Governor still has $1.4 mil.

Gov. Mark Sanford’s most recent quarterly campaign finance report disclosed legal costs of $185,347. The Columbia law firm Hall & Bowers collected that much over three payments. Also, Red Sea LLC of Bethesda, Maryland, political consultant, was paid $66,100 during the same period. Still, Sanford has $1.4 mil. remaining in his campaign account.

Water

S.C. conservationists are hoping the Legislature passes a bill this term that would require anyone withdrawing water from lakes and rivers to get a permit from SCDHEC. As regulators issue permits, they take water levels into account. Water users would have to compose contingency plans in case of drought. East of the Mississippi River, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Alabama are the only states that don’t require water permits. The permits would give industry more certainty about water availability. The permits would also improve South Carolina’s legal standing in cross–border disputes over water rights. S.C. Attorney General McMaster has filed a lawsuit against North Carolina over use of the Catawba River.

Boeing, Boeing

The S.C. Budget and Control Board last week unanimously authorized the sale of $270 mil. in bonds to help with the Boeing assembly plant, and on the same day the board approved a $102.5 mil. bridge loan for Boeing.

Aiken

Aiken County is getting a new MTU Detroit Diesel manufacturing facility, costing $45 mil. and ushering in 250 new jobs. MTU Detroit Diesel will convert the old SKF building in the Sage Mill Industrial Park. And at the nearby Savannah River Site, Champion Inc. of Iron Mountain, Michigan, has been awarded a $33.3 mil. contract for the production of concrete for decommissioning of two nuclear reactors. Champion will supply up to 252,000 cubic yards of concrete during a 13–month period, bringing to Aiken County 10 company employees and hiring another 116 local workers.

Lexington

Akebono Brake Corp. is expected to invest $35.6 mil. in its new Lexington County manufacturing facility, formerly the home of Bosch Chassis Systems Columbia, which should generate 283 new jobs over the next five years.

Carolina First designated and warned

The U.S. Small Business Administration has designated Carolina First a preferred lender, which should dramatically increase the amount of money the bank lends to small businesses. Carolina First has added 17 SBA–experienced staff members to service the loans under the federal loan–guarantee program. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq Stock Market has issued The South Financial Group (stock symbol: TSFG) a warning. If the stock price doesn’t stay above $1 for 10 consecutive days before June 2, 2010, the stock is delisted. Because South Financial’s stock price was less than $1 for at least 30 days, the warning was issued. Closing stock price for TSFG on Friday, Jan. 15, was $0.71. At the end of 2005, the stock price was a bit above $30.

Wayward USC hydrogen bus

On Monday, January 18, USC’s hydrogen hybrid bus departed for Victoria, British Columbia, to carry visitors during the 2010 Olympic Games. The 37–passenger bus, a USC mobile test laboratory for hybrid electric, hydrogen cell powered mass transit, will be leased to BC Transit for evaluation by the Federal Transit Administration and its Canadian counterpart.

Law school costs

At USC’s law school, tuition for South Carolina residents is $19,034 and for out–of–state students it’s $38,014. Across the country, the Chronicle of Higher Education found 29 percent of law students expected to graduate with more than $120,000 in debt.

Zoo story

Riverbanks Zoo and Garden had 1,006,170 visitors in 2009, exceeding by 13 percent the zoo’s budgeted attendance of 891,832 for the year.

Rate hike requested

South Carolina Electric & Gas Co. and its parent company SCANA are seeking approval for a 9.5 percent rate increase in electricity base rates to raise $197.6 mil. in revenue and to achieve a return on common equity of 11.6 percent. The increase is likely to phase in over 18 months and must first go before the S.C. Public Service Commission, probably in May or early June.