January 25, 2017 by The Sumter Item

IN SPORTS: Lakewood basketball plays host to Hartsville

PANORAMA

Christian Charities celebrates 35 years Volunteer organization focuses on feeding hungry C1

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Haley confirmed as UN Ambassador McMaster takes over as governor

Then-S.C. Governor Nikki Haley testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington on Jan. 18 at her hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Haley’s nomination was approved.

COLUMBIA (AP) — Gov. Nikki Haley resigned Tuesday as South Carolina’s CEO to become the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, giving the state’s helm to an early backer of President Donald Trump. Haley turned in her resignation letter minutes after the U.S. Senate confirmed her as Trump’s Cabinet pick. Under the state constitution, Haley’s resig-

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

nation letter immediately made Lt. Gov. Henry McMaster the 91st governor of South Carolina. Before McMaster was officially sworn in, Haley addressed a crowd in the Capitol lobby. “There’s lots of work to do, but we have the right person to do it,” she said about McMaster. “It’s an absolute privilege and honor to turn over the reins to you.” The South Carolina-born daughter of Indian

SEE HALEY, PAGE A6

SCHOOL DISTRICT

$22M loan a standard tax anticipation note Money needed earlier this year because of debt crisis BY BRUCE MILLS bruce@theitem.com Given its debt crisis and low general fund balance, Sumter School District will need to issue a larger operations loan than usual and also do it sooner than usual this year, according to outside finance consultant Scott Allan. Allan provided a briefing of his two weeks of work to date with the district to the board of trustees Monday night at the board’s regular work session. The work session was held at the district office with an overflow crowd of about 150 concerned residents on hand. After conducting a detailed analysis in his initial weeks of the district’s current cash and projections through June, Allan told the board Monday it will need to issue a tax anticipation note in the range of $20 million to $22 million and do it by June 30 because of its difficult financial position. School districts commonly issue TANs as a way to borrow money in the early part of the school year for operational expenses and pay it back six to eight months later in the spring once “anticipated” property tax revenue is received. The scenario arises for districts because they have cashflow needs throughout the year. Districts often get revenues from the state regularly each month, but federal reve-

RICK CARPENTER / THE SUMTER ITEM

Scott Allan, an outside school finance consultant, recently hired by the Sumter School Board to get a handle on how the district went $6.2 million over budget last year, answers questions before a packed board room Monday night at the district office. RECENT TAX ANTICIPATION NOTES ISSUED BY DISTRICT Tax anticipation notes for Sumter School District in last five years: 2016: $11.2 million 2015: $20 million 2014: $18 million 2013: $18.7 million 2012: $18 million

nue is often not reimbursed until the spring, according to school board attorney William “Bick” Halligan. Therefore,

districts generally start to run low on cash in the fall and issue TANs. Even school districts on solid financial standing with high fund balances borrow at least some money for operational expenses through TANs, and counties and other entities do so as well, Halligan said. During the last five years, Sumter has issued a TAN each year for varying amounts, ranging from $11.2 million to $20 million, according to the district. “It sounds like a lot of money, but going back and

County approves 2nd reading on temporary asphalt plants BY ADRIENNE SARVIS adrienne@theitem.com During its regular meeting on Tuesday, Sumter County Council approved second reading of a request to permit temporary asphalt or concrete plants in the county, after a discussion about possible revenue for the municipality with taxation. The request would amend the county zoning and development standards ordinance to make the temporary facilities permitted uses in general commercial, light-industrial warehouse and agricul-

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid need significant changes to be preserved for future generations, President Donald Trump’s pick to head the White House budget office told Congress Tuesday. Rep. Mick Mulvaney’s comments at his confirmation hearing stand in sharp contrast to Trump’s campaign pledges not to cut the programs. Mulvaney, a South Carolina Republican, said he would not

SEE COUNTY, PAGE A4

DEATHS, B5 Keith T. Gedamke Timothy T. Brooks Billy Marshall McDonald Mary H. Smith

timing: The district will need it before June 30 because that’s when the district will have negative cash flow. Generally, districts issue TANs in August or September because they hit bottom in cash in October or November, Halligan said. School districts in the state issue TANs together as a pool at that time through the South Carolina Association of Governmental Organizations as a means to cut down on associated fees and costs.

SEE LOAN, PAGE A6

Mulvaney says benefit programs must be changed

tural conservation zones. Sumter City-County Planning Department Director George McGregor said the applicant currently has a contract with South Carolina Department of Transportation to mix asphalt or concrete to make repairs along Interstate 95 and other state maintained roads that were damaged during the 1,000-year-flood of October 2015 and Hurricane Matthew. He said the applicant intended to set up its facility in an agricultural conservation

Information: 774-1200 Advertising: 774-1246 Classifieds: 774-1234 Delivery: 774-1258 News and Sports: 774-1226

looking at your prior years, you’ve issued TANs for almost that much, so it’s not an unusual thing,” Allan said. However, Allan did say if Sumter were better positioned with its general fund balance, it could issue a TAN for less money. The 2015-16 audit report released in December showed the district had gone over budget by $6.2 million in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2016, and had a fund balance at the time of $106,449. What is unusual about Sumter’s TAN this year, according to Allan, will be the

Donald Ray Christian Richard E. Lee Jr. Liddia F. Wilson Louise K. Hickson

propose cutting Social Security or Medicare benefits for people already receiving them. “I’m not making my parents go back to work,” Mulvaney said. But, he added, younger workers should expect to work longer than their parents. He also said Medicare should be means-tested, which means benefits would be limited for wealthy retirees. They already

SEE MULVANEY, PAGE A6

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2017

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Connelly encourages political engagement BY KONSTANTIN VENGEROWSKY konstantin@theitem.com Chad Connelly, Republican National Committee national director of faith engagement, encouraged people to get involved in the political process during a speech at the Sumter Rotary Club on Monday. “Our country needs you like never before,” he said. “It’s about people like you and me engaging this nation once again and bringing it back to its CONNELLY providence.” Connelly said before November’s presidential election his goal was to increase the evangelical vote. “There were a lot of people who were sitting on the sideline who were mad about something, but they were not in-

Agency will honor local brokers, agents FROM STAFF REPORTS Berkshire Hathaway Real Estate Services will honor six agents/brokers from the Sumter affiliate for their 2016 sales at its national sales conference in March in Phoenix, Arizona. Millie Welch has been named to the President’s Circle for 2016, which recognizes the top 3 WEEKS EDENS percent of sales professionals in the Berkshire Hathaway Real Estate network. Denise OSTEEN GULLEDGE Weeks and Susan Osteen will be recognized as Leading Edge Society award winners at the conferWELCH RAUCH ence. Weeks and Osteen earned the award through attaining outstanding sales results in the past year as measured though closed sales volume, according to John M. Brabham, broker in charge of Berkshire Hathaway John M. Brabham Real Estate. Three local Berkshire Hathaway Real Estate agents/brokers will be recognized for their exemplary performance in closed residential or commercial sales as achieving the Honor Society award, Brabham said. They are Katherine Rauch, Buddy Gulledge and Charles Edens. “All of these agents/brokers had an outstanding year in 2016 and are truly deserving of this honor,” Brabham said. “They are consummate professionals who work tirelessly to help his or her clients fulfill their real estate needs.” Berkshire Hathaway John M. Brabham Real Estate was founded in 1954 and was completely independent until 1988. It then entered into a franchise agreement with Prudential Real Estate. Prudential Real Estate was later sold by the parent company, and Brabham entered into the franchise agreement with Berkshire Hathaway in November 2014.

volved in the voting process,” he said. “It was about people getting off the sidelines and getting engaged, and standing up for what matters to them.” Connelly said he traveled for 165 days last year, staying at cities across the nation, delivering the same message of engagement. “Wherever you are politically, you have to be concerned about our nation,” he said. “We’re $20 trillion in debt, and that can’t continue.” He said he was pleased to find out when the national media reported that November’s presidential election was the highest evangelical voter turnout in American political history. Connelly, a native and resident of Prosperity, in Newberry County, and a former civil engineer, burst into the political arena after he was elected chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party in 2011.

Before his election as chairman, Connelly authored “Freedom Tide,” which he described as “a book dedicated to inspiring Americans about their heritage.” He is also founder and president of the Foundation for American Restoration, a Christian-based political group. “I found myself thrust into the limelight in 2011,” he said. “I did every political show on every network on television.” Connelly said that was how he became acquainted with Reince Priebus, former Republican National Committee chairman, and current White House Chief of Staff in President Donald J. Trump’s administration. Priebus offered him the position of national director of faith engagement, he said. “No political party had ever done a full-time faith outreach, never in polit-

ical history,” he said. “I told Priebus we ought to be talking to the base of evangelical voters.” Connelly said out of 82 million people who attended church on Sunday, only 32 million voted in the 2012 Presidential election. “That means 50 million people — who were naturally involved and engaged and who cared about their faith and nation — weren’t participating,” he said. In July 2013, he was appointed as the first national director of faith engagement for the Republican National Committee. Since then, he’s been to 40 states and spoken to more than 80,000 religious leaders. “My message was not to push a party or a candidate, but to push engagement,” he said. “Every American ought to want people to get more informed and more involved.”

Bordeaux’s memory lives on BY KASEY MEREDITH intern@theitem.com The annual dinner to raise money for the scholarship in memory of Hailey Bordeaux will be held from 4:45 to 7:15 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 16. The dinner will take place at Kingsbury Elementary School, 825 Kingsbury Road. She was a third-year early childhood education student at the University of South Carolina. Bordeaux, 21, graduated Sumter High School in 2011 and was killed in a boating incident on July 4, 2014. The Hailey Bordeaux Memorial Scholarship was established in the fall of 2014 by the Sumter School District’s Teacher Forum, made up of current and former teachers of the year, initially created to recruit future teachers for the district. This year’s scholarship will be awarded at the Teacher Forum Celebration of Excellence, which will be held on May 1 at Lakewood High School. The first scholarship, awarded to Rebecca Twit-

PHOTO PROVIDED

Hailey Bordeaux is seen holding her beagle. ty in April 2015, was $3,000. Scholarship recipients must pursue a degree in education and be interested in teaching in Sumter School District after graduation. Susan Hilton, Hailey’s teacher cadet instructor, said it was such a natural fit to name the scholarship after Hailey because the forum wanted someone with her heart and passion for teaching. Hilton was a part of the Teacher Forum during that time. “She had such a heart, a heart that you really want

for teachers to have,” Hilton said. Pam Bordeaux, Hailey’s mother, remembers the day that the teacher cadet class visited elementary schools. Bordeaux said that’s when Hailey knew she wanted to be a teacher. “We are so thankful that her legacy continues on, that the scholarship allows students to be able to pursue their dream of becoming a teacher like Hailey,” Bordeaux said. Hailey was a South Carolina Teaching Fellow, achieving a 4.0 GPA and

was on the President’s List at the University of South Carolina. She worked at the Children’s Center at the University while in school and was also a member of the Phi Mu Sorority. Pam Bordeaux said she cannot be more grateful to those who donate and that it means so much to their family that Hailey’s memory is kept alive. The cost of the scholarship dinner, a plate of turkey tetrazzini with sides, is $7. All plates are takeout, drive-thru or carry out. Tickets will be sold until Feb. 9. For tickets or more information, contact Denice Merrick at Kingsbury Elementery at (803) 775-6224. For tickets or more information call Kingsbury Elementary at (803) 775-6244 or email denice.merrick@ sumterschools.net. Check donations for the scholarship can be made to Sumter School District with “Hailey Bordeaux Scholarship Fund” on the memo line. They can be mailed to Sumter School District, ATTN: Teacher Forum, 1325 Wilson Hall Road, Sumter, SC 29150.

Police seek man, woman in pawn shop robbery FROM STAFF REPORTS Sumter Police Department is seeking the public’s help to identify a man and woman who broke into Top Dollar Pawn, 1961 McCrays Mill Road, on Friday. Officers responded to an alarm call at the pawn shop just after 4 a.m. on Friday and discovered the business had been entered and an undetermined number of firearms were stolen.

The pair was captured by video surveillance while outside of the pawn shop. Anyone with information about the break-in is asked to call Sumter Police Department at (803) 436-2700. Information can be given anonymously by calling Crime Stoppers at (803) 4362718 or 1-888-CRIME-SC. A cash reward may be available for information leading to an arrest. The incident remains under investigation.

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HOW TO REACH US IS YOUR PAPER MISSING? ARE YOU GOING ON VACATION? 36 W. Liberty St., Sumter, S.C. 29150 (803) 774-1200 Jack Osteen Editor and Publisher / Advertising jack@theitem.com (803) 774-1238 Michele Barr Rick Carpenter Business Manager Managing Editor michele@theitem.com rick@theitem.com (803) 774-1249 (803) 774-1201 Gail Mathis Jeff West Clarendon Bureau Manager Customer Service Manager gail@theitem-clarendonsun.com jeff@theitem.com (803) 435-4716 (803) 774-1259

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LOCAL

THE SUMTER ITEM

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2017

Rembert designer to introduce her own fashion line on Sunday BY IVY MOORE ivy@theitem.com

ore than 20 years ago Sandra Myers put her

career dream on hold to undertake another, that of her husband, Mark Myers. She soon fell in love with the plan to establish a working farm on family land near Rembert and to host an MYERS

educational endeavor, the

Black Cowboy Festival. Now, Sandra Myers is again designing and creating a line of women's fashions. While she loves the farm and the festival, Myers said, "I love design more. It's my time now." On Sunday, she'll show her first designs at a fashion show. Myers said her fashion line, called MarSans, is intended for mature, full-figured women. Most designs feature dolman sleeves, very wide at the top and full, but narrowing at the wrist, naturally suited for the full figure. "The style camouflages the bulges," she said. "I've always loved fashion," Myers continued. "In the '80s when I opened my beauty

salon and spa, many of my customers talked about not being able to find to find anything that suited their bodies." Myers admitted she had the same problem, making her both sympathetic and knowledgeable about the fashion needs of larger women. She had been making clothing for herself for years, she said. She said, "The clothes can be casual or formal, if you want to do something to dress them up. Some of them will benefit women with a small waist and bigger hips, and some stretch for girls who don't have a small waist." On Sunday, she'll introduce her clothing line during the 2-to-6-p.m. Bridal Show at the Ruach, 245 Oswego Highway. She'll have more than a dozen dresses, including two ethnic wedding dresses, Myers said, worn by professional models from Atlanta recruited by her son Kelvin Myers, an internationally known makeup artist. She also orders her fabric from Atlanta. MarSans is a cottage industry operated from Sandra Myers' home, where she works with two employees. She plans to open a shop in the future, and her website should be operational by Sunday. Attendees will also be able to order her clothing at the show with a credit or debit card. Myers emphasized that her line will be affordable and "not be sold off the rack, but custom made." When an order is placed, the outfit will be ready within two weeks to no more than 30 days. Myers' description of her

MarSans fashion line is "A simple, elegant style that can go from casual to dressy in seconds." Admission to the Ruach Fashion Show is $12; there is no charge for the MarSans fashion line debut. For more information, call (803) 499-9658.

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Sandra Myers will introduce her new fashion line Sunday following the 2-to-6 p.m. Ruach Bridal Show. Many of her designs feature dolman sleeves. They are designed especially for the mature, full-figured woman and are made to order.

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LOCAL | STATE

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2017

THE SUMTER ITEM

S.C. lawmaker resigns

State murder trial for S.C. officer delayed to August CHARLESTON (AP) â&#x20AC;&#x201D; A South Carolina judge delayed a fired police officerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s murder retrial until August, but said Tuesday it can be moved up again if federal prosecutors drop their civil rights case against him in the shooting of an unarmed black motorist. Circuit Judge Clifton Newman ruled Tuesday that Michael Slagerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s second state trial will now begin Aug. 28, not March 1, media outlets reported. Slagerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lawyers asked for the delay because several of their experts were busy in March. That means Slager likely will next face a federal jury in May for allegedly violating Walter Scottâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s civil rights by shooting him repeatedly in the back as he tried to flee a traffic stop in North Charleston in April 2015. The maximum punishment in the fed-

COUNTY FROM PAGE A1 zone but is required to locate in a heavy industrial zone without the amendment. The applicant Jeff Bross, a representative of the company contracted with DOT said the preferred location would shorten the distance to deliver the materials to the project site. He said there are about 30 more days to complete the project. McGregor said temporary asphalt or concrete plants will be subjected to conditions including a maximum permit of six-months with a six-month extension â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a total of 12 months maximum. Also, the facility cannot be located within 500 feet of a residence and the company can-

Former Aiken representative charged with domestic violence

eral case is life in prison, just like in the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s murder trial. Newman agreed to reconsider his trial date if under

President Donald Trump the Justice Department drops its case against Slager. Vice President Michael Pence said on MSNBC in December that he had seen the widely viewed bystander video of Slager shooting Scott and was heartbroken like much of the country, but that the Slager case would be one of many reviewed by the new attorney general. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That was an off the cuff remark that surprised me and surprised many people,â&#x20AC;? Solicitor Scarlett Wilson told reporters outside the courthouse Tuesday. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know if that is a realistic possibility, but it has been laid out there.â&#x20AC;? A jury deliberated for four days without a verdict before a mistrial was declared in December after nearly a month of testimony in Slagerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s case.

not provide services outside of the project contract. After reviewing the conditions, some council members and residents were concerned whether the temporary plants would have to pay property taxes. Councilman Chris Sumpter asked if the temporary facility would be required to register its vehicles with the county. McGregor said the temporary plants are required to

get a business license with the county. Council approved second reading of the amendment with a 6:1 majority vote â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Eugene Baten voted in opposition. Also, council approved final reading of an ordinance to authorize a special revenue source agreement between Sumter County and Mount Franklin Foods South Carolina LLC.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Former North Charleston police officer Michael Slager testifies in November during his murder trial at the Charleston County court in Charleston..

COLUMBIA (AP) â&#x20AC;&#x201D; A South Carolina state lawmaker accused of beating his wife bloody resigned on Tuesday rather than be expelled from the Statehouse. Rep. Chris Corley still faces a felony aggravated domestic violence charge that could put him in prison CORLEY for up to 20 years. House Speaker Jay Lucas read Corleyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one-sentence resignation letter to his colleagues, which came as he was preparing to introduce legislation forcing Corley from his House seat. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am grateful that the House did not have to take such extraordinary measures,â&#x20AC;? said Lucas, RHartsville. While the state constitu-

Sumter County Attorney Johnathan Bryan said the agreement is not a fee in lieu of tax agreement. Mount Franklin will be required to pay 10.5 percent on all taxable real and personal property and will receive a 6 percent special source revenue credit agreement. The Sumter Item will have more information about the agreement when the details become public.

tion gives the House authority to remove a member for disorderly conduct, the House hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t expelled one of its own since the 1870s, according to the speakerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office. Corley, a Republican best known for his defense of the Confederate flag, was easily re-elected with no opposition to a second term in November. But his troubles at home became public record through a desperate 911 call the day after Christmas. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Please stopâ&#x20AC;? can be heard repeatedly in the recording released by the Aiken County Sheriffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Office. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Just stop daddy. Just stop. ... Daddy, why are you doing this?â&#x20AC;? their children say. Legislative leaders had called on the 36-year-old attorney from Graniteville to resign ahead of the session that started Jan. 10.

In other news, Sumter County Administrator Gary Mixon said State Tree Service is still picking up debris in the county after its contract with DOT ended on Jan. 4. He said he does not know exactly where debris is being picked up because the company is working on its own. Mixon said the company has not been charging residents to pick up debris.

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NATION | WORLD

THE SUMTER ITEM

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2017

Toll from Italy avalanche climbs to 17 FARINDOLA, Italy (AP) — Hopes faded Tuesday that any more survivors of the devastating avalanche that buried an Italian resort hotel would be found after the death toll more than doubled to 17, with 12 people still unaccounted for. As Italy’s central Abruzzo region and its rescue crews coped with the ongoing emergency, a second tragedy unfolded nearby when an emergency helicopter crashed at an Apennine ski resort, killing six people. The twin disasters, which followed a series of earthquakes and weeks of heavy snow, have brought the region to its knees. Thousands of people have been without electricity for more than a week and emergency crews have been working around the clock. The helicopter was ferrying an injured skier off the slopes of the Campo Felice ski area when it slammed into a mountainside buried in thick fog. Five crew members and the skier were killed. Emergency workers at the center where rescue efforts at the avalancheentombed Hotel Rigopiano are being coordinated rushed to the chopper crash site about 60 miles away. Crews

200 mi

ITALY

200 km

Abruzzo Rome Avalanche buries mountain hotel; at least 30 missing

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on the ground at the scene hugged one another in solidarity. The death toll from the Jan. 18 avalanche, meanwhile, climbed to 17 on Tuesday with the discovery of 10 more bodies. Twelve people remained missing. Nine people previously had been pulled out alive from the rubble, the last one early Saturday. Firefighters’ spokesman Alberto Maiolo said search crews aided by excavators finally were able to pene-

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Italian Mountain Rescue Corps “Corpo Nazionale Soccorso Alpino e Speleologico” Soccorso Alpino volunteers and rescuers work in the area of the avalanche-struck Hotel Rigopiano, near Farindola, central Italy, on Sunday. Read the full story at theitem.com. trate the central part of the hotel for the first time and found bodies in the bar and kitchen area. He said there were no signs of life.

