IN SPORTS: Barons claim 2nd-straight SCISA 3A baseball title with 6-5 victory B1
Death toll climbs in Philadelphia Amtrak crash A3 THURSDAY, MAY 14, 2015
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Pinewood landfill debate continues BY JIM HILLEY jim@theitem.com A joint Senate subcommittee tried to dig a little deeper into issues surrounding the Pinewood Site, a toxic waste landfill on the shores of Lake Marion, but broke little new ground at its first meeting Wednesday in Columbia. Subcommittee chairman Sen. Danny Verdin, R-Laurens, began the hearing by saying that dealing with the issue would not be easy work, but it was apparent the General Assembly would have to “shoulder more and lift more,” to come to a solution. Testimony from Elizabeth A. Dieck, director of Environmental Affairs for the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, and Ben A. Hagood Jr., president of Pinewood Interim Administrator Inc., reiterated the department’s contention the site is safe, at least for the near future. “No releases of hazardous waste above a regulated limit
have been detected,” Dieck said. Dieck expressed the administration’s desire to work with the General Assembly on the issue and pledged transparency. “We are committed to working with you to achieve the overarching goal: public safety,” she said. She recounted a brief history of the landfill for the subcommittee, including its beginnings in 1972, before federal or state legislation began to restrict where such facilities could be located. Hagood said the site has an extensive monitoring system and additional monitoring wells have been installed since former trustee Kestrel Horizons resigned in October 2014. “We have maintained trustee contracts with independent professionals who do the sampling and analysis and report back to us,” he said. Dieck said DHEC was working to secure a new trustee for the site and had several re-
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Department of Health and Environmental Control Director of Environmental Affairs Elizabeth Dieck, left, speaks to a Senate subcommittee about the Pinewood Site on Wednesday in Columbia. Sen. Thomas McElveen, right, holds a copy of a report distributed by former Pinewood Site Trustee Bill Stephens. sponses to a request for information from interested companies.
Sen. Thomas McElveen, DSumter, asked if selection of the new trustee would be en-
Swan Lake Fire Department on duty
tirely up to DHEC.
SEE HEARING, PAGE A9
Senate will debate House roads bill BY JIM HILLEY jim@theitem.com Maybe the third time is the charm. The South Carolina Senate voted Tuesday afternoon to put a roads bill passed by the House on special order, but Sen. Thomas McElveen, D-Sumter, said it doesn’t mean the bill will make it to the Senate floor. “We are running out of time,” he said. Tuesday’s vote was the third time the Senate voted on whether to move a roads bill ahead of most other legislation, but it had been voted down twice previously. One bill scheduled for debate ahead of the roads bill is legislation to make abortion illegal at 20 weeks. The abortion bill may provoke a filibuster from senators opposed to the provision, which could delay action on the roads bill. The House bill (H-3579) would change the Commission of the Department of Transportation to appointments by the governor, would raise the tax cap on automobiles from KEITH GEDAMKE / THE SUMTER ITEM
Zymeria Shannon, 4, drives the fire truck while fireman Brandon Bullard, 5, climbs onto the seat next to her at Swan Lake on Wednesday.
Senate cuts bond bill for higher ed BY ADRIENNE SARVIS adrienne@theitem.com Two local colleges are seeking alternative funding opportunities after the South Carolina Senate has cut a bond bill that would have funded public and technical college projects and armory renovations on Tuesday. Sen. Thomas McElveen, D-Sumter, said the bond bill was attached to the state
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capital reserve fund and Lt. Gov. Glenn McConnell ruled that the language of the bill did not fit the purpose of the reserve fund which is to be used for future investments. Central Carolina Technical College would have received more than $2.5 million for two projects, and University of South Carolina Sumter would have received $950,000 to fund renovations to the school’s sci-
ence building. Both school’s plans have been presented to Sumter County Administrator Gary Mixon, who announced Tuesday evening that the county is also having its own funding issues. Mixon said he anticipates that the state will not provide the county with proper funding to cover the operations cost of state agencies
SEE FUNDING, PAGE A9
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SEE ROADS, PAGE A9
NATIONAL POLICE WEEK
Meet Lt. Melissa Addison In honor of National Police Week, The Sumter Item wants you to get to know law enforcement officers from different police departments and sheriff’s offices in the tricounty area.
NAME AND RANK: Melissa Addison, Lieutenant, Sumter County Sheriff’s Offfice
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN LAW ENFORCEMENT? I have been in law enforcement since 1997.
ADDISON
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WITH SEE ADDISON, PAGE A9
WEATHER, A12
INSIDE
ANOTHER PRETTY DAY
2 SECTIONS, 20 PAGES VOL. 120, NO. 177
Mostly sunny and warm today; growing cloudier in the evening. Very slight chance of rain. HIGH 82, LOW 59
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Lotteries A12 Opinion A11 Television A10