December 3, 2014

IN NATIONAL NEWS: New rules coming to kidney transplant waiting list A6

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Check out our list of enjoyable activities going on nearby A4 WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2014

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2 men charged with murder

75 cents

‘He lost his life being a hero’

Authorities think shooting is result of robbery gone awry

BY MATT BRUCE matthew@theitem.com Sumter police have filed charges against two suspects thought to have been involved in a shooting that emanated from a botched robbery attempt late Monday afternoon, leaving a 25-yearold Rembert man dead.

Dikeem Dargan, 17, of 134 Carolina Ave., DARGAN turned himself in to authorities Monday night, and Marquez Stevens, 20, of 80 Milton Road, turned himself in Tuesday. Both STEVENS Sumter men were charged with murder, armed robbery and conspiracy to commit armed robbery in connection with the incident, according to a statement issued

by Sumter Police Department on Tuesday. Dargan also faces charges of possession of a weapon during a violent crime and possession of a weapon under the age of 18 stemming from the shooting.

Shots rang out about 4:45 p.m. Monday along Shop Road, one block north of Broad Street. Authorities arrived and found 25-year-old Lance Lynell Myers lying on the ground outside a vacant apartment duplex. Pathologists performed an autopsy on the victim Tuesday in Newberry.

Sumter County Coroner Harvin Bullock confirmed he died from a single gunshot wound to the upper torso.

SEE SHOOTING, PAGE A9

PHOTO PROVIDED

Capt. William H. Dubois, 30, died this week as a result of a noncombat crash on Sunday near Southwest Asia. Dubois was assigned to the 77th Fighter Squadron at Shaw Air Force Base.

Shaw pilot died after crash in Middle East

BY RAYTEVIA EVANS ray@theitem.com

“W

ill was so much more than a kickass fighter pilot.”

The statement from the family of Capt. William “Pyro” Dubois simply stands for Dubois as a member of the U.S. Air Force and as one of the driving forces in their family.

Dubois, a 30-year-old F-16 fighter

pilot, died this week as a result of a noncombat crash near a coalition base in the Middle East on Sunday evening while supporting Operation Inherent Resolve. Dubois was assigned to the 77th Fighter Squadron at Shaw Air Force Base. His wife, Ashley Dubois, remembers him as being the love of her life and will forever remember his smile and laughter that brought her joy when they were together.

“I loved him with all my heart and soul, and I’m lucky to call him my husband,” Dubois said in a statement. “I

FBI bulletin puts military on alert

BY RAYTEVIA EVANS ray@theitem.com Like former and current military members everywhere, those at Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter are taking precautions after the Federal Bureau of Investigation recently advised service members to review their social media accounts in an effort to avoid posting information or photos that might attract the attention from the group calling

VISIT US ONLINE AT

the

.com

itself the Islamic State.

Master Sgt. Cohen Young with Shaw said he has just returned from Afghanistan but became aware of the message that all military members had received.

Although military members at Shaw have not had any incidents regarding social media posts that needed to be deleted, Young said they have all been asked to be

SEE SOCIAL MEDIA, PAGE A9

CONTACT US

DEATHS, B7

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

Lovolia C. Isaac Johnny M. Adger Joseph Wilson Bernice W. Stover Lance L. Myers Elease Hicks Levy J.W. Baker

close my eyes and hear him laughing and see him smile and I’m forever grateful for all the love and joy that he brought to my life. Put it up and double down my love.”

According to Shaw Air Force Base, Dubois was commissioned through ROTC at the University of Colorado in 2008 and has been stationed at Shaw since September 2013. Along with his wife, Capt. Dubois is survived by his mother and father, a sister, a nephew

SEE PILOT, PAGE A9

Fireside Fund correction A few errors occurred in the Fireside Fund article that ran in Tuesday’s edition, and some listings were inadvertently omitted.

The correct listings should read: Sowers and Reapers, $100; and Jackie Olsen in memory of Tom Olsen, $500.

The additional listings

should read: Love in Action Sunday School Class, $100; Trinity United Methodist Church, $100; Hillcrest No. 263 Order of Eastern Star, $150; Gerlies McCrea in memory of Patricia Hightower, $10; Concord Baptist Church Ladies Friendship Circle, $25; and in memory of Tom Olsen, $50.

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3 SECTIONS, 26 PAGES VOL. 120, NO. 41

Clouds and sun later today; partly cloudy and mild tonight HIGH 73, LOW 51

Classifieds B8 Comics C6 Food C8 Lotteries A10

Opinion A7 Panorama C1 Television C7

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2014

THE SUMTER ITEM

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

Murder trial underway in 2010 beating death

BY MATT BRUCE matthew@theitem.com Jurors heard the first full day of testimony Tuesday in trial murder trial of a Mayesville man accused of viciously beating his elderly mother to death with a baseball bat in 2010.

Alexander “Bobby” Wilson, 63, faces a murder charge in connection with the killing. He sat in a courtroom inside Sumter County Courthouse on Monday as attorneys for both sides laid out their opening arWILSON guments to the jury panel.

Wilson stands accused of killing his 85-year-old mother, Elizabeth Wilson, on Nov. 29, 2010, at the family’s Congress Street home in Mayesville. Autopsy results showed she died from blows to the head.

Prosecutors contend the defendant was fully knowledgeable about his actions when he carried the homicide out. Third Circuit Solicitor Ernest “Chip” Finney told jurors Wilson, one of the victim’s four sons, fatally attacked his mother because she refused to give him something he wanted.

Charles Brooks, who is representing the defendant, argued that Wilson was mentally unstable and had no idea what he was doing at the time.

Records indicate Wilson has undergone multiple psychological screenings since the deadly incident. The latest came in September when he was ruled mentally fit to stand trial, prosecutors said Monday.

The trial is expected to continue at 10 a.m. today in courtroom 3B on the third floor of Sumter County Courthouse.

Lowery named mayor pro tem Council approves redevelopment plan amendments

BY JADE REYNOLDS jade@theitem.com Sumter City Council has a new mayor pro tem, Thomas “Bubba” Lowery.

He will serve in that role for the next two years.

“I just want to say thank you to everyone,” Lowery said. “I hope that I LOWERY can continue to do a good job and make everyone proud of me.”

He received three votes — himself, Councilman Robert Galiano and Councilmen David Merchant.

Councilwoman Ione Dwyer was also nominated for the position and received two votes, herself and Councilman Calvin Hastie.

Per his personal policy, Mayor Joe McElveen abstained from voting, and Councilwoman Colleen Yates abstained as this was her first regular board meeting since being elected.

Galiano was the retiring mayor pro tem.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed representing the council at many events,” he said. “I thank

my fellow council members for their confidence in electing me to that position two years ago.”

While it passed unanimously, a motion to amend the city’s redevelopment plan in three ways garnered attention as well. Council approved the 15year extension running the Tax Incremental Financing through 2029, raising the maximum amount collectible from $5 million to $10 million and approving part of the money to be spent building a multi-level parking garage. The amendment had already been unanimously passed by Sumter County Council and the Sumter School District, the other two taxing entities affected by the plan.

The original TIF was passed in 1999 and addressed blighted areas of what City Attorney Eric Shytle described as the central business district. It was successful in providing for parking lots and street scapes, he said.

“I’m a huge believer in what is to come,” Shytle said. “We’re on the doorstep of some transformational things downtown, and this will further attract investments.”

The amendment will hopefully bring more jobs to Sumter, Dwyer said. She was chairwoman of the council when the original redevelopment plan passed.

“I’m proud to see this go through,” she said.

McElveen said it already has created employment opportunities in the area, and he, too, hopes it will continue to do so.

In other news, council members unanimously passed the following: • Final reading of an ordinance amending the size, type and number of temporary real estate signs. Galiano, who was not present at the first reading, brought up a question Hastie previously had on whether the ordinance regulated who could put up the sign.

What if five builders in a subdivision each want their own sign, he asked.

That issue is addressed in the application process, not the ordinance, said City Planning Director Greg McGregor.

• Final reading of an ordinance to allow residential cellphone tower owners to appeal the height limitation up to 150 percent of its current height.

Get original art at Guild’s Holiday Mart

BY IVY MOORE ivy@theitem.com Familiar Sumter artists, as well as a few you might not know, will offer their works at Saturday’s Sumter Artists’ Guild Holiday Mart. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., local shoppers can find original artworks in a wide variety of mediums made by the guild’s talented members.

Whether it’s stained glass ornaments and Christmas cards or watercolor and oil paintings, pottery, jewelry or fiber art you’re looking for, selecting your Christmas gifts during the guild’s Holiday Mart will all but guarantee they won’t be duplicated. It’s a rare chance to give — or buy for yourself — original art, and you can even meet and talk with the artists.

Carole Carberry, president of the guild, will have her watercolors on sale, Laura Cardello will offer ceramic Christmas ornaments and her decorative and utilitarian pottery, Ray Davenport will have paintings and prints of his often photo-realistic work, Rose Metz will have both abstract and representational art, Don Carberry makes small and large stained glass pieces, including ornaments, SUMTER ITEM FILE PHOTOS blacksmith Mike Tucker will have small items such as meat Sumter Artists’ Guild members Genevieve Rath, Jen Martin and Sue turners and knives, Sue CzerCzerwinski sort handmade ornaments for a previous Holiday Mart winski will bring paintings, sponsored by the guild. Both Rath and Czerwinski will again offer their works with around two dozen other guild members Saturday at and John Cotner’s work reflects his interest in many methe Sumter County Gallery of Art during the 2014 Holiday Mart.

Works by celebrated artist Ray Davenport will be included in the art offered for sale on Saturday. diums, from collage to works on paper and painting. Tucker and Cardello are also the Sumter Artists’ Guild’s artist of the month for December, so more of their work can be seen during the Holiday Mart.

Other artists participating in the Holiday Mart include Michael McGuirt, Connie Brennan, Dannie Welch, Thomas Blackman, Bonnie Moses, Helen Kinser, Erica Goza, Truman Duggin, Trisha King, Caroline Cromer, Amanda Cox, Rhonda Simons

and Genevieve Rath.

Many of the artists will have Christmas-oriented items, Carole Carberry said, adding that “a portion of each sale benefits the Sumter County Gallery of Art, which in turn enhances the quality of life in Sumter with cultural exhibits, informative programs and art classes.”

In addition to the guild’s artwork, the gallery will be selling Young’s gourmet pecans as its annual fundraiser, Director Karen Watson said.

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THE SUMTER ITEM

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2014

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Fantasy of Lights

The Fantasy of Lights display at Swan Lake-Iris Gardens will be illuminated each evening through Dec. 31. At far left, The Kingsbury Elementary Knights Choir sings during the opening ceremonies on Monday.

PHOTOS BY JIM HILLEY / THE SUMTER ITEM

Silver Bells Art & Craft Show December 6th & 7th 2014 Saturday 9am - 6pm & Sunday 12pm - 4pm American Legion Post 15 Home Bldg.

30 Artillery Drive Sumter, SC

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Santa Saturday 1 - 4pm • Toys for Tots - Unwrapped Toys Needed • Please bring nonperishable food for food drive • Relay for Life • K.A.T.’s Special Kneads Small Animal Shelter Sponsored By: Guignard Feed Store 1208 S. Guignard Dr., Sumter For more info. call Debra at (803) 983-3235

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LOCAL

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2014

HERE, THERE & NOT TOO FAR AWAY If you are looking for something fun to do in Sumter, or if you just have the urge to leave town for a few hours, this list will give you several events to choose from within an hour’s drive.

SUMTER • Through Dec. 31 — Drive through or park and walk to see one of South Carolina’s largest Christmas light displays, Swan Lake Fantasy of Lights, at Swan Lake-Iris Gardens, 822 W. Liberty St. Lights can be viewed Sunday-Thursday from dusk to 9 p.m. and Friday-Saturday from dusk to 10 p.m.

• Dec. 6-7 — The 4th Annual Silver Bells Art & Craft Show will be held at the American Legion Building on Sumter County Fairgrounds. Thirty-five crafters will participate. Santa will be available for photos from 1 to 4 p.m. Attendees are

encouraged to bring a nonperishable food item for Sumter Food Pantry-United Ministries.

Free parking and free admission. Sponsored by Guignard Feed Store.

• Dec. 7 — The annual Evening Optimist Christmas Parade will be held at 2 p.m. on Main Street. The parade will feature marching bands, beauty queens, floats and more.

MANNING • Dec. 7 — Manning’s annual Christmas Parade will start at 3 p.m. at the old Manning High School.

CAMDEN • Dec. 13 — Bring the family out to see how Christmas was celebrated by our forefathers from 2 to 5 p.m. at Colonial Christmas in Camden, Kershaw-Cornwallis House,

Historic Camden Revolutionary War Site, 222 Broad St., Camden. Guides dressed in 18th century finery will share some of the Yuletide customs as you tour the house. Meet a Carolina backwoodsman. Try on period clothes, play colonial games, write a holiday greeting with a quill pen and take children on the Christmas Scavenger Hunt.

Tickets, sold at the gift shop, are $5 for adults, $3 for ages 6-12, and free for ages under 6. For more information, call (803) 432-9841 or visit www.historiccamden.net.

COLUMBIA • Through Dec. 31 — Holiday Lights on the River features more than 400 themed, animated light displays on a two-mile loop of the Saluda Shoals Park, 5605 Old Bush River Road, 6-10 p.m. daily.

Enjoy the Dazzling Dancing Forest with its lighted trees synchronized to classical and

POLICE BLOTTER CHARGES Tammy Thomas, 50, of 5064 Christine Drive, was arrested about 3:15 a.m.

Saturday and charged with her second driving under the influence offense following a traffic stop at the intersection of Guignard and Miller roads. She registered a 0.21 bloodalcohol level, reports indicate.

John Compton, 24, was arrested on drug violations after a traffic stop at Stewart and Crowson streets on Nov. 25. Police seized $14,447 in cash, which reportedly was found on Compton. Compton told officers he’s a gambler and won the money gambling, according to reports.

Bryan Jones, 46, of 112 Crosswell Drive, was reportedly arrested about 10:45 p.m. Saturday and charged with fifth offense criminal domestic

THE SUMTER ITEM

violence following reports he repeatedly punched the victim.

STOLEN PROPERTY A sizeable array of tools and go-kart equipment valued at $29,535 was reportedly stolen from a 16-foot sporting trailer sitting in a parking lot in the 500 block of Physicians Lane between 8 p.m. Thursday and 3:30 p.m.

Sunday.

A four-door Pontiac GT valued at $3,000 was reportedly stolen from a parking lot in the 1100 block of Broad Street after 12:30 a.m. Sunday.

A 1999 Ford Escort valued at $1,000 was reportedly stolen from the first block of Franklin Street between Nov. 6 and Nov. 20.

Unknown offenders gained fraudu-

whimsical holiday music. See the three dimensional Victorian Village, Old Man Winter, the holiday classic Twelve Days of Christmas and much more, all in sparkling lights. Take a stroll along the boardwalk through the Wetland Wonderland Walking Trail and watch nature come to life in lights. Take a hayride to the boardwalk for $1 per person or walk along the new trail to the Wetland and enjoy a laser light show and the Deck the Doors Holiday door display along the way. Holiday Lights admission applies. Get ready for the “slide of your life” on the Winter Wonder Ride at Holiday Lights on the River.

Zip through a series of lighted arches and experience downhill tubing without the snow on this 125 foot fun-packed family ride. Admission is cars/$15; 15-passenger vans/$25; and buses/$40. For information, call (803) 772-3903.

lent access to a victim’s savings account and reportedly made a $969 purchase at Piggly Wiggly and a $503 withdrawal from a Wells Fargo bank on Broad Street between Nov. 5 and 5:30 p.m. Saturday.

An HP laptop valued at $420 and an Acer notebook valued at $230 were reportedly stolen from a Wedgefield home in the 800 block of Isadore Nathaniel Drive about 1 p.m. Monday.

Three window air-conditioning units valued at $1,200, a central air/heating unit valued at $400, a washing machine valued at $400 and a riding lawn mower were reportedly stolen from a home in the first block of Sheffield Court at 1:20 p.m. Monday.

A Chevrolet Prizm valued $1,800 was reportedly stolen from a Wedgefield yard in the 2200 block of Emil Road before 1:30 p.m. Monday.

An M&P15 .22-caliber rifle valued at $475 was reportedly stolen from a

• Through Jan. 4, 2015 — Star of Bethlehem will be presented at the State Museum, 301 Gervais St. This full dome planetarium experience travels back in time to Bethlehem to investigate fascinating ideas about the “Christmas Star.” The show presents historical and scientific facts to unravel this 2,000-year old mystery through a special audiovisual display featuring popular Christmas carols. Star of Bethlehem is a 25-minute show playing in the BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Planetarium. Visit scmuseum. org for a list of show times.

FLORENCE • Dec. 4, 5 and 6 — Get your choice of great books from thousands at the OM Ships Blowout Sale from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Ministry Center, 779 St. Andrews Road. Books are $2 or fill a box with books for only $30. All purchases support OM Ships’ charity.

home in the 3000 block of Lowder Road about 10 p.m. Monday.

RECOVERED PROPERTY Police recovered a 9 mm Ruger with a built-in laser valued at $500 from a 2007 Saturn parked in a Walgreen’s lot in the 1000 block of Broad Street about 2:50 a.m. Sunday.

Police recovered a Glock .40-caliber handgun while searching a vehicle during a traffic stop at Rast Street and Bultman Drive after 11:45 p.m.

Nov. 26.

DAMAGED PROPERTY A 2004 BMW 530I, 2014 Nissan Altima and 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe, all of which were reportedly keyed, sustained a combined $9,000 in estimated damage during an alleged vandalism act at a Dalzell yard in the 3100 block of Kaempfer Circle about 9:15 p.m. Monday.

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2014

CDC says circumcision benefits outweigh risks NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. health officials on Tuesday released a draft of long-awaited federal guidelines on circumcision, saying medical evidence supports having the procedure done and health insurers should pay for it.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines stop short of telling parent to get their newborn sons circumcised. That is a personal decision that may involve religious or cultural preferences, said the CDC’s Dr. Jonathan Mermin.

But “the scientific evidence is clear that the benefits outweigh the risks,� added Mermin, who oversees the agency’s programs on HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.

These are the first federal guidelines on circumcision, a brief medical procedure that involves cutting away the foreskin around the tip of the penis. Germs can grow underneath the foreskin, and CDC officials said the procedure can lower a male’s risk of sexually-transmitted diseases, penile cancer and even urinary tract infections.

The CDC started working on the guidelines about seven years ago, when a cluster of influential studies in Africa indicated circumcision might help stop spread of the AIDS virus. “The benefits of male circumcision have become more and more clear over the last 10 years,� said Dr. Aaron Tobian, a Johns Hopkins University researcher involved in one of the African studies.

But the guidelines are important, because the rates of newborn male circumcision have been dropping, he added.

The guidelines are being published in the federal register Tuesday. For the next 45 days, the CDC will receive public comment before finalizing them next year.

They are likely to draw intense opposition from anti-cir-

cumcision advocacy groups, said Dr. Douglas Diekema, a Seattle physician who worked on a circumcision policy statement issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics in 2012. “This is a passionate issue for them, and they feel strongly that circumcision is wrong,� said Diekema, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington.

The CDC guidelines largely mirror the pediatrician group’s statement, but the CDC’s document incorporates more research and comes from an organization that many may see as more neutral on the topic, Diekema said.

The thinking on circumcision has swung wildly over the years. It’s been practiced by Jews and Muslims for thousands of years but didn’t become common in this country until the 20th century. By one estimate, only 25 percent of U.S. male newborns were circumcised in 1900.

It gradually became the cultural norm, and in the 1950s and 1960s surpassed 80 percent. But then the trend reversed. Part of it had to do with changing demographics, as the U.S. population grew to include larger numbers of Mexican-Americans and other ethnic groups that didn’t traditionally circumcise their children.

Also, opposition to the procedure grew from advocates who decried the pain, bleeding and risk of infections to newborns. Their message was aided by the Internet and by the neutral stance of physicians groups — including, for a time, the American Academy of Pediatrics.

A wave of state Medicaid programs stopped paying for newborn circumcisions, which cost roughly $150 to $200. The list eventually rose to 18 states, according to CDC numbers.

By 2010 the newborn circumcision rate was down to about 58 percent, according to one CDC estimate.

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Anti-circumcision activists Frank McGinness, right, and Jeff Brown rally against circumcision with about 25 protesters outside a San Francisco courthouse in 2011. On Tuesday, U.S. health officials released a draft of the government’s long-awaited guidelines on circumcision, which say benefits of the procedure outweigh the risks and health insurers should pay for it.

AP FILE PHOTO

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2014

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Changes coming to kidney transplant waiting list WASHINGTON — New rules this week are bringing changes to the nation’s kidney transplant system that will give some patients a better shot at a longer-lasting organ and move others up the waiting list.

The goal is to get the maximum benefit out of a scarce resource: kidneys from deceased donors.

“Not everyone’s going to get the same benefit out of a kidney transplant,” said Dr. Matthew J. Ellis of Duke University Medical Center, who is optimistic the new policy will help.

“We’re trying to apply commonsense principles to address those issues.”

The long-awaited changes from the United Network for Organ Sharing, or UNOS, come as the gap between who needs a new kidney and who gets one widens. Nearly 102,000 people are on the national waiting list for a kidney, while fewer than 17,000 transplants are performed each year.

Roughly 11,000 transplants come from kidneys donated from someone who just died rather than living donors. How long you’ve been waiting is the main factor in deciding who gets the next available cadaver kidney.

But starting Thursday, the fittest of those kidneys — based on donor age and medical history — will be offered first to patients who are expected to survive a transplant the longest.

Called longevity matching, the hope is that these typically younger adults won’t outlive their new organ and need another that could have gone to someone else.

Nearly 15 percent of transplant candidates are awaiting a repeat operation, and “the potential here is that we will reduce return to the waiting

this done,” said Dr. John Roberts, transplant chief at the University of California, San The number of patients awaiting kidney transplants has far Francisco, one of the nation’s largest kidney programs. outpaced available organs from donors.

But he called the changes Awaiting transplant Deceased donor Living donor necessary to begin dealing with rapid growth in trans100 thousand 99,254 plant demand, mostly by people over age 50, which in turn has lengthened wait times. In 80 parts of the country, the wait can average five years. Last year, 4,485 people died waiting.

