Archive for category: Images

For decades, the corridor from McLeod Health to Francis Marion University has been peppered with weedy motels, crumbling businesses and vacant lots hemmed in by barbed wire.

“This side of Florence has always been the last on everybody’s list,” said Brandon Rawlinson, a business owner who has lived and worked in the area for years. A recent report described the corridor as a “pass-through rather than a place.”

That’s about to change — or at least officials hope it is.

With the introduction of major developments like Buc-ee’s and the electric vehicle battery plant, economic development and planning officials expect to see East Palmetto Street take off.

Now, Florence County is embarking on an ambitious project to reshape the eastern gateway into Florence and control the projected development.

To read the full story, click here.

Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly once danced across the screen of the Carolina Theater. Moviegoers lined up beneath a brightly lit marquee to see them. Tickets were 50 cents.

That was before the theater fell into disrepair, becoming a vacant storefront in downtown Florence for decades.

The city is now trying to breathe new life into the historic theater, returning it to its 1940s-era glory days.

The yearslong project is officially underway after the first phase of construction began in April. When finished, the theater will be a multipurpose venue in the heart of downtown, capable of hosting everything from concerts to weddings.

But the final product will depend on how much funding the city can find to finish renovations. Pandemic-era cost increases have shrunk the budget.

To read the full story, click here.

The Florence Chamber held its 2024 Building Bridges Diversity and Leadership Summit. Community participants were welcomed by Florence
City Mayor Teresa Myers-Ervin, Les Echols from the Florence Chamber.

Several speakers addressed the day-long gathering, including Rhonda Midgette of InsightfulHR, Dr. Louis Venters from Francis Marion University and opening keynote speaker Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis, President of Benedict College.

The program featured a women in leadership panel moderated by Nicole Echols of HopeHealth and an Executive Roundtable on diversity featuring representatives from iHeart Media, Francis Marion University and Assurant.

The mission of Building Bridges is to enable our community to address diverse issues through a process of changing attitudes & hearts through education and issue awareness.

To see photos from the day, click here.

One Child At A Time’s Third Annual Freedom Walk in support of bringing Human Trafficking Awareness to the Pee Dee takes place on July 27, 2024, at Darlington Raceway, 1301 Harry Byrd Hwy, Darling, S.C. 29532. The event begins at 7:30 am and ends at 10:30 am. This year’s theme is “ONE LAP FOR ONE CHILD.” Each walker receives a T-shirt with Sponsor recognition.

The event is expected to be televised with radio station coverage, and Preparation is being made for at least 1,000 walkers.

To view the full flyer, click here.