OPINION: Sumter sheriff shares his message for 2019 A7 SPORTS Tigers motivated against Alabama B1 SERVING SOUTH CAROLINA SINCE OCTOBER 15, 1894 THURSDAY, JANUARY 3, 2019 75 CENTS Acting Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt, left, and acting Secretary of Trump says Defense Patrick Shanahan, right, listen as President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House on shutdown Wednesday in Washington. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ‘could be a quickly,” Trump said during lengthy comments at a Cabinet meeting at the White House, his first public appear- ance of the new year. Meanwhile, the long time’ shutdown dragged through a second week, closing some parks and leaving BY ZEKE MILLER and LISA MASCARO of dollars to build a wall along the U.S. to re-open the government — without hundreds of thousands of federal em- The Associated Press border with Mexico. They’ll try again money for the border wall. But the ployees without pay. Friday. White House has rejected that pack- Democrats said they asked Trump WASHINGTON — No one budged at In one big change, the new Congress age, and Trump said ahead of the ses- directly during Wednesday’s private President Donald Trump’s White convenes today with Democrats taking sion with the congressional leaders meeting held in the Situation Room House meeting with congressional majority control of the House, and that the partial shutdown will last “as why he wouldn’t consider their pack- leaders Wednesday, so the partial gov- Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said long as it takes” to get the funding he age of bills. One measure would open ernment shutdown persisted through outside the White House that there wants. a 12th day over his demand for billions would be rapid passage of legislation “Could be a long time or could be SEE SHUTDOWN, PAGE A6 Holiday crackdown a success in Sumter Law enforcement agencies ring in 2019 monitoring drivers at area checkpoints BY ADRIENNE SARVIS [email protected] While many people cele- brated the new year at a party or with family, local law en- forcement officers spent the hours leading up to and after the year change keeping Sum- ter’s roads safe NYE WEEKEND from TALLY those who par- tied a lit- 11 tle too Total arrests hard. During a three- 3 day traf- Firearm violations fic en- force- ment op- 16 eration Drug charges conduct- ed on Fri- day, Sat- 57 urday Total cases and Mon- day, the ADRIENNE SARVIS / THE SUMTER ITEM Sumter Sumter County Sheriff’s Office deputies stop a car in Rembert on Monday, the last day of a three-day traffic enforcement operation. $29,417 County Total fines Sheriff’s nearly $30,000 in fines. he said, and officers recovered cluding violent incidents, this Usually, people rethink Office, “It was a success,” said Lt. firearms and drugs at road time of year. their plans when they see law Sumter Trevor Brown with the sher- blocks and checkpoints. The big thing is that people enforcement in their area, he Police Department, South iff’s office. There were more people in see law enforcement in their said. Carolina Highway Patrol and People were arrested for vi- town traveling for the holi- neighborhoods, Brown said. Brown said organizing the state constables arrested 11 olations from driving while days, he said, and there’s usu- “More so it deters speed- alleged offenders and issued impaired to drug possession, ally an increase in crimes, in- ers,” he said. SEE ENFORCEMENT, PAGE A6 North Pole, Alaska: where From Sumter to the North Pole the seasons are ‘winter’ Small Alaskan city’s mayor recalls his time stationed at Shaw and ‘preparing for winter’ BY BRUCE MILLS out to Santa Claus him- When the mayor first BY BRUCE MILLS [email protected] self. So, we tried to reach asked, “Is Big Jim’s [Res- [email protected] out to North Pole Mayor taurant] still there?,” we The small city of Mike Welch. We left a knew we were on to North Pole, Alaska, was message at the mayor’s something. (If you’re not North Pole, Alaska, is not unlike what busy just before Christ- office, but after our story a Sumter native, keep many people may imagine. mas. was published and we reading. More on Big It has a Santa Claus House, which is a We at The Sumter Item had not heard from him, Jim’s later.) big tourist attraction, according to Mayor wanted to learn more we, as journalists do, Sumter and the only Mike Welch, that offers exclusive North about this actual town had to move on to find land-based American Pole apparel, collectibles and a selection (population: 2,101) for a the next interesting fea- North Pole may be 4,300 