Lamar talks Egg Scramble, water leaks, police firing
By Samantha Lyles, Staff Writer, slyles@newsandpress.net
Lamar Town Council convened their regular monthly meeting April 10 and discussed the success of the Egg Scramble Jamboree, their continuing fight to rein in water system leaks, and briefly addressed the firing of a town police officer, who was charged with DUI.
Regarding the water system leaks, Council member Mike Lloyd said town workers have located and repaired several more leaks in the past month, further reducing the gap between gallons billed to customers and gallons purchased from Darlington County Water and Sewer Authority.
“We’re making headway. The February and March period, we purchased 3.1 million gallons and we billed for 2.1 (million gallons), so unaccounted for was 979,000. That’s a thirty-one percent loss, and that’s about the best month we’ve had since last fall or better,” said Lloyd.
Lloyd said that the current billing period shows a 100,000 gallon positive change over the previous month, despite the loss of about 35,000 gallons due to an Egg Scramble water supply mishap. He added that he recently discovered that some paving companies have been stealing water from the town, and ending that pilfering should further stem Lamar’s ongoing water losses.
Council member Angele White Bradley said the annual Egg Scramble Jamboree, held March 30 to April 1, ran pretty smoothly. The festival – which features numerous food vendors, carnival rides, a parade, a car show, and the Taste of Lamar dining event – normally brings about 30,000 visitors to this town of under 1,000 residents.
Mayor Randy Reynolds conveyed thanks and congratulations to the Egg Scramble Jamboree committee, lauding them for staging yet another highly successful and well-attended event.
“They work hard to put that together. It’s a major undertaking to make all that come together,” said Reynolds.
Regarding the recent firing of Lamar Police Department Officer Jerry Allen “Jay” Russell (who was arrested for DUI and transporting alcohol with the seal broken on Friday, March 31 while driving his patrol car), Mayor Pro Tem Jackie Thomas said the department will “iron it out the best we can.”
A disciplinary board including Thomas, Reynolds, and Lamar Police Chief Jason Chaney decided on April 3 to terminate Russell’s employment with the LPD for violating departmental policies.