March 29, 2017

County to sell spec building Sumter Easy Homes LLC to open manufacturing facility at North Wise site

BY ADRIENNE SARVIS adrienne@theitem.com

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017

SERVING SOUTH CAROLINA SINCE OCTOBER 15, 1894 4 SECTIONS, 30 PAGES | VOL. 122, NO. 118

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Home & Garden

During its regular meeting on Tuesday, Sumter County Council approved third reading of an ordinance to authorize the option and sale of the county spec building on North Wise Drive to Sumter Easy Home LLC to open a manufacturing facility.

No other details about Sumter Easy Home LLC were available.

According to the ordinance, the county does not currently need the spec building for public use.

The option agreement states that the company will make an

initial payment of $50,000 to the county on the effective date, which had not yet been set. The payment will consist of a $10,000 consideration payment and a $40,000 earnest money deposit.

The total cost for the property, which includes the spec building and 27.8 acres, is $225,000.

Also, county council approved second reading of a request to authorize the sale of 15 acres of land on North Wise Drive, near the Caterpillar Precision Pin Plant, to Sumter Casket Company.

Later, council made an amendment to a request to amend the county zoning and development ordinance to make residential care facilities permitted uses in all heavy industrial zones in the county.

Sumter City-County Planning

Department Director George McGregor said heavy industrial districts are defined by the lack of residential uses in those areas and approving the amendment would be contrary to the intent of the zoning.

The applicant said he intends to operate a home health care facility for seven patients on property at 1041 Cockerill Road. He said there were houses in the area before it was zoned heavy industrial and that she operated a daycare facility at the same structure with industrial facilities in the area in 1994.

She said many of the industrial facilities have since closed down and there is not a lot of traffic on the road where the residential care facility will be located.

SEE COUNTY, PAGE A7

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Kaitlyn Atkins, 9, and John Berry, 11, check each others’ scores after hitting bighorn sheep at the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources National Archery in the Schools Program State Bullseye Tournament held Tuesday at Sumter County Civic Center. Elementary students competed Wednesday followed by middle schools today and high schools tomorrow.

Manufacturing industry hosts middle school expo on Friday

BY BRUCE MILLS bruce@theitem.com

USC Concert Choir to perform in Mayesville on Sunday at 4 p.m. C1 DEATHS, B5 Earl V. Cook Herbert B. Boykin Sr. Ernest D. Butler Sharon O. Truett Harmon Walker

Mary A. Servance Jonathan Taylor Sylvia L. Blackmon Anthony W. Green

Broad St. About 330 eighth-grade students from across Sumter and Lee counties will be in attendance for Friday’s event. All the public middle schools in the two counties will be

SEE EXPO, PAGE B7

No change to city water rates; fees may rise

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A full lineup of engaging activities is scheduled for Friday as part of an inaugural industrial expo to pique area students’ interest in manufacturing careers, according to local economic development agencies that are organizing the event.

Sumter Development Board, TheLINK Economic Development Alliance of Sumter and Lee counties and the Regional Workforce Area for the state Department of Commerce will be hosting the 2017 Manufacturers and Technology Expo at Central Carolina Technical College’s Advanced Manufacturing Technology Training Center, 853

represented, and eighth-graders from at least one private school in Sumter are scheduled to attend.

The event is set for 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Those 13- and 14-year-olds from area schools will be met Friday morning at CCTC’s new training center by at least 20 manufacturers and technology firms that will present interactive displays to increase the students’ interest in manufacturing careers. Companies in attendance Friday will include Sumter’s Continental Tire the Americas and Kaydon Corp., Manning’s Bicycle Corp. of America and Monster.com of Florence, just to name a few.

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BY JIM HILLEY jim@theitem.com Most Sumter residents are not likely to see major changes in their water bills during the next five years, but city staff recommended charges for such things as disconnects, new water taps and building inspections fees be increased to reflect costs.

“Some of our rates we feel like we are on top of,” said City Manager Deron McCormick, but “some have not changed for years and years.”

Sumter City Council listened but didn’t take any action as staff mem-

bers provided an overview of city utility rates at a work session Tuesday. The work session was intended to help members prepare for developing the next budget.

Water rates are among the rates that will remain mostly unchanged during the next five years.

Eric Shytle, the city’s general counsel, explained that five years ago, the city adopted a plan for water rates that includes a 10-year phasein of higher rates for larger meter sizes.

Shytle said adopting the five-year plan helps the city avoid large fee

increases and helps users, particularly large commercial customers, plan for future costs.

The minimum monthly charge includes a fee based on the customer water meter size, he said.

Most residential customers have meters of either five-eighths of an inch or half an inch and will not see any rate increase.

However, rates for larger meters will continue to increase to reflect industry standards, he said.

He said a typical customer using an 8-inch meter uses about 30 million gallons a year, and the increase would amount to less than 1

percent of that user’s bill.

Staff also recommended adding two rate levels to sewer strength charges, which are based on the amount of water needing treatment that a customer releases. The city has rates that top out at 1.8 million gallons a month, and staff suggested new rate classes for 1.8 million to 2 million gallons a month and a rate for more than 2 million gallons a month that would be based on a yet-to-be-determined formula.

SEE CITY, PAGE A6

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017

THE SUMTER ITEM

Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: pressrelease@theitem.com

LOCAL BRIEFS FROM STAFF REPORTS

Deputies investigating deadly Tuesday wreck Sumter County Sheriff deputies are investigating a wreck on Dubose Siding Road that left one person dead early Tuesday.

Law enforcement received a call at approximately 3:30 a.m. that a vehicle was in flames. It appears that the female driver, who was the lone occupant in the vehicle, was traveling west on Dubose Siding Road when her vehicle left the roadway and struck a power pole, according to information from a Sumter County Sheriff’s Office press release. It further stated that she was ejected from her vehicle, which caught fire.

The woman’s body is being sent to Newberry for an autopsy to determine her exact cause of death.

Sumter County Coroner Robbie Baker is working to notify the family of the deceased.

Once the family is notified, the woman’s identity will be released.

Sumter County Sheriff’s Office is investigating to determine what might have caused the vehicle to leave the roadway.

Clemson president touts success

BY JIM HILLEY jim@theitem.com Clemson University President James Clements was the guest speaker at the Sumter Rotary Club at a well-attended luncheon meeting Monday at the O’Donnell House, 120 E. Liberty St. Clements said that much like Rotary, the university exists to serve others.

He said he came from a family that did not have any higher education but who taught him that education is the key to a better life.

“My parents taught me the value of education, hard work and honesty,” he said.

Education provides a benefit not just to the student, but to society as a whole, he said.

Clements said he is still riding high after the school won the 2016 NCAA Bowl Series Football Championship.

Clemson athletics has also been successful in a number of other sports as well, he said, winning several Atlantic Coast Conference championships and finishing fifth nationally in the Capitol One Cup, which rates schools according to their finish in college sports.

BY JIM HILLEY jim@theitem.com

First responders and emergency management teams from Shaw Air Force Base and the city of Sumter will conduct an all-day aircraft incident related exercise Thursday at Patriot Park in Sumter.

The exercise is an effort to bolster the ability of base and community responders to work together if an emergency involving an aircraft were to take place in the local area, according to a press release from Shaw. The exercise will enhance critical relationships and provide first responders with exposure to the practices and procedures necessary to respond to such an incident, the release states.

As a result of the exercise, community members can expect to see increased activity and emergency vehicles near Patriot Park.

Questions regarding the exercise can be directed to the 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs office at 20FWPublicAffairs@us.af.mil or 803-8952015.

Lack of affordable housing and few resources targeting mental health, especially for school children, were two problems brought up by attendees at a rural health care forum Monday evening at Sumter Recreation Department.

The discussion was part of the South Carolina Office of Rural Health initiative to obtain feedback from community members during a listening tour in several South Carolina communities. The office is a a nonprofit organization working to improve the health status of rural and underserved people throughout the state, according to its website, www.scorh.com.

Cassie Odahowski, a doctoral student at University of South Carolina Arnold School of Public Health, and educational consultant Tiffany Simpson-Crumpley facilitated the discussion among about two dozen local stakeholders who attended the meeting. Attendees were presented with topics from five categories: housing; education; access to care; economic development/jobs; and community assets, leadership and engagement.

Concerning housing, attendees expressed concern about people living in substandard homes with broken windows, insect infestations and without adequate utilities, such as clean water.

Another issue cited is lack of broadband internet.

“It is a barrier to care for some of our patients,” said one health care provider who attended. She said some of the sickest patients can benefit from remote monitoring of such things as blood pressure

In Tuesday’s edition, it was incorrectly written that Willie H. Brunson of Brunson Law Firm LLC in Sumter is representing the city of Sumter and Sumter Police Department in response to a lawsuit filed against the two entities by the sister of Waltki Cermoun Williams who was killed during a shooting incident with police officers on Dec. 10, 2016.

Brunson is representing William’s sister.

If you see a statement in error, contact the City Desk at 774-1226 or pressrelease@theitem.com.

JIM HILLEY / THE SUMTER ITEM

Clemson University President James Clements speaks to the Sumter Rotary Club at the O’Donnell House on Monday. ments said. That amounts to about $3,500 per student, or about half of what most competitive schools receive, he said.

“We get about 49 cents on the dollar for what they get, but I am thankful for what we get,” he said.

He said the future of the school is looking very bright.

“We love the national championship, but it just gives us more opportunity to promote our vision of service,” he said.

Rural health care issues surface at forum

Air Force, civilian forces to conduct training

CORRECTION

He stressed that Clemson’s rank as the number five school in graduating its students was a better measure of his school’s success.

He said the school is presently under the biggest building boom in the school’s history.

“When you see cranes and dirt on campus, that is a good thing,” Clements said.

He said the construction is necessary to prepare for the future.

“We are building like crazy,” he said.

“It’s a good time to build.”

Clements said the school currently has more than 23,000 students, with 18,000 of those being undergraduates.

He said the school has been growing at about 3 percent per year.

That growth is projected to continue at 2 percent, he said, but most of the growth will be at satellite campuses in Charleston and Greenville because the main campuses has limited space.

Clemson is making great strides despite getting less help from state government than most of its competitors, he said.

“We have a $1 billion budget, and we get about 10 percent from the state,” Cle-

JIM HILLEY / THE SUMTER ITEM

Facilitators Tiffany Simpson-Crumpley and Cassie Odahowski listen as local stakeholders discuss rural health care issues during a forum hosted by South Carolina Office of Rural Health at the Sumter Recreation Department on Monday evening. and heart rate, but the monitors require an internet connection, which many poor and rural patients do not have.

It was also brought up that many of those substandard homes have poor insulation, leading to high utility bills.

County Council Chairman Jim McCain said the county has few resources to enforce building codes for rental properties.

Sumter County only has one codes officer compared with seven in the city of Sumter, he said.

On the topic of education, attendees said poor rural children are at risk from a lack of services.

McCain said many kids have problems with reading.

Michelle Devine, a registered nurse with the Tuomey Foundation’s Care Reach

program, said there are far too many 3- and 4-year-old kids sitting at home in unhealthy environments.

“It’s not healthy,” she said.

“They need to be healthy before they can learn.”

Devine also said lack of mental health care is a major issue.

“Kids are being expelled from school who are coming from an environment they cannot control,” she said.

Devine said that kids who haven’t had kindergarten often come into school with behavioral issues which haven’t been diagnosed.

“They are often expelled by the third or fourth grade,” she said.

She said that while there is Brewington Academy for older kids with behavioral or learning issues, there is nothing available for younger

children.

“These children deserve more than just being sent home,” Devine said.

Stakeholders also lamented the problem of recruiting health care providers to Sumter, particularly in the areas of mental health and drug and alcohol abuse counseling.

Access to dental care was also cited as a problem, with few dentists taking Medicaid and a downward trend in pro-bono services.

“Dentists are here, but they are not affordable or low cost,” one attendee noted.

Legal assistance, so that family members can authorize care for patients, is also a problem in the area, one health care provider said, citing an example of a grandmother who has physical custody of her grandchild but no legal documents authorizing her to get medical care for the child.

She said it is a particular problem when Department of Social Services removes a child from a home and gives custody to a relative but does not follow up the placement with all the legal documents necessary.

Attendees said a problem in Sumter is that care for most health needs is available, but getting the information to those who need it is a problem. They also said there is a lack of coordination between providers in the area.

The Sumter area received high marks for its vocational and economic development assets, but many job seekers go through training only to fail pre-employment drug tests, highlighting the lack of mental health services available.

“Mental health is becoming more and more of an issue,” Devine said.

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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Veterinarians host rabies clinics locally in April FROM STAFF REPORTS Veterinarians are joining forces with South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control in April to help owners protect themselves, their families, communities and pets against rabies, according to a news release.

As required by state law, all pet owners must vaccinate their dogs, cats and ferrets. Keeping pets’ rabies vaccinations up to date is one of the easiest and most effective ways you can protect everyone from this fatal disease.

“Participating veterinarians will

vaccinate dogs, cats and ferrets during the spring clinics,” said Sandra Craig, director of DHEC’s Division of Food Protection and Rabies Prevention. “Rabies vaccination fees may vary by clinic site, but no vet participating in these clinics will charge more than $10 per pet.”

While not required by state law, DHEC strongly recommends that owners also vaccinate all horses, any livestock that has frequent contact with humans, any livestock that is particularly valuable or animals used for the production of raw milk or raw milk products.

Hundreds of South Carolinians must

undergo preventive treatment for rabies every year because of exposure to a rabid or suspected rabid animal, according to the release.

“Rabies is a threat to pets, livestock, wild animals and humans. Pet owners must stay vigilant and keep their pets current on their vaccinations,” Craig said.

In 2016, there were 94 positive cases of rabies confirmed in animals across the state, including 43 raccoons, 18 skunks, 11 foxes, 10 bats, six cats, four dogs, one horse and one deer, according to DHEC. For more information, visit www.dhec.sc.gov/rabies/.

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Officials say president’s budget could hurt efforts to find homes for veterans PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — The push to end homelessness among veterans would suffer without the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, which is up for elimination under President Trump’s proposed budget, nonprofits and local officials say.

The council coordinates the efforts of 19 federal agencies that play a role in preventing and ending homelessness among all Americans. But the strides made with veterans — for whom homelessness has been effectively ended in three states and dozens of communities amid a concerted effort — make the proposed cuts particularly upsetting to advocates.

Homeless advocates in any given state consult the coun-

cil, whose annual budget is about $3.5 million, on which strategies are working elsewhere as they seek to house veterans. They worry momentum will slow.

“We’ve learned how to end homelessness,” said Nonie Brennan, chief executive of the nonprofit All Chicago. “It would be a tremendous shame if we were not able to continue to implement these strategies in our communities across the country.”

Adding to the ire and confusion, the budget proposal also says the Trump administration will support Department of Veterans Affairs programs for homeless and at-risk veterans and their families but doesn’t elaborate. Trump, who

U.S. Navy veteran Stephen Matthews sits for a photograph in the bedroom of a relative’s home in Warwick, Rhode Island, where he and his family lived after being evicted from their home. Through federal assistance, Matthews received a voucher that would pay about two-thirds of his rent, and found a place to live in late December after a six-month search.

AP FILE PHOTO

promised on the campaign trail to support veterans, wants to give the VA a 6 percent increase.

Still, the federal government needs someone to make sure housing resources are well spent and to look across agencies for solutions instead of just at their own, advocates say.

“Without coordination and oversight and giving some thought to how the money should best be spent, the money may not go to the people who need it most,” said Hank Hughes, of the New Mexico Co-

alition to End Homelessness.

The White House’s $1.15 trillion plan, released this month, emphasizes military and other security-related spending and slashes many domestic programs. The proposal is the first step in a lengthy process that requires congressional approval.

Proponents of small government praised it. The interagency council, created during the Reagan administration, is one of 19 independent agencies for which Trump proposed eliminating funding.

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Group says the U.S.-led coalition is failing to protect Mosul civilians

BY SUSANNAH GEORGE The Associated Press BAGHDAD — A recent spike in civilian casualties in Mosul suggests the U.S.-led coalition is not taking adequate precautions to prevent civilian deaths as it battles the Islamic State militants alongside Iraqi ground forces, Amnesty International said on Tuesday.

The human rights group’s report follows acknowledgement from the coalition that the U.S. military was behind a March 17 strike in a western Mosul neighborhood that residents have said killed more than a hundred civilians.

U.S. officials did not confirm there were civilian casualties but opened an investigation.

Amnesty’s report also cites a second strike on Saturday that it said killed “up to 150 people.” The U.S.-led coalition said in a statement that it was investigating multiple strikes in western Mosul that allegedly resulted in civilian deaths.

Evidence gathered on the ground in Mosul “points to an alarming pattern of U.S.-led coalition airstrikes which have destroyed whole houses with entire families inside,” the report stated.

It said any failure to take precautions to prevent civilian casualties would be “in flagrant violation of interna-

tional humanitarian law.”

In Baghdad, visiting U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley said on Monday that what caused the explosion was still unknown and added that “some degree of certainty will be known in the coming days following the investigation.”

“It is very possible that Daesh blew up that building to blame it on the collation in order to cause a delay in the offensive into Mosul and cause a delay in the use of collation airstrikes, that is very possible,” Milley told reporters after meetings at the Iraqi Defense Ministry.

Daesh is an Arabic language acronym for the Islamic State group.

“And it is possible the collation airstrike did it,” he added.

Speaking to reporters in Geneva, the spokesman of the U.N. human rights office called on the international coalition fighting in Iraq to work to “minimize the impact” on civilians. Rupert Colville said IS militants are brazenly employing human shields, urging the coalition forces to “avoid this trap.”

Colville added that the rights office has tallied the deaths of at least 307 people between Feb. 17 and March 22, including 140 from a single March 17 airstrike incident on a house in al-Jadida neighbor-

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

A man exits a house damaged during fights between Iraq security forces and Islamic State on the western side of Mosul, Iraq, on Friday.

Residents of the Iraqi city’s neighborhood known as Mosul Jidideh said scores of residents are thought to have been killed by airstrikes that hit a cluster of homes in the area earlier this month. hood on March 17.

Iraqi forces began the assault on IS-held Mosul in October, after months of preparation and buildup. In January, Iraq declared the eastern half of Mosul — the Tigris River divides the city into an eastern and western sector — “fully liberated.” Iraqi gov-

there and the increased reliance on airstrikes and artillery. Faced with their toughest fight against IS yet, Iraqi and coalition forces have increasingly turned to airstrikes and artillery to clear and hold territory in Mosul’s west.

Unlike its previous battles against IS in urban settings in Iraq, the government made the decision to instruct Mosul civilians to remain in their homes. In the battles for Fallujah and Ramadi, those cities were entirely emptied of their civilian population while Iraqi forces fought to push out IS. In Mosul, the Iraqi government said it asked civilians to remain in place to prevent large-scale displacement.

When the operation to retake Mosul was launched, more than a million people were estimated to still be living in the city, Iraq’s secondlargest. Today, the United Nations estimates about 400,000 people remain trapped in ISheld neighborhoods in western Mosul.

Amnesty International’s report quoted survivors and eyewitnesses of airstrikes that have killed civilians as saying that “they did not try to flee as the battle got underway because they received repeated instructions from the Iraqi authorities to remain in their homes.”

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Civilians, humanitarian groups and monitoring officials have repeatedly warned of the possibility of increased civilian casualties in western Mosul because of the higher density of the population

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A6

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LOCAL

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017

THE SUMTER ITEM

CITY FROM PAGE A1 “This is particularly important for prospective industry,�

McCormick said. “We go into a great deal of detail with them about their pre-treatment programs.�

He said the city is “super competitive� when it comes to the sewer strength charges.

