February 26, 2014

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2014 75 CENTS

Friend request Facebook chat with 3rd student adds charges

BY BRADEN BUNCH bbunch@theitem.com (803) 774-1201

SERVING SOUTH CAROLINA SINCE OCTOBER 15, 1894 3 SECTIONS, 24 PAGES | VOL. 119, NO. 113

The Chestnut Oaks Middle School teacher accused of sexually assaulting students faces additional charges after a third pupil has come forward, describing to investigators the teacher’s alleged attempts to seduce him.

Elizabeth Moss, the 31-year-old choir director at the school, was charged with criminal solicitation of a minor and taken back into custody by law enforceMOSS ment on Tuesday. Moss, already facing multiple charges including criminal sexual conduct with a minor after her arrest last

week, had been released from jail on a $150,000 bond on Friday.

Sumter School District received complaints and conducted its own investigation into Moss’ Facebook activities before handing its findings over to the Sumter County Sheriff ’s Office last week. Investigators with the

SEE MOSS, PAGE A6

Explosion starts Kingsbury house fire

Pushing on Sumter boys, Crestwood girls compete in 3rd round of state playoffs B1 INSIDE

Head start program may operate more days next school year A2 PHOTOS BY MATT WALSH / THE SUMTER ITEM

DEATHS, B7 Lois Prioleau James William Witherspoon Jr. Harold G. Smith Emma Jane G. Estelle Stephens McFaddin Alan N. Simmons James R. Dannelly

WEATHER, A8 A BIT COLDER Cooler with a morning shower in the day; a star-studded sky, colder at night HIGH 51, LOW 31

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Firefighters work to put out a fire that broke out in a Kingsbury Drive home on Tuesday morning after an explosion erupted within the residence and ignited the walls. The cause of the explosion remains unknown.

No one reported hurt; cause of blast unknown

BY BRISTOW MARCHANT bmarchant@theitem.com (803) 774-1272 A loud blast on a quiet residential street was followed by plumes of smoke, flames shooting out of a house and the lights and sirens of emergency vehicles crowding the street.

No one was injured in Tuesday’s explosion, which burned a gaping hole in the roof of a home in the 2100 block of Kingsbury Drive and blew through the paneling of the garage door. But after investigating the scene of the blaze, firefighters were at a loss to explain the cause of the blaze or the accompanying boom.

Amos Tolson was playing with his 2-year-old son in the backyard

Firefighters remove debris from the driveway of the incinerated home on Tuesday after an explosion blew off the garage door. of their Tanglewood Road home, abutting the back of the Kingsbury Drive house, when he noticed smoke rising from his neighbor’s home.

“I saw the fireplace was smoking, which I thought was weird,” Tolson said. “Then I heard the ga-

rage when it exploded.”

About 11:39 a.m., calls began pouring in to Sumter Fire Department about a house explosion, and crews from five surrounding fire stations responded to find

SEE FIRE, PAGE A6

Jury labels man ‘sexually violent predator’

BY TYLER SIMPSON tyler@theitem.com (803) 774-1295 A 51-year-old man who was convicted of 12 counts of criminal sexual conduct with a minor in February 1991 has been labeled a sexually violent predator by a 12-person Sumter jury, forcing him to be institutionalized for treatment of pedophilia.

Because of the ruling, Adam Lee Welch will be institutionalized into the state’s Sexually Violent Predator Treatment Program under the South Carolina Department

of Mental Health.

Welch will first have to undergo a series of procedures to determine how long he will have to be institutionalized, though he can petition to be released in the future if he feels he is well enough. It is currently unknown at which facility he will be treated.

“There are different facilities that he could be transported to,” said attorney Dickie Jones, who was appointed by the court to represent Welch. “The department will put him through an intensive treatment plan, do an analysis of who he is and where his is-

sues are. From there, they will make a treatment plan that will be specific to him.”

After the ruling, Welch asked the judge that he not be sent to Gilliam Psychiatric Hospital, where he was treated under the Department of Corrections during his 30year sentence for having sexual intercourse with a then-9year-old girl. Welch said that he didn’t complete the program at Gilliam because of a violent altercation at the facility.

“The simple fact is I caught

TYLER SIMPSON / THE SUMTER ITEM

Adam Lee Welch, right, along with his attorney, Dickie Jones, and state prosecutor James Bogle, left, discuss with Judge R. Ferrell CoSEE WELCH, PAGE A8 thran where Welch will be institutionalized and treated.

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2014

THE SUMTER ITEM

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

Shaw welcomes Air Force secretary

LOCAL BRIEFS FROM STAFF REPORTS

Police seek 2 teens in January home burglary

BY BRISTOW MARCHANT bmarchant@theitem.com (803) 774-1272

Sumter Police Department is searching for two home burglary suspects.

Ronald Barton III, 17, of 43 L St., and Jimmie Durant, 18, of 549 S. Sumter St., are both wanted in connection with a Jan. 22 burglary on Lawson Street in which they are suspected of stealing several firearms — handguns, shotguns and a rifle — BARTON three small swords and an electronic safe.

Barton is described as 5 feet 5 inches tall, weighing 135 pounds, with black hair DURANT and brown eyes.

Durant is described as 6 feet tall, weighing 240 pounds with black hair and brown eyes.

Anyone with information about their whereabouts is asked to contact the Sumter Police Department at (803) 4362700 or CrimeStoppers at 1-800-CRIMESC. Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward for information leading to an arrest.

Airmen at Shaw are preparing for the arrival of the new head of the U.S. Air Force.

The Secretary of the Air Force will be in Sumter on Thursday and Friday, visiting Shaw Air Force Base on her inaugural tour of the service’s Air Combat Command.

Deborah Lee James was only confirmed to the post in December after being nominated by President Obama and is still in the process of introducing herJAMES self to the 330,000 airmen she now leads. James’ visit to Shaw will be part of a string of dropins at bases of the Ninth Air Force, which is headquartered at Shaw.

“The reason for the visit is basically an immersion in the Air Force’s major commands,” said Lt. Keavy Rake, Shaw’s public affairs officer. “She’s

coming from Langley (AFB, in Virginia) to Shaw, and then headed to Moody (AFB) in Georgia.”

As secretary, James is head of the Air Force component of the Defense Department, below the Secretary of Defense and over the Air Force chief of staff, the branch’s most senior uniformed officer.

James is scheduled to fly into Shaw on Thursday afternoon to receive a briefing from commanders about the base’s operations and capacities. The next day, the secretary will eat breakfast with airmen inside a base air hangar, followed by an “all-call” address to the base’s service members.

In addition to meeting with Shaw’s rank and file, James will also eat dinner Thursday night at The O’Donnell House with a select group of members of the community, the only stop on her tour where she will interact with a base’s supporting community.

“I believe the enduring partnership between Shaw Air Force Base and Sumter will be readily apparent,” said Maj.

Gen. Jake Polumbo, commander of the Ninth Air Force, adding that Sumter will stand in for “the broader support network of towns and cities throughout Ninth Air Force and Air Combat Command.”

Polumbo said servicemen on base are also looking forward to a chance to meet and interact with the secretary.

“We also want our airmen to hear from her, and she wants to hear from them; what’s on their minds, and what questions they have about their Air Force,” he said. “This will be a great opportunity for that to happen.”

James has 30 years of senior homeland and national security experience in both the federal government and the private sector, according to her bio on the Air Force website. She previously worked on staff for the House Armed Services Committee and, from 1993 to 1998, served in the Pentagon as the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs.

James is only the second woman to ever serve as secretary of the Air Force.

Get your cyber security questions answered South Carolinians can tweet questions about cyber security as part of a live broadcast at 7:30 p.m. Thursday on ETV. Palmetto Scene will take viewers’ questions before and during the show via Twitter, with tweets directed to @PalmettoScene.

Special guests on this episode of Palmetto Scene include Carri Grube-Lybarker from the S.C. Department of Consumer Affairs and Marcos Vieyra, chief information security officer for the state of South Carolina. The show will also include a prerecorded segment with CSID and a talk with state Sen. Katrina Shealy about legislation addressing cyber security.

Friday after the broadcast, the program will be available to view online at scetv.org/palmettoscene.

Sumter Cut Rate selling tickets for Benefit BBQ Sumter Cut Rate, 32 S. Main St., is also selling tickets for the Third Annual Benefit BBQ for Boy Scouts.

Three types of tickets are available — $15 weekend pass, $8 for Wing Ding on March 21 or $10 for the pulled-pork competition on March 22. The weekend pass is only available before the events.

CORRECTION If you see a statement in error, contact the City Desk at 774-1226 or pressrelease@theitem.com.

JADE REYNOLDS / THE SUMTER ITEM

Cynthia Graham, left, director of Early Head Start, speaks to Superintendent Frank Baker before Monday night’s meeting of the Sumter School District Board of Trustees. During the workshop, the board received an update on the program for Sumter’s youngest learners.

Early Head Start may operate more days next year

BY JADE REYNOLDS jade@theitem.com (803) 774-1250 It boils down to money and time.

“We are going to be faced with some challenges,” said Cynthia Graham, director of Early Head Start. “How do we still provide quality services? We are trying to prepare children so they are ready for school.”

Her report to the Sumter School District Board of Trustees on Monday night outlined some of her concerns.

The biggest change to the program that serves the district’s youngest learners — prenatal to 3 years old — is that it will add a month to its schedule, going from operating 200 days to 230 days.

Trustee Larry Addison asked why the change was needed.

“With the recent national administration focusing on early learning, they have asked us to make certain we go full days for a full year, but that is not defined,” Graham said. “The regional office said we can operate 46 weeks, but it should be 48.”

Another change is in how students’ progress is measured, which will lead

to each classroom needing a computer for the teachers to use.

“Everything is data driven,” Graham said. “Our teachers will have to document much more. In Early Head Start, if it’s not documented, it didn’t happen.”

Another major issue is a lack of planning time for teachers as they serve as bus monitors and drivers, as well as classroom educators.

“If I am aware that they are doing paperwork at home, then I’m supposed to pay them because they are hourly employees,” Graham said. “We have to do something about planning time.”

Five buses run routes for Early Head Start, and federal guidelines require a monitor for every four children.

“Transportation is not required,” Graham said. “We’ve sent a survey to our parents to see who might not be able to participate if transportation is not provided. That way teachers would have planning time.”

Parents’ not being able to volunteer because of stringent background checks also poses the potential for problems.

“We want to protect children,” Gra-

ham said. “Children are never left alone with one person, and they must be two paid employees. Parent volunteers are never left alone with children. Following school district guidelines is hurting us.”

The low participation can count against the program during federal reviews, she said.

Trustee Karen Michalik asked how far back the checks go and what kind of things count against volunteers. Graham said she only gets back an “approved” or “disapproved.”

“It usually has to be something more than a bad check,” said Superintendent Frank Baker. “We’ve had some employees who did something foolish in college. We take all that into consideration.”

Addison asked if there would be any money for growing the program.

“There are no dollars for expansion,” Graham said. “The 8.5 billion federal dollars discussed is not for Early Head Start expansion. The money is to establish partnerships to help child care centers come up to quality standards.”

She will have more information for the board in March, Graham said.

HOW TO REACH US IS YOUR PAPER MISSING? ARE YOU GOING ON VACATION? 20 N. Magnolia St., Sumter, S.C. 29150 (803) 774-1200 Jack Osteen Editor and Publisher Jack@theitem.com (803) 774-1238 Braden Bunch Senior News Editor bbunch@theitem.com (803) 774-1201 Waverly Williams Sales Manager wwilliams@theitem.com (803) 774-1237

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LOCAL

THE SUMTER ITEM

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2014

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3 Tuomey trustees resign from board

BY BRADEN BUNCH bbunch@theitem.com (803) 774-1201 Three members of the Tuomey Healthcare System board of trustees have resigned their posts, as changes at the local hospital facing a nine-figure judgment continue.

Kim Harvin, Dr. Andy McFaddin and Dr. Kay Raffield each tendered their resignations to the 15-member board on Monday, but not without John Brabham, chairman of the hospital’s board of trustees, praising the three for their efforts.

“These community leaders give countless hours and receive no pay

for their service. Over the last few years, this service has been even more difficult, requiring more time and energy than ever before,” said Brabham, later adding the board will immediately begin seeking replacements.

The new year, during which Tuomey is celebrating its centennial, is appearing to be another tumultuous one for the local hospital. Facing a $239 million judgment as a result of the federal government’s lawsuit against the hospital, Tuomey began the year with an interim CEO and its legal team fighting with prosecutors on how much the hospital should

have to place into escrow as it considers pursuing an appeal in the case.

Both Tuomey officials and prosecuting attorneys have said they hope to reach a settlement in the 9-yearold case, but last month interim president and CEO Michael Schwartz said the hospital could be moving closer to bankruptcy because of the ongoing lawsuit.

During these events, there have been more open discussions about the possibility of the local nonprofit hospital being sold. However, in his latest statement, Brabham rejected that as a goal of local hos-

pital officials.

“The Tuomey board remains committed to the community and maintaining Tuomey as a locally controlled hospital, as well as settling the lawsuit and seeing it through to an acceptable conclusion,” Brabham said.

Until replacements are named for the resigning board members, Brabham said the board will continue with its current makeup.

“We are confident in the abilities and strengths of the current board members and will move forward in making selections based on the needs of this community,” he said.

Go fly a kite!

WANT TO GO?

WHAT: Sumter Recreation Department Kite Contest and Bike Rodeo WHERE: Dillon Park WHEN: Saturday Register: 11 a.m. at the park Noon to 2 p.m.: Kite contest and bike rodeo CONTACT: For information: (803) 436-2248.

BY IVY MOORE ivym@theitem.com Saturday should be an ideal day for flying a kite, according to local and national weather reports. Luckily, that’s the day the Sumter County Recreation Department is holding its annual kite-flying contest.

Last year’s event was very successful, with plenty of kite flyers of all ages participating, Director Rose Ford said, adding, “We’re hoping for an even bigger crowd this year, especially for the Bike Rodeo.”

No pre-registration is necessary — just sign up at Dillon Park starting at 11 a.m. Saturday.

There are plenty of trophies available in several different categories, Ford said.

“In addition to the Best in Show and Best Homemade kite, we’ll have smallest, largest, longest tail, youngest (kite flyer), oldest and a few more,” she said.

The prize for best homemade kite is always special, according to LaTrelle Chambers of the recreation department, and the department

POLICE BLOTTER AGGRAVATED ASSAULT Officers responded to the 400 block of Highland Avenue on Friday where a 31-year-old victim told them that a 55-year-old suspect held a .22-caliber handgun to the victim’s head. The suspect fled the scene before law enforcement arrived, and the victim was advised to file a report.

POINTING AND PRESENTING A FIREARM A witness told officers that a suspect pointed a silver-and-black handgun toward her brother in the hallway of a hotel in the 2000 block of Broad Street on Saturday.

The suspect was seen fleeing the scene in a red Ford Expedition.

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SUMTER ITEM FILE PHOTO

Courtland Haward, then 8, runs to get his kite into the air during the 2006 Sumter County Recreation Department, Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club, Tuomey Foundation and SAFE Kids’ annual Kite Flying Contest at Dillon Park. Courtland won for most unusual kite, one of nine annual categories. hopes for more of the entrants to make their own for the competition.

It’s not hard to make a kite, using simple materials such as light wood dowels and tissue paper or newspaper.

While you’re thinking about

what kind of kite to make, you might want to consider advice from Professor Kite, whose website is www.nationalkitemonth.org. Winds on Saturday are predicted to be about 11 miles per hour. Kite says ideal wind speed is 5 to 25 miles per

hour and that speeds of 6 to 15 mph are perfect for diamond, delta and dragon kites, while box and stickless parafoil kites fly best at slightly higher speeds, 8 to 25 mph.

You can find simple kitemaking directions with illus-

STOLEN PROPERTY

bert. The estimated value of the stolen items is $3,800.

residence in the 2000 block of Clematis Trail between 6 p.m.

Saturday and 8:15 a.m. Sunday after an unknown suspect kicked in the front door of the residence. The estimated value of the stolen items is $2,025, and

A propane heater, 43 sheets of sheet rock, a 5-gallon bucket of sheet rock mud and two single, vinyl-framed windows were reportedly stolen from a construction site in the 200 block of Masters Drive between 4:30 p.m. Feb. 14 and 5 p.m. Feb. 17. The estimated value of the stolen items is $1,700.

An Xbox 360 with Kinect and a 60-inch LG Smart television were reported stolen at 4:14 p.m. Friday from a residence in the 4000 block of Rosewood Drive. The estimated value of the stolen items is $2,500.

A 55-inch Panasonic television, a Rolex watch and a diamond ring were reported stolen at 5:06 p.m.

Friday from a residence in the 5000 Block of Halley Road, Rem-

A green-and-black Glock .22 pistol, a large coin jar, a fire-safe lock box containing $1,000 in cash and a PlayStation 2 console were reportedly stolen from a

trations at the Sumter County Library or online at http:// www.howcast.com/videos/146How-To-Make-a-Simple-PaperKite or http://www.wikihow. com/Make-a-Diamond-Kite.

Rules for competing include: • Each kite must be registered; • Each kite must stay in the air one minute; • Only one kite per event is permitted; and • Fee is $1.

In addition to the kite contests, there will be a bike rodeo sponsored by The Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club, SAFE Kids Sumter County and The Tuomey Foundation.

There is no charge for the rodeo, but be sure to bring your helmet and bicycle so they can be checked for safety issues. Bikes and helmets will be available for use by those participating in the bike race, if they do not have them. Riders’ skills will also be tested on a special obstacle course.

the estimated cost of the damage is $1,000.

A tan 2006 Dodge Caravan valued at $12,500 was reportedly stolen from a residence in the 100 block of Burns Drive between 12:15 and 11 a.m. Sunday.

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NATION

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2014

THE SUMTER ITEM

Congress skeptical about plan to shrink military WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration’s push for a smaller, nimbler military must now face the scrutiny of a Congress that has spent years battling the Pentagon’s vision for a new security strategy.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is proposing to shrink the Army to its smallest size in three-quarters of a century, hoping to reshape the military after more than a decade of war in Iraq and Afghanistan and roped in by fiscal constraints set by Congress.

The plan unveiled Monday is already raising red flags among leading Republicans and Democrats. “What we’re trying to do is solve our financial problems on the backs of our military, and that can’t be done,� said Rep. Howard “Buck�

McKeon, R-Calif., the House Armed Services Committee chairman.

‘What we’re trying to do is solve our financial problems on the backs of our military, and that can’t be done.’ REP. HOWARD ‘BUCK’ McKEON, R-CALIF. House Armed Services Committee chairman “There’s going to be a huge challenge,� Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., the Senate Armed Services Committee chairman, conceded.

Having backtracked just this month on cutting veterans benefits by less than 1 percent, lawmakers appear in little mood to weigh difficult, if necessary, decisions on defense reductions, especially as the nation gears up for midterm elections in November.

They have resisted cutting tanks

and aircraft the military doesn’t even want, or accepting base closings that would be poison in their home districts. They have consistently advocated bigger pay increases for service members than the government has requested.

And although Congress has agreed on an overall number for the military budget in 2015 at just under $500 billion, there are still major decisions to be made on how that money

should be spent. “We are repositioning to focus on the strategic challenges and opportunities that will define our future: new technologies, new centers of power and a world that is growing more volatile, more unpredictable and in some instances more threatening to the United States,� Hagel said Monday at the Pentagon.

President Obama will submit the budget to Congress next week.

At its core, the plan foresees the U.S. military as no longer sized to conduct large and protracted ground wars. Instead, more emphasis will be on versatile, agile forces that can project power over great distances, including in Asia.

The active-duty Army would shrink from 522,000 soldiers to between 440,000 and 450,000.

Centralizing organ removal could help with transplants

BY MARILYNN MARCHIONE AP Chief Medical Writer For decades, surgeons have traveled to far-off hospitals to remove organs from braindead donors and then rushed back to transplant them.

Now an experiment in the Midwest suggests there may be a better way: Bring the donors to the doctors instead.

A study out Tuesday reports on liver transplants from the nation’s first freestanding organ retrieval center. Nearly all organ donors now are transported to MidAmerica Transplant Services in St. Louis from a region including parts of Missouri, Illinois and Arkansas.

Removing organs at this central location near the four hospitals that do transplants saves money, the study found. The livers spent less time outside the donors’ bodies, which at least in theory improves the odds of success. Doctors also think they are getting more usable organs from each donor, though this study only looked at livers.

Transplant experts say this could become a new standard, and groups in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Denver, Chicago and Ann Arbor, Mich., have started or are exploring similar ventures. “It’s kind of a foreign concept, so it’s taken some time for this to catch on, but I think it will. It makes so much sense,� said Dr. William Chapman, a transplant surgeon at Washington University in St. Louis, which uses the Mid-America center. “There’s no question in my mind� this should be done everywhere, said Dr. Majella Doyle, also of Washington University. “It will increase the number of organs that are used, and it will increase efficiency and decrease costs.� She led the study, published in the American Journal of Transplantation.

