IN SPORTS: Gamecocks entertain Conway in boys’ high school basketball B1 Hand-casting project hopes to unify races A3 FRIDAY, JANUARY 27, 2017 | Serving South Carolina since October 15, 1894 75 cents Reward is changing someone’s life Becoming a foster parent has positive effect on adult, child MORE INFORMATION Anyone interested in becoming a foster parent BY BRUCE MILLS foster care is a higher therapeutic foster care should ap- or interested in having Chris Whitaker of the [email protected] level of care to children proach it as short term and temporary South Carolina Youth Advocate Program speak and youth whose emo- because the primary goal initially is to at a local event on the need for foster families Chris Whitaker says he thinks being tional, behavioral and reunify the child with his or her natu- can contact him at (803) 779-5500 at SCYAP in a foster parent for a special-needs psychiatric problems pre- ral family. Columbia. child will change the youth’s life and vent them from succeed- “The personal rewards are you can For more information on the program, visit the agency’s website at www.scyap.com. yours in a positive and most reward- WHITAKER ing in regular foster care make a difference in a child’s life ing way. Whitaker is a recruiter/fami- provided by the South every day by opening up your heart ly finder for the South Carolina Youth Carolina Department of and home to a child in need,” Whitak- Advocate Program, which is the Social Services. SCYAP also serves er said. “You can ensure the child is Founded in 1990, SCYAP is a pri- state’s No. 1 provider of foster care for children with developmental delays safe and receives all the educational vate, nonprofit child-placing and children with special needs — also and significant medical issues. and health services they need while known as therapeutic foster care. Similar to regular foster care, they’re transitioning back to their reg- According to SCYAP, therapeutic Whitaker says anyone considering ular environment and home.” SEE REWARD, PAGE A4 Life is a beach KEITH GEDAMKE / THE SUMTER ITEM The caption of this 2001 photo by Keith Gedamke reads “City of Sumter workers James Swinton and Ashton Taylor are not cleaning the beach but are actually weeding along North Sumter Street on Wednesday afternoon.” The Sumter Item photographer, who lost his battle with cancer Saturday, won first place for this photo in 2001 in the South Carolina Press Association’s Feature Photo category. In the background is Blue Sky’s mural “Winter Beach.” Judges of the contest said, “We had to look twice at this picture to figure out if it was a real beach. Perfect composition and placement of workers really fooled us.” See more of Keith’s photos on page A7. District details termination of 34 jobs Family will hold in three categories: 12 “classified” event for missing 12 eliminated at district office, 22 in schools employees, which are essentially de- partmental support staff; 10 in cus- BY BRUCE MILLS budget, but 13 were already vacant. todial/maintenance; and eight in [email protected] Cutting the 47 positions will pre- support services, which includes college student serve $1.1 million in the budget guidance counselors, social workers, In response to its current debt cri- through June 30, according to dis- nurses and others. BY ADRIENNE SARVIS sis, Sumter School District will ter- trict calculations. Personnel repre- Three administrative staff mem- [email protected] minate 34 employees effective Tues- sents more than 80 per- bers (program directors and coordi- day — the last day of the month. cent of any school dis- nators) are losing jobs, and one em- The family of a Morris College student The job cuts are part of Superin- trict’s budget in the ployee in food services is being ter- who has been missing since 2010 will tendent Frank Baker’s emergency state, so job cuts were minated. hold an event to seek infor- financial plan, which was adopted needed, according to A total of $6.3 million will be mation about his disap- by the district’s board of trustees on Baker and Halligan. saved through the cash-preservation pearance on Saturday. Jan. 12 to preserve more than $6 Of the 34 employees efforts in Baker’s emergency plan, On Jan. 30, 2010, Brandon million in cash through June 30. losing jobs, 12 (or 35 which also includes a 25 percent re- Rodrigues Graves disap- The cost-cutting measures have BAKER percent) are housed at duction in all stipends, elimination peared after a homecoming been made so other bills could be the district office and of overtime where feasible and lim- event, according to a news paid and the district could end this 22 at individual schools. A total of 18 iting numerous budget line items by GRAVES