kitchen countertopsIn Walterboro, SC

Ever since he was tapped by the South Carolina supreme court to handle matters related to the ‘Murdaugh Murders’ crime and corruption saga, circuit court judge Clifton Newman has been a champion of transparency.

Newman has afforded the media near-unfettered access to pretrial hearings involving disgraced attorney Alex Murdaugh, who stands accused of savagely dispatching his wife, 52-year-old Maggie Murdaugh, and their younger son, 22-year-old Paul Murdaugh, sometime after 8:44 p.m. EDT on June 7, 2021 near the dog kennels on the family’s 1,700-acre hunting property – known locally as Moselle.

Murdaugh is scheduled to be judged by a jury of his peers in Walterboro, S.C. beginning on January 23.

The media access heretofore granted by Newman has permitted the public to follow the latest twists and turns in this still-unfolding legal drama – which is poised to reach a point of critical mass at Murdaugh’s upcoming double homicide trial.

Access to these proceedings has been essential considering it is not just Murdaugh who is on trial in this case – but the state’s much-maligned justice system, too.

Newman’s openness with the press has stood in stark contrast to a disturbing pattern of secrecy within South Carolina’s court system – which provides (at best) inconsistent public access to courtrooms where the people’s business is conducted. And produces, not surprisingly, uneven outcomes.

“There is no uniform standard in South Carolina for allowing audio, video and photo recording inside state courtrooms,” I wrote in an expansive column on this subject thirteen months ago. “It is literally up to the whims of individual judges, far too many of whom like to play favorites with members of the media – cherrypicking which news outlets are allowed to have photographers and videographers in their courtrooms and which ones are not.”

Such selective access and favoritism is totally unacceptable.

“Public hearings must be conducted in public,” I noted in my December 2021 post. “And public business must remain public.”

As we approach the commencement of Murdaugh’s double homicide trial, multiple media outlets are raising concerns about what they perceive to be the unfair curtailing of access to the forthcoming proceedings. Specifically, they are worried about seating arrangements at the trial, court-imposed restrictions on essential reporting tools (laptops, cell phones, etc.) as well as the potential lack of access to certain public exhibits which will be introduced by prosecutors and defense attorneys during the proceedings.

This news outlet has yet to weigh in on these concerns – which have reportedly attracted the attention of Jay Bender, a retired law professor with years of experience litigating public records access cases. Bender is reportedly meeting with court officials this week to discuss concerns raised by the media outlets, however calls to his office were not immediately returned.

Hopefully, Bender’s involvement will have a positive impact on this process.

Certainly, I understand and respect Newman’s insistence that the Colleton County courtroom where he is scheduled to preside over this trial not devolve into a circus. And I appreciate his preparations with court officials – and the town of Walterboro – to handle the influx associated with ‘Murdaughpalooza.”

This is why I fully support the decision to designate CourtTV as the sole provider of a shared live feed for these proceedings – one which can be accessed by all media outlets. As long as this feed is made available to everyone – television, print, internet, podcasters, etc. – I have absolutely no issue with this decision.

Similarly, I have no issue with the court designating one photographer to provide pool access to the press. While I have been enjoying trying my hand at courtroom photography over the last few months here at FITSNews, it makes sense to streamline this function as well. Again, assuming this photographer’s stream is available to all media outlets – television, print, internet, podcasters, etc. – I have no issue with this decision, either.

As for the ability of reporters to access the trial – and faithfully report on what is transpiring during the proceedings – I believe the present deliberations should take a few things into consideration.

Regarding which reporters are granted access, it is my hope that fundamental fairness will prevail.

For example, I should think preference should be given to South Carolina-based media outlets – especially those which have been covering this story from the very beginning. Denying access to these outlets – especially in the name of accommodating national media who are parachuting into this story at the last minute – would be patently unfair.

At least one journalist from FITSNews, The (Columbia, S.C.) State newspaper, The (Charleston, S.C.) Post and Courier, The Greenville News, Murdaugh Murders Podcast and Murdaugh Family Murders podcast should be present in the courtroom at all times for this trial.

Why? Because we have been driving this story for the past year-and-a-half (some of us even longer than that).

Similarly, at least one representative of the state’s local network affiliates should be given access to cover the trial – including reporters like Riley Benson of WCBD TV-2 (NBC Charleston) and Anne Emerson of WCIV TV-4 (ABC – Charleston), both of whom have been following this case from the beginning.

Beyond that, I think it is fair to give consideration to national reporters who have covered the story closely – like Valerie Bauerlein of The Wall Street Journal.

Bottom line: I don’t know the precise number of media seats which ought to be made available (20-24 would be my best guess), but I think the reporters sitting in those seats should be mostly journalists from the Palmetto State who have been on top of this saga all along. Journalists who have broken news, shaped narratives and consistently pushed for accountability from all parties involved (including the press).

