Deficit Crisis Provokes Change District’S Finances Heading on Right Path Bill Would Expand Sumter School Board
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USC men set to take on Duke in Round 2 B1 Old warhorse Restored combat veteran PT boat makes a splash A10 SERVING SOUTH CAROLINA SINCE OCTOBER 15, 1894 SUNDAY, MARCH 19, 2017 $1.75 PANORAMA: 3 named to Women’s Honor Roll A5 Deficit crisis provokes change District’s finances heading on right path Bill would expand Sumter school board BY BRUCE MILLS Sumter School District Finance Com- BY BRUCE MILLS lation with state Sen. Kevin Johnson, [email protected] mittee members Greg Thompson and [email protected] D-Clarendon, with the full support of William Byrd made their remarks Fri- the entire delegation, which consists Sumter School District’s financial day after the full committee had its reg- Both state senators representing of both senators and four representa- picture is headed in the right direction ular monthly meeting Thursday with Sumter County introduced a bill Thurs- tives in the House of Representatives. with the help of its independent fi- school finance consultant Scott Allan. day to add two at-large board members McElveen said the delegation has nance consultant and decisions made The board’s finance committee in- initially appointed by the county legisla- considered introducing the legisla- Thursday to give the board’s finance cludes four local private-business owners tive delegation to the Sumter School tion for a long time, but the recent committee more oversight on the dis- District Board of Trustees. trict’s budget, says two private business State Sen. Thomas McElveen, D- leaders who serve on the committee. SEE FINANCES, PAGE A13 Sumter, said he introduced the legis- SEE BOARD, PAGE A13 ‘WE GOT TO KNOW PEOPLE’S FEET PRETTY WELL’ Item wins Many mothers and fathers have taken their children, who have then taken their children, down to Jack’s to be fitted for a new pair of shoes. After nearly 100 years, the Sumter mainstay, 14 awards “which served people the way the big-box stores can’t,” is going out of business. at S.C. press Jack’s Shoes set to close doors convention FROM STAFF REPORTS The Sumter Item staff won 14 awards, including four first places and sweeping first, sec- ond and third place in two cat- egories at the South Carolina Press Association Awards Banquet held Saturday in Columbia. The Sumter Item’s biggest GEDAMKE winner was pho- tographer Keith Gedamke, who won five awards, including sweeping all three places in the feature photography category and fin- ishing first and second in the pictorial photography catego- ry. Melanie Smith finished third in the pictorial photogra- PHOTOS BY RICK CARPENTER / THE SUMTER ITEM phy category that completed From the left, Jack’s Shoes owner Darrell Thompson, former owner Abe Stern and retired employee Jenkins McElveen. The Sumter Item’s sweep in that category. Smith is a page designer/copy editor who Longtime Sumter business will shutter at end of month shoots photos in her spare time. BY JIM HILLEY Jack’s Shoes, Jessica Stephens, a page de- [email protected] a Sumter signer/copy editor for The institution, Sumter Item, won first place in ack’s Department Store was will close its feature page design portfolio, first opened in Mayesville in doors toward and the entire news staff won 1922 by Jack Addlesburg and the end of first place in reporting in J his brother Max. March and depth for its coverage of Hur- Since that time, the business moved is currently ricane Matthew. to Sumter and changed its business reducing “What’s significant about model from being a department store inventory Jessica’s win is that as our to specializing in shoes. with a 60 newspaper group takes on de- At the end of this month, what percent off signing products for our other is now called Jack’s sale. newspapers across the country, Shoes will close its she has very few opportunities doors forever. Jack’s ness difficulty but that he is ready to cated to the ground floor of the impos- to work on The Sumter Item Shoes owner retire. ing Dixie Life Building. The store pages,” said Rick Carpenter, Darrell “I turned 71 this month,” Thompson wrapped around the seven-story Dixie managing editor of The Item. Thompson said. “I am ready to relax.” Life Building and had entrances on said it is not After its founding in Mayesville, the because of store was moved to Sumter in the late SEE ITEM, PAGE A12 any sort of busi- 1920s and within a few years was relo- SEE SHOES, PAGE A13 VISIT US ONLINE AT CONTACT US DEATHS, A15 WEATHER, A16 INSIDE Information: 774-1200 Willie L. Hardy Sr. Viola W. Brayboy SUNNY SUNDAY 4 SECTIONS, 34 PAGES the .com Advertising: 774-1246 Cecil