Wedding & Event Venue Near Sumter, SC.

Ed Scott is coming back to the Columbia area to continue his coaching career.

The former Lower Richland and Clemson basketball standout will be the new boys coach at A.C. Flora High School. The move was approved at Tuesday’s Richland 1 school board meeting. Scott replaces Joshua Staley, who left to become the new coach at Ridge View.

“A.C. Flora has a great tradition of basketball,” Scott told The State. “They have been very successful and coach Staley has done a great job there. It is a top-level school, and they have a real high standard of excellence across the board in athletics and education.”

Scott has been the head coach at Lakewood High School in Sumter for the past three years. The Gators went 15-10 this season and made it to the third round of the Class 3A playoffs before losing to Oceanside Collegiate.

Despite coaching in Sumter, Scott still lived in Columbia and commuted there every day, so the move gets him closer to home. He was a standout at Lower Richland High School and was part of the 1999 nationally-ranked Diamond Hornets state championship team.

“Being back in Columbia is a perfect fit and perfect timing,” Scott said.

After LR, he went on to play at Clemson in college and then professionally for seven seasons in Europe. Scott was a two-time all-ACC selection at Clemson and was part of the ACC Legends Class in 2017. He still ranks second in Tiger history with 595 assists and was third in the nation in assists per game in 2001-02.

Scott began his coaching career as an assistant at River Bluff and was at Richland Northeast. He was the founder and coach of the S.C. Tigers AAU program.

A.C. Flora is coming off a trip to the Class 4A championship game in which it lost to Wilson. It was the Falcons’ third title appearance under Staley since taking over the program before the 2014-15 season. A.C. Flora lost in the 2015 3A championship game before winning it all in 2016.

The Falcons will have several pieces from last year’s team coming back, including CP Parker, but they will be without star player Collin Murray-Boyles. The rising senior forward announced that he will be playing his senior year at Wasatch Academy in Utah.

This story was originally published May 11, 2022 9:58 AM.

South Carolina is located in the Southeastern United States and is known for its beaches, golf courses, and historical landmarks. The state is also home to Fort Sumter National Monument, which commemorates the site of the first battle of the American Civil War.

Overall, visitors to South Carolina can enjoy a variety of activities, from soaking up the sun on one of the state's many beaches to exploring its rich history and culture. Whether you're looking for a relaxing vacation or an exciting adventure, South Carolina has something to offer everyone.

If you find yourself in the South Carolina area, I recommend making a stop at Caesars Head State Park. This beautiful park is full of incredible geological features and stunning views. One of the highlights of the park is Raven Cliff Falls, a magnificent waterfall that cascades down a series of granite cliffs. The falls are especially impressive after a rainstorm when the water is flowing at its fullest.

In addition to the falls, Caesars Head State Park is also home to several hiking trails, making it the perfect spot for a nature hike. And if you're lucky, you might even spot some wildlife during your visit. So if you're looking for an enjoyable and scenic outdoor experience, be sure to check out Caesars Head State Park.

Pawleys Island is a fantastic place to visit for a number of reasons. First, its location in the Grand Strand region means that there are endless opportunities for activities like fishing, swimming, and boating. Second, the island is a relatively short drive from some of South Carolina's most popular tourist destinations, such as Myrtle Beach and Charleston. Finally, Pawleys Island is home to a number of unique businesses and attractions, including the famous Pawleys Island Rope Hammock Company. Whether you're looking for a relaxing getaway or an exciting adventure, Pawleys Island is sure to have something for you.

South Carolina's Congaree National Park is more than just a pretty place to visit. Although the park's towering hardwoods and lush canopy are certainly impressive, Congaree is also home to a diverse array of plant and animal life, including several endangered species.

In addition, visitors can see firsthand the process of forest succession. As old trees die and new ones take their place, the landscape of the park is constantly changing. For all these reasons, Congaree National Park is an absolute must-see for anyone interested in the natural world.

Please feel free to leave your comments and opinions. And don't forget to share this article with your friends and family too!

Sumter Co., SC (WOLO) —- The Sumter County Sheriff’s office has arrested three adults and placed several juveniles in the custody of DSS after video surfaced of the children abusing an elderly relative.

We want to warn you, the video released to us by the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office is hard to watch.

According to the Sumter County Sheriff Anthony Dennis, Thursday authorities were alerted to what they call a “disturbing” video that shows ” an egregious assault” on an elderly adult by juveniles was circulating on social media, showing at least a portion of the incident.

Sumter deputies say the video was brought to them from a family member spurring an immediate investigation into the attack.

