Register Now for October 12 Human Trafficking Forum at The Conference Center at Barefoot Resort in North Myrtle Beach

The General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC) North Myrtle Beach Woman’s Club, in collaboration with the City of North Myrtle Beach, City of Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce, Horry County Government, McLeod Seacoast, Elliott Realty, WPDE TV 15, and the North Myrtle Beach Times, invites the public to participate in a “Community Forum on Human Trafficking” on Wednesday, October 12, 9:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. at The Conference Center at Barefoot Resort, 2250 Premier Resorts Boulevard, North Myrtle Beach.

The purpose of the forum is to raise awareness of human trafficking and its devastating effects on our communities. Forum discussion topics will include:

• How people are targeted and held against their will
• Who the victims are, and how to recognize them
•  The kind of help needed by people who have been trafficked – physically and mentally
• A review of cases in South Carolina, what the Federal and State laws are, the difficulties law enforcement face, success stories
• Community resources and gaps

 South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson is the key note speaker.

Other speakers include Carrie Fisher-Sherald, Assistant US Attorney, Department of Justice; Robyn Causey, Horry Georgetown Technical College Professor; and Jennifer Coaxum, Law Enforcement Trainer–USC School of Law.

An afternoon panel discussion will include “Experiences from the Frontline” with representatives from Sea Haven, Inc., Doors of Freedom, Myrtle Beach Immigration and Law Enforcement, and the Eastern Carolina Coalition Against Human Trafficking.

North Myrtle Beach Woman’s Club Chairperson-Elect and Forum Chairperson Kowena Suckstorf said, “After hearing Attorney General Alan Wilson speak at our GFWC state convention last year, the North Myrtle Beach Woman’s Club wanted to make others more aware about what is going on in our state and our communities regarding human trafficking. It is frightening. We have been surprised by the interest in this forum and we are overwhelmed by the support shown from area governments, who are probably encountering this issue more than we realize. If we make the commitment to educate ourselves about human trafficking, we can better prepare ourselves to stand up to this sort of crime.”

The public is encouraged to attend this forum. The $15 registration fee includes a boxed lunch. Register online at www.humantraffickingcommunityforum.eventbrite.com.

Those who want to continue to learn more about human trafficking after the October 12 forum can participate in an October 18, 9:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. workshop at the Myrtle Beach Education Center, 79^th Avenue North, Myrtle Beach. The North Myrtle Beach Woman’s Club has partnered with Coastal Carolina University’s Division of Academic & Community Outreach to offer the follow-up workshop. The workshop will continue the focus on human trafficking through readings, case studies, and discussion. Persons who attend both the October 12 forum and the October 18 workshop may be eligible to receive one continuing education credit (CEU).

For more information, contact Kowena Suckstorf at 843-399-6950 or email vpmbrnmbwc@gmail.com.

GFWC North Myrtle Beach Woman’s Club Community Forum: Human Trafficking

October 12, 2016

Forum Schedule

Welcome and Introductions

10am-11am                                        Alan Wilson, South Carolina Attorney General

11am-12pm                                        Robyn Causey, Assistant Chair and Professor at Horry

Georgetown Technical College

12pm-1pm                                          Lunch (with some video presentations)

1pm-1:45pm                                       Carrie Fisher-Sherald, Assistant U.S. Attorney, Department of Justice

1:45pm-2:15pm                                  Jennifer Coaxum, Law Enforcement Trainer with Children’s

Law Center at USC School of Law

2:15pm-2:30pm                                  Break; set up for panel

2:30pm-3:50pm                                  Panel: Christina Jackson with Sea Haven, Inc.

Founder and Board Member, Andrea Wind and also Board

Member Detective Heidi Jackson, Lighthouse for Life

Sharon Rikard, Doors to Freedom

Peter Woods, Myrtle Beach Police Officer

NMB Dept of Public Safety/Law Enforcement representative

Kelly O’Neill-Bagwell:  President of Eastern Carolina Coalition

Against Human Trafficking

Donusia Lipinski, Immigration Attorney

3:50pm -4pm                                      Wrap Up

About the North Myrtle Beach Woman’s Club

GFWC North Myrtle Beach Woman’s Club is a large, active General Federation of Woman’s Clubs charitable organization that has been active in North Myrtle Beach since 1974. The group is a service organization and raises funds each year to aid charities supporting women, children, and youth. To learn more about the club visit its web site at www.northmyrtlebeachwomansclub.com.

