Join the Young Professionals of Florence on Thursday, November 20th from 5:30 – 7:00 PM at the FMU School of Business. We hope to see you at our November event where we are partnering with @francismarionu for a night of fun, and we are so excited to hear from Ryan White. Make sure to mark your calendars!
George Rishmawi, family, & friends cut the ceremonial ribbon to re-welcome Orangetheory Fitness BACK to Florence & join the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce.
“Your Greatest Investment Begins with You. I’m a firm believer in that statement, and so is every person within these doors. Whether it’s physically, spiritually, mentally, figuratively, etc., everyone should have the opportunity to prioritize their well-being. XGen Cryo was the beginning of my sharing of this mission & cultural shift to Flo-Town, & it’s truly a blessing to have the opportunity to extend this mission by bringing Orangetheory Fitness back. There is nothing like being able to connect & build real relationships with every person that walks in these doors; Every person who does their part in making this town what it is. There’s a different energy & high to this that you can’t find anywhere else. Our job is the privilege of getting to be a part of becoming better versions of ourselves together. You can’t even put a price on that. Florence deserves to have products like this brand, along with this community that is unlike any other, stick around. Orangetheory Fitness Flo-Town is here to stay.”
Orangetheory Fitness is a one-hour, full-body cardio and strength training workout that delivers a personal training experience in a high-energy, family-centric, group setting. Every minute of an Orangetheory workout is led by a Triple Certified Coach & shaped by the science behind 5 heart rate zones that are tracked by connected technology in real-time to monitor progress & results. This unique approach takes you through a combination of anaerobic, aerobic, strength, and stability training to help you live a longer, more vibrant life. Each class includes an engaging mix of treadmill, rowing, and floor blocks that may include bodyweight exercises, dumbbells, a BOSU ball, and/or TRX straps. Whether you power walk, jog, or run on the treadmills, activate up to 85% of your muscles on the rowers, or learn to master that perfect form on the floor– it’s your hour, at your pace. Members of all fitness levels and abilities can successfully and continually challenge themselves within these doors!
To read the full story, click here.
On Friday, November 7th, The Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce held its’ Winter Community Breakfast focused on addressing mental health in the Pee Dee at the Florence Center.
MUSC Health Florence Medical Center, and its’ collaborative partners, opened the doors of the innovative MUSC Health Jean and Hugh K. Leatherman Behavioral Care Pavilion in late August to serve as the regional behavioral health center. The breakfast program was centered on sharing the need of this facility and benefits of it being located here in Florence. The program included a behavioral health skit performed by a group named the Dramatic Coffee Beans and was followed with a panelist discussion from area health care experts about how they are joining forces to address and ease the impact of mental health challenges in the Pee Dee.
The panelists included Elizabeth Crowley, Executive Director at MUSC Leatherman Behavioral Care Pavilion; Rebecca Vincent, Vice President of Patient Services, Women’s and Children’s McLeod Regional Medical Center; Farrah M. Hughes, Associate Vice President for Behavioral Health at HopeHealth and Jay Hinesley, CEO of MUSC Health Florence Medical Center.
The Chamber’s Community Breakfast is an informational gathering held twice each year covering central community topics.
The program was made possible by First Reliance Bank and Signature Wealth Strategies.
(Photos by David Yeazell)
In January, U.S. Census data showed that Americans were flocking to the Sun Belt states and according to a new report from moveBuddha that trend is still going strong.
The relocation tech company used proprietary data collected from 2020 through October 1, 2025, to analyze move trends. The report found that four of the top 10 states people are looking to move to most are located in the South.
South Carolina is the most popular state to move to for the sixth year in a row. Movers have shown more than double the interest in moves in than out.
To read the full story, click here.
Last week, the Tax Foundation published its 2026 State Tax Competitiveness Index, which ranks states based on their overall tax competitiveness, not just their business tax climates. The Index compares states on several key tax metrics including corporate taxes, individual income taxes, sales, use, and excise taxes, property and wealth taxes, and unemployment insurance taxes, and has been relied upon by policymakers and advocates to understand how their state’s tax code stacks up relative to peer states and identify areas for improvement.
South Carolina’s overall tax climate ranking remained the same at 29th overall in this year’s version of the Index, although the state’s corporate tax ranking improved to 8th overall.
Looking across the Southeast, our neighboring states show Florida and Tennessee both rank inside the top ten at 5th and 8th, North Carolina ranks 13th, and Georgia ranks 18th. Alabama ranking is 37th.
To read the full story, click here.
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Join us at www.redcross.org/volunteer
The Morning News Digital reported that Florence County is seeking residents’ thoughts on the safety and efficiency of the intersection of S.C. Highway 327 and Interstate 95 near Buc-ees’.
“This is a growing corridor, and traffic has already shown to be a problem at the interchange and, as industry continues to develop, we need to explore opportunities that are going to allow traffic congestion not to be a problem,” said Shawn Brashear, the county’s director of planning and building.
Residents can submit their thoughts at the county’s website. The county started this study a few months ago.
To read the full story, click here.
According to the Post & Courier Pee Dee Francis Marion University is purchasing 8,460 acres of forestland with 8 miles of Great Pee Dee River frontage and will make the university the second largest public university landholder in the state — second to only Clemson University.
Francis Marion plans on using the land for its upcoming forestry program alongside other environmental programs the school offers.
The recent formation of a partnership that includes FMU, the Open Space Institute, Florence County, the SC Office of Resilience, the SC Conservation Bank, the Darla Moore Foundation and a coalition of additional government and local partners will see the almost 8,500 acres of conservation land in Florence and Darlington counties secured for the educational endeavor.
To read the full story, click here.
Join The Senior Citizens Association on Friday, November 14, 2025 at 9 AM (while supplies last)!
This drive-thru giveaway is open to county residents of Florence, Effingham, and Quinby and will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. A huge thank you to our sponsors, partners, and volunteers for making this event possible!
To view the full flyer, click here.
On October 22, the South Carolina Highway Patrol, alongside law enforcement partners and community supporters, gathered for the 31st Annual Troop Five Charity Golf Tournament at the Country Club of South Carolina. Presented by the Temple & Hogsette Law Group and supported by a generous network of sponsors and volunteers, this long-standing tradition continues to unite troopers and community members for a day of fellowship, remembrance, and giving back.
What began more than three decades ago as a friendly golf outing among troopers from all eight counties in Troop Five has grown into a powerful force for good. Over the years, the event has raised thousands of dollars to benefit local charities and families across the Pee Dee region.
To read the full press release, click here.
