Sea Glass Cottages+No More Masks+ Little River Boardwalk

Morning, people of the Grand Strand! Kathy Mandell here with the latest issue of the Myrtle Beach Daily. Today is Friday, July 9, 2021. Our top stories today include a summary of Tropical Storm Elsa, a look at the proposed Sea Glass Cottages at Barefoot Resort, a big donation for Children's Miracle Network, mask mandates prohibited in South Carolina schools for 2021-22, and plans resurface for a boardwalk in Little River.

Before we start, here's a peek at the weather: Partly cloudy with a stray shower or thunderstorm. High: 88 Low: 75.

Here are the top stories today in Myrtle Beach:

1. Tropical Storm Elsa brought a lot of wind and some power outages, along with tornado warnings to the Grand Strand during the morning hours of Thursday. By noon, almost all the power was restored in the area, but wind continued throughout the day. An advisory was issued against swimming at area beaches. (WPDE)
2. Residents of the Barefoot Resort and Golf community could soon have some new neighbors, and some have expressed concern. A meeting was held to discuss the proposal for the Sea Glass Cottages, which would add approximately 90 long-term rental units to the area. Planning commission officials and residents were able to talk about some general issues before a public meeting scheduled for August 17. (WBTW)
3. Two Myrtle Beach companies donated $10K to the Children's Miracle Network. Living Dunes and Cafe Gelato gave a check to the non-profit organization earlier this week. The money was raised with the assistance of the Marriott Ocean Watch Club. The donation itself will go directly to the McLeod Children's Hospital in Florence, SC. (WPDE)
4. The SC Department of Education has announced that face masks are no longer required on South Carolina public school buses. In fact, the Mask Mandate Prohibition Proviso means that school districts are prohibited from requiring students and employees to wear face coverings in any educational facility. Face coverings are recommended, but that recommendation cannot be enforced. (WMBF)
5. Horry County is funding a boardwalk in Little River., but a number of obstacles keep delaying this long wished for improvement to the area along the Intracoastal Waterway. Those of us who live here (yours truly included!) would love to see the waterfront off Mineola Avenue become more quaint (perhaps like the Murrells Inlet Marshwalk, where I used to live!). Read on for details about the county's plans. (MyHorryNews.com)

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Today in Myrtle Beach

• Pine Needle Basket Weaving Class NMB Public Library (10 AM)
• Chair Yoga at Socastee Library (10:30 AM)
• Storytime Class with Ms. Christi at Surfside Beach Library (10:30 AM)
• Loomis Bros. Circus : 2021 Tour - July 9 and 10 (7:30 PM)
• Skyler Whitfield live at Remedies (8:00 PM)
• Movies at McLean, NMB. Tonight's feature The Croods 2: A New Age (8:30 PM)
• Movies Under the Stars, Market Common. Tonight's feature Wonderwoman 1984 (8:30 PM)

Myrtle Beach Patch Notebook

• The Humane Society of North Myrtle Beach has so many pets up for adoption, and needs foster volunteers. Here is today's featured pet of the day, Mistletoe! (Facebook)
• Have you ever seen the Soar & Explore Zipline at WonderWorks at Broadway at the Beach? If you don't want to take a ride yourself, it's fun to watch. (WMBF)
• Want to know more about Little River? Start by learning that the main road into the fishing village is named Mineola — which means... Little River! (VisitMyrtleBeach.com)
• Here's an update on the unemployment rate in the Myrtle Beach area, after the June jobs report was released. The report indicates some improvement in Grand Strand employment. (Patch)
• Thousands of power outages were reported all along the Grand Strand as Tropical Storm Elsa blew through the area, bringing along tornado warnings on Thursday morning. (WMBF)
• A section of Kings Highway was closed Thursday afternoon when a tree fell onto a power line and caused a pole to break. (WMBF)

From our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

• Divorce Boot Camp – South Carolina Hub ~ No-Cost Webinar (July 13)

Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Friday off right. I'll be in your inbox tomorrow morning with a new update to kick off your Myrtle Beach weekend!

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— 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? Email me at myrtlebeach@patch.com.