A longtime business on Lexington’s Main Street will close for good on Christmas Eve. After 58 years in business, Lexington Jewelers is set to close, as owner Barnette Scott, 73, will retire, reports The Post and Courier Columbia.

“A lot of tears shed and a lot of wonderful memories shared,” she is quoted. “Everybody has responded so well and come in and wishing me so many best wishes and telling me about how much they’re going to miss me.”

The store, which sits across the street from O’Hara’s Public House, will continue its going-out-of-business sale through the end of the holiday season.

Chapin Elementary Gets $2,500 From Dominion for Bird Tracking

Dominion Energy made a $2,500 charitable grant to Piney Woods Elementary School in Chapin, the school announced on Dec. 16.

The school in Lexington-Richland District 5 gets the money to fund a MOTUS Bird Tracking Program.

The device “will track tagged birds along their migration routes from their wintering grounds in the tropics to their nesting grounds in North America,” explains a release from the district.

“Piney Woods Elementary has been working diligently since before our doors opened to create a campus focused on conservation work and bringing learning alive for our students,” said Piney Woods Principal Cassy Paschal is quoted in the release. “The Dominion Energy grant will purchase all of the needed materials for our MOTUS bird tower as well as other bird houses and informational signs throughout our campus. The instructional and conservation rewards that will come from this work will make a positive impact for generations to come in our community.”

New Breakfast and Lunch Spot in Lexington

Another breakfast and lunch option has come to Lexington.

Comfort Scratch Kitchen recently opened across the street from Lexington Elementary School at 407 North Lake Dr., The State reports.

Per the story, the new restaurant will feature a “diverse” breakfast menu including a breakfast dish featuring pork gravy, pulled pork belly, scrambled eggs, caramelized onions and cheddar cheese. Lunch will also be served in the form of salads, sandwiches, burgers and appetizers.

Comfort is open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, according to the restaurant’s Facebook page.

Nephron CEO Gets Key to Columbia

Add another honor to the list for Nephron Pharmaceuticals CEO Lou Kennedy.

The head of the West Columbia-based company was given a Key to the City of Columbia on Dec. 20. The city’s mayor, Steve Benjamin, presented her with the key during Kennedy’s performance at the Columbia Rotary Club.

“Mayor Benjamin is a good friend, and, more importantly, he has been a great leader for the Midlands,” Kennedy is quoted in a release from Nephron. “Thanks to the leadership of Mayor Benjamin, growth in Columbia, and around the region, has turned heads and caught the eye of businesses just like ours. That is one of the many reasons we moved from Florida. I could not be more proud for Nephron to be part of the Midlands family, and to have been able to join it during Mayor Benjamin’s service. I thank him and wish him well as he transitions to the next chapter.”

Nephron continues to make major investments in Lexington County, including the forthcoming Nephron Nitrile glove, announced in July, which is being added to the company’s West Columbia campus. Per the company, the $100 million new venture should employ 250 workers.

Cookie Bakery Branches into Second Location

Less than a year after opening a first Midlands location on Sunset Boulevard in Lexington, Mingos Cookies is expanding into a new location in Irmo, reports ColaDaily.

The new spot for the locally owned, Miami-themed bakery — which features various fresh-baked cookies and bubble tea — will be located at 945 Lake Murray Boulevard. New options at the forthcoming location will include ice cream and a “cereal bar.”

“All the support, all the love, and people driving from even an hour away, is something that really motivated us and encouraged us to push forward,” owner Richard Pellerano is quoted . “I feel like we owe it to our community to continue to create these places and this environment.”

The plan is to open the Irmo Mingos on Feb. 14 for Valentine’s Day.

Bike Giveaway in Swansea and Saluda

Moore Bradley Myers Law Firm will give away bikes in both Swansea and Saluda Dec. 23 during the latest edition of its annual Christmas Bike Bonanza event.

This is the first year that the event is expanding into Saluda, the hometown of Partner Nick Riley and the law firm’s second location, the firm says in a news release.

The giveaway is for ages 8 to 12, and there is a limit of one bike per family. The event is co-sponsored by Zeigler’s Landscaping, Shea Infusions, and Nonstop Plumbing and Drain Cleaning.

The event starts at 10 a.m. in Swansea. In Saluda, the event goes from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., with the giveaway starting at 12:15 p.m.

“We are delighted to be in a position to provide bikes to kids who otherwise might not have a happy Christmas,” Moore Bradley Myers Partners Stanley Myers and Nick Riley are quoted in the release. “We thank the people in our communities who trust us enough to seek our legal advice.”