“Logically, hopes fade as time passes, but we are continuing to search and trying to do it as quickly as possible,” he said.

At least 4 reported dead in aftermath of California storms LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sunshine and rainbows alternated with thunderclaps, downpours, snow and hail on Monday as the last in a trio of storms broke up over California after flooding roads and homes and trapping people in swamped vehicles. At least four people died, three were missing and others were rescued from raging floodwaters during the storms. Anguished relatives gathered along a creek in Alameda County southeast of San Francisco as searchers looked for an 18-year-old woman whose car plunged into the rushing waterway after a collision late Saturday. Two other people remained missing after being reported in waters off Pebble Beach on Saturday. The search along

the Monterey Peninsula was suspended. In Los Angeles, receding stormwater revealed a body in dense vegetation at a regional park in the Harbor City area. The cause of death was not known, but the fire department said the body may be that of a man reported missing Sunday night. The powerful weekend tempest added to impressive amounts of precipitation that have suddenly arrived in a state after years of withering drought. By afternoon, downtown Los Angeles had recorded 14.3 inches of rain since the start of the water year on Oct. 1, less than a half-inch away from the average for the entire season. Heavy snow in the Sierra

Nevada triggered an avalanche that shut down a highway just west of Lake Tahoe. Officials warned of continuing avalanche danger at all elevations of the Sierra. In northern Nevada, schools were canceled after more than a half-foot of snow fell near Reno. Flood watches and warnings remained in place for

much of Southern California, a day after nearly 4 inches of rain fell south of Los Angeles, inundating roadways, toppling trees and raising fears of damaging mudslides. Low-elevation snow dusted rural communities just north of Los Angeles while resort communities to the east in the San Bernardino Mountains

were digging out from more heavy snow. Many schools in the inland region closed for the day. Gov. Jerry Brown on Monday declared a state of emergency for 50 California counties that were drenched by December and January storms that caused tens of millions of dollars in damage.

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HALEY FROM PAGE A1 immigrants became the state’s first female and first minority governor in January 2011. The termlimited governor leaves office with two years remaining in her tenure. Haley used her final State of the State MCMASTER address earlier this month to say goodbye to South Carolinians and a job she called “the greatest honor of my life.” Her departure gives 69-year-old McMaster a job he’s long wanted, one year after the veteran of South Carolina GOP politics stunned political observers by becoming the nation’s first statewide officeholder to endorse Trump. His support never wavered, despite Democrats’ calls to renounce it. After taking the ceremonial oath of office, McMaster, grinning broadly, gave a short speech to the packed lobby. “I am humbled, honored and deeply appreciative of being granted one of the rarest opportunities to serve the people of my state, my home and that of my forefathers,” he said. “Great prosperity, success and happiness will be ours, and we will serve as a beacon of inspiration for others.” Legislators of both parties were eager for McMaster to take over. He has said little publicly since Trump picked Haley for the Cabinet posi-

tion. And he’s not expected to make any broad administrative changes. But legislators, many of whom have known McMaster for decades, believe he’ll work with them in his characteristic congenial style — a sharp contrast to the combative approach Haley often took as she assailed legislative leaders she disagreed with in speeches and in social media. Legislators particularly hope McMaster’s ascension finally leads to a longterm solution for fixing South Carolina’s roads — which again tops their priority list. Haley’s threats to veto anything with a gas tax increase stymied efforts for years. McMaster, the state’s former GOP chairman and attorney general for two terms, has been a close ally of Haley’s since she trounced him and two other better-known men in the 2010 Republican gubernatorial primary. Just days after taking a beating at the polls, McMaster endorsed Haley with an exuberant “I’m all in!” Beyond campaigning with her statewide, he arranged a series of private meetings between Haley and skeptical business leaders a week after she publicly chided the state Chamber of Commerce as a fan of bailouts and corporate welfare. He served on her transition team, and she then appointed him to the State Ports Authority. During his 2014 campaign for lieutenant gover-

nor, McMaster touted his close relationship with Haley. His support of Haley, then Trump, has helped him accomplish a five-decade first in South Carolina. Voters haven’t elected a lieutenant governor to the state’s highest office since 1970. The last time a lieutenant governor ascended to the job through a vacancy was April 1965, when then-Gov. Donald Russell appointed himself U.S. senator after a death. His replacement, Robert McNair, served Russell’s remaining three years. McMaster’s move leaves a vacancy in the lieutenant governor’s office. Although the state constitution calls for the Senate’s leader to fill the role, Senate President Pro Tem Hugh Leatherman has refused to leave the Senate to take the largely ceremonial position. Leatherman resigned his leadership post Tuesday afternoon, just before the U.S. Senate began voting on Haley’s confirmation. “As I’ve stated before, I have no desire to seek statewide office and I will remain in the Senate,” he said. The Senate must elect a new president pro tem, who will then immediately be sworn in as lieutenant governor. That’s expected to be Sen. Kevin Bryant of Anderson, the only Republican senator who wants the job. Leatherman will attempt to get re-elected as president pro tem — a move at least some senators will oppose.

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MULVANEY FROM PAGE A1 pay higher premiums. “I think folks on Social Security and Medicare ought to be really worried,” said Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich. “The alarm bells should be going off right now.” Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont, read quotes from Trump during the campaign saying he would not cut the benefit programs. Yet, as a member of Congress, Mulvaney has been outspoken on changing the programs. “The only thing I know to do is to tell the president the

truth,” Mulvaney said. He added later, “I have to imagine that the president knew who he was getting.” Trump’s staunchly conservative choice to lead the White House budget office was elected in the 2010 tea party wave. He’s been a supporter of the House GOP’s plan to cut back Medicare by turning it into a voucher-like program for future retirees. Trump opposes the idea and has made it clear he doesn’t support dealing now with the program’s financial shortfalls.

LOAN FROM PAGE A1

and building the general fund this fiscal year, Allan is also tasked with helping formulate the 2017-18 budget with reduced cash needs. As part of an emergency financial plan approved by the board on Jan. 12, the board cut 47 jobs and originally cut stipends by 50 percent, among numerous cash-preservation measures. Amid recent public backlash in the community, the board on Monday approved a recommendation to only cut stipends by 25 percent this fiscal year. In other news on Tuesday, the district released more information on the occupational categories of the 47 positions that were cut Jan. 12 as part of the emergency financial plan. Twelve positions were at the district office and 35 at individual schools in the district. Only one teacher was eliminated, and that position was at-will, not contract. The other positions that were cut fell into student support services, administrative, clerical, food service, custodial and maintenance.

According to Allan and Halligan, Sumter will need to go on its own early with its TAN because of its low fund balance. Because Sumter will not be in the regular pool of districts, it will cost the district extra associated fees. Halligan said he expects those penalties will be a very small total, though, and much less than $100,000. In reference to lowering the value of the TAN issued in the future, Allan said the district will need to build its general fund balance back up. “Building the fund balance up is something we will be talking about as we go forward with the (2017-2018) budget process,” Allan said. “This will hopefully be the biggest TAN you will do, and hopefully as the years go on it will reduce and reduce to the point that we don’t have to do that and it become a positive cashflow situation.” In addition to helping the board reduce expenditures

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Oscars go wild for ‘La La Land’ with 14 nods BY JAKE COYLE AP Film Writer The candy-colored love letter to musicals "La La Land" on Tuesday landed a recordtying 14 nominations to the Academy Awards, which fielded a notably more diverse list of nominees following two straight years of "OscarsSoWhite" backlash. "La La Land" matched "Titanic" and "All About Eve" for most nominations ever, earning nods for best picture, stars Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, its jazz-infused songs and its 32-year-old writer-director, Damien Chazelle. "I'm in Beijing right now. This only adds to the disorientation," Chazelle said by phone Tuesday. "All that I have in my head is 'thank you' a million times over." Nine films out of a possible 10 were nominated for best picture. The others were: "Moonlight," ''Arrival," ''Manchester by the Sea," ''Hell or High Water," ''Lion," ''Fences," ''Hidden Figures" and "Hacksaw Ridge." Barry Jenkins' luminous coming-of-age portrait "Moonlight," nominated for eight

DALE ROBINETTE / LIONSGATE VIA AP

Ryan Gosling, right, and Emma Stone star in “La La Land.” awards, Denzel Washington's fiery August Wilson adaption "Fences" and Theodore Melfi's crowd-pleasing black mathematician drama, "Hidden Figures," ensured that for now, at least, "OscarsSoWhite" wasn't trending on nominations morning. After two straight years of all-white acting nominees, seven people of color were among the 20 actors nominated Tuesday. Jenkins, who was nominated for his directing and

screenplay, said the nominations for "Moonlight" and other films showed that people were eager to put themselves in the shoes of others. "I love the American film industry and to see it this year, I feel, really reflect the world that we all live and work in, it gives me hope," Jenkins said by phone from Amsterdam. "It heartens me. There's a lot of work being done to make this year not be an anomaly." The biggest surprise of the

morning was the strong boost of support for Mel Gibson, who had long been shunned in Hollywood since an anti-Semitic tirade while being arrested for drunken driving in 2006 and a 2011 conviction for doGIBSON mestic violence. Not only did his World War II drama "Hacksaw Ridge" land a best picture nod, but Gibson also scored an unexpected best director nomination. Denis Villeneuve's cerebral science fiction thriller "Arrival" tied "Moonlight" for the second most nominees with eight nods. Yet Amy Adams, the five-time nominated star of "Arrival," was left out of the competitive best actress nominees. Meryl Streep landed her 20th nomination. Her performance in "Florence Foster Jenkins" was among the best actress nominees that included Stone, Natalie Portman ("Jackie"), Ruth Negga ("Loving") and Isabelle Huppert ("Elle"). Beside Adams, also left out was Annette Bening for "20th Century Women."

The nominees for best actor were: Gosling, Casey Affleck ("Manchester by the Sea"), Andrew Garfield ("Hacksaw Ridge"), Viggo Mortensen ("Captain Fantastic") and Washington ("Fences"). Nominated for best supporting actor were: Mahershala Ali ("Moonlight"), Jeff Bridges ("Hell or High Water"), Michael Shannon ("Nocturnal Animals"), Lucas Hedges ("Manchester by the Sea") and Dev Patel ("Lion"). Viola Davis, the supporting actress favorite for her performance in "Fences," notched the expected nomination. Also up for the category are Naomi Harris ("Moonlight"), Nicole Kidman ("Lion"), Octavia Spencer ("Hidden Figures") and Michelle Williams ("Manchester by the Sea"). Whether fairly or not, the nominations were seen as a test for the revamped film academy. It's the first Oscars voted on since academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs ushered in new membership rules and added 683 new members as a way to diversify a predominantly white, male and elderly group, which now numbers 6,687.

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U.S. sent $221M to Palestinians in Obama’s last hours $6M for foreign affairs spending, $4M for climate change reportedly released WASHINGTON (AP) — Officials say the Obama administration in its waning hours defied Republican opposition and quietly released $221 million to the Palestinian Authority that GOP members of Congress had KERRY been blocking. A State Department official and several congressional aides said the outgoing administration formally notified Congress it would spend the money Friday morning. The official said former Secretary of State John Kerry had informed some lawmakers of the move shortly before he left the State Department for the last time Thursday. The aides said written notification dated Jan. 20 was sent to Congress just hours before Donald Trump took the oath of office. In addition to the $221 million for the Palestinians, the Obama administration also

told Congress on Friday it was going ahead with the release of another $6 million in foreign affairs spending, including $4 million for climate change programs and $1.25 million for U.N. organizations, the congressional aides said. The aides and the State Department official weren't authorized to speak publicly on the matter and demanded anonymity. Congress had initially approved the Palestinian funding in budget years 2015 and 2016, but at least two GOP lawmakers — Ed Royce of California, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Kay Granger of Texas, who sits on the House Appropriations Committee — had placed holds on it over moves the Palestinian Authority had taken to seek membership in international organizations. Congressional holds are generally respected by the executive branch but are not legally binding after funds have been allocated. The Obama administra-

‘Alternative facts’ quip from Trump adviser sparks mocking tweets BY BARBARA ORTUTAY AP Technology Writer NEW YORK — Down is up. The sky is red. Dogs are birthing kittens. Facts? Nope. Try "alternative facts." The internet went wild after a top Trump adviser, Kellyanne Conway, said the administration was supplying the media with "alternative facts." The comment came after she was asked why Trump press secSPICER retary Sean Spicer mischaracterized the size of inauguration crowds. Spicer made two unprovable statements in his briefing with reporters: that photographs of the audience at Donald Trump's inaugural were intentionally framed to minimize the appearance of support and that Trump drew the largest audience ever to witness an inauguration. He also made statements that were quickly disproven, including an assertion that the Washington Metro system recorded more riders on the day of Trump's inaugural than

when Obama was sworn in for his second term. "Alternativefacts" quickly became a popular hashtag on Twitter, where users supplied their own such facts, including "cigarettes are good for you" and "it's not Monday. It is still the weekend." The hashtag "spicerfacts" followed. Widely shared #spicerfacts included "Yoko Ono broke up the Monkees. Period." and "The KKK is a peaceful community outreach organization." But even amid the snarky mockery, many users pointed to eerie similarities to George Orwell's "1984," a dystopian novel about a totalitarian regime. One quote reads: "The Party told you to reject all evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command." Veteran journalist Dan Rather told The Associated Press on Sunday that while past press secretaries have misled reporters before through the omission of information, the weekend's demonstrably false assertions about the inauguration crowd size was the first time he could recall false material being delivered in this way.

tion had for some time been pressing for the release of the money for the Palestinian Authority, which comes from the U.S. Agency for International Development and is to be used for humanitarian aid in the West Bank and Gaza, to support political and security reforms as well as help prepare for good governance and the rule of law in a future Palestinian state, according to the notification sent to Congress. The $1.25 million for U.N. agencies is to be used as voluntary contributions to the U.N. Peacebuilding Fund; the U.N. Special Coordinator on improving the U.N. response to sexual exploitation and abuse; the Montre-

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the Trump White House. Trump has vowed to be a strong supporter of Israel and has invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to visit Washington next month. He has also pledged to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, although White House spokesman Sean Spicer said Monday a final decision on that had yet to be made. Despite speculation in Israel that an announcement of the move is imminent, Spicer said the decision-making process is only in its very early stages. "If it was already a decision, then we wouldn't be going through a process," Spicer told reporters.

Drug Companies Fear Release of the New AloeCure

Big Pharma stands to lose billions as doctors’ recommend drug-free “health cocktail” that adjusts and corrects your body’s health conditions. by David Waxman Seattle Washington: Drug company execs are nervous. That’s because the greatest health advance in decades has hit the streets. And analysts expect it to put a huge crimp in “Big Pharma” proﬁts. So what’s all the fuss about? It’s about a new ingredient that’s changing the lives of people who use it. Some call it “the greatest discovery since penicillin”! And others call it “a miracle!” The name of the product is the AloeCure. It’s not a drug. It’s something completely different. And the product is available to anyone who wants it, at a reasonable price. But demands may force future prices to rise.

TOP DOC WARNS: DIGESTION DRUGS CAN CRIPPLE YOU! Company spokesperson, Dr. Liza Leal; a leading integrative health specialist out of Texas recommends Aloecure before she decides to prescribe any digestion drug. Especially after the FDA’s stern warning about long-term use of drugs classiﬁed as proton pump inhibitors like Prilosec®, Nexium®, and Prevacid®. In a nutshell, the FDA statement warned people should avoid taking these digestion drugs for longer than three 14-day treatment periods because there is an increased risk of bone fractures. Many people take them daily and for decades. Dr. Leal should know. Many patients come to her with bone and joint complaints and she does everything she can to help them. One way for digestion sufferers to help avoid possible risk of tragic joint and bone problems caused by overuse of digestion drugs is to take the AloeCure.

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al Protocol Secretariat, which oversees the protection of the ozone layer; the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights; and the U.N. System Staff College. The $4 million for climate programs includes assistance for clean energy, sustainable landscapes, cutting greenhouse gas emissions and creating a climate technology center. The last-minute allocation also contained $1.05 million in funding for the State Department's Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan office and the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs. The Palestinian funding is likely to draw anger from some in Congress as well as

The secret to AloeCure’s “health adjusting” formula is scientifically tested Acemannan, a polysaccharide extracted from Aloe Vera. But not the same aloe vera that mom used to apply to your cuts, scrapes and burns. This is a perfect strain of aloe that is organically grown in special Asian soil; under very strict conditions. AloeCure is so powerful it begins to benefit your health the instant you take it. It soothes intestinal discomfort and you can avoid the possibility of bone and health damage caused by overuse of digestion drugs. We all know how well aloe works externally on cuts, scrapes and burns. But did you know Acemannan has many of other health benefits?...

HELPS CALM DOWN PAINFUL INFLAMMATION According to a leading aloe research scientist, the amazing Aloe plant has a powerful antiinﬂammatory effect. Aloe Vera calms the ﬁre in your belly like it does the sunburn on your skin and in many

ways helps heal damaged cells. Inflammation is your body’s first reaction to damage. So whether it’s damage that is physical, bacterial, chemical or autoimmune; the natural plant helps soothe inflammation — rapidly reducing redness, heat and swelling.

RAPID ACID AND HEARTBURN NEUTRALIZER Aloe has proved to have an astonishing effect on users who suffer with digestion problems like bouts of acid reﬂux, heartburn, cramping, gas and constipation because it acts as a natural acid buffer and soothes the digestive system. But new studies prove it does a whole lot more.

SIDE-STEP HEART CONCERNS So you’ve been taking proton pump inhibitors (PPI’s) for years and you feel just ﬁne. In June of 2015 a major study shows that chronic PPI use increases the risk of heart attack in general population.

UNLEASH YOUR MEMORY Think about it. If you kept dumping fat and grease down your drain; how long do you think it would take to clog it up? The answer is, not very long at all. And that’s exactly what happens to your brain every time you eat processed, fried or fatty foods. Studies show that your brain needs the healthy bacteria from your gut in order function at its best. Both low and high dosages of digestion drugs are proven to destroy that healthy bacteria and get in the way of brain function. So you’re left with a sluggish, slow-to-react brain without a lot of room to store information. The acemannan used in AloeCure actually makes your gut healthier, so healthy bacteria ﬂows freely to your brain so you think better, faster and with a larger capacity for memory.

Doctors call it “The greatest health discovery in decades!” SLEEP LIKE A BABY A night without sleep really damages your body. And continued lost sleep can lead to all sorts of health problems. But what you may not realize is the reason why you’re not sleeping. Some call it “Ghost Reﬂux”. A low-intensity form of acid reﬂux discomfort that quietly keeps you awake in the background. AloeCure helps digestion so you may

ﬁnd yourself sleeping through the night.

CELEBRITY HAIR, SKIN & NAILS One of the Best-Kept Secrets in Hollywood. Certain antacids may greatly reduce your body’s ability to break down and absorb calcium. Aloe delivers calcium as it aids in balancing your stomach acidity. The result? Thicker, healthier looking hair…more youthful looking skin… And nails so strong they may never break again.

SAVE YOUR KIDNEY National and local news outlets are reporting Kidney Failure linked to PPI’s. Your Kidney extracts waste from blood, balance body ﬂuids, form urine, and aid in other important functions of the body. Without it your body would be overrun by deadly toxins. Aloe helps your kidney function properly. Studies suggest, if you started taking aloe today; you’d see a big difference in the way you feel.

GUARANTEED RESULTS OR DOUBLE YOUR MONEY BACK Due to the incredible results people are reporting, AloeCure is being sold with an equally incredible guarantee. “We can only offer this incredible guarantee because we are 100% certain this product will work for those who use it,” Says Dr. Leal. Here’s how it works: Take the pill exactly as directed. You must see and feel remarkable improvements in your digestive health, your mental health, in your physical appearance, the amount inﬂammation you have throughout your body – even in your ability to fall asleep at night! Otherwise, simply return the empty bottles with a short note about how you took the pills and followed the simple instructions and the company will send you...Double your money back!

HOW TO GET ALOECURE This is the ofﬁcial nationwide release of the new AloeCure pill in the United States. And so, the company is offering our readers up to 3 FREE bottles with their order. This special give-away is available for the next 48-hours only. All you have to do is call TOLL-FREE 1-877-543-5356 and provide the operator with the Free Bottle Approval Code: Q147. The company will do the rest. Important: Due to AloeCure’s recent media exposure, phone lines are often busy. If you call and do not immediately get through, please be patient and call back. Those who miss the 48 hour deadline may lose out on this free bottle offer.

THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. THIS PRODUCT IS NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT, CURE OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE. INDIVIDUAL RESULTS MAY VARY ALOECURE IS NOT A DRUG. IF YOU ARE CURRENLTY TAKING A PRESCRIPTION DRUG YOU SHOULD CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE USE. FOR THE FULL FDA PUBLISHED WARNING ON PROTON PUMP INHIBITORS PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.FDA.GOV/DOWNLOADS/FORCONSUMERS/CONSUMERUPDATES/UCM213307 *compensated for opinion

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COMMENTARY

Universities cave to snowflakes

ne wonders just how far spineless college administrators will go when it comes to caving in to the demands of campus snowflakes. For those unfamiliar with the term ‘’snowflakes,’’ it is increasingly being used to characterize college students easily traumatized by criticism and politically incorrect phrases. They demand safe spaces and trigger warnings so as not to be upset by Walter views that Williams challenge their own. Snowflakes feel as though they must be protected against words, events and deeds that do not fully conform to their extremely limited, narrow-minded beliefs built on sheer delusion. This might explain their behavior in the wake of Donald Trump’s trouncing of Hillary Clinton. Generosity demands that we forgive these precious snowflakes and hope that they grow up. The real problem is with people assumed to be grownups — college professors and administrators who tolerate and give aid and comfort to our aberrant youth. Let’s look at tiny samples of it. To help avoid microaggressions, the University of North Carolina administration posted a notice urging staff and faculty members to avoid phrases such as ‘’husband/ boyfriend,’’ which they claim is heteronormative, and ‘’Christmas vacation,’’ which ‘’minimizes non-Christian spiritual rituals.’’ This winter, the Oregon State University administration will treat its students to a new class that promises to teach them about how blacks have historically resisted white supremacists. Professor Dwaine Plaza, one of three instructors for the course, said the idea was inspired by Trump’s election, which he fears will take the country back to the 1960s. The University of Maryland is hosting a series of postelection lectures on how a ‘’commitment to white supremacy’’ gave Trump momentum and blaming ‘’white America’s spiritual depravity’’ for his rise to power. One of the topics will be ‘’Make America White Again? The Racial Reasoning of American Nationalism.’’ At Pomona College, posters giving instructions on ‘’how to be a (better) white ally’’ and stating that all white people are racist were put in the dorm rooms of new students. Ned Staebler, Wayne State University’s vice president for economic development, i.e.,

‘Snowflake indulgence has been fostered by the education establishment and, more recently, by federal law.’ fundraising, declared that President Trump is a Nazi and his supporters are comfortable with bigotry. He said, ‘’I’ll say flatly that many of the 63 million Americans who voted for Trump did so because of his bigotry.’’ In response to a claim by Ben Carson — Trump’s pick to be secretary of housing and urban development — that people have the right to display Confederate flags on private property, University of Pennsylvania professor Anthea Butler tweeted, ‘’If only there was a ‘coon of the year’ award.’’ Previously, Butler informed us that God is a ‘’white racist’’ and Michael Brown’s death in Ferguson, Missouri, was a ‘’blood sacrifice.’’ Wake Forest University faculty and administration seek to make the university a sanctuary campus. Campus security will refuse to follow federal laws and will stop Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from pursuing criminals if they come onto Wake Forest property. This is nothing less than nullification of federal law. While liberals support nullification of federal immigration law, I wonder how they would respond to cities nullifying laws enforced by the Environmental Protection Agency. Snowflake indulgence has been fostered by the education establishment and, more recently, by federal law. One of the most popular features of Obamacare is its provision that children can remain on their parents’ health care plan until they are 26 years old. That promotes prolonged adolescence, sparing the necessity for youngsters to get out on their own. Some have criticized my lack of sympathy for snowflakes in the wake of their emotional trauma resulting from Trump’s defeat of Clinton. Here’s my question to you: How much sympathy would you have for those 18to 24-year-olds who are in the military if they conducted themselves — on aircraft carriers, in nuclear submarines and in special forces — just as college snowflakes did in the wake of the Trump victory? Walter E. Williams is a professor of economics at George Mason University. © 2017 creators.com

EDITORIAL PAGE POLICIES EDITORIALS represent the views of the owners of this newspaper. COLUMNS AND COMMENTARY are the personal opinion of the writer whose byline appears. Columns from readers should be typed, double-spaced and no more than 850 words. Send them to The Sumter Item, Opinion Pages, P.O. Box 1677, Sumter, S.C. 29151, or email to hubert@theitem.com or graham@ theitem.com. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR are written by readers of the newspaper.

They should be no more than 350 words and sent via e-mail to letters@ theitem.com, dropped off at The Sumter Item office, 20 N. Magnolia St. or mailed to The Sumter Item, P.O. Box 1677, Sumter, S.C. 29151, along with the full name of the writer, plus an address and telephone number for verification purposes only. Letters that exceed 350 words will be cut accordingly in the print edition, but available in their entirety at www. theitem.com/opinion/letters_to_ editor.

COMMENTARY

So you think you know about South Carolina? Think again

t’s no secret that I’m a sucker for all things South Carolina — our history, politics, people, culture, places, food — everything. And since we are such a wonderful — and weird — state, there is an awful lot to know and there’s always something new to find out about. Well, I have found my new favorite website on the whole World Wide Web (i.e. the ‘www’ part of internet addresses). The site is www. OnlyInOurState.com and then you select South Carolina. Here is the greatest collection of information, stories, pictures, maps, videos, articles, etc. about our state. And, what makes it so much fun is that the folks who do the site have a quirky sense of humor. If you sign up to get their emails, you’ll get four or five fun features in your inbox every day. And, I guarantee you that with every day’s email, you’ll learn something new about this wonderful place that we are lucky enough to call home. Here is a sampling of their latest: 11 Oddball Houses in South Carolina That Make You Look Twice Someone Flew A Drone High Above South Carolina And Captured The Most Breathtaking Footage The South Carolina Restaurant That’s One Of The Most Unique In America (it’s in Charleston) 13 Things Everyone Who’s Moved Away From South Carolina Has Thought At Least Once Footage Captured At This Abandoned South Carolina Hospital Is Truly Grim (Bull St. in Columbia) Not Many People Realize These 9 Little Known Haunted Places In South Carolina Exist Most People Have No Idea Just How Unique This Village In South Carolina Truly Is (it’s Daufuskie Island) Shhh… These 7 Hidden Places Are South Carolina’s Best Kept Secrets 9 South Carolina Sandwiches You Have To Try Before You Die There’s A Waterfalls Trail In South Carolina And It’s Everything You’ve Ever Dreamed Of 5 Incredible South Carolina Day Trips You Can Take By Train The Hidden Park That Will Make You Feel Like You’ve Discovered South Carolina’s Best Kept Secret Here’s The Ultimate Guide To The 13 Most Disturbing

Places In South Carolina And They’ll Haunt Your Dreams The Oldest African Village In Phil America Is Noble Right Here In South Carolina And It’s Amazing The 12 Towns You Need To Visit In South Carolina In 2017 These 9 Restaurants Serve The Best Bloody Mary In South Carolina The Haunted Hike In South Carolina That Will Send You Running For The Hills So now that I’ve got you interested… here’s my most recent favorite: South Carolina Was the First to Do These 18 Things: First European settlement in 1526 — Lucas Vasquez de Ayllon brought 600 people with him to make a settlement somewhere around present day Georgetown. Within a year, most of them were dead including Lucas Vasquez de Ayllon. The ones who lived went back to Santo Domingo. We made the first ship to cross the Atlantic Ocean — A small settlement of French Huguenots made the first ship that they sailed from Port Royal to France after being left by their leader. We had the first library in America — November, 16, 1700, the first library was established in Charles Towne on St. Philips Street. This library was in operation for 14 years. The first professional female artist — Henrietta Dering Johnston came to Charles Towne in 1707 and was the first professional female artist of the time. She was also the first female artist who worked mostly in pastels. First opera performance — On February 18, 1735, the opera “Flora” was performed in Charles Towne’s courtroom. First fire insurance company — The Friendly Society for the Mutual Insurance of Houses Against Fire was founded in Charles Towne on February 3, 1736. First scientific weather recordings — April 1737, Dr. John Lining took recordings of the weather from his home three times a day and wrote them down. First musical society — In 1762, the first musical society known as The St. Cecilia Society was founded in

Charles Towne. We exported the first cotton to England — In 1764, it was noted in London’s custom house that 8 bales of cotton arrived from Charles Towne. We had the first museum — It was decided by a committee in 1773 to establish a museum. It was established and was never shut down. First black Baptist church — It was founded in Silver Bluff in 1773. We produced the first eminent architect — Robert Mills was born and raised in South Carolina. Throughout his life, he created some very beautiful and marvelous pieces and homes that are still standing today… including several court houses, and in Washington, DC the Treasury and Patent Buildings and the Washington Monument. We had the first golf club — September 29, 1786: Scottish merchants opened the South Carolina Golf Club in Charleston. It stayed open until 1800. (It was in my neighborhood of Harleton Village.) We planted the first crop of tea — In 1802, the French botanist Francois Andre Michaux planted the first tea on what is now known as Middleton Place. The first fireproof building — Construction of the building began in 1823 and was completed approximately four years later. It has been designed by our very own Robert Mills to house our state records for safe keeping. First regular train service — On Christmas Day, December 25, 1830, they made their first full run carrying people where they needed to be at 15-25 mph. The very first municipal college — In 1836, the College of Charleston came under municipal rule becoming the very first municipal college. The first patent for the refrigerator — May 6, 1851, Dr. John Gorrie received a patent for a mechanical refrigerator. Okay, so maybe South Carolina had a head start and another state might have claimed these if we hadn’t had the good fortune of being one of the first settled colonies, but that’s the luck of the draw. And, we still did it first! Phil Noble has a technology firm in Charleston and writes a weekly column for the S.C. Press Association. Contact him at phil@philnoble.com.

A10

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2017

SUPPORT GROUPS HOPE Center, 210 S. Purdy St. AA, AL-ANON, ALATEEN: Open to anyone who has lost AA — Monday-Friday, noon Support Groups: Wednesday, Jan. a loved one25, to murder in a viand 5:30 p.m.; Saturday, 8 2017 olent way. p.m.; Sundays, 10:30 a.m. and EFMP Parent Exchange Group — 7 p.m., 1 Warren St. (803) 775Last Tuesday, 11 a.m.-noon, 1852. Airman and Family ReadiAA Women’s Meeting — ness Center. Support to serWednesdays, 7 p.m., 1 Warvice members who have a ren St. (803) 775-1852. dependent with a disability AA Spanish Speaking — Sunor illness. Call Dorcus at days, 4:30 p.m., 1 Warren St. (803) 895-1252/1253 or Sue at (803) 775-1852. (803) 847-2377. AA “How it Works” Group — WEDNESDAY MEETINGS: Mondays and Fridays, 8 p.m., 1154 Ronda St. Call (803) 494Sickle Cell Support Group — 5180. Last Wednesday, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., South Sumter Resource 441 AA Support Group — MonCenter, 337 Manning Ave. days, Tuesdays and Fridays, Call (803) 774-6181. 8:30 p.m., Hair Force, 2090-D S.C. 441. Divorce Care — Wednesdays, 6:30 p.m., Bethel Baptist AA Summerton Group — Church, 2401 Bethel Church Wednesday, 8 p.m., town Road. Call (803) 481-2160. hall. Grief Share — Wednesdays, Manning Al-Anon Family Group 6:30 p.m., Bethel Baptist — Thursdays, 7:30 p.m., BeChurch, 2401 Bethel Church havioral Health Building, 14 Road. Call (803) 481-2160. Church St., Manning. Call (803) 435-8085. THURSDAY MEETINGS: C/A “Drop the Rock” Group — TOPS S.C. No. 236 (Take Off Thursdays, 9:30 p.m., 1154 Pounds Sensibly) — ThursRonda St. Call (803) 607-4543. days, 9 a.m., Spectrum Senior Center,1989 Durant Lane. MONDAY MEETINGS: Call (803) 775-3926 or (803) Sumter Vitiligo Support Group 469-4789. — Second Monday, 5:45-6:45 Alzheimer’s Support Group p.m., North HOPE Center, 904 through S.C. Alzheimer’s AssociN. Main St. Call (803) 316ation — First Thursday, 6-8 6763. The group is also on p.m., National Health Care, Facebook. 1018 N. Guignard Drive. Call (803) 905-7720 or the AlTUESDAY MEETINGS: zheimer’s Association at Heroin Anonymous — Tues(800) 636-3346. days, 9:30-10:30 p.m., 4742 Journey of Hope (for family Broad St.. Call (803) 494-5180. members of the mentally ill), Sumter Connective Tissue SupJourney to Recovery (for the port Group — First Tuesday of mentally ill) and Survivors of January, March, May, July, Suicide Support Group — Each September and November, 7 group meets every first p.m., 180 Tiller Circle. Call Thursday, 7 p.m., St. John (803) 773-0869. United Methodist Church, 136 Mothers of Angels (for mothers Poinsett Drive. Call (803) 905who have lost a child) — First 5620. Tuesday at noon and third Alzheimer’s Caregiver Support Tuesday at 6 p.m., Wise Drive Group — Fourth Thursday Baptist Church. Call (803) each month, 10-11:30 a.m., 469-6059, (803) 979-4498, (803) Palmetto Health Tuomey 469-4506 or (803) 938-8544. Hospice, 500 Pinewood Road, Sumter Combat Veterans Group Suite 2. Call (803) 773-4663. Peer to Peer — Tuesdays, 11 a.m., South HOPE Center, FRIDAY MEETINGS: 1125 S. Lafayette Drive. VetCelebrate Recovery — Fridays, erans helping veterans with 6 p.m. dinner, 7 p.m. proPTSD, coping skills, claims gram, Salt & Light Church, and benefits. Miller Road (across from “The Gathering” — Second Food Lion). For help with Tuesday, 5:30-6:30 p.m., North struggles of alcohol, drugs, HOPE Center, 904 N. Main St. family problems, smoking, Support group for teens and etc. adults with special needs. Wateree AIDS Task Force SupCall (803) 972-0051 or (803) port Group — Third Friday, 468-5745 or email thegather11:30 a.m., 508 W. Liberty St. ing23@aol.com. Call (803) 778-0303. Sumter Amputee Support Group SATURDAY MEETINGS: — Second Tuesday, 6:30 p.m., Sumter Prosthetics & OrthotReflex Sympathetic Dystrophy/ ics, 259 Broad St. Call (803) Complex Regional Pain Syn883-4356. drome Support Group — Third Saturday, 1:30 p.m., 3785 Sumter Chapter Parents of MurBlackberry Lane, Lot 7. Call dered Children (POMC) — Third (803) 481-7521. Tuesday, 5:30-7 p.m., Birnie

DAILY PLANNER

THE SUMTER ITEM

WEATHER

AccuWeather® ﬁve-day forecast for Sumter TODAY

TONIGHT

Mostly sunny, nice and warm

THURSDAY

A couple of showers A morning shower; late clearing

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

Cooler with plenty of sunshine

Plenty of sunshine

Sunshine and patchy clouds

73°

55°

65° / 35°

54° / 33°

52° / 35°

54° / 32°

Chance of rain: 5%

Chance of rain: 60%

Chance of rain: 45%

Chance of rain: 5%

Chance of rain: 10%

SW 6-12 mph

SW 7-14 mph

WSW 10-20 mph

WSW 8-16 mph

TODAY’S SOUTH CAROLINA WEATHER

Gaﬀney 70/54 Spartanburg 70/53

Greenville 72/53

Columbia 75/55

Temperatures shown on map are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

Sumter 73/55

IN THE MOUNTAINS Aiken 72/55

ON THE COAST

Charleston 74/54

Today: Plenty of sun; pleasant in southern parts. High 68 to 73. Thursday: A passing shower or two. High 66 to 70.

LOCAL ALMANAC

LAKE LEVELS

SUMTER THROUGH 4 P.M. YESTERDAY

Today Hi/Lo/W 72/49/pc 45/32/sh 59/33/s 45/36/sh 74/45/pc 59/42/s 78/53/pc 47/42/s 80/59/s 52/42/s 56/37/s 54/42/pc 61/49/s

SUN AND MOON 7 a.m. yest. 356.64 74.62 74.49 98.52

24-hr chg +0.42 +0.10 +1.15 +0.34

RIVER STAGES River Black River Congaree River Lynches River Saluda River Up. Santee River Wateree River

0.00" 4.51" 3.09" 4.51" 2.09" 3.09"

NATIONAL CITIES City Atlanta Chicago Dallas Detroit Houston Los Angeles New Orleans New York Orlando Philadelphia Phoenix San Francisco Wash., DC

Full pool 360 76.8 75.5 100

Lake Murray Marion Moultrie Wateree

67° 46° 55° 33° 80° in 1974 12° in 2003

Precipitation 24 hrs ending 4 p.m. yest. Month to date Normal month to date Year to date Last year to date Normal year to date

Thu. Hi/Lo/W 55/34/pc 35/24/sf 54/32/s 41/29/sn 63/41/s 62/44/s 60/42/s 51/37/pc 80/53/pc 56/36/pc 58/39/s 54/42/pc 59/37/pc

Myrtle Beach 70/55

Manning 74/55

Today: Warm with increasing cloudiness. Winds southwest 6-12 mph. Thursday: Turning sunny, breezy and cooler. Winds west 10-20 mph.

Temperature High Low Normal high Normal low Record high Record low

Florence 73/54

Bishopville 74/55

Flood 7 a.m. stage yest. 12 9.78 19 6.80 14 7.98 14 6.61 80 78.90 24 19.85

24-hr chg +0.27 +0.80 +0.70 +2.53 +2.49 N.A.

Sunrise 7:23 a.m. Moonrise 5:21 a.m.

Sunset Moonset

5:46 p.m. 3:55 p.m.

New

First

Full

Last

Jan. 27

Feb. 3

Feb. 10

Feb. 18

TIDES AT MYRTLE BEACH

Today Thu.

High 7:16 a.m. 7:19 p.m. 7:59 a.m. 8:02 p.m.

Ht. 3.0 2.6 3.1 2.7

Low Ht. 1:20 a.m. 0.0 2:06 p.m. 0.1 2:04 a.m. -0.1 2:48 p.m. -0.1

REGIONAL CITIES City Asheville Athens Augusta Beaufort Cape Hatteras Charleston Charlotte Clemson Columbia Darlington Elizabeth City Elizabethtown Fayetteville

Today Hi/Lo/W 71/46/s 73/51/pc 76/56/s 73/55/s 64/55/s 74/54/s 70/55/s 72/52/pc 75/55/s 72/55/s 65/50/s 72/54/s 71/53/s

Thu. Hi/Lo/W 50/29/pc 58/33/pc 65/35/pc 68/40/pc 65/42/sh 71/38/sh 62/33/pc 60/36/pc 65/35/pc 66/35/c 62/35/pc 67/35/pc 68/36/c

Today City Hi/Lo/W Florence 73/54/s Gainesville 80/58/s Gastonia 71/56/s Goldsboro 71/53/s Goose Creek 75/55/s Greensboro 67/53/s Greenville 72/53/pc Hickory 67/52/s Hilton Head 71/58/s Jacksonville, FL 78/57/s La Grange 73/48/pc Macon 74/56/pc Marietta 71/47/pc

Thu. Hi/Lo/W 67/35/pc 80/43/sh 62/33/pc 67/35/sh 70/40/sh 58/32/pc 60/33/pc 54/32/pc 68/41/sh 74/40/sh 58/35/pc 62/34/pc 53/32/pc

Today City Hi/Lo/W Marion 70/46/pc Mt. Pleasant 73/58/s Myrtle Beach 70/55/s Orangeburg 74/55/s Port Royal 73/58/s Raleigh 70/55/s Rock Hill 72/55/s Rockingham 72/54/s Savannah 76/56/s Spartanburg 70/53/pc Summerville 76/55/s Wilmington 71/53/s Winston-Salem 67/54/s

Thu. Hi/Lo/W 54/32/pc 69/41/sh 68/40/sh 66/37/sh 69/41/pc 63/35/pc 62/32/pc 65/33/pc 70/40/pc 60/31/s 70/40/pc 68/37/sh 58/33/s

Weather(W): s–sunny, pc–partly cloudy, c–cloudy, sh–showers, t–thunderstorms, r–rain, sf–snow ﬂurries, sn–snow, i–ice

Brown’s

“Where Quality Matters”

PUBLIC AGENDA GREATER SUMTER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Today, noon, chamber office SUMTER CITY-COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION Today, 3 p.m., fourth floor, Sumter Opera House, Council Chambers

FURNITURE & BEDDING

SUMTER COUNTY DEVELOPMENT BOARD Thursday, 7:30 a.m., Greater Sumter Chamber of Commerce boardroom, 32 E. Calhoun St.

