December 22, 2015 by The Sumter Item

INSIDE: The force was strong at one German church this Sunday A8

Honeybaked Ham arrives in time for the holidays A2 TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2015

| Serving South Carolina since October 15, 1894

Jobless rate falls again in November

75 cents

Celebrating Boykin style

Employment numbers reflect broad-based growth in S.C. BY JIM HILLEY jim@theitem.com Despite still being in recovery mode from the October floods, South Carolina continued to see falling unemployment in November, according to South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce. The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate declined from 5.6 percent in October to 5.5 percent in

November. The number of people employed in the state increased by more than 9,000 for the month and 71,000 for the year to reach a record level of more than 2.1 million. In the tri-county area, unemployment dropped from 6.9 percent to 6.3 percent in Sumter County, from 7.7 percent to 6.9 percent in Clarendon County and from 8.1 percent to 7.3

SEE JOBS, PAGE A11

Dinner feeds more than 1K people BY RICK CARPENTER rick@theitem.com As an older volunteer began singing “Chestnuts roasting over an open fire,” 17-year-old Nicollete Searles used her cellphone to link to Nat King Cole’s rendition of “The Christmas Song” to accompany the soloist who was scooping food into Styrofoam containers. Shortly thereafter, retired minister Joshua Dupree stood behind a podium and began singing into

a portable microphone with the accompaniment of two backup singers. Although the age and methods of singing and listening to Christmas carols may have spanned the spectrum of generations, the group assembled at South Sumter Park had one mission: serving Christmas dinner to more than 1,000 people Sunday. For close to 30 years, Geraldine Singleton has organized the dinner during

MELANIE SMITH / THE SUMTER ITEM

Black River Electric Cooperative’s float had a few employees dangling from “power lines” along a truck bed in Sunday’s annual Boykin Christmas parade. See more photos on page A3.

SEE DINNER, PAGE A11

Fireside sets weekly record with more than $26,000 BY JACK OSTEEN Jack@theitem.com It may not feel quite like winter yet, but Sumterites must be feeling the warmth and Christmas spirit in their hearts with a record-setting week of donations. Last week marked the largest in a single week for donations with the Fireside Fund as more than $26,000 came in including two separate $10,000 donations coming from wellknown, long-time Sumter families. Elise Sharp Moore and Esther Bynum Sharp, adminis-

RICK CARPENTER / THE SUMTER ITEM

Geraldine Singleton embarrasses volunteer Gregory Johnson as she gives him a certificate of appreciation for volunteering Sunday. She was teasing him about his apron which says “Kitchen Hours: Mon. Closed, Tues. No Service, Wed. Half-day, Thurs. Out Shopping, Fri. Day Off, Sat. Day Off and Sun. Day of Rest.”

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DEATHS, B5 James W. Broadway Jr. Joye T. Segars William L. Dixon John W. Lance Ione B. Chancey Ann Rogers Rebecca M Richburg

Maggie F. Moses Ruth J. Martin Mildred M. Mills Booker T. Boyd Sr. D.S. “Scotty” Lowder Mary Ann Sigler Mary Lee M. Akers

ters of the Glen and May Sharp Trust, donated $10,000 this year to the Fund in honor of their parents. Glen Sharp, a well-known local businessman and philanthropist, died in January 2013 and the Fund was dedicated in his honor that year. The Williams-Brice-Ed-

wards Charitable Trust also gave generously this week with another $10,000 donation. The Trust has given to various causes throughout the Sumter area over many years. Winter weather can’t be far away and having a large

SEE FIRESIDE, PAGE A6

WEATHER, A12

INSIDE

RAIN AND WARM

2 SECTIONS, 20 PAGES VOL. 121, NO. 58

Rain and fog during the day; a thunderstorm possible tonight. HIGH 70, LOW 63

Classifieds B7 Comics B6 Lotteries A12

Opinion A10 Television A9

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2015

THE SUMTER ITEM

Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: pressrelease@theitem.com

Rescue your holiday dinner

LOCAL BRIEFS FROM STAFF REPORTS

City will perform fire hydrant flow tests

Honeybaked Ham ready to help at temporary location

The City of Sumter will perform fire hydrant flow tests from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday on Bultman Drive, North Guignard Drive, Walton Street, Gayle Street, Dorcel Street, Jefferson Road, Diebold Drive, Electric Drive and Loring Mill Road. Water customers in the surrounding area may experience temporary discolored water. Direct any questions or concerns to the City of Sumter Public Services Department at (803) 436-2558.

BY RICK CARPENTER rick@theitem.com If you’re running out of time to fix Christmas dinner, you may want to drop by Honeybaked Ham Co. at 532 Bultman Drive. Rhett Munn, owner of Honeybaked Ham in Florence, opens a store in his hometown of Sumter during Thanksgiving and Christmas periods. He hopes to sell as many as 400 hams in Sumter this Christmas season. The Sumter store will stay open daily until 3 p.m. Thursday, Christmas Eve. Munn said he sells more hams at Christmas time than any other time of the year. He also sells turkey breasts, side dishes such as sweet potato soufflé, broccoli casserole and desserts in the Sumter store. They also make great gifts, said

SLT to hold auditions for “The Full Monty” Sumter Little Theatre will hold auditions for “The Full Monty” at 7 p.m. on Jan. 4 and 5. “The Full Monty” is an adult musical comedy that will be directed by Carmela Bryan. It requires a cast of male and female actors and singers 21 years of age and older. Participants are required to have a prepared vocal piece of their choice. They may bring their music score to the audition. SLT is also looking for adult extras to take smaller, non-singing roles. The production dates are April 28-May 1 and May 5-8, 2016. For more information contact the Sumter Little Theatre, 14 Mood Ave., at (803) 775-2150 or Bryan at (803) 983-9349 or piros100@yahoo.com.

RICK CARPENTER / THE SUMTER ITEM

Taylor and Elizabeth Munn show off their dad’s work in the Honeybaked Ham store in Sumter. Ann Kirven, CEO of Clarendon County Alcohol and Drug Abuse. She was getting nine hams Monday for her board members who donate time and energy to the organization.

Kirven said she tried giving other gifts, but the board members were sold on the Honeybaked Hams. Munn said he gets the pre-cooked hams from the national franchise, but he puts the glaze on them in the Florence store. On Monday, his daughters, Taylor Munn, 23, and Elizabeth Munn, 21, were working the Sumter store. Ever the salesperson, Taylor said her favorite part of the ham is eating a piece with the glaze on it. The fully cooked hams start in the $30 range for boneless and average about $45 for bone-in hams. This is the third year Munn has opened the store in Sumter. It’s open Dec. 15 to Christmas Eve. Munn said the location of the business in Sumter tends to change from year to year because he only rents for those two months. If he gets enough business, he said he will consider opening a store year-round in Sumter. For store hours, call (843) 629-8899.

December declared ‘Toys For Tots Month’ in Sumter

Sheriff accepts public info officer’s resignation Sumter County Sheriff’s Office has accepted Braden Bunch’s resignation as public information officer, according to information released by Sheriff Anthony Dennis. Bunch was arrested last week for driving under the influence, first offense, in a county vehicle. “I have determined that his actions are in direct violation of Sumter County Sheriff’s Office policies,” Dennis said. “I will continue to hold myself and my staff, both sworn and civilian personnel, to a higher standard of conduct which the public deserves of this law enforcement agency. “In accordance with this decision, I have accepted his resignation effective immediately,” he said. Major Allen Dailey will serve as temporary public information officer and can be reached at (803) 436-2049 or (803) 934-6933.

PHOTO PROVIDED

The Leathernecks of Sumter, Clarendon and Lee counties’ Marine Corps League Detachment 1202 are seen with Sumter County Councilwoman Naomi Sanders and Sumter Mayor Joseph T. McElveen presenting them with the certificate proclaiming December Toys for Tots Month in Sumter. From left, they are Assistant Regional Coordinator Lou Chestnut, Lorenzo Butler, Harvey Senter, William Hartley, Khary Reed and Edward Gilmer. They said the “Toys for Tots Campaign was able to successfully complete its mission by delivering toys to all children for which they received and approved applications for toys,” thanks to the generosity of local residents.

Lindsey Graham ends his 2016 presidential campaign WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham ended his 2016 campaign for president Monday, saying he remains committed to working to achieve security for the American people and helping the GOP expand its base. With just more than a month to go until voting begins, the

South Carolina senator — the only candidate from one of the four early voting states — posted a video telling supporters “we have run a campaign we can be proud of.” He noted his emphasis on national security and improving the nation’s balance sheet, saying he “put forth bold and practical solutions to

big problems.” In a taped interview broadcast later on CNN, the 60-yearold senator warned that the election is “not about 2016” but instead “an election for the heart and soul of the Republican Party.” He warned that the recent GOP frontrunner Donald Trump cannot

defeat a Democrat like Hillary Clinton “without some major adjustments.” Having mustered little support in the polls, Graham’s exit will not have an immediate effect on the race in the final stretch before the Feb. 1 Iowa caucuses and the Feb. 9 New Hampshire primary. But

his decision could produce a ripple effect in his home state, which follows New Hampshire with a Feb. 20 primary. Graham will likely be a highly sought-after endorsement for those still in the race, though he’s given no indication of who he would back.

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LOCAL

THE SUMTER ITEM

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2015

Annual Boykin Christmas parade

A girl, above, picks up candy thrown to her during the parade. PHOTOS BY MELANIE SMITH / THE SUMTER ITEM

Women from Old McCaskill’s Farm, left, rode in the parade with a few friends on Sunday.

The crowd, above, waits for the Boykin Christmas Parade to begin on Sunday afternoon in Boykin. A Nutcracker cast makes its way down the road during the Boykin Christmas Parade.

United Ministries still needs your help BY RICK CARPENTER rick@theitem.com The people of Sumter have opened their pocketbooks like never before to help neighbors rebuild their homes while also supplying food and health needs through Sumter United Ministries. But even with significant contributions to the organization, its executive director says the recovery from the flood has compounded the need. Mark Champagne, executive director of United Ministries, said the October flood has left the nonprofit in need of about $28,000 for its emergency shelter, nonperishable food items and cash to pay for perishable food items, and even though the community has donated more than $125,000 to help rebuild homes, that amount only covers about six homes. He said the repairs average about $20,000 per home. The Central Carolina Community Foundation recently donated $25,000 to help rebuild homes. Those home repair bills will start mounting when a group of Amish and Mennonite church volunteers arrive on Jan. 4 to begin donating their

time and effort to rebuild homes of needy people in the area. Champagne said more than 9,000 people applied for Federal Emergency Management Administration loans, and he’s aware of about 600 homes, including rentals, that need repairs. United Ministries does not assist people rebuilding rental properties, he said. Food donations have been steady since the flood, but he said the holiday season represents a time when the organization receives a lot of food donations. “If we don’t get it now, we will be in trouble in June,” he said. Champagne said a huge number of people needed food and cleaning supplies after the flood. United Ministries now needs nonperishable food items such as canned meat, soups and more. The emergency shelter provides temporary shelter to 20 men and eight women. If you’re looking for a way to give, you might want to attend one of Alice Drive Baptist Church’s three Christmas Eve services. The Rev. Mark Partin, administrative pastor for Alice

Drive Baptist, said the church will use Christmas Eve offerings to help replenish the coffers of United Ministries. Partin said it’s the first time they have ever used a Christmas Eve offering for that purpose. He said at other times when they’ve asked for special offerings, they have raised as much as $20,000. Alice Drive Baptist Christmas Eve services will be held at 7 p.m. on Wednesday and 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Thursday. Don’t look for the church on Alice Drive; it’s actually at the corner of Wise Drive and Loring Mill Road. The church also has a way to give online at www.alicedrive.org. In a memo sent our last week, United Ministries said it needs volunteers to help with roofing, pulling insulation from under a house, removing duct work and insulation from a small crawl space and removing drywall from exterior walls. It also needs volunteers for its emergency shelter on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. For more information about donating time or money, call the Sumter United Ministries at (803) 775-0757.

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Shipping mania: Rush on to deliver millions of gifts BY SCOTT MAYEROWITZ AP Airlines Writer LOUISVILLE, Ky. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; The humming is constant; a lowpitched drone from 155 miles of conveyer belts racing packages in every direction. Boxes shift from one belt to another and bump into a metal wall. Thud. Thud. Thud. In the background, trucks beep and jet engines roar. Forget jingling bells and hoho-hos, these are now the sounds of the holidays. As more gift-givers shop online, there are more packages to ship. Online sales now account for 10 percent of all shopping and 15 percent during the holidays, according to research firm Forrester. That leaves FedEx and UPS with a combined 947 million packages to deliver between Black Friday and Christmas Eve â&#x20AC;&#x201D; up 8 percent from last holiday seasonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s forecasts. For UPS, the key to getting all those last-second orders delivered on time is Worldport, a massive sorting facility located between the Louisville airportâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s two main runways. On a typical night, 1.6 million packages pass through. Just before Christmas, there can be 4 million, peaking on Monday night. (UPS plans to deliver about 36 million packages on Tuesday, its busiest day of the year, up from 35 million last year. That includes all of Worldportâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shipments plus those traveling by truck.)

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

UPS workers guide a container across a floor containing casters after it was unloaded from an airplane at Worldport in Louisville, Kentucky, on Nov. 20. Standing next to the runways just after midnight, jet headlights can be seen lined up miles away. Every 60 seconds another plane lands on one of the two parallel runways and pulls up to the facility â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the size of 90 football fields â&#x20AC;&#x201D; to unload its goods. If everything goes right, the packages are just touched twice by humans: first when pulled out of large aircraft shipping containers and then again at the end of their journey through the conveyors and into a new bin and another jet. The past two years have been rough for express shippers. In 2013, they underestimated Americanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s growing fervor for online shopping. Throw in bad weather, and deliveries backed up. Some gifts didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t

arrive in time for Christmas. UPS and Fedex spent heavily last year to ensure better performance, but still had some major hiccups. Staples, Toys â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;R Us, Best Buy, Crate & Barrel, J.C. Penney and Kohlâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s were among the retailers who missed delivery to at least one part of the country, according to industry tracking firm StellaService.

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Consumers buying less expensive items NEW YORK (AP) â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Cheap is the new chic for holiday gifts. Jana Montero, who has in the past bought loved ones iPods and tablets for Christmas, has changed her attitude about gift giving: This holiday season, sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s grabbing candle sets and serving dishes that cost under $30 to give to family and friends. Montero, who lives in New York and is saving to buy a home with her husband, said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We want to make sure weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re conscious of what weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re spending.â&#x20AC;? More holiday shoppers are expected to be like Montero this holiday season in the latest twist in a theme that has played out since the recession. For nearly a decade, shoppers have been more cautious and practical about their spending, doing more bargain shopping and hunting for deals. But recently, shoppers have taken that practice a step further. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re becoming more open to buying gifts that in the past might have been

considered downright cheap. So, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not just looking for big discounts on extravagant, expensive designer and brand name goods; theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re starting out with the intention of getting less expensive items that they might not have considered buying as gifts in the past. The number of people willing to buy gifts during this holiday shopping season for under $10 rose to 4 percent this year from 1 percent last year, according to a survey of 1,000 people by Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Research Group, a firm that researches consumer behavior. Meanwhile, the number of people willing to spend between $26 and $35 fell to 18 percent from 22 percent. Overall, people are expected to spend modestly more this holiday season. The National Retail Federation predicts holiday spending in November and December will be up 3.7 percent to $630.5 billion this year, slower than the 4.1 percent growth during the same period last year.

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WORLD

THE SUMTER ITEM

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2015

85 missing in China landslide; residents blame government

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Chulunjav Bayarsaikhan sits for a photo with Hassar, a shaggy 11-month-old bankhar puppy, in Tuv Province, Mongolia. As years of overgrazing increasingly push Mongolian nomads into the territory of their oldest foes — snow leopards and wolves — a group of researchers and herders are trying to reinstate the bankhar, a close relative of the Tibetan mastiff, to its historic place beside their masters. The dog is native to Mongolia but nearly disappeared during the course of mass urbanization drives during the Soviet era.

Reviving a Mongolian dog tradition Nomads hope canine companions will help protect sheep, leopards BY GRACE BROWN The Associated Press TUV AIMAG, Mongolia — Through three decades of marriage, they have wandered together across the rolling hills of Mongolia’s northern Tuv Province, accompanied by their herd of sheep and stalked by the wolves and snow leopards that threaten their livelihood. Five months ago, Chulunjav Bayarsaikhan and Tumurbaatar Davaasuren were joined by a new partner, Hasar, a shaggy, 11-month-old bankhar dog that a hundred years ago would have been a far more common sight outside the country’s tent homes known as gers. “Now, nothing comes near our herd at night,” Tumurbaatar said. “If anything does, she barks in an alarming way, so we come out before it can attack. She learned to patrol all night and is protecting them well.” As years of overgrazing increasingly push Mongolian nomads into the territory of their oldest foes — snow leopards and wolves — a group of researchers and herders are trying to reinstate the bankhar, a close relative of the Tibetan mastiff, to its historic place beside their masters. The dog is native to Mongolia but nearly

disappeared during the course of mass urbanization drives during the Soviet era. DNA analysis conducted by Cornell researchers and released this year points to Mongolia as the location where domesticated dogs first appeared some 15,000 years ago. That makes the bankhar even more of a Mongolian icon. For thousands of years, the giant dogs roamed the Mongolian steppes with their nomadic masters, so much a part of the landscape that they featured in Chinese Qing Dynasty paintings of Mongolia and the 13th century travelogues of Marco Polo. Now experts are hoping to revive that legacy. At the small nonprofit Mongolia Bankhar Dog Project outside the capital, Ulaanbaatar, biologists and breeders say the shaggy, intelligent bankhar could help conservationists convince herders that they need not aggressively trap and hunt endangered predator species. The center raises bankhar, which can grow as large as a small bear, and hands them over at four or five months old to herders like Chulunjav and Tumurbaatar, who must continue to train them under a strict regime aimed at developing their bond with live-

SHENZHEN, China (AP) — Rescuers searched Monday for 85 missing people a day after the collapse of a mountain of excavated soil and construction waste that had been piled up during two years in China’s manufacturing center of Shenzhen. Authorities said the landslide buried or damaged 33 buildings in the industrial park in Shenzhen, a city near Hong Kong that makes products used around the world ranging from cellphones to cars. Residents blamed the government while officials cited human error, with one ministry saying, “The pile was too big; the pile was too steep.” The landslide Sunday covered an area of 450,000 square yards with silt 33 feet deep, authorities said. At least 16 people were hospitalized, including children, the official Xinhua News Agency said. The Shenzhen government said seven trapped people had been rescued,

and 85 others remained missing Monday evening. Earlier in the day it had said 91 people were missing and seven rescued, but it gave no explanation for the change in the missing. No deaths had been reported. The landslide is the fourth major disaster to strike China in a year following a deadly New Year’s Eve stampede in Shanghai, the capsizing of a cruise ship in the Yangtze River and a massive explosion at a chemicals warehouse in Tianjin on the coast near Beijing. Human error has been suspected or confirmed in all three previous disasters, pointing to an often callous attitude toward safety in China despite the threat of harsh penalties. In Sunday’s landslide, the Ministry of Land and Resources said a steep manmade mountain of dirt, cement chunks and other construction waste had been piled up against a 330-foot-high hill during the past two years.

stock rather than humans. The center is a result of efforts to revive the bankhar launched in 2004 by U.S. biologist Bruce Elfstrom. Hasar now follows sheep day and night and wards off, but doesn’t attack, predators that once decimated the couple’s herd. “I have high hopes for my dog as a herder because she has learned a lot so far,” Chulunjav said. “I hope in the future she can be my good friend and partner in my nomadic life.” Although the country of less than 3 million people is rapidly urbanizing, mostly around sprawling Ulaanbaatar, roughly one-third have held on to their traditional nomadic or semi-nomadic lifestyle. Cattle or sheep losses can spell catastrophe for households. Using dogs to protect herds also can help protect snow leopards as their population falls below 1,000, mostly in the western Altai mountain range and in the south, near the Gobi Desert, according to WWF Mongolia director Batbold Dorjgurkhem. “The habitat that is needed by snow leopards is shrinking, due to increasing livestock numbers in Mongolia,” Batbold says. “Because of this, there is a conflict between herders and this top predator.”

