MORNING HEADLINES | The S.C. Transportation Infrastructure Bank Board voted unanimously Monday to end a multi-million-dollar intergovernmental agreement between Charleston County and the state for extension of the Mark Clark Expressway.
“The people spoke, we listened, and the state responded,” said Charleston County Council Vice Chairman Larry Kobrovsky, who opposed the road plan.
In November, voters rejected a half-penny sales tax referendum that would have funded the county’s $1.8 billion+ share of the project to extend the interstate across Johns Island to connect with the James Island Expressway.
The Monday decision to terminate the contract followed an early December decision from the state Joint Bond Review Committee, which voted to revoke funding of $420 million in state funds to the S.C. Transportation Infrastructure Bank.
Charleston County reportedly expects to get several million dollars back from the $8.4 million it contributed to the project, while another $75 million the county agreed to furnish to keep the project moving forward was not spent.
According to published reports, the state Department of Transportation will continue to hold on to all the land purchased for the path of the roadway — properties on Johns Island, James Island and in West Ashley — that cost $41 million to acquire.
In other headlines:
S.C. gas prices drop. South Carolina’s gas prices fell by 7.1 cents per gallon, leaving an average cost of $2.66 per gallon.
Free parking applications open for hospitality workers in downtown Charleston. The city of Charleston has now opened an application to get free parking permits for hospitality staff, which is aimed to alleviate some of that parking stress for people who work at bars, restaurants and hotels downtown.
- Previous CP coverage: New pilot parking program to start June 1 for Charleston hospitality workers
Charleston Water System expanding to meet demand. The Charleston Water System is investing around $150 million to upgrade its Hanahan treatment plant.
Charleston Co. delays constituent board plan. The Charleston County School District is beginning discussions for the coming academic calendar year, while holding its replacement plan for the now-nixed constituent board structure.
Charleston Co. donates books to reading nonprofit in Africa. Charleston County School District partners with a Minnesota-based non-profit organization called Books For Africa to recycle used books to keep them out of the landfill.
Charleston Co. wants more robust process for greenbelt funds. Members of County Council want to be more selective about who they award greenbelt funding to avoid overspending as some municipalities spend more than allocated.
MUSC plans for a one-stop shop in emergency care. The Medical University of South Carolina is looking to expand urgent care services to a one-stop shop emergency department to prevent people from having to pay two different bills.
Mace sues one of the men she accused of sex crimes. U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., filed a lawsuit Monday against one of the men she accused of sexual crimes, claiming he defamed her on social media in the weeks after her speech in Congress.
Fashion meets history in new exhibit at Charleston Museum. “Reimagined Fashion: Creations of the Future Past,” features garments, jewelry and accessories made by local designers — and all inspired by the museum’s collection of 10,000 fabrics from the early 18th century through the present day.
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