February 11, 2015 by The Sumter Item

IN SPORTS: Brian Jackson takes the reins as Lakewood’s head football coach B1 EARN A DEGREE. GET A WORLDVIEW. Military and civilian “Intro to Cybersecurity” Fall 2015 For a complete list of programs, visit: webster.edu/shaw Shaw Air Force Base Campus Location

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BY SEANNA ADCOX The Associated Press COLUMBIA — Gov. Nikki Haley told members of her domestic violence task force Tuesday to take the problem personally, saying if their effort fails, people die. The Republican governor led the first meeting of the group she created last month to come up with recommendations for stemming South Carolina’s generational cycles of domestic abuse. She told more than 40 people gathered at the Department of Juvenile Justice that their task involves evaluating how people respond to victims, not how the victim thinks. “Part of changing the culture is to stop trying to figure out how the victim thinks. We’re never going to fully understand the victim because we don’t live in their shoes,” Haley said during the 30-minute meeting. “It’s not about why; it’s about our response.” The group’s final report is not due until Dec. 31. But Haley laid out deadlines calling for interim reports due over four phases. South Carolina has long ranked among the nation’s worst states in violence against women. “If you think you don’t know anyone involved in a domestic violence situation, you’re not being honest with yourself,” Haley told the group. “We have no option to fail, because if we fail, someone dies.” The task force’s members represent wide-ranging fields, including law enforcement, courts, churches, health care, social services and cosmetology. Domestic violence survivor Elizabeth Gray said she endured years of abuse from her ex-husband before getting

SEE HALEY, PAGE A7

Man will serve 69 months for 2012 shooting death BY MATT BRUCE matthew@theitem.com PHOTO PROVIDED

frailty of current laws regarding how evidence is collected against drunken driving offenders. State law requires that field tests, arrests and breath tests be videotaped. As it stands, the law allows for cases to be dismissed for any technicality in the video-recording process, including obscured faces and feet, whether by darkness or the vehicle. Law enforcement and legislators want to put a stop to these “loopholes.”

A Sumter man scheduled to begin a murder trial Tuesday at the Sumter County Judicial Center instead pleaded guilty to lesser charges and was sentenced to five-plus years in prison. The developments came in the case of Mario Antwan Lloyd, 21, of 210 E. Newberry St. Lloyd faced the possibility of life behind bars when he entered the courtroom Tuesday to begin trial in the October 2012 shooting death of 34-year-old Kevin LLOYD Donnell Jones. But after a late-morning plea hearing, he walked out of the courtroom with less than three years remaining on his sentence. A circuit court judge issued Lloyd, who pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter, a 5-year, 9-month sentence as part of a negotiated plea deal struck by attorneys on both sides. The sentence credited him for the 25 months he served behind bars awaiting this

SEE DUI, PAGE A7

SEE PLEA, PAGE A7

Above is a dashcam video of a DUI stop in which the driver got her case thrown out because her back foot could not be seen while walking a straight line. Third Circuit Solicitor Ernest “Chip” Finney III watches dash cam video which highlights why changes to South Carolina’s drinking and driving laws were proposed in Columbia on Tuesday. KEITH GEDAMKE / THE SUMTER ITEM

Law enforcement, legislators meet to discuss reform of DUI law ‘loopholes’ BY HAMLET FORT hamlet@theitem.com Lawmakers and S.C.’s law enforcement officials met Tuesday in Columbia to encourage the reform of drinking and driving laws in South Carolina that allow many offenders to get off on technicalities. State senators and representatives, victims advocates and members of statewide sheriff and police departments convened to demonstrate the

Obama requests authorization to take fight to Islamic State BY DEB RIECHMANN AND NEDRA PICKLER The Associated Press WASHINGTON — The White House circulated a proposal Tuesday to authorize the Pentagon to fight Islamic State terrorists without an “enduring offensive combat” role, an ambiguous phrase designed to satisfy lawmakers with widely varying views on the need for U.S. ground operations. Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J, describing the proposal to reporters, said President Obama would seek an authorization for the use of force that would expire after three years. It would end the approval for operations in Iraq

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that Congress passed in 2002. Menendez spoke after he and other Democratic senators met privately with top White House aides, on the eve of an anticipated formal request for legislation from the president. “Hopefully there will not be a significant delay in Congress acting,” said White House press secretary Josh Earnest. The meetings unfolded against a fresh reminder of the threat posed by terrorists who occupy large areas of Syria and Iraq — the confirmed death of a 26-year-old American aid worker who had been held hostage by the group. Obama pledged to bring anyone responsible for Kayla Mueller’s captivity and death to justice “no matter how long

it takes.” Of immediate concern was a legislative struggle — the search for a compromise that could satisfy Democrats who oppose the use of American ground forces in the fight against ISIS, and Republicans who favor at least leaving the possibility open. Menendez, in describing the White House’s opaque formulation, said it remained subject to modification. “That’s where the rub will be” as the White House tries to win approval for the legislation, he said. One influential Republican, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, said it was “bizarre” for Obama to be asking lawmakers to limit his own power as commander in chief.

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Broken glass remains at the scene of a suicide bomb attack at Adan Square, located in a predominantly Shiite part of the capital, Baghdad, Iraq, on Monday. President Obama was expected to ask Congress for new war powers, sending Capitol Hill his blueprint for an updated authorization for the use of military force to fight the Islamic State group.

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2015

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LOCAL & STATE BRIEFS FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

Board gets STEM 10 update

Lack of zoning requests means no meeting

BY ADRIENNE SARVIS adrienne@theitem.com

Sumter City and County Board of Zoning Appeals will not meet during its regular monthly meeting scheduled for today. There are no requests that require review from the board for this meeting. The next scheduled meeting is March 11 at 3 p.m. in City Council Chambers, Sumter Opera House, 21 N. Main St. For more information, call the Planning Department at (803) 774-1660.

No charges in fatal crash; investigation continues South Carolina Highway Patrol released details on Tuesday about a Clarendon County crash that led to the death of a Sumter teen. Clarendon County Coroner Hayes Samuels identified the victim Monday as Kanicqwa “Penny” Muldrow, 17, of 2050 Myrtle Beach Highway. She died Friday afternoon at a Columbia hospital, six days after she was involved in the wreck. According to Highway Patrol reports, Muldrow was hit as she was walking down Old Georgetown Road about 7:45 p.m. on Jan. 31. The victim was walking northbound in the southbound lanes of the road when a Manning woman driving south in a 2009 Saturn four-door vehicle struck her. Emergency personnel transported Muldrow to Palmetto Health Richland in Columbia, where she succumbed to her injuries. Troopers said no one is being charged in connection with the crash, which Highway Patrol continues to investigate.

Sumter Career and Technology Center was the highlight of Monday’s Sumter School District Board of Trustees meeting, especially the center’s STEM 10 program. Sumter Career and Technology Center Principal Shirrie Miller reported the center has an almost 92 percent placement rate for its students. This means that after graduation, almost 92 percent of career center students go into their area of study, whether it be college, work or the military. The school also has a nearly 96 percent graduation rate. After closing its turf grass and construction building courses this school year, the career center opened two new courses, STEM 10 mechatronics and pharmacy. Twenty-one students are enrolled in the mechatronics course, and 14 students are enrolled in the pharmacy course.

The STEM 10 program prepares high school students, starting in 10th grade, for careers in the science, technology, engineering and math fields. The program was created through a collaboration with Sumter School District Superintendent Frank Baker and Central Carolina Technical College President Tim Hardee as a way to fast track high school students to enrollment at Central Carolina or related careers. When STEM 10 students graduate, they will receive a high school diploma and a basic certificate in mechatronics from Central Carolina and will have the opportunity to study advanced mechatronics at the technical college. Mechatronics instructor Wendy Jacobs said her students are building a robot to pick up recycling bins across the campus. In other news, the board unanimously approved nine high school diplomas, four from Sumter High School, two from Lakewood High School and three from Crestwood High School. Sumter School District updates pre-

sented by Baker were: • Christi Herod, fifth-grade English language arts and social studies teacher of 13 years at Millwood Elementary School, has been named Miller Communications’ Star Teacher of the month; • 67 students from Sumter School District placed in the South Carolina Future Business Leaders of America District III Leadership Conference on Saturday; • High Hills Elementary School music teacher Carolyn Newsome was awarded a $500 Arts in Education grant from South Carolina Arts Commission to acquire new instruments for her classroom; • 137 teachers in the district received $100 mini-grants from the Sumter Education Foundation to support curriculum and instruction enhancement; and • Furman Middle School was chosen as the Middle Level FBLA Chapter of the Month for donating non-perishables and personal care items to Sumter YWCA.

Playtime at Palmetto Park Zoey Giordano, 2, smiles as her grandmother, Nancy Cade, left, and mother Rachel Giordano push her in the swings at Palmetto Park on Feb. 3. KEITH GEDAMKE / THE SUMTER ITEM

House panel proposes closing college for 1 year COLUMBIA — A House budget-writing panel has proposed closing South Carolina’s only public historically black college for a year to get its finances in order. Rep. Jim Merrill said it’s time to stop “messing around the edges” of South Carolina State University’s financial mess. Under his subcommittee’s proposal, the state would take on the university’s debts, thought to be in the tens of millions of dollars. Merrill said part of the problem is lawmakers’ inability to get concrete answers on what the school owes.

CLARIFICATION Sumter Little Theatre’s production of “Godspell” opens at 8 p.m. Thursday at the theatre, 14 Mood Ave. The play will be presented Feb. 12-15 and Feb. 19-22, 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays. Tickets are $20 for adults and $17 for students, seniors and military. Reservations can be made by calling (803) 775-0543.

Arctic temperatures coming this weekend BY JIM HILLEY jim@theitem.com Don’t put away those thick blankets yet, and try to keep your firewood dry because the Midlands isn’t done with frigid weather just yet. Meteorologist Chris Liscinsky at the National Weather Service in Columbia said a series of cold fronts will bring temperatures down this week, with an Arctic air mass entering the area Saturday night. “The more significant front looks to be Saturday,” he said. “It will have pretty decent impact in terms of temperature, and we could see some of the coldest temperatures of the season.” He said overnight lows will be in the 20s Sunday morning, and Sunday would

remain very cold. “There’s a good chance we will not get out of the midto upper 30s on Sunday,” he said. “Sunday night we are looking at upper teens.” Liscinsky said some areas may see temperatures drop to the low teens. “What’s coming down could be pretty significant,” he said. “If you look at where this air is coming from, they are seeing temperatures in the minus 30s.” There is little chance of a repeat of last year’s ice storm, however. “It looks like these systems will be coming through dry,” Liscinsky said. Sumter County Emergency Management Director Erik Hayes encouraged residents to take precautions to protect themselves from the cold.

COLD WEATHER SAFETY TIPS • Stock up on heating fuel and prepare emergency heating sources, such as fireplaces, wood stoves and space heaters. (Warning: Never burn charcoal briquettes or run a generator indoors.) • Wrap exposed pipes or take other measures to insulate them from the cold. • Prepare a place indoors for pets. Move farm animals to shelters, and have extra feed and water available. • Watch for signs of frostbite such as the loss of feeling and white or pale appearance in extremities such as

fingers, toes, ear lobes and the tip of your nose. • Keep dry. Change wet clothing frequently to prevent loss of body heat. • Be aware of possible carbon monoxide poisoning, electric shock and fire if using alternative sources for electricity, heating or cooking. • Residents are encouraged to check on the elderly and at-risk neighbors and relatives because of the increased potential for power outages and cold temperatures. Source: South Carolina Emergency Management Division

“Wear layers of clothes, and make sure you have an alternate heat source,” he said. He also recommended staying indoors if possible. “Limit your outdoor activity,” he said. “And thank God you live in South Carolina and not Boston.” “We’ve found that people will do anything to stay warm,” said Capt. Joey Dug-

gan of Sumter Fire Department. He said people who use space heaters need to make sure the heaters are kept at least three feet from flammable materials and should be extra careful when using any kind of heater that takes fuel. “Anything like a kerosene heater, make sure you fill it outdoors and use the right kind of fuel,” he said.

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

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2015

Laugh with ‘Funniest Man in America’ BY IVY MOORE ivy@theitem.com

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According to the American Heart Association, laughter is good for your heart, not just the figurative heart that gives us empathy, makes us tear up at the sight of servicemen greeting their families after deployment, babies laughing and tumbling puppies or — and this is perhaps most important of all — allows us to fall in love, but the literal, physical heart, as well. Comedian James Gregory isn’t coming to the Sumter Opera House on Valentine’s Day specifically to improve our heart health, but that’s bound to be one of his side effects. He has consistently filled the house for his previous four performances here. Gregory, known widely as the “Funniest Man in America,” will likely not shy away from matters of the heart in this show, either. He practices observational humor, and although he grew up in the South and still lives near Atlanta, his stories won’t all be peopled with

POLICE BLOTTER CHARGES Corrie Cabbagestalk, 36, of Sumter, was arrested Monday and charged with failing to register as a convicted sex offender after reports he failed to file after recently being released from state custody. Charles Williams, 57, of Rembert, was arrested Monday night and charged with breach of peace after reports he went to his neighbor’s house after a previous altercation, fired a shotgun at the man and threatened to kill him. STOLEN PROPERTY A gold 7.5-sized diamond wedding band valued at $800 was reportedly stolen from a 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe in the 1200 block of Broad Street between 10:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Thursday. A package containing a new

of Sumter/Mademoiselle

James Gregory’s family-friendly show can be seen at the Sumter Opera House, 21 N. Main St., at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. Tickets are $35 for floor and box seats and $30 for the balcony. For tickets, call (803) 436-2616, visit the Sumter Opera House on Thursday or Saturday before 5 p.m., go online at www.sumtersc.gov/sumter-opera-house.aspx, or take a chance that there are tickets remaining at the door Saturday night.

Southerners. As he has proved previously, humor crosses all regional lines, from the Northeast to the West Coast and points in between. Gregory said before a recent performance in Georgia that his show “is as funny as it is because it’s based on reality. ... I can come up with stuff if I’m inspired by something on the news or people I run across.” His official biography describes Gregory’s style as “ ... storytelling at its best. ... rib-tickling reflections on life from the front porch.” His humor is far from the X-rated

iPod of an undetermined amount was reported stolen from the front porch of a Pinewood home in the 4800 block of Noras Lane about 4:50 p.m. Friday. A wallet containing $600 was reported stolen from a Sumter man during a strong arm robbery in the 1100 block of Lafayette Drive at 10:50 p.m. Saturday. Three pairs of Air Jordan gym shoes valued at $300, $100 in cash and a center navigation unit valued at $1,000 were reported stolen from a home in the 1200 block of Mooneyham Road at 3 p.m. Sunday. A DT80 Cc Motor Scooter valued at $350, 12 fishing poles valued at $500 and a photo album valued at $25 were reportedly stolen from a home in the 500 block of Boulevard Road between 3 p.m. Thursday and 12:30 p.m. Sunday. A refrigerator valued at $250, living room furniture

stand-up that has pervaded America’s comedy clubs, yet he manages to keep his audiences laughing non-stop, critics say. Gregory makes hilarious the ridiculous situations most of us merely shake our heads over: People’s reliance on the government to solve all our problems is one of his regular topics, for example. He recently opined, “My kid eats too many potato chips. I wish the government would do something.” As usual, he’s no doubt hoping for a repeat box of homemade chocolate chip cookies given to him by a past Sumter audience member. Not familiar with Gregory’s work? See some of his comedy online at www.funniestman.com.

Comedian James Gregory, also known as the Funniest Man in America, will perform Saturday at the Sumter Opera House. PHOTO PROVIDED

valued at $3,800 and home décor valued at $150 were reportedly stolen from an apartment in the 700 block of Miller Road between 7 p.m. Saturday and 11 p.m. Sunday. A 12-gauge Mossburg pump shotgun valued at $200, a Ruger LCP .380-caliber pistol valued at $300, and a Smith & Wesson 9 mm pistol valued at $300 were reported stolen from a home in the 3000 block of Joyce Street about 9:30 a.m. Monday. Approximately $10,000

worth of curved sheet roofing material and four large buckets of metal fasteners were reportedly stolen from a Wedgefield property in the 3800 block of S.C. 261 South on Monday at 11:20 a.m. A 3-year-old female Rottweiler valued at $350 was reported stolen from a yard in the 100 block of Byrd Street about 9 a.m. Monday. Four TVs valued at $2,900 were reportedly stolen from a home in the 600 block of Lewis Road between 8 a.m. and noon Monday.

PROPERTY DAMAGE A home in the 300 block of Rogers Avenue sustained $1,500 in estimated damage during a reported break-in at 9 a.m. Monday, during which nine window locks were broken. Two vending machine doors sustained $1,000 in estimated damage between Jan. 4 and Jan. 5 at Sumter Career and Technology Center, 2612 McCrays Mill Road, after unidentified suspects reportedly attempted to pry them open.

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Is your doctor’s office the most dangerous place for your data? (AP) — Everyone worries about stolen credit cards or hacked bank accounts, but just visiting the doctor may put you at greater risk for identity fraud. Those medical forms you give the receptionist and send to your health insurer provide fertile ground for criminals looking to steal your identity since health care businesses can lag far behind banks and credit card companies in protecting sensitive information. The names, birthdates and — most importantly — Social Security numbers detailed on those forms can help hackers open fake credit lines, file false tax returns and create fake medical records. “It’s an entire profile of who you are,” said Cynthia Larose, chair of the privacy and security practice at the law firm Mintz Levin in Boston. “It essentially allows someone to become you.” Social Security numbers were created to track the earnings history of workers in order to determine government benefits. Now, health care companies are, in some cases, required to collect the numbers by government agencies. They also use them because they are unique to every individual and more universal than other forms of identification like driver’s licenses, said Dr. Ross Koppel, a University of Pennsylvania professor who researches health care information technology. But once someone creates a stolen identity with a Social Security number, it can be hard to fix the damage. A person can call a bank to shut down a stolen credit card, but it’s not as easy of a process when it comes to Social Security numbers.

AP FILE PHOTO

People fill out forms to get a free seasonal flu shot at Memorial Medical Center in Las Cruces, New Mexico, in October 2009. Those seemingly harmless medical forms everyone fills out before seeing a doctor can plant the seeds for identity theft and other scams if they get into the wrong hands. “There is no such mechanism with Social Security numbers and our identity,” said Avivah Litan, a cybersecurity analyst at the research firm Gartner. “You can’t just call the bank and say, ‘Give me all the money they stole from my identity.’ There’s no one to call.” So being that the data is so vital to protect, health care companies are taking every precaution to defend against hackers, right? Not necessarily. The FBI warned health care companies a year ago that their industry was not doing enough to resist cyberattacks, especially compared with companies in the financial and retail sectors, according to Christopher Budd of security software company Trend Micro. Last year, more than 10 million people in the U.S. were affected by health care data breaches — including hacking or incidents that exposed personal information, such as lost laptops — according to a government

database that tracks incidents affecting at least 500 people. That was the worst year for health care hacking since 2011. Litan estimates that the health care industry is generally about 10 years behind the financial services sector in terms of protecting consumer information. She figures that it may be twice as easy for hackers to get sensitive financial information out of a health care company compared with a bank. Banks, for instance, are more likely to encrypt personal data, which can garble the information if a hacker gets ahold of it. They also are much more likely to use advanced statistical models and behavior analytics programs that can spot when someone’s credit card use suddenly spikes, said Litan, who studies fraud-detection technology. That’s a sign of possible fraud that may be worth investigating. “There’s a need for that everywhere now,” she said.

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Let hackers in: Traps might be better than walls, experts say SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Ever since the Internet blossomed in the 1990s, cybersecurity was built on the idea that computers could be protected by a digital quarantine. Now, as hackers routinely overwhelm such defenses, experts say cybersecurity is beyond ready for. Their message: Neutralize attackers once they’re inside networks rather than fixating on trying to keep them out. According to U.S. cybersecurity company FireEye, 229 days is the median length of time attackers lurk inside their victim’s computers before being detected or revealing themselves, underscoring the weakness of conventional tools in identifying sophisticated intruders. The traditional defenses must “have a description of the bad guys before they can help you find them,” said Dave Merkel, chief technology officer at FireEye Inc. “That’s just old and outmoded. And just doesn’t work anymore,” he said. Experts aren’t recommending organizations stop deploying perimeter defenses such as antivirus software or firewalls that weed out vanilla threats. But they say a strategy that could be likened to laying traps is needed to counter the sophisticated hacks that can cause huge losses. According to FireEye’s Merkel, there is a rise in

awareness in the U.S. and growing interest in Asia in modern approaches to information security that include using automated programs to scan for unusual network activity, encryption and segregating sensitive data in special “domains” that require additional credentials to access. In South Korea, where government agencies and businesses have come under repeated attacks from hackers traced by Seoul to North Korea, several security firms have jumped on the growing trend to develop systems that analyze activity to detect potentially suspicious patterns rather than scanning for known threats. Kwon Seok-chul, CEO at computer security firm Cuvepia Inc. said his company’s latest monitoring product keeps a log of all activity, dividing it into authorized users and possible attackers. When certain conditions are met, the program sounds an alarm. A response team, he said, can sit back and watch what hackers copy and respond before damage is done. The security team can cut the hacker’s connection or trick the intruder into stealing empty files. Protecting high value information often comes with a high price tag. Installing Cuvepia’s cheapest monitoring product on 1,000 computers for a year costs 450 million won ($410,000).

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2015

Questions about Saudi Arabia, 9/11 raised anew in Congress BY KEN DILANIAN AP Intelligence Writer

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Turi Whiting of Minneapolis leaves a bouquet of flowers at a “Pray for Kayla” sign in downtown Prescott, Arizona, in honor of Kayla Mueller, a 26-year-old American woman who was held by Islamic State militants. Mueller is confirmed dead, her parents and the Obama administration said Tuesday. Mueller’s family received a private message from her captors over the weekend and the information contained in that communication was authenticated by the U.S. intelligence community. It was not immediately clear how and when Mueller died.

