Latest news with #SumterCounty
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
A Sumter County hidden gem: Richloam General Store welcomes customers old-timey style
This story is part of our weekly Hidden Gems feature series as the USA TODAY Network-Florida takes readers around the state to highlight some of our most interesting attractions. Deep in the woods of Sumter County, between Interstate 75 and U.S. 27, the old-timey Richloam General Store and former post office takes you back to yesteryear. WorldAtlas recently ranked the landmark among the five best historic general stores in the South. It's located in Webster, around an hour south of Lake Sumter Landing. What makes Richloam General Store so special? The federally registered historic landmark harks back to Florida's tumultuous pioneer days. Chad Gallivanter, a YouTuber and connoisseur of Old Florida destinations, sums it up as "truly a step back in time." Lucius Sidney "Sid" Brinson built the store as a post office in 1921 as part of a timber and turpentine industry camp, like other communities that sprang up along southeastern U.S. railroads during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including Florida's Orange Belt Railway. Arsonists burned down the first building, and the store was rebuilt in the late 1920s, operating until the 1940s. In 2016, Eric Burkes, a descendant of the Brinsons and the last private property owners in the state-owned forest, began renovating the store and reopened it in 2017. Burkes used as many of the original building materials as possible, including original sheet metal for the walls, remaining old-timey advertising signs, and even some of the bricks and etchings on the walls. The PBS series "Our Vanishing Americana, Florida" featured the historic general store along with other not-too-far-away destinations. What to expect? You'd be hard-pressed to find a more literal interpretation of a hidden gem than the Richloam General Store. It's tucked away a little more than a half-mile inside the Withlacoochee State Forest, marked only by a brown state landmark sign. As you enter, tall pine trees line the road, interrupted occasionally by the graceful bows of live oaks. On arrival, rocking chairs and antique gas pumps lull you sweetly back to yesteryear. The original doors from 1926 usher you inside (thankfully, the shop's air conditioning is one of the few non-vintage experiences here.) On our visit a while back, Burkes' mom, Denise Brinson, greeted customers at an early-20th-century cash register (but they also take more modern forms of payment, including credit and debit cards, Apple Pay and GPay.) Even the old mail slots are still there. Folks of all ages lined up to try the store's hand-scooped ice cream. Mom Brinson's hand-sewn aprons and sock monkey dolls were for sale inside the shop. Other throwback toys like Tiddly Winks and Raggedy Ann Dolls lined the shelves. An impressive array of glass-bottle sodas quenched thirsts, and, yes, you can buy a moon pie and RC Cola at the Richloam store. For the grown-ups, a hand-crank coffee mill invited customers to grind smoky-roasted coffee beans. Also available: Amish-canned and preserved foods, hand-crafted tableware, cast-iron pans, homemade jams and jellies, seeds, and Dapper Dan mustache and beard wax for the well-groomed gents. If you want to go deeper into the area's history, Burkes has written a book filled with the tales of the people who shaped the Flatwoods and glimpses of local culture and traditions. Speaking of old traditions, we spotted an old thingamabob used to skewer squirrels and other critters, reminding us of how folks would make do with what was available. Richloam General Store is not only a place to buy historical novelties; it's like a museum that shows what a general store and post office looked like in the 1920s and 1930s. Visiting this Florida Landmark offers a great opportunity to teach the young'uns what Florida was like "back in the day." Richloam General Store What you'll find: old-fashioned snacks, hand-scooped ice cream, glass-bottle sodas, beauty items, accessories, toys, kitchenware, remnants of an old post office, antiques and rocking chairs for relaxation. Where? 38219 Richloam Clay Sink Road, Webster, Florida When to visit? Open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily How to contact them? Call 800-915-8027 or visit or on Facebook at This article originally appeared on Daily Commercial: Step back in time to Richloam General Store in Webster, Florida Solve the daily Crossword
CBS News
7 days ago
- CBS News
2 women's bodies found in South Carolina clearing, homicide investigation underway
A homicide investigation is underway in South Carolina after two women's bodies were found in a rural area in Sumter County, about 40 miles east of Columbia, police said. A landowner found the bodies in a cleared area on his land, Sumter County Sheriff Anthony Dennis said at a news conference on Tuesday. The women appeared to have been killed elsewhere before their bodies were deliberately placed in the clearing, Dennis said. The victims were identified as Kristen Grissom, 38, and Christine Marie McAbee, 35, Dennis said. An autopsy found that McAbee died from a gunshot wound, Sumter County coroner Robert M. Baker Jr. said Tuesday. An autopsy for Grissom was ongoing at the time of the news conference, Baker said. McAbee's death is being investigated as a homicide, and Grissom's death is being investigated as a potential homicide, Baker said. Grissom's death will remain a potential homicide until the autopsy results are returned. The women had likely been dead for about a day before they were found, Baker said. Fingerprints, DNA analysis and tattoos were used to identify the women. Grissom was from North Charleston and McAbee was from Walterboro, police said. The two women knew each other, Dennis said, but it's not clear how close they were. Dennis did not say if police had a suspect at the time of the press conference. He said the sheriff's office has received multiple tips related to the case. Dennis said that the incident appears isolated and that there is no threat to the public. Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact the sheriff's office.