60 Children already get priority for transplants. Among the changes for adults: 40 • The longevity matching would pair the kidneys expected to last the longest with the 20 20 percent of patients predict11,163 ed to have the longest post5,732 transplant survival. Every 0 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 candidate will receive a score based on their age, length of SOURCE: Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network AP dialysis, if they’re diabetic and if they’ve had a previous transplant of any organ. partly because of fear and list,” said Dr. Richard N. For• On the other end, the 15 partly because no one had mica of Yale University, who percent of kidneys expected to fully explained the benefits of chairs UNOS’ kidney transan earlier transplant. He got in last the shortest amount of plant committee. shape for a transplant, and Another big change: People was excited to learn he’ll get who started dialysis before getting in line for a transplant credit for those years on dialysis. will be credited for that dialy“It is definitely a blessing,” sis time, moving them up on Brown said. Receiving an the waiting list.

The less time spent on dialy- organ “will be an incredible gift that I could never repay.” sis, the better the prognosis Recalculating waiting lists after a transplant. Yet how and estimating patients’ life quickly people are put on the expectancy has been a big job transplant list varies across for transplant centers. the country, and minorities “We’re scrambling to get and people who live in rural and poorer areas tend to spend more time on dialysis.

Michael Brown, 31, of Cleveland has undergone dialysis since he was 20 because of an inherited disorder. But he wasn’t put on the transplant list until three years ago, when he saw a new doctor who told him, “You need to be active, and you shouldn’t be tied to a machine.”

Brown said he hadn’t pushed to be listed sooner

time will be offered first to a wider area of the country than other kidneys. The idea is that someone expected to live only a few more years anyway might prefer a quicker transplant rather than staying on dialysis in hopes a better kidney comes along.

• The system also will give extra priority to people who are particularly hard to match because of blood type or because their immune systems are abnormally primed to attack a new organ.

The changes can’t address the need for more organ donors, noted Duke’s Ellis. Because some regions have more donors than others and organs are offered locally first, his team encourages patients to consider getting on waiting lists at more than one transplant center.

And try asking relatives or friends if they’d consider giving a kidney: “The best way is to bring a living donor to the table,” he advised.

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COMMENTARY

Democratic takeover of Senate in 2016 possible

E

ven as Republicans are about to regain a majority in the Senate after eight years in the minority, the conventional wisdom around Washington is that Democrats are likely to win back that majority again in 2016. That’s certainly possible, but it’s short of a slam dunk.

Superficially, the field of Senate seats up in 2016 looks as unfavorable for Republicans as the field of Senate seats up this year looked for Democrats. Of the 36 seats up in 2014, Democrats were defending 21, including seven in states carried

by Mitt Romney. Of the 34 seats currently up in Michael 2016, RepubliBarone cans will be defending even more, 24, including seven in states Barack Obama carried in 2012.

In a nation that increasingly votes straight ticket, there is a high correlation between voting for president and voting for Senate. Harry Enten and Dhrumil Mehta of FiveThirtyEight calculate that “it explained over 75 percent of the variation in results across the (Senate) races this year. That’s the highest ever.”

Democrats lost six of the seven Senate seats in Romney states in the November election and seem almost certain to lose the seventh when Louisiana votes in its Dec. 6 runoff between Democratic incumbent Mary Landrieu and Republican challenger Bill Cassidy.

Democrats also lost seats in two states Obama narrowly carried, Colorado (51 percent) and Iowa (52 percent), and came close to losing them in two more, Virginia (51 percent) and New Hampshire (52 percent). That’s about what you would expect with the president’s job approval down about 8 percent from November 2012.

We don’t know what Obama’s job approval will be in November 2016, and he will not be on the ballot, so the correlation of presidential job approval and voting for senator may be lower. But the 2012 Obama percentage will likely be a good indicator of the balance of opinion in each state.

However, Republicans don’t face the peril in 2016 that Democrats faced in 2014. Six of the seven Democratic seats up this year in Romney states were in states where Obama lost by double-digit margins.

Only North Carolina was close, and Republican Thom Tillis won there by the same 2-point margin by which Romney carried the state in 2012.

In contrast, six of the seven seats Republicans will be defending in 2016 are in states that Obama carried with between 50 and 52 percent of the vote — states that are no more heavily Democratic than Colorado, Iowa, New Hampshire and Virginia, where Republican non-incumbents were competitive this year.

In three of these Obama states, Republican incumbents have shown a capacity to run well ahead of their party — Charles Grassley in Iowa (52 percent Obama), Kelly Ayotte in New Hampshire (52 percent) and Rob Portman in Ohio (51 percent).

They may well do so again.

Three others would not have to run much ahead of party lines to prevail — Marco Rubio in Florida (where Obama got 50 percent), Pat Toomey in Pennsylvania (52 percent) and Ron Johnson in Wisconsin (52 percent).

Of course, it’s possible that the overwhelmingly popular Grassley may choose to retire at age 83 and that any of the others could lose to a credible opponent. But it would not be a steep climb for any of them to win, either.

Only one incumbent Republican holds a seat in a heavily Democratic state, Mark Kirk of Illinois (57 percent). But Kirk won his seat by running ahead of party lines among affluent suburbanites, the same group crucial to Bruce Rauner’s victory in his race for governor this year. And Kirk may have special appeal for his successful fight to recover from a stroke he suffered in 2012.

One should add that it is conceivable that Republicans could lose Richard Burr’s seat in North Carolina (48 percent Obama). And sometimes a seemingly safe seat becomes vulnerable, as happened in Kansas this year.

Eight of the 10 seats Democrats are defending are in states Obama carried with at least 54 percent of the vote, and they don’t look vulnerable. Michael Bennet in Colorado (51 percent for Obama) has been forewarned by his colleague Mark Udall’s defeat. Harry Reid in Nevada (52 percent Obama) looks beatable, especially against Gov. Brian Sandoval, who was just reelected with 71 percent of the vote. But Reid has beaten the odds before.

Democrats do look well-positioned to gain Senate seats but not necessarily the number needed to overturn what looks to be a 54-46 Republican majority.

Michael Barone, senior political analyst at the Washington Examiner © 2014 creators.com

COMMENTARY

Can racial discrimination explain much?

I

n the medical profession, there is the admonition primum non nocere, the Latin expression for “first, do no harm.” In order not to do harm, at the minimum, requires accurate diagnostics. Suppose a patient presents with abdominal pains, and the physician diagnoses it as caused by the patient’s ingrown toenails. If that isn’t the cause, the physician can spend all the resources he wants treating the patient’s ingrown toenails and not remedy the patient’s abdominal pains.

The decency of accurate diagnosis should be given to analyzing the problems of a large segment of the black community. Very often, major problems are erroneously seen as being caused by racial discrimination. No Walter one argues that racial Williams discrimination does not exist or does not have effects. The question that’s relevant to policy, as well as resource allocation, is: How much of what we see is caused by discrimination?

Let’s apply this question to the tragic state of black education. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, sometimes called the nation’s report card, the average black 12th-grader has the academic achievement level of the average white seventh- or eighth-grader.

In some cities, there’s even a larger achievement gap. If, as some people assert, this is the result of racially discriminatory education funding, then demonstrations, legal suits and other measures might be taken to promote funding equity.

Also, resources could be spent to politically organize and elect black people as mayors, city councilors and school superintendents.

If the cause of the black/white achievement gap has little to do with racial discrimination, then focusing on discrimination will lead us to ignore or downplay factors that do affect black education. In some school districts, 700 teachers are annually assaulted and threatened. At one time, Philadelphia employed 500 school police officers. Similar stories of school violence can be told in other cities with large black populations, such as Chicago, Baltimore, Detroit, Cleveland, Oakland, California, and Newark, New Jersey. How useful is it to spend resources on discrimination while allowing un-

safe and chaotic educational environments to exist?

Whether a student is black, white, orange or polka-dot and whether he’s poor or rich, there are some minimum requirements that must be met in order for him to do well in school. Someone must make the student do his homework. Someone must see to it that he gets eight to nine hours of sleep. Someone has to fix him a wholesome breakfast and ensure that he gets to school on time and respects and obeys teachers. Here’s my question: Which one of those basic requirements can be accomplished through a presidential executive order, a congressional mandate or the edict of a mayor, a superintendent of schools or a teacher? If those basic requirements aren’t met, whatever else that is done in the name of education is for naught.

Spending more money on education is not a substitute. If it were, black academic achievement wouldn’t be a problem. For example, in 2012, Washington, D.C., public schools led the nation in spending per pupil, at $29,409 (http://tinyurl.com/mpc82dq). In terms of academic performance, “the nation’s report card” shows that over 80 percent of D.C.’s predominantly black eighth-graders scored either “basic” or “below basic” in reading and math. “Basic” indicates only partial mastery of the knowledge and skills fundamental for proficient work at grade level, and “below basic” means that the student doesn’t even have partial mastery.

Other devastating problems that are faced by many blacks and cannot be attributed to racial discrimination are a high crime rate — featured by a homicide victimization rate of 51 percent — over 70 percent of blacks being born to single females and only slightly more than 30 percent of black children being raised in twoparent households.

Solutions to these truly challenging problems will not be found in the political arena or in government programs. For black politicians, civil rights leaders, the intellectual elite and others to blame racial discrimination for the problems of today is dereliction. If a medical practitioner made the same kind of incorrect diagnosis, we’d indict him for malpractice.

Walter E. Williams is a professor of economics at George Mason University. © 2014 creators.com

LETTER TO THE EDITOR START CHECKING FACTS BEFORE PUBLISHING POLITICAL CARTOONS On Nov. 21, The Sumter Item did it again. It published a political cartoon that was compelling and dead wrong.

It depicts the Dems stopping up the oil pipeline from Canada to the Gulf Coast, which the cartoon says is killing blue collar jobs.

First, why build a pipeline 1,300 miles to Texas when there are numerous oil refineries within several hundred miles of where it starts? Well, it’s simple. Since you can’t export crude

oil from the U.S., you need the oil to be converted to finished petroleum products, then you can export it. And U.S. companies export almost 3 million barrels a day. We hear about oil imports into America. Did you know that we export 15 times more “oil” now than we did in 1980?

So trying to say Dems are killing the Keystone pipeline is a distortion and a diversion to fool American people into thinking Excel will help them when it really simply helps big oil, those poor underpaid folks.

This issue is getting the OK for big

business to use the property of thousands of people from North Dakota to Texas. The company promises they will clean up the inevitable spills, same as in the Gulf of Mexico and in Alaska. Yet, when the oil hit the fan, the companies ran and hid behind PR people and dragged their feet, sometimes for years, before real cleanup, which isn’t over yet.

The Sumter Item publishes political cartoon after cartoon slamming our president. Few hit on Republicans for vowing to not allow the president to get anything done. That’s un-Ameri-

can. Cartoon that.

Since Obama took office in 2009, the stock market is at an all-time high, employment is at record levels and unemployment is lower than it was in 2009, despite the scandals of 2008. Our country is closer to energy independence than ever despite exporting 3 million barrels of finished petroleum products a day.

Please be objective with your cartoons, and check the facts that underlay the cartoon as well.

LOYD YOUNG Sumter

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2014

BUSINESS

THE SUMTER ITEM

Amazon’s new robot army is ready to ship

BY BRANDON BAILEY The Associated Press TRACY, California — A year ago, Amazon.com workers such as 34-year-old Rejinaldo Rosales hiked miles of aisles each shift to “pick” each item a customer ordered and prepare it for shipping.

Now the e-commerce giant boasts that it has boosted efficiency — and given workers’ legs a break — by deploying more than 15,000 wheeled robots to crisscross the floors of its biggest warehouses and deliver stacks of toys, books and other products to employees.

“We pick two to three times faster than we used to,” Rosales said during a short break from sorting merchandise into bins at Amazon’s massive distribution center in Tracy, California, about 60 miles east of San Francisco. “It’s made the job a lot easier.”

Amazon.com Inc., which faces its single biggest day of online shopping on Monday, has invested heavily this year in upgrading and expanding its distribution network, adding new technology, opening more shipping centers and hiring 80,000 seasonal workers to meet the coming onslaught of holiday orders. Amazon says it processed orders for 36.8 million

items on the Monday after Thanksgiving last year, and it’s expecting “Cyber Monday” to be even busier this year.

CEO Jeff Bezos vows to oneday deliver packages by drone, but that technology isn’t ready yet. Even so, Amazon doesn’t want a repeat of last year, when some customers were disappointed by late deliveries attributed to Midwestern ice storms and last-minute shipping snarls at both UPS and FedEx. Meanwhile, the company is facing tough competition from rivals such as Google and eBay, and traditional retailers are offering more online services.

Amazon has forecast revenue of $27.3 billion to $30.3 billion for the holiday quarter, up 18 percent from last year but less than Wall Street had expected.

However, Amazon has invested billions of dollars in its shipping network and its reliability is a big selling point to customers, Piper Jaffray investment analyst Gene Munster wrote in a note to clients Friday. He thinks Amazon’s forecast is conservative.

The Seattle-based company now has 109 shipping centers around the globe. The Tracy facility is one of 10 in which Amazon has deployed the robots, using technology acquired when the company bought ro-

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

This Amazon Fulfillment Center in Tracy, California, opened in 2013 and was refitted to use new robot technology in the summer of 2014. All year Amazon has been investing in ways to make shipping faster and easier to prepare for this holiday season. bot-maker Kiva Systems Inc. in 2012, said Dave Clark, Amazon’s senior vice president for operations, who gave reporters a tour on Sunday.

More than 1,500 full-time employees work at the Tracy center, which has 1.2 million square feet of space — the equivalent of 28 football fields.

They are joined by about 3,000 robots, gliding swiftly and quietly around the warehouse. The robots navigate by scanning coded stickers on the floor, following digital commands that are beamed wirelessly from a central computer.

Each of the squat orange machines can slide under and then lift a stack of shelves that’s four feet wide and holds up to 750 pounds of merchandise. The system uses bar codes to track which items are on each shelf, so a robot can fetch the right

Promotions, gas prices boost U.S. auto sales DETROIT (AP) — American shoppers passed on the malls and headed to the car dealerships during Thanksgiving weekend.

Black Friday promotions — coupled with falling gas prices, low-interest loans and hot new vehicles — drove U.S. auto sales higher in November, kicking off what’s expected to be a strong holiday season.

Chrysler led the major automakers in sales gains, with a 20 percent rise to nearly 171,000. It was Chrysler’s best November in 13 years. General Motors, Toyota, Honda and Volkswagen also reported gains. Ford and Nissan sales fell.

According to the National Retail Federation survey of 4,000 shoppers, sales were down 11 percent to $50.9 billion during the four-day holiday compared to a year ago.

A move by retailers to discount merchandise in the days and weeks before Thanksgiving appeared to cut down on store traffic during the holiday weekend.

But that wasn’t the case with cars. Car buying site Kelley Blue Book estimated that 25 to 30 percent of November’s new vehicle sales happened during the holiday thanks to a flurry of Black Friday promotions. Because the holiday came late in the month, buyers also benefited

from dealers’ usual monthend sales push.

The TrueCar.com auto pricing site predicts total November U.S. sales will reach 1.3 million, up around 4 percent from a year ago and the fastest pace since August.

Sales are on track to end the year at about 16.5 million, said Jesse Toprak, a senior analyst with Cars.com.

That’s up 6 percent from 2013.

In November, buyers looking for really good deals could still find outgoing 2014 models, while others snapped up 2015 models that are just arriving in dealerships, such as the new Ford Mustang and Toyota Highlander.

shelves for each worker as orders come in.

Because the robots travel underneath, the shelves can be stacked closely together, which means the warehouse can hold more goods, Clark said. The Tracy center now holds about 20 million items, representing 3.5 million different products, from bottles of gourmet steak sauce to high-end audio headsets, books and video games.

Clark said it can ship 700,000 items in a day, but will hold more and ship more by next year.

The robots will cut the Tracy center’s operating costs by 20 percent, Clark said. But he was quick to assert they won’t eliminate jobs.

“We’re continuing to grow.

Growth has always driven hiring,” Clark said. The company has, in fact, increased its work-

force by more than a third over the last year to 149,500 full-time employees. Clark said workers are needed for more complex tasks such as shelving, packing and checking for damaged items.

However, a 10,000-strong fleet of robots could help Amazon save $450 million to $900 million a year in labor expenses, Shawn Milne of Janney Capital Markets estimated in a report last summer. By allowing Amazon to store and ship more goods from each shipping center, the robots will likely reduce the number of new centers that Amazon will have to build and staff as it grows, Michael Pachter of Wedbush Securities said on Monday. He compared it to automakers’ use of robots on their assembly lines, which has reduced the number of worker hours required to build a car.

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SHOOTING FROM PAGE A1

PILOT FROM PAGE A1

Police had not yet recovered a suspected murder weapon in the case, and medical examiners were unable to determine the caliber of gun used in the shooting. Officials said S.C. Law Enforcement Division (SLED) will likely investigate that detail.

According to Tuesday’s statement, Sumter police investigators think the shooting resulted from a robbery gone awry. Police records indicate multiple shots reportedly rang out early Friday morning along Miller Road, about four blocks north of Monday’s shooting scene. A department spokesperson said those reports appear to be unrelated to the fatal shooting at this point as detectives consider the slaying an isolated incident. Authorities noted it is the city’s first homicide of the 2014.

The shooting occurred during broad daylight hours one block off Broad Street near a Sumter County School District maintenance building. Police said the victim and two suspects were all acquainted.

Witnesses reported seeing two or three people near Myers at the time of the shooting, and indicated the robbers took items from his pockets after shooting him.

Investigators are still trying to determine if a third person was involved. Officers are also trying to figure out whether drugs played a factor in the shooting.

SLED records show Dargan did not have an adult criminal record before Monday’s charges. Meanwhile, Stevens was arrested in October 2012 and charged with two felony counts, one of them resisting arrest with a deadly weapon. He was convicted and served six months in state custody before being released in April 2013. Records show Stevens was serving a two-year probation at the time of Monday’s shooting.

and a lot of friends. His father, William Dubois Sr., acknowledges that although his life was short, he lived it to the fullest. Above everything, he loved his family and served his country well, he said.

“He was the best man I ever knew. He had a short life that was so well-lived,” his father said. “He lived life to the fullest, and was so much more. He lost his life being a hero.”

On top of being a brilliant fighter pilot for the Air Force, Capt. Dubois was also an accomplished athlete, an equestrian, a scuba diver and a huge animal lover. He received a number of accolades including being an ROTC Distinguished Graduate and receiving the River Rat — a fighter pilot formation award at Sheppard Air Force Base.

Capt. Dubois was adored by his mother who described him as “the most wonderful person to walk the planet.” She remembers him as a family man who put his loved ones first and made everyone better just for knowing him. His sister, Devon Dubois, said Capt. Dubois was her best friend and was “the most amazing, loving, caring person I have ever known.”

“I was a better person having him as a son,” said his mother, Donna Dubois.

In October, Air Force officials said a squadron of F-16 fighter jets departed the base near Sumter to join in airstrikes in Iraq and Syria.

SOCIAL MEDIA FROM PAGE A1 “like-minded” individuals in the U.S. who are willing to participate in attacks.

The bulletin from the FBI included information regarding the October attack by a

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PHOTO PROVIDED

Capt. William H. Dubois and his wife, Ashley Dubois, use the “Double Down” sign to represent the 77th Fighter Squadron of Shaw Air Force Base. Capt. Dubois, an F-16 pilot, died after an aircraft crash in Southwest Aisa on Sunday.

According to 1st Lt. Keavy Rake with Shaw, the aircraft incident is still under investigation and the cause of the crash is still unknown at this time. An investigation board will convene, and they’ll investigate the incident and determine the cause, which will take at least 30 days, Rake said. A safety investigation board will also examine the evidence of the crash and will consult air crew and safety experts to help determine the cause and how they can avoid possible similar incidents in the future.

gunman who killed a soldier at Canada’s national war memorial and then stormed Parliament. According to the FBI, attacks such as these might encourage violent extremists to carry out future attacks.

Because of the bulletin from the FBI and the Department

In the six years since he enlisted in the Air Force, Dubois touched many lives, including the many men and women he has served with through the years. His dear friend, Tymothe Meskel, said he can’t imagine life without his jovial friend and is even more saddened that he will not be there to stand beside him as his best man in his upcoming wedding. Capt. Dubois’ nephew Karsen Dubois recognized that although they didn’t see him often, every second with him was worth it, and he’ll always be in their hearts.

of Homeland Security, military members are to be on alert and are keeping a close eye on posts that could possibly attract attention from the Islamic State.

On Monday, the U.S. and Turkish officials narrowed their differences over a joint

military mission in Syria, according to the Wall Street Journal. The mission would give the U.S. and its partners access to Turkish air bases in order to launch strike operations against Islamic State targets throughout northern Syria.

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mindful of their messages online and to ask permission of those included in posts and photos before they post them to Facebook, Twitter and other social media outlets.

According to The Associated Press, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security noted in the recent bulletin to military members that the Islamic State group and its supporters have already publicly encouraged attacks against law enforcement and U.S. military service members. The FBI said it currently has information suggesting that the Islamic State is in search of

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2014

AROUND TOWN A home buyer’s seminar will be The 10th Annual Christmas Luheld 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on Thurs- minary Memorial Service preday, Dec. 4, at the North sented by Evergreen and Find out how becomeHillside a homeMemorial owner Parks will HOPE Center.

Free to to public.

Find out how to buy a home be held at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesand what is needed. RSVP to day, Dec. 9, at 802 N. GuigSonia Shaw at (803) 236-3230. nard Drive. Rain date will be Tuesday, Dec. 16.

Clarendon School District One will conduct free vision, hearThe Civil Air Patrol Sumter ing, speech and developmental Composite Squadron’s Wreaths screenings as part of a child Across America ceremony will find effort to identify stube held at noon on Saturday, dents with special needs.

Dec. 13, at Sumter Cemetery, Screenings will be held from 700 W. Oakland Ave. The pub9 a.m. to noon at the Sumlic, especially active duty merton Early Childhood Cen- and retired military memter on the following Thursbers and their families, are days: Dec. 11; Jan. 8, 2015; invited to attend this event.