Aid worker becomes 4th American to die in ISIS’ captivity BY DEB RIECHMANN AND JULIE PACE The Associated Press WASHINGTON — Kayla Jean Mueller, a 26-year-old American woman held by Islamic State militants, has been confirmed dead, her parents and the Obama administration said Tuesday. Mueller’s family received a private message from her captors during the weekend and the information contained in that communication was authenticated by the U.S. The White House said the U.S. intelligence community has not been able to determine how or when she died. “We are heartbroken to share that we’ve received confirmation that Kayla Jean Mueller, has lost her life,” Carl and Marsha Mueller said in a statement. “Kayla was a compassionate and devoted humanitarian. She dedicated the whole of her young life to helping those in need of freedom, justice, and peace.” President Obama said that

Mueller, an aid worker who assisted humanitarian organizations working with Syrian refugees, “epitomized all that is good in our world.” “No matter how long it takes, the United States will find and bring to justice the terrorists who are responsible for Kayla’s captivity and death,” the president said. The White House said Obama had spoken with Mueller’s parents and offered his condolences and prayers. Mueller, of Prescott, Arizona, is the fourth American to die while being held by Islamic State militants. Three other Americans — journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff, and aid worker Peter Kassig — were beheaded by the group. Journalist Austin Tice, of Houston, Texas, disappeared in August 2012 while covering Syria’s civil war. It’s not clear what entity is holding him, but it is not believed to be the Islamic State group or the Syrian government, his family has said.

WASHINGTON — For years, some current and former American officials have been urging President Obama to release secret files they say document links between the government of Saudi Arabia and the Sept. 11 attacks. Other officials, including the executive director of the Sept. 11 commission, have said the classified documents do not prove that the Saudi government knew about or financed the 2001 terrorist attacks, and that making the material public would serve no purpose. Now, unsubstantiated court testimony by Zacharias Moussaoui, a former al-Qaida member serving life in federal prison, has renewed the push by those who want a closer look into whether there was official Saudi involvement with al-Qaida and the Sept. 11 hijackers. They say it should start with the release of 28 pages relating to Saudi Arabia from a joint congressional inquiry into the attacks. “We owe the families a full accounting,” said Rep. Stephen Lynch of Massachusetts, a Democrat who has read the classified pages written in 2002. They were

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Plumes of smoke rise from the World Trade Center buildings in New York on Sep. 11, 2001. The Empire State building is seen in the foreground. For years, a handful of current and former American officials have been urging President Barrack Obama to release secret files that they think document links between the government of Saudi Arabia and the terrorist attacks. left out of the public version of the report on the orders of President George W. Bush, who said they could divulge intelligence sources and methods. Officials on both sides of the debate acknowledge that protecting the delicate U.S.-Saudi relationship also played a role. Lynch and Rep. Walter Jones, R-N.C., have sponsored

a resolution that calls for declassifying the records. The White House has asked intelligence agencies to review the pages with an eye toward potential declassification, spokesman Ned Price said, but there is no timetable. The controversy comes at a consequential moment in the relationship between the U.S. and the kingdom. Saudi Arabia has a new king — pro-American like the late monarch — and the two wary allies are working closely to confront the Islamic State, the turmoil in Yemen and Iran’s nuclear aspirations. At the same time, U.S. officials say they continue to privately admonish Saudi Arabia over human rights abuses in the kingdom, such as the recent flogging of a blogger, and its support of the spread of religious extremism abroad. Moussaoui, who claimed during his terror conspiracy court case that he had planned to fly a plane into the White House on Sept. 11, was deposed by lawyers in a civil suit by some Sept. 11 families who are seeking damages from the Saudi government and other defendants, including charities and banks. Saudi Arabia vigorously disputes the allegations.

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NATION

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2015

THE SUMTER ITEM

Dead infant’s mom: ‘11-year-old murder suspect wanted sleepover’

AP FILE PHOTO

Passengers are rescued as they stand atop the Eastland passenger ship after the vessel capsized in the Chicago River in downtown Chicago on July 24, 1915. The first-known footage of the Eastland disaster was spotted by Jeff Nichols, a doctoral student at the University of Illinois at Chicago who was looking through seemingly unrelated material on World War I.

Film of 1915 Chicago ship disaster found CHICAGO (AP) — Film clips have surfaced of a 1915 disaster that left 844 people dead when a ship headed to a company picnic capsized in the Chicago River. The first-known footage of the Eastland disaster was spotted by Jeff Nichols, a doctoral student at the University of Illinois at Chicago who was looking through seemingly unrelated material on World War I. He found the clips in Dutch newsreels. Title cards describing what happened preceded them. “It’s as easily recognizable to someone who cares about Chicago history as the Titanic, so I knew what I had right away,” said Nichols, who has lived in Chicago for 20 years. “I knew folks would go, ‘Wow,’ even if they had seen the clip before.” The SS Eastland, which was carrying 2,500 people, turned onto its side in the Chicago River in July 1915. The ship was top-heavy with several lifeboats and rafts, and a crowd that gathered on the port side to watch other boats made the Eastland even more unbalanced. The ballast had also been emptied the morning of the disaster, making it even more susceptible to tipping. It rolled over, sending people and debris flying and trapping passengers in the lower decks, where they drowned.

One 55-second clip shows first-responders and volunteers walking on the boat, and a second 30-second clip shows workers trying to right the ship at least a week later. Frank Roumen, a collections manager with EYE Film Instituut Nederland, confirmed in an email sent to The Associated Press that the footage is in the institute’s archives. Ted Wachholz, the historical society’s chief historian, said photos of the disaster showed movie cameras on tripods, leading him to think footage existed somewhere. Criminal courts never found anyone accountable for the disaster, Wachholz told The Associated Press. But the Eastland was top-heavy in its design, he said, with modifications making it worse during the 12 years it sailed. The last known survivor of the Eastland disaster, 102-year-old Marion Eichholz, died in November.

CLEVELAND (AP) — The mother of a 2-month-old who police suspect was beaten to death during the weekend by a friend’s 11-year-old daughter said Tuesday it was the girl who asked that the baby stay overnight with her and her mother. Trina Whitehead, 31, of Cleveland, told The Associated Press that she and the girl’s mother were best friends and that she never saw anything in the girl’s behavior that concerned her. Whitehead said her two daughters, who are 8 and 7 years old, previously stayed the night at the friend’s home in suburban Wickliffe without any reported problems. She said the 11-year-old seemed like a normal, sweet girl. “I definitely trusted her,” Whitehead said. “I never thought my baby would be put in some type of harm.” The 11-year-old has been charged with murder and is being held in a juvenile detention center. A judge entered a not guilty plea for the girl on Monday and has ordered a psychiatric evaluation. The Associated Press is not naming the 11-year-old girl or her mother because of her age. Wickliffe police say the girl awakened her mother at about 3:30 a.m. Friday holding the unconscious infant, Zuri Whitehead. The 2-month-old died during surgery about six hours later. The medical examiner has not released a cause of death, but police have said Zuri received extensive head and internal injuries. Whitehead said the 11-year-old’s mother called her about 9:30 p.m. Thursday and said they were close by and that they wanted to keep Zuri overnight. The girl and her mother thought Whitehead deserved a break from caring for the infant. Whitehead said she almost declined the offer because it was so late and she was not prepared, but she relented when they insisted.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Lake County Juvenile Court Judge Karen Lawson, back, tells an 11-year-old girl her rights Monday in Painesville, Ohio. Police say the 11-year-old girl has been charged with murder in the beating death of a 2-month-old who was staying overnight with the girl and her mother to give the baby’s mom a break. The two women met in 2008 while working in the medical clinic at the Cuyahoga County jail and remained fast friends, Whitehead said. They consider each other sisters. The girl’s mother has called to apologize, Whitehead said. “She called and said she’s sorry for what happened,” Whitehead said. “She can’t believe what’s going on.” Whitehead said she tried to shield her other children from their baby sister’s death, but they have nonetheless learned what happened. Whitehead’s 7-year-old and 4-year-old son began kissing the television screen when one of the local stations aired Zuri’s picture, she said. She has been trying to keep herself busy preparing for Zuri’s funeral on Saturday while relying heavily on her faith. She called Zuri, which means “beautiful” in Swahili, “the most perfect baby ever.” “All she wanted was to be was held and loved,” Whitehead said.

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DUI FROM PAGE A1

week’s trial. Officials noted he must serve at least 85 percent of the sentence, which amounts to about 59 months. Attorneys selected a jury Monday afternoon and were scheduled to begin opening arguments Tuesday morning. The voluntary manslaughter count, which carried a maximum 30year sentence, was a lesser-included offense to the murder charge Lloyd faced if he went forth with the trial. He was charged with armed robbery and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime in connection with Jones’ slaying. The weapons charge carried a mandatory five-year sentence that would have been added onto his time in state custody. Court records indicate both those charges were dismissed as part of the plea arrangement. Prosecutors were slated to argue Lloyd was the triggerman in the killing, which unfolded Oct. 6 in the first block of Brunhill Street. Police found Jones lying dead on the pavement outside a home with multiple gunshot wounds to the chest. Lloyd was one of three Sumter men that authorities arrested in the case. Police reports indicate robbery was the motive behind the shooting. Columbia defense attorney Victor Li represented Lloyd on Tuesday and said he was prepared to argue that his client was not the shooter in the case. “They made him an offer that was too good. And rather than risk 30 (years), even though we think we had a really good case, we took it. It’s really a math problem.” Records indicated Lloyd also pleaded guilty to a second-degree assault and battery count during Tuesday’s plea hearing. The charge stemmed from an August attack on a 34-year-old correctional officer at the Sumter-Lee Regional Detention Center, where the defendant was housed during his lead up to trial. The guard reportedly was rushed to the ER at Tuomey Regional Medical Center and to had have stitches in his mouth and staples placed in his head to close a gash he suffered. A judge sentenced him to time served on that charge.

“We have a systematic problem that needs a systematic fix,” said Steven Burritt, Program and Fund Development manager with Mothers Against Drunk Driving. South Carolina is ranked No. 1 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in state traffic deaths caused by drunken driving, with 44 percent of all deaths. The national average is 31 percent. In 2013, there were 335 drunken driving deaths in the state. “To imagine what would happen if in the process of trying to get accountability and justice for the offender, (victims’ families) have to listen as someone got off on a technicality because a foot was obscured by a car hood or a shadow fell across something — it would be a second victimization that I just couldn’t accept,” said Burritt. “Let’s bring some sanity back to this process and begin to dig ourselves out of being the worst in the nation for drunk driving,” he implored legislators. Law enforcement offered real examples of videos where offenders’ cases were dismissed for various technicalities. They showed individuals in the videos performing certain field tests, and in one instance the offender had crashed his vehicle in front of a police station and was what the demonstrator called “grossly intoxicated,” and he could “barely walk.” The individual’s feet were obscured by the hood of the officer’s car, and as a result, the case was “deemed a violation of the video recording statute,” and the case was

KEITH GEDAMKE / THE SUMTER ITEM

Steven Burritt, Program and Fund Development manager for MADD, talks about the loopholes which need to be changed in S.C.’s DUI laws during a press conference on Tuesday at the State house in Columbia. dismissed. He is now considered innocent of drunken driving under South Carolina law, according to the demonstrator. Ernest “Chip” Finney III, solicitor for the Third Judicial Circuit that includes Sumter County, said the idea is to add language that prevents a judge from “getting hung up” on perceived problems in the video or even relying solely on the video at all. “I think we can save a lot of cases by allowing judges to say that the case doesn’t rest totally on the video,” he said. “The jury needs a sense of weighing testimony from the officer that was there.” He said new legislation would give law enforcement another tool to keep serious drunken driving offenders off the roads. “There’s a broad base of support for changing this,”

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HALEY FROM PAGE A1 away through the help of Sistercare in 2010. He was arrested just once — for breaking a restraining order — despite 13 police reports and more than 30 incidents, she said. “There are a lot of cracks in the system,” said the West Columbia mother of two, who’s on the task force and hopes more survivors share their stories with the group. “It’s very easy to get into an abusive relationship. It’s very hard to get out.” Haley created the task force after legislators advanced their own proposals for curbing the problem. Haley reiterated her stance Tuesday that no legislation will solve it. The Senate Judiciary Committee voted overwhelmingly last month to advance Chairman Larry Martin’s bill to the Senate floor for debate. A House study committee, created last August, introduced its proposal last month. Both bills would create tiered penalties for abusers, giving prosecutors more options. Martin’s bill also seeks to prevent known abusers from having easy access to guns. He thinks that’s critical to reducing the state’s dismal death statistics, saying lawmakers have studied the issue to death over the last decade, and it’s time to get serious. Under Martin’s proposal, an abuser could not possess a gun while under protective orders, and those convicted of domestic violence could not possess a gun for a decade after their sentence is served. Some first-time offenders could undergo counseling to avoid that penalty. The ban is already federal law, which would require federal prosecution. State and local law enforcement can’t enforce it without a corresponding state law. More than 36,000 people annually report a domestic violence incident to law enforcement agencies across South Carolina, according to the state attorney general’s office.

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said Braden Bunch, public information officer for Sumter County Sheriff’s Office. Bunch said the issue is nonpolitical and is more of a common sense movement, evidenced by the widespread support behind the proposed changes. Bunch and Jarrod Bruder, executive director of the South Carolina Sheriffs’ Association, said the issue as it stands now is non-discretionary and that the hope to tweak the language in current DUI provisions is based on the desire to bring any and all evidence before a jury. “If sufficient evidence exists to continue a case, we should be able to continue a case,” said Bruder. “We just don’t want cases thrown out over a technicality in a video.” He said he can’t know for sure but that offenders whose cases are dismissed

in such a fashion are “likely” to be repeat offenders, further endangering themselves and other South Carolina drivers. Sumter’s legislators are behind the call to eliminate the technicalities that defend drunken drivers. “We have to do something to make our highways more safe in this state,” said state Sen. Thomas McElveen, DSumter. “Right now, with some of the statutory requirements, judges are kind of handcuffed. We have to give judges more discretion.” McElveen said that in these cases when video evidence doesn’t “rise to the level that it should” under current law, it doesn’t mean an individual is unimpaired. “Problems or technicalities with the video should not be a way for an impaired person to sidestep a conviction,” he said.

WORLD

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2015

THE SUMTER ITEM

Attacks Carpet weavers won’t let craft die out against girls up BY FRANK JORDANS The Associated Press BERLIN — Girls in at least 70 countries have faced threats, violent attacks and other abuse for trying to go to school during the past five years, the U.N. human rights office said Monday. A report by the Genevabased body noted that, despite some progress, girls still face difficulty getting an education in many countries around the world. “Attacks against girls accessing education persist and, alarmingly, appear in some countries to be occurring with increasing regularity,” the authors found. The report cites as examples the kidnapping of nearly 300 schoolgirls in Nigeria last year, the shooting of education activist Malala Yousafzai in 2012 and the forced removal of girls from schools by the Somali extremist group al-Shabab in 2010. “According to U.N. sources, more than 3,600 separate attacks against educational institutions, teachers and students were recorded in 2012 alone,” it said. The authors warned that the attacks have a “ripple effect” that sends a signal to parents of other girls that schools are not safe. “The removal of girls from education due to fears for their security and concerns about their subsequent marriageability may result in additional human rights violations such as child and forced marriage, domestic violence, early pregnancy, exposure to other harmful practices, trafficking and sexual and labor exploitation,” the report said. The authors concluded that attacks against schoolgirls can’t be prevented without addressing broader patterns of violence and discrimination against women and girls. They recommended devoting more money to ensure girls can go to school without the threat of violence and promoting the benefits that universal access to education has for society as a whole.

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PIROT, Serbia (AP) — A Pirot carpet has magical powers, they say, its colorful patterns and symbols designed to bring luck and protect from evil. Nearly every home in this eastern Serbian town has one — big or small, rolled out on the floor, wrapped around the furniture or hung on the wall. Yet Pirot’s centuries-old craft of carpet weaving is in danger of dying out, and a group of women have been fighting to keep it alive. Pirot carpet-weaving is “in the biggest crisis in its history ... a rare craft on the verge of extinction,” the Lady’s Heart group says. Famous for their beauty and part of Serbia’s rich heritage, Pirot carpets are made by local women from locally bred wool according to special rules laid down for hundreds of years. “It is a very slow process. It takes a long time to weave a Pirot carpet,” said Slavica Ciric, who launched the Lady’s Heart business several years ago with the help of the authorities and donors including USAID. Sitting on low wooden benches, the women work gently, using nothing but their fingers to weave through wool stretched on vertical looms. Because the carpets are handmade with complex geometrical designs, one weaver produces less than a square meter per month, Ciric explained. Marina Cvetkovic, from Belgrade’s Ethnographic Museum, said Pirot carpets are known for their rich colors and

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

A carpet weaver stretches wool on a loom recently in the eastern Serbian town of Pirot. The carpet weaving in Pirot — done only by local women and according to special rules — is a centuries-old tradition that is part of Serbia’s rich national heritage and one of the oldest Balkan crafts. composition. There are nearly 100 known Pirot motifs and shapes. Original Pirot carpets are extremely dense, thin and have the same design on both sides. The town, near the boundary with Bulgaria, used to lie on an important East-West trading route. “We know for sure they existed in the 18th and 19th century, but some experts believe they go back to the

16th (century),” she said. Weavers have dropped from 5,000 women a century ago to only about 10 professionals and several older women today, Ciric said. Still, she said, they love what they do. “For most people, those are just colorful carpets, but we see more,” she said. “We see a story unfolding through symbols and colors.”

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Yuck-free TV E

ven though my great aunt never smoked a cigarette in her life, she died a painful and tragic death from lung cancer, the victim of secondhand smoke from her husband, who had smoked cigarettes since he was young. It was a terrible thing for her and for all of us who loved her. Having shared this background, I hope you understand that I’m completely sympathetic with victims of lung disease and grieve over the countless lives lost to smoking. But I can also tell you another thing that makes me shudder in horror and that’s the graphic television comLeslie Anne mercials that Harrison are aimed at smokers. Oh sure, the shock factor works for many who need to see the harsh realities of smoking, but come on — do the rest of us also have to be punished by such nasty, gruesome situations such as people removing their teeth, shaving around their trachea and gulping down the formaldehyde from the frog jar in science class? A few of these ads pull at your heartstrings, which I think is highly effective, but most of them pull on your gag reflex, and those are the ads I find appalling. When our family sees the first second of one of these squeamish public announcements, everyone in the room, including the tough men, scream and race for the remote control. We can’t turn the station fast enough. It makes me want to find someone who smokes and thump ’em on the forehead and say, “What are you thinking? Not only are you putting your health in jeopardy by smoking, but now because of your addiction to nicotine, I’m also being subjected to these irritating commercials. Happy now?” It’s not just the smokers who are responsible for turning our TV sets into conveyors of crassness. The pharmaceutical companies do their part to repulse us as well. There was a time when it was considered vulgar to even say the word “pregnant” on TV, yet today, the drug companies will tell you in graphic detail what to do to avoid it,

COMMENTARY encourage it and enjoy it — while the viewers jump up and run away, suddenly remembering they have to study, walk the dog or poke their eyes out. Since I’ve always had an interest in science, I usually have a high tolerance for medical information, but it’s not the same thing as these ads. The one time I was ever sent to my room from the dinner table was because I innocently relayed details about that day’s ninth-grade biology lab. To my disappointment, no one else at the table was as excited as I was to have discovered exactly where chitlins came from. But discussing dissection over dumplings was tame conversation compared to the rudeness TV now brings into my home. There’s a good reason the marketing executives for pharmaceutical companies haven’t been invited to my mama’s house for dinner. My son and his friends were piled in the family room watching a TV movie about aliens. While I passed out the popcorn, a catchy tune started to play and a happy voice delivered a message about women’s plumbing issues. Howling and screaming ensued and the party took an uncomfortable turn as I beat a path, licketysplit, out of the room. Before the movie was over, they also got an earful about dysfunctional man parts and toe fungus. First, the government allowed cigarette companies to advertise which made people sick and addicted, which led to banning the ads all together. Now they are spending taxpayer money to get us to stop smoking. Not learning from the past, our current elected officials have allowed drug companies to advertise, and the public has never been more overmedicated, screwed up and grossed out. Do you detect a pattern here? The day they ban these types of ads is when I’ll raise a glass and give a toast to yuck-free TV. And I can promise you, my glass won’t contain frog juice. Leslie Anne Harrison is a contributing writer for The Sumter Item and Gulf Coast Newspapers — www.gulfcoastnewstoday.com. She also has a popular website — Fairhope Supply Co. — which can be found at www.fairhopesupply.com. She can be reached at la@ fairhopesupply.com.

