Atlantic Beach Police Chief Eric Lewis says a man has been arrested in an incident which dates back to the Atlantic Beach “Bikefest” this past May. 22 year old Brandon Lamar Simmons of North Charleston was arrested Thursday and he faces charges of assault and battery. On May 29^th of this year, a South Carolina Highway Patrolman stopped a car near Altantic Beach. The motorist then attempted to drive away, and did so with the trooper hanging onto the car. The trooper fired some shots at the car, but no one was hit. Police say Mr. Simmons was the motorist who fled the scene and that he is now in custody. The traffic stop initially took place due to the presence of marijuana coming from the car.

Hurricane Earl left us alone except for a little high surf and some rip currents. He also brushed by the Outer Banks of North Carolina where ocean waters washed over some areas of Hatteras Island causing minor damage. As to future storm possibilities, The Weather Service says we should keep an eye on Tropical Depression “Gaston”, which is still well out in the Atlantic. If anything develops from that storm, it would most likely impact us late in the coming week.

Today is the final day on the job for NMB Public Information officer Nicole Aiello. She is leaving City employment for a new position with Santee Cooper. The City is currently advertising to fill the position. In the meantime, Assistant City Manager Steve Thomas will handle most of the information duties coming from the City Hall.

The North Myrtle Beach City Hall and most all other government offices, both local, State and Federal, will be closed on Monday for the Labor Day Holiday.

             Hurricane Earl is still on track to not cause much of a problem here in the North Myrtle Beach and Grand Strand areas. Forecasters say “Earl” will likely remain 250 to 300 miles away from our local area, but the storm will brush the Outer Banks of North Carolina on Friday. Here in the Grand Strand area, we do have rip current and high surf advisories. The Weather Service says the swell from “Earl” will produce 7 to 12 foot surf on our beaches by late afternoon and evening.

            The storm behind “Earl” is “Fiona” and it is curving northward away from the Coast of the U. S.

            There’s a third storm now formed way out in the Atlantic. It is called “Gaston” and the Weather Service says it bears watching, but it’s too early to tell about possible impact on our coastline.

            Those who provide tourist accommodations in the area have been getting some phone calls about the storms, but mostly they’ve been getting reservations for what should stack up to be a strong Labor Day Weekend on the Strand. Most providers we’ve spoken with are ahead of last year in reservations by seven to twelve percent.

            The City of North Myrtle Beach is making a change in its newsletter publication to the citizens. City spokesperson Nicole Aiello says the “Currents” is has been changed to a monthly publication rather than a quarterly one. (Aiello) “The Currents was a booklet, a magazine, and it took a lot of time to put it together. By the time it was all put together it was pretty much old news. In order to communicate more quickly with residents, we’ve made a change. We’re now doing it monthly now and it’s become a trifold, two page publication. We’re sending it monthly and it’s going to be more timely.”

            The newest issue of “Currents” from the City will arrive in mail boxes within a few days.

The new intensive care and emergency facility at the Loris Community Hospital will be in operation today. It is the first of several new additions and improvements to the organization. Coming next, in early 2011, will be the opening of the new 50 patient hospital facility located at the Seacoast Medical Center at highway 9 in Little River.

Evacuations on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and watch out for rip currents along the beaches in North Myrtle Beach and on the Grand Strand, all due to Hurricane Earl. “Earl” is expected to stay between 200 and 250 miles away from our coastline here, but caution is advised on the ocean waters, and one should stay aware of the latest forecast information. “Earl” is forecast to be closest to us by mid-afternoon on Thursday.

How is Hurricane Earl affecting reservations locally for the Labor Day weekend? Not much. WNMB spoke with several accommodations providers on Tuesday. All said they had not gotten cancellations of any magnitude because of the storm, and all said they were still getting reservation calls.

Volunteers are still needed for the upcoming North Myrtle Beach Triathlon which takes place on Saturday, September 11^th. Aquatic and Fitness Center Director Melinda Chappell says “we need 20 to 30 volunteers to help with traffic and coordination of the event.” Those wanting to find out more should contact the NMB Aquatic and Fitness Center.

Former North Myrtle Beach Public Safety Chief William Bailey wants the attorneys representing the City of North Myrtle Beach to be disqualified from the case where he (Bailey) is suing the City over his job departure at the end of April. According to a story in the Myrtle Beach Sun News, Kenneth Moss, Bailey’s lawyer, has filed a motion to disqualify the Columbia law firm of Gignilliat, Savitz & Bettis. The request is based on the fact that the firm represents the City itself, as well as former City Manager John Smithson, Public Information officer Nicole Aiello, and Assistant City Manager Steve Thomas. Moss is claiming those individuals acted outside their City duties with an intent to harm Mr. Bailey and thus they are not entitled to the same law firm representation. Mr. Bailey, now retired, is seeking several million dollars in his lawsuit against the City of North Myrtle Beach for the manner in which his employment with the City came to an end.

The month of August is going out the Grand Strand area with lower gasoline prices. In our local area, the price of a gallon of regular gasoline now averages $ 2.42. The price has decreased about 13 cents a gallon in the past two weeks.

