Aerial search over Pee Dee River for Angie Pipkin

Aerial search over Pee Dee River for Angie Pipkin

The State Law Enforcement Division is using its helicopter to fly over the Great Pee Dee River in Darlington County Thursday in search of the body of Angie Pipkin, 32, of Horry County.

It is believed her body was thrown in the river. 

Her family reported her missing on January 22.

Randy Robinson,47, is charged with Pipkin's murder. 

Police say he killed her and dumped her dismembered body in river.

The CUE Center for Missing Persons and the Darlington County Sheriff's Office will conduct a massive search for Pipkin's body at the river on this Saturday.

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CCU's Gary Gilmore wins 1,000th

CCU's Gary Gilmore wins 1,000th

Coastal Carolina beat Presbyterian 4-3 in 13 innings on Thursday afternoon at Pelicans Ballpark in Myrtle Beach. The victory was the 1,000th in the 25-year career of CCU head baseball coach Gary Gilmore.

Connor Owings drove in the game-winning run in the bottom of the 13th to score Reid Moman.

CCU improved to an overall record of 18-21. The Chants are now 9-7 in Big South Conference play.

Game two of the three-game series between CCU and Presbyterian will be played on Friday at Noon at Pelicans Ballpark.

From goccusports.com:

GARY GILMORE’S MILESTONE WINS

Win        Date                           Opponent                           Score

1              GM 1, 1990             Presbyterian                       W, 10-0

100         Feb. 22, 1992           East Tennessee State        W, 7-0

200         Mar. 19, 1994          Columbus State                 W, 4-2

300         May 2, 1997             Liberty                                W, 5-0

400         May 16, 2000          Winthrop                             W, 4-2

500         Feb. 22, 2003           Delaware                            W, 4-2

600         April 2, 2005            at Texas-Pan America     W, 5-2

700         May 15, 2007           at #5 Virginia                    W, 11-7

800         May 16, 2009          Charleston Southern         W, 3-1

900         May 27, 2011          Liberty                                 W, 3-2

1,000     April 17, 2014         Presbyterian                        W, 4-3 (13)

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SCDOT approves study into whether I-73 should be a toll road

SCDOT approves study into whether I-73 should be a toll road

The South Carolina Department of Transportation Commissioners agreed unanimously Thursday afternoon to move ahead with a study to see if Interstate 73 should be a toll road to help pay for the interstate.

The tolls would be collected where the new interstate would intersect with I-95, so supporters say it would be mostly tourists who pay the tolls.

I-73 has been in the works for the past 24 years. It would run from Michigan to Myrtle Beach.

Cindy Osborn is a native of Myrtle Beach. She says the roads are inadequate for the area.

"I had to sit in traffic just to get her (daughter) out to the tech for two hours worth of classes, and it took forever. It should have been done 20 years ago," said Osborn.

Brad Dean with the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce says I-73 has been a top priority.

"We've had over $100 million secured for I-73 up to this date, both in Federal Highway Bill, federal Tiger Grants, and also state funding," said Dean.

However, much more money is needed to build the interstate.

"Still the question remains though how do you pay for I-73 and whether or not tolls are a part of that. We don't know, but the study will tell us," said Dean.

One criteria of the approved study will show how much the tolls should be.

"Presumably this would be tolls paid for people coming down I-95 who would connect with I -73," said Dean.

Osborn says she's all for tolls, if that's what it takes.

"People want to come here and visit, I think they need to help pay for the roads. They're putting all the weight on the roads and they're putting all the extra traffic on the roads."

Dean wanted to be sure to point out, the tolls would only be on I-73 and would not affect traffic on I-95.

The DOT commissioners also decided Thursday to request a $30 million Tiger Grant from the federal government to help pay for the interstate.

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Replicas of Columbus’ ships arrive in Georgetown

Replicas of Columbus’ ships arrive in Georgetown

Replicas of Christopher Columbus’ ships the Nina and Pinta, are docked at the Harborwalk Marina in Georgetown for public tours.

The ships docked on Wednesday and will remain in Georgetown through Sunday. The ships are open for tours from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day.

The Nina is an exact replica of Columbus' ship with a 65 foot deck at 75 tons and has a sailing area of 1,919 square feet. The Pinta is longer and wider than the original with an 85 foot deck at 101 tons and has a sailing area of 3,800 square feet. The event is sponsored by The Columbus Foundation of the British Virgin Islands. The foundation is supported by tour fees.

The purpose of the foundation is to educate the public on the type of ship Columbus used in his exploration mission in 1492. The ships tour ten months a year to about 40 different locations around the nation. The third of Columbus' ships, the Santa Maria, is much larger and would need twice as much water depth so it is not on the tours.

Guided tours last about 30 minutes. Teachers and organizations interested in tours should call 787 672 2152 or email columfnd1492@gmail.com, for information.

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Saturday Wish List for the Myrtle Beach area

Saturday Wish List for the Myrtle Beach area

Donations: Surfside PX Thrift Store seeks donations for store. Proceeds to benefit veterans. Drop off at 1200 Surfside Industrial Park, Surfside Beach. Call 839-5558 or visit www.surfsidepx.org to arrange pick-up, hours 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

Donations/volunteers: Family Outreach of Horry County is in need of baby and toddler summer clothing sizes, newborn to 5T new or gently used, diapers sizes 3, 4, 5, 6 and pull ups, baby wipes, baby wash, baby bottles, diaper rash cream, copy paper, HP 61 and HP 950 printer cartridges, board members and monetary donations. Call 234-2350.

Volunteers: Heartland Hospice needs volunteers to make friendly visits to patients, provide office help, assist with marketing efforts, raise funds and work on special projects. Whatever your talents and however much time you can generously offer, we want to talk to you. Training is free and at your convenience. Call 248-2061.

Donations: Friends of Abandoned Cats is in need of sellable items for annual garage sale to be held from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. May 23-24. Proceeds benefit the spay and neuter program and re-homing abandoned cats. Call 995-5480 for pick up or drop off items at 67 Massick Lane, Pawleys Island.

Donations: Bi-Lo has launched the fifth annual PAWS “Feed the Love” donation program to benefit area food banks and nonprofit partners dedicated to eliminating hunger for pets in the local community. Now through April 29, customers can purchase a $5 pre-packaged bag of pet food with their My Bi-Lo Bonuscard or give a monetary donation of their choice at any Bi-Lo store register.

