Crowd Mostly Opposes District Proposal
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A2 Economic development building opens SPORTS Aja Wilson gives her last performance at home in NCAA regional B1 SUNDAY, MARCH 18, 2018 | Serving South Carolina since October 15, 1894 $1.75 Crowd mostly opposes district proposal 1st community input session on school closings held at SHS Hamm: Now is a good time BY BRUCE MILLS attended and participated in administration’s proposal — [email protected] round-table discussions and a which she again emphasized question-and-answer session could change based on com- to consider consolidation A relatively small but bois- with Interim Superintendent munity feedback — to close terous crowd of community Debbie Hamm at Sumter High Mayewood Middle, F.J. De- BY BRUCE MILLS Superintendent Debbie members mostly voiced their School in the first of a series Laine Elementary and Rafting [email protected] Hamm is moving forward displeasure Thursday night of “community conversation Creek Elementary schools be- with a school closure and with a district consolidation sessions.” The meetings are cause of declining enrollment Saying she thinks it’s a consolidation proposal. proposal that would close designed to gather public in rural sections of the county good time now to try to Hamm made the com- three low-enrollment schools input on Hamm’s draft consol- and move those students into work through a sensitive ments Thursday night at in Sumter County. idation proposal, which she nearby schools and imple- issue and desiring to make the first of a series of com- About 45 people — some of unveiled Monday night at a ment nationally recognized the job of Sumter’s next munity-input meetings who were current Sumter school board meeting. superintendent as attrac- School District educators — Hamm detailed again the SEE SESSION, PAGE A13 tive as possible, Interim SEE CONSOLIDATE, PAGE A13 COLD CASE 7 months and no word from Tommy Brailey MICAH GREEN / THE SUMTER ITEM Mildred Solomon-Brailey listens to peo- ple’s prayers at a vigil for her missing husband on Saturday. Family, friends hold vigil for missing man BY KAYLA ROBINS [email protected] Saturday was a day for many Americans to go green and gather Tommy Brailey of Lee County was last in fields and bars to celebrate St. seen by his Continental Tire co-workers Patrick's Day. The crowd of about at Brewers Bar & Grill on Aug. 25, 2017. 50 gathered in a field next to Brew- PHOTOS PROVIDED er's Bar & Grill, but they were not celebrating. The colors they chose were black and gold — the colors of Tommy No evidence yet Brailey's favorite football team, the Pittsburgh Steelers. His wife and two teenage daughters wore match- of any foul play ing jerseys. Other family members BY ADRIENNE SARVIS and friends wore matching shirts [email protected] Tommy Brailey of Lee County LYB406 and a chrome Pitts- with a photo of Brailey wearing is still seeking answers into burgh Steelers front license Steelers gear, as he so often did. Seven months after he was his abrupt disappearance. plate. It has been seven months since last seen celebrating a co- Brailey, 52, was last seen by Seven months is too long to they've seen him. So they gathered worker’s birthday at a Sumter co-workers of Continental Tire not know anything, Mildred to pray and ask for help from both bar, the family of the Americas at Brewers Bar Solomon-Brailey said. above and from anyone who may & Grill, 160 E. Wesmark Blvd., All of this is not in his char- know something about his disap- HAVE YOU SEEN HIM? at 2 a.m. on Aug. 25, 2017, acter, she said. It’s unusual for pearance. before he left, suppos- him to not check in after a few "The earth didn't just open up and edly to make the hours, and he would never swallow him up," said Cynthia Brai- Brailey, who was last seen wearing jeans 15-minute trip home leave without telling someone. ley Kline, Brailey's only older sib- and a Continental Tires polo shirt, has to his family. Solomon-Brailey said she ling. brown eyes and black hair, is 5-foot-5- However, after and her two daughters have Brailey, who was last seen on on inches and weighs about 165 pounds. multiple ground not been able to relax since Aug. 15, 2017 as he left the bar on Anyone with information about Tommy and air searches, August. East Wesmark Boulevard about 2 Brailey’s whereabouts is asked to call investigators have “We’re missing a big part of a.m. to supposedly make a 15-min- Sumter Police Department at (803) 436- still not been able to the family,” she said. ute trip to his Lee County home, is locate Brailey or his During