December 28, 2016 by The Sumter Item

IN SPORTS: Spring Valley hands Lady Knights 1st loss at District 9 tournament B1 PANORAMA

‘The Gathering’ social club offers opportunities for adults, teens with special needs C1 WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2016

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Another new Walmart coming Neighborhood Market planned for Pinewood Road Piggly Wiggly location BY JIM HILLEY jim@theitem.com A new Walmart Neighborhood Market and gas station will replace a building housing a Piggly Wiggly and a Family Dollar Store near the corner of McCrays Mill Road and Pinewood Road, according to Mack Kolb, of Century 21 Hawkins an Kolb Real Estate, who brokered the deal. Piggly Wiggly and Family Dollar do not own the property but hold leases from the property owner, which has sold to a developer, he said. The property also includes an Anytime Energy gas station on Pinewood Road. “It’s all going to be demolished and will be a Neighborhood Market,” he said.

JIM HILLEY / THE SUMTER ITEM

After 38 years, the Piggly Wiggly grocery store at Pinewood and McCrays Mill roads will close Jan. 1 to make room for a new Walmart Neighborhood Market. A Rite-Aid Pharmacy located on the corner of McCrays Mill and Pinewood roads, a car wash on Pinewood and a

Metro PCS on McCrays Mill were not part of a zoning change and will not be part of the new development, ac-

cording to a zoning request filed with the City of Sumter. Piggly Wiggly owner Ricky McLeod said he has served his customers out of that location at 343 Pinewood Road for 38 years, but its last day will be Sunday.. “I want to thank everyone for their patronage,” McLeod said. He said all employees at the Pinewood Road Piggly Wiggly will be relocated to other stores in Sumter and Manning. McLeod said he has not ruled out opening another location but has no definite plans at this time. A McLeodowned Piggly Wiggly in Summerton was closed in January 2015. Piggly Wiggly must be completely out of the location by Feb. 20, he said.

SEE WALMART, PAGE A7

Extra sales days help local retailers at Christmas Emma Jones, left, reviews various reading materials with The Olive Tree Christian Bookstore’s Lorraine Dufresne on Tuesday at the Bultman Drive store.

BY BRUCE MILLS bruce@theitem.com With Christmas falling on Sunday, many area retailers had a busy, full week of sales last week in preparation for the biggest gift-giving holiday of the year. From jewelry to gifts, apparel and other merchandise, many shops were packed with customers shopping for presents. “The fact we had the full week, Monday through Saturday, before Christmas made it busier,” said Danny Chandler, co-owner of Galloway & Moseley on Guignard Drive. “December is always our busiest time of year in the fine jewelry business. In that last week before Christmas, we’ll do more than we do in some months (of the year).” Chandler said this Christmas sales season was better than the past couple years. He thinks a stronger local economy is part of the reason. According to the U.S. Bureau

BRUCE MILLS / THE SUMTER ITEM

SEE SALES, PAGE A7

‘Star Wars’ princess dead at 60

Michael mourned in London

NEW YORK (AP) — No one could make us laugh through the pain like Carrie Fisher. The daughter of Hollywood stars Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, and a survivor of early fame, drug addiction and bipolar disorder, she wrote with unsentimental wit and understanding about her private struggles and about an industry she was raised in but stood apart from. Fisher, known to the world as Princess Leia of “Star Wars,” died Tuesday at 60, four days after falling ill aboard an airline flight. Media reports said the actress had suffered a heart attack. “I do believe you’re only as sick as your secrets. If that’s true, I’m just really healthy,” she said in a confessional 2009 interview with The Associated Press. The public fell in love with her twice: as Princess Leia and as the wry truth-teller of such books as “Postcards From the Edge,” ‘’Wishful Drinking” and “The Princess Diarist,” in which she revealed having an intense affair with “Star Wars” co-star Harrison Ford. Fisher told plenty of secrets about others — about her parents’ breakup when she

LONDON (AP) — As mourners kept on flocking Tuesday to George Michael’s home in north London, the singer’s former longtime partner and his current boyfriend both spoke of their sadness at his death. The boyfriend, hairstylist Fadi Fawaz, told the Telegraph newspaper on Tuesday he found the 53-year-old singer dead in bed when he arrived at Michael’s house on Christmas Day so they could attend a holiday lunch together. “Everything had been very complicated recently, but George was looking forward to Christmas, and so was I,” Fawaz said. “Now everything is ruined. I want people to remember him the way he was. He was a beautiful person.” Fawaz tweeted “I will never stop missing you” to Michael. Michael’s former partner Kenny Goss, who was with the singer for many years, said in

SEE FISHER, PAGE A7

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Harrison Ford talks with Carrie Fisher during a break in the filming of the CBS-TV special “The Star Wars Holiday” in Los Angeles in 1978. Fisher has died at the age of 60.

DEATHS, B5 Frank B. Wenstrom Willian H. Walker Frances G. Cook William F. Mixon John M. Turner Dorothy M. Parks

Miriam Rembert Warren J. Lesane Sr. Ethel Mae J. Stinney Lee E. McBride Eva J. Kuhns

a statement that he was “heartbroken” by the death of his longtime love. “He was a major part of my life and I loved him very, very much. He was an extremely kind and generous man,” Goss said. Michael announced in 2011 that he and Goss had separated. Since word of his unexpected death, British newspapers have been filled with stories about Michael’s many generous acts, often accompanied by his admonishments to keep them secret. Among the stories that surfaced was Michael’s donation of 15,000 pounds to a couple in need of money to pay for fertility treatments. Crowds of grieving fans placed flowers and other tributes outside his home in the Highgate neighborhood of north London.

SEE MICHAEL, PAGE A7

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2016

THE SUMTER ITEM

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LOCAL & STATE BRIEFS

FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

Make wishes come true by volunteering Make-A-Wish South Carolina is seeking volunteers in this area, according to Brennan Brown, volunteer coordinator. The nationally known organization grants wishes to children with life-threatening conditions to bring hope, strength and joy to their lives, Brown said. Make-A-Wish grants wishes from children throughout the state of South Carolina utilizing local volunteers, Brown said. Bilingual volunteers are especially needed. For more information, contact Brown at bbrown@sc. wish.org or (864) 250-0702 ext. 112.

Authorities seeking help in 1977 murder HILTON HEAD ISLAND — Beaufort County authorities are asking for help solving a nearly 40-year old cold case of a man found dead in his truck. The Island Packet of Hilton Head Island reports Tuesday the sheriff’s office is offering $2,500 for information leading to an arrest in the death of James Homer Aldridge. Someone shot Aldridge multiple times from the passenger side of his pickup before it hit a tree off Highway 170 in Bluffton. A bread deliveryman found Aldridge about 2 a.m. Feb. 25, 1977. Investigators say Aldridge traveled frequently from Beaufort to Jacksonville, Florida, and might have picked up hitchhikers along the way. The Navy and Air Force veteran was taking a certification course in Florida for his work as a civilian electronics technician at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort.

Man convicted of murder walks free CHARLESTON — A North Charleston man sentenced in 2009 to 39 years in prison for killing a known drug dealer is free after accepting a plea deal before his re-trial. The Post and Courier reports Tuesday that 31-year-old Travoris Hurst walked free from the county jail Dec. 6. Hurst was convicted of murder for a 2007 cemetery shooting investigators called a botched robbery. When he tried to appeal, audio recordings of his trial were missing, causing an appeals court to reverse his conviction. Days before his scheduled second trial, Hurst pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and got credit for the nine years since his arrest.

CORRECTIONS

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Deputies say state representative beat wife and pointed gun at her COLUMBIA (AP) — A South Carolina House member who rebuked his colleagues in a Christmas card for lacking morals when they took down the Confederate flag is accused of beating his wife and pointing a gun at her, deputies said. Officers in Aiken County charged Rep. Chris Corley with a pair of felonies that could send him to prison for up to 15 years after he attacked his wife during an argument over his infidelity late Monday night at their home in Graniteville, according to a police report. The couple’s young children were there, and the wife took the family to her mother’s house across the street after Corley threatened to kill her, then said he would kill himself, the report said. Corley’s wife said he stopped hitting her only after noticing she was bleeding and hearing the children screaming, deputies said. Corley told officers his wife tried to punch him after accusing him of cheating, and the police report noted a

scratch on his forehead. Corley is charged with first-degree criminal domestic violence, which carries up to 10 years in prison if convicted, and pointing a firearm at a person, which has a maximum sentence of five years. Neither charge has a minimum punishment. A judge set Corley’s bond at $20,000 and ordered him to not contact his wife. Corley didn’t talk about the CORLEY charges during his brief hearing Tuesday afternoon. The 36-year-old Republican lawyer was just elected to a second term. Corley’s arrest comes after a legislative session where lawmakers strengthened punishments for domestic violence. Gov. Nikki Haley made it a priority to reduce the state’s high rate of women killed by men who know them. Corley voted for the legislation. House Speaker Jay Lucas promised

in a statement to take action if Corley is indicted. By state law, Corley must be suspended from the House if indicted on a felony charge. Corley may be best known in the House as a staunch defender of the Confederate flag. After the flag was removed from Statehouse grounds in July 2015, Corley sponsored a bill for a statewide vote on whether to return it. The bill went nowhere. He also sent a Christmas card with the Confederate flag on it to Republican lawmakers in 2015 after the flag came down suggesting they “ask for forgiveness of all your sins such as betrayal,” calling it a joke in his smart-aleck style. Democrats got a card with a photo of his children. Corley’s holiday card started with: “May your Christmas be filled with memories of a happier time when South Carolina’s leaders possessed morals, convictions and the principles to stand for what is right.”

Sumter’s oldest business marks 150 years BY RICK CARPENTER rick@theitem.com Sumter’s oldest business turns 150 years old this year as Sumter Insurance Group celebrates its sesquicentennial anniversary. Established by Anthony White in 1866 as A. White and Son, the agency was sold to Perry Moses who renamed it Sumter Insurance Agency in 1902. It eventually merged with the John Marshall Agency, owned by Tom Goski, in 1985. Current owner Connie Barrineau bought the agency in 2008 after working for the John Marshall Agency since 1979 when John Brabham Sr. owned the business before Goski. Keisha Epps, Barrineau’s daughter and office manager, hopes to take over the business when Barrineau decides to retire. Barrineau recruited Epps when she was 13 years old in 1989 when Hurricane Hugo overwhelmed the office with property damage claims. Filing claims required a long

RICK CARPENTER / THE SUMTER ITEM

Sumter Insurance Group Office Manager Keisha Epps stands with her mom, Connie Barrineau, in front of a sign that the company moved to its new office two years ago that illustrates the insurance company’s longevity. time to fill out the paperwork by hand. Barrineau said the morning after the hurricane hit, the owners opened the office to start processing paperwork. With no electricity for weeks, the owners opened windows for air and sunlight to allow people to see while filing claims. Even though Barrineau called the method “primitive,” she said claim adjusters came from as far away as Texas to help the “catastro-

phe team” file claims. Contrast that to this year’s Hurricane Matthew that had much fewer claims but the company also lost electricity. With newer computerized claims, Barrineau and Epps prepared by purchasing a generator to keep the business running until power returned. Barrineau, of Italian decent, first came to Turbeville with her husband from Asmara, Eritrea, an Italian colonial community in Africa.

Epps praised her mom for learning to read, write and speak English. She gained her U.S. citizenship in 1980. Barrineau praises Brabham Sr. who she said encouraged her and taught her important aspects of her job while also illustrating the importance of giving back to the community. Sumter Insurance Group quietly adopted needy families for Christmas, collected more than 80 blankets for a blanket drive sponsored by Sumter County Fire Department and encourages employees to coach their children’s sports teams. Epps said as office manager she wants coworkers to feel as if they are part of a family, which translates into long-term employees. She said clients must build trust with insurance agents. “They need to take care of people when they are having a hard time,” she said. Epps said trust builds relationships that she hopes keeps the business running at least another 150 years.

Donate Christmas trees for Grinding of the Greens FROM STAFF REPORTS Sumter County and the City of Sumter are giving residents an opportunity to recycle their Christmas trees at the annual Grinding of the Greens this January. Donated Christmas trees will be grinded into mulch, giving residents a chance to be “green” with their discarded trees. Only live Christmas trees will be accepted. Please remove all tinsel, lights and decorations. Wreaths, garland, greenery or tree

stands will not be accepted. Trees can be donated to the following locations: • Sumter County Recycling Centers on Rainaire Boulevard, Stamey Livestock Road, Cane Savannah Road, Pinewood Road, Queen Chapel Road, Bethel Church Road, Alligator Branch Road, Pleasant Grove Road and Spencer Road; and • The entrance to Dillon Park off Frontage Road. City residents may place trees along the curb on Jan. 2 and public works will

collect the trees from Jan. 9 to Jan. 20. On Saturday, Jan. 21 from 7 to 10 a.m., at Dillon Park, free mulch made from the Christmas trees will be distributed to residents on a first-come, first-served basis. Bring containers and tools to collect the mulch and have a method to transport it. Those who do not donate a tree can also receive mulch. For more information on Grinding of the Greens, call Sumter County Public Works at (803) 436-2241 or City of Sumter Public Services at (803) 436-2558.

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At Pearl Harbor, U.S. and Japan look to move past legacy of war HONOLULU (AP) — Putting 75 years of resentment behind them, the leaders of the United States and Japan are coming together at Pearl Harbor for a historic pilgrimage to the site where a devastating surprise attack sent America marching into World War II. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit Tuesday with President Obama is powerful proof that the former enemies have transcended the recriminatory impulses that weighed down relations after the war, Japan’s government has said. Although Japanese leaders have visited Pearl Harbor before, Abe will be the first to visit the memorial constructed on the hallowed waters above the sunken USS Arizona. For Abe, it’s an act of symbolic reciprocity, coming six months after Obama became the first sitting U.S. president to visit Hiroshima in Japan, where the U.S. dropped an atomic bomb in hopes of ending the war it entered after Pearl Harbor. “This visit, and the president’s visit to Hiroshima earlier this year, would not have been possible eight years ago,” said Daniel Kritenbrink, Obama’s top Asia adviser in the White House. “That we are here today is the result of years of efforts at all levels of our government and societies, which has allowed us to joint-

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Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, center, greets guests at a dinner held in Abe’s honor on Monday in Honolulu. Abe laid wreaths at various cemeteries and memorials Monday ahead of a visit to the site of the 1941 bombing that plunged the U.S. into World War II. ly and directly deal with even the most sensitive aspects of our shared history.” More than 2,300 Americans died on Dec. 7, 1941, when more than 300 Japanese fighter planes and bombers attacked. More than 1,000 others were wounded. In the ensuing years, the U.S. incarcerated roughly 120,000 Japanese-Americans in internment camps before dropping atomic bombs in 1945 that killed some 140,000 people in Hiroshima and 70,000 in Nagasaki. Abe will not apologize for Pearl Harbor, his government has said. Nor did Obama apologize at Hiroshima in May, a visit that he and Abe used to emphasize their elusive aspira-

tions for a nuclear-free future. No apology needed, said 96-year-old Alfred Rodrigues, a U.S. Navy veteran who survived what President Franklin D. Roosevelt called a “date which will live in infamy.” “War is war,” Rodrigues said as he looked at old photos of his military service. “They were doing what they were supposed to do, and we were doing what we were supposed to do.” After a formal meeting in the morning, Obama and Abe planned to lay a wreath aboard the USS Arizona Memorial, which is accessible only by boat. Then they will go to nearby Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, where both leaders will speak.

