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

Jeri McCUMBEE serving as grand marshal for the 32nd St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Saturday, March 14, at 9 a.m. in North Myrtle Beach…Big event coming up soon for David STOUDENMIRE???A great big hello to Donna RHODES at Donna’s Beauty Shop…We would like to welcome our new MEMBERS to the Loris Chamber of Commerce and introduce them to the community as Cotton Pickin Cute and Kenya Wright of Loris and Duncan Group Properties and Ford Duncan of Conway…Bobby McCUMBEE so proud of daughter Jeri and wants everyone to read about her many accomplishments…Congratulations to Kenya WRIGHT on opening her new …

Ida H. Hargrove, 56,  of Longs, died Wednesday Feb. 26, 2020, at Grand Strand Regional Medical Center. Born on October 17, 1963 in Dillon County, SC, she was the daughter of Doug and Carolyn Rowell Hayes. Mrs. Hargrove is survived by her husband of 38 years, Gordon Hargrove;  two children, David Hayes and April Confare; four step children, Kevin, Angie, Tony and Jamie Hargrove; eight grandchildren, Tabby Hargrove, Junior Hargrove, Kirsten English, Buddy English, Jamison Hargrove, Brice Hargrove, John Alton Huggins, and Patty Confare; and two great grandchildren, Harper Hargrove and Easton Tarte. Services will be private with the family. …

Dr. Thomas Jackson “Jack” Babb, of Little River, left his earthly home on Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020.  He entered his heavenly home and now resides with the Lord and is in the presence of all who have made the journey before him.  He was born in Hertford, N.C. to Everette Duke Babb and Irene Layden Babb on July 26, 1930.  In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by two sisters, Helen Virginia Babb Bowen and Alice Lee Babb.  He is survived by his niece, Mary Gordon Bowen Strickland and her husband Frank of Little River.  He also leaves behind …

John Hartford Smith, 79, died peacefully at home following a long illness on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2020, in Little River. He was born on Oct. 13, 1940, in Columbia and spent his early childhood in Athens, Ga., and Marietta, Ga., while his father Hallum taught at the University of Georgia and his mother Eatofel pursued a master’s degree in home economics. He was preceded in death by his parents, Richard Hallum Smith of Smoaks and Eatofel Vereen Arehart of Little River; stepfather, Marcus Alton Thompson of North Myrtle Beach; and sister, Jeanne Sowell of North Myrtle Beach. Circumstances brought him …

James “Jim” W. McLean, 80, of North Myrtle Beach passed away on Tuesday,  Feb. 25, 2020, surrounded by his family. Jim is survived by his life partner Betty Ann Sharpe;  two children, Amy Elizabeth McLean McNally and James “Jamy” Wellington McLean II; stepchildren, Neal Sharpe, Meg Fosnock and Emily Sharpe; grandchildren, Charles Bryce McNally (Holly), AlexZandra McNally Passmore (Paul), Haylee Elizabeth McNally and Sage Fosnock; and great grandchildren, Brooke, Zachary, Domenik and Tessa McNally. He was born on Sept. 13, 1939, the son of Hugh Bryce McLean and Rada Cox McLean. Through the early years in life he was married …

Thomas Francis “Tommy” Long, 74, of Little River died on Friday, Feb. 28, 2020, at McLeod Seacoast Medical Center in Little River. Born on June 26, 1945, in Little River, he was the son of the late Lawrence and Sarah Henry Long. Mr. Long was a second generation commercial fisherman who spent his life on the docks of Little River. He loved his family and friends and never met a stranger. Survivors include his family, Ann Harris, Wade Long (Lindsey), Angie Green (John), Joe Harris (Mary), Debbie Harris, Stephanie Harris, Billy Long, Ricky Long, Sharon Edwards, Betty Biddle, Nancy Horton, …

The North Myrtle Beach High School Lady Chiefs third round lower state playoff game with North Augusta last Monday may have ended their season, as the Lady Yellow Jackets advanced by a 75-60 score, but it certainly won’t diminish the accomplishments and memories of the 2019-2020 season. The Lady Chiefs opened their season with a 38-35 loss to Goose Creek in the FTC Lady Gamecock Tip Off Classic. They then won eleven straight games, mostly non-region and tournament games before losing in a holiday tournament to Sumter. They began their region play with a win over Myrtle Beach on Jan. …

The buzzer sounded last Tuesday night at the Myrtle Beach High School gym and a disappointed North Myrtle Beach Chiefs team slowly collected themselves and formed a line to go through the usual handshakes and “good game” with the Seahawks.  Coach Ryan Walker had paced and watched the scoreboard the last minutes of the game trying to will free throws to go in and looking at Chiefs shots bounce off the rim. Each miss and Seahawks basket meant the Chiefs chances for a trip to the Lower State Championship in Florence were further from reality. The Chiefs had gotten to …

The North Myrtle Beach High School varsity soccer programs have already begun play with the Nash Tournament but now both coaches turn to local teams. The girls and boys had scheduled games against Socastee on Tuesday. The girls team played at home and the boys travelled to Socastee for 7:30 p.m. matches. Boys coach Aaron Wheeler spoke about the changes to his program. “There has been a massive overhaul of the program since I took over last June and the boys worked incredibly hard to win the Nash tournament for the first time since 2009. I believe that is just …

Following the 6AAAA individual wrestling tournament at Bluffton, eight Chiefs qualified for the state championships last weekend in Anderson. First place finishers Blake Jenkins(145), Chase Simmons(182) and Malachi Black(285), second place finishers Naszeir Bellamy(126) and Jackie Gore(152),  third place finishers Jackson Smith(106) and Andre Giddens(160) and fourth place finisher Rashad Dawud(170) all wrestled last Friday and Saturday and five eventually placed after two days of wrestling. Each wrestler faced competitors from teams in the upper state, with number one finishers wrestling number four finishers and twos meeting threes. Winners advanced to wrestle other winners. Losers advanced to consolation rounds. To …