Senate Set to Vote on Competing Plans to End
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
What’s an ‘octopus whisperer’? Meet an octogenarian who has a way with SERVING SOUTH CAROLINA SINCE OCTOBER 15, 1894 these creatures A5 WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2019 $1.00 MORE ON THE SHUTDOWN Senate set to vote Sumter FSA offices reopening to offer limited services A2 on competing plans to end shutdown BY ANDREW TAYLOR, JILL vote this week on two compet- Mexico border. It’s likely to fail. COLVIN and LISA MASCARO ing proposals to end the gov- The other measure, from The Associated Press ernment shutdown, including Democrats, also seems unlikely THE ASSOCIATED PRESS President Donald Trump’s plan to pass. It would temporarily Furloughed EPA worker Jeff Herrema holds a sign outside the offices WASHINGTON — Senate to have Congress pay for the of U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell in Park Hills, Kentucky, on Tuesday. leaders on Tuesday agreed to long-stalled wall along the U.S.- SEE SHUTDOWN, PAGE A8 Celebrating Sumter Ministry offers help to Sumter kerosene users BY ADRIENNE SARVIS [email protected] Kerosene requests at a Sumter emergency relief services nonprofit have been surging in recent days as the winter’s low temperatures are dipping. Sumter United Ministries Crisis Relief Ministry Director Kevin How- ell said kero- sene heaters YOUR IMPACT are portable and provide BY THE radiant heat NUMBERS but that the MICAH GREEN / THE SUMTER ITEM cost of the “When you are in the Chris Hardy, president and CEO of the Greater Sumter fuel is expen- midst of change, some- Chamber of Commerce, speaks during the Chamber’s $25 “We are only as sive. The times you don’t see what’s annual retreat in Hilton Head. Total anonymous Sumter Item’s effective as our Fireside Fund going on around you.” Annual Greater Sumter Chamber of has been a Dennis Turner, chairman-elect of relationship with $785 way for the the Greater Sumter Chamber of our community.” Commerce retreat focuses on growth, Total this week ministry to Commerce, on stopping to take assist clients note of growth, success in Sumter Sumter County Sheriff Anthony successes and how to move forward in need of Dennis on law enforcement engag- $33,127 BY KAYLA ROBINS wintertime ing positively with community [email protected] Total this year heating needs because of “You take care of your mid a weekend snowstorm that unforeseen $48,601.18 heart, and it will con- “We have to be strategic. slammed the Northeast, nearly 200 hardships or We have to be intentional Total last year extreme bills. tinue to flow to the of the community’s top leaders es- It is not un- with our workforce A caped to the beach to examine Sumter’s common for other areas of the development.” $1,616,474.25 people to turn body.” growth and determine the next steps need- Total since 1969 to kerosene Brian Rauschenbach, Sumter Eco- ed to continue the trend up. when central Howie Owens, downtown develop- nomic Development project manag- air units or ment manager and assistant to the er, on building the pipeline early for The Greater Sumter Chamber of Commerce heat pumps malfunction, he said. city manager for the City of Sumter, talent coming into the workforce held its annual retreat at Hilton Head Island on “Many of our clients may own a on revitalizing downtown and hav- Jan. 18-20, where the “Celebrate Sumter” theme home,” Howell said, “sometimes in- ing that success spread throughout could be seen in topics ranging from presenta- heriting a home from a family mem- the county “I’ve heard ‘let’s reform tions on retail and hospitality growth, local in- ber.” dustry and higher education updates to economic When the HVAC is not repairable education’ before, and development, law enforcement’s community in- and needs replacement, the thou- “We want officers who will we haven’t really teraction and electric services provider updates. sands of dollars in expense often is invest into and adopt the “We still have work to do, but it’s time to cele- not available to them. moved the ball on that. brate recent successes to further build on the “This scenario occurred twice in community.” I’m hopeful this year.” positive momentum taking place in Sumter,” said just the past week,” he said. Sumter Police Chief Russell Roark Dennis Turner, chairman-elect of the Chamber’s on recruiting new officers State Sen. Thomas McElveen, SEE FIRESIDE, PAGE A8 D-Sumter SEE CHAMBER, PAGE A7 VISIT US ONLINE AT DEATHS, B5 WEATHER, A10 INSIDE David Lee Chappell Eva Mae Lawson RAINY AGAIN 3 SECTIONS, 20 PAGES the .com VOL. 124, NO. 68 Laura Lee Young Wotring Rose M. Sestokas Mostly cloudy with a shower Kate Clark Ruby Ann Ella King Eppard today; some clouds with rain Classifieds B6 Opinion A9 Gerlean Bennett Pearson Tony Everette Smith late tonight and breezy Comics C2 Sports B1 Maureen Annette Taylor Cooper HIGH 64, LOW 59 Food C1 Television C3 GiveWatch a gift your that money grows in grow. value. The Bank of Clarendon Holiday CD Special: What better way to teach a young person the value of saving money? 