Home Care In Conway, SC

Since the city sank the first piling more than three decades ago, the Conway Riverwalk has become an integral part of life in the Horry County seat.

It’s where locals go for special occasions and photo shoots — weddings, proposals, proms, birthdays, anniversaries. It’s where they exercise, stroll, take visiting family members, or sit in silent contemplation as the dark waters flow slowly by.

Now, there’s even more to enjoy, after officials cut the ribbon on an 1,150-foot extension on Thursday, Feb. 6.

Floating lanterns lit Kingston Lake and a gondolier waited patiently at a floating dock to take participants on a romantic gondola ride as the city celebrated its latest accomplishment.

“It represents our commitment to making Conway a place that people want to live, work and visit, and I believe it’s working. It’s about building a thriving community, enhancing our quality of life, and creating lasting memories for everyone who steps foot here,” Mayor Barbara Jo Blain told a crowd of about 100 residents and local officials.

You won’t get any argument from Herman and Valeria Senor. The couple moved back to Conway three years ago, and enjoyed a gondola ride and the expanded Riverwalk on Thursday.

“This is wonderful,” Herman Senor said. “Very accessible, roomy and convenient."

It didn’t come easy.

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The city broke ground on the project in November 2023, with an expected completion date of November 2024, but construction finished about two months behind schedule.

“We had extreme weather, rising waters, and we even had snow,” said Tyler Thomas of Sellers General Construction of Conway, which built the extension.

“Mother Nature reminds us that you must adapt, adjust and work around her schedule,” he said.

It marked the third expansion of the Riverwalk, the most popular pathway in a city full of trails, with the first phase finished in 1993. The attraction nows runs from the confluence of Kingston Lake and the Waccamaw River north to 4th Avenue at the Highway 905 bridge.

It features 2,200 feet of pressure-treated pine boardwalk and connecting sidewalks that span about 1.2 miles.

With the latest expansion, which was part of the city’s master development plan, the Riverwalk finally meets Main Street. The Riverwalk connects to the downtown business district via a curved, landscaped sidewalk at Fourth Avenue.

“The expansion links the Riverfront and Main Street, encouraging increased foot traffic and stimulating local economic activity,” city spokesperson June Wood wrote in a news release.

The extension includes elevated decks over the water north and south of the railroad trestle, linked by a section that goes up and over the tracks. There are three wide, octagon-shaped areas for socializing. And floating docks enable boaters to tie up and visit shops and restaurants in the downtown historic district.

The project cost $2,287,277, and was paid for in part by a $750,000 grant from the State Parks Recreation and Tourism Fund secured by State Sen. Luke Rankin (R-Myrtle Beach) and the rest of Conway’s legislative delegation. The balance came from city hospitality funds, which are taxes paid on meals and hotel rooms in the city.

“When we began dreaming about the Riverwalk we envisioned a place where families could walk, gather and enjoy the beauty of our river and lake. Where boats could tie to floating docks and their occupants could stroll downtown for dinner and shopping,” Mayor Blain said.

Mission accomplished.

The Riverwalk "highlights our town’s rich history, its cultural heritage and incredible natural surroundings,” the mayor said. "We are so blessed.”

The event was also the launch of Conway’s "City of Love" Valentine’s Day celebration.

Free gondola rides for two will be offered from 4-7 p.m. Feb. 13-16 from the Riverwalk dock at Fourth Avenue.

Valentine’s Village on the Town Green at 200 Laurel St. will be open from 6-9 on Feb. 13-16, and Valentine’s themed decorations and photo ops abound in the downtown business district.

A barndominim company is coming to Conway. The Barndo Co. is planning on opening an elaborate showroom in April. They will be located at the Coastal Centre Mall on Church Street. (Courtesy: The Barndo Co.)

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HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WPDE) — A barndominium company is coming to Conway!

The Barndo Co. is planning on opening an elaborate showroom in April at the Coastal Centre Mall on Church Street.

Also known as ‘barndos,’ the building trend has become popular through social media and television.

Barndominiums are barn-style buildings that are built for residential use.

They were originally built to be a creative way to turn unused space in horse barns into lodging for farm and ranch workers.

Today, the trend has taken off into using the building technique to create extraordinary homes.

The Barndo Co. said the primary difference between their builds and a conventional or traditional home comes down to the framing system.

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“We utilize 6x6 posts for all the heavy lifting and weight and wind load requirements. We continue that with full 6” exterior walls and roof decks. This increased thickness on exterior points allow us to do an improved insulation system utilizing spray foam insulation and creating a fully encapsulated building envelope which improves comfort of the home and energy efficiency,” said TJ Norris, the CEO of The Barndo Co.

It’s also that framing system through the use of tresses that make barndominiums so unique.

The Barndo Co. said they use metal trusses anchored to their exterior posts, which allows the home to not have load bearing interior walls.

By not having load bearing interior walls, people can have endless layout options.