Volunteers: Guardian ad Litem program is in need of volunteers to help abused and neglected children in the area. You would be assigned a case where you could become the voice for that child. You must be 21, have no criminal history, and not appear on the child abuse registry. You would be provided with a 30-hour training class for free that would ensure you have the necessary information to do the job. To volunteer call 347-9750, visit the South Carolina Guardian ad Litem website www.scgal.org or www.oepp.sc.gov/gal.

Donations: Waccamaw Animal Rescue Mission is in need of donations for upcoming yard sale fundraiser to be held June 7 and 8 at the Carolina Forest Storage – directly across from Carolina Forest, next to Dick’s Pawn Shop. For drop-offs only, call 347-3463. All donations must be in clean, salable condition. No adult clothing and no electronics. For pickups call: Myrtle Beach area – 855-1103, 434-841-9425, 333-7420, 902-2456; south end – 215-4397, 213-1339, 455-0808; Conway/Carolina Forest area – 808-281-6108, 333-7420; Little River/NMB/Calabash, N.C. – 399-6013, 272-8575, 434-841-9425. Deadline for donations is May 31. All proceeds go directly to the care of rescued animals.

Donations: Boys & Girls Club of the Grand Strand is in need of car wash supplies, packs of adult-size white T-shirts, tie dye kits, poster board, paint, flour, baby oil, white vinegar, club soda, washable paint, beads, tissue paper, vinyl table cloths, gummy bears, construction paper, white cardstock paper, glue, crayons, and Legos. Call 712-1977.

Donations: Friends of the Socastee Library is now accepting donations of slightly used books to be sold at the Socastee Heritage Festival. Call 504-4536 or 294-1271.

Donations: The N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher is accepting fishing rod donations to help those in need. Drop off rods and reels between 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, Visitor Services, 900 Loggerhead Road, Kure Beach, N.C. 910-458-8257 or twotoadfish@aol.com.

Hospice volunteers: Caris Healthcare needs patient care, administrative and special project volunteers who are willing to give of their time and talents to those who need it most. All training is provided and schedules are flexible. Call 349-4400.

Donations: Bikini Beach Cat Rescue is need donations of cat food, large to small bags of name brand cat and kitten food, towels and financial donations for the spay/neuter clinics. Tax-deductible receipts are available for donations of $25 or more. Call 655-7881 for food and towel drop-off sites. Donations can be mailed to: Bikini Beach Cat Rescue, P.O. Box 15664, Surfside Beach, SC 29587. We are always looking for new volunteers for fundraisers.

Donations: Operation Warm-up is in need of clothing, blankets, coats, bottled water and non-perishable food items. Drop off donations at Grand Strand Community Church, 3820 Holmestown Road, Myrtle Beach or call 359-6831.

Volunteers, foster parents and/or donations: Kare Team Sanctuary is in need of volunteers who can be committed to one or two afternoons per week for two to three hours. Foster homes are also needed. Donations of food, treats, toys, cleaning supplies, laundry detergent are always needed. Call 399-9290.

Donations: North Strand Housing Shelter is in need of quart and gallon-size freezer bags, toilet paper, disinfectant spray and wipes, air freshener spray, select-a-size paper towels, heavy-duty paper bowls and plates, dryer sheets, all-purpose cleaner, sugar, tea, masking tape, copy paper, notebooks, staple guns, permanent marking pens and scotch tape. Items may be dropped off at Mattress Direct, Gator Hole Plaza, U.S. 17, North Myrtle Beach. Call 756-9488 or visit www.northstrandhousingshelter.org.

Volunteers/donations: Prayer Shawl ministry is in need of yarn and volunteers to knit or crochet, shawls, blankets, hats, lap robes for area hospitals, hospice and veterans. We meet from 9:30-11:30 a.m. every Wednesday, the Veterans Cafe, 35454 Northgate Drive, Northgate Plaza, Socastee. Call 860-690-4868 or 655-7208.

Volunteers/donations: The Salvation Army of Horry County is in need of volunteers at the family stores, donations, customers, e-news “partners” and advertising opportunities. Call 381-8080 for donation pickup or 488-2769 to volunteer. Visit www.tsahorry.org.

Volunteers: The Therapy Dog Program gets many requests for visits and can use more dog/handler teams. To get involved, call 910-575-6476 or apply online at www.canineangelsservicedogs.org/volunteer-application. Email Canine Angels at info@canineAngelsServiceDogs.org.

Donations: Boys and Girls Club of the Grand Strand/Teen Center is in need of dry erase markers and erasers, dry erase cleaner, washable markers, artificial flowers for art projects, colored spoons, super glue, notebook paper, dry clay, craft pom poms, jump drives, notebook dividers, white socks, clothes pins, winter gloves, podium, decorative wall hangings, gently used sofas, curtains, storage bins, shelves or shelving. Call 712-1977 or drop off at 1404 Carver St., Myrtle Beach.

Volunteers: Meals on Wheels needs volunteer drivers for additional route in Surfside Beach, Murrells Inlet and Conway. Call 340-5982.

Donations: Friends of Surfside Library needs paperback or hardback books, children’s books, puzzles, DVDs and CDs for monthly book sale. Leave at the circulation desk or call 238-5869 or 238-5032 for pick up. No textbooks, magazines or encyclopedias.

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Myrtle Beach shopping days set for Easter weekend, business participation unclear

Myrtle Beach shopping days set for Easter weekend, business participation unclear

Grand Strand residents and tourists are encouraged to head to Myrtle Beach businesses this weekend for 72 hours of sales during “Myrtle Beach Shopping Days,” but it’s unclear which businesses are participating.

Businesses in Myrtle Beach can participate in the city-wide shopping days event – from Friday to Sunday, where certain regulations are relaxed to allow businesses to promote three days of sales.

City spokesman Mark Kruea said since permits are not required to hold the sales this weekend, he was unaware how many businesses plan to participate, if any.

“It’s still new enough that the business community has not seized on the opportunity the way the city would have liked it to,” he said.

According to a resolution approved by the Myrtle Beach City Council in July, the “Myrtle Beach Shopping Days” will be held Easter weekend and the weekend after Thanksgiving.

During the shopping days, businesses are allowed to have outdoor displays and sales on portions of private walkways, sidewalks and parking lots as well as up to 32 square feet of additional signage, according to the resolution.

The dates were suggested by the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business Council and Membership Committee, according to the ordinance.

It is unclear how many businesses are taking part in the shopping days because the chamber also does not track participation, said Diana Greene, executive vice president of membership programs and services for the chamber.

