May 20, 2010 NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - Detectives with the City of North Myrtle Beach Department of Public Safety, working alongside officers with the 15th Circuit Solicitor's Drug Enforcement Unit, arrested two people early this morning and seized precursor components and makeshift laboratory apparatus allegedly used to make methamphetamine. Danny Grey Little (35) and Virginia Lauren Graham (29) of North Myrtle Beach were arrested and charged with manufacturing methamphetamine, possession with intention to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intention to distribute methamphetamine in proximity of a park and possession of drug paraphernalia.

North Myrtle Beach detectives received a tip yesterday around 5:30 p.m. from a Wal-Mart employee that a man was observed purchasing items known to be used in the production of methamphetamine. The man, Danny Grey Little, was followed by a North Myrtle Beach detective to a residence in the 500 block of South Ocean Boulevard, where a surveillance team was established and North Myrtle Beach Police K-9 "Sam" was deployed. K-9 Sam gave a positive alert to the presence of the odor of illegal drugs at this residence and officers continued surveillance.

A search warrant was issued shortly after midnight. Little and Graham exited the residence and were arrested. The residence was searched and processed by drug enforcement officers, members of the North Myrtle Beach Fire-Rescue Division and the Myrtle Beach Fire Department hazardous response team. Two grams of methamphetamine, glass smoking pipes, a box of Sudafed, and several components consistent with apparatus and precursors commonly used in the manufacture of methamphetamine were found in the residence.
Bond was set at $25,250 for Little and $15,250 for Graham

S.C. Secretary of Commerce Joe E. Taylor Jr. will discuss the current state of unemployment and how to create more and better jobs in Horry and Georgetown counties at a Jobs Summit presented by Coastal Carolina University on Wednesday, May 26 from 8 a.m. to noon. The event, which will be held in Wall Auditorium, is free and open to the public.

The forum, sponsored by the Center for Economic and Community Development and the E. Craig Wall Sr. College of Business Administration, will also feature a job status overview from Don Schunk, research economist at the university, following Taylor's remarks (9:15 a.m.)

A panel discussion (10:15 a.m.) on how to improve the future of jobs locally will be moderated by Gary Loftus and will include panelists Mike Brown of Santee Cooper; Franklin Daniels of the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce; Brent Schultz, of the Horry County Council; and Schunk.

Another panel discussion (11 a.m.) will address the question "What Would We Become If We Could?" and will include moderator Edgar Dyer and panelists Billy Alford, chair of CCU's board of trustees; Marilyn Fore, senior vice president, Horry Georgetown Technical College (HGTC); Marc Jordan, president and CEO of the North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce; and Jeff McKay, president and CEO of the North Eastern Strategic Alliance (NESA).

By Sonni Parks, North Myrtle Beach Online.com

On Saturday May 22, 2010 10% of all food sales at the Cherry Grove Deli will go to help CASA. CASA, Citizens Against Spouse Abuse is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping families in crisis and victims of domestic violence in Horry and Georgetown counties. The goal of CASA is to stop the cycle of violence by offering help to all members of the family, and by educating the community about the serious and costly nature of the problem of domestic violence. The purpose of CASA is to provide emergency safe shelter, counseling and support for abused women and children.

The owners of the deli John and Charlotte Dashkavich have done two fundraisers for North Myrtle Beach Humane Society (March 2009 & March 2010) and one this past winter for Coastal Samaritan Counseling Center.
They recently got involved with CASA because their priest, Father Merchant from St. Stephen's Episcopal, had a volunteer come to their church to speak. CASA's funding had been drastically cut. "We felt we should do our part to help raise funds and create awareness" owner, John Dashkavich said. Owner Charlotte grew up in domestic violence and knows the importance of the group firsthand.
The deli will be open from 7am-3pm on Saturday. For more info about this event call: 843-663-3354

NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - The City of North Myrtle Beach Public Works Department is currently working on a sewer upgrade on 13th Avenue South between Hillside Drive and Havens Drive. Motorists should expect lane closures and drive with caution in that area. The project is expected to be completed June 10, barring any unforeseen delays.

For more information, please call (843) 280-5500.

NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF) - A bus tour aimed at marketing North Myrtle Beach as a family-friendly vacation destination will return home on May 20.

The 2010 North Myrtle Beach Destination marketing campaign kicked off on May 17, as city leaders promoted the area to thousands of visitors in targeted markets. Officials with the North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce made stops in more than 10 cities in Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina.

On the "Twice the Fun, Half the Distance: Experience North Myrtle Beach" tour website, visitors can follow the trip through an updated blog and check out videos and pictures.

The purpose of the trip is to draw visitors to North Myrtle Beach who might typically visit other coastal areas.

For the rest of the article go to http://www.wmbfnews.com/Global/story.asp?S=12501635

Copyright 2010 WMBF News. All rights reserved. Republished with permission. 

Roy Talbert, professor of history, has been selected to be the first recipient of the Lawrence B. and Jane P. Clark Chair in History at Coastal Carolina University.

The Clark Chair was created by a gift from the late Lawrence and Jane Clark. The Clarks were Myrtle Beach residences who bequeathed more than $1.2 million to Coastal Carolina University. A retired military officer and history professor, Lt. Col. Clark (U.S. Army), with his wife Jane, requested that their gift be used to create an endowed chair in the Department of History, as well as to fund cultural arts programs and scholarships.

The Clark Chair provides opportunity and resources for a tenured faculty member in the Department of History to advance a scholarly agenda and to provide a related service component that benefits the Department of History and Coastal Carolina University. The Clark Chair is a three-year, non-renewable position.