Memories shared after 3 restaurant owners pass BY LILLIA CALLUM-PENSO The Greenville News GREENVILLE — Three historic Greenville restaurant owners have passed away in the past month, leaving a legacy of memories, anecdotes and stories that continue to flavor the community. On Dec. 10, Marvin Hambleton, the longtime owner of the Red Baron restaurant, which was located at 118 N. Main St. for more than a decade, passed away at the age of 81. A week earlier, on Dec. 1, Maureen Luke, the owner of the popular Maureen’s Delicatessen, passed away at 65. And on Nov. 26, Noah “Rick” Lowe Jr., the owner of the beloved Falls Street Café, known by most as “The Cat Dive,” passed away at 85. While the places the three restaurateurs owned have been gone for more than a decade, the memories were swirling on Facebook. Daughters recalled fathers stopping into the Cat Dive for coffee every morning, former employees recalled Maureen’s Delicatessen’s one-of-akind German potato salad and other’s lamented the loss of the Red Baron as a daily lunch spot. “The Red Baron made the best Beer Cheese Soup,” Greta Fortenberry wrote. “Loved it. It made you feel like you were eating lunch in a small German town.” Hambleton opened Red Baron in 1974, according to his obituary. The restaurant regularly hosted live entertainment on Friday and Saturday nights and grew to be a popular downtown lunch spot. Hambleton opened a second location at McAlister Square as well. Janis Hall was a regular at Red Baron in the 1980s, when she worked at the 13th Circuit Solicitor’s Office. A coworker introduced her to the restaurant. “I could never decide because it all looked so good so usually ended up with the sampler,” Hall recalled in an email. But besides that, it was the spirit of the place itself that kept Hall coming back. “The family feel,” she said. “You felt like you mattered, not just a number or a dollar that came through the door. “ That spirit resonated with Nancy Anne McCarrell and her sister, Joyce, too, and it is some-

thing the two have tried to establish at their own restaurant, The Café @ Williams Hardware. “I think some of it had to do with the way places are run,” McCarrell said. “Like down there at Savoury Corner, Susan Harrison might not know your name but she knew what you ate. “We’ve been open eight years and there’s a girl, everybody that walks in, she knows their order. Their order is already in when they get to the cash register. I think people appreciate that.” Today, Lester Erwin gets the feeling of family every year when the Camperdown Mill Historical Society puts on its annual “Back to the Cat Dive” lunch. For the past decade, the group has recreated the restaurant’s famous chili dogs. Last year, Erwin said, they had so many people attend that they had to go buy more buns and hot dogs mid-lunch. “It’s about the food, sure,” Erwin said. “But it’s about the people coming back and spending time together and enjoying the fellowship that they used to have at the Cat Dive.” It’s the same feeling Erwin said he got when he was a kid and his dad would take him to the café to eat lunch. And the same feeling that he later had as an adult, when he’d stop in to order a Big Boy (a cheeseburger plate) or a franks and beans, or a cheeseburger steak with gravy and onions. For John Warner, it was not so much the long gone restaurants, but the conversations surrounding them that gave him pause. The founder and CEO of the innovation stimulus company, InnoVenture, moved to Greenville 36 years ago to take a job with what is now KPMG. Then, Warner said, there were about five places to eat downtown, and Warner rotated through them each day of the week. At Gene’s you’d get the meat and three plate, at the hot dog shop, you’d get a hot dog or chili dog, the sandwich shop inside the Daniel Building, located on College Street was good for a quick bite, Maureen’s did great Cobb salads and Red Baron had a solid pastrami sandwich. But for Warner, more remarkable than the memories of those meals he ate at places long gone is the way those places act as a reminder of what Greenville once was, and what the city has become.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! Thank you for a Great Year!

Police officers continue to patrol the area as people linger in the parking lots around Oak Court Mall after the mall was closed because of a disturbance in Memphis, Tennessee on Monday. Authorities and witnesses say there have been disturbances at two malls in Memphis and one had to be closed.

Post-holiday shoppers scramble for exit doors because of mall fights BEACHWOOD, Ohio (AP) — Fights broke out at malls around the country Monday night sending shoppers, who were looking for postholiday deals, scrambling for the exits. No one was seriously injured in the mall melees, which, during the panic, also prompted numerous false reports of gunfire. Police in Ohio told Cleveland.com that officers used pepper spray to disperse a large crowd after a fight at an upscale shopping mall in Beachwood, just outside of Cleveland. A report of shots fired was later determined to be unfounded. One male juvenile was arrested for allegedly trying to hit an officer during the incident, which police said appeared to have been “loosely organized on social media.” There were similar disturbances at malls around the country including in New York, New Jersey and North Carolina, where chaos erupted at a mall in Fayetteville and emergency medical personnel were called in to assist someone who had a medical episode while fleeing. In Memphis, Tennessee, police arrested several peo-

ple after fights at two malls there. No one was injured and no gunshots were fired, despite reports indicating otherwise. “Somebody yelled ‘gun!’ and youths stampeded through the mall,” Deputy Chief Terry Landrum told The Commercial Appeal. Police in Aurora, Colorado, near Denver, evacuated a mall due to multiple skirmishes. The trouble reportedly began during an arrest when an unruly crowd surrounded the scene. Aurora police spokesman Sgt. Chris Amsler said that as the suspect was being taking into custody, the crowd, which mushroomed in size to about 500 people, advanced on the officer and fights broke out. Five juveniles were arrested. No one was hurt. In Aurora, Illinois, outside of Chicago, a mall there was temporarily shut down due to a large disturbance. Videos posted on Twitter showed mall security trying to get the situation under control. There was no official word on whether any of the fights, which were also reported in Arizona, Texas, Indiana and Connecticut, were connected.

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Rainier national park considering cell service SEATTLE (AP) — On a recent snowshoeing trip on Mount Rainier, Nancy Spears brought along her cellphone but was happy not to have coverage: It gave her time to connect with her snowy surroundings rather than her social media accounts. Spotty or no cellular service has been the norm at the nation’s fifth oldest park south of Seattle, but that could change soon. Mount Rainier National Park is considering proposals by two carriers to provide cellular service in the park, setting off debates about whether people enjoying the park and surrounding wilderness areas should have access to calls, Facebook, Instagram and other technology while communing with nature. Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile have applied for right-ofway permits to install telecommunications equipment on the visitor center at Paradise, one of most heavily used areas in the park. No towers would be built; antennas would be located below the roofline of the visitor’s center. There are currently no cellular installations in the park. Some say cell service would improve safety and provide a convenience for visitors. Others don’t want it, saying the proliferation of phones will distract from the natural beauty of the surroundings. Spears, a Seattle nurse, has mixed feelings. For safety reasons, she’d like to call for help if needed. But the 33-year-old, who grew up with the internet, also appreciates having time away from it.

“The inner part of me just says peace and quiet and the beauty is all we need,” Spears said. “But cellphone use kind of drives us now, so it’s kind of what everybody is on all the time, including myself, so as much as I’d like to say peace and quiet there’s also part of me that wants reception.” “Part of me fights that second impulse to check, but I do really like being free from it,” she added. Park officials say they are required by federal law to consider all telecommunications proposals on park lands. “We can certainly see both sides of it at the park. It’s a complicated issue,” said Tracy Swartout, park deputy superintendent. “My belief is that it will improve safety on the whole.” Park rangers use radios for communication, but other search teams and law enforcement may not have them, she said. Diane Lynch, 58, favors enabling cell service, particularly after coming upon an incident where a man had fallen through snow. When she and her hiking partner heard the cries for help, her friend ran to the scene while she ran toward a climbing class where a mountain guide had a radio and was able to call for help. Lynch said people who want a wilderness experience can choose to leave their cellphones behind. “Anybody has that choice if they want to have a true wilderness experience. Leave it in your car,” but phones can help those who are lost or injured in the backcountry, she said.

AP FILE PHOTO

A group huddles together on Dec. 16 to take a selfie on a cellphone at the Paradise area at Mount Rainier National Park, Washington. The park is considering proposals by two carriers to provide cellular service. Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility is urging the park to reject the applications, saying coverage maps show that signals will spill deeply into park wilderness. The Maryland-based national group says park officials should do more to protect the wilderness character of a park that is designated 97 percent wilderness. Jennifer Mahaffey enjoyed no cell service on a recent snowshoeing trip at the mountain. “It’s nice to come up here and be disconnected and enjoy the nature that you come up here to see,” she said. “I love being out in the wilderness and enjoying people I’m with. A lot of us, we spend too much time on cellphones, technology, on computers on an average day.”

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NATION

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2016

THE SUMTER ITEM

Pipeline uncertainty shows broader concerns for tribes BY MARY HUDETZ The Associated Press For hundreds of protesters, it was cause to cheer when the Obama administration this month declined to issue an easement for the Dakota Access pipeline’s final segment. But that elation was dampened by the uncertainty of what comes next: a Donald Trumpled White House that might be far less attuned to issues affecting Native Americans. “With Trump coming into office, you just can’t celebrate,” said Laundi Germaine Keepseagle, who is 28 and from the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation, where the demonstrators have been camped out near the North DakotaSouth Dakota border. Anxiety over the 1,200-mile pipeline illustrates a broader uncertainty over how tribes will fare under Trump following what many in Indian Country consider a landmark eight years. President Obama has won accolades among Native Americans for breaking through a gridlock of inaction on tribal issues and for putting a spotlight on their concerns with yearly meetings with tribal leaders. Under his administration, lawmakers cemented a tribal health care law that includes more preventive care and mental health resources and addresses recruiting and retaining physicians throughout Indian Country. The Interior Department restored tribal homelands by placing more than 500,000 acres under tribes’ control — more than any other recent administration — while the

AP FILE PHOTO

Dan Nanamkin, of the Colville Nez Perce Native American tribe in Nespelem, Washington, right, drums with a procession through the Oceti Sakowin camp on Dec. 4. Justice Department charted a process approved by Congress for tribes to prosecute and sentence more cases involving non-Native Americans who assault Native American women. Before Obama, a gap in the laws allowed for such crimes to go unpunished. In addition, the federal government settled decades-old lawsuits involving Native Americans, including classaction cases over the government’s mismanagement of royalties for oil, gas, timber and grazing leases and its discrimination against tribal members seeking farm loans. “In my opinion, President Obama has been the greatest president in dealing with Native Americans,” said Brian Cladoosby, chairman of the Swinomish Tribe, north of Seattle, and president of the nonpartisan National Congress of American Indians, based in Washing-

ton, D.C. “The last eight years give us hope going forward with the relationships we have on both sides of the aisle.” Trump, meanwhile, rarely acknowledged Native Americans during his campaign and hasn’t publicly outlined how he would improve or manage the United States’ longstanding relationships with tribes. His Interior secretary pick, Republican Rep. Ryan Zinke of Montana, sponsored legislation that he says would have given tribes more control over coal and other fossil fuel development on their lands. But some of Trump’s biggest campaign pledges — including repealing health care legislation and building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border — would collide with tribal interests. In Arizona, Tohono O’odham Nation leaders have vowed to oppose any plans for a wall along the 75-mile por-

tion of the border that runs parallel to their reservation. And the nonprofit National Indian Health Board in Washington says it’s aiming to work with lawmakers to ensure the Indian Health Care Improvement Act remains intact. The law, which guarantees funding for care through the federal Indian Health Services agency, was embedded in Obama’s health care overhaul after consultation with tribes. The government’s role figures prominently in Native Americans’ daily lives because treaties and other binding agreements often require the U.S. to manage tribal health care, law enforcement and education. Some tribal members say they’re unsure how much Trump understands or cares about their unique relationship with the federal government. “I think there was a great hope that we had here in Indi-

an Country with the direct dialogue that President Obama had established with tribal nations,” said Duane “Chili” Yazzie, president of the Navajo Nation’s Shiprock Chapter. “If a similar effort to communicate with us were carried on by the Trump administration, I would be surprised.” Though most reservations lean Democratic in presidential elections, Trump does have some supporters in Indian Country. They hope the businessman can turn around lagging economies in rural reservations, such as the 27,000-square-mile Navajo Nation, which covers parts of Utah, New Mexico and Arizona. “Trump is pro-job growth, and tribes need a healthy dose of business creation,” said Deswood Tome, a former spokesman for the tribe from Window Rock, Arizona. “To do that, a lot of federal barriers must be removed. We’re the only ethnic group who have so much federal control in our lives.”

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FROM PAGE A1 of Labor Statistics, Sumter County has more full-time jobs located in the county this year than in any year since 2008 and before the “Great Recession” of the late 2000s and early 2010s. Other BLS data, shows more Sumter residents are employed this year — whether locally or commuting out of town — than in several years as well. “We see evidence of it being a little stronger,” Chandler said. “We had more sales this Christmas than previous years, but the average sales price was down.” At Silverpaper, a ladies’ gift and apparel boutique on Bultman Drive,

Kolb said construction on the new Walmart Neighborhood Market will not begin until the Family Dollar store either relocates or comes to the end of its lease. “They are giving Family Dollar a little extra time,” he said. Construction may begin around April, Kolb said, but he cautioned he had no specific information of the construction timeline. “Judging by how quickly they built the store on Bultman, it won’t take long to build,” he said. The changes follow the rezoning of three parcels of land adjacent to the Piggly Wiggly from Planned Development to General Commercial. The request was approved at a Dec. 20 meeting of Sumter City Council. According to information submitted with the zoning request, the parcels will be joined with a larger 7.38-acre tract that is the site of the building housing the Piggly Wiggly and Family Dollar. Polestar Development LLC, which requested the zoning change, has been involved in the development of numerous Walmart Neighborhood Markets throughout the South, according to media reports. Polestar in located in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and is a subsidiary of the Hutton Group, also of Chattanooga.

owner Kristi Bohnen was also pleased with Christmas sales. “It was a great retail season for us,” Bohnen said. “The last three or four days, it really picked up.” Specializing in gifts, jewelry, invitations and apparel, Bohnen said sales were good across all categories. Just down the street at The Olive Tree Christian Bookstore, December is always the biggest month of the year because of the Christmas holiday, according to Pam Chaney, assistant store manager. Chaney said big sales this Christmas included Amy Grant’s new Christmas CD “Tennessee Christmas,” and The Magnolia Story, the new book released by popular Home and Garden TV couple Chip and Joanna Gaines.

FISHER FROM PAGE A1 was 2, about being advised by Warren Beatty on wearing a bra in “Shampoo,” and about arguing with thenhusband Paul Simon about whether it was better to be a man or a woman. Asked by NPR recently why she wrote about her fling with Ford, who was 15 years older and married, she joked that she could hold back no longer because he had refused to die: “I kept calling and saying, ‘When are you going to die because I want to tell the story?’” But she was toughest on herself and unafraid to turn trauma into humor. She became the most knowable of

MICHAEL FROM PAGE A1 The singer’s publicist released a statement saying Michael’s family and close friends have been “touched

celebrities, with a great and generous gift for bringing us into her unusual life. “One of the therapists came in to admit me and asked how long I had been a drug addict,” she wrote in Postcards,” her autobiographical novel that became a movie of the same name. “I said I didn’t think I was a drug addict because I didn’t take any one drug. ‘Then you’re a drugs addict,’ she said. She asked if I had deliberately tried to kill myself. I was insulted by the question. I guess when you find yourself having overdosed, it’s a good indicator that your life isn’t working.”

beyond words” by the outpouring of affection for him. “There could be no more fitting tribute than the many, many, kind words that have been said, and the numerous plays his records have re-

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2016

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was even worse. He squandered his own money and Reynolds’ on gambling and prostitutes and left the actress and her children broke and devastated. Carrie Fisher went into the family business early — too early, she would later say. She was performing on stage by age 12 and appeared with Reynolds in the 1973 Broadway revival “Irene.” She was still a teenager when she made her feature film debut in “Shampoo” in 1975. Even after “Star Wars,” Fisher would speak often of feeling overshadowed by her mother and about the need to break away, a conflict dramatized in “Postcards From the Edge.”

chael’s death, which his manager said appeared to have been caused by heart failure. Police have said the death was not suspicious. An autopsy is planned, but the timing is uncertain.

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Bibles and study devotionals for the new year are always popular Christmas sales, and laser engraving for personalized gifts is continuing to increase in demand, Chaney said. According to staff, it’s the third Christmas that Olive Tree has had laser-engraving gift capability. “It gives such a realistic look to gift items,” Chaney said. “As more and more people become aware of it, it continues to grow in popularity.” It was also a great Christmas sales season for Simpson ACE Hardware & Sports’ main location on Wesmark Boulevard, according to General Manager Shawn Matthews. Matthews said big sales items included duck boots, Yeti coolers and cups and the True Grit clothing line.