The council approved an ordinance in 2012 that relaxed business regulations for two 72-hour periods each year, which could be held at any time of the year. Businesses must apply for a free permit with the city in order to hold the three-day sale, Kruea said. These two 72-hour periods are in addition the city-wide shopping days.

Though more likely during the Thanksgiving holiday, the resolution also allows shoppers to camp on site for up to 24 hours before the first shopping day in each of the two sets of Myrtle Beach Shopping Days, as long as the property owner allows it.

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Sharing of location

Sharing of location

NEW YORK — Facebook users in the U.S. will soon be able to see which of their friends are in close proximity by using a new feature the company is launching on Thursday.

Called “Nearby Friends,” the optional tool will only be available to people who choose to turn it on. The feature uses your smartphone’s GPS system to tell your Facebook friends you are nearby – provided they have the feature turned on. Rather than share your exact location, it will only show that you are nearby, say, within half a mile.

If you like, you can manually share a more precise location with a specific friend you’d like to meet up with. Friends can see where you’re located in a particular park, airport or city block. By default, your exact location will only be shared for an hour, although you can change this.

The Nearby Friends feature will be turned off by default, so people shouldn’t expect to broadcast their location unknowingly to their Facebook friends and acquaintances. It also won’t be available to users under 18, said Andrea Vaccari, product manager at Facebook who has been working on Nearby Friends for the past two years. He says the tool “makes it easy to join your friends in the real world.” If you want to.

The feature has a lot of built-in precautions. Facebook, whose motto has long been “move fast and break things,” is trying a different approach with Nearby Friends as it tries to avoid privacy fiascos that often bubble up when it makes changes to its service. The new motto, “ship love,” is evident in the deliberate, cautious rollout of Nearby Friends, says Jules Polonetsky, director of the Future of Privacy Forum, an industry-backed think tank in Washington who’s advised Facebook on privacy issues – including the latest feature.

He thinks Facebook is showing “a deeper appreciation that with a billion users, any change needs to be implemented in a way that doesn’t surprise the audience.” Especially when it comes to privacy, especially when it comes to location-sharing.

“Once you start bringing this to a mass audience, you need to be cautious,” Polonetsky said. “So inadvertent oversharing is not possible.”

Of course, all the safeguards and slow rollout mean that most users won’t have the feature available right away on Thursday but rather in the coming weeks and months. Initially it will go to people who are likely to appreciate it, Vaccari says, such as people who have “checked in” to various restaurants, bars or other locations using Facebook.

Unlike with its Messenger app, Facebook isn’t forcing people to use Nearby Friends. Therefore, there is a possibility it won’t catch on widely. Vaccari is optimistic that it will. He joined Facebook when the company acquired Glancee, his startup service for meeting nearby people who have friends and interests in common.

Facebook’s employees have been testing Nearby Friends since it’s been in development, and Vaccari cites examples of the feature’s assisted serendipity, like when two people landed at the airport at the same time from different flights, saw that they did through Nearby Friends and shared an Uber ride home together. Then there was the time two were out shopping alone in San Francisco and joined forces after seeing that their co-worker was nearby.

Nearby Friends, Vaccari says, is not really for the five to 10 close friends you have, the ones you feel comfortable texting or calling up to hang out. For these people, you “don’t need a product,” he says. But for the other 20, 30 or more, the ones you enjoy spending time with but wouldn’t necessarily call, Nearby Friends may provide the extra push.

Nearby Friends launches amid the growing popularity of location-based mobile dating apps such as Tinder and Hinge. But unlike those apps, Facebook’s feature will only let you meet up with people who are already your friends. Users who sign up will be shown a short tutorial on how the feature works. In addition to friends who are in close proximity, users can also see which of their friends are traveling, and in general which friends are using the feature even if they are not nearby. Facebook says there are no current plans to draw advertising revenue from Nearby Friends.

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Coastal Carolina’s Gilmore earns 1,000th career win

Coastal Carolina’s Gilmore earns 1,000th career win

Gary Gilmore never has been one to hide his true thoughts or emotions during his 19 years as Coastal Carolina University’s baseball coach.

His frank sincerity almost always reveals what is laying – or simmering – beneath the surface. Whether it be the abject frustration for a game that got away, his appreciation for a player’s personal success story or his own pride for what Chanticleer baseball has become these last two decades, there’s never any ambiguity.

So it was clear Thursday afternoon just how much it meant to Gilmore to have earned his 1,000th career victory – becoming the 50th NCAA Division I head coach to reach the milestone – with his family attending at TicketReturn.com Field.

“I actually hadn’t thought about it until [getting No. 999] there at Radford on Sunday and driving down the road there for six hours,” he said a few minutes after being doused with a cooler full of water by his players following the Chants’ come-from-behind 4-3 win over Presbyterian in 13 innings.

“And I’ve got three very important people that I have to say thank you to that this would not have been possible without them,” he continued, acknowledging his faith in God, the support of his wife Cathy and the lessons imparted by his father Richard, who died last month.

With that, he aimed his eyes toward the sky for a moment as they began to glisten and said, “This is special, Dad. This is for you too, Dad.”

“So much of what I know in baseball I learned from him,” Gilmore said of his father, with that emotion welling in his voice. “So much of the philosophies and the things I believe in that have served me so well in my life, I learned virtually every one of those from him. I’m so sorry he wasn’t here to see this because he was counting them down and it just didn’t work out.”

But Cathy was there with their son Chance – a former Coastal Carolina standout – and Gilmore’s young grandson, who he held while posing for pictures afterward.

The players, who wanted to deliver the milestone win as soon as possible for their coach, joined in a tight embrace with Gilmore between home plate and the third base dugout after soaking him with the water cooler.

“We knew coming into the year we had an opportunity to be part of his 1,000th win, and that’s a big deal,” sophomore infielder Connor Owings said after coming through with the game-winning hit. “That’s an outstanding honor for him. He’s a great coach, and nobody else deserves this like him.”

Of the famed names who make up the special coaching club to which Gilmore now belongs, he is one of 16 active coaches to reach that 1,000-win mark. And even in the midst of a frustrating season that has been marred by injuries, the accomplishment – which will be formally recognized in a pre-game ceremony Saturday – is yet another highlight in a celebrated year for Chanticleer athletics that has seen the football program reach new heights in the FCS playoffs and the men’s basketball program reach the NCAA tournament for the first time in 21 years.

Before all of that happened, Gilmore’s baseball program perennially put Coastal Carolina on the national college sports radar.

