District Acquires Bubba's Diner
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SPORTS: USC looks to cap successful season B1 Chick-fil-A reopens today at 6:30 a.m. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2017 | Serving South Carolina since October 15, 1894 $1.00 District BD employees return the favor acquires Bubba’s Diner School system plans for technical school BY BRUCE MILLS [email protected] Sumter School District announced it is moving forward with plans for a new technical high school/center and that, to do so, it has purchased Bubba’s Diner at 841 Broad St. The diner will continue to operate and lease the location for the next two to three years. The Rabon family, which has owned Bubba’s Diner since it opened in 2009, and school district officials confirmed details of the Oct. 27 acquisition on Tuesday. Business leaders and elected officials in Sumter have publicized their long- ing for such a school to open on Broad Street near Central Carolina Technical College’s state-of-the-art Advanced Manufacturing Technology Training Center since that facility opened in Au- gust 2015. The thought is the new PHOTOS PROVIDED school could help develop the future Grill master Danny Burke prepares to put his secret barbecue sauce on some of the 2,000 pounds of chicken served at the BD local workforce, officials said. Accord- Sumter plant in a fundraiser for BD employees in Puerto Rico post-Hurricane Maria. ing to widespread research, the skill of an area’s workforce is quickly becom- ing a top priority in economic develop- Barbecue fundraiser helps hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico ment and attracting new industry. The district purchased commercial BY JIM HILLEY Rico were shut down because of the property lots in two strip plazas near [email protected] storm, Johnson said, and they are Central Carolina’s training center last still working to get back online. The year with state funding, according to wo years ago, when the lives of many employees have been district sources. One plaza strip ad- 1,000-year flood struck disrupted. joins CCTC’s facility on the right, and “I don’t have a total count of the the second runs perpendicular to the T South Carolina, among number of associates that lost first. those affected were employees homes and belongings, but it’s a After the school district cleaned the substantial number,” Johnson said. slate this summer from a financial cri- of the BD plant in Sumter. Employees at the Sumter plant sis that first became public knowledge “We had a lot of associates im- decided they wanted to return the in December with the release of the pacted, but we had six associates compassion Puerto Rico had shown 2016 audit report, district leaders took that worked here who lost every- for Sumter. back up the idea of a new technical thing,” Sumter Plant Manager “We essentially wanted to pay it school. Kevin Johnson said. forward,” Johnson said. According to Interim Superinten- Employees held a barbecue at the The grills were fired up again. dent Debbie Hamm, funding to pur- time to raise money for their co- With Danny Burke on board as chase Bubba’s also came from state workers in need. Money raised in Employee volunteers set up a serving grill master and Chris Floyd coordi- funding. Hamm said specific funds for the effort was matched by BD, and line at the BD Sumter plant during a nating the barbecue, BD’s second constructing a technical high school other sites around the world also barbecue to benefit workers at BD barbecue fundraiser was set to were available through the state Leg- pitched in, Johnson said. plants in Puerto Rico. begin. islature and the state Technical Col- “Puerto Rico sites were among “The money will be going to help lege System in association with Cen- those that had sent us donations to our BD associates who work in tral Carolina. No school district funds help our associates,” Johnson said. the U.S. Commonwealth with Cat- Puerto Rico,” Johnson said. were used in the Oct. 27 purchase. Fast forward to Sept. 20 of this egory 4 winds. The barbecue turned out to be a year. Puerto Rico was slammed by The devastation was near total. SEE SCHOOL, PAGE A10 Hurricane Maria, which struck Three small BD plants in Puerto SEE BD, PAGE A9 How to help needy, elderly get Thanksgiving dinner BY IVY MOORE meal,” Singleton said. “That’s real- Singleton does, however, cook Special to The Sumter Item ly what keeps me going.” quite a few of the 50 turkeys and Singleton’s mission started three hams that feed the multitudes who