December 26, 2013 by The Sumter Item

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Top 10 stories of 2013

USC running back Davis has played through injuries, but feels healthier heading into Capital One Bowl.

Thinking of regifting something? Keep these tips in mind. A2

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2013 | SUMTER, SOUTH CAROLINA

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1st responders stay alert during holiday BY RAYTEVIA EVANS revans@theitem.com Each year as the residents of Sumter open their gifts and spend time with family and friends during the holiday season, firefighters with the Sumter County Fire Department find a way to protect the city while enjoying the holidays as well.

The county’s firefighters work 24-hour shifts, explained Capt. Joey Duggan, with about 27 firefighters on duty at a time. According to the schedule, some of the firefighters will plan a meal or exchange gifts with the coworkers who share the same shifts with them. Although the shifts are long, the firefighters do get the opportuni-

ty to go home for at least an hour to see their families. “They go home one at a time and try to see their families for 35 minutes to an hour, and then they come back for the rest of their shift,” Duggan said. Because the firefighters become close with their shift mates, Duggan said some of the men who are single or

don’t have children will look out for those who want to go home for an hour or so to see their family or share a meal with their children on holidays. Duggan said during Thanksgiving, there are always the incidents in which people try to deep fry their turkeys while they’re still frozen. However, the past few

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Christmas shifts that he has worked have been pretty quiet. But the need for emergency responders never takes a holiday. The firefighters working this Christmas Eve were called to the scene of a twocar wreck on Pocalla Road SEE RESPONDERS, PAGE A12

Christmas cleanup: City’s trash crews busy BY JADE ANDERSON janderson@theitem.com

MATT WALSH / THE ITEM

A spectator takes photos of Santa Claus reading “A Night Before Christmas” at Hillcrest Middle School recently. See more Santas who visited the Sumter area to bring cheer to locals this holiday season on page A10.

Bar is Christmas Eve refuge for many BY MATT WALSH Matt@theitem.com Breck Bryant has spent the last 18 Christmases in bars. He is a bartender at the local drinking hole, Brewers, where Christmas Eve is the second-busiest day of the year. The first busiest is Thanksgiving. Every year, dozens of people converge on the bar at 160 E. Wesmark Blvd. to

spend Christmas. They are there to either escape relatives or find a sense of family in friends both new and old. “I look forward to two Christmases, one here at work and the other at home with my kids,” Bryant said. He has spent 18 Christmas Eves serving drinks to patrons and closes up shop

MATT WALSH / THE ITEM

SEE BAR, PAGE A12

SEE TRASH, PAGE A12

DEATHS

20 N. Magnolia St. Sumter, SC 29150 (USPS 525-900)

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Brewers bartender Rachel McDougald opens a gift from her friend Kayla Bays on Christmas Eve on top of the bar. Christmas Eve is the second-busiest night of the year for the bar, the first being Thanksgiving.

This time of year comes with boxes, gift bags, wrapping paper, tissue paper and bows. All that packaging, not to mention food scraps from the big meals, is bound to pile up. “We definitely will see a larger load Saturday after Christmas,” said Al Harris, assistant city manager of public services. “That’s normal. I think what we’re going to have Thursday, Friday and SaturINSIDE day is household trash. Check out Family is over, Sumter’s and there will trash statisbe a lot of stuff tics. A12 to throw away. With more people, you have more stuff.” This Christmas Day, city sanitation crews got a chance to spend the day with loved ones rather than trash cans. But don’t worry about that pile of used tinsel and wrapping paper building up too long if you live in a part of town that is typically scheduled to have your trash picked up on Wednesday. They’ll be by soon enough. This week, the city residential garbage and recycling crews will be by those homes on Saturday. Sumter residents on these routes are asked to have their roll carts and recycling bins at the curb by 7 a.m. Commercial garbage pick up will resume today, as well.

Information: 774-1200 Advertising: 774-1237 Classifieds: 774-1234 Delivery: 774-1258 News, Sports: 774-1226

Marian M. Edwards Connie L. Jackson Juanita B. Boykin Minnie B. Burgess Sybilla Glover

INSIDE

OUTSIDE STILL COOL

Roxie C. Johnson Sammie L. McKnight Charles Tyl Julia V. Washington

2 SECTIONS, 20 PAGES

Clouds and sun today with partly cloudy skies tonight B5

HIGH: 50 LOW: 31 A12

Classifieds Comics Daily Planner Opinion Television

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SECOND FRONT THE ITEM

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2013 Contact the newsroom at 803-774-1226 or e-mail news@theitem.com

Police urge residents to lock their vehicles

AWARDS GIVEN TO CADETS

FROM STAFF REPORTS It doesn’t matter what time of day or night, if you don’t take at least that one simple step to “Lock It Before You Leave It,” you could become a criminal’s next victim. “Whether parked in a public parking lot or in your home’s driveway, residents should always make a practice of locking your vehicle,” said Sumter Police Chief Russell Roark. Officers are concerned about the number of car break-ins that have been reported during the past two years. “Most concerning for us as a department is that a majority of the break-ins reported involved unlocked vehicles and that among the items removed were firearms,” Roark said. “Most of these breakins could have been prevented.” And whenever there’s a stolen

weapon, the cycle of crime can continue with the stolen firearm being sold and even used in a more violent incident, he said. In 2012, there were 298 breaking and entering auto reports filed in the city of which 226 involved unlocked vehicles. Sixteen firearms were reported stolen, with only two taken from locked vehicles. This year, there’s been 232 breaking and entering auto reports filed of which 183 involved unlocked vehicles. Twenty-six firearms were taken, only two were from vehicles that were locked. To help lower the risk of becoming a vehicle break-in victim, police officials recommend adopting several habits, including parking in well-lit areas, not leaving valuables in the vehicle, and always locking your car doors, even at home.

Thinking of regifting? Keep these tips in mind BY RAYTEVIA EVANS revans@theitem.com

PHOTOS PROVIDED

ABOVE: Retired Maj. Gen. William “Dutch” Holland, right, presents A-Flight Commander Cadet Matthew Solomon with the Air Force JROTC Leadership Award during the First Semester JROTC Awards Ceremony on Dec. 17. Holland is a former commander of the 9th Air Force at Shaw Air Force Base. BELOW: From left, Carla Rogers, retired Lt. Col. Norma Holland, retired Maj. Gen. William “Dutch” Holland and Crestwood High School Principal Isaac McClinton gather for the ceremony. The Hollands were the guest speakers for the event.

LOCAL BRIEF

FROM STAFF REPORTS

Sumter man wanted in armed robberies being held after wreck A 29-year-old Sumter man wanted by police in connection with a series of weekend armed robberies has been transported to the Clarendon County Detention Center after wrecking his car in a chase with law enforcement earlier this week. Bryan Kenneth Hodge HODGE was taken to a Columbia hospital for treatment of injuries after the crash, then was transferred to the Clarendon County Detention Center on Tuesday after his release.

REGULAR SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Home Delivery — Tuesday through Sunday: One year $144; Six months - $75.25; Three months - $40; Two months - $27.50; One month - $13.75; EZPay - $12 per month. Saturday and Sunday: One year - $72; Six months - $36.75; Three months - $18.50; One month, $6.25. Mail — One year - $249; Six months - $124.50; Three months - $62.25; one month - $20.95. OUTLYING RURAL ROUTE SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Home Delivery — Tuesday through Sunday: One year -

The Sumter County Sheriff’s Office thinks Hodge could be responsible for as many as four armed robberies during the past weekend. Investigators think Hodge is responsible for robbing two convenience stores within a few blocks of each other on U.S. 15 South early Saturday morning and then committing two other robberies either late Saturday night or early Sunday morning. Authorities have not said where the latter two alleged crimes occurred but said Hodge was positively identified from surveillance video in the first two instances. In both of those crimes, Hodge was said to have threatened clerks at the stores with a knife.

$153; Six months - $81.25; Three months - $43; Two months, $29; One month - $14.50. EZPay, $12.75 per month. Saturday and Sunday: One year - $84; Six months - $43; Three months - $22; One month - $7.50. HOME DELIVERY: Call (803) 774-1258, Mon-Fri, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sat./Sun., 7 to 11 a.m. The Item is published six days a week except for July 4, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day (unless it falls on a Sunday) by Osteen Publishing Co., 20 N. Magnolia St., Sumter,

It’s the day after Christmas, and you realize you have yourself a good collection of gifts — except for the few crappy or unwanted ones. If you’re like everyone else, you’re more than eager to get rid of the gifts you hate or have no use for. Don’t feel like a terrible friend or relative if you decide to rewrap a gift you don’t want or need and give it to another. You won’t be the only one today or in the next few weeks clearing out unwanted gifts in your home. In doing so, here are a few tips you may want to keep in mind to avoid making very common regifting mistakes. Determine whether the gift is worth regifting or if the gift is regiftable. Some people are horrible gift givers, and their gifts simply should be hidden in a closet and then politely tossed out when no one is looking. You already know you don’t want the item, which is why you’re in your current predicament. But you also want to consider the idea that maybe it’s something someone else wants. If it can be put to good use by someone other than yourself who will really appreciate it, then it’s definitely worth regifting. However, you don’t want

to regift something that’s not useful or at least thoughtful. If you have to dust if off before you give it to someone, you should reconsider. Avoid getting into trouble with this one because some people are nice enough to give you handmade or one-of-a-kind gifts or signed literature. According to Regiftable.com, these gifts are not qualified to be rewrapped and given to another. You also never regift used gift cards. No one wants a Walmart gift card with $6.19 on it. That’s just rude. You’re desperate to get the gift out of your home, but try to avoid hurting people’s feelings. It can make things awkward. Good examples of gifts that you can give to others include unopened bottles of wine, new household items (preferably still in the box) and inexpensive jewelry. You may also consider regifting MP3 players or other electronics that you know you don’t need. Regift with good intentions. Never regift just because you can. Make sure the gift will have meaning or will be put to good use by the recipient. If you think the gift is undesirable, most likely the person who receives it will feel the same. Successful regifting takes a little bit of common sense. If you’re going to regift someone, know who

actually gave the gift to you. Giving the gift to someone related to the person or who knows the person who gave it to you can come back and bite you in the butt. It’s even more inconsiderate to regift the item to the original giver years later. Try to keep note of who gave you the gift so you can save yourself the embarrassment. Go all out. A gift bag that isn’t too old and beat up can easily be used again. However, giving someone a used gift in a used gift bag with a used card or gift tag is just lazy. It only takes a few bucks to buy a new bag and card to make the gift more presentable and personable, according to Regiftable.com. Use the opportunity to get creative and even sentimental with the message you write in the card. Buy new tissue paper or wrapping paper and use a nice bow to make it a beautiful presentation. In other words, at least give the impression that you tried. Be honest with yourself. When regifting, you can make the decision to keep it a secret or tell the recipient that the gift was something you wouldn’t use but thought would be perfect for them. Before you regift, make sure you’re willing to take the secret to your grave if you decide not to tell the recipient.

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LOCAL

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2013

INAUGURAL FOOD DRIVE A SUCCESS

PHOTOS PROVIDED

ABOVE: Amber Foxworth carries a bag full of food to some Sumter County residents in need. The inaugural Elizabeth Foxworth Helping Hands Food Drive, named for her mother, Sr. Cpl. Elizabeth Foxworth, who died in December 2012, collected 2,873 nonperishable food items to give to 150 families. Elizabeth Foxworth worked for the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office. BELOW: Bill Foxworth loads up food for Sumter County residents in need Saturday. The food drive is named for his wife.

Start the day right. Read The

Item.

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THE ITEM

OPINION THE ITEM

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2013

To submit a letter to the editor, e-mail letters@theitem.com COMMENTARY

Reality isn’t so ducky W

ASHINGTON — It’s Christmas, and a strange whitebearded fellow uttering quack-quack-quack has streaked across the continent, dumping a large sack of something on America’s hearth. Phil Robertson — millionaire star of “Duck Dynasty” — seems an unlikely antagonist as 2013 wraps up. As all sentient beings know by now, he was suspended from the wildly popular A&E program for comments he made about gays during a recent GQ interview. Suddenly our na- Kathleen tion is consumed PARKER anew with impassioned debate about nearly every foundational principle — freedom of speech, religious freedom, civil rights and samesex marriage. The latter is relatively uncontroversial in some states and most urban areas, but not in rural America where hunters convene — or among fundamentalist Christians, for whom biblical literalism is a virtue — and certainly not among millions of “Duck Dynasty” fans. Needless to say, these three groups overlap considerably. Robertson isn’t just a megastar in waterfowl world, he is the composite character so loathed by liberals and certain elites who would nigh perish at the thought of close contact with his sort — white, fundamentalist, Bible-thumping, duck-killing yahoo who somehow missed the civil rights movement, not to mention the New England Enlightenment. Distilled, Robertson said two things in particular that provoked protests outside the bayou. One, that homosexual acts are sins, which is hardly news among recipients of the Gospel (hate the sin, love the sinner). Two, he said that African-Americans he worked with during the Jim Crow era were just fine. “They were godly; they were happy; no one was singing the blues,” he said. Except, of course, many blacks were singing the blues and had been since about the 19th century when plantation slaves invented the genre while toiling in the Mississippi Delta not far from Robertson’s haunts. Robertson’s words released an onslaught of fire and brimstone not seen since God unleashed his fury on Sodom. Speaking of which, it is tempting to note that God was rather selective in his outrage back then. Furious with homosexuals, he seemed to have no problem with Lot, whom he saved, when Lot offered his virgin daughters to townsmen who were demanding to “know” the an-

gels hanging with Lot that God had sent to destroy Sodom. Similarly, sort of, Robertson’s fans didn’t seem to care much about the vile, Xrated imagery he used to make his point to GQ concerning the relative merits of human apertures for sexual gratification. Robertson’s blunt talk caused a stir not because he was delivering tablets from the burning bush but because he was clearly speaking outside his wheelhouse to the detriment of people whose equal rights — even their very lives — are endangered by such talk. Robertson may “love the sinner,” but you sure can’t tell. Executives at A&E clearly were banking on hicks acting like hicks, not expressing what they actually think. But then, what did they expect from a Louisiana duck-call whittlin’, parttime preacher, for Pete’s sake? “Aw, shucks, the more love in the world the better is what I always say”? To the greater point, the fact that a healthy if dwindling percentage of the country feels helplessly opposed to redefining marriage reveals an existential divide that won’t easily be bridged. Robertson didn’t create it; he exposed it. He also helped illuminate our persistent confusion about gay rights. South Carolina’s largest newspaper, The State, recently featured two stories back to back — one dealing with “Duck Dynasty” fans protesting Robertson’s indefinite hiatus, the other about Methodists defrocking Frank Schaefer for performing his gay son’s marriage. One is damned for being anti-gay marriage and the other for being pro — both in the name of the same deity, presumably. So which is it? The Christian, as well as the constitutional, way seems to me the latter. But fundamentalism, regardless of religion, finds refuge in the toxic swamp of moral certitude. In other near certainties, Robertson reportedly will be back on the show when it returns in January. With shelves emptied of “Duck Dynasty” paraphernalia by loyal consumers, and A&E facing boycott threats, there’s too much money at stake. Profit, not equal rights or freedom of religion or any of the other high-minded principles we seize to bolster our selective outrage, is the real coin of the realm. And, as if you didn’t know, it quacks like a duck. Kathleen Parker’s email address is kathleenparker@ washpost.com. © 2013, Washington Post Writers Group

