District will add to state funds for teacher pay raises
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 scheduled to raise teachers’ salaries by $1,500. The board added another $1,000 at a cost of $835,273. District bus drivers would […]
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 on the proposal. The plan to expand the mill’s power plant to generate electricity from burning biomass has drawn opposition from […]
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 of Environmental Services samples more than 120 sites along the state’s beaches from May 1 to Oct. 1. The bacteria levels […]
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 paper ended last year. And it doesn’t help that those plans are being discussed outside the public view. “We’re very much […]
Bunnelle Foundation’s founding director steps down after 21 years
It took Geales Sands nearly 21 years to figure out what the hardest thing is about the job of being the executive director of the Frances P. Bunnelle Foundation. Leaving it. “I love this job. It is not like work,” Sands said. “It’s not that it’s a walk in the park, but it’s joyful work, […]
Appeals court judge questions flurry of lawsuits
The first of three lawsuits over land use issues that were dismissed by Circuit Court judges came before the state Court of Appeals this week. It wasn’t lost on the judges that more are on the way. “It seems to be wildly unpopular what Georgetown County is doing,” Judge Aphrodite Konduros, a member of a […]
Golf course rezonings move ahead with rebuke to citizens group
By Charles Swenson coastal observer Georgetown County Council voted this week to prevent development of two area golf courses under their current zoning while a zoning change that will limit what can be built on those sites moves toward final approval. That followed a stinging rebuke from Council Member Stella Mercado of the citizens group […]
Lawmakers create an exemption that state agency had denied
State legislators last week gave Georgetown County a break from a flood regulation that a state agency was unwilling to grant. Without a change to the state law, the county would have to enforce building standards for structures in some inland areas that previously applied only to structures on the oceanfront. “LLR could fix this, […]
Competing interests in mills fuel debate on city waterfront’s future
The city of Georgetown issued a demolition permit this week for the steel mill that has anchored its waterfront since 1969. What will go up in its place depends on what happens on the site of the nearby International Paper Co. mill that closed last fall, said state Rep. Lee Hewitt. “If you have smokestacks […]
District 6 school board vacancy sparks three-way race
A retired educator and a former television newsman have joined an attorney in the race for the vacant District 6 seat on the Georgetown County School Board. Jon Tester retired four years ago as Georgetown County’s assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction after 32 years in education as a teacher, principal and district administrator “I […]
Project helps maintain access as bike path grows
There are no signs that designate the 13 parking spaces at the south end of Business 17 for bike path users, but Dennis and Alcione Brecka thought they would give it a try. “It’s great having this here,” Dennis said. “We saw it and figured it must be for the bike path.” The couple lives […]
Charter school looks for funds to close budget gap
The Coastal Montessori Charter School board is scouring its finances to figure out how to offset an expected $102,699 deficit in the upcoming budget. Chairman Rick Richardson wants the board’s finance committee to take a “hard look” at the more than $110,000 the school has earned in interest since July on the $2.6 million it […]
Lawyer files for District 6 school board seat
Jarrod Ownbey may not be a graduate of a Georgetown County school, but he has a strong interest in the district. His oldest daughter is a graduate of Waccamaw High School, his two younger daughters are students at Waccamaw High and Waccamaw Middle, and his wife, Stacy, teaches at the middle school. They are why […]
Collections begin on extra penny to fund capital projects
The sales tax on purchases made in Georgetown County rose 16.7 percent today. And it will stay that way until 2033 unless voters decide to raise it again. That won’t come as a surprise to the 17,584 county residents who voted for the capital project sales tax in November, or to the 16,830 residents who […]
Town moves forward with berm to hold high tides at bay
The town of Pawleys Island will build a berm along a portion of Myrtle Avenue in an effort to reduce flooding from extreme high tides. The town is also seeking federal funds to address flooding in the Birds Nest section on the island’s south end while awaiting the completion of a master drainage plan this […]
Resource officers follow zero tolerance policy on safety
People read about threats, fights and other incidents in Georgetown County schools and ask the sheriff “what’s going on?” Nothing that isn’t going on in schools across the state, Sheriff Carter Weaver tells them, “we’re just better at writing reports.” That might sound flippant, he said, but it’s grounded in policy. “The sheriff’s office has […]
