CLARENDON SUN Christmas Festival of the Arts coming Don’t miss event Dec. 8 A7 NATION: Officials warn of 2nd SERVING SOUTH CAROLINA SINCE OCTOBER 15, 1894 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2018 75 CENTS lettuce E. coli outbreak A6 Revamped school board to select officers — Brian Alston, Sherril Ray, election, the board votes on According to board policy, Like all board-related meet- 5 new trustees to be Matthew “Mac” McLeod, new officers, and it appears it no officer can hold the same ings, the public is invited to Frank Baker and Shawn will be a clean slate, given office for more than two con- attend. sworn in at their 1st Ragin — will all be term limits. Chairman secutive terms. sworn in at what is the Rev. Daryl Mc- Unless a board majority KEY ISSUES AHEAD meeting on Monday being called an Ghaney and Clerk votes to rescind that rule As far as orientation and BY BRUCE MILLS “organizational Barbara Jack- Monday for a particular post, training of new board mem- [email protected] meeting” be- son have just the board will have new offi- bers on basic duties, Interim cause a new finished their cers moving forward. Superintendent Debbie Hamm After the election news has chair, vice second consec- Experience on the board is said that is being handled by cleared the air and candidate chair and utive terms in not necessarily a requirement district administration in con- signs have been removed from clerk will all their respec- to be an officer, according to junction with the state School seemingly every street corner, be elected by tive posts, and board policy. The policy only Boards Association. Sumter School District’s re- board members, former Vice states that “vacancies in offic- The association has manda- vamped Board of Trustees according to a Chairwoman es will be filled by the board tory training that must be will have its first meeting district spokes- Karen Michalik at its discretion.” completed by new board Monday. woman. didn’t run for re-elec- Monday’s meeting will members within their first The five newly elected trust- Every two years immedi- tion and is no longer a board begin at 6 p.m. at the district ees on the nine-member board ately after the November member. office, 1345 Wilson Hall Road. SEE BOARD, PAGE A9 Good deeds and a good meal MICAH GREEN / THE SUMTER ITEM Volunteer Aisha Abdul-Rahim and her daughter Saniyah help pack a plate lunch during Geraldine Singleton’s 34th-annual Thanksgiving turkey lunch on Sunday. Sumter native, volunteers serve Sumter United Ministries collects Thanksgiving lunch to anyone in more than 300 turkeys for boxes BY BRUCE MILLS fice, 36 Artillery Drive. need of hot meal, companionship [email protected] The ministry set a mini- mum goal of collecting BY KAYLA ROBINS While she suffered back It was a day full of fun, 150 turkeys this year for [email protected] problems this year that pre- fellowship, thankfulness, the annual Thanksgiving vented her from being quite as turkeys and all the “fix- gift program. he sat Sunday as vol- hands on, Geraldine Singleton ins” at Sumter United As of Monday after- was still happy with the out- Ministries. noon, United Ministries unteers served hun- come and that she could pro- After collecting more reached No. 300 and “kind dreds of people an vide the meals at all. than 300 turkeys in the of lost count after that S “I sure thank the people that past few weeks in its an- point,” according to In- early Thanksgiving lunch volunteer that come out to help nual “Operation: Giving kind Coordinator Ed Ven- BRUCE MILLS / THE SUMTER ITEM and dinner, hundreds who because, without them, I could Thanks” program, Unit- ticinque. not do it,” the Sumter native Sumter United Ministries’ In-kind ed Ministries distributed “And we still had some may not otherwise have said. “Just to know the people Coordinator Ed Venticinque and vol- Thanksgiving dinner coming in this morning,” unteer James Mitchell place turkeys had a turkey dinner this enjoy the meal and that they boxes to 150 preidentified Venticinque said Tuesday into a cooler Tuesday during the dis- families in need Tuesday year. SEE VOLUNTEERS, PAGE A9 tribution event. afternoon at its main of- SEE BOXES, PAGE A9 VISIT US ONLINE AT DEATHS, B4 and B5 INSIDE James Witherspoon Frank H. Pearson Jr. Shedrick Burk V 3 SECTIONS, 26 PAGES the .com Carvin C. Welch Margaret C. Huber Jesse Richard Calhoun Jr. VOL. 124, NO. 28 William Moore Jr. Dorothy Ann Prioleau Marian Schaefer Foster Clarendon Sun A7 Opinion A10 Christine C. Johnson Martha McMillan Berry James Burgess Classifieds B6 Television C4 Rodney Lewis Dolores Nickens Gladys Thames Timmons Edith C. Martin Lloyd Cawthon Waler Curtis Kelley Sr. Comics C6 USA Today C1 