The Opinion Blog

So Who Eats the Wasps?

Thursday’s second editorial takes on a more obscure topic: Fighting invasive species in South Carolina:

Students of S.C. agriculture know all too well the frustrations and problems brought to the South by the invasive kudzu bug. The Asian insects, which were first discovered in the U.S. in 2009, emit a foul odor and a stinging chemical. In colder months they can invade homes and vehicles. They feast on legumes such as soybeans and can reduce a farmer’s soybean yields by as much as 60 percent.

'You're Worth Your Dreams'

Tuesday’s editorial, on efforts to limit risky sexual behavior by teens:

Forrest Alton has a message for Horry County: “Pay attention.”

The CEO of the S.C. Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy is hoping to build up an Horry County that takes the issue of teenage preganancy and risky sexual behaviors seriously and isn’t afraid to step in when needed.

Waccamaw Center Puts Mentally Ill on 'Path to Recovery'

Wednesday’s editorial is a peek inside the workings of the local mental health agency, which shamefully is funded by two of the three counties it represents (Georgetown and Williamsburg) but not by Horry County (where most of its emergency cases come from). But I digress. That’s not really what the editorial’s focused on:

Maintaining appropriate body weight and handling personal finances are typically concerns of folks who have mental illness and are going through recovery, so those topics will be covered at the first recovery conference of the Waccamaw Center for Mental Health. “It’s a new deal for us,” – and an event envisoned as happening in future years, says Linda Wright of the Waccamaw Center.

In the Horry Garbage Trenches

Sunday’s editorial attempts to explain why normal folks might want to pay attention to the flow control debate that’s been consuming local politicians:

Your trash disappears each week like clockwork. Leave it by the curb or throw it in the Dumpster and it’s gone in the morning. Most of us don’t care that much about how it happens as long as it takes place.

So why should Horry County residents care about the knock-down, drag-out fight taking place over the county’s trash management rules? A couple of reasons. First because it’s your money being used to wage this fight. Second, because our leaders’ time and energy are not infinite, and the vast amounts of energy expended on dealing with local garbage means less to spend on other issues.

Grace Ministries Golf Fundraiser Needs Sponsors

Some folks just need a ride, and Wednesday’s editorial lends a voice to the great group that’s trying to provide it:

Charity golf tournaments are a lot of work; just ask anyone who has ever been involved in these favorite Grand Strand fundraisers, but the outings can be financially rewarding for nonprofit organizations such as Grace Ministries / Neighbor to Neighbor. Andrew Vovou and B. J. Bryant, co-chairmen of the seventh annual Grace Ministries Golf Tournament April 27 in Pawleys Island, are looking for corporate sponsors that will help make the fundraiser as successful as last year’s tournament, which netted about $12,000.

Wellness Council Spreads Message of Health

Tuesday’s second editorial highlights the good work of one of the lesser known nonprofits in the area:

Kristi Falk is on a mission: “to get people in the area healthier.”

The former owner of a health food store in Conway, Falk parlayed that experience first into five years of putting on the Wellness Expo of Myrtle Beach at the city’s convention center. From there, she founded the Wellness Council for South Carolina in 2006. The nonprofit council seeks to teach local residents how to be healthy people in all aspects of their lives, whether nutrition or recycling, exercise or emotions.

It's Time to Talk Guns

Thursday’s editorial wades into the national debate on gun control in the wake of the Newtown, Conn., school shooting, offering what we hope are some common sense thoughts on the hot-button issue:

Let’s get one thing straight, right off the bat. Nobody’s seriously talking about getting rid of all of the nation’s guns, at least nobody who’s spent more than a scintilla of time looking at the issue of gun violence in our country.

The horrific, senseless violence visited last week upon the innocent children of Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn., defies easy answers. Yet confronted with tragedy such as this, two questions naturally follow: Why did it happen, and how to we keep it from happening again?

Teen Pregnancy: Still Too High



It’s time for a new focus on reducing teen pregnancy in Horry County, as Friday’s editorial explains:

Forrest Alton thinks we’ve forgotten “the ‘yeah, but’ part” when it comes to teen pregnancy.

The CEO of the S.C. Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy pointed out last week that S.C. residents often have that sort of cynical gut reaction on hearing all sorts of good news from our communities. Teen pregnancy successes, for some reason, often get a pass.

HGTC: Spreading Smiles



HGTC’s new dental education facility is good news in multiple ways, as Thursday’s editorial explains:

Talking with The Sun News’ editorial board in February, HGTC President Neyle Wilson said the local college was having to be “really, really selective” in choosing which programs to pursue, particularly in health care, because of declining state and federal aid. With that in mind, the opening in June of the school’s Robert E. Speir Healthcare Education Center, and particularly the building’s dental center, is a wonderful example of targeted, smart choices by those in charge.

Extend the Smoking Limits



Update: Now even the electronic cigarettes aren't looking so safe:

 

Thursday’s second editorial urges more municipalities to consider public smoking limits:

North Myrtle Beach’s new public smoking limits are poised to go into effect March 7, and the efforts of health advocates should now turn to the other municipalities in our area. Myrtle Beach leaders have said multiple times in recent months that they have no desire to go down that path any time soon, but they’re hardly the only ones still sitting out the fight against the deadly habit.

We’re looking at you, Conway, Aynor, Loris, Georgetown, Andrews and Pawleys Island, not to mention Horry and Georgetown counties. You’re all overdue for action on this public safety issue.