FOOD Add some tang to the season Lemon curd is perfect as a gift C4 PANORAMA: Army band presents SERVING SOUTH CAROLINA SINCE OCTOBER 15, 1894 C1 WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2017 $1.00 ‘Home for the Holidays’ Hamm will lead district for 2nd year through the 2018-19 school year. Board votes unanimously to The board’s action came after Auditor said she’s pleasantly surprised the trustees returned to open ses- keep interim superintendent sion from executive session behind closed doors about 10:40 p.m. Mon- district finished with surplus this year for the 2018-19 school year day. BY BRUCE MILLS one would have told her HAMM Hamm was originally selected in [email protected] that 12 months ago, she BY BRUCE MILLS late July to serve as interim super- wouldn’t have believed [email protected] intendent for just this school year, After implementing them. through June 2018, after former superinten- emergency, mid-year cost- “I would have said, ‘Not Debbie Hamm will remain acting superin- dent Frank Baker retired effective July 31. The savings measures, Sumter gonna happen,’” Poston tendent of Sumter School District through board had not previously announced publicly School District ended fiscal told Sumter School Dis- next school year, officials voted Monday night. any intention to retain Hamm’s services for 2017 in the black with a net trict’s Board of Trustees Noting “significant progress” the district has next school year, but the trustees have been income — or surplus — of on Monday night while made in recent months and other project work discussing the superintendent search in execu- $779,230, its independent presenting the Fiscal Year under her leadership that is still in its early tive session in recent meetings, according to auditor said Monday in her 2017 audit report. “But it stages, Sumter School District’s Board of meetings’ agendas. official audit report. did, and you should be Trustees voted to keep Hamm — its interim However, the auditor, superintendent since Aug. 1 — with the district SEE HAMM, PAGE A7 Robin Poston, said if some- SEE SURPLUS, PAGE A8 Local fire Program trains civilians to save lives stations need more volunteers Training, helping out could lead to a career BY JIM HILLEY The Sumter Item “We are always looking for volunteers,” said Sumter Fire Department Chief Joey Dug- gan, one of the officers respon- sible for recruitment at the de- partment. “It is a trend across the country where the volun- teers are declining, so anybody we can get that is willing to volunteer, we can use them.” Despite a recent recruiting drive, Capt. David Bagwell Jr. at Sumter County Fire Station No. 6 in Dalzell said his station is still in need of volunteers. “So many of the communi- ties in the county need volun- teers,” he added. In the not-too-distant past, a person might have become a volunteer fireman just by grabbing a bucket or picking up a hose, but it doesn’t work PHOTOS BY MICAH GREEN / THE SUMTER ITEM that way today, Duggan said. Students at Thomas Sumter Academy practice using tourniquets on dummy limbs Wednesday afternoon. “We want people to become volunteers,” he said, “but they have to understand that there Stop the Bleed prepares non-EMS for is a substantial commitment that goes along with it.” shooting event, other emergencies Duggan said volunteer fire- fighters must undergo the BY ADRIENNE SARVIS — before professional medical same training as regular fire- [email protected] personnel arrives — to save as men. many lives as possible. “The total amount of train- With an increase in mass Stop the Bleed is an initia- ing hours to become a Fire- casualties across the U.S., tive of the American College fighter 2, which is a NFPA na- Sumter County EMS is doing of Surgeons and the Hartford tional certification, is roughly its part to help civilians pre- Consensus — organizations 300 hours,” he said. pare for the unexpected by aiming to educate the public Though the training does starting a local version of a on bleeding control in case of not happen all at once, it still national initiative, the Stop an emergency — and was in- involves a major commitment, the Bleed program. troduced to Sumter County Duggan said. EMT Tracy Caulder teaches students at Thomas Sumter Acade- The goal of the program is by two EMTs who served as my how to properly use a tourniquet on EMS Chief Bobby to teach civilians to treat trau- SEE VOLUNTEER, PAGE A7 Hingst on Wednesday. ma after an emergency event SEE TRAINING, PAGE A8 VISIT US ONLINE AT CONTACT US DEATHS, B7 WEATHER, A10 INSIDE Information: 774-1200 Louise H. Singleton GRAB THE UMBRELLA 3 SECTIONS, 22 PAGES the .com Advertising: 774-1246 Benjamin Peterson VOL. 123, NO. 34 Classifieds: 774-1200 Alvin C. Neal Cooler with a little rain; Delivery: 774-1258 Barbara Jean Wilder