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SUMTER, S.C. — Hundreds of people from across the United States are traveling to Sumter this weekend for the 50th World Invitational Double-Dutch Championship.

Teams of all ages have qualified from their state championships, and now they’re going up against the best.

"It’s just really cool coming out and seeing so many teams from so many different places," Brelaysha Nicole Benson said.

Benson coaches the Double-Dutch Rope Twisters. The team traveled from Cincinnati to compete in the championship, which is being held in Sumter this year.

"All the teams here had to qualify in their states," Tournament Director Jamal Turner said. "So you have teams from Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Ohio, North Carolina and South Carolina."

Fifty-six teams are participating this year, which marks the 50th anniversary.

"First one in 1975 was at Lincoln Center," Turner said. "It was there for a couple of years and then it bounced around to different states and then when we came here it was kind of like home."

Jumpers like Kamela Steele, who are calling the Midlands home for the next few days, are showing off their skills.

"Personally when you get out there it’s very stressful, but once you get in the rope, you start turning, and you get there and it’s like you know how to do this," Steele said.

Gwen Maristany, whose family is from Sumter, helped found the American Double-Dutch League. She says she's excited to see the familiar city host this tournament.

"We used our background to put together some ideas and some boundaries that we wanted to use in a new sport really that had not been organized passed just jumping in the street," Maristany said. "We jumped as children but we wanted to get something that was a little bit more structured. And using our background in different sports — in track and field, dance, gymnastics — so we decided what can we do? Double Dutch seemed to encompass all of these in some kind of way, shape or form."

Maristany worked alongside fellow physical education teacher Cheryl Holt and other board members to draft a rulebook and form the sport.

"When we look at the 50 years, we look at who’s here and remember them as children when they were jumping and now they have their own team, their own coaches, so it’s really evolved," Holt said.

As coaches like Lacie Doolittle from Wagener, SC with Epic Girls Squad compete while forming long-lasting friendships.

"We are a team. We are a unit. We operate as one," Doolittle said. "We win as a team. We lose as a team. We laugh as a team, we cry as a team. When one fails, we all fail. You are only as strong as your weakest teammate."

The tournament goes through Saturday at the Sumter County Civic Center from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. It’s free for anyone to watch the jumpers in action.

Construction is underway for a Planet Fitness and Liberty STEAM Charter School, which are coming to the Sumter Mall. Residents hope it will increase mall visitors.

SUMTER, S.C. — The Sumter Mall is trying to reimagine the typical shopping mall experience by bringing in a couple new tenants. Construction is currently underway for Planet Fitness and Liberty STEAM Charter School locations.

"The mall is not bad," Sumter resident Terry Clark shares. "I can't really say nothing bad about it."

Clark has lived in Sumter his whole life, so he’s watched the Sumter Mall on Broad Street change throughout the years.

"It used to be alright but its kind of like going downhill now," Clark says. "It can be better, you know, but even...I mean, hey, nothing wrong with it."

It's a trend resident Darnell Harris has noticed is starting to change.

"It's been here my whole life usually it’s been pretty empty," Harris explains. "But now they're trying to upgrade and have stuff for the younger generation to participate in."

The vacancies are not unique to Sumter, says John Mulherin with Hull Property Group, which owns the mall.

"It's not indicative of any particular community, it's certainly indicative of the changing nature of the shopping habits and internet shopping, Amazon Prime, things of that nature," Mulherin details. "So what you got to do is you've got to adapt."

Adapt by thinking outside of the box and introducing businesses that aren’t just retail, like a gym.

"I've been looking for location in Sumter for quite a while, over probably five years," Planet Fitness franchise owner Bob Bobenage shares. "I think Sumter just with the location, its demographics, it needed something like a Planet Fitness."

Bobenage says he found that perfect spot for a Planet Fitness in the mall. It’s going to be his sixth location, which he tells me is likely to bring more business.

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"The number of people that come through our doors probably rivals a grocery store. The amount of people per day, maybe even more but perfect to increase traffic into a mall," Bobenage tells me. "They come in and they can look at the mall and take care of some of their other businesses as well."

This is part of what Mulherin calls an “adaptive reuse” of the traditional mall, as it’s also bringing in a new location for Liberty STEAM Charter School.