Beach tents, surfing, and dogs on the beach in North Myrtle Beach

1. Tents are allowed on the beach in the city of North Myrtle Beach from September 16 through May 14. No shading devices may be placed within the emergency vehicle access lane, which is the area approximately twenty (20) to twenty-five (25) feet seaward of the dune line and parallel to the shoreline that will be marked by city trash cans, pylons and/or flags. The director of the department of public safety or his designee shall have the authority to establish unobstructed emergency access lanes perpendicular to the shoreline for emergency vehicles, personnel and/or other emergency equipment to access the surf or other areas of the beach in the event of an emergency. Emergency access lanes perpendicular to the shoreline shall remain open and unobstructed until the director of public safety or his designee determines the emergency access lane is no longer necessary.
   
2. Surfing restrictions do not apply September 16 through May 14, except that it is unlawful to surf within 300 feet of any pier, all surfers are required to wear a surfing leash at all times, and the director of public safety or his designee may temporarily prohibit surfboarding and/or skim-boarding in a given area for public safety purposes.
   
3. Dogs are allowed on the beach at any time September 16 through May 14. No person having the ownership, possession or control of any dog shall allow such dog to run at large within the city, which includes the beach. Any dog which is off the property of the person having the ownership, possession or control of such dog, shall be on a leash not exceeding 7 feet in length and shall be under the control of the person having custody of such dog.

Temporary “No Swimming” Signs Posted At Four Specific Locations In North Myrtle Beach Due To Ocean Water Sampling Results

Residents and visitors are advised to heed temporary “No Swimming” signs that are being posted today at 17th Avenue South, 9th Avenue South, 7th Avenue South and 3rd Avenue North on the oceanfront in North Myrtle Beach. People should not swim within 200 feet on either side of these temporary signs.

The “No Swimming” notices for these specific locations are being posted because regularly scheduled ocean water samples taken for the City by Coastal Carolina University’s Environmental Quality Lab on September 14, 2016 and received today showed the elevated presence of enterococci bacteria in the water at these specific locations.

Protocol requires that follow up samples be collected, and those samples were taken on September 15, 2016. If the new water samples are found to be within acceptable levels as established by SC DHEC (104 or lower), the public will be notified and the temporary signs will be removed. If the levels are found to not fall within acceptable limits, the signs will remain in place as further testing is accomplished and until the levels fall to within acceptable limits.

The September 14, 2016 readings are as follows:

• 17th Avenue South – 373
• 9th Avenue South – 2110
• 7th Avenue South – 703
• 3rd Avenue North – 256

All other sampling locations were found to be well under the 104 ceiling established by SC DHEC.

13th Annual Irish Italian International Festival Saturday, September 24, 10am-4pm on Main Street in North Myrtle Beach

The City of North Myrtle Beach will host the 13^thAnnual Irish Italian International Festival on Saturday, September 24, 10am-4pm on Main Street. Festival admission and parking are free.

This one day, rain or shine event brings approximately 15,000 people to celebrate different cultures. The festival will offers food vendors, two stages of live entertainment, and art & craft vendors, all catering to an Irish Italian International theme. A children's area offers inflatables and activities.

Vendors will compete for the titles of Best Entrée, Best Decorated, and Best Dessert.

Festival-goers can sign up for Claudio’s Spaghetti Eating Contest, sponsored by Villa Romana, in person at the Info Booth or the CIAO booth between 10 a.m. and 1:45 p.m. at the festival.

Festival Sponsors include CIAO from the Carolinas, WFXB Fox TV, Easy 105.9, Home Depot, Flynn’s Irish Tavern and the Ancient Order of Hibernians.

Entertainment Schedule Irish Stage – 421 Main Street (in front of Flynn’s Irish Tavern)

10:00 a.m. – The Academy of Dance and Fine Arts

10:30 a.m. - Opening Ceremonies

10:45 a.m. – Band on the Rum

11:30 a.m. – Port City Pipes and Drums

11:50 p.m. – Band on the Rum

1:00 p.m. – Off Kilter

2:45 p.m. – Off Kilter

Italian Stage – 400 Main Street (in front of Hope Taylor & Co.)

