December 20, 2014 by The Sumter Item

REVIEW: ‘The Hobbit’ wraps with Middle Earth melee

Simpsons go to college Professors use scenes from sitcom during lessons A4

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New letter heats up debate on road work

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Group blasts idea to transfer maintenance to governments BY JIM HILLEY jim@theitem.com The South Carolina Association of Counties has released a letter to state Gov. Nikki Haley and the General Assembly stating its opposition to legislative efforts to transfer roads from the South Carolina Department of Transportation to local governments. “Counties do not have the financial resources to fund the necessary maintenance costs on the roads within the state system,” the letter said. The letter cites limitations on local governments’ ability to raise revenue and the failure of the state to fund the Local Government Fund as reasons counties would be unable to maintain the roads. “Adding the secondary highway system as a burden on county government and county taxpayers will ensure the financial collapse of many local governments,” the letter said. The state faces costs to maintain roads

SEE ROADS, PAGE A7

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Ethan Keisler, 2, reacts to a surprise visit from Santa Claus on Friday at St. James Lutheran School. Santa has been seen across Sumter lately. When asked about what he was doing in town, he said he was making his list and checking it twice. He assured that Ethan was nice.

Twice saved and spreading love

BY RICK CARPENTER rick@theitem.com

Rescued dog now brings joy to owner, Tuomey patients BY JADE REYNOLDS jade@theitem.com In the span of about two years, one dog went from being abandoned on the side of the road to giving a widow’s life purpose. Shannan Dault with the Sumter SPCA said Doe, as the shelter staff named the dog because she resembles a small deer, was brought in January 2012. Wendy Prebisha was traveling on Old Manning Road to pick her daughter up from Laurence Manning Academy when she saw a man putting this dog out on the side of the road. “Of course, I turned around because this is just what I do,” she said.

“The man was already gone. The dog was sitting there obviously pregnant. He’d left her a bucket of food and a piece of carpet.” She started to put the dog in the car, but she was too heavy to lift on her own. As she was already late picking her daughter up from school, Prebisha ran on to get her, and then the two of them got Doe in the car. But Prebisha knew she couldn’t take home a dog, especially one about to give birth. “I’m always taking in animals,” she said. “My husband would kill me if I bring anything else home.” So she took Doe to the SPCA. After the puppies were born and all

SEE DOE, PAGE A7

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Maybin Gardner and her dog, Doe, volunteer with the pet therapy program at Tuomey Regional Medical Center.

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Soldier awarded for saving man’s life after wreck

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The unforeseen intersection of two lives on April 10 saved one’s life and made a decorated hero out of the other. Jeremy Brunson was riding shotgun in a vacuum/pressure tanker truck on April 10 when a blown tire caused a co-worker to lose control of the truck and it ran off the road and hit a tree on U.S. 378 about two miles west of S.C. 261. With the weight of the massive truck behind him, the wreck smashed the front end of the vehicle when it hit the tree, collapsing the dash just below the knees of the driver and Brunson. When Brunson went to use his legs, he couldn’t move. His right leg was severed below the knee, and he didn’t know it. “I was in shock, and I was in no pain,” he said Friday. Sgt. 1st Class John M. Jackson, traveling to

SEE HEROISM, PAGE A7

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Murder suspect’s bond denied

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Former Marine ruled insane in death BEAUFORT — A judge has ruled a former Marine from Sumter was insane when he stole a fire truck while naked and then struck and killed a pedestrian. Circuit Court Judge Carmen Mullen found Kalvin Hunt not guilty by reason of insanity on Thursday after prosecutors and Hunt’s attorneys agreed on his mental state, multiple media outlets reported. The 28-year-old fled naked from the Naval Hospital in Beaufort in 2012, stole a Port Royal fire truck that was responding to a medical call at a nearby apartment complex, then struck and killed Justin Nicholas Miller before crashing into woods. Hunt was sent for treatment to a secure care facility run by the South Carolina mental health department. He must remain there until he regains his sanity, and there will have to be another hearing before he can be released. “Hunt will remain there until he’s not a threat to himself or anyone else,” Solicitor Duffie Stone said. “That status has the potential of remaining until he dies.” Hunt was dishonorably discharged from the Marines after his arrest. Along with murder, he was charged with six counts of hit and run with injuries, two counts of resisting, grand larceny and assault and battery in the first degree.

Jehovah Missionary Baptist to host dinner For the fourth year in a row, a Sumter family will provide a meal to those in need on Christmas Day. Jehovah Missionary Baptist Church, 803 S. Harvin St., will host the event between noon and 3 p.m. Thursday. Last year, about 300 individuals were fed, and the hope is to supply food to 500 people this year. Donations and volunteers are still welcome. Pledges and contributions are required by Monday. For more information, to donate or to volunteer, contact Shekia Bradford at kiabradford2010@gmail.com or Minister Napoleon Bradford at (803) 775-4032, extension 109.

CORRECTION

BY MATT BRUCE matthew@theitem.com A judge denied bond Friday morning for a suspect accused of fatally shooting the brother of his estranged wife during an argument earlier this month, and later posting about it on Facebook. Isaac Baughman II, 26, of 1187 Raiders Road, appeared for a hearing at Clarendon County Community Complex, where proceedings are being held there while the county courthouse undergoes renovations. Judge Jeffrey Young declined to set a bond and set an order allowing Baughman to revisit the ruling after 60 days. Clarendon County deputies arrested the Manning defendant Dec. 5, hours

port the victim for treatment. According to Clarendon County Sheriff’s Office reports, the shooting stemmed from an argument at a house along Boyd Road midway between Paxville and Manning sometime after 3 a.m. on Dec. 5. There is not yet any indication as to what sparked the argument. Baughman told deputies he shot Brown in self defense, although investigators note the victim did not have a weapon. In an unusual twist, Baughman posted multiple statuses on his Facebook page in the aftermath of the incident. In one posting, which came about the time deputies say they took him into custody, he stated, “Going to jail for murder.”

Car club donates $1,500 to local charities JADE REYNOLDS jade@theitem.com Sumter Cruisers is about more than just cool cars. “Each year in March, we decide which organizations we’re going to give money to,” said David Marcella, president of the car club. “We collect during the year at car shows and with donation buckets, and then in December, we pass the money out.” This year, his group presented $500 checks to each of three local nonprofits — the American Red Cross Sandhills Chapter, the John K. Crosswell Home for Children and Sumter United Ministries. The club’s bylaws state members can select up to three charities each year. “Last year, we gave to United Ministries and Crosswell Children’s Home,” Marcella said. “We gave those each $500. This year, we did a little bit better and were able to add a third one.” Nancy Cataldo, executive director of the Red Cross Palmetto SC Region Sandhills Chapter, was certainly pleased. “Any contribution from a local organization means the world to us,” she said. “It costs on average $1,250 to help a family of four affected by a fire. So this funding helps meet the needs of fire clients at one of the most devastating times of their lives. It’s so great to see community members support the needs of others.” Mark Champagne, executive director of United Ministries, agreed. “It’s always good when a club connects with us and consistently gives,” he said. “They become a part of the ministry, and some of these members have volunteered their time to help us,

PHOTO PROVIDED

David Marcella, third from left, president of Sumter Cruisers, presents checks for $500 each to: from left, Mark Champagne, executive director of Sumter United Ministries; Jennie Geddings, long-time Red Cross volunteer; and Jerry Allred, executive director of The John K. Crosswell Home for Children. Every year, the local car club collects donations for nonprofits. too. The clubs in Sumter work hard to make the donations they give.” This is the third year the children’s home has received contributions, said Jerry Allred, executive director. “It’s neat when people recognize what we do as valuable and are willing to step up and help,” he said. “It’s a good illustration of how much the Sumter community cares. Small groups, large groups, mom-and-pop business and large companies give not

just at Christmas but throughout the year. Sometimes, they just get more exposure at Christmas.” The money will go toward what Allred likes to call “normal childhood experiences” such as sports, summer camps and field trips for the children. Sumter Cruisers had given to Red Cross in the past, Marcella said. Other past recipients have included the Sumter SPCA and the Ronald McDonald House.

Shaw office helps put sex predator away FROM STAFF REPORTS

In Friday’s edition of The Sumter Item, the phone number for Lou-Von Family Foundation was incorrect. The foundation will be delivering meals to homebound individuals or groups of veterans or those in need. To request delivery or for more information, please contact Kisha BrownMontgomery at (803) 773-1838.

after he reportedly became embroiled in an early morning altercation with 19-year-old Steven Hunter Brown. Baughman’s separated wife was Brown’s older sister, authorities indicated. The Manning teen, who resided at 1362 Savage Road, died from a single gunshot wound to the BAUGHMAN head. The Clarendon County Coroner’s Office said he was dead upon arrival at Clarendon Memorial Hospital about 3:50 a.m. on Dec. 5. Investigators said Baughman walked away from the medical center shortly after helping his estranged wife trans-

Agents with Shaw Air Force Base’s Air Force Office of Special Investigations have helped put away a man convicted of sexually assaulting a child and who was planning to assault another. Airman Dustin Wood, 23, of Decatur, Georgia, was convicted in an Air Force Courts-Mar-

tial on Dec. 10 of criminal solicitation of a minor, fraudulent enlistment, indecent language with a child and rape of a child who has not reached 12, according to a Friday news release from the S.C. Attorney General’s Office. The judge sentenced him to confinement for life, which was reduced to 35 years because of a pretrial agreement. In addition, Wood

was reduced to the grade of E-1, forfeited all pay and allowances and was dishonorably discharged. Wood had been arrested in March 2014 and held in pretrial confinement until his sentencing. This case originated in October 2013 as an Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force undercover Craig-

slist operation. The Shaw agents, members of the task force and Decatur County Sheriff’s Office personnel collaborated during the investigation. Authorities discovered digital media indicating he had previously raped a minor and was actively seeking another to assault about two weeks before he was apprehended, the release states.

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Wilson Hall Christmas music program

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2014

PHOTOS PROVIDED

Sixth-grade students Madison DesChamps, as Christmas Present, and Logan Kennedy, as The Scrooge, act in a scene from “A Seussified Christmas Carol,” a one-act comedy by Peter Bloedel. The sixthgrade drama class, taught by Hannah Leirmoe, performed the play in the multipurpose room.

COLUMBIA — South Carolina’s unemployment rate remained unchanged in November at 6.7 percent, the state Department of Employment and Workforce said Friday. The number of South Carolinians working also reached a record high for another month at 2.05 million people in November as the state added about 5,100 jobs, according to the agency. South Carolina has added about 29,000 jobs this year. But the unemployment rate has slowly risen through most of 2014 as more people start looking for work again or move into the state. The agency estimates there are nearly 2.2 million people who are working or who want to work but cannot find a job in the state. Marion County still has the state’s highest unemployment rate in November at 11.6 percent. Greenville, Lexington and Saluda counties all have the lowest jobless rates at 5.2 percent. Nineteen counties had

lower unemployment rates in November, while the jobless rate rose in 16 counties and was unchanged in 11 counties. South Carolina’s unemployment rate remained above the national rate of 5.8 percent in November, which was unchanged from the previous month. The leader of the jobs agency emphasized the good news in the report. “This type of record-setting employment growth, along with labor force expansion, points to continued economic prosperity as the year winds down, and we look forward to 2015,” Department of Employment and Workforce Director Cheryl Stanton said in a statement. The job sectors that saw the most new workers were professional and business services and leisure and hospitality. Declines in jobs in November were seen in education and health services and construction. It has been nearly four years since South Carolina set its record with an 11.9 percent unemployment rate in December 2009.

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POLICE BLOTTER STOLEN PROPERTY Tires and rims were reported stolen from a 1993 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 pickup truck about noon Thursday in the 4200 block of Pond Loop Road. A 1995 Ford Taurus valued at $2,000 was reported stolen from the front yard of a Mayesville home in the 5900 block of Myrtle Beach Highway just before 3 p.m. Thursday. A shelving unit valued at $75, an air-conditioning/ heater unit valued at $800 and a deer camera valued at $40 were reported stolen from a home in the 400 block of Red Bay Road about 6:30 p.m. Thursday. A 1989 Ford F-150 Lariat was reported stolen from the front yard of a Lynchburg home in the 10400 block of

Lynches River Road about 6:30 p.m. Thursday. An inoperable 2004 Chevrolet Impala, valued at $1,000, was reportedly stolen from a home in the 100 block of Lafayette Drive between Dec. 1 and 8 a.m. Thursday. The vehicle reportedly contained a pair of glasses valued at $300 and clothing valued at $100.

A 1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee valued at $1,000 was reportedly stolen and a 2000 Buick LeSabre sustained an estimated $200 in damage to its ignition switch area during an alleged break-in at a gas station in the 300 block of Neely Street between 6 p.m. Wednesday and 11:20 a.m. Thursday.

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S.C.’s jobless rate still at 6.7 percent BY JEFFREY COLLINS The Associated Press

First-grade students Lillie Rogers and Ella Sill dance to “Holiday Parade” by Teresa and Paul Jennings in the lower school’s annual Christmas music program held in the Nash Student Center of Wilson Hall. Directed by Frankie Eldridge and Jeanne Shaw, students in grades 1 through 5 sang and danced to a variety of contemporary and traditional Christmas songs.

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The D’oh of Homer: Professors employ TV’s ‘The Simpsons’ BY FRANK ELTMAN The Associated Press

Raven” and “The Fall of the House of Usher,” and Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” — all referenced in “SimpHEMPSTEAD, N.Y.— Bart and Lisa Simpson have been in sons” episodes. “Teachers need to keep elementary school for 25 years. things fresh,” says Denise DuBut that hasn’t stopped them Vernay, an adjunct English from showing up on college professor at St. Xavier Univercampuses. Universities across the coun- sity in Chicago, co-author of the book “The Simpsons in the try are using satirical references from “The Simpsons” to Classroom: Embiggening the Learning Experience with the grab students’ attention and Wisdom of Springfield.” convey lessons in literature “They need to reach stuand all manner of popular culdents however they can. And ture. “If the references are impor- using ‘The Simpsons’ to grab their attention, I think, is briltant enough to be lampooned liant,” she says. “Fighting by ‘The Simpsons,’ these against pop culture isn’t going works must be important cultural milestones,” says Hofstra to do anyone any good.” In recent years, other uniUniversity adjunct English versities have had courses foprofessor Richard Pioreck, cused on the primetime show who has been incorporating — which celebrates its 25th the denizens of Springfield into his courses for about a de- anniversary Wednesday — including Oswego State Unicade. versity in New York and San He now teaches a course Jose State University in Caliabout the Broadway theater and how “The Simpsons” have fornia. Longtime “Simpsons” execuembraced various musicals tive producer Al Jean says he’s and plays. Next semester, he not surprised professors have shifts to an online literature embraced the program. “Some course titled “The D’oh of Homer” that includes readings people may think we are very vulgar, but then they find from Edgar Allan Poe’s “The

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Richard Pioreck, adjunct professor of English, creative writing and literature at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y., discusses how he uses “The Simpsons” TV show and its use of references to Broadway and literature to teach his students. The popular sitcom has been fodder for study at several universities across the country. there is a lot of warmth and emotion and many people are surprised at the intelligence of some of the jokes,” he says. Pioreck says he decided to use the show after a friend of his daughter’s passed an exam on “The Devil and Daniel Webster” by watching a “Simpsons” episode that focused on the story. He found that the sitcom usually aims for more than just the easy punchlines, with

writers layering the plotlines with humor that can be appreciated by lowbrow, middlebrow and highbrow audiences alike. For example, in one episode that parodied “A Streetcar Named Desire” (“A Streetcar Named Marge”), the dynamics of Homer and Marge Simpson’s marriage are deftly illustrated through a comparison to the relationship of the couple in the

play, Stella and Stanley. “‘The Simpsons’ do a great deal of parodying, whether it’s a complete script or a number here or there,” Pioreck says. “Quite often they choose family relationships; what makes a man a success is one of the things that we pursue. And you can see what happens to Homer. Even though it looks like he’s not a good father, he steps up and he comes through in the end.”