"We're seeing a lot of government use, we're seeing medical use, we're seeing charter school use and we're seeing entertainment and include fitness with entertainment," Mulherin says. "And we think if we remain disciplined, and we bring the right tenant that complements everything else we have will be successful, but we're not going to go chase somebody just for the sake of trying to fill some space."

People like Kelly Outen, who’s visiting from manning to get some shopping done, are supportive of this.

"I think that's good, good idea," Outen believes. "Make more people come out."

Bobenage says the Planet Fitness is set to open in mid-June, with the charter school’s expected opening by the start of the next school year this August.

"We think there's a lot of opportunity that these great tenants are going to provide for us in the future," Mulherin hopes.

SUMTER, S.C. (WIS) - More than 7,200 Sumter residents don’t have a voting city council member.

The council seat for the city’s Ward 1 remains unfilled as a legal challenge to voting results from last November play out.

Anthony Gibson won the seat in a run-off. If sat, he’ll represent the residents in the northern part of the city.

Reginald Evans also ran for the seat, coming in 5th place (out of five candidates) and tallying just 62 votes out of 999 cast.

Evans unsuccessfully appealed the results with the Sumter County Board of Voter Registration, Sumter County circuit court, and is currently appealing a dismissal from the S.C. Supreme Court.

As a result of his continued appeals, Gibson has been unable to become a voting member of the council.

State law on local elections prevents an election’s winner from being sat until an appeals process is completed.

The drawn-out challenge has drawn the ire of a group of concerned Sumter residents who call themselves “The Squad”.

“It’s totally unfair, it’s totally unfair. Mr. Gibson did everything he was supposed to do,” squad member Dr. Patty Wilson said.

State law allows for the incumbent to remain in power until the appeal is handled. Ward 1′s incumbent, outgoing Mayor Pro Tem Thomas Lowery, died days before the election.

Gibson declined to comment and attempts to contact Evans were unsuccessful.

Gibson’s campaign manager Jeffrey Lampkin said Gibson is optimistic the case will soon be resolved in his favor.

“It seems undemocratic but it’s the process and we have to allow the process to prevail and that’s one of the things we’re trying to make sure everyone understands. That at the end of the day, he has a due process to be able to allow the court to hear his case, to allow his case to be heard at every level,” he said.

“But at every level, they’re going to make a decision to show that the election was held in integrity, the election was held with all the standards and the rights and the things that were supposed to be done.”

Squad member Dr. Sonja Murphy called on Evans as responsible for fixing “the mess.”

“Mr. Evans if you see this, then you need to go and drop the charges and let your conscience be your guide. Because it wasn’t right to start,” she said.

A spokesperson for the City of Sumter sent WIS a statement reading:

The City of Sumter is awaiting final legal ruling from the state Supreme Court on the challenge of the 2022 election. Until that ruling is received, Councilman-elect Anthony Gibson has been meeting regularly with the constituents in Ward 1 through various neighborhood meetings and personal visits, as well as meeting with various City Staff, Departments, and other elected officials to address issues and/or concerns. He has also been attending City Council meetings and state-level meetings. The only duty Mr. Gibson has not been able to perform is participating in the actual voting process as a sworn-in member of City Council.

The term runs through November 2026.

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SUMTER, S.C. — The inaugural class of nurses from the University of South Carolina Aiken were honored with a pinning ceremony today at USC Sumter before heading out into the healthcare community to serve. Four graduates were in the program's first cohort.

"Historically, the pinning ceremony is the pinnacle event for any nursing graduate. It's bigger and it's better than graduation," Interim Dean for the School of Nursing at USC Aiken Katie Chargualauf said. "It's more personable to our profession. So to be pinned is something that is so memorable for any nursing graduate."

Tim Dawson is getting ready to start his nursing career in the emergency department at Prisma Health's Tuomey Hospital.

"It's helping people. It really is the best thing I've ever felt," Dawson said. "I mean, knowing that you when you go home after work and knowing that you actually made a difference… it's a surreal feeling."

It's a feeling magnified by Dawson, knowing he and his three classmates were the first to go through this program.

