🌱 Red Cross Blood Shortage + Horry County Education In Spotlight

Kathy Mandell
Updated ·6 min read

Happy Friday, people of Myrtle Beach! Here's everything you need to know about what's happening in town today.

Let's take a peek at Friday's weather:

Mostly sunny. High: 55 Low: 37.

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Here are the top four stories in Myrtle Beach today:

  1. Myrtle Beach area hospitals are stepping up efforts to encourage the public to donate blood. The Red Cross has sounded an alarm that the nation is in a "blood crisis." There is a major shortage of blood supplies, mainly because of the pandemic. Locally, schools are not having blood drives at this time due to omicron. Meg Heath of Red Cross South Carolina says there is less than a one-day supply of blood available in the state. Area hospitals are conserving blood supplies and strictly monitoring the situation. The Red Cross is running a month-long incentive campaign giving folks who donate blood or plasma in January a chance to win a trip to the Super Bowl, or a home theater package. (WBTW) (Patch)

  2. The Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce Education Foundation is offering college scholarships for high school students in Horry County. High school students planning to apply for an Associate's Degree or Bachelor's degree may apply for the scholarship. Over a dozen Horry County high schools are eligible. The deadline for application is February 3rd. Fourteen high school seniors will receive the scholarships. (WMBF)

  3. Senator Greg Hembree (R- Horry County) is the chairman of the senate education committee and he is proposing a bill to give South Carolina families Education Savings Accounts. The state-funded accounts would allow a child to go to private school if their family wants to do so. Members of SC for Ed oppose the idea citing there will be less money for local school districts and fewer dollars in public education funds if the program gets approved. Other states have similar programs available. (WBTW)

  4. Crescent Beach residents and North Myrtle Beach leaders held a workshop on Wednesday to talk more about rezoning nine acres of land near 17th Avenue South in the quaint neighborhood. If approved, the plan would allow commercial zoning for offices, restaurants, bars, and hotels. Crescent Beach is identified by developers as a "hot site" for downtown revitalization, but residents of the quiet oceanfront community feel differently and voiced their disapproval. One idea for compromise is an overlay zone that cuts the redevelopment area in half. More meetings and readings need to occur, it was noted. (MyHorryNews.com) (WBTW)

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This weekend in Myrtle Beach:

Friday, January 14, 2022:

  • Red Cross blood drive @ Surfside Beach Ocean Front Hotel (11:00 AM)

  • Paint & Sip Pottery Party @ Wine & Design NMB $30 (1:00 PM)

  • Exacta Duo @ Duplin Winery (1:00 PM)

  • Jim Quick & Coastline @ Local On The Water (7:00 PM)

  • Miracle Max and the Pet Monsters @ Wahoo's Fish House (7:30 PM)

Saturday, January 15, 2022:

  • Winter Bump Volleyball Tournament @ Myrtle Beach Sports Center (7:00 AM)

  • Grand Strand Freedom Week Parade @ Ocean Boulevard, Myrtle Beach (10:00 AM)

  • Horry County Fire Rescue Community Safety Day @ Target parking lot 140 Sayebrook Parkway (9:00 AM)

  • Kind Keeper Animal Rescue Polar Plunge @ Neal & Pam's Bar & Grill (12:00 PM) (wpde.com)

  • 6th Annual Surf Dreams Foundation Chicken Bog Challenge @ Uncle Tito's (12:00 PM)

  • The Pink Slips Band @ Ducks Beach Club (9:00 PM)

Sunday, January 16, 2022:

  • Winter Bump Volleyball Tournament @ Myrtle Beach Sports Center (7:00 AM)

  • 13th Annual Murrells Inlet Soup Off @ Suck Bang Blow (11:00 AM)

  • Kenny George Band @ Dead Dog Saloon (6:00 PM)

  • Dwight Yoakam @ Carolina Opry Theater (7:00 PM)

From my notebook:

  • Myrtle Beach Police Department: The lobby at the Ted C. Collins Law Enforcement Center will be closed to limit potential COVID exposure. Residents will be able to make payments to the Clerk's Office after court or Monday and Wednesday 10-11 a.m. or Tuesday and Thursday 5-6 p.m. For questions, please call 843-918-1382. (Facebook)

  • Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce announced in a press release on Wednesday that Marion County Council approved a resolution supporting the completion of Interstate 73. When completed, the highway will connect Myrtle Beach to Interstate 95. The cities of Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach have voted to contribute funds to the project annually. (WPDE)

  • A reader asked where seniors can get tax preparation services for free on the Grand Strand. United Way of Horry County has its Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) with three locations: Chapin Library in Myrtle Beach, Conway Library, and Surfside Library. (UnitedWayHorry.org)

  • Jennifar Foxworth of Myrtle Beach started a program for kids to inspire their future. Our Kids Create has after school programs, tutoring, and field trips to help kids develop skills to point them on their career paths early in life. Children can meet firefighters, photographers, doctors, and reporters. Foxworth is raising money for the programs through a gofundme account. (WBTW)

  • The 42nd Annual Conway-Horry County MLK Celebration will take place January 15th and January 17th. A youth "Paint and Talk" workshop will be held at Smith-Jones Recreation Center at noon on January 15th. There will be a livestream on Facebook on Monday, January 17th at 11:00 a.m. featuring Reverend Shawn L. Johnson, Ed. D; Min. Cedric Blain-Spain; Dr. Lakisha Hudson, PhD, CRC, and Mr. Kevin Mishoe. (Facebook)

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Thanks for following along and staying informed on this Friday, January 14, 2022! I'll see you Saturday with more weekend info for your Grand Strand plans.

— 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