U.S. tapped contractors to do its sneaky work in Cuba WASHINGTON (AP) — When the U.S. government’s global-aid agency launched secret plans to undermine Cuba’s communist government, it didn’t turn to the CIA for help. Instead, it used little-known contractors to carry out the operations — leading to multiple detentions and the high-profile arrest of American Alan Gross. Gross’ release from a Cuban prison Wednesday underscored the dangers for the U.S. Agency for International Development’s partners in Cuba. Those groups received millions of dollars to run clandestine operations but repeatedly failed to avoid detection in a country where USAID’s work is illegal. Disclosures by The Associated Press this year revealed how one of those companies — working under USAID’s supervision — sought to bring about grassroots change by providing a “Cuban Twitter” program called ZunZuneo, staging an HIV workshop to recruit activists in Cuba and infiltrating the nation’s hip-hop community. The projects by Creative Associates International crossed paths with the company that Gross worked for at the time of his 2009 arrest, the Marylandbased Development Alternatives Inc., as he smuggled in sensitive technology — using backpacks and carry-on bags — to set up illegal Internet connections. He was arrested, convicted and declared a spy by Cuban President Raul Castro. President Obama said Wednesday the U.S. will re-establish diplomatic ties with Cuba. But it was unclear if such U.S. democracy efforts would ever cease, with administration officials reiterating

But it’s unclear what, if any, consequences are in store for contractors such as Development Alternatives or Creative Associates. Development Alternatives, better known as DAI, remains one of USAID’s largest contractors. From 2009 through midDecember 2014, while Gross was imprisoned in Cuba, the company’s revenues from work on 392 USAID projects totaled $2.3 billion, according to data provided by DAI spokesman Steven O’Connor. “We continue to be an active partner with USAID,” O’Connor said Thursday. “Proud to be so.” Gross was paid more than a half-million dollars as a USAID AP FILE PHOTO subcontractor, according to Prime Minister Fidel Castro is seen during a news conference in HaU.S. officials familiar with the vana, Cuba, on June 14, 1961. For more than a half a century, the U.S. contract. They spoke only on government tried many schemes to overthrow the Castro regime: poi- condition of anonymity besonous cigars, an exploding seashell, the secret Twitter-like service in cause they are not authorized Cuba. U.S. President Obama said Wednesday the United States will re- to discuss the case. establish diplomatic ties with Cuba and bring change to the longIn the wake of his arrest, standing trade embargo. Gross sued DAI and USAID for $60 million, alleging they did not adequately train him or this week that the pro-democor ran out of money. In the disclose the risks he faced on racy work Cuba has long comU.S., lawmakers were increduthe island. A federal court displained about would continue. lous to learn of the amateur The programs, disclosed in a mishaps and ultimately direct- missed the case against USAID and the Gross family settled series of reports by the AP, ed USAID not to undertake last year with DAI for an undiswere scrapped after they were risky work in politically reclosed amount. discovered by Cuban officials pressive countries. Filed in 2012, the lawsuit al-

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leged that Gross repeatedly voiced his concerns to DAI and USAID about the risks of his Internet project in Cuba and the dangers of being caught. But his warnings were ignored. DAI pressed Gross, the lawsuit said, to “finish the project or to find someone else who would.” Gross and DAI, with USAID’s approval, agreed to extend the project. In a statement posted Wednesday on DAI’s website, James Boomgard, the company’s chief executive officer, welcomed Gross home. “This is a joyful day,” Boomgard said. “We are delighted by the release and safe return of Alan Gross, and immensely happy for him and his family.” The programs run by Creative that have been disclosed this year by the AP received sharp criticism from some U.S. lawmakers who called them “reckless,” “boneheaded” and “downright irresponsible.” Cuban artists swept up in the program were detained or interrogated by Cuban authorities. The secret U.S. hip-hop operation backfired after Cuban authorities found that an independent music festival — one of the largest on the island — was really backed by the Obama administration.

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CABLE CHANNELS Criminal Minds: Pleasure Is My (:01) Criminal Minds: Demonology (:01) Criminal suspects. (HD) embalms his victims. (HD) Copycat killer. (HD) Business Killer call girl. (HD) Religious deaths. (HD) Minds (HD) The Santa Clause 2 (‘02, Holiday) aac Tim Allen. Santa Claus must find a Mrs. Claus White Christmas (‘54, Holiday) aaa Bing Crosby. Two former Army 180 The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (‘10, Fantasy) aac Nicolas Cage. (HD) due to contractual fine print. (HD) buddies perform at a Vermont inn for charity at Christmas. (HD) 100 Pit Bulls and Parolees (HD) Pit Bulls and Parolees (HD) Animal Planet Best Fest (N) Pit Bulls and Parolees (HD) Animal Planet Best Fest (HD) Pit Bulls (HD) Jumping the Broom (‘11, Comedy) aa Angela Bassett. Two families arrive for a wedding, but 162 Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Big Happy Family (‘11, Comedy) ac Tyler Perry. A woman must help her niece gather her family to share upsetting news with them. realize they come from two backgrounds. 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Bunny (‘08) (HD) Jessie: Jessie’s Aloha Holidays with Lab Rats Toy bat- Mighty Med Austin & Ally Dog Blog: Crimes I Didn’t Lindy’s 80 Dog Blog: Lost in Liv and Maddie Girl Meets Christ- I Didn’t Do It: Stanslation (HD) mas dinner. Merry Miss Sis Parker and Joey (HD) tle. (HD) (HD) of the Art letter. 103 Airplane Repo (HD) Airplane Repo (HD) Airplane Repo (HD) Airplane: Armed and Airborne Airplane Repo (HD) Airplane (HD) 35 College Football: Western Michigan vs Air Force z{| (HD) College Football: South Alabama Jaguars vs Bowling Green Falcons from Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Ala. (HD) 39 Scoreboard NCAA Volleyball Champ.: Championship z{| (HD) College Basketball: North Carolina State vs West Virginia (HD) College Basketball (HD) Home Alone (‘90, Comedy) aaa Macaulay Culkin. A young boy acciden131 (6:00) Elf (‘03, Holiday) aaa Will Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (‘00, Holiday) aac Jim Carrey. A shunned, Ferrell. Man raised as elf. (HD) spiteful and revenge-seeking Grinch plots to destroy Christmas. (HD) tally left at home fends off two bumbling burglars. (HD) 109 Diners (HD) Diners (HD) Diners (HD) Diners (HD) Diners (HD) Diners (HD) Diners (HD) Diners (HD) Diners (HD) Diners (HD) Diners (HD) 74 FOX Report Saturday (HD) Huckabee (N) (HD) Justice with Judge Jeanine (N) Geraldo Rivera Reports Red Eye (HD) Justice (HD) 42 NHL Hockey: New York Rangers at Carolina Hurricanes from PNC Arena (HD) Postgame Golden Boy Live: Alan Sanchez vs. Ed Paredes no} (HD) NHL Hockey 183 (6:00) Christmas Under Wraps (‘14, Christmas in Conway (‘13, Romance) Mary-Louise Parker. Husband builds The Christmas Ornament (‘13, Holiday) Kellie Martin. A widow decides to One Starry Drama) Sage Adler. (HD) ferris wheel for wife. (HD) keep her winter holiday festivities relatively low key. (HD) Christmas (HD) 112 Property Infinity pool. Property Home: The Fun Zone Property Brothers at Home House Hunters (N) Hunters (HD) Hunters (HD) Property 110 Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Pawn Stars A Perfect Christmas List (‘14, Holiday) Ellen Hollman. A 160 My Santa (‘13, Family) Matthew Lawrence. A young mother is beginning to Back to Christmas (‘14, Holiday) Kelly Overton. A woman travels back in lose her faith in the magic of Christmas. time for a second chance to save her engagement. woman embarks on a holiday adventure. Biography: Cameron Diaz The actor (:02) The Holiday 145 (6:00) Dear Santa (‘11, Holiday) Amy The Holiday (‘06, Comedy) aaa Cameron Diaz. Two women suffering from romance woes decide to swap Acker. Special request. (HD) homes over Christmas. (HD) started out as a model. (HD) (‘06) (HD) 76 Caught on Camera (HD) Caught on Camera (HD) Lockup (HD) Lockup (N) (HD) Lockup Varying sentences. 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Syfy’s holiday contribution: ‘Christmas Icetastrophe’ BY KEVIN MCDONOUGH Hardly “Sharknado,” the silly shocker “Christmas Icetastrophe” (9 p.m. Saturday, Syfy, TV-14) has all of the elements that made this network’s popcorn movie franchise so addictive: a silly title, so-so acting, special effects and dubious science. Very dubious science. While it lacks the blinkand-you-missed-them stunt casting of “Sharknado,” the ensemble does include some semi-familiar faces, including Victor Webster (“Continuum”), Jennifer Spence (“Stargate Universe”) and Richard Harmon (“Bates Motel”). The story involves a strange asteroid that hits a resort community on Christmas Day. The space relic contains a hot side and a cold side. When the sides separate, the frigid half causes a cascade of crystallization, rapidly freezing everything it encounters — except of course, major characters. They’re saved by little things like Zippo lighters, a boiler room and our emotional investment in their survival. Perhaps their contracts. Lesser players are dispatched with the casual savagery we’ve come to expect from these efforts. They’re impaled by asteroid debris, or flash frozen and then shattered into a thousand human ice cubes. Not suitable for Christmas cocktail parties. As in most films since “Jaws” bloodied the box office, minor subplots involve a secret teenage romance and the class struggle between a log cabin-owning hunk and his silver spoon boss whose plans to gentrify the town have divided the community. But when cosmic debris plunges the town into an instant Ice Age, such quibbles can’t gather much steam. • Dreading all of that holiday together time with the nearest and dearest? “Who the (Bleep) Did I Marry?” (8 p.m. Saturday, ID, TV-14) returns for a new season of stories about spouses hiding behind double lives and criminal identities. First up: a woman from Jupiter, Florida, who discovers some ugly

p.m., ABC, r, TV-PG). • Tony’s obsession grows on “The Missing” (9 p.m., Starz, TV-MA). • Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye and Rosemary Clooney star in the 1954 holiday musical “White Christmas” (10:30 p.m., AMC, TV-G).

SUNDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS

CINETEL FILMS / SYFY

Victor Webster stars as Charlie Ratchet, Jennifer Spence as Alex Novak and Mike Dopud as Ben Crooge on “Christmas Icetastrophe,” airing at 9 p.m. today on Syfy. truths about her husband, six years into her seemingly placid marriage. • Tania searches for new homes for her shelter animals on the “Pit Bulls and Parolees Holiday Special” (9 p.m. Saturday, Animal Planet, TV-PG). • So many reality shows take place in work settings that their Christmas specials have the trappings of somebody else’s office party. If you can’t find reindeer, will a moose do? On the “North Woods Law Holiday Special” (9 p.m. Sunday, Animal Planet, TV-PG), game warden Pete Herring brings some cute critters to lift the spirits of patients at the Child Cancer Center in Portland, Maine. Other agents donate surplus game meat to a homeless shelter and hold their annual potluck dinner and tree cutting party. • Oprah Winfrey, TV’s queen of soft-focus quasispirituality, presents “The Rob Bell Show” (8 p.m. Sunday, OWN). Named as “one of the 100 most influential people in the world” by Time magazine, Bell has been part of Winfrey’s traveling road show, the multicity “Oprah’s The Life You Want Weekend” circuit. The author of “What We

Talk About When We Talk About God,” Bell will share stories with a live audience, returning to such themes as “owning your story” and “wonder and awe.” Prior to Bell’s show, OWN presents a best-of edition of “Super Soul Sunday” (7 p.m.), including Oprah’s conversations with Pharrell Williams, John Legend, Tina Turner, Sharon Stone, Alanis Morissette and Arianna Huffington concerning their spirituality. Why is it when I think about celebrities and spirituality I return to Dana Carvey’s old “Saturday Night Live” Church Lady refrain: “Isn’t that special?” • “Asian Tsunami: The Deadliest Wave” (8 p.m. Sunday, Smithsonian) recalls the Indian Ocean tsunami that struck on Dec. 26, 2004, leaving more than 230,000 dead and 1.7 million without homes, making it one of the most deadly natural disasters in recent history. • The slightly decadent Max Detweiler never got to fully exploit those cute von Trapp kids, but that hasn’t stopped TV networks from cashing in! The weekend offers two different takes on the beloved Rodgers and Hammerstein musical. Carrie Underwood stars in

the 2013 television adaptation of “The Sound of Music” (8 p.m. Saturday, NBC), which was broadcast live. ABC invites viewers to chime in on the four-hour “The Sound of Music: Sing-aLong” (7 p.m. Sunday). That will bring us back to dough!

• Scheduled on “60 Minutes” (7:30 p.m., CBS): an update on Afghanistan; interviews with actress Reese Witherspoon and retiring Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn. • The Arizona Cardinals host the Seattle Seahawks on “Sunday Night Football” (8:20 p.m., NBC). • “Masterpiece Classic” (9 p.m. and 10 p.m., PBS, TVPG, check local listings) offers two chances to catch up on last season’s “Downton Abbey.” • Carrie and Saul return home to reflect on the fourth season finale of “Homeland” (9 p.m., Showtime, TV-MA). • Bad reviews hit close to home on “The Comeback” (10 p.m., HBO, TV-MA). • Helen more than connects the dots on the season finale of “The Affair” (10 p.m., Showtime, TV-MA). • A deadly hit-and-run on “CSI” (10:30 p.m., CBS, TV14).

CULT CHOICE TCM serves up “Treasures From the Disney Vault” (8 p.m. Sunday), including “Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color” and its presentation of “The Disneyland Story,” a 1954 preview of the Anaheim theme park that attracted millions of station wagons west to the Magic Kingdom.

SATURDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS • Linus and ReRun bond with beagles in the 2003 special “I Want a Dog For Christmas, Charlie Brown” (8 p.m., ABC, TV-G). • House-swapping improves Cupid’s chances for two women (Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet) in the 2006 romantic comedy “The Holiday” (8 p.m., Lifetime). • The San Francisco 49ers host the San Diego Chargers in NFL action (8:25 p.m., CBS). • Jennifer Nettles hosts “CMA Country Christmas” (9

SATURDAY SERIES Booth awaits trial on the season premiere of “Bones” (8 p.m., Fox, r, TV-14) * A plan to rescue Katrina on “Sleepy Hollow” (9 p.m., Fox, r, TV-14).

