health insurance agent in Myrtle Beach, SC

With warm temperatures and sunny days, Grand Strand locals and spring visitors alike are taking advantage of beautiful weather in the Myrtle Beach area.

But with the change in weather comes an unfortunate influx of six and eight-legged pests that bite, sting and might make themselves at home in your house or yard.

“Everything is active right now,” Todd Metz, owner of Critter Control in Myrtle Beach said of Grand Strand bugs.

For expert tips, The Sun News spoke to Metz about what to watch out for and how to protect your family, pets and property. Here’s what you should know.

Among the smallest and most dreaded South Carolina wildlife, mosquitoes rarely create serious issues but can drive you nuts with their itchy bites.

“One of the major things is to eliminate water sources around your property,” Metz said. “Turn over flower pots, buckets, kids’ toys, anything that has standing water, mosquitoes can lay their larvae. That’s just gonna give them more areas to hatch from.”

Metz also recommends cutting back undergrowth around your yard, which makes for appealing roosting ground for mosquitoes.

If the problem persists, you can hire a professional to chemically “fog” your property periodically, or try over-the-counter products to kill mosquitoes.

“They’re not going to be 100% effective, but anything you can do to keep the population in check is going to help,” Metz said.

Whether they enter your home on fruit you’ve bought or come in to find fruit already in your kitchen, if these little bugs invade your kitchen, they quickly multiply. Luckily, Metz recommends a cheap and easy trick to eliminate fruit flies.

“They can get really pesky, but you can make a simple trap with a soda bottle by cutting the top off of it, making a funnel and then putting apple cider vinegar in the bottom of it, and that will attract them,” Metz said.

Ensure that the hole in the center of your paper funnel is big enough for the fruit flies to get in, but not so large that it makes a convenient exit.

The warm season brings an unfortunate spike in blood-sucking fleas and ticks. Fleas are primarily an issue for pets and their owners, but ticks latch on to just about any blood source.

“This time of the year, we start to see an influx of those as well, and they’re usually brought in by other animals visiting your property, like rats and possums under your crawl space,” Metz said.

According to Metz, pest control professionals can help chemically protect your home and yard from fleas and ticks.

Tick and flea treatments are essential for pets that go outdoors, and the Centers for Disease Control recommends checking them for ticks daily.

To avoid ticks, the United States Forest Service recommends avoiding areas with high grass and leaf litter, treating clothes and gear with products containing permethrin and using repellent with at least 20% DEET, picaridin or IR3535 on skin.

Once you get home, the Forest Service advises checking yourself and children for ticks, showering as soon as possible and tumble-drying clothes on high heat for 10 minutes.

Newly-hatched spiderlings and an abundance of other insects to eat means folks start to see more spiders this time of year in the Grand Strand, according to Metz.

Ensuring your home is well-sealed, including cracks around your home’s foundation, holes in screens and gaps in doors and windows, can help keep the crawling creatures out. To eliminate food sources enticing to spiders, Metz recommends treating your home to keep other insects away.

Outdoors, it’s a good idea to keep an eye out for black widows. While the venomous spiders aren’t frequent house guests, Metz says they settle into dark outdoor spots like piles of rubble, cinder blocks and firewood.

These little insects pack a pretty painful bite that can be a nasty surprise if you’re not watching where you’re walking.

“You’ll start to see more fire ant mounds now,” Metz said. “People have to be very aware of those when they’re out gardening or just doing whatever in their yard.”

He recommends spot-treating fire ant mounds with over-the-counter products or, if mounds are popping up all over your lawn, seeking professional help to spray the entire yard.

Whether you’re in a house or a complex, there’s a good chance stinging insects are out around your Grand Strand home in the warm season. According to Metz, carpenter bees, honey bees and wasps are all out around South Carolina.

If you notice a wasp nest around your home, Metz recommends spraying the nest with an insecticide to kill the insects. After you’ve treated the nest, you can use a broom or similar tool to knock it down.

Carpenter bees are effective pollinators and, while the females can sting, they’re rarely aggressive. However, if the insects are burrowing into your home, there are some steps you can take.

Painting or staining wood can help protect it from carpenter bees, as they prefer untreated wood. You can also try hanging a log in a tree with the flat side down to offer an appealing nesting alternative to your house.

If you’re absolutely set on getting rid of carpenter bees, Metz advises dusting the holes they bore with insecticide and plugging them up, or using commercially available traps.

