News

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.

News

CCU’s Plan to Return On-Campus

Instead of heading to campus like a typical year at Coastal Carolina University, students will begin their Fall 2020 semesters with online education until at least Sept. 8. After Thanksgiving break, classes will resume online. This decision came as a response to growing coronavirus case numbers in the South Carolina area.

Students have the option to forgo in-person learning for an entirely online semester. This academic plan was announced via a video on Tuesday, July 21. To follow, a 30-day video campaign launch fosters communication between staff and students. In the campaign, the campus safety measures are broken down for viewers.

According to CCU president, David DeCenzo, “the decision to delay in-person instruction for a few weeks provides us with the best scenario to safely resume on-campus operations. Upon our return to campus, it will be essential for all members of Teal Nation to wear face coverings inside buildings, practice physical distancing, and follow the protocols established in our Coastal Comeback Plan to help prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus.”

Those opting for the in-person plan will all be on campus by Sept. 4th at the latest. This optional second move-in allows residents to take their time in deciding what their next move is. Those that opt for a September move-in receive a two-week housing and dining credit incentive.

As of now, a plan for Spring 2021 is being crafted by DeCenzo and other CCU staff members. They will be gradually updating their reopening plans via the Coastal Comeback Plan website.

Featured

Volunteers Help Fund Wheelchair Mats in North Myrtle Beach

Volunteers of the Adaptive Surf Project and the Surfrider Foundation began installing 6 new wheelchair mats across North Myrtle Beach this week. These wheelchair beach access points allow those that have a disability to enjoy the shore more easily.

Created using UV resistant plastic, the beach mats reduce the distance that wheelchairs must travel over the sand. North Myrtle residents volunteered their time installing these to better improve a beach they know and love.

“These six wheelchair mat locations along the North Myrtle Beach coastline meet South Carolina Department of Health & Environmental Control (SCDHEC) and South Carolina Office of Ocean & Coastal Resource Management (OCRM) regulations,” read a post on the city’s Facebook.

You can find the mats in place at the following locations:

4200 North Ocean Boulevard
3400 North Ocean Boulevard
6th Avenue South
33rd Avenue South
47th Avenue South
Shorehaven Drive in the Crescent Beach section.

North Myrtle beach remains to have 140 beach access points, of which 44 of them are wheelchair accessible.

News

A Surge in COVID-19 Cases Results in United Airlines Suspending Flights

Last week United Airlines announced they will be suspending service to Myrtle Beach due to the recent spike in coronavirus cases. This is set to be enforced starting July 6th. Over the course of May and June, Myrtle Beach saw a surge of visitors, likely due to the change in weather. Passenger counts were up over 400% since the previous month. While this would normally be a good thing for the coastal town, it now means having to close their doors for the second wave of coronavirus.

Myrtle Beach is reporting single-day numbers of 133 new cases. The city isn’t alone, as South Carolina has seen spikes in all major cities.

United Airlines’ decision comes in accordance with the CARES Act grant, which facilitates employees to be paid through Sept. 30. The airline claims they will be returning service for the spring and summer of 2021 so long as there’s demand.

The Horry County Department is keeping a close eye as they monitor these changes. As for now, United Airlines won’t be an option for folks looking for a Myrtle Beach getaway. Your best bet for hitting the beach this summer might be by road trip.

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Bruce Munro’s Southern Light Exhibit

Not all activities remain closed this summer in Myrtle Beach. The Bruce Munro Southern Light exhibit at Brookgreen Garden is now open for visitors. While they practice social distancing, they continue to offer an immersive experience in art and light.

The installation consists of seven works of mixed media. Created by the artist Bruce Munro, each exhibit is geared toward a specific garden room. Using tens of thousands of components, Munro builds each sculpture from the ground up.

His previous work titled “Field of Light at Sensorio” was featured in Paso Robles, Calif. The New York Times highlighted this in what they refer to as a “mind-bending spectacle” in a recent article on art and design.

From May 15 to Sept. 12, Wednesdays through Saturdays 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m., Myrtle Beach visitors can meander through the mesmerizing visual experience. For all those living on the East coast, you’ll want to take advantage of these dates. This is the only chance Munro’s work will be featured on this side of the country.

