Churches have 2nd chance for active-shooter training A7 FRIDAY, MARCH 9, 2018 | Serving South Carolina since October 15, 1894 75 cents Parent charged in slapping student teachers at her daughter's An incident report states multiple by the arm and pushed away and the Mom allegedly assaults elementary school on members of school staff — at least four other was pushed to the ground. Wednesday. teachers and one assistant principal — An off-duty officer then detained Cae- 7-year-old after daughter Cheneathia Caesar, 29, witnessed the incident. sar who said she came to the elementa- reportedly approached the The assistant principal said she heard ry school to stand up for her daughter refuses to hit victim 7-year-old sometime after Caesar yelling at the 7-year-old and tell- who had been bullied the day before. BY ADRIENNE SARVIS 7:30 a.m. at Kingsbury Ele- CAESAR ing her own daughter to hit the victim, A third teacher said Caesar ap- [email protected] mentary School off Lewis according to the report. She then saw proached her before the incident in ref- Road after hearing she teachers try to intervene before the erence to bullying but refused to speak A mother has been charged with threw pencils at her 8-year-old daughter child was slapped on the right side of with administrators about the issue. three counts of assault after she alleg- the day before, according to Tonyia Mc- her face. edly slapped a 7-year-old girl in the face Girt, public information officer for the Two teachers attempted to keep Cae- and pushed two Sumter School District Sumter Police Department. sar from the child, but one was grabbed SEE ASSAULT, PAGE A6 Passing on the science bug PHOTOS BY MICAH GREEN / THE SUMTER ITEM Oakland Primary School first-grader Erick Budden constructs a bridge out of Popsicle sticks on Tuesday as part of an after-school challenge program in science, technology, engineering, math and literacy. Oakland’s ‘challenge’ program exposes kids to higher-level STEM concepts BY BRUCE MILLS The challenge program for this [email protected] school year at Oakland has four concentration areas in four-week How many first-graders stay excited intervals — robotics programming, about learning school concepts for two architecture/design, readers' the- hours after school? You can count a ater (or literacy) and photography/ group of 32 Oakland Primary School general science — with four groups students in the bunch with their after- of about eight students rotating school challenge program concentrat- around to each. ing on skills in science, technology, en- On Tuesday, Oakland Assistant gineering, math and literacy. Principal Bill Austin instructed one According to Principal Josh Camp- group of first-graders on robotics. bell, the challenge program is designed Four different robots — includ- for advanced first-graders based on as- ing a lion and alligator — help the sessment test scores and teacher recom- future young engineers and bright mendations. The objective is to "chal- scientists learn different skills, lenge" the high achievers beyond first- such as computer code program- grade level classroom material. ming, variable speed motors and The after-school program works like motion sensors, Austin said. this: High-achieving first-graders at the All four course areas emphasize school meet in classrooms with teachers critical-thinking skills, experimen- from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday and tation, problem solving and teamwork, Thursday afternoons for 17 weeks First-grader Aubrey Buchko uses Popsicle sticks and wood glue to construct a bridge in through April. SEE OAKLAND, PAGE A6 an architecture/design class on Tuesday afternoon at Oakland Primary. Sumter School District consolidation proposal to be aired sponse to an inquiry from The tegic listening' community Interim superintendent expected to ask Sumter Item after Monday's WANT TO GO? meetings over the next two for approval to present draft to community school board meeting agenda WHAT: Sumter School District’s weeks." was distributed to the media Board of Trustees’ meeting Hamm said the purpose for Wednesday afternoon. WHEN: Monday, 6 p.m. each of the community meet- BY BRUCE MILLS proposal to the community in a “On Monday, a draft propos- ings will be for district staff to [email protected] series of public meetings. al to consolidate some of our WHERE: Sumter High School present important parts of the Commons Area, 2580 McCrays Mill Those community meetings low-enrollment schools will be proposal and to allow for public Road Sumter School District's in- would occur during a two-week discussed by our Board of Edu- feedback. After gathering the terim superintendent is expect- period following Monday's cation," Hamm said in an community's input, district ed to ask the Board of Trustees board meeting. email. "I will be asking the staff will then prepare a final Monday for approval to present Debbie Hamm made