With the win, he improved to a record of 747 wins and 387 losses in his 19 seasons at Coastal Carolina after going 253-102-2 in six years at Division II USC Aiken, where he got his coaching start. He’s taken the Chants to the NCAA regionals in 12 of the last 13 seasons with two super regional appearances along the way while building a nationally competitive program from relatively humble origins.

And as he would later sit in the seats down the third base line reflecting at length on his career, he emphasized what it meant to him to accomplish all this at Coastal Carolina – his alma mater.

“Ever since the day I played here, this was my dream job,” Gilmore said.

As he tells the story, he took a $9,000 pay cut when he left USC Aiken to take over in Conway and didn’t tell his wife until afterward, and he surely left considerably more money on the table years ago when he passed on the chance to take over at Auburn.

His legacy is at Coastal, and it only keeps growing.

“I’m personally thrilled, and on behalf of the entire Coastal Carolina community I’m thrilled that he’s reached such a significant milestone,” said Matt Hogue, the university’s interim athletic director and former longtime play-by-play voice.

“He’s brought so much positive exposure and attention to our school with the winning, and that’s been terrific. But what makes it a bonus is knowing that Gilley is an alumnus, has poured his heart and soul into this school and he really bleeds teal.”

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Myrtle Beach area tourism promoter and critic Donald Wizeman found dead of apparent suicide

Myrtle Beach area tourism promoter and critic Donald Wizeman found dead of apparent suicide

Donald G. Wizeman, whose tourism and marketing accomplishments were often overshadowed by his stinging criticism of Myrtle Beach area business leaders, was found dead Tuesday of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. He was 69 years old.

According to a report in The Baltimore Sun newspaper, Wizeman fatally shot himself inside an emergency room bathroom at the hospital. He was found with a gunshot wound to his chest shortly after midnight Tuesday morning, Baltimore police told the newspaper.

Wizeman’s wife, Kay Sherfick-Wizeman, told The Sun News that she had no indication her husband was planning to kill himself. The couple, who lived in Virginia Beach, Va., had been together for 40 years and were married a year ago in Camden County, N.C.

“I thought he was going up there to check on a job,” she said. “I had no clue this was going to happen.”

Sherfick-Wizeman said there will be no funeral services for her husband, according to his wishes.

Wizeman was well-known in the Grand Strand’s tourism community, both for his innovative marketing ideas as well as for his biting wit, which often got him into trouble.

“All my life I have been like that kid in the Hans Christian Andersen story who, while everyone was fawning over the naked emperor’s non-existent ‘new clothes,’ piped up and exclaimed, ‘But he doesn’t have anything on’,” Wizeman said in an email to The Sun News earlier this month. “I have always known that I am my worst and my only real enemy, and while I certainly have regrets, none are related to how I have conducted my business nor what I have said about how others conduct themselves or their business.”

Horry County Councilman Marion Foxworth, who considered Wizeman a friend even though they worked against each other on political issues, called Wizeman “hard-headed and stubborn, but also something of a visionary.”

Foxworth pointed to Wizeman’s formation in 1987 of the United States-Japan Golf Association, which promoted golf in this area and elsewhere to Japanese tourists and businesses, as an idea that was ahead of its time. The Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce and other groups only recently have started promoting this area to Asian countries, which are seen as lucrative, up-and-coming tourism markets.

Chip Smith, owner of the TPC of Myrtle Beach golf course, said Wizeman was “passionate” about Myrtle Beach and wanted to see this area succeed.

“He cared a lot about it to the point where he was a little obsessed with the town and where it’s going,” said Smith, who became friends with Wizeman through his work in the Grand Strand’s golf industry. “I was sad to get the call.”

Wizeman in 2005 also formed Myrtle Beach Forward, a consortium of area business leaders working to leverage advertising dollars to compete with larger tourism destinations, such as Orlando, Fla. The hotel owners in that group agreed to impose a $1-per-night fee to guests that would be given to the chamber for marketing purposes. It’s an idea the chamber continues to use to supplement its annual marketing budget.

“I’m saddened to hear about Don Wizeman’s death,” Brad Dean, the chamber’s president, said in a statement. “Don always held strong and passionate views about golf, tourism, politics and the Myrtle Beach area in general. He was involved in a number of business ventures throughout the years and genuinely believed the Myrtle Beach area held great potential as both a community and a resort destination. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.”

As much as he worked to promote tourism, Wizeman also was a frequent critic of this area’s tourism leaders, including Dean, and his antics sometimes bordered on the level of juvenile pranks. For example, he once bought the Internet domain for Myrtle Beach developer Burroughs & Chapin Co. Inc. and then linked the site to a web page featuring the FBI’s “Most Wanted” list.

In 2004, Wizeman started writing an Internet blog called “Myrtle Beach Insider” under the pseudonym “The Watchman.” The blog skewered area politicians, educators and business leaders with acid-tinged, sometimes mean-spirited – while, at the same time, often hilarious – diatribes.

The anonymous watchman was unmasked in 2007 after a post criticizing Coastal Carolina University officials ended with the phrase: “where is my shotgun, my bucket of tar and bag of chicken feathers?” CCU officials said they took the post as a threat and contacted the State Law Enforcement Division, whose investigators got Wizeman to admit to his authorship of the blog. No charges were ever brought against Wizeman.

Two years later, Scott Brandon – chief executive officer of The Brandon Agency advertising firm in Myrtle Beach – obtained a $1.8 million libel judgment against Wizeman for a post that referred to Brandon as a “failed lawyer.” The two sides eventually negotiated a confidential settlement.

Shortly afterward, Wizeman moved back to his hometown of Virginia Beach, where he did occasional consulting work until his death.

Wizeman began his marketing career in the late 1960s, creating the Virginia Beach Forever public service advertising campaign to foster business interest in that city. In 1970, Wizeman started a company called Rent A Girl Ltd., which offered escorts for visiting businessmen to take to parties, conventions and sales meetings in the Virginia Beach area.

He also tried his hand at movies, serving as executive producer of a film called “Moonchild,” which starred John Carradine and had its world premier in Norfolk, Va., in 1972.

He moved to Myrtle Beach in 1980 to start a magazine geared toward tourists called “Grand Strand Guide” and produced this area’s first Beach Music Awards show, with host Wolfman Jack, in 1982 at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center. Wizeman started a golf course photography business in 1993, which lasted 14 years, and was hired by Mississippi officials in the mid-1990s to coordinate tourism marketing efforts for the Biloxi/Gulfport region.

In an email to The Sun News several weeks ago, Wizeman joked that he once wanted to trade places with Hugh Hefner, the founder of Playboy magazine.

