Investigating structured settlements + Political tension in Myrtle Beach
Happy Friday! It’s Chase Karacostas.
Summer might be almost over, but that doesn’t mean the party has to stop. I wrote about how Murrells Inlet’s Marshwalk is one of the few places in the state to allow public drinking, if that’s your thing. Here are the rules you need to know.
Also, Murrells Inlet’s neighbor, Myrtle Beach, got a little shade from the show “Never have I ever.” One character said his relative considered being associated with Myrtle, in any way, to be a “red flag” for dating.
1. Cashed Out
Last week, my colleague David Weissman of The Sun News published an investigation I’d heard him talk about for months.
Structured settlements.
A complicated form of legalese, structured settlements generally describe monthly, tax-free payments to someone following a personal injury lawsuit. These financial arrangements ensure people have access to a steady income for the rest of their lives.
Weissman found out that isn’t always the case. Some people are lured by private companies into giving away thousands of dollars worth of these payments in the future in exchange for a small amount now.
Grace was one of those people. She gave away nearly $700,000 from a settlement related to an accident that left her with a traumatic brain injury, not knowing the ramifications of what she had done. Money she expected to receive for decades stopped when she was 30. But the decision wasn’t hers alone. Judges expected to keep her best interests in mind had to sign off on these exchanges, too.
South Carolina has become somewhat of a haven for these cases. One judge in South Carolina’s smallest county approved deals transferring $15.5 million for lump sums totaling $600,000. But the young man selling that future fortune didn’t live in Allendale County. He didn’t appear to live in SC at all.
Maybe not anymore. In response to Weissman’s investigation, South Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice Donald Beatty put many of these “shockingly predatory” cases on hold while he reviews the situation, The State’s Zak Koeske reported.
2. ‘She’s very happy’: Hilton Head foster mom celebrates caring for 100 babies in over 30 years
Hilton Head foster mom Karin Van Name has cared for 100 babies over 30 years. She’s now 91, and still going strong.
“I said I’d stop after 100 or when I reached 100, whichever came first,” 91-year-old Van Name said in an interview with the Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette at her home in Hilton Head Plantation. “However, if they (Department of Social Services) called with a newborn, I wouldn’t say no.”
Van Name celebrated her 100th foster child, a 5-month-old girl, this summer and says she has been the “best baby” yet. “She’s very happy,” Van Name said of the little girl as she wiped a trail of drool from the teething infant’s chin
The Island Packet’s Sofia Sanchez spoke with Van Name about her decades of caregiving. Read her beautiful story.
3. Spooky season comes to South Carolina
Two weeks ago, I told you about the adorable creatures known as spotted salamanders, courtesy of a report by The Island Packet’s Sarah Claire McDonald. (The little guys are South Carolina’s state amphibian.)
Well, this week, McDonald is back on the state (creature) pursuit.
First, read about the state seashell, which apparently belongs to a rather mean snail.
And if you’re in for a fright, read about the state spider which is also really mean!
Strange how two of our state creatures are so mean in a place known for, uh, “Southern Hospitality.”
4. Drama in Myrtle Beach
“Drama in Myrtle Beach” is sort of a perennial state of being in the place I call home.
Here’s a rapid fire recap of what went down:
Horry County GOP leaders quit in mass this week, days after being “condemned” by state party officials, The Sun News’ Adam Benson reported.
The long-criticized Waccatee Zoo in Horry County closed this week after a federal lawsuit brought mounting legal costs. It’s a win for PETA, which has reviled the zoo for years. The animals were taken in by a zoo in North Carolina.
And, speaking of zoos, “Tiger King” star Doc Antle is trying to sell his Myrtle Beach Safari wildlife park, Benson reported. A judge will decide whether Antle can.
Check back in next week for a fresh round of exciting Myrtle Beach updates.
On My Mind
Oof: A University of South Carolina student became internet famous for his remarkably bad fantasy football team, The State’s Chapel Fowler reports.
A new beginning: After 20 years of waiting, the Piedmont Medical Center finally became a reality in Fort Mill this week. Read the story from The Herald’s John Marks.
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