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LOCAL | NATION

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2015

FIRESIDE FROM PAGE A1 number of dollars ready to help families is sure to make a difference as the New Year and cold weather approaches. This year’s Fireside Fund is in honor of Dr. Charles “Pap” Propst who died on May 20, 2015, at the age of 90. He founded Sumter Pediatrics with Dr. Ted Young in 1954 where he practiced until 1986. Propst became another well-known member of the Sumter community serving on the District 17 school board, taking part in local clubs and affecting several generations of Sumterites. Started in 1969, the Fireside Fund is a partnership between The Sumter Item and The Salvation Army. The newspaper collects the money and gives it to the local nonprofit.

The Christian charity then interviews people who need help with heating costs such as past-due electric bills, kerosene or wood. Candidates must provide a valid form of picture identification, paycheck stubs and copies of late bills. If you and your family need assistance with heating costs, call The Salvation Army at (803) 775-9336. Donations can be mailed to The Sumter Item, P.O. Box 1677, Sumter, SC 29151 or dropped off at the office, 20 N. Magnolia St. Names, including groups, should be spelled completely. When making a donation in someone’s honor, names will be printed as given. Last week’s donations were: In memory of our parents, May and Glen Sharp from Elise Sharp Moore and Esther Bynum Sharp, $10,000; Williams-Brice-Edwards Charitable Trust, $10,000; In memory of Nancy Smith Fisette from Robert Fisette, $1,000; Thom-

THE SUMTER ITEM

as M. Riddle, $1,500; Sumter First Pentecostal Holiness Church, $1,000; In memory of Tillman Cuttino from Jim and Marsha Jones, $500; Burt & Linda Montague, $500; Widows/Widowers Support Ministry of Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church, $150; Ingram Associates Tax Firm, $125; In memory of Lad Owens from Norma Owens, $100; Honoring our First Responders from Buddy & Barbara Gulledge, $100; In memory of Marjorie Kohli from Stanley A. Kohli, $100; Fellowship Sunday School Class of Northside Memorial Baptist Church, $100; Merry Christmas to the Kyle Osteen Family from Jack, Susan, Elise & John Osteen, $100; Merry Christmas to the Graham Osteen Family from Jack, Susan, Elise & John Osteen, $100; In memory of Chris Jones from Larry & Jackie Welch, $100; Unity Class at Crosswell Baptist Church, $100; In honor of Luke Rogers

from Luke Rogers, $100; In memory of Ben Mitchell, Jr. from Evelyn M. Mitchell, $100; In memory of James (Jim) Riel and in honor of Eloise Riel from Daniel & Lucy Owens, $100; Linda Hannibal-Wheat, $100; B. O. Wilder, Jr., $100; Church Women United in the Greater Sumter Area, $100; David & Barbara Mcinnis, $50; Taylor Family, $50; Ronald & Patricia Wilson, $50; In memory of Richard M. Ellis from Berthella S. Ellis, $50; In memory of Harriett P. Barrineau from Gus & Ruby Pringels, $25; In honor of David Patterson from Charlie Pitts, $25; Faithful Workers Sunday School Class of New Salem Baptist Church, $25; and In honor of Patricia Y. Saul from Ruth Heater, $20. Total combined anonymous: $300 Total This week: $26,770 Total This Year: $31,595 Total Last Year: $56,428.27 Total Since 1969: $1,471,623.46

Firefighters sue siren maker over their hearing loss NEW YORK (AP) — There were times by the end of his shift that firefighter Joseph Nardone’s head would be pounding, his eyes crossing from the noise of the siren on his truck. “The siren was so loud inside the cab that it actually physically hurt,” said the former New York City fire battalion chief. Even though he’s been retired for more than a decade, he said, the effects of the sirens linger in hearing loss that has left him unable to understand rapid conversation or follow along in church. Nardone is among about 4,400 firefighters and former firefighters nationwide who are suing Federal Signal Corp., an Oak Brook, Illinoisbased company that makes sirens, claiming it didn’t do enough to make them safer for those on fire trucks who have to listen to them nearly every day. They say the company could have designed them in a way that directs the volume away from areas where firefighters sit in the engines, shielding them from sound blasts that lawyers say reach

AP FILE PHOTO

A New York City firefighter jumps on a firetruck that just exited a Manhattan firehouse in January 2014. About 4,400 firefighters and retired firefighters with hearing loss have filed suits against a company that makes sirens. fighters to do: wear ear protection. The lawsuits, which began surfacing more than a decade ago, have been in places such as New York, Philadelphia, Boston, New Jersey and the Chicago area, said attorney Marc Bern, who’s leading all the lawsuits. In documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the company said juries have decided in favor of Federal Signal in most of the half-dozen or so

120 decibels, roughly equivalent to a rock concert. Said the 73-year-old Nardone: “The manufacturer had the means and ability to do something about it and they didn’t.” Federal Signal argues that directing the sound defeats one of the main purposes of a siren — to warn motorists and pedestrians that a truck is coming. And it says it has long supported what many departments have advised its fire-

suits that have gone to trial. The company also has settled in some cases without admitting any wrongdoing. The largest settlement, reached in 2011, required the company to pay $3.6 million to 1,069 firefighters for cases filed in Philadelphia. Bern said Federal Signal could have made the sirens with a shroud to warn those in its path instead of a more generalized blare. “Clearly, you don’t have to have sound going all the way to the rear of the fire engine,” he said. “If you’re driving behind a fire engine and you don’t see a 50-foot-long, red ... engine with lights going on and off, there’s really something wrong.”

David Duffy, attorney for Federal Signal, said making the sirens more directed would put firefighters and the public at greater risk. “Firefighters have testified that they want a loud siren that projects noise to the front and sides of fire trucks,” he said. Accidents often involve vehicles that hit fire trucks from behind, necessitating a loud noise in all directions, he said. Duffy also noted that firefighting organizations have for three decades advocated use of earplugs or ear coverings to reduce the risk of hearing loss from sirens or other noises in the course of their firefighting duties, “of which there are many.”

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NATION

THE SUMTER ITEM

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2015

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Ron Barnes of Coast Electric, left, stands with Scott Brown, vice president of engineering, outside the elevated Stennis substation for Coast Electric in Kiln, Mississippi, in November. Coast Electric was able to make some major improvements post-Hurricane Katrina; it used a large mound of dirt to build the substation 18 feet above sea level. But raising the old substations that flooded would cost Coast’s 68,160 customers millions of dollars, Brown says.

Extreme weather poses increasing threat to U.S. power grid BY HOLBROOK MOHR and GARANCE BURKE The Associated Press WAVELAND, Miss. — When Hurricane Katrina’s punishing storm surge plowed ashore, it swamped seven of Coast Electric Power Association’s substations, vital to powering thousands of Mississippi homes and businesses. The facilities have long since been repaired, but a decade after the storm they remain at the same elevation and just as vulnerable to catastrophic hurricanes. Such storms are a growing threat. An Associated Press analysis of industry data found that severe weather is the leading cause of major outages on the nation’s power grid. The number of weatherrelated power outages has climbed during the last decade, with the greatest spikes in 2008 and 2011, according to the AP analysis and independent studies. That leaves Coast Electric and other utilities across the country balancing customer costs with the need for improvements to counter the rising number of violent storms, floods and droughts threatening the U.S. power grid. Katrina pummeled the Mississippi coast in August 2005, knocking out power to Coast Electric’s entire coverage area. Facing sweltering summer heat and $110 million in damage, the small nonprofit cooperative focused on restoring power quickly, said vice president of engineering Scott Brown. The substations that flooded were repaired to prestorm conditions — at the time, it would have been impractical to raise them or move them elsewhere. “We’re only a few feet above sea level right here,” Brown said during a recent visit to a substation in the coastal town of Waveland. Coast Electric made some major improvements post-Ka-

trina, such as elevating a new substation 18 feet above sea level. But raising the old substations that flooded would cost Coast’s 68,160 customers millions of dollars, Brown said. Several thousand companies own and manage the equipment that makes up the U.S. power grid, from small municipal utilities and cooperatives like Coast Electric to large investor-owned companies like New York’s Consolidated Edison. When Hurricane Irene hit the Northeast in 2011, it marked the first time that more than 200,000 Con Ed customers lost power from a storm. Superstorm Sandy struck 14 months later, followed by a devastating Nor’easter, leaving 1.1 million customers in the dark. “It was clear to us that weather patterns were changing fundamentally. Severe weather events were becoming more frequent and devastating,” Allan Drury, a Con Ed spokesman, said in an email. Con Ed is spending $1 billion to harden its system. There are funds available from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help utilities rebuild after catastrophes. The Mississippi cooperative received about $100 million in FEMA public assistance grants, but the money allowed it only to repair the flooded substations to prestorm conditions. FEMA offered more funds that could have been used to raise the flooded substations, but the co-op did not apply — cost effectiveness assessments and environmental considerations would have taken too much time, Brown said, and delayed getting the lights back on. Once the work began, Coast Electric could not change the terms of the grant, Brown said. So the seven substations swamped by Katrina remain at the same elevation. Utilities in other parts of the country face different challenges.

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Last year, regulators in drought-stricken California ordered the state’s investorowned utilities to set priorities for inspecting and removing dead and sick trees near their power lines, warning that “climate change has facilitated and exacerbated numerous wildfires” that have damaged and threatened their facilities. Utilities could ask the California Public Utilities Commission for additional funds to address wildfire threats, regulators said. But after a wildfire killed two people, destroyed 475 homes and scorched 70,000 acres in the Sierra Nevada foothills in September, homeowners and their attorneys

are asking whether San Francisco-based Pacific Gas & Electric Co. did enough to clear dry trees flanking its power lines. Barry Anderson, a PG&E vice president, acknowledged in mid-September that the fire could have been sparked when a pine tree “may have contacted” a PG&E line. More than 50 victims have sued PG&E and its tree-trimming contractors for property damage. One suit blames the companies for the death of an 82-year-old man. PG&E spokesman Joe Molica said the company had spent $260 million to prepare for extreme weather and drought. State fire officials are still

investigating the cause of the blaze. Nationally, fragmented data collection makes it difficult to gauge whether utilities have adequately hardened their systems against more extreme weather. Many companies are not required to provide regulators with data related to how often outages occur or how long they last. AP largely adopted the methodology used by independent research organization Climate Central to chart the latest growth in the number of weather-related outages. Climate Central’s previous study, spanning 2003 to 2012, found weather-related outages were becoming much more frequent.

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NATION | WORLD

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2015

THE SUMTER ITEM

German church celebrates ‘Star Wars’ BERLIN (AP) — The force is strong in Berlin. A church in the German capital invited “Star Wars” fans to attend a special service Sunday themed on the scifi blockbuster in an attempt to attract more young people into the pews. About 500 people heeded the call and attended the service, some carrying light saber props or wearing Darth Vader masks. It was more than twice as many as usually come to Zion Church on a Sunday. “We were very happy to see so many people in the church today,” said Protestant pastor Lucas Ludewig said after the service. “It’s great that there are subjects that people are interested in. They trust us to make them part of the church service without making it too Christian or too Star Wars but to find a good compromise.” With the film’s theme song — played on the church’s organ — still echoing in the rafters, the 30-year-old said he came up with the idea of the “Star

A person dressed as the ‘Star Wars’ Jawa character attends a Star Wars themed church service at Zion Church in Berlin. About 500 people, some carrying light saber props or wearing Darth Vader masks, attended the service, more than twice as many as usual on a Sunday. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Wars” service while talking with fellow pastor Ulrike Garve, 29, about how much they were looking forward to the seventh instalments in the franchise “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” which opened Friday. “’Star Wars’ picks up religious im-

ages, including Christian images and maybe some from other religions,” Ludewig said. “In doing so, it shows that the Bible and the Church are part of our culture that keeps being reworked and reinterpreted.” Churchgoer Jonathan Wonneberger,

dressed as a Jawa trader, described the service as a welcome change from tradition. “You don’t have to take everything that’s religious too seriously. Of course you have to treat it with respect, but when there’s a global event like Star Wars, it’s ok to jump on the bandwagon,” he said. Scott McGuire, sporting a Chewbacca costume, said he planned to go see the movie later. “I think the whole question of God is very interesting, but getting up early on a Sunday is one of those things. But for something like this, I’ll go,” he said.

New Englanders fear repeat of last year’s historic snows ready loading up on rock salt, heavy-duty shovels and roof rakes. State officials are also readying to battle the elements as places like Boston; Providence, Rhode Island; and Hartford, Connecticut, are all on pace for their warmest December on record. In metro Boston, where a creaky transit system virtually ground to a halt during last year’s historic snows, trains are being outfitted with plows, careworn third rails are getting replaced and rail switches are getting heaters as part

BOSTON (AP) — A warm start to winter has New Englanders feeling wary as Tuesday’s winter solstice approaches. And who can blame them? Last winter began much the same way, only to dump a record 9 feet of snow on Boston. “I’m very concerned,” said Mary Donovan, a Beverly, Massachusetts, resident, as she waited for her train at Boston’s North Station last week wearing a light coat in 50-degree weather. “We had $20,000 worth of damage on our home last year because of ice dams. And there’s no guarantee it won’t happen again. It’s very frustrating.” Dave Green, who also was in North Station that day, said he’s resigned to another round of painfully long commutes from his home in Carver, near Cape Cod. “If you look back, there was ’82 and ’83. Back-to-back bad years,” he said with a shrug. “It’s gonna be the same thing.” Forecasters say the region isn’t due for another winter from hell, but many New Englanders aren’t taking any chances — even though record warmth in the mid-60s is forecast for the Boston area on Christmas Eve. “People are actually being smart,” quipped Tim Duell, a worker at Manchester Hardware in Manchester, Connecticut, where customers are al-

of a five-year, $83 million “winter resiliency” effort. “We have to prepare for the worst-case scenario at all times,” says Alex Ambrosius, at Rhode Island’s Emergency Management Agency. “It has been so nice and warm; it’s hard to imagine any snow right now.” To be sure, it’s an altogether different concern in the snow and ski country of Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, where some resorts have suspended operations because there’s simply not enough

fresh powder. “Up here, the snow is our lifeblood,” said Eric Friedman, spokesman at the Mad

River Glen ski area in Waitsfield, Vermont. “It’s really been a bummer. We are so chomping at the bit.”

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(HD) Barbados case. (HD) Family dead at table (HD) UnSub. (HD) meets an organ donor. (HD) (HD) (:02) Dear Santa (‘11, Holiday) aac Amy Acker. A little girl writes a letter The Christmas 145 With This Ring (‘15, Romance) Re- The Christmas Hope (‘09, Holiday) aaa Madeleine Stowe. A social gina Hall. Marriage pact. (HD) worker brings a 9-year-old orphaned girl home for Christmas. (HD) to Santa asking him to bring her dad a new wife. (HD) Hope (HD) 76 Hardball with Chris (N) (HD) All in with Chris Hayes (HD) The Rachel Maddow Show (N) Lawrence O’Donnell (HD) All in with Chris Hayes (HD) Maddow (HD) 91 Talia (N) (HD) Ho Ho Holiday Special Shakers Full House Full House Full House Full House Friends (HD) Friends (HD) Friends (HD) 154 Cops (HD) Cops (HD) Cops (HD) Cops (HD) Cops (HD) Cops (HD) Cops (HD) Cops (HD) Cops (HD) Cops (HD) Jail (HD) (:01) The Ex152 Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (‘08, Adventure) aac Harrison Ford. Indiana Jones and a The Expanse: Remember the Cant (:01) The Expanse: The Big Empty ruthless Soviet agent hunt for a powerful artifact. (HD) (N) (HD) Run-down shuttle. (HD) panse (HD) Seinfeld (HD) The Big Bang The Big Bang The Big Bang The Big Bang The Big Bang The Big Bang Conan Kunal Nayyar; Ed Burns; El Vy. 2 Broke Girls 156 Seinfeld: The Soup Nazi (HD) Theory (HD) Theory (HD) Theory (HD) Theory (HD) Theory (HD) Theory (HD) (HD) (HD) Desk Set (‘57, Comedy) aaac Spencer Tracy. An efficiency expert falls My Favorite Wife (‘40, Comedy) aaa Irene Dunne. A (:45) The Goodbye Girl (‘77, Com186 (5:30) North by Northwest (‘59, Thriller) aaaa Cary Grant. (HD) in love with a TV research supervisor. woman believed dead returns home. (HD) edy) aaa Richard Dreyfuss. 157 Kate Plus 8: Florida Fun (HD) Jill & Jessa: Counting On (N) Kate Plus 8 (N) (HD) (:02) 7 Little Johnstons (N) (HD) Jill & Jessa: Counting On (HD) Kate Plus (HD) Four Christmases (‘08, Drama) aac Vince Vaughn. Circumstances CSI: NY (HD) 158 Castle: Heroes & Villains Masked vig- Four Christmases (‘08, Drama) aac Vince Vaughn. Circumstances ilante. (HD) force a couple to visit each of their divorced parents. (HD) force a couple to visit each of their divorced parents. (HD) 102 Adam Ruins Adam Ruins Adam Ruins Adam Ruins Adam Ruins Adam Ruins Adam Ruins Adam Ruins Adam Ruins Adam Ruins Adam Ruins 161 Facts Life Facts Life Facts Life (:48) Loves Raymond (HD) Raymond (HD) Raymond (HD) Raymond (HD) Queens (HD) Queens (HD) Queens (HD) (5:30) G.I. Joe: Re tal i a tion (‘13, Ac WWE SmackDown z{ | (HD) Chrisley Knows Chrisley Knows (:01) Mod ern (:31) Mod ern (:01) Modern 132 tion) aac Dwayne Johnson. (HD) Best (N) Best (HD) Family (HD) Family (HD) Family (HD) Law & Order: Endurance (HD) Law & Order (HD) Law & Order: Dissonance (HD) Law & Order: Standoff (HD) Law & Order: Return (HD) Law (HD) 172 Person of Interest (HD) E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (‘82, Science Fiction) aaac Dee Wallace. (HD) How I Met How I Met How I Met How I Met

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46 130 Married at First Sight: The Wed-

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What really big events do you recall from 2015? BY KEVIN MCDONOUGH Call me old-fashioned, but I prefer my year-end roundups to come after Christmas. There’s something comforting, if not fitting, about surveying the wreckage of torn packaging under the tree while looking forward to the new year and surveying the events of the past 365 days. But I’m not in charge of ABC News, so here comes “The Year: 2015” (9 p.m.), a two-hour survey that recalls some of the year’s really big events. They include the papal visit; the endless presidential contest and its focus on a “Celebrity Apprentice” host; last winter’s frigid conditions and the Supreme Court’s decision on marriage equality. Robin Roberts will anchor the proceedings with help from George Stephanopoulos, David Muir, Lara Spencer, Elizabeth Vargas, Amy Robach, Juju Chang, Dan Harris, Ginger Zee, Byron Pitts and Michael Strahan. As a blend of nighttime news and morning talk-show distraction, “The Year” will put plenty of focus on ephemeral celebrity gossip. Why focus on the biggest refugee crisis since the end of World War II when you can talk about the breakups of bold-faced names including Ben and Jen and Blake and Miranda — or the sports minutiae of “Deflate-gate”? I had already forgotten about the Ashley Madison scandal. But the folks hosting “The Year” haven’t! And, of course, there will be much discussion of Kaitlyn Jenner, an all-purpose celebrity story blending hot-button social issues and Kardashian chatter. Remember, every time you even think about The Kardashians, an angel loses its wings. • While we’re on the subject of slightly moldy stories, “Bizarre Foods” (9 p.m., Travel, TVPG) devotes an episode to foods that gain a certain special something with age, not to mention decay. You might want to hold off on the cookies and eggnog while watching gourmands sample 32-year-old Korean bean paste, very spoiled lamb and a cheese made from rotten potatoes. Bon appetit! Not quite moldy, but hardly new, a Christmas-themed helping of “Hollywood Game Night” (8 p.m., NBC, TV-14) from 2013 invites Ray Romano, Cheryl

Hines, Gavin DeGraw, Rachel Bilson, Andy Roddick and Brooklyn Decker to share wisecracks and party games.

