horry county

New Flooding Task Force Meets To Discuss Ongoing Crisis

A new Horry County flooding task force has been created to help solve the increasingly concerning issue surrounding the flooding in Horry County.

Horry County has been facing flash flooding issues that, coupled with the current pandemic, have placed the county in a difficult position as they work to identify and budget for widespread infrastructure improvements.

Members of the task force “include developers, county staff, environmental activists and politicians such as Al Allen, William Bailey, Orton Bellamy, Ken Richardson, Alex Hyman and Kevin Hardee.”

The task force met for the first time last week, where they began discussions on the current flooding issues faced by the county. They are expected to create and present a flood mitigation plan in the coming months.

The county is also seeking millions of dollars in grant funding to help them solve this ongoing problem.

While it is currently unknown what the task force will identify and request in their plan to combat flash flooding issues in Horry County, residents are hopeful that there will soon be some direction in how the county plans on addressing the problem.

News

Mask Mandate to End this Month in Horry County

Beginning on October 30th, individuals in Horry County will no longer be required to wear a mask.

The Horry County Council voted 8 to 4 to end their mask mandate, as well as their current state of emergency.

Masks are still required in Myrtle Beach city limits. Businesses can also still require customers to wear a mask while at their establishment.

Those in favor of the mandate argued wearing masks could inevitably save lives and limit the spread of the pandemic. However, others argued there was little the county could do to enforce the mandate itself.

In an email forwarded to council members, Conway Medical Center CEO Bret Barr argued in favor of the mandate, highlighting the increasing number of cases that are “heading in the wrong direction and will soon become a skilled labor shortage issue if things don’t reverse.”

The council could issue a special meeting to vote on the mandate again within the next week or so.

Even though the mask mandate is set to end soon Horry County, officials are still suggesting the public wear them when necessary.

News

Parents Now Able to Request Switch to In-Person Learning In Horry County

At a recent school board meeting, Dr. Rick Maxey, Superintendent of Horry County Schools, announced that parents will soon have the option to transfer students from virtual learning to in-person schooling.

The decision comes after many parents expressed their frustration following the first week of virtual learning, with some parents displeased by the lack of structure and others finding it difficult to support their child while also working full-time themselves.

Many Horry County students are currently operating in a hybrid model. These hybrid models consist of students attending in-person school two days of the week and the rest is conducted virtually.

In an effort to maintain safety and social distancing guidelines within schools, the school district will not be able to grant every request for children to return to traditional in-person learning.

However, Horry County School officials will continue to monitor the case numbers to determine whether or not students are able to return to in-person schooling full-time or if virtual learning needs to be implemented across the board.

News

Bus Services to Expand in Horry County

Horry County’s public transit provider, Coast Rapid Transit Authority, will be expanding its bus services over the next few years.

With the addition of six new buses and a variety of new routes, public transit users will now be able to reach a variety of areas outside of the Myrtle Beach and Conway areas, including a highly anticipated new route from Myrtle Beach to Carolina Forest to North Myrtle Beach.

The $7.1 million expansions are being made possible through the money Coast RTA received from the CARES Act that was passed earlier this year. Coast RTA plans to use the $5 million they received from the CARES Act over the next 5 years, focusing a majority of the funds on the route expansions.

Some of the additions will begin as soon as October with other routes being added throughout 2021.

There are still some routes that need to be finalized and the Coast RTA is encouraging members of the public to share their input.

News

Tax Redesign To Be Launched in Horry County

Each year, tax-related confusion sets in on a number of Americans. Those owning property in Horry County can expect a new look to their bills in an attempt to reduce this perplexity. Plus, these changes have the possibility of saving Horry County thousands of dollars each year.

Amid an Administrative Committee meeting held by the Horry County Council, Treasurer Angie Jones claimed that the Assessor’s office and the County Auditor will work together to reduce muddled notices that weren’t specific enough. Taxpayers can expect more straightforward claims to be sent their way.

“Our tax notices have literally, what I call, turned into a monster coupon book,” Jones explains. “We’ve got so many inserts in them. Taxpayers are looking at the inserts and not looking at the tax notice or looking at the tax notice and not looking at the inserts.”

These efforts will go on to save what the county projects to be more than $50,000. Residents can expect personal property tax notices to see similar changes as well.

News

Horry County Census Response Rate is Disturbingly Low

As of today, less than 40% of Myrtle Beach residents have responded to the 2020 Census.

Across Horry County, the response is under 57%. Response rates in Horry County towns and cities include:

Atlantic Beach 15.7%
Aynor 56.6%
Briarcliff Acres: 71%
Conway 55.6%
Loris 56.3%
North Myrtle Beach 24.8%
Myrtle Beach 38.9%
Surfside Beach 34.7%

Billions of dollars in federal, state, county and local government are allocated based on census results. Congressional and legislative seats are also drawn using census data. As a result of the last census in 2010, the coastal area and Pee Dee gained a congressional seat.

It’s not too late to respond. You can still complete the questionnaire yourself  online at 2020census.gov, by calling  844-330-2020, or by returning the paper form you received in the mail.  Respond using the address where you were living on April 1, 2020 and include anyone who was living with you at the time.

Uncategorized

Plan for $56 Million Hospital in Horry County Announced

As of Tuesday, Aug. 18, McLeod Health announced they will begin building a new $56 million hospital in Horry County. The infirmary will be four stories tall, equipped with 48 beds. The only thing standing in the way of breaking ground is a signature from the Department of Health and Environmental Control.

If all goes according to plan, the building could be fully functioning by the fall of 2023. Though no official renderings are available, McLeod Health administrator Monica Vehige has made comments on the new plans. “At a time when access to healthcare is at the top of everyone’s mind, McLeod Health remains committed to our mission.”

The new hospital will serve as a place for aiding acute illnesses such as congestive heart failure or pneumonia. There will also be a wing devoted to general surgical procedures. As for the location, residents living in Carolina Forest and Myrtle Beach communities now have a much quicker route for health care.

As Horry County becomes the most populated county in SC, it’s hospital development couldn’t have come at a better time. With 669 hospital beds already within the county, it was determined that 155 more will be needed by the year 2024.

Uncategorized

Horry County Hospital Occupancy Reaches 72.1%

As Coronavirus case numbers climb across South Carolina, Horry County hospitals reach an occupancy of 72.1%. S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control announced 1,666 new confirmed cases throughout the state, 78 of them being in Horry County.

With 561 hospital beds in Horry County, over 400 of those remain to be occupied by patients infected by COVID-19. As case numbers climb, it’s projected they’ll continue to fill with those who have contracted the virus.

For now, elective surgeries have since been placed on hold as a means of saving bed space. “Our administrative team will continue to assess the situation to determine when we will resume elective surgeries,” said Conway Medical Center’s (CMC) Media Relations Strategist Allyson Floyd.

Visitors are still unallowed for patients in the CMC hospital with an exception for those in end-of-life circumstances. As of now, the hospital has yet to announce its future course of action regarding elective surgeries.