She is survived by her mother; her daughter, Billie Lourd, from a relationship with talent agent Bryan Lourd; her brother, the actor-filmmaker Todd Fisher; and her half-sisters, actresses Joely and Tricia Leigh Fisher. Her father died in 2010. Born and raised in Beverly Hills, Carrie Fisher was a bookish child who had difficult relationships with both parents. In a celebrity breakup that made headlines everywhere in 1958, Eddie Fisher left his family for Elizabeth Taylor. Eddie Fisher was hardly present for his daughter in her early years, and Reynolds’ second husband, shoe store magnate Harry Karl,

ceived,” the statement said, adding that there was no truth to reports that Michael died under suspicious circumstances. British authorities did not release any new information about Mi-

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THE SUMTER ITEM N.G. Osteen 1843-1936 The Watchman and Southron

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2016 H.G. Osteen 1870-1955 Founder, The Item

H.D. Osteen 1904-1987 The Item

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

20 N. Magnolia St., Sumter, South Carolina 29150 • Founded October 15, 1894

COMMENTARY

The season of liberal panic The left’s apocalyptic hysteria in the wake of Donald Trump’s victory is counterproductive

presidential victory by a candidate you detest isn’t supposed to be the end of the world — or the end of your world. Yet since November, the panicked reaction from progressives seems to be intensifying instead of passing. Over at Out, an activist declares, “It’s the early days of AIDS all over again.” Senator Bob Menendez describes “fear and panic in the immigrant community,” with those living in the country illegally selling off their possessions and preparing to move quickly. The Week asks whether Trump’s presidency will “quash scientific progress in America.” The media are filled with anecdotes of more personal hysteria: Stress eating is making some Americans gain the “Trump Ten” extra pounds. A Los Angeles sex therapist said her female clients have told her the election killed their libido. Hairstylists in Washington report more women wanting dramatic changes to their haircuts and colors. Even those whose professional role is to help people cope with stress find themselves overwhelmed. A therapist asked, “How can I treat patients when the world is spinning out of control?” Do these people need a hug, or to be vigorously shaken and told to snap out of it? They’re experiencing a colossal emotional transformation even though nothing has actually changed in their day-today lives. They are exactly the same people they were on November 8. Everything they had the day before — their smarts (or lack thereof), their work ethic, their skills, their passions, their vision — is still there. Trump’s election didn’t do anything to them. And yet they’re reacting to the election like they’ve been physically assaulted. These stress-eating, sex-forsaking, anxiety-attack-ridden souls’ sense of identity and self-worth is obviously tied up with the success of the Democratic party, their partisan identification so psychologically intense that their physiological condition changes depending upon election outcomes. They apparently also suffer from short memories. They forget that the situation was reversed eight years ago, and reversed again eight years before then, and eight years before then. You would think Democrats would take some solace from how quickly fortunes changed for the Republicans. At this time eight years ago, the defeat of both the Republican party and the conservative movement appeared complete and unlikely to be reversed for a long time. In 2009, Newsweek’s cover declared, “We Are All Socialists

Now.” Tom Davis lamented that the GOP had become “a white, rural, regional party.” Political scientists Jim discussed an Geraghty emerging “permanent Democratic majority.” President Obama greeted Republican objections to his stimulus bill with a simple “I won,” asserting that the debate was over. We don’t know precisely what the future holds, but history teaches us that Republican control of Washington will not last forever. The last three midterms have brought giant swings, as voters recoil from what they just endorsed two years earlier. Colossal defeats tend to motivate people. The early decisions of the Obama administration of 2009 provided the catalyst for the Tea Party movement; a 2010 survey of Tea Party leaders found they were “driven by an overwhelming, often personal, feeling that future generations’ well-being weighs on their shoulders.” The early years of Obama stirred Republicans to seek office; in 2010, the GOP had a candidate running in 430 districts, the most in 30 years. Democrats may not be able to win a comparable comeback in 2018, but their party and activists will have better days ahead. The speed of that recovery, however, will be partially dependent upon the Left’s ability to move on from its post-election malaise and focus on the fights to come. Treating every Trump decision as another sign of national and personal apocalypse is psychologically unhealthy and politically counterproductive. Look, we on the right feel your pain, progressives. Your party lost an election you’re absolutely convinced they should have won? We’ve been there. You think the media took it easy on the opposing candidate, was easily distracted by trivial non-stories, and relentlessly harsh on your candidate? Trust us, we can relate. You’re worried that the country you knew and loved and grew up in is being replaced by a tawdry, easily distracted, ill-informed, narcissistic facsimile? We know what that’s like. But we’re here to tell you that wallowing in your instinctive feelings of impending doom is the wrong way to deal with defeat. You can’t see the better days ahead with your chins in your chests. And if you can’t see them, you can’t reach them. Jim Geraghty is National Review’s senior political correspondent.

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

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

COMMENTARY

Wealth, poverty and politics

homas Sowell has just published a revised and enlarged edition of his classic “Wealth, Poverty and Politics.” At the very beginning, he quotes Alexander Hamilton, who said, “The wealth of nations depends upon an infinite variety of causes.” The book’s 16 chapters apply Hamilton’s notion to domestic, as well as international, differences in wealth. In both academic and popular literature, it is implicitly assumed that economic equality is natural, automatic and common. Thus, people see wealth inequality as a mystery that must be explained. The fact of the matter is precisely the opposite. The ancient Greeks had geometry, philosophy, architecture and literature at a time when Britain was a land of illiterate tribal people living at a primitive level. Of course, by the end of the 19th century, Britain was far ahead of the Greeks and ultimately controlled onequarter of the planet’s land. Such historic reversals have occurred elsewhere. The ancient Chinese were far ahead of Europeans, but by the 19th century, the relative positions of the Chinese and Europeans were reversed. Just these two examples prove that the same people are not always on top. Sowell argues there are many factors that explain wealth differences among nations, as well as people within those nations. One of the more obvious explanations is that some people have greater productive capacity than others. Or they seized more of what others produced or had what they

produced taken from them. For example, Spain conquered indigenous people in the WestWalter ern HemiWilliams sphere. Spaniards looted 200 tons of gold and 18,000 tons of silver. But despite that wealth transfer, Spain is one of the poorer countries in western Europe today, surpassed economically by countries, such as Switzerland and Norway, that never had an empire, so there obviously are many factors at play when it comes to wealth differences. Sowell discusses the impact of a number of these factors. One is geography. Hardly anyone considers its impact on achievement and wealth. For example, because of soil differences, crop yields per acre in Africa are a tiny fraction of what they are in China and the U.S. The absence of navigable waterways and mountain ranges has isolated people and created differences in their skill sets. Cultural factors, such as education, have an important impact on wealth, too. Natural resources are of little consequence in explaining wealth differences. Even physical capital is of little or no use without the cultural prerequisites to maintain it, repair it and replace it. Evidence for this lies in the fact that the physical wealth of Germany was destroyed in World War II but in just a few years it was again a wealthy nation. Some people attribute Ger-

WHO REPRESENTS YOU? SUMTER COUNTY COUNCIL DISTRICT 1 Naomi D. Sanders 5605 Borden Road Rembert, SC 29128 (803) 499-3947 (home) DISTRICT 2 Artie Baker 3680 Bakersfield Lane Dalzell, SC 29040 803-469-3638 (home) DISTRICT 3 James Byrd Jr. 13 E. Canal St. Sumter, SC 29150 (803) 468-1719 (mobile) (803) 778-0796 (office) (803) 436-2108 (Fax) jbyrd@sumtercountysc.org DISTRICT 4 Charles T. Edens 760 Henderson St. Sumter, SC 29150 (803) 775-0044 (home) (803) 236-5759 (mobile) DISTRICT 5 Vivian Fleming-McGhaney 9770 Lynches River Road Lynchburg, SC 29080 (803) 437-2797 (home) (803) 495-3247 (office) DISTRICT 6 James T. McCain Jr.

317 W. Bartlette St. Sumter, SC 29150 (803) 773-2353 (home) (803) 607-2777 (mobile) DISTRICT 7 Eugene Baten P.O. Box 3193 Sumter, SC 29151 (803) 773-0815 (home)

WARD 4 Colleen Yates 437 W. Hampton Ave. Sumter, SC 29150 (803) 773-3259 cyates@sumter-sc.com

WARD 5 Robert Galiano 608 Antlers Drive SUMTER CITY COUNCIL Sumter, SC 29150 (803) 469-0005 MAYOR bgaliano@sumter-sc.com Joseph T. McElveen Jr. WARD 6 20 Buford St. David Merchant Sumter, SC 29150 26 Paisley Park (803) 773-0382 Sumter, SC 29150 jmcelveen@sumter-sc.com (803) 773-1086 WARD 1 dmerchant@sumter-sc.com Thomas J. Lowery 829 Legare St. STATE LAWMAKERS Sumter, SC 29150 (803) 773-9298 Rep. Will Wheeler, D-Bishopville tlowery@sumter-sc.com District 50 (803) 229-2207 (cell) WARD 2 Ione Dwyer Rep. Joe Neal, D-Hopkins P.O. Box 1492 District 70 Sumter, SC 29151 P.O. Box 5 (803) 481-4284 Hopkins, SC 29061 idwyer@sumter-sc.com (803) 776-0353 (home) WARD 3 (803) 734-9142 (fax) Calvin K. Hastie Sr. (803) 734-2804 (Columbia) 810 S. Main St. jn@schouse.org Sumter, SC 29150 (803) 774-7776 Rep. Dr. Robert L. Ridgeway III, chastie@sumter-sc.com D-Clarendon

many’s resurgence to the Marshall Plan. But that’s not right, because massive foreign aid has been provided to Third World countries and has yet to produce the economic results Germany has had. The human capital in Germany, developed over centuries, has not existed on the same scale in Third World countries. In later chapters, Sowell discusses the impact of political institutions and the welfare state on inequality. One of the more important contributions of “Wealth, Poverty and Politics” is Sowell’s discussion of earnings differences. We’ve all heard statements such as “the income gap between the richest and the poorest members of our society has been growing rapidly.” Studies of actual people over time suggest just the opposite. A University of Michigan study traced people over a 15-year period and found that 95 percent of those in the lowest quintile at the beginning of the study were in a higher quintile by the end. Remarkably, 29 percent had moved to the top quintile. An IRS study of tax filers between 1996 and 2005 found similar results. Sowell says that over time, there are different people in different income categories. These few snippets here in no way do full justice to Dr. Thomas Sowell’s work. To get all the nuts and bolts, you’ll just have to purchase a copy of “Wealth, Poverty and Politics.” Walter E. Williams is a professor of economics at George Mason University. © 2016 creators.com.

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 P.O. 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) Sen. Kevin L. Johnson, D-Manning District 36 P.O. Box 156, Manning, 29102 (803) 435-8117 (home) (803) 212-6108 (Columbia) Sen. J. Thomas McElveen III, D-Sumter District 35 P. O. 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) 1301 Gervais St., Suite 825 Columbia, SC 29201 (803) 771-6112 (803) 771-6455 (fax)

A10

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2016

HOLIDAY CLOSINGS SCHEDULE BANKS — All area banks and credit unions will be Christmas closed Monday, Jan./2,New 2017.Year’s Schedule: Dec. 28, 2016 GOVERNMENT — The following will be closed Monday, Jan. 2, 2017: federal government offices; state government offices; U.S. Postal Service; City of Sumter offices; Sumter County offices; Clarendon County offices; Lee County offices; City of Manning offices; and City of Bishopville offices. SCHOOLS — The following will be closed through Friday, Dec. 30, with students returning on Monday, Jan. 2, 2017: Sumter School District; Clarendon School District 3; Lee County Public Schools; Robert E. Lee Academy; and St. Anne & St. Jude Catholic School. The following will be closed through Monday, Jan. 2, 2017, with students returning on Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2017: Clarendon School Districts 1 and 2; Thomas Sumter Academy; Wilson Hall; St. Francis Xavier High School; Laurence Manning Academy; Clarendon Hall; and Sumter Christian School. UTILITIES — Black River Electric Coop. and Farmers Telephone Coop. will be closed Monday, Jan. 2, 2017. OTHER — The Greater Sumter Chamber of Commerce will be closed through Friday, Dec. 30. Clemson Extension Service will be closed through Friday, Dec. 30. The Sumter County Library will be closed SundayMonday, Jan. 1-2, 2017. The Harvin Clarendon County Library will be closed Monday, Jan. 2, 2017. All offices of The Sumter Item will be closed Monday, Jan. 2, 2017.

DAILY PLANNER

THE SUMTER ITEM

WEATHER

AccuWeather® ﬁve-day forecast for Sumter TODAY

TONIGHT

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

Mostly cloudy

Cloudy and mild; rain late

Morning rain; mostly cloudy

Mostly sunny and cooler

Sun followed by clouds

Cloudy with a passing shower

64°

48°

68° / 35°

51° / 28°

54° / 41°

58° / 51°

Chance of rain: 5%

Chance of rain: 65%

Chance of rain: 70%

Chance of rain: 0%

Chance of rain: 5%

Chance of rain: 55%

ENE 4-8 mph

SE 3-6 mph

WSW 10-20 mph

W 8-16 mph

SSW 6-12 mph

S 4-8 mph

TODAY’S SOUTH CAROLINA WEATHER

Gaﬀney 62/45 Spartanburg 63/46

Greenville 64/45

Columbia 67/50

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

IN THE MOUNTAINS

Sumter 64/48

Today: Mostly cloudy and mild. Winds southeast 4-8 mph. Thursday: Breezy and mild with occasional rain. Winds west 10-20 mph.

Aiken 67/50

Charleston 70/54

Today: Mostly cloudy. High 61 to 72. Thursday: Breezy with a couple of showers. High 69 to 73.

tact Keisha White at (803) The American Red Cross an773-9771 or via email at nounces the following blood donation Several opportunities: blood 2-7 donationKeisha.White@admin.sc. opportunities gov. Visit www.SCGAL.org. p.m. Thursday, available Dec. 29, Grace Baptist Church, 219 The Sumter Chapter of the W. Calhoun St.; 11 a.m.-4 National Federation of the p.m. Friday, Dec. 30, USC Blind of South Carolina will Sumter Arts Building, 109 meet at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Miller Road; 7:30 a.m.-12:30 Jan. 10, 2017, at Shilohp.m. Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2017, Randolph Manor, 125 W. YMCA of Sumter, 510 Miller Bartlette St. All members Road. are required to join before or at this meeting for 2017. Lincoln High School Class of The spotlight will shine on 1964 will hold an “Afternoon Sarah Bracey and the asof Events with Hospitality” sociate member is Judy L. from 3 to 5 p.m. today at the South Sumter Resource Simon, membership chairperson. Transportation Center, 337 Manning Ave. provided within the mileCall (803) 773-3804 or (803) age area. If you know a 775-9088. blind person, contact You can make a positive difDebra Canty, chapter presference in the life of a child ident, at (803) 775-5792 or by becoming a volunteer debra.canty@frontier.com. guardian ad litem. VolunDonations and memberteers must be at least 21 ships are welcome. Donayears old, able to pass a tions should be mailed to background check and refNFB Sumter Chapter, P.O. erence check, and comBox 641, Sumter, SC 29151. plete the required initial “Chemo with Style” Support 30-hour training. The free Group will hold its first training provides valuable meeting from 5:30 to 7 p.m. information in all aspects on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017, of volunteering as a child at Hospice Care of Triadvocate, as well as reCounty, 2560 Tahoe Drive, sources designed to help and will continue to meet children and families. The every other third Tuesday next training session for of every other month Sumter County begins on thereafter. Monday, Jan. 9, 2017. Con-

PUBLIC AGENDA

LOCAL ALMANAC SUMTER THROUGH 4 P.M. YESTERDAY

Temperature High Low Normal high Normal low Record high Record low

68° 51° 54° 33° 78° in 1971 11° in 1983 trace 3.88" 2.87" 49.13" 60.74" 46.60"

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

Today Hi/Lo/W 66/58/c 42/29/pc 77/46/c 37/32/pc 79/64/c 76/52/s 76/63/c 43/33/s 82/61/pc 44/31/pc 69/50/pc 58/43/s 48/36/s

LAKE LEVELS Full pool 360 76.8 75.5 100

Lake Murray Marion Moultrie Wateree

SUN AND MOON 7 a.m. yest. 354.22 74.06 74.05 98.24

24-hr chg -0.01 +0.04 none +0.19

RIVER STAGES

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 59/33/r 35/25/c 58/37/pc 37/26/sf 66/45/pc 76/56/pc 65/42/c 44/34/r 80/47/pc 44/32/r 74/56/pc 60/45/s 47/34/r

Myrtle Beach 63/51

Manning 65/50

ON THE COAST

AROUND TOWN

Florence 63/48

Bishopville 63/47

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

Flood 7 a.m. 24-hr stage yest. chg 12 9.76 +0.08 19 3.30 none 14 7.94 -0.56 14 2.31 none 80 75.10 -0.14 24 4.17 none

Sunrise 7:26 a.m. Moonrise 6:38 a.m.

Sunset Moonset

5:21 p.m. 5:12 p.m.

New

First

Full

Last

Dec. 29

Jan. 5

Jan. 12

Jan. 19

TIDES AT MYRTLE BEACH

Today Thu.

High 8:25 a.m. 8:29 p.m. 9:04 a.m. 9:07 p.m.

Ht. 3.2 2.7 3.2 2.7

Low Ht. 2:32 a.m. 0.0 3:16 p.m. 0.0 3:11 a.m. -0.1 3:55 p.m. 0.0

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

Today Hi/Lo/W 60/45/pc 67/51/c 73/52/c 72/55/c 54/46/pc 70/54/c 62/45/pc 66/49/c 67/50/c 63/46/c 55/38/s 62/41/pc 62/44/pc

Thu. Hi/Lo/W 50/28/r 62/32/r 68/36/r 73/38/sh 66/39/sh 72/38/sh 62/31/r 64/36/r 68/35/r 69/36/r 60/32/r 65/36/sh 63/35/r

Today City Hi/Lo/W Florence 63/48/c Gainesville 79/58/pc Gastonia 62/43/pc Goldsboro 61/41/s Goose Creek 68/54/c Greensboro 58/41/s Greenville 64/45/c Hickory 59/41/s Hilton Head 66/56/c Jacksonville, FL 77/58/c La Grange 70/58/c Macon 73/59/c Marietta 66/55/c

Thu. Hi/Lo/W 67/35/r 76/39/sh 63/35/r 64/35/r 71/39/sh 57/32/r 61/33/r 55/32/r 70/40/sh 76/37/sh 63/34/r 67/34/r 57/32/r

Today City Hi/Lo/W Marion 60/41/s Mt. Pleasant 67/55/c Myrtle Beach 63/51/c Orangeburg 67/52/c Port Royal 69/57/c Raleigh 60/40/s Rock Hill 63/45/c Rockingham 62/41/pc Savannah 73/57/c Spartanburg 63/46/pc Summerville 67/53/c Wilmington 60/45/pc Winston-Salem 57/41/s

Thu. Hi/Lo/W 55/30/r 71/40/sh 70/38/sh 70/37/r 72/40/sh 61/33/r 63/34/r 63/35/r 73/37/sh 62/35/r 70/38/sh 71/35/sh 56/32/r

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

Santa Shops Here!

