c 2014, WLOS ABC 13 | Portions are Copyright 2014 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or distributed.
WLOS News 13 provides local news, weather forecasts, traffic updates, notices of events and items of interest in the community, sports and entertainment programming for Asheville, NC and nearby towns and communities in Western North Carolina and the Upstate of South Carolina, including the counties of Buncombe, Henderson, Rutherford, Haywood, Polk, Transylvania, McDowell, Mitchell, Madison, Yancey, Jackson, Swain, Macon, Graham, Spartanburg, Greenville, Anderson, Union, Pickens, Oconee, Laurens, Greenwood, Abbeville and also Biltmore Forest, Woodfin, Leicester, Black Mountain, Montreat, Arden, Weaverville, Hendersonville, Etowah, Flat Rock, Mills River, Waynesville, Maggie Valley, Canton, Clyde, Franklin, Cullowhee, Sylva, Cherokee, Marion, Old Fort, Forest City, Lake Lure, Bat Cave, Spindale, Spruce Pine, Bakersville, Burnsville, Tryon, Columbus, Marshall, Mars Hill, Brevard, Bryson City, Cashiers, Greer, Landrum, Clemson, Gaffney, and Easley.
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CHEVY CHASE, Md., April 28, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Federal Capital Partners® (FCP) announced the acquisition of East Central Lofts in Charleston, SC through a joint venture with Kane Realty Corporation, Randolph Development and Canongate Capital. East Central Lofts is comprised of 72 studio, one and two-bedroom loft apartments featuring floor to ceiling windows and dramatic views of Charleston. The joint venture is also considering the opportunity to develop the adjacent parcel into additional Class A apartment units and street-level retail.
“FCP is excited to be an early mover on Charleston’s fast growing Upper Peninsula,” said Peter Smyth of FCP. “Our plans for this community and the adjoining development opportunity will benefit from the expertise of our partners, Kane Realty, Randolph Development and Canongate Capital.”
“We’re excited to work with Kane and FCP, two outstanding firms who own and manage quality properties in Charleston, and other Southeast markets,” said Canongate Capital Managing Partner, Walker Brock.
T.J. Barringer, Development Director at Kane Realty added, “East Central Lofts represents an exceptional opportunity for Kane to establish its presence in Charleston through the ownership and management of East Central Lofts as well as the future development of additional residences. We look forward to continuing our established relationship with FCP through this exciting development in Charleston.”
East Central Lofts is less than a mile north of Midtown, the new economic, dining and entertainment hub of the Charleston Peninsula. The community is well located next to the Ravenel Bridge, providing immediate access to I-26 and Highway 17 as well as the primary city thoroughfares of Meeting and King Streets.
About Kane Realty Kane Realty Corporation (KRC) is a full service real estate development and management company focused on office, retail, multi-family and mixed-use properties of the highest quality. Based in Raleigh, NC since 1978, KRC is dedicated to the goal of creating irresistible places where people will naturally want to gather. Through meticulous attention to detail in every aspect of the property from design and construction management to leasing and property management, Kane’s mission is to build places that improve the quality of life of their businesses, their employees, residents and visitors. For more information, please visit www.kanerealtycorp.com.
About Canongate Capital Canongate is a diversified investment and asset management company based in Charleston, South Carolina. With expertise in start-up, owner-operated businesses and with over 25 years of combined experience in the real estate investment, development and management business, Canongate provides its individual and institutional partners and investors hands-on management of each of its projects. Canongate is invested in multifamily, retail and office assets as well as a portfolio of small businesses in Charleston, South Carolina.
About Randolph Development Randolph Development has been based in the Charleston, SC area since 1998. Randolph has developed over 3,000 condos and apartments in North and South Carolina, including four communities in the Charleston area.
About Federal Capital Partners Federal Capital Partners (FCP) is a privately held real estate investment company that has invested in or financed more than $4.0 billion in assets since its founding in 1999. FCP invests in all asset classes and provides equity, preferred equity and mezzanine debt investments for commercial and residential real estate. The firm, based in Chevy Chase, MD, owns and manages in excess of $2.3 billion in assets. FCP is currently investing its third investment fund, a recently closed commingled, discretionary fund targeted at real estate markets on the East Coast of the United States. For further information on FCP, please visit www.fcpdc.com.
