Band and dance building includes Matthews Studio USC's new band and dance building is under construction on Sumter Street behind the Blatt P.E. Center. The 32,000- square- foot facility will include three dance studios, dressing rooms, classrooms, a band rehearsal room, and storage for instruments. One studio will be named the Katherine E. and George G. Matthews Dance Studio. The Matthews family, owner and operator of Columbia- based Modern Exterminating, donated $300,000 for the project, making the third dance studio possible.

Coastal home insurance... On May 13, PURE (Privilege Underwriters Reciprocal Exchange) announced its South Carolina launch as a specialist insurer dedicated exclusively to serving the owners of high- value homes insured for more than $1 million. PURE will offer comprehensive coverage, including windstorm coverage, for South Carolina homes that meet the standards of the latest building codes. PURE provides coverage to more than 2,000 policyholders in Florida. PURE is owned by its policyholders (members).

...follows Atlantic hurricanes According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, there's only a 10 percent chance the coming Atlantic hurricane season will be lighter than usual. The NOAA's forecast for the Atlantic hurricane season, June 1 through November 10, allows for a 65 percent probability of an above- normal season, which is expected to include 12 to 16 named storms. An average Atlantic season has 11 named storms.

Workers' comp Workers' compensation premiums in South Carolina will increase 9.8 percent on average starting July 1, according to an agreement reached recently between the National Council on Compensation Insurance and state officials. Frank Knapp Jr., president of the South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce, who participated in the negotiations, was pleased to hold the increase below double digits, which still came to an additional $100 million for workers' compensation insurance.

Unemployment in the Carolinas and the nation Unemployment in North Carolina jumped to 5.4 percent in April, the highest jobless rate since August 2005. The statewide rate in April 2007 was 4.7 percent. In South Carolina, the unemployment rate inched up to 5.9 percent in April. Beaufort, Charleston, and Lexington counties shared the same jobless rate, the lowest in the state, at 3.9 percent. Allendale County had the highest unemployment rate at 13.5 percent. The nation's overall unemployment rate for April was 5 percent.

The Senate passes state budget On Thursday, May 22, the South Carolina Senate passed the 2008- 09 state budget which is about $7 billion. The budget heads to the governor for approval.

Midlands Tech graduates 1,700 More than 1,700 students graduated from Midlands Technical College on Thursday, May 8. The college awarded 1,106 associate degrees, 756 certificates, and 111 diplomas from about 100 programs of study. Jim Reynolds, Total Comfort Service Center president and MTC Board member, delivered the commencement address.

Competition for South Carolina The North Carolina Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development has begun a $500,000 marketing campaign to promote golf in the state. The effort includes a Web site, Golf.VisitNC.com. A Golf Digest magazine study reports that 73 percent of golfers use the Internet to plan vacations.

Regional banks get recommended Two banks in the Carolinas, Greenville- based Carolina First (part of The South Financial Group and listed on the Nasdaq as TSFG) and Winston- Salem- based BB&T (listed on the NYSE as BBT), have been highlighted by the national business press. TSFG was a recommended buy in Forbes magazine because the same management has been in charge for so long, and Forbes expects positive changes soon in the executive suites. TSFG, as of Tuesday, May 27, was $5.73 per share, down from its 52- week high of $24.79. BB&T (currently $32.46, down from $43 for the year) was a recommended buy in The Wall Street Journal, but this recommendation was due to BB&T's high dividend yield of 5.5%. TSFG's dividend yield was 0.7%.