IN SPORTS: As Clemson starts over at quarterback, ACC title up for grabs B1 Morris College Freshman Orientation August 12, 2017 Fall Registration August 16, 2017 Contact Us Today! WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 9, 2017 | Serving South Carolina since October 15, 1894 $1.00 (803) 934-3225 WWW.MORRIS.EDU State sues Council supports jail request feds for Sheriff wants control of facility; county OKs 1st reading BY ADRIENNE SARVIS board voted to give support to Sheriff county with a variety of professional $100M [email protected] Anthony Dennis in his request to have backgrounds who were chosen by a control of Sumter-Lee Regional Deten- committee of sheriff’s office personnel On Tuesday, Sumter County Council tion Center given back to the sheriff’s and approved by Dennis himself. Seeks removal gave first reading of an ordinance to office during the group’s first meeting Board members include: chairwom- authorize a contract to allow the Sum- on Monday night. an Regina Tucker, vice chairman Rob- of plutonium ter County Sheriff to manage and op- The board was formed this year in ert Duby and Fred Fargan, Jose Parral, erate Sumter-Lee Regional Detention an effort for the sheriff’s office to Robert Davis, R. Mark Smith, Carlton BY MEG KINNARD Center, a matter that is supported by strengthen its connection with county Washington, Jacqueline Hughes and The Associated Press sheriff’s office’s newly formed citizens residents. Daniel Palumbo. advisory board. The advisory board consists of nine COLUMBIA — South Caroli- The sheriff’s office citizens advisory members from various regions of the SEE JAIL, PAGE A7 na said it had filed its largest lawsuit ever against the federal government, seeking to force the U.S. Department of Energy to make good on a deal to re- move plutonium from the state. Antique collectors in heaven, part 1 of 4 The lawsuit filed Monday seeks to recover $100 million from the agency for failing to comply with an agreement to remove one metric ton of weapons-grade materials from the Savannah River Site, ac- cording to Attorney General <UNICODE-WIN> Alan Wilson’s office. <vsn:5> The Energy Department <pstyle:BODY COPY> didn’t immediately respond to a message seeking comment. South Carolina for years has tried to recover the fines as part of another lawsuit. The government planned to com- plete a plant to process weap- ons-grade materials into fuel for commercial nuclear reac- tors, but it has not been fin- ished. A deal allows the state to seek fines of $1 million a day, beginning Jan. 1, 2016, for every day the department failed to remove one metric ton of weapons-grade defense plutonium. Those fines cap at $100 million a year. Earlier this year, a judge said she couldn’t force the govern- ment to pay up, ruling instead that the U.S. Court of Federal Claims was the best venue to PHOTOS BY JIM HILLEY / THE SUMTER ITEM ABOVE: Auctioneer William Rogers calls the bidding deal with the money issues. U.S. District Judge Michelle at Dinkins Auctions, 1945 Myrtle Beach Highway, as Childs told both sides to come the auction house sells an extensive collection of up with a removal schedule for items from the estate of TJ and Nancy Player on Sat- the materials on their own. urday. The collection was featured on the History Childs has also ruled South Channel’s “American Pickers” program on May 15. Carolina couldn’t claim the So extensive is the Players’ collection, Dinkins will feds were violating the consti- have three more auctions, each on the first Satur- tution by failing to complete day of months through November. For an idea of the mixed-oxide fuel project at the extent of the Players’ vast collection, you can the Savannah River Site, a view the “American Pickers” episode titled “Tunnels sprawling former nuclear and Treasures” at www.dinkinsauctions.com. weapons plant along the South Carolina-Georgia border. LEFT: Bids were coming in at a fast pace Saturday at The lawsuit filed Monday Dinkins Auctions. Bidspotter Eric Cogburn keeps deals with $100 million in fines track of bidding from a standing-room-only group the state says it’s owed for this of eager bidders. year, with Wilson’s office say- ing the state will separately pursue fines owed for 2016. The unfinished mixed-oxide fuel facility is billions over budget, a situation Energy De- partment officials blame on design and construction mis- takes and escalating supply Local students attend Governor’s School programs costs. The plant was key to a nonproliferation agreement with Russia in which both BY IVY MOORE in Greenville. Caroline Mack countries committed to turn- [email protected] Admission to the residential plays for three