Coastal Observer

Georgetown County: Council agrees to buy historic building for $5.2 million

Georgetown County Council agreed this week to buy the historic Customs House in Georgetown for $5.2 million to use as administrative offices. The 4-3 vote followed a closed-door executive session. Council Chairman Clint Elliott,...
Read More

THE WEEK’S TOP STORIES

Education: District says midyear data points to rising test scores

Georgetown County School District officials are optimistic that there will be a rise in scores on the 2025-26 state standardized tests after review of the midyear data. The district set goals to have 80...
Read More

Elections: Chairman of county board makes case for trusting the results

U.S. Rep. John Lewis once said that the vote is precious, it is almost sacred, and it is the most powerful tool we have in our Democratic society. “We feel like we’re stewards of...
Read More

Courts: High court weighs fate of $26M in county road fees

A lawsuit seeking repayment of $26 million in road user fees collected from Georgetown County property owners in violation of state law is under consideration by the state Supreme Court. The suit seeks 10...
Read More

Traditions: S.C. Crawfish Festival – The tail continues

A storied Pawleys Island tradition is set to return this weekend, helped by 1,500 pounds of crawfish. “It was a huge festival. Everybody looked forward to it. There was lots of fun,” said Cindy...
Read More

Elections: Democrat will pose first challenge to four-term Republican

For the first time since winning the Republican primary in 2016, state Rep. Lee Hewitt won’t be running unopposed in House District 108. Kathy Redwine thinks that’s how it should be. As candidate filing...
Read More

Elections: County GOP wants candidates to align with its principles

People who plan to run for office as a Republican in this year’s elections will need to prove to local party officials that they support the party’s principles. If not, they may find themselves...
Read More

Environment: Planners move forward with wetland protections

Georgetown County will move forward with a wetlands protection ordinance that will prohibit new development closer than 50 feet to a wetland and prohibit filling wetlands without a permit. The Planning Commission last week...
Read More

Housing: HOA complaints rise, with little hope of help from consumer agency

Complaints to the state about homeowners associations on the Waccamaw Neck hit a high last year, with nine reviewed by the state Department of Consumer Affairs. And one of those complaints led to a...
Read More

Housing: Tourism taxes could be used to help build homes for workers

Revenue from taxes on vacation rentals could provide nearly $800,000 a year to help Georgetown County encourage development of housing for people who work in the tourism industry, according to a housing impact analysis...
Read More

Beaches: Groups urge county to update sand dune protections

Construction work for a house and pool that cut into the high dune on a North Litchfield lot last year has brought a call for Georgetown County to revise its dune protection ordinance. The...
Read More

Georgetown County: County continues to save up for a very rainy day

Georgetown County has almost twice as much money in its “rainy day” account as required by its own rules, $29 million, according to an audit released last month. The amount is 76 percent of...
Read More

THE WEEK’S FEATURED STORIES

Environment: Corps takes comments on plan to move Pawleys Inlet

The Army Corps of Engineers is taking comments from the public and other agencies on a request to move Pawleys Inlet and repair erosion damage along the beach at Prince George. Permit application from...
Read More

BUSINESS NEWS

Observer staff wins top awards in news contest

The Coastal Observer staff won 19 awards for writing, photography in design in the S.C. Press Association’s annual news contest, including the President’s Cup for excellence and Weekly Journalist of the Year for its...
Read More

LOCAL EVENTS

Meetings

Georgetown County Board of Education: First and third Tuesdays, 5:30 p.m., Beck Education Center. For details, go to gcsd.k12.sc.us . Georgetown County Council: Second and fourth Tuesdays, 5:30 p.m., Council Chambers, 129 Screven St., Georgetown. For details, go to georgetowncountysc.org. Pawleys Island Town Council: Second Mondays, 5 p.m. Town Hall, 323 Myrtle Ave. For details, go to townofpawleysisland.com. , .

COASTAL OBSERVER