Good morning, Myrtle Beach.

Throughout October, local groups in North Myrtle Beach and the Pee Dee honor Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

The North Myrtle Beach Women's Club holds a walk on Oct. 17 at Sports Park (with a DJ, food trucks, and booths) while events in Dillon, Effingham, Florence and Bennettsville support the cause.

The 20th Annual Little River Shrimp Festival will run from Oct.

10 to 11 at the Historic Little River Waterfront. Attendees can enjoy live music, stilt walkers, balloon artists, over 200 vendors, and fresh local seafood served by waterfront restaurants (rain or shine event).

This October, ABC15 is partnering with North Strand Helping Hand to provide emergency aid in the North Strand community.

The organization works with local food banks, churches, and businesses to meet urgent needs.

Long Bay Theatre opens its new downtown venue with a larger stage + 200 seats, thanks to community donations.

Mary Poppins opens today and will run through Oct. 25, with the theatre near a performance arts center by Coastal Carolina University and the city.

Horry County Schools reported 2,539 withdrawals in 25 days, with 1,347 students staying in the district for alternate schooling + enrollment climbed to 46,532, about 550 below the 47,088 projection; Chief Officer Velna Allen presented the data on Oct.

5.

Fifth-grader Slade Ruby from Lakewood Elementary School was named ABC 15's KidCaster of the Week; he plays in his school's steel band, plays soccer with friends, earns straight A's, and hopes to become president or a police officer when he grows up.

Myrtle Beach has seen 11 straight months of below-average rainfall, leaving severe drought conditions along the Grand Strand.

NOAA forecasts a wetter pattern in the final quarter that could ease the drought if rainfall increases.

Myrtle Beach officials are discussing a proposal to allow Charleston and Horry counties to collect the tourism tax and adjust revenue shares for local projects.

Leaders plan to propose minimal tweaks by next week to secure more funds for construction and marketing in the region.

Coastal Carolina University President James Winebrake announced the planned Highway 544 pedestrian overpass on Founders Drive at the school campus.

The project is to be managed by the South Carolina Department of Transportation (preconstruction will last 12 to 15 months) and is expected to finish in 2028.

The South Carolina Department of Transportation plans to start work on a new traffic signal at the intersection near the elementary school in Conway soon to boost safety (officials say).

Developers submitted a rezoning request for HarborTrace, a 2,000-home project with residential, commercial + conservation zones near Highway 707 in Burgess.

The county planning commission will review the proposal on Oct. 29 before County Council's final decision on Nov. 5.

This Friday, Oct. 9, Manning and Lake City will face off in a week seven high school football game at 7:30 p.m. on ABC15+CW21, with live streaming for local fans.

80-year-old Bob List, a Nichols native and Vietnam veteran battling prostate cancer for over 20 years, continues to break state swimming records — he recently set three new marks for 80-plus competitors while mentoring local swimmers.

Coaches from Myrtle Beach and Conway high schools competed Tuesday in a Bojangles biscuit-making contest ahead of Friday's Victory Bell game, with Myrtle Beach's coach winning the $2,000 prize and Conway's coach earning $1,000 for their athletics department.