December 31, 2014 by The Sumter Item

Recycle your Christmas tree Grinding of the Greens program is a great way to get rid of your tree and get free mulch A2 Bond denied for alleged kidnapper

SERVING SOUTH CAROLINA SINCE OCTOBER 15, 1894

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2014

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2014

The damage and destruction of the 2014 ice storm pales in comparison to that wrought by Hurricane Hugo on Sept. 22, 1989. The hurricane struck the coast of South Carolina as a Category 4 storm and kept a surprising amount of it’s strength as it moved inland. Shaw Air Force Base recorded gusts of 109 mph and sustained winds of 67 mph.

YEAR IN 5 REVIEW 1

ELECTION 2014

Voters went to the polls Nov. 4, and more than 60 percent of Sumter County voters chose to renew a penny sales tax that funds capital projects in the county. Voters also passed a referendum allowing Sunday alcohol sales at restaurants within city limits, a change supporters touted as a boost to tourism in the Gamecock City. Three new trustees — Linda Alston, Lucille McQuilla and Johnny Hilton — were elected to Sumter School Board, and incumbent Karen Machalik was re-elected. It took a runoff to return a familiar face to Sumter City Council as Colleen Yates was elected to represent Ward 4 over runner-up Alan Cannon. Yates had previously served on council for 12 years. Yates said one of her first tasks in office would be to get rid of the runoff election rule, which states a candidate must garner more than 50 percent of the votes in the general election in order to be elected. In the Sumter County Council election, James McCain ran unopposed to fill the seat held by retiring chairman Larry Blanding.

SOUTH SUMTER VIOLENCE

Local leaders began to push back against a sting of violence in South Sumter with the “Stop the Violence” campaign this year. Hundreds of concerned residents marched two miles through South Sumter on Aug. 9, to express their frustration with a perceived rise in criminal activity, especially violent crime. Deemed the “Stop The Crime and Violence Weekend,” participants walked through retail and residential areas to promote their opposition to criminal activity. Sumter County Councilman Eugene Baten said organizers plan to continue promoting the message that violence is unacceptable, especially to the teenaged and young adult population in the area.

JUDGE TOSSES STINNEY CONVICTION

On Dec. 17, seven decades after the brutal murders of Betty June Binnicker, 11, and Mary Emma Thames, 7, in Alcolu, Circuit Court Judge Carmen Mullen vacated the conviction of 14-year-old George Stinney Jr., who was executed less than six months after the girls were found dead. The case was brought by Manning lawyers Steve McKenzie, Ray Chandler and Matt Burgess after McKenzie read an article in The Sumter Item that referenced Stinney being the youngest person executed in the nation during the modern era. Calling it “a truly unfortunate episode in our history,” Mullen ruled “a violation of the defendant’s procedural due process rights tainted his prosecution.” Mullen said she based her decision “not on the grounds that the decision against (Stinney) was wrong on the merits but that the courts had failed … to discharge their proper functions with due regard to the constitutional safeguards in the administration of justice.”

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In a town of 3,500 people, when two teenagers end up dead of gunshot wounds and seven teenage suspects end up in jail, almost everyone in the town will be affected. That’s how it was in Bishopville after Dontrell Fortune, 18, allegedly killed Shakez Bracey, 17, on Sept. 26, because of a drug debt. Within hours, Fortune was also dead of a single gunshot wound to the head. Authorities charged Markell Fortune, 16; Darron Fortune, 16; and Oszhane Simon, 18, with helping Dontrell Fortune kill Bracey. Investigators said Dontrell Fortune told Sadat Liles, 17; Davon McFadden, 18; Kevin White, 18; and Kalvon Goodman, 18, that he had killed Bracey. Police said those four feared Fortune and shot him as they rode on Azalea Road on Sept. 27, and fled into the woods. Also charged in the case is Sarah Goodman, 48, for allegedly helping her son avoid arrest.

MORE JOBS

Sumter County has begun to climb its way out of the Great Recession and one reason is a resurgence of manufacturing jobs. More than 1,000 jobs in that sector have been added with the addition of such companies as Continental Tire the Americas, King Machine and Sumter Mold Services and the expansion of such plants as Caterpillar, Fire Equipment Services and Apex Tools. The opening of a bicycle plant by Kent Manufacturing in Manning has also contributed to the economy. “We came out of the recession strong because we planned to be ready when companies started expanding again,” said Jay Schwedler, president and CEO of Sumter Economic Development.

WEATHER

Weather was at the top of a lot of people’s minds at least twice in 2014. In February, Sumter County was pounded by the worst ice storm in 10 years, and in August, residents looked back 25 years to the passage of Hurricane Hugo through the Midlands. People across the Midlands woke up Feb. 12 to find their cars sheathed in ice, tree branches broken and power lines down. More than 20,000 people in Sumter County were without power at some point during the next 24 hours. Duke Energy Progress announced that as of 3:30 p.m. on Feb. 13, 19,028 of the company’s 30,000 Sumter customers, or 63 percent, were without power, and an additional 3,881 were powerless in Clarendon County. As the storm moved on and power was restored, the clean up began. Piles of downed limbs began to appear on roadsides, and city and county crews put in extra hours for dealing with debris for weeks.

DEATHS, B6 Vickie H. Rigor F. Preston Robinson Martin C. Alessandro Linda T. Boykin

BISHOPVILLE TRAGEDY

Janet Heverly-Smith Pauline B. Holloway Louise C. Anderson Jackson McKinney

SHAW PILOT KILLED

The reality of an unstable Middle East hit home when Air Force pilot Capt. William H. DuBois, 30, was killed while on duty in Operation Inherent Resolve, an initiative to combat the rise of ISIS in Iraq and Syria. DuBois, a resident of New Castle, Colorado, was a member of the 77th Fighter Squadron, part of the 20th Fighter Wing stationed at Shaw Air Force Base. Reportedly, his F-16 was returning to base after experiencing mechanical difficulties when it went down Dec. 1. “Will was so much more than a kick-ass fighter pilot,” a family member said.

LAFAYETTE BRIDGE

CANNIBUST

In mid-August, South Carolina Department of Transportation demolished the Lafayette bridge, sending Sumterites looking for detours until the bridge is rebuilt during the new year. “So far, it has not had a negative impact on public services’ ability to respond,” said Sumter Police Chief Russell Roark. “The traffic pattern and volume seems to flow within the detour as expected.” Many area bridges have had weight limits posted as the state struggles to deal with a $1.5 billion annual deficit in maintaining highways and bridges. The aging Manning Avenue bridge is also awaiting repairs, with a weight limit and reduced lanes affecting traffic in that area.

A local man allegedly put his ingenuity to bad use when police busted a marijuana growing operation that involved a 500-square-foot underground growing room underneath a residence on McCrays Mill Road in early December. The subterranean, climate-controlled manufacturing chamber was excavated about 15 feet beneath the home, and authorities think the suspect, 50-year-old Gobe Dean McElveen Sr., planned to cultivate large quantities of marijuana in the underground lab. Police also seized 34 pounds of marijuana, and 10 days later, re-arrested McElveen when they found more marijuana in the home.

OFFICER AIDING FAMILY GOES VIRAL

When Sumter Police Officer Gaetano Acerra decided to help the Simmons family this past May, he wasn’t expecting or seeking the attention and praise that came along with his good deed. His brother made a Facebook post expressing the pride he had for his brother, and then the Web ran with it. “I just want to help as many people as I can,” he said. Hoping to help the family out a little more, his brother began a GoFundMe account — an online method of collecting donations for causes of all sorts — for the family and posted information about it on Facebook. People around the world responded. “We’ve had people donating and sending us messages of support from all over the world,” Gaetano said. “People from countries in Europe and South America have donated to us. It’s crazy.” — Jim Hilley

WEATHER, A14

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2014

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STATE BRIEFS FROM ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORTS

Metts pleads guilty COLUMBIA — South Carolina’s longest-serving sheriff pleaded guilty Tuesday in his second attempt to wrap up a federal bribery conspiracy case. James Metts, 68, paused several times as he entered the plea in federal court in Columbia. The longtime lawman was Lexington County’s sheriff for 42 years before his June indictment on 10 charges. Federal prosecutors said Metts took bribes from a restaurant owner in exchange for releasing some of his employees who had been detained for being in the country illegally. Metts previously reached a deal with prosecutors to plead guilty to one count — conspiracy to harbor certain aliens. The charge carried up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, but the deal would have given Metts three years of probation instead. Prosecutors said the agreement was fair because Metts stepped in only for two people charged with traffic offenses who had no criminal record. Metts’ attorneys said while they think the government’s case is weak, Metts was willing to take the plea deal to get the case behind him. But during a hearing earlier this month, a federal judge refused to accept the deal. Federal guidelines for that felony charge call for five months to 16 months in prison, and U.S. District Judge Terry Wooten said it bothered him that Metts wouldn’t face any prison time. Days later, Metts and prosecutors signed a second agreement, this time making no mention of a sentence recommendation but also agreeing to drop the remaining nine counts if he cooperated. Metts will be sentenced later.

Rock Hill man arrested in underage sex sting JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — A South Carolina man has been jailed on charges he drove to western Pennsylvania hoping to have sex with a 13-year-old girl he met online. Instead, police in Conemaugh Township learned of the contacts from the girl’s mother and were waiting for 29-year-old Jeffrey Michael Sill to arrive Sunday, when he was arrested. Online court records don’t list an attorney for the Rock Hill, South Carolina man who faces a preliminary hearing Jan. 8 on charges including unlawful contact with a minor, corruption of a minors, and transmitting explicit materials to a minor. Police say Sill contacted the girl on Skype and other online platforms and sent her nude photos and videos of himself starting Dec. 7. Police say the girl didn’t know any better and thought she was in love.

Christmas tree losing its life? Time to recycle it with annual Grinding of the Greens BY JADE REYNOLDS jade@theitem.com

REMOVE LIGHTS SAFELY

Christmas has passed, and now that live tree you got is becoming an eyesore. It can also be dangerous. About 40 percent of home fires that begin with Christmas trees occur in January, according to the National Fire Protection Association. One of every 40 reported home structure Christmas tree fires resulted in death compared to one in 142 total reported home structure fires. So what are you going to do with the tree now? The association recommends using community recycling programs such as Sumter’s annual Grinding of the Greens. For years now, the initiative of the City of Sumter, Clemson Extension and Sumter County Keep America Beautiful have been turning dead and dying Christmas trees into mulch free to residents. “The last couple of years, we’ve had 1,100 to 1,300 trees,” said Karen Hyatt, assistant Public Works director. “If you think about it, we usually compare a Christmas tree to the size of a washing machine, about three cubic fee. So 1,200 trees is like keeping 1,200 washing machines out of the landfill.” If you live in the city, it’s easy. Re-

The National Fire Protection Association offers these tips for safely removing electrical lights from Christmas trees and ensuring that they’re in good condition for the following year: • When unplugging electrical decorations, use the gripping area on the plugs. Never pull the cord to unplug a device from an electrical outlet, as doing so can harm the cord’s wire and insulation, which can lead to an electrical fire or shock. • As you put away electrical light strings, take time to inspect each for damage. Throw out light sets if they have loose connections, broken sockets or cracked or bare wires. • Wrap each set of lights and put them in individual plastic bags or wrap the lights around a piece of cardboard. • Store electrical decorations away from children and pets. • Put them in a dry place where they won’t be damaged by water or dampness.

move all decorations from your tree and place it at the curb between Monday and Jan. 15. City workers will pick it up and take it to Dillon Park. If you live in the county, you have two options. Again, remove all decorations and then take the tree to Dillon

Park, 1210 Clara Louise Kellogg Drive, yourself. Or you may take it to a designated spot at participating recycling center such as: • Rainaire Boulevard; • Stamey Livestock Road; • Cane Savannah Road; • Pinewood Road; • Queen Chapel Road; • Bethel Church Road; • Alligator Branch Road; • Pleasant Grove Road; or • Spencer Road. Only live Christmas trees will be accepted. No wreaths, garland, greenery or tree stands. The actual grinding will take place Jan. 16, and the following Saturday from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m., you may come to Dillon Park to pick up free mulch. “We will have people there to help load it for you,” Hyatt said. “We’ll put it in whatever container you bring. We’ve loaded it in pick-up trucks, trailers and bags.” Even if you did not donate a tree, you may pick up mulch as long as you are a resident of Sumter County, she said. Mulch will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis. For more information on recycling your Christmas tree, call Hyatt at (803) 436-2241. For more information on a fire-safe winter, visit nfpa.org.

Wreckage, bodies reveal jet’s fate THE ASSOCIATED PRESS PANGKALAN BUN, Indonesia — Family members of those aboard AirAsia Flight 8501 collapsed in agony Tuesday as images of debris and a bloated body flashed across Indonesian television screens, proof that the plane crashed into the sea two days earlier with 162 people on board. The low-cost carrier vanished Sunday halfway through a two-hour flight between Surabaya, Indonesia, and Singapore after encountering storm clouds, sparking an international hunt with dozens of planes, ships and helicopters. On the third day of searching, the first signs of the jet were found in shallow, aqua waters only about 10 miles from the plane’s last known coordinates: A life jacket, an emergency exit door. Parts of the jetliner’s interior, including an oxygen tank, were brought to the nearest town, Pangkalan Bun. Another find included a bright blue plastic suitcase, completely unscratched. “I know the plane has crashed, but I cannot believe my brother and his family are dead,” said Ifan Joko, who lost seven relatives, three of them children, as they traveled to

Singapore to ring in the New Year. “... We still pray they are alive.” First Adm. Sigit Setiayanta, Naval Aviation Center commander at Surabaya Air Force base, told reporters six corpses were spotted about 100 miles from Central Kalimantan province. Rescue workers were lowered on ropes from a hovering helicopter to retrieve bodies. Efforts were hindered by 6-foot waves and strong winds, National Search and Rescue Director SB Supriyadi said, but the first body was later picked up by a navy ship. Officials said as many as six others followed, but they disagreed about the exact number. Supriyadi was on the aircraft and saw what appeared to be more wreckage under the water, which was clear and a relatively shallow 65 to 100 feet. Television coverage of the discovery sent a spasm of pain through the room at the Surabaya airport where relatives were waiting for news, especially as it showed a half-naked man floating in the water, a shirt partially covering his head. Many screamed and wailed uncontrollably, breaking down into tears while they squeezed each other. One middle-aged man

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Indonesian Air Force personnel show a suitcase and airplane parts, on the table, recovered from the water near the site where AirAsia Flight 8501 disappeared outside Pangkalan Bun, Central Borneo, Indonesia, on Tuesday. collapsed and had to be carried out on a stretcher. Their horror at the news was captured by cameras on the other side of windows into the waiting room. To grant traumatized family members privacy, officials blacked out the glass later Tuesday evening. About 125 family members were planning to travel to Pangkalan Bun today to start identifying their loved ones. Body bags and coffins have been prepared at hospitals there, while dozens of elite military divers will join the massive search. They are desperate to scour the water ahead of

approaching rough weather. The crash caps an astonishingly tragic year for air travel in Southeast Asia, and Malaysia in particular. Malaysia-based AirAsia’s loss comes on top of the still-unsolved disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 in March with 239 people aboard, and the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 in July over Ukraine, which killed all 298 passengers and crew. Nearly all the passengers and crew were Indonesians, who are frequent visitors to Singapore, particularly on holidays.

HOW TO REACH US IS YOUR PAPER MISSING? ANNOUNCEMENT ARE YOU GOING ON Birth, Engagement, Wedding, VACATION? Anniversary, Obituary 20 N. Magnolia St., Sumter, S.C. 29150 (803) 774-1200 Jack Osteen Editor and Publisher jack@theitem.com (803) 774-1238 Rick Carpenter Managing Editor rick@theitem.com (803) 774-1201 Waverly Williams Sales Manager waverly@theitem.com (803) 774-1237

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POLICE BLOTTER STOLEN PROPERTY: A black clarinet valued at $1,100 was reportedly stolen between 9 a.m. and 4:05 p.m. Dec. 19 from the fourth block of Miller Road. A diamond ring valued at $1,500 was reportedly stolen about 5:21 a.m. Dec. 23 from the 4000 block of Broad Street. Cash totaling $10,500 was reportedly stolen about 2:10 p.m. Dec. 23 from the second block of Thistledown Court. Cash totaling $8,000 was reportedly stolen about 2:10 p.m. Dec. 23 from the fifth block of Thistledown Court. A 50-inch Zenith flat-screen TV, a Dell computer with keyboard and football jerseys valued at a total of $1,700 were reportedly stolen about 3:14 p.m. Dec. 23 from the 3000 block of Spencer Road, Rembert. A door sustained an estimated $400 in damage. A Ford Expedition valued at $5,000 was reportedly stolen about 4:01 p.m. Dec. 23 from the 800 block of Unity Court. Eight $100 bills and 205 $1 bills were reportedly stolen about 3:24 a.m. Dec. 24 from the 300 block of Catie St. A 1999 Dodge truck valued at $5,000 was reportedly stolen about 11:30 a.m. Friday from the 2000 block of Remington Drive. A 9mm Smith & Wesson handgun valued at $600 was reportedly stolen about 7:15 p.m. Friday from the 4000 block of Lemacks Street, Dalzell. An undetermined number of cigarette cartons and money were reportedly stolen about 3:25 a.m. Sunday from the 3000 block of Myrtle Beach

Highway. Doors sustained an estimated $800 in damage as well. A 2007 Buick valued at $8,000 was reportedly stolen about 8:33 p.m. Sunday from the 100 block of East Clark Street. A 32-inch LG TV valued at $300, a Gateway laptop valued at $400, a Black & Decker cordless drill valued at $80 and an estimated $400 in hand tools were reportedly stolen about 10:44 p.m. Sunday from the fourth block of Somerset. A door also sustained an estimated $200 in damage. A stainless steel drawer with 12 pieces and sterling specialty sets, four shotguns, multiple rifles, handguns and other assorted items with a total value of $13,300 were reportedly stolen from a residence undergoing renovations in the 2800 block of Brownfield Way between 3 p.m. Saturday and 6 p.m. Sunday. A 46-inch flat-screen TV valued at $600, DVD player valued at $100, 37-inch flat screen TV valued at $350, Xbox 360 valued at $500, two laptops with a combined value of $500, four baseball caps valued at $30 apiece and two pair of Beats headphones valued at $200 apiece were reportedly stolen from a home in the 500 block of South Main Street between 9

a.m. and 4:45 p.m. on Dec. 23. A wallet and clothes valued at $500 and a 58-inch TV valued at $1,100 were reportedly stolen from a home in the 1000 block of Broad Street about 9:45 p.m. Wednesday. A Ruger .380-caliber pistol valued at $350 and $80 were reportedly stolen from an SUV parked in the 400 block of Chippewa Circle between 11 p.m. Thursday and 6:30 a.m. Friday. A 65-inch TV valued at $650, a 42-inch TV valued at $700, 55-inch TV valued at $900, Michael Kors purse valued at $500, Coach purse valued at $300, a bag valued at $150, a pair of Dooney & Burke bags valued at $365, three digital cameras valued at $350, a GPS valued at $100, and an LG Tone Pro valued at $70 were reportedly stolen from a Wedgefield home in the 4800 block of Significant Drive at 9 p.m. Monday. Several feet of copper wiring valued at $3,500 were reportedly stolen from a Dalzell residence that was undergoing reconstruction just after 2:30 Monday afternoon in the 2600 block of Stirrup Lane. A pair of 32-inch flat-screen TVs valued at $510, and a Dell laptop valued at $180 were reportedly stolen from a home in the 100 block of Carolina Avenue between 3 and 10:15 p.m. Monday.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2014

No bond for alleged Christmas kidnapper BY MATT BRUCE matthew@theitem.com

press time Tuesday. Authorities allege Thomas drove from his Camden home and held the victim hostage for about four hours inside a Rembert residence in the 6500 block of Springhill Road. Sheriff’s office officials said they had not yet determined if the woman lived at the Rembert home where the kidnapping took place. According to a Sumter County arrest warrant, Thomas held the woman against her will inside the home and threatened to kill her several times during the hostage situation. No law enforcement arrived to the home during the incident as the sheriff’s office was not notified about it until days later, authorities said. A sheriff’s office spokesman could not elaborate on what allegedly sparked Thomas to take the woman hostage. There was no word on whether the suspect had a weapon during the encounter.

Bond was denied Tuesday for a Camden man accused of holding a woman hostage during an hourslong ordeal on Christmas Day. Sumter County deputies arrested THOMAS Anthony Thomas, 47, on Monday following reports of the Dec. 25 incident. Thomas, of 924 Mitchell Drive, faces charges of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and kidnapping stemming from the offense. He stood before a magistrate judge Tuesday morning during a hearing inside Sumter-Lee Regional Detention Center. The judge set bond at $30,000 on the count of sexual misconduct, but opted not to set a bond on the kidnapping indictment. Records indicated he remained housed inside the bi-county jail as of

PUBLIC NOTICE Sumter County will lower the water level at Second Mill Pond beginning Monday, December 29, 2014. The water level will be down for approximately three months for restoration of sewer lines by the City of Sumter. For more information on the sewer restoration call City of Sumter at 436-2560.

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AP poll: Police killings of blacks voted top story of 2014 BY DAVID CRARY The Associated Press NEW YORK — The police killings of unarmed black men in Ferguson, Missouri, and elsewhere — and the investigations and tumultuous protests they inspired — was the top news story of 2014, according to The Associated Press’ annual poll of U.S. editors and news directors. Here are 2014’s top 10 stories, in order: POLICE KILLINGS: Some witnesses said 18-year-old Michael Brown had his hands up in surrender, others said he was making a charge. But there was no dispute he was unarmed and shot dead by a white police officer in Ferguson. In New York City, another unarmed black man, Eric Garner, was killed after a white officer put him in a chokehold during an arrest for unauthorized cigarette sales. After grand juries opted not to indict the officers, protests erupted across the country, punctuated by chants of “Hands up, don’t shoot” and “I can’t breathe.” In both cases, federal officials launched investigations.

EBOLA OUTBREAK: The first wave of Ebola deaths, early in the year, attracted little notice. By March, the World Health Organization was monitoring the outbreak. By midsummer, it was the worst Ebola epidemic on record, with a death toll now approaching 7,000, mostly in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. A Liberian man with the disease died at a Dallas hospital, followed by a few other cases involving U.S. health workers, sparking worries about the readiness of the U.S. health system. ISLAMIC STATE: Militant fighters from the Islamic State group startled the world with rapid, brutal seizures of territory in Iraq and Syria. The U.S. and its allies responded with airstrikes, hoping that Iraqi and Kurdish forces on the ground could retake captured areas. Revulsion toward Islamic State intensified as it broadcast videos of its beheadings of several Western hostages. U.S. ELECTIONS: For months, political odds makers sought to calculate if Republicans had a chance to gain control of the U.S. Senate. It turned out there was no suspense — the GOP won 54 of the Senate’s 100 seats,

expanded its already strong majority in the House of Representatives, and gained at the state level, where Republicans now hold 31 governorships. OBAMACARE: Millions more Americans signed up to be covered under President Obama’s health care initiative, but controversy about “Obamacare” raged on. Criticism from Republicans in Congress was relentless, many GOP-governed states balked at participation, and opinion polls suggested most Americans remained skeptical about the program. MALAYSIA AIRLINES MYSTERY: En route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared on March 8 with 239 people on board. In the weeks that followed, aircraft, ships and searchers from two-dozen countries mobilized to look in vain for the wreckage on the Indian Ocean floor. IMMIGRATION: Frustrated by an impasse in Congress, President Obama took executive actions in November to curb deportations for many immigrants residing in the U.S. illegally. GOP leaders in the House and Senate pledged ef-

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forts to block the president’s moves. Prospects for reform legislation were dimmed earlier in the year by the influx of unaccompanied Central American minors arriving at the U.S. border, causing shelter overloads and case backlogs. TURMOIL IN UKRAINE: A sometimes bloody revolt that toppled President Viktor Yanukovych in February triggered a chain of events that continued to roil Ukraine as the year drew to a close. Russia, worried that Ukraine would tilt increasingly toward the West, annexed the Crimean peninsula in March and backed an armed separatist insurgency in coal-rich eastern regions of Ukraine. The U.S. and its allies responded with sanctions against Russia. GAY MARRIAGE: Because of to a

wave of federal court rulings, 19 more U.S. states began allowing same-sex marriages, raising the total to 35 states encompassing about 64 percent of the population. Given that one U.S. court of appeals bucked the trend by upholding state bans on gay marriage, there was widespread expectation that the U.S. Supreme Court will take up the issue and make a national ruling. VA SCANDAL: The Department of Veterans Affairs became embroiled in a nationwide scandal over allegations of misconduct and cover-ups. Several senior officials were fired or forced to resign, including VA Secretary Eric Shinseki. At the heart of the scandal was the VA hospital in Phoenix; allegations surfaced that 40 veterans died while awaiting treatment there.

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THE SUMTER ITEM

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2014

pected to reach 7 billion this year — the same as the world’s population. Phone makers are launching cheaper smartphones aimed at developing countries, which could get billions more people online. STOCK MARKETS SOAR: Another year, another record. The end of the Federal Reserve’s bond-buying stimulus program stressed investors this fall, but U.S. stocks kept rising, extending the bull market run to nearly six years. MINIMUM WAGE GROWTH: Inequality has been rising, and median household incomes have fallen since the recession began in late 2007. But the federal minimum hourly wage has remained at $7.25 since 2009. JANET YELLEN: The Federal Reserve had been led exclusively by men for a century. Then Janet Yellen, a 68-yearold former economics professor and the No. 2 at the Fed, became the first woman to lead the central bank. LET’S MAKE A DEAL: Higher stocks and confidence lifted global mergers and acquisitions volume to highest level since 2007.

