Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInIRMO (WIS) - The wife of a fallen Irmo firefighter says negligence led to her husband’s death in a new lawsuit filed a complaint against both the City of Columbia and Richland County on Monday related to the 2023 death of her husband James Muller died in the line of duty after a fire at the Tropical Ridge Apartments in May 2023. He was called to the blaze for mutual aid as a member of the Irmo Fire District Emma Muller’s lawsuit claims the Columbia-Richland Fire Department “failed to ensure equipment failed to perform an adequate risk assessment failed to ensure adequate training before the incident and failed to maintain proper communication channels during the incident.” The lawsuit also cites a recently-released report from the South Carolina Office of Occupational Safety and Health that noted multiple violations by the city and county MORE COVERAGE | Investigation report into Irmo firefighter’s death released It also claims James Muller was sent into the building despite “there being no immediate threat to life” and that all residents in the apartment complex were evacuated by the time he got there The suit also cites “a history of structural collapse in similar buildings on the lot” and that firefighters saw the building’s structural integrity was compromised the Columbia-Richland Fire Department used deck guns and master streams that caused the roof to collapse while James Muller was still inside The lawsuit states James Muller’s mayday call was mishandled and resulted in “a delayed and disjointed rescue response.” It also states he remained conscious but was trapped for at least 45 minutes before being freed His caused of death was later ruled as “mechanical asphyxia.” You can read the full lawsuit in its entirety below: Feel more informed, prepared, and connected with WIS. For more free content like this, subscribe to our email newsletter, and download our apps. Have feedback that can help us improve? Click here. Cayce / West Columbia, Springdale, South Congaree, Pine Ridge, Three Fountains, Boiling Springs, Gaston, Swansea, Pelion, Sharpe's Hill, Mack Edisto, Edmund, Fairview, Samaria, Batesburg-Leesville, The Ridge, Hollow Creek, Summit, Gilbert, Lexington, Oak Grove, Red Bank/White Knoll, Chapin, Irmo and Lake Murray! Through the Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program (FFFIPP), the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) conducts investigations of firefighter line-of-duty deaths to formulate recommendations for preventing future deaths and injuries. The program does not seek to determine fault or place blame on fire departments or individual firefighters, but to learn from these tragic events and prevent future similar events. NIOSH investigators visited South Carolina June 25 through July 1, 2023, interviewing personnel from various agencies that responded to the fire and collecting data. Workload constraints and personnel changes at NIOSH pushed the delivery date of the report back several times. Click on this link to learn more about our products and servicesThe status of NIOSH is currently in transition NIOSH is organized as part of the Centers for Disease Control and was recently eliminated as part of a cost cutting strategy but that decision has been reconsidered and NIOSH along with the FFFIPP are expected to return This report is one of the last to be completed by NIOSH investigators before their positions were eliminated and the resources that were previously available to develop support materials and publish LODD reports on the NIOSH website no longer exist NIOSH may publish this report on their website if and when the division is up and running again but there is no estimate of when that might occur The Irmo Fire District received this report on April 10 2025 with permission to disseminate the report as we saw fit The report was initially shared with the Muller family and then shared with our personnel The Irmo Fire District is a tight knit family and we are committed to supporting the mental health of everyone affected by the loss of Firefighter Muller limiting the report’s distribution until now allowed us the opportunity to grieve again process the report’s findings and prepare ourselves for it’s release It has been almost two years since we lost J and in the interest of public safety and transparency the Irmo Fire District is now disseminating this report so that others may learn from it and commit themselves to preventing a similar fatality or injury in the future NIOSH-FINAL-REPORT-202307.pdfDownload PDF • 1.12MBTags:                                                                                       DBA: The Lexington Ledger Contact: (803) 587-3144                                                                                                           Tips call the hotline at: (803) 587-3144 email: thelexingtonledger@gmail.com                                                                                      Content protected by US copyright laws © 2023 by "This Just In". Proudly created with Wix.com This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page SC (WOLO) — The Mayor of the Town of Irmo has accepted the resignation of councilman Erik Sickinger after he was arrested Tuesday following his arrest for Criminal Sexual Conduct with a Minor Contributing the the Delinquency of a Minor attempting to Lure or entice a child under the age of 16 Mayor for the Town of Irmo says he accepted Sickinger’s letter of Resignation Thursday which goes into effect immediately Mayor Danielson says as require by South Carolina election laws the Town Council will notify to election commission and schedule special election where the now vacant seat that will need to be filled until 2027 when Sickinger position in that seat was set to expire Since Sickinger was also serving as Mayor Pro Tem an elected position Mayor Danielson says they will fill the position with another council member during the next meeting The Town of Irmo Administrator Courtney Dennis released a statement in reference to Sicknger’s resignation saying and a continued focus on the future of our town,”.  