Back to School 2020-21 Essential info on schools, schedules and orientation How virtual learning will work Getting kids used to wearing masks How to shop safely tax free B1 SERVING S.C. SINCE OCT. 15, 1894 THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2020 $1.00 Tax holiday READY TO SHOP? begins Friday Items that will have no tax Clothing Clothing accessories (including cloth face masks) Shoes/footwear School supplies Computers/printers Computer accessories Diapers Earbuds and headphones Some bed and bath items, including blankets, pillows, towels BRUCE MILLS / THE SUMTER ITEM Non-exempt items Lisa Dixon, a teacher at Alice Drive Elementary School, shops at Office Church School Sup- ply Co. on Pike on Wednesday afternoon. The store will have its annual Back-To-School Bash Cleaning supplies on Friday and Saturday to coincide with the state’s annual tax-free weekend. Jewelry, cosmetics, eyewear Furniture Save on back-to-school items for 3 days Digital cameras BY BRUCE MILLS ilies and teachers get ready to go back to [email protected] school. Each year at this time, South Carolina elimi- Digital music players It may seem a little different and will look a nates all sales and use taxes for the entire little different this year, but the state’s annual eReaders weekend on dozens of items. The exemptions tax-free weekend is upon us and runs Friday also include local sales taxes, including any morning through Sunday night. Video game consoles penny taxes. State Department of Revenue spokeswom- Before discussing any other items, first off, an Bonnie Swingle and local retailers spoke Office supplies used in to clear the air, smartphones are not tax free. a business Wednesday about the three-day, tax-free hol- iday set aside for the purpose of helping fam- SEE SAVE, PAGE A6 Sports equipment (baseball mitts, helmets, mouth guards, pads, etc.) Mattresses and box springs For a full list of exempt and non-exempt items, go to www.dor.sc.gov/taxfreeweekend. Virus testing in the U.S. is Corley is the only city council dropping as deaths climb incumbent seeking re-election BY MATTHEW PERRONE, NICKY falling in 22 states. That includes November for a second FORSTER and MICHELLE LIU places like Alabama, Mississippi, He is vying for 2nd term term. The Associated Press Missouri and Iowa where the per- He said he has enjoyed centage of positive tests is high and in Ward 4, historic district living in the historic dis- U.S. testing for the coronavirus is continuing to climb, an indicator BY SHELBIE GOULDING trict and understands its dropping even as infections remain that the virus is still spreading un- [email protected] needs and residents well. high and the death toll rises to controlled. “As a high school teach- more than 1,000 a day, a worrisome Amid the crisis, some health offi- Since November 2016, Sumter City CORLEY er, I have learned to work trend that officials attribute largely cials are calling for the introduc- Councilman Steve Corley has repre- with a variety of people, to Americans getting discouraged tion of a different type of test that sented Ward 4, and he wants to do so and that helped me understand some over having to wait hours to get a would yield results in a matter of for the next four years. of the needs of the Sumter communi- test and days or weeks to find out minutes and would be cheap and Corley has lived in the area since ty,” Corley said. “I believe in fiscal re- the results. simple enough for millions of 1980 after he was hired to teach history sponsibility and yet know that our city An Associated Press analysis Americans to test themselves — at Sumter High School, where he needs to provide a range of appropriate found that the number of tests per but would also be less accurate. taught for 33 years and was the Social public services.” day slid 3.6% during the past two Studies Department chair for 27 years. weeks to 750,000, with the count SEE TESTING, PAGE A6 He has filed to run for re-election in SEE CORLEY, PAGE A6 VISIT US ONLINE AT DEATHS, A9 WEATHER, A12 INSIDE Katie G. Brown Shemika Renee Oliver MORE STORMS POSSIBLE 2 SECTIONS, 22 PAGES Dessie Murray Carrie Bell Holmes Robinson VOL. 125, NO. 209 the .com Clouds and sun with a storm James Gregory Kincade Thomas C. Anderson today; a storm in some areas Back to School B1 Sports A8 Joseph Lee Becker Janet E. Smith later tonight, too Robert Louis Wilkerson Susie Johnson Oliver Classifieds A11 Opinion A7 Eddie Lee Wilson Jr. Julious Alphonza Davis Sr. HIGH 91, LOW 74 Comics A4 Television A10 John Warren Davis Emma Hilton Murray Ola Wilson Richardson Sara Odell Spann Thames A2 | THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2020 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] STEAM Charter gives WHAT YOUR GOVERNMENT IS DOING: SUMTER CITY COUNCIL last call on name-change Alice Drive Baptist expansion suggestions for school approved, Dollar General BY BRUCE MILLS former St. Francis Xavier coming to Patriot Park area [email protected] High School. The school was consid- The founding board of ered a major boost to edu- BY SHELBIE GOULDING velop a 15,000-20,000-square-foot facility Sumter’s new charter cating Black children local- [email protected] and outdoor recreational space on the 7.71 school is still seeking the ly. It was the first grades acres located at 1740 U.S. 15 South, near public’s feedback on renam- 1-6 public school for Afri- Proposals for a new church, the expan- the intersection of Master Drive and U.S. ing the charter to honor the can-Americans in Sumter sion of an existing one and a new Dollar 15. former Liberty Street Ele- and operated as such until General were among the topics discussed mentary School. 