Mobile Home Sales in Loris, SC

LORIS, S.C. (WPDE) — A movie studio is coming to Loris. It’s a project that the studio owner and the city have been keeping under wraps for a while, but now is stepping into the spotlight.

Jerry Dalton, president and founder of Dalton Studios, has been working in the movie industry for more than 20 years. He said it’s been a long road to get here but he’s excited to get Loris on the big screen.

What may look like bare walls, wood piles, and clutter right now will soon be the gem of downtown Loris where movies come to life.

I think it’s a great way for others to see the world from different spectrums, visions, and different perspectives. And to have that escape is a wonderful thing, and we wanted to help create that escape," Dalton said.

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Dalton bought the first building for the studio in 2007. His studio now encompasses four different buildings, including one that used to be an auto store.

He and his crew are rolling up their sleeves to clean them up.

"From the ground up, we took the concrete out, went down four foot, put all new infrastructure into the ground, plumbing, wiring, communication cables, everything that is needed for a studio," he said.

Dalton said that Loris has the potential to be a great setting for films.

"You’re far away enough from the coast where the effects of a hurricane are a little less threatening. The architecture is perfect, you can film anywhere from the 1940s through modern day," he said.

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The words "courage, focus and persistence" hang in the studio. Dalton said this was the motto he lived by to make his dream come true and he’s hoping others will do the same.

Never give up on that dream of what you want to do, because if you give up, you’re giving up on life," he said.

Dalton is hoping to have the studio open by the end of 2023 or early 2024.

He said when they open, they’ll hold tours for the public so they can see how movies are made and maybe even be in one.

Dalton is also the director of the Myrtle Beach International Film Festival.

That will be happening from April 18 - April 22.

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Read The Sun News’ coverage of the ongoing search for 23-year-old Tyler Doyle, who went missing after a small jon boat sank in the Little River area on the evening of Jan. 26, 2023.

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Hundreds gathered at the T. Craig Campbell boat landing in Little River Sunday evening to hold a prayer vigil for missing South Carolina boater Tyler Doyle.

Doyle, of Loris, went missing after duck hunting in a 16-foot jon boat with a friend at the Little River jetties around 4 p.m. on Jan. 26.

The search has captured the attention of thousands over social media nationwide.

“From the bottom of our heart, every family member thanks everybody for what they’ve done, from the smallest to the greatest thing that’s been done, we want the public to know that we are grateful,” Linda Doyle, a grandmother, told The Sun News in an exclusive interview.

At the vigil, several wore shirts depicting Doyle and his wife, Lakelyn Doyle. Some shirts had the words, “Tyler Strong,” on them, as well.

Community members brought food to the event, including pizza, sodas, macaroni and cheese and chicken bog.

Dogwood Hill Baptist Church in Loris hosted the vigil alongside Grand Strand Outdoors and Duchess Discussions, an online creator who has been an advocate for the search online.

“We haven’t seen any evidence of death, so we are still gonna claim life,” Pastor Jimmy Floyd said.

He added that in the 12 years of being a pastor at Dogwood Hill Baptist Church, he had never seen the community react in such a way.

“I’ve never seen more outpouring of love, through all of this,” he said.

According to South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, the leading agency, a 911 call on the day Tyler went missing initiated the search. Since then, Brunswick County, N.C., Sheriff’s Office, the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, and nonprofit Wings of Hope have joined the search.

No foul play is suspected, according to SCDNR.

Weather conditions and boating mechanical issues are the predominant contributing factors in the investigation, the department has said.

It was announced by family members at the vigil that the U.S. Civil Air Patrol joined the search on Sunday as well.

Jill Hardee, a friend of the Doyles, was present with her family at the vigil. She said that Tyler’s disappearance had been “very tough” on everyone, and she said she hopes the family will get closure soon.

The North Myrtle Beach Rescue Squad, a volunteer organization that was initially involved with the search, was present as well. Volunteers with the group had been searching for about eight to 10 days before officially calling off their own search.

Lance Barnes, boat captain with the North Myrtle Beach Rescue Squad, said that the organization would aid in the search when another agency calls for it.

“Just trying to bring that family some sort of closure,” he said.

At the end of the vigil, several friends of Doyle gathered near the boat landing and performed duck calls, as a way to call Tyler back home.

SCDNR said that the search would continue alongside the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office as long as the weather holds up. Another update from officials is expected Tuesday.

This story was originally published February 19, 2023, 8:49 PM.

The grill sizzles with hashbrowns and bacon – and hamburgers for those who arrive to an early lunch at Shorty’s Grill in Loris.

But those who know it’s Thursday hold off on the burger.