Safety committee looking for consistency in buildings that vary in age
After 19 students and two teachers were killed at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, in 2022, Georgetown County School District officials started giving tours of schools to first responders to familiarize them with the buildings. “If there is a major incident, it’s not just going to be the city police responding or the sheriff’s […]
Golf course owners want to negotiate for higher density
Tom Stickler and Stephen Goldfinch agreed that the wording of a new zoning district for the Founders Club and Litchfield Country Club golf courses needs more work, and were pleased that the Georgetown County Planning Commission last week urged County Council to defer action, but not for the same reason. Stickler, president of the Hagley […]
First-of-its-kind marine institute gets under way
Officials praised the creation of the Marine Institute of Technology on the Georgetown campus of Horry-Georgetown Tech as the first of its kind in South Carolina. But the head of a trade group didn’t stop there. “This will be the only one like it in the country,” said Gettys Brannon, president of the S.C. Boating […]
A classroom as big as all outdoors
The Black River Cypress Preserve in Andrews has quickly become a destination for outdoor learning. Lower elementary students from Coastal Montessori Charter School visited the preserve last week and spent a few hours discovering insects, plants and animal tracks during a hike. “It fosters an empathy and responsibility for nature,” said Shaye Heiskell, who is […]
School district continues to see enrollment drop
The Georgetown County School District expects to have 209 fewer students in the 2025-26 school year. More than half of the decrease in enrollment is expected in Waccamaw Neck schools, according to a report presented to the Georgetown County School Board this week. Enrollment this year is 7,824, which is down by 164 students from […]
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 time the paper received the President’s Cup in its circulation category since the award was created in 2008. The contest was […]
Pawleys Island considers $50 fee for golf cart permits
When it only cost $10 to get a golf cart permit from the town of Pawleys Island, 667 were issued. Last year, the town issued 850 at $25 each. Town Council stopped short of raising the permit fee to $50 this week, not because officials thought it was a bad idea, but because it wasn’t […]
Five-year pay plan proposed to reduce staff turnover
A five-year plan will raise pay for Georgetown County employees 16 percentage points over the first three years in an effort to catch up with inflation and reduce turnover. But it still won’t make the county’s pay scale competitive with its larger neighbors, officials say. The plan presented to County Council this week will start […]
School board takes deeper look at safety
A special committee of the Georgetown County School Board will spend the next seven weeks studying safety and security in schools. The committee was approved last week after more than 20 minutes of discussion by board members about whether a committee was needed, or whether information should just be given to the entire board during […]
Protesters take to their feet to tell Trump ‘hands off’
A crowd estimated at around 500 people walked the Bike the Neck path along Highway 17 in Pawleys Island as part of a national protest against Trump administration policies, drawing cheers and jeers from passing drivers. The protesters were told by Georgetown County sheriff’s deputies that they needed to keep moving and not block the […]
Preserving a legacy, property owners object to sand dredging plan
Naomi Holmes stood at the podium and closed her eyes. “I was 13 years old when my family drove us from Georgetown to see the devastation of McKenzie Beach. I saw Mr. and Mrs. McKenzie sitting on the banks of Midway Creek, heads bowed,” she said. The couple were surrounded by debris. “All of us […]
Crime data helps sheriff make case for pay raises
Data published last week by the Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office confirms what residents and local officials know from experience: the off-season no longer exists. “We used to lock it up Labor Day to Easter,” Sheriff Carter Weaver said. “There is no lag period anymore.” The report arrives as Georgetown County Council starts work on its […]
Appeals court denies motion seeking sanctions in zoning suit
The state Court of Appeals last week denied a motion to dismiss an appeal of a lawsuit over the rezoning of property on Pawleys Creek and a request to sanction the neighbors who filed the suit. Lawyers for the developers of the Magic Oaks project of 27 single-family lots between the creek and Highway 17 […]
Special election will fill District 6 school board seat
Kristie Baxley has resigned her District 6 (Pawleys Island/Litchfield) seat on the Georgetown County School Board. Baxley’s resignation was approved by the board this week. Baxley and her husband sold their house in Litchfield Country Club in February, according to county property records. She declined to comment as the board went into executive session. In […]
Agency schedules hearing on Midway Inlet dredging permit
