Coastal Observer

Waccamaw High: School’s first cadet class ready to suit up

Nearly 20 students at Waccamaw High School will be the first in the school’s history to sport Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps uniforms. The Army JROTC program will kick off this spring semester at...
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THE WEEK’S TOP STORIES

Environment: Wetlands ordinance raises questions about county staffing

Georgetown County plans to add extra protection for wetlands through an ordinance that would establish buffers and setbacks and require permits for any disturbances, but it won’t add to the planning and zoning staff...
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Georgetown: Developer withdraws request for 75-foot-high building

A request for city approval to build a 75-foot tall building on the Georgetown waterfront was withdrawn last week, the developer said. The proposed variance to the 45-foot height limit was a “hill to...
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Sports: State league’s realignment drops Waccamaw High from 3A to 2A

Waccamaw High sports teams are scheduled to compete in Class 2A for the next two school years. The move down from Class 3A, where the Warriors currently compete, is part of a realignment by...
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Traditions: Students’ holiday food drive continues to hit new heights

A pizza party for the homeroom class that collected the most nonperishable food items was only an incentive, not the end goal, for Waccamaw Middle School’s canned food drive that gave 13,302 items to...
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Pawleys Island: Drainage plan calls for raising town’s roads to stay above rising water

To keep pace with rising sea level, a drainage plan for Pawleys Island calls for raising the roads – 6 inches at a time over the next 15 years. Coupled with maintenance and new...
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Education: Hiring more teachers is board’s budget priority

The Georgetown County School Board wants to attract and retain more teachers while reducing the district’s reliance on outside consultants. Superintendent Bethany Giles led the board through a budget retreat this month, looking at...
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Traditions: Waccamaw Intermediate’s elf is naughty, but nice

No matter how hard they try not to, students at Waccamaw Intermediate School end up cracking a smile once they see TK the Elf, who oddly resembles principal Travis Klatka. “Most schools don’t do...
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Land use: Rural rezoning ‘sounds like the Waccamaw Neck’

A zoning change that could triple the number of dwellings. A conflict with the future land use plan adopted a year ago. A group of residents who asked Georgetown County Council to vote to...
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Georgetown: Plan for fire-scarred block seeks approval for 75-foot-tall building

In order to redevelop the site on Georgetown’s waterfront where a fire destroyed eight businesses in 2013, the developer wants city approval for a 75-foot-tall building. Anything less wouldn’t make the project viable, the...
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Education: Pause in federal funding raises concerns for early learning

Uncertainty over federal funding for some of the youngest learners has the Pawleys Island Child Development Center at risk of shutting down its most utilized classroom. The center’s 3-K class is supported by the...
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Pawleys Island: Town on track to double permit fee for golf carts

Annual golf cart permits for the town of Pawleys Island won’t go on sale until next month, when Town Council will increase the permit fee to $50 from $25 and will be up for...
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THE WEEK’S FEATURED STORIES

Land use: Developer plans to withdraw zoning request for ‘high end’ gas station

A proposed zoning change that would allow development of a convenience store and gas station at the entrance to North Litchfield is due to be withdraw after attracting opposition from area residents. The 6.7...
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BUSINESS NEWS

Observer staff earns top honors in news contest

Coastal Observer staff won 20 awards for writing, photography and design – including the President’s Cup for excellence among mid-sized weeklies – in the S.C. Press Associatioin’s annual news contest. It was the 10th...
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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