Police

GEORGETOWN

Man gets 8 years for heroin conviction

A Georgetown man was sentenced in federal court on drug charges Wednesday, according Bill Nettles, United States Attorney for S.C.

Tywaun D. Thomas, 33, was sentenced in a federal court in Charleston for distribution of heroin.

Thomas was sentenced to eight years imprisonment followed by six years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge David C. Norton.

MYRTLE BEACH

Woman said man hit her, man charged

Myrtle Beach police charged a 24-year-old man with domestic violence after a woman said she was shoved and hit in the mouth, according to a police report.

Patrick Grant, 24, of Myrtle Beach, was charged with criminal domestic violence after officers were called at 10 p.m. Tuesday to 1042 Park Drive for a disturbance, police said.

MYRTLE BEACH

Man cited after dog left in car in heat

A North Carolina man was cited by Myrtle Beach police after they found a small dog left inside his vehicle for more than an hour at Broadway at the Beach, according to a police report.

Rigoberto Luna Laris, 35, of Charlotte, N.C., was cited for mistreatment to animals after officers were called at 3:13 p.m. Tuesday to 1325 Celebrity Circle for the incident, police said.

Police found a small tan male Chihuahua, named Pee Wee, had been left in Laris’ vehicle for more than an hour, according to the report. The temperature inside the vehicle was 107 degrees.

Police issued a citation to Laris, he paid a $106 bond and the dog was returned to him, according to the arrest report. Additional details were not listed.

MYRTLE BEACH

Fugitive from Texas arrested locally

Myrtle Beach police arrested a man wanted in Texas and was considered armed and dangerous, according to a police report.

Russell Eugene Retz, 30, was taken into police custody at 4:30 a.m. Tuesday at 4701 N. Kings Highway after officers received a tip regarding his whereabouts, police said. Retz was charged with being a fugitive from justice.

Officers noted that Retz was wanted in Waco, Texas and was considered armed and dangerous, according to the report.

Officers were told Retz was going to try to flee off the second floor balcony, but changed his mind and walked out of the front door and surrendered to police.

The report did not list the charge or details about the incident Retz was wanted for in Texas, but did show that if convicted he faces a year or more in prison.

Local

MYRTLE BEACH

Charter school planning on new location

Palmetto Academy of Learning and Success (PALS) charter school is in the process of finding a location for a new facility to open within the next two years, said Courtney Fancher, PALS executive director.

The school is currently located on Pampas Drive, near The Market Common on the former Air Force base in Myrtle Beach. Fancher said the plan is to keep the new location in or near The Market Common to minimize any inconvenience to students and parents.

Fancher said she hopes to secure the new property for the 2013-14 school year and be ready at the latest for the 2014-15 school year.

PALS serves students in kindergarten through eighth grade, and a new location would allow two classrooms per grade with a maximum of 18 students per class. There also would be room to expand extracurricular activities and clubs, and improve areas for physical education, technology, and gifted and talented programs.

Fancher said the school has not yet acquired a specific property, but more details will be available in the next few weeks.

MYRTLE BEACH

Women’s conference speaker announced

Mercedes Ramirez Johnson will be a key presenter at the 2013 Women’s Leadership Conference in Myrtle Beach.

Johnson is one of four passengers who survived a place crash in the Andes Mountains of Colombia in 1995. The crash killed 160 people including her parents on her 21st birthday.

She is scheduled to speak at next year’s conference on Feb. 8 at the Sheraton Myrtle Beach Convention Center Hotel. The conference’s theme is “Lead the Change.”

NORTH MYRTLE BEACH

Triathlon needs volunteers

Volunteers are needed for the North Myrtle Beach Triathlon that happens on Saturday, according to a press release from city spokesman Pat Dowling.

Volunteers are needed in all areas. The event begins at 7 a.m.

Anyone interested in helping with the North Myrtle Beach Triathlon should contact Melinda Chappell or Diane Bartlett at (843) 281-3737.

The triathlon will benefit the Sudden

Arrhythmia Death Syndromes (SADS) Foundation. Sudden arrhythmia death syndromes are genetic heart

conditions that can cause sudden death in young, apparently healthy people.

Event registration is open to individual and relay team competitors. Register online at

www.setupevents.com.

From staff reports