Boeing Workers Vote 'No'
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IN SPORTS: East Clarendon takes on Scott’s Branch in girls’ basketball playoffs B1 RANGER OF THE YEAR Thomas McCants wins national award for 2016 A3 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2017 | Serving South Carolina since October 15, 1894 75 cents Boeing workers vote ‘no’ Union bid fails in South; facility set to host Trump COLUMBIA (AP) — Boeing workers’ over- against representation. whelming anti-union vote at the aviation gi- It was a massive victory for union oppo- ant’s 787 Dreamliner plant in South Carolina nents, in line with longstanding Southern is a big victory for Southern politicians and aversion to collective bargaining. At 1.6 per- business leaders who have lured manufactur- cent, South Carolina maintains the lowest ing jobs to the region on the promise of keep- percentage of unionized workers in the coun- ing unions out. try, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statis- It’s also a win for the company that will tics. host President Trump at its North Charleston In a statement on the union election, Boeing facilities Friday. vice president and general manager Joan Nearly 3,000 workers were eligible to vote Robinson-Berry looked past the decisive vote THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Wednesday on representation by the Interna- to Trump’s visit. An engine and part of a wing from the 100th 787 Dreamliner that’s tional Association of Machinists and Aero- “It is great to have this vote behind us as we being built at Boeing of South Carolina’s North Charleston facility space workers. According to Boeing, nearly 74 come together to celebrate that event,” she are shown Tuesday outside the plant. percent of the more than 2,800 votes cast were said. Letting their voices be heard African-American pastors speaking out against school district officials BY BRUCE MILLS dent, and a few spoke during public [email protected] participation. Several members were contacted Several African-American pastors in this week by The Sumter Item seeking the community are speaking out additional comments on who they be- against Sumter School District’s su- lieve is responsible for the district’s fi- perintendent, and some are extending nancial crisis. blame to the school board for the dis- Two months ago when the district’s trict’s current budget crisis. audit for last fiscal year was presented At least 10 members of the Con- to the board, it revealed the district cerned Clergy of Sumter County were overspent by $6.2 million last school in attendance Monday at the Sumter year and had a general fund balance School Board of Trustees’ meeting at Wilder Elementary School, according to the clergy’s immediate past presi- SEE VOICES, PAGE A6 Spokesperson: All 7 board members have personal ties to superintendent BY BRUCE MILLS according to a district of- allegiance to Superinten- [email protected] fice spokesperson who dent Frank Baker affects was contacted this week. their actions and deci- All seven board mem- The Sumter Item con- sions as board members. bers on the Sumter tacted Shelly Galloway, The Rev. Marion Newton, School Board of Trustees district public informa- senior pastor of Jehovah have either worked tion and strategic part- Missionary Baptist under the current dis- nerships coordinator, Church in Sumter, said RICK CARPENTER / THE SUMTER ITEM trict superintendent or after an area pastor ref- The Rev. Willie Wright, pastor of New Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, was one of at have a spouse currently erenced that five school least three pastors who spoke out Monday night during the Sumter School District employed in the district, board members’ personal SEE TIES, PAGE A6 Board of Trustees meeting at Wilder Elementary School. District 5 congressional hopeful visits Sumter Rep. Mulvaney Chad Connelly stumps at Bubba’s Diner selected for BY JIM HILLEY conservatives similar to him- Trump’s Cabinet [email protected] self to become more engaged in the nation’s political system. Hours before South Caroli- “I believe our country is off as budget chief na Congressional District 5 the rails, and God expects us Rep. Mick Mulvaney was ap- to do our part,” he said. WASHINGTON (AP) — The proved as President Trump’s He said he believes Wash- Senate on Thursday confirmed new budget director, Chad ington will not be reformed President Trump’s pick to run Connelly campaigned for the until he country ends the the White House District 5 seat he will vacate reign of career politicians. budget office, giv- at Bubba’s Diner in Sumter. “I don’t believe we are ing the Republi- The conservative Christian going to clean up Washington cans’ tea party candidate for the Republican until we have term limits,” he wing a voice in the nomination to fill