Archive for year: 2016
City of Florence to demolish old Quonset hut near downtown
Article/Photo Credit: Joshua Lloyd, Morning News
“FLORENCE, S.C. – One of Florence’s notorious landmarks is set to be demolished in the coming months.
The dilapidated Quonset hut, the semi-circular tin building near the railroad tracks at the corner of Barringer and Pine streets in East Florence, has been scheduled for hazardous waste cleanup, then demolition.
City officials announced the plan Tuesday as part of the continuing downtown revitalization and urban neighborhood redevelopment.
The movement to remove the blighted property was spearheaded by Councilwoman Pat Gibson-Hye Moore, who called the building a monstrosity and an eyesore for East Florence.
“I’ve been nagging for years to get this done and now it’s finally happening,” she said. “This is for the benefit of others, the benefit of this community. I’ll be happy to see it gone because it’s a hazard to this community.”
The property was formerly owned by CSX Railroads. It caught fire in October 2014.”
Read more of the article here:
SCNow Web Article – City of Florence to demolish old Quonset hut near downtown
B. Nance holds ribbon cutting in Florence
Article/Photo Credit: Joe Perry, Morning News
“FLORENCE, S.C. – B. Nance Fine Gifts hosted a Thursday morning ribbon cutting after recently joining the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce.
Since opening the doors in mid-July, proprietors Jill Blaker and her daughter Danielle Blaker Nance have watched their clientele grow along with their offerings.
“We’ve added a lot of lines and a picked up a ton of new merchandise for Christmas,” Nance said. “We have a line of loungewear, some luxury pajamas that are doing really well.”
Lounge cardigans have also been popular, though the focus remains on gifts and not clothing. The baby gifts are perfect for showers and first birthdays, Blaker said, and they’re both excited to move next year into a location almost next door with a footprint expanded by 1,000 square feet.
Before the new location opens its doors in 2017 , a visit to the market in Atlanta will provide a whole new selection of gifts and home accessories.
“We’ll have almost a brand-new store,” Nance said.”
Read more of the article here:
SCNow WebArticle – B. Nance holds ribbon cutting in Florence
Carolina Canners breaks ground for new production line
Photo/Article Credit: SCNow.com
“CHERAW, S.C. –Carolina Canners, Inc., an independent Pepsi bottler and production cooperative, hosted a ground breaking ceremony on Oct. 25. Employees, business partners and state and local dignitaries manned golden shovels during groundbreaking ceremonies for Carolina Canners’ $45-million, 45,000-square-feet plant expansion in Cheraw.
Expected to create 40 new jobs within the coming year, the new hot-fill manufacturing line will be used primarily to produce the Pepsi-Lipton Tea Partnership’s fast-growing Pure Leaf, a premium iced tea brewed from real tea leaves.
Operating in Cheraw since 1968, Carolina Canners has expanded its South Carolina operations multiple times over the last 40 years. The facility specializes in bottle injection molding and features two bottle-filling production lines, two can-filling production lines and a fountain syrup production line. The company also serves as a joint purchasing agent for many of the region’s Pepsi bottlers.”
To read the full article, visit: SCNow Web Article – Carolina Canners breaks ground for new production line
What to Expect When You Apply for FEMA AID
South Carolina Survivors Urged to Register for Disaster Assistance
Homeowners and renters in three more South Carolina counties – Berkeley, Charleston and Chesterfield – are now eligible to receive Individual Assistance from FEMA to help them recover from flooding caused by Hurricane Matthew.
Individual Assistance is also available to homeowners and renters in these 21 counties: Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Beaufort, Calhoun, Clarendon, Colleton, Darlington, Dillon, Dorchester, Florence, Georgetown, Hampton, Horry, Jasper, Lee, Marion, Marlboro, Orangeburg, Sumter and Williamsburg.
Assistance can include money for temporary rental assistance and essential home repairs for primary homes, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help survivors recover from the effects of the disaster.
Survivors can register online at DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 800-621-3362. Disaster assistance applicants who are deaf or hard of hearing should call 800-462-7585 (TTY); those who use Video Relay Service may call 800-621-3362. The toll-free numbers are open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week. Multilingual operators are available.
For additional information, please visit the FEMA news release by clicking here.
Florence Downtown Shuttle
Have you heard about the FREE Florence Public Downtown Shuttle Service? It was made possible with funds from the Federal Transit Administration, the City of Florence, HopeHealth, Access to Health Pee Dee, Pee Dee Mental Health Services, Mercy Medicine and Circle Park. The service is operated by the Pee Dee Regional Transportation Authority. Take a look at the map below for pickup times and places.
Business Recovery Center (BRC) to open in Florence County
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced today the opening of a Business Recovery Center (BRC) in Florence County on October 28, to help businesses impacted by Hurricane Matthew that began Oct. 4, 2016.
