NATION Most big public colleges don’t track suicides SERVING SOUTH CAROLINA SINCE OCTOBER 15, 1894 A5 THURSDAY, JANUARY 4, 2018 75 CENTS City Council may add meter damage fees costs in repairing and/or re- it costs just to send a crew out may be considered in deter- Ordinance prohibiting loitering youths aired placing meters that have been to check the meter, Shytle mining if the fee will be BY ADRIENNE SARVIS way of recovering the money damaged by customer or said. waived. [email protected] spent to repair or replace third-party action,” the pro- The fee can be waived if it is Councilman Calvin Hastie damaged meters, City Attor- posed ordinance states. determined the customer told City Manager Deron Mc- City residents could face a ney Eric Shytle said. A $50 minimum fee will be damaged the meter uninten- Cormick about comments fine for damaged water me- Many customers drive over applied to any unintentional, tionally or if the damage is a from constituents that their ters after Sumter City Council meter boxes — as people have negligent or intentional dam- first offense for the customer, water and sewer fees have in- approved first reading of an done for decades — which can age to water meters caused by he said. creased after the city installed ordinance to amend the city’s press the meter farther into vehicles, lawn equipment, He said the amendment will new water meters in some water and sewer rates to in- the ground and break the seal landscaping or misuse, ac- make customers share the re- areas. clude meter damage fees on between the meter and the cording to the proposal. sponsibility of protecting the Water meters tend to slow Monday. pipes underground, he said. The minimum fee is set at water meters. Failure to re- The city has never had a “The city incurs substantial $50 because that is about what port damage to a water meter SEE DAMAGE FEES, PAGE A6 Storm blankets Sumter in snow Weeks files letter to delay Morris mold case hearing BY BRUCE MILLS [email protected] The attorney for Morris College has delayed an initial subpoena hearing in the case brought against the school by current and former students, accord- ing to documents filed recently with the state’s Third Judicial Circuit Court. Attorney David Weeks of Weeks Law Office LLC, of Sumter, who is also a representative in the state House of Representatives, filed a let- ter on Dec. 28 with at-large circuit court Judge George McFaddin Jr. to effectively delay the case for the en- tire legislative session and through July 31 under a state statute. The ini- tial hearing was scheduled for Wednesday at Sumter County Judi- cial Center. In his letter last week to McFaddin, Weeks cites that lawyers who are members of the General Assembly are granted “absolute protection” from being called to a trial or hearing in any court in the state from January PHOTOS BY MICAH GREEN / THE SUMTER ITEM through July. Kayvonte Bells dances outside of Main Attraction Barber Salon on North Main Street on Wednesday afternoon as snow begins to fall. “Therefore, as a member of the South Carolina General Assembly, I Centennial Plaza is am asserting my legislative protection 1st snow in decades seen on Wednes- for those terms,” Weeks wrote. day afternoon. Calls for clarification on the conse- puts Florida, South Sumter was ex- quences of Weeks’ letter were not re- pected to get up turned by Weeks or the Third Circuit into a deep freeze to three inches of Court on Wednesday. snow. In the class-action lawsuit, the stu- SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — A brutal dents allege the college has mold in- winter storm dumped snow in Talla- festation in its dormitories and it’s re- hassee, Florida, on Wednesday for sulted in health hazards for students the first time in nearly three decades through the years. Litigation attorney before slogging up the Atlantic coast John Harrell, of Harrell Law Firm PA and smacking Southern cities such in Charleston, filed the suit on behalf as Savannah and Charleston, South of the five current and former Morris Carolina, with a rare blast of snow College students against the school in and ice. mid-November. The college is the de- Snow began to fall in Sumter fendant in the case. County about 3 p.m., and with tem- At Wednesday’s initial hearing, Mc- peratures expected to rise above freeze and cause dangerous travel Forecasters warned that the same Fadden was supposed to hear Har- freezing today, most of the snow will conditions. system could soon strengthen into a rell’s request to allow his firm to send likely melt. Erik Hayes, Sumter County emer- “bomb cyclone” as it rolls up the a mold specialist onto the campus to But according to Brian Edwards