About 28,000 transplants were done in the United States in 2012; more than 121,000 people are on the waiting list now.

Organs have a finite shelf life — livers, 6 to 10 hours after removal; hearts and

lungs, even less. Kidneys last about a day.

Transplants are not done at every hospital — only a few in any major city have that capability.

Surgeons usually travel to wherever the donor is to retrieve organs, performing these hurried, complex operations in unfamiliar settings, often assisted by staffs at hospitals that don’t have transplant expertise.

Donors provide three or-

gans on average but can give six or more. Each specialist — lung, heart, kidney — wants to test and inspect an organ to ensure viability before committing to the transplant.

Sometimes multiple doctors make the trip to retrieve organs, or there is redundant testing and inspection when an organ that’s been removed by one doctor gets to another hospital where it will be transplanted.

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Organ procurement coordinators Lindsey Cook, left, and Josh Skelton work Friday with the body of a potential organ donor at Mid-America Transplant Services in St. Louis. Organ donors are brought to the facility from nearby states in an effort to bring donors to doctors rather than the other way around.

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NATION

THE SUMTER ITEM

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2014

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A5

Few Army women say they want combat jobs FORT EUSTIS, Va. (AP) — Only a small fraction of Army women say they’d like to move into one of the newly opening combat jobs, but those few who do say they want a job that takes them right into the heart of battle, according to preliminary results from a survey of the service’s nearly 170,000 women.

That survey and others across the Army, publicly disclosed for the first time to The Associated Press, also revealed that soldiers of both genders are nervous about women entering combat jobs but say they are determined to do it fairly. Men are worried about losing their jobs to women; women are worried they will be seen as getting THE ASSOCIATED PRESS jobs because of their gender Female soldiers train on a firing range while wearing new body armor in Fort Campbell, Ky., in September 2012. Only a small fraction of Army and not their qualifications. women say they’d like to move into one of the newly opening combat jobs, but those few who do say they want a job that takes them right Both are emphatic that the into the heart of battle, according to preliminary results from a survey of the service’s nearly 170,000 women.

Army must not lower standards to accommodate Brinkley said. want to do some of these infantry, armor, artillery and not yet included women — women.

But, what surprised even things,� Gen. Ray Odierno, were more hesitant. combat engineer jobs.

Less than 8 percent of him was what the women chief of staff of the Army, And there were nagging Army officials also polled Army women who responded named as their preferred said in an interview with the stereotypes. Male soldiers men and women on their to the survey said they wantAP. “I don’t think it’s going to combat career. fretted that their unit’s concerns about the integraed a combat job. Of those, an More than 30 percent of the be as great as people think.� readiness will be degraded tion. And they asked senior overwhelming number said survey respondents pointed According to the survey, because of what they term female leaders to say wheththey’d like to be a Night to the 160th Special Operathe vast majority of the “women issues,� such as er they would have chosen Stalker — a member of the tions Aviation Regiment. women who expressed interpregnancy and menstrual combat jobs if they’d been elite special operations heli“I went back to the anaest in combat jobs were in cycles. Or they worried that given that chance 10 or 20 copter crews who perhaps lysts and I said, ‘is there a the lower ranks, age 27 or women incapable of the years ago. are best known for flying the glitch in this?’� said Brinyounger. physical demands would be All agreed the physical Navy SEALS into Osama bin kley.

Some of the more experibrought in anyway. standards for the jobs should Laden’s compound in 2011.

But adding women will enced soldiers said that if Officers were concerned Last year top Pentagon offi- remain the same. help the unit fill some spots. about sexual harassment and they had it to do all over “The men don’t want to cials signed an order saying The 160th commander has again, they might choose one improper relationships. And lower the standards because women must have the same said he is struggling, for exof the combat arms jobs. the idea of integrated units they see that as a perceived opportunities as men in comample, to get mechanics, but The limited interest also is bothered both military wives risk to their team,� David bat jobs, and the services even though there are many in line with what other counand husbands.

Brinkley, deputy chief of have been devising updated in the Army, he can’t bring tries, such as Norway, have Plagued by an increase in staff for operations at the Arphysical standards, training, them on because they are seen as they integrated reported sexual assaults, the my’s Traineducation women, Brinkley said. women into combat roles, military is putting a much ing and Docand other greater emphasis on training, trine Comprograms for reporting and treatment. But mand, told thousands of that increased focus, said the AP. “The jobs they Brinkley, has prompted some women don’t must open troops to say they are worwant to Jan. 1, 2016. ried to be in the same room lower the The services Southern Cooking with a Cajun Kick standards be- together. must open as The men, said Brinkley, cause they many jobs to worry that anything they say want the women as could ruin their careers. men to know possible; if “Did we have a problem? they’re just they decide Yes. Are we aggressively as able as to keep some solving it? Yes,� said Brinthey are to closed, they kley. But, he added, “we’ve do the same must explain kind of created a little envitask.� why.

GEN. RAY ODIERNO ronment of fear, which we Brinkley’s The Army fear might frankly hinder inoffice at Fort says that Chief of staff of the Army tegration.�

Eustis is about 200,000 The solution, said Brinkley filled with of its 1.1 miland other Army leaders, incharts, lion jobs are volves education, training graphs and data the Army is either direct combat or relatand good leadership. ed jobs such as field artillery, using to methodically bring Women across the Army women into jobs that have combat engineers and so on. have been getting pregnant been previously open only to That’s roughly 20 percent of men. The surveys are helping for years, and those units the force, though the directhave dealt with it. And, while to shape the education and combat front-line fighters inappropriate relationships preparation that women, make up roughly half of that do happen, they are a violamen and top leaders need to or about 9 percent. tion of regulations. So it is up put in place to ensure the inThroughout last year, the V to unit leaders to enforce the Army emailed questionnaires tegration goes smoothly.

Uniform Code of Military The questionnaires, and to active duty, reserves and Justice in the combat arms the focus groups that folArmy National Guard mem$"5&3*/( t (*'5 $"3%4 t 5",& 065 units, just as they do in othlowed them, showed that bers to gauge soldiers’ views ers. younger men and those who on the move to bring women 65 W. Wesmark Blvd Army leaders were unsurhave served with women in into combat jobs. The results (ACROSS FROM BILTON LINCOLN) prised by the small number the last two years are more from the survey sent to women showed that just 2,238 open to the integration, while of women interested in com803-469-8502 bat jobs. mid-level soldiers — particu— or 7.5 percent — of the Sun., Mon., Tues. 11:00am-2:30pm “The issue is going to be larly those in units such as 30,000 who responded said 8FE BOE 5IVS -VODI BN QN t %JOOFS QN QN infantry and armor that have the propensity of women who they would want one of the 'SJ BOE 4BU BN QN

‘The issue is going to be the propensity of women who want to do some of these things. I don’t think it’s going to be as great as people think.’

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LOCAL

sheriff ’s office followed up on the district’s investigation and charged Moss last week for her alleged sexual activities with a 13-year-old student between March and April of last year. At that time, authorities said they thought there would be other victims coming forward, and shortly thereafter a second student came forward with allegations.

After Moss’ initial arrest, her attorney released a statement saying her client was innocent of the charg-

FIRE FROM PAGE A1 flames rising from the space above the home’s garage and heavy gray smoke blowing over the neighborhood.

Firefighters entered the home to find the blaze had spread into the home’s ceiling and attic. Some of the men climbed on top of the garage to tear holes for ventilation into the roof, although flames could already be seen shooting up from the shingles, and pulled the remains of the garage doors off to better tackle the blaze.

In all, the fire took about 40 minutes to contain, but investigators worked the scene for an additional three hours to determine the cause of the fire. While the blaze was still ongoing,

es, adding that the accusations had only come after the teacher had taken disciplinary actions with some of her students.

Sumter County Sheriff Anthony Dennis, however, confirmed on Tuesday that investigators now have in their possession several text conversations between Moss and the new, third student coming forward.

The times of the messages indicate both Moss and the student were texting each other during class, and the communications include one extended, graphic conversation from October that

the sheriff described as “disgusting.� “To think that a teacher would have solicited a kid of this age,� Dennis said. “We send our kids to school, we think it’s a safe environment, and teachers serve pretty much as guardians over these kids. We’re going to prosecute her to the fullest, I can tell you that.�

News of Moss’ arrest quickly spread throughout the school community, as well as the nation. Dennis said his officers, as well as counselors with the school district, are working hard

officers from the sheriff ’s office, including the department’s chemist, arrived on scene in case the explosion had a criminal cause. “At the initial time of the call, we thought it could be a meth lab,� said Fire Battalion Chief Hal Watts, but he added no indications of methamphetamine activity could be found in the home.

No one was home at the time of the fire, and Watts said late Tuesday the department had not been able to contact the homeowner. Tolson said his neighbor is an older, retired man with whom he was friendly enough that Tolson asked him to keep an eye on his house while he was deployed overseas.

The cause of the fire remains something of a mystery. Investigators deter-

mined the blaze started not in or above the garage, but inside the adjoining living room area near the fireplace. However, they ruled out an unattended fire as the cause. “There was some firewood piled up in the fireplace,�

Watts said, “and it had not been burnt.�

Likewise, firefighters could not identify a cause of the explosion reported by neighbors. The best theory investigators could offer is that a back draft of air from an unidentified source suddenly oxygenated the fire and caused it to quickly expand into a fireball.

The home reportedly sustained $60,000 in estimated damages with structure and contents valued at $50,000 saved.

to ensure the safety and peace of mind of both parents and teachers. “We hope that the rapport that we have with the students, as well as (that) the teachers have with them, will continue and that the trust will still be there,�

Dennis said. “I know that this is probably going to damage it somewhat, but we hope that we can build that back up, because some students speak with teach-

ers even more than they do with their parents sometimes.�

Moss was hired to teach at Chestnut Oaks in January 2013 and was placed on administrative leave Feb. 11. Monday night, the Sumter School District Board of Trustees voted unanimously to accept Superintendent Frank Baker’s recommendation to terminate her employment, effective immediately.

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

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2014 H.G. Osteen 1870-1955 Founder, The Item

H.D. Osteen 1904-1987 The Item

|

A7

Margaret W. Osteen 1908-1996 The Item Hubert D. Osteen Jr. Chairman & Editor-in-Chief Graham Osteen Co-President Kyle Osteen Co-President Jack Osteen Editor and Publisher Larry Miller CEO Braden Bunch Senior News Editor

20 North Magnolia Street, Sumter, South Carolina 29150 • Founded October 15, 1894

COMMENTARY

Solutions to black education

A

fortnight ago, my column focused on how Philadelphia’s schoolteachers have joined public-school teachers in cities such as Atlanta, Detroit, Los Angeles, Columbus, New York and Washington in changing student scores on academic achievement tests. Teachers have held grade-fixing parties, sometimes wearing rubber gloves to hide fingerprints. In some cases, poorly performing students were excused from taking exams to prevent them from dragging down averages. As a result of investigations, a number of schoolteachers and administrators have been suspended, fired or indicted by states attorneys general.

Most of these cheating scandals have occurred in predominantly black schools across the nation. At one level, it’s easy to understand — but by no means condone — the motivation teachers have to cheat.

Teachers have families to raise, mortgages, car payments and other financial obligations. Their pay, retention and promotions depend on how well their students perform on standardized tests.

Very often, teachers must deal Walter with an impossible classroom atWilliams mosphere in which many, if not most, of the students are disorderly, disobedient and alien and hostile to the education process. Many students pose a significant safety threat. The latest statistics available, published by the Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics, in a report titled “Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2012,” tell us that nationwide between 2007 and 2008, about 145,100 public-school teachers were physically attacked by students, and an additional 276,700 were threatened with injury.

Should any of this criminal behavior be tolerated? Should unruly students be able to halt the education process? And, a question particularly for black people: Are we in such good educational shape that we can afford to allow some students to make education impossible? A report supported in part by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, titled “Reducing Suspension among Academically Disengaged Black Males” (http://tinyurl.com/ my95jh3), suggests a tolerance for disruptive students.

There are some members of the Congressional Black Caucus, the NAACP and the National Urban League who attended school during the years I attended (1942-54). During those days, no youngster would have even cursed a teacher, much less assaulted one. One has to wonder why black leaders accept behavior that never would have been tolerated by their parents and teachers. Back then, to use foul language or assault a teacher or any other adult would have resulted in some form of corporal punishment in school or at home or both. Today such discipline would have a teacher or parent jailed. That, in turn, means there is little or no meaningful sanction against unruly or criminal behavior.

No one argues that yesteryear’s students were angels. In Philadelphia, where I grew up, students who posed severe disciplinary problems were removed. Daniel Boone School was for unruly boys, and Carmen was for girls. Some people might respond: But what are we going to do with the students kicked out? Whether or not there are resources to help them is not the issue. The critical issue is whether they should be permitted to make education impossible for students who are capable of learning. It’s a policy question similar to: What do you do when you have both drunken drivers and sober drivers on the road? The first order of business is to get the drunken drivers off the road.

Whether there are resources available to help the drunks is, at best, a secondary issue.

There is little that the political and education establishment will do about the grossly fraudulent education received by many black youngsters, and more money is not the answer. For example, according to findings by Cato Institute’s Andrew J. Coulson, Washington, D.C., spends $29,409 per pupil (http://tinyurl.com/mpc82dq). In terms of academic achievement, its students are nearly the nation’s worst. The average tuition for a K-12 Catholic school is $9,000, and for a nonsectarian private K-12 school, it is $16,000. A voucher system would empower black parents to remove their children from high-cost and low-quality public schools and enroll them in lower-cost and higher-quality nonpublic schools.

Walter E. Williams is a professor of economics at George Mason University. © 2014 CREATORS.COM

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR It’s your actions that count, not your words

Restaurants should have standards for patrons’ dress

In reference to Mr. Ingle’s letter on Feb. 20, I promised myself that I wouldn’t respond to his letters anymore, but I’m breaking my promise for this particular letter.

First, I know that if he, Mr. Ingle, finds fault with me then I know that I am doing something right.

Second, if you were paying attention then you would know that I only wrote that letter because of Mr. Baten’s request on Feb. 12 to do so. He wrote, “I wonder why there have never been any comments from local female writers to The Sumter Item about this disgraceful injustice?” It could be that local female writers don’t see things the same way you and he does. He doesn’t answer others’ questions either, so it’s hard to take him seriously.

Third, if you were concerned about women’s rights then you wouldn’t have a problem with my right to write what I did.

Just because I don’t answer the way you want me to doesn’t mean that I wasn’t writing about “women’s rights, women’s issues.” Women have rights, but if they don’t pursue them then it appears they don’t have them.

Women can be victims as long as they want to be.

Fourth, anyone with any intelligence knows that this “War on Women” is a phony scandal made up by liberal Democrats. I know that you have to do your part in keeping that scandal going so go for it. It makes as much sense as the rationalization of why people shouldn’t be working because of Obamacare.

As Nancy Pelosi puts it, “Think of an economy where people could be an artist or a photographer or a writer without worrying about keeping their day job in order to have health insurance.” I’m thinking that Democrats want people to have health insurance, could I be wrong? I call it “legalized lazy leeches.”

Fifth, this is last but it certainly is not the least important.

How about the rights of the young ladies in their teens back in the 1990’s? Have you always treated females, in your life, with respect? Words are cheap; it is your actions that count.

JACQUELINE K. HUGHES Sumter

An open letter to all restaurants regarding the improper wearing of pants: Quite recently, I was in a local restaurant when one of these fashion mavens happened to wander in with his pants below his butt cheeks and his underwear hanging out. This Neanderthal proceeded to take a seat at the counter on one of the stools. When he sat, his blue jeans never touched the seat, but his underwear was all over it. Having consumed his order, said Neanderthal got up, paid his bill and left. Within a couple of minutes, one of the waitresses came along with a rag and wiped off all the bar stools ... including the fashion maven’s. Lord only knows what she may have attached to that wash rag. Said waitress then proceeded to wipe off all of the vacant booths. Yep, you guessed it ... with the same rag.

I haven’t been to that restaurant since and it’s not likely I’ll return.

Keeping the above in mind and allowing for the less than sanitary conditions perpetrated by these “trend setters,” I have adopted the following policy which is being taken up by numerous friends and acquaintances.

POLICY: • If I enter a restaurant, fast food or otherwise and see anyone improperly dressed where their underwear is plastered all over the seat, I shall do an immediate turn around and find another establishment in which to spend my money.

• If while dining, someone enters wearing their jeans improperly for restaurant attire and is seated by the host/hostess; i will make it a point to no longer visit that restaurant.

• Knowing that I may soon run out of restaurants to patronize, I’m prepared for that as well. It is infinitely cheaper to eat at home anyway.

I have determined that for the price of food in any restaurant nowadays, I’m entitled to a sanitary environment. Anything less is unacceptable.

The solution is quite simple.

Eating establishments should display a clearly visible sign to be worded in any way management sees fit, but conveying the

message that … “If your underwear hits the seat; you don’t get to eat.” Oh, and no loitering. “You don’t pay; you can’t stay.”

DENNIS RODE Sumter

Kudos to staff, students who put on Oklahoma Congratulations to Wilson Hall for its grand performance of Oklahoma.

Kudos goes to Laura Ballard and Hannah Leirmoe for leading and directing the students to bring out their finest talents.

The singing, acting, dancing and delivery of lines, as well as the costuming, were superb.

It was truly a gift to the community.

Presenting a production of this magnitude required dedication, commitment and a lot of hard work. I commend and challenge these young people to continue to dedicate themselves to excellence in every area of their lives.

Thanks for a job well done.

You made parents, grandparents and the community proud.

BOBBIE REAVES Alcolu

Use nature’s refrigerator during next ice storm Fellow Sumter Item readers: I could not help but notice that during the last nasty ice storm, many people lost power and with it the food they had in the refrigerator and freezer.

In West Virginia several years back we also had a nasty ice storm that knocked out power for three days. We lost no food, frozen or refrigerated.

We simply put the food in large plastic boxes and put the boxes just outside the back door on the ice. (Nature’s refrigerator.)

This little trick worked for my parents 70 years ago, and it will work for you today.

A little note, before the refrigerator was invented, we had what was called an ice box.

Years after the refrigerator was invented, we still called this newfangled thing an ice box.

Save your money and food, use nature’s refrigerator if we have another ice storm.

JOE KALIE Sumter

EDITORIAL PAGE POLICIES EDITORIALS represent the views of the owners of this newspaper.

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 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 Item office, 20 N. Magnolia St. or mailed to The 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.

HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY? Send your letter to letters@theitem.com, drop it of at The Item oice, 20 N. Magnolia St., or mail it to The Item, P.O. Box 1677, Sumter, SC 29151, along with the writer’s full name, address and telephone number (for veriication 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.

A8

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2014

WELCH FROM PAGE A1 one guy bullying a 70-something-year-old man,” Welch said before the judge. “He was taking the man’s money every other week, and I very much just went off on him.

For doing that, I got kicked out of the program.”

Third Circuit Court Judge R. Ferrell Cothran assured Welch that he would be treated under the Department of Mental Health and not the Department of Corrections, though he had no control over where Welch will be committed.

According to James Bogle of the Attorney General’s Office, the petition to hold the civil case was filed in April 2012, while Welch was incarcerated in York County for three counts of assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature and one count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Those charges, to which he pled guilty in 2008, came after Welch was charged with having sexual intercourse with a then-13-year-old girl he met at a Walmart, and he was released in January 2013 before being transferred to Sumter-Lee Regional Detention Center to await trial. Had the jury not found Welch to be a sexually violent predator, he would have walked out a free man.

“I think the jury had to look very hard at a lot of conflict of evidence,” Bogle said. “They had to make a

decision. I have a lot of faith in the jury system, and they did a great job.”

Tuesday’s hearing consisted of a recorded testimony from Dr. Kimberly Harrison, formerly with the Department of Mental Health. The testimony was recorded on Feb. 10, since Harrison planned to leave the department on Feb. 14.

Harrison was appointed by the court to conduct a psychiatric evaluation on Welch to determine if he should be considered a sexually violent predator, to which she concluded he was not.

“In order to consider someone likely to engage in sexual violence, there would have to be risk factors on top of that diagnosis,” Harrison said. “In Welch’s case, I did not find that he had very many of these dynamic risk factors that would elevate his risk.”

The Attorney General’s Office brought in Dr. Susan Knight, a clinical assistant professor with the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, to testify on the state’s behalf.

Knight testified that she performed a more detailed evaluation compared to Harrison’s assessment, in which she concluded that Welch is indeed a sexually violent predator.

“As good as Dr. Harrison is, I don’t think she looked deep enough,” Bogle said during his closing statement.

