Duct Cleaning in Conway, SC

"The Flight of the Star Fire I", a new book by Henri Chase, has been released by Dorrance Publishing Co., Inc.

Temple Mason has never had patience for authority. A bold, free-spirited adventurer determined to live life on her own terms, she signs on with the most carefree crew she can find, chasing excitement across the open seas. But after a decade of frustration and false starts, Temple is ready to walk away from the life she thought she wanted, until an extraordinary discovery changes everything.

When Temple and her companions uncover a hidden alien spacecraft, they are thrust into the farthest reaches of the galaxy and straight into the heart of an interstellar conflict. Caught between cyborgs, zombies, Area 51 operatives, and a rogue AI bent on domination, Temple must confront her deepest beliefs and most stubborn instincts. As the stakes rise and alliances shift, she undergoes a remarkable transformation, from rebellious drifter to reluctant leader in a battle that will shape the fate of countless worlds.

"The Flight of the Star Fire I" delivers a high-octane sci-fi adventure filled with explosive action, sharp wit, and a resonant exploration of leadership, identity, and the courage required to face chaos head-on.

About the Author Henri Chase is a retired educator, coach, and military veteran whose diverse career spans physical education, high-school teaching, and distinguished service in both the U.S. Army and Navy. Certified in Indiana and South Carolina, he taught Health, Advanced Swimming and Lifesaving, and NJROTC. Chase served as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) technician in the U.S. Army from 1968 to 1970 and later as a special operations officer in the U.S. Navy from 1981 to 2005. Since retiring from teaching in 2009, he has embraced a range of creative pursuits on YouTube, producing videos on boat building, woodworking, art, poetry, and writing.

"The Flight of the Star Fire I" is a 142-page paperback with a retail price of $16.00 (eBook $11.00). The ISBN is 979-8-89649-446-1. Published by Dorrance Publishing Co., Inc. of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. For members of the press, to request a review copy or author interview, please visit https://bookstore.dorrancepublishing.com/pages/media-requests or to buy the book, visit our online bookstore at https://bookstore.dorrancepublishing.com/products/the-flight-of-the-star-fire-i . For more information on publishing services, please visit https://www.dorrancepublishing.com/

Conway, SC (WMBF) - Conway kicked off its Halloween March on Oct. 1, welcoming visitors to walk around the town and Riverwalk to check out the decorations.

For two Horry County residents, it was not very welcoming; they say getting to the Town Green was a nightmare.

“If he had to be here on his own, it would be physically impossible, absolutely physically impossible,” Dylan Carnellie, a friend.

Mars Poole and Casey Kennedy are physically disabled; Casey is in a wheelchair, and Mars relies on a cane.

Before the Halloween March started, the friends could not find a close parking spot or handicap parking spot in the city that was open.

“The first time we came to downtown Conway in a wheelchair, I cried, and we just went home,” said Kennedy.

Kennedy’s friend had to pick him up multiple times and carry the wheelchair up several flights of steps on the Riverwalk.

The sidewalks and straw grass in the Town Green also made it challenging to enjoy the decorations, so much that he fell out of his wheelchair.

“I only really started to come downtown this October, and it quickly set in that this town is not meant for me,” said Poole. “It is not adaptive, it is not accessible. It is clearly for a tourist audience, and regardless if it is toward a tourist audience or not, some tourists have disabilities, and you have to fix this.”

When walking around, you will notice a food truck parked in a handicap spot, and the city acknowledged it is there.

“For them to care, acknowledge the reality, if you have new infrastructure, bring someone who is in a wheelchair through to see if it actually works,” Carnellie.

Poole said she went to the city council about the lack of handicap parking, and how she believes the city needs to be more compliant with folks who have disabilities.

“I made it very clear to them,” said Poole. “This is an issue; you need to fix this issue.”

The City of Conway said when asked about handicap parking, that there is a lot behind the Town Green that has handicap and event staff-only parking.

The parking is used only during peak hours, which are Thursday through Sunday, starting at 5:30 p.m.

The city said “We believes so, yes,” when asked if everything around the Halloween festivities is deemed ADA accessible.

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CONWAY, S.C. (WPDE) — Residents of Grissett Landing are taking action to protect a bald eagle nest threatened by ongoing construction.

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, it's illegal to tear down a tree with a bald eagle's nest or any trees within 330 feet during the non-nesting season without a permit.

