Audit: School district ends year with a $779K surplus Report shows general fund balance is now $885K after budget crisis BY BRUCE MILLS for the year comes after the district June 30, 2017, is $885,679. [email protected] overspent its budget in fiscal 2016 CFO Chris Griner presented and finished with an annual net those numbers from the school dis- THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2017 75 CENTS Keyed by mid-year cost-savings loss of almost $4.4 million that trict’s Fiscal Year 2017 official SERVING SOUTH CAROLINA SINCE OCTOBER 15, 1894 measures, Sumter School District year, depleting its ending fund bal- audit report to the Board of Trust- saved more than it spent last fiscal ance to $106,449. ees’ Finance Committee on 2 SECTIONS, 14 PAGES | VOL. 123, NO. 30 year by $779,230, the district’s chief With the $779,230 in net income Wednesday morning at its regular financial officer said Wednesday. for fiscal year 2017, the district’s TELEVISION The net income — or surplus — total ending fund balance, as of SEE AUDIT, PAGE A6 Ex-husband’s hearing set in ‘execution-style’ slaying Gather the kids: Charlie Brown special is back Christmas favorite will air at 8 p.m. today on ABC A5 SPORTS A look ahead at Lakewood Gators basketball B1 DEATHS, B4 Timothy McFadden Shirley M. Allen Michael V. McLeod Janet L. Tanner Delarea B. Coleman Isaac Thomas Ellen N. Richbow Philip A. Punk Kareem A. Nash Richard Swinton Franklyn R. Williams Mary Lue S. Singleton PHOTOS BY ADRIENNE SARVIS / THE SUMTER ITEM WEATHER, A8 James Lee Ginther III stands before a magistrate judge during a first appearance hearing at Sumter-Lee Regional Deten- COULD BE RAINY tion Center on Wednesday. Ginther is charged with kidnapping and murder in the killing of his ex-wife, Suzette Ginther. Partly sunny; a couple of late-night showers HIGH 70, LOW 51 Bond may be issued in January for suspect accused after hunter finds woman in grave INSIDE CONTACT US ing at Sumter-Lee Regional De- Classifieds B6 Info: 774-1200 BY ADRIENNE SARVIS [email protected] tention Center on Wednesday. Comics B5 Advertising: 774-1237 Magistrate Judge Larry Blan- Opinion A7 Classifieds: 774-1200 A bond hearing has been set ding scheduled the bond hearing Television A5 Delivery: 774-1258 for January for a man accused for general sessions court at Sports B1 News and Sports: of kidnapping and murder in Sumter County Judicial Center 774-1226 the “execution-style” killing of at 8:30 a.m. on Jan. 12. his ex-wife on Nov. 16. Two family members of The Third Judicial Circuit So- 27-year-old Suzette Ginther — VISIT US ONLINE AT the .com licitor’s Office asked that James including her father — were Lee Ginther III, 26, appear be- present during the first appear- fore a circuit court judge to de- ance hearing. Neither spoke. termine his bond because of the Many people have lost sleep severity of his charges, said So- and have put a lot of hours into Jennifer Tatum, Suzette Ginther’s for- licitor Ernest “Chip” Finney III mer co-worker at PetSmart in Colum- during a first appearance hear- SEE GINTHER, PAGE A6 bia, speaks with reporters. ‘Lafayette Diamond’ redesign project continues BY ADRIENNE SARVIS Lafayette Diamond is a complete the project. HOMEOWNER APPROVED Director George McGregor said [email protected] 2008 Capital Projects Sales The ordinance discussed FOR STORAGE BUILDING the homeowner’s plan for the Tax project — estimated to on Tuesday regards a .839- property fits the county’s 2030 The “Lafayette Diamond” cost $6 million — that in- acre portion of land pur- The first reading of a re- Comprehensive Plan to encour- is slowly but surely coming volves reconstructing the in- chased by the county to rede- quest to rezone a 5.8-acre por- age certain developments in along as Sumter County tersections of North Main sign the intersection where tion of a total 10.9-acre parcel various areas of Sumter. Council approved the second Street, the U.S. 76/378 bypass North Main and Moore in the 2000 block of Loring The Loring Mill Road reading of an ordinance to and other connecting roads streets meet. Mill Road from residential-15 property is located in Shaw allow Duke Energy Progress to accommodate high traffic Sumter County has been to agricultural conservation Air Force Base’s military LLC to install utility lines in that area. working with home and busi- was approved so the property protection planning area, along a portion of North Sumter County purchased ness owners in that area owner can construct a person- which restricts high-density Main Street as the project property in that area and in- since the project began near- al storage building. progresses. tends to obtain more land to ly 10 years ago. Sumter