IN SPORTS: Championship day at Dixie Softball World Series B1 PANORAMA Go wild 4-H2O Clemson offers students a hands-on study of wetland C1 SERVING SOUTH CAROLINA SINCE OCTOBER 15, 1894 ecology at 2-day camp WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 2, 2017 $1.00 SUMTER SCHOOL DISTRICT New trustees want board to be more proactive BY BRUCE MILLS Trustees. The Sumter County Legisla- cluding acting as audit committee asset to the school board,” Byrd said. [email protected] tive Delegation appointed both in chairman for the South Carolina Byrd has also served for five years unanimous votes Monday night in a Legal Services Corp. and the Progres- on the school board’s advisory finance According to their resumes, Sum- public meeting at Central Carolina sive National Baptist Convention committee. That committee consists of ter’s newest school board Technical College. Board. Additionally, he’s a member of four local private business owners — members come with Byrd, a certified public the American Institute of CPAs’ Joint Byrd included — and three board plenty of credentials and accountant, owns and op- Trial Board, which covers the profes- members to help guide the school dis- each says they believe the erates William Levan sion’s ethics regulations. trict’s financial practices. Byrd and board needs to work Byrd, CPA, PC at 207 E. Given the school district’s recent fi- the other private business owners more proactively in the Liberty St., and also has nancial difficulties, Byrd thinks he’s a have provided advice to board mem- future. 25 years’ combined expe- good fit for the school board. bers on how to run the district effi- William Byrd and Bon- rience in government “Being a practicing CPA and doing ciently. Ultimately, however, the sev- BYRD DISNEY nie Disney spoke Tues- and corporate account- this for a living, understanding what’s en-member school board — who are day on their individual ing with the IRS and expected in a financial environment for all elected officials — have final say on appointments as at-large members to Phillip Morris. it to be operating well, I think that ex- the Sumter School District Board of He also serves on several boards, in- perience in itself will be a tremendous SEE BOARD, PAGE A6 Experts share Dishing out love money tips for students BY CAITLAN WALZER [email protected] As school is rapidly ap- proaching, many college stu- dents prepare by purchasing their textbooks, necessities for living away from home and a host of other supplies needed for the school year. In many cases, students may find themselves in a bind and concerned about their financ- es. However, financial aid coun- I prefer photo 1 since selors in Sumter County and we can say something financial institutions have positive about the school come up with a plan to save district for a change. rc money for not only the par- ents, but also for the students. “Financial responsibility is a learned behavior,” said Te- neisha Adams, Central Caroli- na Technical College’s finan- cial aid counselor/student loans. In fact, Adams said that she thinks through utilizing re- sources in the area, such as the local financial institutions, financial competence soon fol- PHOTOS BY RICK CARPENTER / THE SUMTER ITEM lows. ABOVE: From left, Sumter School District em- Morris College Assistant ployees Shelly Galloway, Cindy Jennings, Director of Financial Aid Mary Sheridan and Beth Powell take turns Marguerite Wilder said “due adding ingredients to fill a bag during the to the constant rise in col- Feed My Starving Children event Tuesday at lege costs, particularly pri- Sumter County Civic Center. The event, vate, four-year institutions which continues today, is projected to pro- and the minimal increases in federal and state grants, un- vide 400,000 meals by using more than 280 less a student receives a volunteers each day. large scholarship package, they will probably receive RIGHT: The Sumter County Civic Center was student loans to meet their abuzz with activity as volunteers worked at cost of education.” various stations. SEE MONEY, PAGE A6 Analysts doubt North Korea’s ICBM re-entry capability A North Korean BY KIM TONG-HYUNG Korea on Friday. photo from July The Associated Press But the apparent failure likely shows the means the North will conduct more launch of a SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea flight tests of the Hwasong-14 missile Hwasong-14 in- after decades of effort has a missile to ensure the warhead could survive tercontinental potentially capable of reaching the the re-entry from space and hit its in- ballistic missile continental United States, but analysts tended target, the analysts said. at an undis- say Pyongyang has yet to show the The Hwasong-14 ICBM, which