Honey bees are also out this time of year. As hives grow, they sometimes split off in search of a new hive. Folks sometimes temporarily see these “swarms” in their yards while the insects search for a new home.

You can call a local chapter of the South Carolina Beekeepers’ Association to remove the swarm from your property, but the swarm will probably move soon anyway.

“Obviously, we want to protect those,” said Metz. “I usually tell the folks, ‘Give it a day. They’ll be gone tomorrow.’”

MS

The Sun News

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Maria Elena Scott writes about trending topics and what you need to know in the Grand Strand. She studied journalism at the University of Houston and covered Cleveland news before coming to the Palmetto State.

A man is suing North Myrtle Beach and Shark Wake Park after suffering “significant injuries” when he was allegedly struck in the head on a ride at the North Myrtle Beach Park and Sports Complex.

Horry County resident Benjamin Greene was knocked into the water when an object hit his head on the wakeboarding course ride on July 6, 2024, according to the lawsuit. The object in question isn’t specified in the suit and Greene’s lawyer didn’t respond to The Sun News’ requests.

The ride was “extremely dangerous, more so than a typical wake board course ride,” the lawsuit says.

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Shark Wake Park allegedly had no lifeguards on duty in the tower and Greene’s brother had to swim out to help him because he was unable to exit the water on his own.

Greene is suing Apex Water Parks LLC, doing business as Shark Wake Park 843, the city of North Myrtle Beach, which owns and leases the property to Apex, and two Horry County residents. According to the lawsuit, Josh Johnston and Scott Osborn were working as employees and/or agents of Apex Water Parks.

“Defendants knew, or should have discovered and known, of the defective and hazardous conditions,” the lawsuit says. “Defendants did not take any steps to correct or repair the dangerous and defective conditions, or to warn users.”

According to the lawsuit, the defendants failed to train and supervise competent employees, staff the state-required ratio of lifeguards to customers, perform routine maintenance and initiate and follow adequate safety procedures.

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They also allegedly did not maintain safe conditions, warn customers of the hazards or have proper safety equipment for injuries.

In addition to mental anguish and “extreme and painful injuries” from which Greene “is informed and believes that he will have permanent adverse effect and disability,” the lawsuit says, adding that he has and will in the future suffer financial loss, require medical treatment, incur substantial medical bills, be prevented from attending ordinary activities and be subjected to strong drugs and medications.

Greene is seeking actual, consequential, punitive and special damages, though the summons doesn’t name a specific dollar amount.

In a text to The Sun News, a spokesperson for North Myrtle Beach said the city doesn’t comment on pending litigation. The Sun News was unable to reach Shark Wake Park for comment.

MyrtleBeachSC News interviewed Bethel Music today, discussing the importance of worship in Spiritual Transformation, purpose, and the connection between humans and God. We had a candid conversation with worship team leader David Funk.

Bethel Music will be worshipping at Palmetto Point Church in Myrtle Beach June 6th. To purchase tickets, visit here.

View our conversation with David Funk below:

Palmetto Point Church is located at 2901 Fantasy Way, Myrtle Beach, SC 29579

In March, Bethel Music announced its upcoming WORSHIP MINISTRY NIGHTS TOUR that will kick off on June 5 in Daytona Beach, FL, featuring renowned worship leaders Jenn Johnson, Paul McClure, Hannah McClure, Edward Rivera, David Funk, Kristene DiMarco, John Wilds and Emmy Rose. Each night will be a powerful night of worship and ministry with moments to respond, wait on the Lord, and be unified as His people.

In this sacred space, Bethel Music expects God to touch the hearts of His people and to do something extraordinary. Tickets go on sale today and can be purchased here.

The 12-city tour will visit select cities across the U.S., including Daytona Beach, FL, Myrtle Beach, SC, Charlotte, NC, Milwaukee, WI, Grand Rapids, MI, Indianapolis, IN, Chicago, IL, Minneapolis, MN, Denver, CO, Lubbock, TX, San Antonio, TX, and Austin, TX.

In each of these locations, the worship collective will be performing songs from their latest album, “WE MUST RESPOND” which serves as a call to action, inviting believers to respond to God’s love and surrender in worship.

Attendees can expect an unforgettable night of worship, as they are ushered into God’s presence in a fresh and intimate way.