A hearing next week will solicit public comments on a plan to dig sand from Midway Inlet to help renourish a portion of Litchfield Beach. The Peninsula at Inlet Point South Homeowners Association is seeking state and federal permits to dredge up to 75,000 cubic yards of sand from the shoals along Midway Inlet in […]
Stunt riders deliver message on bullying
Usually it is basketballs or volleyballs flying through the air inside the gymnasium at Waccamaw High School. But this week it was men riding BMX bikes doing tricks as part of the No Hate Tour. The messages of the tour is don’t be a bully and don’t stand by if you see someone being bullied. […]
Magistrate appointment creates vacancy on Planning Commission
A retired forester will join the Georgetown County Planning Commission following the resignation of David Roper, who was confirmed last week by the state Senate as the Murrells Inlet magistrate. County Council this week approved Bill Hills to the seat representing District 1. “Mr. Hills has got a long history of representing District 1. He […]
One house on 5 acres? How about no houses, golf course residents ask
A proposal to create a new zoning district for the area’s two oldest golf courses has drawn questions from residents and members of the Georgetown County Planning Commission. “This has been a struggle. How do you make sure the golf courses are protected,” said Elizabeth Krauss, who chairs the commission. County Council Member Stella Mercado […]
North Inlet agreement balances science and recreation
DeBordieu and the Baruch Foundation said this week they have reached an agreement in a lawsuit over the ownership of tidal property in North Inlet. If approved by the court, the agreement will preserve public access to the estuary while protecting areas that are used by researchers at Hobcaw Barony. “This is a significant step […]
With new burn ban in effect, Prince George residents review fire plans
A ban on outdoor burning is in effect in Georgetown County for the second time in three weeks due to a heightened risk for wildfires. In the wake of a March 1 wildfire in Prince George that had the potential to wipe out the development, the homeowners association is looking for ways to improve safety, […]
Judge rules for county in suit over funds from 2014 referendum
The town of Andrews waited too long to challenge the 2014 capital project sales tax referendum that included $1.5 million for a building to house its police and fire departments that became a $5.7 municipal complex, a Circuit Court judge ruled this week. Judge Alex Hyman granted Georgetown County’s motion for summary judgment in a […]
Lawsuit over funds from 2014 referendum heads to trial
Six weeks before collections begin on Georgetown County’s 1-cent capital projects sales tax, a lawsuit prompted by a tax that took effect 10 years ago is due to go to trial. The dispute between the county and the town of Andrews over funds for a new town building dogged the campaign for a new capital […]
Clemson football coach found his Christian faith on the field
Clemson University football coach Dabo Swinney has advice for high school athletes: chase your dreams and dream big. “You never know. But I do know this: you can’t just dream big,” he said. “You have to take some action and do the work. Get knocked down, get back up and keep going. Sooner or later […]
Five years later, finding lessons from the pandemic’s trauma
Five years ago this week, a global pandemic hit home in South Carolina when Gov. Henry McMaster closed schools. Dr. Desmond Young, a pulmonologist with Tidelands Health, was on the front lines of fighting the coronavirus. Young was scared for his family, his co-workers and just in general. “We didn’t know how bad this was […]
Planner will continue to serve without formal reappointment
Georgetown County Council made 13 board appointments this week. Marlajean Hamby wasn’t one of them. Her first term on the Planning Commission expires this month, and although her name was on the council agenda for reappointment it was passed over. But Hamby, who came to the commission after serving as a leader of the citizens […]
Initiative will collect data along with litter
It’s in the pluff mud. In the ocean. In the stomachs of sea turtles and aligators. In the bodies of humans. Plastic is everywhere. A three year project underway in Murrells Inlet wants to identify exactly where the plastic is and where it came from. The goal is to reduce the amount that ends up […]
Schools seek funds to hire additional staff
As the enrollment of Waccamaw Elementary School grows, principal Ashley Cameron needs more teachers. Cameron asked the Georgetown County School Board this week for money in next year’s budget to hire another special area teacher to handle music, art and physical education. “This is about opportunity for the kids [so] they get all those experiences […]
Collaborative looks for ways to improve care for mental health and drug abuse
Susan Myers is a counselor at Tidelands Health, but last fall she was selling drugs to people already enmeshed in a web of addiction. She was only playing a role in a program called Empathy in Action that helps people see life through the eyes of people with mental health and substance abuse problems. But […]
Crews keep wildfire from reaching Prince George homes
