New Boardwalk Due To Open In MB
The Myrtle Beach boardwalk will open May 15 in time for a beach music festival, according to local officials and Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce representatives.
The boardwalk should be ready before the festival, barring any complications, Myrtle Beach Mayor John Rhodes said.
The event will include a ribbon cutting for the boardwalk and several performances from beach music acts including Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs, Billy Scott and the Prophets and Ben E. King.
The event is one of four planned for May, and admission is free. The events are part of the city's efforts to attract more tourism for the month. Tourism slumped last May after the city took steps to limit bike rallies that regularly take place at that time.-Sun News
Christian Festival Set For Late May In MB
A Christian music festival is coming to Myrtle Beach in May, officials announced Tuesday, one of several new events in a month that used to be dominated by bikers.
The Beach Blast Christian Music Festival will be May 22 on the former site of the Myrtle Square Mall. The event lineup includes musical acts TobyMac and Kutless and a speech from David Nassar. Tickets are $25 in advance.
The festival is the first of four to be announced as part of a lineup to promote spring tourism, said Ryan Swaim, chairman of the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce's marketing committee. The events will help fill hotels in the spring, a season that has slowed in recent years, he said.
The festivals mark a transition for a month traditionally dominated by motorcyclists. The city lost the revenue of more than 300,000 bikers in 2009 after making a series of efforts to discourage the May bike rallies.
The festivals "are not going to raise occupancy just by themselves, but they'll be an important part of building spring occupancy to levels we've seen in the past," Swaim said.
Premier Festivals promotes Christian music festivals. The chamber will provide marketing and advertising for the event, said Tina Pace, the chamber's marketing manager. -Sun News
Courts Wage Battle On Animal Cruelty
A veterinarian at St. Frances Animal Center told staff members not to get attached to a sick puppy that came to the shelter last year, because it wasn't clear whether the neglected animal would survive.
"He was so sick. He didn't make any noise or come out of his crate," said Debbie Clement, office manager at St. Frances Animal Center in Georgetown.
After about a week, Dawson, an emaciated, bloated Shih Tzu, who had a skin infection and injured eye, exited the crate.
"That's how we knew he was better," said Clement, who is Dawson's foster mom. "He finally got out of his crate and walked down the hall into my office."
Dawson is one of several abused and/or neglected animals that the shelter has seen. Shelter officials say Dawson's injuries were the result of pure neglect.
"As social as he is with people, he had a family that did that to him," center manager Shannon Prouty said of the pup.
Georgetown County authorities handled 11 animal cruelty cases in 2009, including three that are pending, one that resulted in a not guilty ruling, and seven that ended with convictions, according to the Georgetown County Magistrate Court.
In Horry County, there were 27 animal cruelty cases filed last year, 25 that resulted in convictions, and two were dismissed, according to the Horry County Magistrate Court.
Myrtle Beach animal control officer Steven Trott said the city handled 5,000 calls last year, and 2,000 were cruelty complaints. The complaints ranged from a dog not having water to the death of a dog due to emaciation or malicious intent.
Punishments for animal cruelty can vary from fines to time in prison.
Animal cruelty "is a major problem, but not at the level people think," said Wayne Brennessel, executive director of the Humane Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Columbia. "We mainly see where people don't provide proper care for animals. We don't hear of a lot of cases of people being physically abusive to animals. It's more neglect or not proper knowledge of how to care for animals."
A Myrtle Beach woman is awaiting a jury trial after she was charged in January with allowing a third dog in her care to die. That death occurred two days after she was convicted of the same charge for the deaths of two other dogs, according to officials with the 15th Circuit Solicitor's Office.
Ellyn Jamie Johnson's case will be prosecuted in magistrate court, and she could have an initial appearance in court at the end of this month, solicitor Greg Hembree said. No specific date is set for her trial.
A Loris man who also is charged with two counts of first-offense ill treatment of animals after four dead dogs were found on his property is expected to appear in court May 7, either to plead guilty or go to trial, Hembree said.
Police suspected that Edward Theron Casselman, 82, poisoned the dogs because witnesses said the dogs died shortly after being fed, officials said. Casselman denied the claims but was arrested. He made an initial appearance in general sessions court on March 19, Hembree said.
Brennessel said people can do much to prevent animal cruelty by understanding state law, and educating themselves and their neighbors on how to properly care for animals. He also said there's a need for more education, which could come at schools, churches and civic groups.
"There's a steady increase in more calls for service because more people are becoming diligent and aware of animal cruelty through education," Trott said.
Brennessel said people should be concerned if an animal doesn't get fresh water two to three times a day, if an animal doesn't have shelter and/or access to shelter, and if one can see the animal's ribs or hip bones.
"There's a very good chance an animal neglected or abused can be rehabilitated," Brennessel said. "You just have to put them in the right situation where they get the right training and love because they are animals eager to please.''