Media Contact: Karen Widmayer
KW Communications, LLC karenwidmayerpr@gmail.com
301-661-1448
And one such recruit, Forestview (Gastonia, N.C.) High School athlete Moe Neal, said he’s already heard from a handful of SU coaches in the last 48 hours. Primary recruiter and running backs coach DeAndre Smith has led the charge.
“He’s really been on me since Robert committed,” Neal said in an interview Monday night. “They really want me bad now. They’re saying, ‘It’s your time now’ and ‘we need you.'”
Smith will visit for Neal’s baseball game later this week, Neal said, and the interest is definitely mutual.
“They’re up there on the top of my list,” Neal said. “I’m giving it real good thought because I’d like to play with Robert, too.”
The 5-foot-11, 160-pound Neal is a speedy athlete who could play hybrid back or slot receiver in SU offensive coordinator Tim Lester’s new offense. Ranked the No. 50 athlete in the country by 247Sports.com’s composite rankings, he has been offered by the Orange, as well as about 15 other schools including Mississippi State, Duke, West Virginia, N.C. State, Boston College and Wake Forest.
Neal said he’s known Washington since the summer going into eighth grade when the two met at a Future Stars camp. They live about 15 minutes away from each other, Washington said, and have teamed up for USA Football with Washington lining up in the backfield and Neal in the slot.
“It was just a bond from Day 1 and we grew from there,” Neal said. “We’ve went on combines together, visits, the whole nine yards. We’re family now.”
Neal visited Syracuse with Washington and a friendly contingent of other Charlotte-area recruits for the Orange’s 38-20 loss to then-No. 1 Florida State last year. Robert’s cousin, Aapri Washington, and SouthLake Christian athlete Will Eason were also in the group, Neal said.
His relationship with Washington and the chance to build up a program with friends is very appealing, Neal said, but he’s considering other factors as well.
“You’ve still got to do what’s best for you,” Neal said, “and that can’t just be playing with friends.”
Neal listed Duke and Wake Forest as the other teams that he’s considering most highly and said that he’d like to commit before the start of his senior season if possible.
Florida, Ohio State and Tennessee are schools that he likes, but hasn’t been offered by yet.
“It would be nice to be done with it by then,” Neal said. “That’s how I’d like to do it.”
Neal carried the ball 273 times for 2,018 yards and 29 touchdowns as a junior, according to MaxPreps.com, while adding 35 receptions for 549 yards and another nine scores. He’s accounted for 74 total touchdowns in his three seasons of high school ball.
Syracuse currently has three players committed to its Class of 2016 in Washington, Massachusetts offensive tackle Cameron DeGeorge and New Jersey wide receiver Sadiq Palmer.
Contact Stephen Bailey anytime: Email | Twitter | 315-427-2168
The Grand Strand area has one of the fastest rising NCAA Division I collegiate athletics programs in the country.
Coastal Carolina University student-athletes daily compete against – and often beat – the best on a national scale, despite the fact these ACC, SEC, PAC 12 and other Power 5 universities have enrollments and athletic budgets six and seven times our size.
Seriously, ponder that. Want a few more tidbits to consider? In the span of a little over a calendar year:
– We have had two Chanticleer student-athletes compete directly against World No. 1 ranked athletes in their respective sport; Andrew Dorn in the 2014 U.S. Open at Pinehurst and Jabor Al-Mutawa in the Qatar Tennis Masters against Novak Djokovic.
– On the eve of this week’s NFL Draft, consider this – our nationally ranked football team had more 2014 NFL Draft picks than Ole Miss, the University of Texas, Oklahoma State, North Carolina State, Michigan State, Mississippi State and Wake Forest, to name only a few.
– Through the 2014-15 fall and winter sports seasons, we’ve had five Chanticleer teams represented in NCAA Division I Championships (football, men’s soccer, women’s volleyball, women’s cross country, men’s basketball). Stay tuned; we’ve still got the spring season to go.
– Out of more than 340 NCAA Division I schools, Coastal Carolina is ranked 18th (through April 9th) in the Men’s Capital One Cup standings. And yes, that far outpaces many of the ACC, SEC, BIG Ten and PAC-12 schools you might be greatly familiar with.
