January 24, 2015

IN SPORTS: County rivals Wilson Hall, Thomas Sumter clash as region foes B1

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Lee program helps build parenting skills

BY MATT BRUCE matthew@theitem.com Parenting is a skill that, like anything else, blossoms with practice.

And for the past several months, a Lee County organization has provided heads of household with an opportunity to hone their skills, offering a specialized program that teaches dozens of parents the art of proper child rearing.

“Ultimately, from research, children do better when they have strong families to offer support,” said program director Alexis Pipkins. “Over the years, parenting has been one of the No. 1 issues that have been identified as a high priority.”

The 14-week training curriculum is dubbed the Strengthen-

ing Families Program. It is a national, research-based framework designed to increase family stability, enhance child development and reduce child abuse and neglect. Lee County became one of 19 South Carolina counties to offer the program when its First Steps group launched the first volley of classes in April. The first two cycles were offered in Bishopville at Lee County Adult Education Building. Last fall, the program spread to Lynchburg’s Green Bay Missionary Baptist Church. Both sites offered weekly session lessons such as conflict resolution, problem solving and coping skills in the household.

“I wish we had this program when I was bringing my daughter up, because if we would’ve

Haley insists S.C. can afford to cut taxes, fix its roads

known all of this, I think a lot of kids would have been better off,” said Phyllis Clark, who participated in the Lynchburg classes during the fall.

Clark, who raised her children in the 1970s, attended the program with her niece, a mother of two who is currently bringing up a 9-year-old son and 7-year-old daughter. Clark plays a backup role in the children’s parenting and represents one of the blended families to which the program caters. Clark said the classes set a structure for parents to follow in home training.

“We’ve still got to parent, no matter whether we get it on paper or we’re taught,” she said. “We need to allow our kids to make mistakes but correct them. They need to

MATT BRUCE / THE SUMTER ITEM

Phyllis Clark, left, looks on as her 9-year-old nephew Ronnie Wells and 7-year-old niece Jamila Scarborough work together with their mother during a parenting session in Lynchburg. The group participated in Lee County’s recent cycle of the Strengthening Families Program. experience the mistakes and be able to learn from them.

Everybody just has to remember that we’re all at a growing state — even the adults. And they can learn from the chil-

dren as well as the children learning from the adults.”

Lynchburg hosted about 16 families in its first 14-week

SEE PARENTING, PAGE A6

GIVING BACK

Volunteers pack food for students

BY SEANNA ADCOX The Associated Press COLUMBIA — Gov. Nikki Haley insists South Carolina can afford her proposal to cut income taxes by $9 billion during the next decade without cutting spending.

The Republican governor said Friday the state can absorb that in surpluses as its economy grows. The past decade doesn’t reflect that kind of growth, but she dismissed questions about what she would cut.

“There will be a lot of people who want to talk about spending and how we can’t afford something. That’s not who we are in South Carolina. That’s not this administration,” Haley told reporters after her Cabinet meeting. “There is more revenue. We can choose to squander it away and spend it, or we can give it back to the taxpayers.”

State economic advisers predict her plan to cut the top income tax bracket by 2 percentage points would reduce revenue by $1.8 billion yearly once the 10year phase-in is fully implemented. That’s equivalent to 25 percent of her $6.9 billion spending proposal for 2015-16, released last week. Her budget doesn’t account for the first year of the cut’s phase-in, she said, “because we just came out with the plan.”

If she had, her budget couldn’t pay for her own recommended spending increases, including those for the second year of her education initiative.

Haley makes her case by looking at the last few years of postGreat Recession recovery.

“You can’t ignore the surpluses we’ve had,” she said.

Tax collections have grown $1.5 billion since 2010. But collections next fiscal year are expected to be less than $400 million above those of 2006-07, as health care costs have climbed.

Economists have said the Legislature’s tax cuts of 2006 and 2007 exacerbated the budget crisis during the downturn.

South Carolina is still digging out from those deep, recessionera cuts, said Senate Minority Leader Nikki Setzler, D-West Columbia.

Llynn Bolen closes a backpack while Adrian Mills loads another one at Willow Drive Elementary School on Friday. Every Friday, volunteers from Aldersgate United Methodist Church fill 38 backpacks with canned goods, fruit, cereal bars and other items to help children who otherwise might not have enough to eat during the weekend.

SEE HALEY, PAGE A7

SEE BACKPACKS, PAGE A7

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KEITH GEDAMKE / THE SUMTER ITEM

Local groups help Sumter children keep eating on weekends

BY JADE REYNOLDS jade@theitem.com Thanks to two churches and a sorority, some students are taking home something to nourish their bodies as well as their brains on Fridays.

