PULL UP A CHAIR
Grab a seat, because this is one of those weeks where Florence feels like it's leaning forward. Friday lights come on for the first time this season, and there's nothing quite like a Region 7-4A opener to remind you why fall in this city means something. A few days later, we'll stand on Stokes Road and watch a piece of Florence's history finally get the marker it's earned. Different kinds of moments, same city, same reason we keep showing up for each other. Let's get into it.
WHAT'S HAPPENING
A few highlights from around Florence this week, for anyone who missed the full page:
- Friday Night Countdown kicks off — South Florence hosts West Florence on Friday, September 11, the first of this season's Region 7-4A rivalry games. Get there early.
- A new historical marker, long overdue — the City of Florence dedicates a marker honoring the Palmetto School and Florence County Foster Home for Negro Children at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, September 15, at 1511 Stokes Road.
- Stormwater work starting on the north side — construction begins mid to late September on the N. Church Street and Oakland Avenue stormwater improvement project, funded through a South Carolina Office of Resilience grant. Completion is expected in early summer 2027.
- Panting for Paws returns — the 8th annual race benefiting the Darlington County Humane Society and Florence Area Humane Society is set for Saturday, September 26, at West Florence High School. 10K starts at 7:45 a.m., 5K at 8 a.m.
Want the full rundown? This Week in Florence has everything → This Week in Florence
FLORENCE STORIES
A preview ahead of September 15: the historical marker going up at 1511 Stokes Road tells a piece of Florence's story that doesn't get told often enough. The Florence County Foster Home for Negro Children grew out of the work of Dr. Iola Jones, a longtime Florence civic leader who helped establish and operate it through the National Council of Negro Women. A fuller Florence Stories piece on the school, the foster home, and Dr. Jones is coming, timed to the dedication.
GOOD NEIGHBORS
Florence 1 Schools and House of Hope recently broke ground on Hope Village, a 10-unit tiny home community on North Douglas Street built to support district families facing homelessness. It's the kind of project that doesn't make headlines outside Florence, but it's exactly the kind of neighbor-helping-neighbor work this section exists to point at. Worth keeping an eye on as it takes shape.
FROM THE COMMENTS
Monday nights on Front Porch Talk have turned into a real conversation, neighbors weighing in on everything from favorite Florence spots to what this city needs more of. We're saving a seat here for the best of what you tell us each week. If you've dropped a comment worth remembering, keep an eye out, it might show up in the next edition.
That's the porch for this week. Come back and sit a while in two weeks.
Florence Today | HelloFlorenceSC
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