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Brian Davis started the Terror Trail at 2nd Mill Pond 11 years ago. After he says $8,000 worth of wiring was stolen this past spring, he's back up and running.

SUMTER, S.C. — “We scare because we care” is the motto of the Terror Trail at 2nd Mill Pond in Sumter. The haunted trail is celebrating its 11th year of scaring for a good cause. 100% of the proceeds go back into the local community.

It was started by Brian Davis, who says he’s a “Halloween kind of guy.”

“Being in the military, I was never really around for Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Year's and all that,” Davis explains. “So I really grabbed hold of Halloween and ran with it.”

Now, he’s spreading that passion for the holiday with his community.

“About 11 years ago, we decided to do a fundraiser for the [Shaw Air Force] Base Boy Scout Troop. And then we pulled into some other boy scouts and whatnot. We've been growing bigger and better every year,” the trail’s founder and trustee of Sumter Elk’s Lodge, Brian Davis, explains. “So we went from 300 yards long to just about a mile long. And when you come down here into the trail, as you can see from some of the vegetation as we walk, it's pretty dark in here even under a full moon.”

When the sun sets, Davis has a team of people helping him scare visitors including Boy Scout Troop 342, led by Assistant Scoutmaster Travis Norton.

“There are different trails or haunted houses around during this time of year but this one is unique for Sumter and it is them being able to give back to the community and for the community to give back to them,” Norton says. “They start well back in July coming out and starting to clear the trail and make kind of their designs of what they want to do. And so it takes a lot of time and a lot of effort. But it's all very much worth it.”

The scouts help get the trail ready for visitors and then work to operate it, earning money for their camping trips.

“They just become more and more sure of themselves. And by the time the end of October rolls around, parents are telling us that they've seen a change in their son just in a month,” Davis says about the character growth he notices in the volunteers, ages 11 to 17. “Scouts is all about growing young American citizens and that's really why I'm here and what I'm into.”

All of the proceeds that Davis makes from the trail either go to the Boy Scouts or other local groups like the Elk’s Lodge. This year, Davis says he plans to donate $10,000 to Central Carolina Technical College to buy student toolkits.

“The money goes directly back into the community. We like to tell everybody that money raised in town stays in town,” Davis says.

It’s a mission that Davis was determined to continue for the 11th year, even after he says nearly $8,000 worth of electrical wiring was stolen late this past spring.

“How do we open this year? You know, we were,” Davis chokes up with emotion. “I mean, it was a hit.”

Despite the setback, Davis tells me his team of volunteers helped him to restore the trail. This time, they are using solar lights that volunteers take in and out every night, adding an hour extra work at the beginning and end of each day.

“It's such a mixed ball of emotions, you know from support from the community to you know, the one bad egg in the community to what we're doing for scouts, the outside support,” Davis shares. “Everything. It's just huge.”

“In a small community like ours that relationships is what matters. And so by giving both ways it makes the world to the boys,” Norton explains. “The Scouts having this opportunity to give to their community and the community give back to the Scouts, it's that relationship that's the most important of anything out there.”

The Terror Trail is open through this weekend, next weekend and then again on Halloween night. For more information, you can visit the trail's Facebook page. The scaring starts each night at 7:30 and ends until the guests stop coming.

Every school in Sumter School District will have access to the 3D printing, robotics, drones and more that the mobile STEM Explorer has.

Credit: WLTX

SUMTER, S.C. — Science, technology, engineering and math on wheels is rolling into Sumter County. The Sumter School District unveiled its new STEM Explorer today. Students of all ages across all schools will have access to the vehicle.

“Oh heck yeah,” rising 7th grader Eric Jackson shared his reaction when I asked if he’d like to learn inside the explorer.

“It looks nice, looks luxury, looks like something I’d love to stay in,” Jackson smiled.

The vehicle will visit all schools in the district starting this school year, so students like Jackson can learn about STEM.

Inside there is a host of different Chromebooks for the students to use, as well as different LEGOs, robotics and even drones.

“It's very important that we get our children ready in the education system to step into that job,” Mobile STEM Innovation Specialist Leroy Steigerwalt says about his role teaching kids about the field.

The vehicle isn’t just for students in the classroom though.

“We're also doing community outreach with this and we’ll also be at all the home football games and special events that Sumter has and some surrounding areas. So what we want to do is increase the impact of STEM in our community,” Steigerwalt shares. “Get that as a conversation piece, increase the vocabulary awareness in our school system and just show everybody how fun learning can be. And also show kids that being an educator isn't just being in a classroom; that it can be a lot more than that.”