“The trusses and the interior ceiling pitch allow for high grand ceilings typically in living rooms, kitchens, and main gatherings areas,” said Norris. "We also have the ability to break away from the postage stamp designs that have become common and re-introduce beloved ranch style food plans and large outdoor gathering spaces.”

From their Conway showroom, The Barndo Co. plans on serving several counties including: Horry, Marion, Florence, Williamsburg and Georgetown.

They also plan on serving a few eastern North Carolina counties.

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Norris said he’s excited to start serving the area.

“I think the people of Conway and surrounding areas should be excited because it will soon be easier than ever to tap into the barndo lifestyle with a partner who wants to see their dreams come true and embrace the culture of the area and join together to impact the community through outreach and giving," he said.

The Barndo Co. said they also plan on being a part of the community by doing things like donating to local charities.

“We are happy to have partnered with The Grand Strand Miracle League in Conway to invest into the community by serving the most vulnerable in the area and offering the game of baseball to every child,” he said.

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The Barndo Co. also has five other offices located in various parts of South Carolina, Tennessee and North Carolina.

Developers wanting to re-develop a shopping center in Conway may have attracted several national retailers to the project.

Developers submitted plans for the project to the City of Conway. The filing included renderings that indicated PetSmart, Marshall’s, HomeGoods, Ulta, and Five Below would open as part of the proposal.

At 1610 Church St., the plan calls for demolition and pavement removal at the Coastal Centre.

Rise Partners purchased the shopping center in October 2024 but did not return a request for comment.

In an October 2024 interview with The Sun News, Rise Partners Partner Greg Wilson said the project would bring in national retailers to the property.

He added that redevelopment should finish in 2026.

“We’re super excited about it,” Wilson said in an interview with The Sun News. “Conway is growing and needs better options in the market.”

The redevelopment project seeks to revitalize a property with fewer tenants than in previous years. In recent years, Conway shoppers have gravitated towards shopping and eating downtown.

The new trend followed efforts to refocus downtown Conway toward local restaurant-goers rather than vacationers in Myrtle Beach. It also marks a turnaround from when businesses exited the area.

In a November 2024 interview with The Sun News, Conway Downtown Alliance Executive Director Hilary Howard said the area’s compactness makes it an attractive place to stop and eat.

“A lot of folks don’t realize that our entire core downtown fits in the same footprint of a Walmart,” Howard said. “If you’re willing to park at Walmart, I walk to the back and get your milk; you’re not walking any further than you are in downtown.”

The Sun News

Ben Morse is the Retail and Leisure Reporter for The Sun News. Morse covers local business and Coastal Carolina University football and was awarded third place in the 2023 South Carolina Press Association News Contest for sports beat reporting and second place for sports video in the all-daily division. Morse previously worked for The Island Packet, covering local government. Morse graduated from American University in 2023 with a Bachelor’s Degree in journalism and economics and is originally from Prospect, Kentucky.

Flowers will get you out of the dog house, soothe you in times of sorrow, make good times even better.

Angie Porter and her family know all about flower power. Porter has a flowering shrub instead of a family tree.

Four generations — her mother, sisters, children and grandchildren and their significant others — are helping Porter’s dream of owning and operating a floral shop bear fruit.

Flowers are truly a family affair at Blushing Blooms by Under the Oaks at 2609 Shoffner Drive in Conway.

The shop is the creation of Porter and her daughter, Ashley Rouhselang.

Blushing Blooms had a soft opening last month that turned into a Valentine’s Day rush.

“It was all social media and word of mouth,” Rouhselang said.

“We know a lot of people,” Porter explained.

Even the HTC technicians who installed service at the shop came back to buy flowers, the pair said, who are humbled by the show of community support.

While Porter and Rouhselang run the shop, they have a lot of help, and need it due to other obligations.

Porter recently retired as a nurse from Conway Medical Center, but still practices occasionally to maintain her certification.

Rouhselang is the proprietor of Under the Oaks, a wedding and event planning business located in the Peanut Warehouse in downtown Conway.

The mother and daughter share an inherited love of flowers, but they need a little help with their time split between vocations.

So, and forgive this poor reporter if he misses a few, their relatives pitch in.

Porter’s sister and Rouhselang’s aunt, Audrey, works full-time at the shop.

Katie, Porter’s youngest daughter and Rouhselang’s sister, built and maintains the shop’s website and social media portals, which have helped business boom for the fledgling florists.

“She’s savvy with the computer,” Porter said.

Porter’s husband, and Rouhselang’s father, Henry, delivers flowers. So does Ashton, Porter’s grandson and Rouhselang’s son, whose efforts are assisted by his girlfriend, Kate.

Another Porter grandson, Rouhselang’s youngest Ayden, helps around the shop.

Katy’s husband Dexter searched for and secured the perfect delivery vehicle, a used Nissan transit van. “I’d rather drive it than my car,” Porter said.

Porter’s sister Alice, another of Rouhselang’s aunts, is just a phone call away if Porter’s in a pinch.