TONIGHT’S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS • A biography shows Bart’s family ties on “The Simpsons” (8 p.m., Fox, r, TV-PG). • Children (Henry Thomas and Drew Barrymore) befriend a lost visitor in the 1982 fantasy “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” (8 p.m., WGN). • Felt creatures deliver their lists to the North Pole in the 2008 special “A Muppets Christmas: A Letter to Santa” (8 p.m., AMC). • Manny goes the distance to make sure he’s not on the naughty list on “Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas” (8:30 p.m., Fox, TV-PG), a special from 2011. • A frantic search for a stolen missile on “NCIS: New Orleans” (9 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14). • A train wreck fills the wards on “Chicago Med” (9 p.m., NBC, r, TV-14). • “Empire” stars host “Taraji and Terrence’s White Hot Holidays” (9 p.m., Fox, r, TV-14), featuring musical performances from Mary J. Blige, John Legend and Jamie Foxx. • A cartel exacts vengeance on “Limitless” (10 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14). • Evidence that may clear Boden cuts both ways on “Chicago Fire” (10 p.m., NBC, r, TV14). • “Booze Traveler” (10 p.m.,

FOX

America’s favorite arctic herd is busy decorating for the holiday season in “Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas” airing at 8:30 p.m. today on FOX. Travel) visits Guatemala and samples spirits.

CULT CHOICE While not officially a holiday movie, the 1957 comedy “Desk Set” (8 p.m., TCM) features a humdinger of an office Christmas party, complete with an eventful morning after. Katharine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy and Gig Young star.

SERIES NOTES A marine’s kidnapping has a foreign connection on “NCIS” (8

p.m., CBS, TV-PG) * A muchneeded break on “Fresh Off the Boat” (8 p.m., ABC, r, TV-PG) * Lewis Snart arrives on “The Flash” (8 p.m., CW, r, TV-14) * Nick Offerman appears on “The Muppets” (8:30 p.m., ABC, r, TVPG) * Robert Knepper gueststars on “iZombie” (9 p.m., CW, r, TV-14).

LATE NIGHT Kunal Nayyar, Ed Burns and El Vy are on “Conan” (11 p.m., TBS, r) * Sylvester Stallone, Ted Koppel, Kyle Busch and My Morning Jacket are on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert”

(11:35 p.m., CBS, r) * Jimmy Fallon welcomes Jennifer Lawrence, Michael B. Jordan and Jeff Lynne’s ELO on “The Tonight Show” (11:35 p.m., NBC, r) * “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (11:35 p.m., ABC, r) is a repeat * Shaquille O’Neal, Judith Light and Mike O’Brien visit “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (12:35 a.m., NBC, r) * Anna Faris, Joshua Jackson and Gavin James appear on “The Late Late Show With James Corden” (12:35 a.m., CBS, r). Copyright 2015, United Feature Syndicate

Good Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday

A10

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2015

N.G. Osteen 1843-1936 The Watchman and Southron

H.G. Osteen 1870-1955 Founder, The Item

THE SUMTER ITEM H.D. Osteen 1904-1987 The Item

Margaret W. Osteen 1908-1996 The Item Hubert D. Osteen Jr. Chairman & Editor-in-Chief Graham Osteen Co-President Kyle Osteen Co-President Jack Osteen Editor and Publisher Larry Miller CEO Rick Carpenter Managing Editor

20 N. Magnolia St., Sumter, South Carolina 29150 • Founded October 15, 1894

COMMENTARY

Can we talk? W

hen President Obama addressed the nation following the terrorist attacks in San Bernardino, he reiterated the call to resist animus toward Muslims. This was a familiar message — the same we had heard from President George W. Bush following the 9/11 attacks. We aren’t at war against Islam, both presidents Kathleen have said, Parker but against an ideology built on distortions (or medieval-minded interpretations) of the Islamic religion. Even so, many Americans still need to be reminded that Muslims, rather than our enemies, are our friends, neighbors, colleagues, scholars, leaders, doctors, mechanics. They’re our fellow Americans. Even so, we continue to struggle even with the terminology we use to distinguish between everyday Muslims and radicalized terrorists. This is particularly distressing given that language and communication are so crucial to winning what is in the long term an ideological war. None too soon, we’re beginning to hear reasonable voices rise above the din of nationalistic jargon from some of our lesser, if glaring, lights. One such voice belongs to South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham. In his finest debate hour, Graham issued a passionate apology to Muslims for Donald Trump, who has said among other things that we need a ban on Muslims entering the U.S. “Donald Trump has done the one single thing you cannot do — declare war on Islam itself ... ,” said Graham. “To all of our Muslim friends throughout the world, like the King of Jordan and the President of Egypt, I am sorry. He does not represent us.” Graham then thanked Muslim Americans for their military service to our country. Bravo. A full-page headline on the Washington Blade, a gay newspaper, similarly caught my eye recently: “To All Muslims: Trump Does Not Speak For Us.” These sentiments, still relatively rarely expressed, are crucial not only to civility but also to national security. Anti-Muslim rhetoric merely buoys the terrorist narrative that the U.S. is the enemy of Islam. Thus, demonizing or marginalizing Muslims leads not to greater safety but to greater numbers of recruits willing to self-detonate in the service of something no sane person recognizes. It is also rude and unAmerican.

It’s funny, in an unfunny way. We seem to have no trouble demanding that moderate Muslims condemn the radicals, but we’re less than impressive when it comes to moderate Americans taking a stand against our own extremists. It isn’t really as painful as it looks and should be viewed as an act of patriotism, something the individual citizen can do as part of the nation’s war effort. Our failure to communicate with each other can only lead to the sort of frenzied embrace of isolationism and marginalization we’ve witnessed of late. And though interfaith ministries often meet for these purposes, their message doesn’t reach deeply enough into the secular community to have much effect. Thus, I had hoped the president might call on Americans to do their part and issue a call to specific action. As I imagined it, he would have said something like: “I’m calling on all America’s mayors, of towns and cities large and small, to join the war on terror by hosting a public forum in your community bringing Muslims and non-Muslims together for conversation. “The operating principle should be that communication is key to understanding and that understanding is central to peaceful coexistence and a better future. The objective is to allow people to speak freely (in an orderly fashion) about their thoughts, fears, hopes and ideas.” Something like that. There are already several models available for replication. The “Welcome Table” created by University of Mississippi’s William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation has been extremely successful in healing the wounds of the civil rights era. If blacks and whites can pull this off in places like South Carolina and Mississippi, then surely Muslims, Christians, blacks, whites, Hispanics and Asians can do it in Detroit or Los Angeles. The Village Square, begun several years ago in Tallahassee, Florida, and now in a few other cities, brings citizens together to a bipartisan, formal debate on issues crucial to the community. The square also holds “speed-dating” occasions to connect citizens and elected leaders. These approaches may seem like tiny pebbles tossed into a sea of distrust and fear, but they’ve proved effective often enough that they’re worth a try. Even pebbles cause ripples, and words have a way of spreading. Kathleen Parker’s email address is kathleenparker@ washpost.com. © 2015, Washington Post Writers Group.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR QUESTIONING SHARPTON’S INTEREST IN CITADEL CASE Al Sharpton had been looking for a place to go because he had not been in the news lately. Then the ‘incident’ at the Citadel popped up in the news, and the ‘reverend’ decided that this was his chance. His group demanded that the head of the Citadel resign, without finding out what happened. Instant controversy. How does “Ghosts of

Christmas Past’ get confused with ‘Mississippi Burning’? Because of white sheets with holes cut in it? I can see it now … Can’t buy Confederate flags, now you can’t buy white sheets. I guess I’d better go take the white sheets down from my shop windows. Mr. Sharpton, the next time you are looking for somewhere to go, please contact me. I’ve got a doozy of a suggestion. DENNIS E. VICKERS Wedgefield

COMMENTARY

The tent from Hell P

ractically everyone with children has endured Christmas Eve pratfalls while preparing presents and toys for their kids to show the little ones that St. Nick had visited and left behind wondrous gifts. One of my earliest experiences as a child was the thrill of staying awake most of the night awaiting the arrival of the Jolly Old Elf. I usually fell asleep before his arrival but was nevertheless excited when morning came and I dashed downstairs to find what could be under the Christmas tree. I was seldom disappointed. One particular Christmas Eve when I was 8 or 9 years old remains embedded in my mind because it involved my father and a group of his cronies who showed up in the dead of night to help him erect a tent in our yard after I had written Santa Claus and asked him to bring me a tent to play in. I had fallen asleep as I usually did on Christmas Eve, but was awakened by some noises outside my second floor window overlooking the home of our next door neighbor, Hugh Stoddard The Elder, father of the noted Sumter physician of the same name. The noises were coming from a number of men

down below who were talking loudly and arguing about how to erect a tent. They were conHubert D. gregating Osteen Jr. underneath my bedroom window, which was open, and I could hear them pretty clearly. My young mind was able to understand some curse words coming from the noisy men. I will name some names I remember from that episode: Hugh Stoddard was in the group, along with Clifton G. Brown and R.E. “Beau” Graham, both of whom would become mayors of Sumter. Others who might have been in attendance were Dr. Harry “Hick” Harvin and Joe Ed Davis, my father’s partner in the office supply and commercial printing business on West Harvin Street that they founded together known as Osteen-Davis. There may have been others that I can’t recall. Just to set the record straight, the cursing was relatively short-lived. It was followed by raucous laughter from the would-be tent erectors, who began to recognize the absurdity of their situation

when the tent didn’t cooperate. I would learn years later when I grew older that the erectors prepared for their Christmas Eve project by partaking of some adult beverages at the Stoddard home before making a mess of the tent erection. On Christmas morning I examined the tent, which was sloppily put together, in my opinion. Nevertheless, I appreciated the effort the men had put forth to erect the tent, which kept falling apart every time I tried to use it. Practically every Christmas Eve since then after I had reached adulthood I stopped by the Stoddard residence to join Hugh and Helen Stoddard and their children in remembering a memorable evening. By then I had developed an appreciation of adult beverages but hoisted only a few from time to time with the Stoddards and other guests. Moderation was the order of the day. The tent from hell was an experience I’ve never forgotten, just like I’ve never forgotten the family friends floundering around in our yard trying to make a little boy happy on Christmas Day. They succeeded well beyond my wildest dreams. May those who made it happen rest in peace.

WHO REPRESENTS YOU? SUMTER COUNTY DISTRICT 1 Naomi D. Sanders 5605 Borden Road Rembert, SC 29128 (803) 499-3947 (home) DISTRICT 2 Artie Baker 3680 Bakersfield Lane Dalzell, SC 29040 803-469-3638 (home) DISTRICT 3 James Byrd Jr. 13 E. Canal St. Sumter, SC 29150 (803) 468-1719 (mobile) (803) 778-0796 (office) (803) 436-2108 (Fax) jbyrd@sumtercountysc.org DISTRICT 4 Charles T. Edens 760 Henderson St. Sumter, SC 29150 (803) 775-0044 (home) (803) 236-5759 (mobile) DISTRICT 5 Vivian Fleming-McGhaney 9770 Lynches River Road Lynchburg, SC 29080 (803) 437-2797 (home) (803) 495-3247 (office) DISTRICT 6 James T. McCain Jr. 317 W. Bartlette St. Sumter, SC 29150 (803) 773-2353 (home) (803) 607-2777 (mobile)

DISTRICT 7 Eugene Baten P.O. Box 3193 Sumter, SC 29151 (803) 773-0815 (home) CITY OF SUMTER MAYOR Joseph T. McElveen Jr. 20 Buford St. Sumter, SC 29150 (803) 773-0382 jmcelveen@sumter-sc.com WARD 1 Thomas J. Lowery 829 Legare St. Sumter, SC 29150 (803) 773-9298 tlowery@sumter-sc.com WARD 2 Ione Dwyer P.O. Box 1492 Sumter, SC 29151 (803) 481-4284 idwyer@sumter-sc.com WARD 3 Calvin K. Hastie Sr. 810 S. Main St. Sumter, SC 29150 (803) 774-7776 chastie@sumter-sc.com WARD 4 Colleen Yates 437 W. Hampton Ave. Sumter, SC 29150 (803) 773-3259 cyates@sumter-sc.com

WARD 5 Robert Galiano 608 Antlers Drive Sumter, SC 29150 (803) 469-0005 bgaliano@sumter-sc.com WARD 6 David Merchant 26 Paisley Park Sumter, SC 29150 (803) 773-1086 dmerchant@sumter-sc.com STATE LAWMAKERS Rep. Grady Brown, D-Bishopville District 50 420 S. Main St. Bishopville, SC 29010 (803) 484-6832 (home) (803) 734-2934 (Columbia) Rep. Joe Neal, D-Hopkins District 70 P.O. Box 5 Hopkins, SC 29061 (803) 776-0353 (home) (803) 734-9142 (fax) (803) 734-2804 (Columbia) jn@schouse.org Rep. Dr. Robert L. Ridgeway III, D-Clarendon District 64 117 N. Brooks St. Manning, SC 29102 (803) 938-3087(home) (803) 212-6929 (Columbia)

Rep. Murrell Smith Jr., R-Sumter District 67 P.O. Box 580 Sumter, SC 29151 (803) 778-2471 (business) (803) 778-1643 (fax) (803) 734-3042 (Columbia) murrellsmith@schouse.gov Rep. J. David Weeks, D-Sumter District 51 2 Marlborough Court Sumter, SC 29154 (803) 775-5856 (business) (803) 734-3102 (Columbia) Sen. Gerald Malloy, D-Darlington District 29 1216 Salem Road Hartsville, SC 29550 (843) 339-3000 (803) 212-6148 (Columbia) Sen. Kevin L. Johnson, D-Manning District 36 P.O. Box 156, Manning, 29102 (803) 435-8117 (home) (803) 212-6108 (Columbia) Sen. J. Thomas McElveen III, D-Sumter District 35 P. O. Box 57, Sumter, 29151 (803) 775-1263 (business (803) 212-6132 (Columbia)

NATIONAL LAWMAKERS Rep. Mick Mulvaney — 5th District 1207 Longworth HOB Washington, D.C. 20515 (202) 225-5501 531-A Oxford Drive Sumter, SC 29150 (803) 327-1114 Rep. Jim Clyburn — 6th District 319 Cannon House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 (202) 225-3315 1703 Gervais St. Columbia, SC 29201 (803) 799-1100 jclyburn@hr.house.gov Sen. Lindsey Graham 290 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 (202) 224-5972 Midlands Regional Office 508 Hampton Street, Suite 202 Columbia, SC 29201 (803) 933-0112 (main) Sen. Tim Scott 167 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 (202) 224-6121 (202) 228-5143 (fax) 1301 Gervais St., Suite 825 Columbia, SC 29201 (803) 771-6112 (803) 771-6455 (fax)

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

LOCAL

THE SUMTER ITEM

JOBS FROM PAGE A1 percent in Lee County. Richard Kaglic, a regional research economist for the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, said one thing that stood out was how overall job growth continued after the flooding. “Typically there is some sort of trauma associated with that, and it ultimately leads to job losses,” he said. “We just didn’t see that in South Carolina. It is as though the economy continued to plow ahead in creating jobs despite the devastation caused by the flooding.” He said construction will typically start to pick up after such an event, but it usually takes several months before it starts showing up. Cheryl Stanton, executive director of SCDEW noted in a news release that unemployment is at a 14-year low. “The number of people working continues to reach new heights,” she said. “It truly is a great day in South Carolina when nearly 10,000 people are able to find work. “But our work is far from over; we need to continue to develop a pipeline of trained workers to fill the state’s nearly 73,000 current job openings and to meet our employers’ future needs.” Darla Moore School of Business Research Economist Joseph Van Nessen said the broad-based nature of recent economic growth has benefited the Midlands. Columbia, for instance, usually lags behind the Charleston area and the Upstate, he said, because much of Columbia’s economy is centered on educa-

tion, the military and the government. “The Columbia Metropolitan Statistical Area has seen higher rates of growth more in line with the state average,” he said. “As goes Columbia, so goes Sumter, to a large extent, and Sumter has been able to reap some of the benefits of that, although in the second half of the year Sumter’s growth has dipped a little bit.” Van Nessen said reductions in Department of Defense spending could have a sizable influence on the Sumter market. Kaglic said that while the manufacturing numbers have been weak for more than a year, significant gains from 2010 to the middle of 2014 shouldn’t be overlooked. “I think that this is a lull in hiring and manufacturing and not a stall in manufacturing employment,” he said. Van Nessen said the reduction in unemployment has spurred an increase in per capita income. “Hiring the demand is putting upward pressure on wages,” he said. “That is evidence the expansion is on pretty solid footing.” He said one reason the labor force has been going up is people recognize there are more opportunities. “That’s very positive because if more people are working, and the people who have been working are seeing gains in their wages; that means the expansion if being more widely felt across South Carolina,” Van Nessen said. “It’s not hitting everybody yet, but more people now than it has been, and that very positive going in to next year.”

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2015

A11

ONLINE DIRECTORY Visit theitem.com to see these advertisers dvertisers with live links to their website: WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBE

FROM THE U.S. CENSUS NSUS BUREAU In the fall of 1621, the Pilgrims — early settlers of Plymouth Colony three-day feast to celebrate — held a harvest. rvest. This event is regardeda bountiful by many as the nation’s first Thanksgiving. The Wampanoag oag Indians in attendance played a key role. Historians storians have recorded ceremonies of thanks among mong other groups of European settlers in North These include the British orth America. colonists nists in Virginia as early as The legacy of thanks 1619. and st have survived the centuries, the feast as be came a national holiday the eventt be152 years ago go (Oct. 3, 1863) when President Abraham m Lincoln proclaimed the November as a national last Thursday off day of thanksgivving. Later, President Franklin clarified that Thanksgiving Roosevelt should alwayss be celebrated on the fourth the month to encourage Thursday of shopping, never on the earlier holidayy occasional fifthh Thursday.

CLICK HERE

R 25, 2015

| Serving South Carolina

since October 15,

1894 | $1.50 cents

20 adoptions fin in time for the hoalized lidays

WHERE TO FEASTT 117 million

Number of occupied housing across cross ss the nation in the second units ac quarter — all potential stops uarter of 22015 for Thanksgiving Thanksgiviing dinner. nner.

4.5 million

Number of multigenerationa l households househollds in the U.S. in 2014. It is households, consisting possible thesee of re generations, will have three or more to purchase largee quantities of food to accommodate all th the he family members sitting around for the holiday holida ffeast — even the tablee if there aree no guests!

Number of places in the named after the holiday’ United States s traditional main course. Turkey Creek Village, Louisiana, was the most populous in residents, followed by 2014, with 443 Turkey Creek, Arizona (412), Turkey City, Texas key Town, North Carolina (396) and Tur(296). There are also 11 townships in the U.S. with “Turkey” inn the thhe name.

Lafayette Gold & Silver Exchange We Buy: Gold, Silver, .925 Jewelry, Diamonds, Coin Collections, Pocket Watches & Wrist Watches Flatware & Estates

Number of places and townships in the United States that are named Cranberry, a popular side dish at Thanksgiving. Cranberry township (Butler County), Pennsylvania, was the most populous of these places in 2014, with 30,170 residents. Cranberry township (Venango Pennsylvania, was next County), (6,546).

Number of counties, places and townships in the United States named Plymouth, as in Plymouth Rock, the landing site of the first Pilgrims. The two counties, both named Plymouth, are in Massachusetts (507,022) and Iowa Plymouth, Minnesota, (24,874). is lous place, with 75,057 the most popuresidents in 2014. There are two places in the United States named Pilgrim: one, a township in Dade County, Missouri, had a population the other, a census designated of 129; Michigan, had a population place in of 36. And then there is Mayflower, population was 2,345, Arkansas, whose and lage, California, whose Mayflower Vilpopulation was 5,662.

