Briefs
by John Temple Ligon

Interstate

Connecting Michigan with Myrtle Beach, the proposed Interstate 73 is estimated to cost $2.3 billion. A federal pilot program would allow private companies to toll the road to repay construction costs.

Bad few weeks, great 25 years

The Dow Jones Industrial Average hit 776.92 on August 12, 1982. The Dow, adjusted for inflation, had declined by more than 3 percent a year for the previous 25 years, losing more than half its value. The next 25 years, 1982- 2007, taking inflation into account, the Dow gained annually 8.5 percent. On July 19, 2007, the Dow's high was 14,000.21. The Dow closed Monday, Aug. 13, at 13,253.56.

Hampton Automotive pleased

Tying with Lexus, Buick sits at the top of the influential J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study. The study looks at problems reported over three years. The current study looked at 2004 model- year cars.

Charleston hoteliers pleased

The federal government recently raised its allowable per diem Charleston hotel rate from $98 to $137. The 40% increase will put an additional $6 million into local hotels.

More hotel biz

Hotels in the U.S. posted a 5.7% increase in room revenue for the week ended July 21 compared with a year earlier, according to Smith Travel Research.

Force Protection

Shares of Ladson- based Force Protection rose 8.1 percent on Friday, August 10. The day before, the company said it earned $32.8 million, or 14 cents a share, in the second quarter, up from $10.2 million, or a penny a share, a year earlier. Sales went up to $134.7 million from $56.1 million.

Brits buy Hardaway Concrete

Aggregate Industries, a United Kingdom- based construction materials company, has bought Hardaway Concrete Co. of Columbia, managed by CEO Page Morris. The deal took place August 3 for an undisclosed sum.

Rich, dead farmers

According to The Washington Post, the federal government shipped $1.1 billion in overpayments to the estates, corporations, and partnerships of dead farmers over a seven- year period ending in 2005. Subsidy payments went to more than 170,000 dead farmers. In one case, subsidy payments continued for more than 30 years to a farmer who died in 1973.

Scana earnings drop

Second- quarter earnings at Scana Corp. fell 5.2 percent. Net income dropped to $55 million in the three months ended June 30, compared to $58 million in the same period last year. Scana expects to collect an additional $125 million next year if state regulators approve two rate- increase requests it filed last month. Scana asked to raise its electricity prices by 6.8 percent and its natural gas rates by 1.3 percent.

N.C. Senate fights global warming

N.C. is becoming the 25th state to set a renewable and efficiency portfolio standard (RPS), which requires utilities to meet a certain percentage of energy demand with renewable sources and efficiency measures. N.C. Senate Bill 3 will establish a 12.5% RPS, which should reduce the state's carbon dioxide footprint by at least 13 million metric tons by 2018.

U.S.House of Representatives fights global warming

The U.S. House passed an energy bill on Aug. 4 mandating investor- owned utilities by 2020 to obtain at least a 15% RPS. Said a Scana spokesman, "An all- encompassing federal mandate may not address the concerns we have here specific to S.C."

Duke Energy sets consumption record

On Wednesday, August 8, the four million Carolinas customers of Duke Energy used a record amount of energy in one hour- 18,988 megawatts from 3 to 4 pm.

SCE&G sets consumption record

Also on Wednesday, August 8, a new peak demand record of 4,869 megawatts of electricity was set from 2 to 3 pm. With all the sincerity of a stripper's smile, SCE&G issued tips for controlling energy costs in its August 9 press release.

US Airways misses the mark

US Airways ranked 17th of 20 airlines in on- time performance for the month of June, the first time since February it wasn't in last place.

The most women worth chasing

Miami- Ft. Lauderdale has 347 woman- owned businesses per 10,000 residents, the highest rate in the country. New York City has the most woman- owned businesses overall with 510,692. San Jose has the highest percentage of female workers paid $100,000 or more per year, 9.5%.

Non- sticky business

Chad Waldorf co- founded Sticky Fingers Restaurants in 1992, which has 19 locations and employees 1,100. Waldorf was recently nominated by Governor Sanford to lead the State Budget and Control Board.