SC-22 extension could reshape parts of Horry County. What to know about project

The proposed 28-mile South Carolina Highway 22 Extension Project has been narrowed to three potential routes, each with implications for homeowners, wetlands and traffic in the Grand Strand region. The extension is intended to reduce traffic, aid services to communities across the Waccamaw River and improve hurricane evacuation. Public meetings are scheduled Nov. 17-19 for residents to weigh in on the $1.56 billion project. Here are key project takeaways: Homes at risk: The Army Corps of Engineers has narrowed 22 initial routes to three alternatives, each initially estimated to displace between 64 and 72 residential or commercial properties in established neighborhoods like The Farm at Timberlake, Indigo Creek, The Lakes, and Meadows of St. Patrick, with construction estimated for 2030-2035. Residents and environmental groups also worry the new highway will worsen congestion on U.S. 501, 701, 707 and 17 and open western Horry County to more development. Property owner rights: Under South Carolina’s Eminent Domain Procedure Act, government agencies can acquire private land for public projects in exchange for just compensation, but property owners have 30 days to challenge a condemnation notice and can hire their own appraiser at the agency’s expense. Owners whose land isn’t physically taken but loses

This Overlooked South Carolina Town Is So Affordable, Retirees Say They Wish They’d Moved Sooner

There’s a town in South Carolina that retirees are quietly discovering, and once they get there, they keep asking themselves the same question: why didn’t anyone tell me about this sooner?. That town is Latta, South Carolina, and it’s been sitting in Dillon County this whole time, minding...

Last SC location of this business offering 75% off sales. How long before they close

Horry County residents have been wondering for years when a home decor store would finally close. The store, located in Surfside Beach, is the last Old Time Pottery location in South Carolina. Old Time Pottery, which became known for its deals on furniture, rugs and other home decor items, was bought in 2023 by Gabe’s, an off-price retail and clothing outlet. The takeover drew online speculation in the past few years from residents in The Grand Strand who wondered if the Surfside Beach location would be changed after other stores across the country had closed. But this time, the rumors are true: South Carolina’s last Old Time Pottery location will be closing in December so that the store can be turned into a Gabe’s store, a store supervisor told The Sun News on Thursday. The store will remain closed for five to six weeks afterward in order to remodel it. What will this mean for customers? Gabe’s first acquired Old Time Pottery in April 2023. A year later, speculation about the location at 1870 Highway 17 Business in Surfside Beach grew as customers wondered if a new business would take its place. A Gabe’s company spokesperson announced in a March

Is it legal to throw your pet's poop in neighbor's trash can? What SC law says

It’s trash day in your neighborhood, and you have your can sitting along the curb waiting for pickup. Then along comes a neighbor walking their dog and throws their pet’s bag of feces into your trash can. Putting aside the fact that the act is not very neighborly, is it against the law? South Carolina law says that a person cannot “dump, throw, drop, deposit, discard, or otherwise dispose of litter or other solid waste upon ... private property in the State for which he is not the legal owner or a person otherwise granted permission by the legal owner.” Horry County has separate solid-waste rules , and using someone else’s bin without permission could still prompt a complaint. The law also states that “garbage” that is placed in trash cans for pickup “shall not include human or animal feces.” There are other city ordinances with rules about picking up and disposing of your pet’s waste. Myrtle Beach and pet poop Myrtle Beach’s ordinance says that it is unlawful to "fail to promptly remove and properly dispose of all feces left by the animal on any public property or any private property not owned by the owner.” It goes as

Wawa sets its sights on South Carolina

Wawa is looking to add South Carolina to its list of expansion targets, according to a representative for a development, who spoke at a Horry County Planning Commission meeting last week. The commission approved rezoning a 3.14-acre site at Water Grande Boulevard and Highway 9 East in Little River to...

Auditor warns City of Loris after over $1.3 million was misused by city

What was the total amount of questionable transactions with Anderson Brothers and E & L Rentals?. Which specific purchases were deemed non-compliant with tourism fund guidelines?. Why did the auditor flag transfers from hospitality funds to the general fund?. Over $1.3 million appears to have been misused by the City...

Horry County residents, get ready for freezing temps. How cold will it get and when

While fall is still ongoing, the Grand Strand may get its first taste of winter-like temperatures this weekend. Horry County residents will start to see temperatures drop Friday night into Saturday morning as the lows continue to dip further into the 30s. The Grand Strand is expected to get closer to freezing temperatures from Saturday night to Monday night, with the coldest temperatures on Saturday night, according to the National Weather Service. A freeze watch will also be in effect for Horry County from Saturday night to Sunday morning. Temperatures are expected to drop to 31 degrees in some parts of Horry County, while closer to the coast, temperatures will stay above freezing around 36 degrees. Patchy frost is also possible, according to the National Weather Service.

