Politicians debate reparations for descendants of slaves in U.S. A4 THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 2019 | Serving South Carolina since October 15, 1894 75 cents WHAT YOUR GOVERNMENT IS DOING: SUMTER CITY COUNCIL City budget passes without tax increase mous vote for approval on Next year’s budget begins be used for funding deprecia- rently has more than $2 mil- Proposal would add Tuesday. July 1. tion. As of April 13, there was lion. Both the capital reserve Sumter City Council ap- Ad valorem property taxes more than $5.6 million in the account and contingency ac- e-cigarettes, vapes to proved two budget ordinances for next year will remain un- account. count are part of the city’s en- smoking ordinance at its regular meeting, the changed at 102 total mills — 98 Another appropriation in terprise funds, which, accord- first to raise commercial gar- for operational purposes and next year’s spending plan ing to the ordinance, are suffi- BY KAYLA ROBINS bage rates by $20 and the sec- four for debt service payments amounts to $927,000 for capital ciently funded. Therefore, $1.9 [email protected] ond to adopt the $68.8 million on general obligation debts. improvements to depreciating million in surplus enterprise balanced budget, which The 2020 budget includes infrastructure. revenues will be transferred No changes were made to means the projected amount appropriating $800,000 to the No additional funds will be to the general fund. next year’s citywide budget of spending and income are city’s capital reserve account, transferred to the city’s con- before it received a unani- the same, for fiscal year 2020. which is money that can only tingency account, which cur- SEE BUDGET, PAGE A6 School board U.S. Navy: Mine used in tanker calls meeting Friday night attack bears hallmarks of Iran Board chairman says he’s trying to work with county council on district budget BY BRUCE MILLS [email protected] Sumter School District’s Board of Trustees will meet one more time be- fore Sumter County Council’s Tuesday vote on its millage request. A district spokeswoman notified the media of a Friday night called meeting late Wednesday afternoon, and board Chairman the Rev. Ralph Canty spoke about its agenda Wednes- day. The meeting will involve next year’s budget and the CANTY district/board’s 9.01 mill- age increase request to county council, but Canty didn’t elabo- rate. Most of Friday’s meeting will be in executive session behind closed doors, according to the agenda, but Canty said he hopes to make a statement at the end of the meeting. In a letter to the editor in Sunday’s PHOTOS BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS edition of The Cmdr. Sean Kido of the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet talks to journalists at a 5th Fleet Base near Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, on Sumter Item, Wednesday. Cmdr. Kido said that damage done last week to the Kokuka Courageous was “not consistent with an external fly- IF YOU GO county council ing object hitting the ship.” Iran has denied being involved in the attack on June 13. WHAT: Sumter Chairman Jim school board McCain said — meeting for a second time Iran denies involvement in last week’s incident WHEN: Friday, 6 — the majority of p.m. council wants the BY JON GAMBRELL Kokuka Courageous. U.S. authori- WHERE: Sumter district to lower The Associated Press ties say the materials were left be- School District its tax increase hind by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Office, 1345 Wilson request. U.S. NAVY 5TH FLEET BASE when they spirited away the unex- Hall Road At a June 4 NEAR FUJAIRAH, United Arab ploded mine after the attack in the budget workshop Emirates — The limpet mines used Gulf of Oman. with district ad- to attack a Japanese-owned oil tank- Iran, which has previously used ministration, council members initially er near the Strait of Hormuz last mines against oil tankers in the cru- asked Interim Superintendent Debbie week bore “a striking resemblance” cial waterway in the 1980s, has also Hamm and Chief Financial Officer to similar mines seen in Iran, a U.S. not acknowledged retrieving the Jennifer Miller to go back to the school Navy explosives expert said Wednes- mine. board and reconsider lowering its re- day, stopping short of directly blam- Kido stressed that the damage to quest. ing Tehran for the assault. the Kokuka Courageous was “not That came after council members in- Iran has repeatedly denied being consistent with an external flying formed the district of a projected 2% involved in the June 13 attack on the object hitting the ship,” as the ship’s increase in the county’s tax base for Japanese tanker Kokuka Coura- owner has