CLARENDON SUN Judge Dingle was mentor, educator and friend Hundreds share stories of how he touched their lives C1 SERVING SOUTH CAROLINA SINCE OCTOBER 15, 1894 FRIDAY, MAY 10, 2019 75 CENTS Practice with Sumter location settles suit nine physical therapy practic- the Office of Inspector Gener- ously as though the services Whistleblower brought claims of Medicare bill es headquartered in Columbia al for the U.S. Department of were being provided by a inflation against Carolina Physical Therapy with locations in Columbia, Health and Human Services. physical therapist or physical Irmo, Lexington, Sumter and “People who depend on medi- therapist assistant to one pa- BY KAYLA ROBINS agreeing to pay $790,000. Mount Pleasant, according to cal care through these pro- tient at a time. As a result, [email protected] Hilary Moore, a former em- the office of South Carolina grams and taxpayers who pro- Carolina PT received higher ployee of Carolina Physical U.S. Attorney Sherri A. vide the funding deserve reimbursements than it would A Columbia-based physical Therapy and Sports Medicine, Lydon. much better.” have if it had accurately rep- therapy practice with a loca- filed the original lawsuit as a “Carolina PT inflated bills It was contended that Caro- resented the services. tion in Sumter has settled whistleblower in the U.S. Dis- sent to federal health pro- lina PT knowingly submitted Additionally, the United with the U.S. Attorney’s Of- trict Court for South Carolina grams, the government con- claims to Medicare and TRI- States contended the practice fice in South Carolina on under the False Claims Act. tended,” said Derrick L. Jack- CARE for services provided to claims of health care fraud, Carolina PT was a chain of son, special agent in charge of multiple patients simultane- SEE LAWSUIT, PAGE A7 Iron works owner credits his mentors, employees in his journey to success Merchant reflects on career at expansion celebration BY BRUCE MILLS cellaneous metals and material- [email protected] handling equipment in the in- dustrial and commercial mar- Sumter Economic Develop- kets and in the midst of growing ment Board President Jay its facility and adding 27 jobs Schwedler describes winners in along the way. the world of local economic de- Phase One of a three-phase, velopment as those who are multi-year growth plan included team players who find solutions an 8,000-square-foot plant expan- to add value sion and and increase new equip- opportuni- ment pur- ties in the chases to in- communi- crease pro- ties that duction and they repre- ramp up em- sent. ployment At an in- from 35 to 51 dustrial employees, business ex- Merchant pansion cel- said. The fa- ebration on cility cur- Thursday, Merchant talks Thursday with college men- rently has Schwedler tor Richard Gambrell at his facility. Gam- about 40,000 said David brell introduced welding to Merchant when square feet. Merchant, he was a student at Clemson University. Phase Two president of will be com- Sumter-based manufacturer pleted soon and will feature a Merchant Iron Works, is such an 150,000-square-foot outdoor steel example. processing and shipping area on About 100 friends, family site, he said. When the expansion members, clients and local and is complete, Merchant Iron Works state officials turned out for the will have about 62 employees. event marking Merchant’s busi- Founded locally in 2001 by ness expansion, which was first Merchant, the company has announced last year. grown from “humble begin- The company, at 3215 Beulah nings,” according to him. After PHOTOS BY BRUCE MILLS / THE SUMTER ITEM Cuttino Road, is a fabricator and A welder works on a steel support frame Thursday at Merchant Iron Works. The metal fabrication installer of structural steel, mis- SEE MERCHANT, PAGE A7 company is in the midst of an expansion as part of a multi-year growth plan. WHAT YOUR GOVERNMENT IS DOING: SUMTER CITY COUNCIL Nursing homes, secondary schools removed from certain zonings BY KAYLA ROBINS said the Finance Department and city MORE COMMERCIAL USES plan for the area is supportive of higher uses. The empty land is currently being used as soccer fields. [email protected] department heads continue to work on Agenda item: A request to rezone nearly 12 acres the citywide budget for fiscal year 2020 at 1770 Camden Highway from Planned Currently, there are only three uses allowed, so the Sumter City Council discussed a po- and remains with $725,055 to balance Development to General Commercial to facilitate applicant, Tyler Dunlap, wants to be able to expand tential commercial rezoning across in the general fund. future commercial development his options for future development. General Commercial is the broadest zoning and allows for from Bible Way Church