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Santee Cooper Sale Negotiations NextEra

Santee Cooper’s Honesty, Accuracy Called Out, Possibly Violating State Law, Again

State officials are once again questioning Santee Cooper after the state-owned agency failed to provide honest and transparent information during a monthly financial review.  

In a letter addressed to state lawmakers, the S.C. Office of Regulatory Staff (SCORS) stated that Santee Cooper admitted to omitting “materials in its possession” during a monthly financial review. And, while Santee Cooper executives claim these materials were “inadvertently omitted”, SCORS is no longer standing by their previous statement that Santee Cooper is complying with lawmakers’ orders. 

With only a little over a month left until the 2021 South Carolina legislative session kicks off, Santee Cooper’s latest antics are drawing criticism from multiple lawmakers and state agencies. 

Nanette Edwards, SCORS executive director, pointed out that her agency’s assessment of Santee Cooper’s adherence to lawmakers’ instructions and the state law was dependent upon the utility providing full and accurate information. The previously mentioned letter, however, claimed that Santee Cooper is not being transparent with this information. 

The letter from SCORS comes just weeks after Santee Cooper drew criticism from both South Carolina House Speaker Jay Lucas and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Hugh Leatherman. 

Speaker Lucas called out Santee Cooper for its “failed culture” and expressed his concerns over their recent actions including the utility’s decision to sign off on bonds without lawmakers’ approval, possibly violating state law. Even further, Senator Leatherman called for the resignation of Santee Cooper’s board chairman, Dan Ray. 

This isn’t the first time Santee Cooper has disregarded lawmakers, in fact, it’s become routine for the state-owned agency. 

Mounting criticism, repeated obvious neglect of lawmakers directives, and increasing debt will be at the top of lawmakers’ minds when making a decision about Santee Cooper’s future. South Carolina House Representative Murrell Smith said the House needs to deal with Santee Cooper and make a decision. 

Meanwhile, SCANA, now known as Dominion, who was Santee Cooper’s partner in the failed V.C. Summer nuclear project – that cost Santee Cooper billions of dollars of debt, just recently reached an agreement to pay a $25 million civil fine.  Former SCANA CEO, Kevin Marsh, just entered into a federal plea deal on charges of fraud and conspiracy related to the nuclear project. 

 

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Second VC Summer Executive Pleads Guilty to Federal Fraud Charges

Featured Image Source: Grace Beahm Alford – Post & Courier

Kevin Marsh, the former CEO of SCANA, has entered into a federal plea deal on charges of fraud and conspiracy in relation to the VC Summer nuclear expansion in Fairfield County. Marsh is accused of defrauding nearly one million South Carolinians who paid inflated utility bills to fund the now-defunct project.

SCE&G and partner Santee Cooper pitched the ambitious project as a one-fix-wonder to growing concerns surrounding accessible energy versus environmental concerns. The duo claimed that the $8 billion dollar investment would provide South Carolinians with a reliable source of clean energy at an affordable cost… once the plant was in operation. Until then, customers would be footing the bill. Customers were led to believe the increased utility prices were only a short term sacrifice for a long term solution, but executives like Marsh made sure customers were left completely in the dark. 

According to the South Carolina U.S Attorneys Office, Marsh and co-conspirators, including Santee Cooper executives who have yet to be held responsible, covered-up the structural, logistical, and financial issues that doomed the project from the start. Marsh was found culpable of falsifying critical evaluations and misleading both investors and stakeholders in an attempt to salvage the project as they quietly raised utility prices nine times over the course of the venture.

With the fate of Santee Cooper (a state-owned entity) undecided, customers may be looking at even higher energy costs if lawmakers refuse to sell Santee Cooper. As a state-owned utility, Santee Cooper does not have to adhere to the same regulatory scrutiny as investor-owned utilities and executives can raise rates with just the approval of their own board. Critics point out this lack of accountability is what led to the VC Summer debacle and debt in the first place.

After accepting the prosecutors plea, Marsh is now the second executive to plead guilty rather than face a criminal court. While the specifics of the plea deal are not yet confirmed, it is almost certain Marsh will spend time behind bars along with hefty fines. 

Meanwhile, Santee Cooper’s former CEO, Lonnie Carter, retired right after the VC Summer scandal made headlines with a very comfortable retirement package that is also being paid for by Santee Cooper customers, in addition to any legal fees he and other executives managed to rack up. 

More cases of criminal misconduct related to the failed VC Summer project are expected to surface as the investigation continues. 

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Local Charities Looking for Christmas Donations

It’s no secret that this year has taken its toll on many people. With the holiday season quickly approaching, many local organizations are seeking donations to help those in need. Donate to these local charities to make a difference this holiday season!

American Cancer Society

Make a $10 tax-deductible donation to the American Cancer Society and receive a personalized letter from Santa. Send your donation with your child’s name and Christmas wishlist to the American Cancer Society (Attn: Tracy Gooley, 950 48th Ave. N., Suite 101, Myrtle Beach SC 29577) and patiently wait for Santa’s reply. It’s a great way to give back and get in the holiday spirit. 

Salvation Army of Horry County

The bells are still ringing this year at the famous Salvation Army red kettles. However, this year the red kettles will have QR codes attached to them allowing donations to be made digitally. Donations can also be made online. You can also take part in the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program, which provides kids with a Christmas they’ll never forget. 

