2022 – A year of generational change in Myrtle Beach

More change occurred in 2022 Myrtle Beach business, politics and local news than any time since the late 1960’s. 2022 was a year of dynamic, local change.

Below (in order of importance) are the key articles MyrtleBeachSC News published in 2022.

Like it or not, this is the biggest news item of 2022. This story is sure to have legs throughout 2023 and perhaps beyond.

The last 2 years of conservative speculations were confirmed by Elon Musk’s drop of the Twitter Files through independent journalists. The documents speak for themselves and put tech platforms, the FBI, Homeland Security, and Government Related Health information and disinformation on notice.

This was by far the biggest national, yet also local news discovery published this year. Few in the mainstream media have reported on it. MyrtleBeachSC News covered this item on December 10th.

In the republican primaries, S.C. State Rep. Russell Fry defeated incumbent Tom Rice.

As there are no true general elections of standing in District 7, the primary win assured Fry of the U.S. Congressional seat. Rice was nationally known for his impeachment vote of former President Donald Trump.

Trump endorsed Fry, which all but guaranteed Fry’s win. Both candidates were highly favored by the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce.

Key Myrtle Beach hotel owners, the Myrtle Beach Anheuser Busch franchise, a key road paver, and large property management firms all sold out to either nationally held real estate investment trusts, or nationally recognized brands.

Large properties changing hands in 2022:

• Brittain Resort Hotels purchased by E.O.S. Investors, LLC of N.Y.
• The Sea Mist Resort put on the market for $55 million.
• Sand Castle Hotels sold to a L.A. Investment team.
• Kingston Resorts purchased by E.O.S. Investors, LLC of N.Y.
• The Family Kingdom selling out to local group.
• The City of Myrtle Beach purchasing the Fountain Bleu and Oasis Motels.
• Mayor Brenda Bethune’s Better Brands Anheuser Busch franchise selling out to Charleston, S.C. based Southern Crown Partners. Sold for $142 million.
• MB National, LLC buys Monterey Bay Suites Oceanfront.
• Yachtsman Resort to be sold at auction, with bids starting at $4.75 million
• Horry County’s Southern Asphalt purchased for $25.2 million
• City of Myrtle Beach buys title loan property for $1.4 million
• American Surf Parks buys $4.5 million in city land for Surfworks Theme Park
• Midtown Motel purchased for $8.2 million. City now owns most of this block

The Myrtle Beach Downtown Master plan was advanced with the City of Myrtle Beach purchasing most of 7th and 8th avenues north. The city only has a few parcels remaining to purchase as it looks for a private nationally recognized investor to join it in a downtown Private-Public Partnership. As we reported in August, the master plan is more of a dream than a goal at this time.

Coastal Carolina’s Jamey Chadwell departed for Liberty University and an almost $4 million in annual pay on December 5th. Chadwell is currently the school’s winningest coach in history. He elevated the program to a new level of competitiveness.

CCU hired NC State Offensive Coordinator Tim Beck as the university’s new head coach.

With trust in media at an all time low in 2022, MyrtleBeachSC News teamed up with Coastal Carolina University to establish the Myrtle BeachSC News Annual and Endowed Journalism Scholarship.

Coastal Carolina’s press release dated Dec 12th reads as follows:

Dec. 12, 2022
Communication students to benefit from new endowed scholarship at CCU Coastal Carolina University students majoring in communication will soon benefit from the recently
established Myrtle BeachSC News Annual and Endowed Journalism Scholarship, it was announced by the Office for Advancement and Alumni Engagement.
“We are grateful for MyrtleBeachSC News’ generosity in creating this endowed scholarship for journalism students,” said Eric Rivenbark, CCU’s senior director of major and planned gifts. “The organization has a deep understanding of the news industry and by creating this transformational scholarship, it is investing in the next generation of journalists.”

David Hucks, a 1986 CCU graduate, is the publisher of MyrtleBeachSC News.

In 1767, his family moved from Surrey, Va., to Conway, S.C., when it was known as the town of Kingston.
“As journalism continues to evolve, the future of journalism lies in the hands of today’s scholars,” said Hucks, a lifelong resident of Horry County. “Because MyrtleBeachSC News is passionate about all things media, we are honored to team up with Coastal Carolina University in funding the brightest and the best
future leaders in this field.”
To be eligible for the scholarship, students must meet the following criteria: major in communication with a concentration in interactive journalism or minor in journalism and have a GPA of 2.5 or above.
“Coastal Carolina represents excellence in all they do,” said Hucks. “I was inspired to create this scholarship because I believe Coastal Carolina University will excellently steward the upcoming bright minds in our field, setting the bar high for journalistic standards. Trust is the currency of journalism.
Coastal Carolina has a proven track record of trustworthiness since its founding in 1954. Tomorrow’s leaders in journalism will need to overcome trust in broadcasting issues that my generation never imagined.”