Student charged with bringing gun, loaded THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2018 75 CENTS magazine to Lakewood SERVING SOUTH CAROLINA SINCE OCTOBER 15, 1894 ers are being praised for their cou- ing to Sumter County Sheriff’s Of- Same teen charged in rageous actions in reporting a fice. 3 SECTIONS, 22 PAGES | VOL. 123, NO. 244 ’16 email threat against schoolmate who brought a hand- According to an incident report, IN THIS EDITION gun and loaded magazine to the the 15-year-old had reportedly superintendent, sheriff school Wednesday. showed the firearm, a black SCCY The 15-year-old, who is being de- CPX 9mm handgun, to other stu- BY ADRIENNE SARVIS tained by the state Department of dents before he was called into an [email protected] Juvenile Justice in Columbia, was administrator’s office where he SUMTER arrested after the handgun and and his backpack were searched. HOME One Lakewood High School stu- ammunition were found in his & DECOR dent is in custody while a few oth- backpack during a search, accord- SEE CHARGED, PAGE A5 2 Prepare your lawnmower for winter 3 Plan an outdoor living space ‘New’ R.E. Davis hosts open house for fall 4 Legacy left at Brunson’s Nursery 5 Palmetto Gas looks to make mark on Sumter community 6 Fall lawn care tips LEFT: The main entrance hallway to R.E. Davis College Preparatory Academy has a portrait of former principal R.E. Davis 7 Create a and new doorways with the mission statements “College Bound” and “Career Ready” inscribed on them. perfectly RIGHT: Career and Technology Education teacher Tracey Ragen, background, talks last week with a parent and her children cozy place at R.E. Davis College Preparatory Academy. to read Get ready for fall with our special section Find tips, trends, decorating ideas and more inside C1 Exercise can improve more than just your muscles A3 DEATHS, B3 Ernest Grant Williams Rodney Lee Hatcher Frankie Frye James William Demore Linda McBride Geter William Murray Robinson Sr. WEATHER, A8 PHOTOS BY BRUCE MILLS / THE SUMTER ITEM Science teacher Kirstin McCoon, left, talks in her classroom with a parent and a student last week at R.E. Davis College Pre- MORE STORMS paratory Academy’s Open House event. Co-principals spoke with parents about new programs offered at the school. Showers and a heavy thunderstorm today; clouds breaking tonight Co-principals say teachers have had positive attitudes with change, transition HIGH 89, LOW 71 BY BRUCE MILLS attendance and were able to meet team approach. [email protected] their children’s teachers for the The former Mayewood Middle first time, if they hadn’t already principal, Hunter brought 14 teach- INSIDE CONTACT US These days newness surrounds done so. ers and five support staff with her Classifieds B6 Info: 774-1200 the R.E. Davis campus on Eastern At that meeting, co-principals from the former middle school. Comics B4 Advertising: 774-1237 School Road in the eastern rural Michelle McBride (elementary “The teachers have been very portion of Sumter County. school) and Anita Hunter (middle positive in the transition,” Hunter Opinion A7 Classifieds: 774-1200 It’s not only a new school year, school) shared with parents new said. “They have kept the focus on Sports B1 Delivery: 774-1258 but it’s also almost like a restart nationally recognized programs the students and getting the school Television B5 News and Sports: with a new school. With the consol- the school has implemented to bet- ready and prepared for the stu- 774-1226 idation of Mayewood Middle ter prepare students to be college dents to come in and for them to School just across U.S. 378 into the and career ready. Those include teach, especially with the new pro- school, the former R.E. Davis Ele- Advancement Via Individual De- grams.” VISIT US ONLINE AT the .com mentary School is now a K-8th- termination (AVID), Leader in Me, R.E. Davis has six new teachers grade school and called R.E. Davis a math and science initiative to the district this year. College Preparatory Academy. known as NMSI and Core Knowl- Kristin McCoon, a seventh- and The school held a dual Title I edge. eighth-grade science teacher, who Awareness/Open House meeting McBride and Hunter said all the lives in Manning, is one of those for parents and students last school’s teachers have adjusted week. About 150 parents were in well to the changes and taken a SEE R.E. DAVIS, PAGE A5 SUMTER AMERICAN LEGION FAIR SCHEDULE • Midway closes, midnight Sumter American Today Last Day — Sunday Legion Fair visi- tors can see the • Gates open to the public, 4 p.m. • Gates open to the public, noon • All exhibits on display, 4-10 p.m. • Commercial exhibits removed, 9 Team Rock Ninja • Beef show confirmation, 4 p.m. a.m.