🌱 Grand Strand Hospital Capacity Report + Christmas Tree Pickup

Morning, neighbors! It's me again, Kathy Mandell, your host of the Myrtle Beach Daily. Today is Friday, December 24, 2021 — Christmas Eve! I'm including weather and announcements for the holiday weekend in today's MB Daily, just in case you need to plan ahead.

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Here is your holiday weekend weather:

• Friday: Mostly sunny. High: 62 Low: 52.
• Saturday: Partly sunny and pleasant. High: 68 Low: 57.
• Sunday: Abundant sunshine and warm. High: 72 Low: 54.

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Here are the top stories in Myrtle Beach today:

1. With Omicron spreading more quickly than previous COVID variants, tracking the numbers is pretty much a "moving target." Here are the latest numbers from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on hospital capacity in the Grand Strand area, the state of South Carolina, and nationwide, as of December 22nd. (Myrtle Beach Patch) A related issue is COVID testing. Some CVS and Walgreens stores are limiting the number of at-home tests people can buy. Grand Strand medical professionals are not seeing a spike in demand locally yet. (WBTW)
2. Neighbors in the Amberfield development in Socastee are mourning their friend, Lou Fischer, who was killed in a hit-and-run crash outside his own home. Neighbors described Fischer as "the neighborhood general," and an all-around, go-to guy. Fischer walked his dog often. The dog was with him at the time of the incident, but was not harmed. Authorities are investigating the case, and have received doorbell videos from at least one neighbor, in the hopes that the vehicle can be identified. Friends of the man are asking that drivers slow down when driving through Amberfield. (WMBF)
3. State lawmakers awarded $1.5 million to the Family Justice Center of Horry and Georgetown counties right before Christmas. The funds will go towards building a domestic violence shelter in Horry County, to supplement the one in Georgetown County that is often full to capacity. The new shelter will be double the size of the Georgetown County facility. It should take about a year to build the new shelter. (WBTW)
4. Starting in January, the city of Myrtle Beach will begin Christmas tree curbside pickup within city limits. Trees picked up will be transferred to the Horry County landfill and ground up into mulch. The mulch will be available for residents to take for free. Residents of Horry County who do not live within city limits can bring their trees to Horry County Solid Waste Authority centers that are participating in the tree-recycling program. (WMBF)
5. A new Tractor Supply store for the Myrtle Beach area is open now. The store is located off Highway 707 near Socastee, in between Big Block Road and Dick Pond Road, next to the post office. This is the second Tractor Supply location in Horry County. The popular national retailer specializes in garden supplies, farming supplies, animal feed, pet supplies, fence materials and supplies for the home. (MyHorryNews.com)

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This weekend in Myrtle Beach:

Friday, December 24

• BDRC Christmas Eve Run/Walk @ Black Dog Running Company (8:00 AM)
• Janko Winehart @ Wicked Tuna Murrells Inlet (2:30 PM)
• Rich Johnson Band's Xmas Eve Show @ Wild Horse Food & Spirits (5:00 PM)
• Great Christmas Light Show (w/Santa's Village) @ NMB Park & Sports Complex (5:30 PM)
• Christmas Eve church services @ various locations and times (Facebook)

Saturday, December 25

• No events

Sunday, December 26

• The Yale Brothers @ LuLu's NMB (1:00 PM)
• Funky Leroy Harper & The Allstarz @ Local On The Water (5:30 PM)
• 3rd Annual End of Year Bash w/ NC Carmeet Guy @ Burky's Grill (7:00 PM)

Please note: Nights of A Thousand Candles at Brookgreen is on pause and will return December 29th. The Great Christmas Light Show at NMB Park & Sports Complex and Winter Wonderland at the Beach at Burroughs & Chapin Pavilion are both closed on December 25.

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From my notebook:

• The Humane Society of North Myrtle Beach: Thank you to everyone who voted for HSNMB! We are so humbled to be voted as the Best Philanthropy/ Non-Profit Organization 2021 by our community! (Facebook)
• If you've participated in looking for available properties for sale around the Grand Strand, you know that inventory is at an all-time low. Experts believe things will pick up again in 2022, but for right now real estate professionals have their hands full with a very challenging market. The November report from Redfin sheds light on the subject. (Myrtle Beach Patch)
• After 25 years of devoted service to the Myrtle Beach Police Department, Sgt. Troy Spivey retired on Wednesday. Spivey has received several promotions, nominations, and awards during his time with MBPD. Congrats on your retirement, Sgt. Spivey! (WBTW)
• The aptly-named Grand Strand magician, Michael Bairefoot, performs weekly at the GTS Theatre. He and other local performers spent a year performing in front of no one because of COVID-19. The crew at GTS, and those at the Alabama Theatre, faced unique challenges during that time. Right now, they're determined to keep going, and are hoping the virus will "exit stage left!" (WMBF)
• PETA has put Waccatee Zoo on notice that it will be suing the wildlife facility under the federal Endangered Species Act after the death of Lila, a tiger who was kept at the zoo. The official notice from PETA also mentions endangered parrots that are on the property, and lions — citing cramped conditions and distress of the animals. (wpde.com)
• Meanwhile, a nearby agricultural farm received the Conservation Farmer of the Year award from Horry Soil and Water Conservation District. Brown's Farms grows soy beans, corn, sweet potatoes, strawberries, rye, and tobacco. (Myhorrynews)

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You're all caught up for Christmas Eve. See you all Saturday for a quick Christmas Day update! Stay safe out there, and be well! Merry Christmas!!

— 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.