At St. Frances, Dawson, who was brought in two days before New Year's Day after a woman found him on the curb in Georgetown walking into the street, is a good example. He was blind, said Prouty, who said Dawson's right eye had to be removed because it was infected from injury. His surgery was Feb. 1.
In another case, the owner of Popeye and Patches, a pair of English bulldog boxer mixes, kept both dogs on chains about 3 feet long, Prouty said. She said animal control went to the owner's home after a resident reported animal abuse at that location.
Officials were able to save Popeye, who was emaciated and dehydrated when he was taken to the shelter Feb. 13, 2009. His brother, Patches, was severely starved and had other injuries that prevented him from being saved, Prouty said. She said the dog's owner was charged with cruelty and neglect, Prouty said.
"That is the type of thing we see here that the public is not aware of," Prouty said as she recalled a recent incident in which someone poured gasoline on a dog and set him on fire. "That happens in your neighborhood, in your backyard. It kills us every time you see something like that." -Sun News
Hurricane Risk For East Coast
Hurricane forecasters say cooler ocean temperatures in the Pacific and warmer temperatures in the Atlantic increase the risk for the East Coast to be slammed by a hurricane this season.
Colorado State University researchers Wednesday updated their Atlantic hurricane season forecast, saying there's a 45 percent chance of a hurricane hitting the East Coast, including Florida. The historical probability is 31 percent.
Philip Klotzbach and William Gray's refined forecast first issued in December predicts 15 names storms, with four of them developing into major hurricanes with sustained winds of 111 mph.
Nine named storms developed last season. Three became hurricanes, and none came ashore in the U.S. –Sun News
Beach First National Bank To Close
A federal agency has taken control of Beach First National Bank.
The Office of Comptroller of the Currency appointed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation as the receiver for Beach First National Bank today. The bank closed today at 5 p.m., and employees from the FDIC entered the building.
The Myrtle Beach based bank had $585.1 million in total assets and $516 million in total deposits on Dec. 31, 2009, according to the FDIC. The OCC found that the bank had a significant decrease of assets and earnings due to unsafe and unsound practices.
The OCC also found that the bank incurred losses that depleted its capital and there is no reasonable prospect that the bank will become adequately capitalized without federal assistance, according to a news release that was posted on the door.
A news release from the FDIC said the seven branches of Beach First will reopen on Monday as branches of Bank of North Carolina. Customers will have access to their funds in Beach First over the weekend. –Sun News
The Myrtle Beach boardwalk will open May 15 in time for a beach music festival, according to local officials and Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce representatives.
The boardwalk should be ready before the festival, barring any complications, Myrtle Beach Mayor John Rhodes said.
The event will include a ribbon cutting for the boardwalk and several performances from beach music acts including Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs, Billy Scott and the Prophets and Ben E. King.
The event is one of four planned for May, and admission is free. The events are part of the city's efforts to attract more tourism for the month. Tourism slumped last May after the city took steps to limit bike rallies that regularly take place at that time.-Sun News
<><><>*<><><>
Christian Festival Set For Late May In MB
A Christian music festival is coming to Myrtle Beach in May, officials announced Tuesday, one of several new events in a month that used to be dominated by bikers.
The Beach Blast Christian Music Festival will be May 22 on the former site of the Myrtle Square Mall. The event lineup includes musical acts TobyMac and Kutless and a speech from David Nassar. Tickets are $25 in advance.
The festival is the first of four to be announced as part of a lineup to promote spring tourism, said Ryan Swaim, chairman of the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce's marketing committee. The events will help fill hotels in the spring, a season that has slowed in recent years, he said.
The festivals mark a transition for a month traditionally dominated by motorcyclists. The city lost the revenue of more than 300,000 bikers in 2009 after making a series of efforts to discourage the May bike rallies.
The festivals "are not going to raise occupancy just by themselves, but they'll be an important part of building spring occupancy to levels we've seen in the past," Swaim said.
Premier Festivals promotes Christian music festivals. The chamber will provide marketing and advertising for the event, said Tina Pace, the chamber's marketing manager. -Sun News
<><><>*<><><>
Courts Wage Battle On Animal Cruelty
A veterinarian at St. Frances Animal Center told staff members not to get attached to a sick puppy that came to the shelter last year, because it wasn't clear whether the neglected animal would survive.
"He was so sick. He didn't make any noise or come out of his crate," said Debbie Clement, office manager at St. Frances Animal Center in Georgetown.
After about a week, Dawson, an emaciated, bloated Shih Tzu, who had a skin infection and injured eye, exited the crate.
"That's how we knew he was better," said Clement, who is Dawson's foster mom. "He finally got out of his crate and walked down the hall into my office."
Dawson is one of several abused and/or neglected animals that the shelter has seen. Shelter officials say Dawson's injuries were the result of pure neglect.
"As social as he is with people, he had a family that did that to him," center manager Shannon Prouty said of the pup.
