SPORTS: Alice Drive boys, girls win middle school titles
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‘Leading Ladies’ Hilarious comedy opens Thursday at Sumter Little Theatre A4
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Dealmaker? Deal breaker? Trump’s tough trade talk may affect locally manufactured exports BY BRUCE MILLS bruce@theitem.com President Trump’s tough talk on trade with other countries since his inauguration should be viewed as just a personal negotiation tactic to bring foreign leaders to the table on current trade agreements, says two state economists and a new local industry executive. In the first two weeks of his presidency, Trump has threatened to rip up trade agreements and slap tariffs on Chinese and Mexican goods, raising the risk of a trade war that would damage South Carolina and Sumter’s export-based manufacturing economy. A recently released report by the Brookings Institution showed the biggest losers from a potential trade war would be small and midsized cities that are heavily dependent on exports of manufacturing goods as a dominant industry sector. Sumter County fits that profile, and in the Brookings’ calculations it ranked tied for 72nd of the 381 metropolitan statistical areas in the U.S. when weighing exports as a share of gross domestic product at 14.3 percent. South Carolina as a whole ranks in the top 15 of U.S. states in exports, according to research economist Rob Salvino of Coastal Carolina University in Conway. So, should Sumter manufacturers and the state feel danger is ahead with foreign trade, given Trump’s flurry of moves on foreign policy so far? No, says Salvino.
SEE DEALMAKER, PAGE A15
Mount Franklin COO: Sumter facility still a go BY BRUCE MILLS bruce@theitem.com
SUMTER ITEM FILE PHOTO
Sumter’s newest manufacturer, which has the majority of its operations based in Mexico, says potential trade tariffs on Mexican imports will not affect its plans to open its local plant and could cause it to expand here. Mount Franklin Foods Chief Operating Officer Jay David made the comments last DAVID week in the midst of President Trump’s tough talk on trade with Mexico and other nations since his inauguration. David thinks the president’s recent proposal to place a 20 percent tariff on Mexican goods entering the U.S. is merely a negotiation tactic to bring Mexican leaders to the table to renegotiate parts of the North American Free Trade Agreement. He said he believes a potential tariff on Mexico could end up being 2 or 3 percent and would likely be passed on to the consumer. Three of the manufacturer’s four existing plants are in Juarez, Mexico, and 100 percent of its production goes to U.S. markets, he said. If a more negative scenario did
Former Gov. Nikki Haley speaks with a mainline worker at Sumter’s Continental Tire plant in 2014. It is uncertain at this time how President Trump’s foreign trade deals in the coming months will affect particular industries in the state.
SEE MOUNT, PAGE A15
First black employee hired at treasurer’s office in ’70s BY ADRIENNE SARVIS adrienne@theitem.com Not that many years ago, workplaces were not as diverse as they are now and some employees found themselves learning how to deal with racial disparities at work. Mary Davis-Jackson, the first black employee hired at the Sumter County Treasurer’s Office in the ’70s, remem-
bers such a time. Davis-Jackson worked as a clerk at the treasurer’s office from 1971 to 1978 when she DAVIS-JACKSON was in her early 20s. “I was humbled to have been able to get the job,” she said. Davis-Jackson said her experience at the treasurer’s of-
fice was not cake and ice cream but it also was not bad. It was not as bad as things could have been during the preceding decade, she said. Davis-Jackson said she was greeted well and embraced when she started working at the treasurer’s office. “I made a lot of friends,” she said. However, despite her warm welcome, Davis-Jackson said
there were times when she felt out of place. She said being the only black person in the office sometimes made her feel inferior. Sometimes people think they knew more than you, she said. “I knew I had to step out and do things on my own,” she said. Davis-Jackson said being
the only black person at work sometimes felt awkward. She said she would go home for lunch to avoid being the only black person in the break room. With time, Davis-Jackson said she felt comfortable at work and accompanied her co-workers to lunch.
SEE EMPLOYEE, PAGE A15
Know your court system: Sumter County Summary Court BY ADRIENNE SARVIS adrienne@theitem.com Residents contesting a traffic fine, filing a restraining order or going to a bond hearing will find themselves in front of a magistrate at Sumter County Summary Court. County magistrates are nominated by district senators and appointed by the governor, and the chief and assistant chief magistrates are appointed by the South Carolina Supreme Court chief justice, Sumter County Chief
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Magistrate INFORMATION Kristi Curtis said. Sumter County To be qualiSummary Court fied to be190 E. Canal St., Sumter come a mag(803) 436-2280 istrate, Curtis said a person needs a fouryear college degree and must complete a two-week magistrate course. Magistrates also have to pass an exam given at the end of the course, she said. Previously, magistrates only
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needed a high school diploma along with completing the class, she said. Sumter County has four full-time and two part-time magistrates, she said.
DEATHS, A19 Sandra S. Brantner Betty A. Robinson Fred Sigler Jr. June M. Roberts John I. Brown Justin Medlin
Angelo Pagan Carroll E. West Carrie Stukes Lula S. Houston Barbara Thames
As chief magistrate, Curtis is in charge of setting the court schedules and assigning work for the other judges. She said she has the same amount of cases as other magistrates. During the week, magistrates have typical work hours but can be called after hours and on the weekends during emergencies. Curtis said summary court opens at 8:30 a.m. and closes at 5 p.m. Monday
SEE COURT, PAGE A15
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4 SECTIONS, 38 PAGES VOL. 122, NO. 81
Partly sunny and warmer. Tonight, partly cloudy and a bit chilly. HIGH 62, LOW 38
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