Florence Center Will Host SCHSL State Basketball Semifinals & Finals

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“We’re ready to play ball,” Florence mayor Teresa Myers Ervin declared as perhaps the final box was checked off Thursday.

The press conference at the Florence Center marked the culmination of a partnership between the city/county and the S.C. High School League as Florence will be the sole host of the state basketball semifinals and finals for at least the next two seasons.

This will be the first time that one site will host the upper/lower state title games as well as the state title games for all classifications. The semifinals are slated for Feb. 23-28 with the finals taking place March 1-2.

For more information, click here.

End Of An Era At The Track

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Kerry Tharp’s favorite thing about stock car racing is the people. The Darlington Raceway president said that’s what NASCAR is all about.

In the week before his last race before retirement, Tharp spent much of his time with the people. He handed out doughnuts and sandwiches to fans, shook hands with reporters he corralled for a decade and rode around the infield on his golf cart, waving like royalty. He even held a pet lizard.

Tharp announced his retirement in June. The Sept. 3 Cook Out Southern 500 marked his last race at the The Track to Tough to Tame, and kicked off NASCAR’s playoffs.

Pictured, Kerry Tharp, Josh Harris and Chip Wile stand at a press conference announcing Harris as the new track president at Darlington Raceway.

To read the full story, click here.

American Heart Association’s Heart Walk Scheduled For October 28th

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Join your friends, family, and co-workers to be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. We’re all tied to heart disease and stroke in some way, and we must change that. By registering for the Heart Walk TODAY, you are taking the first step to save lives. Every walker who joins, every dollar donated means more research, more people trained in lifesaving CPR, more medical breakthroughs, and more champions for equitable health.

The Pee Dee Heart Walk is scheduled for Saturday, October 28th in Downtown Florence at FMU’s Performing Arts Center.  The event opens at 9:00 AM and the walk begins at 10:00 AM.

To register online, click here.

September Is Workforce Development Month

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Governor Henry McMaster and the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW) have announced September as Workforce Development Month for the second year. McMaster mentioned in a press release, “During Workforce Development Month, we highlight the many opportunities available to our people and business community alike to help them and our state continue to prosper.” DEW Executive Director William Floyd added to that by stating, “I think the best thing about this month is how it highlights the daily collaboration, throughout South Carolina, of employers, educators, public agencies, non-profits, and community partners who are committed to enhancing and expanding our world-class workforce.”

September will be filled with job fairs, hiring events, workshops, training, rural outreach, conferences, symposiums, and many other activities to help employers strengthen their businesses and jobseekers find work. Multiple job fairs, including the Be Pro Be Proud and S.C. Works Career Coach, are already occurring across the state, like the SC@Work: Road Trips.

Visit dew.sc.gov/wdm for an interactive map showing your local area’s upcoming events, featured employers, services that S.C. Works can provide, and more. Additionally, we encourage all businesses to participate in this month’s Palmetto Business Barometer to help us better understand the conditions that South Carolina employers are facing and to inform the public about the state’s economy and workforce. Access the September survey here.

M.O.V.E. With Coach T Fitness Holds Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

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Twana McRae “Coach T ” her husband, family, staff and friends joined the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce.

M.O.V.E. with Coach T Fitness will be offering strength training, personal training, group fitness classes, Zumba, boot camps, and so much more. “Together, we’ll help you accomplish your fitness goals. Come out and Move with Coach T!”

Our desire is to help all fitness levels reach their goals. Movement is good for our bodies and our minds. Together we’re working towards increasing knowledge about healthy habits and exercise. We have a focus to help impact our community (including our youth) with fitness. Get them moving and understanding the importance of physical health. The goal is to overcome the obesity stigma. Move with Coach T Fitness is a place where families can come and get fit together. Here at M.O.V.E. with Coach T fitness we welcome all fitness levels, from the beginner to the fitness enthusiast. Let’s get fit together!

To read the full story, click here.

Leadership Florence Hosts Meet And Greet Session

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The Greater Florence Chamber hosted an informative Leadership Florence Meet and Greet session on September 5th for the 34 member leadership class of 2024. The participants met for the first time at the Chamber offices and began developing connections and relationships that will strengthen throughout the 9-month program.

The first official Leadership Florence session will be an overnight retreat in Myrtle Beach September 11th-12th.

To see photos from the event, click here.

The F1S Food Truck Makes Debut At Sneed Middle School

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Move over, Food Network and Eats-on-the Creek! Florence 1 Schools has its very own culinary empire on wheels. The Florence 1 Schools Food Truck will make its way to all Florence 1 Schools delivering meals during lunch that are sure to delight K-12 palates.

Pictured above are F1S District Executive Chef Katrina Smith and Sneed Middle School students standing in front of the new roving F1S Food Truck. The Sneed Middle students were among the first to enjoy pizza lunches delivered to the school campus.

Florence Family YMCA Marks 100 Years Of Service

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On September 8th, the Florence Family YMCA did something many community organizations never get a chance to do — celebrate 100 years of service.

“We were chartered by the YMCA USA back in Sept. 8, 1923. So we’ll have a big to-do Friday, Sept. 8,” said Brian News, the Y’s Chief Executive Officer.

That big to-do included a Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting among other activities such as giveaways and tours.

To read the full story, click here.

Florence Chamber’s Women In Commerce Was A Sell Out Event

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The Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce’s first Women in Commerce luncheon on Sept. 6 at the Florence Center was sold out.

Hundreds of women, and a few men, piled into the Florence Center on Sept. 6. for the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce’s first Women in Commerce Luncheon.

Attendees chatted, swapped business cards and played mingle bingo before listening to speakers Costa Cockfield and Donna Isgett tell stories of their professional journeys.

The goal of the luncheon, Chamber COO Susan Farver said, is to help women in leadership positions get to know one another and grow their careers together.

To read the full story, click here.

Department of Labor Proposes New Overtime Rules

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The United States Department of Labor (DOL) has proposed a rule that would extend overtime pay to salaried workers earning less than $55,000 a year. Currently, salaried “executive, administrative or professional employees” making over $35,568 are exempt from overtime eligibility. The proposal, if finalized, would likely grant an additional 3.6 million salaried workers the ability to get paid “time-and-a-half” if they work over 40 hours in a week. Additionally, the salary threshold for overtime eligibility would be automatically updated every three years to “reflect current earnings data”.

It is anticipated that salaried employees in the hospitality, manufacturing, and retail industries would be most impacted by the proposed rule. The National Association of Manufacturers expressed immediate concern with the proposal, saying, “The DOL’s proposed rule would inject new regulatory burdens and compliance costs to an industry already reeling from workforce shortages and an onslaught of other unbalanced regulations. Creating new regulatory processes and imposing additional mandatory costs will act as a drag on the sector and upend productive employer–employee relations.”

The rule is not finalized and will undergo the federal rulemaking process. Once published in the Federal Register, the proposed rule will be open for a public comment period of 60 days.

To read the full story, click here.