April 8, 2015 by The Sumter Item

IN SPORTS: CHS’ Edwards takes Athletic Director reins

Everything old is new again Sumter Civic Dance Company and Freed School celebrate milestones C1

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City to review, adjust budget priorities BY ADRIENNE SARVIS adrienne@theitem.com Sumter City Council decided to hold workshops during the weeks it will not meet in order to review priorities for the city budget for fiscal year 2016 during its meeting on Tuesday. The proposed budget shows a negative balance between proposed revenues and proposed expenditures regarding the general fund. According to the draft budget, the proposed expenditures are more than $35 million while the city’s proposed revenues are almost $34 million. That leaves the city with a $1 million deficit. City Manager Deron McCormick said this is not uncommon with draft budgets. He said the financial department, as well as city council, will work to prioritize the city’s expenditures to make sure the general funds are balanced. He said the city has already cut expenditures for the city and more cuts will be on the way. He said the city will also have to wait to learn how much the state will provide for the city’s local government fund. McCormick said the city will have the final budget by the beginning of June. After discussion of the budget, council reviewed a request to expand the growth of a local industry. Council approved first reading of an ordinance authorizing the sale of 8.54 acres of cityowned land next to Florence Concrete Products Inc. McCormick said the land is surplus city property and selling it would be a great move. McCormick said a representative from Florence Concrete Products reached out to the city about purchasing a lot of land some time ago. He said the city is excited to help a local industry expand. The city manager said the city has agreed to transfer ownership of the property to Florence Concrete Products free of charge but the business would maintain some of the right-of-way associated with the land. He said the city would also be reimbursed for the cost of closing fees for the transfer agreement. Sumter is much closer to becoming the first municipality in the state to have a vacant property registry now that council has approved second reading of amendments to the city’s property maintenance code. John Macloskie, city quality assurance manager, said the proposed maintenance code now clarifies that city residents are not required to have paved driveways as long as a designated parking space is available. He said the amendments would also allow parking in areas other than designated driveways if an event not lasting more than 24 hours is hosted at a residence and adequate parking space is available. The other change to the code states that residential property can be registered with the city for free within the first year that it becomes vacant. City Attorney Eric Shytle said a house is deemed vacant after it has been unoccupied for 60 days. He said owners would have a year grace period to register residential property with the city beginning 30 days after the residence becomes vacant.

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Hijacking the courtrooms Sovereign movement poses problems in legal community BY MATT BRUCE matthew@theitem.com The scene played out inside an appeals courtroom in Sumter County. A petitioner who was representing himself sat at his desk armed with stacks of legal documentation. Each time he stood up to address the court, he took one of the papers from his desk, placed it on the floor in front of him, and very deliberately stepped onto the

legal document before beginning his testimony. Afterward, the man picked the paper up, sat down and placed the document back into his large stack of papers. Kathy Ward, general counsel for the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, watched the spectacle unfold with sheer bewilderment. Following the hearing, the man filed his paperwork and Ward took a look. Each page of the legal filing contained the phrase “standing squarely on my principles,” and it became immediately clear to Ward what the man was doing. He was quite literally standing squarely on his principles. Such peculiar courtroom maneuvers may seem outlandish to the ordinary observer, but they are not uncommon

in the world of the Sovereign Citizen movement. “They put a lot of stock in these things that they think have legal significance and they really don’t,” Ward said. “We’re seeing it more and more. We prosecute thousands and thousands of cases each year, and this is a very small percentage of them. But we’re starting to see them more and more.” Simply put, the scattered subculture known as sovereign citizens is a loosely associated group whose members do not recognize the federal, state or local government’s authority to impose laws or taxes upon them. According to an FBI alert, subscribers to the belief system

SEE COURTS, PAGE A8

Senior Art Exhibition at SCGA

KEITH GEDAMKE / THE SUMTER ITEM

Amanda Cox, education director at Sumter County Gallery of Art, places labels on the artworks displayed in the Senior Art Show in the upstairs gallery space. The exhibit features works by graduating seniors from Sumter High School, Lakewood High School, Crestwood High School, Wilson Hall and Thomas Sumter Academy, and will be up until April 22. There is an opening reception on Monday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The public is invited.

Hospital partnership waiting on court decision BY JIM HILLEY jim@theitem.com Brenda Peyton Chase, public relations director for Tuomey Health Care System, said Tuesday that negotiations on a partnership with Palmetto Health System are continuing, but nothing can be finalized until the appeal of a lawsuit against Tuomey in the U.S. Court of Appeals Fourth District is decided. “There have been a lot of preliminary discussions and employee forums,” Chase said. Palmetto Health leadership has been working to address concerns from employees in both organizations, Chase said. “There have been a lot of questions from our employees and their employees, and that is why we have had employee forums,” she said. Chase said Palmetto Health has been conducting due diligence investigations as well.

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“There have been a lot of meetings between company executives,” she said. “Basically there is a lot going on underneath the surface.” The Tuomey Healthcare System board of directors voted in early February to take steps to negotiate a partnership agreement with Columbia-based Palmetto Health. Tuomey reportedly had been considering offers from a small number of suitors and voted to select Palmetto. Palmetto Health Chief Executive Officer Charles D. Beaman Jr. said Tuomey would be a good fit with the Palmetto organization, citing a shared focus on patients and a commitment to providing high-quality care. Tuomey’s principal restructuring officer, Louis Robichaux, said in February the arrangement could be affected by outcome of Tuomey’s appeal of a $237 million judgment against the hospital. The court case involves the use

of part-time contracts Tuomey used in 2005-06, apparently intended to encourage to keep physicians from moving outpatient services out of the hospital. The case eventually led to charges the hospital violated the federal Stark Law of the False Claims Act, legislation intended to reduce the cost of Medicare. “If it (the judgment) is more, then that is going to require further negotiations and considerations on their part (Palmetto Health) whether that is acceptable or not,” Robichaux said when the partnership arrangement was announced. “If it is less, then there is extra value that the parties have agreed to negotiate how that would be distributed and used.” “The court resolution is probably the biggest factor,” Chase said. A ruling in the hospital’s appeal of the case has been pending since November 2014.

DEATHS, B7 Mary Jane T. Potts James Lloyd Inez W. Jones Elizabeth J. Mack

Charles F. McKiever Jr. William Dukes Jr. Odell Dowe Henry Kind Jr.

INSIDE

3 SECTIONS, 26 PAGES VOL. 120, NO. 147

Classifieds B8 Comics C6 Lotteries A10 Opinion A9 Television C7

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 2015

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LOCAL BRIEFS FROM STAFF REPORTS

Learn more about using your iPhone Thursday Chip Chase, public relations director for Farmers Telephone Corporation, will be the presenter for the first spring session of the Shepherd’s Center of Sumter public information series. Chase’s topic will be “How to Get the Most Out of Your iPhone.” The public is invited to attend the 50-minute program at 11 a.m. Thursday at the center, 24 Council St. For more information, call the Shepherd’s Center at (803) 773-1944.

FTC tower could be constructed at Sunset Sumter City and County Board of Zoning Appeals will meet at 3 p.m. today in City Council Chamber, Sumter Opera House, 21 N. Main St., to consider a special exception request from Farmers Telephone Cooperation. to construct a 200-foot monopole communication tower on land owned by the Sunset Country Club, 1005 Golfcrest Road. The board will also consider approval of a request for multiple variances to convert a single-family dwelling located at 502 W. Oakland Ave. into a two-story duplex. The requested variances include reductions of the required minimum lot size and width and reductions of the required yard setback requirements.

Make plans now to attend the Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast in May BY ADRIENNE SARVIS adrienne@theitem.com Sumterites of all religious denominations are invited to attend the annual Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast on May 7 at 6:30 a.m. at Alice Drive Baptist Church, 1305 Loring Mill Road. The breakfast line will open at 6:30 a.m. and the program will begin promptly at 7:30 a.m. Prayer Breakfast Committee Chair Chris Moore said the event, which is held in conjunction with the National Day of Prayer, is a great opportunity for everyone in the community to rally around faith and encourage others to strive to make a difference in the city and surrounding areas. The theme for this year’s prayer breakfast is “Lord, hear our cry.” The keynote speaker is Vietnam War veteran Patrick Cleburne “Clebe” McClary. The recipient of the Silver Star, the Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts, McClary will provide an encouraging message about the importance of faith and prayer. Also, community leaders will give prayers for seven important areas of

MAYOR’S PRAYER BREAKFAST WHEN: May 7 WHERE: Alice Drive Baptist Church, 1305 Loring Mill Road Tickets: $10 in advance; $15 at the door To donate: Mail financial contributions to Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast, 12 Frank Clarke St., Sumter, S.C. 29150 FOR MORE: Chris Moore at (803) 774-8665 or pastorchrismoore@gmail.com

Sumter: government, military, media, business and industry, education, church and family. The event is funded solely by community donations and sponsorships. The deadline for donations is Friday, April 10. Donations of any amount will be accepted, but guests can take part in three sponsorship opportunities: the “Red” sponsorship of $500, which includes 10 tickets; the “White” sponsorship of $300 for six tickets; and the “Blue” sponsorship of $100, which includes two tickets. All donations will go toward funding

the event and all sponsors will be included on the program and will be recognized during the breakfast. Checks should be made out to “Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast” and the mailing address for donations is Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast, 12 Frank Clarke St., Sumter, S.C. 29150. Tickets for the breakfast are $10 in advance and $15 at the door. Tickets can be purchased at The Olive Tree Christian Bookstore, 600 Bultman Drive or at the Swan Lake Visitors Center, 822 W. Liberty St. Moore said the prayer breakfast committee has incentives for those who are interested in selling tickets and encouraging others in the community to attend. Moore said the Sumter community is very fortunate to still host a prayer breakfast every year. “It’s a day for us to encourage others and for us to be encouraged to look to where our blessings come from,” he said. For more information, tickets or donations, contact Chris Moore at (803) 774-8665 or pastorchrismoore@gmail. com.

Sumter Comic Arts Symposium

FROM STAFF REPORTS

46-year-old man faces child abuse charges A Sumter man was arrested Monday afternoon after reports that he abused a child. Melshean Lawson, 46, of 1199 N. Lafayette Drive, was charged with unlawful conduct toward a child in connection with the incident. According to a report from the Sumter Police Department, officers responded to the suspect’s apartment and heard loud screaming coming from inside the residence. Officers found Lawson standing over the 14-year-old victim, who was lying on the floor atop a flight of stairs. Lawson appeared to be yelling at the victim, who had dried blood underneath his left nostril and several spots of dried blood on his shirt. The victim told officers Lawson grew angry with him because he failed to take his medicine, the report stated. He said the suspect slapped him twice and punched him three times in the nose and face then threw him into a kitchen table and tried to throw him down a flight of stairs. A female witness told officers she saw Lawson strike the boy several times. Lawson told police he punched the boy many times in the arms and chest but never in the face. He added that the victim tried to punch him. The boy’s grandmother took custody of him at the scene, according to the report.

Yard sale to benefit transplant recipient

IVY MOORE/THE SUMTER ITEM

Artist Jarrett Williams’ work is among those on exhibit in INFINITE CANVAS: The Sumter Comic Arts Symposium, presented in collaboration with the University of South Carolina Sumter and Columbia from noon to 9 p.m. on Saturday at Patriot Hall. Designed to appeal to multi-generational comic book/graphic novel lovers, as well as those with little experience reading them — and the merely curious — the symposium will offer workshops, seminars and the opportunity for attendees to dress as their favorite comic book characters. Admission is free. Call (803) 435-2261.

A yard sale for the Children’s Organ Transplant Association in honor of Team Nathan M, a 6-year-old Sumterboy who had a kidney transplant, will be held Saturday, April 25, at Peach Orchard Deer Processing, 3760 Peach Orchard Road, Dalzell. Nathan received a kidney transplant at Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. Funds are being raised to assist with transplantrelated expenses. Anyone interested may donate items for the yard sale, rent a space to sell their own items, rent a space for their small business or just come by and shop. For more information, contact Angela Floyd at floydrj@aol.com or (803) 968-1635. Nathan’s family needs an estimated $50,000 to pay transplant-related expenses. “The family and friends of Nathan want to encourage everyone to attend our yard sale and help give Nathan a second chance at life,” said Sherryl Linkous. “One-hundred percent of the profits from the yard sale will assist with transplant-related expenses.” For more information about the other fund raising and volunteer opportunities, contact Sherryl Linkous, (803) 983-5769 or at sherryl.linkous@ gmail.com. Nathan’s family has asked for assistance from the Children’s Organ Transplant Association, a national charity based in Bloomington, Indiana. COTA is dedicated to organizing and guiding communities in raising funds for transplant-related expenses. COTA’s services are completely free of charge, and 100 percent of funds generated by COTA community fund raising campaigns are available for transplant-related expenses.

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Iraqi forensic teams exhume mass graves BY SINAN SALAHEDDIN The Associated Press BAGHDAD — Iraqi forensic teams in the newly recaptured city of Tikrit have started exhuming bodies from mass graves believed to contain some of the hundreds of soldiers killed by Islamic State militants last year, a government spokesman said Tuesday. Kamil Amin from Iraq’s Human Rights Ministry said the work started on Monday on eight locations inside Tikrit’s complex of presidential palaces, where much of the killing is believed to have taken place. Islamic State militants overran Saddam Hussein’s hometown last June, capturing about 1,700 soldiers as they were trying to flee Camp Speicher, an air base previously used by U.S. troops on the outskirt of Tikrit. The fall of Tikrit was part of the Islamic State onslaught that stunned Iraqi security forces and the military, which melted away as the militants advanced. Later, the Islamic State group posted graphic images online that appeared to show its gunmen massacring scores of the soldiers after loading the captives onto flatbed trucks and then forcing them to lay face-down in a shallow ditch, their arms tied behind their backs. Other videos showed masked gunmen bringing the soldiers to a bloodstained concrete river waterfront inside the presidential palaces complex in Tikrit, shooting them in the head and throwing them into the Tigris River. After weeks of bitter clashes, Iraqi forces and allied Shiite militias succeeded in retaking Tikrit from the Islamic State. Their victory was helped by U.S.-led coalition airstrikes, which were not initially part of the operation. Amin told The Associated Press that at least 12 bodies were exhumed on Monday. Lab tests will be carried out to match them with DNA samples that have already been taken from families of around 85 percent of the victims. Iraqi state TV showed forensic teams digging in an open area, helped by bulldozers as family members stood nearby. The bodies were tagged with yellow tags while weeping soldiers and relatives lit candles and laid flowers alongside the

covered remains. One clip showed unearthed skeletal remains still wearing combat boots. “The work is continuing and we expect to discover more mass graves in different areas,” Amin said. “We expect huge number of bodies to be unearthed.” During their blitz last year, Islamic State extremists also carried out other mass killings in other areas. One of those massacres was outside the country’s second-largest city of Mosul, where they forced some 600 Shiite inmates captured from Badoosh prison to kneel along the edge of a nearby ravine and shot them with automatic weapons. The prisoners had been serving sentences for a range of crimes, from murder and assault to nonviolent offenses. And in Anbar province, the militants shot dead dozens of pro-government Sunni tribal fighters in public areas after capturing their towns. The Islamic State’s onslaught plunged Iraq into its worst crisis since the 2011 U.S. troop withdrawal from the country. The militants have also targeted Iraq’s indigenous religious minorities, including Christians and followers of the ancient Yazidi faith, forcing tens of thousands from their homes. Since then, the Islamic State group has carved out a self-styled caliphate in the large area straddling the Iraqi-Syrian border that it now controls. In early August, the United States launched airstrikes on the militant group in Iraq, in an effort to help Iraqi forces fight back against the growing threat by the IS militants, who still hold the northern Iraqi province of Ninevah and most of the western province of Anbar, in addition to small areas north of Baghdad in their hands, along with a large swath of land in neighboring Syria. Also on Tuesday, the Islamic State group started broadcasting in English on the militants’ al-Bayan radio station with a fluent English-speaking presenter, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, a U.S. group that monitors militant websites. The broadcast on Tuesday gave the overview of recent attacks launched by Islamic State in Iraq, Syria and Libya.

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Iraqi security forces and allied Shiite militiamen pray on Friday at the site of a mass grave thought to contain the bodies of Iraqi soldiers killed by Islamic State group militants when they overran Camp Speicher military base last June in Tikrit, Iraq, 80 miles north of Baghdad.

Iraq’s new challenge: Win over Sunnis BY VIVIAN SALAMA AND SAMEER N. YACOUB The Associated Press

suing sectarian policies. AlMaliki responded to rising Sunni protests with a violent crackdown, further stirring dissent. By December 2013, security forces withdrew from Ramadi after dismantling a protest camp, allowing Islamic State militants ultimately to take it over. When the Islamic State group swept across a third of Iraq last summer, many Sunnis initially greeted them as liberators. Analysts think members of Saddam’s outlawed Baath Party, stacked largely with Sunnis, also aided the extremists. The few Sunni tribes that stood up against the Islamic State group have paid a heavy price. In the Salahuddin town of Duluiyah, a mass grave holds the remains of 150 people from the al-Jabour tribe, killed by the militants in December. The militants also killed more than 200 men, women and children from the Sunni Al Bu Nimr tribe in Anbar province in November. The mass killings offered a stark warning to others considering aiding the government. With Tikrit taken, Sunni residents in Islamic Stateheld Anbar province, home to Fallujah, and Nineveh province, home to Mosul, Iraq’s second-largest city, expect the Iraqi offensive to now turn its attention to their regions. But many remain fearful of both the Islamic State group, as well as the Shiite militias involved in the Iraqi offensive.

BAGHDAD — Iraq won the battle to retake the city of Tikrit from the Islamic State group backed by a coalition of the unlikely in Iranian advisers, Shiite militias, and U.S.-led airstrikes, but the country now faces what could be its most important battle: Winning the support of the Sunnis. Sunni tribes played a key role during the U.S. occupation fighting back al-Qaida in Iraq, the Islamic State group’s predecessor, and their distrust of Baghdad’s Shiite-led government eased the extremists’ takeover last summer. But as Tikrit now sits in ruins, still patrolled by fractious Shiite militias, the powerful Sunni tribes remain as distrustful as ever as further offensives in their heartland loom. The government “needs those local tribes to secure the territory and hold the fort until government function is restored in these areas,” said Sajad Jiyad, a senior researcher at al-Bayan Center for Studies and Planning in Baghdad. “The government needs to make sure that everyone who fights today has a future in Iraq tomorrow — and not just to find a shortterm military solution today and forget about them later.” Sunni grievances mounted during the eight-year rule of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, widely seen as pur-

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The government-backed Popular Mobilization Forces, comprised mainly of Shiite militias, have been a driving force in most of the successful battles against the militant group. But little remains of those towns — with several human rights groups pointing to the militias as the culprits for that destruction. The powerful, Iranianbacked militias have been accused in the past of atrocities ranging from driving Sunni families from their homes to kidnapping and, in some cases, executions. In Tikrit, fighting damaged many homes. Access to electricity and water is sporadic and roads are cratered and impassable in some parts of the city. While the government has blamed criminal gangs for loot, others have blamed the militiamen. “People in Mosul are less enthusiastic about the entry of ... the militias into the city now because the militias have been acting like those people in Daesh who looted the houses of Christians in Mosul,” said Ali Mohammed Jassim, a teacher from Mosul now displaced in Kirkuk, who used an Arabic acronym for the extremists. Prime Minister Haider alAbadi has called on security forces to halt looting and vandalism in Tikrit, promising a fund would be established to help residents return to Tikrit. He did not elaborate, but analysts said such a step is needed.

