SBDC to hold two business startup workshops this month

Two workshops entitled "Starting a Business" will be held on Feb. 11 and 25. Each is a three-hour class that begins at 6 p.m.

Effingham's jobless rate dips under 8 percent

ATLANTA - The Georgia Department of Labor reported that the preliminary unadjusted unemployment rate in the metro Savannah area rose to 8.4 percent in December, up four-tenths of one percentage point from a revised 8.0 percent in November.

Mansion on Forsyth Park honored again

SAVANNAH-Condé Nast Traveler recently featured the Mansion on Forsyth Park, a luxury hotel in Savannah, on the magazine's annual Gold List, which appears in the January 2010 issue. This marks the fifth consecutive year that the Mansion on Forsyth Park has been included on this elite list of top international properties.

GSU to offer HR development course

Human resource personnel can take their next career step through Georgia Southern University's spring-semester professional development course, a Continuing Education class at the Coastal Georgia Center in Savannah.

Lakeview Manor celebrates

Lakeview Manor marked its 20th anniversary with an open house and a ribbon cutting to show off its new addition Sunday afternoon.

Durden Consulting to move its offices to Rincon later this month

Durden Consulting Services, LLC, is moving its office to Effingham County. Its new location will be 5910 Highway 21 South, Unit 6, in Rincon. They will host an open house Jan. 11 from noon-2 p.m. Durden Consulting Services is a CORE provider offering an array of services, including individual and family therapy and case management. For more information, visit the Web site www.Durdenconsulting.com or call (912) 988-3649.

Goody's may return in March

Goody's department store is set to reopen as the anchor of the Fort Howard Square shopping center during March, about a year after shutting its doors.

Chamber to hold QuickBooks seminar

The Effingham County Chamber of Commerce will sponsor a seminar on QuickBooks. The seminar will be held Jan. 15 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Effingham County Board of Education computer lab at 405 N. Ash St. in Springfield.

Lakeview Manor to celebrate anniversary, expansion

Lakeview Manor is marking its 20th year of operation with another step forward. Lamar Allen, co-owner and operator, is preparing for an open house and ribbon cutting to be held Jan. 3 at the Springfield retirement home. "We're the only assisted living center in the county," he said. Lakeview Manor opened in November 1989 with 12 beds and added five more in 1994. Four independent units were added in 2006 and six more assisted living ...

Hospital gets high marks on its audit

The Effingham Hospital Board of Trustees received the audit on their fiscal year 2009 from certified public accountant Jim L. Creamer Sr. of Draffin and Tucker.

Springfield storage business expands

The national economy may be slow, but the local economy is picking up for Springfield. On Laurel Street, another local business, 1st Storage and U-Haul, is breaking ground for a new building. This is a good sign for Springfield, said City Councilman Butch Kieffer. 1st Storage and U-Haul (originally know as Springfield Self Storage) is adding approximately 5,000 square feet of climate-controlled storage to its current compliment of non-climate controlled storage. "Because of the ...

Area jobless rate shrinks

ATLANTA - The Georgia Department of Labor reported that the preliminary unadjusted unemployment rate in the metro Savannah area declined to 8.0 percent in November, down three-tenths of one percentage point from revised October figures.

Ribbon cutting for Cuttin’ Up

Effingham Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors helped Charlene Kilgore open her family hair care salon, Cuttin' Up, located near the new Harvey's in Springfield. The shop will be staffed by owner, Kilgore along with Shannon Williams, Amy Morgan Sanders and Danielle Stone.

Chamber wraps up holiday shopping tour

The Effingham Chamber of Commerce wrapped up its annual holiday shopping tour in Rincon on Dec. 11. The event was held to spur local sales during the Christmas shopping season and started in Springfield on Dec. 5. Merchants throughout both cities offered discounts for those taking part.

Burke-Forehand to retire from USDA Rural Development

June Burke-Forehand will retire from the Statesboro office of USDA Rural Development on Dec. 31, with 23 years of service.

SBDC holding business startup workshop

A workshop entitled "Starting a Business" will be held on Aug. 18. It is a three hour class that begins at 6 p.m.

Directory pays off for Chamber

Karen Tanksley, publisher of the Effingham Herald, presented Effingham County Chamber President Brooke Graham with a check for more than $1,200 to the Chamber last week.

Ports, Panama Canal renew their alliances

The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) and the Georgia Ports Authority, which owns and operates the Port of Savannah, renewed their ties Wednesday with the signing of a memorandum of understanding. The MOU, renewable for five years, was first signed in July 2003 and aims to unify efforts to encourage mutual economic benefits.

Jobless rate inches higher for June 2011

ATLANTA – State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that the preliminary unadjusted unemployment rate in metro Savannah increased to 9.5 percent in June, up 1.0 percent from a revised 8.5 percent in May. The jobless rate in metro Savannah in June a year ago was 8.8 percent.

Farm Service Agency issues crop insurance reminder

Hobby Stripling, state executive director of Georgia's USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA), reminds producers of the need for insurance coverage for crops in order to be eligible for the agency's disaster assistance programs. Producers must purchase at least catastrophic (CAT) level of insurance for all insurable crops and/or FSA's Noninsured Crop Assistance Program (NAP) coverage for non insurable crops to be eligible.

Coastal Bank approved to offer new mortgage, down payment assistance programs

The Coastal Bank has been officially approved for two new mortgage loan and down payment assistance programs specifically designed to help low to moderate income mortgage customers.

More double-digit growth for the ports in FY2011

Georgia Ports Authority Executive Director Curtis J. Foltz announced Monday that the GPA handled more than 2.9 million TEUs (20-foot Equivalent Unit containers) at the Port of Savannah, more than 465,000 automobiles and machinery units at the Port of Brunswick and nearly 2.2 million breakbulk tons for all terminals in fiscal year 2011 (July 1, 2010-June 30, 2011).

Chamber sounds call for vendors to reserve space for Oktoberfest

The Effingham Chamber of Commerce is issuing a call for all area vendors interested in participating in this year's Effingham Oktoberfest to apply now.

SBDC holding startup workshop

A workshop entitled "Starting a Business" will be held July 21. It is a three-hour class that begins at 6 p.m.

Local Corps office to host course for contractors

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District, will host a one-day "Construction Quality Management for Contractors" course on Aug. 17.

Motorcycle shop likes its view

Being back on Laurel Street in downtown Springfield is a welcome sight for Steve Harrell.

Tourists spent $21B in Georgia in 2010

Gov. Nathan Deal announced that domestic and international visitors spent $21 billion in Georgia in 2010, up 8.3 percent from 2009, according to the U.S. Travel Association.

Leading the way

The 2011 Leadership Effingham Class finished their year by presenting class group projects June 30 in the County Commission meeting room in Springfield.

Plan for the expected — but prepare for unexpected

To enjoy a comfortable retirement lifestyle, you'll need to have adequate financial resources in place. And that means you must plan for the expected - but prepare for the unexpected.

A home-grown choice at Madrac Farms