Top stories: Santee Cooper proposed rate hike. Shark teeth hunting. TV star in town.
The Sun News covered a range of news developments across the Grand Strand on Friday, from utility rate increase proposals to an HGTV reality TV star in Myrtle Beach. Here’s a quick rundown of the day’s top headlines.
• Santee Cooper rate hike proposed: The public utility is proposing a 4.7% base rate increase for residential customers and 2.9% for commercial customers in 2027, with similar increases in 2028. The board will vote Oct. 30, with public comment open through July 30.
• HGTV star spotted at Myrtle Beach gym: David Bromstad, host of “My Lottery Dream Home,” surprised exercisers at Crunch Fitness on Coastal Grand Circle Thursday. An employee said Bromstad indicated he was in the city for work but didn’t elaborate.
• Teen in Peaches Corner shooting released again: Evony McCray, 17, charged with murder in the June 2025 shooting death of Grayson Meyers, was released on home detention a second time without notification to the victim’s family. The case prompted the Horry County Sheriff’s Department to change its victim notification procedures.
• Beach renourishment uncovers shark teeth: Charles Shelton Jr., known as Shark Tooth Charles, says the ongoing $72 million federally funded renourishment project has produced a fresh supply of teeth along the Grand Strand. Construction is expected to wrap up around mid-summer 2026.
• Officer sues Sig Sauer over rifle discharge: North Myrtle Beach Sgt. William Norton filed a federal lawsuit claiming his M400 rifle unexpectedly discharged while he was responding to a 2025 Little River mass shooting, striking him in the leg. Norton retired from the department in September 2025.
• Stabbing reported in Conway: One person was hospitalized after a stabbing near Sixth Avenue and Pittman Street around 6:59 p.m. Thursday. No arrests have been made.
