CHARLOTTE – The North Carolina Zoological Park in Asheboro topped the list of the state’s most popular field trip attractions last year, according to the annual survey released by Carolina Field Trips Magazine.

ASHEBORO – The North Carolina Zoological Society today announced that Research Triangle Park-based GlaxoSmithKline has awarded a $10,000 grant to support an innovative conservation education program for North Carolina schools.

ASHEBORO – The North Carolina Zoo’s Australia Walkabout exhibit will begin a transformation into a children’s learning and discovery area beginning Oct. 1, when the park’s kangaroos and Bennett’s wallabies return to their permanent home at the Detroit Zoo.

RALEIGH – Gov. Mike Easley today announced that a new Small Business Administration report ranked North Carolina fifth among states with the most growth in women-owned firms.

CHARLOTTE – Wachovia Corporation (NYSE: WB) and Golden West Financial Corporation (NYSE: GDW) announced that the shareholders of both companies
approved their merger.

RALEIGH – Triangle Tomorrow, the regional quality-of-life program of the Research Triangle Regional Partnership, has set a two-year plan to identify and address issues that affect the region’s ability to compete globally for economic opportunity.

RALEIGH – Repaying college loans is a fact of life for many former students and parents. Borrowers with College Foundation, Inc. and the N.C. State Education Assistance Authority have among the lowest default rates in the U.S., according to a new report from the U.S. Department of Education.

LAURINBURG – Fall enrollment at St. Andrews Presbyterian College is 808 students, a figure that has been exceeded only once in the past 35 years.

RALEIGH – Progress Energy was one of North America’s “Top Utilities for Economic Development” in 2005, according to Site Selection magazine.

RALEIGH – Progress Energy’s (NYSE: PGN) board of directors today declared a dividend on the company’s common stock. The quarterly dividend was declared at 60.5 cents per share, payable on Nov. 1 to shareholders of record as of Oct. 10.

RALEIGH – The N.C. Utilities Commission has approved a plan to spread recovery of higher fuel charges in electricity rates over three years to reduce the effect on customers.

BUIES CREEK – Campbell University has broken ground on the $30 million John W. Pope Jr. Convocation Center, a 109,000-square-foot multi-purpose facility that is scheduled to be completed by the fall of 2008.

PINEHURST – Don Sweeting, who worked as a golf professional at Pinehurst Resort early in his career, has been hired to replace Matt Massei as executive vice president of golf and club operations.

RALEIGH – A group of North Carolina policy makers, community leaders and business leaders announced today the formation of the North Carolina Coalition for Healthy Solutions.

SANFORD - More than 1,700 local workers have been trained and more than $1 million has come into the area economy in just the past three years through the state’s New and Expanding Industry Training program, according to Ray Epley, Industrial Relations officer for Central Carolina Community College.

ASHEBORO – The Board of Directors of FNB United 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.

WAKE FOREST – Embarq Corporation (NYSE: EQ), the fifth largest local communications company in the country, has introduced a new Web-based tool called the EMBARQ Business Resource Center to help small businesses manage their work more efficiently, saving time and money.

FAYETTEVILLE – The Defense and Security Technology Accelerator has begun accepting applications for the recruitment of companies in the security and defense technology sectors.

CARY – Crescent Financial Corporation (Nasdaq: CRFN) announced today that it has completed its acquisition of Port City Capital Bank in Wilmington.

RALEIGH – For the second year in a row, Progress Energy has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index, which lists companies that lead their industries in sustainability, a business approach for managing economic, environmental and social issues.

SOUTHERN PINES – Coastal Federal Credit Union, which currently serves employees of Pinehurst Resort and St. Joseph of the Pines, has opened its newest branch on Turner Street in Southern Pines, just off U.S. 15-501 near Wal-Mart and Staples.

RANDLEMAN – The Jimmie Johnson Foundation plans to raise $600,000 to build Victory Lanes, a four-lane bowling alley at Victory Junction Gang Camp.

ROBBINS – U.S. Rep. Howard Coble announced today that American Growler, Inc., which plans to build vehicles for the military, will receive more than $400,000 from the federal government to assist the company in establishing its manufacturing plant in Robbins.