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Community Corner

🌱 Myrtle Beach Tourism + HGTC Hospitality Course + Flood Funding

The quickest way to get caught up on the most important things happening this weekend in Myrtle Beach.

Kathy Mandell's profile picture
Kathy Mandell, Neighbor
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(Patch Media)

Happy Friday, people of Myrtle Beach! Let's start today off on an informed note, shall we? Here's everything worth knowing today in town.

First, here's a look ahead at your weekend weather:

  • Friday: Mostly sunny. High: 68 Low: 48.
  • Saturday: Breezy in the afternoon. High: 64 Low: 40.
  • Sunday: Plenty of sunshine, but cool. High: 59 Low: 40.

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Here are the top five stories in Myrtle Beach today:

  1. The owner of Midtown Motel in Myrtle Beach says his property has booked fewer spring breakers than last year at this time, but that's not all bad. Last year's tourism in the area was record-breaking. He says this year's reservations were not made as far in advance as they were a year ago, and that the extraordinary 2021 season was probably a one-time thing. The motel is having a hard time finding workers, as are other businesses in the area. Employees have been working long hours. They are anticipating that summer tourism will be great. (wpde.com)
  2. A new quarterly report from the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce indicates that Myrtle Beach is on the rebound and on the rise. The numbers come from the fourth quarter of 2021, and indicate a rise in hotel occupancy, tourism revenues, and the number of passengers coming through the airport. President and CEO, Karen Riordan, says business owners, investors, and entrepreneurs are taking notice of Myrtle Beach and bringing their businesses here. That, in turn, attracts new residents. Myrtle Beach won out over popular tourist areas, such as Orlando, when Visit Myrtle Beach won U.S. Travel's Educational Seminar for Tourism Organizations award for best integrated marketing campaign. (Myhorrynews)
  3. Horry-Georgetown Technical College is bringing a new hospitality program to the Grand Strand campus, just in time to help qualify students for jobs in the thousands of hotels and restaurants that need workers. The program will help businesses to hire new talent, as well. Hospitality and tourism is the number one industry in the Myrtle Beach area. The program, proposed by HGTC's Culinary Institute Executive Director, Joe Bonaparte, has been approved by the college's board, and now awaits state approval. The program has options in food service management, event management, and hotel management. (WBTW)
  4. When it appeared that Horry County's buyout program for flooded homes may have been set up to fail before it got started, the state took action. Thanks to some adjustments, and listening to the market and homeowners, the program seems to be gaining traction. Views of the program appear to be shifting from skepticism to optimism, with new incentives included that take into account the current market value of the flood-prone properties. (wpde.com)
  5. Congressman Tom Rice has proposed legislation to increase funding for flood victims, saying that all eight counties in the 7th District of South Carolina are in a floodplain. Flooding during the past decade has had a devastating impact on the Grand Strand. The new legislation, if approved, will help cover the cost of mitigation measures to reduce flood risk. There would also be an increase on the cap of FEMA regulatory coverage. (WBTW)

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This weekend in Myrtle Beach:

Friday, March 25

  • Battle At The Beach @ Myrtle Beach Convention Center (8:00 AM) through March 27
  • DockDogs @ Waccamaw Sportsmen's Expo 200 Laurel St Conway (11:00 AM) Friday and Saturday
  • Da Sofa Kings @ Sundown Sports Pub (4:00 PM)
  • Anything But Barbecue @ Town of Surfside Beach (5:00 PM) (VisitMyrtleBeach.com)
  • Wet Nose Dogs @ Hard Rock Café (6:00 PM)
  • Nancy Olive @ Little River Elks Lodge (6:00 PM)

Saturday, March 26

  • Dog Adoption event for Humane Society of NMB @ Ripley's Aquarium (9:00 AM)
  • 11th Annual BBQ Festival @ Town of Surfside Beach (10:00 AM) (More info)
  • Waccamaw Sportsmen's Expo @ Conway (10:00 AM)
  • Family Spring Fest @ Market Common (11:00 AM) Caleb Wygal Book Signing at This & That - Market Common (11:30 AM)
  • Party on the Creek 2022 @ Mojo's Marina Bar & Grille (6:00 PM) proceeds benefit the Annie Banannie Foundation
  • Long Bay Symphony's One Vision: The Music of Queen @ Myrtle Beach High School Music & Arts Center (7:00 PM)

Sunday, March 27

  • 8th Annual Oyster Roast & Bloody Mary Contest @ Wicked Tuna Murrells Inlet (11:00 AM) proceeds benefit Grand Strand Humane Society.
  • Respect the City Rideout @ Inlet Square Mall Murrells Inlet (11:30 AM)
  • Sunday Funday Ride @ Barnacle Bill's (12:30 PM)
  • Michael Reid @ Tin Roof Myrtle Beach (1:00 PM)
  • All the Tears: A Community Memorial Service for Lives Lost in the Pandemic @ Trinity Presbyterian Church 2061 Glenns Bay Rd (4:00 PM)
  • Drauker @ Dead Dog Saloon (7:00 PM)

From my notebook:

  • Monday, March 28th, Barnabas Horse Foundation in Murrells Inlet is having an open house. Drop in from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. that day for info on equine-assisted learning for veterans. Located at 4533 New River Road, just past the fire station on the southwest end of Murrells Inlet. (BarnabasHorse.org)
  • Are you looking for sensory-friendly attractions in Myrtle Beach? The folks at Visit Myrtle Beach and Champion Autism Network have put together this list of sensory-friendly experiences around the Grand Strand. (VisitMyrtleBeach.com)
  • The Humane Society of North Myrtle Beach: Glass Bottom Kayak Tours is hosting another fundraiser for HSNMB ON April 3! This event will sell out so go ahead and reserve your spot today at www.myrtlebeachkayaktours.com #localbusinessesworkingtogether" (Facebook)
  • Huntington Beach State Park was ranked 3rd on Southern Living's Best State Parks in the South list. With sea turtles, alligators, a wildlife-viewing area inhabited by dozens of bird species, a gorgeous beach, a perfect location between Myrtle Beach and Charleston, and Atalaya Castle, it's no surprise the park got such high marks. (wpde.com)
  • Myrtle Beach Convention Center: MBCC is so looking forward to seeing the talented teams with Varsity All Star competing at Battle At The Beach! The cheerleading and dance competition is happening this weekend at the Convention Center! (Facebook)
  • Second-grade teacher, Destiny Watts-McKee, was named Window World Teacher of the Month for February. Watts-McKee is a Socastee native and graduated from CCU, so she's really kept it local all her life. She teaches at Palmetto Academy of Learning & Success. (MyHorryNews.com)

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You're officially in the loop for Friday, folks! I'll see you back in your inbox Saturday, 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.

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

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