Sumter deputies say they determined 46 year old John McGregor, Jr. was leaving multiple children with his elderly aunt for long periods of time, in some cases for days on end.

According to Sumter deputies, another family member, Malika White was at the home as the children ‘physically abused and repeatedly assaulted’ the woman in the video identified by authorities as the grandmother.

Deputies say White even went as far as recording the beating, but according to law enforcement never stepped in to stop the children. In fact, authorities say in at least one instance, White instructed one of the juveniles to grab a large pot from the kitchen and hit the grandmother with it.

Image: ( John McGregor, Jr. ) Sumter County Sheriff's Office

All three adults, 46 year old John McGregor, Jr., 27 year old Darnesha Sanders and 26 year old Malika White have been charged with Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor and Abuse of a Vulnerable Adult. Authorities tell us all of the juveniles involved in the incident are now in DSS custody.

Sheriff Anthony Dennis released a statement about the incident saying,

“This is one of the most disturbing videos I have seen in my career. It was extremely difficult to watch and I am appalled at the actions of all parties in the video. This incident will be investigated fully by my agency and all parties will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. “

Sheriff Dennis says the investigation is ongoing and additional charges in the case are still possible.

SUMTER COUNTY, S.C. (WIS) - For a third time in three years, the Golfair Road community in Sumter County fell victim to flood waters.

Viewers sent WIS pictures of front yards and driveways flooded on Wednesday night.

The floods have recently become a yearly ritual within the neighborhood, with WIS reporting on similar situations in September 2020 and July 2021.

On Thursday, WIS found Yvonne Thackston and her husband pumping water out of their basement. She expressed frustration with the process she said they repeat regularly.

“You wonder why somebody’s not doing something about [the floods]. I don’t know what can be done, but I would like to see them try something,” she said.

The community borders both the City of Sumter and Sumter County, leaving governments working on the issue.

Resident Gale Wright-Lyons said the city and county should have done something about it “yesterday.”

“It’s frustrating, it’s hurtful because you would think that the first time this issue would be resolved. But here we are in the middle of a pandemic in 2020 and I’m experiencing a second flood, so when I got a call yesterday about a flooding, this can’t be real.”

In the aftermath of the July flood, Sumter County spokesperson Joe Perry sent WIS this statement:

Sumter County Government and the City of Sumter are partners in a hazard mitigation grant that was awarded in 2018 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to address a long-standing flooding issue close to Memorial Stadium.

When that region gets inundated with heavy rainfall, the naturally low-lying characteristics of the land have a tendency to hold water.

Both the City and County have been working with an engineering firm, AECOM, which is providing consultation on this project.

The goal is to construct a retention pond and upgrade the infrastructure to help alleviate flash flooding in the area. We want to bring about a long-term solution and as such, more FEMA funds are being sought as we move from the study phase to the construction phase.”

At the time, Perry said the timeline for the project was “as soon as possible.”

On Thursday, WIS attempted to contact Sumter County administrator Gary Mixon and City of Sumter Deron McCormick for comment, but was unsuccessful.

City spokesperson Shelley Kile sent a brief email stating:

Joe Perry, with Sumter County, will be reaching out to you today with an update.

Perry later sent a statement reading:

Sumter County’s Stormwater Utility Manager Alfred Conyers has been in continuous contact with AECOM regarding the pending FEMA-funded project to mitigate flooding hazards in the area close to Memorial Stadium.

In early February of this year, Mr. Conyers reached out to AECOM and was told that their understanding of the situation is that FEMA is taking anywhere between 6 to 18 months to review and approve projects for construction.

According to the National Weather Service, on March 16, 2022, between 2 and 4 inches of rain fell in Sumter County.

Whenever a high volume of rain inundates a region, the low-lying areas will become saturated and possibly flooded.

This is an occurrence that is not unique to Sumter, South Carolina.

We look forward to FEMA reviewing our project so we can move forward with flooding mitigation in the area close to Memorial Stadium.

It’s unclear from the statement if/how the city and county acted on the ground to strengthen the flooding infrastructure in the interim months since July 2021.

Additionally, the statement left it unclear when the FEMA project could produce results for the residents.

Resident Sheryl Brogdon expressed frustration at the July statement regarding the 2018 FEMA funding.

“You say this was 2018, here it is 2022, and literally you just wasted grant money in a study, but no results,” she said.

Residents and the S.C. Department of Transportation have suggested the flooding could be the result of the Quixote Golf Club next door.

The DOT sent a statement in July reading:

SCDOT Sumter Maintenance crews were informed of flooding in the Pinewood Road area on Tuesday, July 20th around 4:30 pm. Upon arriving to the area, crews noticed that there were yards flooded with water on Golfair Road but not the roadway.

