Garage Apartment+Chlorine Shortage+New Performing Arts School

Happy Friday, people of Myrtle Beach! Let's get you all caught up to start today off on an informed note. Today's top stories include a landlord who rented out a garage as an apartment, the latest shortage — chlorine, homelessness is front and center on the Boardwalk, three were indicted on sex trafficking charges, and a new school is envisioned for artful high schoolers.

First, a quick check of the weather: Humid and partly cloudy with scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon. High: 86 Low: 75.

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Here are the top stories today in Myrtle Beach:

1. A MB landlord who housed some foreign university students visiting on J-1 Visas is likely to be charged with code and fire citations. The man housed several students in a garage on 66th Avenue North for a total of $1320 a month. The dwelling allegedly has inadequate egress and ventilation, and the landlord is accused of not having proper licensing and permits. The tenants are university students who work in the hospitality industry. (wpde.com)
2. The nationwide chlorine shortage is affecting not just Myrtle Beach area pool businesses, but also homeowners associations and private residents who have pools. The reason for the shortage is from a fire several months ago at a chlorine plant in Louisiana that was the main supplier of the pool chemical. Smaller plants are trying to fill orders, but that means higher prices and purchasing limits. Full recovery is not expected until at least 2022. (WBTW)
3. Like most cities, Myrtle Beach has a homeless community. Many without homes gather near the MB Boardwalk. Officer Josh Eller of MBPD is a community outreach officer who connects with the homeless to get resources, meals and shelter to them. He aims to build a trusting relationship, rather than turning to arrest which doesn't help the people affected. (wpde.com)
4. Three Horry County men have been indicted on charges of child sex trafficking and exploitation by a federal grand jury. A fourth man, from Arizona, has also been charged in the multi-state case. The indictment shows that the men allegedly used social media to lure minors into a relationship by posing as a teenager. Two of the four men face life sentences. (WMBF)
5. Myrtle Beach is lacking an arts school, and one Horry County woman is looking to change that by applying to open the Grand Strand Charter Arts High School in 2023. Ashlea Sovetts submitted an application to SCDOE for the new school, but then COVID-19 caused delays. So, she is trying again in February when the next application window opens. (WBTW)

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Today in Myrtle Beach

• Free Estate Planning & Living Trust Workshop Live Q&A Friday 3PM (3:00 PM)
• Keep Surfside Beach Beautiful - Town of Surfside Beach (10:00 AM)
• Miracle Max and the Pet Monsters take you back to the '80s at Murphy's NMB (6:00 PM)
• North Myrtle Beach Sounds of Summer, featuring Fleetwood Max, a Fleetwood Mac tribute band. At NMB Park & Sports Complex. FREE (7:00 PM)
• Too Much Sylvia at Local on the Water, North Myrtle Beach (7:00 PM)
• Flashback Band at House of Blues (7:00 PM)
• Thompson Farm at Brickyard Plantation Drive-In Mooovie, tonight showing Raya and the Last Dragon. (7:30 PM)
• Josh Blue at the Comedy Cabana 2 shows (7:30 and 9:30 PM)
• Movies Under the Stars at Market Common, tonight showing Footloose (8:30 PM)

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Myrtle Beach Patch Notebook

• Horry County Council has given its final approval to the 12-story high-rise on Coquina Harbor in Little River. Residents have expressed their displeasure. (MyHorryNews.com)
• Wanted: Two men are sought in connection with catalytic converter thefts in Murrells Inlet. (WPDE)
• The Coast Guard has reported that a boater near Little River Inlet accidentally shot himself with his own gun. A jet skier got help from the agency, and the boater is expected to be alright. (WBTW)
• Lennar home builders and Operation FINALLY HOME are inviting folks in MB to write notes of love and inspiration on the studs of a home being built for U.S. Marine Sgt. Eric Fisher. (wpde.com)
• The latest shortage in Myrtle Beach? Apartments! According to several property managers, the shortage can be blamed on summer increases as well as new residents relocating during the pandemic. (MyHorryNews.com)
• A vacationing couple who got engaged on the beach near 59th Avenue was caught on camera by Christa Walsh Photography, who managed to track them down afterwards to give them the photos she took. (WBTW)
• Residents of Longs, SC continue to do their postal service business in NMB, while waiting patiently for a mobile unit that hasn't been put into service yet. The post office was destroyed by fire in June. (MyHorryNews.com)
• A Myrtle Beach airman has returned home, and says his MB Pelicans hat kept him going during his deployment overseas. (WPDE)
• The Pelicans won over the Columbia Fireflies in a 10-3 blowout earlier this week. (Instagram)
• MyrtleBeach.com: "Wave Wednesday just might be our favorite day of the week " (Instagram)
• Residents in Murrells Inlet got to sound off about the Highway 17 corridor from Hobcaw Road to the Georgetown/Horry County border. The area has seen significant growth and major traffic accidents recently. (WBTW)
• El Cerro restaurant in Myrtle Beach has been reclassified to allow for indoor music, events and cover charges. The Mexican restaurant has floor space for bands and dancing. (MyHorryNews.com)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Friday off right. I'll be back in your inbox Saturday morning with another update, news, weather, and weekend events!

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— Kathy Mandell

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.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Myrtle Beach Daily? Reach out anytime to myrtlebeach@patch.com.