🌱 Man Arrested For Drug Trafficking + Ohio Teen Charged In Area Death

Hello all. It's me, Sean Peek, your host of the Myrtle Beach Patch newsletter — here to explain everything you need to know about what's happening locally.

But first, today's weather:

Humid with hazy sunshine. High: 86 Low: 74.

Here are the top three stories today in Myrtle Beach:

1. A Myrtle Beach man was arrested with over 40 grams of drugs, including meth and fentanyl. Thomas Stroud, 32, was stopped for traffic violations before the substances were found in his vehicle. He faces charges of drug trafficking, driving under suspension, and failure to register a vehicle, with a bond set at over $250,000. (WMBF)
2. Blake Linkous, an 18-year-old from Blue Rock, Ohio, had bond set on Thursday after being accused of strangling his girlfriend, Natalie Martin, to death in the Myrtle Beach area. During the hearing in Conway, Chief Deputy Solicitor Scott Hixson revealed that Linkous confessed to the crime and attempted to take his own life. The judge set a $150,000 surety bond and ordered Linkous to undergo a mental evaluation, with additional conditions of house arrest and electronic monitoring upon release to his parents in Ohio. (WMBF)
3. The North Myrtle Beach City Council unanimously approved a $174 million budget for the upcoming 2024 fiscal year, effective from Jul. 1. The budget allocates funds for various projects, including the construction of a new Emergency Operations Center with a budget of $12 million. Additionally, $20 million has been designated for the expansion of the Sports Park, aimed to be completed by 2026, and the budget also includes provisions for a new Fire Station 7 and increased wages for city employees, along with the addition of eight new police officer positions. (WMBF)

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Today in Myrtle Beach:

Friday, June 30

• Mermaid Camp At Ripley's Aquarium in Myrtle Beach (9:00 AM)
• Time Warp At The Carolina Opry (7:00 PM)
• The Red Clay Strays At Boathouse Waterway Bar & Grill (7:00 PM)

In partnership with T-Mobile:

Father's Day has come and gone, but that doesn't mean we have to stop celebrating rad dads, past and present. Patch partnered with T-Mobile to shine a light on exceptional fathers in communities like Myrtle Beach. Click here to meet 13 awesome dads and learn more about the legacies they're leaving behind.

From my notebook:

• YIKES! Weather reports indicate Myrtle Beach could see temperatures from 105 to 110 degrees by the time the Fourth of July hits! (Myrtle Beach Sun News)
• Myrtle Beach International Airport just got cooler: A 12-foot Lego SkyWheel replica, made of 20,000 Lego blocks, was unveiled this week at the airport. (WMBF)
• Are you looking to catch fireworks displays now through Jul. 4? Check out the events coming up in and around Myrtle Beach. (wpde.com)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured events:

• Breast Ultrasound Screening Coming Direct to You! (July 3)
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You're officially in the loop for today! I'll see you around.

— Sean Peek

About me: Sean Peek is a writer and entrepreneur with a degree in English Literature from Weber State University. Over the years, he has worked as a copywriter, editor, SEO specialist, and marketing director for various digital media companies. He currently co-owns and operates content creation agency Lightning Media Partners.