Road Projects Impact on Greater Burgess?

In the article below, the South Carolina Department of Transportation gives a summary descritpion and status of local road projects.  I've been wondering exactly where the Carolina Bays (Route 31) will come in, because traffic around here is becoming more of a a concern.  If you're similarly interested, take a look at this document.  It has more detail.

http://www.scdot.org/inside/pdfs/PublicHearings/CarolinaBays_handout.pdf

I found it interesting that the original plan called for Rte. 31 to intersect with 17 Bypass, which it seems would more directly reduce traffic on that route.  The current plan is two miles  shorter, saving a lot of expense.

I copied the map from the pdf and show it here, with comments below it.

Above you can see but not read an overall map of the Route 31 extension and the 707 widening.  The latter project extends all the way from where 707 crosses 544 down to the CVS in Murrells Inlet, across 17 Bypass and over Sunnyside Ave. to Business 17 that runs along the marsh (Restaurant Row.)

The Carolina Bays (Rte. 31) extension will leave 544 and curve around and meet 707 north of the 707 intersection with Holmestown Road.  Here's a closer look.

  The On and Off Ramps will extend on both sides of 707 between Blue Stern Drive and Leonard Road on the left, just north of Moss Creek Road, where today you can see a big empty field..  Here's is the sat photo.  In the pdf mentioned above, there is an overlay map of the cloverleaf.

If the project takes some of the traffic off Routes 17 Bypass and 17 Business, that would seem to be a good thing.  But the effect will be north of us and the diverted northbound traffic will be heading out Holmestown Road and up 707 to get on Rte. 31.


Comments?



Dave

Road Projects Status

Road Projects Status Below is a current status report from the South Carolina Department of Transportation:

SC Route 707 Widening (RIDE II)

Description:

Widening of SC Route 707 from a 2-lane shoulder section to a 5-lane curb and gutter facility with sidewalks from just south of Enterprise Road (S-26-926) in Horry County to US Route 17 in Georgetown County, a distance of approximately 9.2 miles.  The project has been broken in to three phases: Phase I is from just south of Enterprise Road (S-26-926) to Salem Road.  Phase II runs from Salem Road to the Horry/Georgetown County line.  Phase III limits are from the Horry/Georgetown County line to US Route 17.  All phases will be developed concurrently.

Status:

Right of way acquisition and the development of final construction plans and specifications are substantially complete.  The 404(b)(1) permit was approved by the Army Corps of Engineers on May 24, 2013.  A clearing and grubbing contract will be let to construction in August 2013 along with an interim intersection improvement project located at SC Route 707 and Big Block Road.  The clearing and grubbing contract will prepare the area for the utilities to relocate their facilities within the project limits.  Following the relocation of a significant portion of the utilities, the main widening contract is anticipated to be let to construction in the spring of 2014.

Glenn’s Bay Road (S-2-1240) Widening and interchange at US 17 Bypass (RIDE II)

Description:

Widening of Glenn’s Bay Road (S-26-1240) from a 2-lane shoulder section to a 3-lane curb and gutter facility with sidewalks from US Route 17 Bypass to US Route 17 Business, a distance if approximately 1.6 miles.  The project will also include an interchange at US Route 17 Bypass and Glenn’s Bay Road.

Status: 

Right of way acquisitions and the development of the construction plans and specifications are in progress.  Coordination with the US Army Corps of Engineers continues concerning the permit approval and mitigation plan.

Carolina Bays Parkway (SC Route 31) Extension

Description:

Extension of the Carolina Bays Parkway from its current terminus at SC Route 544 to SC Route 707, a distance of approximately 4.3 miles. The proposed project is a new location, multilane freeway facility that will include a bridge over the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway and interchanges at SC Route 544 and SC Route 707.

Status:

Right of way acquisitions and construction plans are complete.  The 404(b)(1) permit was approved by the Army Corps of Engineers on May 24, 2013.  The project will be let to construction in October 2013 following a 60 day ad period.

