STATE NEWS IN BRIEF

COLUMBIA

Senators get behind Sanford's agenda

Gov. Mark Sanford's agenda to overhaul government got a huge boost in the Senate on Thursday - 1,900 pages of legislation standing more than a foot tall addressing what he wants.

Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell, a Sanford ally in restructuring efforts, told senators the legislation would make government more effective.

"Hopefully, in partnership with the executive branch, we can continue to fine tune government and make it better," McConnell said.

Sanford was quick with praise, commending senators in a prepared statement "for taking the lead on this issue and for having the courage to support such groundbreaking change."

The legislation gives the governor authority to appoint chiefs at four new agencies created after merging dozens of smaller ones. Governors would also appoint five people now elected to statewide offices to oversee agriculture, education, the National Guard and state financial operations.

McConnell hopes the legislation will make agencies more accountable to the Legislature. While agencies regularly file reports on how they spend money, McConnell said they don't show how they achieve what laws require them to do.

McConnell had 18 co-sponsors out of 45 sitting senators. McConnell's Judiciary Committee began work on the bills in August and used recommendations from Sanford's Commission on Management, Accountability and Performance, released in September.

CHARLESTON

Attractions draw fewer visitors in 2003

Attendance was down at Charleston's leading tourist attractions last year and industry officials say it might have to do with repeat visitors bypassing attractions on return trips.

Attendance at area attractions dropped 9.8 percent, according to the Charleston Chamber of Commerce. The 16 biggest attractions tracked by the chamber sold 1.89 million tickets in 2003, about 207,000 fewer than the previous year.

The South Carolina Aquarium, the area's most-visited site, saw an 11 percent drop in attendance for 2003 with about 60,000 fewer people visiting.

"It's not a real bright story," said John Brumgardt, director of The Charleston Museum.

Brumgardt and other industry officials said the economy was still recovering, there has been a drop in business travel while there are more things for visitors to see.

Some attractions suffered because repeat visitors, who have seen them in the past, decided not to visit on return trips, said Al Parish, an economist at Charleston Southern University.

CHARLESTON

Officials: Loss of buses will create problems

Eliminating green trolley shuttle buses from downtown Charleston streets will mean more traffic and parking problems as the spring tourist season approaches, local officials warn.

Money woes have forced the Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority to eliminate four downtown area shuttle routes - routes that last year carried more than a half-million passengers.

The downtown, DASH, buses allowed visitors to park in city garages and use the shuttles to visit attractions. Now, residents worry more tourists will be trying to see the city from their cars.

Howard Chapman, executive director of the area bus system, said the DASH cuts were necessary. Even with them, the bus system is expected to run out of money by April. "We didn't have a choice," he said.

The local bus system has cut more than half its routes since the South Carolina Supreme Court overturned the county's half-cent sales tax, which provided money for buses and other projects.

CHARLESTON

Expensive yacht stolen from city marina

A $750,000, 57-foot yacht featured in sailing magazines was stolen from Charleston's City Marina last week and authorities speculate it could by now be in the Caribbean.

"I've never even heard of an 18-foot boat being stolen around here, and you certainly don't get too many $750,000 boats being stolen," said FBI Special Agent Robert Derr.

"Incredulous has been my overwhelming reaction so far," said Glen McIntosh, the Atlanta physician who owns the Beneteau 57 weighing more than 47,000 pounds and which has a 75-foot mast.

No one saw anything suspicious, and no one heard the engine being started, police said.

The yacht has electric winches, and it's possible the thief could have acted alone, authorities said. The coast as far north as Myrtle Beach was searched; but there was no sign of the yacht, which was not equipped with a satellite-tracking system.

"It was built to go across oceans. If it was sailed to the Caribbean, they should be getting there by now," said Lt. J.E. Williams of the Charleston Police Department.

CHARLESTON

Police chief doesn't apologize for comment

The Charleston police chief has defended his profane statement and clarified his comment about homicide among blacks, but he has not apologized.

In his first public response since he made the comment almost two weeks ago, Chief Reuben Greenberg said in a letter Wednesday that his comments were directed toward those who live a life of crime and killed others who led similar lives, usually in cases involving drugs. "My harsh language reported in The (Charleston) Post and Courier was directed at these violent, hardened criminals only," he wrote. Greenberg also wrote that many of the homicides involve black males killing other black males involved in illegal activity, which is why he made his comments.

Several civil rights leaders and councilmen have called on Greenberg to apologize.