PANORAMA U.S. honors ‘Grand Old Flag’ Burning ceremony planned for Flag Day today C1 SERVING SOUTH CAROLINA SINCE OCTOBER 15, 1894 WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2017 $1 County council approves budget flect a 2 percent cost-of-living the 3 percent cost-of-living in- $37,000 and will affect 48 senior Salary increase included for 48 deputies increase that council approved crease that will be given to all deputies, investigators and cor- BY ADRIENNE SARVIS final reading of the county’s for 48 deputies at Sumter Coun- county employees, totaling to a porals with the sheriff’s office. [email protected] 2017 fiscal year budget of ap- ty Sheriff’s Office during a 5 percent increase for those Sheriff Anthony Dennis re- proximately $51.5 million. budget workshop before the deputies. quested that council increase During its regular meeting Sumter County Administra- regular meeting. Council chairman James Mc- on Tuesday, Sumter County tor Gary Mixon said the budget Council voted to allow the 2 Cain said the 2 percent will Council approved third and will need to be adjusted to re- percent increase in addition to amount to approximately SEE BUDGET, PAGE A6 Delegation Local veterans wrapped in quilts seeks board member applicants BY BRUCE MILLS [email protected] The job ad could read like this: “Help Wanted: Attend two official meetings a month and get yelled at a lot. Require- ments: Thick skin. Pay: $650/month.” That job description could be appropri- ate for the two at-large seats available on the Sumter School District Board of Trustees. Some of that may be said in jest, but on a serious note, the local legislative dele- gation is calling on Sumter County resi- dents interested in serving as at-large members to the Sumter board to send in a resume and letter of interest as soon as possible for the two open positions. The two open slots came to be after the local delegation initiated and helped pass a new law in the General Assembly this session to add two at-large members to RICK CARPENTER / THE SUMTER ITEM the board. With the new legislation, the Rosella Cooper wipes away tears after she was presented with a quilt in recognition of her service with the Air National board has expanded from seven voting Guard during a program hosted by the Quilts of Valor Foundation at Sumter Fire Department headquarters on Monday. See members to nine. photos of all veterans receiving quilts on Monday on page A5. State Rep. Murrell Smith, R-Sumter, and the local delegation’s chairman made the announcement Tuesday for in- Volunteers present 4 military retirees with recognition, thanks terested applicants to send in their infor- BY ADRIENNE SARVIS The quilts were presented to the Since 2003, more than 159,200 mation. Smith said interested applicants [email protected] veterans by Charles and Heidi quilts have been presented to veter- could send in a copy of their resume and Thornton, volunteers with Quilts of ans — 2,000 of those quilts have a letter of interest to him or any other Valor Foundation. been presented in South Carolina, delegation member for review as a candi- our local military veterans Quilts of Valor started in 2003 he said. date for the two available seats. Smith received Quilts of Valor in when a woman named Catherine Charles Thornton said the goal is said the deadline for interested appli- Roberts, whose son was deployed to present a quilt to each U.S. veter- recognition of their ser- cants to provide those materials is Mon- F overseas with the U.S. Army, had a an. “We’ve got a long way to go, but day, June 26. vice during a program at Sumter dream about wrapping a veteran in we’ve come a long way,” he said. As the delegation’s chairman, Smith a quilt to help keep him at peace as It costs about $275 and takes Fire Department headquarters he dealt with the demons of war, SEE BOARD, PAGE A6 on Monday evening. Charles Thornton said. SEE VETERANS, PAGE A5 USC Sumter hopes to ‘open up a whole new world’ through program a $1.3 million fed- rollout of the college’s first- college-bound students with fall at Manning High. At that $1.3M grant will help eral grant to help ever Upward Bound program the academic and life skills time, program staff will re- low-income students low-income stu- this week. The program will necessary to graduate high cruit 60 students in grades dents at an area be in partnership with Man- school and succeed in college, nine through 12 at the school get ready for college high school suc- ning High School in Claren- Rosdail said. for the new program. The re- ceed not only in don School District 2 and will According to Rosdail, it was cruitment will involve an ap- BY BRUCE MILLS ROSDAIL high school, but be funded during a