pictures, the little indie company behind the hit HBO series Eastbound and Down, Vice Principals, and the brand new The Righteous Gemstones. While the former was shot in Wilmington, N.C., the latter two were shot in Charleston and North Charleston.

With all of that in mind -- Halloween's success, Rough House's hometown -- it seemed like Charleston would be the ideal location in the event an inevitable sequel was given the greenlight.

And just a few weeks ago, Blumhouse Productions did just that, giving the go-ahead to not one, but two sequels.

Unfortunately, Blumhouse -- the studio behind Get Out, The Purge, Split, and Paranormal Activity -- has chosen Wilmington over Charleston, according to the Wilmington TV station WECT.

Although an official production date hasn't been released for the two sequels --- Halloween Kills and Halloween Ends -- Blumhouse has announced that the films will be released Friday, October 16, 2020, and Friday, October 15, 2021, respectively.

Both Green and McBride will be steering the projects
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China Threatens Sanctions Over Deal to Sell Greenville-built F-16s to Taiwan: Confirming expectations, China has taken issue with the Trump administration's plan to sell 66 Greenville-built F-16 fighter jets to the island nation of Taiwan. 

Stars & Stripes reports, "China said Wednesday that it will levy sanctions against U.S. companies linked to a planned $8 billion sale of advanced F-16V fighter jets to Taiwan in a move that has further strained Sino-American relations."

The military-centric media outlet also notes that "China urges the U.S. to 'stop arms sales to and military interactions with Taiwan' or otherwise 'bear all the consequences arising from it." Those consequences, Stars & Stripes said, were not specifically expressed.

Taiwan is currently in the process of modernizing its air force, according to The National Interest magazine. The foreign policy magazine notes that this modernization, along with the purchase of new F-16s and a revamping of other F-16 fighters, could potentially give Taiwan the ability to "contest" an air attack from China.

Formerly manufactured in Fort Worth, Texas, the F-16 program began its Greenville shift two years ago. In April, Lockheed representatives and South Carolina elected officials celebrated the unveiling of the new production line at the S.C. Technology and Aviation Center, with the first jets expected to roll off the lines in 2021.
Slower economic growth ahead through 2020 for SC, Charleston, USC economist says (Post & Courier)

SC agency to strip license of business that Richland sheriff says is prostitution den (The State)

Boeing SC hit with charges it fired workers due to union support (Post & Courier)

Salesman accused of stealing SC-based Duke’s secret recipes responds to lawsuit (Post & Courier)

Banks reaching out to underserved communities (SC Biz News)
Greenville County Council members propose consolidating sewer services to spur business growhte con (Greenville News)

As the Mills Turn: Easley mill, decades closed, to be reinvented as 128 apartment units (Greenville News)

Construction begins on Judson Mill’s transformation into multi-use space (Upstate Business Journal)

Mount Pleasant retail center’s addition among slew of expanding East Cooper shopping venues (Post & Courier)

Grumpy Monk will open a third Grand Strand location in North Myrtle Beach (Myrtle Beach Online)

Craft and Draft Announces Irmo Location, Monthly Pop-Ups at Columbia’s Soda City Market (Free Times)

Martin's Bar-B-Que Joint makes a smooth (as Tennessee whiskey) move to James Island  (Charleston City Paper)

Taste of Charleston cancels planned return after 2-year hiatus (Live 5 News)

Clemson restaurant employee blown onto roof in severe storm (WYFF)

Index-Journal publisher Judi Burns remembered as 'champion' of free press (Greenwood Index-Journal)

Lawmakers consider bill that would make UofSC Board of Trustees smallest in the state (WIS-TV)

Former Larkin’s COO takes charge of Drayton Mills events space (Upstate Business Journal)

Carowinds says newest coaster closed as precaution after rider was injured (Fox Carolina)
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Hires & Honors

Abbey West, Darian Villalobos and Julie Nelson have been promoted to the position of media buyers at Greenville's Infinity Marketing. (Infinity Marketing)

Greenville-based FinTrust Capital Advisors has added Jennifer Lopez to the team as client service administrator. (FinTrust)

Charleston-based attorney William Russell of Jarrard, Nowell & Russell, LLC, has been named to the board of the Charleston Regional Development Alliance (CRDA).

The Columbia Chamber will honor Southeastern Freight Lines founders W. T. “Bill” Cassels, Jr., and William T. “Tobin” Cassels, III, at the Chamber’s Annual Gala in October.,

Scott Presley has been named vice president, director of residential construction lending, at Greenwood-based Countybank (Countybank)

THS Constructors, Inc. has promoted Stefan Meagher to project manager and Derek Bayne to assistant superintendent. (THS Constructors)

Deals

CBRE has been selected to market for lease River Oaks Center, a four-story 106,000-sq.-ft. Class A office building in North Charleston. River Oaks Center is the newest addition to The Executive Park at Faber Place and is Holder Properties’ fifth project in the thriving North Charleston submarket.

CBRE’s Charles Carmody and Alicia Leland will be working with the Holder Properties team to lease the building. Currently there is approximately 53,000 sq. ft. of available Class A office space for lease. (CBRE)