Truck plant layoffs around Charlotte Daimler Trucks North America, formerly known as Freightliner, has three manufacturing facilities in the Charlotte area. By March 13, Daimler will layoff 2,137 workers among its three Charlotte plants.

Reduced revenues S.C.'s Board of Economic Advisors has revised again its forecast for state tax revenues in the current fiscal year, already half over, by reducing its revenue estimate by $230 million. The latest forecast is $6.3 billion.

Weak sales In a survey among businesses in the Lowcountry, the Midlands, and the Upstate, almost 54% cited weak sales as their No. 1 issue. That was up from 23% in 2008 and 13% in 2007.

Tennis Greenville, S.C., entered the running to host the March 6- 8, 2009, first- round Davis Cup tennis match between the U.S. and a Roger Federer- led Swiss team. In mid- December, the U.S. Tennis Association announced that Birmingham, not Greenville, will be the host town. Birmingham hosted the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships in 1994. Greenville, though, is still in the hunt for Davis Cup matches. Greenville is offering Furman University's Mickel Tennis Center as a practice facility and the downtown Bi- Lo Center as a 12,500- seat indoor stadium competition court. Columbia has more tennis players (fans) than either Greenville or Birmingham. Bring the Davis Cup here, Columbia.

Fat commission Charlotte's new Mecklenburg County Jail is expected to carry a construction budget of $293 million. Columbia- based Carter Goble Lee Companies has been selected to develop an architectural program and provide design review services for the new jail. Besides its headquarters on Sumter Street in downtown Columbia, CGL has principal offices in Alpharetta, Fayetteville and Brunswick, Ga.; Washington, D.C.; Los Angeles, Calif.; Abu Dhabi, UAE; and project offices in Raleigh, N.C.; Houston, Tex.; and Graceville, Fla.

Ft. Jackson builds more Ft. Jackson Columbia's Army post plans to build 610 new town homes, renovate another 240, and demolish more than 900 residential units. For the next five years, there is $730 million committed to be spent for new development projects on the post. And another $780 million falls under a separate DOD Military Construction Budget (MILCON), also in the next five years, according to Columbia Chamber President Ike McLeese.

Fewer quarters to collect More than half of the 1,800 parking meters in downtown Charleston are now equipped to accept a special debit card. By 2010, Charleston plans to replace all parking meters with the debit card accommodation. Also, the new meters still accept the standard coin method of payment. If prepaid time remains when a driver returns to the metered parking space, the driver can insert the debit card and receive a refund for the unused time.

Meet to review Columbia rivers and lakes At 12:30- 2 pm on Tuesday, January 27, in the main lecture hall of USC's Green Quad (near the corner of Sumter and Wheat), the Sierra Club of S.C. will disclose threats to local rivers and lakes. Call John Ramsburgh, 743.6144.

Meanwhile, along the Catawba River The U.S. Supreme Court will hear S.C. present its case for limiting the parties in a legal fight, S.C. v. N.C., over the Catawba River. Charlotte- based Duke Energy and Catawba River Water Supply Project, a utility partnership, both want to participate. S.C. Attorney General Henry Dargan McMaster wants to limit who can participate in the case. He says the two states don't need any other entities to intervene. The U.S. Supreme Court has given McMaster until Feb. 13 to file his case to limit the participants. What's at issue is S.C.'s complaint that N.C. takes far more than its fair share of water from the Catawba River.

Bull Street The 181- acre downtown site bounded by Colonial Drive, Harden Street, Calhoun Street, and Bull Street belongs to the S.C. Mental Health Commission and is for sale. The proceeds of the sale go to projects to help mental patients. To inform prospective buyers about the 181 acres for sale, commercial real estate firm NAI Avant has produced a Web site, http://www.naiavantbullstreet.com. Broker in charge is NAI Avant's Gene Green, also the company's chief operating officer.