Couple opens Good Vibes Jamaican Restaurant A2 TUESDAY, JUNE 11, 2019 | Serving South Carolina since October 15, 1894 75 cents BD forms partnership Farmers’ rain prayer answered after photo with Ebenezer Middle of group goes viral Company donates books to teacher, adopts school through initiative BY BRUCE MILLS for rain, according to one BY KAYLA ROBINS port literacy in Sumter School District class- [email protected] farmer’s wife, Donna Riv- [email protected] rooms as required in the state’s Read to Suc- ers. ceed Act. Many testify to the power At the request of a friend One of Sumter’s top industrial employers “We have a responsibility to educate this of prayer at certain critical from church, Rivers took a connected with a middle school in two big community,” Lee said. moments in their lives, and picture of the prayer gath- ways recently with a hope to turn the page to The students of today will be the employees several local farming fami- ering on her husband, community building. of tomorrow who replace Baby Boomers in lies are now part of that Buddy Rivers’, farm on Du- Ken Lee, plant manager at BD, and two asso- plant jobs and elsewhere, he said. group. They even have a Bose Siding Road. ciates surprised social studies teacher Carol The education foundation is the nonprofit viral keepsake to always She then posted the Lazette at Ebenezer Middle School with boxes philanthropic arm of the school district. Shirl remember it by. photo on Facebook, some- of books for her classroom. The effort was part Goodman, BD human resources site director Given drought conditions thing Rivers said she rarely of an employee giving campaign that raised and member of the foundation’s board of di- since the first part of May, uses. money for the Sumter Education Foundation’s rectors, said the group supports teachers by several farmers in the “I just added stuff about 500 for 500K campaign, which is a goal to raise giving them one less thing they will end up northern part of Sumter being a farmer’s wife and $500,000 to purchase sets of 500 books for each County got together on the classroom library and other resources to sup- SEE PARTNERS, PAGE A6 morning of June 3 to pray SEE PRAYER, PAGE A6 From deputy to pet Sumter County Sheriff Anthony Dennis awards Cpl. Evan Rogerson a plaque congratulating K-9 Dina on her retirement. K-9 Dina retires from Sumter County Sheriff’s Office after 9 years of service BY KAYLA ROBINS tection and drug detection, [email protected] according to the sheriff’s of- fice. aw enforcement offi- Building the bond between a K-9 and his or her handler cers come in all is the most important foun- L dation to training so each shapes, sizes, colors, can feel safe with the other. number of legs and shade Dina was certified to de- of fur. tect five drug classes and to track on hard or soft surfac- Dina, a K-9 with the Sum- es for human odor, which ter County Sheriff’s Office, can mean a suspect or a retired last week after nine missing person. “productive years of appre- She helped find a missing hension and protection,” ac- child who walked away cording to Sheriff Anthony when his mother turned her Dennis. Dennis awarded K-9 back for a minute on U.S. 15 Dina and her handler, Cpl. South, Rogerson said. Dina Evan Rogerson, with a found the boy under a mo- plaque after Rogerson’s bile home three-quarters of mother gave him a painting a mile away. on canvas of the deputy duo. “Those are the things that “She was a good tracker,” stick out in my mind,” he Rogerson said. said. Rogerson has been Dina’s They work in 12-hour handler for four years and shifts but spend all day to- will now keep her at home gether. K-9s sleep at their as a pet. handlers’ homes, making She was one of five K-9s, the bond-building 24/7. each of whom have a han- When a K-9 retires is dif- dler, who comprise the K-9 ferent for each dog, but Dina unit at the sheriff’s office. started getting older. She PHOTOS BY MICAH GREEN / THE SUMTER ITEM K-9 deputies are trained and has gray hair now and is K-9 Dina, who officially retired from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office on Friday, is seen with her han- accredited in patrol tech- dler, Cpl. Evan Rogerson. She will now be a pet at Rogerson’s home after nine years of service. niques, tracking, officer pro- SEE DINA, PAGE A6 VISIT US ONLINE AT DEATHS, B4 WEATHER, A8 INSIDE Gail Leonard Fuller Christopher Jehu Scott Henry W. Todd Sr. MORE STORMS 2 SECTIONS, 14 PAGES