Utility Finance Director Candy Quiroz told council that with the installation of new water meters during the next two years, the city needs to adapt to the changes in technology and also better reflect the actual costs of meter disconnects and reconnects.

She recommended the current disconnect fee of $25 be increased to $50 to better reflect the actual cost of $52.

Subsequent disconnects would be a $50 “delinquency processing fee.� Charges for tampering would be $100 plus the cost of damaged equipment. The current fee is a flat $100. “When we go through the delinquency process, it is a lot more than just one trip to turn it back on,� she said.

Assistant City Manager Al Harris said the city’s water and sewer tap fees are extremely low and haven’t been increased in more than a decade. “We get nothing out of our labor and materials,� he said.

Harris also recommended the city institute a $100 fee for doing hydrant flow tests. Flow tests are often requested by builders and their insurance companies to make sure enough water is available to meet requirements for such things as sprinkler systems.

He said the city does a large number of flow tests each

year and currently does not charge for them despite the expense. He also recommended customers — usually construction companies — who want to get water from a hydrant pay a $1,200 deposit for the meter and a $50 fee for meter removal.

Harris also told council that the present stormwater fees barely allow the stormwater utility to break even. He recommended a new rate for properties with 12,000 square feet or more of impervious areas such as roofs or parking lots that would bring in about $200,000 a year for ongoing stormwater projects. He said the average house only has about 3,000 square feet of impervious area, and the increase would only affect customers such as businesses, churches and industry.

McCormick said that eventually more stringent stormwater standards will be required, which will require additional money. “The bottom line is, if we had 10 times the money in our program, we could use it right now,� he said.

He said stormwater fees may only be used for stormwater projects. “You can put more money into it, but you can’t take money out of it,� he said.

Building Director Steve Campbell recommended an increase in building inspection fees to better reflect cost and to discourage builders from calling for an inspection when they are not ready.

He said the current fee of $30 allows builders to have a site re-inspected two times if it fails the first inspection.

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He said high-volume housing retailers have a certain number of days to complete a building and usually have days predetermined to call for an inspection.

“They have dates you have to call for an inspection but no stipulation if it passes or not,� he said. He recommended raising the minimum fee from $30 to $50 and raising the

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LOCAL | STATE

THE SUMTER ITEM

State chamber backs erasing more minor crimes from records COLUMBIA (AP) — South Carolina legislation expanding the crimes ex-cons can have erased from their criminal records has a seemingly unlikely backer — the state Chamber of Commerce.

Because criminal records can prevent job seekers from being called in for an interview or even filling out an application, removing minor offenses such as drug possession has the two-fold benefit of improving people’s lives while helping businesses fill openings, chamber CEO Ted Pitts told The Associated Press.

“If we can remove that off somebody’s record, then that gives them a second chance,” he said. “We’ve got workforce issues, and we want to work with South Carolinians in making sure they become productive taxpaying citizens.”

The House Judiciary Committee voted 16-4 Tuesday to advance a bill expanding offenses eligible for expungement.

Rep. Eddie Tallon opposed the idea, saying businesses can choose to hire or not, no matter what’s in someone’s past.

“I believe the business has the right to know who they’re

hiring,” said Tallon, R-Spartanburg, a retired state law enforcement officer.

Pitts said the bipartisan bill provides a step toward “reintegrating a segment of society back in the workforce” in a way the business community approves. He added that businesses would never support expunging crimes involving violence, sexual assault or dishonesty.

At present, only a first minor offense can be expunged.

ed game, according to Erika Williams of the Sumter Development Board.

The purpose of the event is to help expose the students to the advanced technology used in today’s manufacturing environment.

“Increasingly, we see the

demand for a labor force with advanced skills who stand at the ready to begin positions with global industries based in the local area,” said Jay Schwedler, CEO of the Sumter Development Board and TheLINK alliance. “We are positioning our region to answer that call, and we are dedicated to disrupting the mindset of not only the tradi-

EXPO FROM PAGE A1 After participating in and viewing the companies’ displays, the students will tour six course programs at CCTC’s advanced manufacturing center and then hear from various career and motivational speakers and participate in a manufacturing-relat-

MORE TO THE STORY Read on at www.theitem.com.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017

|

A7

COUNTY FROM PAGE A1 Council amended the request to make the specific residential care facility a special exception in that heavy industrial district and approved second reading of the request. If the amended request receives third reading it will go before Sumter CityCounty Board of Zoning Appeals for consideration.

In other news, council voted to: • Reduce the speed limit in Meadowcroft subdivision from 30 mph to 25 mph at the request of the homeowner’s association.

The county will place three new speed limit signs at the three entrances at Meadowcroft,

tional manufacturing environment, but also the thought of what’s considered the pathway to success. Manufacturing offers good jobs with good pay.”

The career and technology education centers for both Sumter and Lee county school districts will also be in attendance to answer students’ questions about their various

Windtree and Sun Valley drives; and • Adopt three proposals reflecting the results of the county’s audit report that was presented by Webster Rogers LLP on March 14. The policies include cash handling, internal controls and updating the county’s unassigned fund balance requirement to meet new Government Finance Officers Association standards. County council chairman James McCain said many of the details in the policies are already practiced by the county and adopting the policies would put them in writing.

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017

THE SUMTER ITEM

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THE SUMTER ITEM

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017

N.G. Osteen 1843-1936 The Watchman and Southron

H.G. Osteen 1870-1955 Founder, The Item

H.D. Osteen 1904-1987 The Item

|

A9

Margaret W. Osteen 1908-1996 The Item Hubert D. Osteen Jr. Chairman & Editor-in-Chief Graham Osteen Co-President Kyle Osteen Co-President Jack Osteen Editor and Publisher Larry Miller CEO Rick Carpenter Managing Editor

36 W. Liberty St., Sumter, South Carolina 29150 • Founded October 15, 1894

COMMENTARY

Educational sabotage

N

ationally, black junior high and high school students are suspended at a rate more than three times as often as their white peers, twice as often as their Latino peers and more than 10 times as often as their Asian peers. According to former Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan, the ‘’huge disparity is not caused by differences in children; it’s caused by differences in training, professional development, and discipline policies. It is adult behavior that needs to change.’’ In other words, the Education Department sees no difference between the behavior of black students and white, Latino and Asian students. It’s just that black students are singled out for discriminatory discipline.

Driven by Obama administration pressures, school districts revised their discipline procedures by cutting the number of black student suspensions.

Max Eden, senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, has written a report, ‘’School Discipline Reform and Disorder: Evidence from New York City Public Schools, 2012-16.’’ The new discipline imposed on public schools is called restorative justice. Rather than punish a student through exclusion (suspension), restorative justice encourages the student who has misbehaved to reflect on his behavior, take responsibility and resolve to behave better in the future. The results of this new policy are: increased violence, drug use and gang activity.

Max Eden examines the NYC School Survey of teachers and students and finds that violence increased in 50 percent of schools and decreased in 14 percent. Gang activity increased in 39 percent of schools and decreased in 11 percent. For drug and alcohol use, there was a 37 percent increase while only 7 percent of schools improved.

It’s not just New York City where discipline is worse under the Obama administration’s policy. Max Eden reports: ‘’One Chicago teacher told the Chicago Tribune that her district’s new discipline policy led to ‘a totally lawless few months’ at her school. One Denver teacher told Chalkbeat that, under the new discipline policy, students had threatened to harm or kill teachers ‘with no meaningful consequences.’ … After Oklahoma City Public Schools revised its discipline policies in response to federal pressure,

one teacher told the Oklahoman that ‘[w]e were told that referrals would not require suspension unless there was Walter blood.’’’

Williams Max Eden reports that in Oklahoma City a teacher said that: ‘’Students are yelling, cursing, hitting and screaming at teachers and nothing is being done but teachers are being told to teach and ignore the behaviors. These students know there is nothing a teacher can do. Good students are now suffering because of the abuse and issues plaguing these classrooms.’’ In Buffalo, a teacher who was kicked in the head by a student said: ‘’We have fights here almost every day. The kids walk around and say, ‘We can’t get suspended — we don’t care what you say.’’’ Ramsey County attorney John Choi of St. Paul, Minnesota, described how the number of assaults against teachers doubled from 2014 to 2015 and called the situation a ‘’public health crisis.’’ Testifying before the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, a former Philadelphia teacher said that a student told him, ‘’I’m going to torture you. I’m doing this because I can’t be removed.’’ Eden’s report cites similar school horror stories in other cities.

Since most of the school violence and discipline problems rest with black students, there are a few questions that black parents, politicians, academics and civil rights advocates should ponder. Is academic achievement among blacks so high that black people can afford to allow miscreants and thugs to sabotage the education process? For those pushing the Obama administration’s harebrained restorative justice policy, can blacks afford for anything to interfere with the acquisition of academic excellence? Finally, how does the Obama restorative justice policy differ from a Ku Klux Klan policy that would seek to sabotage black education by making it impossible for schools to rid themselves of students who make education impossible for everyone else?

Walter E. Williams is a professor of economics at George Mason University. © 2017 creators.com

COMMENTARY

Recognizing silliness in our language more important than ever before EDITOR’S NOTE: This column first appeared in the Sunday, April 3, 1988 edition of The Sumter Item.

I

t’s time to take aim on the words and phrases that dishonor the English language.

This year’s crop of redundancies, euphemisms and other linguistic atrocities show promise of keeping all of us who treasure plain language ever vigilant. To give you an example of what I’m talking about, here’s a phrase that isn’t used very much but occasionally surfaces: aerodynamic personnel decelerator.

You go to the head of the class if you recognized this as a parachute. But that’s an extreme example. Let’s get into more familiar territory and examine what’s playing well in Peoria, so to speak: • “Alternative lifestyle.”

This sounds good, possibly because it’s a safe description of something we’d rather ignore.

• “On a roll,” as in “That’s his third birdie in a row.

He’s on a roll.” That’s fine for hamburgers, hot dogs or sesame seeds, but not for people.

• “Irregardless.” This is used ad nauseum for “regardless.” The use of irregardless is an irritating ir-

WHO REPRESENTS YOU SUMTER COUNTY COUNCIL DISTRICT 1 Christopher F. Sumpter II 1200 Broad St., PMB 180 Sumter, SC 29154 (803) 305-9375 (cell) csumpter@sumtercountysc.org DISTRICT 2 Artie Baker 3680 Bakersfield Lane Dalzell, SC 29040 803-469-3638 (home) DISTRICT 3 James Byrd Jr. PO Box 1913 Sumter, SC 29151 (803) 468-1719 (cell) (803) 436-2108 (fax) jbyrd@sumtercountysc.org DISTRICT 4 Charles T. Edens 3250 Home Place Road Sumter, SC 29150 (803) 775-0044 (home) (803) 236-5759 (cell) cedens@sumtercountysc.org DISTRICT 5 Vivian Fleming-McGhaney 9770 Lynches River Road Lynchburg, SC 29080 (803) 437-2797 (home) (803) 495-3247 (office) vmcghaney@sumtercountysc.org DISTRICT 6 James T. McCain Jr. 317 W. Bartlette St. Sumter, SC 29150 (803) 773-2353 (home) (803) 607-2777 (cell) DISTRICT 7 Eugene Baten PO Box 3193

Sumter, SC 29151 (803) 773-0815 (home) council@sumtercountysc.org SUMTER CITY COUNCIL

WARD 1 Thomas J. Lowery 829 Legare St. Sumter, SC 29150 (803) 773-9298 tlowery@sumter-sc.com WARD 2 Ione Dwyer PO Box 1492 Sumter, SC 29151 (803) 481-4284 idwyer@sumter-sc.com WARD 3 Calvin K. Hastie Sr. 810 S. Main St. Sumter, SC 29150 (803) 774-7776 chastie@sumter-sc.com WARD 4 Steven Corley 115 Radcliff Drive Sumter, SC 29150 (803) 305-1566 scorley@sumter-sc.com WARD 5 Robert Galiano 608 Antlers Drive Sumter, SC 29150 (803) 469-0005 bgaliano@sumter-sc.com WARD 6

list. You’ve seen and heard that word: “The peace process ... the election process ... the legislative process.” Food used to be the only thing you could process; now any and everything goes through the process.

• “Underachiever.” This is educationese for a goof-off.

• “Irregularity.” This one has a host of meanings: a) You’re constipated; b) You’re dishonest, as in “irregularities” in your expense account; or c) You’re pregnant.

(This meaning is somewhat archaic, having been used with great regularity during the 19th century.)

• “Terminate with extreme prejudice.” I love this one. I think it was invented by the CIA. It means to kill.

• “Take under advisement.” This is a great favorite among bureaucrats. It usually means to shelve whatever problem or suggestion you might offer to the bureaucrat. Sometimes the phrase “deep six” is used interchangeably with this one.

I’m sure you get the Big Picture, to dredge up another one. You may have your own favorites. Share them with me and our readers. I promise you I will take all your offerings under advisement, and those I disapprove of will be terminated with extreme prejudice.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

David Merchant 26 Paisley Park Sumter, SC 29150 (803) 773-1086 dmerchant@sumter-sc.com STATE LAWMAKERS

MAYOR Joseph T. McElveen Jr. 20 Buford St. Sumter, SC 29150 (803) 773-0382 jmcelveen@sumter-sc.com

regularity.

• “Cutting edge,” as in the cutting edge of higher education, or science, or fashion, or Hubert D. research.

Osteen Jr. Excessive use of this phrase suggests banishment from our language before someone is slashed to ribbons.

• “Orientate.” The correct word is “orient,” for goodness sakes.

• “Living in poverty, living in sin,” etc. People don’t live in poverty. They can be poor and living in Sumter (or Dalzell, or Greeleyville, or Hemingway, or Mayesville), but they sure can’t be living in poverty.

• “Disadvantaged.” This used to be called “poor.” But poor people have disappeared, if not from the slums, then at least from the language. First they become “deprived,” then “disadvantaged,” and finally “culturally disadvantaged,” as though they lacked nothing more serious than a free pass to Patriot Hall.

• “Player.” This is getting a thorough workout in the political arena these days. “Process” should be added to the

Rep. Will Wheeler, D-Bishopville District 50 (803) 484-5454 (office, Bishopville) (803) 212-6958 (office, Columbia) (803) 428-3161 (home) (803) 229-2407 (cell) Rep. Dr. Robert L. Ridgeway III, D-Clarendon District 64 117 N. Brooks St. Manning, SC 29102 (803) 938-3087(home) (803) 212-6929 (Columbia) Rep. Murrell Smith Jr., R-Sumter District 67 PO Box 580 Sumter, SC 29151 (803) 778-2471 (business) (803) 778-1643 (fax) (803) 734-3042 (Columbia) murrellsmith@schouse.gov Rep. J. David Weeks, D-Sumter District 51 2 Marlborough Court Sumter, SC 29154 (803) 775-5856 (business) (803) 734-3102 (Columbia) Sen. Gerald Malloy, D-Darlington District 29 1216 Salem Road Hartsville, SC 29550 (843) 339-3000 (803) 212-6148 (Columbia)

(803) 212-6108 (Columbia) Sen. J. Thomas McElveen III, D-Sumter District 35 PO Box 57, Sumter, 29151 (803) 775-1263 (business) (803) 212-6132 (Columbia) NATIONAL LAWMAKERS Rep. Mick Mulvaney — 5th District 1207 Longworth HOB Washington, D.C. 20515 (202) 225-5501 531-A Oxford Drive Sumter, SC 29150 (803) 327-1114 Rep. Jim Clyburn — 6th District 319 Cannon House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 (202) 225-3315 1703 Gervais St. Columbia, SC 29201 (803) 799-1100 jclyburn@hr.house.gov Sen. Lindsey Graham 290 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 (202) 224-5972 Midlands Regional Office 508 Hampton Street, Suite 202 Columbia, SC 29201 (803) 933-0112 (main)

Sen. Tim Scott 167 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 (202) 224-6121 (202) 228-5143 (fax) Sen. Kevin L. Johnson, D-Manning 1301 Gervais St., Suite 825 District 36 Columbia, SC 29201 PO Box 156, Manning, 29102 (803) 771-6112 (803) 435-8117 (home) (803) 771-6455 (fax)

WRITER PENS TRIBUTE TO GOOD FRIEND HUGH HUMPHRIES JR. Hugh C. Humphries Jr. and I were friends for over 75 years, that friendship first forged as early as the fourth grade in grammar school. We had a good time playing together as children in grade school, and that friendship continued as we grew up, later including going on doubledates together. We saw quite a bit of each other, being together in school and also at our church.

Hugh played high school football for Coach Hutchinson, and after graduation, moved on to attend Clemson University, where he received a mechanical engineering degree. He worked for many years with Williams Furniture and Georgia-Pacific.

Hugh and I both belonged to Trinity United Methodist, where we were able to serve on the official board together, and were members together on various committees. He was also a member of the YMCA and other local organizations in our community.

Hugh was a fine Christian gentle-

man and one whose friendship I greatly valued. He was a friendly person, and very understanding. He always wanted to do something for somebody else. He helped me in many ways over the years, and always seemed willing to do anything he could to help me. He helped me with my sister, Nell, who had polio, and would come to take her to her bridge club, then go back to bring her home.

That was a big thing for Nell to be able to go out and be with her friends.

After I was married, and had bought a house, we wanted to add on to make a den, breakfast room and utility room. Hugh helped us to draw up the plans and oversaw the entire project. That was a big favor to me.

Hugh was a prime example of having many good friends that meant so much to him. Our friendship and our close family ties have meant so very much to me over the years. Hugh, I will remember all of the times that we shared experiences together. God bless you for being my dear friend!

ROBERT K. GALLOWAY SR. Sumter

HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY? Send your letter to letters@theitem.com, drop it off at The Sumter Item office, 36 W. Liberty St., or mail it to The Sumter Item, P.O. Box 1677, Sumter, SC 29151, along with the writer’s full name, 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.

A10

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017

SUPPORT GROUPS murder in a violent way.

AA, AL-ANON, ALATEEN: Multiple Sclerosis Support AA — Monday-Friday, noon March Support Groups: 29, 2017 Group — Third Tuesday, 5:30 and 5:30 p.m.; Saturday, 8 p.m., Carolinas Rehabilitap.m.; Sundays, 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m., 1 Warren St. (803) tion Hospital, 121 E. Cedar St., Florence. Call (843) 661775-1852.

3746.

AA Women’s Meeting — Amputee Support Group — Wednesdays, 7 p.m., 1 WarFourth Tuesday, 5:30 p.m., ren St. (803) 775-1852.

Carolinas Rehabilitation HosAA Spanish Speaking — Sunpital, 121 E. Cedar St., Flordays, 4:30 p.m., 1 Warren St. ence. Call (843) 661-3746.

(803) 775-1852.

EFMP Parent Exchange Group AA “How it Works” Group — — Last Tuesday, 11 a.m.Mondays and Fridays, 8 p.m., noon, Airman and Family 1154 Ronda St. Call (803) 494Readiness Center. Support 5180. to service members who 441 AA Support Group — Monhave a dependent with a disdays, Tuesdays and Fridays, ability or illness. Call (803) 8:30 p.m., Hair Force, 2090-D 895-1252/1253 or (803) 847S.C. 441.

2377.

AA Summerton Group — WEDNESDAY MEETINGS: Wednesday, 8 p.m., town hall.

