{
    "site": "Grand Strand Dispatch",
    "url": "https://grandstranddispatch.com/guides/",
    "answer": "Grand Strand Dispatch publishes 13 free local guides for Brunswick, Georgetown and Horry counties, on Halloween, elections, holidays, books, fishing, golf, roads and safety and more. Latest data check: Oct. 31, 2026.",
    "checked": "2026-10-31",
    "guides": [
        {
            "name": "Halloween 2026",
            "url": "https://grandstranddispatch.com/halloween/",
            "topic": "Halloween",
            "season": true,
            "summary": "Halloween is Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026. Here are 5 Halloween events in Brunswick, Georgetown and Horry counties through Nov. 1: trunk-or-treats, festivals and haunted attractions from official and organizer sources, plus trick-or-treat hours and safety tips.",
            "checked": ""
        },
        {
            "name": "Early Voting 2026",
            "url": "https://grandstranddispatch.com/elections/",
            "topic": "Elections",
            "season": true,
            "summary": "Early voting dates for the Nov. 3, 2026, election: Brunswick Oct. 15-31, Georgetown Oct. 19-31, Horry Oct. 19-31. Hours and sites from county election offices.",
            "checked": ""
        },
        {
            "name": "Election Results 2026",
            "url": "https://grandstranddispatch.com/election-results/",
            "topic": "Elections",
            "season": true,
            "summary": "Live, unofficial Nov. 3, 2026, election results for Brunswick, Georgetown, and Horry counties, updated as officials report them.",
            "checked": ""
        },
        {
            "name": "Christmas 2026",
            "url": "https://grandstranddispatch.com/christmas/",
            "topic": "Holidays",
            "season": true,
            "summary": "Christmas is Friday, Dec. 25, 2026. We track 13 holiday events in Myrtle Beach & the Grand Strand through Jan. 1, from official and organizer sources. Next up: The Carolina Opry Christmas Special (Mon., Nov. 2, 7 p.m.).",
            "checked": ""
        },
        {
            "name": "Beach Romance Reads",
            "url": "https://grandstranddispatch.com/books/",
            "topic": "Books",
            "season": false,
            "summary": "Beach romance books to read on the Grand Strand, from Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach to Pawleys Island: shelves picked by our newsroom, holiday romance and the next big love story.",
            "checked": "2026-10-30"
        },
        {
            "name": "Myrtle Beach Fishing",
            "url": "https://grandstranddispatch.com/fishing/",
            "topic": "Fishing",
            "season": false,
            "summary": "As of Sat., Oct. 31, 2026, 4 of the 5 fish we track on the Grand Strand can be kept today: South Carolina red drum, North Carolina red drum, South Carolina flounder, and black sea bass (through Wed., March 31, 2027). Closed: North Carolina flounder. Anglers 16 and older need a South Carolina saltwater license in Horry and Georgetown counties (from $10 a day for visitors) and a North Carolina Coastal Recreational Fishing License in Brunswick County ($15 for 10 days for visitors). Rules from SCDNR and the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries.",
            "checked": "2026-10-30"
        },
        {
            "name": "Myrtle Beach Golf Guide",
            "url": "https://grandstranddispatch.com/golf/",
            "topic": "Golf",
            "season": false,
            "summary": "We map 68 golf courses, 7 driving ranges and 29 mini golf courses in Myrtle Beach and the Grand Strand. Horry County has 37, Brunswick County has 17 and Georgetown County has 14. The best months to play are October, April and May, with about 24–26 good golf days each (a dry day with a high between 60 and 90°F), and about 220 such days a year, from NOAA records at Brookgreen Gardens for 1996-2025.",
            "checked": "2026-10-30"
        },
        {
            "name": "Car crashes & roads",
            "url": "https://grandstranddispatch.com/crashes/",
            "topic": "Roads and safety",
            "season": false,
            "summary": "From 2020–2024, 509 fatal crashes killed 543 people in Myrtle Beach and the Grand Strand, according to NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System. In 2024 there were 99 fatal crashes and 102 deaths. The road with the most fatal crashes was US 17 (Horry) (39). 21% involved a motorcycle.",
            "checked": ""
        },
        {
            "name": "Retire in Myrtle Beach",
            "url": "https://grandstranddispatch.com/retire/",
            "topic": "Retirement",
            "season": false,
            "summary": "We compare 21 towns in Myrtle Beach and the Grand Strand with U.S. Census data, the nearest hospital from our local directory and official state tax rules. The highest share of residents 65 and older is in Sunset Beach (59.7%) and Southport (47.9%). Taxes: South Carolina: social Security and military retirement exempt; North Carolina: social Security not taxed.",
            "checked": "2026-10-31"
        },
        {
            "name": "Grand Strand Veterans Guide",
            "url": "https://grandstranddispatch.com/military/",
            "topic": "Military and veterans",
            "season": false,
            "summary": "About 47,200 veterans live in Horry, Georgetown and Brunswick counties (9.4% of adults), and about 500 residents serve in the armed forces. VA care nearby: Myrtle Beach VA Clinic and Brunswick County VA Clinic. South Carolina: military retired pay is not taxed; North Carolina: retired pay deductible after 20 years or a medical retirement.",
            "checked": "2026-10-30"
        },
        {
            "name": "Invest in Myrtle Beach",
            "url": "https://grandstranddispatch.com/invest/",
            "topic": "Real estate and rentals",
            "season": false,
            "summary": "Myrtle Beach allows short-term rentals only in some zones. Lodging tax on a rental: Myrtle Beach at least 8.5%; North Myrtle Beach at least 8.5%; Horry County at least 10%; Georgetown County at least 10%; Brunswick County at least 7.75%. About 70,800 homes in Myrtle Beach and the Grand Strand (20% of all housing) are seasonal or vacation homes. Builders got permits for 11,345 new homes in 2025.",
            "checked": "2026-10-30"
        },
        {
            "name": "Grand Strand small business",
            "url": "https://grandstranddispatch.com/small-business/",
            "topic": "Small business",
            "season": false,
            "summary": "18.2 million visitors spent $13.2 billion in the Myrtle Beach area in 2024, up 5% from 2023 (Visit Myrtle Beach, 2024 Volume and Spending (DK Shifflet)). People filed 10,422 applications to start a business in the 3 counties on the Grand Strand in 2025, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (+89% vs. 2019). Our local directory lists 956 businesses on the Grand Strand.",
            "checked": "2026-10-31"
        },
        {
            "name": "Visitor guides",
            "url": "https://grandstranddispatch.com/visitor-guides/",
            "topic": "Visitor guides",
            "season": false,
            "summary": "Our 74 free visitor guides cover beaches, water spots, parks, museums and festivals in Brunswick County, Georgetown County, and Horry County. As of 5:20 pm today, 57 places look good to go, 4 call for caution and 4 are not recommended, based on National Weather Service, NOAA and USGS data that we check every 3 hours.",
            "checked": ""
        }
    ]
}