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White S.C. officer charged with murder BY BRUCE SMITH The Associated Press CHARLESTON — A white South Carolina police officer was charged with murder Tuesday, hours after law enforcement officials viewed a dramatic video that appears to show him shooting a fleeing man several times in the back. North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey announced the charges at a hastily called news conference in which he said City Patrolman Michael Thomas Slager made “a bad decision.” The shooting, which began as a SLAGER traffic stop, occurred as Americans grapple with issues of trust between law enforcement and minority communities after a series of deaths of unarmed black men at the hands of police. They include the deaths of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and Eric Garner on Staten Island, New York. Both sparked protests nationwide. In the Charleston case, authorities said the victim, 50-year-old Walter Lamer Scott, was shot after the officer already hit him with a stun gun. “When you’re wrong, you’re wrong,” Summey said. “When you make a bad decision, don’t care if you’re behind the shield or a citizen on the street, you have to live with that decision.” A video of the shooting released to news media outlets shows the officer firing several times at the man’s back while he’s running away. It then shows the man falling down, the officer slowly walking toward him, and the officer placing him in handcuffs. He then walks away as he talks on his radio, and Scott is not moving. The officer later is seen dropping something by Scott’s side. Slager’s attorney dropped him as a client Tuesday, a day after he had released a statement saying the officer felt threatened and that Scott was trying to grab the officer’s stun gun. “This is a terrible tragedy that has impacted our community,” said the attorney, David Aylor. North Charleston Police said Slager was arrested by officers of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. Justice Department spokeswoman Dena Iverson said the Federal Bureau of Investigation will

also investigate the shooting. At the news conference, North Charleston Police Chief Eddie Driggers confirmed the suspect was shot as he was running away from the officer. “I have been around this police department a long time and all the officers on this force, the men and women, are like my children,” he told reporters, his voice cracking with emotion. “So you tell me how a father would react seeing his child do something? I’ll let you answer that yourself.” A woman who answered the phone at Scott’s residence identified herself as the victim’s niece but did not give her name. “That’s great. That’s great,” she said, when told about the murder charge, then hung up. North Charleston is South Carolina’s third-largest city and for years battled back from an economic slump caused by the closing of the Charleston Naval Base on the city’s waterfront in the mid-1990s. But now the city has bounced back in a big way, largely in part to the huge investment by Boeing, which has a 787 aircraft manufacturing plant in the city and employs about 7,500 people in South Carolina, most of them

in North Charleston. The shooting occurred as heightened scrutiny is being placed on police officer shootings, particularly those that involve white officers and unarmed black suspects. A grand jury declined to indict Ferguson, Missouri, officer Darren Wilson in the fatal shooting of Michael Brown last August, leading to nationwide protests. In a separate case in South Carolina, a white police officer who shot a 68-year-old black man to death last year in his driveway was charged Tuesday with a felony: discharging a gun into an occupied vehicle. A prosecutor previously tried to indict North Augusta officer Justin Craven on a manslaughter charge in the February 2014 death of Ernest Satterwhite. But a grand jury instead chose misconduct in office, which is a far lesser charge. Craven chased Satterwhite for 9 miles beyond city limits to the man’s driveway in Edgefield County. After Satterwhite parked, the officer repeatedly fired through the driver-side door, prosecutors said. The 25-year-old officer faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted of the gun charge.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 2015

POLICE BLOTTER CHARGES Christopher Womack, 23, of 432 E. Charlotte Ave., and Marquise Williams, 22, of 13 Carrol Drive, were both arrested late Monday morning. The two Sumter men were charged with public disorderly conduct and released on personal recognizance bonds Monday afternoon. According to reports, the arrests stemmed from a commotion in the first block of Carrol Drive that led to multiple gunshots being fired, one of which struck a 2004 Jeep Liberty parked on the road. STOLEN PROPERTY An air conditioning unit valued at $3,000 was reported stolen from a property in the 300 block of Oklahoma Drive shortly before 5 p.m. Monday. Several child support checks valued at $1,245 were reportedly stolen from a mailbox in the first block of West Moore Street between July 11 and Sept. 1. A 52-inch flat screen TV valued at $400, a PlayStation 4 valued at $350, a PlayStation 3 valued at $150, a tablet valued at $50, a Dell laptop valued at $200, and a video game valued at $50 was report-

edly stolen from an apartment in the first block of North Phillips Street between 10 p.m. Sunday and 8 a.m. Monday. A Kenwood sound system valued at $800 was reportedly stolen from a Honda in the first block of E. Bartlette St., between Jan. 15 and 12:15 Monday afternoon. DAMAGED PROPERTY A stack of bridge supports sustained an estimated $25,000 in damages, a Komatsu front end loader sustained $15,000 in estimated damages, a second concrete stack of bridge supports also sustained an estimated $25,000 in damages and two Port-A-Johns sustained an undetermined amount of damages after reports of vandalism at a work property in the 800 block of Industrial Road about 7 a.m. Monday. Four tires on a 2003 Ford Expedition reportedly sustained $500 in estimated damages and the vehicle reportedly sustained $1,500 in sustained damages during a reported vandalism act in the first block of West Williams Street between 9:30 p.m. Sunday and 8 a.m. Monday.

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HEALTH

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 2015

Obama: climate change is a hazard to your health

THE SUMTER ITEM

Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig get best marks in diet review CHICAGO (AP) — Trying to slim down? Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig scored the best marks for effectiveness in a review of research on commercial diet programs, but many other plans just haven’t been studied enough to evaluate long-term results. The two plans are among the most popular and had the best evidence that dieters could lose meaningful amounts of weight and keep it off for at least a year, the review authors said.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Obama will ask Americans to think of climate change as a threat not just to the environment but also to their health. Obama on Tuesday announced a series of steps that private entities like Google and Microsoft are taking to better prepare the nation’s health systems for the inevitable effects of a warmer, more erratic climate. He was to be joined at Howard University Medical School by Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, Gina McCarthy. Warning of the perils to the planet has gotten the president only so far; polls consistently show the public is skeptical that the steps Obama has taken to curb pollution are worth the cost to the economy. So Obama is aiming to put a spotlight on ways that climate change will have real impacts on the body, like more asthma attacks, allergic reactions and injuries from extreme weather. “It’s not just the air we breathe — climate change is leading to more heat-related deaths,” Obama senior adviser Brian Deese told reporters in a conference call previewing the announcement. “The challenges we face are real, and they are clear and present in people’s daily lives.” Microsoft’s research arm will develop a prototype for drones that can collect large quantities of mosquitoes, then digitally analyze their genes and pathogens. The goal is to create a system that could provide early warnings about infectious diseases that could break out if climate change worsens. Google has promised to donate 10 million hours of advanced computing time on new tools, including risk maps and early warnings for things like wildfires and oil flares using the Google Earth Engine platform, the White House said. Google’s camera cars that gather photos for its “Street View” function will start measuring methane emissions and natural gas leaks in some cities this year. The Obama administration was also to announce a series of modest steps it will take to boost preparedness, such as expanding access to data to predict and minimize the health effects from climate change. Obama’s effort to link climate change to health comes as he works to build support for steps he’s taken to curb U.S. emissions that are opposed by business and industry, including strict limits on vehicles and power plants.

Pooling results from several studies, the researchers found that Weight Watchers dieters lost an average of at least 8 pounds and kept it off for at least 12 months versus about 15 pounds for those using the Jenny Craig plan. Most participants remained overweight, with weight loss of between 3 percent and 5 percent of their initial weight — but that’s a range that doctors typically recommend to achieve healthful benefits including lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels. “It’s a really important first step to reach,” even if it doesn’t meet patients’ expectations, said study author Dr. Kimberly Gudzune, an internist and researcher at Johns Hopkins University’s medical school. The study was published Monday in Annals of Internal Medicine. The research review included 39 rigorous studies involving 11 popular diet programs that include support or counseling services and involve fees for products or services. Most studies compared the programs with standard diet information or behavioral counseling patients

get from health care providers; long-term results for Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig were mostly better than the comparisons. The researchers didn’t attempt to make head-to-head comparisons of different diet plans. Diet companies had no role in the research, Gudzune said. Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig include behavioral counseling, coaching or social support — important for long-term weightloss success, according to an Annals editorial. Weight Watchers costs about $43 monthly, which includes costs for attending online or inperson support groups or coaching sessions. Participants can buy the company’s low-calorie products or buy their own food, but each item is assigned points and dieters aim not to exceed a daily point limit. Jenny Craig provides pre-made meals and costs about almost $600 monthly. Michele Rouse, an administrative coordinator at Johns Hopkins’ medical school who used to work for Gudzune, said she has lost 7 pounds since starting on Weight Watchers a month ago and has already seen a drop in her elevated blood pressure. Rouse said she picked Weight Watchers because she’d had success with it years ago. It’s too soon to tell if the program will help her reach her 70pound weight loss goal, but Rouse says it’s a sensible plan that’s more like a lifestyle change than a harsh diet.

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NATION

THE SUMTER ITEM

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 2015

New YouTube Kids app criticized as deceiving

AP FILE PHOTO

Lauren Hill holds a sign made for her, which she keeps in her room in Cincinnati, along with many other messages and gifts of support. Hill is using her limited energy and her final days to try to inspire people and raise money for research into the cancer that is taking her life.

Lauren Hillâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cancer leaves her weak, but still fighting CINCINNATI (AP) â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Lauren Hill is using her limited energy and her final weeks to try to inspire others and to raise money for cancer research. The 19-year-old college basketball player sleeps a lot now and needs a wheelchair to get around Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hospital in Cincinnati, where sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s getting care for her growing brain tumor. She acknowledges that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a difficult time, but says she tries to think about what she can do to help others in the days she has left. Hill got international attention last fall when she decided to play on the freshman basketball team at Mount St. Joseph even as her inoperable brain tumor was sapping her of coordination and energy. She recently appeared by satellite hookup on ABCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Viewâ&#x20AC;? to talk about her season and her condition. Afterward, she told a WCPO crew that helped set up the interview: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re supposed to make the best of every moment, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really, really hard.â&#x20AC;? Hillâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s family said on her Facebook page late last week that her status hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t changed much. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Occasional headache and still very tired, but humor re-

mains intact when she can work it in,â&#x20AC;? said the post, which included a photo of Hill wearing a rabbit mask for Easter. Hill has set a new goal: Raise a total of $2.2 million for research and treatment of the type of cancer she developed more than a year ago. Through her efforts, more than $1.5 million has been raised so far. Hill developed symptoms during her senior year in high school, and the inoperable tumor was detected. She decided to attend the Division III university and play basketball as planned, her way of making the most of every day she had left. At the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s request, the NCAA moved up the opening game because of Hillâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s deteriorating condition. The game was switched to Xavier Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 10,000-seat arena. Hill made the first and last baskets. She played in four games and made five layups before she became too weak to get on the court. Before the season started, the U.S. Basketball Writers Association voted her the Pat Summitt Most Courageous Award, which is normally awarded at the Final Four (the honor was noted again at the

womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Final Four on Sunday). Athletes from other colleges autographed No. 22 jerseys â&#x20AC;&#x201D; her number â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and sent them in support. Summitt was among the large group of players and coaches who attended her opening game at Xavier. Hill also has befriended Cincinnati Bengals defensive lineman Devon Still, whose 4-year-old daughter, Leah, is fighting cancer and got recent scans indicating her chemotherapy has worked. They exchanged jerseys, and she attended a Bengals game last November and met Leah. During the recent WCPO interview, Hill was asked how sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like people to remember her. â&#x20AC;&#x153;She was a hero and she showed cancer whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s boss,â&#x20AC;? Hill said.

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WASHINGTON (AP) â&#x20AC;&#x201D; The new YouTube Kids mobile app targets young children with unfair and deceptive advertising and should be investigated, a group of consumer advocates told the Federal Trade Commission in a letter Tuesday. Google introduced the app in February as a â&#x20AC;&#x153;saferâ&#x20AC;? place for kids to explore videos because it was restricted to â&#x20AC;&#x153;familyfocused content.â&#x20AC;? But the consumer activists say the app is so stuffed with advertisements and product placements that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard to tell the difference between entertainment and commercials. One example is a 7-minute video of Disneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Frozenâ&#x20AC;? characters who appear as dolls inside a toy McDonaldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eating ice cream and drinking Sprite. The activists say digital media should be subject to the same rules as television, which limits commercial content on childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s programming. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As a consumer, you should have the right to know who is trying to persuade you,â&#x20AC;? said Angela Campbell with the Institute for Public Representation at Georgetown Law, who provided legal counsel to the coalition. In young children especially, â&#x20AC;&#x153;it takes unfair advantage of their trusting

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nature and lack of experience,â&#x20AC;? she added. In a statement early Tuesday, YouTube said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We worked with numerous partners and child advocacy groups when developing YouTube Kids. While we are always open to feedback on ways to improve the app, we were not contacted directly by the signers of this letter and strongly disagree with their contentions, including the suggestion that no free, ad-supported experience for kids will ever be acceptable. We disagree and think that great content shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be reserved for only those families who can afford it.â&#x20AC;? Since its inception in 2005, YouTube has become the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most popular online video site with more than 1 billion users. For parents, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s become an easy way to find Elmo song clips or full episodes of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Barney & Friends.â&#x20AC;? But when searching for Elmo or Barney, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easy to pull up other user-generated content aimed at adults, such as the two puppets cursing or waving guns. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Now, parents can rest a little easier knowing that videos in the YouTube Kids app are narrowed down to content appropriate for kids,â&#x20AC;? wrote Shimrit Ben-Yair, the appâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s product manager, in a February blog post.

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LOCAL

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 2015

COURTS FROM PAGE A1 think that even though they physically reside in this country, they are separate or “sovereign” from the United States. Consequently, sovereigns feel they don’t have to abide by any government authority — such as courts, taxing entities, motor vehicle departments or law enforcement. The growing movement has generated national headlines in recent years with startling episodes of violence carried out by sovereign extremists. In fact, a study by a terrorism national consortium released last year declaring sovereign citizens as the most dangerous group to U.S. law enforcement officers, making it clear that such acts of violence are not isolated incidents. However, many authorities contend that sovereigns are more inclined to use legal tactics as their primary weapon as opposed to assault rifles. Ward handles legal filings, such as mortgage foreclosures and evictions, which are enforced by the sheriff’s office. She said her office has some sort of cor-

respondence with a sovereign at least a couple times a month on average. “It’s quite ironic because the same folks who come in and constantly challenge the authority of local law enforcement or the authority of the courts, at the same time, they will file these actions in the local courts, which they claim have no authority over them,” Ward said. “Yet, they want the local courts to enforce some cause of action that they want filed in the event that they’re rights have been violated.” Many of the legal filings are nonsensical or indecipherable to the point that they clog the courts system with what some call sham legal processes. One recently filed handwritten affidavit cited both Old and New Testament scripture. Others cite the Quran, while many sign the documents in blood with a red thumb print. Sovereigns are known to lace their filings with red ink or spell their names in all capital letters. According to the FBI, which considers sovereign citizens to be domestic terrorists, there’s also a darker side to the filings commonly referred to as paper

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THE SUMTER ITEM

terrorism. It’s a weapon many members use with sham legal filings to place liens or freeze the accounts of judges, prosecutors and law enforcement officers. Even though court workers say they may not always respond, such dangers lurking in the volumes of pages of paperwork — which at times can reach well into the thousands — means court personnel can’t ignore the filings. They must look through them to make sure phony liens or other bogus claims don’t slip through. “It clogs things up tremendously in the courts system,” Ward said. “They file reams and reams and reams of paperwork. They cite things like maritime law; they cite things like 1832 treaties, which don’t have anything to do, as far as applicable law, with a particular case before the court. On the law enforcement side, in terms of serving the papers, it can clog us up but not as much. Because we’re talking about something that may set us back several days. But in the courts system, you’re talking about something that can drag on months and months.”

Actor who played ‘Dukes of Hazzard’ sheriff passes at 88 BY JONATHAN DREW AND MICHAEL BIESECKER The Associated Press RALEIGH, N.C. — Prolific character actor James Best, best known for playing the giggling and inept Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane on “The Dukes of Hazzard,” has died. He was 88. His wife of 29 years, Dorothy Best, said that Best died Monday night in hospice care in Hickory from complications of pneumonia. Best starred on the television series that ran from 1979 to 1985. He BEST was the lawman futilely chasing the Duke boys, often in the company of his droopy-faced basset hound Flash. Best employed a battery of catch phrases in the role, as well as memorable laugh that was comically villainous. “I acted the part as good as I could,” Best told The Charlotte Observer in a 2009 interview. “Rosco, let’s face it, was a charmer. It was a fun thing.” During a wide-ranging ca-

reer of several decades, he also acted in movies including “The Caine Mutiny” and “Rolling Thunder,” and he appeared on television shows including “Gunsmoke” and “The Andy Griffith Show.” “I was fortunate enough to call him my friend since the day he walked on the set of ‘Gunsmoke’ back in the early ‘60s,” actor Burt Reynolds said in a statement. “Onset or off, behind the scenes, in front of a class or just as a friend, his name was so fitting because he was truly the ‘best’ at whatever he did. My heart is heavy, and I miss him deeply.” Best was an acting teacher who helped several future Hollywood stars learn how to appear more natural on camera. “I learned more about acting in front of a camera from Jimmie Best in an afternoon than from anyone else in a year,” said Dukes of Hazzard co-star John Schneider, who played Bo Duke. “When asked to cry on camera, he would say, ‘Sure thing. Which eye?’ I’m forever thankful to have cut my teeth in the company of such a fine man.”

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COMMENTARY

The ticket to prosperity Gaza is home to Palestinian people, who have suffered injustices and have a history of legitimate grievances against both Israel and Arab governments. If there’s one immutable fact of life, it is that history cannot be changed or controlled. What can be changed and controlled is the future. That points to the most tragic aspect of people in poor territoWalter ries such as Gaza — foWilliams cusing attention on the past, which they can do nothing about, and not paying enough attention to the future. In the case of Palestinians, the first order of business is to recognize that they cannot militarily force Israel to withdraw from the West Bank and East Jerusalem and meet other territorial demands. Therefore, they should cease all military and terrorist actions against Israel. If there were peaceful coexistence, there would be reciprocity and accommodation on Israel’s behalf. The major accession would be for Israel to end its military blockade of Gaza’s port and border. The most important first step for Palestinian people is to recognize that they have been betrayed by their leadership and that their destiny truly lies in their hands. A real-world example that Gaza might follow is that of Hong Kong. At the time of liberation from Japanese control in 1945, Hong Kong was a poor colony of Great Britain. Geographically, Hong Kong is little more than a rock off the coast of China with few natural resources. Hong Kong’s wealth was its plentiful supply of cheap labor, which attracted many foreign manufacturing firms. Hong Kong’s experience of going from a Third World colony in 1945 to having a gross domestic product per capita that ranks among the world’s 10 highest in 2015 can serve as a useful blueprint for both Gaza and poor countries around the world. The basic ingredients for Hong Kong’s progress were not foreign aid and other handouts from Western nations but instead law and order and a free market. A similar story can be told about Singapore. Both rank in the top 10 in wealth and the top two in economic freedom. Despite decades of economic aid, many recipient nations are worse off now than they were before they first received development assistance. What foreign aid usually accomplishes is to enable tyrants to retain power, letting them be able to pay off cronies and buy military equipment to suppress their people and engage in military ventures. Foreign aid also enables tyrants to set up multimillion- and even multibillion-dollar personal accounts in foreign banks. Today’s Third World poverty is mostly self-inflicted —

‘Despite decades of economic aid, many recipient nations are worse off now than they were before they first received development assistance. What foreign aid usually accomplishes is to enable tyrants to retain power, letting them be able to pay off cronies and buy military equipment to suppress their people and engage in military ventures.’ indigenously created. The growth-promoting characteristics of the non-poor countries that are all but absent in poor countries are protected private property rights, personal liberty, enforcement of contracts, rule of law and a market-oriented economic system. A country need not be rich to create these wealth-enhancing institutions. That’s much of the story of the U.S. In 1776, we were a poor nation, but we established the institutional structure to become rich. That institutional structure attracted not only foreign investment but talented, hardworking immigrants as well. Contrast that with today’s poor countries, whose policies and institutional structure do just the opposite — repel investment and export their most talented and ambitious people to freer and richer countries. People with limited understanding make the mistake of making a link between economic freedom and democracy. There is no such necessary link. India, for example, politically is a democracy. Economically, it is mostly unfree and poor, ranking 128th on the 2015 Index of Economic Freedom. There are countries much higher on the economic freedom index that do not have much of a history of democracy, such as Chile, now ranking seventh, and Taiwan, 14th, yet these countries are far wealthier than some of their more democratic counterparts. Why? It’s because their economic systems are free or mostly free, something that is not guaranteed by a democratic political system. The bottom line for why some countries are rich while others are poor is best-explained by the amount of economic freedom. Walter E. Williams is a professor of economics at George Mason University. © 2015 creators.com

