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CONWAY — A psychiatric hospital will be able to open in Murrells Inlet after Horry County Council approved a settlement with the operator on Feb. 3.

The 8-4 vote came after many neighbors criticized the hospital's location, saying they didn't want this type of facility near their homes. But most county leaders ultimately concluded the hospital was needed and the settlement would avoid an uphill court fight.

"We've got to move forward," County Council Chairman Johnny Gardner said, adding that he understood the opposition in that community but “this is a countywide issue.”

Asha Vista Behavioral Institute plans to open a 78-bed inpatient mental healthcare facility in the former Hope Arbor Assisted Living Facility along S.C. Highway 707.

In September, the county’s Zoning Board of Appeals unanimously rejected Asha Vista’s request for a special exception to accommodate the project. The board’s vote followed an outpouring of community opposition.

Asha Vista then filed a lawsuit that accused the county of discriminatory zoning practices that violated the Americans with Disabilities Act.

After mediation in December, the county reached a tentative settlement with Asha Vista, but council members wanted to hear from the public before voting on the deal. They held a town hall meeting last week, and that event drew both supporters and opponents.

Residents from nearby neighborhoods spoke out against the proposed location, raising concerns about safety, facility security and lower property values. Supporters countered that the hospital would provide much-needed services in a growing county.

The newly approved agreement will require Asha Vista to make about $1 million in facility improvements. These include an on-site security guard, fencing and gates, and a video security system. The agreement also prevents Asha Vista from becoming a drug or alcohol treatment facility.

Before the vote, Tyler Servant, whose district includes the site of the proposed hospital, urged council members to vote no with him because the residents in that area did not want it.

"Just like all development, whether it be residential, commercial or healthcare, it needs to be done in the right way at the right place at the right time," he said.

Councilwoman Jenna Dukes, however, shared that she had lost a family member because that person didn’t have access to a facility like the one Asha Vista plans to build. She said that mental health is an issue that impacts everyone in Horry.

"I have to support the rest of the county," she said.

Some council members said that if they didn’t approve the settlement they likely would lose in court, wasting public money and losing any concessions in the settlement.

“I understand that your community might want to blow the tax money on defending a lawsuit that we're going to lose,” Gardner said, addressing the critics. “And they're going to be able to do this hospital anyway. ... But the rest of the county should not have to make that sacrifice. It's a big county. This is a step in the right direction."

Council members Bill Howard, Danny Hardee, Al Allen, Mark Causey, Tom Anderson and Mike Masciarelli joined Dukes and Gardner in supporting the settlement. Council members Servant, Cam Crawford, Dennis DiSabato and Gary Loftus opposed it.

After the vote passed, Servant was critical of some of his peers.

“It just goes to show you got to be really careful who you elect in political positions,” Servant told The Post and Courier.

Many of the opponents who attended the meeting were also upset about the outcome. Murrells Inlet resident Anthony Michael Cosentino called the vote disgraceful.

“We are for people getting help,” he said. “But not in our backyard.”

Asha Vista released a statement after the meeting saying the provider is committed to being a good neighbor.

“This decision recognizes a simple truth: our community is facing a real and growing mental health care shortage, and families deserve access to safe, hospital-based care close to home,” the statement read.

The creation of this content included the use of AI based on templates created, reviewed and edited by journalists in the newsroom. Read more on our AI policy here.

On Friday at 1:47 a.m. the NWS Greenville-Spartanburg SC issued an updated extreme cold watch valid from Saturday 7 p.m. until Sunday 10 a.m. The watch is for Oconee Mountains, Pickens Mountains, Greater Oconee and Greater Pickens as well as Cherokee, York, Anderson, Abbeville, Laurens, Union, Chester, Greenwood, Greenville and Spartanburg counties.

The NWS states, "Dangerously cold wind chills as low as 7 degrees below possible."