Horry County man placed on ‘most wanted list' for overgrown grass, lawsuit says

A Conway area man claims he was wrongfully arrested by Horry County Police officers because his grass was too tall, according to a new lawsuit. The lawsuit, filed in Horry County on Nov. 5, names Horry County, HCPD Police Chief Kris Leonhardt, Deputy Chief Justin Wyatt and several other officers, who Kevin Hobbs accuses of making false accusations against him in order to obtain an arrest warrant. The allegations stem from a series of alleged interactions between HCPD officers and Hobbs from August to October 2024. Hobbs claims that he was arrested for “declining to discuss an alleged overgrown grass-complaint” near his front door, according to the lawsuit. The complaint also states that Hobbs was placed on Horry County’s most wanted list, put in jail and then prosecuted for 13 months. The Sun News has requested the documents relating to Hobbs’ arrest. A spokesperson for Horry County and HCPD each wrote that the county and police department does not comment on any ongoing litigation in text messages to The Sun News. Hobbs is seeking punitive and actual damages to be determined by a jury. Dispute over grass On Aug. 30, 2024, Hobbs had been at his home on Lesia Lane

Wawa takes on Buc-ee’s in new US state with plans for 6,300-square-foot convenience store with attached car wash

WAWA is bringing another new location to a US state soon as it continues its multi-year expansion plan, with 100 arriving in 2026. The popular chain is taking on giants like Buc-ee’s, which has already opened several mega locations and is days away from another. Several Wawa stores are...

After securing $2M for staffing and a new station, Horry fire chief suddenly leaves

Horry County Fire Rescue is facing an abrupt leadership change after Fire Chief Joseph Tanner left his position following nearly 11 years leading the department, a move county officials have not publicly explained. ABC 15’s Anthony Winn reported the news “definitely shocked a lot of people,” particularly because Tanner had...

Single-vehicle crash on Hwy 31 in Little River blocks traffic, 1 injured

A single-vehicle crash involving entrapment is blocking lanes of Highway 31 traffic, according to a Facebook post made by Horry County Fire Rescue (HCFR). The area of Highway 31 and Highway 9 in Little River is experiencing blocked traffic due to emergency response to an overturned vehicle that landed over the guardrail and into the woods, HCFR said.

Habitat for Humanity of Horry County ReStore’s biggest sale of the year is this month

MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF) - We visited Habitat Horry’s ReStore in Socastee, where we browsed Christmas decorations and even spotted a boat someone donated. We also learned about volunteer opportunities and how the organization helps build homes for local families. Don’t forget to shop their Black Wednesday Sale, happening...

Interstate 95 to face lane closure in Florence and Dillon County, the South Carolina Department of Transportation says

FLORENCE COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW)– Lane closures will be taking place on Interstate 95 next Tuesday for paving operations, the South Carolina Department of Transportation says. Next Tuesday, Nov. 17, SCDOT will be performing paving operations on I-95. The operations will take place in Florence County and Dillon County from 4 a.m. to 10 a.m. Operations […]

Week 12 - Baptist Hill vs. Lake View

Proposed SC-22 extension raises fears for SC refuge, flooding. Should you be worried?

The South Carolina Highway 22 Extension Project could already displace Horry County homeowners. But it also has raised concerns of critical wetland impacts and increased flood risk for residents who live downstream from the Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge’s integrity and purpose could be impacted by the proposed highway, which is slated to run directly adjacent to the refuge’s boundary. Many local environmentalists are concerned with the opportunity for other development to sprawl and the impact it would leave on rural communities. “I can truly say that this is one of the most impactful development projects that that has ever been proposed along the North Coast, and it really could be devastating,” said Grace Gasper, executive director for Friends of Coastal South Carolina, a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting the mission of federally protected land. Horry County has applied for permits through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Charleston District, to build a 28-mile highway extension connecting U.S. 501 northwest of Conway to Highway 17 in the Murrells Inlet area. The Corps has released three reasonable alternatives , all of which cross the Waccamaw River near the refuge’s property line. The Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge was founded in 1997

Crews contain woods fire in Horry County

HORRY COUNTY, SC (WMBF) - Crews contained a woods fire in Horry County on Saturday. Horry County Fire Rescue responded at around 7:42 a.m. to a reported woods fire, estimated at approximately 20 acres in size, in the area of Mill Pond Road and Bell Road in Galivants Ferry. Crews...

McLeod Health Carolina Forest Hospital Now Open

Myrtle Beach, SC – McLeod Health Carolina Forest Hospital is now open to patients, marking a major step forward in expanding access to hospital-based care for residents of Carolina Forest, Horry County and the surrounding Grand Strand communities. This four-story hospital features 48 beds and brings a broad range...

Loris v. Bishop England

High School football kicks off week 13 and the second round of playoffs. We are bringing you highlights from the Grand Strand and Pee Dee.

Myrtle Beach gives final OK to Wavegarden ordinance tied to $20M city contribution

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WPDE) — Myrtle Beach City Council has given final approval to an ordinance that would include the future Wavegarden surf park property near Broadway at the Beach in Horry County's multi-county business park. The council approved the ordinance on second and final reading, marking another step...

Manufactured home destroyed along with shed after Horry County fire

HORRY COUNTY, SC (WMBF) - A manufactured home was destroyed along with shed and car damaged after a fire in Horry County on Friday. Horry County Fire Rescue responded at around 5:04 p.m. to a reported structure fire on Hemingway Landing in Longs community area. There was heavy fire showing...