COMMENTARY

Most U.S. 21st century population growth came in just 27 metro areas It’s springtime, and the Census Bureau has released its population estimates for counties and metropolitan areas as of July 1, 2014. Initial analysis has focused on year-to-year movements or changes since the 2010 Census — subjects worthy of attention. But it’s also interesting to take a longer look, to see where population has been booming during the 14 years since 2000, one-seventh of the 21st century. The Michael headline Barone here is that growth has been concentrated in relatively few large metropolitan areas. Overall, there are 52 metro areas as currently defined by the government — except that I conflate Los Angeles-Riverside and San Francisco-San Jose, which seem to me to flow together — with populations over 1 million. Four have crossed that mark since 2000 — Raleigh, Salt Lake City, Grand Rapids and Tucson. Only a few have grown at rates similar to the population growth rate of the nation as a whole, 13 percent. The closest are Kansas City (13 percent) and Richmond (15 percent). Most million-plus metro areas have grown either significantly more rapidly or significantly more sluggishly than the national average. Four Rust Belt areas have suffered population losses of 3 or 4 percent since 2000 — Detroit, Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Buffalo — and Katrina-stricken New Orleans lost 5 percent. The majority of the nation’s population growth, 51 percent, has occurred in the 27 major metro areas, which have grown faster than the national average. They contained 22 percent of total population in 2000 and 26 percent in 2014. This hasn’t just been a movement from the Snow Belt to the Sun Belt. Population growth in California’s two megalopolises, Los Angeles and San Francisco, has been below the national average. Immigrants are still moving in,

but high housing prices resulting from environmental restrictions have been prompting Americans to move out. San Diego, with the best weather of any major metro area, has grown just a bit faster than average (16 percent). Minneapolis, America’s coldest major metro area, has actually grown a little faster (18 percent). Boston grew just about as fast as Los Angeles, and Baltimore and Grand Rapids just a bit faster. Southern locations don’t assure growth: It was sluggish in Birmingham and Memphis (9 and 11 percent). Even in the Rust Belt, Indianapolis and Columbus, state capitals with large universities and research industries, have grown far faster than the national average (29 and 24 percent). Two metro areas with similar assets, Raleigh and Austin, were the fastestgrowing in the country (56 and 55 percent), followed by Las Vegas (52 percent), whose explosive growth dropped way off with the housing bust. Air conditioning and civil rights legislation made the South more attractive in the two post-World War II generations. But now air conditioning is taken for granted and better winter clothing (plus snow blowers and electric garage door openers) has made cold winters more bearable. Non-meteorological factors seem to be sparking — or holding down — growth. Consider Texas, with the nation’s biggest population boom. Its two largest metro areas, Dallas and Houston, produced 10 percent of total U.S. population growth in the 21st century. Add in San Antonio and Austin, and you have 13 percent of national growth — 4.9 million of 37.4 million. Florida, which in 2014 passed New York as the nation’s third most populous state, has four major metro areas — Miami, Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville — which account for another 6 percent of U.S. growth. Texas and Florida have business-friendly public policies and no state income taxes — undoubtedly contributors to growth.

‘Air conditioning and civil rights legislation made the South more attractive in the two post-World War II generations. But now air conditioning is taken for granted and better winter clothing (plus snow blowers and electric garage door openers) has made cold winters more bearable.’ There’s above average growth in other major metros in other no-income-tax states — Nashville, Las Vegas, Seattle. There is vigorous growth also in Phoenix and Denver, Atlanta and Charlotte. But government also helped spur growth, in state capitals and in Washington (26 percent), the only fast-growing Northeastern metro. Since the housing bust and financial crisis of 200609, both immigration and internal migration have slowed down. People hunker down in tough times. Out-migration from New York and Los Angeles has slowed. But a few metro areas have attracted domestic migrants more rapidly since 2010 than in the previous decade — Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Austin, Seattle, Denver, Oklahoma City. Oil and tech are part of that story, but only part; there’s a dynamism there lacking elsewhere. The fast-growing metros are the future of America; at current rates they’ll outnumber the slow-growing metros by 2030. And that growth is increasingly driven not by immigrants, but by Americans voting with their feet. Michael Barone is a senior political analyst for The Washington Examiner. © 2015 creators.com

HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY? Send your letter to letters@theitem.com, drop it off at The Sumter Item office, 20 N. Magnolia St., or mail it to The Sumter Item, P.O. Box 1677, Sumter, SC 29151, along with the writer’s full name, address and telephone number (for verification purposes only). Letters that exceed 350 words will be cut accordingly in the print edition, but available in their entirety at www.theitem.com/opinion/letters_to_editor.

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 2015

SUPPORT GROUPS AA, AL-ANON, ALATEEN: AA — Monday-Friday, noon and 5:30 p.m.; Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m., 1 Warren St. (803) 775-1852. AA Women’s Meeting — Wednesday, 7 p.m., 1 Warren St. (803) 775-1852. AA Spanish Speaking — Sunday, 4:30 p.m., 1 Warren St. (803) 775-1852. AA “How it Works” Group — Monday and Friday, 8 p.m., 1154 Ronda St. Call (803) 494-5180. Al-Anon “Courage to Change” Support Group — Tuesday, 7 p.m., Alice Drive Baptist Church, Room 204, 1305 Loring Mill Road. Call Dian at (803) 316-0775 or Crystal at (803) 775-3587. 441 AA Support Group — Monday, Tuesday and Friday, 8:30 p.m., Hair Force, 2090-D S.C. 441. AA Summerton Group — Wednesday, 8 p.m., town hall. Manning Al-Anon Family Group — Thursday, 7:30 p.m., Behavioral Health Building, 14 Church St., Manning. Call Angie Johnson at (803) 435-8085. C/A “Drop the Rock” Group — Thursday, 9:30 p.m., 1154 Ronda St. Call Elizabeth Owens at (803) 6074543.

MONDAY MEETINGS: Sumter Vitiligo Support Group — second Monday of each month, 5:45-6:45 p.m., North HOPE Center, 904 N. Main St. Call Tiffany at (803) 316-6763. Find us on Facebook at Sumter Vitiligo Support.

TUESDAY MEETINGS: Sumter Connective Tissue Support Group — 1st Tuesday of Jan., March, May, July, Sept. and Nov., 7 p.m., 180 Tiller Circle. Call (803) 773-0869. Mothers of Angels (for mothers who have lost a child) — Every Tuesday, 6 p.m., Wise Drive Baptist Church. Call Betty at (803) 469-2616 or Carol at (803) 469-9426. EFMP Parent Exchange Group — Last Tuesday each month, 11 a.m.-noon, Airman and Family Readiness Center. Support to service members who have a dependent with a disability or illness. Call Dorcus Haney at (803) 895-

1252/1253 or Sue Zimmerman at (803) 847-2377.

WEDNESDAY MEETINGS:

DAILY PLANNER

THE SUMTER ITEM

WEATHER

AccuWeather® ﬁve-day forecast for Sumter TODAY

TONIGHT

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

An afternoon thunderstorm

Periods of rain

Cloudy

Sickle Cell Support Group — last Wednesday each month, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., South Sumter Resource Center, 337 Manning Ave. Call Bertha Willis at (803) 774-6181.

A t-storm around this afternoon

88°

63°

89° / 64°

87° / 65°

80° / 57°

80° / 59°

THURSDAY MEETINGS:

Chance of rain: 40%

Chance of rain: 25%

Chance of rain: 60%

Chance of rain: 65%

Chance of rain: 25%

SW 6-12 mph

S 4-8 mph

S 6-12 mph

SW 10-20 mph

NNE 6-12 mph

ENE 8-16 mph

TOPS S.C. No. 236 (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) — Thursdays, 9 a.m., Spectrum Senior Center,1989 Durant Lane. Call Diane at (803) 775-3926 or Nancy at (803) 469-4789. Asthma Support Group — Every 1st Thursday, 6 p.m., Clarendon County School District 3 Parenting Center, 2358 Walker Gamble Road, New Zion. Call Mary Howard at (843) 659-2102. Alzheimer’s Support Group through S.C. Alzheimer’s Association — Every 1st Thursday, 6-8 p.m., McElveen Manor, 2065 McCrays Mill Road. Call Cheryl Fluharty at (803) 9057720 or the Alzheimer’s Association at (800) 6363346. Journey of Hope (for families members of the mentally ill), Journey to Recovery (for the mentally ill) and Survivors of Suicide Support Group — Each group meets every 1st Thursday, 7 p.m., St. John United Methodist Church, 136 Poinsett Drive. Call Fred Harmon at (803) 905-5620.

FRIDAY MEETINGS: Celebrate Recovery — Every Friday, 6 p.m. dinner, 7 p.m. program, Salt & Light Church, Miller Road (across from Food Lion). For help with struggles of alcohol, drugs, family problems, smoking, etc. Wateree AIDS Task Force Support Group — Every third Friday, 11:30 a.m. Contact Kevin Johnson at (803) 778-0303.

SATURDAY MEETINGS: Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy/Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Support Group — 1:30 p.m. every third Saturday, 3785 Blackberry Lane, Lot 7. Call Donna Parker at (803) 481-7521.

Considerable Cloudy spells with a cloudiness and warm few showers

TODAY’S SOUTH CAROLINA WEATHER

Gaﬀney 85/61 Spartanburg 86/62

Greenville 86/62

Columbia 89/66

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

IN THE MOUNTAINS

Sumter 88/63

Aiken 87/64

ON THE COAST

Charleston 86/64

Today: Partly sunny; a stray thunderstorm. High 80 to 84. Thursday: A couple of showers; areas of fog in the morning. High 80 to 84.

LOCAL ALMANAC

LAKE LEVELS

SUMTER THROUGH 4 P.M. YESTERDAY

Full pool 360 76.8 75.5 100

Lake Murray Marion Moultrie Wateree

77° 59° 73° 46° 91° in 1999 28° in 1950

SUN AND MOON 7 a.m. yest. 358.16 75.24 75.15 96.90

24-hr chg none none +0.10 -0.12

Sunrise 7:01 a.m. Moonrise 11:49 p.m.

RIVER STAGES

Precipitation 24 hrs ending 4 p.m. yest. 0.09" Month to date 0.10" Normal month to date 0.74" Year to date 14.83" Last year to date 10.23" Normal year to date 12.03"

REGIONAL CITIES

Today City Hi/Lo/W Atlanta 87/65/pc Chicago 50/44/r Dallas 80/65/t Detroit 52/40/r Houston 86/71/pc Los Angeles 69/51/pc New Orleans 85/70/pc New York 45/39/r Orlando 87/66/t Philadelphia 47/40/r Phoenix 77/54/s San Francisco 65/47/pc Wash., DC 57/48/r

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

Today Hi/Lo/W 81/57/t 87/62/pc 88/62/t 84/64/t 70/57/pc 86/64/t 85/62/t 86/64/t 89/66/t 86/63/pc 74/54/c 85/63/pc 86/63/pc

Thu. Hi/Lo/W 80/61/sh 87/66/t 89/62/t 84/66/sh 71/61/c 86/65/sh 84/65/sh 86/66/t 90/66/t 87/64/sh 70/58/c 86/64/c 86/64/c

Sunset Moonset

7:48 p.m. 9:42 a.m.

Last

New

First

Full

Apr. 11

Apr. 18

Apr. 25

May 3

TIDES

Flood 7 a.m. 24-hr stage yest. chg 12 8.83 -0.26 19 3.37 +0.19 14 5.49 -0.22 14 2.84 -0.06 80 76.42 -0.01 24 6.48 -0.05

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

NATIONAL CITIES Thu. Hi/Lo/W 86/68/t 74/43/t 82/57/t 71/46/t 85/71/c 73/54/pc 83/70/c 45/40/sh 90/67/s 46/44/sh 82/57/s 65/47/pc 57/53/sh

Myrtle Beach 78/66

Manning 87/62

Today: Warmer with a thunderstorm. Winds southwest 4-8 mph. Thursday: Variable cloudiness with showers. Winds south 6-12 mph.

Temperature High Low Normal high Normal low Record high Record low

Florence 88/64

Bishopville 87/62

AT MYRTLE BEACH

High Today 12:11 p.m. --Thu. 12:36 a.m. 12:53 p.m.

Today City Hi/Lo/W Florence 88/64/pc Gainesville 85/62/t Gastonia 86/61/t Goldsboro 84/62/pc Goose Creek 86/64/t Greensboro 83/61/t Greenville 86/62/t Hickory 82/59/t Hilton Head 78/66/t Jacksonville, FL 85/61/t La Grange 89/62/pc Macon 87/60/pc Marietta 87/62/pc

Thu. Hi/Lo/W 89/65/sh 88/63/s 85/64/sh 85/64/c 86/65/sh 79/65/c 85/65/sh 80/64/sh 79/67/sh 86/62/s 88/66/t 86/63/t 86/66/t

Ht. 2.7 --3.1 2.7

Low 7:04 a.m. 6:59 p.m. 7:49 a.m. 7:44 p.m.

Today City Hi/Lo/W Marion 84/56/t Mt. Pleasant 83/64/t Myrtle Beach 78/66/pc Orangeburg 87/64/t Port Royal 81/65/t Raleigh 82/61/t Rock Hill 86/60/t Rockingham 86/61/t Savannah 85/63/t Spartanburg 86/62/t Summerville 86/64/t Wilmington 82/62/pc Winston-Salem 82/61/t

Ht. 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.2

Thu. Hi/Lo/W 80/62/sh 83/65/sh 78/67/sh 89/65/t 82/66/sh 81/63/c 85/63/sh 84/63/sh 86/65/sh 84/66/sh 87/65/sh 83/64/c 79/64/c

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

PUBLIC AGENDA SUMTER COUNTY VOTER REGISTRATION / ELECTION COMMISSION Thursday, April 9, 5:30 p.m., registration / election office, 141 N. Main St.

WITH WI T EQU EQUAL Q AL PAYMENTS S

ARIES (March 21-April 19): A joint venture EUGENIA LAST will turn in your favor. Trust in your instincts to make a suitable choice regarding partnerships and personal changes. Don’t be daunted by opposition. Do your own thing and success will follow.

The last word in astrology

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Concentrate on obtaining information, not dishing it out. Less will be more appropriate, no matter what you are doing. Avoid a mishap by being precise and honest about your feelings and intentions. Simplicity and moderation will work best.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Ease into the changes going on around you. Don’t let anger take over when you should be looking for a way to adapt to whatever situations you face. Stick to simple, effective means and methods, and you will gain ground.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You can excel if you offer help to individuals who have something you want in return. Use your intelligence coupled with your persuasive skills to take control of any situation you face. Expand your interests or plan to make a move.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Turn your ideas into cash. Start a small home-based business that will bring in extra income. You can improve your standard of living if you make a move or renovate to suit your growing interests and skills.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Don’t act on hearsay. Put your time and effort into developing your talents, interests and networking skills. Separate yourself from the competition and present a unique version of what you have to offer. Someone from your past will help you. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Explore new avenues of interest. Travel, communication and learning will lead to new friendships and opportunities. Do your due diligence before you invest in someone else’s ideas. You will gain more if you develop and follow through with your own plans. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Concentrate on home, family and personal investments. You can make gains if you are specific about what you put your money into. Attend a seminar that will

803-795-4257

raise your investment savvy. Romance and self-improvement projects look promising. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Find a way to improve your relationships with people who have something to offer in return. Altering the way you do things, where you live or whom you associate with will make a difference when you promote your ideas and services.

NO INTEREST TILL JANUARY 2020 See details a See at www.boykinacs.com

LOTTERY NUMBERS PALMETTO CASH 5 TUESDAY 5-11-32-34-35 PowerUp: 2

POWERBALL SATURDAY 33-39-40-41-54 Powerball: 28 Powerplay: 3

MEGAMILLIONS TUESDAY numbers unavailable at press time

PICK 3 TUESDAY

PICK 4 TUESDAY

LUCKY FOR LIFE MONDAY

9-5-9 and 2-2-2

7-5-4-4 and 0-5-0-9

3-18-20-32-43; Lucky Ball 5

PICTURES FROM THE PUBLIC Susan Marks shares a photo of her grandson, Constant, and his dog, Ellington, visiting the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. The picture was taken by Constant’s mother, Kate Marks Roseiro.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Observe what others do and say. Keep your distance from gossip and indecisive individuals. You need to build confidence in what you have to offer. Go it alone if that’s what it takes to control the outcome of a situation you face. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Make professional moves or take on more responsibilities. Develop an idea or service you have to offer. Focus on bringing in money, not on dispersing it. A partnership or someone from your past can help you advance. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Don’t let anyone take advantage of your desire to please. Don’t wait for opportunities to come to you. Make a point to go after what you want. Love is in the stars, and putting time aside for someone special will pay off.

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 sandrah@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.

SECTION

12-year-old boys’ bracket better than yours

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 2015

Call: (803) 774-1241 | E-mail: sports@theitem.com

PREP BASKETBALL

Ready for a new challenge Edwards leaving coaching to take role as athletic director BY MICHAEL CHRISTOPHER michaelc@theitem.com A long-term goal is coming true for Crestwood High School’s Dwayne Edwards, meaning a long-term job will end. Edwards has been selected as the school’s next athletic director, replacing Brian Jackson, who will become the new football coach at fellow Sumter School District high school Lakewood. In becoming the new CHS AD, howevSUMTER ITEM FILE PHOTO er, Edwards has stepped as Crestwood High School boys varsity head basketball coach Dwayne the school’s boys basketball Edwards, back right, has decided to resign as the Knights coach to head coach, the only one in focus on his new position as the school’s next athletic director. Edthe school’s 19-year history. wards, who has coached at CHS for 19 years, is the only coach the “I’ve been an educator for boys team has ever known. 27 years and I just felt like at

the end of my career this is something I was in line for as far as my long-term goals,” Edwards said. “Coach Jackson leaving to go be the head football coach at Lakewood was really how the opportunity presented itself to me, so it’s something that was just one of my long-term goals as I finish up my career in education.” Edwards has been a head coach for 20 years. He was the head coach at Hillcrest in 1995-96 in its final year or existence and was then named Crestwood’s head coach. He led the Knights to a share of the Region VI-3A title and a 17-6 record this past season. That was one of three region

crowns he won, the others coming in 2005-06 and ‘07-08. The ‘07-08 team played for the 3A lower state title. “We’re very excited about Coach Edwards because he’s been a part of this community and Crestwood High School for a number of years, and we believe he’ll be a great asset to our school and athletic program,” Crestwood principal Dr. Shirley Gamble said. Jackson, who was the Crestwood athletic director for one year before deciding he wanted to get back into coaching, said Edwards will be a good fit in the role.

SEE EDWARDS, PAGE B5

MEN’S NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

Badgers’ Ryan not first to let emotions run hot after loss

Championship comeback

BY ERIC OLSON The Associated Press Minutes after Seton Hall lost the 1989 NCAA championship game in overtime, with a debatable blocking foul sending Michigan’s Rumeal Robinson to the line for the winning free throws, Pirates coach P.J. Carlesimo did the unimaginable when he met with reporters. He complimented the official who made the crucial call. The graciousness Carlesimo showed that night in Seattle runs counter to all those clickbait videos of coaches and players who are not at their best after heart-wrenching losses. The latest angry loser: Bo Ryan. The Wisconsin coach, unlike Carlesimo a quarter-century ago, was in no mood to toss bouquets after his team’s 68-63 loss to Duke on Monday night. The Badgers were called for 13 fouls in the second half after getting whistled for two in the first, the biggest disparity between halves in a title game since at least 2004, according to STATS. “There was more body contact in this game than any game we played all year, and I just felt sorry for my guys that all of a sudden a game was like that. I think they are struggling with that a little bit,” Ryan said in his postgame television interview. Maybe Ryan had a legitimate beef. But either way, social-media judgment was rendered

SEE EMOTIONS, PAGE B5

THE ASSOCIATD PRESS

Duke’s Justise Winslow (12) goes up for a shot between Wisconsin’s Frank Kaminsky (44) and Duje Dukan (13) during the Blue Devils’ 68-63 victory in Monday’s NCAA men’s basketball championship in Indianapolis. It was Duke’s fifth national title under head coach Mike Krzyzewski.

