Briefs
by John Temple Ligon

Bridges S.C. has 1,300 bridges under the name "structurally deficient" given the collapsed interstate bridge in Minneapolis, killing 13 people. S.C. might have to spend $3 billion, or $150 million a year for the next 20 years, to fix or replace them.

Intracoastal Waterway The federal government has relaxed its own requirement to keep the Intracoastal Waterway at least 12 feet deep at low tide. Several points south of Morehead City, N.C. are approaching a depth of four feet. Many commercial captains consider the waterway closed south of Morehead City. The three most shallow stretches in S.C. are (1) just south of McClellanville, (2) Beach Inlet near Isle of Palms and Sullivans Island, and (3) near Dawhoo Bridge at Edisto Island.

Santee Cooper growth In the past year along their part of the Grand Strand, Santee Cooper added almost 7,500 customers. Those South Carolinians are presumably the same who, statewide, consume 10 percent more electricity than the national average. They are the same who consume twice the energy the same number of Californians use. Californians pay about 50% more for their electricity.

Jobless N.C. unemployment went up to 5 percent in July, and for the same month S.C. saw a rise in its unemployment to 5.9 percent, according to the S.C. Employment Security Commission. The national jobless rate for July was 4.6 percent. For the greater Columbia area of Richland, Lexington, Calhoun, Fairfield, and Kershaw counties, the jobless rate was 5.3 percent in July, up from 5.1 percent in June.

Who picks up the tab? According to The New York Times, young women in New York City and several of the country's other largest cities make more in wages than their male contemporaries. In New York City, women ages 22 to 30 working full- time make 117 percent of men's wages, and in Dallas, 120 percent. On the other hand, nationally the same group made only 89 percent of the average full- time pay for men.

Some are more equal than others, again In June, the state Legislature increased LIFE and Palmetto scholarships for eligible students majoring in math or science. For the math and science majors, the LIFE scholarship can rise from $5,000 to $7,500, and the Palmetto, from $6,700 to $10,000. The state Legislature has determined math and science majors to be more valuable to the state than the writers, journalists, business managers and marketers, historians, political scientists, philosophers, artists, and the rest who graduate from other majors. Money for both scholarships comes from the the state's general fund and the S.C. Education Lottery. The lottery's profits were $273 million in the year ending June 30, down from the previous year's $320 million.

SCANA pays decent dividend About to appear before the state regulators with a rate hike request due to insufficient income, SCANA announced a quarterly stock dividend to be paid to its shareholders October 1. The dividend will be 44 cents per share, while a SCANA share was worth $36.80 at the opening, Tuesday, August 21. If the dividend is annualized to $1.76, the dividend yield based on Tuesday's share price becomes almost 5 percent. The average dividend yield among the S&P 500 is 1.7 percent.

Positive trend in spite of the local news For the first six months of this year, according to the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, national positive workplace drug tests dropped 16 percent.

Fishy Charleston's S.C. Aquarium finished its second full year in the black. Aquarium revenue fell from $6.98 million to $6.75 million last year, a 3.3 percent decrease. The aquarium lost $5.4 million in it first four full years in business.

Climate Protection The Climate Protection Action Committee and the City of Columbia will hold its Climate Protection Action Conference at the convention center on Monday, September 24, from 8 am to 5:30 pm. Participants will learn how to (1) save money by conserving resources, (2) create and enhance competitive advantage and reputation, (3) open up new or niche markets, (4) present positive opportunities for marketing, improve public relations, and demonstrate a commitment to corporate responsibility, and (5) join the Green Business Initiative. For more information, call the Department of Public Works, 545-3780.

World trade International trade generated $23 billion for S.C. in 2006. Of that total, $13.6 billion was in exports to more than 150 countries.

Skirt chaser Charleston- based Skirt! will be distributed in Houston in September and in Knoxville, Memphis, Richmond, and Boston in October. Skirt! is already distributed in Charleston, Columbia, Atlanta, Augusta (Ga.), Savannah, Jacksonville, and Charlotte.