Nick Conner walks across the black-and-white tile, carrying a 50-quart pot to the front of the decades-old restaurant.

Can you guess what’s inside?

Chicken bog. Not chicken and rice or chicken pilau. It’s known as chicken bog in these parts of the state.

Thursdays are bog days at Shorty’s.

It’s also the day the Horry County Historic Preservation Commission unveiled a chicken bog plaque in front of the Loris Library, marking the area the home of chicken bog.

The sign reads:

CHICKEN BOG

ONE-POT DISH MADE WITH RICE,

CHICKEN & SAUSAGE. FED CROWDS

BY 1920S. TRADITIONALLY EATEN

AFTER GATHERING TOBACCO IN

NORTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA.

***

Back at Shorty’s, Conner’s morning started early during the breakfast rush.

He gets the chicken boiling at 7 a.m. Then it’s time to cut up the smoked sausage. Conner adds seasonings and the sausage.

When the sausage “gets right,” it’s time for the rice to go in.

“That’s when the magic happens,” Conner said.

An hour later, it’s ready.

Thursdays are for chicken bog because that’s the way the previous owners, Ernest and Myrtle Lyerly, did it each week when the restaurant was called Loris Lunch and Pool Room.

The tradition continued after Conner’s father took over the restaurant.

For over 40 years, the great Loris Bog-Off Festival has been a part of the city’s identity. Thousands of people flock to downtown each year, and some with a mission in mind: to become the next bog-off champion.

The idea happened in 1981, thanks to Loris native Singleton Bailey, who noticed there was no annual festival in town.

“We are festivalless,” he recalls thinking at the time. “I thought Loris should have a festival.”

A festival must have a theme or something an area is known for. No single crop represented Loris, Bailey said.

Then chicken bog came to mind.

The dish is special to most native Horry County families. Each family has their own way of cooking it and no two chicken bog dishes are the same, Bailey said.

“Since chicken bog had a lot of pride in it, I thought that might be a good way to have a chicken bog contest … they could actually have a trophy and title,” he said.

Bailey took his idea to what was known at the time as the Loris Merchants Association before the local chamber was established. And the rest was history.

“I didn’t do it all by myself, it was my idea, but I did have help,” he said.

“Those first years were exciting ‘cause radio stations were calling me from all over the United States,” Bailey said. “Now when we have [a festival], I can reflect on how it’s grown.”

Preserving this county’s history through historical markers is one of the HPC’s initiatives.

The chicken bog marker has been a year in the making, said HPC chair Susan Platt.

A Hungry for History grant funded the sign after the preservation commission’s research proved that chicken bog has existed for more than 50 years locally. Anything older than 50 years old may be considered historic, Platt said.

Old newspaper clippings and interviews with locals whose grandparents and great-grandparents cooked chicken bog on the farm gave proof that the dish is ingrained in the county’s history.

“It’s just part of our culture, part of who we are,” Platt said. “That is why chicken bog qualifies.”

The HPC’s research found that the rice dish was made instead of potatoes because rice doesn’t spoil. It stood the test of time and the ingredients were readily available, Platt said.

So what about the name?

The bog part derives from the texture of the dish reflecting the boggy soil in parts of western Horry County.

Being made in a large cast-iron pot for everyone is another characteristic that has stood the test of time.

***

In the crowd Thursday as the plaque was unveiled, Bailey was delighted that the festival he helped create has turned into so much more for the city of Loris.

“It was rewarding, a rewarding feeling to know that it’s come that far to be appreciated to the extent that it is … a plaque is probably pretty good for that,” he said.

No matter where you come from, who you are or how you cook it, chicken bog is made to gather people together in Horry County.

It’s not just a thing of the past.

It’s something to still enjoy together today.

Authorities with the U.S. Coast Guard have ended their search for 23-year-old Tyler Doyle, who went missing in a boating accident in North Myrtle Beach.

On January 28, the official Twitter handle of the United States Coast Guard Southeast gave an update about the suspension of their active search that lasted for 45 hours and covered more than 694 miles.

USCGSoutheast

@USCG #FinalUPDATE @USCG suspended the active search for 23yo man, Fri, evening. Crews searched for approx 45 hrs & over 694 Mi."We offer our deepest sympathies to the family at this difficult time," said Lt. Emily M Trudeau, Sector Charleston PAO.

185

On the evening of January 26, Doyle went missing after his boat took on water and sank in the Little River area. As per the Coast Guard authorities, he was last seen wearing khaki pants and a camo jacket.

The other person present on the boat was saved by the North Jetties.

Tyler Doyle's boat sank while he was on a duck hunt

Doyle went duck hunting on a 16-foot john boat on January 26 and has not returned since.