Participants in the First Feast 24.4 million

umber of U.S. residents of y as of 2014. Some could English ancesbe descendants f the Plymo th l

Jayson Hoagland, second from the of their two youngest left, and his wife Jennifer, children. Eight-yearJayden, 4 months, old Jackson, center,second from the right, stand and his grandmoth with their newly JIM stands with his ers, Nancy Browne, expanded family HILLEY / THE SUMTER ITEM sister Jemma, 5, far left, and Sharon after the adoption brother Jentry, McMillion, far right. 22 months, youngest g sis ssister stter

Biaan Bian annnnnual ual eve eveennntt prov even pr ides pr id id

BY ADRIENNE SARVIS adrienne@theitem.com

Just in time for days, 20 children the holiwere adopted into their forever families during Adoption Day at Sumter Finalization County Family

Sumterites grateful for family, friends

BY JIM HILLEY jim@theitem.com

15 families with

Court on Monday. Third Judicial Circuit Judge family court, really,” he George M. McFaddin said. The Jr. start- twice special day is held ed Adoption every year, once Finalization Day in 2008 to expedite in June and once in November the numer. ous backlogge November is d adoption also cases in the nized as National recogarea. “This is the happiest Month, declared Adoption such in 1995 day in by President Bill Clinton, to

flag from the Statehouse People around grounds to the are taking stock Sumter heroic efforts of their blessings this Thanksgivof South Caroing after a momentou linians helps year in the Palmetto HARVIN ing each other the Charleston State. From recover from shootings to the 1,000-year flood, it nearly twoseems as though feet of rain and South raging Carolina has floodwaters. reeled from one catastroph At a time like e to another. this, people But there is say they are much to b most tha kf l h

new members promote awareness of the children in need of permanent families. South Carolina of Social Services Department is promoting communit y education

SEE ADOPTION , PAGE A7

2 children killed in Monday blaze

BY ADRIENNE SARVIS adrienne@the

and Clarendon item.com counties stayed at the scene until 5 The start of a.m. Tuesday. the holiday season hit a low The residence after two girls died Monday with fire when was engulfed night in a Pinefirst respondwood house ers arrived, fire. Christmas said. Sumter County He said there Harvin Bullock Coroner ple, including were four peothe two chil5-year-old Isa said the girls, dren in id C

Open M-F 8:30-5:30, Sat 8-2 480 E. Liberty St. Sumter, SC 29150 (inside Coca-Cola Building Building))

803-773-8022

PHOTOS BY RICK CARPENTER / THE SUMTER ITEM

Vivian Johnson stirs a pot of green beans for the annual meal.

DINNER FROM PAGE A1 Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons. Singleton began cooking the meal early last week when Church of the Holy Comforter opened its doors to Singleton and her volunteers. Throughout the week they cooked turkey, ham and chicken, steamed rice and packaged desserts. On Sunday, the volunteers heated vegetables and scooped out cans of cranberry sauce. By the noon starting time, a makeshift assembly line of volunteers was filling and closing the containers as another set of volunteers waited to take dinners to elderly and homebound residents. Volunteer Essie Richardson said she met Singleton at the Sumter Cut Rate Soda Fountain when she retired and move to Sumter five years ago. Richardson, a former Baltimore school teacher and supervisor for juvenile services in Maryland, heard about how Singleton and the group of Today’s Ladies started the program by first providing food to homebound elderly. When they learned that many couldn’t open cans of

Geraldine Singleton donned Christmas ornaments for Sunday’s Christmas dinner at South Sumter Park.

food, they began cooking the meals and taking them to those in need. Now, with enormous support from the community — Singleton singled out Liberty Seafood, the Evergreen store downtown and Sumter Cut Rate Drug — volunteers help feed more than 1,000 people, as many as 400 delivered to their residences. Richardson and her friend John Johnson from Columbia were the first to gather and distribute 35 meals to residents at Sumter Place. Meanwhile, Vivian Franklin was using a spreadsheet to check off the number of dinners delivered to residences and placing a Sticky Note on containers identifying how many dinners went to each address. As people started arriving from church, most people were there to volunteer to deliver the meals. Singleton said that one year Alice Drive Baptist Church sent over so many volunteers, “I don’t think they had a congregation that day.” She said she has been overwhelmed by the outpouring of public support to make sure all Sumter residents have access to a free Christmas dinner.

To advertise your business in this Online Directory and on theitem.com Call 803.774.1237

THE NEWS YOU WANT. HOWEVER YOU WANT IT.

A12

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2015

CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY SCHEDULE BANKS — The following will close at 1 p.m. on Thursday and will remain closed Friday: SAFE Federal Credit Union; All South Federal Credit Union; and South State Bank. Christmas Holiday Schedule: Dec. 2015 will close at 2 p.m. on Thursday and will The22, following remain closed Friday: Bank of Clarendon; BB&T; First Citizens; The Citizens Bank; and Wells Fargo. NBSC will close at noon on Thursday and will remain closed Friday. GOVERNMENT — The following will be closed Wednesday through Friday: City of Sumter offices and Sumter County offices. The following will be closed Thursday through Monday, Dec. 28: Clarendon County offices; Lee County offices; City of Manning offices; City of Bishopville offices; and South Carolina state government offices. Federal government offices and the U.S. Postal Service will be closed Friday. SCHOOLS — The following will be closed through Jan. 3, 2016: 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; and Laurence Manning Academy. Clarendon Hall will be closed through Jan. 4, 2016. Sumter Christian School will be closed through Jan. 3, 2016. A faculty in-service day will be observed on Jan. 4, 2016, and students will return on Jan. 5, 2016. Central Carolina Technical College will be closed Wednesday through Jan. 3, 2016. USC Sumter will be closed Wednesday through Jan. 1, 2016. UTILITIES — Black River Electric Coop. will be closed Thursday and Friday. Farmers Telephone Coop. will be closed Friday. OTHER — Clemson Extension Service will be closed through Friday. The Greater Sumter Chamber of Commerce will be closed Thursday and Friday. The Sumter County Library will be closed Wednesday through Sunday, Dec. 27. The Harvin Clarendon County Library will be closed Thursday through Monday, Dec. 28. City of Sumter will not collect household garbage or recyclables on Christmas Day. Instead, if you have a Friday collection day, your garbage and recyclables will be collected on Saturday, Dec. 26. Residents are asked to have their roll carts and recycling bins at the curb by 7 a.m. for collection. City of Sumter will collect household garbage and recyclables on New Year’s Day, Jan. 1, 2016. All offices of The Sumter Item will be closed Thursday and Friday. The Sumter Item will not publish on Christmas Day.

DAILY PLANNER

WEATHER

Sumter Area Toastmasters tion (CGA) meets at 8 a.m. meets at 7 p.m. each Tueseach Tuesday for Bible day at the Sumter Mall comstudy. The group meets at munity room, 1057 Broad St. the CGA office in Dillon Park. Opportunities to get involved The group helps in developRefreshments provided and ing speaking and leadership golf after Bible study. Call skills. Call Douglas Wilson at (803) 773-2171. (803) 778-0197 or Rebecca UAW Eastern Carolina InternaGonzalez at (803) 565-9271. tional Retirees Council meets The Westside Neighborhood at 10 a.m. on the second Association meets at 5:30 Wednesday of each month p.m. on the third Monday of at the VFW in Little River. All each month at the Birnie UAW retirees are welcome to HOPE Center, 210 S. Purdy St. attend. Call Bob Artus at (803) 481-3622. The Christian Golfers’ Associa-

TODAY

TONIGHT

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

Mild; rain, fog, then a shower

Rain, a thunderstorm

Some rain and a thunderstorm

Cloudy with spotty showers

Cloudy

Low clouds

70°

63°

75° / 66°

82° / 65°

80° / 63°

78° / 63°

Chance of rain: 80%

Chance of rain: 75%

Chance of rain: 65%

Chance of rain: 60%

Chance of rain: 20%

Chance of rain: 10%

S 6-12 mph

SE 4-8 mph

S 8-16 mph

SSW 8-16 mph

SSW 4-8 mph

TODAY’S SOUTH CAROLINA WEATHER

GREATER SUMTER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Wednesday, noon, chamber office

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Tend to EUGENIA LAST business whether you’re updating your resume, setting up meetings or tidying up your paperwork before the year comes to a close. An opportunity will come out of nowhere. Mix business with pleasure, you’ll excel.

The last word in astrology

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Stay on top of your game and be open to what’s going on around you. Don’t let emotions lead to confusion. Offering to help a charity will work in your favor. Romance looks promising and lifestyle changes look inviting. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Life may be hectic, but you need to stay focused regardless of distractions. Giving in to poor habits won’t help you close out the year in tip-top shape. Question anyone who tries to persuade you to be indulgent. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Use your energy wisely. You’ll end up arguing or doing something that is likely to end in injury or insult. Concentrate on maintaining what you have, not on changing things impulsively. Selfimprovement is your best option.

Gaﬀney 62/58 Spartanburg 61/57

Greenville 64/58

Columbia 72/63

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

Today: A little rain; fog in the morning. Winds light and variable. Wednesday: Heavy rain and a thunderstorm; mild. Winds south 6-12 mph.

Aiken 69/62

ON THE COAST

Charleston 75/64

Today: Fog. Rain; arriving in the afternoon in northern parts. High 69 to 73. Wednesday: Occasional rain and a thunderstorm. High 72 to 76.

LOCAL ALMANAC

LAKE LEVELS

SUMTER THROUGH 4 P.M. YESTERDAY

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

Today Hi/Lo/W 70/63/r 45/39/pc 74/60/pc 50/39/pc 76/64/c 65/51/sh 73/63/r 61/52/c 83/69/c 63/53/c 58/51/pc 59/48/c 62/54/c

Full pool 360 76.8 75.5 100

Lake Murray Marion Moultrie Wateree

58° 40° 55° 33° 79° in 2013 15° in 1981

SUN AND MOON 7 a.m. yest. 356.13 74.92 73.87 96.49

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Take a moment to remember what’s transpired this year and you will find a way to reconnect with people you miss. Make choices that will allow you to pursue the personal changes you’ve been longing to make. Romance is encouraged. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Listen to proposals, but don’t jump into a joint venture. You can make changes, but only for the right reason. Do your best to stick to a budget and a plan you can control.

24-hr chg +0.06 -0.15 -0.86 -0.16

Sunrise 7:24 a.m. Moonrise 3:16 p.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

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

0.00" 0.82" 2.17" 58.18" 35.28" 45.77"

Wed. Hi/Lo/W 71/66/r 58/36/r 72/50/s 62/48/c 78/55/c 68/45/pc 77/69/r 63/62/r 85/69/pc 66/64/r 65/52/pc 55/46/pc 67/64/r

Myrtle Beach 73/64

Manning 70/64

Sunset Moonset

5:17 p.m. 4:10 a.m.

Full

Last

New

First

Dec. 25

Jan. 2

Jan. 9

Jan. 16

TIDES

Flood 7 a.m. 24-hr stage yest. chg 12 8.72 +0.12 19 5.10 -1.90 14 6.95 -0.12 14 7.52 -0.15 80 80.01 +0.47 24 17.40 +0.70

AT MYRTLE BEACH

High 6:00 a.m. 6:25 p.m. 6:56 a.m. 7:20 p.m.

Today Wed.

Ht. 3.4 3.0 3.5 3.0

Low 12:16 a.m. 1:04 p.m. 1:12 a.m. 1:59 p.m.

Ht. -0.6 -0.2 -0.7 -0.4

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

Today Hi/Lo/W 66/55/c 66/59/r 71/61/r 73/63/r 73/63/r 75/64/r 67/59/r 64/60/r 72/63/r 69/62/r 72/59/r 69/63/r 71/63/r

Wed. Hi/Lo/W 66/59/r 70/64/r 74/64/r 76/64/t 74/66/r 78/65/r 71/64/r 66/64/r 77/66/r 74/67/r 74/65/r 74/68/r 77/68/r

City Florence Gainesville Gastonia Goldsboro Goose Creek Greensboro Greenville Hickory Hilton Head Jacksonville, FL La Grange Macon Marietta

Today Hi/Lo/W 71/63/r 79/66/c 64/58/r 71/63/r 72/65/r 65/58/r 64/58/r 62/55/c 72/65/r 78/65/c 70/63/r 70/61/r 68/60/r

Wed. Hi/Lo/W 76/67/r 83/67/c 68/65/r 76/69/r 76/67/r 71/64/r 69/64/r 68/61/r 74/66/t 82/66/c 71/67/r 72/64/r 69/65/r

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

Today Hi/Lo/W 61/55/c 72/64/r 73/64/r 71/64/r 71/64/r 69/60/r 66/60/r 68/61/r 74/65/r 61/57/c 71/64/r 73/63/r 63/57/r

Wed. Hi/Lo/W 64/61/r 75/67/r 76/67/r 75/68/r 74/66/t 73/67/r 69/66/r 73/67/r 78/66/t 67/63/r 76/67/r 77/66/r 70/64/r

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

For Comfort You Can Count On, Better Make It Boykin! 803-775-WARM (9276) www.boykinacs.com

SUMTER CITY-COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION Wednesday, 3 p.m., fourth floor, Sumter Opera House, Council Chambers

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Take care of personal responsibilities and documents that need tending to before the year comes to a close. Don’t bicker over trivial matters. Understanding that this can be a stressful time of year for some people should make it easier to avoid confrontations.

Sumter 70/63

IN THE MOUNTAINS

Temperature High Low Normal high Normal low Record high Record low

Florence 71/63

Bishopville 69/63

PUBLIC AGENDA SUMTER COUNTY COUNCIL Today, 6 p.m., Sumter County Council Chambers

AccuWeather® ﬁve-day forecast for Sumter

NATIONAL CITIES

FYI

THE SUMTER ITEM

License #M4217

LOTTERY NUMBERS PALMETTO CASH 5 MONDAY

MEGAMILLIONS FRIDAY

POWERBALL SATURDAY

2-4-18-21-24 PowerUp: 3

6-23-24-28-62 Megaball: 7; Megaplier: 5

28-30-41-59-68 Powerball: 10; Powerplay: 2

PICK 3 MONDAY

PICK 4 MONDAY

LUCKY FOR LIFE THURSDAY

5-7-3 and 1-6-4

9-2-0-3 and 8-0-3-0

9-14-22-28-46; Lucky Ball: 3

PICTURES FROM THE PUBLIC Lisa Davey shares a photo taken by her trail camera of a small deer herd in her yard.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Industry events will be the perfect place for you to experience both personal and professional encounters. Your ability to be precise and express your ideas enthusiastically will ensure that others take notice.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Don’t force your will on others. As long as you go about your business and allow others to do the same, you’ll avoid an emotional scene. Make important changes in your personal life.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Keep your secrets for now. Don’t share personal information or let emotions get the best of you. Stick close to home and protect your assets and possessions. Concentrate on getting your house ready to host a party.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Share your thoughts and mingle with friends, colleagues and loved ones. The more expressive you are, the easier it will be for others to relate to you. An interesting encounter could occur if you are out picking up last-minute items.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Delays can be expected if you’re traveling. Don’t let anyone talk you into taking on responsibilities that aren’t yours. Focus on your mental, emotional and physical well-being. Plan something special with someone you want to impress.

HAVE YOU TAKEN PICTURES OF INTERESTING, EXCITING, BEAUTIFUL OR HISTORICAL PLACES? Would you like to share those images with your fellow Sumter Item readers? E-mail your hi-resolution jpegs to sandrah@theitem.com, or mail to Sandra Holbert c/o The Sumter Item, P.O. Box 1677, Sumter, SC 29150. Include clearly printed or typed name of photographer and photo details. Include a self-addressed, stamped envelope for return of your photo. Amateur photographers only please.

SECTION

Tuesday, December 22, 2015 Call: (803) 774-1241 | E-mail: sports@theitem.com

PRO Football

Clemson Football

Star receiver punished for conduct in loss to Panthers

Swinney wins AP coach of the year

NFL suspends Giants’ Beckham for 1 game

Unbeaten season nets school’s first By RALPH D. RUSSO The Associated Press

Julie Jacobson/The Associated Press

New York Giant wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (13) goes airborne to deliver a helmet-to-helmet hit on Carolina wide receiver Josh Norman (24) during the Panthers’ 38-35 victory on Sunday in East Rutherford, N.J. Beckham was suspended by the National Football League for one game on Monday due to his actions in the contest.

By BARRY WILNER The Associated Press NEW YORK — Losing control during Sunday’s loss to the Panthers will cost Giants star receiver Odell Beckham Jr. one game. The NFL on Monday suspended Beckham for next weekend’s visit to Minnesota for his conduct against Carolina, when he drew three personal foul penalties. The league cited “multiple violations of safety-related playing rules.” Beckham has the right to appeal the suspension within three business days. Without him, the Giants (6-8) would

be missing their best offensive weapon as they try to stay alive in the NFC East race. Beckham and Panthers cornerback Josh Norman tangled from the beginning of the Panthers’ 38-35 victory. At one point, Beckham delivered a diving helmet-tohelmet hit on Norman while blocking. There was plenty of pushing, shoving, swinging, wrestling, late hits and trash talking between them. Beckham, the 2014 Offensive Rookie of the Year, has 91 catches for 1,396 yards and 13 touchdowns, tied for the league lead. He has a base

salary of $893,000 and would lose $55,813 for being suspended for Sunday night’s game. The suspension was imposed by NFL Vice President of Football Operations Merton Hanks, who ruled that Beckham’s actions placed his opponents at unnecessary risk of injury and should have been avoided. “At numerous times during (Sunday’s) game against the Carolina Panthers, your actions placed a fellow player at unnecessary risk . and clearly did not represent the high standards of sportsmanship expected,” Hanks said in a letter to Beckham.

Hanks specifically pointed to a late helmet-to-helmet hit against a defenseless player in which Beckham left his feet prior to contact to spring forward and upward into his opponent (Norman); lowered his helmet and initiated forcible contact with his helmet; and forcibly struck the defenseless player’s head. This “blindside block” was particularly flagrant because Beckham, with a 10-yard running start, had an unobstructed path to his opponent, the position of the opponent was not impacted by any other player, and the

See beckham, Page B4

usc Football

Adams earns Senior Bowl invite Tight end one of four Carolina all-star picks BY DENNIS BRUNSON dennis@theitem.com

Jerell Adams will get one final chance to publicly display his wares on the football field to National Football League scouts. Adams, the University of South Carolina senior tight end who was a prep standout at Scott’s Branch High School in Summerton, has accepted an invitation to play in the Senior Bowl. The 67th edition of the Senior Bowl will be played on Jan. 30, 2016, at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Ala. The contest will be televised on the NFL Netowrk.

See ADAMS, Page B3

The Associated Press

South Carolina tight end Jerell Adams (89) has been selected to play in the Senior Bowl on Jan. 30, 2016, in Mobile, Ala. The former Scott’s Branch High School standout will be trying to improve his stock in front of National Football League scouts.

