Mortgage Broker in Richland, SC

UPDATE: Montrell Bowers-Sanders has been located safely, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department said March 20. He was unharmed, according to the sheriff’s department, but information about where he was found was not available.

Original Story

A search is underway for a missing South Carolina teenager with medical issues.

Montrell Bowers-Sanders was publicly reported missing by the Richland County Sheriff’s Department Wednesday. The 14-year-old has not been seen for three days, the sheriff’s department said in a news release.

Montrell was last seen March 17 while in the 7300 block of Parkview Drive in Columbia, according to the release. That’s near Exit 73 on Interstate 20, which is the junction with S.C. 277.

There was no word if Montrell was considered a runaway, or if he was alone when he was last seen. The sheriff’s department did not say if foul play was suspected in Montrell’s disappearance.

The teen has medical issues that require treatment, the sheriff’s department said. Further information on his condition was not available, but the sheriff’s department said Montrell is “believed to be in danger as he requires medical assistance.”

The sheriff’s department didn’t provide a description of Montrell, but said he was last seen wearing blue jeans, a multicolored shirt and a blue fleece.

Anyone who has seen Montrell, or has information about him, is asked to call the sheriff’s department at 803-576-3000, or CrimeStoppers at 888-CRIME-SC or submit an online tip.

This is a developing story, check back for updates.

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This story was originally published March 20, 2025 at 10:04 AM.

I knew it was coming, but there’s no preparing for the feeling of a Belgian Malinois clamping its jaws down on your arm — and pulling.

The Richland County Sheriff’s Department recently hosted a “media day” full of information and demonstrations showcasing the different units in the department. As the day wrapped up, it was time for the K-9 unit to shine.

Though the itinerary clearly said “K-9 demonstration,” it failed to note that we would be the test dummies.

The deputies assured me I wouldn’t feel a thing under the thickly padded training suit. They said they’ve had middle schoolers lined up to get in the suit — surely I was brave enough to do it myself.

Sgt. Josh Newsom sweetened the deal, telling me he’d bring in his own dog, Bali, who is set to retire this year. Bali is a Belgian Malinois, which looks like a slightly smaller, leaner German Shepard.

I did the math in my head: padded suit, older dog trained by the unit’s leader himself … I’d probably be in good hands.

I questioned my judgment the second the door opened. Bali, an 11-year-old with a slightly greying coat, looked sweet enough. He was clearly excited, whimpering and pulling at his leash. It took me only a few seconds to realize he wasn’t excited to meet us — he was excited to attack.

After I signed a waiver, I jumped into the heavy suit, made of a dense fabric called Jute.

Stepping onto the mat with my hands clasped together, I turned away from Bali and waited.

With Bali panting behind me, Newsom decided this was the perfect time to talk about why K-9 units are important.

“We carry a bunch of lethal weapons on us and in our cars, but nothing that can’t be taken by force and used against us,” said Newsom, “except for (the dogs).”

The dogs are also unique in the sense that they can be sent out and recalled during a high-pressure encounter.

Last year was a tough year for the department — the unit lost three dogs. When they’re fully staffed, RCSD has 25 dogs.

Newsom said they’ve just purchased a new dog, and he’s testing more dogs tomorrow. They can range anywhere from $8,500 for a “green” dog with no training, to over $20,000 for specialized dogs, like those on the SWAT team.

Newsom does all the training for the dogs in-house. Handlers are each assigned one dog, and generally train eight hours a day for four months before they’re ready to join the unit. Even then, handlers are still required by law to train for 16 hours a month. But Newsom said he expects his deputies to keep training every free moment they have on shift.

“All of my handlers are expected to train when they first come on shift, and before they go home,” Newsom said, “If we’re not actively involved in something, we’re training.”

The department features bomb dogs, evidence-sniffing dogs, human remains detection dogs and even an “electronic storage device dog” that can sniff out any device that can store data, sometimes as small as a flash drive.

The majority of the dogs are “full service patrol” dogs, like Bali — meaning they’re used for protection, to apprehend suspects and to sniff out narcotics.

“You’re actually seeing one of our grumpiest, less likely to listen dogs right now,” Newsom said. “This is the worst behaved dog we have … But all of them are, obviously, a high enough tier to work here at Richland.”

Everyone chuckled. I gulped.

"You ready?" Newsom asked me.

I said yes. For what felt like an eternity, there was only the sound of Bali's heavy breathing behind me while he waited for his handler's command.

And then he was on me — 195 pounds of bite force sank into the pocket of the suit between my right shoulder and arm. His teeth found purchase on my elbow joint, and the deputies had to grab hold of me while Bali tried his best to bring me to the ground.

