AROUND TOWN LINDA: 467-0334 ChuCk: 348-0243

South Carolina is setting employment records.

Lexington County is helping it do that.

Statewide, unemployment dropped to 2.9% in September, a historic low for the state.

That’s well below the national rate of 3.5% last month.

In Lexington County, the unemployment rate dropped to 1.5%, another record. Dorchester, Greenville and Jasper counties are also at 1.5%.

Ours is second only to Charleston County, with a rate of 1.4%.

Neighboring Richland and Saluda counties are slightly higher at 1.8% unemployment while Orangeburg is 3rd-highest in the state at 3.7%.

VFW dinner, memorial to open

VFW Post 7 will host a Veterans Dinner Nov. 9 at 6 pm at 211 American Legion Drive in Lexington.

The catered dinner is free for veterans, and $7 for guests.

Call Linda at 803-529-6439 for reservations.

The Lexington VFW Post will open its new Memorial Walk at 424 Cedarcrest Drive at 11 am Monday, Nov. 11.

It will honor veterans of each war or conflict the United States has been engaged in since 1776.

Dignitaries from state and local government, the SC National Guard and Lexington County Sheriff’s Department will attend.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars is the nation’s largest and oldest major war veteran’s organization. Founded in 1899, the congressionally-chartered VFW is comprised entirely of eligible veterans and military service members.

For more information, visit www.vfw.org .

Who’s new

The County of Lexington has hired Sarah Johnson as the county’s new economic development director.

Johnson is charged with growing the economic health of the County by building relationships with local, national and international companies, while also making our community a viable place to develop, expand and cultivate lasting business opportunities.

The Gilbert native began her career with the County of Lexington’s Department of Economic Development in 2010, supporting the director as a part of a two-person team. Since 2016, Johnson has helped bring 1,332 jobs and $667 million in investments from new business projects and expansions to the County.

Bank earnings up

Lexington’s First Community Corporation, the holding company for First Community Bank, reported growth for the third quarter.

It’s net income was $2.898 million, up from $2.833 million in the third quarter of 2018.

Diluted earnings per common share were $0.39 for the third quarter of 2019 compared to $0.37 in the third quarter of 2018.

Year-to-date diluted earnings per share were $1.08 compared to $1.11 during the same time period in 2018.

The Board of Directors approved a cash dividend for the third quarter of 2019 of $0.11 per share dividend to holders of the company’s common stock. This dividend is payable November 15, 2019 to shareholders of record as of October 31, 2019.

First Community President and CEO, Mike Crapps, said, “Our entire board is pleased that our performance enables the company to continue its cash dividend for the 71st consecutive quarter.”

West Columbia updates

The West Columbia Meeting Street Artisan Market will continue every Saturday through Dec. 21.

The market will expand from under the pavilion to accommodate more vendors.

The Meeting Street Artisan Market is open every Saturday, from 9 am – 1 pm at 425 Meeting Street in the Interactive Art Park.

The market includes vendors selling original art, crafts, foods, and produce.

The city also unveiled new ways to pay utility bills and traffic citations online and by phone.

Pay a water or sewer bill at www.westcolumbiasc.gov/water-sewer .

Pay by phone at 866-238-4103

Pay a citation at www.westcolumbiasc.gov/police-department .

Operation Christmas Child

Samaritan’s Purse will be collecting shoe-boxes filled fun toys, school supplies and hygiene items Nov. 18.

The Samaritan’s Purse project partners with local churches across the globe to deliver the gifts to children affected by war, disease, disaster, poverty and famine.

For many of these children, it will be the first gift they have ever received.

Lexington volunteers hope to collect more than 37,500 gifts to contribute to Operation Christmas Child’s 2019 goal of reaching 11 million children in need.

Visit https://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/pack-a-shoe-box/for more information.

Consumer spending down

Shoppers slowed September spending, suggesting support for the economy could be softening.

Retail sales at stores, restaurants and online decreased 0.3% in September from August, the first decline since February, the Commerce Department reported.

This is important because consumer spending accounts for more than 2/3 of the economy.

A 0.9% decline in vehicle spending reflects a drop from 1.9% gain in August. Lower prices hurt not helped sales at gas stations, falling 0.7%.

Credit card rates up

Lenders are charging record high credit card rates as borrowers go deeper in debt.

That may seem odd since the Federal Reserve has twice lowered short-term interest rates. But generous card rewards programs with free travel and other perks have cut banks’ profits.

To offset that, banks are charging cardholders more.

The average annual percentage rate on interest-charging credit cards is about 17%. That is near its highest in more than 20 years.