Clemson’s Dabo Swinney is The Associated Press college football coach of the year after leading the Tigers to an unbeaten regular season and the longest run as the No. 1 team in the country in school hisSwinney tory. Swinney received 35 of 60 votes from the AP Top 25 media panel. Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz was second with 10. Michigan State’s Mark Dantonio and Houston’s Tom Herman each received five votes. Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops received three votes and Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly and Florida’s Jim McElwain each had one. “I am very honored to receive the AP National Coach of the Year award,” Swinney said in a statement to the AP on Monday. “Football is a great team sport and any individual honor is a result of having a great group of players and staff. I am blessed to have student-athletes and coaches

See swinney, Page B3

usc Basketball

Gamecocks crack Top 25 for first time since 2004 From staff and wire reports The University of South Carolina men’s basketball team has cracked The Associated Press Top 25 poll for the first time under fourth-year head coach Frank Martin, entering the poll released on Monday at No. 25. martin The last time USC was in the AP national rankings was in the final poll of the 2003-04 season when it was ranked No. 23. This is Carolina’s first regular-season ranking since Feb. 17 of ‘04 when it was ranked 25th. The Gamecocks, who are 10-0 on the season, are in the USA Today/Coaches Top 25 poll for the second straight week. They entered that poll last week at No. 25 and moved up to 23rd this week. South Carolina jumps right into action today, facing St. John’s in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Shootout in Uncasville, Conn. St. John’s enters the game with a 7-5 record, having lost its last two games. The 9 p.m. game will be televised on CBS Sports Network. The Gamecocks have won only two games by less than 10 points and one of those was

See gamecocks, Page B4

sports

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Scoreboard TV, RADIO

Prep schedule TUESDAY Varsity Basketball Crestwood in North Myrtle Beach High School Tournament (Girls), TBA Crestwood in Kingstree High School Tournament (Boys), TBA Lakewood in Carolina Forest High School Tournament (Boys), TBA Wilson Hall in Heathwood Hall Tournament (Girls), TBA Robert E. Lee in Christmas Tournament (in Camden) (Boys and Girls), TBA Varsity and JV Basketball McBee at East Clarendon (No JV Girls), 5 p.m. Thomas Sumter in Williamsburg Academy Tournament, TBA Varsity Wrestling Sumter in Coastal Clash (in Charleston), TBA

WEDNESDAY Varsity Basketball Crestwood in North Myrtle Beach High School Tournament (Girls), TBA Crestwood in Kingstree High School Tournament (Boys), TBA Lakewood in Carolina Forest High School Tournament (Boys), TBA Wilson Hall in Heathwood Hall Tournament (Girls), TBA

NFL STANDINGS

By The Associated Press

AMERICAN CONFERENCE East y-New England N.Y. Jets Buffalo Miami South Houston Indianapolis Jacksonville Tennessee North x-Cincinnati Pittsburgh Baltimore Cleveland West Denver Kansas City Oakland San Diego

sports items Monday’s Game

TODAY 1 p.m. – Women’s College Basketball: Arkansas-Little Rock at Texas A&M (SEC NETWORK). 2:30 p.m. – College Basketball: Diamond Head Classic Quarterfinal Game from Honolulu – Auburn at New Mexico (ESPNU). 3 p.m. – College Basketball: Arkansas-Little Rock at Texas Tech (FOX SPORTS SOUTHEAST). 3:30 p.m. – College Football: Famous Idaho Potato Bowl from Boise, Idaho – Akron vs. Utah State (ESPN). 4 p.m. – College Basketball: Troy at Mississippi (SEC NETWORK). 4:30 p.m. – College Basketball: Diamond Head Classic Quarterfinal Game from Honolulu – Brigham Young vs. Harvard (ESPNU). 5 p.m. – College Basketball: Miami at La Salle (CBS SPORTS NETWORK). 6 p.m. – College Basketball: Clemson at Georgia (SEC NETWORK, WWBDFM 94.7). 6:30 p.m. – College Basketball: South Florida at Seton Hall (FOX SPORTS 2). 7 p.m. – College Basketball: Georgetown at Charlotte (CBS SPORTS NETWORK). 7 p.m. – College Football: Boca Raton Bowl from Boca Raton, Fla. – Temple vs. Toledo (ESPN). 7 p.m. – College Basketball: Iowa State at Cincinnati (ESPN2). 7 p.m. – College Basketball: Michigan State vs. Oakland from Auburn Hills, Mich. (ESPNU). 7 p.m. – College Basketball: Delaware at Villanova (FOX SPORTS 1). 7 p.m. – College Basketball: Xavier at Wake Forest (FOX SPORTSOUTH). 7 p.m. – Women’s College Basketball: Elon at South Carolina (SEC NETWORK+). 7:30 p.m. – NBA Basketball: Dallas at Toronto (NBA TV). 8 p.m. – NHL Hockey: Montreal at Minnesota (NBC SPORTS NETWORK). 8 p.m. – College Basketball: American at Louisiana State (SEC NETWORK). 8:30 p.m. – College Basketball: Southern Utah at Butler (FOX SPORTS 2). 9 p.m. – College Basketball: Hall of Fame Shootout from Uncasville, Conn. – South Carolina vs. St. John’s (CBS SPORTS NETWORK, WDXY-FM 105.9, WNKT-FM 107.5, WDXY-AM 1240). 9 p.m. – College Basketball: California at Virginia (ESPN2). 9 p.m. – College Basketball: Mercer at Ohio State (ESPNU). 9 p.m. – College Basketball: George Washington at DePaul (FOX SPORTS 1). 9 p.m. – College Basketball: Missouri (Kansas City at Louisville (FOX SPORTSOUTH). 10:30 p.m. – NHL Hockey: San Jose at Los Angeles (NBC SPORTS NETWORK). 11 p.m. – College Basketball: Kansas at San Diego State (CBS SPORTS NETWORK). 1 a.m. – College Basketball: Diamond Head Classic Quarterfinal Game from Honolulu – Northern Iowa vs. Hawaii (ESPNU).

W L T Pct PF PA 12 2 0 .857 435 269 9 5 0 .643 344 272 6 8 0 .429 341 336 5 9 0 .357 278 361 W L T Pct PF PA 7 7 0 .500 275 301 6 8 0 .429 285 372 5 9 0 .357 343 380 3 11 0 .214 269 359 W L T Pct PF PA 11 3 0 .786 378 243 9 5 0 .643 378 287 4 10 0 .286 292 360 3 11 0 .214 253 387 W L T Pct PF PA 10 4 0 .714 308 259 9 5 0 .643 365 257 6 8 0 .429 319 356 4 10 0 .286 280 348

NATIONAL CONFERENCE East W L T Pct PF PA Washington 7 7 0 .500 316 332 Philadelphia 6 8 0 .429 318 362 N.Y. Giants 6 8 0 .429 373 358 Dallas 4 10 0 .286 246 324 South W L T Pct PF PA y-Carolina 14 0 0 1.000 449 278 Atlanta 7 7 0 .500 302 312 Tampa Bay 6 8 0 .429 311 353 New Orleans 5 8 0 .385 323 397 North W L T Pct PF PA x-Green Bay 10 4 0 .714 347 265 Minnesota 9 5 0 .643 296 272 Chicago 5 9 0 .357 289 352 Detroit 4 9 0 .308 267 336 West W L T Pct PF PA y-Arizona 12 2 0 .857 445 269 x-Seattle 9 5 0 .643 370 248 St. Louis 6 8 0 .429 241 294 San Francisco 4 10 0 .286 202 339 x-clinched playoff spot y-clinched division

Thursday’s Game

St. Louis 31, Tampa Bay 23

Saturday’s Game

N.Y. Jets 19, Dallas 16

Sunday’s Games

Minnesota 38, Chicago 17 Atlanta 23, Jacksonville 17 Houston 16, Indianapolis 10 Carolina 38, N.Y. Giants 35 New England 33, Tennessee 16 Washington 35, Buffalo 25 Kansas City 34, Baltimore 14 Seattle 30, Cleveland 13 Green Bay 30, Oakland 20 San Diego 30, Miami 14 Cincinnati 24, San Francisco 14 Pittsburgh 34, Denver 27 Arizona 40, Philadelphia 17

The SUMTER ITEM

Detroit at New Orleans, 8:30 p.m.

Thursday, Dec. 24

San Diego at Oakland, 8:25 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 26

Washington at Philadelphia, 8:25 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 27

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

Monday, Dec. 28

Cincinnati at Denver, 8:30 p.m.

NBA Standings

By The Associated Press

EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division Toronto Boston New York Brooklyn Philadelphia Southeast Division Miami Atlanta Charlotte Orlando Washington Central Division Cleveland Indiana Chicago Detroit Milwaukee

W L Pct 17 12 .586 14 13 .519 14 14 .500 7 20 .259 1 28 .034

GB — 2 2½ 9 16

W L Pct 16 10 .615 17 12 .586 15 11 .577 15 12 .556 11 14 .440

GB — ½ 1 1½ 4½

W L Pct 18 7 .720 16 10 .615 15 10 .600 16 12 .571 11 18 .379

GB — 2½ 3 3½ 9

WESTERN CONFERENCE Southwest Division San Antonio Dallas Memphis Houston New Orleans Northwest Division Oklahoma City Utah Denver Minnesota Portland Pacific Division Golden State L.A. Clippers Phoenix Sacramento L.A. Lakers

W L Pct GB 23 5 .821 — 15 12 .556 7½ 15 14 .517 8½ 14 14 .500 9 8 19 .296 14½ W L Pct 18 9 .667 11 14 .440 11 16 .407 11 16 .407 11 18 .379

GB — 6 7 7 8

W L Pct GB 26 1 .963 — 16 12 .571 10½ 12 17 .414 15 11 16 .407 15 4 23 .148 22

Saturday’s Games

Oklahoma City 118, L.A. Lakers 78 Washington 109, Charlotte 101 New York 107, Chicago 91 Memphis 96, Indiana 84 Houston 107, L.A. Clippers 97

FIFA ethics court bans Blatter, Platini for 8 years

ZURICH — Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini were each banned for eight years by the FIFA ethics committee on Monday in a stunning removal of world soccer’s most powerful leaders. FIFA President Blatter and his one-time protege Platini were kicked out of the sport for conflict of interest and disloyalty to FIFA in a $2 million payment deal that is also the subject of a criminal investigation in Switzerland. Both men were defiant in response to the verdict, with each saying they will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and insisting they had done nothing wrong. “I will fight,” Blatter told a news conference in Zurich. “I will fight until the end.” Platini described the proceedings as a “true mockery.” Blatter invoked Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King and the United Nations in a spirited 52-minute performance holding court with international media. He also said he will challenge his ban at the FIFA appeal committee. (25) Western Kentucky 45 South Florida 35

MIAMI — Brandon Doughty capped his career by throwing for 461 yards and three touchdowns, and No. 25 Western Kentucky overcame an early 14-point deficit to beat South Florida 45-35 in the Miami Beach Bowl on Monday. Doughty finished the season with 5,055 yards for the Hilltoppers (12-2), posting the 14th

season of 5,000 or more in FBS history.

UConn stays No. 1 in AP women’s hoops poll UConn remains a unanimous No. 1 in The Associated Press women’s basketball poll while Missouri enters the Top 25 for the first time in nearly a decade. The Huskies had last week off for exams before continuing their season on Monday night against LSU. UConn was followed by South Carolina, Notre Dame, Baylor, Texas and Maryland as the first six teams were unchanged. Kentucky, Mississippi State, Ohio State and Florida State all moved up a spot after thenNo. 7 Oregon State lost to Tennessee. The Beavers fell to 11th. Missouri, off to the best start in school history, are No. 25 while St. John’s fell out. It’s the Tigers’ first appearance in the poll since Jan. 9, 2006.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

and a career-high 11 assists as North Carolina scored at least 80 points for the eighth consecutive game. (19) West Virginia 84 Eastern Kentucky 59

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Jaysean Paige scored all of his 17 points in the first half and No. 19 West Virginia beat Eastern Kentucky 84-59 on Monday night. Paige was 6 of 12 from the field, including making 4 of 7 from behind the 3-point line. The Mountaineers, who have won six straight nonconference games at home, connected on 10 of their 24 3-pointa attempts for the game. They had been shooting 30.5 percent coming into the game. Jevon Carter was 3 for 7 from beyond the arc and had 11 points for the Mountaineers (10-1), while Devin Williams had 15 points and eight rebounds and Daxter Miles Jr. added 12 points. (10) Providence 90 Massachusetts 66

(7) North Carolina 94 Appalachian State 70 CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Brice Johnson scored 22 points to help No. 7 North Carolina beat Appalachian State 94-70 on Monday night. North Carolina guard Marcus Paige played only 17 minutes, jamming his right ankle in the first half. Justin Jackson and Isaiah Hicks added 12 points each for the Tar Heels (10-2). Joel Berry II had 11 points

AMHERST, Mass. — Ben Bentil scored a career-high 32 points and pulled down 12 rebounds to lead No. 10 Providence to a 90-66 victory over Massachusetts on Monday night. Kris Dunn returned to the Friars (12-1) after missing the previous two games with a stomach virus. The preseason All-America had 14 points and 11 assists in 24 minutes. From wire reports

Sunday’s Games

Miami 116, Portland 109 Minnesota 100, Brooklyn 85 Cleveland 108, Philadelphia 86 Milwaukee 101, Phoenix 95 Sacramento 104, Toronto 94 Atlanta 103, Orlando 100 New Orleans 130, Denver 125

Monday’s Games

Sacramento at Washington, 7 p.m. Minnesota at Boston, 7:30 p.m. Orlando at New York, 7:30 p.m. Brooklyn at Chicago, 8 p.m. Charlotte at Houston, 8 p.m. Portland at Atlanta, 8 p.m. Indiana at San Antonio, 8:30 p.m. Phoenix at Utah, 9 p.m. Ok. City at L.A. Clippers, 10:30 p.m.

Tuesday’s Games

Memphis at Philadelphia, 7 p.m. Dallas at Toronto, 7:30 p.m. Detroit at Miami, 7:30 p.m. L.A. Lakers at Denver, 9 p.m.

NHL Standings

By The Associated Press

EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division GP W L OT Pts GF GA Montreal 34 20 11 3 43 103 82 Boston 32 19 9 4 42 104 83 Detroit 33 17 9 7 41 86 85 Florida 34 18 12 4 40 93 80 Ottawa 34 17 12 5 39 104 102 Tampa Bay 34 17 14 3 37 86 80 Buffalo 34 14 16 4 32 79 89 Toronto 31 11 13 7 29 77 86 Metropolitan Division GP W L OT Pts GF GA Washington 32 24 6 2 50 103 70 N.Y. Rangers 35 19 12 4 42 101 91 N.Y. Islanders 34 18 11 5 41 91 80 New Jersey 34 16 13 5 37 79 84 Philadelphia 33 14 12 7 35 70 89 Pittsburgh 32 15 14 3 33 71 82 Carolina 33 13 15 5 31 79 99 Columbus 35 13 19 3 29 86 107

WESTERN CONFERENCE Central Division GP W L OT Pts GF GA Dallas 33 24 7 2 50 114 85 St. Louis 34 20 10 4 44 87 81 Chicago 35 20 11 4 44 96 83 Minnesota 31 17 8 6 40 86 73 Nashville 33 16 11 6 38 85 85 Colorado 34 17 16 1 35 95 90 Winnipeg 32 15 15 2 32 90 97 Pacific Division GP W L OT Pts GF GA Los Angeles 32 20 10 2 42 81 71 San Jose 33 16 15 2 34 88 91 Vancouver 35 12 14 9 33 89 102 Arizona 32 15 15 2 32 87 102 Calgary 33 15 16 2 32 87 112 Edmonton 34 14 18 2 30 88 105 Anaheim 31 12 14 5 29 58 77 NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss.

Saturday’s Games

Chicago 3, Buffalo 2, SO Columbus 3, Philadelphia 2, SO St. Louis 3, Calgary 2 Toronto 5, Los Angeles 0 Anaheim 2, New Jersey 1 Carolina 2, Pittsburgh 1 Dallas 6, Montreal 2 Nashville 3, Minnesota 2 Arizona 1, N.Y. Islanders 0 Colorado 5, Edmonton 1

Sunday’s Games

Florida 5, Vancouver 4, SO Boston 2, New Jersey 1, SO Tampa Bay 5, Ottawa 2 Detroit 4, Calgary 2 Washington 7, N.Y. Rangers 3 Chicago 4, San Jose 3, OT

Monday’s Games

Anaheim at N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m. St. Louis at Philadelphia, 7 p.m. Columbus at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. Washington at Carolina, 7 p.m. Montreal at Nashville, 8 p.m. Dallas at Minnesota, 8 p.m. Toronto at Colorado, 9 p.m. Winnipeg at Edmonton, 9 p.m.

Tuesday’s Games

St. Louis at Boston, 7 p.m. Anaheim at N.Y. Rangers, 7 p.m. New Jersey at Detroit, 7:30 p.m. Vancouver at Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m. Ottawa at Florida, 7:30 p.m. Montreal at Minnesota, 8 p.m. Chicago at Dallas, 8:30 p.m. Winnipeg at Calgary, 9 p.m. Toronto at Arizona, 9 p.m.

area roundup

Crestwood girls top Center Point in Shootout By The Sea NORTH MYRTLE BEACH — Crestwood High School’s varsity girls basketball team had three players score in double figurts in its 47-30 victory over Center Point High of Alabama on Monday in the Shootout By The Sea at the North Myrtle Beach High gymnasium. Jayla Bolden led the Lady Knights, who improved to 5-1 on the season, with 14 points. Avis Murphy added 13 and Cawasha Ceasar had 12. Thomas Sumter 39 Dorchester 35

KINGSTREE — Thomas Sumter Academy defeated Dorchester Academy 39-35 on Monday in the Williamsburg Academy Christmas Tournament at the WA gymnasium. Bree Stoddard led the Lady Generals with 26 points. Latrice Lyons added nine. TSA will face Williamsburg at 6 p.m. today in the championship game. Lugoff-Elgin 44 Robert E. Lee 31

CAMDEN — Robert E. Lee Academy fell to 2-7 with a 44-31 loss to Lugoff-Elgin High School on Monday in the MidCarolina Credit Union Holiday Classic Tournament at Rhame Arena. Reghann Griffin led REL with 13 points. Ellen Dinkins added six. The Lady Cavaliers play North Central today at 2 p.m. Lakewood 71 Scott’s Branch 19

Ki’Ari Cain just missed a triple-double in leading Lakewood High School to a 71-19 victory over Scott’s Branch on Friday at The Swamp. Cain had 12 points and 12 steals for the Lady Gators to go along with nine assists. Tatyana Weldon and Shanekia Jackson both had 18 points and Taja Randolph also had a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds.

JUNIOR VARSITY BASKETBALL Thomas Sumter 32 Dorchester 17

KINGSTREE — Thomas

Sumter Academy defeated Dorchester Academy 32-17 on Monday in the Williamsburg Academy Christmas Tournament at the WA gymnaisum. Aubrey Stoddard led the Lady Generals with nine points and Josie Reed had six. Catelyn Martin finished with six steals. On Friday in Florence, TSA beat Florence Christian School 30-12. Stoddard had eight points, Martin had six points and six rebounds and Sydney Daniels had six steals and five assists.

BOYS VARSITY BASKETBALL Thomas Sumter 73 Dorchester 55

KINGSTREE — Thomas Sumter Academy had four

players score in double figures in a 73-55 victory over Dorchester Academy on Monday in the Williamsburg Academy Christmas Tournament on Monday at the WA gymnasium. Austin Hudson led the 2-7 Generals with 19 points. Ryan Dixon and Ron York both had 15 points and Justin Lyons had 13. TSA will play in the championship game today at 7:30 p.m. Manning 65 Kingstree 60

KINGSTREE — Rayvon Witherspoon scored 30 points and grabbed 25 rebounds to lead Manning High School to a 65-60 victory over Kingstree on Saturday at the Kingstree gymnasium. The Monarchs improved to 6-2.

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sports

The SUMTER ITEM

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

swinney

The Associated Press

South Carolina tight end Jerell Adams is one of four Gamecocks who will play in all-star games.

adams

From Page B1

Adams, a 6-foot-6-inch, 231-pounder from Pinewood, was the Gamecocks’ secondleading receiver in their 3-9 2015 season. Adams had 28 receptions for 421 yards, an average of 15.0 yards per catch). He was also second on the team with three touchdown catches, scoring against Kentucky, Louisiana State and Tennessee. Adams had his career best performance in USC’s 23-22 loss to The Citadel. He had six catches for 105 yards. For his career, Adams, a 4-year letter winner, had 66

catches for 977 yards and seven scores. Adams had 21 catches for 279 yards and one TD as a junior. As a sophomore, he had 13 catches for 187 yards and two catches and had four catches for 90 yards and another score as a freshman. Adams signed with USC out of Scott’s Branch in February of 2011, but had to spend a semester at Fork Union Military Academy in Virginia before coming to Carolina. Adams graduated from USC last week. At Scott’s Branch, Adams played quarterback, tight end, linebacker, defensive end and punter and helped lead the Eagles to a pair of 1A Division II

state titles and a runner-up finish in another year. In two years at quarterback, he threw for 689 yards and 12 touchdowns in the run-dominated offense. He also caught 21 passes for 581 yards and eight scores in his career. Adams becomes the fourth South Carolina senior football player selected to play in a postseason all-star game. Offensive tackle Brandon Shell and defensive tackle Gerald Dixon Jr. will participate in the East-West Shrine Game in St. Petersburg, Fla., on Jan. 23, while running back Brandon Wilds will play in the fifth-annual NFLPA Collegiate Bowl in California on Jan. 23.

