September 7, 2026 · LATEST
Edition No. 8 — "Front Porch Talk"
Monday, September 7, 2026
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:
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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.
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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.
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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 with your name on it.
That's the porch for this week. Come back and sit a while in two
weeks.
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