3 Finalists Named for Superintendent
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Manning High student CITY CRIME DROPS 10 PERCENT A2 threatens school, suicide IN SPORTS: No. 1A Player of the Year B1 SERVING SOUTH CAROLINA SINCE OCTOBER 15, 1894 Parker leads way for Scott’s Branch WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2019 $1.00 CITY OF SUMTER Police chief says education, TOTAL CRIME 2017 2018 department’s investments 2,370 2,124 10 percent decrease MURDER help make Sumter safer 2017 2018 BY ADRIENNE SARVIS victims in Sumter, Roark said, the de- 5 4 [email protected] partment has also made investments in 20 percent decrease solving those crimes. he city of Sumter saw a drop “We invest a lot of money and tech- SEXUAL ASSAULT in overall crime in 2018 as nology and tools to address criminal ac- Sumter Police Department tivity via technology,” Roark said, “and 2017 2018 made strides to increase and it’s going to continue to grow in that di- 19 25 Tenhance its policing, according to rection.” 31.5 percent increase Chief Russell Roark III. Roark said he thinks the Data provided by the department drop in crime is in re- BURGLARY at the Sumter City Council meeting sponse to the department’s 2017 2018 earlier in February showed a 10 public information educa- percent decrease in overall crime tion campaigns with neigh- 410 327 from last year, with an increase in borhood watch groups and 20.24 percent decrease sexual assaults and weapons ROARK social media as well as in- crimes. telligence-led policing. VEHICLE BREAK-INS Roark said the police department The agency recorded an increase of 2017 2018 is above the national average in the more than 500 percent in traffic on the 461 329 clearance rate of property crimes, agency’s website in the last year, he crimes committed by juveniles, fi- said. Communication, public trust, 28.63 percent decrease nancial crimes and violent crimes. treating all people fairly and with re- Clearance rates are a representa- spect are demanded through the agen- WEAPONS CRIME tion of how many crimes the de- cy’s actions, Roark said. 2017 2018 partment solves. “We don’t just serve and protect the 72 105 And because cyber community,” he said. “We’re part of the 45.83 percent increase crime scenes may community.” be in another Roark said the de- country with partment engages the use of with the community technology in multiple ways, one targeting of which involves reaching out to seniors. About 16 percent of the city’s population is more than 65 years old, he said, and the agency has been able to reconnect with a lost service population through Cpl. Warren “Papa G” Davis and Operation Checkmate. “[Davis] sees those 48 people SEE CRIME, PAGE A8 ORGANIZED CRIME VANDALISM AND VICE CONTROL 2017 2018 Value of drugs Vehicles seized 524 501 seized 3 4.39 percent decrease $406,715 ROBBERIES Arrests Cash seized 287 2017 2018 $50,815 78 65 Search warrants 16.67 percent decrease Weapons seized executed 128 22 Source: Sumter Police Department 3 finalists named Area ministry provides for superintendent heat to elderly woman Public can meet each candidate beginning Thursday thanks to annual fund BY ADRIENNE SARVIS BY BRUCE MILLS [email protected] [email protected] Donations continue to come One of three life-long public educators in for The Sumter Item’s an- will be Sumter School District’s next super- nual Fireside Fund, which re- intendent. cently helped a senior citizen At the conclusion of Monday night’s regu- AMBROSE HARGRAVE MARTIN- heat her home. any heat in her home. lar meeting, the Sumter school board an- KNOX “The Fireside Fund contin- “She heats with propane,” nounced the three finalists for the position: ues to provide resources to Howell said, “but had recently Cynthia Ambrose of Charleston County to the board. The role is to replace current allow Sumter United Minis- exhausted her tank from a School District, Ronald Hargrave of Scot- Interim Superintendent Debbie Hamm, who tries to provide emergency re- fill-up in December.” land County Schools in Laurinburg, North is finishing her second and final year in the lief for our neighbors in need She had an outstanding bal- Carolina, and Penelope Martin-Knox of Bal- position. of heat,” said Kevin Howell, ance from that December de- timore County Public Schools in Towson, In a news release, board Chairman the Rev. director of SUM Crisis Relief livery, so the propane compa- Maryland. Ralph Canty said the trustees received 50 ap- Ministry. ny would not deliver addition- B.W.P. and Associates, the consulting firm plications for the position from candidates He said the ministry recent- al propane until it was paid. that worked with the board on the search ly interviewed a woman in process, vetted and recommended all three SEE FINALISTS, PAGE