“You do that through the people that you hire. You do From Page B1 that through discipline. You do that through recruiting. that believe in what we do. More importantly you do that This award is a reflection of through walking it every day. their hard work and commit- I’ve had 120 seniors and 114 ment.” graduates. That’s uncomSwinney is the first Clemmon. That’s not the norm. son coach to win the award, That’s my scorecard. I’m which was first handed out in more proud of that than any1998, and the first ACC coach thing.” since Jim Grobe from Wake A willing and enthusiastic Forest in 2006. Last year’s postgame dancer and always winner was TCU’s Gary Patgood for a memorable sound terson. bite — “Bring your own Behind Swinney, the Tigers guts!” — Swinney has be(13-0) won the Atlantic Coast come a star during Clemson’s Conference and enter the best season since the Tigers College Football Playoff as won the 1981 national title. the top seed. Clemson will “He’s very inspiring. Very face fourth-seeded Oklahoma positive. Very confident, but in the Orange Bowl semifinal incredibly humble,” defenon Dec. 31 for a spot in the sive coordinator Brent Vennational championship game. ables said. “He’s got a very Clemson’s last and only naunique spirit in him. Love for tional title was 1981. people. Love for life.” The Tigers were No. 1 in This season started with the AP Top 25 for the final high hopes for Clemson, but five weeks of this regular some caution. The Tigers had season and in each of the six to replace most of the startplayoff rankings. Clemson ers from last season’s tophad never been No. 1 in the ranked defense, along with regular season. offensive coordinator Chad The 46-year-old Swinney is Morris, who left after last in his seventh leading Clemseason to become SMU’s son after being promoted coach. from wide receivers coach in Under Venables, who was 2008. Since going 6-7 in his hired away from Oklahoma second full season with the after the 2011 season, is Tigers, Swinney has won at ranked tied for ninth in the least 10 games each year, country, allowing 4.68 yards building one of the most con- per play. sistently successful programs Swinney’s ability to surin the country. round himself with quality “After seven years of beat- coaches might be has greating the drum, our foundation est strength. has taken root,” Swinney told “Good coaches are a dime a the AP in an interview last dozen. Guys that know footmonth. “I have to continue to ball, dime a dozen,” Swinney protect that culture. And you said. “Good coaches that are do that through every deciabout the right things. Good sion that you make. Staying men. Good husbands. That’s true to who you are. a whole different deal.”

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sports SPORTS

The SUMTER SUMTERITEM ITEM THE

gamecocks

top 10 for the first time since February of ‘14. From Page B1 The streak of consecutive polls continues for the 15ththeir most recent win, over ranked Blue Devils. They have rival Clemson. been in 162 consecutive polls, a Michigan State, Kansas and streak that began with the Oklahoma held the top three preseason poll of ‘07-08. Only spots for a second straight Kansas, at 130, has a current week. There was a shakeup in streak of more than 100 weeks. the rest of the top 10 after a Arizona is third at 66 consecuweekend of upsets. tive polls. The Spartans (12-0) were a Duke is now 59 weeks from near unanimous choice, retying UCLA for the record of ceiving all but one first-place 221 consecutive polls, from vote from the 65-member na1966-1980. tional media panel. Kansas In addition to Duke, Ken(9-1) got the other No. 1 vote. tucky, Iowa State and Purdue Following Oklahoma were also dropped out of the top 10 Maryland, Virginia, Xavier, after weekend losses. North Carolina, Arizona, ButUtah, which returned to the ler and Providence, which is in rankings following its win the top 10 for the first time over Duke, is a newcomer to since Jan. 17, 1978. the poll at No. 24 along with Saturday’s overtime loss to South Carolina. They replace Utah cost Duke a spot in the UCLA and Connecticut. The Top Twenty Five By The Associated Press

Julie JACOBSON/The Associated Press

New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham was suspended by the Natioinal Football League for one game on Monday due to his actions in the Giants’ 38-35 loss to Carolina on Sunday.

beckham

club personnel except to arrange off-site medical treatFrom Page B1 ment or rehabilitation. He will be reinstated next contact with the head/neck Monday. was avoidable, the NFL’s After Sunday’s game, statement said. Beckham refused to discuss The conduct of other players his run-ins with Norman. in the game is being reviewed There was no media availby the NFL for potential fines. ability with Beckham on Beckham will not be perMonday. mitted this week to be at the Asked about the personal Giants’ practice facility. He is fouls, he said Sunday, “You barred from team meetings, never want to hurt your team attending or watching practic- like that. I have learned it all es; attending Sunday’s game; throughout my life you know, or having contact with any always second man gets

called, always that it is just unfortunate. You go back and watch the film tomorrow and you learn from it.” Norman was infuriated by the helmet-to-helmet hit and called for the league to look at Beckham’s play. “He was 15 yards down the field and went straight for my head. It was just crazy, man,” Norman said. “He’s got the maturity of a little kid,” Norman added of Beckham, who finished with six catches for 72 yards and a touchdown.

James William “Billy” Broadway Jr., 75, died on Sunday, Dec. 20, 2015, at McLeod Regional Medical Center. Born on Feb. 23, 1940, in Manning, he was a son of the late James William BROADWAY Broadway Sr. and Frances Thames Broadway. He was the owner and operator of Broadway Construction Co. He was a member of Manning First Baptist Church and he attended Alice Drive Baptist Church. He is survived by two sons, Michael Shawn Broadway (Angela) of Chapin and William Shand Broadway of Manning; a daughter, LeAnne Burress Broadway of Pawleys Island; five grandchildren, Jordan Clark Broadway, Sybil Carlyn Broadway, Michael Shawn Broadway II, Glennda Kay Broadway and LeAnna Clark Broadway; two nieces, Mary Frances Christianson and Julia Ann Noll; a brother-in-law, Clifford Noll, all of Port Aransas, Texas; and a special friend, Peggy Patrick of Sumter. He was preceded in death by his sister, Mary Beatrice Noll.

Others receiving votes: UCLA 49, UConn 46, Oregon 34, Gonzaga 33, Colorado 27, Dayton 17, Pittsburgh 16, N. Iowa 15, UALR 14, Vanderbilt 8, Monmouth (NJ) 6, Iowa 5, Florida 3, Texas 3, Northwestern 2.

Keeping Sumter Beautiful By Amanda McNulty, County Extension Agent Something New to Reuse

OBITUARIES JAMES W. BROADWAY JR.

The top 25 teams in The Associated Press’ college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Dec. 20, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and previous ranking: Record Pts Prv 1. Michigan St. (64) 12-0 1,623 1 2. Kansas (1) 9-1 1,537 2 3. Oklahoma 8-0 1,495 3 4. Maryland 10-1 1,428 6 5. Virginia 9-1 1,350 8 6. Xavier 11-0 1,287 10 7. North Carolina 9-2 1,215 11 8. Arizona 11-1 1,056 13 9. Butler 9-1 947 17 10. Providence 11-1 911 14 11. Iowa St. 9-1 907 5 12. Kentucky 9-2 856 4 13. Miami 9-1 851 15 14. Purdue 11-1 833 9 15. Duke 9-2 809 7 16. Louisville 9-1 652 19 17. Villanova 8-2 649 12 18. SMU 9-0 628 18 19. West Virginia 9-1 470 20 20. George Washington 10-1 366 21 21. Texas A&M 9-2 327 24 22. Cincinnati 10-2 315 23 23. Baylor 8-2 141 16 24. Utah 9-2 107 — 25. South Carolina 10-0 87 —

A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. on Wednesday in the chapel of Stephens Funeral Home with the Rev. Dr. Dale Roach officiating. Visitation will be from 1:30 to 3 p.m. prior to the service at Stephens Funeral Home and other times at his lake residence, 1535 Little John Road, Manning. Memorials may be made to Manning First Baptist Church Friendship House, 49 W. Boyce St., Manning, SC 29102. Stephens Funeral Home & Crematory, 304 N. Church St., Manning, is in charge of arrangements, (803) 435-2179. www.stephensfuneralhome.org

JOHN W. LANCE BISHOPVILLE — John William “Billy” Lance, 83, widower of Ethyl Jean Crum Lance, died on Saturday, Dec. 19, 2015, at Tuomey Regional Medical Center. Born in Newton Falls, Ohio, he was a son of the late John Lance and Edna Berneice Miller. He was a member of St. Andrew Church of God and was a U.S. Army veteran of the Korean War. He retired as a security guard from Ravenna Arsenal, worked construction, and was the owner of Pick of the Litter Car Service.

Survivors include a daughter, Joyce Ann Pringle of Warren, Ohio; a son, Barry Michael Lance of Hermitage, Pennsylvania; a granddaughter, Brittany Ann Lance of Hermitage, Pennsylvania; and a grandson, Neil Hogue of Warren, Ohio. A graveside service with military honors will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 29, in Florence National Cemetery with the Rev. Larry Mobley officiating. Hancock-Elmore-Hill Funeral Home of Bishopville is in charge of the arrangements.

MARY LEE M. AKERS Mary Lee Marks Akers, 69, wife of Lloyd Akers, departed this life on Monday, Dec. 21, 2015, at Palmetto Health Richland in Columbia. She was born on Aug. 5, 1946, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a daughter of the late Oliver and Juanita Mayhew Marks. The family will be receiving friends at the home, 5416 Pinefield Road, Sumter, SC 29154. Funeral plans are incomplete and will be announced later by Job’s Mortuary Inc., 312 S. Main St., Sumter.

SEE OBITUARIES, PAGE B5

When I was first married, a child bride of twenty-one, I ironed the sheets; an unnatural phenomenon that lasted about a week. I did, however, continue to iron periodically until I spent two hours pressing Husband Edward’s tucked tuxedo shirt only to have him redo the whole thing when he saw it – making us even later for the dance and completely undermining my reason for doing it in the first place. Now Edward is our go-to ironer. He collects irons and some of them have given me terrible shocks over the years as they still have cloth-covered cords. Edward also paints pictures of irons, looking like giant steam ships, smoothing out the waters in rivers and inlets. I pretty much limit my ironing to pressing paper and ribbons. Opening presents at our house is a daylong activity that requires several breaks for coffee, a long pause for Christmas dinner, and occasionally a nap, too, before all the gifts under the tree have been passed out, opened, ooohed and aaahed over and set in their respective piles. My girls are masters of baroque-style wrapping, and packages they complete often have several different types of paper on them, ribbons and trims of various widths and colors, and glittery adjuncts tied or glued at every available point of attachment. Edward takes out his pocket knife and passes it to the person whose turn it is to unwrap a gift so that the paper is never torn but gently removed and

then folded for another use. My job is go through the papers and save and iron the special ones. Friend Anne Nolte gave me a scarf in a flat box covered with shimmery, metallic red paper four years ago. I wrap her present in it on off years, she returns a gift to me in it when she has been the red-paper custodian. I roll the papers on a tube for storage, a trick I learned from Spotswood Box of Martinsville, Virginia, and Kiawah Island, South Carolina, who had a closet filled with wooden rollers upon which to store tablecloths. My boss, Ruthie Lacey, took us to Mrs. Box’s each year to work in the yard, but one time we came inside to decorate, and I saw the marvelous “behind the scenes” workings of a well-appointed household. Set the iron on low! Let the papers cool before you roll them up. Metallic papers tend to be a little bit sticky so I put a piece of tissue paper between them. If this all sounds like I am the most obsessivecompulsive 1950’s-style housewife of all times, let me also tell you that I save dried reptiles and have a collection of them on the liquor table. I figures if someone notices the mummified gecko it will help him adjust the jigger size used to measure the bourbon in an appropriate manner. Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to people of all ages, regardless of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital or family status and is an equal opportunity employer.

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OBITUARIES

THE SUMTER ITEM

JOYE T. SEGARS Joye Tucker Segars, 87, died on Saturday, Dec. 19, 2015, at Tuomey Regional Medical Center. Born in Darlington, she was a daughter of the late Roy Hardee Tucker and Roland Jenkins Tucker. Mrs. Segars was a member of Trinity United Methodist Church. She attended public schools in Sumter and was a graduate of Edmunds High School. She attended Coker College and was a former member of the Sumter Junior Welfare League. Surviving are one son, Ray V. Segars III (Kimberly) of Asheville, North Carolina; four daughters, Beth Segars James (Whit) of Sumter, Joye Segars Davis (Julius) of Dalzell, Louise Segars Smith (Bryan) of Matthews, North Carolina, and Margaret Segars Bond of Georgetown; six grandchildren, Lisa Hayes (Jeff), Shannon McCutchen (George), Fran Blakeney (Jim), Julia Choate (John), Elizabeth Presley (Jay) and Ray Segars IV; nine great-grandchildren; and her longtime housekeeper, Dorothy Mae Washington. She was preceded in death by three sisters, Roland Nettles, Mary Frances Stuckey and Margaret Dieter; and a son-in-law, Steve Bond. Affectionately known as “Ga,” she was a loving mother, grandmother, and greatgrandmother who enjoyed spending many wonderful years at Pawleys Island with her family and friends. Graveside services will be held at 11 a.m. today in Sumter Cemetery with the Rev. Angela Marshall and Dr. B. Mike Alexander officiating. Nephews will serve as pallbearers. The family received friends on Monday at the home of her daughter, Beth Segars James, 2625 Camden Road, Sumter. Memorials may be made to Trinity United Methodist Church, 226 W. Liberty St., Sumter, SC 29150. Online condolences may be sent to www.sumterfunerals. com Elmore Hill McCreight Funeral Home and Crematory is in charge of the arrangements, (803) 775-9386.

WILLIAM L. DIXON SENECA — William Lonnie Dixon, of Seneca, went to be with his Lord and Savior on Dec. 19, 2015, at his home. He was born on July 17, 1930, in Cameron, to William L. and Mary McCoy Dixon. He was retired United States Air Force. He was married to the late Jean Elizabeth Dixon. William was preceded in death by his parents, William and Mary Dixon; a brother, Charles Dixon; and a sister, Barbara Heckle. He is survived by sons, Mike and Steve Dixon; daughters, Janet Marie Dixon, Judith Amy Smith and Margaret Marsh; sisters, Peggy O’Hara, Caroline Russell, Miriam Carroll and Betty Bunch; seven grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. today at Brown-Oglesby Chapel with the Rev. Keith D. Ray II officiating. Burial will follow in Sumter Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 10 to 11 a.m. prior to the service. American Legion will be doing military honors. Brown-Oglesby Funeral Home is assisting the family.

IONE B. CHANCEY Ione Brown Chancey, 87, widow of Robert Chancey, died on Sunday, Dec. 20, 2015, at her home. Born in Augusta, Georgia, she was a daughter of the late Charlie and Lila Huey Brown. Mrs. Chancey was of the Episcopal faith and a member of the Church of the Holy Comforter. She retired from Dr. Warren Smith’s orthodontist practice. She was an avid bridge player. She loved to cook as well as paint. She will be missed very deeply. Surviving are one son, James “Jay” S. Richardson Jr. of Sumter; three grandchildren, Trey Richardson, Karola D. Richardson and Krista

Richardson; and one greatgrandchild, Maddy Statham. She was preceded in death by a daughter, Helena R. Fickling; and one sister, Helena Clark of Santee. Graveside services will be held at 4 p.m. today at Sumter Cemetery with the Rev. Charlie Walton officiating. The family will receive friends from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. today at Elmore Hill McCreight Funeral Home. Memorials may be made to the Church of the Holy Comforter, P.O. Box 338, Sumter, SC 29151. Online condolences may be sent to www.sumterfunerals. com Elmore Hill McCreight Funeral Home & Crematory, 221 Broad St., Sumter, is in charge of the arrangements, (803) 775-9386.

three daughters, Luretha Moses, Ella (John) Tindal and Mary (Bobby) Wilder; a special granddaughter, Andrea Moses; 15 grandchildren; 35 great-grandchildren; 51 greatgreat-grandchildren; one daughter-in-law, Mary Lou Moses; six additional grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren by marriage; a host of other relatives and friends. Viewing will be held from 2 to 7 p.m. today at the funeral home. Funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. on Wednesday at Calvary Missionary Baptist Church, Pinewood, with Pastor E.L. Sanders. Burial will follow in Calvary-Zion Hill Church Cemetery. The family is receiving visitors at home, 1755 Reynolds Road, Pinewood. Online memorials can be sent to comfhltj@sc.rr.com. Community Funeral Home of Sumter is in charge of the arrangements.

RUTH J. MARTIN ANN ROGERS Ann Elizabeth McElveen Rogers, 70, died on Sunday, Dec. 20, 2015, at her home. Born in Sumter, she was a daughter of the late Edward Russell McElveen and Belle Kirby McElveen. Mrs. Rogers was a member of Lakewood Baptist Church and was retired from Gold Kist. Surviving are one son, Gilbert Roy Rogers Jr. (Stacy) of Manning; two daughters, Renee Rogers Hart (Johnny) of Colfax, Louisiana, and Penny Rogers Catoe (Kin) of Kershaw; five sisters, Ida Mae Wright of Landrum, Russell Belle Conyers, Anna Lou Atkinson and Mary Lee Coates, all of Sumter, and Brenda McElveen of Virginia; two brothers, David McElveen and Earl McElveen, both of Sumter; 11 grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by a daughter, Annette Rogers. Memorial services will be held at 10 a.m. on Thursday at Lakewood Baptist Church with the Rev. James Scarborough, the Rev. Mitch Towery and the Rev. Sammy Thompson officiating. The family will receive friends following the service at the church. Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society, 128 Stonemark Lane, Columbia, SC 29210. Online condolences may be sent to www.sumterfunerals. com Elmore Hill McCreight Funeral Home & Crematory, 221 Broad St., Sumter, is in charge of the arrangements, (803) 775-9386.

REBECCA M. RICHBURG Elder Rebecca McGett Richburg, 83, wife of Moses Richburg Sr., died on Friday, Dec. 18, 2015, at Tuomey Regional Medical Center. Born on Aug. 21, 1932, in Clarendon County, she was a daughter of the late Madison and Idella McBride. Funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday at St. Holiness Church of Apostle, 3018 Liberty Hill Road, Summerton, with Apostle Esther Madison officiating and Bishop Herbert Kitt presiding. Interment will follow in the church cemetery. Viewing will be held from 2 to 6 p.m. today at the funeral home. The family will receive friends at 5218 Wash Davis Road, Summerton. Online condolences may be sent to www.summertonfuneralhome.com Funeral arrangements are entrusted to Summerton Funeral Home LLC, 23 S. Duke St., Summerton, phone (803) 485-3755.

MAGGIE F. MOSES Maggie Felder Moses, 101, widow of Nathan Moses Sr., entered eternal rest on Friday, Dec. 18, 2015. Born on April 20, 1914, in Clarendon County, she was a daughter of the late Garfield and Camilla Merchant Felder. Survivors are two sons, Lee Moses and Clinton Moses;

Ruth James Martin was born on July 31, 1939, in Lynchburg, to the late Rev. Grandison and Christine Rembert James. She departed this life on Dec. 8, 2015. Ruth began her early childhood education in the home. Later she attended Lee County Elementary, Joshua and Rembert Memorial Schools in Sumter County. After completing her education, Ruth worked many years at Campbell Soup Co., now known as Gold Kist. In an effort to improve her quality of life, Ruth studied and passed the state of South Carolina certified nurse’s assistant examination. Upon receiving her certification, she worked in Camden, Sumter, Tarboro, North Carolina, and Greensboro, North Carolina. She took great pride and care in her work and was loved and respected by her patients and their families. Ruth met and married the love of her life, George Martin, in 1987. Ruth accepted Christ at an early age and was baptized at Joshua Baptist Church. She was a faithful member of Jehovah Missionary Baptist Church, where she served on the evangelism, capital improvement, and pastor’s support ministries. She leaves to cherish her memory and legacy: her sons, Sherman (Ada) and Carl Alfred (Doreen); brothers, Charles (Joyce) and Esau (Sue); one sister, Naomi Grant; six grandchildren; three grandchildren; and one great-great-grandson; a host of nieces, nephews, extended family and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents; her maternal grandmother, Sarah Rembert; her husband, George Martin; and one son, Odell James. Public viewing will be held from 2 to 6 p.m. today at Job’s Mortuary. Mrs. Martin will be placed in the church at 10 a.m. on Wednesday for viewing until the hour of service. Funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday at Jehovah Missionary Baptist Church with Pastor Marion H. Newton officiating. Interment will follow in Hillside Memorial Park. The family is receiving friends at the home, 19 Oakview Drive, Sumter. Job’s Mortuary Inc., 312 S. Main St., is in charge of arrangements. Online memorials may be sent to the family at jobsmortu-

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2015 ary@sc.rr.com or visit us on the web at www.jobsmortuary.net.