New Traveler Info System

June 27
   
SCDOT Launches Enhanced 511 Traveler Information System

Free Service to Help Motorists Save Time and Money



           The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) has launched an enhanced 511 Traveler Information System, providing traffic camera images, travel time estimates and other technological tools to help motorists navigate South Carolina’s roadways.
Other new features of South Carolina’s “Next Generation 511 System” include an interactive map showing locations of traffic incidents and construction projects; average speeds of traffic; weather information; and twitter accounts to provide users with real-time important travel information.
 “We think the public will want to take advantage of this user-friendly, new technology to help make their travel as efficient and safe as possible,” said SCDOT Director of Traffic Engineering Tony Sheppard. “We are especially glad to have the new system in place for the upcoming Fourth of July holiday. An informed motorist can avoid problem areas and not only make their trip better, but help lessen overall traffic congestion.”

Continue at:

http://info.scdot.org/PressRelease/Lists/Posts/Post.aspx?ID=1509

11 Little-Known Facts About Left-Handers

From their innovative minds to their political aspirations, there are plenty of great reasons to love lefties!
 

By Katie Kerns


There’s no denying it. Left-handers are the odd men out.

Sure, lefties make up about 10 percent of the population — but, frankly, it seems like society has forgotten about them. Right-handed gadgets, awkwardly designed desks, cooking tools that fit comfortably in your right hand (now that’s just wrong!).

What causes someone to become a southpaw? Scientists aren’t exactly sure, but research points to a complex collaboration between genes and environment. While no exact set of “leftie genes” have been discovered, people who dominantly use their left hands do have more left-handed family members. And researchers have found different brain wirings in righties vs. lefties.

But no matter what it is that drives someone to use their antipodal paw, science has also uncovered a particular set of personality traits that left-handed people tend to have. So for all of you lefties, leftie-loving righties, and ambidextrous folks out there — it’s time to brush up on your left-handed knowledge and help put an end to leftie discrimination once and for all.

Continued at:

http://www.everydayhealth.com/healthy-living-pictures/little-known-facts-about-lefthanders.aspx?xid=ob_cc_gm#/slide-1

Filming for the second season of “Welcome to Myrtle Manor”

By Dawn Bryant — dbryant@thesunnews.com

June 21, 2013


MYRTLE BEACH — Filming for the second season of “Welcome to Myrtle Manor” is set to start next week.

Cameras are expected to start documenting the shenanigans of the residents of Patrick’s Mobile Home Park in Myrtle Beach, a.k.a. Myrtle Manor, on Thursday, said Dana Painter, whose family owns Patrick’s Mobile Home Park off Highway 15. Painter, whose younger sister Becky is a regular on the docu-drama, has appeared in the background on the show.

Filming is expected to last until October, Painter said. The show will air next year on TLC, though a specific date hasn’t yet been set.

Folks are keeping details of the new season hush-hush, including whether all the cast members will return and what kind of issues the park’s residents will face during the show’s second season.

Continue at:

http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/2013/06/21/3549226/filming-for-second-season-of-myrtle.html

Mozilla again postpones Firefox third-party cookie-blocking

... this time for months

Decision to use blocking blacklists and whitelists means another delay in adding auto-blocking to browser

By Gregg Keizer
June 20, 2013

Computerworld - Mozilla has effectively postponed Firefox's controversial third-party cookie-blocking policy for several months.

Yesterday, the open-source developer announced it was collaborating with a new initiative, dubbed "Cookie Clearinghouse," or CCH, launched by Stanford University's Center for Internet and Society.

"Today Mozilla is committing to work ... to develop the CCH so that browsers can use its lists to manage exceptions to a visited-based third-party cookie block," wrote Brendan Eich, Mozilla's CTO, in a post on his personal blog.