"The dangerously cold wind chills as low as 5 below zero could result in hypothermia or frostbite if precautions are not taken," comments the NWS. "Dress in layers including a hat, face mask, and gloves if you must go outside. To prevent water pipes from freezing; wrap or drain or allow them to drip slowly. Make frequent checks on older family, friends, and neighbors. Ensure portable heaters are used correctly. Do not use generators or grills inside."

This watch is in effect until Sunday at 10 a.m.

Extreme cold watch: Be Prepared. An extreme cold watch is issued when dangerously cold air temperatures or wind chill values are possible. As with a warning, adjust your plans to avoid being outside during the coldest parts of the day. Make sure your car has at least half a tank of gas, and update your winter survival kit.

Extreme cold warning: Take Action! An extreme cold warning is issued when dangerously cold air temperatures or wind chill values are expected or occurring. If you are in an area with an extreme cold warning, avoid going outside. If you have to go outside, dress in layers, cover exposed skin, and make sure at least one other person knows your whereabouts. Update them when you arrive safely at your destination.

Cold weather advisory: Be Aware. A cold weather advisory is issued when seasonably cold air temperatures or wind chill values, but not extremely cold values, are expected or occurring. Be sure you and your loved ones dress appropriately and cover exposed skin when venturing outdoors.

Source: The National Weather Service

United Robots South Carolina

Another round of winter weather will be possible beginning late Friday through early Sunday in the Carolinas, Virginia and Georgia. With cold air locked in place, this will mainly be a snow event, with some light ice possible along coastal regions.

What You Need To Know

While there are still a lot of details to be confirmed, trends are showing a developing coastal low off the Carolinas. With cold air in place, this means significant, impactful snow for the Carolinas, Georgia and Virginia this weekend.

Winter Weather Alerts

Winter Storm Warnings will go into effect Friday afternoon for the region. A Winter Storm Warning is issued when snow will be impactful across the warned zone and travel may become difficult. Snowfall totals could exceed 8 inches.

Timing of the snow

The amount of snow will depend on the location of the low pressure and its proximity to the coast. With moderate temperatures along the coast, at the onset, a wintry mix with snow, sleet and even light freezing rain may be possible before becoming all snow.

Temperatures are forecasted to be colder than last weekend, so the majority of the precipitation would fall as snow elsewhere across South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia. Here's one model's interpretation of the snow, beginning late Friday with most of the flakes falling during the day on Saturday before ending early Sunday.

The heaviest snow will fall Saturday night into Sunday morning along the eastern part of North Carolina.

Snowfall totals

Snowfall totals will be highest along central and eastern North Carolina with isolated amounts upwards of a foot of snow. Moderate snow will fall along the entire state of South Carolina, with lesser amounts in northeastern Georgia.

Reduced visibilities

As this storm system strengthens, winds will increase with gusts up to 50 mph, with the highest gusts along the eastern part of the region. Snow kicked up by gusty winds could reduce visibility. White out conditions are possible especially Saturday night into Sunday.

This forecast is very fluid, as are all snow events, so please stay with Spectrum News for any updates. Download the Spectrum News app to follow the event as it unfolds and tune in to your local Weather on the Ones forecast.

Submit your weather photos here.

Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

MYRTLE BEACH — With the Myrtle Beach area expecting at least 4-6 inches of snow this weekend, Horry County crews plan to convert backhoes and motor graders into makeshift snowplows.

On Jan. 29, county workers were staging the heavy equipment, which is normally used for road projects. The Grand Strand doesn’t have a fleet of snowplows because the area doesn’t often see heavy snow, so local officials are improvising.

“It’s one of those things where we will use whatever resources we have to to fit the situation we’re in,” county spokesman Thomas Bell said.

Horry and Georgetown counties are under winter storm and extreme weather watches, but forecasters say those will likely become warnings by late Jan. 30.

Brandon Locklear, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said residents could see a wintry mix during the day on Jan. 31 with the bulk of the snow falling that night.

