Archive for month: May, 2025

The Post & Courier Pee Dee reported that Florence Downtown Development Corp. has been awarded a $100,000 Small Business Accelerator Grant. The grant is from The Hartford in partnership with Main Street America. The money will help build a storefront downtown to offer additional retail spaces.

The property is located at 349 and 351 W. Evans St in downtown Florence. The space will revitalize about 1,900 square feet.

For more information, click here.

Last week the Florence Chamber’s Leadership Florence Class of 2025 held their last session of the year as Business and Industry Day.

The 40 person group started with breakfast and a full tour of GE HealthCare operations. Later, the class visited Niagara Water for a tour of the highly automated facility.

The day concluded with lunch and ATV rides courtesy of Honda of South Carolina Manufacturing.

Leadership graduation ceremony will be held on Wednesday, May 14th.

To see more phots from the day, click here.

Is home ownership one of your financial goals? Join Truist for this informative session! Learn key steps to homeownership and the mortgage process, finding the right home for your budget, and the advantages of buying a home.  They’ll also provide valuable takeaway resources to help you on your journey to homeownership.

For more information, click here.

After searching high and low for a place to call home for herself, her horses, and her dog grooming studio, Darlington native and first-time homebuyer Courtney Osmundson finally found the perfect piece of property: “I was working one day and my mom sent this house to me; when I saw it, I was like, ‘It’s perfect! I want it!’” With the help of SPC Credit Union’s Down Payment Assistance Program and First-Time Homebuyers Education certificate, it wasn’t long before Courtney was sealing the deal on this milestone purchase.

Courtney says of her homebuying experience, “Banking with SPC and then the opportunities they had, I wanted to stick with them. I just felt like I’d have a better chance, you know, having some help.” Her help came by way of SPC’s all-star Mortgage Lending Team. Since having launched the Down Payment Assistance forgivable loan program in early 2025, this team has committed themselves to helping eligible first time homebuyers save up to $5,000 on down payment and/or closing costs. Courtney worked closely with Carmen Jackson, SPC’s Residential Lending Manager, and Phyllis Mark, Senior Loan Officer, who worked diligently to make the process as smooth and affordable as possible.

To read the full press release, click here.

The South Carolina Governor’s School for Science & Mathematics (GSSM) celebrates Navneeth Nalajala, a member of the Class of 2025 from Fort Mill, for being named a 2025 Coca-Cola Scholar, one of only 150 high school seniors nationwide selected from over 105,000 applicants. Less than 1/6th of 1% of applicants were chosen to receive this extremely competitive award. He is the only scholar from South Carolina. The Coca-Cola Scholars Program honors students who exemplify leadership, service, and academic excellence with a $20,000 college scholarship.

Nav’s dedication to service and leadership is reflected through his work in Scouting, EMS volunteering, and community support initiatives. As the Palmetto Council of South Carolina’s Boy Scout of the Year and a troop leader, he has mentored more than 50 Scouts, guiding them through high-adventure expeditions and leadership development. He also serves as the Student Council President at GSSM, serving his peers and ensuring their opinions are heard. In addition, he founded a lawn care service, donating all proceeds to a local home for teens, and played a pivotal role in expanding the Fort Mill EMS Cadet Program from two to more than 25 volunteers. In addition to his leadership efforts, Nav actively volunteers in EMS response and in the pediatric emergency room, with aspirations of pursuing a career in medicine.

To read the full press release, click here.