Attorney: Hamm, Kuomus Immune Man Representing School District in Suit by Former Employee Gives Response
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SPORTS Complete prep football coverage from Friday night B1 SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2018 | Serving South Carolina since October 15, 1894 $1.75 Attorney: Hamm, Kuomus immune Man representing school district in suit by former employee gives response BY BRUCE MILLS numerous allegations made by the Anonymous letters that circulated DuBose's suit has claims brought [email protected] plaintiff against the district. throughout the Sumter community against multiple defendants for differ- Allen Smith, an attorney with Halli- and an independent audit last year ent reasons. The district, Hamm and The attorney representing Sumter gan, Mahoney and Williams of Colum- from the state Department of Educa- Kuomus are all named in the suit for School District, Interim Superinten- bia, filed two documents Thursday in tion claim DuBose misused $177,000 in conduct (defamation) after her separa- dent Debbie Hamm and Chief Human response to a summons and complaint programmatic funds in recent years. tion from employment in 2017. Resources Officer John Kuomus in a from late June by the attorney for Viv- DuBose left the position and district Smith's motion requests Sumter lawsuit by a former district employee ian "Libby" DuBose, the district's for- on July 31, 2017. County Third Judicial Circuit Court says Hamm and Kuomus should be mer director of early childhood educa- In her suit, DuBose claims all the al- dismissed from the case, and he denies tion. legations made against her are false. SEE LAWSUIT, PAGE A8 Drive, heart & instinct Sumter County Sheriff’s Office adds new member to K-9 Unit BY ADRIENNE SARVIS [email protected] There's a new deputy sheriff in town. His name is Spike, and he's two years old. Though he may still have quite a bit of puppy in his system, the Belgian Malinois is marking his territory as a member of Sumter County Sheriff's Office's K-9 Unit. Spike joined the sheriff's office's five-team K-9 Unit in August 2017 when he began training with his handler, Cpl. Larry Wix. He is very high energy and shows a lot of drive to want to work, Wix said about his new partner, though he still has a lot of pup in him. Spike will turn three in Novem- ber. K-9 Spike, Sumter But don't let the cute face and wagging tail fool you. County Sheriff’s Spike is certified in narcotics scent detection, Office’s newest human scent tracking, officer protection and ap- member of the prehension. K-9 Unit, under- So far, Wix said Spike has been successful on goes constant his deployments, or operations where he is re- training to quired to use his nose for the good of the com- serve and pro- munity. tect the com- A few months ago, Spike successfully tracked munity. a person who had left a residence with a weap- on and threatened to commit suicide. Wix said ADRIENNE SARVIS / THE SUMTER ITEM SEE K-9, PAGE A8 No deaths, 100-plus tickets on Labor Day weekend and two open container viola- McGirt said the teen faces Police department arrests 15-year-old driver after chase tions. charges of violation of a driv- McGirt said one incident re- er’s permit, failure to stop for BY ADRIENNE SARVIS enforcement agencies. ported during the holiday sulted in a 15-year-old being blue lights and resisting ar- [email protected] While the South Carolina weekend, local authorities did transported to a South Caroli- rest. Department of Public Safety issue dozens of tickets and ci- na Department of Juvenile The two passengers — Marking the end of the “100 reported nine fatalities during tations in an attempt to cor- Justice facility and the arrest Da’Shawn Holland, 19, of Deadly Days of Summer,” Labor Day weekend, local au- rect driving behavior that of two others following a chase. South Washington Street, and Labor Day weekend in Sum- thorities did not report any. could lead to fatal wrecks. An officer attempted to stop Unique Brunson, 17, of Dela- ter County wrapped up with A fatality was reported on Between Aug. 31 and Sept. the teen driver for traveling ware Drive — are charged no traffic fatalities but more Sept. 4 when a pedestrian 3, Sumter Police Department without headlights on Lafay- with interfering with an ar- than 100 citations and tickets. walking in the roadway was issued 61 warning citations ette Drive after 1 a.m. on Sun- rest. Brunson is also charged This period during the sum- struck by a vehicle at 9:20 p.m. and tickets, according to day, she said. The driver with simple possession of mer is said to be the most in Rembert. The driver was Tonyia McGirt, public infor- failed to stop and led the offi- marijuana. deadly time for travel on not expected to be charged, as mation officer for the depart- cer