2008 to spur lending and investment. SECURITY BREACHES: The theft of 40 million credit and debit cards and 70 million personal records from Target last fall turned out to be just the beginning. Home Depot Inc. hackers nabbed 56 million cards and 53 million email addresses. There were breaches at Kmart, Dairy Queen, and Albertsons. JPMorgan Chase & Co. said hackers stole information covering 76 million households and 7 million small businesses. OIL PLUNGE: Global crude prices have fallen to about $56 per barrel from this year’s high of $115 because of more production, especially in the U.S., while slowing economies in Europe and Asia crimp demand. A rapid decline in the second half of the year pushed gasoline to about $2.30 a gallon in the U.S., the lowest price in nearly five years. AUTO RECALLS: In the U.S. alone, automakers recalled more than 60 million cars and trucks. That far surpasses the previous record of 30.8 million in 2004. MOBILE MOMENTUM: PC sales are slumping, but mobile phone subscriptions are ex-

NEW YORK — Here are some of the top business stories of 2014, as chosen by business editors at The Associated Press: U.S. GROWS, WORLD SLOWS: After a freezing winter put a chill on buying and selling, the U.S. economy has posted its best six months since 2003. But the rest of the world hasn’t been as lucky. Japan has fallen back into recession. The 18 countries that make up the eurozone are barely growing and fear a dangerous drop in prices. Major developing nations aren’t faring much better. China’s growth has dropped to a five-year low of 7.3 percent. Western sanctions and dropping oil prices have decimated Russia’s currency. Brazil just edged out of recession. What’s helped the U.S. is its relative insulation. American consumers, not exports, are the main drivers of the world’s largest economy. JOBS ARE BACK: Millions of Americans still struggle with low pay and fewer hours of work than they want, and millions have given up looking for a job entirely. But five years after the recession ended, the U.S. job market is looking healthy. The unemployment rate is below 6 percent. Employers added nearly 3 million jobs, the most since 1999, as shoppers and businesses spend more. As a result, the Federal Reserve ended its recession-era stimulus program in October and is edging closer to lifting interest rates. The Fed has kept rates near zero since

Prices effective December 28 - January 4, 2015 Quantity rights reserved. None sold to dealers. We reserve the right to correct printer’s errors. Good in our Sumter Stores.

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WORLD

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2014

THE SUMTER ITEM

Experts: It was a busy year for disease control NEW YORK (AP) â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Health officials are celebrating some important victories in 2014, and Time magazine even named Ebola fighters the persons of the year. Nevertheless, this was a black-eye year for public health. Some vital vaccines did not work well. Federal laboratories were careless with dangerous pathogens. And international health officials failed to stop a West Africa outbreak from exploding into the worst Ebola epidemic ever. Such failings occurred during one of the busiest 12 months of contagions in at least a decade. In the United States, infectious disease menaces seemingly whizzed at us from every direction, from Ebola and enterovirus to measles and MERS. Mumps plagued Ohio. California saw its worst whooping cough

outbreak in 70 years. And a mosquito-borne disease called chikungunya burned through the Caribbean and took root in the United States. The last time U.S. health officials were this frantic was 2009, when a flu pandemic swept the globe. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But that was one disease,â&#x20AC;? while 2014 had more of a variety of fires to put out, said Dr. Marci Layton of New York Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s health department. Experts say this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tumult was caused by a combination of things. Many cite the impact of international travel, which can bring an exotic disease from the jungles of Africa or the desserts of the Middle East to a U.S. airport in a matter of hours. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If anyone still needed convincing, 2014 really showed that a disease threat anywhere is a disease threat everywhere,â&#x20AC;? said

Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But experts say others factors this year were shortcomings and errors at CDC and in other public health organizations. The leading example was the Ebola epidemic. Previous outbreaks numbered in the hundreds. As of mid-December, health officials were reporting this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s epidemic had sickened more than 18,600 people, the vast majority in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Of those, more than 6,900 died. Those three nations were not prepared for Ebola. Health systems were weak. Doctors were scarce in many areas. Ebola was sometimes mistaken for malaria, and care and infection control were poor. An aid effort was led by the

World Health Organization. But the WHO staff let bureaucratic bungles delay important work and was hampered by budget cuts and responsibilities elsewhere, a WHO internal report later concluded. For months, the WHO got only limited help from various nations, and it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t until the late summer that the U.S. and other countries pledged more substantial assistance. The CDC was in charge of the U.S. Ebola response, and initially everything seemed well under control. CDC sent teams to help in West Africa. Frieden repeatedly assured Americans they were safe from an Ebola outbreak here and that U.S. hospitals were able to isolate and handle any cases that should arrive from West Africa. But public confidence was

shaken after a Liberian visitor Thomas Eric Duncan came down with Ebola in late September, days after he arrived in Dallas. He died Oct. 8, and two nurses who treated him at a Dallas hospital were infected. How the nurses caught Ebola was unclear, but Frieden later said he should have sent a much larger team to Dallas initially to help hospital workers prevent any spread of the virus. No one besides Duncan died of Ebola in the United States, and no other transmission of the disease was ever reported, and yet Frieden came under heavy criticism for the CDCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s handling of Ebola. Some politicians called for his dismissal. President Obama stuck with Frieden but appointed an â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Ebola czarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; to help coordinate the governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s response.

ENTERTAINMENT

THE SUMTER ITEM

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2014

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Ida,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; hauntingly beautiful film, takes No. 1 BY JAKE COYLE The Associated Press The top 10 films of 2014: 1. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Idaâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; At a time when most filmmakers canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t keep their movies under two hours, Pawel Pawlikowksi plunges into Polish history and back again in less than 90 minutes. Yes, an austere, black-and-white Polish film doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sound like the most appetizing stuff. But itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a hauntingly beautiful film, and thanks to the tremendous Agata Kulesza, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s humor here, too. 2. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Boyhoodâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; One of the most memorable parts of film in 2014 was seeing the movies play with time, capturing it in elapse (â&#x20AC;&#x153;Boyhoodâ&#x20AC;?), bending its particles (â&#x20AC;&#x153;Interstellarâ&#x20AC;?) and wryly gazing at its courses across cen-

turies (â&#x20AC;&#x153;Only Lovers Left Aliveâ&#x20AC;?). Richard Linklaterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 12-years-in-the-making â&#x20AC;&#x153;Boyhoodâ&#x20AC;? is a landmark, for sure. But for a much-lauded masterpiece, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s incredibly humble, warm and humanistic. 3. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Grand Budapest Hotelâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Wes Andersonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heroes are, like him, devotees of brilliant escapes: the beachside oasis of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Moonrise Kingdom,â&#x20AC;? the play land of Rushmore Academy, the pre-war elegance of this filmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Eastern European resort. Dreams are inevitably punctured by outside forces, and a new, compromised life must be found â&#x20AC;&#x201D; some melancholy combination of fantasy and reality. Usually, Bill Murrayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s there somewhere. 4. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Mr. Turnerâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Birdmanâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; In a year rich with colorful por-

traits of artists (the obsessive, rigorous drummer of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Whiplash,â&#x20AC;? the arrogant, oblivious author of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Listen Up Philipâ&#x20AC;?) these two most stood out: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Birdmanâ&#x20AC;? for its blisteringly kinetic flow and the raging ego of Michael Keatonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s actor; and the masterful â&#x20AC;&#x153;Mr. Turnerâ&#x20AC;? for its total lack of pretention and Timothy Spallâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gruff, grunting painter. 5. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Interstellarâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Many critics poked holes in the imperfectly stitched cosmic fabric of Christopher Nolanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s space epic, but I found the time-traveling epic â&#x20AC;&#x201D; science fiction built on science fact â&#x20AC;&#x201D; grandly moving. 6. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Inherent Viceâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Obviously, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m also an easy mark for a glorious mess. Paul Thomas Andersonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s adaption of Thomas Pynchon is probably a noble

failure in an impossible task. But thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no movie Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m keener to return to, to again feel its electric songs and its scruffy sadness. 7. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Immigrantâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; A number of films in 2014 werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t shy about their Big American Themes. Bennett Millerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Foxcatcherâ&#x20AC;? was the most mesmerizing; JC Chandorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;A Most Violent Yearâ&#x20AC;? the most atmospheric; and Clint Eastwoodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;American Sniperâ&#x20AC;? the tautest. But James Grayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s period Ellis Island tale was the most majestic. 8. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Under the Skinâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Equal parts beautiful and terrifying in its alien mystery, Jonathan Glazerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s extraterrestrial shocker (with Scarlett Johansson as the other-worldly being that touches down in, of all places, Glasgow) made for a searing cinematic ex-

perience of sound and imagery. 9. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Leviathanâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a stout Russian muscularity to Andrey Zvyagintsevâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bleak, Job-like tale of corruption in a coastal Russian town. A framed portrait of Vladimir Putin above the police chief looms large. 10. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Starred Upâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Four walls, a father and a son, plus a whole lot of violent rage. The ingredients of this British prison drama are simple, but its force is ferocious. In one of the more remarkable father-son dramas youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll see (a young punk gets locked up in the same facility as his dad), Jack Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connell (the star of Angelina Jolieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Unbrokenâ&#x20AC;?) dramatically arrives. But the movieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also a reminder that thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no more riveting actor in movies than Ben Mendelsohn, who plays the father.

Here are some New Yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Eve safety tips from the Sumter County Sheriff â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Office If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re planning on going out for the evening, whether to a party at someoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s home or to a business to celebrate, make sure you have a well-established plan for the evening and that everyone in your group is aware of the plan. This includes not only establishing a designated driver for the evening, but making sure everyone in your group knows where you are headed, and also having a set of numbers available in case a ride needs to be arranged, as well. If you have a smart phone, go ahead and program the phone numbers of taxi companies into your contact list. Avoid posting any travel plans on social media sites. While in can be fun to tell your friends and relatives when you might be arriving somewhere or where you plan on celebrate, it can also tell others that your home is empty. Drive defensively. While the dangers of drinking and driving should be clear to everyone, many people will unfortunately ignore common sense on New Yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Eve/Day and get behind the wheel anyway. According to a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, half of all trafďŹ c fatalities nationwide on New Yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day involve a legally-intoxicated driver, making Jan. 1 the worst day for drunken driving. This makes it even more important that you or your designated driver not be distracted while driving. This includes avoiding texting, loud music or loud conversations while in the vehicle. Last year, according to the South Carolina Highway Patrol, the Palmetto State

had 11 motor vehicle related fatalities between Dec. 31 and Jan. 1, or nearly twoand-a-half times the average daily fatality rate in South Carolina. Remain aware of your surroundings. Once you arrive at your destination, make sure to keep your personal belongings (purses, wallets, phones, etc.) nearby, if not on you, at all times. Do not leave a drink unattended. The designated driver should park in a well-lit area, and should also have their keys in-hand and ready when returning to the vehicle. Avoid carrying unnecessary items. Have only the credit cards you need with you, and avoid carrying large amounts of cash. If you use an automatic teller machine during the evening, scan the area before hand and make sure it is in a well-lit area. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re hosting a party or gathering, make sure you have a non-alcoholic beverage to offer your guests, and offer non-salty foods for your guests to enjoy. Be prepared for the possibility of guests needing to stay the night, as well. Do not be afraid to take the keys from a guest you believe is inebriated. Prepare your pets. With New Yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also comes not only large crowds, but also ďŹ rework celebrations. Sudden loud noises can easily frighten your pet, and could prompt them to act erratically, and possibly make them more likely to become aggressive and bite. Keeping pets inside in a comfortable room can be a good option.

Have a safe and Happy New Year! Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t drink and drive. Ben E Griffith Jr. 2577 Broad Street Extension Sumter, SC 29150 Bus: 803-469-6800 ben.griffith.ssix@statefarm.com

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ENTERTAINMENT

THE SUMTER ITEM

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2014

‘Ida,’ hauntingly beautiful film, takes No. 1 BY JAKE COYLE The Associated Press The top 10 films of 2014: 1. “Ida” — At a time when most filmmakers can’t keep their movies under two hours, Pawel Pawlikowksi plunges into Polish history and back again in less than 90 minutes. Yes, an austere, black-and-white Polish film doesn’t sound like the most appetizing stuff. But it’s a hauntingly beautiful film, and thanks to the tremendous Agata Kulesza, there’s humor here, too. 2. “Boyhood” — One of the most memorable parts of film in 2014 was seeing the movies play with time, capturing it in elapse (“Boyhood”), bending its particles (“Interstellar”) and wryly gazing at its courses across cen-

turies (“Only Lovers Left Alive”). Richard Linklater’s 12-years-in-the-making “Boyhood” is a landmark, for sure. But for a much-lauded masterpiece, it’s incredibly humble, warm and humanistic. 3. “The Grand Budapest Hotel” — Wes Anderson’s heroes are, like him, devotees of brilliant escapes: the beachside oasis of “Moonrise Kingdom,” the play land of Rushmore Academy, the pre-war elegance of this film’s Eastern European resort. Dreams are inevitably punctured by outside forces, and a new, compromised life must be found — some melancholy combination of fantasy and reality. Usually, Bill Murray’s there somewhere. 4. “Mr. Turner” and “Birdman” — In a year rich with colorful por-

traits of artists (the obsessive, rigorous drummer of “Whiplash,” the arrogant, oblivious author of “Listen Up Philip”) these two most stood out: “Birdman” for its blisteringly kinetic flow and the raging ego of Michael Keaton’s actor; and the masterful “Mr. Turner” for its total lack of pretention and Timothy Spall’s gruff, grunting painter. 5. “Interstellar” — Many critics poked holes in the imperfectly stitched cosmic fabric of Christopher Nolan’s space epic, but I found the time-traveling epic — science fiction built on science fact — grandly moving. 6. “Inherent Vice” — Obviously, I’m also an easy mark for a glorious mess. Paul Thomas Anderson’s adaption of Thomas Pynchon is probably a noble

failure in an impossible task. But there’s no movie I’m keener to return to, to again feel its electric songs and its scruffy sadness. 7. “The Immigrant” — A number of films in 2014 weren’t shy about their Big American Themes. Bennett Miller’s “Foxcatcher” was the most mesmerizing; JC Chandor’s “A Most Violent Year” the most atmospheric; and Clint Eastwood’s “American Sniper” the tautest. But James Gray’s period Ellis Island tale was the most majestic. 8. “Under the Skin” — Equal parts beautiful and terrifying in its alien mystery, Jonathan Glazer’s extraterrestrial shocker (with Scarlett Johansson as the other-worldly being that touches down in, of all places, Glasgow) made for a searing cinematic ex-

perience of sound and imagery. 9. “Leviathan” — There’s a stout Russian muscularity to Andrey Zvyagintsev’s bleak, Job-like tale of corruption in a coastal Russian town. A framed portrait of Vladimir Putin above the police chief looms large. 10. “Starred Up” — Four walls, a father and a son, plus a whole lot of violent rage. The ingredients of this British prison drama are simple, but its force is ferocious. In one of the more remarkable father-son dramas you’ll see (a young punk gets locked up in the same facility as his dad), Jack O’Connell (the star of Angelina Jolie’s “Unbroken”) dramatically arrives. But the movie’s also a reminder that there’s no more riveting actor in movies than Ben Mendelsohn, who plays the father.

Have a safe and Happy New Year! Don’t drink and drive. Ben E Griffith Jr. 2577 Broad Street Extension Sumter, SC 29150 Bus: 803-469-6800 ben.griffith.ssix@statefarm.com

State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company. State Farm Indemnity Company Bloomington, IL. P0 40202 At State Farm® you get a competitive rate and an agent 05/05 statefarm.com® dedicated to helping you get the coverage that’s right for you. Contact me today.

ElmoreHillMcCreight FUNERAL HOME

Be safe this New Year Don’t drink and drive

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THE SUMTER ITEM

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2014

THE CLARENDON SUN Call: (803) 774-1211 | E-mail: jim@theitem.com

METROCREATIVECONNECTION.COM

Clarendon’s top 10 for 2014 UNSETTLING WEATHER

eather was at the top of a lot of people’s minds at least twice in 2014. In February, Clarendon County was pounded by the worst ice storm in 10 years, and in August, residents looked back 25 years to the passage of Hurricane Hugo through the Midlands. People all over the Midlands woke up Wednesday, Feb. 12, to find their cars sheathed in ice, tree branches broken and power lines down. More than 3,800 people in Clarendon County were without power at some point in the next 24 hours. As the storm moved on and power was restored, the cleanup began. Piles of downed limbs began to appear on roadsides, and city and county crews put in extra hours dealing with debris for weeks. In Clarendon County, the cost of the cleanup was estimated at $600,000. The damage and destruction of the 2014 ice storm pales in comparison to that wrought by Hurricane Hugo on Sept. 22, 1989. The hurricane struck the coast of South Carolina as a category 4 storm, and kept a surprising amount of its strength as it moved inland. Shaw Air Force Base recorded gusts of 109 mph and sustained winds of 67 mph. The storm flattened forests and crops and damaged the Clarendon County Courthouse. Former State Sen. John Land said there was one bright spot from the storm’s passage – an influx of insurance money. “Deposits at local banks went up, and the money never went away,” he said.

when he spoke his thoughts were purposeful and carried much weight in our decisionmaking,” she said.

STINNEY VERDICT VACATED

WITHERSPOON

GREGORY WITHERSPOON The death of Manning City Councilman Gregory Witherspoon, left a void in the community that still can be felt. After a long battle with cancer, Witherspoon succumbed on March 20. “You could go to and talk to him and he would listen,” lifelong friend Carrol Harrington said. “He never talked bad about anybody. He was just an all-around good guy. He didn’t say a whole lot, but when he talked you listened to him, and if he had something to say he would say it.” Manning Mayor Julia Nelson described Witherspoon as the “voice of reason” around the City Council table. “He spoke few words, but

Seven decades after the brutal murders of Betty June Binnicker, 11, and Mary Emma Thames, 7, in Alcolu March 23, 1944, Circuit Court Judge Carmen T. Mullen vacated the April 24, 1944 conviction of 14-year-old George Stinney Jr. Stinney was executed by electric chair in Columbia less than six months after the girls’ bodies were found.

SUMTER ITEM FILE PHOTO

Scott Robinson, left, represents Justin J. Johnson at a bond hearing Wednesday at the Sumter County Courthouse. Johnson, who is accused in the April 6 slaying of a 59-year-old woman and his 9-month old son, was denied bond. In 2014 he was found guilty and sentenced to three life sentences by Judge Jeffrey Young. The case was brought by Manning lawyers Steve McKenzie, Ray Chandler and Matt Burgess after McKenzie read an article in the Sumter Item that referenced Stinney’s having been the youngest person executed in the nation during the modern era. Calling it “a truly unfortunate episode in our history,” Mullen ruled “a violation of the defendant’s procedural due process rights tainted his prosecution.” Mullen said she based her decision “not on the grounds that the decision against (Stinney) was wrong on the merits, but that the courts had failed … to discharge their proper functions with due regard to the constitutional safeguards in the administration of justice.”

NELSON: “I FEEL BLESSED”

STINNEY

Manning Mayor Julia Nelson received a kidney transplant on Dec. 10, after being on a waiting list for more than a year. Ironically, when she was first put on the transplant list in Nov. 2013, her support-

by the father of the woman who donated Nelson’s kidney through a live transplant network.

WHEELS TURNING

NELSON

ers began a funding campaign tabbed “A Kidney by Christmas.” It just turned out she received her gift by Christmas this year rather than Christmas last year. The surgery went well, and Nelson said she is grateful to the community for their support. “I feel really blessed,” she said. Nelson said she is especially grateful to Arlene Anderson McCloud, a Sumter School District employee who donated a kidney that was received

The opening of the new Kent International bicycle plant east of Manning Oct. 15, is expected to provide a big boost to the economy, with an expected payroll of as many as 175 people. The facility, which has seen several tenants since it was built, had been sitting idle for several years. “I know they were looking for a location where the county chairman was a bicycle fan,” jested Clarendon County Council Chairman Dwight Stewart, an avid cyclist. “I’ll take the credit for them coming here.” The plant builds bicycles for Walmart, with the first unit reportedly sold at the Manning store. A Kent International press release said they are the first American-made bicycles to be sold by Walmart in a decade.

SEE TOP TEN, PAGE A10

A10

CLARENDON SUN

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2014

THE SUMTER ITEM

TOP TEN,

yond understanding,” Young said.

FROM PAGE A9

TALENTED TWOSOME While the opening of the Kent International plant and the attraction of Peak Corporation are boons to the local economy, the fact that two of Clarendon County’s most influential economic supporters are moving on has the county reaching for the reset button. Clarendon County Economic Development President John Truluck took a similar job in Dorchester County on Dec. 1, and Dawn Griffith, the Clarendon County Chamber of Commerce Director retired the same day. Clarendon County Manager David Epperson said the chamber and the economic development often work in tandem. Both leaders left their respective organizations in good positions, he said.

SPIRIT PHARMACEUTICAL

FILE PHOTO

Gloria Frierson looks on July 22 at Clarendon Election Central as Manning Election Commission member Margaret Walker announces the unofficial results of the runoff election held that day for Manning City Council District 5. Frirson pootested the results, and how now taken the commission’s decisions delcaring Julius “Jay” Dukes the winner of that elecion to court.

THE HOT SEAT Efforts to fill the Manning City Council District 5 seat left open by the death of Gregory Witherspoon are still up in the air after a special election, a runoff election, several Manning Election Commission meetings and a ruling by Circuit Court Judge Jeffrey Young. In the original special election held July 8, candidates Julius “Jay” Dukes and Gloria Frierson were the top two vote getters out of four candidates and a write-in candidate and were pitted against each other in a run-off election July 22. Results of that election showed Dukes prevailing by a single vote. Frierson appealed the election commission’s decision to District Court, however, only to have the court rule against her. Frierson’s lawyer, David Weeks, has since filed paperwork to have the case reconsidered.

A Spirit Pharmaceutical plant located in the old Federal Mogul building in Summerton may be just the prescription needed to revive the economy in the southwestern part of Clarendon County. The plant was expected to open within the first quarter of 2014, but by mid-summer, stories began to circulate that the company’s intentions to locate in Summerton had fallen through, stories that company officials denied. By December, however, Clarendon County Council was forced to decommit funding for the plant. “We received a note from the DOC that time is about to lapse on the money set aside, and we have not had a response from them (Spirit Pharmaceutical),” Commission Chairman Dwight Steward said. He said there is still a possibility of getting Spirit Pharmaceutical to come to the county, but noted that former Development Director John Truluck had been showing the building in Summerton to other interested companies.

DEPUTY’S DEATH

TRULUCK

“BEYOND UNDERSTANDING” Area residents could only shake their heads with dismay after Justin Johnson was found guilty of the April 6, 2011 shotgun deaths of 18-month-old Jayden Caraway and the child’s great

Seeking Licensed Nail Technician at Brooks Street Barber & Beauty Salon.

GRIFFITH

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grandmother, Maxine Caraway. Johnson had maintained during his trial that another person had pulled the trigger, but his videotaped confession and the testimony of the child’s mother, Kaisha Caraway, helped the jury decide Johnson was guilty.

“I will show you the same mercy you showed Jayden and Maxine Caraway,” said Circuit Court Judge Jeffrey Young said before handing Johnson three consecutive life sentences plus 30 years. “To have a baby sitting in a high chair gunned down by your hand is absolutely be-

The Clarendon County law enforcement community grieved for one of their own after Sheriff’s Office Investigator Holmes Smith died Nov. 5. Smith was killed after the county vehicle he was driving back from Sumter veered off Highway 521 in Alcolu. Reports indicated Smith may have had a heart attack before the crash. Smith had worked for CCSO for 19 years. “We will always remember your smile, positive attitude, and compassion for others,” the CCSO Facebook page said.

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CLARENDON SUN

THE SUMTER ITEM

BRIEF ENCOUNTERS HARVIN CLARENDON LIBRARY CLOSING The library will close on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2015 for New Year’s Day and reopen on Friday, Jan. 2, from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The book drop will be available for return of unrestricted materials when the library is closed. For more information, call (803) 435-8633.

JORDAN CROSSROADS MINISTRY MEETING Jordan Crossroads Ministry Center - Haven of Rest will hold its public monthly meeting at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2015 at New Covenant Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall. Parking is available in the parking area nearest the entrance to the Fellowship Hall. For more information call Ann Driggers at (803) 460-5572.

BOYS TO MEN: BREAKING BREAD The Youth Ministry of St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church in Pinewood, SC will sponsor a “Boys to Men: Breaking Bread” Program at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 17, 2015. The ministry encourages all parents to bring their young men out to take part in this mentoring program. Adults and young ladies are also welcome. Refreshments will be served.

MANNING YOUTH COUNCIL The Manning Youth Council is now accepting applications. Applicants must be

Clarendon County residents attending Laurence Manning Academy or Manning High School, or home-schooled students in grades 9 through 12. The Youth Council will serve Manning by planning and implementing social, educational, recreational and other activities for the youth and community. Students will also learn about the city government in a fun environment. For more information and to obtain an application, contact City Hall at (803) 435-8477.

MENTORING PROGRAM Rural Leadership InstituteClarendon is beginning a mentoring program, called Operation Generation, for atrisk youths in Clarendon County School District 1. Initially, the program will focus on students at Summerton Early Childhood Center and St. Paul Elementary School. The board members of Rural Leadership Institute Clarendon are asking adult members of the Clarendon community to volunteer to become mentors. For more information, call Bea Rivers at (803) 485-8164, Lesley Dykes at (803) 707-4901 or email rliclarendoncounty@gmail.com.

LET’S MOVE MANNING The Let’s Move Manning Walkers Club meets every Saturday at 7:30 a.m. at the Gazebo on Church Street. For more information, call (803) 435-8477.

