AC repair inPooler, GA

The City of Pooler is getting $8 million in federal funds that will go towards major infrastructure improvement projects at the top of the ever-growing suburban community's list.

Over the last decade, nearly 10,000 new residents flocked to Pooler. As the city continues to grow, so does the need to improve the city's roads, highways and water and sewer systems.

The $8 million infusion was passed in December by the U.S. Congress as a community funding request within the 2023 Omnibus Appropriations Bill. Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Pooler), who championed the request, said the funding marks an important win for Pooler.

"Pooler has been my home since 1980," said Carter, who previously served as the city's mayor for eight years, "We've had tremendous growth in that area and we're going to continue to have tremendous growth along that I-16 corridor. That's why these community funding request projects are so important."

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Four different projects will receive a portion of the federal funds: improvements for Quacco Road, Pine Barren Road, South Rogers Street and the wastewater treatment plant, which is being expanded. Each project will receive about $2 million each, said Pooler Mayor Rebecca Benton.

"The city is most pleased to receive the $8 million," Benton wrote in an email, "particularly since the TSPLOST failed."

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The Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax or TSPLOST was a referendum on the November 2022 ballot that lost narrowly by 1.3%. Had TSPLOST passed and increased the county's sales tax by 1%, the tariff would have generated approximately $500 million for infrastructure improvements throughout the county over a five-year period.

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"These are good projects," said Carter, "Pooler is growing in leaps and bounds and is a city rich in heritage and tradition, but our greatest times lie ahead of us."

Road improvements include widening and pedestrian improvements such as sidewalks. The funds won't cover the total costs for all four projects but will accelerate preliminary engineering work and right-of-way acquisition.

Nancy Guan is the general assignment reporter covering Chatham County municipalities. Reach her at nguan@gannett.com or on Twitter @nancyguann.

POOLER, Ga. (WTOC) - A second medical cannabis dispensary is set to open on Wednesday after becoming legal recently.

As final preparations are made, Botanical Sciences medical cannabis dispensary is almost ready for business in Pooler.

“Our entire journey is about how do we get this medicinal treatment to the patients in the state of Georgia and this particular region,” Botanical Sciences CEO Gary Long said.

It’ll be the second dispensary in the city, after Trulieve opened its doors earlier this month.

“To have this right here in our city is amazing and I’m glad it’s going to be a service to allow our residents to feel better and get better,” Pooler Councilwoman Karen Williams said.

Long said all products are organic, lab-tested, and state regulated. After the grand opening Wednesday, those products will be more easily available for patients like Cooper King.

Cooper’s dad said the 11-year-old has Dravet Syndrome, which causes seizures and gave him a life expectancy of five to 12 years.

“We used up all of our options. We went to Savannah and talked to every pediatric neurologist there was,” Cooper’s dad, Ryan King said.

Less than a year into Cooper’s life, his dad said it changed forever. And the lack of local options pushed them to try something different - medical cannabis.

“He was just having a rough day and we put drops in his mouth while he was having a seizure, put him back on his side and within 30 seconds, he was out of it,” Ryan King said.

They used it as an emergency option before finding something more accessible, but King said these new dispensaries in Pooler might bring them back to THC treatments. Something he’s been recommending to others since it helped his son.

“He’s led me to places and met up with different families who we can help and that’s the key to life right there,” King said.

Treatments from Botanical Sciences are not typically covered by insurance, but the dispensary will offer free consultations to families, like the Kings, to find what works best for patients, like Cooper.

Copyright 2023 WTOC. All rights reserved.

Botanical Sciences expects to open its Pooler dispensary by early July.

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Two medical cannabis dispensaries are set to open in Pooler this year. This comes after the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission voted to issue the state’s first five dispensing licenses to Botanical Sciences LLC and Trulieve GA Inc.

"We've been working very closely with the state for quite some time, as you can imagine, through the process. So, we were very excited coming out of the commission meeting that they had authorized our dispensaries," said Botanical Sciences CEO Gary Long.

Long told WJCL 22 News Botanical Sciences expects to open its Pooler location by early July.

"We've been working very diligently for quite some time as you can imagine preparing for this date and it's come, so we're so excited."

In order to enter the dispensary, people will need to be on the Department of Public Health's Low-THC Oil Patient Registry and have a Low THC Oil Identification Card. Long said if a customer has that, they'll be greeted by workers and will be guided to the right product(s) for them.

"Once they do enter, they will find a very inviting space, one where they will be greeted by a patient consultant that will engage them specifically about the disease that they are there to address symptoms they are trying to get relief from," Long said. "Through that consultation process, we will then walk them through the options available to them and help them decide on the right ratio to THC and connection with other cannabinoids to achieve the desired effect as part of their therapy."

Long said this is just the beginning for Botanical Sciences. He said the Glennville-based company has plans to open up even more dispensaries in the future.

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"What we have received authorization for is two licenses right now of the six we've been granted, so the first two will be in Pooler and in Cobb County right outside Metro Atlanta and then we'll be locating other dispensaries in and around the Atlanta Metro area and in other population centers around the state," Long said.

Trulieve has not yet said exactly when its Pooler location will open, but it has already opened locations in Macon and Marietta.

In order to get a Low THC Oil Card, people need to consult their doctor. If approved, the patient's information will be entered into a registry and a card will be issued. According to the Georgia Department of Public Health, those cards are good for two years.

