S.C. Grand Jury Charges Accused Former Sumter School District
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S.C. Grand Jury charges accused former Sumter School District employee SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2018 $1.75 SERVING SOUTH CAROLINA SINCE OCTOBER 15, 1894 DuBose faces 3 counts, alleging embezzlement, misconduct BY BRUCE MILLS office, according to a news release A second count alleges she un- [email protected] and Robert Kittle, an attorney with lawfully received payment for the state Attorney General’s office. “training” that she didn’t conduct A former Sumter School District The first count of embezzlement or was not properly certified to con- 4 SECTIONS, 28 PAGES | VOL. 124, NO. 25 employee accused last year in at alleges that DuBose, while serving duct and, in so doing, unlawfully re- least one anonymous letter of mis- as the district’s former director of ceived more than $10,000 of improp- using funds has been charged by early childhood development, pur- er compensation for personal use. IN TODAY’S EDITION the state Grand Jury that is alleg- chased — or caused to be pur- Count No. 3 is for misconduct in ing public corruption. chased — a variety of consumer- office and alleges DuBose commit- Charges for Vivian “Libby” Du- type goods and unlawfully convert- ted acts and omissions in breach of Bose include three counts alleging ed at least $10,000 of those purchas- embezzlement and misconduct in es to her personal use. SEE CHARGES, PAGE A10 Robinson Jr. holds boxing training at Team Robinson Ring ready: MMA fitness facility Looking for the perfect gift and PHOTOS BY MICAH GREEN / THE SUMTER ITEM Above, Jerome Robinson Jr. trains DJ Neasman at his martial arts and fitness gym, Team Robinson MMA, on West Liberty Street this week. Robinson is one of The Sumter Item’s 2018-19 Top 20 Young Professionals Under 40 winners. Below, Mike holiday ideas? McCain takes a breath between reps. Stocking stuffers, wrapping tips, party must-haves and more are in our annual guide SPORTS Sumter falls to Byrnes B1 DEATHS, B6 May McMillan Jessie Mae Moses Alan S. Hovermale Jr. Diane L. Spring Windoln G. Hastie Blondena F. Gamble Betty N. Beaty Hackett Shedrick M. Burk Sumter’s future business James Witherspoon Martha M. Berry Fulisha J. Tindal Waters Melanie L. Barnett James Burgess Delores Nickens Dorothy L. Frazier Belton Diane S. Spring leaders join forces, hold Mary Lee Boykin WEATHER, A12 inaugural FBLA event BY BRUCE MILLS Sumter program, the chapters Town hall to NICE SUNDAY [email protected] at Lakewood and Crestwood high schools and for five mid- Mostly sunny and mild with slight chance of rain. When Torey Shannon ar- dle school chapters in the HIGH 62, LOW 49 discourage teen rived back at his alma mater, county as an inaugural dis- Sumter High School, in 2013 trict-wide new members in- as a business education teach- duction and officers installa- INSIDE CONTACT US er, he inherited as club advis- tion ceremony was held at the tobacco use C6 er a Future Business Leaders Sumter High School Com- Classifieds Info: 774-1200 D1 of America program with one mons Area. BY ADRIENNE SARVIS Comics Advertising: 774-1237 member. Shannon organized the [email protected] A11 Opinion Classifieds: 774-1200 Five years later, event — which had about 500 C5 Outdoors Delivery: 774-1258 Shannon has an students and parents in atten- The issue of tobacco use is not yet fin- C3 Reflections News and Sports: FBLA program dance — to present Sumter ished, according to Sumter Behavioral C2 Television 774-1226 with 81 members, School District as a unified Health Services, and Sumter County Yesteryear C4 teaching high district and display its overall can do more to prevent the growing use school students talent to the community and of tobacco among teens starting with a SHANNON the importance of employers. town hall Dec. 11. VISIT US ONLINE AT the .com work ethic, net- Many times, Shannon said Tobacco use remains the leading cause working, soft skills and other in his welcome address, the of preventable death and disability in traits to become tomorrow’s district’s schools might come South Carolina, where nearly 20 people business leaders. together at an athletic event, die every day from smoking, totaling Thursday night was a crowning achievement for the SEE FBLA, PAGE A10 SEE SMOKING, PAGE A10 A2 | SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2018 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] S.C. 8th-grader got perfect Wilson Hall experiences Colonial Day score on every state test CHARLESTON (AP) — Charleston "He's wise beyond his years, this eighth-grader Noah Boudolf knows one," Clendaniel said of Noah. that