By Gregg Barnhill The North Strand Optimist Club presented the Jesse Medlock Memorial Scholarship to three North Myrtle Beach High School Seniors during their Wednesday, May 20, meeting. The scholarships awarded are $1,000 each. The NMBHS students awarded the scholarships are: Trevor Carter — Trevor will be attending the University of South Carolina and will pursue a degree in Civil Engineering. McKenna Dailey — McKenna will also attend the University of South Carolina and will be studying Nursing with the goal to obtain a Doctorate degree. Cole Woodly — Cole will attend Horry Georgetown Technical College. He will pursue a …

By James Pease II The Loris Chamber of Commerce held the 6th Annual Memorial Day Remembrance at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 23. The tribute was held at 3940 Railroad Avenue in Loris. The remembrance began with the presentation of Colors by American Legion Post 186 Little River, followed with an opening prayer by Councilman Carroll D. Padgett Jr. The Pledge of Allegiance was directed by Staff Sergeant Denis Riley, U.S. Air Force, of the American Legion Post 41 Loris and Linda Jernigan Small performed the National Anthem. Loris Mayor Michael Suggs thanked everyone for attending and gave an opening …

Green Sea Floyds High School senior Cole Forbus has been chosen as the recipient of the OrthoSC Stronger Together Scholarship. Cole is a standout student-athlete who has earned All-State Cross Country honors and was named Boys Tennis Region Player of the Year for three consecutive years, all while maintaining straight A’s throughout his entire academic career at both Green Sea Floyds High School and Green Sea Floyds Middle School. He has also been recognized through multiple honor societies, including the Tri-M Music Honor Society and Spanish National Honor Society. What made Cole’s application truly memorable was his heart for others. …

By Ruben Lowman Horry County election officials formally activated seven decentralized polling locations to absorb an anticipated surge in voter turnout as early voting gets underway this week. Operating Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., the early in-person voting window runs through Friday, June 5, serving as the ultimate gatekeeper ahead of the formal Tuesday, June 9, primary election day. To manage the immense voting bloc locally, the Horry County Board of Voter Registration and Elections has strategically deployed security-vetted voting hubs across major municipal sectors, including the North Strand Recreation Center in Longs and the Loris …

By Ruben Lowman In a direct institutional response to pervasive food insecurity in the local area, Horry County Schools has finalized the plans for its federally-backed 2026 Summer Nutrition Program, which offers free meals to students. Under the executive direction of HCS Nutrition Services Director Kim Johnson and funded via an inter-governmental partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the South Carolina Department of Education, the multi-year program will officially begin on June 10. The emergency meal infrastructure spans 14 strategically distributed public school campuses across the district, offering free, nutritious breakfast and lunch options to any child aged …

By Lauren Jessie During the Monday, May 18, North Myrtle Beach City Council meeting, John Galganski was officially sworn in as the City of North Myrtle Beach’s eighth Fire Chief. Chief Galganski joined the City in 2023 as Deputy Fire Chief following a distinguished fire service career in New Jersey and South East Virginia. Since then, he has demonstrated a strong commitment to the Department, its personnel and the North Myrtle Beach community. The City of North Myrtle Beach congratulates Chief Galganski on this well-deserved appointment and looks forward to his leadership as the North Myrtle Beach Fire Department continues …

By Ruben Lowman The town of Atlantic Beach is finalizing preparations to host its annual Memorial Day Black Pearl Cultural Heritage and Bike Festival, set to run from Friday, May 22, through Monday, May 25. Celebrating over 40 years of tradition, the rally is expected to draw thousands of motorcyclists and spectators to the Grand Strand once again, with high-density crowds arriving early in the week and lingering past the holiday. While official festival operations, including live music stages, vendors and cultural exhibits, remain centralized on Atlantic Street from Highway 17 South to Ocean Boulevard, the massive holiday footprint will …

The North Myrtle Beach City Council met in a regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, May 18, at 6 p.m. at City Hall. There were nine items on the consent portion of the agenda: A. MOTION TO APPROVE: Anderson Estep Surfing Championship to be held on June 6, 2026 (APPROVED). B. MOTION TO APPROVE: Shepard Center Day of Adaptive Surfing to be held on June 13, 2026 (APPROVED). C. MOTION TO APPROVE: North Myrtle Beach Ocean Rescue Junior Lifeguard Camp to be held June 16, 2026, to August 13, 2026 (APPROVED). D. RESOLUTION: To amend the terms for the City’s option …

Melanie Wellons, Republican candidate for Horry County School Board Chair, was in North Myrtle Beach on Tuesday, May 19, as part of a countywide listening tour.  Wellons has hosted ice cream socials in every area of the county in an effort to meet with voters and to hear their concerns ahead of the upcoming Tuesday, June 9, Republican Primary. Wellons said the conversations have been very positive and that she has been encouraged by the support she has seen for Horry County Schools. “I have really tried to focus on transparency and fiscal responsibility,” Wellons said.  “It’s so important that …

By Ruben Lowman In a decisive maneuver to mitigate the environmental impacts of rapid local development, The Nature Conservancy in South Carolina has finalized the acquisition of more than 4,600 acres of former timberlands in the Waccamaw Heritage Preserve in the Longs area. The targeted real estate, purchased from FD Timber properties, is slated for a systematic administrative transfer to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources’ (SCDNR) Heritage Trust Program by early 2027. Once the state agency officially assumes title, the transaction will immediately expand the existing 7,000 acre Waccamaw River Heritage Preserve by a staggering 60%, establishing a …