IN FOOD: Got brown bananas? Put them in pancakes C4 Go high tech for Valentine’s Day Wow your special someone with a unique, modern gift SERVING SOUTH CAROLINA SINCE OCTOBER 15, 1894 C1 WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2018 $1.00 Finance Committee Teen makes school board members defend role in crisis $15K bond School district members say there were no internal processes to monitor budget in home fire BY BRUCE MILLS member questioned last [email protected] week why the committee didn’t prevent the finan- Former member of fire department Members of Sumter cial failures from occur- School District’s adviso- ring. program said he played with matches ry Finance Committee “The Finance Commit- said Tuesday they were tee was set up and de- BY ADRIENNE SARVIS Thomas Euten, 17, is not made aware in any signed to stop this type of [email protected] charged with second-degree way by administration of financial malfeasance,” arson for allegedly causing the district’s $6.2 million Schultz said during the ADRIENNE SARVIS / THE SUMTER ITEM A former member of Sum- approximately $40,000 in in overspending before Jan. 8 board meeting’s Thomas Euten, 17, tells Magistrate ter Fire Department’s pro- damage to his family’s rent- the release of the fiscal public participation. “It Judge Fred Gordon Jr. that some of gram for young people inter- ed double-wide mobile home 2016 audit report in De- happened under the watch the items provided through the Sum- ested in fire fighting was on Pantego Drive after play- cember 2016. Their re- of the Finance Committee, ter Fire Department Explorer program given a $15,000 bond after he ing with matches, making sponses Tuesday came were destroyed in the house fire he allegedly caused a fire in his after a former board SEE DISTRICT, PAGE A5 reportedly set Monday. family’s home Monday. SEE ARSON, PAGE A6 DOUGLAS MATHIS • 1952 - 2018 Mathis was father, uncle to more than his own family PHOTOS BY CHRIS MOORE / SPECIAL TO THE SUMTER ITEM Douglas Mathis’ casket is seen at Grace Baptist Church on Saturday during his funeral. Mathis died Jan. 10 at 65 and was remembered for his dedicated service to Sumter Fire De- partment and the Sumter community. He served as fire chief from 1999 to 2002 and retired a second time from the department in 2014 after decades of service. Debbie Quinn According to Mathis’ wife, Debbie, Former Sumter fire Mathis, wife of the former fire chief was a well-re- Douglas Mathis, spected mentor to many people inside chief remembered for receives a flag in the department and out. People regu- his honor during larly referred to him using family ti- passion, friendship his funeral on Sat- tles such as Father and Uncle, she urday afternoon at said. A longtime supporter of Sumter Grace Baptist If you were lucky to get a hug from Fire Department and the Sumter com- Church. him, you know he loved you, she said. munity, Douglas Mathis, former fire During the funeral service on Satur- chief, is remembered as a mentor to day, Debbie listened to numerous sto- the men and women of ries about how her husband helped the fire service and any- others in the community. one else who crossed his “I could have listened to all of those path. stories,” she said. Mathis died on Jan. 10 Doug’s guiding nature was strong at the age of 65 after bat- within the fire department as well as tling with chronic illness- at home. MATHIS es. Throughout his career, Mathis time in 2014. “He supported me in everything I He joined the fire de- worked his way up the ladder, serv- For his contributions to the fire de- did,” Debbie said. partment in 1972 after earning an as- ing the community on multiple lev- partment and Sumter community, Mathis is survived by his wife; son, sociate degree in fire science and els before serving as fire chief from Mathis was a two-time recipient of the Stephen; and dog, Bogey. criminal justice from Central Carolina 1999 to 2002. He rejoined the depart- American Legion Certificate Accom- Technical College. ment in 2002 before retiring a second modation Firefighter of the Year. SEE MATHIS, PAGE A6 VISIT US ONLINE AT CONTACT US DEATHS, B5 WEATHER, A8 INSIDE Information: 774-1200 Frances W. Loney A LITTLE SNOW POSSIBLE 3 SECTIONS, 18 PAGES the .com Advertising: 774-1246 John C. Colclough Sr. VOL. 123, NO. 64 Classifieds: 774-1200 A snow shower in the morning; Francis D. Richardson clear and colder tonight Classifieds B6 Panorama C1 Delivery: 774-1258 Vincent A. Phillips Jr. News and Sports: 774-1226 HIGH 41, LOW 20 Comics C2 Sports B1 Michael Prescott A7 C3 Rosetta Cousar Opinion Television Bessie M. Johnson A2 | WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2018 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] S.C. bill would protect Sumter AARP offers free tax assistance identities of companies that sell execution drugs COLUMBIA (AP) — The identities of companies that ‘If South Carolina sell execution drugs to South Carolina would be protected is going to have a under a bill proposed by a state lawmaker on Tuesday. death penalty, then Spartanburg Rep. Eddie Tallon told The Associated Press that the bill he's filing we need to have a will make drug suppliers part of the execution team, way to carry it out.’ so that just like employees in the death chamber who REP. EDDIE TALLON, carry out the sentence, the R-SPARTANBURG companies' identities will be shielded by state law. Public pressure has made pharmaceutical companies Corrections Director Bryan reluctant to sell drugs know- Stirling has warned repeat- ing they'll be used to end edly in legislative testimony lives, not save them. Nearly a that the state can't obtain the dozen states have passed drugs it needs without such laws providing secrecy. secrecy for sup- Gov. Henry McMaster pliers in re- made the same point last sponse. year after the state Supreme "If South Court scheduled a Dec. 1 exe- Carolina is cution for 52-year-old Bobby going to have Wayne Stone, who is on the death pen- STONE death row for killing Sumter alty, then we County Sheriff's Department need to have a deputy Sgt. Charlie Kubala. way to carry it out," Tallon Kubala was killed when he told the AP. was shot twice while check- Lawmakers have been ing on a suspicious person at looking for ways to carry out a Sumter home in February executions since the state's 1996. Stone didn't deny shoot- supply of lethal injection ing the officer but said his drugs expired in 2013. The gun went off accidentally state has not conducted any when both were in the same executions since 2011, in part area. because the drugs have not McMaster said the state been available. couldn't carry out the execu- Another possibility is em- tion due to a lack of lethal powering the state to electro- injection drugs, and called MICAH GREEN / THE SUMTER ITEM cute inmates when the drugs on lawmakers to shield their Lula King, Fran Broadway, Larry Bock and Paula Martin train on tax preparation software at the His- aren't available. Currently, identities so that executions toric Lincoln Center on Tuesday. The group is part of the Sumter AARP Tax-Aide Foundation which inmates can only be electro- could resume. cuted if they request that "It's their decision on will be providing free tax assistance and preparation Feb. 5 through April 17 at the center (former method. South Carolina last whether or not we have the home of the Shepherd Center), 26 Council St. There is no fee, no age requirement, and AARP mem- used electrocution in 2008, to death penalty," Stirling told bership is not required. The Sumter Tax-Aide Center will operate on Mondays and Wednesdays (first put James Earl Reed to death the AP. "It's just my job to come, first served). Saturday, Feb. 17, will operate on an appointment-basis only. Appointments at for the 1996 killing of his ex- make sure we have ways to other times may be available. Call Lula King at (803) 316-0772 or email [email protected] with girlfriend's parents. carry it out." questions or for appointments. LOCAL BRIEFS ceive medical attention. Taillon did not detail the extent or nature of the inmate's injuries. Memorial for Richardson FROM STAFF REPORTS This is the second reported fight between inmates at the Clarendon County institution Space heater burns house down; recently. 3 adults, 1 child displaced A 32-year-old man identified as Allen Je- set for Friday at Morris rome Capers was killed in a fight that injured A fire that destroyed a house this weekend eight other inmates on New Year's Eve. BY ADRIENNE SARVIS at 11 a.m. on Saturday at has displaced a family in south Sumter. Taillon said Tuesday's incident remains [email protected] Jerusalem Baptist Church The blaze began just after 3 a.m. on Sunday under investigation by SCDC police services. in Hartsville. on Perkins Avenue according to a Sumter Fire Memorial services for In lieu of flowers, memo- Department incident report. Sheriff’s office: AT&T customers Luns C. Richardson, presi- rial contributions can be Firefighters arrived to a fully involved fire, being targeted by phone scam dent emeri- sent to the Office of which is thought to have started in a space heat- tus of Morris Church Relations for the er, the report says. About $50,000 in damage was Sumter County Sheriff's Office is warning College, will Luns C.