Cops and Bobbers Fishing Trip Catches on for Children
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IN SPORTS: Crestwood hosts cross-county rival Lakewood in soccer B1 PANORAMA Mayesville Presbyterian choir performs Hymn Festival on Sunday C1 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 2017 | Serving South Carolina since October 15, 1894 75 cents County still prepping for budget workshop County Finance Director ty departments such as the county departments have 1st workshop is at 5 p.m. Tuesday Jamie Michaelson said the stormwater department and done a great job so far with current general fund just for solicitor’s office. making adjustments for the BY ADRIENNE SARVIS council conference room on county salaries is about $20 A 7.3 percent increase to the 2018 fiscal year by reducing adrienne@theitem.com Tuesday. million and the 3 percent cost- county’s cost of health insur- budget requests. During the committee meet- of-living adjustment would ance would be $239,000 and He said the county is still Sumter County Council ing, council received a prelim- add approximately $600,000. county departments will pro- waiting to know how much took a look at the preliminary inary report on the proposed He said a 2 percent retire- vide an additional $50,000 for funding it will receive from proposals for the 2018 fiscal increased costs of retirement ment increase would total a total increase of about the state through the local year budget during the Coun- benefits, health insurance and about $412,000 with an addi- $289,000, Michaelson said. government fund. ty Fiscal, Tax and Property cost of living for county em- tional $67,000 — $479,000 all Sumter County Administra- Committee meeting in county ployees. together — provided by coun- tor Gary Mixon said some SEE COUNTY, PAGE A4 SUMTER SCHOOL DISTRICT ‘‘We’reWe’re bbroke’roke’ RICK CARPENTER / THE SUMTER ITEM Sumter School Board member and finance committee chairman Johnny Hilton reacts on Monday to those opposed to closing two schools in the district, explaining to the full board the need for the district to become financially stable. Finance committee chairman makes case to full board Consultant continues BY BRUCE MILLS ty to express his or her beliefs and a critically low level, according to combing through budget bruce@theitem.com feelings on the matter. One asked the district’s auditor. finance committee chairman and Hilton went on to explain the BY BRUCE MILLS Members attending last Friday’s fellow-board member Johnny Hil- various emergency cost-cutting bruce@theitem.com Sumter School Board Finance ton for the committee’s rationale measures the district has already Committee said they believe imme- for recommending Allan’s report. implemented this year to meet the Sumter School District’s Board of Trust- diate action is necessary to remedy Hilton, a retired educator him- current budget by June 30. Those ees tasked hired financial consultant Scott the district’s financial crisis. The self and long-time principal at include cutting classroom supply Allan with discovering what went wrong committee made the recommenda- Millwood Elementary School in budgets by 50 percent and limiting with the 2016 Fiscal Year budget, how to fix tion to support financial consultant Sumter, said nobody likes the idea substitute teachers as much as and make corrections to the Scott Allan’s report to close two of closing schools, but he said he possible — all of which he said he current FY 2017 budget and low-enrollment schools at the end and the other committee members believes has had a negative impact draft the most cost-efficient of this school year as part of a cost- believed the cost-saving measure on the district’s children. budget for FY 2018, which be- saving measure to build the dis- was necessary. When looking at cutting costs, gins July 1. trict’s fund balance back up. “We’re in a mess, we’re broke,” Hilton said the district office and Since starting with the dis- That motion — a hot-button Hilton said. “We spent all of our the finance committee decided it trict in early January, he has issue — failed Monday night to savings; we have no savings in the was appropriate to look at which ALLAN discovered items in this year’s gain the support of the full board bank.” schools were the most financially budget that were underbudget- in a 3-2 vote, with one board mem- Hilton was explaining that the inefficient. ed, overbudgeted or just not in the budget at ber abstaining. district over-spent by $6.2 million Hilton told fellow board mem- all. In both Friday’s board finance commit- After Allan gave his financial in the fiscal year ending June 30, bers district data shows at smaller, tee meeting and Monday’s board of trustees’ update to the board Monday, each 2016, and closed the year with a board member had the