S.C. prison chief faces Senate Subcommittee A6 Carolina Backcountry Springtime on Saturday Learn about weaving, blacksmithing, SERVING SOUTH CAROLINA SINCE OCTOBER 15, 1894 18th-century weaponry and more A2 FRIDAY, MAY 11, 2018 75 CENTS Cheerleader gives up NFL for her faith Sumter’s Kristan Ware says Christianity, virginity made her a target BY ADRIENNE SARVIS home in dance studios. versation because she did not have [email protected] Along with her love for dance and one of her own. cheerleading, Ware has even more When asked why she didn't have a Faith is something that a lot of peo- passion for Christ. playlist, Ware decided to answer hon- ple carry with them everywhere they But, while being on the Miami Dol- estly and told her teammates she is go, including a former Miami Dol- phins cheerleading team gave her the waiting until marriage. phins cheerleader who was allegedly opportunity to do what she loved, the And though her teammates did not singled out for refusing to take God job later caused her distress. seem to mind her personal decision, out of her life for the sake of the Ware said her troubles began after she said the team staff made it a topic team. a trip to London in 2015 during her of discussion during Ware’s audition Though she moved a lot growing up second year with the Dolphins when for next season. in a military family, 27-year-old other cheerleaders were discussing Ware was baptized on April 10, Kristan Ann Ware of Sumter was their sex playlists. KRISTAN WARE able to find a stable outlet outside of She hardly participated in the con- SEE FAITH, PAGE A11 Sumter Fire Department has new home BY ADRIENNE SARVIS [email protected] Sumter Fire Department firefighters took part in a na- tional tradition as they pushed their newest appara- tus into the new garage at the department's new headquar- ters on North Lafayette Drive Wednesday afternoon. The new headquarters building — one portion of the new Public Safety Complex that also houses a new sta- tion for Sumter Police De- partment — provides the de- partment with much-needed space and more modern equipment, said Battalion Chief Joey Duggan. The $5.6 million, 21,600-square-foot building was funded by the 2014 Capi- tal Penny Sales Tax. Duggan said the former headquarters building on Calhoun Street was con- structed in the late ’60s and was meant to house about 50 career firefighters. There are now about 110 career fire- fighters, he said. Duggan thanked the citi- zens who continue to support the penny sales tax, which made the new headquarters possible. "We look forward to serv- MICAH GREEN / THE SUMTER ITEM ing the citizens from here," Sumter firefighters push their new firetruck into the bay of the fire department in the new Public Safety Complex located on North Lafayette he said. Drive on Wednesday. School officials, Realtors air new direction, programs First-ever Realtors Luncheon Hamm facilitated the midday event, Board of Trustees' vote last month to bar" in moving the district forward. which drew 41 area real estate agents approve her recommendation to close Six school administrators also talked promotes ‘selling our schools’ and related professionals and focused two low- and declining-enrollment about new academic and soft-skill ini- on the array of new academic pro- schools in rural parts of the county tiatives being implemented, such as BY BRUCE MILLS grams soon to be implemented in the and move those students next school eight elementary and middle schools [email protected] district's schools. year into nearby, revamped magnet seeking STEM accreditation, 12 Hamm described the district as one schools. Cherryvale Elementary will be schools adding a college readiness pro- Working together and selling togeth- that's "on the move," with its finances one of those new magnet schools with gram called Advancement Via Individ- er was the theme of Sumter School now headed in the right direction after a science, technology, engineering, arts ual Determination and other schools District's first-ever Realtors Luncheon a financial crisis last year and also and math (STEAM) concentration. implementing another college readi- held Wednesday at Cherryvale Elemen- with a renewed emphasis on academic Hamm emphasized principals, teach- ness initiative with a focus on math tary School. achievement. ers and the district staff's commitment Interim Superintendent Debbie She briefed attendees on the district's to the new programs and "raising the SEE LUNCHEON, PAGE A11 VISIT US ONLINE AT DEATHS, B4 WEATHER, A12 INSIDE Robin Nicole Davis Josh D. Charles PUT ON SUNSCREEN 3 SECTIONS, 24 PAGES the .com Regina Witherspoon Charles E. Toms VOL. 123, NO. 145 Reggie Fulwood Ella