NEW YEAR... ...NEW FURNITURE 31 West Wesmark Blvd • Sumter, SC

774-2100 ARIES (March 21-April 19): Be careful and EUGENIA LAST don’t make assumptions. Wait until you’re given a true picture of what’s actually happening. Taking on too much under false pretenses will be costly in the end.

The last word in astrology

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Don’t settle for substitutes. Speak your mind and push until you get your way. Your stubbornness will pay off if you offer incentives to those standing in your way. A kind gesture will go a long way. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Your thirst for knowledge will help to balance out your financial goals. Take a course that will enable you to apply for positions that have been out of reach in the past. Refuse to let anyone lower your self-esteem. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Discuss your plans and make arrangements that include someone you enjoy spending time with. Business and personal trips will spark an interest in making subtle lifestyle changes. Try to spend more time doing the things you enjoy doing most.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Pace yourself. Before you jump into something, make sure it won’t cause friction at home or with someone you love. Aim to finish what you start and to take care of your responsibilities before moving on to more enjoyable pastimes. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Your intuition and ability to tap into what’s going on around you will make it easy to make wise choices. Make personal improvements and use what you have or where you live as a springboard for new beginnings. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Get together with old friends or colleagues. The information you receive will encourage you to change how you live and what you do for work. Plot a course and bring about the changes necessary to reach your goals. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Let past experiences guide you. Someone will try to limit or interfere with your plans. Don’t back down when the only thing that will help you gain respect is the truth. Make love and romance a priority.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): You’ll have added discipline that will help you gather information and expand your interests. Take care of any responsibilities you’ve been given and move on to the things you enjoy doing most.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You have the right idea, but will need to harness your talents and use them wisely to maximize your chances of advancement. Keep an open mind when discussing secrets or if you choose to get involved in other people’s business.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Getting together with like-minded people or collaborating to come up with something special is featured. You’ll be on target when it comes to finding new ways to use tried-andtrue methods. A partnership looks promising and so does romance.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Size up a situation that is bothering you or a cause you believe needs help and do your best to make a difference. Don’t worry about stubbornness of others. Do your thing and you’ll break through any barriers you face.

100’s of Colors to Choose from.

SUMTER ANIMAL CONTROL PET OF THE WEEK This handsome young man is Dodger. He is less than a year old and weighs 28 pounds. Dodger is very sweet but he is a shy boy. He is is looking Dodger shy, for a loving inside home handsome boywith a fenced-in yard. Dodger is learning to trust but may need a special adopter who has the time and patience to bring him out of his shell. You can meet Dodger in kennel 31 at Sumter Animal Control, 1240 Winkles Road, (803) 436-2066. Thank you for considering a homeless pet. You can view more adoptable pets on the Sumter Animal Control Facebook page. Remember to check with us if your pet is lost / missing.

HAVE YOU TAKEN PICTURES OF INTERESTING, EXCITING, BEAUTIFUL OR HISTORICAL PLACES? Would you like to share those images with your fellow Sumter Item readers? E-mail your hi-resolution jpegs to sandra@theitem.com, or mail to Sandra Holbert c/o The Sumter Item, P.O. Box 1677, Sumter, SC 29150. Include clearly printed or typed name of photographer and photo details. Include a self-addressed, stamped envelope for return of your photo. Amateur photographers only please. Photos of poor reproduction quality may not publish. With the exception of pictures that are of a timely nature, submitted photos will publish in the order in which they are received.

SECTION

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2017 Call: (803) 774-1241 | E-mail: sports@theitem.com

PREP BASKETBALL

Conway rolls past SHS girls

Decided advantage Defense keys Gators to big lead, eventual win over Hartsville

Edlow nets 14 in loss to No. 6 team in 5A

BY DENNIS BRUNSON dennis@theitem.com

BY PATRICK ENZOR Special To The Sumter Item

The final score says Lakewood High School 61, Hartsville 56. However, it wasn’t close, not by a long shot. The Gators varsity boys basketball team held a 17-point lead with two minutes left before HHS scored the game’s final 12 points. In the first 30 minutes of the game though, the LHS defense was dominant. “We played really good defense for the most part,” said Lakewood head coach Bryan Brown, whose team improved to 13-5 overall and 4-0 in Region VI-4A. “How we play defense is how this team is defined. We struggled to get going offensively, but we played good defense.” It was a different defensive performance for the Gators than the one they had in the first meeting in Hartsville. LHS prevailed in a 76-75 shootout. That wasn’t going to be the case on Monday. Lakewood led just 7-6 after one quarter, but put up 26 points in the second quarter. Grant Singleton, Davonte Pack and Juwan Perdue led the second-quarter charge. Meanwhile, the Gators held the Red Foxes to just 14 points and led 33-20 at halftime. LHS was switching defenses, but really took control of the game with its man-toman. The Red Foxes, who fell to 7-13 and 1-3, were having to set up their offense far away from the basket. “We like to switch our defenses, but we played pretty good man tonight,” Brown said. Singleton, who led Lakewood with 21 points, drained a 3-point shot to begin the third quarter and push the lead to 36-20. Hartsville responded with its only real run of the game, scoring 10 of the next 12 points to slice the lead to 38-30 with 2:23 to go in the third quarter. Pack and Singleton drilled consecutive treys to help get the lead back to 46-33. The Gators led 49-35 entering the final stanza. Hartsville wasn’t able to make a dent in the lead in the fourth quarter until the late run.

Facing the No. 6 team in 5A on Tuesday, Sumter High School’s varsity girls basketball team knew it was going to be a challenge — at best — against Conway. And it was that. Despite outscoring the Lady Tigers 33-28 in two of the four quarters, the Lady Gamecocks fell 72-44. SHS drops to 1-13 overall and 0-5 in Region VI5A. “My girls don’t give up,” said SHS head coach Frances Fields. “And I told them in the locker room that you need to come out and be strong in the first and third quarters. We didn’t come out as strong as we needed to. “Every game is a learning lesson for us,” she added. Sumter got off to a rough start, trailing by double digits before scoring its first points in the game just under four minutes into the first quarter. The first stanza ended with Conway up 27-4. But the Lady Gamecocks and Fields weren’t overly deterred. They were able to cut it to 13 points at 32-19, but Conway’s Zakera Chadman drilled a 3-pointer with just seconds left in the first half to push it to 35-19. But Sumter outscored the ranked Lady Tigers 15-8 in the stanza. “They played hard; they didn’t give up,” said Fields. RICK CARPENTER / THE SUMTER ITEM

Lakewood forward Malik Wilson (4) pulls up for a jump shot over Hartsville’s Kyron Gray (22) during the Gators’ 61-56 victory on Tuesday at The Swamp.

SEE SUMTER, PAGE B2

SEE GATORS, PAGE B3

USC MEN’S BASKETBALL

Gamecocks trounce Tigers BY PETE IACOBELLI AP Sports Writer COLUMBIA — As South Carolina’s senior leaders were coming off the court in Saturday night’s loss at powerhouse Kentucky, Gamecocks coach Frank Martin gave them a message. “It’s over,” Martin told them, explaining how the pouting, the sluggish practices and lack of attention after last year’s defeat to Kentucky lingered far too long. “And it cost us at Missouri.” The leadership core of Duane Notice, Sindarius Thornwell and Justin McKie made sure it didn’t Tuesday

night, combining for 62 points and 14 3-pointers as the Gamecocks put away Auburn 98-69. A year ago, South Carolina (16-4, 6-1 Southeastern Conference) followed up its defeat to the Wildcats with a surprising 72-67 loss at struggling Missouri. This time, Notice led the way by tying career highs of 27 points and six 3-pointers, Thornwell had 22 points and five 3-pointers and McKie had 13 points and three 3-pointers. “We won’t allow this team to lose any of the games we’re not supposed to,” Thornwell said. Notice had scored 22 points combined in his previous four games, but like most of his

Gamecock teammates let it fly from long range early and often to open a big first-half lead over the Tigers (13-7, 3-5). Notice and Thornwell had four 3-pointers in the first half while McKie hit two as the Gamecocks led 48-27 at the half. “They took us out of everything we like to do and that made offense extremely difficult,” Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said. South Carolina packed things in and slowed down its attack for much of the second half. Notice, though, would

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

South Carolina guard Sindarius Thornwell (0) attempts a shot against Auburn guard Mustapha Heron, right, during the first half of the SEE GAMECOCKS, PAGE B4 Gamecocks’ 98-69 victory on Tuesday in Columbia.

PREP BASKETBALL

Morant’s record-setting night paves way for Knights BY EDDIE LITAKER Special To The Sumter Item Crestwood High School basketball standout Ja Morant was chasing history as he took to the home floor on Tuesday for a Region VI-4A game against Lugoff-Elgin, needing 17 points to set a new all-time scoring standard for the school’s varsity boys program. Morant missed a three at the end of the third quarter that would have broken Byron Faison’s record of 1,581, set in 2005. The bigger issue at that point was the fact that the visiting Demons, who led by 10 at the half, were still clinging to a 57-54 lead heading to the

final quarter. After L-E opened its lead to six on a Kevon Roberson three, Morant answered with a low-post score to officially pass Faison on the all-time list. Morant missed a free throw after the recordsetting basket, but his bucket was the beginning of a winning rally for the MORANT Knights as Morant went on a personal 12-point run down the stretch to lead his team to a 77-71 victory. With the crowd monitoring Morant’s progress toward the record throughout the game, Morant was

well aware of how many points he needed and when the magic moment would come. “My dad was calling the plays out, and how many points I needed,” said the Murray State commit, who closed with a triple double of 29 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists and two steals. “I wasn’t trying to force it. I was just trying to let it come, and get the W.” Morant had two opportunities to break the record in the third, missing another 3-point attempt before the final shot that didn’t fall. “I basically was talking about that like it was a normal shot that I hit, and it just wasn’t dropping,” Morant said of the missed treys in the third

quarter. “So I was just trying to keep my composure and just keep shooting.” After receiving a commemorative game ball for his accomplishment, Morant seemed more loose and relaxed as he went about the task of leading his team back to victory. “When they announced for the record, all my focus was on just coming back,” Morant said. “I was focused on winning, but the record just went out of the way, and then I just started focusing on getting everybody pumped up so we could come back and win.”

SEE KNIGHTS, PAGE B3

SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2017

SCOREBOARD

AREA ROUNDUP

Minnesota at Phoenix, 9 p.m. Utah at Denver, 9 p.m.

TODAY’S GAMES

TV, RADIO TODAY

Noon – Figure Skating: European Championships from Ostrava, Czech Republic – Women’s Short Program (NBC SPORTS NETWORK). 1 p.m. – College Football: Senior Bowl Practice from Mobile, Ala. (ESPNU). 2 p.m. – Figure Skating: European Championships from Ostrava, Czech Republic – Pairs Short Competition (NBC SPORTS NETWORK). 2 p.m. – College Football: Senior Bowl Practice from Mobile, Ala. (NFL NETWORK). 3 p.m. – Professional Golf: Web.com Tour Bahamas Great Abaco Classic Final Round from Great Abaco, Bahamas (GOLF). 4 p.m. – College Football: Senior Bowl Practice from Mobile, Ala. (ESPNU). 6 p.m. – College Basketball: Memphis at Temple (CBS SPORTS NETWORK). 6 p.m. – College Basketball: Southern Methodist at Central Florida (ESPNEWS). 6:05 p.m. – Talk Show: Sports Talk (WPUB-FM 102.7, WDXY-FM 105.9, WDXY-AM 1240). 6:30 p.m. – College Basketball: St. John’s at Providence (FOX SPORTS 1). 7 p.m. – College Basketball: Connecticut at South Florida (ESPNU). 7 p.m. – College Basketball: Creighton at Georgetown (FOX SPORTS SOUTHEAST). 7 p.m. – College Basketball: Florida State at Georgia Tech (FOX SPORTSOUTH). 7 p.m. – College Basketball: Missouri at Mississippi State (SEC NETWORK). 7 p.m. – Professional Tennis: Australian Open Men’s and Women’s Matches from Melbourne, Australia (TENNIS). 7 p.m. – College Basketball: George Washington at George Mason (TIME WARNER 1250). 7:30 p.m. – College Basketball: Texas A&M at Mississippi (ESPN2). 8 p.m. – College Basketball: Rhode Island at Richmond (CBS SPORT SNETWORK). 8 p.m. – NBA Basketball: Golden State at Charlotte (ESPN). 8 p.m. – College Basketball: Texas Tech at Baylor (ESPNEWS). 8 p.m. – NHL Hockey: Philadelphia at New York Rangers (NBC SPORTS NETWORK). 8:30 p.m. – College Basketball: Butler at Seton Hall (FOX SPORTS 1). 9 p.m. – College Basketball: Alabama at Georgia (ESPNU). 9 p.m. – College Basketball: Boston College at Miami (FOX SPORTSOUTH). 9 p.m. –High School Basketball: Florida at Louisiana State SEC NETWORK). 9 p.m. – College Basketball: Texas A&M (Corpus Christi) at Lamar (TIME WARNER 1250). 9:25 p.m. – International Soccer: Mexican League Match – Monterrey vs. Indios de Juarez (UNIVISION). 9:30 p.m. – Professional Tennis: Australian Open Women’s Semifinal Matches from Melbourne, Australia (ESPN2). 10 p.m. – College Basketball: Nevada at Boise State (CBS SPORTS NETWORK). 10:30 p.m. – NBA Basketball: Los Angeles Lakers at Portland (ESPN). 11 p.m. – College Basketball: Washington at Arizona State (ESPNU). 11 p.m. – College Basketball: UCLA at Southern California (FOX SPORTS 1). 1:30 a.m. – Professional Golf: European PGA Tour Qatar Masters First Round from Doha, Qatar (GOLF). 3:30 a.m. – Professional Tennis: Australian Open Men’s Semifinal Match from Melbourne, Australia (ESPN2).

NFL PLAYOFFS The Associated Press WILD-CARD PLAYOFFS

Bennett, Lady ’Cats top Orangeburg Prep 54-47

Sacramento at Cleveland, 7 p.m. Houston at Boston, 7:30 p.m. Miami at Brooklyn, 7:30 p.m. Atlanta at Chicago, 8 p.m. Golden State at Charlotte, 8 p.m. Oklahoma City at New Orleans, 8 p.m. Philadelphia at Milwaukee, 8 p.m. Toronto at Memphis, 8 p.m. New York at Dallas, 8:30 p.m. L.A. Lakers at Portland, 10:30 p.m.

THURSDAY’S GAMES

Dallas at Oklahoma City, 8 p.m. Indiana at Minnesota, 8 p.m. Phoenix at Denver, 9 p.m. L.A. Lakers at Utah, 10:30 p.m.

MANNING — Lexi Bennett scored 18 points to help power Laurence Manning Academy past Orangeburg Prep 54-47 on Tuesday at Bubba Davis Gymnasium. Cora Lee Downer added 10 points for the Lady Swampcats followed by Olivia Coker with nine and Brooke Bennett with eight.

FRIDAY’S GAMES

Sacramento at Indiana, 7 p.m. Brooklyn at Cleveland, 7:30 p.m. Charlotte at New York, 7:30 p.m. Milwaukee at Toronto, 7:30 p.m. Orlando at Boston, 7:30 p.m. Houston at Philadelphia, 8 p.m. Miami at Chicago, 8 p.m. San Antonio at New Orleans, 8 p.m. Washington at Atlanta, 8 p.m. Memphis at Portland, 10 p.m.

NHL STANDINGS The Associated Press

THOMAS SUMTER 42

EASTERN CONFERENCE

CAROLINA ACADEMY 21

ATLANTIC DIVISION GP W L

OT Pts GF

Montreal Ottawa Toronto Boston Florida Detroit Buffalo Tampa Bay

7 5 9 6 10 8 9 5

144 122 140 123 114 120 110 130

121 120 131 129 136 136 128 142

METROPOLITAN DIVISION GP W L

OT Pts GF

Washington Columbus Pittsburgh N.Y. Rangers Philadelphia Carolina New Jersey N.Y. Islanders

6 4 5 1 6 7 9 9

101 106 134 127 154 137 136 133

48 45 45 50 49 47 46 48

47 46 46 48 48 47 48 45

28 25 22 23 20 20 19 21

32 32 30 31 23 21 20 19

13 15 14 21 19 19 18 22

9 10 11 16 19 19 19 17

63 55 53 52 50 48 47 47

70 68 65 63 52 49 49 47

155 155 169 167 136 126 110 129

WESTERN CONFERENCE OT Pts GF

Minnesota Chicago Nashville St. Louis Winnipeg Dallas Colorado

5 5 7 5 4 9 2

152 137 130 134 142 129 91

106 122 122 147 154 151 153

PACIFIC DIVISION GP W L

OT Pts GF

Anaheim San Jose Edmonton Calgary Vancouver Los Angeles Arizona

9 2 8 3 6 4 6

125 109 131 142 135 120 152

50 48 49 50 48 47 47

30 30 23 23 22 19 13

27 30 26 24 22 22 15

11 14 17 19 24 20 30

14 16 15 23 20 21 26

65 65 53 51 48 47 28

63 62 60 51 50 48 36

133 130 144 130 116 117 105

NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss.

MONDAY’S GAMES

Washington 6, Carolina 1 N.Y. Rangers 3, Los Angeles 2 Toronto 4, Calgary 0 Anaheim 3, Winnipeg 2 Arizona 3, Florida 2, OT San Jose 5, Colorado 2

TUEDAY’S GAMES

St. Louis at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. Columbus at N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m. Los Angeles at New Jersey, 7 p.m. Detroit at Boston, 7 p.m. Calgary at Montreal, 7:30 p.m. Washington at Ottawa, 7:30 p.m. Buffalo at Nashville, 8 p.m. San Jose at Winnipeg, 8 p.m. Tampa Bay at Chicago, 8:30 p.m. Minnesota at Dallas, 8:30 p.m.

TODAY’S GAMES

Jan. 7 Houston 27, Oakland 14 Seattle 26, Detroit 6 Jan. 8 Pittsburgh 30, Miami 12 Green Bay 38, N.Y. Giants 13

Toronto at Detroit, 7 p.m. Philadelphia at N.Y. Rangers, 8 p.m. Vancouver at Colorado, 9:30 p.m. Edmonton at Anaheim, 10 p.m.

DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS

Los Angeles at Carolina, 7 p.m. Toronto at Philadelphia, 7 p.m. Pittsburgh at Boston, 7 p.m. Montreal at N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m. Washington at New Jersey, 7 p.m. Calgary at Ottawa, 7:30 p.m. Tampa Bay at Florida, 7:30 p.m. Columbus at Nashville, 8 p.m. St. Louis at Minnesota, 8 p.m. Buffalo at Dallas, 8:30 p.m. Winnipeg at Chicago, 8:30 p.m. Vancouver at Arizona, 9 p.m. Edmonton at San Jose, 10:30 p.m.

THURSDAY’S GAMES

Saturday Atlanta 36, Seattle 20 New England 34, Houston 16 Sunday Green Bay 34, Dallas 31 Pittsburgh 18, Kansas City 16

CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS

Sunday, Jan. 22 NFC Atlanta 44, Green Bay 21 AFC New England 36, Pittsburgh 17

FRIDAY’S GAMES

No games scheduled

PRO BOWL

TENNIS The Associated Press

Sunday, Jan. 29 At Orlando, Fla. AFC vs. NFC, 8 p.m. (ESPN)

AUSTRAILIAN OPEN

SUPER BOWL LI

Sunday, Feb. 5 At Houston Atlanta vs. New England, 6:30 p.m. (FOX)

NBA STANDINGS The Associated Press Toronto Boston New York Philadelphia Brooklyn SOUTHEAST DIVISION Atlanta Washington Charlotte Orlando Miami CENTRAL DIVISION Cleveland Indiana Chicago Milwaukee Detroit

W 28 26 20 15 9

L 16 17 26 27 35

Pct .636 .605 .435 .357 .205

GB — 1½ 9 12 19

W 26 24 23 18 15

L 19 20 22 28 30

Pct .578 .545 .511 .391 .333

GB — 1½ 3 8½ 11

W 30 22 22 21 21

L 13 22 23 23 25

Pct .698 .500 .489 .477 .457

GB — 8½ 9 9½ 10½

WESTERN CONFERENCE SOUTHWEST DIVISION San Antonio Houston Memphis New Orleans Dallas NORTHWEST DIVISION Utah Oklahoma City Denver Portland Minnesota PACIFIC DIVISION Golden State L.A. Clippers Sacramento Phoenix L.A. Lakers

W 35 34 26 18 15

L 9 14 20 27 29

Pct .795 .708 .565 .400 .341

GB — 3 10 17½ 20

W 29 26 18 19 16

L 17 19 25 27 28

Pct .630 .578 .419 .413 .364

GB — 2½ 9½ 10 12

W 38 30 17 15 16

L 7 16 27 29 32

Pct .844 .652 .386 .341 .333

GB — 8½ 20½ 22½ 23½

MONDAY’S GAMES

Washington 109, Charlotte 99 L.A. Clippers 115, Atlanta 105 Miami 105, Golden State 102 Sacramento 109, Detroit 104 San Antonio 112, Brooklyn 86 Milwaukee 127, Houston 114 New Orleans 124, Cleveland 122 New York 109, Indiana 103 Oklahoma City 97, Utah 95

TUEDAY’S GAMES

TUESDAY MEN’S QUARTERFINAL RESULTS No. 4 Stan Wawrinka def. No. 12 JoWilfried Tsonga 7-6 (2), 6-4, 6-3; No. 17 Roger Federer def. Mischa Zverev 6-1, 7-5, 6-2. WOMEN’S QUARTERFINAL RESULTS CoCo Vandeweghe def. No. 7 Garbine Muguruza 6-4, 6-0; No. 13 Venus Williams def. No. 24 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-4, 7-6 (3).