The Irmo Police Department announced the arrest of Sulaymaan Benoit the after-school director and a substitute teacher for the school He was arrested Wednesday morning and charged with eight counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct The police department also arrested the school’s principal and charged her with failure to report child abuse and two counts of second-degree assault and battery claiming that Principal Shaw did report the alleged abuse within two days and that she will remain on administrative leave until the resolution of this matter GREEN Charter Schools Press Release_02.28.25 by Bea Parrillaa on Scribd In their first statement following Shaw’s and Benoit’s arrest: “We are still gathering details concerning this situation and we do not yet know the full extent of the allegations involved but our attorney is actively engaged,” said Executive Director of Green Charter School of the Midlands Tome Cronin in a memo sent out to families and staff Shaw has proven herself to be an outstanding leader who cares deeply about our students at GREEN We are closely monitoring the situation and will update you once we have more information.” Irmo Police Chief Bobby Dale said: “Our investigation indicates she didn’t do what mandated reporters are supposed to do,” Dale said If you don’t do your job as a mandated reporter we’re going to do our job and that’s what we did today.” Following her arrest Shaw was granted a $50,000 personal recognizance bond with similar conditions to Benoit ― including that she could return to the school Jail staff confirmed that Shaw would be released on Wednesday A spokesperson with the Irmor Police Department said they have not had the chance to look at the statement but will provide a statement once they have been able to review it Feel more informed, prepared, and connected with WIS. For more free content like this, subscribe to our email newsletter, and download our apps. Have feedback that can help us improve? Click here GREEN Charter Schools Press Release_02.28.25 by Bea Parrillaa on Scribd SC (WOLO) — Construction for Irmo High School’s new East Wing is well underway ABC Columbia’s Lee Williams took a tour of the new 120,000-square-foot space along with Lexington Richland Five’s Board of Trustees and the district’s Superintendent it’s exciting to see plans come out of the ground our overall goal is to make sure students and teachers of Irmo High School are educated in the best environment possible but to see the process in progress is really exciting,” says Ross The new three-story wing will have over 60 classrooms and an area dedicated to the history of the school — which will be called “Pride Hall.” it started off with a conversation with the community What was important to you about Irmo High School I joke with people and say you can’t throw a rock without hitting an Irmo grad And they took all of that history to incorporate here So yes it will have a lot of new instructional spaces but as you walk the halls you will see elements of Irmo “We can envision in three dimensions what the school might be but really when it starts to come out of the ground like we’re seeing today and you really start to see the spaces that you created that’s really the most exciting moment for us architects,” says LS3P Architect Mary Beth Branham She says the design is all about branding — seamlessly incorporating the school’s “Beware The Sting” motto and their school colors an area for students interested in learning how to start their own business which they’re calling a small business incubator — and a cafeteria student center will be included “Some outdoor space which students really enjoy having Ross says the project is about 60% complete The new East Wing is expected to open to students in the Fall of 2026 (WACH) — An Irmo teacher and principal at Green Charter School of the Midlands have been arrested in connection with a case involving the alleged fondling of children was charged with eight counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct was charged with failure to report child abuse and 2 counts of second-degree assault & battery Benoit and Shaw appeared in bond court on Wednesday They cannot have contact with children or anyone associated with the school the after-school director and substitute teacher is accused of fondling 3 students ranging from 7 to 12 years old is accused of failing to report child abuse in connection to the charges pending against Benoit The assault charges are in connection to improper searches conducted on two students Shaw was arrested on the way to her attorney Wednesday “Schools are the place our children should be safe and protected but two employees who made this school unsafe and did not protect their students Telling your human resources department does not absolve you of this duty Law Enforcement and the Department of Social Services must be made aware if you suspect abuse or neglect and that did not happen here A parent notified this agency after the Principal was informed of the allegations against Mr Benoit and Shaw were arrested early Wednesday morning with assistance from the Richland County Sheriff's Department and SLED where they currently wait on their bond hearings Benoit was employed by the school for two years ask them what their best part of their day was and what their worst part of the day was," said Chief Dale "It might be they got an apple instead of an orange at lunch but that