COMMENTARY

Economic fairness and justice

xfam reports that the richest 1 percent of people in the world own 48 percent of the world’s wealth. Many claim that we should be alarmed by income inequality because it hampers upward mobility. Others argue that because income is distributed so unevenly, justice and fairness require income redistribution. Let’s look at fairness and justice. What constitutes fairness and justice has been debated for centuries. Widespread agreement has proved to be elusive at best. However, I think that an important part of an intelligent discussion about fairness and justice is the recognition that knowing results of a process cannot establish whether there is fairness or justice. Take a simple example. Suppose Tom, Dick and Harry play a weekly game of poker. The game’s result is that Tom wins 75 percent of the time. Dick and Harry, respectively, win 15 Walter percent and 10 percent of Williams the time. Knowing the results of the game permits us to say absolutely nothing about whether there has been poker fairness or justice. Tom’s disproportionate winnings may be a result of his being an astute player or a clever cheater. To determine whether there has been poker justice, we must ask process questions. Was there obedience to neutral game rules, such as those of Hoyle’s? Were the cards unmarked and dealt from the top of the deck? Did the players play voluntarily? If the answers to these questions are affirmative, there was poker justice, regardless of the outcome, including Tom’s winning 75 percent of the time. Similarly, a person’s income is a result of something. Knowing that one person’s yearly income is $500,000 and another’s is $12,000 tells us nothing about economic justice or fairness. To determine whether there has been economic justice, one has to ask process questions. Most people — including economists, much to their shame — who discuss income inequality fail to acknowledge or make explicit that income is a result of something. As such, a result cannot be used to determine fairness or justice. To determine whether there has been economic justice or fairness, we must go beyond results and examine processes. Let’s look at a couple of examples, among hundreds, of processes that cause economic unfairness. Taxi owner-operators can earn an annual income of $70,000 or more. Many people can manage to buy a car and the necessary items to become an owner-operator for less than $30,000. Here’s the unfairness: In order for someone to operate a taxi legally, many cities require the owner to purchase a license, or medallion. In Philadelphia, Chicago, Boston and New York,

‘There are hundreds, possibly thousands, of examples in which the economic game is rigged. Instead of focusing on what’s claimed to be an unfair income distribution, we need to examine whether there is injustice in the rules of the economic game. But that’s whistlin’ “Dixie.” Politicians receive large financial contributions from vested interests to write laws that rig the economic game.’ medallions cost between $350,000 and $700,000. The effect of these licensing requirements is to close the market to most prospective entrants and thereby create economic injustice. There have been instances in which managers of Housing and Urban Development low-income housing projects have wanted to repair dilapidated units by employing residents to perform some of the unskilled work, such as pulling out unsalvageable parts of the building and assisting skilled craftsmen. However, the Davis-Bacon Act, which covers federally financed or assisted construction, requires that the workers be paid union wages. If high union wages must be paid, the manager is forced to hire only skilled laborers, very few of whom are residents of the project. That means these workers earn less. It is economic injustice to deny a person who is ready, willing and able to work the opportunity to do so. There are hundreds, possibly thousands, of examples in which the economic game is rigged. Instead of focusing on what’s claimed to be an unfair income distribution, we need to examine whether there is injustice in the rules of the economic game. But that’s whistlin’ “Dixie.” Politicians receive large financial contributions from vested interests to write laws that rig the economic game. Walter E. Williams is a professor of economics at George Mason University. © 2015 creators.com

EDITORIAL PAGE POLICIES

PHOTO PROVIDED

This used to be as bad as it got for smoking commercials. First, the government allowed cigarette companies to advertise, which made people sick and addicted, which led to banning the ads all together. Now they are spending taxpayer money to get us to stop smoking.

COLUMNS AND COMMENTARY are the personal opinion of the writer whose byline appears. Columns from readers should be typed, double-spaced and no more than 850 words. Send them to The Sumter Item, Opinion Pages, P.O. Box 1677, Sumter, S.C. 29151, or email to hubert@theitem. com or graham@theitem.com. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR are written by readers of the newspaper. They should be no more than 350 words and

sent via e-mail to letters@theitem.com, dropped off at The Sumter Item office, 20 N. Magnolia St. or mailed to The Sumter Item, P.O. Box 1677, Sumter, S.C. 29151, along with the full name of the writer, plus an address and telephone number for verification purposes only. Letters that exceed 350 words will be cut accordingly in the print edition, but available in their entirety at www.theitem.com/opinion/ letters_to_editor.

A10

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2015

FYI The Sumter County YouthBuild Zumba classes will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Program is accepting applicaWednesdays at the Parks tions for its February 2015 YouthBuild accepting and applications until Recreation building on enrollment at the South Feb. 13 Haynsworth Street. Classes Sumter Resource Center, are $5 each and no registra337 Manning Ave. This protion is required. Contact gram is for those 17-24 Deanne Lewis at zumyears old who have not finbadeanne@gmail.com. ished high school. Participants will be engaged in The Palmetto Singles Club completing GED/high school holds a dance from 7 to 10 diploma certification and p.m. on the first and third job training in construction. Fridays of each month at Participants will earn an the VFW on Gion Street. Call Americorps Education Sarah Shorter at (803) 847Award to be used for col3288. lege or trade school. Call Sumter Area Toastmasters Mr. Moore at (803) 436-2277 or stop by South Sumter Re- meets at 7 p.m. each Tuesday at the Sumter Mall comsource Center. Deadline for munity room, 1057 Broad St. applications is Feb. 13. The group helps in developThe Rembert Area Community ing speaking and leadership Coalition (RACC) is accepting skills. Call Douglas Wilson applications for the 2014-15 at (803) 778-0197 or Rebecca after school program. AppliGonzalez at (803) 565-9271. cations can be obtained at Navy and Marine Corps shipthe main office, 8455 Cammates who served on the den Highway, Rembert, SC USS Columbus CA-74/CG-12 29128. For information, call from 1944 through 1976 and (803) 432-2001. the USS Columbus (SSN-762) Having cancer is hard. Finding past and present, to share help shouldn’t be. Free help memories and camaraderie for cancer patients from the with old friends and make American Cancer Society. new ones, contact Allen R. Transportation to treatHope, president, 3828 Hobment, help for appearance son Road, Fort Wayne, IN related side effects of treat- 46815-4505; (260) 486-2221 8 ment, nutrition help, onea.m.-5 p.m.; fax (260) 492on-one breast cancer sup9771; or email at hope4391@ port, free housing away verizon.net. from home during treatHospice Care of Sumter LLC is ment, help finding clinical in need of volunteers in Sumtrials, someone to talk to — ter and surrounding counall free. Call (800) 227-2345. ties. Opportunities available The Rembert Area Community for you to use your time and Coalition (RACC) offers a setalents to be of assistance nior citizens program 10 a.m.- include reading, musical talnoon each Monday and ents, companionship, light Wednesday at 6785 Bradley housekeeping, etc. Contact St. (behind community car Joyce Blanding at (803) 883wash), Rembert, SC 29128. 5606 or hospicecareofsumTransportation is available. ter@yahoo.com. For details, call (803) 432Agape Hospice is in need of 2001. volunteers. Whether your Sumter High School Class of passion is baking, knitting, 1975 will hold a 40-year reading, singing, etc., Agape class reunion celebration Hospice can find a place for May 29-31. Send all address- you. Contact Thandi Blandes to cindyd27@juno.com. ing at (803) 774-1075, (803) 260-3876 or tblanding@ Are you a breast cancer survivor? Maggie L. Richardson is agapsenior.com. seeking other survivors to Hospice Care of South Carolina form a music group and is in need of volunteers in give back to the community. Sumter County. Do you have If you are interested in join- one extra hour a week? Oping, contact her at mlrminportunities are available for stry2012@gmail.com or patient/family companion(803) 236-9086. ship, administrative support, meal preparation, light The Second (Indianhead) Divihousehold projects, student sion Association is searching education and various other for anyone/everyone who tasks. Contact Whitney Rogserved in the 2nd Infantry Division. Visit www.2ida.org ers, regional volunteer coordinator, at (843) 409-7991 or or contact Mike Davino at whitney.rogers@hospicecMDavino@yahoo.com or are.net. (919) 498-1910.

DAILY PLANNER

THE SUMTER ITEM

WEATHER

AccuWeather® ﬁve-day forecast for Sumter TODAY

TONIGHT

Plenty of sunshine

Clear

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

Sunny and Cooler with brilliant increasingly windy sunshine

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

Partly to mostly sunny and windy

Sunny, windy and colder

56°

37°

61° / 24°

44° / 28°

56° / 21°

38° / 21°

Chance of rain: 0%

Chance of rain: 10%

Chance of rain: 5%

Chance of rain: 0%

N 4-8 mph

SSW 3-6 mph

W 10-20 mph

WNW 7-14 mph

WSW 15-25 mph

NW 15-25 mph

TODAY’S SOUTH CAROLINA WEATHER

Gaﬀney 56/33 Spartanburg 57/35

Greenville 57/36

Columbia 59/36

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

IN THE MOUNTAINS

Sumter 56/37

Aiken 59/36

ON THE COAST

Charleston 58/38

Today: Sunny. High 52 to 60. Thursday: Plenty of sunshine; warmer in central parts. High 60 to 65.

LOCAL ALMANAC

LAKE LEVELS

SUMTER THROUGH 4 P.M. YESTERDAY

Today Hi/Lo/W 62/39/s 36/8/sf 67/37/s 35/14/sn 74/48/s 86/57/s 66/45/s 31/21/pc 67/42/s 38/27/pc 81/57/s 66/50/s 45/31/pc

SUN AND MOON 7 a.m. yest. 357.72 74.45 74.20 96.86

24-hr chg +0.04 +0.06 none +0.02

Sunrise 7:11 a.m. Moonrise 12:13 a.m.

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

1.52" 2.24" 1.18" 7.04" 3.10" 5.12"

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

55° 46° 58° 34° 79° in 1994 14° in 1995

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 45/22/pc 13/5/sf 54/33/pc 16/1/sf 63/37/pc 88/57/s 61/34/s 31/11/sn 71/38/s 40/15/sf 80/53/s 69/52/s 45/18/c

Myrtle Beach 52/39

Manning 57/37

Today: Plenty of sun. Winds southwest 4-8 mph. Clear. Thursday: Intervals of clouds and sun. Winds west-northwest 10-20 mph.

Temperature High Low Normal high Normal low Record high Record low

Florence 56/37

Bishopville 56/35

Sunset 6:02 p.m. Moonset 11:19 a.m.

Last

New

First

Full

Feb. 11

Feb. 18

Feb. 25

Mar. 5

TIDES

Flood 7 a.m. 24-hr stage yest. chg 12 7.78 -0.16 19 3.73 +0.02 14 7.04 -0.26 14 2.94 +0.23 80 76.73 -0.27 24 7.67 +0.67

AT MYRTLE BEACH

High 1:22 a.m. 1:34 p.m. 2:18 a.m. 2:30 p.m.

Today Thu.

Ht. 2.7 2.5 2.7 2.5

Low 8:26 a.m. 8:30 p.m. 9:26 a.m. 9:29 p.m.

Ht. 0.5 0.2 0.5 0.2

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

Today Hi/Lo/W 59/30/s 61/38/s 61/34/s 60/41/s 43/34/pc 58/38/s 56/34/s 59/39/s 59/36/s 55/34/s 40/28/pc 52/34/s 53/34/s

Thu. Hi/Lo/W 38/16/sf 50/20/pc 59/21/s 63/28/s 55/27/s 65/27/s 54/19/pc 51/22/pc 61/23/s 58/24/s 51/21/pc 59/25/s 58/24/s

Today City Hi/Lo/W Florence 56/37/s Gainesville 66/38/s Gastonia 56/34/pc Goldsboro 50/32/s Goose Creek 57/38/s Greensboro 54/30/pc Greenville 57/36/s Hickory 56/35/pc Hilton Head 56/44/s Jacksonville, FL 64/40/s La Grange 66/36/s Macon 63/37/s Marietta 61/37/s

Thu. Hi/Lo/W 61/25/s 69/29/s 53/20/pc 55/24/s 65/27/s 50/19/pc 53/20/pc 45/19/pc 61/32/s 68/28/s 51/22/s 55/21/s 44/20/pc

Today City Hi/Lo/W Marion 58/31/s Mt. Pleasant 57/39/s Myrtle Beach 52/39/s Orangeburg 58/38/s Port Royal 58/41/s Raleigh 51/32/s Rock Hill 55/31/s Rockingham 54/31/s Savannah 61/41/s Spartanburg 57/35/s Summerville 57/43/s Wilmington 52/33/s Winston-Salem 54/31/pc

Thu. Hi/Lo/W 43/17/sf 65/28/s 62/28/s 62/26/s 62/30/s 52/21/pc 54/18/pc 56/21/pc 65/26/s 53/20/pc 62/31/s 63/26/s 49/19/pc

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

PUBLIC AGENDA

For Comfort You Can Count On, Better Make It Boykin!

SUMTER COUNTY VOTER REGISTRATION / ELECTION COMMISSION Thursday, 5:30 p.m., registration / election office, 141 N. Main St.

803-795-4257 www.boykinacs.com License #M4217

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Make EUGENIA LAST whatever changes are necessary to improve your standard of living. A residential move or personal investment will help you reach your financial goals. Deal with institutions, corporations or government agencies to get all your paperwork in order.

The last word in astrology

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): What you do to help those in need will result in satisfaction and high returns. A romantic relationship will lead to a much closer bond if handled with care. Your determination will be enough to win favors and improve your reputation. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Stand your ground and refuse to let anyone limit your dreams. Avoid individuals who pass responsibilities your way or try to guilt you into doing more than your share. A change of plans will leave you stranded. Emotional ultimatums can be expected. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Don’t stop until you reach your destination. Network and socialize with your peers and you will be offered an opportunity. Change should be welcomed with open arms. Share your ideas with someone special, and your relationship will flourish. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Travel and check out real estate or an activity that intrigues you. You will learn from the people you encounter. A change in the way you do things or the way you live will be beneficial. Greater prosperity is heading your way. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Delegate jobs to someone you trust. You have more to offer than you realize, and if you partner with someone who is just as able as you, there is no limit to what you can achieve. Thrive on change and it will

impress onlookers. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Do the best job possible. A good idea can turn into a lucrative endeavor. Strive for perfection and uniqueness, and you will receive recognition. A romantic tie to someone special will ease your mind and boost your confidence. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Catch up on domestic duties or make personal improvements. What you have to offer will change someone’s opinion of you. A change of plans will give you more time to enjoy your favorite pastimes. Romance and sharing will enhance your personal life. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Fight for your rights and stand up to criticism. Do your own thing and give others the same option and privilege. Someone you least expect will have something important to contribute. Offer positive suggestions and ask pertinent questions.

LOTTERY NUMBERS PALMETTO CASH 5 TUESDAY

POWERBALL SATURDAY

MEGAMILLIONS TUESDAY

6-8-14-19-31 PowerUp: 3

5-10-21-34-58 Powerball: 33; Powerplay: 5

Numbers unavailable at press time

PICK 3 TUESDAY

PICK 4 TUESDAY

6-6-5 and 3-4-6

2-8-1-0 and 5-9-4-5

LUCKY FOR LIFE MONDAY 8-15-25-33-41 Lucky Ball: 17

PICTURES FROM THE PUBLIC

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Focus on the present and put the past behind you. Check out new opportunities and take advantage of what’s being offered. Get in touch with someone who has something to contribute, and you will develop a prosperous partnership. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): A spiritual, physical or emotional trip will pay off. Get involved in conversations that will help you understand your current situation. An uncertainty you face will be cleared up, allowing you the chance to move ahead with your plans. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Money, settlements or legal contracts should be dealt with responsibly. A relationship will be enhanced by a decision you make. A change to your standard of living will help you accomplish your dreams, hopes and wishes.

Cindy Benson comments on her photo submission, “I took this picture on Saturday, Jan. 17, in my driveway. I thought it was a pretty Sumter sunset after a rainy week and the first sunny day.”

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

Notre Dame clips Clemson 60-58

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2015

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

PREP BASKETBALL

PREP FOOTBALL

Slimmest of margins

LHS tabs Jackson as new coach

Sumter girls hold on to beat WFHS, earn region title BY EDDIE LITAKER Special To The Sumter Item On Jan. 27, Sumter High School’s varsity girls basketball team journeyed to Florence and ended West Florence’s 11-game winning streak, knocking the Lady Knights from the top spot in the 4A state poll. West Florence came to the SHS gymnasium on Tuesday determined to end a 16-game Sumter winning streak and knock the Lady Gamecocks from the top spot in both the polls and the Region VI standings. While it was not pretty by any stretch of the imagination, the Lady Gamecocks managed to eek out a 50-48 victory over the Lady Knights to clinch the region championship and extend their long winning streak while hitting on just eight of 24 free-throw attempts. Sumter battled from behind for most of the first half, managing just two ties with West Florence. However, those ties served as bookends for the half, with the first coming at 2-2 and the second at 23-23 heading to the locker room. In between, the Lady Knights led by as much as eight, taking a 21-13 lead after a Kortni Simmons layup off a steal. From that point, at the 4:54 mark of the second quarter, the Lady Gamecocks launched a 10-2 rally to pull even. Cy Cooper had six, including a lane jumper with six seconds left to forge the tie, while Kyra Wilson’s six first-half points included Sumter’s

SEE MARGINS, PAGE B4

BY DENNIS BRUNSON dennis@theitem.com

KEITH GEDAMKE / THE SUMTER ITEM

Sumter’s Jessica Harris (20) shoots over West Florence’s Jazmyne Jackson on Tuesday during the Lady Gamecocks’ 50-48 victory at the SHS gymnasium.

Fisher’s OT basket seals region for WH BY MICHAEL CHRISTOPHER michaelc@theitem.com DALZELL — Wilson Hall varsity girls basketball players Hannah Jordan and Nicolette Fisher each took a turn hitting the hard floor of Thomas Sumter Academy’s Edens Gymnasium, but both had a clear focus when the game was on the line on Tuesday. Jordan dribbled through the middle of the lane and Fisher converted the easy, wide-open layup to give the Lady Barons a 36-34 overtime victory, edging TSA for the second straight time with a lastminute shot. “The play we called is a very similar play that we ran at the end of game the last time,” Wilson Hall head coach Glen Rector said of the game-deciding sequence in a 41-40 victory over TSA on Jan. 23. “And I told Hannah when I called the timeout, I said, ‘More than likely they’re going to crash in on you when you try to go to the basket this time. So I want Nic and Lauren (Goodson) to be on the wing and go to the basket when you go there. One of those two girls is going to be open, you’re just going to have to keep your head up.’ And fortunately, she found Nic with a great pass and Nic hit a great shot.” The victory clinched the SCISA Region II-3A regu-

A familiar face first in Sumter School District 2 and then in Sumter School District has been called upon to be the new head football coach at Lakewood High School. Brian Jackson, a member of Keith Crolley’s coaching staff during his 16 years as the head coach at Crestwood, has been selected as the new head coach at Lakewood, Crestwood’s Region JACKSON VI-3A rival. Jackson, who is currently serving as the athletic director at Crestwood and has not coached this school year, found out he had a yearning to be back on the sideline. “Doing the AD stuff is what I thought I would want to do for the rest of my career, but I was off the field, away from the players,” said Jackson, who will be taking on his first head job. “I found out though that my passion was coaching. I wanted to get back to coaching. “I’ve been dealing with the coaches and being with the kids,” Jackson added. “It’s not the same as coaching the kids every day. The opportunity came and presented itself and I decided to go back and try it again.” Jackson worked as a volunteer assistant under head coach Curtis Threatt from 1992-94 before serving as a volunteer assistant under Don Clayton in his two years as Crestwood’s first head coach. He stayed on when Crolley was hired, serving as the offensive line coach on the junior varsity his first season. He became the varsity offensive line coach and took on the offensive

SEE JACKSON, PAGE B4

Darlington soars past Knights for top playoff seed BY LOU BEZJAK Morning News

time game with Orangeburg Prep, Calhoun Academy has played us tough and Laurence Manning will always play us tough at home. To win the region

DARLINGTON — In the box score, it will go down as a 3-point basket in a 14point victory for Darlington’s Marquis Green. However, for Green and the Falcons, the 3-pointer with less than three seconds left meant more than just a 77-63 victory over Crestwood. It gave the Falcons the tiebreaker over the Knights in Region 6-3A and the No. 1 seed from the region in the playoffs. Darlington finished tied with Crestwood at 8-2 in region play, but wins the tiebreaker, which is point differential in the two games between the Falcons and the Knights. Crestwood defeated Darlington 74-62 on Jan. 20, meaning the Falcons needed to win by at least 13 points Tuesday night. “It was like covering the spread in betting I guess. We had to get so many points.” Darlington head coach ken Howle said. “We turned the ball over so much tonight, but we were fortunate to be in that position at the end and Marquis was able to hit that shot.” It looked like the Darlington wouldn’t need any last second-heroics after its start. The Falcons hit six 3-pointers in the first half and led 49-28 at halftime. But Crestwood chipped away at the lead and got it to 74-63 on Darnell Robeteau’s two free throws 13.3 seconds left. Howle called timeout and wanted point guard Frankie Johnson to get

SEE WH, PAGE B4

SEE KNIGHTS, PAGE B4

KEITH GEDAMKE / THE SUMTER ITEM

Teammates Katie Scannella, left, and Catherine Kelley, right, hug Nicolette Fisher (13) after she hit the game-winning and region-clinching layup in overtime of Wilson Hall’s 36-34 victory over Thomas Sumter Academy on Tuesday at Edens Gymnasium in Dalzell. lar season title for Wilson Hall despite having one region game left against Laurence Manning Academy on Friday. WH, which improved to 18-4 overall and 7-0 in league play, will face Ben Lippen today.

“It’s a great accomplishment for these young ladies,” Rector said. “Our region is so competitive and we’ve had so many close games – we had this overtime game with Thomas Sumter, an over-

SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2015

THE SUMTER ITEM

SCOREBOARD

CLEMSON BASKETBALL

Washington Charlotte Miami Orlando CENTRAL DIVISION

TV, RADIO TODAY

2:55 p.m. -- International Soccer: Barclays Premier League Match -- Everton vs. Chelsea (NBC SPORTS NETWORK). 6:05 p.m. -- Talk Show: Sports Talk (WDXY-FM 105.9, WDXY-AM 1240). 7 p.m. -- College Basketball: La Salle at Virginia Commonwealth (CBS SPORTS NETWORK). 7 p.m. -- College Basketball: South Florida at Central Florida (ESPNEWS). 7 p.m. -- College Basketball: Syracuse at Boston College (ESPN2). 7 p.m. -- College Basketball: Kansas State at West Virginia (ESPNU). 7 p.m. -- College Basketball: Miami at Wake Forest (FOX SPORTSOUTH). 7 p.m. -- College Basketball: Georgia at Texas A&M (SEC NETWORK). 8 p.m. -- NBA Basketball: Miami at Cleveland (ESPN). 8 p.m. -- College Basketball: Villanova at Providence (FOX SPORTS 1). 8 p.m. -- NHL Hockey: Detroit at Pittsburgh (NBC SPORTS NETWORK) 9 p.m. -- College Basketball: Oregon at Southern California (ESPN2). 9 p.m. -- College Basketball: Morehead State at Eastern Kentucky (ESPNU). 9 p.m. -- College Basketball: Tennessee at Vanderbilt (SEC NETWORK). 10:30 p.m. -- NBA Basketball: Houston at Los Angeles Clippers (ESPN). 10:30 p.m. -- NHL Hockey: Washington at San Jose (NBC SPORTS NETWORK).

