A look at high school basketball playoff scenarios B1 Army creates new fitness test Goal is to train troops to SERVING SOUTH CAROLINA SINCE OCTOBER 15, 1894 be more combat ready A9 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2019 75 CENTS 2 charged in man’s death in 2018 murder, armed 21, 2018, the day parent gunshot wound to the Shooting victim was found in waterway robbery and con- before Thanksgiv- chest and that his death was BY ADRIENNE SARVIS ing, according to city authori- spiracy to commit ing, in a water- ruled a homicide, according to [email protected] ties. armed robbery, way near Dicks Sumter County Coroner Rob- Parrish Raquan Pollard, 21, according to and Rast streets bie Baker. The death of Chester of Dinkins Mill Road in Rem- Tonyia McGirt, after he had been Stavis was reported miss- “Rock” Stavis, whose body bert, and 34-year-old Madison Sumter Police De- POLLARD SCRIVEN reported missing ing on Nov. 19, 2018, after his was found in a waterway in Jared Scriven, of One Mile partment public days earlier by family had not heard from November 2018, is being called Road in Gable, were taken information offi- family members. him since he left his home on a robbery gone bad after two into custody early Thursday cer. An autopsy on Nov. 26, 2018, men were charged in his kill- morning and charged with Stavis’ body was found Nov. determined he died of an ap- SEE CHARGED, PAGE A11 Following their passion for teaching Board may vote Monday on reopening of Mayewood Trustees to first hear costs associated with potential change BY BRUCE MILLS [email protected] The potential reopening of Mayewood Middle School will be discussed and possibly de- cided on at the Sumter School District Board of Trustees’ meeting on Monday. After a motion following ex- ecutive session at its last regu- larly scheduled meeting on Jan. 28, the full board voted 6-2 with one abstention to reopen Mayewood for next school year after it voted to close it just last school year. However, that vote was considered illegal by legal counsel for the South Carolina Press Association — according to state Freedom of PHOTOS BY MICAH GREEN / THE SUMTER ITEM Information Act laws — be- Melissa Ricks, left, and Stacie Stevenson are veteran educators but started their own business, A Teacher’s Place, at 740 Broad St., to cause the motion was neither tutor children after school. They also run a summer learning camp with dozens of students. Below, Stevenson and Ricks help children on the meeting agenda nor with their homework after school on Thursday. amended and added to it. Now, the board will revisit the issue but first hear a dis- 2 veteran educators in 10th year with after-school tutoring program cussion of costs associated with reopening the middle BY BRUCE MILLS ing them if they knew of anyone school in the rural eastern [email protected] who tutored students after school. portion of the county to in- One day, they were talking togeth- clude moving, facilities and or Sumterites Stacie Ste- er about how if some of their stu- programs, according to the dents could get that little bit of agenda distributed Thursday venson and Melissa extra help, it would help them so by a district spokeswoman. This series is in honor of Black History Ricks, teaching young much in the classroom. Just before receiving that in- Month, where each February, as designated F “So, we decided, ‘You know what, formation, outside consultants by the Association for the Study of African children reading, math and maybe we ought to figure out how will provide a facilities study American Life and History, founded by Har- writing is their passion. to give students that extra help our- update to include a report on vard-trained historian Carter G. Woodson, selves outside of the school,’” Ste- Mayewood’s campus, which as well as The Library of Congress, an So much so, the life-long educa- venson said. “We just brainstormed was omitted from the consul- array of other national organizations and tors have been doing it after hours and said let’s open up a little tutor- tants’ presentation to the full presidential proclamations since President and during the summer months for ing program and see what happens board last month. A report on Gerald Ford, tribute is paid to and education about a decade. from there.” F.J. DeLaine Elementary is spread about the generations of African- The duo spoke earlier this week That was in 2009, and the pro- School in Wedgefield, also Americans who struggled with adversity to about their business, A Teacher’s gram started with just four students closed last year and omitted achieve full citizenship in American society. Place, 740 Broad St., which special- in a storage room connected to a from the original facilities