he's more than just a test score South Carolina requires students — but still, his test scores are off the to take a standardized test in English charts. and math every year from third Noah received a standing ovation through eighth grade, part of a na- from parents and classmates during tional push to quantify and track a recent award ceremony at Orange student achievement that ratcheted Grove Charter Middle School in West up with the passage of the No Child Ashley for what is thought to be a Left Behind Act in 2001. first-time achievement in his school's "It's been crazy. I feel like they've history: He received a perfect score changed it so many times since I on every state standardized test he started taking it," Noah said. Thanks took during the last school year. to a series of legislative mandates, A public charter school serving the state has given students different pre-kindergarten through eighth versions of its SC READY and SC grade, Orange Grove attracts some PASS tests in the past decade, part of high-achieving students, like Ran- a constant churn of state tests that itha Kumarasinghe, who represented can make it difficult to assess the the Lowcountry in the National performance of schools over time. Spelling Bee as a sixth-grader in The tests play an outsize role in March. state assessments of schools and dis- But while students at the school tricts, including the new state report regularly earn a perfect score on one cards that are expected to come out test or another, Principal John Clen- at the end of November. daniel said he thinks no student Principals, particularly at charter there ever did what Noah did this schools like Orange Grove that can spring: earn a perfect score of 950 on have their charters revoked for poor both the English and Math sections performance, often feel pressure to of South Carolina's SC READY stan- put up strong numbers on the test. dardized test. State education offi- "There's so much pressure and cials were unable to say last week weight placed on these things," Clen- how many students achieved that daniel said. "It's a game you have to feat in 2018. play." What is his secret? Noah hasn't decided what he'll do "It's always nerve-wracking, but I as an adult. He says he might like to don't really try to think about it too work as a sports anchor or do some- much," Noah said. "A couple of times thing related to math, possibly archi- I tried to study the night before, but I tecture. feel like that always makes me more If he goes the math route, he has anxious about it." at least one thing going for him al- Clendaniel said that's the attitude ready. He took Algebra 1 as a sev- he hopes all his students bring to the enth-grader last school year and PHOTO PROVIDED test. As a parent and administrator, took the same End of Course exam Wilson Hall fourth-grade student Lillyanna Reynolds samples some johnnycake she he knows the barrage of state tests as high schoolers across the state. can feel stressful and intimidating, He has received his results from and her classmates helped bake over an open fire during the school’s annual Colo- particularly for younger students. that test, too: a perfect score. nial Day held at the Carolina Backcountry Homestead at the Sumter County Muse- um on Nov. 9. An aerial view of Caterpillar Precision Take a photo with Santa Claus at Pin Products facility is seen. The facility, which opened on FTC in Sumter, Lee, Clarendon Oct. 8, 1998, recent- ly celebrated its FROM STAFF REPORTS 20th anniversary Santa Claus will again with its employees visit local FTC stores for and their families. the annual FTC Santa Portrait Days. PHOTO PROVIDED Children (and par- ents) are invited to visit Santa and re- ceive a free 4-by-6 photo courtesy of FTC, according to a news re- less-fortunate chil- lease. More prints will be dren in the area. Caterpillar Precision Pin Products available to purchase after “FTC is commit- the event online. ted to serving its Stop by the following lo- communities and provid- cations between 2:30 and ing an opportunity to give facility celebrates 20 years in Sumter 5:30 p.m.: back to those less fortu- • Monday, Nov. 19 — 104 nate during the holiday E. Church St., Bishopville; season,” Chip Chase, di- STAFF REPORTS Sumter facility manager, for Tots and the United Way. • Tuesday, Nov. 20 — 255 rector of public relations Caterpillar Precision Pin said in a news release. "I Since 2010, Caterpillar has W. Wesmark Blvd., Sum- for FTC, said in the re- Products facility in Sumter would like to thank all of been the presenting sponsor ter; lease. “During Santa Days, recently celebrated 20 years our employees for helping for the Golden Apple Awards • Wednesday, Nov.