Regarding both men’s and women’s sports at Coastal Carolina, comparisons to other schools go far beyond the borders of this state alone. Let’s not forget that success for a student-athlete and his or her university is not simply determined by the results on the field or court of competition.
Although some might indeed achieve the professional ranks of their respective sport, a majority of NCAA student-athletes will in fact go “pro” in something other than sports. Look around; our Chanticleer student-athletes are serving as leaders in this community, annually contributing more than 3,200 hours of community service, mentoring to Horry County students by participating in the United Way Community Reading Program, donating more than $3000 in school supplies and donating 25 Thanksgiving meals to needy local families.
With more than 217 student-athletes posting at least a 3.0 GPA – 53 of whom achieved the President’s List distinction with perfect 4.0 GPAs – their commitment and leadership is evident before they ever suit up for competition.
In addition to all of that, consider what approximately $452 million means. That’s the annual economic impact Coastal Carolina University has on the Grand Strand area. Every time we host a game or tournament, many are televised and we have a
unique opportunity to showcase not only the beautiful campus and athletic facilities but also the Grand Strand and surrounding areas. Supporting CCU is unquestionably in this grand community’s best interest.
Simply put, Chanticleer wins lead to greater exposure on a national scale and a greater influx of visitors lodging, dining and playing in the area establishments. There are many reasons we are the fastest-growing collegiate institution in South Carolina.
Come visit us and take a tour of not only the athletic facilities but also the entire campus. You might even run into one of our nearly 450 Chanticleer student-athletes.
In the meantime, get in, strap in and hang on – this is going to be a fun ride.
The writer is director of development for the Chanticleer Athletic Foundation.
CHARLOTTE, N.C., April 27, 2015 – As the death toll rises in Nepal following the catastrophic earthquake on Saturday, geophysicists are saying they knew the disaster was eventually going to strike. It was only a matter of time.
Much like the powerful quake that rocked Haiti in 2010, the 7.9 magnitude earthquake in Nepal struck one of the poorest nations on Earth. More than 80 years ago, in 1934, Nepal was hit by a 7.8 magnitude seismological event that took the lives of more than 10,000 people.
Busy streets outside Kumari Ghar (Taylor)
Scientists have long monitored the movement of the Earth’s plates in the region because of their rapid movement beneath Nepal and Tibet. In essence, one of the reasons Mount Everest exists is the accordion-like “squeezing” of the Himalayas.
Since the Bihar earthquake in 1934, the land mass of India has actually been pushed about 12 feet into Nepal creating a giant spring that basically “sprung” on Saturday.
Not only did Mount Everest suffer a series of avalanches that left some climbers stranded, the capital city of Kathmandu lost numerous ancient pagodas and landmarks that were suddenly turned to rubble or covered with debris from surrounding crumbling buildings.
Buddhist monk prays in Kathmandu (Taylor)
Though poor, Kathmandu was a thriving metropolis filled with temples, shrines and marketplaces where people gathered in the streets in a living outdoor bazaar.
Today it is more like an outdoor bizarre where the worst losses appear to be the majestic Shiva temple pagoda and its twin Narayan temple pagoda, which overlooked Durbar Square, the Times Square of Kathmandu.
Kathmandu has a long history of being haven for Western adventure seekers who backpack their way through the legendary country with its mysterious and exotic lifestyles to escape the pressures of the 21st century.
Even Mt. Everest did not escape the wrath of the earthquake (Taylor)
The capital of Kathmandu has become a gateway to Everest for thousands who plan excursions to climb to various levels of the mountain to experience the mystique of the region.
Among the most popular events in Kathmandu is a visit to the enclosed courtyard that surrounds the palace of the Kumari, Nepal’s Hindu virgin goddess. Though situated in the same square as the damaged pagodas, initial reports say the ornate buildings with their statues and carved wood facades appear to have survived the quake. Further investigation will reveal the extent of any damage.
Kumari makes only rare appearances when she comes to her balcony and waves to the people for a few minutes. Sightings of the Kumari are regarded as special events for visitors to Kathmandu; pictures are forbidden.
The Monkey Temple is a traveler’s favorite site (Taylor)
To date, due to the immediate needs for assisting the wounded and digging through the rubble for other victims, there has been no word about damage to the Swayambhunath temple on the outskirts of the Kathmandu. Swayambhunath, more popularly known as the “Monkey Temple” because of the wild monkeys that pervade the area, is an imposing hillside structure that is among the most famous places of Hindu and Buddhist worship.
