🌱 Myrtle Beach Preps For Winter Storm No. 2 + Grim COVID Update

Kathy Mandell
Updated ·5 min read

Hey, people of the Grand Strand! It's me again, Kathy Mandell, your host of the Myrtle Beach Daily.

I also wanted to give a special shoutout to some of our Patch Supporters, Mary Ryan and Marc Winter. Thanks for helping make local news happen in Myrtle Beach! If you want to support local news in Myrtle Beach, Click here to learn more about becoming a Patch Supporter.

Here's a glance at Thursday's weather:

Cloudy. High: 64 Low: 37.

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Here are the top five stories today in Myrtle Beach:

  1. Governor McMaster has declared another state of emergency for South Carolina as a second winter storm is approaching. All Horry County schools will be doing virtual learning on Friday, January 21st. Schools and school department buildings will be closed in Horry County, and all athletic and extracurricular activities are canceled. Significant ice accumulation could be experienced, with unsafe road conditions and power failures. (WMBF)

  2. The parent of a student at Ten Oaks Middle School notified Horry County Police that a man was loitering on school property and impersonating a police officer on Tuesday. The man was verbally confronting parents who were waiting to pick up their children. One parent took down the man's license tag number and police were able to locate him from the car's registration. He was arrested and charged with impersonating a law enforcement officer, but was later released on $2,500 bond. (WMBF)

  3. The latest hospitalization numbers are in, based on a rolling seven-day average for the time period January 7th through January 13th. Horry County's results are from three hospitals: McLeod Loris Hospital, Conway Medical Center, and Grand Strand Medical Center. There were 130 hospital beds used by "confirmed and suspected COVID-19 patients" that week. Out of those 130 beds, 22 ICU beds were occupied by "confirmed and suspected COVID-19 patients" that week. (Myrtle Beach Patch)

  4. MyHorryNews has more recent COVID-19 figures through January 18th, with reports coming from Conway Medical Center, Grand Strand Medical Center, and Tidelands Health. Those numbers show that 169 beds were being used by COVID-19 patients within the three hospitals; and at least 30 of those are ICU beds, from approximately January 10th through 18th. The report from MyHorryNews also shows the number of COVID deaths county-wide, case numbers of city workers, and case numbers from district schools for students and staff. (Myhorrynews)

  5. Horry County Council approved its first reading of redrawn district maps. The Redistricting Committee took some residents' concerns into consideration before drafting a finalized map for presentation at the Council meeting on Tuesday. Redistricting typically occurs every ten years right around the time the Census is completed. There were more than the usual changes this time due to the explosive growth in population during recent years. (WBTW)

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Today in Myrtle Beach:

  • Infrastructure & Regulation Committee meeting @ Council Conference Room (9:00 AM)

  • Forfeited Land Commission meeting @ HC Gov't & Justice Center Room C (10:00 AM)

  • Red Cross blood drive @ Orangetheory Myrtle Beach (10:00 AM) [with a chance to win a SuperBowl package or a home theater package.]

  • Accommodations Tax Committee @ Town of Surfside Beach (4:00 PM)

  • Human Rights Commission @ Myrtle Beach City Hall (5:00 PM)

  • Board of Zoning Appeals - Town of Surfside Beach (6:30 PM)

From my notebook:

  • The weather should improve for these Myrtle Beach area open houses, happening this weekend. Note: one is happening today (January 20). Maybe your dream home awaits! (Myrtle Beach Patch)

  • Myrtle Beach Planning Commission again discussed proposed limits on new gas stations in the city at this week's meeting. Residents are concerned about long-term health impacts of living near a gas station. The ordinance would prohibit gas stations from being built within 500 feet of a residential lot within the city of Myrtle Beach. The commission will present MB City Council with recommendations on February 1st. (WBTW)

  • Here's something lots of seniors can get behind: aging in place. Habitat for Humanity of Horry County aims to help area seniors do just that! The organization's mission aimed at helping seniors stay in their own homes as they age offers repair services by volunteers, neighborhood revitalization, and even home building. The need for repairs for that age group far exceeds the need for new homes, says executive director Jason Greene. (wpde.com)

  • Resort manager Troy Bittner was arrested in early January, and accused of stealing $867,000 from the Carolina Pines RV Resort campground. Authorities issued three arrest warrants outlining a series of alleged thefts that occurred during the past year. Bittner is accused of embezzling and using campground money for personal use. He is charged with three counts of breach of trust with fraudulent intent. (Myhorrynews)

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That's it for Thursday, January 20, 2022! As of the time of this posting, weather forecasters are predicting the possibility of freezing rain or sleet with slippery road conditions overnight Thursday, most of the day Friday, and into early Saturday. Check your preferred weather source for local updates! See you Friday for another Myrtle Beach Patch Daily. Until then, be safe!

— Kathy Mandell

About me: The best decision I ever made was relocating to the Myrtle Beach area from New England a few years ago, with my three dogs and three cats. I enjoy dogs, cats, road trips, photography, writing, vegetarian food, live music, bicycling and above all my daily walks on the beaches in and around the Grand Strand.

This article originally appeared on the Myrtle Beach Patch