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Thank you to those who displayed Nativity scene In my last letter to The Item, I failed to thank the person or persons that put the Nativity scene on the lawn of Covenant Bible Church during controversy concerning the Nativity scene removal at Shaw AFB. I just want you to know that it is greatly appreciated not only by myself, but also the whole congregation. It was a Godsend because we do not have one. We proudly display it for the glory of God. Thank you for it and may God bless you! REV. TOMMY McDONALD Pastor Covenant Bible Church

Law is ‘Trojan horse’ for single-payer system Re: Eugene Baten letter from Dec. 20 Your letter starts “When Republicans resort to lies and distortions ... the truth will reveal the why Republicans despise ACA that they sarcastically call Obamacare.” The president calls it Obamacare “because I care.” Politifact awarded the president with the “liar of the year” award on 12/12/2013 be-

cause of lies he said about keeping your plan and doctors before being elected. As an Independent, I can understand your disappointment with this president, not because he is black, but because this law is a failure for Americans. You have personally reviewed a plan from BC&BS of SC. Have you signed up for Obamacare, or are you on a State Plan/Government Plan? If you don’t have a personal story to tell, what is your point? Any time you reference an insurance plan, tell all the details: deductibles, copays, and premiums. What services are covered? Health care is complicated, and some plans are basic, others more comprehensive. You get what you pay for. What did you lose, what did you gain? Obliviously you either know nothing about health care or just like to make noise. One other point. We have a governor that saw through the lies and didn’t approve of a “single-payer” system of health care, bloating the Medicaid system. Obamacare changed eligibility requirements so most of those enrolling in

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

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

H.D. OSTEEN 1904-1987 The Item

Obamacare would end up on the state Medicaid system, paid for by taxpayers, not insurance. The politics of Obamacare would pay 100% of the increase the first year and 90% the second year, etc. However, if you lie about the first part, who can believe the “rest of the story”? Thank God governor Haley didn’t fall for that ruse. Obamacare is only a “Trojan horse” for the goal of a single-payer system. That may be over your head. As for “magnificent accomplishments,” let’s check the latest newsmax poll concerning the president 20/21/13. Respondents: 583,842. Job performance: Approve 15% Disapprove 85% Compare to previous presidents: Average 2% Better than Most 14% Worst than Most 82%. I think you get my drift. Guess these are all Republicans. Take the poll yourself at newsmax. com. Get your facts together before you comment please! Do some research! Know your subject and have a great Christmas. THOMAS MARTIN Pinewood

WHO REPRESENTS YOU SUMTER COUNTY COUNCIL DISTRICT 1 Naomi 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 Jimmy R. Byrd Jr. 1084 Broad St. Sumter, SC 29150 (803) 778-0796 (office) (803) 775-2726 (FAX) countycouncil3@ftc-i.net DISTRICT 4 Charles T. Edens 760 Henderson St. Sumter, SC 29150 (803) 775-0044 (home) DISTRICT 5 Vivian Fleming-McGhaney 9770 Lynches River Road Lynchburg, SC 29080 (803) 437-2797 (home) (803) 495-3247 (office) DISTRICT 6 Larry Blanding Chairman P.O. Box 1446 Sumter, SC 29151 (803) 775-8518 (home)

DISTRICT 7 Eugene Baten Vice chairman P.O. Box 3193 Sumter, SC 29151 (803) 773-0815 (home) SUMTER CITY COUNCIL 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 WARD 2 Ione Dwyer P.O. Box 1492 Sumter, SC 29151 (803) 481-4284 WARD 3 Calvin K. Hastie Sr. 810 S. Main St. Sumter, SC 29150 (803) 774-7776 WARD 4 Charlie Burns 422 W. Calhoun St. Sumter, SC 29150 (803) 773-8859 WARD 5 Robert Galiano

608 Antlers Drive Sumter, SC 29150 (803) 469-0005 WARD 6 David Merchant 26 Paisley Park Sumter, SC 29150 (803) 773-1086 STATE LAWMAKERS Rep. Grady Brown, D-Bishopville District 50 420 S. Main St. Bishopville, SC 29010 (803) 484-6832 Columbia: (803) 734-2934 Rep. Phillip Lowe, R-Florence District 60 507 W. Cheves St. Florence, SC 29501 (843) 662-1234 Columbia: (803) 734-2975 Rep. Joe Neal, D-Hopkins District 70 P.O. Box 5 Hopkins, SC 29061 (803) 776-0353 Fax: (803) 734-9142 Columbia: (803) 734-2804 jn@schouse.org Rep. Dr. Robert L. Ridgeway III, D-Clarendon District 64 117 N. Brooks St. Manning, SC 29102 (803) 938-3087 Columbia: (803) 212-6929

Rep. Ronnie A. Sabb, D-Greeleyville District 101 P.O. Box 311, Greeleyville, 29056 (843) 355-5349 Columbia: (803) 212-6926 Rep. Murrell Smith Jr., R-Sumter District 67 P.O. Box 580 Sumter, SC 29151 (803) 778-2471 Fax: (803) 778-1643 Columbia: (803) 734-3042 murrellsmith@schouse.gov Rep. J. David Weeks, D-Sumter District 51 2 Marlborough Court Sumter, SC 29154 (803) 775-5856 Columbia: (803) 734-3102 Sen. Gerald Malloy, D-Darlington District 29 1216 Salem Road Hartsville, SC 29550 (843) 339-3000 Columbia: (803) 212-6148 Sen. Kevin L. Johnson, D-Manning District 36 P.O. Box 156, Manning, 29102 (803) 435-8117 Columbia: (803) 212-6108 Sen. J. Thomas McElveen III, D-Sumter District 35 P. O. Box 57, Sumter, 29151 (803) 775-1263 Columbia: (803) 212-6132

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 Main: (803) 933-0112 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)

HUBERT D. OSTEEN JR. | EDITOR AND CHAIRMAN

Founded October 15, 1894 20 N. Magnolia St. Sumter, SC 29150

MARGARET W. OSTEEN 1908-1996 The Item

H. GRAHAM OSTEEN II Co-President

KYLE BROWN OSTEEN Co-President

JOHN DUVALL OSTEEN Vice President and Publisher

LARRY MILLER CEO

LOCAL / REGION

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2013

THE ITEM

Advocates push for new Atlantic offshore drilling RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Southern politicians and energy industry groups are increasing the push to allow drilling off the U.S. Atlantic Coast for oil and gas deposits that could be puny or mean big cash to a part of the country where itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s now largely absent. Although drilling, refineries and the jobs that could accompany them are at least a decade away, the Obama administration is weighing a decision expected to be announced in the next three

plore, saying thousands of new jobs, economic growth and reduced foreign imports would follow. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is an area thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been off limits to oil and gas exploration and production for over 30 years,â&#x20AC;? said Randall Luthi, president of the National Ocean Industries Association, a trade group. But a big burst of jobs created by exploration and drilling could take a long time. Unlike the Gulf of Mexico, where a massive network of

months on whether to take an important early step: to allow seismic testing of the sea bottom. The tests could firm up estimates of how many hydrocarbon deposits may be out there. Also next year, the Obama administration is expected to ramp up work preparing the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2017-2022 ocean energy exploration plan. Companies that specialize in deepwater drilling want the roadmap to include selling leases that allow companies to ex-

undersea pipelines course oil and gas onto land, that would all need to be built to deliver Atlantic energy, said Gary Gentile, a senior editor for oil news at Platts, a trade publication. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re talking about having to build up a massive amount of infrastructure to support any kind of offshore development. So now weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re talking a decade or two into the future before realistically any of that oil can be tapped, if itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s there,â&#x20AC;? Gentile said.

POLICE BLOTTER

SPECIALS

DECEMBER 26TH CHARGES:

me do itâ&#x20AC;?, possibly referring to an accomplice. Officers searched Agostini to find a USAA checkbook that wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t his. Officers returned the checkbook to the victim, who said that the checkbook was missing from his 2008 grey Volkswagen Rabbit. Agostini was treated at Tuomey for his injuries and later sent to Sumter-Lee Regional Detention Center. Adam Joseph Faile, 31, of 714 Cosnel Cash Road, Cheraw, was arrested for attempting to shoplift neckties from a store in the 1000 block of Broad Street at 3:56 p.m. Friday. According to the report, Faile was seen by the storeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s loss prevention officer stuffing a full table of neckties into a bag he carried into the store.

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BETTER

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Keith James, 27, of 751 North Main St., Sumter, was arrested for fleeing the scene of a vehicle collision at 2:30 a.m. Friday. According to the report, officers responded to a hit and run on Church Street and Hampton Street where a black Dodge Durango fled the incident scene. Officers followed debris from the car to James Village Apartments on North Main Street, where the vehicle was in the parking lot. Officers searched the area to find James in his sisterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s apartment lying down on the couch and unresponsive. Jamesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; sister told the officers that the car was hers and that she was unaware her keys were missing. The keys were found hanging from Jamesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; pocket. Officers searched James after arresting him to find approximately 1.5 grams of suspected marijuana. James was sent to Sumter-Lee Regional Detention Center. Cameron Lewis Agostini, 21, of 704 Haile St., Sumter, was charged with larceny from motor vehicles and failing to

stop for a police car at 4:55 a.m. Friday. According to the report, a officer responded to the Deerfield subdivision of Wilson Hall Road and Wise Drive in reference to a white male running several yards and entering a red Honda. The officer witnessed the Honda, which matched the description of a suspicious vehicle reported earlier, leaving the Deerfield subdivision. The driver immediately made a right turn onto Wise Drive and accelerated to approximately 80 to 90 mph in an attempt to get away from the officerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s car. Pursuit of the vehicle continued onto North Guignard Drive, but the officer lost the vehicle. The vehicle was found on Wise Drive at Bultman Drive, where the driver lost control, hit a mailbox, a metal sign and stopped after driving into some bushes. Agostini, the driver, was found in a parking lot adjacent to the wreck scene and did not attempt to run any farther because of injuries from the crash. Agostini was placed in handcuffs before saying â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sorry, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sorry â&#x20AC;&#x201D; he made

were reportedly vandalized between 3:10 a.m. and 3:13 a.m. The victim stated that an unknown suspect scratched all the doors, hood, bumper and roof of the Nissan Altima and all the doors, hood, bumper and tailgate of the Chevrolet Silverado. The suspect also broke the rear window of the Chevrolet Silverado by throwing an unknown object into it. The estimated cost of the damage totals $3,000.

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RELIGION

THE ITEM

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2013

Put stronger faith at top of list for New Year

ith the trappings of Christmas slowly fading from view, many of us focus our thoughts on the New Year. We look forward to the promise of a new start, a chance to renew our ambitions or improve ourselves in some way. The most common manifestation of this is the oft paper-thin integrity of the New Yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s resolution. Weight loss is a perennial favorite among the New Yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s objectives. Others resolve to quit smoking, quell financial troubles or spend more time with friends and family. Resolutions are hard to keep because fulfilling them requires

more than holding oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fist to the sky whilst declaring a goal of self improvement. The hard part comes around the second or third week in January when the inertia of our initial decisiveness wears off. As a fitness instructor, I always looked forward to packed classes in January. Then in March, the ranks of fitness seek-

were they so easily dissuaded from their resolution? Regardless of whether you try to change your diet, fortify relationships or some other type of self improvement, change is difficult. Routine often trumps our New Yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s resolutions. Lasting change comes from our ability to change our mindset â&#x20AC;&#x201D; some might say our heart â&#x20AC;&#x201D; not just our actions. If you want to change in 2014, it will take strength outside of your own. Frankly, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve never bought into the popular cultural notion that, if I look inside myself, I can find the inner strength to accomplish anything,

ers would diminish. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sure if I interviewed some of the dropouts that most would say that they still wanted to pursue a healthy routine; they still thought exercise was a good addition to their lives. So why did they stop from reaching their goal? If they knew they wanted to change a part of their lives, why

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isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t as overwhelming when you know you can accomplish anything through the power of God (Phil. 4:13). Mending relationships isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t as formidable when you know the act is ordained by the Almighty (John 15:12). When your goals are steeped in faith, your chance of seeing those resolutions realized improves dramatically. You will find your aspirations are weakened by your limited capability. Rather, they are fortified by a wellspring of strength that never runs dry.

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that my heart will guide the way. My personal experience has been that my inner strength has a weakness for Little Debbie snack cakes. My heart usually tells me to indulge my selfish desires instead of that which would build up and edify another. As you make your to-do list of self improvement, I encourage you to place a stronger faith at the top of your list. An ever-deepening faith can be the firm foundation of other changes in your life. Losing weight is much easier when you read that you can eat and drink to the glory of God (I Cor. 10:31). Smoking cessation

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RELIGION

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2013

RELIGION BRIEFS

THE ITEM

CHURCH FEEDS HUNGRY ON CHRISTMAS DAY

From Associated Press reports

Apollo 8 astronaut marks 1968 broadcast to earth CHICAGO (AP) — An astronaut who was aboard the first manned spacecraft to orbit the moon has marked the mission’s 45th anniversary in front of the actual spacecraft. Retired Capt. James Lovell Jr. re-enacted the Apollo 8’s live LOVELL Christmas Eve broadcast from 1968. During that broadcast, astronauts read the first 10 verses of the book of Genesis from the Bible. On Monday, Lovell and several high school students took turns reading in front of an Apollo 8 module that’s housed at Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry. Lovell said they chose Genesis because it’s central to three major world religions: Christianity, Judaism and Islam. According to NASA, millions tuned in during the original broadcast. Lovell was a command module pilot on Apollo 8 and went on to be commander of Apollo 13.

