Press Releases

SALT LAKE CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Questar Corp.’s (NYSE: STR) board of directors today approved a $0.1625 (16.25 cent) quarterly common stock dividend. The dividend, payable March 12, 2012, to shareholders of record on Feb. 24, 2012, is the same as the previous quarter. This is the company’s 269th consecutive dividend.

About Questar Corporation:

Questar is a Rockies-based integrated natural gas company with an enterprise value of about $4.5 billion and three complementary lines of business:

• Questar Gas provides retail gas distribution in Utah, Wyoming and Idaho;
• Wexpro Company develops and produces natural gas from cost-of-service reserves for Questar Gas customers; and
• Questar Pipeline operates interstate natural gas pipelines and storage facilities in the western United States.

Questar is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah.

For more information, visit Questar’s website at: http://www.questar.com.

QuestarInvestors: Tony Ivins, 801-324-5218Media: Chad Jones, 801-324-5495

Source: Questar Corp.

BELLEVUE, WA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 02/10/12 -- Expedia.com®, the world's leading online travel agency, today revealed the results of a study of American behaviors surrounding Valentine's Day. Commissioned by Expedia and conducted online by Harris Interactive among 2,236 U.S. adults aged 18 and older, the "Expedia® To the Rescue" study revealed that among those who celebrate Valentine's Day, planning is often done within a few days of the holiday, with imperfect results. Nearly half (46%) of U.S. adults report that they have had loved ones who had forgotten the date entirely, or canceled plans. 33% of the forgotten reported having taken action in response, ranging from guilt trips and silent treatments to temper tantrums.

Although the gift of travel isn't common, it is growing more so. 27% of U.S. adults have given the gift of travel in the past and 58% of those who celebrate Valentine's Day would "definitely or probably" take advantage of an inexpensive getaway deal for Valentine's Day with a week or two weeks' notice, if they hadn't already made other plans.

"Travel is a non-traditional Valentine's Day gift but its surging popularity makes sense. Expedia's last-minute and flash sales can be purchased on the fly and you don't need to take the trip immediately," said Sarah Keeling, Expedia's resident romantic travel expert. "Now even if it's February 13, there's no reason to be in the doghouse when you can be at the beach."

Expedia now offers several options for last-minute-planners in the form of last-minute travel deals.

• The company's newly-introduced Last Minute Deals program relies on user-generated deals and user-informed travel trends to find the best near-term travel deals. Expedia Last-Minute Deals effectively crowdsources the search process, by showcasing deals found by other customers.
• Groupon Getaways with Expedia couples the flash-sales expertise of Groupon with Expedia's unparalleled global network of travel suppliers. Groupon Getaways with Expedia follows Groupon's voucher model, where travelers book a hotel room or package at an exceptional rate, then travel when the time is right. Groupon Getaways with Expedia deals are also transferable, making them ideal gifts.
• ASAP (A Sudden Amazing Price®) deals are live and bookable for up to 12 hours, offering unlimited access to deals at up to 50% off of Expedia's everyday rates. Expedia offers multiple ASAP deals every day.

"Expedia To the Rescue" Results Among other survey findings:

• Forget me not. Nearly half (46%) of adults report that their loved ones have ever forgotten or cancelled plans for Valentine's Day. 33 percent of these admitted to reacting through a variety of means. These include:
  • The Guilt Trip
    • 10% reported that they "tried to make [their significant other] feel guilty for not caring enough."
    • 3% reported planning an actual Guilt Trip with friends -- they took matters into their own hands and made travel plans, leaving their significant other behind.
  • The Silent Treatment
    • 8% went the silent route.
  • The Boycott
    • 8% stopped planning or celebrating Valentine's Day in future years.
  • The Temper Tantrum
    • 4% "lost my cool/composure/temper."
  • The Friends Night Out
    • 10% spent the evening with friends instead, leaving their significant other behind.
• Romantic trips are the option of choice for many couples. Among those who celebrate Valentine's Day more than 50% (54%) of adults wait until a few days before or the day of to plan for Cupid's holiday. Only 12% of loved ones plan more than a few weeks out. More than half of adults in the US (58%) would whisk their loved one away for Valentine's Day if they came across a last-minute getaway deal and they hadn't already made plans. Westerners are the most spontaneous travelers: they (66%) are significantly more likely to indicate an expressed interest in a last-minute romantic trip for Valentine's Day if they hadn't already made other plans, versus 53% of Midwesterners and 54% of Northeasterners.
• Nearly four out of ten adults (38%) don't celebrate Valentine's Day at all. Those in the Northeast (66%) are more likely to indicate they celebrate this holiday than those in the West (57%). And households with children (77%) are significantly more likely to indicate they celebrate Valentine's Day than those households without children (57%).
• The Non-Valentine's Day Getaway. 78% of those who have single friends would want to go away with them to celebrate "Non-Valentine's Day" (i.e., going away for that weekend around Valentine's Day but not with a romantic partner) to any of seven listed destinations. The top four Non-Valentine's Day destinations for these adults are: the beach (20%), followed by the casino (18%), a city trip (13%) and a cruise (11%).