a news conference in somewhere, but the lack of solid 2700. Information can also be given vehicle, a silver 2004 2017, Solomon-Brailey said she tips and a trail gone cold has made anonymously by calling Crime Stoppers four-door 325i BMW at 1-888-CRIME-SC. with S.C. license tag SEE BRAILEY, PAGE A11 SEE VIGIL, PAGE A11 VISIT US ONLINE AT DEATHS, B6 WEATHER, A14 INSIDE Elijah Harvin Margaret D. Lutz PLEASANT WINTER DAY 4 SECTIONS, 30 PAGES VOL. 123, NO. 107 the .com JC Andrews Paul Whittleton Sunny today with some Vermell Davis Betty S. Campbell clouds; tonight, cloudy Classifieds C6 Outdoors C3 Sarah H. Robinson Naomi M. Frazier with rain possible. Comics D1 Panorama A5 HIGH 73, LOW 52 Education A6 Reflections C4 Opinion A12 Yesteryear C5 A2 | SUNDAY, MARCH 18, 2018 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] The doors are open New Sumter Economic Development building opens downtown BY KAYLA ROBINS [email protected] Downtown Sumter's newest, most modern-designed building is open for business, and the people who have set up shop within its walls are hoping that means all of Sumter County will wel- come more business. Sumter Economic Development, a group made up of a public-private part- nership charged with bringing more business and industry into the county, raising the per capita income, support- ing well-paying job growth and increas- ing the quality of life for residents — both old and new — celebrated a grand opening on Thursday to show off the space, to thank the stakeholders and ad- vocates who helped bring it into exis- tence and to share with the community their vision for the future. "Sumter has become a very progres- sive city," said Sumter County Council Chairman James McCain, who is also an ex-officio development board mem- ber. The building itself has received its share of questions for the design from some who did not approve of the mod- ern structure in the middle of historic downtown Sumter with its slanted beams, but it stood tall on Thursday, its second-floor wall-to-ceiling windows PHOTOS BY MICAH GREEN / THE SUMTER ITEM giving a view of Main Street and up and The sun sets on the grand opening of the new Economic Development building in downtown Sumter on Friday. down Liberty Street, its balcony stand- ing over a newly sprung grass court- yard next to J. O'Grady's and Centennial "It's an opportunity for us to show the Greg Thompson, Plaza. world that rural South Carolina can chairman of the Greg Thompson, chairman of the de- compete on a global scale for opportuni- development board and velopment board and president and ties that present themselves in terms of president and CEO of CEO of Thompson Construction Group, business and industry." Thompson Construction said the slanted beams seen on the out- Schwedler said Sumter and Lee coun- Group, speaks to the side of the building were chosen to rep- ties have seen $1.4-$1.5 billion in invest- crowd at the opening of resent the letter "W." ment over the last eight to 10 years. the new building. "An 'I' is isolated," he said, elaborating "And that equates jobs," he said. "The that the choice instead means "we." general population just sees growth "We're at the address of Sumter's future occur organically. They don't realize located in Sumter's past." there are so many moving parts to He said companies look about 50 make successful economic development years into the future of any place they occur." prospect for locations, and having this He said that includes education, infra- centrally located building with space to structure, things to do, well-paying jobs. meet and work that is close to the ame- "At the end of the day, it's about rais- nities of downtown will entice future in- ing per-capita income and increasing vestment. our citizens' wealth, increasing job op- "It's a totally different perspective, a portunities," he said. perception-changer," said Jay That's what Schwedler and the rest of that the building will provide just one Schwedler said, "this vantage point Schwedler, executive director of Sumter his team and those involved in the more asset toward that goal. just gives them another view to know Economic Development, which also rep- bringing of the new Economic Develop- "When they get here and see what that we're here to do business with resents Lee County through TheLINK. ment to be say they are aiming for and the community has to offer," them." Long Cane Massacre site rededicated in solemn ceremony BY ADAM BENSON would go on to serve as vice in history, and we're trying to Kelly, along with Green- Barbara Hinkel, originally The Index-Journal president.