2A OPINION 4A OBITUARIES 7A SPORTS 2B PUZZLES 7B CLASSIFIEDS PANTING FOR PAWS 5K ON 1B QUOTE ‘All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.’ EDMUND BURKE Vol. 145, No. 13 NewTWO SECTIONS • 16 PAGES s&PressESTABLISHED 1874 75¢ MARCH 27, 2019 Darlington, S.C. WWW.NEWSANDPRESS.NET Groups fish for funds from replenished Accommodations Tax pond as a 2-percent tax on all By Samantha Lyles Staff Writer overnight stays. [email protected] Darlington County allocates The Darlington County the first $25,000 in accommo- Accommodations Tax dations tax proceeds plus 5 per- Committee met March 21 to cent of the balance to the hear funding requests from General Fund, as authorized by local tourism-related festivals state law, and the remainder and events. funds promotion of events that The committee’s work might draw tourists from over 50 present a smaller challenge this miles away. time around, as increased hotel Fifteen organizations filed stays have raised their funding funding requests this year, and pool from $25,000 last year to representatives outlined how $65,000. their events and projects put Accommodations Tax rev- “heads in beds” around the enue is collected from county county. hotels, motels, inns and bed and breakfast establishments A-TAX ON 3A Alvin Heatley of the Butler Heritage Foundation Denise Holland of EdVenture in Hartsville PHOTOS BY SAMANTHA LYLES South Main Street sidewalks completed Residential street By Samantha Lyles Staff Writer [email protected] won’t be renamed Friday saw the end of a five- year quest to build a sidewalk along Darlington's South Main Street, making the trek to for fallen officer Walmart much safer for the city's pedestrians and bicyclists. The Postal Service said that By Bobby Bryant Mayor Gloria Hines says the Editor even if residents had failed to new sidewalk makes the street [email protected] change their addresses with more attractive and offers citi- utility companies, banks, zens a cleaner and easier path “Sgt. Carraway Street” won’t to the market, drugstore and be a Darlington residential employers and other business- address after all. other businesses along South es, mail sent to Southern Pine After objections from long- Main. Street still would have been time residents, the city’s “I felt it was important delivered properly, according Planning Commission last because when we started talk- to Rock. About 48 people live week rejected a proposal to ing about this in 2014, we kind on that street, and many have rename Southern Pine Street of knew that Walmart was com- after Sgt. Terrence Carraway, a lived there several decades, ing. We wanted people to not Darlington resident and 30- Rock said. have to walk in the grass and year veteran of the Florence One woman at the hearing walk in water,” says Hines. Police Department who was who didn’t want the street “Since the sidewalks run killed Oct. 3 when a gunman name changed had lived on from Avenue F all the way to ambushed law-enforcement Southern Pine Street for 20 Walmart, it's much easier and officers. years, Rock said. safer for those people who are The four Planning walking.” City Council members are Commission members in atten- now looking at the possibility Hines acknowledges that dance at a March 19 public state Sen. Gerald Malloy Construction workers finishing up the South Main Street sidewalks. PHOTO BY SAMANTHA LYLES hearing on the name change of having an interchange, such (District 29) provided crucial voted unanimously against the as the U.S. 52 Bypass, or part of assistance in helping complete sidewalk project is a five-year Hines says the 4,400 linear sidewalks would enhance the proposal after several people a street, perhaps on South Main the project. collaboration between the feet of sidewalk cost the City of appearance and safety of the objected to the plan, said Street, named in honor of “We are very grateful to the South Carolina Department of Darlington $110,000, which surrounding neighborhood. Darlington planning director Carraway, Rock said. Naming senator for being so instrumen- Transportation, the City of paired with a $400,000 grant “We are hoping that we can Lisa Chalian-Rock. an interchange for Carraway tal in helping us get the side- Darlington and my office,” says from the S.C. Department of get some more projects like this No one had anything against would need the state walks,” Hines says. Malloy. Transportation. Palmetto all over the city, especially since Carraway, who has been hailed Legislature’s approval, she Malloy says the project was “The sidewalks allow pedes- Paving constructed the side- we have the new school coming as a hero many times since the said. a