(Gibson-Hye Moore image courtesy: SCnow.com, NeSmith image courtesy: NeSmith campaign)

A runoff election will take place for the vacant spot on Florence City Council. Florence School District 1 Board Member Pat Gibson-Hye Moore and Florence County Democratic Chairwoman LaShonda NeSmith will face off on June 21 to decide who will take the Florence City Council District 2 spot — a seat held for nearly 25 years by the late Ed Robinson.

Neither candidate was able to get a true majority in the primary, which means a runoff election is required.

You can read the full details in this story from the Morning News by clicking on the link below:

SCnow.com web article- Runoff Election to Take Place for Florence City Council Seat

Which business-related issues survived the 2016 Legislative Session and which ones didn’t quite make the cut?

From SC Chamber of Commerce President Ted Pitts:

“Each year, the Chamber releases a Competitiveness Agenda indicating the things the business community believes are critical to improving our state’s business climate. Two of our most pressing issues this year were DOT reform and funding to improve our infrastructure and passage of H.4145 and a budget line item for Certified Workready Communities to bolster our state’s workforce. As session comes to an end, we are pleased to see that the General Assembly recognized the concerns of the business community by addressing both our roads and our workforce needs.”

Click on the link below to see the SC Chamber’s End of Year Summary and find out where the important issues stand that directly impact business owners like you.

SC Chamber End of Year Summary

For those of you parents out there looking for a way to keep the kids occupied during the summer months, here’s a list of some summer camps in the Pee Dee, courtesy of the Morning News!

Included in the list you’ll find everything from camps that focus on science, to those that cater to little swimmers at the “Y” to summer camps at Francis Marion University.

Just click on the link below for more details, websites and further information:

SCnow.com web article- Pee Dee Summer Camps

Here’s a way that you can take part in an exciting time in the history of Florence! The City of Florence is developing a new brand identity for your community and your input is extremely important.

Click on the link below to go to an online survey that will only take a few minutes. You’ll be asked to review several statements about Florence, rate those statements, provide input and then select one of the statements as your favorite.

Thank You for Participating!

City of Florence Branding Survey

(image courtesy: Getty images, CNBC.com)

Purchases of small businesses are among their highest levels since 2007.

Experts say it’s still a buyer’s market, but it’s starting to shift and even out.

Median revenue of sold businesses on BizBuySell (an industry website that tracks small business purchases) in 2015 grew to $449,462, up from $417,562 in 2014, while the median sales price also increased 7.6 percent to $199,000.

Whether becoming a first-time business owner or acquiring a business to expand your current company, ask the following questions before signing on the dotted line:

CNBC web article: 7 Questions to Ask Before Buying a Business