of ing 34 metric tons of plutoni- program is the ultimate goal of her students who um, enough to arm 17,000 war- Three high school students Land and Boyd, each said. have been accept- heads, into fuel. who study at Caroline Mack Cen- Caroline Mack, with whom the ed to programs at Since the United States ter for the Arts have recently three study voice, is herself an the S.C. Governor’s lacks a designated long-term completed intensive programs at alumna of the school. She em- School for the Arts storage site for high-level ra- the S.C. Governor’s School for phasized how rigorous admission and Humanities. dioactive waste, tons of un- the Arts and Humanities. Each standards are to all three pro- Standing from left, wanted plutonium has accu- was admitted to a different pro- grams. they are Caitlyn mulated at the former nuclear gram through a highly competi- “Only 12 (voice) students were Wilson, Catherine weapons complex, including tive audition process. selected from the entire state to Boyd and Bella at least 7 tons of plutonium Bella Land, 14, attended Sum- attend the summer programs,” Land. All have intended for the mixed-oxide mer Discovery, a two-week pro- she said. studied with Mack fuel facility. The site also pro- gram for rising ninth-graders; All three students studied for several years; cesses other nuclear waste Catherine Boyd, 15, completed voice, but Wilson’s area of con- she is a graduate into glass canisters, which the two-week Summer Academy centration will likely be drama of the school. have remained at Savannah for rising 10th-graders; and Cait- during her junior and senior River. lyn Wilson, 16, who has complet- years at the Governor’s School. IVY MOORE / THE SUMTER ITEM ed both, has been admitted to the SEE LAWSUIT, PAGE A7 residential program at the school SEE STUDENTS, PAGE A7 VISIT US ONLINE AT CONTACT US DEATHS, B6 WEATHER, A10 INSIDE Information: 774-1200 Richard M. Wade COOLER BUT STORMY 3 SECTIONS, 22 PAGES the .com Advertising: 774-1246 George James VOL. 122, NO. 212 Classifieds: 774-1200 Significantly cooler today William H. Garner Classifieds B7 Opinion A9 Delivery: 774-1258 Cecil T. McElveen but with thunderstorms in Comics C2 Panorama C1 News and Sports: 774-1226 Willie M. Whaley the area today and tonight. Food C4 Television C3 HIGH 81, LOW 70 A2 | WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 9, 2017 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] Board of Sumter native finding niche Zoning Appeals to with equipment rental business BY BRUCE MILLS meet today [email protected] As he was preparing to leave the FROM STAFF REPORTS Army and an assignment in Alabama earlier this year, Sumter native Ben- Sumter City-County Board tham Reed had to decide what he was of Zoning Appeals will meet going to do for a living when he got at 3 p.m. today in Sumter back home. City Council Chambers, With a desire to start a business, his Sumter Opera House, 21 N. own commercial building in town and Main St., to consider: an extensive background in construc- • A request for a reduction tion, Reed decided to give of 17 feet from the required equipment rentals a try. 35-foot front setback to He started Black Oak allow an 18-foot front set- Equipment Rental LLC in back and a reduction of 35 April and so far so good, feet from the required 50- he said. foot side setback to allow a Reed has a variety of 15-foot side setback in order REED equipment available for to construct a single-family contractors and home- dwelling on a non-conform- owners. He said rentals of ing lot in the 4700 block of his earth-moving equipment — includ- Moses Lane; ing excavators, backhoes, skid steers, PHOTO BY BRUCE MILLS / THE SUMTER ITEM • A request for the addi- tractors and dump trailers — have Mechanic Jerry Price makes adjustments on an excavator recently at Black Oak Equip- tion of 700 square feet to the done well with smaller contract plumb- ment Rental on East Liberty Street. 1,100-square-foot maximum ers, electricians and tree-service com- in order to allow an panies in the area. BLACK OAK EQUIPMENT RENTAL LLC business, Reed said he’s still trying to tap 1,800-square-foot detached He describes the equipment rental into the area’s homeowner market for structure on a lot in the 4300 market as very competitive with lots of 861 E. Liberty St. do-it-yourself projects. He said he has block of Camden Highway; national competitors, but they don’t Sumter, SC 29153 lots of quality equipment rental prod- • A request for a 5-foot re- rent to smaller contractors, typically Hours: Monday-Friday: 7:30 a.m. - 6 p.m.; ucts for both construction and landscap- duction from the required with 10 or fewer employees.