SUNDAY SERIES Pittsburgh’s mayor mingles with his staff on “Undercover Boss” (8:30 p.m., CBS, TV-PG) * One too many for Homer on “The Simpsons” (8 p.m., Fox, TV-PG) * Holt needs protection on “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” (8:30 p.m., Fox, r, TV-14) * Peter’s religious vision on “Family Guy” (9 p.m., Fox, TV-14) * Jane takes a sick day on “The Mentalist” (9:30 p.m., CBS, TV-14) * A tree cutting fiasco on “Bob’s Burgers” (9:30 p.m., Fox, r, TV-PG). Copyright 2014, United Feature Syndicate

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2014

THE SUMTER ITEM

REVIEWS Call: (803) 774-1221 | E-mail: ivy@theitem.com

‘The Hobbit’ wraps with a Middle-earth melee BY JAKE COYLE AP Film Writer With a sum total of 1,032 minutes, Peter Jackson’s six J.R.R. Tolkien films have earned more than $5 billion worldwide. They have made New Zealand synonymous with Middle-earth. And they have slaughtered enough orcs to constitute genocide. The sheer size of Jackson’s accomplishment — a majestic, fully realized fantasy world, from its lush landscapes down to its hairy feet — is enough to make Cecil B. DeMille blush. Across craggy mountaintops and through enchanted forests, he has set his hobbits, elves and wizards scampering to and fro, always under the threat of greed, ego and selfishness. More than anything, he has taken the stuff of fantasy seriously and rendered Tolkien’s splendid creation with love. Sadly, all of that was true after Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. The subsequent “Hobbit” trio, which is now finally sputtering to an end with “The Battle of the Five Armies,” will inevitably go down as an unneeded, unloved gratuity, a trilogy, like the second “Star Wars” run, to write off as overkill. The magic, fleeting to start with, is mostly gone. “The Hobbit” might have been a nice little prequel add-on to “The Lord of the Rings,” but by dividing it into three movies, Jackson and company have drained the book’s dramatic momentum. The first, “An Unexpected Journey,” remains in one’s memory only for its clown-car introduction of the 13 dwarfs in an interminable dinner scene I fear is just now approaching dessert. “The Desolation of Smaug,” for me the most successfully rollicking of these three, brought in (finally) another woman (Evangeline Lilly’s elf Tauriel) and Benedict Cumberbatch’s glorious dragon. What most distinguishes “The Battle of the Five Armies” is its relative torpor. After five films of relentless forward motion, its characters

always in perpetual flight, Jackson’s “Hobbit” has, as if out of gas, plopped down at the Lonely Mountain. Picking up with Smaug’s fiery escape, “Five Armies” caps “The Hobbit” with a Middle-earth melee as all forces gather around Erebor. The riches inside the mountain draw dwarfs (led by Richard Armitage’s king Thorin), THE ASSOCIATED PRESS elves (ruled by Lee Pace’s Orc Azog, voiced by Manu Bennett, appears in a scene from director Peter Jackson’s epic finale “The Hobwonderfully snobbish Thranduil), a smattering of humans bit: The Battle of the Five Armies.” (most notably Luke Evans’s Bard) and, of course, huge armies of hulking orcs. All the commotion doesn’t leave much room for Martin Freeman’s Bilbo Baggins. The funny, natural Freeman is one of the best things to hit Jackson’s overly earnest epic (it’s an hour into “Five Armies” before the first chuckle), but he has often been crowded out by the avalanche of characters and CGI effects. Perhaps — and I know this could strike Jackson as incredulous — a battle scene need not be an hour long? The action, too, comes in Jackson’s preferred 48 framesper-second (theater options will vary; and the film is also in 3-D), which, in the mission of greater clarity, yields a heightened artificiality. Some believe 2009 Ford Focus 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee this high-frame-rate is the future (James Cameron is a fan), $7,970 - Stock #T5615A $6,970 - Low Miles - Stock #T5671A1 but for now, it’s the greatest evi2004 Volkswagen Beetle Conv. dence that some 15 years down 2010 Jeep Liberty a Hobbit hole — both pleasingly $8,970 - Stock #T5630B $12,470 - Stock #5704A and frustratingly far from reality — have marred Jackson’s vi2009 Nissan Altima 2008 Nissan Armada sion. Effects-only shots look $8,970 - Stock #T5562A $12,570 - Stock #T5632A fine, but live-action appears like a soap opera. 2008 Honda Civic LX 2012 Dodge Durango But maybe it’s time to ad$9,970 - Stock #M1795A $20,970 Stock #T5883A mire Jackson for his obsessions. He has spent a very 2010 Honda Civic LX Coupe 2013 Toyota Siena long time in Middle-earth and his affection for it hasn’t, for $10,970 - Stock #T5854A $22,970 - Stock #3996 even 1/48th of a moment, ever 2011Chevy Hyundai Sonata been in doubt. It is his pre2014 Mazda CX-5 2008 Toyota Highlander 2005 Trailblazer cious. $12,470 Stock#T5645A #T5990A $24,970 $15,970 - Stock #T5619A #T5757B $7,970 --Stock “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies,” a Warner 2010 Toyota Pruis 2011 Ford Explorer Loaded Bros. release, is rated PG-13 $12,970 - Stock #T5670A2 $27,970 Stock #T5774A by the Motion Picture Association of America for “extend2013 Chevrolet Sonic ed sequences of intense fanta$12,970 - Stock #3662C sy action violence and frightening images.” Running time: Mazda B4000 2012 Toyota Corolla 144 minutes. Two stars out of four. $4,970 - Stock #T5368C $13,470 - Stock #T5784A

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DOE FROM PAGE A1

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adopted, the staff assessed Doe for adoption. They discovered she had heartworms, Dault said. She was treated and ready to go when Maybin Gardner saw her picture in The Sumter Item. Gardner’s husband had passed away a few years before. She struggled to find her fit volunteering. Someone suggested the pet therapy program. But her dog of 15 years had passed away too recently for her to consider taking in another pet, let alone go into an animal-assisted therapy. “I said, ‘I can’t go through that heartache again,’” Gardner said. “‘I’m not getting another dog.’ But my son saw what I was going through. He said, ‘Mama, please go get a dog. You’re a dog person.’” It was about another year before Gardner saw Doe featured in the newspaper. She went to the shelter to check her out. “She looked plumb pitiful,” Gardner said. “They said to take her in the kitchen and see how we interacted with each other. I did. Then I put her back up, and I left, but I couldn’t get that dog off my mind.” She called the shelter hoping someone had adopted Doe. No one had. Gardner prayed and waited two or three more weeks. She went to the SPCA. Doe was still there. So she took Doe with the caveat of bringing her back if the dog did not get along with her grandchildren. “I took her home, and she loved those children as soon as they came through the door,” Gardner said. “They were ecstatic. She’s a very quiet dog. She didn’t tear anything up. She was just a year old, a baby that had babies. She didn’t mess in the house. She was the ideal dog. I got a kennel before I got her, and she’s been in it maybe two or three times.” Once she saw Doe’s demeanor, she started thinking about the therapy dog program again. “I thought, ‘Here it is. Here’s the path he’s (God) leading me through,’” Gardner said. So she and Doe took the seminar, and she had the dog tested. “She went through every test perfect,” Gardner said. “I was just in awe. She just brightened me up. I was happy again. Now I like to see how she goes in people’s rooms and the smile on their faces. It’s a ministry to me, and she loves it. Her tail just wags. She knows when we get ready to go to the hospital.” In September, she started taking Doe to visit with patients on the Tuomey oncology floor. Then a few weeks ago, Prebisha, a nurse, came into a room to find Gardner and her dog. She almost immediately asked Gardner where she got Doe. “I was kind of scared that maybe this was her dog,” Gardner said. She told the nurse she got Doe from the SPCA. The two women confirmed timelines, and Prebisha told Gardner she was the one that took the dog to the SPCA. “I said, ‘Oh my gosh. I don’t believe it. This is crazy,’” Prebisha said. “I’m glad she found a good home. It made my day. It’s a good story. Just look at how the dog is doing now and visiting our patients. It certainly brightens their day.” Gardner agrees. “Isn’t that amazing?” she said. “She has just made my life complete right now, where I am and where I’m going. It goes to show what the Lord can do with your life if you let him. He sure has led me because I was lost.” To learn more about the Sumter SPCA, call (803) 773-9292 or visit sumterscspca.com.

and bridges that will exceed revenues by an estimated $1.5 billion a year for the next 26 years. Rep. Murrell Smith, R-Sumter, said the letter is part of an effort by the counties to promote their agenda going into the 2015 General Assembly. “It is nothing new,” he said. “The governor proposed a buyback program a few years ago for locals to have roads and attach some money to it, and they opposed that.” Smith said the county organization is reacting to one of many suggested proposals that are likely to surface during the General Assembly. “We have a lot of suggestions and a lot of bills that have or will be filed as it relates to infrastructure,” Smith said. “Some of them may include these secondary roads being given back to the counties. Nobody has a concrete plan.” State Sen. Kevin Johnson, DManning and Sumter, said he agrees with the association. “I don’t think that (transferring

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2014 the roads) is a good idea,” Johnson said. “That’s just passing the buck. The state needs to step up and do what we need to do with our highways and bridges.” Highways, roads and bridges will be near the top of the General Assembly’s to-do list next year, Johnson said, but he doesn’t think the proposal to turn roads over to the counties will be the solution. “I would be very surprised if that passed, just on its merits,” he said. “All of the county officials I have spoken to are against it, and I don’t blame them.” The letter dismissed promises by legislators supporting the legislation that responsibility to take care of the roads would include adequate funding. “Absent a constitutional amendment, no revenue source is safe from the whimsy of a future General Assembly,” the letter said. “I see infrastructure in South Carolina as a statewide problem,” Smith said. “It involves the state; it involves the counties; it involves the municipalities. We all need to work together to find solutions on improving our infrastructure.”

Another topic the association of counties raised is the state’s failure to fund the LGF for seven consecutive years. “Most counties have implemented drastic measures to deal with both the decline in revenues at the local level and the decrease in the LGF,” the association said. Johnson said the LGF needs more money as well. “We are already shortchanging the counties through the Local Government Fund,” he said. “Every year we debate it, we try to cut it, and if I was a county, I would be leery of any promise of funding.” Smith said he would like to see more funding for the LGF, but the state has many other obligations. “Local government funding has not been fully funded, but the counties need to remember that before we spend any dollars, we first give relief to our homeowners on their property taxes which are assessed by counties, school districts and cities,” he said. “Hopefully we can see some increased funding for the Local Government Fund, but to fully fund it as they request will be a tough sell in the General Assembly,” Smith said.

RICK CARPENTER / THE SUMTER ITEM

After receiving his honor, Sgt. 1st Class John M. Jackson shares a light moment with Jeremy Brunson during Friday’s award ceremony. Jackson stopped to help Brunson after a wreck on U.S. 378 in April, saving Brunson’s life.

HEROISM FROM PAGE A1 U.S. Army Central Headquarters on Shaw Air Force Base, saw the wreck happen and turned around to offer assistance. Jackson pulled both victims from the truck amid fuel leaks, smoke and sparks. The Army Ranger, who had experiences with treating trauma — including severed limbs and amputations — after having served as a Special Operations medic in Iraq and Afghanistan, tied a tourniquet on Brunson’s right leg to control his blood loss. He stayed with Brunson for more than 15 minutes while waiting for Sumter County Emergency Medical Services to take over. He also directed passers-by on how to treat the injured driver.

Without Jackson’s quick, calm action, Brunson would have bled to death in minutes. On Friday, Brunson attended a U.S. Army Central awards ceremony when Jackson was awarded the “Soldier’s Medal.” The medal recognized heroism not involving actual conflict with an enemy. Lt. Gen. James L. Terry, U.S. Army Central commanding general, told about 300 soldiers and dignitaries in attendance Friday that soldiers start each day not knowing what’s going to happen. “What will we do when we are in that situation?” he asked. He praised Jackson for “stepping up to the plate” to use his medical training to save Brunson’s life. Jackson said he just did what he thinks any soldier would do in the same situation.

OBITUARIES ROBERT LEE GILYARD SUMMERTON — Robert Lee Gilyard, husband of Minnie Riley Gilyard, died on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2014. He was a son of the late Jim and Hattie Georgia Gilyard. Funeral services for Mr. Gilyard will be held today at Taw Caw Missionary Baptist Church, 1130 Granby Road, Summerton, with the Rev. Dr. W.T. Johnson, pastor. The family is receiving friends from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m. at the home of his daughter, Ernestine Riley, 4 Georgia St., Summerton. These services have been entrusted to Samuels Funeral Home LLC of Manning.

ARIZONA C. HARRINGTON Arizona Cummings Harrington departed this life on Monday, Dec. 15, 2014, at Sumter Valley Health and Rehabilitation Center. Mrs. Harrington born on June 28, 1928, a daughter of the late Alfred K. and Hattie Bradford Cummings. Her formal education was received in the public schools of Sumter. Most of her adult life she lived in Washington, D.C. While there, one of her most prestigious employment opportunities was at the United States Pentagon as a member of the culinary staff. Anyone who knew her loved her sweet potato pies. In 1962, Winston J. Har-

rington and Arizona Cummings were joined in holy matrimony. Upon their return to Sumter, she enrolled at Morris College. In 1978 she graduated cum laude with her bachelor of science degree in early childhood education. Afterwards, Arizona attended Francis Marion University in Florence, where she graduated with a master’s degree and teacher certification in elementary education and reading. She taught for several years in the public schools of Sumter. Mrs. Harrington was dedicated to her church and was an active member of the senior choir at First Baptist Missionary Church. In 1975, she joined the United Order of J.R. Giddings and Jollifee Union Tents, Pride of Sumter, Tent No. 178. Mrs. Harrington was preceded in death by her beloved parents; husband, Winston J. Harrington; baby girl, Felesia Carmella Harrington; and a brother-like cousin, Leroy Smith Sr. Her memory will be forever cherished by her son, Harry Winkler Jr. (Pretsephonie); four grandchildren, Harry Winkler III, Princess P. Winkler and Julia L.C. Winkler, all of Sumter, and Darrel K. Winkler (Amanda) of Virginia Beach, Virginia; eight greatgrandchildren; her cousins, Janet Smith Clayton, Alycen Clayton and Angelica Clayton,

all of Sumter, Jonathan W. Fields III (Jessica), Roy Smith Jr. (Rosalyn) and Devin Smith, all of Columbia, Doris Rembert (Moses) and Monique Rembert, both of Los Angeles, California, and Andre Rice (Cathy) of Lancaster, California; and special dedicated, life companion and friend, Ransom Gooden. Memorial service will be held today at First Baptist Missionary Church, 219 S. Washington St., Sumter, with the Rev. O.J. Hannah officiating. The family will be receiving friends at the home, 934 Houck St., Sumter. Job’s Mortuary Inc., 312 S. Main St., Sumter, 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.

