Scott’s Branch claims 1A girls state basketball SERVING SOUTH CAROLINA SINCE OCTOBER 15, 1894 B1 SUNDAY, MARCH 3, 2019 $1.75 championship WHAT YOUR GOVERNMENT IS DOING: SUMTER COUNTY COUNCIL ‘Project Batch’ could bring 120 jobs COMPANY MAY GET TAX The company is not ready to disclose its real Agenda item: A request to amend the master Company would invest $4.2M; INCENTIVE FOR $4.2 MILLION name or the location of the business yet, he said. agreement governing the Sumter-Lee Industrial its identity will be revealed at INVESTMENT Bryan said the details of the agreement will be Park, dated Dec. 31, 2012, to expand the presented to council during its next meeting, boundaries of the park to include certain next county council meeting Reading: First of three before consideration of second reading. property owned or operated by a company Agenda item: An ordinance to execute and Discussion: Councilman Jimmy Byrd made the identified as Project Batch. BY ADRIENNE SARVIS deliver an infrastructure credit agreement to a motion for approval, and Councilman Artie Background: The purpose of this ordinance is [email protected] company identified as Project Batch. Baker seconded. to put the property where this company will be Sumter could see the establishment of a Background: The agreement will make Project Vote: 6-1 approval — Councilman Chris located into the multi-county park, Bryan said. new industry as the Sumter County Council Batch’s property exempt from ad valorem Sumpter was absent from the meeting. Discussion: Byrd made a motion for approval, considers tax incentives and the inclusion of property taxes as it invests not less than $4 and Baker seconded. million in real and personal property, according property into its multi-county industrial park MYSTERY COMPANY SEEKS Vote: 6-1 approval — Councilman Sumpter to the agreement. with Lee County for a company going by the LOCATION IN COUNTY was absent from the meeting. code name Project Batch. Council approved Sumter County Attorney Johnathan Bryan said INDUSTRIAL PARK first readings of two ordinances regarding the company is expected to invest about $4.2 SEE PROJECT, PAGE A9 the project during its meeting Feb. 26. million and create about 120 jobs. Reading: First of three 2nd finalist for superintendent NOW CLOSED visits Sumter Final candidate will tour city, meet community on Monday BY BRUCE MILLS [email protected] The Sumter community and edu- cation leaders got a second chance to meet one of the three finalists named for the school district’s su- perintendent position on Friday. Each finalist is spend- ing a “Day in the Dis- trict” through Monday, visiting Sumter and meeting with school dis- MARTIN- trict leaders, legislators, KNOX teachers, community members and various others, and each is sitting down with The Sumter Item to talk about his or her qualifications and where he or she stands on relevant issues affect- ABOVE: Shop- ing the district. Two Kmart employees reflect on 43 years pers look for The school board is expected to last-minute name a new full-time superintendent working at big-box store shuttering today deals before by early March, succeeding Debbie the closing of Hamm, who is finishing her second BY KAYLA ROBINS Sumter’s Kmart. and final year in the role as an inter- [email protected] BELOW: Denise im. Lumel (left) and Secondly, it was Penelope Martin- A yellow sign displaying “LAST 4 DAYS!” in blue was Kathy Kelly Knox’s turn, who visited Friday. The the first thing you saw upon entering Sumter’s Kmart on both put in 43 following are highlights of her re- Broad Street on Thursday, tape holding the placard in years with the sponses from an interview with The place. company. Sumter Item. Today, that number has receded to one. PHOTOS BY SEE MARTIN-KNOX, PAGE A9 SEE KMART, PAGE A8 MICAH GREEN / THE SUMTER ITEM Sumter Item named 1 of 10 papers ‘doing it right’ across nation Editor & Publisher magazine, an annual list “honoring innovative southernmost newspaper on the list. ways read this issue cover to cover, revenue strategies, impactful journal- The Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch, Kan- talked about the ideas with co-workers premier industry publication, ism and creative audience growth” sas City Star and Spokesman-Review and tried to implement some. I know from Editor & Publisher magazine. (Washington) are among the other or- something special is happening in released annual list Friday The nation’s premier magazine for ganizations recognized on the 2019 list. Sumter right now, but the scope of the newspaper industry released the “For our staff and for our communi- this recognition is really incredible.” FROM STAFF REPORTS list Friday inside its March edition. ty, wow,” Sumter Item Publisher