FOOD Want bold chili flavor? C4 ONLINE: Read highlights from Tuesday’s Sumter School District Meet the Candidates SERVING SOUTH CAROLINA SINCE OCTOBER 15, 1894 WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2018 $1.00 night at theitem.com 2nd Florence cop dies after attack Agencies, bystanders honor Investigator Turner during her procession Tuesday BY JEFFREY COLLINS The Associated Press COLUMBIA — A wounded police officer died Monday after 19 days in the hospital and multiple surgeries, after she was ambushed while ap- proaching an upscale South Carolina home to question a man in a child sex assault case. Florence County Sheriff’s Investigator Far- rah Turner was one of seven offi- cers shot on Oct. 3. A police officer from the city of Florence was TURNER killed that day. Five others are re- covering. Turner’s death triggered an- other wave of grief about the shooting. The first three offi- cers were shot coming to the door, and four more were MICAH GREEN / THE SUMTER ITEM wounded trying to rescue their Law enforcement and first responder agencies from several counties including Clarendon County, Florence County and Charleston honored Florence comrades from a gunman who County Sheriff’s Investigator Farrah Turner on Tuesday afternoon as her body was moved from Medical University of South Carolina back to Florence. fired so methodically and pre- Turner died Monday after being shot in an ambush attack at a Florence home, the second law enforcement officer to die after the attack Oct. 3. cisely that rescuers had to use an armored truck to rescue the injured, authorities said. “Farrah was the ultimate professional, excelling at ev- erything she did. She dedicat- ed her life to serving the vic- tims of the worst crimes imag- inable,” Florence County Sheriff Kenney Boone said in a statement announcing her MICAH GREEN / THE SUMTER ITEM death Monday. Turner died the same day Law enforcement agencies her mother released a state- SHARRON HALEY / SPECIAL TO THE SUMTER ITEM rode in the procession honor- ment, asking for donations for A Florence County Sheriff’s Office helicopter flew ing Turner on Tuesday. A Flor- her care on the Go Fund Me over the procession for Turner, who died 19 days ence city police officer also website. Turner’s mother, after she was ambushed at a Florence home and died in the shooting, and five Katie Godwin, said her daugh- wounded along with six other officers. Turner’s others are recovering. ter had to have both of her feet body was accompanied from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston to Florence by sev- SHARRON HALEY / SPECIAL TO THE SUMTER ITEM SEE TURNER, PAGE A5 eral law enforcement agencies. Next superintendent Former Catholic priest, should start by July in 76, gets 20 years after rape of S.C. children Sumter School District BY JEFFREY COLLINS years of a 10-year sentence in The Associated Press Maryland for sexually abusing two other boys. Pope John Consulting firm lays out timeline for its search process A 76-year-old former Catho- Paul II dismissed him from BY BRUCE MILLS — Percy Mack, a former Richland School lic priest who already has the priesthood after that 2004 [email protected] District 1 superintendent; Frank Morgan, a served jail time for molesting conviction. former Kershaw County superintendent; boys in Maryland was sen- Brown’s guilty plea comes The search for Sumter School District’s and Mary Ann Blaskowitz, who previously tenced Tuesday to 20 years in as the Roman Catholic Church next superintendent will include communi- worked as an administrator in Kershaw prison in South in the United States is under ty engagement, forums, focus groups, sur- County. Carolina for rap- increased scrutiny for its han- veys and more with the plan to have the The team’s work will include three days ing boys from a dling of sex abuse cases. A new leader in place by July 1, 2019. of community engagement on Nov. 28-30. middle school Pennsylvania grand jury re- B.W.P. and Associates, the school board’s That engagement will include individual four decades ago. port in August found about search consulting firm, laid out interviews with board members, internal Wayland Yoder 300 Catholic priests had a thorough, multiple-step pro- meetings with district employees and com- Brown wore his abused more than 1,000 chil- cess to help facilitate the Board munity group meetings to include the BROWN priest collar while dren statewide since the 1940s. of Trustees in selecting its new faith-based community, Sumter Develop- attacking the Federal investigators are tak- superintendent at their work ment Board, Greater Sumter Chamber of boys, then prayed the rosary ing a closer look at those cases session Monday night at the