Aldersgate United Methodist Church has partnered with Willow Drive Elementary School to provide food for its backpack program, and St. Mark United Methodist Church as well as the Sumter chapter of Zeta Phi Beta are working with Crosswell Drive Elementary School to help hungry students. In both cases, volunteers load up the knapsacks with child-friendly food items such as granola bars, raisins, pop-top canned foods and more. Then the

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

students collect them before they go on breaks or home for the weekend.

At Willow Drive, the initiative’s inspiration came after a former assistant principal and Rachel Johnston noticed some children were repeatedly stealing food. They soon realized the children were having trouble getting enough to eat when away from school, where breakfast and lunch are provided.

“As an educator, I know providing our students with a high-quality education entails much more than just meeting their academic needs,” said Johnston, the reading interventionist and coordinator of the backpack program at that school. “If their basic material needs are not met, they cannot

DEATHS, A7 Eugene L. O’Konek Johnnie L. Elmore John W. Evans John T. Tidwell James P. Lawler Fernando L. Stewart Roy Lee Thompson

focus on learning. I love that we are able to provide them that opportunity.”

She approached her pastor at Aldersgate, Webb Belangia, about the situation, and he readily agreed to provide any assistance the church could.

Now in its second year, the program at Willow Drive serves 38 students at about $6.50 per child a week, Johnston said. It’s funded through the school’s Parent Teacher Organization, Aldersgate and community donations.

“As a church member, it makes me proud to be a part of a congregation who is always willing to help,” Johnston said. “Being able to extend God’s love to those around us is why we are here. When we really know

and serve each other, we can make true progress together.

I am always grateful to have the opportunity to do that.”

While they don’t take food donations because of allergies and continuity between the backpacks, the church is “more than willing to take monetary donations,” Belangia said.

“Every child has to have the same stuff,” he said. “If one kid pulls out a box of Oreos, they better all have Oreos, or we’re going to have a scrap. So it’s easier to do the shopping ourselves.”

If you’re interested in giving to the cause, financial donations may be dropped off at or mailed to Aldersgate United Methodist Church, 211 Alice Drive,

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

Lee man convicted of lesser charge in stabbing

BY MATT BRUCE matthew@theitem.com A chapter in an ongoing family feud came to a close Thursday evening inside Lee County Courthouse, where a man on trial for attempted murder was found guilty of a lesser charge and sentenced to nine years in prison.

Dennis Hoover faced as many as 30 years behind bars when his trial began last week, stemming from a January 2014 stabbing incident at a gas station bathroom. Jurors found the 61-year-old Bishopville man guilty of first-degree assault and battery after listening to three days of testimony in the case. The conviction came on a lesser-included charge of the original attempted murder indictment for which Hoover was tried.

Circuit Court Judge Clifton Newman, who presided over the trial, imposed the nine-year sentence upon Hoover and ordered him to pay $2,820 in restitution to the victim of his attack. Newman cited the serious injuries Hoover caused during the potentially deadly assault, calling him “a man from a time gone by.” Others during the trial described him as a “man’s man” who would not hesitate to defend himself. However, the victim’s family simply characterized Hoover as a “bully who terrorized their whole neighborhood.”

Third Circuit prosecutors spent the week arguing that Hoover initiated an attack at the Shell gas station near U.S. 15 and Interstate 20 early on the morning of Jan. 4, 2014. Hoover stabbed the victim several times in the face, arm and abdomen during

LOCAL & STATE BRIEFS FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

MATT BRUCE / THE SUMTER ITEM

Dennis Hoover, right, is consoled by his attorney Richard Jones moments after a jury convicted him and as he awaits his sentence Thursday evening inside Lee County Courthouse. the assault, mutilating the man’s face.

Doctors testified the stabbing could have been fatal.

Prosecutors said the men were acquaintances and the 2014 fight was the latest in an ongoing feud between Hoover and several members of the victim’s family that extended years back. Hoover’s attorney often alluded to a June 2011 incident in Bethune — a small Kershaw County township — where he contended members of the victim’s family attacked him as he was walking down a backcountry road, knocking him out and leaving

The local chapter has been serving the Sumter, Lee and Clarendon area since March 24, 1946.

The public is invited to attend.

For more information, call (803) 436-9998.