Says Jenn Johnson, “We are SO excited for this tour!! These nights of worship and ministry are going to be so special as we encounter the presence of God and respond to His glory and His goodness.”

BETHEL MUSIC WORSHIP MINISTRY NIGHTS TOUR

*Dates, special guests, and artist performances are subject to change.

June 5 Daytona Beach, FL

June 6 Myrtle Beach, SC

June 7 Charlotte, NC

June 12 Milwaukee, WI

June 13 Grand Rapids, MI

June 14 Indianapolis, IN

June 15 Chicago, IL

June 17 Minneapolis, MN

June 19 Denver, CO

June 20 Lubbock, TX

June 21 San Antonio, TX

June 22 Austin, TX

About Bethel Music

Bethel Music is a worship movement pursuing the presence of God and capturing fresh expressions of worship out of Redding, California. Bethel Music has grown from a local church music ministry to an internationally renowned collective of songwriters, artists and musicians. Brian and Jenn Johnson co- founded the movement in 2001 to raise up worshippers, take hold of their true identities, and pursue intimacy with God, above all else.

Since 2001, Bethel Music has released 27 albums, including their most recent live worship album, We Must Respond (2025), Moments: Wait (2024), Simple (2022), Homecoming (Live) (2021), Revival’s In The Air (Live) (2020), and many more. Each album carries a unique theme and features some of the most well-recognized artists in the genre.

This year, Bethel Music was GRAMMY® nominated for the song “Holy Forever” feat. Jenn Johnson and CeCe Winans, and in 2024, won the Dove award for “Holy Forever” for “Best Song of the Year.”

In 2021, the label was nominated for six Dove Awards, and another 11 awards in 2022, spanning across categories like “Songwriter of the Year,” “Worship Album of the Year,” and “Inspirational and Rock/Contemporary Song of the Year.”

Since forming, Bethel Music has broken records, ranking in CCLI’s Top 25 songs since 2013. Their song, “Goodness of God” was ranked #1 for over three years. This Is Amazing Grace has ranked in the Top 25 songs since 2014. No Longer Slaves since 2016 and The Lion and the Lamb since 2017.

In addition, Reckless Love has appeared in the Top 10 since 2018; andLiving Hope has been in the Top 10 since 2019.

Hitting a new stride over the last few years, Bethel Music has continually ranked at #6 in the Top 10 radio market share.

Last Updated on: May 9, 2025

Boat owners are halfway to getting relief on their taxes after the S.C. House of Representatives took action on the last week of the 2025 session.

Lawmakers approved a change to how South Carolina calculates taxes on motorboats on May 7, part of a push to both cut taxes on recreational watercraft and also remove what critics have called double taxation of boat motors.

But the version of the bill that passed the House also made changes that will ease the impact on local government revenue, after some county leaders warned the change could mean they lose out on millions in tax dollars. The S.C. Association of Counties had warned that lost revenue would have to be made up from taxpayers who don’t own their own boat. The group didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment after the bill passed the House.

“Originally, we were going to do a 50% tax cut and combine the motor title,” said Rep. Gary Brewer, R-Charleston, who co-sponsored the bill. “Now, we will still combine the title, and cut the tax by 42% and some change to get it equal to what cars are taxed at.”

South Carolina currently has some of the highest boat taxes in the nation, at 10.5%. That’s about three times what a boat owner could expect to pay just over the border in North Carolina or Georgia. The Palmetto State is also one of the few states to apply a separate property tax to a boat’s outboard motor. Critics charge that has led to several apparent cases of double taxation in county tax records, where the assessed value of a boat seems to include the value of the motor that came attached to it.

The bill that passed the House will eliminate the separate motor tax and tax the boat and motor as one piece of property going forward, at a rate of 6%.

But to cushion the blow on counties — the Association of Counties had estimated local governments could lose out on $59 million because of the change — the tax cut is set to take effect over a three-year time period. The group that represents South Carolina’s 46 counties had pushed for any change to align with counties’ reassessment periods, when local governments routinely re-evaluate tax rates because of rising property values.

Otherwise, a sudden loss of funding would have forced counties to raise taxes on automobiles, commercial property, rental property and small businesses in order to maintain public services.

“We worked with everybody to get this passed,” Brewer said. “The three-year phase-in was what they really wanted to let their counties absorb it, so that growth would allow them to take in more, and some of the bigger counties will take in a lot more.”