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Chelsea and Cory Henneman are dog people. They have always had their own dogs and have always taken care of friends’ dogs.

What they once did as a favor turned into a way of life when the couple started a Dog Adventure Camp where they spend all day running and playing with dozens of dogs in a job that is fun, fulfilling and soon could make them famous as the subjects of a TV series about them and their camp.

The intention was to change careers. Creating their perfect job was an accident.

”I was like, I’ll watch, I don’t know, four or five dogs and we’ll see how it goes,” said Chelsea Henneman.

That was two years and several dozen dogs ago for Chelsea and Cory Henneman, who operate a dog adventure camp at their home in Pooler every day - seeing every one of their 18 acres of trails and ponds and woods with as many as 50 dogs at a time.

”They run around and they have fun. everyone feeds off everyone’s energy.”

”They come out and they get muddy and swim and hike and kayak.”

”About a year into that process, she came to me and said ‘we need a dog bus. If you want to go get a dog bus, find one and start picking them up, we can make this work where I don’t have to work for somebody else.”

The dog bus quickly became the face of the Henneman’s business, increasing their camp’s capacity and changing their lives.

”As he drives by, it’s always a double take. Like, what just drove by? Those aren’t kids.”

Cory gets in the bus by 6:30 a.m. every morning and drives to Savannah where he picks up dogs who are waiting for him from River Street to Isle of Hope.

Back in Pooler, he and Chelsea, a former vet tech, spend all day at work playing with dogs before washing and blow drying each one and then dropping them off at home, which can take until after 9 at night.

They are long days and they love every minute of them.

”Oh, absolutely. Our whole goal was to one day start something that had to do with animals. We knew we were just too naturally good at being around dogs,” said Cory Henneman. ”You can wake up on a Monday and it’s rainy and gross out and they’re this. They’re splashing through the mud and having a blast. So, it puts you right back to a 10.”

”You know you’re in the right job if you’re enjoying the rainy days.”

A lot more people could soon be getting in on the secret they have figured out.

Candice Nelms, initially a dog adventure camp client, is now shooting a TV series about the Hennemans, their camp, and the real stars of the soon-to-be-shopped reality show “Running The Pack.’’

”We had an idea of the story, but when you get here and there’s dogs involved, the story unfolds in front of you and they’re the ones who tell you what the story is going to be,” said Candice Nelms.

So, the couple whose camp had a waiting list before it had an actual name - who don’t put their phone number on the side of their dog bus because they already get too many calls - could soon be even more popular than ever when the whole world can see how much fun they are having.

”That’s what we’re trying to capture. That’s exactly the magic that we’re trying to make tangible in the show, to show that and see that.”

”We’re still getting used to the idea.”

“Thinking about other people wanting to see what our day is like is still a little weird, but definitely exciting.”

”We have no clue about mics or cameras or any of the process of anything. We were just like we’ll just go for the journey and see where it goes.

Where it could go is to a lot of people envying the life the Hennemans have made for themselves and a lot of happy dogs.

“I don’t want to be cocky, but they wouldn’t be wrong. It’s a blast if you like outside and trails and doing everything outdoors and being surrounded by dirty and fun, it’s perfect. It’s perfect for us.”

Copyright 2023 WTOC. All rights reserved.

Pooler residents could soon be practicing their golf swings at a driving range off the city's main thoroughfare.

BigShots Golf, a TopGolf competitor, is looking to locate to the Mosaic Town Center development near the intersection of Interstate 16 and Pooler Parkway, which already features popular businesses such as Costco and Chick-fil-A. The “eatertainment” model combines the game of golf with food and drink for all skill levels and ages.

BigShots, which is owned by ClubCorp, the largest owner and operator of private golf and country clubs in the U.S., has several locations across the country, including their original in Vero Beach, Florida, as well as one in the United Kingdom.

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The company dials in on smaller or secondary markets, according to reporting from Golf Inc. Magazine, an industry publication for golf course developers, owners and operators.

“We’re very similar to the Top Golf product,” said BigShots Golfs' corporate and civil engineer, Devin Birch, at a Dec. 19 Pooler council meeting. “However, I believe we substantially differentiate ourselves by offering a few more amenities.”

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According to Birch, BigShots is a more tech-driven company, offering virtual or video game-like golf options alongside their putting courses. Other amenities that BigShots traditionally offers at its existing locations include yard games, fire pits, live music and their Anthem Kitchen and bar.

Plans for the Pooler location are modeled after BigShots' "Generation Four" design, which puts the putting course and a kids' play area indoors rather than outdoors. Current plans also feature a multi-use space that includes a large screen for golf games, corporate presentations or movies, said Birch.

A few more steps are needed before plans are finalized for the BigShots Pooler location. While the council unanimously passed a height variance that would allow their golf ball nets to reach 175 feet during a Dec. 19, 2022 meeting, the petitioner will have to return to council for the full site plan review.

Birch clarified that the height variance, increased from the PUD maximum of 125 feet, will apply to poles supporting the netting. Pooler’s Fire Chief Wade Simmons added that the department has the equipment and training to address any potential incidents at the requested height variance.

Current plans for the building max out at around 56 feet, according to a BigShots representative and the rest of the development will consist of a typical two-story building. The full buildout on the property will total approximately 12 acres.

BigShots Gold will have to return to council for an official site plan approval at a future date.