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Sheriff: Crime reports, arrests down BY MATT BRUCE matthew@theitem.com Crime dropped for the second consecutive year in 2014, according to statistics made public this week by Sumter County Sheriff’s Office. The county’s largest law enforcement agency released its annual crime figures Wednesday afternoon, which indicated that reports to the sheriff’s office went down nearly 10 percent last year. According to the data, deputies responded to 4,677 calls in 2014, a 9.2 percent drop from the 5,150 offenses reported in 2013. The 2014 numbers
represent a 15 percent reduction in calls from 2012, the first year changes in the way the FBI categorizes crime statistics went into effect. “I am proud, not only of the sheriff’s office, but also of the entire Sumter County community, to see crime in Sumter County continuing to DENNIS drop,” Sheriff Anthony Dennis said in a prepared statement. “It’s becoming more and more clear to all of the citizens of Sumter County that criminal activity is unacceptable, will not be
tolerated and will not be allowed to define who we are as a community.” Arrests also dipped in 2014 with 1,942 captures made, a 13.5 percent decline from the 2,244 arrests in 2013. Last year’s apprehensions included 1,776 adults and 166 juveniles. The county had five killings to investigate for the third consecutive year. The sheriff’s office is an agency made up of nearly 150 employees, including civilians. It is commissioned to patrol nearly three quarters of the 600 square miles that make up Sumter County. Wednesday’s report included calls, arrests and clearance rates as
well as a breakdown according to crime categories. SCSO officials said the reported offenses will remain the same, but the clearance rate and arrests numbers are subject to change as the department continues to handle investigations from last year. “These numbers help us to determine exactly where we stand year to year on what the criminal activity is in Sumter County, whether it’s increasing or decreasing, and what areas in which it might be increasing or decreasing,” sheriff’s office
SEE CRIME, PAGE A7
Camp Bob Cooper offers ideal rowing spot for athletes BY KONSTANTIN VENGEROWKY konstantin@theitem.com SUMMERTON — Every year, from midFebruary to mid-April, more than 1,200 collegiate and high school rowers from all over the northern U.S., and parts of Canada come to Clemson University’s Youth Learning Institute’s Camp Bob Cooper, in Summerton. Bobby Meeks, men’s head coach at McLean High School in McLean, Virginia, said that water conditions and the convenience of the camp, providing rowers with a place to sleep, three meals a day and extracurricular activities make it an ideal place for training. “There is a motto among rowers, ‘eat, sleep, row,’ and Camp Bob Cooper definitely helps us fulfill that motto,” Meeks said. “Everything is centrally located, and the people at the camp and surrounding areas are really friendly.” Ryan Creeser, a junior at McLean High and one of the leaders of the men’s team, describes rowing as the one true team sport, as rowers are physically stuck in a boat with their teammates. “It’s a completely team-oriented sport; there are no individuals,” Creeser said. “Everyone has to carry their weight and go with the rhythm of the boat.” McLean High has produced two Olympic rowers in the last 15 years, Sam Stitt and Giuseppe Lanzone, both of whom competed for the U.S. Men’s National Team. Danielle Holstrom, McLean’s novice women’s coach, said that there are many factors that make a successful rower. One of them is dedication. In rowing, two-hour practices on the water, five days a week are the norm. The other factor is toughness, both mental and
KONSTANTIN VENGEROWSKY / THE SUMTER ITEM
McLean High School’s Novice Women’s Team rowers practice on Lake Marion. More than 1,200 high school and college rowers SEE ROWING, PAGE A7 from 26 schools traveled to Camp Bob Cooper this spring for training.
Temple Sinai celebrates Passover FROM STAFF REPORTS
TREVOR ZION BAUKNIGHT / THE SUMTER ITEM
The tables are set Friday afternoon for Passover Seder at Temple Sinai, a historic Reform synagogue at 11 Church St. in Sumter. About 40 people were expected, with Columbia Rabbi Leah Doberne-Schor presiding.
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The congregation of Temple Sinai, the historic Reform synagogue at 11 Church St. at the corner of Hampton Avenue in Sumter, celebrated the beginning of Passover, one of the most-celebrated Jewish holidays, at sunset on Friday. “Passover is an important holiday. It commemorates the liberation of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt and their freedom as a nation under the leadership of Moses,” said Marlene Denemark, president of the Sisterhood of Temple Sinai. Sisterhood is a diverse group of Jewish women of varying ages who gather to observe and promote Jewish values and traditions.
Passover begins on the 15th day of the Jewish month of Nissan. It is the first of the three major festivals with both historical and agricultural significance, according to the Jewish Virtual Library, an online Jewish encyclopedia. Agriculturally, it represents the beginning of the harvest season in Israel. The primary observances of Passover are related to the Exodus from Egypt after 400 years of slavery as told in the first 15 chapters of the Book of Exodus. The holiday lasts for seven days (eight days outside of Israel). One of the most significant observances, according to the Jewish Virtual Library, is the removal of chametz, or leavened bread, from homes and property. Chametz in-
DEATHS, A7 Coper Green Leila W. Murray Mazie M. Moody Carn Charles F. McKiever Jr.
Jacqueline Bower Mary Jane T. Potts Leona R. Adams Kyle O. Brittain
cludes anything made from the five major grains that has not been completely cooked within 18 minutes after coming into contact with water, the website states. “The removal of chametz commemorates the fact that the Jews left Egypt in a hurry and did not have time to let their bread rise,” said Denemark. Instead of chametz, an unleavened bread called matzah, made from flour and water and cooked very quickly, is eaten. During the Passover seder, or service held as part of the Passover celebration, the youngest person in the congregation asks The Four
SEE PASSOVER, PAGE A7
WEATHER, A8
INSIDE
RAINY THEN CLEARING
2 SECTIONS, 16 PAGES VOL. 120, NO. 144
60 percent chance of spotty showers today with a stiff breeze, giving way to clear and cool conditions tonight HIGH 72, LOW 41
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