NATION Are you confused or worried about taxes? Many Americans surprised by impact of new federal law A5 SERVING SOUTH CAROLINA SINCE OCTOBER 15, 1894 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2019 $1.00 Man’s body found with gunshot tracks near Cooks and South wearing a white T-shirt with a County coroner, said. City, county officials trying to ID victim streets, Tonyia McGirt, Sum- gray jacket, red shorts, black The man is described as be- discovered near railroad tracks Saturday ter Police Department public slippers and light-colored tween the ages of 25 to 35, 329 information officer, said. The ankle socks. pounds and 6 feet 2 inches BY ADRIENNE SARVIS railroad tracks in the city Sat- railroad tracks where the An autopsy — performed at tall, he said. [email protected] urday morning and determine body was found run under the the Medical University of Anyone with information is what led to his death. bridge on South Guignard South Carolina on Tuesday urged to contact Sumter Po- City and county authorities Railway workers spotted the Drive. Officers responded at morning — showed the de- lice Department at (803) 436- are working to identify a man body of a black male down an about 1:15 p.m., she said. ceased died from a gunshot 2700 or Sumter County Coro- whose body was found near embankment from railroad McGirt said the man was wound, Robbie Baker, Sumter ner’s Office at (803) 436-2111. Nearly one of a kind at Donations Hot Pursuit help others yearly event find joy and relief BY ADRIENNE SARVIS [email protected] PHOTOS BY BRUCE MILLS / THE SUMTER ITEM Donations given to Sumter United Ministries through The Sumter Item’s annual Fireside Fund are earmarked strictly ABOVE: Owen Pack, 68, of Greeleyville stands next to his for heating requests, and the 1966 Aztec Bronze-colored Chevrolet Chevelle on Satur- fund recently helped a 53-year- day at the 2nd-Annual Hot Pursuit BBQ Cookoff and Car old disabled woman with her Show at the Sumter Fairgrounds. The car’s interior is also final notice bill. Kevin Howell, Crisis Relief Aztec Bronze, and he said it’s one of only 200 Chevelles Ministry director at the emer- made that year that had the Aztec color scheme on the in- gency services nonprofit, said side and out. The car is now 53 years old, and Pack has had the donations from the com- it for 49 years since he was 19 in 1970. Pack said the Chev- munity allow the ministry to elle has won about 20 “best of show” awards since 2000. assist clients in multiple ways, such as helping with bills for LEFT: Chase Durney of Smokin’ Ray’s Custom Bar-BQ of propane, kerosene and natural Columbia dishes out some of the company’s favorites on gas. The ministry will also Saturday at the cookoff and car show. All proceeds from evaluate a partial amount on an electric bill when a family the event went to the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office for heats with electric only — deputies’ training and recruiting programs. floor heaters or central heat and air. Because the donations are additional funds to the minis- try, Howell said, staff and vol- unteers still assist in a variety Lakewood student Data leads committee to ask SEE FIRESIDE, PAGE A7 charged after false school board to reconsider YOUR IMPACT BY active shooter call BY ADRIENNE SARVIS Mayewood Middle reopening THE NUMBERS [email protected] BY BRUCE MILLS the costs to reopen the school. A Lakewood High School student is Continued decreasing district [email protected] $495 facing charges and disciplinary action enrollment trends in recent years Total this week for allegedly making a prank 911 call With a look at more detailed translate into less state and feder- about an active shooter Tuesday after- factors playing into a complex al funds on the revenue side of noon. $130 million budget, the Sumter the balance sheet. $36,517 The 15-year-old student reportedly school board’s advisory Finance With a 45th-day district-wide Total this year made the call from another student’s Committee wants the board to re- student count in November of phone and told dispatch there was an consider its vote last week to re- 15,957 students, Sumter’s enroll- active shooter on the premises and that open Mayewood Middle School. ment is down 194 students from $48,601.18 she could hear shots being fired, ac- District Chief Financial Officer last school year’s 45-day count of Total last year cording to Sumter School District and Jennifer Miller shared upcoming 16,151 students. Sumter County Sheriff’s Office spokes- budget variables and “un- Miller shared with the commit- people. knowns” that show next year’s — tee, that — in itself — has now $1,619,864.25 