Florence businessman and developer Chris Scott was named the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce’s Small Businessperson of the Year at the organization’s annual update luncheon.

“We appreciate Chris’ involvement in his church and his community and we celebrate his accomplishments in the field of real estate development,” said Jim Ivey with Dedicated Community Bank. “His partnership with Grey Raines, Ben Zeigler, and Tim Norwood on Hotel Florence helped kickstart the revitalization of downtown Florence.”

Dedicated Community Bank presented the SBOY award.

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Those in and around Florence who enjoy the great outdoors will soon have a new option.

On Friday, new trails and a fishing area at the Francis Marion University Freshwater Ecology Complex will open to the public. The public trails and fishing access area will be open every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from sunrise to sunset, except on university holidays. They are closed Monday through Thursday for educational and research purposes.

There are three trails at the complex: the Overlook Trail, the Forest Trail, and the Fishing Trail. The Overlook Trail is a short, crushed gravel trail that winds through a forest of oak, hickory, and pines. The trail ends at an observation deck that provides views of the drop-off into Backswamp. The Forest Loop Trail is a .41 miles dirt trail that goes through the woods before coming back to the main entrance road. The Fishing Trail is also a dirt trail. It leads to a cleared shoreline that provides the public with fishing access at the lake.

Fishing is open to the public at the designated public access fishing area on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from sunrise to sunset. To fish on the lake, anglers must have a valid S.C. freshwater fishing license and complete the FMU fishing registration. Registration cards are available online as well as onsite at the trailhead kiosk.

The Freshwater Ecology Complex is at 3742 N. Williston Road. Note that pets are not permitted, except for service animals. Hunting, swimming, and boating are not allowed on the premises.

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Florence and South Carolina are well suited to seize the future. The state’s strong history of manufacturing and advanced manufacturing helped define the state and what it can offer businesses. Now, as those industries transform to meet the future, we are doing the same. We are committed to capitalizing on the state’s business-friendly environment and building on our existing strengths to ensure prospective electric vehicle companies know their future growth is within our borders.

This is an interesting read for those involved in the EV expansion here in the Florence area.

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Business License Renewals for all businesses and professionals within the corporate limits of the City of Florence are due April 30, 2024.

For non-payment of all or any part of the correct business license tax, the license official shall impose and collect a late penalty of 10% of the unpaid tax for each month, or portion thereof, after the due date until paid.

For more information, please call the Business License office at (843) 665-3173 or email blicense@cityofflorence.com.

Business licenses may also be renewed online at https://www.localblrenewal.com/city_of_florence/renewalinformation