Sickle Cell Support Group — Last Wednesday, 11 a.m.-1 Manning Al-Anon Family Group p.m., South Sumter Resource — Thursdays, 7:30 p.m., BeCenter, 337 Manning Ave. havioral Health Building, 14 Call (803) 774-6181.

Church St., Manning. Call (803) 435-8085.

Divorce Care — Wednesdays, 6:30 p.m., Bethel Baptist C/A “Drop the Rock” Group — Church, 2401 Bethel Church Thursdays, 9:30 p.m., 1154 Ronda St. Call (803) 607-4543. Road. Call (803) 481-2160.

Grief Share — Wednesdays, MONDAY MEETINGS: 6:30 p.m., Bethel Baptist Church, 2401 Bethel Church Sumter Vitiligo Support Group Road. Call (803) 481-2160.

— Second Monday, 5:45-6:45 p.m., North HOPE Center, 904 THURSDAY MEETINGS: N. Main St. Call (803) 3166763. The group is also on TOPS S.C. No. 236 (Take Off Facebook.

Pounds Sensibly) — Thursdays, 9 a.m., Spectrum SeTUESDAY MEETINGS: nior Center,1989 Durant Lane. Call (803) 775-3926 or Heroin Anonymous — Tues(803) 469-4789. days, 9:30-10:30 p.m., 4742 Broad St.. Call (803) 494-5180. Alzheimer’s Support Group through S.C. Alzheimer’s AssoSumter Connective Tissue Support Group — First Tuesday of ciation — First Thursday, 6-8 p.m., National Health Care, January, March, May, July, 1018 N. Guignard Drive. Call September and November, 7 (803) 905-7720 or the Alp.m., 180 Tiller Circle. Call zheimer’s Association at (803) 773-0869.

(800) 636-3346.

Mothers of Angels (for mothers Journey of Hope (for family who have lost a child) — First members of the mentally ill), Tuesday at noon and third Tuesday at 6 p.m., Wise Drive Journey to Recovery (for the mentally ill) and Survivors of Baptist Church. Call (803) Suicide Support Group — Each 469-6059, (803) 979-4498, group meets every first (803) 469-4506 or (803) 938Thursday, 7 p.m., St. John 8544.

United Methodist Church, Sumter Combat Veterans Group 136 Poinsett Drive. Call (803) Peer to Peer — Tuesdays, 11 905-5620. a.m., South HOPE Center, Alzheimer’s Caregiver Support 1125 S. Lafayette Drive. VetGroup — Fourth Thursday erans helping veterans with each month, 10-11:30 a.m., PTSD, coping skills, claims Palmetto Health Tuomey and benefits.

Hospice, 500 Pinewood Road, “The Gathering” — Second Suite 2. Call (803) 773-4663.

Tuesday, 5:30-6:30 p.m., North HOPE Center, 904 N. FRIDAY MEETINGS: Main St. For teens and adults Celebrate Recovery — Fridays, with special needs. Call (803) 6 p.m. dinner, 7 p.m. pro972-0051 or (803) 468-5745 or gram, Salt & Light Church, email thegathering23@aol.

Miller Road (across from com.

Food Lion). For help with Parkinson’s Support Group — struggles of alcohol, drugs, Second Tuesday, 5:30 p.m., family problems, smoking, Carolinas Rehabilitation Hos- etc. pital, 121 E. Cedar St., FlorWateree AIDS Task Force Supence. Call (843) 661-3746. port Group — Third Friday, Sumter Amputee Support Group 11:30 a.m., 508 W. Liberty St. — Second Tuesday, 6:30 p.m., Call (803) 778-0303.

Sumter Prosthetics & Orthotics, 259 Broad St. Call (803) SATURDAY MEETINGS: 883-4356.

Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy/ Sumter Chapter Parents of Mur- Complex Regional Pain Syndered Children (POMC) — drome Support Group — Third Third Tuesday, 5:30-7 p.m., Saturday, 1:30 p.m., 3785 Birnie HOPE Center, 210 S. Blackberry Lane, Lot 7. Call Purdy St. Open to anyone (803) 481-7521. who has lost a loved one to

ARIES (March 21-April 19): You will learn EUGENIA LAST through observation and collaboration. Meetings, travel and educational pursuits are favored. Take care of any persistent health issues that arise and avoid challenges that could result in injury. An emotional situation is best monitored, not confronted.

The last word in astrology

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You’ll feel the tension mount as things heat up around you. Try not to get involved in gossip, rumors or situations that have the potential to make you look bad. Keep your personal thoughts and information to yourself.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Look at all sides of a situation and adjust your thinking to consider the best way to keep the peace and benefit everyone involved. Taking conservative action in a diplomatic manner will result in unexpected prospects and greater opportunities.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): It’s okay to show your feelings and express what you want to get out of the different relationships you have with others. Whether it’s business or pleasure, your uniqueness will be what attracts attention as well as support.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Keep your secrets hidden. Boasting will give other people a chance to bring you down. Play your cards close to your chest and do your best to ensure that you come out on top. Act on your intentions with precision.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): A personal pick-me-up will bring about emotional, mental and financial improvements. Live in the moment and enjoy the people who share your beliefs. Changes at home will add to your comfort, convenience and happiness.

Romance will improve your personal life.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Pitch in and do your part. No one can complain if you are willing to put in an honest effort and do your best to make a difference. Don’t let an emotional incident turn into something that is impossible to control.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Say little, listen carefully and avoid getting into a dispute. Avoid joint ventures with people who don’t have the same ethics, beliefs or standards as you. Practice moderation and mindfulness and you’ll avoid a dispute.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Don’t get caught up in someone else’s dilemma. You’ve worked hard to get where you are and you need to protect your position and your future. Look inward and stay focused on what will bring you the highest rewards.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Show compassion toward your friends, relatives and peers. The way you treat and help others will be judged and referenced in the future. Protect your reputation and you will position yourself for new possibilities and financial gains.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Past experiences will help you make wise choices in regard to money, legal and health matters. Listen to your heart as well as your head and you will find the answers you are looking for. Romance will improve your personal life.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Stay focused on what you do well. Add greater versatility and depth to your skills as you progress. Taking a wider view of things will give you insight into exciting possibilities that you never knew existed.

DAILY PLANNER

THE SUMTER ITEM

WEATHER

Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2017

AccuWeather® five-day forecast for Sumter TODAY

TONIGHT

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

Partly sunny and warm

Mild with increasing clouds

Cloudy with a passing shower

Cloudy with a thunderstorm

Partly sunny

Partly sunny and nice

82°

56°

76° / 58°

75° / 56°

81° / 51°

80° / 55°

Chance of rain: 0%

Chance of rain: 5%

Chance of rain: 55%

Chance of rain: 60%

Chance of rain: 10%

Chance of rain: 10%

NNE 4-8 mph

ESE 4-8 mph

SE 7-14 mph

S 8-16 mph

NNW 6-12 mph

E 4-8 mph

TODAY’S SOUTH CAROLINA WEATHER

Gaffney 76/56 Spartanburg 77/56

Greenville 78/56

Columbia 83/58

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

IN THE MOUNTAINS

Sumter 82/56

Aiken 82/57

ON THE COAST

Charleston 84/59

Today: Partly sunny; pleasant. High 73 to 86.

Thursday: Not as warm; showers south.

Increasing clouds north. High 69 to 78.

LOCAL ALMANAC

LAKE LEVELS

SUMTER THROUGH 4 P.M. YESTERDAY

Today Hi/Lo/W 82/62/pc 49/39/pc 80/53/t 52/36/pc 80/62/t 84/57/s 83/68/pc 60/36/s 89/63/pc 64/35/s 85/58/s 67/55/pc 66/40/s

SUN AND MOON 7 a.m. yest.

356.91 74.69 74.60 97.95

24-hr chg -0.01 -0.02 -0.02 -0.02

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

0.00" 1.47" 3.50" 7.05" 11.48" 10.92"

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

83° 62° 70° 44° 85° in 2007 29° in 1955

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 79/61/c 44/38/r 68/49/pc 44/39/r 76/53/pc 76/55/s 79/60/t 54/42/s 90/64/pc 57/38/s 88/60/s 64/51/pc 58/45/pc

Myrtle Beach 73/56

Manning 82/56

Today: Partly sunny, nice and warm. Winds south-southeast 3-6 mph.

Thursday: Not as warm with showers.

Winds east-northeast 4-8 mph.

Temperature High Low Normal high Normal low Record high Record low

Florence 80/54

Bishopville 79/53

Flood 7 a.m. 24-hr stage yest. chg 12 6.67 -0.06 19 3.58 +0.29 14 5.03 -0.09 14 2.49 +0.46 80 76.10 -0.24 24 5.42 -0.03

Sunrise 7:13 a.m.

Moonrise 8:27 a.m.

Sunset Moonset

7:40 p.m.

9:38 p.m.

First

Full

Last

New

Apr. 3

Apr. 11

Apr. 19

Apr. 26

TIDES AT MYRTLE BEACH

Today Thu.

High 10:53 a.m.

11:09 p.m.

11:41 a.m.

11:58 p.m.

Ht. 3.3 3.6 3.2 3.6

Low 5:24 a.m.

5:40 p.m.

6:14 a.m.

6:27 p.m.

Ht. -0.7 -0.8 -0.6 -0.7

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

Today Hi/Lo/W 76/50/pc 84/57/pc 87/57/pc 86/61/pc 62/48/pc 84/59/pc 77/54/pc 80/59/pc 83/58/pc 79/53/pc 65/42/pc 75/49/pc 77/51/pc

Thu. Hi/Lo/W 63/52/sh 78/60/sh 80/63/sh 78/63/pc 60/53/s 76/61/c 68/55/c 69/58/sh 77/63/t 72/55/pc 58/45/pc 70/51/pc 72/56/c

Today City Hi/Lo/W Florence 80/54/pc Gainesville 89/56/pc Gastonia 78/56/pc Goldsboro 73/47/pc Goose Creek 82/59/pc Greensboro 72/50/pc Greenville 78/56/pc Hickory 75/54/pc Hilton Head 78/61/pc Jacksonville, FL 87/61/pc La Grange 83/59/pc Macon 86/59/pc Marietta 81/59/pc

Thu. Hi/Lo/W 75/58/pc 88/59/s 65/57/c 68/53/c 74/61/sh 63/53/c 67/56/sh 63/54/c 72/63/pc 84/62/s 83/60/c 84/63/pc 78/60/c

Today City Hi/Lo/W Marion 75/55/pc Mt. Pleasant 80/61/pc Myrtle Beach 73/56/pc Orangeburg 82/58/pc Port Royal 81/62/pc Raleigh 73/49/pc Rock Hill 77/56/pc Rockingham 75/51/pc Savannah 87/61/pc Spartanburg 77/56/pc Summerville 83/58/pc Wilmington 74/49/pc Winston-Salem 72/51/pc

Thu. Hi/Lo/W 59/49/sh 72/62/c 69/59/pc 75/61/c 72/63/pc 66/53/c 68/55/sh 67/50/pc 80/63/pc 64/54/sh 74/61/sh 68/54/pc 63/54/c

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”

FURNITURE & BEDDING

Generous Comfort.

Smooth Operation.

Unmatched Quality.

31 West Wesmark Blvd • Sumter, SC

774-2100

SUMTER ANIMAL CONTROL PET OF THE WEEK Coleman is such a good boy. It’s a mystery why his owners are not searching for him, but someone has to see the beauty and smarts Coleman of such a young guy. is calm, He likes other dogs. smart, Coleman looks up at youwould attentively as if make to say “Ok,the what’s ideal petwhat next?”

From we have seen, this boy would make the ideal pet; he is calm, smart and tolerant of being mauled by puppies. Coleman needs a home. He is in kennel 18 at Sumter Animal Control, 1240 Winkles Road, (803) 436-2066. You can view more adoptable pets on the Sumter Animal Control Facebook page. Remember to check with us if your pet is lost.

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

B

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017 Call: (803) 774-1241 | E-mail: sports@theitem.com

USC WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

South Carolina advances with win over FSU

BY JANIE MCCAULEY AP Sports Writer STOCKTON, Calif. — Before they climbed the ladder to take their turn cutting the nets, Kaela Davis and A’ja Wilson started dancing. And dancing.

The band blared inches away, and they danced some more.

A spectacular, spontaneous moment for South Carolina’s two biggest stars: one headed to her first Final Four, and the other going back to chase the school’s first NCAA championship.

“It was just one of those in-the-moment things, having fun. We love our band,” Davis said.

Moments before tipoff, Wilson pulled Bianca Cuevas-Moore into a quick embrace, then South Carolina’s 6-foot-5 center began the night by winning the opening jump and the Gamecocks were on their way to the Final Four, holding off Florida State 71-64 on Monday to win the Stockton Regional.

Most Outstanding Player Davis scored immediately off the tip and again with a timely left-handed drive with 1:42 to go on the way to 23 points.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

South Carolina women’s basketball head coach Dawn Staley, seated in center, is surrounded by her players during a postgame interview following the Gamecocks’ 71-64 victory over Florida State in the championship game of the Stockton Regional on Monday in Stockton, California.

Wilson finished with 16 despite foul trouble and Allisha Gray acrobatically drove her way to 11 points for top-

seeded South Carolina (31-4). Coach Dawn Staley’s Gamecocks are back in the Final Four for the first time since

2015 determined to bring home a title.

And — wow! — South Carolina is hoops country for the moment. The men’s program reached its first Final Four with a victory against Florida on Sunday that sent the women screaming in delight at Stockton Arena all the way across the country from the victory at Madison Square Garden.

“We’d also like to congratulate our men’s basketball team, because we’re coming to join you!” Staley told the crowd, then later pulled down the net and showed it off to both sides of the arena.

Leticia Romero cut the South Carolina lead to five on a driving jumper with 3:51 left. Then Brittany Brown’s steal and layup at 3:25 made it 65-62, but the rally fizzled from there for the third-seeded Seminoles (28-7).

After the buzzer sounded, the Gamecocks hustled together for a team hug, and then danced at midcourt sporting fresh “CUT THE NET” T-shirts and Final Four hats.

Tyasha Harris added 16 points for

SEE WIN, PAGE B4

PREP BOYS SOCCER

Hanging tough Sumter boys soccer team battles with Socastee before falling 7-2

BY PATRICK ENZOR Special to The Sumter Item When the varsity boys soccer teams from Sumter and Socastee high schools met the first time this season, Socastee set the tone early and ran away with a 7-0 victory - the Gamecocks’ only Region VI-5A loss heading into Tuesday night’s rematch.

Things didn’t get off to the best start for Sumter as the Braves’ Fernando Barea scored the game’s first goal in the second minute of the game. However, Sumter trailed just 1-0 at halftime before allowing three late goals in a 7-2 loss at the SHS field.

The Gamecocks fell to 7-3 overall and 4-2 in the region.

“They scored early and they are a very good team,” said Sumter head coach Jimmy Watson. “Biggest thing was we didn’t give up mentally (after the early goal). Last time, I think we did. Here we kept fighting. We didn’t put our heads down.”

Socastee scored goals in the first two minutes of each half to get out to a 2-0 lead.

PHOTOS BY RICK CARPENTER / THE SUMTER ITEM Chris Matlashewski scored Sumter High School’s Christopher Reyes (17) takes a four goals in the second half,

pass from Jermaine Thomas (14) in the Gamecocks’ 7-2 setback to Socastee on Tuesday at the Sumter SEE TOUGH, PAGE B3 field.

Sumter’s Connor McAlister (12) moves down field with the ball in the Gamecocks’ 7-2 loss to Socastee on Tuesday at the Sumter field.

USC MEN’S BASKETBALL

Gamecocks’ Martin enjoying self as his team preps for Final 4

BY JUSTIN DRIGGERS justin@theitem.com COLUMBIA — As with most Final Fours in recent years, the grand finale of the college basketball season will be played this weekend on an elevated basketball court housed in a football stadium — the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, to be exact.

South Carolina men’s basketball head coach Frank Martin didn’t see that as being an issue at all for his team in Tuesday’s press conference at Colonial Life Arena.

“We’re from the (Southeastern Conference),” Martin said. “We’re football, baby. That’s all we know around here is football, football, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS football. Our guys will feel at home.

South Carolina guard Duane Notice (10) dunks “…Heck I might even have them against Florida in the Gamecocks’ 77-70 win in the wear helmets for the game. (USC East Regional championship game on Sunday. football head coach) Will (Mus-

champ) and I spoke about that yesterday.”

It was a comical moment — one of many Martin has had in recent days as he talked about all of his newly acquired friends and how the perception of him as a “yeller” and a “screamer” as a coach has changed to simply “passionate.”

Still, Martin wouldn’t trade the last few weeks for anything, he said.

The fifth-year coach has guided the Gamecocks (26-10) to their first Final Four berth in school history where they will take on Gonzaga (36-1) at 6:09 p.m. on Saturday.

USC, a seventh seed entering the tournament nearly three weeks ago, pulled off one upset after another by toppling second-seeded Duke, third-seeded Baylor and fourth-seeded Florida en route to the East Region championship this past Sunday at Madison Square

Garden in New York.

“I’m having the time of my life,” Martin said. “I really am. And it’s not because of the winning. All this is a dream when you’re a kid or a young coach and yourself (as), ‘Maybe I can do this one day.’

“I’m having the time of my life because of those kids in that locker room. They’re phenomenal. …

They’re great to be around. They care, they learn, they support each other, they accept coaching. That’s why I’m having the time of my life.

And all this winning – that’s a reward for them.”

It’s been a huge reward for players like Sindarius Thornwell, PJ Dozier and Justin McKie, who were all instate talent that chose to come to South Carolina — in part to make some history of their own.

SEE MARTIN, PAGE B4

B2

|

SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017

SCOREBOARD

Glendale, Ariz., 3:05 p.m.

Texas vs. Kansas City at Surprise, Ariz., 3:05 p.m.

Oakland vs. Chicago Cubs at Mesa, Ariz., 4:05 p.m.

L.A. Dodgers vs. Seattle at Peoria, Ariz., 4:10 p.m.

TV, RADIO TODAY

6 a.m. – Major League Exhibition Baseball: Cleveland vs. Milwaukee from Phoenix (MLB NETWORK).

9 a.m. – Major League Exhibition Baseball: Chicago White Sox vs. Kansas City (MLB NETWORK).

Noon – Figure Skating: World Championships from Helsinki, Finland – Women’s Short Competition (NBC SPORTS NETWORK).

1 p.m. – Professional Tennis: Miami Open Men’s and Women’s Quarterfinal Matches from Key Biscayne, Fla. (ESPN2, TENNIS).

1 p.m. – Major League Exhibition Baseball: Philadelphia vs. Detroit from Lakeland, Fla. (MLB NETWORK).

2 p.m. – Figure Skating: World Championships from Helsinki, Finland – Pairs Short Competition (NBC SPORTS NETWORK).

4 p.m. – Major League Exhibition Baseball: Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Seattle from Peoria, Ariz. (MLB NETWORK).

5 p.m. – High School Basketball: McDonald’s All-American Girls Game from Chicago (ESPN2).

6:05 p.m. – Talk Show: Sports Talk (WDXY-FM 105.9, WDXY-AM 1240) 7 p.m. – College Basketball: CollegeInsider.com Basketball Tournament Semifinal Game – Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at Maryland-Baltimore County (CBS SPORTS NETWORK).

7 p.m. – High School Basketball: McDonald’s All-American Game from Chicago (ESPN2).

7 p.m. – Professional Tennis: Miami Open Men’s Quarterfinal Matches from Key Biscayne, Fla. (ESPN2).

