We honor those who made the ULTIMATE SACRIFICE SERVING SOUTH CAROLINA for our freedom SINCE OCTOBER 15, 1894 SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2018 $1.75 Notice: Project Bulldog is BD Public hearing will be held before 3rd reading of incentive agreement BY BRUCE MILLS counsel for local manufactur- readings by county council in quires legal counsel to identi- night, council is expected to [email protected] er BD (Becton Dickinson and the last month and will in- fy the company in any public have its third and final read- Co.), BD is the company previ- volve an investment of at least notice so any concerned resi- ing of an ordinance to autho- According to a required ously identified by county of- $150 million and create 125 dents who want to attend the rize a fee in lieu of taxes and legal notice of a public hear- ficials as Project Bulldog. new, full-time jobs in Sumter. particular hearing know what incentive agreement between ing at an upcoming Sumter Project Bulldog has been The legal notice says the it is about. the county and company in County Council meeting in to- the code name for a recent manufacturer is proposing a According to a previous ar- light of it making such a day’s Classified section of The county economic development physical plant investment in ticle in The Sumter Item, Sumter Item, written by legal project that has passed two the county, and state law re- after the public hearing that SEE BD, PAGE A11 If we held one minute of silence for every victim Fish fry honors of the Holocaust, we would be silent for more than 20 years. veterans at annual South Sumter event Family-fun day, patriotic ceremony in the offing Monday BY KAYLA ROBINS [email protected] Memorial Day is a day to honor those who served our country and those who made the ultimate sacrifice for it, but that doesn't mean a com- munity has to make it a day of sadness. The ninth annual Memorial Day event and fish fry at South Sumter Park will take place from noon to 4 p.m. Mon- day, rain or shine. Sumter City Councilman Cal- vin Hastie said the event was IVY MOORE / SPECIAL TO THE SUMTER ITEM initiated almost a decade ago because there was Holocaust survivor and Sumter resident Abe Stern’s experiences are explored in an exhibit that also includes information on other Sum- not "a lot going on ter residents affected by the Holocaust. The exhibit is part of the new Temple Sinai Jewish History Center, opening Friday. in that area," and "we wanted a local Temple Sinai Jewish History Center to open Friday community event to do something for Memorial BY IVY MOORE Hall and Brody Educational Building “Five men from the temple formed a HASTIE Day." Special to The Sumter Item into the center grew out of the concern committee 10 years ago, and they had While it started for the future of the historic temple, the foresight to look this far down the out as a block After more than two years of plan- whose membership has declined con- road,” Schwartz said. party on South Main Street, ning and building, the Temple Sinai siderably during the past 20 years. He credited Ackerman for coming up the gathering has grown so Jewish History Center will open to the Roger Ackerman and Jay Schwartz, with the idea for the history center. large they moved it to the public on Friday with a service in the members of the Temple Sinai Board, “We hooked up with the Sumter park. More than 1,000 people sanctuary. Opening ceremonies will be came up with the plan to convert part County Museum, and they stepped came last year to honor veter- held on Saturday. of the temple property as a way to keep ans, the military and the The conversion of the temple’s Social the temple alive for future generations. SEE CENTER, PAGE A11 country. Hastie, a more than 20-veter- an, said a focus of the event is to "show our young people 78TH SUMTER IRIS there is something special to be observed about Memorial FESTIVAL SCHEDULE day, and celebrated, as well." Fish will be fried up all day, Today, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and veterans and seniors will TODAY be served instead of having to stand in line like everyone else. • Just Kidding Around Children’s Area*, Palmetto Starting at 2 p.m., Jim Amusements, noon-5 p.m., (rides, blow-ups and more) Felder, the Sumter native who • Children’s Art in the Park, Bland Gardens, noon-5 p.m. was the top-ranking non-com- • Open Car Show, Bland side, 1 p.m. missioned officer in the mili- • Mary Hinson Flower Show, “Celebrating the Festivals of tary honor guard in 1963 who South Carolina,” Alice Boyle Garden Center, 1-4 p.m. was a pallbearer in President John F. Kennedy's