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B1 VOL. 119, NO. 30 WWW.THEITEM.COM
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2013 | SUMTER, SOUTH CAROLINA
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Head Start group celebrates 46 years BY ROB COTTINGHAM rcottingham@theitem.com Ever seen 800 preschoolers do The Wobble? Anyone who happened to be at New Bethel Missionary Baptist Church on Thursday morning got to see that and a good bit more. Wateree Community Actions Inc. celebrated 46 years of offering its Head Start program in the area on Thursday as more than 800 children from nearly a dozen different Head Start centers gathered for the occasion. “We’re here for two reasons today,” Head Start director Georgia Mance said. “The ‘I’m moving, I’m learning’ theme is part of our efforts to fight childhood obesity in the younger children, so we’ve got them out here singing and dancing.” And dance, they did. Not a bottom in the building could be found sitting down as children, their parents and Head Start staff all stood and danced along to music. Performers from Miss Libby’s School of Dance were on hand to share some dance moves and guide the audience through a few of the motions. “It was a lot of fun,” said 4-year-old Alnasir Johnson. “I really liked listening to the music and the breakdancing and singing the ‘stir the pot’ song.” “It’s great they’re keeping the kids active,” said attending parent
TYLER SIMPSON / THE ITEM
Sumter County Administrator Gary Mixon speaks before nine lead groups about plans for a new penny sales tax at the Salterstown Community Center.
Extended penny tax on table BY TYLER SIMPSON tyler@theitem.com Sumter County Council is currently pursuing a new penny sales tax for the 2016-23 period to fund possible projects that will continue improving the county. Sumter County Administrator Gary Mixon spoke before nine community lead groups at the Salterstown Community Center on Friday about the council’s plans for a new penny sales tax. The estimated revenue for the 2016 Penny for Progress program is expected to be $78 million, a $3 million increase from the revenue of the 2008-14 program. “This is another attempt to allow the voters SEE PENNY TAX, PAGE A7
Ads, commercials fight bill allowing S.C. to be ‘a dump’
SEE 46 YEARS, PAGE A3 ABOVE RIGHT: Children danced and sang all morning on Thursday as several branches of Wateree Community Actions Inc.’s Head Start program gathered at New Bethel Missionary Baptist Church to celebrate 46 years of services.
BY BRISTOW MARCHANT bmarchant@theitem.com
RIGHT: A tuckered-out toddler rests his head on a warm shoulder and sleeps after all the excitement on Thursday.
Antony from Staten Island would like to thank you for taking his out-of-state trash. In a new ad made by a group called Don’t Dump on S.C., viewers are treated to images of a garbage barge and piles of trash, while a voiceover with a New York accent thanks “you guys” because “you don’t mind us making your state a dump.” The new ad is part of a push against a bill making its way through the S.C. Legislature that opponents say will take away
PHOTOS BY MATT WALSH / THE ITEM
SEE DUMP, PAGE A7
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Fog in the morning with lots of clouds; mostly cloudy with a couple of t-storms through the night. HIGH: 72 LOW: 62 A8
INSIDE 5 SECTIONS, 34 PAGES
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