Europe’s migrant crisis brings death by land, sea A7 Reward! $15,000 For information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for killing Charles Way. Mr. Way was killed in his home on August 18, 2008 in Sumter, SC. Crimestoppers is also offering an additional reward up to $2500.00.
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Sunday sales success Spirits may fuel several restaurant expansions BY ADRIENNE SARVIS adrienne@theitem.com Testament from a few individuals across Sumter leads to the conclusion that Sunday alcohol sales have not only been successful, but have also helped pave a way for business expansions. Danielle Thompson, coowner of Hamptons restaurant, said there has been a small increase in the sale of alcohol but there has been a major increase in customer satisfaction because of the option to have an alcoholic beverage with their Sunday bunch. Although Hamptons restaurant only sells beer and wine, Thompson’s new project, a bar on North Main Street, will sell liquor as well as wine and beer on Sundays. She said the approval of Sunday alcohol sales was a critical component in her decision to open the bar because of the revenues the establishment stands to make from the extra day of business. Javier Boscio, dining room manager at Willy Sue’s, said the restaurant has experienced a big impact since the start of Sunday alcohol sales. He said the Sunday brunch crowd that used to leave
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Brittany Mabry, a bartender at Willie Sue’s, pours a drink recently at the bar. The restaurant has seen a rise in its Sunday business since the law was changed in the city to allow restaurants to sell spirits on Sundays.
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DSS head: Vulnerable adults often overlooked COLUMBIA (AP) — The task of protecting South Carolina’s elderly and disabled adults has become an “afterthought” at the Department of Social Services, its director told a Senate panel. Susan Alford, who took the agency’s helm in February, acknowledged her agency needs to do a better job protecting vulnerable adults. A decade of budget cuts and staff shortages have “marginalized” such services, she said. “It tends to be an area that we just look at as an afterthought,” Alford said Monday. “There’s been very little attention paid to this area.” The agency doesn’t even have a statewide plan for adult services, though that should soon change, she said. Because “we’ve spread ourselves so thin across the department,” Alford said, caseworkers responsible for keeping kids safe have also been handling vulnerable adult cases. Her improvement efforts so far include putting adult protective services in a separate division with its own director, she said. The Senate panel that has been investigating DSS since January 2014 has focused on children’s deaths amid case loads that, for some social workers, still top 100 children. Former Director Lillian Koller, who had insisted for years that DSS needed no additional money or staff, resigned in June 2014, on the eve of a noconfidence vote in the Senate.
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Erika fizzles, but be prepared for more storms State remains vulnerable; DNR offers tips for being ready BY JIM HILLEY jim@theitem.com Though its remnants may spread some moisture our way during the coming week, Tropical Storm Erika will not be a threat to the Palmetto State, as the storm system dissipated Saturday morning as it neared the eastern coast of Cuba, according to the National Hurricane Center. At 9:30 a.m. Saturday, the remnants of Erika were located about 130 miles east of Camaguey, Cuba, and were moving west-northwest near 22 mph in a general motion expected to continue into the evening, the Hurricane Center said. The storm’s maximum sustained winds were down to 35 mph, below tropical storm status. Erika’s tattered remnants were expected
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to move near the coast of eastern and central Cuba on Saturday and into the southeastern Gulf of Mexico today. What remains of Erika was expected to produce rainfall of 3 to 6 inches with maximum amounts of 10 inches possible across parts of the Dominican Republic, Haiti and eastern and central Cuba through Sunday, the Hurricane Center said, adding that the rains could cause flash floods and mudslides. Heavy rainfall was considered possible across southern and central Florida, and gusty winds could occur over southern Florida beginning today, the AP reported. Even though the storm may remind South Carolinians more of a Yugo than a Hugo, the fact that the storm may have caused area residents to think about hurricane preparedness is a good thing, since hurricane season does not officially end until Nov. 30. According to S.C. Department of Natural Resources, South Carolina is among the states most vulnerable to hurricanes and tropical storms. The Palmetto State’s six coast-
Storm batters Dominica and then dissipates ROSEAU, Dominica (AP) — Tropical Storm Erika dissipated early Saturday, even as its remnants began drenching parts of eastern Cuba. But it left devastation in its path, killing at least 20 people and leaving nearly 50 missing on the small eastern Caribbean island of Dominica, authoriTHE ASSOCIATED PRESS ties said. Residents work to salvage what’s left of their home at the site of a In Haiti, one person died in mudslide in Montrouis, Haiti, on Saturday. Erika dissipated early Sat- a mudslide just north of Porturday, but it left devastation in its path on the small eastern Caribbe- au-Prince, and at least four others were killed in a wreck an island of Dominica, authorities said. In Haiti, one person died in that apparently occurred in the mudslide just north of Port-au-Prince. the rain. The U.S. National Hurricane al counties bordering the AtMidlands, but other effects inCenter in Miami said the lantic Ocean have more than clude high winds, tornadoes storm had degenerated into a 200 miles of general coastline, and inland flooding from trough of low pressure by and another 21 inland counheavy rain can affect the early Saturday after the mounties are subject to the affects Sumter area. tains in Hispaniola knocked of these deadly storms. The agency recommends DNR says the greatest people take steps to minimize Erika below tropical storm force. threat to life and property asdanger to lives and property Dominica Prime Minister during violent storms, and resociated with a hurricane and Roosevelt Skerrit said in a minds the people of South tropical storm is storm surge, something that affects areas near the coast more than the SEE PREPARE, PAGE A8 SEE ERIKA, PAGE A8
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