funeral, will More info at IrisFestival.org. All events subject to change or begin calling names of veter- cancellation. ans from World War II to pres- *Note: Children’s Area Activities free unless otherwise indicated ent day. Each will receive a and held in the playground area and near the Main Stage with flag pin. the exception of Children’s Art in the Park which is held in Bland Gardens on the north side of West Liberty Street. SEE FISH FRY, PAGE A11 VISIT US ONLINE AT DEATHS, B5 WEATHER, A16 INSIDE Charles D. Holland James ‘Jimmy’ Reynolds WET SUNDAY 4 SECTIONS, 34 PAGES the .com VOL. 123, NO. 156 Nancy L. Lucas Danny E. Seymour Warm with showers and David Sanders Linda E. Ligon storms around today; tonight, Classifieds C7 Panorama A5 Terrance K. Addison Ethelle G. Wilson warm, humid and rainy. Comics D1 Reflections C4 Garrett ‘Rocky’ Thomas Jr. Agnes V. Benenhaley HIGH 84, LOW 70 Education A6 Sports B1 Beverly Rogers Opinion A14 USA Today C1 Outdoors C6 Yesteryear C5 A2 | SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2018 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] Private sector firms donate $35K to district BY BRUCE MILLS and some invited guests. [email protected] With new academic and soft-skill programs rolling As part of a continual ef- out next school year, Hamm fort to support Sumter School said the conference is neces- District, local private inves- sary to familiarize teachers tors made a contribution with the new coursework to Thursday to support the dis- then increase student aca- trict's upcoming teacher pro- demic achievement next year. fessional development confer- She also said the confer- ence. ence will be beneficial to af- Greg Thompson, a member firm the professionalism of of the Sumter Smarter the district's teachers and Growth Initiative and Sumter help with retention and re- Development Board, present- cruitment of teachers, given ed Interim Superintendent the teacher shortage that ex- Debbie Hamm with a check ists in the state and nation- for $35,000 for the district's in- wide. augural teacher conference in Hamm said she was over- June. The funds will be used joyed with the donation from to cover a portion of the costs the private sector. associated with putting on "I am thrilled to receive this the conference, Hamm said. kind of support from our The professional develop- community," Hamm said. "We MICAH GREEN / THE SUMTER ITEM ment conference will occur would not be able to even June 12-14 in Sumter and will hold this conference if not for From left, Sumter Development Board members Jim Jones, Jack Osteen and Greg Thompson present Sum- be for 500 district teachers the partnership with the com- ter School District Interim Superintendent Debbie Hamm, center, with a check for $35,000 Thursday. Fire claims Screenings vital in preventing cancer Branch Street BY KAYLA ROBINS MORE IN STORE home; 3 adults [email protected] This is the first in a three-part series in partnership with the South Carolina Cancer Alliance about colorectal cancer in the three-county region of Sumter, Lee and Clarendon and how to No one enjoys getting a colonoscopy. spread awareness and prevent it through screenings. displaced Dr. Kent Cunningham and a statewide group know that. They also know get- ting one can save lives from one of the rector of the alliance. “Roughly two- BY ADRIENNE SARVIS most commonly diagnosed cancers in thirds are screened, but that leaves us [email protected] both men and women. far behind.” The South Carolina Cancer Alli- Well said a major focus of the alli- Sumter firefighters were ance has been working since 2003 for ance in regards to this initiative is to called to put out a fire on the prevention and early detection of spread awareness of the accessibility Branch Street after a single- cancer and improving the treatment and importance of screenings. There family house caught fire on of those affected by the disease, but are more diagnoses and deaths in this Thursday afternoon. one area of their South Carolina Can- area not because of any socioeconomic The call came in about 3:44 cer Plan it develops every five years or geographic reason. It’s because peo- p.m. and firefighters started addresses screening and early detec- ple just don’t know, and if they know, arriving on scene at 3:51 p.m. tion. it isn’t being stressed enough to get to see flames from one side of In South Carolina, about 2,000 people them to go. the house, according to an in- will be diagnosed with colorectal can- “What’s the alternative of not getting cident report from the Sumter cer and about 800 will die from the dis- screened? It could be death,” he said.