County officials decided to cut salaries for all employees, in order to help with the county’s budget.

Some of the members of Silent Grove Missionary Baptist Church in the Loris area were presented with a resolution commemorating the church’s 139th anniversary at Tuesday’s Horry County Council meeting.

A proposed special event ordinance being considered by Horry County Council would mean anybody who wants to have an outdoor event in the county would have to pay a fee and get a permit.

Horry County Council wants to ‘scale-down’ the big motorcycle rallies.  At Tuesday’s meeting, council members voted 8-4 in favor of ordinances that put restrictions on rally vendors and anyone who wants to have an outdoor event in Horry County.

Horry County Council’s Public Safety Committee met Wednesday to decide the future of the Humane Society at the county’s animal shelter. Council has launched an investigation into the HCHS board of director’s handling of tax dollars.

Horry County officials took control of the county’s animal shelter Friday after the shelter closed Dec. 8 after a deadly canine virus led to 117 dogs being euthanized. Councilman Al Allen told News13 he wants the shelter audited and investigated.

Council members passed the first reading of Ordinance 02-09 that reads “regulating the county-wide collection and disposal of solid waste generated within Horry County and for the prohibition of the disposal of solid waste materials in any manner except as set for herein and providing penalties for violation thereof.”

Horry County councilman Al Allen told News13 he will ask county council to have the shelter audited before turning any tax dollars over to the Horry County Humane Society. Allen said the main issue between the shelter and the county is accountability. 

In the next several weeks, Horry County council will begin work on the 2009-2010 budgets. Council faces deficits while trying to staff a new county jail and growing demands on public safety.

The Horry County Humane Society’s Board of Directors met Wednesday night to address the outbreak of the deadly Canine Distemper Virus and when the shelter plans to reopen. Shelter officials said the problem stems from the lack of a facility to isolate animals in the shelter.

Horry County council chairwoman Liz Gilland spoke to the Horry County Humane Society Board Wednesday night just before all 9 members voted to fire shelter director Renee Macklen. Gilland called the distemper situation a “horrible” event.

An Horry County Councilman, charged in a prostitution sting, has been booked on additional charges.

Councilman Carl Schwartzkopf told News13 a committee was formed to meet with people he called the “stakeholders” in the bike rally events.

Horry County Council Chairman Liz Gilland said they can do a lot of projects on their own, but a lot they can’t and she thinks federal money will be more available now, than ever before.

Thursday, at an administrative committee meeting, Horry County Administrator Danny Knight said his staff would likely recommend property tax increases for next year’s budget.