PREP SCHEDULE TODAY

Varsity Basketball Wilson Hall at Ben Lippen, 6 p.m. Varsity and JV Basketball Johnsonville at Lee Central (No JV Girls), 5 p.m.

THURSDAY

Varsity and JV Basketball Scott’s Branch at East Clarendon (No JV Girls), 5 p.m. Junior Varsity Basketball Sumter at Socastee, 6 p.m.

FRIDAY

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Notre Dame’s Jerian Grant (22) drives to the basket while defended by Clemson’s Landry Nnoko during the Fighting Irish’s 60-58 victory on Tuesday at Littlejohn Coliseum in Clemson.

Irish outlast Tigers 60-58 BY PETE IACOBELLI The Associated Press CLEMSON — Jerian Grant scored 22 points and Demetrius Jackson hit the tying and go-ahead baskets as No. 10 Notre Dame outlasted Clemson 60-58 on Tuesday night. The Tigers (14-10, 6-6 Atlantic Coast Conference) missed two shots at the end, including a 3-pointer by Damarcus Harrison that hit off the rim as time ran out. The Irish (22-4, 10-3) overcame a four-point deficit down the stretch to push past Clemson with Grant a major factor in the rally. Notre Dame trailed 56-52 after Rod Hall’s threepoint play for the Tigers with 4:07 to go. But Grant followed with two foul shots, then stole the ball to lead to Jackson’s tying layup. After Jackson’s basket put Notre Dame up for good 5856, Grant hit a fadeaway jumper. Notre Dame bounced back after a 90-60 loss at home last Saturday to No. 4 Duke. Jaron Blossomgame led Clemson with 17 points and 14 rebounds. Notre Dame is second in the ACC, scoring 80 points a game, yet looked like it would fall victim to Clemson’s style of tough defense and grinding

out each possession before scoring. The dynamic Grant pulled the Irish out of that funk in the final four minutes for the win to match the program’s best 26-game start last accomplished in 1980-81. Pat Connaughton had 14 points, including three of Notre Dame’s six 3-pointers. Jackson finished with 11 points. Harrison scored 15 points for Clemson. Both teams entered hoping to bounce back from disappointing losses. Notre Dame’s 30-point loss to Duke was its most lopsided loss since 1999. Clemson missed its chance to jump into the upper part of the ACC standings last Sunday, fading down the stretch in a 56-45 loss at Miami that ended the Tigers’ four-game win streak. Clemson came out fast in this one, using a 9-0 run early on the way to a 25-17 lead after Harrison’s jumper with 7:52 left in the half. Neither team was particularly sharp in the final five minutes before the break, combining to hit just five of 18 shots down the stretch. Clemson did not attempt a foul shot in the opening half after finishing with just one in the Miami loss.

USC BASKETBALL

Thornwell, Carolina top Mizzou 65-60 BY JEFFREY COLLINS The Associated Press COLUMBIA — Sindarius Thornwell scored 14 points and Laimonas Chatkevicius added 13 points and eight rebounds to lead South Carolina to a 65-60 win over Missouri in a game between the Southeastern Conference’s bottom two teams. The Gamecocks (12-11, 3-8 SEC) led by 10 in both the first and second halves, but couldn’t put the Tigers (717, 1-10) away until late. Missouri had cut South Carolina’s lead to 54-51 with less than three minutes to go when Thornwell hit his second 3-pointer of the game. The Gamecocks would stretch the lead to 10 again before the Tigers hit a couple of late 3-pointers. Missouri’s bad season took a turn for the worse. The Tigers had only nine players in uniform and lost sophomore guard Wes Clark to a gruesome arm injury in the second half. The Tigers have lost 10 in a row, fell

two games into last place in the SEC and are assured a losing conference record for only the third time in the past 18 seasons. It’s the longest losing streak for the Tigers in nearly 50 years. South Carolina appeared to be set to run away early. The Gamecocks led 12-2 seven minutes into the game. But Missouri stuck with its zone, and the Gamecocks appeared to settle for long shots. South Carolina finished the game shooting 7 of 25 on 3-pointers. Missouri took the lead just once in the second half on a dunk by Deuce Bello that put the Tigers up 34-32 with 17 minutes left. But the Gamecocks went on a 20-8 run. It was a solid second half for a team that gave up 15 straight points in a loss to Vanderbilt in their last game. Keith Shamburger led Missouri with 13 points. Clark scored 11 points before his injury with 13:18 left in the game. Johnathan Williams III also added 11 point for Missouri.

BASKETBALL ROUNDUP

Top-ranked Kentucky survives LSU 71-69 BATON ROUGE, La. — Willie Cauley-Stein scored 15 points and topranked Kentucky stayed unbeaten with another tough road win, 71-69 over LSU when the Tigers missed a 3-pointer that could have won it at the buzzer Tuesday night. Karl-Anthony Towns had 12 points and 13 rebounds, including a jump-hook that put UK up for good with 1:30 left,.

NBA PISTONS 106 HORNETS 78

CHARLOTTE — Greg Monroe had 23 points and 12 rebounds, D.J. Augustin added 18 points and Detroit handed Charlotte a 106-78 loss . From wire reports

Varsity Basketball Socastee at Sumter, 6 p.m. Varsity and JV Basketball Laurence Manning at Wilson Hall, 4 p.m.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCHEDULE The Associated Press

20 29 29 39

.623 .431 .431 .291

10 20 20 28

W 32 32 29 20 20

L 20 21 23 32 33

Pct .615 .604 .558 .385 .377

GB – 1/2 3 12 12 1/2

L 13 16 19 19 25

Pct .745 .686 .648 .635 .519

GB – 3 4 1/2 5 1/2 11 1/2

L 17 25 33 33 41

Pct .673 .519 .365 .365 .212

GB – 8 16 16 24

L 9 19 24 32 38

Pct .820 .642 .547 .360 .255

GB – 8 1/2 13 1/2 23 28 1/2

WESTERN CONFERENCE SOUTHWEST DIVISION W Memphis 38 Houston 35 Dallas 35 San Antonio 33 New Orleans 27 NORTHWEST DIVISION W Portland 35 Oklahoma City 27 Denver 19 Utah 19 Minnesota 11 PACIFIC DIVISION W Golden State 41 L.A. Clippers 34 Phoenix 29 Sacramento 18 L.A. Lakers 13

MONDAY’S GAMES

Golden State 89, Philadelphia 84 Washington 96, Orlando 80 San Antonio 95, Indiana 93 Miami 109, New York 95 Utah 100, New Orleans 96 Milwaukee 103, Brooklyn 97 Atlanta 117, Minnesota 105 L.A. Clippers 115, Dallas 98 Oklahoma City 124, Denver 114

TUESDAY’S GAMES

Detroit at Charlotte, 7 p.m. Houston at Phoenix, 8 p.m. Sacramento at Chicago, 8 p.m. Brooklyn at Memphis, 8 p.m. Denver at L.A. Lakers, 10:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY’S GAMES

New York at Orlando, 7 p.m. Washington at Toronto, 7:30 p.m. San Antonio at Detroit, 7:30 p.m. Atlanta at Boston, 7:30 p.m. Indiana at New Orleans, 8 p.m. Memphis at Oklahoma City, 8 p.m. Sacramento at Milwaukee, 8 p.m. Golden State at Minnesota, 8 p.m. Miami at Cleveland, 8 p.m. Utah at Dallas, 8:30 p.m. L.A. Lakers at Portland, 10 p.m. Houston at L.A. Clippers, 10:30 p.m.

THURSDAY’S GAMES

Cleveland at Chicago, 8 p.m.

TODAY

EAST Holy Cross at Army, 7 p.m. Syracuse at Boston College, 7 p.m. George Washington at Duquesne, 7 p.m. Bucknell at Navy, 7 p.m. Rhode Island at Saint Joseph’s, 7 p.m. UMass at St. Bonaventure, 7 p.m. Stony Brook at UMBC, 7 p.m. Mass.-Lowell at Vermont, 7 p.m. Kansas St. at West Virginia, 7 p.m. Lafayette at Loyola (Md.), 7:30 p.m. Colgate at Boston U., 8 p.m. Villanova at Providence, 8 p.m. DePaul at St. John’s, 9 p.m. SOUTH George Mason at Davidson, 7 p.m. Winthrop at High Point, 7 p.m. Longwood at Radford, 7 p.m. Fordham at Richmond, 7 p.m. South Florida at UCF, 7 p.m. Coll. of Charleston at UNC Wilmington, 7 p.m. La Salle at VCU, 7 p.m. Miami at Wake Forest, 7 p.m. Elon at William & Mary, 7 p.m. Coastal Carolina at Charleston Southern, 7:30 p.m. Pittsburgh at Louisville, 8 p.m. Virginia at NC State, 8 p.m. Morehead St. at E. Kentucky, 9 p.m. Belmont at Jacksonville St., 9 p.m. Indiana at Maryland, 9 p.m. Tennessee at Vanderbilt, 9 p.m. MIDWEST Penn St. at Ohio St., 7 p.m. Green Bay at Youngstown St., 7:45 p.m. IPFW at IUPUI, 8 p.m. S. Illinois at Loyola of Chicago, 8 p.m. Illinois St. at N. Iowa, 8 p.m. Indiana St. at Wichita St., 8 p.m. Bradley at Drake, 8:05 p.m. SOUTHWEST Georgia at Texas A&M, 7 p.m. TCU at Texas, 8 p.m. FAR WEST Air Force at Boise St., 9 p.m. Oregon at Southern Cal, 9 p.m. Oregon St. at UCLA, 10 p.m. Wyoming at San Diego St., 11 p.m.

THURSDAY

EAST Bryant at Fairleigh Dickinson, 7 p.m. Northeastern at Hofstra, 7 p.m. American U. at Lehigh, 7 p.m. Sacred Heart at Mount St. Mary’s, 7 p.m. LIU Brooklyn at Robert Morris, 7 p.m. Purdue at Rutgers, 7 p.m. Wagner at St. Francis (NY), 7 p.m. CCSU at St. Francis (Pa.), 7 p.m. Tulsa vs. UConn at the XL Center, Hartford, Conn., 7 p.m. Siena at Marist, 8 p.m. SOUTH E. Illinois at Austin Peay, 6:15 p.m. Mississippi at Florida, 7 p.m. Jacksonville at Kennesaw St., 7 p.m. W. Carolina at Mercer, 7 p.m. Florida Gulf Coast at N. Kentucky, 7 p.m. North Florida at SC-Upstate, 7 p.m. Presbyterian at UNC Asheville, 7 p.m. ETSU at UNC Greensboro, 7 p.m. Furman at VMI, 7 p.m. Chattanooga at Wofford, 7 p.m. UALR at Appalachian St., 7:30 p.m. Arkansas St. at Georgia Southern, 7:30 p.m. Stetson at Lipscomb, 7:30 p.m. FAU at Louisiana Tech, 7:30 p.m. Louisiana-Lafayette at Louisiana-Monroe, 8 p.m. SIU-Edwardsville at Murray St., 8 p.m. The Citadel at Samford, 8 p.m. Tennessee St. at Tennessee Tech, 8 p.m. South Alabama at Troy, 8:30 p.m. FIU at Southern Miss., 9 p.m. MIDWEST Minnesota at Iowa, 7 p.m. Ill.-Chicago at Wright St., 7 p.m. South Dakota at Nebraska-Omaha, 8 p.m. Montana at North Dakota, 8 p.m. Michigan at Illinois, 9 p.m. UT-Martin at SE Missouri, 9 p.m. SOUTHWEST UAB at North Texas, 8 p.m. W. Illinois at Oral Roberts, 8 p.m. Middle Tennessee at Rice, 8 p.m. CS Bakersfield at Texas-Pan American, 8 p.m. Old Dominion at UTSA, 8 p.m. Texas-Arlington at Texas St., 8:30 p.m. SMU at Houston, 9 p.m. Charlotte at UTEP, 9 p.m. FAR WEST Saint Mary’s (Cal) at BYU, 9 p.m. California at Colorado, 9 p.m. N. Dakota St. at Denver, 9 p.m. Loyola Marymount at Gonzaga, 9 p.m. Montana St. at N. Colorado, 9 p.m. Seattle at New Mexico St., 9 p.m. Stanford at Utah, 9 p.m. S. Utah at Weber St., 9 p.m. Sacramento St. at E. Washington, 9:05 p.m. N. Arizona at Idaho St., 9:05 p.m. CS Northridge at Cal Poly, 10 p.m. Portland St. at Idaho, 10 p.m. Pepperdine at Portland, 10 p.m. Pacific at San Diego, 10 p.m. Cal St.-Fullerton at UC Davis, 10 p.m. Long Beach St. at UC Santa Barbara, 10:30 p.m. Santa Clara at San Francisco, 11 p.m. UC Riverside at Hawaii, Mid Incarnate Word at Cent. Arkansas, 8 p.m.

NBA STANDINGS By The Associated Press

EASTERN CONFERENCE

NHL STANDINGS By The Associated Press EASTERN CONFERENCE ATLANTIC DIVISION GP W Tampa Bay 55 34 Montreal 52 34 Detroit 52 31 Boston 53 28 Florida 51 23 Toronto 54 23 Ottawa 51 20 Buffalo 54 16 METROPOLITAN DIVISION GP W N.Y. Islanders 53 34 Pittsburgh 53 30 Washington 54 28 N.Y. Rangers 51 30 Philadelphia 53 23 New Jersey 54 21 Columbus 52 23 Carolina 52 19

L 17 30 31 41 42

Pct .673 .412 .380 .226 .192

GB – 13 1/2 15 23 1/2 25

L 10

Pct .811

GB –

L OT Pts GF 16 5 73 179 15 3 71 141 12 9 71 155 18 7 63 139 17 11 57 127 27 4 50 153 22 9 49 139 35 3 35 102

GA 145 117 130 131 145 165 144 189

L OT Pts GF 18 1 69 167 15 8 68 151 16 10 66 157 16 5 65 152 22 8 54 145 24 9 51 122 26 3 49 135 26 7 45 116

GA 149 134 135 123 155 148 161 139

WESTERN CONFERENCE CENTRAL DIVISION GP W L OT Nashville 53 35 12 6 St. Louis 53 34 15 4 Chicago 54 33 18 3 Winnipeg 55 27 18 10 Minnesota 52 26 20 6 Dallas 53 24 21 8 Colorado 54 22 21 11 PACIFIC DIVISION GP W L OT Anaheim 54 34 13 7 Calgary 54 30 21 3 San Jose 55 28 20 7 Vancouver 52 29 20 3 Los Angeles 53 23 18 12 Arizona 54 20 27 7 Edmonton 54 15 30 9 NOTE: Two points for a win, overtime loss.

Pts 76 72 69 64 58 56 55

GF 161 168 163 152 144 167 137

GA 127 132 124 145 143 172 152

Pts 75 63 63 61 58 47 39 one

GF GA 162 148 156 137 154 153 143 136 144 144 125 178 123 178 point for

MONDAY’S GAMES

Arizona 3, Chicago 2, SO Edmonton 2, New Jersey 1 Los Angeles 4, Columbus 3 Minnesota 5, Vancouver 3 Calgary 4, San Jose 1

TUESDAY’S GAMES

Dallas at Boston, 7 p.m. Ottawa at Buffalo, 7 p.m. Edmonton at N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m. N.Y. Rangers at Toronto, 7:30 p.m. Philadelphia at Montreal, 7:30 p.m. Anaheim at Florida, 7:30 p.m. Arizona at St. Louis, 8 p.m. Tampa Bay at Nashville, 8 p.m. Minnesota at Winnipeg, 8 p.m.

TODAY’S GAMES

Detroit at Pittsburgh, 8 p.m. Vancouver at Chicago, 8 p.m. Washington at San Jose, 10:30 p.m.

THURSDAY’S GAMES

Toronto at N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m. Anaheim at Carolina, 7 p.m. Edmonton at Montreal, 7:30 p.m. Pittsburgh at Ottawa, 7:30 p.m. St. Louis at Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m. Winnipeg at Nashville, 8 p.m. Florida at Minnesota, 8 p.m. N.Y. Rangers at Colorado, 9 p.m. Calgary at Los Angeles, 10:30 p.m.

TRANSACTIONS By The Associated Press BASEBALL

COMMISSIONER’S OFFICE _ Suspended N.Y. Mets RHP Tim Peterson 80 games for a violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. American League LOS ANGELES ANGELS _ Agreed to terms with OF Matt Joyce on a one-year contract. National League PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES _ Assigned LHP Cesar Jimenez outright to Lehigh Valley (IL). WASHINGTON NATIONALS _ Assigned RHP Eric Fornataro outright to Syracuse (IL).

BASKETBALL

National Basketball Association ATLANTA HAWKS _ Traded F/C Adreian Payne to Minnesota for a protected future first-round draft pick. CHARLOTTE HORNETS _ Traded G Gary Neal and a second-round draft pick to Minnesota for Gs Mo Williams and Troy Daniels.

FOOTBALL

National Football League ATLANTA FALCONS _ Named Keith Carter assistant offensive line coach, Matt LaFleur quarterbacks coach, Doug Mallory defensive assistant/linebackers coach, Marquand Manuel secondary coach/senior defensive assistant, Mike McDaniel offensive assistant, Chris Morgan offensive line coach, Jeff Ulbrich linebackers coach and Chad Walker defensive assistant/defensive backs. NEW YORK JETS _ Signed CB Curtis Brown. WASHINGTON REDSKINS _ Signed OL Tyler Larsen and Ty Nsekhe.

HOCKEY

ATLANTIC DIVISION W Toronto 35 Brooklyn 21 Boston 19 Philadelphia 12 New York 10 SOUTHEAST DIVISION W Atlanta 43

Chicago Cleveland Milwaukee Detroit Indiana

33 22 22 16

National Hockey League MINNESOTA WILD _ Placed LWs Ryan Carter and Jason Zucker on injured reserve. Recalleed D Stu Bickel and F Brett Sutter from Iowa (AHL). NASHVILLE PREDATORS _ Recalled D Anthony Bitetto and F Viktor Stalberg from Milwaukee (AHL). WASHINGTON CAPITALS _ Recalled D Steven Oleksy from Hershey (AHL).

SPORTS

THE SUMTER ITEM

PRO BASKETBALL

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2015

USC WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Atlanta’s Budenholzer has become NBA’s hottest coach BY PAUL NEWBERRY The Associated Press ATLANTA — Mike Budenholzer may coach one of the best teams in the NBA. He can still get around Atlanta without being recognized. That suits him just fine. “I’m very fortunate that I can blend into the woodwork pretty easily,’’ said Budenholzer, whose Hawks have soared to the top of the Eastern Conference. If this keeps up, of course, the 45-year-old known to most as “Coach Bud’’ won’t be able to go anywhere without drawing a crowd. He’s already pulled off what many figured was an impossible feat: turning the Hawks into a relevant franchise within both the NBA and, more impressively, their own city. This guy with the receding hairline and boyish face, who few people outside of San Antonio had even heard of a couple of years ago, is suddenly the hottest coach in the NBA. The Hawks are 43-10, comfortably ahead in the East and going back-and-forth with Golden State for the league’s best record. Budenholzer earned the honor of coaching in Sunday night’s All-Star game at Madison Square Garden, a primetime stage that will surely make it more difficult to remain just another face in the crowd. He’s clearly uncomfortable sitting down for an interview or standing in front of a pack of cameras. He’d much rather be in the practice gym, decked out in sweat pants, T-shirt and sneakers, teaching the finer

points of a system that has transformed the Hawks into the epitome of a team. After Atlanta became the first squad in NBA history to go 17-0 in a calendar month, the entire starting five was named players of the month for January. One of them, Kyle Korver, played under Jerry Sloan in Utah and Tom Thibodeau in Chicago. In Korver’s eyes, Budenholzer tops them both — and not because he was the one who finally recognized the 33-yearold’s potential as a starter and not just as a 3-point specialist. “Guys love playing here, love playing for him,’’’ Korver said. “We believe in what he preaches, and we really enjoy him as a person. It’s very rare to find a basketball coach that gets both, that gets the Xs and Os and also gets life.’’ Jeff Teague, who has blossomed into one of the league’s top point guards under Budenholzer’s tutelage, spotted that other side last summer when he ran into the coach and his family at a Drake concert. “Just to see him out of coaching, enjoying his time with his family, it was a different vibe,’’ Teague said. The intensely private Budenholzer was caught off guard when that little nugget got out. “Some family secrets are supposed to stay in the family,’’ the coach said. “But it’s true. I thoroughly enjoyed the concert. I have a lot of respect for artists, especially Drake, that bring it every night.’’ His favorite song? “That,’’ Budenholzer said, with a nervous chuckle, “would be pushing it.’’

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Atlanta head coach Mike Budenholzer, right, has become one of the hottest coaches in the NBA this season after guiding the Hawks to the best record in the Eastern Conference.

AREA SCOREBOARD

(803) 436-2248 or visit its website at www.sumtercountysc. org.

SOFTBALL

BASEBALL

SPRING REGISTRATION

The Sumter County Recreation Department is currently taking registration for its spring baseball program. Registration for children ages 4-12 will run through Thursday. The last day to register for ages 13-14 will be March 20. Players will be placed in leagues bases on their ages as of April 30, 2015. The cost to register will be $35 for ages 4-6, $40 for 7-8, $45 for 9-10, $45 for 11-12 Traditional, $50 for 11-12 O-Zone and $50 for 13-14. A birth certificate is required if one is not on file at the recreation department. A mandatory coaches meeting will be held on Thursday at 6 p.m. at the recreation department, which is located at 155 Haynsworth Street. For more information, call the recreation department at

The Sumter County Recreation Department is currently taking registration for its spring softball program. Registration for children ages 5-12 will run through Thursday. The last day to register for ages 13-18 will be March 27. Players will placed in leagues based on their ages as of Dec. 31, 2014. The cost to register will be $35 for ages 5-6, $40 for 7-8 and $45 for 9-18. A birth certificate is required if one is not on file at the recreation department. A mandatory coaches meeting will be held on Thursday at 6 p.m. at the recreation department, which is located at 155 Haynsworth Street. For more information, call the recreation department at (803) 436-2248 or visit its website at www.sumtercountysc. org.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Connecticut’s Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis (23) reaches for the ball against South Carolina’s A’ja Wilson (22) during the second half of the Huskies’ 87-62 victory on Monday in Storrs, Conn.

