IN SPORTS:
Sumter, Socastee meet in key region matchup
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Remembering World War II Iwo Jima vet and Okinawa suvivor still struggle with legacy A7
SERVING SOUTH CAROLINA SINCE OCTOBER 15, 1894
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2015
1 injured, 1 arrested in suspected arson case
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Festival draws thousands
BY ADRIENNE SARVIS adrienne@theitem.com Sumter Police Department has arrested one man and may arrest as many as three more after what investigators are calling an arson that left a Sumter man with burns on more than 60 percent of his body when his house caught fire Saturday. Witnesses said the fire started about 3:55 a.m. at the victim’s home on Hoyt Street between K and Maney streets when someone threw a Molotov cocktail with an unidentified accelerant into the home, a police department release states. David Shamar Sims, 26, of 861 Carolina Ave., has been arrested and charged with second-degree arson and conspiracy in the case. Under state law, this charge covers cases involving maliciously or SIMS intentionally set fires or explosions to a dwelling or building that results in serious injury, according to a police department release. If convicted, the charges carry a mandatory three-year sentence that can be extended to 25 years. Flames spread from the victim’s bedroom to the attic, and the house was about 30 percent involved by the time fire services arrived, according to the Sumter Fire Department incident report. Division Chief Brian Christmas said the victim had been removed from the house when the fire department arrived. According to the report, the blaze was controlled in about 19 minutes and an estimated $7,000 in damages were caused to the residence as a result of the fire. Another $2,000 was lost in content. Firefighters were able to save an estimated $8,000 in structure and another $3,000 in content, the report states. The 30-year old victim is being treated and remains in stable condition at a regional burn center. The incident remains under investigation by the Sumter Police Department.
KEITH GEDAMKE / THE SUMTER ITEM
Mallorie Springs, 12, and Hope Azurdia, 12, executed 280 flips while riding the Tumbler at the Puddin’ Swamp Festival on Saturday.
8th annual Puddin Swamp fete raises money for local organizations BY KONSTANTIN VENGEROWSKY konstantin@theitem.com Besides providing entertainment and fun to those in attendance, the 8th Annual Puddin’ Swamp Festival, held Thursday through Saturday, served as a fundraiser for many local organizations. The Puddin’ Swamp Festival 5K Run and Walk, put on by the staff and students of East Clarendon Middle/ High School, raised money for the school’s academic program. Nearly 100 runners and walkers participat-
ed, most of whom were from the Turbeville area. Two locals took the top male and female spots. The winner of the 5K was Ashley Wheeler, 57, of Olanta, who finished in a time of 21:53. The top overall female, coming in fourth overall among all runners, was Gracelyn Coker, 14, who finished in a time of 24:19. Nearly 30 food and craft vendors set up at the event, including local churches, businesses, enthusiasts and others. “Many of the vendors were fundraising for a specific cause,” said Stephen
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Dukes, 2015 festival chairman. Turbeville Southern Methodist Church was selling food at the event as one of its efforts to raise money for an annual summer missionary trip to the Honduras. Members from the church provide dental services to locals in Honduras and pass out dental supplies, such as toothbrushes and toothpaste.
House of Prayer Church in Turbeville was raising money to finish a construction project in its new church building. That table sold all types of barbecue, including pork, ribs and chicken. “This is a great community event that brings everyone together,” said Don Lowery, pastor of House of Prayer Church. Faddie Jean Wilkes of Olanta said she enjoyed everything about the festival. “The food was great, and so was the gospel singing,
SEE FESTIVAL, PAGE A10
Tuomey nurse saves life at 35,000 feet BY TRACI QUINN Special to The Sumter Item
CHRIS MOORE / SPECIAL TO THE SUMTER ITEM
Tony Caballero, a registered nurse anesthetist in Labor and Delivery at Tuomey Regional Medical Center, talks about his experience saving the life of a fellow passenger on a flight from Colombia, South America. His co-worker, registered nurse Lesa Singleton, on the phone, said he’s a hero to the Labor and Delivery staff every day.
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Tony Caballero saved a stranger’s life Sunday night – on an airplane, 35,000 feet off the ground, with people who speak a language he’s not fluent in — but he doesn’t want to be called a “hero.” Or “el héroe,” for that matter. It’s not that he wasn’t humbled by the experience, grateful that he was in the right place at the right time. He just believes he was only doing what he’s trained to do, what
DEATHS, B5 Robert F. Strunk Chesley Laws John Hannah Charles E. McDonald Barbara M. Carlton
Azeez Abuwi Mustafa Stella M. Benenhaley Betty Jean Fountain Larry R. Dannelly Joan J. Robey
anyone with his training would have done. That may be true, but the nurses in Tuomey Regional Medical Center’s Labor and Delivery department are still singing his praises. Caballero, who’s been a registered nurse anesthetist in Labor and Delivery for six years, was returning home from a trip to Colombia, South America, when suddenly he heard a woman screaming for help. In Spanish. As soon as he realized that the woman’s husband was in
medical danger, Caballero leapt to action, jumping over seats and passengers and across the aisle to get to him. He immediately began to administer CPR. The stewardesses brought him a box of medical equipment. “I had no clue what was going to be in that box,” he said, “but I also realized the flight attendants had only superficial training and that no one was going to be able to help me. So I just did what I do best.”
SEE HERO, PAGE A10
WEATHER, A12
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ANOTHER PLEASANT DAY
3 SECTIONS, 26 PAGES VOL.120, NO. 159
Mostly sunny during the day but breezy in the evening. Clouds and a shower likely tonight. HIGH 79, LOW 59
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