Newly discovered type of dementia shows need for better testing A5 THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2019 | Serving South Carolina since October 15, 1894 75 cents Derby Day returns for 6th Sumter teachers year in downtown Sumter endon Counties. “It’s a lot of Event is fundraiser fun — people get dressed up, and the ladies wear their Ken- for local United Way tucky Derby hats.” rally in Columbia The celebration begins at BY RACHEL PITTMAN Special to The Sumter Item 5:30 p.m. with a livestream of the “most exciting two min- Among 10,000 to attend Statehouse demonstration Downtown Sumter will utes in sports” but continues BY KAYLA ROBINS 10,000 people. earlier this week, was one dress up in its finest gingham long after. A variety of food, [email protected] “We’ve been promised of about 160 teachers in and seersucker for United beer and wine will be catered change for so long. If they Sumter who asked off Way’s 2019 Derby Day fund- until 10 p.m. by Hampton’s, Handmade signs in a sea do get input from us, they Wednesday. Sumter was one raiser, a Kentucky Derby Sidebar, With These Hands of red surged to the State- say we can’t do anything of at least seven school dis- watch party on May 4 featur- Natural Gourmet Foods and house on Wednesday as about it, maybe next year … tricts that closed for the day ing the finest local food and other local vendors. thousands of teachers and We’re tired of asking to be because so many teachers drink, music and, of course, a Myrtle Beach’s Tru Sol public education advocates heard,” said Matthew Wilt, asked off that they couldn’t live viewing of the iconic Band will perform from 7 to 10 rallied for legislation. a history and government get enough substitutes and horse race. p.m., playing Motown, oldies, S.C. for Ed, an online teacher in Sumter High administrators in the class- “This is the sixth year of hip-hop and R&B classics that teacher group, organized School’s International Bac- room to guarantee student Derby Day, and it’s really be- will make dancing a must. the rally in Columbia that calaureate program. safety. come something people look “This is really danceable the South Carolina Depart- Wilt, who was named a Some parents had to take forward to,” said Mindy Popo- music,” said Kari Cruse, chief ment of Public Safety tweet- Sumter School District vich, president of the United ed was attended by about Teacher of the Year finalist SEE RALLY, PAGE A3 Way of Sumter, Lee and Clar- SEE DERBY, PAGE A6 Remembering the past to keep it there PHOTOS BY MICAH GREEN / THE SUMTER ITEM Military members at Shaw Air Force Base heard from Lily Filler, below, a daughter of two Holocaust survivors, during a Ho- locaust Remembrance program at U.S. Army Central headquarters at the base last week. Holocaust Remembrance program at U.S. Army Central brings Third Army lineage, Holocaust survivor’s daughter together BY KAYLA ROBINS other’s eyes once again. [email protected] While the most common Younger versions of two connection in the murder of sides of the story six million European Jews from the Holo- and millions of other citizens caust found during World War II is the themselves star- victims and Adolf Hitler’s ing into each SEE PROGRAM, PAGE A6 Community to observe Yom HaShoah Event will honor The community’s second- said the local remembrance Holocaust victims annual observance will begin is one of several in the state BY IVY MOORE at 3 p.m. on Sunday at the and takes place during the Special to The Sumter Item Sumter Opera House, 21 N. United States’ annual com- Sumter will have the oppor- Main St. The Holocaust Re- memoration of the Holocaust tunity to honor the victims of membrance is co-sponsored led by the U.S. Holocaust Me- SUMTER ITEM FILE PHOTO the Holocaust during the by the Sumter Opera House, morial Museum in Washing- Sumter’s Holocaust Memorial stands on the grounds of the Temple Sinai Jewish History Days of Remembrance, ob- the Sumter County Museum ton, D.C. The museum’s web- Center at 10 Church St. On Sunday, partici- served across the country pants in the community’s Yom HaShoah, or and Temple Sinai. site says “The Holocaust was Holocaust Remembrance Day, will join in a during the week of April 28 Sumter County Museum Ex- the systematic, bureaucratic, silent march from the Sumter Opera House to the temple in remembrance of the six mil- through May 5. ecutive Director Annie Rivers SEE REMEMBRANCE, PAGE A6 lion Jews murdered during World War II. VISIT US