Abbas says Jesus was a ‘Palestinian messenger’ BETHLEHEM, West Bank (AP) — In a Christmas message, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has referred to Jesus as a “Palestinian” messenger of hope. Few scholars dispute that Jesus was Jewish. But Palestinian officials said Abbas used the term in a historic context, applying to all those in the Holy Land at the time, regardless of religion. Abbas’ emailed comments Monday appeared to be part of an effort to reach global

public opinion and strengthen links between the Palestinian and Christian narratives. Abbas said Jesus was a “Palestinian messenger who would become a guiding light for millions.” A majority of Palestinians, including Abbas, are Muslims, but he and his predecessor Yasser Arafat have called for unity of Palestinian Christians and Muslims. Bethlehem, the traditional birthplace of Jesus, is a Palestinian town in the West Bank.

Mormon-centric Utah epicenter for food storage SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Storing away food and water in case of disaster, job loss or something worse is part of the teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but non-Mormons also are increasingly buying survival kits of packaged foods. Matthew Bowman, assistant professor of religion at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia, said the Mormon emphasis on self-reliance dates back to the mid-1800s when food storage began as a pragmatic way to ensure survival as church members trekked across the country to Salt Lake City. Bowman said by the mid1900s, church leaders worried about nuclear war and encouraged members to have a two-year supply of food. In the last two decades, the focus on food storage has shifted back to practicality. Rick Foster, manager of North America Humanitarian Services with the LDS church, said storing away food is now “about helping all of us individually to get through these bumps that occur in our lives.” He said if Mormons are prepared, they can help themselves and others in times of need.

PHOTOS BY BRISTOW MARCHANT / THE ITEM

Those looking for a bite to eat on Christmas at Jehovah Missionary Baptist Church could please their sweet tooth as well. From left, Charles Bell, Jasmine Knight and Raina Flake set out cakes and cupcakes at the Feeding the Hungry holiday lunch that were baked by church members.

Jehovah Baptist volunteer Mary Zimmerman fills a to-go plate at the church’s annual Christmas Day lunch. Church and community members donated food items distributed for free at the event.

CHURCH NEWS EARLY DEADLINE: Deadline for Church News to be published in the Jan. 2, 2014, was noon Monday, Dec. 23. Amazing Grace Missionary Baptist Church, 7 Providence St. (United Order of Tent building), announces: * Tuesday, Dec. 31 — Watch Night worship service at 10:30 p.m. Minister Quintero Taylor, of Barnettsville Missionary Baptist Church, Bishopville, will speak. Calvary Baptist Church, 459 Calvary Church Road, Bishopville, announces: * Saturday, Jan. 4, 2014 — Mid-Carolina singing at 6 p.m. featuring Jordan River of Lexington and Cedar Creek Quartet. Chapel Hill Baptist Church, 8749 Old Highway Six, Santee, announces: * Tuesday, Dec. 31 — Watch Night worship at 10 p.m. * Sunday, Jan. 5, 2014 — Church leaders will be recognized at 10 a.m. * Sunday, Jan. 19, 2014 — Martin Luther King observance at 10 a.m. followed by the Lord’s Supper. Concord Baptist Church, 1885 Myrtle Beach Highway, announces: * Tuesday, Dec. 31 — Christmas Eve candlelight service at 6 p.m. Corinth Missionary Baptist Church, 25 Community St., announces: * Sunday — Youth Day worship at 10:30 a.m. * Tuesday, Dec. 31 — Watch Night worship at 10:30 a.m. * Sunday, Jan. 5, 2014 — Holy Communion worship at 11 a.m. Preferred attire is white or black. Cross Road / St. Peter, 845 Webb St., announces:

| * Tuesday, Dec. 31 — Watch Night service at 10:30 p.m. Emmanuel United Methodist Church, 421 S. Main St., announces: * Sunday — Fifth Sunday joint services with Mt. Zion UMC at 10 a.m. at Emmanuel. Fellowship Outreach Ministries, 1981 Florence Highway, announces: * Friday — Healing and deliverance services at 7:30 p.m. Apostle Virnetta Evans will speak. Full Proof Deliverance Ministry, 2758 S.C. 341 S., Olanta, announces: * Friday — “A night with the King” worship at 7:30 nightly. Frances Washington will speak. Grace Full Gospel Church, 1540 Bradham Blvd., announces: * Tuesday, Dec. 31 — Watch Night service 9 p.m.-until. The Rev. Brandon Brockmeyer, of Tabor City, N.C., will speak. Forever Redeemed will provide music. Grant Hill Missionary Baptist Church, 5405 Black River Road, Rembert, announces: * Tuesday, Dec. 31 — Watch Night worship service at 10:30 p.m. * Friday-Sunday, Jan. 31-Feb. 2, 2014 — Women’s Conference. To register, call or email Claudette Witherspoon at (803) 5659425, (803) 499-2806 or cwastepabove@yahoo.com. Green Hill Missionary Baptist Church, 1260 Green Hill Church Road, Alcolu, announces: * Sunday, Dec. 29 — Fifth Sunday service at 11 a.m. featuring Anita Blassingame, of Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church. High Hills AME Church, 6780 Meeting House Road,

Dalzell, announces: * Sunday, Jan. 26, 2014 — 200 Men in Black program at 5 p.m. The Rev. Thomas Habersham will speak. Theme: “Holy Man Power.” High Hills Missionary Baptist Church, 6750 Meeting House Road, Dalzell, announces: * Tuesday, Dec. 31 — Watch Night service at 10:30 p.m. * Sunday, Jan. 5, 2014 — Holy Communion will follow 10:15 a.m. worship. Jehovah Missionary Baptist Church, 803 S. Harvin St., announces: * Tuesday, Dec. 31 — Watch Night service at 10 p.m. Joshua Baptist Church, 5200 Live Oak Road, Dalzell, announces: * Sunday — Youth service. Church school at 9 a.m. followed by 10 a.m. worship. * Tuesday, Dec. 31 — Watch Night service at 10:30 p.m. * Sunday, Jan. 5, 2014 — Male chorus anniversary celebration at 4 p.m. * Sunday, Jan. 12, 2014 — Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during morning worship. * Sunday, Jan. 19, 2014 — Deacon and wives anniversary celebration during morning worship. Kingdom M-Pact Worship Center, 24 Council St., announces: * Sunday — Family and friends day at 10 a.m. * Tuesday, Dec. 31 — New Year’s Eve worship at 10:30 p.m. Knitting Hearts Ministry, meets at Bethesda Church of God, 2730 Broad St., announces: * Saturday, Jan. 11, 2014 — Knitting Hearts Cafe 10 a.m.-noon. Devon Coker will share “Hosea’s Story.” Special music and praise dance presentation. Visit www.knittingheartsministry. org.

Land Flowing with Milk & Honey Ministry, 1335 Peach Orchard Road, announces: * Sunday — Youth with SWAG at 11 a.m. Eric D. Rufus will speak. Mount Sinai AME Church, 5985 Mt. Sinai Church Road, Lynchburg, announces: * Sunday, Jan. 12, 2014 — Gospel fest at 3 p.m. featuring the Singing Cousins of Dalzell and many others Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church, 325 Fulton St., announces: * Sunday, Jan. 5, 2014 — The Rev. Alfred Washington will speak at 6 p.m. * Saturday-Sunday, Jan. 11-12, 2014 — 30th pastoral anniversary celebration of the Rev. and Mrs. James Blassingame and family as follows: 4-6 p.m. Saturday, drop-in at Mt. Zion Enrichment Center; and 10:45 a.m. Sunday, worship celebration, Pastor Rondey Bolden, of Richland Baptist Church, Seneca, and co-chairman of registration/finance for the Baptist E&M Convention of South Carolina, will speak. New Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, 3249 U.S. 15 S., announces: * Tuesday, Dec. 31 — Watch Night service at 10 p.m. New Israel Missionary Baptist Church, 5330 Old Camden Highway, Dalzell, announces: * Sunday — There will be no services. * Sunday, Jan. 19, 2014 — Martin Luther King observance at 1 p.m. followed by the Lord’s Supper. New Testament Lighthouse Church, 1114 Boulevard Road, announces: * Tuesday, Dec. 31 — New Year’s Eve supper and singing. Supper will begin

at 8 p.m. with singing from 9 p.m. to midnight featuring His Calling and others. Orangehill AME Church, 3035 S. King Highway, Wedgefield, announces: * Sunday, Jan. 12, 2014 — 37th anniversary celebration of the Good Samaritans at 10 a.m. Brother Marvis L. Stewart will speak. Pine Grove AME Church, 41 Pine Grove Road, Rembert, announces: * Tuesday, Dec. 31 — Watch Night worship at 10:30 p.m. featuring singing, prayers and praise. Breakfast will be served. Pinewood Baptist Church, S.C. 261, Pinewood, announces: * Sunday, Jan. 12, 2014 — Special worship service to honor retiring pastor the Rev. Bennie T. Barwick Jr. and retiring music director Claudia L. Barwick. Sunday school begins at 10 a.m. followed by 11 a.m. worship. Lunch will be provided following the service. RSVP for luncheon by Friday, Jan. 3, 2014 as follows: sign-up on the church bulletin board; call (803) 452-5373; or email webmaster@ pinewoodbaptist.org. Salem Missionary Baptist Church, 320 W. Fulton St., announces: * Tuesday, Dec. 31 — Watch Night service in unity with Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church at 10 p.m. The Rev. Dr. James Blassingame will speak. St. Mary — Our Lady of Hope Catholic Parish announces: * New Year’s Mass schedule as follows: 4 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 31, St. Ann, 2205 State Park Road, Santee; 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 31, Our Lady of Hope, 2529 Raccoon Road, Manning; 7 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2014, St.

Mary, 14 N. Cantey St., Summerton; 9 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2014, Our Lady of Hope; and 11 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2014, St. Ann. St. Paul AME Church, 835 Plowden Mill Road, announces: * Tuesday, Dec. 31 — Watch Night services at 10 p.m. Summerton Southern Methodist Church, Felton Street, Summerton, announces: * Tuesday, Dec. 31 — New Year’s Eve gospel singing at 8 p.m. featuring David Floyd, Marty James, Mike Watson and more. Taw Caw Missionary Baptist Church, 1130 Granby Lane, Summerton, announces: * Tuesday, Dec. 31 — New Year’s Watch Night service at 10 p.m. Trinity Missionary Baptist Church, 155 Wall St., announces: * Tuesday, Dec. 31 — New Year’s Eve service at 9:30 p.m. Union Station AME Church, 945 S. Main St., announces: * Sunday, Jan. 5, 2014 — Praise Ensemble concert at 4 p.m. Victory Full Gospel Interdenominational Church, 601 Pitts Road, announces: * Tuesday, Dec. 31 — New Year’s Eve service at 10:30 p.m. Walker’s Chapel Freewill Baptist Church, 99 Walter Ave., announces: * Tuesday, Dec. 31 — Watch Night service and singing at 8 p.m. featuring the Floyd Family Singers. Willow Grove AME Church, 8105 A/B Sumter Landing Road, Horatio, announces: * Tuesday, Dec. 31 — Watch Night service at 10 p.m.

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2013

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Sumter Fire Department Capt. Joey Duggan packs up his Santa costume for the last time this season. Duggan has served as Santa Claus during the Swan Lake-Iris Gardens Festival of Lights for 24 years and recently passed on some of his Santa responsibilities to his son Jordan Duggan.

PHOTOS BY MATT WALSH / THE ITEM

Santa Claus fixes his beard before heading into a room full of children at Hillcrest Middle School.

Santa rides a bike past a line of children before giving about 200 bicycles and tricycles away the weekend before Christmas Day.

RIGHT: Bill Leslie as Santa Claus smokes a cigar while fishing in a pond in downtown Sumter on the first day of winter. Photographers try to take photos of children posing with Santa Claus at Long Branch Baptist Church.

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The Sumter Elks Lodge 855 32nd Annual Turkey Shoot will be held 1 p.m.sundown each Sunday through Dec. 29 at 1100 W. Liberty St. Sumter High School Class of 1980 will hold its 5th Annual End of the Year Celebration 7 p.m.midnight Friday, Dec. 27, at the Gamecock Shrine Club, 1865 U.S. 15 South. All classes invited. Hors d’oeuvres will be served. BYOB. Tickets: $10 per person or $15 at the door. The Campbell Soup friends will meet at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 4, 2014, at Golden Corral. The Sumter Benedict Alumni Club will hold an important round-up meeting at 6 p.m. Monday, Jan. 6, 2014, at the North HOPE Center. Call Shirley Blassingame at (803) 506-4019. Jordan Crossroads Ministry Center — Haven of Rest will hold its public monthly meeting at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2014, at New Covenant Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall. Parking is available in the parking area nearest the entrance to the fellowship hall. Call Ann Driggers at (803) 3098085. Diabetes Support Group will meet 12:301:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2014, Carolina Diabetes and Kidney Center, 635 W. Wesmark Blvd., in the downstairs education room. Dr. Tepsiri Chongkrairatanakul will speak. The Sumter Chapter of the International Association of Administrative Professionals will meet at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 9, in the Bultman Conference Room of the University of South Carolina Sumter. All administrative professionals are invited. The Sumter Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind will hold its 2014 membership meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 14, at Shiloh-Randolph Manor, 125 W. Bartlette St. Associate member Judy L. Simon will accept annual membership dues. Martha Gaither, of Blind Awareness, will speak. Transportation provided within the mileage radius. Contact Debra Canty at (803) 7755792 or DebraCanC2@ frontier.com. Call the 24-hour recorded message line at (206) 3765992. The 14th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dream Walk will be held Monday, Jan. 20, 2014. This three mile walk will start and end at USC Sumter Nettles Building, 200 Miller Road. Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. with walk beginning at 9:30 a.m. There will be a celebratory program at 11 a.m. Call Mary Sutton at (803) 938-3760 for details.

