AROUND TOWN

Employers are finding it hard to hire more help.US employers added 2.11 million jobs last year. That was a slowdown from 2018’s robust gain of 2.68 million. Supporters of Presidents Obama and Trump can take heart. Under both presidents, employers added jobs for a record 10 years. The economy added 145,000 jobs last month, and unemployment stayed at a 50-year low of 3.5%, the Labor Department said. Private-sector wages advanced 2.9% from a year earlier.

Reminders for tax season

• Businesses are required to submit W-2s to the SCDOR by Jan. 31. Uploading W-2s on MyDORWAY is the SC Department of Revenue’s preferred method for W-2 submission, and is mandatory if you are required to submit W-2s electronically to the Social Security Administration.

• Remember to save your motor fuel receipts and maintenance invoices to claim the Motor Fuel Income Tax Credit. SCDOR and the IRS will begin accepting Individual Income Tax returns Jan. 27.

• The SCDOR issued more than 1.2 million $50 rebate checks by December 2. If you’re eligible for the $50 rebate but haven’t received your check yet, learn how to report a missing rebate at www.dor.sc.gov/rebate .

Be a karaoke star

Second Wave Coffee & Books will hold a karaoke night at the end of the month. The “Be the Star” event is hosted by the Dickerson Children’s Advocacy Center of Lexington. Food and drink specials will be served Jan. 30 from 5-9 pm at 529 S Lake Dr.

Free Fridays at the zoo

Residents of Richland and Lexington counties can now visit the zoo for free. Riverbanks Zoo is offering free admission every Friday during January and February. Free Fridays will allow guests access to the zoo from 10 am to 5 pm. Guests will be asked to provide a valid driver’s license, property tax statement, or vehicle registration as proof of residency.

Basic needs grant

Mission Lexington has a received a grant to provide hygiene products to those in need. Through the Central Carolina Community Foundation, Aflac provided grant money to fund “Operation Splish Splash.” “We’re grateful to Aflac for the grant,” said Robin W. Bowers, Executive Director of Mission Lexington. “We take for granted the need for basic hygiene products. This allows us to expand items offered to more than just food for our neighbors.” Mission Lexington meets over 30,000 needs in Lexington County each year. To learn more, visit www.missionlexingtonsc.org or call us at 803.957.6656.

Don’t be trashy

Start your new year off with a day of service by helping make Lexington County litter-free. PalmettoPride and other local community organizations are hosting Cleanup Blitz on Highway 6, Monday, Jan. 20, from 9–11 am. The cleanup spans more than 9 miles of roadway beginning with Peachtree Rock Road and ending at Highway 321 in Swansea. Lunch will be provided after the cleanup by AAA Well Drilling and Shumperts IGA of Pelion. Water will be donated by Joint Municipal Water and Sewer Commission. Schools from Districts 1 and 4 in Lexington County will also be participating. Prizes will be awarded during lunch and volunteer hours will be given to those who need them. Sign up at https://www.palmettopride.org/event/cleanup-blitz-on-highway-6/ .

Who’s new

Sandy Dawkins has joined Lake Homes Realty. Dawkins will specialize in lake homes and land on and around Lake Murray. Dawkins has lived in the Lexington area for over 30 years and has enjoyed watching the community grow. She now lives on the Lexington side of the lake with her husband Scot in a home they renovated.

Facebook unfriendlies

Would you recommend Facebook to a friend? You aren’t alone. Lots of people say they won’t either. Facebook is in the 21.6th percentile for customer satisfaction, a ranking by J.D. Power on customers’ willingness to recommend Facebook. Facebook trails social-media colleague Twitter, which is like McDonald’s trailing major competitors. Even if they like the french fries, people won’t put their personal reputation on the line to recommend Facebook.

The PLT with fries, please

Speaking of McDonald’s, the world’s biggest fast-food company is climbing on board the plant-based bandwagon. McDonald’s is testing Beyond Meat’s non-beef patties in PLT - plant, lettuce and tomato - sandwiches at a few restaurants. Many McDonald’s rivals have already introduced meat substitutes made by Beyond Meat or rival Impossible Foods. Impossible Foods will introduce imitation ground pork and sausage, including a patty for a new sandwich at dozens of Burger King restaurants. Beyond Meat has started supplying plant-based sausage to Dunkin’ and other restaurants, for breakfast sandwiches. Impossible, Beyond and other meat-alternative suppliers say they spare livestock and are better for the environment because they require less grain, water and fuel to produce.

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