Recent Posts

Special Election Voting on the South End

Voters on the south end of Horry County will have special elections at least the next two and probably three Tuesdays.

Beginning tomorrow, voters in House District 106 will get their first crack at selecting a Republican nominee to replace Rep. Nelson Hardwick who resigned in the spring.

Russell Fry, Sam Graves, Dr. Roy Sprinkle and recently elected Horry County Council member for District 5 Tyler Servant will vie for the Republican nomination.

There are no Democrats or third party candidates in the race.

If no candidate receives 50 percent plus one vote from the voters who show up to the polls, a runoff election among the top two vote getters in the House District 106 race will be held Tuesday August 11th.

In between those two dates, the special general election for Horry County Council District 6 will be held Tuesday August 4th.

Republican nominee Cam Crawford will be the only name on the ballot, but we are hearing rumblings of a possible write-in vote campaign in a stop Crawford effort.

Write-in campaigns are difficult in the best of times, but voters who support Crawford should get out to the polls next week.

Voter turnout has been exceptionally low in the special primary summer elections. The District 6 primary saw 7% of eligible voters go to the polls.

Only a few hundred votes are needed to be elected in any of these races.

If you are a supporter of any of the candidates, be sure you make it to the polls. It is this type of low turnout special election where one vote can make a difference.

Our pick for tomorrow?

Fry and Servant will face off in a primary election runoff in two weeks.

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HCSWA Board Gives Go to Contract Talks

The HCSWA board gave solid waste authority staff approval yesterday afternoon to negotiate a recycling contract with Charleston County.

HCSWA board members heard a short presentation on the proposed contract from authority staff, then, asked questions about the proposal for over an hour before voting 7-0 to move forward.

Contract negotiations between HCSWA staff and Charleston County staff will go forward based on the projections presented during the presentation with key items requested by HCSWA board members included.

The contract will only be for recyclable materials generated in Charleston County, basically from its curbside pickup operations.

Key elements that board members requested to be included in the contract were a 90 day notice termination clause by either party for any reason, arrangements with Charleston County for removal of any residual waste from recycling operations so residual waste will not be buried in the HCSWA landfill and do everything possible to make sure the HCSWA will not lose money on the deal.

According to the staff presentation, a base market value per ton will be negotiated for the sale of the recycled material. If the revenue falls more than 10% below the BMV, Charleston County will make up the difference to get back to the 10% margin. If the revenue exceeds the BMV by more than 10%, revenue above that threshold will be shared according to a negotiated percentage between Horry and Charleston counties.

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General Assembly Failing Citizens Again

Aftermath of the Confederate Flag Controversy

The removal of the Confederate flag from the grounds of the SC statehouse last week seems to have unleashed a typical American overreaction.

That event seems to have been the catalyst for an overreaction by various groups to remove what they consider politically incorrect symbols throughout the country.

Louis Farrakhan has called for the removal of the US flag because slavery existed under it for a far longer period than it did under the Confederate flag. It seems Farrakhan forgets it was troops fighting under that flag that won the Civil War. The aftermath of that victory led to the 13th amendment and the abolition of slavery.

Which fact is more important? Neither, they are both facts of US history.

There are suggestions of removing the Washington monument and Jefferson memorial in Washington, D.C. because both presidents were slaveholders not to mention the statues and busts of the likes of Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson and Nathan Bedford Forrest to name a few.

We criticize ISIS, the Taliban and al Qaeda for destroying religious and other artifacts of history in the areas they control because those symbols offend them.

Talk about infidels, are we to act the same?

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The Story of The First Church of Cannabis

The First Church of Cannabis opened July 1, 2015 in Indianapolis, Indiana and has been making national news ever since.

Here is the behind of scenes story of the First Church of Cannabis as told by founder Bill Levin to Paul E. Gable, Editor of The Shelbyville News in Shelbyville, Indiana.

By Paul E. Gable

‘Life’s a great adventure’

For years, Bill Levin was that guy.

“I had been doing everything a minister does. I was the guy who got the call at 3 a.m. to console a family after their son was arrested. I was the guy people talked to about wanting a divorce. I was the guy people would call to discuss grieving. I have always been the go to guy but never made it formal,” Levin said.
All that changed in 2010 when the former Libertarian Party candidate for U.S. Senate and concert promoter acted and got his minister’s license.

“The concept of a church has always been around in my mind, and there was always a little spark in my soul. I probably would have acted but Gov. (Mike) Pence provided the fertilizer in the state and I took the opportunity,” Levin said.

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SC General Assembly Largesse to CTC

Thanks to the SC General Assembly, it is Christmas early for County Transportation Committees (CTC) and their buddies.

