NATION Trump and Kim meeting a mix of show, substance TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2019 | Serving South Carolina since October 15, 1894 75 cents A4 2 more councilmen weigh in on millage denial Sumpter says district must be better ‘stewards’ of taxpayer money Councilman Baker: School district BY BRUCE MILLS Monday after the 4-3 vote by schools in his district, which [email protected] council last week to keep the include Rafting Creek Ele- ‘turmoil’ turned constituents off school district’s millage rate mentary School in Rembert, Since Sumter School Dis- the same as last year, but it Hillcrest Middle School in BY BRUCE MILLS cluded nixing a trict’s Board of Trustees will take being Dalzell and Cherryvale Ele- [email protected] 1.5-mill hike, voted to close Wedgefield’s “good stewards” mentary School, and also which would F.J. DeLaine Elementary of the revenue it feeder schools of Area Dis- Sumter County Council- have translated School in his area in April already has. Dis- trict 1 students — Oakland man Artie Baker said he to about $206,000 2018, Sumter County Council- trict administra- Primary, High Hills Elemen- turned down a tax increase in tax revenue, man Chris Sumpter has voted tion and the tary, Shaw Heights Elementa- for the school district be- that was re- BAKER two consecutive years against school board re- ry and Crestwood High cause his constituents voiced quested by a fel- its millage increase request. SUMPTER quested a 9.01- School. opposition to the request low council Will it take reopening F.J. mill increase, Sumpter attributes some of after the past couple years’ member instead of the origi- DeLaine, a low-enrollment which translated to about $1.2 F.J. DeLaine’s enrollment de- “turmoil.” nal 9.01-mill proposal. school, to eventually get a million, to partially fund a clines through the years to a Baker spoke to The Sumter Three years ago, Baker “yes” vote from Sumpter for a state-mandated 4% teacher lack of new programs imple- Item on Monday after county said business and industry tax hike to increase school salary raise. mented. In the district’s open council voted 4-3 on June 25 and everyone he spoke with district funding? That increased “steward- enrollment system, parents to keep Sumter School Dis- was for council giving a Sumpter said no when he ship” includes putting better trict’s millage rate the same spoke to The Sumter Item on academic programs into SEE SUMPTER, PAGE A6 as last year. The denial in- SEE BAKER, PAGE A6 USC Sumter tuition will Iran breaches uranium stay same limit set by nuclear deal next year General Assembly budget has $18.7M more in state college system funding BY KAYLA ROBINS [email protected] Tuition will not increase next year at USC Sumter. The University of South Carolina Board of Trustees recently ap- proved a budget plan that includes keeping per-semester undergradu- ate tuition in Sumter at $3,579 for in-state residents and $8,919 for non-residents, according to a news release. This year’s state budget passed by the General Assembly and signed by the governor included an addi- tional $18.7 million in funding for university system operations and $36.8 million in one-time funding for system-wide capital needs. USC Sumter Dean Michael Sonntag issued thanks on Monday to the Sum- ter Legislative Delega- tion, “especially House Ways and Means Com- mittee Chairman Rep. Murrell Smith, for SMITH their ongoing support.” “For many students, the cost of tuition has become the No. 1 priority when choosing a col- lege because students and families IRANIAN PRESIDENCY OFFICE VIA AP are increasingly concerned about In this photo released by an official website of the office of the Iranian presidency, President Hassan Rouhani listens to explana- college debt,” Sonntag said. tions on new nuclear achievements at a ceremony to mark “National Nuclear Day” in Tehran, Iran, on April 9, 2018. Inspectors and Legislative support for South Car- Tehran said Monday that Iran has now broken the limit set on low-enriched uranium agreed to in a 2015 nuclear deal. olina colleges and universities also resonated in Columbia, where state across the wider Middle East after residents will pay $5,100 less next Stockpile exceeds ‘We are going to act Iran recently shot down a U.S. mili- year to attend the University of tary surveillance drone, mysterious South Carolina School of Law. 2015 amount agreed according to what we attacks on oil tankers that America Smith, a Sumter Republican who and the Israelis blame on Tehran and was appointed this session to lead have announced, and bomb-laden drone assaults by Ye- the committee that first drafts the to by world powers men’s Iranian-backed rebels target- statewide budget, told The State BY