JANIE P. BRIGHT Janie Prescott Bright, 75, widow of Hermon Bright, died on Thursday, Dec. 18, 2014, at Tuomey Regional Medical Center. Born on Dec. 7, 1939, in Lee County, she was a daughter of Leon and Easter River Prescott. The family is receiving friends and relatives at her home, 6420 Dubose Siding Road, Sumter. Funeral arrangements are

incomplete and will be announced by Williams Funeral Home Inc. of Sumter.

VANIAH H. BALDWIN JR. Vaniah H. “Van” Baldwin Jr., 81, husband of Evelyn Markham Baldwin, died on Thursday, Dec. 18, 2014, at a local nursing center. Services will be announced by Elmore Hill McCreight Funeral Home & Crematory, 221 Broad St., Sumter, (803) 7759386.

Roundtree, 59, died on Friday, Dec. 19, 2014, at Clarendon Memorial Hospital, Manning. She was born on Sept. 2, 1955, in the Gourdine community of Williamsburg County, a daughter of the late Arthur and Ella Wilson Roundtree. The family is receiving friends at her residence, 1118 Ocean Road, Alcolu. These services have been entrusted to Samuels Funeral Home LLC of Manning.

NOVALENE AUSTIN

EVELENA A. MCCAIN Evelena Anthony McCain, 93, wife of Clyde McCain, died on Thursday, Dec. 18, 2014, at Tuomey Regional Medical Center. Born on Dec. 5, 1921, in Sumter County, she was a daughter of Eugene and Sylvia Peterson Anthony. The family is receiving friends and relatives at the family home, 622 Colonial Drive, Sumter. Funeral arrangements are incomplete and will be announced by Williams Funeral Home Inc. of Sumter.

BARBARA ANN ROUNDTREE ALCOLU — Barbara Ann

Novalene Austin, 75, died on Friday, Dec. 19, 2014, at Sumter East Health & Rehabilitation Center. Services will be announced by Elmore-Cannon-Stephens Funeral Home and Crematorium of Sumter.

LOTTIE L. MATTHEWS Lottie L. Matthews, 88, widow of Wheeler Matthews, died on Friday, Dec. 19, 2014, at the Regional Medical Center, Orangeburg. Born on April 24, 1926, in Florence County, she was a daughter of the late John Lucas and Viola Woods. The family is receiving friends and relatives at the family home, 826 Legare St., Sumter. Funeral arrangements are incomplete and will be announced by Williams Funeral Home Inc. of Sumter.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2014

CHRISTMAS SCHEDULE BANKS — The following will close at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 23, and reopen Friday, Dec. 26: SAFE Federal Credit Union; All South Federal Credit Union; The Citizens Bank; First Citizens; and NBSC. The following will close at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 23, and reopen Friday, Dec. 26: Bank of America; Bank of Clarendon; BB&T; and Wells Fargo. GOVERNMENT — The following will be closed Wednesday through Friday, Dec. 24-26: City of Sumter offices; Sumter County offices; Clarendon County offices; Lee County offices; City of Manning offices; and City of Bishopville offices. State government offices will be closed Christmas Day, Dec. 25, and Friday, Dec. 26. Federal government offices and the U.S. Postal Service will be closed Christmas Day, Dec. 25. SCHOOLS — The following will be closed Monday, Dec. 22, through Jan. 2, 2015: Sumter School District; Clarendon School Districts 1, 2 and 3; Lee County Public Schools; Robert E. Lee Academy; Thomas Sumter Academy; Wilson Hall; St. Anne Catholic School; St. Francis Xavier High School; William Thomas Academy; and Clarendon Hall. Laurence Manning Academy will observe a teacher inservice day on Monday, Dec. 22, and the school will be closed through Jan. 2, 2015. Sumter Christian School will be closed Monday, Dec. 22, through Jan. 1, 2015. A faculty in-service day will be observed on Jan. 2, 2015, and students will return on Jan. 5, 2015. Central Carolina Technical College will be closed through Jan. 2, 2015. USC Sumter and Morris College will be closed Tuesday, Dec. 23, through Jan. 1, 2015. Offices will reopen Jan. 2, 2015. UTILITIES — Black River Electric Coop. will be closed Christmas Day, Dec. 25, and Friday, Dec. 26. Farmers Telephone Coop. will be closed Christmas Day, Dec. 25. OTHER — Clemson Extension Service will be closed the week of Dec. 22-26. The Greater Sumter Chamber of Commerce will be closed Wednesday, Dec. 24, and Christmas Day, Dec. 25. The Sumter County Library will be closed Tuesday, Dec. 23, through Friday, Dec. 26. The Harvin Clarendon County Library will be closed Wednesday, Dec. 24, through Saturday, Dec. 27. All offices of The Sumter Item will be closed Wednesday, Dec. 24, and Christmas Day, Dec. 25. The newspaper will not publish on Christmas Day.

AROUND TOWN

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Put your ideas EUGENIA LAST on paper or look into publishing or working in media, communications or education. You have the potential to make a contribution or a difference. You will become more self-sufficient if you are determined to make things happen.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Change will be something you cannot ignore. Be imaginative in the way you handle difficult situations and you will impress someone who can make your life and your future better. Strive for perfection, realism and practicality. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Don’t look back or harbor regrets. Take a step forward and plan to end the year on a happy note regardless of what’s happened this past year. Your attitude will make a difference and bring about a favorable change. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Accept the unavoidable and you will be able to maintain what’s most important to you. Show some resolve and you will be able to move forward without worry or

AccuWeather® ﬁve-day forecast for Sumter TODAY

TONIGHT

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

Mostly cloudy with a bit of rain

Low clouds

A passing afternoon shower

A touch of rain in the morning

Cloudy, chance for rain

Clouds breaking and windy

52°

35°

55° / 42°

58° / 44°

64° / 56°

61° / 35°

Chance of rain: 55%

Chance of rain: 10%

Chance of rain: 55%

Chance of rain: 65%

Chance of rain: 35%

Chance of rain: 25%

NE 4-8 mph

N 6-12 mph

E 4-8 mph

WSW 20-30 mph

TODAY’S SOUTH CAROLINA WEATHER

Gaﬀney 50/33 Spartanburg 53/35

Greenville 53/36

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Get out and keep busy. Shopping excursions will be successful and ease your mind regarding some of the last-minute items you wanted to pick up for someone special. Helping a cause will open your eyes to its positive impact. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Tie up loose ends at work. Strive to put things in order, and get ready to enter the new year with greater hopes and the promise of a better future. Romance will encourage a happier domestic life.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): What you say will bring results, but you may not be happy with the way things turn out. Diplomacy will help you avoid someone misinterpreting what you had in mind. Strive for peaceful relationships and you will come out ahead. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Take the initiative to put your plans into motion. Your intuition will be accurate when it comes to helping others. Not everyone is worth your time and effort. Make changes that promise to bring emotional rewards and a brighter personal future. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Use your imagination and you will come up with thoughtful offerings that will not leave you broke. Don’t let someone’s emotional manipulation steer you down a path that will cause worry and regret. Honesty is your best bet.

Florence 52/35

Bishopville 51/33 Columbia 54/36

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

IN THE MOUNTAINS

Sumter 52/35

Myrtle Beach 51/39

Manning 51/37

Today: A little rain. Winds light and variable. Sunday: Times of clouds and sun. Winds east-northeast 4-8 mph.

Aiken 53/37

ON THE COAST Charleston 54/42

Today: Mostly cloudy with occasional rain; cooler. High 51 to 59. Sunday: Rather cloudy with showers around. High 56 to 60.

LOCAL ALMANAC

LAKE LEVELS

SUMTER THROUGH 4 P.M. YESTERDAY

Temperature High Low Normal high Normal low Record high Record low

Lake Murray Marion Moultrie Wateree

60° 32° 56° 33° 79° in 1967 15° in 1975

Today Hi/Lo/W 57/44/r 34/28/c 51/41/c 35/26/c 58/46/pc 67/50/pc 58/51/c 38/32/c 77/59/pc 38/29/c 65/45/s 61/55/c 44/31/c

SUN AND MOON 7 a.m. yest. 356.80 73.53 73.30 95.85

24-hr chg +0.02 -0.05 none +0.05

Sunrise 7:23 a.m. Moonrise 5:41 a.m.

RIVER STAGES

Precipitation 24 hrs ending 4 p.m. yest. Month to date Normal month to date Year to date Last year to date Normal year to date

City Atlanta Chicago Dallas Detroit Houston Los Angeles New Orleans New York Orlando Philadelphia Phoenix San Francisco Wash., DC

Full pool 360 76.8 75.5 100

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

0.00" 0.07" 1.94" 35.08" 48.46" 45.54"

Sun. Hi/Lo/W 56/45/sh 39/31/c 55/46/c 38/29/c 62/47/c 72/52/s 63/53/sh 41/34/pc 78/64/c 42/29/pc 66/46/pc 64/54/c 47/33/pc

Sunset Moonset

5:16 p.m. 4:23 p.m.

New

First

Full

Last

Dec. 21

Dec. 28

Jan. 4

Jan. 13

TIDES

Flood 7 a.m. 24-hr stage yest. chg 12 5.22 -0.20 19 3.10 -0.97 14 4.01 -0.04 14 3.55 -0.03 80 76.19 +0.08 24 5.42 +0.02

AT MYRTLE BEACH

Today Sun.

High 7:24 a.m. 7:30 p.m. 8:12 a.m. 8:19 p.m.

Ht. 3.4 2.9 3.5 2.9

Low 1:31 a.m. 2:21 p.m. 2:20 a.m. 3:09 p.m.

Ht. -0.2 -0.1 -0.4 -0.3

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

Today Hi/Lo/W 46/33/r 56/38/r 55/37/r 55/44/r 48/39/c 54/42/r 50/31/r 55/40/r 54/36/r 50/32/r 49/32/c 47/34/r 47/31/r

Sun. Hi/Lo/W 51/39/pc 55/42/c 58/44/sh 60/50/sh 52/46/sh 60/48/sh 55/40/pc 56/44/pc 57/43/sh 55/41/c 53/39/s 54/43/sh 54/41/pc

Today City Hi/Lo/W Florence 52/35/r Gainesville 71/54/pc Gastonia 50/32/r Goldsboro 47/31/c Goose Creek 53/41/r Greensboro 47/30/c Greenville 53/36/r Hickory 47/34/c Hilton Head 58/46/r Jacksonville, FL 68/52/c La Grange 60/41/r Macon 59/42/r Marietta 55/41/r

Sun. Hi/Lo/W 57/43/c 73/58/r 55/40/pc 52/40/pc 59/48/sh 51/37/pc 55/42/pc 52/38/pc 58/51/sh 69/58/sh 59/46/sh 58/45/sh 55/43/c

City Marion Mt. Pleasant Myrtle Beach Orangeburg Port Royal Raleigh Rock Hill Rockingham Savannah Spartanburg Summerville Wilmington Winston-Salem

Today Hi/Lo/W 49/32/r 55/44/r 51/39/r 54/38/r 57/44/r 46/30/c 50/30/r 47/29/r 62/47/r 53/35/r 58/46/r 51/37/r 46/31/c

Sun. Hi/Lo/W 52/38/pc 59/50/sh 56/46/sh 57/46/sh 58/50/sh 51/37/pc 55/39/pc 54/40/pc 63/53/sh 54/42/pc 58/54/sh 56/45/sh 51/36/pc

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

The Most Reliable Team With the Most Reliable Comfort Systems

regret. Don’t share personal secrets or get involved in gossip.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): A personal relationship will make a difference to what you do next regarding relocating, education or everyday interests. Don’t overreact if things don’t go according to plan. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Sharing with others will be You will learn a lot if you reach out essential to obtaining positive to help others. Make positive results. changes at home that are sure to GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Don’t let an overconfident attitude hold you please loved ones. Don’t let uncertainty derived from secret back. Being a know-it-all will lead information cause emotional grief. to discord. Give others the benefit Ask questions and clear the air. of the doubt, and do your own thing quietly. A change in a relationship that affects your personal finances must be monitored.

THE SUMTER ITEM

WEATHER

NATIONAL CITIES

Good Samaritans For All Peounion on Friday, Dec. 26, at ple will mark its 20th anniverthe Gamecock Shrine Club, sary with Good the nonprofit’s U.S. 15 S. Contact the Samaritans hold1865 Christmas Christmas giveaway starting Rev. Rufus Gaymon at (803) giveaway at 8 a.m. today at Lee Cen316-6428, the Rev. George tral High School, 1800 WiGaymon at (803) 600-5919 or sacky Highway, Bishopville. Doris Harvin at (843) 906All families who need help 8250. are welcome to attend for Clarendon School District One toys, clothes and food. Bicy- will conduct free vision, hearcles will also be available. ing, speech and developmental For more information, call screenings as part of a child the Rev. Eddie Thomas at find effort to identify stu(803) 459-4989. dents with special needs. The Lincoln High School PresScreenings will be held ervation Alumni Association from 9 a.m. to noon at the will meet at 4 p.m. on SunSummerton Early Childhood day, Dec. 21, at the Lincoln Center on the following High School cafeteria, Thursdays: Jan. 8, 2015; Feb. Council Street. Lincolnites, 12, 2015; March 12, 2015; friends and the community April 9, 2015; and May 14, are invited. Call James L. 2015. For more information, Green at (803) 968-4173. call Sadie Williams or Audrey Walters at (803) 485Manchester High “55-70” will 2325, extension 221. host its biannual school re-

The last word in astrology

DAILY PLANNER

803-795-4257

LOTTERY NUMBERS PALMETTO CASH 5 FRIDAY

POWERBALL FRIDAY

4-24-25-26-31 PowerUp: 2

22-31-38-47-48 Powerball: 15 Powerplay: 3

PICK 3 FRIDAY

PICK 4 FRIDAY

6-0-9 and 2-4-3

1-9-9-3 and 8-6-9-1

MEGAMILLIONS numbers were unavailable at press time.

SPCA CAT OF THE WEEK Xena, a 2-year-old tortoiseshell/tabby spayed female American shorthair, is available for adoption at the Sumter SPCA. She is housebroken, affectionate, gentle, active and playful. She is super with other cats, children and even dogs. Xena is a sweet girl who loves to be given lots of attention. The SPCA is located at 1140 S. Guignard Drive, (803) 7739292, and is open 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. every day except Wednesday and Sunday. Visit www.sumterscspca.com.

As you complete your holiday shopping, don’t forget the SPCA. Currently, the biggest needs are for dry puppy and kitten food; wet cat food; cat litter; and cleaning supplies. The following are also appreciated: Newspapers; stuffed animals (any size); heavy duty trash bags (30 gallon or larger); dishwashing liquid; laundry detergent; bleach; paper towels; sheets and comforters; baby blankets (for cat cages and puppies); canned dog and cat food; dry dog and cat food; treats; leashes and collars; disinfectant spray; air freshener; no scratch scrubbers; two-sided sponges for dishes; litter freshener; and monetary donations are also gratefully accepted.