SBA representatives at the Business Recovery Centers (BRC) in Florence County can provide information about disaster loans, answer questions and help businesses in completing the SBA application. The BRC will be located at the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce, 100 West Evans Street in Florence and will be open the following hours: Monday – Thursday, 8:30 am – 5 pm, Friday, 8:30 am – 3 pm and will be closed Saturdays and Sundays. For more information, call the chamber offices at 843-665-0515.
City of Florence issues debris pickup guidelines
(article/image courtesy: SCnow.com)
“FLORENCE, S.C. — Hurricane Matthew left significant debris and the City of Florence is beginning the process of cleaning up the storm debris from both public and private property within the city limits.
It is important that residents comply with FEMA and City of Florence guidelines regarding the types of debris that residents can leave at the curb for collection as well as how to handle debris if a homeowner hires a contractor for tree and other debris removal.
“Our City and many of our residents continue to feel the impact of Hurricane Matthew. We understand this is a difficult time for our citizens and businesses in Florence.
Please know your City is hard at work and will continue to strive to assist in every way we can. Tomorrow we will be announcing the next phase of our clean up and restoration efforts; this will include new information and resources.” Stephen J. Wukela, Mayor
WORKING TOGETHER
The task of cleaning up almost 150,000 cubic yards of storm debris with the city limits is huge and it will take time to complete. As an example, the amount of storm debris is estimated to be equivalent to 4 years of normal yard waste debris collection in the city.
The City of Florence asks that you be patient as we tackle this enormous task using our crews as well as outside contractors. Your cooperation will make this debris removal operation proceed smoothly and ensure that the community recovers as quickly as possible.
You can further assist with the cleanup by refraining from parking on the street during this debris removal process so as not to impede collection.
DEBRIS PLACED ON RIGHT OF WAY
Hurricane related debris is eligible for pickup and disposal by the city if residents place the following types of debris on the public right-of-way in front of their property for pick-up.
When placing debris at the roadside, residents should be careful not to cover or impede access to utility meters or mailboxes. In addition, sidewalks should not be blocked and debris should not be placed in the paved portion of the street right-of-way.
Residents opting for curbside pick-up must separate debris into six (6) categories:
- Vegetative debris (tree limbs, shrubs, etc.)
- Construction/Demolition debris
- White goods (appliances, etc.)
- E-goods (TV’s, electronics)
- Household hazardous (cleaning solutions, automotive chemicals, etc.)
- Normal household garbage
DEBRIS HANDLED BY CONTRACTORS
Some homeowner’s insurance policies may cover debris removal. Residents are reminded that if they choose to hire their own contractor, only debris directly related to Hurricane Matthew may be placed on the street right-of-way for collection and disposal purposes.
To expedite clean-up where insurance policies cover debris removal, it is recommended that the contractor remove and dispose of this debris.
FEMA PARTICIPATION
The City of Florence will be collecting hurricane related debris under the guidelines provided by FEMA. The FEMA regulations restrict the period of time and the number of times that debris pickup can take place in a given area of the city.
Therefore, the city urges all homeowners to move all debris to the designated area in the front of your property, as indicated on the illustration, as quickly as possible to ensure that it is picked up by the city.
We will notify the public at a later date as to when debris removal will end, but we request that you get any storm-generated vegetative debris moved to the edge of right or way as soon as possible.
COMMERCIAL PROPERTY
FEMA does not provide funding to local governments for the collection of storm debris from commercial property.
Commercial businesses, apartment complexes, and other commercial enterprises will be required to contract the removal of their reconstruction debris or demolition debris.
The commercial property owner, insurance company or contractor is responsible for removing and transporting all demolition and/or reconstruction debris to an approved designated landfill, it cannot be pushed to the curb for pickup by the city.
If you have questions, please call the City of Florence Public Works & Utilities Department at 843-665-3236 or email Amanda Pope at apope@cityofflorence.com.
Additional information and continued updates can also be found on the city website at www.cityofflorence.com.”
SCNow.com Web Article – City of Florence issues debris pickup guidelines
FEMA aid approved for individuals in Florence, Darlington, Dillon and Williamsburg counties
(image courtesy: SCnow.com)
“FLORENCE,. S.C. – Individuals who sustained recent storm damage in Florence County and three other Pee Dee counties now are eligible for federal assistance.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew, individuals in Darlington, Dillon and Williamsburg counties also can ask for aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, officials in S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley’s office announced Monday night.
Individuals in 11 other counties also qualify for assistance. Those counties are Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Beaufort, Colleton, Dorchester, Georgetown, Hampton, Jasper, Lee and Sumter.
They join Marion and Orangeburg counties, which qualified for individual assistance last week.
Assistance can include money for temporary rental assistance and essential home repairs for primary homes, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help survivors recover from the effects of the disaster.
Survivors can register online at DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 800-621-3362. Disaster assistance applicants who are deaf or hard of hearing should call 800-462-7585 (TTY); those who use Video Relay Service can call 800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days per week until further notice.”
