AROUND TOWN

The SCDOR is mailing $50 rebate checks to eligible South Carolina taxpayers this month.

Earlier this year, South Carolina lawmakers determined $61 million of the tax dollars generated by the 2018 Mega Millions winner would be used to fund $50 rebate checks for qualifying taxpayers.

400,000 checks were issued last week.

More than 1.2 million qualifying taxpayers are expected to receive a rebate check by the end of the year.

To find out if you’re eligible, visit https://dor.sc.gov/rebate .

Road relief will take years

Construction to help fix malfunction junction isn’t ready, yet.

But when it does begin, the estimated $1.5 billion project will take at least 8 years to complete.

That’s what state Sen. Dick Harpootlian told the West Metro Rotary Club Friday morning. He said that is what state Department of Transportation Secretary Christy Hall told him in a meeting last week.

Harpootlian said the traffic where Interstates 20, 26 and 126 meet “will be even more of a malfunction junction - 8 years of it,” during construction.

LMC will be in-network

Lexington Medical Center and its physician practices will be in-network with some insurance providers in 2020.

Beginning Jan. 1, Affordable Care Act Marketplace plans through BlueCross BlueShield of SC and Molina HealthCare will accept LMC as in-network.

Open enrollment for the South Carolina Health Insurance Marketplace is underway through Dec. 15. To learn about health insurance options in the marketplace, visit www.healthcare.gov .

Higher learning partnership

MTC President Dr. Ronald Rhames and Lexington 2 Superintendent Dr. William James Jr. will help high school students take higher education courses at a faster pace.

Under the agreement, MTC will award academic or exemption credit for courses taken by District 2 students pursuing academic or career programs.

Courses and programs in this agreement include:

• Engineering Technologies

• Business, Graphic Communications, and Computer Programming

• Pre-Health and Pre-Nursing

• Industrial Electricity, Mechatronics and Building and Construction.

Convenience store coming soon

A new QT (QuikTrip) gas station is coming to South Lake Drive at Glassmaster Road in Lexington.

It will be where 3 rundown buildings used to be across from Industrial Drive, according to a Facebook post on the Town of Lexington page.

The 3 buildings on that property are being torn down, the Chronicle’s Terry Ward reported.

QuikTrip has 800-plus stores in 11 states, according to the company’s website.

Art at the airport

Columbia Metropolitan Airport has added art to your traveling experience.

They are partnering with Columbia Museum of Art to bring part of the new Van Gogh exhibit to the airport.

Also on display is “En Plein Air: Scenes of South Carolina,” a pop-up exhibition with works from SC artists Noelle Brault, Stephen Chesley, Bruce Nellsmith, Mickey Williams.