Mill Street Grill opens in Manning A7 FRIDAY, JULY 13, 2018 | Serving South Carolina since October 15, 1894 75 cents Sumter tries to Manning beat June’s police chief HEAT fired Retired highway patrol Captain +2.9 Grice is sworn in as interim BY SHARRON HALEY degrees hotter on average Special to The Sumter Item for the in June MANNING — A Manning resident and daily high retired South Carolina Highway Patrol captain, Anthony K. Grice, has been sworn in as Manning’s interim police chief officer after Blair Shaffer, who served as Manning’s police chief for the past eight years, was fired +2.9 earlier in the day. Manning Mayor Julia Nel- son issued a news release degrees hotter on average announcing Shaffer’s termi- nation shortly after 4 p.m. for the daily low in June Thursday. Nelson cited the SHAFFER “safety of our residents, guests and community” when announcing Shaffer’s firing. Nel- son said Manning’s Public Safety Com- mittee voted to terminate Shaffer after a meeting during which the city’s public -0.88 safety programs had been discussed. Cit- ing the firing as a personnel matter, Nel- fewer inches of rain than son said no additional information would be forthcoming. historical average for June SEE CHIEF, PAGE A5 Democratic 100 Party chair Hottest June in 1944 at Average 95.4 90 daily ‘18 running for high Historical was 90.7 average of 87.8 for school board June 80 BY BRUCE MILLS [email protected] Filing for non-partisan seats on Sum- 70 ter School District Board of Trustees and June ‘18 Sumter City Council begins Monday, and average Sumter County Democratic Party Chair- low is woman Barbara Bowman said she is 68.6 ready to file for the school board race. Children kick off their first afternoon of summer vacation 60 Bowman spoke Thursday after submit- ting a news release announcing her can- in June by splashing in the spray park at North HOPE Park. didacy for the Area 1 seat on the board. ADRIENNE SARVIS / THE SUMTER ITEM A self-described “commu- 50 nity activist” in the Cher- ryvale area with other com- munity development leader- ship experience across the June was hotter, drier than average BOWMAN state, Bowman said she 40 thinks Area 1 in the district is underserved as far as programs and but not record breaking; July could opportunities for students. Before making her decision to run for be hotter, wetter than usual in S.C. the non-partisan school board seat, Bow- 30 man said she made sure it wouldn’t be a BY BRUCE MILLS diction Center's office out of Washing- conflict of interest with her role as head [email protected] ton, D.C. of the county’s Democratic party. Sumter County's average daily high “This is non-partisan, and I’m not run- temperature for June was 90.7 degrees, 20 ning based on the fact that I’m a Demo- une was somewhat hotter which was 2.9 degrees above the crat,” Bowman said, “but based on that than normal in Sumter month's historical average of 87.8, ac- we’re talking about the public schools cording to Anderson and the agency's and our children.” County and the state, and official statistics. She said she was disturbed with the J That was hot, but it actually didn't board’s majority vote this spring to close we can expect similar trends for 10 even crack the top 20 for hottest Junes F.J. DeLaine Elementary School in Area the rest of July. on record for Sumter, Anderson said. It 1 after residents who participated in National Weather Service Meteorolo- ranked 26th in the record books, which community meetings said they were gist Doug Anderson, based in Colum- go back almost 90 years to 1930. 0 against the idea. bia, reviewed June data and a 30-day outlook for July from the Climate Pre- SEE JUNE, PAGE A6 SEE BOWMAN, PAGE A6 VISIT US ONLINE AT DEATHS, B5 WEATHER, A10 INSIDE Leland Green Elease Moses Davis STORMY END TO THE WEEK 3 SECTIONS, 24 PAGES the .com Mary Jane Louise Flynn Barnett Darrell James VOL. 123, NO. 190 Richard Allen Dyson Marilyn Yvonne Womack A storm is possible in the after- Doris Sheard Smith Capehart noon; mostly cloudy tonight Religion A4 Clarendon Sun A7 Janie Williams Washington Irene W. Wright HIGH 88, LOW 70 Classifieds B7 Opinion A9 Jimmie Nathaniel Jr. Betty Jean Robinson Comics C6 Television C4 Sandra S. Goodman Setzer Conyers Gregory B. Porter A2 | FRIDAY, JULY 13, 2018 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] WHAT YOUR GOVERNMENT IS DOING: SUMTER COUNTY COUNCIL Revised jail contract expands sheriff’s authority BY ADRIENNE SARVIS REVISED JAIL CONTRACT GIVES SUMTER TEMPORARY FLUTTERING DEVICES The nine-member planning commission voted [email protected] COUNTY SHERIFF MORE AUTHORITY TAKES STEP FORWARD to recommend denial of the request in a 3-2 Reading: Third and final Reading: Second of