(Click to view)

Once the size and composition of the press pool has been determined, one thing should be perfectly clear: The media must be able to do its job.

That means members of the media pool must be allowed access to their cell phones and laptops during the proceedings.

Certainly, judge Newman and court officials should be allowed to impose reasonable restrictions on the use of these devices – and be able to toss anyone from the court who forgets to set their iPhone to vibrate – but reporters should not be denied access to the most basic tools of their trade.

Finally, as it relates to the availability of documents, photographs, videos or other exhibits submitted into evidence by either prosecutors or defense attorneys during the course of this trial – I hope this never becomes an issue.

These are public documents. Submitted in a public trial. In a public courtroom.

Some of these materials may be graphic and disturbing … but it should be up to each individual media outlet to determine how it is going to handle such sensitive information, not a government censor.

My recommendation? Newman – working in concert with court and local officials – should establish a ‘Murdaugh media listserv’ for this trial which updates its subscribers with official materials from the trial via email as they are released. This way, all media outlets would receive these materials at the same time. At that point, as noted previously, it would be up to the leadership of each outlet to decide how this information should be best presented to its audience.

As for this news outlet, we will be announcing our trial coverage plans early next week after we get a sense of how Newman and court officials plan to proceed on the matters discussed above.

Whatever transpires during those deliberations, though, count on myself, trial anchor/ producer Ashleigh Messervey, director of special projects Dylan Nolan and research director Jenn Wood to continue bringing our audience the same comprehensive, credible coverage that FITSNews has provided from the moment it broke this story wide open back in June of 2021.

Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and seven children.

Got something you’d like to say in response to one of our articles? Or an issue you’d like to address proactively? We have an open microphone policy here at FITSNews! Submit your letter to the editor (or guest column) via email HERE. Got a tip for a story? CLICK HERE. Got a technical question or a glitch to report? CLICK HERE.

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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.

As the calendar flips to January, many people take the opportunity to make New Year’s resolutions to improve themselves and their outlook. According to Statistica, some of the top resolutions for 2022 were living healthier (23%), losing weight (20%), career and job goals (16%), and financial goals (13%). No doubt, many of those resolutions hold true for 2023 as well.

The surest path to improving one’s career and long-term financial status is to upskill or earn relevant post-secondary credentials that lead to good-paying jobs. Over their lifetime, a college graduate will make an average of $1.2 million more than someone with just a high school diploma. According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, more than 472,000 South Carolinians have some college credit but no degree.

Among the most cited reasons for dropping out of school are cost, lack of academic preparedness, lack of discipline, unhappiness with the college experience, and life circumstances. Many things are out of our control, like family circumstances and health, but what if the other issues could be addressed to facilitate returning to school?

Following are seven steps for adults to jumpstart their education in 2023.

Contact your previous schools to obtain copies of your transcripts. This will provide you with a baseline of how many credit hours you have, but keep in mind that not all credits may transfer to another school.

Set a budget and determine how much you can reasonably spend on tuition. If you need to take out a student loan, borrow the minimum amount you need instead of the maximum you qualify for.

Explore community colleges or nonprofit colleges. South Carolina’s 26 community colleges provide low-cost certificate programs and associate degrees in many in-demand fields. In most cases, community college credit hours will transfer to institutions granting bachelor’s degrees. On the other hand, private for-profit colleges often charge higher tuition, resulting in a lower ROI for your degree. Confirm that the college is accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Research asynchronous (available at any time) online course offerings. Working adults don’t often have the time to attend an in-person class or even an online class that only streams at a set time. Asynchronous courses let you log in and study whenever you want, whether it’s at 10 p.m. or on your lunch break.

Ask colleges what support they provide to working adults. You might be surprised to learn that some institutions have staff dedicated to older students. For example, some provide special orientation sessions, advising and counseling services, and tutoring, specifically geared toward adult learners.

Explore financial aid options. You might think that filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is only for younger students, but adults can also access federal aid. See if your workplace offers tuition reimbursement as an employee benefit. Also, explore local, national, and school-specific scholarships. For example, Western Governors University offers a Year of You Scholarship for those resolving to enroll in 2023.

Seek support networks. After you enroll, surround yourself with people who believe in your educational journey, including family members, coworkers, friends, mentors, and even your fellow students.

According to the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce, the state will see 287,000 job openings annually up until 2030 due to employment growth and job turnover. By committing to jumpstart your education this year, you could be positioning yourself for career and financial success that will reap rewards for decades to come.

Ben Coulter, Ed.D., is Southeast Regional Director for Western Governors University, an accredited nonprofit online university with more than 5,900 graduates in South Carolina.