Vince The USA Today Network, Tampa Bay Among the 10 featured newspapers, Johnson said. “This is one of our in- Times and Richmond-Times Dispatch The Sumter Item is among the 10 The Sumter Item is the second-small- dustry’s most prestigious annual lists. newspapers in the nation featured in est in terms of circulation and is the Since I’ve been in newspapers, I’ve al- SEE ITEM, PAGE A9 VISIT US ONLINE AT CONTACT US DEATHS, B6 WEATHER, A12 INSIDE Information: 774-1200 Barry Wayne Parker DREARY DAY 4 SECTIONS, 26 PAGES the .com Advertising: 774-1246 VOL. 124, NO. 96 Ruth Williams Ratchford Cloudy and warm today with Classifieds: 774-1200 Classifieds C4 Reflections C2 Richar Lee Wilson afternoon rain probable; Delivery: 774-1258 Brian T. Oseland Comics D1 Sports B1 News and Sports: 774-1226 tonight, rain tapering off, mild. Jason A. Brzys HIGH 71, LOW 48 Opinion A11 Television A10 Mary P. Bellflower Outdoors C1 Yesteryear C3 Dimitrios Sabb Banking has never been easier. Check out our new Mobile & Online features at www.bankofclarendon.bank Sumter: 803.469.0156 Manning: 803.433.4451 ."//*/(t46.5&3t4"/5&&t46..&350/t8:#00 A2 | SUNDAY, MARCH 3, 2019 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] Seen is the entrance to the Pinewood Site, New DHEC director could the closed hazardous waste landfill in Sum- help improve Pinewood ter County. MICAH GREEN / THE SUMTER ITEM landfill, says Sen. McElveen BY RACHEL PITTMAN more progress to Pinewood. [email protected] “It’s really a statewide issue. In some places, the site is less than 1,000 feet Tuesday’s state Senate appointment from Lake Marion, and it’s down- of Rick Toomey as director of the De- stream from Charleston and George- partment of Health and Environmental town,” McElveen said. “I want to make Control brings with it a promise for a sure this is on Toomey’s and DHEC’s Sumter legislator. radar so we can be more forward- According to state Sen. Thomas thinking about it.” McElveen, D-Sumter, the Greenville The site is in post-closure care until In 2000, after more than 15 years of mended for Pinewood before Pinewood native and former Beaufort Memorial 2103, meaning a groundwater monitor- legal proceedings, the SCELP won the Trustee Inc.’s time but was never com- Hospital president and CEO has agreed ing program including more than 200 longest lawsuit in its history on be- pleted. to accompany the senator on a visit to groundwater monitoring wells is regu- half of the Sierra Club and the Ener- Ravalico said he hopes Toomey’s the Pinewood Site, the infamous closed larly maintained along with a leachate gy Research Foundation, pushing background in health care will help hazardous waste landfill in Sumter collection system. So far, there has Pinewood to be closed permanently usher in these improvements. Accord- County, this spring. been no evidence of contamination in and placed by the state under the ing to DHEC’s bio on Toomey, that “Toomey has not visited Pinewood, the lake. care of a trustee. background is 32 years strong in pub- so I asked him if he would make a com- Leachate is liquid that has collected The site was maintained by Kestrel lic health administration and executive mitment to go down there with me this waste components by draining through Horizons LLC from 2003 until 2016, management. spring,” McElveen said. “He said he solid waste. It must be continuously when DHEC appointed Pinewood “Toomey comes from a health back- would take a tour of the landfill in the pumped out of the large, capped cells Trustee Inc. after it had already served ground, so hopefully he’ll be particu- near future so that he can familiarize of waste at Pinewood. two years as an interim. larly sensitive to this issue and its himself with it.” Cleaning out Pinewood would be Since the site was placed under Pine- risks,” he said. The 279-acre Pinewood site received what McElveen refers to as a “monu- wood Trustee Inc., Ravalico said the in- Pinewood Trustee Inc. could not be hazardous and nonhazardous waste mentally expensive” undertaking. formation released has been timely reached for comment. from 1978 until 2000. Now, the site is While gutting the site is out of the and extensive but that, in the future, Toomey, the first director DHEC has closed and is managed by the state question, simply ensuring it does not more attention needs to be given to had in more than a year, said in a through Pinewood Trustee Inc. become even more dangerous requires summarizing the reports and making statement on Tuesday that the agency Pinewood Trustee Inc. releases reg- approximately $4.8 million a year in them accessible to concerned citizens. takes “immense pride in serving the ular reports on the site’s status and state funds and constant vigilance.