Grand Strand Newsmakers

Pirates Voyage provides food for Lowcountry

Pirates Voyage, the popular dinner show, presented the Lowcountry Food Bank with over 32,500pounds of food collected during their holiday food drive. The celebration of the donation was made at the LCFB’s Grand Strand Regional Food Center, 97 S. Broadway, Myrtle Beach, on December 17.

The Pirates Voyage food drive is a welcome gift during the holiday season- a critical time for Myrtle Beach families struggling to put food on the table. “Not only is this gift of much needed food timely, it’s truly a food drive for the record books,” said LCFB President and CEO Pat Walker. “Last year’s donation was our largest Horry County food drive to date, and this year they have more than doubled the donation. We are thrilled to have the support of Pirates Voyage and truly appreciate the impact this donation makes on the Grand Strand community.”

The donation of over 32,500 pounds of food will create more than 27,000 meals for Horry County residents experiencing hunger. This food drive meets a critical need at a critical time.

Forestbrook wins Middle School Mock Trial

Forestbrook Middle School won the 12th annual SC Bar Conway Regional Middle School Mock Trial Competition on Dec. 5 at the Horry County Courthouse. North Myrtle Beach Middle School was named first runner-up.

Participating students from Forestbrook Middle School included Madison Blanton, Sasha Bronovitskiy, Benjamin Burdick, Dayton Cade Cox, Ryan Freudiger, Andrew Gamble, Noah Glasgow, William Hartley, Gabrielle Hunt, Amari Hunter, Meghan Kathman, Benjamin Kellogg, Myrisa Melber, Aden Seay, Olivia Vinson, Faith Williams, Adam Wilson and Jay Wrightsman. The teacher coaches were Grace Burleson, Amanda Herath, Kristi Ogden and Kati Shumway, and the attorney coach was Audra Byrd.

Participating students from North Myrtle Beach Middle School included Bella Amador, Alexandria Banning, Lizzie Batten, Judith Beltran, Kallin Boroos, Lily Jones, Brianna Joyner, Cagney Kelshaw, Kayla Lubs, Israel Martinez, Aaliyah Paulino, Jacob Plummer, Gabriel Russell and Haley Schmaltz. The teacher coaches were Brenda Kidd, Susan Hamilton and Colleen Taylor, and the attorney coach was Melissa Frazier.

Students presented the prosecution and defense sides of a fictitious criminal case before a panel of local volunteer lawyers and judges. Students filled the roles of attorneys, witnesses, bailiffs and timekeepers, and teams were judged on their presentation skills, rather than the legal merits of the case.

The Mock Trial Program is sponsored by the SC Bar’s Law Related Education (LRE) Division, which was developed in 1976 to improve the ability of teachers to instruct law related education. The program is supported by the Bar’s LRE Committee and made possible through a SC Bar Foundation IOLTA grant and the SC Bar.

Area student graduates from DMACC

Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) Boone, Iowa Campus student Stacy Harrison (second from left) of Myrtle Beach receives congratulations from DMACC Boone Campus Provost Tom Lee and DMACC President Rob Denson at the recent Boone Campus Fall Graduation reception. Harrison graduated from DMACC’s Practical Nursing program.

Youth treated to colonial dinner in December

Youth and guests of the Long Bay Society of the Children of the American Revolution were treated to a Colonial dinner and celebration December 18 at the Carolina Waterway Plantation Clubhouse. Marcelle and Nick Ross, historical interpreters, explained that a Colonial Christmas was quite different in many respects than the way it is celebrated today.

The Colonial Christmas menu that the youth sampled consisted of many regional Colonial specialties like peanut soup, watermelon pickle, roast beef with Yorkshire pudding and gravy, succotash, hominy and sausage, a fruit punch called shrub, ginger ale, Moravian cookies, lemon tarts, gingerbread, queen’s cake, and mincemeat pie. Besides savoring Colonial fine dining, the children enjoyed making Colonial nosegays, playing Colonial games like “Shut the Box,” and engaged in what was reputedly known as George Washington’s favorite dance, the Virginia Reel.

Jane Harvey, Regent of the Theodosia Burr Chapter of the DAR came as an honored guest and made a formal greeting. The Theodosia Burr Chapter is a sponsor of the Long Bay Society. The Long Bay Society is part of the CAR, Children of the American Revolution, and was founded by the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1895, making it the oldest patriotic youth organization in America for youth 22 and younger.

Stalvey wins youth ambassador scholarship

Dalton Stalvey, son of Jeri Lynn and Billy Stalvey Jr. of Horry County, was named themale winner of the 2016 South Carolina Farm Bureau Federation Youth Ambassador Scholarship Contest held recently during the organization's 72nd Annual Meeting in Myrtle Beach.

Stalvey is a senior at Loris High School. He plans to attend college to study medicine and become a neurologist or psychiatrist in the future. He was two state winners in a field of 17 outstanding young individuals representing 12 South Carolina County Farm Bureau chapters.

As the male state ambassador winner, Stalvey received $150 in cash and a college scholarship fund in the amount of $2,000 – plus exposure to state agricultural and government leaders, and leadership training opportunities. He will also make selected appearances on behalf of agriculture and Farm Bureau, coordinated by the SCFB Promotion and Education Division.

The contestants were each pre-judged on their application and the essay topic: “The terms “corporate farm” and “industrial agriculture” appear often in main-stream media, usually with negative connotations. Paint a literary picture of the typical operation in South Carolina, its characteristics, ownership and commodities.”

The three highest scoring young men and three highest scoring young women were each invited to make a three-minute oral presentation before a panel of judges. The male and female youths with the best overall scores were named the 2016 SCFB Youth Ambassadors.

McLeod Loris Seacoast helps with Angel Tree wishes

McLeod Loris Seacoast employees celebrated Christmas a little early this year by granting Angel Tree wishes for families of the North Strand Helping Hand and Help 4 Kids.

McLeod Loris Seacoast administration and staff started delivering the donated gifts on Friday, December 11. Wishes were granted to 24 families, totaling 67 children. Each year, McLeod Loris Seacoast partners with nonprofit agencies to fulfill Christmas wishes for families in the local community.

This story was originally published January 7, 2016 at 12:17 AM with the headline "Grand Strand Newsmakers."