of unique toys. feature story on cities ture. miles apart (71 hours by Outside the establishment, you can have with Christmas-themed Little did we know car), but Mayor Welch a seat in Santa’s sleigh, which is parked names that ran just be- that when Mayor Welch has called both “home.” PHOTO PROVIDED just in front of the World’s Largest Santa fore Dec. 25, but given called us back a few days He’ll be the first to tell Mayor Welch is seen in city council — a larger-than-life 3D Santa statue that his late December work- later, we had an even you he’s “no-nonsense” chambers in North Pole, Alaska, re- stands almost 50 feet tall. load, we didn’t dare bigger story than the cently. Welch served twice at Shaw Air bother trying to reach first one on our hands. SEE MAYOR, PAGE A6 Force Base. SEE NORTH POLE, PAGE A6 VISIT US ONLINE AT DEATHS, B3 WEATHER, A8 INSIDE Virginia Gregory Roland Robert Montgomery RAINY DAY 2 SECTIONS, 14 PAGES Cathy Diana Wallace Thomas Larry Floyd VOL. 124, NO. 54 the .com Phyllis Stokes Skinner Worrell Sylvia Ann Lawler Cloudy with a bit of rain; Thomas Williams Theresa Houston Hilton cloudy and mild tonight Classifieds B6 Sports B1 Rutdenia Durant Bouknight William Karl Newman Sr. with showers late Comics B4 Television B5 Antonia Mesa Baylon Antonio Terrell Wright HIGH 64, LOW 55 Opinion A7 Naomi Allen Mullins Carl Hansen Ola Mae Smith Pamela Rhea Sargent Brumfield A2 | THURSDAY, JANUARY 3, 2019 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] Monitoring program Tuomey’s 1st baby of 2019 ends 6 years after 6M S.C. tax records stolen forcement Division cannot No arrests have been release any information — including whether identity made, crime still thieves used any of the sto- len information, officials said. under investigation The state offered free credit monitoring to protect CHARLESTON (AP) — victims from identity theft. Six years after hackers About 1.5 million enrolled stole millions of South Car- the first year, and about olina tax records, the state 200,000 renewed annually has ended a program to until the program ended in monitor victims' credit re- October, according to the cords, and is still working Revenue Department. It to improve cybersecurity. said it paid two companies The state adopted indus- $18 million over the past six try standards about central- years. izing security rules for the Gov. Henry McMaster's state's 100-plus agencies, office said it is satisfied but state authorities are with the tax agency's find- just now coming up with a ing that the program did system to check whether what it was meant to. those agencies meet the Since the 2012 theft, state standards, The Post and government agencies have Courier reported. reported 10 data breaches Such a lag isn't surpris- affecting nearly 29,000 peo- ing, one cybersecurity ana- ple, according to the S.C. lyst said. Department of Consumer "This is typical for state Affairs. A spokeswoman and local governments be- said a public records re- cause they don't have the quest would be needed to resources," said Avivah learn which agencies were Litan, a senior analyst with hacked. Connecticut-based Gartner All state employees now Research. "They shouldn't take annual computer pri- be doing this anyway. We vacy and security training, need a federal cybersecuri- and all agencies must sub- ty strategy." mit security plans. The De- No arrests have been partment of Administration made in the 2012 theft of offers assistance and feed- more than 6 million person- back on plans, reviews al and business tax records. spending requests and hosts It is still being investigat- an annual cybersecurity ed, so the State Law En- summit. Poll of the week PHOTO PROVIDED BY PALMETTO HEALTH TUOMEY Corey Ripley gave birth to the first child of the new year at Palmetto Health Tuomey on Monday: Ben- nett Lauren “Beau” arrived at 5:40 a.m. She weighed 7 pounds 9 ounces. She is Corey and Rip's third This week’s child. Two babies were born on New Year’s Day in Tuomey’s Birthplace: one boy and one girl. question: What is your main focus for the soon-to- be-finished 2 suspects sought in passing of counterfeit bills college football bowl season? • Gooooo Tigers! • Always a Gamecock, Belk Bowl and all • Another football team has my heart Pictured are two men who reportedly passed counterfeit $50 bills at Dollar • Bowl season? General, U.S. 15 North, about 9 p.m. on It’s basketball Christmas Eve. According to Sumter season County Sheriff's Office, the two are de- scribed as black males, both with • Sports, meh. dreadlocks. One is older and claimed to be the father of the younger one.