CHARLOTTE – Wachovia Corporation (NYSE: WB) scored first among all retail banks and third overall in the Financial Institutions Organic Growth Index released by A.T. Kearney, a highly respected Chicago-based management consulting firm.

CHARLOTTE – Wachovia has launched an interactive identity theft quiz on the Customer Protection Section of wachovia.com.

CHARLOTTE – Wachovia’s Dealer Financial Services has announced a partnership with the National Association of Minority Automobile Dealers with a goal of lending $1 billion to minority dealers over the next five years.

FAYETTEVILLE – FATS, Inc., a leader of high quality simulation systems and training solutions for military organizations around the world, announced it will team up with CMT Solutions for the launch of a regional training center in Fayetteville.

SPRING LAKE – The Tarheel Professional Tour, one of the fastest growing mini tours in the nation, visits the Sandhills this week on the heels of another successful U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2.

SANFORD – The United States Supreme Court has rejected Lexmark’s petition for certiorari, upholding Static Control’s position against the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and copyright issues raised by Lexmark in connection with Static Control’s sale of Lexmark compatible chips.

PINEHURST – Visualize for a second the entire U.S. Open as a golf ball. Then consider that the communications infrastructure is the tee that allows golf’s biggest names to make the national championship an experience for the ages.

RALEIGH – New research on entrepreneurial activity in the United States shows that North Carolina is a great place to start a new business.

RALEIGH – Triangle Tomorrow and Research Triangle Regional Partnership announced today that they have merged to ensure close alignment of both groups’ activities to improve the quality of life and economic competitiveness of the 13-county RTRP region.

RALEIGH – Reflecting significant increases in the cost of fuel used to produce electricity, Progress Energy Carolinas has filed for an increase in the fuel rate charged to its North Carolina customers.

PINEHURST – Allscripts Healthcare Solutions announced today that Pinehurst Surgical will eliminate all paper patient charts by leveraging TouchWorks Electronic Health Record from Allscripts.

SANFORD – The Pantry, Inc. (NASDAQ: PTRY), the leading independently operated convenience store chain in the southeastern U.S., announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire 23 convenience stores in Virginia from Angus I. Hines, Inc., which has been operating the stores under the Sentry Food Mart banner.

CHARLOTTE – Nextel Communications Inc. announced today significant enhancements to its fixed infrastructure and wireless service in North Carolina.

RALEIGH – The North Carolina Technology Association, the primary voice of the technology industry in North Carolina, announced that its annual NCTA/Time Warner Cable Open Championship golf tournament has reached near sell-out capacity.

MOUNT GILEAD, N.C.,-- McRae Industries, Inc. (Amex: MRIA; MRIB) announced today that its Board of Directors has approved a 1-for-200 reverse stock split, to be followed immediately by a 200-for-1 forward stock split, of the outstanding shares of both classes of its common stock (Class A and Class B). If the transaction is approved by the Company's stockholders and implemented, the Company expects to have fewer than 300 stockholders of record of each class of its common stock, in which event the Company intends to have its shares delisted from the American Stock Exchange and to deregister its shares and cease to be a reporting company under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

MOUNT GILEAD – McRae Industries, Inc. (Amex: MRIA; MRIB) reported today the closing of its acquisition of certain assets from Texas Boot, Inc.

CARTHAGE – McDevitt Town & Country Properties has been chosen to handle the marketing and sales of the first phase of The Cottages at Little River Farm, a multi million-dollar project that will transform the golf-only venue into a mixed-use community featuring cottages, villas, custom homes and two dozen shops.

SANFORD – Kelly MarCom, an integrated marketing communications firm, announced today that it has formed the Catalyst Division to deliver marketing strategies and program implementation catered to the needs of life sciences and pharmaceutical companies.

RALEIGH – Progress Energy (NYSE: PGN) has increased its support of NC GreenPower to develop renewable energy sources in North Carolina by contributing an additional $25,000 to the program.

PINEHURST – Pinehurst Resort, which hosted the 2005 U.S. Open Championship last week, has announced the creation of an on-site, state-of-the art golf fitness and program, proven to enhance golf performance with measurable results.

RALEIGH – The North Carolina Military Business Center has launched its campaign to connect North Carolina businesses with the military to increase the number of defense contracts awarded in the state.

ASHEBORO – The Board of Directors of FNB Corp. (Nasdaq:FNBN) has declared a regular quarterly dividend of 15 cents per share, which is the same rate as paid in the prior quarter.

PITTSBORO – The Fearrington House Country Inn recently launched complimentary wireless Internet access throughout its meeting rooms.

SANFORD – Kelly MarCom, an integrated marketing communications firm, announced today that it has acquired Comet Sports Marketing, a sports and event marketing company based in Raleigh.

RALEIGH – Gov. Mike Easley today announced that Montgomery County is one of 16 North Carolina communities that will receive $10 million in Small Cities Community Development Block Grant awards.

RALEIGH – Capital Bank Corporation (Nasdaq: CBKN) and 1st State Bancorp, Inc. (Nasdaq: FSBC) announced today that they have executed a definitive merger agreement, whereby 1st State Bancorp will be merged with and into Capital Bank Corporation.

RALEIGH – Capital Bank Corporation (Nasdaq: CBKN) announced that its board of directors has approved a quarterly cash dividend on its common stock of 6 cents per share.

BOSTON – The Bank of America Board of Directors has declared an 11 percent increase on the common stock quarterly cash dividend, raising it from 45 cents per share to 50 cents per share, payable Sept. 23 to common shareholders of record on Sept. 2.

CHAPEL HILL – Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina has announced an expansion of its North Carolina facilities and the creation of up to 500 new jobs in the state.

WINSTON-SALEM – The board of directors of BB&T Corporation (NYSE: BBT) today declared the 2005 third quarter dividend of 38 cents per share, an 8.6 percent increase over the 35 cents paid in the third quarter of 2004.

WINSTON-SALEM – BB&T Corporation (NYSE: BBT) has selected Raleigh-based Rockett, Burkhead & Winslow as its advertising and marketing agency of record.

CHARLOTTE, N.C., -- Bank of America Corporation today announced that it received the 2005 Climate Champion award for advancing corporate solutions to global warming. The award, from Clean Air-Cool Planet, was presented at the Global Warming Solutions 2005 conference held in New York City.

MOCKSVILLE – Bank of the Carolinas (Nasdaq: BCAR) announced that its Board of Directors has declared a cash dividend of 5 cents per share of its common stock, payable on July 20 to shareholders of record on July 6.