4:44 p.m. Dec. 23: An officer was escorting a man from the Manning City Police Station to his patrol car for transportation to the Clarendon County Detention Center when the detainee ran away. The officer pursued the man on foot across Boundary Street, between 13 and 15 Boundary St. into the woods and then towards CVS Pharmacy. The suspect emerged into an open lot at 118 Boyce St., and ran behind a cement wall behind 110 Boyce St., where a second officer apprehended the suspect. Shawn Edward Evant, 26, 219 N. Church St., was charged with resisting arrest and escape and transported to the Claren-

Autumn is a 2-month-old calico whose face is half orange. This female domestic shorthair kitten is absolutely gorgeous. She has had her age-appropriate shots and has been checked for feline leukemia, and has been spayed. Stop by and she her and her siblings. Sophie is a 1-year-old female, beige and tan terrier/hound/Lab mix. She is very sweet and loving. She weighs 35 pounds, is up to date on her shots and been spayed. She is ready for a loving home. Stop by the shelter and see how wonderful this baby is. Meet Autumn, Sophie and many other cats and dogs at A Second Chance Animal Shelter, 5079 Alex Harvin Highway (U.S. 301), which has numerous pets available for adoption. Adoption hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. To drop off an animal, call (803) 473-7075 for an appointment. If you’ve lost a pet, check www.ccanimalcontrol.webs.com and www.ASecondChanceAnimalShelter.com.

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SHOPLIFTING 7:23 p.m. Dec. 25: Officers were dispatched to 119 W. Boyce St., in response to a report of shoplifting. Officers were advised the suspect was leaving in a red Chevrolet Blazer. An officer initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle matching the description at 102 S. Mill St. The driver reportedly admitted to placing items in her purse. Complainant said the suspect pushed an entire shopping cart full of merchandise out of the store containing 68 items valued at $556. The suspect also had nine items in her purse valued at $65. Drusilla Carol Atherton, 45, 53 Church St. No. 7A, was charged with shoplifting and transported to the Clarendon County Detention Center.

Morris Animal Clinic

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piggly wiggly Quality Specialty Feeds For Livestock & Pets Specializing in custom blended horse feeds. 233 Dinkins St. (803) 435-4354

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A12

CLARENDON SUN

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2014

THE SUMTER ITEM

Set reasonable goals for the new year N

ew Year’s resolutions, coming as they do after the excesses of the holidays, typically have to do with living a smarter, healthier lifestyle. And the most common resolutions focus on foods and eating habits — resolutions such as “lose weight, avoid fast foods, eat more vegetables, drink more water,” and so on. Since resolving to live a healthier lifestyle is a lot easier than actually putting your resolutions to practice, it’s a good idea to look for help and encouragement wherever you can find it. One place to look is a housewares store, kitchNancy en shop, or Harrison chef’s cataCLEMSON log, because EXTENSION buying just a few pieces of low-cost kitchen equipment can help you prepare healthier meals. Here are some ideas: • With non-stick pans you can reduce the amount of oil needed for cooking. Then use a vegetable oil spray rather than bottled oil to reduce calories from fat. • A steamer insert is an inexpensive piece of equipment which will fit into a cooking

pot that you already have on hand. Steaming vegetables helps to retain more nutrients than other methods of cooking vegetables, and fat is not needed. You can have similar results cooking many vegetables in the microwave oven. • A gravy separator can be used to de-grease gravies and sauces quickly, without waiting for the fat to congeal. • A well-stocked spice rack and an adventurous spirit will help you cut down on added fat, too. Take the time to research or experiment with herbs and spices so you’ll know which ones pair well with which foods. Knowing, for example, that dill enhances fish, that tarragon is great with poultry and that rosemary is terrific with pork will make the preparation of healthy dishes easier, faster and more enjoyable.

• A grill — whether it’s the outdoor or indoor (electric) variety — makes fast work of healthy food preparation. Use a fat-free Italian dressing (or other fat-free dressings) to marinate or baste almost any meat or vegetable to be cooked on the grill. Remember that realistic New Year’s resolutions are easier to keep than lofty goals, and small efforts each day can help to form a beneficial habit quickly. If your resolution is “eat smaller desserts,” you’re smart to realize

relatively painless resolution per month can result in yearlong commitment to big changes in your health and well-being. Nancy S. Harrison is a retired food safety and nutrition educator with Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service, which offers its programs to people of all ages, regardless of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status, and is an equal opportunity employer.

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that cutting down on portion size is much more realistic than depriving yourself of something you enjoy. Remember, too, that along with healthier food choices, adding or increasing physical activity is an important component of living a healthy lifestyle. Simply walking for 30 minutes, five days a week, will help you trim your physique and provide some weight-bearing exercise that bones need. Adding just a few more steps of walking, several times a day, is another easy way to fit physical activity into a busy schedule. When you go to the store, park at the back of the parking lot rather than the front. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Walk rather than drive, if the distance is reasonable and the weather is nice. Fresh air and sunlight are additional benefits of walking that help us to feel healthier. Finally, remember that implementing just one small,

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Notice of Sale NOTICE OF SALE IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS CASE NO. 2014-CP-14-3347 STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF CLARENDON The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A. as trustee for GreenPoint Manufactured Housing Contract Trust, Pass-Through Certificate, Series 2000-2 Plaintiff, -vsEarl J. Clark, Defendant(s) BY VIRTUE of a judgment heretofore granted in the case of The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A. as trustee for GreenPoint Manufactured Housing Contract Trust, Pass-Through Certificate, Series 2000-2 vs. Earl J. Clark, I, Frances Ricci Land Welch, as Special Referee for Clarendon County, will sell on January 5, 2015, at 11:00 am, at the Clarendon County Administration Building, 411 Sunset Drive, Manning, SC 29102, to the highest bidder: All that certain piece, parcel or lot of land, lying, being and situate in the County of Clarendon, State of South Carolina, containing 1.00 acres, and bounding and measuring, now or formerly, as follows: on the NORTH by the remainder of Lot 1 of Sugar Hill Farm Plantation, Section 1 and measuring thereon 457.20 feet; On the SOUTHEAST by the 50' right of way of Wayne's Drive, and measuring thereon 117.25 feet; On the SOUTH by Lot 2A of Sugar Hill Farm Plantation, Section 1 and measuring thereon 370.38 feet; and on the WEST by Windsor Properties, Inc. and measuring thereon 128.61 feet. For a more particular description of said lot, reference may be had to a plat made by Robert G. Mathis, RLS, dated July 15, 1999 recorded in the Office of the Clerk of Court for Clarendon County in Plat Book S 50 at Page 60, whereon said lot is designated as Lot #1C. Said property having been conveyed to Earl J. Clark and Inez Clark by deed of J.C. Pelfrey, dated October 8, 1999, recorded in the Office of the Clerk of Court for Clarendon County in Deed Book A-388 at Page 119. Subsequently, Inez Clark died and an Estate was filed with Case number 2009-ES-14-16.

Notice of Sale

Said lot being designated as a portion of Clarendon County TMS#215-00-01-074.

TMS #: 215-00-01-086-00 (land) 215-00-01-086-01 (mh) Physical Address: 1158 Waynes Drive, Manning, SC 29102 Mobile Home: 1999 General VID# GMHGA1019923613AB

SUBJECT TO CLARENDON COUNTY TAXES TERMS OF SALE: The successful bidder, other than the Plaintiff, will deposit with the Special Referee at conclusion of the bidding, five (5%) of his bid, in cash or equivalent, as evidence of good faith, the same to be applied to purchase price in case of compliance, but to be forfeited and applied first to costs and then to Plaintiff's debt in the case of noncompliance. Should the last and highest bidder fail or refuse to make the required deposit at the time of the bid or comply with the other terms or the bid within twenty (20) days, then the Special Referee may resell the property on the same terms and conditions on some subsequent Sales Day (at the risk of the former highest bidder). A personal or deficiency judgment having been demanded by the Plaintiff, the sale of the subject property will remain open for thirty (30) days pursuant to Section 15-39-720, Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1976; provided, however, that the Court recognizes the option reserved by the Plaintiff to waive such deficiency judgment prior to the sale, and notice is given that the Plaintiff may waive in writing the deficiency judgment prior to the sale; and that should the Plaintiff elect to waive a deficiency judgment, without notice other than the announcement at the sale and notice in writing to the debtor defendant(s) that a deficiency judgment has been waived and that the sale will be final, the bidding will not remain open after the date of sale, but compliance with the bid may be

Notice of Sale

made immediately. The successful bidder will be required to pay interest on the amount of the bid from the date of sale to date of compliance with the bid at the rate of 3.625% per annum. Frances Ricci Land Welch Special Referee for Clarendon County Theodore von Keller, Esquire B. Lindsay Crawford, III, Esquire Sara Hutchins Columbia, South Carolina Attorney for Plaintiff

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Estate Notice Clarendon County

NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF ESTATES All persons having claims against the following estates MUST file their claims on FORM #371ES with the Probate Court of Clarendon County, the address of which is 411 Sunset Dr. Manning, SC 29102, within eight (8) months after the date of the first publication of this Notice to Creditors or within one (1) year from date of death, whichever is earlier (SCPC 62-3-801, et seq.), or such persons shall be forever barred as to their claims. All claims are required to be presented in written statements on the prescribed form (FORM #371ES) indicating the name and address of the claimant, the basis of the claim, the amount claimed, the date when the claim will become due, the nature of any uncertainty as to the claim, and a description of any security as to the claim.

Estate: John Henry Horton, IV #2014ES1400279 Personal Representative: John Henry Horton, III 4246 MW Rickenbaker Road Manning, SC 29102 12/18/14 - 12/31/14

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THE SUMTER ITEM N.G. Osteen 1843-1936 The Watchman and Southron

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2014 H.G. Osteen 1870-1955 Founder, The Item

H.D. Osteen 1904-1987 The Item

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

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

Ways that white liberals use black people

ack in the day, when hunting was the major source of food, hunters often used stalking horses as a means of sneaking up on their quarry. They would walk on the opposite side of the horse until they were close enough to place a good shot on whatever they were hunting. A stalking horse not only concealed them but also, if their target was an armed man and they were discovered, would take the first shot. That’s what blacks are to liberals and progressives in their efforts to transform America — stalking horses. Let’s look at some of the ways white liberals use black people. One of the more obvious ways is for liberals to equate any kind of injustices suffered by homosexuals and women to the black struggle for civil rights. But it is just plain nonsense to suggest any kind of equivalency between the problems of homosexuals and women and the centuries of slavery followed by Jim Crow, lynching, systematic racial discrimination and the blood, sweat and tears of the black civil rights movement. The largest and most powerful labor union in the country is the National

succeeding in getting a better education. That was de Blasio’s way of paying back New York’s teachers union for the political support it gave him in Education Association, with well over his quest for the mayor’s office. 3 million members. Teachers benefit White liberals in the media and acaenormously from their education modemia, along with many blacks, have nopoly. It yields higher pay and lower been major supporters of the recent accountability. It’s a marches protesting police conduct. A different story for a man from Mars, knowing nothing large percentage of about homicide facts, would conclude black people who rethat the major problem black Americeive fraudulent educans have with murder and brutality cation. The NEA’s white liberals — aided results from the behavior of racist poby black teachers, pol- licemen. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, there are about 200 iticians and so-called black leaders — coop- police arrest-related deaths of blacks Walter each year (between 300 and 400 for erate to ensure that Williams whites). That number pales in comparblack parents who want their children to ison with the roughly 7,000 annual have a better education have few viable murders of blacks, 94 percent of which are committed by blacks. The number choices. of blacks being murdered by other Whenever there has been a serious blacks is of little concern to liberals. push for school choice, educational Their agenda is to use arrest-related vouchers, tuition tax credits or even deaths of blacks to undermine estabcharter schools, the NEA has fought lished authority. against it. One of the more callous exLiberals often have demeaning attiamples of that disregard for black edutudes toward blacks. When Secretary of cation was New York Mayor Bill de Blasio’s cutback on funding for charter State John Kerry was a U.S. senator, in a statement about so many blacks being schools where black youngsters were

COMMENTARY

in prison, he said, “That’s unacceptable, but it’s not their fault.” Would Kerry also say that white prison inmates are also faultless? Johns Hopkins University sociologist Andrew Cherlin told us: “It has yet to be shown that the absence of a father was directly responsible for any of the supposed deficiencies of broken homes. ... (The problem) is not the lack of male presence but the lack of male income.” The liberal vision is that fathers and husbands can be replaced by a welfare check. Liberals desperately need blacks. If the Democratic Party lost just 30 percent of the black vote, it would mean the end of the liberal agenda. That means blacks must be kept in a perpetual state of grievance in order to keep them as a one-party people in a twoparty system. When black Americans finally realize how much liberals have used them, I’m betting they will be the nation’s most conservative people. Who else has been harmed as much by liberalism’s vision and agenda? Walter E. Williams is a professor of economics at George Mason University. © 2014 creators.com

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR RICKENBAKER A TRUE BLESSING TO COMMUNITY When my father, Ansley Weldon, died suddenly in the early 1970s, I returned to Sumter to assist with family matters. I found that my dad had assembled an excellent team of professionals: Werber Bryan (attorney), Joe Dean (accountant) and John Brabham (realtor). As time passed, however, and these gentlemen retired, I had to find a new team. Among those I was most fortunate to have the professional counsel of Gene Rickenbaker, Sumter’s foremost property attorney. I know my dad would have approved of this choice because Mr. Rickenbaker possessed so many of the same qualities I recognized in my father: honesty, integrity, wisdom and real class. Throughout the following years, my mother and I came to know Gene not only as our lawyer, but also as our friend. Sumter truly was blessed to have had such an honorable and capable man contributing positively to our community for so many years. DONNA ALEADA WELDON Sumter

OUR MOST DANGEROUS WEAPON IS STILL OUR FORK It’s time for New Year’s resolutions, particularly those about our health. Although gun violence remains the leading cause of death among young people, our most dangerous weapon is still our fork. Forty-five times as many die of chronic diseases linked to a diet containing animal products, sugar and salt. Hardly a month goes by without another study linking consumption of animal products with obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, stroke and certain cancers. No reputable study has ever shown an opposite result. But times are changing. Hundreds of schools, colleges, hospitals and corporate cafeterias, have embraced Meatless Monday. According to a Gallup poll, 22 percent of American consumers are avoiding meat and 12 percent are avoiding dairy products. Harris Interactive claims that 47 percent of American consumers are reducing consumption of animal products. Accordingly, plant-based alternatives to meat and dairy products are growing explosively, propelled by investments from Microsoft, Paypal and Twitter founders. Fast-food chains such as Chipotle, Subway and Taco Bell are rolling out vegan options. Let this New Year’s resolution be about exploring the rich variety of plant-based entrees, lunch meats, cheeses, ice creams and milks in our supermarket. The Internet offers tons of recipes and transition tips. SIMON ISAAC Sumter

NOTABLE & QUOTABLE In his column titled, “New Year’s Resolutions for South Carolina,” Phil Noble writes, “Let’s have more pride in our state. There are lots of great things about our state but to listen to all the politicians, it’s all about being 50th in everything. We’re not a bad as we think we are.” Read it online at http://bit.ly/1rxhOn8. • Let’s get serious about ethics reform in state government. Although Speaker Bobby Harrell is gone, we haven’t even begun to get serious. A whole bunch of folks are expected to get indicted in the next few months and hopefully that will lead to real reform. • Let’s finally do something about fixing education. After 21 years, the Abbeville case for education funding reform was decided and the courts said we have to do something big. If we don’t fix education, nothing else really matters. • For my Republican party friends, quit complaining about President Obama. Yes, we know, you don’t like him and you didn’t vote for him. But if you can read a newspaper and are honest with yourself, you know that since he was elected the stock market has more than doubled, unemployment is below 6% for the first time, the deficit has been cut in half, 32 million people are now eligible for health insurance, the auto industry is still in business and Gadhafi and Bin Laden are not. • For my Democratic Party friends, get a clue. After several consecutive statewide elections without a majority, it’s clear we need something radically different. On the statewide and legislative level, the party is at its lowest level since 1876. At the same time, however, on the county and local level, we are still a majority Democratic state. Quit blaming others and come up with some new people, new ideas and new technology. • Let’s have some fun. We are a great state with lots going for us. A simple

fact: a whole lot more folks – white and black – are moving into our state than are moving out. People come to where things are good, not to where things are bad. Do we have our share of problems? Sure we do. But let’s all recognize what good things are happening and have some fun. So in the New Year, remember, it’s all about hope. Lucky thing, then, that our state motto just happens to be “Dum spiro spero” — while I breathe, I hope. ••• The State newspaper’s annual “Buzzard” awards, featuring the best of 2014 in S.C. politics: Best neglected issue Winner: Crumbling roads South Carolina’s interstate system is more than 50 years old. South Carolina’s 16.75 cent-a-gallon gas tax — much lower than Georgia and North Carolina’s — has not increased in 27 years. While finding some new money for roads every now and then, the state has failed to come up with a long-term solution to its crumbling roads, filled with cracks and pot holes. South Carolina has the 4th largest state-maintained highway system in the country with less than 30 percent of traffic riding on good pavement. Bills to increase the gas tax or other taxes to pay for roads failed this year, and Gov. Nikki Haley, R-Lexington, has said she will veto any tax increase. ••• In “The Marvel of American Resilience,” Bret Stephens writes, “Autocrats can always cultivate prodigies. The question is what to do with the remaining 99 percent.” Read it online at www.wsj.com: Imagine an economic historian in the year 2050 talking to her students

about the most consequential innovations of the early 21st century — the Model Ts and Wright flyers and Penicillins of our time. What would make her list? Surely fracking — shorthand for the combination of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing that is making the U.S. the world’s leading oil and gas producer — would be noted. Surely social media — the bane of autocrats like Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan and of parents like me — would also get a mention. Mobile apps? Check. The emerging science of cancer immunotherapy? Hopefully, with fingers tightly crossed. After drawing up this list, our historian would then observe that each innovation had “Made in USA” stamped all over it. How strange, she might say, that so many Americans of the day spent so much of their time bellyaching about the wretched state of their schools, the paralyzed nature of their politics, their mounting fiscal burdens and the predictions of impending decline. Perhaps because I grew up as an American living abroad, I’ve always been struck by the disconnect between American achievement and self-perception. To this day I find it slightly amazing that, in the U.S., I can drink water straight from a tap, that a policeman has never asked me for a “contribution,” that my luggage has never been stolen, that nobody gets kidnapped for ransom, that Mao-esque political purges are conducted only in the editorials of the New York Times . Try saying the same thing about everyday life in Brazil, Russia, India, China or South Africa — the so-called Brics countries once anointed by a Goldman Sachs guru as the economies of the future. Notable & Quotable is compiled by Graham Osteen. Contact him at graham@theitem.com.

A14

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2014

NEW YEAR’S SCHEDULE BANKS — All area banks and credit unions will be closed on New Year’s Day. GOVERNMENT — The following will be closed on New Year’s Day: federal government offices; U.S. Postal Service; state government offices; City of Sumter offices; Sumter County offices; Clarendon County offices; City of Manning offices; Lee County offices; and City of Bishopville offices. SCHOOLS — The following will be closed through Friday: Sumter School District; Clarendon School Districts 1, 2 and 3; Lee County Public Schools; Robert E. Lee Academy; Thomas Sumter Academy; Wilson Hall; St. Anne Catholic School; St. Francis Xavier High School; William Thomas Academy; Laurence Manning Academy; and Clarendon Hall. Sumter Christian School will be closed through New Year’s Day. A faculty in-service day will be observed on Friday and students will return on Monday. Central Carolina Technical College will be closed through Friday. USC Sumter and Morris College will be closed through New Year’s Day. UTILITIES — Black River Electric Coop. and Farmers Telephone Coop. will be closed on New Year’s Day. OTHER — Clemson Extension Service will be closed on New Year’s Day. The Greater Sumter Chamber of Commerce will be closed today and New Year’s Day. The Sumter County Library and the Harvin Clarendon County Library will be closed on New Year’s Day. All offices of The Sumter Item will be closed on New Year’s Day. The newspaper will not publish on New Year’s Day.

DAILY PLANNER

THE SUMTER ITEM

WEATHER

AccuWeather® ﬁve-day forecast for Sumter TODAY

TONIGHT

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

Plenty of sunshine

Clear

Sunny to partly cloudy

Overcast; rain at night

Cloudy

Some brightening; breezy, mild

50°

30°

56° / 37°

56° / 45°

64° / 60°

66° / 37°

Chance of rain: 10%

Chance of rain: 5%

Chance of rain: 25%

Chance of rain: 15%

NNE 4-8 mph

VAR 3-6 mph

SSW 3-6 mph

WSW 4-8 mph

E 6-12 mph

W 10-20 mph

TODAY’S SOUTH CAROLINA WEATHER

Gaﬀney 30/47 Spartanburg 32/48

Greenville 33/48

Columbia 31/52

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

IN THE MOUNTAINS

Sumter 30/50

household projects, student The Rembert Area Community Coalition along with the Sumter education and various other tasks. Contact Whitney RogCounty Ring Communities is Volunteers, participants ers needed at (843) 409-7991 or whitseeking volunteers to assist ney.rogers@hospicecare. with the planning of Remnet. bert’s Third Annual Spring Parade and events schedAmedisys Hospice is in need of uled for April 11, 2015. Deadvolunteers. Volunteer opporline to volunteer is Monday, tunities include 1) special Jan. 12, 2015. Call (803) 432projects of baking, sewing, 2001 or (803) 420-1255. knitting, crafts, carpentry The International Festival Com- and yard work; 2) administrative/office duties of copymittee is seeking participants ing, light filing and answerto showcase their culture. ing phones; and 3) patient Deadline for participants is March 14, 2015. Contact Rec- companionship — develop one-on-one relationships reation and Parks at (803) with hospice patients (train436-2248. ing provided). Contact RhonHospice Care of Sumter LLC is da Keefe at (803) 469-3047 or in need of volunteers in Sumrhonda.keefe@amedisys. ter and surrounding counties. Opportunities available com. for you to use your time and Hospice Care of Tri-County is in need of volunteers. Volunteers talents to be of assistance include reading, musical tal- offer support, companionship and care to the caregivents, companionship, light er by running errands, readhousekeeping, etc. Contact ing to patients, listening and Joyce Blanding at (803) 883just being there for patients 5606 or hospicecareofsumwho need companionship. ter@yahoo.com. All you need is a willing Agape Hospice is in need of heart and some time to give volunteers. Whether your to others. No medical backpassion is baking, knitting, reading, singing, etc., Agape ground is required. Hospice Hospice can find a place for Care of Tri-County will provide you with the tools you you. Contact Thandi Blandneed to become a hospice ing at (803) 774-1075, (803) volunteer. Call Carol Tindal 260-3876 or tblanding@ at (803) 905-7720. agapsenior.com. Hospice Care of South Carolina ROAD to RECOVERY is in need of volunteers in the Sumter is in need of volunteers in Sumter County. Do you have area. The program provides cancer patients with transone extra hour a week? Opportation to and from treatportunities are available for ments. Call the American patient/family companionCancer Society at (803) 750ship, administrative support, meal preparation, light 1693.

Today: Mostly sunny and chilly. Winds light and variable. Clear. Thursday: Partly sunny. Winds light and variable.

Aiken 31/52

ON THE COAST

LOCAL ALMANAC

Charleston 34/53

LAKE LEVELS

SUMTER YESTERDAY

Temperature High Low Normal high Normal low Record high Record low

Full pool 360 76.8 75.5 100

Lake Murray Marion Moultrie Wateree

59° 55° 54° 32° 78° in 1982 19° in 1977

Precipitation Yesterday Month to date Normal month to date Year to date Last year to date Normal year to date

Myrtle Beach 33/51

Manning 31/51

Today: Plenty of sunshine. High 50 to 56. Thursday: Sunny to partly cloudy. High 54 to 58.

FYI

Florence 30/51

Bishopville 29/49

SUN AND MOON 7 a.m. yest. 358.11 73.79 73.12 96.38

24-hr chg +0.30 +0.14 -0.04 +0.26

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

0.04" 3.89" 3.10" 38.90" 49.55" 46.70"

NATIONAL CITIES

REGIONAL CITIES

Wed. Thu. City Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W Atlanta 51/32/pc 53/39/pc Chicago 17/16/s 28/22/s Dallas 38/32/c 36/34/r Detroit 22/16/pc 29/22/s Houston 49/41/c 46/41/r Los Angeles 56/37/c 60/40/s New Orleans 56/43/s 59/52/c New York 34/25/s 36/30/s Orlando 73/60/c 78/65/pc Philadelphia 35/24/s 39/28/s Phoenix 54/36/r 50/35/sh San Francisco 54/45/s 55/41/s Wash., DC 40/28/s 43/30/s

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

Wed. Hi/Lo/W 42/26/s 51/30/pc 54/28/s 56/35/s 46/35/s 53/32/s 47/27/s 52/33/pc 52/30/s 50/28/s 49/31/s 48/28/s 48/28/s

Flood 7 a.m. 24-hr stage yest. chg 12 9.41 +0.36 19 4.50 -0.08 14 9.25 none 14 6.56 +0.06 80 79.94 -0.30 24 6.55 -5.44

Thu. Hi/Lo/W 49/32/pc 55/38/pc 58/36/s 58/42/s 48/40/s 58/40/s 52/32/s 55/40/pc 57/37/s 55/34/s 52/36/s 54/35/s 53/33/s

Wed. City Hi/Lo/W Florence 51/30/s Gainesville 65/49/pc Gastonia 47/28/s Goldsboro 47/27/s Goose Creek 53/32/s Greensboro 44/27/s Greenville 48/31/s Hickory 45/28/s Hilton Head 54/40/s Jacksonville, FL 62/47/pc La Grange 56/31/pc Macon 56/30/pc Marietta 49/28/pc

Sunrise 7:27 a.m. Moonrise 2:06 p.m.

Sunset Moonset

5:23 p.m. 2:59 a.m.

Full

Last

New

First

Jan. 4

Jan. 13

Jan. 20

Jan. 26

TIDES AT MYRTLE BEACH

Today Thu.

Thu. Hi/Lo/W 57/36/s 69/54/s 52/33/s 50/32/s 58/39/s 48/30/s 53/36/pc 49/35/pc 57/46/s 64/52/pc 56/41/pc 58/40/pc 50/36/pc

High 4:53 a.m. 5:16 p.m. 5:51 a.m. 6:13 p.m.