Duke rallies late past Wisconsin 68-63 for national title BY EDDIE PELLS The Associated Press INDIANAPOLIS — Over a matter of mere minutes, the youngsters at Duke grew into salty old pros. Call them freshmen. But please, do not call them kids. Led by Tyus Jones and

Jahlil Okafor, Duke’s talented group of potential oneand-doners played like veterans down the stretch, outscoring Wisconsin by 14 points over the final 13 minutes Monday night to grit out a 68-63 victory for the program’s fifth national title.

“It shows a lot about their confidence,” said Quinn Cook, Duke’s only senior starter. Okafor, the likely first pick in the NBA draft if he decides to leave, got outplayed by Badgers senior center Frank Kaminsky most of the night but came

through big when the pressure was highest. The 6-foot-11 freshman made two straight buckets over Kaminsky, sandwiched between a pair of 3-pointers from Jones, to help the Blue Devils (35-4) turn a one-time

SEE COMEBACK, PAGE B5

PRO GOLF

Defending champ Watson eyes 3rd green jacket in last 4 years BY PAUL NEWBERRY The Associated Press AUGUSTA, Ga. — Bubba Watson was strolling up to the ninth green, toward the Augusta National clubhouse and that towering oak tree, when he was struck by a fact that still seems a bit unreal. He’s won the Masters not just once, but twice. “I can’t even believe it,”

Watson told his caddie, Ted Scott, during a practice round. “I’m still trying to get over 2012, and I haven’t even got to 2014 yet.” Yet here he is, a champion two of the last three years, now trying to become only the fourth golfer in Masters history to defend his title. It’s a very exclusive club, currently limited to three giants of the game: Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods. Somehow, it just doesn’t seem right — not even to Watson — that a good ol’ boy from

the Florida Panhandle, who taught himself to swing a golf club and approaches the game with a decidedly unconventional attitude, could even have a shot at joining such a list. Bubba and the Golden Bear? Bubba and Sir Nick? Bubba and Tiger? C’mon, get real. “How does a guy from my background make it?” Watson marveled. “How does a guy

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Bubba Watson hits on the 14th hole during Tuesday’s practice round for the Masters in Augusta, Ga. Watson, a 2-time champion, said if he SEE BUBBA, PAGE B6 can win it once then anyone can win this year’s tournament.

SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 2015

SCOREBOARD

Philadelphia Washington CENTRAL DIVISION

TV, RADIO

Cincinnati St. Louis Chicago Milwaukee Pittsburgh WEST DIVISION

TODAY

9 a.m. – NHL Hockey: Carolina at Detroit (FOX SPORTSOUTH). 2 p.m. – Major League Baseball: St. Louis at Chicago Cubs or Minnesota at Detroit (MLB NETWORK). 2:30 p.m. – International Soccer: FA Cup Round 6 Match – Liverpool vs. Blackburn (FOX SPORTS 1). 3 p.m. – PGA Golf: Masters Par-3 Contest from Augusta, Ga. (ESPN). 5 p.m. – College Swimming and Diving: NCAA Men’s Championships from Iowa City, Iowa (ESPNU). 5:15 p.m. – High School Softball: Camden at Lugoff-Elgin (WPUB-FM 102.7). 6:05 p.m. – Talk Show: Sports Talk (WDXY-FM 105.9, WDXY-AM 1240). 7 p.m. – NBA Basketball: Boston at Detroit (ESPN). 7 p.m. – Major League Baseball: Boston at Philadelphia (ESPN2). 7 p.m. – Professional Basketball: NBA Development League Eastern Conference Playoffs First-Round Series Game One – Sioux Falls at Canton (ESPNU). 7 p.m. – Major League Baseball: Atlanta at Miami (FOX SPORTSOUTH, WPUB-FM 102.7). 7 p.m. – College Softball: Georgia Tech at Georgia (SEC NETWORK). 7 p.m. – NBA Basketball: Toronto at Charlotte (SPORTSOUTH). 7 p.m. – College Baseball: The Citadel at South Carolina (WNKT-FM 107.5). 8 p.m. – NHL Hockey: Boston at Washington (NBC SPORTS NETWORK). 9:30 p.m. – NBA Basketball: Phoenix at Dallas (ESPN). 9:30 p.m. – Professional Basketball: NBA Development League Western Conference Playoffs First-Round Series Game One – Santa Cruz at Oklahoma City (ESPNU). 10 p.m. – Major League Baseball: San Diego at Los Angeles Dodgers (ESPN2). 10 p.m. – International Soccer: CONCACAF Champions League Match – CS Herediano vs. Club America (FOX SPORTS 2, UNIVISION). 10:30 p.m. – NHL Hockey: Dallas at Anaheim (NBC SPORTS NETWORK).

Colorado Los Angeles San Francisco Arizona San Diego

0 0

1 1

.000 .000

1 1

W 1 1 0 0 0

L 0 0 1 1 1

Pct 1.000 1.000 .000 .000 .000

GB – – 1 1 1

W 1 1 1 0 0

L 0 0 0 1 1

Pct 1.000 1.000 1.000 .000 .000

GB – – – 1 1

GIRLS AREA ROUNDUP

Wilson Hall goes 3-0 in beach tournament

MONDAY’S GAMES

Colorado 10, Milwaukee 0 Boston 8, Philadelphia 0 N.Y. Mets 3, Washington 1 Atlanta 2, Miami 1 Cincinnati 5, Pittsburgh 2 L.A. Dodgers 6, San Diego 3 San Francisco 5, Arizona 4

TUESDAY’S GAMES

Atlanta at Miami, 7:10 p.m. St. Louis at Chicago, ppd., rain Colorado at Milwaukee, 8:10 p.m. San Francisco at Arizona, 9:40 p.m. San Diego at L.A. Dodgers, 10:10 p.m.

TODAY’S GAMES

St. Louis (Lackey 0-0) at Chicago Cubs (Hammel 0-0), 2:20 p.m. Boston (Porcello 0-0) at Philadelphia (Harang 0-0), 7:05 p.m. N.Y. Mets (deGrom 0-0) at Washington (Zimmermann 0-0), 7:05 p.m. Atlanta (S.Miller 0-0) at Miami (Koehler 0-0), 7:10 p.m. Pittsburgh (Cole 0-0) at Cincinnati (Leake 0-0), 7:10 p.m. Colorado (E.Butler 0-0) at Milwaukee (W.Peralta 0-0), 8:10 p.m. San Francisco (Undecided) at Arizona (Hellickson 0-0), 9:40 p.m. San Diego (Cashner 0-0) at L.A. Dodgers (McCarthy 0-0), 10:10 p.m.

EASTERN CONFERENCE ATLANTIC DIVISION

TODAY

y-Toronto Brooklyn Boston Philadelphia New York SOUTHEAST DIVISION

THURSDAY

Varsity Baseball East Clarendon at Dillon, 6 p.m. Junior Varsity Baseball Crestwood at Sumter (in Sumter JV Classic), 7:30 p.m. Manning vs. Lakewood (in Sumter JV Classic), 5 p.m. B Team Baseball Robert E. Lee at Dillon Christian, 5 p.m. Varsity Boys Golf Calhoun Academy, Pee Dee at Robert E. Lee (at Bishopville Country Club), 3:30 p.m. Varsity Boys Soccer Porter-Gaud at Laurence Manning, 5 p.m. Varsity Softball Laurence Manning at Northwood, 5:30 p.m. Junior Varsity Softball Laurence Manning at Northwood, 4 p.m. B Team Softball Robert E. Lee at Dillon Christian, 5 p.m. Varsity Track and Field Lake City at Manning, 5 p.m. Junior Varsity Track and Field Robert E. Lee at Orangeburg Prep, 4:30 p.m.

FRIDAY

Varsity Baseball Timmonsville at East Clarendon, 5:30 p.m. Laurence Manning at Orangeburg Prep, 7 p.m. Robert E. Lee at Calhoun Academy, 6:30 p.m. Junior Varsity Baseball Sumter, Crestwood, Lakewood, Manning in Sumter JV Classic, TBA Laurence Manning at Orangeburg Prep, 4 p.m. Robert E. Lee at Calhoun Academy, 4 p.m. B Team Baseball Dillon Christian at Robert E. Lee, 5 p.m. Varsity Softball Scott’s Branch at Manning (DH), 4 p.m. Timmonsville at East Clarendon, 5:30 p.m. B Team Softball Dillon Christian at Robert E. lee, 5 p.m.

SATURDAY

Sumter, Crestwood in Gamecock Invitational (at Sumter Memorial Stadium), 10 a.m.

MLB STANDINGS By The Associated Press AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST DIVISION Baltimore Boston Toronto New York Tampa Bay CENTRAL DIVISION Detroit Kansas City Chicago Cleveland Minnesota WEST DIVISION Houston Oakland Seattle Los Angeles Texas

W 1 1 1 0 0

L 0 0 0 1 1

Pct 1.000 1.000 1.000 .000 .000

GB – – – 1 1

W 1 1 0 0 0

L 0 0 1 1 1

Pct 1.000 1.000 .000 .000 .000

GB – – 1 1 1

W 1 1 1 0 0

L 0 0 0 1 1

Pct 1.000 1.000 1.000 .000 .000

GB – – – 1 1

MONDAY’S GAMES

Toronto 6, N.Y. Yankees 1 Detroit 4, Minnesota 0 Boston 8, Philadelphia 0 Baltimore 6, Tampa Bay 2 Kansas City 10, Chicago White Sox 1 Seattle 4, L.A. Angels 1 Houston 2, Cleveland 0 Oakland 8, Texas 0

z-Atlanta x-Washington Miami Charlotte Orlando CENTRAL DIVISION x-Cleveland x-Chicago Milwaukee Indiana Detroit

L 32 41 42 60 62

Pct .584 .468 .455 .231 .195

GB – 9 10 271/2 30

W 57 44 34 33 24

L 19 33 43 43 53

Pct .750 .571 .442 .434 .312

GB – 131/2 231/2 24 331/2

W 50 46 38 34 30

L 27 31 39 43 47

Pct .649 .597 .494 .442 .390

GB – 4 12 16 20

W 53 52 51 46 41

L 24 25 26 31 35

Pct .688 .675 .662 .597 .539

GB – 1 2 7 111/2

W 50 42 35 28 16

L 27 35 42 49 60

Pct .649 .545 .455 .364 .211

GB – 8 15 22 331/2

L 14 26 38 50 56

Pct .818 .667 .506 .342 .263

GB – 111/2 24 361/2 421/2

WESTERN CONFERENCE SOUTHWEST DIVISION x-Houston x-Memphis x-San Antonio Dallas New Orleans NORTHWEST DIVISION y-Portland Oklahoma City Utah Denver Minnesota PACIFIC DIVISION

W z-Golden State 63 x-L.A. Clippers 52 Phoenix 39 Sacramento 26 L.A. Lakers 20 x-clinched playoff spot y-clinched division z-clinched conference

TUESDAY’S GAMES

Phoenix at Atlanta, 7:30 p.m. Charlotte at Miami, 7:30 p.m. Golden State at New Orleans, 8 p.m. San Antonio at Oklahoma City, 8 p.m. Minnesota at Sacramento, 10 p.m. L.A. Lakers at L.A. Clippers, 10:30 p.m.

TODAY’S GAMES

Washington at Philadelphia, 7 p.m. Chicago at Orlando, 7 p.m. Boston at Detroit, 7 p.m. Toronto at Charlotte, 7 p.m. Atlanta at Brooklyn, 7:30 p.m. Indiana at New York, 7:30 p.m. New Orleans at Memphis, 8 p.m. Cleveland at Milwaukee, 8 p.m. Houston at San Antonio, 8:30 p.m. L.A. Lakers at Denver, 9 p.m. Sacramento at Utah, 9 p.m. Phoenix at Dallas, 9:30 p.m. Minnesota at Portland, 10 p.m.

NHL STANDINGS By The Associated Press EASTERN CONFERENCE ATLANTIC DIVISION GP x-Montreal 80 x-Tampa Bay 80 Boston 79 Detroit 79 Ottawa 79 Florida 80 Toronto 80 Buffalo 80 METROPOLITAN DIVISION GP y-N.Y. Rangers 79 x-Washington 80 N.Y. Islanders 79 Pittsburgh 79 Columbus 79 Philadelphia 79 New Jersey 79 Carolina 79

W 48 48 41 41 40 36 30 23

L 22 24 25 25 26 29 43 49

OT 10 8 13 13 13 15 7 8

Pts 106 104 95 95 93 87 67 54

GF 213 255 209 227 228 199 208 159

GA 183 206 201 215 211 219 253 268

W 51 44 46 42 39 32 32 29

L 21 25 27 26 35 29 34 39

OT 7 11 6 11 5 18 13 11

Pts 109 99 98 95 83 82 77 69

GF 244 237 241 215 222 208 174 183

GA 185 199 219 203 244 224 205 220

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

GP 79 79 79 79 79 80 79

W 49 47 48 44 41 39 36

L 23 22 25 27 26 31 31

OT 7 10 6 8 12 10 12

Pts 105 104 102 96 94 88 84

GF 242 227 225 223 224 253 212

GA 197 197 182 194 208 259 223

GP 80 80 79 79 80 79 79

W 50 46 43 39 39 23 24

L 23 29 29 25 32 43 47

OT 7 5 7 15 9 13 8

Pts 107 97 93 93 87 59 56

GF 234 231 234 213 224 188 167

GA 221 217 208 197 227 272 262

TODAY’S GAMES

EAST DIVISION Atlanta New York Miami

W 1 1 0

L 0 0 1

Pct 1.000 1.000 .000

GB – – 1

NORTHWOOD 5

MANNING – Laurence Manning jumped out to a 7-0 lead after two innings and held on for an 8-5 victory over Northwood Academy on Monday at Julie Skoler Field. Cora Lee Downer led the Lady Swampcats offensively, going 3-for-3 with two runs batted in and a run scored. Hannah Hodge was 3-for-3 with a double, a stolen base and a run. Brooke Ward had one hit, two runs and three RBI, Ashton Rogers had two hits and an RBI and Baylee Elms had a double. Courtney Beatson was the winning pitcher, allowing no earned runs.

MONDAY’S GAMES

Vancouver 2, Los Angeles 1, SO Buffalo 4, Carolina 3 N.Y. Rangers 4, Columbus 3, OT Winnipeg 2, Minnesota 0 Dallas 5, San Jose 1

TUESDAY’S GAMES

N.Y. Rangers at New Jersey, 7 p.m. N.Y. Islanders at Philadelphia, 7 p.m. Pittsburgh at Ottawa, 7:30 p.m. Carolina at Detroit, 7:30 p.m. Winnipeg at St. Louis, 8 p.m. Minnesota at Chicago, 8:30 p.m. Nashville at Colorado, 9 p.m. Arizona at Calgary, 9 p.m. Los Angeles at Edmonton, 9:30 p.m.

TODAY’S GAMES

Sumter falls to Airport in Sandlapper Invitational GILBERT – On Monday during Gilbert High’s Sandlapper Invitational tournament, Sumter fell to Airport 4-1 at the Indians field. Brandon Spittle pitched three scoreless innings in relief for the Gamecocks while Reece Hankins was 1-for-3 with a walk and a run batted in. WEST FLORENCE 9 CRESTWOOD 0

FLORENCE – Crestwood fell 9-0 to West Florence on Tuesday at the West Florence Wood Bat Spring Break Invitational at the WF Field. Crestwood was no-hit and had four baserunners total. Chris Tention took the loss after

allowing six runs, three earned, in five innings. CHS, which fell to 2-13, will play South Florence today at 1:30 p.m. in the wood bat tournament.

JUNIOR VARSITY BASEBALL LAKEWOOD 6 CRESTWOOD 5 Ryan Benenhaley and Zion Brown each collected two hits to the lead the JV Gators past rival Crestwood on Tuesday at the Sumter High spring break tournament at Gamecock Field. Dalton Browder picked up the win for Lakewood while Cody Windham earned the save.

Woods to participate in Par 3 competition at the Masters

MONDAY’S GAMES

Brooklyn 106, Portland 96

NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss. x-clinched playoff spot y-clinched division

NATIONAL LEAGUE

LAURENCE MANNING 8

SPORTS ITEMS

TUESDAY’S GAMES

Minnesota (Nolasco 0-0) at Detroit (Sanchez 0-0), 1:08 p.m. Boston (Porcello 0-0) at Philadelphia (Harang 0-0), 7:05 p.m. Toronto (Dickey 0-0) at N.Y. Yankees (Pineda 0-0), 7:05 p.m. Baltimore (M.Gonzalez 0-0) at Tampa Bay (Odorizzi 0-0), 7:10 p.m. Chicago White Sox (Quintana 0-0) at Kansas City (D.Duffy 0-0), 8:10 p.m. Cleveland (Carrasco 0-0) at Houston (Feldman 0-0), 8:10 p.m. Texas (Detwiler 0-0) at Oakland (Kazmir 0-0), 10:05 p.m. L.A. Angels (Shoemaker 0-0) at Seattle (Iwakuma 0-0), 10:10 p.m.

Jordan each had a double. Scott was the winning pitcher in each game.

BOYS AREA ROUNDUP

W 45 36 35 18 15

y-Anaheim Vancouver Calgary Los Angeles San Jose Edmonton Arizona

Baltimore at Tampa Bay, 7:10 p.m. Texas at Oakland, 10:05 p.m. L.A. Angels at Seattle, 10:10 p.m.

MYRTLE BEACH – Wilson Hall defeated St. Joseph, N.Y., 10-5 on Tuesday to go undefeated in the Ripken Experience tournament at the Ripken Experience Complex. Drake Ives went 3-for-4 with a double and two runs batted in to lead the Lady Barons, who improved to 10-2. Betsy Cunningham and Liza Lowder had two hits, Hannah Jordan scored three runs and had an RBI and Becka Noyes had two RBI. WH won two games on Monday, beating Carlisle, Ky., 9-8 and Elmwood, Ohio, 9-4. In the first game, Danielle deHoll went 4-for-4 and scored twice, Jordan had three hits and scored three times and Noyes and Holly Scott each had 2 hits and an RBI. In the second game, Cunningham, Scott, Ives deHoll and Noyes all had two hits. Amelia Weston and

NBA STANDINGS By The Associated Press

PREP SCHEDULE Varsity Baseball Sumter in Gilbert Spring Break Tournament, TBA Crestwood vs. South Florence (in Spring Break Wood Bat Tournament at West Florence High), 1:30 p.m. Lakewood in Spring Break Wood Bat Tournament at West Florence High), TBA Laurence Manning at Heathwood Hall, 7 p.m. Calhoun Academy at Robert E. Lee, 6:30 p.m. Junior Varsity Baseball Lakewood at Sumter (in Sumter JV Classic), 7:30 p.m. Manning vs. Crestwood (in Sumter JV Classic), 5 p.m. Laurence Manning at Heathwood Hall, 4 p.m. Calhoun Academy at Robert E. Lee, 4 p.m. B Team Baseball Sumter in Gilbert Spring Break Tournament, TBA Varsity Softball Laurence Manning at Calhoun Academy, 6 p.m. Junior Varsity Softball Laurence Manning at Calhoun Academy, 4 p.m. B Team Softball Hartsville Middle at Robert E. Lee, 4 p.m. Varsity Boys Tennis Manning at Camden, 5 p.m.

THE SUMTER ITEM

Toronto at Columbus, 7:30 p.m. Boston at Washington, 8 p.m. Dallas at Anaheim, 10:30 p.m.