The team at Brookgreen Gardens urges visitors to uphold social distancing etiquette. This can be done by respecting one-way paths, keeping 6-feet apart, wearing a mask, and washing your “paws.”

Featured

Ways to Support the Black Lives Matter Movement in Myrtle Beach

Across the globe, peaceful protests have taken place in support of the Black Lives Matter Movement. Myrtle Beach is no exception. Hundreds of locals gathered in Grand Park at The Market Common to speak out against injustice for the death of George Floyd. Officials, including Mayor Brenda Bethune and Myrtle Beach Police Chief Amy Prock, joined organizers at the Sunday afternoon event.

If you were unable to safely join protesters, there are still many options for how to get involved. You can directly donate to the cause using the Black Lives Matter online forum. In order to directly support the Myrtle Beach Black community, Travel Noire has adopted a list of Black-owned restaurants you can directly support.

Alongside the Food and Bev industry, there are many ways to support the movement. By sharing content from Black creators and educating yourself using online resources, you can help fight racial injustice. The easiest being signing petitions that call against systematic racism.

There are many ways to get involved globally and locally. We urge you to join as we fight to dismantle the injustice instilled against the Black community.

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Grand Strand Residents Are Ready for a Solution to Santee Cooper’s Debt Problem

Just last month, the state Department of Administration announced that it would now be accepting bids to buy or manage some or all of Santee Cooper.

Once the bids are received, the four consulting firms chosen by the state administration will review and pass on their recommendation to the General Assembly. From there, the assembly will make a decision on the future of the state-owned utility.

As this process continues, Santee Cooper’s direct serve and cooperative customers will continue to pay for the utility’s massive debt stemming from the failed V.C. summer project. In the meantime, Grand Strand residents are continuing to express their hope for legislators to sell Santee Cooper, get the state out of the utility business, and get rid of the debt.

Johnnie Bellamy, a Myrtle Beach resident, wrote to The State expressing his thoughts on the issue stating, “Investor-owned utilities have offered to buy Santee Cooper and provide lower long-term rates. Selling Santee Cooper just makes good sense to protect customers from sky-high electric bills.”

However, Santee Cooper has publically advertised to its customers that they have some of the lowest rates in the state, which Bellamy argues, “The electric cooperatives have complained that Santee Cooper has the highest wholesale rates not only in the state but in the region, ranging from 25% to nearly 50% higher than investor-owned utilities.”

Validating his concerns, another South Carolina resident of Murrells Inlet, Dick Richards, wrote to the South Strand News saying, “If a qualified buyer can pay off the debt and offer low rates, it just makes good sense that our legislators vote to sell Santee Cooper to protect ratepayers and get the state out of its failed utility business.”

It is clear residents up and down the Grand Strand would like to see the state move forward with selling Santee Cooper.

Meanwhile, the electric cooperatives that purchase their power from Santee Cooper are in a battle against Santee Cooper to stop them from charging their customers any more for the V.C. Summer debt.

However, while this may help the cooperative customers, there are many questions left to answer if the cooperatives win their lawsuit against the state-owned utility. Will Santee Cooper, a state agency, have to file for bankruptcy?

Or will all the debt be left in the hands of the direct serve customers if the utility isn’t sold?

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SC Lawmakers Meet To Discuss New Medical Marijuana Legislation

As of late, medical marijuana has been a hot topic in the state of South Carolina. And yesterday, the South Carolina Senate Medical Affairs subcommittee met for the first time to discuss new legislation.

They met to review a new bill introduced by Senator Tom Davis, who is also the chairman of the subcommittee, which would make cannabis legal for people with terminal, debilitating medical conditions that could be treated with opiods. The new bill would allow patients to purchase two ounces of marijuana every two weeks if prescribed by a doctor.

This meeting was the first obstacle it has to overcome as it tries to make its way to the Senate floor.

As reported by The Post and Courier, lawmakers reviewed the legislation and have decided to hold the bill in committee while they wait to hear testimony from others. Lawmakers hope to hear from supporters of the bill, the medical community, and law enforcement officials who are hesitant of the bill.

Davis plans to implement suggestions made by stakeholders to the bill before moving forward. One of those suggestions is that smoking cannabis would not be covered under the bill. He also urged others on the subcommittee to investigate other medical conditions which might be covered and include a sales tax.

To read more about the meeting and what law enforcement officials have to say, visit The Post and Courier.