While learning about this nation’s historical izes in daily after-school tutoring business at 11 Broad St. study presentation, will also and iconic African-American figures is vital, and also includes a summer tutor- It’s been 10 years now, and A be made, the agenda states. The Sumter Item is also using this month to ing camp. Both were classroom Teacher’s Place currently has a fa- Cumming Corp., based out shine a spotlight on current members of the teachers at Crosswell Drive Elemen- cility with four small classrooms of Columbia, was the lead con- Sumter community — one each Friday for tary School in the late 2000s when and a library for kids generally be- sultant in the facilities assess- this series — who own local businesses and they came up with the business tween 3 years old and fourth grade. ment study along with two continue to make a mark on what, while idea. smaller firms. now the present, will become history. Stevenson said parents kept ask- SEE TEACHERS, PAGE A11 The study evaluated the dis- trict’s schools and ancillary buildings for current renova- tion needs and what those needs are projected to be in five years if no action is taken now, given expiring systems — such as electrical, roofing and heating/air conditioning. After hearing those two items, the full board has the option to vote on reopening Mayewood for 2019-20. There will be no executive session to SEE BOARD, PAGE A11 VISIT US ONLINE AT DEATHS, B4 WEATHER, A12 INSIDE Mary Sanders Barno Robinson Florence Cousar Jackson COOL TONIGHT 3 SECTIONS, 24 PAGES the .com VOL. 124, NO. 80 Courtney Jamaul Hubbard Richard Pearson Jr. Mostly cloudy today; patchy Louis Eugene Lorick Sr. Leroy Fludd Jr. clouds and cooler tonight Clarendon Sun A7 Sports B1 Mary Ann Blanding Dow Tyrone Graves Classifieds B5 Television C4 Alice Marshall James Sentell Prince HIGH 76, LOW 38 Carrie Mae Prioleau Comics C6 USA Today C1 Opinion A10 A2 | FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2019 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] This month in S.C. history State’s 1st child labor law passed February 1903 BY THE SOUTH CAROLINA feated by those who saw the HISTORICAL SOCIETY employment of children as a On Feb. 13, 1903, the state family matter and one that Legislature passed a resolu- kept youngsters occupied and tion introduced by Richland out of trouble. Industrialists County Sen. J.Q. Marshall argued the lack of child labor stipulating that no child would threaten the state’s eco- under 10 years old could be nomic progress. employed in a factory, mine or As the progressive move- mill. ment gained steam, attention The bill also mandated that, was focused on both child COURTESY OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA HISTORICAL SOCIETY over the next two years, the labor and education. Surveys Children who worked in agriculture were exempt from the state’s early child labor laws. The children pic- age would increase so that by indicated that more than half tured here worked at the Pinehurst Tea Plantation in Summerville. 1905 it would be illegal to em- of the children employed in ploy anyone 12 or under in mills were illiterate. Textile hours, six days a week. The member was listed as the re- of child labor dwindled. those occupations. At the time mills encouraged the employ- lack of sunlight and ventila- cipient of their wages. In ad- More sophisticated machin- the bill passed, children made ment of entire families, and tion caused health problems dition, only a signature (as ery required adult strength, up more than one-fourth of wages were so low that par- and injuries. opposed to documentation skill and experience. the textile work force. ents depended on the addi- Though the 1903 legislation such as a birth certificate) Throughout the 1930s and It took nearly 20 years to ob- tional wages of their children. marked progress, the law was was required to verify the '40s, more women entered tain this legislation. Efforts to Children as young as 5 years not routinely enforced. One age of a child. Orphans the work force, and wages abolish child labor in South old frequently worked as spin- factory overseer noted the could be employed at any age gradually increased. These Carolina were launched in ners. In this role, they names of underage workers by the mills, and domestic trends, along with compulso- 1884, and bills were intro- watched rotating bobbins for were simply deleted in compa- and agricultural workers ry education, caused a re- duced in 1887 and again in breaks in the cotton thread. ny records. They continued to were exempt from the law. duction in the employment 1889. These efforts were de- Children often worked 10 to 12 work, and another family After World War I, the use of children.