Avoid trouble, take charge of your car loan C1 Reading is fundamental Summer library program will be fun, educational A8 SERVING SOUTH CAROLINA SINCE OCTOBER 15, 1894 SUNDAY, JUNE 4, 2017 $1.75 SPORTS: Yanks Montgomery earns 1st win since May 6 B1 GRADUATION Crestwood, Lakewood, Sumter high schools hold ceremonies Sumter High School graduate Jaidon Martin, center, expresses happiness in getting her degree Saturday while classmates Lillian Marzano, left, and Marc Marrero watch fellow graudates cross the stage. For more photos, see A3. Moments after Crestwood High School graduate moved their tassles from the right side to PHOTOS BY RICK CARPENTER / THE SUMTER ITEM the left, Taylor Danielle Senoli Abrams, left, and Eward Lee Acevedo appreciate the mo- Lakewood High School Valedictorian Christian Compton leads the class into ment while classmates begin to celebrate. the Sumter County Civic Center on Friday night. ATM ‘skimming’ Finances fraud on the rise headline BY CAITLAN WALZER [email protected] STEPS TO AVOID SKIMMING FRAUD meeting Small hacking devices that fit over the card reading slot • Update your information; BY BRUCE MILLS on ATM machines are mak- • Keep an eye out for attached [email protected] ing individuals nationwide pieces on the ATM machine over victims of fraud. the card slot and the keypad; Finances headline the Sum- In Sumter alone, there are • Cover the keypad when typing ter School Board of Trustees’ eight different banking and in your PIN; CAITLAN WALZER / THE SUMTER ITEM docket for its next meeting on credit union branches (SAFE • Use familiar ATMs; Customers who use ATMs should be prepared to search the PIN Monday night. An agenda for Federal Credit Union, All- • Check bank accounts and bal- pad for PIN overlays that capture the typed personal identification the upcoming meeting was dis- South Federal Credit Union, ances frequently; numbers. Crooks are installing devices that are cleverly disguised tributed late last South State Bank, First Citi- • Look for hidden cameras that to look similar to normal ATM equipment. week. zens Bank, BB&T, Synovus- may be recording your ATM trans- Financial con- NBSC Bank, Wells Fargo action; machine’s card readers, “This has gone on forev- sultant Scott Bank and Bank of Claren- • Know what to do if you fall vic- skimming devices are usual- er,” Green said. “The recom- Allan will pro- don) and more than 40 ATMs tim to fraud; and ly poorly attached and are mendation has always been vide his monthly from these different finan- • Know your bank’s policies and loose if you wiggle them. We to keep your receipt because financial reports cial institutions. procedures for fraud. advise people to inspect the people would take the card ALLAN to the board, ac- Crooks are installing de- card readers by jiggling number on the receipt and cording to the vices that are cleverly dis- them before making a pur- make counterfeit cards.” agenda. Allan guised to look similar to nor- scammers from stealing chase. If they appear suspi- However, Green also said has helped guide the district mal ATM equipment and, swiped credit card informa- cious, don’t use it.” that while this is not a new through its financial difficul- due to the camouflaged ap- tion. Fred Green III, the presi- problem, advancements are ties since hired in January. peal these hacking devices The vice president of mar- dent and CEO of the South made and fraudsters are Part of Allan’s work has in- have, financial institutions keting at SAFE Federal Carolina Bankers Associa- likely to figure out new ways volved fixing this year’s budget such as SAFE Federal Credit Credit Union, Toby Hayes tion, said that this fraudu- Union, have placed warnings said, “because they typically lent activity is not a new on their ATMs to stop the act as covers to the actual problem. SEE FRAUD, PAGE A9 SEE MEETING, PAGE A9 VISIT US ONLINE AT CONTACT US DEATHS, A11 WEATHER, A12 INSIDE Information: 774-1200 Julie A. Trahan Helen Andrews MIXED BAG 4 SECTIONS, 28 PAGES the .com Advertising: 774-1246 Vivian Mickens Jimmy R. Turbeville VOL. 122, NO. 166 Classifieds: 774-1200 Clouds and sun, with Dorothy Vance Richard W. Dondero a thunderstorm possible. Classifieds C7-C8 Delivery: 774-1258 Katherine Barnes Elder Epps Jr. Tonight, a thunderstorm Opinion A10 News and Sports: 774-1226 Vivian Taylor in the area. Outdoors C6 HIGH 89, LOW 70 Panorama A5 A2 | SUNDAY, JUNE 4, 2017 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] Clyburn tells supporters to maintain hope BY BRUCE MILLS passed the GOP-controlled House, [email protected] won’t get through the Senate and be- come law before the next round of In paying a visit