Staley, Carolina not dwelling on 1st loss BY DOUG FEINBERG The Associated Press STORRS, Conn. — South Carolina coach Dawn Staley isn’t going to let her team dwell on its first loss of the season. The top-ranked Gamecocks still have many goals left to achieve. “This is absolutely part of our journey,’’ Staley said after the 87-62 defeat to No. 2 Connecticut on Monday night. “This isn’t a destination game for us. The only way this works for us is if we learn from it and use it.’’ Her players echoed their coach’s sentiment. “We’re not stunned. This is no way, shape or form the defining point in our season,’’ said Aleighsa Welch, who led the Gamecocks with 17 points and 11 rebounds. “We have to evaluate the film, ourselves. Learn from it and move on.’’ South Carolina came into this matchup of the top teams with wins in its first 22 games. The Gamecocks hadn’t allowed more than 63 points in a game and had found ways to win even

when they were down. They cut a 16-point halftime deficit to 10 early in the second half before UConn put the game away. UConn coach Geno Auriemma was impressed with the rise the Gamecocks have made under Staley. He feels they are very close to being a consistent national power. “South Carolina is twothirds of the way there,’’ Auriemma said. “The school wants to be a great basketball program and they have the right coach who knows how to do it. Now their recruiting base has to expand and that takes time. Once you start recruiting outside your area then the perception of your program changes.’’ Auriemma said he told Staley after the game that he’d like to see her again in the Final Four. “They are going to be playing deep into the NCAA tournament,’’ Auriemma said. “I told Dawn, I hope we play them in Tampa. That would be pretty special.’’ South Carolina (22-1) hung with UConn for 7 1/2 minutes and led 18-15 before

the Huskies (23-1) used a 21-2 run to take control. This game had been highly anticipated since it was the 54th meeting of The Associated Press women’s basketball poll’s top teams. Not even a blizzard that dropped around a foot of snow in the area could keep fans away. Students arrived more than two hours before the game started to get in their seats where T-shirts awaited with the phrase “Basketball Capital of the World’’ adorning the front. Even the 600 fans who couldn’t make it turned in their tickets so that students on campus could attend to make this game a sellout. This was the first on-campus sellout for UConn since last season’s senior day. “I can’t say enough about all the fans that braved the elements to come out here. That’s pretty special,’’ Auriemma said. The Gamecocks’ 22 straight wins to begin the season matched the best start by any team in school history tying the 2000 baseball and 1979-80 women’s tennis teams.

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SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2015

MARGINS

LCMS teams win conference titles

FROM PAGE B1 first four of the night. West Florence quickly took charge in the second half as Destinee Walker hit the back end of a 2-shot foul and Cayla Manning hit back-to-back 3-point shots for a 30-23 Lady Knights lead. One particularly painful stretch of the quarter for Sumter saw a personal and technical foul called on Simmons, but the Lady Gamecocks got no points in the transaction. Cooper missed the two foul shots, then Nijah Davis failed to connect on either of the technical shots. After Sumter failed to score on the ensuing possession, Simmons nailed a 3 on the other end to put West Florence up by six, 33-27. The Lady Knights closed out the quarter with a 35-30 lead. West Florence stayed on top through the early part of the fourth quarter, until a Wilson bucket put Sumter on top 41-40 with 5:10 to go. The Lady Knights scored the next five points to go back up 45-41 and still led 47-42 before the Lady Gamecocks closed on an 8-1 run for the win. Wilson and Cooper both closed with double-doubles of 11 points and 10 rebounds, with Wilson adding four blocked shots. Kadejuha Kennedy added nine points and four steals while Jessica Harris scored eight points and Davis ended with six points and nine boards for the Lady Gamecocks, who now stand at 21-2 and 9-0. Walker had 17 and Simmons 16 for the Lady Knights, who dropped to 20-4 and 7-2. Sumter’s boys kept their region championship hopes alive with a dominant fourth-quarter effort on the way to a 65-54 victory over the Knights. The Gamecocks entered the game locked in a 3-way

THE SUMTER ITEM

FROM STAFF REPORTS BISHOPVILLE — The Lee Central Middle School girls basketball team capped off an undefeated by winning the Upper Pee Dee Conference tournament title for the first time ever on Monday, while the Lee Central boys won their second straight conference tournament title at the Lee Central gymnasium. The Lady Stallions defeated Hannah-Pamplico 50-24 to finish the season with a 16-0 record. Robionne Myers led Lee Central with 27 points. Keoshia Evins added seven

BOYS AREA ROUNDUP

KEITH GEDAMKE / THE SUMTER ITEM

Sumter’s Nijah Davis, back, and Kyra Wilson, right, try to wrestle the ball away from West Florence’s Kortni Simmons during the Lady Gamecocks’ 50-48 victory on Tuesday at the SHS gymnasium. tie with West Florence and South Florence. The two Florence schools will battle on Thursday, but the outcome of that game will be of little consequence as Sumter can clinch the region’s No. 1 seed in the state playoffs with a win over Socastee. Sumter led 15-7 after one quarter, only to have West Florence rally to take a 25-24 lead at the break, with a Micah McBride buzzerbeating 3 pulling the Gamecocks within one. The third quarter was a true tussle as neither team ever led by more than four. McBride hit two more 3s to put Sumter up 27-25 and 30-28 before a

5-0 West Florence run gave the Knights a slight cushion. A Jaleb Cameron 3 gave WF a 40-36 lead and the Sumter deficit was three, 4138, heading to the final quarter. The key stretch for Sumter was a 10-0 run that gave the Gamecocks a 54-45 lead with 2:23 left in the game. The lead got up to 14 on two occasions before settling at the final 11-point margin after a Brandon Parker bucket to close the scoring. Cedric Rembert led the Gamecocks with 15 points, followed by Quentin Kershaw with 14, McBride with 12, all on 3s, and Parker with 10.

Bates, Alice Drive advance to Middle School title game Bates Middle School and Alice Drive advanced to the championship game of the Sumter Middle School Conference boys basketball tournament with semifinal victories on Monday. Top seed Bates defeated Chestnut Oaks 55-50 at the Bates gymnasium. Calvin Felder led the Bantams with 18 points while Micah Yates added 10. AD defeated Mayewood 69-51 at the Mayewood gymnasium. Keonte Gregg led the Hawks with 26 points. Kwaleek Jones added 14 points and Carldrelle Cooper had 13. Bates and Alice Drive will face off on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in the championship game.

VARSITY BASKETBALL LAURENCE MANNING 66

WH FROM PAGE B1 championship and be 7-0 at this point in time is a great accomplishment for these young ladies and a credit to their hard work, and their desire to come together as a team.” Thomas Sumter, which completed its region schedule with a 5-3 record, is 13-5 overall before playing Heathwood Hall on Thursday. The three region losses came by a combined four points to Wilson Hall and Orangeburg Prep. “Once again we were up at the end of the game, had a couple of turnovers, but the issue is about seizing the moment, and we didn’t seize the moment,” said TSA head coach BJ Reed. Fisher came up huge in the second half, scoring 10 of her 14 points in regulation and three more in overtime. Goodson added 10 while Jordan finished with four. “That wasn’t a set play at all; we just kind of worked together on that,” Fisher said of her game-winning bucket. “I just

KNIGHTS FROM PAGE B1 something going toward the basket. The junior point guard dribbled down the lane and found a wide-open Green, who Howle said was in the doghouse at practice, in the corner for the crucial 3-pointer. Green, who finished with a game-high 18 points said Howle challenged him before the game. “Coach said big time players make big time plays and I had to step up and make the challenge,” Green said. It was Darlington’s second straight region title and en-

JACKSON FROM PAGE B1 coordinator role as well in 2006. Crolley resigned after the 2013 season. Jackson applied for both the head job and athletic director at Crestwood, saying he put an emphasis on the face he was interested in the AD position. He got that while former Crestwood player Roosevelt Nelson was se-

points. The Lee Central boys defeated Spaulding 56-45 to finish the season with a 12-4 record. Javonte McCloud led the Stallion scoring attack with 22 points. Derrick Joye scored 10 points while Techaun Mixon scored eight points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Deablo Halley also finished with eight points and pulled down 18 rebounds. Lee Central girls head coach Shameaka McDowell and boys head coach James Price were named coaches of the year, respectively.

saw Hannah get everyone to crash on her, and I knew that was going to happen so I just ran to my spot, and we just looked at each other and she ended up passing to me.” Taylor Knudson led the Lady Generals with 15 points while Hannah Jenkins added seven in the loss. In the overtime period, Fisher hit a free throw and Logan Lee Alderman connected on one of two foul shots to give WH an early 34-32 lead. TSA tied the game as Mary Kathryn Ross and Jenkins each hit a free throw to tie it with 20.6 seconds to play. Going into the final quarter, the Lady Generals had a 25-22 lead before going on a 6-2 run to go up 31-24 with 4:20 left. Trailing by five with two and half minutes to play, the Lady Barons chipped away. Fisher and Jordan each hit two free throws to make it a 31-30 deficit. After a free throw by TSA’s Logan Morris free and a Goodson bucket tied the game at 32 all. Goodson had a chance to win the game at the of regulation, but missed.

sures the Falcons will be at home in the playoffs as long as they keep winning until the lower state championship at Florence Civic Center. Darlington has made it to two straight lower state championship games and made it to the state championship last year before losing to AC Flora. Johnson finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds, and JJ Jackson added 14. Darlington was 11-of-26 on its three-point attempts. Ja Morant led Crestwood with 22 points. In the girls game, Crestwood defeated Darlington 51-31 to wrap up the No. 2 seed from the region.

Ladazha Cole scored 16 points to lead the Lady Knights. Crestwood finishes in a tie with Lakewood, but the Lady Gators won the tiebreaker to get the top seed. Cawasha Caesar added 11, and Shaquanda MillerMcCray pulled down 19 rebounds and blocked four shots. Crestwood outrebounded Darlington 4924. Deanna House led Darlington with 15 points in her final home game. House was given a commemorative ball for going over 1,000 points in her career. She will leave Darlington as the school’s second leading scorer.

lected as the Knights head coach. Lakewood athletic director Frankie Ward said five people were interviewed for the job, and Jackson just seemed like the best fit. “He’s someone who has been around here a long time,” Ward said. “He’s someone our kids know and he wants to try and keep things as consistent as possible.” Crestwood was known for its run-heavy Wing-T offense

under Crolley and Jackson. The Gators will be known for the same thing. “Definitely,” Jackson responded when asked if he’d run the Wing-T. “We’re going to be a power-and-speed team out of the Wing-T. “I just talked to the kids (on Tuesday) and I told them we were going to run the WingT,” he added. “I saw their eyes light up and I think I’ve got some guys who want to run the football.”

CALHOUN 42 ST. MATTHEWS — Laurence Manning Academy remained unbeaten in SCISA Region II-3A with a 66-42 victory over Calhoun Academy on Tuesday at the CA gymnasium. The Swampcats, 13-11 overall and 7-0 in region play, were led by Rashaad Robinson with

25 points. Seth Green added 10.

JV BASKETBALL LAURENCE MANNING 54 CALHOUN 15 ST. MATTHEWS — Laurence Manning Academy defeated Calhoun Academy 54-15 on Tuesday at the CA gymnasium. Braden Osteen led the Swampcats with 16 points. Jake Jordan had 12 and Brewer Brunson had 10. WILSON HALL 32 THOMAS SUMTER 27

DALZELL — Wilson Hall improved to 8-9 with a 32-27 victory over Thomas Sumter Academy on Tuesday at Edens Gymnasium. Easton Ward led WH with 16 points. Eric Lisenby led TSA with 12 points. LAKEWOOD 33 MARLBORO COUNTY 23

Lakewood High School closed out its season with a 13-5 record after beating Marlboro County 33-23 on Monday at The Swamp. Latheron Rogers-Anderson led the Gators with nine points, while Jarron Richardson had eight.

GIRLS AREA ROUNDUP

Lakewood secures top seed in Region VI-3A BENNETTSVILLE — Lakewood High School’s varsity girls basketball team wrapped up a share of the Region VI-3A title and the region’s No. 1 seed in the state playoffs with a 67-37 victory over Marlboro County on Tuesday at the Marlboro gymnasium. The Lady Gators finish the regular season with an 18-4 overall record and a 9-1 region mark. Crestwood also finished 9-1 in the region after beating Darlington 51-31 on Tuesday, but Lakewood got the No. 1 seed based on a tiebreaker. Sonora Dengokl led the Lady Gators with 23 points. Kamryn Lemon added 16 points and six steals, while Taja Randolph had 11 points. Lakewood will be at home in the first round of the playoffs on Monday.

to Calhoun Academy 47-40 on Tuesday at the Calhoun gymnasium. Maggie Eppley led LMA with 12 points and five steals. Courtney Beatson had 11 points.

JV BASKETBALL WILSON HALL 34 THOMAS SUMTER 18 DALZELL — Wilson Hall improved to 15-0 with a 34-18 victory over Thomas Sumter Academy on Tuesday at Edens Gymnasium. Katie Duffy led the Lady Barons with 11 points. Courtney Clark added 10 and Liza Segars had eight. CALHOUN 27 LAURENCE MANNING 15

ST. MATTHEWS — Laurence Manning Academy lost

ST. MATTHEWS — Laurence Manning Academy lost to Calhoun Academy 27-15 on Tuesday at the Calhoun gym. Abby Patrick and Mason Ham both had seven points to lead LMA.

Jackson said he’s going to talk to members of the current Lakewood coaching staff to see who is interested in staying. That includes Ward, who also was co-defensive coordinator this past season with T.J. Devine under former head coach Perry Parks, now the head coach at Ridge View. “He’s done a great job,” Jackson said of Ward. “We’ll see if he’s interested in staying on because the AD role

pulls you in a lot of different directions.” Jackson may be switching from Crestwood to Lakewood, but his wife, Melissa, is the cheerleading coach at Crestwood. “She’s been cheering for me all these years, but she’s always been (standing) behind me,” Jackson said. “Now I’ll be able to look across the field at her (when Crestwood and Lakewood meet). That will be cool.”

CALHOUN 47 LAURENCE MANNING 40

SPORTS

THE SUMTER ITEM

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2015

COLLEGE BASEBALL

New flat-seam baseball should help offensive numbers BY DAVID BRANDT The Associated Press

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

JACKSON, Miss. — Tim Corbin sounded more like a philosopher than Vanderbilt’s coach as he talked about the new flat-seam baseball designed to bring a little more scoring back to the college game. Finally, he hopes, after decades of tweaks and trying to figure out the correct balance between offense and pitching, the sport might have found a solution that sticks. “Through the generations of the game, it’s been so up and down,’’ said Corbin, who led the Commodores to their first national championship in 2014. “We’ve always wanted to find that medium where there’s some harmony between offense and defense. I don’t know if we’ve ever been exposed to that.’’

The new flat-seam baseball, left, is shown beside a ball from last year. After decades of trying to figure out the correct balance between offense and pitching, college baseball might have found a solution. The sport introduces the flatseam baseball on Friday, which is supposed to help offensive production. The change on the baseball is relatively subtle: The seams have been lowered so it’s more like the one used at the professional level. Re-

searchers found that the flatseam ball could travel as much as 20 feet farther in the air than the previous raised-seam ball.

On the practice field, coaches and players are seeing the same results. Almost all expect at least a modest boost in offense.

Real results will be available soon: The college season starts on Friday and pretty much everyone is suggesting fans get the gloves ready in the bleachers. “I think you’re going to see a significant jump in offensive numbers across the board, not just in homers,’’ UCLA coach John Savage said. “The ball is definitely more lively. Fly balls that used to hang up in the air and get caught are now falling for doubles. You’re really going to have to have speed on defense.’’ University of San Francisco coach Nino Giarratano said the change was a win for everyone. “The ball itself is going to have a good impact on the game,’’ he said. “Maybe we’ll get a little further carry out of the ball, which will make the game more exciting.’’

PRO GOLF

Harder than ever to win on PGA Tour BY DOUG FERGUSON The Associated Press

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Tiger Woods’ greatest obstacle now might be his bruised psyche rather than any physical ailment he’s suffered during the last five years.

Tiger’s biggest obstacle right now is own psyche BY DOUG FERGUSON The Associated Press SAN DIEGO — The BBC called on Thanksgiving weekend in 2009 looking for insight on the shocking, sordid details about the private life of Tiger Woods and how this would affect his pursuit of golf’s most meaningful record. The line of questions made one thing clear. They didn’t need a golf writer, they needed a psychologist. Five years later, has anything changed? Ignore for a moment the bunker shot that Woods blasted into the bleachers on the 16th hole during the pro-am at the Phoenix Open. Or the 82 he posted in the second round at the TPC Scottsdale, the worst score of his career. The record will show he has more WDs than top 10s in the last 18 months. But this might be the

most sobering thought. Is it possible that perhaps his greatest strength — his mind — is now his weakness? The look on the practice range is one of uncertainty. On the golf course, it is one of resignation. Woods has never appeared more fragile. And he has never been the subject of so much sympathy from peers he used to beat so badly that Charles Howell III once said only half-jokingly that he “ruined a lot of guys’ lives.’’ There was some truth to a throwaway line from Woods at his Hero World Challenge in December that “Father Time is undefeated.’’ He is 39 with five surgeries and one public embarrassment behind him. Adding to accelerating years is that he has been in pursuit of greatness from the time he crawled out of a high chair.

Accepting his rapidly advancing age is another story. A decade ago in the parking lot at Doral, when Woods finally adapted to a swing change under Hank Haney and was on his way to two majors that year, he said he would walk away from the game sooner than anyone imagined, that he would quit when his best was no longer good enough to win. “I’ve won tournaments out here when I wasn’t playing my best,’’ Woods said that day. “If I play my best and don’t win, there’s no reason to be out here. I don’t lie. When I play well, I tell you guys. When I haven’t played well, I’ll tell you.’’ At this stage in his career, his best isn’t good enough to beat Rory McIlroy and maybe a few others. Woods has never been forthcoming with the

press or the public. The question is how honest he is with himself. For now he can fall back on injuries as the cause of his poor play, although the message gets muddled based on his recent comments about his back. “It feels great. It feels fantastic,’’ he said in December. “That’s not an issue anymore,’’ he said last week in Phoenix. And then he pulled out after 11 holes at Torrey Pines for what he described as tightness in his lower back. If only he had described it that way. Woods doesn’t like to be perceived as a golfer. He wants to be perceived as an athlete, and it shows in his speech. For the next two days, “glute activation’’ became a buzz word on the putting green and practice range. Woods became the butt of jokes. No one wants to see this.

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — Five weeks into the new year, all five winners on the PGA Tour were among the top 50 in the world. Jason Day didn’t need numbers to illustrate what is becoming increasingly clear. “The game is kind of changing,’’ Day said after winning a four-man playoff at Torrey Pines. “It’s evolving into very young, tall, big, strong-looking guys out here that hit it a mile and have fantastic touch. It’s getting tougher. It’s really tough to win out here.’’ That’s easy for him to say with only three PGA Tour wins in eight years. For all his talent, the DAY 27-year-old Australian has been cursed by nagging injuries. His hope is to stay healthy all year and finally achieve, or at least make significant progress, toward his lifelong goal of being No. 1 in the world. The road to the top, however, is starting to look like a California freeway at rush hour. Day was 18 when he first started playing on the PGA Tour in 2006, the year that Woods won multiple majors for the second straight year and ended the season by winning his last six PGA Tour events. Woods made it look easy. The new target is Rory McIlroy, who also can make it look easy. McIlroy already has four majors, one by a record margin (eight shots in the PGA Championship at Kiawah Island) and two in wire-to-wire fashion (US Open at Congressional, British Open at Hoylake). McIlroy is going to make Day’s goal a lot harder to reach. But it’s everyone around him that will make the road feel even longer. It’s easy to jump on Day’s bandwagon because he is blessed with enormous power and skill, he believes he has his injuries under control and is more motivated than ever. Day has six top 10s — and no finish out of the top 20 except for injury-related WDs — since the British Open last summer. But look around. A week earlier, Brooks Koepka was hailed as a rising star for his victory in the Phoenix Open. The 24-year-old Floridian is powerful, the prototype of the modern golfer, and his quiet work ethic figures to take him even further than he already has come. Don’t forget Jimmy Walker and his nine-shot win at the Sony Open, the largest margin on the PGA Tour in nearly six years. That was Walker’s fourth victory in his last 32 starts in America. No one has won more during that stretch, and remember, Walker lost a four-shot lead on the back nine at Kapalua and was only two shots out of the playoff at Torrey Pines last week. The winner at Kapalua? Patrick Reed, who at 24 picked up his fourth career win. The list keeps growing. Koepka was in the mix at the Phoenix Open with Hideki Matsuyama, two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson and hard-charging Jordan Spieth, the 21-yearold Texan who is becoming a fixture among the top 10 in the world. Day was in a playoff at Torrey Pines with Harris English, an athletic 25-year-old from Georgia who already has two PGA Tour wins and has the game that makes other players watch.

PRO BOXING

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2015

THE SUMTER ITEM

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

James “Buster” Douglas, right, hits Mike Tyson with a hard right in the face during their world heavyweight title bout at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo in 1990. It’s been 25 years since one of the most stunning upsets in sports history, the journeyman Douglas knocking out the undefeated Tyson.