five-year the college’s first attempt at plication and interview pro- [email protected] also through col- period. the highly competitive grant, cess, according to Rosdail. lege. The goal of the federally and she was elated the college In order to maintain the University of South Caroli- USC Sumter program direc- funded program is to provide received it. na Sumter has been awarded tor Lisa Rosdail discussed the low-income, first-generation, The rollout will begin this SEE PROGRAM, PAGE A6 VISIT US ONLINE AT DEATHS, B4 and B5 WEATHER, A8 INSIDE Shirley A. Hogan Sammie Lee Frazier STORMS RETURN 3 SECTIONS, 18 PAGES the .com VOL. 122, NO. 173 Charles R. Warner Howard E. Jacobs An afternoon thunderstorm Alford D. Elmore Sr. Wilhelmina B. Chandler possible today; mainly clear Classifieds B6 Sports B1 Kathleen S. Ryles Chester Lighty Jr. and humid tonight Comics C2 Television C3 Marcia H. McCutcheon Alice M. Ballard Glenn C. Baun Josiah B. Aull Sr. HIGH 94, LOW 73 Opinion A7 Carl L. Mathis Arvel K. Hagans Sr. A2 | WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2017 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] A doggone good turnout for K9-5K PHOTOS BY CAITLAN WALZER / THE SUMTER ITEM ABOVE: Epps Orthodontics welcomed 115 runners early Saturday morning for its K9-5K which raised more than $3,000 for the Sumter Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. LEFT: Third-place winner in Saturday’s event was James Miller and his dog, Desmund. for adults, $5 for children LOCAL & under 5. Advance registra- tion is required, and life Dozens in S.C. charged in STATE BRIEFS jackets are mandatory. FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS For more information and to register, call Debby Alford Float your boat with at (803) 775-9564. Active Lifestyles prison-based meth ring Deputy gets bride Sumter County Active to chapel on time BY MEG KINNARD a top priority for South Carolina corrections Lifestyles' original mission The Associated Press officials. For years, the state has asked the Fed- statement was "to enhance GREENVILLE — A eral Communications Commission for permis- and enrich the Sumter area South Carolina woman is COLUMBIA — Nearly three dozen people sion to jam cell signals at its prisons, render- through walking and bik- thanking a sheriff’s deputy are charged with being part of a methamphet- ing useless any cellphones possessed by in- ing." The goal remains the for getting her to her wed- amine ring run by South Carolina prison in- mates. same, but SCAL has expand- ding on time after her limo mates who used smuggled cellphones, state Earlier this year, Corrections Director Bryan ed the methods of reaching broke down. prosecutors said Tuesday. Stirling traveled to Washington to lobby mem- it. On Saturday, for example, The Greenville County The state grand jury indictments announced bers of Congress on the issue, accompanied by the organization is sponsor- Sheriff’s Office posted Kelly by Attorney General Alan Wilson accuse 34 a former corrections officer nearly killed in a ing a "Boat Float." Bushey’s thank you note on people of operating multiple, connected drug- hit that authorities said had been organized by Interested persons are en- its Facebook page Tuesday. trafficking operations across the state. Charges an illegal cellphone behind bars. couraged to meet at Poinsett Bushey said the limo range from methamphetamine and heroin traf- The cellphone industry strongly opposes State Park for a 7:30-to-8 transporting the bridal ficking to weapons crimes, prosecutors said. jamming the signals, out of concern it could a.m. "warm-up," with mini party broke down 30 min- The defendants include two inmates at maxi- lead to wider gaps in their networks. The pro- hikes, yoga stretches and a utes from the chapel. Some- mum-security state prisons. According to Wil- posal hasn't been approved, although FCC offi- corn hole game. Immediate- one in the party called the son, inmates at prisons in Columbia and Bish- cials including Chairman Ajit Pai have said ly following that, registered sheriff’s office and flagged opville — about 50 miles northeast of the capi- they're sympathetic to the concern. participants will launch down one of the buses car- tal city — led the criminal conspiracy, using The people charged in Tuesday's case live in their canoes, kayaks, pedal rying guests to the ceremo- contraband cellphones to direct drug deliver- the Carolinas and Georgia, and one is from boats, paddle boats and ny. ies, sales and payments with people on the out- California. Most have been arrested, although stand-up paddle boards for Bushey said East “put my side. authorities said they were still seeking five of two hours on the park's lake.