RELATED: Sumter School District gets mobile planetarium to teach students about science, history

Twenty-four students can learn inside the vehicle and 20 can learn outside of it. There are five different learning stations, which all 15,000 students in the district will have access to. Classroom teachers can also utilize extension lessons once a month.

“Obviously we're hearing talk all across the nation about STEM and the needs of STEM,” Sumter School District Superintendent William Wright explains.

Wright says this vehicle will help connect students with STEM curriculum through a partnership with Pilgrim’s Pride and BD, which donated nearly $300,000 toward the explorer.

“This is an example today of what can happen with public school education when we work together, when community gets involved,” Wright says. “It’s just an opportunity for us to continue learning for close to 15,000 children. Sumter School District, I believe, is getting better every day, so we're just excited to continue to prove that to our citizens and to the students that we serve every day.”

The school district says this vehicle will start going to schools at the beginning of the school year and will visit all schools in the district.

e-VAC Magnetics, a manufacturer of rare earth permanent magnets in the Western Hemisphere, today announced it is establishing U.S. operations in South Carolina, building its first facility in Sumter County.

The project is expected to bring more than half a billion-dollar investment and create 300 new jobs for Sumter County, according to a news release from the South Carolina Department of Commerce.

“e-VAC is grateful for the support of the State of South Carolina, Governor Henry McMaster, Senator Lindsey Graham, and Representatives Jim Clyburn and Ralph Norman,” VAC Group CEO Erik Eschen said in the release. “We are excited to become a member of the Sumter County community. This project represents a significant commitment by VAC to re-shore critical process and product technology, creating good paying and highly skilled jobs for residents of the community. With this support, we will directly contribute to U.S. energy independence and national security.”

Related content: Electric vehicle battery manufacturer announces $810M expansion in Florence

The company will construct, own and operate a new facility on 85 acres in the Pocotaligo Industrial Park in Sumter County, according to the release. The facility will house production of permanent magnets for electric vehicles and defense applications.

e-VAC entered into an agreement with the U.S. Department of Defense, which will provide $94.1 million to acquire and install manufacturing equipment, operationalize technical infrastructure, and engineer production lines for the facility, the release stated.

Operations are expected to be online in late autumn 2025.

e-VAC is part of the VAC Group (VAC), a leading developer of magnetic materials and solutions. e-VAC produces rare earth neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) magnets, which are critical to automotive, defense, industrial and renewable energy applications. This facility and VAC’s decades of experience in rare earth magnet technology and process intellectual property represent a critical step to ensuring a resilient, U.S.-based supply chain.

Through the readySC program, South Carolina’s Technical College System will help e-VAC recruit and train potential employees. A website with hiring information will be available next year.

“The arrival of e-VAC Magnetics in Sumter County is a testament to our state’s booming economic growth and our commitment to fostering an environment that attracts business and opportunity,” Murrell Smith Jr., speaker of the South Carolina House of Representatives, said in the release. “With the addition of 300 new jobs in the region, e-VAC will be a welcome partner to the readySC program, our technical schools, and the larger community. South Carolina continues to be a leader in the advancing electric vehicle sector, and I could not be prouder to continue this trend in Sumter County.”

The S.C. Coordinating Council for Economic Development approved job development credits related to this project, according to the release. The council also awarded a $13 million Rural Infrastructure Fund grant to Sumter County to assist with the costs of land acquisition, site preparation, road improvements, water and wastewater improvements, and building construction related to this project. Sumter County was also awarded a $2 million LocateSC grant to offset costs associated with infrastructure improvements for the Pocotaligo Industrial Park that are needed for and will benefit e-VAC.

“More than half a billion-dollar investment and the creation of 300 well-compensated technical positions is significant for our community and certainly exemplifies our continued readiness and ability to foster growth in Sumter, South Carolina,” Sumter Development Board Chairman Greg A. Thompson said in the release. “We are excited about this new surge of opportunity for our residents and what it will mean for our community.”

SUMTER, S.C. (WIS) - An $80,000 chicken heist was foiled in Sumter County and a truck driver was taken into custody.

According to the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO), Christopher Thomas, 55, was supposed to deliver 41,000 pounds of chicken to two locations in Milton, Georgia, but had other plans to make cash.

”I don’t know how you get $80,000 worth of chicken out of the plant in the first place,” said an anonymous worker at Pilgrims Pride Plant.

Sumter County deputies along with the assistance from Lee County Sheriff’s Office arrested Thomas on Saturday evening.

According to the SCSO, Thomas — who is from Florence — was hired by Pilgrim’s Pride to deliver chicken and is suspected of having intentions of selling it.