7 p.m. – College Softball: Abilene Christian at Baylor (FOX SPORTSOUTH).

7 p.m. – NBA Basketball: Oklahoma City at Orlando (NBA TV).

7 p.m. – College Softball: Oklahoma State at Arkansas (SEC NETWORK).

7:30 p.m. – NBA Basketball: Charlotte at Toronto (FOX SPORTS SOUTHEAST).

8 p.m. – Youth Golf: Drive Chip & Putt Championship Finals from Augusta, Ga. (GOLF).

8 p.m. – NHL Hockey: Chicago at Pittsburgh (NBC SPORTS NETWORK).

9 p.m. – College Basketball: CollegeInsider.com Basketball Tournament Semifinal Game – Furman at St. Peter’s (CBS SPORTS NETWORK).

9 p.m. – College Basketball: CBI Tournament Championship Series Game Two – Coastal Carolina at Wyoming (ESPNU).

9 p.m. – Major League Exhibition Baseball: San Diego at Chicago White Sox (MLB NETWORK).

9:30 p.m. – NBA Basketball: Golden State at San Antonio (ESPN).

11 p.m. – LPGA Golf: ANA Inspiration Pro-Am from Rancho Mirage, Calif.

(GOLF).

Midnight – Major League Exhibition Baseball: Los Angeles Angels vs. Milwaukee from Phoenix (MLB NETWORK).

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

W 48 45 28 27 16

L 26 29 46 46 57

Pct .649 .608 .378 .370 .219

GB — 3 20 20½ 31½

W 45 37 35 33 27

L 28 36 38 40 47

Pct .616 .507 .479 .452 .365

GB — 8 10 12 18½

W 47 37 37 35 34

L 26 36 36 39 40

Pct .644 .507 .507 .473 .459

GB — 10 10 12½ 13½

Pct .781 .699 .541 .425 .419

GB — 6 19½ 26 28½

Pct .608 .575 .479 .479 .389

GB — 2 9 9 15½

Pct .808 .587 .392 .297 .288

GB — 16 30½ 37½ 38

WESTERN CONFERENCE SOUTHWEST DIVISION W L x-San Antonio 57 16 x-Houston 51 22 Memphis 40 34 Dallas 31 42 New Orleans 31 43 NORTHWEST DIVISION W L x-Utah 45 29 Oklahoma City 42 31 Portland 35 38 Denver 35 38 Minnesota 28 44 PACIFIC DIVISION W L z-Golden State 59 14 x-L.A. Clippers 44 31 Sacramento 29 45 Phoenix 22 52 L.A. Lakers 21 52 x-clinched playoff spot z-clinched division

MONDAY’S GAMES

New York 109, Detroit 95 Toronto 131, Orlando 112 San Antonio 103, Cleveland 74 Oklahoma City 92, Dallas 91 Sacramento 91, Memphis 90 Utah 108, New Orleans 100

SPRING TRAINING AMERICAN LEAGUE New York Seattle Baltimore Los Angeles Kansas City Oakland Boston Minnesota Cleveland Chicago Houston Texas Tampa Bay Detroit Toronto

W 22 19 16 17 17 16 16 15 15 16 14 15 11 12 10

NATIONAL LEAGUE St. Louis Pittsburgh Los Angeles Colorado San Francisco Milwaukee Washington Arizona Cincinnati New York Philadelphia Chicago Miami San Diego Atlanta

W 19 19 17 15 15 14 13 13 16 15 12 11 10 11 8

L 7 13 12 13 13 13 13 13 14 15 14 16 16 18 17

Pct. 0.759 0.594 0.571 0.567 0.567 0.552 0.552 0.536 0.517 0.516 0.500 0.484 0.407 0.400 0.370

TUESDAY’S GAMES

Milwaukee at Charlotte, 7 p.m.

Minnesota at Indiana, 7 p.m.

Miami at Detroit, 7:30 p.m.

Philadelphia at Brooklyn, 7:30 p.m.

Phoenix at Atlanta, 7:30 p.m.

Golden State at Houston, 8 p.m.

Denver at Portland, 10 p.m.

Washington at L.A. Lakers, 10:30 p.m.

Pct. 0.704 0.679 0.515 0.500 0.484 0.483 0.481 0.481 0.471 0.469 0.444 0.407 0.370 0.355 0.267

MONDAY’S GAMES

Boston 11, Baltimore 9 N.Y. Mets (ss) 5, Miami 0 Washington 6, N.Y. Mets (ss) 0 Chicago White Sox 5, L.A. Dodgers 2 San Francisco 14, Cincinnati 2 Texas 6, Colorado 5 Kansas City 10, Oakland 3 L.A. Angels 4, Arizona 2 San Diego 12, Seattle 2 Atlanta 11, Detroit 3 Pittsburgh 4, Minnesota 1 St. Louis 3, Houston 2 Philadelphia 7, Toronto 1 Cleveland 4, Chicago Cubs 3

TUESDAY’S GAMES

Baltimore 5, Atlanta 4 Houston 7, Miami (ss) 3 Minnesota 1, Tampa Bay 0 St. Louis 3, N.Y. Mets 3 Texas 4, Colorado 3 Kansas City 7, Chicago White Sox 4 Cincinnati 9, L.A. Dodgers (ss) 3 L.A. Dodgers (ss) 3, San Diego 1 Cleveland vs. Milwaukee at Phoenix, 4:05 p.m.

San Francisco vs. Chicago Cubs at Mesa, Ariz., 4:05 p.m.

Arizona vs. Seattle at Peoria, Ariz., 4:10 p.m.

Oakland vs. L.A. Angels at Tempe, Ariz., 4:10 p.m.

Boston vs. Pittsburgh at Bradenton, Fla., 6:05 p.m.

Detroit vs. N.Y. Yankees at Tampa, Fla., 6:35 p.m.

Miami (ss) vs. Washington at West Palm Beach, Fla., 6:35 p.m.

Toronto vs. Philadelphia at Clearwater, Fla., 6:35 p.m.

TODAY’S GAMES

Atlanta at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.

Oklahoma City at Orlando, 7 p.m.

Charlotte at Toronto, 7:30 p.m.

Miami at New York, 7:30 p.m.

Milwaukee at Boston, 7:30 p.m.

Dallas at New Orleans, 8 p.m.

Indiana at Memphis, 8 p.m.

Golden State at San Antonio, 9:30 p.m.

Utah at Sacramento, 10:30 p.m.

Washington at L.A. Clippers, 10:30 p.m.

THURSDAY’S GAMES

Brooklyn at Detroit, 7:30 p.m.

Cleveland at Chicago, 8 p.m.

L.A. Lakers at Minnesota, 8 p.m.

L.A. Clippers at Phoenix, 10 p.m.

Houston at Portland, 10:30 p.m.

NHL STANDINGS

By The Associated Press EASTERN CONFERENCE ATLANTIC DIVISION

L 8 9 16 15 16 15 14 14 18 17 15 16 17 20 22

Washington vs. St. Louis at Jupiter, Fla., 12:05 p.m.

Baltimore vs. Tampa Bay at Port Charlotte, Fla., 1:05 p.m.

Miami vs. Houston at West Palm Beach, Fla., 1:05 p.m.

Minnesota vs. Boston at Fort Myers, Fla., 1:05 p.m.

N.Y. Mets vs. Atlanta at Kissimmee, Fla., 1:05 p.m.

Philadelphia (ss) vs. Detroit at Lakeland, Fla., 1:05 p.m.

Philadelphia (ss) vs. Pittsburgh at Bradenton, Fla., 1:05 p.m.

N.Y. Yankees vs. Toronto at Dunedin, Fla., 1:07 p.m.

Cleveland vs. Cincinnati at Goodyear, Ariz., 3:05 p.m.

L.A. Angels vs. Milwaukee at Phoenix, 3:05 p.m.

San Diego vs. Chicago White Sox at

Montreal Ottawa Toronto Boston Tampa Bay Florida Buffalo Detroit

GP W 75 42 74 41 74 35 75 39 75 37 75 33 76 32 75 31

L 24 25 24 30 29 31 32 32

OT 9 8 15 6 9 11 12 12

Pts 93 90 85 84 83 77 76 74

GF GA 204 187 194 191 227 219 214 202 210 210 195 213 192 218 188 220

OT 8 7 11 4 12 14 8 13

Pts GF GA 106 238 163 103 232 171 103 258 211 96 241 201 82 219 228 80 196 212 78 197 220 67 171 220

PACIFIC DIVISION GP W L

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

74 74 75 76 75 74 75 75

49 48 46 46 35 33 35 27

17 19 18 26 28 27 32 35

WESTERN CONFERENCE CENTRAL DIVISION x-Chicago x-Minnesota Nashville St. Louis Winnipeg Dallas Colorado

GP 76 75 75 75 76 75 75

W 48 44 39 41 34 31 20

L 21 24 25 28 35 33 52

OT 7 7 11 6 7 11 3

Pts GF 103 229 95 240 89 225 88 211 75 225 73 206 43 147

GA 197 190 206 200 241 238 253

GP 75 75 75 76 74 75 76

W 41 42 41 43 35 30 27

L 23 26 25 29 32 36 40

OT 11 7 9 4 7 9 9

Pts 93 91 91 90 77 69 63

GA 185 182 195 204 186 219 244

PACIFIC DIVISION Anaheim San Jose Edmonton Calgary Los Angeles Vancouver Arizona

AREA ROUNDUP

Gamecocks roll over Socastee 17-4 Sumter High School’s varsity baseball team improved to 5-0 in Region VI-5A with a 17-4 victory over Socastee on Tuesday at Gamecock Field.

Jordan Holladay pitched three innings to get the victory for the Gamecocks, who improved to 11-1 overall. He was 2-for-2 at the plate, hitting a home run and driving in two runs to go with three runs scored.

Dawson Price was 4-for-4 with four runs and three stolen bases. Rylan Williamson was 2-for-3 with two doubles and four RBI. Hampton Rowe had two hits and three RBI. Sumter plays at Carolina Forest on Thursday. The teams play again on Friday in Sumter.

LAURENCE MANNING 3 FLORENCE CHRISTIAN 1 MANNING — Laurence Manning Academy improved to 12-2 on the season with a 3-1 victory over Florence Christian on Tuesday at Tucker Belangia Diamond.

Braydon Osteen was the winning pitcher for the

Swampccats, who improved to 4-0 in SCISA Region II-3A. Cole Hair went 2-for-2 to lead the offense.

On Monday in Manning, LMA defeated Manning High School 10-1. Taylor Lee was the winning pitcher and went 2-for-4 at the plate.

Dawson Hatfield was 3-for-4 and Trent Frye was 2-for-2 with a homer.

On Friday in Manning, the Swampcats whipped Orangeburg Prep 13-3. Dalton Page was the winning pitcher. Frye had two hits with a homer and Buddy Bleasdale, Brent Jordan, Bobby Crisp and Brewer Brunson each had two hits.

WILSON HALL 11 ORANGEBURG PREP 0 ORANGEBURG — McLendon Sears tossed a 2-hit shutout and hit a home run to lead Wilson Hall to an 11-0 victory over Orangeburg Prep on Tuesday at the OP field.

Sears struck out seven batters for the Barons, who improved to 8-2 overall and 2-1 in SCISA Region II-3A. Daulton Dabbs was 2-for-2

with a homer and Burgess Jordan hit a homer.

VARSITY GOLF SUMTER FINISHES NINTH COLUMBIA — Sumter High School finished ninth out of 27 teams in the 36hole Bengal Invitational on Monday and Tuesday at Columbia Country Club.

Dixon Flowers led the Gamecocks with a score of 152, shooting a 69 in the second round. He was 14th individually.

Evans Lewis shot a 159 and was 30th. Andrew Griffin and Jenkins Dwight both shot a 170.

B TEAM BASEBALL WILSON HALL 19 CARDINAL NEWMAN 7 COLUMBIA — William Reese had five hits and scored four runs to lead Wilson Hall to a 19-7 victory over Cardinal Newman on Tuesday at the CN field.

Dylan Richardson, Cameron Coulter, Tripp Mills, Will McLeod and Tyler Jones each had two hits for the 4-4 Barons. Jones pitched 42/3 innings in relief to get the win.

SPORTS ITEMS

TODAY’S GAMES

MLB The Associated Press

THE SUMTER ITEM

GF 199 201 223 211 180 172 181

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

MONDAY’S GAMES

Nashville 3, N.Y. Islanders 1 Detroit 4, Carolina 3, OT Buffalo 4, Florida 2 Tampa Bay 5, Chicago 4, OT St. Louis 4, Arizona 1 Calgary 4, Colorado 2

Sumter’s Montgomery to start for Yankees Sumter’s Jordan Montgomery is scheduled to make his second start of spring training today for the New York Yankees when they face the Toronto Blue Jays.

The game will be played at Toronto’s spring training facility in Dunedin, Fla., beginning at 1:07 p.m.

The left-handed Montgomery, who was a standout pitcher with Sumter High School, MONTGOMERY the Sumter P-15’s and the University of South Carolina, is vying for a spot on the Yankees’ pitching staff as they head north for the start of the regular season.

Montgomery made his first spring training start last Thursday against Tampa Bay. He pitched 41/3 innings and allowed two runs on three hits while striking out eight.

In his previous appearance on March 11 against Detroit, he pitched four perfect innings to close out a combined no-hitter with two other pitchers.

P-15’S SEASON TICKETS ON SALE Season tickets for the upcoming Sumter Post 15 American Legion baseball season are now on sale. Tickets are $30 apiece. They can be purchased at Danny’s Trophy Shop at 713 Bultman Drive.

SEARS SOCON PITCHER OF WEEK

The Citadel left-handed pitcher John Patrick Sears was named the Southern Conference Pitcher of the Week for his performance against Virginia Military Institute on Friday.

Sears, who is from Sumter, struck out 20 batters while tossing a two-hit shutout in the Bulldogs’ 3-0 victory.

It is the second time Sears has been selected as the conference’s Pitcher of the Week this year and the fourth time in his career.

The junior is 4-1 on the season with a 1.70 earned run average. He has 63 strikeouts against just seven walks in 421/3 innings.

He’s allowed just 28 hits.

CLEMSON 8 FURMAN 0

Chicago at Pittsburgh, 8 p.m.

Los Angeles at Calgary, 9 p.m.

Washington at Colorado, 10 p.m.

St. Louis at Arizona, 10:30 p.m.

CLEMSON — Tyler Jackson, Ryan Miller and Mitchell Miller combined on a 5-hit shutout and Weston Jackson went 3-for-4 with two home runs, a double and five runs batted in in Clemson’s victory over Furman at Doug Kingsmore Stadium on Tuesday.

The Tigers won their seventh game in a row and improved to 21-4 on the season. The Paladins fell to 11-12.

Clemson recorded its third shutout win in a row, the first time it did that since the first three games of the 1992 season. Clemson also won three straight games via shutout in 1921 and 1967.

THURSDAY’S GAMES

BASKETBALL

TUESDAY’S GAMES

Nashville at Boston, 7 p.m.

Detroit at Carolina, 7 p.m.

Ottawa at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.

Winnipeg at New Jersey, 7 p.m.

Buffalo at Columbus, 7 p.m.

Florida at Toronto, 7:30 p.m.

Dallas at Montreal, 7:30 p.m.

Washington at Minnesota, 8 p.m.

Los Angeles at Edmonton, 9 p.m.

Anaheim at Vancouver, 10 p.m.

N.Y. Rangers at San Jose, 10:30 p.m.

TODAY’S GAMES

Columbus at Carolina, 7 p.m.

N.Y. Islanders at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.

Detroit at Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m.

Dallas at Boston, 7:30 p.m.

Florida at Montreal, 7:30 p.m.

Ottawa at Minnesota, 8 p.m.

Anaheim at Winnipeg, 8 p.m.

Toronto at Nashville, 8 p.m.

San Jose at Edmonton, 9 p.m.

NIT GEORGIA TECH 76 CAL STATE BAKERSFIELD 61

NEW YORK — Josh Okogie scored a game-high 22 points to lead Georgia Tech to a win over Cal State Bakersfield in a NIT

semifinal Tuesday night.

Ben Lammers finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds for Georgia Tech, which will take on either Texas Christian or Central Florida in the championship game Thursday night.

Quinton Stephens added 13 points, and Tadric Jackson had 12.

The Yellow Jackets (21-15) led virtually the entire game, due to a strong defensive effort and excellent ball management. Georgia Tech forced 15 turnovers while only committing seven. Eighteen of the Yellow Jackets’ 76 points came off Cal State Bakersfield turnovers.

NBA BUCKS 118 HORNETS 108 CHARLOTTE — Tony Snell scored a season-high 26 points, Giannis Antetokounmpo had 20 points and eight rebounds and Milwaukee handed Charlotte’s playoff hopes a potentially devastating blow with a victory on Tuesday night.

Malcolm Brogdon had 14 points and 10 assists for his second double-double of the season, and the Bucks won for the 12th time in 15 games.

Snell finished 10 of 14 from the field.

Charlotte (33-41) entered in 11th place in the Eastern Conference but only two games behind the Miami Heat and in dire need of a win with only nine games remaining.

TIMBERWOLVES 115 PACERS 114 INDIANAPOLIS — Ricky Rubio made three free throws with 3.4 seconds left to give Minnesota a victory over Indiana on Tuesday night.

Minnesota snapped a season-high sixgame losing streak by taking its only lead of the quarter. Rubio had 21 points and 10 assists, and Karl-Anthony Towns had 37 points and 12 rebounds.

Rubio was fouled by Jeff Teague, though it appeared Rubio ran into his own teammate on the play. Indiana fans booed the officials as they left the court.

Indiana’s Monta Ellis got off a last-second 3-point shot, but he was off the mark.

Paul George scored 37 points to lead the Pacers, whose playoff chances took another hit. Teague had 20 points and 10 assists.

HEAT 97 PISTONS 96 AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Hassan Whiteside tipped in a shot at the buzzer to lift the Miami over Detroit on Tuesday night.

Miami is a game up on Chicago for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and 2½ games ahead of Detroit.

Whiteside jumped over Andre Drummond to tip in Goran Dragic’s missed jumper. The final play was reviewed and confirmed.

Dragic scored 28 points and Whiteside finished with 17 points and nine rebounds for the Heat (36-38).

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had 25 points for the Pistons.

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SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017

WIN FROM PAGE B1 South Carolina, which made things uncomfortable all game for Romero. The Spanish star had 16 points on 6-for-23 shooting as Florida State fell short once more of the program’s first Final Four.

The Seminoles shot 36.6 percent (26 for 71).

“We just didn’t hit shots. That was the big bottom line,” coach Sue Semrau said. “You have to put the ball in the basket.”

Davis, daughter of former NBA player Antonio Davis, delivered on both ends. She shot 10 for 15 and is headed to her Final Four debut on Friday against Stanford. She transferred from Georgia Tech for the chance to do something special.

“The end goal is just to get to the Final Four,” she said.

“It makes it 10 times better to say you want to do something and accomplish it.”

Two power programs from the South that scrimmaged toTHE ASSOCIATED PRESS gether the past two preSouth Carolina guard Kaela Davis, left, drives to the basket againstseasons faced off way out Florida State guard Brittany Brown in the Gamecocks’ 71-64 victory in West in Northern California, a the championship game of the Stockton Regional on Monday in rematch of South Carolina’s Stockton, California. six-point Elite Eight win

MARTIN FROM PAGE B1 That was also a big piece to changing the culture around the program both on the court and off, Martin added. South Carolina is 96-73 in his five seasons, but was 45-54 through his first three years and had just one winning season (17-16).

