Lake Waccamaw held a brief, but productive Town Hall meeting on Tuesday evening, April 21. New contracts were adopted, EMS and fire members were recognized, and folks were all a buzz about Saturday’s upcoming Gator Fest.
Bid Awarded to Dwyer
Town Hall will soon be opening its doors at a new location in Lake Waccamaw. The medical building and land located at 107 Church Street was purchased last November for $200,000, leaving Lake Waccamaw with extra funds from a $2.5 million grant to not only renovate the facility, but to also repair and refurbish the current Town Hall for municipal offices.
Bids were opened on March 16, 2026 for the renovations at the Church Street location, and the board tentatively awarded the contract to Andy Dwyer in the amount of $175,000.
Whiteville Rescue will Provide Lake EMS
Another contract for EMS services through Columbus County for the Lake area was also approved at the meeting. Whiteville Rescue will now provide those services to the Lake Waccamaw Fire District. Whiteville Rescue Unit will station personnel and equipment at Lake Waccamaw’s fire station on Flemington Drive at no cost to the county.
County funding allocated to the town for EMS would be used to pay Whiteville Rescue. Lake Waccamaw shut down its own EMS service recently as a cost-cutting measure.
Chase Lancaster was named the town’s new fire chief recently, and plans have been put in place for the fire department to help assist with medical emergencies in the event the main unit is already running a call.
“We are also going to be running an MR service, which is a medical response service, so they will also be able to help with EMS services,” said Town Manager Darrin Currie.
Currie also reported that the arrangement will save the town roughly $1.5 million with the new EMS contract, and the transition to the Whiteville Rescue provided services should be completed by July 1.
Speaking of the rescue department, several members were recognized at the meeting for their hard work and dedication to the area while EMS arrangements are being made.
Certificates were awarded to William Bennett, Kevin Benton, Ricky Dorsey, Patricia Finnegan, Jody King, Dustin Miller, and Shannon Strickland.
(not pictured are Finnegan and Strickland).
Gator Fest is Saturday
The fourth annual Gator Fest will be a huge event to attend at Elizabeth Brinkley Park on Saturday. Several food trucks, over 65 vendors, many musical acts, and nearly 300 runners are expected to show up and show out at the festival.
With only six volunteers, a lot of hard work and planning has gone into making it one of the biggest celebrations yet in Lake Waccamaw.
First Send Racing will kick off the event at 8 a.m. with the Gator 5K Walk/Run and one-mile Gator Dash on Columbia Avenue, and the festival marketplace, kids’ activities, food vendors, and educational booths will open at 10 a.m.
Vendors at the marketplace will be available for all your unique shopping needs. Homemade dog biscuits, original art, hand sewn items, woodworks, baked goods, jewelry, clothing, hats, soaps, candles, pottery, 3D creations, and plants are among the many things artisans will have for sale.
The Town of Lake Waccamaw will also have raffle tickets available for purchase for a fabulous prize.
Kids are the name of the game, and the games and so much more will be absolutely free at the fest. The Kids’ Zone will feature Flimsy the Clown, carnival games, prizes, horse rides, gator train rides, a petting zoo, and face painting. The Flamingo Foam Party will also take place throughout the day.
Live music will take center stage until dark at the park. The lineup for the fourth annual event is first class and will include bands like the Patricia Charlton Duo, Chris Nash, Jeffery Simmons, Later Gator, and The Ford Project. Grab some refreshments from the food trucks, pull up your favorite lawn chair or spread out a blanket, and enjoy all the musical stylings of each group.
Just when you think Gator Fest couldn’t get any better, local businesses and community youth organizations decided they also wanted to do their part to make the event a success. The Dixie Youth girls will host a dunking booth with some well-known local folks taking the hot seat, and specialty t-shirts in a variety of styles and sizes will be up for grabs designed by the East Columbus High School Art Department.
Council Tool Company will be celebrating their 140-year anniversary with an interactive axe throwing event. The activity will feature Council’s own “Flying Fox” axe.
Saturday, they will have an axe throwing trailer for visitors, as well as displays of the company’s work. Council Flying Fox Woodsman’s hatchet will be available for “test drives” at the throwing trailer. The Flying Fox has been used by winners of the World Axe Throwing Championship for two years in a row.
Copyright 2026 Columbus County News