STATE

Threat of steep penalties stymies capitol protests COLUMBIA (AP) — Organizers of the Truthful Tuesday protests at the South Carolina Statehouse say a state law specifically targeting demonstrations inside the capitol is stifling their movement.

The law, passed in the 1960s, allows judges to sentence anyone convicted of demonstrating inside the capitol to up to three years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

Prosecutors have told protest organizers they

will try them under that law, instead of something like trespassing, which would carry much smaller penalties.

Protest organizers told the 25 people gathering for Tuesday’s protest about the law before the demonstration began. It is one of the biggest reasons protesters aren’t getting arrested in South Carolina like they did in similar demonstrations over Republican policies and social injustice in North Carolina or Wisconsin.

The last word ARIES (March 21-April 19): in astrology Stay on top of EUGENIA LAST whatever you want to see happen. One slip and you’ll end up scrambling. Maneuver your way through every situation with caution, patience and persistence.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Do what needs to be done and keep moving in a positive direction. Don’t be too concerned about complainers or those individuals looking for a fight.

Refuse to get trapped in gossip or trivial matters.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You can make an impression by using finesse and offering diverse options that will separate you from any competition you face. Adaptability and speed will work to your advantage.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Let your imagination wander and explore the unknown. Gather all the information you’ve discovered and make a choice that will bring you closer to your goal, as well as supply you with greater stability.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): An emotional issue can be resolved if you speak from the heart and look for solutions that will help everyone involved feel good about the outcome. Use ingenuity coupled with adaptability and you’ll come up with a plan that’s well-received.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): The more you do for others, the greater the rewards. Your show of loyalty and responsibility will help you go the

THE SUMTER ITEM

WEATHER

Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2014

AccuWeather® five-day forecast for Sumter TODAY

TONIGHT

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

Cooler; a morning shower

A star-studded sky and colder

Mostly sunny and breezy

Mostly sunny and cooler

Partly sunny and warmer

Mostly sunny and pleasant

51°

31°

57° / 29°

48° / 36°

54° / 39°

67° / 47°

Chance of rain: 60%

Chance of rain: 25%

Chance of rain: 5%

Chance of rain: 15%

Chance of rain: 15%

Chance of rain: 10%

Winds: NNE 10-20 mph

Winds: NE 3-6 mph

Winds: WSW 10-20 mph

Winds: ENE 8-16 mph

Winds: NE 6-12 mph

Winds: ESE 3-6 mph

TODAY’S SOUTH CAROLINA WEATHER

Gaffney 50/27 Spartanburg 50/28

Greenville 50/28

Columbia 52/32

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

W. Liberty St. SUMTER COUNTY DEVELOPMENT BOARD Thursday, 7:30 a.m., Greater Sumter Chamber of Commerce boardroom, 32 E. Calhoun St.

distance when you want something in return. An important relationship will flourish if you reveal your intentions.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Refuse to get dragged into a situation that can only lead to trouble. Use ingenuity and intuition to bring about positive change that will enhance your personal life.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Say little and do a lot. If you stick to your game plan and explore creative ideas, you will bypass an emotional issue that is likely to leave you perplexed.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Look at the big picture and focus on what you can do to help others. It’s what you do, not what you say, that makes a positive impact on your community or circle of friends.

Sumter 51/31

Today: Clouds breaking. Winds northnorthwest 12-25 mph.

Thursday: Breezy with brilliant sunshine.

Winds west 12-25 mph.

Aiken 51/29

ON THE COAST

Charleston 58/37

Today: Mostly cloudy; showers, breezy and cooler. High 52 to 58.

Thursday: Mostly sunny. High 55 to 60.

LOCAL ALMANAC

LAKE LEVELS

SUMTER THROUGH 4 P.M. YESTERDAY

Today Hi/Lo/W 44/24/r 12/-3/pc 40/28/sh 14/6/c 54/37/r 68/56/pc 54/36/r 31/17/sn 76/59/t 32/16/sn 78/57/s 61/52/r 35/19/sn

SUN AND MOON 7 a.m. yest.

358.58 75.30 74.71 98.52

24-hr chg +0.05 +0.03 +0.03 -0.34

Sunrise 6:54 a.m.

Moonrise 4:33 a.m.

RIVER STAGES

Thu. Hi/Lo/W 50/27/s 5/-12/pc 56/43/s 12/-4/sf 58/37/c 66/56/r 52/39/c 30/14/s 66/49/sh 34/12/s 77/58/s 61/50/r 40/17/s

Sunset Moonset

6:16 p.m.

3:34 p.m.

New

First

Full

Last

Mar. 1

Mar. 8

Mar. 16

Mar. 23

TIDES

Flood 7 a.m. 24-hr stage yest. chg 12 9.94 -0.11 19 5.80 none 14 10.61 none 14 5.58 -0.50 80 79.86 +0.17 24 10.90 -0.10

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

0.00" 2.88" 3.10" 5.62" 5.14" 7.04"

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

71° 41° 61° 37° 82° in 1982 14° in 1967

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

Myrtle Beach 52/33

Manning 54/32

IN THE MOUNTAINS

Temperature High Low Normal high Normal low Record high Record low

Florence 52/30

Bishopville 52/30

AT MYRTLE BEACH

Today Thu.

High 6:14 a.m.

6:27 p.m.

7:12 a.m.

7:26 p.m.

Ht. 3.3 3.0 3.4 3.2

Low 12:23 a.m.

1:09 p.m.

1:25 a.m.

2:04 p.m.

Ht. -0.5 -0.4 -0.8 -0.7

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

Today Hi/Lo/W 38/20/pc 48/26/pc 52/30/c 56/40/r 44/33/sh 58/37/r 50/25/pc 50/29/pc 52/32/sh 52/28/sh 44/21/pc 50/29/c 51/27/pc

Thu. Hi/Lo/W 43/17/s 55/27/s 57/27/s 59/36/pc 48/32/s 60/35/s 52/21/s 55/30/s 58/28/s 57/25/s 51/23/s 55/26/s 55/25/s

Today City Hi/Lo/W Florence 52/30/sh Gainesville 68/44/r Gastonia 50/26/pc Goldsboro 48/26/pc Goose Creek 57/37/r Greensboro 44/24/sf Greenville 50/28/pc Hickory 44/24/pc Hilton Head 56/44/r Jacksonville, FL 62/45/r La Grange 46/20/r Macon 50/27/r Marietta 41/21/pc

Thu. Hi/Lo/W 58/27/s 61/36/c 52/23/s 54/25/s 60/35/s 47/21/s 53/25/s 47/22/s 56/38/pc 60/36/pc 51/23/s 56/27/pc 48/24/s

Today City Hi/Lo/W Marion 44/25/pc Mt. Pleasant 58/37/r Myrtle Beach 52/33/sh Orangeburg 53/34/sh Port Royal 56/40/r Raleigh 44/24/sf Rock Hill 50/26/pc Rockingham 50/24/pc Savannah 58/40/r Spartanburg 50/28/pc Summerville 57/42/r Wilmington 50/30/sh Winston-Salem 44/24/sf

Thu. Hi/Lo/W 46/22/s 60/35/pc 55/31/s 57/31/s 58/36/pc 53/22/s 53/23/s 55/25/s 59/35/pc 53/25/s 57/36/pc 57/28/s 48/21/s

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

NOW YOU CAN REPLACE YOUR OLD NOISY, POWER HUNGRY HEAT PUMP FOR AS LITTLE AS

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PUBLIC AGENDA GREATER SUMTER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Today, noon, chamber office SUMTER CITY-COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION Today, 3 p.m., conference room, 12

DAILY PLANNER

803-795-4257

LOTTERY NUMBERS PICK 3 TUESDAY

PALMETTO CASH 5 TUESDAY

0-5-9 and 5-5-1

5-9-27-29-35 PowerUp: 3

POWERBALL SATURDAY

PICK 4 TUESDAY

2-3-13-14-54 Powerball: 4 Powerplay: 5

1-0-3-9 and 6-7-3-8

MegaMillions numbers were not available at press time.

PICTURES FROM THE PUBLIC OCCASION: Hal Tuttle took this picture of his wife walking down to the beach during a visit to Fripp Island.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Look at all sides of any issue you face. There will be both negatives and positives to consider before you make a decision. Put your professional options first to protect your personal stability and security.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Gauge what you can and cannot do.

Overdoing it can lead to setbacks.

Consider the consequences before engaging in something that is taxing emotionally, physically or financially.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Make a deal. Lay your cards on the table and share your ideas and concerns. The feedback you get will help you decipher whom you want to move forward with and the most lucrative, rewarding path to pursue.

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

Include a self-addressed, stamped envelope for return of your photo. Amateur photographers only please.

SECTION

B WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2014 Call: (803) 774-1241 | E-mail: sports@theitem.com

PREP BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS

SCISA STATE TOURNEYS

Return to Flo-town

Generals earn way into 2A semifinals

SHS tops Gators to earn 2nd straight trip to LS title game in Florence

BY MICHAEL CHRISTOPHER mchristopher@theitem.com

BY EDDIE LITAKER Special to The Item

If you’re a fan of high-scoring basketball games, then Tuesday’s 4A boys state playoffs third-round game between Sumter and Goose Creek high schools, was not the game for you.

Defense was in full effect on both sides, and as has been the case for most of the season, the Gamecocks were better at it. SHS beat Goose Creek 45-37 at the Sumter gymnasium to ENGLISH advance to the lower state championship game for the second straight year.

The Gamecocks will face Wando for a spot in the state championship game on Friday at Florence Civic Center at 8:30 p.m. Wando beat Dutch Fork 70-64 on Tuesday.

“We needed a game like that,” first-year Gamecock head coach Jo Jo English said. “(At the SHS gymnasium) we’ve been blowing out people, and we needed to win a close game and dig down deep. And when we needed to get stops those guys not only got stops they got 5-second counts, got deflections.”

SHS, which improved to 17-5 on the year. The Gators, who graduate six players, suffered just their third loss, finishing 24-3.

“It was a hard-fought game,” said Goose Creek head coach Blake Hall, whose team beat Sumter for the lower state crown last year. “Sumter is a very good team. I’m proud of the kids that I have and the fight they had in some adverse situations.

“I think there were many different things (that were the difference in the game),” Hall explained. “We couldn’t get a couple of buckets to fall early on-- layups around the basket, putbacks and I think that frustrated us a little bit. I thought we could’ve drawn more fouls.

Thomas Sumter Academy’s varsity boys basketball team may not have a winning record, but on Tuesday it went to where many other SCISA 2A teams wish they could be at this point of the season, earning a berth in the semifinals of the state tournament with a 59-34 victory over Dillon Christian at Wilson Hall’s Nash Student Center.

The Generals carry a 13-14 record into a matchup with Charleston Collegiate, a 79-41 winner over Spartanburg Day School on Tuesday, in Thursday’s semifinal game at Sumter County Civic Center .

“The guys really, you know, they’re feeling it right now,” said TSA head coach Morgan Watt.

“We’re enjoying what’s going on, so we’re going to try to ride it as long as we can. Everybody is playing good, the bench came in and did a good job; we had one little break in our defense a little bit in that second quarter but, man, that third and fourth quarter we really stepped it up and did a good job.”

TSA never trailed against Dillon Christian, jumping out to a 5-0 lead and holding the Warriors to two field goals in the opening quarter, which the Generals closed with a 17-6 advantage. There were a few shaky moments in the second, as TSA had an almost 3-minute scoring drought that allowed Dillon Christian to pull within seven, but a

SEE TSA, PAGE B2

MATT WALSH / THE SUMTER ITEM

Sumter’s Cedric Rembert (4) goes up for a layup against Goose Creek’s Chris Singleton (15) during the Gamecocks’ 45-37 victory in the third round of the 4A state playoffs on Tuesday at SEE SHS, PAGE B3 the SHS gymnasium.

that it was caught off guard.

The Lady Seahawks, who finished the year with an 18-9 record, had 14 turnovers

SEE CRESTWOOD, PAGE B2

SEE LMA, PAGE B3

BY DENNIS BRUNSON dennisb@theitem.com

MATT WALSH / THE SUMTER ITEM

Crestwood’s Tyana Saunders tries to grab the basketball while batting Hilton Head Island’s Lauryn Bush (13) in the Lady Knights’ 55-31 victory on Tuesday in the 3A state playoffs thirdround game at The Castle. (halfcourt trap) and we weren’t going to where we needed to in that,” Wilson said when asked why he decided to make the switch.

“We were wanting to mix

things up a bit, and we went to it because we thought they might not be ready for it.”

Hilton Head’s response would give the indication

BY COREY DAVIS Special To The Sumter Item The Laurence Manning Academy varsity girls’ basketball team’s season has been marred by inconsistent play throughout the year.

The second half of the Lady Swampcats’ quarterfinal game in the SCISA 3A state playoffs was the team’s undoing as Hilton Head Christian, behind freshman guard Macee Tamminen’s double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds, pulled away to a 46-34 victory on Tuesday at Sumter County Civic Center.

Hilton Head advances to play in the semifiROWLAND nals on Friday at the civic center.

LMA trailed 19-18 at halftime, but the Lady Eagles outscored the Lady Swampcats 14-7 in the third quarter to take a 33-25 lead. Tamminen scored 11 of her game-high 16 points in the quarter. With the game tied at 19 early in the third, HHC used an 8-0 spurt capped by one of Tamminen’s two 3-point baskets in the quarter to take a 27-19 lead with 5:55 remaining in the third.

The Lady Eagles’ swarming defense forced eight of LMA’s 24 turnovers in the third to help Hilton Head build the 8-point cushion.

Lady Eagles coach Kenny Conroy said the strong shooting of Tamminen and putting more pressure on the ball defensively were the main reasons why HHC was able to take control of the contest.

“Macee really stepped up and knocked down some big shots for us

Lady Knights back in lower state thanks to 2-3 trap After leading 22-19 at halftime, the Crestwood High School girls basketball team watched Hilton Head Island High score the first five points of the second half to go up 24-22 in their 3A state playoff thirdround game on Tuesday.

After a fourth turnover in less than three minutes, Lady Knights head coach Tony Wilson had watched enough and called a timeout.

And what the fans watched after that was Crestwood making its way to the lower state championship game for the second straight season.

The Lady Knights came out of the timeout in a 2-3 halfcourt trap and completely flummoxed HHH as they ran away to a 55-31 victory at The Castle.

They will take on Orangeburg-Wilkinson on Saturday at 5 p.m. at Florence Civic Center in the lower state championship game for the second straight season. O-W defeated Myrtle Beach 55-27 on Tuesday.

“We were using a 1-3-1

Rough half ends LMA girls’ season

B2

|

SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2014

THE SUMTER ITEM

SCOREBOARD TV, RADIO TODAY

MATT WALSH / THE SUMTER ITEM

Crestwood’s Shaquanda Miller-McCray (30) intercepts a pass intended for Hilton Head Island’s Americal Jenkins (32) in the Lady Knights’ 55-31 victory in the third round of the 3A state playoffs on Tuesday at The Castle.

CRESTWOOD FROM PAGE B1 after Crestwood’s defensive switch.

It immediately yielded three straight turnovers that resulted in a layup

by Tyana Saunders and a 3-point play and another layup by Cawasha Ceasar. That turned a 2-point deficit in a 29-24 advantage in less than a minute.

Lady Seahawks head coach Dave Greenberg said the Lady Knights didn’t throw anything at his team for which it had not prepared.

“We just didn’t han-

dle it well,” said Greenberg. “We didn’t do the things that we’ve been taught to do, and we let the game get away from us.

“Crestwood has been here before, playing for the lower state title last season. This is the farthest Hilton Head has ever gone (in the playoffs) and we have no seniors, so maybe we weren’t ready for this.”

Hilton Head managed to stay within 35-28 heading into the final stanza, but they managed just three points in the fourth quarter.

Meanwhile, Crestwood scored 20 points. Ceasar

had 10 of those points getting out on the break.

She had 19 points in the second and finished with a game high 28. “’We were really getting out there (on the break) with the turnovers,” Wilson said. “We just did a really good job defensively in the second half.”

Keanua Williams had 10 points and six assists, while Crystal Bennett had nine points.

Shaquanda Miller-McCray had 11 rebounds and five blocked shots to go with four points.

Lauryn Bush had 11 for HHI while Rachel Friend had eight.

SCHSL STATE BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS THIRD ROUND Tuesday 4A BOYS UPPER STATE (1) Irmo 76, (1), (2) Gaffney 65 (2) Hillcrest 68, (4) Byrnes 62 LOWER STATE (1) Sumter 45, (2) Goose Creek 37 (1) Wando 70, (2) Dutch Fork 64 4A GIRLS UPPER STATE (1) Irmo at (1) Greenwood (1) Dorman 66, (2) Spring Valley 47 LOWER STATE (1) Dutch Fork 45, (1) West Florence 48 (1) Summeville 75, (1) Goose Creek 52 3A BOYS UPPER STATE (2) AC Flora at (1) Emerald (3) Greenville at (1) Dreher LOWER STATE (2) Midland Valley at (1) Myrtle Beach (1) Airport at (1) Darlington 3A GIRLS UPPER STATE (2) Dreher 63, (1) Daniel 48 (1) Lower Richland 64, (4) AC Flora 40 LOWER STATE (1) Orangeburg-Wilkinson 56, (1) Myrtle Beach 27

TSA FROM PAGE B1 foul and technical call against the Warriors near the end of the half helped the Generals to pull back out to a 13-point cushion, 28-15, at the break.

TSA’s lead never got below 12 in the third quarter, with Tanner Brunson draining a 3-point basket from the top of the key to close the quarter and put the Generals up by 18, 43-25.

A 10-3 run to open the fourth made it 53-28 with 3:49 left and the teams scored six points apiece down the stretch to account for the final score.

Carlton Washington scored 12 and Brunson added 10 for TSA.

(1) Crestwood 55, (2) Hilton Head Island 31 2A BOYS UPPER STATE (2) Abbeville at (1) Newberry (1) Keenan at (1) Indian Land LOWER STATE (1) Ridgeland-Hardeeville at (1) Calhoun County (1) Mullins at (1) Lake Marion 2A GIRLS UPPER STATE (1) Newberry 46, (1) Pendleton 36 (1) Andrew Jackson at (3) Keenan LOWER STATE (1) Bishop England 76, (2) Battery Creek 38 (1) Dillon 50, (1) Kingstree 49 1A BOYS UPPER STATE (1) Hunter-Kinard-Tyler at (1) St. Joseph’s (3) Southside Christian at (1) CA Johnson LOWER STATE (2) Timmonsville at (1) Whale Branch (1) Hemingway at (1) Johnsonville 1A GIRLS UPPER STATE (1) St. Joseph’s 67, (1) McCormick 41 (1) Lamar 56, (1) Ridge Spring-Monetta 49 LOWER STATE (3) Hemingway 45, (1) Baptist Hill 29 (1) Latta 40, (1) Timmonsville 35

Watt said he knew that playing the Warriors would be a challenge for his squad, due to Dillon Christian’s rough-andtumble style of play.

“We knew it was going to be tough.

They’re a tough, football playing group and they play hard, without a doubt,” Watt said.

“We knew we had to play good, solid defense and then try to aggravate the ball handlers and make it difficult to pass it into their big guy (Tyler Davis) because he’s a pretty good player with a soft touch. We wanted to make it as hard to get it to him as possible, and we did a pretty good job

of that. We didn’t make it easy on him, so I was real proud of the guys for following the game plan.”

Davis closed with 18 to top the Warriors, who close the year with a 12-8 mark.

Watt said Charleston Collegiate will definitely bring a different style of play into the Generals’ semifinal contest.

“It’s going to be a big change from playing that style there to Thursday, but we’ll go practice and prepare the best we can,” Watt said. “We’re just excited. We just want to ride this momentum and make the most of the opportunity we’ve got.”

SCISA STATE BASKETBALL TOURNAMENTS BOYS 3A TODAY at Sumter Civic Center (3) Heathwood Hall vs. (2) Cardinal Newman, 3:30 p.m.

(6) Ben Lippen vs. (2) Northwood, 6:30 p.m.

(4) Laurence Manning vs. (1) Porter-Gaud, 5 p.m.

(4) Augusta Christian vs. (1) Hammond, 8 p.m.

GIRLS 3A TUESDAY at Sumter Civic Center (2) Hilton Head Christian 46, (3) Laurence Manning 34 (1) Northwood 90, (5) Hammond (Lower 5) 39 (6) First Baptist 50, (2) Orangeburg Prep 39 (1) Heathwood Hall 79, (4) Porter-Gaud 42 2A BOYS TUESDAY at Wilson Hall ‘A’ gymnasium (1) Oakbrook Prep 79, (4) The King’s Acadamey 30 (3) Bible Baptist 56, (2) Palmetto Christian 52 at Wilson Hall ‘B’ gymnasium (1) Charleston Collegiate 79, (5) Spartanburg Day 41

(7) Thomas Sumter 59, (6) Dillon Christian 34 2A GIRLS THURSDAY at Sumter Civic Center (1) Richard Winn vs. (3) Beaufort Academy, 6:30 p.m.