0DNHDVPDUWPRQH\PRYHLQWKHQHZ\HDUZLWKWKLV%DQNRI&ODUHWhat better way to show someone just how much they mean to you?QGRQ&'6SHFLDO 14 Month: 2.40% APY 25 Month: 2.65% APY *CD Annual Percentage Yield (APY), rates and terms accurate as of Dec. 3, 2018 and subject to change without notice. Minimum deposit $1,000 to open and earn the APY. Maximum deposit $250,000. Fees could reduce earnings. Limited time offer. Sumter: 803.469.0156 Manning: 803.433.4451 bankofclarendon.bank ."//*/(t46.5&3t4"/5&&t46..&350/t8:#00 A2 | WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2019 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] Sumter woman faces federal charges in $9M fraud scheme Suspect accused of embezzling money from Medicaid, TRICARE in connection to Early Autism Project BY ADRIENNE SARVIS At the time relevant to the indict- also included costs for services that solve a False Claims Act investigation [email protected] ment, Butler was a founder, owner and were not rendered. regarding the submission of false operator of EAP, states the indictment. The second count of the indictment claims to TRICARE and South Caroli- A co-founder of Sumter-based Early Butler helped found the group in 1995 accuses Butler of knowingly and will- na Medicaid programs for therapy ser- Autism Project Inc. is facing the possi- after seeking behavioral therapy for her ingly embezzling, stealing and convert- vices that were misrepresented and bility of having to pay $9 million if she son, who was diagnosed with autism at ing to other uses the alleged fraudu- not provided. is convicted of embezzling money from a young age. lent money totaling $9,020,589.56. EAP was accused of padding billable Medicaid and TRICARE, an accusation EAP now has clinic sites throughout This is the second suit related to time for a therapist who had not ac- the organization itself settled in 2018. the state and affiliates in Georgia, Flori- fraudulent activity conducted by EAP tively worked with children during An indictment from a grand jury da and Pennsylvania, serving hundreds since a lawsuit was filed against the those listed hours. states Susan A. Butler, a Sumter native, of children. organization in 2015 for submitting The investigation started when a and others planned and systematically In the first count of the grand jury's false claims to the same medical insur- former employee, Olivia Zeigler, filed a conducted a scheme to defraud TRI- indictment, Butler is accused of fraudu- ance companies. lawsuit under the whistleblower provi- CARE and Medicaid by over-billing the lently billing the government for admin- On Aug. 2, 2018, the United States sions of the False Claims Act in July agencies for autism-related and other istrative costs, including therapist travel Attorney’s Office for the District of 2015. Under the act, Zeigler received services between January 2007 and expenses, that were disguised as patient South Carolina announced that EAP $435,000 after the U.S. recovered June 2016. therapy. The alleged fraudulent billings paid the United States $8,833,615 to re- money from the settlement. Need a mattress? Check out Sumter High’s fundraiser FSA employees recalled to work FROM STAFF REPORTS the high school on McCrays Mill Cookie sale? Fruit sale? Maga- Road on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 zine sale? Not this time. p.m. On display will be more than without pay during shutdown Sumter High School is holding a 20 quality name-brand mattresses mattress sale to raise funds for the including gel memory foam beds, band, choir and orchestra pro- adjustable beds and pillows. Mat- grams. Custom Fundraising Solu- tresses are made to order and de- Sumter office Starting Jan. 24, Farm Service Agency offices can pro- tions will be bringing the store to livered soon after the sale. vide the following administrative services: will soon offer • Market Facilitation Program; • Marketing Assistance Loans; Committee to consider plans for Main Street property limited services • Release of collateral warehouse receipts; BY KAYLA ROBINS • Direct and Guaranteed Farm Operating Loans, and Emer- FROM STAFF REPORTS St., to consider approval of a re- [email protected] gency Loans; Sumter Historic Preservation De- quest for facade renovations, to in- • Service existing Conservation Reserve Program contracts; sign Review Committee will meet at clude new and expanded window Sumter’s Farm Service • Sugar Price Support Loans; 4:30 p.m. on Thursday in Sumter openings, a roof-top dining area and Agency office will soon • Dairy Margin Protection Program; City Council Chambers, fourth floor storefront renovations, on property reopen to offer limited • Agricultural Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage; of Sumter Opera House, 21 N.