SECTION

Braves trade Justin Upton to Padres

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2014

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

USC / CLEMSON BASKETBALL

Notice’s 19 leads South Carolina to 68-45 win over Clemson BY JEFFREY COLLINS The Associated Press COLUMBIA — South Carolina has beaten two major conference teams in a row by at least 23 points. That the latest win was over bitter rival Clemson just makes it so much better for the Gamecocks. Duane Notice scored 19 points as South Carolina (6-3) clamped down on the Tigers in a 68-45 win Friday night. The Gamecocks had 13 days

off for exams since the last time out, a 75-49 victory over Oklahoma State. They didn’t look rusty at all in this one. After making just 1-of-9 3-pointers in the first half, South Carolina made 6 of its first 11 shots behind the arc in the second half and held Clemson (6-4) scoreless for over six minutes. “I hope it gives our guys confidence because we’re doing it against really good teams,” South Carolina coach

Frank Martin said. It was Martin’s first win over the Gamecocks’ instate rival in three tries and just the NOTICE third win for South Carolina over Clemson in the past 11 games. The 23point margin was South Carolina’s biggest win in the rivalry since beating Clemson 81-53 in 1971. The Tigers scored just 15

second half points as they lost to a Southeastern Conference team for the first time in four games this season. Clemson shot just 29.8 percent (17-of-57) for the game as the Gamecocks held a third straight team under 30-percent shooting from the field. South Carolina led 20-9 with just under nine minutes to go in the first half before Clemson was able to start grinding the ball. The Tigers ended the half on a 21-8 run after the

Gamecocks stopped pounding the ball inside. During one stretch, South Carolina made just two of 10 shots, and seven of the misses were on 3-pointers. But the momentum didn’t carry over to the second half. Laimonas Chatkevicius got a put back on a missed 3 to tie it at 30 and Notice hit a 3-pointer to get the lead back for the Gamecocks with 18:45 left. It

SEE USC, PAGE B3

PREP BASKETBALL

USC FOOTBALL

Sumter County sweep

Ward not concerned with job security

SHS takes 2 from Lakewood to go undefeated vs. local rivals in ’14 BY MICHAEL CHRISTOPHER michaelc@theitem.com

BY WILLIE T. SMITH III Greenville News

The Sumter and Lakewood high school varsity boys basketball team engaged in a defensive struggle on Friday before the Gamecocks rallied late for a 45-38 victory at the SHS gymnasium to sweep their Sumter School District rival this year. Charles Patton led SHS with 10 points. Andrew Tiller pitched in nine and, while battling an illness, Cedric Rembert added eight points, including six in the second half. SHS senior Quentin Kershaw and Rembert made consecutive buckets to put SHS up 42-35 with 42.9 to play. After Lakewood’s Ray Davis hit a 3-pointer, Rembert and Zykiem Jackson combined to make two of three free throws to finish off Lakewood. “That was an excellent job of playing by Lakewood today,” Sumter head coach Jo Jo English said. “They partly out-coached us and outplayed us. We had a couple of guys under the weather with a touch of the flu. Cedric Rembert and Brandon Parker were vomiting and stuff like that, but the guys dug down deep again and came out with the victory. Jalen White led the Gators, now 2-4 on the year, with nine points. Jarvis Johnson pitched in seven and Daquan Tindal added six. “Whenever we play these rivalry games quote unquote in Sumter, the kids know each other,” English said. “Lakewood knows the kids from Sumter and vice versa with the kids from Crestwood. They’re a little more amped up to play, and even though we made a couple of mistakes in

SEE SWEEP, PAGE B3

KEITH GEDAMKE / THE SUMTER ITEM

COLUMBIA — Lorenzo Ward remains cool, calm and collected even though there appears to be storm clouds gathering around him. The University of South Carolina defensive coordinator has been on the road recruiting while speculation swirls that Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier is conWARD sidering replacing him and other assistant coaches. Ward is not one to fret over things he can’t control. “Uncertainty of staff ?” Ward said when asked his opinion about job security. “That part is on Coach (Spurrier). What we’ve done as soon as the Clemson game was over with is we came in and graded the film on Sunday, then we got on a plane to see (Greenwood defensive end) Qua (Lewis) and tried to find some players that can help us. That’s what we have to deal with as coaches. We’re paid to do a job. We do that job, and whatever decision the boss makes after that is his decision.” “That doesn’t have any effect on Lorenzo.” Ward admitted it didn’t take long to discover the 2014 defense was not going to be the same caliber of which he or the Gamecocks were recently accustomed. Understanding pass rushers supreme Jadeveon Clowney and Chaz Sutton were no longer around, he tinkered with adding the “3-4” scheme to the defense.

Sumter’s Jessica Harris, left, tries to get off a shot while Lakewood’s Kamryn Lemon defends during the Lady Gamecocks’ 50-42 victory on Friday at the SHS gymnasium.

SEE WARD, PAGE B3

PREP FOOTBALL

Tyler looks to leave mark in Shrine Bowl BY MICHAEL CHRISTOPHER michaelc@theitem.com

SUMTER ITEM FILE PHOTO

Sumter’s Ky’Jon Tyler (23) is set for his final high school football game today as the senior Gamecock standout prepares for the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas at Gibbs Stadium in Spartanburg. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.

Sumter High School standout wide receiver Ky’Jon Tyler has one more game in his high school career in which to leave a lasting mark. Tyler will play in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas today at Wofford College’s Gibbs Stadium in Spartanburg beginning at 1 p.m. He will have to do something

pretty spectacular though as he owns 13 SHS school records. “He’s a great football player,” Sumter head coach John Jones said of the senior. “He’s a team leader, and more than that, he’s an absolutely fabulous young man, without a doubt. He does everything you ask him to do on the football field, and he’s a guy that we’re going to miss very much.”

Tyler led the Gamecocks with 1,367 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns on 65 catches and 12 scores. He averaged 113.9 yards per game. He rushed for 201 yards and four scores on 13 attempts and completed one pass for 53 yards. Against Carolina Forest this year, Tyler set a school record with 236 receiving yards and six

SEE TYLER, PAGE B3

SPORTS

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2014

SPORTS ITEMS

Braves send Justin Upton to San Diego ATLANTA — Landing another of baseball’s top power hitters, the San Diego Padres acquired Atlanta outfielder Justin Upton on Friday in a trade that sent four prospects to the Braves. The Padres already made two huge trades in recent days to get outfielders, acquiring slugger Matt Kemp from the Los Angeles J. UPTON Dodgers and former AL Rookie of the Year Wil Myers from Tampa Bay. Now, San Diego has picked up one of baseball’s top right-handed power threats in Upton, who will earn $14.5 million in the final year of his contract. He had 29 homers and 102 RBI last season The Braves acquired left-hander Max Fried, infielder Jace Peterson, third baseman Dustin Peterson and outfielder Mallex Smith, as well as San Diego’s fourth international bonus pool slot. The Padres also get right-hander Aaron Northcraft.

YANKEES SEND PRADO, PHELPS TO MARLINS FOR EOVALDI, JONES NEW YORK — The Yankees acquired pitcher Nathan Eovaldi, outfielder Garrett Jones and minor league pitcher Domingo German from the Miami Marlins on Friday for versatile Martin Prado and pitcher David Phelps. Eovaldi, a right-hander who turns 25 in February, was acquired by the Marlins in July 2012 as part of the deal that sent All-Star shortstop Hanley Ramirez to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He throws at up to 98 mph and was 6-14 with a 4.37 ERA last season. Eovaldi is eligible for salary arbitration for the first time. Prado, 31, was obtained by the Yankees from Arizona at the July 31 trade deadline and hit .316 with seven homers and 16 RBIs in 133 atbats. An All-Star in 2010, he plays second, third and the outfield. Prado is owed $11 million in each of the next two seasons, and will collect his

second $1 million assignment bonus for being traded. New York is sending the Marlins $3 million a season in twice-a-month installments to offset some of Prado’s salary.

GOLD MEDALIST PHELPS PLEADS GUILTY TO DUI BALTIMORE — Olympic gold medal swimmer Michael Phelps avoided jail time on Friday when a judge placed him on probation for pleading guilty to a drunken driving charge for the second time in 10 years. The punishment came with a warning. Probation allows the most decorated Olympian ever to focus on training for the 2016 Games in Rio De Janeiro, which would be his fifth. The 29-year-old came out of a year’s retirement with his sights set on Rio, and the plea is not expected to have any ill effect on those plans. Documents show Phelps was stopped on Sept. 30 for speeding and crossing the double yellow line while driving in the Fort McHenry Tunnel. Police say Phelps registered a .14 percent on a blood-alcohol test. The legal limit is .08 percent in Maryland. An officer said he pulled Phelps over for going 84 mph in a 45 mph zone.

NAIA CHAMPIONSHIP SOUTHERN OREGON 55 MARIAN COLLEGE 31

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Austin Dodge led Southern Oregon to its first NAIA football championship, throwing for 429 yards and three touchdowns in a 55-31 victory over turnover-prone Marian College on Friday. Dodge, the NAIA Player of the Year, was 21 of 39 for the Raiders (13-2). Melvin Mason, Dylan Young and Ryan Retzlaff caught touchdown passes and Mason also ran for 56 yards and three scores. From wire reports

AREA ROUNDUP

Knights edge Timmonsville 49-40 TIMMONSVILLE — Crestwood High School’s varsity boys basketball team defeated Timmonsville 49-40 on Friday at the Timmonsville gymnasium. Ja Morant led the Knights with 21 points.

B TEAM BASKETBALL KEENAN 52 CRESTWOOD 32 COLUMBIA — Crestwood High School lost to Keenan 52-32 on Thursday at the Keenan gymnasium.

Tyrese Felder had 11 points to lead the Knights.

GIRLS

the Lady Knights with 16 points.

MIDDLE SCHOOL BASKETBALL

VARSITY BASKETBALL

MAYEWOOD 19

CRESTWOOD 41

DALZELL — Hillcrest fell to 1-4 on the season with a 19-17 loss to Mayewood on Thursday at the Hillcrest gymnasium. Sedajah Rembert had nine points for the Lady Wildcats and Nybreea Williams had six.

TIMMONSVILLE 33

TIMMONSVILLE — Crestwood High School defeated Timmonsville 41-33 on Friday at the Timmonsville gymnasium. Cawasha Ceasar led

HILLCREST 17

THE SUMTER ITEM

SCOREBOARD

Brooklyn at Cleveland, 7:30 p.m. Chicago at Memphis, 8 p.m. Portland at San Antonio, 8 p.m. L.A. Clippers at Denver, 9 p.m. Oklahoma City at L.A. Lakers, 10:30 p.m.

TV, RADIO

TODAY’S GAMES

TODAY

5:30 a.m. -- International Soccer: Australian League Match from Perth, Australia -- Central Coast vs. Perth (FOX SPORTS 2). 7:45 a.m. -- International Soccer: Barclays Premier League Match -- Crystal Palace vs. Manchester City (NBC SPORTS NETWORK). 9:55 a.m. -- International Soccer: Barclays Premier League Match -- Manchester City vs. Aston Villa (NBC SPORTS NETWORK). 11 a.m. -- College Basketball: Northeastern State at Central Missouri (CBS SPORTS NETWORK). 11 a.m. -- College Football: New Orleans Bowl from New Orleans -- Nevada vs. Louisiana-Lafayette (ESPN). 11:30 a.m. -- International Soccer: FIFA Club World Cup Third-Place Match from Marrakech, Morocco -- Cruz Azul vs. Auckland City (FOX SPORTS 2). Noon -- College Basketball: Southern Methodist at Central Michigan (ESPN2). Noon -- College Basketball: Virginia Commonwealth at Cincinnati (ESPNU). Noon -- College Basketball: Louisville at Western Kentucky (FOX SPORTS 1). Noon -- College Basketball: Charlotte at Georgetown (FOX SPORTSOUTH). Noon -- High School Football: Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas from Spartanburg (WPUB-FM 102.7). 1 p.m. -- College Basketball: North Carolina vs. Ohio State from Chicago (WLTX 19). 1 p.m. -- College Basketball: Syracuse at Villanova (WACH 57). 1 p.m. -- College Basketball: Massachusetts at Providence (CBS SPORTS NETWORK). 1 p.m. -- Women’s College Basketball: Stanford at Tennessee (SEC NETWORK). 1 p.m. -- Women’s College Basketball: Minnesota Subway Classic from Minneapolis -- Central Michigan vs. South Carolina (WNKT-FM 107.5). 2 p.m. -- College Basketball: Illinois vs. Missouri from St. Louis (ESPN2). 2 p.m. -- College Football: Football Championship Subdivision Tournament Semifinal Game -- Illinois State at New Hampshire (ESPNU). 2 p.m. -- College Basketball: Orange Bowl Classic from Sunrise, Fla. -- South Florida vs. Florida State (SPORTSOUTH). 2:20 p.m. -- College Football: New Mexico Bowl from Albuquerque -- Utah State vs. Texas-El Paso (ESPN). 2:20 p.m. -- International Soccer: FIFA Club World Cup Championship Match from Marrakech, Morocco -- Real Madrid vs. San Lorenzo (FOX SPORTS 2). 2:30 p.m. -- College Basketball: Crossroads Classic from Indianapolis -- Butler vs. Indiana (FOX SPORTS 1). 3:15 p.m. -- College Basketball: UCLA vs. Kentucky from Chicago (WLTX 19). 3:30 p.m. -- College Football: Las Vegas Bowl from Las Vegas -- Colorado State vs. Utah (WOLO 25). 4 p.m. -- College Basketball: Oral Roberts at Memphis (CBS SPORTS NETWORK). 4 p.m. -- College Football: NCAA Division II Tournament Championship Game from Kansas City, Kan. -- Colorado State (Pueblo) vs. Minnesota State (Mankato) (ESPN2). 4 p.m. -- College Basketball: Oakland at Pittsburgh (FOX SPORTSOUTH). 4 p.m. -- NFL Football: Philadelphia at Washington (NFL NETWORK). 5 p.m. -- College Basketball: Texas Southern at Michigan State (ESPNU). 5 p.m. -- College Basketball: Orange Bowl Classic from Sunrise, Fla. -- Wake Forest vs. Florida (FOX SPORTS 1). 5:45 p.m. -- College Football: Famous Idaho Potato Bowl from Boise, Idaho -- Western Michigan vs. Air Force (ESPN2). 6 p.m. -- Girls High School Volleyball: Under Armour All-America Match and Skills Competition from Seattle (CBS SPORTS NETWORK). 6 p.m. -- College Basketball: Auburn at Xavier (SEC NETWORK). 7 p.m. -- College Basketball: Kansas State vs. Texas A&M from Kansas City, Mo. (ESPNU). 7 p.m. -- NHL Hockey: New York Rangers at Carolina (FOX SPORTSOUTH). 7 p.m. -- College Basketball: Iona at George Mason (NBC SPORTS NETWORK). 7 p.m. -- NBA Basketball: Utah at Charlotte (SPORTSOUTH). 7:30 p.m. -- Women’s College Volleyball: NCAA Tournament Championship Match from Oklahoma City (ESPN2). 8:25 p.m. -- NFL Football: San Diego at San Francisco (WLTX 19, NFL NETWORK, WWFN-FM 100.1, WNKT-FM 107.5). 8:30 p.m. -- College Basketball: Southeast Missouri State at Arkansas (SEC NETWORK). 9 p.m. -- College Basketball: MGM Grand Showcase from Las Vegas -- Oklahoma vs. Washington (ESPNU). 9:15 p.m. -- College Football: Camellia Bowl from Montgomery, Ala. -- South Alabama vs. Bowling Green (ESPN). 9:30 p.m. -- College Basketball: Gotham Classic from New York -- North Carolina State vs. West Virginia (ESPN2). 10 p.m. -- Professional Boxing: Jesus Cuellar vs. Ruben Tamayo for the Interim WBA Featherweight Title, Gary Russell Jr. vs. Christopher Martin in a Featherweight Bout, Julian Williams vs. Jamar Freeman in a Light Middleweight Bout and Julius Jackson vs. Jonathan Nelson in a Super Middleweight Bout from Shelton, Wash. (SHOWTIME). 11 p.m. -- College Basketball: Stanford at Brigham Young (ESPNU). 11:30 p.m. -- College Basketball: MGM Grand Showcase from Las Vegas -- Utah at NevadaLas Vegas (ESPN2). 2 a.m. -- NHL Hockey: Nashville at Minnesota (FOX SPORTSOUTH).