and ensuring years’ — operating caused her to lower the district’s Total since 1969 SEE LAKEWOOD, PAGE A5 funds will likely be tight and lean, even without considering SEE MAYEWOOD, PAGE A7 VISIT US ONLINE AT CONTACT US DEATHS, B6 WEATHER, A10 INSIDE Information: 774-1200 Jeanette Brown STILL RAINY 3 SECTIONS, 22 PAGES the .com Advertising: 774-1246 Barbara Kaye Smith VOL. 124, NO. 88 Classifieds: 774-1200 Occasional rain and Merritt Junior Swinney drizzle; cloudy tonight Classifieds B8 Opinion A9 Delivery: 774-1258 Willie Walker Jr. Comics C2 Sports B1 News and Sports: 774-1226 Belton O’Neal Compton Jr. HIGH 52, LOW 47 Leon Thames Food C1, C4 Television C3 Banking has never been easier. Check out our new Mobile & Online features at www.bankofclarendon.bank Sumter: 803.469.0156 Manning: 803.433.4451 ."//*/(t46.5&3t4"/5&&t46..&350/t8:#00 A2 | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2019 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] PHOTOS PROVIDED LEFT: Elliott Hitchcock and the Bull Shark is among paintings in Stephen Chesley: Field, Trees, Sky, which opens with a reception Thursday at the Sumter County Gallery of Art, 200 Hasell St. ABOVE: Chesley’s painting titled Trees, Night, Sky reflects his passion for the beauty of the wildness of Earth’s natural landscape. It is one of many large-scale paintings that will be on exhibit. Major exhibit by Chesley will fill entire gallery FROM STAFF REPORTS He found it increasingly difficult to landscapes, he seldom paints via plein through the history of American paint- Works by Southern regional artist achieve a sense of solitude in modern air any more. One reason is the increas- ing while striving to “keep that earlier, Stephen Chesley will fill both galleries times, and he was gripped by a sense of ingly crowded planet. He said, “I used to wilder image” at the heart of his artistic at the Sumter County Gallery of Art urgency to paint landscapes, to record paint early in the morning when there purpose. from Thursday through April 19. The their unspoiled beauty for posterity. was nobody around.” SCGA Executive Director Karen Wat- exhibition opens with a reception from Recognized in 1981 by the Columbia These days, he often does field sketch- son has known Chesley for more than 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday. Museum of Art as an emerging talent, es or takes photographs and later paints 25 years. She said, “We have been talk- Primarily a painter of landscapes, he went on to win a top 100 in the first at home or in the studio. Over the years, ing with Stephen for two years about an Chesley is a passionate environmental- National Parks competition of 1987, ex- however, Chesley has discovered paint- exhibition in Sumter, and we are ist in the spirit of Thomas Cole, the hibiting at the Smithsonian, and in 1996 ing from memory to be the best method thrilled that it is finally happening. This 19th-century painter and founder of the a National Endowment for the Arts, because, “when you remember, you re- is going to be a major exhibition and Hudson River School art movement, ac- Southeast Regional Fellowship, South- member why the place was important will occupy the entire gallery space. cording to SCGA curator Cole Miller. east Center for Contemporary Art. — not how it looked but how it felt.” Chesley paints on a massive scale in The exhibition, titled "Stephen Chesley: Chesley has continued his work, which In many scenes, the flames of a dis- keeping with the style of the old mas- Field, Trees, Sky," reflects this. he characterizes as poetic realism, tant nighttime fire or the dramatic ters, so the exhibition will be visually Mostly self-taught, in his painting, the along with welded and carved sculptur- backlighting of the sun behind dark appealing to our audience. artist’s influence by George Inness, Al- al pieces in addition to book illustration, clouds seize the canvas, making it seem “He will be at the opening and will bert Pinkham Ryder, J.M.W. Turner including W.S. Merwin’s poem “Palm” to glow from an inner light. He uses the give an artist talk TBA in March. We and Edward Hopper can be discerned. for the Thomas Cooper Society. Chesley technique to create a sense of “temporal could not present such an important ex- Chesley is a New York native, who is a fierce conservationist and natural- ambiguity” that can leave the viewer hibition without our community part- grew up in Virginia, and received de- ist. He continues his creative journey at unsure whether it’s morning or eve- ners. Special thanks to Century 21 grees in Urban Studies and Urban Plan- the new Stormwater Studios in Colum- ning, coming or going.