However, construction by HC King Construction has raised concerns among locals.

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"I noticed that they had bald eagles right here and all the woods," Timothy Donovan, a resident, said. "And I'm from downtown Boston. We don't have many trees there, so it's nice that I was able to watch from my patio with my wife and see these gorgeous birds come in, land, and have babies. They’re tearing down nature. They shouldn't be attacked at all."

"I said, 'Hey, you know there's an Eagle's Nest there? And they are a protective animal species and, you know, you're aiming to cut them down.'" Another resident, Debi Olsen, said.

Olsen noted that a jam in the cutter machine temporarily halted the tree removal.

This person's problem is that person's problem," another concerned neighbor, Jennifer Johnson, said. "And in the meantime, you know, you have these birds here that are a symbol of our... They're on the quarter, last time I checked. I mean, this is our national bird."

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Residents have reached out to authorities to determine if the nest is protected, but they feel the responses have been inadequate.

HC King Construction declined to comment, and there has been no confirmation from wildlife officials regarding the status of a permit.

The land, zoned for multi-residential development, was purchased in October by a firm based in New York City.

Conway’s City Council will remain consistent, as three incumbent candidates have secured their seats for another term.

In Conway, all three incumbents — Amanda Butler, William Goldfinch and Beth Helms — fought to keep their seats on the City Council, while challenger Tonya Robinson set her sights on securing a position for herself.

Unofficial results show that Butler received 28.85% of the votes, followed by Helms with 25.22% and Goldfinch with 23.58%.

Challenger Robinson received 21.60% of the votes.

Butler said she is “extremely elated and humbled” to have been re-elected, and is looking forward to working with Helms and Goldfinch.

“I was really filled with emotion,” she said of hearing the results on election night. “I was excited, I was humbled, I was just full.”

In her next term, Butler said she hopes to work on Conway’s economic development and securing competitive wages for city employees, so they can afford to both live and work in the city. She also noted she hopes to strengthen city infrastructure, particularly around traffic, which she said was “hectic” during this year’s City of Halloween celebrations. Additionally, she noted she hopes to work on handling the city’s population growth.

Helms and Goldfinch did not immediately respond for comment.

The three elected council members will serve four-year terms, earning $10,000 a year.

Council members Larry White, Justin Jordan, Julie Hardwick and Mayor Barbara Jo Blain were not up for re-election this year.

Helms is an Horry County commercial real estate appraiser in the Assessor’s Office, as well as a Conway High School and Clemson graduate. At Clemson, she majored in management with minors in finance and real estate. She has already served one year on the council previously.

She is FEMA certified with Federal Government for Disaster Relief.

Helms has coached girls’ softball at the Conway Recreation Department and has also served on the Conway Booster Club Board and the Riverfront Tennis committees. She is a member of the First Baptist Church of Conway and also attends The Rock Church.

Butler, who has also served one previous term on the council, has been a special education teacher at Conway High School since 2021. She also assists the coaching staff for the school’s girls’ basketball program.

For seven years beforehand, she worked for SC Vocational Rehabilitation as a transition counselor for transition aged youth.

She is a Clemson graduate with a degree in sociology and a minor in biological sciences. She also holds a master’s degree in divinity from the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta. She completed her post graduate studies at Francis Marion University in 2020, receiving a master’s degree in teaching-learning disabilities. She has one son.

Goldfinch has already served four terms on the council, and was first elected in 2010. In addition to his council post, he serves as mayor pro tem. He manages a financial advisory practice in the city with his wife. The couple has two sons.

Outside of the City Council, Goldfinch has held a number of leadership positions including being the past president of Billy’s Boys Inc., and past president and current secretary of the Waccamaw Sertoma Club, as well as a former board member of the Conway Chamber of Commerce and the Conway Planning Commission. He currently serves on the advisory board of Coastal Carolina National Bank and as vice president of the Conway High School Educational Foundation.

The Conway native graduated from the University of South Carolina’s Darla Moore School of Business in 2003. He is an active member of the First United Methodist Church.

This story was originally published November 4, 2025 at 10:01 PM.

CONWAY, S.C. (Oct. 28, 2025) – Parker’s Kitchen —a nationally acclaimed convenience store company and food service leader that was recently included on the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest growing private companies in America for the eighth time — hosted a special ribbon cutting on Oct. 27 to celebrate the grand opening of the company’s first store in the greater Myrtle Beach, S.C. area.