The CCH, which is headed by Alexia McDonald, director of Stanford's Center for Internet and Society -- and formerly a part-time privacy research officer at Mozilla -- will come up with a list of sites to be blocked by browsers, as well as another that includes blocking exceptions.
ontinue at:

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9240218/Mozilla_again_postpones_Firefox_third_party_cookie_blocking_this_time_for_months?

 

South Carolina Drive Tips

Myrtle Beach-area arts and cultural calendar for June 21-27

June 19, 2013
 

AUDITIONS/REHEARSALS

FESTIVE BRASS OF MYRTLE BEACH. New members welcome: Rehearsals 7 p.m. Mondays at First United Methodist Church, 904 65th Ave. N., Myrtle Beach. 293-6162 or festivebrassofmyrtlebeach.org.

GRAND STRAND HARMONY CHORUS/SWEET ADELINES. Women invited to rehearsals 7-9:30 p.m. Tuesdays at Surfside United Methodist Church, 800 13th Ave. N., Surfside Beach. 650-7323 or www.gsharmonychorus.com.
DANCING

BALLROOM DANCE CLASSES, by Carolina Dance Partners, 7-9 p.m. Fridays at First Presbyterian Church’s Wilkes Hall, 3810 Grissom Parkway, Myrtle Beach. $5 per class, and no partner necessary. 448-4496 or www.myrtlebeachpresbyterianchurch.org.

Much more -  Festivsls, Special Events, Roller Skating, Hot Rod Events, etc. - at:

http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/2013/06/19/3539660/myrtle-beach-area-arts-and-cultural.html

Machines Can't Flow: The Difference Between Mechanical and Human Productivity

More output, produced faster may be great metrics for machines, but for homo sapiens, the most powerful metric is engagement.

 

by Linda Stone 

Jun 18 2013


At the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, it seemed machines could do anything. At that time, productivity experts predicted that machines and new technologies would mean we'd only have to work four hours a day. But, as we all know, that's not what has happened. Instead, the definition of human productivity merged with the definition of machine productivity: more work, faster pace, more efficiently.

We tend to think of productivity as maximizing output or quantity. How much can we accomplish? How many emails, calls, and meetings can we power through? We work hard to sync our productivity with time-management techniques.

A few years ago in a set of interviews, I asked people if they managed their time, their attention, or both.

Mid-level managers talked about their best practices for time-management, and at the same time, expressed their concerns: "I just can't get it all done. There's no way to keep up."

Continued at:
http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/06/machines-cant-flow-the-difference-between-mechanical-and-human-productivity/276969/?google_editors_picks=true

Murrells Inlet 2020 releases economic impact statement

By Anita Crone

Friday, June 14, 2013


Murrells Inlet has grown up.

What once was a sleepy fishing village and the departure point for headboats today packs an economic wallop.

And for the first time, the strength of that is quantified through a recently completed study for Murrells Inlet 2020, paid for with a grant from the Frances P. Bunnelle Foundation and completed by Coastal Carolina University’s Center for Economic and Community Development.

Continued at:

http://www.gtowntimes.com/local/Murrells-Inlet-2020-releases-economic-impact-statement

Insurance Pricing Will Vary On Online Marketplaces

 
By Christine Vestal, Stateline

Jun 05, 2013

Consumers want to know: Will health insurance cost more, less, or about the same on the new health insurance exchanges?

Politicians, for their own reasons, have the same question about the impact of the Affordable Care Act on insurance in 2014.

California recently announced the prices of plans that have been approved for the exchange. Surprising to many, the 2014 rates are substantially lower than comparable plans on the market today, according to Covered California, which runs the exchange.

That’s good news for Californians and for the Obama administration.

Critics of the federal health law have long predicted that its new insurance regulations – such as the requirement that carriers cover people with pre-existing conditions – will cause premium “rate shock.” Proponents counter that the law contains market protections that should keep prices in check. In addition, low income people will receive subsidies to defray higher prices.

Nationwide, the price that uninsured Americans will have to pay for coverage in 2014 will vary widely from state to state. Although early news on premium prices from a handful of states is mostly promising, critics maintain that when exchanges open in all 50 states, the picture may be very different.