Along with the snow, the area will also be extremely cold and windy, according to Locklear. Lows are predicted to stay below freezing through Feb. 4, with windchills making things feel even colder.

Snow is expected to stop on the morning of Feb. 1, but impacts from these wintry conditions will likely extend well into next week. Some snow will melt as the temperature climbs to around 40 degrees on Feb. 2, but it will refreeze during the night, Locklear said.

The S.C. Department of Transportation is already treating some state roads in the area. At the county, the focus will be on treating bridges and high-volume county roads.

Georgetown County Emergency Services Director Brandon Ellis said that county has initiated internal coordination efforts to prepare for the weekend weather, including bringing in extra fire and EMS staff throughout the weekend.

Ellis said SCDOT will treat the primary routes in the area, but Georgetown County could also utilize motor graders to remove snow if needed. Ellis said his main concerns are road conditions and the fact that the snow and wind could create white-out conditions.

Santee Cooper is completing its freeze protection checklist and working with neighboring utilities to make sure that everyone stays covered, the utility’s spokeswoman Tracy Vreeland said.

Area utilities are not expecting power outages from the snow, but strong winds in the system could pose a threat to power lines if trees or limbs end up falling or road conditions cause car accidents, said Jennifer Cummings, a spokeswoman for Horry Electric.

“We are going to treat this like any other storm, so crews will be on standby to respond to outages,” Cummings said.

Myrtle Beach spokeswoman Meredith Denari said the city is encouraging residents to stay home Jan. 31 into Feb. 1. She said they should plan to pick up needed groceries and prescriptions before the storm hits.

It appears it’s game over for a Myrtle Beach brewery’s plans to add an indoor pickleball court in The Market Common neighborhood.

Tidal Creek Brewhouse had presented the idea of building Tidal Creek Picklehouse on land near the brewhouse, which is located at 3421 Knoles St. Tidal Creek Picklehouse’s plan would feature 12 pickleball courts, a small brewery, coffee roaster, full bar and craft kitchen, Tidal Creek’s co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Adrian Sawczuk said previously.

However, a failure to secure “the full amount of capital required to responsibly proceed” has forced Sawczuk to make the “difficult decision not to move forward with the project,” he said by email Thursday.

“We are extremely disappointed to be delivering this news,” Sawczuk said. “We truly believed in the vision for Picklehouse and worked diligently over many months to bring it to life. However, without a clear and secure path to full capitalization, we concluded that moving forward would not be in the best interest of the project or its supporters.”

Rising construction and development costs further widened the gap between funding levels and the total capital needed for the Picklehouse, Sawczuk said.

The Picklehouse was planned for a building and property on Shine Avenue that was declared abandoned by the Myrtle Beach City Council in 2022. City Council amended an ordinance in 2024 that would allow Tidal Creek to move forward with securing abandoned tax credits for the redevelopment project, it was previously reported.

The resolution states that the applicant would have two opportunities to take advantage of the tax credit: through a property tax credit or an income tax credit.

The same tax credits are currently being utilized by the City of Myrtle Beach to build a new theater downtown.

Other pickleball courts planned for Myrtle Beach area

This is not the first pickleball project that has been planned or opened in the Myrtle Beach area.

In August 2025, it was announced that the Dink District, a climate-controlled indoor pickleball center will open this year in Carolina Forest. The center will feature 14 pro-grade courts in a fully enclosed, climate controlled 40,000-square-foot environment, according to an email from Chantal Salomon-Lee.

Dink District will also offer a lounge area with food and beverages, a pro shop and locker rooms with showers, a release from the new facility read. They will have both membership and walk-in availability.

Bistro B, a restaurant and bar with pickleball courts in the back at 1830 N. Kings Highway, opened in April 2025.

And an indoor pickleball court is expected to open this summer on 6 acres near Whispering Pines Golf Course, 900 Harrelson Blvd.

The PicklePort will have 12 indoor pickleball courts and about six covered outdoor courts, according to Dwight Hunsicker, one of the partners in the venture.