IN SPORTS: Sumter High baseball hosts Summerville in 5A state playoffs B1 SCIENCE Study suggests man arrived in N. America earlier than thought A7 FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 2017 | Serving South Carolina since October 15, 1894 75 cents Senate approves road funding differences between the House and said he expects the House over five years. Both bills would in- Legislation passes Senate versions are hammered out by to reject some of the Sen- crease a number of user fees and a conference committee, the legisla- ate’s amendments. taxes related to automobiles. both chambers with tion is likely to land on Gov. Henry “I expect it to go to con- Even with differences remaining to McMaster’s desk. ference (committee),” he be ironed out, passage through the veto-proof majorities “We finally got a roads bill passed in said. “I don’t think the Senate is a breakthrough for roads the Senate,” said Sen. Kevin Johnson, MCELVEEN House will concur with funding in the state. BY JIM HILLEY D-Manning. “This is a major accom- the Senate changes but I Secretary of Transportation Chris- [email protected] plishment.” think something will come out of con- ty Hall said she appreciated the Sen- However, McMaster has promised to ference.” ate’s action. The South Carolina Senate has fi- veto any gas-tax increase, instead call- Some parts of the Senate’s bill have “The compromise reached recogniz- nally debated and passed legislation ing on the state to pass a bond bill to taken fire from House Speaker Jay es the importance of this issue to all which will provide a continuing cover road funding. Lucas, R-Darlington, who called Sen- of our citizens, businesses and tour- source of funding for maintaining the “The good thing about the roads bill ate amendments that include several ists,” she said. “We look forward to state’s roads and bridges. is the Senate did the same thing the tax cuts and rebates “a nonsensical continuing to work with our policy- Late Wednesday evening, the Senate House did, which is to pass it with a approach to addressing the state’s makers in the final steps of getting a passed its version of legislation al- veto-proof majority,” Johnson said. greatest economic and safety issue.” solution in place, in order to begin the ready approved by the S.C. House of “If the governor upholds his promise The Senate version of the bill would process of reversing three decades of Representatives. to veto a gas tax increase, we have the increase the gas tax by 12 cents a gal- The bill was passed by veto-proof votes to override it.” lon over six years, while the House majorities in both chambers, and after Sen. Thomas McElveen, D-Sumter, version calls for a 10-cent increase SEE ROAD, PAGE A8 Operations When you wish upon a star loan needed early due to debt crisis BY BRUCE MILLS [email protected] Sumter School District Board of Trustees gave its ap- proval for the district to issue an operations loan earlier than usual this year because of the district’s low general fund balance and cash flow needs. Because of its financial diffi- culties, the district will have to issue the loan on its own and outside a pool of other school districts; therefore, associated fees and costs will be higher. It’s not known at this time how much those extra fees will be for the district. The board unanimously ad- opted a resolu- HALLIGAN tion for the $19 million tax antici- pation note Monday night at its regular monthly work ses- sion. According to the school MELANIE SMITH / THE SUMTER ITEM district’s financial adviser for The sun sinks below the trees near a private observatory near Sumter on April 22. A group of stargazers from across the area gathered to the loan — Compass Munici- see planets, star clusters and constellations after enjoying a cookout. pal Advisors LLC of Columbia — the district will have cash flow needs for payroll expendi- tures in early July. According to Sumter School Board attorney William “Bick” Family intends to continue with lawsuit Halligan, districts generally start to run low on cash in the fall, and they issue TANs in Solicitor Finney cleared 3 Sumter police officers of deadly shooting August or September as a way to borrow money in the early BY ADRIENNE SARVIS questions than answers, said Carter El- part of the school year for op- [email protected] liott Jr., one of two attorneys represent- erational expenses. Districts in ing Williams’ family in the wrongful the state generally issue those The family of Waltki C. Williams in- death lawsuit. The lawsuit was filed on TANs together as a pool at tends to move forward with its wrong- March 24. that time as a means to cut ful death lawsuit against city of Sumter Elliott said he and Williams’ family down on associated fees and and Sumter Police Department even members watched portions of the dash- costs. Then, districts generally after Third Circuit Solicitor Ernest A. board and body camera footage the day pay the loans back six to eight Finney III announced he will not before the news conference, but they months later once “anticipat- charge the three officers who fatally did not see all of the footage. ed” property tax revenue is re- shot Williams. PHOTO PROVIDED He said his office has issued a sub- ceived. Williams was killed during a shoot- A still-frame image taken from a Sumter poena for South Carolina Law Enforce- The loan scenario arises for ing incident involving city police offi- police officer’s body camera footage shows ment Division’s full investigative report districts because they have cers who responded Dec. 10, 2016, to a three officers pointing firearms toward the including all of the officers’ dashboard cash-flow needs for expendi- domestic violence call at Sumter Mall ground, supposedly at Waltki C. Williams of and body camera footage and audio tures, such as payroll, about 9:30 p.m. that day. The officers Sumter, on Dec. 10, 2016. files of the incident. throughout the year. Districts chased Williams from the mall on Elliott said he intends to watch often get revenues from the Broad Street to the intersection of Mill- ty Judicial Center on Wednesday after- “every single second” of each video. state regularly each month, er Road and Guignard Drive. noon. Finney announced his decision dur- Williams’ family members walked ing a news conference at Sumter Coun- away from the conference with more SEE LAWSUIT, PAGE A8 SEE OPERATIONS, PAGE A8 VISIT US ONLINE AT CONTACT US DEATHS, B6 WEATHER, A12 INSIDE Information: 774-1200 Shirley McCray Sam Peter Dukes Jr. Lewis Bynum Konemann Jr. HITTING 900 2 SECTIONS, 22 PAGES the .com Advertising: 774-1246 Connie Sink Fredrick J. Ehrhardt Betty J. Morris VOL. 122, NO. 140 Classifieds: 774-1200 Mostly cloudy. Harold E. Rogers Daisy Mae B. Cole Millard E. Horton Tonight, partly Classifieds B7 Delivery: 774-1258 Arthur L. Lucas Richard Johnson Robert Chatman Jr. cloudy, warm Comics A9 News and Sports: Sherry Lynn B. Washington Benjamin F. Skinner III Michael W. Ducom 774-1226 and humid. Michael M. Motley Opinion A11 HIGH 90, LOW 69 Television A4-A5 A2 | FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 2017 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] ALDI holds grand reopening ceremony BY RICK CARPENTER [email protected] The line began forming at 3:15 a.m. and by the time ALDI grocery store at Broad Street and Wise Drive officially reopened with a ribbon cutting cere- mony at 8:45 a.m. Thursday, more than 300 people had lined up making a circle around the parking lot. And shoppers were still arriving, parking at neighboring businesses or on grassy areas of the store’s property. And virtually every customer smiled. Talk to people who shop there, and they’ll express passion and excite- ment. When The Sumter Item ran a front- page photo two weeks ago saying the remodeling was ahead of schedule, the photo went viral on Facebook and other social media. Most people in line said they saw an advertisement last week that an- nounced the reopening date and that the first 100 customers would receive store coupons for $10, $25 or $100. Tom Bennett, a disabled former in- RICK CARPENTER / THE SUMTER ITEM dustrial worker, said someone saw the Tom Bennett, left, started the line at 3:15 a.m. and by 8:30 a.m., more than 300 people were in line wating for the ALDI at Broad ad and called him Wednesday night. Street and Wise Drive to reopen after being remodeled. He was the first to arrive and start the line at 3:15 a.m. Three minutes later, “Wait until I get in, and I’ll show rate for employees. gluten-free selections, brought in Cinder Dickey arrived. By 8 a.m., they you,” he said. Employee Cynthia James turned 50 more convenient doors containing re- knew each other well. Why are people so passionate about on Thursday and celebrated the mon- frigerated and frozen foods and added Bennett said by 7:30 a.m. there were ALDI? umental day at work. She’s worked one aisle. By removing a lowered ceil- more than 100 people in line getting a Amanda Dennis, district manager there 15 years and said she didn’t want ing, the store has a more airy look numbered ticket they would trade for for ALDI based in Charleston, said to miss the reopening. Dennis said she with brighter lights.