Mobile Home Sales in Socastee, SC

On Tuesday, Socastee’s 2-0 start equated to another change for the Braves.

Coach Ben Hampton’s team was included in the "Receiving Votes" portion of the Class 5A rankings in the South Carolina Prep Football Media Poll. A reason for a parade? Not exactly.

But for Socastee, it was the first time the team had appeared in the rankings since Oct. 7, 2014. The Braves lost four of their last five games that season to finish 7-5.

Ever since, Socastee has not received a Top 10 vote — until Tuesday. Socastee, St. James and Loris are the lone 2-0 teams locally.

The Braves joined fellow Horry County programs Myrtle Beach and Aynor, which were also receiving votes in Class 4A and Class 3A, respectively. This is the second consecutive week that no Grand Strand teams were included in the Top 10 of any of the state’s five classifications.

Dutch Fork, South Pointe, Daniel, Saluda and Bamberg-Ehrhardt held the No. 1 spots, respectively, this week.

Class 5A

1. Dutch Fork (19)

2. Fort Dorchester

3. Hillcrest

4. Byrnes

5. Dorman

6. Sumter

7. Gaffney

8. TL Hanna

9. Spartanburg

10. Summerville

Others receiving votes: River Bluff, Lexington, Mauldin, White Knoll, Socastee, Clover JL Mann

Class 4A

1. South Pointe (17)

2. Northwestern (2)

3. AC Fora

4. West Florence

5. South Florence

6. Hartsville

7. Irmo

8. Catawba Ridge

9. James Island

10. (tie) Indian Land

10. (tie) Ridge View

Others receiving votes: York, Wilson, Greenwood, Westside, Greenville, South Aiken, Pickens, West Ashley, Riverside, Myrtle Beach

Class 3A

1. Daniel (17)

2. Camden (2)

3. Dillon

4. Powdersville

5. Clinton

6. Gilbert

7. Seneca

8. Woodruff

9. Hanahan

10. Beaufort

Others receiving votes: Brookland-Cayce, Chapman, Union County, Belton Honea Path, Chester, Crestwood, Lower Richland, Manning, Marlboro County, Pendleton, Wren, Aynor

Class 2A

1. Saluda (6)

2. Abbeville (2)

3. Oceanside Collegiate (7)

4. Barnwell (3)

5. Fairfield Central

6. Gray Collegiate

7. Wade Hampton

8. Cheraw

9. Buford

10. Silver Bluff

Others receiving votes: Marion, Woodland, Pelion, Pageland Central, Newberry, Chesterfield, Lee Central, Landrum, Andrew Jackson, Crescent, Strom Thurmond

Class A

1. Bamberg-Ehrhardt (14)

2. Christ Church (1)

3. Southside Christian (3)

4. Whale Branch

5. Johnsonville

6. St. Joseph’s

7. Baptist Hill

8. Lamar

9. Lewisville (1)

10. Lake View

Others receiving votes: Latta, Calhoun County, Estill, Whitmire, Ridge Spring-Monetta

Voters this week: Lou Bezjak (The State), Jed Blackwell (PrepRedzone), Dennis Brunson (High School Sports Report), Scott Chancey (Florence Morning News), Tyler Cupp (WRHI), Joe Dandron (Greenville News), Chris Dearing (Cola Daily/Prep RedZone), Cody Estremera (Greenwood Index Journal), Thomas Grant (Lexington Chronicle), Ian Guerin (My Horry News/Prep RedZone), Justin Jarrett (LowCo Sports), Travis Jenkins (News & Reporter), Wes Kerr (LowCo Sports), Gene Knight (WRHI), James McBee (Boiling Springs Sports Journal). Chris Miller (WRHI), David Shelton (Post and Courier/Prep RedZone), Brandon Stockdale (Prep RedZone) and Pete Yanity (WSPA).

HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WPDE) — Horry County's special projects department is seeing some success with the first-of-its-kind flood home buyout in the Socastee area.

The county received more than $13 million in HUD funding in community block mitigation grant funds. The focus is to allow people a chance to sell their flood-prone property in neighborhoods like Rosewood.

