County Gets Clean Audit for Fiscal 2016
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IN SPORTS: Sumter High soccer hosts Carolina Forest B1 PANORAMA Little Theatre presents ‘Cyrano’ 17th century libertine France SERVING SOUTH CAROLINA SINCE OCTOBER 15, 1894 C1 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15, 2017 $1.00 comes to Sumter next week County gets clean audit for fiscal 2016 The audit report states that the than $5 million with the purchase of only identified as Project Volcano. Council still plans county ended the fiscal year 2016 with approximately $4.3 million in land and According to a draft of the option approximately $47.2 million in general facility construction; about $685,000 in agreement, the purchaser will make to sell spec building fund revenues and $52.2 million in patrol vehicles for the sheriff’s office an initial payment of $50,000 to the general fund expenditures, with an ap- and fire department equipment; and county on the effective date, which BY ADRIENNE SARVIS proximate $5 million difference. Thir- about $785,000 in public works equip- had not been set as of Tuesday eve- [email protected] ty-seven percent of the county’s ex- ment. ning. The initial payment will com- penditures went toward public safety In other news, county council ap- prise a $10,000 consideration payment and 30 percent was spent on general proved second reading of an ordinance and $40,000 as an earnest money de- Sumter County Council received an government administration, according to authorize the option and sale of the posit. The total cost for the building is unmodified opinion, or clean audit, to the report. county spec building on North Wise $225,000 from Webster Rogers LLP during its The report also states that the coun- Drive to a potential investor, a South regular meeting on Tuesday. ty’s capital assets increased by more Carolina limited liability company, SEE COUNCIL, PAGE A7 SUMTER SCHOOL DISTRICT Confusion, frustration at marathon meeting PHOTOS BY RICK CARPENTER / THE SUMTER ITEM Sumter School District Superintendent Frank Baker, left, was asked by trustee the Rev. Ralph Canty, right, why the financial director for the district doesn’t attend board meetings to answer budget questions. Left, Bernadette R. District official clarifies changes to Hampton, president of the South Carolina Ed- financial report; board members ucation Association, addresses the Sumter School District Board still seeking answers about projects of Trustees Monday night at Mayewood BY BRUCE MILLS to lament once again about the Middle School. [email protected] district’s financial reporting. Board members Johnny Hil- Right, former Sumter The Sumter School District’s ton and the Rev. Ralph Canty Mayor Steve Creech executive director of finance made their opinions and feel- asks the Sumter School says a relatively easy explana- ings known Monday night at Board to get its affairs tion can be made for many the trustees’ regular monthly in order because the changes to a financial report board meeting at Mayewood long-term impact of that board members were con- Middle School, 4300 E. Brew- poor decisions could fused about during Monday’s ington Road. affect Shaw Air Force board meeting and caused two Base. Sumter School Board members SEE BOARD, PAGE A7 Ten candidates vie for District 70 S.C. state house seat BY JIM HILLEY nomination. Strickland is the only Repub- Strickland will be on the ballot as a cratic Party. Daily said Walker had [email protected] lican candidate running for the seat. Republican for the June 20 election. contacted him recently but he has not In addition to Morris and Walker, The election is running concurrent- yet spoken with him. Ten people are active candidates for Democratic candidates include ly with the U.S. House of Representa- Wilson said he is the son of S. the South Carolina House of Repre- Wendy Brawley, Norma Jackson and tives District 5 election to replace George Wilson, who held the District sentatives District 70 seat that be- George B. Wilson from Hopkins, Mick Mulvaney, who left the seat to 70 seat as a Democrat from 1974 to came vacant when Rep. Joe Neal of Erin Brown and H. Heath Hill from became director of the U.S. Office of 1978. He said he currently works Hopkins passed away Jan. 14. Eastover, Harry Reese Sr. from Co- Management and Budget for the with his father doing construction According to www.scvotes.org, three lumbia and Levola Taylor from Trump administration. work. Wilson said he has bachelor’s candidates from Sumter County are now Gadsden. Sumter County Democratic Party degrees in criminal justice and polit- entered in the race, including Democratic The primary election will be May 2, Chairman Allen Daily said he was ical science from Benedict College. candidates Patrick