Commercial Roof Repair in Walterboro, SC

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. (WCIV) — A new halfway house and treatment center coming to Walterboro is concerning those who live near the property.

Shield Ministries plans to use a vacant church campus off Barracada Road near Highway 17-A to help men enrolled in the organization's treatment and reeducation program.

But neighbors say they’re worried because a majority of the men in the program are registered sex offenders.

"We help them transition from the devastation of their past into a thriving future," said David Truluck, the executive director of Shield Ministries.

Shield Ministries said their focus is on reforming and preventing recidivism in men who have dealt with poverty, addiction, and violence.

The non-profit currently has two facilities in North Charleston and plans to open their third.

"We found this facility in Walterboro in Colleton County that was secluded, but not isolated, and would allow us to take these young men out of the environment that consistently contributed to their going back to prison," Truluck said.

In Shield Ministries' 2021 annual report, out of 60 participants, seven graduated the 18-month program.

70 percent of this year’s applicants are registered as sex offenders. Truluck said there will be between 40 to 50 men living at the Walterboro location.

Residents in the neighborhood are concerned about their children’s safety.

"How is it a good idea? Tell me how this benefits us as a county, as a community in any way, shape or form. There's no upside to this. It's not financial for us, not financial for anybody," said Nikki Nettles, a neighborhood resident.

"For them to all be in one place and to have to deal with it all in one place; I just think that's too much of a threat for the community," resident Lisa Langdale said.

Truluck said the men who have graduated the program have a zero-recidivism rate.

Truluck himself is a registered sex offender, something else that concerns residents.

"I worry. We already have a lot of people that walk up and down the road and now we're going to change the dynamics of who it is walking up and down the road, and that really worries me," Nettles said.

Dr. William Burke, the president of Southeastern Assessment, said their first obligation is public safety.

"We will be taking them to work, bringing them back to the facility. If there's any need for them to go into the town, we would take them so they would always be supervised by a ministry staff member," Truluck said.

Dr. Burke said every participant is polygraphed every six months, drug tested at random, and their telephone and internet usage is monitored daily.

If they don't follow protocol, they are kicked out of the program.

"It means that they are arrested, and they are scheduled to go before a probation board and or go before a judge to for them to determine do they go to prison or do they get another chance to back out in public," Dr. Burke said.

Dr. Burke said in order to prevent recidivism, they must provide a place for people to control their behavior.

"We don't want to be a community liability. We want to be a community asset. And we stress accountability and responsibility. And we have we make it clear that the men are going to be held to a high standard. If they do not meet that standard, they will be expelled from our program," Truluck said.

But residents don't want that happening in their backyard, near their children.

"Our plan is to stop this, but if we can't, then what do we do? We have to educate, we have to help each other," Nettles said.

Shield Ministries said they are still in the development stages, so there is no timeline as to when the facility in Walterboro will open.

A community meeting to discuss the halfway house is scheduled for Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m. across from tractor supply on Bells Highway in Walterboro.

WALTERBORO, S.C. (WCSC) - Around 50 criminals, which could include 10 sex offenders, could be coming to a community in Walterboro.

SHIELD Ministries is the organization looking to bring a rehabilitation center of prior offenders to Barracada Road. This program would give them the skills they need to survive after incarceration. Some of them might be sex offenders.

The executive director of this program, David Truluck, is a registered sex offender himself.

“I unfortunately know these people personally,” Meagan Bishop, against SHIELD ministries new center, said. “Melodie Truluck is my mother and Rev. David Truluck is my abuser.”

Bishop is a victim of sexual abuse and the alleged offender, her stepfather, is David Truluck.

Truluck wants to move one of his centers into a building formerly owned by Faith Church in Summerville.

Nikki Nettles, a concerned community member, says this can’t happen.

“This SHIELD Ministries claims that they’re going to be under strict supervision, but they’re being led by a registered sex offender. So, how can that really be a valid point?”

