Amusement Park+Pelicans Baseball+Teen Biz Owner+Taxes+Marathoner

Today we'll talk about the new amusement park, local baseball's return to full-capacity, a 16-year-old entrepreneur, property tax increases and our very own "Forrest Gump"!

But first, let's take a peek at today's weather:

Another perfect beach day! Abundant sunshine, high 78, low 59. Heat wave expected this weekend.

Today's top 5 news stories for the Myrtle Beach area:

1. After a couple of weeks' delay, today, at 11:00 a.m., Funplex Myrtle Beach amusement park will open to the public. The park is located just off North Ocean Blvd, between 14th Ave and 15th Ave. Free entry, but rides cost $1.25 each. Visitors can also purchase passes for the various rides. (WBTW)
2. We are super excited to report that the Myrtle Beach Pelicans baseball team will open its arena to full spectator capacity starting June 1st for the 2021 season. The park holds approximately 6,500 spectators, and seats will be assigned when tickets are purchased. (WMBF)
3. Trent Spencer, a 16-year-old student at Carolina Forest High School opened up his own business recently (with his parents' help). It's called Spencer's Snowballs and Ice Cream, and is located on Highway 17 in North Myrtle Beach. He purchased the stand on Facebook Marketplace! Way to go, Trent! (WMBF)
4. Unless you've been under a rock, you know that people are moving to the Myrtle Beach area in droves, to the point where real estate inventory is at an unprecedented low. This obviously got Horry County officials thinking, because they've just announced that property taxes are going up in 2022. (WMBF)
5. Possibly my favorite story of the week is the tale of a man who is running one marathon per day for a month. Richard Sexton is not only running to raise 50-grand for Champion Autism Network, but he's doing it with a 25-pound weight on his back! He started in NC on April 28, and will arrive in Surfside Beach on May 26. I think I can hear people yelling, "Run, Forrest, run!" (WBTW)

Today's events in Myrtle Beach:

• Crabtree Open Air Market. Horry County Council on Aging is hosting this free event today and Saturday. Purchase homemade items, food, household items, and more from local vendors. (9:00 am)
• Red Cross Blood Drive. Blood donations are much needed in the Grand Strand area, and therefore the Red Cross is holding several blood drives between now and mid-June in various locations. Today's blood drive is at Tanger Outlets on North Kings Road. (11:00 am)
• Sonny's Pavilion Reunion 2021. The OD Pavilion is one of the only places on the east coast featuring beach music and the famous dance of South Carolina, "The Shag". There is free admission for this fun, special reunion for everyone who was kept apart last year. 91 South Ocean Blvd, North Myrtle Beach. (4:00 pm)
• Kingfish Tournament .The very first No Guts, No Glory KingFish Tournament will be held at Crazy Sister Marina in Murrells Inlet (in my old neighborhood!) Participants must weigh in at the marina, but can enter the waterway anywhere from Charleston to Little River. (4:00 pm)
• Eighties Party Band. '80s rockers Miracle Max and the Pet Monsters will play an early show on the back patio at Murphy's On the Beach in Cherry Grove. (6:00 pm)

Myrtle Beach Patch Notebook:

• The Colonial Pipeline is back online, but our area is still having outages -- around 47% of our stations are either low on fuel, or out of fuel completely. (Details here)
• 4th in the country for slow internet! This may be the place people want to move to, but telecommuting and binge-streaming may turn out to be a big problem. (Details here)
• The housing market is booming, but realtors are concerned that there is not enough inventory to satisfy eager buyers. (Details here)
• The Horry County Council on Aging and the Salvation Army are hosting a 1970s disco-themed "prom" for senior citizens. (Details here)
• A pre-hurricane season storm, tentatively named "Ana", may be forming near Bermuda, but it looks like it won't affect South Carolina. (Details here)
• Experts are saying the Grand Strand is in a "moderate drought" status, with no rain in sight for many days to come. (Details here)
• Eleven athletes from Myrtle Beach High School signed letters of intent to join college sports at various universities they'll attend in the fall. Congrats to all! (Details here)
• The 6th annual Pops In The Park music series will commence this weekend at the North Myrtle Beach Park and Sports Complex. (Details here)

That’s it for today! Check back tomorrow for the weekend’s latest and events. Until then!

—Kathy

About me: The best decision I ever made was relocating to the Myrtle Beach area from New England a few years ago, with my three dogs and three cats. I enjoy dogs, cats, road trips, photography, writing, vegetarian food, live music, bicycling and above all my daily walks on the beaches in and around the Grand Strand.

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