🌱 Winning MB Scratch Tickets Were Stolen + Summer Traffic Deaths Down

Good morning, Grand Strand! It's me, Kathy Mandell, your host of the Myrtle Beach Daily. Today is Thursday, September 22, 2022 and it's the first day of fall! Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about what's going on in town, including updates on:

• The 100 Not-As-Deadly Days of Summer
• St. Frances Animal Center's latest donation drive is a shoe-in
• Pride Myrtle Beach appreciates businesses within city limits

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But first, let's have a peek at today's weather:

Sunny, warm and humid. High: 89 Low: 62. Ocean temperature: 81 degrees.

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Here are the top four stories today in Myrtle Beach:

1. A Myrtle Beach man was arrested on charges of intent to defraud and counterfeit game tickets after cashing in stolen lottery tickets according to a SLED investigation. The law enforcement agency says 42-year-old James Esposito was in possession of a large number of scratch tickets stolen from a Circle K store in North Myrtle Beach where he was an employee. Esposito was seen cashing in eleven scratch tickets at the Minuteman Store on Pine Hollow Road and four additional scratch tickets at Lowes Foods on South Commons Drive. (WMBF)
2. The 100 Deadly Days of Summer are over for 2022 and there's some good news from the SC Department of Public Safety — fewer fatal highway crashes than last year. In 2021, there were 324 people killed in traffic deaths on South Carolina roadways from Memorial Day to Labor Day. This year, there were 262 deadly crashes during the same time period. The number of crashes involving an impaired driver also decreased year-over-year. (WBTW)
3. Got any unwanted shoes lying around? St. Frances Animal Center in Georgetown would love to take them off your hands. Gently-used shoes can be donated to the animal center through October 31 at numerous drop-off locations around the South Strand. The center has collected 600 shoes so far, but they'd like 3,000. Last year it collected 2,000 but would like to surpass that goal this time. The shoes are refurbished and sent to developing countries. The animal center receives money by weight for the shoes it collects. That money will go towards expanding the animal care center. (WMBF)
4. Pride Myrtle Beach is asking folks to spend their money within Myrtle Beach city limits instead of branching out into Horry County for shopping, restaurants, travel accommodations and entertainment. The organization says the suggestion that was posted on social media by the organization is not a boycott, but a move to bring awareness to Myrtle Beach's support of the LGBTQ community – a support Pride says is not necessarily shared by other areas of Horry County. (WBTW)

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Myrtle Beach pic of the day:

Reader Sylvia Helms took this pic of sunset behind Brooks Stadium just as CCU was winning the game against Army on Labor Day weekend. Cool photo, Sylvia! Thank you so much for sharing!

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:

• Burger Week @ Various Conway Restaurants (All day) thru Sept. 25
• Wacoal Fit for the Cure Event @ Belk, Coastal Grand Mall (10 a.m.)
• Society of Stranders (SOS) Fall Migration @ North Myrtle Beach (noon) thru Sept. 24
• Build-A-Rama @ Surfside Beach Library (4 p.m.)
• Pale Horse @ Creek Ratz (6 p.m.)
• Music on Main featuring Gary Lowder & Smokin' Hot @ NMB Horseshoe (7 p.m.)

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From my notebook:

• Harvest Home Weekend is happening October 1 and 2 at Brookgreen Gardens. The venue will have pumpkins for sale, scarecrow-making kits and a scarecrow contest. There's also a hay maze, a pumpkin patch and painting. (wpde.com)
• Myrtle Beach Fire Department will be having a free fire safety event on October 1 at Coastal Grand Mall. The family-friendly event will be in front of the Sears store in the mall parking lot starting at 10 a.m. (wpde.com)
• ICYMI: Myrtle Beach Area Convention and Visitor's Bureau was recently named Tourism Office Of The Year by the Southeast Tourism Society. (Press Release Desk)
• Happy birthday, Coastal Carolina University! The educational institution celebrated 68 years on Tuesday with a full-fledged birthday party on campus at Prince Lawn. Special guest speakers, a cake and choruses of "happy birthday to you" were all part of the fun! (wpde.com)
• Myrtle Beach Pelicans: The front office, box office, and pro shop will be closed until Monday, October 3 to give the staff a well-deserved break. (Myrtle Beach Pelicans via Instagram)

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You're officially in the loop for Thursday, everyone! I'll see you Friday with another 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