1969, according to histori- Tuesday at a Sumter City Council meet- DOLLAR GENERAL COMING TO PATRIOT Sumter cal accounts. After sixth ing. PARKWAY STEAM Charter grade, Black students in While council’s previous meeting was The final reading to allow a Dollar Gen- School acquired District 17 then went to the held at the Sumter Opera House to open eral at the corner of Patriot Parkway and the historical former Lincoln High public hearings to the public, Tuesday’s Constitution Drive, in a neighborhood school property School for grades 7-12. meeting was held livestreamed virtually commercial and residential area near Pa- at 15 School St. For people to provide because there were no public hearings on triot Park, was also unanimously ap- in south Sumter IVEY suggestions and feedback, the agenda. proved. last week and the charter has posted an Greg Googer, owner of Coastal Develop- desires to en- online survey on its web- PROPOSED CATHOLIC CHURCH ment Partners, requested to amend the gage the community on a site, www.sumtersteamchar- CONSIDERED ON BECKWOOD ROAD Sumter West Planned Development to add name change to recognize ter.org, and social media The first reading to rezone about 193 a Dollar General in the undeveloped com- the original school’s legacy. platforms. The survey will acres of planned development to general mercial area located at 3510 Patriot Park- The school will undergo close Friday at noon, ac- commercial for a new Catholic church way, which is across the street from Ame- renovations beginning in cording to school Chief of campus in the U.S. 521 and Beckwood disys Home Health Care and Faster Care the fall and become the Staff Trevor Ivey. Road area was amended by the applicant near Willie Sue’s. charter’s Primary Academy Liberty Street Elementa- to now request it become limited commer- Googer proposed to use a design concept Campus when it opens in ry School alumni are espe- cial. that is compatible with the aesthetic of about one year. cially encouraged to share The Rev. Giovannie Nunez made the the Sumter West Planning Development, Built in 1949, Liberty their feedback and can do change following concern from several which will have a more rustic appearance Street Elementary served so by calling or texting (803) residents in the area who don’t want com- and be compatible with other commercial Black children in Sumter in 216-5745 in lieu of the on- mercial development in the area. buildings in the area. grades 1-6 under the auspic- line survey. The plan started 20 years ago as a mas- es of the former Sumter Founding board members ter planned Catholic community, which in- RESIDENTIAL SUBDIVISION APPROVED School District 17 during will review the feedback at cluded a new church facility, elementary ON CAMDEN HIGHWAY the 1950s and ’60s, before their next board meeting, and secondary schools, a cemetery, a sin- The final reading to rezone 33.88 acres integration. Most recently, which is set for Monday, gle-family neighborhood and elder hous- from residential-15 to residential-6 for a the school operated as the Ivey said. ing. They didn’t raise enough funds for the future subdivision on Camden Highway construction until now, but they now are was also unanimously approved. asking only to build a church sanctuary The applicant, Bradford Meadows Devel- and associated buildings on 56.61 acres. opment Company, plans to construct 46 The owner plans to sell the remaining single-family residential units. Sheriff: Charleston deputy kills acreage, which consists of wetlands. With the applicant requesting to rezone CITY AUTHORIZES CONTRACT FOR to limited commercial, this would allow EAST LIBERTY STREET WATERLINE man after he wouldn’t drop gun him to pursue a limited development plan PROJECT while returning market viability to the re- Council unanimously approved a resolu- CHARLESTON (AP) — A Instead, the man ran in- maining property, allowing for a mix of tion to authorize a contract with B & B deputy in South Carolina in- side a house and grabbed a future commercial and residential devel- Construction Company at a bid of $214,060 vestigating a 911 call about a gun, pointing it at the depu- opment compatible with the Thomas Sum- for the East Liberty Street Waterline Re- man threatening a woman ty, Cannon said.