Feb. 12, 2015; March 12, 2015; Perry Moses III, former flotilApril 9, 2015; and May 14, la commander of the U.S. 2015. For details, call Sadie Coast Guard Auxiliary, will Williams or Audrey Walters speak. After the brief cereat (803) 485-2325, extension mony, attendees are wel221. come to help hang the wreaths along the cemetery In support of World AIDS Day, fence. the Wateree AIDS Task Force will hold a candlelight celeHeartz 2 Soulz will hold its anbration at 5:30 p.m. on nual “Giving Back to the ComThursday, Dec. 4, on the munity Christmas Dinner and steps of the Sumter County Gift-Giving Event” for local Courthouse. homeless, addicts, prostitutes, battered women, etc., The Wateree AIDS Task Force from noon to 3 p.m. on Saturpre-Christmas support group day, Dec. 13, at CJS Café N gathering will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 5. If Catering, 226 N. Washington St. (inside Econo Lodge). Dointerested, call Kevin Johnnations of hats, scarfs, son at (803) 778-0303 for gloves, coats, blankets and more information. toiletries are being accepted A Lee County Relay for Life fun- for this event. Call (803) 774draiser yard sale will be held 7 2233 or (803) 406-2446. a.m.-noon on Saturday, Dec. The Sumter Branch NAACP will 6, at the old Bishopville gym hold its annual membership in Bishopville. All proceeds meeting at 5 p.m. on Sunday, will go to Relay for Life of Dec. 14, at High Hills Baptist Lee County.

Church, 6750 Meeting House The Pinewood Christmas PaRoad, Dalzell. rade will be held at 10 a.m.

The One Sumter Community on Saturday, Dec. 6, on Clark Street. For entry information, meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 14, at call Tom Moore at (803) 4644662 or Gary Graham at (803) Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church.

686-0077.

Performing Arts for the HoliThe Campbell Soup friends lunch group will meet at 11:30 days will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 15, at Patria.m. on Saturday, Dec. 6, at ot Hall, 135 Haynsworth St. Golden Corral.

All forms of entertainment Manning High School Class of are welcome: instrumental, 1971 will hold its Christmas vocalists, mimes, choirs, pogathering at 5:30 p.m. on etry, praise dancers, and Saturday, Dec. 6, at the new more. For information, call Manning Restaurant, 476 N. the South Sumter Resource Brooks St., Manning. For deCenter at (803) 436-2276. tails, call (803) 236- 8049.

The Sumter County Educators The annual Evening Optimist Association — Retired will hold Christmas Parade will be held its Christmas program and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 7, luncheon at noon on on Main Street. The parade Wednesday, Dec. 17, at New will feature marching bands, Beginnings Restaurant, 1335 beauty queens, festive holiPeach Orchard Road. Call day floats and more. The Brenda Bethune at (803) 469theme for this year’s parade 6588 for additional informais “What Christmas Means to tion.

Me.”

PUBLIC AGENDA TOWN OF LYNCHBURG PLANNING COMMISSION Today, 4 p.m., town hall CLARENDON COUNTY COUNCIL Monday, Dec. 8, 6 p.m., Administration Building, Council Chambers, 411 Sunset Drive, Manning

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Monday, Dec. 8, 6 p.m., 129 S. Harvin St. For special accommodations, call (803) 9340396, extension 103.

DAILY PLANNER

THE SUMTER ITEM

WEATHER

Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2014

AccuWeather® five-day forecast for Sumter TODAY

TONIGHT

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

Fog in the a.m.; clouds and sun

Partly cloudy and mild

Intervals of clouds and sunshine

Some sun

Rain

Mostly cloudy with a little rain

73°

51°

66° / 46°

61° / 47°

61° / 50°

65° / 47°

Chance of rain: 5%

Chance of rain: 5%

Chance of rain: 25%

Chance of rain: 25%

Chance of rain: 75%

Chance of rain: 55%

S 3-6 mph

VAR 2-4 mph

NE 4-8 mph

NE 7-14 mph

NE 3-6 mph

NE 4-8 mph

TODAY’S SOUTH CAROLINA WEATHER

Gaffney 66/47 Spartanburg 67/48

Greenville 67/47

Columbia 72/51

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

IN THE MOUNTAINS

Sumter 73/51

Aiken 70/49

ON THE COAST

Charleston 76/54

Today: Areas of fog in the morning; otherwise, clouds and sun. High 70 to 75.

Thursday: Partial sunshine. High 64 to 72.

LOCAL ALMANAC

LAKE LEVELS

SUMTER THROUGH 4 P.M. YESTERDAY

Today Hi/Lo/W 71/49/pc 33/18/s 61/52/c 39/22/pc 68/53/c 71/61/sh 74/57/pc 52/36/c 80/62/pc 55/35/c 79/61/pc 64/57/r 61/39/c

SUN AND MOON 7 a.m. yest.

356.79 74.56 74.11 96.49

24-hr chg +0.03 -0.03 +0.11 -0.26

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

0.00" 0.00" 0.20" 35.01" 45.64" 43.80"

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

Full pool 360 76.8 75.5 100

Lake Murray Marion Moultrie Wateree

74° 43° 61° 37° 79° in 1982 20° in 1964

Precipitation 24 hrs ending 4 p.m. yest.

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

Thu. Hi/Lo/W 70/53/pc 33/30/c 66/56/c 33/26/pc 72/60/c 71/59/c 74/59/pc 44/32/pc 80/63/s 45/32/pc 75/56/sh 64/55/c 49/37/c

Myrtle Beach 71/54

Manning 73/53

Today: Times of sun and clouds. Winds southwest 3-6 mph.

Thursday: Times of clouds and sun. Winds east-northeast 4-8 mph.

Temperature High Low Normal high Normal low Record high Record low

Florence 72/52

Bishopville 71/51

Flood 7 a.m. stage yest.

12 7.20 19 4.10 14 7.85 14 3.39 80 77.86 24 8.85

24-hr chg +0.10 +0.40 +0.27 -0.21 -0.83 +0.55

Sunrise 7:11 a.m.

Moonrise 3:24 p.m.

Sunset Moonset

5:13 p.m.

4:04 a.m.

Full

Last

New

First

Dec. 6

Dec. 14

Dec. 21

Dec. 28

TIDES AT MYRTLE BEACH

Today Thu.

High 6:07 a.m.

6:31 p.m.

7:00 a.m.

7:22 p.m.

Ht. 3.5 3.1 3.6 3.1

Low Ht. 12:24 a.m. -0.4 1:07 p.m. 0.0 1:16 a.m. -0.5 2:00 p.m. -0.1

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

Today Hi/Lo/W 67/41/pc 69/46/pc 72/46/pc 75/55/pc 63/52/pc 76/54/pc 68/47/pc 70/50/pc 72/51/pc 72/50/pc 69/48/pc 72/52/pc 70/49/pc

Thu. Hi/Lo/W 58/42/pc 68/47/pc 70/48/pc 72/54/pc 56/49/pc 71/51/pc 60/44/pc 66/49/pc 68/47/pc 64/43/pc 56/41/pc 61/45/pc 59/43/pc

Today City Hi/Lo/W Florence 72/52/pc Gainesville 79/54/pc Gastonia 69/48/pc Goldsboro 70/49/pc Goose Creek 76/54/pc Greensboro 65/43/pc Greenville 67/47/pc Hickory 66/43/pc Hilton Head 69/56/pc Jacksonville, FL 77/53/pc La Grange 76/48/pc Macon 73/47/pc Marietta 69/46/c

Thu. Hi/Lo/W 64/45/pc 78/56/pc 59/44/pc 58/42/c 71/50/pc 55/40/c 61/47/pc 55/43/c 68/54/pc 75/55/pc 76/51/pc 73/51/pc 68/50/pc

Today City Hi/Lo/W Marion 66/41/pc Mt. Pleasant 75/55/pc Myrtle Beach 71/54/pc Orangeburg 74/52/pc Port Royal 73/56/pc Raleigh 67/46/pc Rock Hill 69/47/pc Rockingham 68/48/pc Savannah 77/57/pc Spartanburg 67/48/pc Summerville 70/54/pc Wilmington 73/52/pc Winston-Salem 65/43/pc

Thu. Hi/Lo/W 56/41/c 70/52/pc 65/47/pc 70/48/pc 70/55/pc 56/40/c 60/43/pc 58/42/pc 76/57/pc 60/46/pc 68/53/pc 63/45/pc 55/41/c

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

your qualifying Trane 0% APR and Purchase system before Dec. 15, 2014 and take your choice of 0% APR for 48 with equal payments or up 48 MONTHS months to a $1000 trade-in allowance.

SUMTER SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF TRUSTEES Monday, Dec. 8, 6:45 p.m., Wilder Elementary School, 975 S. Main St.

SANTEE WATEREE RTA

Call today for complete details & schedule your FREE in-home consultation to learn how much you can save.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Show EUGENIA LAST everyone what you have to offer. Presenting your talents will attract new possibilities.

Travel plans or long-distance communication will lead to a closer relationship with someone special.

Think fast, act responsibly and you will get your way.

The last word in astrology

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Don’t get involved in joint money ventures. Do your best to stay on top of whatever job you’ve been given. Strive to stabilize your position. Stick to basics and don’t get sidetracked by someone who is indulgent.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Playful actions could lead to positive personal changes. You can make home improvements as long as you budget wisely and leave enough money for something that improves your love life. Added discipline will help you establish your goals.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Keep your wits about you when dealing with money matters. Fast-talking sales pitches can be mesmerizing and lead to an impulsive purchase you will regret. Problems with instructions and competitive peers can be expected. Proceed with caution.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Make subtle personal changes and you will win the support you need to press ahead with your goals. Love is highlighted and playful interaction with someone special will bring you closer together. Beware of a false impression regarding someone’s assets.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Get into the swing of things. Take part in community events or delve into your family background and traditions. Someone you live with is likely to be unpredictable. Watch

family spending carefully. Shop around and you’ll find a bargain.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Participation and short trips will lead to satisfying personal changes.

The ideas resulting from what you see and hear will not be immediately understood by everyone, but can lead to new ideas and solutions. You can make a difference if you try.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Practice minimalism and avoid feelings of regret. Venture down a path that offers something different from what you are accustomed to seeing, doing and hearing. Let your intuition guide you. Stick close to the people who have always been there for you.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Using force should be ruled out.

You will accomplish more if you are witty, playful and willing to be a team player. Positive changes at home will result in praise as well as personal comfort. Love will blossom if you are attentive.

803-795-4257

LOTTERY NUMBERS PALMETTO CASH 5 TUESDAY

POWERBALL SATURDAY

MEGAMILLIONS FRIDAY

6-16-20-25-33 PowerUp: 2

13-24-30-42-48 Powerball: 27 Powerplay: 2

8-26-29-36-47 Megaball: 10 Megaplier: 3

PICK 3 TUESDAY

PICK 4 TUESDAY

8-8-2 and 4-2-4

6-7-9-4 and 8-1-4-5

PICTURES FROM THE PUBLIC

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Make personal changes that will ensure comfort and affordability. A show of emotion is not necessarily a sign of weakness. Share your thoughts and resolve issues that have been weighing you down mentally and physically.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Put more effort into how you earn a living. Don’t shy away from raising your awareness of what’s going on in your industry, community or economy. Pick up skills that are compatible with the changing marketplace.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Don’t make assumptions. Get the facts before you make a statement or a decision. Look for opportunities to address a concern you have as well as earn a little cash. Use your ingenuity and be true to your beliefs.

Bill Deaton shares a photo of his dog, Bella, watching the ducks come in at Murrells Inlet.

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

Hoke era at Michigan ends B5

B

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2014

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

PREP BASKETBALL

CLEMSON FOOTBALL

Sweet sweep

Swinney promotes 2 to run offense

English gets win over alma mater Lower Richland; SHS girls rebound from 1st loss

BY PETE IACOBELLI The Associated Press

BY MICHAEL CHRISTOPHER michaelc@theitem.com Sumter High and Lower Richland fans got a glimpse of what never left and continues to drive current Gamecocks head boys basketball coach and former Diamond Hornet standout Jo Jo English — passion.

His opponent was familiar with the former LRHS star and gave him and Sumter all they could handle, but the Gamecocks eventually earned a 63-54 victory on Tuesday at the SHS gymnasium.

“They had a real hunger to beat me and I told the kids that before the game that they’d come with a different kind of intensity, but hats off to Lower Richland because they competed all game,” English said of facing his alma mater. “Even when we had them down big they fought back to within four. We held them off and did what we had to do to get the victory.”

The Gamecocks, who picked up its their victory of the season, made 6 of 7 free throws in the final minute and 19 seconds to hold off the 1-2 Diamond Hornets, who pulled within four with two and half minutes to play. Both teams took turns from the charity stripe and SHS made the most of their visits.

Brandon Parker led four Gamecock players in double figures with 19 points including six points and 4 of 4 from the charity stripe in the final stanza.

Quentin Kershaw had 11 while Cedric Rembert and Charlie Richardson each pitched in 10.

SHS led 45-28 early in the third quarter and entered the 1 and 1 bonus with eight seconds remaining, but L-R kept picking away at the lead. The Hornets got a big boost from Jared Richardson, who led the team with 14 points. Kelvin Washington had seven of his 13 in the final stanza and Alex Caldwell pitched in six of his 12 also in the fourth.

“We couldn’t force our tempo; we tried to get our defensive

SEE SWEEP, PAGE B1

MATT WALSH / THE SUMTER ITEM

Sumter’s Cedric Rembert (11) shoots over Lower Richland’s Clyde Trapp during the Gamecocks’ 63-54 victory on Tuesday at the Sumter High gymnasium. SHS head coach Jo Jo English was a former standout at LRHS.

PRO BASEBALL

COLUMBIA — Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney has promoted two assistants to replace former offensive coordinator Chad Morris.

Swinney said Tuesday that receivers coach Jeff Scott and running backs coach Tony Elliott would serve as co-coordinators for the 19thranked Tigers.

Morris became SCOTT SMU head coach on Monday after four seasons leading Clemson’s offense.

Scott and Elliott have “had a huge impact on ELLIOTT our offense when it comes to the overall game plan, game day decisions, coaching their positions, and have also been big reasons for our recruiting success,’’ Swinney said in a statement.

Scott has also served as Clemson’s recruiting coordinator.

Scott and Elliott were both Clemson receivers. Scott served on the Tigers staff for seven seasons while Elliott just completed his fourth season.

Swinney said he was prepared to make these promotions on staff for some time with Morris a candidate for head coaching jobs the past three seasons. Swinney said Scott and Elliott are qualified and ready to jump into their new roles.

They will have very big shoes to fill after Morris’ four seasons with the Tigers.

Morris’ high-tempo attack posted over 500 yards and 40 points in 2012 and 2013 when Clemson was a combined 22-4. The Tigers (9-3) have gone 41-11 in Morris’ four seasons and established 127 school records during his time with the program, 89 individual marks and 38 team records.

SEE PROMOTES, PAGE B4

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Braves let go of TCU jumps ’Noles for 3rd spot in rankings Medlen, Beachy

BY RALPH D. RUSSO The Associated Press

BY CHARLES ODUM The Associated Press ATLANTA — Kris Medlen and Brandon Beachy are becoming free agents following decisions by the Atlanta Braves not to offer 2015 contracts to the right-handers, both recovering from their second Tommy John surgeries.

The Braves also did not offer a contract to right-hander Gus Schlosser before Tuesday night’s deadline.

Once considered rising stars in the rotation, Medlen and Beachy did not pitch in 2014 after they had ligament-replacement surgeries during spring training.

Medlen won a combined 25 games in 2012 and 2013. He excelled as a reliever and starter in 2012, when he was 10-1 with a 1.56 ERA.

MEDLEN

BEACHY

Beachy had his first surgery early in the 2012 season and struggled in 2013, when he was 2-1 with a 4.50 ERA. Schlosser had a 7.14 ERA in 15 games last season.

The Braves are expected to open the 2015 season with Julio Teheran, Mike Minor, Alex Wood and newly acquired Shelby Miller as their top four starting pitchers. Atlanta dealt right fielder Jason Heyward and reliever Jordan Walden to the Cardinals last month for Miller and a

SEE BRAVES, PAGE B4

TCU moved up to No. 3 in the final College Football Playoff rankings before the teams are selected to play in the national semifinals, becoming the latest team to jump past undefeated Florida State.

The Seminoles are fourth, still in position to reach the playoff if it can win Saturday’s Atlantic Coast Conference championship game against No. 11 Georgia Tech.

Alabama is No. 1 and Oregon is second for the third straight week. The Crimson Tide plays 16th-ranked Missouri in the Southeastern Conference championship game, and Oregon faces Arizona in the Pac-12 title game.

The Wildcats’ five-spot jump to seventh sets up a possible play-in game in Santa Clara, California, on Friday night. The Wildcats already have beaten Oregon in Eugene and could make another big jump by doing so again.

TCU finishes its regular season at home Saturday against Iowa State, which is winless in the Big 12.

It would seem the top four would be fairly well set as long as each wins this weekend, but committee chairman Jeff Long,

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin (2) and the Horned Frogs leapt past Florida State on Tuesday for the third spot in the college football rankings. the athletic director at Arkansas, said it would be premature to project out because the committee doesn’t.

“We’re waiting for teams to complete their body of work,’’ he said.

Ohio State, which lost its Heis-

man Trophy-contending quarterback J.T. Barrett to a broken ankle last week, is fifth, and Baylor, which beat TCU earlier in the season, is sixth.

Long said the committee did

SEE TCU, PAGE B4

B2

|

SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2014

THE SUMTER ITEM

SCOREBOARD

PRO GOLF

L.A. Lakers

TODAY

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Tiger returns with an eye to the past

BY DOUG FERGUSON The Associated Press WINDERMERE, Fla. — Tiger Woods is making his latest comeback in golf with an eye to the past.

Equipped with a new teacher and a stronger body, Woods said Tuesday he is working on a swing that incorporates previous moves that date as far back as his amateur days. He referred to it as “new, but old,’’ and the 14-time major champion will start testing it this week against an 18-man field of elite players at the Hero World Challenge.

How old were some of those videotapes he watched of his previous swing?

“Actually, it’s pretty interesting trying to find a VHS recorder,’’ Woods said. “I have a lot of tape like that. Fortunately, my mom is of age where she has that still in the house. So that was very beneficial to look at some of the old tapes.’’

Otherwise, it’s another new beginning.

This is the fifth time Woods has returned from injury — the back, this time — over the last five years.

The breaks have ranged from four weeks to four months. He last competed on Aug. 9 when he missed the cut at the PGA Championship, ending the shortest season of his career (eight tournaments) and the first time he did not have a top 10.

Woods said he had enough time off to let his body heal and to think about where he wants his game to go.

First, he split with swing coach Sean Foley, ending a three-year relationship that produced eight PGA Tour wins but no majors.

“I think that physically, I just wasn’t able to do some of the things that we wanted to do in the golf

swing,’’ Woods said.

Woods said there was no reason to look back at old swings at the time because he felt he was headed in the right direction — three victories in 2012, and five wins in 2013 in which he was voted PGA Tour player of the year for the 11th time.

Those two years were relatively free of injuries.

“But unfortunately, physically I was getting damaged doing it,’’ he said. “So in retrospect, you look at it. Was I ever hurt when I was little?

Granted, I don’t think we all were. I think we all could jump off roofs and nothing would break. But playing detective and looking back on it, you have to somewhat have an understanding physically of where you are at the time.’’

He announced just over a week ago that he had hired Dallas-based Chris Como as a swing consultant, after longtime friend Notah Begay put them together.

Woods said he had a plan, and that Como was on the same page.

“I was very surprised and very excited to see what he felt my swing should look like, and should look like going forward,’’ Woods said.

“Because that was very similar to the vision I had.’’

Woods did not delve into specifics of his swing, which he rarely did when going through an overhaul with Butch Harmon, then Hank Haney and Foley.

“It is new, but it’s old,’’ he said. “I say that because I haven’t done it in a very long time. We looked at a lot of video from when I was a junior, in junior and amateur golf. ... And it was quite interesting to see where my swing was then and how much force I could generate with a very skinny frame. How did I do that?

How do I generate that much power? That’s kind of what we are getting back into it.’’

PRO BASKETBALL

Sixers fans hold out hope as losses mount

BY DAN GELSTON The Associated Press PHILADELPHIA — Harvey Pollack is the last original NBA employee, the man who scribbled “100’’ on a piece of paper for Wilt Chamberlain to hold in the classic 1962 snapshot of his record scoring game.

So how about it, Harv: Any need to make another “100’’ sign for Philadelphia 76ers coach Brett Brown?

“It won’t be that high,’’ the 92-year-old Pollack said of Philly’s latest skid. “But I don’t know when they’ll win again.’’

No one does.

That’s what’s scary as the Sixers stand one loss shy of matching the worst start in NBA history, already at 0-17.

Still, as the final seconds ticked down in Philadelphia’s 109-103 loss to San Antonio on

2:40 p.m. – International Soccer: Barclays Premier League Match – Tottenham vs. Chelsea (NBC SPORTS NETWORK).

6:05 p.m. – Talk Show: Sports Talk (WPUB-FM 102.7, WDXY-FM 105.9, WDXY-AM 1240).

6:30 p.m. – College Basketball: Temple at St. Joseph’s (CBS SPORTS NETWORK).

7 p.m. – College Basketball: Syracuse at Boston College (FOX SPORTSOUTH).

7 p.m. – NBA Basketball: Chicago at Charlotte (NBA TV, SPORTSOUTH).

7 p.m. – Women’s College Basketball: Louisiana Tech at Louisville (SEC NETWORK).

7:15 p.m. – College Basketball: ACC/Big Ten Challenge Game – Michigan State at Notre Dame (ESPN2).

7:15 p.m. – College Basketball: ACC/Big Ten Challenge Game – Virginia Tech at Penn State (ESPNU).

7:30 p.m. – College Basketball: ACC/Big Ten Challenge Game – Iowa at North Carolina (ESPN).

8 p.m. – Women’s College Basketball: Seton Hall at Creighton (FOX SPORTS 1).

8 p.m. – NHL Hockey: St. Louis at Chicago (NBC SPORTS NETWORK).

8:30 p.m. – College Basketball: Villanova at La Salle (CBS SPORTS NETWORK).

9 p.m. – College Basketball: SEC/Big 12 Challenge Game – Auburn at Texas Tech (SEC ENTWORK).

9:15 p.m. – College Basketball: ACC/Big Ten Challenge Game – Virginia at Maryland (ESPN2).

9:15 p.m. – College Basketball: ACC/Big Ten Challenge Game – Georgia Tech at Northwestern (ESPNU).

