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Fallout continues from $6M budget deficit Former district official ‘shocked’ Board chairman reacts to issue BY BRUCE MILLS bruce@theitem.com The former executive director of finance for Sumter School District who prepared the 2015-16 budget said Wednesday he was “shocked” to discover the district was $6 million in the red after the audit was finalized and reported to the board of trustees Monday. During Monday night’s regularly scheduled board meeting Certified Public Accountant Robin Poston pre-
sented the official audit, detailing that the district went more than $6.2 million over budget for the fiscal year ending June 30. Poston also said the MANN district ended the fiscal year with a fund balance of $106,449, which she described was a “critically low level.” She said the
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BY BRUCE MILLS bruce@theitem.com The Sumter School District board chairman didn’t make any direct comments during Monday’s night board meeting on the $6 million budget deficit the district faces after the official audit was released for the fiscal year ending June 30, but he did speak Wednesday when contacted by The Sumter Item. “First of all, the board is the ultimate responsible authority for the
budget,” the Rev. Daryl McGhaney said Wednesday. “We accept full responsibility for this deficit.” McGhaney elaborated that the board has called for a specially called meeting at 6 p.m. on Tuesday at the district office to meet in executive session for the purpose of a legal briefing and personnel matters to address the budget findings. “This is a serious matter, and the
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Brick Church made Roofs’ hit list Shooter may have targeted Mayesville house of worship BY JIM HILLEY jim@theitem.com
MORE ON DYLANN ROOF TRIAL
The cold-blooded killing of nine people at Mother Emanuel Church in Charleston on June 17, 2015, shocked the nation. As evidence is presented in the trial of accused killer Dylann Roof in Charleston, chilling details have emerged about Roof’s alleged plans to kill black people. Prosecutors presented a list of other churches Roof had written in a notebook, saying he may have considered them as possible sites to launch his attempt to stir a race war. Among those listed is the historic Salem Black River Church, also known as the “Brick Church,” at 1060 Brick Church Road near Mayesville. The Salem Black River Church is one of the oldest in South Carolina, and the present church has stood almost unaltered since it was built in 1846, according to a nomination form submitted to the National Historic Register. It achieved the historical designation in 1978. Louise Bevan has attended services at the stately church for at least 75 of her 90 years, she said, and has been clerk at the church. “Good gosh, I hadn’t heard the information,” she said when contacted by The Sumter Item. “How am I supposed to respond to that? “The guy is sick,” she added. She said she had never seen him in the area, and he has never visited the church. “He’s certainly never been in church because I have never missed a Sunday,” Bevan said. “We are way out in the country, so I don’t know why he would pick us,” Bevan said. Roof, who allegedly said he wanted to kill black people to start a race war, apparently did not research the history of the Salem Black River Church very well. Otherwise
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‘He (Roof) wouldn’t get enough publicity unless he killed the whole congregation practically. We are a very small congregation, but we are 257 years old.’ LOUISE BEVAN he would have known the congregation has been predominantly white since members of the church helped construct Goodwill Presbyterian Church for former slaves in 1867. Salem Black River Church only holds services twice a month Bevan said, and there are only about 15 people in the congregation. George Wilkes, the minister from First Presbyterian in Manning officiates the ceremonies, she said. “He (Roof) wouldn’t get enough publicity unless he killed the whole congregation practically,” she said. “We have a very small congregation, but we are 257 years old.” Current church clerk Dick Dabbs said he was baffled that Roof might have targeted the church. “I don’t know, it’s sort of odd,” Dabbs said. Dabbs said he can’t understand why Roof would want to target the church. “Other than the fact it is a historical church,” he said. “I am at a loss,” Dabbs added. “What are we to say,” Bevan said. “I don’t know how to respond.”
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Evidence presented in the Dylann Roof murder trial includes an alleged hand-written list of churches — including Salem Black Presbyterian Church in Mayesville — Roof was considering to use to start a race war.
March organized for man Jackson accepts deal in second trial
killed in police shooting FROM STAFF REPORTS Sumter community members have organized a march today in remembrance of the late Waltki Cermoun Williams who died after a shooting incident with Sumter police officers on Saturday. The march, scheduled from 5 to 8 p.m., will start in the Sumter Mall parking lot near Belk and end near Central Carolina Technical College where
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zas from Sambinos. Flexon was shot twice in the chest while making the delivery. Dr. Janice Ross who performed the autopsy on Flexon testified that he was shot twice in the chest by two different types of ammunition. The bullet referred to as “bullet no. 1” entered Flexon’s chest, striking his right lung, heart and liver and “bullet no. 2” went through his left forearm and entered his chest striking his heart and lung, she said. Ross said each individual wound was enough to cause
Third Circuit Judge Jeffrey Young accepted a negotiated sentence of 30 years for Daniel Jackson, who pleaded guilty to murder and armed robbery about halfway through the trial on Wednesday afternoon at Sumter County Judicial Center. Jackson, 28, and co-defendant, Reginald Canty, 25, were tried and convicted for the Jan. 10, 2008, murder and armed robbery of William Flexon, 46, while he was delivering pizzas at OC Mobile Home Park. However, Jackson’s conviction was reversed by South
Carolina Court of Appeals in 2014 when it upheld his claims that the original trial court denied his Sixth Amendment right to confront and cross-examine Canty whose redacted statements were used during the trial although he did not personally testify. Jackson was granted him a second trial. JACKSON According to information previously provided by Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, in 2008 Jackson asked Canty if he would like to participate in robbing a pizza man and later placed an order for three piz-
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Williams died. Transportation will be provided to take participants back to the mall parking lot. By about 6 p.m. on Wednesday 87 people had indicated that they planned to attend the event. One of the event coordinators said participants will be escorted by law enforcement during the march.
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Sunshine and cooler. Tonight, mainly clear with tempertures dipping well below freezing. HIGH 51, LOW 23
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