A South Carolina magistrate judge sentenced a Summerville woman to ten days behind bars on animal neglect charges in a case involving the horrific treatment of animals by a woman purporting to run a rescue sanctuary.
Kimberly Brianne Couture, 42, was sentenced by magistrate judge Elbert O. Duffie after she pleaded guilty last month to 39 counts of failing to provide care to animals and one count of failing to properly dispose of a deceased animal. Couture’s plea followed several hours of testimony by veterinarians, animal control officers, a shelter volunteer and a horse rescue representative.
Duffie sentenced Couture to ten days in jail for one of the horses, ten days in jail for one of the dogs and a day in jail per animal for the remaining 37 animal charges – with these sentences running concurrently. He also imposed a $200 fine for the improper burial or disposal of a dead animal.
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Acting on a tip from a concerned citizen, on May 26, 2022 Colleton County officials obtained and executed a search warrant on a property rented by Couture on Running Creek Lane in Cottageville, S.C. This property was leased by Couture as a sanctuary for an animal rescue nonprofit, “Healing Hearts from Sole to Soul.”
When officers arrived on the property, they found numerous animals in deplorable conditions.
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“Many of the animals were in very poor body condition and most were living in poor conditions, including piles of old feces, dirty water and little to no shelter for the dogs,” a release from Colleton County’s animal services division noted. “Additionally, the remains of at least two animals were found at the fence line of a neighboring property covered with used cat litter and other refuse.”
Animal control officials took custody of 61 animals including 20 goats, 15 dogs, 13 cats, six horses, one calf and two chickens.
Colleton animal services director Laura Clark praised the efforts of her staff and volunteers who “worked several hours per day for weeks to feed and provide medical care and improve the living conditions for the animals until they could all be removed and new homes could be found.”
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As for the sentence, she said it sent a “strong message that failure to follow the state laws and county ordinances in Colleton County will result in consequences.”
This media outlet has broken several animal neglect and cruelty cases recently. Anyone with information on similar cases is urged to reach out to us in addition to contacting local law enforcement or their local animal control office.
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THE PRESS RELEASE…
(Colleton County)
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
Jenn Wood (Provided)
Jenn Wood is FITSNews’ incomparable research director. She’s also the producer of the FITSFiles and Cheer Incorporatedpodcastsand leading expert on all things Murdaugh/ South Carolina justice.A former private investigator with a criminal justice degree, evildoers beware, Jenn Wood is far from your average journalist! A deep dive researcher with a passion for truth and a heart for victims, thismom of two is pretty much a superhero in FITSNews country.Did we mention she’s married to a rocket scientist? (Lucky guy!)Got a story idea or a tip for Jenn? Email her at jenn@fitsnews.com.
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UCLA’s win over No. 1 ranked South Carolina wasn’t a fluke, and Bruins center Lauren Betts says if you haven’t been paying attention, now would be the time to.
Let’s say the thing. It was not close on Sunday. From the opening tip to the final buzzer, UCLA commanded the floor and had an answer for everything the Gamecocks tried to do. The Bruins beat South Carolina on the boards (41-34), held four starters to under five points, and *checks notes* not a single starter went to the free-throw line. UGLY STUFF.
Furthermore, five UCLA players scored in double figures, including Londynn Jones, who was sensational from the line with five 3-pointers, and star center Lauren Betts, who had 11 points, 14 rebounds, four assists and four blocks. WHEW. Postgame, Betts raved about her team and how proud she was, but she also sent a direct warning to college basketball. “If you’ve been sleeping on UCLA,” Betts said. “You need to stop right now.”
Clemson football looks to win its second straight Palmetto Bowl.
The No. 12 Tigers (9-2) faces in-state rival No. 14 South Carolina (8-3) on Saturday (noon ET, ESPN) at Memorial Stadium. This will be the 121st meeting between these two programs and one of the highest-ranked rivalry games in Week 14.
There are still tickets available for Clemson’s last game in Death Valley in the regular season. Here are the best prices for remaining seats.
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See Clemson ticket prices for every game this season
Clemson tickets vs South Carolina
Ticket prices for Clemson’s final home game against South Carolina on Saturday start at $175 on StubHub and at $167 on VividSeats. Prices in the lower bowl range from $224 to over $1000 on both sites.
To see a full list of ticket prices, visit StubHub or VividSeats.
MORE: Why Clemson showcases patriotism before football games at Memorial Stadium
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Clemson football schedule 2024
Aug. 31: Georgia 34, Clemson 3
Sept. 7: Clemson 66, Appalachian State 20
Sept. 21: Clemson 59, NC State 35
Sept. 28: Clemson 40, Stanford 14
Oct. 5: Clemson 29, Florida State 13
Oct. 12: Clemson 49, Wake Forest 14
Oct. 19: Clemson 48, Virginia 31
Nov. 2: Louisville 33, Clemson 21
Nov. 9: Clemson 24, Virginia Tech 14
Nov. 16: Clemson 24, Pitt 20
Nov. 23: Clemson 51, The Citadel 14
Nov. 30: vs. No. 14 South Carolina, noon ET (ESPN)
South Carolina football 2024 schedule
Aug. 31: South Carolina 23, Old Dominion 19
Sept. 7: South Carolina 31, Kentucky 6
Sept. 14: LSU 36, South Carolina 33
Sept. 21: South Carolina 50, Akron 7
Oct. 5: Ole Miss 27, South Carolina 3
Oct. 12: Alabama 27, South Carolina 25
Oct. 19: South Carolina 35, Oklahoma 9
Nov. 2: South Carolina 44, Texas A&M 20
Nov. 9: South Carolina 28, Vanderbilt 7
Nov. 16: South Carolina 34, Missouri 30
Nov. 23: South Carolina 56, Wofford 12
Nov. 30: at No. 12 Clemson, noon ET (ESPN)
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The UCLA women’s basketball put the country on notice, defeating the #1 South Carolina Gamecocks 77-62 at home on Sunday.
The sold out crowd at Pauley Pavilion was engaged all night, with UCLA never trailing in the win, a signature victory for Cori Close’s program. South Carolina entered Sunday’s game winners of 43 in a row, including an undefeated season last year that ended with a national title.
UCLA took a 43-22 lead into halftime, taking an early first quarter lead and never looking back. UCLA didn’t allow a South Carolina basket in the game’s first five minutes, holding the Gamecocks for the first half of the first quarter. A three by junior guard Londynn Jones gave the Bruins a 15-2 lead with 2:36 to play in the opening quarter.
Junior guard Kiki Rice was a full-go for UCLA for the first time all season, with Rice scoring 11 points on 5-11 shooting in 28 minutes. It was a modest scoring night for junior center Lauren Betts, finishing with 11 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks while playing 37 minutes. Jones led the Bruins with 15 points, as UCLA had five players with double figures.
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South Carolina shot the three ball well, going 8-12 from deep but just 29.6% on two point shots. The Gamecocks would win the second half 40-34 but after the dominant first half by the Bruins, it was too late.
The #5 Bruins are due to climb in the rankings after doing what no other women’s college basketball team has done since April of 2023, beat the South Carolina Gamecocks.
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