Though I added an extra padded sleeve under the suit, I certainly felt Bali’s wrath. I’ve heard the feeling described as a “big pinch.” I would say that’s accurate, if you’re being pinched by the Hulk, and he’s also shaking you around. I lasted about 10 seconds.

Newsom called Bali off, and told me to walk away. As I moved out of the range of Bali's jaws, he sprung one last time for me. I'll call that a love tap.

My arm hurt mildly for the rest of the day, as though I had hit my "funny bone" really hard. As I write this a few days later, a small bruise has blossomed on the inside of my elbow, directly on my joint. It doesn’t hurt unless I touch it, thankfully.

I can report I’ve lost no love for dogs — not even Bali. I hope he enjoys his retirement, he’s certainly earned it. But, for my own sake, I hope I never end up on that side of a Malinois’ jaws again.

Contact Chloe at cbarlow@postandcourier.com

SCDES said Richland County must pay $1 million of the fine over the next 11 months.

Credit: WLTX

BLYTHEWOOD, S.C. — State officials have fined Richland County $3 million over what inspectors said were violations found at the Scout Motors plant construction site near Blythewood.

The South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) executed a consent order with Richland County and Scout on May 5 that lays out the fines and also what corrective actions must be taken. A consent order is a way of resolving a legal matter without a trial.

While the fine against Richland County is $3 million, roughly $2 million of that total is eligible to be suspended if the facility meets certain requirements by several spelled-out deadlines.

Richland County owns the land off Blythewood Road where Scout is building a massive facility set to open in 2027 that will make electric SUVs and trucks. The county is responsible for managing the land, including efforts to stop water running off the site and any contamination that might cause.

The order states that back in March of 2024, SCDES—then known as SCDHEC—did an inspection of the site and found what they called "deficiencies" related to water and silt drainage at the site. The consent order says those included not having an emergency spillway near a basin, in-stream check dams at the property line of nearby Beasley Creek were too small, and an observation that silt and sediment had built up below the property line—an indication sediment was actively leaving the site. SCDHEC issued a notice of deficiency and asked the owners to correct the problem.

Subsequent inspections in April, June, and July of 2024 also noted deficiencies with stormwater plans and best management plans to control runoff, leading to sediment to enter Beasley Creek, according to SCDES. While some corrections were made that summer, more problems were noticed, however, at another inspection in August.

The newly created SCDES then met with representatives for Scout and Richland County in August. Richland County told the agency it had a corrective action plan that included working on better erosion control, among other measures.

Ultimately, SCDES concluded Richland County violated several state codes and regulations. The consent order states that Richland County now has to submit documentation that they are making changes to address problems at the site that they've identified over the next 45 to 60 days.

SCDES said Richland County must pay $1 million of the fine over the next 11 months. The first payment—$85,000—had to be made this month, with each subsequent one due on the first of the month. The rest of the $3 million could be avoided if Richland County makes the necessary corrections.

News19 contacted Richland County officials for comment on the consent order, and got this response:

“Richland County remains committed to upholding the highest environmental standards at the Scout Motors site. The June 2024 report was promptly resolved, and a third-party engineering firm was engaged—alongside the state—to ensure full regulatory compliance. Richland County has worked collaboratively to set goals and correct any outstanding issues.

We’re proud to support Scout Motors, the largest economic development project in our history, with over $2 billion in investment and 4,000 new jobs. This project marks a major step forward in creating opportunity and long-term growth for our region.

Richland County and the State remain focused on ensuring the project's success and building a strong, sustainable future in partnership with Scout Motors.”

When contacted by News19, a Scout spokesperson said in part, "throughout this process, we have maintained open communication with County leadership and the South Carolina Department of Commerce, who we believe will ensure that the County and State's work on the production site will be in full compliance with environmental regulations.

"Scout Motors remains fully committed to the successful launch of our $2 billion Production Center in Blythewood, South Carolina. We are dedicated to working collaboratively with our partners to finalize site construction, prepare for production, and create 4,000 rewarding new jobs, which will provide lasting benefits to the Midlands community and beyond.”

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With the implementation of OpenGov Procurement & Contract Management, Richland County expects to bring greater transparency, consistency, and control to the entire procurement lifecycle. The County will benefit from improved vendor verification processes and the ability to monitor compliance in real-time, giving staff more confidence in vendor relationships. Plus, customizable alerts and streamlined contract dashboards will help teams stay organized and responsive—ensuring no deadlines or obligations fall through the cracks.

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