Archive for category: Frontpage Article

They are one month away from hosting their BBQ Fundraiser on Tuesday, November 17th and are looking for volunteers to help bring it all together! This event is their biggest fundraiser and directly supports foster children during an incredibly challenging time in their lives.

We have opportunities for individuals to assist with: Plating meals and desserts, bagging orders and delivering meals to local businesses

The fundraiser will take place on Tuesday, November 17^th at Roger’s BBQ – 2004 Second Loop Road, Florence. Volunteer opportunities are available from 8:30 AM – 2:00 PM (shifts vary, see registration link for more details).

Your time and willingness to serve truly make a difference, not just in the success of the event, but in the lives of the children and families we support every day. If you are interested in blessing the fostering community through serving during this event, please sign up here! You can find additional details and select your preferred role and time slot through the link.

Clean out your medicine cabinet for National Prescription Drug Take Back Day!

The Florence Police Department encourages you to safely dispose of old, unused, and unneeded medications at this free and anonymous collection event.

The take back event will be held on Saturday, October 24 from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. at Walmart located at 230 N. Beltline Dr., Florence.

Help keep medications out of the wrong hands and protect our community by disposing of them safely.

For more information, visit www.DEATakeBack.com or contact Lt. Travis Scott at 843-665-3191

Again this year the sweet smell of chicken wings and chili cooking filled the air Friday night at the Chambers Kickin’ Chicken Wing and Chili Festival in the 100 block of South Dargan Street in Florence.

The crowd of 2,000 people turned out to taste more than 1,400 pounds of chicken wings and a very large volume of various chili types. All this while listening to the great music by a new band, Greenview Drive.

The annual event featured the chance to sample wings from various area cookers, many of which have taken home honors at past competitions.

The cooking winners by category were:

Chili Winners

1st Place – Mac’s BBQ Kitchen

2nd Place – Carolina Fresh Foods

Wing Winners

1st Place – Performance Foodservice (300 POUNDS of wings! )

2nd Place – Dirty Myrtle Wing Co. (a first-time competitor!)

3rd Place – Mac’s BBQ Kitchen

Finally, Rollin Smoke won this year’s People’s Choice Award sponsored by Community Broadcasters. It was a tight finish for this award with only a few people votes between second place, The Temple Boys and third place, Performance Food Group.

Special thanks to this year’s sponsors Synergi Partners, South Carolina Federal Credit Union, T-Mobile, Victors, and MPD Electric Cooperative.

Photos by Phillip Guyton

The Columbia World Affairs Council announced Dr. Fred Carter, president of Francis Marion University, as the 2026 Global Vision Award recipient. He will be honored at a black-tie gala on Tuesday, December 1, at the Columbia Museum of Art, for a lifetime of public service and leadership that has advanced South Carolina’s interest and influence around the world. This is the 33rd year the Columbia World Affairs Council has presented the award to a leader whose contributions have made a significant impact on projecting South Carolina globally.

Dr. Carter is the longest serving university president in South Carolina. He assumed the presidency of Francis Marion University in 1999, leading the University through a period of extensive growth and development. He has presided over the start of two dozen academic initiatives, including the development of three doctoral programs and the creation of a School of Health Sciences. Under Dr. Carter’s leadership, FMU’s International Programs excelled to include 11 semester-long exchange programs with universities in seven different countries and travel studies to unique instructional and research sites, such as FMU’s Wildsumaco Biological Research station in Ecuador, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau in Germany, the University of Prince Edward Island in Canada, Carlow College in Ireland, the University of Burgos in Spain, DeMontford University in England, and the University of Rennes in France.

To read the full story, click here.

Something BIG is happening at The Sword of Truth, and we’re turning October 31st into a whole FAMILY DAY!

Think trunk-or-treating. Games. Food. Pony rides. Hayrides. Fall photos. Candy. Music. Fun. And a lot of community!

The fun will take place on Saturday, October 31th from 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM located at 3203 W. Palmetto St, Florence. And here’s the best part…It’s free. It’s for the community. And it’s for the whole family!

To view the full flyer, click here.