As the nation eases out of a recession that has crippled the business world over the past two years, many companies soon will start to think about hiring again.

Demand for accounting, information technology and administrative professionals should increase in the next year as companies look to fill these crucial positions with the candidates who are able to multitask and bring a varied skill set to the job, experts say.

For more than a decade, The Herald and heraldonline.com have given readers a chance to recognize their favorites around town with the annual Buzzies Readers' Choice Awards.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. Duke Energy reported Friday that sales to industrial customers have begun to stabilize, another signal that better economic conditions have led to growing power consumption.

Rock Hill Pharmacy, which formerly operated as The Medicine Shoppe on Oakland Avenue, has closed amid financial issues.

NORTH CHARLESTON North Charleston snatched a Boeing 787 aircraft assembly plant away from the nation's aviation hotbed Wednesday, prevailing in a fiercely sought-after deal that thrusts South Carolina onto the cutting edge of aircraft manufacturing.

WASHINGTON It's about to become official: The recession is over — but not the pain.

PHILADELPHIA US Airways Group on Wednesday announced that it will cut 1,000 jobs next year, including 200 pilots, 150 flight attendants and 600 airport workers.

WASHINGTON Dream Dinners, which has a franchise in Fort Mill, was featured recently on a segment of the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric.

FORT MILL Stiles Realty has merged with Rinehart Realty, which has offices in Rock Hill, Fort Mill/Tega Cay and Lake Wylie.

A time line of the Bleachery: