PANORAMA Don’t miss this year’s Holiday House Tour WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2018 | Serving South Carolina since October 15, 1894 $1.00 C1 Canty new school board chair; Baker now vice Coroner: Leader emphasizes trustees’ work must build upon foundation set BY BRUCE MILLS nizational meeting” — their first likely — and that’s how it turned [email protected] meeting after the Nov. 6 election, out. in which five new board members The first order of business was Man dead The Rev. Ralph Canty is the new were elected to office. Every two the election of the new chairman, chairman of Sumter School Dis- years immediately following the and there were three nominations trict’s Board of Trustees, and for- November election, the board has from the board. Johnny Hilton mer Superintendent Frank Baker the organizational meeting to re- nominated Canty. Baker nominat- is the new vice chairman. organize, if necessary. ed fellow new board member in creek That’s how the votes stacked up With the five new trustees on Brian Alston, and new Area 2 Monday night for the board’s two the nine-member board now, a was shot top officers at the trustees’ “orga- split vote on the new officers was SEE BOARD, PAGE A8 Police name acquaintance Summit hits on all cylinders they hope has information BY KAYLA ROBINS [email protected] Officers have named a man in connection to what is now being ruled a homicide after an autopsy revealed the 31-year-old Sumter man who was found dead in a creek last week was shot to death. Sumter County Coroner Robbie Baker said Monday’s autopsy conduct- ed at MUSC showed Chester Al- phonso “Rock” Stavis had an “apparent gunshot wound to the chest.” His body was found in the water off Dicks and Rast streets the morning of Wednes- STAVIS day, Nov. 21. Stavis had been reported missing two days earlier, and his family and acquaintances had not heard from him since he left his home on Albert Spears Drive about noon the Thursday before, according to STROTHER previous reports. It had been reported to officers that it was out of character for Stavis to miss work. It is not clear whether Stavis was shot at the scene or at another location before being brought to where his body was dis- MICAH GREEN / THE SUMTER ITEM covered, according to Tonyia McGirt, public Hundreds of Sumter School District students in grades seven, 11 and 12 were at the Sumter County Civic Center on information officer for Sumter Police De- Tuesday to learn more about local careers during the district’s Education and Career Ready Summit. partment. Officers learned during their investiga- Career fair for 7th-, 11th- and 12th-graders draws 52 businesses and industries tion Stavis had been with an acquaintance later the day he was last seen and are now BY BRUCE MILLS Sumter County Civic Center. and neighboring counties were on searching for 70-year-old Carter Wilson [email protected] The 12-year-old said he does hand for the career fair — official- Strother, of Wrangler Trail. chores around the house and en- ly called the district’s Education Strother is known to frequent the U.S. 15 For Bates Middle School sev- joys “fixing stuff” with his mom and Career Ready Summit — to South area of Sumter County, McGirt said, enth-grader Easten Jenn, Tuesday and dad. He said his favorite proj- showcase just what they do to and he may have information that could was a fun-filled day to see differ- ect is working with his dad on Jenn and tomorrow’s local work- help in the investigation. ent careers he might want to do “his baby” — his Jeep. force. He is described as 5 feet 6 inches tall, when he grows up. Jenn said he’s at the stage For about two hours, students about 200 pounds with gray hair and brown Jenn was one of about 1,500 where he’s learning all the tools toured the various vendors and eyes. Sumter School District seventh- and hands them to his dad. completed information sheets on graders who took part in Day 1 of A total of 52 businesses and in- SEE STAVIS, PAGE A8 the district-wide career fair at dustries from throughout Sumter SEE SUMMIT, PAGE A7 Fireside Fund donations help cancer patient stay warm BY ADRIENNE SARVIS ing they may not qualify for [email protected] Social Security disability op- DONATIONS RECEIVED Thomas Olsen, $50; Hugh and tions and will only receive THIS SEASON Louise Stoddard, $50; American Thanks to the continued compensation if they have Legion Auxiliary Unit 15, $150; support of the Fireside Fund benefits with their employer. The Sumter Item asks readers to Graham Baptist Church Men’s campaign, Sumter United This client relied on family donate money each holiday class, $100; Charles