Expedia Valentine's Day Deals Expedia is now offering last-minute deals of varying size and stripe: package deals to New York, Aspen, Miami, Napa, Paris and the Mexican Riviera, as well as a wide assortment of cruise options. Four- and five-star hotels are currently available for 30 to 50% off standard rates and travelers can save up to 75% off select cruises if booked by February 29. The top Valentine's Day deals include:

Groupon Getaways with Expedia:

• Westport Inn, an Ascend Collection Hotel (Westport, CT): One night romantic getaway for $89 and a bottle of Champagne: a 50% discount. Must travel by May 24, 2012.
• Oasis Suites (Nags Head, NC): A romantic two-night suite stay for $209 (normally a $471 value). Eligible dates: February - March 31, 2012. Another option is a two-night romantic suite stay for $279 (normally a $626 value). Eligible dates: April - May 24, 2012.

Cruise:

• Royal Caribbean Cruise: Book select Royal Caribbean cruises to Europe or Bermuda and receive a complimentary Romance Package which includes a bottle of sparkling wine, chocolate-covered strawberries, and roses delivered to your stateroom.

About Expedia.com, Expedia.com is the world's leading online travel site, helping millions of travelers per month easily plan and book travel. Expedia.com (http://www.expedia.com/, 1-800-EXPEDIA) aims to provide the latest technology and the widest selection of vacation packages, flights, hotels, rental cars, cruises and in-destination activities, attractions, and services. With the Expedia Best Price Guarantee, Expedia.com customers can get the best rates available online for all types of travel.

Expedia, Expedia.com and the Airplane logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Expedia, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other logos or product and company names mentioned herein may be the property of their respective owners. © 2012 Expedia, Inc. All rights reserved. CST # 2029030-50

Survey Methodology This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of Expedia from January 30-February 1, 2012 among 2,236 U.S. adults ages 18 and older. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please see contact information below.

Add to Digg Bookmark with del.icio.us Add to Newsvine

Source: Expedia

CHARLESTON, S.C., Feb. 10, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- First Financial Holdings, Inc. ("First Financial") (Nasdaq: FFCH) CEO R. Wayne Hall and CFO Blaise B. Bettendorf will present at the Sterne Agee 2012 Financial Institutions Investor Conference Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 10:15 a.m. ET. The presentation will be broadcast on First Financial's website at www.firstfinancialholdings.com. Additionally, on February 13, 2012, First Financial's quarterly investor presentation will be available on the website.

About First Financial

First Financial Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: FFCH) is a Charleston, South Carolina financial services provider with $3.1 billion in total assets as of December 31, 2011. First Financial offers integrated financial solutions, including personal, business, and wealth management services. First Federal Savings and Loan Association ("First Federal"), which was founded in 1934 and is the primary subsidiary, serves individuals and businesses throughout coastal South Carolina, Florence, South Carolina and Wilmington, North Carolina. First Financial subsidiaries include: First Federal; First Southeast Investor Services, Inc., a registered broker-dealer; and First Southeast 401(k) Fiduciaries, Inc., a registered investment advisor. First Federal is the largest financial institution headquartered in the Charleston, South Carolina metropolitan area and the third largest financial institution headquartered in South Carolina, based on asset size. Additional information about First Financial is available at www.firstfinancialholdings.com.

CONTACT: First Financial Holdings, Inc.
         Blaise B. Bettendorf
         Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
         (843) 529-5931
         investorrelations@firstfinancialholdings.com