“But over the course of my life, and even in the darkest times, even now, there isn’t anyone that I’d trade places with – not one,” he said.

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S.C. Supreme Court ruling in Myrtle Beach-area case could help consumers in insurance disputes

S.C. Supreme Court ruling in Myrtle Beach-area case could help consumers in insurance disputes

A recent state Supreme Court decision could give consumers more leverage to fight insurance companies when a claim is denied based on ambiguous policy terms, but the court stopped short of allowing the broad, consumer-friendly protections adopted in some other states.

The justices ruled last week that trial courts statewide now can use a legal principle known as the doctrine of reasonable expectations when settling policy coverage disputes. The doctrine states that whenever an insurance policy’s terms are not clear, the dispute will be resolved according to what the consumer believes the policy states.

Previously, South Carolina courts were bound by strict interpretation of insurance policies based solely on the wording in the policy.

“This makes a big difference,” said Gene Connell, a Surfside Beach lawyer whose case led to the court’s decision. “They had never adopted this in South Carolina until now. The courts here used to look only at the language of the policy.”

While the ruling represents a philosophical shift for S.C. courts, the justices left no doubt that the doctrine is to be used sparingly.

“While we now hold that reasonable expectations may be used as another interpretive tool, the doctrine cannot be used to alter the plain terms of an insurance policy,” the justices wrote in their decision, adding “we decline to apply the doctrine where a contract of insurance unambiguously denies coverage under its plain terms.”

Charleston lawyer George Kefalos, who specializes in insurance law, said the ruling is a win for consumers but the doctrine of reasonable expectations probably won’t have the impact here that it’s had in other states.

“They limited its application here to only those instances where the policy is ambiguous,” Kefalos said. “In some states, it can override the terms of the policy.”

In Pennsylvania, for example, courts put heavy emphasis on a consumer’s expectations of insurance coverage and consider the language of the policy secondary, even in instances when that language is not ambiguous. In some instances, courts in that state have upheld coverage even when the wording of an insurance policy denies it.

Kefalos said the S.C. Supreme Court’s decision is an extension of a rule that’s been in place where if a policy can be interpreted two different ways the court will adopt the interpretation most favorable to the consumer.

South Carolina’s judicial system “has historically been consumer-oriented, and this is in keeping with that track record,” Kefalos said.

The case that led to the court’s ruling involved an Horry County man who was injured in an automobile accident while a passenger in a vehicle driven by a co-worker. There was no underinsured motorist coverage on the vehicle so the injured man submitted a claim under a separate policy that had been issued to his fiancee. The man and his fiancee were listed as drivers and household residents on the policy, but the man was not a “named insured” on the policy’s declarations page.

The man sued the insurance company, claiming the policy was ambiguous because it listed him as a driver but not as an insured person. A circuit court judge and the state Court of Appeals ruled against the man, saying he was not eligible for underinsured motorist coverage because he was not related to the policy’s owner, as required by the policy’s language. The man and the woman eventually broke off their engagement and never married.

While the state Supreme Court upheld the lower court’s ruling, the justices agreed to adopt the doctrine of reasonable expectations for other cases going forward.

“It was a case where we lost the battle, but we won the war,” Connell said.

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The big business of tracking home prices

The big business of tracking home prices

The dramatic collapse and recovery of home prices in recent years has stoked interest in the fate of housing, creating new fans for wonky price indexes formerly tracked mostly by the slide-rule set.

A company that provides much of that data has just completed a $750 million shopping spree, making it the 800-pound gorilla of real estate numbers.

In addition to producing its own monthly price index, CoreLogic of Irvine, Calif., now owns two other leading brands: The Case-Shiller home price indices and DataQuick Information Systems.

But the acquisition binge included much more than home-price trackers.

CoreLogic also bought a leading provider of building replacement costs, two new operations that track flood zone locations and a firm that forecasts disaster risks for property owners around the globe.

The combined operations give CoreLogic the ability to sell clients information about almost any property's past, present and future, said Olumide Soroye, CoreLogic's managing director for information solutions.

"This really is about a lot more than just the (home price) indices," Soroye said. "It's about the gold standard of data we can offer the industry on properties and their life cycle."

The acquisitions enhance the databases and analytical tools CoreLogic already sells. Those include technology to detect fraud and provide information on real estate transactions, mortgages, collateral, payment histories and property locations and features.

The firm's 10 biggest clients - mostly top banks - account for 29 percent of its revenue, the company has reported in public filings. Other clients include mortgage lenders and brokers, investors, real estate agents, insurance companies, property managers and government-sponsored enterprises such as Fannie Mae.

Last year, CoreLogic generated $1.3 billion in revenue, $591 million from its data and analytics division.

As money from services for mortgage lenders declines amid rising interest rates, CoreLogic is trying to increase revenue from the data and analytics side of its business.

"Builders and developers are interested. Lenders are interested. Hedge funds are interested," observed Bill McBride, author of Calculated Risk, a housing and finance blog followed by economists. "Clearly it has to provide good revenue for them. ... That's a big part of their business."

Data firms that include RealtyTrac, Zillow, DataQuick, Redfin and CoreLogic produce a host of housing market reports - distributed for free to the news media - to promote themselves.

Businesses are more likely to think of them when they need information about a particular deed or mortgage, or when buying data on specific markets or acquiring automated valuation models.

"The PR benefit is very large," said Richard Green, director of the University of Southern California's Lusk Center for Real Estate.

Data firms are careful not to provide free information that competes with products they sell, which includes loan-by-loan data and information that helps lenders detect fraud or determine which borrowers are greater default risks.

CoreLogic is one of the nation's biggest real-estate data firms, with 3.3 billion records covering 99 percent of U.S. properties over the past 40 years.

Records include the history of a parcel's owners, details on loan modifications, secondary market securities, real estate listings and transactions, Soroye said.

CoreLogic acquired DataQuick as part of a package of operations from Decision Insight Information Group for $661 million.

The deal also included the purchase of Marshall and Swift/Boeckh, which provides data on building replacement costs as well - information that's vital to insurance companies.

In December, CoreLogic spent $20.5 million on EQECAT Inc., an Oakland firm with an office in Irvine. The catastrophe modeling firm helps insurance companies around the world quantify their clients' exposure to disasters.

The combined data enables CoreLogic to create analytical tools that help businesses make better decisions, Soroye said.

