3Rd Annual Gala Set for March 23
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IN SPORTS: Crestwood girls beat Colleton in 4A playoffs B1 PANORAMA 3rd annual gala set for March 23 Sumter Disabilities Benefit SERVING SOUTH CAROLINA SINCE OCTOBER 15, 1894 C1 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2017 75 CENTS event serves community Water rates for Shiloh and Wedgefield won’t change — for now the revenue made since the rates were month per 2,000 gallons to $18.36 per creased significantly. County also approves increased in June 2016 during the 2,000 gallons. Council agreed to review revenues Sumter County Public Utilities Com- Sumter County Administrator Gary for both water systems after six temporary concrete mittee meeting on Tuesday. Mixon said both water systems are months of operating with the new Council voted to increase rates for making so little revenue at this time rates. and asphalt plants the Shiloh and Wedgefield water sys- that it would be best to keep the rates Mixon said the county is also look- tems in June in order to make the sys- as they are. He said council will re- ing to refinance four bonds amounting BY ADRIENNE SARVIS tems self-sustaining. view the water system revenues again to about $1.4 million that were issued [email protected] Base water rates for the Wedgefield during the upcoming budget process. years ago for improvements to the system were increased from $29 per After the rates were increased last, Wedgefield water system. Rates for the Shiloh and Wedgefield 6,000 gallons per month to $38 per a few customers receiving water ser- And, county council approved third water systems will remain the same 6,000 gallons, and rates for the Shiloh vices in Wedgefield made complaints after Sumter County Council reviewed system were increased from $17.17 per to council saying their bill had in- SEE COUNTY, PAGE A7 SUMTER SCHOOL DISTRICT Implementing safeguards Situation puts workers, parents in tough spot BY BRUCE MILLS [email protected] Darlene Wilson is in a jam because of Sumter School District’s financial crisis. A substitute teacher in Sum- ter’s public schools for 20 years, she’s now unemployed with the district’s decision in mid-January to cut back 50 percent on substitute bud- gets. Wilson said she worked nearly every school day as a substitute until the Christmas break, but only worked three days in January WILSON and none since. Wilson was one of the more RICK CARPENTER / THE SUMTER ITEM than 300 residents in atten- Protestors hold signs asking for Sumter School District Superintendent Frank Baker to resign Monday night, while Lakewood High dance at Wilder Elementary School Student Body President Christian Compton speaks favorably for Baker. School on Monday night for the board of trustees’ meet- ing on the district debt situa- Consultant recommends changes to process to prevent unbudgeted hiring tion. “I relied on that money as BY BRUCE MILLS overspent by $6.2 million last fiscal 2015-16 BUDGET income,” Wilson said. [email protected] year, Allan’s report Monday revealed She says she and many 49 new positions were added in the WHAT WENT WRONG? other substitutes have been A revised hiring process that allows district for the 2015-16 school year that classified by the district as New hires not approved by the Finance the district’s finance department to en- were not approved in any way by the “on call as needed.” Department: sure no positions are added that aren’t finance department. According to his “I don’t know why they say budgeted for is the next critical step report, only 12 of the new positions 49 positions ($1.1 million) it’s ‘on call as needed,’ when the district is taking to rectify its finan- had budget funding to cover the costs Underbudgeted personnel categories: they are not going to call you cial crisis, says the finance consultant of their salaries and associated bene- Substitute salaries ($1.2 million) anyway,” Wilson said. “I who’s working with the district. fits. Bus drivers ($1.2 million) can’t draw unemployment Scott Allan made his remarks Mon- “The hiring process is a process that with this statement from the Maintenance ($531,709) day at the Sumter School Board of I’m reviewing, and one we are going to district because the unem- Trustees’ meeting at Wilder Elementa- put safeguards in place; so, anywhere Stipends/Supplements ($209,342) ployment office assumes I ry School on how he’s putting safe- along the line somebody can stop it,” To view Scott Allan’s financial