Briefs
by John Temple Ligon

Home sales

According to the S.C. Association of Realtors, the Charleston metro area saw 1,024 homes sell in October, down 13% from October '05. Columbia had 867 home sales, down almost 2%. And Greenville had 679 sales, down less than 0.5%. Sales at Myrtle Beach compared to last year was minus -21%. Better news for Columbia was the rise in sales prices, 12% on average. Hilton Head's bad news was its fall in sales prices, down 37%.

Duke Energy sees a 50% hike in coal plant cost

Two months ago, Duke Energy distributed information on its new coal plant, twin 1,600 megawatt coal-fired generators in North Carolina, to include a projected cost of $2 billion. Last week, Duke disclosed a higher cost of $3 billion.

An idea for Columbia artists

Two weeks ago, 80 art studios within a 15-mile radius of downtown Greenville were included in the two-day Open Studios tour, attracting more than 32,000 visitors and scoring art sales if about $216,000.

A Charlotte artist can be a Charlottean or a charlatan

Grace Slick, former rocker with Jefferson Airplane, presents herself as an artist. Her paintings are for sale at Wentworth Gallery in Charlotte. Slick, according to legend, spiked the White House punch with LSD while attending a Smith College gathering hosted by President Nixon's daughter.

No smoking means no smoking

Of 134 North Carolina hospitals, more than 50 have established absolute smoking bans anywhere on the hospital properties, indoors or out. Among the 67 hospitals in South Carolina, at least 20 have taken similar stands.

Former SCANA N.C. lobbyist

Meredith Norris, last year's N.C. legislative lobbyist for SCANA, was found guilty of a misdemeanor in August for failing to register as a lobbyist while she worked with former S.C. Gov. Hodges's chief of staff, convicted lottery lobbyist Kevin Geddings. She was banned from lobbying the N.C. legislature for two years, and she was fined $700. Even so, according to the N.C. Center for Public Policy Research, Norris for 2005 was ranked the 23rd most influential lobbyist out of 638 registered lobbyist in Raleigh. Her relationship with N.C. House Speaker Jim Black afforded her easy access in 2005, gaining her a high ranking. Norris was not ranked in 2004 when she was not associated with Black.

Frightening list of folks who can take your land

S.C. voters have spoken: Eminent domain to benefit private interests must stop. Public condemnation, or the threat of condemnation, was used to assemble land for the AT&T Building (Capitol Place), Palmetto Center (SCANA), Edens & Avant headquarters (Bank of America Plaza), and BB&T at the corner of Assembly and Richland, another Edens & Avant deal. Still, according to the Greenville News , public condemnation of private property for public purposes can be legally exercised by the following entities: the state Budget and Control Board, county and municipal governments, Pelham-Batesville Fire District, rural community water districts, S. C. Infrastructure Facilities Authority, Division of State Development, Division of Savannah Valley Development, New Horizons Development Authority, Trident Economic Development Authority, Midlands Authority, Edisto Development Authority, State Development Board, Department of Health and Environmental Control, public service districts, Department of Corrections, pipeline companies, canal companies, city housing authorities, telephone cooperatives, regional health services, Lowcountry Resources Conservation and Development Authority, Crossroads of History Resource Conservation and Development Authority, Bushy Park Authority, the S.C. Ports Authority, Department of Natural Resources, Patriots Point Development Authority, the Greenville-Spartanburg, Richland-Lexington and Pee Dee airport authorities, the Department of Transportation, regional transportation authorities, the Public Service Authority, school district boards of trustees, area commissions of the State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education, Trident Technical College Area Commission, the University of South Carolina and the Medical University of South Carolina.

Bridge picks pockets and fills pockets

Congressman Clyburn's and Mayor Coble's combined support for a bridge between Rimini and Lone Star does not lessen as the cost rises. Coble wrote an op-ed piece in the local daily pledging undying support for the bridge. What was to cost about $65 million in 2000 is now projected to run more than $150 million to connect the two towns. Together, Rimini and Lone Star might count a bridge-connected population of 150. Most construction projects carry numbers expressed in cost per square foot, or in the case of a sports arena, cost per seat. The Rimini-Lone Star Bridge can be described in cost per end resident, $1 million.