Ht. 3.2 2.8 3.2 2.8

Low Ht. 11:53 a.m. 0.1 ----12:02 a.m. -0.4 12:52 p.m. 0.0

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

Wed. Hi/Lo/W 46/24/s 53/35/s 51/33/s 52/31/s 55/36/s 45/26/s 47/27/s 48/24/s 59/35/s 48/30/s 55/38/s 50/28/s 44/27/s

Thu. Hi/Lo/W 50/30/pc 58/41/s 55/39/s 57/39/s 58/41/s 49/30/s 52/31/s 52/31/s 60/44/s 54/34/pc 58/45/s 55/34/s 48/33/s

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

The Most Reliable Team With the Most Reliable Comfort Systems 803-795-4257

ARIES (March 21-Apluril 19): Don’t make EUGENIA LAST waves with your peers. Celebrate with family, a lover or good friends who will look out for you. Initiate plans, but let everyone contribute in their own way. Keeping the peace will ensure a happy start to the year.

The last word in astrology

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Take control of your life. Check out your options and follow through by researching the interests, places and people you want to pursue in the upcoming months. Emotions and indulgence must not lead to a costly mishap. Romance is highlighted. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Don’t put limits on what you can accomplish. Instead of going out and risking getting into trouble, celebrate New Year’s at home with friends and loved ones. Don’t reveal personal secrets. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Call up people you want to connect with before the year comes to a close. Checking in with someone you have worked with in the past will spark an idea or proposal that can benefit you in the new year. Avoid unpredictable situations. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Have fun and create an atmosphere that will allow others to enjoy your entertaining personality. Unfamiliar places will spark enthusiasm and add to your excitement in the new year. Get ready to initiate your resolution immediately. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Put the past behind you, lighten up and have fun. Love is on the rise, and sharing your feelings is an excellent way to end one year and begin another. Set your goals high and

you will improve your standard of living. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Avoid any sort of debate or controversial topic that can ruin your plans or your evening. Focus on lively entertainment and sticking close to the people you know have your back. Live, love, laugh and be happy. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Remember and re-evaluate the year gone by. Plan the alterations you want to put into play and discuss your decisions with anyone affected by the choices you make. Taking a unique approach to life, love and prosperity will pay off.

LOTTERY NUMBERS Lottery numbers were not available at press time

PICTURES FROM THE PUBLIC Josh Krug shares a photo he took of the lights at Swan Lake-Iris Gardens.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You’ll be eager to take off on a new adventure. Whether it’s a night out on the town or a new place to hang your hat, you will entertain others with generosity and goodwill for the new year. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Let go of the past as you move into the future. Hold on tightly to what is near and dear to you, and dispense with anything that is holding you back or weighing you down. Work on easing your stress and toast to new beginnings. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Keep tabs on your intake. Moderation will be necessary if you want to avoid an emotional situation that can hinder your future. Plan to put your resolution into effect prior to ringing in the new year. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Mingle with people who can help you get ahead or offer you insight or favors. Good fortune can be yours if you are ready to minimize your overhead and maximize your skills, experience and knowledge.

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

SECTION

Stoudt finally gets moment to shine

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2014

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

PREP BASKETBALL

Lee Central boys, Spring Valley girls win District 9 titles BY EDDIE LITAKER Special To The Sumter Item Lee Central High School’s varsity boys basketball team completed an undefeated run through the 18th Annual District 9 Officials Christmas Tournament with a 61-47 championship game win over Manning on Monday at The Castle. Lee Central head coach La-

Verne Knox was pleased to see his team come out of the tournament with some positive momentum as region play looms ahead, but still sees room for improvement for his 10-4 squad. “We’ve still got a long way to go,” said Knox, whose team returns to The Castle on Jan. 6 to take on Crestwood. “We played better tonight than we did Saturday night, so far as

boxing out and keeping people off the boards, but we’ve still got a lot of work to do.” It took just over two minutes for the scoring to com-

mence as Lee Central’s Keno Slater banked in a 3-point basket at the 13:51 mark of the 16-minute half. The Stallions led 8-7 before breaking out with a 10-2 run to take their largest lead of the half, 18-9. By halftime, however, the Monarchs rallied to trail by only two, 28-26, as Twon Colymore pumped in 11 of his game-high 17 points. Manning scored the first

two baskets of the second half to take a 30-28 lead, followed by two ties and three lead changes in a 4:51 span. Lee Central broke a 33-33 tie as Kendrick Holloman sank two technical free throws, points that would launch an 11-4 run and give the Stallions a 44-37 lead with 7:57 to go. Manning answered with a

SEE DISTRICT 9, PAGE B2

YEAR IN REVIEW

Diamond dominance In 2014, area baseball, softball teams brought home an unprecedented 5 state championships BY DENNIS BRUNSON dennis@theitem.com The year that was 2014 was a busy one on the sports scene in Sumter, Clarendon and Lee counties. There were several championships — both team and individual — won over the 12-month period. Here’s a review of the championships and achievements that took place in the just completed year.

SHS BASEBALL WINS STATE Sumter, the preseason No. 1 4A team in the South Carolina Baseball Coaches Association poll, held that spot all season and concluded the year by winning its third 4A state title in nine years. The Gamecocks, who were again under the leadership of head coach Brooks Shumake after two years at White Knoll, swept Northwestern in the best-of-3 championship series. SHS went 29-2-1, finishing with a 21-game winning streak. Left-handed pitcher Charlie Barnes, now at Clemson, was selected as the 4A Player of the Year while Shumake was the Coach of the Year for all classifications. Barnes went 9-1 with a 0.39 earned run average and one save. He started 11 of the 14 games in which he pitched and had nine complete games. He had 98 strikeouts in 71 innings, allowing just 34 hits and 18 walks. He allowed seven runs the entire season.

WH BASEBALL WINS STATE After finishing as state runnerup in 2013, Wilson Hall won the SCISA 3A baseball state title in 2014. The Barons swept Laurence

SEE DOMINANCE, PAGE B3

SUMTER ITEM FILE PHOTO

Members of the 2014 Sumter High School baseball team celebrate winning the 4A state championship at Gamecock Field in May. The 2-0 sweep of Northwestern gave the Gamecocks their third state crown in the last nine seasons.

Thames, Crolley, Kennedy step down during busy year BY DENNIS BRUNSON dennis@theitem.com There were plenty of local sports teams that won or played for championships in 2014, but it was also a busy year for news that happened off the field as well. As is the case every year, there were coaching changes galore. John Thames, who has more wins than any other girls basketball head coach in the history of South Carolina, retired after 46 years at Manning High School; Keith Crolley, who owns all of the football victories in the history of Crestwood, resigned; Sumter High had its third head coach in three seasons; and Sumter P-15’s baseball head coach Curtis Johnson resigned after three seasons. Also, John Quackenbush, the longtime radio voice of Sumter sports, died as did Helen Johns Carroll, who won a swimming

SUMTER ITEM FILE PHOTO

South Carolina’s all-time winningest girls basketball head coach John Thames, center, stepped down from coaching Manning High School after 46 years -one of a number of coaching changes that occurred in a busy 2014. gold medal in the 1932 Olympics. All in all, it was a very busy year.

MANNING’S THAMES RETIRES After 46 years and an even 1,200

games, Thames announced his retirement as the girls basketball head coach at Manning. The

SEE BUSY, PAGE B3

NFL domestic violence named AP story of year BY RACHEL COHEN The Associated Press NEW YORK — The NFL’s troubles with domestic violence were selected the sports story of the year Tuesday in an annual vote conducted by The Associated Press. NineRICE ty-four ballots were submitted from U.S. editors and news directors. Voters were asked to rank the top 10 sports stories of the year, with the firstplace story receiving 10 points, the secondplace story nine points and so on. NFL domestic vio-

lence received 659 points and 29 firstplace votes. The No. 2 sports story, Clippers owner Donald Sterling forced out by the NBA after his racist statements, had 518 points. Here are 2014’s top 10 stories:

1. NFL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE Baltimore Ravens star running back Ray Rice knocked his now-wife unconscious in an Atlantic City casino elevator Feb. 15, but it wasn’t until July 24 that domestic violence cases spiraled into a crisis roiling the NFL. Commissioner Roger

SEE NFL, PAGE B5

SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2014

SCOREBOARD

SPORTS ITEMS

SHS girls win Lake Marion tournament SANTEE – Sumter High School’s varsity girls basketball team defeated Lake Marion High 60-18 to win the Lake Marion Invitational on Monday at the Lake Marion gymnasium. Jessica Harris, who was selected as the tournament’s most HARRIS valuable player, had 15 points for the Lady Gamecocks, the same as Cy Cooper. Tyra Wilson and Cooper were named to the all-tournament team. Sumter, which improved to 10-2 on the season, led 44-13 at halftime.

since 2011. Brandon Allen threw for 160 yards and two scores as Arkansas rolled to an easy 31-7 win over Texas in the Texas Bowl on Monday night, the Razorbacks’ first bowl appearance since 2011. Arkansas (7-6) built a 24-7 lead by halftime and Jonathan Williams, who finished with 105 yards rushing, added a 1-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter. Texas (6-7) was smothered by Arkansas’ defense almost all night and finished with a season-low 59 total yards to wrap up its first season under head coach Charlie Strong.

(17) WEST VIRGINIA 82

TEXAS A&M DISMISSES ASSISTANT WHO HIT WVU PLAYERS

VIRGINIA TECH 51 MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Juwan Staten scored 18 points and Gary Browne added 12 as No. 17 West Virginia routed Virginia Tech 82-51 Tuesday in a non-conference game. The victory gives the Mountaineers (12-1) their best record since 2009-10 when coach Bob Huggins’ Final Four team achieved the same record. Staten made 6 of 12 field goals, including 3 of 4 from beyond the arc. Browne went 4 of 6 from the floor and made both of his 3-point shots. Adam Smith and Satchel Pierce led Tech (8-5) with 10 points each.

IOWA 71 (20) OHIO ST. 65 COLUMBUS, Ohio — Jarrod Uthoff scored 18 points and Aaron White added 17 to lead Iowa past No. 20 Ohio State 71-65 Tuesday in the Big Ten opener for both teams. The Hawkeyes (10-4, 1-0) never trailed after the opening minute, leading by as many as 12 points in the first half and holding on when Ohio State (11-3, 0-1) applied pressure at the end. Sam Thompson had 17 points, D’Angelo Russell scored 13 despite heavy foul trouble and Marc Loving added 10 for the Buckeyes, who had won eight games in a row in the series before the Hawkeyes won at Value City Arena last year 84-74. Three weeks later, the Buckeyes won in Iowa City 76-69. Iowa holds a 75-72 edge in head-tohead meetings.

TEXAS BOWL ARKANSAS 31 TEXAS 7 HOUSTON — Arkansas got a victory in the Texas Bowl to finish with a winning record for the first time

THE SUMTER ITEM

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Texas A&M has dismissed student assistant coach Michael Richardson a day after videos showed him hitting West Virginia players out of bounds during the Liberty Bowl. Coach Kevin Sumlin apologized to coach Dana Holgorsen, the two players who were hit and West Virginia overall. He said: “I am extremely disappointed and embarrassed, as his behavior reflected poorly on our program.’’ Videos on Twitter late in the first half Monday showed Richardson using his elbow to hit one West Virginia player in the back of the head and pushing another Mountaineer in a separate incident as the Aggies were on their way to a win. Richardson was a freshman linebacker at Texas A&M in 2012 when a spine injury during a game ended his playing career.

STEELERS SIGN TATE AS BACKUP PLAN FOR INJURED BELL PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers are preparing for life without injured running back Le’Veon Bell. The Steelers signed well-traveled Ben Tate on Tuesday as a backup plan in case Bell’s hyperextended right knee does not heal in time for Saturday night’s wild-card game against Baltimore. Coach Mike Tomlin said the Steelers will “leave the light’’ on for the team MVP but is moving forward as if he will not play. Bell suffered injured the knee in the third quarter of last week’s win over Cincinnati. While Tomlin said there is no structural damage to the knee, Bell remains in significant pain. Tate ran for 371 yards and four touchdowns this season for Cleveland and Minnesota. The Vikings released him two weeks ago. From wire reports

TV, RADIO TODAY

Noon – College Basketball: Tulane at East Carolina (ESPNEWS). Noon – College Basketball: Tulsa at Central Florida (ESPNU). Noon – College Basketball: St. John’s at Seton Hall (FOX SPORTS 1). 12:30 p.m. – College Football: Peach Bowl from Atlanta – Mississippi vs. Texas Christian (ESPN). 1 p.m. – College Basketball: Temple at Connecticut (ESPN2). 1 p.m. – College Basketball: East Tennessee State at Tennessee (SEC NETWORK). 2 p.m. – College Basketball: Houston at Memphis (ESPNU). 2:30 p.m. – College Basketball: Butler at Villanova (FOX SPORTS 1). 3 p.m. – College Basketball: Wofford at Duke (FOX SPORTS 1). 4 p.m. – College Basketball: Georgia at Kansas State (ESPNU). 4:10 p.m. – College Football: Fiesta Bowl from Glendale, Ariz. – Arizona vs. Boise State (ESPN). 5 p.m. – College Basketball: South Florida at Southern Methodist (ESPN2). 5 p.m. – College Basketball: Marquette at DePaul (FOX SPORTS 1). 5 p.m. – College Basketball: George Mason at Oklahoma (FOX SPORTSOUTH). 6 p.m. – College Basketball: Cornell at Syracuse (ESPNU). 6:05 p.m. – Talk Show: Sports Talk (WPUB-FM 102.7, WDXY-FM 105.9, WDXY-AM 1240). 7 p.m. – NHL Hockey: Carolina at Pittsburgh (FOX SPORTSOUTH). 7 p.m. – NBA Basketball: Houston at Charlotte (SPORTSOUTH). 7:30 p.m. – College Basketball: Creighton at Providence (FOX SPORTS 1). 8 p.m. – High School Football: Under Armour All-American Game Practice (ESPNU). 8:10 p.m. – College Football: Orange Bowl from Miami – Mississippi State vs. Georgia Tech (ESPN). 10 p.m. – College Basketball: Georgetown at Xavier (FOX SPORTS 1). 3:30 a.m. – International Soccer: Australian League Match – Central Coast vs. Western Sydney (FOX SPORTS 2).

THURSDAY

7:40 a.m. – International Soccer: Barclays Premier League Match – Manchester United vs. Stoke (NBC SPORTS NETWORK). 9:55 a.m. – International Soccer: Barclays Premier League Match – Teams To Be Announced (NBC SPORTS NETWORK). Noon – College Football: Outback Bowl from Tampa, Fla. – Auburn vs. Wisconsin (ESPN2). 12:25 p.m. – International Soccer: Barclays Premier League Match – Chelsea vs. Tottenham (NBC SPORTS NETWORK). 12:45 p.m. – College Football: Cotton Bowl from Arlington, Texas – Michigan State vs. Baylor (ESPN). 1 p.m. – NHL Hockey: Winter Classic from Washington – Chicago vs. Washington (WIS 10). 1 p.m. – College Football: Citrus Bowl from Orlando, Fla. – Missouri vs. Minnesota (WOLO 25). 2:30 p.m. – Women’s College Basketball: Santa Clara at Brigham Young (BYUTV). 5 p.m. – College Basketball: Santa Clara at Brigham Young (BYUTV). 5:10 p.m. – College Football: College Football Playoff Semifinal Rose Bowl from Pasadena, Calif. – Oregon vs. Florida State (ESPN, ESPNU). 6:05 p.m. – Talk Show: Sports Talk (WPUB-FM 102.7, WDXY-FM 105.9, WDXY-AM 1240). 8:50 p.m. – College Football: College Football Playoff Sugar Bowl from New Orleans – Alabama vs. Ohio State (ESPN, ESPNU). 10 p.m. – High School Football: Under Armour All-America Challenge from St. Petersburg, Fla. (ESPN2).

DISTRICT 9 FROM PAGE B1 low-post bucket from Quinton Mobley and a Colymore layup to pull within three and force a Lee Central timeout. Colymore’s final basket of the game, at the 4:55 mark, pulled the Monarchs within one, 46-45. That would prove to be Manning’s last hurrah as the Stallions pulled away with a 15-2 run down the stretch. Despite coming up short in the title game, first-year Manning head coach Stevie Ward was encouraged that his team came away from the tourney with its first two wins of the season. “We are very satisfied with the effort that the guys are putting out now,” said Ward, whose team carries a 2-7 overall mark into a Jan. 6 home game against East Clarendon. “Before, it seemed like they weren’t accepting the offense and now they’re really in the offense, they’re playing hard and they realize that they’ve got to play defense to win, so things are a lot better. We’ve got to make a few more adjustments to be ready for the region.” Slater led the Stallions with 13 while DeShawn Evans closed with 12. Jalen Toney, who was named the

PREP BASKETBALL TOURNAMENTS SCHEDULE CHESTNUT OAKS MIDDLE SCHOOL TOURNAMENT TODAY

1 p.m. – Girls Championship Game 2:30 p.m. – Boys Championship Game

BEN LIPPEN NEW YEAR’S BLAST FRIDAY

Thomas Sumter Academy girls & boys vs. Laurens Academy

SATURDAY

Thomas Sumter Academy girls & boys vs. Ben Lippen

SUMTER CHRISTIAN SCHOOL TOURNAMENT

FRIDAY

3 p.m. Marantha Christian girls vs. Sumter Christian girls 4:30 p.m. Marantha Christian boys vs. Sumter Christian boys 6 p.m. Lake Point girls vs. Mountain View girls 7:30 p.m. Lake Point boys vs. Mountain View boys

SATURDAY

1 p.m. Girls consolation game 2:30 p.m. Boys consolation game 4 p.m. Girls championship game 5:30 p.m. Boys championship game

DEC. 27

Military Bowl At Annapolis, Md. Virginia Tech 33, Cincinnati 17 Sun Bowl At El Paso, Texas Arizona State 36, Duke 31 Independence Bowl At Shreveport, La. South Carolina 24, Miami 21 Pinstripe Bowl At Bronx, N.Y. Penn State 31, Boston College 30, OT Holiday Bowl At San Diego Southern Cal 45, Nebraska 42

MONDAY

.152 .138

20 19

L 8 8 18 21 22

Pct .733 .733 .438 .382 .313

GB – – 9 11 13

L 9 12 16 21 23

Pct .710 .600 .500 .344 .233

GB – 3 1/2 6 1/2 11 1/2 14 1/2

L 8 9 10 13 15

Pct .733 .700 .688 .594 .500

GB – 1 1 4 7

L 7 17 18 21 24

Pct .781 .469 .419 .323 .172

GB – 10 11 1/2 14 1/2 18 1/2

L 5 11 14 18 22

Pct .828 .656 .563 .419 .290

GB – 4 1/2 7 1/2 12 16

WESTERN CONFERENCE SOUTHWEST DIVISION W Memphis 22 Houston 21 Dallas 22 San Antonio 19 New Orleans 15 NORTHWEST DIVISION W Portland 25 Oklahoma City 15 Denver 13 Utah 10 Minnesota 5 PACIFIC DIVISION W Golden State 24 L.A. Clippers 21 Phoenix 18 Sacramento 13 L.A. Lakers 9

MONDAY’S GAMES

Chicago 92, Indiana 90 Milwaukee 104, Charlotte 94, OT Orlando 102, Miami 101 Brooklyn 107, Sacramento 99 Washington 104, Houston 103 L.A. Clippers 101, Utah 97

TUESDAY’S GAMES

Detroit at Orlando, 7 p.m. Cleveland at Atlanta, 7:30 p.m. Phoenix at New Orleans, 8 p.m. Brooklyn at Chicago, 8 p.m. San Antonio at Memphis, 8 p.m. Washington at Dallas, 8:30 p.m. L.A. Lakers at Denver, 9 p.m. Minnesota at Utah, 9 p.m. Toronto at Portland, 10 p.m. Philadelphia at Golden State, 10:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY’S GAMES

Sacramento at Boston, 1 p.m. Miami at Indiana, 3 p.m. New York at L.A. Clippers, 6 p.m. Charlotte at Houston, 7 p.m. New Orleans at San Antonio, 7 p.m. Milwaukee at Cleveland, 7 p.m. Phoenix at Oklahoma City, 8 p.m.

THURSDAY’S GAMES

Denver at Chicago, 8 p.m. Sacramento at Minnesota, 8 p.m.

NFL PLAYOFFS By The Associated Press WILD-CARD PLAYOFFS SATURDAY

Arizona at Carolina, 4:35 p.m. (ESPN) Baltimore at Pittsburgh, 8:15 p.m. (NBC)

SUNDAY

Cincinnati at Indianapolis, 1:05 (CBS) Detroit at Dallas, 4:40 p.m. (FOX)

DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS JAN. 10

Baltimore, Indianapolis or Cincinnati at New England, 4:35 p.m. (NBC) Arizona, Detroit or Carolina at Seattle, 8:15 p.m. (FOX) Arizona, Dallas or Carolina at Green Bay, 1:05 p.m. (FOX) Indianapolis, Cincinnati or Pittsburgh at Denver, 4:40 p.m. (CBS)

CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS JAN. 18

NFC, 3:05 p.m. (FOX) AFC, 6:40 p.m. (CBS)

PRO BOWL

At Glendale, Ariz.

JAN. 25

Team Irvin vs. Team Carter, 8 p.m. (ESPN)

SUPER BOWL XLIX

At Glendale, Ariz.

FEB. 1

Liberty Bowl At Memphis, Tenn. Texas A&M 45, West Virginia 37 Russell Athletic Bowl At Orlando, Fla. Clemson 40, Oklahoma 6 Texas Bowl At Houston Arkansas 31, Texas 7

AFC champion vs. NFC champion, 6:30 p.m. (NBC)

NHL STANDINGS By The Associated Press

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Music City Bowl At Nashville, Tenn. Notre Dame vs. LSU (late) Belk Bowl At Charlotte Louisville vs. Georgia (late) Fosters Farm Bowl At Santa Clara, Calif. Stanford vs. Maryland (late)

TODAY

Peach Bowl At Atlanta Mississippi (9-3) vs. TCU (11-1), 12:30 p.m. (ESPN) Fiesta Bowl At Glendale, Ariz. Boise State (11-2) vs. Arizona (10-3), 4 p.m. (ESPN) Orange Bowl At Miami Gardens, Fla. Mississippi State (10-2) vs. Georgia Tech (103), 8 p.m. (ESPN)

THURSDAY

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

FRIDAY

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

ATLANTIC DIVISION GP W Tampa Bay 38 23 Montreal 36 23 Detroit 37 19 Toronto 37 20 Boston 37 19 Florida 33 16 Ottawa 36 15 Buffalo 37 14 METROPOLITAN DIVISION GP W Pittsburgh 36 22 N.Y. Islanders 36 24 Washington 36 18 N.Y. Rangers 34 19 Philadelphia 36 14 Columbus 34 15 New Jersey 38 13 Carolina 36 10

L 11 11 9 14 15 9 14 20

OT Pts GF GA 4 50 122 99 2 48 98 85 9 47 105 94 3 43 124 111 3 41 98 99 8 40 79 86 7 37 97 99 3 31 75 123

L 9 11 11 11 16 16 18 22

OT Pts GF GA 5 49 109 86 1 49 112 101 7 43 105 94 4 42 102 87 6 34 100 109 3 33 86 109 7 33 82 108 4 24 72 98

WESTERN CONFERENCE CENTRAL DIVISION GP W L OT Chicago 37 25 10 2 Nashville 35 23 9 3 St. Louis 36 22 11 3 Winnipeg 37 19 11 7 Minnesota 34 17 13 4 Dallas 35 16 14 5 Colorado 36 13 15 8 PACIFIC DIVISION GP W L OT Anaheim 38 24 8 6 Vancouver 34 20 11 3 San Jose 36 19 12 5 Los Angeles 37 18 12 7 Calgary 38 20 15 3 Arizona 36 14 18 4 Edmonton 36 7 22 7 NOTE: Two points for a win, overtime loss.

Pts 52 49 47 45 38 37 34

GF GA 117 78 103 76 106 90 94 87 99 95 102 118 92 109

Pts 54 43 43 43 43 32 21 one

GF GA 107 101 100 93 100 93 101 91 110 100 86 115 76 125 point for

MONDAY’S GAMES

Chicago 5, Nashville 4, SO Boston 5, Detroit 2 New Jersey 3, Pittsburgh 1 N.Y. Islanders 4, Washington 3, OT Montreal 3, Carolina 1 Ottawa 5, Buffalo 2 Tampa Bay 3, Toronto 2 St. Louis 3, Colorado 0 Minnesota 3, Winnipeg 2 Dallas 3, N.Y. Rangers 2 Calgary 2, Los Angeles 1 Arizona 4, Philadelphia 2

TUESDAY’S GAMES

Montreal at Florida, 7:30 p.m. St. Louis at Nashville, 8 p.m. Los Angeles at Edmonton, 9:30 p.m. Vancouver at San Jose, 10 p.m.

TODAY’S GAMES

JAN. 12

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

NBA STANDINGS By The Associated Press EASTERN CONFERENCE ATLANTIC DIVISION Toronto Brooklyn Boston

28 25

JAN. 11

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

TUESDAY

tournament’s most valuable player, finished with six. “He held the best player (defensively) on each team that we played,” Knox said of Toney’s MVP effort. “Number one (Ravon Witherspoon, who finished with 14 points) was the best player (for Manning), so he was stuck playing defense, and he had quite a few assists down the stretch there. But his defensive effort helped him to get the MVP.” Spring Valley completed a dominant run through the girls bracket with a 77-26 victory over Manning. With the win, the 4A Lady Vikings finished the event undefeated, winning their four games by an average margin of 40.5 points while running their overall record to 8-3. Christian Hithe, who was named the tournament’s most valuable player, led Spring Valley with 18 points. The former Sumter High School player averaged 15.8 points in her team’s four games. Shantay Taylor added 10 for the Lady Vikings, who placed 12 players in the scoring column. Makeba Harvin scored nine and Mahogany Green added eight for the Lady Monarchs, who closed the tourney with a 2-2 record and now stand at 5-4 on the season.