Beth Tranter who leads Horry County's Community Development department said they have roughly 27 homes acquired in with about 10 more under contract to be bought out.

Over the past year, Trantor said the program did have its ups and downs.

"Because the market has been so hot lately, we were concerned about residents being able to relocate," she said.

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Fortunately, that hardship was relayed to the state's office of resiliency which in turn carried the request up the ladder to HUD. County officials say the department allowed them to appraise the home's at current market value when originally the program required the county to appraise homes at the value they were before the major flood events in 2015, 2016, and 2018.

Tranter said that change helped the program, which is completely voluntary for homeowners.

READ MORE: 'Bittersweet' goodbye for some Socastee flood-victims completing home buyout

"It could actually reflect the current market value for the homeowners," Tranter said.

The county endeavored to initially accept more than 60 buyouts. If the contracted homes go to closing and homeowners accept the final offers, the county will have seen about 60% of the eligible properties take part in the buyout. Because of that, Tranter said they are going back to ask other neighbors in Socastee if they want to now take part in the buyout process.

"The second phase of intake has begun," Tranter said. "We've gone to those individuals who are eligible for the program. We did a mailing and we also did door hangers. We are reaching out by phone to some folks saying, 'You are eligible for the program, please do apply if you are interested'."

According to Horry County officials, they have heard from a handful of residents outside of the Socastee focus area who are interested in a potential buyout.

As a result, the Community Development Department submitted an application for a grant worth $1.65 million to the SC Office of Resilience to hopefully obtain funds to make this a reality for those property owners. The funds would cover the costs of the sale, asbestos testing, demolition, etc.

The procedure of that buyout process would largely be the same as the one in the Socastee focus area.

The county is hoping to hear back on the status of the grant by the end of October.

HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WMBF) – A roadside zoo that is at the center of a lawsuit surrounding its treatment of animals is permanently closed, according to federal court documents.

The closure comes after tips came into WMBF News last week, stating that it was closed and animals were being transferred. WMBF News reached out to the business located along Enterprise Road in the Socastee area but was told that it was closed for the season.

But federal documents filed by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) on Monday, Sept. 12 tell a different story.

PETA filed a lawsuit in April against Waccatee Zoo, claiming that the zoo violates the federal Endangered Species Act and South Carolina’s public nuisance law, by confining and exhibiting over 460 animals in poor conditions. The lawsuit also alleges that it has received over 150 complaints from the public about the roadside zoo.

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In a newly-filed emergency motion, PETA states that it had been in “good faith” talks with Waccatee Zoo to settle the litigation until the zoo went radio silent over the summer.

PETA stated that it started receiving tips similar to the ones that WMBF News received about the zoo being closed and animals being seen transferred out. The documents show that Lexie Jordan and Matthew Howard, who are plaintiffs in the federal lawsuit, went by Waccatee Zoo and confirmed that animals were missing.

A private investigator hired by PETA also took pictures of what PETA claims to be animal transfers.

When PETA reached out to the Waccatee Zoo, the attorney for the roadside zoo confirmed on Saturday, Sept. 10 that the zoo had closed. The letter states that the ongoing expense of the litigation and other factors led to the decision.

The email also stated that animals were moved to Zootastic Park of Lake Norman which is located in Troutman, N.C.

PETA stated in the documents that “this is particularly concerning because of Zootastic’s atrocious record of animal care.” The animal rights organization stated that the USDA has found animal deaths and injuries, animal escapes, animal attacks on both humans and other animals, inadequate veterinary care and unsafe and unsanitary environments at Zootastic Park.

“Shipping animals from one shabby outfit to the next prolongs their pain, and in this case, it blocks PETA from gathering evidence about these animals’ suffering,” says PETA Foundation General Counsel for Captive Animal Law Enforcement Brittany Peet. “This is a shady stunt designed to keep abused animals from receiving the care they desperately need.”

The emergency motion that was filed by PETA is seeking a court order that prohibits further transfers, requires Waccatee Zoo to account for the whereabouts of the animals and imposes sanctions against the roadside zoo.

Copyright 2022 WMBF. All rights reserved.

HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WPDE) — More homes could be coming to Socastee along the Intracoastal Waterway.