Commerce, Shaw Air Force Base officials, with them, Solicitor Duffie to see if church leaders cov- district office. Sumter city and county council members Stone said. ered up for abusive priests. CASTNER The B.W.P. team includes and others. “He not only violated the In South Carolina, Brown four associates with a com- Three open community forums for the trust of children, but violated faced up to 210 years in prison bined 160-plus years of experience in public public will also take place at the district’s their faith. He used the Catho- on the nine counts of criminal education and 40-plus years in a superin- three high schools — Sumter, Lakewood lic faith against them,” Stone sexual conduct with a minor. tendent post. The lead consultant is Kevin and Crestwood. said in a news conference Stone said he took the plea Castner from Charlottesville, Virginia, and after Brown’s guilty plea. the three other associates all have area ties SEE SEARCH, PAGE A5 Brown already served five SEE PRIEST, PAGE A5 VISIT US ONLINE AT DEATHS, B7 WEATHER, A8 INSIDE Ralph Wade Porter Moses Hue Glover MORE SUN TODAY 3 SECTIONS, 20 PAGES the .com VOL. 124, NO. 7 Earnestine J. Wilson Melvin Benbow Mostly sunny; partly cloudy Adele Brown Allen Jacqueline Lunan LeMoyne and chilly tonight Classifieds B8 Opinion A7 Jenkins W. Mims Diana Marsh Comics C2 Panorama C1 Shneakee Williams HIGH 69, LOW 45 Food C4 Television C3 A2 | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2018 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] Police make arrest in store robberies BY ADRIENNE SARVIS from Sumter Police Depart- [email protected] ment. Her bond has been set at $25,000. Sumter police officers ar- Between 9 and 9:45 p.m. on rested a woman Sunday Oct. 14, Burgess allegedly en- morning in connection to a tered the Young’s at 1970 robbery of a convenience Camden Highway and the Cir- store and an at- cle K at 2295 Broad St., went tempted armed to the restroom area and later robbery, both in approached the clerks, telling the western part them she was armed and in- of the city last tended to rob the store. week. No money or goods were Quanisha La- taken during the first inci- trell Burgess, 34, BURGESS dent at Young's, but an undis- last known ad- closed amount of cash was dress of Naza- taken from Circle K. Burgess rene Church Road, is charged was reportedly seen getting with armed robbery and at- into a parked vehicle with two Applications tempted armed robbery and is men and leaving the area being held in Sumter-Lee Re- after leaving the store. gional Detention Center, ac- The investigation is ongo- being cording to a news release ing. accepted LOCAL BRIEF for REACH FROM STAFF REPORTS Belk charity sale to benefit several Sumter groups program PHOTOS PROVIDED A department store in designer brands will be fea- Sumter School District’s REACH program for artistically gifted and talented students offers students Sumter is gearing up for its tured during the sale, which in grades 3-11 opportunities to develop and enhance their talents in the areas of visual arts, the- annual charity sale that will is a private ticketed event. ater and choral music through three Saturday workshops held in March, April and May and a three- offer shoppers discounts and Shoppers can purchase a $5 week intensive workshop in June. Students must be screened and meet criteria before qualifying the opportunity to support ticket, which will be deduct- for participation in this program. Students meeting qualifications to participate in the program local charities. ed from their total purchase within the past two years do not need to be referred or screened unless interested in participating The Belk Charity Sale will when they return to the in a different arts area than originally qualified for. Previous students are required, however, to sub- be on Saturday, Nov. 3, from store on Nov. 3. Tickets can mit the Request for Screening Form to inform program leaders if they intend to participate in the 6 to 10 a.m. at the store in be purchased from the part- program in 2019. Schools will be accepting requests for screenings Nov. 5-30. Request for Screen- Sumter Mall, 1057 Broad St. nering charities, and 100 ing Forms are being sent home with report cards on Oct. 31. Forms are also available at all schools Proceeds will support Com- percent of those proceeds bat Veterans, the YWCA of will stay with the organiza- and on the district’s website. Initial screenings will be conducted at the school level through Dec. 7. the Upper Lowlands and tion. Tickets can also be pur- For more information, contact Heather Clemmons at (803) 774-5500, extension 122, or heather. Sumter High School JROTC. chased directly from Belk, [email protected].