to his hometown elections in 2018. Thursday night, U.S. Rep. Jim Cly- On a larger scale, Clyburn said burn, D-S.C., said his main focus in Trump’s overall budget eliminates ex- Congress now is universal access to tensive federal funding available to health care and rural development is- South Carolina from various key sues. He also tried to spread a message agencies, including the departments of hope to his supporters of agriculture, commerce, education, and others to have faith energy and health and human servic- in the political process es. He said the outcome for rural com- and Washington at this munities would be bleak if it passed. time. “If President Trump’s budget were Clyburn, a Sumter na- to be implemented, rural South Caro- tive, made his remarks lina would be less than some Third before a capacity crowd World countries that exist today,” Cly- CLYBURN of about 170 in a town burn said. hall meeting at Black He said more needs to be done by River Electric Co-op., 1121 N. Pike W. the federal government with rural pol- He said every president for more icies affecting health care, internet ac- than 100 years since Theodore Roos- cess and education in rural communi- evelt has pursued universal access to ties. health care in some way, except he Thursday’s town hall featured an doesn’t see that now from President extensive question-and-answer session Trump. Clyburn said Trump wants to with constituents of the state’s 6th repeal former President Obama’s District, which includes parts of Sum- health care plan “with nothing to re- ter County. He told many of his sup- place it with.” porters to not lose hope, despite the The assistant democratic leader in GOP-dominated Congress. He drew the House said Obama’s Affordable the analogy that the country moves Care Act needs to be built on and BRUCE MILLS / THE SUMTER ITEM back and forth like a pendulum on a tweaked but not thrown out. Accord- U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., makes a point during a town hall meeting Thursday night clock — from left to right and back ing to Clyburn, the Affordable Care in Sumter at Black River Electric Co-op. again. Act needs to be treated like the Civil “The country has always done that, Rights Act of 1964. That legislation, as from 1964 to ’72, we got a fairly com- is not a perfect law. We need to be and it will always do that,” Clyburn written in ’64, couldn’t pass Congress. prehensive law with additions,” Cly- working to improve that law so that said. “You may see low points today, Clyburn said many elements — such burn said Thursday. everybody can have access to health but I will tell you the country is al- as housing and voting rights — were He sees similarities with the Afford- care.” ready going back to the left. And I stripped from it in order for it to pass able Care Act. He said the Republicans’ new health think it will get back to where you and that year. “The Affordable Care Act, or Obam- care plan, called the American Health I will be comfortable with it, very “Then over an eight-year period acare, needs work,” Clyburn said. “It Care Act or “Trumpcare,” which has soon.” LOCAL BRIEFS FROM STAFF REPORTS McMaster to host town meeting Thursday Special general election FROM STAFF REPORTS tions that negatively impact business. absentee voting begins Chamber Vice President of Operations Nicole Bailey said The Greater Sumter Chamber of Commerce will host a advocating for business is one of the chamber’s core func- Sumter County Voter Regis- town meeting Thursday with Gov. Henry McMaster as he tions. tration and Elections office, meets with constituents across the state following his first “There are broad regulations that impact all business, 141 N. Main St., is open from session of the General Assembly since taking office this such as building codes, OSHA regulations or the proposed 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday year. streamlining of the business license process that has been a through Friday for absentee McMaster, who was serving as lieutenant governor when topic at the State House for a year or two now,” Bailey said. voting for the June 20 Special then Gov. Nikki Hailey became U.S. Ambassador to the Unit- “While regulations are generally intended to do some sort of General Election for the 5th ed Nations earlier this year, took over the top state elected ‘good,’ there are businesses that feel regulations can go too Congressional District and position on Jan. 24. far and can hurt their ability to be successful.” South Carolina House District The town hall format will be held at Swan Lake Visitor’s The meeting is free and open to the public, but seating is 70.