(1)Thomas Sumter Academy vs. (2) TrinityByrnes, 3:30 p.m.

BOYS 1A TUESDAY at Orangeburg Prep (3) St. John’s Christian 70, (2) Faith Christian 44 (4) Coastal Christian vs. (1) Laurens Academy, 5 p.m.

(1) Christian Academy 64, (5) Cathedral Academy 34 (2) Newberry Academy 53, (3) Anderson Christian 52 1A GIRLS THURSDAY at Wilson Hall ‘A’ gymnasium (1) Newberry Academy vs. (3) James Island Christian, 5:30 p.m. at Wilson Hall ‘B’ gymnasium (1) Colleton Prep vs. (2) W.W. King, 5:30 p.m.

1 p.m. – Major League Exhibition Baseball: Toronto vs. Philadelphia from Clearwater, Fla. (MLB NETWORK).

2:30 p.m. – International Soccer: UEFA Champions League Match – Galatasara vs. Chelsea (FOX SPORTS 1).

5 p.m. – Major League Exhibition Baseball: Cleveland vs. Cincinnati from Goodyear, Ariz. (MLB NETWORK).

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

7 p.m. – College Basketball: Connecticut at South Florida (CBS SPORTS NETWORK).

7 p.m. – College Basketball: Georgia Tech at Notre Dame (ESPN2).

7 p.m. – College Basketball: Rutgers at Central Florida (ESPNU).

7 p.m. – College Basketball: Miami at Virginia (FOX SPORTSOUTH).

7:30 p.m. – NHL Hockey: Boston at Buffalo (NBC SPORTS NETWORK).

8 p.m. – College Basketball: North Carolina at North Carolina State (WKTC 63).

8 p.m. – NBA Basketball: New Orleans at Dallas (ESPN).

8 p.m. – College Basketball: Butler at Villanova (FOX SPORTS 1).

9 p.m. – College Basketball: Boise State at Fresno State (CBS SPORTS NETWORK).

9 p.m. – College Basketball: California at Arizona (ESPN2).

9 p.m. – College Basketball: Baylor at Texas (ESPNU).

9 p.m. – College Basketball: South Carolina at Auburn (FOX SPORTSOUTH, WPUB-FM 102.7, WDXY-FM 105.9, WNKT-FM 107.5, WDXY-AM 1240).

9 p.m. – Major League Exhibition Baseball: Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Arizona from Scottsdale, Ariz. (MLB NETWORK).

10 p.m. – NHL Hockey: Los Angeles at Colorado (NBC SPORTS NETWORK).

10:30 p.m. – NBA Basketball: Houston at Los Angeles Clippers (ESPN).

10:30 p.m. – LPGA Golf: HSBC Champions First Round from Singapore (GOLF).

11 p.m. – College Basketball: Colorado State at Nevada-Las Vegas (CBS SPORTS NETWORK).

11 p.m. – College Basketball: Stanford at Arizona State (ESPNU).

COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCHEDULE TODAY EAST Boston U. at Army, 7 p.m.

Lehigh at Bucknell, 7 p.m.

Lafayette at Colgate, 7 p.m.

Coll. of Charleston at Drexel, 7 p.m.

St. Bonaventure at La Salle, 7 p.m.

American U. at Navy, 7 p.m.

Rhode Island at UMass, 7 p.m.

Holy Cross at Loyola (Md.), 7:30 p.m.

Pittsburgh at Boston College, 8 p.m.

Butler at Villanova, 8 p.m.

SOUTH Presbyterian at Coastal Carolina, 7 p.m.

Edward Waters at Florida A&M, 7 p.m.

Richmond at George Mason, 7 p.m.

VMI at High Point, 7 p.m.

Towson at James Madison, 7 p.m.

Campbell at Radford, 7 p.m.

UConn at South Florida, 7 p.m.

Rutgers at UCF, 7 p.m.

Delaware at UNC Wilmington, 7 p.m.

Miami at Virginia, 7 p.m.

Hofstra at William & Mary, 7 p.m.

UNC Asheville at Winthrop, 7 p.m.

Gardner-Webb at Charleston Southern, 7:30 p.m.

Texas A&M at LSU, 8 p.m.

Alabama at Mississippi, 8 p.m.

Tennessee at Mississippi St., 8 p.m.

North Carolina at NC State, 8 p.m.

South Carolina at Auburn, 9 p.m.

FAU at Tulane, 9 p.m.

MIDWEST W. Michigan at Ball St., 7 p.m.

Kent St. at Bowling Green, 7 p.m.

Cent. Michigan at E. Michigan, 7 p.m.

Akron at Miami (Ohio), 7 p.m.

Georgia Tech at Notre Dame, 7 p.m.

Buffalo at Ohio, 7 p.m.

Michigan at Purdue, 7 p.m.

West Virginia at Iowa St., 8 p.m.

Toledo at N. Illinois, 8 p.m.

S. Illinois at N. Iowa, 8 p.m.

Belmont at SIU-Edwardsville, 8 p.m.

Indiana St. at Illinois St., 8:05 p.m.

Nebraska at Illinois, 9 p.m.

SOUTHWEST Baylor at Texas, 9 p.m.

FAR WEST California at Arizona, 9 p.m.

Boise St. at Fresno St., 9:05 p.m.

Stanford at Arizona St., 11 p.m.

Colorado St. at UNLV, 11:05 p.m.

THURSDAY EAST New Hampshire at Albany (NY), 7 p.m.

Robert Morris at Fairleigh Dickinson, 7 p.m.

VCU at Fordham, 7 p.m.

Binghamton at Hartford, 7 p.m.

CCSU at LIU Brooklyn, 7 p.m.

Maine at Mass.-Lowell, 7 p.m.

Sacred Heart at Mount St. Mary’s, 7 p.m.

Ohio St. at Penn St., 7 p.m.

Bryant at St. Francis (NY), 7 p.m.

Stony Brook at Vermont, 7 p.m.

St. Francis (Pa.) at Wagner, 7 p.m.

Siena at Quinnipiac, 8:30 p.m.

SOUTH UNC Greensboro at Davidson, 7 p.m.

Charlotte at East Carolina, 7 p.m.

Wofford at Elon, 7 p.m.

Georgia Southern at Furman, 7 p.m.

Jacksonville at Kennesaw St., 7 p.m.

Arkansas at Kentucky, 7 p.m.

Florida Gulf Coast at Lipscomb, 7 p.m.

North Florida at Mercer, 7 p.m.

Stetson at N. Kentucky, 7 p.m.

Marshall at Old Dominion, 7 p.m.

FIU at Southern Miss., 7 p.m.

Chattanooga at W. Carolina, 7 p.m.

Tennessee Tech at E. Kentucky, 7:30 p.m.

Middle Tennessee at Louisiana Tech, 7:30 p.m.

Tennessee St. at Morehead St., 7:30 p.m.

South Alabama at Louisiana-Monroe, 8 p.m.

Appalachian St. at Samford, 8 p.m.

UALR at Troy, 8 p.m.

Murray St. at UT-Martin, 8 p.m.

Incarnate Word at McNeese St., 8:30 p.m.

Abilene Christian at Nicholls St., 8:30 p.m.

Northwestern St. at SE Louisiana, 8:30 p.m.

Stephen F. Austin at New Orleans, 8:45 p.m.

Temple at Louisville, 9 p.m.

Southern U. at MVSU, 9 p.m.

MIDWEST Milwaukee at Detroit, 7 p.m.

South Dakota at N. Dakota St., 8 p.m.

Portland St. at North Dakota, 8 p.m.

Green Bay at Oakland, 8 p.m.

Denver at S. Dakota St., 8 p.m.

Austin Peay at SE Missouri, 8 p.m.

Duquesne at Saint Louis, 8 p.m.

IPFW at W. Illinois, 8 p.m.

IUPUI at Nebraska-Omaha, 8:07 p.m.

Iowa at Indiana, 9 p.m.

Georgetown at Marquette, 9 p.m.

SOUTHWEST Sam Houston St. at Cent. Arkansas, 8 p.m.

UAB at Rice, 8 p.m.

W. Kentucky at Texas St., 8 p.m.

North Texas at UTSA, 8 p.m.

Lamar at Oral Roberts, 8:30 p.m.

Georgia St. at Texas-Arlington, 8:30 p.m.

Memphis at Houston, 9 p.m.

Tulsa at UTEP, 9:05 p.m.

FAR WEST UMKC at Grand Canyon, 9 p.m.

Portland at Saint Mary’s (Cal), 9 p.m.

Oregon at UCLA, 9 p.m.

Sacramento St. at Weber St., 9 p.m.

N. Arizona at Idaho St., 9:05 p.m.

S. Utah at Montana St., 9:05 p.m.

E. Washington at N. Colorado, 9:05 p.m.

New Mexico St. at Utah Valley, 9:05 p.m.

Texas-Pan American at CS Bakersfield, 10 p.m.

CS Northridge at Cal St.-Fullerton, 10 p.m.

Gonzaga at Pacific, 10 p.m.

San Francisco at Pepperdine, 10 p.m.

Chicago St. at Seattle, 10 p.m.

Cal Poly at UC Davis, 10 p.m.

UC Santa Barbara at UC Irvine, 10 p.m.

Hawaii at Long Beach St., 10:30 p.m.

Santa Clara at Loyola Marymount, 11 p.m.

Oregon St. at Southern Cal, 11 p.m.

MLB SPRING TRAINING

By The Associated Press TODAY’S GAMES Detroit vs. Atlanta at Kissimmee, Fla., 1:05 p.m.

N.Y. Yankees vs. Pittsburgh at Bradenton, Fla., 1:05 p.m.

Toronto vs. Philadelphia at Clearwater, Fla., 1:05 p.m.

Oakland vs. San Francisco at Scottsdale, Ariz., 3:05 p.m.

Cincinnati vs. Cleveland at Goodyear, Ariz., 3:05 p.m.

L.A. Dodgers vs. Arizona at Scottsdale, Ariz., 3:10 p.m.

THURSDAY’S GAMES Philadelphia vs. Toronto at Dunedin, Fla., 1:05 p.m.

Pittsburgh vs. N.Y. Yankees at Tampa, Fla., 1:05 p.m.

Atlanta vs. Detroit at Lakeland, Fla., 1:05 p.m.

Arizona (ss) vs. L.A. Dodgers at Glendale, Ariz., 3:05 p.m.

Cleveland vs. Cincinnati at Goodyear, Ariz., 3:05 p.m.

San Diego vs. Seattle at Peoria, Ariz., 3:05 p.m.

Milwaukee vs. Oakland at Phoenix, 3:05 p.m.

Texas vs. Kansas City at Surprise, Ariz., 3:05 p.m.

Arizona (ss) vs. Chicago Cubs at Mesa, Ariz., 3:05 p.m.

NBA STANDINGS

By The Associated Press

EASTERN CONFERENCE ATLANTIC DIVISION W Toronto 31 Brooklyn 26 New York 21 Boston 19 Philadelphia 15 SOUTHEAST DIVISION W Miami 40 Washington 28 Charlotte 27 Atlanta 26 Orlando 17 CENTRAL DIVISION W Indiana 42 Chicago 29 Detroit 23 Cleveland 22 Milwaukee 11

L 25 28 36 39 42

Pct .554 .481 .368 .328 .263

GB – 4 10½ 13 16½

L 14 28 30 29 41

Pct .741 .500 .474 .473 .293

GB – 13 14½ 14½ 25

L 13 26 34 35 45

Pct .764 .527 .404 .386 .196

GB – 13 20 21 31½

L 16 18 23 24 33

Pct .714 .679 .603 .564 .411

GB – 2 6 8½ 17

L 14 18 29 30 36

Pct .754 .679 .482 .455 .357

GB – 4½ 15½ 17 22½

L 20 22 22 36 37

Pct .661 .614 .600 .357 .339

GB – 3 4 17½ 18½

WESTERN CONFERENCE SOUTHWEST DIVISION W San Antonio 40 Houston 38 Dallas 35 Memphis 31 New Orleans 23 NORTHWEST DIVISION W Oklahoma City 43 Portland 38 Minnesota 27 Denver 25 Utah 20

PACIFIC DIVISION L.A. Clippers Golden State Phoenix Sacramento L.A. Lakers

W 39 35 33 20 19

MONDAY’S GAMES

Milwaukee 130, Philadelphia 110 Golden State 104, Detroit 96 Dallas 110, New York 108 L.A. Clippers 123, New Orleans 110 Utah 110, Boston 98

TUESDAY’S GAMES

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

Orlando at Washington, 7 p.m.

Toronto at Cleveland, 7 p.m.

Chicago at Atlanta, 7:30 p.m.

Minnesota at Phoenix, 9 p.m.

Portland at Denver, 9 p.m.

Houston at Sacramento, 10 p.m.

WEDNESDAY’S GAMES

Orlando at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.

Atlanta at Boston, 7:30 p.m.

Golden State at Chicago, 8 p.m.

New Orleans at Dallas, 8 p.m.

Cleveland at Oklahoma City, 8 p.m.

L.A. Lakers at Memphis, 8 p.m.

Detroit at San Antonio, 8:30 p.m.

Phoenix at Utah, 9 p.m.

Brooklyn at Portland, 10 p.m.

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

THURSDAY’S GAMES

Milwaukee at Indiana, 7 p.m.

Washington at Toronto, 7 p.m.

New York at Miami, 8 p.m.

Brooklyn at Denver, 10:30 p.m.

NHL STANDINGS

By The Associated Press EASTERN CONFERENCE ATLANTIC DIVISION GP W Boston 57 37 Tampa Bay 58 33 Montreal 59 32 Toronto 60 32 Detroit 58 26 Ottawa 59 26 Florida 58 22 Buffalo 57 15 METROPOLITAN DIVISION GP W Pittsburgh 58 40 N.Y. Rangers 59 32 Philadelphia 59 30 Columbus 58 29 Washington 59 27 Carolina 57 26 New Jersey 59 24 N.Y. Islanders 60 22

L OT Pts GF GA 16 4 78 176 125 20 5 71 168 145 21 6 70 148 142 22 6 70 178 182 20 12 64 151 163 22 11 63 169 191 29 7 51 139 183 34 8 38 110 172 L OT Pts GF GA 15 3 83 186 138 24 3 67 155 146 23 6 66 162 167 24 5 63 170 161 23 9 63 171 175 22 9 61 144 158 22 13 61 135 146 30 8 52 164 200

WESTERN CONFERENCE CENTRAL DIVISION St. Louis Chicago Colorado Minnesota Dallas Winnipeg Nashville PACIFIC DIVISION

GP 57 60 58 59 58 60 59

GP Anaheim 60 San Jose 59 Los Angeles 59 Phoenix 58 Vancouver 60 Calgary 58 Edmonton 60 NOTE: Two points overtime loss.

W 39 35 37 31 27 28 25

L OT Pts GF GA 12 6 84 196 135 11 14 84 207 163 16 5 79 174 153 21 7 69 145 147 21 10 64 164 164 26 6 62 168 175 24 10 60 146 180

W 41 37 31 27 27 22 20 for

L OT Pts GF GA 14 5 87 196 147 16 6 80 175 142 22 6 68 139 128 21 10 64 163 169 24 9 63 146 160 29 7 51 137 179 33 7 47 153 199 a win, one point for

MONDAY’S GAMES No games scheduled

TUESDAY’S GAMES Carolina at Buffalo, 7 p.m.

TODAY’S GAMES Boston at Buffalo, 7:30 p.m.

Detroit at Montreal, 7:30 p.m.

Los Angeles at Colorado, 10 p.m.

St. Louis at Vancouver, 10:30 p.m.

THURSDAY’S GAMES Columbus at New Jersey, 7 p.m.

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

Chicago at N.Y. Rangers, 7 p.m.

San Jose at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.

Montreal at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m.

Detroit at Ottawa, 7:30 p.m.

Washington at Florida, 7:30 p.m.

Tampa Bay at Nashville, 8 p.m.

Phoenix at Winnipeg, 8 p.m.

Carolina at Dallas, 8:30 p.m.

Los Angeles at Calgary, 9:30 p.m.

Minnesota at Edmonton, 9:30 p.m.

TRANSACTIONS

By The Associated Press

BASEBALL American League HOUSTON ASTROS _ Named Amanda Rykoff social media manager.

SEATTLE MARINERS _ Agreed to terms with RHPs Blake Beavan, Danny Farquhar, Yoervis Medina and Tom Wilhelmsen; OF Ji-Man Choi; and OFs Abraham Almonte, Xavier Avery and James Jones.

National League ATLANTA BRAVES _ Agreed to terms with RHPs David Carpenter, Cory Gearrin, David Hale, Juan Jaime, Aaron Northcraft, Wirfin Obispo and Anthony Varvaro; LHPs Luis Avilan, Ryan Buchter, Carlos Perez and Alex Wood; INFs Ernesto Mejia, Tyler Pastornicky and Elmer Reyes; OFs Jose Constanza, Todd Cunningham and Joey Terdoslavich; and Cs Christian Bethancourt and Evan Gattis on one-year contracts.

SPORTS

THE SUMTER ITEM

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2014

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B3

SPORTS ITEMS

BRISTOW MARCHANT / THE SUMTER ITEM

The Sumter Christian School junior varsity boys basketball team and coaches were honored at the Sumter County Council meeting on Tuesday after defeating Oakwood Christian Academy 36-31 on Saturday in Cowpens to win the school’s first-ever JV state championship.

SCS JV boys win 1st-ever state title COWPENS — The Sumter Christian School junior varsity boys basketball team defeated Oakwood Christian Academy 36-31 on Saturday to win the school’s firest SCACS state championship at Mountain View Christian Academy.

The Bears used a pair of 3-pointers and went 4-for-5 at the foul line in the fourth quarter to capture the title. Chad Jones hit one of the treys and all four foul shots for SCS. He finished with 13 points.

Desmond Sigler, who led all scorers with 14 points, hit the other 3-point shot.

Saquon Cole added five points for SCS followed by Donzell Metz with four.

(11) CLEMSON 4 PRESBYTERIAN 2 CLEMSON — Sophomore righthander Clate Schmidt tossed 4 1/3 scoreless innings in relief of

one-hit ball to pace 11th-ranked Clemson (6-1) to a 4-2 victory over Presbyterian College (4-3-1) at Doug Kingsmore Stadium on Tuesday.

Schmidt (1-1) earned the win by allowing just one single, no runs, and one walk with one strikeout while Matt Campbell recorded his first save of the year. Blue Hose starter Brian Kehner (0-2) tossed 6 1/3 effective innings, but suffered the loss.

After Presbyterian College scored a run in the top of the first inning, Clemson, who won its sixth game in a row, tallied five hits and scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning to take the lead for good. Steven Duggar’s two-out, two-run triple highlighted the uprising and extended his hitting streak to 16 games.

Clemson faces No. 3 South Carolina in a 3-game series at three different sites over the weekend. The two teams play in Columbia on Friday at 7 p.m. in a

game televised by Fox Sports South to begin the weekend series.

PANTHERS OT GROSS TO RETIRE

CHARLOTTE — Panthers offensive tackle Jordan Gross is saying goodbye to the NFL after 11 seasons.

Gross, 33, was a first-round pick by Carolina in 2003 and started 167 games — all for the Panthers.

He went to his third Pro Bowl this past season as an alternate.

Gross’ contract had expired with the Panthers this offseason, but there was still some question as to his return. He went on vacation with his family last week in Idaho to contemplate whether or not to retire.

The decision creates a void for the Panthers at left tackle.

From staff, wire reports

LMA FROM PAGE B1

MATT WALSH / THE SUMTER ITEM

Sumter’s Brandon Parker (11) goes up for shot in front of Goose Creek’s Evan McField (22) during the Gamecocks’ 45-37 victory on Tuesday at the SHS gymnasium in the third round of the 4A state playoffs.

SHS FROM PAGE B1 I don’t know if that was on us or on the officials, but you get 21 to 10 with both teams playing hard I feel bad for my kids.�

Sumter senior Sonny Butler was the only player on either team to score in double figures as he finished with 14 points. Butler was clutch when it mattered most in the fourth quarter, contributing 10 points, going seven for eight from the free throw line and hitting a 3-point shot.

SHS led 19-16 at halftime, but GC junior Jordan McElveen sparked the Gators with six of his co-team high nine points in the third and the defending lower state champs led 32-27 heading into the final quarter. Senior Dantez Bennaman also finished with nine while Chris Singleton added seven.

Slowly the Gamecocks went to work. Erick White trimmed the lead to one possession to open the scoring in the fourth quarter, but McElveen pushed it back to four with a bucket.