Mulvaney’s said. JIM HILLEY / THE SUMTER ITEM Cabinet. seat received a warm wel- The engaging candidate District 5 congressional candidate Chad Connelly, left, works the Rep. Mick Mul- come from the similar-mind- grew up in Prosperity, South crowd at Bubba’s Diner Thursday morning. Connelly said he is run- vaney, R-S.C., ed crowd at the eatery. Carolina, he said. ning for the Republican nomination on a platform of term limits, MULVANEY squeaked through As waitresses squeezed be- “It’s about 200 people if you free enterprise and engaging more people in the political process. on a 51-49 vote in tween campaign staffers and count the animals,” he said. the Republican-controlled Sen- local supporters to bring peo- Connelly, a former chair- He said that outreach has lab, Connelly is married to ate. ple their breakfasts, Connelly man of the South Carolina Re- taken him to 21 states in the his second wife Michelle. Mulvaney’s confirmation said he was campaigning on a publican Party, has spent the past year. Both endured the deaths of promises to accelerate work on platform of term limits, free past few years as leader of the “All of the traveling has earlier spouses. He brought Trump’s upcoming budget plan, enterprise and public involve- national Republican Party’s shown me people are frus- two sons into the marriage which is overdue. That’s typical ment. outreach to evangelical Chris- trated,” he said. and she brought two daugh- at the beginning of an adminis- “We are losing the coun- tians, traveling extensively A Clemson graduate who ters. tration. try,” he said, “and it nobody’s throughout the country to en- helped pay his way through fault but our own.” gage faith leaders to become college by working at McDon- He urged other Christian more active in politics. ald’s and in the engineering SEE HOPEFUL, PAGE A6 SEE CABINET, PAGE A6 VISIT US ONLINE AT CONTACT US DEATHS, B6 WEATHER, A12 INSIDE Information: 774-1200 Cheryl M. Sims PLEASANT WINTER DAY 2 SECTIONS, 22 PAGES the .com Advertising: 774-1246 Gloria M. Ragin VOL. 122, NO. 90 Classifieds: 774-1234 Sunny and pleasant. William Jones Tonight, increasing Classifieds B7 Delivery: 774-1258 Thurston Waldon cloudiness. Comics A10 News and Sports: 774-1226 James Watson Bobby Ann G. Mahoney HIGH 71, LOW 43 Opinion A11 Raymond Lee High Television A8, A9 A2 | FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2017 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] Rotary club honors law enforcement community BY ADRIENNE SARVIS He said while he was fo- [email protected] cused on the crime that was committed he failed to realize Rotary Club of Sumter-Pal- the brave actions of the offi- metto recognized Sumter’s cer who responded to the law enforcement officers for scene. their service during a lun- Today, officers are aware of cheon in celebration of Law a more lethal public, Shugart Enforcement Day on Thurs- said. day. The average officer re- Thursday’s guest speaker sponds to serious calls about was Dr. Steve Shugart, clini- every other day knowing that cal chaplain for South Caroli- there could be an aggressor na Law Enforcement Assis- on scene who is equally or tant program and a licensed better armed, he said. professional counselor. Your life is so important be- Under the assistance pro- cause you protect the commu- gram, Shugart serves officers nity, Shugart said. The things with South Carolina Law En- you do have a tremendous ef- forcement Division; S.C. De- fect, maybe even more than partment of Public Safety; you intended, on the people S.C. Department of Correc- you serve, he said. tions; S.C. Department of Nat- Also, the Rotary club recog- ural Resources; S.C. Depart- nized Sgt. Wesley Floyd of ment of Probation, Pardon Sumter County Sheriff’s Of- and Parole; S.C. National fice; Lt. Cynthia Kelly of Guard; and the office of the Sumter-Lee Regional Deten- S.C. Adjutant General. tion Center; Officer 1st Class Shugart talked about ques- Chad Temples of Sumter Po- tions and the different ways to lice Department; and Lance answer them. Sometimes the RICK CARPENTER / THE SUMTER ITEM Cpl. Orlando McCray of wrong question will be asked Dr. Steve Shugart, clinical chaplain for the South Carolina Law Enforcement Assistance Program, talks South Carolina Highway Pa- or you’ll have the wrong an- about the important role of law enforcement in our communities Thursday at the Rotary Club of Sumter trol who were nominated by swer, he said. Palmetto. Thursday was the club’s annual Law Enforcement Day where the officers of the year were hon- their respective agencies as Shugart said he sat through ored, representing the Sumter Police Department, the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, the S.C. State Patrol officers of the year for their most of the trial of Dylann and the Sumter Lee Regional Detention Center.