On Tuesday night Horry County Council met to discuss changing some land rules that could lead to new development in the Socastee area.

They unanimously passed the second reading of the ordinance.

The area of land is located along Socastee Boulevard and Folly Road.

The ordinance council is considering removes a "spoils easement" on the land that didn't allow the land owner to develop on it. The easement was put in place by the federal government in the 1930s so the land could be used as a place for dredging materials to be placed when the Intracoastal Waterway was being built.

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Horry County Councilman Bill Howard said since the land is no longer used for that purpose, there is no reason for the county to keep the easement there, especially since the land owner requested its removal.

"They never have used the spoilage area, so after the federal government came to us several years ago and turned it back over to the county, the county has a responsibility to turn it back over to the original landowners," explained Howard.

If this passes a third reading , the ordinance would allow the land owner, JDR Square LLC, to build up to 400 homes on the land along Socastee Boulevard and Folly Road.

This is a development Councilman Howard said county doesn't have a say in.

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He said, "The zonings or what can be built has already been zoned for housing."

Councilman Howard said they're just doing their part in lifting the rule that didn't previously allow development on the land and Horry County Councilman, Johnny Vaught, said this change is long overdue.

"We've been looking at these things, the core of engineers has been looking at them almost since I've been on council, back six or seven years, and knowing that it was gonna happen at some point in time because they don't have any more need for that property and that makes it a valuable property for development," said Vaught.

County officials said at a recent meeting in January the rezoning was originally for 1,500 home but they reduced it to 400.

Councilman Howard said this may be due to protected wetlands or graveyards within the land.

For the third straight year, Wando and Socastee will meet in the Class AAAAA girls state tennis playoffs with the winner positioned to make a run at a state championship.

Tuesday’s second-round contest at Wando (set for 5 p.m.) kicks off a week of high school playoff action as girls’ tennis, golf and volleyball head toward state championship competitions.

Elsewhere in girls’ tennis on Oct. 25, Conway is at West Ashley in Class AAAAA; Lucy Beckham is at home in the Class AAAA playoffs against West Florence, and James Island is slated to play at A.C. Flora; Darlington is at Philip Simmons in Class AAA; and Oceanside, Academic Magnet, Bishop England and Woodland begin play in the AA tournament.

In other playoff action on Oct. 25, the state AAAAA, AAAA and AAA state tournaments get underway in girls’ golf; and the second round of the Class AAAAA girls’ volleyball playoffs has Lexington at Summerville, Dutch Fork at Wando, Conway at Ashley Ridge and West Ashley at Carolina Forest.

Wando and Socastee have a history in girls’ tennis.

Socastee won two years ago in the Lower State final en route to winning its first state title. Wando won last year’s third-round meeting before losing to eventual champion Carolina Forest in the Lower State final.

This year’s meeting will feature contrasting lineups.

Socastee (11-4) is loaded with seven seniors and is led at No. 1 singles by defending AAAAA singles champion Brooke Rogers, the fifth-ranked senior in South Carolina according to tennisrecruiting.net. Clemson, South Carolina, Georgia and North Carolina are all reportedly interested in signing the talented 5-9 right-hander.

After losing five seniors from last year’s team, Wando (17-2) is one of the youngest teams in the playoffs.

The Warriors, under first-year coach Bob Lang, have two middle-school students, two freshmen and a sophomore in its starting top five. They’re led by Reese Frank, a 6-foot righty ranked the No. 3 freshman in the state. Frank is 10-1 this season, her lone defeat coming at the hands of the state’s top player, Piper Charney of Lucy Beckham High.

Three newcomers have bolstered the roster — freshman Calli Casazza at No. 2, seventh-grader and Reese’s younger sister Ellie Frank at No. 3, and eighth-grader Mina Enright at No. 5. Collectively, the three are 30-16 in singles matches this season. Returning letterman Marissa Strickland, a sophomore at No. 4, rounds out the team’s singles lineup.

In doubles, the Warriors’ No. 2 duo of junior Lada Palygina and sophomore Abby Munsell are 10-1 this season. Their only loss was in a deciding tiebreaker at Ashley Hall.