AUGUSTA, Ga. — This is one competition Tiger Woods doesn’t mind losing. He’s playing in the Par 3 Tournament at the Masters. Woods typically skips the Wednesday afternoon tradition at Augusta National. But he had a couple of reasons to play this year. WOODS One is named Sam. The other is Charlie. Woods said his daughter and son would be caddying for him Wednesday afternoon. Seven-year-old Sam and 6-year-old Charlie were at Augusta National on Tuesday, going onto the green at the practice area with Woods’ girlfriend, Olympic ski champion Lindsey Vonn. HAWKS SET FRANCHISE WIN MARK

ATLANTA — The Atlanta Hawks set a single-season franchise high with their 58th victory, getting 16 points each from DeMarre Carroll and Jeff Teague in a 96-69 win Tuesday night over the Phoenix Suns. Mike Muscala, starting for injured All-Star forward Paul Millsap, finished with 16 points and Al Horford added 14 for the Eastern Conference champion Hawks. GEORGIA 3 CLEMSON 2

CLEMSON – Skyler Weber’s sacrifice fly in the ninth inning gave

Georgia the lead for good in its 3-2 victory over Clemson at Doug Kingsmore Stadium on Tuesday night. The Bulldogs improved to 19-15, while the Tigers fell to 16-16. The two teams will conclude the home-andhome season series in Athens on April 21. PETERSON, GOODELL MEET ABOUT REINSTATEMENT

VCU HIRES FORMER SMART ASSISTANT WADE AS COACH

RICHMOND, Va. — VCU has hired former Rams assistant Will Wade to replace Shaka Smart as its basketball coach. The 32-year-old Wade was the first assistant Smart hired six years ago. He spent the past two seasons as the head coach at Chattanooga, going 40-25.

A person with knowledge of the situation tells The Associated Press that Adrian Peterson has met with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, regarding reinstatement of the Minnesota Vikings running back from the personal conduct policy suspension that was invoked last season. The person spoke to the AP on Tuesday on condition of anonymity, because of the sensitivity of the information. The meeting included other representatives from each side and lasted about an hour and a half at league headquarters in New York. Peterson was suspended through at least April 15.

The National Network to End Domestic Violence addressed an open letter to NASCAR this week critical of the sport’s stance on Kurt Busch after he was accused of domestic assault on an ex-girlfriend. Busch was suspended two days before the season-opening Daytona 500 after a Delaware judge ruled he likely assaulted Patricia Driscoll in his motorhome in September at Dover International Speedway. He lost two rounds of appeals on the eve of the Daytona 500 and was suspended three races.

PATS’ BLOUNT TO MISS GAME FOR ABUSING POLICY

BAMA SET TO INTRODUCE JOHNSON AS NEW COACH

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — New England Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount has been suspended for the first game next season for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. The league announced the suspension without pay Tuesday without saying when the violation occurred.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — New Alabama coach Avery Johnson wants to make the Crimson Tide “the leader of the college basketball world.” Johnson will be introduced at a news conference on Wednesday, a day after arriving in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

NASCAR ASKED TO TAKE TOUGHER STANCE

From staff, wire reports

SPORTS

THE SUMTER ITEM

AREA SCOREBOARD

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 2015

UNDEFEATED CHAMPIONS

BASKETBALL A basketball showcase for all 2015 senior girls basketball players will be held on Saturday at the Lee Central High School gymnasium in Bishopville beginning at 10 a.m. The cost is $10 per player. Coaches from Coker College, Allen University, St. Andrew’s Presbyterian College, Guilford Technical College and Motlow State Community College are to be in attendance. For more information, contact LCHS athletic director Baron Turner at (803) 4284010.

ROAD RACING RECOVERY ROAD RACE

TEAM PERSEVERANCE REGISTRATION

PHOTO PROVIDED

SUMTER CHRISTIAN CLINICS

Sumter Christian School will host four separate basketball clinics over two months beginning on June 8 at the school’s gymnasium. The clinics, which will run from 10 a.m. to noon each day, will be run by SCS coaches Bobby Baker and Tom Cope at a cost of $45 per student. The clinic for grades 1-3 will be held from June 8-12 with grades 3-6 on June 22-26,

The Furman Middle School girls basketball team went undefeated with a 20-0 record in winning the Sumter Middle School Conference regular-season and tournament titles. Members of the team are, first row, left to right: Kniya Taylor, Rahteisha Burgess and Zyyan Gipson. Second row: Kiari Cain, Lashayla Harvin, Kashmere Vance, Shakeira McKnight, Tyshawnna Harry and Valencia Croom. Third row: Myla Wilson, Iylanya Wilson, assistant coach James Hodge, head coach Erica Jefferson, assistant coach Eric Masitis, Zaria Stephens and Cre’mone Chaneyfield. grades 6-9 on July 6-10 and grades 9-12 on July 27-31. For more information, contact the school at (803) 7731902.

GOLF ADVOCACY PREGNANCY TOURNAMENT

The First Advocacy Pregnancy & Parenting Resource Center Golf Tournament will be held on Monday, April 27, at Beech Creek Golf Club. The entry fee is $50 per individual and $180 per foursome. The ticket price in-

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

12-year-old ties for 1st in ESPN Final Four bracket challenge HAWTHORN WOODS, Ill. (AP) — A sixth-grade boy from suburban Chicago completed a near-perfect bracket predicting the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, finishing in a tie for first in ESPN’s massive annual contest. Sam Holtz said ESPN officials told him that is he ineligible to claim the top prize — a $20,000 gift card and a trip to the Maui Invitational basketball tournament — because he’s 12 years old. ESPN requires participants to be at least 18. “I’m irritated,” Holtz told the Daily Herald (http://bit. ly/1O4FDtw ). “Yes, I’m still proud of my accomplishment, but I’m not happy with the decision.” Finishing with the best bracket does not equal an automatic claim to the prize. ESPN awards the prize through a random draw of the brackets that were among the top 1 percent in the contest — about 115,700 this year. Kevin Ota, a

one player allowed to have a handicap or eight or less. Seniors and women are encouraged to sign up for the tournament. There are sponsorship opportunities available at the costs of $100, $200 and $300. The money that is raised will go Optimist Club charities. For more information, call Les Perkins at (803) 468-1619.

GIRLS BASKETBALL SHOWCASE

Team Perseverance Basketball is now registering boys and girls ages 8-18 for its offseason travel program. For more information, contact coach Junko Allen at (803) 795-5513, or by email at coachj_perseverance@yahoo. com.

spokesman for ESPN Digital Media, said the network is putting together some kind of prize for Holtz. “We plan to have fun with this,” Ota said Tuesday. “The great thing is that this kid beat all these experts out there.” The tournament includes 67 games and Holtz missed only six. He was perfect picking games played in the Sweet 16, Elite Eight and Final Four. Out of 11.5 million who entered a bracket on ESPN’s website, Sam finished tied for first with 1,830 points after Duke beat Wisconsin 68-63 in Monday’s championship game. He entered 10 brackets in the contest. “There is no secret,” said Holtz, who attends Lake Zurich Middle School North. “There was some luck, and I studied ESPN.com. I just picked the teams that I felt had the best players.” His mother, Elizabeth, kept him home from school Tuesday.

the

2015

guide

cludes an Outback Restaurant lunch. There are sponsorships available at $150, $250 and $500. Proceeds go to the advocacy center. For more information, contact the advocacy center at (803) 774-5600. ST. FRANCIS XAVIER CLASSIC

The St. Francis Xavier High School 20th Annual Golf Classic will be held on Friday, May 8, at Sunset Country Club. The format will be a 4-per-

son Captain’s Choice. The entry fee is $70 per team. For more information, call Chan Floyd at (803) 774-8555, Rick Lavergne at (803) 4813048 or the St. Francis office at (803) 773-0210. FRIEND OF YOUTH TOURNAMENT

The Friend Of Youth Golf Tournament sponsored by the Evening Optimist Club of Sumter will be held on May 9 at Crystal Lakes Golf Course. The format will be 4-man Captain’s Choice at a cost of $40 per player. The minimum team handicap is 50 with only

The fifth annual Recovery Road Race 5K/10K Run/Walk will be held on Saturday, April 18, at Heath Pavilion at Swan Lake Iris Gardens. Race day registration will begin at 7:30 a.m. with the race starting at 9. Registration forms are available at the Sumter Family YMCA. Registrations are accepted at the YMCA through www.Strictlyrunning.com. The entry fee for the 10K run/walk is $25 before April 11 and $30 after April 11, including race day. The 5K run/walk fee is $20 before April 11 and $25 after April 11. Those who register before April 11 will receive a T-shirt.

SWIMMING SWIM TEAM REGISTRATION

The City of Sumter Aquatics Center is currently taking registration for its swim team. Practice for the team begins on Monday, April 27, at 5:30 p.m. Boys and girls ages 5-18 are eligible for the team. Fore more information, call the aquatics center at (803) 774-3998.

Barnes eager for chance to provide stability to Tennessee BY STEVE MEGARGEE The Associated Press KNOXVILLE, Tenn.— Rick Barnes believes he can provide stability for a Tennessee program that has undergone plenty of recent coaching turnover. His track record also suggests he can produce immediate results. Just two days after being fired at Texas, where he had reached the NCAA Tournament in 16 of his 17 seasons,

Barnes was hired last week to take over Tennessee’s program. Since his arrival, he has tried assembling a staff while also getting to know players dealing with their second consecutive offseason coaching change. “Certainly we’ve been sensitive to that, the fact (there have) been three different coaches,” Barnes said. “You address it, and the bottom line is it is what it is, but this is what we have now. Let’s learn from what we’ve gone

through, and let’s move forward and let’s be thankful for what we have here. Let’s be excited that we’ve got a chance to do something. “Let’s not sit around and moan and groan.” Barnes replaces Donnie Tyndall, who was fired after only one season while the NCAA investigates his twoyear tenure at Southern Mississippi. Barnes, who owns a career record of 604-314, will be Tennessee’s fourth coach in six seasons.

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SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 2015

THE SUMTER ITEM

Simpson takes good look at Gamecocks O

ffensive lineman John Simpson of Fort Dorchester High School in North Charleston spent all day Thursday in Columbia visiting the University of South Carolina football program and watching the Gamecocks at spring practice. Simpson said he arrived at the campus around 9 a.m. and got a good look at the school, the facilities and the team during its afternoon workout. “It was awesome,” said Simpson, who was joined on the visit by his freshman teammate quarterback Dakerion Joyner, who also has a USC offer. “I saw a lot of things (on the OL) that we do at my school,” Simpson said. “My O-line coach has taught me the same things they teach at South Carolina. It would be easy for me to fit in. (USC OL) Coach (Shawn) Elliott is just like the O-line coach at my school. There really wasn’t a downside. I liked it a lot.” Simpson said he talked extensively with USC head coach Steve Spurrier and Elliott. Simpson had recently proclaimed Clemson as his favorite after a visit to the Upstate, but Simpson said USC had made a big move with him and wiped out that lead. “Yeah, they did, they did,” he said. “They are in my top five. I haven’t really established a top five, a strong top five yet, but they and Clemson are in my top five. I don’t have a No. 1. I don’t have a No. 1 because as I said I haven’t really established a top school yet and they both offer me the same thing. They are even.” Simpson said his next visit will be to Florida on Saturday for the Gators’ spring game. Highly recruited defensive back Trayvon Mullen of Pompano Beach, Fla., has nearly 40 offers at this point, and he plans to reveal a top 10 list very soon. Clemson and USC are among the offers and Mullen said both will be on the list. Mullen has visited both schools and remains in regular contact. “I hear from South Carolina about every day,” Mullen said. “I’m hearing from (co-defensive coordinator) Coach (Lorenzo) Ward and he tells me how much I can help them. I hear a lot from Clemson, too. I hear a lot from (defensive coordinator) Coach (Brent) Venables and (DB coach) Coach (Mike) Reed.” Some of Mullen’s other offers are UF, Ohio State, Louisiana State, Texas Christian, Alabama, Florida State, Arkansas, Auburn, Michigan, Mississippi, Tennessee and Wisconsin. He recently visited Miami and was at UF’s junior day last month. He has been favoring LSU. OL Clark Yarbrough (6-feet6-inches, 273 pounds) of Woodberry Forest, Va., is one of the nation’s most sought after OLs, and as he comes down the stretch of his recruiting activities, Clemson and USC are both major players, according to his head coach, Clint Alexander. Yarbrough visited both schools earlier this month and both figure to be on his list when he makes his decision known on May 21, the last day of spring practice at his school. “I know he had a great visit down there,” Alexander said of the Clemson visit. “He was real excited. He really liked the coaching staff. I’m sure they’re one of his top schools. “And South Carolina has a great business program and that’s key. When you come to a school like this one (Woodberry Forest), you’re not just going to pick on football reasons. Clark has talked to me at length about the business school at South Carolina.” Yarbrough also has visited Virginia, Virginia Tech, Duke, Penn State, Boston College, Michigan, Stanford and others. Yarbrough is originally from New Jersey, but moved to his grandparents’ home in Charlottesville, Va., after Hurricane Sandy destroyed his home. Coach Alexander said the fact his grandparents live in Charlottesville could be a factor related to UVa when Yarbrough makes his decision. Defensive end Rashan Gary of Paramus, N.J., visited USC

on Thursday, Georgia on Friday and was scheduled to be at Clemson on Saturday along with linebacker Tobias Little of Atlanta. DB Carlito Gonzalez, a 2017 recruit from Stone Mountain, Ga., was at USC on Saturday for the scrimmage at WilliamsBrice Stadium. He had talked about a possible commitment going into the visit, but decided not to on this trip. He also has an offer from Kentucky and has drawn interest from Clemson, Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee and Michigan State. Wide receiver and ’17 recruit JT Cauthen of Waxhaw, N.C., was scheduled to visit USC on Monday, Clemson today and UGA on Saturday. Laurens High DB Thomas Jones (6-3, 200) is gaining momentum in recruiting circles. He recently was offered by USC and North Carolina. He also has offers from Duke, Charlotte and Miami (Ohio) and Clemson is showing some interest. He plans to go to Clemson for its spring game on Saturday. Jones picked up his USC offer at the junior day late last month. “When I went there I really wasn’t expecting an offer so that’s a blessing,” Jones said. “I liked everything. I liked the coaches. The new defensive coordinator, he looks like he brings a lot of intensity. He’s a real nice person, a laidback person. Overall, the whole thing was nice. I like the setup, I like Columbia; I got family close to Columbia, so that’s also a pro.” Jones spent time with Hoke, who will be handling the secondary and got a clear understanding of how he might fit in with the Gamecocks. “They said I would be a safety,” Jones said. “They said they like how I fly around and how I’m a ball hawk. I can play the deep ball real well.” Jones had four INTs as a junior. Jones has also visited WF and is going to take visits to GT, Duke and UNC. His plan right now is to wait until his senior season to make a decision and he hasn’t made up a favorites list just yet, though he feels good about USC coming off the visit. “With South Carolina being in the state, they are probably one of the top choices right now,” Jones said, adding that he grew up in a USC family, but didn’t lean a particular way in-state. CLEMSON

LB Tre Lamar of Roswell, Ga., took recent visits to Alabama, UF and FSU and now has a refreshed top five of Clemson, Alabama, Auburn, UF and FSU in no order. He is going to Auburn on April 18 for the spring game. He will not make it to Clemson’s or any other spring game on Saturday because of a combine in Charlotte on Sunday. Lamar said Clemson and Alabama are the two talking to him with the most frequency. “I have a great relationship with the coaches at Clemson,” Lamar said. “I talked to Coach Venables a couple of days ago, and I talk to (co-offensive coordinator) Coach (Tony) Elliott regularly too. The good relationship I have with those coaches as well as me liking the facilities, and just what they have to offer at Clemson, I still really like Clemson.” Lamar said all of his visits have been equally good so it’s hard to differentiate between the schools off of those. There’s little difference in how he would fit in with the different defensive game plans offered by the schools. “In terms of personnel, all the schools have a need for someone to come in and step up at that position,” he said. “In terms of personnel, I think it’s all even. I play in a 4-3, a 3-4 and in a 4-2-5, so the scheme is really a huge factor for me. “I play a lot of different defenses. The systems of defense they run, I don’t like one better than the other. All of them are about even.” Lamar said his decision won’t come before this fall and he wants to take official visits before making the call. He is also considering graduating early. Deep snapper Patrick Phibbs

(6-3, 220) of Pittsburgh visited Clemson on Friday and plans to join the Clemson program in ’16, Phil Kornblut apparently as an invited RECRUITING walk-on. CORNER Athlete Darnay Holmes, a ’17 recruit of Newbury Park, Calif., and ‘17 WR Keyshawn Johnson Jr. of Mission Viejo, Calif., plan to visit Clemson on spring break this week. They also plan to stop by Ole Miss, Tennessee, Nebraska and Alabama. OL Eric Douglas of Charlotte and WR Trey Blount of Hillgrove, Ga., both ’17 recruits visited Clemson for practice last Wednesday. USC

Running back Tre Harbison of Shelby, N.C., told 247Sports he has his list down to USC, Wake Forest, Vanderbilt, UVa and Pittsburgh. He attended USC’s junior day late last month. Greer High DB Troy Pride (6-0, 160) visited USC on Friday for a spring practice. He has been committed to VT and said he’s still committed to the Hokies “wholeheartedly, but it was a good visit with USC. Good in-state attention. They have great facilities and the coaches are very friendly. (New co-defensive coordinator) Coach (Jon) Hoke seems awesome.” USC has not yet offered Pride, but told him he is under evaluation by the defensive staff. He does have offers from VT, Marshall, Mercer and Appalachian State. Pride also has visited UNC and will visit VT in the future. UGA, Georgia Tech, Michigan and Maryland are other schools he said are showing interest in him. Last season, Pride had 35 tackles and four interceptions. OL Landon Dickerson (6-6, 303) of Hudson, N.C., has a current top three of USC, Tennessee and VT. He attended USC’s junior day at the end of January and liked a lot of what he saw and experienced while there. “I just really like Coach Elliott,” Dickerson said. “It was great atmosphere, the facilities are really nice. I like the way they play football. They’ve always had a solid team. Coach Elliott said I could play anywhere up front for him, tackle or guard or center, if I have to.” Dickerson also has visited UNC, VT and Tennessee, and he went to games last season at WF and Clemson. Though USC, Tennessee and VT have emerged as the strongest three with him right now, Dickerson said he doesn’t have a leader and isn’t sure when a decision will be made. “Just going to be the more I find out about the school and when something clicks for me, that’s going to be the deciding fact,” he said. Dickerson added he might return to USC for the spring game on Saturday. OL Brett Heggie (6-4, 290) of Mount Dora, Fla., has strong interest in USC and plans to visit the Gamecocks for their spring game. Heggie visited Central Florida last Tuesday and will be at UF for a spring practice today. Heggie has offers from USC, North Carolina State, UCF, West Virginia, Indi-

ana, Tulane, Memphis, Georgia Southern, Cincinnati and Florida International. His trip to USC on Saturday will be his first, and he’s looking forward to seeing what the school has to offer. “It’s the SEC (Southeastern Conference), a southern school and top notch football,” Heggie said. “I’m excited to see the campus. I heard it’s beautiful. And I’m looking forward to getting the experience of the game.” Heggie is being recruited to USC by assistant coach Everette Sands and he’s been in touch with Elliott as well. “Their interest is pretty high considering they offered,” he said. “They were saying I have a chance to come in and compete and win that spot. The opportunity would be exciting.” He’s also not rushing into a decision. “I don’t have a favorite,” Heggie said. “I’m really open-minded about it right now.” Heggie plays in a run-oriented offense and is considered a good run blocker. He said he’s automatic with the snap in the shotgun. OL Branton Autry (6-4, 320) of Coffeyville Junior College in Kansas is getting a lot of interest from USC these days, and when he gets around to deciding on official visits he will take this summer and fall, he’s confident the Gamecocks will get one. “I’ve talked to Coach Elliott and he really wants me to be a part of the team,” Autry said. “He sees me playing left guard and he wants me to come in and start right away.” Autry has offers from USC, Arizona State, UF, Arkansas, Missouri, Ole Miss, Southern Mississippi, Oklahoma and Arkansas State. He’s not taken any visits thus far and hasn’t decided on where he will visit. He’s in the process of learning more about USC. “I know a little bit about them, but not that much,” he said. “I want to play in the SEC. I’m looking for a place that feels like home, a place that fits me and where I can go in and start right away.” Autry said he likes all of the offering schools equally at this point. He’s a native of Mobile, Ala., who did not qualify out of high school and went unattached to Coffeyville. He played OG last season, but will be an OT this fall. He is on track to graduate in December and will have three years to play two. RB Elijah Holyfield of Atlanta was at USC on Saturday for the scrimmage. It was his second visit to USC this year. Defensive end Ron Johnson of Camden, N.J., plans to visit USC this week. LB Elysee Mbem Bosse of Athens, Ga., and DB Tre’ Shaw of Ellenwood, Ga., were offered by USC last week. ATH and ’17 recruit Zay Brown of Athens was scheduled to be at USC’s scrimmage on Saturday. OL Cory Helms, who is transferring from WF to USC, will have to wait until ‘16 to suit up in a game for the Gamecocks. Helms, working with the USC compliance office, had appealed to the NCAA for immediate eligibility based on a family issue that necessitated his transfer to a school closer to his home in Alpharetta, Ga. He learned last week that the appeal was turned down. “I’m obviously bummed, but that’s not stopping me from

