KNOW THE CANDIDATES: 8-page Election Guide in today’s edition
Battle of orange Clemson Tigers take on Syracuse in ACC matchup B1
SERVING SOUTH CAROLINA SINCE OCTOBER 15, 1894
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2014
$1.50
Tax could help create pipeline of workers
‘I didn’t give up’
Project would make room for more students at CCTC BY JOE KEPLER joe@theitem.com
PHOTOS BY MATT WALSH / THE SUMTER ITEM
YWCA Executive Director Debra Wilson holds a candle during a vigil for domestic violence victims in October in Sumter. The YWCA’s shelter offers 18 beds and four baby cribs for victims of battery. It is a safe haven established in 1981 as a resource for those trying to escape the prison of abuse.
After years in an abusive relationship, mother of 6 gets back on her feet with help from YWCA BY MATT BRUCE matthew@theitem.com When Shakia Spears married her military sweetheart one year after joining the U.S. Air Force, it appeared she was destined for the charmed life. She and her husband spent several years stationed overseas together, they lived in nice homes and were financially stable. From the outside looking in, they had a picture perfect union. But soon after marrying her beau, Spears began to notice that he was not the man he presented himself to be during their courtship. Not long into their marriage, she said he began verbally abusing her. And it was much longer before physical abuse began. “The physical part of the abuse was short-lived,” she recalled. “The emotional and the mental, that went on for a long time. And the best thing I really could have done was get away from him.
way. I’m not defined by what my husband thinks of me.” Advocates say some women stay because of fear or shame. For others, it’s a financial decision. Many are not aware of resources available to battered women — such as crisis centers or legal counseling — and feel trapped as prisoners in their own homes. In 2013, 50 women did not get the chance to escape because they lost their lives to domestic violence in South Carolina. Spears grew up with a strong sense of family after watching her
With the extensive industrial growth coming to Sumter County, a problem has surfaced. Companies such as Continental Tires the Americas, Apex Tool, King Machine, Caterpillar and many others are either arriving or expanding, creating a need for employees. Central Carolina Technical College is aiming to meet that need with a $1 million project through the penny tax renewal. The renovation of the college’s Industrial Engineering building offers a way to expand the enrollment and train the trade workers of tomorrow. “The reality is, I view this as an economic development project,” said Tim Hardee, president of Central Carolina. “It’s geared toward providing jobs for the Sumter community.” The college, home to roughly 4,000 students with a median age of 27, offers 50 different programs of study. It has shown a solid placement rate of 93 percent of graduates entering the workforce and aims to increase enrollment in high-demand fields such as welding and heating, ventilating and air conditioning. Under the planned project, the mechatronics, machine tool and engineering graphics programs will be moved into the college’s new Manufacturing Technology Training Center on Broad Street, located in the old Walmart building. With the extra space, the welding and HVAC programs will be able to stretch its training space in the M400 building on the
SEE SPEARS, PAGE A7
SEE PENNY TAX, PAGE A15
HELP HOTLINES National DV Hotline: 1-800-799SAFE (7233) YWCA DV Hotline: 803-775-2763 Toll Free: 877-268-YWCA (9922)
PHOTO PROVIDED
Shakia Spears spent time at the YWCA of the Upper Lowlands domestic violence emergency shelter in Sumter after fleeing an abusive marriage. The center helped her get a job and get back on her feet. Every day away I was able to see, ‘Oh my God, this was my normal.’ You don’t talk to someone this
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is one in a series of stories examining $75 million worth of new construction needs in Sumter County, as identified in the proposal for a renewed penny sales tax. Sumter County voters will be asked to approve the tax in November, and funds raised by the tax, should it pass, will go toward a series of building, infrastructure and other projects throughout the county.
Festival celebrates the arts BY JIM HILLEY jim@theitem.com On a pleasant Saturday afternoon, a small number of art lovers took the opportunity to enjoy a wide variety of arts at Sumter Cultural Center during the Sumter County Cultural Commission’s Fall for the Arts festival. Admission was free to enjoy music indoors and out, artistic workshops, art installations and exhibits. “The festival is a celebration of all forms or art,” said Carmela Bryan, the
VISIT US ONLINE AT
the
.com
Saxophonist Dwyane Johnson jams during the Fall for the Arts Festival at Sumter County Cultural Center.
cultural commission’s executive director, “from the visual arts to the performing arts to literary art, we really try to cover everything.” The celebration began Friday night with theater and a variety show including drag queens and an art show at Patriot Hall Gallery. Saturday’s events included a poetry workshop and a drama workshop involving children and storytelling. Bryan said this is the second year
JIM HILLEY / THE SUMTER ITEM
SEE FESTIVAL, PAGE A7
DEATHS, A15 Daniel “Digger” Barnett Jean “Jeannie” Kelly William Ridgeway Jr.
WEATHER, A16
INSIDE
BEAUTIFUL
5 SECTIONS, 48 PAGES VOL. 120, NO. 11
Plenty of sunshine today; clear tonight HIGH 82, LOW 51
Business D1 Classifieds D12 Comics E1 Education C4
Lotteries A16 Opinion A14 Outdoors D11 Panorama C1
Reflections C4 Stocks D2 Television E3