New York 5 Philadelphia 4 SOUTHEAST DIVISION W Atlanta 22 Washington 22 Miami 14 Orlando 13 Charlotte 10 CENTRAL DIVISION W Chicago 22 Cleveland 18 Milwaukee 16 Indiana 11 Detroit 7

W 24 14 10

L 7 16 18

Pct .774 .467 .357

GB – 9 1/2 12 1/2

N.Y. Islanders at Winnipeg, 5 p.m. Tampa Bay at Buffalo, 6 p.m. N.Y. Rangers at Florida, 6 p.m. Toronto at Boston, 7 p.m. Carolina at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. Minnesota at Columbus, 7 p.m. New Jersey at Detroit, 7:30 p.m. San Jose at Anaheim, 8 p.m. Arizona at Dallas, 8:30 p.m. Philadelphia at Colorado, 9 p.m. Edmonton at Calgary, 9:30 p.m.

THURSDAY’S GAMES

Chicago vs. Washington at Washington, DC, 1 p.m. Los Angeles at Vancouver, 10 p.m.

LOCAL SPORTS

THE SUMTER ITEM

2A runner-up, while the Wilson Hall boys golf team was the SCISA 3A runner-up. The Sumter P-15’s finished second in the American Legion baseball state tournament. Sumter High heavyweight wrestler Nathan O’Connor finished second in the 4A individual state meet.

DOMINANCE FROM PAGE B1 Manning Academy in the best-of-3 championship series. WH won the series with a 5-4, 12-inning victory. Kemper Patton was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to drive in Jay Goodson with the winning run. Left-handed pitcher John Patrick Sears was the SCISA 3A State Player of the Year. He went 7-0 this year with a 0.49 earned run average in helping lead the Barons to a 28-1 record. He allowed three earned runs, striking out 96 and walking just 17 in 55 innings.

EDWARDS, JONES, PAIR WIN TRACK & FIELD TITLES Sumter’s Devontaye Edwards and Sherah Pair and Lakewood’s Otis Jones won individual state titles in the SCHSL state track and field meets. Edwards defended his state title in the 4A boys shot put, while Jones won the 3A boys 800-meter run for a second straight year. Pair came away with a state title in the 4A girls discus.

LADY BARONS DEFEND TITLE Wilson Hall’s softball team won its second straight SCISA 3A title, beating Laurence Manning Academy 2-1 in the best-of-3 championship series. The deciding game was played in Columbia at the University of South Carolina’s Beckham Field. Wilson Hall won the game 1-0. Wilson Hall finished with a 31-6 record.

TSA SOFTBALL WINS TITLE Thomas Sumter Academy won its first softball state title, sweeping Thomas Heyward Academy in the best-of-3 SCISA 2A state championship series. The Lady Generals, who went 29-3, defeated THA by scores of 7-2 and 7-3 to win the title.

REL BASEBALL WINS TITLE Robert E. Lee Academy won its first baseball state title since the 1990s, sweeping Carolina Academy in the SCISA 2A best-of-3 series. It was also the first state title ever for longtime SCISA coach David Rankin. The Cavaliers, who finished

BUSY FROM PAGE B1 80-year-old Thames finished with a record of 869-331, winning two state titles. He became the state’s career victory leader during the 2011-12 season, picking up victory No. 828 to pass Mullins’ Fred Senter, one of Thames’ good friends. He led the Lady Monarchs to three runner-up finishes, 15 region titles and seven region tournament crowns. Thames is a member of the South Carolina Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame, the Clarendon County Athletic Hall of Fame and received the Order of the Silver Crescent, the state’s highest award for volunteer or community service. The man hired to replace Thames was Darren Mazyck, the former head coach at C.E. Murray. The 44-year-old Mazyck had yet to be born when Thames began his coaching career.

KNIGHTS’ CROLLEY RESIGNS; NELSON HIRED After 16 years and an even 100 victories as Crestwood head football coach, Crolley resigned that position as well as the one of athletic coordinator. Crolley was Crestwood’s second head coach, taking over in the school’s third year of existence. The Knights were winless in their first two seasons, but won their first game under Crolley. Roosevelt Nelson, a Shrine Bowl linebacker for Crolley,

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2014

WALKER, ROEDL, SINGLETON WIN TRACK & FIELD TITLES

SUMTER ITEM FILE PHOTO

Wilson Hall senior Bailey Connor, center, holds up two fingers and the SCISA 3A state softball championship trophy as teammates Danielle de Holl (2) and Hannah Grace Calvert (11) look on at South Carolina’s Beckham Field in Columbia in May. 24-9, won the deciding game 10-7. REL’s Denton Lee hit a grand slam home run in the bottom of the sixth inning to break a 6-6 tie.

ball and softball teams finishing as state runner-ups, the Swampcat football team did the same. Laurence Manning reached the SCISA 3A title game for the first time since 1997, losing to Hammond. Crestwood High School’s girls basketball team played for its first ever state title. The Lady Knights lost to Dreher in the 3A title game. The East Clarendon softball team, after beating Dixie to win the 2013, 1A state title, finished second, losing the crown to Dixie. Clarendon Hall was the SCISA 1A softball runner-up. Thomas Sumter’s girls basketball team was the SCISA

WH GIRLS WIN BOWLING TITLE The Wilson Hall girls bowling team won the SCISA state tournament by 19 pins. The Lady Barons finished with a 3-game total of 377 while Cardinal Newman was second at 358. Defending state champion Heathwood Hall was third at 345 and Thomas Sumter Academy was fourth at 343.

RUNNER-UPS GALORE Along with the LMA base-

was hired as his replacement. Crestwood went 1-9 this past season. Brian Jackson was hired as the athletic coordinator.

ond in the 2014 state tournament. Steve Campbell, the head coach of Dalzell-Shaw Post 175 the past five seasons, was hired as Johnson’s replacement. Campbell was 29-77 with the Jets, leading them to the state playoffs his final four seasons.

KENNEDY RESIGNS; JONES HIRED After leading Sumter to the 4A Division I football state championship game and a 9-6 record in his first season, Reggie Kennedy resigned as head coach and athletic coordinator to take similar positions at Irmo. KENNEDY John Jones, Kennedy’s offensive coordinator, was selected as his replacement. The Gamecocks went 7-5 this past season, losing in the first round of the playoffs. Terrence Scriven was hired as the athletic coordinator.

QUACKENBUSH PASSES AWAY Quackenbush, the radio voice for sports in Sumter for more than four decades, died on Sunday in Columbia at the age of 80. Quackenbush covered football and basketball for Edmunds High and later Sumter High School for more than two decades and Sumter P-15’s American Legion baseball for more than three decades, stretching over 40-plus years. Quackenbush was also known for taking information that came in on The Associated Press ticker tape machine about New York Yankee games, for whom Sumter native Bobby Richardson played from the mid 1950s through the mid ‘60s, and reproducing

P-15’S JOHNSON RESIGNS; CAMPBELL HIRED Johnson announced his resignation as the P-15’s head coach after three seasons, going 82-27 and finishing sec-

LMA’s Charlie Walker, Wilson Hall’s Devon Singleton and TSA’s Taylor Roedl won individual state titles in the SCISA state track and field meets Walker won the 3A boys 400-meter hurdles, Singleton won the 3A boys 400 run and Roedel won the 1A/2A boys 200 dash.

YANKEES DRAFT MONTGOMERY Former Sumter High and University of South Carolina standout left-handed pitcher Jordan Montgomery was selected by the New York Yankees in the fourth round of the Major League Baseball draft. The 122nd overall selection, Montgomery was 20-7 record with a 2.96 earned run average in his three years at USC.

ROHNER WINS ACC DECATHLON TITLE Robert Rohner, the former

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Wilson Hall standout track and field athlete, won the decathlon title at the Atlantic Coast Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Rohner scored 7,233 points to pace a Duke contingent that took the first three places. Junior Ian Rock placed second with 7,122 points and graduate student Curtis Beach finished third with 6,997 points.

FIRE ANTS WIN REGION The University of South Carolina Sumter baseball team won the NJCAA Region X tournament for the first time, and just missed making a trip to the Junior College World Series. By winning the region, the Fire Ants hosted the Eastern District tournament at Riley Park. Sumter was the last undefeated team and led Spartanburg Methodist College 3-1 in the seventh inning of a championship round game. SMC rallied to win the game 5-4 in 10 innings and won the winner-take-all game 7-2 to earn the trip to the JUCO World Series.

TWO TEAMS REACH DIXIE WORLD SERIES The Turbeville Angels Traditional all-star softball team and the Sumter Junior Dixie Boys all-star baseball team played in their respective Dixie World Series. Turbeville went 3-2 in its World Series in North Myrtle Beach. Sumter went 2-2 in its World Series played in Bossier City, La.

UNCLE SIGH IN KENTUCKY DERBY Uncle Sigh, a horse owned by Sumter native Chip McEwen III, ran in the 140th Kentucky Derby. Uncle Sigh finished 14th out of 19 entries.

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the ‘28 record by 9.6 seconds.

OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST CARROLL PASSES AWAY

Chris Vandevander resigned as the Sumter girls basketball head coach after six seasons. Vandevander went 92-45, making the playoffs each year and reaching at least the second round three of those years. The Lady Gamecocks also won outright or shared the region title the final four seasons. Jason Loudenslager, the former head coach at Colleton County and the current girls and boys tennis coach at SHS, was selected as Vandevander’s replacement.

Carroll, the winner of a swimming gold medal in the 1932 Olympics who had lived in Sumter the past 57 years, died at the age of 99 in July. Carroll was just 17 years old when she was selected to the U.S. Olympic team for the ‘32 games held in Los Angeles. She swam the second leg on the women’s 400-meter freestyle relay team that earned the gold medal. The team set a world record at the time of 4 minutes, 38 seconds, breaking

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2014

THE SUMTER ITEM

In Harbaugh, Michigan hopes to find its Saban BY RALPH D. RUSSO The Associated Press

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Clemson quarterback Cole Stoudt, right, holds up his trophy after being named MVP of the Russell Athletic Bowl after the Tigers’ 40-6 victory over Oklahoma on Monday in Orlando, Fla.

Stoudt finally has night to remember against Sooners BY SCOTT KEEPFER Greenville News ORLANDO, Fla. — “Threeand-out Stoudt?” How about “Shout-it-out Stoudt?” The Clemson University football team got a redemptive performance from much-maligned senior quarterback Cole Stoudt in the Russell Athletic Bowl on Monday night, and the result was a 40-6 shellacking of Oklahoma at Citrus Bowl Stadium. Stoudt passed for a careerhigh 319 yards with three touchdowns and ran for a fourth score in the romp that culminated a fourth consecutive 10-win season for the Tigers. Clemson’s defense also turned in a dominant performance against the Sooners, but we’d come to expect that from a top-ranked unit that was without peer during the 2014 season. Stoudt? Now that was another issue entirely. An on-again, off-again starter who wound up being criticized mightily after throwing 10 interceptions against just six touchdowns in his senior season, Stoudt drew the ire of many in the Clemson fan base, none of whom likely saw coming what unfolded Monday. Pushed back into the starter’s role courtesy of Deshaun Watson’s recent season-ending knee surgery, Stoudt made the

most of his final game. “It’s all about how you finish,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “And he played the best game of his career in his last game.” His last game began with a bang. Freshman wide receiver Artavis Scott gathered in a short screen pass from Stoudt on the Tigers’ first play from scrimmage and dashed 65 yards for a touchdown. The play not only set the tone for the night, but also set the tone for Stoudt, who appeared to gain confidence with every completion. “People always doubt Cole,” Scott said. “But we had no doubt in him. People are gonna talk, but they don’t know what they’re talking about.” Apparently. Stoudt appeared for all the world to resemble an All-Atlantic Coast Conference quarterback against Oklahoma, completing a variety of passes, controlling the flow of the offense and even darting for a 2-yard touchdown. As the game wore on, Stoudt’s effort became more impressive — in particular to his father, Cliff, who sat in the stands surrounded by family and friends who joined in rel-

ishing in the moment. “Any athlete, when they go through tough times, wants to make a statement,” Cliff said. He should know. A former standout quarterback at Youngstown State who enjoyed a lengthy NFL career, most notably with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cliff has personally experienced the highs and lows that the game of sport seems to regularly provide. Cliff was perhaps most proud of his son through those lows. “I can’t believe the way he has handled this all year long,” Cliff said. “He’s never complained, never made excuses; he just kept plugging away.” Plugging away paid off quite handsomely Monday night, thank you. “For him to come out and play the way he did tonight was beyond my wildest expectations,” Cliff said. “I would’ve been happy with 7-6.” By night’s end, Cole Stoudt had become just the third quarterback in Clemson history to pass for more than 300 yards in a bowl game. The other two? Tajh Boyd and Brandon Streeter, the latter of whom was hired as Cole’s new position coach.

Michigan needed a gamechanger. A coach who could restore the shine to one of the college football’s jewels. The Wolverines needed their Nick Saban, who pulled Alabama from the muck of mediocrity and made the Crimson Tide champions again. Jim Harbaugh could be that man for Michigan. The former Wolverines quarterback is returning to Ann Arbor, Michigan, to coach his alma mater. The 51-year-old signed a sevenyear deal to become the new coach at Michigan that will pay him $5 million per year. Harbaugh and the San Francisco 49ers parted ways after Sunday’s season finale, clearing the way for him to make the wishes of so many Michigan fans come true. “There are no turnarounds at Michigan,’’ he said Tuesday at his introductory news conference. “This is greatness.’’ Not lately. The program that has won more games than any in college football history has been searching for answers the last seven years. Since coach Lloyd Carr stepped down after the 2006 season, Michigan is 46-40 with no Big Ten titles under Rich Rodriguez, who never fit in, and Brady Hoke, who seemed in over his head. Harbaugh, who played for the revered Bo Schembechler at Michigan,

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Jim Harbaugh, Michigan’s new head football coach, was introduced at a news conference on Tuesday in Ann Arbor, Mich.

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turned Stanford into a West Coast powerhouse after years of Pac-10 cellardwelling for the Cardinal. Then he tried the NFL and the success was resounding and immediate. In the four years Harbaugh was with the 49ers he won 44 games. In the eight years before Harbaugh got to San Francisco, the 49ers won 46 games. Michigan fans expect Harbaugh to do for the Wolverines what Saban has done for Alabama. In the 10 years before Saban left the Miami Dolphins and returned to college football with the Tide, Alabama was 67-55. The Tide have won three national titles since Saban took over in 2007. Michigan fans expect Harbaugh to put Michigan on equal footing with Ohio State and Urban Meyer, who has gone 36-3 in three years with the Buckeyes, beating Michigan every time. “Of all the rock star coaches that have been hired in recent years,’’ said Gerry DiNardo, the former LSU coach who now works as an analyst for the Big Ten Network, “if Jim is hired, he will have the biggest challenge, relative to Nick and Urban.’’ What awaits Harbaugh at Michigan? Michigan has talent. There are building blocks in running backs Deveon Smith and Derrick Green, tight end Jake Butt, guard Kyle Kalis, linebackers Joe Bolden and Mike McCray and cornerbacks Jourdan Lewis and Jabrill Peppers.

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YEAR IN SPORTS

THE SUMTER ITEM

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2014

Gwynn, Beliveau among those lost in ’14 BY FRED LIEF The Associated Press

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Hall of Famer and San Diego great Tony Gwynn died on June 16 at the age of 54. Gwynn is arguably the best hitter of the past 50 years. lence. Ryne Sandberg made it a point to watch Gwynn take batting practice. Greg Maddux called him the “best pure hitter I ever faced.’’ Gwynn spent all of his 20 years in San Diego, where he was “Mr. Padre,’’ his diligence and study of the game unsur-

passed. He happily talked at length to rookies about the art of hitting, his laughter cackling across the seasons. He died at 54 and believed his years chewing tobacco had much to do with his oral cancer. “The greatest Padre ever,’’

Commissioner Bud Selig said, “and one of the most accomplished hitters that our game has known.’’ Beliveau, like Gwynn, played all 20 years for one team. He might have been the most revered of all the Canadiens, and in Montreal that is

NFL FROM PAGE B1 Goodell suspended Rice for just two games, which drew widespread derision. More than a month passed before Goodell admitted he “didn’t get it right” and announced harsher sanctions for future domestic violence offenses. But the NFL’s problems were only beginning. On Sept. 8, TMZ Sports released video from inside the elevator that showed Rice punching his then-fiancee; the Ravens responded by releasing him and Goodell suspended him indefinitely. On Sept. 12, Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson was indicted on felony child abuse charges for using a wooden switch to discipline his 4-year-old son.

2. CLIPPERS’ OWNER STERLING BANNED Donald Sterling had withstood accusations of racism throughout his more than three decades as owner of the Los Angeles Clippers. But when audio surfaced April 25 of Sterling spewing racist remarks, he was banned for life by new NBA Commissioner Adam Silver just four days later and forced to sell the team.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Pennsylvania’s Mo’ne Davis, who became an instant celebrity in August when she became the first girl to win a Little League World Series game, is The Associated Press 2014 Female Athlete of the Year.

Davis wins AP Female Athlete of the Year honor BY ROB MAADDI The Associated Press

This time, LeBron James decided to return home.

4. FIRSTS FOR GAY ATHLETES Jason Collins became the first openly gay man to play in the big four North American pro sports leagues when he made his debut with the Brooklyn Nets on Feb. 23. Missouri All-American Michael Sam came out as well and went on to be drafted into the NFL.

5. GIANTS WIN WS Madison Bumgarner pitched seven dominant innings to win Game 1 of the World Series. Then the San Francisco ace topped himself with a shutout in Game 5. He outdid himself yet again with five scoreless innings of relief in Game 7 to clinch the Giants’ third championship in five years.

6. COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF PAYS OFF Ohio State lost to Virginia Tech on Sept. 6. Oregon was upset by Arizona on Oct. 2, and Alabama fell to Ole Miss two days later. The rest of those teams’ regular-season games still mattered because of the new College

Football Playoff, which made more and more matchups meaningful deep into the fall.

7. TONY STEWART One of NASCAR’s biggest stars, Tony Stewart, was taking part in a small sprint car race in upstate New York on Aug. 9 when he struck and killed 20-year-old driver Kevin Ward Jr. A grand jury decided not to bring criminal charges against Stewart, who skipped three NASCAR races as he grieved.

8. WORLD CUP Brazil’s World Cup was a big celebration until those German goals started piling up. The expected massive protests didn’t materialize, and the construction delays caused few headaches.

9. ’HAWKS WIN SUPER BOWL Richard Sherman’s Seattle defense was way too much for Peyton Manning’s Denver offense. The Seahawks flustered and flattened the Broncos with a 43-8 victory in the Super Bowl.

10. SOCHI OLYMPICS The Sochi Olympics opened amid fears of terrorist attacks. The games went on peacefully, with the hosts winning 33 medals — though not in hockey.

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PHILADELPHIA — No one in the sports world had heard of the 2014 Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year until August. That’s when 13-year-old Mo’ne Davis became an instant celebrity as she took the mound in the Little League World Series and mowed down batter after batter, giving “throw like a girl’’ a whole new meaning. She was the first girl to win a Little League World Series game, and her performance dazzled fans young and old. Her steely gaze and demeanor on the mound were intimidating, while off-the-field, she shined in interviews. She told admirers that if they thought she was good at baseball, they should see her play hoops. Only in eighth grade, Davis already plays for her school’s high school varsity basketball team. Davis appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated, has her jersey displayed in baseball’s Hall of Fame and was named Sports Kid of the Year by Sports Illustrated Kids. She met the Obamas at the White House, starred in a Spike Lee-directed car commercial (the NCAA said it wouldn’t hurt her eligibility),

marched in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade along with her Taney Dragons teammates and presented Pharrell Williams with Soul Train’s “Song of the Year’’ award. “A lot of adults around me help out, taught me to be respectful, to be calm during everything and not let anything get to you,’’ Davis said after learning of her latest honor. A vote by U.S. editors and news directors selected Davis as The Associated Press 2014 Female Athlete of the Year. The youngest winner in history, Davis beat out Mt. St. Joseph freshman Lauren Hill — who played her first college basketball game while battling terminal brain cancer — and three-time winner Serena Williams. The selection was announced Monday.

3. LEBRON GOES HOME

Four years after spurning Cleveland to sign with the Miami Heat, the Northeast Ohio native and four-time NBA MVP announced July 11 that he was rejoining the Cavaliers.

For one, the tool of choice was a bat. For the other, a stick. Tony Gwynn and Jean Beliveau died in 2014, unparalleled craftsmen who made the supremely difficult look almost easy. They played with elegance and grace, ambassadors for baseball and hockey. They were enduring landmarks in their cities — Gwynn in San Diego, Beliveau in Montreal. They were sports royalty, yet never lost the common touch. Dodgers broadcasters Vin Scully called Gwynn a “genius with the bat.’’ Who could doubt that? With a left-handed swing as fluid as any in the game, Gwynn owned the real estate between shortstop and third base, unerringly slashing singles through the left side. He won eight batting titles and finished with a .338 career average, rarely striking out. He did not hit below .309 in a full season. He played in two World Series, and hit .371 while he was there. In 1994, he neared baseball’s Holy Grail of .400, only to be stopped by a players’ strike and ending at .394. By the time he quit in 2001, he had 3,141 hits. Fellow Hall of Famers understood the level of excel-

no small thing. As Gwynn had great vision on the diamond, so it was with Beliveau on the ice. He combined strength and delicacy at center and for a stretch in the mid-1950s he led Montreal to five straight NHL titles, the bedrock of a dynasty. He finished with 507 goals when he retired in 1971. A year later, the normal wait dispensed with, he entered the Hockey Hall of Fame. In all, he won 10 Stanley Cups and was twice the MVP. There were seven other titles as a Canadiens executive. “It was such a pleasure to watch him play and handle the puck, teammate Donnie Marshall said. “He was so graceful on the ice.’’ Beliveau, Montreal’s captain, was the quintessential gentleman. He died at 83 and his funeral had the trappings of a state affair. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper was on hand. Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard said Beliveau was the “image of what we would like ourselves to be.’’ Ken Dryden, Montreal’s longtime stellar goaltender, said his one-time roommate made every occasion better. “He said the right things, in the right way, in French and English,’’ Dryden recalled. “Because that’s what he believed and that’s what he was.’’

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SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2014

THE SUMTER ITEM

Bumgarner wins AP Male Athlete of the Year BY JANIE MCCAULEY The Associated Press SAN FRANCISCO — Madison Bumgarner sat in the outfield alongside Jake Peavy before Game 7 of the World Series and told his teammate exactly what needed to happen: Tim Hudson would work a few innings and get the ball to Bumgarner, who would hand it off to the bullpen to finish the championship. Peavy quickly offered his own prediction that Bumgarner would end it himself. That’s exactly what MadBum did, following up a pair of World Series wins with a save at Kansas City to close out San Francisco’s third title in five years and cap a brilliant postseason that made him a household name — or, at the very least, a household nickname. He is the 2014 Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year. “I was sitting in the outfield with Madison and he was asking me how I thought this game was going to play out,’’ Peavy recalled this month. “I said to him: `Madison, when you get the ball, you’re not coming out of the game. You’re the best guy we’ve got.’ ... He said, `Man, that’s exactly what I hoped you would say’ and exactly what he wanted. He just needed some confirmation, somebody to believe in him as well. I said, `Fight for that ball, man,’ and what he did will go down in the ages as the best ever.’’

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

San Francisco pitcher Madison Bumgarner’s dominant postseason run led to his being named the 2014 Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year. The shaggy-haired left-hander who takes as much pride in his pitching and durability as he does his deep North Carolina roots, Bumgarner became October’s biggest star for a San Francisco club that really needed one during another improbable World Series run. Bumgarner finished first in a vote by U.S. editors and news directors. He beat out Dodgers pitcher Clayton Ker-

OBITUARIES VICKIE H. RIGOR DALZELL — Vickie Hundley Rigor, beloved wife of 39 years to Jose Rigor, died on Monday, Dec. 29, 2014, at Tuomey Regional Medical Center. Born in North Carolina, she was a daughter of Keith R. and Shirley Faircloth Hundley. Vickie moved to Sumter in 1994, and she and her husband Jose joined St. Anne Catholic Church, where she worked for many years as a devoted church secretary. Her hobbies included crocheting and making jewelry, which she always gave away to others. She will be remembered as a loving wife, daughter, mother, sister and friend. Vickie will be dearly missed by all who knew her. Surviving in addition to her husband and parents are one son, Vincent H.C. Rigor of Sumter; and one sister, Leath Starr of North Carolina. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday at St. Anne Catholic Church with Father Thomas Burke, C.SS.R. officiating. Burial will follow in St. Lawrence Cemetery. A Wake service will be held from 6 to 6:30 p.m. on Friday with the family receiving friends following from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Bullock Funeral Home. Memorials may be made to the Sumter SPCA, 1140 S. Guignard Drive, Sumter, SC 29150. You may sign the family’s guest book at www.bullockfuneralhome.com. The family has chosen Bullock Funeral Home of Sumter for the arrangements.

