TheSunNews.com: Breaking News

Myrtle Beach area man charged in fatal shooting released on $85,000 bail

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 08:44 EST

A Myrtle Beach area man charged with murder in connection with a November shooting has been released on $85,000 bail from J. Reuben Long Detention Center.

Kelly Jerome McNeil, 42, was released at 10:48 a.m. Wednesday from the jail, according to jail records.

Myrtle Beach police charged McNeil with murder in connection with the shooting death of 43-year-old Joe James of Conway, according to police.

Delays expected along U.S. 17 near Georgetown for vehicle crash

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 08:21 EST

A vehicle crash on U.S. 17 between the bridges going into Georgetown slowed and delayed traffic early Thursday, according to authorities.

The damaged vehicles were being removed at 8:15 a.m. Thursday and the road was expected to reopen in about 15 minutes after being closed for the crash, according to officials with Midway Fire. The road was briefly closed as emergency crews responded to the crash, which included one vehicle being on fire.

Debris was reported in the roadway about 7:15 a.m. on the big bridge and a vehicle crash was reported about 10 minutes later on the second bridge, according to the S.C. Highway Patrol.

SC deputies say woman shoots husband attacking son

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 08:16 EST

Spartanburg County sheriff's deputies say a woman shot and wounded her husband as he was attacking their son.

Deputies have charged 43-year-old Robert Tracy Fowler of Inman with second-degree assault and battery and criminal domestic violence.

Deputies say they were called to Fowler's home Tuesday night.

How long wil the cooler weather remain in the Myrtle Beach area?

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 07:24 EST

Thursday Mug Shots: Horry County and North Myrtle Beach booking blotter

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:21 EST

No. 10 Duke stuns No. 5 North Carolina 85-84

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:11 EST

Harrison Barnes shook off his nagging ankle injury and a series of undersized defenders to help No. 5 North Carolina take charge in the second half. He just couldn't finish off No. 10 Duke.

Barnes scored 19 of his 25 points after halftime for the Tar Heels in their 85-84 loss Wednesday night. Barnes, who sprained his left ankle against Wake Forest last week, missed all four of his shots in the first half but went 8-for-12 in the final 20 minutes.

"I wasn't able to do anything I wanted to do to the full extent," Barnes said of his ankle injury. "Even little things like running up and down the floor. I just tried to do what I could to help the team."

Conway man dies after vehicle accident

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:09 EST

One man is dead after an accident on U.S. 501 at Savannah Bluff Road.

Brent Kelly, with South Carolina Highway Patrol, said the accident happened at 6:22 p.m. Wednesday night when a vehicle hit a pedestrian.

A man driving a 2002 Chevy Tahoe was headed south on U.S. 501 when he hit the pedestrian. Kelly said the pedestrian was illegally in the roadway when he was hit.

Haley to unveil details on job training initiative

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:08 EST

Gov. Nikki Haley is scheduled to announce details of the job training initiative she referenced in her State of the State speech.

Haley has planned a news conference Thursday at Midlands Technical College in Columbia with the president of the workforce development division of ACT.

ACT is better known for its college admissions test. Its Work Readiness System involves tests, training and certification.

Immigration, election financing topics at SC forum

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:07 EST

Immigration and campaign financing are among the topics being discussed at a government forum at the Charleston School of Law.

The two-day symposium scheduled to open Thursday features Common Cause CEO Bob Edgar, former South Carolina congressman Bob Inglis of Greenville and state House Speaker Bobby Harrell.

The sessions feature 25 panelists and moderators on five panels.

Poll: Personal finances, economy improving in South Carolina

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:44 EST

Most South Carolinians think their financial situation is fair to good and getting better, according to the latest Winthrop Poll, released Wednesday.

The economy, jobs and the budget are the top concerns facing the state, according to those polled. But those concerns are easing slightly and, for the most part, those polled were not stressed out about the issues.

“We’re in the fourth year of a lackluster recovery,” said Frank Hefner, an economist at the College of Charleston. “Either everyone’s getting immune to the news and has just accepted this is the way things are now, or there is an increase in confidence. That’s certainly better than a decrease in confidence.”

Horry County, North Myrtle Beach oppose House and Senate bills related to flow control

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:41 EST

Officials in Horry County and North Myrtle Beach governments are opposing a pair of bills being discussed by the state legislature that would prohibit flow control in South Carolina.

The governmental bodies approved resolutions this week that stated opposition to House Bill 4721 and Senate Bill 514.

“Both bills seek to deny South Carolina’s local governments the right to fully manage the solid waste collection and disposal process within their borders, and the bills seek to prohibit local government from directing solid waste disposal to a specific landfill of their choosing,” according to the NMB resolution.

Poll of the Day | What's your take on your current financial situation?