Morris of Sumter and with a run off election May 16, if not familiar with most of the candi- Brawley said she is small business Jermaine Walker of Pinewood. In addi- needed. Unless there is an unexpect- dates for the Democratic nomination owner who publishes “IMARA tion, Bill Strickland of Sumter has filed ed write-in campaign for the Republi- other than Morris, who he said has his candidacy for the Republican Party can nomination or he withdraws, long been active in the local Demo- SEE SEAT, PAGE A7 VISIT US ONLINE AT DEATHS, B5 and B6 WEATHER, A10 INSIDE John H. McJunkin Donald R. Fink WINTER LINGERS 3 SECTIONS, 22 PAGES the .com Charles W. Troublefield Lillie B. Floyd VOL. 122, NO. 108 Sunny, breezy and cold Christopher A. Bailey Richard B. Griffin today with no chance of Classifieds B7 Charles J. James Luther Harriott rain; tonight, very cold. Comics C2 Albert Vaughn James L. Wilson Vera L. Jones Jessie L. Jenkins HIGH 48, LOW 23 Opinion A9 Television C3 A2 | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15, 2017 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] Sheriff Dennis opposes ‘tricky’ marijuana legislation BY ADRIENNE SARVIS He said the bills could also encour- holder can have according to the bills, dispensary operators. [email protected] age drug dealers to increase their ac- Dennis said there are many opportu- Dispensary employees do not need tivity or encourage dealers who have nities for abuse. to have medical training and the busi- Sumter County Sheriff Anthony left the state to come back. Under the proposed legislation, a pa- ness is not required to have malprac- Dennis shared his concerns with the As they are written, tient can possess no more than 2 ounces tice insurance, Dennis said. medical marijuana bills currently the bills do not require of marijuana at a time but a designated The legislation requires that em- under review by the state house and FDA regulations, so the caregiver can posses no more than 5 ployees be at least 21 years old and do senate during the Sumter Rotary Club drug cannot be sold at a ounces per patient at any given time, he not have a felony conviction within luncheon on Monday at the O’Donnell pharmacy and a doctor said. A caregiver can have no more than five years prior to being hired, he said. House. cannot prescribe medical five patients but there is no limit on the But the legislation does not list dis- He said the legislation is filled with marijuana to a patient, number a patients a caregiver at a resi- qualifying charges and the no felony trickery because it does little to regu- DENNIS Dennis said. A doctor dential facility can have, he said. charge requirement can be waived, late the strength of the marijuana and would only be able to cre- A caregiver, according to the bills, is Dennis said. the amount a patient can have access ate a document indicat- someone who is at least 21 years old, The “neighborhood pot shops” could to at one time. ing that medical marijuana will be unless they are the parent of the pa- be opened in commercial zones in the Dennis said he is not opposed to the beneficial to the patient’s health and tient, and they do not need to have a city and county and the planning use of remedies that could assist peo- the patient would take that document medical background, he said. boards cannot do anything to stop ple with medical conditions but oppos- to the South Carolina Department of Dennis said 2 ounces of marijuana them from opening, he said. es the language of the bills. Health and Environmental Control for is enough to make 80 to 120 marijuana He said the bills are gaining support The language of the bills could have a registry card, he said. cigarettes. and even if the governor vetoes the more negative effects on the commu- Although there is a limit to the He said the bills are also lenient on legislation, a two-thirds vote from the nity than positive, he said. amount of medical marijuana a card the requirements for dispensaries and legislators could override his vote. LOCAL BRIEFS Red Cross Month in Sumter FROM STAFF REPORTS Sumter Mayor Joe Rembert organization McElveen signed a city proclamation hosts final day of tax fair Thursday declaring Rembert Area Community March as Red Cross Coalition and SC Thrive will Month. Flanking host the final day of its tax fair McElveen are from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday Rebecca Jordan, at RACC Administration, 8455 chapter executive Camden Highway, Rembert. for the Central The event is free and open to Carolina Chapter of the public, based on income. the Red Cross, left, To be eligible, those filing as and Nancy Cataldo, single should have an income regional director of of $65,000 or less, and joint fil- services to armed ers’ combined income must be forces.