A7 her mid 70s who did not have SEE FIRESIDE, PAGE A8 VISIT US ONLINE AT DEATHS, B6 WEATHER, A10 INSIDE Henrietta Rickenbaker Richard Wilson RAIN RETURNS 3 SECTIONS, 22 PAGES the .com VOL. 124, NO. 93 Nivek Asil Yeager William C. McClam Mainly cloudy with showers Lois Jeanette Watford Moses Jenkins today and cloudy tonight Classifieds B7 Opinion A9 Za’Mani O. Fulmore Marceile Morris Dively HIGH 66, LOW 50 Comics C2 Sports B1 David Neil Redmond Kevin Mays Food C1, C4 Television C3 A2 | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2019 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] MHS student threatens to shoot up school, kill herself BY SHARRON HALEY said in a press release Tuesday after- the school,” Baxley added. “Extra offi- ported by the school resource officers, Special to The Sumter Item noon. “The student was intercepted cers were at the school on Monday and has preserved the safety of students at upon arrival at the start of school Mon- Tuesday.” MHS.” MANNING — A female Manning day morning. The school resource offi- The juvenile is awaiting a family McMacthern said that Manning High High School student has been suspend- cer along with school officials contact- court hearing on the charges as well as School’s administration followed dis- ed and charged with student threats ed the juvenile’s parent, questioned the an expulsion hearing from the school, trict procedure after learning of the po- following a post she allegedly made on juvenile, suspended her immediately he added. tential threat. McMacthern said the social media early Monday in which and sent her away from school with her “School administrators and Claren- student was taken into the office at the she threatened to “shoot it up” and parent that morning. An investigation don County Sheriff’s Office assigned beginning of the school day and that then kill herself. continued until [Tuesday], where the school resource officers worked togeth- law enforcement and the student’s par- “In the early morning of Feb. 25, juvenile was charged with student er on all credible complaints and alle- ent were contacted. 2019, the school resource officer at threats and has been petitioned for a gations of threats to resolve these mat- “From the investigation, the student Manning High School learned that a ju- family court hearing.” ters at the earliest possible time,” said was immediately suspended from venile female student had made and In the release, Baxley said that the Dr. Daniel McMacthern, assistant su- school, pending further disciplinary ac- then deleted a social media post in ref- student stated that she had no inten- perintendent of personnel for Claren- tion,” he added. “Any additional disci- erence to hating everyone at school and tions of doing this and tried to delete it don School District Two. “We believe plinary actions will be heard within the wanting to shoot it up and kill herself,” before anyone could see it. that the vigilant and prompt actions of time frame and manner required by Clarendon County Sheriff Tim Baxley “There was never a safety issue at the school administration (and) sup- law.” Church of Holy Comforter presents 2nd Madrigal Dinner BY IVY MOORE Special to The Sumter Item A traditional Renaissance feast and music from the period will ac- company a comic pirate tale when the Church of the Holy Comforter presents its second-annual Madrigal Dinner on Friday and Saturday. Choir director Kipper Ackerman directs the performances that begin at 6:30 p.m. each night. Members of the church choir and some guest per- formers will act the parts in full Re- naissance costume, singing the mad- rigal songs, which are secular vocal compositions from the period. “The script was written by Jim and Jane Jeffries and Claire Wil- son,” Ackerman said, “but the musi- cal selections are all from the Re- naissance Period.” The story, she said, takes place in King Arthur’s court, during the an- PHOTO PROVIDED nual feast. The queen’s brother, un- Singers and actors from The Church of the Holy Comforter, shown here at the 2018 Madrigal Dinner Theater, will present the Renais- wanted and uninvited, shows up un- sance period dinner and performances at 6:30 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday evenings in the church’s parish hall on the corner of expectedly, adding the element of North Main and Calhoun Street. Funds raised by the dinner theater will benefit the church’s music ministry. chaos to the event. The survival of the court could be at risk. The audience for the program will this year because “the parish hall be served a traditional Renaissance was packed last year. Also, with two MADRIGAL DINNER dinner, Ackerman said, comprising nights, we can invite the public to such dishes as pork tenderloin, broc- join us.