March 12, 2017

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Advantages of downsizing earlier in life SPRING AHEAD

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PANORAMA

At Sumter Opera House Country singer John Anderson A5

SERVING SOUTH CAROLINA SINCE OCTOBER 15, 1894

$1.75

SUNDAY, MARCH 12, 2017

School board to receive update Consultant Allan to

present 3rd report BY BRUCE MILLS bruce@theitem.com The financial consultant hired by the Sumter School Board two months ago to help guide the district through its current financial crisis will report to the board Monday for a third time at its regularly scheduled meeting, says the

board chairman. Scott Allan was hired by the board Jan. 9 to explain what caused the district to spend $6.2 million over budget last year, fix this year’s budget, and then ALLAN help formulate next fiscal year’s budget. In his analysis at the Feb. 13 board meeting, Allan reported 37 unbudgeted new hires and drastically underbudgeting expenditures for other existing personnel were major contributors to an extra $6 million in salaries that put the district over

budget last year. In mid-January, the board approved an emergency financial plan recommended by Superintendent Frank Baker and vetted by Allan that is estiBAKER mated to save the district $6.3 million in cash by June 30 of this year. Those cash-preservation measures included the elimination of 47 district jobs, reduced stipend payments and freezing various budget line items. Allan’s work has included taking

other various measures to fix this year’s budget and putting proper controls in place. Those controls include ensuring district staff is properly trained and fully utilizing budgeting software to help with payroll analysis and prevent users from overbudgeting positions. Once the budget is corrected for this year that helps prepare the district for next year’s budget. School board attorney William “Bick” Halligan has said previously the board

SEE BOARD, PAGE A10

Peep! Peep! Area Southern States farm supply store selling chicks BY JIM HILLEY jim@theitem.com Which came first, the chicken or the egg? About four days ago, some 500 Georgia eggs became chickens by chipping their way out of their egg shells. Soon afterwards, they began a new adventure. By Friday, those “bitties” or “pullets” or “chicks,” were filling the back room of Southern States Palmetto Farm Supply with a chorus of peeps and the rattle of tiny feet on a screen floor. Five pallets of pullets were stacked one on top of another, waiting for their new owners as customers and curious children goggled at the young flock. RICK CARPENTER / THE SUMTER ITEM

Two-day-old hens are feeding well at Southern States Palmetto Farm Supply on Broad Street. The store just received a shipment of 500 chicks and expects 1,600 more on Tuesday.

SEE CHICKS, PAGE A10

Woman, 19, charged in fatal stabbing

Farm to Table event raises money for local charities BY BRUCE MILLS bruce@theitem.com Numerous local vendors are donating goods and services for the fourth-annual Farm to Table event to help Sumter Rotary Club raise money for local charities. You’ll be able to sample entree items from shrimp and grits to red pigeon stew and side dishes from pickled watermelon rinds on crackers with pimento cheese to collard green soup at various booths from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday at Sumter County Civic Center. Tickets are $30 in advance or $40 at the door and will allow you to feast on your choice of entrees, side dishes, desserts — including banana pudding — and beverages. Johnny’s Garden Juice Bar will once again serve smoothie samples. Restaurants, catering companies and specialty food stores will combine ef-

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forts to prepare the food to help support the club. “With various new vendors, we have more vendors than ever before, and we’ve had to actually turn some away,” said Jeannie Crotts, special projects coordinator for the club. “There has been a lot of interest, and lots of tickets have been sold already.” One new vendor, Doolallies, has donated a farm table that will be raffled off during the event, according to Crotts. All proceeds raised at the event will provide money for Sumter United Ministries, 4-H, the CART Fund and Operation Warm Heart fund at Shaw Air Force Base. Also new this year, the club has gotten some of the charities involved in helping sell the tickets, Crotts said. Of note, the CART Fund originated with the club. CART, which stands for Coins for Alzheimer’s Research Trust,

CONTACT US Information: 774-1200 Advertising: 774-1246 Classifieds: 774-1234 Delivery: 774-1258 News and Sports: 774-1226

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was launched in 1996 by Sumter Rotarians who wanted to prove that if Rotarians emptied their pockets and purses of change into a bucket each week, they could collect a large amount of money to go toward Alzheimer’s disease research. After successfully kicking off the campaign locally, the fund has spread

Sumter Police Department charged a 19-year-old woman with murder after she allegedly fatally stabbed her boyfriend during an argument at their residence in the 300 block of Rolling Creek Drive about 8 a.m. on Friday. Anastasia SINGLETON Brejean Singleton, 19, of 365 Rolling Creek Drive, was arrested Friday morning for allegedly stabbing 20-year-old Desjuan Martinez Lemon, who

SEE CHARITIES, PAGE A10

SEE FATAL, PAGE A10

SUMTER ITEM FILE PHOTO

Carl Field of Johnny’s Garden Juice Bar serves a Sunset Smoothie to the crowd attending last year’s Farm to Table event at Sumter County Civic Center. The event is sponsored by Sumter Rotary Club and features vendors and locally grown food.

DEATHS, A13 Sylvia P. Riley Frances W. Brown Ethel Mae W. Hall James Dees Hattie Mae T. Walters Maryann Blank Lee

Margaret Drakeford Leroy Dixon Albert Vaughn Patricia S. Sumpter Gregory Witherspoon Evelyn W. Boone

WEATHER, A14

INSIDE

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4 SECTIONS, 32 PAGES VOL. 122, NO. 106

Snow and rain in the morning. Tonight, cloudy and cold. HIGH 48, LOW 31

Business C1 Classifieds C8 Opinion A12 Outdoors C7

Not too big. Not too small. Our home loans are just right for you. Sumter: 803.469.0156 Manning: 803.433.4451 bankofclarendon.com ."//*/( t 46.5&3 t 4"/5&& t 46..&350/ t 8:#00


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