“The first couple years…I didn’t age because of losing games,” Martin said. “I aged because of apathy. It’s not fun when you walk out in an 18,000-seat arena and there are 3,000 people. That’s a problem deeper than the coach. That’s a problem that was deep-rooted here.

“All that had to change.”

And change it has.

The Gamecocks are two

wins away from capturing the national championship, but in order to do so, they must first get past another Final Four newcomer in Gonzaga. The Bulldogs have been knocking on the door for years, but finally broke through this season and have lost just one game.

USC has played lock-down defense all tournament, but will face a Gonzaga team that has three seven-footers on its roster, including Przemek Karnowski who is listed as a 300-pound center.

“It’s not just his size, it’s his skill,” Martin said. “He can score over either shoulder.

You can’t trap him with a guard because he’s big and he

can really pass or he just passes over the top. So if you double him, you’ve got to double him with a big, which then turns (forward) Johnathan Williams loose.

“It’s a challenge. There’s a reason they’re No. 1, or were No. 1 in the country leading into the last week of the season.”

However, Martin was also quick to point out that the Gamecocks have faced bigger teams before this season.

“Anyone see Alabama play? They were big,” he said. “Anyone see LSU? They were big. If we were one of those smaller mid-major schools, this is where you start worrying if you can handle size.

“We might not win and their size might bother us. I

THE SUMTER ITEM against the Seminoles two years ago in Greensboro.

This one was plenty entertaining, too — from big plays to a nail-biting final few minutes.

BIG PICTURE Florida State: Florida State played strong perimeter defense with the Gamecocks going 3 for 10 on 3s after the Seminoles.

South Carolina: Wilson got her fourth foul with 5:16 left and stayed in the game. ...

South Carolina made 16 of 20 free throws after converting 18 of 19 from the line in a 100-58 rout of 12 seed Quinnipiac on Saturday.

UP NEXT South Carolina will face Lexington Regional winner Stanford (32-5) on Friday at the Final Four in Dallas. Staley starred for Hall of Fame Cardinal coach Tara VanDerveer on the gold-medal winning 1996 Atlanta Olympic team and asked Stanford’s coach to speak to her team following a 70-32 whipping by Stanford in November 2010 at Maples Pavilion. “As a coach you want to coach against the best,” Staley said.

NCAA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT BRIDGEPORT REGIONAL Regional Semifinals Saturday, March 25 At Bridgeport, Conn.

Oregon 77, Maryland 63 UConn 86, UCLA 71 Regional Championship Monday, March 27 UConn 90, Oregon 52 OKLAHOMA CITY REGIONAL Regional Semifinals Friday, March 24 At Oklahoma City Mississippi State 75, Washington 64 Baylor 97, Louisville 63 Regional Championship Sunday, March 26 Mississippi State 94, Baylor 85, OT LEXINGTON REGIONAL First Round Regional Semifinals Friday, March 24 At Lexington, Ky. Notre Dame 99, Ohio State 76 Stanford 77, Texas 66 Regional Championship Sunday, March 26 Stanford 76, Notre Dame 75 STOCKTON REGIONAL Regional Semifinals Saturday, March 25 At Stockton, Calif.

South Carolina 100, Quinnipiac 58 Florida State 66, Oregon State 53 Regional Championship Monday, March 27 South Carolina 71, Florida State 64 FINAL FOUR At Dallas National Semifinals Friday, March 31 Stanford (32-6) vs. South Carolina (31-4), 7:30 p.m.

UConn (36-0) vs. Mississippi State (33-4), 9:30 p.m.

National Championship Sunday, April 2 Semifinal winners

NCAA MEN’S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT EAST REGIONAL At Madison Square Garden New York Regional Semifinals Friday, March 24 South Carolina 70, Baylor 50 Florida 84, Wisconsin 83, OT Regional Championship Sunday, March 26 South Carolina 77, Florida 70 SOUTH REGIONAL At FedEx Forum Memphis, Tenn.

Regional Semifinals Friday, March 24 North Carolina 92, Butler 80 Kentucky 86, UCLA 75 Regional Championship Sunday, March 26 North Carolina 75, Kentucky 73 MIDWEST REGIONAL At The Sprint Center Kansas City, Mo. Regional Semifinals Thursday, March 23 Oregon 69, Michigan 68 Kansas 98, Purdue 66

Regional Championship Saturday, March 25 Oregon 74, Kansas 60 WEST REGIONAL At SAP Center San Jose, Calif.

Regional Semifinals Thursday, March 23 Gonzaga 61, West Virginia 58 Xavier 73, Arizona 71 Regional Championship Saturday, March 25 Gonzaga 83, Xavier 59 FINAL FOUR At University of Phoenix Stadium Glendale, Ariz.

National Semifinals Saturday, April 1 South Carolina (26-10) vs. Gonzaga (36-1), 6:09 p.m.

North Carolina (31-7) vs. Oregon (33-5), 40 minutes after the conclusion of the first game National Championship Monday, April 3 Semifinal winners

have no idea. But our team has been exposed to everything this year. Size, athleticism, winning , losing, good,

bad, suspensions — and those kids have not thrown in the towel or blinked one time all year.”

MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Jayhawks’ Mason unanimous pick for AP All-America men’s team

BY JIM O’CONNELL AP Basketball Writer Frank Mason III was a last-minute recruit for Kansas. He turned into the Jayhawks’ latest All-American.

The senior guard was the only unanimous selection to the 2016-17 AP All-America team Tuesday, receiving all first-team votes from the same 65-member national media panel that selects the weekly AP Top 25.

“I love the kid and I think he knows how I feel about him, but I’ve never been more proud — not that he’s won a postseason award — but he’s done everything that he’s supposed to do,” Kansas coach Bill Self said.

The rest of the All-America team includes guards Josh Hart of Villanova and Lonzo Ball of UCLA, plus forwards Caleb Swanigan of Purdue and

Justin Jackson of North Carolina.

Votes were based on the regular season and conference tournaments.

Mason averaged 20.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 5.1 assists while shooting 48.7 percent from 3-point range.

Hart, a senior who was key to Villanova’s 2016 national championship, averaged 18.9 points and 6.5 rebounds for the Wildcats. He received 62 first-team votes.

Coach Jay Wright called Hart “the perfect combination of talent, hard work, intelligence and humility.”

“He never let any single year’s accomplishment deter him from getting better,” Wright said. “I think he’s one of the most complete basketball players in the country.”

The sophomore Swanigan led the nation with 26 double-doubles and was the only player in Division I to average

18 points (18.5) and 12 rebounds (12.6) while shooting 53.4 percent, 43.1 percent on 3s.

“He’s a very knowledgeable guy, now he’s been through it in terms of experience, understanding scouting reports and those types of things,” Purdue coach Matt Painter said.

Ball, who has already declared for the NBA draft, took the country by storm as a freshman. He averaged 14.6 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.9 assists while putting UCLA back on the national map in a hurry. He received 54 first-team votes.

Coach Steve Alford called Ball “very deserving of the recognition.”

“He’s been special for us all year,” Alford said. “He’s been an incredible teammate, and everything that he’s done has been contagious throughout our team.”

Jackson, who received 24 first-team votes, helped lead the Tar Heels to a second straight Final Four. The junior averaged 18.1 points and 4.6 rebounds this season.

“He’s a better player overall,” North Carolina coach Roy Williams said.

“He’s better defensively, better rebounder, he can score the basket and he’s just had a year for us.”

Nigel Williams-Goss of Gonzaga led the second team and was joined by fellow juniors Dillon Brooks of Oregon and Johnathan Motley of Baylor, sophomore Luke Kennard of Duke and freshman Malik Monk of Kentucky.

The third team included freshmen Josh Jackson of Kansas, Markelle Fultz of Washington and Lauri Markkanen of Arizona, junior Bonzie Colson of Notre Dame and sophomore Ethan Happ of Wisconsin.

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OBITUARIES

THE SUMTER ITEM

EARL V. COOK

HERBERT B. BOYKIN SR.

Earl V. Cook, age 81, beloved husband of the late Frances G. Cook, died on Sunday, March 26, 2017, at Palmetto Health Tuomey.

Born in Charlotte, North Carolina, he was a son of the late Raymond Ross Cook and Evelyn COOK Elizabeth Ritchie Cook. Earl worked as a produce manager for more than 60 years and went on to retire from Piggly Wiggly after more than 30 years of dedicated service. He enjoyed yard work and reading. He was an avid Gamecock fan and loved his cats. He was a member of Shaw Heights Baptist Church, where he served as an usher and a longtime member of the Men’s Sunday School Class. Earl’s true passion was spending time with his family. He never met a stranger. He will be remembered as a loving father, brother, grandfather, greatgrandfather and great-greatgrandfather. He will be truly missed by all who knew him.

Surviving are three daughters, Cathy C. Cook and her significant other, Terry Newell, Elaine Williams and Vickie Mouradjian and her husband, Paul, all of Sumter; special son, Roger Ewing of Sumter; one brother, Edward A. Cook and his wife, Shelia, of Florida; eight grandchildren, Jamie Williams, Theresa Compton, Christie Morris, Kevin Williams, Rick Mouradjian, Kimberly Mouradjian, Michael Mouradjian and Tiffany Barrs; 12 great-grandchildren; and one great-greatgrandchild.

In addition to his parents and wife, he was preceded in death by a brother, Raymond “PeeWee” Cook.

A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday in the Bullock Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Robert White officiating. Inurnment will follow at Evergreen Memorial Park cemetery.

The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday at Bullock Funeral Home.

The family would like to thank Carl Bryant, Dr. Mark Crabbe and the staff of Palmetto Health Tuomey for their care and compassion.

Memorials may be made to Shaw Heights Baptist Church, 2030 Peach Orchard Road, Sumter, SC 29154.

You may go to www.bullockfuneralhome.com and sign the family’s guest book.

The family has chosen Bullock Funeral Home for the arrangements.

Deacon Herbert B. Boykin Sr., 91, widower of Sallie Council Boykin, died on March 25, 2017, at his home in Sumter.

He was born in Camden, a son of the late Richard and Marie Boykin. Deacon Boykin received his early educaBOYKIN tion in Kershaw County public schools and later took advantage of educational opportunities associated with his employment and various organizations with which he was involved. He was employed by Sumter School District 17 for 37 years, where he retired as a custodial supervisor. While employed with the district, he was also responsible for working with young people in the CETA Program, teaching them the value of work. He was also the owner of Boykin’s Janitorial Service.

He was an active member of Union Baptist Church of Rembert, where he served in various leadership positions such as chair of the board of deacons and choir leader for many years. During his more than 80 years of service in the church, he served on the usher board, the trustee board and as the leader of the senior choir. He also gave many years of service to the Wateree Baptist Association, Lower Division, who honored him with the Pioneer Award in 2014. Along with his leadership activities, he was blessed with a voice which was wellknown across the church community. He was dependable and could be counted on during the revival season to help enhance the worship experience for those seeking to revive their faith to continue the pursuit of their calling to service.

In the community, he was a longtime member of the Walnut Hill Community Club, where his leadership efforts resulted in bringing public water, paved roads and greater police protection to the community. He was a Master Mason with Corinthian Lodge 200 Free & Accepted Ancient York Rite Masons, where he faithfully served as chaplain for many years. He was also an active member of the Rembert Farmers Union.

Deacon Boykin enjoyed hunting, fishing and coaching baseball in his younger years.

He enjoyed eating wild game shared with his friends in his later years as he followed his beloved Atlanta Braves. He and his wife of 67 years, who he affectionately called “Lollipop,” experienced several cruises to South America and the Caribbean as well as trips to Europe.

Deacon Boykin leaves to cherish his memory: one sister, Marie Smith of Gree-

leyville; five children, Herbert Jr., Marvin and Colette Boykin Bradley (Alfred), all of Sumter, and Charles (Brenda) and Yvette Boykin Thompson of Columbia; and two sisters-in-law, Ella Boykin and Francena Boykin of Camden.

He also leaves 12 grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren; and a host of other relatives and friends. Included among this group are special caregivers, Lula Sigler, Trish Gregg and Willie Mae Graham.

He was preceded in death by brothers, Willis, Oziah and Gabriel; sisters, Millie Ingram, Richie Nelson, Odessa Coleman and Juanita Boykin; and daughters-in-law, Patricia D. Boykin and Linda T. Boykin.

The family is receiving visitors at the home, 415 Church St., Sumter. However, there will be a visitation from 5 to 7 p.m. today at Williams Funeral Home, 821 N. Main St., Sumter.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday at Union Baptist Church Family Life Center, 584 Springhill Road, Rembert, with the Rev. Walter Robertson III, pastor, officiating, and the Rev. Eugene Dennis, eulogist.

The remains will be placed in the church at 10 a.m.

The funeral cortege will leave at 10:15 a.m. from the home.

Burial will be in the church cemetery.

The family asks that in lieu of flowers contributions be made to the Union Baptist Church Building Fund.

Services directed by the management and staff of Williams Funeral Home Inc., 821 N. Main St., Sumter.

Online memorial messages may be sent to the family at williamsfuneralhome@sc.rr. com. Visit us on the web at www.WilliamsFuneralHomeInc.com.

SHARON O. TRUETT

MARY A. SERVANCE

BISHOPVILLE — Funeral services for Sharon Odette Truett, age 55, will be held at 4 p.m. on Thursday at St. Matthew United Methodist Church. The Rev. Kathy Carr and the Rev. Cecil Stevens will officiate. Burial will be in St. Matthew Cemetery, directed

by Norton Funeral Home, Bishopville.

Visitation will be held from

MANNING — Mary Anderson Servance, 79, wife of James Servance Sr., died on Sunday, March 26, 2017, at Lake Marion Nursing Home, Summerton.

She was born on April 21, 1937, in Clarendon County.

The family is receiving friends at 216 Dickson St., Manning.

These services have been entrusted to Samuels Funeral Home LLC of Manning.

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HARMON WALKER

Ernest D. Butler, 45, departed this life on Monday, March 27, 2017, at Palmetto Health Tuomey.

He was born on Jan. 20, 1971, in Paterson, New Jersey, a son of Virginia Butler and the late Ernest Butler Sr. The family will receive friends at the home, 214 Weatherly Road, Sumter, SC 29150.

Job’s Mortuary Inc., 312 S. Main St., Sumter, is in charge of arrangements.

ERNEST D. BUTLER

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5 to 7 p.m. today at the funeral home.

Odette was born in Florence, a daughter of Betty Lucille Gainey Truett and the late Otis Christopher Truett.

She was a member of St. Matthew United Methodist Church. She was employed with Waffle House for more than 15 years.

Surviving are two sons, Michael (Tyler) Truett of Bishopville and Matthew (Jessica) Truett of Bishopville; adopted daughter, Carol Rogers of Bishopville; two aunts, Debra Berry and Mary Gainey of Sumter; two uncles, Bobby (Carolyn) Gainey of Bishopville and Terry Dobbins; and a host of nieces, nephews and cousins.

She was preceded in death by two brothers, Randy and Joe Truett; one sister, Elaine Rogers; two aunts; and two uncles.

Norton Funeral Home is honored to serve the Truett family.

Interment for Harmon Walker, 60, will occur at 11 a.m. on Thursday at Hillside Memorial Park, followed by a noon memorial discourse at Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 99 Oswego Highway, Sumter. There will be no public viewing.

Mr. Walker transitioned on Friday, March 24, 2017, at his residence in Sumter.

He was a son of the late Dayton and Mildred Pringle Walker. Harmon was a graduate of Sumter High School Class of 1974. He was employed by GTE / Verizon for 35 years, until his retirement in 2009. Mr. Walker was a faithful servant of East Sumter Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses for more than 47 years.

Survivors include three brothers, Elijah (Annie) Walker, David (Valaire)) Walker and Rudolph (Laura) Walker, all of Sumter; one sister, Francene Walker of Sumter; two aunts, Annie Lou Pringle of Sumter and Catherine Walker of Philadelphia; seven nieces and nephews; a special friend of the family, Ronell Green of Florence; and a host of other relatives and friends.

Condolences may be made on his tribute page found at www.

PalmerMemorialChapel.com.

Palmer Memorial Chapel Inc. is in charge of the funeral arrangements.

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JONATHAN TAYLOR ALCOLU — Jonathan Taylor, 85, died on Tuesday, March 28, 2017, at Windsor Manor

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Nursing Home, Manning.

He was born on Nov. 8, 1931, in Alcolu, a son of the late David Taylor Sr. and Alice Davis Taylor.

The family is receiving friends at the home of his sister, Ruby T. Ridgill, 4015 Sumter Highway, Alcolu.

These services have been entrusted to Samuels Funeral Home LLC of Manning.

SYLVIA L. BLACKMON Sylvia LeFevre Blackmon, 90, widow of Chester F. “C.F.” Blackmon, died on Tuesday, March 28, 2017, at McElveen Manor.

Born on July 13, 1926, in Yeovil, Somerset, England, she was a daughter of the late Henry Edward LeFevre and Elsie Kate Hawker LeFevre.

She was a member of Bible Fellowship Church, where she was faithful in teaching Sunday school and, in addition, she enjoyed serving with the Child Evangelism Fellowship organization.

Survivors include four children, Barry Blackmon (Vicky), David Blackmon (Rosalind), Jerry Blackmon (Carolyn) and Ann Windham (Don), all of Sumter; eight grandchildren; and six greatgrandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. on Thursday at Bible Fellowship Church.

Burial will be in Evergreen Memorial Park cemetery.

Pallbearers will be Chris Blackmon, Corey Dagesse, Warren Carraway, Richie Windham, Brett Blackmon and Ted Ellis.

The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 p.m. today at Elmore-Cannon-Stephens Funeral Home.

Memorials may be made to Bible Fellowship Church, 227 Broad St., Sumter, SC 29150 or to Amedisys Hospice, 198 Wesmark Blvd., Suite 2, Sumter, SC 29150.

Elmore-Cannon-Stephens Funeral Home and Crematorium of Sumter is in charge of the arrangements.

ANTHONY W. GREEN PLAINVIEW, New York — On Tuesday, March 21, 2017, Anthony Willie Green, husband of Gina Brown Green, departed this life at Plainview Hospital, Oyster Bay, New York.

Born on Feb. 24, 1967, in East Meadow, New York, he was a son of the late Leroy Green and Clory Conyers Green Williams and stepson of the late Minister David Lee Samuel Williams.

The family will receive relatives and friends from 2 to 3:30 p.m. today at the chapel of Fleming & Delaine Funeral Home, 222 W. Boyce St., Manning. The service of committal will follow in the Green family plot located in Deliverance Outreach Ministries Cemetery, 9223 Paxville Highway, Manning.

Fleming & Delaine Funeral Home & Chapel of Manning is in charge of these services.

Online condolences for the family may be sent to www. flemingdelaine.com or flemingdelaine@aol.com.

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THE ITEM

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017

CLASSIFIED DEADLINES 11:30 a.m. the day before for Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday edition.

11:30 a.m. Friday for Sunday’s edition.

803-774-12 CLASSIFIEDS

We will be happy to change your ad if an error is made; however we are not responsible for errors after the first run day. We shall not be liable for any loss or expense that results from the printing or omission of an advertisement. We reserve the right to edit, refuse or cancel any ad at any time.

OR TO PLACE YOUR AD ONLINE GO TO WWW.THE ITEM.COM/PLACEMYAD

IT’S PROM TIME AT MAYOS “CELEBRATING 20 YEAR ANNIVERSARY IN SUMTER�

Choose ONE suit at our REGULAR PRICE Get SECOND suit of equal or less value for ONLY $1.00!