the .com VOL. 124, NO. 164 Larry Benjamin Mary Lou Alston Bradley Frank Laidler Clouds and sun with a Levan Baxter Willie Charles Price Derlia Scott McFarland storm possible; more Classifieds B6 Sports B1 James Doyle Treaster Luccille Harvin Grinnell Floyd Scarborough storms possible tonight Comics A5 Television B5 Marie McCants Gardner Allen Gene Williams Jr. James Clapps HIGH 80, LOW 63 Ernest Everette Hull Evangeline Kennedy Opinion A7 Anna Dora Clarkson Myers A2 | TUESDAY, JUNE 11, 2019 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] Beginning July 1, Artist of Beloved: Children of the slight increase will be seen at gas pump Holocaust to give talk Thursday BY IVY MOORE over each blank page before begin- FROM STAFF REPORTS Features contributor ning the portraits. South Carolina consumers will soon Viewers of the portraits are also see an increase at the gas pump. Artist Mary Burkett will give an deeply affected by the drawings, According to a news release from S.C. artist talk on her exhibition titled Burkett said, explaining that “Peo- Department of Revenue, South Caroli- Beloved: Children of the Holocaust ple are deeply moved by their inno- na’s Motor Fuel User Fee will increase at 6 p.m. Thursday at Temple Sinai cent faces, and I think they cause us from 20 cents to 22 cents per gallon be- Jewish History Center. The free to consider the dignity of human life ginning July 1. This fee, which helps event also marks the final night of and our responsibility to our fellow support road, bridge and infrastructure the four-week exhibition of her 27 man.” work in the state, is part of the South pencil drawings of children who She said that she did not expect Carolina Infrastructure and Economic were victims of the Holocaust. such a strong reaction around the Development Reform Act passed by the Burkett, who has no formal train- country and the world to her draw- General Assembly in 2017, which raises ing in art, said her project began in ings, which have been recognized in the fee by $0.02 each July until 2022. 2017 when she decided to learn to the U.S. Congressional Record by the Effective dates and the rate change are draw. The resulting drawings are House of Representatives and dis- as follows: July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018, 18 faithful portraits of the children. played in the Paris and Washington, cents; July 1, 2018-June 30, 2019, 20 cents; “I found a picture of a little boy on D.C., Israeli embassies. Israeli Am- July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020, 22 cents; Pinterest (an Internet site), and I bassador Ron Dermer called the por- July 1, 2020-June 30, 2021, 24 cents; July just knew I was supposed to draw traits “a light in the darkness.” 1, 2021-June 30, 2022, 26 cents; and July 1, him,” she said. “In the beginning, I PHOTO PROVIDED While the children’s portraits are 2022 and after, 28 cents. didn’t know he had died in the Holo- One of 27 drawings of children who not for sale, they are available for This number does not include the in- caust. In just a few hours, he came were victims of the Holocaust is seen. exhibit at no cost. The sole adult spection fee ($0.0025) and the environ- to life, and I was entirely amazed.” The artist, Mary Burkett, will give a talk portraits, Dr. Korczak and the Or- mental impact fee ($0.005) which have Upon completing his portrait, Bur- on the exhibition at the Temple Sinai phan Child, can be purchased at ma- not changed and are still applied to kett began searching for other chil- Jewish History Center at 6 p.m. Thurrs- ryburkettart.com; sales help to fund motor fuel. dren who had died in the Holocaust. day. Admission is free, and Thursday the exhibit. According to the S.C. Department of Seven months later, working at her also marks the final day of the exhibi- The public is invited to an artist Transportation, from July 1, 2017 (when kitchen table in West Columbia, she tion. talk by Mary Burkett on her exhibi- the Motor Fuel User Fee first increased) had drawn 27, finishing in July 2017. tion titled Beloved: Children of the through April 2019, more than $657 mil- “In many ways, it was heartbreak- Holocaust at 6 p.m. Thursday at the lion has been deposited in the state In- ing to draw them but also a great In her book titled “An Unexpected Temple Sinai Jewish History Center, frastructure Maintenance Trust Fund, honor,” she said. “I feel tremendous- Year: The Story of the Beloved Por- 11 Church St.