EASTERN CONFERENCE ATLANTIC DIVISION

Boston at Washington, 7 p.m. Chicago at Orlando, 7 p.m. L.A. Clippers at Philadelphia, 7 p.m. San Antonio at Toronto, 7 p.m.

STAT OF THE DAY 36 — The age of Venus Williams, the oldest woman to make the semifinals at Melbourne Park in the Open era. QUARTERFINAL SINGLES MATCHES TODAY No. 2 Serena Williams vs. No. 9 Johanna Konta; No. 3 Milos Raonic vs. No. 9 Rafael Nadal; No. 5 Karolina Pliskova vs. Mirjana Lucic-Baroni; No. 11 David Goffin vs. No. 15 Grigor Dimitrov.

TRANSACTIONS The Associated Press BASEBALL

Major League Baseball MLB — Promoted Billy Bean to vice president and special assistant to the commissioner, Renee Tirado to vice president of talent acquisition and diversity & inclusion, and Melanie LeGrande to vice president of social responsibility. American League LOS ANGELES ANGELS — Agreed to terms with INF Luis Valbuena on a two-year contract. National League MIAMI MARLINS — Acquired RHP Severino Gonzalez from Philadelphia for a player to be named. SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS — Agreed to terms with C Nick Hundley on a oneyear contract. Designated INF Ehire Adrianza for assignment.

FOOTBALL

National Football League BUFFALO BILLS — Named David Culley quarterbacks coach. CINCINNATI BENGALS — Signed LB Bryson Albright to a reserve/future contract. TENNESSEE TITANS — Signed DT Caushaud Lyons to a reserve/future contract.

HOCKEY

DALZELL — Bree Stoddard had a double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds as Thomas Sumter Academy earned a 42-21 victory over Carolina Academy on Tuesday at Edens Gymnasium. Logan Morris had 12 pints and eight steals for the Lady Generals while Aubrey Stoddard added seven points. TSA travels to Florence Christian on Thursday. LEE CENTRAL 46

CENTRAL DIVISION GP W L 46 49 47 47 50 48 45

THE SUMTER ITEM

National Hockey League NHL — Fined Arizona F Peter Holland $3,611.11, for punching an unsuspecting opponent, Tampa Bay F Ondrej Palat, during a Jan. 21 game. ECHL SOUTH CAROLINA STINGRAYS — Announced D Joey Leach was reassigned to the team by Hershey (AHL) and G Parker Milner was recalled by Hershey.

CHESTERFIELD 42

BISHOPVILLE — A’Yanna Lucas had a double-double of 20 points and 13 rebounds, and nearly had a triple-double with eight steals to help lead Lee Central to a 46-42 victory over Chesterfield on Tuesday at the LCHS gymnasium. Jiah Ervin, Alexis McMillan and Kendra Lesane each added seven points for the Lady Stallions, who improved to 7-8 overall and 4-3 in region play.

JV BASKETBALL LAURENCE MANNING 32 ORANGEBURG PREP 29 MANNING — Audrey Bennett scored 13 points to help lead Laurence Manning to a 32-29 victory over Orangeburg Prep on Tuesday at Bubba Davis Gymnasium. Katherine Burns added eight points for the JV Lady Swampcats, who improved to 10-3 overall and will host Wilson Hall on Thursday. FLORENCE CHRISTIAN 35 WILSON HALL 25

Gracyn Coker scored 11 points, but the JV Lady Barons fell to Florence Christian School 35-25 on Tuesday at Nash Student Center. WH fell to 10-2 overall and 0-2 in region play. THOMAS SUMTER 26 CAROLINA ACADEMY 11

DALZELL — Ellie Hunter and Lindsay Daniel each nine points to help lead Thomas Sumter Academy past Carolina Academy 26-11 on Tuesday at Edens Gymnasium. Ava Clause and Karleigh Young each finished with six rebounds for the Lady Generals while Kenzie Hyder came away with six steals. TSA travels to Florence Christian on Thursday.

LEE CENTRAL 31

WILSON HALL 47

CHESTERFIELD 18 CHESTERFIELD — Lee Central improved to 10-1 with a 31-18 victory over Chesterfield on Monday at the CHS gymnasium. Keosha Evins paced the Lady Stallions with seven points and six steals. Brianna Jenkins had six points and Jada Rogers had five points and three steals.

FLORENCE CHRISTIAN 29 Nathan Harris scored 12 points and Emory Moore added 11 as Wilson Hall earned a 47-29 victory over Florence Christian School on Tuesday at Nash Student Center. The Barons improved to 11-4 overall and 2-0 in region play and will travel to Laurence Manning Academy on Thursday.

MIDDLE SCHOOL BASKETBALL CHESTNUT OAKS 30 BATES 28

Bate Middle School lost to Chestnut Oaks 30-28 on Monday at the CO gymnasium. Maliasa Rhodes led the Lady Bantams with eight points. Kayla Williams and Ty’Quaisha Williams each had six points. ALICE DRIVE 50 HILLCREST 40

DALZELL — Hillcrest Middle School lost to Alice Drive 50-40 on Monday at the HMS gymnasium. Zamani Fulmore led the Lady Wildcats with 17 points. Daisha Morant, Mya Hayes and Tynia Saunders each had six points.

BOYS VARSITY BASKETBALL LAURENCE MANNING 94 ORANGEBURG PREP 30

MANNING — Laurence Manning Academy had five players post double figures in a 94-30 rout of Orangeburg Prep on Tuesday at Bubba Davis Gymnasium. Malik Cokley led the Swampcats with 18 points followed by Taylor Lee and Shakeel Robinson with 12 each and Jalil Robinson and Dez Sigler with 11 each. Jerrell Kelly and Nazier Andino also added nine points each for LMA, who improved to 18-6 overall and 2-0 in the region and will host Wilson Hall on Friday. CAROLINA ACADEMY 37 THOMAS SUMTER 36

DALZELL — Zach Fugate scored 15 points, but Carolina Academy edged Thomas Sumter Academy 37-36 on Tuesday at Edens Gymnasium.

JV BASKETBALL LAURENCE MANNING 42 ORANGEBURG PREP 39 MANNING — Chase Lee scored 28 points to help lead Laurence Manning Academy to a 42-39 victory over Orangeburg Prep on Tuesday at Bubba Davis Gymnasium. The Swampcats will host Wilson Hall on Thursday.

THOMAS SUMTER 46 CAROLINA ACADEMY 20

DALZELL — Josh Fugate scored 13 points and Mason Warren added 11 to help Thomas Sumter Academy earn a 46-20 victory over Carolina Academy on Tuesday at Edens Gymnasium. LEE CENTRAL 40 CHESTERFIELD 23

CHESTERFIELD — Lee Central High School improved to 9-2 with a 40-23 victory over Chesterfield on Monday at the CHS gym. Jordan Williams led the Stallions with nine points. De’Ablo Halley and Jalen Atkinson both added eight points.

B TEAM BASKETBALL WILSON HALL 24 LAURENCE MANNING 15 Heath Watson had six points and six rebounds as Wilson Hall earned a 24-15 victory over Laurence Manning Academy on Tuesday at Nash Student Center. Jackson Duvall added five points while Doc Walker finished with seven rebounds. Wade Payne and Michael Towery each had six rebounds. On Monday, the Barons earned a 38-31 home victory over Camden Military. Wade Payne led WH with eight points. Heath Watson had seven and Dylan Richardson had six. Wilson Hall improved to 8-4 and will travel to Cardinal Newman today. LAURENCE MANNING 31 THE KING’S ACADEMY 23

MANNING — Laurence Manning Academy defeated The King’s Academy 31-23 on Monday at Bubba Davis Gymnasium. Jake Curry led LMA with 10 points and Clayton Lee had nine.

MIDDLE SCHOOL BASKETBALL LEE CENTRAL 72 C.E. MURRAY 36

BISHOPVILLE — Lee Central remained undefeated on the season with a 72-36 victory over C.E. Murray on Monday at the LC gymnasium. Daveon Thomas scored 26 points for the 10-0 Stallions while LeBron Thomas had 24.

NBA ROUNDUP

Spurs edge Raptors, win 5th straight TORONTO — LaMarcus Aldridge scored 21 points, Patty Mills added 18 off the bench and the San Antonio Spurs beat the Toronto Raptors 108-106 on Tuesday night for their fifth straight victory. Without Kawhi Leonard, Tony Parker and Pau Gasol, the Spurs completed a season sweep of the Raptors fol-

lowing a 110-82 home victory earlier this month. 76ERS 121 CLIPPERS 110

PHILADELPHIA — Nerlens Noel scored 19 points, Richaun Holmes had 18 and the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Los Angeles Clippers 121-110 on Tuesday night.

SUMTER FROM PAGE B1 “We were able to keep up our execution in the second quarter. That’s what we needed to work on last game. Turnovers hurt us. “When we needed to play zone (defense), we had to play man, “ she added. “And with this team... you don’t really want to play man.” The third quarter was another struggle as Conway

was able to push the lead out to 52-26. Once again, Sumter kept fighting and kept the fourth quarter respectable to just a 20-18 Conway edge in the final stanza. “We are kind of inconsistent because we don’t know who is going to show up,” said Fields. “I felt like we were better than last game because we had more people

WIZARDS 123 CELTICS 108 WASHINGTON — Bradley Beal scored 13 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter and the Washington Wizards extended their home winning streak to 14 games with a 123-108 victory over Boston.

From wire reports

show up. If we get everybody on board, we’ll be fine. “I emphasize practice, practice, practice,” she added. Nina Edlow led SHS with 14 points, while Kiara Jones added 11. The trio of Chadman (23), Lenaejha Evans (19) and Meme Williams (18) scored all but 12 of the Lady Tigers points. “At the end of the day, we just needed more,” said Fields

SPORTS

THE SUMTER ITEM

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2017

KNIGHTS FROM PAGE B1

RICK CARPENTER / THE SUMTER ITEM

Lakewood’s Rahteisha Burgess (2) drives past Hartsville’s Tee Tee Dawson (12) during the Lady Gators’ 65-35 win on Tuesday at The Swamp.

GATORS FROM PAGE B1 Pack added 11 while Dontrea Osborne and Tyrell Still both had seven. Purdue finished with six. Brown was pleased with his team’s play coming off of a big 65-37 win over Sumter School District rival Crestwood on Friday. “That’s always a big game for our kids,” Brown said. “We worked really hard in practice yesterday though, and I think they came out here ready to play tonight. I’m proud of them.” Trae Hannibal led the Foxes with 14 and Kyron Gray had 11.

In the girls game, Hartsville rolled to an easy win as well, topping Lakewood 65-35. HHS, which improved to 14-3 overall and 3-1 in region play, led just 11-10 after one quarter and 28-20 at halftime. The Lady Foxes took control in the third quarter, outscoring LHS 18-10 to open a 46-30 advantage. Ki’Ari Cain led the Lady Gators, who fell to 8-8 and 1-3, with 13 points. LaShala Harvin had 10 and Rahtesia Burgess had eight. Saquita Joyner led Hartsville with 22 points. Tee Tee Dawson had 15 and Mary Bishop-Tucker 11.

PREP SCHEDULE TODAY B Team Basketball

SCISA Individual State Championship (at Gamecock Lanes), 5:30 p.m.

Varsity Wrestling

Lakewood at Darlington, 6 p.m. Lee Central at North Central, 6 p.m. East Clarendon at Creek Bridge, 6 p.m. Cross at Scott’s Branch, 6:30 p.m. Wilson Hall at Laurence Manning, 6 p.m.

Wilson Hall at Cardinal Newman, 5 p.m. Socastee, Darlington at Sumter, 6 p.m.

THURSDAY Varsity and JV Basketball

South Florence at Sumter (Boys Only), 6 p.m. Thomas Sumter at Florence Christian, 4 p.m.

FRIDAY Varsity Basketball

Varsity and JV Basketball

Sumter at Fairfield Central (Boys Only), 6 p.m. Robert E. Lee at Dillon Christian, 4 p.m.

Sumter at South Florence (Girls Only), 6 p.m. Manning at Lake Marion, 4 p.m. Williamsburg at Thomas Sumter, 4 p.m. Robert E. Lee at Calhoun Academy, 4 p.m. Clarendon Hall at Andrew Jackson Academy, 4 p.m. Sumter Christian at Calvary Christian (No JV Girls), 4 p.m.

Middle School Basketball

Varsity Wrestling

Junior Varsity Basketball

Darlington at Lakewood, 6 p.m. North Central at Lee Central, 6 p.m. Wilson Hall at Laurence Manning, 6 p.m.

B Team Basketball

Mayewood at Alice Drive, 5 p.m. Bates at Ebenezer, 5 p.m. Furman at Chestnut Oaks, 5 p.m. Manning at Hillcrest, 5 p.m. East Clarendon at Lee Central, 5:30 p.m.

Varsity Bowling

Wilson Hall, Laurence Manning in

Sumter in Region VI-5A Tournament (at Carolina Forest in Myrtle Beach), 6 p.m.

SATURDAY B Team Basketball

Sumter, Crestwood JV in Sumter Tournament (Boys Only), TBA

phone: ne:: 803-236-0803 803-236-08 262 south pike west sumter, sc info@iamteamr.com www.iamteamr.com

While his scoring was the focus for most of the night, it was Morant’s rebounding and assists that likely carried the Knights over the top. “I was going through the game and (CHS head) coach (Dwayne Edwards) said help with the boards,” Morant said. “He said two more and you’ll be in double digits. So I just went out there, got two rebounds back to back, cleared that and then the last two possessions I got two assists. Looks like the assists got me into a triple double. I’m happy that I got it and happy that we got the win. We’ve just got to get everybody on board. When everybody is flowing, we’re just a good team. Everybody plays hard and we win. “ Morant said he grew up around Faison, now an assistant coach at Lakewood, and considers the former record holder like a big brother. “He told me he was happy I was coming to the record,” Morant said of conversations with Faison over the days leading up to Tuesday’s game. “He was like, his competitiveness, he didn’t want me to break it but he’s glad that it’s a family member that’s breaking the record after 11 years. I mean it’s an honor to break one of your family member’s records.” For Edwards, the challenge was separating Morant’s pursuit of a record from the team’s pursuit of an important region win. “I’m happy for him, and I really wanted him to get that, but my focus was wanting to win,” said Edwards, whose team improved to 14-6 overall and 3-2 in region play. “In turn, I was hoping he would achieve that milestone, in the moment, but I knew the win was more important as a team. For individual purposes I know that was something he probably wanted and something that he

PRO FOOTBALL

Rest over as Patriots begin Super Bowl prep for Falcons FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Bill Belichick is on to the Atlanta Falcons. After taking a day to review and recharge following his team’s AFC championship game win over Pittsburgh, the New England coach said Tuesday that the coaching staff’s preparations are fully underway for the Super Bowl. The Patriots are preparing to make their seventh Super Bowl berth during the Belichick era, making them veterans at this point in handling the various logistics involved with the big game. Belichick said it’s helped them turn the page “about as quickly as we could.” “We’re on to Atlanta now

as a coaching staff. We’re deep in the middle of them,” he said. New England has fond memories of the Super Bowl played in Houston, having won in 2004 on Adam Vinatieri’s field goal in the closing seconds to beat the Carolina Panthers. “There was a big matchup against our BELICHICK kind of ‘noname’ offensive line and a very good defensive front that the Panthers had,” Belichick recalled. But Belichick says that’s the furthest thing from his mind as his team prepares for a Falcons team it hasn’t

seen much on film this season with just five common opponents (San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Arizona and Denver). The Patriots do have some familiarity with Falcons coach Dan Quinn, who was defensive coordinator of the Seattle Seahawks when the teams met in the Super Bowl two years ago. “They have some of their own characteristics and of course the players are different, so that makes it different,” Belichick said. “But schematically there is quite a bit of carryover.” One of the key differences, he said, is that the Falcons seem to bring a little more pressure than Seattle ran.

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would have for the future, but I knew deep down inside that having the record and not the win would probably be bittersweet. Getting that out of the way, once he reached that milestone and broke that record, I think a lot of pressure was off everyone. Then we could just settle down and get back to playing team basketball.” The game was tight for most of the first half, with two ties and three lead changes, before the Demons closed the half on a 12-2 run for a 44-34 halftime lead. Robert Samuel, who would lead L-E with 22 points, scored 15 of his team’s 31 second-quarter points. A key point came early in the third quarter as Trevion Webber hit a three and went to the line to complete the rare 4-point play, cutting the L-E lead to six, 46-40. The Knights pulled within one on two occasions in the third but would not retake the lead until Morant assisted on a low-post basket from Dakota Jennings with 44 seconds to go. That score put Crestwood up 72-71 and was part of a 9-0 Knights run to close the game. Cody Lambert added 18 for Crestwood while Jennings and Webber ended with 14 apiece. L-E closed with three more players in double figures, led by Roberson’s 18. Bradwin Salmond totaled 13, including three treys, while Elliott Campbell had 11. While the boys game was filled with drama, the girls game was essentially over after one quarter. Crestwood raced to a 21-2 lead after one and ran away from an outmanned L-E squad in a 68-8 romp. With the Lady Knights up 45-3 at the half, much of the second half was played with a running clock. Jah’Che Whitfield finished a perfect 6-for6 at the free-throw line on the way to a teamhigh 14 points. Destiny Jamison and Tyanna Saunders added 13 and 11, respectively, for the Lady Knights, who improved to 18-2 and 5-0.

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SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2017

THE SUMTER ITEM

AUTO RACING

NASCAR overhauls race and playoff format BY JENNA FRYER The Associated Press CHARLOTTE — NASCAR is taking a progressive approach to modernizing its series with a radical new format. It’s complicated and confusing to explain. But the panel that spent the last seven months on this overhaul promised it’s going to be the best thing to happen in NASCAR in a very long time. “Wait until you see it on the racetrack,” said 2012 champion Brad Keselowski. “If you are watching right now, please trust us. When you see this on the racetrack, this is going to be the best racing you’ve ever seen.” The overhaul announced Monday assigns three stages to every race. The top 10 drivers at the end of Stage 1 and Stage 2 will be awarded points on a 10-through-1 scale. The third portion of the race will be for the overall victory, and although traditional point scoring will be applied for that stage, the win will be worth 40 points. The rest of the field will be scored on a 35 to 2 scale, and positions 36th to 40 will only receive 1 point. All bonus points accumulated through the 26-race regular season can be used in the 10-race playoff, which will no longer be called “The Chase.” “You still have the start of the race, you still have the end of the race, and in between, there’s going to be a lot of moments,” said Denny Hamlin, leader of the driver council. “I think that there’s a lot of different things within this — you don’t necessarily need to know how a watch works, you just need to know what time it is. I think you’re going to see

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

NASCAR is dramatically changing its format for the coming season, cutting every race into stages that reward points in hopes of making every lap matter. The overhaul, announced Monday, assigns three stages to every race and the new format will begin with this year’s Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. better racing on the racetrack, and that’s all that matters.” NASCAR worked with a wide range of industry stakeholders to come up with the changes. Heavily involved were the television networks, retired drivers Jeff Gordon and Jeff Burton, current drivers from the driver council and team and track executives. Monster Energy, which signed last month as the title sponsor for NASCAR’s top series, was only informed of the changes in the last few weeks. The new format begins with the Feb. 26 season-opening Daytona 500. “As a driver, I’m happy to be rewarded for performing well throughout the event, not just for how I finished,” said Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR’s most popular driver. “It’ll tick you off if you’re in that car for enough

races and you’re whooping everybody’s butt all day long and then you get beat by somebody who’s running 20th all day, just by circumstance, how the cautions fall late in the race. “So it’s going to be great to be rewarded as a driver for consistently performing well throughout an event.” NASCAR was energized by the changes, particularly the stages that will allow for a commercial break that doesn’t occur during green-flag racing. Segment winners will be interviewed during the breaks, and NASCAR likes that it creates a pause that gives fans a chance to reset. It comes as the series is desperately trying to improve both attendance and television ratings, and Fox Sports estimated it will air 20 percent more of actual racing action because of the

commercial breaks. Race distances will not change under the format, which will apply to all three national series. Had NASCAR run the system this past season, Jimmie Johnson still would have won the title, but Martin Truex Jr. would have advanced one more round through the playoffs based on his two victories in the first round. Among other changes: • There will be no bonus points for leading a lap or for leading the most laps. • The number of laps in each of the first two segments will be the same in a race, and the end of the second stage will be approximately at the halfway point of the race. • Drivers will now earn bonus points that will be called playoff points and carry with them through the 10-race playoffs. Drivers will earn five playoff points for every race win and one playoff point for every segment win. • The playoffs will remain divided into three three-race rounds with four drivers eliminated after each round to set up four finalists for the season finale, where the four finalists will not be eligible to earn segment victories. • The exhibition duels during Speedweeks at Daytona next month will now be worth 10 points to the two race winners. “You can get confused if you want to get into the weeds on math,” said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR’s chief racing. “This is really about introducing two breaks and rewarding your favorite driver for racing up front. What I’ve heard loud and clear from the fans on Twitter, ‘I want my driver rewarded for every race.’ That’s happening, and it’s as simple as that. It’s rewarding drivers for their effort all race long.”

