By Annie Rigby The Loris City Council met on Monday, July 6, at 5:30 p.m. to discuss issues with the budget and met again at 6 p.m. for the Regular City Council Meeting for July. Council members present at both meetings were Joan Gause, Lewis Hardee, Carroll D. Padgett Jr., Mike Suggs and Jan Vescovi, with Mayor Todd Harrelson presiding over the meeting. Department heads present were Loris Police Chief Gary Buley, Loris Fire Chief Jerry Hardee, Brandon Harrelson, director of facilities, Kenneth Moss, city attorney and operations, and Amanda Causey, acting clerk. Present via Zoom social media program was …

By Annie Rigby Kenya Wright, owner of Cotton Pickin’ Cute Boutique, has moved two doors down to 4160 Main Street She opened on Wednesday, July 1, at 10 a.m. Wright said, “The move is mainly due to issues with the air conditioning unit in the original store at the corner of Main and Broad Street.” She said her landlord was accommodating to her making the move into the new shop and understanding the issues they experienced with the air not working properly; she stated he was more than happy to work with her. The new store’s amazing plus is the …

By Annie Rigby The Loris City Council met on Monday, June 29, at 5:30 p.m. in the council chambers at city hall. Due to COVID-19 pandemic the Special Council Meeting is open to the public and press via Zoom, the social media outlet through the App or dial in to attend the meeting. Mayor Todd Harrelson stated in last week’s meeting that social distancing was a priority, only council members and city staff are able to meet in person. Present at the meeting were council members Joan Gause, Lewis Hardee, Terrence Hardee, Carroll D. Padgett, Jr., Mike Suggs, Jan Vescovi …

By Annie Rigby Many activities were planned for high school graduates for the class of 2020, the biggest first milestone marked in many diaries, yearbooks and memories. However, there are two other milestones in the Loris community that were almost overlooked; the 5th grade graduation at Loris Elementary School (LES) and Daisy Elementary School (DES), and the 8th grade graduation at Loris Middle School (LMS). Loris Elementary and Daisy Elementary fifth graders were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, they missed the end of the year activities, the Field Day was cancelled, PTO activities and their recognition with their peers to …

By Annie Rigby A service to celebrate the life of Larry Hickman, a lifetime firefighter since 1965 and assistant fire chief since 2013, was held on Sunday, June 7. Hickman passed away at McLeod Florence Hospital on Tuesday, June 2, 2020. A procession in the antique fire truck he loved and called his own carried him to the hub at the Loris Fire Department at the Public Safety Building on Sunday, June 2. An American flag covered his coffin and the antique fire hose nozzle and fire extinguisher he salvaged and used on the antique truck were set in front. …

By Annie Rigby The Loris Chamber of Commerce, the City of Loris, candidates and residents gathered under the magnificent elm tree in the back of The Barber Shop for the official announcement that Loris is reopen for business. On Friday, June 5, from 10 a.m. to noon Down at the Barber Shop aired their music and ribbon cutting ceremony live on WLSC Tiger Radio. At 11 a.m. John Sedlak, president of the Loris Chamber of Commerce, and Mayor Todd Harrelson both welcomed the crowd as they held the scissors together to cut the blue ribbon announcing the reopening of Loris …

By Annie Rigby The primary election ended on Tuesday, June 9, at 7 p.m. The votes were tallied and posted at the two precincts in Loris and in Conway. Voting in person was quick and painless with social distancing following the marks on the floor and entering in one door and out another, using a cotton swab to touch the screen and carrying the ballot to the box to be drawn in to be electronically counted. Things went pretty smooth at the polls. With a record number of absentee ballots to be counted there was a delay in reporting from …

By Annie Rigby Ernie’s Hometown Diner reopened for business on Friday, June 5, serving familiar faces. Humbled not only by the community reaching out through the GoFundMe donations but the steady influx of friends and clients supporting Ernie Ross visiting the restaurant for breakfast and lunch. Ross said he is thankful for the community’s help through the pandemic when he had to close his restaurant. He said he was able to save the diner through the second wave of small government business loans of $3,100. He is not sure the grand opening for his new location in Little River will …

By Annie Rigby During the Monday, June 8, Special City Council Meeting Brandon Harrelson, Director of the Water and Sewer Department addressed the council of the negative issues regarding the water and sewer billing code errors. With 2020-21 preliminary budget in hand when compared to the 2019-20 approved budget, a line item jumped off the page. The line item for Water/Sewer Operate Revenue for the coming year is a total amount of $3,218,364. In the 2019-20 the line item totaled $1,794,237. This is a $1.2 million difference in revenue. Why is that and where the money will come from to …

By Annie Rigby Larry Hickman passed away peacefully at McLeod Florence Hospital on Tuesday, June 2, after a short illness. Hickman joined the Loris Volunteer Fire Department in 1965 after he moved from Green Sea to Loris. He moved up in rank from firefighter to lieutenant. After Rodney Hardee passed away in 2013 Hickman was promoted to assistant fire chief. Hickman said, “When I was a teenager my buddies and I would go to fire calls, the department decided to put us on the fire department.” He stated, although the title is assistant fire chief, “We work as a team.” …