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WIS News 10 at Entertainment Parks and Recre- Parks and Recre- Sean Saves the The Michael J. Parenthood A single mother moves 7:00pm Local Tonight (N) (HD) ation Beautify ation Beautify World Sean’s life. Fox Show (HD) home and finds everyone dealing news update. town. (HD) town. (HD) (HD) with crises. (HD) The Millers: The The Millers: Plot (:31) The Millers: (:01) Elementary: Snow Angels News 19 @ 7pm Inside Edition (N) The Big Bang Theory (HD) Mother Is In Ther- Twists Cemetary Stuff Sentimental Sherlock & Joan try to protect vault. Evening news up- (HD) apist. (HD) date. plot. (HD) items. (HD) (HD) Wheel of Fortune Jeopardy! (N) Shark Tank Sharks consider coming 20/20: Mysteries of the Castle: Beyond Downton Abbey The mysteries of (N) (HD) (HD) together for a seven-figure offer. (HD) the historically inspired drama “Downton Abbey” unfold as a look is taken into the redefined British aristocracy. (N) (HD) Palmetto Scene: Carolina Stories: Carolina Chefs (:05) Barbeque & Home Cooking: (:02) The Mind of The Mind of a Europe: Paris: Foods That Make You Smile a Chef: Senegal Chef: London (N) Embracing Life Who Is S.C.? (HD) (HD) (N) (HD) and Art The Big Bang The Big Bang Glee: Glease Rachel and Kurt return Glee: Glee, Actually Kurt has an un- WACH FOX News at 10 Local news Theory Raj’s big Theory (HD) as the glee club launches the produc- forgettable Christmas. (HD) report and weather forecast. head. (HD) tion of “Grease.” (HD) Family Feud Family Feud House: Merry Little Christmas House House: Joy to the World Teenager King of the Hill: The Cleveland is offered a deal by Tritter. (HD) collapses; thoughtful gift. (HD) Naked Ambition Show: Die Semi-Hard (HD)

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CABLE CHANNELS (:01) Rodeo Girls: Rodeo & Juliet De- (:01) Duck DyDuck Dynasty Duck Dynasty Duck Dynasty: O Little Town of West Duck Dynasty: I’m Dreaming of a Rodeo Girls: Rodeo & Juliet Deci(HD) (HD) Monroe Live nativity. (HD) Redneck Christmas (HD) sions are made. (N) (HD) cisions are made. (HD) nasty (HD) (5:30) The Godfather (‘72, Drama) aaaa Marlon Brando. A reluctant heir takes over crime The Godfather: Part II (‘74, Drama) aaaa Al Pacino. Michael Corleone faces new challenges as he takes over family from ailing patriarch. (HD) the family crime empire. 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(HD) The O’Reilly Factor (HD) The Kelly File UFC Ultimate Submissions 2 Championship Bull Riding UFC Unleashed (HD) World Poker Tour no} (HD) UFC Subm. (6:00) Let It Snow (‘13, Holiday) A Town Without Christmas (‘01, Holiday) Patricia Heaton. A town unites The Christmas Blessing (‘05, Holiday) Blake Shelton. A young medical resi- The Christmas Candace Cameron Bure. (HD) after reading a boy’s letter to Santa revealing his suicidal wish. dent moves home, where he soon meets a schoolteacher. Pageant (HD) Hunters (HD) Hunters (HD) Addict (HD) Addict (HD) Addict (HD) Addict (HD) Hunters (HD) Hunters (HD) Hunters (HD) Hunters (HD) Addict (HD) Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Without a Trace: Copy Cat The Criminal Minds: A Thin Line Home Criminal Minds: A Family Affair At- Criminal Minds: I Love You, Tommy Law & Order: Criminal Intent: See Law & Order: missing woman. (HD) invasions. (HD) lanta murders. (HD) Brown (HD) Me Illegal experiments. (HD) Criminal (HD) (6:00) Did You Hear About the Pretty Woman (‘90, Romance) aaa Richard Gere. An emotionally-detached businessman hires a streetwalker (:01) Biography: Julia Roberts ‘Erin (:02) Pretty Morgans? (‘09) Hugh Grant. (HD) to be his companion. (HD) Brockovich.’ (HD) Woman (‘90) Hathaways Hathaways SpongeBob: Truth or Square Full Hse Full Hse Full Hse Full Hse Friends Friends Friends Cops (HD) Cops (HD) Cops (HD) Cops (HD) Impact Wrestling (N) (HD) Cops (HD) Cops (HD) Jail (HD) The Faculty (‘98, Horror) aac Salma Hayek. Students uncover the Resident Evil: Extinction (‘07, Science Fiction) Milla Jovovich. Survivors of The Ruins (‘08, Horror) aac Jonathan Tucker. shocking reason behind their teachers’ unusual behavior. the disaster fight for survival and against Umbrella Corp. Carniverous plants haunt four tourists. 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(HD) Center z{| (HD) Dumbest Bizarre celebration. Jokers Jokers Jokers Jokers Jokers Panic (N) (:01) Top 20 Bride falls down. (:02) Jokers Griffith (HD) Griffith (HD) Griffith (HD) (:48) Loves Raymond (HD) Raymond (HD) Raymond (HD) Raymond (HD) Raymond (HD) Queens (HD) Queens (HD) NCIS: Rule Fifty-One Gibbs forced to NCIS: Spider and the Fly Desperate NCIS: A Man Walks Into a Bar... Psych NCIS: Up in Smoke Terrorist targets NCIS: Till Death Do Us Part Terrorist NCIS: Hung Out to make a startling choice. (HD) measures. (HD) evaluation. (HD) the Navy with a bug. (HD) target. (HD) Dry (HD) Will Grace Will Grace Braxton Family Values (HD) Braxton Family Values (HD) Braxton Family Values (HD) Braxton Family Values (HD) Braxton (HD) Funniest Home Videos (HD) How I Met How I Met How I Met How I Met WGN News at Nine (HD) How I Met Rules (HD) Rules (HD)

Shopping for the insatiable on ‘Buying for Billionaires’ BY KEVIN MCDONOUGH Remember Christmas? A festival of peace on earth? Family? Contentment? Well folks, Christmas was so yesterday! “Buying for Billionaires” (9 p.m., E!) follows personal shoppers for the ultra-wealthy and irrationally demanding. Nicole works for an Internet entrepreneur who obsesses about a website-launching event. Nicole must accessorize her boss with the ultimate “I have arrived” statement. I’m just not sure if it’s about her arriving at the party, or arriving at her exalted station in life, a place where she has people like Nicole to boss around. Rest assured, after plenty of manufactured drama — much of it transpiring in a $20,000-a-day suite in a Beverly Hills Hotel — Nicole comes up with a custom-made diamond-encrusted handbag. We also meet Deborah, who provides caviar to a demanding cli-

entele with deep pockets and a taste for salty sturgeon eggs; and Melissa, a wine dealer with clients willing to pay $250 to $500,000 a bottle. Deborah says she has a wine cellar “fit for a king,” because many of her customers are just that. • Speaking of aristocrats, ABC News presents “A Special Edition of 20/20 — Mysteries of the Castle: Beyond Downton Abbey” (9 p.m., ABC), a look at the real castle that has become an essential part of the hit PBS show imported from the UK. “Mysteries” looks at the trouble it takes to maintain these ancient piles. It’s nice to have a hit show use your house and ground for its set. Other castle owners have stooped to selling souvenirs in the basement and outfitting their places for reality television. The Dowager Countess would not approve.

Tonight’s Other Highlights • Exactly whose mil-

itary is the Military Channel extolling when they air “Nazis vs. Aliens” (8 p.m., Military, r)? I would have preferred a repeat of “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians.” • On two episodes of “Glee” (Fox, r, TV-14), over-scheduled (8 p.m.), life imitates a terrible British romcom (9 p.m.). • “How it’s Made” (9 p.m., Science) visits an air conditioner factory. • Deep and crisp and even on “Elementary” (10 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14).

Series Notes Dungeons and dragons on “Big Bang Theory” (8 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14) * On two episodes of “Parks and Recreation” (NBC, r, TV-14), London calling (8 p.m.), Tom pursues a lead (8:30 p.m.) * Dressing up the dogs on “Shark Tank” (8 p.m., ABC, r, TV-14) *

Party time on “Vampire Diaries” (8 p.m., CW, r, TV-14) * On three helpings of “The Millers” (CBS, r, TV14), therapy (8:30 p.m.), the plot thickens (9 p.m.), a parent trap (9:30 p.m.) * A period of adjustment on “Sean Saves the World” (9 p.m., NBC, r, TV-14) * Francis and Mary make a show of affection on “Reign” (9 p.m., CW, r, TV-14) * Anchors away on “The Michael J. Fox Show” (9:30 p.m., NBC, r, TV-14) * Adult children squabble on “Parenthood” (10 p.m., NBC, r, TV-14).

Cult Choice A mild-mannered daydreamer (Danny Kaye) lives an adventurous vicarious life in the 1947 comedy “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” (8 p.m., TCM). Based on a 1939 short story by James Thurber, a “Mitty” remake, star-

ring Ben Stiller, opened yesterday.

Late Night Charlie Day, Rob McElhenney, Glenn Howerton, Melissa Rauch and Deer Tick are on “Conan” (11 p.m., TBS, r) * Evangeline Lilly, Jeff Wild, Loni Love and Ryan Stout are booked on “Chelsea Lately” (11 p.m., E!) * Howard Stern and Adrienne Iapalucci appear on “Late Show with David Letterman” (11:35 p.m., CBS) * Bette Midler and Michael Buble are on “The Tonight Show” (11:35 p.m., NBC, r) * Carey Mulligan, Scott Foley and Jeff Campbell appear on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (11:35 p.m., ABC, r) * Drew Carey and Pamela Silva are on “The Late Late Show” (12:35 a.m., CBS, r). Copyright 2013, United Feature Syndicate FURNITURE & MATTRESSES

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A12

DAILY PLANNER

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2013

RESPONDERS from Page A1 near Maxwell Avenue about 3:36 p.m. after a 2003 Ford F-250 reportedly struck the side of a 2005 Chevrolet pickup truck. The door to the car had to be removed to extricate a patient who was airlifted from the scene. Later that evening, a fire engulfed a vacant home in the 500 block of South Sumter Street,

with engines on scene between 9:03 p.m. and 12:18 a.m. to extinguish the blaze. If anything dangerous should happen between all the gifts, residents want to know that someone is on call. Bristow Marchant contributed to this report. Reach Raytevia Evans at (803) 774-1214.

BAR from Page A1 at about 3:30 a.m. When he goes home, he races the sun to construct assemble-yourself Christmas gifts before his children wake up. Last year, it was a doll house. This year, he built two bikes. “All I want for Christmas is a cue ball,” one patron calls over a jammed pool table to Bryant, who is watching his fellow bartender, Rachel McDougald exchanging gifts with her friend and former roommate. “Family is not just your blood, it’s your friends as well,” said Cody Hendrick, former airman and the cook at Brewers on Christmas. Hendrick was stationed in Germany when he was in the Air Force, and he said going to a bar on Christmas is a big deal there. Whole families would be there to celebrate the holiday, he said. Allan and Vickie Thigpen have been coming to Brewers for 15 years, and Christmas is just one more day to be with the family away from their family. “My family are the people here — the bartender Rachel and Breck, you know — the people here, my coffee group in the mornings and the Masons,” said

Allan. The couple stopped by for a drink and to wish their friends a Merry Christmas. There is no special drink for Christmas, said Bryant. The bar has tried to be seasonal with cinnamon and peppermint drinks, but people really just want beer, Bryant said. “People are usually so sick of their in-laws or shopping they’ll say ‘just give me anything,’” he said. Bryant has encountered all types of customers on Christmas, including one beer drinker who one day ordered something stronger and proceeded to divulge the details an affair he found his wife having on Christmas Eve. Another Christmas, he said he had to turn the jukebox down so a customer could propose to his girlfriend at the bar. She said yes. “Every Christmas, this is the Brewers community outreach center,” joked Cody Logan, customer and self-described brother of Breck Bryant. “Really, though, this is where people come to find family.” Reach Matt Walsh at (803) 774-1227.

TRASH from Page A1 “Normally, there are not a lot of commercial businesses open on Christmas Day, so there is not that much more,” Harris said. “Now, sometimes people put stuff in the containers they are not supposed

SUMTER DEPARTMENT OF SANITATION • Recycling — A six-man team services all city residents recovering about two tons daily of plastic, paper, glass, aluminum and cardboard. • Residential garbage collection — 12 employees service more than 15,000 residential customers weekly collecting and transporting more than 35 tons of refuse daily to the county landfill.

to, and that can be an issue.” His department is prepared for the extra load, though, Harris said. “By Saturday, we should be all caught up,” he said.

• Yard debris — A crew of 15 collect and transport an average of 34 tons of limbs and clippings every day. • Commercial service — A four man, four truck regiment advances through the commercial corridor six days a week averaging 210 tons of commercial solid waste a week, every week. Source: City of Sumter website, sumtersc.gov

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TODAY

TONIGHT

FRIDAY

SATURDAY 50°

52° 50°

795-4257

SUNDAY

MONDAY 55°

57°

31° 31°

39°

36°

30°

Times of clouds and sun

Partly cloudy

Partly sunny

Mostly cloudy, rain possible in the p.m.

Rather cloudy with a chance of rain

Sun and some clouds

Winds: NNW 4-8 mph

Winds: NNE 4-8 mph

Winds: NNE 6-12 mph

Winds: NNE 4-8 mph

Winds: WNW 4-8 mph

Winds: NNE 6-12 mph

Chance of rain: 15%

Chance of rain: 10%

Chance of rain: 35%

Chance of rain: 25%

Sumter through 4 p.m. yesterday

Gaffney 50/25 Spartanburg 52/28

Temperature High ............................................... 42° Low ................................................ 23° Normal high ................................... 55° Normal low ..................................... 33° Record high ....................... 75° in 1964 Record low ........................... 9° in 1983

Greenville 51/27

Precipitation

Bishopville 50/30

24 hrs ending 4 p.m. yest. ........... 0.00" Month to date .............................. 3.02" Normal month to date ................. 2.64" Year to date ............................... 48.66" Normal year to date .................. 46.24"

Lake Murray Marion Moultrie Wateree

Full 7 a.m. 24-hr pool yest. chg 360 350.62 +0.32 76.8 74.21 -0.08 75.5 73.48 -0.12 100 96.22 +0.41

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

Full pool 12 19 14 14 80 24

City Aiken Asheville Athens Augusta Beaufort Cape Hatteras Charleston Charlotte Clemson Columbia

Today Hi/Lo/W 52/30/pc 46/21/pc 54/28/pc 51/31/pc 54/38/sh 55/43/sh 53/37/sh 51/25/pc 53/29/pc 52/30/pc

7 a.m. yest. 7.65 11.70 4.48 9.18 77.38 11.05

24-hr chg -0.03 +7.50 -0.33 +3.85 -0.44 +1.85

Fri. Hi/Lo/W 54/30/pc 48/24/s 52/29/s 55/30/pc 56/40/pc 51/42/c 56/39/pc 50/25/s 53/32/s 54/30/pc

Sunrise today .......................... 7:25 a.m. Sunset tonight ......................... 5:19 p.m. Moonrise today ....................... 1:04 a.m. Moonset today ...................... 12:43 p.m.

Columbia 52/30

First

Jan. 1 Full

Jan. 7 Last

Jan. 15

Jan. 24

Florence 49/31

Sumter 50/31

Myrtle Beach 51/34

Manning 50/32

Today: Partly sunny. Friday: Plenty of sun.

New

Aiken 52/30

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

Charleston 53/37

Today: Variable cloudiness with spotty showers. High 51 to 55. Friday: Mostly cloudy. High 52 to 56.