SPORTS ITEMS

Venus and Federer back in the thick of a Grand Slam THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

South Carolina guard TeMarcus Blanton (5) grabs a rebound against Auburn forward Danjel Purifoy (3) and Bryce Brown (2) during the first half of the Gamecocks’ 98-69 victory on Tuesday in Columbia.

GAMECOCKS FROM PAGE B1 not be contained, canning two more 3s as the Gamecocks hit a season-high 15 from behind the arc. That was one shy of the team’s game record of 16, accomplished against Campbell in 2007. Notice tied his career high in points last set in a win over Florida International last month. Anfernee McLemore had a career-best 18 points to lead Auburn while freshman center Austin Wiley had 10 points and 11 rebounds for his first double-double.

THE BIG PICTURE Auburn: If the Tigers had hopes of hanging with South Carolina, they ended early when they were down 9-0 in the first 2 minutes. Auburn had its chances to stay close, but the 6-foot-11 Wiley missed three of his first four free throws, giving away points instead of making the Gamecocks pay. Auburn could not take advantage when two South Carolina starters, blocks leader Chris Silva and point guard PJ Dozier both spent much of the half on the bench with two fouls apiece. South Carolina: The Gamecocks would welcome this kind of outside shooting every game. Behind four 3s each from senior starters Thornwell and Notice, South Carolina made 10 of its 16 attempts from behind the arc in the first 20 minutes to open a 20-point lead. The Gamecocks make about six 3s a game and had just five against Kentucky.

GAMECOCKS DEFENSE Martin’s defensive philosophy is simple: Stop the opponent from passing. So far, so good. The Gamecocks lead the SEC in points per game allowed at 60.7 and field goal shooting defense.

“Teams play us and they can’t run their offense,” Martin said. “It’s probably really hard” to face the Gamecocks.

FOUL SHOOTING It was not the crispest shooting performance at the free throw line for either team. The Tigers shot 61.5 percent (24 of 39) while the Gamecocks were under 70 percent, too, going 23 of 33.

UP NEXT Auburn plays at TCU on Saturday night in the Big 12/ SEC Challenge. South Carolina travels to Missouri on Saturday night.

(23) SOUTH CAROLINA 98 AUBURN 69 Auburn (13-7) Purifoy 0-4 0-0 0, Wiley 3-4 4-12 10, Dunans 2-6 0-0 4, Harper 4-9 2-2 12, Heron 2-10 5-6 10, McLemore 6-9 6-7 18, Spencer 1-2 3-8 5, Brown 1-5 0-0 2, Lang 0-1 0-0 0, Johnson 2-8 4-4 8, Keim 0-0 0-0 0, Waddell 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 21-58 24-39 69. South Carolina (16-4) Kotsar 2-4 4-7 8, Silva 4-5 8-8 16, Dozier 1-5 0-0 2, Thornwell 6-12 5-5 22, Notice 9-13 3-4 27, Gueye 0-0 0-0 0, Keita 0-0 0-0 0, Holliman 1-1 0-0 2, Tut 1-3 0-0 2, Corchiani 0-0 0-0 0, Hinson 0-2 0-0 0, McKie 5-7 0-1 13, Felder 0-1 1-2 1, Blanton 0-2 1-4 1, Gravett 1-6 1-2 4. Totals 30-61 23-33 98. Auburn 27 42 — 69 South Carolina 48 50 — 98 Halftime-South Carolina 48-27. 3-Point Goals-Auburn 3-21 (Harper 2-5, Heron 1-5, Lang 0-1, Johnson 0-1, Dunans 0-2, Brown 0-3, Purifoy 0-4), South Carolina 15-26 (Notice 6-9, Thornwell 5-7, McKie 3-4, Gravett 1-3, Hinson 0-1, Blanton 0-2). Fouled Out-McLemore. Rebounds-Auburn 34 (Wiley 11), South Carolina 35 (Kotsar, Thornwell 8). Assists-Auburn 8 (Dunans 3), South Carolina 23 (Thornwell 5). Total Fouls-Auburn 25, South Carolina 29. Technicals-McLemore.

MELBOURNE, Australia — For all their Grand Slam successes, Venus Williams and Roger Federer still find themselves surprised to be in the semifinals at the Australian Open. Injuries, illness and advancing age can do that to the best of athletes, even 17time major champion Federer and seven-time Grand Slam singles winner Williams, who has overcome an energy-sapping illness and is playing some of her best tennis since being diagnosed with Sjogren’s syndrome in 2011. The 36-year-old Williams beat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-4, 7-6 (3) on Tuesday, becoming the oldest player to reach the semifinals at Melbourne Park in the Open era. She’ll next play CoCo Vandeweghe, an American who beat French Open champion Garbine Muguruza 6-4, 6-0 in Tuesday’s other quarterfinal match. The 35-year-old Federer, meanwhile, is back from a six-month injury layoff due to left knee surgery. On Tuesday, he had a 6-1, 7-5, 6-2 win over Mischa Zverev, the player who eliminated top-seeded Andy Murray from the tournament two nights earlier. Federer’s semifinal opponent will be Stan Wawrinka, who had his major breakthrough in Australia in 2014. Wawrinka beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 7-6 (2), 6-4, 6-3. Federer won the first five games in 12 minutes.

(18) WEST VIRGINIA 85 (2) KANSAS 69 MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Esa Ahmad broke out of a shooting slump with a career-high 27 points to lead No. 18 West Virginia to a vic-

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Venus Williams hits a forehand return to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova during a quarterfinal match on Tuesday at the Australian Open in Melbourne, Australia. Williams won 6-4, 7-6 (3). tory over No. 2 Kansas on Tuesday night. The Mountaineers (16-4, 5-3 Big 12) beat Kansas (18-2, 7-1) for the fourth straight time in Morgantown and snapped the Jayhawks’ 18-game winning streak. Ahmad scored West Virginia’s first eight points against Kansas and finished 10 of 17 from the field.

(13) LOUISVILLE 106 PITTSBURGH 51 PITTSBURGH — Donovan Mitchell scored a career-high 27 points, Anas Mahmoud added 14 while making all seven of his shots and No. 13 Louisville overwhelmed Pittsburgh on Tuesday night. The Cardinals (17-4, 5-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) rebounded from a close loss at No. 10 Florida State on Saturday by handing the reeling Panthers the second-worst loss in the program’s 111year history. Louisville held Pitt (12-8, 1-6) to 25 percent shooting (13 of 51) and never let the Panthers in the game.

(20) PURDUE 83 MICHIGAN ST. 73 ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Caleb Swanigan had 25 points and 17 rebounds, helping No. 20 Purdue pull away to beat Michigan State on Tuesday night. The Boilermakers (17-4, 6-2 Big Ten) have won three straight, helping them have their best eight-game record in the conference since 201011. The Spartans (12-9, 4-4) have lost three straight and four of five.

(22) MARYLAND 67 RUTGERS 55 COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Melo Trimble fueled a second-half surge that put No. 22 Maryland in control, and the Terrapins beat Rutgers 67-55 on Tuesday night to remain in first place in the Big Ten. Trimble scored 17 points and freshman Kevin Huerter had 11 for the Terrapins (18-2, 6-1). From wire reports

SPORTS

THE SUMTER ITEM

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2017

RECRUITING

Gamecocks in mix for former North Carolina DB Hughes

ike Hughes, a defensive back out of Garden City JC, Kansas, made his official visit to South Carolina the weekend. Hughes, a former North Carolina cornerback, did not commit but said the visit pushed the Gamecocks even deeper into the mix with him. “It was pretty good, I enjoyed myself, I have some serious thinking to do about where I want to be and just taking it one day at a time right now,” Hughes said. “He (head coach Will Muschamp) emphasized how much I would make a difference on the team being the dynamic player that I am and all the areas I would help. He emphasized that pretty well and I think I could see myself playing here.” Hughes was recruited by USC when he was coming out of high school though he never visited. Of course, that staff is now gone and he quickly formed a bond with the Muschamp crew. “Definitely the coaches (stood out),” he said. “The atmosphere and the players. I got a chance to meet some of the players and they had great things to say about the staff and the whole college experience here.” Hughes said he spent a lot of time with Jamarcus King and former Crestwood High standout Ty’Son Williams. Hughes did have a legal issue at North Carolina, an arrest for a misdemeanor assault charge last October, that ultimately led to his departure. All of that has been cleaned up now but the SEC has a rule making it more difficult for players to transfer into the league who have been arrested for “serious misconduct” which the league has defined as “sexual assault, domestic violence or other forms of sexual violence.” Hughes does not think that’s going to be an issue with the Gamecocks. “I believe so but I’m just trying to take everything one day at a time,” Hughes said. “We’ll have that all figured out soon.” Hughes said he is also looking at TCU, Auburn and Ole Miss. He does not have any visit planned for next weekend though he has two more available. “If I decide not to take these last two visits, I’ll try to break things down pretty quick,” Hughes said. “I wouldn’t say I’m too far from trying to make a decision.” Hughes was a first team junior college All American last season after totaling 47 tackles with

two interceptions. USC linebackers coach Coleman Hutzler saw DE Brad Johnson of Pendleton on Friday and Gamecock head coach Will Muschamp is due in for his in-home visit this week. The Gamecock coaches, who at one time appeared to have Johnson on cruise control towards a commitment, now find themselves in a tense battle with Virginia Tech. JohnPhil Kornblut son has taken his official visit to both RECRUITING schools and on CORNER Wednesday Hokies head coach Justin Fuente and two assistants made the in-home visit. “They’ve told him they will go all the way to Signing Day with him,” said Pendleton coach Paul Sutherland. “He told me the other night he wished he could go to both schools. He really loves both schools and both staffs. He doesn’t want to go all the way to Signing Day but right now he is legitimately torn.” The drama surrounding the Signing Day plans of USC commitment DB Hamsah Nasirildeen of Concord, N.C., took a turn on Sunday when he flipped his commitment to Florida State. USC commitment RB Kyshaun Bryan of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, took an official visit to Pittsburgh during the weekend. After saying for weeks he’s not heard from the Gamecocks, he acknowledged Friday he has been contacted again by USC. “Yes, just not releasing anything as of right now.” Bryan has been committed to USC since April and he has stuck to his commitment publicly despite the lack of contact and reports that USC is not going to take him. USC commitment OL Jordan Rhodes of Fairburn, Georgia, visited Mississippi State over the weekend. Rhodes made his official visit to USC the previous weekend said afterwards he was shutting down his recruiting and not taking any more visits. But he had planned this visit to Mississippi State, and one to Missouri for this weekend, prior to committing to USC. USC commitment DB Jamyest Williams of Loganville, Georgia, has set 9 a.m. on National Signing Day for an-

OBITUARIES KEITH T. GEDAMKE Keith Thomas Gedamke was born on May 2, 1970, in Long Island, New York. He moved with his family to Stuart, Florida, as a child. Keith graduated from Stuart High School, which is where he developed his passion for photography. He also attended Santa Fe College. GEDAMKE In 1994, he joined The Sumter Item newspaper as a photographer / photojournalist. With a love for the Item newspaper and the Sumter community, Keith continued his employment as the newspaper’s photographer until his death on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017, from cancer. Keith is survived by his mother, Marie Stein of Stuart; his brother, Daniel Gedamke and family of Stuart; and two sisters, Carol Eberlein of Long Island and Ellen Clemence and family of Falmouth, Massachusetts. He was loved by his cousins, Todd and Jason Gedamke and their family; and his beloved uncle, Rudy Gedamke. Keith is also survived by all of the members of his Sumter Item family. The Gedamke family would like to extend a thank you to the members of the Sumter community for their love of Keith. A Celebration of Life service will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday at the City Centre Downtown. Former Item photographer Chris Moore will officiate the ceremony and friends will be invited to speak about Keith’s life.

TIMOTHY T. BROOKS Today we pause to pay tribute to the memory of Timothy Tyrone Brooks, who endeared himself in the hearts of his family and many special friends. Timothy “Tim” “Timmy” was born on Dec. 26, 1963, in Columbia, the youngest child

of the late Bishop Frank and Mother Helen McKnight Brooks. On Oct. 15, 2016, he journeyed to a better place and reunited with his parents and his brother, Jonah. Upon graduating from West Virginia State College, he purBROOKS sued a career in human services. Timmy enjoyed helping others. He had a passion and love for working diligently with special needs individuals. He leaves to cherish fond memories: wife, Stephannie J. Durant-Brooks; sister, Sandra B. McFadden; nephew, Joshua Brooks; niece, Jessica Brooks; two uncles, Jasper Brooks Sr. and Leroy McKnight; three aunts, Sarah Wright, Carrie Bell McKnight and Viola McKnight; father-in-law, Matthew Durant; three sisters-inlaw, Helen Brooks, Roenettier D. Cross and Luetricia D. (Thomas) Reed; a host of cousins, other relatives and friends Memorial services will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday at Good Shepherd Holiness Church, 6824 Cabin Creek Road, Hopkins, with Pastor Darrell Brooks officiating and assisted by the Rev. Archie Temoney Sr. The family will be receiving friends at the home of his father-in-law, 109 Pinewood Road, Sumter. Job’s Mortuary Inc., 312 S. Main St., Sumter, is in charge of arrangements. Online memorials may be sent to the family at jobsmortuary@sc.rr.com or visit us on the web at www.jobsmortuary.net.

BILLY MARSHALL MCDONALD NEW ZION — Billy Marshall McDonald, 73, husband of Virginia Ann Gibbons McDonald, died on Monday, Jan. 23, 2017, at his home. Born on Aug. 14, 1943, in Kingstree, he was a son of the late Junious McSwain Mc-

nouncing his final choice. Williams also is considering Georgia and made his official visit there over the weekend. He is scheduled to visit USC this weekend. Recent comments from Williams indicated the Bulldogs have improved their position with him and are a threat for turning him from the Gamecocks. USC commitment WR Zay Brown of Athens, Georgia, was visited last week by Muschamp, Travaris Robinson and Bryan McClendon according to his coach Dave Perno. Perno shot down any speculation Brown won’t sign with the Gamecocks. “I’m trying not to get into flip-flopping. I’m not going to play that game here. We’re going to hold to our word. Zay is South Carolina all the way, always has been. I think everything is good academically.” Brown can play corner and safetyand Perno thinks he’ll be a safety with the Gamecocks. DE Aaron Sterling of Tucker, Georgia, has taken official visits to N.C. State, Tennessee and Georgia. He will make USC his final official visit this weekend. He is not indicating a favorite at this point. Muschamp has been in to see Sterling according to Tucker coach Bryan Lamar. DE Jaylen Twyman of Washington, D.C., canceled his visit to Missouri this past weekend. He has taken official visits to USC and Pitt and apparently will choose one of those two announce on Signing Day. Georgia commitment DE Robert Beal of IMG Academy, Florida, did not visit USC this past weekend as scheduled because he said he had the flu. He is now planning to visit this coming weekend. USC offered punter Joe Doyle of Knoxville, Tennessee, a preferred walk-on opportunity. Doyle also is talking with Tennessee, Marshall, Colorado State, N.C. State, Middle Tennessee State, Tennessee-Chattanooga, Rutgers, Illinois and Iowa. Doyle said he hopes to set up a visit to USC soon. He was an Under Armour All American last season averaging 42 yards per punt. 47 percent of his punts landed inside the 20 and 89 percent were not returned. He had a long of 60 yards. USC offered PK Jack Driggers of Tallahassee, Florida, a preferred walkon spot. Driggers has scholarship offers from Army and North Texas while Oklahoma and Duke also have

Donald and Gretchen Floyd McDonald. He was a member of New Zion United Methodist Church, where he was past president of the men’s supper club, a member of the choir and a member of the men’s Sunday school class. He is survived by his wife of New Zion; a son, MCDONALD William Brian McDonald (Kevyn) of New Zion; a daughter, Marsha Ann McKenzie (Kevin) of New Zion; a brother, Thomas McDonald of Leesburg, Florida; five sisters, Ila Cole, Yvonne Broach, Judy Hall and Janice Snipes, all of Kingstree, and Libby Floyd (John L.) of Lake City; three grandchildren, Mary Marshall McKenzie, Britton Smith McKenzie and William Bryson McDonald; and a number of nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by three brothers, J.W. McDonald, Ashton McDonald and Kester McDonald. A funeral service will be held at 3 p.m. on Thursday at New Zion United Methodist Church with the Revs. Mat Brewington, Gregg Varner and Derrick Fort officiating. Burial will follow in New Zion United Methodist Church cemetery. Pallbearers will be Casey Logan, Josh McGregor, Terry Trexler, Jimmy Trexler, Trey Trexler, Swain Cole and Jay McDonald. Visitation will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. today at New Zion United Methodist Church and other times at the residence, 3471 Newman Branch Road,

offered him a walk-on opportunity. Last season Driggers had 35 touchbacks on 42 kickoffs. He was 9-16 on field goals and averaged 38 yards per punt with no return yards the entire season. Former USC commitment WR Shawn Smith of Brunswick, Georgia, committed Saturday to Virginia.

CLEMSON Clemson’s only official visit during he weekend was with the only running back target the Tigers are actively pursuing at this point after Cordarrion Richardson decommitted last month. Travis Etienne Jr. of Jennings, Louisiana, got his first close up look at the Tigers’ program. Clemson only recently started recruiting Etienne who is a former Texas A&M commitment and made up a lot of ground with him with the visit. “It was a good visit, it went good” said Travis Etienne Sr. “They’ve got a good coaching staff around here. The blow away was their new facility. He had a good visit with. He interacted real well with them and he enjoyed it.” Etienne Sr. said his son has not made a final decision but one might not be far off. “He may visit LSU (this weekend) but he said he’s got it based in his mind of where he thinks he wants to go,” he said. “He said he’s misses basketball and the team is in the district playoffs and he really wants to go help his team. He’s from Louisiana and he’s been to LSU a whole bunch of times so he wants to go catch him some basketball.” Etienne Jr. has also taken official visits to Oregon and Tennessee. According to his father, if his son is settling in on a decision today, it could be something else tomorrow. “He tells me something different every week,” Etienne Sr. said. “I don’t know. Clemson just came in. First it was LSU, A&M and Tennessee. Clemson came in and hey, it was good, we were in Clemson. Hey daddy, we’re going to Clemson. He’s been changing his mind every week on me but we’re going to have to have a sit down. It used to be tell me the final three, now it’s tell me where you are going.” Etienne Jr.’s birthday is Thursday and his father said he suggested to him that he announce his decision then instead of waiting until National Signing Day.

New Zion. The family would like to thank special caregivers Beebe Coker, Amy Knowlton, Amedisys Hospice and Dr. Hugh Stoddard with Palmetto Adult Medicine, for all of their loving care and attention. Memorials may be made to New Zion United Methodist Church Bus Fund, c/o Edgar Baker, P.O. Box 33, New Zion, SC 29111 or to the Clarendon Christian Learning Center (Turbeville), P.O. Box 911, Manning, SC 29102. Stephens Funeral Home & Crematory, 304 N. Church St., Manning, is in charge of arrangements, (803) 435-2179. www.stephensfuneralhome.org

MARY H. SMITH Mary Harriett Smith, age 75, died on Monday, Jan. 23, 2017, at National HealthCare. Arrangements are incomplete at this time and will be announced by Bullock Funeral Home.

died on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017. Arrangements are incomplete at this time and will be announced by Bullock Funeral Home.

