Former WTOP program director launches new career

Former WTOP 103.5 FM program director Laurie Cantillo has found a new frontier to explore: Space.

The program director, who parted ways with the all-news station in March, has landed as a contractor at NASA.

“I’m taking a giant leap to NASA. As a longtime space geek, I’m honored to join the Office of Communications at NASA as a contractor with ITI. Among my initial projects: the search for life on exoplanets, next week’s Hubble 25th Anniversary, and New Horizons — a Pluto fly-by in mid-July,”…

Coming downtown: Cigar bar and cocktail lounge

A combination cigar bar and cocktail lounge will be opening in downtown Nashville, following the April 17 sale of property on Church Street.

BLEND Bar Cigar, headquartered in Indianapolis, will fill the space at 506 Church St. formerly occupied by Pacifica, an Asian fusion restaurant.

A buyer paid $2.175 million for the property at 506 Church St. That’s according to Stephen Prather, a broker with the firm Chas. Hawkins Co. Inc.

Prather said he represented the buyer, whose identity he declined…

Hamilton Bank deal brings it to $366M in assets — still well short of its goal

Hamilton Bancorp Inc. isn’t about to draw back on its growth aspirations after its deal last week to buy Fairmount Bancorp Inc.

The $15.4 million acquisition announced Thursday of the single-branch Fairmount (OTCMKTS: FMTB) of Rosedale will push Towson-based Hamilton (NASDAQ: HBK) from $289 million in assets to $366 million. But Hamilton will still have the capital to do future deals in an environment where technology and regulatory compliance costs are easier for larger community banks to handle,…

5 Houstonians to know and one to sort of feel bad for

As always, this weekly column is meant to introduce you to some of the top business people in Houston across industries and roles.

This week’s Houstonians to know run a wide gamut, from a very successful lawyer who could be the funniest person I know to a newcomer to town who is tasked with changing Houston’s perception to the world. Maybe the two of them should meet.

Mike Waterman, the new president of the Greater Houston Conventions and Visitors Bureau — While I have yet to meet Waterman, it’s…

Stadium authority wants ideas for Vikings plaza

The Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority will open up bids for landscape design on a high-profile plaza near the new Minnesota Vikings stadium after failing to reach a deal with architecture firm HKS.

Finance & Commerce has details of the decision, which came up during Friday’s MSFA meeting. (It was one of the pieces of actual business that got done in between the bursts of drama over authority Chair Michele Kelm-Helgen, her job and whether anybody’s threatened it.)

The plaza, which involves land…