Florence Businesses See Impact Of Sunday Alcohol Sales In Year After Vote For Change

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uying beer and wine 7 days a week in the city of Florence has been a boom for businesses since Florence residents voted for the Sunday alcohol law changes a year ago.

Both businesses and residents across the city weighed in on the fairly new law. Some businesses said it’s a work in progress while the Florence community said they’ve seen a difference.

“It’s been a great convenience, and I think it’s benefited the retailers a lot more than they initially thought that it may,” said President of the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce, Mike Miller.

A year ago, 71% of Florence voters said “yes” to beer and wine sales on Sundays.

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SC Unemployment Insurance Tax Rates To Decrease In 2024

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Governor Henry McMaster and South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW) Executive Director William Floyd announced that state unemployment insurance (UI) tax rates will either decrease or stay the same for all employers in 2024, marking the third consecutive year that UI taxes have been lowered. South Carolina’s UI Trust Fund has a balance of nearly $1.6 billion, which has allowed the state to set the 2024 tax rates to raise approximately the same amount of revenue as 2023 and 2022, lower rates for rate classes 2-19 by an average of 6% (rates for classes 1 and 20 are set by statute and do not change year to year), and forgo a solvency surcharge due to the high balance of the fund.

Tax rate notices will be mailed to businesses on Monday, November 13, but employers can also log into their State Unemployment Insurance Tax System (SUITS) account to see their 2024 tax rate. More information regarding the 2024 UI tax rates can be found here.

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Florence 1 Schools Announces New School Focused On Healthcare

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Florence 1 Schools announced Thursday in a news release that a new school will be coming to the district by January 2025, and its focus will be on healthcare and students who have an interest in working in the medical field, the district said.

The School of Innovation in Healthcare will be housed at the historic Poynor Building which is able to be renovated due to a $10 million dollar grant from the Florence County Legislative Delegation, the release said.

Representative Phillip Lowe, Chairman of the Florence County Delegation, said in the news release that members developed a two-year plan to fundamentally change the entire Pee Dee region.

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HopeHealth To Host Annual AIDSWalk On December 2

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On Saturday, December 2, HopeHealth will host its annual AIDSWalk.

This year’s event will take place on the grounds of the HopeHealth Medical Plaza at 360 North Irby Street in Florence. Registration and check-in begin at 9 am in the Meditation Garden, with the program and non-competitive awareness walk kicking off at 10 am. Participants will receive a free AIDSWalk t-shirt and to-go box lunch while supplies last.

AIDSWalk has been hosted by HopeHealth since 1993 and serves to bring awareness about the importance of prevention, treatment, and breaking the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS. In addition to t-shirts and door prizes, attendees can enjoy music by DJ Stylz. Pre-register for the event online by visiting hope-health.org/event-list/aidswalk-2023.

SC Chamber Joins Comments Opposing Proposed Overtime Rule

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Last week, the South Carolina Chamber joined the Partnership to Protect Workplace Opportunity (PPWO) and over 240 national, state, and local business associations in filing comments opposing the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) proposed overtime rule, and requested that the rule be withdrawn.

The proposed rule would extend overtime pay to salaried workers earning less than $55,000 a year and automatically update the salary threshold for overtime eligibility every three years to “reflect current earnings data”.

The PPWO estimates that nearly 7.2 million workers could be impacted by the proposed rule if adopted. Additionally, PPWO estimates DOL could issue the final rule as early as March 1, 2024, requiring employers to implement the changes as early as May 1, 2024. Click below for more information.

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RIA Awards Construction Grants In SC To Upgrade Critical Infrastructure

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The SC Rural Infrastructure Authority (RIA) continues its mission of providing grants to address some of the state’s most pressing infrastructure needs related to public health and the environment while building capacity for economic opportunities. Last week, the RIA approved state grant assistance for 30 projects, totaling more than $18 million. These projects will benefit communities in 21 counties across the state.

The City of Florence will be awarded $1,000,000. Most of the grants will fund capital improvements, including extension of water lines to serve new customers in a disadvantaged community, construction of new wells to increase water production, replacement of sewer lines to reduce infiltration and inflow as well as upgrades to treatment plants. Other projects are designed to facilitate economic opportunities and promote job creation. Combined, these projects will benefit more than 63,000 customers in 14 counties.

A list of grant recipients for the first round of competitive grants for fiscal year 2024 can be found by clicking here.

Harvest Hope Cuts Ribbon On New Location

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Harvest Hope CEO Erinn Rowe, along with Jada Willis Board Chair, other executives, board members and Chamber Ambassadors cut the ribbon officially opening their new location at 2701 Alex Lee Blvd.

The ribbon cutting kicked off Harvest Hope’s Grand Opening which was supported by Agency Testimonials from Teresa Mason – Johnson Foundation, Capt. Tim Scott – Salvation Army, Local and State dignitaries Mayor Teresa Ervin and State Representative Terry Alexander. A donation was presented to Harvest Hope by Mindy Taylor of Duke Energy.

Harvest Hope is South Carolinas largest food band and provides over 20 million meals across their service area each year. They rescue, pack, transport, and deliver nutritious food to soup kitchens, shelters, food pantries, and schools in twenty counties in South Carolina.

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HopeHealth Diabetes Institute To Host “Rethink Your Drink” Event

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Sugary drinks are the leading source of added sugars in the American diet. Have you ever wondered how much sugar is in your morning latte or afternoon soda? Join the Diabetes Institute at HopeHealth to Rethink Your Drink!

Attend this free event, open to the public. You will meet Diabetes Institute providers and learn important tips for reducing your sugar intake. The first 30 attendees to sign up can receive free A1C testing (only for attendees without a diabetes diagnosis).

The event will be held on Wednesday, November 15 from 4-6 pm at the HopeHealth Medical Plaza (360 N. Irby St., Florence) in the Magnolia Room.  For more information and to register for the event, call (843) 432-3717.

TLC Your Way Home Care Services, Inc. Holds Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

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TLC Your Way Care Services Caring Founder Natalia K. Samuels, RN along with her husband, staff and Chamber Ambassadors assist in welcoming TLC to the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce.

TLC Your Way Home Care Services, Inc. is a non-medical home care service that’s dedicated to aiding with homebound individuals and those dealing with Alzheimer’s or dementia, as well as those who just need a helping hand with the activities of daily living. All caregivers are highly skilled with CPR certification and supervised by an RN.

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New Florence Facility Will Be A Joint Effort In Addressing Area’s Behavioral Health Crisis

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MUSC Health, HopeHealth and McLeod Health are working together to bring a $100 million behavioral health facility to Florence in 2025, MUSC CEO Jay Hinesley said Nov. 3 at the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce’s health care breakfast.

The behavioral health care center was announced in June as part of the state’s initiative to address the mental health crisis in South Carolina. The Florence facility will have 63 psychiatric beds plus outpatient and telepsychiatry services, as well as a rapid access center for walk-in assessments.

MUSC, HopeHealth and McLeod Regional Medical Center are working together on the project. The state of South Carolina and city of Florence are helping fund the project.

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