CoreLogic can give clients information about a particular parcel: Where it is, what it is, what it's made of, who owned it, replacement value of structures and its exposure to earthquakes, floods, wind and fire. "As you know, big data is a big area right now, and we are sitting on the premier set of data around property," Soroye said.

CoreLogic clients can go online and order data, can buy a subscription that gives them access for a period of time or can seek a one-off purchase for a set of records.

Products include property databases - provided over the Internet or in bulk form - that clients can resell to their customers. Lenders can buy access to the company's Web portal to learn whether a single property - or a batch of properties - are located in flood zones.

For the near term, CoreLogic will keep its three home-price indexes separate, continuing to issue its Case-Shiller and DataQuick reports for free.

Eventually, however, CoreLogic will make improvements in all three indexes, with an eye toward developing more tools and products it can sell to property businesses.

"The sum (of those three indexes) is greater than the parts," Soroye said. The question for CoreLogic, he said, "is how can we take all that and make it more powerful."

CORELOGIC'S SHOPPING SPREE:

The Case-Shiller Home Price Indices: Purchased from FiServ Inc. for $6 million in April 2013. The deal includes the monthly index tracking 20 key U.S. metro areas, plus a lesser known quarterly index covering about 100 U.S. cities.

Bank of America's flood zone determination and tax processing services operations: Purchased in July for $62.5 million. The tax operation makes sure that property tax payments are paid on behalf of mortgage services and during escrows.

EQECAT Inc.: Bought for $20.5 million in December. EQECAT provides catastrophic risk modeling to the insurance market.

Marshall and Swift/Boeckh: The firm was a key component in last month's $661 million acquisition from Decision Insight Information Group. It provides replacement costs for homes and buildings, information that's vital to insurance providers.

DataQuick Information Systems: Known in California for its monthly home price and sales reports, the firm also is a vendor of real estate data to mortgage lenders, banks and other private businesses, using data chiefly acquired from CoreLogic.

DataQuick Lender Solutions' credit and flood division: Another component of last month's $661 million purchase from Decision Insight.

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More homeowners are becoming first-time landlords

More homeowners are becoming first-time landlords

The real estate market has long worked on a simple system: If you want to buy a new house, sell the old one and use the equity for a down payment.

But the past few years of low ownership costs and rising rents have some move-up buyers trying a new approach: Buy the new house. Keep the old one. And rent it out.

Real estate firm Redfin recently asked 1,900 prospective home buyers nationwide what they planned to do with their old house when they bought a new one. As you'd expect, the majority said they would sell. But 39 percent said they'd rent it out. In Western markets that have seen big price growth lately, like Los Angeles, the percentage was even higher.

"We certainly didn't expect that," said Ellen Haberle, Redfin's real estate economist and the survey's author.

It's the first time that Redfin has conducted this kind of study. But real estate agents and property managers say they're seeing the same thing: a noticeable uptick in the number of home buyers who want to rent out their old place.

"We've had more calls in the last two months with situations like this than we've had in two years," said Trevor Henson, managing partner at First Light Property Management in Manhattan Beach, Calif. "It is definitely on the upswing."

If this trend holds, it could mean even fewer homes for sale in an already tight market. But for a certain type of homeowner, becoming a landlord could make a lot of sense.

Rents are up in parts of the country. Buyers who bought at the bottom of the market in 2009 got a bargain. Then came years of opportunity to refinance into record-low interest rates. That means many owners can rent out their home for more than it costs them each month, even with taxes and other ownership costs figured in.

With the tenant covering the note, they can build equity - especially if home prices continue to rise.

"It's a market-based decision," Henson said. "They know they can get really high rents right now. If I'm locked in on a 30-year fixed (mortgage) at 4 percent, and if home values are going up, it can make a lot of sense."

It did for Brian Darcy. The 36-year-old and his wife recently moved to North Carolina to be closer to her family. Instead of listing their three-bedroom in Manhattan Beach for sale, they signed with First Light and put it up for rent. Within a week they had a tenant and a lease that paid more than enough to cover the mortgage, Darcy said.

"The confluence of events kind of blew my mind," he said.

Darcy and his wife bought the house in 2010 and always planned to move to something bigger. With two growing children and regular visits from relatives, it was getting to be that time. But the houses they were eyeing in Manhattan Beach were going up in price just as fast as theirs was.

They had enough savings for a down payment in North Carolina, and he could work from there as easily as in California. So off they went. They're looking for houses now and finding that their money will go a lot farther in their new home.

The timing, Darcy said, couldn't have been better. He estimates that his house in Manhattan Beach is worth one-third more than he paid for it four years ago, and he refinanced into lower interest rates. Now rents are rising.

"We bought at a good time," Darcy said. "That's what makes the mechanics work."

Many of the new landlords are affluent and financially savvy, Haberle said. They're not necessarily in it for the long haul, but they see a chance to profit right now.

"These amateur landlords aren't people who are doing this for a living," she said. "They just kind of happened into this opportunity."

Vanessa Ginn, president of Platinum Property Management Group in Los Angeles, said she's seeing a lot more people considering the idea and looking for help. But being a landlord has its challenges, including fair housing laws, tenant screening and the potential for costly repairs. It can be particularly difficult for first-timers or homeowners who move out of town.

"You don't always know what's going on with the property," Ginn said. "Your tenant can tell you something that's going on that you can't see."

Still, Haberle said, many new landlords that Redfin's agents encounter are skipping the professional manager - and the fee they charge, typically 10 percent of the rent - and doing it on their own, perhaps with the help of a trusted neighbor. That's what Angela Smith is planning.

The TV show that Smith works on is moving soon - either to Chicago or Atlanta - and she's going with it. But if the show doesn't work out in the long term, Smith wants to be able to come back to her home in El Sereno, Calif.

"I'd like to hold it for a while and see where things go with work," she said. "I don't know that I'd be able to buy back in and get what I have."

Smith owes more on her home than it's worth, so selling her house would be tricky. But a mortgage modification lowered her monthly payment enough that she figures she can afford to rent it for $2,500, which is competitive in the neighborhood and enough to cover payments, taxes and upkeep. She's been painting the place and fixing it up, and one Craigslist ad generated half a dozen leads.

Smith's not yet sure if she's going to buy a house in her new town. That depends on how the job goes - and the landlording.

"It's nothing I would jump into," Smith said. "I need a little time see how well I can manage this."

The wait-and-see approach is common, Haberle said. The conditions that make renting attractive could easily change. If rents fall or home prices rise enough, selling could be the smarter play.

