Briefs

by John Temple Ligon

Put that out

Each year, tobacco is blamed for one in five cancer deaths, or 1.4 million deaths on the planet, according to the International Union Against Cancer. Around the world, about 1.25 billion people smoke, and half of them should die from the habit, meaning maybe 1 billion people are expected to die this century from tobacco, South Carolina's major cash crop.

Then you have to include

the guy from the Flat Earth Society

Last month, Coastal Carolina had invited its former Dean of Education, Jim Rex, to speak before a group of first-year principals. Rex is the Democrats' choice for S.C. Superintendent of Education this fall. Word got out the Republicans' choice was not invited to speak, and neither was any other candidate. As a consequence Rex was disinvited. Meanwhile, South Carolina continues to claim the worst-in-the-nation dropout rate.

Greenville does it

The Peacock Hotel & Spa, a hotel in downtown Greenville scheduled to open for business in the spring of 2008, sees its average room rate running $250 a night. That's about the same overnight price Columbia City Council was going to have to charge to see a profit in its proposed publicly developed convention center headquarters hotel. The city-financed building was self-scuttled by a pro forma that capped a Columbia market-conscious room rate at only $120 a night, less than half necessary to hope for a profit.

The Marion kind

Before taking its annual August break, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill in support of erecting a statue of Francis Marion, South Carolina's Revolutionary War hero. The statue is set for placement in Marion Park at the east end of South Carolina Avenue in the District of Columbia. Congressman Joe Wilson of the Midlands introduced the bill.

Main Street Market

Beginning September 8, the City Center Partnership's Fall 2006 Main Street Marketplace operates in First Cititzens Plaza every Friday from 10 am to 2 pm. For sale by individual vendors will be such things as art, flowers, and food.

Congaree National Park, a must-see

Rated one of America's least crowded/most accessible national parks, Congaree National Park is under new management by a native Columbian, Tracy Swartout. Among travel professionals who handle foreign tourists, they say first-time visitors to the U.S. typically list a national park among the must-sees.

Rite Aid takes over Eckerd's

Rite Aid announced last week plans to buy all Eckerd drug stores. Of the 107 Eckerd drug stores in South Carolina, more than 40 are in Columbia or within a 50-mile radius.

We're No. 5

South Carolina is ranked fifth in the nation for work force training, according to Expansion Management Magazine.

Hanging out at Capital City Newsstand

Newsstand sales of magazines fell 4% in the first six months of this year. Time Magazine's newsstand sales fell 24%. Time Warner, publisher of Time, plans to move its publication day from Monday to Friday to attract more weekend readers. On the other hand, overall national magazine circulation for the first six months of 2006 was 379 million, up 2% from the same period in 2005.

S.C. helps N.C. favorite son

Former U.S. Senator John Edwards of North Carolina, who tried for vice president as John Kerry's running mate, should be the direct beneficiary of South Carolina's January 29 primary. The primary here follows caucuses in Iowa and Nevada, and it's only a week after the primary in New Hampshire. All three locales make for a tough fight for the Carolinas' Edwards. The South Carolina primary, though, should offer a big boost to Edwards early on. In the 2004 primaries, Edwards won South Carolina. The Republicans have their South Carolina primary on February 2.

Hilton Head not ahead

Home sales for July on Hilton Head Island were down 66% compared with the same time last year. Columbia home sales were down 6%.

Town of Lexington cooing a stage

with a responsible budget

Performing arts enthusiasts in Lexington are narrowing their site selection for a new venue while they have already set a budget, $32 million for 1,200 seats. At roughly $27,000 a seat, that's a relative bargain. The Columbia Opera House proposed for Main Street can't expect to come in for less than $30,000 a seat for its 1,500 seats, or $45 million. Albeit twice the seats, the Bastille Opera House in Paris cost about $600 million total in 1989. Today, the Bastille can be called a $1 billion building.