Midway Fire Rescue Chief Brent McClellan has seen a lot of things in his 31 years as a firefighter. But until last Saturday at Prince George he had never seen a mountainous wall of fire moving toward him. “In my career that’s the first one where we had a wall of fire 30-plus feet tall […]
Class at Andrews High hopes to cast a wider net
Ten students at Andrews High School are enrolled in an agricultural science class this semester. But it’s not an ordinary class. It is the start of the Black River Educational Initiative, a program that uses outdoor, non-traditional curriculum to introduce students to careers in parks, agriculture, sustainability and eco-tourism. “We’re really excited about it,” principal […]
New zoning district proposed to limit redevelopment of golf courses
A zoning change to limit redevelopment of two of the oldest golf courses on Waccamaw Neck is moving forward while Georgetown County rewrites its ordinances. That is likely to require creating a new zoning district, even though officials say the 32 districts contained in the current ordinance are too many. “We kind of hate to […]
Neighbors raise objections to Litchfield sand dredging
Property owners at a historically Black beach have joined a conservation group and the town of Pawleys Island in calling for a public hearing on a plan to dredge sand from Midway Inlet to repair erosion damage in front of a gated community on the south end of Litchfield Beach. The Peninsula Property Owners Association […]
Town considers plan for creekside berm to curb road flooding
A low spot on Pawleys Island is due to rise under a project that the town expects to be the first of many to reduce flooding and improve drainage. Work could start before the town completes a stormwater master plan, due this summer from the engineering firm SeamonWhiteside. “This is an effort to show a […]
County partnership could aid private beach renourishment projects
Renourishment projects along Georgetown County’s beaches have moved about 6 million cubic yards of sand in the last 45 years. But they haven’t kept pace with erosion, according to data collected for an update of the county’s beachfront management plan. “We’re losing now 200,000 yards per year along the developed beaches of the county,” said […]
DOT will remove trees along Highway 17 at Brookgreen
The state Department of Transportation is due to start work Monday to cut and trim trees along the shoulder of Highway 17 in front of Brookgreen Gardens. The month-long project along a stretch of about 2.5 miles will remove trees that are leaning or hanging over the highway. But other trees – a mix of […]
Mediation fails in dispute over migrating Pawleys Inlet
When beachfront property owners at Prince George first filed suit, their houses were still south of Pawleys Inlet. Now, 12 of the 19 houses are north of the inlet. At high tide, they are creekfront houses, some guarded by stacks of sandbags. Their suit against the town of Pawleys Island, its contractors and two state […]
Development moving forward as lawsuit moves through courts
Tripp Nealy and Beth Martin met for the first time this week across a drainage ditch. Their attorneys have met in court. Nealy is about to start sales at Magic Oaks, a 27-lot development between Pawleys Creek and Highway 17. He is moving forward in spite of a lawsuit by Martin and four other neighbors […]
Study will put improvements for 17-707 intersection on fast track
A $1.5 million study this year will examine solutions to the failing intersection at Bypass 17 and Highway 707 using a program that is intended to fast track projects. The work was added recently by the Grand Strand Area Transportation Study policy committee to the $101 million in “regional mobility” projects scheduled through 2033. “It’s […]
Reassessment math: As property values soar, tax rate will fall
Even people who have not bought or sold property in the last five years have a pretty good idea how real estate prices have increased on the Waccamaw Neck. This year, that will be confirmed when Georgetown County completes the property reassessment process required by state law. The county is preparing for what one official […]
Pawleys Island wants hearing on Litchfield sand project
The town of Pawleys Island will ask the state to hold a public hearing on a proposal to dredge sand from Midway Inlet to renourish a portion of Litchfield Beach. The Peninsula Property Owners Association is seeking federal and state permits to dig sand from the inlet to repair erosion damage along 3,600 feet of […]
Variance allows old house to straddle new beachfront lots
The owner of a Pawleys Island house that dates to 1939 will have to preserve the structure for at least 10 years in exchange for a variance that will allow it to encroach on a newly-created oceanfront lot. But it is the investment in renovations rather than the variance that will preserve the Gibbes Cottage, […]
Snow’s disruption continues as district searches for make-up days
It is back to the drawing board for the Georgetown County School District after the school board voted down a proposal to make up days missed during January’s snowstorm. Scott Batton, the district’s executive director of human resources and a member of the district’s calendar committee, proposed using March 21 and April 18, which are […]