Hurricane Earl is still forecast to stay a couple of hundred miles away from North Myrtle Beach, but we may feel his effects. The storm appears poised to brush the Outer Banks of North Carolina late in the week. Locally, we expect an increased chance of “rip currents” on our beaches, and the Weather Service says we could get some beach erosion. Earl is expected to be closest to us around 2 p.m. this coming Thursday. Tropical Storm Fioni, behind Earl, is also expected to curve northward away from our coast line.

             Hurricane Earl has intensified to a category 2 storm. The National Weather Service says “Earl” had sustained winds of around 105 miles per hour this morning and it is moving west northwest at 15 miles per hour. The storm is a threat to the Northern Leeward Islands and to the U. S. Virgin Islands. The long range computer models still show Earl turning more to the north, but by late Thursday or early Friday the storm could brush the outer banks of North Carolina. Our area may get some increasing risk of rip currents and swells as the week progresses.

            Has it been a better summer for tourism in North Myrtle Beach? Yes. Accommodation tax collections are up from 12% to 15% compared to the previous summer season. In addition booking figures show the coming Labor Day weekend should see a big influx of visitors.

            The coming Labor Day weekend is festival time in the Town of Atlantic Beach. Police Chief Eric Lewis says there’s a combination of two festivals in one. The town presents its annual “Gullah Geechie” festival in conjunction with a “Reunion” in Atlantic Beach. Chief Lewis says “we’re going to have a lot of games, inflatable games, old time photo booths with pictures being taken in black and white and in color.”

            The festivals will feature a lot of different varieties of food and there will be live entertainment both Saturday and Sunday.

            Those wanting to find out more should contact Chief Lewis in the Town of Atlantic Beach.

There’s been an arrest in a “hit and run” case that killed a woman in North Myrtle Beach.

The North Myrtle Beach Department of Public Safety has arrested and charged Derek Anthony Stanley II, of Shallotte, N.C., with hit and run with death involved. The incident took place in the early morning hours of Aug. 17 and resulted in the death of Corrisa Irvin.

            Stanley, 18, was booked at  the North Myrtle Beach jail. The charge of hit and run with death involved carries a penalty of 1-25 years in prison and a fine of $10,000-$25,000.  North Myrtle Beach Judge Martin Blake set bond at $15,000 for Derek Anthony Stanley II, the suspect in the hit and run that took place on Aug. 17 and resulted in the death of Corrisa Irvin. Stanley was charged today with hit and run with death involved.

The North Myrtle Beach Department of Public Safety is continuing to investigate the incident but does not foresee any additional charges at this time.

The Dixie Chicken Fishing Funament donated $5,000 to South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Reef-Ex Project at a ceremony held at Harbourgate Marina in North Myrtle Beach, Friday, August 20^th, 2010.   The money will be used to help grow the Jim Caudle Artificial Reef, located just a few miles off the Little River shoreline, along with the other 37 artificial reefs located off the coast of SC.

Artificial reef development in South Carolina's coastal and offshore waters is managed through the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, Marine Resources Division (MRD). The state's Marine Artificial Reef Program, first established in 1973, is a part of the MRD's Office of Fisheries Management (OFM).

The reef sites are located in waters from 9 to 110 feet deep, ranging from inshore locations to areas as far as 35 miles offshore.

If you are going to be on the beach this weekend, watch out for "rip currents". The National Weather Service says the outward effects of Hurricane Danielle pose a strong probability of ocean swells and rip currents for the next couple of days.

           Hurricane Danielle has become a much stronger storm, but it is not expected to come near our coast. It now has winds over 100 miles per hour, but forecasters predict the storm to curve northward. However, there is one effect we are likely to get from Danielle and that is a strong chance of rip currents and swells on our beaches this coming weekend. Although the weather is predicted to be sunny and clear, the outer effects of the hurricane could pose a threat for swimmers in the ocean. The National Weather Service advises caution.

            There’s another storm formed off the coat of Africa. This is named Tropical Storm Earl. As is the case with all Atlantic storms, this one also bears watching.

            The City of North Myrtle Beach is accepting applications for a new Public Information Officer. Nicole Aiello has been serving in the position for the past three years, but she is leaving in early September.

            (Aiello) “I got a pretty fantastic job offer from Santee Cooper and I’ll be heading down the road south a little ways, in Myrtle Beach.”

            Animals continue to come to the North Myrtle Beach Animal Shelter in large numbers. The shelter took in 33 dogs during the month of July, and it took in 109 cats. The shelter concentrates on the care and adoption of stray animals and animals are put down only as a last resort. The Humane Society of North Myrtle Beach, which operates the City owned shelter, is making final preparations for its biggest fun raising event of the year. It is the 6^th annual “Paws across the Water” Duck Race which will be held at Barefoot Landing beginning at 11:30 a.m. on September 11^th.

            The town of Atlantic Beach is getting ready for two large Festival Days. The annual “Gullah Geechie” festival and the first ever “Atlantic Beach Town Reunion” takes place on Saturday, September 4^th and Sunday, September 5^th. Town officials are expecting a large turnout and the public is invited.