Personal Injury Attorney in Lexington, SC

LEXINGTON COUNTY, S.C. (WIS) - A teacher at Columbia’s South Carolina Whitmore School was arrested Thursday.

Records show 34-year-old Erin Wheeler was booked into the Lexington County Detention Center on a count of unlawful neglect of a child.

According to an incident report obtained from the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, Wheeler is accused of punching a child in the forehead on Nov. 27, 2025.

She then reportedly followed the child into a bathroom and continued punching them in the forehead and upper body. The victim, meanwhile, tried to block the punches with their arms and sustained bruises as a result.

The incident report also said that the incident took place outside of the school.

Wheeler is a special education teacher at Whitmore and was named the school’s teacher of the year in 2025, according to their website.

The school sent the following statement to WIS when asked about her arrest:

“South Carolina Whitmore School’s administration was informed today of the arrest of one of its faculty members by the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department. To the best of our knowledge, the incident leading to the arrest did not involve the employee’s employment with South Carolina Whitmore School or any South Carolina Whitmore School student. The employee has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation.”

This is a developing story. Stay with WIS for the latest.

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COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - A group of Buddhist monks who are traveling from Texas to Washington, D.C. on a walk for peace reached Columbia Saturday afternoon.

After leaving Lexington Saturday morning, the group crossed the Gervais Street bridge into the capital around 2 p.m.

They reached the State House shortly before 3 p.m. and received a proclamation from the City of Columbia from Mayor Daniel Rickenmann and a proclamation from South Carolina, presented by State Sen. Deon Tedder.

The monks will then head to their overnight resting place at the Lutheran Theological Seminary. Members of the public can visit them from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The monks are then expected to travel north on Sunday through Blythewood.

MORE ON THEIR JOURNEY

The Venerable Monks began their journey on Oct. 26, 2025, and plan to visit nine other states outside of South Carolina: Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia and Maryland.

The group said in a statement that they hope that their walk will remind Americans that “peace is not a destination- it is a practice.”

“As the nation faces challenges of division, mental health crises, and conflict, both at home and abroad, this pilgrimage offers a simple yet profound message: peace begins within the heart of each person and extends outward to families, communities, and society as a whole,” they said in their statement.

The peace pilgrimage is expected to end in D.C. on Feb. 13, 2026, at the Capitol, where the monks are hoping to be able to give a short statement.

To keep track of the monks’ progress, you can use a map that shows an overview of their entire route, another that shows their planned route every day or you can check their nightly update posts on Facebook.

You can also support their mission by clicking/tapping here.

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LEXINGTON, S.C. —

The Buddhist Monks are making their way through South Carolina as part of their Walk for Peace.

The monks started their 2,300-mile journey in Fort Worth, Texas, on Oct. 26 and are traveling through 10 states en route to Washington, D.C.

The monks arrived in South Carolina on Tuesday evening and are expected in Lexington on Friday.

On Friday morning, the monks posted this message on Facebook:

"We have just started our walk from Leesville, South Carolina, heading through Gilbert to Lexington. The journey continues through South Carolina, one step at a time. We warmly welcome everyone to visit us at our stops!"

Here is the schedule for Friday as of Friday morning;

Along the route, the monks are being met by hundreds of supporters along the road, holding signs, flowers, and praying for the group.

The original route through South Carolina had the group walking through part of Abbeville, Laurens, and possibly Union counties. On Jan. 2, the route changed to take a path through Columbia before heading north to North Carolina.

If you would like to follow their path, click on this map or check out the map below:

To track them live, click here or check out the map below:

The group has amassed a huge audience on social media, with more than 874,000 followers on Facebook. Aloka, who is named after a Sanskrit word meaning enlightenment, has its own hashtag, #AlokathePeaceDog, and Facebook page, with more than 500,000 followers.

Buddhism is a religion and philosophy that evolved from the teachings of Gautama Buddha, a prince turned teacher who is believed to have lived in northern India and attained enlightenment between the 6th and 4th centuries B.C. The religion spread to other parts of Asia after his death and came to the West in the 20th century. The Buddha taught that the path to end suffering and become liberated from the cycle of birth, death and reincarnation includes the practice of non-violence, mental discipline through meditation, and showing compassion for all beings.

While Buddhism has branched into a number of sects over the centuries, its rich tradition of peace activism continues. Its social teaching was pioneered by figures like the Dalai Lama and Thich Nhat Hanh, who have applied core principles of compassion and non-violence to political, environmental and social justice as well as peace-building efforts around the world.