When Truluck was asked about these concerns, he gave this statement:

I am a convicted sex offender who accepts full responsibility and the consequences of my actions. I do not make excuses for what I have done in my past and know that my actions caused many people who cared about me emotional hurt. There is nothing I can do to undo what I have done to hurt others. I have been through court ordered counseling and with the assistance of Dr. William Burke, others, and experiencing the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ, my wife, and Christian brothers I have walked down a road of restoration, healing, self-recognition, and redemption. The experiences I have had in my life give me the knowledge, understanding, skills, and abilities to help the men SHIELD Ministries work with to travel this same road, thus decreasing the likelihood of recidivism. Just as I was held and continue to be held to a high standard, we at SHIELD hold these men to a high standard and know the standard we set will increase the ability for these men to be successful both while they are at SHIELD and when they leave.

Truluck says this center will teach them life skills, cognitive behavioral learning and workforce development. He says 7-10 staff members are looking after around 50 men. He says hired staff is based off prior experience, but none of them are current law enforcement.

Kevin Lyles, who also lives near this community, says this is not enough.

“If somebody breaks in your house and steals your TV, you go to Walmart and buy another one,” Lyles said. “If somebody violates your child, there’s no coming back from that... and you can rehabilitate, but it’s hard when you got a pedophile leading a group of pedophiles.”

Other information the community shared in Wednesday’s meeting was SHIELD Ministries 2021 annual report of their program of 60 offenders. The data shows 0% of graduates reoffended out of the 7 people who completed the program.

Nettles says it’s too close for comfort.

“I don’t really have an idea of where I think they should be, I just don’t want them on Barracada Road,” Nettles said.

Lyles says he worries about his son’s safety.

“I have to work,” Lyles said. “My child has to play in the yard. Do I keep him in the house? Do I change his life to cater to these people? I just don’t think that’s right.”

Bishop says her final words on the matter.

“David does not really care about reforming these men and SHIELD Ministries does not care about the community or its children,” Bishop said. “They claim that they are nonprofit but have literally turned pedophilia into a business.”

Barracada Road is under Colleton County jurisdiction, and when asked if SHIELD Ministries has submitted any paperwork for approval of this center, Joshua Rowland, the director of planning and development for Colleton County, provided this statement:

At this time the Colleton County Planning and Development department has not received any plans, submittals or permit applications for the aforementioned property located on Barracada Road. Additionally, our Department has not granted any forms of approval for the referenced facility. Until a project and necessary applications are submitted to our department for review, we are unable to comment on this matter.

The community members say they are going to try to work with the county to make sure this center does not come to their neighborhood.

You can find the full press release from SHIELD Ministries below:

Copyright 2022 WCSC. All rights reserved.

Boise Cascade Company, a leading manufacturer and distributor for building materials, plans to establish a new facility in Walterboro, South Carolina. The $9 million project is expected to create 30 jobs in Colleton County.

Located at 157 Risher Mountain Tower Road the distribution center will provide direct access to the Palmetto Railways Salkehatchie Subdivision rail line, connecting the company to the national freight rail network.

“We are excited to be planning a branch location in Colleton County. This investment demonstrates our commitment to a terrific customer base in a growing market,” Boise Cascade Company Building Materials Division Executive Vice President Jeff Strom said.

As an incentive the Coordinating Council for Economic Development approved job development credits related to this project. A $200,000 Rural Infrastructure Fund (RIF) grant was also awarded to Colleton County to assist with the costs of site preparation and infrastructure improvements.

“Congratulations to Boise Cascade Company, as it expands in yet another South Carolina location. Our state’s rural communities are producing and distributing products from some of the world’s most trusted companies, and we’re excited that the Colleton community can add Boise Cascade to that roster. We look forward to supporting the company’s continued growth within South Carolina,” Secretary of Commerce Harry M. Lightsey III noted.

Headquartered in Boise, Idaho, Boise Cascade serves residential and industrial construction retail yards, manufacturing wood products and distributing wholesale building materials across North America.

“SouthernCarolina Alliance welcomes Boise Cascade to our region of South Carolina. We appreciate both the direct and indirect jobs that this operation will bring to our robust wood products sector, and we congratulate Colleton County on this exciting announcement, which will benefit from Colleton’s workforce and strategic location,” SouthernCarolina Regional Development Alliance Chairman Marty Sauls added.

