Police say recent crimes including killings might have targeted Hispanics THURSDAY, AUGUST 1, 2019 75 CENTS SERVING SOUTH CAROLINA SINCE OCTOBER 15, 1894 and successful armed robberies, block of Bowman Drive. They 2 were killed on Bowman one of which led to the shooting found 25-year-old Diego Alonzo deaths of two men outside a Bow- Teletor, of Loring Drive, shot to 3 SECTIONS, 26 PAGES | VOL. 124, NO. 199 Drive on Thursday night; man Drive home Thursday. death outside a home. Gregorio Za- hotline set up for tips, info Victims in three recent robbery- rate Chun, 46, of Bowman Drive, IN TODAY’S EDITION type incidents have all been His- was found shot and taken to Pris- BY KAYLA ROBINS panic, according to Tonyia McGirt, ma Health Tuomey Hospital, [email protected] public information officer for the where he later died. Sumter Police Department. Witnesses told police the two Sumter police are hoping a Span- Police received a call that shots men and others were standing Back to ish-speaking hotline will lead to in- were fired just before 10:15 p.m. formation about recent attempted Thursday and responded to the 300 SEE HOTLINE, PAGE A6 Shop while the tax is dropped C2 - Sumter School District Directory C3 - Sumter School District 2019-2020 Calendar C4 - Bus Routes C11 - Bus Routes Clarendon School District 2 August means it’s time to think about school Everything you need to PHOTOS BY BRUCE MILLS / THE SUMTER ITEM know for this year’s classes Sumter Staples Assistant Manager Tiffany McDonald sorts school fold- ers near the front of the store to be ready for tax-free weekend. C1, A6 Local retailers ready for annual SPORTS 3-day event, which starts Friday BY BRUCE MILLS ing any penny taxes. [email protected] The annual sales tax holi- P-15’s season ends with day traditionally helps par- Computers and smart- ents and students save money loss to Fort Mill B1 phones? as they get ready for school. That’s a big question state Back-to-school supplies are al- School uniforms at JCPenney, above, and Department of Revenue ways popular sale items this other clothing such as T-shirts at Simpson spokeswoman Bonnie Swingle weekend, but many other Hardware and Sports, below, will be tax free DEATHS, B3 says she gets about this time items — including clothing, this weekend beginning Friday. Mary Alice Price every year from South Caro- accessories, shoes/footwear, Winfred Wilder linians in anticipation of the computers, printers and soft- Lisa Rachels state’s annual tax-free week- ware — are also tax free for Annie L. Strickland end, which runs Friday the three-day event. through Sunday night. Because computers are a James Robert Webber “Smartphones aren’t tax big-ticket item, customers ob- Robert W. Tomasch free during this weekend, but viously can save more money James Allen Robinson computers are, including lap- on them this weekend because Braydon Hunter tops, desktops and tablets,” they are tax free, Swingle said. Swingle said. Local retailers were already Each year at this time, decked out on Wednesday and WEATHER, A8 South Carolina eliminates all ready to go for the sales tax STORMY WEATHER POSSIBLE sales and use taxes for the en- holiday. tire weekend on dozens of For Staples, an office and A storm around in the afternoon and early tonight items. The exemptions also in- HIGH 94, LOW 71 clude local sales taxes, includ- SEE TAX FREE, PAGE A4 INSIDE CONTACT US Classifieds B6 Info: 774-1200 Comics B4 Advertising: 774-1237 Detention center officer arrested Opinion A7 Classifieds: 774-1200 Sports B1 Delivery: 774-1258 Television B5 News and Sports: the Sumter County fice Detention Center after mid- Sumter man charged with jail’s parking lot. night on July 31, according to Adri- 774-1226 contraband, conspiracy Marquis Shannon, enne Sarvis, public information of- of North Columbia ficer for the sheriff’s office. BY KAYLA ROBINS Street, is accused of The 25-year-old has been charged VISIT US ONLINE AT the .com [email protected] receiving a package with possession with intent to dis- SHANNON containing suspected tribute heroin, possession of mari- A Pinewood man is now behind marijuana, heroin, cig- juana, contraband, conspiracy and bars after working in front of them arettes and cash from misconduct in office. after being arrested for his sup- another individual in a parking lot posed part in a drug transaction in at the Sumter County Sheriff’s Of- SEE OFFICER, PAGE A6 From Sumter to Shanghai: Teen learns valuable lessons in research trip Matter,” Alan got to study both in versity of South Carolina or Clem- 16-year-old is a rising senior at