🌱 SkyWheel Open + Shelters, Vets Overwhelmed + Big Mike Being Sued

Hello there, Myrtle Beach! I'm here in your inbox per usual to get you caught up on everything you need to know about what's going on around town today, Saturday, August 27, 2022. Keep scrolling for the scoop...

Apology and correction: The Alabama Theatre listing for the show of humorist Jeanne Robertson was erroneously included in several local online calendars and posted here as an available event on Friday. Sadly, Jeanne Robertson died in 2021. We apologize for the error.

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Let's have a look at Saturday's weather:

A shower and t-storm; humid. High: 86 Low: 75. Ocean temperature: 81.1 degrees.

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Here are the top five stories in Myrtle Beach today:

1. The SkyWheel is open again just in time for the weekend. The attraction's maintenance crew said they identified, tested and resolved a minor issue originating from the ride's low voltage weather sensor. This sensor caused the wheel to stop last weekend, stranding three groups of passengers on board. Those passengers were safely rescued from the stopped ride with help from Myrtle Beach Fire Department. (wpde.com)
2. North Myrtle Beach Humane Society is overwhelmed with a highly unusual number of owner surrenders coming in to the shelter this summer. Shelter management reports that pet owners are giving up housebroken family pets in huge numbers citing a lack of affordable housing options or being unable to find housing that allows pets, for new residents coming into the area. For every pet adopted, the shelter takes in two more. Adoptions are just not happening fast enough, but August has been "pretty good" according to shelter staff. Friday was National Dog Day and shelter director Tina Hunter said now is the time to give a dog a forever home. She said when she comes home at night after a long, hard day it's wonderful to be greeted by her loving dogs because "they're always happy to see you." The shelter is holding a free adoption event at PetSmart in North Myrtle Beach today. (WBTW)
3. Horry County pet owners are waiting weeks, and sometimes months for spay and neuter surgeries due to a veterinarian shortage. There is a nationwide shortage of veterinarians and vet techs, and the Grand Strand is definitely feeling the effects. Jessica Wnuk, director of Grand Strand Humane Society said people are waiting two to three months for veterinary surgeries, pointing out that the wait time to get a pet spayed or neutered is the same length of time as the gestation period for a pregnant cat. The whole problem is interconnected and the cycle needs to be broken by finding available vets to perform the surgeries. Wnuk points directly to un-neutered animals as the reason for shelter overcrowding. She also mentioned the same housing issues that neighboring HSNMB raised. (wpde.com)
4. Coast RTA has outgrown its facility in Conway and is considering a new location along Grissom Parkway as a solution. The move would also expand public transportation services in Myrtle Beach. The location would be safer than the current Myrtle Beach transfer center on 10th Avenue North because buses would be able to pull into the lot to pick up and drop off passengers. The company has put out a survey and wants the public's input by the end of September. The survey is available within the linked article here. (WMBF)
5. Mike Chestnut, the Myrtle Beach city councilman and owner of Big Mike's Soul Food restaurant, is being sued by former employees of the eatery. The lawsuit accuses Big Mike's of shorting servers' tips and wages by unlawfully pooling tips. The restaurant reportedly has a policy of requiring staffers to put a portion of their tips into a mandatory tip pool. The plaintiffs claim that a portion of the tips went not only to busboys but also to supervisors, managers and "the house." Servers reportedly also performed non-tip tasks such as cleaning and were not paid minimum wage for those tasks. The plaintiffs requested a jury trial. (WMBF)

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Myrtle Beach pic of the day:

Reader Sharon Relford sent in this picture recently. This is a photo of what may be a shelf cloud, as the rain was coming over the beach about a week ago. Thanks for the cool photo, Sharon!

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:

• Elko Pep Rally & Festival w/CCU Coach Chadwell on-site (10 a.m.)
• Help 4 Kids BBQ fundraiser @ Holy Lamb Lutheran Church, Myrtle Beach (11 a.m.)
• Clear The Shelters HSNMB Free Adoption Event @ PetSmart North Myrtle Beach (11 a.m.)
• Caleb Wygal book signing @ Barnes & Noble Market Common (11 a.m.)
• Sunburst Radio & South Side Saints @ La Belle Amie Vineyard (noon)
• Treasure Chest Beer Fest @ Atlas Tap House (4 p.m.) Tickets $65

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From my notebook:

• Conway Police are searching for a white Chevrolet motor home with Ohio license plate JFH 9364. The motor home was identified by witnesses as a vehicle involved in a Friday afternoon hit-and-run crash that closed Highway 501 near Lake Busbee. Two other vehicles were involved in the crash and one of those vehicles landed on its side on the highway. Information on injuries is not available. Anyone with info on the vehicle is advised to call Conway PD at (843) 248-1790. (WBTW)
• Myrtle Beach police are searching for the driver of a white pickup truck that drove through an active fire emergency scene two weeks ago. The department wrote in a social media post that driving through an emergency scene is dangerous and illegal. Officers are looking for the individual who drove between two law enforcement vehicles that were parked together to form a barrier. Video shows the pickup driving directly into the spot where two first responders were working with fire equipment moments before. Anyone with info should call MBPD at (843) 918-1382. (WMBF) (Myrtle Beach Police Department via Facebook)
• A Kids Cooking and Yoga Workshop will be held September 8 in Murrells Inlet at Morse Park. The healthy meal and yoga practice workshop was originally scheduled for August 25 but had to be postponed due to weather. The workshop will begin at 4 p.m. Pre-registration is required. (wpde.com)
• North Myrtle Beach Police: "We just love when our little friends like Nora Quinn come and visit us at the station. She was pretty excited she and Captain Crowell had matching badges!" (North Myrtle Beach Police via Facebook)
• Emilia the Kind Keeper dog traveled 2,500 miles through eleven states to reach her new home near Los Angeles. Emilia even has a new canine family member, Mik. After eight months of staring at the walls of a kennel here in Horry County, Emilia was given another chance. Her humans say she's transformed into an amazing dog just by leaving the shelter environment. Congratulations to Emilia and her new family! (Kind Keeper Animal Rescue via Facebook)

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That's it for Saturday, Grand Strand. I'll be in your inbox tomorrow with the Sunday edition 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