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:51 EST

Myrtle Beach man in SafeAuto jingle contest

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:41 EST

A Myrtle Beach man might be featured in the next SafeAuto commercial.

Arnie Barowsky is in the top 5 of the insurance company’s “Do the Jingle” contest. The winner receives a $5,000 advertising contract and the chance to be in a SafeAuto TV commercial.

Barowsky’s jingle, along with the other contestants can be seen at safeauto.com/dothejingle/top20.

Socastee postal worker honored after pulling woman to safety, construction workers nominated for award

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:30 EST

Andrew Federovitch doesn’t think he’s a hero.

But, the U.S. Postmaster General feels differently.

Federovitch, originally from Long Island, N.Y., has worked for the postal service for four and a half years. On Dec. 20, he helped a woman out of her car after she had driven into a tree. He’s received the “hero recognition” from the postmaster general for his actions that day.

Bumped volleyball tournament to keep play in Myrtle Beach

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:15 EST

The volleyball tournament that was bumped from the Myrtle Beach Convention Center to make way for the Republican presidential debate last month will return to Myrtle Beach next year but also will expand and play games in North Charleston.

The Winter Bump Volleyball Tournament has grown and needs two convention centers to accommodate all the teams, tournament director Alex Sing said. In January 2013, 128 teams will play at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center while 96 teams will play at the North Charleston Convention Center.

The Myrtle Beach Convention Center is maxed out at 128 teams, and the tournament used local recreation centers as overflow last year. The tournament could have again used local recreation centers next year, but preferred a second convention center - even though it’s 100 miles away - to keep all the games in two buildings and maintain the tournament atmosphere, Sing said.

Coastal Carolina releases 2012 football schedule

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:14 EST

A year after encountering all kinds of hurdles while trying to complete its football schedule, Coastal Carolina had no such issues this time around and released its 2012 season slate Wednesday.

The Chanticleers unveiled a lineup featuring five home games and intriguing non-conference road matchups with Furman, Toledo and Appalachian State.

The Chants, who will be launching a new era under first-year head coach Joe Moglia, open Sept. 1 at home against North Carolina A&T and will also host Eastern Kentucky in the season’s opening weeks.

Myrtle Beach couple walked out on Denny’s bill, three arrested for drug violations and theft

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:47 EST

Myrtle Beach police arrested three people after two of them walked out on a $7.04 bill at a Myrtle Beach Denny’s restaurant.

A couple sat down to eat at the Denny’s at 800 Kings Highway around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, a police report said.

About 40 minutes later, a man left the restaurant while a woman went to the cash register. The woman then told the employee she needed to get a credit card from the man, police said.

Two Horry County brush fires extinguished

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:22 EST

Fire officials with Horry County Fire Rescue and the South Carolina Forestry Commission worked two fires Wednesday.

Scott Hawkins, with the forestry commission, said his units were dispatched to Valley Forge Road and Moore’s Mill Road at 1:06 p.m. Wednesday. Hawkins said it was a prescribed fire that got out of control.

“Whoever was conducting [the prescribed fire] noticed it escaped and needed assistance to contain it,” Hawkins said. When officials arrived, the fire was spread across 15 acres.

Myrtle Beach council tours home sites before being asked to modify agreement with developer

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:13 EST

The Myrtle Beach City Council on Wednesday held a mobile workshop to tour the former Myrtle Beach Air Force Base, specifically to look at more than 200 acres in the Withers Preserve area where developers are ready to build.

But before the developers begin work, they want the city to change some terms of the Planned Unit Development agreement that guides the property’s development. The proposal will be taken up at Tuesday’s City Council meeting.

The Centre Pointe PUD, which was initially implemented in 2000, has changed several times over the years, said senior planner Allison Hardin, and developers at Farrow Parkway, LLC, will make another request for changes at next week’s council meeting. They want to change from mixed-use commercial to a mostly residential development, and want to ditch plans to build townhouses and commercial property along Farrow Parkway.

Sentencing postponed for former Conway manufactured home dealer

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:04 EST

A sentencing hearing for former Conway manufactured home dealer Glenn Vaught, who pleaded guilty last year to a felony mortgage fraud charge, was postponed Wednesday after mortgage broker Nancy Kennedy showed up in the courtroom to testify against him.

Judge Bryan Harwell has not rescheduled a sentencing date for Vaught and his co-conspirator, former mortgage broker Michael Fortenberry, each of whom were in federal court in Florence to receive possible sentences of up to five years in prison and a maximum of $250,000 in fines.

Kennedy claims Vaught duped her into helping him file five mortgage applications with falsified information on them. Vaught then coerced her into filing two more applications, telling her it was the only way buyers who had been cheated in the scheme could get their homes, she said.