rain continues tonight Classifieds B8 Sports B1 News and Sports: 774-1226 Ruthie N. Byrd HIGH 62, LOW 41 Comics C4 Television C2 Olivia S. Oliver Opinion A9 Tillmon J. Davis Jr. James E. Parker A2 | WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2017 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] Public invited Late Montford Point Marine awarded to meeting on Congressional Gold Medal at ceremony improvements to local roads FROM STAFF REPORTS Sumterites are invited to attend a public information meeting regarding improve- ments along Manning Avenue and North Main Street from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday at Cen- tral Carolina Technical Col- lege Health Sciences Center, 111 S. Main St. The Manning Avenue proj- ect will include improvements from Watkins Street to South Lafayette Drive, and the North Main Street project will include improvements from East Calhoun Street to North Lafayette Drive. The primary focus of the two projects — both 2016 Cap- ital Penny Sales Tax projects — is to revitalize and improve pedestrian facilities and in- clude safety and Americans with Disabilities Act accessi- PHOTO BY KAYLA ROBINS / THE SUMTER ITEM bility improvements. The Michael Wright displays the Congressional Gold Medal he accepted on behalf of his late father, John Paul Wright, accompanied, to his meeting will also address right, by Hampton Woodward Jr. and Margaret W. Davis, his father’s nephew and sister. roadway deficiencies, land- scaping and lighting possibil- ities. Sumter native among 1st black Marines to fight in WWII During the meeting, the public will be asked to pro- BY KAYLA ROBINS “I thought they let them fight in the vide input about the proposed [email protected] war because the fighting got so inten- improvements and be encour- sive that they had to include them in aged to review the various The family of a late Sumter native the fight,” Jackson said. “That ain’t displays that will be avail- and veteran accepted the highest con- what happened. What happened is able. An outcome of this gressional honor a civilian can receive some of the white Marines’ wives and meeting will be an under- on his behalf this weekend for the part parents was wondering why none of standing of the community’s he played in desegregating the U.S. Ma- these black Marines was dying in com- desires for the type, style and rine Corps and advancing social justice. bat, and they realized they wasn’t character of these sections of John Paul Wright was a member of dying because they wouldn’t let them road. the Montford Point Marines from June fight. The meeting will be held by 30, 1943, through Feb. 20, 1946, the first “So, they started complaining about the city and county of Sumter black men ever allowed to fight for it, and that’s how African-Americans — in partnership with Sumter their country as Marines. Seven de- got the right to fight for their country. Urban Area Transportation cades later, his niece, nephew, son and Imagine that.” Study, South Carolina Depart- sister accepted a Congressional Gold In 2011, President Obama signed into ment of Transportation and Medal on Saturday at Lincoln High law legislation that awarded the Con- U.S. Federal Highway Admin- School, a gesture they said vindicates gressional Gold Medal to the Montford istration. his bravery and service during World Point Marines. In 2012, about 500 of For more information, con- War II. them attended a ceremony to receive tact George McGregor, direc- “My uncle was highly intelligent, the honor, and those unable to attend tor of Sumter City-County and his life was not given just cre- received the award through the mail or Planning Department, at dence,” Thomasina M. Portis said. “We during other local ceremonies after Thomasina M. Portis tells stories about her (803) 774-1606 or gmcgregor@ have heard a lot about the Tuskegee being identified. uncle, the late John Paul Wright, at a cere- sumter-sc.com. Anyone with Airmen, but we have not heard a lot Wright was not included in that orig- mony on Saturday that recognized Wright disabilities who may require about the Montford Point Marines. The inal list. with a Congressional Gold Medal for being special accommodations Montford Point Marines are to the Ma- “These heroes paved the way for fu- a member of the Montford Point Marines. should contact Betty Gray at rines as the Tuskegee Airmen are to ture generations of warriors, regard- (803) 737-1395. the Air Force. [They were] people who less of background, to serve in the fin- dared to say that we are capable, com- est military the world has ever Portis, who sat next to Wright’s petent, and that we will do a great job.” known,” reads a letter from Obama in- 90-plus-year-old sister, his only remain- Portis said Wright actually enlisted cluded with the medal.