Latest news with #504
Business Journals
27-05-2025
- Business
- Business Journals
STL Partnership Receives SBA CDC Award for Commitment to 504 Loan Program
St. Louis Economic Development Partnership's (STL Partnership) Business Finance division has won a Certified Development Companies (CDC) award from the Small Business Administration (SBA) for outstanding commitment to the 504 loan program. The SBA recognizes excellence in numerous areas, such as lending and supporting underserved communities. CDCs are certified and regulated by the SBA, and work with the SBA and participating lenders, which are often banks or credit unions, to provide financing to small businesses. The goal is to help small businesses grow and make an impact on a community's economic development. STL Partnership partners with the SBA and a bank or credit union to provide businesses with better financing options for their real estate or non-mobile equipment purchases. STL Partnership is authorized to make SBA 504 loans throughout the entire State of Missouri, as well as the Illinois counties located in the St. Louis metropolitan area. The Business Finance division at STL Partnership also offers specialty loans, industrial bonds and loans through the St. Louis EDA loan program for small businesses throughout St. Louis. To encourage economic activity and job creation in the region, STL Partnership provides specialty loans to existing businesses or qualified startups in the City of St. Louis and St. Louis County. Utilizing funds from federal agencies such as the Economic Development Administration (EDA), along with funds from local sources, the Partnership provides low-interest, subordinated loans and can be an essential part of the capital stack to make your business expansion a reality. Loan funds may be used for working capital needs and the purchase of inventory, equipment, machinery, real estate, and other fixed assets. Industrial Revenue Bonds are a low-cost, long-term program for manufacturers, 501(c)3 organizations, multi-family housing developments, and special taxing districts to purchase fixed assets such as land, real estate, and/or new equipment. Through the St. Louis County Industrial Development Authority, an organization can issue tax-exempt bonds for projects over $2,000,000 for up to a 30-year amortization. The St. Louis EDA Loan Program is an option for for-profit businesses located in St. Louis City and St. Louis County that have been turned down for traditional funding or are working with a bank or credit union for funding. Loan funds may be used for working capital needs and the purchase of inventory, equipment, machinery, real estate, and other fixed assets. The amounts can range from $30,000 to $150,000. To learn more about STL Partnership's financing options, visit or email Darrell Scott, vice president of Business Finance, at dscott@
Business Journals
27-05-2025
- Business
- Business Journals
St. Louis Economic Development Partnership BizSpotlight
St. Louis Economic Development Partnership's (STL Partnership) Business Finance division has won a Certified Development Companies (CDC) award from the Small Business Administration (SBA) for outstanding commitment to the 504 loan program. The SBA recognizes excellence in numerous areas, such as lending and supporting underserved communities. CDCs are certified and regulated by the SBA, and work with the SBA and participating lenders, which are often banks or credit unions, to provide financing to small businesses. The goal is to help small businesses grow and make an impact on a community's economic development. STL Partnership partners with the SBA and a bank or credit union to provide businesses with better financing options for their real estate or non-mobile equipment purchases. STL Partnership is authorized to make SBA 504 loans throughout the entire State of Missouri, as well as the Illinois counties located in the St. Louis metropolitan area. The Business Finance division at STL Partnership also offers specialty loans, industrial bonds and loans through the St. Louis EDA loan program for small businesses throughout St. Louis. To encourage economic activity and job creation in the region, STL Partnership provides specialty loans to existing businesses or qualified startups in the City of St. Louis and St. Louis County. Utilizing funds from federal agencies such as the Economic Development Administration (EDA), along with funds from local sources, the Partnership provides low-interest, subordinated loans and can be an essential part of the capital stack to make your business expansion a reality. Loan funds may be used for working capital needs and the purchase of inventory, equipment, machinery, real estate, and other fixed assets. Industrial Revenue Bonds are a low-cost, long-term program for manufacturers, 501(c)3 organizations, multi-family housing developments, and special taxing districts to purchase fixed assets such as land, real estate, and/or new equipment. Through the St. Louis County Industrial Development Authority, an organization can issue tax-exempt bonds for projects over $2,000,000 for up to a 30-year amortization. The St. Louis EDA Loan Program is an option for for-profit businesses located in St. Louis City and St. Louis County that have been turned down for traditional funding or are working with a bank or credit union for funding. Loan funds may be used for working capital needs and the purchase of inventory, equipment, machinery, real estate, and other fixed assets. The amounts can range from $30,000 to $150,000. To learn more about STL Partnership's financing options, visit or email Darrell Scott, vice president of Business Finance, at dscott@
Gulf Today
22-05-2025
- Business
- Gulf Today
Bayt Al Khair spent Dhs10,504,184 on humanitarian initiatives last month
Bayt Al Khair revealed that its total expenditure for April 2025 amounted to Dhs10,504,184, bringing the cumulative spending for the first four months of 2025 to Dhs85,954,842. Humanitarian support programmes topped the list, with expenditures totaling Dhs39,698,079 during the same period. These programmes aim to alleviate the hardships faced by individuals struggling with their livelihoods, addressing deficiencies beyond their financial capabilities. This expenditure is in addition to the monthly cash assistance projects targeting low-income Emirati families, which amounted to Dhs5,569,620 during the same period. The emergency assistance project falls under the "Fazaa" community solidarity programme, dedicated to relieving the burdens of modest families and those facing sudden crises or disabilities, enabling them to overcome their challenges and resume their normal lives. Through this initiative, "Bayt Al Khair" also provides humanitarian support to patients, both citizens and residents, via the "Treatment" project, which spent Dhs13,192,508 by the end of April. Additionally, the programme assists individuals burdened by debts they cannot repay through "Al Gharimin" project, which has expended Dhs3,118,087 so far.
