Let this be a lesson to Lexington County business owners.

South Carolina Department of Revenue agents arrested a Lexington grocery store owner and charged her with operating a business without a retail license.

Natalia Sokil, 44, of Spar tanburg, owner of European Market in Lexington, was operating her business without a valid retail license and was told to close the business by SCDOR personnel, according to arrest warrants.

On June 24, SCDOR agents were able to buy items at the store and were charged Sales Tax with the purchase.

If convicted, Sokil faces a fine of up to $200 and/or 30 days in jail, along with the cost of prosecution.

8,000 hotels may close

What should have been a busy travel season could now be the last for some hotels.

Chip Rogers with the American Hotel and Lodging Association says more than 8,000 US hotels may close in September.

“If business travel doesn’t pick up by this fall, and the PPP funding has run out, then the really bad problem that exists today is going to result in massive foreclosures for hotels,” Rogers says.

Rogers is asking Congress to step in and help before it’s too late, Nextar’s Anna Wiernicki reported.

“Give them a low interest loan, give them something where they can just stay afloat because that is all they are asking for,” Rogers says.

Over 8 million Americans are employed by the hotel industry.

Maybe others should consider what hoteliers in Lexington County are doing.

Hampton Inn opens on Sunset

A new, ultra modern Hampton Inn and Suites by Hilton has opened at 4751 Sunset Blvd., Lexington.

The hotel is located near I-20 and I-26, shopping, restaurants, Riverbanks Zoo and Botanical Garden, Lexington Medical, convenient to downtown Lexington and Columbia.

All 114 rooms and public areas are cleaned and sanitized with Lysol products and other disinfectants.

The property features an outdoor private pool, fitness center, large breakfast area, and our local choice beer, wine, snacks, and SC memorabilia.

Boeing sings the blues

If covid-19 wreaked havoc in your business, feel for the folks at Boeing in North Charleston.

Completed 787s are stacking up at the plant due to delays in deliveries and a drop in demand.

Boeing won’t say exactly how many Dreamliners are sitting there, but more than a dozen are parked along the flight line, the Charleston Post and Courier reported.

Look for more Boeing blues when they release their 2nd quarter earnings this week. Shareholders hope for better news than

Shareholders hope for better news than the 1st quarter report cutting 10% of the workforce.

‘Woman of the Year’ is chamber chair

Angela Klosterman is the The Lexington Chamber and Visitors Center’s 2020- 2021 chair.

Klosterman is vice president and financial sales manager at First Citizens Bank.

She joined the chamber board in 2017 and has served in numerous leadership roles including Secretary and Chair-Elect.

She is a Leadership Lexington County 2017 graduate, a class which raised more than $53,000 for the Nancy K. Perry Children’s Shelter.

Klosterman was also nominated for the 2018 Woman of the Year Award by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, where she helped raise funds for blood cancer research.

LMC’s hall-of-famer

The Hospital Marketing National Hall of Fame has inducted Mark Shelley, vice president of marketing and communications at Lexington Medical Center.

This honor recognizes individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary achievement in the advancement of marketing of hospitals or health care facilities.

Shelley has more than 35 years of experience in advertising and public relations.

His work and leadership at Lexington Medical Center have been recognized with more than 500 international, national and regional advertising awards.

HMNHF selected Mark for his work on outreach programs that help improve patient outcomes, support of community and fundraising events, and development of marketing campaigns that promote the hospital and its physicians, services and culture.

‘Dream Deals’ store opening soon

A new Dream Deals store will open across from Grecian Gardens in West Columbia.

“Pay Less for the Deals You Dream About,” is the concept behind Dream Deals, said Micky Tangri, leasing director for Horizon Commercial properties, the company managing Sunset Court.

Dream Deals buys overstocked inventory, the Chronicle’s Terry Ward reported.

You can find anything from tablets to cosmetics, from tools to video games, the spokesman said.

“We get containers full of products from big online retailers and we never know what we will get. We simply put the product in the bins for the consumers to come and find, it is a treasure hunt.

“Prices start at $6 on the restock days and are discounted every day.”.

Tangri said Dream Deals is in the process of hiring a staff and plans to open in August.

Good $$ news

First Community Corp., holding company for First Community Bank, headquartered in Lexington, reported net income of $2.217 million for the 2nd quarter of 2020.

It will pay a cash dividend of $0.12 per common share, which is the 74th consecutive quarter of cash dividends paid to common shareholders.

The bank reported PPP loans to 896 customers totaling $80.7 million.

AROUND TOWN

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