Latest news with #Denari
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Yahoo
Southern vacation hot spot fires back at poor safety rating following shooting: 'Fake news'
Myrtle Beach—a popular, coastal South Carolina city for snowbirds and locals alike—is firing back against a study ranking it the No. 2 most unsafe beach in the United States. Seven of the top 10 most dangerous beaches listed in the study from Everly Life, an insurance company, are in Florida, including New Smyrna Beach at No. 1, followed by Miami Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Miramar Beach, Panama City Beach and Ponce Inlet. The only other non-South Carolina beach included on the list is Oak Island, North Carolina, which is ranked at No. 3. Researchers examined four main risk factors when determining the relative danger of popular U.S. beaches, including crime rates, shark attacks, drownings and wind conditions. It is unclear why no West Coast or Northeast beaches were listed; Everly Life did not immediately respond to inquiries from Fox News Digital. Mass Shooting In Myrtle Beach Tourist Hotspot Leaves 1 Dead, 11 Wounded Myrtle Beach crime concerns have been heightened since April 26, when a shooting in the entertainment district left the shooter dead and 11 injured. Myrtle Beach officials described the shooting as an isolated incident. Read On The Fox News App But locals and city officials disagree that Myrtle Beach is unsafe. Fsu Shooting: At Least 6 Injured, 1 Person In Custody As Police Investigate 'Active Crime Scene' Meredith Denari, director of communications and creative services for the City of Myrtle Beach, described the Everly Life study as "misleading, flawed and clearly skewed," noting that it was not peer-reviewed in a statement to Fox News Digital. "Like many reports produced by life insurance companies, its primary purpose appears to be generating clicks rather than serving the public interest," Denari said. "This is evident in the use of outdated, inconsistent and irrelevant data, including shark attack records dating back to 1882 and wind and crime statistics from 2009–2015 and 2023, respectively. None of these sources accurately reflect the year 2025. Also, the City of Myrtle Beach was not incorporated until 1938. Even then, it was pretty difficult to reach. I would call this study 'fake news.'" She added that "Myrtle Beach is a wonderful place to live and visit for thousands of families," and the "Myrtle Beach Police Department continues to report downward trends in crime, and downtown revitalization efforts are well underway." Denari described the Saturday shooting as "a tragic, isolated incident." University Of Virginia On Edge After 'Active Attacker' With Knife Captured Near Campus "Myrtle Beach police officers, already nearby, immediately returned fire, likely saving numerous lives when they fatally shot the perpetrator," she said. "While details are limited at this time due to an open investigation by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, violence has no place in Myrtle Beach," Denari said. "Saturday's incident is not reflective of the experiences of millions of people who visit the area every year and enjoy the beautiful coastline, our restaurants, family-friendly entertainment and businesses." Melissa K., a seven-year Myrtle Beach resident originally from Connecticut, told Fox News Digital she does not feel unsafe in the southern beach town, where she moved for milder weather and her job. "And I'm happy I did," she said. Locals, she noted, don't spend much time in the downtown area where the shooting happened. Ocean Boulevard can attract unsavory behavior from visitors who stay out late at bars and engage in rowdy behavior, she said. Melissa also noted that Myrtle Beach is less expensive than other beach towns in the Carolinas. "It has attracted, unfortunately, some of the wrong people, from what I've gathered in my seven years being here," Melissa said. "As locals, we really don't go on the boulevard or that district, especially at night, and especially alone. But at the end of the day, things could happen anywhere at any time in any place. The world's gotten a little bit crazy." The shooting, Melissa said, was "shocking" for the community, but dangerous incidents of that scale are not normal for Myrtle Beach. "I do love living here. It's a great place to visit, golf, eat, have a good family vacation," she said. "Unfortunately … you just have to be aware of your surroundings at all times, and that just goes for anywhere. It's still a beautiful place to visit and hang out at the beach. I feel safe."Original article source: Southern vacation hot spot fires back at poor safety rating following shooting: 'Fake news'