The bill next moves to the S.C. Senate, but won’t see any action until the Legislature comes back into session next January. Given that the legislation ultimately passed the House by a vote of 89-7, Gettys Brannon, president and CEO of the S.C. Boating and Fishing Alliance, hopes that senators will quickly pass the bill next year.

“This will bring relief for over 300,000 taxpayers, possibly more because of the number that register them in other states,” Brannon said.

The boating group estimates that many larger boats that have been registered out of state will come back to South Carolina when the tax cut goes into effect. They say counties that preemptively reduced the taxes have already seen a rise in boat registration.

Brannon encourages boat owners to keep in touch with their lawmakers over the summer, crediting public pressure with getting the bill to advance by such a wide margin.

“For current boat owners and new boat owners that might decide to bring boats back, it’s obviously something to keep the grassroots motivated,” he said.

Not all local leaders are opposed to a boat tax cut. Columbia Mayor Daniel Rickenmann signed on to a letter supporting the bill, alongside Charleston Mayor William Cogswell, Summerville Mayor Russ Touchberry and county council members from Allendale, Berkeley, Kershaw and York counties.

“Nearly 78% of higher-end boats have been registered out of state to escape this punitive tax structure taking with them not just tourism and economic activity, but also a sense of pride in our state’s waterways,” the letter reads. “In most counties and municipalities, boat property taxes account for less than 1% of total revenue.

“Suggesting this bill poses a budgetary crisis is disingenuous. With naturally growing tax bases and the ability to budget responsibly, local governments can absorb this modest reduction without sacrificing core services.”

The State

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Bristow Marchant covers local government, schools and community in Lexington County for The State. He graduated from the College of Charleston in 2007. He has almost 20 years of experience covering South Carolina at the Clinton Chronicle, Sumter Item and Rock Hill Herald. He joined The State in 2016. Bristow has won numerous awards, most recently the S.C. Press Association’s 2023 faith reporting award for his coverage of the breakup of the United Methodist Church. Support my work with a digital subscription

The creation of this content included the use of AI based on templates created, reviewed and edited by journalists in the newsroom. Read more on our AI policy here.

The NWS Columbia SC issued an updated flood advisory at 10:21 p.m. on Monday in effect until Friday at 2 p.m. for Lexington and Richland counties.

The NWS adds to expect, "Flooding caused by excessive rainfall continues."

"At 10.0 feet, Flooding occurs in flood prone areas near and downstream from Columbia. Flooding also occurs on parts of the Cayce and West Columbia river walk. At 13.0 feet, Flooding occurs in flood prone areas near and downstream from Columbia. Flooding also occurs over much of the Cayce and West Columbia river walk. At 14.0 feet, Roads in low-lying areas and swampland downstream from Columbia become flooded. Most of the Cayce and West Columbia river walk is flooded," says the NWS. "Caution is urged when walking near riverbanks. If you encounter a flooded roadway, turn around and find an alternative route. The next statement will be issued Tuesday morning at 10:30 a.m."

This advisory is in effect until Friday at 2 p.m.

If you reside in a flood-prone area or you are camping in a low-lying area, move to higher ground. If told to evacuate, do so immediately. Lock your home before departing. If time allows, disconnect utilities and appliances. Avoid basements or rooms where water has submerged electrical outlets or cords. If you notice sparks or hear buzzing, crackling, snapping, or popping noises, evacuate immediately. Avoid any water that may be charged with electricity and do not attempt to walk through floodwaters. Even 6 inches of swiftly moving water can forcefully knock you off your feet. If you become trapped by moving water, seek the highest possible point and contact emergency services by calling 911.

During heavy rain, flooding is possible, especially in low-lying and flood-prone areas. Never drive through water on the road, even if it does not appear to be deep. It takes just 12 inches of rushing water to carry away most cars, according to the NWS.

What is hydroplaning?

Hydroplaning happens when a vehicle starts sliding uncontrollably on wet roads.

This happens when water in front of the tire builds up faster than the vehicle's weight can push water out of the way. The water pressure then causes the vehicle to rise and slide on a thin layer of water between the tires and the road, making the driver lose control. Hydroplaning is primarily caused by three factors:

In the event of your vehicle hydroplaning, here's what to know:

Source: The National Weather Service

This story was originally published May 11, 2025 at 5:33 PM.

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