9:30 p.m. – College Basketball: ACC/Big Ten Challenge Game -- Duke at Wisconsin (ESPN).

11:15 p.m. – College Basketball: Wichita State at Utah (ESPN2).

3 a.m. – Professional Golf: Nebbank Challenge First Round from Sun City, South Africa (GOLF).

PREP SCHEDULE TODAY

Junior Varsity Basketball Lakewood at Camden, 6 p.m.

Varsity Bowling Thomas Sumter, Laurence Manning at Wilson Hall (at Gamecock Lanes), 5 p.m.

THURSDAY

Varsity and JV Basketball Florence Christian at Wilson Hall, 4 p.m.

JV and Boys B Team Basketball Sumter at Crestwood, 5 p.m.

Middle School Basketball Alice Drive at Hillcrest, 5 p.m.

Furman at Chestnut Oaks, 5 p.m.

Mayewood at Ebenezer, 5 p.m.

Varsity Bowling Wilson Hall, Laurence Manning at Cardinal Newman (at Royal Z Lanes) , 5 p.m.

FRIDAY

Varsity Basketball Crestwood at Sumter, 6 p.m.

Scott’s Branch at Lakewood, 6 p.m.

Lee Central at Lamar, 6 p.m.

Varsity and JV Basketball Manning at East Clarendon, 4 p.m.

Wilson Hall at Heathwood Hall, 4 p.m.

Laurence Manning at Pinewood Prep, 4 p.m.

Robert E. Lee at Pee Dee, 4 p.m.

Sumter Christian vs. Northside Christian (in Northside Tournament in North Charleston), noon B Team Basketball Wilson Hall at Heathwood Hall, 4 p.m.

Varsity Sporting Clays Wilson Hall in Sporting Clays Tournament (at Backwoods Quail Club in Nesbitt), TBA Varsity Wrestling Sumter in Southern Slam (at Eastside High in Greenville), TBA

SATURDAY

Varsity Basketball Sumter Christian in Northside Tournament (in North Charleston), TBA Varsity and JV Basketball Lakewood at Lee Central, 4 p.m.

Varsity Wrestling Sumter in Southern Slam (at Eastside High in Greenville), TBA

COLLEGE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

By The Associated Press THURSDAY

UCF (8-3) at East Carolina (8-3), 7:30 p.m.

FRIDAY

Mid-American Championship, N. Illinois (10-2) vs. Bowling Green (7-5), at Detroit, 7 p.m.

Pac-12 championship, Arizona (10-2) vs. Oregon (11-1), at Santa Clara, Calif., 9 p.m.

SATURDAY

EAST SMU (0-11) at UConn (2-9), Noon SOUTH SEC Championship, Alabama (11-1) vs. Missouri (10-2), at Atlanta, 4 p.m.

Temple (5-6) at Tulane (3-8), 7:30 p.m.

ACC Championship, Florida St. (12-0) vs. Georgia Tech (10-2), at Charlotte, N.C., 8 p.m.

MIDWEST Houston (7-4) at Cincinnati (8-3), Noon Conference USA Championship, Louisiana Tech (8-4) at Marshall (11-1), Noon Big Ten Championship, Wisconsin (10-2) vs.

Ohio St. (11-1), at Indianapolis, 8 p.m.

SOUTHWEST Iowa St. (2-9) at TCU (10-1), Noon Oklahoma St. (5-6) at Oklahoma (8-3), 3:30 p.m.

SWAC Championship, Alcorn St. (9-3) vs. Southern U. (9-3), at Houston, 4 p.m.

Kansas St. (9-2) at Baylor (10-1), 7:45 p.m.

FAR WEST Mountain West championship, Fresno St. (6-6) at Boise St. (10-2), 10 p.m.

FCS PLAYOFFS

Second Round Fordham (11-2) at New Hampshire (10-1), 1 p.m.

Indiana St. (8-5) at Chattanooga (9-3), 1 p.m.

Richmond (9-4) at Coastal Carolina (11-1), 1 p.m.

Northern Iowa (9-4) at Illinois St. (10-1), 2 p.m.

Sam Houston St. (9-4) at Jacksonville St. (10-1), 2 p.m.

South Dakota St. (9-4) at North Dakota St. (111), 3:30 p.m.

Montana (9-4) at Eastern Washington (10-2), 4:30 p.m.

Liberty (9-4) at Villanova (10-2), 4:30 p.m.

NBA STANDINGS

By The Associated Press EASTERN CONFERENCE ATLANTIC DIVISION

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Fans watch a game between Philadelphia and San Antonio in Philadelphia on Monday. The winless 76ers are the worst team in the NBA and on another lengthy losing streak for the second straight season.

W Toronto 13 Brooklyn 6 Boston 4 New York 4 Philadelphia 0 SOUTHEAST DIVISION W Washington 11 Atlanta 9 Miami 9 Orlando 7 Charlotte 4 CENTRAL DIVISION W Chicago 11 Milwaukee 10 Cleveland 8 Indiana 7 Detroit 3

L 4 9 10 14 17

Pct .765 .400 .286 .222 .000

GB – 6 7 1/2 9 1/2 13

L 5 6 8 12 14

Pct .688 .600 .529 .368 .222

GB – 1 1/2 2 1/2 5 1/2 8

L 6 8 7 10 14

Pct .647 .556 .533 .412 .176

GB – 1 1/2 2 4 8

L 2 4 4 5 8

Pct .882 .765 .765 .722 .467

GB – 2 2 2 1/2 7

L 4 8 12 13 12

Pct .765 .529 .294 .278 .250

GB – 4 8 8 1/2 8 1/2

L 2 5 8 8

Pct .875 .706 .556 .529

GB – 2 1/2 5 5 1/2

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Monday night, one fan speedwalking toward the exit stopped when he saw Sixers CEO Scott O’Neil applauding the effort from the third row.

“Together we build,’’ the man yelled. “I don’t care what anybody says, I love it.’’

O’Neil shook his hand and smiled, somehow finding one

more happy customer in a yet another season stuffed with miserable losses.

The Sixers are 29th out of 30 teams in attendance with a 14,237 per-game average.

Not surprising for a franchise that has gone on losing streaks that would make the Washington Generals blush.

SOUTHWEST DIVISION W Memphis 15 Houston 13 San Antonio 13 Dallas 13 New Orleans 7 NORTHWEST DIVISION W Portland 13 Denver 9 Oklahoma City 5 Utah 5 Minnesota 4 PACIFIC DIVISION W Golden State 14 L.A. Clippers 12 Phoenix 10 Sacramento 9

13

.235

10 1/2

San Antonio 109, Philadelphia 103 Washington 107, Miami 86 Denver 103, Utah 101 L.A. Clippers 127, Minnesota 101

TV, RADIO

The last time Tiger Woods was seen at a golf tournament was at the PGA Championship when he missed the cut. He returns this week at the Hero World Challenge in Windermere, Fla.

4

MONDAY’S GAMES

TUESDAY’S GAMES

Milwaukee at Cleveland, 7 p.m.

Boston at Atlanta, 7:30 p.m.

L.A. Lakers at Detroit, 7:30 p.m.

Brooklyn at New York, 7:30 p.m.

Oklahoma City at New Orleans, 8 p.m.

Dallas at Chicago, 8 p.m.

Indiana at Phoenix, 9 p.m.

Portland at Denver, 9 p.m.

Toronto at Sacramento, 10 p.m.

Orlando at Golden State, 10:30 p.m.

TODAY’S GAMES

L.A. Lakers at Washington, 7 p.m.

Chicago at Charlotte, 7 p.m.

Atlanta at Miami, 7:30 p.m.

Detroit at Boston, 7:30 p.m.

San Antonio at Brooklyn, 7:30 p.m.

Memphis at Houston, 8 p.m.

Dallas at Milwaukee, 8 p.m.

Philadelphia at Minnesota, 8 p.m.

Toronto at Utah, 9 p.m.

Orlando at L.A. Clippers, 10:30 p.m.

THURSDAY’S GAMES

Cleveland at New York, 8 p.m.

Indiana at Portland, 10 p.m.

New Orleans at Golden State, 10:30 p.m.

NFL STANDINGS

By The Associated Press AMERICAN CONFERENCE EAST New England Miami Buffalo N.Y. Jets SOUTH Indianapolis Houston Tennessee Jacksonville NORTH Cincinnati Baltimore Pittsburgh Cleveland WEST Denver San Diego Kansas City Oakland

W 9 7 7 2

L T 3 0 5 0 5 0 10 0

Pct .750 .583 .583 .167

PF 378 301 264 190

PA 253 232 217 319

W 8 6 2 2

L T 4 0 6 0 10 0 10 0

Pct .667 .500 .167 .167

PF 382 287 213 186

PA 283 247 338 329

W 8 7 7 7

L 3 5 5 5

T 1 0 0 0

Pct .708 .583 .583 .583

PF 260 328 320 252

PA 247 242 298 245

W 9 8 7 1

L T 3 0 4 0 5 0 11 0

Pct .750 .667 .583 .083

PF 361 279 277 176

PA 276 249 224 337

NATIONAL CONFERENCE EAST Philadelphia Dallas N.Y. Giants Washington SOUTH Atlanta New Orleans Carolina Tampa Bay NORTH Green Bay Detroit Chicago Minnesota WEST Arizona Seattle San Francisco St. Louis

W 9 8 3 3

L 3 4 9 9

T 0 0 0 0

Pct .750 .667 .250 .250

PF 375 302 257 244

PA 285 273 319 322

W 5 5 3 2

L T 7 0 7 0 8 1 10 0

Pct .417 .417 .292 .167

PF 291 323 228 220

PA 299 318 331 314

W 9 8 5 5

L 3 4 7 7

T 0 0 0 0

Pct .750 .667 .417 .417

PF 380 231 253 233

PA 267 207 337 257

W 9 8 7 5

L 3 4 5 7

T 0 0 0 0

Pct .750 .667 .583 .417

PF 258 298 231 261

PA 224 221 244 285

MONDAY’S GAME

Miami 16, N.Y. Jets 13

THURSDAY, DEC. 4

Dallas at Chicago, 8:25 p.m.

SUNDAY, DEC. 7

N.Y. Giants at Tennessee, 1 p.m.

Carolina at New Orleans, 1 p.m.

N.Y. Jets at Minnesota, 1 p.m.

Pittsburgh at Cincinnati, 1 p.m.

St. Louis at Washington, 1 p.m.

Baltimore at Miami, 1 p.m.

Indianapolis at Cleveland, 1 p.m.

Tampa Bay at Detroit, 1 p.m.

Houston at Jacksonville, 1 p.m.

Buffalo at Denver, 4:05 p.m.

Kansas City at Arizona, 4:05 p.m.

San Francisco at Oakland, 4:25 p.m.

Seattle at Philadelphia, 4:25 p.m.

New England at San Diego, 8:30 p.m.

MONDAY, DEC. 8

Atlanta at Green Bay, 8:30 p.m.

NHL STANDINGS

By The Associated Press EASTERN CONFERENCE ATLANTIC DIVISION GP W Tampa Bay 25 17 Montreal 26 17 Detroit 24 14 Boston 25 14 Toronto 23 12 Florida 22 9 Ottawa 23 10 Buffalo 24 8 METROPOLITAN DIVISION GP W Pittsburgh 23 16 N.Y. Islanders 24 17 N.Y. Rangers 24 11 Washington 23 10 New Jersey 24 9 Philadelphia 23 8 Carolina 23 7 Columbus 24 7

L 6 7 5 10 8 7 9 14

OT 2 2 5 1 3 6 4 2

Pts 36 36 33 29 27 24 24 18

GF GA 91 67 69 66 74 61 63 61 76 69 46 55 61 63 43 76

L 5 7 9 9 11 12 13 15

OT 2 0 4 4 4 3 3 2

Pts 34 34 26 24 22 19 17 16

GF GA 81 55 77 65 71 70 65 65 58 71 61 74 54 68 54 84

WESTERN CONFERENCE CENTRAL DIVISION GP W L OT Pts GF GA Nashville 23 16 5 2 34 64 46 St. Louis 24 16 6 2 34 66 51 Chicago 24 15 8 1 31 74 48 Winnipeg 25 12 9 4 28 52 56 Minnesota 23 13 9 1 27 65 55 Dallas 24 9 10 5 23 70 84 Colorado 25 9 11 5 23 67 79 PACIFIC DIVISION GP W L OT Pts GF GA Anaheim 26 15 6 5 35 71 68 Vancouver 24 16 7 1 33 75 66 Calgary 25 15 8 2 32 78 64 Los Angeles 24 12 7 5 29 65 57 San Jose 25 11 10 4 26 68 70 Arizona 25 10 12 3 23 62 76 Edmonton 25 6 15 4 16 56 87 NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss.

MONDAY’S GAMES

Tampa Bay 6, N.Y. Rangers 3 Columbus 2, Florida 1 Montreal 4, Colorado 3 Arizona 5, Edmonton 2 Anaheim 3, Boston 2

TUESDAY’S GAMES

Ottawa at N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m.

New Jersey at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m.

Vancouver at Washington, 7 p.m.

Nashville at Carolina, 7 p.m.

Tampa Bay at Buffalo, 7:30 p.m.

Dallas at Toronto, 7:30 p.m.

Florida at Detroit, 7:30 p.m.

Arizona at Calgary, 9 p.m.

Philadelphia at San Jose, 10 p.m.

Boston at Los Angeles, 10:30 p.m.

TODAY’S GAMES

Montreal at Minnesota, 7 p.m.

St. Louis at Chicago, 8 p.m.

Edmonton at Winnipeg, 9 p.m.

Philadelphia at Anaheim, 10:30 p.m.

THURSDAY’S GAMES

Vancouver at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m.

Washington at Carolina, 7 p.m.

New Jersey at Toronto, 7:30 p.m.

N.Y. Islanders at Ottawa, 7:30 p.m.

Dallas at Detroit, 7:30 p.m.

Buffalo at Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m.

Columbus at Florida, 7:30 p.m.

St. Louis at Nashville, 8 p.m.

Colorado at Calgary, 9 p.m.

Los Angeles at Arizona, 9 p.m.

Boston at San Jose, 10:30 p.m.

PREP BASKETBALL

THE SUMTER ITEM

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2014

|

B3

AREA ROUNDUP

Crestwood off to 4-0 season start TIMMONSVILLE — The Crestwood boys varsity basketball team is off to a 4-0 start after a 81-47 victory over Timmonsville on Monday at the Whirlwinds gymnasium.

Three players scored in double figures for the Knights led by Darnell Robateau’s 23. Gerald Dunn had 17 points and Devin Nelson added 14 in the win for Crestwood, who will travel to Sumter on Friday.

CRESTWOOD Robateau 23, Webber 2, Morant 6, Scott 3, Jennings 4, Brailsford 8, Nelson 14, Dunn 17, Coby Thomas 4.

CAMDEN 76 LAKEWOOD 75 Daquan Tindal scored 22 points and Tyshawn Johnson pitched in 19, but Lakewood opened its season with a 76-75 loss to Camden on Monday at the Bulldogs gymnasium.

The 0-1 Gators will host Scott’s Branch on Friday.

Taylor Kelly led the Bulldogs with 19 points. Tyrone Kelly added 13.

MATT WALSH / THE SUMTER ITEM

Sumter’s Zuri Smith (33) defends a Lower Richland player’s shot during the Lady Gamecocks’ 41-37 home-opening victory on Tuesday at the SHS gymnasium. Sumter is now 3-1 on the season.

SWEEP FROM PAGE B1 pressure up to force our tempo but they were attacking the basket and getting layups,” English explained.

“We couldn’t keep them out of the paint and that’s something we’ll have to work on. It’s something that we work on every day.

“We’ve got to get mentally and physically tougher,” the Gamecocks coach said. “There are no easy games. I made this schedule up playing Lower Richland, Crestwood, Lakewood and Spring Valley. We want to play the best and these kids are going to respond.”

Sumter will host Crestwood on Friday.

Coming off its first loss under first-year head coach Jason Loudenslager, the Lady Gamecocks held off a feisty Diamond Hornets team that pushed SHS until the final seconds.

Sumter, now 3-1 on the season after a 41-37 victory, was helped when L-R’s top scorer DeJah Williford was lost for most of the second half. The Lady Hornets missed 2 of 7 free throws within the last two minutes trailing by four. Cy Cooper hit two free throws with 8.5 seconds

remaining and a Kadejuha Kennedy steal with two seconds left sealed a SHS victory.

“I’m very pleased because I know what kind of program Coach Stroman’s got and what kind of team she’s got; and I’ll be honest with you we didn’t play very well tonight,” Loudenslager said of the victory.

“To not play very well and beat a team like L-R — granted it’s early in the season and they’re struggling just like we’re struggling — the fact we were able to fight through it should be a good sign for us down the road.”

L-R, now 0-3 to begin the season, pulled within three, trailing 39-36 with under a minute to play but went 1 of 5 from the charity stripe and had possession of the ball with 13.7 seconds to play before SHS took over.

Cooper led the Lady Gamecocks with 14 points while Kennedy added 11 as the only two scores in double figures. Cooper, Nijah Davis and Zuri Smith were big inside while Jessica Harris and Kennedy helped run the offense at the guard position.

The Lady Gamecocks had their opportunities to put the game away leading by 10 twice but each time

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by Cailah Hicklin and Alaysia Washington who combined for 19 points. Kameron Roach led the Lady Hornets with 13 points.

“We’ve been preaching boxing out and taking advantage of secondchance opportunities all along,” the Lady Gamecocks coach said. “We’ve got to get our skills better inside, it’s obvious anyone who scouts us and watches us, our hole is inside, but our kids are getting better every day.

“We’ve got to get tougher,” he said. “Bottom line is we played a tough team today and they pushed us around a little bit and that’s not going to happen next time around.”

Sumter took an early 8-3 first quarter lead but found themselves in a 15 all tie by halftime. The Lady Gamecocks were sparked by a 6-0 run that was set up by several second-chance opportunities.

Kennedy’s 3-pointer early in the second quarter gave SHS a 13-7 lead but the Lady Diamond Hornets used an 8-2 run to help tie the game at the first half break. L-R was sparked by Roach’s six points as Williford appeared to be bothered by a hand injury after going for a rebound.

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EBENEZER 12

Furman’s Kiari Cain led the Lady Indians to a 46-12 victory over Ebenezer on Monday with 20 points. Rahteisha Burgess had 11 and Valencia Croom had five for Furman in the victory.

Ebenezer was led by Jordan Bennettparte’s five points while Jaha Jackson added four in the loss.

SCOTT’S BRANCH 46 SPAULDING 5

SUMMERTON — T. Madison scored 24 points to lead Scott’s Branch past Spaulding on Monday at the Eagles gymnasium.

J. Bowman also scored in double figures and finished with 10 points for SBMS.

MIDDLE SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL SCOTT’S BRANCH 42 SPAULDING 40 SUMMERTON—Scott’s Branch held off Spaulding with a 42-40 victory on Monday at the Eagles gymnasium.

K. Lesesne led the Eagles with 15 points. A. Brown had nine and D. Bell added eight in the win.

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B4

|

SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2014

THE SUMTER ITEM

PROMOTES FROM PAGE B1

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Morris final game was Saturday’s 35-17 victory over rival South Carolina, breaking the Gamecocks’ five-game series win streak. Three freshmen led the way with quarterback Deshaun Watson throwing for 269 yards and accounting for four touchdowns, tailback Wayne Gallman gaining 191 yards and a touchdown and receiver Artavis Scott catching seven passes for 185 yards and two long TDs. Scott has coached several Clemson wideouts now playing in the NFL like DeAndre Hopkins, Sammy Watkins and Martavis Bryant. Elliott coached Andre Ellington, a two-time 1,000-yard rusher in college now playing with the Arizona Cardinals.

Scott, who’ll turn 34 later this month, won a state championship at Blythewood High and also coached at Presbyterian before joining Clemson’s staff.

He’s the son of former South Carolina head coach and ex-Clemson assistant Brad Scott.

Elliott, 35, spent two seasons as an assistant at South Carolina State and three as an assistant at Furman before joining his alma mater.

Swinney said the two will work together seamlessly going forward.

“Tony and Jeff were teammates at Clemson at the same position for three years and have worked together as coaches for four. They have a great relationship,’’ he said.

And the coach expects no drop off in production with the new leadership setup.

“I am very excited about our offense moving forward under the leadership of these two coaches,’’ Swinney said.

Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston, right, and his attorney David Cornwell arrive at Florida State’s Materials Research building on Tuesday for his student Conduct code hearing in Tallahassee, Fla.

Winston conduct hearing adjourns, resumes today

BY GARY FINEOUT The Associated Press TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston and the woman who has said he sexually assaulted her spent nearly five hours in separate rooms at a closed-door hearing recounting what happened nearly two years ago.

The university hearing adjourned apparently with no resolution and is scheduled to resume today.

Florida State held the hearing in a campus building to determine whether Winston violated the school’s student code of conduct. More witnesses are expected to testify about what happened in December 2012.

Winston look somberfaced as he left the hearing and did not answer reporters’ questions as he left.

Attorney David Cornwell, adviser to the Winston family and who is representing the QB at the proceeding, said the hearing went “basically as we expected.’’

“We think this nightmare will be over very soon,’’ Cornwell said.

The hearing before a former Florida Supreme Court chief justice is closed to the public and media. It is to determine whether Winston violated any or all of four sections of the code of conduct — two for sexual misconduct and two for endangerment. It is not like a normal criminal proceeding since attorneys for Winston and the former student are not allowed to question witnesses or make statements.

The ramifications for Winston range from a reprimand to expulsion from school. Former Florida Supreme Court Justice Major Harding, who is presiding over the hearing, has 10 school days after the hearing to make a decision. Either Winston or the woman can request an appeal within five days of the initial hearing decision.

The semester at Florida State ends next week, so Harding’s decision may not be known until January.

John Clune, the attorney for the former FSU student who said Winston assaulted her, called the hearing “empowering,’’ saying it gave the woman a chance to tell her side of the story although he said at times it was “difficult’’ for her. He said the woman chose not to testify in the same room with Winston because “that’s not just something that is a healthy thing for our client.’’

“It’s a big day,’’ Clune said. “The first thing is that she wanted to be heard. And she’s had the opportunity to do that.

And after that she would like to be validated.’’

Winston was not arrested following an investigation of the woman’s allegation. Prosecutor Willie Meggs declined to file charges last December, citing a lack of evidence.

