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Sumter County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Hampton Gardner stands in the underground grow room found at 2059 McCrays Mill Road on Monday. The apparent large-scale marijuana manufacturing operation was found on property that abuts the property of Archway Academy day care and McElveen Manor assisted living facility.
Firefighters cook up ’cue for Red Cross Heated competition attracts thousands BY IVY MOORE ivy@theitem.com
“We’ve found indications for a very large, intricate manufacturing system,” Sumter County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Braden Bunch said. “It appears they planned to dramatically increase production.” Investigators indicated the suspects excavated the subterranean, climatecontrolled manufacturing room about 15 feet underground, noting they designed the chamber to cultivate the drug and appeared to be prepping to use it soon. The bust came three days after deputies arrested the suspect’s son in
It was a lot like Food Network’s “Chopped” but without any snarkiness from the judges. Ten of us had arrived at 8:30 a.m. Saturday at Fire Equipment Co. on Stamey Livestock Road to determine who would win the coveted judges’ award, called the Firefighter Pit Master Award, for the 5th Annual Capt. Tom Garrity Firefighters BBQ Challenge. It was my first time having barbecue for breakfast; but more importantly, my first time judging such a highly contested cooking competition. Fortunately, we had guidance from David Bagwell Jr., a charter member of the South Carolina Barbeque Association. According to Lake High, president of the SCBA, that makes David, who’s also a firefighter, one of “the best barbecue judges in the nation.” David didn’t do any judging, however; he was our mentor, guiding us through the process. As the rookie in the room, I listened carefully as David announced what would be expected of us, emphasizing how important the competition is to the individual fire stations. “It’s the real deal for them,” he said. “They really want this.” Indeed, they must have, as they’d been on the premises since 5 or 6 p.m. Friday and stayed up through the frigid night monitoring their whole hogs and pork shoulders. David said the firefighters all watch their grills carefully,
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Apparent underground marijuana manufacturing room unearthed BY MATT BRUCE matthew@theitem.com At least one man was in custody Wednesday after a drug unit unearthed an apparent large-scale marijuana manufacturing operation in Sumter. Gobe Dean McElveen Sr., 50, of 2059 McCrays Mill Road, was charged with trafficking in marijuana, more than 10 pounds, in connection with the incident, Sumter-Lee Regional Detention Center records indicated. A unit composed of at least 15 Sumter County deputies, narcotics officers and City of Sumter police officers converged upon the suspect’s resi-
dence late Wednesday afternoon to search for drugs. Authorities searched the one-story brick residence, located just behind Archway Academy day care and McElveen Manor assisted living facility, and found more than $35,000 worth of harvested and growing marijuana products throughout the propMcELVEEN erty. Deputies also discovered an apparent 500 square-foot grow room underground behind the home, where they think the suspect planned to manufacture large quantities of the drug.
Sumter Item dedicates Fireside Fund in memory of Olsen of The Sumter Item. “He exemplifies what the Fireside Fund is Fireside Fund is all about all about, which helping people, and the 2014-15 is giving back fund is being named in honor of and helping oththe late Maj. Gen. Tom Olsen, a OLSEN ers.” man who was well known for Started in 1969, the Fireside his community service. “I can’t think of a more dedi- Fund is a partnership between cated servant of the Air Force The Sumter Item and The Salvation Army. The newspaper and the Sumter community collects the money and gives it than Tom Olsen,” said Jack to the local nonprofit. Osteen, editor and publisher
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The Christian charity then interviews people who need help with heating costs such as past-due electric bills, kerosene or wood. Candidates must provide a valid form of picture identification, paycheck stubs and copies of late bills. Jackie Olsen was thrilled to learn this year’s campaign — a cause both she and her late husband had given to before — would be named in his honor. “It’s so sweet,” she said. “It
really means a lot to me and to Tom’s family. I think it’s a beautiful way to remember a man did so much for Sumter and South Carolina, and really this whole country.” Olsen retired from Shaw Air
Force Base in 1991 after serving more than 30 years in the Air Force including serving as vice commander of the Ninth Air Force and overseeing allied air operations in Saudi Arabia during the Gulf War. He became the first director of the Sumter Base Defense Committee and served in that capacity through 2005. In 1995, Olsen became the founding
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