Marion Vaughn Religion A4 25% Save on your Christmas presents 25% off off If you didn’t buy from us, you paid too much 41 E. Wesmark Blvd. • 778-1031 FineFine Jewelry Jewelry forfor 3837 Years A2 | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2018 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] City of Sumter wants to grant a Christmas wish BY ADRIENNE SARVIS cards nor store credit and must [email protected] be something tangible that can be purchased in Sumter. Wish- If you could make a wish for es that will not qualify include: a deserving friend or family, airfare, subscription services, what would it be? firearms, weapons, illegal Well, this holiday season the drugs, alcohol and tobacco. city of Sumter wants to make Entries will be accepted until that wish come true. 5 p.m. on Dec. 14, 2018. Do you know a family that A winner will be announced could use a little help this holi- before Dec. 24 and will be con- day season or a child who has tacted by email or phone. The been extra good this year? winner can choose to remain Let the city know how it can anonymous, but the prize must help, and one qualified person be redeemed no later than Jan. or family will be drawn at ran- 15, 2019. dom to have a wish — valued For more information, call up to $500 — granted. (803) 436-2640 or go to sumtersc. To enter, fill out an applica- gov. tion and drop it in one of the Other contest rules: RENDERING PROVIDED city's Letters to Santa mailbox- • You must be 18 years or Lone Star Barbecue and Mercantile in Santee will be run by two families from the Elloree community. es located in front of Sumter older to nominate, and the Opera House, 21 N. Main St., nominee cannot live in the and at Swan Lake Visitors Cen- same house as the nominator; ter, 822 W. Liberty St. Mailed or • City employees and their Longtime Santee barbecue emailed entries will not be ac- immediate family members — cepted. spouse, child, stepchild, grand- Applications — the only form child, parents, parents-in-law, of entry that will be accepted — siblings and grandparents — restaurant to change owners can be downloaded from sum- are not eligible to win but may tersc.gov or picked up from the nominate others; and FROM STAFF REPORTS countries have dined there, Williams said. opera house or the visitors cen- • Only one entry per person, Numerous newspapers, magazines, TV re- ter. and nominees cannot be orga- Thanksgiving weekend will be the final ality shows and celebrities have written Wishes cannot be cash, gift nizations. time Lone Star Barbecue and Mercantile about or paid homage to the historic estab- in Santee will operate under its founder lishment. and owner, Pat Williams. Shortly after opening, his son and the The restaurant, housed in four old plan- restaurant's chef, Chris Williams, took Quote of the week tation commissaries or country stores that over the daily management and cooking were moved to their present site on Santee responsibilities. Both plan to remain in the "You get flashes of your future, of his wedding State Park Road in the summer of 2001, Santee area, Williams said, with Chris con- will change ownership from Williams to tinuing his real estate career and Pat in di- day, his graduation day. We have so much to two families from the Elloree community. versified business interests. Calvin and Susan Strock are farmers During the final weekend of their owner- be thankful for this year for Thanksgiving." and owners of a trucking company, and Ed ship, Chris Williams plans to spruce up the Shuler and Shirley Toth own and manage buffet, and several popular bands will be ANGELA WILLIAMS Santee General Store in Santee. performing tonight, Saturday and Sunday. "I am extremely pleased that local fami- "Hopefully, a lot of our friends will come On the adoption of her and her husband, Jason's, son during lies are buying Lone Star," Williams said. out and visit before the changing of the "They plan to run the business in much guard," Chris Williams said. Adoption Day in Sumter County on Monday. the same fashion as [my son] Chris and I Pat Williams said his wife asked if he have, with barbecue buffet, buildings filled will shed a tear when he turns the keys with antiques and collectibles and even the over to the new owners. live bluegrass and country music enter- "I told her I just might, as it has been a tainment." good, fun-filled 17 1/2 years," he said. Since Williams opened the restaurant, "However, I know it is time for me to step Poll of the week guests from all 50 states and 50 foreign aside." This week’s question: When do you start listening to Christmas music? 10,008 gift shoeboxes donated Answers combined from poll on www.theitem.com, Facebook and Instagram.