Cornwell has contended that attorneys for the former student pushed for the hearing after they were rebuffed in an attempt to reach a settlement with Winston. He repeated that assertion on Tuesday and said he was

“confident’’ that the hearing officer will rule in Winston’s favor after hearing him “tell the truth today.’’

At Tuesday’s hearing, two of Winston’s teammates — Chris Casher and Ronald Darby — who were present when the alleged assault took place, were seen entering together in the afternoon. They left together less than a half-hour later.

The Associated Press is not identifying the woman because it does not identify people who say they are victims of sexual abuse.

The hearing is being held at a time when Florida State is currently being investigated by the Department of Education on how hit handles possible Title IX violations. The woman who said Winston assaulted her filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights, which decided the university should be investigated for possible Title IX violations over the way it responds to sexual violence complaints.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL ROUNDUP

Diagne leads Coastal Carolina past S.C. State CONWAY — Badou Diagne scored 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting from the field and pulled down a game high 11 rebounds to lead Coastal Carolina to a 66-52 win over South Carolina State on Tuesday night.

Josh Cameron also had 14 points for Coastal Carolina off the bench, including 4-of-6 shooting from 3-point range. Elijah Wilson finished with nine points, and Warren Gillis and Shivaughn Wiggins each added eight for the Chanticleers.

Overall, Coastal Carolina outshot South Carolina State 49-30 percent from the field, 50-34 percent from three, and won the rebounding battle 42-29.

Edward Stephens scored a game high 15 points to lead South Carolina State. Gerdarius Troutman added 10 points for the Bulldogs.

South Carolina State trailed 33-26 at the half, and battled back to trim the lead as low as three midway through the second half. However, a late 16-6 run by the Chanticleers sealed the deal.

INDIANA 81

lead to as much as 23.

PITTSBURGH 69 BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Emmitt Holt scored a season high 15 points and Troy Williams finished with 10 points and five rebounds to lead Indiana past Pittsburgh 81-69 Tuesday in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.

Indiana (6-1) has won two straight and three of its last four in a showcase for two of college basketball’s power conferences.

Chris Jones scored 18 points and Josh Newkirk had 16 to lead Pittsburgh (4-3), which was playing for the first time since its trip to Hawaii.

The difference was obvious: Indiana shot 53.2 percent from the field, compared with a season low 36.1 percent for Pittsburgh. Plus, Indiana had a 48-28 scoring edge in the paint.

The Hoosiers trailed only twice in the game, 2-0 and 4-2, and were in control most of the game.

After leading 45-37 at the half, Pitt closed to 47-41. But the Hoosiers went on a 16-4 run and pushed the

MINNESOTA 84 WAKE FOREST 69

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Andre Hollins scored a season-high 27 points and Minnesota beat Wake Forest 84-69 on Tuesday night in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

Hollins hit a career-high seven 3-pointers while Carlos Morris added 15 points and Joey King had 14 for the Golden Gophers (5-2).

They shot 49 percent _ 57 percent in the second half _ and overcame a season-high-tying 20 turnovers by hitting a season-best 12 3-pointers.

Minnesota hit its first seven shots of the second half and spent most of the rest of the night protecting a double-figure lead.

Miles Overton had 14 points for the Demon Deacons (4-4).

They had 18 turnovers, shot 41 percent and were unable to get top scorer Devin Thomas going.

From wire reports

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF RANKINGS Team 1. Alabama 2. Oregon 3. TCU 4. Florida St. 5. Ohio St. 6. Baylor 7. Arizona 8. Michigan St. 9. Kansas St. 10. Mississippi St. 11. Georgia Tech 12. Mississippi 13. Wisconsin 14. Georgia 15. UCLA 16. Missouri 17. Arizona St. 18. Clemson 19. Auburn 20. Oklahoma 21. Louisville 22. Boise St. 23. Utah 24. LSU 25. Southern Cal

Record 11-1 11-1 10-1 12-0 11-1 10-1 10-2 10-2 9-2 10-2 10-2 9-3 10-2 9-3 9-3 10-2 9-3 9-3 8-4 8-3 9-3 10-2 8-4 8-4 8-4

TCU FROM PAGE B1 not factor in Barrett’s injury this week but will when the final rankings come out Sunday. The Buckeyes face Wisconsin in the Big Ten title game.

Baylor finishes its regular season at home against Kansas State, ninth in the latest rankings.

The Horned Frogs and Bears would be co-champions of the Big 12 if both win out. The conference has said it will not designate a champion via a tiebreaker.

The committee’s selection protocol requires conference championships be taken into the consideration when judging teams with similar resumes.

Boise State is the highest ranked — and only ranked — team from outside the Big Five conferences, which puts the Broncos (10-2) in position to receive a bid to one of the four New Year’s Day bowls.

BRAVES FROM PAGE B1 minor leaguer.

Medlen and Beachy had been considered candidates to contend for the fifth spot in the rotation by May or June, assuming they had successful recoveries from their surgeries. The Braves chose not to take the financial gambles on arbitration with the two right-handers.

Medlen earned $5.8 million this year and Beachy $1.45 million. Either could negotiate a new deal with Atlanta as a free agent.

Ervin Santana and Aaron Harang became a free agent after completing a $14.1 million, one-year contract. He did not accept a $15.3 million qualifying offer from Atlanta.

AP SOURCE: HUNTER AGREES TO $10.5M DEAL WITH TWINS MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A person familiar with the negotiations says Torii Hunter has agreed to a $10.5 million, one-year contract to return to the Minnesota Twins.

A five-time All-Star outfielder who turns 40 in July, Hunter became a star with the Twins from 1997-07 before signing a $90 million, five-year contract with the Los Angeles Angels. He then signed a $26 million, two-year deal with Detroit.

Hunter’s salary matches the average of former Twin Michael Cuddyer in his $21 million, two-year deal with the New York Mets.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

THE SUMTER ITEM

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2014

|

B5

NOTEBOOK

Source: Florida AD sets meeting with McElwain GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida has targeted Colorado State’s Jim McElwain to potentially fill its coaching vacancy.

Athletic director Jeremy Foley and McElwain are meeting in Colorado on Tuesday afternoon, said a person with knowledge of the situation. The person also said that the former Alabama offensive coordinator is expected to be offered the job.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because the Gators have not publicly announced details of their search.

MCELWAIN Foley and a few of his top staff members were aboard a charter flight that left Gainesville on Tuesday, landed in Joplin, Missouri, and then continued to Fort Collins, Colorado, to meet with McElwain, the person said.

The AD fired Will Muschamp on Nov. 16. Foley detailed several requirements for Muschamp’s replacement the following day, saying his next coach had to have high integrity, character and needed to be a fit at Florida.

The 52-year-old McElwain was born in Montana and spent much of his coaching career out west. But he also has NFL experience, Southeastern Conference ties and a track record of success on the offensive side of the ball.

The Gators finished 105th, 103rd and 113th in total offense during Muschamp’s first three seasons. They rank 90th this season, but Muschamp said two weeks ago that he’s leaving behind a “deep and talented roster, so don’t let that new guy tell you he ain’t got no good players.’’

McElwain is finishing his third season at Colorado State. He led the Rams to a 10-2 record and was named the Mountain West Conference’s coach of the year Tuesday.

His offense ranks 13th nationally, averaging 498 yards a game.

GT’S JOHNSON EARNS ANOTHER ACC COACH OF YEAR AWARD GREENSBORO, N.C. — Georgia Tech’s Paul Johnson is the Atlantic Coast Conference coach of the year for the third time.

In voting results released Tuesday, Miami quarterback Brad Kaaya was picked as the league’s rookie of the year.

Johnson received 32 of 55 votes cast

by Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association members for the coaching award while Florida State’s Jimbo Fisher had 14.

Johnson — who won the award in 2008 and ‘09 — guided No. 12 Georgia Tech to a 10-2 record, the Coastal Division championship and a spot opposite No. 2 Florida State in the ACC title game.

Kaaya, who threw an ACC-best 25 touchdowns, received 22 votes for the overall rookie award and 33 in offensive rookie voting.

Virginia safety Quin Blanding is the league’s defensive rookie of the year.

Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson finished third in overall (seven votes) and second in offensive (10) voting.

Blanding received 37 votes for the defensive award while Clemson defensive back Mackenzie Alexander had 10.

Kaaya’s 2,962 yards passing this season are the fourth-most by a freshman in league history. Blanding led all freshmen in the Bowl Subdivision with 10.3 tackles per game.

FUNERAL SET FOR OHIO STATE ATHLETE FOUND DEAD COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State football players, wrestlers and other athletes plan to attend the funeral service for a teammate found dead of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound, the university said Tuesday.

Fellow football players have described Kosta Karageorge as a hard-working and enthusiastic athlete who often stayed for extra practice even though it was unlikely he would ever play in a game.

The service was scheduled today at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Columbus, with a private burial in Athens County.

Athletes from other sports will also attend, and football teammates planned to wear a No. 53 helmet sticker — Karageorge’s number — during Saturday’s Big Ten championship game against Wisconsin, said Ohio State spokesman Jerry Emig.

Dr. Anahi Ortiz, the Franklin County coroner, says Karageorge died of a gunshot wound to the head, but she hadn’t definitely ruled it a suicide as of Tuesday afternoon.

Karageorge’s mother says he had had several concussions, and the coroner says a special examination will be done of Karageorge’s brain to look for any traumatic injury.

From wire reports

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Michigan head coach Brady Hoke, center, is out after four years at Michigan. Interim athletic director Jim Hackett made the announcement Tuesday after weeks of speculation about Hoke’s future.

Hoke out at Michigan

BY NOAH TRISTER The Associated Press ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The quote became symbolic of Brady Hoke’s attitude, and the promise his tenure as Michigan’s coach seemed to offer.

“This is Michigan, for God’s sakes,’’ he said shortly after being hired in 2011.

Lately, Michigan has looked like just another program, and that’s a major reason why the Wolverines will have new leadership next season.

Hoke was fired Tuesday after Michigan stumbled to a 5-7 record and missed the postseason in his fourth year at the helm.

Interim athletic director Jim Hackett’s announcement ended weeks of speculation over Hoke’s future and put one of college football’s most storied programs in the market for a new coach.

“This was not an easy decision,’’ Hackett said.

“He’s really earned the respect of all, as being a values-centered coach. We need more men like him in sport today.’’

Hoke’s record, however, fell well short of Michigan’s standards. He went 31-20 with the Wolverines, and the team declined steadily after an 11-2 mark in his first season. Hired after the tumultuous tenure of Rich Rodriguez, Hoke was supposed to help Michigan regain its place among college football’s elite, and his familiarity with the program’s culture and tradition helped make the initial transition a successful one.

But after going to the Sugar Bowl in Hoke’s first season, the Wolverines slowly slipped back into mediocrity, and they were among the Big Ten’s alsorans this year.

“I believe that Brady had enough time to produce results, and they’re just not there today,’’ Hackett said. “Therefore I

believe it’s time to make this transition.’’

After problems on the offensive line derailed the 2013 campaign, turnovers did Michigan in this year, all the way to the final game, when the Wolverines lost 42-28 to rival Ohio State on Saturday.

Hoke’s arrival was supposed to mean a return to smash-mouth football after three years of Rodriguez’s spread system, and while Michigan did play well defensively at times this season, the mistakeprone Wolverines weren’t much of a threat on the other side of the ball.

“I feel very fortunate to have been an assistant and head coach at the University of Michigan. I will always support the university and this football program,’’ Hoke said in a statement. “I want to thank all of the sons that played for our teams and appreciate the commitment that our coaches and support staff made to

the program every day. I will miss the relationships that I’ve been fortunate enough to make within this university and community.’’

Hackett replaced Dave Brandon as athletic director at the end of October.

Brandon’s resignation was part of the fallout from the football team’s problems. In September, quarterback Shane Morris kept playing despite receiving what was later determined to be a concussion. The school later apologized for the “confusion’’ and “lack of communication’’ as it changed its protocol to better monitor potential injuries.

A message posted on Morris’ Twitter account Tuesday wished Hoke the best: “I can truly say that I wouldn’t be the man I am right now without having played for Coach Hoke. He believed in me and every player he coached no matter what the situation.’’

Blazers shut down football program

BY JAY REEVES The Associated Press BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — UAB is shutting down the football program after one of the Blazers’ stronger seasons, the first school to make that cost-cutting move in nearly two decades.

The university announced the decision Tuesday minutes after President Ray Watts met with the Blazers players and coaches, while several hundred UAB students and fans gathered outside for the third straight day in efforts to support the program. UAB made the decision after a campus-wide study conducted by a consulting firm over the past year.

“The fiscal realities we face — both from an operating and a capital investment standpoint — are starker than ever and demand that we take decisive action for the greater good of the Athletic Department and UAB,” Watts said in a statement released by the university. “As we look at the evolving landscape of NCAA football, we see expenses only continuing to increase. When considering a model that best protects the financial future and prominence of the Athletic Department, football is simply not sustainable.”

UAB said in the release that it

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

UAB offensive tackle Steve Pickern, second from left, hugs UAB supporter Justin Craft after UAB President Ray Watts announced the shut down of the UAB football program on Tuesday in Birmingham, Ala. The university announced the decision minutes after Watts met with the Blazers players and coaches, while several hundred UAB students and fans gathered outside for the third straight day in efforts to support the program. subsidizes $20 million of the athletic department’s operating budget of some $30 million annually, and said both those numbers rank fifth in Conference USA. The university said the difference over the next five years would be an extra $49 million with football, including a projected $22 million needed for football facilities and upgrades.

Despite the numbers outlined by UAB, Watts insisted at an afternoon news conference that the decision “is not about financial woes. This is

about planning for excellence in the future in everything we do.”

UAB is the first major college program since Pacific in 1995 to shut down.

Players cried and hugged after leaving the meeting. An emotional coach Bill Clark, who just completed his first season with a 6-6 record, briefly addressed supporters, saying players, families and coaches were all hurting. UAB is eligible for only its second bowl appearance and first since 2004.

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PRO FOOTBALL

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2014

THE SUMTER ITEM

NFL NOTEBOOK

Rice tells ‘Today’ show he had ‘one bad night’ Ray Rice says that an NFL team “would have to be willing to look deeper into who I am and realize that me and my wife had one bad night.’’

“I took full responsibility for everything that I did,’’ the former Ravens running back told NBC’s “Today’’ show Tuesday, “and the only thing I can hope for and wish for is a second chance.’’

An arbitrator threw out Rice’s indefinite suspension last Friday, making him a free agent. But no franchise may be willing to sign the threetime Pro Bowl pick after seeing the in-elevator video of Rice striking his-then fiancee, who is now his wife.

“If I never play football again, I’ll be honest with you, I would adapt into life and I would sacrifice more so she can have a better future,’’ Rice said while standing next to his wife and her parents.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell originally suspended Rice two games but increased the punishment after the video from February was made public Sept. 8. Baltimore released Rice that day.

Rice played in two preseason games for the Ravens this year. His last carry was a 6-yard run against San Francisco on Aug. 7. Rice, who turns 28 in January, had his worst season as a pro in 2013.

He averaged a career-low 3.1 yards per carry and ran for 660 yards, ending a string of four consecutive seasons over 1,000 yards.

PETERSON HAS APPEAL HEARING IN NEW YORK NEW YORK — Adrian Peterson’s appeal hearing has ended after more than three hours.

Peterson did not comment as he departed Tuesday. His attorney, Jeffrey Kessler, says

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

In video provided by “The Today Show”, host Matt Lauer, left, interviews Janay Rice, holding daughter Rayven, and Ray Rice along with Janay’s parents, Candy and Joe Palmer, right. Rice said on Tuesday that the elevator incident in which he struck Plamer was “one bad night.” only that the hearing will continue Thursday.

The proceedings were held before longtime hearing officer Harold Henderson.

Peterson is seeking reinstatement after NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell suspended him for the rest of the season for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.

The former NFL MVP hasn’t played for the Minnesota Vikings since Week 1 after he was charged with child abuse in Texas. He was placed on paid leave while the legal process played out, and he pleaded no contest Nov. 4 to misdemeanor reckless assault for injuring his 4-year-old son with a wooden switch.

Peterson will not be considered for reinstatement before April 15. The NFL Players Association called the punishment “unprecedented, arbitrary, and unlawful.’’ The union is arguing that Peterson should get credit for time served on the exempt list.

STRUGGLING PANTHERS RELEASE CASON, WILLIAMS CHARLOTTE — The Panthers announced they’ve waived starting cornerback Antoine Cason and reserve linebacker Jason Williams and signed cornerback Carrington Byndom and linebacker Horace Miller from the practice squad.

The moves were announced Tuesday, two days after the

Dolphins rally, beat Jets on late FG

BY BARRY WILNER The Associated Press EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — It’s all in the mindset.

“Scratch, claw, bite, kick, whatever you have to do make a play and win,’’ Dolphins defensive end Cameron Wake explained after Monday night’s dull but effective slugfest with the New York Jets ended in a 16-13 Miami victory.

“It’s December,’’ added rookie receiver Jarvis Landry.

“The only thing that matters is winning, no matter how you get it done.’’

The Dolphins found the right formula to stay in the AFC playoff race: Simply let the Jets run the ball all night, and wait for New York to make mistakes — something the Jets have done quite well all season.

Caleb Sturgis’ third field goal, from 26 yards with 1:57 remaining, gave Miami (7-5) the comeback victory over its archrival.

New York (2-10) rushed for 277 yards on 49 carries, but made enough key errors in the second half to lose.

“Can’t believe we’re 2-10,’’ Jets coach Rex Ryan said, shaking his head and pausing.

“It’s a joke.’’

team’s sixth straight loss.

Cason started 11 games for the Panthers (3-8-1) and registered 55 tackles, four forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and two interceptions. Williams was primarily a special teams player who saw action in 11 games and had three special teams tackles.

The 6-foot, 180-pound Byndom joined Carolina in May after signing as an undrafted rookie free agent from Texas.

Carolina signed the 6-foot-1, 240-pound Miller to the practice squad in October after he spent the preseason with the Seattle Seahawks.

CARDINALS’ MATHIEU TO HAVE THUMB SURGERY TEMPE, Ariz. — Arizona

Cardinals safety Tyrann Mathieu will undergo surgery on his fractured left thumb on Wednesday and could be sidelined until the team’s regularseason finale.

Mathieu will have a pin inserted in the thumb. The Cardinals said Tuesday that the thumb would need a couple of weeks to heal, then Mathieu would play with it in a cast.

Coach Bruce Arians said Monday that, if Mathieu needed surgery, he would be out three weeks. That would have him returning for the team’s final regular-season game Dec. 28 at San Francisco.

From wire reports

NFL executive Vincent delivers emotional Senate testimony

BY HOWARD FENDRICH The Associated Press

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Miami running back Lamar Miller (26) leaps over New York Jets defensive end Sheldon Richardson (91) for a touchdown during the Dolphins’ 16-13 victory on Monday in East Rutherford, N.J. The Dolphins remained a factor in the wild-card race thanks to special teams; Landry’s eight receptions; Lamar Miller’s 4-yard TD run early in the fourth quarter; and plenty of defense when the Jets needed to pass.

New York’s Geno Smith threw only 13 times, fewest in the NFL this season, and gained 49 yards. The usually reliable Nick Folk missed two field goals.

All of that offset a season high on the ground as Chris Johnson had his best performance for the Jets with 105 yards.

“We had to draw a line in the dirt. No more,’’ Wake said of his team’s stinginess after halftime. “We came out in the second half scheme-wise the same, but guys played the way they’re supposed to play.’’

Sturgis also made field goals of 43 and 44 yards.

WASHINGTON — NFL executive and former player Troy Vincent choked up Tuesday as he testified before a Senate Commerce Committee hearing about domestic violence in professional sports.

Vincent said abuse was a “way of life’’ in his home growing up because his mother was beaten.

The NFL’s executive vice president of football operations was the first of eight witnesses to speak at the hearing. Along with the NFL and its players’ association, representatives and unions of Major League Baseball, the NBA and NHL were scheduled to testify.

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Sen. Jay Rockefeller, the West Virginia Democrat who chairs the VINCENT panel, told Vincent his testimony was “a good beginning.’’

But Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, the committee’s ranking Republican, earlier chastised the leagues for not sending their commissioners Tuesday.

And in a remark directed at the NFL Players Association, Sen. Dean Heller, a Nevada Republican, said: “When you’re worried more about getting back on the field, instead of stopping abuse, your priorities are out of order.’’

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RECRUITING

THE SUMTER ITEM

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2014

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O-W defensive lineman Higgins visits Clemson D

efensive lineman Albert Huggins of Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School is the state’s top uncommitted senior prospect. He has slow-played recruiting all year, but with plans on graduating early and enrolling in college in January, the recruiting pace is quickening for him.

He took an official visit to Clemson over the weekend and has also taken one to Georgia. He’s also thinking about taking officials to Florida and North Carolina.

“I’m still thinking,” Huggins said last week. “I’m trying to take these official visits and see how the schools really are. Just trying to take it all in and hopefully I can make a decision, pray on it this week.”

Huggins said he doesn’t have a date in mind on a decision, but he knows he has to make one in the next few weeks because he graduates in December. He will play in the Shrine Bowl and said the decision could come after that game.

Huggins said he’s still in touch with UF and UNC, but it appears Clemson and UGA are the top two at this point.

“I didn’t say it,” Huggins laughed when asked if it was down to Clemson and UGA. “I plead the fifth.”

However, he confirmed it was safe to assume the Tigers and UGA lead.

Defensive back Marcus Lewis of Washington did not make his official visit to Clemson over the weekend for the University of South Carolina game as he had planned. He apparently plans to visit in two weeks.

Clemson target defensive tackle Christian Wilkins of

Suffolk, Conn., made an official visit to Penn State over the weekend. He visited Clemson last weekend.

Clemson has offered 2015 DB Mook Reynolds of Greensboro, N.C. He has been committed to Virginia Tech.

USC USC commitment defensive end Marquavious Lewis of Hutchinson Junior College in Kansas made an official visit to Auburn two weekends ago.

He is still holding to his Gamecock commitment at this point though.

DL DJ Jones of East Mississippi JC, another USC target and a Florida State commitment, took an official visit to Mississippi over the weekend.

CLEMSON AND USC DB Mark Fields Jr. of Cornelius, N.C, a USC commitment who had planned to join his teammate and Clemson commitment Van Smith at Clemson on Saturday, didn’t make it in.