Continue at:

http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2013/June/05/Stateline-FAQ-online-insurance-marketplace-costs-exchanges.aspx?p=1

Facebook, Microsoft reveal surveillance request figures

Facebook says it received almost 10,000 US government requests for user data in the second half of 2012
 
Reuters,  guardian.co.uk, 

Saturday 15 June 2013

Facebook and Microsoft have struck agreements with the US government to release limited information about the number of surveillance requests they receive, a modest victory for the companies as they struggle with the fallout from disclosures about a secret government data-collection program.

Facebook on Friday became the first to release aggregate numbers of requests, saying in a blog post it received between 9,000 and 10,000 US requests for user data in the second half of 2012, covering 18,000 to 19,000 of its users' accounts. Facebook has more than 1.1 billion users worldwide.

The majority of those requests are routine police inquiries, a person familiar with the company said, but under the terms of the deal with the justice department, Facebook is precluded from saying how many were secret orders issued under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Until now, all information about requests under Fisa, including their existence, were deemed secret.

continued at:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2013/jun/15/facebook-microsoft-release-surveillance-figures

 

Rural America posts first-ever loss in population

By HOPE YEN and HANNAH DREIER
Associated Press

Jun 12, 2013 

WASHINGTON (AP) - Living in a rural Nevada town, Moe Royels recalls a more bustling time years ago when retirees poured in to enjoy the warm desert climate, nearby casinos and quiet community. But soon boom turned to bust, and years after the recession ended, Royels still wonders if things will ever fully turn around in small towns like his.

Across the U.S., rural counties are losing population for the first time ever because of waning interest among baby boomers in moving to far-flung locations for retirement and recreation, according to new census estimates released Thursday.

More at:

http://www.wmbfnews.com/story/22578158/census-rural-us-loses-population-for-first-time
 

Upcoming Myrtle Beach area health events

Published: June 9, 2013 

GEORGETOWN
Many of these classes, events and meetings are sponsored by Georgetown Memorial Hospital, but some take place at different locations. Call the numbers listed for more information or visit www.georgetownhospitalsystem.org.
Chronic kidney disease education | Varying schedule, varying locations in Horry and Georgetown counties. Free. 866-647-9396 or www.ultracare-dialysis.com/TOPS.
Health screenings | Finger-stick lipid profiles with blood sugar test: $20; diabetes screening-hemoglobin A1C: $15; blood sugar levels: $3. Free blood pressure screenings. 520-8579.

MORE at:

 http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/2013/06/09/3528721/upcoming-myrtle-beach-area-health.html

 

Electronic license plates proposed in South Carolina

June 12, 2013

FoxNews.com


A South Carolina company is proposing that the state abandon regular license plates and switch to electronic plates controlled by the Department of Motor Vehicles.

David Findlay, president of Columbia-based Compliance Innovations, plans to approach state lawmakers with the conversion proposal, which is similar to a plan recently rejected in California, WSOCTV.com reported.

Findlay told the station the digital license tags can be programmed from a cell signal and are powered by solar energy and the vibrations of the driver's vehicle.

Continue at:

http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2013/06/12/electronic-license-plates-proposed-in-south-carolina/

What Should Be Up for Public Debate When It Comes to Secret Surveillance?

Transcript

GWEN IFILL: We return now to the story of Edward Snowden, the 29- year-old former CIA employee and intelligence contractor who's admitted leaking government secrets. Is he a criminal who put Americans at risk, or is he a hero who told Americans what they need to know about how closely their government is watching them?

We have two points of view on that from Jane Harman, a former nine-term member of Congress who was the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee. She's now president of the Woodrow Wilson International Center. And author and journalist James Bamford, who has written extensively about the NSA and other intelligence agencies.

Welcome to you both.

JAMES BAMFORD, Author, "The Shadow Factory: The Ultra-Secret NSA From 9/11 to the Eavesdropping on America": Thank you.