Governor’s School the largest city in the world, son University, she said. BY BRUCE MILLS terest areas are the sciences and Shanghai, which has a population When a Science, Engineering, [email protected] people. of about 24 million people. Math and Technology (STEM) re- Recently through a summer re- All rising seniors at the Harts- search project opportunity opened Sumter native Rita Alan is a ris- search project with a long title, ville-based, two-year Governor’s up in China, Alan said she jumped ing senior at The South Carolina “Air Cleaning Drone Feasibility School do summer research, but at applying for it. Governor’s School for Science and Using UAV-Attached Air Filtration most do their projects at the state’s ALAN Mathematics, and her biggest in- Units to Reduce Indoor Particulate two flagship universities, the Uni- SEE ALAN, PAGE A6 A2 | THURSDAY, AUGUST 1, 2019 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] United States Ambassa- dor to Canada Kelly Knight Craft has been Key rate cut for 1st time confirmed as the U.S. am- bassador to the United Nations, filling the posi- tion former S.C. Gov. in more than a decade Nikki Haley held. WASHINGTON — The Fed- it’s troubled by at a time long-term rates but had been THE CANADIAN PRESS VIA AP eral Reserve cut its key inter- when the risk of a recession gradually shrinking its bal- est rate Wednesday for the in the United States seems ance sheet as the economy first time in a decade to try to relatively low. strengthened. counter the impact of Presi- The central bank reduced The Fed’s action Wednes- dent Donald Trump’s trade its benchmark rate — which day was approved 8-2, with wars, stubbornly low infla- affects many loans for house- two dissents: Esther George, tion and global weakness. holds and businesses — by a president of the Fed’s Kansas Yet Wall Street seemed dis- quarter-point to a range of City regional bank, and Eric appointed that Chairman Je- 2% to 2.25%. It’s the first rate Rosengren, head of the Bos- rome Powell signaled that the cut since December 2008 dur- ton Fed, wanted to keep rates Senate confirms Craft as Fed might not cut rates much ing the depths of the Great unchanged. It was the first more. Powell didn’t rule out a Recession, when the Fed time there have been as many further easing of credit. But slashed its rate to a record as two dissents since Decem- he didn’t provide the reassur- low near zero and kept it ber 2017 and suggested that U.S. ambassador to U.N. ance of a long series of rate there until 2015. The economy Powell may face opposition if cuts that markets were hop- is far healthier now despite he seeks further rate cuts this WASHINGTON (AP) — tions and its affiliated agen- ing for. risks to what’s become the year. The Senate has confirmed cies. During Haley’s tenure, “Powell ap- longest expansion on record. Compared with when the Kelly Craft to become the the administration withdrew peared very re- Trump, who has repeatedly Fed previously cut rates more next U.S. envoy to the United from the U.N. Human Rights luctant to sug- attacked the Fed for failing to than a decade ago, the econo- Nations despite Democratic Council and the U.N. educa- gest that addi- cut rates aggressively, ex- my is now solid by most mea- concerns about her inexperi- tional and scientific agency tional rate cuts pressed irritation with its sures, if not spectacular. Con- ence and potential conflicts of for adopting positions it were likely, only message Wednesday. sumers are spending. Unem- interest. deemed to be hostile to Israel. doing so when “What the market wanted ployment is close to a half- Craft, a longtime GOP ac- Trump nominated Craft to POWELL he was asked if to hear from Jay Powell and century low. A recession tivist from Kentucky, is cur- replace Haley after his first this cut was ‘one the Federal Reserve was that hardly seems imminent. rently U.S. ambassador to choice for the job, former and done,’” said Eric Wino- this was the beginning of a Yet the Fed under Powell Canada. She was confirmed State Department spokes- grad, senior U.S. economist at lengthy and aggressive rate- has signaled that rising eco- 56-34, ending a more than sev- woman Heather Nauert, Alliance Bernstein. “Even cutting cycle which would nomic pressures, notably en-month vacancy in the key withdrew from consideration. then, he emphasized that if keep pace with China, the Eu- from Trump’s trade wars and diplomatic position. Haley stepped down from the there are additional cuts it ropean Union and other from weakness in Europe, She and her husband, Joe post in December.