Though the 2010 quake in Haiti was more than 20 times weaker than the one that struck Nepal, estimates of more than 100,000 deaths were thought to have occurred around the capital city of Port au Prince. Much of that was due to the desperate living conditions of the population, which was far poorer than Kathmandu.
On the other hand, there were similarities in that both events were anticipated and both were devastating because they hit areas densely populated by people surviving in third world poverty. Lack of proper infrastructure and failures to adhere to modern building codes further added to the death toll.
Approximately 1.5 million people live in Kathmandu, the majority in substandard dwellings. In Nepal the annual per capita income is around $1,350.
Temples of Nepal and Kathmandu were rocked by the earthquake (Taylor)
Still, Kathmandu is a city of temples, shrines, pagodas and landmarks that have a mystical appeal to travelers from all over the world. First, the process of finding the dead will continue, and then the rebuilding of the past will commence.
Bob Taylor has been traveling the world for more than 30 years as a writer and award-winning television producer focusing on international events, people and cultures around the globe.
LAS VEGAS (AP) – Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather hadn’t even decided how much it would cost home viewers to watch their fight when the head of the Nevada Athletic Commission started planning security for their big bout.
Five times in the 10 weeks since the two welterweights set a date for their long-awaited fight, commission chief Francisco Aguilar has convened state, federal and local police, fire, tourism and fight officials for one thing: to keep hundreds of thousands of people outside the ring safe.
Boxing, particularly in big matches like this one, poses a special challenge to Las Vegas officials.
“We’re not preparing for a fight night. We’re preparing for a fight week,” Deputy Las Vegas Police Chief Gary Schofield said, pointing to a series of events, including Friday’s weigh-in at the MGM Grand hotel. As a security and crowd-control measure, advance tickets ($10 face value) will be required for the first time.
He described a security plan of concentric circles.
The Athletic Commission handles security inside the ring. The hotel and police have responsibility for the arena and hotel, which is Las Vegas’ biggest, with 5,005 rooms.
Police, along with state and federal agencies, are in charge outside – “all the way out to the airport, Interstate 15 and the neighborhoods,” Schofield said.
“The overall goal is to maintain the integrity of the event,” Aguilar said. “Las Vegas is a brand. To protect the brand, you have to protect the event.”
Fight nights haven’t always gone so smoothly.
In 1993, “Fan Man” James Miller guided his powered parachute to land next to a Caesars Palace outdoor ring where Evander Holyfield and Riddick Bowe were brawling. Ringside fans and security pummeled Miller, who was arrested for the stunt.
In 1996, rapper Tupac Shakur was killed in a drive-by shooting after Mike Tyson knocked out Bruce Seldon at the MGM.
In 1997, bedlam erupted inside and outside the ring when Tyson was disqualified for biting Evander Holyfield’s ears. Thousands of people stampeded through the MGM Grand hotel lobby.
Last year, a scuffle in the elbow-to-elbow crowd leaving a Mayweather-Marcos Maidana fight – and a loud noise that officials blame on a partition falling to the floor, not a gunshot – spurred a panicked stampede in a food court area outside the arena. Officials said about 50 people were treated for minor injuries.
“We’ve had times when it doesn’t quite go according to plan,” Schofield acknowledged. “We’ve learned.”
Officials won’t say much about the details of how they’ll protect the scene and the army of celebrities in town.
But Deputy Clark County Fire Chief Erik Newman said about 300 firefighters in his department will be on duty or stand-by.
“I think we’ll have the most millionaires and billionaires in one place in the country,” Newman said.
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority reported last week that virtually all 150,000 hotel rooms in the city were sold for fight weekend.
Las Vegas police have almost 2,500 sworn officers. They’ll get help this week from the Nevada Highway Patrol, neighboring Henderson and North Las Vegas police, and federal agencies ranging from the FBI to the Department of Homeland Security.
“We’re a community that knows how to handle large events,” Schofield said. “We do them a lot.”
Indeed, Las Vegas draws 340,000 people for its annual New Year’s Eve fireworks party on the Strip, 200,000 to a weekend-long Electric Daisy Carnival and almost 120,000 for a NASCAR race.