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my goals,” Helms wrote in a Twitter message. “All that means is I have another year to develop even more and master the offense.” Helms did not redshirt at WF so he will use that for the ‘15 season, leaving him two years to play two. “This only makes me even more motivated to get back on the field in 2016,” Helms wrote. “I will still be working out with the team and practicing with the team this season, as well as doing everything in my power to help USC reach all of our goals this season any way I can. I still made the best choice in coming here and can’t wait to play.” OTHERS

DB Nick McCloud of South Pointe High in Rock Hill was offered by Northwestern last week while on a visit to Evanston, Ill. He also has offers from Kansas State, App State, James Madison, Charlotte, Eastern Michigan and Miami (Ohio). Clemson and USC target OL EJ Price of Lawrenceville, Ga., committed to UGA. Furman added DE Alex Hanff (6-4, 230) of Charlotte and placekicker Joey Gogol of Atlanta. Hanff had 19 QB sacks last season. Gogol was 31-for-42 on field goals in his career with a long of 53 yards. The Citadel signed OL Harry Easler of Williamsburg Academy in Kingstree. BASKETBALL

Jamall Gregory, a 6-4 shooting guard from Washington, committed to USC last week, picking it over Kansas State, Maryland, Minnesota, Rutgers and others. Gregory, who attended Elev8 Sports Institute in Delray Beach, Fla., made his official visit to USC last weekend with his mother and saw enough on the visit to convince him to join head coach Frank Martin’s program. “On the visit I liked everything I saw and everyone was good people,” Gregory said. “The program is there to help the kids get better as a player and a person. Coach Frank is a real genuine guy and I feel like he’s going to be a good coach for me.” Last season, Gregory averaged 15.5 points, six rebounds and three assists per game. He also led his team in steals and it’s his defensive prowess that may come in handy early on with the Gamecocks. “He (Martin) likes to press up and play defense and create a lot of havoc in the frontcourt to get a lot of easy buckets,” Gregory said. “I’ll be there to play a lot of defense.” Something else Gregory will bring to the table is great leaping ability. There’s a highlight video of him jumping over five teammates in a line as he completes a ferocious dunk. “It’s something I was blessed by God with,” he said of his jumping ability. “It’s natural ability. I can get to the basket pretty easy. I go to the bucket and go downhill.” Gregory is the fourth commitment for USC’s ‘15 class. Conor Clifford, a 7-0 center from Saddleback JC in California, has set his official visit date with USC for Friday. He has visited Washington State. Martin had an in-home visit with Clifford last week. The Citadel got a commitment from 6-7 Connor Schroeder of Charlottesville, Ga.

OAK PARK

FAMILY & AESTHETIC DENTISTRY

Catherine M. Zybak, DMD

SPORTS

THE SUMTER ITEM

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 2015

EMOTIONS FROM PAGE B1 swiftly. Ryan was called, among other things, a whiner. Ryan benefited from a major officiating blunder in Saturday’s semifinal win over Kentucky. No violation was called even though the shot clock struck zero while the ball was still in Nigel Hayes’ hands before he made the game-tying shot with 2:41 to play. Wisconsin never trailed after that. Ryan had some time to cool off between his CBS interview and formal postgame news conference Monday night. Still, he couldn’t resist commenting some more on the way the game against Duke was called. “We missed some opportunities. They hit some tough shots. But you know it’s just a shame that it had to be played that way.” Ryan also took a swipe at the culture where some players leave for the NBA after one year in college. He made no mention of that after his team beat Kentucky, the team best known for one-and-done players, but he threw out a zinger after the loss to Duke, which could lose freshmen Jahlil Okafor and Justise Winslow to the NBA. “We don’t do rent-a-player,” Ryan said. Carlesimo’s restraint back in 1989 belied his reputation as an intense and, to some,

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan, right, argues a call with a referee during the Badgers’ 68-63 loss to Duke on Monday in the men’s NCAA national championship game in Indianapolis. abrasive coach. He led Seton Hall to its first NCAA tournament appearance in 1988 and a year later the Pirates made a surprising run to the championship game against Michigan. Seton Hall was on the verge of winning the title, leading 79-78 with three seconds left in overtime when Gerald

Greene was called for fouling Robinson. The worst freethrow shooter in Michigan’s starting lineup made both shots, and Seton Hall lost 8079. “I’m not being smart when I say that game was well officiated,” Carlesimo said right after the game. “John Clougherty to me is one of, if

EDWARDS

COMEBACK

FROM PAGE B1

“I feel good with Coach Edwards taking my place; he and I have worked together at least 15-20 years as teachers, but this past year and a half we’ve really worked closely on the administrative side, and he has a real gift of talking and dealing with all kinds of people,” Jackson said. “I’ve learned a lot from him on how to deal with different situations, and I think he’ll be just fine.” Edwards resigned as the boys head coach in late March to focus all of his energy on his new job. He wanted his first priority to be as AD. “You’re the head of the athletic program and you put your fingerprint on it,” Edwards said. “Instead of working with one sport, I’ll be trying to facilitate all the sports and helping the coaches. Most people will say I’ll be working for the coaches in a sense to make sure I assist them and mentor young coaches as well as work with more experienced coaches. “Coach Jackson has done an outstanding job. I think he’s laid the groundwork and a lot of the things he’s put in place I’m just going to continue doing some of those things and add to it with my new ideas. Coach Jackson has also made this is a smooth transition as far as when the times comes, he’s worked with me and prepared me to take the position.” The boys basketball position has been posted on the school’s district website and will remain on it through Thursday. Gamble said she’d like to make a recommendation to the Sumter County School Board on a new coach no later than the end of the month.

nine-point deficit into an eight-point lead with 1:22 left. A furious Wisconsin rally ensued, but it came up short. Then, it was Okafor on the bottom of a rowdy dog pile — a scene reminiscent of the last time the Final Four was Indianapolis, back in 2010 when Duke edged out Butler in another scintillating final. The Blue Devils also took one here in 1991 — the Grant Hill, Christian Laettner squad. “It was heaven,” coach Mike Krzyzewski said of the stadium where he’s now 4-0 in Final Fours. “It was really divine.” Krzyzewski now has five titles, alone in second place on the all-time list, behind only John Wooden. Coach K did it with a collection of All-Americans — many of whom won’t be around too long. There’s Okafor, his buddy, Jones — who finished with 23 points and was named MVP — and another freshman, Justise Winslow. All might be playing at an NBA arena near you next season. Grayson Allen? He’ll be back. The most overlooked of Krzyzewski’s first-year players stepped up with Okafor on the bench for much of the second half in foul trouble. Allen, the slam-dunk champion at the high school McDonald’s All-American contest last year, scored 16 points — 12 above his average — including eight straight for Duke after Wisconsin (36-4) had gone up by nine. “It was fun to watch my teammates do what they do,” Okafor said. “They have my back the entire season,

not the best, officials in the country. We couldn’t ask for anybody else we’d rather have make the call when the game is on the line than John Clougherty.” That blocking call on Greene has haunted Pirates fans for decades. Carlesimo, who reportedly still can’t bring himself to watch video

of that game, has been stewing all this time, too. He didn’t say it the night of that questionable foul on Greene, but he did in a 2013 interview with ESPN.com. “It was a bad call.” Other memorable heat-ofthe-moment reactions after NCAA title games: 2003: Roy Williams used a curse word when a CBS reporter pressed him about his level of interest in the North Carolina job right after his Kansas team lost 81-78 to Syracuse in the title game. Initially, he said he didn’t “give a flip” about North Carolina. Asked the question again, Williams cussed and walked away. A week later he was the Tar Heels’ new coach. 2001: Arizona coach Lute Olson went along with media members who contended the officiating favored Duke in the Wildcats’ 82-72 loss. Olson was animated on the bench after refs missed a couple obvious fouls, and he said afterward, “I frankly thought that Jason Williams fouled out twice on push-offs, but it didn’t happen. The officiating was obviously a big part of the game.” 1992: Michigan “Fab Five” freshman Chris Webber went on a tirade following a 71-51 loss to Duke, yelling at reporters, “Someone get them (expletive) cameras out of my face if you don’t want some (expletive) swearing on TV. That’s all you (expletive) want to see is some crying.”

DUKE 68, WISCONSIN 63 DUKE (35-4)

Cook 3-8 0-0 6, T. Jones 7-13 7-7 23, Winslow 3-9 4-7 11, M. Jones 0-1 0-0 0, Okafor 5-9 0-1 10, Allen 5-8 5-5 16, Jefferson 1-1 0-0 2, Plumlee 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 24-51 16-20 68.

WISCONSIN (36-4)

Hayes 5-10 0-2 13, Dekker 6-15 0-0 12, Gasser 0-1 0-0 0, Koenig 4-9 1-2 10, Kaminsky 7-16 5-6 21, Jackson 1-7 0-0 2, Dukan 2-3 0-0 5. Totals 25-61 6-10 63. Halftime_Tied 31-31. 3-Point Goals_Duke 4-11 (T. Jones 2-3, Allen 1-2, Winslow 1-2, M. Jones 0-1, Cook 0-3), Wisconsin 7-21 (Hayes 3-4, Kaminsky 2-4, Dukan 1-2, Koenig 1-3, Jackson 0-2, Dekker 0-6). Fouled Out_None. Rebounds_Duke 33 (Winslow 9), Wisconsin 35 (Kaminsky 12). Assists_Duke 7 (Cook, Jefferson 2), Wisconsin 13 (Koenig 4). Total Fouls_Duke 13, Wisconsin 15. A_71,149.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Wisconsin’s Frank Kaminsky, right, blocks a shot by Duke’s Tyus Jones during the Blue Devils’ 68-63 victory on Monday in the national title game in Indianapolis. and it was no different tonight.” This was a savvy, calm, collected comeback against the team that wrote the book on that all season. Wisconsin kept its cool two nights earlier in an upset over undefeated Kentucky and looked like it would close the deal when it turned a 31-all halftime tie into a 48-39 lead after Kaminsky made a layup with 13:23 left. Then, suddenly, Duke looked like veterans and Wisconsin looked like kids. The Blue Devils took the lead for good with 4:08 left when Jones made a 3, then fell hard to the ground while tangled up with Bronson Koenig. Dick Vitale’s call: “You cannot be serious!” On Duke’s next possession, Kaminsky tried to

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wrap an arm around Okafor in the paint, but the big fella powered his way through it for the bucket and the foul. He missed the free throw, but a different point was made: Kaminsky had 21 points and 12 rebounds to Okafor’s 10 and three, yet down the stretch, “Frank the Tank” struggled to get a good look and Okafor helped win the game. “He got in some foul trouble, but because of his posi-

tive attitude, he made some big plays down the stretch,” Jones said. In the seconds leading to Okafor’s first basket, Winslow appeared to step on the baseline. But the whistle never blew and he delivered it to Okafor for the score. That, and the foul count, had the Wisconsin Twitterverse fuming about some calls. The Badgers got whistled for only two fouls in the first half, but the count in the second half was Badgers 13, Blue Devils 6. Duke shot 20 free throws to Wisconsin’s 10. “There was more body contact in this game than any game we played all year, and I just feel sorry for my guys that all of the sudden a game was like that,” Badgers coach Bo Ryan said.

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BUBBA FROM PAGE B1 from my background actually win it, and then win it again?” When he captured his first green jacket three years ago, it was with a daring hook off the pine straw on the second playoff hole. “Bubba Golf,” he called it, the sort of audacious shot most pros wouldn’t even consider, much less attempt. Watson’s victory a year ago was much less dramatic, though no less impressive. He overcame a threeshot deficit to Jordan Spieth with back-to-back birdies at the eighth and ninth holes, was steady as can be on the back side, and pulled away for a three-stroke victory. “To have the green jacket twice wrapped around me, I still can’t believe it,” he

MASTERS TEE TIMES The Associated Press At Augusta National Golf Club Augusta, Ga. a-amateur Thursday-Friday 7:45 a.m.-10:52 a.m. — Charley Hoffman, Brian Harman 7:56 a.m.-11:03 a.m. — Larry Mize, Danny Willett, a-Byron Meth 8:07 a.m.-11:14 a.m. — Tom Watson, Gary Woodland, Camilo Villegas 8:18 a.m.-11:25 a.m. — Mike Weir, Ben Crane, a-Corey Conners 8:29 a.m.-11:36 a.m. — Vijay Singh, Russell Henley, Darren Clarke 8:40 a.m.-11:47 a.m. — Jose Maria Olazabal, Brendon Todd, Kevin Na 8:51 a.m.-12:09 p.m. — Jonas Blixt, Kevin Streelman, Stephen Gallacher 9:02 a.m.-12:20 p.m. — Patrick Reed, Keegan Bradley, Ian Poulter 9:13 a.m.-12:31 p.m. — Miguel Angel Jimenez, Lee Westwood, Anirban Lahiri 9:24 a.m.-12:42 p.m. — Bubba Watson, Justin Rose, a-Gunn Yang 9:35 a.m.-12:53 p.m. — Adam Scott, Dustin Johnson, a-Antonio Murdaca 9:57 a.m.-1:04 p.m. — Morgan Hoffmann, Steve Stricker, Matt Every 10:08 a.m.-1:15 p.m. — Ben Crenshaw, Bill Haas, Jason Dufner 10:19 a.m.-1:26 p.m. — Webb Simpson, Hideki Matsuyama, Paul Casey 10:30 a.m.-1:37 p.m. — Charl Schwartzel, Joost Luiten, Sangmoon Bae 10:41 a.m.-1:48 p.m. — Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy, Ryan Moore 10:52 a.m.-1:59 p.m. — J. B. Holmes, Martin Kaymer, Brandt Snedeker 11:03 a.m.-7:45 a.m. — Ian Woosnam, Erik Compton, Marc Leishman 11:14 a.m.-7:56 a.m. — Trevor Immelman, Kevin Stadler, a-Scott Harvey 11:25 a.m.-8:07 a.m. — Ben Martin, Robert Streb, Cameron Tringale 11:36 a.m.-8:18 a.m. — Sandy Lyle, Seung-Yul Noh, a-Bradley Neil 11:47 a.m.-8:29 a.m. — Bernhard Langer, Bernd Wiesberger, Geoff Ogilvy 12:09 p.m.-8:40 a.m. — Zach Johnson, Jim Furyk, Ernie Els 12:20 p.m.-8:51 a.m. — Angel Cabrera, Louis Oosthuizen, a-Matias Dominguez 12:31 p.m.-9:02 a.m. — Mark O’Meara, Chris Kirk, Shane Lowry 12:42 p.m.-9:13 a.m. — Padraig Harrington, Ryan Palmer, Thomas Bjorn 12:53 p.m.-9:24 a.m. — James Hahn, Mikko Ilonen, Hunter Mahan 1:04 p.m.-9:35 a.m. — Matt Kuchar, Brooks Koepka, Graeme McDowell 1:15 p.m.-9:57 a.m. — Jordan Spieth, Henrik Stenson, Billy Horschel 1:26 p.m.-10:08 a.m. — Fred Couples, Branden Grace, Thongchai Jaidee 1:37 p.m.-10:19 a.m. — Luke Donald, Victor Dubuisson, John Senden 1:48 p.m.-10:30 a.m. — Tiger Woods, Jamie Donaldson, Jimmy Walker 1:59 p.m.-10:41 a.m. — Jason Day, Sergio Garcia, Rickie Fowler

said. Not that it’s a fluke. Watson’s unorthodox game sets up well for Augusta National. There’s only three holes — Nos. 1, 7 and 18 — that give him some trouble off the tee. Most of the others are quite manageable for a left-hander who likes to cut it off the tee with that trademark pink driver and doesn’t mind taking some chances. “All of the other holes look good to my eye,” he said. “The trees outline the fairway pretty good, so it’s easy for me to envision the shot I want to hit.” While his game has never been better — Watson earned his seventh career victory at the World Golf Championship in November, was a runner-up this

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year at Phoenix, and comes into Augusta ranked third in the world — he remains a polarizing figure, a guy with an insular view of the world and not always a man of the people. That reputation tailed him all the way to the Masters, when ESPN released a survey that showed he’s easily the least popular player among his fellow PGA Tour competitors. Watson didn’t dispute that he’s had some “mess-ups” along the way. He said he hopes to use the criticism to become a better person. “I take it as I need to improve as a man,” he said. “I need to get better. And I think over my career, since my rookie season to now, I’ve gotten better. But obviously there’s more room for me to improve as a man.” There’s no lack of respect for his game.

THE SUMTER ITEM

He’s clearly one of the favorites this week, a popular choice along with Rory McIlroy — who’s trying to complete a career Grand Slam — and rising star Spieth, someone clearly on the verge of winning his first major title. “You can imagine what Bubba must feel like,” said Adam Scott, whose 2013 victory is sandwiched between Watson’s two titles. Augusta National “is seemingly made for his kind of game, and he’s playing nicely as well.” Watson shrugged off those who would anoint him a favorite. But he conceded that he’s feeling a lot more comfortable defending his title this around, compared to the way it went down two years ago, when he broke par only once and finished in a tie for 50th. “I didn’t know what to ex-

pect,” he said. “I mean, I’m scared to death of the Champions Dinner in ‘13 because you’re talking about great champions across the board, old and young, and now I’m getting to sit and have dinner with them and I’m making sure they like the food I picked out. The media attention, the atmosphere — even a year later — you’re excited about your win. Sometimes you get away from your routine or you just use your energy in a different way. That’s what I did. “This time, I know what to expect. Doesn’t mean I’m going to play better, just I know what to expect.” Watson would love to win a few more green jackets. If he doesn’t, there won’t be any complaints. “If I never win again,” Watson said, “it’s a good place to win twice.”

OBITUARIES

THE SUMTER ITEM

MARY JANE T. POTTS Mrs. Mary Jane Tomlin Potts was born in Sumter on Sept. 21, 1929. She was the daughter of the late Eugene and Louvenia Daniels Tomlin. She departed this life on Friday, April 3, 2015 at Tuomey Hospital. She was educated in the POTTS public schools of Sumter. She was employed by the police department as a security crossing guard. Mrs. Potts was a member of Mulberry Missionary Baptist Church where she worked diligently in many capacities including the Gospel Choir, Usher Board, Sunday School, Nurses Aid, Culinary committee, Usher Board and Trustee Wives. She was united in holy matrimony to the late Howard Lee Potts on Dec. 16, 1946.They were blessed to experience a union of love, support and commitment for 61 years. Mrs. Potts leaves to cherish her memory two loving and devoted daughters, Audrey Potts Neal of Columbia and Nancy Potts Wilson of Sumter; one loving, caring and dedicated son, the Rev. Gerald Tomlin of the home; six grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; one god-daughter, Norma Jean (Gerald) Townsell; two grand-god children, Syretta (Scott) Scherer, Jeremiah McClain; adopted children, Sherrie Glasscho and Charles Glasscho; adopted grandchildren Sam Fitzgerald Tomlin, Lamont Tomlin, Earnestine Tomlin, Everett Tomlin, E. J. Tomlin, Louvenia Tomlin, Kayla Bradley, Katiyah Sutton, Lynette G. Tomlin and Charlynica Glasscho; two nephews reared by her, Sam (Joyce) Tomlin Jr. and Ernest Lee (Helen) Tomlin; one sister, Vernice Dukes of Manning; two sisters-in-law; Octavia Tomlin of Sumter, and Mary Tomlin of Wilmington, North Carolina; many devoted nieces, nephews and countless other family members and friends. She was preceded in death by four sisters, Eula Mae Davis, Viola Taylor, Hattie Scott, Mattie Gaymon; four brothers, Eugene Tomlin, William Tomlin, Sam Tomlin and Harold Tomlin; one adopted sister-in-law, Edrena Mack; one adopted brother-in-law, Clarence Mack; and one son-in-law, Dr. Westberry H. Neal, Sr. Public viewing will be held from 2 to 7 p.m. today at Job’s Mortuary. Mrs. Potts will be placed in the church at noon Thursday, for viewing until the hour of service. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday at Mulberry Missionary Baptist Church, 1400 Mulberry Church Road, Sumter with Pastor the Rev. Nate Brock, Eulogist, the Rev. Dr. Blakely N. Scott III, officiating. Interment will follow in Mulberry Church Cemetery. Family will be receiving friends at the home, 1 Monroe St., Sumter. Job’s Mortuary Inc., 312 S. Main St. is in charge of arrangements. Online memorials may be sent to the family at: jobsmortuary@sc.rr.com or visit us on the web at: www.job-

smortuary.net.