Then Butler hit a 3-pointer with 3:31 to play to cut the deficit to one, but Goose Creek junior Kameron Robinson countered with a bucket.

Things started to get away from the Gators when SHS entered the 1-and-1 on free throws with 2:40 to play.

Butler hit two free throws and gave the Gamecocks a 37-36 lead with 2:21 to play when GC was hit with the turnover bug. The Gators were called for five seconds and SHS couldn’t take advantage. After a steal by senior Sterling Ta’Bon, the Game-

cocks got a layup from White to go up 39-36 with 1:19 left.

White finished with eight and Parker added seven.

McElveen missed a shot on the next possession and eventually fouled out with 59.8 to play with his team trailing 4136.

English knew the game wasn’t over at this point. In fact, he called a timeout to remind his team that Goose Creek would not go quietly. “When we needed a stop and they got possession with about 40 seconds left, we got a 5-second count,� English said. “Now that’s impressive when you don’t let guys touch the ball inbounding the basketball, and that’s part of the game when you’re tired and stuff like that. The guys dug down deep and knew what they had to do, and I came to the sideline and got on them to tell them not to celebrate. “I’m so proud of our kids because they worked hard, believed in each other and when it was time to get a stop on defense that’s what they did,�

English said.

English said his team isn’t playing its best basketball yet, although it’s shown signs of getting there. “They haven’t figured it out, which is a good thing,� English explained.� We haven’t put together 32 complete minutes together in execution now, they have put it together in effort, but sometimes some of our plays come from a lack of experience. The kids are trying very hard and it’s my job as a coach to make sure we get organized and execute, which we didn’t do a good job of offensively tonight.�

that helped turn the tide,� Conroy said. “I also feel like our defensive pressure kind of wore on them a little bit. We actually switched after halftime from a 2-2-1 fullcourt press to a more matchup, trapping, full-court press. We knew if we put more pressure on their main ball handler (Maggie Eppley) and wore her down that would be tough for her making decisions down the stretch. Our defensive pressure made them go faster than they wanted to go.�

The Lady Eagles built the biggest lead of the game of 39-25 in the final stanza on an uncontested layup by Hannah Reynolds with 5:45 left to play. LMA reeled off the next six points capped by a 3-point play from Perrin Jackson, who had a team-high 10 points, to cut the deficit to 39-31 with 3:18 remaining in the game.

However, it was as close as LMA got.

After leading 10-6 at the end of the first quarter, LMA failed to score in double dig-

its in the next three quarters. The Lady Swampcats started off strong, crashing the glass and holding a 23-14 rebound edge in the first half. But, according to Conroy, the Lady Eagles made it a priority to have more production on the boards and out-rebounded LMA 25-10 in the final two quarters.

LMA came into the matchup riding some momentum after winning the Region II tournament and prevailing 48-23 over Cardinal Newman in its playoff opener. The Lady Eagles finished at 15-15. “We lost our rhythm on offense in the second half,� LMA head coach Kendra Rowland said. “It seemed like we would overpass and they did a good job of reading our passes. We definitely had trouble with their traps and we missed some shots when we had opportunities to score. But we had a good season and peaked at the right time....�

Courtney Beatson, Haley Hatfield and Emily McElveen each had seven points for LMA.

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BASKETBALL

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2014

THE SUMTER ITEM

CLEMSON

USC

Thornwell bright spot for struggling Gamecocks

BY WILLIE T. SMITH III Greenville News

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Wake Forest guard Miles Overton (20) battles Clemson forward K.J. McDaniels (32) for a loose ball during the Demon Deacons’ 62-57 victory on Tuesday at Joel Coliseum in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Wake snaps skid, tops Tigers 62-57

BY JOEDY MCCREARY The Associated Press WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Travis McKie’s first season at Wake Forest ended with a long losing streak.

No matter what happens now, at least his last one won’t.

The Demon Deacons snapped a seven-game slide Tuesday night with a 62-57 win over a Clemson team trying to play its way into the NCAA tournament.

“When you lose seven in a row, a lot of things go wrong — everything you do is wrong,’’ McKie said.

“Getting on the other side of the column is great.

Now we just have to keep moving forward and keep getting better.’’

Devin Thomas and Tyler Cavanaugh each scored 12 points in Wake Forest’s 62-57 victory.

The Demon Deacons (1513, 5-10 Atlantic Coast Conference) erased an early 10-point deficit and shot 55 percent against the league’s second-stingiest defense.

Frustrating the Tigers by mixing a couple of zone defenses, they held on to avoid just their third winless February since the school started keeping complete records in 1951 and delivered a serious blow to Clemson’s NCAA tournament chances.

“I’m sure it hurts it a lot,’’ Clemson head coach Brad Brownell said. “Just losing hurts, though. We don’t want to lose any game, and to lose it the way we did where we were kind of in control at halftime was disappointing. ...

We’re kind of learning as we go on this journey.’’

Damarcus Harrison

scored 15 points for the Tigers (17-10, 8-7), who pulled within two points on Jaron Blossomgame’s three-point play with 29.1 seconds left.

After Cavanaugh made it a four-point game with two free throws with 20.7 seconds left, Rod Hall missed on a contested drive. McKie added a free throw with 8.2 seconds remaining.

K.J. McDaniels — the league’s third-leading scorer — had 10 points on 3-of11 shooting and missed six of seven attempts from 3-point range.

“Our best player had a tough night,’’ Brownell said. “He hasn’t had many, but tonight was a night he struggled a little bit, and we just didn’t have enough other guys play well enough to carry us in the second half.’’

They almost did.

Harrison hit back-to-

back 3-pointers to pull Clemson to 56-54 with 2 minutes left.

But with his team down by two with 1:39 left, McDaniels missed two free throws. The rebound was tapped out to Codi MillerMcIntyre, and the Wake Forest guard jetted toward the bucket and hit a layup through contact from Hall.

His free throw made it 59-54 with 1:34 left.

Hall finished with 10 points for Clemson, which managed just one field goal during the 6 1/2-minute span in which Wake Forest took the lead for good and fell to 2-19 at Joel Coliseum.

Arnaud William Adala Moto scored 11 points.

Miller-McIntyre finished with 10, three days after the guard was held scoreless in a 33-point loss at rival North Carolina.

NBA ROUNDUP

Knicks’ Felton arraigned on 2 felony gun charges NEW YORK — New York Knicks point guard and former Latta High School standout Raymond Felton was arraigned on two felony weapons possession charges in Manhattan Criminal Court on Tuesday, following his early morning arrest after a lawyer for his wife turned in a loaded semi-automatic handgun allegedly belonging to the basketball star to a police precinct, claiming she no longer wanted it in their home, authorities said.

Prosecutors said they were told Felton stored the Belgian-made FN Herstal model handgun in the home from August through February. A lawyer for Felton’s wife, a student at Fordham University School of Law, dropped off the weapon at a stationhouse on Manhattan’s upper West Side on Monday evening, shortly before tipoff of the Knicks game against the Dallas

Mavericks at Madison Square Garden, police said.

PACERS 118 LAKERS 98

INDIANAPOLIS — Paul George scored 12 of his 20 points in the third quarter, Evan Turner had 13 points in his Pacers debut, and Indiana beat the Los Angeles Lakers 118-98.

WIZARDS 115 MAGIC 106

WASHINGTON — John Wall scored 27 points, and Washington beat the roadhapless Orlando Magic 115106.

RAPTORS 99 CAVALIERS 93

CLEVELAND — DeMar DeRozan scored 16 of his 33 points in the fourth quarter, and Toronto earned a 99-93 victory over Cleveland.

From wire reports

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

New York Knicks’ guard and former Latta High School standout Raymond Felton (2) was arraigned on two felony weapons possessions charges in Manhattan Criminal Court on Tuesday.

TOP 25 ROUNDUP

Top-ranked Gators hold off Vanderbilt 57-54 NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Dorian Finney-Smith scored 19 points, and No. 1 Florida held off Vanderbilt 57-54 on Tuesday night to clinch at least a share of its second straight Southeastern Conference title and seventh overall.

Patric Young added 12 points for the Gators (26-2, 15-0 SEC), who continued the best season in school history by winning their 20th straight game, and now they will have a chance to claim their third SEC title in four years all to themselves with a win against LSU on Saturday.

FINNEY-SMITH The Commodores (15-12, 7-8) beat Florida 83-70 the last time the Gators came into Memorial Gym ranked No. 1, on Feb. 17, 2007. Coach Kevin Stallings only has seven healthy scholarship players right now, and they proved no match for Florida’s smothering defense.

Vandy’s Kyle Fuller missed a tying 3 in the final seconds, and Dai-Jon Parker missed a putback attempt.

(6) DUKE 66 VIRGINIA TECH 48

DURHAM, N.C. — Rodney Hood scored 21 points to

help No. 6 Duke beat Virginia Tech 66-48 on Tuesday night.

Rasheed Sulaimon added 15 points for the Blue Devils (23-6, 12-4 Atlantic Coast Conference), who jumped to a 24-4 lead midway through the first half and never trailed — though they struggled to land a game-finishing blow on the Hokies.

MINNESOTA 95 (20) IOWA 89

MINNEAPOLIS — Austin Hollins scored a career-high 27 points on 8-for-10 shooting, DeAndre Mathieu had 19 points and seven assists and Minnesota bounced back from a monthlong slump with a 95-89 victory over No. 20 Iowa on Tuesday night.

Hollins made all seven of his free throws for the Gophers (18-11, 7-9 Big Ten), who won for just the third time in their last nine games by making 13 of their last 14 free throws over the final 70 seconds. Charles Buggs came off the end of the bench to score a career-high 13 points.

From wire reports

COLUMBIA — Immediately after South Carolina’s loss Saturday to Georgia at the Colonial Life Arena, Gamecocks freshman Sindarius Thornwell tossed the ball away in disgust.

Thornwell hates to lose. And Thornwell, a 6-foot-5, 206-pound guard from Lancaster who in 2013 was ranked the No. 39 prospect in the country by ESPN, has had to endure a lot of losing since signing with USC. The Gamecocks enter tonight’s Southeastern Conference game at Auburn with a 10-17 record, including 3-11 in the conference. Though THORNWELL emotions caught up with him after the 17-point embarrassment against the Bulldogs, Thornton said he is confident the team hasn’t thrown in the towel on the season.

“We’re still fighting. We’re still trying to win,” Thornwell said. “We’ve been having good practices, but it is not like we just started having good practices. We’ve had good practices before now. The majority of our losses have been tough losses, where we have the lead and we’ll blow the lead or are not controlling the game when we’re up.

“We are right there. When we’re up like 15 with 10 minutes to go in the game, we’ve got to pull away with the win. We’ve just got to learn from our mistakes.”

Despite the Gamecocks’ struggles and his inexperience, Thornwell has had a very good season. He’s averaging 13.8 points, four rebounds and three assists per game. He is among the front-runners for SEC Freshman of the Year honor.

“Sindarius has been great,” USC head coach Frank Martin said. “We have put a lot on his shoulders. He has had to step up and be a leader.

When we started the season, we thought we would have both (Tyrone Johnson) and Bruce (Ellington).

“Within a short amount of time, Bruce left to pursue a career in pro football and Ty broke a bone in his foot. That meant Sindarius and (freshman point guard) Duane (Notice) have had to take leadership of the team.”

Martin isn’t the only SEC coach who has been impressed with Thornwell’s rapid transition.

“He’s a complete player to me,” Vanderbilt head coach Kevin Stallings said. “He can shoot the ball. He can put it on the floor. He’s a guy who likes contact when he’s driving the ball. He’s solid defensively. He is one of those rare guys, I think, as a freshman that really does a little bit of everything and does it all well.”

“He’s really good,” said Mississippi head coach Andy Kennedy. “He’s big.

He’s strong. He’s really improved his perimeter skills.

“Initially, I think, when he got there it was about strength, toughness and work — coming up with some garbage baskets, driving the ball to the hoop. But now he’s making 3-point shots. He’s playing with a great deal of confidence. He is one of the best freshmen in our league.”

Despite his impressive play, Thornwell has endured the Frank Martin Stare and received tongue-lashings from his coach. Thornwell said he isn’t bothered by Martin’s hard-line approach. In fact, he said, he welcomes it.

“I like Coach Frank. He’s aggressive,” Thornwell said. “When I was at Lancaster, my high school coach was aggressive, too. I am kind of used to it. It’s not something that gets to me.

“I like his coaching,” Thornwell said. “I felt like every program started from somewhere. The North Carolinas, the Syracuses — they were all sorry at one point in time.

“You’ve got to start somewhere. I just wanted to help Coach and the team to get better, (to) build.”

Thornwell’s ability, attitude and leadership have Martin excited about the future.

“His growth as a player has been extremely fun to be around,” Martin said. “We’re excited for who he is and who he is becoming.

“He and I, we’ve connected. He believes in what I believe in and I believe in what he believes in. That’s why he is having the success he’s having as a player.”

PRO BASEBALL

THE SUMTER ITEM

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2014

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B5

Braves’ Gattis turns focus to replacing McCann at C

BY JEFF BERLINICKE The Associated Press

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Boston center fielder and former University of South Carolina standout Jackie Bradley Jr. follows through on a swing at batting practice during spring training on Feb. 17 in Fort Myers, Fla. Bradley was the surprise of Boston’s 2013 spring training, making the opening day roster. Once the season began, he struggled and spent most of the season in the minors. Now he’s back in camp as the Red Sox starting center fielder.

Bradley Jr. ready to rebound Former USC standout eager to improve on rookie season with Red Sox

BY MAUREEN MULLEN The Associated Press FORT MYERS, Fla. — Last spring training, Jackie Bradley, Jr. surprised everyone in the Boston Red Sox organization and broke camp with the major league club.

This year, a lot more is expected from the outfielder, who turns 24 on April 19.

Bradley is expected to be in center field on opening day, taking the place of Jacoby Ellsbury, who departed for the Yankees in free agency during the offseason. Bradley it will be difficult replacing Ellsbury, one of the game’s most dynamic players.

“That’s the thing, I can’t be him. I can only be me because that’s who I am,’’ Bradley said. So I don’t really focus on the whole comparison thing. I just try to be the best ballplayer I can be. And that’s all anybody can ask for, just be yourself. And if that ain’t good enough, then I don’t know what is.’’

Bradley, who was not even on the team’s 40-man roster, was so good dur-

ing camp last year — hitting .419 in 28 games — that he became the first Red Sox player who skipped Triple-A and started for in the majors on opening day since Shea Hillenbrand in 2001.

But the supplemental pick in 2011 (40th overall) out of the University of South Carolina, Bradley struggled in the big leagues. After just 12 games, he was hitting .097 and was demoted to Triple-A. In all, he served four stints last season with the Red Sox, batting .189 with three home runs and 10 RBI in 37 games, playing all three outfield positions.

It was a learning experience for Bradley. Through it all, though, he remained positive.

“Yeah, for sure, it was definitely different, especially getting a shot to start in the big leagues with only being a year removed from playing a full season,’’ said Bradley. “I showed them what I was capable of. But it was one of those things where you can get equally hot and equally cold. But everything evens out.’’

In 14 games in September, he hit

.243 making 10 starts.

“I think the thing he’s expressed in the early days of being down here is he’s aware a little bit more of what to expect,’’ said Red Sox manager John Farrell. “I think what he went through last year is very common for a young player, and it’s maybe to struggle for the first time and yet it’s at the major league level, and how they respond to that is key. He was humbled but at the same time he came out of it and finished the year on an upswing.’’

In January, the Red Sox added Grady Sizemore, whose All-Star career was curtailed by injuries.

Bradley embraces the acquisition.

“It just means we have another great player on our squad,’’ Bradley said. “Grady’s a great ballplayer. I’m glad to have him on the team because I’ll be able to pick his brain, learn from him just like I did from Jacoby. ... And hopefully he learns things from me as well. That’s what teammates do, we learn from each other in order to get each other better.’’

Posey: Rule eliminates ‘malicious’ collisions

BY DON KETCHUM The Associated Press SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey, whose 2011 season was cut short after the Marlins’ Scott Cousins crashed into him at the plate, said Tuesday that a home plate collision rule adopted by Major League Baseball and its players does a good thing by eliminating “malicious collisions.’’

“I’ve always said that the main thing is for everybody to be comfortable with it, that the catchers and runners are protected,’’ said Posey, addressing the rule change for the first time.

Posey, an All-Star catcher, sustained a broken bone in his lower left leg and three torn ligaments in his ankle in the May 2011 collision, an injury that helped intensify debate over plate collisions. Posey returned in 2012 to win the National League MVP award.

The new rule, in what both sides said was a one-year experiment, allows collisions if the catcher has the ball and is blocking the runner’s direct path to home plate, and if the catcher goes into the basepath to field a throw to the plate.

The rule states that “a runner attempting to score may not deviate

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

A new home-plate collision rule, 7.13, was adopted by MLB and the players’ association on a one-year experimental basis on Monday. San Francisco catcher Buster Posey, right, said the rule will eliminate “malicious” collisions like the one in May 2011 that ended his season. from his direct pathway to the plate in order to initiate contact with the catcher (or other player covering home plate).’’ A runner violating the rule will be declared out, even if the fielder drops the ball.

The umpire crew chief can use the new video-review system to determine whether the rule was violated.

“I have always set up in front of the plate, where the runner can have part of the plate,’’ Posey said.

KISSIMMEE, Fla. — When Evan Gattis made Atlanta’s opening-day roster last season, the rookie slugger became one of the biggest stories for the Braves.

For Year 2, he wants the focus to be on his play.

Gattis is expected to serve as Atlanta’s primary catcher after Brian McCann signed a free-agent deal with the New York Yankees.

Gattis hit .243 with 21 homers and 65 RBIs in 2013, completing a winding road to the majors.

“I want as much playing time as I can get,’’ he said after a full-squad workout. “I want constant at-bats and GATTIS I want to keep going every day. I want to play every day and I loved last season, but this year I want a little more. I am not taking everything for granted. Last year was nice but it’s a new year.’’

What made Gattis so compelling last season was the journey he took to the pros. After high school, there were bouts with drugs and alcohol, not to mention plenty of dark days where the thought of killing himself seemed like a good way out. The fear of failing at baseball proved overwhelming, prompting him to quit when he was only 19.

He worked a series of menial jobs — from valet to janitor to cart boy at a golf course — and struggled to uncover a deeper meaning to life, hoping that would help him deal with his demons. He became a wanderer, traveling through the western United States. He lived out of his vehicle and listened intently to the words of various spiritual advisers.

Finally, something clicked. The quest was over. It was time to get back to what he knew best — baseball.

His stepbrother was playing at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin. Gattis joined the team and became one of the top players in the Heartland Conference, showing enough power and potential to be a late-round pick by the Braves.

It’s a story Gattis has recounted over and over, and knows he’ll have to tell again. But he’s focused on improving his batting average from last season and catching a revamped pitching staff.

“I know there are going to be adjustments to make,’’ Gattis said. “I just hope it’s an easy adjustment. Brian was a great catcher for the Braves but now it’s up to me for as many games as they give me and it’s my job to help this team get to the World Series.’’

Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said he was impressed by Gattis’ work with the pitchers last season while he adjusted to the majors.

“The pitchers like working with him,’’ Gonzalez said. “He’s adjusting to the leadership position, but he never had any trouble working with the veteran pitchers last season. Maybe they were afraid of him.’’

The 6-foot-4, 240-pound Gattis is physically intimidating, but in the locker room, he’s just one of the guys trying to blend in as the starting catcher. He’ll talk about the past, but his eyes are more on the future.

MLB NOTEBOOK

Dodgers OF Kemp to have MRI on Friday GLENDALE, Ariz. — Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp is scheduled for an MRI of his surgically-repaired left ankle on Friday.

Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said Tuesday that the scan will help determine whether Kemp can accelerate his rehabilitation from micro-fracture surgery in October. Kemp sustained the injury in July.

“I’m sure he’s getting tired of taking BP and not being able to do anything with the rest of the guys,’’ Mattingly said.

YANKS’ TANAKA TO PITCH SATURDAY TAMPA, Fla. — Masahiro Tanaka is scheduled to

make his New York Yankees debut Saturday.

Tanaka signed a $155 million, 7-year contract in January. He was 24-0 with a 1.27 ERA last year in Japan.

PIRATES CLAIM 3B MOREL OFF WAIVERS BRADENTON, Fla. — The Pittsburgh Pirates have claimed third baseman Brent Morel off waivers from the Toronto Blue Jays.

Morel has a .229 average with 13 homers and 54 RBI in parts of four seasons with the Chicago White Sox. From wire reports

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp will have an MRI on Friday on his surgically-repaired left ankle.