Tim Jeffery, vice president of security for the MGM Grand Hotel Casino, said fight fans and tourists will notice lots of security officers in bright yellow-green shirts on pedestals, but won’t see behind-the-scenes preparation.
Ticket-holders won’t be able to bring bags or backpacks and will pass through metal-detectors, Nevada Athletic Commission Executive Director Bob Bennett said.
People without a fight ticket will be cleared out of the shopping area between the arena and casino. Afterward, ticket-holders will be directed out of the arena through the closest door to their seat.
Newman, the deputy fire chief, said he sees after-fight events and overcrowding at clubs and hotels as the biggest security challenge.
“There will be a lot of people outside,” Bennett said. “The access to alcohol and partying around town could create some turmoil.”
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
What is it that inspires you? For some, it’s an age-old song or new conversation. For others, it might be a simple photograph or a glass of fine wine. The list may go on, but one thing is for sure: You will find something that inspires you at Artisphere 2015 presented by TD Bank, taking place May 8-10 in Greenville, S.C.
For the past 10 years, we have collected and provided inspiration through a celebration of the arts and the countless mediums that it has to offer. And as we get ready to celebrate the talent, passion and life that goes into our acclaimed Artisphere festival, we invite and challenge you to find your happy medium.
Where do you start? Find it with our performing arts where wildly assorted musical acts, theatre productions, dance performances and aerial artists take over the streets of downtown Greenville. Prepare to be transfixed as our Main Stage, Culinary Arts Café Stage, Aerial Arts Amphitheatre and Art in Action stages come to life like you never thought possible.
Looking for more? Find your happy medium on Artist Row, where painters, sculptors, jewelers and more show and tell their stories of creativity and influence from all over the globe.
Asheville’s own Leif Erick Johansen (2D and 3D mixed media), Marisol Spoon (2D mixed media), and Geoffrey Giles (precious jewelry) will showcase their work among 115 other artists selected, by jury process, from an applicant pool of 995.
Still not convinced? Maybe your happy medium is waiting for you in our Culinary Arts Café or Wine Craft Beer Experience where our local chefs, wine makers and brewers offer delicious samples you will have to taste to believe.
Curious about finding your happy medium in the future? Put your mind at ease and marvel at the talent of tomorrow at the Greenville County High School Exhibit, the Clemson University Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) Exhibit and the Furman University street mural project, where students work with professional chalk artists to turn downtown Greenville’s River Walk into a makeshift canvas.
Is it possible that you or your children are an aspiring artist(s)? Try your hand at the artistic process in the new Art Lab where local artists walk you through step-by-step instruction of some of the oldest art forms to craft techniques that are trending now. Even the littlest of budding artists can explore Kidsphere and create something new to display in a special place at home.
Speaking of the little ones, don’t forget that Artisphere weekend is Mother’s Day. What better way to make mom happy than a fun, family outing and a new pair of earrings, Artisphere T-shirt, or an original painting?
Whether your happy place is in the middle of an energetic community festival or in the peace and quiet of the Silent Auction Gallery, from which proceeds are contributed to local arts organizations, there is truly something for everyone at Greenville’s signature celebration of the arts.
Mark your calendar for May 8-10, bring your friends and family and discover inspiration along with your (very) happy medium at Artisphere, now ranked #3 in USA Today’s 10BEST Art Shows, #7 in Greg Lawler’s Art Fair Sourcebook, a Best Overall Show in ArtFairCalendar.com and an annual staple on Southeast Tourism Society’s Top 20 Events list.
Our success would not be possible without the support of our sponsors, donors, participating artists, countless volunteers and Greenville’s residents and visitors that come out to the festival year after year. Thank you, in advance, for coming to the show. Enjoy.
Rob Hoak is regional president of TD Bank. Charlie Mickel is president of the Artisphere Board of Directors. Knox White is mayor of the city of Greenville.
ASHEVILLE – The Blue Ridge Parkway and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are not only two of the most beloved national parks in the country, but they also draw in the big bucks.
Visitors spent more money while visiting the Blue Ridge Parkway last year than in any other national park.
So says a new National Park Service report, which shows almost 17 million visitors to national parks in North Carolina spent $1.1 billion in the state in 2014. That spending resulted in 18,528 jobs and had a cumulative benefit to the state economy of $1.5 billion.