Time Out
19-05-2025
- Time Out
A smartphone ban is coming to NYC schools—here's what to know
Your kid's iPhone might soon get schooled. Starting this fall, New York will require all public schools —from kindergarten through 12th grade—to ban smartphone use during the school day under a new statewide mandate announced by Gov. Kathy Hochul. The 'bell-to-bell' rule aims to curb social media addiction, reduce classroom distractions, and address mental health concerns among students. School districts, including NYC's, will need to come up with their own device storage plans, whether that means collecting phones in the morning, locking them in magnetic pouches, or stashing them in lockers. Either way, the days of TikToks in the bathroom and Snapchat under the desk are (mostly) over. The ban applies to smartphones and smartwatches but exempts basic flip phones and internet-free devices. Students who need their phones for medical monitoring, translation or as part of an IEP or 504 plan will still be allowed to carry them. The state will provide $13 million to help schools pay for secure storage solutions. The new policy follows a national wave of restrictions as educators, lawmakers and parents grapple with the toll of always-online teen life. A Pew survey found that nearly 90-percent of U.S. teens have smartphones, and usage has been linked—albeit inconclusively—to increased rates of anxiety and depression. In New York City, many schools already limit phone use, with middle schoolers stashing devices in cubbies and high schoolers carrying them in locked pouches. But enforcement varies, and students have found clever ways to break the rules, sometimes literally. Educators are split on how smoothly the statewide ban will roll out. Some support the move, calling it overdue. Others raise logistical and equity concerns, particularly for students with caregiving responsibilities or those who rely on translation apps. Civil liberties advocates worry the policy could open the door to increased surveillance or disproportionately harsh discipline. But under the law, students can't be suspended just for phone use, and districts must report any disparities in enforcement. 'We've protected kids from cigarettes, alcohol and drunk driving. Now it's time to protect them from addictive tech,' Hochul said.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Florida marching band students can get PE credit under new bill, what to know
Hauling a tuba is hard work, and Florida is ready to acknowledge that. Florida marching band students can get credit for physical education or performing arts under new House Bill 1105, passed by the state Senate on May 2. "This significant legislation acknowledges the rigorous physical activity involved in marching band and is another important step forward in supporting and enhancing music education in Florida's schools," the Florida Music Education Association posted on social media on May 10. "We look forward to the Governor's signature!" HB 1105, an omnibus education bill containing a variety of initiatives that did not pass on their own, also prohibits students in elementary and middle schools from using wireless communications (such as cell phones and tablets) during the school day, and blocks high school students from using them in class without teacher permission. The bill makes changes to state law to benefit charter schools, expands qualifications for Florida Bright Futures scholarships and assorted academic awards, adds more career or vocational options for dual education, course credits and graduation requirements, and requires school boards to develop a 3-year strategic plan to better align specific curriculums to meet local workforce needs. It also moves the Council on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys from the Department of Legal Affairs to Florida Memorial University. Cell phones in Florida schools: Did cell phones get banned from Florida schools? What to know about the potential new law Currently, Florida students must complete one credit in physical education to get a high school diploma. Florida statutes already allowed completion of one semester with a grade of "C" or better in a marching band class or in a PE class that required participation in marching band activities to count as one-half credit toward the PE requirement. Under HB 1105, "Completion of 2 years of marching band shall satisfy the one-credit requirement in physical education or the one-credit requirement in performing arts." The credit may not be used to satisfy the personal fitness requirement or the requirement for adaptive physical education under an individual education plan (IEP) or 504 plan. If signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis or allowed to become law without his signature, the bill would take effect on July 1, 2025. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: High school marching band counts as physical education in Florida bill
