IN SPORTS: Four local high school athletes sign with Division I colleges B1
Final Election Day results Please turn to page A6 THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2016
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Ex-Sumter police officer arrested for misconduct
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Triumphant Trump
Accused of intimidating women into having sex BY ADRIENNE SARVIS adrienne@theitem.com South Carolina Law Enforcement Division arrested and charged a former Sumter Police Department officer with misconduct in office on Monday following an investigation into accusations of sexual coercion and intimidation. William McKinley Littlejohn, 35, faces three counts of misconduct in office and could serve 10 LITTLEJOHN years for each count if he is convicted, according to a news release from SLED. Sumter Police Department requested that SLED open an investigation after local officers received information about the alleged acts. Tonyia McGirt, public information officer with the police department, said Littlejohn was suspended in December 2015 when SLED began its investigation. According to three warrants issued by SLED on May 12, Littlejohn allegedly used his position as an officer to coerce and intimidate three female victims to engage in sexual relations with him while he was on duty as a city police officer between July 2014 and December 2015. Two of the warrants state Littlejohn coerced two of the victims to engage in sexual relations with him on numerous occasions. McGirt said Littlejohn started his career with the department in August 2012 and his employment was terminated in January this year, she said. Littlejohn was booked at Sumter-Lee Regional Detention Center on Monday and was released after posting a $4,500 surety bond on Tuesday. The case will be prosecuted by the Third Circuit Solicitor’s Office, according to the news release from SLED.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
President-elect Donald Trump pumps his fist during an election night rally in New York.
Republican candidate pulls off surprising upset over Clinton WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump claimed his place Wednesday as America’s 45th president, an astonishing victory for the celebrity businessman and political novice who capitalized on voters’ economic anxieties, took advantage of racial tensions and overcame a string of sexual assault allegations on his way to the White House. His triumph over Hillary Clinton, not declared until well after midnight, will end eight years of Democratic dominance of the White House and
threatens to undo major achievements of President Barack Obama. Trump has pledged to act quickly to repeal Obama’s landmark health care law, revoke America’s nuclear agreement with Iran and rewrite important trade deals with other countries, particularly Mexico and Canada. As he claimed victory, Trump urged Americans to “come together as one united people” after a deeply divisive campaign. Clinton called her Republican rival to concede but did not plan to speak
publicly until later Wednesday. Trump, who spent much of the campaign urging his supporters on as they chanted “lock her up,” said the nation owed Clinton “a major debt of gratitude” for her years of public service. The Republican blasted through Democrats’ longstanding firewall, carrying Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, states that hadn’t voted for a GOP presidential candidate since the 1980s. He
Voter turnout down in tri-county area BY BRUCE MILLS bruce@theitem.com Voter turnout in the tricounty area for Tuesday’s presidential election between Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton was down about 7 percent from the 2012 presidential race, according to unofficial results from the counties’ voter registration
offices. The totals do include absentee voting in each county, but remaining provisional paper ballots still must be counted before results are certified as official later this week. Totals are not expected to change much in the process, according to county officials. In Sumter County, total voters for the presidential race were 44,048 compared
to 47,309 in 2012 — representing a 6.9 percent reduction — when incumbent Democrat Barack Obama defeated Republican challenger Mitt Romney. The voter turnout trend for the presidential election in Clarendon County was very similar to Sumter, with
Facility to tap into growing gummy vitamins market BY BRUCE MILLS bruce@theitem.com Sumter’s newest manufacturer has a vision to tap into a growing and underserved segment of its industry’s product market with its new Sumter operation, scheduled to come online at the beginning of next year. With more than 100 years’ experience as a confections manufacturer, Mount Franklin Foods is not your typical candy business and its new Sumter facility will not be your typical candy plant, according to company Chief Operations Officer Jay David. David was in town last week when the company did a meet-and-greet
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with former employees of candy maker Au’some, which closed its doors in March and filed bankruptcy. Mount Franklin will be operating out of the former 100,000 square-foot Au’some facility in Live Oak Industrial Park. A maker and distributor of high-quality candies and nuts with two divisions — Sunrise Confections and DAVID Azar Nut — Mount Franklin is proactively moving to add other healthier natural and organic food-based snacks. David said the Sumter plant will manufacturer vitamin gummies more than anything else.
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Since there’s a large segment of the population that doesn’t like to swallow pills, gummies are becoming increasingly popular. Many candy businesses like to do vitamin products, but not with a dedicated facility, according to David. “The sugar-candy business is not a growth business because so many people are sugar conscious,” David said. “Prices are being driven down. “An average candy company does this as a side business when they find they have an available shift. Then they quickly go about making the vitamin product.” As operations chief with Mount Franklin, David viewed this approach as risky
DID YOU KNOW Candy Industry magazine’s 2016 “Sweet 60” ranking of the top 60 candy companies in North America, Sunrise Confections — a division of Mount Franklin Foods — ranked No. 21. For reference, Jelly Belly was 23rd and Bazooka Candy Brands was 24th. Tootsie Roll Industries ranked 12th this year; The Hershey Co. was No. 3 and Mars Chocolate was No. 1.
OTHER MOUNT FRANKLIN FOOD FACTS Annual sales: More than $350 million Annual candy production: 200 million pounds Existing plants: 4 (Sumter will be fifth)
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DEATHS, B4 Richard M. Sipes Warren White Gertrude P. Lyons Elizabeth R. Wilder Nathaniel Gooden Jr.
a 7 percent fall from 2012. A total of 15,156 registered voters cast ballots in the muchanticipated Trump/Clinton presidential election. In 2012, 16,292 voters in Clarendon tallied votes in the Obama/ Romney election. In Lee County, voter turnout fell 9 percent from 2012.
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Mount Franklin has specific plans for Sumter plant
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Robert L. Williams Melanie K. Rivera Mary W. McFadden Martha Lee Alston
WEATHER, A12
INSIDE
PLENTY OF SUN
2 SECTIONS,18 PAGES VOL. 122, NO. 22
Lots of sunshine, with light winds out of the north. Tonight, clear and chilly. HIGH 67, LOW 41
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