WALTERBORO, S.C. (WCBD) – Community members are concerned about a new ministry that is set to open in the Walterboro area.

Shield Ministries, an organization that claims to help convicted sex offenders rehabilitate and re-enter society, will open its doors off Barracada Road near Highway 17-A.

About 50 men could be housed at the property at any given time as the first phase of their three-phase program to help the men improve their lives.

“Shield Ministries is an organization that works to help men transition from the devastation of their past into a thriving future,” explained David Truluck, executive director for Shield Ministries.

But those who live nearby say they are concerned about having sex offenders so close to their homes, children, and grandchildren.

“I’ve lived here for 35 years. I love Walterboro. I love the community,” said neighbor Lisa Langdale.

Langdale is worried about what is going in at this old church site in her rural neighborhood. “I’m just really concerned about living in the neighborhood, for our children, and living in the neighborhood even for myself,” she said.

She’s even part of a new Facebook group that has gained more than 600 followers.

“What do you say to people who maybe they live nearby, they have children or grandchildren at their house, and they’re concerned? What would you say to them,” we asked Truluck.

“Well, we have been a big asset to the community. When you look at our history, we have great relationships with law enforcement agencies,” Truluck replied.

There is also concern about Truluck, personally, because he is a registered sex offender.

“I believe the offense was committ or attempt a lewd act on a child. Do you understand why people might be concerned about an organization that you’re leading being right there in their neighborhood as well,” News 2 asked.

“I do understand why they would be concerned about that, but one of the things I would like to communicate to them is, I’ve been through the process of healing I’ve been through court-ordered counseling, which we will be providing,” he replied.

When asked if he could guarantee that none of the men in the program would bring harm to anyone in the community, Truluck said “I don’t think we could give that type of guarantee,” but cited the program’s “zero percent recidivism” rate.

A community meeting geared toward showcasing the proposal will take place Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m. across from Tractor Supply on Bells Highway in Walterboro.

Leaders with Shield Ministries say they are in the process of getting the property ready to open, however, they do not have a specific opening date at this time.

WALTERBORO, S.C. (WCSC) - Ring camera footage from a Walterboro home appears to show a dog being run over by a U.S. Postal Service driver who did not stop or slow down, a Colleton County woman says.

The dog, Yogi, survived but awaits surgery that could result in his leg being amputated. If not, a BluePearl Pet Hospital in Summerville says because of his poor quality of life, he might have to be euthanized.

“She’s been delivering our mail for over a year,” Paula Gouge, Yogi’s owner, said. “She knows my dogs. She’s pet my dogs before... And I don’t know if she might have given him treats in the past and he was running for a treat.”

BluePearl Pet Hospital says Yogi suffers from a dislocated hip, broken femur and lower spine and internal injuries. The family has been in contact with Officer Suzi Reeves with Colleton County Animal Services, who is handling the case.

“Officer Reeves told me that we did nothing wrong,” Gouge said. “We did not break any laws. We do not have to keep him on a leash.”

Matthew Breen, managing partner of Lowcountry Law, LLC, says the family can decide to sue this driver for negligence and depending on what the solicitor decides, the driver could face charges as high as a hit and run.

“Yes, they might have needed to restrain their animal,” Breen said. “But at the same time... that doesn’t give us an excuse, ‘Well, that dog doesn’t have its leash on and it’s outside the road. I can just run it over and kill it.’”

He says it’s important for pet owners to be diligent.

“You want to make sure that you protected your pet to the greatest extent that you could, and if they’re injured, that you can recover civilly against the wrongdoer who injured your pet,” Breen said.

Reeves says the driver will face at least two citations under the proper care of animals under the Colleton County Code of Ordinances. She says the driver has been identified and she claims she didn’t know she hit the dog.

“He’s only eight and a half years old,” Gouge said. “He’s not done. I just pray that he can get better and be a miracle dog and run around on three legs.”

The Walterboro Postal Service declined to make a comment because the case is under investigation. The postal service Southern Area Corporate Communications says they’re still reviewing the video and gathering additional details about the incident.

Copyright 2023 WCSC. All rights reserved.

WALTERBORO, S.C. (WCSC) - Colleton County has two large industries coming around Walterboro in the near future and county officials are already thinking about how this is going to affect housing.

Pomega Energy Storage Technologies, a subsidiary of Kontrolmatik Technologies that makes lithium-ion batteries, is investing $279 million to build a facility located in the Colleton Industrial Campus near Walterboro.

“That is the largest economic investment of a company coming to this county in history,” Colleton County Councilman Scott Biering said.

This industry will bring in 575 jobs, but that’s not all. Biering says Boise Cascade Company, a leading manufacturer for building materials, will also bring in 30 additional jobs and developers have already sent in applications.

“I think there’s two developments, like maybe 100 houses per development,” Biering said. “And that’s a big deal for us.”

Mark Wysong, the president of the Colleton County Chamber of Commerce, says this will bring greater prosperity to the city of Walterboro.

“Right now, that’s one of the biggest challenges that we have in Colleton County is affordable housing,” Wysong said.

Wysong says these industry jobs will increase the median income within the county, improving the housing market overall. Biering says there are roughly 9,000 people that leave every day to go work in neighboring counties and they want to try to keep those people a little closer to home.

“There’s not been a whole lot of homes and developers in this area for a long time,” Biering said. “So, this is something new to us to have this amount of interest.”

