Ready or not, it’s officially tax season. Lexington County residents can qualify for some much-needed help preparing their taxes. The Cooperative Ministry will offer free tax preparation to those who earned less than $55,000 last year. Their Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program has more than 100 IRS-certified volunteers ready to help individuals and families with their federal and state tax returns. The VITA program begins Saturday, Feb. 2 at 9:30 am at Cecil Tillis Community Center, 2111 Simpkins Lane, Columbia, and Hyatt Park Community Center, 950 Jackson Ave., Columbia. More information is available at The Cooperative Ministry’s website www.coop-min.org/vita or the United Way of the Midlands website www.uway.org . Taxpayers can also call 2-1-1 or visit www.sc211.org .

B-L councilman to head to Washington

Batesburg-Leesville Councilman Steve Cain was appointed to serve as a member of the National League of Cities Small Cities Council. NLC member councils connect municipal officials whose communities share common characteristics. Members share best practices with peers from around the country. Member councils also contribute to NLC’s advocacy efforts, ensuring that the needs of small cities are reflected in NLC’s National Municipal Policy. The Council will meet again in March of 2019 at the Congressional City Conference in Washington.

LMC internship program

Is your high school student interested in a healthcare career? Lexington Medical Center is accepting applications for their summer internship program. The Partners Program introduces students to careers in the health care industry. It’s a 3-week long session starting June 10 - 28 and July 8 - 26. Applicants must live in Lexington County, be a student attending a Lexington County district school, or a dependent of a Lexington Medical Center employee. Rising juniors and seniors only. The application deadline is Feb. 24. Students can apply at www.LexMed.com .

County nonprofit receives $13,000

PalmettoPride has gives Keep the Midlands Beautiful of Lexington County a $13,000 grant. The money will be used for litter prevention, waste reduction and beautification. PalmettoPride is South Carolina’s litter prevention and beautification nonprofit. For more information, visit www.palmettopride.org .

Lighting up Pelion

C2 Energy Capital’s 1st of 4 South Carolina solar generation plants is expected to start operations this year. The Diamond Solar plant is expected to generate about 18,708 megawatt electric hours – enough energy, experts say, to light almost 3 million homes.

Major corp. will pay big to SC

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson and 45 other attorneys general reached a $120 million settlement with Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiary DePuy last week. The settlement resolves allegations that DePuy unlawfully promoted its metal-on-metal hip implant devices, the ASR XL and the Pinnacle Ultamet. The ASR XL was recalled from the market in 2010. DePuy discontinued its sale of the Pinnacle Ultamet in 2013. Under the settlement, South Carolina will receive almost $4.5 million, subject to court approval.

Annual Volunteer Week

United Way of the Midlands is accepting project proposals from local nonprofit agencies to be considered for its annual Volunteer Week April 8 - 13. Nonprofits interested in submitting a project proposal may contact United Way of the Midlands Volunteer Center Manager Jordan Pridgen at jpridgen@uway.org or call 803-758-6987. Project proposals must be submitted by 5 pm on Feb. 5.

Chamber’s Student of the Month

Cole Epting of Gray Collegiate Academy was named Student of the Month at the Greater Cayce-West Columbia Chamber of Commerce Breakfast Jan. 22. Epting is pictured with Chamber Executive Director Richard Skipper and Gray Collegiate Principal Dr. Brian Newsome. The meeting was held on the campus of Lexington Medical Center, Sunset Boulevard, West Columbia.

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