the re- trustees to approve presenta- tunities' proposal to the com- a draft school consolidation marks late Wednesday in re- tion of our 'Expanding Oppor- munity in a series of four 'stra- SEE BOARD, PAGE A6 VISIT US ONLINE AT DEATHS, B6 WEATHER, A10 INSIDE Claudia M. McKenzie Bertie Lee B. Squires ANOTHER BRISK DAY 3 SECTIONS, 24 PAGES the .com VOL. 123, NO. 101 Rickie D. Samuel Laura Fogle Mother Nature has been Thena T. Ramsey Thelma May J. Baker teasing us. Put up the Classifieds C7 Sports B1 M. Scott Follin Eunist Simon Jr. flip-flops, and grab a light jacket. Comics C6 Opinion A9 Tierney A. Brewer-Cooper Joseph T. Abram Religion A4 Television C4 Elizabeth A. Dwyer Robert I. Johnson Jr. HIGH 58, LOW 40 Virginia Jordan A2 | FRIDAY, MARCH 9, 2018 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] 3rd suspect detained in shooting of 7-year-old about 11:30 p.m. on Feb. 1 when some- and implicated Burgess and his wife, Child was struck during one fired several shots at a home in Kimberly Denise Burgess, 30. February drive-by incident the 5800 block of Broad Street near Kimberly Burgess was commenting Shaw Air Force Base. One of the bul- on The Sumter Item’s link to the story BY KAYLA ROBINS lets struck the boy. about Johnson’s arrest on Facebook [email protected] Bell said two other bullet holes were less than 24 hours before she turned BURGESS, R. BURGESS, K. JOHNSON discovered in the home’s interior but herself in to authorities earlier this The third of three suspects wanted that no one else was hit, including a week. in connection with what is now being cousin sleeping next to the boy. She is charged with four counts of described as a drive-by shooting of a tion officer for Sumter County Sher- During the investigation, informa- being an accessory after the fact of at- 7-year-old Sumter boy has been arrest- iff’s Office. tion was uncovered that pointed to the tempted murder and discharging a ed. Burgess is charged with breach of suspect vehicle being a 2017 Jeep that firearm into a dwelling; criminal con- An anonymous tipster told authori- trust, larceny for failure to return a was reportedly rented through a spiracy; breach of trust; larceny for ties where Rodney Jermaine Burgess, rented object and obstruction of jus- fraudulent insurance policy under the failure to return a rented object; and 33, was hiding after warrants were is- tice, with more charges reportedly name of Aireal Johnson. obstruction of justice. sued for his and his wife’s arrests, ac- pending. Aireal Lakeia Johnson, 24, reported- A motive has not yet been released. cording to Ken Bell, public informa- The incident he is accused in began ly admitted to the conspiracy for fraud The boy is expected to fully recover. LOCAL BRIEFS FROM STAFF REPORTS Learn to make a pine needle basket March 31 Lee State Park, 489 Loop Road, Bishopville, will hold a Pine Needle Basket Workshop from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Satur- day, March 31, at the Educa- tion Center. Appropriate for ages 13 and up, cost of the workshop is $30 which in- cludes all project materials. Participants will learn to collect and clean pine needles and will begin making a bas- ket in class. They will be able to take supplies home to com- plete their project. Class size is limited and pre- registration is required. Regis- ter two days before the work- shop by calling the Education Center at (803) 428-4988. Participants should bring drinks, snack/lunch and read- ing glasses if you need them. Pregnancy center asks for donations PHOTO PROVIDED The holidays are when we From left, Craig Baartman, Continental Tire the Americas Sumter plant manager; Ashton Elmore, of human relations; Julia Gutierrez, pur- are typically moved to make chasing manager; Bernhard Trilken, senior vice president of Manufacturing Tires from Continental’s headquarters in Hanover, Germany; donations or buy gifts for those and Hector Velez, senior civil engineer, cut a ribbon in front of the new cafeteria and refurbished dining hall at the plant in Sumter. we don’t know, but there are local organizations that could use our help now. Sumter Pregnancy Center is Continental Tire Sumter plant opens cafeteria a nonprofit organization that relies on financial contribu- tal’s headquarters in Hanover, Germa- have ensured to include healthy food tions from individuals, church- Healthy options available to ny, inaugurated the space that is part of options in the menu, and, going for- es and businesses and is in facility’s 1,200+ employees a state-of-the-art kitchen and refur- ward, we will keep on promoting a need of the following: bished dining hall that has the capacity healthy lifestyle.” • diapers, any brand, size 1-3; BY KAYLA ROBINS to seat more than 250 people, according The Sumter plant is a TS16949 and • baby wipes; [email protected] to Pradeep Kumar Rai, spokesman for ISO 14001 certified and zero-landfill • baby lotion; the Sumter plant.