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 Tree Service

ANNOUNCEMENTS Announcements BARBARA NAVE

Ricky's Tree Service Tree removal, stump grinding, Lic & ins, free quote, 803-435-2223 or cell 803-460-8747.

Tree take down, pruning, stump grinding, lot clearing and free estimates! Fully insured. Call 803-720-7147

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

Medical Help Wanted

Mobile Home Rentals

P/T CNA We are seeking an experienced CNA to work part-time hours that will vary for our Community Long Term Care Program. The CNA will be required to train for 10 hours per year, complete daily care logs, cook, and perform light housekeeping duties.

Applicants must be able to pass a background check, motor vehicle record check, and drug screening.

Salary is negotiable. Please contact Dr. Juanita Britton of the Rembert Area Community Coalition at 803-432-2001 or 803-420-1255.

Oaklawn MHP: 2 BR M.H.'s, water//sewer//garbage pk-up incl'd.

RV parking avail. Call 803-494-8350

MERCHANDISE Garage, Yard & Estate Sales HAVE YOU SEEN ME? If you have any information on Barbara's whereabouts, contact Sumter County Sheriff's dept 803-436-2000 or Crime Stoppers 803-436-2718.

Solomon Upholstery 267 Myrtle Beach Hwy., Friday & Saturday, 9 am - until, oak armoire, glassware, clothes & misc..

464-7555

Card of Thanks

EJ'S Variety 741 Bultman Dr unit 16.

New Clothes, shoes, & misc. at thrift store prices.

Open Wed.-Sat. 9-5.

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

Open every weekend. Call 803-494-5500

For Sale or Trade 4 grave plots side by side for sale at Evergreen Memorial Park. Cost per plot $2200. Call 803-614-7596 New & used Heat pumps & A/C. Will install/repair, Call 803-968-9549 or 843-992-2364

The family of the late Hazel "Pete" Lesane wishes to thank everyone for all the kindness that was shown to us during our time of bereavement.

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

Legal Service Attorney Timothy L. Griffith 803-607-9087, 360 W. Wesmark.

Criminal, Family, Accident, Injury

Roofing Robert's Metal Roofing 35 Yrs exp. 45 yr warranty. Financing avail. Expert installation. Long list of satisfied customers. 803-837-1549.

Robert W. Nunnery Roofing Co. the original Nunnery Roofing. Serving Sumter and surrounding areas since 1971. Call for a free estimate 803-478-2950 or 803-460-0927 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

EMPLOYMENT

RENTALS

Office Rentals

Lantana Apartments 861 Carolina Ave. #40 Sumter, SC 29150 803-773-2518 We are now taking applications for our 1,2,3, and 4 bedroom apartments. Security deposits are $200.00 for all units, we also accept housing vouches. Monday, Wednesday & Friday 8:30am-5:30pm 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

Land & Lots for Sale 1 acre Mobile Home Lot 5235 E Scenic Lake Lot # 8 $5200 Water & Sewer Avail.

Call Burch 803-720-4129

Cashier needed full time. Must have some computer knowledge, be self-motivated, dependable & energetic. Apply at Wally's Hardware from 1pm-3pm, 1291 Broad St.

Help Wanted Part-Time Experienced ONLY!! Lady with no back problems, that can spring clean and organize. References required. For 2 weeks, good work, good pay. 803-494-5447

Trucking Opportunities Immediate Opening THE ITEM is in need of a part time truck driver / dock worker. Exp. preferred. Must have clean driving record & dependable. Apply in person to: The Item 20 N Magnolia St Sumter SC

Unfurnished Homes Old Manning Rd.: 3 Br, 2 Ba. on 1 acre private lot in country. All hardwood floors, frig & stove, W/D hookup. Carport & fenced yard.

Outside pet only. No Section 8. $1000 mo. with 1 year lease.

803-491-5375

Prime Downtown COMMERCIAL SPACE FOR RENT

Summons & Notice

Refurbished batteries as low as $45. New batteries as low as $59.95. 6v golf cart battery as low as $59.95. Auto Electric Co., 102 Blvd Rd. 803-773-4381

LEGAL NOTICES Legal Notice

30 plus years experience Hours: Monday - Friday 10AM - 6PM

ALL VEHICLES UNDER 10K

NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE: The following self-storage Cube contents containing household and other goods will be sold for cash by CubeSmart 4194 Broad Street Sumter, SC 29154 to satisfy a lien on April 13, 2017 at approximately 11:00 am at www.storagetreasures.com Lee Wilson - Cube 45

Bid Notices

This Week’s Cash Special

INVITATION TO BID

2008 Chrysler PaciďŹ ca Touring

The County of Sumter is soliciting separate sealed bids from qualified vendors for the following project: "One (1) 2017 Ford F250 XL-3/4 Ton 4WD Crew Cab Pick-Up Truck (4 Door) or Equivalent"

$4499.00 Save Over $1,300 OFF NADA

Bids will be received until 3:00 PM, Thursday, April 13, 2017 in the Purchasing Department on the 2nd Floor, Sumter County Administration Building, 13 East Canal Street, Sumter, South Carolina 29150.

+ Tax, Tag & Doc Fee Extra

Bid documents may be obtained from:

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

The County of Sumter Purchasing Department 13 East Canal Street

Julia Hair, President

Telephone inquiries should be made to (803) 436-2331.

The County of Sumter reserves the right to reject any or all bids. The County of Sumter reserves the right to waive any or all technicalities.

Restaurant space available in downtown Mayesville. $400 monthly.

Contact 803 463 3647 Deloris.

1BR/1BA Apt/country, no pets, & and all utilities inc. $575 mo+dep.

Call 803-481-5592

Help Wanted Full-Time

Miscellaneous

Business Rentals

REAL ESTATE

Bid Notices

Sumter, South Carolina 29150 Sgregory@sumtercountysc.org

Office Space for Lease 50 Wesmark Ct Reception area & 3 Offices 1177 Sq Ft $1100 per mo.

Call Midland Mgmt. 803-773-1477

Unfurnished Apartments Senior Living Apartments for those 62+ (Rent based on income) Shiloh-Randolph Manor 125 W. Bartlette.

775-0575 Studio/1 Bedroom apartments available EHO

TRANSPORTATION

SUMMONS AND NOTICE OF FILING OF COMPLAINT (Non-Jury) Foreclosure IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS THIRD JUDICIAL CIRCUIT C/A #: 2017-CP-43-00112 STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF SUMTER TRUSTMARK NATIONAL BANK, Plaintiff, vs.

BRADEN BUNCH A/K/A BRADEN A. BUNCH; A. WREN BUNCH A/K/A ANNA WREN BUNCH and SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE, Defendants.

TO THE DEFENDANTS BRADEN BUNCH A/K/A BRADEN A. BUNCH AND A. WREN BUNCH A/K/A ANNA WREN BUNCH ABOVE NAMED: 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 the said Complaint upon the subscribers, at their office, 1703 Laurel Street (29201), Post Office Box 11682, Columbia, South Carolina 29211, within thirty (30) days after the service hereof, exclusive of the day of such service; and if you fail to answer the Complaint in the time aforesaid, judgment by default will be rendered against you for the relief demanded in the Complaint.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the original Complaint in the above entitled action was filed in the office of the Clerk of Court for Sumter County on January 20, 2017.

GRIMSLEY LAW FIRM, LLC P. O. Box 11682 Columbia, South Carolina 29211 (803) 233-1177 Benjamin E. Grimsley Attorney for the Plaintiff

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017 Call Ivy Moore at: (803) 774-1221 | E-mail: ivy@theitem.com

USC choir will perform at Mayesville Concert will include sacred, secular music

Mayesville Presbyterian Church will present The University of South Carolina Concert Choir, directed by Larry Wyatt, at 4 p.m.

Sunday. The performance is presented free as part of its Sundays at 4:00 Concert Series, an offering from the church to the public.

BY IVY MOORE ivy@theitem.com Now in its second season, the Sundays at 4:00 Concert Series hosted by Mayesville Presbyterian Church continues to host performances by the state’s finest musicians.

This Sunday’s 4 p.m. performance will be presented by the University of South Carolina Concert Choir, recognized around the world for its excellence.

Tammy WilWYATT liams, organist and choir director for Mayesville Presbyterian Church, said the 49-member choir conducted by Larry Wyatt, will present a program of “sacred and secular selections, including works by composers Charles Ives, Charles Stanford, Williams Billings and Robert DeCormier, (opening) with the ethereal ‘Beati quorum via’ by Stanford and concluding with DeCormier’s rousing arrangement of the spiritual ‘Let Me Fly.’” The choir will be accompanied by Jerry D. Olson Jr. Wyatt has been director of choral studies at USC since 1987, and the USC Concert Choir has performed extensively throughout the U.S. and Europe. Under his direction, the choir has performed for such prestigious events as the visit of Pope John Paul II to South Carolina and was invited to perform three concerts with the Jerusalem Symphony, including Krystof Penderecki’s St. Luke Passion, with the symphony under his direction. Twice, the choir has toured Spain, presenting several performances of Handel’s Messiah

PHOTO PROVIDED

and Bach’s Mass in B Minor.

In the spring of 1992, the Concert Choir was one of only 17 university ensembles selected to perform in the Mozart Bicentennial “Masses in Concert” series in Alice Tully Hall of Lincoln Center. They followed that performance with a highly successful headline presentation of Bach’s St. John Passion for the Southern Division Convention of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA).

In 1994, 1998, 2001 and 2015, the choir performed in Austria, The Czech Republic and Germany. In March of 2000, selected members of the choir, along with the Left Bank Jazz Band, traveled to London and Paris to perform selections from The Sacred Concerts by Duke Ellington.

Many other international performances are on the choir’s résumé, including participation in the prelude to the summer Olympics in China, and the ensemble also maintains a full regional concert schedule, including its

annual autumn tour and its highly anticipated Christmas concert.

In 2004, the choir presented premiere performances of J.A.C. Redford’s oratorio, The Martyrdom of St. Polycarp, in a tour of Italy and Bulgaria. In 2010, the choir was again the headline group on the Southern Division Convention of ACDA, performing a commissioned setting of the St. Matthew Passion by William Averitt. In 2013, the Concert Choir and University Chorus combined to perform the American debut of Herbert Howells’ Sir Patrick Spens.

The goal of the ensemble is to perform significant music with excellence, in important venues. A tour of Ireland is on its May schedule.

Choirs under Wyatt’s preparation have sung with the Jerusalem, Atlanta, New Orleans, Charleston, Charlotte and USC symphonies. A partial list of conductors with whom he has collaborated in these performances includes Robert Shaw, Robert Page,

Philippe Entremont, Andrew Massey, James Paul, Maxim Shostakovich, David Stahl and Donald Portnoy.

In addition to his conducting, Wyatt also implemented the doctoral program in choral conducting that he supervises today. About 50 USC graduates have received The Doctorate in Musical Arts degree in Choral Conducting, and more than 40 are teaching in universities in China, the United States and Israel. Graduates of the Master of Music program in Choral Conducting are successful choral directors who have received awards such as the Milken Teaching Award, as well as numerous ACDA invitations and prestigious European tours with their choirs.

Previously, Wyatt taught at Loyola University in New Orleans where he was founding director of the New Orleans Symphony Chorus. In Columbia, he served as Director of the Columbia Choral Society and Director of Music at First

Presbyterian Church. He is the founding director of Colla Voce, a community chamber choir of professional musicians.

Admission to Sunday’s concert is free, presented by Mayesville Presbyterian Church as an offering to the community. Donations will be accepted.

Williams said, “The concert series continues to be enthusiastically received by the community” and she is often asked about upcoming concerts.

This season’s Sundays at 4:00 series will conclude on April 30 with Mayesville Presbyterian Church’s annual hymn festival.

Mayesville Presbyterian Church is located at 109 W. Sumter St. in Mayesville. To get to the church from Sumter, take U.S. 76 (Florence Highway) about 11 miles to Mayesville, turn left onto Lafayette Street, go about three blocks, look for the sign and turn left, drive two blocks.

The church will be on the right.

Mystery plant met its demise in 2015 windstorm

BY JOHN NELSON Curator, USC Herbarium I’ve saved this picture from a couple of years ago. March had arrived earlier, like a lamb, but then the raging lion in it showed up about halfway through. A huge storm went through my neighborhood in the middle of the night, with plenty of lightning and thunder. On my bike ride into town the next morning, there were branches and leaves all over the ground. Everywhere! And then I came up to a great big oak tree blown over, pulling up a big part of the sidewalk, its top smashing dead on into a parked car, and completely blocking the street.

It was all quite dramatic, even the aftermath, but it wasn’t long before the city came and sawed up the tree and hauled it away, leaving only this enormous stump, as well as one very much totaled vehicle. The oak pictured here (with Lewis, whose Dad it was who had to get a new car) was a longtime resident, formerly planted along the sidewalk, probably in the 1940s.

This is very much a native South-

PHOTO PROVIDED

This large oak was uprooted by a windstorm in March of 2015. Its trunk destroyed an automobile. eastern species, growing on a variety of sandhill and other upland, highground settings on the coastal plain from Virginia into northern Florida and into the eastern parts of Texas.

Large individuals commonly have a sort of ridged or smoothish bark; it is not checkered or blocky as that on

some other oaks. It produces a handsome, rounded crown in open settings, and it’s an evergreen species. It does lose its leaves eventually (all evergreen trees do), and those that fall do so mostly in the spring, as the new foliage emerges.

The matured leaves are shiny and very smooth, without any hairs or fuzziness, about 2 or 3 inches long, and pointed at the tips. The acorns are about half an inch long and rather unremarkable.

In nature, most tree species, even if large, tend to have fairly shallow root systems. Their support from the roots comes from a broad lateral distribution, rather than a deep one. So, it is no wonder that street trees, if given enough time, don’t have enough room for the roots, especially if confined by sidewalks. You may have seen examples of street trees’ trunks and roots pushing themselves up onto sidewalks as they continue to grow. Unfortunately, large trees sometimes blow over in windstorms, wherever they might be growing. Considerable damage and personal injury (or even loss of life) may be the result, especially in

urban situations. And even if a tree gets blown over somewhere other than in your neighborhood, there may be the inconvenience of power loss.

Because of all this, city trees sometimes get a reputation as problems “waiting to happen,” and more and more often, you’ll see homeowners having all the trees removed from their lots.

This is a real shame, I think. Ultimately trees’ value far exceeds whatever problems they cause. Fortunately, many cities are now developing urban forestry programs for the wellbeing of their trees. If you are a citydweller, you may want to investigate your own city’s programs for protecting and nurturing trees.

Answer: “Darlington oak,” “Upland laurel oak,” Quercus hemisphaerica John Nelson is the curator of the A.C. Moore Herbarium at the University of South Carolina, in the Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia SC 29208.

For more information, visit www.herbarium.org, call (803) 777-8196, or email nelson@sc.edu.

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COMICS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 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

Abused wife wants out but fears being on her own DEAR ABBY — I’ve been married to my second husband for 14 years. He’s a great provider, but mentally and emotionally Dear Abby abusive.

ABIGAIL I want to VAN BUREN leave him, but I’m scared to live on my own. We both work, but he makes a lot of money — which I do not — so I guess you can say, financially I’m comfortable. But I’m miserable. I’m so unhappy I have tried to take my life.

He wanted us to be swingers and I finally gave in, and now it’s all I hear about. I don’t want to do it, but he doesn’t care what I want. His kids are mean and disrespectful. We have no

JUMBLE THAT SCRAMBLED WORD GAME

By David L Hoyt and Jeff Knurek

kids together (which I want but can’t have, and he won’t adopt).

I feel like I’m wasting my life. I’m 43. I had to have emergency surgery and almost didn’t make it, and he resented me for it. Why can’t I leave him? Why am I so scared? I have no other family.

Wasting away in the South DEAR WASTING AWAY — You said it yourself: You’re scared to live on your own. Some people are afraid of the unknown, and you appear to be one of them. Because your husband has been coercing you into having sex with other men, I recommend you contact a support organization such as RAINN (www. rainn.org); 800-656-HOPE (4673).

Someone there can guide you in making an escape plan.

I also urge you to talk about this with an attorney, because you should not be penniless if

THE DAILY CROSSWORD PUZZLE

you leave. What your husband has been doing is a form of spousal abuse, and between you and me, it shouldn’t take more than five seconds of selfevaluation to conclude that you would be better off without him.

DEAR READERS — Today, I’m proud to announce the launch of a new scholarship program for aspiring young writers. The Dear Abby College Columnist Scholarship Program and Contest, administered by the National Society of Newspaper Columnists Education Foundation, will recognize and encourage the work of undergraduates writing bylined columns for their college newspapers.

Visit dearabby.com/scholarship/interview, or submit an entry at dearabby.com/scholarship.

Abby

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

By Jeff Stillman

ACROSS 1 Anemic 5 Dukes not among royalty 10 Huge production 14 Rod in a hot rod 15 Kate’s sitcom pal 16 Pilaf base 17 *Rain-X auto product 19 Like port, usually 20 Lacking a key 21 *Manhattan theater district locale 23 Proofer’s mark 25 Feathery layer 26 Oomph 29 Set apart from the group 33 Org. with the staff of Aesculapius in its logo 36 Big name in gas 38 Slam-dance 39 Compressed video format 40 *Electrician’s basic knowledge 43 See 22-Down 44 Mane area 45 Like some buckets 46 Cotillion girl 47 Move more product than 49 Absorb, as a cost

3/29/17 50 Nonpro sports gp.

52 Trapper’s trophy 54 *Many a military spouse 59 Subtle difference 63 Continental coin 64 Far-reaching ... and a literal feature of the answers to starred clues 66 Brought up 67 Like nocturnally counted critters 68 Unrestrained party 69 Cotton bundle 70 Archibald and Thurmond of the NBA 71 Water testers DOWN 1 Bedtime drink, in totspeak 2 Freeway sign 3 Chop House dog food brand 4 Laments loudly 5 Sources of morals 6 Not in the pink 7 Cabbage dish 8 Laundry room brand 9 Views 10 Dry-__ board

11 Risky purchase, metaphorically 12 Tea preference 13 Relinquish 18 Be frugal with 22 With 43-Across, fraternal order 24 Alley scavenger 26 Handled clumsily 27 Writer Zola 28 Special-interest government spending 30 Aerial maneuvers 31 Not paying attention 32 Howe’er 34 Greek sorceress 35 Cut taker 37 Sue Grafton’s “__ for Corpse” 39 1988 Motown acquirer

41 Safari grazer 42 Arrive by auto 47 Sharer’s word 48 You can see right through them 51 Dwelling 53 Deck that’s worth a fortune?

54 “Dragnet” star Jack 55 Subtle glow 56 Triumphant shout 57 One who insists on the spotlight 58 Ready for print 60 Fictional sleuth Wolfe 61 “La __ aux Folles” 62 “Grand” ice cream brand 65 Denver-to-Des Moines dir.

Tuesday’s Puzzle Solved

©2017 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

3/29/17

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WE WGN

68 8

‘Imaginary Mary’ is dreadful, borders on disturbing

BY KEVIN MCDONOUGH Most bad TV shows are predictable, unoriginal and depressingly so. “Man With a Plan� comes to mind. Every so often a show arrives so gloriously strange and dreadful that attention must be paid. “Imaginary Mary� (8:30 p.m., ABC, TV-PG) is that kind of show. “Imaginary� takes a “cute� idea well beyond the realm of creepy to the borders of disturbing without ever becoming funny. Jenna Elfman (“Dharma & Greg�) stars as Alice, a feisty PR executive who convinces herself that she doesn’t need men until she meets Ben (Stephen Schneider), a strenuously nice guy in the Bob Saget (“Full House�) mold.