“Palmetto Railways appreciates the opportunity to collaborate with Boise Cascade, Colleton County and SouthernCarolina Alliance to fulfill the rail infrastructure and logistics needs of another South Carolina business. We look forward to seeing the continued success and service of the Salkehatchie Subdivision line, a testament to the power of rail connections within South Carolina communities,” Palmetto Railways President and CEO Patrick McCrory said.

Written by: Anna S. Bright

Submitted by: Herman G. Bright, Parade Chairman

Photo: Submitted

For 35 years, the Walterboro Shrine Club of Arabian Temple #139 has sponsored the town’s parade, honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. As a nation, we honor this slain civil rights leader whose mission was to advocate for all people who had been oppressed by unjust laws and immoral abuses. King vowed, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Serving this year as parade marshal is a former Colleton County Councilman and retired pastor, Rev. Evon Arrington Robinson, Sr. When given the invitation to serve as this year’s marshal, Rev. Robinson expressed many words of gratitude and was most elated to accept this honor. Due to COVID restrictions, the parade was not held in 2021, and it was not held in 2022 because of inclement weather.

Rev. Robinson, a retired pastor of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, is a native of Cottageville, South Carolina. He is the son of the late Mr. Easley Robinson, Sr., and Mrs. Bula Mae Haynes Robinson. After graduating from Colleton Training School, he attended SC Trade School and later completed a tour of duty in the United States Army. In 1970 he received the call to ministry. He attended South Carolina State University, subsequently attending the Nichols Theological Seminary Extension in Charleston, South Carolina for religious training.

Having served in the pastoral ministry of Jesus Christ for 47 years, all of which were in the South Carolina Annual Conference, among his assignments were the Fairfax, St. Paul, Holly Hill, St. Matthew, and St. Stephens Circuits. Rev. Robinson led the Greater St. Paul and Greater Target congregations in the construction of brand-new edifices. In addition, he led the congregations at St. Peters, New Hope, St. Matthew, and St. Stephens in total renovation projects.

Rev. Robinson served the SC Conference in the following capacities: the Board of Examiners, the Ministerial Efficiency Committee, Presiding Elders’ Salary Committee, the Conference Finance Committee, Chairman of the Finance Committee for the Beaufort District, Station and Circuit Committee, Deeds and Abstracts Committee, and Abandoned Property Committee. Further, he was one of the initial organizers of the Sons of Allen Ministry and served on this committee for many years.

His ministry outside the walls of the church includes being elected to the Colleton County Board of Education. During Rev. Robinson’s tenure while serving as the board chairman, he led the historic event of hiring the first African American superintendent in the county. He was later elected and served on the Colleton County Council for 16 years, three of which he was a chairman. He served for 15 years on the Board of Directors of the Lowcountry Regional Council of Government, and he also served as treasurer for the South Carolina Coalition of Black County Officials. In addition, he served on the Lowcountry Community Action Agency Community Action Agency Board of Directors for several years, four of which he was chairman.

Previously, he was chairman of the Equal Opportunity Committee for the Department of the United States Navy, Naval Weapons Station, Charleston for 12 years, and as the president of the American Federation of Government Employees Union-Local 2298, for two years. Lastly, he is a member of the Colleton Branch of the NAACP and the Hiram Mann Chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen, Inc., of which four years he was the president.

For 57 years Rev. Robinson and his wife, Gloria Smalls Robinson, have been united as one. They are the proud parents of four children: Evon, Jr., Ronald, Rhonda Lynn, and Keon. They have been blessed with nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. After 28 years of service, Rev. Robinson retired from the Naval Weapons Station in Charleston in 1995. In addition, he owned and operated Robinson’s Barbershop in Walterboro for many years.

After having served more than four decades as a pastor in the A.M.E. Church, in November 2018, Rev. Robinson retired from active ministry, a calling of which he loved so dearly. He plans to travel extensively throughout the nation to share his experiences as a servant of God in the wider ecumenical circles, as well as his beloved A.M.E. Church.

The Walterboro Shrine Club’s Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade will take place on Sunday, January 15, 2023, at 2:30 p.m. on Jefferies Boulevard. At 1:30 p.m., the lineup will begin in front of Live Oak Cemetery. The public is cordially invited and encouraged to attend.