On the day of his disappearance, Horry County Fire Rescue responded to the scene of the incident just before 5.00 pm. The team was accompanied by the North Myrtle Beach Rescue Squad and other agencies that assisted with the search for the missing youngster.

Tyler Doyle's family also gathered at the Johnny Causey Boat Landing in hopes of his return and were accompanied by the Brunswick County Sheriff's Office Marine Patrol and a helicopter.

By January 27, a Venmo account was set up, with funds being sent to provide biscuits and other essential supplies to the people gathered around the search site. Within an hour of the account's launch, over $800 was donated.

As per social media handles, Tyler Doyle is married and is expecting a baby soon. His Facebook handle states that he works at Carolina Kitchens, a service for refrigeration in Loris. He is a native of Loris, South Carolina.

His wife, Lakelyn Chestnut Doyle, also prayed for her husband's safe return as she shared a post on Facebook.

She wrote:

"Oh tyler. My love. My bestfriend. My everything. PLEASE just come home. I miss you so much. My heart is shattered. Tyler is strong. Tyler is smart. He’s out there I know he is. PLEASE PRAY SO HARD. Paisley grace needs you."

A GoFundMe account was set up by Hannah Faulk, who wrote in the bio that the Doyle family is "very close to her heart." The account was launched to help Lakelyn financially as she is currently pregnant. As of writing, the account has garnered $11,295 of the $15,000 goal.

Carolina Food Service, a food distributor that supplies many Hispanic and Latino restaurants in Horry County and in North and South Carolina, announced Thursday a major expansion of its Loris distribution facility that will create dozens of new jobs.

The $3.7 million expansion will create 71 new jobs as the company builds an additional 20,000 square foot facility in the Loris industrial park, one of the company’s several expansions since it opened in 2009. The company has purchased an additional nine acres in the industrial park.

South Carolina’s Coordinating Council for Economic Development is supplying the company with a $100,000 grant to jump start the expansion, money that will help pay for site preparation and construction once the company invests its own $100,000.

Carolina Food Service has occupied the industrial park since its founding and was the county’s first independent food distributor, supplying everything from steak, to vegetables to rice and grits.

Loris Mayor Todd Harrelson celebrated the expansion on Thursday, in part because the company has been a good neighbor. He said one Carolina Food Service employee regularly volunteers to cook food for families at local baseball and softball games and that the company aided locals during the COVID-19 pandemic.

When supplies like hand sanitizer and toilet paper were hard to find, Harrelson said, Carolina Food Service used its connections to ship those products in for Loris residents.

“I’m just proud and I’m glad to have Carolina Foods,” he said. “I’m just glad to have them as part of this community because they contribute in many ways. They’re good people.”

The expansion also represents the growing popularity of the Loris industrial park, a project of Santee Cooper, the Myrtle Beach Regional Economic Development Corporation and the city.

Sandy Davis, the head of the MBREDC, said the park has “moved on” from a rocky past in which a manufacturing company opened its doors in 2015 and shut down without warning in December 2018. Other firms, like Integra Fabrics and Builders First Source also operate out of the industrial park.

“The community welcomes change so I think that’s going to be a big plus for the city of Loris,” she said.

Carolina Food Service has begun hiring for the 71 jobs already, Davis said, and could employ people from both Horry County and North Carolina.

Since the pandemic began, Davis explained, Carolina Food Service has expanded rapidly, first into other parts of South Carolina and then into parts of North Carolina. President and CEO Juan Seratto said he was “truly excited and beyond grateful” for his company’s growth in recent years, and gave credit to his employees in a statement Thursday.

“All their hard work and relentless efforts have put us in an accelerated pace of growth. And, for closing in on accomplishing our goal of becoming a relevant player in the regional food service scene,” Seratto said. “Also, and just as important, is to recognize and appreciate the strong and favorable business environment provided by the state of South Carolina.”

Seratto didn’t immediately return a phone call seeking additional comment.

Horry County Council Chairman Johnny Gardner — along with Gov. Henry McMaster, Agriculture Commissioner Hugh Weathers and Secretary of Commerce Harry M. Lightsey III — celebrated the expansion, too.

“The expansion of Carolina Food Service proves that our area has the business climate, workforce, infrastructure, community support and belief in our leaders to be successful in Horry County,” Gardner said in a statement. “We are proud of their success and trust in our area.”

For Loris, Harrelson said, Carolina Food Service’s expansion is “huge” and will boost the city’s budget.

“It’s fantastic, it’s really helping the tax base,” he said. “This and the developments we have everything around the industrial park (are) growing, our highways are getting widened…it’s just really huge.”

This story was originally published June 23, 2022, 3:59 PM.