The following tide table lists times for Myrtle Beach.

Thu.

City Darlington Elizabeth City Elizabethtown Fayetteville Florence Gainesville Gastonia Goldsboro Goose Creek Greensboro

Today Hi/Lo/W 48/29/pc 48/30/pc 48/31/pc 50/28/pc 49/31/pc 68/48/sh 51/25/pc 46/28/pc 53/36/sh 49/26/pc

Fri. Hi/Lo/W 50/29/pc 47/29/pc 51/31/pc 49/29/pc 53/30/pc 62/51/sh 50/24/s 49/29/pc 55/38/pc 48/27/s

Fri.

City Greenville Hickory Hilton Head Jacksonville, FL La Grange Macon Marietta Marion Mount Pleasant Myrtle Beach

Today Hi/Lo/W 51/27/pc 48/23/pc 53/42/sh 61/46/sh 54/28/pc 55/31/pc 52/28/pc 49/22/pc 53/38/sh 51/34/sh

Fri. Hi/Lo/W 52/29/s 49/25/s 56/46/pc 58/49/sh 55/32/s 55/33/pc 50/30/s 50/25/s 56/40/c 52/35/pc

High Ht. Low Ht. 2:49 a.m.....2.7 9:47 a.m.....0.6 2:56 p.m.....2.6 9:59 p.m.....0.2 3:49 a.m.....2.9 10:52 a.m.....0.4 3:57 p.m.....2.6 10:58 p.m.....0.0

City Orangeburg Port Royal Raleigh Rock Hill Rockingham Savannah Spartanburg Summerville Wilmington Winston-Salem

Today Hi/Lo/W 50/34/pc 53/38/sh 48/26/pc 50/24/pc 48/24/pc 55/38/sh 52/28/pc 53/40/sh 52/32/sh 50/24/pc

Fri. Hi/Lo/W 53/34/pc 55/40/pc 47/25/s 51/25/s 51/24/s 57/39/pc 52/28/s 55/44/pc 52/33/pc 47/27/s

Shown are today’s noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day.

-10s -0s 0s 10s 20s 30s 40s 50s 60s 70s 80s 90s 100s 110s Stationary front

Cold front Showers Rain T-storms Snow Flurries

Ice

Warm front

Today Fri. Today Fri. City Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W City Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W Albuquerque 46/27/s 49/26/s Las Vegas 59/39/s 58/40/s Anchorage 10/1/s 18/16/pc Los Angeles 79/50/s 79/53/pc Atlanta 53/30/pc 53/33/s Miami 79/69/t 80/71/c Baltimore 43/25/pc 41/26/s Minneapolis 23/11/sf 30/18/pc Boston 38/28/sn 36/27/s New Orleans 57/41/pc 57/41/pc Charleston, WV 40/20/pc 46/25/s New York 40/30/c 38/30/s Charlotte 51/25/pc 50/25/s Oklahoma City 52/29/s 54/32/s Chicago 27/20/pc 32/22/pc Omaha 37/19/pc 40/26/s Cincinnati 36/23/pc 42/28/pc Philadelphia 41/27/pc 39/29/s Dallas 55/31/s 58/35/s Phoenix 69/46/s 70/43/s Denver 57/29/pc 60/34/s Pittsburgh 33/20/sn 37/26/pc Des Moines 33/17/pc 36/26/s St. Louis 42/29/s 47/32/s Detroit 27/20/sf 33/25/c Salt Lake City 35/16/pc 35/16/s Helena 37/20/pc 36/18/s San Francisco 64/43/s 62/45/pc Honolulu 82/70/s 82/69/s Seattle 48/36/pc 48/38/sh Indianapolis 33/22/pc 41/27/pc Topeka 40/19/pc 40/26/s Kansas City 37/22/pc 39/27/s Washington, DC 45/29/pc 43/31/s Weather(W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain, sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice

ARIES (March 21-April 19): LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): the last word in astrology Quiet time, relaxing and Adjust to change. Don’t enjoying the comfort of make a fuss or take on too eugenia LAST your own company or much. Keep life simple by that of someone who accepting the inevitable. makes you feel secure Coasting along will be and balanced should be your plan. your best bet. Do something that you find relaxing. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Socializing will be a blast from your past when people you haven’t SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Interacting with seen for a long time engage in a walk down others will be exciting but also lead to some memory lane. Enjoy the time spent with old controversial topics. Offering to help others is friends. fine, but don’t take on responsibilities that don’t belong to you. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Don’t feel pressured or obligated to help others. Spend some down SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Spend time time taking care of your needs. Reorganize preparing for the new year. Get your house in and reconsider your position and what’s order and plans for the future in place. Make required of you to bring greater joy and changes at home and to your position that will stability to your life. allow you to live life your way. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Head to an unusual CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Be careful while destination. The journey you take, whether it’s traveling or discussing information with physical, emotional, mental, or otherwise, will authority figures. Say less and it will spare you lead to an interesting beginning. the grief of a sudden change of plans due to a misunderstanding. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Do something exhilarating or travel about visiting and AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Take a close look at sharing ideas and plans with friends. Be your financial situation. You may have to make cautious if the weather or other conditions some budget cuts in order to head into the prevail that could lead to injury. new year without feeling a financial pinch. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Pampering, relaxing PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): A partnership or just spending time with someone special change may take you by surprise. Listen to should highlight your day. You don’t have to complaints and make a decision that will lead spend a lot to have a good time or take to a better future. Let go of a situation that chances in order to impress someone special. isn’t good.

LOTTERY NUMBERS WERE NOT AVAILABLE AT PRESS TIME

pictures from the public Melanie Smith comments on her photo submission, “One of our gerbils was out exercising and decided to check out what kind of coffee my husband, David, was drinking.”

Have you visited someplace interesting, exciting, beautiful or historical that you’ve taken some pictures of? Would you like to share those images with your fellow Item readers? E-mail your hi-resolution jpegs to sandrah@theitem.com, or mail to Sandra Holbert c/o The Item, P.O. Box 1677, Sumter, SC 29150. Include clearly printed or typed name of photographer and photo details. Include self-addressed, stamped envelope for return of your photo. Amateur photographers only please.

SPORTS THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2013

THE ITEM

To contact the Sports Department, call (803) 774-1241 or e-mail sports@theitem.com

Seminoles QB Winston named AP player of the year BY KAREEM COPELAND The Associated Press TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Winter of Winston continues for Florida State’s redshirt freshman quarterback. Jameis Winston is The Associated Press national player of the year, adding to his cadre of postseason accolades. He’s this year’s Heis-

man Trophy winner, the Walter Camp national player of the year, the Davey O’Brien quarterback of the year and the Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year. Seminole football fans should send a thank you note to Florida State’s baseball program. If not for coach Mike Martin Sr. and one of his assis-

tants, Mike Martin Jr., Winston — a two-sport athlete — might not be preparing to lead the No.1-ranked Seminoles against No. 2 Auburn in the BCS championship WINSTON game Jan. 6 with the opportunity to bring a third national title back to the

Florida State campus. When Winston won the Heisman he thanked the usual cast of family, coaches and teammates. Then there was the thanks to “Eleven’’ and “Meat.’’ Most of the country ignored the peculiar names, but Winston wouldn’t have attended Florida State without the warm relationship between football coach

Jimbo Fisher and the Florida State baseball coaching staff. “Eleven’’ — otherwise known as baseball coach Martin Sr., who has led the program for 34 years, and “Meat’’ — Martin Jr. Martin Jr. was on a recruiting trip to watch Winston during his junior year of high SEE WINSTON, PAGE B4

Turnover battle big key for Tigers vs. Buckeyes BY SCOTT KEEPFER Greenville News

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

South Carolina running back Mike Davis (28) has been hampered by injuries during the last few games, but is feeling healthy heading into Wednesday’s Capital One Bowl.

Playing through pain Gamecocks RB Davis getting healthy just in time for bowl game BY RYAN WOOD Post and Courier COLUMBIA — Mike Davis would give the same coy smile every time. Ask South Carolina’s sophomore running back about an ailing body part, and he would shrug as he rolled his eyes. Injury? “What injury?” Davis would answer reporters after games this season. Ask Davis how he felt, and watch as he dodged the ques-

WHO: South Carolina (10-2) vs. Wisconsin (9-3) WHEN: Jan. 1, 2014 WHERE: Orlando, Fla. TV: ABC

tion like it was an SEC linebacker. He could be hobbled on one foot, stinging in one

shoulder, gutting through pain in his ribs — and feeling just fine. It was a no-excuse philosophy with which Davis approached each game. Admirable, yes. Yet also misleading. Davis didn’t play his best football at the end of a breakout fall, mostly for reasons outside his control. Last week, the Gamecocks’ star tailback admitted he’s trying to return to full strength before the Capital

CLEMSON — Christmas is all about the spirit of giving. But Clemson senior tackle Brandon Thomas hopes the Tigers’ generosity ends soon — or at least before the Jan. 3 Orange Bowl. “Turnovers can kill any team,” Thomas said. “You can’t win by turning the ball over, and that’s what has happened in our losses. Our wounds have been self-inflicted.” There is precedent. Never has that self-inflicted damage been more evident than two years ago, in the 2012 Orange Bowl. Early in the second quarter of that game, Clemson’s Andre Ellington was inches from a touchdown that would have given the Tigers a 24-21 lead against West Virginia. Instead, Ellington coughed up the ball at the goal line and the Mountaineers’ Darwin

WHO: Clemson (10-2) vs. Ohio State (12-1) WHEN: 8:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 3, 2014 WHERE: Miami, Fla. TV: ESPN

Cook went 99 yards the other way. “It all turned on a 14point swing right there,” said former Clemson coach Danny Ford. That fateful 14-point swing turned into a 37point rout. “There wasn’t that much difference in the teams, really and truly,” Ford said. But one major difference was obvious — turnovers. Clemson committed four turnovers; West Virginia commited one. With another Orange Bowl date looming, this SEE TIGERS, PAGE B4

SEE DAVIS, PAGE B4

EC’s Ard inks with USC Aiken BY DENNIS BRUNSON dennisb@theitem.com Douglas Ard had a plan; it didn’t go quite the way he had hoped it would, but now that it’s all said and done, he’s happy with the results. After redshirting his freshman baseball

season at NCAA Division II school Coker College in 2012, Ard made the decision to transfer to the ARD University of South Carolina Salkehatchie, a junior

college in Allendale. The former East Clarendon High School and Manning-Santee Post 68 standout catcher hoped to spend one year with the Indians and get a chance to sign with a Division I school. That didn’t happen; Ard will play the ‘14

season with Salkehatchie, but he has already lined up the final two years of his college career. He recently signed to play with DII power USC Aiken. “This is something that just worked out

Boise State pounds USC men 80-54 HONOLULU (AP) — Anthony Drmic brought an all-around game, and so did his team. Drmic scored 30 points and his team locked down on defense in Boise State’s 80-54 win over South Carolina in Monday’s semifinals of the Diamond Head Classic. Mikey Thompson added 10 points for Boise State (10-2), which played No. 14 Iowa State (10-0) in Wednesday’s championship game. Brenton Williams scored 14 points and Duane Notice added 13 for the Gamecocks (3-6), who will play Akron (6-3) for third place. SEE USC MEN, PAGE B2

SEE ARD, PAGE B2

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Clemson quarterback Tajh Boyd, center, and the rest of the Tigers offense are looking to avoid losing the turnover battle that cost them in the 2012 Orange Bowl and in their two losses this season.

DISTRICT 9 BASKETBALL OFFICIALS CHRISTMAS TOURNAMENT

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Boise State guard Anthony Drmic (3) attempts to grab a rebound in front of South Carolina forward Laimonas Chatkevicius (14) during the Broncos’ 80-54 victory on Monday at the Diamond Head Classic in Honolulu.

GIRLS Today at Crestwood High School Lee Central vs. Lamar, 11 a.m. Hartsville vs. Lake City, 12:30 p.m. Manning vs. Hartsville, 4 p.m. Kingstree vs. C.E. Murray, 6 p.m. at Chestnut Oaks Middle School Denmark-Olar vs. Kingstree, 12:30 p.m. C.E. Murray vs. Sumter, 4 p.m. Denmark-Olar vs. Lee Central, 6 p.m. Friday at Crestwood High School Manning vs. Kingstree, 2:30 p.m. Lake City vs. Lamar, 4 p.m. Hartsville vs. Sumter, 6 p.m. at Chestnut Oaks Middle School Manning vs. Lamar, 11 a.m. Lee Central vs. C.E. Murray, 12:30 p.m. Lake City vs. Denmark-Olar, 6 p.m. Saturday at Crestwood High School Championship Game, 6 p.m.

BOYS Today at Crestwood High School Crestwood vs. Lamar, 2:30 p.m. Crestwood vs. C.E. Murray, 7:30 p.m. at Chestnut Oaks Middle School Lee Central vs. Kingstree, 2:30 p.m. Kingstree vs. Sumter, 7:30 p.m. Friday at Crestwood High School Lamar vs. C.E. Murray, 11 a.m. Crestwood vs. Kingstree, 7:30 p.m. at Chestnut Oaks Middle School Sumter vs. C.E. Murray, 2:30 p.m. Lee Central vs. Lamar, 4 p.m. Sumter vs. Lee Central, 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Crestwood High School Championship Game, 7:30 p.m. Admission is $7 for adults and $5 for students per day.

SPORTS

THE ITEM

UNC’s Hatchell fights leukemia

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

North Carolina women’s basketball head coach Sylvia Hatchell sits with her dog, Maddie. After being diagnosed with leukemia, Hatchell has temporarily stepped away from her coaching duties to focus on treatment.

least three and maybe four “consolidation’’ sessions to complete her treatment. Her chances of returning this year depending largely on how her immune system recovers each time. Dr. Pete Voorhees, the oncologist overseeing her treatment at UNC’s Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, said last month physicians were “extremely pleased’’ with her progress. “I haven’t had one test come back and knock me down, so the only thing I’ve got against me is my age,’’ she said with a laugh.