With the recent golf course development in that area, SCDOT has noticed that there has been an increase of complaints from residents that we believe is due to the run-off from the property. SCDOT is currently working to collaborate with the City Stormwater Representative to discuss further actions

The golf club again declined to comment on the situation Thursday.

Sumter County Council Chair James McCain Jr. did visit the neighborhood at the request of Wright-Lyons to assess the situation.

He told residents the county would act on it quickly.

McCain declined an interview with WIS, saying this was the first he’d been informed of the situation.

Copyright 2022 WIS. All rights reserved.

Notice a spelling or grammar error in this article? Click or tap here to report it. Please include the article’s headline.

Sumter School District's second-in-command administrator is now the district's leader, though there is question as to whether the initial vote to promote her was done legally.

A district spokeswoman emailed a two-sentence statement to The Sumter Item Wednesday afternoon that Brenda Hafner has been named lead administrator of the district "while the superintendent search continues.”

The statement came "as a result of board action" on Feb. 28.

On Monday, the district's Board of Trustees voted after returning from executive session 5-4 to pay Penelope Martin-Knox the remaining balance of her contract and allow her to walk away, effective immediately. The motion also included the appointment of Hafner to the role.

Jay Bender, a Columbia-based attorney with open meeting and open records laws who serves as legal counsel for the South Carolina Press Association, maintains the motion, vote and ensuing action were illegal under the Freedom of Information Act because they were not on the agenda.

He told The Sumter Item on Tuesday that the board effectively fired Martin-Knox, even though the word "termination” was not used in the motion.

"It was illegal on the executive session and on the vote to end the superintendent's employment immediately and to place someone in her position immediately. Those items needed to be on the agenda in clear terms, and they weren't, and the vote to do so was illegal," he said Tuesday.

According to Martin-Knox's contract, her termination must be approved by a super-majority of the full school board. The board on Monday fell one vote shy of that six-member threshold.

The motion was brought by Daryl McGhaney and immediately seconded by Sherril Ray. Others voting in favor of the motion were Matthew "Mac" McLeod, Johnny Hilton and Frank Baker, who is vice chairman of the board.

Those against were Chairwoman Barbara Jackson, Brian Alston, Shawn Ragin and Gloria Lee.

In open session, Martin-Knox said Monday she is not in agreement with the terms.

Hafner joined Sumter School District as assistant superintendent for leadership and school excellence in 2018 with duties to "work directly with school principals to help ensure activities in the district office support academic achievement in the schools." She had since been the chief of schools.

She applied for and was named a finalist for superintendent positions in Lexington 2 and Newberry County districts, according to various news outlets including The Columbia Star and Newberry Observer, in 2020 and 2021.

The Columbia Star reported she was a principal in Richland School District 2 and has experience as a founding lead teacher, assistant principal and social studies teacher. The newspaper reported Hafner earned her doctorate in educational leadership from Nova Southeastern University, "her master of arts in teaching, secondary and middle level social studies from The Citadel and her bachelor of arts in political science from the University of South Carolina."

“It is my pleasure to serve the Board of Trustees, our staff, parents, and community in this capacity. I look forward to collaborating with all stakeholders as we continue the work of the district while providing excellent educational opportunities for our students," Hafner wrote in the second sentence of Wednesday's statement sent from the district.

Eight current members of the nine-member board voted unanimously to name Martin-Knox its superintendent in March 2019, and she officially began in her role on July 1, 2019.

In her first evaluation in October 2020, she received the top score possible from the board.

The performance evaluation for her second year in the district - July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021 - was conducted in December.

During that evaluation, Martin-Knox said she was not seeking an extension past June 30 of this year, and the evaluation was never formally completed.

At the Jan. 10 board meeting, the trustees voted 5-4 to not extend her contract beyond that date. The board's vote that night was the same as Monday's vote. McGhaney, Baker, Ray and McLeod are a consistent voting bloc and have been joined by Hilton on this issue. Jackson, Alston, Ragin and Lee have voted on the other side, with Alston and Ragin being consistent outspoken supporters of Martin-Knox.

After the Jan. 10 vote, Martin-Knox said she would have been receptive to an extension if it had passed because it would be a sign to continue to move forward.

There has been no public statement, whether from an individual or group, about what created the rift between the board majority and the superintendent.

On Feb. 19, Raytown School District in Raytown, Missouri, a suburb of Kansas City, named Martin-Knox its incoming superintendent, effective July 1.

* Related story: https://www.theitem.com/stories/sumter-school-district-board-ousts-martin-knox-before-her-contract-ends-sc-press-association,379037