But some of these new landlords are playing a long game, like Darcy. He loved living in Manhattan Beach, and if he sold his house there now, he might not be able to buy another one in the future. His hope, he said, is to move back there someday - after he's collected rent for a good long time.

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One Myrtle Beach area offering is trying a new marketing strategy

One Myrtle Beach area offering is trying a new marketing strategy

Coldwell Banker Commercial Chicora Realty is taking an unusual marketing strategy for the 529.87 acres between S.C. 9 and U.S. 17 it has listed for sale.

No price is being advertised.

The property includes the former Bay Tree Golf Resort, and is being called Rivergrand in the sale.

It is a bank-owned multi-use development with in-place entitlements for 1,775 residential units and 600,000 square feet of commercial and office space. The residential units include 900 single-family homes, 600 multi-family and 275 units in a retirement community.

A new owner should be able to adapt the plan to their own preferences, according to Coldwell Banker Chicora.

Don Smith, president of Coldwell Banker Chicora, could not be reached for comment Friday.

But Laura Crowther, CEO of the Coastal Carolinas Association of Realtors, said Wells Fargo Bank has used the same strategy on properties it has sold in North Carolina.

The idea is to let the market determine the price, she said.

“It’s a different approach,” she said. “Not to say that it’s a bad one.”

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Kicks! Quicks | AJ’s in Myrtle Beach delivers (literally!)

Kicks! Quicks | AJ’s in Myrtle Beach delivers (literally!)

When it comes to life’s luxuries, for me, meal delivery is second only to room service. It’s like you’re out, when you’re in. You can dine upon things that you did not have the time, the talent, the ingredients nor the inclination to prepare – all while remaining in your pajamas.

So I was delighted with the opening of AJ’s, and hats off to them for including their phone number on their awning.

I rang immediately, and made the acquaintance of Ciji Blackwell, the proprietor, Dwayne Alcorn’s girlfriend. She, and his whole wheat pizza dough, are two of his best assets.

Blackwell takes customer service to a concierge level, and of said crust, foodie Lois Plaisted said, “That wheat crust, as my husband says, ‘If I was a dog, I’d roll in it ... [it is] to die for.’ ”

Suffice it to say, AJ’s is a new Tall family and friends’ fave. We have ordered at home, at work and sent lunch to colleagues.

From the appetizer menu, we have sampled their Southwest Chicken Spring Rolls, the Garlic Breadsticks and the wings.

The menu’s description of the rolls is sparse, and they are not what one might expect. Instead of an egg roll wrapper, the filling is encased in pizza dough. It is tasty and not eclipsed by being deep fried. The chicken, black beans, cheese, red and jalapeño peppers and spinach are snugged in a pig-in-a-blanketesque cocoon and baked. Expect to feel the heat, especially if you dip into the jalapeno ranch dressing.

As for the breadsticks, unfortunately, I found them irresistible.

I was also impressed with their wings. They were of generous size and hit that sweet spot of being neither too greasy nor too dry. Although purists may take exception with the fact that they are baked, I found them to be moist and tasty. The housemade ranch and blue cheese dressings are the perfect complements.

Of the salads, I will once again whinge about black olives instead of kalamatas on a Greek salad. I would also suggest the omission of the dried oregano seasoning, especially if you like your dressing on the side, as it has a bitterness that jars the palate unless it mixes with the dressing. Otherwise the portions are generous, and the artichoke hearts an unexpected bonus.

Therese Ciraulo opined that the spinach salad with roasted chicken was delicious with plenty of chicken, bacon and red onions for every bite of spinach.

My husband remarked upon the quality of the roll when we split a turkey and Swiss sub. The bread, made in-house, was fresh and remarkably tasty, and the accompanying pickle was crisp. We were equally pleased by the roast beef.

As for their hand-tossed, California style pizza, it is exceptional. I especially appreciate that is less greasy than others. I have yet to feel the urge to blot a single slice with a napkin.

True to it West Coast roots, you can adorn your hand-tossed Italian white or whole wheat pie with such non-traditional toppings as sliced apples, Pesto chicken, sun dried tomatoes, turkey, Ranch sauce, salsa, Swiss cheese, low-fat mozzarella or blue cheese crumbles. They even offer four pepper choices: banana, mild cherry, sweet garlic and hot chili.

Their specialty pies include Sweet & Spicy – honey mustard, roasted chicken, red onion, Gouda, Monterey Jack and jalapenos and Buffalo Chicken- blue cheese dressing, mozzarella, Buffalo chicken, celery, red onion, Monterey Jack and cheddar crust. I think even Wolfgang Puck would be impressed.

Clark Vereen certainly was by their Spinach Delight.

“[It was] very tasty with plenty of ingredients providing a full flavor effect. [A] great choice for someone who wants pizza without the guilt,” he wrote in an email.

If pasta better suits your proclivities, you’re in luck. AJ’s offers the standards including chicken carbonara and al fredo. I have only tried the lasagna, and it was disappointing. It had the lack of flavor and structural integrity that I associate with a frozen product. I shared this with Blackwell, and she said that Alcorn had concerns himself with the quality. They have only been in business a few weeks, so I’ll give it a little while and try it again.

The lasagna let down aside; I am clearly agog over AJ’s. So much so, that I recruited more than 10 tasters to test my findings, every one of which reached the same conclusion – AJ’s rocks.

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Best Bets for the Myrtle Beach area, April 18-24

Best Bets for the Myrtle Beach area, April 18-24

The Seacoast Artists Guild’s Novice Art Show, and the “Great Expectations” exhibit by six Coastal Carolina University students taught by Cat Taylor, continues through Sunday at Seacoast Artists Gallery, 3032 Nevers St., Myrtle Beach, in The Market Common.

The CCU group’s exhibition explores issues such as sexism and objectification from various expectations that young women face in modern society as seen through the eyes of Ashlee Arakas, Callie Barfield, Brittany Clark, Katie Farrelly, Rebecca Jolly and Gwendolyn Washington. Meet them at a reception and awards ceremony 6-8 p.m. Saturday.

Also, the Carolinas’ Nature Photographers Association, Myrtle Beach Region, opens its Spring Art Show & Sale, with a wine-and-cheese open house 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, and going through April 27. See 119 images by a collective 42 photographers.

The gallery’s open noon-8 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays and noon-6 p.m. Sundays. Details at 232-7009 or www.seacoastartistsguild.com.