For 33 years, she’s been feeding decades ago with a small group of attend the dinners at the Salvation dozens of Sumter’s homebound el- co-workers calling themselves the Army Boys & Girls Club in the derly at Thanksgiving, as well as Today’s Ladies Club. The women South Sumter Gym on the corner hundreds of mobile residents, and began delivering sandwiches to se- of South Sumter Street and Atlan- Geraldine Singleton won’t let any- niors, and their project gradually tic Avenue. thing stop her. Now, in her early evolved into providing full meals on Last year, Singleton said about 70s and recovering from a recent the Sundays before Thanksgiving 1,000 people came to the gym for illness, she’s still determined to and Christmas. For the past five or Thanksgiving dinner, slightly serve up turkey, ham, stuffing and six years, Singleton has been the fewer for the Christmas meal. SUMTER ITEM FILE PHOTO all the trimmings on Sunday, Nov. only one able to continue. The event has turned into more Geraldine Singleton shops for turkeys with donated 19. She’s quick to praise the volun- than just a meal, now with a money to feed the needy during a previous holiday “I think about all the seniors that teers who now donate money and clothes giveaway and “preaching season. Singleton is in her 33rd year of feeding the are homebound and don’t have any- time to her cause, acknowledging elderly and needy at Thanksgiving. one to make them a Thanksgiving she can’t do everything by herself. SEE DINNER, PAGE A9 VISIT US ONLINE AT CONTACT US DEATHS, B5 WEATHER, A12 INSIDE Information: 774-1200 William J. Montalbano Sr. COOLER 3 SECTIONS, 22 PAGES the .com Advertising: 774-1246 Malik Sutton VOL. 123, NO. 18 Classifieds: 774-1200 Mainly cloudy and chilly today; Edward S. Ervin IV occasional rain tonight Classifieds C6 Opinion A11 Delivery: 774-1258 Robert J. Tiller Jr. Comics C2 Panorama C1 News and Sports: 774-1226 Michael Walker HIGH 56, LOW 46 Clyde Nathaniel Food C4 Television C3 Clayton W. Collins A2 | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2017 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] Family seeks answers after dog is shot BY ADRIENNE SARVIS Whitley Carraway said. into her jaw, breaking it, Carraway said. band want to find out what happened. [email protected] She said she thought maybe Suki had She said the bullet and the dog’s teeth Though Suki is a big dog — and a pit been shot with a BB gun but that her on one side were removed. bull — Carraway emphasized Suki is A Manning family is seeking answers husband pointed out the hole in the As a result of the injury, Suki may be not aggressive. after they came home on Monday to dog’s face. Carraway said she called the blind in one eye, Carraway said. That “She’s like a big baby,” she said. “Suki find their family dog had been shot in police to report the incident while her eye has already gone white. is another child to us. the face. husband took Suki to the vet. She said Suki’s veterinary bill is $475. “What did she do? What did Suki do Whitley Carraway, her husband and She said she later walked down the Carraway said the family is not ask- in order for someone to shoot her?” their four children, who are 2, 4, 7 and 8 road to see if there was a blood trail ing for donations for the bill but that If it was an accident, then the person years old, arrived to their home off leading to the house. The only blood she has heard people want to help. Any- who did it should just say that, Car- June Burn Road together about 3:40 was on the porch, she said. one who would like to help pay the bill raway said. Accidents do happen, after p.m. While following her children into Carraway said that detail worries her can call Morris Animal Clinic in Man- all. the house, Carraway said she noticed because that may mean someone came ning, she said. Anyone with information about the drops of blood on the front porch. into her yard while the family was away. “We don’t need to see it. We just ap- incident can call Clarendon County She said her husband, Travis Car- She said though there is a wooded preciate any help,” she said. Sheriff’s Office at (803) 435-4414. Infor- raway, thought Suki, a female blue bully area near her house, hunting is prohib- The family is hoping for a speedy re- mation can also be given anonymously pit bull, may have been in heat. ited there. She said it is also not possible covery, though Suki may not fully heal by calling Crime Stoppers at The couple said they called for the for someone to enter her yard uninten- from her injuries.