Locally Speaking

Mo-Peds Make Gains In Myrtle Beach Area

Gas prices push drivers to cycles

Myrtle Beach resident Darin Putnam started riding a mo-ped in 1996 after his driver's license was suspended.

Fourteen years later, Putnam's license still is suspended and he still rides a mo-ped, which he enjoys.

"There are so many of them around here," said Putnam, who drives a 2009 VIP Peace Sports. "It saves on pollution, gas cost, and you can easily maneuver through traffic. If you can put up with it, you can't beat it."

Putnam is among an increasing number of mo-ped riders throughout the area.

Horry County, according to officials with the state Department of Motor Vehicles, has the highest number of mo-ped licenses issued in the state.

As of Dec. 4, the DMV issued 872 mo-ped licenses in Horry County compared to 721 in 2009, said DMV spokeswoman Beth Parks. In Georgetown County, 62 mo-ped licenses had been issued compared to 55 during the same time periods. –Read more at SunNews

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Murrells Inlet Firm Violates Immigration Worker Law

Murrells Inlet company to keep license

LC Landscaping & Maintenance of Murrells Inlet is one of the first in the state to have been found to knowingly and willingly employ illegal workers under the S.C. Illegal Immigration Reform Act.

This week, the landscaping company reached a settlement agreement with the state about the violation, agreeing to a series of stipulations but avoiding the most serious penalty of a business license suspension. The violation is rare, one of two since the law was applied to businesses of all sizes on July 1.

The violation comes as the state government may consider additional immigration laws, but officials say that compliance with the current rules has been better than expected. Business leaders say companies had to get educated but are trying to follow the law.

On Oct. 26, following a complaint, the Office of Immigrant Worker Compliance, part of the S.C. Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, did an inspection of LC Landscaping's compliance with the immigration law that went into effect for businesses with more than 100 employees on July 1, 2009, and for all businesses on July 1.

During the inspection, the company's owner, Craig Collins, admitted to knowing that one of his employees was not authorized to work in the United States, according to a settlement agreement between the company and S.C. LLR. The employee told Collins when he was hired that he wasn't authorized to work but Collins employed him in one day increments about 20 times beginning in January 2010, according to the agreement. –Read more at SunNews