and Suzanne Ministries continues to assist support and SNAP benefits, season to the Fireside Fund, which Fienning, in loving memory of residents with crisis-related he said, and was completely it gives to Sumter United Ministries Roger Ackerman, $250; and heat requests, said Kevin tant in her current place of without income. to help address residents’ heating Bobby Sigley, in loving memory Howell, crisis relief director. employment, he said. She recently finished her emergencies and issues. of Charles Jenkins, Arthur James Recently, he said, a new cli- Normally she earns well last chemotherapy treatment Donations received the week and Willis Ardis, $10. ent visited the crisis relief and lives independently, but and had a surgery just three ending Tuesday, Nov. 27: ministry for assistance with in the last year she was diag- weeks ago, he said. Total this week: $735 an electric final notice; she nosed with stomach cancer Though she has a job to re- Jane Tisdale, $100; Zoar Total this year: $2,935 Homemakers Club, $25; Jackie heats her home with electric and lost her work income. turn to once she is able to Total last year: $48,601.18 heat only. Many cancer patients are work again and her daughter Olsen, in memory of Maj. Gen. Total since 1969: $1,583,347.25 The client has worked all of only considered “short-term” her life and is a medical assis- disabled, Howell said, mean- SEE FIRESIDE, PAGE A8 VISIT US ONLINE AT DEATHS, B5 WEATHER, A10 INSIDE Marian Grace Schaefer Foster Thomas Junious Jr. KEEP WARM TODAY 3 SECTIONS, 20 PAGES the .com VOL. 124, NO. 30 Robert C. Letcher James Gamble Jr. Plenty of sunshine but cold; Mattie Martin James John Joe Jr. clear and cold tonight Classifieds B6 Sports B1 John Burns Bailey Nancy Maines Hathaway Comics C2 Television C3 Elijah Geter HIGH 48, LOW 27 Opinion A9 Choose The Bank That Works Hard For You It’s a world of difference when you bank with someone who lives and works in your community. When you need a car loan, checking account, credit card, or home mortgage, we speak your language. And we make decisions locally, not in a board room hundreds of miles away. We’re all the bank you’ll ever need. As the bank’s president, I make sure of that every day. Barry Ham Sumter: 803.469.0156 Manning: 803.433.4451 bankofclarendon.com ."//*/(t46.5&3t4"/5&&t46..&350/t8:#00 A2 | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2018 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] Get in the Christmas spirit with music by SCCB BY IVY MOORE The Sumter Special to The Sumter Item Community Concert Band, directed by The Sumter Community James H. “Jimmy” Concert Band always starts Mills, will present a its performances with the program of Star-Spangled Banner, but Christmas music at 7 the remainder of Sunday’s p.m. Sunday in program will comprise Patriot Hall,135 Christmas music. The con- Haynsworth St. cert begins at 7 p.m. in Patri- Admission is free. ot Hall with longtime direc- tor and Sumter native James PHOTO PROVIDED H. “Jimmy” Mills directing. Mills has selected a pro- gram of mainly familiar sea- sonal pieces, including two that describe the theme of Sunday’s concert. “A Cele- bration of Christmas” and “A Christmas Celebration” are both medleys of popular tunes. The former, arranged by Floyd Werle, includes mu- sical quotes from such carols as “Joy to the World,” “O Year.” He said he especially songs “played with a flair and Robert Wells have made Crosby on his radio program Come All Ye Faithful,” “An- enjoyed hearing the late like the ‘Mission Impossible’ the song one of the most The Kraft Music Hall on gels We Have Heard on Andy Williams’ version of theme.” Audience members popular of the season. Christmas Day in 1941. High” and six others; the lat- the song. The band will play will recognize “God Rest Ye Several other Christmas Not traditionally a Christ- ter, arranged by Jack Bull- Chris Sharp’s arrangement Merry, Gentlemen,” “We melodies will be celebrated mas, “Auld Lang Syne,” sung ock, features tunes from by Edward Pola and George Three Kings” and “Jolly Old during the concert, includ- by many people on New countries around the world. Wyle. The “jazzy waltz style” Saint Nicholas” among the ing what is often called the Year’s Eve, has lyrics from a The audience will hear Eng- is reminiscent of Williams’ tunes with a jazz beat. most popular secular Christ- poem by Robert Burns and a land’s “Once in Royal Da- rendition. Trumpet player Robert mas song ever written, Ir- tune from a traditional Scot- vid’s City,” Czechoslovakia’s “Happy Christmas (War Is Berry has the solo in “Holi- ving Berlin’s “White Christ- tish folk song.