G. Scott Sr. Peggy R. Roberts VOL. 122, NO. 111 Classifieds: 774-1234 Plenty of sunshine. Beatrix B. Bagnal Willie M. Lowder Tonight, clear Business C1 Delivery: 774-1258 Betsie A. Bryan Patricia S. Sumpter and cold. Classifieds C8 News and Sports: 774-1226 Bertrand Waring LouLenden McBride Moses Pauline W. Jackson Annie Baxter Singleton HIGH 64, LOW 35 Opinion A14 Outdoors C6 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 19, 2017 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] LOCAL & STATE BRIEFS Jones sentenced for child porn FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS Lee County S.D. holding Ex-vice commander gets thrown out of Air Force, 1 year in jail board meeting BY ADRIENNE SARVIS internet to find what he is looking for. Jones knows that child pornography Lee County School District [email protected] And if he stumbled upon images that is an insidious evil in society, and that Board of Trustees will hold its are clearly illegal, why did he do the it destroys the lives of the children and regular board meeting at 6:30 Military Judge J. Wesley Moore dis- same thing over and over again, and why those who view it, Gapasin said. p.m. Monday in the Quadplex, missed former Shaw Air Force Base did he organize, rename and hide the im- He said a small number of the images District Administration Com- 20th Fighter Wing Vice Commander ages, Lyons asked. A mistake happens found on his client’s devices actually de- plex, 310 Roland St., Bishop- Col. William Jones from the U.S. Air one time, not multiple times, she said. picted hardcore child pornography. Not in ville. Force and sentenced him to 12 months The only explanation is that he found an attempt to justify the crime, what was On the agenda is a S.C. incarceration during the final day of and kept the images inten- found is more benign than what is out School Board Association Con- the court-martial sentence hearing at tionally, Lyons said. there and that should be a mitigating fac- ference / Legislative update, Shaw Air Force Base on Friday. The trial counsel requested tor when setting the sentence, he said. announcement of S.C. School Jones pleaded guilty to wrongfully that Jones be dismissed from Gapasin said the purpose behind a Boards Insurance Trust grand possessing child pornography between the Air Force and sentenced sentence is to rehabilitate a person, but award of $7,741.30, recognition July 2015 and February 2016. to nine years in prison. he would say his client has been reha- of students and the superin- There is a difference in the testimo- Lyons said the requested bilitated through the court-martial pro- tendent’s report. ny given by the accused and the evi- JONES sentence and dismissal cess. He said an extended incarceration For more information, call dence presented by the government, would send the message period would take Jones away from his (803) 484-5327, extension 1002. said Maj. Sarah Lyons of the trial coun- that no matter a service member’s rank, a family support system and professional sel during closing arguments on Friday crime will be dealt with appropriately. connections, which would take away Paxville fundraising afternoon. While speaking, she showed The accused has a problem, and it is his chance for further rehabilitation. banquet Saturday the military judge some of the images clear that rehabilitation will take a long Jones’ more than 30 years of service found on the laptop seized from Jones’ time, she said. to the military have to be calculated The Paxville Community residence in February 2016. Jones should be dismissed in order to when determining his sentence, Gapa- Development Corporation Jones said he stumbled upon child distinguish him from service members sin said. Even a major general spoke on Fundraising Banquet will be pornography while attempting to look who have served for many years with- Jones’ behalf, knowing the charges in- held at 5 p.m. on Saturday at for pornography of young adults and out harming others, she said. Awards volved, in order to give the whole pic- Manning Junior High School, his only crime is that he held onto the cannot make up for preying on chil- ture of his dedicated service, he said. 1101 W.L. Hamilton Road, illegal images for too long, she said. dren, some of the most vulnerable peo- A dismissal would be a dispropor- Manning. The accused would also like for the ple in society, she said. tionate punishment, he said. State Sen. Kevin Johnson, D- military judge to believe it is impossible The defense counsel requested that As a result of the sentencing, Jones’ Manning, will be the guest to search the internet for pornography Jones be sentenced to 12 months incar- status in the Air Force and all benefits speaker.