Buster’s ‘belief ’ led to upset of Tyson BY RUSTY MILLER The Associated Press COLUMBUS, Ohio — An uppercut and three follow-up punches made James “Buster’’ Douglas a household name. And 25 years later, the brief heavyweight champion is still pleased his knockout of Mike Tyson ranks among the biggest upsets in sports. “Being crowned champion was a dream for me,’’ Douglas said of his Feb. 11, 1990 upset. “To achieve that was the ultimate. It was awesome.’’ A promising if enigmatic fighter, Douglas was given almost no chance of hanging around long with the undefeated heavyweight champion in their title fight in Tokyo. The bout was considered a tuneup for Tyson before an anticipated match with rising star Evander Holyfield. In fact, the day before Tyson fought Douglas, promoter Don King called a news conference to discuss the dates and terms of that showdown. Douglas took note. Douglas was a terrific athlete — he played small-college basketball — but was considered less than committed to boxing despite a 29-4-1 record as a professional. The son of

club fighter Bill “Dynamite’’ Douglas, he had shown glimpses of promise but had also displayed a lack of heart and discipline at other times. But roughly three weeks before the opening bell with Tyson, the person who believed in him the most, his mother, Lula Pearl, died. Reminded this week that no one had thought he had a chance against Tyson, Douglas hesitated before saying: “Yeah, but she did.’’ Tyson was boxing’s hope and its bane, a street tough who stepped into the ring in simple black trunks, black shoes and a sheared-off Tshirt. His temperament was erratic, at best. He could be emotional when he spoke of his late mentor and friend, Cus D’Amato, or he could also be raw, brutal and crude. In the ring, he was a force of nature, always striding closer, always hurling punches, never yielding. He was 37-0 with 33 knockouts heading into the fight. Las Vegas oddsmakers made him a 42-1 favorite to do his wrecking-ball thing against Douglas. They weren’t alone. Ed Schuyler, a boxing writer for The Associated Press, was

stopped at customs on his way into Japan. The customs officer asked Schuyler how long he would be working in Japan. “About 90 seconds,’’ Schuyler deadpanned. Just before the opening bell, someone in the crowd shouted to Douglas to win it for his mother. The 6-foot-4 Douglas, with J.D. McCauley, his trainer and uncle, along with manager John Johnson in his corner, came out inspired. He held his own in the early rounds, holding off the shorter Tyson’s charge with his left jab. Late in the eighth round, Douglas went down. “I was kind of, like, admiring my work: Looking at him, taking my time to look at everything that was going on and paying more attention to how he was reacting to the punches instead of continuing to fight,’’ Douglas recalled. “He ended up catching me with a good shot. When I got up off the ground, I knew I had to get back on focus, on point, with what I was doing.’’ King and Tyson would later claim that Douglas didn’t get up in the mandatory 10 seconds as the round came to an end. But by the official’s count, he was standing and in

control of his faculties at the count of 8. “I knew where I was the whole time,’’ he said. “I could have got up at six, but I had a couple of seconds and I took my time.’’ After the fighters returned to their corners, Douglas dominated the ninth. Then in the 10th, he rocked the world. “I finished him up with a combination,’’ Douglas said. “I hit him with four terrific shots. He wasn’t able to get up.’’ King, seeing a gigantic payday floating away, appealed the outcome but, days later, all of the major organizations recognized Douglas as the champion. “This makes Cinderella look like a sad story, what Buster Douglas has done here tonight,’’ HBO boxing analyst Larry Merchant said after the fight. Through a spokesman, Tyson declined to speak with The Associated Press about the fight. The two boxers have met each other only once since. “We only crossed paths once, and that was a few years back down in Cincinnati,’’ Douglas said. “There wasn’t much conversation. It’s not like we sat down and talked about it and

(became) friends, anything like that. He was still kind of short (with me). So I didn’t push it any further.’’ Tyson’s life, in and out of the ring, has grabbed headlines for years. Meanwhile, Douglas is content to live a quiet life in a large home near a farming village 25 miles from his hometown of Columbus. He quickly lost the heavyweight title to Holyfield in October 1990 in Las Vegas. His cut of his lone defense, estimated at $7 million after taxes, set him up for a comfortable existence. Douglas is past struggles with weight and blood sugar, saying he now “could go a few rounds’’ at the age of 54. He has thrown himself into raising his four sons with his wife, Bertha. He spends five days a week coaching young boxers at a local rec center and prides himself on how well they’re doing. All these years later, he says it was no fluke. “I just felt I could do anything,” he said. “It was just a belief. I believed in myself and that I had the ability to do that. It’s something that my mother instilled in me at a very young age: You can do whatever you want.’’

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SPORTS

THE SUMTER ITEM

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2015

RECRUITING

A.C. Flora’s Johnson still hopes to wind up at Clemson I t’s time for the annual post National Signing Day roll call of football team rankings by the recruiting services. The numbers, by some of the analysts, say Clemson had its best class in history, while the consensus of the analysts is South Carolina’s class fell right about where it normally does. Here’s the breakdown: Rivals: Clemson No. 4, USC No. 19; Scout: Clemson No. 15, USC No. 20; 247Sports: Clemson No. 8, USC No. 19; and ESPN: Clemson No. 4, USC No. 21. Nationally, depending on which service you follow, Alabama or Southern California had the best class in the country.

CLEMSON Wide receiver/defensive back Denzel Johnson of A.C. Flora High School in Columbia let signing day pass without applying his signature to any documents. However, he’s hopeful the document he signed on Saturday will open the door to what he really wants, a letter of intent from Clemson. Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney wants to add Johnson to his already sterling 2015 class, but can’t do it until Johnson elevates his academic status. Johnson took the ACT again on Saturday, and if reality meets his expectations a couple of weeks down the road when the score returns, he likely will be on his way to the Upstate. “I’m real close,” Johnson said. ‘I’m doing everything I need to right now. I just need to increase my GP (grade point ratio) and test.” Johnson said Swinney checked in with him last week. “He was just seeing how my grades were,” said Johnson, who said Swinney reassured him he has a spot in the class if he qualifies. Johnson said he’s also still talking with Massachusetts, Liberty, Towson and South Carolina State. He also heard from USC assistant coach Steve Spurrier Jr., but the Gamecocks want him to go to junior college first and he’s not interested in that. Don’t look now, but Clemson is well past halfway to filling its’ ‘16 recruiting class. The Tigers count only 12 seniors for ‘15 and now have eight commitments toward ‘16 after Spartanburg High running back Tavien Feaster, WR Cornell Powell of Greenville, N.C., and linebacker Jamie Skalski of Newnan, Ga., announced commitments last

Wednesday. Clemson was the first to offer Feaster in ‘13 and immediately moved to the front of the list as he added offers from USC, Auburn, Florida State, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, Florida, Penn State, North Carolina, Virginia, Nebraska and Notre Dame. “I enjoyed my recruiting process, but Clemson is where I want to be,” Feaster said. “I’ve known they were my top choice and five days ago I told everybody I was ready. They were my first offer and since Day 1 they’ve been with me and recruited me hard. They made me a priority to get down to Clemson, so I decided to join them at Clemson.” Feaster attended Clemson’s junior day late last month and soon after decided he was ready to make his final decision and join what he thinks will be a program that will contend for both Atlantic Coast Conference and national titles. “Coach Swinney was telling me he’s building a dynasty,” Feaster said. “From what I see they are getting some highly recruited guys. They’ve got a wonderful quarterback, a big 2015 offensive line, great receivers that are already there and great receivers coming in. He’s put together a pretty good bunch.” Feaster is regarded by some as the nation’s top RB prospect. Last season, he rushed for 1,153 yards and 13 touchdowns and caught 45 passes for 1,016 yards and 11 touchdowns. He knows Clemson will have several veteran running backs in the program, but he’s not expecting to stand on the sideline for long, if at all. “From what I’m told, they didn’t sign a 2015 back and they won’t sign another 2016 back,” Feaster said. “They’ve just got those young backs they had in 2014. I believe I can go in and compete for the spot right away. If I don’t get it right away, I know I’m going to get some carries. I know with my playmaking ability they can’t keep me down for long. They can’t keep me off the field. I know I can go and play on kick return or punt return, something like that. Even if I don’t start the game off I believe I can get on the field immediately.” Skalski announced for the Tigers over USC. He also had offers from UNC, Mississippi, Central Florida, Marshall, Louisville and Wake Forest. At one point, Skalski favored USC, but he visited Clemson

in late December and that visit moved the Tigers to the front of his list. He was back for their junior day Phil Kornblut late last month and RECRUITING that sealed CORNER his decision in his mind. “I knew I liked the football and coaches at Clemson already, and I just wanted to see the facilities and the academics,” Skalski said. “The facilities they have and the ones they are going to build, and the supporting cast, I like it all. Meeting Coach Swinney was great, a guy to like right off the bat. He’s a natural leader and someone I definitely would like to play for.” Skalski was limited to seven games last season due to a broken hand. He had 78 tackles and three quarterback sacks. As a sophomore, he had 120 tackles and 7.5 sacks. “I have quick feet and I use my hands well,” he said. “I’m fast on the field and quick to react. I’m a big hitter.” Powell attended Clemson’s junior day in late January and knew from that Clemson was where he wanted to be. “The main thing was the love they showed me, telling me they wanted me to come play and join the football team,” Powell said. “I sat down with Coach Swinney and had a real good conversation. The whole atmosphere drew me in.” Powell would have been a heavily recruited prospect. Some of his other offers were USC, Ohio State, Auburn, FSU, Louisiana State, East Carolina, UNC, North Carolina State, Ole Miss, Tennessee and West Virginia. He’s glad to have the decision behind him. “I can focus on my final season of high school and not worry about who I will play for other than my teammates,” he said. “It’s not all about me. This takes the pressure and stress off of me.” Last season, Powell caught 67 passes for 1,248 yards and 19 TDs. LB Brandon Hill of Heathwood Hall in Columbia picked up an offer from Virginia Tech last week. That’s his fourth offer, all from the ACC. The others are from Clemson, WF and Duke. Hill attended Clemson’s junior day last month. He will go to Duke on Feb. 21, WF on Feb. 22 and FSU on Feb. 28. He does not claim a leader.

Offensive lineman Jack DeFoor of Calhoun, Ga.,, who is a Clemson target and lean, picked up offers from Ole Miss and Colorado State. Clemson tight end commitment JC Chalk of Argyle, Texas, was offered by Southern Methodist. Defensive end Patrick Bethel of Vero Beach, Fla., was offered by Clemson.

Visitation will be from 10 to 11 a.m. prior to the service on Friday at the church. Memorials may be made to Midway Presbyterian Church Cemetery Fund, 12183 Black River Road, New Zion, SC 29111. Stephens Funeral Home & Crematory, 304 N. Church St., Manning, is in charge of arrangements, (803) 435-2179. www.stephensfuneralhome.org

leagues. He graduated from Sumter High School in 1991. After high school, he began an insurance career with Liberty Life Insurance Co. and later with Allstate Will Gore Agency. In 2000, Doug started his own Allstate Agency in Statesville, North Carolina. He will always be remembered as a loving son, brother and friend. He will be dearly missed by all who knew him. Surviving in addition to his parents is a brother, Robert T. Mastaler of Orlando, Florida. A memorial service will be held at 4 p.m. on Thursday at Swan Lake Presbyterian Church with Pastor Chuck Staggs officiating. The family will receive friends in the Swan Lake Presbyterian Church fellowship hall immediately following the service. You may sign the family’s guest book at www.bullockfuneralhome.com. The family has chosen Bullock Funeral Home of Sumter for the arrangements.

Services will be announced by Stephens Funeral Home & Crematory, 304 N. Church St., Manning, (803) 435-2179. www. stephensfuneralhome.org

USC USC offered junior LB TJ Brunson (6-feet-1-inch, 220 pounds) of Richland Northeast High in Columbia last week. The Gamecocks join NCSU and Georgia Southern with offers for Brunson. Brunson attended the Gamecocks’ junior day last month where he was able to size them up and vice versa. “I’m excited about the offer,” Brunson said. “Their defense is very similar to ours, and I can see myself playing in it and understanding what’s happening. I will go to a spring practice and I will take an official visit there my senior year.” Brunson said the Gamecocks currently sit at the top of his list. Brunson is also drawing interest from Clemson, Florida, Tennessee, Virginia, WF, Purdue and Louisville. Last season, Brunson made 134 tackles and had four sacks. He had 103 tackles and two sacks as a sophomore. OL Brett Heggie of Mount Dora, Fla., was offered by USC. WR Tre Nixon of Viera, Fla., picked up an offer from USC earlier in the week. Defensive back James Valdez of Lake Marion High in Santee was offered by Michigan last week. Valdez currently is committed to NCSU. He also holds offers from USC, Tennessee, UNC and WF.

CLEMSON AND USC Goose Creek High DE Javon Kinlaw visited Clemson and USC for their junior days late last month. Kinlaw doesn’t have any other visits planned, but he wants to get down to see UF. He had USC and UF tied at the top of the list, but once again he has the Gamecocks out front, he said by a 60-40 (percentage) margin. “They keep in contact,” Kinlaw said of USC. “They are always around, but, I’m not rushing a decision. It’s the hardest decision of my life.” Kinlaw has offers from USC, Clemson, UF, FSU, Alabama, Louisville and ECU. Some schools view him as an offensive tackle, but Kinlaw sees himself strictly as a DE in college. He had 50 tackles

and eight sacks last season. OL John Simpson of Fort Dorchester High in North Charleston could not make the USC or Clemson junior days because of wrestling matches. He won in the region competition, by the way, and is on his way to the lower state tournament. The fact that as a defensive linemen Simpson is also an excellent wrestler only enhances his value to football recruiters. His most recent offers are from Louisville and Georgia Southern. He also has offers from USC, Clemson, UGA, WF and Maryland. Simpson said he saw a lot of coaches come through his school during the contact period, including recruiters from USC, Clemson, UGA, Duke, WF and Alabama. Simpson doesn’t have any junior plans right now because of is wrestling commitments. He also does not have a timetable on a decision. Simpson is not claiming any favorites right now. “I’ve got to take some more visits,” Simpson said. He has no preference right now between the Gamecocks and Tigers. “I just want to go to the school that gives me the best opportunity with education and on the field.”

BASKETBALL De’Riante Jenkins, the 6-6 former Lake Marion High 2-sport star now focusing on basketball in Orlando, Fla., will not be signing in the spring. His new signing date is November because he has reclassified from the ‘15 class to the ‘16 class. With that being the case, Jenkins is not rushing to a decision. At one point last month after getting a Clemson offer, it appeared a commitment would happen soon than later. However, Jenkins said he decided to reclassify after getting the Clemson offer. “Clemson, if I was to go there, wanted me to do a postgraduate (year),” Jenkins said. Jenkins has offers from Clemson, Houston, VT, ECU and South Florida. He’s also drawing interest now from Tennessee. Jenkins said USC has been in touch with his AAU coach, but has not had direct contact with him recently. Jenkins said Clemson is his favorite and is really the only school he’s considering right now. “Clemson is home, and I’d really like to go back home, Jenkins said. This season, Jenkins said he’s averaging about 16 points per game.

OBITUARIES DOUGLAS T. EPPS SR. NEW ZION — Douglas Tomlinson Epps Sr., 90, widower of Mildred C. Epps, died on Monday, Feb. 9, 2015, at Lake Marion Nursing Facility. Born on Oct. 14, 1924, in New Zion, he was the sixth child of the late Edgar Plowden Epps and Frances EPPS Emma Tomlinson Epps. He graduated from Gable High School in 1942. He was a retired farmer, an avid outdoorsman, a former deacon of Midway Presbyterian Church, and he served on the East Clarendon Board of Trustees for more than 20 years. He is survived by a daughter, Beth Abel Wilson (Jack) of Williamston; a daughter-inlaw, Betsy Epps; two grandsons, Steven Epps (Rachel) and Mike Epps (Elizabeth); and three great-grandchildren, Millie, Mollie and Mac Epps, all of Spartanburg. He was preceded in death by his wife of 62 years; a beloved son, Doug Jr.; three brothers, Hugh, Mack and Guy Epps; and two sisters, Ruth Woods and Margaret Singletary. A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday at Midway Presbyterian Church with the Rev. Mike Lowder officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.

MARTHA ANN S. ZUELL Martha Ann Singleton Zuell, 58, wife of Nathaniel Allen Zuell, departed this life on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2015, at Tuomey Regional Medical Center. She was born on Oct. 22, 1956, in Sumter, a daughter of the late Willie Jr. and Rosa Lee Harrison Singleton. The family will be receiving friends at 196 Nandina Drive, Sumter, SC 29153. Funeral plans are incomplete and will be announced later by Job’s Mortuary Inc. of Sumter.

DOUGLAS W. MASTALER Douglas William Mastaler, age 42, died on Friday, Feb. 6, 2015, at his residence. He was born in Hialeah, Florida, a son of Terrell E. Mastaler and Rebecca A Montgomery. Doug’s family moved to Sumter in 1980, where he grew up playing baseball, football and basketball in the PARD and church

DELORES RIDGDILL MANNING — Delores Daniel Weaver Ridgdill, 64, wife of Julius Eugene Ridgdill, died on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2015, at Clarendon Memorial Hospital. Services will be announced by Stephens Funeral Home & Crematory, 304 N. Church St., Manning, (803) 435-2179. www. stephensfuneralhome.org

HELEN L. LEWIS Helen L. Lewis died on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2015, at Tuomey Regional Medical Center. Born in Sumter County, she was a daughter of the late Sam Sr. and Rosa Pringle Lewis. The family will receive friends at the home, 640 Mims Road, Sumter, SC 29153. Funeral arrangements are incomplete and will be announced by Palmer Memorial Chapel Inc. of Sumter.

BETTY C. STRINGER SHARON RIGDON MANNING — Sharon Marie Stevens Rigdon, 71, wife of James Edward Rigdon, died on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2015, at Clarendon Memorial Hospital.

Betty Carraway Stringer, 77, died on Monday, Feb. 9, 2015, at her home. Born in Sumter, she was a daughter of the late Ernest Lee and Eloise Irick Carraway. Ms. Stringer was a member of Alice Drive Baptist Church.

Survivors include three sons, Robert Darlington (Pamela), Donald Patterson (Neysa) and Christopher Stringer (Rebecca); nine grandchildren, Kimberly Darlington, Deborah Deonier (Mark), Ashley Darlington, Steven Darlington, Coral Raffield, Jerin Waters, Kristen Stringer, Kailani Stringer and Kaegan Stringer; four great-grandchildren, KayDee, Cody, Allyson and Emily; a daughter in heart, Cindy Marshall; and many other extended family members. She was preceded in death by her brother, Ernest Carraway Jr.; and her sisters, Ernestine Atkinson and Nita Brown. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday in the Elmore-Cannon-Stephens Funeral home Chapel with the Rev. Jock Hendricks officiating. Burial will be in Sumter Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Mark Deonier, Steven Darlington, David Raffield, Ronald Turner, Larry Braxton and Cody Poulin. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. today at Elmore-Cannon-Stephens Funeral home and other times at the home. Elmore-Cannon-Stephens Funeral Home and Crematorium of Sumter is in charge of the arrangements. www.ecsfuneralhome.com

CLASSIFIEDS

THE ITEM

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2015

MAYO’S “FABULOUS FEBRUARY SALE”

WHERE $1.00 CAN BUY YOU A SUIT!

Choose ONE suit at our REGULAR PRICE Get SECOND suit of equal or less value for ONLY $1.00! Because it’s FABULOUS FEBRUARY

If your suits aren’t becoming to you, It’s a good time to be coming to Mayo’s!

Wesmark Plaza • 773-2262 • Mon-Sat 10-7 • www.MayosDiscountSuits.com

In Memory

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

EMPLOYMENT Help Wanted Full-Time Experienced Collision Repair Techs and Painters wanted. Apply in person at Pro Glo Collision Center, 2085 Jefferson Rd. Sumter. 803-469-3895

In Loving Memory Of Mrs. Willie Mae (Bill) Washington 03/31/1943 - 02/11/2011 A MOTHER LIKE NO OTHER You have been gone 4 years now. Our hearts still missing and loving you dearly forever. Sadly missed by Children, Sister, Grands, Great-Grands & Other Relatives

BUSINESS SERVICES Home Improvements Land Clearing avail. includes: Digging ponds, excavation, and bulldozer work. Call T & N Septic Tank Co. at 803-481-2428 or 803-481-2421

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

Lawn Service

Tuomey Healthcare System Experienced Cooks Needed. Please apply online at: www.tuomey.com/careers.aspx

Early Tax Time Special No Payment Til March As Low As $175.00 Per Mo. On Site Rent. For A Limited Time Only.

Why Rent When You Can Own? “Close to Everything” • AC/Heat Bring back this ad & receive FREE application fee.

Call Now! 469-8515

Four Seasons Lawn Care Serving Sumter for almost 20 yrs! Free est. 494-9169/468-4008 Lifestyles Lawn Service New Year Clean-up Specials! Mil.-Sen. Disc.! Erik 968-8655

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

Roofing All Types of Roofing & Repairs All work guaranteed. 30 yrs exp. SC lic. Virgil Bickley 803-316-4734.

Septic Tank Cleaning

Septic tank pumping & services. Call Ray Tobias & Company (803) 340-1155.

Tree Service STATE TREE SERVICE Worker's Comp & General liability insurance. Top quality service, lowest prices. 803-494-5175 or 803-491-5154 www.statetree.net Ricky's Tree Service Tree removal, stump grinding, Lic & ins, free quote, 803-435-2223 or cell 803-460-8747. Mention this ad & get 10% off. A Notch Above Tree Care Full quality service low rates, lic./ins., free est BBB accredited 983-9721

MERCHANDISE Garage, Yard & Estate Sales LARGE GARAGE SALE 1st & 3rd Weekend Tables $2 FLEA MARKET BY SHAW AFB

Open every weekend. 905-4242

For Sale or Trade HD Utility Trailers all w/ 3,500 lb axles, extra tongue support - jack gate. 6x10 $1190; 6x12 $1290; 6x16 Tandem $1790; 803-972-0900 Martin's Used Appliance Washers, Dryers, Refrig., Stoves. Guarantee 464-5439 or 469-7311

Split Oak Firewood $65/dumped, $75/stacked. Newman's Tree Service 316-0128. We have 92, 400 watt metal hallide fixtures & 480 volt valance. All operational, $35 each will sell in small lots. Call 843-552-6300 Upright Piano Tiger Oak Finish. In very good shape. $150 OBO 464-1973

wc.mhcomm.com Detailer with some light mechanical knowledge for busy car lot. Apply in person at 1282 N Lafayette Dr., Sumter. Quality Assurance Chemist I EMS-CHEMIE is looking for a highly motivated person who is looking to obtain a position in their Quality Control laboratory. Position is responsible for performing routine testing in support of production process, maintaining and troubleshooting laboratory equipment, and supporting Quality Assurance in assisting with customer complaints and general production problems. Position is also responsible for: developing laboratory methods with limited supervision and completing routine laboratory housekeeping duties. Must have BS in Chemistry or related science with 2-3 years of lab experience preferred. Must have good general knowledge of personal computers and be proficient in Microsoft Office. Competitive benefits and compensation package. Qualified candidates please direct your resume to: Human Resources, EMS-CHEMIE (North America) Inc., P. O. Box 1717, Sumter, SC 29151-1717 Fax: 803/481-1843 E-mail: welcome@us.emsgrivory.com The #1 Furniture Retail Company in the U.S. is seeking highly motivated individuals with outgoing personalities to join our Sales Team. Candidates must have a working knowledge of computers. They will be required to build sales volume by providing superior customer service and knowledge of product and finance options. This full time position is based on a flexible work schedule that includes evenings, Saturdays and some holidays. Offering unlimited income potential based on commission and bonuses. Guaranteed salary during training process. Send resume to 2850 Broad St., Sumter, SC 29150.