Wysong says he knows locals will want to keep their small town the way it is, but no one should have to worry about losing it.

“While retaining the small-town feel, I think these new developments coming in will adopt that look and feel, so you retain this really small neighborhood community,” Wysong said.

Biering says these housing developments are only in the planning stages, and nothing has been approved so far.

“We like to live, work and play here,” Biering said. “We’d like to keep it closer to the center. So, I think the housing will be a big plus in that direction.”

Biering says Pomega is hopefully expected to break ground in 2024.

Copyright 2023 WCSC. All rights reserved.

Yogi is 8 ½ years old. He’s an Aussie German Shepherd mix who loves to sit near the house and watch the few cars and trucks that go by on the Gouge family’s long dirt driveway on 22 acres outside Walterboro.

Most days he gets some extra pets and maybe a treat or two as packages are delivered.

Then came Monday.

Yogi was sitting in his usual spot when the mail carrier came by.

Next thing Paula Gouge knew he came inside and laid down on the bathroom floor.

Moments later a neighbor called and said Yogi had been hit by the mail carrier’s truck. She did not stop. The neighbor saw it all as she sat on her porch.

Gouge looked at her Ring camera and she saw it all, too. Warning, the video may be upsetting to some viewers.

She checked on Yogi and saw he was bleeding.

They rushed him to the emergency vet and learned his hip was dislocated and femur broken. He had a spinal injury.

“He is 90 pounds of all-good boy,” she said on the gofundme page set up to pay what is likely going to be a $10,000 bill for surgery and other expenses.

Her husband Rodney said, “He’s my joker. He makes you laugh.”

They both said he is a member of the family, along with three children, two grandchildren and two other dogs, a bulldog and a teacup aussie.

“Yogi has never chased a car,” Paula Gouge said in an interview Thursday with The State.

She’s not sure why he did Monday. The carrier had delivered packages, went to a neighbor’s and was on her way back out of the Gouge’s property. They own both sides of the driveway and the neighbor has an easement to use it.

Rodney Gouge reported the incident to the United States Postal Service.

“We haven’t heard squat,” he said.

A spokeswoman for the Southern Area Corporate Communications Office of the Postal Service told The State on Thursday that, “The Postal Service strives to always provide the best possible service to our valued customers. It is disappointing when, on rare occasions, we fall short of that goal.”

She said Walterboro Post Office management has addressed the situation with the letter carrier, who was not named.

“We sincerely apologize to our customer,” she said., declining to answer further questions while the investigation is ongoing.

We “will take all appropriate actions based on the results of the investigation to ensure that the integrity and values of the USPS are upheld,” she said.

Rodney Gouge said he wants the Postal Service to pay the vet bills, but most importantly, he wants the carrier to apologize for hitting Yogi and for not stopping.

Colleton County animal control officer Suzi Reeves did not return a phone message but she told Live 5 news the driver will likely face at least two citations.

The Charleston-area station said the driver told Reeves she didn’t know she hit the dog.

There is some good news. Yogi had surgery Thursday and will be going home Friday. The orthopedist did not have to amputate his leg as was feared.

It will be a long recovery — eight to 10 weeks immobilized inside the house — for Yogi and for the Gouges before he can once again lie down by the chicken coop, nose in the wire fence, watching over his flock or stand sentry by the front door.

This story was originally published July 14, 2023, 6:30 AM.

SOUTH CAROLINA (WCIV) — It’s amazing. It was already 15 years ago, I did a story on an aspiring singer/songwriter leaving for Nashville after his time as a Clemson Tigers long snapper. It worked out pretty well for that guy- Lee Brice.

This week, we do the same story. A former Clemson long snapper, leaving to follow his music dreams in Nashville. Walterboro’s Jim Brown.

If passion could be purveyed, Jim Brown has always found a way to do it.

Walterboro's Jim Brown follows in Lee Brice's footsteps, gunning for a music career. (WCIV)

“I sing vocally very gritty and aggressive," said the Pinewood Prep grad.

If purpose and passion meet, Jim Brown will find a way to connect them. In his fifth year at Clemson, he was awarded a scholarship by Dabo Swinney.

The Walterboro native has a deeply rooted passion, and now, is his time to shine.

“I taught myself how to play guitar in HS after an ACL injury, bedridden for two weeks so I picked up a guitar and learned to play. When football was over, just latched on to it— all music. Singing vocals, piano, music theory, songwriting- started diving as deep as I could and it sort of got me to here," he said.

Construction consultant is the title that pays the bills for now. But Jim Brown is ready for that chord progression to take the next step. Similar to going from walk-on to scholarship player.

“I’m not trying to be the next Chris Stapleton, but I want to make music that hopefully relates to people on some level," Brown said.

Music, can always take you home. His first single is doing just that.

“The Devil and the Gavel” is his ode to the Murdaugh murders saga in his hometown of Walterboro.

“In Charleston I played a lot of gigs, covers around town and on weekends, Thursday, Friday, Saturday at Edisto Beach and Walterboro. Now, more songwriting. At the end of the day, what I want to do is release music that I have, keep playing. I know its something I’m fortunate to have, and kind of let people know this is my thing," Brown said.

He doesn’t know Lee Brice. He’s never met him. But he hopes his passion will help him follow the same path.