Brown’s

“Where Quality Matters”

SUMTER CITY-COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION Today, 3 p.m., fourth floor, Sumter Opera House, Council Chambers

FURNITURE & BEDDING

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Quiet pursuits EUGENIA LAST will bring the highest return. A secret is best not discussed with anyone until you are sure you know how to handle the outcome. Look for opportunities to do something that doubles your confidence.

The last word in astrology

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Check over financial, legal or medical papers and update anything that you may have overlooked or thought someone else was responsible for. A day trip or volunteering for a worthy cause will result in a connection to someone you find enlightening. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Take a close look at your money situation and how much you owe. Cut your personal overhead and make a point to collect money that’s owed to you. An insightful suggestion will pay off. Romance is highlighted. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Your insight will be spot-on when dealing with emotional situations. Read between the lines and you will pick up on the possibilities that are within reach. Use your intelligence and intuition when faced with difficult situations. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Don’t make a decision that will disrupt your source of income. Refuse to let the changes going on around you lead to regret. Concentrate on home, family and the ones you love, not what is happening at work or with your peers. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Things are looking up and pending situations can be dealt with properly. You’ll recognize what is best for you and will be able to manipulate whatever situation you face. A personal change will be

liberating. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): As long as you live within your means, you will be OK. Too much of anything will drag you down. Look for ways to improve your appearance, attitude and your relationships with the people who mean the most to you. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Use your knowledge and experience to get what you want. Working from home will help you get ahead and accomplish domestic goals as well. Don’t let secrecy lead to an outburst. Trust your instincts and react appropriately. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You can push for change if you do so with diplomacy. Opportunities will unfold through someone who understands your position and what you have to offer. A romantic relationship will flourish if you offer truth and commitment. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Don’t get into a dispute if someone doesn’t want to do what you are doing. Head out in your own direction or make arrangements to spend time with someone who shares your interests. Multiple options are available, so do your own thing.

31 West Wesmark Blvd • Sumter, SC • 774-2100

SUMTER ANIMAL CONTROL PET OF THE WEEK Meet Noel, a charmer who would love to wiggle her way into your heart. She is a young, petite girl who weighs 34 pounds. She Noel will enrich loves everyone. Won’t your life with love,you please consider giving devotion Noel the gift of a forever home this holiday season? She will enrich your life with her love and devotion. Noel is waiting for you in kennel 30 at Sumter Animal Control, 1240 Winkles Road, (803) 436-2066. Thank you for considering a homeless dog. You can view more adoptable / lost animals on Facebook at Sumter Animal Control.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Don’t let anger take over when passion should be your goal. Get involved in the causes you believe in with the intention of making a difference. A personal change will turn out better than anticipated. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Size up what is going on around you and react. Getting to the bottom of something that is irking you will help you move forward. A romantic relationship will take on a new direction if you discuss your concerns and dreams.

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

SECTION

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2016 Call: (803) 774-1241 | E-mail: sports@theitem.com

PREP BASKETBALL

CAROLINA FOOTBALL

Spring Valley’s late run hands Lady Knights 1st loss on opening day of District 9 Officials play

Turner looks for place in crowded backfield

BY EDDIE LITAKER Special To The Sumter Item

BY JOSH KENDALL The State

Apparently, 11 is not a lucky number for the Crestwood High School varsity girls basketball team. The Lady Knights entered Tuesday’s 11 a.m. opening matchup in the 20th Annual District 9 Officials Christmas Basketball Tournament against Spring Valley with an 11-0 record. A Destiny Jamison free throw with 9:16 left in the game gave Crestwood its largest lead of 11 points at 42-31. Then, just as it seemed the Lady Knights were on the way to knocking off the 2-time defending 4A state champion Lady Vikings, Spring Valley launched the biggest run of a game of runs. A 25-7 surge left the Lady Vikings up 56-49 with 2:22 left and first-year head coach Megan Assey’s squad held on down the stretch for a 64-59 win. “That’s something we’ve been talking about with our team up to this point throughout the year, is just our grit factor and our toughness, and that we’ve missed that from time to time,” said Assey, whose team improved to 7-2 as it took the first step in defending last year’s District 9 tourney championship led by legendary SV coach Anne Long. “But we’re a very young group. Coach Long graduated seven seniors last year, so even the ones that were returners on the team haven’t seen a lot of minutes for us. So it’s almost starting out with a team of freshmen and sophomores, but we’re learning that toughness and that grit factor that we have to have to gut out games like this. Essentially that’s what we challenged them to do, and we were proud of them for stepping up today and meeting that challenge.” Even with an 11-point lead about midway through the 16-minute second half, Crestwood head coach Tony Wilson knew that his team could not afford a letup. “Basically it was a game of runs. I knew that they were going to make another run,” Wilson said. “We weren’t smart enough to-

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- A.J. Turner will approach Thursday’s Birmingham Bowl as the final game of the season, but he knows it’s the kickoff of what will be an interesting tailback competition at South Carolina in 2017. “All I can do is do what I do, which is play, do what I’m told, do what I’m coached to do,” said Turner, a redshirt freshman who’s the Gamecocks second-leading rusher this season. “I’ll find a role, my coaches will tell me what that is and I will do it to TURNER the best of my ability. As of right now, for next year I don’t necessarily know what my role is.” Turner’s role this season was something of a surprise. In fall camp, he supplanted junior David Williams as South Carolina’s starting tailback and started four of the first five games. Williams briefly won the starting job back (against UMass on Oct. 22) but gave way to true freshman Rico Dowdle, who has started the past five games and leads the Gamecocks with 714 yards on 121 carries.

Tourney tumble

SEE GAMECOCKS, PAGE B3

CAROLINA BASKETBALL

Gamecocks blow past Lander 90-62 KEITH GEDAMKE / THE SUMTER ITEM

Crestwood’s Tyannna Saunders, center, tries to get a shot off while being guarded by Spring Valley’s Kristian Wall, left, and Destiny Coleman during the Lady Knights’ 64-59 loss on Tuesday on the first day of the 20th Annual District 9 Officials Christmas Basketball Tournament at The Castle. night, when we were up by 11, to control the game and pull the ball back out for our set plays. Today we

rushed a lot of shots and just stood around and watched the game too much. We needed to play within

the game instead of standing around and watching.”

SEE CRESTWOOD, PAGE B3

CLEMSON FOOTBALL

Tigers’ Boulware, Ohio St.’s Elflein lead way BY RALPH D. RUSSO The Associated Press SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Coaches often talk about how the best teams have players who take ownership and convey their messages as well as they do. Ohio State center Pat Elflein and Clemson linebacker Ben Boulware are those types of players. The No. 2 Buckeyes (11-1) and No. 3 Tigers (12-1) meet Saturday in the Fiesta Bowl semifinal at University of Phoenix Stadium and it is likely seniors Elflein and Boulware will run into each other a few times. For one, it will be his last game. For the other, it will be on to Tampa, Florida, to play for the College Football Playoff championship. They will definitely be missed when they are gone. “I don’t even want to think about that right now,” Ohio State offensive coordinator Ed Warinner said Tuesday about Elflein. It could very well have been Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables talking about Boulware, too.

SEE CLEMSON, PAGE B3

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Clemson linebacker Ben Boulware (10) and the No. 3 Tigers will meet No. 2 Ohio State on Saturday in the Fiesta Bowl in Arizona.

BY PETE IACOBELLI The Associated Press COLUMBIA — Rakym Felder scored a career-high 20 points and Maik Kotsar had his first double-double as South Carolina blew out Division II Lander 90-62 Tuesday night. Felder, the freshman guard, hit five of six 3-pointers in the opening half as the Gamecocks (10-2) used a 29-3 start to pull away from the overmatched Bearcats (3-7). Kotsar, a 6-foot-10 freshman forward, finished with 10 points and a career-best 11 rebounds. It was a welcome result for South Carolina, which fell out of the rankings this week by losing two of its last three including a hard-fought, 62-60 loss at home to rival Clemson last Wednesday night. Felder surpassed his previous best of 11, set two games ago in a win at South Florida. P.J. Dozier scored 15 points for the Gamecocks, which ended a run of five straight games with 20 points or more. JR Washington led Lander with 16 points. South Carolina coach Frank Martin has scheduled in-state Division II opponents each of the previous two years — the Gamecocks defeated Coker in 2014-15 and Francis Marion 2015-16 by a combined 48 points — believing it important to promote the game at all levels.

SEE CAROLINA, PAGE B2

SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2016

THE SUMTER ITEM

SCOREBOARD

SPORTS ITEMS

TV, RADIO

TODAY

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Buffalo fired head coach Rex Ryan and brother Rob on Monday with one game left in the season.

Bills fire Rex, Rob Ryan with 1 game left in season ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Rex Ryan’s inability to back up his boasts of building a bully — particularly on defense — in Buffalo led to the Bills firing their high-profile coach one game short of completing his second full season. Terry Pegula, who made Ryan’s hiring his first big splash as owner, was the person who informed Ryan of his dismissal Tuesday. The decision came three days after a 34-31 overtime loss to Miami which eliminated Buffalo (7-8) from contention, and extended the NFL’s longest active playoff drought to 17 years. “We mutually agreed that that the time to part ways is now,” Pegula said in a statement released by the team. “These decisions are never easy.” Pegula then noted his wife in saying: “Kim and I and our entire Bills organization share in the same disappointment and frustration as our fans, but we remain committed to our goal of bringing a championship to western New York.” Ryan had three years remaining on his contract. General manager Doug Whaley’s job appears secure after being put in charge of the Bills coaching search, the team’s third in four years. Buffalo is also moving on to its eighth coach since the playoff drought began during Wade Phillips’ final year as coach in 2000. Ryan replaced Doug Marrone, who opted out of his contract following a 9-7 finish in 2014, and three months after the Pegulas purchased the Bills from the estate of Hall of Fame owner Ralph Wilson. Assistant head coach and offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn will coach the Bills in their season finale at the New York Jets (4-11) on Sunday. Lynn is also considered a candidate to replace Ryan permanently because of his familiarity with an offense that is closing in on leading the NFL in rushing for a second consecutive season.

COWBOYS 42 LIONS 21 ARLINGTON, Texas — Matthew Stafford lost to his hometown team again, and the playoff plans are on hold for the Detroit Lions. Dez Bryant threw his first career touchdown pass between a pair of scoring catches, Ezekiel Elliott ran for two TDs and the Dallas Cowboys kept the Lions from clinching a postseason spot with a 42-21 win Monday night. Despite a second straight loss following five consecutive victories, Detroit (9-6) still controls its postseason fate. The Lions will be at home against Green Bay (9-6) with the NFC North title at stake in the finale Sunday. “It’s a one-game season,” Stafford said. “If you told me in Week 17 we would have a game at our place and got a chance to win the division, I’d take it all day.” Stafford, a championship-winning high school quarterback in the Dallas area, had a 1-yard scoring plunge , but was sacked four times — matching a season high — almost two years after losing a

CAROLINA

FROM PAGE B1

If it costs South Carolina in the eyes of some fans and analysts, so be it, Martin says, because his team plays plenty of Power Five opponents in and out of the Southeastern Conference to prove its worth. This season, the Gamecocks are 2-1 against Power Five teams, defeating Michigan and Syracuse before losing its last game to rival Clemson.

THE BIG PICTURE Lander: The Bearcats won 22 games, took the Peach Belt Conference tournament and made the NCAA Division II Tournament. But they had little chance of staying with South Carolina. Lander’s tallest

wild-card game at the Cowboys. He was 26 of 46 for 260 yards, including an interception that set up Elliott’s 1-yard touchdown early in the third quarter to break a 21-all halftime tie. With home-field advantage already wrapped up, the Cowboys (13-2) didn’t let up in their seventh straight home win while matching their franchise record in victories, reached two other times.

HEART OF DALLAS BOWL ARMY 38 NORTH TEXAS 31 (OT) DALLAS — For Army coach Jeff Monken, there was never really a second thought about what to do on fourth down from the 3 on the opening possession of overtime. Not with the way the triple-option Black Knights dominate running the ball and struggle kicking it. Jordan Asberry took a toss and scored Army’s sixth rushing touchdown in a 38-31 win over North Texas on Tuesday in a rematch at the Heart of Dallas Bowl. “One of our goals is not flinch and believe no matter what,” said quarterback Ahmad Bradshaw, who ran for 129 yards and a score. “A lot of people say it’s a questionable call. ... We were determined to get it in.” The Black Knights (8-5) finished with 480 yards rushing, including 119 yards and two TDs by Darnell Woolfolk. Asberry’s score was the 46th rushing touchdown this season, breaking the school record held by the 1945 national championship team that had two Heisman Trophy winners in the backfield.

MILITARY BOWL WAKE FOREST 34 TEMPLE 26 ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Wake Forest attached a positive ending to a season marred by scandal, using a strong performance by quarterback John Wolford to beat heavily favored Temple 34-26 on Tuesday in the Military Bowl. After throwing an interception on the first series of the game — a turnover Temple used to take a 7-0 lead — Wolford helped the Demon Deacons rattle off 31 straight points before halftime. Wolford left with a neck strain in the third quarter with the score 31-17. Wake Forest (7-6) then withstood a comeback bid by Temple (10-4) to secure its first winning season since 2008. The victory gave the Demon Deacons something to talk about this offseason beside the troubling spy story dubbed “Wakey Leaks.” An investigation by Wake Forest revealed that broadcaster Tommy Elrod leaked or attempted to leak game plan information to at least three opponents. Though Elrod has not released a public statement on the scandal, the school has since fired him. In spite of the distraction, the Demon Deacons snapped a three-game losing streak and won for only the second time since Oct. 8. From wire reports

player was 6-foot-8 Srdjan Ivic, who had three fouls by halftime and was not a factor against South Carolina’s front line. Count on Lander to contend, but in the Peach Belt, not the SEC. South Carolina: The Gamecocks were in need of a win, no matter how big of a mismatch it was. South Carolina started the season 8-0 and rose to No. 16 in the Top 25, but has lost two of its past three games. This one gave coach Frank Martin a chance to play most of his lineup and see favorable results. Nine of 10 Gamecocks who played in the opening half scored.

UP NEXT Lander returns back to Division II for a home game with Limestone on Thursday night. South Carolina travels to Memphis on Friday night for its last game before starting Southeastern Conference play.

Noon – Women’s College Basketball: Marquette at Villanova (FOX SPORTSOUTH). 2 p.m. – College Football: Pinstripe Bowl from New York – Pittsburgh vs. Northwestern (ESPN). 2:40 p.m. – International Soccer: English Premier League Match – Tottenham vs. Southampton (NBC SPORTS NETWORK). 3 p.m. – College Basketball: Houston at Connecticut (ESPN2). 3:30 p.m. – High School Basketball: Beach Ball Classic Semifinal Game from Myrtle Beach (TIME WARNER 1250). 5 p.m. – College Basketball: Wake Forest at Florida State (ESPN2). 5:15 p.m. – High School Basketball: Beach Ball Classic Semifinal Game from Myrtle Beach (TIME WARNER 1250). 5:30 p.m. – College Football: Russell Athletic Bowl from Orlando, Fla. – Miami vs. West Virginia (ESPN). 6:05 p.m. – Talk Show: Sports Talk (WDXY-FM 105.9, WDXY-AM 1240). 6:30 p.m. – College Basketball: DePaul at Villanova (FOX SPORTS 1). 5 p.m. – Women’s College Basketball: Vanderbilt at Memphis (ESPNU). 7 p.m. – College Basketball: South Florida at East Carolina (ESPNEWS). 7 p.m. – College Basketball: Virginia at Louisville (ESPN2). 7 p.m. – College Basketball: Monmouth at North Carolina (ESPNU). 7 p.m. – NBA Basketball: Charlotte at Orlando (FOX SPORTS SOUTHEAST). 7 p.m. – NHL Hockey: Carolina at Pittsburgh (FOX SPORTSOUTH). 7 p.m. – College Basketball: North Carolina-Wilmington at Clemson (WWBD-FM 94.7, WPUB-FM 102.7). 8 p.m. – College Basketball: Seton Hall at Creighton (FOX SPORTS 2). 8 p.m. – NBA Basketball: Los Angeles Clippers at New Orleans (NBA TV). 8 p.m. – NHL Hockey: Philadelphia at St. Louis (NBC SPORTS NETWORK). 8 p.m. – College Basketball: Central Florida at Tulane (TIME WARNER 1250). 8:30 p.m. – College Football: Foster Farms Bowl from Santa Clara, Calif. – Indiana vs. Utah (WACH 57). 8:30 p.m. – College Basketball: Georgetown at Marquette (FOX SPORTS 1). 9 p.m. – College Football: Texas Bowl from Houston – Texas A&M vs. Kansas State (ESPN). 9 p.m. – College Basketball: UCLA at Oregon (ESPN2). 9 p.m. – College Basketball: Temple at Cincinnati (ESPNU). 10:30 p.m. – NBA Basketball: Toronto at Golden State (NBA TV). 11 p.m. – College Basketball: NevadaLas Vegas at Colorado State (ESPNU).

