School Board to Receive Update
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Advantages of downsizing earlier in life C1 SPRING AHEAD PANORAMA At Sumter Opera House SERVING SOUTH CAROLINA SINCE OCTOBER 15, 1894 Country singer SUNDAY, MARCH 12, 2017 $1.75 John Anderson A5 School board to receive update board chairman. budget last year. other various measures to fix this year’s Consultant Allan to Scott Allan was hired by In mid-January, the budget and putting proper controls in the board Jan. 9 to explain board approved an emer- place. Those controls include ensuring what caused the district to gency financial plan rec- district staff is properly trained and present 3rd report spend $6.2 million over ommended by Superinten- fully utilizing budgeting software to budget last year, fix this dent Frank Baker and vet- help with payroll analysis and prevent BY BRUCE MILLS year’s budget, and then ALLAN BAKER ted by Allan that is esti- users from overbudgeting positions. [email protected] help formulate next fiscal mated to save the district Once the budget is corrected for this year’s budget. In his anal- $6.3 million in cash by year that helps prepare the district for The financial consultant hired by the ysis at the Feb. 13 board meeting, Allan June 30 of this year. Those cash-preser- next year’s budget. Sumter School Board two months ago reported 37 unbudgeted new hires and vation measures included the elimina- School board attorney William “Bick” to help guide the district through its drastically underbudgeting expendi- tion of 47 district jobs, reduced stipend Halligan has said previously the board current financial crisis will report to tures for other existing personnel were payments and freezing various budget the board Monday for a third time at its major contributors to an extra $6 mil- line items. regularly scheduled meeting, says the lion in salaries that put the district over Allan’s work has included taking SEE BOARD, PAGE A10 Peep! Peep! Area Southern States farm supply store selling chicks BY JIM HILLEY [email protected] Which came first, the chicken or the egg? About four days ago, some 500 Georgia eggs be- came chickens by chipping their way out of their egg shells. Soon afterwards, they began a new ad- venture. By Friday, those “bitties” or “pullets” or “chicks,” were filling the back room of Southern States Palmetto Farm Supply with a chorus of peeps and the rattle of tiny feet on a screen floor. Five pallets of pullets were stacked one on top of another, waiting for their new owners as customers and curious children goggled at the young flock. RICK CARPENTER / THE SUMTER ITEM Two-day-old hens are feeding well at Southern States Palmetto Farm Supply on Broad Street. The store just received a shipment of 500 chicks and expects 1,600 more on Tuesday. SEE CHICKS, PAGE A10 Farm to Table event raises Woman, 19, money for local charities charged in fatal stabbing BY BRUCE MILLS forts to prepare the food to help sup- [email protected] port the club. FROM STAFF REPORTS “With various new vendors, we have Numerous local vendors are donating more vendors than ever before, and Sumter Police Department goods and services for the fourth-annu- we’ve had to actually turn some away,” SUMTER ITEM FILE PHOTO charged a 19-year-old woman al Farm to Table event to help Sumter said Jeannie Crotts, special projects co- Carl Field of Johnny’s Garden Juice Bar with murder after she alleged- Rotary Club raise money for local char- ordinator for the club. “There has been serves a Sunset Smoothie to the crowd at- ly fatally stabbed her boy- ities. a lot of interest, and lots of tickets have tending last year’s Farm to Table event at friend during an You’ll be able to sample entree items been sold already.” Sumter County Civic Center. The event is argument at their from shrimp and grits to red pigeon One new vendor, Doolallies, has do- sponsored by Sumter Rotary Club and fea- residence in the stew and side dishes from pickled wa- nated a farm table that will be raffled tures vendors and locally grown food. 300 block of Roll- termelon rinds on crackers with pi- off during the event, according to ing Creek Drive mento cheese to collard green soup at Crotts. was launched in 1996 by Sumter Rotari- about 8 a.m. on various booths from 6 to 9 p.m. Thurs- All proceeds raised at the event will ans who wanted to prove that if Rotari- Friday. day at Sumter County Civic Center. provide money for Sumter United Min- ans emptied their pockets and purses Anastasia SINGLETON Tickets are $30 in advance or $40 at istries, 4-H, the CART Fund and Opera- of change