MILDRED M. MILLS LYNCHBURG — Mildred M. Mills, 69, was born on July 30, 1946, in Lee County, to the late Sammie and Mattie Jenkins LeGrant. She was the wife of the late Charles Mills. She departed this life on Sunday, Dec. 20, 2015, in Lynchburg. The family is receiving friends at 232 Legrande Road, Lynchburg. Services have been entrusted to Whites Mortuary LLC of Sumter, (803) 774-8200.

BOOKER T. BOYD SR. Booker T. Boyd Sr., 92, answered God’s call, as one of his faithful servants, to rest at his home on Saturday, Dec. 19, 2015. Born on July 12, 1923, in Lee County, he was a son of the late Clarence Sr. and Marie Simon Boyd. He received his formal education from the public schools of Lee County. He worked as a farmer for many years and in pulpwood until he retired. He accepted Christ at an early age and was baptized at Joshua Baptist Church, where he served as a member of the trustee board for more than 50 years and the senior choir. Booker T. was united in marriage to Leola Sanders Boyd on Nov. 7, 1968, and this union was blessed with four children. He leaves to cherish his memories: his wife of 67 years; one son, Booker T. (Vivian) Boyd Jr. of Dalzell; one daughter, Martha Boyd Brunson of Dalzell; Sadie Jenkins of Rembert, who was like a daughter; a son-in-law, Eddie J. Bradley of Sumter; five grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; three sisters, Elizabeth Boyd, Louise Nelson and Mary Boyd, all of Dalzell; five brothers, Burl (Lee) Boyd, the Rev. Henry (the Rev. Sharon) Boyd, James (Jean) Boyd, Thomas W. Boyd and Anthony Boyd, all of South Carolina; a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. on Wednesday at Joshua Baptist Church, 5200 Live Oak Road, Dalzell, with the Rev. Eugene G. Dennis, pastor, eulogist. The family is receiving friends at the home, 843 Bracy Mill Road, Dalzell. The remains will be placed in the church at noon. The procession will leave at 12:20 p.m. from the home. Floral bearers will be senior missionaries and trustee wives. Pallbearers will be trustees. Burial will be in Sandhill Cemetery, Stuckey Town Road, Dalzell. These services have been entrusted to the management and staff of Williams Funeral Home Inc., 821 N. Main St., Sumter. Online memorial messages may be sent to the family at williamsfuneralhome@sc.rr. com. Visit us on the web at www. williamsfuneralhomeinc.com.

D.S. “SCOTTY” LOWDER OSWEGO — David Scott “Scotty” Lowder, 53, died on Friday, Dec. 18, 2015, at Carolinas Hospital System in Florence. Born in Kingstree, he was a son of Mary Chewning Lowder and the late Wiley S. Lowder. He was a member of Bethel United Methodist Church. Survivors include his mother of Oswego; one son, Wesley

Lowder of Sumter; two brothers, Bobby Lowder (Kim) and Tom Lowder (Angie), both of Oswego; two sisters, Maryanne Lowder of Sumter and Martha Sturgeon (Bobby) of Paxville; one stepbrother, Skip Lowder (Patricia) of Mississippi; and one stepsister, Debbie Ehlers of Sumter. He was preceded in death by a son, Keith Lowder. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. today at Bethel United Methodist Church with the Rev. Jeremy Howell officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends at the home of his mother. Memorials may be made to Bethel United Methodist Church, 5575 Lodebar Road, Sumter, SC 29153. Elmore-Cannon-Stephens Funeral Home and Crematorium of Sumter is in charge of the arrangements.

MARY ANN SIGLER Mary Ann Sigler, affectionately known as “Sister,” was born on Aug. 13, 1934, in Lee County, a daughter of the late Benjamin Franklin Williams and Susanna Wise Williams. She departed this life on Thursday, Dec. 17, 2015, at her residence. Mary attended Lee County schools. In her youth, she attended Mechanicsville AME Church and later she became a member of Westend Community Church. She was employed by Edmunds High School as a cook for numerous of years. She leaves to cherish her memories: one daughter, Willie Ann Sigler of Sumter; four sons, Tommy (Lynn) Williams of West Palm Beach, Florida, James E. (Janice) Simon of Sumter, Micheal (Mary) Williams of Sumter and Jeffery (Marvelette) Sigler of Charlotte, North Carolina; two sisters, Shirley Mae McLeod and Lillian Williams, both of Bishopville; three brothers, Johnny (Diane) Williams, Jacob (Anna) Williams of Rivera Beach, Florida, and Joseph Williams of Bishopville; 13 grandchildren; nine greatgrandchildren; one greatgreat-grandson; special friend and caregiver, Stephen Allen; special friend, Roy Robinson; host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her sisters, Maggie Jenkins, Lessie Mae Authur, Jessie Mae Martin Lula Lee Isaac, Rosanna Green and Angie Oliver; and brothers, James Damien Williams, Benjamin Williams, Jessie Williams, Herbert Lee Jenkins and Johnny Wilson. Public viewing will be held from 2 to 6 p.m. today at Job’s Mortuary. Mrs. Sigler will be placed in the church at 1 p.m. on Wednesday for viewing until the hour of service. Funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. on Wednesday at Westend Community Church with the pastor, Dr. Rev. Ralph W. Canty Sr., celebrant, assisted by Elder Adeira Black and the Rev. Jackie Jackson. Interment will follow in Walker Cemetery. The family is receiving friends at 10 S. Purdy St., Sumter. Job’s Mortuary Inc., 312 S. Main St., is in charge of arrangements. Online memorials may be sent to the family at jobsmortuary@sc.rr.com or visit us on the web at www.jobsmortuary. net.

COMICS

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2015

THE SUMTER ITEM

BIZARRO

SOUP TO NUTS

ANDY CAPP

GARFIELD

BEETLE BAILEY

BORN LOSER

BLONDIE

ZITS

MOTHER GOOSE

DOG EAT DOUG

DILBERT

JEFF MACNELLY'S SHOE

Hospital visitors should practice simple courtesy DEAR ABBY — I have been a nurse for 35 years, and over time, I have noticed a decline in simple courtesy from Dear Abby people who visit friends ABIGAIL or relatives VAN BUREN in the hospital. Several things visitors should keep in mind: 1. If you don’t know what room the patient has been assigned, ASK. Don’t wander in and out of rooms until you find the right one. 2. Be prepared to give the first and last names of the patient when asking for directions. 3. Abide by the visiting hours and the number of per-

sons allowed into a patient’s room at one time. Remember, patients need dedicated time for treatments and procedures. 4. Do not bring small children to the hospital unless they are visiting their parent or sibling. You needlessly place them at risk by exposing them to infections. 5. Make sure any food you bring to the patient is allowed by the physician. 6. Never question the staff for information regarding the patient’s diagnosis or condition. It is against the law for a health care provider to divulge patient information to an unauthorized individual. Ask the patient. 7. Get permission before plugging in your cellphone charger. 8. When taking the elevator, use public elevators. And when the doors open, stand

THE DAILY CROSSWORD PUZZLE

back and allow the occupants to safely step out before entering. Patient-centered nurse in California DEAR NURSE — If readers take to heart your suggestions in the spirit they were given, everyone will benefit. That visitors would charge into hospital elevators, wander the halls, barge into patients’ rooms, and drag small children into sickrooms is an indication that there has been not only a decline in courtesy but also common sense. Patients are in hospitals because they need intensive treatment and REST. Creating a party atmosphere in which the patient is expected to entertain numerous “guests” is physically and emotionally draining and a danger to the person’s health.

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.

By Jerry Edelstein

ACROSS 1 Workers who cross picket lines 6 Stare in disbelief 10 Con game 14 Kept from squeaking 15 "Yikes!" 16 Thomas __ Edison 17 "Calm down" 19 Salacious look 20 Bar in a bathtub 21 Pint or pixel 22 Former Russian rulers 23 BBC nature series with the episodes "Jungles" and "Mountains" 25 Starter's gun 29 CVS pickups 30 Inventor Howe 31 Ark measurement 34 "Dexter" network, briefly 37 Adorable 40 Chatter 41 Greek sandwiches 42 Not throw out 43 Rapper Dr. __ 44 Riviera film festival site 45 Delayed flight, e.g. 51 Dropped the ball 52 "You're __ 30 seconds!": backstage warning

53 Prefix with space 57 Trim, as a photo 58 Warm cupful ... and, literally, what's hidden in the answers to 17-, 23-, 37and 45-Across 60 Optimism 61 Ancient France 62 Film critic, at times 63 Pitcher with a flared spout 64 This, to Esteban 65 Thin nails

12/22/15

18 Rock's Jethro __ 39 Five-and-__ 22 Relating to store roughness or 43 Not as simple smoothness, to understand say 44 "__ Buy Me 23 Ph.D. candidate, Love": Beatles e.g. hit 24 Chicago daily, 45 Café lightener familiarly 46 Traffic light 25 Austin __: symbol Tennessee 47 Figure university of speech 26 Ingrid's role in 48 Bouquet "Casablanca" for a señorita 27 Under the 49 Computer weather odder 28 Letter after 50 String quartet sigma instrument 31 Sleeping or 53 Many miles slot follower away 32 GI show sponsor DOWN 54 "At Last" 33 __-relief 1 They're way singer James 34 Shock more than 35 Garden spigot 55 Lakeside stalk social drinkers 56 Rowboat pair attachment 2 "Later, dahling!" 36 Change for 58 Birthday 3 __-Seltzer number a five 4 Driver's 59 Eye, poetically 38 Spyglass user warning Monday’s Puzzle Solved 5 1980s missile prog. 6 Davis of "Commander in Chief" 7 Another time 8 Something to stick with? 9 Ice cream maker Joseph 10 Dips for tortilla chips 11 Simple to understand 12 Sidestep 13 Bog ©2015 Tribune Content Agency, LLC 12/22/15

CLASSIFIEDS

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2015

THE ITEM

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

BUSINESS SERVICES Home Improvements H.L. Boone, Contractor: Remodel paint roofs gutters drywall blown ceilings ect. 773-9904

Legal Service Attorney Timothy L. Griffith 803-607-9087, 360 W. Wesmark. Criminal, Family, Accident, Injury

Roofing All Types of Roofing & Repairs All work guaranteed. 30 yrs exp. SC lic. Virgil Bickley 803-316-4734. Robert's Metal Roofing 35 Years Experience. 45 year warranty. Financing available. Expert installation. Long list of satisfied customers. Call 803-837-1549.

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Tree Service 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.

STATE TREE SERVICE Worker's Comp & General liability insurance. Top quality service, lowest prices. 803-494-5175 or 803-491-5154 www.statetree.net A Notch Above Tree Care Full quality service low rates, lic./ins., free est BBB accredited 983-9721

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RENTALS Senior Living Apartments for those 62+ (Rent based on income) Shiloh-Randolph Manor 125 W. Bartlette. 775-0575 Studio/1 Bedroom apartments available EHO 905 Arnaud St 2BR 2BA Quiet Cul-de-sac. All appl's, fenced patio, screened porch. $900 mo. Available now. 803-464-8354 2, 3 & 4 Bedroom.Scenic Lake MHP, in Sumter/Dalzell area. 499-1500/469-6978 9pm-5pm

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REAL ESTATE

REDUCED-905 Arnaud St 2BR/2BA Quiet Cul-de-sac. All appl's, fenced patio, screened porch. $114,000. Available now. 803-464-8354 315 Rainbow Dr. 3BR 2BA new carpet and laminate flooring, fresh paint, 1 car garage. Fncd yard, scrned bck porch, Asking $119.500 Call 803-983-0472. For Sale 821 Holiday Drive 2BR, 1BA, Den, LR. $61,900. Call 803-983-7064. Was your home affected by the recent FLOODS? Use your FEMA CHECK for a down payment on one of our quality used refurbished homes. We specialize in on the lot financing. Low credit score is OK. Call 843-389-4215 AND also visit our Face Book Page (M&M Mobile Homes) For Sale- Lake Side Restaurant, Bar, Convenience Store, gas pumps & docks. Property is leased. Lake Marion. All equipment & furniture are included. Call 904-554-7663

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TRANSPORTATION

Garage, Yard & Estate Sales

2007 Toyota Tacoma, Dble cab, pre runner, blue w/ gray int., $14,000 OBO. Call 803-938-3689.

LARGE GARAGE SALE Every Weekend Tables $2 & $3

Autos For Sale

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For Sale or Trade Big screen TV Take home this sony HD 60 in. TV for Christmas. Excellent condition $600 803-478-3688 or 460-3701 Martin's Used Appliance Washers, Dryers, Refrig., Stoves. Guarantee 464-5439 or 469-7311. King Cobra Golf Clubs + Bag and covers $750 Cash. Call 506-4346 Brown plaid 90 inch sofa sleeper, coffee table, Ivory frost free frig /freezer 803-494-9848 Expert Tech, New & used heat pumps & A/C. Will install/repair, warranty; Compressor & labor $600. Call 803-968-9549 or 843-992-2364

EMPLOYMENT Driver and mechanic needed. Driver will be home on weekends. Call 843-621-0943 or 843-621-2572 F/T Class-A CDL driver needed to haul poultry. Night Shift. Must have 2 years verifiable exp & good MVR. Call 803-857-1857 or 540-560-1031 CNA's- Full-Time, Part-Time positions for 3p-11p. Please apply in person at NHC Healthcare Sumter, 1018 N. Guignard Dr., Sumter, SC 29150 (EOE) Local / Regional Drivers Immediate openings for experienced Van, Tanker & Rolloff drivers. Class A CDL with Hazmat & Tank endorsements required with 2 years verifiable experience. Mileage starts as high as .41 per mile and top rate .45 per mile along with stop pay, hourly pay and per diem on overnight trips. $1,000.00 sign on bonus and assigned equipment. Medical, Dental, Prescription & Life Insurance plans along with 401K and profit sharing. Paid Holidays, Earned PTO time and .03 per mile yearly Safety/Performance Bonus plan. Applicants can apply in person at FCI 132 Myrtle Beach Hwy Sumter, SC 29153 or call 1-888-249-2651 ext-24

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 Summons & Notice

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MAYO’S SUIT CITY

2004 Volkswagen Passat. In great condition. $4000 OBO Call 803-316-8206

LEGAL NOTICES Summons & Notice SUMMONS AND NOTICES IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS CASE NO. 2014-CP-43-02457 STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF SUMTER Green Tree Servicing LLC, PLAINTIFF, VS. Barbara Feilen, individually, and as Legal Heir or Devisee of the Estate of Ronald Feilen, Deceased; and Any Heirs-at-Law or Devisees of the Estate of Ronald Feilen, Deceased, their heirs or devisees, successors and assigns, and all other persons entitled to claim through them; all unknown persons with any right, title or interest in the real estate

HUNTINGTON PLACE APARTMENTS

FROM $575 PER MONTH

1 MONTH FREE THIRTEEN (13) MONTH LEASE REQUIRED

(803) 773-3600 POWERS PROPERTIES

803-773-3600

595 Ashton Mill Drive Office Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9-5

described herein; also any persons who may be in the military service of the United States of America, being a class designated as John Doe; and any unknown minors or persons under a disability being a class designated as Richard Roe; Tia R. Smith n/k/a Tia Johnson f/k/a Tia Ridgeway Smith and Ronnie D. Smith, Jr., DEFENDANT(S).

SUMMONS AND NOTICES (141093.00072) TO THE DEFENDANT(S) ABOVE-NAMED: YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED and required to appear and defend by answering the Complaint in this action, of which a copy is herewith served upon you, and to serve a copy of your Answer on the subscribers at their offices, 2712 Middleburg Drive, Suite 200, Columbia, Post Office Box 2065, Columbia, South Carolina, 29202-2065, within thirty (30) days after the service hereof, exclusive of the day of such service; except that the United States of America, if named, shall have sixty (60) days to answer after the service hereof, exclusive of the day of such service; and if you fail to do so, judgment by default will be rendered against you for the relief demanded in the Complaint. YOU WILL ALSO TAKE NOTICE that should you fail to Answer the foregoing Summons, the Plaintiff will move for a general Order of Reference of this cause to the Master-In-Equity or Special Referee for Sumter County, which Order shall, pursuant to Rule 53 (e) of the South Carolina Rules of Civil Procedures, specifically provide that the said Master-In-Equity or Special Master is authorized and empowered to enter a final judgment in this cause. TO MINOR(S) OVER FOURTEEN YEARS OF AGE AND/OR MINOR(S) UNDER FOURTEEN YEARS OF AGE AND THE PERSON WITH WHOM THE MINOR(S) RESIDES AND/OR TO PERSONS UNDER SOME LEGAL DISABILITY: YOU ARE FURTHER SUMMONED AND NOTIFIED to apply for the appointment of a Guardian Ad Litem within thirty (30) days after the service of this Summons and Notice upon you. If you fail to do so, Plaintiff will apply to have the appointment of the Guardian ad Litem Nisi, Russell Z. Plowden, Esq., made absolute.

NOTICE TO THE DEFENDANTS: YOU WILL PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the Summons and Complaint, of which the foregoing is a copy of the Summons, were filed with the Clerk of Court for Sumter County, South Carolina on November 17, 2014, and Amended Summons was filed on August 24, 2015. PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the order appointing Russell Z. Plowden, Esq., whose address is 4500 Jackson Boulevard, 1st Floor, Guardian Ad Litem for Richard Roe, SCRA Attorney for John Doe, Columbia, SC 29209, as Guardian Ad Litem Nisi for all persons whomsoever herein collectively designated as Richard Roe, defendants herein whose names and addresses are unknown, including any thereof who may be minors, under other legal disability, or serving in the military, whether residents or non-residents of South Carolina, and for all named Defendants, addresses unknown, who may be infants, under a legal disability, or serving in the Military, was filed in the Office of the Clerk of Court for Sumter County on the 1st day of October, 2015. YOU WILL FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that unless the said Defendants, or someone in their behalf or in behalf of any of them, shall within thirty (30) days after service of notice of this order upon them by publication, exclusive of the day of such service, procure to be appointed for them, or any of them, a Guardian Ad Litem to represent them or any of them for the purposes of this action, the Plaintiff will apply for an order making the appointment of said Guardian Ad Litem Nisi absolute.

AMENDED LIS PENDENS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that an action has been commenced by the Plaintiff above named against the Defendants above named for the foreclosure of a certain mortgage given by Ronald Feilen and Barbara Feilen to Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as nominee for Irwin Mortgage Corporation, dated May 17, 2005, recorded May 20, 2005, in the office of the Clerk of Court/Register of Deeds for Sumter County, in Book 981, at Page 901; thereafter, said Mortgage was assigned to CitiMortgage, Inc. by assignment instrument dated March 28, 2014 and recorded April 8, 2014 in Book 1200 at Page 2318; thereafter, assigned to Green Tree Servicing LLC by assignment instrument dated June 13, 2014 and recorded June 23, 2014 in Book 1202 at Page 2647. The description of the premises as contained in said mortgage is as follows: All that certain piece, parcel , or lot of land, together with the dwelling and improvements thereon, lying and being situate in the Township of Privateer, County of Sumter, State of South Carolina, being shown and delineated as LOT NO. 61 OF QUAIL HOLLOW SUBDIVISION, SECTION NO. 1, on that plat prepared by Ben J. Makela, RLS, dated April 22, 1999 and recorded in PLAT BOOK 99 AT PAGE 486 in the records of the Register of Deeds Office for Sumter County. Aforesaid plat is specifically incorporated herein and reference is craved thereto for a more complete and accurate description of the metes, bounds, courses and distances of the property concerned herein. This description is made in lieu of metes and bounds as permitted by law under Section 30-5-250 of THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA (1976), as amended. This is the property known as 2156 Bob White Drive, Sumter, SC. The real property described in this mortgage includes as an improvement to the land set forth herein a 1998 Destiny 28` x 60` manufactured home, Serial No.