LIDDIA F. WILSON CORAL GABLES, Fla. — Liddia Juanita Fleming Wilson, 62, wife of English Earl Wilson, died on Monday, Jan. 23, 2017, at Coral Gables Hospital. She was born on Jan. 23, 1955, in Manning, a daughter of Everlena Bennett Fleming and the late Booker T. Fleming. The family is receiving friends at the home of her mother, 1943 Kingstree Highway S.C. 261, Manning. These services have been entrusted to Samuels Funeral Home LLC of Manning.

LOUISE K. HICKSON DONALD RAY CHRISTIAN Donald Ray Christian, 68, husband of Linda Hopkins Christian, died on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2017, at the Dorn VA Medical Center in Columbia. Services will be announced by Elmore-Cannon-Stephens Funeral Home and Crematorium of Sumter.

RICHARD E. LEE JR. COLUMBIA — Richard “Ricky” Ernest Lee Jr., age 69,

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Louise Knox Hickson, 91, wife of Wade LeGrand Hickson, departed this life on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2017, at her residence. She was born on Aug. 13, 1925, in Sumter, a daughter of the late James “Ting” Generette and Florence Miller Generette McCoy. The family will receive friends at the home, 4785 Cotton Acres Road, Sumter, SC 29153. Job’s Mortuary Inc., 312 S. Main St., Sumter, is in charge of arrangements.

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2017

THE SUMTER ITEM

MAYO’S SUIT CITY

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Winter Clearance Sale IN PROGRESS NOW!

If your suits aren’t becoming to you, It’s a good time to be coming to Mayo’s!

Wesmark Plaza • 773-2262 • Mon-Sat 10-7 • www.MayosDiscountSuits.com Garage, Yard & Estate Sales

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LARGE GARAGE SALE Every Weekend Tables $2 & $3 FLEA MARKET BY SHAW AFB

Open every weekend. Call 803-494-5500 Computer desk. Good condition. $25 Call 803-469-2105 New & used Heat pumps & A/C. Will install/repair, Call 803-968-9549 or 843-992-2364 Table, 6 chairs, 40x48 & 18in leaf. $275 Call 239-560-7224 Conn. Elec. Organ with touch -n-play keyboard and Different sound effects. $100 Call 803-469-2105 Computer desk, excellent, 71x24. $60 Call 239-560-7224 Kimball Piano with stool. Very good condition $100 Call 803-469-2105 The family of the late Mr. James E. Corbett wishes to thank all of you for all of your acts of kindness shown to them during their time of bereavement. May God bless all of you! Mrs. Hager Lee Corbett-Wife Elder Frederick (Lacie) Pressley-Son

In Memory

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EMPLOYMENT Medical practice seeking someone w/exp as a Medical Assistant. Send resume to: carofamilypractice@gmail.com Top pay for Roofers with flat roof experience TPO, Aspalt, mod bit, epdm, Only Experience roofers need apply. Call 803-968-9833. Btwn 8am-5pm only In Loving Memory of Don E. Harris January 25, 2010 May the winds of heaven blow softly and whisper in your ear, how much we love and miss you and wish you were here. Wife, Children & Grands.

BUSINESS SERVICES Home Improvements H.L. Boone, Contractor: Remodel paint roofs gutters drywall blown ceilings ect. 773-9904 All out Home Improvements We beat everybody's price Licensed & Bonded 803-316-8969

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Painting Int/Ext Painting, Pressure washing. 30 yrs exp. References. Quality work/free est. Bennie 803-468-7592

Roofing All Types of Roofing & Repairs All work guaranteed. 30 yrs exp. SC lic. Virgil Bickley 803-316-4734.

Tree Service A Notch Above Tree Care Full quality service low rates, lic./ins., free est BBB accredited 983-9721 Ricky's Tree Service Tree removal, stump grinding, Lic & ins, free quote, 803-435-2223 or cell 803-460-8747.

NEWMAN'S TREE SERVICE Tree removal, trimming & stump grinding. Lic/Ins 803-316-0128

MERCHANDISE Coastal Hay, HQ, SQ $5.00. Bahia $4.00. Call 803-481-7116

Garage, Yard & Estate Sales Yard Sale! Wed-Sat, 7-5 at 1944 Pinewood Rd. Everything must go!!

Summons & Notice

Spring Hill Suites by Marriott on Broad St. is seeking a front desk clerk and house keeper. Previous hotel exp. required. Please apply in person at 2645 Broad St. Sumter, SC

Class A HAZMAT Drivers EnviroVac is the leading Industrial Cleaning company in the Southeast. We are looking for dedicated employees working in the Sumter, South Carolina area to haul waste 50 hours per week, while having the weekends off work. These employees start at $16/hr. Please apply online at http://www.cleancompany .com/application/ School Resource Officer The Clarendon County Sheriff's Office is currently looking to fill position of School Resource Officer. The candidate selected will be working at both the middle high and high school grade level. The candidate selected must be a current class one officer and preferably have 5 plus years of law enforcement training. The candidate needs to be able to work independently of direct supervision and must be able to interact and establish a rapport with both students and staff. The selected candidate will have a take home vehicle if they live within 15 miles of any Clarendon County line, any distance greater than that will not include a take home vehicle. The salary is negotiable upon the experience of the candidate. Applications for this position can be located in the Clarendon County Admin Building in the Human Resource Dept.

Kershaw County Board of Disabilities and Special Needs 1619 Jefferson Davis Hwy. Camden SC 29020 803-432-4841 Equal Opportunity Employer Job Posting Open Positions LPN: part-time position - flexible hours: Must have a High School Diploma or GED and vocational or technical school in nursing. Minimum of one year experience as LPN; must have current state Board of Nursing LPN license and must keep the license current during tenure of employment in this position. Must have excellent verbal and written communication skills, and a valid SC driver's license. Must have computer skills. Apply in person. The #1 Furniture Retail Company in the U.S. is seeking highly motivated individuals with outgoing personalities to join our Sales Team. Candidates must have a working knowledge of computers. They will be required to build sales volume by providing superior customer service and knowledge of product and finance options. This full time position is based on a flexible work schedule that includes evenings, Saturdays and some holidays. Offering unlimited income potential based on commission and bonuses. Guaranteed salary during training process. Send resume to 2850 Broad St., Sumter, SC 29150 or email to sperkins@ashleysumter.com

How to apply: Applicants are asked to complete an on-line application through the www.mccormick.k12.sc.us website. Truck Driver needed for hauling chips. Must have CDL & min. 3 years exp. Call 803-804-4742. Drivers: Regional & OTR. Excellent Pay + Rider Program. Family Medical/Dental Benefits. Great Hometime + Weekends. CDL-A, 1 yr. EXP. 877-758-3905

RENTALS 2BR/2BA, Willow Run Apt., 900sqft, very nice & clean, washer & dryer included. $550+$550 deposit. Background check required and references. Call Kim 803-294-0925 Huntington Place Apartments Rents from $625 per month 1 Month free* *13 Month lease required Leasing office located at Ashton Mill Apartment Homes 595 Ashton Mill Drive 803-773-3600 Office Hours: Mon-Fri 9-5

CLARENDON COUNTY IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER, WE DO NOT DISCRIMINATE ON THE BASIS OF RACE, RELIGION, COLOR, SEX, AGE, NATIONAL ORIGIN OR DISABILITY

Willow Run, 251 Rast St. 2BR, 2BA, incl. water & trash P/U, pool, $575 mo./dep. 968-7801

ATTENTION : NOW HIRING Packers - Cooks - Cashiers Cooks must have 2 yr exp. Interviews will be every Thurs. beginning 1-26-17 @ 2-3pm Location: Golden Chick, 807 Broad St. Sumter, S.C. Seeking a FT maintenance person for Apartment Communities located in Bishopville and surrounding areas. Successful candidate will perform various maintenance duties necessary to maintain and enhance the value of the communities. Duties include plumbing, light electrical, painting, cleaning, etc. Applicant must have own tools and reliable transportation. M-464 c//o The Item, PO Box 1677 Sumter SC 29151 SEEKING A HIGHLY MOTIVATED RESIDENTIAL PLUMBER WITH A STRONG PROFESSIONAL WORK HABIT. Must have at least 5 years of experience and a valid driver's license. HILL PLUMBING offers competitive pay, incentives and health insurance. Come join Sumter's leading plumbing contractor by filling out an application at: 438 N. Main St., Sumter SC EOE

401 Albert Dr., near Morris College, 3 Br. Financing available. Call 803-775-4391 or 464-5960 M & M Mobile Homes, Inc. Now selling New Wind Zone II Champion and Clayton Homes. Lots of floor plans available to custom design your home. Nice used refurbished homes still available also. Bank and Owner financing with ALL CREDIT SCORES accepted. Call 1-843-389-4215 Like us on Facebook M & M Mobile Homes.

TRANSPORTATION

3 & 4 Br homes & MH, in Sumter County & Manning area. No Sect. 8. Rent + dep. req. Call 803-460-6216 American MHP, 2 & 3/BR, lot rentals, water/sewer/garbage pkup inc'd. Sec. 8 ok. 803-494-4300.

STATEBURG COURTYARD 2 & 3 Br, Sec. 8 803-494-4015 3BR & 2BR, all appliances, Sumter area. Section 8 accepted. 469-6978 or 499-1500 MH 4BR/2BA, lg, w/d, lg lot, stove, refrigerator. For more info call 803-481-3498 Oaklawn MHP: 2 BR M.H.'s, water//sewer//garbage pk-up incl'd. RV parking avail. Call 803-494-8350 MH 3BR/2BA, w/d, large lot, stove, refrigerator. Farmers Rd. off St. Paul Ch. Rd.1.5 acre. Call for more info 803-481-3498

REAL ESTATE 6 ac. MH site, $23,500 or 11 ac, or 22 ac. on Shilo Raccoon Rd. Owner fin. Call 843-231-1111 Acre Minutes from Walmart/Shaw, all hookups. $12,900. 888-774-5720 Investors Dream! Located on Sampson St. Buy 3 houses & get the 4th house free! Call 775-4391 or 464-5960 for more information.

Upon considering and reading the annexed affidavit of Garryl Deas, Esquire, attorney for the Petitioner, and it appearing to my satisfaction that Petitioner is entitled to have service of the unknown Respondents by publication in the manner provided by law, IT IS ORDERED that the Summons herein, a copy of which is annexed, be served on all Respondents unknown to the Petitioner and her attorney, if any, having or claiming to have any interest in or lien upon the estate of Emanuel Bradley, Sr. by publication of the same once a week for three (3) successive weeks in The Item. a newspaper published in the City and County of Sumter, South Carolina, which said newspaper is hereby designated as the most likely to give notice to said unknown Respondents; IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, that Larry C. Weston, Esquire (803-778-2421) be, and hereby is, appointed Guardian ad Litem for any Respondents who are infants or otherwise under disability, whose names and addresses are unknown to the Petitioner, having or claiming any interest in the Estate of Hazel Johnson for the purposes of.this action unless such Respondents who are infants or otherwise under disability, or any of them, or someone on their behalf, shall, within thirty (30) days after service of this Order upon them, exclusive of the date of such service, secure to be appointed a Guardian ad Litem for them or any of them; and

Secondary Positions English Teacher Math Teacher Qualifications: Applicants must hold a valid SC Certification in the appropriate area.

YOU ARE HEREBY summoned and required to answer the Petition to Determine Heirs in this action which was filed in the Office of the Probate Court for Sumter County, South Carolina, and to serve a copy of your Answer upon the subscriber at 109 N. Main Street, Sumter, SC 29150 within THIRTY (30) days after the service hereof, exclusive of the day of such service. If you fail to answer the Petition within that time, the relief requested therein will be granted. ORDER OF SERVICE OF SUMMONS BY PUBLICATION AND APPOINTMENT OF

Vacancies: Middle School Math/Science Teacher

Senior Living Apartments for those 62+ (Rent based on income) Shiloh-Randolph Manor 125 W. Bartlette. 775-0575 Studio/1 Bedroom apartments available EHO

Wrecker driver needed. Good driving record. Class A license, dependable & willing to work. Call Sumter Wrecker 803-773-4955 8 am - 5 pm Monday - Friday.

6 Middle St. Price reduced. 3 or 4 Br. 2 Ba. C/H/A. New construction. Financing avail. Call 464-5960

McCormick County School District Announcement of Vacancies

Applications are being accepted at the Clarendon County Administration Building, Human Resource Dept. 411 Sunset Drive, Manning, SC 29102, Monday thru Friday, 8:30 am until 5:00 pm countyhr @clarendoncountygov.org

Medical Assistant / Scribe needed for specialty medical practice. Must have experience with in-office patient care, strong communication skills, detailed-oriented, time management, computer skills to include the use of EMR. Salary based on experience. Full-Time with Benefit. Send resume to Box 466 c//o The Item, PO Box 1677 Sumter SC 29151

TO: THE RESPONDENTS ABOVE-NAMED:

Refurbished batteries as low as $45. New batteries as low as $59.95. Auto Electric Co., 102 Blvd Rd. 803-773-4381

LEGAL NOTICES Summons & Notice SUMMONS IN THE PROBATE COURT CASE NO.: 2017ES4300005

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, that this Order shall be forthwith served upon said Respondents who are infants or otherwise under a disability by publication of the same once a week for three (3) successive weeks in The Item. a newspaper published in the City and County of Sumter, South Carolina, which newspaper is hereby designated as the most likely to give notice to said Respondents, if any, who are infants or otherwise under disability.

Janette Bradley Brown PETITIONER v. Estate of Emanuel Bradley, Sr., Estate of Pearl Bradley, Estate of Emanuel Bradley, Jr., Estate of Marion Bradley and Estate of Brenda Bradley, and any unknown heirs, RESPONSENTS

COUNTY OF SUMTER Luis Rojas and Rebeca R. Rojas, Plaintiffs, vs. Jaenicke Limited Partnership d/b/a Evergreen Training Center Mike Rahain, Kubota Manufacturing of America Corporation, Netco Turf & Tractor, Netco Sentry Hardware, Inc., Defendants. TO: DEFENDANTS, NETCO TURF & TRACTOR AND NETCO SENTRY HARDWARE, INC.: You are hereby summoned and required to Answer the Complaint in this action, a copy of which is herewith served upon you, and to serve a copy of your Answer to said Complaint upon the Plaintiff or his attorney, H. Thad White, Jr., at his office, 2917 West Palmetto Street, Florence, South Carolina 29501 within thirty (30) days after the service hereof, exclusive of the day of such service, and if you fail to answer the Complaint within the time aforesaid, Plaintiff will apply to the Court for the relief demanded in the Complaint. Dated at Florence, South Carolina on the 22nd day of September, 2016. Peters, Murdaugh, Parker, Eltzroth, & Detrick, P.A. Randolph Murdaugh, IV P.O. Box 457 Hampton, SC 29924 (803) 943-2111 -ANDH. Thad White, Jr. LUCAS, WARR AND WHITE 2917 West Palmetto Street Florence, South Carolina 29501 (843) 665-8187 ATTORNEYS FOR PLAINTIFF

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Dale Atkinson Judge of Probate Sumter County of Probate Court 1, Larry C. Weston, Esquire consent to serve as Guardian ad Litem Nisi for any Respondents who are minors or otherwise under disability. Larry C. Weston, Esquire

STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF SUMTER

Summons & Notice

SUMMONS (Jury Trial Requested) IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS THIRD JUDICIAL CIRCUIT CASE NO.: 16-CP-43-01777

$4800.00 Under NADA Book Tax, Tag & Doc Fee Extra

3735 Broad Street Sumter, SC 29154 803-494-4247

STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA

PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION OF SOUTH CAROLINA CLERK’S OFFICE NOTICE OF HEARING AND PREFILE TESTIMONY DEADLINES DOCKET NO. 2017-1-E Annual Review of Base Rates for Fuel Costs of Duke Energy Progress, LLC S.C. Code Ann. Section 58-27-865 (2015) established a procedure for annual hearings to allow the Commission and all interested parties to review the fuel purchasing practices and policies of Duke Energy Progress, LLC and for the Commission to determine if any adjustment in the fuel cost recovery mechanism is necessary and reasonable. Section 58-27-865(B) states, in part, “Upon conducting public hearings in accordance with the law, the Commission shall direct each company to place in effect in its base rate an amount designed to recover, during the succeeding twelve months, the fuel costs determined by the Commission to be appropriate for that period, adjusted for the over-recovery or under-recovery from the preceding twelve-month period.” Coincident with this proceeding and pursuant to S.C. Code Ann. § 58-39-140, the Commission will also determine whether an increase or decrease should be granted in the fuel cost component designed to recover the incremental or avoided costs incurred by the Company to implement the distributed energy resource program previously approved by the Commission. PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that a hearing, pursuant to 10 S.C. Code Ann. Regs. 103-817, on the above ma er has been scheduled to begin on Thursday, June 08, 2017, at 10:30 a.m., before the Commission in the Commission’s Hearing Room at 101 Execu ve Center Drive, Suite 100, Saluda Building, Columbia, South Carolina 29210. Any person who wishes to participate in this matter as a party of record, should file a Petition to Intervene in accordance with the Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure on or before March 24, 2017, by filing the Petition to Intervene with the Commission, by providing a copy to the Office of Regulatory Staff and by providing a copy to all parties of record. For the receipt of future Commission correspondence, please include an email address in the Petition to Intervene. Please refer to Docket No. 2017-1-E and mail a copy to all other parties in this docket. Any person who seeks to intervene and who wishes to testify and present evidence at the hearing should notify, in writing, the Commission; the Office of Regulatory Staff at 1401 Main Street, Suite 900, Columbia, South Carolina 29201; and Heather S. Smith, Esquire, Duke Energy Progress, LLC, 40 W. Broad Street, Suite 690, Greenville, South Carolina 29601 on or before March 24, 2017. Please refer to Docket No. 2017-1-E. For the most recent informa on regarding this docket, including changes in scheduled dates included in this No ce, please refer to www.psc.sc.gov and Docket No. 2017-1-E. INSTRUCTIONS TO ALL PARTIES OF RECORD (Applicants, Pe oners, and Intervenors only): All Parties of Record must prefile testimony with the Commission and with all Parties of Record. Prefiled Testimony Deadlines: Applicant’s Direct Testimony Due: 4/27/2017; Other Parties of Record Direct Testimony Due: 5/18/2017; Applicant’s Rebuttal Testimony Due: 5/25/2017; and Other Parties of Record Surrebuttal Testimony Due: 6/1/2017. All prefiled testimony deadlines are subject to the information as posted on www.psc.sc.gov under Docket No. 2017-1-E. Please be advised that failure to comply with the instructions contained herein could result in your proposed witnesses’ testimony and exhibits being excluded in the subject proceeding. Additionally, please note that failure to comply with the above on or before the dates indicated may result in the DISMISSAL of your pleading. Persons seeking informa on about the Commission’s procedures should contact the Commission at (803) 896-5100 or visit its website at www.psc.sc.gov. 12/6/16

SECTION

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2017 Call Ivy Moore at: (803) 774-1221 | E-mail: ivy@theitem.com

Christian Charities celebrates 35 years Sumter volunteer organization feeds the hungry BY IVY MOORE ivy@theitem.com

narrow, unassuming building on South Purdy Street adjacent to St. Ju-

de's Catholic Church is barely noticeable, unless you're looking for it; yet it's a vital part of the community and has been for decades. It's the compassion and dedication of the people who work there that make it strong and important to the community, board members of Christian Charities of Sumter said last week. In February the charity that might have been Sumter's first permanent food bank will celebrate 35 years of feeding the hungry. The all-volunteer organization was the vision of a couple who moved to Sumter with their 14 children in 1975 during the severe U.S. economic recession. Richard and Lois Shadoan joined St. Anne Catholic Church and soon noticed people coming in to ask for help and receiving food vouchers from the parish priest for a nearby restaurant. Board secretary Shirley Copeland wrote a brief history of Christian Charities in 2013 and noted that "Richard learned the needy families and individuals in Sumter were going from church to church asking for food and financial help." Shadoan, now 91 and still an active Christian Charities volunteer and board member, recalled that he and his late wife decided to meet with church leaders throughout the community to establish a coalition and a central location to serve those needy people. "It took a few years," Shadoan said, but by 1981, the plan was set for Christian Charities, in a building provided at no cost by Saint Jude's, to unite congregations of all denominations to better meet the needs of the hungry. Copeland noted that the Santee Baptist Association's Arnold Becker and Temple Sinai Rabbi Milton Schlager provided financial support to help facilitate the development of Christian Charities. Roman Catholic congregations and 27 Protestant churches were on board, as well. The doors opened to the public in 1982, with Lois Shadoan as its first operations director. Current Operations Director Carey Player is now at the charity every day — it's actually open only from 9 to 11:30 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. "When we first opened," said board member Frances Hill, "we helped with food, utilities bills and medications. In the late '90s, we started helping only with food, because (Sumter) United Ministries, Salvation Army and other charities were helping with other needs." A thorough application process ensures that only the truly needy receive assistance, board chairman Roger Reynolds said, "but this organization operates on faith. Nobody goes away from this place really hungry." The need was great when Christian Charities first opened, Reynolds said, and Copeland added, "It doesn't seem to be as severe now as it was then. I'm

IVY MOORE / THE SUMTER ITEM

Volunteer Larry Nettles prepares a grocery box for a local resident who needs food to feed his family during a financial crisis recently. Nettles is a longtime volunteer at Christian Charities of Sumter. Lois Shadoan, who started Christian Charities with her husband, Richard, is in a photograph grouped with symbols that show the charity is supported by Jewish, Catholic and Protestant congregations. The charity serves people of all religions or none in the spirit of Matthew 25:35, “For I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you took me in.” PHOTO PROVIDED

CHRISTIAN CHARITIES WHERE: 110 S. Purdy St.. WHEN: from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Walk in if you are in need of food or want to make a donation; no appointments are accepted. TO VOLUNTEER: Call (803) 773-2433

Members of the first board of directors of Christian Charities of Sumter are shown in this photo from 1982. From left, they are Father George Knabb of St. Anne Catholic Church; Jo Cude of Church of the Holy Comforter; H.H. Willie; unknown; Lois Shadoan, St. Anne; Richard Shadoan, St. Anne; Theo Black, St. Luke’s AME; Bob Gant, Fraser Memorial Presbyterian; and Randolph Black. PHOTO PROVIDED

hoping it's because (people) are getting jobs and are supported by the community." Reynolds said, "The highest number of clients was 52,000 meals a year." A meal, he explained, is a meat and two vegetables. The organization does not provide cooked meals, however, instead supplying mainly nonperishable foods, from bread and juice to canned goods and occasionally frozen food. Copeland added that Christian Charities gets no federal or state funding, but depends on donations "from a lot of dedicated, caring individuals, plus churches, school food

drives and some businesses. Some donations are (nonperishable) food items, some are money. It all makes a difference." She said that Christian Charities shares its excess resources, such as large boxes of oatmeal and cans of beans and other vegetables, with charities that include the Emmanuel (United Methodist Church) soup kitchen and Mount Pisgah AME's breakfast for the homeless program. Other charities also share with Christian Charities, she added. With no paid employees and the desire to use all donations for clients, "We try to be good stewards with our heat and air conditioning," Player

said. "We turn it off when we leave. The board is also responsible for all repairs." "The building's not fancy, but our clients feel more comfortable coming here," Copeland thinks. "There's no preaching, just acceptance. We would not be a Christian charity if we didn't give help to everyone in need." Hill nodded and added, "They feel the God-filled spirit here." Christian Charities, 110 S. Purdy St., is open from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Walk in if you are in need of food or wish to make a donation; no appointments are accepted. If you'd like to volunteer, call (803) 773-2433.