three with a public hearing vote that included two abstentions during its Sumter County April 25 meeting because they said the existing What it is: An ordinance to revise the contract What it is: Sumter County Council is requesting Council approved sign ordinance is reasonable for business between Sumter and Lee counties regarding the that portions of the county’s development third and final reading owners. operation and funding of Sumter-Lee Regional standards ordinance regarding signs be amended of a revised contract Discussion: During the public hearing, Greater between Sumter and Detention Center. to permit fluttering devices including feather flags. Sumter Chamber of Commerce CEO and Lee counties regard- Background: Sumter County Council granted President Chris Hardy, speaking on behalf of the ing Sumter-Lee Re- Sumter County Sheriff Anthony Dennis the Background: If approved, the amendment group’s board of directors, said the group gional Detention Cen- authority to manage the jail in September after would make feather flags, which are currently understands the need for small businesses to ter and gave second the resignation of the previous detention center prohibited in the county, a conditional use in all adequately promote their services but that there reading to permit director a few months earlier. commercial districts and agricultural conservation is also an obligation to the perception of the feather flags on com- According to the revised contract, the Sumter districts. community especially with the increasing mercial property at its County sheriff will have the sole authority to The size of the flags would be limited to a economic development and tourism in Sumter. meeting on Tuesday. appoint and terminate the employment of the maximum height of 12 feet, a maximum width of McGregor said the zoning administrator, an director of the detention center. 3 feet and a maximum sign area of 36 square feet, employee of the planning department, will be Other changes include Lee County’s contribution according to a report from the Sumter City- in charge of supervising the use and conditions to the jail’s operating budget, which will be County Planning Department. of the flags and enforcing the regulations based on the average percentage of Lee County Properties with 50 linear feet of frontage would concerning those issues. detainees housed at the detention center during be permitted to have two flags, with 50-100 feet Nelle Thomlinson, a representative of the the previous five fiscal years, beginning July 1. of linear frontage would be allowed three flags Building Industry Association of Sumter and Lee County will also contribute 10 percent of all and with more than 100 feet of linear frontage Clarendon counties, asked if the amendments costs for any capital projects, including the could have four flags, the maximum for any size would also apply to open houses for model expansion and renovation of the existing property. homes in residential districts. detention center and the construction of a new For multi-tenant properties, each business would McGregor said as drafted, the amendments do one. be entitled to display feather flags as long as the not apply to signs associated with residential This revised contract will be in effect for 30 years number of flags do not exceed those frontage properties and that research is required to with the option for an additional 30-year limits, states the report. determine how to allow feather flags just for renewal. As a conditional use, businesses would be limited model homes and not for individual open Discussion: None. to no more than three 30-day periods each year houses. to display feather flags. A $25 temporary sign/ Vote: Approved — Councilwoman Vivian Vote: 5-1 approval — Councilman Gene Baten conditional use permit would be required so the Fleming-McGhaney abstained because her voted in opposition, and Councilman Charles planning department can keep track of how long husband is an employee of the detention center, Edens was absent. the signs have been displayed. and Councilman Charles Edens was absent. $2,500 surety bond. She was released on erational theater. LOCAL & Thursday. Since Sept. 11, 2001, the men and Sumter raises women of the South Carolina Air Na- STATE BRIEFS 169th Fighter Wing deploys tional Guard, also known as the Swamp Fox unit, have deployed their FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS $12,000 for about 300 to Southwest Asia aviation package multiple times to var- ious locations in Southwest Asia, to in- Crime Stoppers Firefighters rescue 5 adults clude Iraq and Afghanistan, with a ro- from burning Sumter home tation to Japan in 2006, Poland in 2015 and South Korea in 2016.