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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.

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

COLLETON COUNTY, S.C. (WCSC) - The Colleton County Sheriff’s Office said some cattle may still be unaccounted for after an early morning crash that closed Interstate 95 early Tuesday morning.

A tractor-trailer hauling cattle crashed near mile marker 55 on the southbound side of I-95 around 1 a.m. Tuesday morning, deputies said.

The crash closed all lanes on the interstate for more than nine hours while crews worked the crash and attempted to wrangle up the animals that got loose.

The South Carolina Highway Patrol said the crash was cleared around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, around nine hours after the crash closed all lanes on the interstate.

Earlier in the morning, the South Carolina Highway Patrol posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that all lanes were closed near mile marker 55 for a collision. Trooper Nick Pye said the livestock got free as a result of the collision and lanes were closed as they tried to catch the loose animals.

Colleton County Fire-Rescue officials said the tractor-trailer hit a bridge near mile marker 55 and caught on fire. Its cattle trailer went off the bridge and into the river.

Arriving crews found the cab of the truck fully involved in flames but the driver had managed to escape with non-life-threatening injuries. The driver was taken to the hospital for treatment.

The driver told firefighters that more than 35 cows were onboard the trailer at the time of the crash. Some of the cattle were found in and along the river while others had made their way to the northbound side of the interstate leading to those lanes being closed.

Area veterinarians and ranchers volunteered to assist emergency crews as they tried to collect the loose cattle. Riders on horseback used lassos to catch some of the cattle and put them on trailers.

Some of the cattle had made its way into neighborhoods near the interstate and firefighters and deputies used drones with thermal imaging to locate them.

The sheriff’s office warned motorists to be on the lookout for cattle while traveling on Beach Road, Ulmer Lake Road, Cypress Pond Road, Doctor’s Creek Road, Sniders Highway, Bells Highway, Ivanhoe Road, Hiers Corner Road and Hilton Hall Lane.

Residents are asked to report sightings to the Colleton County non-emergency line at 843-549-2211.

Once the truck was cleared from the roadway, Department of Transportation officials sanded the bridge as diesel fuel had spilled from the truck as a result of the crash. Officials also inspected the bridge because of the damage.

Deputies ask that anyone who comes in contact with loose cattle not to approach as the animal may be scared or injured.

Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.

A “flagship” project that was announced in December has begun its construction phase.

Pomega Energy Storage Technologies, a subsidiary of Kontrolmatik Technologies, has begun work on its first U.S. lithium-ion battery manufacturing plant in South Carolina.

As construction of its lithium-ion battery factory in Ankara nears completion, Kontrolmatik Technologies announced in December its plan to build a 500,000-square-foot facility in Colleton County that is expected to begin production in mid-2024, create about 575 new jobs and have an initial production capacity of 3 gigawatt-hours (GWh), a Pomega news release stated.

The company plans to later increase capacity to 6 GWh and has secured land to expand operations. The company will invest $300 million in upfront capital expenditures in the new facility, according to the release.

Pomega will manufacture lithium iron phosphate cells designed exclusively for North American grid-scale energy storage applications, the release stated. In addition to manufacturing the battery cells at the South Carolina plant, Pomega will also manufacture and assemble turnkey battery energy storage systems (BESS), including modules, cabinets and final containerized energy storage solutions.

Related content: Manufacturer to build ‘flagship’ factory in Colleton County

When production begins at the company's South Carolina plant, Pomega will be one of the first and only U.S. manufacturers of lithium-ion batteries dedicated exclusively to the domestic utility-scale energy storage market, as opposed to the electric vehicle market where the vast majority of new investments are currently focused, the release stated.

This will place Pomega at the forefront of the energy storage revolution, allowing it not only to vertically integrate its own supply chain for BESS, but also to supply other domestic BESS integrators with these crucial lithium-ion batteries, the released stated. To this end, the company has already begun signing offtake agreements for its future capacity.

Gov. Henry McMaster was the guest of honor at a recent groundbreaking ceremony.

JLL, a professional services firm specializing in real estate and investment management, led the nationwide site selection process, the release stated. The JLL team analyzed more than 200 sites to identify locations that could be suitable for the plant.

As for the expected production tax credits (PTC) expected to be collected as per IRA, the calculation is based on an annual PTC of $35/KWh for battery cells and $45/KWh for modules, the release stated. Taking into account the company's projected product mix for a total of 3 GWh of PTC for 2024-2029, phasing out at 25% per year between 2030-32, the total estimated amount is $916 million.

"South Carolina was very clear in expressing their commitment to attracting top global technology and manufacturing companies to their state, and we are convinced that we will accomplish great things with the state’s support," Bahadir Yetki, CEO of Kontrolmatik Technologies and Pomega Energy Storage Technologies, said in the December announcement.

Special for the Press and Standard

South Carolina Ports kicked off the 2023-2024 Port Ambassadors program, welcoming its largest class in the program’s six-year history.

Barnwell Fishburne along with 31 professionals from across the state will get a front row seat to the Port’s statewide operations. Monthly educational sessions will feature discussions with port leadership and state legislators, tours of marine and rail-served inland terminals, and an opportunity to visit manufacturing facilities dependent on port infrastructure.

Upon completion of the program, delegates will emerge with a thorough understanding of the Port’s vital role in supporting the Southeast supply chain and driving economic development in South Carolina.

“We are thrilled to have such a large group of leaders in this year’s program,” said Jordi Yarborough, SC Ports’ senior vice president of statewide stakeholders and local government engagement. “For these participants to be able to see firsthand how SC Ports’ operations directly benefit their communities is an invaluable experience.”

The class kicked off with a tour of Wando Welch Terminal in Mount Pleasant. This year’s class will be the first to participate in a session featuring rail-served Inland Port Dillon. Since operations began at the facility more than five years ago, Inland Port Dillon has continued to set new volume records, and now supports an estimated 25,000 jobs in the Pee Dee region.

Participants will also tour Harbor Freight Tools distribution facility and soybean transloading operations at C&M Farms during the visit.

“I’ve seen firsthand the impact SC Ports’ investments have had on the Pee Dee region with Inland Port Dillon,” Harper said. “Connecting Dillon directly to Charleston by rail has brought tremendous economic growth to our region and allows farmers, manufacturers and retailers to reach customers more efficiently. I’m glad my fellow ambassadors will have an opportunity to see these successes for themselves, and I look forward to growing my network with such a tremendous group of leaders from our state.”

To date, approximately 175 participants have been accepted to the program.

South Carolina Ports owns and operates marine terminals at the Port of Charleston and two rail-served inland ports in Greer and Dillon. As the 8th largest U.S. container port, SC Ports connects port-dependent businesses throughout the Southeast and beyond to global markets. SC Ports proactively invests in infrastructure ahead of demand to provide reliable service, efficient operations, cargo capacity, an expansive rail network and the deepest harbor on the East Coast at 52 feet. SC Ports is a vital economic engine for South Carolina, with port operations supporting 1 in 10 jobs statewide. Learn more: scspa.com.

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.