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NASCAR

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2014

THE SUMTER ITEM

‘Heavy weight’ lifts for Junior after victory Sport’s most popular driver felt pressure of expectations

BY JENNA FRYER The Associated Press DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — There was a moment late in the Daytona 500 when Dale Earnhardt Jr. had a moment to catch his breath.

It was clearly his race to lose and the tension ran thick through Junior Nation, all the way into his car.

Steve Letarte, the crew chief and cheerleader who had rebuilt Earnhardt’s crumpled confidence and returned him to a championship contender, used the moment under caution to settle his driver.

“Having fun?’’ Letarte asked over the radio.

“Yeah, but it’s the big prize, man. It’s hard to enjoy it,’’ Earnhardt said, before he paused. “I’m enjoying particular pieces of it, but the entire experience is driving me crazy.’’

That’s the albatross that was strapped to the back of NASCAR’s most popular driver as closed in on his second Daytona 500 victory.

It had been 10 years since he won his first 500, and after three runner-up finishes the last four seasons in a race that had caused his family so much heartache and joy, the moment was overwhelming.

There’s so much pressure on Earnhardt, who entered the season-opening showcase mired in a 55-race losing streak dating to 2012.

He’d won just two races since joining mighty Hendrick Motorsports in 2008, and as he closes in on his 40th birthday, he is still searching for his first Cup championship.

It’s been openly stated by the suits at NASCAR that when Junior wins, NASCAR’s popularity surges. So under that theory, if he could just get it together, the days of flat television

numbers and sagging attendance would certainly spike.

That’s a lot of pressure to put on one guy, and it hit him as he readied himself for the homestretch Sunday night.

“It’s a big race and you want to win it so badly, and your team wants to win so badly,’’ he said afterward.

“You realize at that moment that there are countless people watching on television and there are countless people sitting in the grandstands with your shirts and hats on, and your team is over on the pit wall and your family back home — there are so many people pulling for you and want to see you win. It’s a heavy weight.’’

This time, he delivered.

He emerged from a rain delay of more than six hours with the strongest car in the field. As other drivers struggled to keep busy during the lengthy break, Earnhardt said his concern was not consuming too much of the junk food stored in his motorhome.

He knew what he had in the No. 88 Chevrolet.

Earnhardt handled every challenge over the final 50 miles. He shook off Greg Biffle, the peskiest foe, and then Carl Edwards. Lined up for a two-lap sprint to the finish, he found himself next to one-time protege Brad Keselowski, who had a car almost as strong as Earnhardt’s.

But Earnhardt had teammate Jeff Gordon on his bumper to help on the final restart, and once he cleared Keselowski it was essentially over. Moves made by other drivers in the pack ruined Keselowski’s pursuit and Denny Hamlin stormed through the field but didn’t have the help he needed or enough laps to mount a proper charge.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Dale Earnhardt Jr. raises the trophy in Victory Lane after winning the Daytona 500 on Sunday at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Hendrick tops leaderboard list

BY MARK LONG The Associated Press

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Crew members work on Tony Stewart’s car during the Daytona 500 on Sunday at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Daytona drought goes on for Stewart DAN GELSTON The Associated Press DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Tony Stewart’s night ended with more Daytona heartache.

Stewart made it 0 for 16 in the Daytona 500 after another failed effort Sunday in the No. 14 Chevrolet. In 18 seasons spanning NASCAR and IndyCar, Stewart has been able to cross most everything off his to-do list. He still has one big milestone to chase in winning the Daytona 500.

Stewart was forced to pit road around the halfway point with an engine prob-

lem, then later went to the garage with fuel cell issues.

He sat in the car while his crew worked on the 14 and eventually returned to the race a whopping 27 laps down.

The three-time Cup champion drove in his first Sprint Cup points race for the first time since he broke two bones in his leg in an August sprintcar crash He started the Daytona 500 in the back because of an unapproved engine change. He was running about 25th when he started reporting engine issues.

“It acts like it’s just out of

fuel, and every lap it gets worse and worse and worse,” Stewart said. “It’s taking longer to recover, too.”

Stewart thought the problem was resolved. Instead, he drove the 14 straight to the garage about 35 laps later.

He was collected in an early crash last season and finished 41st.

But he’s lost some close calls, too. He was passed by Ryan Newman on the last lap in 2008, didn’t get the push he needed on the final restart when Trevor Bayne won in 2011 and played second-fiddle to Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2004.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Richard Childress Racing garnered attention last week. Joe Gibbs Racing grabbed headlines this week. Hendrick Motorsports left Daytona International Speedway with the only prize that really mattered.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. celebrated his victory by giving team owner Rick Hendrick a ride to Victory Lane and then climbed out of his car and hugged every crewmember. Teammates Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon stopped by to join in the festivities.

Gordon finished fourth, one spot ahead of six-time and defending Sprint Cup Series champion Johnson.

SHR STRUGGLES Daytona was a tough day, and deep into the night, all around for Stewart-Haas Racing.

Danica Patrick, who led Daytona 500 laps for the second straight year, slammed nose first into the concrete in a 13-car accident late in the race and finished 40th.

DENNY’S DISAPPOINTMENT Hamlin wasn’t sure how to feel after he fell just shy of a Daytona sweep. Hamlin tried to become the first driver to win the exhibition Sprint Unlimited, his 150mile qualifying race and the Daytona 500 in the same Speedweeks. He settled for second in the 500.

That was his best in the 500, topping his fourthplace finish in 2012.

RCR WOES Rookie Austin Dillon started on the pole in the famed No. 3. He got significant attention leading into the season opener, but it faded along with his position on the track.

Dillon dropped as low as 39th before working his way back through the field and finishing ninth. In between, he started two wrecks that knocked out several cars and was involved in another.

OBITUARIES | SPORTS

THE SUMTER ITEM

LOIS PRIOLEAU JAMES

HAROLD G. SMITH

TAKOMA PARK, Md. — Funeral services for Lois Prioleau James, 95, will be conducted Thursday at Metropolitan AME Church, Washington, D.C. Born Jan. 20, 1919, in Sumter County, she was a daughter of the late John C. and Eugenia White Prioleau. She attended Lincoln High School and graduated from the high school class program at Morris College.

She earned a bachelor of arts degree from Claflin University, Orangeburg, in 1939 and later studied at the Howard University Music Conservatory, Washington, D.C. She was a private piano instructor for more than 45 years, having started playing at the age of 4 under the tutelage of her mother. She was a dedicated teacher in the Sumter County public school system, where she taught grade school for more than 20 years. During those years, she also served as the pianist for the choir of Ebenezer High School.

After her retirement from the Sumter County public school system, she worked at St. Anne Catholic School and Epworth Children’s Home, Columbia. She attended and served at Emmanuel Methodist Church in Sumter for many years.

Survivors include her daughter, Carmen (Isiah) Dupree of Silver Spring, Md.; two granddaughters, Kea N. (Raphael) Alfred of Washington, D.C., and Lisa R. Dupree of Silver Spring; two great-grandchildren, James and Lillian Alfred; two nieces; and other relatives and friends.

Mrs. James was preceded in death by her sister, Ogareeta P. Henry; and a brother, John C. Prioleau Jr. Online memorials may be sent to the family at Paynefuneralsupt@gmail.com or jobsmortuary@sc.rr.com.

CAMDEN — Harold G. Smith, age 77, beloved husband of the late Dovey Ann Bixler Smith, died on Monday, Feb. 24, 2014, at KershawHealth Medical Center at Camden.

Arrangements are incomplete at this time and will be announced by Bullock Funeral Home of Sumter.

Bullock Funeral Home & Crematorium ESTELLE STEPHENS Estelle Maggie Dickerson Stephens, 75, departed this life on Monday, Feb. 24, 2014, at Doctors Hospital of Augusta, Augusta, Ga. Born Feb. 12, 1939, in Clarendon County, she was a daughter of the late Nathaniel and Louise Gooden Dickerson.

The family will be receiving friends at the home, 25 Walker Ave., Sumter.

Funeral plans are incomplete and will be announced later by Job’s Mortuary Inc., 312 S. Main St., Sumter.

Hill and Edward Charles “Tripp� (Teresa) Bodenheimer of Germany; a daughter, Kelli Bullock Oxendine of Sumter; a brother, Roger Simmons of Wilmington, N.C.; a sister, Judy Stridor of Asheboro; and four grandchildren, Jonathan Oxendine, Jessie Oxendine, Felecity Bodenheimer and Becton Bodenheimer.

Memorial services will be held at 6 p.m. Friday at Westminster Presbyterian Church with the Rev. Stuart Mizelle and the Rev. Gordon Reed officiating.

The family will receive friends in the church Fellowship Hall following the memorial service.

Memorials may be made to Westminster Presbyterian Church Building Fund/Library Fund, 230 Alice Drive, Sumter, SC 29150.

Online condolences may be sent to www.sumterfunerals.com.

Elmore Hill McCreight Funeral Home & Crematory, 221 Broad St., Sumter, is in charge of the arrangements, (803) 775-9386.

ALAN N. SIMMONS Alan Neal Simmons, 58, husband of Susan Rowell Simmons, died Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2014, at Tuomey Regional Medical Center.

Born in Asheboro, N.C., he was a son of the late George and Faye Brown Simmons.

Mr. Simmons was a member of Westminster Presbyterian Church, where he served as a deacon. He retired from Sumter School District 17 as an administrator with 32 years of service. He taught social studies at Bates Middle School, where he was also assistant principal. He was a member of the S.C. Association of School Administrators.

Surviving are his wife of Sumter; two sons, Zachary (Megan) Simmons of Rock

WILLIAM WITHERSPOON Jr. William James “Pop�

Witherspoon Jr., 46, husband of Laura Ann Evans Witherspoon, died Monday, Feb. 24, 2014, at Lake City Memorial Hospital, Lake City.

He was born March 13, 1967, in Norwalk, Conn., a son of the late William James Sr. and Eunice Blackwell Witherspoon.

The family is receiving friends at the home of his parents-in-law, Clinton and Lois Evans, 3757 American Ave., Turbeville.

These services have been

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2014 entrusted to Samuels Funeral Home LLC of Manning.

EMMA JANE G. McFADDEN Emma Jane Garland McFadden was born July 27, 1913, in Turbeville, to the late Fred Sr. and Martha Jane Garland. She departed this life on Sunday, Feb. 23, 2014, at Family Residential Care Home, Sumter.

She was the third child out of seven siblings. She attended public school in Clarendon County. She was married to Pinkney McFadden, and to this union they were blessed with two children. She accepted Christ and joined Union Hill Baptist Church in Turbeville. Emma worked for many years as a practical nurse, taking care of babies, which was her love. She was very caring of her children, grandchildren and greatgrandchildren.

Emma leaves to cherish her memories: one son, Valdalster McFadden of Sumter; one daughter, Pinky (Dewitt Sr.) Walker of Sumter; a host of grandchildren, great-grandchildren and one great-greatgrandchild; and a host of other relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents and siblings, Paul, Fred Jr., Clarence Henry, Westly and Garland; and one sister, Robirtha Fleming.

Public viewing will be held from 2 to 7 p.m. today at Job’s Mortuary.

The body will be placed in the chapel at noon Thursday for viewing until the hour of service.

Funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday in the parlor of Job’s Mortuary Inc., 312 S. Main St., Sumter, with the Rev. Dr. Marion H. Newton presiding and the Rev. Willie Wright, eulogist. Interment will follow in Union Hill Baptist Church cemetery, Turbeville.

The family is receiving friends at 60 West Patricia Drive, Sumter.

Job’s Mortuary Inc., 312 S.

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Main St., Sumter, is in charge of arrangements.

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

JAMES R. DANNELLY COPE — James Roger Dannelly, 81, husband of Mary Cross Dannelly, died Feb. 24, 2014, at his home.

The casket will be placed in the church one hour before the service on Thursday.

Funeral services will be held at 5 p.m. Thursday at Two Mile Swamp Baptist Church, Cope community, with the Rev. James Williams and the Rev. Chuck Wells officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery.

Survivors include his wife, Mary E. Cross Dannelly of the home; one daughter, Carol (Keith) Ayers of Bolentown; two sons, Timmy (Sandra) Dannelly of Sumter and Tony (Rhonda) Dannelly of Cope; and five grandchildren, Lauren (Jeff) Edgemon, Tristan (Freddie) Rice, Evan Williams, Ashley Dannelly and Katelyn Ayers.

Friends may call at the residence or at Thompson Funeral Home Inc. in Orangeburg.

Visitation will be held 6-8 p.m. today at Thompson Funeral Home Inc. in Orangeburg.

The family would like to express their appreciation to the staff of Home Care of the Regional Medical Center and Regency Hospice, with special thanks to B.J. Hiott and Carolyn Walling.

Memorials may be made to any of the following: Alzheimer’s Association, Palmetto Chapter, 4124 Clemson Blvd., Suite L, Anderson, SC 29261; Two Mile Swamp Baptist Church, 1066 Bonnette Road, Cope, SC 29038; or to Bolentown Volunteer Fire Department, 2310 Norway Road, Orangeburg, SC 29115.

Please sign the family’s online guestbook at www.thompsonfh.net.

PRO FOOTBALL

Niners’ Lattimore healthy, eager to run

BY PETE IACOBELLI The Associated Press COLUMBIA — Marcus Lattimore feels close to 100 percent and is counting down the days until he can run free and easy for the San Francisco 49ers.

The former South Carolina tailback is back in his home state speaking to church groups and running youth clinics and camps. And through it all, he’s got April 21st circled in red — that’s when the 49ers open workouts and Lattimore has the green light to run as he did in 2012 before the second of two devastating knee injuries during college. “The left knee, it feels like nothing ever happened,’’ Lattimore told The Associated Press by phone. “The right knee, it feels great. Both feel balanced.

I’ve got my speed and I rarely get any soreness’’ after workouts.

For Lattimore, that’s major progress after facing questions following his injuries while at South Carolina. He was one of the Southeastern Conference’s rushing leaders in 2011 when he tore ligaments in his right knee in a game at Mississippi State and missed the Gamecocks’ final six games.

After surgery and a furious rehab regimen and saw him return to the practice field a month ahead of schedule, Lattimore was ready for his junior season. That ended in October against Tennessee when he got hit on his left knee, again needing surgery to repair ligament damage.

Lattimore again worked to rehab, not only to get back on the field but to prove to NFL teams he was worth drafting. The 49ers agreed and selected Lattimore in the fourth round last spring and LATTIMORE told him not worry about rushing back to play last season.

It wasn’t easy, but Lattimore understood the patient approach would prove fruitful down the road. “I was just so grateful they believed in what I could do,’’ Lattimore said.

Lattimore held a youth football clinic in Charleston this past Saturday and has similar sessions planned for Greenville and Columbia the next few months. Lattimore’s kept a high profile in South Carolina since heading to the West Coast as a spokesman for several organizations, including a

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commercial for the South Carolina Education Lottery about playing responsibly.

These days, he’s promoting South Carolina’s First Choice Fit Adolescent Well Visit campaign, which stresses the importance of proper nutrition, exercise and building a relationship with a primary care physician among adolescent first choice Medicaid plan members statewide.

Lattimore said he learned through his injuries about not cutting corners with your health and believes young people who follow that advice will see the benefits throughout their lives.

Dr. Marion Burton, medical director for the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, says the group couldn’t have a more well-respected representative than Lattimore. Many health professionals and administrators don’t have a way to communicate with adolescents, but “Marcus sure does,’’ Dr. Burton said.

Lattimore said it wasn’t easy watching from the sidelines while his San Francisco teammates were playing. He bonded the strongest, he says, with other injured players in similar rehab

situations. Lattimore says he poured himself into learning coach Jim Harbaugh’s playbook so he’d be as prepared as possible for workouts. “Man, it’s thick,’’ he joked.

He’s spent time with 49ers running back Frank Gore, who returned from college injury to become a five-time Pro Bowl selection in San Francisco.

Lattimore says Gore has provided a strong example of how to handle oneself as a pro.

Lattimore was nervous about moving so far away from home and smalltown life, but his family came out frequently and he learned that San Francisco had its positives, too. “This is a very healthy place,’’ Lattimore says. “People like to eat right and do lots of things to keep fit.’’ Lattimore believes for him that’s going full speed so he can contribute to the 49ers quest of getting back to the Super Bowl, where they lost to the Baltimore Ravens after the 2012 season. He says he tells himself all the time to remain patient when he’s back in action. “I can’t go out there and be Superman the first day,’’ he says. “Once I get back in the groove and take a few hits, I’ll be OK.’’

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CLASSIFIEDS

THE ITEM

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2014

KITCHEN CURTAIN SETS

ASSORTED

Storage Auction Moore's Mini Storage 1117 N. Main St. Sumter Saturday March 1, 2014. 9AM

Bid Notices

Home Improvements H.L. Boone, Contractor additions, painting, roofing, gutters, sheetrock, blown ceilings, decks. 773-9904

BID NOTICE Bethel Baptist Church Is currently accepting bids for Lawn Maintenance. You may stop by the church office at 2401 Bethel Church Road, Sumter, and pick up in application. Deadline for bids is March 5, 2014.

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

803-316-0128

Summons & Notice SUMMONS (Jury Trial Requested) IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS Civil Action #2013-CP-40-06892

Patricia Ford Plaintiff, and

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

State of South Carolina County of Richland

vs.

Jared Harold Schrack Katherine Giddens,

FIRE ANT CONTROL GODBOLD ENTERPRISES Residential, Sporting Complexes, Cemeteries, Horse Pastures, Schools $85 For 1 Acre or less O: 843-407-7608 C: 843-687-4401

Tara

Defendants.

TO THE ABOVE-NAMED DEFENDANT, Tara Katherine Giddens YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED and required to answer the Complaint in this action of which a copy is herewith served upon you and to serve a copy of your Answer to the said Complaint on the subscriber at his office, 1419 Bull Street, Columbia, SC 29201, within thirty (30) days from the date of service hereof, exclusive of the date of such service; and if you fail to answer the Complaint within the time aforesaid, judgment by default will be rendered against you for the relief demanded in the Complaint.

YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that the Summons and Complaint in the above− entitled action was filed in the Richland County Clerk of Court's Office, Columbia, South Carolina on November 13, 2013.

YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that if you fail to answer the Summons and Complaint within the time aforesaid, judgment by default will be rendered against you for the relief demanded in said Complaint.

JEANETTE McBRIDE, RICHLAND COUNTY CLERK OF COURT BARY B. GEORGE PAIGE B. GEORGE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF 1419 Bull Street Columbia, South Carolina 29201 (803) 254-7222

The Tree Doctor Any size tree removal & stump grinding. Trimming & clearing. No job too big or small. Call 775-8560 or 468-1946. We accept credit cards and offer senior discounts A Notch Above Tree Care Full quality service low rates, lic./ins., free est BBB accredited 983-9721

MERCHANDISE Auctions 27th Annual Consignment Auction Sat., March 1, 2014 @ 9AM Clarendon Hall Academy, 1140 S Duke St., Summerton, SC Farm, Construction, Trucks & Miscellaneous For more info visit: Auctionzip.com or or Contact Buddy Lewis 803.983.5040 or Billy Simpson 803.225.0389 J G Blocker Auction Walterboro, SC SCAL 110 843.908.3866

Farm Products

ANNOUNCEMENTS In Memory HAY for your special animal.

Round bales, 50 left. Must sell, make offer. 775-4391, 464-5960

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

Open every weekend.

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Sumter County Flea Mkt Hwy 378 E. 803-495-2281 500 tables. Sat. $8 free return Sun.

In Memory of Mr. Herbert Champagne It's been one year since you've been gone. Not a day hadn't gone by that we don't think about you. Our hearts are still heavy, but we know God don't make no mistakes. We will always love & keep you in our hearts. Wife, Children & Grands

BUSINESS SERVICES Business Services Got dents on your car?? Call Shawn at Humdinger Dent Repair 803-840-2008

For Sale or Trade For Sale: Two mausoleum niches, Evergreen Cemetery, $1,250 each or $2,400 for both. Call 803-983-0418 Martin's Used Appliance Washers, Dryers, Refrig., Stoves.

Special front end load washer $399 Guarantee 464-5439/469-7311

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Downsizing Moving & Estate Sale: DR Set: Solid Mahogany, (table w/12 chairs) (2) china cabinets, (2) Buffet tables, server w/bar asking $7,000. 3 piece Curved sofa w/ 2 Recliner, asking $1,000, (2) end tables & coffee table asking $600.

3 piece Ent. center asking $900 paid $2,600. 3 piece Sectional Sofa sleeper asking $1,000. Honda Motor Scooter asking $450.

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(2) 24" Wall ovens $500/both.

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Seeking motivated, enthusiastic and competent Service Plumber.

Must have at least 5 yrs experience, excellent communication skills and a valid driver license.