Drmic scored 21 points in the first half and looked to be on pace to match his career high of 34 points set against LSU last December and earlier this year against Texas-Arlington. He shot 10-of-17 from the field, made 8-of-11 free throws, grabbed six rebounds, and had three steals. “He (Drmic) is really aggressive, he’s confident, he can make shots and do a lot of different things for us,’’ said Boise State’s Thomas Bropleh, who scored nine points off the bench. “He’s a great teammate.’’ Added Jeff Elorriaga, who scored nine points for Boise State: “He gets to the rim, he gets to the free throw, it puts a lot of pressure on the (other) team.’’ Boise State shot 54 percent from the field, shut down South Carolina’s offense, and held a double-digit lead for most of the game. The Broncos forced 18 turnovers and converted that into 20 points. “I thought it was one of the best allaround efforts and it started with our defense,’’ said Boise State head coach Leon Rice. The Broncos built a double-digit lead just nine minutes into the game. Boise State scored from all directions, driving into the lane for layups and hitting 3-pointers. Boise State forced 11 first-half turnovers and converted that into 12 points. “They fight you, they don’t give you anything easy,’’ South Carolina head coach Frank Martin said. “I kept telling our guys that their guys drive the ball from the half-court line and get to the rim, where’s the help at? Our guys drive from the top of the key and couldn’t crack the foul line because the help came over and it’s what happens.’’ Boise State led 43-28 at halftime and pulled away in the second half as South

perfectly for me,” Ard said. “I left Coker because I saw I wasn’t going to get to play until my junior year (Coker had brought in a JUCO transfer) and I really wanted to play. “I was hoping I could go to a Division I program after one year, but that didn’t work out,” he added. “Still I’m happy because I’m gong to one of the top Division II programs in the country.”

TV, RADIO

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

USC MEN from Page B1

ARD from Page B1

SCOREBOARD TODAY 7:40 a.m. -- International Soccer: Barclays Premier League Match -- Manchester United vs. Hull (NBC SPORTS NETWORK). 9:55 a.m. -- International Soccer: Barclays Premier League Match -- Swansea vs. Chelsea (NBC SPORTS NETWORK). 12:25 p.m. -- International Soccer: Barclays Premier League Match -- Liverpool vs. Manchester City (NBC SPORTS NETWORK). 6 p.m. -- College Football: Little Caesars Bowl from Detroit -- Pittsburgh vs. Bowling Green (ESPN2). 6:05 p.m. -- Talk Show: Sports Talk (WPUB-FM 102.7, WDXY-FM 105.9, WDXY-AM 1240). 8 p.m. -- NBA Basketball: Memphis at Houston (TNT). 9:30 p.m. -- College Football: Poinsettia Bowl from San Diego -- Utah State vs. Northern Illinois (ESPN). 10:30 p.m. -- NBA Basketball: Los Angeles Clippers at Portland (TNT).

BY AARON BEARD The Associated Press CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Sylvia Hatchell is fighting to get back to her North Carolina women’s basketball program as quickly as possible. The recently inducted Naismith Hall of Fame coach has been away from sideline duties since October while receiving treatment for leukemia. She spent a month in the hospital for the first round of chemotherapy with more ahead as she holds out hope of getting back by conference tournament time. “You don’t realize, especially after all this time, how much something means to you until you don’t have it,’’ Hatchell said in an interview with The Associated Press. “It was like a tsunami hit me and all of a sudden it’s taken away. But that’s my motivation, to get back out there.’’ Hatchell, 61, said she feels great and even attended Saturday’s win against High Point, the first time she watched her No. 10 Tar Heels play in person this year. She returns to the hospital Friday for her next five-day round of chemotherapy, the second of at

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2013

Hatchell, in her 28th season at UNC, has more than 900 career victories, eight Atlantic Coast Conference tournament titles, three Final Fours and the 1994 NCAA championship. With longtime assistant Andrew Calder leading UNC on the sideline, Hatchell has remained involved by reviewing practice and game video, conferring with her staff and meeting with her players. This is the first time she’s missed games since missing two in January 1989 due to the birth of her son, Van.

Carolina struggled to find the basket, shooting 37 percent. The Broncos outscored the Gamecocks 16-9 to start the second half and led 59-35 with 11 minutes left. Back-to-back 3-pointers from Elorriaga gave Boise State its largest lead of the game at 67-37 with nine minutes remaining. The performance against the Gamecocks was a stark contrast from Sunday’s first-round game where it barely beat Hawaii, 62-61. “Everyone put it on their backs because we know. We watched the film over and over and know that that is not us, we know that we can play a lot better as a team, individually, everything,’’ Drmic said. “Everyone just had to come to the game and be prepared and give it your all, so I think that’s what we’ve done these last two games and I think that’s why we’ve been able to produce a lot better.’’ With its football team playing in Tuesday’s Honolulu Bowl, Boise State had a vocal contingent of about 75 fans and cheerleaders at the game. “It’s terrific,’’ Rice said. “Our hotel is Bronco Nation, which is great and one of the neat things about this tournament is we’ve got three Aussies on the team and for them, they never get to be with their families for Christmas, so their families are up here and we’ve got a lot of the kids’ families here so that’s been pretty special.’’ Elorriaga knows his team will face a tough opponent in Iowa State. The Cyclones entered the tournament with the nation’s second-best offense and are 10-0 for the first time since the 1996-97 season. “They rebound well, they get in transition great,’’ Elorriaga said. “They lead the nation in assists per team, which is incredible. That’s a great offense. We’re going to be very dialed in. This is going to be a very tough task for us. We knew Iowa State is the best team here.’’

The way Ard’s recruitment by the Pacers came about is somewhat unusual. Salkehatchie scrimmaged Aiken during its fall schedule. The Aiken coaching staff liked what it saw of Ard that day and gave him a tour of the baseball facilities. He later returned to view the campus and received an offer a week later. Ard signed toward the end of November, and his first season with Aiken will be in ‘15. “They told me I have a really good chance to be the starting catcher (my first season),” Ard said.

“They said I’m the only catcher they’re really looking at for that year, so there’s a good opportunity for me to play immediately.” Ard played in 18 games for the Indians last season. He batted .277 in 47 atbats, picking up 13 hits. He had four doubles, a home run and eight runs batted in. While at East Clarendon, Ard was a two-time all-state and all-region selection. As a senior, he was the Offensive Player of the Year and was the most valuable player as a junior.

Bowl Schedule By The Associated Press Dec. 21 New Mexico Bowl At Albuquerque Colorado State 48, Washington State 45 Las Vegas Bowl Southern Cal 45, Fresno State 20 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl At Boise, Idaho San Diego State 49, Buffalo 24 New Orleans Bowl Louisiana-Lafayette 24, Tulane 21 Dec. 23 Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl At St. Petersburg, Fla. East Carolina 37, Ohio 20 Dec. 24 Hawaii Bowl At Honolulu Oregon State 38, Boise State 23 Today Little Caesars Pizza Bowl At Detroit Bowling Green (10-3) vs. Pittsburgh (6-6), 6 p.m. (ESPN) Poinsettia Bowl At San Diego Northern Illinois (12-1) vs. Utah State (8-5), 9:30 p.m. (ESPN) Friday Military Bowl At Annapolis, Md. Marshall (9-4) vs. Maryland (7-5), 2:30 p.m. (ESPN) Texas Bowl At Houston Minnesota (8-4) vs. Syracuse (6-6), 6 p.m. (ESPN) Fight Hunger Bowl At San Francisco BYU (8-4) vs. Washington (8-4), 9:30 p.m. (ESPN) Saturday Pinstripe Bowl At New York Notre Dame (8-4) vs. Rutgers (6-6), Noon (ESPN) Belk Bowl At Charlotte Cincinnati (9-3) vs. North Carolina (6-6), 3:20 p.m. (ESPN) Russell Athletic Bowl At Orlando, Fla. Miami (9-3) vs. Louisville (11-1), 6:45 p.m. (ESPN) Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl At Tempe, Ariz. Kansas State (7-5) vs. Michigan (7-5), 10:15 p.m. (ESPN) Monday Armed Forces Bowl At Fort Worth, Texas Middle Tennessee (8-4) vs. Navy (8-4), 11:45 a.m. (ESPN) Music City Bowl At Nashville, Tenn. Mississippi (7-5) vs. Georgia Tech (7-5), 3:15 p.m. (ESPN) Alamo Bowl At San Antonio Oregon (10-2) vs. Texas (8-4), 6:45 p.m. (ESPN) Holiday Bowl At San Diego Arizona State (10-3) vs. Texas Tech (7-5), 10:15 p.m. (ESPN) Tuesday AdvoCare V100 Bowl At Shreveport, La. Arizona (7-5) vs. Boston College (7-5), 12:30 p.m. (ESPN) Sun Bowl At El Paso, Texas Virginia Tech (8-4) vs. UCLA (9-3), 2 p.m. (CBS) Liberty Bowl At Memphis, Tenn. Rice (9-3) vs. Mississippi State (6-6), 4 p.m. (ESPN) Chick-fil-A Bowl At Atlanta Texas A&M (8-4) vs. Duke (10-3), 8 p.m. (ESPN) Wednesday Heart of Dallas Bowl At Dallas UNLV (7-5) vs. North Texas (8-4), Noon (ESPNU) Gator Bowl At Jacksonville, Fla. Nebraska (8-4) vs. Georgia (8-4), Noon (ESPN2) Capital One Bowl At Orlando, Fla. Wisconsin (9-3) vs. South Carolina (10-2), 1 p.m. (ABC) Outback Bowl At Tampa, Fla. Iowa (8-4) vs. LSU (9-3), 1 p.m. (ESPN) Rose Bowl At Pasadena, Calif. Stanford (11-2) vs. Michigan State (12-1), 5 p.m. (ESPN) Fiesta Bowl At Glendale, Ariz. Baylor (11-1) vs. UCF (11-1), 8:30 p.m. (ESPN) Jan. 2 Sugar Bowl At New Orleans Alabama (11-1) vs. Oklahoma (10-2), 8:30 p.m. (ESPN) Jan. 3 Orange Bowl At Miami Ohio State (12-1) vs. Clemson (10-2), 8 p.m. (ESPN) Cotton Bowl At Arlington, Texas Missouri (11-2) vs. Oklahoma State (10-2), 7:30 p.m. (FOX) Jan. 4 BBVA Compass Bowl At Birmingham, Ala. Vanderbilt (8-4) vs. Houston (8-4), 1 p.m. (ESPN) Jan. 5 GoDaddy.com Bowl At Mobile, Ala. Arkansas State (7-5) vs. Ball State (10-2), 9 p.m. (ESPN) Jan. 6 BCS National Championship At Pasadena, Calif. Florida State (13-0) vs. Auburn (12-1), 8:30 p.m. (ESPN) Jan. 18 East-West Shrine Classic At St. Petersburg, Fla. East vs. West, 4 p.m. (NFLN) Jan. 25 Senior Bowl At Mobile, Ala. South vs. North, 4 p.m. (NFLN)

NBA STANDINGS By The Associated Press EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division W L Pct Toronto 11 15 .423 Boston 12 17 .414 Brooklyn 9 18 .333 New York 9 18 .333 Philadelphia 8 20 .286 Southeast Division W L Pct Miami 21 6 .778 Atlanta 15 13 .536 Charlotte 14 15 .483 Washington 12 13 .480 Orlando 8 20 .286 Central Division W L Pct Indiana 23 5 .821 Detroit 14 16 .467 Chicago 10 16 .385 Cleveland 10 17 .370 Milwaukee 6 22 .214 WESTERN CONFERENCE

GB – 1/2 21/2 21/2 4 GB – 61/2 8 8 131/2 GB – 10 12 121/2 17

Southwest Division W L Pct GB San Antonio 22 6 .786 – Houston 18 11 .621 41/2 Dallas 16 12 .571 6 New Orleans 12 14 .462 9 Memphis 12 15 .444 91/2 Northwest Division W L Pct GB Portland 23 5 .821 – Oklahoma City 22 5 .815 1/2 Denver 14 13 .519 81/2 Minnesota 13 15 .464 10 Utah 8 23 .258 161/2 Pacific Division W L Pct GB L.A. Clippers 20 9 .690 – Phoenix 17 10 .630 2 Golden State 16 13 .552 4 L.A. Lakers 13 15 .464 61/2 Sacramento 8 19 .296 11 Tuesday’s Games No games scheduled Wednesday’s Games Chicago at Brooklyn, 12 p.m. Oklahoma City at New York, 2:30 p.m. Miami at L.A. Lakers, 5 p.m. Houston at San Antonio, 8 p.m. L.A. Clippers at Golden State, 10:30 p.m. Today’s Games Atlanta at Cleveland, 7 p.m. Memphis at Houston, 8 p.m. San Antonio at Dallas, 8:30 p.m. L.A. Clippers at Portland, 10:30 p.m. Friday’s Games Detroit at Orlando, 7 p.m. Oklahoma City at Charlotte, 7 p.m. Toronto at New York, 7:30 p.m. Milwaukee at Brooklyn, 7:30 p.m. Washington at Minnesota, 8 p.m. Denver at New Orleans, 8 p.m. L.A. Lakers at Utah, 9 p.m. Miami at Sacramento, 10 p.m. Phoenix at Golden State, 10:30 p.m.

NFL STANDINGS By The Associated Press AMERICAN CONFERENCE East W L T Pct y-New England 11 4 0 .733 Miami 8 7 0 .533 N.Y. Jets 7 8 0 .467 Buffalo 6 9 0 .400 South W L T Pct y-Indianapolis 10 5 0 .667 Tennessee 6 9 0 .400 Jacksonville 4 11 0 .267 Houston 2 13 0 .133 North W L T Pct y-Cincinnati 10 5 0 .667 Baltimore 8 7 0 .533 Pittsburgh 7 8 0 .467 Cleveland 4 11 0 .267 West W L T Pct y-Denver 12 3 0 .800 x-Kansas City 11 4 0 .733 San Diego 8 7 0 .533 Oakland 4 11 0 .267 NATIONAL CONFERENCE East W L T Pct Philadelphia 9 6 0 .600 Dallas 8 7 0 .533 N.Y. Giants 6 9 0 .400 Washington 3 12 0 .200 South W L T Pct x-Carolina 11 4 0 .733 New Orleans 10 5 0 .667 Atlanta 4 11 0 .267 Tampa Bay 4 11 0 .267 North W L T Pct Chicago 8 7 0 .533 Green Bay 7 7 1 .500 Detroit 7 8 0 .467 Minnesota 4 10 1 .300 West W L T Pct x-Seattle 12 3 0 .800 x-San Francisco 11 4 0 .733 Arizona 10 5 0 .667 St. Louis 7 8 0 .467 x-clinched playoff spot y-clinched division Sunday’s Games Houston at Tennessee, 1 p.m. Detroit at Minnesota, 1 p.m. Carolina at Atlanta, 1 p.m. Cleveland at Pittsburgh, 1 p.m. Washington at N.Y. Giants, 1 p.m. Baltimore at Cincinnati, 1 p.m. Jacksonville at Indianapolis, 1 p.m. N.Y. Jets at Miami, 1 p.m. Denver at Oakland, 4:25 p.m. Kansas City at San Diego, 4:25 p.m. St. Louis at Seattle, 4:25 p.m. San Francisco at Arizona, 4:25 p.m. Green Bay at Chicago, 4:25 p.m. Tampa Bay at New Orleans, 4:25 p.m. Buffalo at New England, 4:25 p.m. Philadelphia at Dallas, 8:30 p.m.

