IN NEWS: More black women learning to use guns for self-defense A5 LOCAL Young kids get their very own spa in Sumter TUESDAY, JULY 25, 2017 | Serving South Carolina since October 15, 1894 75 cents A2 Commander explains new role Board of the Ninth Air Force after split names interim leader BY BRUCE MILLS [email protected] Sumter School District Board of Trustees named Debbie Hamm of Columbia as its inter- im superintendent Monday night at its special called meeting at the district office. Hamm was most recently superintendent of Richland School District 2 in Co- lumbia from 2013-17, before retir- ing. She will assume her position with Sumter School District on Aug. 1, according to the board. The vote to name Hamm the interim superintendent was unanimous. HAMM Board Chairman the Rev. Daryl SEE BOARD, PAGE A5 Finance committee U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO BY AIRMAN 1ST CLASS KELSEY TUCKER / SPECIAL TO THE SUMTER ITEM U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Scott Zobrist, Ninth Air Force commander, shakes hands with Airman 1st Class Michael Gra- decki, a 20th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief, as Zobrist prepares for takeoff at Shaw Air Force Base on Dec. plans to meet today 1, 2016. Zobrist assumed command of Ninth Air Force in May 2016 and has held staff positions at the Air Staff, Air Combat Command and U.S. Forces Japan. BY BRUCE MILLS [email protected] Zobrist says force’s focus now is mission prep Sumter School District Board of Trustees’ Fi- nance Committee will hold its first monthly BY JIM HILLEY ern states and other numbered and they separated them,” Zo- meeting today with the district’s new chief fi- [email protected] air forces around the globe. Tra- brist said. “They took the three- nancial officer. ditionally, these are two- or star commander (currently Lt. Certified public accountant Chris Griner Editor’s note: Part II, how the three-star intermediate com- Gen. Jeffrey Harrigian) and said: began his new position with the changes put the Ninth Air Force in mands with two main missions: ‘You are going to Qatar, and you district on July 17. Griner will pro- position to take on additional to be force providers and to fight are going to focus downrange, ba- vide the district’s monthly finan- roles, will run in The Sumter Item wars. sically be at the combined air ops cial report through June 30, ac- on Wednesday. Force providing involves orga- center and be AFCENT only.” cording to the meeting agenda. nizing, training and equipping To take care of 29,000 airmen The financial report through Since 2009, the Ninth Air Force, airmen, generally preparing while handling wars in Iraq and June 30 represents the end of fis- headquartered at Shaw Air Force them to go do their mission, Afghanistan and at the same time GRINER cal year 2017 for Sumter School Base, has seen changes in its role whether it is humanitarian aid or providing forces for the Central District. As of the latest reports, in support of Air Force Central engaging in combat, he said. Command area was “a pretty big the district projects to end fiscal 2017 — after Command, also with a presence Their war-fighting missions were job,” Zobrist said. all accruals — with a $1.1 million surplus. at Shaw. paired with the Air Force’s geo- The Air Force set up AFCENT A school finance consultant, Scott Allan, Recently, Ninth Air Force Com- graphic commands such as Cen- command headquarters in Qatar, guided the district through the first six months mander Major Gen. Scott Zobrist tral Command, Southern Com- he said, though a key element of of this year after the December release of the explained how the Ninth Air mand, European Command, Afri- the staff remained at Shaw Air fiscal 2016 audit report revealed the district Force’s role has changed and how ca Command, etc. Force Base. overspent by $6.2 million that year and had an those changes have led to a new Until 2009, the Ninth Air Force “‘AFCENT Shaw’ as they call ending general fund balance on June 30, 2016, role in preparing the Air Force supported Central Command in it,” Zobrist said. of $106,449 — a critically low level, according to for future missions. both force providing and as a Wings from all the numbered auditor Robin Poston. combat component, Zobrist said. air forces, including the Ninth, Because the fiscal 2016 budget served as a PART I: THE SPLIT Because of the continuing are provided to AFCENT down- template for the 2017 budget, the board in Janu- “It’s a little bit confusing,” Zo- fighting in the Central Command range to conduct war-fighting op- ary approved an emergency financial plan pro- brist said. “Many people in our area of responsibility — which erations, he said. posed by Superintendent Frank Baker to pre- Air Force are unaware, and it’s roughly corresponds to the Mid- “The Ninth Air Force was left serve more than $6 million in cash in the last not real intuitive to the populace dle East — it was decided in 2009 with a force-providing mission six months of fiscal 2017. of the local area.” to separate the two roles for the only,” Zobrist said. “So again, The plan recommendations included elimi- He explained that in the Air Ninth Air Force. 