During his term as Clark Chair, Talbert will focus on scholarly work connected with the life and accomplishments of Peter Horry, an important figure in the early history of South Carolina. His research will explore local aspects of the periods of American history including the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812 in the South, Southern culture and society, and enslaved Africans and African-Americans. In addition, Talbert will present his work at community meetings and will work to bring other scholars to campus who will speak and teach the Colonial and Revolutionary history of our state.

Born in Cheraw, Talbert earned a bachelor's degree from Furman University and a master's degree ad Ph.D. from Vanderbilt. He served at the Pentagon on active military duty from 1970 to 1972. He has written many books on subjects ranging from the TVA to military intelligence, as well as institutional histories of Conway National Bank and Coastal Carolina University, and other South Carolina organizations. Talbert joined the CCU faculty in 1979 and has served the university in a variety of capacities.

MAY 18, 2010 NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, SC — On Monday, North Myrtle Beach City Council members passed, on first reading, an ordinance holding the property tax rate at 32.2 mils on each one hundred dollars of assessed value. One more public hearing is required to pass this ordinance into law.  

This property tax rate has been set at 32.2 for two budget years. In 2008, city council passed a 5.7% tax increase, the first in seventeen years, which was not necessary to “keep the city solvent.”

During the 2008 hearing on the tax increase, Councilwoman Williams asked that question and added, “Can next year’s budget be met without this increase?”

At that time, Finance Director, Randy Wright said that the city could meet service levels without the increase. Wright justification for the increase was the SC Budget and Control Board’s cap on property tax increases.  Wright expressed the concern that if the city did not pass the increase “it would be lost forever.”

Wright went on to say the monies would go towards hiring six firefighters, make changes in public safety and meet emergencies.  Three years from that justification, the city has not made the split of public safety into separate fire and police. For coverage on the 2008 tax increase read "City enacts 5.7% tax increase."

Only now, after last year’s Highway 90 wildfire and a survey of police and fire fighters conducted by University of South Carolina’s Institute for Public Service and Policy are city administration and council members discussing the possibility of a split. 

Pat & Mike's Irish Pub and Restaurant is set to host their annual golf tournament to benefit a charity. The proceeds from the tournament this year will go to the Jeff Butler Memorial Scholarship and North Myrtle Beach High School Baseball Program. The Jeff Butler Memorial Scholarship was started two years ago after beloved baseball coach, Jeff Butler died of cancer. Last year the tournament raised a approximately six thousand dollars, and they are hoping to raise ten thousand dollars this year. The scholarship benefits student athlete baseball players who have played at North Myrtle Beach High school for at least two years and have at least a 3.0 GPA.

The tournament will take place at The Pearl Golf Club, on Saturday May 29, 2010 at 9am to a shotgun start. The entry fee per player is $70.00 and the last day to register as a player is May 28, 2010. Players can pay in advance or at the door, but will receive a discount if they pay in advance.

Prizes will be awarded for the top three teams and for Closest to the Pin and Long Drives as well as goodie bags for the players. Immediately after, players will enjoy BBQ style pork, burgers, hot dogs, and fixings back at Pat & Mike's Irish Pub.
The Pearl Golf Club is located in Calabash, North Carolina and it's just a short drive from Myrtle Beach. The Pearl boasts two 18 hole golf courses; full service pro shop, golf lessons and a practice range. For more information about the course you can visit the website, www.thepearlgolf.com

For more information about the tournament you can contact David Smith Associates, LLC, CPA at (843) 272-4433 or download the registration form here.

The registration date for Pirate/Princess Camp for kids ages 3-5 years old has been EXTENDED until WEDNESDAY MAY 19th!! HURRY HURRY space is limited and you don't want your kids to miss out on these 3 days of Pirate and Princess fun!!!!

Days/Times: Monday- Wednesday, 9 am- Noon

Session 1: May 24 - 26, 2010

Fee: Member: $45/session, $5 discount for each additional sibling
Non-Member: $60/session, $5 discount for each additional sibling

Register at the NMB Aquatic & Fitness Center Customer Service Desk. Pre-registration is required.

Does your child love to dress up and pretend? Discovery is what these camps are all about. Children will experience the magic of their imagination as they bring their favorite pirate/princess to life. This camp will be sure to have a Happy Ending.

For more information, contact Heather Smith, Activity Director, at 842-281-3744 or hzsmith@nmb.us.

North Myrtle Beach, SC-The sad thing about all athletic playoffs is that disappointment eventually comes to nearly all teams, and sometimes it arrives sooner than expected. For the North Myrtle Beach varsity soccer teams, this was truly the case. On the positive side, recognition of the Chiefs' successful efforts in the field, and on the softball diamond, came through the announcement of All-Region awards this past week.

Chiefs Boys' Soccer Falls to South Aiken 1-2

Everyone familiar with the North Myrtle Beach High athletic program had high hopes for this year's boys' varsity soccer team, and no matter what happened in the playoffs, the Chiefs proved that they were among the best of the best out on the field. On May 10th, the Chiefs hosted a team from Stall High to kick off the playoffs, winning with a 7-0 cushion. The real challenge for the Chiefs came in the second round, where they met up with the returning state-champion team from South Aiken. Going into the game with a 23-1-1 record, the Chiefs' only loss was to an AAAA team from West Florence, a school much larger than North Myrtle Beach. The Chiefs came out flat against South Aiken, unlike they've been doing all season long, and after falling to a 0-2 deficit, the Chiefs were not able to rally back. The Chiefs just barely missed quite a few opportunities in situations close to the goal, and this was enough to spell an end to their story-book season. The lone North Myrtle Beach goal went to senior Cody Held. For the Chiefs, this was just one bad night that capped off a season full of great ones. In fact, the Chiefs outscored their opponents 105-11 throughout the season. Congratulations to the Chiefs on an excellent season!