Featured

By Kaye Collins The Loris Chamber of Commerce announced through Facebook last week that their annual Christmas Parade scheduled for Friday, Dec. 5, was cancelled due to the forecasted inclement weather. After several months of preparation and securing the date Mother Nature delivered a rainy and lower temperature for the night. “While we are disappointed to cancel the Christmas parade so many residents of Loris look forward to attend each year,” explained Samantha Norris, executive director of the chamber, “we are also disappointed.” She shared that a parade takes a tremendous amount of coordination to move safely and successfully, from …

By Kaye Collins The Christmas list of God’s Gift begins with the generosity of others. Stella McDowell created the Facebook group God’s Gifts, allowing community members to share their needs or donate items. All offerings within this nonprofit group are provided free of charge. For many years, God’s Gifts has made sure that teenagers aged 13 to 18, both boys and girls, can enjoy the spirit of Christmas. “The demographic we assist frequently outgrows Toys for Tots and might not experience a Christmas without the kindness of the community in supplying gifts,” McDowell remarked. They are in search of unwrapped …

By Gianna Forbis At Monday night’s council meeting, Mayor-Elect J. Baldwin, along with newly elected and re-elected Council Members Trey Skidmore, Bubba Collins and Jeri McCumbee, took their oath of office for the City of North Myrtle Beach. This oath is a legally binding promise made by all public officials before they take their seat as mayor or on city council, affirming their commitment to uphold the law and faithfully serve our community. They will serve the following terms: Mayor J.O Baldwin III: 2025-2029. Councilman Bubba Collins 2025-2029. Councilman Trey Skidmore: 2025-2029. Councilwoman Jeri McCumbee: 2025-2029. A vacant seat sits …

By John Smithson The 41st Intracoastal Christmas Regatta, like those before it, did not disappoint the thousands of spectators who lined the Intracoastal Waterway last Saturday evening. It was a clear and cold evening for viewing a parade of spectacular-colored lights and creative designs on boats from 24 to 55 feet in length. The Regatta began its waterway journey at Little River Inlet and ended at the Dock Holidays Marina. Along the way people lined the shore to cheer and react to the beautiful display and happy disposition of those on the “floats” of the parade. The regatta was the …

By Diane Woods Recently, three emergency service organizations in North Myrtle Beach received generous donations from the Scott A. and Phyllis P. Crabtree Family Foundation. Summer Crabtree, daughter of Scott and Phyllis Crabtree, stated, “Thank you again for all your hard work keeping the City of North Myrtle Beach safe all year long.” Pictured are members of the North Myrtle Beach Fire Department, North Myrtle Beach Police Department and the North Myrtle Beach Rescue Squad.  Mr. and Mrs. Crabtree’s grandchildren, Parker Rose and River, presented the donations to the three agencies.

By Kathy Heagen The GFWC North Myrtle Beach Woman’s Club is proud to present one of its most cherished and time-honored traditions, the Annual Christmas Candlelight Tour of Homes, on Friday, December 5, from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.  This year marks the 30th anniversary of this beloved event, a milestone that fills the club with pride and excitement. “We are thrilled to celebrate three decades of opening doors, sharing holiday joy and supporting our community,” says event chairperson Rhonda Atkinson. This year’s tour features six beautifully decorated homes throughout the North Myrtle Beach and Little River areas.  Each home …

By Kaye Collins Open Hearts Community Outreach (OHOC) offered the community a traditional Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, Nov. 27, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The doors at Ernie’s Diner opened with a volunteer welcoming all who entered Ernie’s Diner to share a meal. Families, friends and individuals sat down at the tables and were served turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, corn, cornbread, dessert and a drink of their choice. This year, the number of drive-through vehicles collecting meals surpassed that of patrons who dined inside the restaurant. “We provided 697 meals, I feel our event was a tremendous …

By Kaye Collins It has been a year since Horry Electric Cooperative (HEC) introduced a new rate structure for three key reasons. The first was to empower members to manage their bills. Secondly is to ensure that member bills reflect the traditional billing practices of HEC. Thirdly they guaranteed that members contribute fairly for the electricity they consume in their homes or businesses, as well as for their share of the peak demand they place on the system. Since the introduction of the new rate structure in May 2024, they have dedicated themselves to educating their members. HEC has invested …

By Kaye Collins The City of Loris Board of Zoning Appeals is scheduled to conduct a Public Hearing on Wednesday, December 10, at 6 p.m. regarding the request for a variance aimed at clarifying and defining the dimensional requirements for parcels designated as Common Open Space [Pin(s) 176-00-00-0030]. The hearing will take place in the Council Chambers at the Loris City Hall located at 4101 Walnut Street. Attendees can access the meeting through the side entrance door on Railroad Avenue. Individuals who wish to speak before the Board are required to sign up in person before the meeting commences. For …

By Kaye Collins The Horry County Council met on Tuesday, Nov. 18, where they approved the proposal to shorten the hours of operation for the Horry County Recycling and Solid Waste locations. The new hours will take effect in January 2026. With reducing the hours of operation, council approved to include Easter Sunday in their holiday schedule. There are 25 centers located in Horry County that close at 7 p.m. six days a week. Two of these centers operate from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays, 18 centers are open from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays and …