SCIENCE: Researchers take a closer look at what was on a caveman’s menu
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Area firefighter named to top post Clarendon man will be state fire marshal BY JIM HILLEY jim@theitem.com A Clarendon County firefighter has been selected as the state’s next fire marshal, Gov. Henry McMaster announced Wednesday. Jonathan Jones has been with Clarendon County Fire Department for the
last 15 years and has served as deputy chief of operations for the department since 2014, according to a news release announcing his appointment. Jones has 22 years of experience in emergency response training and operations, the release said. Jones said he was pleased to be selected. “I am very honored that he has that kind of faith in me that he would select me for the position,” Jones said. McMaster praised Jones’ qualifications.
“We have a new fire marshal in Jonathan Jones who has stood every test, who knows his business and has the trust of his colleagues,” McMaster said. JONES Jones is former president of the S.C. State Firefighters Association, a member of the S.C. Firefighters’ Hall of Fame and a recipient of the S.C. Fire Service Educator of the Year award and the Meritorious Action Award, according to
the release. The S.C. State Fire Marshal serves over the Fire and Life Safety Division of the S.C. Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation and is responsible for oversight of the state’s 208acre fire academy, the statewide Emergency Response Task Force and state fire safety regulations. Jones said most of his training was through the fire academy and on the
SEE FIREFIGHTER, PAGE A7
La Roof on La Piazza
JIM HILLEY / THE SUMTER ITEM
A bumble bee takes advantage of warm temperatures Thursday in Sumter. The latest buzz is that the unusually warm temperatures Sumterites have been enjoying will come to an end Saturday.
Clocks move forward, but winter comes back
M
arch may have come in like a lamb, but it doesn’t look like the lion is going to wait till the end of the month to roar back into South Carolina. The warm and balmy temperatures South Carolina has been blessed with this winter will give way to a cold rain Jim Saturday Hilley night and possible freezes in the coming week. Meteorologist Jeff Linton of the National Weather Service
PHOTOS BY RICK CARPENTER / THE SUMTER ITEM
Workers were busy Wednesday putting a roof on La Piazza on Main Street. When completed, the location will feature a pizza oven, a covered outdoor bar and a seating area as well as a stage for live performances.
SEE WINTER, PAGE A7
GOP pushes health bill through panels in marathon sessions
IRS striking back as agents make dent in identity theft WASHINGTON (AP) — The IRS strikes back: The tax agency reports that the number of identity theft victims plummeted last year after agents struggled for years to combat what has become a multibillion-dollar industry. The number of victims dropped by 46 percent, to 376,000, the IRS said. These taxpayers had their identities stolen by criminals who used their Social Security numbers and birthdates to obtain fraudulent tax refunds. The IRS stopped nearly 1 million fraudulent refunds from being issued last year. They totaled almost $6.6 billion, the agency said.
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“It’s a much more challenging time for the cybercrooks,” said Mark Ciaramitaro, vice president for retail tax products and services at H&R Block. “All of the easy paths have been closed.” Identity theft exploded from 2010 to 2012, and “for a time overwhelmed law enforcement and the IRS,” said John Dalrymple, deputy IRS commissioner for services and enforcement. At the IRS, it peaked in 2014, when the agency identified more than 766,000 victims. That same year, the IRS blocked 1.8 million in fraudulent refunds from being issued. They totaled $10.8 billion. “We’ve driven a lot of the fraud
out of the system,” Dalrymple said. The IRS is a popular target for sophisticated identity thieves because the agency issues more than $300 billion in tax refunds each year. Several years ago, it was as simple as using another person’s Social Security number and birthdate
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican leaders drove their long-promised legislation to dismantle Barack Obama’s health care law over its first big hurdles in the House on Thursday and claimed fresh momentum despite cries of protest from right, left and center. After grueling all-night sessions, the Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means committees both approved their portions of the bill along party-line votes. The legislation, strongly supported by President Trump, would replace the tax penalties for the uninsured under Obama’s Affordable Care Act with a conservative blueprint likely to cover far fewer people but, Republicans hope, increase choice. The vote in Ways and Means came before dawn,
SEE IRS, PAGE A7
SEE GOP, PAGE A7
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