-2 p.m. Experience show • Beef show judging, 6 p.m. • Individual entries removed, and other live • Midway closes, midnight 2-3:30 p.m. shows for free all Friday • Premium checks picked up, week. See more 2-3:30 p.m. fair photos on A3. • Gates open to the public, 4 p.m. • Mustang rehabilitation course, • All exhibits on display, 4-10 p.m. 2-4 p.m. PHOTOS BY ADRIENNE • Horse fun and game show, 5:30 • Midway closes, 9 p.m. p.m. SARVIS / THE SUMTER ITEM • Midway closes, midnight For additional information, visit www.sumterfair.com or call 775- Saturday 5200. TICKETS • Gates open to the public, 10 Ride all day pass: $25 a.m. ADMISSION • All exhibits on display, 10 a.m.-9 Ages 1-5: Free • Buy wrist bands at the ticket booth near the Ferris wheel during fair p.m. Ages 6-64: $8 hours. • Horse confirmation class, 11 Ages 65 and up: $5 • Sold until one hour before closing. Saturday only, sold until 6 p.m. a.m. Military/dependants with ID: $5 Early bird special: All gate admissions $5 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday A2 | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2018 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] LOCAL BRIEFS FROM STAFF REPORTS Oktoberfest brings Germany to Sumter Board interviews 4 Downtown Sumter's Main search consulting firms Street traveled to Germany on Saturday for Oktober- Sumter School District's fest. Hamptons put on the Board of Trustees interviewed annual festival and street four superintendent search party to raise money for consulting firms in executive session on Tuesday night at a Sumter United Ministries. special called meeting at the The event offered German district office. food, beer and music, and After the interviews, the throngs of attendees were board returned to open ses- dressed for the part in le- sion but took no action. derhosen. Board Chairman the Rev. Daryl McGhaney said after PHOTOS BY KAYLA ROBINS / THE SUMTER ITEM the meeting the trustees ex- pect to pick a search consul- tant soon and enter into a con- tract. McGhaney said the board hasn't specifically discussed a timeline for when it hopes to have its next full-time superin- tendent in place. He did say it will be a national search but is also open to internal candi- dates. Debbie Hamm, a former Richland District 2 superin- tendent and long-time admin- istrator, is in her second and final year as the district's in- terim superintendent. My Community and Me makes schedule changes My Community and Me, a program that teaches fourth- graders about the Sumter community with the help of recruited volunteers, has made changes to its 2018 schedule because of Hurricane Florence. The updated Community Circles schedule is as follows: • Oct. 2, 9:30 a.m. — Cher- ryvale Elementary School gym • Oct. 3, 9:30 a.m. — Alice Drive Elementary School cafe- teria • Oct. 5, 9:30 a.m. — Wilson Hall multi-purpose room • Oct. 10, 9:30 a.m. — Man- chester Elementary School cafeteria • Oct. 15, 9:30 a.m. — Lemira Elementary School cafeteria • Oct. 16, 9:30 a.m. — Pocalla Elementary School Palmetto Room • Oct. 17, 9:30 a.m. — R.E. Davis gymnasium • Oct. 22, 9:30 a.m. — Wilder Elementary School multi-pur- pose room • Oct. 24, 9:30 a.m. — Willow Drive Elementary School cafe- New Florence flooding forecasts are good news for S.C. teria For additional information GEORGETOWN (AP) — The last com- on the storm. Florence has killed at least "It's kind of playing out exactly like we on Community Circles, contact munity in the way of Hurricane Flor- 47 people — 36 in North Carolina, nine in forecast," said Conway Fire Chief Le Sumter Volunteers Inc. Execu- ence's floodwaters as they slowly flow to South Carolina and two in Virginia. Hendrick, who sent firefighters to hous- tive Director Jo Anne Morris the sea got some good news Wednesday The newest predictions from South es that had never flooded more than a at (803) 775-7423. — the predictions aren't as dire as they Carolina officials moved back the peak week ago to warn them water was com- once were. of the flooding from Thursday to today ing. Those same homes were flooded Coroner wants to locate Officials originally expected flooding in Georgetown County, where the most when firefighters surveyed them Mon- family of deceased man in the worst areas of Georgetown Coun- swollen waterways — the Waccamaw day and Tuesday. ty to be from 5 to 10 feet. But Wednes- and Pee Dee rivers — meet three other There appeared to be good news in Sumter County Coroner day’s forecast lowered that estimate to 2 rivers on their way to the Atlantic Conway too.