64°CloudyHigh 84° · Low 67° · 21% rain

  1. 6 a.m.Fog.65°
  2. NoonCloudy.81°
  3. 6 p.m.Partly cloudy.76°
  4. MidnightCloudy.69°

Sunrise 6:43 a.m. Sunset 5:22 p.m.

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  1. 6 a.m.Fog.65°
  2. NoonCloudy.81°
  3. 6 p.m.Partly cloudy.76°
  4. MidnightCloudy.69°
  1. TodayPartly cloudy. High 84° Low 67°
  2. FriThunderstorms. High 77° Low 54°
  3. SatPartly cloudy. High 72° Low 43°
  4. SunClear. High 68° Low 42°
  5. MonPartly cloudy. High 73° Low 44°

Sunrise 6:43 a.m. Sunset 5:22 p.m.

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Today’s edition · Thurs., Nov. 5

AESC says it's still committed to its Florence battery plant

Plus, Irby and Evans streets close Friday for the Pecan Festival, and SteelFab adds 108 jobs.

The Florence Today team1 story9 sources3 min read

EconomyTop story

AESC says it remains committed to its $1.6 billion Florence County battery plant

AESC's paused Florence plant was about 75% complete in December 2025

$1.6 billion
in direct investment AESC says it's committed to
1,600
jobs AESC says it's committed to delivering
75%
complete, per local officials in December 2025
$1.2 billion
roughly invested as of December 2025

If you've been wondering about the battery plant off Wilson Road, the company says it's still in. AESC remains committed to the $1.6 billion Florence County project, and officials confirmed plans for 1,600 jobs despite a temporary pause.

In a statement to ABC 15, AESC said, "AESC remains committed to delivering on its commitments." WPDE reports the statement gave no construction restart date or updated hiring timeline. Construction at the plant stopped in June 2025.

  • Training center: $22 million, off Highway 327, construction complete
  • Training center use: other companies, while the plant stays paused
  • Officials' December 2025 estimate: work could resume in 8 to 12 months

FITSNews reported it's been seventeen months since AESC announced the pause. It also says local taxpayers put another $4.1 million into water and sewer upgrades at the site in July.

AESC's Florence plant has been paused since June 2025

  1. June 2025 pauses construction at its Wilson Road plant.
  2. Dec. 2025Local officials say the plant is about 75% complete.
  3. FebruaryA spokesperson says there's no definitive timeline for work to resume.
  4. July 2026Local taxpayers put $4.1 million into water and sewer upgrades at the site.
  5. Oct. 29AESC says it remains committed, with no restart date.

Sources: WPDE, FITSNews

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News Notes · More

SteelFab

SteelFab will invest $38.92 million to expand in Florence County, creating 108 jobs at a new facility producing fabricated steel for U.S. naval defense. The Times and Democrat

Hwasung

Hwasung is opening a new Florence County manufacturing plant, investing $5 million and creating 32 jobs producing precision components. The Times and Democrat

Road closures

Irby Street from Baroody to Palmetto Street closes at 6 p.m. Fri., Nov. 6, and Evans Street from Coit to Dargan also closes Friday. The parking lot partially closes Thursday evening for amusement ride setup, with access on the east side. WMBF

Pecan Festival

The 22nd Annual returns to Downtown Florence on Sat., Nov. 7, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. It has nine stages, a free Kids Fun Zone and STEM Zone, a car show and Run Like a Nut. Charleston Business Magazine

The SC Pecan Music and Food Festival runs 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday

Downtown Florence

Midnight6 a.m.Noon6 p.m.10 a.m.to 7 p.m.
  • 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.SC Pecan Music and Food Festival
Date
Sat., Nov. 7
Stages
Nine

Source: Charleston Business Magazine

View as table
WhenWhat
10 a.m. to 7 p.m.SC Pecan Music and Food Festival
DateSat., Nov. 7
StagesNine

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Lost and found

A burglar broke into a house and heard a soft voice say, “Jesus is watching you.

“” Thinking it was his imagination, he continued searching. Then he heard, “Jesus is watching you,” again. He shone his flashlight and saw a parrot in a cage. He asked the parrot if it was the one speaking. The parrot said yes. He then asked the parrot its name, and the parrot replied, “Moses.” The burglar asked, “What…”

— A neighbor, Forest Lake

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The Wrap

Coker College's dancers get to be the choreographers this week. The Student Choreography Showcase at Hartsville's Watson Theater features dances created by students in the Coker Dance Program, with shows Thursday, Nov. 5, and Friday, Nov. 6, and a matinee Saturday, Nov. 7. It's free. Dancers in the spotlight, and the ideas are all theirs.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Pecan Festival is Saturday, and Darlington voters back a $250M school bond

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Every source in this edition9 links · 7 outlets
  1. The Weather Channelweather.com
  2. The Times and Democratthetandd.com
  3. WPDEwpde.com
  4. FITSNewsfitsnews.com
  5. The Times and Democratthetandd.com
  6. The Times and Democratthetandd.com
  7. WMBFwmbfnews.com
  8. Charleston Business Magazinecharlestonbusinessmagazine.com
  9. Florence events calendarflorencetodaynews.com

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Florence Todayto me · Thurs., Nov. 56:00 a.m.

AESC says it's still committed to its Florence battery plant

Plus, Irby and Evans streets close Friday for the Pecan Festival, and SteelFab adds 108 jobs.

The TLDR

  1. AESC says it's still committed to its Florence battery plant
  2. SteelFab will invest $38.92 million and add 108 jobs
  3. Hwasung opens a Florence County plant with 32 jobs
Read this edition

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From Post and Courier, WPDE and WMBF, gathered by 6AM News, 6AM City’s local news service.

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