Local dignitaries in attendance included Conway Mayor Barbara Jo Blain, City of Conway Mayor Pro Tem William Goldfinch, South Carolina State Representative Carla Schuessler and Horry County Council Representative Tom Anderson.

Parker’s Kitchen: A Community Commitment

Parker’s Kitchen founder and Executive Chairman Greg Parker and Outreach and Communications Manager Olivia Parker presented a $5,000 donation to Horry County Schools as part of the company’s Fueling the Community program. This charitable initiative donates a portion of gas sold at all Parker’s Kitchen locations on the first Wednesday of the month to area schools.

Horry County Schools Superintendent Cliff Jones accepted the Fueling the Community donation on behalf of local students, teachers and staff.

Ideally located at 3500 West Hwy. 501 in Conway, S.C., the newest Parker’s Kitchen is part of a $200 million investment in the booming Myrtle Beach, S.C. economy. This investment is expected to bring approximately 500 jobs to the region.

The new store serves fresh, hot, Southern-inspired Parker’s Kitchen food Monday through Friday from 4 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The new Conway store features signature Lowcountry-inspired architecture, designer lighting and a handsome lime-washed brick facade, raising the bar for what customers can expect from a convenience store.

“We want to be a great neighbor in Conway and are honored to serve the local community,” said Parker’s Kitchen founder and Executive Chairman Greg Parker.

“We have a powerful commitment to the communities where we operate stores and want to be the best place to work and the best place to shop. We’re dedicated to providing our customers with an elevated experience, offering award-winning Parker’s Kitchen food, state-of-the-art technology, the cleanest restrooms and much more.”

The company’s new store in Conway features award-winning, Southern-style, made-from-scratch Parker’s Kitchen food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It also offers indoor dining and popular grab-and-go food options.

Popular Parker’s Kitchen items include fresh, never-frozen, antibiotic-free, hand-breaded Chicken Tenders, signature mac ‘n’ cheese, potato logs, the Parker’s Kitchen Spicy Chicken Tender Sandwich, freshly made salads and more.

The entire Parker’s Kitchen menu is handcrafted on-site from the freshest ingredients by local chefs who take pride in cooking for the communities where they live and work.

Beverages include bean-to-cup gourmet coffee, freshly brewed sweet and unsweet tea, Parker’s Kitchen Fancy Lemonade, energy drinks, 28-degree beer and a wide range of fountain drinks with signature Parker’s Kitchen Chewy Ice.

Founded in Midway, Ga., in 1976, the franchise employs more than 1,800 team members throughout South Carolina and Georgia. It completes more than 1.1 million transactions weekly.

The franchise was named the Convenience Store Chain of the Year by Convenience Store Decisions, which is the industry’s highest honor. It has also been recognized by USA TODAY as a Top Workplace, by Food and Wine as one of America’s Best Convenience Stores, and by Convenience Store News as the Convenience Foodservice Leader of the Year.

Parker’s Kitchen is currently expanding into new markets including Myrtle Beach, S.C.; Jacksonville, Fla.; and Columbia, S.C.

Since its founding in 1976, the franchise has become a nationally acclaimed company. It has been included on the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest growing private companies in America eight times.

Known for its commitment to making a transformative impact on the communities where it operates stores, Parker’s Kitchen has donated more than million to a wide range of charitable causes over the past eight years. This effort helps to support education, reduce hunger, expand access to healthcare, and assist injured local veterans.

ABOUT PARKER’S KITCHEN:

Honored by USA TODAY as a Top Workplace, the franchise is strategically redefining the nation’s convenience store industry. It offers customers high-quality products, freshly prepared food and superior customer service at retail stores throughout South Carolina and Georgia.

Proudly headquartered in Savannah, Ga., the franchise is committed to exceeding customer expectations and has repeatedly been recognized as one of the nation’s leading convenience store and foodservice companies.

The company serves world-famous hand-breaded Southern Fried Chicken Tenders as well as made-from-scratch mac ‘n’ cheese, a breakfast bar and daily specials.

The popular Parker’s Rewards loyalty program has 650,000 members and has saved customers more than $30 million to date. The franchise employs more than 1,800 team members throughout South Carolina and Georgia and completes more than 1.1 million transactions weekly.

Learn more: parkerskitchen.com.