Fox News
02-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- Fox News
Southern vacation hot spot fires back at poor safety rating following shooting: 'Fake news'
Myrtle Beach—a popular, coastal South Carolina city for snowbirds and locals alike—is firing back against a study ranking it the No. 2 most unsafe beach in the United States. Seven of the top 10 most dangerous beaches listed in the study from Everly Life, an insurance company, are in Florida, including New Smyrna Beach at No. 1, followed by Miami Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Miramar Beach, Panama City Beach and Ponce Inlet. The only other non-South Carolina beach included on the list is Oak Island, North Carolina, which is ranked at No. 3. Researchers examined four main risk factors when determining the relative danger of popular U.S. beaches, including crime rates, shark attacks, drownings and wind conditions. It is unclear why no West Coast or Northeast beaches were listed; Everly Life did not immediately respond to inquiries from Fox News Digital. Myrtle Beach crime concerns have been heightened since April 26, when a shooting in the entertainment district left the shooter dead and 11 injured. Myrtle Beach officials described the shooting as an isolated incident. But locals and city officials disagree that Myrtle Beach is unsafe. Meredith Denari, director of communications and creative services for the City of Myrtle Beach, described the Everly Life study as "misleading, flawed and clearly skewed," noting that it was not peer-reviewed in a statement to Fox News Digital. "I would call this study 'fake news.'" "Like many reports produced by life insurance companies, its primary purpose appears to be generating clicks rather than serving the public interest," Denari said. "This is evident in the use of outdated, inconsistent and irrelevant data, including shark attack records dating back to 1882 and wind and crime statistics from 2009–2015 and 2023, respectively. None of these sources accurately reflect the year 2025. Also, the City of Myrtle Beach was not incorporated until 1938. Even then, it was pretty difficult to reach. I would call this study 'fake news.'" She added that "Myrtle Beach is a wonderful place to live and visit for thousands of families," and the "Myrtle Beach Police Department continues to report downward trends in crime, and downtown revitalization efforts are well underway." Denari described the Saturday shooting as "a tragic, isolated incident." "Myrtle Beach police officers, already nearby, immediately returned fire, likely saving numerous lives when they fatally shot the perpetrator," she said. "While details are limited at this time due to an open investigation by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, violence has no place in Myrtle Beach," Denari said. "Saturday's incident is not reflective of the experiences of millions of people who visit the area every year and enjoy the beautiful coastline, our restaurants, family-friendly entertainment and businesses." Melissa K., a seven-year Myrtle Beach resident originally from Connecticut, told Fox News Digital she does not feel unsafe in the southern beach town, where she moved for milder weather and her job. "And I'm happy I did," she said. Locals, she noted, don't spend much time in the downtown area where the shooting happened. Ocean Boulevard can attract unsavory behavior from visitors who stay out late at bars and engage in rowdy behavior, she said. Melissa also noted that Myrtle Beach is less expensive than other beach towns in the Carolinas. "At the end of the day, things could happen anywhere at any time in any place. The world's gotten a little bit crazy." "It has attracted, unfortunately, some of the wrong people, from what I've gathered in my seven years being here," Melissa said. "As locals, we really don't go on the boulevard or that district, especially at night, and especially alone. But at the end of the day, things could happen anywhere at any time in any place. The world's gotten a little bit crazy." The shooting, Melissa said, was "shocking" for the community, but dangerous incidents of that scale are not normal for Myrtle Beach. "I do love living here. It's a great place to visit, golf, eat, have a good family vacation," she said. "Unfortunately … you just have to be aware of your surroundings at all times, and that just goes for anywhere. It's still a beautiful place to visit and hang out at the beach. I feel safe."