TODAY

NBA STANDINGS By The Associated Press ATLANTIC DIVISION

Walker, Jefferson lead Hornets past Sixers PHILADELPHIA — Kemba Walker scored a season-high 30 points, Al Jefferson added 20 points and 12 rebounds, and the Charlotte Hornets snapped a four-game losing streak with a 109-91 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night. Tony Wroten and Robert Covington scored 19 apiece for the Sixers, who dropped to 0-14 at home this season. The Hornets (7-19) had lost 14 of 16 coming in but dominated the rebuilding Sixers (2-23). JAZZ 101 MAGIC 94

ORLANDO, Fla. — Derrick Favors had 23 points and 10 rebounds and Gordon Hayward scored 20 to lead Utah to a 101-94 victory over Orlando on Friday night. The Jazz, who won in Miami Wednesday, got back-to-back victories for the first time this season. Enes Kanter added 11 points and Trey Burke had 11 points and five assist for Utah. Tobias Harris led Orlando with 24 points and Evan Fournier had 21. Rookie point guard Elfrid Payton had 11 points and 11 assists and Nik Vucevic scored 16 points and pulled down nine rebounds.

Utah shot 70 percent in the first period and didn’t drop below 55 percent shooting until the nine minutes of the fourth quarter. The Jazz led 85-74 at that point, but the Magic went on a 10-4 run punctuated by a 3-point play from Harris to cut the deficit to 89-83 with 5:28 left. COLLEGE

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

W 20 10 9 5 2

L 6 14 14 23 22

Pct .769 .417 .391 .179 .083

GB – 9 9 1/2 16 17

W 18 18 12 10 6

L 6 7 14 18 19

Pct .750 .720 .462 .357 .240

GB – 1/2 7 10 12 1/2

W 16 14 14 8 5

L 9 10 13 18 21

Pct .640 .583 .519 .308 .192

GB – 1 1/2 3 81/2 11 1/2

W 21 19 19 17 13

L 4 6 8 9 12

Pct .840 .760 .704 .654 .520

GB – 2 3 4 1/2 8

W 20 12 10 7 5

L 6 14 15 19 19

Pct .769 .462 .400 .269 .208

GB – 8 9 1/2 13 14

W 22 18 13 11 8

L 3 7 14 15 17

Pct .880 .720 .481 .423 .320

GB – 4 10 11 1/2 14

WESTERN CONFERENCE

(18) MIAMI 44 CORAL GABLES, Fla. — Corey Walden scored 18 points to help Eastern Kentucky rout No. 18 Miami 72-44 on Friday night. The Colonels (6-4) never trailed, led by two at halftime and pulled away with a 22-2 run early in the second half. Isaac McGlone keyed the surge with three 3-pointers and his third conversion from behind the arc gave Eastern Kentucky a 43-27 lead with 13:21 remaining. Miami (9-2) was scoreless for an 8:27 stretch until Davon Reed made two free throws with 10:40 left to cut Eastern Kentucky’s lead to 43-29. The Colonels ran off eight straight points on consecutive 3-pointers Sheldon McClellan led the Hurricanes with 14 points.

SOUTHWEST DIVISION

From wire reports

Portland Oklahoma City Denver Utah Minnesota PACIFIC DIVISION Golden State L.A. Clippers Phoenix Sacramento L.A. Lakers

THURSDAY’S GAMES

Chicago 103, New York 97 New Orleans 99, Houston 90 Milwaukee 108, Sacramento 107 Golden State 114, Oklahoma City 109

FRIDAY’S GAMES

NFL STANDINGS By The Associated Press AMERICAN CONFERENCE EAST y-New England Buffalo Miami N.Y. Jets SOUTH y-Indianapolis Houston Jacksonville Tennessee NORTH

W 11 8 7 3

L 3 6 7 11

T 0 0 0 0

Pct .786 .571 .500 .214

PF 442 302 327 230

PA 280 254 301 360

W 10 7 3 2

L 4 7 12 13

T 0 0 0 0

Pct .714 .500 .200 .133

PF 424 324 232 244

PA 317 277 389 411

W 9 9 9 7

L 4 5 5 7

T 1 0 0 0

Pct .679 .643 .643 .500

PF 311 389 376 276

PA 289 339 267 300

W 11 8 8 2

L 3 6 6 12

T 0 0 0 0

Pct .786 .571 .571 .143

PF 407 322 303 213

PA 303 254 294 381

Cincinnati Pittsburgh Baltimore Cleveland WEST y-Denver Kansas City San Diego Oakland

NATIONAL CONFERENCE EAST W 10 9 5 3

L 4 5 9 11

T 0 0 0 0

Pct .714 .643 .357 .214

PF 381 416 317 257

PA 328 347 339 370

W 6 5 5 2

L 8 8 9 12

T 0 1 0 0

Pct .429 .393 .357 .143

PF 364 288 348 254

PA 374 358 369 367

W 10 10 6 5

L 4 4 8 9

T 0 0 0 0

Pct .714 .714 .429 .357

PF 281 436 277 296

PA 238 325 297 409

W L x-Arizona 11 3 Seattle 10 4 San Francisco 7 7 St. Louis 6 8 x-clinched playoff spot y-clinched division

T 0 0 0 0

Pct .786 .714 .500 .429

PF 287 339 251 291

PA 244 242 285 297

Dallas Philadelphia N.Y. Giants Washington SOUTH New Orleans Carolina Atlanta Tampa Bay NORTH Detroit Green Bay Minnesota Chicago WEST

THURSDAY’S GAME

Jacksonville 21, Tennessee 13

TODAY’S GAMES

Philadelphia at Washington, 4:30 p.m. San Diego at San Francisco, 8:25 p.m.

SUNDAY’S GAMES

Baltimore at Houston, 1 p.m. Detroit at Chicago, 1 p.m. Atlanta at New Orleans, 1 p.m. Minnesota at Miami, 1 p.m. Cleveland at Carolina, 1 p.m. Green Bay at Tampa Bay, 1 p.m. Kansas City at Pittsburgh, 1 p.m. New England at N.Y. Jets, 1 p.m. N.Y. Giants at St. Louis, 4:05 p.m. Buffalo at Oakland, 4:25 p.m. Indianapolis at Dallas, 4:25 p.m. Seattle at Arizona, 8:30 p.m.

MONDAY’S GAME

Denver at Cincinnati, 8:30 p.m.

SUNDAY, DEC. 28

Indianapolis at Tennessee, 1 p.m. Detroit at Green Bay, 1 p.m. Jacksonville at Houston, 1 p.m. San Diego at Kansas City, 1 p.m. Chicago at Minnesota, 1 p.m. Carolina at Atlanta, 1 p.m. Cleveland at Baltimore, 1 p.m. Dallas at Washington, 1 p.m. N.Y. Jets at Miami, 1 p.m. Buffalo at New England, 1 p.m. Philadelphia at N.Y. Giants, 1 p.m. Cincinnati at Pittsburgh, 1 p.m. New Orleans at Tampa Bay, 1 p.m. Arizona at San Francisco, 4:25 p.m. St. Louis at Seattle, 4:25 p.m. Oakland at Denver, 4:25 p.m.

NHL STANDINGS By The Associated Press

GP Tampa Bay 33 Detroit 32 Montreal 33 Toronto 32 Florida 30 Boston 32 Ottawa 31 Buffalo 32 METROPOLITAN DIVISION GP Pittsburgh 31 N.Y. Islanders 31 Washington 31 N.Y. Rangers 29 Columbus 31 Philadelphia 31 New Jersey 33 Carolina 31

W 20 17 20 19 14 16 13 13

L OT Pts GF GA 10 3 43 110 87 7 8 42 92 80 11 2 42 88 82 10 3 41 110 91 8 8 36 68 76 13 3 35 81 83 12 6 32 82 86 17 2 28 62 100

W 21 21 15 15 13 11 11 9

L OT Pts 6 4 46 10 0 42 10 6 36 10 4 34 15 3 29 14 6 28 16 6 28 19 3 21

GF GA 99 71 99 89 91 85 89 79 76 100 81 92 74 96 66 88

WESTERN CONFERENCE

EASTERN KENTUCKY 72

Memphis Houston Dallas San Antonio New Orleans NORTHWEST DIVISION

New York at Toronto, 3:30 p.m. Memphis at Cleveland, 4:30 p.m. L.A. Lakers at Sacramento, 6 p.m. Phoenix at Washington, 6 p.m. Boston at Miami, 6 p.m. Philadelphia at Orlando, 6 p.m. Detroit at Brooklyn, 6 p.m. New Orleans at Oklahoma City, 7 p.m. Indiana at Minnesota, 7 p.m.

ATLANTIC DIVISION

Varsity Basketball East Clarendon at Branchville, 6 p.m. JV and Middle School Wrestling Sumter in Area Qualifier (at Sumter High), 9 a.m.

Toronto Brooklyn Boston New York Philadelphia SOUTHEAST DIVISION

SUNDAY’S GAMES

EASTERN CONFERENCE

PREP SCHEDULE

EASTERN CONFERENCE

BASKETBALL ROUNDUP

Phoenix at New York, 1 p.m. Portland at New Orleans, 7 p.m. Utah at Charlotte, 7 p.m. Atlanta at Houston, 8 p.m. San Antonio at Dallas, 8:30 p.m. Indiana at Denver, 9 p.m. Milwaukee at L.A. Clippers, 10:30 p.m.

Charlotte at Philadelphia, 7 p.m. Utah at Orlando, 7 p.m. Washington at Miami, 7:30 p.m. Toronto at Detroit, 7:30 p.m. Minnesota at Boston, 7:30 p.m.

CENTRAL DIVISION Chicago St. Louis Nashville Winnipeg Minnesota Dallas Colorado PACIFIC DIVISION

GP 32 32 30 32 30 30 31

W 22 21 20 16 16 12 10

L OT Pts GF GA 9 1 45 100 64 9 2 44 98 78 8 2 42 81 59 10 6 38 78 75 12 2 34 86 78 13 5 29 87 103 13 8 28 78 99

GP W L OT Pts GF GA Anaheim 34 22 7 5 49 99 90 San Jose 33 18 11 4 40 94 85 Vancouver 31 18 11 2 38 89 88 Los Angeles 33 16 11 6 38 90 82 Calgary 33 17 14 2 36 97 90 Arizona 31 11 16 4 26 72 100 Edmonton 33 7 20 6 20 69 110 NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss.

THURSDAY’S GAMES

Florida 2, Philadelphia 1, SO Pittsburgh 1, Colorado 0, OT Carolina 4, Toronto 1 Washington 5, Columbus 4, OT Anaheim 2, Montreal 1 Los Angeles 6, St. Louis 4 San Jose 4, Edmonton 3

FRIDAY’S GAMES

Tampa Bay at New Jersey, 7 p.m. Anaheim at Ottawa, 7:30 p.m. N.Y. Islanders at Detroit, 7:30 p.m. Boston at Winnipeg, 8 p.m. Dallas at Calgary, 9 p.m.

TODAY’S GAMES

Arizona at Los Angeles, 4 p.m. Colorado at Buffalo, 7 p.m. Philadelphia at Toronto, 7 p.m. Ottawa at Montreal, 7 p.m. Washington at New Jersey, 7 p.m. Tampa Bay at N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m. Florida at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. N.Y. Rangers at Carolina, 7 p.m. Chicago at Columbus, 7 p.m. Nashville at Minnesota, 8 p.m. Calgary at Vancouver, 10 p.m. St. Louis at San Jose, 10:30 p.m.

SPORTS

THE SUMTER ITEM

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2014

BOWL SCHEDULE The Associated Press

TODAY

New Orleans Bowl Nevada (7-5) vs. Louisiana-Lafayette (8-4), 11 a.m. (ESPN) New Mexico Bowl At Albuquerque UTEP (7-5) vs. Utah State (9-4), 2:20 p.m. (ESPN) Las Vegas Bowl Colorado State (10-2) vs. Utah (8-4), 3:30 p.m. (ABC) Famous Idaho Potato Bowl At Boise Western Michigan (8-4) vs. Air Force (9-3), 5:45 p.m. (ESPN) Camelia Bowl At Montgomery, Ala. Bowling Green (7-6) vs. South Alabama (6-6), 9:15 p.m. (ESPN)

MONDAY

Miami Beach Bowl BYU (8-4) vs. Memphis (9-3), 2 p.m. (ESPN)

TUESDAY

Boca Raton (Fla.) Bowl Marshall (12-1) vs. Northern Illinois (11-2), 6 p.m. (ESPN) Poinsettia Bowl At San Diego Navy (6-5) vs. San Diego State (7-5), 9:30 p.m. (ESPN)

WEDNESDAY

Bahamas Bowl At Nassau Western Kentucky (7-5) vs. Central Michigan (7-5), Noon (ESPN) Hawaii Bowl At Honolulu Rice (7-5) vs. Fresno State (6-7), 8 p.m. (ESPN)

FRIDAY

Heart of Dallas Bowl Illinois (6-6) vs. Louisiana Tech (8-4), 1 p.m. (ESPN) Quick Lane Bowl At Detroit Rutgers (7-5) vs. North Carolina (6-6), 4:30 p.m. (ESPN) St. Petersburg (Fla.) Bowl UCF (9-3) vs. N.C. State (7-5), 8 p.m. (ESPN)

SATURDAY, DEC. 27

Military Bowl At Annapolis, Md. Virginia Tech (6-6) vs. Cincinnati (9-3), 1 p.m. (ESPN) Sun Bowl At El Paso, Texas Duke (9-3) vs. Arizona State (9-3), 2 p.m. (CBS) Independence Bowl At Shreveport, La. Miami (6-6) vs. South Carolina (6-6), 4 p.m. (ESPN2) Pinstripe Bowl At Bronx, N.Y. Boston College (7-5) vs. Penn State (6-6), 4:30 p.m. (ESPN) Holiday Bowl At San Diego Nebraska (9-3) vs. Southern Cal (8-4), 8 p.m. (ESPN)

MONDAY, DEC. 29

Liberty Bowl At Memphis, Tenn. West Virginia (7-5) vs. Texas A&M (7-5), 2 p.m. (ESPN) Russell Athletic Bowl At Orlando, Fla. Clemson (9-3) vs. Oklahoma (8-4), 5:30 p.m. (ESPN) Texas Bowl At Houston Texas (6-6) vs. Arkansas (6-6), 9 p.m. (ESPN)

TUESDAY, DEC. 30

Music City Bowl At Nashville, Tenn. Notre Dame (7-5) vs. LSU (8-4), 3 p.m. (ESPN) Belk Bowl At Charlotte, N.C. Louisville (9-3) vs. Georgia (9-3), 6:30 p.m. (ESPN) Fosters Farm Bowl At Santa Clara, Calif. Stanford (7-5) vs. Maryland (7-5), 10 p.m. (ESPN)

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 31

Peach Bowl At Atlanta Mississippi (9-3) vs. TCU (11-1), 12:30 p.m. (ESPN) Fiesta Bowl At Glendale, Ariz. Boise State (11-2) vs. Arizona (10-3), 4 p.m. (ESPN) Orange Bowl At Miami Mississippi State (10-2) vs. Georgia Tech (10-3), 8 p.m. (ESPN)

THURSDAY, JAN. 1

Outback Bowl At Tampa, Fla. Wisconsin (10-3) vs. Auburn (8-4), Noon (ESPN2) Cotton Bowl Classic At Arlington, Texas Michigan State (10-2) vs. Baylor (11-1), 12:30 p.m. (ESPN) Citrus Bowl At Orlando, Fla. Minnesota (8-4) vs. Missouri (10-3), 1 p.m. (ABC) Rose Bowl At Pasadena, Calif. Playoff semifinal: Oregon (12-1) vs. Florida State (13-0), 5 p.m. (ESPN) Sugar Bowl At New Orleans Playoff semifinal: Alabama (12-1) vs. Ohio State (12-1), 8:30 p.m. (ESPN)

KEITH GEDAMKE / THE SUMTER ITEM

Sumter’s Quentin Kershaw (44) drives past Lakewood’s Jarvis Johnson, center, during the Gamecocks’ 45-38 victory on Friday at the SHS gymnasium.

