SCORECARD: From the high court to weather lows

With this issue, we’re adding our weekly “Number of the Week” and “Quote of the Week” to the Scorecard feature.

THUMBS UP

Pleicones.  Good luck to state Supreme Court Justice Costa Pleicones as he becomes chief justice Jan. 1 and replaces the retiring Jean Toal.  At the end of the year, though, Pleicones will face retirement just as Toal did.  More.

Toal.  Congratulations to Jean Toal on retirement and a big thank you for 27 years of public service on the bench.  More.

Chester County.  Things apparently look pretty good for the Midlands county to land “Project 1429” in 2016.  If that happens, the $1.6 billion investment will be the largest ever landed by the state.  More.

Sellers.  We’re saddened to hear that Cleveland Sellers will step down as president of Voorhees College at the end of the current academic year because of health issues.  We applaud his service and wish him the best.  More.

IN THE MIDDLE

Strength. It’s exciting that South Carolina again will be in the limelight over the next couple of months as presidential primary politics inject their way even more into the headlines.  But let us also pray for strength to get through a lot of the associated nonsense.

Santee Cooper.  Hats off to the state’s public power utility for finally crafting a deal on power costs that will keep a major aluminum smelter open — at least at half capacity.  Now, Century Aluminum has to work with the legislature for another deal that will keep it open into the future — and getting the legislature to do anything can be tough.  More.

THUMBS DOWN

More rain.  The weather is getting everybody down.  More rain.  More flooding.  Sheesh.  When will things get back to normal?

NUMBER: 946

That’s the number of people who have died on South Carolina’s highways in 2015 as of Dec. 31, 2015.  It’s an 18.7 percent increase over the previous year — likely caused in part by less expensive gas, which caused people to drive more road miles.  More is outlined in Andy Brack’s new column.  More data.

QUOTE:  One case he knows he won’t win

“Do I wish it would have been longer? Of course. I’ve been unable to convince anybody that since I was born on Feb. 29, I will only be 18 in 2016. That particular appeal has not resonated with anyone yet.”

— S.C. Supreme Court Justice Costa Pleicones who will become chief justice on Jan. 1 for a year.  He’ll face mandatory retirement at the end of 2016.  More.