12th Air Force and SOUTHCOM nating 47 jobs, cutting overtime pay wherever Force there are numbered air “For a variety of reasons, they (Air Force Southern Command) possible and freezing several budget line forces, such as the Ninth Air took these two missions that has both those missions together, Force in the Southeastern states, Ninth Air Force/AFCENT (Air SEE MEETING, PAGE A6 the 12th Air Force in the South- Force Central Command) had, SEE NINTH, PAGE A6 Ministry’s medical clinic provides key service to those in need BY RICK CARPENTER working at longer qualify for the clinic, volunteering at the clinic on applicants without regard to [email protected] least 20 according to clinic Director Tuesday evenings. Butler ex- race, gender or creed as an hours per Jacqueline Butler. pressed gratefulness for their outreach ministry which en- The summer is flying by, week or “We are always glad when assistance, saying the medical compasses their physical, and school will soon be back who are patients gain insurance,” she and non-medical volunteers emotional and spiritual well- in session. The Sumter United full-time said. “We have gained eight take the clinic’s mission to being.” Ministries Free Medical Clinic students. patients this summer, bring- heart. That mission is “To Butler said many people continues to serve residents Several ing our total number of eligi- provide preventative screen- may not be aware that the of Sumter County, 18 to 64 of the min- ble patients to 107.” ing, medical education, treat- residents of the ministry’s years of age, without health istry’s former patients now The Sumter Junior Welfare ment for medical needs and insurance who are either have health insurance and no League women have started pastoral care to all qualified SEE CARING, PAGE A6 VISIT US ONLINE AT DEATHS, B4 WEATHER, A10 INSIDE Russell Blackwell Jr. Louis Johnson MORE OF THE SAME 2 SECTIONS, 16 PAGES the .com VOL. 122, NO. 201 Lorena Bramhall Retha Morant An afternoon shower Dr. F. Marion Dwight III Bobby D. Pringle Jr. or storm today; a storm early Classifieds B6 Sports B1 Perdy Chatman Velma E. Williamson tonight is possible Comics A9 Television B5 Mary Ellen Huggins Dorothy Katie Hopkins Mekhi E. Rembert Mamie J. Fields HIGH 91, LOW 74 Opinion A8 A2 | TUESDAY, JULY 25, 2017 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] New Sumter business pampers children BY CAITLAN WALZER [email protected] A new spa has opened in Sumter that caters to children by pampering and making them feel like princesses. CEO and founder of Dazzling Pearls Kids Spa Kyeisha Hopkins was a stay-at-home mother in Georgia and decided that she no longer want- ed to drive to Charlotte to take her daughter to get her nails done at a kids’ spa. “I am relocating from Georgia,” Hopkins said, “and I started thinking about doing a kids’ spa about five years ago when I took my daughter to the one in Charlotte, and I always said, ‘I’m going to open a kids’ spa.’” Hopkins decided to turn her dream into reality, first as a mobile spa in April. She said that the mobile spa was keeping her busy, but she wanted to find a space to permanently host her spa. “I used to drive back and forth on the weekends to do this spa in Sum- ter,” Hopkins explained. “It wasn’t a chore to drive because I saw the ex- pression on the little girls' faces, and it made it completely worth it. I just wanted to give the girls in Sumter something to look forward to.” CAITLAN WALZER / THE SUMTER ITEM Honesty Kennedy, 5, is pampered with a pedicure from Takayla Roach at Dazzling Pearls Kids Spa on Saturday. What started as a mobile spa for lit- tle girls has grown into a larger busi- ness because of the popularity Hop- getting a pedicure, a nail station to tag. Alone, the manicure is $12, and kins saw while hosting the mobile DAZZLING PEARLS KIDS SPA get their nails painted and a nail-dry- the pedicure is $15. business. WHERE: 830 S. Pike W. ing fan so the new polish does not For special days, the spa offers Dazzling Pearls Kids Spa hosted a smudge.