NFL STANDINGS By The Associated Press

AMERICAN CONFERENCE EAST W L T Pct PF PA y-New England 13 2 0 .867 406 236 x-Miami 10 5 0 .667 349 345 Buffalo 7 8 0 .467 389 348 N.Y. Jets 4 11 0 .267 245 399 SOUTH W L T Pct PF PA y-Houston 9 6 0 .600 262 304 Tennessee 8 7 0 .533 357 361 Indianapolis 7 8 0 .467 387 372 Jacksonville 3 12 0 .200 298 376 NORTH W L T Pct PF PA y-Pittsburgh 10 5 0 .667 372 303 Baltimore 8 7 0 .533 333 294 Cincinnati 5 9 1 .367 298 305 Cleveland 1 14 0 .067 240 425 WEST W L T Pct PF PA x-Oakland 12 3 0 .800 410 361 x-Kansas City 11 4 0 .733 352 284 Denver 8 7 0 .533 309 291 San Diego 5 10 0 .333 383 386

NATIONAL CONFERENCE EAST W L T Pct PF PA y-Dallas 13 2 0 .867 408 279 x-N.Y. Giants 10 5 0 .667 291 274 Washington 8 6 1 .567 386 364 Philadelphia 6 9 0 .400 340 318 SOUTH W L T Pct PF PA y-Atlanta 10 5 0 .667 502 374 Tampa Bay 8 7 0 .533 337 353 New Orleans 7 8 0 .467 437 416 Carolina 6 9 0 .400 353 385 NORTH W L T Pct PF PA Green Bay 9 6 0 .600 401 364 Detroit 9 6 0 .600 322 327 Minnesota 7 8 0 .467 289 297 Chicago 3 12 0 .200 269 361 WEST W L T Pct PF PA y-Seattle 9 5 1 .633 329 269 Arizona 6 8 1 .433 374 356 Los Angeles 4 11 0 .267 218 350 San Francisco 2 13 0 .133 286 455 x-clinched playoff spot y-clinched division

SUNDAY’S GAMES

New England at Miami, 1 p.m. Cleveland at Pittsburgh, 1 p.m. Carolina at Tampa Bay, 1 p.m. Dallas at Philadelphia, 1 p.m. Houston at Tennessee, 1 p.m. Buffalo at N.Y. Jets, 1 p.m. Chicago at Minnesota, 1 p.m. Baltimore at Cincinnati, 1 p.m. Jacksonville at Indianapolis, 1 p.m. Seattle at San Francisco, 4:25 p.m. New Orleans at Atlanta, 4:25 p.m. Kansas City at San Diego, 4:25 p.m. Arizona at Los Angeles, 4:25 p.m. Oakland at Denver, 4:25 p.m. N.Y. Giants at Washington, 4:25 p.m. Green Bay at Detroit, 8:30 p.m.

NBA STANDINGS

By The Associated Press

EASTERN CONFERENCE ATLANTIC DIVISION W L Pct GB Toronto 22 8 .733 — Boston 18 13 .581 4½ New York 16 14 .533 6 Brooklyn 8 22 .267 14 Philadelphia 7 23 .233 15 SOUTHEAST DIVISION W L Pct GB Charlotte 17 14 .548 — Atlanta 15 16 .484 2 Washington 14 16 .467 2½ Orlando 15 18 .455 3 Miami 10 21 .323 7 CENTRAL DIVISION W L Pct GB Cleveland 23 7 .767 — Chicago 15 16 .484 8½ Milwaukee 14 15 .483 8½ Indiana 15 17 .469 9 Detroit 15 18 .455 9½

WESTERN CONFERENCE SOUTHWEST DIVISION W L Pct GB San Antonio 25 6 .806 — Houston 23 9 .719 2½ Memphis 20 13 .606 6 New Orleans 12 21 .364 14 Dallas 9 22 .290 16 NORTHWEST DIVISION W L Pct GB Oklahoma City 19 12 .613 — Utah 18 13 .581 1 Denver 13 18 .419 6 Portland 13 20 .394 7 Minnesota 10 21 .323 9 PACIFIC DIVISION W L Pct GB Golden State 27 5 .844 — L.A. Clippers 22 11 .667 5½ Sacramento 14 17 .452 12½

L.A. Lakers Phoenix

12 22 .353 16 9 22 .290 17½

MONDAY’S GAMES

Orlando 112, Memphis 102 Washington 107, Milwaukee 102 Brooklyn 120, Charlotte 118 Detroit 106, Cleveland 90 Chicago 90, Indiana 85 Houston 131, Phoenix 115 Minnesota 104, Atlanta 90 New Orleans 111, Dallas 104 Toronto 95, Portland 91 Denver 106, L.A. Clippers 102 Sacramento 102, Philadelphia 100

TUESDAY’S GAMES

Memphis at Boston, 7:30 p.m. Oklahoma City at Miami, 7:30 p.m. Houston at Dallas, 8:30 p.m. Utah at L.A. Lakers, 10:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY’S GAMES

Charlotte at Orlando, 7 p.m. Indiana at Washington, 7 p.m. Milwaukee at Detroit, 7:30 p.m. New York at Atlanta, 7:30 p.m. Brooklyn at Chicago, 8 p.m. L.A. Clippers at New Orleans, 8 p.m. Phoenix at San Antonio, 8:30 p.m. Minnesota at Denver, 9 p.m. Sacramento at Portland, 10 p.m. Toronto at Golden State, 10:30 p.m.

THURSDAY’S GAMES

Miami at Charlotte, 7 p.m. Boston at Cleveland, 8 p.m. Oklahoma City at Memphis, 8 p.m. Philadelphia at Utah, 9 p.m. Toronto at Phoenix, 9 p.m. Dallas at L.A. Lakers, 10:30 p.m.

FRIDAY’S GAMES

Chicago at Indiana, 4 p.m. Brooklyn at Washington, 7 p.m. Miami at Boston, 7:30 p.m. Detroit at Atlanta, 8 p.m. L.A. Clippers at Houston, 8 p.m. Milwaukee at Minnesota, 8 p.m. New York at New Orleans, 8 p.m. Portland at San Antonio, 8:30 p.m. Philadelphia at Denver, 9 p.m. Dallas at Golden State, 10:30 p.m.

NHL STANDINGS By The Associated Press

EASTERN CONFERENCE ATLANTIC DIVISION GP W L OT Pts GF GA Montreal 34 21 9 4 46 104 76 Ottawa 34 20 11 3 43 88 89 Boston 36 18 14 4 40 85 87 Tampa Bay 35 17 15 3 37 100 98 Florida 35 15 14 6 36 85 97 Toronto 33 14 12 7 35 97 95 Detroit 34 15 15 4 34 83 96 Buffalo 33 12 13 8 32 71 91 METROPOLITAN DIVISION GP W L OT Pts GF GA Columbus 32 23 5 4 50 110 65 Pittsburgh 35 22 8 5 49 121 100 N.Y. Rangers 36 23 12 1 47 119 89 Washington 32 20 8 4 44 87 69 Philadelphia 36 20 12 4 44 110 108 Carolina 33 15 11 7 37 88 90 New Jersey 34 13 14 7 33 80 102 N.Y. Islanders 33 13 14 6 32 90 102

WESTERN CONFERENCE CENTRAL DIVISION GP W L OT Pts GF GA Chicago 36 22 9 5 49 102 86 Minnesota 33 21 8 4 46 102 66 St. Louis 35 18 12 5 41 98 103 Nashville 33 15 13 5 35 94 94 Dallas 35 14 14 7 35 89 106 Winnipeg 36 16 17 3 35 95 105 Colorado 33 12 20 1 25 67 106 PACIFIC DIVISION GP W L OT Pts GF GA San Jose 34 21 12 1 43 87 75 Edmonton 36 18 12 6 42 105 97 Anaheim 35 17 12 6 40 96 99 Los Angeles 34 17 13 4 38 87 84 Calgary 36 18 16 2 38 94 103 Vancouver 35 14 18 3 31 86 109 Arizona 34 11 18 5 27 75 108 NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss.

MONDAY’S GAMES

No games scheduled

TUESDAY’S GAMES

Ottawa at N.Y. Rangers, 7 p.m. Washington at N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m. Pittsburgh at New Jersey, 7 p.m. Boston at Columbus, 7 p.m. Buffalo at Detroit, 7:30 p.m. Minnesota at Nashville, 8 p.m. Winnipeg at Chicago, 8:30 p.m. Dallas at Arizona, 9 p.m. Calgary at Colorado, 9 p.m. San Jose at Anaheim, 10 p.m.

WEDNESDAY’S GAMES

Carolina at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. Toronto at Florida, 7 p.m. Montreal at Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m. Philadelphia at St. Louis, 8 p.m. Los Angeles at Vancouver, 10 p.m.

THURSDAY’S GAMES

New Jersey at Washington, 7 p.m. Boston at Buffalo, 7 p.m. Montreal at Florida, 7:30 p.m. Toronto at Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m. Detroit at Ottawa, 8 p.m. Chicago at Nashville, 8 p.m. Columbus at Winnipeg, 8 p.m. N.Y. Islanders at Minnesota, 8 p.m. Colorado at Dallas, 8:30 p.m. N.Y. Rangers at Arizona, 9 p.m. Los Angeles at Edmonton, 9 p.m. Anaheim at Calgary, 9 p.m.

FRIDAY’S GAMES

Chicago at Carolina, 7:30 p.m. Nashville at St. Louis, 8 p.m. Anaheim at Vancouver, 10 p.m. Philadelphia at San Jose, 10 p.m.

TRANSACTIONS By The Associated Press

BASEBALL NATIONAL LEAGUE CINCINNATI REDS — Named Dick Williams general manager, Mark Heil player development analyst, Mark Edwards baseball operations analyst, Haley Alvarez administrative assistant to baseball operations and Nick Wan data scientist. PITTSBURGH PIRATES — Re-signed RHP Ivan Nova to a three-year contract. AMERICAN ASSOCIATION LARDO LEMURS — Signed C Manuel Boscan and RHP Quinton Stevens. Can-Am League ROCKLAND BOULDERS — Sold the contract of OF Leandro Castro to Minnesota (AL).

FOOTBALL NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE BUFFALO BILLS — Fired coach Rex Ryan. GREEN BAY PACKERS — Signed WR Antwan Goodley to the practice squad. Placed TE Devon Cajuste on the practice squad-injured list. SAN DIEGO CHARGERS — Placed RB Kenneth Farrow on injured reserve. Signed RB Andre Williams from the practice squad. TENNESSEE TITANS — Placed QB Marcus Mariota on injured reserve. Signed QB Alex Tanney from the practice squad.

HOCKEY NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS — Activated F Artem Anisimov from injured reserve. Placed F Marian Hossa on injured reserve, retroactive to Dec. 20. NEW JERSEY DEVILS — Recalled D Yohann Auvitu from Albany (AHL). NEW YORK RANGERS — Recalled G Brandon Halverson from Hartford (AHL). AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE HARTFORD WOLF PACK — Recalled G Jeff Malcolm from Greenville (ECHL). ECHL

SPORTS

THE SUMTER ITEM

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2016

AREA ROUNDUP

Gators win Tournament of Champions opener MARIETTA, Ga. -- Dontrea Osborne and Grant Singleton scored 15 points apiece to help power Lakewood High School’s boys basketball team to a 63-60 victory over Kell High School (Ga.) on Tuesday in the opening game of the Tournament of Champions Holiday Classic held at Wheeler High School.

Malik Wilson and Davonte Pack added 10 points each to give the Gators four players in double figures. Tyrell Still added nine points as well. LHS, who improved to 8-3 overall on the year, advances to the winner’s bracket of the American Division and will face Doral Academy (Fla.) today at 4:15 p.m. Doral defeat-

ed Johnson-Savannah (Ga.) 45-41 on Tuesday.

GIRLS VARSITY BASKETBALL SUMTER HIGH GOES 1-2 AT SAVANNAH RIVER SHOOTOUT NORTH AUGUSTA -- Sum-

ter High School’s varsity girls basketball team went 1-2 at the Savannah River Shootout held on Dec. 19-21 at North Augusta High School. The Lady Gamecocks opened with a 72-6 rout of Calhoun County. Latrice Lyons had 16 points followed by Carnasia Wills with 15

CRESTWOOD

and Taylor Myles with 12. Sumter then fell to Northwood Academy 70-43. Wells had 14 points and Lyons added 13. Finally, SHS was edged by Burke 49-48. Lyons had 12 points followed by Wells and Myles with 11 each. Myles also made the all-tournament team.

GAMECOCKS

FROM PAGE B1

The first eight minutes of the 16-minute first half saw one tie and four lead changes, with a 7-4 SV lead marking the largest for either team to that point. Crestwood answered with an 11-2 run to go up 15-9, only to see the Lady Vikings rally to take a 16-15 lead after an Ashley Williamson three. The Lady Knights quickly reclaimed the lead as Brittany Epps popped a trey that set off a 9-0 run for a 24-16 Crestwood lead. The game was tied once again, 26-26, after a Destiny Coleman bucket before Lindsey Rogers connected from behind the arc to give the Lady Knights a 29-26 halftime edge. As the teams took the floor to start the second half, Jamison scored the first six Crestwood points on a free throw, low-post basket and a 3-pointer. Tyanna Saunders added two buckets of her own, with the second set up by a Rogers steal, to put the Lady Knights up 39-29. Even with the loss, Wilson said playing a team of Spring Valley’s caliber will always help your team in the long run. “Any time you play a team and a program like Spring Valley, it’s a plus because of the tradition they have,” Wilson said. “A 2-time defending state champion, and I don’t know how many championships Coach Long won when she was there, but win, lose or draw it will always prepare you for region play.” Jamison led all scorers with 28 points, including 17 in the second half. Jamison and Saunders combined for 26 of the Lady Knights’ 30 second-half points, with Saunders scoring nine of her 13 in that frame. Jamison’s point total included two 3s and 5 of 7 shooting at the freethrow line. Rogers finished with eight. SV finished with three players in double figures, with Williamson connecting on 6 of 7 free throw attempts in a 19point effort. Like Saunders, Lauryn Taylor scored nine of her 13 points in the second half. Kristian Wall’s 11 included two free throws with three seconds left to seal the victory. The Lady Vikings earned another victory on Tuesday against another Sumter County school as they defeated Lakewood 71-49. SVHS will play Hartsville today at 3:30 p.m. at Chestnut Oaks Middle School with a win likely securing a spot in the title game on Thursday. For Crestwood, things only got worse as the Lady Knights dropped their second straight contest of the day and second of the year to Newberry, 62-52. CHS will now face Kingstree today at 5 p.m. at The Castle.

Dowdle’s expected to start when the Gamecocks (6-6) take on South Florida (10-2) at Legion Field in the Birmingham Bowl on Thursday. All three are expected to return next season to fight it out. “All I have to do is keep working hard. I hope they work hard, too, because it’s going to make me work harder and we are all going to get better,” Turner said. “I am excited about it. We have three great backs. We can definitely utilize all of them so I am excited to see what they want to do with us next year.” There will also be some additions to the rotation, the most interesting being Ty’son Williams, a former four-star prospect from Crestwood High School who transferred from North Carolina and sat out this season because of NCAA transfer rules. “He looks real good. He’s a big guy, and he’s quick,” Turner said. “He’s fast as well, but I feel like he’s more quick. He has really good acceleration. It’s a different weapon in our arsenal on offense. Me, Rico and him, that’s really deep at the position.” Williams, 6-foot, 220 pounds, has been South Carolina’s scout team running back this season. He’s not in Birmingham because transfers who aren’t eligible don’t make bowl trips, a USC spokesperson said. “He really makes our defense work,” Turner said. “The defensive players talk about it all the time. The coaches talk about it in film (study). He gets scout player of the week just about every week, so I think he’s doing very well.” Gamecocks coach Will Muschamp lauded Williams twice in the last week. “He’s a very explosive back, shows it every day during scout team,” said South Carolina defensive tackle Taylor Stallworth. “Just very explosive. I can’t wait until next year, see him get the ball in his hands, see what he does with it.”