OTHERS Former Clemson quarterback Chad Kelly made an official visit to Indiana over the weekend.

JUNIORS USC AND CLEMSON USC and Clemson have made the top five for wide receiver Divine Deablo of Winston-Salem, N.C. UNC, UGA and VT round out that list with all schools equal. Divine visited USC twice and Clemson once this season. He was in Columbia for the Texas A&M and Tennessee games and at Clemson when the Ti-

gers hosted UNC. USC has shown more interest in Deablo of late.

“I really haven’t heard Phil Kornblut from Clemson much lately,” RECRUITING Deablo said.

CORNER “I am building a good relationship with the coaches at South Carolina. They throw the ball a lot so I really like their offense.”

Deablo planned to be at VT last Friday and at UNC last Saturday.

Clemson and USC also are among the top five for ‘16 athlete Mecole Hardman of Berton, Ga. Tennessee remains his leader with Clemson, USC, UGA and UF rounded out his top five in no order. His last two visits were to Tennessee and UGA. He had planned to be at Clemson on Saturday, but didn’t make it. He wants to visit USC this offseason.

DB James Valdez of Lake Marion High in Santee was at the USC-South Alabama game, his fourth visit with the Gamecocks this season. It was another good experience for Valdez, who figures to be one of the state’s top prospects in ‘16.

He said he talked with Gamecock assistant coaches Lorenzo Ward, Grady Brown, Everette Sands and Steve Spurrier Jr. as well as some of the players. He also spent time in the locker room.

“Nothing caught me by surprise,” Valdez said. “I’d been there a couple of times before and I knew how everything was going to go.”

Valdez has offers from USC,

Tennessee, UNC, North Carolina State, Wake Forest and South Carolina State. He doesn’t plan to make a decision until after his senior season.

“I wouldn’t say I have a top school now because I haven’t had a chance to go to any other schools like schools out of the state,” Valdez said.

“I haven’t had a chance to visit and see what they are like. I’m going to wait to see what other schools have to offer.”

He’d like one of those offers to come from Clemson.

“Clemson will always be a standout school for me because Clemson was the first football camp I attended,” he said. “The first article on me was from Clemson and that’s how USC jumped on me.

Clemson hasn’t offered yet, but they were the first school to put me out to see I have potential and things like that.

I’m pretty sure I will pick up an offer. I know it’s coming.

I’m not in a rush or anything.”

Valdez said he has no order to the schools that have offered him, but noted that UNC is recruiting him the hardest right now. Valdez has also been to Tennessee and UGA for games this season. He had planned to visit NCSU and UF, but those plans fell through.

He plans to take visits to UF, NCSU, UGA and the other schools that have offered him during the offseason.

This season, he finished with eight interceptions, 38 tackles, 14 passes broken up and five forced fumbles. He also scored three defensive touchdowns. Valdez also plays slot receiver and had 600 rushing yards and scored six TDs.

BERNICE W. STOVER

Jr. of Baltimore; two special and devoted cousins, Mary Ballard Ragins and Agnes (Jonathan) Gregg, both of Sumter; sister-in-law, Emma Wright of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; a host of stepgrandchildren, cousins, other family, friends and an extended church family.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her granddaughter, Stephanie Elaine Clemmons; and her most beloved brother, Sanford Lee Wright Sr. The family wishes to express their sincere and loving gratitude to Bernice’s devoted and loving health care provider, Dolores Burden.

Public viewing will be held from 5 to 6 p.m. today.

Homegoing services will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday at Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church with the Rev. James Blassingame, pastor, assisted by the Rev. Alfred Washington and the Rev. Johnnie Gist. Burial will follow in Parker Baptist Church cemetery, Camden.

The management and staff of Sumter Funeral Service Inc., 623 Manning Ave., Sumter, SC 29150 is serving the Stover family.

Online memorials may be made at sumterfuneralsvs@sc. rr.com.

CLEMSON Goose Creek High DE Javon Kinlaw did not make it to the Palmetto Bowl, but Clemson had several other key ‘16 and beyond targets on campus, including offensive lineman Sean Pollard of Spruce Pines, N.C., DL Nyles Pinckney of Whale Branch High in Beaufort, DB Saivion Smith of Bradenton, Fla., DB Robbie Robinson of Hampton, Va., WR TJ Chase of Bradenton, linebacker Tre Lamar of Roswell, Ga., OL John Simpson of Fort Dorchester High in North Charleston and WR Keyshawn Johnson Jr. of Calabasas, Calif.

WR Stephen Sullivan of Donaldsonville, La., who is committed to Louisiana State, picked up an offer from Clemson last week.

USC USC tight end target Chris Clark visited UNC over the weekend, while another TE target, Isaac Nauta, went to Ole Miss.

BASEBALL Right-handed pitcher Sawyer Bridges (6-feet, 165 pounds) of Summerville High announced on Friday he has committed to USC for the ‘16 class. Bridges also is the QB for the Summerville football team.

Bridges was offered by Clemson as a freshman and later committed to the Tigers.

However, he de-committed earlier this fall and took visits to UGA and USC before deciding on the Gamecocks.

An injury limited Bridges’ pitching appearances last season, even though he did fashion a 6-1 win-loss record. He’s the 13th commitment for the Gamecocks’ ’16 class.

OBITUARIES LOVOLIA C. ISAAC COLUMBIA — Lovolia C. Isaac, wife of Levi Isaac, died on Sunday, Nov. 30, 2014, at Lexington Medical Center.

Beginning Thursday, the family will receive friends at 81 Elliott Highway, Wisacky community of Lee County.

Funeral services will be announced by Jefferson Funeral Home Service Inc. of Lynchburg.

JOHNNY M. ADGER Johnny Moses Adger was born on May 26, 1951, in Clarendon County, a son of the late Johnny and Bernice Wilder Adger. He departed this life on Nov. 26, 2014, at Clarendon Memorial Hospital, Manning.

He was a 1970 graduate of Manning Training School and a 1974 graduate of Voorhees College, Demark, where he met his wife, Claudette Richardson Adger.

Johnny was baptized at an early age and attended St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church, Silver community of Pinewood. He was a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity and Summerton Lodge No. 366.

On July 23, 1977, he married his sweetheart Claudette and to this union two lovely daughters were born, Anica and Jamaica. Johnny and his wife moved to Virginia, where he worked as a policeman at the William and Mary College, Williamsburg, Virginia.

He and his family moved back to South Carolina, where he worked at various police departments. Serving as a policeman was his passion. He retired from the Manning Police Department. Johnny worked in law enforcement for more than 30 years.

He leaves to cherish his memories: a loving and devoted wife of 37 years, Claudette R. Adger of the home; two daughters, Anica (Craig) Anderson of Columbia and Jamaica (Chad) Brown of Manning; three granddaughters, Arden Brown, Addison Brown and Bailey Anderson; siblings, Sadie Hayes, Brenda Adger and Sharon Adger, all of Manning, Lavern (Linda) Adger and Linda Miller of Sumter, Joe (Phyllis) Adger, Jimmy (Tinnie) Adger, Calvin Adger, Mitchell (Mary) Adger and Moses Levy, all of Man-

ning, and Gloria (Eddie) Slaton of Augusta, Georgia; aunts and uncles, Linnie Woods of Washington, D.C., Louise Major, Gladys (Powell) Singleton and Bessie Singleton, all of Sumter, Lilly Wilder of Williamsburg, Virginia, and Beluah Williams of Bronx, New York; sisters-inlaw, Emma Adger of Manning, Rebecca Davis of Monmouth Junction, New Jersey, Catherine Brown, Carolyn (James) Mikell and Edith Brown, all of Charleston, and Marthalene (Paris) Richardson of Columbia; one brotherin-law, Norman (Rebecca) Richardson of Charleston; special friend, the Rev. George P. Windley Sr.; godson, Charles Brown; a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

Public viewing will be held from 2 to 6 p.m. today at Job’s Mortuary.

Mr. Adger will be placed in the church at noon on Thursday for viewing until the hour of service.

Funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. on Thursday at Mt. Zero Baptist Church, 7827 Paxville Highway, Manning, with Pastor Lucious Dixon officiating and the Rev. Willie J. Chandler, eulogist. Interment will follow in Johnny and Bernice Agder Memorial Park, Manning.

The family will be receiving friends at the home, 8816 Paxville Highway, Manning, SC 29102.

Job’s Mortuary Inc., 312 S. Main St., Sumter, is in charge of arrangements.

Online memorials may be sent to the family at jobsmortuary@sc.rr.com or visit us on the web at www.jobsmortuary. net.

JOSEPH WILSON Joseph Wilson, 56, departed this life on Monday, Dec. 1, 2014, at his residence, Mayesville.

He was born on Dec. 10, 1957, in Sumter, a son of the late Willie Sr. and Elizabeth Gregg Wilson.

The family will be receiving friends at the home of his sister, Ethel (John) Brunson, 1910 Saltertown Road, Sumter.

Funeral plans are incomplete and will be announced later by Job’s Mortuary Inc. of Sumter.

Bernice Wright Stover was born on April 22, 1929, in Sumter, a daughter of the late Deacon Leander Lee Wright and Alice Singleton Wright Crump. She departed her earthly journey on Thursday, Nov. 27, 2014, at Tuomey Regional Medical Center.

She received her education in the Sumter County public school system. After graduation, she traveled to New York City to study cosmetology.

However, she found her true desire was to become a nurse.

She then pursued her dreams and relocated to Baltimore, Maryland, and continued her nursing education and subsequently graduated and became a licensed practical nurse (LPN). She was employed in this capacity for many years, until her eventual retirement.

At an early age, she joined New Bethel Missionary Baptist Church in Sumter. After retirement, she returned to Sumter and was an active, devoted member of Mount Zion Baptist Church, where she served as a member of the senior choir, senior missionary and golden age ministry. She was a faithful member of Mount Zion until her health failed.

A first marriage to Henry Oliver resulted in divorce. Her second husband, Sammie L. Stover, preceded her in death on March 20, 2006.

She leaves to cherish her memories: her daughter, Elaine Clemmons of West Haven, Connecticut; three grandchildren, Kimberly (Richard) Smith of Jacksonville, Florida, Jessica Garland of Lawrenceville, Georgia, and Cecily Trimble of New Haven, Connecticut; nine stepchildren, Virginia “Tee” (Thomas) Black of Summerton, Gerald Stover of Arlington, Virginia, David Stover of Springfield, Massachusetts, Cheryl “Sister” (James) Ellsworth of Hyattsville, Maryland, Eugene M. Stover of Centreville, Virginia, Curtis Stover of Jacksonville, Enid Stover of Atlanta, Gordon (Dee Dee) Stover of Jacksonville and Sheila Stover of Laurel, Maryland; daughter-in-law, Sharon D. Stover of Arlington, Virginia; nephew, Sandford Lee Wright

LANCE L. MYERS Lance Lynell Myers, 25, departed this life on Monday, Dec. 1, 2014, in Sumter.

He was born on Dec. 21, 1988, in Kershaw County, a son of Mark C. Sr. and Sandra Clea Myers.

The family will be receiving friends at the home, 4585 Spencer Road, Rembert, SC 29128.

Funeral plans are incomplete and will be announced later by Job’s Mortuary Inc. of Sumter.

ELEASE HICKS LEVY MANNING — On Monday, Dec. 1, 2014, Elease Hicks Levy, wife of Robert L. “Brother” Levy, exchanged her rugged cross for her precious crown, at Clarendon Memorial Hospital, Manning.

Born on Sept. 26, 1947, in Manning, she was a daughter of the late Carrie Weathers Hicks and Counsel “Charlie” Hicks.

The family is receiving relatives and friends at the residence, 1266 Tara Lane, Jordan community, Manning.

Funeral services are incomplete and will be announced

by Fleming & Delaine Funeral Home and Chapel.

J.W. BAKER Jessie Whiteford “J.W.” Baker Sr., 67, husband of Patsy Timmons Baker, died on Monday, Dec. 1, 2014, at Palmetto Health Richland in Columbia.

Born in Mayesville, he was a son of the late Jesse and Audrey Kinlaw Baker. Mr. Baker was a member of Promiseland Ministries Church. He retired from B.L. Montague Co. and was an avid fisherman.

Survivors include his wife of 48 years; four children, Denise B. Bethea (Daniel), Jessie W. “Jay” Baker Jr. (Tammie) and Audrey B. Brown (Michael), all of Sumter, and Richard “Richie” Hodge (Michele) of Mayesville; seven grandchildren, Brandon Bethea, Jessie Baker, Faith Bethea, Ashley Baker, Taylor Brown, Rivers Brown and DaCoda Hodge; two greatgrandchildren; one sister, Carol Christmas of Ashwood; and a number of special nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by a grandson, Jonathan Hodge, and four sisters.

Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. on Friday at Promiseland Ministries Church with the Rev. James McElveen officiating. Burial will be in Sumter Cemetery.

Pallbearers will be Matt Chapman, Bobby Shirer, David Mitchum, Darren Griffin, W.J. Coker, Truett McNair, Barry Brinson and Donnie McElveen.

The family will receive friends from 2 to 3 p.m. on Friday at Promiseland Ministries Church and other times at the home of his daughter, 140 Laverne St. Memorials may be made to the Promiseland Ministries Church Building Fund, 1830 Myrtle Beach Highway, Sumter, SC 29153.

Elmore-Cannon-Stephens Funeral Home and Crematorium of Sumter is in charge of the arrangements. www.ecsfuneralhome.com

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CLASSIFIEDS

THE ITEM

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 03, 2014

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Carpenters, helpers & laborers needed. Must have transp. and valid Dr. Lic. Call 803-473-4254 Travel as you work with Klean E-Z amazing cleaner. Looking for Sales Rep., Must be 18 to apply, no experience necessary.

Earn $350-$500 per week. Return transportation available. Call Mr. Peters at 803-360-3284 Established Heating and Air Conditioning Company looking for a Laborer/helper for the installation dept. Employer needs to have valid driver’s license, able to lift more than 10 lbs., work well with others and experience with duct work would be good but not necessary. Mail resume to PO Box 2378, Sumter 29151 or apply in person 1640 Suber Street, Sumter SC. Live in position in Santee. Cash + rent free apt. Couple/Single to clean motel rooms. Call 803-854-3378.

LOCAL CORPORATION seeking upbeat, highly motivated and energetic individual for Full Time Position. Must have proficient computer skills, merchandizing & management skills, be able to work well in a team-oriented environment, be adaptable to a flexible work schedule, possess excellent communication skills and have the ability to multi-task. Please send Resume' to P-379 c//o The Item, PO Box 1677 Sumter SC 29151 Hill Plumbing Co. 438 N. Main St. Sumter is submitting a proposal on the USC School of Law on 12/04/14.We are searching for certified DBE subcontractors interested in providing a proposal to us for the following trades: Core cutting, pipe insulation & fire caulking. Subcontractor must provide DBE certif. Call Renee 1-800-849-8884 for details.

Carpenters, helpers & laborers needed. Must have transp. and valid Dr. Lic. Call 803-473-4254 $$$ AVON $$$ FREE TRAINING! 803-422-5555

Wesmark Plaza • 773-2262 • Mon-Sat 10-7 Senior Living Apartments for those 62+ (Rent based on income) Shiloh-Randolph Manor 125 W. Bartlette.

775-0575 Studio/1 Bedroom apartments available EHO 3BR 2.5 BA in Twin Lakes $1000 mo.+ dep. 1yr lease. Call 775-7326 or 775-1201.

4980 Hwy 15 S. 3br 1ba, liv. rm, din rm, kit., $650/mo + dep. Call 803-481-7118 Sect 8 OK PAXVILLE 3BR, Stove, Refrig.

Housing Authority & Sec 8 welcome 452-6998 / 225-4276 2br, 1.5ba dpx C/H/A, Stove, Frig, W/D. New carpet/paint.

No Pets/Smoking $625/mo. & dep. Call after 10am 983-8463.

3BR 2BA Brick Home, Dalzell $725 Mo.+$725 Dep. Big yard! Close to Shaw. 803-316-6449 2, 3 & 4 Br, all appliances, Section 8 accepted. 469-6978 or 499-1500

3BR 2BA $500/mo. + $400 dep.

Cockerill Rd near industrial park No Pets. Background check req'd.

481-8635 or 418-9302.

585 Caroland Dr. 3BR/1BA. Pvt lot. $475/mo + $475/dep.

Call 803-481-7118 Sect 8 OK

STATEBURG COURTYARD 2 & 3 BRs 803-494-4015

SW 3BR/1BA Neat, Clean. Manning area. $360/mo $360/dep.

803-473-3297 Leave message.

3br 2ba 24 x 48 MH 10 x 20 deck overlooking 22 acre lake. $725/mo + utilities & sec. dep. No pets!

Stove & refrig incl. Mins. from Shaw. Call 803-840-9097 or 840-9098.

3Bd 2Ba MH near Pinewood New carpet & appliances, no pets $500 mth + dep. Call 843-884-0346 Near Shaw: 2br/1ba w/ large porch $400/mo Lot # 28 fenced yard 840-3371 or 494-3573 3 Br, 2 Ba, DW mobile home. $685 mo. + dep. Stove & refrigerator incl.

Private quiet lot. Call 803-506-4557 or 406-1582.

Extra large Lots for sale or rent 1008 Booker St. & 119 Murphy St. 840-3904 or after 7pm 778-1083.

REAL ESTATE 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.

DALZELL/WALMART 1 AC. PAVED, SEPTIC OPTIONAL! $5990! 888-774-5720

Set of 4 Blk Factory Rims & Clear Top for a Grand Sport Corvette. Call for details and price 803-968-2459 Seasoned Oak Firewood Full size truck $75 . Call Fred 803-883-8074 or 481-2789

EMPLOYMENT Full time maintenance position available full benefits, vacation, sick leave, insurance, paid holidays. Call 803-435-4492 Dental Assistant, who is caring, compassionate and loves working with kids! Must be experienced and team-oriented, for a fun loving, fast-paced pediatric dental office.

Excellent pay for Dental experience.

Fax resume to 803-934-9943.

2 positions available Assistant Director and Care Giver for child care center. 1 yr. Exp. send resume's to Box 378 c//o The Item, PO Box 1677 Sumter SC 29151

IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS C/A NO.: 2014-CP-43-02029 FORECLOSURE OF REAL ESTATE MORTGAGE (Non-Jury) STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF SUMTER US Bank, National Association, as Trustee for HomeGold Home Equity Loan Trust 1999-1, Plaintiff, vs.

The Estate of Francis X. Gill, John Doe and Richard Roe, as Representatives of all Heirs and Devisees of Francis X. Gill, Deceased, and all persons entitled to claim under or through them; also, all other persons or corporations unknown claiming any right, title, interest in or lien upon the real estate described herein, any unknown adults, whose true names are unknown, being as a class designated as John Doe, and any unknown infants, persons under disability, or persons in the Military Service of the United States of America, whose true names are unknown, being as a class designated as Richard Roe; HomeGold, Inc.; Conseco Finance Servicing Corp. ultimate successor to Green Tree Acceptance, Inc.; CFNA Receivables (SC), Inc. ultimate s/b/m to Associates Financial Services Company of South Carolina, Inc.; South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles, 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.

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.

RENTALS 2009 Ford Escape, V6, exc. cond., new tires, 80,700 mi., asking $9995 OBO. Call 803-938-2737

Expert Tech, New & used heat pumps & A/C. Will install/repair, warranty; Compressor & labor $600.

Call 803-968-9549 or 843-992-2364

Light Oak TV Cabinet 80x39, Beautiful Oak Roll top desk, 5x8 Rug- Call 803-435-8405

SUMMONS AND NOTICES

I will sit with elderly or sick. Will provide ref/exp. Call 803-236-3603 for more info.

Hickory & Oak firewood. Seasoned/Green $65 Delivered. Notch Above Tree Service. 983-9721

Firewood for Sale Will Deliver. Call 803 651-8672

Summons & Notice

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:

2003 Minnie Winnie 31C Class C Motor Home. 26,845 miles, Ford E450 chassis, V10 engine, 1 slide, 4KW generator, new refrig., $30,000 OBO Call 803-481-0155

2 Rooms, 1 ba, kit., over garage, priv. entrance, $625/mo + $400/dep incl elec & water 803-491-7832

ROOMS FOR RENT, $100- $125 /wkly. All utilities & cable included.

803-938-2709 Bordering house with open rooms for female occupants.

Call 803-565-7924.

Reconditioned batteries $35. New batteries, UBX 75-7850. Golf cart batteries, 6V. exchange $300 per set, while they last. Auto Electric Co. 803-773-4381

LEGAL NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICE This is to notify you that effective December 1, 2014 Lakeside Orthopaedic Center, LLC will sell/transfer certain assets owned by Lakeside Orthopaedic Center, LLC, including medical records, to McLeod Physician Associates II. David M. Woodbury, M.D. will become an employee of McLeod Physician Associates II as of that date. After that date, David M. Woodbury, M.D. WILL CONTINUE TO PRACTICE MEDICINE AND PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL SERVICES TO HIS PATIENTS IN AN OFFICE LOCATION AT 3440 DECLARATION BOULEVARD, SUMTER, SC 29154 AND AT A FUTURE NEW LOCATION IN MANNING, SOUTH CAROLINA. If you do not want your medical records included in this transfer, you may make arrangements to pick up a copy of your medical records during normal business hours at the office of Dr. Woodbury located at 3440 DECLARATION BOULEVARD, SUMTER, SC 29154, by calling 803-433-5633.

In-home care for seniors avail in Sumter, Lex, Cola, and Camden.

Must be clean background, strong references and reliable transportation. Celebrating 10+ yrs in business. Apply online today at www.retireease.com

FLEA MARKET BY SHAW AFB

Open every weekend.

905-4242

Bid Notices

Summons & Notice 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.

LIS PENDENS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT an action has been or will be commenced in this Court upon complaint of the above-named Plaintiff against the above-named Defendant(s) for the foreclosure of a certain mortgage of real estate given

by Francis X. Gill and Shirley A. Gill to Homegold, Inc. dba Emergent Mortgage Corp. dated August 19, 1998 and recorded on August 27, 1998 in Book 715 at Page 1219, in the Sumter County Registry (hereinafter, "Mortgage").

Thereafter, the Mortgage was transferred to the Plaintiff herein by assignment and/or corporate merger.