SWEEP FROM PAGE B1 the first half —some missed layups, some missed free throws -- we kept it close. We got down, but we stayed in our defense and pressured them while trying to block out rebounding and I think our pressure bothered them at the end.” In the girls game, Sumter’s Cy Cooper and Jessica Harris helped hold off Lakewood early as SHS won 50-42 to improve to 7-2. Cooper led SHS with 16 points, pitching in 10 in the first half. Harris had 11 points, hitting two 3-point shots. Kadejuha Kennedy added seven points.

USC FROM PAGE B1 started a 33-7 run for South Carolina. “All the emotion just poured out because the crowd was so electric and we just kept out foot on their throat,” Notice said. Tyrone Johnson had a career-best nine assists and Chatkevicius scored 12 points on 6-of-8 shoot-

“To be honest, I thought we did exactly what we wanted to do, but just made some silly basketball decisions early and in the fourth quarter,” Sumter head coach Jason Loudenslager said. “We’ve got some kids learning in the game how to win, how to finish games. I liked the effort tonight; we just need to fix the mental mistakes, but we can fix that pretty easily with a little bit of film.” Lakewood, which fell to 6-2, was led by Sonora Dengokl’s 20 points, nine of which came in the second half. Kamryn Lemon and Taja Randolph contributed eight points apiece. “Like I told the girls, beating

ing. “Everybody kept asking, ‘when are you going to beat them (Clemson)? Are you going to beat them?’” Chatkevicius said. “It felt great to beat them.” Jaron Blossomgame led Clemson with 14 points and Damarcus Harrison scored 10 points. Clemson was just 5-of-28 from the field in the sec-

Sumter High, that’s not our ultimate goal; it’s a confidence booster,” Lakewood head coach Frances Field said. “Sumter did well tonight. I thought honestly we played well; just how the game was called on the foul line, it just didn’t come to our advantage. I thought it was a good game and I’m proud of them.” Both teams took turns with the lead in the first half with several runs, but it was Sumter which held a 29-22 advantage at halftime. SHS used a 5-0 run to take a 15-10 first quarter lead. Lakewood responded early, using a 7-0 run to take a brief 17-15 lead, but the Lady Gamecocks began to pull away with an 8-0 run, going up as much as 27-19.

ond half. “When you don’t score like we didn’t score, it puts a lot of pressure on your defense,” Tigers coach Brad Brownell said. The 23-point defeat was the second biggest loss in Brownell’s five seasons with Clemson. The biggest loss was 78-41 in February 2013 to Virginia. But the next biggest defeats are to a pair of in-

state rivals — 23 to South Carolina on Friday and 23 at Coastal Carolina in December 2012. Brownell has lost seven times in 25 games against teams in South Carolina while at Clemson, and only three of those losses have been to the Gamecocks. Brownell has lost twice to Coastal Carolina and once to the College of Charleston and Winthrop.

FRIDAY, JAN. 2

Armed Forces Bowl At Fort Worth, Texas Pittsburgh (6-6) vs. Houston (7-5), Noon (ESPN) TaxSlayer Bowl At Jacksonville, Fla. Iowa (7-5) vs. Tennessee (6-6), 3:20 p.m. (ESPN) Alamo Bowl At San Antonio UCLA (9-3) vs. Kansas State (9-3), 6:45 p.m. (ESPN) Cactus Bowl At Tempe, Ariz. Oklahoma State (6-6) vs. Washington (8-5), 10:15 p.m. (ESPN)

SATURDAY, JAN. 3

Birmingham (Ala.) Bowl Florida (6-5) vs. East Carolina (8-4), 1 p.m. (ESPN2) GoDaddy Bowl At Mobile, Ala. Toledo (8-4) vs. Arkansas State (7-5), 9 p.m. (ESPN)

SATURDAY, JAN. 10

TYLER FROM PAGE B1 touchdowns scored. He also had eight 100-yard receiving games. Jones anticipates Tyler playing as a slot receiver today, but said he is capable of more. “I think he’s one of those guys he

WARD FROM PAGE B1

Medal of Honor Bowl At Charleston, S.C. American vs. National, 2:30 p.m.

MONDAY, JAN. 12

College Football Championship At Arlington, Texas Sugar Bowl winner vs. Rose Bowl winner, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN)

SATURDAY, JAN. 17

East-West Shrine Classic At St. Petersburg, Fla. East vs. West, 4 p.m. (NFLN) NFLPA Collegiate Bowl At Carson, Calif. National vs. American, 4 p.m. (ESPN2)

SATURDAY, JAN. 24

Senior Bowl At Mobile, Ala. North vs. South, 4 p.m. (NFLN)

That defense didn’t salvage things and eventually was scrapped. “You look at the numbers, and it has to be personnel,” said Ward, who immediately knew his unit was in trouble when it opened the season by allowing a program-worst 680 yards against Texas A&M. “The scheme hasn’t changed. We tried to go to a little 3-4 to create more

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can play anywhere you want a skill position guy to play,” Jones said. “He’s so outstanding when he gets the ball in space. He’ll have more than an opportunity to do some big things up there.” For his career, Tyler has 59 rushes for 492 yards and 203 receptions for 3,383 yards. Oh, and he’s a great

pass rush, which didn’t happen, so we went back to our 4-2-5 and stayed consistent with it. “The bottom line is, if you don’t affect the quarterback in this league, you’re not going to have a chance to win a lot of ball games. We didn’t affect the quarterback. That goes back to us, so we have to recruit some players that can affect the quarterback.” USC allowed 433.6 yards per game to rank No. 91 in the 125-member

kick returner as well. He’s had 20 punt returns for 196 yards and 47 kickoff returns for 1,467 yards and six scores. Jones said coaches from Coastal Carolina, Limestone, Charleston Southern, Mars Hill as well as several junior colleges have made visits to see Tyler.

FBS. That’s about 88 yards more than the Gamecocks allowed per game in 2013, when USC was ranked No. 19 in that category. The Gamecocks had only 12 sacks this season — 13 fewer than in 2013 — which has USC looking for talented defensive ends. They picked up the top-ranked junior college defensive end Wednesday in Lewis. Thursday, Steve Spurrier announced that highly regarded defensive tackle

Dexter Wideman, who spent the year at Camden Military Academy, also would enroll in January. That has Ward excited about the future. “Help is on the way, as Coach says,” said Ward. “We’re excited about those young men. They’ve been out of high school a little while. Qua Lewis, he’s going to bring some of the ability we need that we didn’t have this season. Dexter Wideman is going to be the same way.”

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NFL

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2014

THE SUMTER ITEM

Eagles can’t afford slip-up vs. Redskins

Chargers face must-win against 49ers

BY JOSEPH WHITE The Associated Press

BY JANIE MCCAULEY The Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The NFC East title could very well hinge on whether the Philadelphia Eagles or Dallas Cowboys slip up against the lowly Washington Redskins. The Eagles (9-5) go first with visit to Washington today. Then the first-place Cowboys (10-4) head to the nation’s capital a week later for their season finale. Philadelphia holds the tiebreaker over Dallas, but KELLY that’s moot if the Cowboys win out. The Eagles have lost two in a row and could very well end up with 11 wins and no trip to the playoffs, even though their record would be at least three games better than the winner of NFC South. “If we win 11 games and it’s not good enough to get in, shame on us because we didn’t win the right games,’’ Philadelphia head coach Chip Kelly said. “That’s the bottom line. That’s what this whole deal is all about, and we know it going in.’’ Few are expecting much resistance from the Redskins (311), who have lost six straight and just made their fifth starting quarterback change this season. They’ve lost their past three games by 22, 24 and 11 points. But strange things sometimes happen: Washington’s signature win this year came on a Monday night in October at Dallas, and the Redskins’ top offensive output came when they gained 427 yards in a 37-34 loss at Philadelphia in September. “We’ve got to play in a crucial situation, and somebody’s got to rise above it and make a play. Unfortunately, we were unable to do that against Philadelphia,’’ first-year Redskins head coach Jay Gruden said. “It was obviously a very good game, but we came out on the short end of the stick, which isn’t good enough.’’ Mark Sanchez has had a revival of sorts in Philadelphia after four challenging years with the New York Jets. He’s kept the Eagles afloat as the starting quarterback while Nick Foles recovers from a broken collarbone. “Win, lose or draw, I am in a great opportunity and I can’t ever forget that, how fun this is,’’ Sanchez said. “And usually when I am feeling like that, I am playing pretty well.’’

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Philip Rivers and the San Diego Chargers are competing for their playoff lives with two games to go, slim as those chances might be. Surprisingly, the San Francisco 49ers find themselves playing only to finish on a strong note — not for another deep postseason run they had become so used to in the first three years under embattled coach Jim HarRIVERS baugh. It will be a little strange, indeed, for San Francisco with nothing at stake tonight on its home field. Not that Rivers expects Harbaugh’s team to back down one bit at this stage despite the uncomfortable circumstances and constant, swirling questions about Harbaugh’s future with one season remaining on his $25 million, five-year contract. “This is a team we respect a lot. They’ve been to three championship games and there’s lots of reasons why maybe this year didn’t turn out,’’ Rivers said. “It’s a late game in December with one week to go. Two teams are in different circumstances, but both have a lot of prideful guys and guys who are going to give everything. It will be a playoff-type intensity type of game.’’ The Chargers (8-6) are in a closing stretch that included a win at Baltimore and home losses to New England and Denver. They’ve gone from controlling their own destiny in the wildcard race to needing to win at San Francisco and at Kansas City, plus to get some help. San Francisco (7-7) has its first three-game losing streak during Harbaugh’s tenure, with two of those coming at the hands of the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks in an 18-day span. Now, the Niners are playing for a winning season. “There’s a lot at stake. That’s the way we approach it,’’ Harbaugh said. Rivers sat out practice Wednesday, apparently to rest chest and back injuries. He said he anticipates starting tonight. He would be down one of his favorite options, Keenan Allen, who was placed on injured reserve Tuesday with a broken right collarbone. In addition, inside linebacker Donald Butler went on IR on Monday with a dislocated left elbow.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Carolina head coach Ron Rivera, right, said he is “very confident” that quarterback Cam Newton, left, will start on Sunday against Cleveland.

Rivera ‘very confident’ Newton will be ready BY STEVE REED The Associated Press CHARLOTTE — Panthers coach Ron Rivera said he’s awaiting final clearance from team physicians before officially naming Cam Newton the starter for Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns. That clearance is expected to come Saturday. “Right now, everything is pointing in the right direction,’’ Rivera said Friday. “The reason I haven’t said anything (definitive) is because of that one big thing — waiting for doctors to tell me they feel good about it.’’ Newton practiced Friday for the third straight day and Rivera said he feels “very confident and comfortable’’ that the fourth-year quarterback will start Sunday, 12 days after a two-vehicle wreck left him with two

lower back fractures. Rivera said he expects Newton to start “as long as he keeps going. Good things have happened and we’ve done a lot of positive things.’’ He said the only way Newton wouldn’t play is if he suffers an unforeseen setback this weekend, but added the quarterback “has had no ill effects’’ waking up every morning this week. The 25-year-old Newton said Thursday he feels pain-free. The Panthers have increased Newton’s workload every day this week to make sure he’s ready to play. That includes having him run the football, which will be a part of the game plan. “He did a lot of turning and twisting today,’’ Rivera said. “We put a lot of pressure on it. We had to do some things on purpose just so we could

see. He seems to be right on track.’’ Newton enters the weekend 3-8-1 as the team’s starter this season. Derek Anderson filled in last week for Newton and threw for 277 yards and one touchdown, leading the Panthers to 19-17 win over Tampa Bay. Anderson is 2-0 as the team’s starter with both wins coming against the Buccaneers (2-11). Newton had one of his best games of the season on Dec. 7, two days before he flipped his 1998 Dodge truck one block from the team’s stadium on the way in to watch film. He completed 21 of 33 passes for 226 yards and three touchdowns lead the Panthers to a 41-10 victory at New Orleans. He also ran 12 times for 83 yards and a touchdown, the majority of those rushes on designed running plays.

Bortles, Todman help Jaguars hold off Titans 21-13 BY MARK LONG The Associated Press

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Blake Bortles revived a stagnant offense. Jordan Todman provided some cushion. And Sen’Derrick Marks sealed it with the most rewarding sack of his career. The trio provided all the highlights in the Jacksonville Jaguars’ 21-13 victory over the Tennessee Titans on Thursday night. In a matchup that was widely billed as unwatchable, Bortles, Todman and Marks offered some compelling moments in a relatively meaningless game. “The neat thing about this was different guys stood up at different times,’’ Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley said. Bortles completed 13 of 26 passes for 115 yards and a touchdown, a 4-yard pass to Marcedes Lewis that got Jacksonville going late in the second quarter. He also ran for 50 yards playing with a sprained right foot. “I wasn’t going out there if I couldn’t move around and help the offense,’’ Bortles said. Todman’s 62-yard run put the Jag-

It’s your world. Read all about it.

