Personal Injury Attorneyin Murrels Inlet, SC.

|Updated: Nov. 11, 2024 at 7:03 AM EST

MURRELLS INLET, S.C. (WMBF) - A neighborhood in Murrells Inlet placed more than 1,500 American Flags around the community ahead of Veterans Day.

“There are neighborhoods in the area that do Halloween really good and they do Christmas really good. But we do patriotism really good,” Carol Collins said.

A neighborhood, easily recognizable around patriotic holidays, like Veterans Day.

It’s a tradition that continues to grow.

“The community is growing and the volunteers are growing and the support is growing and it’s our thing,” Carol said.

When Carol and her husband Mike put out the flags for July Fourth, there were around 1,200. Now, months later, that number has grown to 1,500.

Frank Lopresti and his wife moved back to the area over the summer and had to get involved.

“Just because the way our veterans are, we got to take care of them. We got to, we got to support them and that’s the main thing very important,” Lopresti said.

Mike and Carol started the tradition with a handful of neighbors when they moved to Murrells Inlet.

Now, a majority of the neighborhood gathers before five patriotic holidays each year to put out the ever-growing number of flags.

Many feel it’s a simple way to honor those veterans and first responders who have served.

“just to feel and being in America, you know, being free and you know, if it wasn’t for them, you know, which I never was in any wars or anything. But you know, it’s just there’s a lot of sacrifice. And makes you feel good to put that American flag in the ground,” Lopresti said.

Looking ahead, a volunteer named Doug thought it would be fun to get flags for the different branches of the military and put those in the yards of those who served in addition to the American flags.

Still, Mike and Carol said it wouldn’t be possible without the nearly 50-person volunteer team.

“It’s a team effort. So you know we actually appreciate it. That support, and again hopefully it’s something that inspires others,” Mike said.

Carol and Mike plan to order a few hundred more flags for the next holiday, which will be Memorial Day.

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A pile of rubble signified the first steps in an ongoing project to revitalize one of the capstone properties in the Myrtle Beach area.

Demolition began in October 2024 at the Inlet Square Mall in Murrells Inlet. The walls separating Planet Fitness from the rest of the mall were removed.

Paramount Development Corporation owns the mall and is leading the project. Company Vice President David Harner and Real Estate Manager Neil Bowers could not be reached for comment before publication. The Sun News reported in June 2024 that demolition was slated for parts of the property.

The site work is one of the earliest steps to revamp the property. The plan seeks to convert the former mall into a mixed-use development. The new property will feature a Hobby Lobby and a 134-room Home2Suites by Hilton hotel, along with other shopping options.

The original plan for the location also included a residential complex. However, Harner told The Sun News in July 2024 that the site wasn’t approved for multi-family use by Horry County. Paramount Development Corporation bought the mall for six million dollars in February 2023 after the previous owners couldn’t pay their bills.

The firm’s purchase followed several large tenants closing their locations at the Inlet Square Mall.

This story was originally published October 26, 2024, 5:00 AM.

The Sun News

Ben Morse is the Retail and Leisure Reporter for The Sun News. Morse covers local business and Coastal Carolina University football and was awarded third place in the 2023 South Carolina Press Association News Contest for sports beat reporting and second place for sports video in the all-daily division. Morse previously worked for The Island Packet, covering local government. Morse graduated from American University in 2023 with a Bachelor’s Degree in journalism and economics and is originally from Prospect, Kentucky.

An assisted living facility in the Murrells Inlet area is for sale on the commercial real estate platform LoopNet.

The Inlet Oaks Assisted Living facility at 12287 S.C. Highway 707 first went on the market in September 2024. An asking price for the property was not listed on LoopNet. Senior Vice President of Hilco Real Estate Stephen Madura did not return a request for comment before publication.

According to Horry County Land Records, the property last sold in 2014 for more than $630,000. Horry County Land Records also lists the market value of the property that is less than seven acres at $8.7 million. The property previously faced controversy in 2023 regarding a license issue.

The Sun News reported in March 2023 that the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control refused to renew the facilities license because the owners didn’t complete the application on time.

SCDHEC has since been split into two different state agencies: the South Carolina Department of Public Health and the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services.

In an email to The Sun News, the Department of Public Health Media Relations wrote that the owners contested SCDHEC’s decision to the Administrative Law Court at the time. According to the department, Inlet Oaks also filed information to resolve the matter. SCDHEC agreed to grant Inlet Oaks a license and filed a consent stipulation of dismissal with ALC to rescind its original denial.

In July 2023, the ALC granted the consent stipulation for dismissal.

“In March 2024, the Department received an application for an amended license as a result of a change of ownership for Inlet Oaks Assisted Living,” the Department of Public Health Media Relations wrote in a statement. “This application is still pending.”

This story was originally published October 25, 2024, 1:00 AM.

The Sun News

Ben Morse is the Retail and Leisure Reporter for The Sun News. Morse covers local business and Coastal Carolina University football and was awarded third place in the 2023 South Carolina Press Association News Contest for sports beat reporting and second place for sports video in the all-daily division. Morse previously worked for The Island Packet, covering local government. Morse graduated from American University in 2023 with a Bachelor’s Degree in journalism and economics and is originally from Prospect, Kentucky.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct the date of the event

MURRELLS INLET, S.C. (WBTW) — The sixth Boykin Spaniel Fall Fling in Murrells Inlet celebrates the South Carolina state dog while also raising money for the Boykin Spaniel Rescue.

Boykin spaniels, originally bred for South Carolina hunters, have held the title of state dog since 1985. They are known for their mild nature.

The event will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday at A Dog’s Way Inn in Murrells Inlet. There is a $10 donation at the gate for a single person or $20 per family. The event features agility demos, dock-diving, Santa photos, a tricks contest and much more.

“It’s a big, fun, family event,” events manager Cindy Allred said. “Of course, the Boykins love it. The weather looks great for the event, and the location has a pond there so they can go swimming. There’s also a dock-diving pool there, which is great if your dogs like to swim or if you’re thinking you might want to try that.”

Allred explained why she has a passion for helping the Boykin breed.

“Their loyalty to people and their great disposition is just wonderful,” Allred said. “They can hang out with the family, they can go into the field, they can go hang out with you at the beach, they’re a very versatile dog.”

Allred described how the funds raised will help support Boykin Spaniel Rescue due to the increased popularity of the breed.

“Our intake numbers just continue to climb, year after year,” she said. “Sadly, so do the catastrophic cases, as I mentioned up to 40 this year already. Each dog that we take into care is provided with the best-in-class care, and the forever family that each dog deserves.”

She said all of the funds raised ensure that every Boykin gets the care they deserve. Allred rescued her dog from Boykin Spaniel Rescue and said the breed has been in her family for more than 30 years.

“He was abandoned by somebody and the folks that found him realized ‘hey, I think that’s a Boykin’ so they called Boykin Spaniel Rescue,” Allred said. “We sent somebody out to get him, transported him to a foster. We saw his bio on the BSR website and said, ‘I think this guy’s a good fit for us.’”

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Hannah Huffstickler is a multimedia journalist at News13. She joined the News13 team in January 2024 after graduating from Coastal Carolina University in December of 2023. Keep up with Hannah on Facebook, X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram. You can also read more of her work here.