JAMES LLOYD James “Johnny” Lloyd, 53, died Thursday, April 2, 2015 at Tuomey Regional Medical Center, Sumter. He was born December 4, 1961 in Paxville, a son of the late John Henry Walker and Bernice Lloyd and Willodene LLOYD Lloyd. He was preceded in death by his twin, Jack Lloyd and a sister, Teresa Lloyd. He was a graduated of Manning High School, Class of 1981. He was always a construction worker. At an early age, he joined St. John Baptist Church where he served on the Usher Board and was also a member of the Junior Choir. Later in life, he joined Grace Missionary Baptist Church and served as Sunday School Superintendent and Vice Chairman of the Trustee Board. Survivors are one son: Desmon Lloyd of Silver; two daughters: Erica Grant of Charleston and Raven Lloyd of Fort Stewart, Georgia; three brothers: Robert (Francenia) Lloyd of Pinewood, Keith Lloyd of Manning and John Walker Jr. of Columbia; four sisters: Patricia (Kenneth) Lowery of Summerton, Lillian Lloyd of Rochester, New York and the Rev. Betty (Frank) Nesbitt of Pinewood, and Cathy (Vernon) Lawrence of Orangeburg; three aunts: Juanita Conyers of Hartfort, Connecticut, Cleo Lloyd of Sumter and Mamie Lloyd of Pinewood. Public viewing will be held from noon until 7 p.m. today at the funeral home. Celebratory services will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday at Mt. Zero Baptist Church, 7827 Paxville. The Rev. Dr. Lucious Dixon, Pastor, presiding; the Rev. Dr. Cokley Richburg, eulogist; the Rev. David Pugh, the Rev. Mitchell Adger, the Rev. Willie J. Chandler and the Rev. Dr. Elizabeth Richburg, assisting. Burial will follow in Grace Memorial Gardens, Manning. Online memorials may be sent to samuelsfuneralhome@yahoo.com. Family receiving friends at the home of his sister and brother-in-law, Betty and Frank Nesbitt, 3335 Les Tindal Road, Pinewood. These services have been entrusted to Samuels Funeral Home LLC, Manning.

INEZ W. JONES Inez White Jones, widow of James E. Jones, was born August 14, 1939 in Sumter to late George and Rosa White Horn. She departed this life on Saturday, April 4, 2015 at Trident Health Center, Charleston. After graduating from Lincoln High School, she married the late James E. Jones. Inez was a faithful member of Union Baptist Church in Wedgefield, where she served on several boards and committees, throughout the community she also participated in a variety of clubs and associations. Inez’s presence in the Sumter Community at large will be markedly missed.

She leaves to cherish her memories: three children, Carlyn Y. (Thomas) Davis, Dencil C. (Tammy) Jones and Selven R. Jones; one brother, George (Patricia) White; one sister, Angeline Harris; one maternal aunt, Linnie Carryall; five grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren; and a host of other relatives and friends. Public viewing will be held from 2 to 7 p.m. today at Job’s Mortuary. Mrs. Jones will be placed in the church at 2:30 p.m. Thursday for viewing until the hour of service. Funeral services will be held at 3:30 p.m. Thursday at Union Missionary Baptist Church, 300 Odom Lane, Wedgefield, with the Rev. Larry Nathaniel, officiating. Interment will follow in Hillside Memorial Park. Family will be receiving friends at the home 613 Blair Lane, Sumter. Job’s Mortuary, Inc., 312 S. Main St. is in charge of arrangements. Online memorials may be sent to the family at: jobsmortuary@sc.rr.com or visit us on the web at: www.jobsmortuary.net.

ELIZABETH J. MACK Elizabeth Jones Mack, 78, widow of Eddie Mack Sr. and daughter of the late Julius Jones and Rosa Garrett Jones was born Oct. 30, 1936 in Wedgefield. She departed this life on Monday, April 6, 2015 at Palmetto Health Richland Hospital, Columbia. Family will be receiving friends at the home of her daughter, 1027 Mayfield Drive, Sumter. Funeral plans are incomplete and will be announced later by Job’s Mortuary Inc., 312 S. Main St., Sumter.

CHARLES F. MCKIEVER, JR. WELLINGTON, Fla. — Charles “Chuck” Fitzgerald McKiever Jr., husband of Janie “Norrie” Ness McKiever, died of a heart attack on Thursday, April 2, 2015, at Jupiter Medical Center in Jupiter, Florida. Born August 3, 1946 in Washington, D.C., he was the son of the late Charles Fitzgerald McKiever Sr. and Hilda Louise Barnette McKiever. He attended high school in Goldsboro, North Carolina and college at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. He settled in Florida in 1972, where he resided for the remainder of his life. He was co-owner of Lasermap USA and was a lover of learning, history, travel, sports and, above all else, a lover of family. He is survived by his wife; three children, Kristen Colman (Brian), Carolyn Suess (Marcus) and John Michael McKiever; five grandchildren, Briana Colman, Angelina Colman, Aubrey Colman, Adeline Suess and Emery Suess; a sister, Margaret “Peggy” McKiever Browning (David); nieces, Kate Browning Baumann and Kelly Browning Worrell (Joel); grandniece, Layla Baumann; and grandnephew, Mason Worrell. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Friday at St. Anne Catholic Church in Sumter with Father Thomas Burke C.S.R. officiating. Burial will be in the St. Lawrence Cemetery.

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Flowers may be sent to Elmore Hill McCreight Funeral Home & Crematory in Sumter. Online condolences may be sent to www.sumterfunerals.com Elmore Hill McCreight Funeral Home & Crematory, 221 Broad St. is in charge of the arrangements. (803) 7759386.

WILLIAM DUKES JR. Mr. William Dukes Jr., entered eternal rest on Sunday, April 5, 2015 his home, 429 Robney Drive, Sumter. Born in Sumter County on March 29, 1956, he was the son of the late Williams Dukes Sr. and Maggie Dickerson Stevens. He was reared by his grandparents, the late Clifton and Aretha Dukes Robinson. He attended Mayewood High School and was a member of Mulberry Baptist Church. He was employed by Sumter School District and later by Sumter County Public Works. Survivors are: his three children, Tonya D. Dukes, Lashawnda T. Dukes-Kennedy and William A. Dukes, all of Sumter; three grandchildren, MeShonnie, Darius and Zedrian Dukes, all of Sumter; one brother, Ulysses Stevens of Baltimore, Maryland; one sister, Denise Stevens of Baltimore, Maryland; a dear friend and former wife, Burnett Davis of Sumter; and a host of other relatives and friends. Memorial services will be held on at 11 a.m. today in the chapel of Community Funeral Home with Elder Carnell Dukes and Pastor Betty Dukes. The family is receiving relatives and friends at the home of his daughter, 2170 Boulevard Road. Online memorials can be sent to comfhltj@sc.rr.com. Community Funeral Home of Sumter is in charge of these arrangements.

ODELL DOWE On Tuesday, April 7, 2015, Odell Dowe departed this life at the Clarendon Memorial Hospital, Manning. Born on April 30, 1954 in Summerton, he was a son of the late Kirby Lee and Lula Mae Benbow Dowe. The family is receiving relatives and friends at the residence of Steve and Virginia Hilton Brock, of 1166 Marlowe Drive, Foreston Community, Manning. Funeral services are incomplete and shall be announced by the Fleming & Delaine Funeral Home & Chapel.

HENRY KIND, JR. Henry Kind, Jr., 77, de-

parted this life and entered into eternal rest on Friday, April 3, 2015 at Tuomey Regional Medical Center. Born June 29, 1937 in Sumter, he was the son of the late Henry Kind Sr. and Sarah Daisy Choice Kind. He attended the public schools of Sumter County. He worked at Frasier Tire Services until he retired. After retirement, he worked with Kind Enterprise. Henry had a passion for farming. He leaves to cherish his memories: his wife, Pauline Kind; two sons, John Henry Kind (Martha), and Leroy Kind, both of Hartsville; three daughters, Eva Mae (Bennie) Nicholson of Hartsville, Belinda Franklin and Selinda (Raymond) Johnson, all of Sumter; one son-inlaw, Ricky Richardson of Hartsville; four brothers, Wesley (Shirley), Isadore (Bessie), Marion Kind, all of Sumter, Willie Kind of New Rochelle, New York; five sisters, Mattie Lindsey, Betty Fountain of Sumter, Annie Mae Douglas of Trenton, New Jersey, Rosa (James) Bennett of Tamarac, Florida; a very dedicated sister, Bertha Rembert of Sumter; two uncles, Edward (Louise) of Sumter, Daniel Choice (Nancy) of Washington, D.C.; 11 grandchildren; 35 great-grandchildren; one great-great grandchild; a very special niece, Minister Patricia Rembert; a host of other nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by two children, Gloria Jean Richardson and Freddie Kind; one grandson, Fredrick Kind; three brothers, Joseph, Alberto and Revenel Kind; three brothers-in-law, George Lindsey, Floyd Fountain and Bob Douglas. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday at the St. Paul A.M.E. Church, 1495 St. Paul Church Road, with the Rev. Eric R. Dent, pastor, eulogist, assisted by Bishop Robbie Kind, the Rev. Sirea Morris, the Rev. Roy Elvington, the Rev. Lou Conyers and Elder Fernandez Thompson. The family is receiving family and friends at the home, 4150 Farmers Road, Sumter. The remains will be placed in the church at noon. The procession will leave from the home at 12:20 p.m. Floral bearers will be nieces and family. Pallbearers will be coworkers from Frasier Tire Service and family. Burial will be in the St. Paul A.M.E. Churchyard Cemetery. Online memorial messages may be sent to the family at williamsfuneralhome@ sc.rr.com. Visit us on the web — www.williamsfuneralhomeinc.com. Services directed by the management and staff of Williams Funeral Home Inc.

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 2015 Call Ivy Moore at: (803) 774-1221 | E-mail: ivy@theitem.com

‘Everything Old is New Again’ Dancers celebrate double anniversary

PHOTOS BY KEITH GEDAMKE/THE SUMTER ITEM

“Bridge Over Troubled Water” is a lyrical piece danced by the Sumter Civic Dance Company to contemporary artist Linda Eder’s cover of the Simon and Garfunkel song. Their performance can be seen April 17 and 18 at Patriot Hall during the company’s spring concert, which is also its 35th anniversary and the 60th year for the Freed School of Performing Arts.

BY IVY MOORE ivy@theitem.com

t’s not hard to get folks to come back to Sumter for this reunion: The Freed School of

Performing Arts has been training dancers for 60 years, and the Sumter Civic Dance Company is 35. There is a lot of crossover in the two groups, but they all have one thing in common: They learned to dance from a member of the Freed family. When that “family” reunion takes place next weekend, there will be around 90 dancers on the stage of Patriot Hall at one time, according to company director Andrea Freed-Levenson, who will be one of them. “I’ve sent all returning dancers videos of the choreography we’ll be doing,” Freed-Levenson said, “and the ones who live here I’ve taught the dances in person.” The title of the April 17 and 18 concert is “Everything Old Is New Again” — not that there’s anything old about any of the dancers; dancing tends to prolong youthfulness. Talk to former company members, and there’s one impression you’ll get over and over — the Freed school and dance company were “family” to them. Chylene Player Burdick, now owner of Dreamworks Dance Academy, said she “was raised at the Freed School of Performing Arts ... ,” and Paul Pecko, now with Disney, said, “The Freeds were my second family along with their other teachers who worked for them — Rhoda Burns, Libby Howard (Singleton) ... . We were a dance studio family that happened to be called Betty Freed School of Dance.” Kenneth “Kenny” Deas, credits the discipline he gained at the school for allowing him “ ... to cultivate a special talent that helped me to stand out from the crowd and gain admission to some of the nation’s most selective colleges and universities such as Georgetown University and Dartmouth College coming out of Sumter High School.” He is now a professor

and postdoctoral researcher in education policy and law at the College of Charleston’s School of Education, Health, and Human Performance, the College of Charleston’s Honors College and its Center for Partnerships To Improve Education. Burdick said she learned from the Freeds to “work hard for my dreams, set goals and do the daily work that leads to success. Ms. Andrea has always said that dancing full out means FULL OUT! 110 percent!” While his family agreed to pay for one year of dance school, Pecko was on scholarship afterwards. “I would clean the studio for my lessons,” he said. “It was the most rewarding experience for me. I learned great work ethics and reliability. I learned the business side along with the family ... . I am truly grateful for those learnings.” Carrie Levenson Galphin has a special perspective on the Freed family business. “Growing up, we were never expected to take dance,” she said. “I remember getting mad at Mom for something when I was young and threatening to quit dance (not because I wanted to quit, but to see what her reaction would be), and she simply told me that I didn’t have to dance if I didn’t want to.” Of course, Galphin said, she has “always loved dance. I loved taking class-

SUMTER ITEM FILE PHOTO

Paul Pecko and Judi Freed Siegfried, former members of the Sumter Civic Dance Company, were winners in a disco dance contest in Sumter in the early 1980s. Pecko will dance with the Sumter Civic Dance Company on its 35th anniversary.

SUMTER ITEM FILE PHOTO

Erin Levenson Harms and Kimberly Barrett dance to “Inside of Me,” choreographed by Andrea Freed-Levenson to music by Cheryline Lim. Harms and Barrett are both members of the Sumter Civic Dance Company, and each has done some choreography for the group’s 35th anniversary concert. es, learning dances and most of all performing,” and that has made the family bond stronger. “Dance taught me great time management skills, which is something I am thankful for every day,” she said. “In high school, I learned to use every spare moment during the school day to work on homework so I could spend more time at the studio after school. I now teach third grade and dance in Memphis and use this skill every day. I can’t imagine my life without dance and am so excited to be coming home for this reunion.” While dozens of former students and Sumter Civic Dance Company members (formerly called Freed Spirits) will be on the Patriot Hall stage on April 17 and 18, Freed-Levenson said all the choreography is new, including the finale, which will be danced by “All Freed Spirits, Past and Present.” They’ll also dance to the title piece; both are choreographed by Freed-Levenson. The present company, in different configurations, will dance most of the pieces, and some have been choreographed by members, although FreedLevenson did most. She said the audience can expect to see “Broadway-style pieces, pointe, swing, river dance, lyrical, hip hop ...

it’s pretty varied.” Graduating seniors Madison Beasley, Winter Grant and Ta’Niss Grant will dance a piece they choreographed together; Kimberly Barrett has choreographed a hip hop piece to a music medley; Andrea Barras Govier and Erin Levenson Harms have choreographed Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, which features the gymnastics team. Harms has also choreographed two other pieces, one featuring the Sumter Civic Apprentice Company, while the other will be danced by the senior company. Also, look for a jazzy piece to “Thoroughly Modern Millie” and some tap to “I Got Rhythm” during the 90-minute concert. “It’s been so much fun to do the spring concert this year,” Freed-Levenson said. “It’s going to be really colorful and exciting. I think we’ve got everything but belly dancing.” The Sumter Civic Dance Company presents its 35th annual concert and reunion, “Everything Old is New Again” at 7 p.m. April 17 and 18. Tickets are $10 general admission and can be purchased at the door or in advance from any company member or at Freed School of Performing Arts, 527 N. Guignard Drive. Call (803) 773-2847 for more information.

KEITH GEDAMKE/THE SUMTER ITEM

Alumnae of the Freed School of Performing Arts Jody Gainey, left, and Lisa Edwards, From left, Heather Dickey, the late Robin Truett, Sondra Watson (Mosley), Kristine Kieff, right, rehearse “You’ve Never Had a Friend Like Me” with Sumter Civic Dance Company Alisha Watkins Carr, Holly Hepfer Reed, Cherston Britton, Stephanie Cook and Leslie TesDirector Andrea Freed-Levenson, center, in preparation for the company’s 35th Annivereniar Yell were members of the Sumter Civic Dance Company when this photo was printsary Reunion Concert. The concert, titled “Everything Old is New Again,” will be presented in 1990. Mosley, Kieff and Reed will return to the company for next week’s 35th reed on April 17 and 18 at Patriot Hall. union concert.

FOOD

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 2015

THE SUMTER ITEM

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Steak Au Poivre is shown prior to cooking, above, and the final product, right.

Master the art of deglazing a pan with steak au poivre STEAK AU POIVRE

BY SARA MOULTON The Associated Press

ne of the main reasons carnivores love meat is because of its depth of flavor. And the easiest

way to magnify that flavor is to brown the meat. For those of you into science, this is called the Maillard reaction, after the French chemist who first described it in 1912. But there’s also another — and equally delicious — reason to brown meat. As meat browns, it gives off juices that concentrate in the bottom of the pan as little brown bits. Those flavorful brown bits don’t need to be lost. They are easily reconstituted with liquid after the meat has finished browning. And just that quickly you have the base of a deeply tasty sauce. All of which is to say, if you like big, meaty flavors, you’ll want to master how to make pan sauces. The good news is that it’s easy. If you’ve never made a pan sauce, this recipe for steak au poivre is a great way to get started. A French classic, steak au poivre is steak that is crusted with cracked peppercorns, then seared and served with a quick pan sauce. Not a fan of peppercorns? Just leave them off; the dish will still be delicious. The first thing to do when making a pan sauce is to pat the meat dry. Doesn’t matter is you’re cooking beef, lamb, pork or chicken. Grab some paper towels and pat the meat

dry. And stick with tender cuts, such as steaks and cutlets. The meat won’t spend a whole lot of time in the pan. Next, season the meat well with salt and pepper just before putting it in the pan. Then you brown it in fat over medium-high heat until it’s nicely colored and cooked to the doneness you desire. (A meat thermometer is your best friend here.) Remove the meat from the pan, transfer it to a plate, cover it loosely with foil, and let it rest. This ensures the meat’s moistness. Now you make the pan sauce. If I have some shallots on hand, I’ll chop them and toss them into the pan and brown them for a minute. If not, I’ll pour off most of the fat, then move on to the next step — adding liquid. It can be wine, stock, water, cream or a combo. Whatever you go with, add it and bring it to a boil. As it boils, the key is to scrape up the brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. This process is known as deglazing the pan. Once the pan is deglazed, you lower the heat so the sauce just simmers. Next, pour in any juices from the meat that have drained onto the plate where it is resting. Want the sauce to be thicker? Throw in a tablespoon or so of butter, then turn off the heat and swirl around the butter until it’s melted. The recipe below includes cream, which naturally thickens as it cooks down, so I left the butter out. It’s pretty simple, actually. The pan sauce reaction, in humans, almost invariably takes the form of a huge smile!

