IN THE CLARENDON SUN: Kindergarten students have a blast gardening A10 Happy USA TODAY: Database gaps leave nation SERVING SOUTH CAROLINA SINCE OCTOBER 15, 1894 open to more FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2017 75 CENTS gun violence C1 A perfect tribute Group: Leader search is crucial Legislators say district superintendent will have long-term effect BY BRUCE MILLS [email protected] Because of current rapid technological innovation and continual changes in workforce requirements, members of the Sumter County Legislative Delegation say they think Sumter School District’s up- coming superintendent search represents a “monu- mental” decision for the community. McELVEEN Delegation members shared their thoughts on Tuesday with Sumter School PHOTOS BY BRUCE MILLS / THE SUMTER ITEM District’s Board of Trustees High Hills Elementary School fourth-grader Ayden Apato, 10, shows off a Christmas card he penned to a veteran. Ayden said during their joint meeting at he enjoyed the school’s Veterans Day program Thursday. the district office on educa- tional issues related to the upcoming legislative session High Hills Elementary School pays tribute to veterans SMITH and followed up with more comments Thursday. State Rep. Murrell Smith, R-Sumter, said BY BRUCE MILLS every agenda item the school board shared [email protected] with the delegation at their meeting this ot only does Sumter SEE LEADER, PAGE A9 County boast the highest veteran percentage of total population of any Ncounty in South Carolina at 15.5 percent, according to the U.S. Cen- sus Bureau, but High Hills Elemen- tary School is also located on Shaw 10 awarded Air Force Base, and the school’s teachers and students held a Veter- ans Day ceremony Thursday to fit that statistic. for service The vast majority of the school’s 500 students come from military families, according to Principal Mary Kay Norton, so they should to Sumter know how to honor their veterans. The students have done numer- ous classroom activities recently to Pilot Club holds 2nd-annual honor veterans, and Thursday’s High Hills Elementary School fourth-graders Oryan Polk, left, and Tieyana Harris tribute in the school’s gymnasium write Christmas cards to veterans Thursday at the school. luncheon at visitors center was the culmination of all those BY ADRIENNE SARVIS events, Norton said. Thursday was from Shaw spoke at Thursday’s students of some family relation at [email protected] the last school day in Sumter event, and numerous others, in- the school. School District before Veterans Day, cluding veterans, were in atten- After Air Force Staff Sgt. Jimmy Evening Pilot Club of Sumter recog- which is Saturday. All schools are dance. Norton estimated about 15 Smith led the assembled audience nized 10 Sumterites on Wednesday for closed today in honor of the holi- veterans and 15 active military in the Pledge of Allegiance and the their dedication to the community dur- day. members were on hand during the High Hills’ school chorus followed ing the second-annual Care and Kind- Three current service members day, and almost all of them have with the national anthem, two stu- ness Awards Luncheon at Swan Lake dents — Katisia Coleman and Visitor Center. Thomas Walters — presented Anna Nunnery, governor of South poems to honor veterans for their Carolina District Pilot International service to our country. and member of Sumter Pilot Club, said Air Force Master Sgt. Christo- the purpose of the event was to thank pher Hirak followed with a salute to members of the community who dedi- the Fallen Comrade Table in memo- cate their time to helping others with- ry of fallen, missing or imprisoned out expecting anything in return. Armed Forces service members. Each of the award recipients was se- Air Force Lt. Col. Nathan Pu- lected for dedicating many hours, and walowski was the program’s key- in some cases years, to serving the note speaker. Sumter community. He spoke of the bravery and Mayor Joe McElveen presented each honor that veterans and current recipient with a plaque for his or her military members have shown in charitable efforts. The recipients in- serving our country through the clude: Marion Thomas, Henry Gamble, years. Puwalowski said it takes Lelia Epps, Jane Collins, Geraldine courage to serve in the military and Singleton, the Rev. Steve Shumake, that the job can sometimes be dan- Marie Walker, Richard Boisvert, Tech. The three military speakers at Thursday’s Veterans Day program at High Hills Ele- gerous. Sgt. Amanda Brown with Shaw Air mentary pose with school officials. From left is Principal Mary Kay Norton, Staff Force Base and Sarah Bradham. Sgt. Jimmy Smith, Master Sgt. Christopher Hirak, Lt. Col. Nathan Puwalowski and