The premises covered and affected by the said Mortgage and by the foreclosure thereof were, at the time of the making thereof and at the time of the filing of this notice, more particularly described in the said Mortgage and are more commonly described as: All that certain piece, parcel or lot of land, together with any and all improvements thereon, lying being and situate in Middleton Township, the County of Sumter, State of South Carolina, being shown and delineated as Lot 111-A of Wessex Subdivision on that certain plat by Croft Engineers, dated October 12, 1987, recorded in the Office of the RMC for Sumter County in Plat Book 87 at Page 1713, and re-recorded in Plat Book 89 at Page 645.

Also included herewith is that certain 1992 Fleetwood Manufactured Home bearing serial number GAFLM35A&B04990HS. This being the same property conveyed to Francis X. Gill and Shirley A. Gill, as tenants in common with rights of survivorship by Deed of The Sun Company, dated 3-10-97, and recorded 4-16-97 in Book 672 at Page 808, Sumter County records.

Thereafter Shirley A. Gill passed away on or around October 31, 2012 and title to the subject property passed unto Francis X. Gill by operation of law.

TMS No. 1280802021 (land) 4000017385 (mobile) Property Address: 5680 Alcott Drive, Wedgefield, SC 29168 ORDER APPOINTING GUARDIAN AD LITEM AND APPOINTMENT OF ATTORNEY FOR UNKNOWN DEFENDANTS IN MILITARY SERVICE It appearing to the satisfaction of the Court, upon reading the filed Petition for Appointment of Kelley Woody, Esquire as Guardian ad Litem for known and unknown minors, and for all persons who may be under a disability, and it appearing that Kelley Woody, Esquire has consented to said appointment, it is FURTHER upon reading the Petition filed by Plaintiff for the appointment of an attorney to represent any unknown Defendants who may be in the Military Service of the United States of America, and may be, as such, entitled to the benefits of the Servicemember's Civil Relief Act, and any amendments thereto, and it appearing that Kelley Woody, Esquire has consented to act for and represent said Defendants, it is ORDERED that Kelley Woody, Esquire of P.O. Box 6432, Columbia, SC 29260 phone (803) 787-9678, be

We only have 10 openings for this division, so please don’t hesitate to call for your personal interview.

Contact Rodney Richburg

803-458-3606 or email to: rodneyrichburg_ubi@yahoo.com

and hereby is appointed Guardian ad Litem on behalf of all known and unknown minors and all unknown persons who may be under a disability, all of whom may have or claim to have some interest or claim to the real property commonly known as 5680 Alcott Drive, Wedgefield, South Carolina 29168; that she is empowered and directed to appear on behalf of and represent said Defendants, unless said Defendants, or someone on their behalf, shall within thirty (30) days after service of a copy hereof as directed, procure the appointment of Guardian or Guardians ad Litem for said Defendants.

AND IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Kelley Woody, Esquire of P.O. Box 6432, Columbia, SC 29260 phone (803) 787-9678, be and hereby is appointed Attorney for any unknown Defendants who are, or may be, in the Military Service of the United States of America and as such are entitled to the benefits of the Servicemember's Civil Relief Act aka Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil Relief Act of 1940, and any amendments thereto, to represent and protect the interest of said Defendants, AND IT IS FURTHER ORDERED That a copy of this Order shall be forth with served upon said Defendants by publication in The Item, a newspaper of general circulation published in the County of Sumter, State of South Carolina, once a week for three (3) consecutive weeks, together with the Summons and Notice of Filing of Complaint in the above entitled action.

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 September 17, 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

Public Hearing NOTICE OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION DESIGN REVIEW The Historic Preservation Design Review Committee will meet on Thursday, December 18, 2014, at 3:30 p.m. in the Planning Department conference room located in the Liberty Center (12 W. Liberty Street, Sumter, South Carolina).

The following requests are scheduled for public hearing: HP-14-23, 17 & 19 Caldwell St. (City) The applicant is requesting Historic Preservation Design Review approval for the installation of a handicap ramp on property located at 17-19 Caldwell St. and represented

by Tax Map #s 228-13-07-061 & 228-13-07-062.

HP-14-24, 117-119 N. Main St. (City) The applicant is requesting Historic Preservation Design Review approval for façade renovations to property located at 117-119 N. Main St. and represented by Tax Map #s 249-09-01-025 & 249-09-01-014.

Documents pertaining to the proposed request(s) are on file in the Office of the Sumter City-County Planning Department and are available to be inspected and studied by interested citizens.

Joseph T. McElveen, Jr. Mayor

YOU WILL ALSO TAKE NOTICE that Plaintiff will move for an Order 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. § 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

LOCAL DRIVERS WANTED

Full Time TeleSales Life Agents • Licensed • No cold calling • Best Lead Program in the business • Excellent commissions + bonuses • Company Conventions (to those that qualify) • Medical Benefits

Summons & Notice

“$2,000 - SIGN ON BONUS”

.45/mi on all miles • Layover Pay • Loading/unloading $15 from 1st hr Achievable Goals for Lucrative Incentives - CDL (Class A) w/ hazmat & tanker - At least 2 yrs. exp. - Clean MVR - Excellent pay ($.45 per running mile - includes $.06 per diem non-taxable expense) - Paid Vacation - Paid Holidays - Paid Sick Days - BC/BS Health Ins. - Dental Insurance - Life Insurance - Short Term Disability - 401(k) w/co. Match

CONTACT Pat Joyner at 803-775-1002 Ext. 107 OR visit our website to download a job application and fax to (954) 653-1195 www.sumtertransport.com 170 S. Lafayette Drive Sumter, SC 29150 EOE

SECTION

C

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2014 Call Ivy Moore at: (803) 774-1221 | E-mail: ivy@theitem.com

PHOTO PROVIDED

The city of Sumter will plant either a post oak, or Quercus stellate, shown here at 2 p.m. Friday. It grows slowly, lives a long time and produces acorns loved by deer and turkeys.

Consider the trees Observe Arbor Day at Memorial Park

BY IVY MOORE ivy@theitem.com

P

oet Joyce Kilmer wrote “I think that I shall never see a poem lovely as a tree” 100 years ago.

Most people still agree with those sentiments in his poem titled “Trees,” perhaps especially the Council of Garden Clubs of Sumter, the Azalea Garden Club, the City of Sumter and the Heart of Sumter Association.

While developers and departments of transportation clear cut forests and other wooded areas to make room for apartment complexes, malls, business centers and wider roads, there are many who celebrate the beauty and value of trees to the Earth Arbor Day and to the soul. At 2 celebration p.m. Friday, some of them will gather at 2 p.m. Friday, Memorial Park to Dec. 3 dedicate five of the Memorial Park historic trees in the Public invited park and to plant another.

Kathy Barrett, president of the Azalea Garden Club, will speak on Arbor Day and the importance of trees during the short program, and Mayor Joseph T. McElveen, who last year spoke eloquently of the importance of trees to individuals, the community and the Earth, is expected to speak again; he will also sign a proclamation declaring Friday as Arbor Day in the city.

Karen Mouradjian, the council’s Arbor Day chairwoman, said “Trees cool cities, buffer rivers and streams, serve as wind breaks and help control erosion and pollution. ... Our mission is to inspire people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees.”

Arbor Day is celebrated on different days throughout the country, depending on planting conditions; throughout South Carolina, communities will be observing the occasion on the first Friday of December with special programs and tree plantings.

The date was designated in South Carolina because it occurs during a time when trees are dormant. Brock McDaniel, the city’s arborist, and city

SUMTER ITEM FILE PHOTO

More than 100 years old and selected by Julia Lester Dillon, landscape architect for Memorial Park, this Caucasian wingnut tree stands near the southeast corner of the park.

It is one of five trees in the park that have been designated as Historic Trees for Historic Places. Five more trees in the park will receive the designation on Friday, Dec. 5, which is Arbor Day. crews will plant “a red oak or a post oak,” Barrett said.

In addition, the garden clubs will dedicate five existing trees, Barrett said, installing plaques at the base of

each.

Special trees can be found throughout Memorial Park, many planted by the late Julia Lester Dillon, Sumter’s first and only female City Landscape

Architect.

Dillon, for whom Dillon Park is named, moved to Sumter in 1920 to design the six-and-a-half-acre Memorial Park grounds. The park itself was dedicated to the Sumterites who died in World War I. So successful and admired was her work at Memorial Park that Dillon was named the only woman in the country at the time to hold the title City Landscape Architect. She designed the landscapes for many schools and churches, among them Trinity United Methodist and First Presbyterian, as well as the Carnegie Library and Tuomey Hospital. During her tenure, no one could cut down a tree without her permission.

Barrett listed the park trees to be dedicated as Historic Trees for Historic Places: • Tulip Poplar, Liriodendron tulipifera, circumference of 146 inches, is commonly known as the tulip tree.

The flowers are pale green or yellow, with an orange band; they yield large quantities of nectar.

• Magnolia, Magnolia grandiflora, circumference of 124 inches, is an integral part of the Southern landscape.

Commonly known as the southern magnolia or bull bay, it is native to the southeastern United States.

• Chinese Sweetgum, Liquidambar formosana, circumference of 131 inches, is a large, native, deciduous tree that grows up to 60 to 80 feet tall.

The foliage turns a very attractive red color in autumn.

• China Fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata), circumference of 148 inches, trees are native to China, Taiwan, northern Vietnam and Laos, where they may reach 100 feet in height.

• Willow Oak, Quercus phellos, circumference of 136 inches , is pyramidal in youth and rounded in maturity.

It grows 60 to 75 feet tall and 40 to 60 feet wide. The dark green leaves are narrow and willow-like.

Sumter has been designated a Tree City USA for 27 years by the National Arbor Day Foundation, which offers 10 free trees suitable to our area. The membership fee is $10 for six months, $15 for a year. Visit the foundation at www.arborday.com/join.

Mystery plant’s blossoms change colors with age

BY JOHN NELSON Curator, USC Herbarium Things change. It’s a part of nature, and in the fall, it’s not just leaves going from green to yellow, red or gold.

In fact, plenty of different kinds of flowers change petal color as they age. This is due to a number of complicated physiological processes within their tissues, often signaled as a response to pollination.

With many plants, once pollination in a given flower has occurred, there is no more “reason” in having a bee (or other insect) visit that flower, especially if there is no more pollen or nectar to be had, or ovules to be fertilized. The change in color may be a kind of signal, to the pollinator, that that flower is done with.

As an example, this sort of thing happens with Japanese honeysuckle. The fresh flower has a bright white corolla, but

it gradually becomes yellowish with age.

Our mystery plant is native to China, but has been long cultivated in various parts of the world. This is a member of the mallow family, which of course would be the same as the hollyhock, cotton, or okra (YES!) family. Botanists call the family “Malvaceae.”

This species belongs to a large, mostly tropical genus, with about 300 related, but slightly different, recognized species. These species always feature five sepals, below which are a series of skinny bracts, and also five showy petals. This plant is commonly grown in much of the South, especially in the warmer parts, even to the point of being somewhat escaped and naturalized in Louisiana and southern Alabama.

In cultivation, it requires lots of water and sun and is fairly easy to grow. The farther north

PHOTO PROVIDED

This mystery plant, related to okra, was photographed at the home of Peggy and Charlie Geraty of Charleston. you go, though, it requires more protection and probably plenty of mulching. Its leaves

are alternate, and about the size of your hand, with five or so sharply pointed lobes. Flowers occur singly at a leaf node.

The plants you see these days may be single or “double” flower forms, the latter with way more than just five petals. And this is a plant whose flower color changes very dramatically during its “life span.”

The change in the flower color of this species is rather remarkable. Generally, the petals start out pure white, but they gradually change to a deep rose-pink. It blooms from mid-summer up to the first hard frost, which in my backyard is scheduled this week. My gardening friends say it’s easy to root the plants from stalks just chopped off the growing plant, before it gets killed back.

The plant was given its scientific name by the father of plant taxonomy, Carl Linnaeus, in 1753, and there is an

herbarium specimen upon which this name is based. Of course, when Linnaeus received the specimen, it was already pressed and dried, so he couldn’t have seen the flower color changing. Somebody had to tell him this interesting fact. Linnaeus, forever the clever botanist, must have been impressed by this, for he coined a scientific name, from a Latin word meaning “to change,” as an epithet for this plant’s name.

Answer: “Confederate rose,” “Cotton mallow,” Hibiscus mutabilis John Nelson is the curator of the A.C. Moore Herbarium at the University of South Carolina, in the Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia SC 29208. As a public service, the Herbarium offers free plant identifications. For more information, visit www.herbarium. org or call (803) 777-8196, or email nelson@sc.edu.

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FOOD

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2014

THE SUMTER ITEM

Master deep-frying to get perfect doughnuts

BY SARA MOULTON The Associated Press Plenty of us have a perfectly understandable fear of frying. After all, it can be both messy and dangerous. But it doesn’t have to be. And since eating fried food is one of life’s great joys, it’s well worth mastering.

Consider the doughnut. Everybody’s favorite wheel-shaped goodie is made of fried sweetened dough that has leavened with yeast, baking powder or baking soda. The difference in leavening comes down to texture. Yeast doughnuts are light and airy, while doughnuts leavened with baking powder or baking soda are denser, more like cake.

These chai-spiced doughnuts are of the latter variety. They are easy to mix together (just don’t overmix or they’ll get tough) and flavored with chai-style spices (the kinds that make Indian tea so lovable).

The equipment part of frying is easy. A fryer is nice, but if you don’t have one, you can piece together one of your own. It requires nothing more than a large, deep pot and a frying thermometer.

The best kind of oil for this job is one that’s flavorless and has a high “smoke point.” The smoke point is the temperature at which a given oil starts to smoke; it can catch fire if it gets much hotter than that. Good candidates include vegetable, safflower, sunflower, soy, some kinds of canola, and some kinds of grape seed. Usually, the label will tell you if the oil’s suitable for frying.

Don’t fill the pot with more than about 2 inches of oil. When you add the doughnuts, the level of the oil will rise. Next, insert the thermometer deep enough into the oil to get a reading, but not so deep that it rests on the bottom of the pan. Now heat the oil to 375 F. Once the right temperature is reached, it’s important to fry the doughnuts in small batches. If you fry up too many at once, the oil temperature drops and the doughnuts absorb too much oil. You want to make sure the oil is always between 365 F and 380F. If it starts to edge up toward 400 F, add some cold oil to cool it down. If it dips below 350 F, remove the doughnuts temporarily, which will allow the oil to climb back up.

The perfect tool for removing doughnuts (or any fried food) from hot oil is called a spider. These are flat strainers that work like a scoop blended with a wooden spoon. But the scoop part usually is made of a web-like lattice of wire (hence the name).

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Chai-Spiced Doughnuts are ready to eat in one hour.

As the doughnuts fry, let them rest for a few moments, then cut one open to make sure they are cooked through.

The exteriors should be deep brown and the interiors should be cake-like

and light.

Can you re-use the oil? Sure, as long as you didn’t overheat it the first time (which lowers its smoke point) and you strain it with a fine strainer to

lose any crumbs. But I wouldn’t re-use it more than once.

Got it? Great. When it comes to frying, there’s nothing to fear.

CHAI-SPICED DOUGHNUTS Start to finish: 1 hour Makes 36 small doughnuts For the spice mix: 2 teaspoons cinnamon 2 teaspoons ground cardamom 1 teaspoon ground dry ginger 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves For the doughnuts: 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting the counter 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon table salt 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided 2/3 cup buttermilk 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted and cooled 1 large egg, beaten lightly 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger Vegetable oil, for frying To make the spice mix, in a small bowl stir together the cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, pepper and cloves. Set aside.

To make the doughnuts, in a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and 1 tablespoon of the spice mix until well combined.

In a shallow bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of the sugar and 2 teaspoons of the spice mix. Set aside.

In another large bowl, combine the remaining sugar, the buttermilk, butter, egg, vanilla and candied ginger. Add to the flour mixture and stir just until the mixture forms a sticky dough. Scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and knead it briefly until it just comes together.

Lightly flour a baking sheet.

On a lightly floured counter, pat out the door (which will be sticky) into a round about 1/3 inch thick. Use a 1 3/4-inch round biscuit or cookie cutter to cut rounds from the dough. Transfer the doughnuts to the prepared baking sheet, then reroll and cut the scraps of dough once.

In a wide, 5-quart heavy pot over medium-high, heat 2 inches of vegetable oil to 375 F. Working in batches of 5 or 6, carefully add the doughnuts, 1 at a time, to the oil and fry, turning over frequently, until browned, about 2 1/2 minutes per batch. Transfer the fried doughnuts to paper towels to drain. Return the oil to 375 F between batches. Let the fried doughnuts cool slightly, then dredge them through the bowl of spiced sugar, turning to coat both sides.

Nutrition information per serving: 70 calories; 30 calories from fat (43 percent of total calories); 3.5 g fat (0 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 5 mg cholesterol; 10 g carbohydrate; 0 g fiber; 5 g sugar; 1 g protein; 105 mg sodium.

Shortcut produces fluffiest, best sweet potato pie

BY ELIZABETH KARMEL The Associated Press Much as I love a classic pumpkin pie, I have to be honest: My heart belongs to sweet potato pie.

Both are rich and warmly spiced. Both go wonderfully with whipped cream (particularly whipped cream that has been hit with a splash of bourbon). And both ooze warmth and family celebra-

tion. But for me, sweet potato pie is just a bit more complex, a bit more satisfying, and a whole lot more Southern.

The only trouble with sweet potato pie is that it can be a bit more trouble to make. So I set out to make a 1-2-3-easy sweet potato pie that tastes every bit as good as the most complicated versions I’ve made in the past.

The key to a great sweet potato pie is using fresh sweet

FLUFFY SWEET POTATO-BOURBON PIE WITH GINGERED WHIPPED CREAM AND TOASTED PECANS

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

The key to a great sweet potato pie is using fresh sweet potatoes.

Start to finish: 2 ½ hours (30 minutes active) Servings: 10 2 to 3 large sweet potatoes (1 ½ to 2 pounds) 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 3 large eggs ¾ cup heavy cream 2 tablespoons bourbon 1 generous teaspoon vanilla extract ¼ cup granulated sugar ½ cup packed dark brown sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon ¼ teaspoon kosher salt ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg ¼ teaspoon ground dry ginger Pinch ground cloves 10-inch graham cracker pie crust, homemade or store-bought For the topping: 1 cup heavy cream 2 tablespoons granulated sugar ½ teaspoon ground dry ginger Toasted pecans, to garnish Heat the oven to 425 F. Wash and dry the sweet potatoes, then pierce them on top with a fork. Set

potatoes. You can’t skip this step. Canned sweet potatoes do not work well in this pie.

Furthermore, don’t boil your sweet potatoes. Boiling produces a pie filling that is watery and diluted. You want to roast the potatoes, which concentrates the natural sugars and intensifies the flavor.

Once the potatoes are baked, they need to be processed in order to produce a silky texture.

the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and roast until soft, about 1 hour, or until you can see juices bubbling where you pricked the potatoes. Set aside until cool enough to handle.

Once the sweet potatoes have cooled, peel and roughly chop the potatoes. Measure out a generous 2 cups of the flesg, then transfer to a food processor.

Process for 2 minutes, or until very smooth.

With the processor running, add the melted butter, eggs, cream, bourbon and vanilla. The mixture should begin to look light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add both sugars, the cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, ginger and cloves. Process again to combine and fully incorporate the final ingredients.

Place the prepared pie crust on a baking sheet, then transfer the sweet potato mixture into it. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the filling jiggles just slightly at the center. Let cool to room temperature.

When ready to serve, prepare the gingered whipped cream. In a large bowl, combine the cream, sugar and ginger. Use a whisk or electric mixer to whip until stiff peaks form. Mound the whipped cream over the cooled pie, then sprinkle with toasted pecans.

Nutrition information per serving: 530 calories; 290 calories from fat (55 percent of total calories); 32 g fat (16 g saturated; 0.5 g trans fats); 135 mg cholesterol; 56 g carbohydrate; 4 g fiber; 35 g sugar; 6 g protein; 290 mg sodium.

FOOD

THE SUMTER ITEM

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2014

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Braised chicken gets tons of flavor from Madeira We don’t often think of braising as a weeknightfriendly approach to dinner.

After all, anything that cooks low and slow would seem to be no go for a workday.

But I’ve found just the opposite. Turns out a handsoff braise is perfect for those evenings when I can’t be in the kitchen because I’m too busy shuttling my son back and forth to karate or watching him at a cross-country meet or — on those especially fun evenings — both.

My ideal meal works something like this: I spend 10 or so minutes prepping some sort of meaty something-or-other in a large Dutch oven. This usually involves browning it for a few minutes. Then I dump in an ample amount of flavorful liquid (wine or broth), cover the pan and pop it in a lowheat oven for a couple hours.

By the time we get home, it’s ready to eat.

The real beauty of this approach is that it is adjustable to whatever we have going on. If we won’t be gone long, I do the ovenbraise at a higher temperature so the meat cooks more quickly. If we have multiple commitments, I drop the heat way down, add a little extra liquid and forget about it for several hours.

So here’s a recipe for braised chicken that gets a ton of flavor by cooking in Madeira, a fortified wine from Portugal. I like to use split breasts, which are large and meaty and sport extra flavor from cooking with the bone and skin intact. You also could use chicken thighs.

each piece of chicken drizzled with gravy.

Nutrition information per serving: 810 calories; 300 calories from fat (37 percent of total calories); 33 g fat (9 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 205 mg cholesterol; 27 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 12 g sugar; 68 g protein; 700 mg sodium.

J.M. Hirsch is the food editor for The Associated Press. He blogs at http://www.LunchBoxBlues.com and tweets at http://twitter.com/JM_

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Split breasts or chicken thighs can be used in Madeira Braised Chicken with Mushroom Gravy.

Season’s Greetings © 2014 by Vicki Whiting, Editor Jeff Schinkel, Graphics Vol. 30, No. 51

Using a car seat correctly prevents injury and helps keep children safe. Keep your child in a forward-facing seat until they reach 40 to 65 pounds or the height restriction of the seat. Use booster seats until they are 4 feet 9 inches tall and are between 8 and 12 years of age. When your child reaches those limits, they can use lap and shoulder belts that fit properly and should remain in the back seat.

Find what each kid has in common with the others in the same row, across, up and down, and diagonally. (Hint: In the first row across, they all have caps.) Then look to see which kid does not have their seatbelt fastened correctly.

Take this quiz and find out.

Have a parent try.

Who found the most differences?