Start to finish: 35 minutes Servings: 4 3 tablespoons whole black peppercorns Four 3/4-inch-thick beef strip steaks (about 8 ounces each) 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus extra Kosher salt 2 tablespoons minced shallots 1/2 cup red wine 1 cup beef stock 1/2 cup heavy cream 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon cognac Chopped fresh parsley or chives, to garnish Using a mortar and pestle, coarsely crush the peppercorns. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, you can use the bottom of a cast-iron skillet to crush them on a cutting board, or place them in a zip-close plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin. Spread the crushed peppercorns evenly on a plate large enough to accommodate your steaks. Pat the steaks dry, then brush each with a bit of oil on both sides. One at a time, gently press each steak into the peppercorns to coat both sides. Season the

steaks on both sides with salt. In a large skillet over mediumhigh, heat the 2 tablespoons of oil. When the oil is hot, reduce the heat to medium, add the steaks and cook for 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer the steaks to a plate, cover loosely with foil and let rest while making the pan sauce. Return the skillet to the heat and add the shallots. Cook over medium heat, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the wine, bring to a boil and simmer, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until reduced by three-quarters. Add the stock and cream, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer until the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Add the juices from the plate of resting meat, then whisk in the mustard and cognac. Season with salt. Transfer the steaks to serving plates, spoon some of the sauce over each, then garnish with chopped parsley or chives. Nutrition information per serving: 490 calories; 220 calories from fat (45 percent of total calories); 24 g fat (10 g saturated; 1 g trans fats); 165 mg cholesterol; 8 g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber; 2 g sugar; 55 g protein; 560 mg sodium.

Borrow a lesson from barbecue for a better grilled cheese BY ELIZABETH KARMEL The Associated Press For me, a grilled cheese sandwich is just pure comfort. And truth is, even a bad grilled cheese is satisfying. But a great grilled cheese will change your day for the better. Most of us have childhood memories of our perfect grilled cheese. Mine is the classic sandwich dished up at my local drugstore. My best friend and I would ride our bikes there, sit at the counter and order a freshsqueezed lemonade with a grilled cheese. The sandwich was made on a griddle with white bread and a single slice of American cheese. As I got older and my tastes grew more sophisticated, my allegiances changed. For a while, my favorite was a Chicago Greek diner version with rye bread, Swiss cheese and bacon. It, too, was made on a griddle. But when I tried to duplicate the experience at home, it was never as good. Most of the time, the bread would burn long before the cheese was perfectly melted. That’s because I was grilling my sandwich in an open skillet on the stovetop. That was my problem. So I borrowed an idea from grilling. Delicate meats — or those that need long cooking times — can’t stand up to intense, direct heat. Just like my grilled cheese sandwiches, they burn outside before cooking on the inside. In grilling, the solution is to use indirect heat. You cook the meat for a longer period at a lower temperature, and often away from the direct flame. I decided to try something similar with my sandwiches. Instead of a very hot open skillet, I used medium-low heat and covered the pan. This created just the right environment to slowly toast the bread while gently melting the cheese inside. Presto! Grilled cheese perfection! Once I had my technique down, I started exploring different fillings, including one of my top fruit and cheese combinations — pears and blue

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Grilled Pear and Blue Cheese Sandwich on Cinnamon-Raisin Bread is a perfect melding of flavors. cheese. Out of all the crazy variations I tried, this is the only one that I have made over and over again. In this recipe, I grill the pears first with a simple “dessert rub,” then let them cool slightly before assembling the sandwich. The grilling of the fruit intensifies the flavor of the pears so that they aren’t overwhelmed by the blue cheese. I also use cinnamon-raisin bread, which makes this a slightly sweet grilled cheese, better served as an appetizer or a slightly savory dessert.

GRILLED PEAR AND BLUE CHEESE SANDWICH ON CINNAMON-RAISIN BREAD The most common mistake in making a grilled cheese is turning the burners up too high. Just as with barbecue, low and

slow is key. The cheese will ooze out, but that’s the beauty of it; the melted, cooked cheese gives the sandwich a crave-worthy crunchy edge. Start to finish: 15 minutes Servings: 2 1 to 2 tablespoons butter, room temperature 4 slices cinnamon-raisin bread 1 teaspoon granulated sugar 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon Tiny pinch of kosher salt 1 pear, peeled, halved and cored 1 tablespoon blueberry or other berry jam 2 to 3 ounces blue cheese, thinly sliced Use the butter to coat 1 side of each slice of bread. Set aside. In a small bowl, mix together the sugar, cinnamon and salt. Sprinkle over the pear halves. Heat a heavy (cast-iron is best) grill pan with a lid over medium-low heat for 1 minute. Place pears across the grill grates and cover. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until

warmed and marked. Turn over and cook another 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the pears from the pan and let cool to room temperature. Slice each pear half lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Spread half of the jam over the unbuttered side of 2 of the bread slices. Top the jam with half of the pear slices, then half of the cheese. Top with a second slice of bread, buttered side up. Return the grill pan to medium-low heat. Coat the pan with cooking spray. Once the pan is warm, add the sandwiches, then cover and cook until golden brown on the bottom, 3 to 5 minutes. Flip and cook the other side for about 2 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown and the cheese is oozing. Nutrition information per serving: 460 calories; 200 calories from fat (43 percent of total calories); 22 g fat (12 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 50 mg cholesterol; 53 g carbohydrate; 5 g fiber; 30 g sugar; 14 g protein; 650 mg sodium.

FOOD

THE SUMTER ITEM

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 2015

Take chicken from frozen to delicious in under 30 minutes BY J.M. HIRSCH AP Food Editor Despite its reputed speed at getting dinner done, the pressure cooker was slow to win me over. Sure, its skill with baked beans and brisket is impressive, and I’m a sucker for a pressure cooked batch of rice pudding. But as a weekday cooking device, I’ve never felt that it shaved much more than five or 10 minutes off what it would have taken me to prepare the meal on the stovetop. And that’s just not enough to justify another gizmo in the kitchen. That is, until I discovered that the pressure cooker is capable of solving my No. 1 kitchen annoyance — frozen meat. Here’s the deal. Like most working parents, I keep a bunch of meat — particularly boneless, skinless chicken breasts and thighs — in the freezer. The idea is that for those crazy weeks when I don’t have time to get to the grocer, at least I have that to work with. With a little bit of planning, I can stretch several packages of frozen breasts and thighs through three or four dinners and lunches, if need be. Ah, but the key there is the planning. Frozen chicken is wonderful... when you remember to move it from the freezer to the refrigerator the night before so it thaws by the time you are ready to cook it. As simple a step as that is, it’s one I almost always fail to remember. And thus comes the 6 p.m. what-the-heck-do-I-dowith-a-pack-of-frozen-chicken frustration. And then I learned an important thing about pressure cookers: They are perfectly capable of cooking completely frozen meat, and it adds only a few minutes to the cooking time. That meant I could open the freezer at 6 p.m., grab a package of chicken and have dinner on the table 30 minutes later. Now this device is starting to earn its keep. With a bit of experimentation, I’ve learned that the best dishes for this involve some sort of sauce. Sweetand-sour chicken was delicious. Ditto for chicken with marinara, shredded chicken with barbecue sauce, and this recipe for chicken thighs with teriyaki sauce. Feel free to add some chopped carrots and onions to this if you don’t feel like doing a separate veggie side.

PRESSURE COOKER TERIYAKI CHICKEN Lucky enough to have thought ahead and thawed your chicken? You can still make this recipe. Just reduce the cooking time to 7 minutes at high pressure. If your chicken thighs are frozen together in the package, microwave on medium power for 1 to 2 minutes, or until just able to break them apart. Start to finish: 30 minutes Servings: 4 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce 1/2 cup water 2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar 2 tablespoons brown sugar 2 tablespoons honey 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger 1 teaspoon hot sauce 2 pounds frozen boneless, skinless chicken thighs 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1 tablespoon water Cooked brown rice, to serve Scallions, finely chopped, to serve Roasted peanuts, chopped, to serve In an electric pressure cooker, whisk together the soy sauce, water, rice vinegar, brown sugar, honey, garlic, ginger and hot sauce. Add the chicken thighs, stirring to coat with the sauce. Place the lid on the pressure cooker and set to cook at high pressure for 20 minutes according to manufacturer directions. Release the pressure according

to your cooker’s quick release instructions. In a small glass, stir together the cornstarch and water, then add to the cooker. Switch the cooker to saute mode and simmer, stirring often, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Mound brown rice on each serving plate, then top with chicken. Spoon teriyaki sauce over the chicken and rice, then sprinkle with scallions and peanuts. Nutrition information per serving: 520 calories; 120 calories from fat (23 percent of total calories); 14 g fat (3 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 215 mg cholesterol; 46 g carbohydrate; 3 g fiber; 18 g sugar; 52 g protein; 1,520 mg sodium.

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Pressure Cooker Teriyaki is satisfying and easy.

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COMICS

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 2015

BIZARRO

SOUP TO NUTZ

ANDY CAPP

GARFIELD

BEETLE BAILEY

BORN LOSER

BLONDIE

ZITS

MOTHER GOOSE

DOG EAT DOUG

DILBERT

JEFF MACNELLY’S SHOE

Father’s noisy lovemaking is pain to ears DEAR ABBY — I’m the mother of an 18-yearold daughter. Her dad and I are divorced and she lives Dear Abby with him. We were ABIGAIL married 20 VAN BUREN years and I know he’s a good parent, except for one thing. My daughter has told me her father and his partner sometimes engage in very loud lovemaking when she’s in her room, and it embarrasses her. She’s shy to begin with, so she hasn’t said anything to him. I feel angry and frustrated because I don’t know if I

THE SUMTER ITEM

should say something to him about it. I have suggested she put on some loud music or use headphones if she can’t bring this up with him. I think she wants me to intercede, but I don’t feel it’s my business to do so. Can these adults be that clueless? Please help. Carol on the East Coast DEAR CAROL — Yes, adults can be that “clueless.” Her father and his partner may not realize how much noise they make. Headphones and turning on loud music are good suggestions. But remember that clear communication is important in relationships both personal and professional. At 18, your daughter is old enough to start speaking up

THE DAILY CROSSWORD PUZZLE

for herself. Encourage her to talk about this problem privately with her father. But if she can’t, then you should handle this for her. 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. To order “How to Write Letters for All Occasions,” send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $7 (U.S. funds) to: Dear Abby -- Letter Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. Shipping and handling are included in the price. For an excellent guide to becoming a better conversationalist and a more sociable person, order “How to Be Popular.” Send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $7 (U.S. funds) to Dear Abby, Popularity Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 610540447.

JUMBLE

SUDOKU

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

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

ACROSS 1 Victorian 5 Like much 67Down 10 Bay of Bengal setting 14 Extinct pigeon relative 15 First name in puppetry 16 __ jar: lab glass 17 Hold banned in amateur wrestling 19 Take one’s leave 20 Make sure of 21 Stretched to the max 23 Reggae cousin 24 Premier League athlete 28 Apply gently 31 CBS-owned cable sta. 32 Pond gunk 33 Prefix with footprint 34 Pulls down 37 Winter pickme-up? 40 Innocents 44 Mite-sized 45 “Tut-tut!” 46 Actress Tyler 47 Important stretches 50 Beef cut 51 Maple syrup source 52 Influential teams 57 Louisville Slugger wood 58 Comfy foot-

wear 59 Jewish scholar 63 Swindle 65 April golf tournament, four of whose winners appear in 17-, 24-, 40- and 52-Across 68 Movie plantation 69 Sea-born jewelry material 70 “Right now!” 71 Song and dance 72 Urgency 73 Snoopy DOWN 1 Sharable digital docs 2 Libertine 3 Onetime Palin collaborator 4 Feathers one’s nest, in a way 5 Full of: Suff. 6 Gp. with Sharks and Penguins 7 Decorator’s asset 8 Cheering like crazy 9 Hangers in lockers? 10 Justice Fortas 11 Figures in 9-Down 12 “Very nice!” 13 A proposal may ulti-

mately lead to one 18 Lasso loops 22 Dr. Mom’s forte 25 Spiced tea brewed in milk 26 Toe woes 27 Mustang, for one 28 Chapter 11 factor 29 Berry in faddish supplements 30 Star of a classic sitcom set at a Vermont inn 35 Imprecise degree 36 Like provolone piccante 38 1998 Sarah McLachlan ballad 39 Initial request for an answer?

41 Bront‘ heroine 42 German actor Jannings 43 Some outdoor grills 48 Slot machine part 49 __ tape 52 Macaroni Grill selection 53 Acting honor 54 Golfer Lorena 55 AOLers, e.g. 56 “Paradise Lost” figure 60 Spanish smooch 61 Lingerie catalog buys 62 Car trip game 64 Some advanced degs. 66 Floor pad 67 Part of IPA

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‘Nature’ celebrates the artistry of ‘Animal Homes’ BY KEVIN MCDONOUGH Leave it to beavers to get us back to our TV roots. Few genres have suffered more in the era of reality television than the home repair show. “This Old House” began on public television way back in 1979. But just as “Top Chef” bears little resemblance to Julia Child’s cooking shows, the home repair genre has been mutilated and diluted by product placements and all but ruined by the advent of celebrity renovation shows. It’s not enough to learn something. We have to watch Vanilla Ice or a former “Beverly Hills, 90210” star apply Spackle and grout. It’s no wonder so many people in search of quick information have migrated to YouTube. “Nature” (8 p.m., PBS, TV-PG, check local listings) launches a three-week look at “Animal Homes,” celebrating the diligence and artistry of critters great and small, from nestbuilding birds to the beaver and his elaborate lodges and mighty dams. One of the classic studies of Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture is a book called “In the Nature of Materials” by Henry-Russell Hitchcock. And materials in nature are very much the subjects of tonight’s exploration of bird nest-building. Whether it’s a great osprey assembling a huge nest twig by twig, or tiny birds building mud shelters one beak-load at a time, these gorgeous shelters reflect a visionary choice of building blocks, an artist’s discipline and an architect’s mastery of detail. It should inspire awe in those of us given access to hardware stores and opposable thumbs. Next week’s “Animal Homes” looks at the answer to every real estate agent’s question. “Location, Location, Location” examines why animals, birds and insects build the way they do and where they choose to settle down. Who knew the top of a telephone pole was a great place to raise a family? “Animal Cities,” premiering on April 22, shows how lowly critters like spiders and ants construct sturdy shelters with vast communities in mind. • Why take time for the ancient wonders of nature when you can just make stuff up? Sporting one of TV’s more oxymoronic titles, “True Supernatural” (10 p.m., Destination

(9 p.m., CBS, TV-14) * Phil and Claire doubt the existence of Alex’s boyfriend on “Modern Family” (9 p.m., ABC, r, TV-PG) * Cain returns with a vengeance on “Supernatural” (9 p.m., CW, r, TV-14) * Bow’s college pals descend on “black-ish” (9:30 p.m., ABC, TV-PG).

LATE NIGHT

A merganser duckling looks out from a nest 50 feet from the ground. Beginning at 8 p.m. today, “Nature” will air a three-part series investigating how animals build their homes. America, TV-14) travels to museums, university laboratories and even the storage lockers of tiny town halls to examine evidence and artifacts supposedly linked to paranormal phenomena. These include, but are not limited to, the existence of fairies and monsters. Remember, this is “True Supernatural,” as opposed to the other kind.

TONIGHT’S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS • Live playoffs on “The Voice” (8 p.m., NBC, TV-PG). • Crime victims contract the measles on “Law & Order: SVU” (9 p.m., NBC, TV-14). • A violent technophobe strikes on “CSI: Cyber” (10 p.m., CBS, TV-14). • Chicago’s most wanted on “Chicago P.D.” (10 p.m., NBC, TV-14). • Sadie’s woes put a damper on Juliette’s baby shower on “Nashville” (10 p.m., ABC, TVPG). • “Nazi Mega Weapons” (10

p.m., PBS, TV-PG, check local listings) recalls the battleships the Bismarck and the Tirpitz. • Crises foreign and domestic on “The Americans” (10 p.m., FX, TV-MA). • Alec runs out of options on “Broadchurch” (10 p.m., BBC America, TV-14). • Dave Foley guest-stars on “Hot in Cleveland” (10 p.m., TV Land, TV-PG). • The guys glance back on the fifth season finale of “Workaholics” (10 p.m., Comedy Central, TV-14).

on “Arrow” (8 p.m., CW, r, TV14) * Music appreciation on “The Goldbergs” (8:30 p.m., ABC, TV-PG) * Butchered in Barbados on “Criminal Minds”

Tavis Smiley is booked on “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart” (11 p.m., Comedy Central) * Kristen Stewart and Brian Wilson appear on “Conan” (11 p.m., TBS) * Jimmy Fallon welcomes Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Scott Eastwood and Flo Rida on “The Tonight Show” (11:35 p.m., NBC) * Pharrell Williams, Oscar Isaac and Delta Rae visit “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (12:35 a.m., NBC) * Josh Gad and Jessie Ware appear on “The Late Late Show With James Corden” (12:35 a.m., CBS). Copyright 2015, United Feature Syndicate

Spring Has Arrived!

CULT CHOICE A naive woman (Giulietta Masina) displays heart-breaking fidelity to her brutal circus strongman partner (Anthony Quinn) in director Federico Fellini’s 1954 drama “La Strada” (8 p.m., TCM).

SERIES NOTES Brick’s unanticipated accolade on “The Middle” (8 p.m., ABC, TV-PG) * Ray obsesses

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PHOTOS BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Pureed vegetables adds creaminess to Fresh and “Creamy” Asparagus Soup with Tarragon.

Asparagus — freshness, not thickness, matters BY SARA MOULTON The Associated Press When shopping for asparagus, people often focus on the wrong thing — how thick the stalks are. They think thinner is better. Truth is, asparagus can be delicious regardless of how thick it is. More important is how fresh the asparagus is. That’s where the flavor is. Freshly-harvested asparagus boasts a smooth, firm stalk and a tight tip. When asparagus is past its prime, the stalk starts to wrinkle and the tip begins spreading out like a feather. But vigilance for freshness doesn’t stop at the store. Once you get it home, you need to keep it fresh. The best way to store asparagus is to place the stalks with the ends down in a bit of water in the refrigerator. If you lack that kind of room, at least wrap the bottoms of the stalks in wet paper towels. They should last three or four days this way. Regardless of how you plan to cook the asparagus, the first step in prepping it is to get rid of the woody part of the stem at the bot-

tom of the stalks, either by breaking or cutting it. But don’t toss them out. I used to do this, but I’ve discovered they have a use! In this soup, I add them to the broth to help infuse it with flavor, then discard them. If I’m working with asparagus that is more than a 1/3-inch thick, I usually peel the stems to ensure even cooking from the tip to the bottom of the stalk. But we’re making soup here, which means we’re going to puree the asparagus, so there’s no need to peel. In fact, we want those peels. They help to give the soup a bright green color. Speaking of color, it also helps to barely cook the asparagus before pureeing it, and to reheat it only briefly after it is pureed. In general, the longer a green vegetable cooks, the grayer it becomes. What makes this soup without cream so creamy? It’s the pureed vegetables that do the trick, not only the asparagus, but also the onion and that one lone Yukon Gold potato. By the way, this soup is equally good hot or cold. It’s a spring thing.

FRESH AND “CREAMY” ASPARAGUS SOUP WITH TARRAGON Start to finish: 40 minutes Servings: 4 1 1/2 pounds asparagus (about 1 1/2 bunches) 1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth 1 3/4 cups water 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 cup thinly sliced yellow onion 1 small Yukon Gold potato (about 6 ounces), peeled and thinly sliced 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 2 teaspoons lemon juice Ground black pepper Chopped fresh tarragon, to serve Croutons, to serve Cut off the bottom woody ends of the asparagus, rinsing them if they are dirty and reserve them. Cut off the tips of the asparagus and set them aside. Chop the stems into 1-inch lengths. In a medium saucepan bring the broth and water to a boil. Add the asparagus tips and simmer until they are crisp tender, 1 to 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a bowl. Set aside. Add the reserved woody ends to the liquid, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a second medium saucepan over medium, heat the oil. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Pour the asparagus stock through a strainer into the saucepan with the onion, pressing on the asparagus ends to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the ends. Add the potatoes and salt to the saucepan and simmer until the potatoes are tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the chopped asparagus stalks, then bring the stock to a boil and simmer until the stems are barely blanched, 1 minute for thin stalks, 2 minutes for medium stalks and 3 minutes for thick stalks. Working in batches, transfer the mixture to a blender and carefully blend until smooth, transferring the soup as it is pureed to the empty saucepan. Stir in reserved asparagus tips and the lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper, then continue cooking just until heated through. Divide between serving bowls and top each portion with tarragon and croutons. Nutrition information per serving: 230 calories; 130 calories from fat (57 percent of total calories); 14 g fat (2 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 5 mg cholesterol; 22 g carbohydrate; 5 g fiber; 5 g sugar; 6 g protein; 320 mg sodium.