team effort, and he hopes to trians to move in a safer envi- walks, and another vendor will and they will need sidewalks in shootings that killed him and Darlington City Council first work with the city more often ronment beside a busy federal handle repairs to driveways that area,” Hines says. “A lot of another officer, Rock said. But to establish new infrastructure highway. Many thanks to all and grass that might have been parents have called me and residents didn’t want to go endorsed renaming a street for and other improvements as the involved in the project, and my damaged during the build. they are concerned because through the trouble and cost of Carraway in November, on the U.S. 52 Bypass area continues office wants to continue mak- With a new elementary their children might have to changing their addresses on same night Carraway’s family to grow. ing a positive contribution to school being constructed on 1st walk in the water, and we don't driver’s licenses, passports and was presented with a key to the “The Southeast Darlington the City of Darlington.” Street, Hines says that more want that to happen.” the like, she said. city. April 1 public hearing set on Duke’s plan to raise rates tional $1.81 per month begin- Duke Energy Progress said From Staff Reports ning June 1, 2021. in a statement: “We work to Duke Energy Progress Duke Energy Progress had keep costs as low as possible wants to raise your rates for also sought to increase its for our customers and to avoid power, and if you want to Residential Basic Facilities an increase to customer bills comment on the company’s Charge from $9.06 to $29 per plan, a public hearing for the month effective June 1. whenever possible, and we Pee Dee area is scheduled for That means that even if aggressively manage costs to April 1. you didn’t use any power at all delay the need to increase The hearing, organized by during a given month, you’d rates. the S.C. Public Service be charged three times more “We are seeking this Commission, will be at 6 p.m. than you are now just to stay increase now because we have at the Florence County hooked up for electricity. made significant investments Council chambers, 180 North But late last week, the com- in recent years to build a pany backed off on that Irby St., Florence. smarter energy infrastructure This is the only hearing request, according to media to meet the needs of a grow- that is planned for the Pee Dee reports, saying that it now area. only wants to raise that basic ing customer base, and to In the company’s filing facilities charge to $11.96 a comply with rigid environ- month. mental requirements at the with the PSC for the rate Parks and Recreation director Lee Andrews at Darlington’s Carraway Park. PHOTO BY SAMANTHA LYLES changes, Duke Energy Duke Energy Progress, in state and federal level. Progress said that it wants the its PSC filing, says that recent “These investments help changes to take effect June 1. work to modernize the elec- provide affordable, reliable tric system, generate cleaner Under the company’s plan and increasingly clean energy power, responsibly manage Darlington park named as given to the PSC, a typical to customers, and are the residential customer using and close coal ash basins and main reason for the proposed 1,000 kWh would see an improve service to customers increase. for slain officer taking shape increase of approximately have made it necessary to $17.91 per month beginning request a net increase in retail “We look forward to pre- mentoring young people in already taking shape. revenues. senting our case to the Public By Samantha Lyles June 1, then an increase of Staff Writer sports, school, and life. Playground equipment, Public hearings on the $1.60 per month beginning Service Commission of South [email protected] This aspect of Carraway's Duke plan have already been including a swing set, rock June 1, 2020, and an addi- Carolina. character is being honored by held in the Upstate. Though many people are climbing feature, merry-go- “They will ultimately deter- the City of Darlington and The nonprofit group aware that Terrence Carraway round and a sliding board, mine what’s appropriate for was a Darlington resident and Darlington County Parks and Upstate Forever, the AARP will entertain the little ones. and others are against the customer rates based on a police officer who died last Recreation as they build a new plan because they say it would long-standing and very trans- year in the line of duty, those park that will bear his name. hit customers who can afford parent public process for close to him have cited his Located on Magnolia it least the hardest.