Former administrator on track for seat on DOT commission
The former Georgetown County administrator is on track to get a seat on the state Department of Transportation Commission. Sel Hemingway was one of two new commission members and two returning members at a confirmation hearing before the Senate Transportation Committee meeting this week. With approval from the committee, Hemingway will require approval from state […]
Clemson students present their ideas for port redevelopment
In the dead of winter, with its paper mill closed for good and its steel mill sitting idle, there were signs of green shoots that could one day emerge along the Georgetown waterfront from the redevelopment of its former state port. Four teams of Clemson University architecture students showed what could emerge in a presentation […]
Growing surplus seen as sign of financial strength
Georgetown County continues to save money for a rainy day, like the ones that come with hurricanes. The surplus in the county’s general fund increased by $5 million last year, according to an annual audit, and at $25.9 million represents enough money to run the county for almost eight months. “That percentage is an indication […]
Winter wonderland comes with challenges for responders
Working in a coastal community, emergency management officials and first responders in Georgetown County know how to prepare for a hurricane. But a snowstorm? The preparations are basically the same according to Brandon Ellis, the county’s emergency management director. “We can take our core planning principles and implement them for any hazard we face, whether […]
Town takes first step toward acquiring three easements for beach project
The town of Pawleys Island is moving forward with plans to obtain easements from three beachfront property owners for a federal beach renourishment project. Town Council recently approved a contract to get the three lots on Springs Avenue appraised. The appraisals are required if the town goes to court to condemn the easements that the […]
St. Paul’s sees growth after departure from United Methodists
Six months after it left the United Methodist Church, St. Paul’s Waccamaw is thriving. Membership has grown so much that there are now three services every Sunday: two traditional and one modern. “I think people are looking for a church that is willing to unapologetically stand on the Scripture,” said the Rev. J.R. Virgin, pastor […]
Town drainage study provides model for a wetter future
The engineers knew that Pawleys Island had a problem with flooding, otherwise they would not have been there. What surprised them, they said, was how much the water rises over the town’s streets. “The 2023 average high tide was only about 6 inches lower than the middle of the road by the chapel,” said Rhyne […]
Clemson design center explores new uses for Georgetown port
Generations of residents have been separated from the Georgetown waterfront by commercial and industrial uses along the Sampit River. A group of architecture students from Clemson University have come up with ideas for reclaiming a portion of that space now that it is owned by Georgetown County. “It’s been a site the community has never […]
New council chairman says his focus in on zoning update
Clint Elliott took over as chairman of Georgetown County Council last week saying he wants the ability to direct the agenda to focus on issues such as the update of the zoning ordinance. He replaced from Louis Morant, who served as chairman for four years after Elliott’s predecessor in Council District 1, John Thomas, was […]
Theft of trailer only made couple’s food ministry stronger
Michele and Jeff Herwig found their calling four years ago when they started cooking and serving free meals to people in Pawleys Island. Eventually they expanded their ministry across the bridges. They used a utility trailer that was converted into a food trailer. “My husband and I love to cook and eat and feed people,” […]
Utility files suit to fund filtering of ‘forever chemicals’ from drinking water
The level of toxic “forever chemicals” in the Waccamaw River is nearly three times the maximum level for drinking water set by the federal government last year. Georgetown County Water and Sewer District has filed suit against the chemical manufacturers, including 3M and DuPont, and a dozen of their customers in the region seeking compensation […]
Litchfield group wants to ‘harvest’ sand from Midway Inlet
Property owners at Litchfield Beach are seeking state and federal permits to take sand from 26 acres along Midway Inlet to place on the beach in front of their gated community. The Peninsula Property Owners Association wants to remove up to 75,000 cubic yards of sand from the inlet in two renourishment cycles over five […]
Town told local action is key to historic preservation
Even if the town gets federal funds to assess its existing structures and expand its historic district, preserving historic houses on Pawleys Island will require local action. “It’s all going to be at the local level,” said Brad Sauls, who is in charge of local government assistance programs for the State Historic Preservation Office. The […]
Popular Pawleys Island access gets a new look