“The national parks of North Carolina attract visitors from across the country and around the world,” regional director Stan Austin said in a statement. “Whether visitors come to explore the natural and cultural attractions along the Outer Banks, or enjoy the poetic pursuits of Carl Sandburg with a visit to his home, visitors come to have a great experience, and end up having an economic benefit to the communities they visit.”
The new report shows that national park tourism is a significant driver in the national economy — returning $10 for every $1 invested in the National Park Service — and a big factor in the state’s economy as well, officials said.
The national park sites in Western North Carolina are the Blue Ridge Parkway, which runs through Asheville, Great Smoky Mountains, and Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site.
Other parks in the state are: Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Cape Lookout National Seashore, Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, Guilford Courthouse National Military Park, Moores Creek National Battlefield, and Wright Brothers National Memorial.
The report showed the Blue Ridge Parkway, which spans 469 miles of roadway from Cherokee to Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, brought in the biggest bang for the buck.
In 2014, park visitors spent an estimated $863.5 million in local gateway regions while visiting the Blue Ridge Parkway. Those expenditures supported 14,000 jobs, $408.8 million in labor income, $678.6 million in value added (the measure of contributions of National Park Service spending to the Gross Domestic Product to the regional economy) for a total of $1.2 billion in economic output in communities surrounding the parkway.
The parkway was the second-most visited park in 2014, with nearly 14 million visitors.
Spending is up more than 10 percent last year over the year before, said Leesa Brandon, parkway spokeswoman. In 2013, visitor spending was $782 million. Jobs supported by the parkway are also up, from 11,283 in 2013, to 14,020 last year.
“I’m sure our bump in visitation would correlate to the bump in visitor spending,” she said.
The parkway gained more than a million visitors last year over the year before, about an 8.6 percent increase from 12.8 million visitors to 13.9 million in 2014.
Across the whole National Park Service, visitation increased by 7 percent, she said. It seems to be on the rebound from 2013, a year marred by visitor-deflecting problems including the government shutdown, the large crack in the parkway that closed a popular section north of Asheville for construction, and the closing of facilities and other cutbacks due to the federal sequester.
“It was a rough year for a lot of folks,” Brandon said. “We already are seeing our recreation visitation numbers from January through March are up 16 percent this year over 2014. We’re off to really strong start. We’ve had lots of pretty days this winter, gas prices down, and word is out that a lot of facilities closed for one reason or another are back online and people are finding a reason to connect with parks.”
The Blue Ridge Parkway has $478.7 million in deferred maintenance, mostly in road and bridge work. The Smokies has $243.9 million worth of work on hold, mostly in repairs to paved roads, parking areas, bridges and tunnels.
Nationally, the deferred maintenance backlog is $11.5 billion, which includes work on roads, bridges, visitor centers, campgrounds, trails and water systems that has been delayed for more than one year. The backlog is caused by aging facilities, increased use and smaller budgets, the National Park Service said.
CITIZEN TIMES
State’s national parks face huge repair backlog
But as long as they are able to remain somewhat operational, the visitors keep coming. The new spending report also shows that the 10.1 million visitors to Great Smoky Mountains National Park in 2014 spent almost $807 million in communities near the park. That spending supported 12,759 jobs in the local area.
“After a record setting year in 2014, we are pleased Great Smoky Mountains National Park continues to provide not only an incredible resource for visitors to explore and enjoy, but also serves as a driving economic force in the local community,” said Superintendent Cassius Cash. “As the National Park Service moves into its second century, we hope visitors will continue to find their park here in the Smokies.”
Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site in Flat Rock had 82,377 visitors last year who spent $4.6 million and supported 75 jobs.
The peer-reviewed visitor spending analysis was conducted by U.S. Geological Survey economists Catherine Cullinane Thomas and Christopher Huber and National Park Service economist Lynne Koontz.
$15.7 billion: Total of direct spending at national parks $1.1 billion: Spending at national parks in NC $29.7 billion: Cumulative economic impact in US $1.5 billion: Cumulative economic impact in NC 292.8 million: Total national park visitors 17 million: National park visitors in NC 277,000: US jobs supported by spending 18,528: NC jobs supported by spending
HOW THE MONEY WAS SPENT Spending by U.S. national park visitors breaks down as follows:
30.6% for lodging 20.3% for food and beverages 11.9% for gas and oil 10.2% for admissions and fees 9.9% for souvenirs and other expenses
Baseball
The Heartland of America Baseball League named Phil Wilson commissioner.