ONLINE AT CONTACT US DEATHS, B3 WEATHER, A8 INSIDE Information: 774-1200 Karen Heater Brewer HOT SPRING DAY 2 SECTIONS, 14 PAGES the .com Advertising: 774-1246 Walter Bethune Sr. VOL. 124, NO. 139 Classifieds: 774-1200 Warm with some sun today; Annie Nelson Jefferson partly cloudy tonight Classifieds B6 Sports B1 Delivery: 774-1258 Richard Andrew Stankoven Comics B4 Television B5 News and Sports: 774-1226 Robert H. Floyd HIGH 87, LOW 64 Sylvia Turbeville Moseley Opinion A7 Barbara Wiley A2 | THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2019 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] Former Camden horse to be inducted into Hunter Hall of Fame on Friday BY DANNY KELLY ing with show horses when her mom took her to [email protected] a barn and took her riding. “It was a fun way to get out of school,” she Sarah Ward-Rupp, formerly of Camden and a said. graduate of the University of South Carolina, Ward-Rupp attended the Galloway School in has a very special horse. Atlanta. She later moved to Columbia and com- So special, in fact, that he’s being inducted into muted to Camden for five years and still trains the Carolinas Show Hunter Hall of Fame in a sometimes at Finally Farm in Camden. ceremony at the Aiken Charity Horse Show from Bling Bling, a Holsteiner gelding, has won 6 to 8 p.m. at Bruce Fields on May 3, where her competitions in all three show horse categories horse, Bling Bling, will also be presented with possible — hunters, jumpers and equitation. the 2019 Elma Garcia Award. “He covers all his bases,” Ward-Rupp said. If you’re wondering if she named him that, “But, most of his winning is in (the) hunter (cat- she did not, but she said she immediately loved egory).” it. Now 19 years old, the horse has a different but Ward-Rupp, who has been competing in eques- important role in Ward-Rupp’s life. trian competitions since her early teens, bought Ward-Rupp, now the owner and trainer at Fly- Bling Bling in 2005 as an equitation horse from over Farms in Conyers, said she is glad to have Peter Leone and has since won show horse com- Bling Bling around the farm to help her out. petitions in Aiken, Georgia; Blowing Rock, North “He’s a huge help to me as a rider,” she said. Carolina, where he has been a grand champion “On trail rides, he teaches others how to do it.” multiple times; Conyers, Georgia, where he won Bling Bling was also Ward-Rupp’s ring bearer twice in the adult finals in equitation; Palm in her wedding when she married Jon Rupp, a Beach, Florida; and the Capital Challenge Horse commercial pilot, in 2017. Show in Washington, D.C. Along with how special of a horse he is to her PHOTO PROVIDED “He’s an excellent adult hunter horse,” Ward- for competitions, Ward-Rupp said she also loves Sarah Ward-Rupp, formerly of Camden, rides her horse, Bling Bling. Rupp said. “He deserves it; he’s the best. Right Bling Bling for who he is. The horse will be inducted into the Carolinas Show Hunter Hall of when I tried him, I knew he was special.” “He has a great personality,” she said. “(Some- Fame in a special ceremony at the Aiken Charity Horse Show on Fri- Ward-Rupp, who was born just outside of times he just) wanders around and eats grass. day. Tampa and grew up in Atlanta, got into compet- Horses are just like big dogs, really.” Sheriff’s office warns 93-year-old competes in Sumter County Senior Fitness Games of phone scammer BY DANNY KELLY School Track (quarter-mile walk, posing as deputy [email protected] half-mile walk, one-mile walk, 50- yard dash, 100-yard dash and stand- FROM STAFF REPORTS Just because you have aged does ing long jump) and bingo, spades, Sumter County Sheriff’s Of- not mean you can’t play ball. checkers, pity pat and Wheel of For- fice is warning residents of a The Sumter County 2019 Senior tune at SCRD, all on Wednesday. phone scammer using the Fitness Games, coordinated by What was significant about the sheriff’s office number, (803) Sumter County Recreation and games this year was 93-year-old 436-2000, to say the victim is Parks Department, are currently Emma Hough competed in the quar- being fined for failing to show underway. The two remaining ter-mile walk. up for jury duty. events include bowling today at 10 “She will be recognized as our According to Adrienne Sar- a.m. at Gamecock Lanes and the most matured participant,” pro- vis, public information officer awards luncheon on Tuesday at 11 gram director Latrell Chambers for the sheriff’s office, the call- a.m.