SC Bar Young Lawyers

The South Carolina Bar Young Lawyers are collecting much-needed items for women from now until December 18th. They are requesting either monetary donations, basic tools, and/or gift cards to home improvement stores. Donations can be mailed or dropped off at the Pearce Law Group.

Toys For Tots

The Marine Corps League is holding their annual Toys for Tots Drive this year and is in need of toys for deserving kids across the Grand Strand area. Toys are being accepted for boys or girls ages 2 to 12 years old and must be new and unwrapped. Some possible donations include books, dolls, games, cars/trucks, or bikes. Click here to find a drop-off location near you. 

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Spread Holiday Cheer At The Annual Dickens Christmas Show & Festivals

The national award-winning Dickens Christmas Show & Festivals is back. The 39th annual Dickens Christmas Show & Festivals is a holiday staple in the Myrtle Beach area. This special event hosts a variety of shopping and entertainment the whole family will enjoy. 

This year’s event is taking place November 12th – November 15th. 

The most sought after event is the Victorian Holiday Marketplace, which is held at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center. Other highlights of the event include the Festival of Trees, a showcase of specially designed Christmas trees that are also available for purchase, as well as a visit to Santa’s Castle, where guests can snag a picture with Santa himself. 

A variety of non-profit organizations and charities benefit from the purchases made by festival-goers in an effort to spread the holiday cheer. 

To protect the health and safety of guests, officials are requiring guests to wear a mask at all times. They are also incorporating walk-by temperature scanners and sanitizing stations. 

Click here to purchase your tickets for this year’s festivities!

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Honoring Veterans With A 100-Mile Walk

An almost 100-mile walk from Myrtle Beach to Charleston to benefit Veterans is currently underway and set to conclude today. 

The Veterans Victory Walk highlights and honors the sacrifices veterans have made for their country. 

Participants departed from the Myrtle Beach Vet Center at 6:30 am on Tuesday and began their walk to Charleston. During the 100-mile walk, participants have had the opportunity to take breaks every so often. However, they have continued to walk through the night in order to arrive at Patriots Point on Veterans Day. 

In total, it is expected to take around 35 hours to complete the walk.

Amanda Yurkin, an event organizer for the walk, said the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has “given people an opportunity to train, we’ve gotten together, and we’ve walked together in groups and it’s given veterans a mission, a long-term mission, something to look forward to instead of just being at home, it’s given them something possible to look forward too.”

Click here to keep up with the Veterans Victory Walk and see how you can make a donation to this incredible organization.

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Schools in Horry County Will Install Special Workstations

In an effort to protect students and teachers from COVID-19, Horry County Schools are installing plexiglass workstations.

These new workstations will provide a barrier between students and teachers and potentially diminish the spread of the coronavirus. The South Carolina Department of Education provided Horry County Schools with around $4 million worth of plexiglass for these workstations to be installed.

The installation of the plexiglass workstations will begin on Friday, November 13th at elementary schools in Horry County. Due to their age and the overall importance of in-person learning, officials are eager to get all elementary school students back in the classroom as soon as possible.

Horry County Schools is hoping the installation of these special workstations will help get students back to full five days a week in-person learning. Most of the workstations should be installed in elementary schools by Sunday, November 22nd.

The same plexiglass workstations are also expected to be installed in middle and high schools in the coming weeks.

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This Travel Park Received “Park of the Year”

Myrtle Beach Travel Park has been named the “Park of the Year” by the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (ARVC). 

The ARVC hosted a virtual event, the 2020 Outdoor Hospitality Conference & Expo, earlier this month to announce the award. The Myrtle Beach Travel Park was awarded the Park of the Year Award, recognizing exceptional parks and outdoor hospitality, in the “Mega Park” category of awards.

The Myrtle Beach Travel Park was recognized for its beauty, amenities, activities, and industry-leading marketing.

Paul Bambei, president and CEO of ARVC, addressed the announcement saying, “The parks that receive the Park of the Year honor are at the pinnacle of the industry. These parks are not only wonderful destinations with fantastic amenities but more importantly, the owners and staff at these parks continually provide over-the-top customer service. Even in a difficult year, these parks still found a way to go above and beyond in efforts, by providing world-class amenities, experiences, and customer service!”

Plan a visit to the Myrtle Beach Travel Park and see for yourself why this stunning park was awarded such a prestigious award.  

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Carolina Country Music Festival Postponed Until June 2021

In an effort to protect the health and safety of concert-goers, artists and staff, the Carolina Country Music Festival has made the difficult decision to postpone the highly anticipated festival until June 2021. The new dates for the festival will be June 10-13, 2021. 

The Myrtle Beach based festival typically attracts thousands of country music fans to the area, all of whom are eager to see their favorite musicians perform.

The headliners for the 2021 festival will stay the same. Concert-goers will still be able to see Luke Combs, Eric Church, Darius Rucker and Jake Owen live in concert come June.

For individuals who already purchased tickets to the 2020 festival, their tickets will automatically rollover to the 2021 festival. 

In a statement on the postponement of the festival, the Carolina Country Music Festival said, “Let’s just say it. 2020 sucks. We were all looking forward to partying together on the beach with these amazing artists (our best lineup yet!) and yet again, another event has been stripped from ALL our calendars.“

For more information on the postponement of the festival and the 2021 ticket rollover incentives, click here.

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