US 501 road update. Woman takes stroller with child. Myrtle Beach area stories
Traffic shifts on a major Horry County highway, a first-responder drone proposal from North Myrtle Beach Police and a string of crime incidents lead today’s local news.
Here’s a quick look at what’s happening across the Grand Strand and what you need to know:
- Drivers on U.S. 501 in the Myrtle Beach area will see traffic shifts between June 7-11 as crews continue widening the road from four to six lanes between Gardner Lacy Road and S.C. 544. The RIDE project will continue through the summer with crews focusing on median drainage installation and asphalt removal at crossovers, along with intermediate surfacing at intersections including Cox Ferry Road, University Boulevard and Wild Wing Boulevard.
- The North Myrtle Beach Police Department is seeking about $380,000 annually to launch a Drone as First Responder program that would automatically deploy drones to crime scenes, though the city does not yet have funds to include it in the 2027 budget. Police Chief Dana Crowell said the program would let officers dispatch and control drones remotely from their desks, similar to programs already adopted by Florence and Summerville police departments, where drones reach scenes in 2-3 minutes versus 3-5 minutes for officers.
- Edward Lee McGill, 59, was charged with attempted murder after allegedly beating Raymond Jett with a metal baseball bat in a Myrtle Beach Food Lion parking lot Sunday, after Jett followed McGill and Jett’s wife from North Carolina to the store. McGill is being held at J. Reuben Long Detention Center on a $300,000 bond, while Jett, 60, was charged with third-degree assault and battery and two counts of placing a child at risk.
- Amanda Noel Dudney, 40, was charged with kidnapping and public disorderly conduct after she allegedly grabbed a stroller with a child inside while a family was taking photos in Myrtle Beach’s Plyler Park on May 18. Witnesses told police Dudney walked away with the stroller before being stopped, and she is being held at J. Reuben Long Detention Center on a bond of more than $60,000.
- Daniel Drago, 36, of North Myrtle Beach, died at Grand Strand Regional Medical Center just after midnight Sunday from injuries after being struck by a vehicle while walking in the roadway near 1519 Old Highway 17 N., and North Myrtle Beach Police are investigating.
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.
Terri Richardson
The Sun News