Sumter native to speak at Phi Beta Sigma event New app will let drivers Dr. Lawrence Rouse will monitor Bikefest traffic be the speaker for the Delta Kappa Sigma Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. Annual Founder’s Day Observance at 4 p.m. Sunday at New Zion AME Church in Wisacky.

ROUSE The Sumter native is serving as president of James Sprunt Community College in Kenansville, North Carolina. He formerly served as associate vice president of enrollment management at Central Carolina Technical College.

The immediate past president of the N.C. Association of Community Colleges, Rouse is a graduate of Voorhees College, University of South Carolina and N.C. State University, where he received his doctorate. He serves as director of education for the Southeastern Region of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. The fraternity was founded at Howard University, Washington, D.C., in 1914.

MYRTLE BEACH — A new app will let drivers monitor traffic conditions during Atlantic Beach Bikefest on the South Carolina coast this Memorial Day weekend.

Officials said the app will allow motorists to check on traffic, especially from 10 p.m. until 2 a.m. during the weekend when a one-way, 23-mile traffic loop will be in effect.

The loop is part of a safety plan that law enforcement is putting into place after violence during the weekend left three dead last year.

Both Myrtle Beach and Horry County have launched special Bikefest pages on their government websites.

CORRECTION In Friday’s front page story, “Roy Creech wins award from YMCA,” Troy Rogers was misidentified as Troy Williams.

him in a ditch. Authorities said Hoover provoked that altercation as well and refused aid from his own family members, who tried to help him out of the ditch.

Officials said the feud stemmed from a turkey house the victim’s family built on their property, which angered Hoover because he does not like the animal enclosures.

Testimony indicated the victim was heading out to duck hunt the morning of the incident and pulled into the Shell to use its restroom. According to investigators, Hoover was having

coffee at a nearby restaurant and spotted the man go inside the gas station. Moments later, the defendant pulled into the gas station parking lot and entered the convenience store.

Video footage showed him walk out of the store two minutes and 12 seconds later and the victim following behind moments later, according to testimony.

Hoover took the stand to testify Thursday, telling the court he entered the bathroom unaware the victim was inside and stabbed the man in self defense. He delivered a feisty albeit engaging testimony, regaling the nearly packed courtroom with what his attorney termed his “plainspoken” approach. The court exploded into laughter several times throughout his 60 minutes on the witness stand.

“As a lawyer, you wish you had a client who was maybe a little bit smoother,” Hoover’s defense attorney Richard Jones told jurors during his closing arguments. “But Mr. Hoover, frankly, is a country boy, and you guys can see that. He might not say it with the best grammar; he might not say it with the best grace. But (his testimony) reeks of credibility.”

Third Circuit Assistant Solicitor John Gentry, who argued the case along with fellow assistant solicitor Paul Fata, laid out each piece of evidence during his closing arguments, reminding jurors of the state’s case.

He dismissed the country-boy image Jones attempted to craft for the jury and suggested Hoover was simply a liar.

“The idea that Mr. Hoover reeks of credibility is correct up to a point,” Gentry said. “His story reeks. It smells to the high heavens.”

Bond set for suspect in family feud

BY MATT BRUCE matthew@theitem.com Bond was set this week for one of the suspects involved in a street brawl that erupted between two families outside a Young’s along U.S. 15 earlier this month.

Joseph Henderson Jr., 20, stood before Circuit Court Judge Ferrell Cothran during a hearing Thursday, and the judge issued him a $7,500 bond. The judge also ordered him to wear a GPS monitoring device upon being released from SumterLee Regional Detention Center, where he’s been jailed since the Jan. 4 melee.

Henderson Jr. faces a count of attempted murder in connection with the incident. He reportedly sped his pickup truck out of the Young’s parking lot as one of the other defendants fired shots from a .22-caliber handgun at him. As he and his family members left, they allegedly struck and dragged a 41-year-old man who was lying on the ground near the vehicle.

The victim was critically injured and flown from the scene to a burn center in Augusta, Georgia, to be treated. He has since recovered and been released from the hospital.

Investigators said the fight stemmed from a feud largely between the Henderson and Gainey families that dates back several years. Reports indicate the bad blood originated in September 2013 when Henderson, his brother and another associate crashed an apparent party at the Gaineys’ house and assaulted several people, including two members of the Gainey family.

Their attack was reportedly prompted by a lovers’ quarrel.

Henderson was one of four people arrested in connection with the Jan. 4 dispute.

Full agenda planned for Manning meeting FROM STAFF REPORTS Manning City Council will meet at 6:30 p.m. Monday at City Hall, 29 W. Boyce St. Council will welcome back Mayor Julia Nelson, who is expected to chair her first meeting since having surgery in December.