House, Florence. Born on Aug. 29, 1951, in Marion County, she was a daughter of the late James Miles and Floretha Tart Wilson. Mrs. Boykin graduated from Johnakin High School, Marion. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Voorhees College, Demark, and received her master’s degree from South Carolina State University. She retired from Sumter School District 17 after having taught for 33 years. She later worked an additional three years in the Lee County School System. In her community, she was an active member of the Sunshine Ladies Club and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., Eta Zeta Omega Chapter. Mrs. Boykin was an active member of Union Baptist Church, Rembert, where she served as secretary to the YWA for many years. She also served on the education ministry and volunteered with the summer youth camp, where she was the co-director. She initiated and sponsored, until her death, a Father’s Day program that recognized all fathers in the church, where she personally provided gifts to each father in the church. She was united in marriage for 40 years to Marvin Boykin. To this union, three sons were born: Eric Marvin, Erik (Tasha) of Hackettstown, New Jersey, and Justin (Brittany) of Fort Polk, Louisiana; and two grandchildren, Erin Boykin and Elyssa Boykin (Erik). Along with her immediate family, she leaves to cherish her precious memory: one

MARTIN C. ALESSANDRO Martin Charles Alessandro, age 93, died on Monday, Dec. 29, 2014, at Tuomey Regional Medical Center. Arrangements are incomplete at this time and will be announced by Bullock Funeral Home of Sumter.

sister, Debra Williams of Marion; five brothers, Leon Wilson of Latta, Charles Wilson of Darlington, Donald Wilson of Myrtle Beach, Milton Wilson of Columbia and Cornelius Wilson of Mullins; a special mother, Alberta Davis of Sumter; and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and supportive friends. She was preceded in death by her father and mother; one son, Eric Marvin; one brother, Ronald Wilson; and four sisters, Cynthia Williams, Patricia Legette, Wanda Faye Wilson and Angela Renee WilsonDavis. Homegoing services will be held at 1 p.m. on Friday at Union Baptist Church, 5840 Springhill Road, Rembert, with the Rev. Joshua Dupree officiating, the Rev. Mary L. Johnson, eulogist, assisted by the Rev. Calvin Haste, the Rev. O.J. Hanna and Elder Delcia Harper-Baxter. The family is receiving family and friends at the home, 678 Marlborough Drive, Sumter. A wake service will be held from 6 to 7 p.m. today at the John Wesley Williams Sr. Memorial Chapel, Williams Funeral Home Inc., 821 N. Main St., Sumter, during which the Ivy Beyond the Wall Ceremony, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. Eta Zeta Omega Chapter will be conducted. The remains will be placed in the church at noon. The procession will leave at 12:15 p.m. from the home. Flower bearers will be the Sunshine Ladies Club. Honorary flower bearers will be Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. Eta Zeta Omega Chapter.

from

F. PRESTON ROBINSON F. Preston Robinson, 66, died on Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2014, at Tuomey Regional Medical Center. Services will be announced by Elmore-Cannon-Stephens Funeral Home and Crematorium of Sumter.

shaw — who won the National League Cy Young and MVP but lost to Bumgarner’s Giants in the playoffs. Retiring New York Yankees star Derek Jeter and golfer Rory McIlroy tied for third place. The award was announced Tuesday. After months of the same questions about his well-tested left arm, Bumgarner made light of it all. He had just thrown 270 innings, in-

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cluding 21 with two wins and a save in a World Series that went the distance against the fellow wild-card Royals. “I got a splinter in my finger the other day. That was kind of painful,’’ Bumgarner quipped, sounding perfectly serious. “Fortunately, it was on my right hand.’’ Bruce Bochy’s 25-year-old workhorse has earned the manager’s trust that he will speak up if anything ever feels off with his arm. Otherwise, he’s going to keep getting the ball. With that tricky cross-body, threequarters delivery — resembling a sling shot — Bumgarner shows hitters the ball briefly with an outstretched arm before that rapid release and suddenly it’s right there leaving batters baffled. On two days’ rest in Game 7, that day he sat with Peavy in Kansas City, he pitched five scoreless innings of relief in a 3-2 win. Only after that would Bumgarner acknowledge he might need a mental and physical break at last after tossing a record 52 2/3 postseason innings. The Giants locked up Bumgarner long-term in April 2012 on a $35.56 million, six-year contract through 2017. It could keep him in orange and black even longer, given the $12 million options for the 2018 and 2019 seasons. That almost seems like a bargain now given Bumgarner’s performance and star power on baseball’s biggest stage.

Pallbearers will be immediate family and friends. Burial will be in Union Baptist Churchyard cemetery. Online memorial messages may be sent to the family at williamsfuneralhome@sc.rr. com. Visit us on the web at www. williamsfuneralhomeinc.com. Services directed by the management and staff of Williams Funeral Home Inc. of Sumter.

officiating. Mrs. Holloway will lie in repose one hour prior to service. Burial will follow in Friendly Cemetery, North Charleston. The family is receiving friends at the home of her sister, Thelma B. Sumter, 193 Smith St., Charleston. These services have been entrusted to Samuels Funeral Home LLC of Manning.

JANET HEVERLY-SMITH

LOUISE C. ANDERSON

MURRELLS INLET — Janet Heverly-Smith, loving wife of Donald A. Smith, died on Monday, Dec. 29, 2014, at the Grand Strand Medical Center. Arrangements are incomplete at this time and will be announced by Bullock Funeral Home of Sumter.

Louise Choice Anderson, 65, widow of Harry Lee Anderson, departed this life on Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2014, at the Medical University of South Carolina at Charleston. She was born on May 24, 1949, in Sumter, a daughter of the late Raffield and Minnie Davis Choice. The family will be receiving at the home, 7 Shuler Drive, Sumter, SC 29150. Funeral plans are incomplete and will be announced later by Job’s Mortuary Inc. of Sumter.

PAULINE B. HOLLOWAY

JACKSON MCKINNEY

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Pauline Brown Holloway, 99, widow of Dr. Charles T. Holloway, died on Christmas morning, Dec. 25, 2014, at Hospice of Alamance County, Burlington, North Carolina. She was born in Charleston, a daughter of the late Clarence O’Neal Brown and Lydia Elliott Brown. The celebratory services for Mrs. Holloway will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday at Mt. Zion AME Church, 5 Glebe St., Charleston, with the Rev. John Brown, pastor,

MANNING — Deacon Jackson “Bubba” McKinney, 86, husband of Eloise Youngs McKinney, died on Monday, Dec. 29, 2014, at Clarendon Memorial Hospital, Manning. He was born in the Jordan community of Clarendon County, a son of the late Fred and Sarah Bowman McKinney. The family is receiving friends at the residence, 1037 William Acres, Manning. These services have been entrusted to Samuels Funeral Home LLC of Manning.

It’s Time to Say,

“HAPPY NEW YEAR!” As we count down to 2015, we recall the many good times we’ve shared with friends and neighbors like you. Thank you for making 2014 a memorable year for us. We’ve loved every minute of serving you, and we look forward to seeing you again next year! We hope your New Year is nothing but good times, from beginning to end. Happy New Year, friends! Closed 12/31 and 1/1. We will re-open 1/2.

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www.sumterchristian.org LINDA T. BOYKIN Linda Tart Boykin, 63, departed this life on Sunday, Dec. 28, 2014, at McLeod Hospice

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

RENTALS Rooms for Rent Bordering house with open rooms for female occupants. Call 803-565-7924.

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

1 MONTH FREE

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

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

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

Tree Service NEWMAN'S TREE SERVICE Tree removal, trimming & stump grinding. Lic & Ins.

803-316-0128

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

STATE TREE SERVICE Worker's Comp & General liability insurance. Top quality service, lowest prices. 803-494-5175 or 803-491-5154 www.statetree.net

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

POWERS PROPERTIES

803-773-3600

Help Wanted Full-Time

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

Secretary position, must have income tax exp. temp. seasonal position. Send resume to: 507 Broad St Sumter SC 29150

Early Tax Time Special

Meter Reader/Utility Maintenance worker.Small utility company seeks full time meter reader/maintenance worker. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to monthly meter reading, disconnects for delinquent accounts, repair and maintenance of water distribution lines and services. Certification and licensing is a plus but not required. Training will be provided as needed. Company provides paid employee benefits, holidays. Experience in utility maintenance is preferred but not required, with proper aptitude. Selected candidate subject to background check and drug testing. Send resume and past salary history to Box 382 Meter Reader c//o The Item, PO Box 1677 Sumter SC 29151

No Payment Til Jan. As Low As $175.00 Per Mo. On Site Rent. For A Limited Time Only.

Why Rent When You Can Own? “Close to Everything” • AC/Heat

Garage, Yard & Estate Sales LARGE GARAGE SALE 1st & 3rd Weekend Tables $2

STATEBURG COURTYARD 2 & 3 BRs 803-494-4015

Utility Billing Clerk Small working office seeks full time billing clerk. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to entry of monthly billing data, processing of customer invoices, answering customer billing inquires, preparing daily bank deposits, answering telephones. Company provides paid employee benefits, holidays. Minimum 1 year experience, with a preference in utility billing experience. Selected candidate subject to background check and drug testing. Send resume and past salary history to Box 383 Utility Billing c//o The Item, PO Box 1677 Sumter SC 29151

Call Now! 469-8515

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

Ding Dong Avon Calling Avon by Vi, ISR. $15 to start. Let's talk 803-934-6292 or join online today! www.startavon.com Ref: Viola

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

Medical Help Wanted

1 Acre fenced in repo. car lot on E. Liberty St. $400 month. Bobby Sisson 773-4381.

REAL ESTATE Homes for Sale

Lot For Rent $165/mo.Incl's water & Sewage. Peaceful neighborhood. Off 521 N 803-983-3121

Land & Lots for Sale WALMART/SHAW 16.6 ACRES PAVED, ELEC. WATER $2350/ACRE 713-870-0216 399 Rogers Ave., City water & city sewer hookup. $1995 Call Lee 803-983-6965.

Unfurnished Homes

Minutes Walmart/Shaw AFB 1 acre water, electric, paved $4990. 888-774-5720

Duplex Historic Dist. private completely renovated, lg yard. 1BR 1BA $465 mo + dep. 513-827-5383 before 8am or aftr 5pm for appt.

TRANSPORTATION

Autos For Sale

2BR 2BA SW $400+ Dep White Oak area No calls after 8pm. No Sect 8. Fenced Backyard 803-468-1768

Bid Notices

Buy Here Pay Here, no interest, no credit check, no document fees, Floyds Used Cars, 1640 Toole St. 803-495-9585 or 803-464-2891

IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS C/A NO.: 2014-CP-43-02162 FORECLOSURE OF REAL ESTATE MORTGAGE (Non-Jury) STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF SUMTER Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.,

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS Project:

Beech Creek Fire Station

(For Sumter Fire Department and Sumter County) Separate sealed bids for the construction of: Beech Creek Fire Station per plans and specifications will be received by Sumter County in the County Council's Chamber located on the third floor of the Sumter County Administration Building, 13 East Canal Street, Sumter, SC until 2:00 p.m. on January 21, 2015 there at said office opened and read aloud. To request a bid package contact Scott Bell, AIA, RS Bell Architects LLC, 3 Law Range, Sumter SC 29150 803 774-3025. A deposit of $150.00 is required per set of plans and specifications. The deposit is refundable upon return of the documents. A mandatory pre-bid conference is scheduled for january 7, 2015 at 10:00 am in the Sumter County Council's Chambers.

Abandon Vehicle / Boat Abandoned Vehicle Notice:

Mobile Home Rentals

SUMMONS AND NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

Manufactured Housing LOW CREDIT SCORE? Been turned down for bad credit? Come try us, we do our own financing. We have 2-3-4 bedroom homes. For more information, call 843-389-4215.

Summons & Notice

Reconditioned batteries $40. New batteries, UBX 75-7850. Golf cart batteries, 6V. exchange $300 per set, while they last. Auto Electric Co. 803-773-4381

On 88 acres of Farm and wooded land, Monte Carlo Ln., 4BR 2BA, Heat pump, carpet & vinyl floors, Contact: R. Davis 270-839-0459

3BR 2BA No pets $1000 Mo+ Deposit. Call 919-223-7733

In-Home Care for seniors avail. in Sumter, Lex, Cola and Camden. Must have clean background, strong references, and reliable transportation. Experience a plus. Starting pay up to $10/hr. Apply online at www.retireease.com.

The following vehicle was abandoned at Any Tyme Towing & Body Recovery LLC, 35 Grier St., Sumter, SC. Described as a 2008 Y a m a h a M / C , V I N # JYARN20E28A014631. Total due for storage and repairs is $4650.00 as of December 14, 2014 plus $40 per day thereafter. Owner is asked to call 803-565-7560. If I do not hear from anyone after this notice is sent out I will proceed through the court with the necessary paperwork.

Commercial Rentals

Mobile Home Lots

www.mhcomm.com

Abandoned Vehicle Notice:

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

For Sale Nice 4 Br 2 Ba D/W MH w/ dinning rm, den w fire place, bonus rm. c//h//a, new carpet & paint, brick underpinning, lg fenced lot 803-983-0408

Bring back this ad & receive FREE application fee.

The following vehicles were abandoned at Bethel Tire, 828 Bethel Church Rd., Sumter, SC 29154. Described as a 2007 Cadillac, VIN # 1G6DM57T370102716. Total Due for storage: $3650 as of December 18, 2014. Owner is asked to call 803-481-9898. If not claimed in 30 days. it will be turned over to the Magistrate's Office for public sale.

Plaintiff, vs. Stormy H. Olson; Equity Holding Corp., as Trustee of the Silo Road Trust No. 2503819; South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles; Bullhead Investments, LLC; Group "A" Associates, a Pennsylvania Partnership, Defendant(s). TO THE DEFENDANT(S) ABOVE NAMED: YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED and required to appear and defend by answering the Complaint in this action, a copy of which is hereby served upon you, and to serve a copy of your Answer on the subscribers at their offices at 3800 Fernandina Road, Suite 110, Columbia, SC 29210, within thirty (30) days after the service hereof, exclusive of the day of such service; except that the United States of America, if named, shall have sixty (60) days to answer after the service hereof, exclusive of the day of such service; and if you fail to do so, judgment by default will be rendered against you for the relief demanded in the Complaint. TO MINOR(S) OVER FOURTEEN YEARS OF AGE, AND/OR TO MINOR(S) UNDER FOURTEEN YEARS OF AGE AND THE PERSON WITH WHOM THE MINOR(S) RESIDES, AND/OR TO PERSONS UNDER SOME LEGAL DISABILITY: YOU ARE FURTHER SUMMONED AND NOTIFIED to apply for the appointment of a guardian ad litem within thirty (30) days after the service of this Summons and Notice upon you. If you fail to do so, application for such appointment will be made by Attorney for Plaintiff. YOU WILL ALSO TAKE NOTICE that Plaintiff will move for an Order

Shopping for a Deal? Turn to our Classified section to find the latest garage, yard, moving and estate sales going on in your area. You never know what you might find!

Firewood For Sale Tons of fire wood premium seasoned oak. You pick up $40 per pick up load, delivered 1/2 cord $70. Call Collins Tree Service 803-499-2136

2, 3 & 4 Br, all appliances, Section 8 accepted. 469-6978 or 499-1500

(803) 773-3600

EMPLOYMENT

Business Services

The following vehicle was abandoned at Any Tyme Towing & Body Recovery LLC, 35 Grier St., Sumter, SC. Described as a 2004 Suzi M/C, VIN# JS1GW71A042102223. Total due for storage and repairs is $5888.00 as of December 14, 2014 plus $40 per day thereafter. Owner is asked to call 803-565-7560. If I do not hear from anyone after this notice is sent out I will proceed through the court with the necessary paperwork.

FROM $590 PER MONTH THIRTEEN (13) MONTH LEASE REQUIRED

BUSINESS SERVICES

Abandoned Vehicle Notice:

Clean 3BR 2BA, suitable for mature couple, $450/mo + $350 Dep No Sect 8. 803-775-0492 lv msg.

HUNTINGTON PLACE APARTMENTS

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

Ssgt. Abraham P Farmer Jr. Jan 1,1966-Nov. 23,2013 Happy Birthday in Heaven. We miss you more and more each passing day. Although you've gone, we feel your love all around us. You will never be forgotten, forever in our hearts. Love you always darling, Abraham. Love Mom, Dad, Rosalyn, Michelle, Michael, Monica, Sheila, Carroll, family & friends (Brian)

Abandon Vehicle / Boat

Mobile Home Rentals

What areng you waiti for?

FLEA MARKET BY SHAW AFB

Classifieds

www.theitem.com

Check out the yard sales!

Open every weekend. 905-4242

It’s Mayo’s “Huge End ofExtended The Year Sale”!

Everything In Stock 1/2 Off Reg. Price! SUITS, SHIRTS, PANTS, SHOES, TIES,

SWEATERS - EVERYTHING!! The Sale Everyone Looks Forward To Every Year.

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

CLASSIFIEDS

THE ITEM Summons & Notice

Summons & Notice

of Reference or the Court may issue a general Order of Reference of this action to a Master-in-Equity/Special Referee, pursuant to Rule 53 of the South Carolina Rules of Civil Procedure. YOU WILL ALSO TAKE NOTICE that under the provisions of S.C. Code Ann. Â§ 29-3-100, effective June 16, 1993, any collateral assignment of rents contained in the referenced Mortgage is perfected and Attorney for Plaintiff hereby gives notice that all rents shall be payable directly to it by delivery to its undersigned attorneys from the date of default. In the alternative, Plaintiff will move before a judge of this Circuit on the 10th day after service hereof, or as soon thereafter as counsel may be heard, for an Order enforcing the assignment of rents, if any, and compelling payment of all rents covered by such assignment directly to the Plaintiff, which motion is to be based upon the original Note and Mortgage herein and the Complaint attached hereto.

NOTICE OF FILING COMPLAINT TO THE NAMED:

DEFENDANTS

ABOVE

YOU WILL PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the original Complaint, Cover Sheet for Civil Actions and Certificate of Exemption from ADR in the above entitled action was filed in the Office of the Clerk of Court for Sumter County on October 9, 2014. J. Martin Page, SC Bar No. 100200 Brock & Scott, PLLC 3800 Fernandina Road, Suite 110 Columbia, SC 29210 Phone 888-726-9953 Fax 866-676-7658 Attorneys for Plaintiff

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Complaint was filed in the above entitled action in the Office of the Clerk of Court for Sumter County on August 29, 2014, for the purpose of instituting an action against the Defendants as a result of a slip and fall which occurred on August 31, 2011. BRYAN LAW FIRM OF SC, L.L.P. J. Thomas McElveen, III P. O. Box 2038 17 East Calhoun Street Sumter, SC 29151 (803) 775-1263 ATTORNEY FOR PLAINTIFF

Public Hearing The Housing Authority of the City of Sumter will open the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (Rental Assistance) Waiting List for those qualifying for local preferences where the head of household or spouse is Elderly, Disabled, Veteran or Victim of Federally Declared Natural Disaster. (The waiting list for all other categories will remain closed until further notice.) Applications may be obtained from December 31, 2014 until further notice. Applications requested in person can be picked up Monday through Thursday 8:30 a.m. until 5:00

Public Hearing p.m. and Fridays, 8:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. at the Housing Authority's Office located at 15 Caldwell Street Sumter, SC 29150. Applicants must provide verification of: Single Elderly Head of Household or Elderly Head of Household of Family as defined by the Federal guidelines. This preference will be extended to persons who reside within the Authorities jurisdiction at the time of application. Accepted documentation includes Driver's License or South Carolina Identification Card; and Long form Birth Certificate. Single Disabled Head of Households or Disabled Head of Household of Family as defined by the Social Security Act. This preference will be extended to persons who reside within the Authorities jurisdiction at the time of application. Accepted documentation includes Driver's License or South Carolina Identification Card; and Long form Birth Certificate plus a copy of Social Security Award letter. Âˇ United States Veteran of the Armed Forces- SHA will accept any type of discharge except dishonorable. This preference will be extended to persons who reside within the Authorities jurisdiction at the time of application. Accepted documentation includes Driver's License or South Carolina Identification Card; and Long form Birth Certificate plus DD-214.

Public Hearing

Âˇ Families that are victims of federally declared natural disasters; (Priority will be given to assisted existing public housing and voucher program participants who have been affected by the disaster from other jurisdiction will received preference over other waiting list placeholders.) Accepted documentation includes Accepted documentation includes Driver's License or South Carolina Identification Card; and Long form Birth Certificate plus FEMA documentation. The Housing Authority is a Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Housing Provider. Discrimination on the basis of race, color, creed, sex, disability status, familial status, or national or ethnic origin is prohibited. TDD # 1-800-545-1833 Ext. 100

Want to improve sales? We can help you with that.

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MARK PEKURI MULTIMEDIA CONSULTANT

CONTACT ME TODAY

803â&#x20AC;˘464â&#x20AC;˘8917

mpekuri@theitem.com

Auction

Estate of Jack Gibbs 4200 Bethel Church Rd., Sumter, S.C. 29154 Saturday January 3, 2015 at 10:00 A. M.

ROUTE OPEN IN

SUMMONS IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS C/A No.: 2014-CP-43-1809

Directions: From I-95 take exit 119, turn onto Hwy 261 W for approx. 8 miles, turn right onto Eathen Stone Rd (S-14-108) for 5.2 miles to Bethel Church Rd. Auction site will be on the left. From Sumter take Hwy 15- S, for 3 miles, turn right on Bethel Church Rd., go 4.2 miles to Auction site. WATCH FOR AUCTION SIGNS!!

Boulevard Road & Sherwood Forest Area

STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF SUMTER MARY C. TOMLIN, Plaintiff, -vsLEWIS WOODS, NELL WOODS, SHELDON SERUYA, and SERUYA PROPERTIES, Defendants. TO: THE ABOVE DEFENDANT(S):

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2014

NAMED

YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED and required to answer the Complaint in this action, a copy of which is herewith served upon you, and to serve a copy of your Answer to the said Complaint on the Plaintiff or their attorney, J. Thomas McElveen, III, 17 East Calhoun Street, Sumter, South Carolina 29151, within thirty (30) days after the service hereof, exclusive of the day of such service, and if you fail to answer the Complaint within the time aforesaid, the Plaintiffs in this action will apply to the Court for the relief demanded in this Complaint.

NOTICE OF FILING COMPLAINT

AUCTIONEERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NOTE: Most of this equipment is late models with low hours. Mr. Gibbs purchased top quality equipment and was very particular about the maintenance. You will ďŹ nd this equipment to be the very best.

Great job for a person looking for extra income! If you have good, dependable transportation and a phone in your home, apply in person at:

TRACTORS â&#x20AC;&#x201C; COMBINES â&#x20AC;&#x201C; HY-CYCLES JD 9410R, 1398 HRS, GREEN STAR2, POWER SHIFT TRANSMISSION, 18FWD 6 REV,650/85-R38 JD 6190R, 345 HRS, GREEN STAR, POWER QUAD, W/MFD &DUALS 480/80-R46 JD 4730 HI-CYCLE 2091 HRS, GPS & SWATH CONTROL, 90â&#x20AC;&#x2122; BOOM CASE IH 8230 COMBINE, ENGINE HRS 368, THRESHING HRS 237, AFS PRO 700 MONITOR W/TRACK FORD 5610 TRACTOR TRUCKS â&#x20AC;&#x201C; TRAILERS 1995 FREIGHTLINER TRUCK W/SLEEPER 1992 36â&#x20AC;&#x2122; ALUM DUMP 24â&#x20AC;&#x2122; HOOPER GOOSENECK FLAT BED TRAILER 1988 PETERBUILT W/SLEEPER FRAMELESS 36â&#x20AC;&#x2122; ALUM. DUMP 1988 42â&#x20AC;&#x2122; FONTAIN DROP DECK TRAILER W/HYD RAMP 1999 PETERBUILT DAY CAB (LIKE NEW) 2012 INTG 42â&#x20AC;&#x2122; ALUM HOPPER BOTTOM 102â&#x20AC;? 1985 FREIGHTLINER (Nice) 1993 FORD F350 SUPER DUTY DUALLY, 8â&#x20AC;&#x2122;X11â&#x20AC;&#x2122; FLATBED, 2 TOOL BOXES, 7.3 POWER STROKE 2002 FORD RANGER 24â&#x20AC;&#x2122; DOWN TO EARTH GOOSENECK FLATBED TRAILER SEMI TRAILER W/2 2500 GAL. TANKS & MIXING TANKS

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

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and much more Call 803-774-1258 to start your subscription today, or visit us online at www.theitem.com ÂŠ1 ÂŠ0DJQROLDÂŠ6WUHHWÂŠÂ&#x2021;ÂŠ6XPWHU ÂŠ6&

EQUIPMENT 2012 30â&#x20AC;&#x2122; HORST HEADER TRAILER 2012 CASE INT 35â&#x20AC;&#x2122; DRAPER HEADER MODEL G156915 KMC 12 NO-TILL SUBSOILER W/JD PLANTERS W/PRECISION CONTROL & YETTER ASSIST WHEELS 20â&#x20AC;? ROW, W/RAVEN SPRAY CONTROL & SMART BOXES LAND PRIDE DITCH BANK CUTTER EZ TRAIL GRAIN KART # 710 1995 MASHI CRAFT FORKLIFT 2012 3412 CASE IH 12 ROW 20â&#x20AC;&#x2122; CORN HEADER JD CORN PICKER 3/ROW, 30â&#x20AC;? ROW LIKE NEW HEADER TRAILER UM H.T. 30 500 GAL FUEL TRAILER FORD 655 A BACKHOE 3PT RHINO 3500 ALL HYD. SCRAPE BLADE WESTFIELD 13â&#x20AC;? X 61â&#x20AC;&#x2122; GRAIN AUGER WESTFIELD LOAD OUT AUGER & MOTOR WESTFIELD 8â&#x20AC;? X 51â&#x20AC;&#x2122; GRAIN AUGER CHANDLER PULL SPREADER CS 500 16, HYD, W/GPS (LIKE NEW) NEW HOLLAND L 785 SKID STEER LOADER CASE IH TILLAGE TOOL 35â&#x20AC;&#x2122; MODEL 340 JD 14â&#x20AC;&#x2122; BUSH HOG MODEL HX14 RED BALL HOODED SPRAYER 12 ROW 30â&#x20AC;? ROW W/300 GALLON TANK 2-8 ROW NO-TILL DMI SUBSOILERS W/1700 JD PLANTERS W/PRECISION CONTROLS & 2 JOHN BLUE PUMPS & MARTIN CLOSING WHEELS, 20/20 SEED SENSOR PRECISION PLANTING, E SETS VARIABLE RATE DRIVE, ROW CLUTHES JD 450 BALER W/NET WRAP SPEEDY SPREADER GFE 2012; 7â&#x20AC;&#x2122;x8â&#x20AC;&#x2122;, PULL TYPE GRASS WORKS WEED WIPER 21â&#x20AC;? JD 335 BALER JD 10 WHEEL HYD RAKE NEW HOLLAND 617 DISC MOWER (4) TIRES ( UN-USED) 650/85R38 MISCELLANEOUS SHOP TOOLS â&#x20AC;˘ WELDER â&#x20AC;˘ AIR COMPRESSOR â&#x20AC;˘ GENERATOR â&#x20AC;˘ PARTS â&#x20AC;˘ SMALL AMOUNT OF VARIOUS CHEMICALS

WE ARE ACCEPTING APPROVED CONSIGNMENTS TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF AUCTION

Christmas and New Years EDITION

In-Line Deadlines

Friday, December 26 Saturday, December 27 Sunday, December 28 Tuesday, December 30 Wednesday, December 31 Friday, January 2

DEADLINE

Monday, December 22 at 11:30am Tuesday, December 23 at 9:30am Tuesday, December 23 at 11:30am Monday, December 29 at 11:30am Tuesday, December 30 at 11:30am Wednesday, December 31 at 11:30am

Have a Safe and Happy Holiday!

