NEWS: Trump’s claim about fallen troops disputed A5 Interested in old coins? If so, you are going to want to visit the Sumter Coin Club’s show Saturday C1 SERVING SOUTH CAROLINA SINCE OCTOBER 15, 1894 FOOD: C4 WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2017 $1.00 Beer makes bratwurst better Hundreds enjoy Duckfest in Summerton DOT shares its plan for delayed S.C. road work BY ADRIENNE SARVIS [email protected] Members of Sumter Urban Area Transporta- tion Study met with employees of South Carolina Department of Transportation on Tuesday morn- ing to learn about the agency’s funding plans to address delayed road projects and a new system to prioritize local projects. Leah Quattlebaum, Pee Dee regional produc- tion engineer for the department, said South Car- olina is behind on many of its roadway improve- ment projects. SEE ROADS, PAGE A8 District tries to fill PHOTOS BY SHARRON HALEY / THE SUMTER ITEM vacancies, manage Wesley Turner, 5, of Summerville wasn’t interested in all the quacking going on during the 2017 Duckfest duck-call- ing contests. He was instead having fun playing with a black Labrador puppy that was resting in the shade. its other expenses The youngest and the shortest competitor BY BRUCE MILLS in the youth division [email protected] of the 2017 Duckfest duck-calling competi- Sumter School District is trying to balance fill- tion, Keegan Towne, ing necessary teacher and staff vacancies as best couldn’t be seen be- as possible while being as conservative with pe- hind the duck blind, riphery expenditures as it can be at but his calling came this time, according to the district’s across loud and lead financial official. strong. “You’re gonna District Chief Financial Officer be a force to be reck- Chris Griner made the comments oned with,” event Tuesday during Sumter School Dis- trict’s Board of Trustees’ monthly emcee Ed Paul told GRINER the youth after the Finance Committee meeting at the competition. “You district office. The district still has about 45 to 50 personnel were consistent. You Dwight Stewart, chairman of Clarendon County were impressive. You vacancies across various categories to include Council and a resident of Summerton, only had classroom teachers, paraprofessionals, custodi- did a good job.” Check to ride his bike a couple of blocks from home to ans and others, Griner explained. He attributed Friday’s edition of participate in the 2017 Duckfest parade. Dozens the teacher vacancies to the teacher shortage, Clarendon Sun for of vendors and hundreds of people enjoyed a more on the festival. beautiful Saturday for the second-annual Duckfest. SEE DISTRICT, PAGE A8 What is Sumter doing about illegal garbage dumping? City manager works to Sumter streets. Even though He said education is the low up we can.” debris “in reasonable quanti- dumping of such items is not main tool the city uses to stop For city utility customers, ties” at curbside, according to educate public on what allowed, many residents people from dumping illegal residential household garbage the city website. throw out the unwanted re- garbage on the streets. is picked up curbside once a Such things as furniture, items city will pick up fuse, hoping it will be picked “We try to talk to them and week for a monthly $10 building material, tires and up by the city’s garbage try to explain what you are charge. The fee covers curb- appliances that can’t be put BY JIM HILLEY trucks. supposed to do and what side collection of garbage, re- in the roll-away carts are the [email protected] Usually, their hope is real- you’re not supposed to do,” cycling and yard debris. The responsibility of businesses ized. he said. “We put door hang- city furnishes one 90-gallon and residents to dispose of, Piles of mattresses, broken “You can’t just leave it all ers on the doors, (and) we go roll-away cart and one 18-gal- the website says. Such items household furniture and out there because it only gets and talk to them at their lon recycling bin for each resi- may be taken to Sumter other large debris can often worse,” Sumter Assistant City house when we can catch dent. be seen left by the side of Manager Al Harris explained. them. We try to do all the fol- The city will pick up yard SEE GARBAGE, PAGE A7 VISIT US ONLINE AT DEATHS, B5 WEATHER, A10 INSIDE Betty Brody Barbara H. Francisco QUITE NICE 3 SECTIONS, 20 PAGES the .com VOL. 123, NO. 3 Barbara D. Payne James Sharpe Jr. Sunny and pleasant today; Saretta L. Dwyer Pugh Johnnie M. McLeod a starlit sky tonight Classifieds B6 Opinion A9 Judith Davis Haskell Waddell Williams Comics C2 Television C3 Joseph E. Taylor Sr. Berlie Taylor HIGH 73, LOW 49 Louise Andrews Barbara Croskey Michael Williams A2 | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2017 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] LOCAL BRIEF FROM STAFF REPORTS Police respond to vehicle break-ins Chief asks residents to lock doors after about 30 weekend incidents reported FROM STAFF REPORTS In a news release from ed. It is imperative that tempt a would-be thief. Sumter Police Depart- residents help protect Residents also should A large number of vehi- ment, Roark also pleaded their belongings and com- report a possible vehicle cle break-ins in the city — with Sumterites to remove munities by making sure break-in as soon as it is including nearly 30 un- valuables from unattended valuables, especially fire- discovered and leave the locked vehicles in a subdi- vehicles. arms, are not left in your vehicle and its interior as vision along Mason Croft “Vehicle break-ins con- car, SUV or pickup and it was found until officers Road — were reported tinue to be one of the top that ‘You Lock It Before say it is OK to enter. during the weekend, concerns for our depart- You Leave It.’” For more information or prompting a call to resi- ment,” Roark said in the Purses, wallets, money, to report a vehicle break- dents by Sumter Police release. “More troubling is electronic devices and in, contact Sumter Police Chief Russell Roark to al- that many of these crimes even charging cords, when Department at (803) 436- ways lock vehicle doors. could have been prevent- left in plain view, can 2700. Pocotaligo trail might be restored with grant PHOTOS PROVIDED The suspect in a theft incident at BY JIM HILLEY Piggly Wiggly on Guignard Drive [email protected] is seen. Tourism in the Manning area may get Sheriff’s office asks for a hike. help identifying suspect A $100,000 grant has been awarded to the City of Manning by Duke Energy to Sumter County Sheriff’s Of- renovate the Pocotaligo Nature Walk, fice is asking for help in identi- City Administrator Scott Tanner told fying a suspect thought by dep- Manning City Council on Monday. How- uties to be involved in theft and ever, Tanner said the city must still robbery incidents at two Sum- come up with as much as $400,000 in ter grocery stores recently. matching money. A man captured on video Tanner said he sent a letter of intent surveillance is suspected of to apply for a South Carolina Depart- taking cigarettes from Piggly ment of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Wiggly at 1455 S. Guignard Undiscovered South Carolina grant and Drive about 11:30 p.m. Friday. has received a full application from the If you know this suspect, con- agency. Some additional department JIM HILLEY / THE SUMTER ITEM tact Sumter County Investiga- money is also available to use as match- Thomas Ardis Jr. receives a service award on Monday at a Manning City Council meeting. tor Adams at (803) 436-2012, ing money, he said. Presenting the award were Mayor Julia Nelson and Fire Chief Mitchell McElveen. Ardis is Crime Stoppers at (803) 436-2718 The 1,300-foot trail in Pocotaligo retiring after 23 years with the city. or 1-888-CRIMESC. You can re- Swamp was built in 1976 by the depart- main anonymous and might re- ment, Tanner said. He was unsure how ceive a cash reward. long the trail has been closed. award. Water and Wastewater Agency Re- In a separate incident, a He said that if funding is available, Council heard a presentation from sponse Network was passed. man reportedly presented a the renovation would include resurfac- Susan Landfried, a regional planner Work on the Mill Street streetscaping holdup note to a Food Lion ing the entrance roadway, better rest- with Santee-Lynches Regional Council project has been delayed because of the money center desk clerk on room facilities, lighting and picnic ta- of Governments. Landfried told council discovery of an additional basement ac- Saturday between 3:15 and 3:30 bles. she is working on a community needs cess to one of the adjacent buildings, p.m. on U.S. 15 South. To see Also at the meeting, Manning was assessment survey for Harvin Claren- Tanner told council. He said the S.C. surveillance video of this inci- given a Tree City USA Award by the don County Library through the end of Department of Transportation was dent, go to www.theitem.com. Arbor Day Foundation for the 17th year December. Landfried said she would be modifying the design to accommodate The suspect is described in a row. The award was presented by consulting with local teachers, librari- the discovery. While the pouring of con- from video at Food Lion as a Lois Edwards, an urban forester with ans and others to assess what needs the crete has been delayed, Tanner told white male wearing a black the South Carolina Forestry Commis- library will have in the next five years.