Local News

The Internet Sweepstakes Clean-Up

Raids on internet sweepstakes cafes continued in Horry County yesterday and, for the first time we can confirm, several locations within the city limits of Myrtle Beach were targeted by SLED officers.

For the first time since internet sweepstakes cafes began operating in Horry County over two years ago, there is a consistent policy being carried out that the games are illegal throughout the county.

Prior to yesterday’s raids, internet sweepstakes cafes were declared illegal by a county magistrate and subject to closure and confiscation in the unincorporated areas of the county, but were allowed to operate unimpeded by law enforcement within the Myrtle Beach city limits.

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Internet Sweepstakes Ban Inches Forward

A bill to ban internet sweepstakes games took a key step forward yesterday when it passed second reading in the Senate by a 40-2 margin.

The bill seeks to close any loophole business owners cite, in the state’s gambling laws, to operate so-called sweepstakes cafes. Senate Judiciary Chairman Larry Martin said the bill clears up any ambiguity in the law.

The state banned video gambling in 2000. Operators of internet sweepstakes cafes say the games compare to the sweepstakes that McDonald’s uses as a promotion every year. Law enforcement officials in the state contend that they are merely another form of gambling.

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Judge John Rakowsky Sued in Nevada

Attorney and Lexington Chief Magistrate Judge John Rakowsky will have to answer charges in a Nevada lawsuit that he misappropriated funds from his trust account intended for legal expenses in the Southern Holdings case.

The action, Case No. 2:12-cv-02161-GMN-CWH, was brought by Center for Legal Reform (CLR), a Nevada Non-profit Corporation as successor in trust to Resolution Settlement Corporation (RSC), a former Nevada corporation.

The suit brings four causes of action, Breach of Contract, Breach of Implied Covenant of Good Faith and Fair Dealing, Intentional Misrepresentation and Conversion of Property.

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Hidden Woods Special Tax Bonds

Third and final reading of an ordinance approving the sale of $850,000 in bonds for the Hidden Woods Special Tax District should sail through county council tonight.

Third reading approval is included on the consent agenda of council, meaning it will not be discussed and will receive approval as part of the overall consent agenda unless a council member pulls it off for individual consideration.

The property owners in the Hidden Woods tax district received a shock when their property tax bills arrived in the mail. This was the first year that the special tax for road improvements was included and many homeowners saw their property taxes more than double. This extra assessment is scheduled to run 15 years.

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Internet Sweepstakes Growing in South Carolina

A recent ruling by the North Carolina Supreme Court outlawing internet sweepstakes games has led to a strong push by the internet sweepstakes industry into South Carolina.

There is no state law that specifically addresses the issue of internet sweepstakes gaming parlors or machines. Bills have been pre-filed in both the S.C. House and Senate to close the loophole in the law during the legislative session beginning next week.

Throughout the state, judges interpreting the current state laws prohibiting gambling, have come down on both sides of the issue. In some areas internet sweepstakes games have been declared legal, in others not.

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Hidden Woods Special Tax Controversy

The residents of Hidden Woods sub-division in Horry County got a shock in October when property tax bills, with their new special tax district assessments included, arrived in the mail.

This is just another example of the many problems with homeowner associations or, in the case of Hidden Woods a property owner’s association.

In this case, the Hidden Woods POA led an initiative over the past several years to get roads in the private community up to county standards so they could be included in the county road system.

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Project Blue Dies – RIP

Myrtle Beach Regional Economic Development Corporation president Brad Lofton announced to county council Tuesday night that the agency was discontinuing work on the infamous Project Blue.

This is the same project that Lofton called “Horry County’s Boeing” several months ago.

When the project was first announced back in June, council was notified it was on a fast track with a drop dead date to open by December 31, 2012.

Even though details of the project were sketchy to council and non-existent to the public for the first few months, the project seemed to be moving forward.

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RCPS Properties Mining Request Moves Forward

The decision on whether to allow RCPS Properties to expand its mining operations in the Carolina Forest area rests with Horry County Council at its December 18, 2012 meeting.

The county’s Infrastructure and Regulation Committee voted earlier this week to send forward a resolution to full council recommending approval of an application to expand by RCPS Properties.

According to members of the I&R Committee, the RCPS Properties request meets and/or exceeds all county requirements for mining.

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I-73 Myths and Reality

A few days ago we were treated to reports of a new I-73 study by Parsons Brinckerhoff commissioned by the Grand Strand Business Alliance.

Local media reported that the new study found two previous studies commissioned by the Coastal Conservation League, advocating an upgraded expressway link to I-95, not credible. It further reported two previous studies completed by the Northeast Strategic Alliance and Dr. Don Schunk of CCU, advocating for construction of I-73, were credible.

Not really. The Parsons Brinckerhoff study questioned the cost of the CCL study as being too low, said a four-lane upgraded expressway would not be comparable in capacity to a six-lane interstate and performed some literary gymnastics with benefit-cost analyses and economic development benefits for the differing studies.

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Southern Holdings HCPD Defendant Arrested

One of the main police defendants in the Southern Holdings case was arrested early Monday morning for criminal domestic violence and misconduct in office and fired from the Horry County Police Department hours after the incident.

Charles K. McLendon was arrested for actions taken against his estranged wife while on duty, in uniform using a Horry County Police Department vehicle.

McLendon demonstrated erratic, abusive and potentially lethal behavior during the incident, according to details of the arrest. His actions were not unlike those he demonstrated over 12 years ago during the Southern Holdings case.

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