"There were some speed bumps along the way, but it's kind of nice being the first to go through it knowing that this works out for people," Dawson said.

"I'm just very thankful to be a part of such a great program and be able to serve this community because there is a great need for nurses in the community," Megan Hovermale said.

Hovermale lives in Clarendon County and plans to serve her community, where she recognizes a need for nurses.

"It's definitely a huge asset for the community. Having nurses, having bsn nurses especially, I mean, you just…you can't go wrong, graduating more nurses," Hovermale said. "So there's a nursing shortage, and just having nurses out there, I mean, it's just a wonderful opportunity for Sumter County, Clarendon County and Florence County, all the surrounding counties."

This is the goal of the program, Chargualauf said.

"For the community to see these graduates to see their investment in our graduates and to give back to the community. That's the entire purpose of this program, and we're excited that our graduates are able to help our community," Chargualauf said. "We have lots of research that says baccalaureate-prepared nurses provide superb care, high-quality care and care that helps our patients to achieve their optimal outcomes. So to bring baccalaureate-prepared nurses to the Sumter community is huge because we know that it's going to help all the patients in this community get better and to live their healthiest life."

The third class of nurses at USC Sumter has recently been admitted and will start classes in just a few weeks. Anyone interested in applying to the nursing program can learn more online.

SEM Wafertech Inc. and Solar4America Technology Inc., both owned by renewable energy company SPI Energy Co. Ltd., will establish a presence in South Carolina with a $65.9 million investment in Sumter County.

The company said today the solar panel manufacturing project will create 300 new jobs, according to a news release from the South Carolina Commerce Department.

SEM Wafertech is a solar wafer manufacturer with headquarters in McClellan Park, Calif., near Sacramento.

“As a global renewable energy company making American-made solar wafers and modules, we recognize the importance of having a strong domestic supply chain to meet the fast-growing demand for affordable solar power,” SEM Wafertech Inc. and Solar4America Technology Inc. Chairman Denton Peng said in the new release. “We plan to bring the highest quality domestically produced solar wafers and modules to market, enhancing our nation’s manufacturing capabilities with a long-term investment that will create good paying jobs for South Carolina.”

The new facility will help meet an increasing need for locally sourced solar wafers as the overall demand for solar power continues to grow in the United States, according to the news release. SEM Wafertech is targeting delivery and production of its first solar wafers in the nation by the end of the year, with capacity ramping to three gigawatts by 2024.

“I am personally thrilled to welcome SEM Wafertech and Solar4America to Sumter County, succeeding many exciting investments announced in recent months across South Carolina,” S.C. House speaker Murrell Smith said in the release. “With an investment of more than $65 million and the creation of 300 new jobs, SEM Wafertech and Solar4America will be welcome additions to the region, and to our state’s growing number of globally recognized renewable energy and EV-related companies — continuing to make our state’s economy diverse and prosperous. I welcome them to the Sumter family, where I know we will create an enduring partnership in our community.”
Solar4America is a prime solar module manufacturing company that produces “Made in the USA” solar modules. In combination with its facility in Sacramento, the new South Carolina facility will allow Solar4America to manufacture a wider variety of solar panels for customers, with an aim to increase capacity to 2.4 gigawatts by the end of the year.

SEM Wafertech and Solar4America plan to occupy an existing building located at 1150 Clipper Road in Sumter, where they will design, build out and install a “world-class” silicon wafer slicing facility, the news release said. Silicon wafers produced in the facility will be used in a variety of applications, including photovoltaic cells and semiconductors. Solar panels will serve commercial, residential and industrial energy generation and storage needs.

Operations are expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2023. Individuals interested in joining the team should visit the company’s website.

“We are thrilled to add another company to our growing family of industrial leaders in Sumter and are enthusiastic about the corporate investment and jobs that will be a result of this project,” Sumter Mayor David Merchant said in the release. “The city of Sumter is also proud to partner with the company to support the needed infrastructure improvements for high quality industrial water and wastewater services.”
The Commerce Department’s Coordinating Council for Economic Development approved job development credits related to this project. The council also awarded a $1.5 million Rural Infrastructure Fund grant to Sumter County to assist with the costs of water and wastewater improvements and building improvements.