Mrytle Beach Bike Fest Security

(WOLO) MYRTLE BEACH,S.C., — MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (AP) _ An annual Memorial Day motorcycle festival is pushing Myrtle Beach officials to raise property taxes by the biggest margin in nearly 20 years. City residents will reportedly pay an extra $40 more on a $200,000 home to hire more police officers and apply other security measures to get control of holiday crowds attending Bikefest. The motorcycle rally is based 13 miles north in Atlantic Beach but the crowds add to the Memorial Day tourists that spread across South Carolina’s Grand Strand. A rash of violence during this year’s event left three dead. The property tax increase is the largest for Myrtle Beach residents since 1995. Property values in the city dropped about 5 percent on average after a reassessment this year. (Source:Associated Press)