3 arrested in church vandalism Spray-painting spree occurred on Nazarene Church Road FROM STAFF REPORTS
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2016
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Sumter County Sheriff’s Office arrested two adults and a juvenile on Tuesday and charged them with malicious injury to a place of worship, among other charges, for allegedly spray painting two churches on Nazarene Church Road on Nov. 25. According to a news release from the sheriff’s office, Amy Feagin, 17,
of 2605 Tindal Road, and Joshua P. Warren, 20, of 3731 J.W. Rhames Road, Manning, are both charged with two counts of malicious FEAGIN injury to a place of worship and one count of malicious injury to private property. A 16-year-old male was also ar-
rested and faces the same charges. He has been referred to South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice, according to the release. WARREN During the early morning of Nov. 25, profanity was painted on the gym
SEE CHURCH, PAGE A5
3 SECTIONS, 24 PAGES | VOL. 122, NO. 39
‘A date which will live in infamy’
Season of Advent Area churches celebrate century-old tradition C1 SPORTS
Crestwood, O-W square off on hardwood B1
Sumterite remembers attack that plunged the U.S. into WWII
DEATHS, B7 Roosevelt Mack Jr. Henry Toney
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Joan Martin Rodby, 85, left, and Emma Veary, 86, look out over the countryside in Makawao, Hawaii. After the Pearl Harbor attack 75 years ago today, they suddenly found themselves living in a war zone, as an ever-present worry about a Japanese invasion permeated life in their island home.
Charles R. Bovee
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For Merle Baker, the events of Dec. 7, 1941, clinched his decision to enter the military — a career that would span 20 years. After graduating from high school in Milan, Ohio, in the spring of ’41, Baker was living with his parents and sister at the
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allies Germany in Europe and Japan in the Pacific. “Everybody knew it was going to be Japan or Germany that tripped the trigger for the U.S. (involvement in the war),” Baker said. “The tension was like (Hurricane) Hugo in Sumter: We knew it was coming, but we didn’t know when and where.”
It was a Sunday afternoon about 3 p.m. Ohiotime, and Baker and his girlfriend were sitting in the front room of his parents’ home. The next thing he knew a school teacher — who was renting an upstairs room in the family home — came running down
SEE WWII, PAGE A5
Bishopville remembers Pearl Harbor Day BY JIM HILLEY jim@theitem.com Seventy-five years ago, America was jolted by the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, by the Japanese Imperial Navy. “Dec. 7, 1941 — a date which will live in infamy,” President Franklin
James nominated for S.C. Supreme Court Third Judicial Circuit Judge George C. James Jr. of Sumter was on hand last week to swear in newly elected Sumter City Council members. The South Carolina Judicial Merit Selection Committee named James as one of three candidates “qualified and nominated” to the S.C. Supreme Court Seat 5. The election is scheduled for noon Wednesday, Feb. 1. The other two candidates are Diane Schafer Goodstein of Summerville and R. Keith Kelly of Moore.
time and working in production for a local paper box manufacturing plant in BAKER northern Ohio. In late 1941, Baker said tension was building every day concerning World War II, led by Axis
Roosevelt told the U.S. Congress in his speech asking for a declaration of war against Japan the next day. Four days later, a state war also existed between the U.S. and Nazi Germany. On Thursday, local historian and curator of Sumter Military Museum Sammy Way made a presentation to the Daughters of the
American Revolution at Lee County Veterans Museum. His presentation included a remembrance of the historic events of December 1941, and how they affected small communities such as Sumter and Bishopville.
SEE BISHOPVILLE, PAGE A5
State House re-elects leadership, Senate adopts rule changes BY JIM HILLEY jim@theitem.com The South Carolina House and Senate met Tuesday in organizational sessions, electing leadership and installing new members. After re-electing Sen. Hugh Leatherman, RDarlington, as president pro tem, the Senate approved changes to Senate rules intended to make it easier to pass legislation out of the chamber. Leatherman praised the changes as a step forward for the Senate. “Today, we adopted a set of rules that should make our time in the Senate Chamber more efficient and allow us to
focus on the priorities of this state. After all, that’s why we were all elected,” Leatherman said. “I created a committee this past session to look at the rules, and it’s a great step forward for us to come together and make these changes.” Democrats in the Senate said the new rules would weaken the ability of the minority party to affect legislation. The changes to the rules approved by the Senate include: eliminating “minority reports,” which are attached to bills once they emerge from committee; allowing high-priority bills to be debated sooner in the legislative day than before; and chang-
ing cloture rules so that the Senate can adjourn and return the next day to the bill under cloture. Leatherman was able to keep his powerful pro tem post, even though he said he will not take the job of lieutenant governor if the U.S. Senate confirms Gov. Nikki Haley as United Nations ambassador. Lt. Gov. Henry McMaster will replace Haley if she’s confirmed as Presidentelect Donald Trump’s U.N. pick. The state constitution calls for the pro tem to become lieutenant governor, and some lawmakers had objected to
SEE SESSION, PAGE A5