Apply today at Hill Plumbing 438 N. Main St. Sumter SC. 803-773-6689

EMPLOYMENT Help Wanted Full-Time Exp. Auto Tech needed IMMEDIATELY. Must have tools, driver's license & work experience.

Apply in person 601 Broad St. Residential Plumber needed.

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Please send resume to dayprogramposition@yahoo.com Finance Trainees No experience needed. Applicants must have a sales personality and enjoy working with our customers auto required. Good starting salary and good benefits. We will train you on the job. Apply in person Lenders Loans, 304 Broad St. Sumter SC

Palmetto Gas Local Driver Needed Must Have: •CDL - Class A or B •Haz-Tank Endorsement •Clean Driving Record •At least 2 years driving experience •Great Benefits EOE Drug Free Workplace Contact - Pat Joyner 803-775-1002 x107 Extremely Busy Veterinary Hospital now hiring F/T & P/T: certified health tech, a full time general office help, vet asst & a cleaning person. Must pass police background check & some college preferred. Have own transportation & good work references within past 2 months. Email resume & references to: contact@advancedvethospital.com. No phones calls PLEASE! Asst. Site Super at Shaw AFB project. Plumbing experience is preferred. Will assist Site Super in daily construction related tasks (material movement, inventory management, subcontractor direction, plumbing troubleshooting, performing quality control audits, etc.), as well as plumbing installations in new residential construction. Need strong communication skills, good customer service skills, ability to multi-task, and ability to prioritize and complete multiple tasks. Must be able to pass criminal background check, Pre-Employment drug screening, and be able to legally work in the U.S. Benefits offered. Apply online at http://kimbelmechanical.com/app lication-new-employment.

Nurse needed for primary medical care office in Sumter. Duties will be physicians support in a community based practice. Send resume Sandhills Medical Foundation, Attn: Personnel PO Box 366 McBee, SC 29101 EXP CONCRETE FINSHER/ Working Foreman, valid Driver license, background/drug test, leadership skills. Submit resumes to Box 349 c//o The Item, PO Box 1677 Sumter SC 29151

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Autos For Sale

Christian School seeking Kindergarten teacher for 2014/15. Must hold SC Teaching Certificate. Call 803-934-8727 for application.

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C WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2014 Call Ivy Moore at: (803) 774-1221 | E-mail: ivym@theitem.com

Music

in the afternoon REARDEN

Woman’s club presents annual concert

BY IVY MOORE ivym@theitem.com

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ontinuing a long tradition of sponsoring performances by accomplished musicians for Sumter audiences, the Woman’s Afternoon Music Club will offer An Afternoon of Sacred Music at 3 p.m. Sunday at First Presbyterian Church.

Club members are all talented musicians themselves, as that is a major criterion for membership in the organization celebrating its 87th anniversary this year. Many of the members will participate in the concert that features both instrumental and vocal performances.

Program chairwoman Linda Coyne said this year’s program will be a very enjoyable and interesting concert, showcasing many of the community’s finest musicians.

President Lauren Decker will open Sunday’s program, welcoming guests and talking about the club and its history.

The invocation will be given by The Rev. Ray Fancher, interim COYNE pastor at First Presbyterian Church.

Performers include organist William Scobee, who will play “Preludio” from Alexandre Guilmant’s Sonata in C Major, Opus MATTHEWS 56, and Annette Matthews, longtime Sumter music teacher and acclaimed pianist, who will play Francis Poulenc’s Improvisation 12, composed as an homage to Franz Schubert.

The congregation will be invited to participate in the singing of the first and last stanzas of the well known hymn, “Holy, Holy, Holy,” while soprano Floride McKoy will sing the second stanza and the chamber ensemble will perform the third.

As is traditional for their sacred music concerts, the Woman’s Afternoon Music Club Vocal Ensemble will perform. The group’s selection for this year is an adaptation of Psalm 27, composed by Frances Allitsen and arranged by William David Young. The most popular work by the 19th-century British composer begins with the familiar KJV words: The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

Coyne, who is also an organist, will play J.S. Bach’s cantata, Wachet auf, ruft die Stimme (Awake, the voice is calling), and Hamilton Stoddard will follow on organ with the contemporary composition “The Peace May Be Exchanged” from Dan Locklair’s “Rubrics, A Liturgical Suite for Organ.”

The congregation will again be

ITEM FILE PHOTOS

Violinist Lauren Decker and organist Hamilton Stoddard will perform at An Afternoon of Sacred Music Sunday at First Presbyterian Church. Stoddard will play the church’s Schantz pipe organ, one of the largest in town, with 51 ranks. Decker is also president of the Woman’s Afternoon Music Club.

An Afternoon of Sacred Music 3 p.m. Sunday, March 2 First Presbyterian Church • North Main at Calhoun Street • Free admission, public invited The Woman’s Afternoon Music Club Vocal Ensemble Lois Haselden, director Teresa Hancock, co-director Anne Bell Carolyn Brandt Cassie Castelberry Sandie Cone

Patti Croft Dee Dailey Anne Galloway Tae Graham Lee Anna Harding Phyllis Haskins Deborah Horton

invited to participate in the singing of two more hymns: “This is My Father’s World (Terra Beata)” and “For the Beauty of the Earth.”

“This is My Father’s World” is a traditional English melody with words by Maltbie D. Babcock, arranged for hand bells by Cathy Moklebust. The First Presbyterian Church Joy Ringers, directed by Joni Brown, will be accompanied

by Hamilton Stoddard on organ and Barbara Rearden on flute.

Following the benediction by Fancher, the congregation is invit-

Janet Kuhlmann Floride McKoy Tabitha Merkel Betsy Ridgeway Landee Roth Betty Shofner Margie Ward

Susan Ward First Presbyterian Church Joy Ringers Joni Brown, director Michael Baier Anne Bell Lee Craig

ed to sing stanzas 1, 3 and 5 of “For the Beauty of the Earth,” set to the 19th-century hymn tune DIX, written by Conrad Kocher. McKoy and the chamber ensemble will perform the second and fourth stanzas respectively. This selection will end the concert.

The Woman’s Afternoon Music Club is a charter member of the Federation of Music Clubs of South Carolina, founded in 1917. In addition to the Afternoon of Sacred Music, the club also sponsors the annual Festival of Choirs, a pro-

Sue Fienning Janet Kuhlmann Landee Roth Ann Beaty Margy Carpenter Dee Dailey Glenn Fisher Dense Lynch

Chamber Ensemble Joni Brown Dee Dailey Tae Graham Landee Roth Linda Coyne Lauren Decker Floride McKoy

gram of Christmas music presented on the first Sunday of Advent each December. That concert, which features choirs from several area churches and other organizations, is generally regarded as the beginning of the sacred Christmas season in Sumter.

The club also awards scholarships each year to music students in local middle or high schools.

The scholarships are given in honor and memory of Clifton Moise, who was a much-loved music teacher in Sumter.

Whatever your taste, this week’s for you

I

and elsewhere. We’ll see strikf you’ve ever had any ing and moving images of nadoubts about the quality of talent in the area, check out tives of Iraq, Afghanistan and other countries, as well as photwo upcoming events that will tographs that offer an insight showcase visual and musical into combat, nation arts — a photography building, interaction exhibition and the conOut & About between Americans cert of sacred music A guide to and the citizens of outlined in the above the countries where story. Admission to both arts & leisure they are deployed. is free, and the public is IVY MOORE The Sumter Counencouraged to attend. ty Cultural CommisFirst up is “Through sion along with the Their Eyes — Team SHAW,” from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday Third Army and the 9th Air Force at Shaw Air Force Base at Patriot Hall. Not only are has mounted a show unlike the photographs outstanding, any others at Gallery135/Patrithey’ll serve to demonstrate ot Hall. Many of the photograwhat our airmen and soldiers phers will be present and acare doing in the Middle East

cessible during the reception, which starts at 6 p.m. There will be live music and streaming videos, also by military photographers and videographers.

Following the reception, a panel of photographers, military, city and county officials will participate in a presentation on the stage of Patriot Hall. There we’ll see projections of some of the works from the exhibition as the photographers place them in context. The exhibition was made possible by SAFE Federal Credit Union. Call (803) 436-2260 for more information.

First Presbyterian Church

invites the public to a concert by the Presbyterian College Choir and Ringers at 7 p.m.

Monday, March 3. They’ll perform a variety of music, from anthems to traditional hymns and other spiritual songs. Admission is free to the concert at the church on the northwest corner of North Main and Calhoun streets.

Also scheduled for 6 to 9 p.m.

Friday is the Young Professionals of Sumter 5th Annual Chili Cookoff and Beer Tasting. Local chili masters will vie for cash prizes for the best chili — both judges’ choice and peoples’ choice — the best decorated booth and other awards. In the

past, there have been vegetarian chilis, chili made from chicken, alligator and other somewhat exotic ingredients. Soft beverages will be available to accompany the chili, and there will be upwards of 25 different microbrews for guests to try.

For the first time, the YPS members will have the event downtown in the block between Liberty Street and Hampton Avenue. DJ Howie will provide music. Tickets are $25 in advance, $35 at the door.

For tickets or more information, call 775-1231, go by the Swan Lake Visitors Center or the Greater Sumter Chamber of Commerce.

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2014

FOOD

THE SUMTER ITEM

FAMILY FEATURES

Honey-Ginger Tenderloin is simple, healthy

BY FAMILY FEATURES As new food and health trends appear across the country, pork makes the list as not only a delicious menu choice, but one that is both lean and versatile. Here are some simple tips to be mindful of when planning your next menu: • Choose the right cut. Several versatile pork cuts are, on average, 16 percent leaner than 20 years ago — like pork tenderloin, which meets the USDA guidelines for extra lean and meets the American Heart Association’s requirement for its heart check mark. Other lean cuts include the New York pork chop, 96 percent lean ground pork, New York

pork roast, Porterhouse pork chop and Ribeye pork chop.

• Add flavor, not fat. You can always use spice rubs or fat-free marinades (like fatfree dressing or juice) to add additional flavor without adding extra fat.

• Use low-fat cooking methods. Grilling and roasting are two easy cooking methods that usually require minimum preparation and yield maximum flavor.

Low fat, high flavor Perfect for a great-tasting, low-fat weeknight meal or dinner party alike, HoneyGinger Pork Tenderloin with Carrots and Apples combines sweet and tangy flavors with nutritious, tender

carrots and apples. For a well-rounded meal, serve with a side such as spinach salad, roasted potatoes or wild rice.

No matter what pork recipe is on the menu, remember that for a flavorful, tender and juicy eating experience, cook loin roasts, chops and tenderloins to an internal temperature between 145 degrees (medium rare), followed by a three-minute rest and 160 degrees (medium), using a digital thermometer to ensure accuracy.

To find out about all the leanest pork cuts and to try even more great-tasting recipes with pork, visit porkbeinspired.com or pinterest.com/ porkbeinspired.

HONEY-GINGER PORK TENDERLOIN WITH CARROTS AND APPLES Yield: 6 servings 2 (1-pound) pork tenderloins Salt and pepper 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/2 cup apple juice 3 tablespoons honey 2 teaspoons fresh ginger root, grated 3 carrots, cut into 1/4-inch slices 1 large or 2 small apples, cored and cut into 1/4-inch slices Season pork with salt and pepper. Warm oil in large skillet with lid over medium-high heat; add tenderloins and cook until browned on all sides, 8-10 minutes. Remove pork to plate and set aside.

Return skillet to medium heat and add apple juice, honey and

ginger, scraping up any browned bits on bottom of skillet. Stir in carrots. Return pork to skillet, nestling it into carrots. Reduce to simmer, cover and cook 5 minutes.

Add apples, cover, and continue to cook until internal temperature of pork reaches between 145°F (medium rare) and 160°F (medium) and carrots and apples are tender, about 5 minutes. Remove pork from skillet and let rest 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, season carrot-apple mixture with salt to taste. Slice pork and serve with carrots, apples and pan sauce.

Nutrition information per serving: 260 calories; 6 g fat; 32 g protein.

Source: National Pork Board

Love your heart with lean meat; why not pork?

BY FAMILY FEATURES According to Chef Judson Allen, a “Next Food Network Star” finalist and chef who has maintained a 150-pound weight loss, Americans can take care of their hearts without sacrificing their favorite foods.

For Chef Allen, those favorite foods include fried pork, greens and corn bread - a meal he remembers enjoying with his family on Sunday nights. “Just like so many people across the country, there are certain meals that I just don’t want to give up,” said Allen. “When I decided to create a healthier version of that dish, I used pork tenderloin, which is certified as heart-healthy by the American Heart Association, and so

flavorful and versatile enough to include in any generational recipe.”

For a complete meal that everyone will love, serve Chef Allen’s BBQ Roasted Pork Tenderloin Stuffed with Braised Collard Greens & Caramelized Onions with corn bread and a salad on the side. And remember, for a tender eating experience, cook pork loin roasts, chops and tenderloins to an internal temperature between 145°F (medium rare), followed by a three-minute rest and 160°F (medium), using a digital thermometer to ensure an accurate reading.

Learn about all the leanest cuts of pork and try even more great-tasting pork tenderloin recipes at porkbeinspired.com.

BBQ ROASTED PORK TENDERLOIN STUFFED WITH BRAISED COLLARD GREENS & CARAMELIZED ONIONS 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 cup onion, chopped 1/4 cup red bell pepper, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/8 teaspoon sea salt to taste 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock 1/2 cup stout beer or 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar 1 tablespoon honey 1 pound collard greens, washed and cut 1 tablespoon no-fat cream cheese 1 teaspoon hot sauce 1 pound pork tenderloin 1 1/2 cups any jarred BBQ sauce Tooth picks

In heavy pot, add oil and onions and cook over medium heat until caramelized. Add red peppers, garlic, sea salt and black pepper. Cook for about 2 minutes.

Add chicken stock, beer, vinegar and honey and bring liquid to a boil. Add greens to liquid.

Cook for about 45 minutes to an hour or until tender. Remove pot from heat and drain remaining liquid. Add cream cheese and hot sauce and stir.

While greens cook, prepare pork tenderloin. Butterfly your pork tenderloin by cutting a slit down middle. Do not cut through pork. Cover pork with plastic wrap; pound with flat side of meat mallet until about 1/2-inch thick, starting from middle and working outward. Discard plastic wrap.

Spread collard green mixture over tenderloin and tightly roll. Secure seams with toothpicks.

Place pork in baking dish and brush liberally with BBQ sauce. Bake in 350°F preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until internal temperature of pork has reached 145°F. Let pork rest for 5 minutes and then slice and serve.

Nutritional information per serving: 290 calories; 6 g fat; 1 g saturated fat; 26 g protein; 330 mg sodium; 65 mg cholesterol; 34 g carbohydrates; 4 g fiber.

Source: National Pork Board

FOOD

THE SUMTER ITEM

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2014

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Garlic sauce pasta intense, yet effortless

BY J.M. HIRSCH AP Food Editor The goal was simple — the most intense garlic pasta I could muster.

But there was a caveat.

There is no joy in a dish that reeks of too much garlic, or that is so potent it is inedible. I wanted a garlic pasta that was deeply savory and delicious, that dripped with garlic flavor in every bite, but pleasantly so and without leaving you feeling overwhelmed.

The solution? A simple sauce made from garlic that is Fettuccine with Garlic-Parmesan Puree can be made completely vegetarian. poached and pureed. The poaching mellows the garlic’s intensity, but not its flavor.

Combine the puree with grated Parmesan cheese and a splash of the pasta cooking water and you have a pasta dish that is over-the-top delicious and outrageously garlicky.

This recipe calls for 2 cups of garlic cloves. And yet it calls for very little else. You will be amazed at the depth of flavor you get from so few ingrediŠ 2014 by Vicki Whiting, Editor Jeff Schinkel, Graphics ents. And while I’m not normally a fan of buying prepeeled garlic, I make an exception for this recipe. It would be a pain to peel that many cloves.

The tiny, green hanging parrots of Southeast Asia roost upside down at night like bats.

Skill: Observe similarities and differences in objects.

The a-MAZE-ing Hyacinth Macaw To find out how many inches long the Hyacinth Macaw can grow to be from head to tail, add up the numbers along the correct path.

Skills: Math. Find the sum of whole numbers.

The largest parrot is the blue Hyacinth Macaw. It lives in the tropical forests of South America.

Scientists believe that there are now less than 5,000 of these beautiful birds left in the wild.

or hundreds of years, parrots large and small have been kept as pets. Perhaps they were first captured for food or for their colorful feathers, but when it was discovered they could “talk,� they became pets rather than dinner.

There are more than 350 kinds of parrots. Some are only 3 inches long, while others

In ancient Rome, parrots were kept in silver cages and taught to say the above phrase.

Unscramble the letters to find out the phrase.

Skills: Life Science: Recognize that different animals have different features that help them thrive in different places.

Standards Link: Letter sequencing. Recognized identical words. Skim and scan reading. Recall spelling patterns.

Word Mimics

Some words mean the same or almost the same thing, such as mimic and copy. Look through the newspaper for words that mean the same or almost the same thing.

Standards Link: Reading: Vocabulary Development, recognize common synonyms.

Look through the newspaper for:

Why do parrots copy people?

Parrots are highly intelligent birds, and they like to play with people. Some parrots learn they can get attention when they copy, or mimic, human speech. Find at least 10 differences in the two pictures above.

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3 words that describe parrots numbers that add up to the number of inches a Hyacinth Macaw can grow to be the letters that spell what parrots were taught to say in ancient Rome

Call 803-773-8022 anytime

BY FAMILY FEATURES Yield: 12-18 bars Prep time: 20 minutes 3/4 cup Smucker’sŽ Natural Creamy Peanut Butter, stirred 1/4 cup honey 6 tablespoons water 1 cup chocolate whey protein powdered drink mix 2 cups granola cereal with raisins 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips Line 8-by-8-inch pan with foil, extending foil up sides of pan.

Place peanut butter and honey in microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high 30 seconds. Stir. Microwave an additional 30 seconds.

Stir until mixture is smooth.

Whisk water and powdered drink mix until blended. Add to peanut butter mixture. Stir until smooth.

Stir in granola and chocolate chips until evenly moistened. Press evenly in prepared pan. Chill 1 hour. Cut into bars.

To press in pan, coat piece of wax paper with no-stick cooking spray. Place coated side down on bar mixture. Flatten with hands.

Remove paper carefully.

Source: Smucker’s

Find the words in the puzzle. Then look for each word in this week’s Kid Scoop stories and activities.

grow to be more than 3 feet long.

All parrots have short legs with two toes that point forward and two toes that point backward. This arrangement of toes makes it possible for parrots to grasp the fruits and nuts they like to eat. It also helps them to climb and even hang upside down.

Skill: Observe similarities and differences in objects.

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Trail Bars

Standards Link: Reading comprehension.

ANSWER: Hail Emperor!

Nutrition information per serving: 420 calories; 90 calories from fat (21 percent of total calories); 10 g fat (6 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 25 mg cholesterol; 59 g carbohydrate; 3 g fiber; 3 g sugar; 24 g protein; 850 mg sodium.

Vol. 31, No. 11

Find the Matching Parrots

FETTUCCINE WITH GARLICPARMESAN PUREE Want to make this recipe vegetarian? Swap vegetable broth for the chicken broth.

Start to finish: 25 minutes Servings: 6 2 cups garlic cloves, peeled 2 cups chicken broth 12 ounces fettuccine pasta 2 cups grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra to serve Salt and ground black pepper In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the garlic and broth. Bring to a boil and cook for 12 minutes, or until the broth is reduced by half and the garlic is very tender. Transfer the garlic and broth to a blender and puree until smooth.

Set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. Reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta and transfer to a large bowl.

Pour the garlic puree over the pasta. Using tongs, toss the pasta with the sauce, sprinkling in the cheese as you do it. When the cheese is nearly melted, drizzle in enough of the reserved pasta cooking water to form a smooth sauce.

Season with salt and pepper, then serve topped with additional Parmesan.

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COMICS

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2014

BIZARRO

SOUP TO NUTZ

ANDY CAPP

GARFIELD

BEETLE BAILEY

BORN LOSER

BLONDIE

ZITS

MOTHER GOOSE

DOG EAT DOUG

DILBERT

JEFF MACNELLY’S SHOE

Woman worries friend may harbor dark side DEAR ABBY — I’m incredibly fond of my friend “Russell.” He is always supportive, considerate and kind to me.

Dear Abby However, I know that he ABIGAIL is into S&M VAN BUREN and this worries me, as I can’t reconcile the two different people — a gentle person with someone wanting to dominate and possibly hurt a woman in bed.

Should I be worried that Russell is hiding a dark side that will eventually come out?

Worried friend in Australia DEAR WORRIED — You and Russell must be very close friends if he is describing his sexual

THE SUMTER ITEM

practices with you. My experts tell me that acting out on aggressive fantasies does not necessarily mean a person IS aggressive.

