Women's interest is shoes is very complex. I think it is a late 20th- early 21st-century obsession in part because - like hats in the middle part of the 20th century - they are fashion that is attainable for most women.

They just had unbelievable wealth and so you can imagine this pair of shoes.

What's important for people to understand is that they were sort of cloudy, decorative-level gems. I'm afraid somebody stole the shoes with the idea they would disassemble them and sell the jewels and get some money. But the jewels are worthless -- they were just there for decorative purposes really.

We've certainly received interest in it but the parties have never been able to hammer out a deal with the owners.

There's more interest [in establishing incubators statewide] than I've known of in my years of economic development here.

Not much progress has been made on the negotiations on the major issues of interest and concern for Africa.