Georgetown County authorities handled 11 animal cruelty cases in 2009, including three that are pending, one that resulted in a not guilty ruling, and seven that ended with convictions, according to the Georgetown County Magistrate Court.
In Horry County, there were 27 animal cruelty cases filed last year, 25 that resulted in convictions, and two were dismissed, according to the Horry County Magistrate Court.
Myrtle Beach animal control officer Steven Trott said the city handled 5,000 calls last year, and 2,000 were cruelty complaints. The complaints ranged from a dog not having water to the death of a dog due to emaciation or malicious intent.
Punishments for animal cruelty can vary from fines to time in prison.
Animal cruelty "is a major problem, but not at the level people think," said Wayne Brennessel, executive director of the Humane Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Columbia. "We mainly see where people don't provide proper care for animals. We don't hear of a lot of cases of people being physically abusive to animals. It's more neglect or not proper knowledge of how to care for animals."
A Myrtle Beach woman is awaiting a jury trial after she was charged in January with allowing a third dog in her care to die. That death occurred two days after she was convicted of the same charge for the deaths of two other dogs, according to officials with the 15th Circuit Solicitor's Office.
Ellyn Jamie Johnson's case will be prosecuted in magistrate court, and she could have an initial appearance in court at the end of this month, solicitor Greg Hembree said. No specific date is set for her trial.
A Loris man who also is charged with two counts of first-offense ill treatment of animals after four dead dogs were found on his property is expected to appear in court May 7, either to plead guilty or go to trial, Hembree said.
Police suspected that Edward Theron Casselman, 82, poisoned the dogs because witnesses said the dogs died shortly after being fed, officials said. Casselman denied the claims but was arrested. He made an initial appearance in general sessions court on March 19, Hembree said.
Brennessel said people can do much to prevent animal cruelty by understanding state law, and educating themselves and their neighbors on how to properly care for animals. He also said there's a need for more education, which could come at schools, churches and civic groups.
"There's a steady increase in more calls for service because more people are becoming diligent and aware of animal cruelty through education," Trott said.
Brennessel said people should be concerned if an animal doesn't get fresh water two to three times a day, if an animal doesn't have shelter and/or access to shelter, and if one can see the animal's ribs or hip bones.
"There's a very good chance an animal neglected or abused can be rehabilitated," Brennessel said. "You just have to put them in the right situation where they get the right training and love because they are animals eager to please.''
At St. Frances, Dawson, who was brought in two days before New Year's Day after a woman found him on the curb in Georgetown walking into the street, is a good example. He was blind, said Prouty, who said Dawson's right eye had to be removed because it was infected from injury. His surgery was Feb. 1.
In another case, the owner of Popeye and Patches, a pair of English bulldog boxer mixes, kept both dogs on chains about 3 feet long, Prouty said. She said animal control went to the owner's home after a resident reported animal abuse at that location.
Officials were able to save Popeye, who was emaciated and dehydrated when he was taken to the shelter Feb. 13, 2009. His brother, Patches, was severely starved and had other injuries that prevented him from being saved, Prouty said. She said the dog's owner was charged with cruelty and neglect, Prouty said.
"That is the type of thing we see here that the public is not aware of," Prouty said as she recalled a recent incident in which someone poured gasoline on a dog and set him on fire. "That happens in your neighborhood, in your backyard. It kills us every time you see something like that." -Sun News
<><><>*<><><>
Hurricane Risk For East Coast
Hurricane forecasters say cooler ocean temperatures in the Pacific and warmer temperatures in the Atlantic increase the risk for the East Coast to be slammed by a hurricane this season.
Colorado State University researchers Wednesday updated their Atlantic hurricane season forecast, saying there's a 45 percent chance of a hurricane hitting the East Coast, including Florida. The historical probability is 31 percent.
Philip Klotzbach and William Gray's refined forecast first issued in December predicts 15 names storms, with four of them developing into major hurricanes with sustained winds of 111 mph.
Nine named storms developed last season. Three became hurricanes, and none came ashore in the U.S. –Sun News
<><><>*<><><>
Beach First National Bank To Close
A federal agency has taken control of Beach First National Bank.
The Office of Comptroller of the Currency appointed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation as the receiver for Beach First National Bank today. The bank closed today at 5 p.m., and employees from the FDIC entered the building.
The Myrtle Beach based bank had $585.1 million in total assets and $516 million in total deposits on Dec. 31, 2009, according to the FDIC. The OCC found that the bank had a significant decrease of assets and earnings due to unsafe and unsound practices.
The OCC also found that the bank incurred losses that depleted its capital and there is no reasonable prospect that the bank will become adequately capitalized without federal assistance, according to a news release that was posted on the door.
A news release from the FDIC said the seven branches of Beach First will reopen on Monday as branches of Bank of North Carolina. Customers will have access to their funds in Beach First over the weekend. –Sun News
No comments:
Post a Comment