As a Florence pawn shop owner, Dave Hemmingsen depends on gold sales to keep his business going. But the illegal sale of precious metals by those without a permit are hurting threatening his livelihood.

Florence County Council has selected a consortium from New York and Columbia to design the new Florence Museum of Art, Science and History.

About 90 employees at BlueCross BlueShield PGBA in Florence may be out of a job by Feb. 5.

Members of Florence-area neighborhood groups say an ordinance before Florence County Council will be a positive step toward handling unsafe structures in unincorporated areas that brush up against the Florence city limits.

Police arrested a Florence man Wednesday amid accusations he sexually assaulted five children.

State and local officials were on hand Wednesday to welcome Monster Inc.’s new customer service facility to Florence County. Monster announced in late June 2008 it planned to invest $28 million and create 750 jobs over five years through the center in Florence.

Pee Dee Regional Center’s Volunteer Service Board unveiled the 2009 Christmas in Florence Ornament on Tuesday. The ornament was again designed by Stephen Guyton, a Florence artist whose work is exhibited in collections nation wide.

Friends of the Florence County Library will present “True Places: A Lowcountry Preacher, His Church and His People” by Stanley F. Lanzano at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the Drs. Bruce & Lee Foundation Library.

A Kennedy Center artist is working with students at Royall Elementary School in Florence this week. Puppeteer Hobey Ford is working with fourth grade students to create shadow puppets.

The man who robbed a Florence bank Friday morning has been identified as a suspect in a series of bank robberies in the Carolinas, according to a Crime Stoppers press release issued Monday.

The Second Chance K9 Rescue and the Carolina Kitties Rescue will join forces Saturday for a pet adoption from noon to 4 p.m. at Ashley Furniture/Hobby Lobby in Florence.

Twelfth Circuit Court Judge Ralph King Anderson Jr. denied bond Monday for a man charged as an accessory in a Florence County double homicide case.

If you’re looking for a fight, head down U.S. 301 toward Turbeville, hang a right on Sardis Highway, make a left on a dirt road called Clyde McGee, round a curve and enter the nondescript building on the right. The Florence Fight Farm is a place where you can kick some butt … or get yours kicked.

A Cuban national arrested in Florence has been sentenced in federal court for possession of counterfeit Wal-Mart gift cards.

Three Florence men identified as members of the 900 Boyz street gang have been sentenced in federal court on drug and firearms charges.