of Sumter and That amount of a deficit is “pretty Reading: First of three after a one-month almost any use, according to city planners. approved the removal of nursing normal for this time of the year,” he deferment homes and, separately, secondary said. The planning commission recommended approval. Background: The parcel is where the Summit schools from certain zonings Tuesday Realty and Development offices have been across at its regular monthly meeting. LAND ACROSS FROM BIBLE WAY from Bible Way Church of Sumter, First Church of City Manager Deron McCormick CHURCH MAY BECOME OPEN TO God and Beach Forest subdivision, and the land use SEE ZONING, PAGE A7 VISIT US ONLINE AT DEATHS, B6 WEATHER, A10 INSIDE Thomas Saul Cook Jr. OC Wilson IT’S FRIDAY 3 SECTIONS, 22 PAGES the .com VOL. 124, NO. 144 Leroy Dukes Williams Jr. George McBride Clouds and sun; partly Chervonne Maria Porcher Ethel Mae Bell cloudy tonight Clarendon Sun C1 Opinion A9 Celain Brown Jackson Rovena Tindal Moorer Classifieds B7 Sports B1 Rosa Hickmon William Evans HIGH 83, LOW 66 Gardenia Susan Parker Sammie Lee Mitchell Comics A8 Television C3 A2 | FRIDAY, MAY 10, 2019 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] Fight hunger, leave food by mailbox on Saturday BY KAYLA ROBINS face to face with a sad real- livery network that spans the entire food-insecure, with many who live on [email protected] ity for too many — hunger. nation, including Puerto Rico, Guam a fixed income often feeling too em- To help fight that prob- and the U.S. Virgin Islands. barrassed to ask for help. Postal workers are hop- lem, letter carriers picked On Saturday, they will do so in 10,000 Food banks often receive the major- ing to pick up more than the second Saturday of cities and towns in all 50 states, the ity of their donations during the mail on Saturday. each May across the na- District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday The National Association tion to collect food from Virgin Islands and Guam. seasons. By spring, many pantries of Letter Carriers will hold customers. Last year, According to information provided are depleted, entering the summer its 27th-annual Stamp Out they collected 71.6 mil- by Stamp Out Hunger, about 42 mil- low on supplies at a time when many Hunger food drive on May lion pounds across the lion Americans — one in six — are school breakfast and lunch programs 11, when they will collect country, feeding an es- unsure where their next meal is com- are not available to children in need. non-perishable food items timated 64 million peo- ing from. There are 16 million chil- To participate, leave a non-perish- that are left by mailboxes to be ple. Over the course of its 26- dren who feel hunger’s impact on able food donation of any amount in donated to local food pantries. year history, the drive has collected their overall health and ability to per- a bag by your mailbox on Saturday, Letter carriers walk through the well over 1.67 billion pounds of food form in school, and nearly five mil- and your letter carrier will do the community every day, often coming thanks to a postal service universal de- lion seniors over the age of 60 are rest. From raceway to runway Pro drivers interact with Team Shaw, experience more speed with Viper pilots BY SENIOR AIRMAN safety observer and 55th Fight- KATHRYN R.C. REAVES er Squadron pilot, the racers F-16 Viper Demonstration Team were introduced to more speed Shaw Air Force Base and G-forces than they could Special to The Sumter Item have experienced on the race- track. Airmen assigned to the 20th Schmitz, who flew with Bell, Fighter Wing and Air Combat said they hit speeds in excess Command F-16 Viper Demon- of 650 mph and experienced al- stration Team hosted Conor most nine times the force of Daly, Air Force Honda race car gravity during their flight. driver, and Townsend Bell, “‘Toro’ (Schmitz) really talk- sports commentator and pro- ed me through what we were fessional race car driver, April going to experience and did 15-16 at Shaw Air Force Base. such a great job that I knew During the U.S. Air Force Re- what to expect, but you can’t cruiting coordinated visit, Daly prepare for the amount of and Bell had the opportunity to thrust to the weight of the vehi- U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTOS BY SENIOR AIRMAN KATHRYN R.C. REAVES / SPECIAL TO THE SUMTER ITEM interact with Team Shaw air- cle,” Bell said. “The speed just U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Carson Buice, 20th Operations Support Squadron aircrew flight equipment men before receiving rides in keeps coming and coming and technician, speaks to Conor Daly, left, and Townsend Bell, center, in the 77th Fighter Squadron life support the back of F-16D Vipers.