CTC’s are one of those independent agencies started before Home Rule which allow the county legislative delegations to appear to be doing something for the people back home while maintaining control of the purse strings.

In 36 of South Carolina’s 46 counties, the CTC is an independent agency appointed by the county legislative delegation. County government should be the recipient in every county, but that’s not the way it works in South Carolina.

Basic “C” funds come from 2.66 cents of the 16 cents per gallon state tax on gasoline and are apportioned to the counties according to a formula established in state law. Horry County receives about $3.5 million each year from this source.

However, the SC General Assembly had about $300 million in excess funds to distribute for next fiscal year. Instead of the normal $3.5 million, the Horry County CTC will be receiving $15.1 million this year.

If that money had been returned to county government, there would have been no need for county council to raise the county road fee from $30 per vehicle to $50 per vehicle in this fiscal year.

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Food Trucks and Horry County Council

(Ed. Note: The following article on food trucks was sent to Grand Strand Daily from Steven Hoffman, Horry County Republican Party Executive Committee member for Burgess 1 voting precinct. Hoffman visits his son in Austin, Texas approximately twice a year. After seeing the possibilities opened with food trucks in that Texas city, Hoffman believes Horry County could have done a better job licensing this growing industry.)

Food trucks, the latest trend in consumer drive markets. Horry County Council – Ho-Hum.

Consumers in Austin, Texas were first introduced to the food truck phenomena in 2010 primarily in the South Congress Street area.

Since that time the food truck entrepreneurs have widened their scope and some of the more successful ones have even opened brick and mortar stores, for example, Chi-lantro. Today the residents of Austin have the option of eating, Thai, Tex-Mex, Korean, Middle Eastern, Fusion, and other types of food in this culinary heaven of a wide mix of restaurants and food trucks throughout the city.

For the people of Austin, Texas, the food trucks bring increased employment (economic growth) and provide gastronomic diversity (more choices). Isn’t that what America is supposed to be all about? Well, maybe not.

Here on the Grand Strand – the county council recently authorized food trucks, but in a limited scope.

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Thanks Dad, Happy Father’s Day

As Father’s Day rolls around it is funny the memories it conjures up of earlier times.

As a child, I played basketball thinking I was Larry Bird and baseball pretending I was Shawon Dunston.

If I was inside the gym at Myrtle Beach’s Pepper Geddings Recreation Center, I’d dribble into the corner and throw up a 3-pointer.

If I was on the diamonds, I’d throw the ball as hard as I could to first.

And, many times, I did this much to the ire of my father.

“Stop throwing up threes, you’re not Larry!”

“Make the routine throw!”

Yep, those were the words of my father, Paul E. Gable III.

I learned those two lessons, and many more from him.

Growing up as a kid, I could expect several things – trips to Hardee’s in the morning to talk sports with dad, there was a strong hatred for the New York Yankees, Notre Dame football was the only thing we could find on television on a Saturday – even in South Carolina – and dad was going to teach the “proper” way to learn the basic fundamentals, regardless of the sport.

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Donald Trump – Fun for a While

Donald Trump finally took the plunge.

“The Donald”, as former wife Ivana dubbed him, is officially a presidential candidate.

His candidacy is a first in American politics – a super-rich populist who, virtually all on his own, will “Make America Great Again.”
And it should be fun while it lasts.

During his rambling, nearly 47 minute campaign announcement, Donald Trump told us he wasn’t bragging because he didn’t have to brag. Then, he went on to make 257 self-references.

”I’m really rich.”

“I’m proud of my net worth. I’ve done an amazing job.”

“I have the best golf courses in the world.”

“I have the greatest assets.”

“I beat China all the time, all the time.”

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SC Republican Leader Seeks Infrastructure Debate

COLUMBIA, S.C. – In an attempt to address the State’s pressing highway infrastructure issue, Senate Majority Leader Harvey Peeler moved to deviate from the Order of business in the S.C. Senate to consider the roads bill. There were several attempts to prevent that motion by members of the democratic caucus, despite earlier statements that roads were their priority. However Senator Peeler’s motion prevailed stopping the current filibuster for the day. By doing so, the Senate gave third reading to the Pain Capable Bill, which would prohibit abortions after 20 weeks and began debate on the much anticipated bill regarding highway infrastructure.

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Indianapolis Motor Speedway Thoughts

There is no greater place in the world than Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

What is it about a place that continues to bring thousands upon thousands back every May?

What is it about a place that has survived two World Wars, the Great Depression and has not changed its configuration in over a century?

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