Morton & Gettys adds personal injury lawyer

Staff reports - The Herald

Richards McCrae has joined the law firm of Morton & Gettys as its personal injury practice group leader.He will be based out of the firm's office on Oakland Avenue in Rock Hill.

A Fort Mill native, McCrae graduated from the University of South Carolina in 2001 and went on to earn his law degree from USC School of Law in 2004. Prior to joining Morton & Gettys, McCrae was an attorney with Chappell, Smith & Arden in Columbia, where he practiced personal injury law.

“In a relatively short period, Richards has built a solid reputation across the state,” said John Gettys, managing partner and co-founder of Morton & Gettys.“We're pleased to have his name on the letterhead.”

McCrae serves as a volunteer coach for the Springfield Middle School Mock Trial team.He's a big Gamecocks fan and enjoys reading about American and European history.

Morton & Gettys has offices in Rock Hill, Indian Land and York. Founded in 2001, the firm has seven attorneys and 11 support staff and paralegals.

Matt Garfield

Cranford named funeral director at Bass-Cauthen

W. Brown Cranford Jr. is the new funeral director for advance planning at Bass-Cauthen Funeral Home.

Cranford, a York County native, recently returned to the United States after managing a funeral home in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Cranford graduated from York High School, and later Newberry College, and attended graduate school at Clemson University and the University of the Virgin Islands, having received his Ph.D. in June in funeral service education.

Staff reports

Sears Holdings narrows loss by cutting costs

Shoppers increased their spending at Kmart stores for the first time in at least seven years this fall, picking up inexpensive toys, shoes and items for their homes.

The boost at Kmart stores open at least a year was tiny — less than 1 percent. But it helped its parent company, Sears Holdings, post a smaller quarterly loss and was a milestone, marking the first time since at least January 2002 that the important measure climbed at the discount store.

It also was a minor victory for the retailer, owned by Sears Holdings and led by financier Edward Lampert, which has seen the long-deteriorating Kmart business begin to show signs of life during the recession.