Area Business Owners Back Tax Increase
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
TELEVISION: Celebrity horror spoofs, morbid nostalgia and ‘Red Nose Day’ B5 Par 4 Pets 5th Golf Tournament at Crystal Lakes 4 Saturday,S June 9, 2018 KAT’S SPECIAL KNEADS Small Animal Shelter “help the pets” For details contact Mike Ardis 803.775.1902 or THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2018 | Serving South Carolina since October 15, 1894 75 cents Kathy Stafford 803.469.3906 78TH SUMTER IRIS FESTIVAL SCHEDULE Area business Friday-Saturday, SATURDAY 10 a.m.-6 p.m., • Head Turnerz Classic Car Show, Bland Gardens, and Sunday, 10 9 a.m.-4 p.m. a.m.-5 p.m. • 12th Annual Shrine Day Parade hosted by The TODAY Jamil Streakers, West Liberty Street, 10 a.m. (begins at Sumter County Fairgrounds) owners back • Taste at the • Just Kidding Around Children’s Area*, Gardens featuring Palmetto Amusements, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. (rides, blow- JD and the ups and more) Breeze, Garden Street Stage, 6-9 • Children’s Art in the Park, Bland Gardens, 10 p.m. (tickets for a.m.-5 p.m. sale at gate) • SAFE Kids Adventureland sponsored by tax increase • Ribbon cutting / SAFE Kids Sumter County & the Tuomey crowning of the Iris Festival Foundation, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (Kiwanis Kids King and Queen, Garden Street Stage, fingerprinting, bike rodeo, information and 6:15 p.m. more) • Southern Sportsman Expo, Garden Street side, Finance committee members say Sumter FRIDAY 10 a.m.-6 p.m. • Palmetto Health Tuomey • Made in Sumter, locally sourced premium School District’s situation has improved Community Health Initiatives Free products, Swan Lake Visitors Center, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., BY BRUCE MILLS Sumter business leaders serv- Screening, Swan Lake Visitors Center, (rides, blow-ups and more) ing on the committee said 9-11 a.m. (hypertension, • The Magic of Welding presented by Central [email protected] cholesterol, diabetes — requires Wednesday after a monthly meet- Carolina Technical College 12-hour fast) Local private-business owners ing at the district office that dis- • Mary Hinson Flower Show, “Celebrating the who serve on Sumter School Dis- trict administration is managing • Just Kidding Around Children’s Festivals of South Carolina,” Alice Boyle Garden trict’s advisory Finance Commit- its budget better than in previous Area*, Palmetto Amusements, 10 Center, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. tee say they are fully behind the years and is trying to address a.m. – 6 p.m. (rides, blow-ups and more) • Introduction of Iris Kings & Queens, Main district’s proposed budget for strategic issues to better educate Stage, noon • Children’s Art in the Park, next year and mill increase re- children in its budget planning. FEST, quest it plans to ask Sumter Bland Gardens, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. SEE PAGE A4 County Council for next week. SEE MILLAGE, PAGE A4 Rules of the road Highway patrolman debunks popular driving myths BY ADRIENNE SARVIS [email protected] any drivers may think Mthey know it all when it comes to the rules of the road, but what is true and what is legend can sometimes cross the yellow line. Before taking that road trip this sum- mer, it can’t hurt to brush up on traffic regulations to distinguish what is myth and, for example, find out once and for all if it’s really OK to treat the driver’s seat like your living room and kick off your shoes behind the wheel. South Carolina Highway Patrol Lance Cpl. David Jones, who has seen his fair share of traffic stops, took on some com- monly heard driving myths. IS IT ILLEGAL TO ... Drive barefoot or with flip-flops? No. Ride in the bed of a pickup truck? No, but the youngest passengers should have first access to the seatbelts. Back out of a driveway onto a public road? No, but it would be safer to pull out of the driveway. Wear headphones while driving? No, but it’s not a safe practice because you could miss audio cues from other drivers. Drive with the overhead light on? No, but it does not create a good driving environment. Eat while driving? No, but it can be a distraction. Splash people? No, it’s just a terrible thing to do to someone. OTHER QUESTIONS Who has to identify themselves during a traffic stop? Troopers are taught to identify themselves and say the reason for the stop, Jones said. Drivers are required by law to identify themselves during SEE DRIVING, PAGE A5 VISIT US ONLINE AT CONTACT US DEATHS, B3 WEATHER, A8 INSIDE Information: 774-1200 Mary Bryant Barwick Hill STORMS AGAIN 2 SECTIONS, 14 PAGES the .com Advertising: 774-1246 Sarah Bernice Brunson VOL. 123, NO. 154 Classifieds: 774-1200 A shower and thunderstorm Mildred Roman Harrison Jinwright