by John Temple Ligon

Pantygate (cont’d.) Mayor Bob Coble's expenditure of $100 at Sugar & Spice a few years ago was seen by the S.C. Ethics Commission as a personal purchase through unauthorized funds, an offense to the rules of the game, and the commission called for a repayment to the PAC. They also called him to the carpet for a $20 PAC check to a church, another personal expenditure. Joe Werner, Coble's well- paid political consultant and executive director of the PAC, formerly director of the S.C. Democratic Party and currently running a campaign in Pennsylvania, wrote a family check to the PAC for $120, satisfying the commission's complaint. Unsolved, however, is the mystery: What did the $100 buy at Sugar & Spice and who wore the illicit item(s) for what occasion? Possibly, according to the sign on Meeting Street advertising "Suddenly Slim" diet aids at Sugar & Spice, the mayor and Werner have been on a highly recommended diet. By the way, Sugar & Spice is having a sale.

Fritz Former U.S. Sen. Ernest F. "Fritz" Hollings was present Friday, Sept. 19, as the new special collections wing at USC's Thomas Cooper Library was named for him. The $18- million, 50,000- square- foot building will be located behind the Thomas Cooper Library and will be named The Ernest F. Hollings Special Collections Library. The addition will contain the library's Rare Books and Special Collections. It will also be the permanent home for the S. C. Political Collections.

We're No. 1 Modern agribusiness has passed manufacturing and tourism as S.C.'s leading industry, according to Dr. Harry Miley of Greenville- based Gallo and Associates. Commodities and services in agribusiness, all told, have a $33.9 billion impact on the state's economy. Agribusiness provides jobs for nearly 200,000 South Carolinians.

Conservation There are nearly 150,000 acres of conservation easements in S.C. held by 15 non- profit land trusts across the state. A conservation easement is where a landowner gives up the development rights on a working farm or forest, natural area, or other rural green space yet continues land management practices as before whether it be farming, forestry, grazing, wildlife and fisheries management, or general outdoor recreation, according to reports from the Congaree Land Trust.

Krawcheck update Charleston's Sallie Krawcheck is leaving Citigroup's Global Wealth Management division, one of three Citigroup divisions, according to the Charleston Regional Business Journal. As chairman and CEO of Global Wealth Management, Krawcheck also serves on Citigroup's executive committee and senior leadership committee. Fortune magazine, from 2002 when she joined Citi as chairman and CEO of Smith Barney to 2007, recognized Krawcheck as one of the most powerful women in business. When Krawcheck became head of the Global Wealth Management division, beginning in March 2007, she ran one of the largest research and wealth management businesses in the world. Total client assets under her are almost $1.8 trillion. LendingTree sued by S.C. A civil lawsuit was recently filed by 13th Circuit Solicitor Robert Ariail on behalf of S.C. for customers who lived in Pickens and Greenville counties when they signed loan agreements through LendingTree. The lawsuit alleges Charlotte- based LendingTree failed to tell customers it charges fees to lenders. As reported by the Charlotte Business Journal, LendingTree denies the allegations.

Joblessness The S.C. jobless rate hit a 15- year high in August, 7.6 percent. Allendale County has the highest unemployment rate at 17.2 percent. The national rate for August was 6.1 percent. In N.C., the state's unemployment rate for August was 6.9 percent. In August 2007, the unemployment rate in N.C. was 4.7 percent.

Wind Charlotte- based Duke Energy reports it will have more than 500 megawatts of wind- powered generation projects in operation by the end of this year. Also by the end of this year, Duke will have another 5,000 megawatts in development. Roughly one single- megawatt turbine generates enough electricity to serve the needs of almost 300 homes, depending on the average wind speed at the turbine site. Besides the Carolinas, Duke has utility operations in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana.

Meanwhile, back at the S.C. wind ranch... The U.S. Dept. of Energy has awarded the S.C. Energy Office about $500,000 to study the potential for offshore wind power.

Charlotte no longer holding Last month, the number of houses sold in greater Charlotte fell almost 35 percent compared to August 2007. The average closing price fell by 4.5 percent.

Violence, violence, violence According to the FBI, South Carolina is the most violent state in the country. The District of Columbia, however, is a tad worse. On average in the U.S., the rate of violent crimes is 467 per 100,000 people, and in S.C. the rate is 788 per 100,000, 69 percent higher than the national average.