Across South Carolina

Graham opponent asks to debate in fall

COLUMBIA --- The Democratic candidate vying to unseat U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham has challenged the incumbent to debates this fall and threatened to talk to a cardboard cutout of the Republican if the senator won't commit to any of the events.

"I hope that Mr. Graham comes out of the woodwork," Lee Griggs, the campaign manager for North Myrtle Beach engineer Bob Conley, said Monday. "If not, we will be more than willing to debate any of his surrogates. ... Whoever he wants to send."

Graham campaign manager Scott Farmer wrote in an e-mail Sunday that the senator has no plans to debate Mr. Conley.

"We are considering numerous opportunities for public events on the fall schedule, but nothing is certain yet," Mr. Farmer wrote.

Clerk calls 911 after being shot in head

MANNING --- Investigators say a clerk at a Manning dry cleaner survived and managed to call 911 after a robber took her to the back of the store and shot her execution-style.

Authorities told WIS-TV that Heather Brammer, 23, remains in the hospital after being shot in the base of her skull Friday.

WIS obtained the tape of Ms. Brammer's 911 call, where she tells the operator she was shot, along with "my head's killing me" and "I can't see right."

Police haven't made any arrests.

Prison system will start savings program

COLUMBIA --- The South Carolina Department of Corrections is borrowing more than $14 million to start an energy and water savings program that it expects will generate $1.3 million a year in savings by installing better equipment, drilling new wells and using other conservation tools.

The agency estimates the changes will cut its utility bills by about 6 percent for electricity and 10 percent for water. A new state law requires agencies to cut energy costs by 1 percent during each of the next five years.

Under the deal the state Infrastructure Bank approved Monday, Johnson Controls will install new equipment and monitoring gear. The contract calls for the state to save a specific amount of power and water each year. If the prison system follows the company's program and fails to save the expected amount of energy and water, Johnson Controls will reimburse the state for the shortfall in savings.

Board members were skeptical.

"Lots of times we get pie-in-the-sky projections that don't pan out," said Sen. Hugh Leatherman, the Florence Republican who heads the bank.