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Justin Mooneyham with Black River Electric Co-op prepares a power line on Furman Road for the winter storm on Tuesday. Workers switched the power source running on the line to make it easier to restore service if a power outage occurs during this week’s icy weather.
Power co-op says outages are expected Lack of contracted support means repairs to downed lines likely to take longer BY BRISTOW MARCHANT bmarchant@theitem.com If the direst warnings of today’s winter storm come true, you may be reading this story by candlelight. Black River Electric Co-op warns that crews may be stretched thin dealing with bad weather across their service area and beyond and has announced that “widespread power outages� are expected. “All our employees and local contractors are prepared, but we’ll have no outside help coming in,� said Herb Leaird, CEO of the local electric cooperative. “If we have several broken poles or downed wires, it’s just going to take us some time.� Private utility companies that Black River uses are already committed to work other areas dealing with winter weather damage, with some crews venturing as far north as Pennsylvania. Other electric cooperatives and Santee Cooper normally provide emergency assistance, but Leaird said the extent of this week’s storm means many of them will be dealing with problems in their own service areas. “Nobody’s going to release their crews to us, and we wouldn’t release ours to them,� he said. “If our sister co-op in Aiken has issues, they’ll finish working on themselves before they come to us.� The area’s other big provider, Duke Progress Energy, has also prepared work crews to respond to any power outages in its service area. “We have been monitoring the weather for several days, and we know this storm has the potential to produce outages,� said Duke Progress Energy spokesman Theo Lane. “We’ve been working on our strategy to make sure we’re ready with our crews and equipment to move.�
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Dr. Charles Propst, also featured in the portrait to the left, talks about being vaccinated for smallpox when he was 5 years old by Dr. Julius Mood, whose portrait is seen at right, at a gallery honoring Tuomey Regional Medical Center’s 100th anniversary on Tuesday morning.
Tuomey marks 100 years with new display BY JADE REYNOLDS jade@theitem.com It was 100 years in the making and took two years to plan. Tuomey Healthcare System unveiled its 100th Anniversary Display on Tuesday. The dozen lifesize cutouts feature a variety of people who played significant roles in the Sumter hospital’s development. “Deciding who to display was a very difficult decision,� said Brenda Chase, spokeswoman for the local hospital and a member of the 100th anniversary committee. “There are so many people who have played an important role in our history. We tried to find representatives from all
SEE TUOMEY, PAGE A6
JADE REYNOLDS / THE SUMTER ITEM
Kell Watson holds his 2-year-old son, Brogdon, as they look at a cutout of Burke Watson Sr., Kell’s father and Brogdon’s grandfather, during his days as a boxer at The Citadel. Burke Watson Sr. and his children made significant contributions to The Tuomey Foundation.
Sumter open enrollment begins for parents BY RAYTEVIA EVANS revans@theitem.com The open-enrollment program for Sumter School District is officially open for the 2014-15 school year. The program allows students zoned to attend a particular school to apply for a different school in the district that’s outside of their attendance zone. According to the school district, students zoned for a certain school, who wish to attend that school, do not have to submit an application. Public Relations Representative Shelly Gal-
loway explained that the program was previously for students interested in transferring schools in order to participate in programs or attend specific classes. Previously, Superintendent Frank Baker said the open-enrollment program differs, allowing parents and students a choice out of the different schools in Sumter County. In the past, Kingsbury Elementary School and Alice Drive Elementary School have received a number of applications and were hard for students to get into. However, Baker confirmed Tues-
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day that there are currently no schools closed to open enrolment because of capacity issues. Additional rules were provided in a flier sent home with students for their parents last Monday. Applications and information for the program became available on Monday. Parents can pick up applications at the Sumter School District Office at 1345 Wilson Hall Road or online at https://district.sumterschools. net. Parents and students must submit or postmark their applications by Friday, March 21. Reach Raytevia Evans at (803) 7741214.
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