City-County Planning SEE COUNCIL, PAGE A6 A2 | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2017 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] LOCAL BRIEFS FROM STAFF REPORTS Man shot by deputy now in jail Road improvements on agenda for VIP meeting On Sunday, John Rickey Hood was Hood has been diagnosed as bipolar Lee County deputy taken to McLeod Regional Medical and schizophrenic and was under the Vision in Progress will hold Center in Florence with non-life- influence of illegal drugs on Sunday, its monthly meeting on threatening injuries after Simon said. Wednesday at 10 a.m. at the suffered broken jaw being shot by Lee County In the domestic dispute, the Lee James E. Clyburn Intermodal Sheriff’s Deputy Virgil County Sheriff’s Office charged Hood Transportation Center. BY BRUCE MILLS Reames. Earlier this week, with trespassing after warning. Sumter City-County Plan- [email protected] authorities said the depu- Because the shooting incident in- ning Director George Mc- ty shot Hood after getting volves a law enforcement officer, the Gregor will be the guest The suspect in an officer-involved physically attacked by State Law Enforcement Division will speaker and will present infor- shooting in Lee County from Sunday HOOD him while responding to a be the primary agency that conducts mation on projects on North has been released from an area hospi- domestic dispute. that part of the investigation, as is Main Street, Manning Avenue tal and is now in custody at Sumter- Simon said Deputy Reames suffered protocol. Any charges related to the and the Manning Avenue Lee Regional Detention Center, ac- a broken jaw in the incident and that shooting must come through SLED as bridge and will also discuss cording to Lee County Sheriff Daniel he fired at Hood because he feared for the third-party independent investiga- the demolition project. Simon. his life. tor. This last meeting of the group for the year will be a chance to hear what the Penny Sales Tax is doing for the Sum- ter community. Vision in Progress meets the first Wednesday of each month. The meeting is open to the public. For more information, call Patty Wilson at (803) 491- 4910. Christmas parade Dec. 9 in Mayesville The Town of Mayesville will have its annual Christmas Pa- rade in downtown Mayesville at 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 9. Lineup will be at 10 a.m. at Mayesville School, 55 Pringle St. For more information, call Jeannie Jefferson at (803) 495- 8181 or Nancy Williams at (803) 453-5037. Go see a movie Sunday, and help local charities Moviegoers are encouraged PHOTO PROVIDED to visit Beacon Cinemas on Purpose Driven is one of more than a dozen gospel groups performing Sunday at Union Hall. Sunday to watch a movie, enjoy some theater snacks and, in the process, help some local charities. During Georgia Theatre Concert to feature 15 gospel groups Co.’s 14th-annual Cinema for a Cause event, 100 percent of ad- BY IVY MOORE at least 15 or 16 groups performing.” “All other offerings will be shared mission ticket sales and con- Special to The Sumter Item Those being honored, he said, in- equally.” cession purchases will be do- clude Marie Charles of The Corinthi- He said the concert is not one of nated to charities chosen by More than a dozen area gospel ans; Mary L. Cabbage, Shirley Potts Christmas music but will feature only the theater’s staffs at the com- groups will perform Sunday in a con- and former manager Isaiah Scriven of gospel by groups including Sumter Vi- pany’s 24 locations throughout cert to benefit their local forerunners The Majestic Kings; Clara Pringle of olinaires, Purpose Driven, The Valen- Georgia, Florida, Virginia and in gospel. The 3:30 p.m. program at The Ebony Singers; Jesse Cooke of tinos, Justified, The New Boyz, The South Carolina. Union Hall is sponsored by Margaret The Heavenly Aires; Thelma Scarbor- Melody Aires, Bobby Wilson and Cho- This year, United Way of Wells-Parker, widow of local gospel ough of the Sumter Violinaires; Rob- sen, The Soul Searchers, The Gospel Sumter, Bishopville Animal legend Junior Wells, with production ert Burgess of The Soul Searchers; Jubilees, Resurrection, The Gospel Rescue Krew and Variety of assistance from Elijah Bradford, who Pressley Harvin of The Gospel Kings; Kings and the St. Paul Male Chorus. Georgia will benefit from the is chairman of the event. Sammie Porter of The Golden Five; Admission is $5, with all proceeds event, with Variety of Georgia “Junior Wells was the lead singer of Joe Papa Pearson of The Gospel Jubi- benefiting “those who have gone be- receiving 10 percent of the the Gospel Stars,” Bradford said. lees; Chris Williams of Sisters of fore,” Bradford said.