Chester County Daily News: Business Briefs
VISTA Today Business Briefs quickly bring you up to date with what’s going on around Chester County.
SEPTA Says Sales of Papal Passes are Disappointing
With the Pope’s visit less than a month away, SEPTA still has more than 100,000 special papal train passes available for sale, showing a much lower take-up than anticipated.
The planning to ensure that people could easily get to the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia from September 22 to 27 has been extensive. Particular focus is on the final two days of when Pope Francis will be visiting Philadelphia for the first time.
Despite SEPTA’s disappointment in the sales so far, it has already sold around 50,000 passes for the 26th and 60,000 for the 27th, nearly triple its normal figures for a weekend.
It is expected that over 1.5 million visitors will be present along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway to listen to “The People’s Pope” lead mass on Sunday afternoon
“Nothing gets you closer to the pope than SEPTA,” said Joseph Casey, SEPTA General Manager, “we are the easiest way in there.”
BB&T to Compete for the Middle Market Loan Sector
In response to the comments made by local investors and bankers, BB&T Corp. has said it will compete heavily for middle market lending relationships in the Philadelphia region.
In an article published in the Philadelphia Business Journal on Wednesday, local investors and bankers weighed in on the BB&T’s $2.5 billion acquisition of Susqeuhanna Bancshares and its planned $1.8 billion purchase of National Penn, noting that one result of the deals could be less credit available for mid-market businesses.
However, BB&T, which plans to make Philadelphia related decisions locally, strongly disagreed with this assessment.
“BB&T prides itself on supporting and lending deeply into the middle market and smaller commercial clients within all markets,” said Scott Gamble, BB&T’s Greater Delaware Valley regional president. “These clients have been our ‘bread and butter’ and support our diversification and granularity business strategy.”
District Attorney’s Office Finds Justice Center Shooting Justified
The fatal shooting that happened on Tuesday inside the county Justice Center was justified, said the Chester County District Attorney’s Office.
Curtis Smith, a man who once jumped the fence at the White House, barged through the security monitors of the Justice Center wielding a knife and slashing at a deputy sheriff while yelling “Let’s do this!” In a press release District Attorney Tom Hogan said the deputy who fired three shots at the assailant reacted “appropriately and professionally to this attack.” Smith died of the wounds caused by two out of the three shots that hit him.
“There is no such thing as a ‘good’ shooting, because a man has lost his life and it is clear in retrospect that there were mental health issues involved,” Hogan said of Smith. “However, the Deputy Sheriffs fulfilled their duty by protecting themselves and the citizens at the Justice Center.”
Lower Merion School District’s Superintendent Talks Plans for the Future
In an Interview with Main Line Today, Robert Copeland, the newly appointed District Superintendent for the Lower Merion School District got a chance to talk about his career and his plans to build on the success in the areas schools.
After entering his chosen path as an educator in New Jersey and New York working as a substitute teacher, Copeland spent the three years prior to his new posting, as superintendent of the Neshaminy School District.
One of the key areas of success he recognized in the Lower Merion School District is its emphasis on the strategic planning process. As a result, he wants to continue this right at the start by reviewing the policies, people and practices.
Copeland emphasized Lower Merion’s achievements by saying “at a time when many districts are reducing public education to its lowest common denominator, Lower Merion has expanded it to its greatest height.”
Connect With Your Community
Subscribe to stay informed!
"*" indicates required fields