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Police | Two reported dead after incident on S.C. 31
12/27/2011

POLICE

HORRY COUNTY

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Wood burning plant about to be built near Harleyville
12/27/2011

A plant that burns nearly 300,000 tons of wood per year, with a smokestack rising out of the Dorchester County countryside smack between cement plants that rank among the bigger air polluters in the Lowcountry.

The stuff of an environmental horror, right? Not quite, in the eyes of most local leaders.

Construction is expected to start in the next few weeks on the $46 million “biomass” plant generating electricity by burning logging debris.

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Dear Reader | News for your new year
12/27/2011

Regular readers of our website will already have noticed that we have changed the logo on our site to MyrtleBeachOnline and with the start of the new year, the URL for that page, also known as the address, will also change.

Why are we doing this? It’s simply part of the evolutionary process as we learn more about the way readers and advertisers search for and use online sites.

But never fear: Although the official URL will change on Jan. 5, you won’t need to memorize anything new. Your previous bookmark will direct you to the new address.

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News from around The Carolinas
12/27/2011

South Carolina

GREENVILLE

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Candidates count on good ‘ground game’ to snare voters in SC
12/27/2011

With less than a month before South Carolina’s first-in-the-South primary, the presidential candidates are jumpstarting their Palmetto State organizations, opening offices, hiring workers and reaching out to potential backers.

Frontrunner Newt Gingrich is one of the state’s “ground game” leaders thus far. The former speaker of the U.S. House has hired 12 full-time staffers who are working out of five offices in Bluffton, Columbia, Greenville, Myrtle Beach and North Charleston, according to his campaign.

Gingrich — who is leading in the two latest S.C. polls although losing steam according to some national polls — is also picking up his visits to South Carolina and ate shrimp and grits with supporters at a Columbia restaurant Thursday.

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New powerful painkiller has abuse experts worried
12/27/2011

Drug companies are working to develop a pure, more powerful version of the nation's second most-abused medicine, which has addiction experts worried that it could spur a new wave of abuse.

The new pills contain the highly addictive painkiller hydrocodone, packing up to 10 times the amount of the drug as existing medications such as Vicodin. Four companies have begun patient testing, and one of them – Zogenix of San Diego – plans to apply early next year to begin marketing its product, Zohydro.

If approved, it would mark the first time patients could legally buy pure hydrocodone. Existing products combine the drug with nonaddictive painkillers such as acetaminophen.

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Twin probes to circle moon to study gravity field
12/27/2011

The moon has come a long way since Galileo first peered at it through a telescope. Unmanned probes have circled around it and landed on its surface. Twelve American astronauts have walked on it. And lunar rocks and soil have been hauled back from it.

Despite being well studied, Earth's closest neighbor remains an enigma.

Over the New Year's weekend, a pair of spacecraft the size of washing machines are set to enter orbit around it in the latest lunar mission. Their job is to measure the uneven gravity field and determine what lies beneath – straight down to the core.

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Health briefs for the Grand Strand
12/27/2011

GEORGETOWN

Many of these classes, events and meetings are sponsored by Georgetown Memorial Hospital, but some take place at different locations. Call the numbers listed for more information or log on to www.georgetownhospitalsystem.org.

Chronic kidney disease education | Varying schedule, varying locations in Horry and Georgetown counties. Free. (866) 647-9396 or ultracare-dialysis.com/TOPS

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Police | Two robberies reported in Myrtle Beach
12/27/2011

POLICE

MYRTLE BEACH

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Grand Strand shoppers make returns, take advantage of sales
12/27/2011

After the gifts are unwrapped, there is inevitably the pair of shoes in the wrong size or the jacket that’s not quite the right style, so shoppers trekked to stores Monday to make returns and take advantage of some of the post-Christmas sales.

The parking lot was so full at Coastal Grand Mall in Myrtle Beach Monday afternoon drivers had to hunt for parking spaces, and stores boasting sales of up to 80 percent off cried out to shoppers, many of whom went to the mall to return or exchange gifts.

Dawn Rogers of Socastee exchanged some jeans she’d bought her husband that didn’t fit and was searching through the sales racks trying benefit from some of the price markdowns at JC Penney. A coupon that would get her $10 off a $25 purchase added an incentive, she said.