CLEMSON

FROM PAGE B1

Elflein is a born Buckeye from Pickerington, Ohio, but it took a while from him to get the scholarship offer Ohio State. He committed when Jim Tressel was Ohio State coach, but ended up playing for Urban Meyer. Elflein redshirted as a

KEITH GEDAMKE / THE SUMTER ITEM

Crestwood’s Alexandria Dukes (23) puts up a shot as Spring Valley’s Lauryn Taylor, right, and teammate look on during the Lady Knights’ 64-59 loss on Tuesday on the first day of the 20th Annual District 9 Officials Christmas Basketball Tournament at The Castle.

DISTRICT 9 OFFICIALS TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE TUESDAY

At Crestwood High School Spring Valley 64, Crestwood 59 (Girls) Manning 46, Blythewood 43 (Girls) Trinity-Byrnes Collegiate 55, Lamar 41 (Boys) Spring Valley 71, Lakewood 49 (Girls) Newberry 62, Crestwood 52 (Girls) Lee Central 66, Manning 56 (Boys) At Chestnut Oaks Middle School Lee Central 72, Trinity-Byrnes Collegiate 66 (Boys) Newberry 73, Lee Central 42 (Girls) Hammond 78, C.E. Murray 68 (OT) (Boys) Hartsville 60, Kingstree 15 (Girls) Manning 60, CA Johnson 17 (Girls)

TODAY

At Crestwood High School Hartsville vs. CA Johnson (Girls), 11 a.m. Manning vs. Newberry (Girls), 12:30 p.m.

freshman with a foot injury and his first major playing time came in 2013 against Michigan. He has become a fixture on the Buckeyes’ offensive line since, starting at guard the last two seasons and then moving to center this year and becoming an All-American. Most of the dominant players who helped Ohio State go 26-2 with a national championship the last two seasons have

Manning vs. Hammond (Boys), 2 p.m. CA Johnson vs. Lee Central (Girls), 3:30 p.m. Crestwood vs. Kingstree (Girls), 5 p.m. Hammond vs. Lee Central (Boys), 6:30 p.m. Trinity-Byrnes Collegiate vs. C.E. Murray (Boys), 8 p.m. At Chestnut Oaks Middle School Lee Central vs. Blythewood (Girls), 11 a.m. Kingstree vs. Lakewood (Girls), 12:30 p.m. C.E. Murray vs. Lamar (Boys), 2 p.m. Spring Valley vs. Hartsville (Girls), 3:30 p.m. Lakewood vs. Blythewood (Girls), 5 p.m. Lamar vs. Manning (Boys), 6:30 p.m.

THURSDAY

At Crestwood High School Girls Championship, 6 p.m. Boys Championship, 7:30 p.m.

moved on to the NFL. The 2016 Buckeyes were in reload mode with a bevy of new faces stepping into starting roles, including three offensive linemen who had had some ups and downs. “Pat was always a leader in his work ethic by example and doing things the right way,” Warinner said. “And then he took over that last piece, which was the leadership of running

the offensive line prior to the snap as the center and then the vocal leadership of just making sure that things get taken care of the way they need to.” Elflein said he decided before the Fiesta Bowl victory against Notre Dame last season that he would return for one more year. Knowing the cast around him would be very different, he took on the task of working with the younger players im-

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mediately. “Not just this season, but you do it the whole offseason,” he said. “Those guys transitioning into guys who’ve never played into guys we’re depending on and it starts in the offseason, spring ball and summer workouts and camp trying to help them make that transition. Make it smooth to the point where we can rely on them to go win a game.”

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SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2016

THE SUMTER ITEM

RECRUITING

Former Shrine Bowl DB Foster transferring to USC

hristmas Day brought South Carolina fans an unexpected gift, a quality defensive back transferring from an FCS program. Jaylan Foster (6-foot-0, 190 pounds) announced on Twitter he will transfer next month from Gardner-Webb. Foster will join the team as an invited walk-on as a cornerback and said he should go on full scholarship in the fall. “This opportunity means so much to me,” Foster said. “I always wanted a chance to play at a Power 5 school and a lot of schools didn’t think I could do that, and now I’m excited about the chance.” Foster said he reached out to some guys he knows on the USC team and they passed the word of his interest on to the coaches including Bobby Bentley, a former coach at Byrnes. And Foster feels the USC defense provides him with a great opportunity to play in the SEC. “I mean, I fit the scheme good since they usually have three or four DBs on the field at once,” he said. Foster was named the Big South Freshman of the Year this season after totaling 45 tackles and five interceptions. He also was a standout at Byrnes High School and a member of the 2015 Shrine Bowl team. The Gamecocks are on standby today for another possible addition to their secondary. DB Yusuf Corker of Stockbridge, Ga., plans to celebrate his birthday Monday by announcing his college commitment around 1 p.m. Corker took official visits to Kentucky and Michigan State earlier in the month. He also made unofficial visits to USC and Tennessee during the season and he visited USC multiple times in the spring. That’s why he did not schedule an official visit with the Gamecocks. “They just need depth at the D-back position,” Corker said in late November. “They play a lot of man to man, something I like to do. They also told me I can play in the nickel.” USC missed out on a major target Friday when DE Matthew Butler of Garner, N.C., committed to Tennessee. RB CJ Leggett of Mesa JC, Ariz., who USC offered a walk-on opportunity for the spring, committed to Mercer. Former USC commitment DB Damarri Mathis of Lakeland, Fla., committed Thursday to Pitt. He committed to the Gamecocks in June and decommitted in late November. Long time USC commitment RB Kyshaun Bryan of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.,

said last week view of the Gamecocks has not changed. “I’m still committed,” said Bryan who was aware of reports on some Gamecock websites stating the Gamecocks are not going to take a running back in the class. “I don’t know anything about it,” he said. Bryan said as far as he from Phil Kornblut knows, talking with RECRUITING his CORNER Gamecock recruiters, he is a take by the Gamecocks. He said he probably will take an official visit to USC. He is scheduled to visit Utah on Jan. 21. This season he has rushed for over 700 yards and seven touchdowns averaging over seven yards per carry. USC commitment DB Tavyn Jackson of Tallahassee, Fla., announced last week he has completed the recruiting process and is set with USC. Jackson took an official visit to Maryland earlier this month and considered taking others in January besides a Jan. 14 trip to USC. DE Aaron Sterling of Tucker, Ga., a former Alabama commitment, is considering USC, N.C. State, Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama for January official visits. And USC is a definite for one of the visits, according to his head coach Bryan Lamar. This season Sterling had 15.5 sacks and over 20 tackles for loss. DE Devonte Wyatt of Decatur, Ga., continues to hold to his Georgia commitment but also still holds USC, Florida and Alabama high up on his list and is not ready to shut down his recruiting. Wyatt, a former Gamecock commitment, is scheduled for official visits to Georgia and USC the first two visitation weekends in January and also plans to take official visits to Florida and Alabama. USC recruiters Lance Thompson and Byron McClendon were in to see Wyatt during the visitation period earlier this month and they have kept up the interest in him. Wyatt said USC, Georgia and Florida are recruiting him the hardest and are in contact daily. He said USC is second on his list behind Georgia. This season he had 70 tackles with 15 sacks and 30 tackles for loss. OL Jordan Rhodes of Fairburn, Ga., is set to visit USC, Mississippi State and Missouri in January. Rhodes visited USC unofficially for the Tennessee game. DB Shakur Brown of Stockbridge, Ga., is looking at

USC, Kentucky and Ole Miss for January visits. He does not have dates pinned down yet. Brown said he actually likes Virginia Tech the most right now. He’s been there unofficially. DE Jaylen Twyman of Washington, D.C., does not plan to make his decision until after he takes his official visits in January. Twyman visited Pitt earlier this month. He said he will visit USC on Jan. 14 and Missouri on Jan. 21. 2018 OL Hank Manos (6-4, 275) of Chapin is a developing prospect in the class and USC is one of the schools giving him an early evaluation. Manos was at USC’s bowl practice last week with a couple of his coaches. That was his fourth visit to USC. He has an offer from Georgia State and is also getting interest from Vanderbilt, Appalachian State, Middle Tennessee and Coastal Carolina.

CLEMSON Clemson fans have ridden the recruiting roller-coaster to the hilt over the last ten days. There were the highs of the 2018 commitments of QB Trevor Lawrence and LB Jake Venables followed by the lows of a decommitment by RB Cordarrion Richardson and a miss on LB Drew Singleton. Richardson surprised all by announcing his decommitment on Friday on Twitter. “After a long time thinking and talking to my mother and coaches about this decision, I’ve decided that I’ll reopen my recruitment,” Richardson wrote. “Clemson is not out of conclusion and I consider them a priority.” Richardson committed to Clemson in early March following a weekend unofficial visit. He chose the Tigers then from a top list that also included Tennessee, LSU, Auburn, Oklahoma, Alabama, Michigan State and Florida State. Richardson returned to Clemson for an unofficial visit with his parents the weekend of the Pitt game. He has been planning to take his official visit to Clemson in January. The decommitment leaves Clemson with 13 commitments for 2017 with no running backs in the class. One prospect the Tigers likely will turn to is Georgia commitment D’Andre Swift. He has said he might take an official visit to Clemson in January though he’s maintained his commitment with the Bulldogs. Also Friday, the Tigers failed in their efforts to land Singleton when he committed to Michigan. The Paramus, N.J., native was strongly sought by the Tigers and was

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Fort Dorchester star 2018 QB Dakereon Joyner won’t lie. He would have loved to have gone to Clemson and play quarterback. But that is not going to happen. Not after the Tigers would not recruit him strictly as a quarterback, And not after the Tigers landed a commitment last week from the nation’s top rated 2018 quarterback Trevor Lawrence. This is not how Joyner thought his recruiting was going to turn out. He disclosed Sunday night for the first time that at one point during the process he thought Clemson’s coaches had come around in their approach to him and he was going to get his chance to play quarterback for the Tigers. “When they (Clemson) first offered me, they offered me as an athlete and I felt like I obviously wasn’t a good enough quarterback for them at the time,” Joyner said. “As I grew throughout the season and kind of prove to myself that I’m a quarterback, I guess they kind of saw that. As they started losing ground with Trevor Lawrence, because everybody thought he was going to Georgia, which I thought too, I kind of made up my mind. They kind of started throwing the quarterback situation in my ears and giving me what I wanted to hear. But it’s all a business and I can understand that. At this time I feel like there’s no room at Clemson for me to play quarterback. I’m not scared of competition. Everywhere you going there’s going to be competition. But I want to do what’s best for me and I want to play. Everything happens for a reason. Clemson was always one of my tops schools but I’m not going to trip over it.” Joyner expects more schools to move in on him now. He believes many have held off from offering him because they thought he was going to Clemson, and he said they were right to think that way. “That kind of was true,” he said. “They were at the top of my list and when it came down to it that’s where I would have ended up.” But Joyner isn’t waddling in self-pity. Quite the contrary. The state’s top ranked quarterback in his class and the Gatorade Player of the Year in South Carolina harbors no ill will

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CLEMSON AND USC

towards Clemson. Instead, he’s focusing on five schools right now that are committed to him as a quarterback prospect: USC, Georgia, Louisville, N.C. State and Virginia Tech. And from that group, he has the Gamecocks, Wolfpack and Cardinals as his top three. Joyner will visit Virginia Tech on Jan. 15 and Georgia on Feb. 17 for junior day activities. He doesn’t have a set date to visit USC because he can get there anytime there’s a function the Gamecocks want him to attend. USC head coach Will Muschamp, according to Joyner, checks in with him every day, and he also hears regularly from others on the staff. Muschamp has offers out to other quarterbacks for the 2018 class and he has not told Joyner he’s the only one he wants in the class, but he has told him he is THE one he wants in the class. Joyner has set June 18 for his announcement date and he plans to stick with that. He will be an early graduate in December of 2017. This season he passed for 3,642 yards and 44 touchdowns and rushed for 1,089 yards and 12 touchdowns. 2018 DL Josh Belk of Lewisville has an offer list that includes USC, Clemson, North Carolina, LSU, Florida State, N.C. State, Ohio State, Virginia Tech, Auburn and Florida. Texas A&M also called his coach recently to express interest. Belk made several visits for games during the season, in particular to USC and Clemson. Belk is going to be an early graduate so all of his official visits will take place during next season with his decision to come in middle December. USC and Clemson will get visits along with Ohio State, and he’d like to visit a school in Texas and either Florida or Florida State. As for upcoming junior days, Belk said he’s going to Virginia Tech on Jan. 14 and Clemson on Jan. 28. He also plans to go to a USC junior day. He said he does not have a favorite at this point. This season Belk recorded 78 tackles, 28 tackles for loss, eight sacks and he blocked five extrapoint kicks. Clemson and USC missed out on 2018 OL Will Lawrence of Memphis when he announced his final five last week of Arizona State, LSU, Michigan, North Carolina and Ohio State. He plans a decision by February. Lawrence had attended summer camps at Clemson.

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SPORTS SPORTS

THESUMTER SUMTERITEM ITEM THE

ATHLETES OF THE YEAR

James named AP Male Athlete of Year BY TOM WITHERS The Associated Press CLEVELAND — LeBron James was jolted forward when the massive crowd swelled from the sidewalks and into Cleveland’s streets, surrounding the convertible that he and his family were riding in. This wasn’t supposed to happen. James looked at his wife, Savannah, their baby daughter and two sons and feared for their safety. “We were kind of afraid for a second,” James said. Then relieved. Scanning the crowd, James spotted people dangling from lamp posts and traffic lights, even a few straddling window ledges to get a glimpse of the champion Cavaliers, who were being honored with a once-ina-generation downtown parade

after their comeback in the NBA Finals. James was awestruck, and any concerns quickly melted away when he looked at the spectators’ faces and saw only smiles, laughter and tears of joy. “Everybody was just rejoicing in grace and happiness,” James said, fondly reflecting on the picture-perfect day in June when Cleveland was transformed into a giant block party. “It was more than I could have ever imagined. It was unforgettable, unbelievable.” And he had made it possible. James, who ended 52 years of sports heartache by bringing Cleveland a championship and used his superstar platform to address social causes, was chosen as The Associated Press 2016 Male Athlete of the Year, an award he won previously in 2013.

OBITUARIES

FRANK B. WENSTROM COLUMBIA — Frank Bertil Wenstrom passed away peacefully on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, 2016. Frank was born on April 19, 1931, in Chicago, Illinois, a son of the late Sam and Anna Wenstrom. He was raised in Chicago, except for the five years his family moved WENSTROM back to their native Sweden. As a young man, Frank completed his undergraduate studies in accounting at the University of Illinois. He spent his early career at Sherwin Williams, where he served in multiple capacities, including corporate controller. While at Sherwin Williams, Frank completed his master’s in business administration in the executive program at the University of Chicago. From there, Frank worked in various industries as a trusted advisor and senior executive. Frank was also the founder of Airite Inc. in Simpsonville, the exclusive South Carolina distributor for Sullair Air Compressors. Frank and his wife, Connie, have lived in Columbia for more than 30 years and are members at Shandon Baptist Church. Frank was a kind, loving and generous man. In younger years, he enjoyed traveling, tennis, sailing and, most recently, beating family members in chess and gin rummy. His biggest passion was entertaining and spending time with his friends and family. The absolute love of his life was his dear sweet Connie. He was loved by all. Frank is survived by his wife of 38 years, Connie Wenstrom; his sister, K. Rita Holly and her husband, Paul; his three children and their spouses, Steve Wenstrom and his wife, Pam, Rita Wenstrom Jutras and her husband, Roland, and Andre Gee Self and her husband, Jim. Frank was the loving grandfather, (farfar and morfar) of Steven Wenstrom, Megan Wenstrom Harkins, Jessie Currie Rinehart, Lacy Currie, Marc Jutras, Parker Self and Kyle Self; and the great-grandfather of Scarlett and Wyatt Harkins. A memorial service for Mr. Wenstrom will be held at 3 p.m. on Thursday at Shives Funeral Home, Trenholm Road Chapel, 7600 Trenholm Road, Columbia. The family will receive friends beginning at 1:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Community Bible Study, 220 Primrose Lane, Chapin, SC 29036. Memories and condolences may be shared at ShivesFuneralHome.com.