PF 410 310 270 319

PA 318 315 380 354

PF 361 346 237 266

PA 326 371 419 412

PF 396 303 359 301

PA 288 318 363 386

PF 572 406 369 308

PA 385 278 324 419

PF 418 417 274 328

PA 360 408 377 458

PF 345 372 333 271

PA 221 287 422 347

PF 417 384 382 377

PA 445 400 362 467

PF 390 383 359 339

PA 222 252 301 337

NHL STANDINGS By The Associated Press EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division GP W L OT Pts GF GA Boston 37 25 10 2 52 106 77 Tampa Bay 37 23 11 3 49 106 87 Montreal 38 22 13 3 47 96 84 Detroit 39 17 13 9 43 99 108 Toronto 39 18 16 5 41 106 113 Ottawa 39 15 17 7 37 111 126 Florida 38 14 19 5 33 88 123 Buffalo 37 10 24 3 23 66 105 Metropolitan Division GP W L OT Pts GF GA Pittsburgh 39 27 11 1 55 121 88 Washington 37 19 14 4 42 117 112 Philadelphia 37 17 16 4 38 93 104 N.Y. Rangers 38 18 18 2 38 88 102 New Jersey 38 15 16 7 37 92 99 Columbus 37 16 17 4 36 101 106 Carolina 37 14 15 8 36 86 105 N.Y. Islanders 38 11 20 7 29 96 129 WESTERN CONFERENCE Central Division GP W L OT Pts GF GA Chicago 39 26 7 6 58 145 107 St. Louis 36 24 7 5 53 128 85 Colorado 36 23 10 3 49 106 88 Minnesota 39 20 14 5 45 88 96 Dallas 36 18 12 6 42 106 107 Winnipeg 39 16 18 5 37 103 116 Nashville 37 16 17 4 36 85 109 Pacific Division GP W L OT Pts GF GA Anaheim 39 27 7 5 59 127 98 Los Angeles 38 25 9 4 54 106 76 San Jose 37 23 8 6 52 121 94 Vancouver 39 22 11 6 50 106 93 Phoenix 36 19 10 7 45 111 110 Calgary 37 14 17 6 34 95 118 Edmonton 39 12 24 3 27 101 135 NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss. Tuesday’s Games No games scheduled Wednesday’s Games No games scheduled Today’s Games No games scheduled Friday’s Games Ottawa at Boston, 7 p.m. Buffalo at Toronto, 7 p.m. Columbus at New Jersey, 7 p.m. N.Y. Rangers at Washington, 7 p.m. Pittsburgh at Carolina, 7 p.m. Colorado at Chicago, 8 p.m. Minnesota at Winnipeg, 8 p.m. Nashville at Dallas, 8:30 p.m. Edmonton at Calgary, 9 p.m. San Jose at Phoenix, 9 p.m.

SPORTS

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2013

THE ITEM

SPORTS ITEMS

Bulls rout Nets 95-78 NEW YORK — Taj Gibson scored 20 points and Jimmy Butler added 15, and the Chicago Bulls routed the Brooklyn Nets 95-78 on Wednesday. Trailing 50-49 early in the third quarter, the Bulls took over behind Butler. He keyed a 21-5 run that gave Chicago control. Butler, who sat out the last game with a right ankle injury, started the burst with a 3-pointer and then soon added a three-point play that made it 57-52. That was the first of 12 straight points by the Bulls. BELICHICK QUESTIONS NFL OFFSEASON WORKOUT LIMITS

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Patriots coach Bill Belichick is blaming recently instituted NFL rules shortening offseason practice time for what he claims to be an increasing number of player injuries. Belichick said players are more vulnerable to being hurt because they’re less prepared, and described the limits placed on offseason workouts — including training camp — as being counterproductive. Teams were prevented from holding two-a-day practices during training camp. TANAKA’S TEAM SAYS HE CAN SEEK CAREER IN MLB

TOKYO — Pitcher Masahiro Tanaka is set to move to the majors next season after his Japanese team Rakuten Eagles announced Wednesday it was prepared to let him leave, reversing its earlier rejection. Tanaka, a 25-year-old right-hander, went 24-0 with a 1.27 ERA with the Eagles during the regular season and sought a move to the majors.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Carolina quarterback Cam Newton (1) shakes hands with fans after the Panthers’ 17-13 victory over New Orleans on Sunday in Charlotte. Aside from that, there hasn’t been much celebrating as Carolina turns its sights to beating the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday and possibly earning a first-round bye in the playoffs.

Panthers not celebrating just yet BY STEVE REED The Associated Press CHARLOTTE — The Carolina Panthers aren’t celebrating clinching their first playoff berth since in five years. There’s too much at stake this week. Carolina can clinch the NFC South championship, wrap up a first-round bye and secure at least one home playoff game by beating the Atlanta Falcons on the road Sunday. “The work is not done,’’ safety Mike Mitchell said. “We are in the playoffs, but it’s not time to relax. We can make it a lot easier for ourselves and earn some rest and let other teams beat themselves up.’’ The Panthers (11-4) still have an outside shot to earn the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. That would require a Carolina win, a San Francisco victory over Arizona and St. Louis beating Seattle. The Panthers would love to be home for the playoffs where they’ve won seven straight

games. “There still is business that needs to be taken care of and there is a lot at stake,’’ coach Ron Rivera said. “We have to start getting ready and getting prepared. It is going to kind of be a different week with Christmas coming up. “But we will make the best of it and we will continue to prepare. We have to get ready for these guys.’’ A bye week would give star wide receiver Steve Smith an extra week to recover from a sprained left knee. Smith injured the knee in the first quarter of Carolina’s 17-13 win over the Saints and is listed as doubtful for the Falcons. He did not practice Tuesday. With Smith in the training room for most of the game, Carolina was 0 for 9 on third downs and managed just 222 yards on offense. Newton had a rough day. He was held to 116 yards passing and had one interception before going 3 of 5 on the final drive for 65 yards — including the game-winning 14-

yard touchdown pass to Domenik Hixon with 23 seconds left in the game — to salvage the day. “We have to correct some things on offense,’’ Rivera said. Smith isn’t the only one who’d prefer an extra week to allow his body to heal. Middle linebacker Luke Kuechly could certainly use a little rest after tying an NFL record with 24 tackles and an interception against the Saints, earning him his second NFC Defensive Player of the Week award. “If we can win this week we get a break, and that’s huge,’’ Kuechly said. “It’s going to be tough. The Falcons are a good team and they have good weapons. They’re much better than their record shows.’’ The Panthers know they can’t afford to overlook the Falcons (4-11), even though their postseason hopes ended weeks ago. A year ago the playoff-bound Falcons came to Charlotte late in the season and got trounced by a Panthers team with nothing to play for but pride.

From wire reports

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Chicago’s Taj Gibson, top, goes for a rebound during the second half of the Bulls’ 95-78 victory over Brooklyn on Wednesday.

49ers surging during December stretch run BY JANIE MCCAULEY The Associated Press SAN FRANCISCO — For everyone who figured the San Francisco 49ers might stumble after reaching the Super Bowl considering their tougher schedule, added pressure and a much-improved division nemesis, the reigning NFC champions are headed back to the playoffs. With plenty of mo-

mentum. Despite a pair of earlier two-game skids, they still have a chance at another NFC West crown, if all goes right in Week 17. Not too far off from the way they hoped it would go down the December stretch. San Francisco (11-4) is riding a five-game winning streak after a thrilling 34-24 win against Atlanta on Monday night. If the Niners win at Arizona

on Sunday and Seattle loses at home to St. Louis, they would capture a third straight division crown in improbable fashion. “It means a lot,’’ linebacker PatWILLIS rick Willis said. “One of the things we talked about all year is that we knew what it was going to be like. Every-

body expected us to just coast right through the season and be easy. But as you know we went through a little bit of adversity, and people were like, `Well, maybe they’re not the team that we thought they were.’ But we just stayed together and we have another chance now to go make something happen.’’ In a ceremonious and nostalgic send off for Candlestick Park’s regu-

lar-season finale — with the football and baseball dignitaries of past decades in the house — fans departed from Candlestick Point late Monday with a glimmer of hope there still might be one more game in the iconic venue. It would happen if the 49ers win, Seahawks lose and Carolina falls at Atlanta. Such a scenario seemed an afterthought only a few weeks back,

when San Francisco was 8-4, the Seahawks (12-3) sat at 11-1 and were poised to be the runaway NFC West winner. “It’s great, especially to get the win that gets us back in the tournament, to get back where we left off last year, and hopefully we can get the job done,’’ running back Frank Gore said. “That was a great win, and it took all of us to get the job done.’’

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THE ITEM

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2013

DAVIS from Page B1

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Oregon State’s Rashaad Reynolds (16) was named the MVP of the Hawaii Bowl on Tuesday after the Beavers defeated Boise State 38-23 in Honolulu.

Oregon State’s Reynolds caps career as Hawaii Bowl MVP BY OSKAR GARCIA The Associated Press HONOLULU — Rashaad Reynolds got to celebrate the end of his college football career with a lei around his neck, an MVP trophy and bragging rights over a possible future NFL player. “I told him I had more touchdowns than he had,’’ Reynolds said he told Biletnikoff Award-winner Brandin Cooks after returning two fumbles for touchdowns, helping Oregon State beat Boise State 38-23 in the Hawaii Bowl on Tuesday night. “It’s crazy, you know, it’s bittersweet,’’ Reynolds said. “That was my last game going out there with my brothers, but also at the same time I was really Johnny on the spot.’’ Cooks said the win meant a lot for the Beavers trying to break out of a slump. “To string along that many L’s is definitely a burden for you and you just want to feel that feeling of a win again,’’

Cooks said. The Beavers didn’t just win, they put the Broncos away quickly. Cooks caught eight passes for 60 yards and a touchdown. He extended his Pac-12 singleseason record to 128 receptions and broke the conference record for yards receiving with 1,730, passing Southern California’s Marqise Lee. Sean Mannion threw for 259 yards and a touchdown, giving him a Pac-12-record 4,662 yards passing for the season. “When you win, you’d like to say it’s a good ending — a good beginning for the upcoming year,’’ Oregon State coach Mike Riley said. Oregon State won six of its

WINSTON from Page B1 school when he called to let Fisher know. Fisher actually had tape of Winston on his desk at the time and decided to put it in. About 30 minutes later, Fisher called Martin Jr. back and said, “Don’t let him get away.’’ Winston hit a game-winning home run that day. “Jimbo Fisher deserves the credit for giving the young man the opportunity to display his talents in another sport,’’ Martin Sr. said. Fisher covets players that come from diverse backgrounds where football wasn’t their only sport. He actively looks for athletes that play numerous positions on the football field and play different sports. “It makes you a different kind of competitor,’’ Fisher said. “You learn to learn the different situations. Handle different pressures. Handle noise. Handle quiet. Different games are played in different ways and in different environments. ... You’re constantly competing and you don’t get in that rut of you only get it once a year. I think when you’re getting it two and three different times of year, the more you’re in competitive situations, the more you find out about yourself. ... “Every time you compete you learn something about yourself. I think it’s very good for athletes to do. I wish more athletes were multi-sport guys than they are now.’’ Just like the Heisman voting, Winston was a landslide winner in AP player of the year voting. He received 49 out of 56 votes cast by AP Top 25 college football poll voters. Northern Illinois quarterback Jordan Lynch received three votes. Ala-

first seven games of the season. Then a 20-12 home loss to then-No. 8 Stanford started a five-game slide that came to an end when the Beavers (7-6) set several records in handing Boise State its worst loss in two months. Riley said stopping the skid was the biggest deal for his team. “They’ve worked hard, they haven’t lost their focus even though there’s been some discouragement, they didn’t let it stay with them,’’ Riley said. “I loved how they’ve responded all year.’’ Oregon State kept Boise State (8-5) out of the end zone until the third quarter, well after the Beavers had opened a big lead. Reynolds had his first fumble recovery about 12 minutes into the game when Scott Crichton stripped Boise State quarterback Grant Hedrick in the end zone. The ball popped forward to the 3-yard line, where Reynolds picked it up and ran it in.

bama quarterback AJ McCarron got two votes. Boston College running back Andre Williams and Michigan State cornerback Darqueze Dennard each received one vote. Winston is the first Florida State player to win the award, which has been handed out since 1998, and the first from the Atlantic Coast Conference. Florida State and Winston continued to excel despite a sexual assault investigation that became public last month. The State Attorney’s Office announced that it would not press charges before the ACC championship game. Bo Jackson, the 1985 Heisman winner, was also a two-sport star from Winston’s hometown of Bessemer, Ala. The 19-year-old Winston said after the Heisman ceremony that he wants to better than Jackson. The Texas Rangers drafted Winston in the 15th round of the 2012 MLB draft, but he elected to go to school. Winston will compete for the closer job for the No. 5-ranked Seminoles when baseball begins. He has a fastball that reaches 93-95 miles per hour and throws a slider for strikes. Martin Sr. said there are no restrictions on the quarterback outside of the normal rest for pitchers. Winston is poised to become the sixth winner in Heisman history to play collegiate baseball after winning the award and the first since Jackson in 1986, according to STATS LLC. Martin Sr. believes Winston could be the No. 1 overall pick in the MLB draft if he was to singularly focus on baseball, but the coach doesn’t want that. He sees Winston as a firstround pick in both baseball and football. “I never want him to devote full time to baseball because then I would miss out on his talent in football,’’ Martin Sr. said. “He’s just one of those rare athletes that only come around once in a blue moon.’’

