SPORTS Keith West returns to coaching staff at alma mater SHS FRIDAY, JUNE 7, 2019 | Serving South Carolina since October 15, 1894 75 cents B1 Police: Girl’s death accidental Gilmore was “very outdoing, surveillance video footage and the child when it was discov- Sumter department funny” and a “loving person. the initial autopsy results de- ered something was wrong, says no charges as She is the child when you’re termined the incident was the although she remained above having a bad day, she would “result of a tragic accident, water.” of now after child give you a hug.” and no charges are forthcom- McGirt said everyone who The child was unresponsive ing,” according to Tonyia Mc- was at the pool was associated drowned at hotel when she was pulled from the Girt, public information offi- or acquainted with each other. BY KAYLA ROBINS pool at the Econo Lodge on cer for the department. Initial autopsy results found [email protected] North Washington Street “Anywhere from 20 to 30 or there was no physical trauma, about 5 p.m. Saturday, accord- more children and adults and toxicology results are The aunt of the 5-year-old ing to the Sumter Police De- were in and around the pool pending. girl who died from a likely ac- partment, and transported to leading up to the incident,” “Members of the Sumter cidental drowning at a hotel Prisma Health Tuomey Hospi- McGirt said. “The video foot- Police Department are deeply PHOTO PROVIDED pool in Sumter said she miss- tal, where she later died. age shows adults were present saddened by this tragic event Faith Gilmore, 5, drowned during es her “teddy bear.” An investigation that in- and that several individuals the weekend in the pool at the Jasmine Davis said Faith cluded witness statements, were within arms’ reach of SEE DROWNING, PAGE A9 Econo Lodge in Sumter. Panthers party into summer break MICAH GREEN / THE SUMTER ITEM Kona Ice serves up shaved ice to patrons at the Iris Festival on May 25, a day that reached 100 degrees, 1 degree below the record for that date, set in 2000. Expert: May 2nd-hottest on record for Midlands Month was tale of 2 halves, PHOTOS BY MICAH GREEN / THE SUMTER ITEM but weather ‘flip’ is coming Students at Manchester Elementary School board their bus for the last time during the 2018-19 school year on Thursday. BY BRUCE MILLS [email protected] Students enjoy They don’t call Columbia, Sumter activities on last and other areas in the Midlands re- gion of South Carolina hot for noth- ing. day of school The month of May for the Colum- anchester Elemen- bia metropolitan region to include Richland, Lexington, Sumter, Claren- tary School rang in don and Lee counties and other coun- M the start to summer ties in the heart of the state tied for the second warmest on record by av- with Panther Fest 2019. erage temperature, according to Na- Jackson Students spent the day follow- tional Weather Service Meteorologist Hudson ing a scheduled series of games Leonard Vaughan, who spoke Thurs- walks out of and fun activities and were of- day. the school. fered the chance to purchase con- The month’s overall, average tem- cessions that included shaved ice perature when taking all the daily from Kona Ice of Sumter, pop- highs and daily lows and averaging corn, pickles, drinks, chips, na- them all together was 77.3 degrees, chos and candy. according to the weather service. Teachers lined up at the end of Normal is 71.7 degrees for the month, the day to cheer the students out Vaughan said, making this May 5.6 to the buses, where they rode degrees above normal. The 77.3 aver- home for summer break. age temperature tied with May 1953 See more photos of their fun- — 66 years ago — for the second-hot- filled day on A9. test May on record for the Midlands. The hottest May ever here in the Midlands, or at least back to 1887 when recordkeeping began, was 77.5 SEE HOT, PAGE A9 HOTTEST MAYS IN COLUMBIA METRO AREA AVERAGE YEAR 1. 77.5 1896 2. 