At Your Service Home Care Your Concierge

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1250 Wilson Hall Rd | Sumter, SC 29150

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803-607-9677

COMICS

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2017

THE SUMTER ITEM

BIZARRO

SOUP TO NUTZ

ANDY CAPP

GARFIELD

BEETLE BAILEY

BORN LOSER

BLONDIE

ZITS

MOTHER GOOSE

DOG EAT DOUG

DILBERT

JEFF MACNELLY’S SHOE

Wife wonders if immature husband can be helped DEAR ABBY: I’m having a hard time deciding if I should forgive my husband or tell him enough is enough. In Dear Abby the year since our ABIGAIL wedding, he VAN BUREN became infatuated with one of my bridesmaids to the point of telling her — and me — that he loved her. He also flirted with women online, lied to my face about it, and asked for and received nude pictures from a “friend” and an ex. We have been in counseling for about a month now, but we’re moving soon, and

JUMBLE THAT SCRAMBLED WORD GAME By David L Hoyt and Jeff Knurek

I’m not sure I want to move with him, even though he now says he wants to fix things. We have a small child together, which affects my decision. What should I do? Not sure in New Hampshire DEAR NOT SURE: It appears that the man you married was not mature enough to make that commitment. That the two of you are now in counseling and he wants to make things work is hopeful. However, considering what has been going on for the past year, I can understand your serious doubts. Because you already have a counselor helping you to work on your marriage, I think you should take your question to — and your cues from — the person with whom you are working.

THE DAILY CROSSWORD PUZZLE

DEAR ABBY: I have been dating my boyfriend for nine months, and for the first time, at 28, I can say I know what love is. Marriage is in the future, which brings me to my question. How and when do I tell him I was adopted? East Coast girl DEAR EAST COAST GIRL: Frankly, I’m surprised this hasn’t already been discussed as part of your getting to know each other. You are acting like having been adopted is some kind of guilty secret, and it’s not. Tell your boyfriend in a quiet environment in which you can discuss it, preferably when you’re having dinner and when you both feel relaxed and comfortable, so you can answer any questions he may ask you.

SUDOKU HOW TO PLAY: Each row, column and set of 3-by-3 boxes must contain the numbers 1 through 9 without repetition.

By Bruce Haight

ACROSS 1 Put a spell on 4 Organizes from best to worst, say 9 Arizona landforms 14 Wrath 15 Longtime “At the Movies” co-host 16 One bit 17 Shake up 18 *”C’mon, loosen up!” 20 Do penance 22 Certain string musician’s need 23 *Place for lefts and rights 26 “Star Wars” extras 27 Word of passione 28 Cheek 31 “Alas!” 34 Elementary bit 37 Water nymph 40 *Compromise 43 Orchard trees 44 “Ready are you? What know you of ready?” speaker 45 Low in fat 46 Supermodel Banks 48 Gross 50 PD alert 52 *Market measure

1/25/17 49 Cat dish tidbit 19 Stack under 50 Nasal spray a tarp brand 21 “Close, but no 51 Danish fruit cigar” 24 Family nickname 53 Parishioner’s pledge 25 Threadbare 54 Milo of 29 Boy in “Barbarella” “Star Wars” 55 “Pay attention, prequel films man!” ... and, in 30 “I wish I could” a different way, 31 Bit of band gear what the end 32 Small snicker of each answer 33 Sub filler to a starred clue 35 “So THAT’s refers to what’s going 56 John of The Red on here!” Piano Tour 36 First responder 57 Strikes through 38 It borders the 59 “Far out!” DOWN Fla. panhandle 60 Stockholder’s 1 Muslim veil 39 Hideout assets? 2 Sister of Calliope 41 Medit. country 63 Trendy boot 3 Maker of 42 Big name in big brand ColorQube rigs 64 Blanc heard but printers 47 Dating from not seen 4 One-named Tuesday’s Puzzle Solved singer portrayed by Jennifer Lopez in a 1997 film 5 Japanese sash 6 Gun, as a V8 7 Roman fountain 8 Spot 9 Pony Express concern 10 Vocalist James 11 Plopped down next to 12 Apportion 13 Boatloads ©2017 Tribune Content Agency, LLC 1/25/17 58 French president Hollande 61 Sees red 62 *General principle 65 Bygone muscle car 66 Holiday visitor 67 “Science of Logic” author Georg 68 Shy person’s note? 69 Branch quarters 70 Philadelphia pro 71 “Major Crimes” network

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(HD) Tanked (HD) The New Edi tion Story: Part 1 While per form ing in tal ent shows, four young The New Edi tion Story: Part 2 In 1984, ten sions be tween the band The New Edi tion Story: Part 2 Ten sions make Bobby 162 boys are noticed by an impresario. members lead to Bobby and Ralph’s departure. (N) and Ralph depart. The Real Housewives of Beverly The Real Housewives of Beverly Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce Night What Happens The Real Housewives of Beverly 181 The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills: Compromising Positions Hills: It’s Expensive to Be Me Hills on the town. 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(HD) (HD) Shave (HD) (HD) 103 Alaskan Bush People (HD) Alaskan Bush People: Off (N) Alaskan Bush People (N) (HD) Alaskan Bush People (N) (HD) Alaskan Bush People (HD) Alaskan (HD) 35 NBA Countdown (HD) NBA Basketball: Golden State Warriors at Charlotte Hornets z{| (HD) NBA Basketball: Los Angeles Lakers at Portland Trail Blazers (HD) 39 Sports (HD) College Basketball: Texas A&M Aggies at Ole Miss Rebels (HD) 2017 Australian Open Tennis: Women’s Semifinals z{| (HD) 109 Cooks vs. Cons (HD) Cooks vs. Cons (HD) Cooks vs. Cons (N) (HD) Bakers vs. Fakers (N) (HD) Cooks vs. Cons (HD) Cooks/Cons 90 The First 100 Days (N) (HD) The O’Reilly Factor (N) (HD) Tucker Carlson Tonight (N) Hannity (N) (HD) The O’Reilly Factor (HD) Tucker (HD) (6:00) Hitch (‘05, Com edy) aaa Will Smith. Save the Last Dance (‘01, Ro mance) aac Julia Stiles. A teen age girl’s dreams of be com ing The 700 Club (HD) Gilmore Girls 131 A romance coach helps men with women. (HD) a professional ballerina are challenged. (HD) (HD) 42 College Basketball: Florida State vs Georgia Tech z{| College Basketball: Boston College vs Miami z{| College Basketball no} Last Man Last Man Last Man The Middle: The The Middle (HD) The Middle: The The Middle Golden Girls: Gold. Girl Sad Golden Girls: The 183 Last Man Standing (HD) Standing (HD) Standing (HD) Standing (HD) Jump (HD) Kiss (HD) Brick’s lie. (HD) Love, Rose Santa. Sisters 112 Property Brothers (HD) Property Brothers (HD) Property Brothers (N) (HD) Hunters (HD) Hunters (HD) Buying and Selling (HD) Prop Bro (HD) 110 American Pickers (HD) Vikings: Revenge (HD) Vikings: On the Eve (N) (HD) Six: Her Name is Esther (N) (HD) Six: Her Name is Esther (HD) Vikings (HD) Law & Order: Misbegotten Mad Law & Order: Bottomless Missing Law & Order: Driven Murders incite Law & Order 160 Law & Order: Called Home Assisted Law & Order: Darkness New York suicide. (HD) blackout. (HD) scientist. (HD) pants. (HD) racial tension. (HD) (HD) Vivica’s Black Magic: Luenell’s Lit tle Women: At lanta (N) (HD) Lit tle Women: At lanta: Just a Friend (:02) Vivica’s Black Magic: (:02) Vivica’s Black Magic: Luenell’s Lit tle Women: 145 Private Party (HD) (N) (HD) Everyone’s Replaceable (N) (HD) Private Party (HD) Atlanta (HD) 92 Hardball with Chris (N) (HD) All in with Chris Hayes (HD) The Rachel Maddow Show (N) Lawrence O’Donnell (HD) 11th Hour (HD) Hardball (HD) Maddow (HD) 210 Paradise (N) Rufus 2 (‘17) Jace Norman. (HD) Nicky (HD) Full House Full House Full House Full House Friends (HD) Friends (HD) Friends (HD) 153 (5:30) Ghost Rider (‘07) aa (HD) Shooter (‘07, Thriller) aaa Mark Wahlberg. Sniper framed for dignitary’s death. (HD) Walking Tall (‘04, Action) Dwayne Johnson. (HD) The Magicians: Knight of Crowns Incorporated: Part 1: Burning Platform; Part 2: Golden (:40) The Magicians: Knight of 152 Maleficent (‘14, Fantasy) aaa Angelina Jolie. Witch places curse on newborn princess, but she holds key to peace in kingdom. (HD) Quentin’s new plan. (N) (HD) Parachute (N) Crowns Quentin’s new plan. (HD) Seinfeld: The The Big Bang The Big Bang The Big Bang The Big Bang The Big Bang Full Frontal (N) Conan (N) (HD) 2 Broke Girls 156 Seinfeld: The Maestro (HD) Wink (HD) Theory (HD) Theory (HD) Theory (HD) Theory (HD) Theory (HD) (HD) (HD) Doc tor Zhivago (‘65, Drama) Rome Ad ven ture (‘62, Ro mance) aac Troy Donahue. A beau ti ful young (:15) To Have and Have Not (‘44, Ro mance) aaac Humphrey Bo gart. (:15) The Getaway 186 Omar Sharif. Love and war. (HD) teacher resigns and moves to Italy, where she falls in love. A skipper aids the French Resistance. (HD) (‘72) aac 157 (6:00) My 600-lb Life (N) (HD) My 600-lb Life: Kirsten’s Story Gaining control of weight. (N) (HD) Too Close To Home (N) (HD) My 600-lb Life: Kirsten’s Story (HD) Shrek 2 (‘04, Fantasy) aaa Mike Myers. Surly ogre must win over new Shrek the Third 158 Bones: The Life in the Light Ex-con’s Shrek (‘01, Fantasy) aaaa Mike Myers. A green ogre and a talkative remains. (HD) donkey travel to bring back a beautiful princess. (HD) bride’s disapproving parents. (HD) (‘07) aac (HD) 129 Jokers (HD) Jokers (HD) Jokers (HD) Jokers (HD) Carbonaro Carbonaro Carbonaro Carbonaro Jokers (HD) Jokers (HD) Jokers (HD) 161 A Griffith (HD) A Griffith (HD) A Griffith (HD) (:48) Loves Raymond (HD) Loves Ray. Loves Ray. Loves Ray. Queens (HD) Queens (HD) Queens (HD) NCIS: Lockdown Abby enters into a Suits: She’s Gone Harvey, Donna and (:03) Modern (:32) Modern (:02) Modern 132 NCIS: Incognito Marine is found dead NCIS: Double Trouble Murder case in Quantico. (HD) linked to a former agent. (HD) hostage situation. (HD) Louis plan future. (N) (HD) Family (HD) Family (HD) Family (HD) 166 CSI: Miami: Hard Time (HD) CSI: Miami (HD) CSI: Miami Storm deaths. (HD) CSI: Miami: Grand Prix (HD) CSI: Miami: Body Count (HD) CSI Miami 172 Cops (HD) Cops (HD) Cops (HD) Cops (HD) Salem: Black Sunday (N) (HD) (:08) Outsiders (HD) (:07) Cops (HD) (:33) Cops (HD) Salem (HD)

A&E

46 130 Duck Dynasty

AMC

ANPL

BET

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CNBC CNN

35 33

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DSC ESPN ESPN2 FOOD FOXN

42 26 27 40 37

FREE

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39 45

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36 16 64

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38 55

USA

WE WGN

68 8

Streaming services having negative impact on networks BY KEVIN MCDONOUGH After a major disclosure, Raimy (Peyton List) consults Frank (Riley Smith), who spills significant revelations on the season finale of “Frequency” (9 p.m., CW, TV-14). You don’t need an enchanted ham radio to foretell the future of “Frequency.” Low-rated shows that end after their original 13-episode order tend to vanish into the cosmic airwaves, much like Frank. It has been reported that “Frequency,” like CW’s justdeparted “No Tomorrow,” will end up on Netflix eight days after its final airing. There’s some hope that a healthy streaming audience for the series may spark renewed interest. Or interest for renewal. The growth of Netflix and other on-demand streaming services has not only complicated life for individual series, it has also put entire networks on the endangered species list. Just last week we learned that NBC/Universal was shuttering the Esquire Network as a cable offering and reducing its presence to online viewers. The male-centric Esquire now joins Pivot, the “millennial” network, in the boot hill of cable channels. Pivot was shut down last October. • The original Hulu series “The Path” returns for its second season. This intriguing drama is set inside a secretive new age cult that is beginning to spin out of control after the disappearance of its originator and visionary leader. “The Path” does a very good job of evoking an atmosphere of paranoia inside an all-controlling organization, the Meyerist Movement. At the same time, it resists condescending to the spiritual longing and commitment of some of the group’s members. • “Suits” (10 p.m., USA, TV-14) opens the second half of its sixth season with Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht) and Louis Litt (Rick Hoffman) sniffing out a position as top dog at Pearson Specter Litt. Meanwhile, Mike Ross (Patrick J. Adams) ponders his role as a free agent.

TONIGHT’S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS • Victims have only their church in common on “Lethal Weapon” (8 p.m., Fox, TV-14).

• “Unsung” (8 p.m., TV One) profiles Lenny Williams. • The convoluted fantasy series “The Magicians” (9 p.m., Syfy, TV-14) enters its second season. • Amateur bakers and home chefs compete against professionals to create cupcakes and other pastries on the new series “Bakers vs. Fakers” (10 p.m., Food, TV-G). • A construction site accident endangers rescuers on “Code Black” (10 p.m., CBS, TV-14). • Josh seems too friendly to Lucy’s folks on “Man Seeking

Woman” (10:30 p.m., FXX, TVMA).

CULT CHOICE A real romance fueled onscreen chemistry between Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall in the 1944 adaptation of the otherwise forgettable Ernest Hemingway novel “To Have and Have Not” (10:15 p.m., TCM).

LATE NIGHT Heather Ann Thompson and

Bellamy Young are booked on “The Daily Show With Trevor Noah” (11 p.m., Comedy Central) * Leah Remini, Jeff Ross and Foxygen appear on “Conan” (11 p.m., TBS) * Jimmy Fallon welcomes Glenn Close, Jay Baruchel and Candice Thompson on “The Tonight Show” (11:35 p.m., NBC) * Katie Couric,

Are you looking for work? We ﬁll Permanent and Temporary jobs in the greater Sumter area in the following career ﬁelds:

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Bryce Dallas Howard and Matt Taibbi visit “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (12:35 a.m., NBC) * Anna Kendrick, Billy Eichner and Kurt Braunohler on “The Late Late Show With James Corden” (12:35 a.m., CBS, r). Copyright 2017 United Feature Syndicate

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Buffalo Chicken Dip

Serve up big game snacks for the win BY FAMILY FEATURES

he big game is almost here: two teams, a room full of fans and a spread of fan-favorite foods to keep everybody going.

Whether everyone's at your place or you're heading somewhere else to watch the game, you want to make sure the place is stocked with flavorful snacks that will wow the crowd. This year, step up your game with clutch recipes loaded with bold flavor and plenty of heat. One of the most popular party favorites is Buffalo Chicken Dip. It is a must-have because it's creamy, cheesy and loaded with great-tasting buffalo flavor. Serve it up with fresh-cut celery or bell peppers, baby carrots, crackers and pita bread, and you'll add some kick to your sporty celebration. Plus, this recipe provides a way to include those traditional football flavors without the mess of hot wings.

A kick can make or break a game, and the right sauce can make or break your recipe. Not only is Frank's RedHot a game-day staple, it was the key ingredient in the first-ever buffalo wings back in 1964. It's an essential ingredient for any big game food lineup, so make sure you've got plenty onhand. Once you've got the dip prepared for kickoff, it's time to turn to something a little more unexpected. Round out your game-day lineup with an amazing flavor combination they won't see coming - something sweet, tangy and savory that brings just the right amount of heat: Sweet Chili Meatballs. Bite-sized meatballs made with ginger, fresh cilantro, green onions and sweet chili sauce are baked before getting doused in even more sweet chili sauce, making them an irresistibly tasty addition to any game day spread. If the game heads into overtime, no need to worry because these meatballs will stay warm in the slow cooker all game long. If you're looking for more big game tips and recipes to dazzle the crowd, check out franksredhot. com/recipes.

BUFFALO CHICKEN DIP 2 cups shredded cooked chicken 1 package cream cheese (8 ounces), softened 1/2 cup Frank's RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce or Buffalo Wings Sauce 1/2 cup ranch dressing 1/2 cup crumbled bleu cheese or other shredded cheese green onions, chopped (optional) Heat oven to 350 F. In shallow, 1-quart baking dish, combine all ingredients. Bake 20 minutes, or until mixture is heated through. Stir. Garnish with chopped green onions, if desired. Serve with tortilla chips, crackers and/or vegetables.

SWEET CHILI MEATBALLS 1 pound lean ground turkey or ground beef 1/3 cup Japanese panko crumbs or bread crumbs 1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped 3 green onions, chopped 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely minced 1 large egg, beaten 1/2 teaspoon salt 12 ounces Frank's RedHot Sweet Chili Sauce, divided Heat oven to 350 F. Mix ground meat, panko crumbs, cilantro, green onion, ginger, egg, salt and 1/4 cup sweet chili sauce. Form into one-inch meatballs. Place meatballs on lightly greased baking sheets. Bake 20 minutes, turning once halfway through. Put meatballs in slow cooker on warm. With slow cooker on low to keep meatballs warm, pour remaining sweet chili sauce over meatballs. Gently stir to coat. Source: Frank's RedHot

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