Coastal Observer

Elections: Forum sparks interest in school board race as voting begins

More than 50 people came to Waccamaw Library to figure out who the three candidates are that are running in a special election for the Georgetown County School Board in District 6. That was...
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THE WEEK’S TOP STORIES

Education: Childhood friendship survives service academy rivalry

Alex Mills and Tyler Fico were once boys growing up in Pawleys Island, playing tag football and drawing pictures of tanks, guns and soldiers. Now they’re paving their own paths to become military officers....
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Environment: Threatened seabirds create state’s second largest colony on Litchfield Beach

Mary-Catherine Martin looked through her binoculars to see if the chicks had grown their downing feathers. “Yay!” she said. The state’s second largest colony of least tern nests sits atop the bare sand on...
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Georgetown: County denies playing favorites in bids for IP mill site

Officials were scrambling this week to find out if Georgetown County was included in a bid submitted to International Paper Co. by a prospective buyer for its closed mill in Georgetown. They said the...
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Land use: Golf course rezonings advance with pledge for future tweaks

A zoning change for two area golf courses moved forward last week with amendments that will further restrict future development if the courses close. Georgetown County Council Member Bob Anderson said there could be...
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Georgetown: Environmental groups offer support to residents in fight over biomass plant

Of the two dozen people who showed up for a meeting to talk about a proposed biomass energy plant in Georgetown, five were from conservation groups. Another five were reporters. The rest were fewer...
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Waccamaw High: Seniors take their future in stride

Two years ago, Rashard Blocker couldn’t imagine graduating from high school. His freshman and sophomore years at Waccamaw High School were a struggle. “I was on a pretty rocky boat. Hanging with the wrong...
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Incorporation: Group debuts plan for new town with no property tax

A group that has spent two years developing a plan to form a new town on the Waccamaw Neck made its first public presentation this week, highlighting its goal to take control of land...
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Education: District will add to state funds for teacher pay raises

The Georgetown County School District’s proposed FY26 budget includes $2,500 raises for all teachers. If approved, the starting salary for a teacher would increase to more than $50,000 a year. The district was already...
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Georgetown: Cleanup costs drive redevelopment plans for paper mill site

The cost of cleaning up contamination from 90 years of paper making is driving the deal to redevelop the International Paper Co. mill in Georgetown as an industrial site, according to a lawyer working...
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Environment: Search for answers follows rare swim advisories for beaches

Officials are trying to determine what triggered spikes in bacteria levels in ocean water that prompted the state to issue swim advisories for portions of Pawleys Island and DeBordieu over the weekend. The Department...
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Georgetown: Talk of biomass plant leaves neighbors with questions

Residents who lived for years wrapped in fumes from the International Paper Co. mill in Georgetown say they are wary of plans for generating power from biomass on the site where the production of...
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THE WEEK’S FEATURED STORIES

Land use: New owner of former tech site won’t pursue townhouse plan

The new owner of Georgetown County’s former technology park site doesn’t have immediate plans for the 14.4 acres. But its future plans don’t include the 90 townhouses currently approved for the site or the...
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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