Jacksonville running back Jordan Todman (30) runs for a 62yard touchdown during the Jaguars’ 21-13 victory against Tennessee on Thursday in Jacksonville, Fla.

uars ahead for good. He juked one defender and stiff-armed another in his first carry of the night, ending his

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first score of the season with a leap into the stands. Marks’ play, though, got the most at-

tention. With the Titans driving, Marks sacked Charlie Whitehurst on the final play. It gave him 8 1/2 sacks on the season, triggering a $600,000 bonus in his contract. “What a great way to end the night,’’ Bradley said. Marks stood up and starting rubbing his fingers together before getting mobbed by teammates near midfield. “Oh, we’re going to spend some of that money,’’ Jaguars defensive end Red Bryant said. The Jaguars (3-12) won for the second time in four weeks thanks to a rejuvenated offense that had scored just two touchdowns in the previous four games. Playing the Titans (2-13) surely aided the effort. Tennessee lost its ninth consecutive game and moved a step closer to securing the No. 1 draft pick. “It was more about mistakes that we made than anything else because when we did it right — as you can see by most of the first half — we played pretty good,’’ Titans head coach Ken Whisenhunt said.

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COMICS

THE SUMTER ITEM

BIZARRO

SOUP TO NUTZ

ANDY CAPP

GARFIELD

BEETLE BAILEY

BORN LOSER

BLONDIE

ZITS

MOTHER GOOSE

JEFF MACNELLY’S SHOE

Depression could be driving teen to cut herself

DEAR STUCK — Go to your

DOG EAT DOUG

DILBERT

DEAR ABBY — I’m a 15-year-old girl. For the past year I have been self-injuring. I take a sharp object Dear Abby and scrape the skin off ABIGAIL until it VAN BUREN bleeds. My mom saw the scars on my arm. I have 15 other ones, but she doesn’t know about them. I have to keep lying to her and it hurts. I want to stop, but I can’t. How can I tell her I lied? I know she will be very upset. Stuck in Utah

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2015

mother, tell her that you need to talk to her about something important, but you are afraid she will be angry with you. Ask her to hear you out before she reacts. Then tell her everything you have told me and ask for her help. That’s what mothers are for. If necessary, show her your letter to me and my response because she needs to understand that when individuals self-injure, it is often to cope with serious depression — which is an illness — and it takes the help of a mental health professional to stop. DEAR ABBY — I am an eighthgrader in junior high, and there is a girl I really like. My problem is I’m afraid to tell her I love her. I know she likes someone

THE DAILY CROSSWORD PUZZLE

else and wants to go out with him, but I don’t know if she likes me. When I’m home, I write her poems, and I want to drop them off at her locker, but I am scared to. We are in three classes together. Do you have any advice? Nervous boy DEAR NERVOUS BOY — Yes. If you’re smart, you’ll wait until that girl is over her crush before declaring your feelings for her. The boy she has her eye on may or may not be interested in her. But as long as she’s fixated on him, she won’t be receptive to a romance with you, and it could be embarrassing if you say anything prematurely. (The same goes for anonymously dropping off your literary efforts at her locker.)

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 Go figure? 10 Scented candle option 15 One may become an exurb 16 Carew’s Twins roommate 17 Monopoly duo 18 Inspiration for some Yahtzee categories 19 Reasons for handshakes 20 Large volume 22 Alt-rock subgenre 23 Material for Caesar 24 Russian crepes 26 Egyptian __: cat breed 27 Warm time for Nancy? 28 Nursery nourishment 29 Slinky ad feature 32 1970 Top 40 song with the lyric “And I’m lucky that you’re mine” 34 Restraining device 37 Numskull 38 Nickname for the NFL draft’s last pick 40 High regard 41 Alice’s workplace

42 1956 milestone for Ford: Abbr. 45 __ anglais: English horn 46 Actor Ken and others 48 Hitch 49 Its Batman version contains a Joker 50 Like some annoying blog posts: Abbr. 51 Coming-out party? 52 Quality of a good math proof 54 Zen-like “Caddyshack” mantra 57 Grenoble’s river 58 Hoops matchups 59 Former lab heaters 60 Like many lotteries DOWN 1 Lowly worker 2 Best in a mess 3 ER protocol 4 “Vapor Action” brand 5 2013 NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey champs 6 Place to wrestle 7 George W.’s first press secretary 8 Driver’s ap-

pointment? 9 Sports 10 Make big strides 11 U.N. workers’ gp. 12 2002 Lil’ Bow Wow film 13 Prayer sung by Desdemona in “Otello” 14 Carried on 21 Makes bad calls? 24 Hall of Fame pitcher who managed the Yankees to a 1978 title 25 Tag 28 Ill-gotten loot 30 Chances 31 Vier times zwei 32 Special 33 Poetic rapper 34 Only woman with two Nobel prizes, formally

35 Insurance fraud perpetrator, perhaps 36 Ammonia component 39 Distinguished 42 Historic island palace 43 __ pork 44 Uncreative threat 47 Latin rock group Los __ 48 First sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy 50 “Iliad” war god 51 Factor opening 53 Mouths, anatomically 55 See 56-Down 56 With 55Down, sore throat soother

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We will be happy to change your ad if an error is made; however we are not responsible for errors after the first run day. We shall not be liable for any loss or expense that results from the printing or omission of an advertisement. We reserve the right to edit, refuse or cancel any ad at any time.

INDIVIDUAL SHEETS Flat or Fitted Twin .....................$3 each 29 Progress St. - Sumter Full ...................... $3 each Queen.................. $4 each 775-8366 Ext. 37 ASSORTED THROW PILLOWS

Store Hours Mon. - Sat. • 9:30 - 5:00 Closed Sunday

ANNOUNCEMENTS In Memory

DECEMBER CLEARANCE SALE!! HURRY IN WHILE SUPPLIES LAST!

$3.00 each PETS & ANIMALS

Firewood for Sale Will Deliver. Call 803 651-8672

Seeking qualified concierge attendants for adult/senior in-home care business. Retirees encouraged to apply. F/T and P/T. Personal transportation/cell phone required. Pay scale based on experience/training. Clear driving record and background check. Mail resume' with references to: AYS c/o NPS PO Box 1797, Sumter, SC 29151

2 Apts Avail. 1 Br, 3 Room Apartment, 7A-7B Maney St. No appliances $350 mo. & dep Call 775-0776

for

sale.

Call

Secertary position, must have income tax exp. temp. seasonal position. Send resume to: Box 381 c//o The Item, PO Box 1677 Sumter SC 29151

6-well restaurant style hot buffet unit. No sneeze guard. Great working condition. $350. Call Harry 803-460-7112

Help Wanted Part-Time $$$ AVON $$$ FREE TRAINING! 803-422-5555

Martin's Used Appliance Washers, Dryers, Refrig., Stoves. Guarantee 464-5439 or 469-7311

BUSINESS SERVICES Business Services TAXES Income - Payroll - Sales Same day service. 507 Broad St. Locally owned. Tesco 773-1515

Lawn Service

MERCHANDISE Farm Products Horse Hay for sale. Tight sq. bails $5 some $4. Heavy rnd. bails $40 some $35. Corn oats hog feed. Call Warren 843-319-1884

Garage, Yard & Estate Sales

Bosch Model NEXXT front load washer and dryer. Good condition. $300 for set. Call 803-778-0473

Schools / Instructional

Split Oak Firewood $70/dumped, $75/stacked. Newman's Tree Service 803-316-0128.

****FREE TAX SCHOOL**** Earn extra income after taking course. Flexible schedules, convenient location. Register now! Courses start December 26th through December 30th. Call 418-0123 Liberty Tax Service

Musical Instruments Kohler & Campbell Piano Prof. Studio upright model-solid oak in exc. cdtn. $1195 803-464-8897

RENTALS Unfurnished Apartments

EMPLOYMENT

LARGE GARAGE SALE 1st & 3rd Weekend Tables $2

Senior Living Apartments for those 62+ (Rent based on income) Shiloh-Randolph Manor 125 W. Bartlette. 775-0575 Studio/1 Bedroom apartments available EHO

Help Wanted Full-Time

FLEA MARKET BY SHAW AFB

Four Seasons Lawn Care Serving Sumter for almost 20 yrs! Free est. 494-9169/468-4008 Lifestyles Lawn Service Holiday Clean-up Specials! Leaf removal, hedge trimming, pine straw instal. Mil.-Sen. Disc.! Call Erik 803-968-8655

Roofing

Open every weekend. 905-4242

Full/Part time cooks, Experience a must. Apply in person at 2114 Hwy 521 S.

6914 St. Charles Rd.(Hwy 154 between Mayesville / St. Charles) Sun. Dec 21st, 2p-5p Misc items including some furniture, piano.

Working Lead Carpenter & Layout person. w/exper. Must have transp. and valid Dr. Lic. Call 803-473-4254

4350 Excursion Dr. (Linwood Plantation, Dalzell), Sat 6 - ?. Furn. antique books, bedding, hshld goods, something for everyone.

Full-time Maintenance Technician needed for apartment communities in Camden and Sumter, SC. Performs various maintenance duties necessary to maintain and enhance the value of the communities. Applicant must have own tools and reliable transportation. Please email your information to resume@boydmanagement.com or fax it to 803-419-6577. EOE

Robert's Metal Roofing 35 Years Experience. 18 colors & 45 year warranty. Financing available. Expert installation. Long list of satisfied customers. Call 803-837-1549.

Estate Sale, 102 W. Oakland Ave. Sat. 7 am - 11 am. Everything must go, prices negotiable.

Tree Service

Expert Tech, New & used heat pumps & A/C. Will install/repair, warranty; Compressor & labor $600. Call 803-968-9549 or 843-992-2364

STATE TREE SERVICE Worker's Comp & General liability insurance. Top quality service, lowest prices. 803-494-5175 or 803-491-5154 www.statetree.net NEWMAN'S TREE SERVICE Tree removal, trimming & stump grinding. Lic & Ins.

803-316-0128

Ricky's Tree Service Tree removal, stump grinding, Lic & ins, free quote, 803-435-2223 or cell 803-460-8747. Mention this ad & get 10% off. A Notch Above Tree Care Full quality service low rates, lic./ins., free est BBB accredited 983-9721

For Sale or Trade

LACE PANELS... $5.00 each

Unfurnished Apartments

POOL TABLES for CHRISTMAS $800 to $1200 includes balls, cue sticks, rack, and chalk. Free delivery within 25 miles of Manning (no upstairs). 803-433-5544 803-473-0939

In Loving Memory Samme Lee Mckinght Mar. 26, 1945 - Dec. 20, 2013 We love and miss you. Wife Earline, Children, and Family

Twin .....................$5 each Full ...................... $5 each Queen.................. $8 each King .................... $8 each

Help Wanted Full-Time

Fire wood 803-883-8056

AKC Maltese Pups that will look adorable in a bright red stocking. Deposit will hold until Christmas Eve Health guarantee in writing. $600 OBO . 803-499-1360

SHEET SETS

For Sale or Trade

Set of 4 Blk Factory Rims & Clear Top for a Grand Sport Corvette. Call for details and price 803-968-2459

Dogs

MICROFIBER

HUNTINGTON PLACE APARTMENTS

FROM $590 PER MONTH

1 MONTH FREE THIRTEEN (13) MONTH LEASE REQUIRED

Whitaker Trust Dillon Trace Apts. Call for our winter special 803-774-7745

Unfurnished Homes 1935 Georgianna 1400 Sq Ft. Fenced backyard, storage shed, 3BR 1.5 BA Recently painted $725 Mo. No pets. 795-6126. 3BR 1.5BA 726 E. Charlotte St. CHA, refrig., stove incl., detached carport, $625 mo. Call 803-774-3000

Mobile Home Rentals Rent to own 2BR/1BA all appl. incl. C/H/A, water & sewer incl. $385/mo. + $400 Dep.Call 803-464-5757 Close to SAFB: DW, 3 Br, 2 Ba, large private lot. $850 mo. + sec. dep. Call 803-491-4595 2, 3 & 4 Br, all appliances, Section 8 accepted. 469-6978 or 499-1500 3BR 2.5BA Appl. incl. 600 mo.+ Dep Background check. No inside pets. 803-236-2214

Homes for Sale 3BR//1BA home in Manning. $74,000 Call 803-460-6838.

Manufactured Housing LOW CREDIT SCORE? Been turned down for bad credit? Come try us, we do our own financing. We have 2-3-4 bedroom homes. For more information, call 843-389-4215. For Sale Nice 4 Br 2 Ba D/W MH w/ dinning rm, den w fire place, bonus rm. c//h//a, new carpet & paint, brick underpinning, lg fenced lot 803-983-0408

Land & Lots for Sale Hwy 521 N: 1/2 acre commercia lot. Owner eager to sell: $15,000. Call 491-4595. WALMART/SHAW 16.6 ACRES PAVED, ELEC. WATER $2350/ACRE 713-870-0216 Minutes Walmart/Shaw AFB 1 acre water, electric, paved $4990. 888-774-5720

TRANSPORTATION

STATEBURG COURTYARD 2 & 3 BRs 803-494-4015 Oaklawn MHP: 2 BR M.H.'s, water /sewer/garbage pk-up incl'd. RV parking avail. Call 803-494-8350

REAL ESTATE

Autos For Sale 2009 Honda Accord V6 Excellent condition. Gray 78K miles.Asking $13200 Extra Clean Well Maintained.Call 803-469-3991 2002 Toyota Rave 4, 138,000 miles, excellent condition. $5,000 firm. Call 803-428-5428.

Homes for Sale 150 Milton, CHA, 2 Br, lg. corner lot, great shape. Financing available. Call 803-775-4391 or 464-5960 FSBO on the golf course at Lakewood Links, 10 Prestwick Ct. 2552 sq ft., spa bath, spacious dress/closet area, 3BR 2BA , 3 car garage, large lot, secluded cul-desac. Custom built cypress siding. Very nice, $35K below appraisal at $210,330. Must sell! 803-468-2472

(803) 773-3600 POWERS PROPERTIES

803-773-3600

395 Coachman Drive Office Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9-5

Open House

Beach Forest Subdivision

ROUTE OPEN IN Boulevard Road & Sherwood Forest Area Great job for a person looking for extra income!

2141 Balclutha Lane

If you have good, dependable transportation and a phone in your home, apply in person at:

Saturday, December 20, 2014 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Marketed by Rodney Johnson 803-468-6344 Hosted by Becca Close

1229 Alice Drive Sumter, SC (803) 469-6350

Circulation Department 20 N. Magnolia Street Sumter, SC 29150 Call Harry Pringle at 774-1257

It’s Mayo’s “More for your money Christmas Sale”! Buy 1 Regular Priced Suit, Receive 2nd Suit of Equal Value FREE! Great Selection & Savings!

SHIRTS, TIES, PANTS & SHOES Buy 1, Get a 2nd HALF PRICE! IN-STORE ALTERATIONS, FOR THOSE LAST MINUTE OCCASIONS

MAYO’S SUIT CITY If your suits aren’t becoming to you, It’s a good time to be coming to Mayo’s! Wesmark Plaza • 773-2262 • Mon-Sat 10-7