One Bowl. “I hope I’ll be 100 percent by the time we get to Florida,” Davis said. “But, you know, it’s going to be a lot of hard work, and it’s going to be a lot of hard running.” South Carolina is on holiday break until Thursday, when it will travel to Orlando for its game against Wisconsin on New Year’s Day. A lot of focus will be on the No. 19 Badgers’ powerful running game against the No. 8 Gamecocks’ stout run defense, and justifiably so. Wisconsin ranks eighth nationally in rushing, while South Carolina is second in the SEC in stopping the run. It’s a strength-onstrength matchup, but don’t underestimate the importance of South Carolina’s run offense. Whichever team uses the ground game more effectively will control the tempo. It could be the deciding factor. Unlike the Badgers, USC hasn’t evenly distributed carries between two running backs. In the spotlight will be Davis, a workhorse who finished the season third in the SEC with 194 rushing attempts. Lately, there has been nothing but “hard running” for the sophomore. Davis breezed his way to 1,000 yards this season, passing that milestone after only nine games. Since then, he’s combined for 76 yards on 28 carries against Florida and Clemson. He stayed on the sidelines against Coastal Carolina. After leading the SEC in rushing most of the fall, Davis finished fourth in the league with 1,134 yards. At one time this season, Davis also led the SEC in rushing touchdowns. Now, his 11 touchdowns on the ground are

TIGERS from Page B1 time against Ohio State, ball security could be the deciding factor. “It’s about us,” Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said. “And our guys understand that. The big thing for us is winning the turnover margin.” Every coach and every player knows that it’s far more difficult to accomplish the task at hand when one loses the turnover margin, and that certainly has been the case for Clemson this season. In fact, turnovers have proven to be the Tigers’ most accurate

tied for fifth in the conference with a pair of quarterbacks — Auburn’s Nick Marshall and Mississippi State’s Dak Prescott. “I wouldn’t say I was wearing down,” Davis said. “It was just, more and more people were keying on me. Clemson, they had eight, nine guys in the box and bringing the safety down. So, you know, it’s hard to run with eight guys in the box.” “He had nowhere to go,” head coach Steve Spurrier said. “We didn’t block very well. … We were whiffing up front. We were whiffing and not getting any movement.” When healthy, Davis was one of the elite running backs in college football this season. He exceeded 100 yards from scrimmage in seven of South Carolina’s eight games against SEC opponents. In 2014, he could be a Heisman Trophy contender. Still, the key is his health, something he rarely had in the season’s final month. “He’s been banged up and bruised a lot throughout the season,” older brother James Davis told The Post and Courier before South Carolina’s game against Florida in mid-November. “But you know Mike. He’s going to play. He’s going to do whatever it takes to help his team.” That was six weeks ago. What about now? Was Davis’ low production against Clemson and Florida more about the opposing defense or his own health? How close is the sophomore to 100 percent? “I can’t tell you that,” Davis said. “Stay in that training room,” backup Shon Carson interjected after practice Friday. “Yeah,” Davis said. “I guess I’ll be in there tomorrow morning and afternoon. So, I can’t tell you where I’m at.” And with that, Davis offered a slight smile.

indicator of success. Clemson averaged 1.2 turnovers in its 10 victories; in its two defeats, Clemson averaged five turnovers. The bottom line? The Tigers had almost as many turnovers in their two losses (10) as they totaled in their 10 victories (12). “When we win the turnover margin, we win — that’s just the fact,” said Swinney, who is 32-3 when his team wins the turnover margin. “That’s what history says for our guys, because we’re good enough. “But when we go out there and make critical mistakes and lose that turnover margin, we get beat. We’ve proven that we’re not good enough to beat good

teams when we turn it over. That’s what we have to get done to have a chance to beat these guys.” In the first half of the season, Clemson forced 15 turnovers while committing six. But ball security became an issue in the final six games as the Tigers forced just 11 turnovers while committing 16. Although turnovers are inherent to the offense, junior safety Robert Smith says the defense needs to do its part, too. “In the game of football, you just can’t win if you have a bunch of turnovers,” Smith said. “Whether we have a short field or not, we’ve got to play to get the ball back — that’s our job.”

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OBITUARIES

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2013

MARIAN M. EDWARDS MANNING â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Marian Gray Martin Edwards, 57, left this earth on Monday, Dec. 23, 2013, after a brief illness at MUSC in Charleston to be with her Heavenly Saviour. EDWARDS Born Aug. 22, 1956, in Manning, she was the daughter of Robert Legare and Thomasyne Gray Stukes Martin. She was a registered nurse with DHEC Home Health and a former ER and ICU nurse for Clarendon Memorial Hospital. She was a charter member of Grace Christian Fellowship Church. She is survived by her parents of Manning; a daughter, Stephanie Ratkovsky (Tom) of Manning; a son, Jim Edwards of Gridley, Calif.; three sisters, Paula Hipp (Bryan) and Carol Richburg (Tim), both of Manning, and Lynn Benjamin (Mott) of Darlington; two brothers, Lee Martin of Manning and Daniel Martin (Erin) of Jonesborough, Tenn.; two granddaughters, Sarah Ann and Katie Gray Ratkovsky; a special grandson, Trent Dobbs; three nephews, Wes Richburg (Kelly), Josh Richburg and Patrick Hipp (Amanda); five nieces, Thomasyne Hipp, Rebekah Hipp, Susanne Hicks (James), Anna Martin and Molly Martin; and a greatnephew, Cole Hipp. A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday at Grace Christian Fellowship Church, with the Rev. Mike Murdoch officiating. Burial will follow in the

church cemetery. Pallbearers will be Wes Richburg, Josh Richburg, Bryan Hipp, Patrick Hipp, Mickel McCoy and Glenn Costello. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. today at Stephens Funeral Home and other times at the home of her parents, 1300 Lesesne Drive, Manning. Memorials may be made to Grace Christian Fellowship Church, P.O. Box 702, Manning, SC 29102. Stephens Funeral Home & Crematory, 304 N. Church St., Manning, is in charge of arrangements. (803) 435-2179. www.stephensfuneralhome.org

CONNIE L. JACKSON COLUMBIA â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Services for Connie E. Levy Jackson will be held at 11 a.m. Friday at Main Post Chapel, Fort Jackson, 4580 Scales Ave., with interment to follow in JACKSON Fort Jackson National Cemetery. Palmer Memorial Chapel is in charge of the arrangements. Mrs. Jackson died Friday, Dec. 19, 2013. Born in Sumter, she was the daughter of the late David and Maggie Brunson Levy. She was a 1979 graduate of Sumter High School. Surviving are her husband, James â&#x20AC;&#x153;Pollyâ&#x20AC;? Jackson; children, Alexis, Andretta and 2nd Lt. Adrian Jackson; a granddaughter, Precious Jackson; sisters, Mary Cynthia Myers and Linda Cabbagestalk; brothers, James, Isaac

C., John E., Joseph A., Richard B. and Patrick Fitzgerald Levy; and a host of other loving relatives and friends. The family requests that memorials and condolences be made on their web page at www.palmermemorialchapel.com.

JUANITA B. BOYKIN Juanita Elizabeth Bell Boykin, 89, widow of Hubert Leland Boykin, died Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2013, at her home. Funeral services will be announced by Elmore Hill McCreight Funeral Home and Crematory, 221 Broad St. (803) 775-9386

MINNIE B. BURGESS Minnie Bell Burgess entered eternal rest on Monday, Dec. 23, 2013 at her home in Miami, Fla. Born Nov. 19, 1937, in Clarendon County, she was the daughter of the late Clyde and Rebecca James Burgess. The family is receiving relatives and friends at the home of her sister and brother-in-law, Juanita and Thomas Joyner of 911 Flora Ave., Sumter. Funeral services will be announced by Community Funeral Home of Sumter. SYBILLA GLOVER Sybilla Glover, 66, beloved wife of 27 years to Charles Glover, died on Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2013, at Tuomey Regional Medical Center. She was born in Munich, Germany, a daughter of the late Cal-

THE ITEM

ven Crossett and Christa Kurtzel Crossett. She retired from a civil service career at Shaw Air Force Base and over the years served as an executive secretary for a number of commanders. She loved to travel, garden and loved to play Zoo on Facebook. Surviving in addition to her husband are: a son, Michael John Eberhardt of Conway; and a grandchild, Nicole Alexandria Eberhardt of Conway. A local memorial service will be held on Friday at Bullock Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Thomas Burke, C. Ss.R., officiating. The family will receive friends on Friday at Bullock Funeral Home. A memorial service will be held on Saturday at St. Michaelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Catholic Church, 542 Cypress Ave., Murrells Inlet, SC 29576. Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society, 128 Stonemark Lane, Columbia, SC 29210, or to the Arthritis Foundation National Office, 1330 W. Peachtree St., Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30309. You may sign the familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s guest book at www.bullockfuneralhome.com. The family has chosen Bullock Funeral Home for the arrangements.

ROXIE C. JOHNSON BROOKLYN, NY â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Roxie Carter Johnson, 74, wife of Booker T. Johnson Sr., died Friday, Dec. 20, 2013, in Brooklyn. She was born

April 22, 1939, in the St. Paul section of Summerton. She was a daughter of the late Henry and Annie Oliver Carter. Family is receiving friends through today at the home of her sister and brother-in-law, Juanita (James) Carter Leach, 2920 HectorWalker Road, Manning. Beginning Friday, friends will be received at the home of her husband, 4230 St. Paul Road, Summerton. These services have been entrusted to Samuels Funeral Home LLC of Manning.

SAMMIE L. McKNIGHT Sammie Lee McKnight 68, entered into eternal rest on Friday, Dec. 20, 2013, at Tuomey Regional Medical Center. Born in Sumter County on March 26, 1945, he was the son of the late John and Idella Parker McKnight. He received his education in the public schools of Sumter County and was a member of Chapel AME Church in Paxville, where he served as a trustee, a member of the male chorus and also was a member of the Sons of Allen. Sammie was employed with Carolina Furniture Works for 34 years. Survivors are: his wife, Earline Logan McKnight; three daughters, Samantha McKnight Mitchell, Mary Frances (Joseph) Washington and Cathy (Stephen) Gibson; one son, Gary (Terra) Washington; two sisters, Rosalee â&#x20AC;&#x153;Rosa Maeâ&#x20AC;? McKnight and Frances (Norman) Bradley; one brother, James McKnight; nine

grandchildren, Morgan, Madison, Brian, Stephanie, Stephen, Kierra, Quinton, Raequan and Aaden; and a host of other relatives. Viewing will be from 3 to 6 p.m. today. Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. Friday at Chapel AME Church with Pastor Roberta Montgomery, the Rev. Linda Conyers, Pastor Nate Brock, the Rev. M. G Walters and the Rev. Jeanette Collins. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. The family is receiving visitors at the home, 904 Collins St., Sumter. Online memorials can be sent to comfhltj@ sc.rr.com. Community Funeral Home of Sumter is in charge of these arrangements.

CHARLES TYL Charles Tyl, 72, husband of Judith Martin Tyl, died Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2013, at his home. Services will be announced by the Elmore Hill McCreight Funeral Home & Crematory, 221 Broad St., Sumter. (803) 775-9386

JULIA V. WASHINGTON Julia Ann Vaughn Washington, 95, wife of the late Ishmael Washington, died Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2013, at Tuomey Regional Medical Center in Sumter. Born in Sumter County, she was a daughter of the late Albert Washington and Molly Bradford Vaughn. The family will receive friends at the residence, 11 South Milton Road, Sumter.

SPORTS

Serena wins 3rd AP Athlete of Year award BY HOWARD FENDRICH The Associated Press Serena Williams likes to make one thing clear: She is never satisfied, no matter how many matches and tournaments she wins. Driven as ever, Williams won plenty this year. She went 78-4 with 11 titles, including at the French Open and U.S. Open, raising her Grand Slam championship total to 17. She compiled a 34-match winning streak. She earned more than $12 million in prize money, a record for womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tennis. In February, she became the oldest No. 1 in WTA rankings history and never left that perch.

Thanks to all of that, Williams was honored Wednesday as The Associated Pressâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 2013 Female Athlete of the Year. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the third AP award for Williams, following 2002 and 2009. Only two women have been chosen more often as AP Athlete of the Year since the annual awards were first handed out in 1931. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Whenever I lose, I get more determined, and it gives me something more to work toward,â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Williams told the AP in an interview shortly before the start of the U.S. Open. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get complacent, and I realize I need to work harder and I need to do better and I want to do better â&#x20AC;&#x201D; or I wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t keep playing this game.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

The vote by news organizations was about as lopsided as many of Williamsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; matches this season. She received 55 of 96 votes, while Brittney Griner, a two-time AP Player of the Year in college basketball and the No. 1 pick in Aprilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s WNBA draft, finished second with 14. SwimS. WILLIAMS mer Missy Franklin was next with 10. The Male Athlete of the Year recipient will be announced today. Williams, who grew up in Compton, Calif., and turned 32 in September, produced the finest womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tennis

season in years. According to the WTA: â&#x20AC;˘ her .951 winning percentage was the best since Steffi Grafâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s .977 in 1989; â&#x20AC;˘ her 11 titles were the most since Martina Hingisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 12 in 1997; â&#x20AC;˘ her winning streak was the longest since her sister, Venus, had a 35-match run in 2000. â&#x20AC;&#x153;She just continues to be an inspiration to American tennis,â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; said Gordon Smith, the executive director of the U.S. Tennis Association, which runs the U.S. Open. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Her year this year? Unforgettable.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; By adding a fifth career U.S. Open championship, and a second French Open title, Williams also moved within one

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Grand Slam trophy of the 18 apiece won by Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert. The record is 24 by Margaret Court. Pretty heady company. Evert is one of the only two women with more AP awards than Williams. Evert won four from 1974-80, while Babe Didrikson collected a record six â&#x20AC;&#x201D; one for track in 1932, and five for golf from 1945-54. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Serena already has provided significant contributions to taking our sport to the next level. ... She is chasing records and no doubt will break many records before sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s finished,â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; WTA Chairman Stacey Allaster said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That obviously just brings a lot more attention to our sport.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

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EAR ABBY — I your city called “Hope for am a 15-year-old Today.” To find the locagirl. I’m worried tion, check the Nar-Anon about my mother. She has website, www.nar-anon. been an addict for nine org. years. She always says she wants help, but she never DEAR ABBY — I am a follows through with getgrown woman with a ting the help she needs. I wonderful husband, two have asked her many jobs and five beautiful times to go and children. I am a get help, and good person. My have told her how parents raised me bad her using to be respectful and makes me feel. accepting of all What do you kinds of people. think I can do to My arms are encourage her to partially tattooed Abigail follow through with beautiful flowwith treatment? I VAN BUREN ers. Family memmiss my mother. bers openly express IN NEED OF HELP their dislike of it. They have a right to their DEAR IN NEED OF thoughts and to say what HELP — You are not only they please. What can I a caring young woman, say back that tells them you are also mature for how rude they are and your age and intelligent. If how they hurt me? your mother has been an INKED AND IRKED addict since you were 6, your entire childhood has DEAR INKED AND been spent taking care of IRKED — You should say, her and raising yourself. I “When you gave your am truly sorry for that. opinion about my arms, I Because nothing you heard you the first time. say gets through to her, For you to keep repeating consider moving in with it is insulting and hurtful. I another relative if that’s think my tattoos are beaupossible. You should also tiful and THAT’S what’s join a Narateen support important.” And if your group. It’s a 12-step profamily members persist in gram for teenage friends making cruel comments, and family members of you have my permission addicts. There is one in to end the conversation. dear abby

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