3BR/1BA Recently renovated on W Hampton St C/H/A $850 Mo+Dep. 803-464-5872

EMS-CHEMIE is looking for a highly motivated individual who can work with minimum supervision and able to manage multiple projects. Job duties will include the following: complete part production requests on a daily basis as well as maintain a clean and orderly work area; responsible for the operation and maintenance of injection molding, extrusion machines, and peripherals; support Quality and Engineering departments with laboratory testing and technical trials; maintain documentation requirements, such as generating technical reports, data storage and tracking sample requests.

2 & 3BR Apt & houses available in Sumter. No Sec. Dep. required. Call 773-8402 for more info.

Mobile Home Rentals SW, 2BR/1BA, $350/mo + dep. Incl water, sewage, garbage. No pets & No Sec 8. Behind Shaw. 803-236-3780

STATEBURG COURTYARD

Competitive benefits and compensation package. Qualified candidates please direct your resume to: Human Resources, EMS-CHEMIE (North America) Inc., P. O. Box 1717, Sumter, SC 29151-1717 Fax: 803/481-1843 E-mail: welcome@us.emsgrivory.com

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

Help Wanted Part-Time $$$ AVON $$$ FREE TRAINING! 803-422-5555 PT delivery/shop help. Must have clean driving record. Accepting applications at the Daisy Shop. No phone calls please. Licensed cosmologists needed. Apply at Merle Norman Cosmetics at 540 Bultman Dr.

Schools / Instructional Looking for a tutor for a 6 year old in math & reading. Must be available 5 days a week. Call 778-8100 .

Work Wanted Housekeeping Low rates, Good References . Some laundry. Call 803-565-9546

REAL ESTATE Homes for Sale 2BR 2.5 BA 1900 sq ft in Historic Dist. Great area for retiree. Investors welcome. 30 Delorme Ct. $72.900. Call 803-983-0063

Manufactured Housing For Sale Nice 4Br 2Ba DW with large lot 803-983-0408 Turn your Tax Refund into your dream home! 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 AND also visit our Face Book page (M & M Mobile Homes).

Land & Lots for Sale MIN TO WALMART/SHAW 1 AC +/- Cleared, septic, water, elec. $12,900. 888-774-5720

Dalzell 16.5+ acres paved, water, electric $1950 ac. 713-870-0216

Rooms for Rent Boarding house with nice rooms for ladies. Call 803-565-7924.

Unfurnished Apartments 2- 3BR1BA Apts for rent. Kitchen, den, LR $575 Mo.+ Dep. 458-8333 or 983-3401 Senior Living Apartments for those 62+ (Rent based on income) Shiloh-Randolph Manor 125 W. Bartlette. 775-0575 Studio/1 Bedroom apartments available EHO

Autos For Sale

OPEN

Ernest Baker Auto Sales & Equip. Located 3349 N. Main St 5.5 miles from 378 overpass at N. Main., on Hwy 15 N. next to Baker Mini Warehouse. Remember Cars are like Eggs, Cheaper in the Country!!! 803-469-9294

Subdivision For Sale Minutes Shaw/Walmart 40 lots, 1+/- acre water, underground electric, Oaks, paved & gutters $160,000 Call 888-774-5720

Commercial Industrial Restaurant for lease. 50 seat dining room, complete commercial kitchen, Call 803-972-7188

YOUR AD HERE

Oakland Plantation Apartments 5501 Edgehill Road Sumter, South Carolina, 29154 • 803-499-2157 Applications Accepted At The Site Office Monday, Wednesday, & Friday 8:00 AM Until 4:30 PM

1, 2, & 3 BEDROOM APARTMENTS Housing for Families, Seniors, and Persons with Disabilities Limited Rental Assistance Available For Qualified Applicants. Housing Choice Vouchers Accepted. THIS INSTITUTION IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY PROVIDER AND EMPLOYER. “IF YOU WISH TO FILE A CIVIL RIGHTS PROGRAM COMPLAINT OF DISCRIMINATION, COMPLETE THE USDA PROGRAM DISCRIMINATION COMPLAINT FORM, FOUND ONLINE AT HTTP://WWW.ASCR.USDA. GOV/COMPLAINT_FILING_CUST.HTML, OR AT ANY USDA OFFICE, OR CALL (866) 632-9992 TO REQUEST THE FORM. YOU MAY ALSO WRITE A LETTER CONTAINING ALL OF THE INFORMATION REQUESTED IN THE FORM. SEND YOUR COMPLETED COMPLAINT FORM OR LETTER TO US BY MAIL AT U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF ADJUDICATION, 1400 INDEPENDENCE AVENUE, S.W., WASHINGTON, D.C. 20250-9410, BY FAX (202) 690-7442 OR EMAIL AT PROGRAM.INTAKE@USDA.GOV.”

HP-15-04, 219 W. Calhoun St. (City) The applicant is requesting Historic Preservation Design Review approval for 5" x 24" driveway signage for the Grace Baptist Church located at 219 W. Calhoun St. and represented by Tax Map # 228-05-05-026. HP-15-05, 8 N. Main St. (City) The applicant is requesting Historic Preservation Design Review approval to demolish the structure on property located at 8 N. Main St. and represented by Tax Map # 228-12-04-068. HP-15-06, 10 N. Main St. (City) The applicant is requesting Historic Preservation Design Review approval to demolish the structure on property located at 10 N. Main St. and represented by Tax Map #228-12-04-067.

2 & 3 BRs 803-494-4015

5 Acres For Sale by Owner with septic & water. 803-427-3888. Owner financing.

RENTALS

228-06-03-074.

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

Qualifications: High school diploma minimum required; associates degree, college, or experience in related field a plus; basic computer skills; good written and oral communications skills

Public Hearing

HP-15-07, 16 E. Liberty St. (City) The applicant is requesting Historic Preservation Design Review approval for the demolition of the structure on property located at 16 E. Liberty St. and represented by Tax Map # 228-13-07-033.

2003 Taurus, 200K, runs great, $2900 OBO. Cash only. 803-972-0900.

LEGAL NOTICES Public Hearing NOTICE OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION DESIGN REVIEW The Historic Preservation Design Review Committee will meet on Thursday, February 26, 2015, 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 request is scheduled for public hearing: HP-15-02, 2 N. Main St. (City) The applicant is requesting Historic Preservation Design Review approval for wall signage on property located at 2 N. Main St. and represented by Tax Map # 228-12-04-070. HP-15-03, 202 N. Salem Ave. (City) The applicant is requesting Historic Preservation Design Review approval for the construction of a 10' x 20' storage building at rear of property located at 202 N. Salem Ave. and represented by Tax Map #

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 Destruction of Special Education Records (300.573) Sumter School District will be destroying special education records for students exiting during or prior to the 2009-2010 school year. Records being destroyed include all special education referral records, evaluation reports, testing protocols, notifications of meetings, Individual Education Plans (IEP), reviews of existing data summaries, and all other personally identifiable information therein. Under state and federal law, special education records must be maintained for a period of five years after special education services have ended. Former students over the age of 18, or parents of students over the age of 18, who have retained parental rights through the court's determination, may obtain special education records by contacting and making an appointment with Mrs. Lillarweise Seymore at (803) 774-5500 (ext. 210).

YOUR AD HERE

Clarendon Health System is seeking dynamic individuals to become a part of our healthcare system family. Employment opportunities include: Emergency Department, RN’s MLT/MT - PRN Weekend Assistant Director of Nursing, LTC Division RN, Supervisor, LTC Division

Excellent salary and beneﬁt package Visit our website at www.clarendonhealth.com for a full listing of employment opportunities to include our Extended Care and Rehab Facilities and complete your application on-line today.

ACCESSIBLE UNITS TDD RELAY #1-800-735-2905 REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS

CITY OF SUMTER BUSINESS LICENSES The City of Sumter Ordinance regulating licenses for City businesses states that “Every person engaged or intending to engage in any calling, business, occupation or profession within the limits of the City of Sumter, South Carolina is required to pay an annual license fee and obtain a business license.” “The required license fee shall be paid for each business subject thereto according to the applicable rate classiﬁcation on or before the 15th day of February each year.” A 5% PENALTY WILL BE ASSESSED ON ALL LICENSE FEES WHICH ARE NOT PAID BY THE 15TH OF FEBRUARY, AND AN ADDITIONAL 5% PENALTY WILL BE ASSESSED ON THE FIRST OF EACH MONTH THAT THE LICENSE FEE REMAINS UNPAID. If any license fee shall remain unpaid for sixty (60) days after its due date, the Business License Department shall issue an execution which shall constitute a lien upon the property of the licensee for the tax, penalties and costs of collection.” If you do not receive an application in the mail, please stop by our ofﬁce at 12 W. Liberty Street in the Liberty Center (the old Brody bldg) or give us a call at 774-1601. We will be available to assist you with your application or answer any questions you might have.

GOT STUFF?

Found: jack russell in the area of 15 N. near Senior Living Center Owner call 486-9349.

Material Testing Technician

TRANSPORTATION

Tables $1 and Up

Lost & Found

Above ground pool, 28,000 gallon, round, huge deck included. New pump & all accessories. You move. $2,000. Call 803-316-0685

Unfurnished Homes

Shaw Flea Market

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Help Wanted Full-Time

At Shaw AFB • 494-5500

For Sale or Trade

SECTION

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2015 Call Ivy Moore at: (803) 774-1221 | E-mail: ivy@theitem.com

Uncommon Folk at Sumter art gallery 60 works from State Museum S.C. collection on exhibit BY IVY MOORE ivy@theitem.com

he Sumter County Gallery of Art in partnership with the S.C. State Museum will present an exhibition of works from the museum’s permanent collection from Feb. 12 through April 12. Titled Uncommon Folk: Traditional Folk Art from the S.C. Museum, the exhibition will feature “objects made by everyday, untrainedbut-talented people whose works served to fill a need before they became recognized as a distinct the art form we know today as ‘folk art,’” said SCGA Director Karen Watson. The exhibition opens Thursday with a reception from 5:30-7:30 p.m. State Museum Curator Paul Matheny said he is excited about the exhibition, especially “our recent acquisition of several textiles. They include a Williamsburg County-made flag dress and bonnet from 1917 and two narrative quilts featuring images of farm life and hunting.” Watson said many of the artifacts in the show have rarely or never been seen outside of the Columbia museum. They include “silhouettes by Carew Rice and his grandson Clay, including a Clay Rice silhouette of the late master Charleston blacksmith Phillip Simmons; whimsical metal “whirligigs;” paintings; drawings; metal toys such as a windmill, truck and tractor; and wood carvings by Dan Robert Miller.” Matheny continued, “Folk art, whose roots are closely tied to rural or pre-industrial societies, has long been a part of South Carolina’s cultural tradition, and accordingly, holds a significant place in the South Carolina State Museum Collection. The term folk art is used to describe objects created primarily for a utilitarian need, which also reflect cultural traditions of the community, current popular taste and the artist’s unique style. Additionally, folk materials are usually produced by hand labor using traditional materials and processes, and its practitioners generally have little or no formal training in fine art traditions. Such works are often characterized by a naive style, in which traditional rules of proportion and perspective may not apply.” Watson said, “It is always a plus to present exhibitions that appeal to many people with different interests, and this show hits the mark with artistic — both traditional

and untraditional, craft and historical objects.” The exhibition will comprise more than 60 pieces from the state museum’s collection, which itself includes more than 70,000 artifacts housed in a four-story historic former mill in Columbia. The exhibit will include both practical items such as baskets made from grasses or split oak; pottery, stoneware and quilts and purely decorative pieces, such as paintings, etchings and whimsical items of painted wood or other media, Watson said. Look for sweetgrass basketry, Edgefield pottery and quilts and many other artifacts, spanning from mid-19th century to the present. A planned screening of a documentary on the “Uncommon Folk” collection, and a gallery talk by Chief curator at the S.C. State Museum, Paul Matheny will be announced at a later date. “We are very excited to bring this captivating and unique exhibition to our community here in Sumter,” SCGA Curator Frank McCauley said. “I believe visitors will be quite impressed with the variety and quality of the works included. This exhibition provided a rare look into the incredible imaginations of ordinary citizens who most often have worked for years in relative isolation, creating for the sheer joy of making, outside of the sometimes stuffy atmosphere of academia or the art world at large.” Watson noted that Uncommon Folk is yet another indication of the high quality of exhibitions from “many prestigious institutions (mounted) at the Sumter County Gallery of Art.” Among these institutions are the S.C. Arts Commission, SouthArts, The Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art and several colleges and universities. “SCGA being approached by such high caliber art institutions and organizations speaks to our professionalism, vision, dependability and work quality,” she said. The exhibition is curated by Paul Matheny, Chief Curator of Art, South Carolina State Museum, Columbia, SC. Matheny received his bachelor of fine arts degree from Winthrop University in 1996 and his master of arts in arts administration in 2011. In 1997 he became the associate curator of art at the Museum of York County. In 2001 he became curator at the South Carolina State Museum. A year later he was named chief curator, the po-

ABOVE: 1975’s “Man with Top Hat and Roadster” by James Bright Bailey, from the Collection of the South Carolina State Museum, will be seen at the Sumter County Gallery of Art beginning with the opening reception Thursday night. It will remain on exhibit through April 12. BELOW: 1980’s “Fantasy” by L.C. Carson. Both works are from the Collection of the S.C. State Museum, which provided the photograph. sition he holds today. During the past 10 years, Matheny has completed more than 20 major art exhibitions, numerous smaller exhibitions, has contributed to six major publications and has collaborated on documentaries with South Carolina ETV. Since 2001, Matheny has exhibited the work of more than 700 artists at the South Carolina State Museum, including Robert Courtright: collages, Collage Constructions and Masks, 1953-2008. Because of the fragility and age of the artifacts, no food or drink will be allowed in the gallery space for the “Uncommon Folk” exhibition. Refreshments will be served in the adjacent Patriot Hall gallery. Watson credited the gallery’s community partners for its ability to bring this prestigious exhibition to Sumter. They are the Glenmore and May Sharp Trust, the Sumter County Cultural Commission, the WilliamsBrice-Edwards Charitable Trust, SAFE Federal Credit Union, and Deane and Roger Ackerman. Flowers for the reception will be provided by Kathryn Brown, Bland Garden Club, The Council of Garden Clubs of Sumter.

UNCOMMON FOLK: TRADITIONAL FOLK ART WHERE: Sumter County Gallery of Art WHEN: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday (Reception) COST: Free for members, $5 non-members PHONE: (803) 775-0543 RELATED EVENTS: Screening of the documentary “Uncommon Folk”, Booth Room, Patriot Hall, TBA Gallery Talk, Paul Matheny, Chief Curator of Art, S.C. State Museum, TBA

Carleton Carpenter: Actor, author, lion tamer, starred in ‘50s BY NICK THOMAS Tinseltown Talks What were the chances that a 6-footthree spaghetti-thin, 18-year-old blonde actor from Bennington, Vermont, could break into Broadway after his first job interview in the 1940s? For Carleton Carpenter, arriving in New York City in the winter of 1944, they were clearly quite good. “Within 24 hours I had my first Broadway role in a play called ‘Bright Boy,’” said Carpenter from his home in Warwick, NY. “The character was written as a tall, lanky blonde who wanted to be an actor. Talk about perfect casting!” Although he towered over most other actors, Carpenter’s fresh, youthful appearance appealed to casting directors. And while theater was always his great love – he appeared in 10 Broadway productions – some 50 television and film roles helped pay the bills. Largely a supporting actor in movies, Carpenter left his mark on two musicals released in 1950. In “Three Little Words,” he appears in a memorable musical number with

PHOTO PROVIDED

Carleton Carpenter and Debbie Reynolds perform “I Wanna Be Loved by You” from the film “Three Little Words.” Debbie Reynolds – “I Wanna be Loved by You” – never speaking or singing a word. It was an odd coupling, with Reynolds more than a foot shorter than Carpenter. “I guess they just liked the look of the two of us together,” he said.

The same year, Reynolds and Carpenter appeared in “Two Weeks with Love,” although Jane Powell and Ricardo Montalban were the leads. Nevertheless, the vertically mismatched couple again stole the show with their musical highlight “Aba Daba Honeymoon,” a catchy novelty song about a monkey and a chimp. “We were rehearsing and I spotted the song in a pile of old sheet music on the piano,” recalled Carpenter. “I played it for Debbie and we liked it. When I saw Jack Cummings, the producer, walking towards the rehearsal hall, I told Debbie to sing the lyrics very fast. He agreed it would be a good number for the two of us.” Carpenter’s first leading role was in MGM’s “Fearless Fagan” in 1952. “It was loosely based on a true story about a guy who was drafted into the army and tried to take his pet lion named Fagan with him,” explained Carpenter. “I had a lion for a co-star, but it was my first star billing – you just go with it!” While publicity posters promoted “Janet Leigh, Carleton Carpenter, Keenan Wynn and introducing Fearless

Fagan (himself),” Carpenter said the real Fagan made only one appearance early in the film. “(Fagan) had a double!” laughed Carpenter. “The studio brought in a young lion and he was like a pussy cat. ... I did every scene with him. I had padding under my uniform and around my arms, but occasionally he would nip my rump.” Janet Leigh, however, wasn’t impressed with her four-legged co-star. “Poor Janet was just terrified,” said Carpenter. “But she was well protected. Off camera, the crew were watching with loaded guns just in case.” Aside from acting, Carpenter is a songwriter and author. His mystery novels have just been reissued in paperback, and signed copies are available directly from the author ($10 each from PO Box 844, Warwick, NY 10990). And, at 88, Carpenter will be heading to the Cocoa Village Playhouse, Cocoa, Fla., later this month to appear in “C’mon Get Happy” (see www.cocoavillageplayhouse.com). “It’s a revue celebrating the movie musicals from the ‘50s,” said Carpenter.

FOOD

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2015

THE SUMTER ITEM

Distillers get hopping mad for new liquor flavoring trend BY MICHELLE LOCKE The Associated Press

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Pack in protein and save money with beans and rice BY MELISSA D’ARABIAN The Associated Press

hen I was growing up, beans and rice were an end-ofmonth staple. As money got

tight, my mom would whip up a beans and rice casserole, a healthy, budgetfriendly choice that stretched our pantry a bit longer. Not that we necessarily appreciated it. “It’s a complete protein!” Mom would proudly announce as my sister and I groaned. But mom was right — beans and rice are a great combination worth another look. Red beans are a classic choice for this combination, especially in spicy Creole cuisine. Red beans and rice likely became popular be-

RED BEANS AND RICE Start to finish: 45 minutes Servings: 8 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 yellow onion, finely chopped 1 large celery stalk, chopped 1 small red pepper, cored and chopped 6 ounces cooked ham, cubed (about 1 cup) 3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme 1/4 cup dry white wine 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth Two 15-ounce cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed 3 cups water 2 cups long-grain white rice Kosher salt 2 to 3 teaspoons cider vinegar or white vinegar Ground black pepper Fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped, to garnish In a large, heavy saucepan over medium, heat

cause of its nutrition profile. Red kidney beans are full of protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals. Just a 1/2 cup serving has 8 grams each of protein and fiber — all for about 100 calories, and close to no fat. Adding rice to the dish completes the amino acids needed to make a complete protein, making beans and rice a fantastic option for vegetarians. In Creole cuisine, the dish is flavored with a bit of meat, either sausage, ham, or just the ham bone leftover from a previous meal. My version is quick and uses cubed ham to flavor the beans, along with some dried spices and herbs. And while the recipe is simple, the flavors are anything but. Between the ham, chipotle chili powder, cumin, thyme and garlic, you get a whole lot of flavor for not a lot of effort. And with Mardi Gras upon us, it seems like a great time for beans and rice, even if it isn’t the end of the month!

the oil. Add the onion, celery, red pepper and ham and saute until the vegetables are tender and the meat is starting to turn golden, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin and thyme, then cook for an additional 2 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high, then add the wine and stir to deglaze the pan. Stir until the wine bubbles and mostly evaporates, about 1 minute. Add the chicken broth and kidney beans, bring to a simmer, then lower the heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan over mediumhigh, bring the water to a simmer. Add the rice and a pinch of salt, then cover and reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes, or until the water is absorbed and the rice is fluffy. Once the beans are done, stir in 2 teaspoons of the vinegar. Taste and season with salt, pepper and additional vinegar, if needed. Spoon the rice into serving bowls, then top with the beans and fresh cilantro or parsley. Nutrition information per serving: 400 calories; 60 calories from fat (15 percent of total calories); 6 g fat (1.5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 10 mg cholesterol; 66 g carbohydrate; 9 g fiber; 1 g sugar; 19 g protein; 590 mg sodium.

