Fran Friday joined the Pro Health & Fitness team on March 1st as health and fitness director.  She has worked in the fitness industry as a trainer and instructor for 10 years and has been a full-time health and fitness director for seven years.
Friday earned her bachelor of science degree in health science in 1997 from Clemson University. Her work experience in health promotion ranges from personal training and class instruction to community health education outreach, program development, and special events organization.
She worked as the health and fitness director for the Greenwood Family YMCA in Greenwood, S.C., and the Pine Street YMCA in Spartanburg, S.C., prior to joining Pro Health and Fitness.
She served six years on the Greenwood Triathlon Committee organizing sprint, Olympic and youth triathlons as well as South Carolina’s first half
Ironman distance triathlon.
“Organizing fun programs and special events is a great part of my job that I enjoy very much, but believing in others is my favorite reason for being here. I love seeing the joy they experience achieving their goals and the difference it makes in their lives… Just awesome,” Friday said.
Outside of work, Friday is an outdoor and animal enthusiast.  Her favorite fitness activities include walking/hiking with her dogs and her friends and bike touring, completing Iowa, Georgia and the Outer Banks to date.  Her current fitness goal is completing the Antarctica Marathon.
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Buy Way, a new discount store at 191 E. Mill St. in Columbus, will hold its grand opening Friday, April 1.
Owned and operated by Ricky and Jill Kelly of Mill Spring, Buy Way opened officially March 25. Current hours of operation are Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Buy Way offers items such as clothing, cleaning items, toys, health and beauty aids, camping gear, electronics, flat screen televisions, some furniture and more. Jill Kelly said they will stock different items as they arrive, receiving items from overstocks, shelf pulls and displays from other store owners.
The Kellys have two other locations; one in Marion and one in Morganton, N.C. Every Friday and Saturday evening at the store location at 174 W. Business Park in Marion, N.C., they have a merchandise auction that is open to the public.
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Local Government Federal Credit Union (LGFCU) recently announced the addition of Maria Wagner to its Southern Mountain Advisory Council, which comprises Henderson, Polk and Transylvania counties.
Wagner, who is a reserve telecommunicator for the Hendersonville Police Department, will be an integral part of LGFCU’s volunteer-driven initiative not only to educate people on the benefits of credit union membership, but also to relay feedback to the board of directors regarding available/potentially available products and services, delivery of service and member needs.
Advisory council members, who represent the philosophical character of the credit union and contribute their time without compensation, function as LGFCU’s eyes and ears throughout the state, serving as liaisons between Credit Union members and non-members and LGFCU management.
Local Government Federal Credit Union serves North Carolina’s local government employees, elected/appointed officials, volunteers and their families. The $1 billion federally chartered credit union is a cooperative of more than 195,000 members associated with various facets of local government in North Carolina’s 100 counties and 546 cities, towns and villages.