WILLIAN H. WALKER MANNING — Willian H. Walker, 91, widow of Milton Walker, died on Thursday, Dec. 22, 2016, at her residence, 22 N. Barfield St., Manning. She was born on Oct. 16, 1924, in Florence, Alabama, a daughter of the late John T. and Chalc Etta Hough Hampton. Celebratory services for

Mrs. Walker will be held at 1 p.m. today at Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church, Manning, with the Rev. George P. Windley, pastor, officiating. Burial will follow in Manning Cemetery, Manning. Rose of Sharon WALKER Court No. 12 Heroines of Jerico will be held from 5 until 6 p.m. Easter Star Rites were held on Tuesday at Hayes F. & LaNelle J. Samuels Sr. Memorial Chapel, 114 N. Church St., Manning. The family is receiving friends at her residence. These services have been entrusted to Samuels Funeral Home LLC of Manning.

FRANCES G. COOK Frances Geraldine “Gerry” Kolb Cook, age 91, beloved wife to Earl V. Cook, died on Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2016, at Sumter Health and Rehab. Born in Sumter, she was a daughter of the late Herbert Clinton Kolb and Ida Ingram Kolb. One of her joys in life was spent COOK knitting. She turned that passion into a ministry, knitting hats for hospital patients. She was known to have knitted more than 3,000 hats for the Seafarers Ministry in Charleston. Gerry was married to J.T. Fogle for 15 years until his death in 1958. On Aug. 6, 1961, she married Earl V. Cook and their marriage lasted for more than 55 years. Gerry was a member of Shaw Heights Baptist Church and her devotion to serving God was her life’s work. She read the Bible completely through more than five times during her life and always discovered something new each time. She owned a clothing store on Peach Orchard Road called “Cook’s Corner.” Her true joy was spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren. She will be remembered as a very loving wife, mother, grandmother, greatgrandmother, great-greatgrandmother and friend. She will be dearly missed by all who knew her. Surviving in addition to her husband are three daughters, Elaine Williams, Vickie Mouradjian and her husband, Paul, and Cathy C. Cook, all of Sumter; special son, Roger Ewing of Sumter; eight grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; and one great-greatgrandchild. In addition to her first husband and parents, she was preceded in death by two sisters, Edna Hudson and Jean Brawley. A funeral service will be held at noon on Friday in the Bullock Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Robert White officiating. The family will receive friends on Friday one hour prior to the service from 11 a.m. to noon at Bullock Funeral Home and following the service at Shaw Heights Baptist Church.

WEDNESDAY, WEDNESDAY,DECEMBER DECEMBER28, 28,2016 2016 | |

Olympian Biles soars to AP Female Athlete of Year BY WILL GRAVES The Associated Press

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Lebron James, who ended 52 years of sports heartache by bringing Cleveland a championship and used his superstar platform to address social causes, was chosen as The Associated Press 2016 Male Athlete of the Year.

Special thanks to Carl Bryant and the staff of Palmetto Health Tuomey, Sumter Health and Rehab and Homestead Hospice for their love and compassionate care. 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.

WILLIAM F. MIXON William Franklin “Frankie” Mixon, age 67, beloved husband of Beverly Ramey Mixon, died on Sunday, Dec. 25, 2016, at his residence. Born in Wilson, North Carolina, he was a son of the late Ralph and Ruby Mixon. After high school, Frankie went to work in construction and eventually began his own painting business. He loved hunting and fishing. He married his high school sweetheart, Beverly, and they were married for 48 years before his passing. He was a wonderful caregiver to both his mother and mother-in-law until their deaths. He was a man of compassion and started a phone ministry encouraging others in their times of need. He will be remembered as a loving husband, father and grandfather. He will be dearly missed by all who knew him. He was a member of Northside Baptist Church. Surviving in addition to his wife are a son, Wayne Mixon and his wife, Jennifer, of Sumter; and one grandchild, Bentlei Mixon of Columbia. A funeral service will be held at noon today at Northside Baptist Church with the Rev. Jimmy Holley and the Rev. Niel Sweet officiating. Interment will follow in Evergreen Memorial Park cemetery. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service from 11 a.m. to noon at Northside Baptist Church. You may go to www.bullockfuneralhome.com and sign the family’s guest book. The family has chosen Bullock Funeral Home for the arrangements.

JOHN M. TURNER John Mitzell “Mit” Turner, 59, husband of Patricia Ann Hallman Turner, died on Monday, Dec. 26, 2016, at Palmetto Health Richland hospital in Columbia. Born in Sumter, he was a son of the late Solomon Stevens Turner and Imogene Scott Turner. He was an avid hunter, fisherman and sports fan. Surviving are his wife of Sumter; a brother, Keith Wendell Turner of Sumter; two sisters, Faye Turner of Sum-

B5 B5

Simone Biles tried to treat the 2016 Summer Olympics like just your average ordinary gymnastics meet. So what if the stage and the stakes were different? The floor was still the floor. The vault still the vault. The uneven bars still uneven. The balance beam still a four-inch wide test of nerves. And the 19-year-old with the electric smile and boundless talent was still the best in the world. Maybe the best of all-time. Over the course of 10 days in August, the biggest meet of her life ended like pretty much all the others

ter and Shirley Jean Price of Florida; a special child, Hunter Zachariah Nunez; and a number of nieces and nephews. Funeral services will be held at noon on Thursday in the chapel of Elmore Hill McCreight Funeral Home with the Rev. Dale Turner and the Rev. Kenny Griffin officiating. Burial will be in Calvary Church of the Nazarene Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 11 a.m. until noon on Thursday at Elmore Hill McCreight Funeral Home and other times at the home. Online condolences may be sent to www.sumterfunerals. com. Elmore Hill McCreight Funeral Home & Crematory, 221 Broad St., Sumter, is in charge of the arrangements, (803) 775-9386.

in the four years that came before it: with Biles standing atop the podium, a gold medal around her neck and the sport she’s redefining one boundary-pushing routine at a time staring up at her. Not that she reBILES members any of it. “It’s kind of a blur,” Biles said. In a vote by U.S. editors and news directors announced Monday, Biles received 31 votes out of a possible 59 votes. U.S. Olympic swimmer Katie Ledecky finished second with 20 votes.

1963, in Orangeburg County. The family is receiving relatives and friends at the home of Margaret Rembert, 2931 Manville-St. Charles Road, Bishopville. Funeral arrangements are incomplete and will be announced by Williams Funeral Home Inc.

WARREN J. LESANE SR. Warren J. Lesane Sr., 88, widower of Inez Davis Lesane, died on Sunday, Dec. 25, 2016, at his residence in Mayesville. Born in Sumter County, he was a son of the late Johnson Lesane Sr. and Alice Williams Lesane. The family will receive friends at 946 N. Brick Church Road, Mayesville, SC 29104. Funeral arrangements are incomplete and will be announced by Palmer Memorial Chapel Inc.

ETHEL MAE J. STINNEY

DOROTHY M. PARKS FLORENCE — Dorothy McCaskey Parks, 86, died on Sunday, Dec. 25, 2016, at Southland Healthcare Center after a short illness. Mrs. Parks was born in Radford, Virginia, a daughter of the late Alpheous Eley and Margaret Loeffert McCaskey. She married Charles Thomas Parks in Greensboro, North Carolina, in 1951. A longtime resident of Sumter, Mrs. Parks worked in administration at Sumter Technical School for many years. She was an active member of Trinity United Methodist Church in Sumter, as well as Church Women United. After relocating to Florence, Mrs. Parks joined Central United Methodist Church. She was preceded in death by her husband in 2000; by a sister, Margaret Merritt; and two brothers, Alpheous E. McCaskey Jr. and Andrew L. McCaskey. Survivors are her daughters, Ginny (Mike) Hill of Florence and Carol Dahms of Waterloo, Iowa; a brother, Robert McCaskey of Greensboro; and two grandchildren, DoriBeth Hill and Ryan Hill, both of Florence. A graveside service will be held at a later date at Rock Springs Baptist Church Cemetery in Harmony, North Carolina. Waters-Powell Funeral Home of Florence is serving the family of Mrs. Parks. The family wishes to express their overwhelming thanks and appreciation to the staff of Southland Healthcare Center for their dedicated care and friendship. Memorials may be made to Trinity United Methodist Church, 226 W. Liberty St., Sumter, SC 29150 or to Central United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 87, Florence, SC 29503.

MIRIAM REMBERT Miriam Rembert, 53, wife of Bernard Rembert, died on Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2016, at Palmetto Health Tuomey. She was born on July 6,

Ethel Mae James Stinney, 78, departed this earthly life on Friday, Dec. 23, 2016, at McLeod Hospice House in Florence. Funeral services will be held at noon on Thursday at New Light MB Church in Davis Station, where the Rev. Johnny Lawson serves as pastor. Viewing will be held from 1 to 6 p.m. today at the funeral home. Funeral arrangements are entrusted to Summerton Funeral Home LLC, 23 S. Duke St., Summerton, (803) 4853755.

LEE E. MCBRIDE Lee E. McBride, 77, departed this life on Thursday, Dec. 22, 2016, at his residence in Summerton. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. on Friday at Taw Caw Missionary Baptist Church in Summerton, where Dr. W.T. Johnson serves as pastor. Viewing will be held from 1 to 6 p.m. today at the funeral home. Funeral arrangements are entrusted to Summerton Funeral Home LLC, 23 S. Duke St., Summerton, (803) 4853755.

EVA J. KUHNS Eva J. Kuhns, age 94, died on Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2016, at her residence. Arrangements are incomplete at this time and will be announced by Bullock Funeral Home.

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BUSINESS SERVICES

Rooms for Rent

Jack Russel puppies, AKC registered, $250 ea. Call 803-464-0214 Days 803-494-3473 nights

Millwood area, private entrance, 1 Br, non-smoker. $500 mo. Call 803-775-1097.

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Unfurnished Apartments

MERCHANDISE Garage, Yard & Estate Sales

All out Home Improvements We beat everybody's price Licensed & Bonded 803-316-8969

Lawn Service J.W. Lawn Service Leaf removal, hedges, pine straw, mulch, pressure wash, & much more! Call 803-406-1818

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H.L. Boone, Contractor: Remodel paint roofs gutters drywall blown ceilings ect. 773-9904

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Lost & Found REWARD FOR SAFE RETURN: female pom/spitz, blonde/brown, curled tail, under 25 lbs. Lost on Snowden St, Christmas Eve, rabies tag # 134085 Coats Veterinary Hospital. If found call 252-450-9061.

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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.

EMPLOYMENT

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

Schools / Instructional

Senior Living Apartments for those 62+ (Rent based on income) Shiloh-Randolph Manor 125 W. Bartlette. 775-0575 Studio/1 Bedroom apartments available EHO Huntington Place Apartments Rents from $625 per month 1/2 Month free* *13 Month lease required Powers Properties 595 Ashton Mill Drive 803-773-3600 Office Hours: Mon-Fri 9-5

Land & Lots for Sale

Legal Notice

6 ac. MH site, $23,500 or 11 ac, or 22 ac. on Shilo Raccoon Rd. Owner fin. Call 843-231-1111

Public Storage/ PS Orangeco, Inc. LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE OF PERSONAL PROPERTY

For Sale! 5 acres, flat & cleaned residential comm. Sugar Hill area Manning, Sc. Call 803-473-3310

Notice is hereby given that the undersigned will sell to satisfy the lien of owner at public sale by competitive bidding on January 12, 2017 personal and/or business property including but not limited to furniture, clothing, tools and other household / business items located at the properties listed.

Manufactured Housing M & M Mobile Homes, Inc. Now selling New Wind Zone II Champion and Clayton Homes. Lots of floor plans available to custom design your home. Nice used refurbished homes still available also. Bank and Owner financing with ALL CREDIT SCORES accepted. Call 1-843-389-4215 Like us on Facebook M & M Mobile Homes.

The sale will begin at 1:00 pm at 1143 N. Guignard Drive, Sumter, SC 29153. The personal goods stored therein by below named occupant(s); 1143 N.Guignard Dr, Sumter, SC 29150 111 - Johnson, Yvonne 117 - Henry, Anita 228 - Pringle, Blanche 531 - Millner, Vera 534 - Washington, Herbert 565 - Segars, Kenyatta 737 - Logan, Latasha

TRANSPORTATION

Unfurnished Homes

1277 Camden Hwy, Sumter, SC 29153 B052A - Way Jr, Alvin B086 - Mack, Keeveion B097 - Holmes, Michelle C019 - Durant, Santana C057 - Coker, Ashley E022 - Sparks, Valerie F018 - Young, Marlene F027 - Wilson, Matrese F035 - Singleton, Dawn G012 - McDuffie, Rannie

Miscellaneous

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Nice 2 BR 1 BA home. Safe area. $480 mo. + sec dep. No pets. Sec. 8 OK. Close to Shaw. Call 803-968-5329.

3785 Broad St, Sumter, SC 29154 0201 - Atkinson, Tiffany 0308 - Conklin, Jenni 0341 - Starks, Katrena 0403 - Demmons, Dante 0408 - Plowden, Latonya 0454 - Lilly, Daisy 0621 - Mickens, London 0831 - Hendrix, Linzer 0842 - Crider, Charles

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Mobile Home Rentals

• Tax Preparer • Training provided Jan 2nd. Day and evening classes available. •Customer Service• Free week long tax preparation class with customer service focus. Learn computerized tax preparation in day or evening classes starting Jan 2nd. Apply for seasonal opportunities. 803-418-0123

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

Purchase must be made with cash only and paid for at the time of sale. All goods are sold as is and must be removed at the time of the sale. Sale is subject to adjournment.

IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS THIRD JUDICIAL CIRCUIT CASE NO.: 2016-CP-43-01798 STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF SUMTER Milton J. Harris, Plaintiff, vs. Michelle T. Nesbitt and Bobby L. Brubaker, Defendants. TO THE DEFENDANTS, MICHELLE T. NESBITT and BOBBY L. BRUBAKER, ABOVE-NAMED: You will please take notice that the original Summons and Complaint in the above entitled action were filed in the office of the Clerk of Court for Sumter County on the 27th day of September, 2016.

SUMMONS (Jury Trial Requested) TO: THE DEFENDANTS(S) ABOVE NAMED: YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED AND REQUIRED to answer the Complaint in this matter, a copy of which is herewith served upon you, and to serve a copy of your Answer to said Complaint upon the subscriber at his office, Land, Parker & Welch, P.A., Post Office Box 138, Manning, South Carolina, 29102, within THIRTY (30) days from the service thereof, exclusive of the day of such service; and if you fail to answer the Complaint within the time aforesaid, judgment by default will be rendered against you for the relief demanded in the Complaint. LAND, PARKER & WELCH, P.A. Nelson R. Parker 29 South Mill Street Post Office Box 138 Manning, South Carolina 29102 (803) 435-8894 Attorney for the Plaintiff nelson@lpwlawfirm.com www.lpwlawfirm.com

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2016 Call Ivy Moore at: (803) 774-1221 | E-mail: ivy@theitem.com

Members of The Gathering Social Club enjoy a pizza party recently. The nonprofit social group for adults and teens with special needs provides the means for members to continue friendships formed while in school and to make new ones through a wide variety of activities. PHOTO PROVIDED

Group supports parents of special needs children ‘Gathering’ builds friendships BY IVY MOORE ivy@theitem.com A group of parents whose children are autistic or who have other special needs have organized a group they call "The Gathering," because its emphasis is on gathering for social activities. Already, they have organized dances once a month, but that's too little, they say. While their children, and others with special needs, have social structure and make friendships in school, once they reach the age of 18 that can come to a screeching halt. Or rather, a quiet halt. "They get stuck at home with little outside contact," said Carrie Jodoin, who is the events coordinator for the group. She pointed out that rarely are young people with special needs able to go out without supervision to meet friends for social activities, "so friendships made in school often don't last." People with special needs can't "just hang out," she said. Joan Bell, a co-founder of The Gathering with Darlene Wilson, said the social group is intended for older teenagers and adults. Members meet regularly for activities such as bowling, buddy ball and others that present a "developmental, physical and/or intellectual challenge." Created for support and to provide social activities, the Gathering is valuable for both parents or caregivers and their adult children. Formed just a few months ago, the group has found activities have been limited by lack of a free meeting place big enough for what they hope will grow, said Carrie Jodoin.