In a normal bad comedy, Alice would awkwardly settle into domesticity with eagerto-please Ben and his children, Andy (Nicholas Coombe), a gawky adolescent; Dora (Matreya Scarrwener), a smug, judgmental teen; and Bunny (Erica Tremblay), a child filled with unanswerable questions about life, and more often, death.

But this show has something extra, and that is Mary, a CGI depiction of Alice’s childhood imaginary friend, a noseless, fluffy, doll-like creature voiced by Rachel Dratch.

In an introduction, we learn that Mary emerged during the painful divorce of Alice’s parents and that Mary helped the sad child assert herself in times of pain.

Mary takes credit for Alice’s business success and fierce independence, but she also feels threatened when Alice becomes happily engaged with other people. In a telling moment, Mary vanished the first time Alice had sex.

So, in short, Mary is a manifestation of dangerous and self-destructive emotional impulses, a haunting presence threatened by Alice’s adjustment to adulthood.

Following a tradition as old as “Harvey,� “Topper� and CBS’ stillborn “Angel From Hell,� “Mary� also reflects the success of two “Ted� movies and is a tad raunchy. Mary may be threatened by Alice’s physical intimacy with Ben, but she also wants to watch.

Call me old-fashioned (or

well-adjusted), but I never want to watch “Imaginary Maryâ€? again. • Also debuting tonight is “Nobodiesâ€? (10 p.m., TV Land, TV-14), about three writers trying to land a famous face to sell their script. • “Secrets of the Deadâ€? (10 p.m., PBS, TV-14, check local listings) presents “Nero’s Sunken City,â€? a visit to the underwater ruins of Baiae, which has been called ancient Rome’s version of Las Vegas. • Hulu begins streaming “Harlots,â€? a British costume drama set in the streets and brothels of 1763 London.

• Seoul searching on “Criminal Minds: Beyond Bordersâ€? (10 p.m., CBS, TV-14). • A photographer’s last snap on “Chicago P.D.â€? (10 p.m., NBC, TV-14). • Kirkman’s strange alliance on “Designated Survivorâ€? (10 p.m., ABC, TV-14). • David’s greatest hurdle on the season finale of “Legionâ€?

(10 p.m., FX, TV-MA). • Cato and Noah adjust on “Undergroundâ€? (10 p.m., WGN, TV-MA). • Evidence and distractions on “Hap and Leonard: Mucho Mojoâ€? (10 p.m., Sundance, TVMA).

TONIGHT’S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

CULT CHOICE

• Overexposed on “Blindspotâ€? (8 p.m., NBC, TV14). • A video has suspicious origins on “Shots Firedâ€? (8 p.m., Fox, TV-14). • Nia Long, Phylicia Rashad and Rumer Willis guest-star on “Empireâ€? (9 p.m., Fox, TV14). • Mother’s little helpers on “Modern Familyâ€? (9 p.m., ABC, TV-PG). • A hit-and-run epidemic on “Major Crimesâ€? (9 p.m., TNT, TV-14). • The series finale of “Duck Dynastyâ€? (9 p.m., A&E, TV-PG) takes one last quack. • The sins of the uncle on “Greenleafâ€? (10 p.m., OWN, TV14).

TV-14) * An icon disappoints on “black-ish� (9:30 p.m., ABC, TV-14).

LATE NIGHT Rene Perez Joglar sits down on “The Daily Show With Trevor Noah� (11 p.m., Comedy Central) * Terry Crews, Andy Daly and Strand of Oaks appear on “Conan� (11 p.m., TBS) * Emma Roberts, Ken Jeong, Luke Bryan and Dierks Bentley are booked on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert�

(11:35 p.m., CBS) * Jimmy Fallon welcomes Katie Holmes,

Andrew Rannells and Zac Brown Band on “The Tonight Show� (11:35 p.m., NBC) * Dave Chappelle, Naomi Scott and Weezer appear on “Jimmy Kimmel Live� (11:35 p.m., ABC, r) * Morgan Freeman, Keeley Hawes, Mikaela Shiffrin and Bastille visit “Late Night With Seth Meyers� (12:35 a.m., NBC) * Victoria Beckham, Jessica Chastain and Lisa Kudrow appear on “The Late Late Show With James Corden� (12:35 a.m., CBS).

Copyright 2017 United Feature Syndicate

“Feud: Bette and Joan� fans should not miss the 1964 shocker “Dead Ringer� (6 p.m., TCM), starring Bette Davis as a jealous woman who kills her identical twin sister and assumes her identity.

SERIES NOTES Immunity struggles on “Survivor� (8 p.m., CBS, TV-PG) * Prom night on “The Goldbergs�

(8 p.m., ABC, TV-PG) * Oliver’s strange choice on “Arrow� (8 p.m., CW, TV-14) * Rumors of vampires on “Criminal Minds� (9 p.m., CBS, TV14) * Rape accusations roil Wall Street on “Law & Order: SVU� (9 p.m., NBC, TV-14) * Clarke and Abby ponder limits on “The 100� (9 p.m., CW,

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Greek Style Roasted Lemon Potatoes are delicious

BY SARA MOULTON Associated Press

W

ith two big feast days looming — Easter and Passover — I thought

I'd offer up a simple but delicious side dish. I'm talking about the lemony roasted potatoes that are one of the dependable delights on the menu at a Greek restaurant. They're crispy on the outside but tangy and creamy on the inside ... and surprisingly easy to make.

The key is to start by only partially cooking the potatoes — five minutes, then pull them off the heat.

Then drain them and, while they're still hot, toss them with lemon juice and salt. The potatoes will soak up the flavorings like a sponge. The next step is the one that creates the crispy crust: Coat them with oil and roast them in an oven.

The final touch? Toss the potatoes with fresh chopped herbs right before you serve them. I prefer parsley and oregano, but they'd be great with rosemary or basil, too.

What are the best kinds of spuds for this dish? The top of the list is occupied by boiling potatoes and all-purpose potatoes because they hold their shape when roasted.

Yukon Golds are my particular favorite.

Russet potatoes — aka baking potatoes, the most famous being the Idaho — would fall apart.

If you manage not to eat them all in one sitting, you'll love these guys all over again as leftovers. That's because they happen to make terrific hash browns. Just saute some chopped onion in oil or butter in a skillet over medium-low heat until it's caramelized, add the potatoes, then mush them down with a potato masher or fork until they form a big pancake. Brown it slowly on both sides and you're done. That lemony edge makes these hash browns a particularly toothsome variation on the standard version.

GREEK STYLE ROASTED LEMON POTATOES Start to finish: 1 hour 20 minutes (20 minutes active) Servings: 6 2 pounds Yukon Gold or other all-purpose or boiling potatoes Kosher salt 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for oiling the pan 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano Black pepper Preheat oven to 450 F. Peel the potatoes and cut them into 1-inch pieces. In a medium saucepan, combine the potatoes with salted cold water to cover by 2 inches. Bring the water to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer the potatoes for 5 minutes. While they are simmering, in a large bowl whisk together the lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon salt until the salt is dissolved, and then whisk in 1 tablespoon of the oil.

Drain the potatoes well, and while they are still hot, add them to the bowl and toss. Leave them in the bowl for 15 minutes, stirring several times to make sure that the liquid is well distributed. Add the remaining 1/4 cup oil and combine well, being careful not to break up the potatoes.

Line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil, and brush it with oil. Transfer the potatoes to the pan, and spread them out in one layer.

Roast the potatoes on the middle shelf of the oven, turning them several times, until they are golden brown, about 30 to 35 minutes. Remove them from the oven, and toss them with the parsley, oregano and pepper to taste.

Nutrition information per serving: 203 calories; 84 calories from fat; 9 g fat (1 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 81 mg sodium; 28 g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber; 1 g sugar; 3 g protein.

Top Greek salad with flank steak In the Mood for

BY KATIE WORKMAN Associated Press Quite often, I think a simple Greek salad is perfect as is, no adornments needed. But you may notice that in many eateries, from diners to higher-end

GREEK SALAD WITH FLANK STEAK Serves 6 Start to finish: 30 minutes 1 pound flank steak 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon extravirgin olive oil Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 1/2 pound green beans, trimmed and halved 1/4 cup red wine vinegar 1/2 cup diced red onion 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1/2 teaspoon finely minced garlic 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional) 8 cups sliced romaine lettuce hearts 1 cup halved or quartered cherry tomatoes 1/2 cup sliced pitted kalamata or other Greek olives 1/3 pound crumbled feta cheese Position your oven rack about 6 inches away from the heat source, and preheat the broiler.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray, or lightly oil the foil. Brush both sides of the steak with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Broil the steak for about 4 or 5

restaurants, you often get a choice of added protein.

If you have any kind of leftover steak in the fridge, slice that right up; this is the perfect way to use up those few pieces that aren't quite enough for a meal on their own.

minutes, until nicely browned on top, and then turn it and broil for 4 more minutes. Remove from the oven, and let the meat rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes.

While the meat is broiling, cook the green beans. Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil. Add the green beans, cook for 3 minutes, then drain and rinse under cold water to cool, and drain again.

Make the dressing: Combine 1/3 cup olive oil, the vinegar, onion, oregano, mustard, garlic, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes (if using). Shake well.

Thinly slice the steak on the diagonal across the grain.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the green beans, lettuce, tomatoes and half of the olives and feta.

Shake the dressing once more to combine, and pour over about 1/4 of the dressing. Toss the salad.

Transfer to a large, shallow serving bowl, and lay slices of the steak across the top of the salad. Pour some more dressing over the salad, reserving some to pass on the side for those who want additional dressing. Sprinkle the rest of the olives and feta over the top.

Nutrition information per serving: 395 calories; 247 calories from fat; 27 g fat (9 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 74 mg cholesterol; 885 mg sodium; 13 g carbohydrate; 4 g fiber; 7 g sugar; 23 g protein.

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2017

Spring

> > >

Home & Garden

In this issue, learn to ...

> > > > >

Keep your mower in top shape Organize your home like a pro Add splashes of color with paint Tackle spring cleaning easily Create a non-traditional garden this year

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY MELANIE SMITH

D2

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017

2017 SPRING HOME & GARDEN

THE SUMTER ITEM

Tackle your spring cleaning task by task Area professional organizer shares decluttering tips

BY KASEY MEREDITH intern@theitem.com Spring cleaning can be a daunting subject for most of us, but decluttering and organizing don’t have to be a headache.

Sandi Davis, who has been organizing professionally since 2004, said that when you see everything put into place, you feel so good. ms in drawers, Davis said that “filing” ite Start with small spaces first, often better like these towels here, is Davis said, then follow the than folding them. three basic rules to organizing: File the item if you can, know the difference between neat and organized, and be able to obtain the item in two to three steps.

Organizing your whole home bit by bit can be tedious.

“The main thing is to not get overwhelmed; visualize the end result,” Davis said.

Whether you’re tackling the kitchen or your closet, Davis suggests having three boxes to sort your items: donate, relocate and give. Part of spring cleaning is clearing out and getting rid of things, Davis said.

Finding what motivates you to downsize is the key to decluttering. Whether it be a new wardrobe, moving or Davis suggests using small pla stic wanting to help others, the containers to unjunk your jun k drawmotivation has to work for the ers. The containers can be fou nd at individual.

Dol lar Tree or Walmart and are use For those who are sentimenful in any type of drawer. tal, letting go of collections and random knick knacks is the hardest.

“Almost everyone can tell you a story about an item,” Davis said. In this case, the giving box usually becomes really handy. Sometimes clients name the box someone’s name, so the client can pass on items to that person who might appreciate the items more, she said.

After the decluttering, minimizing wasted space is the end goal. Some examples are: looking for shelves and walls that aren’t being used, stacking your T-shirts in your closet more efficiently and utilizing open space in your kitchen for possible storage. of the box Lastly, if you start to feel unSometimes thinking out solve your motivated or frustrated, pick and unconventionally can ing woes, an cle the task back up the next day. organizing and spring “You have to be in the right Davis said. frame of mind and the right PHOTOS BY KASEY MEREDITH / SPECIAL TO THE SUMTER ITEM mood,” Davis said. “Again, Shelving can be used vertically and horizontally, professional organizer Sandi Davis said. Using spring cleaning is a little-byshelving in closets helps maximize space and keep everything where you can see it. little process.

Close up your fireplace for the warmer seasons Chimney sweeps should be hired each year A roaring fireplace on a chilly day provides a welcome, aesthetically appealing respite from the cold.

Fireplaces are typically used throughout winter, but when spring rolls around, many homeowners no longer feel the need to light a fire. As fireplace season winds down, homeowners can take the following steps to close their fireplaces for the warm weather seasons ahead.

BEGIN THE CLEANUP Repeatedly lighting fires results in an accumulation of ash and residual wood debris. Clean out what you can by hand, and discard the soot.

To conduct a more thorough cleaning, use a high-powered garage vacuum to clear out any remaining ashes from crevices and other parts of the firebox.

HIRE A CHIMNEY SWEEP A fully functioning fireplace chimney should be swept annually by a certified chimney sweep. He or she will remove soot and any creosote from the inside of the chimney.

Creosote is highly flammable and can cause considerable damage if it catches fire.

A professional chimney sweeping also reduces the amount of dirt and odor that will continue to enter a home after the fireplace has been retired for the season.

Damp spring weather can moisten soot trapped in a chimney, causing it to smell. Cleaning and deodorizing can

help keep rooms fresh.

ASK FOR AN INSPECTION Ask a chimney sweep to inspect your chimney in addition to cleaning it.

A sweep can look for leaks and cracks, and he or she should also look at the flashing system and rain cap, which can prevent water infiltration.

You don’t want to learn your chimney is in poor shape during a heavy spring rainfall.

Ask that the pipes, brickwork and damper also be checked for functionality and good repair.

CLOSE THE DAMPER Homeowners should close the dampers on wood-burning fireplaces when closing their fireplaces for the season. Doing so prevents animals from making nests inside the chimney and possibly gaining entry into your home. Closing the damper also makes the home more efficient by not letting air escape through the chimney.

Those with gas fireplaces should leave the damper open at all times to prevent a gas buildup in the home in the case of a gas leak. However, homeowners may want to extinguish the pilot light for a gas fireplace in the spring to reduce energy usage.

MAKE IT ATTRACTIVE Some homeowners choose to dress up a fireplace to make it look more appealing in the offseason. Flowers, plants, candles or decorative accents

It’s important to thoroughly clean your fireplace after the winter season. can be placed in the firebox to add style to a home.

When closing a fireplace for the season, homeowners can benefit from

hiring a professional to ensure everything is done correctly and the fireplace will be in top shape and ready to warm everyone up next winter.

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Use a punchy color for your front door But if you want to keep it neutral, try gray

BY KASEY MEREDITH intern@theitem.com After spending the winter months cooped up in your home, it can be quite a shock to see the exterior of your home.

Deciding on a color is a big commitment. Choosing a chic versus classic color for the outside of your home can be a difficult decision, so neutrals are always a safe bet. Glenda Joye, who’s worked 36 years in the painting business and now works at Simpson Hardware and Sports, said that grays are in demand.

“Gray is the new neutral,” Joye said.

And it’s not all about the outer walls; one element that

has been getting a lot of attention lately is the front door.

“People are starting to go bolder with their color choices. I’m getting a lot of turquoises, aquas and terracottas,” Joye said.

Grays are a popular color for both outside and inside the home. Joye said that grays are versatile and allow people to play around with fabrics in their house.

Joye recommends the Clark and Kensington paint brand because she said it goes on nice and covers well. Regardless of what brand you end up choosing, the glossier the finish, the easier it will be to clean. For front doors, Joye recommends latex, gloss and

BY KASEY MEREDITH / THE SUMTER ITEM

A statement door, like this blue, contrasts nicely with taupe home colors. semi-gloss finishes.

The name of the game is mixing and matching. “I’m getting a lot of earthly tones for the exterior of the house

and punchy colors on the front door,” Joye said.

Some Clark and Kensington colors that Joye suggests are “Garden Stone,” “After the

Rain” and “Coastal Pleasure” which are all grays. For the front door, she suggests “Shopaholic” also from the Clark and Kensington line.

Inexpensive changes can make your kitchen pop

BY KASEY MEREDITH intern@theitem.com

BY KASEY MEREDITH / THE SUMTER ITEM

Paul Smith has been gardening herbs for more than 50 years. One of his favorite herbs, fennel, is great for salads and fish dishes.

Turn that black thumb green by growing herbs this spring

BY KASEY MEREDITH intern@theitem.com You don’t have to be a Master Gardener to grow herbs. Herbs can be grown indoors and outdoors, with ample lighting and watering, a small price to pay in order to transform your cooking, says a local Master Gardner.

Paul Smith, Master Gardener and former herb farmer, suggests firsttime herb growers to start with rosemary. “It’s a long-living plant and can endure dry conditions which makes it easy to grow,” Smith said.

Herbs are versatile plants that are edible, have medicinal properties and have an aroma to them, he said. Smith says that even roses are considered to be an herb. But the most common use of herbs is in cooking. Smith suggests growers grow whatever they think they are going to use such as, fennel, rosemary, parsley, oregano, cilantro,

Fennel, an herb mainly used in fish dishes and salads, has a licorice taste to it. basil and sage, to name a few.

Placing the seeds far enough apart, the herbs can grow harmoniously and conveniently in one box, he said. Smith recommends a planter box, as items like clay pots can dry up the herbs be-

cause they absorb water. Sometimes adding a layer of sand or pebbles before soil helps regulate the water flow, he said.

These plants are hardy but still need ample light. Smith said if you’re growing them indoors, placing them close to a windowsill will maximize light for the plant.

Smith’s method of growing herbs is in an outdoor garden, which he said is ultimately the best method. As for soil, regular soil works just fine, but using fertilizer can’t hurt any plant, he said.

But he suggested the No. 1 thing new herb growers need to do is research.

“It’s just a matter of turning that black thumb into a green one through study,” Smith said.

Some Mediterranean herbs, such as thyme, prefer drier conditions and like to be misted. Researching the herbs you want to grow can help you avoid rookie mistakes such as over watering.

Kitchens are often the place of conversation in the home. If you’re bored with the aesthetic of your kitchen, sprucing up your kitchen doesn’t mean you have to install a trendy new farmhouse sink that can cost upward of $1,000.

“Just updating hardware on cabinetry can update a whole piece,” Randy Abbott, senior designer at Nicole Norris Design Studios, said.

A fresh new color on those cabinets can update your kitchen as well. If you’re a fan of keeping it simple, Abbott suggests whites and grays.

Sleek, contemporary themes are popular in kitchen design.

Abbott also said that bolder colors and color mixing is in.

“People tend to be eating in the kitchen more and more.

It’s about creating drama through contrast,” Abbott said.

For the truly daring, try painting half of the cabinets one color and the other half a different color. Go bold with one half charcoal and the other a teal blue color.

If you’re not up to painting 25 mini doors, updating the backsplash of your kitchen can be as easier than you think. Lowe’s has a variety of peel and stick backsplashes that can even be cut to fit a particular space. This is perfect for smaller kitchens or if you have minimal backsplash area. Abbott said that the traditional tile isn’t popular these days, but natural stone, glass and marble are in style.

“There’s more importance in the decorative elements,” Abbott said. It’s not all about updating cabinets, but changing the light fixtures to hanging ones, adding some art or plants can give the kitchen a face lift.