EVERYTHING MUST BE PAID IN FULL ON THE DAY OF AUCTION regardless of when it is picked up with cash or cashierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s check. Personal and company checks must have a current Bank Letter of Guarantee made payable to JGBA&R Inc. We also accept credit card with a three (3%) percent convenience fee.

Everything will be sold â&#x20AC;&#x153;as is, where isâ&#x20AC;? with no guarantees of any kind, regardless of statement of condition made from the auction block. Buyers shall rely entirely on their own inspection and information.

Every effort is made to â&#x20AC;&#x153;guardâ&#x20AC;? merchandise throughout the auction; however, the bidder becomes solely responsible for all items purchased by him/her immediately following the winning bid. Therefore, he/she us advised to further guard their items at his own discretion.

The bidder is responsible for knowing which item he/she is bidding on. If they are unsure, they should inquire or not bid. When you become the winning bidder at auction you have effected a contract and will be expected to pay for items in which you were evidenced to be successful bidder. Auctioneer will not honor â&#x20AC;&#x153;MISTAKESâ&#x20AC;?.

The auctioneer reserves the right to accept bids in any increment he feels is in the best interest of his client, the seller. The Auctioneer reserves the right to reject the bidding of any person whose conduct, actions or adverse comments he feels are not in the best interest of the seller.

Buyers are responsible for loading, removal, and transportation of any purchase. JGBA&R Inc., will assist in loading to the best of our ability but is in no way responsible for loading. JGBA& R Inc., will not secure loads. All sales are ďŹ nal.

JGBA& R Inc., is not responsible for theft or damages of/on any items. ALL ANNOUNCEMENTS MADE ON THE DAY OF THE SALE SUPERSDED ANY PRINTED MATERIAL.

20 N. Magnolia Street â&#x20AC;˘ 803-774-1234 â&#x20AC;˘ www.theitem.com

The business oďŹ&#x192;ce will be closed December 24th, December 25th and January 1.

Buddy Lewis 803.983.5040

J G Blocker Auction & Realty Inc. Post OfďŹ ce Box 484 Walterboro, S. C. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; SCAL # 110 843.538.2276 Frankie Godley 704.533.0184

Jimmy Blocker 843.908.3866

SECTION

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2014 Call Ivy Moore at: (803) 774-1221 | E-mail: ivy@theitem.com

Sumter’s 2014 arts scene expands Look for superb 2015 season BY IVY MOORE ivy@theitem.com

t was a good year for arts and entertainment in Sumter. This month’s Sumter Poinsettia Festival is illustrative of the fact that the area has abundant local talent; other events throughout the year showed that outside talent loves to perform in our venues for our audiences, as well. Over at the Sumter Opera House, City Cultural Director Seth Reimer has been steadily booking outstanding entertainment that suits the varying tastes of Sumterites. Some of the notable performances included Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Leon Russell, jazz pianist Brad Mehldau, Sumter’s Sounds of Grace Harp Ensemble, the Sumter Community Concert Band Jazz Band, Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and others. Reimer is already booking more groups for the venue. Look for the famed Blind Boys of Alabama next year, for one. In February Carmela Bryan, director of the Sumter County Cultural Commission, along with Shaw Air Force Base personnel, presented an intriguing exhibition of photography by Shaw Air Force Base’s Army and Air Force photojournalists, who also participated in a panel discussion of their work. And that was just the beginning of a series of programs at Patriot Hall, the commission’s headquarters. Among other programs there, the highlight of the year had to be the second annual Fall for the Arts. This weekend-long festival brought together music, dance, art, theater and more, a cooperative effort of the commission, the Sumter County Gallery of Art, Sumter Little Theatre and others. The commission also supported many individual artists and arts organizations with grants. Among the grants was one for an outdoor exhibition on the Main Street green, featuring works by several local artists, including Walter McNeil, a sculptor who coordinated the event sponsored by Sumter County Gallery of Art, Imports Ltd,, Hastie Law Firm, the Arthenia Bates Millican Foundation and Downtown Sumter. Called In the HeART

Photojournalists from both the U.S. Army and the U.S. Air Force present their photographs in a special exhibition at Patriot Hall.

PHOTO PROVIDED

Sumter crowds enjoyed the 4th Fridays series of concerts sponsored by Downtown Sumter and held on the green space on Main Street. Here, they’re assembling for a concert by the Prophets.

Kelly Melton, Tristan Pack and Matt Wilt presented a laughfilled tour de force in Sumter Little Theatre’s “The Complete Plays of Shakespeare: Abridged.”

The Sumter Civic Dance Company presented several concerts in 2014, culminating in the Broadway-style Jingle with the Arts.

of Town, the event fulfilled McNeil’s mission of making art exhibitions easily accessible to the public. Here’s hoping it comes back again in 2015. The Sumter Artists Guild also presented its annual Art in the Park at Memorial Park, and it was bigger — and therefore better, because those strolling in the park had much

more to see and purchase for gifts or for themselves. The Sumter-Shaw Community Concert Association brought Hal Linden to Patriot Hall for a one-man show that provided a “rich, rewarding evening’s entertainment,” and then continued to bring other outstanding talents to town. The Gothard Sisters presented

SUMTER ITEM FILE PHOTOS

a lively program of music and dancing steeped in their Irish heritage. The association’s 2014-15 season is already under way, with two outstanding musical events, Live from Nashville and saxophone maestro Rob Verdi. The remainder of the season looks just as exciting. Sumter’s dance studios also

presented excellent concerts, from the Sumter Arts Showcase and Jingle with the Arts to their smaller scale performances that nonetheless showcased the abundance of dance talent in the area. Dozens of local children participated in the colorful Nutcracker presented by the Columbia City Ballet. We’ll be watching for more dance in the spring. The Sumter Community Concert Band and its jazz ensemble and the Sumter Civic Chorale also provided excellent music for our entertainment. Their Christmas concerts were unfortunately booked on the same date at overlapping times this year, but half a concert by each is still a most pleasant couple of hours enjoying the sounds of the season well sung and well played by our professional quality instrumental and vocal groups. Speaking of professional quality, I can’t say enough about the productions at the Sumter Little Theatre. Executive/Artistic Director Eric Bultman continues to attract, train, shepherd and utilize Sumter’s actors and backstage crafts people to produce some of the most entertaining and often thought-provoking comedies, dramas and musicals around. The plays at SLT incorporate these different talents so well, they are most often seamless, making the audience experience memorable and meaningful. The 201415 continues in February. For pure entertainment and an opportunity to get moving, visit with friends and just generally enjoy getting up and moving, 4th Fridays brought five bands to the green space on Main Street. The new venue for the “street parties” proved popular, and the style of music was a little more diverse this year, with rock, country and beach music most prominent. Both the Sumter County Gallery of Art and Gallery 135 in Patriot Hall had intriguing exhibitions this past year, with SCGA presenting both traditional and contemporary art, and Gallery 135 concentrating on works by emerging artists. Each also sponsored gallery talks so that art lovers could learn more about the works from their creators. Both have upcoming exhibitions that will surely engage the senses and the minds of viewers. Sumter’s schools also presented outstanding drama and music programs, a promise of future talent showcases to come for many years.

Comedian Norm Crosby still mouths malaprops BY NICK THOMAS Tinseltown Talks We all use the wrong word occasionally – “that skinny dog looks emancipated” – but comedian Norm Crosby molded a career from such humorous grammatical gaffes known as malaprops. “Although I had a good job as an advertising manager for a shoe company in Boston, I liked to fool around with comedy,” Crosby said from his home in Los Angeles. It was the CROSBY 1950s, and Crosby began visiting small, local bars and clubs on weekends to try his hand at standup. “I would watch the Ed Sullivan show and borrow a few lines here and there from guests like Red Buttons and Buddy Hackett to create a routine,” he explained. “Then I started getting invited to do political functions like the governor’s birthday ball or

mayor’s dinner.” At one event, he bumped into E.M. Loew, owner of the popular Latin Quarter nightclub in New York City. “He liked my work and invited me to do a week there,” said Crosby. “I told him I’d think about it.” While adapting the jokes of others worked for occasional regional performances, Crosby knew he would need original material to perform in a major city. Then he remembered the owner of a club in Springfield, Mass., where he sometimes appeared. “The guy would hit on the singers and dancers,” recalled Crosby. “The club was 90 miles from Boston, so some of the girls stayed at hotels during their engagements whereas others would commute each day.” When the club owner took a fancy to one cute girl, he had asked Crosby for help. “He said ‘find out if she is staying over or is communicating,’” chuckled Crosby. “I knew that wasn’t the right word, but it was funny. So I

starting playing around with the idea of malaprops and that’s how my signature act evolved.” At first, the routine fell flat. “I came up with lines like ‘when the Trojans conquered the Eucalyptians, they pushed them out of Trojia onto the Connecticut Turnpike.’ Or ‘Brutus was stabbed in the ventricle with a rusty sieve and got rigor motion of his ducts.’ Some people thought I was giving a history lesson and had no idea it was humor.” Crosby soon found that more sophisticated audiences appreciated his style. “They recognized it as satire and loved it,” he said. “Now I had an act to take to the Latin Quarter.” But, as Norm would say, his career was still in its “infamy.” “The manager used me as a filler between the main performers – I followed a family tumbling act – and was told to do exactly 12 minutes, not 11 or 13, which was how long it took to change the sets. I had no introduction, just walked

out, and no one even knew I was on for five or six 6 minutes. It was just horrible.” Crosby stuck out the week and looked forward to returning to his advertising day job. “But the manager liked me and held me over for another week,” he said. “I ended up staying for 18.” After a glowing newspaper review by the powerful gossip columnist Walter Winchell, Crosby signed with the William Morris Agency to represent him. “Suddenly, I had a career in comedy and quit my advertising job,” he said. “My first tour was at the Concord Hotel in the Catskill Mountains opening for Robert Goulet, who had just finished his first Broadway show in ‘Camelot’ in 1963. We stayed together for three years and traveled the country before I went off on my own.” Soon a frequent guest on TV talk and variety shows, Crosby’s unique routine attracted the attention of Dean Martin. “After I appeared on his show, he hired me as regu-

lar guest.” Crosby was a perfect choice for a frequent roaster on the hugely popular Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts in the ‘70s, writing lines like: “Wilt Chamberlain is an insulation to young people all over the world. Wherever he appears, after every game the kids give him a standing ovulation.” He continued with a busy schedule in the following decades, including the Los Angeles co-host of the Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Association telethon for over 25 years, until Lewis was unceremoniously dumped from the annual event in 2011. Now 87, Crosby still performs at casinos and for the Friars Club roasts. “I also work on cruise ships,” he says. “It’s a melting pot of young and old, but they all still seem to enjoy my style.” Nick Thomas teaches at Auburn University at Montgomery, Ala., and has written features, columns, and interviews for more than 500 magazines and newspapers.

FOOD

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2014

THE SUMTER ITEM

Try something bolder than bubbles BY ALISON LADMAN The Associated Press

ot everything for New Year’s Eve needs to be fussy,

bubbly or frilly. It’s OK to ring in 2015 with something richer, smokier and deliciously darker. So we started with a stiff pour of Scotch whisky. To dress it up for the occasion — it is a celebration, after all — we spiked it with ice cider, apple brandy and a splash of lemon juice. The result is a bold, lightly sweet indulgence that is just right to set a festive mood. To go with it, we slowly candied some bacon. This is bacon so good it will haunt you. The process is slow, but effortless. The bacon also can be made ahead of time and kept at room temperature for three days (you are essentially making bacon jerky, so it won’t spoil). Just be sure to get thick-cut bacon. You want meaty and bold for this.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

WINTER ORCHARD SCOTCH

SLOW CANDIED BACON

Can’t find ice cider? Substitute ice wine. Start to finish: 5 minutes Servings: 1 1 1/2 ounces Scotch whisky 1 ounce ice cider 1/2 ounce apple brandy 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice Combine all ingredients in a double old fashioned glass. Stir, then add an ice cube, if desired.

Start to finish: 2 hours 15 minutes (15 minutes active) Servings: 10 1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1 teaspoon ground mace 20 ounces thick-cut bacon Heat the oven to 250 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, red pepper

flakes and mace. Arrange the bacon in a single layer in the prepared baking sheet. The bacon can touch, but should not overlap. Spread the brown sugar mixture evenly over the bacon, covering all the slices. Bake for 2 hours. Allow the bacon to rest for 10 minutes in the pan before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling. Store in an airtight container between sheets of kitchen parchment or waxed paper. Nutrition information per serving: 340 calories; 200 calories from fat (59 percent of total calories); 23 g fat (8 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 35 mg cholesterol; 28 g carbohydrate; 0 g fiber; 27 g sugar; 7 g protein; 380 mg sodium.

Try a fresh take on the classic Bellini BY ELIZABETH KARMEL The Associated Press I’m a firm believer that almost any party — not to mention almost any brunch — can be improved by serving sparkling wine. That’s why when I started planning this year’s New Year’s Day brunch, I didn’t start my planning with the food; I started with a signature drink. My friends and I usually don’t go crazy on New Year’s Eve, so by the next morning we’re still happy to have a little libation. A refreshing and light cocktail seemed about right. I started thinking about iconic cocktails and settled on the Bellini. It’s a simple drink created in Italy using white peaches, prosecco and

(sometimes) a little cherry juice. But I decided to remake this classic summer cocktail with a winter fruit. These days, most fruits — and fruit juices — are available all year, but I wanted a fruit that was harvested in sunny Florida in December. I settled on passion fruit because similar to white peaches it is both delicate and intensely aromatic. While you could make this drink in January with peach nectar or frozen peaches, passion fruit pulp is an unexpected and delightful change. And in keeping with the Italian tradition of a little cherry juice, I decided to try the Italian (Luxardo) maraschino liqueur. I loved it. It was a little less sweet than other cherry liqueurs and set off the tartness of the passion fruit perfectly. Here’s to 2015! Cheers!

PASSION FRUIT BELLINI Passion fruit pulp can be found in the frozen foods section, often with the Goya brand products. Start to finish: 5 minutes Servings: 4 1 cup unsweetened passion fruit pulp, thawed 2 tablespoons maraschino liqueur Ice 750-mililiter bottle prosecco, chilled Maraschino cherries or fresh raspberries, to garnish In a large cocktail shaker, combine the passion fruit pulp and maraschino liqueur. Stir to combine. Add a handful of ice, then shake vigorously for 20 seconds. Strain into the wine glasses, dividing it evenly. Stir each glass gently, then top each with Prosecco. Add a cherry or raspberry to each glass. Serve immediately. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Dress up your bubbles to play nice with the food BY ALISON LADMAN The Associated Press Looking for a simple way to dress up your New Year’s Eve bubbles? May we suggest spiking them with a spiced liqueur? It’s fast, simple and delicious. And that last part is key. Start by sorting out what you plan to serve alongside your bubbles. Then you pick a complementing liqueur to blend with the bubbles of your choice. We opted for individual puff pastry tarts spread with brie (or any soft cheese) mixed with chopped fresh basil, then topped with persimmons that have been brushed with honey, then broiled until lightly browned and tender. For our bubbles — we like prosecco — we went with Sorel liqueur, which gave the cocktail a gently spiced, lightly fruit flavor. Other fine choices could include raspberry liqueur and a dash of spiced rum, orange liqueur (such as triple sec), or rhubarb or ginger liqueurs.

SPICED PROSECCO Start to finish: 5 minutes Servings: 1 1/2 ounce Sorel liqueur 3 ounces prosecco, chilled Orange twist Pour the Sorel into a sparkling wine flute, then top with prosecco and an orange twist. Stir gently and serve immediately.

HONEY-BROILED PERSIMMON TARTS Start to finish: 30 minutes Servings: 9 1/4 cup sugar Hefty pinch of salt 17.3-ounce package puff pastry, thawed (each package contains 2 sheets) 2 fuyu persimmons, sliced into thin wedges Honey 8 ounces very soft cheese, such as brie 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil Ground black pepper

Balsamic glaze, to drizzle Heat the oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with kitchen parchment. In a small bowl, mix together the sugar and salt. Cut each sheet of puff pastry into nine 2-inch squares. Discard any edges. Arrange the pastry squares on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle all over with the sugar-salt mixture. Set a second sheet of kitchen parchment over the pastry squares, then place a second baking sheet over it. The second baking sheet should set into the first, resting directly on the pastry squares. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until deep golden brown. Set aside to cool. Increase the oven to broil. Line a baking sheet with foil and coat with cooking spray. Arrange the persimmon wedges on the prepared baking sheet and drizzle lightly with honey. Broil for 3 to 4 minutes, or until lightly browned. In a small bowl, mix together the cheese and basil. Season with black pepper. Spread a small amount of the cheese onto each pastry square. Top the cheese with a warm persimmon wedge, then a light drizzle of balsamic glaze. Serve immediately. Nutrition information per serving: 350 calories; 200 calories from fat (57 percent of total calories); 22 g fat (8 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 25 mg cholesterol; 32 g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber; 13 g sugar; 10 g protein; 450 mg sodium.

FOOD

THE SUMTER ITEM

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2014

Close out the year with comfort food J.M. HIRSCH AP Food Editor Let’s be honest about New Year’s Eve. Once you’ve reached a certain age, celebrating stops being about partying and starts being all about hunkering down with a movie and comfort food on the couch. There is no shame in admitting this. After all, most of us spend most of the year wishing life would slow down enough to have just one evening now and again to do nothing and veg with a movie. So why not embrace this desire as a fine way to close out the year? My comfort food of choice this year? Fried udon noodles with red peppers and shrimp, all slathered in a spicy peanut sauce. It’s simple. It’s filling. It’s addictive and satisfying in a totally carby-fatty way that will have you planning your resolutions for the next day.

noodles for 2 minutes. Add the shrimp to the skillet and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the shrimp are just pink, about 5 minutes. Return the onion and peppers to the skillet and toss until heated. Remove the skillet from the heat, then pour in a liberal amount of peanut sauce (use as much or as little as you prefer), using tongs to toss the ingredients until well coated. Divide between serving plates, then top with peanuts and scallions. Nutrition information per serving: 960 calories; 520 calories from fat (54 percent of total calories); 58 g fat (10 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 145 mg cholesterol; 70 g carbohydrate; 11 g fiber; 15 g sugar; 47 g protein; 1,630 mg sodium.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Fried udon noodles with red peppers and shrimp, all slathered in a spicy peanut sauce is simple and filling.

Wishing You a Safe and Happy New Year!

FRIED UDON NOODLES WITH SHRIMP AND SPIC Y PEANUT SAUCE Start to finish: 20 minutes Servings: 4 1 cup natural peanut butter 1-inch chunk fresh ginger 1/4 cup rice vinegar 1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce 1/4 cup water 1 clove garlic 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper Hot sauce, to taste 4 tablespoons sesame oil, divided 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced 2 large red bell peppers, cored and thinly sliced 8-ounce package udon noodles 1 pound shelled raw shrimp, patted dry 1/2 cup chopped peanuts 2 scallions, green and white parts, thinly sliced Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. While the water heats, in a blender combine the peanut butter, ginger, vinegar, soy sauce, water, garlic and black pepper. Blend until smooth. The peanut sauce should be thick, but pourable. If the sauce is too thick, add a couple tablespoons of additional water and blend again. Taste, then add hot sauce to your desired heat preference, blending again. Set aside. In a large skillet over mediumhigh, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the onion and peppers, then cook until just tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Reserve the skillet. Add the udon noodles to the boiling water and cook for 2 minutes, or until just barely cooked. The noodles should still be a bit firm. While the noodles cook, return the skillet to medium-high heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of sesame oil. Drain the noodles well and add them to the hot skillet. Stir-fry the

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A salute to those we lost in 2014 BY KEVIN MCDONOUGH As the hours of 2014 dwindle, let’s remember those we’ve lost this year. Here, roughly in order of their emergence on our television screens, is a brief rundown of those familiar faces. For reasons of space, I’ve limited this to performers — no slight to writers, producers and directors. Apologies in advance for any omissions. James Garner remained a star for half a century, but he gained fame in the 1957 Western “Maverick.” Not an original “Honeymooner,” Sheila MacRae re-created the character of Alice Kramden on Jackie Gleason’s later variety hours. If you were young in the 1960s, you’d be forgiven if you thought J. Edgar Hoover had ceded control of “The FBI” to Efrem Zimbalist Jr. Among the stars of ‘60s escapist sitcoms we lost this year were Russell Johnson (the Professor) from “Gilligan’s Island,” Bob Hastings from “McHale’s Navy” and Pugsley himself, Ken Weatherwax from “The Addams Family.” Joan Rivers, who remained in showbiz for five decades, got her start on “The Ed Sullivan Show” and “The Tonight Show.” Newsman Garrick Utley will be forever linked to the tumult of the Vietnam era, just as “The Dating Game” host Jim Lange represented the era’s appetite for distraction. The voice of Don Pardo starred on both “The Price Is Right” and “Saturday Night Live.” Radio personality Casey Kasem will always be the voice of Shaggy from “Scooby-Doo.” We lost Dave Madden from “The Partridge Family,” Marcia Strassman of “Welcome Back, Kotter,” Ann B. Davis of “The Brady Bunch,” and Richard Schaal, who played lovelorn bachelors on shows ranging from “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” to “The Bob Newhart Show.” Director Harold Ramis had a big part in the early years of “SCTV.” Ruby Dee’s many credits include “Peyton Place” and “Roots.” “Little House on the Prairie” and “The Waltons” lost Richard Bull and Ralph Waite, respectively. Most discussions of Robin Williams’ extraordinary talent begin with “Mork and Mindy.” David Brenner’s influential

PHOTO COURTESY OF A&E

From left, Jep Robertson, Si Robertson, Jase Robertson and Willie Robertson of A&E’s “Duck Dynasty” will all be a part of the “Duck Dynasty” marathon airing from 6 p.m. Wednesday to 4 a.m. Thursday. take on stand-up also found its moorings in the 1970s. Better known for movies, both Mary Ann Mobley and Richard Kiel made dozens of cameos in the 1970s and ’80s. Kate O’Mara, who played Alexis’ scheming sibling on “Dynasty,” died this year; so did Meshach Taylor of “Designing Women” and Jan Hooks of “Saturday Night Live.” The delightful Clarissa Dickson Wright was one of the “Two Fat Ladies” the Food network imported back in the late 1990s. Polly Bergen, whose film career kicked off in the 1950s, had a memorable role on “The Sopranos.” Elaine Stritch capped a brilliant career with her unforgettable role on “30 Rock.” “American Idol” lost two favorites, both from season 7, Joanne Borgella and Michael Johns. “7th Heaven” star Sarah Goldberg died suddenly this year, as did Elizabeth Pena of “Modern Family.” Carol Ann Susi (“The Big Bang Theory”) and Diem Brown (MTV’s “The Challenge”) lost battles with

cancer. Philip Seymour Hoffman was slated to appear in Showtime’s 2015 series “Happyish” at the time of his sudden death. Screen icon Lauren Bacall’s television credits span the history of the medium, beginning with a production of “The Petrified Forest” on “Producers’ Showcase” in 1955 and ending in 2014 with a voice-over on “Family Guy.” As we raise our toasts to 2015, let’s not forget these familiar faces, many gone far too soon.

NEW YEAR’S EVE SPECIALS • Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb glance back on “A Toast to 2014!” (8 p.m., NBC). • Ryan Seacrest hosts “Dick Clark’s Primetime New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” (8 p.m. and 11:30 p.m., ABC, TV-PG). • Celebrations unfold in Miami on “Pitbull’s New Year’s Revolution, Part 1” (8 p.m., Fox). • “All American New Year” (9 p.m., Fox News Channel) puts an emphasis on safety and security concerns surrounding

any festivities. • Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga headline “New Year’s Eve With Carson Daly” (10 p.m., NBC). • “Michael Feinstein’s New Year’s Eve at the Rainbow Room” (10 p.m., PBS, TV-G, check local listings) revives old favorites. • Network personalities host “MTV’s NYE 2015” (11 p.m.).

NEW YEAR’S EVE MARATHONS • “Duck Dynasty” (6 p.m. to 4 a.m., A&E, TV-PG). • “The Walking Dead” (through Friday, AMC). • “Doctor Who” (8 a.m. to 6 a.m., BBC America, TV-PG). • “Naked and Afraid” (3 p.m. to 3 a.m., Discovery, TV-14). • “The Simpsons” (9 p.m. Thursday to 10 p.m. Friday, FXX, TV-PG). • “Mythbusters” (through early Saturday, Science, TVPG). • “The Twilight Zone” (8 a.m. to 5 a.m., Syfy).

