USC head baseball coach visits Sumter. B1 VOL. 118, NO. 249 WWW.THEITEM.COM
FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 2013 | SUMTER, SOUTH CAROLINA
Chad E. Hudson spent the day before his 30th birthday pleading guilty at the Sumter County Judicial Center to the aggravated assault of a close friend. Hudson pleaded guilty Thursday before At-large Circuit Court Judge D. Craig Brown to assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature. He was sentenced to five years in the state Department of Corrections. Hudson has served 337 days since his arrest last fall for attempted murder and possession of mari-
juana. He was accused of dragging Randal W. Huggins, 27, by pickup truck for a short distance along Gibbs Dairy Road, causing the man grievous bodily injuries. “He and the victim, along with another person, had been out socializing,” 3rd Circuit Assistant Solicitor W. Jason Corbett told Brown. “There was some argument, and (the victim) got out of the car ... The defendant began attempting to use his vehicle to hit the victim. At some point, the victim became caught on the truck, and the defendant drug him along.” At the scene, deputies
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Military invited to Fun Night
Man gets 5 years in truck dragging case BY ROBERT J. BAKER bbaker@theitem.com
FOUNDED OCTOBER 15, 1894
ROBERT J. BAKER / THE ITEM
Chad E. Hudson, 30, left, stands with Sumter Assistant Public Defender S. Elaine Cooke on Thursday while pleading guilty to assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature at the Sumter County Judicial Center. Hudson was charged in September with attempted murder after dragging a 27-year-old Sumter man with his pickup truck.
were alerted that one man had apparently been hit by a car, and several witnesses told the officers they had seen a man being dragged in the roadway underneath a silver Ford F-150. Deputies located the victim on the side of Gibbs Dairy Road with “severe lacerations to his arms, legs, torso and head” and “gurgling blood from his
Rep. Wilson will jump from plane BY BRISTOW MARCHANT bmarchant@theitem.com
mouth,” according to reports. “When he finally came loose from the truck, the victim had (severe) injuries,” Corbett said. “He is now in a rehabilitationtype facility.” Hudson’s vehicle was located in a ditch on Zachery Road, and witnesses directed police to a nearby
Service members and their families at Shaw Air Force Base can take advantage of a night of free entertainment with their military IDs tonight at the Sumter fairgrounds. The Family Fun Night is sponsored by Kangaroo Express as part of the Salute Our Troops tour, currently making WILSON its way across the Southeast through Labor Day. The tour aims to give back to military families, while at the same time raising money for military causes.
SEE HUDSON, PAGE A8
SEE FUN NIGHT, PAGE A6
New Sumter High principal takes 1st steps into school fore. Up until that point, Fall thought he was going to be the new Walking through the principal at the nearby halls of Sumter High Sumter County Career School for the first time Center and said he was as the school’s princisurprised by the decipal, Dana Fall found sion. The last-minute himself also walking change could have been into what he thinks is disconcerting, if not for an exciting opportunity. the outreach he has reWith classes starting ceived since the anin less than two weeks nouncement. and the “The school ‘The best part about best part coming about it off a tuit is I know I have is I know multuI have ous year, the support of the the supthe port of 39-yeardistrict. I have the the disold printrict. I cipal support of the board have the recogsupport nizes he and the community. of the has a lot board of work I think it’s going to and the ahead of commuhim and be a great year.’ nity. I spent a think it’s lot of his going to first day be a meeting Dana Fall, Sumter High great with year,” staff, School principal said Fall. even beAnd fore while stepping the new into his office. principal has had very “I haven’t even taken little time to plan a a picture out yet,” Fall strategy for the coming joked on Thursday, alyear, he already has dethough he added the veloped a list of conresponse so far to his cerns and goals. appointment had been “The first step is “fantastic.” doing some healing — Fall was announced as Dr. Baker said — not as the new principal at just in the district, but Sumter High on here at Sumter High,” Wednesday, after a vote Fall said, referring to by the district’s board of Sumter School District trustees approved the transfer the night beSEE FALL, PAGE A8 BY BRADEN BUNCH bbunch@theitem.com
20 N. Magnolia St. Sumter, SC 29150 (USPS 525-900)
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ABOVE: Newly appointed Sumter High School Principal Dana Fall, right, receives a tour of the campus from assistant principal Jarrod DuBose Schmidt on Thursday. Fall was named the school’s new principal on Wednesday, less than two weeks before school opens.
PHOTOS BY BRADEN BUNCH / THE ITEM
DEATHS Amelia S. Saunders Mary J. Jones Minnie M. Bradley Solomon Benton Daisy St. Amant Vaz Eva Monroe
Patricia A. Caesar Vernon J. Magazine Jessie Mae F. Tabron David Rockwood Queen Esther A. Smith Benjamin M. Snyder
Patricia H. Kornegay Mary D. Smith Sawyer Audrey P. Langlois B5, B6
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Some sun with areas possibly getting a storm; partly cloudy tonight HIGH: 90 LOW: 72 A8
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