Area Upfront News

By DEUCE NIVEN tribdeuce@tabor-loris.com      Newly confirmed infections of COVID-19 among Horry County residents have risen dramatically during the weekend, up 111 since Thursday, with new records broken on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control data showed.      A total of 618 residents of Horry County have tested positive for the…

By DEUCE NIVEN tribdeuce@tabor-loris.com      COVID-19’s toll in Horry County and in Horry County has seen significant increases in recent days, the county reporting its biggest day total of new infections Friday as a nursing home in Loris recorded new deaths and cases.      In Columbus County, with a much higher per-capita COVID death and case count…

By DEUCE NIVEN tribdeuce@tabor-loris.com      A coalition of law enforcement chiefs from Horry and Georgetown counties have created a public service video “to reaffirm their unified commitment to preserving human life and public safety,” a news release on behalf of those agencies says.      Loris Police Department Chief Gary Buley, Horry County Police Department Chief Joe Hill,…

By DEUCE NIVEN tribdeuce@tabor-loris.com      Murder charges have been served on a Brunswick County man involved in a violent two-boat collision on the Waccamaw River that claimed the lives of three Columbus County residents.      Matthew Edward Ferster, 33, of Shallotte, indicted by a Brunswick County grand jury last week, was arrested by a NC Wildlife Resources…

By DEUCE NIVEN tribdeuce@tabor-loris.com      With relatively modest numbers of new COVID-19 infected Columbus County residents coming daily, five on Thursday, the county health department is scaling back public reporting on that data.      Meanwhile, state health officials are ramping up testing and contact tracing efforts related to the coronavirus in North Carolina. In Horry County the…

By DEUCE NIVEN tribdeuce@tabor-loris.com      A misreading of numbers on a state document resulted in a significant error in reporting on the impact of the COVID-19 coronavirus at Loris Rehab and Nursing Center this week.      Five residents of the facility have died of COVID-10 complications, both a correct reading of the South Carolina Department of Health…

Loris Fire Department Assistant Chief Larry Hickman, who died Tuesday at McLeod Florence, was escorted by a procession of fellow public safety officers to Hardwick Funeral Home Wednesday afternoon. Agencies taking part included the department Hickman served for 55 years, with support from Loris Police Department, Horry County Fire Rescue, Horry County Police, Marion County…

By DEUCE NIVEN tribdeuce@tabor-loris.com      As COVID-19 cases to climb in both Horry and Columbus counties, the number of infected people in the Loris Zip Code has passed 100, state health officials reported Wednesday.      This post will cover these topics and may be updated: COVID cases up by 17 in Horry, top 100 in Loris area…

By DEUCE NIVEN tribdeuce@tabor-loris.com      Larry Hickman, 55-year veteran of the Loris Fire Department passed away Tuesday, Fire Marshal Lt. Robert Rudelitch said.      Hickman was 77.      Hickman joined the Loris Fire Department in 1965, and served the greater northern Horry area faithfully, eventually becoming Assistant Chief, a title he held at his death, Rudelitch said.      Hickman…

By DEUCE NIVEN tribdeuce@tabor-loris.com      COVID-19 continued to take a heavy toll at Loris Rehab and Nursing Center in the past week, where ten residents died, residents and staff members were newly diagnosed with the coronavirus.      A 27th COVID death was reported in Horry County Tuesday, with 18 new cases as five new case confirmations in…