might give them the opportunity to open up." and the Chief said at a press conference Wednesday Authorities say they believe there are more victims and ask current or former students and employees who know anything to contact the Investigation Division at 803-781-8088 IRMO, S.C. (WOLO)– Irmo Police officers have arrested the Green Charter School of the Midlands principal and a teacher Officers say 32-year-old Sulaymaan Benoit was charged with 8 counts of criminal sexual conduct 3rd degree And 41-year-old Tina Shaw was charged with failure to report child abuse and 2 counts of assault & battery 2nd degree Benoit who is the after school director and a substitute teacher is accused of fondling 3 students Shaw who is the principal at Green Charter School of the Midlands is accused of failing to report child abuse in connection with the charges pending against Benoit and 2 counts of assault & battery 2nd degree in connection with improper searches conducted on two students Law Enforcement and Department of Social Services must be made aware if you suspect abuse or neglect and that did not happen here A parent notified this agency after the principal was informed of the allegations against Mr Investigators say Benoit has been employed by the school for 2 years and they believe there are more victims out there The police department is asking any current or former students and employees that know anything to contact Irmo Police Department’s Investigations Division at 803-781-8088 Glenn Detention Center to await their bond hearings Rawls Creek Park temporarily closed for repairs on Monday (WOLO)– Town of Irmo officials have announced that restrooms at a town park is closed due to vandalism The restrooms at Rawls Creek Park are temporarily closed for repairs but town officials will announced an update on when they reopen and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department Irmo Police said Immanuel “Ocyrus” Young is wanted by officers for armed robbery and assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature (WOLO)– The Irmo Police Department is searching for a man wanted for multiple charges Irmo Police said Immanuel “Ocyrus” Young is wanted by officers for armed robbery If the information provided leads to his arrest (WACH) — The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division has charged Erik Kenneth Sickinger with three counts of Criminal Sexual Conduct with a Minor - Second Degree three counts of Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor and Luring a Child Under 16 years of age on Tuesday Erik Sickinger was first elected to Irmo Town Council in 2020 and became Mayor Pro Tem in 2023 Sickinger allegedly committed sexual battery with a 15-year-old male while at Sickinger's residence Warrants say the sexual battery included Sickinger and the minor engaging in sexual intercourse The 15-year-old disclosed this information during a forensic interview with the Dickenson Children's Advocacy Center Lexington County Sheriff's Department requested the forensic interview pursuant to a runaway incident report and Sickinger was identified through communication on the juvenile's Snapchat account The case will be prosecuted by the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office The Town of Irmo issued a statement following Sickinger's arrest: (WACH) — Crews with the Columbia Fire Department and Irmo Fire District responded to a house fire on Twisted Hill Road Tuesday morning Crews arrived to find smoke pushing from the eaves of the home firefighters located the fire in the kitchen area and extinguished it No one was injured and at least one person has been left displaced due to smoke damage throughout the structure The cause of the fire is being looked into Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Learn More — Irmo councilman and Mayor Pro-Tem Erik Sickinger was arrested and charged on Tuesday with three counts of criminal sexual conduct with a minor three counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and luring a child under 16 years of age multiple incidents happened between November 2024 and January 2025 The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division said that the Lexington County Sheriff's Office requested the SLED investigation Irmo Mayor Bill Danielson released a statement Wednesday: are very serious and disturbing to all of us This is a very fluid situation which we are monitoring the best we can as well as the entire Town Council are shocked and extremely disappointed Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim and their family at this time "The Irmo Police Department did not work this case and did not find out until yesterday I want to let everyone know we are working the problems and focusing on managing the town of Irmo professionally and timely This will not cause any delays for the Council’s business nor the day-to-day operations of the town I would recommend you reach out to SLED if you have any specific questions” The Town of Irmo also released a statement saying “The Town of Irmo is aware that Council member Erik Sickinger was arrested by agents of the South Carolina Law Enforcement (SLED) Tuesday afternoon The Town has been informed that he was taken to the Lexington County Detention Center As this is an active law enforcement matter the Town will not be providing any further comment This story will be updated as more information becomes available.  (WOLO)– An Irmo man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for threatening President Donald Trump’s life who pled not guilty was denied bond in court on Friday following his arrest on Thursday Authorities say he made threats to kidnap harm and kill the president last month He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison (WACH) — The high school football regular season is officially over and region champions were crowned on Friday You can watch highlights of Friday night's action on our WACH FOX Youtube page WACH FOX broadcast the much-anticipated game between Irmo and Dutch Fork and you can watch it on the Youtube link below: Here are scores from the first round of SCISA 4A playoffs: Here are scores from the first round of SCISA 3A playoffs: SC (WOLO) — Gray Collegiate Academy on Leaphart Road in West Columbia will open a new satellite campus on Koon Road in Irmo this August Principal Brian Newsome says the extension will temporarily house three modulars with 24 classrooms for 6th through 10th graders “The capacity will be around 650 kids in those modulars but within those 1st or 2nd years we’re going to build the main campus in front of those modulars so we can get up to 1,100 or 1,200 students We can also expand to eleventh and twelfth grade when we get that front building there,” says Newsome Each campus will have alternate course offerings with students encouraged to take courses in both Irmo and West Columbia if scheduling and transportation allow the new Irmo location will offer two additional courses in architecture and engineering — those courses currently not available in West Columbia “How do we take what has been very successful in West Columbia and reach out and reach more children across the state of SC so I think this is one of those great opportunities where everything just kind of lined up with capacity and then the marketplace because families are wanting to come here There are already hundreds and hundreds of students already on the waiting list of this campus so this campus we expect will be full on day one,” says Cameron Runyan Superintendent of Charter Institute at Erskine And while all athletic practices and events will remain at the West Columbia location a shuttle will run between both campuses every afternoon to transport student athletes to their practices Any opportunity that we can bring a nonprofit school or a charter school to the Town of Irmo is a positive It gives more benefits and more advantages to our community!” Says Town of Irmo Mayor Bill Danielson Applications for both campuses are available in the front office at the West Columbia location or online at https://www.graycollegiateacademy.org/admissions GCA will be hosting informational sessions about the Irmo campus for prospective families at the Northwest Family YMCA (1501 Kennerly Rd. To sign up for a session, email registrar@grayca.com. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. IRMO, S.C. (WACH) — The Town of Irmo has passed a resolution supporting Instant Runoff Voting (IRV), also known as Ranked Choice Voting, becoming the first municipality to do so. This aims to improve elections by ensuring majority winners without the cost and logistics of traditional runoff elections. Currently, Irmo, like 117 other South Carolina municipalities, uses plurality voting, where the candidate with the most votes wins, even without a majority. Alternatively, 150 municipalities use a majority-runoff system, which requires a runoff election if no candidate gets over 50% of the votes. IRV allows voters to rank candidates by preference. If no candidate wins a majority, the one with the fewest votes is eliminated, and their votes are redistributed until a candidate reaches a majority. If the South Carolina legislature approves IRV under bill H.3589, Irmo could switch to this system, which has been shown to increase voter turnout and encourage more positive, issue-focused campaigns. Supporters argue that IRV strengthens democracy and reduces negative campaigning, as candidates seek votes from all preferences. This resolution reflects Irmo’s commitment to modernizing its elections and is part of a broader push to give voters more choices and a stronger voice. Irmo Town Councilman Gabriel Penfield expressed support for instant runoff voting, saying that it ensures elections reflect the true will of the people by allowing voters to rank candidates, guarantees majority support without costly runoffs, and eliminates the "lesser of two evils" dilemma. He believes this system strengthens democracy and empowers voters in Irmo. “Instant runoff voting solves a problem for municipalities,” said President of Better Ballot SC Nicole Sanchez. “Right now municipalities have to choose between costly runoffs or risk their elected officials not securing a majority of winners, a common problem across the state. With instant runoff voting municipalities and voters get the best of both worlds: a way to efficiently find a majority winner without the drop off in voter participation and added expense.” SearchGray Collegiate Academy opening a satellite campus in IrmoStaff WriterJan 232 min readWest Columbia, SC 01/23/2025 - On Thursday, January 23, Gray Collegiate Academy (GCA) hosted a press conference to announce the opening of its new satellite campus in Irmo, SC. The campus, located at 617 Koon Road, will initially serve 600 students in grades 6-10, and serve grades 6-12 at full matriculation. As a satellite campus, the Irmo location will exist as an extension of GCA’s West Columbia campus at 3833 Leaphart Road. Each campus will have alternate course offerings, and students are welcome to take courses in both Irmo and West Columbia if scheduling and transportation allow.   Students, parents, staff, leadership, and special guests were present to celebrate the announcement. Dignitaries included representatives from the Town of Irmo, the South Carolina Department of Education, the Office of the Honorable Joe Wilson, the Office of the Honorable Tim Scott, and more.  