77.3 2019 and 1953 Sky Emerson dances before final dismissal. VISIT US ONLINE AT DEATHS, B5 WEATHER, A12 INSIDE John Evans Carter Anthony Ridgeway WET END TO THE WEEK 3 SECTIONS, 24 PAGES the .com Julia Adams Clark DuBose Carl Jerome Sellers VOL. 124, NO. 162 Henry Washington Walker Sergio Constantino Hernandez A couple of storms today; Jimmie Conyers Boatwright Robbie Dale Hughes showers and a heavier storm Clarendon Sun C1 Opinion A10 Theola Polite Wilson Allen Gene Williams Jr. possible tonight Classifieds B7 Sports B1 James Edward Barwick Larry Benjamin HIGH 82, LOW 71 Comics B6 Television C3 Ny’Quan Jamel Samuels Perry Glen Murray Levan Baxter Ernest Jackson A2 | FRIDAY, JUNE 7, 2019 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] Drugs, firearms, Barry Leach Memorial Scholarship winners named $12K seized, 20 arrested over 3-day operation BY KAYLA ROBINS possession of marijuana, [email protected] driving without a license and violation of child re- Drugs and firearms straints. were removed from the Other than marijuana, streets last week in Sum- cocaine, heroin and meth- ter County when law en- amphetamine were also forcement agencies part- seized during the various nered to serve warrants stops. and set up checkpoints One stop on June 1 in- throughout the county. volving possession of Sumter County Sher- crack cocaine yielded iff’s Office, Sumter Police more than $10,000. Department and South A total of $12,073 was Carolina Highway Patrol seized, and $21,151 worth PHOTO PROVIDED conducted the operation of fines were issued on Eighteen years ago, the faculty and staff at Millwood Elementary School established the Barry Leach Memo- on May 27, May 31 and those three days. rial Scholarship Fund in memory of Leach, who shared his love for science at Millwood for 23 years. Leach June 1. Sumter County Sheriff died in September 2000 after a vigilant fight against cancer. This scholarship fund provides financial assis- The saturation resulted Anthony Dennis said this tance to Sumter School District seniors who are former Millwood students. Since its formation, $36,700 has in the seizure of more most recent saturation been awarded in scholarships. On Tuesday, $6,000 was awarded to six students, bringing the scholarship than 200 grams of mari- was one of many opera- total to $42,700. From left are recipients Brandon Griffin, Noah Chase, Makenzie Berry, Lauren Coker, Collin juana and three firearms, tions to help promote safe Harris and Andrew Griffin. 30 tickets written and 20 driving and reduce crimi- arrests. nal activity on Sumter Violations and charges County roads. included open alcohol “The sheriff’s office containers, driving under will have more operations suspension, speeding, in the future,” he said. Mercy or death? Jury takes up dad’s fate for killing 5 kids BY JEFFREY COLLINS Jones and family members Jones would eventually Associated Press from prison four months strangle 8-year-old Merah after the killing, where and 7-year-old Elias with his COLUMBIA — A South Jones blamed the killings of hands and, in his confession, Carolina father convicted of the children on his anger said he used a belt to choke killing his five young chil- over his ex-wife, Amber 2-year-old Gabriel and dren should die for the mur- Kyzer, cheating on him with 1-year-old Abigail because ders because he made them a teenager who lived next his hands were too big. suffer in a carefully thought door. Jones fought for and “He wasn’t going to leave out plan to avoid prison, won sole custody of the kids. any witnesses alive,” Mayes prosecutors said Thursday. “We blame Amber on this said. Sumter High’s graduation But a lawyer for Timothy one. If she had been home Jones’ lawyer reminded ju- Jones Jr. asked the same ju- doing what she was supposed rors they have to unani- rors who convicted him two to do instead bopping the mously choose the death moved to civic center days earlier to have mercy boy next door, none of this penalty or Jones will get life and choose life in prison happens,” Jones said on the without parole. without parole because “God call. “You don’t have to kill Tim Ceremony to begin at 9 a.m. Saturday could use people in dark Several days of emotional Jones. You don’t kill people places.” testimony are expected. who are sick,” defense law- FROM STAFF REPORTS propriate expressions. The sentencing phase of Prosecutor Suzanne Mayes yer Boyd Young said, re- Due to the high proba- Attendees who are loud, Jones’ trial started Thurs- promised to tell the stories minding jurors of extensive bility of rain, Sumter disruptive or otherwise day with brief opening state- of each of the children and testimony over three weeks High School’s gradua- behave in a way that’s ments, then took a 30-minute what made them unique. of the trial that Jones may tion ceremony on Satur- inconsistent with the ex- break after a juror started She also warned there have had undiagnosed day morning has been pectation of professional crying hard as the first wit- would be graphic descrip- schizophrenia made worse moved to the Sumter decorum will be re- ness showed the five trash tions of what the children by using synthetic marijua- County Civic Center at 9 moved from the ceremo- bags found on a hillside near went through, calling it tor- na.