SUMTER ITEM FILE PHOTO

Several members of the Gathering participate in a hula hoop contest during a recent dance at the VFW. The group hosts a dance regularly on the last Friday of each month. Tuesday night, parents and caregivers met at the North Hope Center to talk about better organization in order to attract new members. "We want members at all levels of ability," Jodoin said. "We're aiming at teens and young adults, but all ages are welcome. We're hoping to come up with ideas to help them become friends with each other, to give them structure." She said the parents originally met at Special Olympics bowling, which meets on Wednesdays at Gamecock Lanes. "The parents became friends, and it grew from that," Jodoin said, "but we know there are many people who don't come to bowling." She said her own son Joseph has an advantage in that he has been in the school system for many years, so "He

knows all his classmates." It's when he graduates and doesn't go to college or to a job that she worries his social supports will dissolve. The Gathering is beginning to fill that need. Jodoin said the parents of children with special needs often have problems socializing, too. "You can't really take your children out, because you never know when they'll get upset or act out," she said. "And it's expensive and hard to get a caregiver every time you go somewhere. It can be very confining. and it's very stressful when you never know when your child will have a 'meltdown.'"" Bell recalled that her son, now in his 30s, used to "roll coins up the meat aisle when I took him grocery shopping. Now he can serve as an example that things

can get better." Better not just for the special needs individuals, but also for their parents, she said. Likewise, Jodoin noted that statistics show around 70 percent of marriages dissolve when a child is autistic or has other special needs. "And people you thought were your close friends will disappear, too," she said. That can make life very difficult. The support group started by Gathering members is designed to build friendships as well, she said, and so that parents can get the benefit of others' experience. "We can ask others about a problem: 'How did you handle it?,'" Bell said. Thirty-eight people have already signed up for the support group, she said, "and there are more than 120 on our Facebook page. We want to bring more awareness that these individuals exist and that there's no reason to be in denial or ashamed." The parents' support group meets from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month at the North Hope Center, 904 N. Main St. The Gathering hosts a dance at the VFW, 1925 Gion St., from 7 to 9 p.m. on the last Friday of each month. The next dance is set for Friday. Chaperones are required. Piggly Wiggly owner Ricky McLeod sponsors the event, which has a DJ and serves refreshments. "Our motto is 'Help us to help them close the gap on friendships,'" Bell said. If you'd like to help sponsor The Gathering's activities, such as games, movies, dances, planned trips and more, you can contribute through the group's Go Fund Me page, https://www.gofundme.com/2787tr4g, or call Carrie Jodoin at (803) 468-5745; Joan Bell at (803) 9720051; or Darlene Wilson at (803) 464-4730 for more information.

Impressionist Little has repertoire of 200 voices BY NICK THOMAS Tinseltown Talks When veteran comedian and impressionist Rich Little appeared in a Las Vegas courtroom during the swearing in ceremony for his U.S. citizenship in 2010, the Canadian native granted the presiding judge an unusual request. “He wanted me to say the Pledge of Allegiance as John Wayne, so I did!” recalled Little from his home in Las Vegas. It’s one of many stories Little recounts in his 2016 autobiography, “Little by Little: Celebrities I've Known and Been” (see www.richlittle.com). “It’s really a collection of funny stories that have happened to me with the celebrities I’ve worked with over the years,” he said. “I talk a bit about my childhood, but it’s not a tell-all book at all.” Impressions have been Little’s stock and trade since his school days in Ottawa. "I would answer teachers' questions in their own voices. Pretty soon, they stopped asking me questions!" said Little, who turned 78 in November.

That was more than 60 years ago. Today, crowds still flock to see the man who claims a repertoire of more than 200 voices. “I’ve been performing at the Tropicana in Las Vegas five nights a week for over a year,” said Little. “It’s going very well. I do a show that’s based on my career, and I show video clips of the people I imitate.” In addition to his vocal talents, Little is also an artist who draws sketches of celebrities. "I've dabbled in art all my life, charcoal portraits mostly," he said. "I've done hundreds of sketches over the years.” Little includes several of his lifelike sketches in the Las Vegas show. If you can’t make it to a live performance, Little’s talents are evident on the Emmy Award-winning "Rich Little's Christmas Carol," originally released on video in the late '70s and re-released on DVD in 2007. "I played all the characters in the Dickens' classic," said Little. “For instance, I play Scrooge as W.C. Fields, Bob Cratchit as Paul Lynde, and Jacob Marley as Richard Nixon!”

Unlike ordinary comedians, Little says impressionists have double duty. "You've got to do a convincing impression and also tell jokes in that character," he explained. "It's really all about concentration when you do impressions and becoming the person. Sometimes, when I really get into Johnny Carson, I'll come off stage and find myself writing out an alimony check!" While Little fans can expect his book to contain stories about all the big stars like Carson, Wayne and others, there are some surprises. “There are stories about a number of people I’ve never talked about before like Stewart Granger,” he said. Little says he knew the British actor quite well. “I was a huge fan because of his (1952) movie, ‘Scaramouche.’ He lived in Palos Verde, and I’d see him once a week toward the end of his life," Little said. We spent a lot of time together, and he was quite a colorful, largerthan-life character. He was full of outrageous stories and very opinionated so not everyone could take to him, but I liked him a lot.”

PHOTOS PROVIDED

Comedian / impressionist Rich Little’s latest book recounts stories of his encounters and friendships with many of the entertainers he knew and impersonated.

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COMICS

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2016

THE SUMTER ITEM

BIZARRO

SOUP TO NUTZ

ANDY CAPP

GARFIELD

BEETLE BAILEY

BORN LOSER

BLONDIE

ZITS

MOTHER GOOSE

DOG EAT DOUG

DILBERT

JEFF MACNELLY’S SHOE

Wife married to old swinger is past her limit DEAR ABBY: I am a 70-year-old woman, married for 50 years, and I hate my husband. He wants to go Dear Abby to swinger ABIGAIL parties and toss me to VAN BUREN other men. I tried it a couple of times for him and hated it. He is overbearing and rude. We don’t have any friends where we live, so he seeks out new people. He doesn’t listen to my begging not to do this. His computer is full of porn and his thoughts are sinful, although he can’t perform. Every day I wish he were

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

dead, but I feel guilty for these thoughts. Please tell me what to do. My life is unbearable. Past my limit in Orlando DEAR PAST YOUR LIMIT: By now it should be apparent to you that you can’t change your husband. The only thing you can change is yourself. If you find the strength to do that, your circumstances will change. Because you say your life is unbearable, stop bearing it. Talk to a lawyer and set yourself free. DEAR ABBY: I’m 16, and I have a crush on a guy who is 23. We met in the gym he works at. He’s very shy and he didn’t make the first move, but now we flirt a lot. I don’t know what to think because we met at his work, and he’s so much older than I am.

THE DAILY CROSSWORD PUZZLE

What do you think about the situation? If he kisses me, what should I think? If he doesn’t make a move, what should I do? Confused in Connecticut DEAR CONFUSED: My advice is to forget about it. If he kisses you, consider the consequences if your parents found out what’s been going on. It could cost this man his job. He may be very nice, but he is so much older and more experienced than you are that there could be criminal penalties and possibly jail time for him if he’s foolish enough to pursue you. Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby. com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

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

By C.C. Burnikel

ACROSS 1 Specially formed 6 Circle components 10 Set in stone, say 14 Hiking map line 15 Western wine region 16 Melancholic 17 *Reasons for refinancing 20 Top card 21 Iris layer 22 Syst. with a Buffalo campus 23 *Inconsistent nutrition plan 26 Spanish bear 29 “Top Gun” org. 30 Iditarod racer 32 Colo. setting 34 Scat legend, familiarly 37 Crème de la crème 38 *With 41-Across, “How to Get Away With Murder” Emmy winner 40 “That feels amazing” 41 *See 38-Across 42 Waits in traffic 43 Support during exercise 45 Give no stars to 46 Asian noodle dish 48 One step __ time

12/28/16 50 Govt. aid for the disabled 51 *Marshall Islands nuclear test site 57 Arab bigwig 59 Wild speech 60 GM’s Mary Barra, for one 61 Proposal conditions ... and what the first parts of the answers to starred clues all can have 65 It comes before one 66 Big name in beauty products 67 Demi of “A Few Good Men” 68 Give for a while 69 December number 70 “None for me, thanks” DOWN 1 On the defensive 2 Harsh Athenian lawmaker 3 “Roots” writer 4 It may be crude 5 Sun blockers 6 A year in Provence 7 Knock on 8 Busy pro in tax season 9 Doesn’t go along

10 Steinbeck’s “East of __” 11 Twins legend who was the first DH to hit a home run 12 Director’s shout 13 Appt. book slots 18 Like a lamb 19 Made faces 24 Juice provider 25 Home of most of Sawtooth National Forest 27 Become established 28 Some flowery works 31 Try to hit, as a mosquito 32 King who turned his daughter into gold 33 Persevere

35 Vision-correcting surgery 36 Computer support? 38 Big shots 39 Rubbish holder 44 Contaminate 47 BB shooter 49 Teahouse mat 52 Hot under the collar 53 Birth-related 54 Former #1 LPGA golfer Lorena 55 Wolfish stares 56 Veinlike deposits 58 Look after 61 Show with “Weekend Update” skits, initially 62 Tip of a wingtip 63 Pavement warning 64 Booking agent?

Tuesday’s Puzzle Solved

12/28/16

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Lin-Manuel Miranda named AP Entertainer of Year BY MARK KENNEDY AP Entertainment Writer NEW YORK — Winning a Pulitzer Prize and a clutch of Tony Awards in a single one year would be enough for anyone. Not Lin-Manuel Miranda. Not in 2016. The “Hamilton” writer-composer picked up those honors and also earned a Golden Globe nomination, won the Edward M. Kennedy Prize for Drama Inspired by American History, wrote music for a top movie, and inspired a best-selling book, a best-selling album of “Hamilton” covers and a popular PBS documentary. A new honor came Dec. 21 when Miranda bested Beyonce, Adele and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, among others, to be named The Associated Press Entertainer of the Year, voted by members of the news cooperative and AP entertainment reporters. “There’s been more than a little good luck in the year itself and the way it’s unfolded,” Miranda said after being told of the honor. “I continue to try to work on the things I’ve always wanted to work on and try to say yes to the opportunities that I’d kick myself forever if I didn’t jump at them.” Miranda joins the list of previous AP Entertainer of the Year winners who in recent years have included Adele, Taylor Swift, Jennifer Lawrence, Lady Gaga, Tina Fey and Betty White. The animated Disney juggernaut “Frozen” captured the prize in 2014, and “Star Wars” won last year. (By the way, Miranda wrote one of the songs in “The Force Awakens.”) When he hosted “Saturday Night Live” in October, he somewhat tongue-in-cheek acknowledged the rarity of having a theater composer as host, saying: “Most of you watching at home have no idea who I am.” They surely must by now. Miranda was virtually everywhere in popular culture this year — stage, film, TV, music and politics, while engaging on social media as he went. Like a lyric he wrote for Alexander Hamilton, it seemed at times that the nonstop Miranda was working as if he was “running out of time.” Julio D. Diaz, of the Pensaco-

la News Journal, said Miranda “made the whole world sing, dance and think. Coupled with using his prestige to become involved in important sociopolitical issues, there was no greater or more important presence in entertainment in 2016.” Among the things Miranda did this year are asking Congress to help dig Puerto Rico out of its debt crisis, getting an honorary doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania, performing at a fundraiser for Hillary Clinton on Broadway,

lobbying to stop gun violence in America and teaming up with Jennifer Lopez on the benefit single “Love Make the World Go Round.” He and his musical “Hamilton” won 11 Tony Awards in June, but perhaps his deepest contribution that night was tearfully honoring those killed

hours before at an Orlando nightclub with a beautiful sonnet: “Love is love is love is love is love is love is love is love, cannot be killed or swept aside,” he said. “Now fill the world with music, love and pride.” He started the year onstage in the Broadway hit “Hamil-

ton” (which in 2015 had won a Grammy and earned Miranda a MacArthur genius grant) and ended it with a Golden Globe nomination for writing the song “How Far I’ll Go” from “Moana,” which was on top of the box office for three weeks this month, earning $165 million.

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BRAISED BEEF RIBS

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Savory, meaty braised beef is wintertime comfort food BY MELISSA D’ARABIAN The Associated Press Ask my daughter Océane what her favorite food is, and she will shoot back, without hesitation, "braised ribs." Who doesn't love the comforting meaty aroma that fills the house from ribs cooking slowly in a Dutch oven full of savory, gently bubbling liquid? That's wintertime comfort in bowl if you ask me. Braising is a long-honored method of cooking which coaxes out tenderness and deep flavors from tougher cuts of meat. The basic technique involves a Dutch oven and four main steps: brown the meat and remove, cook the mirepoix (chopped onion, celery and carrot), deglaze the pan with liquid and finally return the meat to the Dutch oven, cover and let cook low and slow in the oven or on the stovetop until tender. Pork shoulder, brisket and short ribs are excellent candidates for braising with high fat content and tough flesh that need hours to soften. My whole family loves braised beef ribs, but I wondered how easily I might be able to swap out a leaner cut of meat without alienating my little fans? Turns out cutting out a bunch of fat was pretty easy. I sliced up a bottom round roast (about 1 1/2 inch thick) into chubby sticks, about the size and shape of

Baked penne dish is pure goodness BY SARA MOULTON The Associated Press If there's anything more comforting than boiled pasta in a sauce, it's got to be baked pasta in a sauce. The baking adds a crispy crust that is a delicious contrast to the tender goodness.

ribs, and I just called them "boneless ribs" at the dinner table. The kids marveled at the ease of eating without the bones and no one was the wiser on the lower-fat swap. (Plus, I saved money too, which was a bonus.) Without the full fat and bones, however, I needed a smidge more work to get that richness and flavor of traditional braised ribs. First, I added mushrooms to the braise for earthiness and savory umami with nary an extra calorie to be found — either halved or chopped will work, depending on whether you want them to be visually present or disappear. Second, I learned not to go too low in fat, or the resulting meat will be dry, despite being soaked in sauce. Bottom round was a magical happy spot; top round was less successful. Third, if you can, use the oven for the braising; the stovetop required a little more temperature management. Last, note that braising times will vary, so taste and test. Lowerfat meat will not need as long as the fattier connective tissue-laden cuts we usually braise. You can even serve your lower-fat braise on cooked quinoa, brown rice, or sauteed cauliflower rice for an extra-healthy version. Or do what we did: mix half whole-wheat couscous and half quinoa for a happy kid-friendly compromise.

BAKED PENNE WITH PROSCIUTTO AND FONTINA Start to finish: 1 hour 15 minutes (20 minutes active) Servings: 6 1 pound penne pasta Kosher salt Butter, for coating the baking pan 2 teaspoons minced garlic 1 cup heavy cream 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

Start to finish: 3 hours, including about 2 hours inactive braising time Servings: 6 2 1/2-pound bottom round (or eye of round), about 1 1/2 inches thick 1 tablespoon grapeseed or other neutral cooking oil 2 tablespoons flour 1 yellow onion, chopped, about 1 cup 1 carrot, finely chopped, about 1/2 cup 1 stalk celery, finely chopped, about 1/3 cup 5 cloves garlic, smashed 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme 4 ounces baby bella mushrooms, wiped clean, trimmed and halved or chopped dash of red pepper flakes (optional) 3 tablespoons tomato paste 1 cup red wine 1 1/2 cup beef broth 1 bay leaf water, as needed salt and pepper Preheat the oven to 325 F. Pat the meat dry gently with a paper towel and slice crosswise into boneless "ribs." Season with salt and pepper and then sprinkle all over with flour, rubbing the flour gently with your fingers to coat meat on all sides. Heat the oil in a large, heavy Dutch oven or braising pot over medium heat. Brown the meat on all sides until golden and crusty, about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove the meat with tongs and place on a plate and set aside. Add the onion, carrot and celery to the Dutch oven (do not wipe it out) and cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until vegetables begin to soften, about three minutes. Add the garlic, thyme, mushrooms and pepper flakes and cook, stirring until very fragrant, about two more minutes. Add the tomato paste, and cook for another minute so it caramelizes and deepens in flavor. Deglaze the pan with wine and broth, and let bubble for a minute or two to let most of the alcohol evaporate. Add the meat back into the pan, along with any juices. Add another 1/2 cup or so of water so the liquid covers the meat about halfway. Cover the Dutch oven with a lid, and bake until meat is tender, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Check the meat halfway through, and add a little water if the braising liquid gets low. Serve the meat with the braising liquid spooned on like gravy. Nutrition information per serving: 280 calories; 69 calories from fat; 8 g fat (3 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 95 mg cholesterol; 223 mg sodium; 10 g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber; 4 g sugar; 36 g protein.

1 cup crushed tomatoes 1 to 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes, to taste (optional) 1 1/2 ounces finely grated Parmesan cheese 4 ounces coarsely grated fontina cheese 4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped In a large bowl, combine the pasta with enough lukewarm, well-salted water to cover. Let stand for 45 minutes. Heat the oven to 450 F. Lightly butter a shallow baking dish (12-cup capacity

with 2 to 2 1/2-inch sides). Drain the pasta and set aside. In the same bowl, combine all remaining ingredients, stirring well. Add the pasta, toss to combine, then season with a pinch of salt. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish, pressing it down evenly. Bake on the oven's middle shelf until bubbly and browned, 20 to 22 minutes. Nutrition information per serving: 590 calories; 240 calories from fat (41 percent of total calories); 27 g fat (15 g saturated; 0.5 g trans fats); 100 mg cholesterol; 1060 mg sodium; 63 g carbohydrate; 3 g fiber; 5 g sugar; 24 g protein.

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