was closed location ICBM can inflict serious damage once first tested on July 4, follows decades in North Korea. it gets there. of effort by North Korea to obtain a U.S. and South Korean experts on nuclear deterrent against the United THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Tuesday said Japanese video footage States. Analysis of the flight data from capturing the Hwasong-14’s re-entry Hwasong-14’s second test has suggest- vehicle shortly before it crashed into ed that more of the U.S. mainland, in- the sea suggests it failed to survive the cluding Los Angeles and Chicago, is extreme heat and pressure after re-en- now in range of Pyongyang’s weapons. tering the Earth’s atmosphere follow- ing its launch from northern North SEE ICBM, PAGE A6 VISIT US ONLINE AT DEATHS, B5 WEATHER, A12 INSIDE Howard C. Spradley John Alston A LITTLE WARMER 3 SECTIONS, 22 PAGES the .com Esther R. Tomson Evelyn P. Wilson Mostly sunny today VOL. 122, NO. 207 Bobby D. Pringle Jr. Herbert Hickman and warmer with increasing Classifieds B5 Opinion A9 Harvey Mitchell Mary Lee Austin humidity returning; tonight, Comics C2 Television C3 John R. Seech partly cloudy and mild. Food C4 HIGH 91, LOW 68 A2 | WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 2, 2017 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] Citizens urge action on Highland Avenue sidewalks BY JIM HILLEY Greg Thompson to the Sumter Devel- said it is basically storage on wheels to proved for $424,042. Harris said the [email protected] opment Board, which he chairs. maximize storage and minimize space. vendor is the same company who made “I think everybody can agree Mr. “It will be used in several locations the original system, Andritz Separa- Todd Touchberry, manager of Cut- Thompson has done an outstanding job within the police department, our tele- tion, which notified the city in 2013 it Rate Drugstore and Soda Fountain was in that position,” Mayor Joe McElveen communications center, our traditional would no long support the old system, presented the Downtown Service said. records section, our personnel section, which was put in 20 years ago. He said Award from the South Carolina Main The final reading of an ordinance to our training and in our general evi- it was not feasible for any other compa- Street at Tuesday’s Sumter City Coun- amend the CDBG Entitlement Budget dence storage. ny to come in and do an upgrade on a cil meeting. was approved to bring it in line with He said the department is required to system with which they were not famil- “He has shown his longstanding sup- the actual amounts received. have a triple-locking system for sensi- iar. port for the City of Sumter and his ap- Council approved the first reading of tive items such as evidence, drugs, Council passed a resolution declar- preciation for his hometown and espe- annexation requests for .62 acres of weapons, jewelry and money, and the ing the city’s official intent to reim- cially its downtown as is reflected in property at 1735 U.S. Highway 15 South storage will comply with the require- burse itself for certain expenditures the proud decor of the Cut-Rate Drug- and 1.25 acres at 1750 U.S. 15 South. ment. with the proceeds of tax-exempt obliga- store and Soda Fountain,” said Beppie The property at 1735 U.S. 15 South is Council accepted a $149,966 bid tions to be incurred by the city. LeGrand, Main Street South Carolina owned by Christopher and Deborah through the Government Services Ad- A large group of residents attended manager, “For the last eight years, Prescott, who operate the U.S. 15 South ministration for the filing and storage the meeting to complain to council Todd Touchberry has managed the Carwash at the location. Planning Di- system from Datum Filing Systems Inc, about the lack of sidewalks on High- soda fountain portion of the drugstore, rector George McGregor said the own- of Emigsville, Pennsylvania. land Avenue. it has been located downtown since ers wish to access city utilities. A low bid of $728,350 was accepted Randolph Black, who lives on the 1935 and features authentic pieces from The property at 1750 S. U.S. 15 is from B&B Construction of Sumter for street, said it was approved for side- the period and later decades.” owned by Aaron Fox, an authorized the Wise Drive Pump Station replace- walks in 2013 but nothing has been Touchberry also received accolades agent for a pizza chain. A request to re- ment project. done since. from members of City Council and a zone the property from agricultural Assistant City Manager Al Harris Many students at Willow Drive Ele- warm show of approval from all in at- conservation to general commercial said the current station is 30 years old mentary walk along the street and it tendance.