Business Briefs are concise stories that quickly inform you of what’s happening in Chester County. This Morning:

BB&T to Close Around 25 Branches after National Penn Acquisition

BB&T Corp’s planned acquisition of National Penn Bancshares, worth $1.8 billion, could lead to the potential closure of around 25 overlapping branches.

BB&T’s President, Ricky Brown, has stated that the number of branch closures is not certain, but there is significant overlap with the footprints of Allentown based National Penn and recently acquired Susquehanna Bancshares. Location and performance will be the main factors in any closures.

The most likely layoffs will be in Berks, Chester, Lancaster, Lehigh, Montgomery and Northampton counties. National Penn CEO Scott Fainor said the bank is at a crossroads.

The bank has been aggressive in exploring mergers and acquisitions that will require some consolidation. “If you put together Susquehanna and National Penn,” Fainor stated, “I think BB&T can be a powerhouse not only in Pennsylvania but elsewhere” predicting a bright future for the bank but necessarily for all its employees.

Valley Forge Flowers to Host Callie’s Biscuits and Southern Traditions Signing

Carrie Morey, the owner of Callie’s Charleston Biscuits and the author of the new “Callie’s Biscuits and Southern Traditions” book is heading to Wayne, where she will host a guest chef event and book signing.

Aficionados of delicious food should head to The Barn at Valley Forge Flowers in Wayne on Thursday, September 17 at 1 p.m. to get a sample of Callie’s biscuits which have been featured on the Today show, The Martha Stewart Show and Food Network’s Unwrapped series.

Carrie is planning charm guests with family recipes from her new cookbook and as a part of the show, members of the audience are likely to get a chance to sample her biscuits and other creations such as sweet tea and cobbler.

To reserve a spot today call (610) 687-5566, with most tickets priced at $10.

Policy Change Under Consideration by Downingtown School Board Members

After a request made by a parent who wants their home-schooled child to attend the local technical high school, the Downingtown Area school board members are considering changing the school policy to allow this option.

Although the change has been discussed at two meetings so far, there is still no resolution. The current wording of the school board policy states that “all students participating in career and technical programs sponsored or supervised by the board shall be considered regularly enrolled in district schools.”

Superintendent Lawrence Mussoline has already suggested adding language into the policy to include home-school students. While the vote for the change failed at the August 12th meeting, Mussoline told the parent that they would continue to work on the matter to attempt to resolve this tricky issue.

Get Prepared for Property Easement Agreements

With several pipeline projects already active and more planned throughout Chester County, hundreds of local residents have either already received or will be approached with easement agreements permitting the installation of a pipeline under a portion of their property.

As the companies are utilities under Pennsylvania law, they will be able to take the rights through eminent domain whether an agreement is reached or not. It is wise to bear in mind on such a hot button topic that, in most cases, this is the last resort.

However, getting well acquainted with the potential impact that the pipeline easement regulations could have on your property is in most people’s best interest. In an article written for VISTA.Today, Tony Verwey goes into detail on the subject.

Apart from the long term impact, such as the loss of mature trees, buffering from traffic sound and lights, stormwater runoff and overall aesthetics, there is also a potential short-term impact from the underground nature of most of the work, making careful consideration of any agreement vital.