gency management director, said East Coast, bringing hurricane-force inspect for mold, according to Harrell. with AccuWeather in State College, Wednesday that because this is a winds, coastal flooding and up to a In mid-December when Weeks pro- Pennsylvania, the below-freezing snow-only event for Sumter, the foot of snow. vided the college’s answer to the served temperature forecast for tonight emergency management center means that melted snow could re- would not be operating. SEE SNOW, PAGE A6 SEE WEEKS, PAGE A6 WATCH MORE To watch a video of The Not like ‘Training Day’: New Year’s Eve ride-along Sumter Item’s ride-along with the Sumter County Sheriff’s BY ADRIENNE SARVIS But if you have done simply taking people to jail. The night wasn’t any- Office, find this [email protected] something that warrants I rode along with Sumter thing like “Training Day” story on more attention at a check County Sheriff’s Office or “Lethal Weapon,” but it TheItem.com or go the Being nervous while ap- point, it’s good to know of- deputies on New Year’s Eve was interesting. TheItem.com/ proaching a check point is ficers are more concerned to see what check points Sometimes, check points studiosumter. normal, even if you haven’t with making sure drivers are like on the other side of SARVIS done anything wrong. make better decisions than that bright flashlight. SEE RIDE-ALONG, PAGE A6 VISIT US ONLINE AT CONTACT US DEATHS, B3 WEATHER, A8 INSIDE Information: 774-1200 Ray Hucks RECORD COLD POSSIBLE 2 SECTIONS, 14 PAGES the .com Advertising: 774-1246 Brenda Lee Brown VOL. 123, NO. 55 Classifieds: 774-1200 Eva N. Harvin Sunny and breezy in the Delivery: 774-1258 Elizabeth Messersmith afternoon; near-record Classifieds B6 Sports B1 News and Sports: 774-1226 Maria M. Bernard temperatures tonight Comics B4 Television B5 Frederick K. Waechter Jr. HIGH 41, LOW 16 Opinion A7 June R. Catoe Mamie R. Rodwell A2 | THURSDAY, JANUARY 4, 2018 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] Man who Stay warm, but be cautious of drove into frigid pond carbon monoxide poisoning BY RHONDA BARRICK Gas water heaters, gas stoves and • Check to see if any member of the is located [email protected] ovens, kerosene heaters, grills, wood household is experiencing symptoms, and gas fireplaces, portable generators and if they are, leave the affected area BY KAYLA ROBINS With the extreme cold temperatures and automobile engines are all sources immediately and get fresh air; [email protected] in the Midlands comes the threat of of carbon monoxide and should not be • If no one has symptoms, open win- carbon monoxide poisoning as resi- used in enclosed or poorly ventilated dows/doors and turn off potential The driver in a New Year’s dents try to stay warm. spaces such as a tent, garage, base- sources of CO; and Eve crash that ended in a frigid Carbon monoxide — a colorless, ment, etc. • Have a qualified technician inspect pond seemingly avoided trage- odorless, tasteless toxic gas produced Besides following manufacturer's in- fuel-burning appliances to identify and dy, officials have learned. when natural gas, propane, gasoline, structions for fuel-burning appliances, correct source of leak. A Hyundai sedan apparently kerosene, wood or charcoal is burned the center also recommends having a According to the Centers for Disease went off the roadway at East — can be deadly but can also cause qualified technician check gas-burning Control and Prevention more than 400 Calhoun Street and Salterstown permanent damage to the brain and appliances including water heaters people in the United States die each Road some time after 9 p.m. on nervous system. All ages can be affect- and gas dryers annually, installing a year from unintentional carbon mon- Dec. 31 and ended up in a pond, ed, but infants and children are espe- UL-approved CO alarm on every level oxide poisoning not linked to fires, South Carolina Highway Patrol cially vulnerable. of the home containing sleeping quar- more than 20,000 visit the emergency Lance Cpl. David Jones said. According to the Palmetto Poison ters and posting the poison hotline room and more than 4,000 are hospital- The man abandoned the vehi- Center, the symptoms of carbon mon- number (1-800-222-1222) near phones. ized. cle after it skidded across a field oxide poisoning can be similar to the Call immediately for possible poison- For additional information on car- into the water, Jones said, and flu or food poisoning: fatigue/sleepi- ings. bon monoxide poisoning, visit the Pal- he left the scene before troopers ness; dizziness; nausea; headache; ir- If the carbon monoxide alarm goes metto Poison Center’s website at poi- and first responders arrived.