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
What would it take for Myrtle Beach to implement voting districts? Here's what council said
Reality Check is a new Sun News series holding those in power accountable, shining a light on local issues, and answering readers' essential questions. Have a question or concern we can answer? Email online@ The City of Myrtle Beach currently does not have any voting districts. This means that all council members are elected at-large to represent everyone equally within city limits. Implementing voting districts was discussed in some detail during the last local election cycle. However, they haven't come to fruition yet. Some constituents in favor of voting districts have argued that there's not representation in places where council members don't live. Recently at an in-person town hall about pedestrian safety at The Market Common, Mayor Brenda Bethune called the area the 'crown jewel of the city.' County property records for current city council members show that none of them live in the Market Common area or the Arts and Innovation District, which remains a city funding priority. Within the last year, Bethune put her house up for sale and bought another home in the Grande Dunes area of the city, an area of town where the majority of the council members currently live. According to lead city spokesperson Meredith Denari, changing voting districts isn't up to local law, but state law, S.C. Code Ann 5-15-30. 'According to state law, the election method can be changed by referendum initiated by petition of 15% of registered voters or by council action,' Denari said in an email to The Sun News. The procedure for changing the election method is provided in S.C. Code 5-15-30, she explained. 'If City Council decides to change the method of council election and passes an ordinance to do so, the referendum must be held no more than ninety days and no less than thirty days after the second reading of the ordinance,' she wrote. 'Council can call a special election at any time.' Denari said that if City Council wished to change the election method to voting districts, or wards, it would be a delicate process. Although pre-clearance is no longer required by the Department of Justice, as specified in Shelby County v Holder, 570 U.S. 529 (2013), changing election methods in Myrtle Beach would need a close analysis to ensure minority voting rights aren't negatively impacted, according to Denari. 'If council calls a referendum to adopt election by wards, the geographic area of each ward would not be drawn until after the referendum,' she said. 'A great deal of time and money would be spent to ensure the demographics of each ward satisfied the Voting Rights Act.' The Sun News sent an email to city council members asking what they think about voting districts. Mayor Brenda Bethune wrote that voting districts were discussed among council members with a former city attorney several years ago. 'There are many factors to consider, and some that may have negative impacts on our residents,' she wrote. 'I can only share why I believe our current system is more beneficial to our entire City.' Bethune wrote that the current structure ensures that every member of city council fairly represents the entire city. 'When making decisions, we do so based on what is best for everyone within our city limits. Residents have 7 members of Council representing their best interests vs only having one,' she said. 'I think this keeps Council focused on doing what is right for all of our residents rather than what they may think is best for only their district.' In comparison, Horry County Council has districts. According to District 2's councilman Bill Howard, that's because they're the largest county in the state. 'You're not comparing apples to apples,' Howard said over the phone on Wednesday when asked about Myrtle Beach's council having at-large representation. 'There's no way you could be at-large in Horry County.' He said that for Myrtle Beach it's not an issue that council members are at-large because it's a smaller region than Horry County. Bethune added that there may also be some legal issues that could arise from creating districts in Myrtle Beach, but noted that she 'will let our City Attorney address those.' Myrtle Beach is similar to Loris, Aynor, North Myrtle Beach and Conway in that they all utilize an at-large system for elected council members. Council member Gregg Smith argued that the issue of establishing voting districts arises with each election cycle. 'During my initial campaign, I liked the idea, and it seemed to resonate with voters. It's easy to that a change to having voting districts is a better option and something that will make the voters' lives better,' he wrote in an email to The Sun News. 'However, after serving on the council for the past seven years, my enthusiasm for districts has waned. I am concerned that districts could create divisions among different areas of our city, potentially leading to unequal representation for some residents at the city level.' Smith said that dividing the city into districts would mean residents have fewer representatives on the council to address their issues. Additional challenges he mentioned include the costs and administrative complexities of ensuring equitable district divisions, the risk of gerrymandering, the possibility of residents being represented by an ineffective council member and the potential for uncontested council seats. 'Currently, our at-large election system ensures that each council member is accountable to and dependent on the support of all city residents. If a council member is unresponsive, residents can turn to other representatives,' he said. 'Moreover, our elections consistently attract challengers, where the top three vote getters are the ones elected.' Smith ended his email by saying he is open to reconsidering his position if presented with new information. 'Should compelling evidence emerge demonstrating that districting would significantly benefit our community, I would be happy to lend my support,' he said. Council member Bill McClure wrote back and said that voting districts are still on his agenda, and he'd be happy to discuss them further. Mayor Pro Tem Mike Lowder and council members Mike Chestnut, Debbie Conner and Jackie Hatley did not respond to The Sun News' request for comment for this story.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Myrtle Beach to honor veterans, military with special banners
