Basic City: A Planned Industrial Power

Chris Graham

The area at the foot of the western slope of the Blue Ridge was ripe for development in 1889. First, mining speculator Richard N. Pool chartered the area as Ingalls City. He was quickly outmaneuvered by Jacob Resse a Pittsburg industrial who saw the area as the next steel capital. He bought up the land and the famous Lithia Spring and laid out the plan for Basic City. With great hopes and vision the newly incorporated town set out to create the future.

Frank Clemente: Apple Tax Dodging Highlights Need for Reform

Contributors

Talk about taking your business to “The Cloud.” In an ingenious effort to avoid billions of dollars in taxes, Apple, Inc., has been levitating subsidiaries between American and Irish soil, claiming that from a tax-law perspective, they exist in neither country and so are subject to neither country’s taxing authority. And, sadly, the scheme has worked: no taxes have been paid to the U.S., a relatively paltry sum was paid to Ireland.

U.S. Supreme Court invalidates patents on cancer genes

Contributors

The U.S. Supreme Court handed down a unanimous decision today that invalidated patents on two genes associated with hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. The decision came in response to a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and the Public Patent Foundation on behalf of researchers, genetic counselors, patients, breast cancer and women’s health groups, and medical professional associations representing 150,000 geneticists, pathologists, and laboratory professionals.

United Way of Greater Augusta and FamilyWize save locals $1.5M on prescriptions

Contributors

Free prescription card distributed by United Way could help even more people if they knew how easy it is to get and use one. United Way of Greater Augusta and the FamilyWize Community Service Partnership have teamed up to make prescriptions more affordable for those without insurance or even those who have insurance that doesn’t cover the medicine.

Business leaders endorse Terry McAuliffe for governor

Chris Graham

Prominent Virginia business leaders Jimmy Hazel, S. Buford Scott and David Addison announced their support for Terry McAuliffe on Monday. Hazel is the current chairman of Virginia FREE (Virginia Foundation for Research and Economic Education), a nonpartisan organization which provides information to Virginia’s business community in order to advance responsible, pro-business government. Scott is a former Chairman of Virginia FREE and Addison is currently a member of their Board of Directors.