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS • “Jennifer Lopez: Dance Again”

(9 p.m., HBO, TV-14) documents the pop star’s world tour.

SERIES NOTES Trouble on campus on “Blue Bloods” (8 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14) * “iHeartRadio Music Festival” (8 p.m., CW, r, TV-PG) * The knives come out on “Criminal Minds” (9 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14) * A sadist incinerates his victims on “Stalker” (10 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14).

LATE NIGHT Ashton Kutcher, Krysten Ritter and Beck appear on “Conan” (11 p.m., TBS, r) * Charlie Day, Kevin Harvick and Hiss Golden Messenger appear on “Late Show With David Letterman” (11:35 p.m., CBS, r) * James Corden, Vanessa Bayer and Robert Earl visit “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (12:35 a.m., NBC, r) * Craig Ferguson hosts Matthew McConaughey, Frank Nicotero and Metallica on “The Late Late Show” (12:35 a.m., CBS, r).

THURSDAY TELEVISION

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The First 48: Dark Waters Drowning The First 48: Dead Wrong (N) (HD) (:01) The First 48: Cold Betrayal (:04) The First 48: Broad Daylight (:01) The First 48 Neighbor (HD) death. (HD) Family man dead. (HD) Willing witnesses. (HD) (HD) The Walking Dead: Too Far Gone The Walking Dead: After The survi- The Walking Dead: Inmates Need The Walking 180 The Walking Dead: Live Bait Desper- The Walking Dead: Dead Weight ate search for humanity. (HD) New members. (HD) New threat. (HD) vors begin to lose hope. (HD) for stability. (HD) Dead (HD) 100 Mermaids: New Evidence (HD) Megalodon: The Extended Cut Search persists. (HD) (:01) Megalodon (HD) Body Found Extended Legend analyzed. (HD) Husbands Husbands Project Husbands Nick Nellyville: License to Ride wit Me Nellyville: The Graduates Nelly gives Wendy Williams 162 Husbands Kevin Husbands Kevin Husbands: No roasted. roasted. New Friends filmed. hires a P.I. Major producer. speech & records. Show (HD) The Millionaire Matchmaker: Dave; The Millionaire Matchmaker: Chilli The Millionaire Matchmaker Matchmaker: Ally Shapiro, Jill Zarin Housewives 181 The Real Housewives of Atlanta: Welcome One, Welcome ATL Harold Millionaire love. & Jeff Ogden Daughters and Princes. (N) and Prince Ferdinand 62 Shark Tank (HD) Shark Tank (HD) Shark Tank (HD) Shark Tank New ideas. (HD) Shark Tank (HD) Shark (HD) 64 Anthony Bourdain Parts: Peru Anthony: Brazil (Bahia) Anthony: Mexico City Anthony Bourdain Parts: Spain Anthony: Paraguay Anthony Tosh.0 Daniel’s Jackass 3D (‘10, Comedy) aaa Johnny Knoxville. Viewers are provided Jackass 3.5 (‘11, Comedy) aaa Johnny Knoxville. 136 Tosh.0: Prancing Tosh.0 Religious Tosh.0 Shoes Elites (HD) rapper. (HD) thrown. (HD) Subaru. (HD) with a series of outrageous stunts and pranks. (HD) “Jackass 3D” bonus footage highlighted. (HD) Liv and Maddie Bedtime Stories (‘08, Comedy) aac Adam Sandler. Mickey Mouse: Girl Meets: Girl Austin & Ally Blog Parade float. Jessie: Spaced Good Luck Char80 Jessie Acting class. (HD) (HD) Tales begin to magically come true. Stayin’ Cool Meets Father (HD) Out (HD) lie (HD) 103 Alaskan Bush People (HD) Alaskan Bush People (HD) Alaskan Bush People (HD) Alaskan Bush People: Off (N) Alaskan Bush People (HD) Alaskan (HD) 35 2015 Rose Bowl Game: Oregon vs Florida State (:50) 2015 Allstate Sugar Bowl: Alabama Crimson Tide vs Ohio State Buckeyes z{| (HD) Post Game 39 SportsCenter (HD) SportsCenter (HD) SportsCenter (HD) High School Football (HD) SportsCenter (HD) Sports (HD) Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (‘92, Comedy) aac Macaulay Culkin. A boy boards the The 700 Club Man survives deadly The Cheetah 131 (6:30) Matilda (‘96, Fantasy) aac Danny DeVito. A magical girl takes on her tormentors. (HD) wrong plane during Christmas and ends up in New York City. (HD) plane crash. Girls (‘03) ac 109 Chopped: All-Burger Meal! (HD) Chopped: Cleaver Fever (HD) Chopped Family competes. (HD) Beat Bobby Beat Bobby Diners (HD) Diners (HD) Chopped (HD) 74 On the Record with Greta (N) The O’Reilly Factor (N) (HD) The Kelly File News updates. Hannity Conservative news. (HD) The O’Reilly Factor (HD) The Kelly File 42 World Poker Tour no} (HD) World Poker Tour no} (HD) World Poker Tour no} (HD) World Poker Tour no} (HD) World Poker Tour no} (HD) Wrld Poker Hitched for the Holidays (‘12, Romance) Joey Lawrence. A man and The Middle: The The Middle (HD) Golden Girls: The Golden: Second Golden: Adult Ed183 (6:00) The Good Witch’s Gift (‘10, Family) aaa Catherine Bell. (HD) woman agree to pose as each other’s dates for the holidays. (HD) Scratch (HD) Operation Motherhood ucation 112 Island Life (N) Island Life (N) HGTV Dream Home 2015 (N) Addict (N) (HD) Addict (N) (HD) Hunters (N) Hunters (N) Hawaii (N) Hawaii (N) Addict (HD) 110 Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Crim i nal Minds: Mag nif i cent Light Crim i nal Minds: The Les son BAU Crim i nal Minds: Perennials Copy cat Crim i nal Minds: Zugzwang Reid’s Crim i nal Minds: Mag num Opus Per Criminal Minds 160 Conference murder. (HD) looks into ritualistic killing. (HD) killer. (HD) girlfriend is kidnapped. (HD) sonal loss. (HD) (HD) Big Women: Big Love: Curly Fries (:02) Little Women: LA: Baby on (:02) Little 145 Little Women: LA: Here Comes the Little Women: LA: Season 2 Kickoff Little Women: LA: Baby on Board Bride Wedding details. (HD) Special (N) (HD) Booze cruise. (N) (HD) and Creepy Guys (N) (HD) Board Booze cruise. (HD) Women: LA (HD) 76 Lockup Jailhouse romance. (HD) Lockup (HD) Lockup (HD) Lockup (HD) Lockup (HD) Lockup (HD) 91 (6:30) Sponge Giant monster. Full Hse Full Hse Full Hse Full Hse Prince Prince Friends (HD) Friends (HD) Raymond (HD) 154 Casino (‘95) Robert De Niro. (HD) Scarface (‘83, Crime) Al Pacino. A Cuban refugee becomes a Miami drug lord and struggles to maintain his power. (HD) Carlito’s Way (‘93) aaa Al Pacino. Twilight Zone: Twilight Grand- Twilight Zone: Twilight: Time Twilight Strange Twilight: The Twilight Appear- Twilight Zone: Twilight Sun fails Twilight: Long 152 Twilight Zone: Kick the Can The Masks motherly robot. Living Doll Enough at Last empty town. Howling Man ing normal. The Shelter to rise. Distance Call Family Guy Life The Big Bang The Big Bang The Big Bang Conan Jake Gyllenhaal; Judy Greer. Cougar Town 156 (6:45) The Hangover Part II (‘11, Comedy) aaa Bradley Cooper. Four friends travel to Thailand. change. (HD) Theory (HD) Theory (HD) Theory (HD) (HD) (HD) Horse Feathers (‘32, Comedy) (:15) A Night at the Opera (‘35, Comedy) aaac Groucho Marx. Zanies A Day at the Races (‘37, Comedy) aaac Groucho 186 (6:15) The Nanny (‘65, Thriller) aac Bette Davis. A sinister nanny. Groucho Marx. Chaos at college. create chaos in high society. Marx. Malcontents wreak havoc at a sanitarium. 157 My Strange Addiction (HD) My 600-lb Life (HD) My 600-lb Life (HD) My 600-lb Life (HD) My 600-lb Life (HD) My 600-lb (HD) Cas tle: A Dance with Death Re al ity Cas tle: 47 Sec onds Bomb ex plodes Cas tle: The Limey Scot land Yard de Cas tle: Head hunt ers Cas tle re ceives CSI: NY: The Ly ing Game CSI: NY Mac’s 158 star murder. (HD) at a protest rally. (HD) tective joins the team. (HD) a new partner. (HD) Transgender dead. (HD) stepson. (HD) 102 Jokers Jokers Carbonaro Carbonaro Carbonaro Carbonaro Carbonaro (N) How to Be (N) Branson (HD) Carbonaro Carbonaro 161 (6:00) The Year: 2014 (HD) Fam. Feud Fam. Feud Raymond (HD) Raymond (HD) Queens (HD) Queens (HD) Queens (HD) Queens (HD) Friends (HD) NCIS: Honor Thy Father A fire set to a NCIS Explosion in 132 NCIS: Rock and a Hard Place Bomb at NCIS: Alleged Bar fight or conspiracy. NCIS: Shooter Disappeared Marine NCIS: The Admiral’s Daughter military charity event. (HD) (HD) photographer. (HD) DiNozzo given orders in Paris. (HD) U.S. Navy ship. (HD) D.C. (HD) Braxton Family Values (HD) Braxton Family Values (HD) Braxton Family Values (HD) Braxton Family Values (HD) Braxton Family Values (HD) Braxton (HD) 172 Funniest Home Videos (HD) Funniest Home Videos (HD) How I Met How I Met How I Met How I Met Rules (HD) Rules (HD) Parks (HD)

DISNEY / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Teenage Elsa the Snow Queen, voiced by Idina Menzel, is shown in a scene from the animated feature “Frozen.” “Frozen” has earned Disney more than $1.27 billion at the box office worldwide, becoming the most successful animated movie of all time. Its signature song “Let It Go” won an Oscar and a national touring live version on ice has been a huge draw.

‘Frozen’ is named top entertainer of the year by AP BY MARK KENNEDY AP Entertainment Writer NEW YORK — If you have children, or know someone who does, or just listened to one recently, the choice of Associated Press Entertainer of the Year won’t come as much of a shock: It’s “Frozen,” and in 2014, we just couldn’t let it go. Although the animated film opened late in 2013, the story of Elsa, Anna, Olaf, Kristoff and Sven easily outpaced other vote-getters like “Sherlock” star Benedict Cumberbatch, TV guru Shonda Rimes, musicians Beyonce and Pharrell Williams, and even an entry for the culture’s fixation on the female rear. In 47 ballots submitted by members and subscribers of the AP, “Frozen” won 12 votes. Taylor Swift had 8. Matthew McConaughey and Jimmy Fallon were tied for third with 7 votes each. Voters were asked to consider who had the most influence on entertainment and culture in 2014. “Frozen” has earned Disney more than $1.27 billion at the box office worldwide, becoming the most successful animated movie of all time. Its signature song, “Let It Go,” won an Oscar, and a national touring live version on ice has been a huge draw. The lines of girls wearing sparkly dresses waiting for a

chance to see Elsa and Anna at Disneyland are staggering. “Frozen” was the most searched movie in 2014, according to Google. “It’s amazing,” said Chris Buck, who co-directed and co-wrote the film with Jennifer Lee. “A year later, it’s still crazy.” Asked if they had managed to get their heads around the film’s popularity, Lee replied: “I don’t know if it’s possible. I kind of hope it’s not possible because this is a really great feeling.” The film’s gravitational pull has now supplanted Barbie as No. 1 on the holiday wish lists of girls, according to a survey by the National Retail Federation. Barbie had been the queen for 11 years in a row, but felt a chill this year from the kingdom of Arendelle. The Oscar-winning story about how the sisters Anna and Elsa overcome Elsa’s terrible power to turn everything into ice and snow has songs by the husband-and-wife songwriting team Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez. It features the voices of Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff, Josh Gad and Santino Fontana. One Entertainer of the Year voter said the film had layers of magic: “’Frozen’ has become nearly unavoidable. Before seeing the movie, I knew the names of each main character as well as the theme song. But it’s more than that. Sis-

terhood is something so important to little girls whether they are an only child or have 10 siblings,” wrote Jill Harry of The Derrick and The News-Herald of Oil City, Pennsylvania. “The movie takes that theme, that feeling and perfectly matches it with the magic Disney is known to produce. The end result is a movie that has become an obsession. And now snowflake blue is the new black.” While the nation fell hard for the film, one famous actor was positively tonguetied. John Travolta butchered the pronunciation of Menzel’s name at the Oscar ceremony. What came out was something that sounded like “Adele Dazeem,” but it only helped Menzel sell more tickets to her Broadway show “If/ Then.” “Frozen” translated into cold, hard cash at the box office. Apple said the animated film’s soundtrack was the year’s top selling album on iTunes, and “Frozen” merchandise accounted for nine of the top 10 best-selling items in Disney stores. There were “Frozen” sing-alongs on Disney cruises to the Caribbean, a book series was published and some of the characters made it onto the fourth season of ABC fantasy-drama “Once Upon a Time.” Its creators are still coming to grip with its power. “We have tried to figure

it out or define it and dissect it to figure out what it all was,” said Buck. “We call it lightning in a bottle. There is something there and I can’t really describe it.” Parody and tribute videos never slowed down in 2014, and boys and girls continued to spontaneously belt out “Let It Go” on playgrounds or cite its memorable quotes like, “The cold never bothered me anyway,” ‘’I’m Olaf and I like warm hugs!” and “Some people are worth melting for.” Lee said she and Buck were raised on the classic Disney films and they wanted to do “a sincere, modern fairy tale” that “spoke to this generation.” The music was classic but also fresh, and they tried to make the characters three-dimensional. “It was really this big effort to ask, ‘Can we create that magic that we felt as kids with what the kids expect today?’” she said. “That’s all we could do. We kept pushing and pushing and praying that people would come to see it.” Relax, more “Frozen” is on the horizon. The short film “Frozen Fever” comes out in March, a full-length film sequel is in development and a Broadway musical is planned. And early next year, Lea Michele will sing “Let It Go” in the season 6 two-hour premiere of “Glee.”

WEDNESDAY COMICS

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2014

BIZARRO

SOUP TO NUTZ

ANDY CAPP

GARFIELD

BEETLE BAILEY

BORN LOSER

BLONDIE

ZITS

MOTHER GOOSE

DOG EAT DOUG

DILBERT

JEFF MACNELLY’S SHOE

Daughter’s baby-sitting leads to another baby DEAR ABBY — My 16-yearold daughter, “Sierra,” started baby-sitting in the afternoons for a couple when Dear Abby she was 15. Sometimes ABIGAIL her dad or I VAN BUREN would drop her off; sometimes the husband, “Karl,” would before he left for work. My husband and Karl became friends, and when Karl and his wife split up, we let him stay on our couch for a few months. Then we found out Sierra was pregnant and that she and Karl had been sleeping together before he split with

THE SUMTER ITEM

his wife. My daughter is upset that we want to involve the police and press charges because she was underage. How can I get Sierra to stop hating me and understand that this relationship isn’t healthy? “The Enemy Mom” in South Carolina DEAR “ENEMY MOM” — Sierra is mad at you because you are injecting an unwelcome note of reality into her fantasy of “love.” Karl is a predator who needs to be answerable for what he did. He will also have to support that child until he or she is no longer a minor. Because he has shown himself to be amoral and irresponsible, involve not only the police but also the department of social ser-

THE DAILY CROSSWORD PUZZLE

vices to ensure that he lives up to all of his responsibilities. DEAR READERS — The year is almost over — I can’t believe how fast it has gone! Please accept my heartfelt wish for a happy, healthy and prosperous 2015. And if you are partying this evening, please be safe! LOVE, ABBY Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www. DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069. To order “How to Write Letters for All Occasions,” send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $7 (U.S. funds) to Dear Abby — Letter Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. Shipping and handling are included in the price.

JUMBLE

SUDOKU

THAT SCRAMBLED WORD GAME By David L. Hoyt and Jeff Knurek

HOW TO PLAY: Each row, column and set of 3-by-3 boxes must contain the numbers 1 through 9 without repetition.

ACROSS 1 See the sites? 5 Parker who played Davy Crockett 9 Vagabond 14 Dept. with a sun on its seal 15 Future D.A.’s hurdle 16 Putting green features 17 Tiny pond plant 18 Holiday lights site 19 Slate of VIPs 20 King who supported Moliére 22 Highfalutin sorts 23 Hoi __ 24 Egg-white omelet’s lack 26 Blotter letters 28 Ryder Cup team 29 “Mystery!” network 31 Colorful mnemonic 33 Line to tear along: Abbr. 35 “Constant Craving” singer 37 Pontificate 38 Northeastern educational octet ... or, in a way, what the ends of 20-, 31-, 49and 61-Across comprise 41 Big mess 44 Isle of Mull

neighbor 45 Beauties 49 City name meaning “spring mound” 51 Naval off. 53 Welcoming accessory 54 Carpentry tool 55 Some, in Seville 57 Two-gamete cell 59 Blow away 61 Maker of Smart Target acne treatment 63 Limber 64 Snack in a stack 65 Singles bar conversation starter 66 Easily corrupted 67 Badly need a bath 68 Squared up 69 Anaheim’s Honda Center, e.g. 70 Kings and queens 71 They may be tacked on Down 1 Blubbery baby? 2 Free 3 Like some verbs and gas 4 Hardly hardy 5 With some wiggle room 6 Hollywood’s Morales

7 Shrewd 8 Canonized mlle. 9 Gift recipient’s sentiment 10 Lampshadeshaped chocolate 11 Woodcutter who knew the magic words 12 Camper’s dining gear 13 West Coast hrs. 21 Food for dunking 22 __-mo replay 25 Princess Leia’s last name 27 City thoroughfare: Abbr. 30 Whistle wetter 32 First name of TV’s Dr. House 34 World Cup org.

36 Classical lead-in 39 Horn banned from the 2014 World Cup 40 “Zounds!” 41 RR stop 42 Many an Enya fan 43 Hoarder’s cry 46 Showing strong feeling 47 Day play 48 Justice replaced by Kagan 50 Having four sharps 52 One-named R&B singer 56 Bender 58 Treble staff symbol 60 Logician Turing 62 Clarinet insert 63 Actress Gardner 64 Ball

THURSDAY COMICS

THE SUMTER ITEM

BIZARRO

SOUP TO NUTZ

ANDY CAPP

GARFIELD

BEETLE BAILEY

BORN LOSER

BLONDIE

ZITS

MOTHER GOOSE

DOG EAT DOUG

DILBERT

JEFF MACNELLY’S SHOE

Another year brings opportunities to begin anew DEAR READERS — Today is the day we have an opportunity to discard destructive old habits for healthy new Dear Abby ones, and with that in ABIGAIL mind, I will VAN BUREN share a portion of Dear Abby’s often-requested list of New Year’s Resolutions, which were adapted by my late mother, Pauline Phillips, from the original credo of Al-Anon: JUST FOR TODAY: I will live through this day only. I will not brood about yesterday or obsess about tomorrow. I will not set far-reaching

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2014

goals or try to overcome all of my problems at once. I know that I can do something for 24 hours that would overwhelm me if I had to keep it up for a lifetime. JUST FOR TODAY: I will be happy. I will not dwell on thoughts that depress me. If my mind fills with clouds, I will chase them away and fill it with sunshine. JUST FOR TODAY: I will accept what is. I will face reality. I will correct those things that I can correct and accept those I cannot. JUST FOR TODAY: I will improve my mind. I will read something that requires effort, thought and concentration. I will not be a mental loafer. JUST FOR TODAY: I will make a conscious effort to be

agreeable. I will be kind and courteous to those who cross my path, and I’ll not speak ill of others. I will improve my appearance, speak softly, and not interrupt when someone else is talking. JUST FOR TODAY: I will refrain from improving anybody but myself. JUST FOR TODAY: I will do something positive to improve my health. If I’m a smoker, I’ll quit. If I am overweight, I will eat healthfully -- if only just for today. And not only that, I will get off the couch and take a brisk walk, even if it’s only around the block. JUST FOR TODAY: I will gather the courage to do what is right and take responsibility for my own actions.

JUMBLE

SUDOKU

THAT SCRAMBLED WORD GAME By David L. Hoyt and Jeff Knurek

HOW TO PLAY: Each row, column and set of 3-by-3 boxes must contain the numbers 1 through 9 without repetition.

THE DAILY CROSSWORD PUZZLE

ACROSS 1 See 58-Across 7 See 58-Across 13 How many golf clubs are sold 14 Member of Buck Showalter’s MLB team 15 See 58-Across 19 Put __ on: restrict 20 See 22-Across 21 __ profit: make money 22 With 20-Across, “American Beauty” rockers, familiarly 23 Gets harder to climb 27 Pester 28 Valleys 30 Can’t stand 32 Prefix with -pod 33 Oils and such 34 See 58-Across 38 See 58-Across 42 Baseball’s Piniella 43 Measure typically given in knots 46 “Discreet Music” composer 47 They can be lifesavers: Abbr. 49 See 58-Across

50 Focus, with “in” 51 Greek cheeses 53 Swear 54 Withstand 55 Nick working at night? 57 Crush competitor 58 Psalm 100 excerpt suggested by six puzzle answers and graphically represented by certain black squares in this puzzle 64 Pub order 65 Like “Gilligan’s Island” characters 66 Do yard work 67 “Success!” 68 Bicuspid 69 Yakima-toSpokane dir. DOWN 1 Pampas cowboy 2 Beersheba’s land 3 [I don’t believe it!] 4 Prime meridian std. 5 Regulus is in it 6 Techniquebuilding pieces 7 Incited 8 Second-smallest S.A. country 9 Pear-shaped

fruit 10 Warm alpine wind, in Austria 11 Klingons, e.g. 12 Attacked 15 Spa area 16 Support on the links? 17 Running measure 18 Suppresses 23 Not entirely, informally 24 Like an early evening sky 25 Comparatively warm? 26 Valuable cello 29 USPS item 31 List-limiting letters 34 Score symbol 35 Realty transaction 36 Amusing DVD feature 37 “The Grouchy Ladybug” writ-

er Carle 38 Accent pair? 39 Tap your foot, say 40 Folly 41 Dirty __ 44 Disco __ of “The Simpsons” 45 Gal.’s eight 48 Levelheaded 50 Philosopher known for a paradox 52 Prepare for mailing 54 Getaway goal, for short 56 Somewhat open 57 Boxer’s woe 58 Might 59 Rock worth mining 60 __ Kippur 61 Rock’s __ Fighters 62 Not in the bk. 63 Field grazer

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2014

THE SUMTER ITEM

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THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Slow Cooker Onion Soup

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Take comfort in an almost effortless Onion Soup BY MELISSA D’ARABIAN The Associated Press

alk about a vegetable that’s everywhere. The humble onion is one the most common aromatic vegetables, popping up in so many ways across so many cuisines.

And it’s not just for taste. The onion also happens to be a terrifically healthy ingredient. If nothing else, it’s a delicious way to add bulk to a dish without adding many calories or any fat. Thing is, Americans typically use onions in such small quantities that they serve more to highlight the other items in a dish, rather than strut their own stuff. The exception? A warm and satisfying bowl of onion soup. The genesis of onion soup is unclear, but some attribute the version we know today to a French king. Even in modern France, onion soup is slurped up by late-night revelers taking a break in the party to revitalize their bodies with warm oniony broth before continuing the fete into the morning hours. While I tend to sip my onion soup at a more reasonable hour, I find it equally comforting. There is nothing as soothing as the luscious sweetness of a cooked onion, particularly one from which a caramel color and flavor have been coaxed unhurried over hours. Add a rich broth and a

bit of cheese, and you have a delicious luxury. The secret is in not rushing the caramelizing of the onions. And that’s a fine way to put your slow cooker to work. It conveniently caramelizes the onions overnight with no effort from you. And my recipe for slow cooker onion soup walks you through the whole (very easy) thing. And if you want, you can stop right there — with caramelized onions! Put them in a small jar in the refrigerator and use as a spread or topping for just about anything. Or continue on and make the whole soup, which is guaranteed to nourish both body and soul.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Chef Melissa d’Arabian helps home cooks discover the healthier side of everyday ingredients.

SLOW COOKER ONION SOUP Start to finish: 10 hours (plus 20 minutes active) Servings: 6 For the caramelized onions: 5 cups sliced yellow onions, (about 4 large onions) 2 shallots, peeled and sliced 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tablespoon olive oil Salt and ground black pepper For the soup: 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour 1/4 cup dry sherry 1 teaspoon dry thyme

Small sprig fresh rosemary 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth 2 cups low-sodium beef broth 1 cup water 1 tablespoon lemon juice 6 thin slices baguette, toasted until golden and quite dry 1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese Coat a 4-quart or larger slow

cooker with cooking spray. Add the onions, shallots, garlic and oil. Toss well, then season with a bit of salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low until the onions are richly colored and sweet, 8 to 10 hours. (The onions at this point can be removed and used for other recipes if not making the soup.) Once the onions are ready,

sprinkle them with the flour and stir until well-combined. Add the sherry, thyme, rosemary, Worcestershire sauce, both broths and the water, then cover and cook for another 4 hours on low or 2 hours on high. Once soup is done, stir in the lemon juice and adjust the seasoning. When ready to eat, set the broiler on high. Ladle the soup into broilersafe serving crocks. Top each crock

with a thin slice of the toasted baguette and a heaping tablespoon of Gruyere. Place the filled crocks on a rimmed baking sheet and broil just until cheese is golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Do not leave the crocks unattended as they will burn quickly. Nutrition information per serving: 240 calories; 60 calories from fat (25 percent of total calories); 6 g fat (2.5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 15 mg cholesterol; 34 g carbohydrate; 3 g fiber; 8 g sugar; 10 g protein; 570 mg sodium.