Coastal business | Myrtle Beach ranked as dangerous spring break destination

Coastal Business

MYRTLE BEACH

Strand ranked as dangerous spring break destination

Myrtle Beach is one of the top five most dangerous destinations in the nation for spring breakers, according toAvvo.com, a national website.

Orlando, Fla., rated most dangerous in the ranking of 25 U.S. cities based on risk of murder, rape, violent crime, fatal car crashes and other factors.

Myrtle Beach ranked fourth on the list with Daytona Beach, Fla., ranking second and Las Vegas in third. Honolulu was rated the safest of the 25 cities, followed by Santa Barbara, Calif.

The website also determined its list by ranking areas with the smallest number of doctors and largest number of lawyers per capita.

"Spring break is a time for fun, but you also have to be careful. Avvo's mission is to help people make more informed decisions and where you go for spring break is an important one," founder and CEO Mark Britton said in a written statement.

Avvo.com, a privately-held company, launched in 2007 and is based in Seattle.

GRAND STRAND

Utility puts faith in remainder of year

New business prospects aren't exactly lighting up Santee Cooper's power grid, but the prospects for the rest of the year look good.

That's what officials at the state-owned utility recently reported.

Overall economic growth was slow in the main Santee Cooper-covered territory of Berkeley, Georgetown and Horry counties and the electric cooperative-covered territories the utility provides power to, but the number of active projects is expected to increase, according to Mike Brown, the utility's economic development manager.

"There are a number of projects ongoing and a lot of prospects," Santee Cooper President and Chief Executive Officer Lonnie Carter said during a recent board meeting.

GRAND STRAND

Bi-Lo to offer healthy-eating labels

Bi-Lo shoppers soon will see nutritional tags on items throughout its 207 stores to help shoppers find foods that meet their individual needs.

The color-coded labels found under each item's shelf price sticker will identify specific health benefits in particular foods, helping shoppers with specific dietary needs or those who simply want to eat healthier.

Products fall into one or more of the following categories for shoppers' quick reference: gluten-free, gluten-free organic, sensible carbs, heart healthy, low sodium, whole grain, low saturated fat, good source of calcium, good source of vitamin C and good source of vitamin A.

Bi-Lo pharmacists also now offer shoppers nutrition tip lists.