Customize clusters for your true love BY ELIZABETH KARMEL The Associated Press

satile recipe could be taken in so many directions. I made Mims’ pretzel-peanutSometimes it takes just a semi-sweet chocolate verfew simple ingredients to sion, but I also did cashewwin my heart. That’s what fellow Southerner Ben Mims coconut-chopped dried mango and dried cherryrecently did. And he did it toasted almonds-chopped with candy. Truth is, I’m generally not candied ginger versions. They were all delicious! the sort of person who makes candy at home. It can And what a perfect idea for Valentine’s Day. Even the be a bit fussy and time-conkids could do this. suming and I don’t find the Looking for other combiprocess nearly as satisfying nations? Mix whatever inas landing a slab of sometrigues you; just stick to the thing meaty over an open fire. But I’m still a sucker for proportions in the recipe and you should be fine. Or try a good sweet, and as I paged these combinations: through Mims’ recent cook• Pistachios, dried cherries book, “Sweet and Southern: and milk chocolate Traditional Southern Des• Toasted hazelnuts, raiserts,” I was smitten with sins and dark chocolate one of his simplest recipes. • Cornflakes, butterscotch It was his Aunt Barbara Jane’s pretzel-peanut choco- chips and milk chocolate • White chocolate, dried late candies. Crunchy, salty apricots and cashews and sweet, these chocolates • Mini marshmallows, are similar to bark, but easitoasted almonds and dark er. You simply mix everything together, then spoon it chocolate • Dark chocolate, orange onto waxed paper to set up. Of course, I’m never happy zest, crystalized ginger and pecans to just let things be. My • Crumbled cooked bacon, mind was immediately racpeanuts and milk chocolate ing with ideas for riffing on this. Such a simple and ver-

A new flavor is brewing in the world of craft liquors as distillers borrow from the beer world and add hops for an aromatic twist. Recent products include hopped whiskies such as R5 from Charbay Artisan Distillery & Winery in the Napa Valley and Hopmonster from the Corsair Distillery with operations in Tennessee and Kentucky. Other examples include Hatter Royale from New Holland Brewing Co. in Michigan and Hopskey from Square One Brewery in St. Louis. In the non-whiskey category there’s Hophead Vodka from Anchor Distilling Co. in San Francisco and a hopped gin from the New York Distilling Co. Beyond the hard stuff, there’s even a half-dozen or so hopped hard ciders. The move, says H. Joseph Ehrmann, who carries several of the hop-flavored liquors at his Elixir bar in San Francisco, is inspired by the desire to stand out. “They’re up against the big boys, the big brands and they’re trying to make something that’s going to compete and be unique so that people aren’t looking at them as another bourbon or another American single malt.” It also tracks the boom in India pale ales — the hoppy beers beloved by craft beer enthusiasts — as well as the quest for innovative cocktails. Industry-wide, there’s been an explosion of flavored spirits in the past few years, especially the many shades of vodka, driven by efforts to attract new customers and expand shelf space. But Christopher Null, who blogs about liquor at Drinkhacker.com, sees the hop-flavored spirits trend as less about growing market share and more about craft distillers getting in “mad scientist” mode, exploring the limits of what’s possible. Allen Katz, co-founder of New York Distilling, laughs at the mad scientist label, but concedes there’s may be some truth to it. “We’re just trying to have fun. We are trying to be purposefully different, not esoteric.” The Brooklyn distillery’s Chief Gowanus New-Netherlands Gin harks back to the days of early Dutch im-

migrants who were looking to recreate genever using readily available ingredients. In their case, it was rye. In this case, an unaged, double-distilled rye whiskey is put back in a traditional pot still with juniper and a small amount of cluster hops, distilled again, then finished off with three months in a barrel previously used to age rye. “We’re trying to offer something that in our case has a historical context, which we like, but that most people have never experienced before,” says Katz. Aromatic and assertive, hop-flavored liquors aren’t for everyone, but they play well with people who are interested in the craft distilling scene and in trying new things, says Ehrmann. “It’s kind of like smoke or spice; you don’t get a huge amount of people who like it right off the bat.” Anchor Distilling Co. president David King says there are two types of people who like Hophead Vodka, “the really quite serious craft mixologists like it because it’s so unusual and the craft beer guys like it.” Though it’s definitely a niche market, sales have been steady, with 4,000 9-liter cases sold in the past 18 months, says King. “It’s an acquired taste, but the people that acquire it like it very much.” King was literally led by the nose to the trend when he walked into the hop room of sister company Anchor Brewing and was struck by the rich, funky smell. “Have you tried distilling this?” he asked, and Hophead was born. Hop-flavored liquors are made in various ways, but the whiskies generally get their flavor by being distilled from consumer-ready, hoppy beers, as opposed to the much cheaper regular whiskey mashes. Charbay’s R5 Lot No. 3, the current release, is distilled from Bear Republic Brewery’s Racer 5 IPA beer and it takes 10 gallons of beer to make a gallon of whiskey, which is further reduced by the 3 percent “angel’s share” lost during barrel aging, says Susan Karakasevic, co-owner and general manager of Charbay. The process shows up in the price, around $80 a bottle.

CANDY CLUSTERS This recipe readily adapts to your tastes. Just stick with the proportions set out below and you can mix in whatever you like. But a good rule of thumb is to offer a contrast of textures and flavors — crunchy and soft, salty and sweet, etc. It also helps if the mix-ins are roughly the same size. Pretzels or chips should be broken into smaller pieces, while larger dried fruits such as apricots should be chopped. Start to finish: 30 minutes Makes 40 clusters 10-ounce bag bittersweet chocolate 3 cups mix-ins (see ideas above) Line a baking sheet with kitchen parchment. Place the chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high in 10- to 15-second bursts, stirring in between, until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Stir in the mix-ins of your choice, making sure they are evenly distributed and coated with melted chocolate. Using 2 teaspoons, drop large spoonsful of the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Let cool completely. Place in small decorative cupcake wrappers and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to a week.

FOOD

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2015

There is a kitchen app for that! But do you care? Interest will increase with integration BY MICHELE KAYAL The Associated Press A few years ago, former video game executive Kevin Yu was cooking for a girlfriend on Valentine’s Day when he discovered he’d forgotten the mushrooms for the mushroom soup. But that was just the start. He’d also lost track of timing on the various dishes, and he was just generally making a mess of things. “I was trying to whip up a three course meal at the last minute and it ended up a disaster,” Yu says. “She didn’t leave me because of the cooking, but the cooking didn’t help.” But does it surprise you that these days there’s an app for that? The cooking part, anyway. Yu is the founder of SideChef, a cooking app that supplements recipes with social media and aims to help home cooks avoid disasters like his. It’s one of thousands of apps that offer recipes, step-by-step videos, measurement conversion, timers, shopping lists and other elements meant to simplify our lives in the kitchen. But while apps have commandeered so many aspects of our lives, tracking our fitness, our sleep, our banking, our navigation, they have been slow to take over our kitchens. “They haven’t blown up yet,” says Harrison Weber, news editor at VentureBeat. com, an online magazine that covers technology innovation. “It hasn’t hit a tipping point in terms of usefulness and market need.” Digital cookbooks have notoriously failed in the publishing world, and account for a minuscule percentage of total cookbook sales. But developers argue that apps are not just another platform for digital recipes. Apps, they say, offer convenience, portability and, at their best, a new way of interacting with the information. Some of the earliest cooking apps were extensions of popular cookbooks. In 2011, baking expert Dorie Greenspan helped create a companion app to her book “Baking with Dorie” that used video to walk users through the recipes. Portland, Oregonbased app developer Culinate offers similarly interactive apps for books such as Mark Bittman’s “How to Cook Everything.” The most popular apps today are the ones that build on trends, such as glutenfree or vegan recipes, says Fiona O’Donnell, a lifestyles analyst at Chicago-based market research firm Mintel, or on products that already have a large following, such as Allrecipes.com and Epicurious.com. The Food Network’s “In the Kitchen” app, which features recipes and

videos from the network’s celebrity chefs, boasts more than 5 million downloads. Many cooking and other apps also follow the principles of “gamification,” applying the social media, build-your-own environment and other principles of video games. Yu, a former community development executive for the game World of Warcraft, says his SideChef app will offer similar aspects of community. But apps won’t change the way we shop, cook and eat, say analysts and app developers, until they fully integrate every step of the process, from deciding what to make, to delivering a recipe, its ingredients and “smart” appliances with which to

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ingredients delivered to them in an hour or less. Other apps have begun syncing with individual appliances. The Prep Pad, a Bluetooth-enabled scale by The Orange Chef Co., links to an app that displays in real time the calories and other nutritional information of every item you’re loading onto your plate or into your spaghetti sauce. “A lot of the food-tracking apps are generic,” says Taimoor Dar, co-founder of San Francisco-based Orange Chef. “We give you component by component. And you can be like ‘Maybe this is too much fat’ or ‘Maybe there’s not enough protein.’ That’s our focus, to give you realtime insight into your food.

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COMICS

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2015

BIZARRO

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ANDY CAPP

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Wife is wavering over offer to repair broken marriage DEAR ABBY — I have been married for 25 years. My husband, “Frank,” and I have four children. Over the Dear Abby years our relationship ABIGAIL became VAN BUREN rocky -- almost toxic. Frank is an alcoholic, verbally abusive and a manipulator. (I admit I’m no angel, either.) Eight months ago, I had an affair with a former boyfriend I dated before I was married, and we got caught. Frank planted a tape recorder in my car, hacked my phone and read my texts on his phone. He threw me out of the house,

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my belongings placed in black garbage bags. My boyfriend has divorced his wife, moved here and has made a life and a future for us. He has sacrificed a lot for me, and I feel bad that I’m thinking about going back to Frank. I miss my home and family. Frank begs me to return every day. He claims he has stopped drinking and changed his ways. He wants us to go to counseling and promises to be a better husband if I give him another chance. I’m scared, but a little piece of me wants to see if it’s true. I have heard stories about how men can’t change, that it will be worse if I go home and I’ll be in a sort of jail and have no freedom. Please help me. In pain in Illinois

DEAR IN PAIN — If “a little piece” of you wants to reunite with your husband, then level with your lover. Your marriage may or may not be able to be repaired. However, if you’re willing to try, understand it will take hard work on the part of both you and Frank, AND the help of a marriage counselor -- IF Frank can maintain his sobriety. You say you are worried you will lose your freedom if you go back. It is important you recognize that trust takes a long time to be rebuilt, that the attempt at reconciliation is a gamble, and whether your marriage can survive the mess the two of you have made of it isn’t assured.

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 Audio problem 4 Finish paying a bill, perhaps 10 Controlled 14 Radio host Glass 15 Ethically indifferent 16 Adidas rival 17 *Motown Records founder 19 Baptismal basin 20 Spanish royalty 21 Oceanic reflux 23 Jessica of “Dark Angel” 24 *Cubs broadcaster known for singing along with “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” during the seventh-inning stretch 27 Mental grasp 29 McCain or McCaskill: Abbr. 30 Tummy muscles 32 Circular gasket 34 Time at the inn 38 Shad eggs 39 Biblical trio ... and a homophonic hint to the answers to starred clues 42 Have a mort-

gage, e.g. 43 Send to the canvas 45 Graceful swimmers 46 Pull down 47 Dorm monitors, briefly 50 Windpipe, e.g. 52 *”That’ll Be the Day” singer 56 Grand Forks locale: Abbr. 59 “It’s finally clear to me” 60 Accustom 61 Sushi option 62 *Longtime “60 Minutes” closer 66 Follow, or follower 67 Listen to, as a podcast 68 Bearded beast 69 Suburban street liners 70 Physical jerks 71 Blather DOWN 1 Heavenly scales 2 Spinning 3 *”The [52-Across] Story” Oscar nominee 4 Big name in chips 5 Texter’s “Unbelievable!” 6 Icky stuff 7 Rink legend Bobby 8 Sound system control 9 Spacecraft data-collection

passes 10 Lounging robes 11 To have, in Le Havre 12 Lavin or Blair 13 Swabby’s chum 18 Gather 22 Abbr. in ancient dates 24 Mata __ 25 Words before and after “is still” in “As Time Goes By” 26 Time extension? 28 Garage service 30 Storied vessel 31 Flapper’s wrap 33 Google Apps component 35 *”Football Night in America” analyst 36 Knock the

socks off 37 Still 40 Professor Ôiggins 41 Sydney is its cap. 44 Tough times 48 Writer Rand 49 Young pigs 51 Latin word on a cornerstone 52 Please, in Potsdam 53 Same as always 54 Jeans material 55 Come clean 57 Place for matches 58 Light a fire under 60 Charged atoms 63 Genes material 64 “I’m listening” 65 Grand Canyon viewing spot

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Spy series vs. spy series meets fact vs. fiction BY KEVIN MCDONOUGH “The Americans” (10 p.m., FX, TV-MA) may have been cloned, but it keeps getting better. NBC’s “Allegiance” owes much to this series, but departs from its strengths in all the wrong ways. “The Americans” is at its most thoughtful when it explores the ways that Elizabeth and Philip’s peculiar line of work affects their family life. The Kremlin’s insistence that these two 1980s spies recruit their own daughter, Paige, to the cause continues to divide the couple. In contrast, “Allegiance” sets up the son (Gavin Stenhouse) of Russian sleeper agents (Hope Davis and Scott Cohen) as a super-savant CIA agent. Like a gazillion detectives and sleuths from “Monk” to “Sherlock” to “Backstrom,” he can solve a problem with just one look. Or even a casual sniff. It adds a level of the incredible to an already preposterous situation. Both series offer interesting reflections on real events, past and present. Set in 2015, “Allegiance” treats Vladimir Putin’s Russia as a strategic threat, capable of anything. It’s fascinating to think how far we’ve come, or rather, how far NBC has come, since just last February, when the network partnered with Putin in broadcasting the spectacle of the Sochi Winter Olympics! American-Soviet nuclear brinkmanship provides the backdrop for “The Americans,” but we all know that that story is as dated as the Tandy Computers and Buick Skylarks that dot this artfully produced period piece. Not unlike “Homeland,” this FX drama really explores our tangled relationships with our frenemies in the Islamic world. In last week’s episode, Philip and Elizabeth blackmailed a CIA link to the Afghan resistance and he was overheard warning his American colleagues that they are backing dangerous extremists. It may be entirely coincidental, but chilling nonetheless, to think that last week’s episode coincided with much discussion of

too far on “The 100” (9 p.m., CW, TV-14) * Cupid’s arrow on “black-ish” (9:30 p.m., ABC, TV-PG) * Crowd sourcing on “Stalker” (10 p.m., CBS, TV-14) * Bunny points the way on “Chicago P.D.” (10 p.m., NBC, TV-14).

LATE NIGHT

MICHAEL PARMALEE / FX

Frank Langella stars as Gabriel and Matthew Rhys as Philip Jennings on “The Americans” airing at 10 p.m. today on FX. an old and buried story — the role of our Saudi “friends” in the financing, and even planning, of the terror that visited us on Sept. 11, 2001. These are just TV shows. Fiction. But drama has a way of reflecting and influencing real events. And vice versa. Wasn’t it just last week that Jordan’s King Abdullah vowed to destroy ISIS while quoting lines not from the Koran, but from “Unforgiven,” a Clint Eastwood movie? • “NOVA” (9 p.m., PBS, TVPG, check local listings) devotes the next three weeks to “Building Wonders.” Up tonight: the Roman Colosseum. Future “Wonders” include Jordan’s city of Petra (Feb. 18) and Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia (Feb. 25). • The TV Guide Network recently rebranded itself as Pop. Tonight it premieres the comedy “Schitt’s Creek” (10 p.m., TV-PG). A hit in Canada, it reunites Catherine O’Hara and Eugene Levy of “Best in Show” and SCTV fame.

TONIGHT’S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS • A female impersonator is slain on “The Mysteries of Laura” (8 p.m., NBC, TV-14).

• Hollywood week continues on “American Idol” (8 p.m., Fox, TV-PG). • Peter Stormare gueststars as Vertigo on “Arrow” (8 p.m., CW, TV-14). • Gruesome sexism in the gamer world puts a female developer in the crosshairs on “Law & Order: SVU” (9 p.m., NBC, TV-14). • Jamal’s sudden ambition surprises some on “Empire” (9 p.m., Fox, TV-14). • Role-playing wounds Claire’s ego on “Modern Family” (9 p.m., ABC, TV-PG). • Rayna resolves to tour in the face of rumors about her breakup with Luke on “Nashville” (10 p.m., ABC, TV-PG). • Josh can’t believe his luck on “Man Seeking Woman” (10:30 p.m., FXX, TV-MA).

on “Criminal Minds” (9 p.m., CBS, TV-14) * Clarke goes

Colin Firth is scheduled on “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart” (11 p.m., Comedy Central) * Anna Kendrick and Gabrielle Union appear on “Conan” (11 p.m., TBS) * Tom Hanks and Hundred Waters appear on “Late Show With David Letterman” (11:35 p.m., CBS) * William H. Macy, Kenny Smith and The Districts visit “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (12:35 a.m., NBC) * Wayne Brady guesthosts William Shatner and Judy Smith on “The Late Late Show” (12:35 a.m., CBS). Copyright 2015, United Feature Syndicate

CULT CHOICE A single setback unravels a poor man’s life in the 1948 Italian drama “The Bicycle Thief” (12:15 a.m., TCM) directed by Vittorio De Sica.

SERIES NOTES A psychic arrives on “The Mentalist” (8 p.m., CBS, TVPG) * Brick puckers up on “The Middle” (8 p.m., ABC, TV-PG) * Football and affection on “The Goldbergs” (8:30 p.m., ABC, TV-PG) * A suspect may have faced abuse

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You’ve put it off long enough! Master crepes with simple technique BY SARA MOULTON The Associated Press

n honor of Mardi Gras, I decided to try a fresh take on a classic New

Orleans dessert — bananas Foster. Bananas Foster is the luscious indulgence created at Brennan’s Restaurant in New Orleans during the 1950s. It’s hard to beat sauteed bananas doused with rum and brown sugar, then topped with vanilla ice cream. So I decided to keep most of the classic elements, but wrap the bananas in a crepe topped with ice cream and toasted walnuts. My real agenda? To help folks get over their fear of making crepes. Because once you master this simple, classic technique, you’ll wish you’d done it long ago. Making the batter is easy. Throw all the ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Then let the batter rest for half an hour. This ensures tender crepes. Making the crepes requires

one key tool — the right pan. I use a stick-resistant ceramic or enamel pan. A non-stick pan also will do the trick. Just don’t overheat it; this prevents you from being able to swirl and spread the batter as needed for a perfectly thin and evenly cooked crepe. Transporting the batter from the bowl to the pan can be messy. I keep the mess to a minimum by setting the measuring cup on a plate placed right next to the stove, then pouring out the batter a 1/4 cup at a time. Now it’s the moment of truth. You can’t hesitate when making crepes. After the pan is properly heated (you’ll know it is ready when a bead of water drizzled into the pan skips across its surface), you dump in the measured batter, then immediately lift up the pan and tilt it all around so that the batter completely covers the bottom. After only 30 to 45 seconds, you peek under the crepe with a spatula to see whether it has browned. If so, gather your courage, slide the spatula under the crepe, and quickly flip it over. Transfer the cooked crepe to

a rack, where it’ll cool off slightly. Then, as you make more, you can stack them. Fear not, they won’t stick to each other. One last note: A crepe’s pretty side is the first one you cooked. When you roll up a crepe, keep the pretty side on the outside (which means place it on the plate pretty side down before filling and rolling). Admittedly, making crepes takes a little bit of practice, but you’ll be a pro after knocking out two or three of them. You also can make the crepes ahead of time, then cool, stack and wrap them in plastic. If you are going to freeze them, wrap them again in foil and label them well. Contrary to popular myth, you can stack the crepes and they won’t stick as long as you let them warm to room temperature before using. Or, alternatively, remove them from the plastic, wrap the stack in foil and heat in a low oven for a few minutes. Once the crepes are made dinner or dessert is just minutes away. It’s so easy it may start to make every day feel like Mardi Gras.

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BANANAS FOSTER CREPES Start to finish: 1 hour 10 minutes (40 minutes active) Servings: 4 For the crepes: 5 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 cup whole milk 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 2 large eggs 1/4 teaspoon table salt For the filling: 2 slightly green bananas 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1/4 cup dark rum Coffee or vanilla ice cream, to serve Chopped toasted walnuts, to serve To make the crepes, in a 10inch nonstick or stick-resistant skillet over low heat, melt the butter. Transfer 2 tablespoons of the melted butter to a ramekin and set aside. Pour the rest of the butter into a blender. Set the skillet aside, but do not wipe it out. To the blender, add the milk, flour, eggs and salt. Blend until smooth, scraping the sides. Strain through a sieve into a bowl, then cover and set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, heat the skillet over medium-high until hot but not smoking. Reduce the heat to medium. Stir the batter and ladle a scant 1/4 cup into the pan, tilting and rotating the pan until the batter evenly coats the bottom. Cook for 30 to 45 seconds, or until the surface of the crepe looks set and the bottom is barely golden. Flip the crepe and cook for 30 seconds more on the second

side. Transfer the crepe to a cooling rack, then repeat the procedure, brushing the skillet as necessary with some of the reserved melted butter, until you have used up all of the batter. You should end up with 8 to 10 crepes. Once they are cool, set aside 4 crepes. The remaining crepes can be wrapped in plastic, then refrigerated or frozen for another use. For the filling, peel the bananas, cut them in half lengthwise, then into quarters crosswise. In a large skillet over medium heat, combine the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice. Cook, stirring, until melted. Add the bananas and cook, gently turning over 1 or 2 times, until the bananas are just golden at the edges, about 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the rum. Stir well, then return the skillet to the heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring, and cook until the sauce is the consistency of honey, turning the bananas often to coat them with the sauce. Arrange 1 of the 4 reserved crepes on each serving plate. Spoon a quarter of the banana mixture down the middle of each crepe, then roll up the crepes to enclose the filling. Turn the crepe so the seam is on the bottom. Top each filled crepe with a scoop of ice cream, a drizzle of sauce from the skillet and a sprinkling of walnuts. Nutrition information per serving: 640 calories; 320 calories from fat (50 percent of total calories); 36 g fat (19 g saturated; 1 g trans fats); 190 mg cholesterol; 62 g carbohydrate; 3 g fiber; 35 g sugar; 11 g protein; 240 mg sodium.