Colleges
The University of Montana hired Mike Hanson as assistant athletic director of communications. Hanson replaces Dave Guffey, who will retire.
Facilities Brooklyn Sports and Entertainment named Keith Sheldon vice president of booking for music, family entertainment and special events; Jordan Harding senior director of event finance and development; and Ed Manetta director of sports programming. The company hired Tim Kemp as director of booking and James Snodgrass as manager of sports programming.
Delta Downs Racetrack Casino Hotel hired Matt Crawford as racing secretary. Crawford was the director of racing and racing secretary for Hialeah Park in Florida.
RUDY
Financial Park Lane hired Thomas Rudy as a vice president. Rudy founded Capital R Investments.
Football
The Pittsburgh Steelers named Terry Cousin player engagement coordinator. Cousin was director of player engagement for the Chicago Bears.
The Canadian Football League hired Paulo Senra as director of communications. Senra was a communications strategist and senior writer for the Canadian Olympic Committee.
The Arena Football League hired Larry Fried as head of sales and Bob Dahill to sell the league’s media inventory through AFL Advertising Sales.
The Detroit Lions promoted Allison Maki to senior vice president of administration and chief financial officer and Luis Perez to senior vice president of business development and strategy.
Marketing
RAUCH
EVANS
HADDEN Aquarius Sports and Entertainment promoted Kerri Hadden to senior manager of client services, Kelsey Evans to senior coordinator of client services and Kristen Rauch to assistant coordinator of client services.
Van Wagner Sports Entertainment’s corporate consulting division promoted Peter Honig to vice president and hired Michael McNeil as vice
SHARNAK
president of business development, Barbara Sharnak as account director, Elise Kokonas as account supervisor and Chrissy Suchy as account coordinator.
Media CBS Interactive hired Eric Foote as vice president of digital partnerships and strategy for its sports division. Foote was vice president for Silver Chalice.
Team One promoted Kerry Roach to account executive and hired Rachael Land as an account executive and Jenna Wirasnik as an account coordinator.
Soccer
The LA Galaxy promoted Tom Braun to director of business operations, Lauren Nowinski to director of community relations, Gordon Kljestan to director of amateur scouting and fan development, and Karen Goodheart to director of marketing and partnership activation.
Sporting Goods and Apparel Callaway Golf Co. hired Robert Julian as chief financial officer. Julian was executive vice president and chief financial officer for Lydall.
O’BRIEN Sports Commissions and Tourism Boards Visit Panama City Beach hired Chris O’Brien as director of sports marketing and special events and Patrick Stewart as sports marketing and special events coordinator.
Tennis
The U.S. Tennis Association named Martin Blackman general manager of USTA Player Development.
The Women’s Tennis Association named John Learing managing director and Bruno Rocha executive vice president for the new WTA Media.
Other Gator Bowl Sports named Heather Duncan 2015 volunteer chairman and David Boree chairman-elect.
DraftKings hired Sabrina Macias as communications director. Macias was director of brand and consumer marketing communications for NASCAR.
The Sports Turf Managers Association named Eric Maydew business development manager. Maydew was marketing associate at Prairie Band Casino and Resort.
Awards and Boards
The Hockey Hall of Fame named Lanny McDonald chairman of the board, effective July 1.
The Valero Alamo Bowl named Mike Yantis Jr. chairman of its board of directors.
Bradley Center Sports Entertainment named Ted Kellner chairman and Andrew Petzold vice chairman.
The Indiana Sports Corp. named to its board of directors Brian Burdick, Andy Conner, Hal Darring, Lisa Lee, Kathleen McNeely and Krista Skidmore.
Make-A-Wish Los Angeles named Lorey Zlotnick, NFL Network senior vice president of marketing, and Jackie Poriadjian, UFC senior vice president of global marketing, to its board of directors.
Pet Partners named Mike Mossholder, UFC executive vice president, and David Peart, Root Sports Southwest general manager, to its board of directors.
USA Track and Field named Steve Miller, chief executive officer for Agassi Graf Holdings, chairman. Miller replaces Stephanie Hightower, who in August will stand as USATF’s nominee for election to the IAAF Council.
People news
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