As long as your relationship remains platonic, what he does in the bedroom shouldn’t affect it. But if you’re considering taking your friendship with Russell to another level, it’s important that you talk further. If this isn’t something you’re interested in exploring — and it isn’t for everyone — then draw the line or move on.

DEAR ABBY — I’m a 14-year-old girl, and my mother just got home from rehab. I have been living with my grandmother for a year and a half.

I want to tell my mother my feelings, but I don’t want to hurt her. I love her, but I’m still not over what she has done. She is barely home. She

THE DAILY CROSSWORD PUZZLE

has meetings, and she likes to stay with her boyfriend. I think it’s too soon. She came home only a week ago. What do I do, Abby?

Confused teen DEAR CONFUSED — You have my sympathy. I hope your mother’s rehabilitation will be successful. It’s good that she is going to meetings, and I agree with you that it’s too soon for her to be staying with her boyfriend.

However, she’s unlikely to accept hearing it from you or me, which is why you should talk to your grandmother about your feelings. Your mother might accept it if she hears from your grandmother that should there be any “bumps” in her relationship with this man -- and there usually are a few -- that they could jeopardize her sobriety.

JUMBLE

SUDOKU

THAT SCRAMBLED WORD GAME

By David L. Hoyt and Jeff Knurek

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

ACROSS 1 McCarthy’s dummy friend 6 Baltic, e.g.

9 Cougar 13 Canadian dollar coin nickname 14 “I threw away my golf shoes when I got a hole in one” e.g.

15 Computer operating system 16 “Blackadder” network 17 Hosp. heart exam 18 Medicinal dose 19 Cutie pie 20 Impressionist whom Mel Blanc labeled “The Man of a Thousand Voices” 23 Baltic feeder 25 “... a __ / By any other name ...”

26 Head honcho 30 Tolkien’s talking trees 33 Equal: Pref.

34 “The Mod Squad” cop 35 Show shame, perhaps 37 Smudge 39 ‘60s jacket style 41 UFO-tracking org.

42 Unsavory sort

44 Respectful address 46 From, in some European names 47 Star witnesses?

48 Driving with abandon 50 Hispaniola, por ejemplo 52 Poet __ St. Vincent Millay 53 Borzois, e.g.

57 Gratify 61 Put out 62 Low numero 63 Prominent Ore. peak 65 Wither in the sun 66 Porter’s “__ De-Lovely” 67 B beater 68 Raised 69 Look at 70 Super Bowl XLVII player DOWN 1 Area below Greenwich Village 2 Sleigh ride song 3 As a whole 4 Kid 5 Making pronouncements 6 A writer may work on it 7 Trick-taking card game 8 Prefix meaning “English” 9 Portable shelters 10 Curriculum part

11 Grain grinder 12 Rod in a hot rod 13 Letters on some Brit. letterheads 21 Dancer Castle 22 Oracle’s opening 24 UPS competitor 26 Lettuce variety 27 Imam’s faith 28 Fondue choice 29 Knucklehead 31 “Three Coins ...” fountain 32 Resolute about 35 Reserve soldier 36 Minor dent 38 Put a bad present to good use 40 Like daisies 43 Lillian of the silver screen

45 Musical key abbr.

48 Smart-looking 49 Enter quickly 51 Character in “Donald’s Nephews” (1938 cartoon) 53 5’7” Spud who won the 1986 NBA Slam Dunk contest 54 “Rub‡iy‡t” poet 55 Enjoy 56 Bouquet 58 Top-of-theline 59 Visit with a guide 60 Money mgrs.?

64 Texter’s “I didn’t need to know that!”

TELEVISION

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7 PM

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Cold War spy thriller ‘Americans’ returns

BY KEVIN MCDONOUGH “The Americans� (10 p.m., FX, TV-MA) returns for a second season of international intrigue and domestic (as in family) dynamics. This series was the critical darling of 2013, and deservedly so.

Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys star as Elizabeth and Philip Jennings, Russian KGB agents under deep cover as suburban Maryland parents and travel agents during the Cold War flare-up of the Reagan era. “The Americans� delights viewers with period details like a harvest-gold Plymouth, “WKRP in Cincinnati� and watching “The French Lieutenant’s Woman� on a toploading VCR, but the show never strays too far from its central theme of deception, fidelity and betrayal.

Philip often intimates that he knows he’s on the losing side, and Elizabeth suffered an abusive past in the Soviet Union. But both stick to the program, even as their role as parents to two children — completely unaware of their charade — becomes the harder performance to pull off.

It’s a pleasure to watch a show smart enough to explore historical echoes and cultural resonance. In one scene, a KGB double agent recoils at Meryl Streep’s forced accent.

Another scene recalls the movie “Charlie Wilson’s War,� as Philip, in cowboy disguise, meets with two Afghan agents and promises them arms and support.

But we’re also reminded that history is more than movies, and that some of the same Afghans who bedeviled the Soviet bear in the 1980s would change their tune as new allies and occupiers arrived. • I get paid to watch shows as horrible as “Mixologyâ€? (9:30 p.m., ABC, TV-14) so you don’t have to.

For starters, it’s the millionth show to feature single 30-somethings sitting around a table talking about sex. The weepy, recently dumped Tom (Blake Lee) needs to wade back in the dating pool, and his posse of players, including Cal (Craig Frank) and Bruce (Andrew Santino), is all too eager to help.

If there is anything phonier than male characters behaving like characters on “Sex

rock biopic “The Doors� (10:30 p.m., VH1 Classic).

SERIES NOTES Tessa tunes up on “Suburgatory� (8:30 p.m., ABC, TVPG) * Stephen tries to broker a deal on “The Tomorrow People� (9 p.m., CW, TV-14) * Missing persons on “Criminal Minds� (10 p.m., CBS, TV-14).

LATE NIGHT

FX NETWORKS

Matthew Rhys stars as undercover Russian KGB agent Philip Jennings in the FX drama “The Americans.� and the City,� it’s male characters talking about “Sex and the City.� But that’s how “Mixology� begins. And it goes downhill from there, with much forced banter about pornography and masturbation.

Does anybody at ABC really think their audience wants to endure this “comedy� between “Modern Family� and “Nashville�?

ABC touts this show as coming from the writers of “The Hangover.� The expiration date on that screen credit was some time ago. The first “Hangover� was hugely popular, if spectacularly overrated.

The second was a disappointment and the third generated a great deal of indifference and loathing. “Mixologyâ€? continues on that trajectory. • Fans of crude humor can also catch “Legitâ€? (10 p.m., FXX, TV-MA). • “Psychâ€? (9 p.m., USA, TVPG) returns on a psychedelic note. This will be the final season of the silly and beloved comedy.

TONIGHT’S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS • “Survivorâ€? (8 p.m., CBS, TVPG) returns. • Tough calls for Monroe and Connor on “Revolutionâ€? (8 p.m., NBC, TV-14). • Mike shuns the spotlight on “The Middleâ€? (8 p.m., ABC, TV-PG). • The finalist round begins on “American Idolâ€? (8 p.m., Fox, TV-PG). • Oliver invites Sara into his fold on “Arrowâ€? (8 p.m., CW, TV-14). • A crude comic is accused of rape on “Law & Order: Spe-

cial Victims Unitâ€? (9 p.m., NBC, TV-14). The story continues on a crossover episode with “Chicago P.D.â€? (10 p.m., NBC, TV-14). • Luke wrestles on “Modern Familyâ€? (9 p.m., ABC, TV-PG). • Juliette may seek fame outside of the Music City on “Nashvilleâ€? (10 p.m., ABC, TVPG). • “House of Horrors: Kidnappedâ€? (10 p.m. and 10:30 p.m., ID, TV-14) recalls true stories of incarceration. • “Ali G: Rezurectionâ€? (10:30 p.m., FXX, TV-MA) lampoons the Cannes scene.

CULT CHOICE A hilariously miscast Meg Ryan plays the Lizard King’s long-suffering wife in the Oliver Stone’s preposterous 1991

Liam Neeson is scheduled on “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart� (11 p.m., Comedy Central) * Sarah Michelle Gellar and Nick Kroll appear on “Conan� (11 p.m., TBS) * Dov Davidoff, Whitney Cummings and Tone Bell are booked on “Chelsea Lately� (11 p.m., E!) * Meryl Davis and Charlie White sit down on “The Colbert Report� (11:30 p.m., Comedy Central) * Jimmy Fallon welcomes Drew Barrymore, Adam Sandler and Dierks Bentley on “The Tonight Show� (11:35 p.m., NBC) * Ellen DeGeneres, Tom Ford and Sky Ferreira appear on “Jimmy Kimmel Live� (11:35 p.m., ABC) * Kelly Ripa and Brad Paisley visit “Late Night With Seth Meyers� (12:35 a.m., NBC) * Craig Ferguson hosts Bojana Novakovic and Roddy Hart & The Lonesome Fire on “The Late Late Show� (12:35 a.m., CBS).

Copyright 2014, United Feature Syndicate

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FYI The Sumter Chapter of the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP) meets at 5:30 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month in the Bultman Conference Room at USC Sumter. Administrative professionals, assistants and secretaries are encouraged to attend. Call Mary Sutton at (803) 9383760.

Having cancer is hard. Finding help shouldn’t be. Free help for cancer patients from the American Cancer Society. Transportation to treatment, help for appearance related side effects of treatment, nutrition help, one-on-one breast cancer support, free housing away from home during treatment, help finding clinical trials, someone to talk to — all free from your American Cancer Society. Call (800) 227-2345.

The South Carolina Association of Community Action Partnerships Inc., a non-profit organization, announces the S.C. Weatherization Assistance Program. This program helps provide weatherization assistance to lowincome South Carolinians.

Services include, but are not limited to, insulating attics, walls, floors, water heaters and exposed pipes; stripping and caulking around doors and windows; and replacing broken glass panes. Call the Weatherization office of Wateree Community Action Agency Inc. at (803) 7739716 or the state information line at (888) 771-9404.

Navy and Marine Corps shipmates who served on the USS Columbus CA-74/CG-12 from 1944 through 1976 and the USS Columbus (SSN-762) past and present, to share memories and camaraderie with old friends and make new ones, contact Allen R. Hope, president, 3828 Hobson Road, Fort Wayne, IN 46815-4505; (260) 486-2221 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; fax (260) 492-9771; or email at hope4391@verizon.net.

Agape Hospice is in need of volunteers. Whether your passion is baking, knitting, reading, singing, etc., Agape Hospice can find a place for you. Contact Thandi Blanding at (803) 774-1075, (803) 260-3876 or tblanding@agapsenior. com.

Hospice Care of South Carolina is in need of volunteers in Sumter County. Do you have one extra hour a week? Opportunities are available for patient/family companionship, administrative support, meal preparation, light household projects, student education and various other tasks.

Contact Whitney Rogers, regional volunteer coordinator, at (843) 409-7991 or whitney.rogers@hospicecare.net.

Amedisys Hospice is in need of volunteers. Volunteer opportunities include 1) special projects of baking, sewing, knitting, crafts, carpentry and yard work; 2) administrative/office duties of copying, light filing and answering phones; and 3) patient companionship — develop one-on-one relationships with hospice patients (training provided). Contact Rhoda Keefe, volunteer coordinator, at (803) 469-3047 or rhonda. keefe@amedisys.com.

Hospice Care of Tri-County is in need of volunteers. Volunteers offer support, companionship and care to the caregiver by running errands, reading to patients, listening and just being there for patients who need companionship. All you need is a willing heart and some time to give to others. No medical background is required. Hospice Care of Tri-County will provide you with the tools you need to become a hospice volunteer. Call Carol Tindal at (803) 905-7720.

FUND 2013-14 DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF GLEN SHARP

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2014

THE SUMTER ITEM

Call Rhonda Barrick at: (803) 774-1264 | E-mail: rhondab@theitem.com

Making Mardi Gras taste a little more like home

BY ALISON LADMAN Associated Press Writer

T

he sad fact of the matter is, most of us won’t make it to New Orleans to celebrate Mardi Gras. But that’s no reason to forsake some of the city’s classic cuisine.

This year, honor Mardi Gras by making jambalaya at home. It’s the perfect dish for out-of-towners; it’s easy, it’s weeknight- and kid-friendly, and it’s extremely versatile. Because while there are several basic approaches to jambalaya — Creole and Cajun

among them — there really are endless variations on this dish of rice, meat and seafood.

So we decided to put a local spin on jambalaya, with variations playing up ingredients drawn from New England, the Southwest and the West Coast. Just follow the base recipe, adding in the local ingredients of your choice (see the variations below the recipe). And don’t hesitate to mix and match. The beauty of a dish like this is that it will be delicious pretty much whichever direction you head.

JAMBALAYA ACROSS THE COUNTRY This is a have-it-your-way approach to jambalaya. Follow the base recipe below, adding the local variations where indicated. Our suggestions for those variations are listed below the base recipe, but feel free to substitute the ingredients of your choice.

Start to finish: 1 hour Servings: 12 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 large yellow onions, diced 1 large green bell pepper, diced 2 stalks celery, diced 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1 pound sausage (see below) 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces

2 cups crushed fire-roasted tomatoes Regional variation of vegetable and seasonings (see below) 2 cups long-grain white rice, such as basmati 2 quarts low-sodium chicken broth 3 bay leaves 1 pound seafood (see below) Salt and ground black pepper

In a large Dutch oven, preferably cast-iron, over medium-high, heat the vegetable oil. Add the onions, green pepper, celery, red pepper flakes and sausage (see below). Cook, stirring, until browned, about 10 minutes.

Add the chicken, tomatoes, vegetable and seasonings (see below), rice, chicken broth and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, or until the rice is tender, stirring occasionally. Add the seafood and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes, or until the seafood is cooked through. Season with salt and pepper. Remove and discard the bay leaves before serving.

NEW ENGLAND VARIATION: Use bulk breakfast-style sausage. For the vegetables and seasonings use 2 tablespoons minced fresh sage, 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced, and 1/2 bunch of Swiss chard, chopped. For the seafood, use lobster meat if available, otherwise use peeled and deveined raw shrimp.

Nutrition information per serving: 360 calories; 100 calories from fat (28 percent of total calories); 11 g fat (2.5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 85 mg cholesterol; 36 g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber; 2 g sugar; 26 g protein; 500 mg sodium.

SOUTHWEST VARIATION: Use a diced spicy sausage, such as chorizo. For the vegetables and seasonings use 1 tablespoon chili powder, 2 teaspoons cumin, 1 cup frozen or canned corn kernels, 1 minced chipotle pepper plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce from a can of chipotles in adobo, and a 3.8-ounce can sliced black olives. Omit the seafood and instead use a 15ounce can of drained and rinsed black beans. Finish with 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro.

Nutrition information per serving: 450 calories; 180 calories from fat (40 percent of total calories); 20 g fat (6 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 65 mg cholesterol; 42 g carbohydrate; 5 g fiber; 2 g sugar; 24 g protein; 810 mg sodium.

WEST COAST VARIATION: Use 12 ounces of an herbed chicken or turkey sausage, along with 4 ounces chopped prosciutto.

In place of the crushed tomatoes, use a 6.35ounce container of prepared pesto and a 14ounce can of artichoke hearts (drained), the zest and juice of 1 orange and 1 lemon, and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon. Use lump crabmeat for the seafood. Serve topped with sliced avocado.

Nutrition information per serving: 450 calories; 170 calories from fat (38 percent of total calories); 18 g fat (4 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 105 mg cholesterol; 39 g carbohydrate; 4 g fiber; 3 g sugar; 31 g protein; 1,050 mg sodium.

Duck and andouille sausage make rich dish

BY SARA MOULTON Associated Press Writer

W

ith Mardi Gras looming, I thought it might be fun to cook up some New Orleans-styled goodies featuring duck, andouille sausage and Creole seasoning. These rich ingredients are typical of the fare from this town that knows how to party — an instinct that goes into overdrive during Mardi Gras.

And in this recipe, I’ve figured out a couple ways for us to have our cake and eat it, too. It delivers big flavor without the usual complement of fat and calories.

We start with the star of this show, the breast of duck, a well-known fount of flavor that — depending on how you cook it — doesn’t have to be terribly heavy. I do recommend that you saute the breast with the skin on; that’s how to maximize its deliciousness and moistness.

But you can remove and discard the skin — along with most of the serious fat and calories — afterward.

In happy fact, duck meat without the skin is leaner than white meat chicken. And duck fat is not bad fat.

Yes, some of it is saturated, but a large percentage of it is mono- and poly-unsaturated, with the same properties, incredibly enough, as olive oil.

The duck and its sauce are brightened with homemade Creole seasoning, which has at least as much flavor, and significantly less salt, than many storebought versions. My version is modeled on the spice mixes of two of New Orleans’s greatest chefs — Paul Prudhomme and Emeril Lagasse.

A great all-purpose mix, my blend works equally well with chicken, shrimp, beef, pork, eggs and vegetables. In fact, you might want to double the recipe and keep the extra at the ready for future use. Here, I season the duck ahead of time and let it stand for 15 minutes, which allows the spices to flavor the meat more deeply. But if you’re short on time, just sprinkle the duck with the seasoning right before cooking.

The tomato-based sauce is flavored not only with my Creole spice mix, but with Louisiana’s holy trinity of vegetables: carrot, celery and bell pepper. Also, in a nod to the city’s trademark richness, there’s a soupcon of Andouille sausage. Imported by Louisiana’s French settlers in the mid-1700s, andouille usually is made of smoked and coarsely ground pork. It’s spicy, too, with the American version having picked up more heat than the French over the centuries.

There’s so little andouille called for here that you might consider using the full-fat version, but you’re welcome to seek out leaner brands at the supermarket; they’ll be made of chicken and turkey, not pork.

In either case, this sauce, like the Creole seasoning, is widely useful. Try it with shrimp, chicken, beef, or pork and see for yourself.

By the way, if duck has always struck you as gamey, you haven’t tried Peking (also known as Long Island) duck breast, the kind employed in this recipe.

I serve duck breast once a week at home and the family loves it. It’s so quick and easy to prepare that I put it in the same category as steak. As a matter of fact, duck breasts pair up nicely with any of the sauces you’d use with steak.

Meanwhile, back to Mardi Gras. Ladies and gents, let the good times roll!

SPICY SAUTEED CREOLE DUCK BREASTS Start to finish: 1 1/2 hours (40 minutes active) Servings: 6 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 2 ounces andouille sausage, finely chopped 1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion 1/2 cup finely chopped green bell pepper 1/3 cup finely chopped celery 1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon Creole seasoning (purchased or use the recipe below), divided 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth 1 cup chopped or crushed canned tomatoes (preferably fire roasted) 2 whole Peking duck breasts (4 halves, about 2 to 2 1/2 pounds) In a medium saucepan over medium, heat the oil. Add the sausage and cook, stirring, until browned, about 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sausage to a bowl, then return the pan to the heat and add the onion, bell pepper and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Add 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons of Creole spice mix (or more if you want a very spicy sauce) and the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Add the chicken broth and tomatoes, then bring the mixture to a boil

and simmer until much of the liquid has reduced, about 20 minutes. Set aside.

While the sauce is simmering, using a very sharp knife, lightly score the skin on each duck breast half in a crisscross pattern, cutting well into but not entirely through the meat. Pat the breasts dry and sprinkle them on both sides with the remaining 2 teaspoons Creole spice mix, making sure that the mix gets into the cracks of the scored skin. Let stand for 15 minutes.

In a large cold skillet, place the duck

breasts, skin side down. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook until the skin looks very crispy, about 12 minutes. Do not pour off the fat; the liquid fat in the pan helps to render out the fat in the skin.

When the duck skin is crisp, transfer the breasts to a plate. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the pan. Return the duck to the skillet, skin side up, and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes for medium-rare. Transfer the duck to a clean plate, skin side up. Cover loosely with foil and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Pour off any remaining fat in the skillet. Add the sauce and the browned sausage to the skillet and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits in the bottom of the pan. Add any juices that have collected on the plate the duck breasts are on.

Remove and discard the skin from the duck, if desired (separating it by slicing off the skin with a paring knife). Thinly slice the duck and arrange it on 6 serving plates. Spoon some of the sauce over each portion.

Nutrition information per serving: 340 calories; 110 calories from fat (32 percent of total calories); 13 g fat (3.5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 255 mg cholesterol; 5 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 1 g sugar; 50 g protein; 670 mg sodium.

CREOLE SEASONING Start to finish: 5 minutes Makes about 1/3 cup 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon hot paprika

1 tablespoon garlic powder 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder 1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 teaspoon kosher salt

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients. Store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Sara Moulton was executive chef at Gourmet magazine for nearly 25 years, and spent a decade hosting several Food Network shows. She currently stars in public television’s “Sara’s Weeknight Meals” and has written three cookbooks, including “Sara Moulton’s Everyday Family Dinners.”