into a bucket each week, Brejean Single- the door and will allow you to feast on tion Warm Heart fund at Shaw Air they could collect a large amount of ton, 19, of 365 your choice of entrees, side dishes, des- Force Base. money to go toward Alzheimer’s dis- Rolling Creek Drive, was ar- serts — including banana pudding — Also new this year, the club has got- ease research. rested Friday morning for al- and beverages. Johnny’s Garden Juice ten some of the charities involved in After successfully kicking off the legedly stabbing 20-year-old Bar will once again serve smoothie helping sell the tickets, Crotts said. campaign locally, the fund has spread Desjuan Martinez Lemon, who samples. Of note, the CART Fund originated Restaurants, catering companies and with the club. CART, which stands for specialty food stores will combine ef- Coins for Alzheimer’s Research Trust, SEE CHARITIES, PAGE A10 SEE FATAL, PAGE A10 VISIT US ONLINE AT CONTACT US DEATHS, A13 WEATHER, A14 INSIDE Information: 774-1200 Sylvia P. Riley Margaret Drakeford CHILLY 4 SECTIONS, 32 PAGES the .com Advertising: 774-1246 Frances W. Brown Leroy Dixon VOL. 122, NO. 106 Classifieds: 774-1234 Snow and rain Ethel Mae W. Hall Albert Vaughn in the morning. Business C1 Delivery: 774-1258 James Dees Patricia S. Sumpter Tonight, cloudy Classifieds C8 News and Sports: Hattie Mae T. Walters Gregory Witherspoon 774-1226 and cold. Maryann Blank Lee Evelyn W. Boone Opinion A12 HIGH 48, LOW 31 Outdoors C7 Not too big. Not too small. Our home loans are just right for you. Sumter: 803.469.0156 Manning: 803.433.4451 bankofclarendon.com ."//*/(t46.5&3t4"/5&&t46..&350/t8:#00 A2 | SUNDAY, MARCH 12, 2017 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] Time to get ready for annual kite flying contest BY IVY MOORE most colorful, most unusual, [email protected] kites with the shortest and longest tails, and the best You can have your own set homemade kites; those are of wings ... popular categories, but you with your fist holding tight can even win a trophy for to the string of your kite. being the youngest or oldest ...... from “Mary Poppins” to fly your kite! Chambers said competitors Spring is only a few days must be registered in the cate- away, but already Sumter has gory or categories they hope seen plenty of kite-flying to win. Registration starts at weather. 10 a.m. before the kites go up Hopefully, the community’s at 11. kite flyers have gotten in some “It’s possible to win in practice because the 2017 Kite more than one division,” she Flying Contest is set for 10 said, but each competitor can a.m. Saturday, at Dillon Park, enter only one kite in each di- and it can be pretty competi- vision. tive. While most people have tra- That’s because the event ditionally purchased their has been growing in populari- kites for the contest, Cham- ty over the years, says La- bers and recreation depart- Trelle Chambers of the Sum- ment staff are hoping more ter County Recreation Depart- people will take the time to ment. Attendance has been make theirs in hopes of win- averaging about 100 competi- ning the special prize for best tors — and sometimes a few homemade kite. more. If you’re not sure how to It’s easy to enter, and make one but want to try, there’s no fee, Chambers said. visit your library or check out Besides the Recreation De- the website www.wikihow. partment, sponsors for the com/Make-a-Kite. day’s activities include Sum- When you’re thinking of ter County, The Salvation winning a prize, remember Army Boys & Girls Clubs, the three simple rules for SAFE Kids Sumter County competing: and the Tuomey Foundation. • each kite must be regis- SUMTER ITEM FILE PHOTO There are a few rules, all of tered; Marcos Buitureina, then 11, runs to get his kite in the air during a past kite flying contest sponsored by them pretty simple. There’s a • each kite must stay in the the Sumter County Recreation Department at Dillon Park. Registration for the 2017 Kite Flying Contest good chance of winning, how- air 1 minute; and begins at 10 a.m. Saturday at Dillon Park, with the competition starting at 11. All ages are eligible for the ever, as there are nine differ- • only one kite per event is nine trophies awarded, and there is no fee. ent categories and nine tro- permitted. phies. Besides the kite-flying con- sored by SAFE KIDS Sumter there is no age limit. test and Bike Safety event at There are trophies for the test, Saturday’s activities in- County and the Tuomey For more information about Dillon Park, call (803) 436-2248, biggest or smallest kite, the clude a bike safety event spon- Foundation.