The parking lot has stood for decades on the shifting sands at the south end of Pawleys Island where the Atlantic Ocean and Pawleys Creek flow around, and occasionally over, it. Since the start of the new year, the lot has offered a firmer footing. “It’s a big improvement,” said Karin Canjura, who came with […]
At Belin centennial, members debate split with United Methodists
A ruling by the Judicial Council of the United Methodist Church last year seems to have stopped the process of “disaffiliation” which thousands of individual churches have used to leave the faith. However, a group of parishioners at Belin Memorial United Methodist Church tried once again this week to get Belin’s Church Council to allow […]
Hewitt files bill to combine six state health care agencies
State Rep. Lee Hewitt tried to reassure members of the Georgetown County Republican Club last spring that the breakup of the Department of Health and Environmental Control made sense. “We have not created a health czar,” he said. Some people weren’t convinced. One pointed to a claim that Anthony Fauci was coming to take charge […]
Sidelined for 16 months, charter director ready to return for new semester
Sixteen months after being placed on administrative leave, Chris Bergeron is back this week as director of Coastal Montessori Charter School. “I’m very excited just to come in, build some relationships and help our school any way we can,” Bergeron said. In September 2023, he was put on paid administrative leave after an Horry County […]
Variance proposed to extend life of vintage beach house
The town of Pawleys Island is considering a proposal that could buy more time for a beach house built in 1939 that could be torn down to make way for new construction under the town’s current regulations. “The reason we bought it and spent so much time thinking about it is because we don’t want […]
County goes to court to challenge state ruling on flood codes
Georgetown County has gone to court to overturn a state decision that will require that structures in some inland areas be built to the same standard as those on beachfront to reduce the risk of storm damage. And in case that doesn’t work, the county is asking the legislature to change the way the state […]
International Paper announces closure of mill with loss of 674 jobs
As we come to the end of the year, here is a look back at some of the top stories. This article published in October drew the highest number of views from readers in 2024. The plumes of white steam that have filled the sky over the city of Georgetown since 1937 will vanish by […]
Congregation plans move away from United Methodists
As we come to the end of the year, here is a look back at some of the top stories. This article published in March drew the second highest number of views from readers in 2024. St. Paul’s Waccamaw will host its final United Methodist worship service on June 30. On July 1, St. Paul’s […]
Prince George group seeks permit to move Pawleys Inlet
As we come to the end of the year, here is a look back at some of the top stories. This article published in January drew the third highest number of views from readers in 2024. Property owners at Prince George are seeking federal and state approval to move Pawleys Inlet nearly half a mile […]
Pawleys woman sues developer over drainage
As we come to the end of the year, here is a look back at some of the top stories. This article published in August drew the fourth highest number of views from readers in 2024. A Pawleys Island woman has filed suit against the country’s largest home builder saying its development next to her […]
Sand will run out before the money does, hazards expert says
As we come to the end of the year, here is a look back at some of the top stories. This article published in October drew the fifth highest number of views from readers in 2024. Rob Young thought he could improve on the WNC Strong slogan created after flooding from Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc […]
Storm gusts reach hurricane strength
As we come to the end of the year, here is a look back at some of the top stories. This article published in January drew the sixth highest number of views from readers in 2024. No major damage was reported from a storm this week that brought winds with hurricane-force gusts and caused schools […]
Santa’s big helpers take kids on a shopping spree
The deputies were on a mission and they came with full tactical gear. They also brought smiles and warm hearts. “This is the best thing we do all year,” Deputy Lee Ford said, standing at the front of a line of shopping carts inside the Walmart store in Georgetown. Each year since 2000, the Georgetown […]
Midway firefighters make smoke detectors part of their routine
Bill Collins was at a brush fire on Waverly Road recently. But his work didn’t end when the fire was out. He was headed back this week to install smoke detectors for the homeowner. Midway Fire Rescue, where Collins is the fire marshal, has installed 1,100 detectors this year through a federal grant. That represents […]
Region’s top transportation planner reaches the end of the road
There are new roads and bridges. There are wider roads. There are overpasses and intersections that were reworked to take the kinks out of local traffic. Mark Hoeweler had a hand in all of them in 32 years as the region’s transportation planner. The project of which he is most proud is more modest. It’s […]
