The merger of the two firms will make the eighth-biggest accounting firm in the U.S.

James Burkee will be Avila University's 15th president. The university's board of trustees selected Burkee, who previously was vice president for strategic initiatives at the College of Mount Saint Vincent, a Catholic liberal arts college in New York City. He will take the helm on July 1 and succeeds Ronald Slepitza, who is retiring, according to a release. "Dr. Burkee's academic entrepreneurship, commitment to the liberal arts and our Catholic identity, as well as his shared values with our…

This restaurant is loved by locals and national rankings alike. For Valentine's Day, diners can partake in a special four-course dinner for $125 a person.

Ford Motor Co. hit 10,000 U.S. orders for its electric E-Transit van, the company reported. The orders came from about 300 commercial and government customers. It's the first time Ford (NYSE: F) has reported order numbers for that vehicle, according to trade publication InsideEVs. Walmart was a big customer, ordering more than 1,100 of the vans. The city of Orlando also was among the top customers. The company's Kansas City Assembly Plant in Claycomo makes the E-Transit van. In 2020, Ford committed…

Overland Park will get another Westlake Ace Hardware store this year. The 23,000-square-foot location will be located at 11200 Antioch Road. It replaces a Nuts and Bolts True Value hardware store. This is the Lenexa-based company's fourth Overland Park location. It also has stores at 12202 College Blvd., 9301 Santa Fe Drive and 7821 W. 151st St. Construction will begin in March, and the store anticipates doing a soft opening in May, according to a release. Westlake just missed ranking among…

The 1,300 local full-time employees of the public company will be able to take an extra week of vacation the first week of July.