JON GAMBRELL and AMIR VAHDAT we consider it our right ing Saudi Arabia. newspaper lawmakers boosted The Associated Press The European Union urged Iran to spending at USC by $8 million this reserved in the nuclear reverse course, and Israeli Prime year with the understanding that TEHRAN, Iran — Iran has broken Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called $1.9 million would specifically go to the limit set on its stockpile of low- the action “a significant step toward lower law school tuition, according enriched uranium by its 2015 nuclear deal.’ making a nuclear weapon.” Iran long to The Associated Press. deal with world powers, international MOHAMMAD JAVAD ZARIF has insisted its nuclear program is He said tuition was less than inspectors and Tehran said Monday, for peaceful purposes, despite West- $4,000 a year when he attended the marking its first major departure Iran’s foreign minister ern fears about it. law school leading up to his 1993 from the unraveling agreement a Though Trump pulled back from graduation. year after the U.S. unilaterally with- airstrikes targeting Iran after the U.S. “I literally could (work as a law) drew from the accord. Trump’s maximalist campaign tar- drone was shot down, Washington clerk during the school year and The announcement by Iran’s For- geting Tehran. Iran separately has rushed an aircraft carrier strike summer and pay my law school tu- eign Minister Mohammad Javad threatens to raise its uranium enrich- group, nuclear-capable B-52 bombers ition,” he said. “I know those days Zarif and later confirmation by the ment closer to weapons-grade levels and thousands of additional troops to are gone, but … we’re not doing our U.N. nuclear watchdog puts new pres- on Sunday if Europe fails to offer it a the region. That’s raised fears that a sure on European nations trying to new deal. SEE TUITION, PAGE A6 save the deal amid President Donald It also further heightens tensions SEE IRAN, PAGE A6 VISIT US ONLINE AT DEATHS, B4 WEATHER, A8 INSIDE George Hill Charlie Hunter A SCORCHER 2 SECTIONS, 14 PAGES the .com VOL. 124, NO. 179 Betty Ann Baxter Dingle David Jones Mostly sunny today and hot; Diamond Wright Loyce Earlene Fish Hoge partly cloudy tonight Classifieds B6 Sports B1 Elizabeth Barr Crosby Mattie Lou Anderson Conyers Comics A5 Television B5 Lillian Frierson Goode HIGH 101, LOW 75 Opinion A7 A2 | TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2019 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] LOCAL BRIEF Sumter native chosen for internship FROM STAFF REPORTS Hydrant testing will constituent feedback with the senator. University of Georgia She guides tours of the Capitol for visi- be on Wednesday tors from the state and is the presence The City of Sumter will per- student will work with from home that makes South Carolin- form fire hydrant flow tests on ians feel welcome at the Senate. Curlew Circle between 8 a.m. Sen. Scott in Washington The other focus of Sen. Scott’s in- and 4 p.m. on Wednesday. SUBMITTED ternship program is education. Interns Water customers in the sur- have the opportunity to work on spe- rounding area may experience Sumter native Danielle deHoll has cialized projects with staff in their temporary discolored water. been chosen to participate in U.S. Sen. areas of interest. With a minor in polit- Please direct any questions Tim Scott’s summer internship pro- ical science, deHoll is interested in po- or concerns to the City of gram in his Washington, D.C., office. litical communications. She has Sumter Public Services De- DeHoll, a graduate of Wilson Hall, is worked closely with the press team and partment at (803) 436-2558. a rising junior at the University of has had the opportunity to work on re- Georgia majoring in Consumer Jour- search and media projects. nalism. “Interning in Sen. Scott’s office so “I’m excited to welcome Danielle to far has been an incredible experience. Restaurant the office. She has been a great asset to Working every day at the Capitol, I get the office, and I very much appreciate to see some of the country’s most im- news her service to the people of South Car- portant and hardworking people striv- olina,” Scott said. “She has shown pro- ing to better our nation from day to fessionalism and maturity in handling day. I had the opportunity to deliver a Following are the food all of her work assignments. We enjoy bill to the cloak room, the room I grades for local businesses having her on the team, and I hope that learned about in my history classes in her experience on Capitol Hill will be PHOTO PROVIDED high school, and the next day the bill inspected by the South Car- useful as she decides her next adven- Sumter native Danielle deHoll is seen with was on the news.