GWEN IFILL: So, James Bamford, is Edward Snowden a leaker or a whistleblower?

JAMES BAMFORD: Well, he's definitely a whistleblower. He's not profiting from this in any way. He's going to be harmed very severely because of this.
He's doing this because he thinks it's right, because he thinks that the public should know that the government was picking up and storing billions of their telephone records. You know, they had a debate about this in England in the last few weeks. But it was public. It was about a bill going through congress to do a similar thing.

Continue at:


http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/government_programs/jan-june13/nsadebate_06-10.html

30-year-old discovery could be mother lode for SC treasure hunter

By Taylor Kearns
 
June 4, 2013

COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) -

Lee Spence's entire life has been about discovery.

"My father taught me to read contour maps before I was in the first grade," said Spence.

If he wasn't making maps, he was following them, relishing even the smallest new detail.

"I'll be in the archives and suddenly find something and I'm jumping up and down and screaming because I've made a discovery," said Spence. "I get as excited as a football player who just scored a touchdown."

For decades, he's been diving down to see what he can bring up. Now, a discovery he made more than 30 years ago could be his mother lode.

About 10 miles off South Carolina's coast is the resting place of the SS Ozawa, an iron-hulled steamship that sank in the late 1800's.

Last week Spence got the admiralty or the rights to whatever's inside.

He pulled out 2 portholes and some china last week, but doesn't know what remains.

Spence is waiting for the seas to calm before he can get back down there and see what's inside. He won't know for sure until he does, but says the ship's reputation gives him hope.

"Some times it carried weapons, very large amounts of money, it carried a lot of very valuable stuff," said Spence.

Continue at:

http://www.wmbfnews.com/story/22503032/30-year-old-discovery-could-be-motherload-for-sc-treasure-hunter

The social network wars are over

The social network wars are over. The winner: email!
Rampant innovation in email has transformed it into the best social network on the Internet.
 
By Mike Elgan

June 1, 2013

Computerworld - Email is old and in decline. Chat, texting and social networks are how people interact now, right?

Well, not so fast.

With every new social network and social service, with every new instant and not-so-instant way to communicate, email rises in importance. The reason is that with everybody choosing a different communications medium, email is increasingly the only one we all have in common. It's the glue that holds the social Web together.

I prefer Google+. My mom and one of my kids are on Facebook. My other kid is on Twitter. One of my nieces is on Pinterest. One of my best friends is on Path. Another is on Pheed. My dad isn't really sure what a social network is.

The fact that everybody is using a social network, and a different one, doesn't matter. I still reach them all thanks to the Mother of All Social Networks -- email.

Continue at:

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9239684/The_social_network_wars_are_over._The_winner_email_?source=rss_keyword_edpicks&google_editors_picks=true

Stocks rise as Fed fears ease

By STEVE ROTHWELL, AP 

May 31, 2013

NEW YORK — The stock market rose Thursday after a pair of lackluster economic reports raised expectations that the Federal Reserve will continue to boost the economy with its stimulus program.

Unemployment claims rose and an initial estimate of first-quarter economic growth was revised slightly lower. That suggests the U.S. economy may still need some time to recover from its funk and that the Fed will keep up its $85 billion in monthly bond purchases.
Sommers Jewelry - 300x250 - Section Sponsor - Casa Grande Dispatch

“The big worry that’s been hitting the market lately, that the Fed might step back prematurely, might be fading a little today on the idea that the economy does need a bit more support,” Jeff Kleintop, chief market strategist at LPL Financial, said.

The rise in the Standard & Poor’s 500 index was led by banking and insurance stocks, which gained 1.1 percent. Among individual bank stocks, Bank of America rose to its highest in more than two years. JPMorgan also climbed.

Continue at:

http://www.trivalleycentral.com/casa_grande_dispatch/national_news/stocks-rise-as-fed-fears-ease/article_7dce3f48-ca0a-11e2-8101-001a4bcf887a.html