WIS spoke to a worker at the plant who said this news comes as no surprise as these types of thefts keep happening.

”I’m not entirely sure how this is happening to be honest,” the worker said. “That’s a lot of chicken to be stolen out of there twice so I really have no idea how they’re even doing it and what they’re doing to stop it.”

Investigators believe Thomas sold part of the load of chicken he was transporting in various locations and was in the process of selling more when deputies pulled him over for a traffic stop.

When Thomas gave consent to deputies to search the truck, the investigator saw pallets loaded with cases of frozen chicken which was confirmed to be stolen from Pilgrim’s Pride.

Thomas was arrested with approximately seven pallets loaded with 215 cases of chicken that weighed 8,000 lbs.

It is believed Thomas sold about 33,000 lbs. of chicken.

Thomas is charged with breach of trust with fraudulent intent and is valued at $10,000 or more.

The worker gave insight into what the company could do to better manage the security of the plant.

“I guess the checkpoint to make sure on who’s coming in and out, what’s on the trucks and all of that,” the worker said. “I have no idea on how they get the trucks out there cause usually there’s these big trucks with freezers in them so I’m guessing they have one of those.”

If found guilty, Thomas can spend up to 10 years in prison.

Thomas appeared in court on Monday morning and was granted a $50,000 bond, but has yet to pay it.

In May, WIS News 10 reported on a similar incident in the same county where two men were arrested after being accused of stealing $40,000 worth of boneless chicken breast from Pilgrim’s Pride. However, investigators said the two crimes are not connected.

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eVAC is a German magnet manufacturer. It's planning to invest half a billion dollars and create nearly 300 jobs in Sumter County.

Credit: WLTX

SUMTER, S.C. — Half a billion dollars and nearly 300 jobs are expected to come into Sumter County now that a new manufacturing facility has announced it will be coming to the area. The German magnet manufacturer’s parent company is called Vacuumschmelze, with “eVAC” as its US name.

“They need it, I need it, we all need it,” Sumter resident Jeremiah Johnson says about job opportunities.

Now that eVAC has announced its plan to build a magnet manufacturing plant, it says 300 positions are expected to come to the area.

“It's a tremendous day,” Sumter Mayor David Merchant shares about the $500 million investment. “It creates jobs, it creates investment in South Carolina, it creates investment in Sumter specifically, and it just helps show that Sumter can compete with anybody in the state as far as our workforce and what we can help generate.”

“I think as we grow with more and more job opportunities, we'll continue to get a bigger group of people and with that more talent, more opportunity and just continue to get better together,” Sumter resident Will Hancock explains.

Hancock says economic development is key to making Sumter a good place to live.

“Sumter has made a big shift in the last decade. When I was in high school, I don’t think I had much to say about Sumter,” Hancock remembers. “Now I have plenty to say about Sumter as far as bringing people in.”

It’s something small business owner Niki Lewis says is important.

“With bringing new businesses, you have new faces coming in, different ideas. So it’s really good for all the small businesses,” Lewis says. “A lot of people go outside of where they live to get better opportunities, but if we're bringing those businesses and corporations in, that's better for them to stay home, meaning more time with their family because they don't have to travel as much. And then again, the money stays within the community.”

“Businesses from all over the world are coming to South Carolina. It's our job to see that we don't drop the ball,” Gov. Henry McMaster said on stage at the announcement. “Sometimes we really don't realize how good we have it, but other people do and that’s why they’re coming here.”

McMaster and leaders from across the state gathered for the announcement, which Vacuumschmelze’s CEO Erik Eschen says was made because of the people.

“The big difference for us was really people when you sit with them and talk with them, you see they mean it. And this is a unique experience we had here in South Carolina, especially Sumter that made the change and a difference,” Eschen shares.

Eschen says the facility is expected to be open by the end of 2025.

“Construction will be starting you know, hopefully we can get some local contractors involved to be participating in that and then it'll be plenty of announcements and talking about job fairs and job creations,” Mayor Merchant explains.

“We even try to avoid any noise from the outside,” Eschen adds. “And we assume depending on the day between two or four additional trucks we will have in the area, so I hope your traffic system can digest that. So we will be a very friendly and quiet neighbor, but not only that, we want to really be engaged in this wonderful community.”

eVAC’s technology is used in electric vehicle motors and will support US defense programs, as Eschen explains.

“We can’t understate how world class this company is,” South Carolina Secretary of Commerce Harry Lightsey says. “Their technology is really cutting edge leading technology in this world and frankly you know, they are the only company that does what they do that is based in the Western Hemisphere, so it is a great honor to have them be part of South Carolina.”