release from Sumter Coun- fiscal year with as close to a bal- of the 28 schools in the district are 50 percent. ty Sheriff’s Office. He was anced budget as possible, the affected by the personnel losses. All annual stipends were original- last seen at Sebastian’s Night Club, now board’s attorney — William “Bick” Only one classroom teacher is losing ly cut by 50 percent for the fiscal called Center Stage, at 3289 Broad St. Halligan — has said. a job, and that individual is an at-will In Baker’s emergency plan, 47 po- employee and not under a contract. sitions were eliminated from the A total of 30 of the 34 job cuts are SEE JOBS, PAGE A4 SEE STUDENT, PAGE A4 VISIT US ONLINE AT CONTACT US DEATHS, B5 WEATHER, A12 INSIDE Information: 774-1200 Ruth Anderson Belphine James SUNNY 2 SECTIONS, 22 PAGES the .com Advertising: 774-1246 Bonnie Grubb McLeod Cynthia Maple-Hudson VOL. 122, NO. 75 Classifieds: 774-1234 Wesley Kind Sr. Ruth Johnson Cooler with plenty Delivery: 774-1258 Daniel Melnick James P. Belser of sunshine. Tonight, Classifieds B6 News and Sports: 774-1226 Marie M. Young Liddia F. Wilson clear and chilly. Comics A10 HIGH 56, LOW 31 Opinion A11 Television A8-A9 A2 | FRIDAY, JANUARY 27, 2017 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] Agreement requires Mount Franklin to create 225 jobs BY ADRIENNE SARVIS not taxes, according to the agree- was approximately $97,500, with 90 lina Forestry Commission to pur- [email protected] ment. percent of the funding provided chase 97 acres that would be added However, the company will still be through a grant from Federal Avia- to Manchester State Forest. The ad- Sumter County Council approved taxed at 10.5 percent for all real es- tion Administration and another 5 ditional property would also be open final reading Tuesday of a 15-year tate and personal property, charged percent provided through a grant to the public for recreational activi- special source revenue agreement as a park fee payment and will re- from South Carolina Aeronautics ties; and between the county and Mount ceive a 60 percent reduction of that Commission. • Councilman Gene Baten proposed Franklin Foods South Carolina LLC fee for 15 years, starting this year, In the special meeting, Sumter that council create a policy to ad- requiring a $10 million investment according to the agreement. County Finance Director Jamie Mi- dress constituents’ needs that take and creation of more than 200 jobs. Mount Franklin Foods will receive chaelson provided a financial update place outside of the county’s juris- According to the agreement, a $300,000 grant from the Sumter saying the county is on target with diction. He mentioned county resi- Mount Franklin Foods is required to County as reimbursement for im- revenue and expenses, according to dents who talked about discolored create at least 225 full-time jobs and provements and repairs made to the its financial plan. water they receive from the city of invest at least $10 million in the project site. Michaelson said at a 95 percent Sumter. county within its first five years of In a separate special called meet- collection rate, the county is set to Baten said he wished council could operation. ing Tuesday before the regular coun- receive approximately $30.9 million have done more for those residents. The candy company will take over cil meeting, council approved a re- by the end of the fiscal year. He said Chairman James McCain said the factory and equipment previous- quest to provide approximately the assessment is about $387,000 off county council can only refer the ly used by Au’some Candy Co., locat- $10,800 from the county infrastruc- from the original revenue prediction. residents to South Carolina Depart- ed on a 1.53-acre parcel in Live Oak ture fund to complete design work Michaelson said the county is also ment of Health and Environmental Industrial Park. Au’some Candy Co. for a lighting project at Sumter Mu- predicted to collect an additional $1.5 Control because the water is not pro- closed in March 2016. nicipal Airport. The additional funds million from the local option sales vided by the county. He suggested Because the project site is part of will go toward updating signs that tax. that the city-county liaison commit- the jointly owned and operated direct pilots to runways and taxi In other action in the special meet- tee or public safety committee, made Sumter-Clarendon Park, payments lanes. ing: up of county council members, dis- received from Mount Franklin The cost for the lighting project, • County council voted to write a cuss the issue further during anoth- Foods will be considered fees and not including the additional funds, letter of support for the South Caro- er meeting.