Author: Paul Gable

Billionaire Named New CCU Football Coach

Coastal Carolina University announced today that Joe Moglia, 62, former CEO and current Chairman of Wall Street firm TD Ameritrade, will be its new head football coach.

To call the announcement shocking is an understatement. Moglia, whose net worth is reportedly $1.2 billion, according to Forbes Magazine, is certainly the first billionaire to head up a Division I-AA college football program. Mark that as a first for CCU.

The announcement ends a three year quest during which Moglia left the financial services industry and returned to coaching football after a 25 year career on Wall Street. However, it is the quest and the number of years out of coaching that raises eyebrows.

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County, Railroad Left Out of Grant Awards

Horry County learned today that it would not be receiving any Tiger III program grant money from the U.S. Department of Transportation for the local railroad.

The county had applied for a $21 million grant from the program to help Carolina Southern Railroad upgrade its infrastructure.

According to information from the USDOT, $511 million was approved for grants today with $150 million for critical projects in rural areas. Ten percent of the total was approved for freight rail projects including the Muldraugh Bridge Replacement project in Kentucky.

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Romney Draws Crowd in Myrtle Beach

A surprising crowd of approximately 500 people came to see Mitt Romney and Gov. Nikki Haley at the Horry-Georgetown Technical College campus in Myrtle Beach Saturday.

On the weekend before Christmas and with only one day advance notice, the enthusiastic turnout may demonstrate a turn in Romney’s support in South Carolina. He has been trailing Newt Gingrich by double digit polls recently conducted in the state.

Some in the crowd, however, were just drawn by the opportunity to see a presidential candidate. At least six attendees told this reporter they were relatively solid in their support for Gingrich and one couple supporting Obama came to see Romney.

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Horry County to Control Admin Search

By a vote of 11-1, Horry County Council members said they would be the sole body to choose the new county administrator.

Council members were presented with a plan for the search process that would have included input into the process by outside groups such as stakeholders and county staff. The process, supported by Chairman Tom Rice, would have had the finalists chosen and ranked by county council. The finalists would next meet with county stakeholders and county staff, who would provide independent input and cause a possible adjustment to the rankings first set by council.

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How Far Do We Still Have To Go?

The final shots of the Civil War sounded 146 years ago.

Brown vs. the Board was 57 years ago, and, 48 years ago, the famous” I Have a Dream” speech was delivered. However, one has to question just how far we haven’t come when it comes to racism in this country.

The actions of a select few at games at Triton Central Friday and at a high school in Tennessee have me wondering what exactly is going on when people think it’s “cool” to hurl racial slurs at the opposition.

It is absolutely disgraceful that, in 2011, some of us can’t see beyond the color of a person’s skin.

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The Masquerader, He’ll Lie and Doesn’t Care

One month before the Republican presidential candidates will be in Myrtle Beach for an important debate, Newt Gingrich has opened a double digit lead over his closest challenger Mitt Romney in South Carolina voter polls.

In a recent NBC News/Wall St. Journal poll, Gingrich holds a 40 percent to 23 percent lead over Romney while a recent Reuters poll had Gingrich leading 28 percent to 18 percent. Yet, even with Gingrich leading, the same polls show Romney as the man most capable of defeating President Obama in November.

Gingrich is a conundrum for Republican voters. Often hailed as a visionary by supporters, Gingrich seems to leave a trail of broken dreams wherever he goes.

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Political Profile – Andrew Preston Brittain

Andrew Preston Brittain (pictured here with wife Elizabeth) took his first step into the political arena last week when he addressed the Beach Dems Breakfast meeting in Myrtle Beach.

Brittain said he was a candidate for the new S.C. 7th Congressional District and would begin his campaign in earnest early in January.

A native of Myrtle Beach, the 31-year old Brittain is a graduate of Myrtle Beach High School, Wofford College and the University of South Carolina Law School. He is currently a trial attorney in Myrtle Beachafter serving as a clerk for U.S. District Court Judge Terry Wooten.

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Dems Looking at New 7th District

The new 7th Congressional District in South Carolina will get big play in the coming year as both the Democratic and Republican parties are looking at hot contests for the seat.

The Republicans already have nine announced candidates, with
a possible tenth candidate in the wings.

The Democrats are currently looking at a possible five
candidates. S.C. state rep Ted Vick of Florence and Myrtle Beach attorney
Parnell Diggs are already announced. Myrtle Beach attorney Preston Brittain
will announce in early January.

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Horry County and Dubai

Remember when, then, Horry County Council Chairman Liz
Gilland used a portion of her county expense allowance to travel to Dubai, in March 2009?

According to Gilland, at the time, she spent $2,000
of public funds to join a S.C. Department of Commerce economic development trip to make sure Horry County got consideration in future investment by that small Arab state. Her justification was “If I don’t play, we strike out.” Gilland played but Horry County, to this date, has not even gotten up to bat.

The following is a blog post provided to Grand
Strand Daily from a U.S. citizen recently traveling in Dubai, who requested to remain anonymous. It appears Horry County was fortunate to never get into the game.

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SCGOP to host 7th District Debate

Republican candidates for the new S.C. 7th Congressional District will have an early chance to attract voters when the SCGOP presents a candidates debate Sunday January 15, 2012 at 7 p.m. The location of the debate is still to be decided,

The 7th District debate will be part of the SCGOP Experience Weekend & Presidential Debate January 14-16, 2012 in Myrtle Beach. The First in the South Presidential Debate will be held at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center on Monday January 16, 2012 at 8 p.m.

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