1. Why wear a seatbelt? elt? ? a. It’s a fashion accessory. cesssory. b. It hurts to sit on it. t. c. It protects you in a cr crash. rash.

2. Booster seats are for: for: a. astronauts. b. hockey fans. ach 4’ 9”.

9””. c. kids until they reach

3. Booster seats are great gre eat because: b becaus se:

PASSENGER SEATBELT SHOULDER BOOSTER INJURY SAFETY WEIGHT SNUGLY HURTS CHEST CRASH FRONT LEAST HIPS WEAR

th window. i d a. you ride high and can see outt off the b. you ride high, so the belt doesn’t poke your neck. c. all of the above.

4. To sit in the front seat, you should be at least: a. 103 years old. b. 25 years old. c. 13 years old.

5. Wear your seatbelt: a. under your arm or behind your back. b. loose so you can move freely. c. snugly across the shoulder and chest, belt low on your hips.

6. In someone else’s car, should you ask for help if the seatbelt doesn’t fit right? a. No. It’s rude. b. No. They’ll think you’re dumb. c. Yes. Otherwise, you could be seriously injured.

MADEIRA-BRAISED CHICKEN WITH MUSHROOM GRAVY

The kids in this car are buckled up and ready to go. Help this family find their way to the park.

Find the words in the puzzle, then in this week’s Kid Scoop stories and activities.

Y S C S T S E H C P T H T R A H B F A S E O L E A O G S P P F U E A O S S I S S A L B S E E H H E N S D T I N J U R Y W G E A G F R O N T E R R E E T S A E L A R R S S N U G L Y R Standards Link: Letter sequencing. Recognized identical words. Skim and scan reading. Recall spelling patterns.

Good Example/Bad Example The newspaper is full of examples of things that are safe and unsafe. Look at the pictures, articles, ads and comic strips. Clip out three examples of things that are either safe or unsafe. Glue each to a piece of paper and write a safety rule that applies.

ANSWERS: Top row: All wearing baseball caps. Middle row: All wearing glasses. Bottom row: All wearing flip-flops. Left vertical row: All have Kid Scoop News. Middle vertical row: All are drinking something. Right vertical row: All reading books. Diagonal from upper left to lower right: All smiling showing teeth. Diagonal from upper right to lower left: All have a teddy bear. Child on lower left is not wearing her seatbelt.

As written, this recipe can be on the table with about 1 1/2 hours of cooking time. Need it to go longer than that? Reduce the oven temperature to 250 F and add a cup of water to the braising liquid. You should be good for an extra hour.

Start to finish: 1 hour 45 minutes (15 minutes active) Servings: 4 1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil 1 teaspoon whole peppercorns 4 split chicken breasts halves (3 1/2 pound total), bone in and skin on 8 ounces button mushrooms 1 large yellow onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, chopped 2 cups Madeira wine 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1 tablespoon water Salt and ground black pepper Heat the oven to 300 F. In a large Dutch oven over medium-high, heat the oil. Add the peppercorns and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the chicken, skin-side down, and cook until nicely browned, 3 to 5 minutes. If necessary, brown the chicken in batches. Transfer the browned chicken to a plate and set aside.

Add the mushrooms, onion and garlic to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms begin to brown and release their liquid. Return the chicken to the pot, add the Madeira and bring to a boil. Cover the pot, place in the oven and let cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

When the chicken is cooked, remove the pot from the oven and transfer the chicken to a plate. Cover with foil and several kitchen towels. Ladle the remaining braising liquid and any solids in the pot into a blender. In a small glass, stir together the cornstarch and water, then add to the blender. Puree until smooth.

Return the gravy to the pot and set over medium-high heat.

Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute, or until thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Serve

How many differences can you find between these two pictures?

ANSWERS: If you answered anything but “C” to the above questions, you’re not a safe passenger!

BY J.M. HIRSCH The Associated Press

Standards Link: Health; Students recognize safe and unsafe situations or behaviors.

Look through today’s newspaper for 5 items that promote safety.

Cut them out and make a safety poster.

Send your story to:

Standards Link: Language Arts: Follow simple directions. Health: Safe behavior and wellness.

How do you know when winter is over and spring has begun? Write a paragraph to explain.

Deadline: December 28 Published: Week of Jan. 25, 2015 Please include your school and grade.

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C6

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COMICS

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2014

BIZARRO

SOUP TO NUTZ

ANDY CAPP

GARFIELD

BEETLE BAILEY

BORN LOSER

BLONDIE

ZITS

MOTHER GOOSE

DOG EAT DOUG

DILBERT

JEFF MACNELLY’S SHOE

Gallery of perfection makes woman feel insecure

Dear Abby ABIGAIL VAN BUREN

THE SUMTER ITEM

DEAR ABBY — I was divorced three years ago and have had a boyfriend, “Roger,” for a year and a half. He is seven years younger, and he’s intrigued with women on

the Internet.

He saves tons of photos of these girls on his cellphone.

These ladies are “perfect.”

They have big breasts and curvaceous behinds, etc. I have had two kids. I’m not overweight and I exercise and keep myself in shape, but I have a “Mom body.”

Roger has told me he loves

my body and everything about me. But the feeling I get is that he wishes I looked like those girls.

I have asked Roger not to save these photos because it makes me insecure. If he’s going to look, fine. But saving them is another thing. He promised me he wouldn’t, but some of them are still there.

So he not only makes me feel like a fatty, but he lies to me, too. He has more pictures of other girls than he does of me.

Now I no longer feel comfortable undressing in front of him. I leave my clothes halfon and turn out the lights when we have sex. What do I do?

Can’t compare in California DEAR CAN’T COMPARE — The first thing to do would be to

stop looking at your boyfriend’s cellphone. Then ask yourself whether he has been seeing other women or just collecting pictures. If it’s the former, you have something to worry about. If it’s the latter, it’s no reflection on you, and he has voyeuristic tendencies (men are visual).

Stop making comparisons.

He says he loves your body.

Unless you have a solid reason to think differently, believe him.

You are overdue for a frank talk with Roger, and when you do, tell him everything you have written to me. Your problem may go deeper than his photo gallery and your lowered self-image. If you can’t trust what he tells you, the foundation of your relationship isn’t solid.

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 Quizmaster’s request 7 Enjoy the sun 11 Four times a day, in an Rx 14 Whodunit plot element 15 Aunt Bee’s grandnephew 16 Verse starter?

17 Geometry subject 19 Portfolio holding, briefly 20 Upset 21 Cards with pics 22 Cuban bandleader __ Prado, “King of the Mambo” 24 Western tie 26 Haughty look 28 Vertical window dressings 32 LPGA garment 34 “Do it, __ will!”

35 Lose one’s cool 36 Bud 37 Where many pioneers headed 41 U.K. record label 42 More than enough 44 Scoreboard letters 45 Initial stage 47 Carrier based in Kathman-

du 51 Autumn stones 52 “What __?”

53 “Never needs sharpening” brand 55 Certain Ivy Leaguer 56 Senator Cochran of Mississippi 60 Special forces weapon 61 Place for some exiled prisoners 65 Sneaker part 66 Work on film 67 Carol opening 68 ‘60s antiwar org.

69 Knocks 70 Stacked like Tupperware DOWN 1 Music boosters 2 Brief legal plea 3 Rating symbol 4 Place offering two-ounce servings 5 December 24, e.g.

6 Send an amended 1040, say 7 Swampy spots 8 Calcutta Tech grad on “The Simpsons” 9 Respectful title 10 “That’s yours now” 11 Eccentricity

12 Memo leadoff 13 Cameron of “Bad Teacher” 18 Much-admired one 23 Significant stretches 25 Not fooled by 26 “Fine by me” 27 Hosp. diagnostics 28 Rides during chukkers 29 Cringe 30 Parents’ selection 31 Polish partner 32 Wing measurement 33 Farmers’ market veggie 38 River to the Caspian 39 What we have here 40 Singer Braxton

43 Pub hardware 46 Plants with stinging hairs 48 “Time After Time” singer 49 Take it easy 50 Promiser’s caveat 53 Inner workings 54 Tommy Hilfiger rival 55 Works on a sub 57 Quizmaster, e.g.

58 Get in on the deal 59 Like purple hair 62 Child expert LeShan 63 Something in the air, perhaps 64 Laudatory work

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WIS News 10 at (:35) The Tonight Show Starring 11:00pm News Jimmy Fallon Comedic skits and and weather. celebrity interviews. (HD) News 19 @ 11pm (:35) Late Show with David LetterThe news of the man Musician Taylor Swift performs; day. actor Tom Mison. (HD) Modern Family (:31) black-ish: Nashville: Two Sides to Every Story ABC Columbia (:35) Jimmy Kimmel Live Celebrities Fake boyfriend.

Colored Commen- Camera crew films Rayna and her News at 11 (HD) and human-interest subjects. (HD) (N) (HD) tary (N) (HD) family. (N) (HD) The Candy NOVA: First Man on the Moon Presented is an intimate Kristin Chenoweth - Coming Home The Emmy and Bomber WWII piportrait of the first person to set foot on the moon. (N) Tony Award-winner retuns to her hometown. (HD) (HD) lot. (N) (HD) Red Band Society: What I Did For WACH FOX News at 10 Local news TMZ (N) Mike & Molly: Modern Family: Love Emma goes home and learns a report and weather forecast.

Yard Sale (HD) Manny Get Your secret. (N) (HD) Gun (HD) The 100: Fog of War Clarke & Finn The Walking Dead: Beside the Dying The Walking Dead: Seed The group Hot in Cleveland: have tension between them. (N) (HD) Fire The survivors at the farm are finds a new place to hide. (HD) God and Football separated. (HD) (HD) Saturday Night Live: A Saturday Night Live Christmas A compilation of “Saturday Night Live’s” most memorable holiday themed sketches and comedy bits. (N) (HD) Survivor San Juan Del Sur: Blood Stalker: A Cry For Help TAU tries to vs. Water: Still Holdin’ On (N) (HD) link two assault victims. (N) (HD)

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Show (N) The Real House wives of At lanta: All The Real House wives of At lanta: Top Chef: The First Thanksgiving His Top Chef: Res tau rant Wars Chefs What Hap pens Top Chef: Res tau rant Wars Chefs 181 Tea All Shade Bury the Ratchet toric Thanksgiving meal. open pop-up restaurants. (N) (N) open pop-up restaurants.

62 The Profit A man won’t listen.

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‘First Man’ recalls Armstrong as courageous hero

BY KEVIN MCDONOUGH What makes a hero?

Hemingway spoke of courage as “grace under pressure,” the ability to act and react under trying, even life-threatening circumstances. These qualities come to mind when discussing astronaut Neil Armstrong, profiled on “First Man on the Moon” on “NOVA” (9 p.m., PBS, TV-G, check local listings).

It’s common knowledge that Armstrong was the first American to walk on the lunar surface. Less well-known is his long history of quick thinking and level-headedness that resulted in numerous near-misses during his flying career.

Trained as an engineer as well as a pilot, Armstrong had an intimate knowledge of what his aircraft could, and could not, do.

After losing part of his jet’s wing over hostile North Korean skies, he nursed it back to the vicinity of his carrier before bailing out. As a test pilot, his X-15 rocket plane lost control at the edge of the Earth’s atmosphere, but Armstrong knew how to calm it down. He sensed when to abort his Gemini 8 mission after rockets malfunctioned, and he barely escaped death when rehearsing for the Apollo mission aboard an awkward rocket-propelled training vehicle known as the “flying bedstead.” He parachuted to safety only seconds before his vehicle exploded. He proceeded to dust himself off and go back to work.

These experiences prepared him for the tricky Apollo 11 landing, beset with communication breakdowns and a malfunctioning computer. When Armstrong took control and planted the buglike lunar module on the Sea of Tranquility, its fuel supply was only seconds removed from empty.

Arguably, Armstrong’s greatest act of valor came in

the decades after Apollo, when he steadfastly refused to exploit his hero status, grandstand or sell out.

“First Man” includes taped transcriptions of interviews with Armstrong, who died in 2012, as well as interviews with his wife, brother and friends.

Astronaut David Scott, Armstrong’s partner on Gemini 8, recalls their harrowing ride and acknowledges that he owes his life to Armstrong’s steady nerves and quick thinking.

• NBC’s “Today” show team has been in the news lately for all the wrong reasons. The network recently hired and fired the producer Jamie Horowitz in short order. The morning news franchise is said to be in flux, if not chaos. But you’d never know that from the professionally cheerful fronts that Matt Lauer, Savannah Guthrie, Al Roker and Natalie Morales put on while hosting events like the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and “Christmas in Rockefeller Center” (8 p.m.).

Look for performances by Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett, Cyndi Lauper, Seth MacFarlane (featuring Sara Bareilles), Idina Menzel, Pentatonix, LeAnn Rimes and Trisha Yearwood.

TONIGHT’S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS • A painter inspires the remaining seven on “Hell’s Kitchen” (8 p.m., Fox, TV-14).

• The Flash has Oliver’s back on “Arrow” (8 p.m., CW, TV-14).

• The spirit of holiday skits past haunts the repeat “A Saturday Night Live Christmas” (9 p.m., NBC, TV-14).

• Emma goes home to a major surprise on “Red Band Society” (9 p.m., Fox, TV-14).

• A houseguest (Kristen Johnston) wears out her wel-

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Saving hundreds on car insurance is. &YPXQER (V 7YQXIV

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DAVID GIESBRECHT / NBC

The Goo Goo Dolls perform for “Christmas in Rockefeller Center” airing at 8 p.m. today on NBC.

come on “Modern Family” (9 p.m., ABC, TV-PG).

• Team members respond to news of the mole in their midst on “The Game” (10 p.m., BBC America, TV-14).

• An emotional deep freeze puts a damper on the production of a Christmas special on “Nashville” (10 p.m., ABC, TVPG).

• Ethel has reasons to doubt Elsa on “American Horror Story” (10 p.m., FX, TV-MA).

SERIES NOTES Evictions ensue on two helpings of “Survivor” (8 p.m. and 9 p.m., CBS, TV-PG) * Sue’s college tour begins on “The Middle” (8 p.m., ABC, TV-PG) * Beverly prefers home-cooked meals on “The Goldbergs” (8:30 p.m., ABC, TV-PG) * Strange weather isolates the team on “The 100” (9 p.m., CW, TV-14) * Togetherness only goes so far

on “black-ish” (9:30 p.m., ABC, TV-PG) * A cry for help on “Stalker” (10 p.m., CBS, TV-14).

festival, including “Smiles of a Summer Night” (8 p.m.), “Winter Light” (3:15 a.m.) and “The Silence” (4:45 a.m.).

LATE NIGHT

Copyright 2014, United Feature Syndicate

Sophie Delaunay is booked on “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart” (11 p.m., Comedy Central) * Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Billy Eichner and The Decemberists appear on “Conan” (11 p.m., TBS) * Christopher Nolan sits down on “The Colbert Report” (11:30 p.m., Comedy Central) * Taylor Swift and Tom Mison appear on “Late Show With David Letterman” (11:35 p.m., CBS, r) * Craig Ferguson hosts Don Cheadle and Mary McCormack on “The Late Late Show” (12:35 a.m., CBS).

CULT CHOICE TCM embraces winter’s enveloping gloom with a sixmovie Ingmar Bergman film

Timothy L. Griffith Attorney at Law

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Ultra-Rich Mashed Potatoes

Freshest ice cream on earth!

Eggs make all the difference in

Mashed Potatoes J.M. HIRSCH AP Food Editor

M

uch as I’d like to take credit for this rich version of mashed potatoes, that honor goes to Stanley Tucci. Or rather, to Stanley Tucci’s wife.

That’s because when Tucci isn’t cranking out movies like “The Hunger Games” and “Julie & Julia,” he’s often in the kitchen with his wife, Felicity Blunt. They draw on their respective cultures — his Italian, hers British — to come up with some pretty interesting creations, many of them collected in the pair’s new cookbook, “The Tucci Table.”

To wit, these mashed potatoes, which Tucci says were mostly his wife’s creation. The prep itself is

pretty standard; it’s the add-ins where things get good. Tucci and Blunt use olive oil instead of cream or milk. The result is richly savory and just a bit peppery. A bit of butter — olive oil and butter are classic Italian combination — ties it all together.

But then it gets really interesting.

To finish the potatoes, they beat in an egg yolk. Yes, raw. This takes the creamy richness of the mashed potatoes to a whole new level, and you’ll wonder why you never did this before.

The following recipe is (very) loosely adapted from Tucci and Blunt’s version.

If raw eggs give you the willies, look for pasteurized whole eggs at the grocer.

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ULTRA-RICH MASHED POTATOES Start to finish: 35 minutes Servings: 10 5-pound bag Yukon gold potatoes 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

10 large fresh sage leaves ½ cup olive oil 2 egg yolks Kosher salt and ground black pepper

Peel the potatoes and cut them into 2-inch chunks. Place the cut potatoes in a large pot and add enough cool water to cover by about 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender at the center when pierced with a knife.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium-high, melt the butter. Add the sage leaves and fry until crisp and just barely turning brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside.

When the potatoes are done, drain them, then return them to the pot. Set the pot over medium heat and heat the potatoes for 1 minute, shaking the pan frequently, to help dry the potatoes. Remove the pot from the heat, then use a masher to mash the potatoes, drizzling in the olive oil as you work.

When the potatoes are mashed, pour in the butter and fried sage, stirring them in. The sage will crumble and mix into the potatoes. Add the egg yolks and quickly stir them into the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper.

Nutrition information per serving: 450 calories; 270 calories from fat (60 percent of total calories); 30 g fat (14 g saturated; 0.5 g trans fats); 85 mg cholesterol; 43 g carbohydrate; 4 g fiber; 2 g sugar; 4 g protein; 210 mg sodium.

Wine-braised short ribs prove worth of slow cooker

BY ELIZABETH KARMEL The Associated Press It was a strange confession to make, but I felt I had to fess up.

A friend who once ran a large recipe-based website was recently explaining to me that slow cooker recipes are wildly more popular online than conventional recipes. This shocked me. And I had to be honest with her... Not only did I never use a slow cooker, I didn’t even own one.

Truth is, I love slow cooking, but I’d never done it in a slow cooker. I generally favor cast iron, which lets me brown in the pot on the stovetop, then pop the whole thing in the oven for low and slow heat. But if Americans are so smitten with their slow cookers, maybe there was something I was missing. So I started researching.

The first thing I learned is that today’s slow cookers are a lot different than a generation ago.

Many models now let you brown or saute right inside them. The saves the annoying step of having to brown meat or vegetables in a skillet on the stove, then transfer them to a slow cooker. That process had always been just enough trouble to turn me off.

So I found a 4-quart slow cooker with a saute feature. That seemed like the perfect combination cooker for me. To test it I made braised short ribs. This is one of my favorite dishes for entertaining because it can be made in the morning and basically forgotten until dinner is ready, or even made the day before.

Slow cooking, no matter how you do it, is perfect for short ribs.

They are a tough cut of meat that requires long, slow cooking in liquid to break down the connective tissues and become tender.

Braising transforms the connective tissue into gelatin, which gives short ribs their delicious texture. Browning before braising caramelizes the meat and adds richness and depth to the flavor.

I was having friends over for dinner and decided to test the slow cooker. I browned the shallots, celery, carrots and garlic in a little olive oil and I got deep, dark caramelized vegetables. I brushed the short ribs with a little olive oil, then seasoned them with salt and pepper and placed them in the slow cooker. They browned beautifully.

Because it is a small slow cooker, I browned them a few at a time, then stacked them on top of each other to make room for the rest. This only took a few extra minutes and all sides of all the short ribs were browned.

Next, I poured all of the braising liquids into the slow cooker — red wine, crushed tomatoes and Worcestershire sauce — gave it a stir, added fresh rosemary, then set the slow cooker on high cook for about 3 or so hours. My apartment soon smelled divine, and a few hours later the short ribs were perfectly tender. Time for the final step.

I removed the meat, then blended the liquid and vegetables in the slow cooker. What an amazing sauce for the meat! The sweetness of the vegetables and the wine-based braising liquid perfectly balanced the savory rich beef flavors. I was converted! The slow cooker won me over.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Slow Cooker Short Ribs are ideal for the holidays. Slow cookers are a lot different than a generation ago. Many models now let you brown or sauté right inside them, which saves the step of having to brown meat or vegetables in a skillet on the stove, then transfer them to a slow cooker.

SLOW COOKER SHORT RIBS These short ribs are just the thing for easy holiday cooking. They are a snap to make, but taste like you’ve been cooking all day. Serve with noodles, rice or garlic-cheese grits. I made these in a 4-quart slow cooker, but the recipe can easily be doubled to accommodate a larger cooker. Since not everyone owns a slow cooker that has a saute mode, I wrote the recipe using the more traditional method of browning the meat in a skillet, then transferring everything to the slow cooker. Feel free to modify for whichever model cooker you own.

Start to finish: 4 hours (30 minutes active) Servings: 6 4 pounds boneless beef short ribs Olive oil Kosher salt and ground black pepper

3 large shallots, thinly sliced 1 medium rib celery, cut into ¼-inch pieces 2 medium carrots, cut into ¼-inch rounds 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped 2 cups full-bodied red wine,

such as cabernet sauvignon, zinfandel or shiraz 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce 3 large springs fresh rosemary 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Brush the ribs with a light coating of olive oil, then sprinkle all over with salt and pepper. Set aside.

In a large skillet over medium-high, heat 3 tablespoons of oil. Add the shallots, celery and carrots and about ¼ teaspoon of salt. Cook until the vegetables begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and continue cooking until they begin to brown on the edges, another 2 to 3 minutes. Add the meat and turn to brown on all sides.

Transfer the mixture to a 4-quart or larger slow cooker, being sure to scrape the pan to get all of the liquid. Add the wine, tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, mustard and vinegar. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on high for 3 ½ hours or low for 5 to 6 hours.

After cooking, transfer the short ribs to a large platter. Set aside. Remove and discard the stems of the rosemary sprigs. Transfer the liquid and vegetables in the slow cooker to a blender and carefully puree until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Serve the ribs on a bed of noodles, rice, mashed potatoes or cheese grits with sauce ladled over them.

Nutrition information per serving: 730 calories; 360 calories from fat (49 percent of total calories); 40 g fat (14 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 180 mg cholesterol; 16 g carbohydrate; 3 g fiber; 7 g sugar; 59 g protein; 910 mg sodium.