on a chase that ended on Of the tickets that were South Carolina roads as thou- the man was walking in the ment. Atlantic Street when the driv- submitted electronically by sands of people take to the roadway, the South Carolina Of that number, 33 warning er and other occupants the Sumter County Sheriff's highways from Memorial Day Highway Patrol said at the citations and 28 tickets were jumped from the moving vehi- Office during Labor Day to Labor Day for holiday trav- time. issued including four driving cle as it slowed down before el, according to data and law Though no deaths were re- under suspension violations striking a parked patrol car. SEE LABOR DAY, PAGE A8 VISIT US ONLINE AT CONTACT US DEATHS, B5 WEATHER, A10 INSIDE Information: 774-1200 Minnie Deloris R. Hillard 4 SECTIONS, 26 PAGES MORE OF THE SAME VOL. 123, NO. 230 the .com Advertising: 774-1246 Rena Fleming Hunter Hot and humid today Classifieds: 774-1200 Melba Dean Beverly Harper with a chance of storms Classifieds C6 Reflections C4 Delivery: 774-1258 Leslie R. Luckey Hodge in the afternoon; tonight, Comics D1 Panorama A5 News and Sports: 774-1226 Robert James storms early. Outdoors C3 USA Today C1 HIGH 92, LOW 71 Opinion A9 Yesteryear C5 We Have The 3FàMMT Gas Appliances 20 lb. Cylinders That Make Your Palmetto Gas Good Thru 820 S. Pike Rd. Friday, Sept. 14 Life Better. 803-775-4321 Mon. - Fri. 8 am - 5 pm A2 | SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2018 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] THIS MONTH IN S.C. HISTORY WHAT YOUR GOVERNMENT IS DOING: SUMTER CITY COUNCIL Sen. Strom Thurmond City preps for wastewater switched parties in ’64 BY THE S.C. HISTORICAL connection in Mayesville SOCIETY Strom Thurmond was BY ADRIENNE SARVIS properties will be returned to made the motion for approval, elected governor of South [email protected] the residents once the project is and councilman Robert Galia- Carolina on the Democratic finished, he said. no seconded. ticket in 1946. He was also Sumter City Council ap- The resolution, which only elected to the Senate as a proved agenda items that will requires one vote, was ap- AMENDMENT TO FLOOD Democrat in 1954 and 1960. benefit multiple residents in proved unanimously. Council- ORDINANCE GETS FINAL Known for his support of the future and approved a re- man Thomas Lowery made a READING military power and his op- zoning request for the develop- motion for approval, and coun- The amendment will include position to civil rights legis- ment of a North Main Street cilman David Merchant second- clarifications and corrections lation, Thurmond repre- salon during its meeting on ed. to the city’s flood damage pre- sented a growing conserva- Tuesday. vention ordinance such as the tism in Southern politics. In NEW SALON TO POSSIBLY adoption of the Wateree Water- 1964, he switched parties MAYESVILLE RESIDENTS COME TO NORTH MAIN shed Maps and Flood Insur- and gave his support to Re- TO BE COMPENSATED FOR The applicant said he pur- ance Study revisions that will publican presidential candi- PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE TEMPORARY EASEMENTS chased the .30 acres at 702 N. go into effect on Sept. 28. S.C. HISTORICAL SOCIETY The resolution approves the date Barry Goldwater. A young Strom Thurmond is Main St. so his daughter could Helen Roodman, Sumter Born in Edgefield, James temporary acquisition of por- realize her dream of operating City-County Zoning Adminis- shown. Strom Thurmond graduat- tions of four properties in a salon. But before construc- trator and senior staff planner ed from Clemson College Mayesville for construction tion could start, the applicant for Sumter Planning Depart- (now Clemson University) ported the “Southern Mani- easements to connect the town requested the parcel be rezoned ment, said adding the revisions in 1923. He was admitted to festo,” which called for re- of Mayesville Wastewater from residential-6 to neighbor- could lead to savings for Sum- the bar in 1930, elected to sistance to the Supreme Treatment System to the city of hood commercial. ter’s residents with flood insur- the South Carolina State Court’s Brown v. Board of Sumter’s sewer system. Council first considered a ance premiums. Senate in 1933 and was a Education decision. His re- Al Harris, assistant manager vote regarding the North Main Sumter participates in Feder- circuit court judge from cord-setting filibuster oc- of the city of Sumter, said a Street property in July when al Emergency Management 1938 to 1941. After a suc- curred in 1957 when he resolution for the easements is the applicant requested that the Agency’s Community Rating cessful military career in spoke against a civil rights required because the city will property be rezoned to general System program which affords World War II, he was elect- bill.