Yahoo
08-08-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
2 Republicans, 1 Democrat run to replace Ingoglia's former state senate seat
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Now that candidate qualifying is over, state records show three people will appear on the ballot for the Florida Senate District 11 Special Election. The seat opened following the appointment of Blaise Ingoglia, who is now the Florida Chief Financial Officer. One of the hopefuls looking to replace him is retired Civil Engineer Ash Marwah, who lives in the Villages. 'The current policies are not making life better for the average Floridian,' Marwah said. Marwah is running to represent voters in Sumter, Citrus, Hernando, and part of Pasco Counties. One item on his platform involves cost of living. 'Housing costs is a big issue. Young families are not able to afford to buy a house,' Marwah said. Former State Rep. Ralph Massullo, who is also a dermatologist, has been the backing of the Florida Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture Commissioner Wilton hopes to build off his work during his time in office from 2016 to 2024, when he was termed out. 'I'd like to see more and more people be employed, gainfully employed,' Massullo said. He also wants to continue to focus on environmental issues. 'I think the people of our state need to realize, that our government, our state government has prioritized our environment,' Massullo said. the other Republican in the race is businessman Anthony Brice, who has not responded to our multiple requests for an interview. The Primary Special Election is set for September 30th and the general Special Election is set for December 9th . 'Go out and vote. It's important that people vote in these special elections,' Massullo said. Even though the number of Republicans is overwhelmingly greater than the number of Democrats in District 11, Marwah says there is still hope for him. 'I absolutely have a chance to win this election,' Marwah said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Yahoo
Sumter County School District created 'shell schools' to boost school grade, increase funding
A state investigation found that the Sumter County School District falsified student data to boost some schools' scores. The state says this happened while former Superintendent Richard Shirley was leading the district. In a statement posted on the district's Facebook, current Superintendent Logan Brown called the previous leadership's alleged actions 'a deliberate and unethical attempt to manipulate school performance metrics at the expense of our students.' The 53-page report from the Florida Department of Education's Office of Inspector General says the district moved approximately 200 low-performing students out of classrooms in their zoned school and into virtual classes. The investigation found that in some cases, the district never notified parents. The state says it received a tip back in November 2023. The tipster claimed the Sumter County School District 'falsified student data and reporting' and created 'shell schools' to remove low-performing students from school grades in order to increase funding from the state. The so-called shell schools were virtual programs known as SOAR. The report says between 2016 and 2021, roughly 200 students were taken out these 4 Sumter County Schools: Wildwood Elementary, Wildwood Middle High, South Sumter Middle, and Webster Elementary. The report says Wildwood Elementary achieved a 'B grade' for the 2016/17 school year, but the school would have scored a 'C grade' if the district didn't remove low-performing students. The report says that former Superintendent Shirley and former Assistant Superintendent Deborah Moffitt 'provided and approved the instruction to the district to withdraw low-performing SOAR students from their traditional zoned schools and enroll them in virtual school. However, former Superintendent Shirley states in the report that SOAR was intended to help students. He said the improved school grade was not the purpose of SOAR, but it was a 'side benefit.' Shirley retired last year shortly after the state launched an investigation into the district. Current Superintendent Brown released a statement calling the alleged actions 'serious misconduct by the previous leadership.' Brown is set to speak more about the investigation and the district's plan moving forward at a news conference Monday morning. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Interstate 95 north in Sumter County reopens after crash
SUMTER COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — A section of northbound Interstate 95 southwest of Florence County has reopened after a crash Sunday afternoon. The crash happened north of Highway 378 near the rest area at mile marker 139 in Sumter County, the South Carolina Department of Transportation said. It briefly closed all of the northbound lanes of the highway. No additional information was immediately available. Count on News13 for updates. * * * Dennis Bright is the Digital Executive Producer at News13. He joined the team in May 2021. Dennis is a West Virginia native and a graduate of Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. Follow Dennis on Facebook, X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
