🌱 Heavy Police Presence In Myrtle Beach + Conway Man Missing

Hello, Myrtle Beach. I'm here in your inbox on this Wednesday morning to get you caught up on everything you need to know about what's going on around town today, August 10, 2022. I'll get right to it.

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A quick glance at today's weather reveals no change:

A t-storm around in the p.m.. High: 91 Low: 78. Ocean temperature: 84 degrees.

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Here are the top five stories in Myrtle Beach today:

1. Several firearms were recovered and a number of people were detained after law enforcement officers served a search warrant related to an ongoing drug sales investigation in Myrtle Beach. There was heavy police activity in the area of Blue Street and Orange Avenue. SLED provided a helicopter to help with the situation and SCDNR was also at the scene. (wpde.com) (WBTW)
2. The one-time executive director of the Boys and Girls Club of the Grand Strand has entered a guilty plea in an embezzlement case. Dione Buonto was charged with two counts of breach of trust with fraudulent intent. She was originally charged with six counts in July of 2021. According to the SC Attorney General, Buonto embezzled over $100,000 from the nonprofit organization from 2014 through 2020, using the money for personal expenses, purchases and travel expenses for herself and her family. It was also reported that she received bonus checks without the organization's approval. Buonto resigned from the organization in 2020. She received a four-year suspended sentence, two years probation and must pay over $88,000 in restitution. (WMBF)
3. The city of North Myrtle Beach has settled three federal discrimination lawsuits filed by former employees. The exact terms of the settlement are not available. One of the employees, Carolina Garcia, accused the city of classifying her as a part-time worker despite the fact that she worked 40 hours per week. Garcia also said in her lawsuit that she dealt with discrimination and harassment in the workplace. She was fired in 2020. Two other employees, Tracy Scola and Suzanna Hoffnagle, filed separate lawsuits stating they were discriminated against for different reasons such as age and religious beliefs, as well as a hostile work environment. The women's attorney said she is not at liberty to discuss the details of the settlements. (WBTW) (WMBF)
4. With school starting Monday, Horry County Schools is piecing together proposals to increase pay for district employees. The $18.1 million proposal to increase salaries will be voted on at the School Board's next meeting on August 22. The district has 72 teacher vacancies and 252 support staff vacancies. (wpde.com) The board also touched on other agenda topics including COVID-19 protocols, lunch programs, active shooter training and mental health needs for students. (WMBF) (WBTW) (WBTW)
5. Horry County Police are looking for a 29-year-old Conway man who has been missing since Saturday morning. Police say the individual, Joshua Norman, is considered endangered. Norman was last seen leaving his home on French Collins Road with only a blue towel. Norman is 5-foot-10 and weighs 150 pounds. Anyone with info should contact the police department at (843) 248-1520. (WMBF)

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Myrtle Beach pic of the day:

I never saw vertical rainbows until I lived in South Carolina! Here's a cool pic submitted by reader Brenda Cavallini who captured this vertical rainbow in the clouds near Longs recently. Thanks for the pretty picture, Brenda!

Would you like to see your photo in the Myrtle Beach Daily? Send one in. Be sure to give Patch permission to republish the photo, and tell us that you own the rights to the photograph. Send your pic to myrtlebeach@patch.com

Today in Myrtle Beach:

• Recycling/Litter Pick-up @ 3rd Avenue S beach access, Surfside Beach (9:30 a.m.)
• SC Sea Grant Consortium Presentation @ Carolina Forest Library (11 a.m.)
• 810 Day @ 810 Bowling Centers Conway, NMB & Market Common (All day)
• Resumé Workshop @ Palmetto Goodwill Market Common (noon)
• Skyler Whitfield @ The Deck at Litchfield (6 p.m.)
• Julio Navarro @ Bar Louie (6 p.m.)

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From my notebook:

• As we have been reporting, local animal shelters are bursting at the seams with pets that have been surrendered. With the help of Petfinder, Patch has compiled this week's list of adoptable pets looking for a loving home in the Myrtle Beach area. (Myrtle Beach Patch)
• Do you have a photogenic pet? Or would you just like to showcase your cute furry family member for a year? Enter your pooch or feline friend now through August 21 for the Humane Society of North Myrtle Beach's 2023 Paw Prints Calendar Contest. The fundraiser is happening now. The pet photo with the most votes will receive a photo shoot with Karen Goforth of Irresistible Portraits on September 17. The winner will also be featured in the HSNMB 2023 Paw Prints Calendar. (Humane Society of North Myrtle Beach)
• North Myrtle Beach Rescue Squad's new amphibious boat was christened on Monday. The four-wheel vehicle that's also a boat was named in honor of former NMB police chief Merlin Bellamy. They're calling the boat Merlin. Chief Bellamy was the first police chief in the town that was then named Ocean Drive. He is the person who started the rescue squad back in 1958. Bellamy's family attended the ceremony. (wpde.com)
• Myrtle Beach Mini Marathon: Brookgreen Gardens is one of the most memorable races! 🌳👟🏞 Check out the Brookgreen Gardens Labor Day 5K, September 4 starting at 6 p.m. (Myrtle Beach Mini Marathon via Instagram)
• Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce welcomed new investors in July. The Chamber encourages its investors to do business with each other. Here is the list in MBACC's press release from last week. (Press Release Desk)
• If you like bowling as much as I do, then you'll be thrilled to learn of a new bowling and entertainment venue popping up at Coastal Grand Mall. The new venue is called Stars and Strikes and will have 24 bowling lanes, a huge arcade, laser tag courses, axe throwing, food and beverages. (wpde.com)

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You're officially in the loop for Wednesday, folks! I'll be back in your inbox Thursday morning with your next installment of the Myrtle Beach Daily.

— 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? Contact me at myrtlebeach@patch.com