LEXINGTON, S.C. —

The Buddhist Monks are making their way through South Carolina as part of their Walk for Peace, but you won't see #AlokathePeaceDog walking with them on Friday.

Aloka is fine. He's just going to ride in an escort car for some much-needed rest.

Here is what the monks posted on Facebook as they made their way to Lexington, South Carolina, on Friday.

A Day of Rest for Our Beloved Aloka - Day 76 (1/9/2026)

"Today, with much love and care, we have made the thoughtful decision to give our dear Aloka a rest day. He will follow the venerable monks in the escort car instead of walking.

"We know Aloka’s heart—he would much, much rather be walking right beside the monks as he faithfully does every day. His loyal spirit doesn’t understand rest when there are miles to walk and monks to accompany. But we must lovingly remember: health and well-being of the Venerable Monks and Aloka are always our highest priority.

"After many days of walking this long journey, Aloka needs some rest days. We give him rest when his body needs it. We provide him with attentive health care. We ensure he receives the best nutrition. We watch over him with tender care and deep affection every single day.

"This is what love looks like: not always giving what is wanted in the moment, but always providing what is needed for long-term well-being.So today, our sweet Aloka rides safely with us. And tomorrow, when he is rested, refreshed, and ready, he will walk again with all the joy, loyalty, and beautiful dedication that makes him so special to all of us.May you and all beings be well, happy and at peace."

The monks started their 2,300-mile journey in Fort Worth, Texas, on Oct. 26 and are traveling through 10 states en route to Washington, D.C.

The monks arrived in South Carolina on Tuesday evening and are expected in Lexington on Friday.

On Friday morning, the monks posted this message on Facebook:

"We have just started our walk from Leesville, South Carolina, heading through Gilbert to Lexington. The journey continues through South Carolina, one step at a time. We warmly welcome everyone to visit us at our stops!"

Here is the schedule for Friday as of Friday morning;

Along the route, the monks are being met by hundreds of supporters along the road, holding signs, flowers, and praying for the group.

The original route through South Carolina had the group walking through part of Abbeville, Laurens, and possibly Union counties. On Jan. 2, the route changed to take a path through Columbia before heading north to North Carolina.

If you would like to follow their path, click on this map or check out the map below:

To track them live, click here or check out the map below:

The group has amassed a huge audience on social media, with more than 874,000 followers on Facebook. Aloka, who is named after a Sanskrit word meaning enlightenment, has its own hashtag, #AlokathePeaceDog, and Facebook page, with more than 500,000 followers.

Buddhism is a religion and philosophy that evolved from the teachings of Gautama Buddha, a prince turned teacher who is believed to have lived in northern India and attained enlightenment between the 6th and 4th centuries B.C. The religion spread to other parts of Asia after his death and came to the West in the 20th century. The Buddha taught that the path to end suffering and become liberated from the cycle of birth, death and reincarnation includes the practice of non-violence, mental discipline through meditation, and showing compassion for all beings.

While Buddhism has branched into a number of sects over the centuries, its rich tradition of peace activism continues. Its social teaching was pioneered by figures like the Dalai Lama and Thich Nhat Hanh, who have applied core principles of compassion and non-violence to political, environmental and social justice as well as peace-building efforts around the world.

Times, locations for Monks’ visit to Columbia

South Carolina nonprofit Be the Ones is partnering with Walk for Peace to host two events Saturday afternoon, one in West Columbia and the other at the S.C. Statehouse in Columbia.

The first event is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 10 on the West Columbia side of the Gervais Street Bridge.

Between 3 and 4 p.m., the monks and Aloka will gather at the S.C. Statehouse (110 Gervais St.). The monks will be recognized with proclamations from Columbia Mayor Daniel Rickenmann and state Sen. Deon Tedder, D-Charleston.

“We believe peace starts locally, with how we show up for one another, listen, and act with care and compassion,” Cate Mayer, Be the Ones founder and executive director, said in a press release. “We’re grateful to work in coordination with the Walk for Peace team to help create meaningful spaces for reflection, connection, and shared commitment here in Columbia and across South Carolina.”

When greeting the monks, there are a few things to keep in mind:

According to the Abhayagiri Monastery, the most common way to greet a Buddhist monk is with the añjali. This is when you press your palms together in font of your chest.

“It is a gesture of respect that can be used as a greeting, a goodbye, a thank-you or when speaking with one of the monastics,” the monastery advised.

The monks stopped in Edgefield County Jan. 7 where they were greeted by a few hundred supporters and one protestor, whom they gifted a flower and bottle of water, according to reporting from The Aiken Standard.