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Military hearing ending in WikiLeaks case
12/22/2011

Bradley Manning's preliminary hearing is ending, but it could be weeks before the former Army intelligence analyst learns whether he will be court-martialed for allegedly creating the biggest national security leak in U.S. history.

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Obesity Rise Prompts Washington Ferry Capacity Change
12/22/2011

The Washington state ferry service isn't going to start turning away hefty passengers, but it has had to reduce the capacity of the nation's largest ferry system because people have been packing...

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Lockerbie Bomber Gives ‘Last Ever Interview,’ Two Years After Controversial Release
12/22/2011

Lockerbie bomber Abdel Baset al Megrahi has given what he claims is his final interview, as victims' families in both the U.S. and UK mourned the 23rd anniversary of the atrocity.

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Lockerbie Bomber Gives ‘Last Ever Interview,’ Two Years After Controversial Release
12/22/2011

Lockerbie bomber Abdel Baset al Megrahi has given what he claims is his final interview, as victims' families in both the U.S. and UK mourned the 23rd anniversary of the atrocity.

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USC-Georgia likely moving to early October
12/22/2011

USC and Georgia have opened SEC play against one another since the Gamecocks joined the league in 1992.  But expansion is forcing changes to the schedules.  According to a source familiar with Georgia’s tentative 2012 schedule, the Bulldogs will play at Missouri in their SEC opener in the second week of the season.  And the [...]

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Military hearing ending in WikiLeaks case
12/22/2011

Bradley Manning's preliminary hearing is ending, but it could be weeks before the former Army intelligence analyst learns whether he will be court-martialed for allegedly creating the biggest national security leak in U.S. history.

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Geezer Bandit may be too spry to be a senior
12/22/2011

The FBI says an elderly-looking bank robber dubbed the "Geezer Bandit" may not be as old as he appears.

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USC-Georgia likely moving to early October
12/22/2011

USC and Georgia have opened SEC play against one another since the Gamecocks joined the league in 1992.  But expansion is forcing changes to the schedules.  According to a source familiar with Georgia’s tentative 2012 schedule, the Bulldogs will play at Missouri in their SEC opener in the second week of the season.  And the [...]

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Ed Dept. chides Hawaii for use of grant dollars
12/22/2011

An Education Department official on Wednesday admonished Hawaii for its "unsatisfactory" performance under a $75 million federal grant the state won last year in a high profile competition and s...

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ESPN Expands ACC Coverage
12/21/2011

As part of ESPN’s new 12-year agreement with the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), ESPNU plans to televise nine consecutive weeks of ACC Olympic sporting events on Mondays at 7 p.m. during the spring of 2012 including six baseball games, two softball games and the women’s lacrosse championship. The final week, Florida State at Clemson baseball, [...]

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Monday Practice Report
12/21/2011

CLEMSON, SC- As the Discover Orange Bowl gets closer upon us, the Clemson Tigers’ and their head coach Dabo Swinney become anxious to get to Miami and play in their January 4th matchup against the Mountaineers of West Virginia, but Swinney has done a great job of teaching his team that bowl preparation is a [...]

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Bullard Changes Plans
12/21/2011

5-star defensive end Jonathan Bullard has decided to make a change in his announcement plans.   Visit The Rock for the latest information on the situation.  Remember there is no cost for the premium information on TheClemsonInsider.com.  If you aren’t already a Clemson Insider Join Today.

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Tigers Swat Hornets
12/21/2011

CLEMSON, SC- In front of a small crowd tonight, Brad Brownell’s Clemson Tigers took on the Alabama State Hornets hoping to improve their record to 6-4 on the season. Brownell came out tonight with a new lineup, replacing forward Milton Jennings in the rotation with senior Bryan Narcisse who showed from the start of the [...]

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The Guillermo Diaries
12/21/2011

Future Tiger Jay Guillermo, one of the leaders of Clemson’s 2012 recruiting class, is doing a diary with TheClemsonInsider.com.  In this edition the All-American discusses his All-Star experience, graduating from high school and much more. I am in North Carolina this week to see some family.  I came down with my Grandfather to see all [...]

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Business Trip for Boyd
12/21/2011

Tajh Boyd spoke with the Clemson media for the final time Tuesday before heading to Florida for Orange Bowl practices. Is the excitement level building as they stand only one practice away from heading to South Florida? “It is definitely exciting.  It is kind of bitter sweet though.  As we get closer to the bowl [...]

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