opportuni- general fund balance of $106,449 — SEE CASE, PAGE A4 SEE ALLAN, PAGE A4 Cops and Bobbers fishing trip catches on for children BY ADRIENNE SARVIS with Sumter Police Department. Tim, 15, fishes at the adrienne@theitem.com The local chapter is not a union but newly rebuilt and re- it is focused on helping members with stocked pond at Tra- About 20 children from children’s work- or education-related issues and cy’s Camp in Pine- homes in Sumter and Clarendon coun- interacting with the community, he wood during the first ties went fishing with active and for- said. Cops and Bobbers mer law enforcement officers during Sargent said Saturday’s event was a event hosted by Cen- the first Cops and Bobbers fishing great opportunity for the children to tral Carolina Lodge event hosted by Central Carolina have positive interactions with law en- No. 31 of the Frater- Lodge No. 31 of the Fraternal Order of forcement officers. Some of the chil- nal Order of Police on Police at Tracy’s Camp in Pinewood dren may have been removed from Saturday. The event on Saturday. their homes by officers so Cops and allowed children from Central Carolina Lodge 31, consist- Bobbers shows them that officers are two children’s homes ing of about 50 members, includes ac- not bad people, he said. in Sumter and Claren- tive and retired officers in Sumter, For many of the children, ages 3 to don counties to inter- Clarendon and Lee counties. 15, Saturday was the first time they act with law enforce- “It’s important to do what we can,” had gone fishing. ment officers. said Central Carolina Lodge 31 Presi- dent Kevin Sargent, a former officer SEE COPS, PAGE A4 PHOTO PROVIDED VISIT US ONLINE AT CONTACT US DEATHS, B5 WEATHER, A8 INSIDE Information: 774-1200 Arthur L. Lucas NICE WEATHER RETURNS 3 SECTIONS, 18 PAGES the .com Advertising: 774-1246 Argire ‘Sandy’ Hodge Sunny, clear and pleasant VOL. 122, NO. 138 Classifieds: 774-1200 Dale L. Anderson today with no chance of Classifieds B6 Opinion A7 Delivery: 774-1258 Robert Chatman Jr. rain; tonight, cool and Comics C2 Television C3 News and Sports: 774-1226 Evelyn K. Barkwick mainly clear skies. Food C4 Lawrence C. Morse III HIGH 85, LOW 62 Josephine T. Geddings Sam Peter Dukes Jr. A2 | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 2017 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: pressrelease@theitem.com STATE BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS Nobel-prize winner selects Crestwood McMaster signs bill stabilizing S.C. pension student for STEM honor program COLUMBIA — Gov. Henry McMaster has signed a bill de- BY ZENIYA COOLEY nominated Mosquero to represent quero said. signed to stabilize South Caroli- Crestwood Correspondent Crestwood because of her academic ex- James Curry, Mosquero’s former in- na’s pension system for public cellence, leadership and interest in sci- tegrated business apps teacher, was not workers. A Nobel Prize winner has selected ence and technology. surprised to hear about his student’s The Republican governor Crestwood High School junior Kimber- While at the Congress, success. called the law signed Tuesday ly M. Mosquero as a delegate to the Mosquero will engage with “(Kimberly) was pretty much an ad- “just the first step of many” Congress of Future Science and Tech- students nationwide, listen vanced student,” he said. “I remember needed to secure long-term sta- nology Leaders. The program takes to prestigious award win- her finishing assignments that took the bility. He’s particularly disap- place from June 29 to July 1 in Lowell, ners discuss scientific re- rest of the class a week in a day.” pointed it doesn’t address mov- Massachusetts. search and learn about Curry added that she was recruited ing new hires to a defined con- The Congress is an honors program MOSQUERO technology advances as in the Virtual Enterprise International tribution plan such as a 401K. for students interested in Science, well as the future of sci- course and became the Chief Technolo- Under the law, employers Technology, Engineering and Mathe- ence and technology, ac- gy Officer of the school’s firm in just and their workers will pay matics, or STEM, and it recognizes top cording to a news release from the Na- her second year of high school. more starting July 1. But work- students in the nation who desire to be tional Academy of Future Scientists and Mosquero said she knows the pro- ers’ rates won’t rise again, scientists and technologists. Technologists. gram will possibly help her get a schol- while their taxpayer-supported The program also assists the stu- She said she is most excited to learn arship, be admitted into a good college employers will pay increasingly dents in accomplishing their STEM-re- new information about the field she and get her a good job, and she said more through 2022.