SEE HIGH HILLS ELEMENTARY, PAGE A13 school Instructional Coach Anja Comerford. SEE HONOR, PAGE A9 VISIT US ONLINE AT DEATHS, B5-B6 WEATHER, A14 INSIDE Frank Mitchell Mary B. Dozier Lynwood Cooper GETTING COLD TONIGHT 3 SECTIONS, 28 PAGES the .com VOL. 123, NO. 20 Ellison Spann Jr. Myrie I. Peterson Mary Ellen Garner Warmer today with James M. Barfield Clarence Alston Lillian M. Smith plenty of sunshine; Classifieds B7 Religion A4 Sarah W. Wilson Alvertus Hopkins Darryl V. Lawson clear and colder tonight Comics C6 Sports B1 James B. Benjamin Janie B. Pinckney Sam W. Goins Sr. HIGH 63, LOW 32 Opinion A12 Television A4 A2 | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2017 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] Patchy frost may be seen north of Sumter into Saturday BY JIM HILLEY The coldest temperatures Anderson said one of the fac- is expected to be mostly cloudy chance of frost. [email protected] will be tonight into Saturday tors limiting the chance of frost with a high of 58. He said a frontal boundary morning. tonight and Saturday morning “One of the complicating fac- Sunday night won’t tap a lot of The National Weather Ser- “We are currently forecast- is the dewpoint, or the amount tors we are looking at is anoth- moisture but that there is still a vice may issue frost warnings ing temperatures around 34 de- of moisture in the air. er frontal system dropping in 30 percent chance of precipita- tonight for areas north of Sum- grees for Sumter proper,” An- “We’ll have significant dry late Sunday that might bring tion. ter. derson said. “I have no doubt air working in during the day up enough moisture and cloud “After that, the weather “Right now, we are a little bit low-lying areas will be 32 or today, which may limit the ex- things up a little bit and hold looks great with temperatures concerned we may have some slightly colder.” tent of frost formation,” he ex- (the frost) off,” he said. up in the 40s in the mornings,” patchy frost,” said Doug Ander- After a high of only 54 today, plained. Anderson said Saturday he said. son, meteorologist with the Na- the high on Saturday will be For Saturday and Sunday night and Sunday, cloud cover High temperatures Monday tional Weather Service in Co- about 64, according to NWS nights, the chances of frost will will increase, putting morning and Tuesday should be in the lumbia. forecasts. likely decrease, he said. Sunday lows at about 35 with less of a low to mid-60s. LOCAL & Cotton crop STATE BRIEFS FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS rebounds this Woman, 37, dies in wreck near Shaw year across A 37-year-old woman from Elgin died Thursday as a re- sult of a two-vehicle wreck that occurred on U.S. 378 west tri-county in front of Shaw Air Force Base just after 2 p.m. BY JIM HILLEY Ashley Gurly succumbed to [email protected] injuries she sustained as a driver in the crash about 3:40 For the past two years, cotton farm- p.m. after being transported to ers and gin owners have suffered Palmetto Health Tuomey, ac- through two down seasons, first be- cording to Sumter County cause of the floods in October 2015 and Chief Deputy Coroner Bryan then because of Hurricane Matthew in Rogers in a news release. 2016. Her specific injuries, the cir- This year, cotton farmers in the area cumstances of the wreck and have rebounded, according to Clemson information on others involved Extension Agent David DeWitt. were not available as of press “The crop seems to be doing quite time Thursday. well, and we have had good picking Rogers said in the release weather,” he said Wednesday. “Gins that Gurly’s family has been are being busy.” notified and that an autopsy James Johnson, owner of Mayesville will be conducted today in Gin, seems anxious to get all the cotton Newberry, which is about 40 in. miles northwest of Columbia. “The cotton crop is good; we just Elgin is almost 25 miles north- need to get it all harvested,” he said. east of Columbia. Johnson estimated about 50 percent South Carolina Highway Pa- of the cotton has been picked. trol is investigating the wreck. “We’re blessed, and we hope the Follow theitem.com and a fu- weather continues to be favorable for ture print edition of the news- the complete harvest,” he said. paper for updates to this story. Farmers are harvesting about two bales per acre, he said. Police: Man arrested “That’s high. That’s the kind of yield after bank threat we’ve been needing,” DeWitt said. JIM HILLEY / THE SUMTER ITEM Soybean harvest is getting started, Huge rolls of cotton sit ready for ginning on a cotton farm in Lee County near Mayesville. ROCK HILL — Police said a he said. man threatened to blow up a “People have been cutting soybeans for corn are still not in yet.