FRIDAY-SUNDAY | 04.18-04.20

Earth Day Music Fest weekend

Compassion Music and The Wellness Council for South Carolina have expanded the seventh annual Earth Day Music Fest to three days, in a different site daily:

• 4 p.m.-midnight Friday at House of Blues, on The Deck, at Barefoot Landing, on U.S. 17 in North Myrtle Beach, in a roots-rock-reggae theme with Treehouse! as well as 5-Forty and Sundries Vibes.

• 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, with expo in Conway Riverfront Park, including a “Hard 2 Recycle” collection area where attendees can drop off such items as electronics, clothing, metal and foam, as well as an art show with Create! Conway, egg races for children, and entertainment by Finnegan Bell, Age Olde Trade, Black Robin Hero, Sai Collins, Greener Grass, Hunnilicious, and John Owens Journal.

• 2-8 p.m. Sunday at The Boathouse Waterway Bar & Grill, 201 Fantasy Harbor Blvd., along the Intracoastal Waterway, just west of Myrtle Beach, off U.S. 501, next to the Clarion Hotel, with The Movement, as well as Bullfrog, Sai Collins, Greener Grass, Hunnilicious, Sideways Derby, and Treehouse!

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Myrtle Beach area tourism promoter and critic Donald Wizeman found dead of apparent suicide

Myrtle Beach area tourism promoter and critic Donald Wizeman found dead of apparent suicide

Donald G. Wizeman, whose tourism and marketing accomplishments were often overshadowed by his stinging criticism of Myrtle Beach area business leaders, was found dead Tuesday of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. He was 69 years old.

According to a report in The Baltimore Sun newspaper, Wizeman fatally shot himself inside an emergency room bathroom at the hospital. He was found with a gunshot wound to his chest shortly after midnight Tuesday morning, Baltimore police told the newspaper.

Wizeman’s wife, Kay Sherfick-Wizeman, told The Sun News that she had no indication her husband was planning to kill himself. The couple, who lived in Virginia Beach, Va., had been together for 40 years and were married a year ago in Camden County, N.C.

“I thought he was going up there to check on a job,” she said. “I had no clue this was going to happen.”

Sherfick-Wizeman said there will be no funeral services for her husband, according to his wishes.

Wizeman was well-known in the Grand Strand’s tourism community, both for his innovative marketing ideas as well as for his biting wit, which often got him into trouble.

“All my life I have been like that kid in the Hans Christian Andersen story who, while everyone was fawning over the naked emperor’s non-existent ‘new clothes,’ piped up and exclaimed, ‘But he doesn’t have anything on’,” Wizeman said in an email to The Sun News earlier this month. “I have always known that I am my worst and my only real enemy, and while I certainly have regrets, none are related to how I have conducted my business nor what I have said about how others conduct themselves or their business.”

Horry County Councilman Marion Foxworth, who considered Wizeman a friend even though they worked against each other on political issues, called Wizeman “hard-headed and stubborn, but also something of a visionary.”

Foxworth pointed to Wizeman’s formation in 1987 of the United States-Japan Golf Association, which promoted golf in this area and elsewhere to Japanese tourists and businesses, as an idea that was ahead of its time. The Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce and other groups only recently have started promoting this area to Asian countries, which are seen as lucrative, up-and-coming tourism markets.

Chip Smith, owner of the TPC of Myrtle Beach golf course, said Wizeman was “passionate” about Myrtle Beach and wanted to see this area succeed.

“He cared a lot about it to the point where he was a little obsessed with the town and where it’s going,” said Smith, who became friends with Wizeman through his work in the Grand Strand’s golf industry. “I was sad to get the call.”

Wizeman in 2005 also formed Myrtle Beach Forward, a consortium of area business leaders working to leverage advertising dollars to compete with larger tourism destinations, such as Orlando, Fla. The hotel owners in that group agreed to impose a $1-per-night fee to guests that would be given to the chamber for marketing purposes. It’s an idea the chamber continues to use to supplement its annual marketing budget.

“I’m saddened to hear about Don Wizeman’s death,” Brad Dean, the chamber’s president, said in a statement. “Don always held strong and passionate views about golf, tourism, politics and the Myrtle Beach area in general. He was involved in a number of business ventures throughout the years and genuinely believed the Myrtle Beach area held great potential as both a community and a resort destination. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.”

As much as he worked to promote tourism, Wizeman also was a frequent critic of this area’s tourism leaders, including Dean, and his antics sometimes bordered on the level of juvenile pranks. For example, he once bought the Internet domain for Myrtle Beach developer Burroughs & Chapin Co. Inc. and then linked the site to a web page featuring the FBI’s “Most Wanted” list.

In 2004, Wizeman started writing an Internet blog called “Myrtle Beach Insider” under the pseudonym “The Watchman.” The blog skewered area politicians, educators and business leaders with acid-tinged, sometimes mean-spirited – while, at the same time, often hilarious – diatribes.

The anonymous watchman was unmasked in 2007 after a post criticizing Coastal Carolina University officials ended with the phrase: “where is my shotgun, my bucket of tar and bag of chicken feathers?” CCU officials said they took the post as a threat and contacted the State Law Enforcement Division, whose investigators got Wizeman to admit to his authorship of the blog. No charges were ever brought against Wizeman.

Two years later, Scott Brandon – chief executive officer of The Brandon Agency advertising firm in Myrtle Beach – obtained a $1.8 million libel judgment against Wizeman for a post that referred to Brandon as a “failed lawyer.” The two sides eventually negotiated a confidential settlement.

Shortly afterward, Wizeman moved back to his hometown of Virginia Beach, where he did occasional consulting work until his death.

Wizeman began his marketing career in the late 1960s, creating the Virginia Beach Forever public service advertising campaign to foster business interest in that city. In 1970, Wizeman started a company called Rent A Girl Ltd., which offered escorts for visiting businessmen to take to parties, conventions and sales meetings in the Virginia Beach area.

He also tried his hand at movies, serving as executive producer of a film called “Moonchild,” which starred John Carradine and had its world premier in Norfolk, Va., in 1972.

He moved to Myrtle Beach in 1980 to start a magazine geared toward tourists called “Grand Strand Guide” and produced this area’s first Beach Music Awards show, with host Wolfman Jack, in 1982 at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center. Wizeman started a golf course photography business in 1993, which lasted 14 years, and was hired by Mississippi officials in the mid-1990s to coordinate tourism marketing efforts for the Biloxi/Gulfport region.

In an email to The Sun News several weeks ago, Wizeman joked that he once wanted to trade places with Hugh Hefner, the founder of Playboy magazine.

“But over the course of my life, and even in the darkest times, even now, there isn’t anyone that I’d trade places with – not one,” he said.

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