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — The city of Myrtle Beach is honoring veterans and active-duty military members throughout the summer, and the deadline to order a military banner is almost here. This special opportunity will feature 100 veterans or active-duty military members on a banners that will be hung up throughout the city. Meredith Denari, director of communications and creative services with Myrtle Beach, said the military banners will be hung along Harrelson Boulevard and Ocean Boulevard from May to August. 'We're happy to be able to offer it,' Denari said. 'It's something that other cities have done, and we're excited to bring it to Myrtle Beach.' Denari said the Military Appreciation Committee works in partnership with the city and meets once a month. This year, they wanted to do something special to honor veterans and active-duty military members. 'Their branch of service, their grade, when they left the military, of course their name, and the conflict of area served will be on the banner,' she explained. Denari said because this is their first year, they only have a total of 100 banners to showcase and spots are filling up fast. 'Military Appreciation Days kicks off with our JROTC meet,' she furthered. 'We have the military appreciation game at Pelican's Stadium, we have the parade, the picnic. So, it's an entire month dedicated to our military.' She added that each banner is 30 by 60 inches and costs $100. According to Denari, participating in the banner initiative will allow the city to show their appreciation for military members far longer than one month. 'The city is actually eating most of the cost,' she explained. 'Besides the banner, you bought the different brackets that it takes to connect the banner to the light poles, and we had to get some heavy-duty ones because these banners will be facing the weather elements.' Denari said when applying, people should be sure to send in a non-blurry picture of their veteran or active-duty military member. She added that when the banners are taken down at the end of summer, the families will get to keep them. 'I'm excited to see families walking Ocean Boulevard to try and find their veteran, or Harrelson Boulevard to try and find which banner they're on.' If you or someone you know might be interested in purchasing a banner, click here. For the application, click the 'I Want To, Learn About, Military Appreciation Days' tab, then go to 'Honor Veterans and Active-Duty Military Members.' * * * Jackie LiBrizzi is a multimedia journalist at News13. Jackie is originally from Hamilton, New Jersey, and was raised in Piedmont, South Carolina. Jackie joined the News13 team in June 2023 after she graduated as a student-athlete from the University of South Carolina in May 2023. Follow Jackie on X, formerly Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, and read more of her work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Yahoo
SC has one of the most dangerous spring break destinations in US, new study says. Here's why
With miles of Atlantic coastline, family-friendly attractions and popular golf spots, it's no wonder Myrtle Beach consistently draws spring break visitors. But according to a new study, the city is also one of the United States' most dangerous destinations. Illinois-based personal injury law firm 844SeeMike recently identified risk categories to rank the most dangerous spring break spots with overall safety risk scores. The study used Centers for Disease Control and National Highway Transport Safety Administration data to analyze alcohol-related deaths, drowning deaths, DUI-related fatal crashes, fatal crashes with cyclists, fatal crashes with pedestrians, hit-and-runs and homicides per 100,000 people. Myrtle Beach came in at number five on the list, with an overall safety risk of 18.4 out of 100. The city had higher risk scores — between 23 and 27 points — for cyclist danger, alcohol-related fatalities, DUI incidents and hit-and-runs. Other metrics posed moderate or low risks in Myrtle Beach, according to the study. The city scored 12 points for drowning and homicide risks,and just two points for pedestrian danger. However, because the city statistics rely on year-round populations, the study doesn't necessarily reflect the risks for cities where the number of people fluctuates significantly with tourism. 'While safety is always important, labeling Myrtle Beach the '#5 most dangerous spring break destination' is misleading and lacks context,' city of Myrtle Beach public information officer Meredith Denari said in an email. Although Myrtle Beach's stable population is less than 40,000 people, according to the Myrtle Beach Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Grand Strand area receives nearly 20 million visitors every year, making it difficult to accurately evaluate the study's risk score metrics. 'The study fails to account for Myrtle Beach's massive seasonal population surge, where the city's population jumps from around 39,000 permanent residents to hundreds of thousands of visitors during any given time,' Denari said. 'This fact makes most studies using our seasonal population not only misleading, but inaccurate. Without adjusting for this influx, statistics like DUI rates and accident numbers are heavily skewed.' One other city in the Palmetto State, Charleston, also made the list. Florida topped the list with three cities, but Tennessee also made multiple appearances. 1. Daytona Beach, Florida Overall safety risk: 23.3 2. Panama City Beach, Florida Overall safety risk: 20.8 3. Naples, Florida Overall safety risk: 18.9 4. South Padre Island, Texas Overall safety risk: 18.6 5. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Overall safety risk: 18.4 6. Tucson, Arizona Overall safety risk: 17.5 7. New Orleans, Louisiana Overall safety risk: 17.2 8. Pigeon Forge, Tennessee Overall safety risk: 16.5 9. Charleston, South Carolina Overall safety risk: 15.7 10. Nashville, Tennessee Overall safety risk: 14.5