Summons & Notice

Summons & Notice NOTICE OF ORDER APPOINTING GUARDIAN AD LITEM NISI AND ATTORNEY

057727AB, permanently affixed to such land. The Mobile Home located on the subject property has been permanently de titled according to the laws of the State of South Carolina by virtue of that certain Manufactured Home Affidavit for Retirement of Title Certificate, dated May 17, 2005 and recorded May 20, 2005 in Book 981 at Page 890; and re-recorded September 12, 2005 in Book 996 at Page 1972. This being the same property conveyed unto Ronald Feilen and Barbara Feilen, as joint tenants with right of survivorship, and not as tenants in common, by virtue of a Deed from Tia Johnson, f/k/a Tia Ridgeway Smith, dated May 17, 2005 and recorded May 20, 2005 in Book 981 at Page 898 in the Office of the Register of Deeds of Sumter County, South Carolina. Subsequently, Robert Feilen, died on August 30, 2013, and by operation of law her interest in the subject property went to Barbara Feilen.

TMS No. 210-06-04-010 Property address: 2156 Bob White Drive Sumter, SC 29154 The Plaintiff is informed and believes that the Mortgage identified herein and given to the Plaintiff, which is the subject of this foreclosure action, contains a provision wherein it created and granted a security interest in favor of the Plaintiff in the following collateral: One 1998 Destiny Omni mobile/manufactured home, Serial No. 057727AB, including any fixtures. The Plaintiff is also informed and believes that the Defendant is presently in possession of the mobile/manufactured home and the Plaintiff is informed and believes it is entitled to possession and o w n e r s h i p o f t h e mobile/manufactured home as a permanent fixture and/or improvement under the real estate mortgage of the Plaintiff as herein identified and the applicable common and statutory laws of South Carolina. SCOTT AND CORLEY, P.A. Ronald C. Scott, SC Bar #4996 Reginald P. Corley, SC Bar #69453 Angelia J. Grant, SC Bar #78334 Vance L. Brabham, III, SC Bar #71250 William S. Koehler, SC Bar #74935 J. Harrison Rushton, SC Bar #100406 Andrew M. Wilson, SC Bar #72553 Andrew M. Sullivan, SC Bar #100464 Jessica S. Corley, SC Bar #80470 ATTORNEYS FOR PLAINTIFF 2712 Middleburg Drive, Suite 200 Columbia, SC 29204 803-252-3340

Summons & Notice

IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS THIRD JUDICIAL CIRCUIT C/A #: 2014-CP-43-1634 STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF SUMTER GREEN TREE SERVICING LLC AS ASSIGNEE FOR GREEN TREE FINANCIAL SERVICING CORPRATION, Plaintiff, Vs. ROBERT G. BIGBY, NOW DECEASED, AND ANY CHILDREN AND HEIRS AT LAW, DISTRIBUTEES AND DEVISEES, AND IF ANY BE DECEASED THEN ANY PERSONS ENTITLED TO CLAIM UNDER OR THROUGH THEM; ALSO ALL OTHER PERSONS UNKNOWN CLAIMING ANY RIGHT, TITLE, INTEREST OR LIEN UPON THE PERSONAL PROPERTY DESCRIBED IN THE COMPLAINT HEREIN; ANY UNKNOWN ADULTS BEING A CLASS DESIGNATED AS JOHN DOE; AND ANY UNKNOWN MINORS OR PERSONS UNDER DISABILITY OR IN THE MILITARY SERVICE BEING A CLASS DESIGNATED AS RICHARD ROE; and MARY GARDENER, Defendants. TO: THE DEFENDANTS HEREIN, NAMES AND ADDRESSES UNKNOWN, INCLUDING ANY THEREOF WHO MAY BE MINORS, IMPRISONED PERSONS, INCOMPETENT PERSONS, UNDER OTHER LEGAL DISABILITY OR IN THE MILITARY SERVICE, IF ANY, WHETHER RESIDENTS OR NON-RESIDENTS OF SOUTH CAROLINA AND TO THE NATURAL, GENERAL, TESTAMENTARY GUARDIAN OR COMMITTEE, OR OTHERWISE, AND TO THE PERSON WITH WHOM THEY MAY RESIDE, IF ANY THERE BE: PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that a Motion for an order appointing Kelley Y. Woody, Esquire, as Guardian ad Litem Nisi, for all persons whomsoever herein collectively designated as Richard Roe or John Doe, defendants herein, names and addresses unknown, including any thereof who may be minors, imprisoned persons, incompetent persons, or under other legal disability, and as Attorney for said parties who may be in the military service, whether residents or non-residents of South Carolina, was filed in the Office of the Clerk of Court for Sumter County.

disability, if any, or someone in their behalf or in behalf of any of them, shall within thirty (30) days after service of notice of this order upon them by publication, exclusive of the day of such service, procure to be appointed for them, or either of them, a Guardian ad Litem to represent them for the purposes of this action, the appointment of said Guardian ad Litem Nisi and Attorney shall be made absolute.

SUMMONS AND NOTICE OF COMPLAINT TO THE DEFENDANTS ABOVE NAMED: YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED and required to answer the Complaint in this action, a copy of which is herewith served upon you, and to serve a copy of your answer to the said Complaint upon the subscribers, at their office, 1703 Laurel Street, Post Office Box 11682, Columbia, South Carolina 29211, within thirty (30) days after the service hereof, exclusive of the day of such service; and if you fail to answer the Complaint in the time aforesaid, judgment by default will be rendered against you for the relief demanded in the Complaint. TO MINOR(S) OVER FOURTEEN YEARS OF AGE, AND/OR TO MINOR(S) UNDER FOURTEEN YEARS OF AGE AND THE PERSON WITH WHOM THE MINOR(S) RESIDES, AND/OR TO PERSONS UNDER SOME LEGAL DISABILITY: YOU ARE FURTHER SUMMONED AND NOTIFIED to apply for the appointment of a Guardian ad Litem within thirty (30) days after such service of this Summons and Notice upon you. If you fail to do so, application for such appointment will be made by the Plaintiff immediately and separately and such application will be deemed absolute and total in the absence of your application for such appointment within thirty (30) days after service of the Summons and Complaint upon you. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the original Complaint in the above entitled action was filed in the office of the Clerk of Court for Sumter County on August 6, 2014. GRIMSLEY LAW FIRM, LLC. Edward L. Grimsley P.O. Box 11682 Columbia, South Carolina 29211 (803) 233-1177 Attorney for Plaintiff

YOU WILL FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that unless the said minors or persons under other legal NOTICE OF ELECTIONS

STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA

COUNTY OF SUMTER

A Republican Presidential Preference Primary will be held on Saturday, February 20, 2016. A Democratic Presidential Preference Primary will be held on Saturday, February 27, 2016. These primaries will be conducted in the polling places listed in this notice. Voters may participate in only one party’s presidential preference primary. The deadline to register to vote and be eligible to vote in either Presidential Preference Primary is January 27, 2016. The polling place locations for some precincts may be combined with others for the primaries as allowed by law. The polls will be open from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. at the polling places designated below. These primaries will be held under the rules for providing Photo ID at the polling place. Voters will be asked to provide one of the following Photo IDs at their polling place. • • • • •

S.C. Driver’s License ID Card issued by S.C. Department of Motor Vehicles S.C. Voter Registration Card with Photo Federal Military ID U.S. Passport

If you have one of these IDs, you are ready to vote. Voters should remember to bring one of these IDs with them to the polling place. Voters without Photo ID can get one free of charge from the Department of Motor Vehicles or their county voter registration and elections office. Voters who encounter an obstacle to getting a Photo ID should bring their paper voter registration card without a photo with them to their polling place. These voters can then sign an affidavit swearing to their identity and to their obstacle to obtaining a Photo ID and vote a provisional ballot. This ballot will count unless the county election board has grounds to believe the affidavit is false. For more information on Photo ID, visit scVOTES.org or contact your county board of voter registration and elections. At 9:00 a.m. on February 20, the county board will begin its examination of the absentee ballot return envelopes from the Republican Presidential Preference Primary at Sumter County Courthouse 141 N. Main Street Sumter, South Carolina 29150 (803) 436-2310 At 9:00 a.m. on February 27, the county board will begin its examination of the absentee ballot return envelopes from the Democratic Presidential Preference Primary at Sumter County Courthouse 141 N. Main Street Sumter, South Carolina 29150 (803) 436-2310 On Thursday, February 25, at 10:00 a.m. the County Board of Canvassers will hold a hearing to determine the validity of all provisional ballots cast in the Republican Preference Primary. This hearing will be held at the Courthouse 141 N. Main Street Room 211 Sumter, SC 2915. On Thursday, March 3, at 10:00 a.m. the County Board of Canvassers will hold a hearing to determine the validity of all provisional ballots cast in the Democratic Preference Primary. This hearing will be held at Courthouse 141 N. Main St Room 211 Sumter, SC 29150 The following precincts and polling places will be involved in this election. Precincts

Polling Places (location)

Rembert Horatio Hillcrest Oakland Plant 1 Dalzell 1 Dalzell 2 Oswego Mayesville Salem Oakland Plant 2 McCray’s Mill 1 St. John Mayewood Turkey Creek Mulberry Salterstown Folsom Park Green Swamp 1 Palmetto Park Burns-Downs Second Mill Swan Lake Morris College Hampton Park Crosswell Loring Lemira Magnolia-Harmony Stone Hill South Red Bay Wilder Pocotaligo 1 Savage-Glover Bates Birnie South Liberty Millwood Causeway Branch 1 McCrays Mill 2 Sumter High 1 Sunset Delaine Cherryvale Manchester Forest Pinewood Pocotaligo 2 Privateer Ebenezer 1 Wilson Hall Furman Spectrum St. Paul Shaw Thomas Sumter Sumter High 2 Ebenezer 2 Green Swamp 2 Causeway Branch 2

Rembert Fire Station Horatio Fire Station Hillcrest Middle School Oakland Primary School Hillcrest Middle School Hillcrest Middle School Crestwood High School Mayesville Fire Station Rural Fire Station Oakland Primary School Sumter County Career Cntr St. John Elem School Mayewood Middle School Lemira Elementary School County Training Center Chestnut Oaks Middle Schl Willow Drive Elementary Sumter School District Central Carolina Tech Alice Drive Middle School Elks Lodge Willow Dr Elem. School North Hope Center Santee Senior Resource Cntr Crosswell Elem. School Crosswell Elem. School Lemira Elementary School S.Sumter Resource Center Jehovah Baptist Church South Hope Center Wilder Elem. School Lakewood High School S. Sumter Park Gym Bates Middle School Birnie Hope Center American Legion Home Bldg Millwood Elm. School Millwood Elem School Sumter County Career Cntr Sumter High School Kingsbury Elem. School Delaine Elem. School Cherryvale Community Cntr Wedgefield Fire Station Manchester Elem. School Lakewood High School Pocalla Springs Elem Scho Ebenezer Middle School Wilson Hall School Furman Middle School Sumter City Fire Department Cherryvale Elementary Sch Shaw Heights Elem School Hillcrest Middle School Sumter High School Ebenezer Middle School Sumter School District Millwood Elem School

CLASSIFIEDS

THE ITEM

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2015

Estate Notice Sumter County

NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF ESTATES

Persons having claim against the following estates are required to deliver or mail their claims to the indicated Personal Representatives, appointed to administer these estates, and to file their claims on Form #371PC with the Probate Court of Sumter County Courthouse, N. Main Street, Sumter, SC, 29150, on or before the date that is eight months after the date of the first publication of this Notice to Creditors, (unless previously barred by operation of Section 62-3-803), or such persons shall be forever barred as to heir claims. All claims are required to be presented in written statements, indicating the name and the address of the claimant, the basis of the claim, the amount claimed, the date when the claim will become due, the nature of any uncertainty as to the amount claimed and the date when due, and a description of any security as to the claim.

Estate:

Lois Cogburn Jones #2015ES4300647

Personal Representative Richard C. Jones

C/O J. Cabot Seth Attorney at Law PO Box 1268 Sumter, SC 29151 Estate:

Ruby Vermell Billie #2015ES4300634

Personal Representative Randolph Billie

Estate:

Personal Representative Jeanette Alston

Estate:

Wendell Mitchell Levi Jr. #2015ES4300651

Personal Representative Kathryn Weiberg Levi

C/O Alan J. Reyner Attorney at Law PO Box 8448 Columbia, SC 29202 Estate: Annie McFadden Ward #2015ES4300644 Personal Representative Benjamin Ward

Joseph Robert Crisler #2015ES4300643

Personal Representative Jack Roger Crisler, Jr.

C/O Marvin E. McMillan, Jr. Attorney at Law PO Box 3690 Sumter, SC 29151

Estate: Joseph Leonard Frey III #2015ES4300633 C/O William H. Johnson PO Office Box 137 Manning, SC 29102

Estate:

Frnaces M. Sanders #2015ES4300632

Personal Representative Alan Wooten

1940 Boykin Road Rembert, SC 29128

545 Alpine Drive Sumter, SC 29154

2001 Lakeview Ave. Apt. G Richmond, VA 23220

Personal Representative Carol Ann Frey

Kenzie Alston Sr. #2015ES4300623

Estate:

Personal Representative Jane Kerry Rivers

3500 Drayton Drive Dalzell, SC 29040 Estate:

Personal Representative Rubben Bennett

1575 Watt Pond Road Mt. Pleasant, SC 29446

Estate:

Dorothy Barrineau #2015ES4300650

Estate:

Christopher Jerome Cooper #2015ES4300648

Estate:

Mary Johnson Hobbs #2015ES4300620

Personal Representative Mark T. Hobbs

6 Fenwick Hall Court Columbia, SC 29209

560 Alpine Road Sumter, SC 29154

Estate:

Estate: Joe Nathan Graham, Jr. #2015ES4300626 C/O Shaun Kent Attorney at Law PO Box 117 Manning, SC 29102 Estate:

Chase Wayne Olson #2015ES4300618 E.J. Mercer Attorney at Law 324 B North Main Street Sumter, SC 29150

Estate:

Mary Jane Williams #2015ES4300640

Personal Representative Daniel E. McMahan

Cora C. McMahan #2015ES4300638

C/O Attorney Glenn Givens 107 N. Main Street Sumter, SC 29150

Adopt Me TO ADVERTISE ON THIS PAGE CALL KATHY AT

774-1212

Garland

My name is GARLAND and I’m a 4 month old blond female Lab/German Shepherd mix.

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, aka SPCA SPCA,, has an abundance of friendly pets looking for nice, warm homes with lots of love to share. Shown are just a few of the adoptable pets now available at the shelter.

VISIT US ONLINE AT:

Cooper

www.sumterscspca.com

Dancer

Flash

Catherine M. Zyback, D.M.D. My name is COOPER and I’m a 1 year old chocolate Lab mix.

My name is DANCER and I’m a 5 month old black male Lab mix.

803-905-5280

My name is FLASH and I’m a 7 month old black and white male Terrier mix.

PLEASE ADOPT A FRIEND! 2565 Lindo Ct. • Sumter, SC 29150 Ty

My name is SOPHIA and I’m a 2 year old black and white female Lab mix.

My name is PERSEPHONE and I’m a 1 year old brindle female Basset Hound/Lab mix.

My name is REBEL and I’m an 11 month old white male Husky/Boxer mix.

My name is TY and I’m a 9 year old tricolored male Fox Terrier mix.

ETS NC

35 Years Boarding Experience 33 Years Grooming Experience Lori Cook Briggs Groomer & Stylist

Graduate of Academy of Dog Grooming

Hours: 9am - 5:30pm Closed Wednesday & Sunday

Pet Supplies & “Life is Good” Dealer

773-2501

1140 S. GUIGNARD DR. Happy Pets “Home Away From Home” For 35 Years

In Loving Memory Mrs. Mozell G. Lowery 04/13/1935 - 12/21/2010 Five years gone. Not day left missed or loved. Your husband, children, grandchildren, family & friends.

S.P.C.A. • 1140 S. Guignard Dr., Sumter 11AM - 5PM Daily, Closed Wed & Sun Animal Receiving: 11AM - 4PM M, T, Th, F & 11AM - 2PM Sat

Rebel

Professional Pr Boarding, Grooming & Gr Clipping

2007

Reward with safe return. Questions asked. 803-840-2693

Persephone

MY BUDDY B I F P I . OARDING NN

Sophia

Edgar

My name is EDGAR and I’m a 4 month old orange tabby male Siamese/ American Shorthair.

Lost & Found

Personal Representative Lauren Olson

114 Reynolds Road Sumter, SC 29150

803-773-9292

Rev. Henry B. Brown and Eula Lee Brown Although we love and miss you, it comforts us to know you are together in Heaven. One day we will all be together again.We remember both of you always. Your sons, daughter in law, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Personal Representative Minnie White

C/O Gerald Malloy Attorney at Law PO Box 1200 Hartsville, SC 29551

Personal Representative William G. Williams, Jr.

C/O J. Cabot Seth Attorney at Law PO Box 1268 Sumter, SC 29151

C/O John E. Miles Attorney at Law PO Box 2684 Sumter, SC 29151

Personal Representative Lakeisha Cooper

6115 Argyle Drive Wedgefield, SC 29168

Fred Milton Wheeler #2015ES4300490

Personal Representative John Blake English

Personal Representative McElveen Manor Inc.

Davis Earle DuBose #2015ES4300635

Personal Representative Lauren D. Neese

Personal Representative Janet B. Derrick

Geneva Fisher #2015ES4300630

Kenneth Michael Rosales #2015ES4300627

Dorothy Mae Bennett #2015ES4300637 21 North Pike West Sumter, SC 29153

Estate: Estate:

In Memory

Gabby

Sasha

My name is AMARA and I’m a 4 month old black female American Shorthair.

Ted

Sodapop

My name is GABBY and My name is SASHA My name is I’m a 3 year old female and I’m a 2 year old SODAPOP and I’m gray tortoiseshell gray tabby American a 5 month old black female Domestic Shorthair. and white male Mediumhair. American Shorthair.

Wilson

Amara

My name is TED and I’m a 1 year old gray tabby and white male American Shorthair.

Tiffany

My name is TIFFANY and I’m a 6 month old gray tabby female American Shorthair.

My name is WILSON and I’m a 6 month old gray tabby and white male American Shorthair.

Other things you can do to help! Though not everyone can take a pet home, the SPCA is always accepting donations. Monetary Donations • Collars • Animal Food • Leashes Cat Litter • Treats • Beds • Clean Newspapers Blankets • Trash Bags • Towels • Paper Towels Adoption Fee: Dogs - $125.00 • Cats - $100.00 This includes the ﬁrst vaccinations, ﬁrst deworming and a voucher towards the spaying or neutering of the animal. Hours of Operation: 11:00 am to 5:00 pm Closed Wednesday and Sunday BE A SPONSOR ON THIS PAGE AND HELP THE SPCA TODAY!

Please Contact The Classified Dept. at

803-774-1200 or classified@theitem.com

2 Locations to serve you! 1091 Broad Street 2022 McCrays Mill Rd.

SALES - SERVICE - PARTS

469-9030

Broad Street Ext. • Sumter www.sumterchryslerjeepdodge.com SALES HOURS: SERVICE HOURS: 9AM-8PM MON-FRI 7:30AM-5:30PM MON-FRI 9AM-6PM SAT 7:30AM-1PM SAT

Your Best Deal Is...Just Around The Corner!