CHARLOTTE – Wachovia Corp. (NYSE: WB) today reported record first-quarter income of $1.25 billion, or 94 cents per share, compared with $1.02 billion, or 76 cents per share, in the first quarter of 2003.

TRINITY – Bedding products manufacturer Sealy Corp. reported first-quarter income of $11.3 million on sales of $318.2 million, up from $9.1 million in earnings on $288.3 million in sales for the same period a year ago.

CHARLOTTE - The U.S. Small Business Administration awarded the No. 1 SBA Lender Award for 2003 to Charlotte-based Bank of America for approving the most SBA loans in the U.S.

FAYETTEVILLE – The city’s Public Works Commission has been named a Laureate for the 2004 Computerworld Honors 21st Century Achievement Awards, which recognize the most creative and innovative uses of information technology in society.

RALEIGH – Progress Energy (NYSE: PGN), which supplies electricity to much of the Sandhills, reported first-quarter earnings of $108 million, or 45 cents per share, down from income of $219 million, or 94 cents per share, for the first quarter of 2003.

MONCURE – Progress Energy plans to install pollution control technologies at its Cape Fear coal-fired power plant in southeast Chatham County by 2013 as part of a strategy to dramatically cut emissions.

SANFORD – The Pantry, Inc. (Nasdaq: PTRY), the leading independently operated convenience store chain in the southeastern U.S., today reported a net loss for the second quarter of fiscal 2004 of $14.1 million, or 71 cents per share.

FAYETTEVILLE – About 100 business, civic and military leaders met at a Cumberland County Business Council forum today at Fayetteville Technical Community College to begin whittling a course of action for carving a new economic niche in the county.

ROCKINGHAM – International Speedway Corp. (Nasdaq: ISCA), which owns the North Carolina Speedway, reported record results for the first quarter, ended Feb. 29, with $27.8 million in earnings, or 52 cents per share, on $144.2 million in revenue.

DUNN – The Harnett County Medical & Dental Society has tacitly cast its support for a new Good Hope Hospital in Lillington.

DUNN – Godwin Manufacturing Co. has received $200,000 from the One North Carolina Fund, the state’s industrial recruitment kitty, for expanding its operations in Harnett County.

ASHEBORO – FNB Corp. (NASDAQ: FNBN), the holding company for First National Bank & Trust Co., Rowan Bank and Dover Mortgage Co., reported first-quarter income dropped to $2 million, or 33 cents per share, from $2.3 million, or 40 cents per share, in the same period a year ago.

RALEIGH – First Citizens BancShares Inc. (Nasdaq: FCNCA) reported first-quarter earnings of $17.3 million, or $1.66 per share, down from the $18.3 million, or $1.75 per share, earned during the first quarter of 2003.

TROY – First Bancorp (Nasdaq: FBNC), the parent company of First Bank, announced first-quarter earnings of $4.7 million, or 49 cents per share, flat from last year’s first-quarter numbers of $4.7 million in earnings, or 49 cents per share.

FAYETTEVILLE – The annual MetroVisions report shows that the Fayetteville community as a whole is working harder than ever before to promote economic development, granting “Gold Stars” in several categories while also raising “Red Flags” on issues that still need to be addressed.

FAYETTEVILLE – Gov. Mike Easley announced today that DuPont Glass Laminating Solutions will add a $15 million glass interlayer manufacturing line to its existing production site in Fayetteville creating 40 additional jobs.

CARY – Crescent Financial Corp. (Nasdaq: CRFN), the parent company of Crescent State Bank, reported first-quarter income of $464,000, or 12 cents per share, compared with $363,000, or 12 cents per share, for the same period a year ago.

PITTSBORO – After two years of debate and review, Chatham County commissioners have approved the compact communities ordinance to rein in sprawl as the predominantly rural county continues to grow.

RALEIGH – Cumberland and Randolph counties and the eastern part of Chatham County have been cited by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for poor air quality.

RALEIGH – Capital Bank Corp. President and Chief Operating Officer B. Grant Yarber has been promoted to chief executive officer for the company and for Capital Bank, its wholly owned subsidiary.

RALEIGH – Capital Bank Corp. (Nasdaq: CBKN), the parent company of Capital Bank, reported first-quarter income of $1.4 million, 20 cents per share, up from earnings of $1.3 million, or 19 cents per share in the comparable quarter of 2003.

CHARLOTTE – Bank of America Corp. (NYSE: BAC) reported first-quarter earnings of $2.68 billion, or $1.83 per share, up from earnings of $2.42 billion, or $1.59 per share, during the same period a year ago.

WINSTON-SALEM – BB&T Corp. (NYSE: BBT) reported first-quarter income of $328.5 million, or 60 cents per share, up slightly from the $327.7 million earned in the first quarter of 2003, although earnings per share dropped 13 percent from a year ago, when they were 69 cents per share.