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Riverbanks Zoo and Garden staff are gearing up for the 32nd annual Lights Before Christmas. The popular holiday lights display will run through Dec. 30. Riverbanks is 1 of 20 in the running for USA Today’s “Best Zoo Lights,” Cola Daily’s Karamie Hall-man reported. Cast your vote at https://tinyurl.com/qlvuzj5 . Voting will remain open through Dec. 2. Buy-one-get-one free admission will be offered: Nov. 27 - Military Dec. 4 - College students Dec. 11 - First responders Dec. 18 - Teachers Guests will be asked to show ID to receive the discount. Santa will make appearances each evening at 6 pm until Christmas Eve. General admission is $12 for adults and $10 for children (ages 2-12).

Old Mill art show

Local artists will display their art throughout December at the Old Mill in Lexington. The Evergreen Holiday Art Show at the Old Mill Brew Pub will feature work by: Drew Welch, Kim Case, Monica Mills, Rae Shealy, Robert Johnson, Barbara Teusink, Michelle Curran, Debi Kelly, Barbara Yongue, Dylan Fouste, Iva Madden, Kristin Driggers, Marge Miano and Yvonna Mills. Lexington County artist Candace Thibeault organized the event. She curated art pieces based on the space available, size of works, and variety of styles available. “It was a tough call choosing pieces, as there is so much talent in Lexington County,” Thibeault told the Chronicle. All pieces will be available for purchase and will include a short artist bio. Artists or businesses interested in submitting art or hosting displays can contact Thibeault at candacecurates@yahoo.com or visit www.candacethibeault.com .

2 Kmarts to close

The 2 remaining Kmart stores in the Midlands will soon permanently close their doors. Signs posted outside the Lexington location off West Main Street and the West Columbia store off Charleston Highway say “Store Closing” and “Store Closing Sale,” WLTX News reported. The stores will be closed by mid-December Kmart told WLTX in a statement. Those locations are the only Kmart stores in the Midlands.

Midlands charity 1 of the ‘Angels’

Habitat for Humanity of Columbia has been recognized as an “Angel” organization. Angels represent organizations that exemplify charitable giving of at least 80% of its expenditures in South Carolina. Central South Carolina Habitat for Humanity gives 93.3%. SC Secretary of State Mark Hammond announced the Angels of 2019 last week. Representatives from all organizations were in attendance to receive a plaque and recognition from Secretary Hammond.

Chick-fil-A vs culture warriors

Chick-fil-A will limit its charitable giving next year to education, homelessness and hunger. This came after a campaign against its donations to groups that had a history of opposing same-sex marriage or were criticized as anti-gay. The Atlanta-based restaurant chain said it would make donations annually rather than for multiple years and focus on a narrower list of philanthropic priorities. Chick-fil-A is one of the fastest-growing domestic fast food chains with more than 2,400 US restaurants. Its crispy fried-chicken sandwich and focus on speed and service have found fans well beyond the South.

$50K awarded for drug prevention

The Lexington/Richland Alcohol and Drug Abuse Council received a grant to expand its opioid prevention programs, policies and practices. The SC Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services awarded $25,000 for Lexington County and $25,000 for Richland County. An opioid prevention plan has been developed and will be implemented in both counties by June 2020. The Lexington County plan highly focuses on distributing evidence-based educational materials to all of the school districts in the county. The SC State Opioid Response Supplement Grant is federally funded by the US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the US Department of Health and Human Services.

West Columbia tree lighting

The City of West Columbia will host its 15th Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Friday, Dec. 6 at 6:30 pm, at West Columbia City Hall, 200 N. 12th Street. West Columbia area elementary schools hold a “What Christmas Means To Me” contest. The essay winners from each school are recognized at the tree lighting. There is also a student artwork contest. The winning artwork entry will be featured on the cover of the event program. The top 3 entries will be displayed on the Art on State wall in the Interactive Art Park at 435 Meeting Street.

Are your property taxes too high?

The Chronicle’s Around Gilbert and Summit columnist Val Augustine went to pay her property tax recently. Val noticed that her vehicle taxes were higher than those on her husband Wayne’s car. “Wayne’s is newer than mine,” she told the lady at the counter in the county treasurer’s office. “They are computed on the value of your car,” she was told. Val produced her insurance card showing the make, model and year. The lady asked her to wait a few minutes while she checked the car’s value online. “Sure enough, the property tax was higher than it should have been,” Val said. Her tax was adjusted, and she paid a lot less. “Make sure your property taxes are actually based on the value of your vehicle,” Val advised.