#YeahTHATAgenda: Jianna Receives Top Restroom Nomination -- No Seriously; Greenville F-16s in Taiwan Trouble; Richland County's Big Business Park Purchase; Lots of Restaurant News

Greenville Italian restaurant Jianna nominated for best restroom award: There are well-known awards in the restaurant biz like the James Beard awards, and then there are not-so-well-known awards. Case in point: the America's Best Restroom contest hosted by the workplace uniform, mat maker, and restroom cleaning supply firm Cintas. Part of the Table 301 Group, Jianna is among 10 finalists across America, including restaurant restrooms in New York City, San Francisco, and Seattle. But what was it about Jianna that delighted the America's Best Restroom team? Well, here's what the contest had to say:"Each of the four single-user washrooms embrace different visions that come to mind of Italian culture with distinctive personality and flair. Picture an old–world town square with cobblestone streets and rustic charm, another that reflects Italy's beautiful seacoast and the fresh salt air. "While one transports you to sipping delicious local limoncello and finally the last conjures up images of racy red sports cars on winding hairpin roads. All materials including tile, wallcovering, accessories and lighting were specifically chosen to reflect the character of each space to transport the guest to their own Italian daydream."Downright poetic, yeah?You can see what makes these boss-level restrooms stand out -- like the Jianna light fixture above -- by visiting and voting at America's Best Restroom site. ***Congress to Trump: Quit delaying Greenville-built F-16s deal with Taiwan: According to a recent New York Times post, lawmakers in Washington, D.C., are accusing the Trump administration of putting a deal to sell 66 Greenville-built, Lockheed Martin F-16 fighter jets to Taiwan on ice.Although the deal would bring in $8 billion to the U.S., Taiwan's 66-jet purchase would anger China, which maintains that the island nation of Taiwan is not an independent country but a rogue corner of the People's Republic.According to the Times, several members of Congress believe Trump is using the potential fighter jet deal as a bargaining chip during ongoing trade negotiations with China. Taiwan is currently in the process of modernizing its air force, according to The National Interest magazine. The foreign policy magazine notes that this modernization, along with the purchase of new F-16s and a revamping of other F-16 fighters, could potentially give Taiwan the ability to "contest" an air attack from China.Formerly manufactured in Fort Worth, Texas, the F-16 program began its Greenville shift two years ago. In April, Lockheed representatives and South Carolina elected officials cele ated the unveiling of the new production line at the S.C. Technology and Aviation Center, with the first jets expected to roll off the lines in 2021.***

1,300: The amount of acres that was recently purchased by Richland County to build a Class A business park. According to a statement, "There is enough space to construct 5.3 million square feet of office and Class A technology and manufacturing buildings." (Richland County)

***GateHouse Media owner to acquire USA TODAY, Greenville News, Anderson Independent owner Gannett (Independent-Mail)BMW reveals steering wheel for self-driving car (Green Car Reports)Riverfront residential, massive industrial park, grocery store among Rock Hill plans (The Herald)Growing number of business travelers give rise to more downtown Columbia hotels (Post & Courier)Spartanburg Redevelopment: Construction on old Converse Mill nears (GoUpstate)Report: Most hospitals don’t meet volume standards for 8 high-risk surgeries (Greenville News)West Columbia’s Black Rooster Softly Opens This Week (Free Times)Rock Hill’s first arcade bar is opening on Main Street (The Herald)Coastal Crust joins growing Village of West Greenville (SC Biz)Family-run Taiwanese franchise Ding Tea & Ha Long Cafe now open on Meeting Street (Charleston City Paper)Mauldin Chicora Alley property set for sale to owners of Stella's Southern Bistro (Greenville News)SC solar industry seeks to ‘disqualify’ consulting firm with deep ties to utilities (Post & Courier)New Five Points Restaurant to Open in Old Blue Cactus Space (Free Times)Erwin measures Triumph success in first year (SC Biz)Duke Energy earnings rise in second quarter, and beat analysts’ estimates (Charlotte Observer)***15: The number of manhole covers the Spartanburg-based Tindall Corporation's Utility Division manufactured for the new Topgolf in Greenville. According to a release, Tindall also manufactured 80 storm drain structures, 2,000-gallon grease traps for the in-house restaurant, and the target vaults to catch the golf balls. (Tindall)***Hire & HonorsFurman Associate Chemistry Professor Mary Elizabeth (“Beth”) Anderson has been granted a 2019 Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award by the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation, Inc. (Furman)

McGregor & Company, LLP, has promoted three staff accountants across the state: Franklin Gillam, Jr., CPA, has been named manager of the Orangeburg office; Celia Bolen, CPA, has been promoted to senior staff accountant in the Barnwell branch; and Fielder Huntley, CPA, has been promoted to senior staff accountant in Columbia. (McGregor & Co.)

Greenville marketing firm FUEL has hired Amanda Campau as copywriter. (FUEL)

The Citadel has named two new members to its Board of Visitors: Col F. G. “Greg” Delleney, Jr., and Col. Robert E. Lyon, Jr. (The Citadel)

The logistics and supply chain marketing firm DC Velocity has named Jim Newsome, the president and CEO of the S.C. Ports Authority, a logistics rainmaker, an honor Newsome shares with only seven other industry leaders across the country. (SCPA)Former Greenville Journal restaurant and Upstate Business Journal CRE reporter Ariel Turner has been hired as Complete Public Relations' director of public relations. (Complete PR)