December 17, 2015

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IN SPORTS: Lady ’Cats banking on experience, strong corps of seniors

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THE CLARENDON SUN

Zumbathon raises money Fundraising event held for survivor of serious Summerton wreck A9

SERVING SOUTH CAROLINA SINCE OCTOBER 15, 1894

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2015

75 CENTS

Got vacant property in Sumter? Registration becomes mandatory starting Jan. 1 BY ADRIENNE SARVIS adrienne@theitem.com City of Sumter recently launched a Web page regarding the registration of vacant residential property within

city limits, a matter that will become mandatory on Jan. 1. In April, Sumter City Council approved an ordinance requiring owners to register vacant residential property

with the city. The registry and city code can be found online at www.sumtersc.gov/vacant-property-program.aspx. Residents can also register at Sumter Codes En-

forcement Office, Liberty Center, 12 W. Liberty St. “Property that is vacant for an extended period becomes a problem for surrounding property owners and diminishes the value of surrounding property,” Mayor Joe McElveen stated

Living nativity brings Christmas story to life

SEE REGISTER, PAGE A8

2 locals prefile 3 bills BY JIM HILLEY jim@theitem.com

tions recently approved by state and local governmental agencies also must be completed, and Tuomey must reach a final settlement agreement with the U.S. Justice Department. That settlement is the result of the Sumter hospital being found in violation of the Stark Law and the False Claims Act in federal court, which levied more than $277 million in fines on

Area legislators have not been prolific in prefiling bills for the 2016 session of the S.C. General Assembly during the December 2015 filing period. Rep. Murrell Smith, R-Sumter, has prefiled two bills and cosponsored a third, while Sen. Kevin Johnson is prefiling one bill. Johnson, D-Manning, has prefilled S. 933, a bill giving students who failed to receive a high school diploma in South Carolina solely on the basis of failing an exit exam a two-year extension of the time to file a petition for a diploma. “There was a time when if a high school senior didn’t pass the exit exam, they did not receive a diploma,” Johnson said. “We changed that and they were allowed to go back to their school district and apply to receive the diploma.” As reported in The Sumter Item, students are no longer required to pass an exit exam, and the General Assembly passed Act 155 in 2014 that allows students who have met all other graduation requirements to petition their school district for a diploma, starting with the class of 2015. The deadline to petition for the diploma is expiring this month, Johnson said. “We found out a lot of people who were affected by that didn’t know about it,” he said. “I didn’t want the deadline to pass so they could never go back and get the diploma. I don’t even know why we have a deadline on that.” On the House side, Smith prefiled H. 4501, a bill requiring surgical technologists to be certified by an accredited program, and H. 4570, a bill increasing pensions for certain members of the National Guard. He is also listed as one of 29

SEE MERGER, PAGE A8

SEE BILLS, PAGE A8

The shepherds, above, visit with Joseph, Mary, the angel and baby Jesus during Trinity United Methodist Church’s living nativity Friday. Merchants sell goods to the townspeople of Bethelem during Trinity United Methodist Church’s drive through living nativity. PHOTOS BY KEITH GEDAMKE / THE SUMTER ITEM

Tuomey, Palmetto Health deal nears completion BY JIM HILLEY jim@theitem.com The emerging partnership between Tuomey Healthcare System and Palmetto Health is not a joining of brickand-mortar institutions, said Todd Miller, Palmetto’s chief marketing and communications officer, but a coming together. “It is a great cultural fit,” he said. Miller, during a visit to The Sumter

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Item Wednesday, said there is no simple way to describe the hospital’s new relationship. “We call it a membership,” he said. “Tuomey will have three seats on our board; Tuomey is at the table.” While Tuomey is officially going to join the Palmetto Health on Jan. 1, Miller said much still needs to be done to finalize the relationship, including the production of a master facilities plan and a capital plan. Bond transac-

DEATHS, B6 Rodney R. Rabb Albert Mouzone Betty P. Etheredge Willie Lonon Robert W. Kirby

C. Douglas Lipscombe Jr. Thomas Schnyder Alvin McCray Ricky Mouzon Alvin Cantey Sr.

WEATHER, A14

INSIDE

RAIN RETURNS

2 SECTIONS, 22 PAGES VOL. 121, NO. 54

A couple of thunderstorms expected today with a touch of late-night rain this evening. HIGH 73, LOW 56

Classifieds B8 Comics B7 Lotteries A14

Jewelry Wholesale

Opinion A13 Religion A4 Television A6


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