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WALTERBORO, S.C. (WCIV) — The fight against a halfway house continues in Walterboro as residents will take their concerns to the Colleton County Council for the first time tonight.

Several Walterboro residents are worried the proposed halfway house located on Barracada Road, can bring dozens of sex offenders to the area.

However, despite a conversation on the county council’s agenda tonight, officials say Shield Ministries has not revealed plans yet.

Shield Ministries purchased the land of an old, abandoned church—speculated to be the future halfway house.

According to Colleton County Council Chair, Steve Murdaugh, no permits were filed by Shield Ministries, an action required for a residential facility to come before the council.

Despite the lack of action, residents say they want to get ahead of the issue, showing the county their concerns regardless.

“We don't expect an answer tomorrow. Really, we really don't expect an answer. We just want to present our case,” Walterboro resident Lisa Langdale, “Our plan is to give the county [our concerns], present our case and give the county every piece of ammunition we can to be able to say no to this because we just so feel like it's not the right thing for our community, and especially our neighborhood.”

Murdaugh says he does believe the proposed location is not suitable for the halfway house and could push for action to be taken tonight.

Shield Ministries responded to resident’s concerns in a statement saying, “right now, we are exploring all options with the property.”

In Shield Ministries' 2021 annual report, 70 percent of their applicants are registered as sex offenders. The company says between 40 and 50 men will live at the Walterboro location.

The proximity of the location on Barracada Road of the proposed halfway house worries residents, as it’s a quarter mile from a Jehovah’s Witness meeting location, Kingdom Hall Church and at least four schools within an eight mile radius.

The South Carolina law states sex offenders can’t live within 1000 feet of a church or a school bus stop. The proposed location is just over 1000 feet from Kingdom Hall by a hundredth of a mile, and many bus stops are in the immediate area.

“Ultimately our goal is to stop this because we don't want it in our neighborhoods. We have children, we have families. It is residential. It's not secluded, or isolated and I think that's what it was called at one point--and it's not,” Langdale said.

Sex offenders haven’t been a consistent problem for the town. Colleton County Sheriff’s Office reported statistics for sex offenses from 2020-2021 reveal sex crimes decreased nearly half, while other violent crimes increased.

Crime statistics Colleton County:

All of this and more will be discussed at the Colleton County council meeting tonight at 5:15 p.m. in Walterboro.

Stick with ABC News 4 for updates.

(Family Features) Finding a home that fits your dream list can be difficult. Add in a child (or two), and the criteria can get even tighter.

Take the McGinnis family, which was on the hunt for a more spacious home that could accommodate two home offices in the Dallas area.

“Working with Opendoor, my wife and I were able to buy a new home, sell our current house and skip the hassle of preparing for open houses with two small kids,” Billy McGinnis said. “The entire process was quick and easy, and allowed us to stay in our preferred location and school district for our kids.”

With schools across the country in session, the experts at Opendoor are helping parents and guardians find their perfect homes with this list of top cities and towns for families based on family-friendly features, including parks, picnic sites, swimming pools and proximity to schools.

The top 15 family-friendly cities and towns:

Other key criteria for family-friendly places to live include:

Academic Excellence According to a real estate trends report, among the most common reasons homeowners cite for selling their homes is to seek a better school district.

The Great Outdoors Research from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services shows children who play outdoors have lower stress levels, develop stronger immune systems and play more creatively. If you’re looking to maximize outdoor experiences, you can feel right at home in Denver, Colorado; Portland, Oregon; or Ann Arbor, Michigan. Each of these areas offers wide open spaces where children can learn and explore.

Small-Town Feel If you’re seeking a small-town feel with big city amenities nearby, look no further than Arlington, Virginia or Avondale Estates, Georgia. Both locations offer areas for outdoor play, neighborhoods with strong community feel and a wide selection of restaurants and coffee shops the entire family can enjoy.

“Deciding where to settle down and buy a home is a difficult decision, especially for families with children,” Opendoor’s Consumer Trend Expert Beatrice de Jong said. “We found that most family-friendly cities on our list have quite a few common features – whether that’s a small-town feel or plenty of outdoor spaces to explore. With Opendoor, families can buy, sell and move at the tap of a button. Buyers can take advantage of virtual tours to view properties without leaving home, and sellers can receive preliminary offers in minutes while skipping the hassle of stagings and open houses.”

Whether you are buying or selling your home, visit opendoor.com for a streamlined experience.

Methodology: Opendoor’s family-friendly cities and towns are identified by analyzing and averaging the number of OpenStreetMap ‘family friendly’ tags that are within 3 miles of all addresses in a city where Opendoor Brokerage operates. These indicators include such phrases as: community center, garden, museums, park, picnic site, playground, school, swimming pool and supermarket.

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