Mae June Remember when we were B5 A10 Tory Jones Walter Carter complaining about the cold Classifieds Opinion C6 C4 Nathan Conyers Sam Archie weather? Comics Television A7 C1 Ruby B. Morris Marianne H. Reither HIGH 93, LOW 64 Clarendon Sun USA Today Bettie Conyers Catherine L. Brown Be the favorite child this Mother’s Day SpecialSppgecial FinancingFinancing AvailableAvailable A2 | FRIDAY, MAY 11, 2018 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] Spend a spring day in the backcountry Deborah Watts said. cuits first thing in the morning.” Sumter museum recreates a Visitors to the free event can watch IF YOU GO An old-time water crock will be on May day in 1800 for visitors and talk to the Backcountry’s resident What: Carolina Backcountry Springtime hand if the food makes you thirsty. blacksmith, 17th-century weaponry ex- Watts said games from the period When: Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. BY IVY MOORE pert, weaver and more, as well as tour will be available for young visitors to Where: Sumter County Museum, 122 N. Special to The Sumter Item many of the buildings on the home- Washington St. play with, “and school will be open on stead. There’s the Settlers’ House, an a quilt under the trees. We’ll have a Step back into simpler, but hard- actual structure from the period that Admission: Free paddle with the alphabet on it just like working, times during Saturday’s Caro- was moved from Pinewood to the mu- More information: (803) 775-0908 1800.” lina Backcountry Springtime program. seum’s backcountry; a loom house; a In addition, the main museum — The authentic homestead will be commissary; a log cabin; a smoke Williams-Brice House — will be open filled with costumed Sumter County house; and a privy, or outhouse. able for tasting. during the event. Museum staff and volunteers from 10 Suanne Richendrfr will be making On Watts’ spring menu is her famous “It’s a fun way to learn about early a.m. to 4 p.m. to demonstrate how our butter and baking bread in the brick chicken on a string, and she’ll also life in the Sumter area,” Watts said. forebears lived in 1800, the year Sumter oven while Watts is cooking over an make “vegetables in season, an assort- For more information, call the muse- was founded, Backcountry Manager open fire. All the food will be avail- ment of pies and ham and bacon bis- um at (803) 775-0908. 4th-grader helps put bullying awareness, safety in spotlight BY KAYLA ROBINS middle school teacher in Sum- [email protected] ter, does. The young student is the One fourth-grader is mak- 2017-18 Miss Swan Lake, and ing strides in promoting she is using that spotlight as a school safety at her own pri- platform for anti-bullying vate school and throughout awareness. Sumter County, from prevent- “I am only 9 years old and ing bullying to fencing in see the need right here in our campuses, and she even has community. I see bullying at the attention of the mayor. the stores when an older per- Madison Grace Hansen son jumps in front of a young- wrote a letter to Mayor Joe er person in line or when I am McElveen asking him to pro- at an outing with my friends claim a month for national and see other children being bullying awareness preven- mean to complete strangers,” MICAH GREEN / THE SUMTER ITEM tion. On Tuesday, McElveen reads a letter to the mayor. Sumter Mayor Joe McElveen asks questions to Madison Grace Hansen, a fourth-grader at Wilson Hall, met the 9-year-old, her par- Madison Grace wore her about her thoughts on bullying and school safety before he signs a proclamation at her request designat- ents and her teacher and Miss Swan Lake sash and ing September as a month to focus on those topics. lower school principal at Wil- tiara as she sat in the Sumter son Hall to ask her questions City Council Chambers at the curity that will be put into through-12th-grade school on The school already conduct- about school safety and her top of the Sumter Opera place this summer at her own Wilson Hall Road. ed drills throughout this request before signing the House. school. Talley said the process of school year, which they had proclamation for September. “I think it’s wonderful Eddie Talley, assistant upgrading the school’s secu- not done before, he said. “I just don’t really like see- someone your age is even headmaster and lower school rity began recently in light Another addition to the se- ing people being mean to each thinking about this and is principal at Wilson Hall, said of calls for enhanced securi- curity of the campus in the other,” she said before the willing to talk about it,” the campus will be fenced in ty nationwide and various fall will be the presence of a meeting on Tuesday.