Santa Cruz Nutritionals $84M Expansion Will Create 164 Sumter Jobs
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FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: Sumter focusing on Berkeley in playoff opener tonight B1 Please Vote TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17th FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2020 | Serving South Carolina since October 15, 1894 $1.00 PAID FOR BY MERCHANT FOR MAYOR Santa Cruz Nutritionals $84M expansion will create 164 Sumter jobs BRUCE MILLS / THE SUMTER ITEM FILE PHOTOS Production-level workers inspect equipment at BY SHELBIE GOULDING of enhanced confectionery delivery County and Sumter Economic De- Santa Cruz Nutritionals in May 2019. [email protected] systems. velopment in building and creating Established in 1968, the company, the world-class standard for Vita- An economic development project a subsidiary of Santa Cruz Health- min, Mineral, Supplement (VMS) will create 164 new jobs in the com- care, uses research and science to gummy manufacturing facilities,” munity after Sumter County Coun- develop gummy vitamins such as said Santa Cruz Healthcare CEO cil gave a company the go-ahead to calcium, fiber and other supple- Carlyn Solomon. “This investment start its expansion process on Tues- ments for the functional food and serves to grow our capacity to deliv- day. nutraceutical markets. It also pro- er enjoyable health and wellness The council unanimously ap- duces a wide range of products for nutritional supplements. More im- proved the final reading of the pro- a number of branded industrial portantly, it serves our broader posal known as Project Lisa, which and retail partners. mission to holistically improve lives revealed itself to be Santa Cruz Nu- “We are excited to partner with tritionals, a leading manufacturer the state of South Carolina, Sumter SEE EXPANSION, PAGE A8 Restaurants sink or learn to swim School board runner-up protesting vote results BY BRUCE MILLS [email protected] A defeated candidate for A man uses gloves while at the salad Sumter School District Board bar at The Restaurant at Second Mill. of Trustees’ Area 6 race has filed a protest regarding last week’s results with the county election commission, and a meeting has been scheduled for Monday. Pat Jefferson, di- rector of Sumter County Voter Reg- istration and Elec- BYRD tions, distributed a protest letter from William Byrd to election com- missioners and also to The Sumter Item on Thursday af- ternoon, notifying them of the meeting to hear Byrd’s protest. In official, certified results from the county Voter Regis- tration and Elections Office for PHOTOS BY MICAH GREEN / THE SUMTER ITEM Jennifer Fretwell serves a group of women at The Restaurant at Second Mill’s new location on the Nov. 3 general election, Broad Street on Thursday afternoon. Byrd finished second in the KAREEM WILSON / THE SUMTER ITEM school board’s Area 6 race Marble Slab announced it permanent- with 1,476 votes. Gloria Lee ly closed its Sumter location. was declared the race’s winner Local eateries have to adapt to survive with 1,798 votes — a margin of 322 votes over Byrd. Lee gar- in a COVID-19 year as some chains suffer nered 33.85% of total votes, compared to Byrd’s 27.79%. BY KAREEM WILSON of hits back to back, but looking at the Contested county school [email protected] other locations, Sumter just never board races go to the top vote- bounced back,” said Geri Fields, busi- getter in a winner-take-all for- The restaurant industry has taken a ness owner of Marble Slab. She said mat, as opposed to triggering a huge hit this year as a result of the coro- other Marble Slab locations in South runoff if no candidate receives navirus pandemic. Eateries across the Carolina were doing fine except for the more than 50% of the total county and state have drastically one in Sumter. vote. While they are also non- changed their The store re- partisan, city races for Sum- methods to stay in ‘I think it’s going to get worse opened and closed ter’s mayor and city council business, and several times, re- seats require a runoff in that Signs about coronavirus safety mea- even then, some sulting in loss of case. sures are seen at The Restaurant at haven’t made it. before it gets better. I think the revenue for the According to the certified re- Second Mill’s new location on Broad Marble Slab shop. sults, 5,312 votes were cast in Street on Thursday afternoon. Creamery perma- restaurant industry is forever According to the school board race, and that nently closed its her, Sumter’s is primarily where Byrd’s pro- doors on East changed by this.’ Marble Slab reve- test rests. Wesmark Boule- nue declined In his letter, Byrd said he vard in November SCOTT ESTEP about 25% during thinks that total is surprising- because of the ice August through ly low given that a voting ros- cream shop’s low Owner of Palmetto Oyster House October. She said ter he obtained during the performance sales and J. O’Grady’s they debated clos- campaign showed more than amid the pandem- ing early in the 10,000 registered voters in ic. Other chains to summer but wait- Area/District 6. School board close their locations in Sumter since ed until after the hot season to see if districts follow the same map March include Golden Corral and Ruby they could make a comeback. Unfortu- as Sumter County Council. Tuesday, both on Broad Street, though nately, they couldn’t. He noted voting totals in this IHOP has reopened. “When COVID hit … we took a couple SEE RESTAURANTS, PAGE A8 SEE BYRD, PAGE A4 VISIT US ONLINE AT DEATHS, B3 WEATHER, A10 INSIDE Briannica Nicole Johnson Helen Louise Gaillaird FINALLY FRIDAY 2 SECTIONS, 18 PAGES the .com VOL. 126, NO. 22 Della Ree Tomlin Donald Michael Grace Clouds giving way to some sun Lucille Elsie Wright Walters Sharon Lee Daughtry Bogan today; mainly clear tonight Classifieds B7 Sports B1 Edward Franklin Smith Sr. Jeanette Stephanie Mickens HIGH 76, LOW 50 Comics B6 Television A6 Opinion A9 A2 | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2020 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] Shower Shaw with Cookies Sumter shows gratitude for military personnel BY IVY MOORE ers may make any kind of cookies Arts and culture contributor they like or even candy. With provisions being made to ac- For the 28th year, Sumter Volun- commodate safety practices related to teers Inc. will sponsor its Shower the pandemic, the project has made a Shaw with Cookies project. few changes, Morris said. Executive Director Jo Anne Morris “We ask that those making cookies said homemade cookies are a tradi- pack them in boxes or tins with the tional Christmas treat for many, and number of dozens in each package the Sumter community has responded written on an outside sheet with the to the annual request for cookies for name of the baker,” she said. “This service members. year, we ask that the cookies be deliv- “We owe so much to the military ered between the hours of 9 a.m. and personnel at Shaw Air Force Base,” noon on Wednesday, Dec. 2, to the she said. “The (COVID-19) pandemic North HOPE Center, where we will has limited what the community can have tables set up outside for do to show our appreciation, but we dropoff.” are hoping for churches, civic organi- The cookies will be picked up by zations, businesses and individuals to Shaw personnel for distribution to the participate this year.” approximately 2,000 Air Force and Morris’ church, Grace Baptist, start- Army service members on base. ed the Shower Shaw with Cookies ef- “It’s a simple way to show our grati- fort in 1993, and other organizations tude to the men and women who serve and individuals participated in the fol- us every day,” Morris said. “For many lowing years, ensuring that each mili- people, it’s not Christmas without SUMTER ITEM FILE PHOTO tary member at Shaw received home- homemade cookies.” Sumter Volunteers Inc. is sponsoring its Shower Shaw with Cookies project for the 28th made cookies for Christmas. The ma- The North HOPE Center is at 904 N. year. Volunteer cookie bakers are requested to deliver their homemade cookies on Dec. jority of cookies made and donated Main St. between Morris College and 2 for distribution to the about 2,000 service members at Shaw Air Force Base as a ges- have been chocolate chip and sugar McLaughlin Ford. For more informa- ture of gratitude for their service to the country and community. Chocolate chip cookies cookies; however, the individual bak- tion, call (803) 775-7423. have been a favorite of the bakers and recipients since the project began in 1993. 21-year-old Westside Baptist is still collecting gift woman dies in shoeboxes for annual Christmas project 2-vehicle wreck in Lee County Curbside dropoff WESTSIDE BAPTIST CHURCH OPERATION CHRISTMAS COLLECTION CENTER HOURS BY SHELBIE GOULDING implemented, online [email protected] DROP-OFF LOCATION: 554 Pinewood packing an option Road A two-vehicle wreck left Monday: 9 a.m. to noon a 21-year-old Rembert BY BRUCE MILLS woman dead and an [email protected] Tuesday: 2 to 6 p.m. 18-year-old passenger in- Wednesday: 2 to 9 p.m. jured in Lee County on It might not be beginning to look a Thursday: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday. lot like Christmas around the Sumter Tamara Taylor Robinson area because of the warm weather and Friday: 2 to 6 p.m. was pronounced dead on factors related to COVID-19, but it’s Saturday: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. scene, Lee County Coroner around the corner.