report to the am employed with that state- guards in place to prevent overspend- Allan said. “One of the issues is I don’t board from Monday night, go to theitem.com ment.” ing on personnel. and it will be attached to this story. In his analysis of how the district SEE SAFEGUARDS, PAGE A7 SEE PUBLIC, PAGE A7 Woman chained in container says she was raped daily BY SEANNA ADCOX which authorities say helped them them hedge clippers and bottles of me. And then he raped me,” Brown said The Associated Press solve seven slayings in the area dat- water. He said he needed to get some- in episodes that aired this week. “He ing back 13 years. Police said Todd thing inside and came out a few min- would rape me twice a day, every day.” COLUMBIA — A South Carolina Kohlhepp, a real estate agent with his utes later shooting, Brown said. Kohlhepp, 45, faces murder, kidnap- woman who spent two months own firm until his arrest, killed He shot Charles Carver three times ping and weapon charges. He is not chained inside a large metal container Brown’s boyfriend, a couple missing in the chest, she said. He gagged charged with sexual assault. Spokes- says her captor raped her daily and who had been missing about two Brown and handcuffed her ankles men for the sheriff and prosecutor de- warned that if she ran or tried to hurt years and four people at a motorcycle and wrists. Kohlhepp took her to a clined to address the rape allegations him, she would die. shop in 2003. “pitch black,” 30-foot-long storage or whether more charges are forth- “He told me as long as I served my Brown said she and her boyfriend container nearby, chained her by the coming. His attorney did not return purpose, I was safe,” Kala Brown told had gone to Kohlhepp’s rural property neck in a back corner and raped her, messages. Phillip McGraw, the host of the televi- Aug. 31 to help him clear some under- she said. Police said Kohlhepp acknowledged sion show “Dr. Phil.” brush from trails. After the couple fol- He “let me know that if I tried to run, the grisly cold cases after authorities It was the first time she has talked lowed him to a two-story garage on he’d kill me. If I tried to hurt him, he’d granted him several requests, includ- publicly since her Nov. 3 rescue, the 95-acre property, Kohlhepp handed kill me. If I fought back, he would kill ing letting him speak to his mother. 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Miller HIGH 63, LOW 35 Food C4 A2 | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2017 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] Genealogical society to hear story of Catawba Indians FROM STAFF REPORTS In addition to having established the ble odds, Catawba people managed to archive, which received the 2010 Bren- adapt and survive to the present day.” The story of the Catawba Indian Na- da McCallum national prize from the His lecture will discuss the Catawba, tion will be the topic at Monday’s American Folklore Society and the their history and also touch upon meeting of Sumter County Genealogi- 2014 Program Innovation Award from their enduring pottery tradition, the cal Society. Brent Burgin, who estab- the South Carolina Archival Associa- oldest continual ceramics tradition in lished the Native American Studies tion, Burgin also is archivist for the the continental United States. Archive at University of South Caroli- Archaeology Society of South Caroli- Sumter County Genealogical Society na Lancaster, will be the guest speak- na, a board member of Lancaster meets monthly from September er at the 7:30 p.m. meeting at Swan County Society for Historical Preser- through May. Visitors are welcome and Lake Presbyterian Church, 912 Hayn- vation and is an active member of the encouraged to attend. Admission is free sworth St. S.C. Archival Association, the Palmet- to the public, and refreshments will be Burgin said he had a long and suc- to Archives, Libraries and Museums served after the presentation. Interested cessful career in hotel operations but Council on Preservation and Katawba persons can join the society at the meet- found it unrewarding, so he went back Valley Land Trust. ing. Membership includes nine monthly to college at University of South Caro- Burgin noted the population of Ca- newsletters during the year and free use lina. Within seven years, he received a tawba Indians in 1700 was estimated to of Sumter County Genealogical Society Bachelor of Arts, a Master of Arts in be 8,000 to 10,000; a century later there Research Center.