Sun-News from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina • 1

I IN YOUR AREA TODAY'S REGIONAL NEWS MONDAY Chance of rain 88 Tuesday Partly cloudy 88 FORECAST IOC Students enjoy last hurrah Sen RC Soles shoots intruder amid SBI inquiry 1 1C (WMI Lexington County towns take up smoking ban issue 1 3C 75c US beats Europe to retain Solheim Cup mmmt port i mmmm It 626-8555 MYRTLE BEACH SOUTH CAROLINA ThtSunNtwicom I AUGUST 24 2009 GRAND STRAND TOURISM SLED buys SUVs rifles even as jobs disappear Director changes focus of agency amid tough budget By Yvonne Wenger AND TONY BaRTELME The (Charleston) Post and Courier COLUMBIA Faced with severe budget cuts the State Law Enforcement Division has axed more than 100 positions and restructured whole departments to focus more on gangs and violence and less on arson investigations and alcohol cases at festivals and football games At the same time SLED Director Reggie Lloyd bought new $30000 Chevrolet Tahoes for himself and nine of his top commanders and 175 expensive military-grade combat rifles even though the agency doesn't have enough money See SLED Page 6A Social Security checks to skip annual boost By Stephen Ohlemacher The Associated Press Washington Millions of older people Dace shrinking Social Security checks next year the first time in a generation that payments would not rise The trustees who oversee Social Security are projecting there wont be a cost of living adjustment for the next two years That hasn't happened since automatic increases were adopted in 1975 By law Social Security benefits cannot go down Nevertheless monthly payments would drop for millions of people in the Medicare prescription dfug program because the premiums which often are deducted from Social Security payments are scheduled to go 19 slightly "I will promise you they count on that SOCIAL Pagi- 6A Parklooks ahead after lackluster summer ONLINE Watch video of tourists taking about their experiences at Freestyle Music Parfcatlha SunWewscom While there you can also check out a photo gallery of more scenes from the park By Monique Newton nmewtonQthesunnewsxom Freestyle Music Park the successor of bankrupt Hard Rock Park had a sub-par debut summer but the park will survive officials say "Overall I'm real happy and proud of this summer" said Steve Baker president of FPI MB Entertainment which bought the park out of bankruptcy in February "We got the park open the park looks great the employees are outstanding and the guest reviews have been terrific The results of the park are not what we wanted but I don't think we understood the economy like it was going to Unlike its predecessor Freestyle is finishing its first summer without a threat of bankruptcy but it wasn't a financial home run Several firms have filed lawsuits against the park to receive payment for services and much of the summer was marked by deep discounting to attract thrill-seekers See FREESTYLE Page 6A Guests of Freestyle Music Park walk through a passageway Into Myrtla's Beach at the music-themed park Above: Kirsten and Dale Hamann af Roanoka Va react to The Time Machine roller coaster at Freestyle Music Park In Myrtle Beach Despite a sub-par summer due to the rough economy effklals say the park will survive MONDAY OS A Coach fights cancer with Strand tourney By Alan ahivnJin a tht'sunwusccm Jan Boeheim has coached the Syracuse University men's basketball team for the past 33 seasons led the Orange to the NCAA national championship in 2002-03 and won a gold medal in Beijing last summer as an assistant coach on the U5 Olympic basketball team He's also heavily involved in charitable causes and this year became the national spokesman for the Know Mir Score: Fight Prostate Cancer Coif Tournament and Gala bemg held Saturday at Long Bay Club and Kingston Hantation Courses ready for contest More than hal of the got couses on the Grand Strand wi be preparing ths week to host rounds in the 26th PGA Tou Superstore World Amateu HanicapChanpionshpi Mote than 1000 players hwe registered far the evert bemg held Aug SI IhrokgiSepLl Last chance to cash in I you'd planned to cash in on the Cash fcr Ounken pioyan you'd better step on the gas I officiaBy ends at pjn today Customers were atfcised to mAeaae (heir fradHnquatfes and to bring these requreddocunents with the correct vehicle identfeation nurterc proof af nuance registration and a title lee of lens Read more on 7A THE WEEK AHEAD WHAT YOU NCEO TO KNOW over for students Surens offidMy mb this week tor students in Bunswick County KC and Hony County HonyCoufly students start back to dass today so be alert hr school buses and students Students in Bnawmck Carty head back on Tuesday Economy kifo upcoming Several measurements wfl be out tho week that ootdd dud some ight on the health of the economy On Tuesday the Consmer CorUenct Mn kr August and the JLne homepree nfcx wfl be released And on Fnday the Commerce Deparment refejses person ncone and spmfrg (gmkrUji See 1 Jw 6A INSIDE Comics G-7C Crosswords 12B6C Obituaries 9C Scoroboard 58 Television BC 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