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Hanging baskets not only add color and texture, but also attract pollinators to the surrounding sweet corn and tomato plants. Using pollinator plants in hanging baskets can attract beneficial insects to gardens and greenhouses.

Hanging baskets bring instant color and texture Include a thriller, spiller and filler

BY DEAN FOSDICK The Associated Press Want to add instant color and texture to your deck, balcony, entryway or other small space around your yard? Consider hanging baskets.

If they're in the right location and are maintained regularly, container plants will bloom from early spring until the first killing frost — longer if you load them with perennials and over-winter them indoors.

"Perennials make fantastic partner plants in containers," said Rebecca Finneran, a horticulture educator with

Michigan State University Extension. "Shady containers look great with a fern or hosta right out of your garden, and sunny containers may benefit from re-blooming plants like nepeta or fall-blooming plants such as hyssop."

And don't forget the pollinators, Finneran said.

"Great pollinator plants can be worked into containers, too: butterfly bush, globe thistle, swamp milkweed — all great examples," she said.

Hanging baskets have limited rooting space, so they need extra care once they become full and lush.

PHOTOS BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Hanging baskets are a colorful welcome to guests. Shop around at thrift or antique shops for decorative containers like this Victorian model to add some personality to the presentation.

"Daily watering is often necessary, and fertilizer should be routinely applied to keep the plants blooming well," Finneran said.

That would mean using a time-release fertilizer when planting and adding a watersoluble fertilizer about once a week beginning at the height of the growing season.

If that sounds like too much work, consider using drought-resistant plants to reduce watering.

"But the soil mixture and soil depth must be adjusted for the plants you are growing," said Amy Dabbs, a Clemson University area horticulture agent. "For succulents and cacti, a shallow basket with a well-draining, soilless media mix made for

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cacti should be used.

"These plants require bright light but not direct sun, as the plants will scorch, especially in the sunny South," Dabbs said.

More tips on landscaping with hanging planters: • Use "no-brainer" containers or lightweight pots lined with moss or coconut fiber that are easy to handle.

Avoid ceramic, cast concrete or terra cotta.

• Soak rather than simply water. "Once the media becomes really dry, it is difficult to re-wet it," Finneran said. "Just take the basket down once a week, and soak for one hour in a wheelbarrow to be sure the center of the container is fully moistened."

• Pinch back dead blooms,

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and remove brown or leggy foliage to keep the basket looking fresh. "Don't forget that pruning plants in the basket, such as petunias, will cause them to flush out new growth resulting in fresh blooms," Finneran said.

• Use potting soil with time-release fertilizer rather than dirt taken straight from the garden. It drains better, so roots won't rot if overwatered.

• When designing a hanging pot, Dabbs said one old rule is to include "a thriller, spiller and filler." But she advises just going with what you like. "When in doubt, go to a local garden center or nursery for inspiration, and let plant availability be your guide," she said.

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Indoor plants can make breathing easier

BY KASEY MEREDITH intern@theitem.com Though your eyes might be dry and watering because of pollen, it can also be a sign of toxins in your home. Air purifiers are a common solution to air pollutants, but it doesn't hurt to consider the greenfield venture of indoor plants.

Not only are indoor plants low maintenance — no green thumb required — they usually require low light and average watering. And, best of all, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration did all of the research for you years ago when it performed its Clean Air Study in association with the Associated Landscape Contractors of America.

The study found peace lilies, dracaenas, English ivy and snake plants all fight off the big five of air toxins found in the home, which are: benzene, xylene, trichtoformaldehyde, formaldehyde and ammonia. Placing a Dracaena by your garage will filter the formaldehyde entering into your home. Adding a peace lily to your bathroom helps eliminate all toxins and has a beautiful flower. Consider placing vinelike plants in the kitchen such as English ivy, Boston ferns, spider plants and Chinese evergreens.

Indoor plants don't have to take up a large space. Gerbera daisy and aloe vera are both small plants that can accent bedrooms and clean the air around you. Aloe vera also doubles as a skin relief if you get burned or cut.

Snake plants, golden pothos and fiddle leaf figs are all in style in home decor as well. Many

PHOTOS BY KASEY MEREDITH / THE SUMTER ITEM

Gerbera daisies not only add color to your home, but also help purify the air. decorating pieces tout the iconic fiddle leaf fig leaf.

The snake plant, skilled at filtering all of the air toxins, according to superstition also filters out the bad energy of house guests.

You can find a number of these houseplants locally at Lowe's or Simpson Hardware, just to name a few. Many are under $10.

Just adding one house plant can improve the condition of the air in your home.

It's important to note that if you have pets in your home some of these plants might be harmful to them. Researching the harmful elements of some of these plants and checking their toxicity levels before bringing them into your home will make your pets grateful.

The peace lily is among houseplants known to help purify the air in your home.

Start spring with 6 easy cleaning projects FROM METRO Warmer days are here, and what better way to spend them than cleaning? Although enjoying the great outdoors is probably high on many a to-do list come spring, by the end of winter, homes can probably do with a much-needed overhaul.

Spring cleaning tasks can be stretched out across several days to make the jobs more manageable. While certain tasks can be time-consuming, many projects can be started and completed in 30 minutes or less.

LOOK UP Start by looking up at ceilings, molding and ceiling fans.

Chances are strong that some cobwebs and dust have formed in these areas. Always begin cleaning by working from the top downward so you don't have to clean any tables, countertops or floors twice. Staticcharged dusting cloths work well to catch and contain dust.

Use a pillowcase on ceiling fan blades to clear the dust and keep it from cascading to the floor.

BLINDS AND CURTAINS Heavy window treatments can be removed and replaced with more gauzy fabrics. This lets in more light and warmth from the sun. Many curtains can be freshened up right in the laundry, but blinds may require a bit more effort. If the blinds can be snapped out of the brackets, place them in a tub full of vinegar, dish soap and water. Allow them to soak, and then rinse with the shower nozzle. Stationary blinds can be cleaned with using an old sock over your hand dipped in a vin-

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egar-and-water solution.

CHANGE LINENS Remove and launder bed linens. While the linens are in the wash, thoroughly dust all furniture and vacuum the carpets.

Move furniture so you can reach areas where dust gathers, such as under the bed or dresser.

GROUT CLEANER Combining baking soda and vinegar produces a reaction that causes the formation of gassy bubbles. These bubbles can help to break up dirt that clings to crevices, such as grout between tiles. Some light scrubbing and then subsequent rinsing can rid surfaces of hard-toremove dirt.

Many houses are heated by forced-air systems. The air intake vents can become clogged with dust and other debris. Vacuum these vents so that air flow is not impeded.

Let the heat run for a few minutes to catch any small particles that become dislodged, and then change the furnace filter.

Spring Is Here!

CLEAN OUT REFRIGERATOR Now is a great time to remove any of those mystery containers growing fuzzy experiments in the back of the refrigerator. Take the food out of the refrigerator, and use a foodsafe cleaner to scour the shelves and inside of crisper drawers.

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Look inside your closet to help make room color choices

Follow tips for watering to achieve a lush lawn

BY SHERRY COMPTON Decorating Den Interiors

FROM METRO Homeowners who live in regions that get especially hot in the summertime often worry that their lawns won't make it through the dog days of summer looking lush. But lawns don't have to succumb to the sizzling summer sun. Oftentimes, the right watering strategies can help homeowners nurse their lawns through the hottest months of the year, ensuring the lawns make it to autumn looking as green as they did back at the height of spring.

• Reconsider when you're watering. Come summertime, homeowners may want a glass of water at high noon, when temperatures seem to be at their hottest. But you and your lawn are different, so the best time to satiate your thirst is not necessarily the best time to water your lawn. Watering in the middle of the day is often ineffective, as water tends to evaporate quickly in the afternoons when temperatures are peaking. Nighttime watering can contribute to the growth of fungus, which can create an entirely new set of headaches for homeowners.

Morning watering sessions tend to be most effective during the summertime, as temperatures tend to be cooler in the morning, leading to less evaporation. Less evaporation means all that watering isn't going to waste.

• Reconsider your sprinkler.

If you can't afford an inground irrigation system, which many landscaping professionals agree is the most effective and efficient way to water a lawn, then you likely will rely on a sprinkler to keep your lawn looking lush through the summer months.

When choosing a sprinkler, look for one that shoots water out horizontally as opposed to

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017

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Poorly placed sprinklers that shoot water out onto driveways and other surfaces that do not need water can rob a lawn of water it desperately needs when temperatures climb in the summertime. vertically. A vertical sprinkler system is more vulnerable to wind and evaporation than one that shoots water out horizontally, so make sure your sprinkler system is sending water into your lawn and not into the breeze.

• Avoid overwatering. How much water your lawn needs in the summertime depends on a host of factors, including where you live and how often rain falls in that region. Overwatering can promote the growth of fungus and adversely affect your lawn's root system, making it difficult for roots to grow deep. Speak with a local landscaping professional to determine how often you should water your lawn each week.

• Strategically position your sprinklers. When choosing where to put down your sprinklers, hook them up to your hose, turn them on, and then watch to see where the water

is going. Areas exposed to sun are most in need of water, so make sure the bulk of your water isn't going to shaded areas beneath trees. In addition, make sure you aren't wasting water on sidewalks, patios and driveways. Sprinklers should be positioned so none of the water they're shooting out is landing on surfaces that don't need water. It sounds simple, but too often homeowners drop their sprinklers down, turn them on and then walk away without waiting to see where the water is landing. Position sprinklers or adjust sprinkler heads so all the water is landing on your lawn.

Keeping a lawn lush and green at the height of summer requires homeowners to adopt effective strategies. Such strategies can make the difference between a lush landscape and one that succumbs to summer heat.

Today’s home furnishing fabrics and designs are often color coordinated to help you take the guesswork out of your next decorating project. Fabrics, wall coverings, area rugs, bed linens, accessories, and yes, even lampshades feature a wide variety of motifs and patterns, all designed to work in harmony as you work to create your room’s new “look.”

But, no matter the design, motif or pattern, the common denominator in successfully creating the look you want to achieve is color.

So how do you begin selecting color for you’re next project? Why not start by playing favorites — and selecting colors you’re comfortable with. Even if your favorite color might not work as a major player in your new room, you could consider using it as an important accent shade.

Here are some tips for helping you “home in” on your perfect color selection: • Take a look in your closet. What colors do you see in your wardrobe that you particularly enjoy?

Pastels? Dark jewel tones?

Neutrals? Bright, lively

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• Take a look around your room. Is there an accessory, piece of art, even an area rug that “speaks” to you? Entire room designs have been beautifully accomplished by focusing on one simple multi-colored vase.

• What’s your personal style? Do you enjoy a more casual lifestyle? Perhaps the contemporary style is more “you.” Knowing your style will give you an important clue as to the color options you might want to consider.

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Maintain your lawnmower

BY KASEY MEREDITH intern@theitem.com Cranking that lawnmower for the first time of the season can be scary, but here are some tips and tricks that will make your mower function pristine for the whole season and years to come.

Lawnmowers are like cars, they will last a long time if you take care of them said Glenn Hodge, lawnmower mechanic at Four Bridges Small Engine.

Every time you use your lawnmower you should brush away any debris or particles that have been caught by the mower, he said. Brushing the exterior will help keep the lawnmower looking brand new

into the next couple of seasons.

“Make sure it gets a good service, change the oil, change the fuel,” Hodge said. "Fuel can go bad over winter."

Replenishing your lawnmower’s oil is crucial and most lawnmowers have an oil drain plug, making the process userfriendly to any lawnmower owner.

Hodge said that the number one maintenance owners miss is changing the air filter.

“Dirt can get into the carburetor and mess up the engine and it takes only a couple of minutes to change,” Hodge said.

If it's paper or accordion style, blowing pressurized air

on it can revitalize it, he said.

Other mowers have foam filters and washing them with water and detergent will do the job.

Hodge recommends taking your mower to a mechanic for issues with the lawnmower’s blades, which last about a season.

“Blades can be fitted on tightly and you’ll need the proper equipment if you want to fix it yourself,” Hodge said.

Mowers are like cars, yes, but they get more abuse from dirt and sand, Hodge said.

Maintaining and sprucing up your lawnmower every season can save you from buying a brand new one come springtime.

MELANIE SMITH / THE SUMTER ITEM

Regular lawnmower maintenance should include checking and replacing the oil.

Growing strawberries at home requires little space, effort

BY JOAN CASANOVA Green Earth Media Group Homegrown strawberries are a billion times better tasting than the hard, rarely ripe, flavorless selection in the supermarket. Strawberries are cold-hardy and adaptable, making them one of the easiest berries to grow. While most fruit trees take several years to begin bearing, you can harvest your own strawberries the very first summer.

And even if you live in an apartment or small home, you can grow strawberries in a container, on your balcony, rooftop, or patio. If your horizontal space is limited, consider growing strawberries in a hanging basket or stacked planter, which will allow you to take advantage of vertical growing space as the strawberry plants tumble out over the sides.

There are two main kinds of strawberries: "June-bearing" and "Ever-bearing" varieties. June-bearing, bear all at once, usually over a period of about 3 weeks. Because of their earliness, high quality and concentrated fruit set, June-bearers produce high yields of very large, sweet, extra juicy berries in late midseason, which is usually late spring and early summer, depending on your geographic region. These are the best variety for preserving.

“Ever-bearing” strawberries produce a big crop from spring flowers, set light flushes of fruit through summer, and then bloom and bear again in late summer and fall.

Perfect for large containers or raised beds, where you can give them attentive watering and regular feeding.

Bonnie Plants, available at most garden retailers, offers a good selection of strawberries including: • “Ozark Beauty” — This ever-bearing variety produces high yields of large, very sweet fruit from late spring until frost, with concentrated fruiting in summer and again

in fall. Ideal for jam, preserves, or desserts. Plants are cold-hardy, send out long runners and are great for containers.

• “Quinalt” — the most popular ever-bearing variety, offers large, soft, deliciously sweet fruit, ideal for preserves or fresh eating.

• June-bearing “Allstar” produces high yields of very large, sweet, extra juicy berries in late mid-season, which is usually late spring and early summer, depending on when summer arrives in your area. As a June-bearer, the harvest season is concentrated over a few weeks, making it a good choice if you want to freeze or cook with a lot of berries at one time. Remember to plant so the crown is just above soil level.

Timely tips to ensure strawberry success: • When planting strawberries, be sure the crown is above soil level and the upper most roots are 1/4 inch beneath soil level, buried crowns rot and exposed roots dry out. Strawberry plants should be placed approximate-

ly 14 to 18 inches apart from each other in neat rows that are separated by 2 to 3 feet each. Let runners fill in until plants are 7 to 10 inches apart.

• Use mulch to keep berries clean, conserve moisture and control weeds.

• If you want to keep it simple, plant strawberries in a container. Just remember that container plantings need much more water than inground plantings, usually once a day; and if it's hot, twice. Strawberry pots are the obvious, best container choice for growing strawberries. You can fit several plants in one pot; just make sure whatever type of garden pot you use has good drainage. Strawberries have a relatively small root ball and can be grown in containers as small as 10 to 12 inches in diameter and 8 inches deep. However, the smaller the container, the more frequently you will need to water. Synthetic and light colored pots will keep the roots cooler than dark colors and natural materials that conduct heat.

• Strawberries like well-

drained fairly rich soil, so be sure to add compost or other organic matter when preparing the pot or patch.

• Strawberry plants need full sun, 6 to 8 hours per day, and frequent, deep soakings.

They will grow in all zones and should be fed twice a year — when growth begins and after the first crop. You’ll need to feed them with a plant food like Bonnie Plant Food, this natural herb and vegetable plant food has nutrients and growth stimulants that your strawberry plants will love.

• Control slugs and snails by handpicking them off plants and prevent theft from birds by covering your patch with net-

ting as the first berries ripen.

Strawberries are one of the easiest and most delicious home garden fruits to grow.

Try growing them with kids, plants produce fruit throughout the summer and children will love to pluck them right off the plant, wash and eat! If your kids have yet to plant and care for a fruit or vegetable, strawberries are a perfect choice for their first gardening experience. Kids can help create a delicious strawberry desert too, using super sweet, delectable strawberries picked right in the backyard.

For more information on growing strawberries as well as vegetables and herbs visit www.bonnieplants.com

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50 shades of green and more found in a flowerless garden

BY KIM COOK The Associated Press While beds tumbling with flowers are lovely, there's an emerging trend in landscape design: the flowerless garden.

Non-traditional gardens are no less green. In fact, the hue is often more obvious than in a floral-filled space. Varieties of leafy shrubs, trees, vines and grasses create a verdant vista, even in small gardens. An additional perk: these gardens may be significantly easier to maintain than a plot full of posies.

Justin Hancock of Costa Farms, a nursery in Miami, describes two types of non-traditional gardens: "One is a soothing, naturalistic garden that's filled with different shades of green," he says. "The other is a little more flamboyant and uses variegated plants to bring in splashes of color."

Both offer a pleasing aesthetic in all seasons, and you don't need to worry about plants going in and out of bloom.

PHOTOS BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Coleus Campfire paints a vivid portrait in a garden without flowers.

SERENITY A Zen-like garden keeps the focus on the garden structure itself, with greenery that's calming.

Shawn Fitzgerald of the Kent, Ohio-based Davey Tree Co. thinks hardscaping should also be a consideration in these gardens.

"A water feature always adds a nice element — a pond, or a creek, with the sound of running water. It's especially nice if you have some lush foliage over the water," he says.

He encourages adding rocks, perhaps some large and small boulders strategically placed.

"And, of course, benches are always great," Fitzgerald says.

"Who doesn't like to sit and reflect in a peaceful garden, under some nice shade cover?"

VISUAL INTEREST Hancock suggests using variegated shrubs or trees to add color and texture to a garden.

Give similarly hued plants like hostas, dusty miller and succulents a tonal frame by placing them next to bluestone pavers, he suggests. Or play with scale perception by graduating dark and light greenery along a pathway.

"One of my favorite ways to make a small space feel larger is to plant varieties that have rich green, purple, or orange foliage up front, and incorporate white-variegated leaves at the back. Because the light color recedes, it creates an optical illusion of more space," he says.

No matter what hardiness zone you're in, there's one annual he recommends for any non-traditional garden.

"Coleus is one of the most versatile foliage plants you can choose. Some tolerate full sun, but most grow in shade, too," he says. "You can get varieties in so many colors. Redhead, which is a personal favorite; Campfire, which is purple and orange; chartreuse Wasabi; gold Honeycrisp. Plant these in the spring, and enjoy them right through the fall."

Sweet potato vine is another easy-care annual, with multicolored varieties.

"On the perennial side, hostas are beautiful shade plants that thrive from Alaska way down to Texas," says Hancock.

"Variegated liriope has a wide planting range, and has deep green, grassy leaves edged in gold or silver."

Heuchera, also known as coral bells, "is another perennial that, like coleus, offers tremendous versatility with leaves in a wide range of colors, and varieties that thrive in sun or shade," Hancock says.

"The key to a garden where flowers aren't the focus is foliage," says Fitzgerald. "There are lots of trees, shrubs and plants with stems, fruit and foliage of different sizes, shapes and textures. Just because there aren't flowers doesn't mean your garden can't be colorful."

Forever Purple Heuchera adds a deep rich color.

Black Flowering Fountain Grass makes a dramatic statement with flowing green foliage and ebony foxtail-like plumes.

Patriot Hosta’s variegated green and white leaves are a great choice in a non-flower garden.

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