Charter school director, cleared by investigation, will return to work
Chris Bergeron has been reinstated as the director of the Coastal Montessori Charter School after 15 months on paid leave during an investigation of a “possible” sexual assault that occured in 2020. The Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office concluded the investigation and no charges were filed. Bergeron had called the accusation “blatantly false.” After spending about […]
Town will reach across the water for ideas about preserving creek
The town of Pawleys Island is ready to take another look at Pawleys Creek. “We’ve got to decide if the issue is the creek filling in or is it the health of the creek,” Mayor Brian Henry said. Shoaling in the creek has been a concern of island property owners for decades. The Pawleys Island […]
Council restores funds to fire district safety projects
Projects to increase safety on the water and during motorcycle rallies in Murrells Inlet will get full funding after Georgetown County Council rejected cuts proposed by an advisory committee. The money from the state’s 2 percent tax on short-term accommodations will fund a $167,782 marine safety initiative and $44,669 in additional medical coverage by Murrells […]
Plan to upgrade boat landing brings call for more dock space
Georgetown County’s plans for a $1.5 million renovation of the Murrells Inlet Public Landing to go along with the realignment of the access road were stopped dead in the water by state lawmakers who say the landing’s biggest need is more dock space. “It’s horrible down there in the summertime. There are fist fights,” state […]
Town approves design for new beach house next to historic home
A new home that drew inspiration from the 1940s beach house that it will replace won approval from the Pawleys Island Architectural Review Board, but still drew criticism for bringing a modern look to the island’s historic district. An earlier version was rejected by the board in September, the first to face that fate since […]
Rezoning of former water plant site prompts second suit from neighbors
Two property owners at Litchfield Beach who went to court to challenge a zoning change in their neighborhood filed a second suit this week against their community association claiming it failed in its duties by not opposing the change. Ray Tanner and Salty Rims LLC, owners of two marshfront homes at Inlet Point South, say […]
Damaged in 2022, replacement pier not expected until late 2026
Work to replace the Pawleys Pier that was damaged in 2022 by Hurricane Ian isn’t expected to start until after the 2025 tourist season. And it isn’t expected to be completed until the end of 2026. “It’s amazingly detailed and complicated,” said John Felton, a member of the board at Pawleys Pier Village, which owns […]
District cellphone ban has positive impact, principals tell board
Since the Georgetown County School District started restricting the use of personal electronic devices at the start of the school year, only 200 students have faced disciplinary action. “That’s pretty good, I would say, for a first semester rollout,” Superintendent Bethany Giles told the school board this week. Of those 200 students, only 50 were […]
Town continues to look for ways to preserve older homes
As the town of Pawleys Island looks for ways to preserve its traditional beach houses, there is a growing concern that the town’s own rules are driving new buyers to tear down old houses. That’s because the town requires buildings be brought into compliance with those rules when the cost of improvements exceeds 50 percent […]
Iconic bird no longer endangered, but not out of the woods
A small bird that has a big impact on land use decisions on the Waccamaw Neck came of the federal list of endangered species this week. The red-cockaded woodpecker is no longer facing extinction, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, but it remains a threatened species. The “downlisting” was hailed as a milestone […]
Food pantry hands out 260 turkeys in 55 minutes
The volunteers were due at 7:30 to get ready for the 9 a.m. distribution of Thanksgiving turkeys. There were already people waiting. One resident of the rural Sampit community said he left the house at 4:15 and was at the Baskervill Food Pantry at 4:45 a.m. He was third in line. “The cost of groceries […]
Harbor dredging expected in 2026 after environmental study
Work is moving forward on a plan to dredge the Georgetown harbor, although the actual work to deepen the channel is still more than a year away. “To get to the dredging, we’ve got to do some studies and preliminary work,” said Mark Messersmith, the project manager for the Army Corps of Engineers’ Charleston District. […]
School board elects Keith Moore as chairman
The Georgetown County School Board got a new chairman and three new members this week. Keith Moore from District 7 was unanimously elected chairman. Moore thanked the board for their “confidence” in him. “It’s going to be challenging, but I know that with the support of the board we can overcome this challenge,” Moore said. […]
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. , .
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