Click on this ad to see more about our products and services“This expansion marks an incredible milestone for Gray Collegiate Academy as we bring our commitment to academic excellence and dual-credit opportunities to even more students,” said Principal Dr “We are excited to offer families in Irmo the same high-quality education and college prep focus that has defined our success while maintaining the strong sense of community that makes our school unique.” The Irmo campus will open for students in August 2025 with permanent modulars and a state-of-the-art “Airnasium” and weightroom A permanent building will be constructed in the future While all athletic practices and events will remain at the West Columbia location we believe that an excellent education has the power to change lives and we have witnessed its impact firsthand through the success of our graduates,” said Gray Assistant Principal Ms “It’s an honor to extend this opportunity to more students across the Midlands equipping them with the skills and confidence they need to excel in college and beyond Applications for both campuses are available in the front office at the West Columbia location or online at https://www.graycollegiateacademy.org/admissions To sign up for a session, email registrar@grayca.com Interested candidates can access more information about job opportunities here: https://www.graycollegiateacademy.org/employment (WACH) — The Town of Irmo has announced the resignation of Mayor Pro Tem Erik Sickinger following his recent arrest and the serious charges brought against him by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division Sickinger was recently arrested and charged with three counts of Criminal Sexual Conduct with a Minor - Second Degree READ MORE | Irmo Mayor Pro Tem charged with sexual misconduct of a minor The Town of Irmo said in a statement that it "acknowledges the gravity of these allegations and remains steadfast in its commitment to integrity the Town of Irmo will officially notify the Election Commission and schedule a special election to fill the vacant council seat Sickinger’s unexpired term extends until 2027 and a successor will be determined through the electoral process which is an appointed position within the council framework will be filled at the next council meeting CRBR Women of Influence Mungo Homes officially marked the completion of its newly renovated facility with a ribbon-cutting ceremony held recently in Irmo Mungo Homes marks completion of corporate HQ campus in Irmo A Midlands-based regional homebuilder is celebrating the completion of its new corporate headquarters campus The ceremony brought together company leadership project partners and team members to unveil the modernized campus The celebration comes on the heels of Mungo Homes being named a Top 10 employer in the 2024 Energage and USA TODAY Top Workplaces USA rankings for companies with 500-1,000 employees “Our work has never just been about selling homes or making money It’s about the people who make Mungo Homes what it is,” said Steven Mungo “It’s about taking care of one another and treating each other like family We believe that family and faith come before work.” Mungo Homes partnered with Garvin Design Group for architectural design and Cohn Construction for construction management The campus’s centerpiece is a 20,250-square-foot office building featuring a two-story atrium custom glass railings and a contemporary workflow designed to foster greater team collaboration RELATED: Irmo-based Mungo Homes names new CEO RELATED: Lake Murray estate in Lexington County sells for record price The project also involved transforming an existing building into a 10,000-square-foot Training and Fitness Center The result is a dynamic environment for both professional development and personal wellness An adjacent 18,000-square-foot building has undergone a complete exterior renovation and the parking area has been expanded to accommodate future growth “Our new campus embodies the culture we’ve built at Mungo Homes,” said Mungo Homes CEO Geoff Shiley in the release These beautiful spaces are designed to strengthen how we work together and support one another every day.” Blanchard Machinery begins construction on a $65M Calhoun County facility to boost growth Ritedose secures FDA approval for its formoterol inhalation solution expanding COPD treatment options and str[...] Kimberly-Clark will invest $200M to expand its Beech Island plant creating 150+ jobs and enhancing manufactur[...] South Carolina Treasurer Curtis Loftis will stay in office for now as the House opts not to act on Senate reso[...] Techo-Bloc will open its first South Carolina facility in Lexington County Discover 20 of South Carolina’s most promising startups making waves across tech Sign up for your daily digest of Columbia Business Report Hundreds turn out to see what governor and South Carolina Department of Employment and Wor[...] Blanchard Machinery begins construction on a $65M Calhoun County facility to boost growth Ritedose secures FDA approval for its formoterol inhalation solution expanding COPD treatment optio[...] Kimberly-Clark will invest $200M to expand its Beech Island plant creating 150+ jobs and enhancing [...] South Carolina Treasurer Curtis Loftis will stay in office for now as the House opts not to act on S[...] Techo-Bloc will open its first South Carolina facility in Lexington County Columbia Business Report is the market leader in business media in South Carolina We connect you with decision-makers and stakeholders throughout the state Get our free e-alerts & breaking news notifications Log in for access to the latest digital and special editions (WOLO)– The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) says an exit on I-26 east near Irmo will be closed The off-ramp to exit 97 in Irmo will be closed beginning at 7 p.m Then again the same hours beginning on Thursday Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page.