🌱Southwest Cancelled More Myrtle Beach Flights + New Year's Eve Plans

Hello, neighbors, Karena Garrity, back with your fresh copy of the Myrtle Beach Daily, filled with all the things you need to know about what's going on in town. Including updates on:

• Myrtle Beach is the place to be for New Year's Eve!
• Twenty-eight-year-old Derek Blake Edwards is still missing!
• Southwest cancels more Myrtle Beach flights.

But first, today's weather:

Partly sunny and pleasant. High: 66 Low: 52.

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Here are the top five stories today in Myrtle Beach:

1. There's a lot going on in Myrtle Beach for New Year's Eve. What will you be doing? Here is a list of events going on in the area from Myhorrynews. Choose your favorite event and welcome in the New Year with friends and family! (Myhorrynews)
2. Can you help the Horry County police who are looking for 28-year-old Derek Blake Edwards? According to WMBF, "[Edwards] has not been heard from in months. [He] was last seen in the Myrtle Beach area. Edwards is described as being around six feet tall and a little under 160 pounds. Anyone with information is asked to call the HCPD at 843-915-8477.(WMBF)
3. It was not a very Merry Christmas for five people in an SUV that was hit head-on on Christmas day! According to WMBF, "the Conway Police Department said Jenni Dodge Smith, 28, of Conway, was traveling southbound on Fourth Avenue and South Oaks Drive when she crossed over the center line into the northbound lanes. According to the report, Smith was traveling at a high rate of speed when she hit a northbound 2016 Ford Expedition head-on. Five people were in the Ford SUV. Conway PD said all five suffered “great bodily injury that required extensive medical treatment.” The report states that Conway PD believed Smith to be under the influence of narcotics, accounting for five charges of felony DUI with great bodily injury. Smith remains in the J. Reuben Long Detention Center. No bond has been set." (WMBF)
4. Myrtle Beach International is just one of the many airports to be affected by Southwest Airlines' cancelations. According to WBTW, "the airline has scrubbed thousands of flights nationwide since a winter storm over the Christmas holiday weekend began creating havoc for travelers. In a video that Southwest posted late Tuesday, CEO Robert Jordan said Southwest would operate a reduced schedule for several days but hoped to be “back on track before next week.” Jordan blamed the winter storm for snarling the airline’s “highly complex” network. He said Southwest’s tools for recovering from disruptions work “99% of the time, but clearly we need to double down” on upgrading systems to avoid a repeat of this week. “We have some real work to do in making this right,” said Jordan, a 34-year Southwest veteran who became CEO in February." (WBTW)
5. A happy ending came for a drunk-driving victim. According to WMBF, "it’s been a long ride for 22- year-old Cody Lovejoy. Back in July, he recalls just a normal night leaving work and that’s when it happened. A serious crash from a drunk driver turning left on Graystone Boulevard off Highway 17, hit Lovejoy on the left of his motorcycle. Lovejoy spent 13 days as a trauma patient, where he underwent 10 surgeries and a skin graph. Unfortunately, he suffered a broken leg that had to be amputated below the knee, then spent time at Joseph M. Still Burn Center in Augusta, Georgia. Now six months later, for the team at Grand Strand Medical Center, seeing Cody make a victory lap after healing is the reason they do what they do. “And I really take that to heart as a great responsibility and a great privilege and I think it’s just wonderful to be able to see people walk, talk, move, and do things that we were really worried may not be possible on that day,” said Dr. Rachel Cobos, a Trauma Surgeon and Surgical Director of the Intensive Care Unit of Grand Strand Medical Center. “And I think that’s a really wonderful gift that this is for the family come here and show us where they are.”(WMBF)

From our sponsor:

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Myrtle Beach Photo Of The Day:

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Today in Myrtle Beach:

• Chair Yoga - Socastee Library (10:30 AM)
• The Carolina Opry Christmas Special (7:00 PM)

Special notice:

Patch has partnered with T-Mobile for two new series: Local Heroes and Star Student Athletes. The goal is to highlight heroes and star athletes in Myrtle Beach!

• If you want to nominate a local hero, click here
• If you want to nominate a local athlete, click here.

From my notebook:

• Myrtle Beach Police Department: "Wreath laying for 20th anniversary of line of duty death of PFC. Joe McGarry" (Myrtle Beach Police Department via Facebook)
• The Humane Society of North Myrtle Beach: "Today’s featured #PetOfTheDay is Molly! Her adoption fee is being sponsored today by Atlantic Heating & Cooling of North Myrtle Beach. Miss Molly has been bounced around since she was just a puppy simply because no one would commit to fo..." (The Humane Society of North Myrtle Beach via Facebook)
• Myrtle Beach Police Department: "Drunk driving affects more than just you. If you see a drunk driver, call law enforcement." (Myrtle Beach Police Department via Facebook)
• Myrtle Beach Mini Marathon & Coastal 5K: "Throwing it back to Team Black Dog getting ready for the MB Mini Marathon! "Let’s go!!" @blackdogrunningco #blackdogrunmb #jointhepack #running #tbt #runmyrtlebeach #nspromos" (Myrtle Beach Mini Marathon & Coastal 5K via Instagram)
• The Humane Society of North Myrtle Beach: "The 2023 Paw Prints Calendar are HERE! Get yours now because these calendars WILL sell out! Calendars are available at our shelter or you can order your copies here: https://www.flipcause.com/secure/reward/MzgxMTc=" (The Humane Society of North Myrtle Beach via Facebook)
• The Humane Society of North Myrtle Beach: "Duke and his friends are ready to leap into 2023 and leap into your hearts! Learn more about our adoptable pets at https://humanesocietynmb.org/adopt/. Interested in meeting a few? Call us at 843-249-4948 to spend some quality time with ..." (The Humane Society of North Myrtle Beach via Facebook)

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Events:

• T-Mobile Tuesdays: Fresh Perks Every Week (January 3)
• Add your event

You're officially in the loop for today! I'll see you around.

— Karena Garrity

About me: Journalism is in my veins. I have been a community reporter for the better part of the past 20 years. I love my community and I am honored to be a part of Patch.com. You can reach me at; karena.garrity@patch.com.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Myrtle Beach Daily? Contact me at karena.garrity@patch.com