contended happened dur- next year, which would mean an extra geous and the Norwegian-owned ing the attack. $840,000 going into the district’s coffers Front Altair. “The damage we observed is con- A member of the U.S. investigative team if those estimates hold true. The comments by Cmdr. Sean sistent with a limpet mine attack,” shows a magnet the U.S. Navy says Take that off its official mill request, Kido came as sailors showed report- Kido said. came from a limpet mine that didn’t ex- which translates to about $1.2 million, ers pieces of debris and a magnet Meanwhile, rockets struck near plode on a Japanese-owned oil tanker and the district needs less to balance the Navy says was used to attach an at a 5th Fleet base near Fujairah, United its budget for next year, McCain said. unexploded mine to the hull of the SEE IRAN, PAGE A6 Arab Emirates, on Wednesday. At the school board’s ensuing meet- ing on June 10, the trustees still voted unanimously for the 9.01-mill increase. Canty said Friday’s meeting is in all parties’ best interest. Dog fighting suspect faces 135 years if guilty “Give us time to meet,” he said. “We’re trying to do what’s best for chil- ation last week and just ing, according to Sumter County dren, and that involves working with 2 dogs remain in how much bigger the Sheriff’s Office Public Information every sector of this community and chains used to tether Officer Adrienne Sarvis. most especially with our county coun- them were than al- He also has been charged with 24 cil and legislative delegation. We’re severe condition lowed. counts of misdemeanor ill treat- trying to reach a compromise that BY KAYLA ROBINS Alva Timmons Ridge- ment of animals, three counts of fel- would be in the best interest of our way faces up to a com- ony ill treatment of animals, one [email protected] RIDGEWAY children and our community.” bined 135 years in pris- count of facilitating animal fighting County council has turned down the Newly released photos show inju- on and $135,000 in fines and baiting, one count of possession ries to some of the 27 dogs rescued if he is found guilty of only the 27 SEE DISTRICT, PAGE A6 from an apparent dog-fighting oper- counts of animal fighting and bait- SEE RIDGEWAY, PAGE A6 VISIT US ONLINE AT DEATHS, B3 WEATHER, A8 INSIDE Sharnay Teeyonna Moses Thomas Mitchell Nimmich WATCH FOR STORMS 2 SECTIONS, 14 PAGES the .com VOL. 124, NO. 171 Harold W. Spann Betty Moore Young A severe afternoon storm Latonya Yvette Rubin Mable Elizabeth Miles Adams is possible; a strong storm Classifieds B6 Sports B1 George Dow James Lewis Witherspoon is also possible tonight Comics B4 Television B5 Cleveland Moore Jr. Henry L. Robinson Jr. HIGH 94, LOW 70 Opinion A7 A2 | THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 2019 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] From left, Crestwood FFA Parliamentary Open house to display Procedure Team members arex: Jesse James Gutierrez, draft Sumter 2040 Ma’niya Dawson, Kiera Brown, Raven Dorio- Howard, Kaylan comprehensive plan Sanders, Sydney Maynard and BY KAYLA ROBINS Makenna Couch. The [email protected] team placed first at the 92nd South The community is invited to an open house today to Carolina FFA State learn more about a plan being developed by Sumter Convention. County to shape the future of the city and county’s land use. Sumter 2040 is the update to the county’s comprehen- PHOTOS PROVIDED sive plan, a document that serves as a blueprint for what types of developments and amenities should be built where. At the June 20 meeting, which will be from 5-7 p.m. at Central Carolina Technical College’s Health Sciences Center at 113 S. Main St. in the Iris Room, the public will be able to see and hear draft policies and proposed future land use maps. Planning staff will be available to discuss your Crestwood FFA brings home thoughts, suggestions and ideas. To view draft Sumter 2040 documents, go to www. sumter2040.com. For more information, call the Sumter City-County Planning Department at (803) 774-1660. 1st, 2nd from state convention FROM STAFF REPORTS Members of the Crestwood CCTC’s Titan SPARK! scheduled for Friday FFA Chapter traveled to Clemson recently to partici- FROM STAFF REPORTS pate in the 92nd South Caro- lina FFA State Convention Central Carolina Technical College will hold Titan and didn’t come home empty SPARK! from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday in Room M401 in handed. Building M400 on the Main Campus. SPARK (Student Crestwood FFA placed first Priority Advising and Registration Kickoff) will allow in the Parliamentary Proce- future students to complete admissions, financial aid, dure Leadership Develop- receive advisement and register for classes.