North Myrtle Beach Times Serving our Community and the Grand Strand for over 50 years

The new 2.5-mile McLeod Health Seacoast Nature Trail at the North Myrtle Beach Park & Sports Complex is open for your enjoyment. A ribbon cutting ceremony held on Tuesday, April 16, officially opened the trail. The trail features native vegetation and interesting wildlife. Users will see a variety of birds and animals and lush vegetation, including Longleaf pines. Mile markers posted along the trail help users track their distance and location. “Walking and hiking paths are essential to all cities, and North Myrtle Beach will continue to preserve and maintain these opportunities and open areas for our residents and visitors …

Once again, as the glorious Easter season unfolds its beauty and splendor, let us rejoice…and let us pause to reaffirm in heart and mind, that message of renewal and rebirth which the day commemorates.  Let it also be, for each of us, a time of reflection and resolve, that we may cherish the joyful spirit of Easter keeping it alive and radiant throughout the year. “In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchure. “And behold, there was a great …

Happy Easter to EVERYONE and be safe… Vicki and Rex KEIBLER making surprise visit to North Myrtle Beach last Friday to attend special event and visit friends over the weekend… Delores THOMPSON checking on her longtime friend and sending greetings… Dad RANDALL so very happy that son Connor DENNIS is spending this week at the beach so they can get in some trouble??? Joann STRICKLAND such a lovely lade with beautiful hair… Ginger WELDON so very intelligent about so many subjects… Chester SMITHWICK doing much better now after having two broken hips recently… EVERYONE is invited to attend the Earth …

By Sharon Robinson Three Riverside Elementary School members of the Driftwood Keep America Beautiful (KAB) Kids Junior Garden Club received awards from the Garden Club of South Carolina (GSCS) at the 2019 State Youth Symposium held on April 6 at the Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia.  Yvette Otero, a fifth grader, won first place for her poster of Smokey Bear “Only You Can Prevent Wildfires”. Eva Campman, a fourth grader, won honorable mention in the same category.  In the Woodsy Owl “Lend a Hand, Care for the Land” poster competition, Kh’ Mya Watts, a fourth grader, won second Place. Driftwood’s president, Sandy Barker, …

Who would believe what began with a few friends in Columbia would have grown into an annual event that attracts a lot of big names in sports and entertainment? This year‘s event was the 25th celebrity Pro-Am golf tournament. Since 1994 when it all began it has changed the venue several times until they came to North Myrtle Beach. Hootie and the Blowfish, Monday after the Masters is a fundraiser for several charities. The proceeds are used to strengthen schools and improve educational resources for the South Carolina children and South Carolina Junior Golf Foundation providing scholarships to young students …

Prior to the April 15 North Myrtle Beach City Council meeting, Council members met in executive session for a legal briefing regarding Code of Laws of South Carolina, Section 57-9-10. Council took no action. During the April 15 meeting, Mayor Marilyn Hatley presented a Proclamation naming April 2019 as National Child Abuse & Neglect Prevention Month. She called on citizens to dedicate themselves to the task of improving quality of life for all children and families. Mayor Hatley said abuse and neglect affect about 679,000 American children annually. It is a serious problem affecting every segment of any community, and …

The Loris Fire Department received an alert for a large brush fire in the area of Loris High School. At the same time Loris Fire Department also had another alert for a large brush fire on Highway 45 in the Live Oak Community. The Loris Fire Department, Horry County Fire Rescue, Cherry Hill Fire Department, Goretown Fire Department, Mt. Vernon Fire Department and South Carolina Forestry Commission responded to Heritage Road to find a permitted controlled land clearing fire that jumped its fire break. Fire crews protected area buildings and extinguished hot spots while South Carolina Forestry Commission established a …

The Loris recreation department is holding Baseball Opening Day on Thursday, April 4. The opening ceremony begins at 5:30 p.m. and games begin at 6 p.m. On Monday, April 1, Coastal Carolina University mascot Chauncey visited the park during practice for the children to have their pictures made with this special guest. Tom Cocke, director of the recreation center, said, “We have had to change the opening day a couple of times due to rain, we had planned to have the Myrtle Beach Pelicans mascot Splash visit.” Sadly, Splash is not available for Thursday’s game day, but he and Chauncey …

Todd Harrelson is running for the mayoral seat in the Special Election to be held in May. When Mayor Henry L. Nichols passed away in February the seat of mayor for the city of Loris was considered vacated. Mayor Pro-tem Todd Harrelson took over the duties as mayor of Loris. Harrelson said, “We requested that the Municipal Association of South Carolina in Columbia come help us determine what the procedure is,” he continued. “As Loris has never had a mayor leave office before the end of their term.” The Municipal Association of South Carolina determined Harrelson is now mayor; the …

The Loris City Council meeting was held on Monday, April 1, at 6 p.m. at the American Legion building with Todd Harrelson, mayor pro-tem, presiding. Present were council members Joan Gause, Lewis Hardee, Terrence Hardee and Mike Suggs. Department heads Damon Kempski, city administrator; Brandon Harrelson, public works and planning and zoning director; Gary Buley, Loris police chief; Lt. Williams; Kenya Wright, city clerk and treasurer; Samantha Norris, Loris Chamber of Commerce and Kenneth Moss, city attorney. Councilwoman Jan Vescovi and recreation director Tom Cocke were not present. Harrelson opened the meeting with an invocation and pledge of allegiance. The …