around; a thunderstorm Classifieds B6 Sports B1 Delivery: 774-1258 Charles D. Holland early tonight Comics B4 Television B5 News and Sports: 774-1226 David I. Day Jr. HIGH 80, LOW 67 Opinion A7 A2 | THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2018 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] Budget, Project Bulldog still going strong BY ADRIENNE SARVIS Main Street; and $500,000 to con- works and other county agencies. credit agreement, or tax reduction, [email protected] struct a parking lot in place of the AGREEMENT WITH PROJECT for the first 10 years of operation if it old jail. BULLDOG MOVING FORWARD creates 75 jobs. Sumter County Council approved No one spoke in favor or opposi- If third reading of the ordinance is second reading of its 2019 fiscal tion of the budget during a public Council approved second reading passed, the agreement will be valid year budget, with balanced general hearing held before council's vote. of an ordinance to authorize a fee in for 20 years. funds of $52,752,483 and furthered Council plans to have third and lieu of tax and incentive agreement Also, county council approved sec- plans for Project Bulldog during its final reading of the ordinance on between the county and a company ond reading of an ordinance to meeting on Tuesday. June 12 when Sumter School Dis- identified as Project Bulldog. amend the Sumter-Lee Industrial The budget ordinance also in- trict is expected to make a request According to the agreement, Proj- Park master agreement to include cludes a request to use $1.5 million for a 5.48-mill increase — about ect Bulldog intends to invest at least property owned and operated by Proj- from the county's reserve funds for $1,057,121. $150 million into Sumter County and ect Bulldog. three projects, Sumter County Ad- BOND TO MAINTAIN COUNTY create 125 new full-time jobs to re- COUNTY TO LEASE PROPERTY TO FTC ministrator Gary Mixon said. VEHICLE FLEETS ceive a 4 percent assessment ratio on Those projects include: $700,000 to its property, an incentive for making County Council approved third and renovate the former Sumter Fire Related to the fiscal budget, county such a large investment. Industrial final reading to authorize the lease of Department headquarters building council approved first reading of an or- property is usually assessed at 10.5 property to FTC Communications LLC on Hampton Avenue for Sumter dinance to authorize the issuance and percent in Sumter County. for $400 per month. County EMS, which will move into sale of a $2.5 million general obligation However, if Project Bulldog falls No one spoke during the public hear- the building; $300,000 to demolish bond — equal to about 15 mills — to short of those goals it can still qualify ing for the lease agreement. the old jail behind Sumter County purchase vehicles for the sheriff's of- for a 6 percent assessment ratio and a Sumter County Council requires Sheriff's Office building on North fice, recreation department, public 25 percent special source revenue three approvals to pass an ordinance. ‘Pirates!’ take over Kingsbury Elementary for spring musical Kingsbury Elementary School saved the best PTA meeting for last. This year’s spring musical titled “Pirates!” was a show- stopper. The set was designed by art teacher Sylvester Hickmon and featured an enormous pirate ship that engulfed the entire stage. It included a deck with cannons, the Jolly Roger and even a brig and plank to walk. More than 60 children including singers and dancers performed for more than 35 minutes, enthralling the audience with their well-rehearsed lyrics and prose. The group is named the King’s Court Players, and they are under the direction of Alyssa Gibbs, Michelle Snyder and Ashley Summer. Libby Singleton from Miss Libby’s School of Dance once again returned to Kingsbury to collaborate with the troupe to choreograph the elite dances for each song. PHOTO PROVIDED Used car dealership, church give car to deserving member BY ADRIENNE SARVIS son selected a member of the congre- Her old one didn’t have one, he said. [email protected] gation. "I was so blessed that they would The church has given away cars in even consider me," Parker said. On Mother's Day, a local car deal- the past but the last time was about Parker said she plans to use her new ership and church teamed up to four years ago, Gibson said. "Answer- car for ministry and give rides to share blessings and give a car to a ing somebody's prayer is a big deal," other church members and to visit her member of the congregation who he said. father in Columbia more often. could offer more to her community After receiving the Buick, the She also has multiple God children than she already does with a new set church paid for new tires and had a and sometimes looks after their chil- of wheels.