10:00 a.m. - Dale Mosher

10:30 a.m. - Opening Ceremonies

10:45 a.m. - Dale Mosher

1:00 p.m. - Larry Tanelli

2:15 p.m. - Claudio’s Spaghetti Eating Contest, sponsored by Villa Romana

2:45 p.m. - Atwater

For more information, visit parks.nmb.us, or for day of the event news, please call the North Myrtle Beach Parks & Recreation Department at (843) 280-5594.

North Myrtle Beach Fire/Rescue Division will now carry Narcan

Emergency medical technicians within the North Myrtle Beach Department of Public Safety’s Fire/Rescue Division will now carry the lifesaving drug, Narcan.  Previously only certified paramedics were allowed to administer Narcan in South Carolina, however, the South Carolina Department of Health & Environmental Control (DHEC) has approved Narcan use by emergency medical technicians with the approval of a department’s medical director.

Narcan is used for individuals who have overdosed on Opioid drugs such as Heroin, Fentanyl, Vicodin, Dilaudid, Demerol, and Percocet.  Narcan is used when individuals are found to be unresponsive, have little or no respirations, and exhibit pinpoint pupils.  Narcan is pushed into an individual’s nose via a misting device, similar to a nasal spray.  The drug quickly reduces the effects of Opiods in the body, allowing an individual to begin breathing again. 

Statistics

In 2013 there were 24,500 deaths in the United States due to Opioid overdose or an average of one life every 21 minutes.

Since March 2016, North Myrtle Beach Department of Public Safety detectives have logged 30 known overdoses of heroin/fentanyl with four being fatal.  This does not include any Opioid-based pills.

According to DHEC, there are currently only three other fire departments in South Carolina that allow their emergency medical technicians to administer Narcan.  In our area, the Myrtle Beach Fire Department also recently began to carry Narcan.

In 2015 Horry County was second in the state for Narcan use. Greenville County was first with 709.

The numbers this year for Narcan use in Horry County already surpassing what Greenville County did during all of 2015 and will likely exceed 1,000 by the end of the year. That equates to about 20% of the entire state’s use of Narcan by emergency medical technicians by only 6% of the state’s population. 

Annual 9/11 Memorial Beach Walk

Firefighters, police, EMT and members of the military will gather in North Myrtle Beach Sunday morning to pay tribute to the victims of the September 11 attack on the United States.

Dressed from head to toe in the same gear and equipment as the brothers and sisters used that day they lost their lives, they will walk 9 miles along the sand as a way to commemorate the first responders and all those who died in the terrorist attacks on The World Trade Centers; on Flight 93, and at the Pentagon.

The Walk will begin at 9:11 am at 48th Avenue South and continue along the beach to the Cherry Grove section around 56th Ave North. This is the fourth year for the North Myrtle Beach 9-11 Beach Walk.

Nearly 350 firefighters died for each other and the people they were trying to save on September 11, 2001. In addition, 23 New York City police officers also made the sacrifice.
Every year men and women come on the beach to attend the event from various areas in Horry County, across the state, and other parts of the country.

Sc Department Of Motor Vehicles Application For The Hearing Impaired

South Carolina Code of Law §56-1-205 and 56-3-1920 allows a person who has been certified with uncorrectable hearing loss of 40 decibels or more in one or both ears to obtain a special hearing impaired restriction like emoticon(Y) along with outside mirror restriction (J) on his or her driver’s license/beginner’s permit and/or a hearing impaired placard.

This placard and/or driver’s license/beginner’s permit restriction is to alert law enforcement and others to the driver’s condition and may NOT be used for special parking privileges.

There is a limit of one (1) placard per applicant. To apply for the restriction and/or the placard, the person must have a current driver’s license/beginner’s permit and a physician’s statement certifying the hearing loss. (NOTE: A physician’s statement is not required for a replacement or renewal.)

An application is attached and it can also be accessed online at http://www.scdmvonline.com/dmvnew/Forms/RG-004A.pdf

For answers to questions, call the SC Department of Motor Vehicles at (803) 896-5000.

We thank area resident Michelle Barden for this information. Michelle was concerned by a news story about an incident in another state involving a hearing impaired person and law enforcement. She has met with city officials and we have enjoyed talking with her and learning from her.