Florence Area Literacy Council Announces, “Grown Up Spelling Bee” Competition

R-E-D-E-M-P-T-I-O-N.  The Florence Area Literacy Council will be holding a Grown-Up Spelling Bee on Tuesday, November 12th at the Staybridge Suites at 6:00 PM.   Bee a Friend of Literacy and help us meet our goal this year!

To view the full flyer, click here.

US Air Force Band Coming To South Carolina

Your United States Air Force Band and Singing Sergeants will be performing free concerts in South Carolina on October 18 & 21.  All concerts are FREE! This is a rare and exciting opportunity to hear great patriotic music, broadway classics and as always a salute to celebrate our veterans! We would love to have your support in forwarding this email and adding it to your calendar of events! FREE tickets are available at the links below:

Florence – Oct 18 @ 7:30 pm and Columbia – Oct 21 @ 7:00 pm

Legislative Update

Multiple special committees appointed by the General Assembly met last week to receive testimony and have discussions ahead of the 2025 legislative session, including: 

  • The Insurance Study Committee, tasked with examining South Carolina’s civil justice system and insurance market, held its first meeting to organize and hear from the Director of the South Carolina Department of Insurance, Michael Wise, who gave an update on the status of the insurance market in the state. The committee will be holding subsequent meetings on this topic over the next few weeks and months and is required to submit a report with recommendations to the General Assembly by January 31, 2025. Watch the meeting here.
  • The Special Joint Committee to Study Childcare met this week to receive testimony from business stakeholders including the South Carolina Hospital Association, Prisma Health and others, and to discuss data compiled about the challenges facing families, childcare workers and childcare providers. The committee plans to continue meeting in the coming months with the hope of generating a report with policy recommendations ahead of the 2025 legislative session. Watch the meeting here.
  • The Senate Special Committee on South Carolina’s Energy Future met to continue discussions regarding the state’s need for increased energy generation. The committee received testimony from a wide variety of stakeholders including industrial energy users, economic developers, and data center companies. Also testifying was South Carolina Department of Commerce Secretary Harry Lightsey, who shared his belief that South Carolina must bring new energy generation sources online in order to sustain the state’s growth and record economic development success. He also shared additional information regarding the role SC NEXUS will play in helping alleviate South Carolina’s energy shortage through grid resiliency and technological advances, and discussed why data center projects are important to the state’s economy. The committee plans to meet again this week to begin discussing potential legislation. More information on the meeting can be found here.

Register To Win A 2024 Mustang GT

Get your raffle tickets today for a chance to win a 2024 Mustang GT.  Tickets are $100 each and only 1000 tickets will be sold.  Tickets are available at Julia Belle’s Restaurant, Mike Reichenbach Ford or from any Camp Pee Dee Pride Board Member. The drawing will be held on February 14, 2025 at Camp Pee Dee Pride.

MUSC Welcomes New Providers

MUSC Health Florence Medical Center is happy to announce the arrival of Dr. Beth Meloro, Vascular Surgeon; Dr. Abdullah Pervaiz, Cardiologist; Dr. Reem Akel, Hematology/Oncologist; and Natalie Prince, FNP, High-Risk Breast Specialists.

To read the full press release, click here.

AESC Job Fair Set For November 13

Do you want to work in a clean, quiet, safe, temperature-controlled, and highly automated manufacturing facility?  Attend their Job Fair on Wednesday, November 13th, starting at 8AM at SiMT.  8:00 AM-9:00 AM is Veterans Hour with refreshments; 9:00 AM-5:00 PM will be for all other interested applicants.  No experience required. Walk-ins welcome.  RSVP today and submit an online application. Applicants must be 18+.

To view the full flyer, click here.

Elaining Hands Hosting A Tea Cup Brunch On October 12

Elaining Hands is excited to announce their Tea Cup Brunch on October 12th from 12:00 – 2:00 pm. This is a special event dedicated to networking and promoting mental health awareness in our community. This event is about creating a safe space to connect, network, and support one another.

For more information, click here.

Benton House Of Florence To Host Business After Hours

The Florence Chamber invites you to join us for an after-hours event hosted by The Benton House of Florence. Come out on Thursday, October 10th from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. located at 1370 Celebration Blvd for great food, drinks, and networking. Be sure to bring lots of business cards! RSVP by clicking here to register online.

LVP Flooring Holds Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

Andy Glover with LVP Flooring Outlet along with Chamber Ambassadors cut his ribbon joining the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce and welcoming clients to his newly opened flooring outlet.

LVP is a wholesale distributor for CASE Discount Flooring. CASE has over 60 distributors across the United States. Their goal is to offer clients superior quality, 100% waterproof luxury vinyl plank flooring at wholesale prices.

According to Andy “We always have inventory available. Whether you need 24 square feet or 5,000 square feet, we have it in stock and ready to go with no waiting to order.”

To read the full story, click here.

Florence Rotary Club Welcomes New Leadership

The Florence Rotary Club announced the induction of Roger Edward “Ed” Henderson as its 104th President during a celebratory meeting held in June. Ed Henderson succeeds Taylor Hucks McMillan, the outgoing President, in a tradition known as the Passing of the Gavel. This symbolic ceremony marks the transition of leadership within the club. Ed Henderson, a distinguished lawyer and community leader, presented outgoing Florence Rotary President Taylor Hucks McMillan with the gavel as a token of appreciation for her exemplary service. “I know I have big shoes to fill as Taylor’s successor—she was a fantastic president and is a true asset to the club,” Henderson stated.

To read the full press release, click here.