New commissioner for SC board that oversees roads agency

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The owner of a Columbia restaurant has been named the newest commissioner on the South Carolina Department of Transportation board.

William B. Dukes will be the representative for the 2nd Congressional District for the board that oversees the agency in charge of building and maintaining South Carolina’s 41,000 miles (66,000 kilometers) of state roads.

Dukes owns Blue Marlin Restaurant and founded the Longhorn Steakhouse chain, the DOT said in a statement. He also is a founder of Honor Flight SC, which takes World War II and Korean War veterans to Washington, D.C., to see memorials built in their honor.

Dukes has been a member of the Lexington-Richland Airport Commission since 2002 and also served on the Newberry College Board of Trustees.

Dukes replaces businessman and former state Rep. John Burriss who served two years before retiring from the board in April.

SCDOT board members from congressional districts are appointed by the governor and must be approved by the legislative delegations from the district.