Rouhselang’s husband, Mike, helps behind the scenes. He helped build and install the flower cooler, which was delivered on the day of the Conway Blizzard of January 2025.

Porter’s mother, Mary Alice, pitches in by bringing lunch on Fridays.

And don’t forget Porter’s inspiration — her aunts with the green thumbs.

“I grew up with aunts who loved flowers and working in the yard,” Porter said.

And they weren’t just pulling weeds and cutting grass. They were tending flower gardens.

And Porter has kept the tradition alive. “My mom has had a cut-flower garden for many years,” Rouhselang said.

This year, Porter said, “our cutting garden is going to get a lot larger,” helping feed the needs of the shop. They also have suppliers to help fill orders for flowers and potted plants for holidays ranging from Valentine’s Day and Mother's Day; and for occasions from proms and quinceañeras to weddings and funerals.

Flowers, the mother and daughter duo said, are a part of life’s happiest, and saddest, moments.

“Even in times of sorrow, flowers bring some comfort,” Angie Porter said.

Blushing Blooms is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, and from 9 a.m. to noon on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

When they rented the shop in north Conway and received the key, the 1,450-square-foot store was a blank slate.

“Just a closet and a restroom,” Porter said.

But it quickly took shape, especially after Porter and Rouhselang made a trip to Atlanta to a wholesaler where they acquired a large collection of planters and home decor.

Most everything in the shop, except for the couch, chairs and cash register, are for sale.

And that included “Francesca,” a ceramic mad-hatter-like rabbit with a top hat that held a plant. Porter gave it a name because it is so over the top that she thought it would be there forever. But she was wrong. They sold six of them.

They’ve had less luck with the brass deer that Porter has named Stephen. “I feel he’s gonna be with us for a while,” she said.

They each have their favorite flowers. Rouhselang is a fan of hydrangeas, while Porter prefers sunflowers.

Mexican sunflowers are her favorite, but they’re a challenge to grow in rural north Conway. “The deer love them,” she said.

Reach Casey Jones at 843-488-7261 or [email protected].

Two Coastal Carolina University graduates are eyeing Conway to bring a sea turtle center to the city, and leaders may make room for them.

Taylor Garretson and Elissa Plocinik approached city council in December, requesting the city make space for a rehabilitation center for sea turtles. The pitch is for a true science center – not a tourist attraction. There could be an educational component, offering field trip opportunities for kids.

Garretson and Plocinik said Thursday they have almost finished the state paperwork, and are in the process of finalizing the federal paperwork.

During the city council’s budget retreat Thursday in Rock Hill, leaders seemed to like the idea of having such a center in Conway.

“I think we’re all on the same page,” councilman William Goldfinch said.

Deputy city administrator John Rogers presented the topic to council members, pointing out that Ripley’s Aquarium in Myrtle Beach and the Sea Turtle Care Center in Charleston are the only two places in the state that offer sea turtle care.

“They just want the guidance from you that if we move forward, if a space comes available … that we involve them in that process,” John said.

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A Conway sea turtle center could mean lives of sick or injured turtles may be saved as many turtles who have to be taken to the Charleston center die in transit.

“In many cases, that can be a death sentence,” said councilwoman Julie Hardwick. “I just hope we can push forward and find a space soon rather than later.”

The center could start as a rehab facility and later grow into a veterinary and operating room.

Monkeys in the city?

First, it was the chickens. Now, it’s the monkeys.

Conway leaders are discussing if they want to “make it easy” for monkeys to live in city limits, with some council members already expressing disapproval during the city’s budget retreat Thursday.

“I like the idea of leaving this alone,” Goldfinch said. “It’s just like chickens. I’m not going to die on this hill, so y’all do what you want to do.”

Hardwick followed: “If we let the monkeys in, can we let the chickens in, too?”

The conversation comes after a potential future Conway resident spoke during a council meeting about ownership of primates within city limits.

City staff brought the discussion to the budget retreat, with some background information about monkeys: Most local ordinances that allow monkeys have weight limits, under 20 pounds; monkeys under 10 pounds are typically docile; great apes are illegal in South Carolina; and background on what the city currently allows, which doesn't allow monkeys.

The city would enforce it like it does with other ordinances — it would have to be complaint driven, said deputy city administrator John Rogers.

“We’d have to investigate like we’d investigate anything else,” Rogers said.

Councilman Larry White echoed opinions against allowing monkeys, saying affordable homes for citizens should be a priority.

“We’re not finding a place for the people to go, but we’re finding a place for the monkeys? No,” he said.

So, what about the chickens? Council and city staff have discussed in recent years allowing chickens in city limits, but ultimately decided to leave the matter alone. The proposed ordinance never made it to council for a vote.

In order to allow monkeys in city limits, council would have to make two favorable votes before it became law.

City leaders continued budget talks Friday in Rock Hill, and worked to balance the budget. By law, the budget for the next fiscal year must be passed before July 1, the first day of the 2025-26 fiscal year.