On the agenda are employee service recognitions, which will be presented by Nelson; U.S. Department of Agriculture project updates

by Doug Clary Jr. of Hybrid

Engineering; and an update of 2014 crime statistics from Manning Police Department.

Council will consider a replacement for Charles McCreight on the Abatement and Appeals Board and have the second reading of an ordinance to address nuisance animals.

Council will also consider a resolution to amend the Personnel Policy & Procedures Manual in reference to the general leave policy.

Manning City Council meetings are usually held the third Monday monthly, but because of the Martin Luther King and Presidents Day holidays, Monday’s meeting and the February meeting have been scheduled for the fourth Monday of the month.

Next month’s meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 23.

Individuals in need of aid to attend the meeting may contact Duan Davis at (803) 435-8477.

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THE SUMTER ITEM

SATURDAY, JANUARY 24, 2015

Commission lifts drought status in S.C.

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Florida man stopped on I-95, charged with fraud

Declaration served as warning of beginning of dry conditions

FROM STAFF REPORTS

BY JIM HILLEY jim@theitem.com The South Carolina Drought Response Committee, meeting via conference call on Jan. 15, removed the incipient drought declaration statewide, according to a Department of Natural Resources news release.

“Since many counties were just on the cusp of drought when the committee upgraded in late November, it didn’t take excessive rainfall statewide to end the drought,” said South Carolina State Climatologist Hope Mizzell. “Rainfall totals over the last 30 days (Dec. 15- Jan. 14) ranged from near normal at places like McClellanville (4.14 inches), Florence (4.39 inches) and Sumter (4.25 inches) to much above normal at Hemingway (10.01 inches) and Winnsboro (9.23 inches).”

Hydrologist Scott Harder said the drought declaration was just a warning.

“We were only in what we call incipient drought, which means that conditions are beginning to get dry,” he said. “It doesn’t mean we are experiencing drought conditions, but it’s starting to get dry, and we need to be on the lookout.”

Harder said all of the state was covered by the declaration, but parts of the Savannah and Edisto basins were seeing drier conditions than the rest of the state.

Stream flow levels across the state have increased significantly during the past two months, Harder said, with most gauging sites at or above normal levels for this time of year.

“Reservoir levels in the Savannah basin have improved and are much closer to target levels as compared to levels observed a few months ago,” he said. “Most other major reservoirs in the state are near or above their

KEITH GEDAMKE / THE SUMTER ITEM

Barbara Jenkins tries to avoid puddles on Main Street while walking to her job Friday afternoon. Recent rainfall statewide has prompted the South Carolina Drought Response Committee to remove the incipient drought declaration for the state. target levels as well.”

Darryl Jones, forest protection chief for the S.C. Forestry Commission, said he expects the state to see periods of dry weather through April, as is typical this time of year.

“We are expecting to have an average wildfire season,” Jones said.

“Since most of the wildfires in South Carolina are human caused, we encourage everyone to be careful. Escaped backyard burns lead to about 50 percent of the wildfires we respond to each year.”

Harder said the long-term trend is for the state to experience more dry spells.

“Certainly the state has experi-

enced more frequent droughts in the last 15 to 20 years than it had in the previous 50 years,” he said.

He said that trend influences water levels across the Palmetto State.

“You can see declines in water levels due to the droughts,” he said.

“You will see recovery in some areas, and some areas are very slow to recover.”

It is difficult to interpret ground water data, he said, because it is affected not only by climate, but also by any nearby pumping that’s influencing water levels.

“Some of the declines we see are due to drought, and some of the declines are due to pumping,” he said.

Sumter County deputies nabbed an alleged counterfeiter during a traffic stop along Interstate 95 late Wednesday afternoon.

Estaine Manuel Vargas, 36, of South Miami, Florida, was charged with alteration of license, sale of fictitious license and financial transaction card fraud in connection with the incident.

The suspect was traveling in a 2015 Ford Escape with a 47-year-old South Florida man, heading northbound on the interstate when deputies spotted them.

According to a report from Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, officers stopped the vehicle after observing it swerve into other lanes. The suspect told officers he and his friend were headed to Washington, D.C., to renew his passport and then to Michigan to visit another buddy. Officers noted that one of the men rented the SUV Jan. 14 and it was scheduled to be returned Wednesday.

Deputies searched the two men and the vehicle and found 25 credit cards wrapped in white paper tucked inside the South Florida man’s pockets. Each of the newly minted cards bore the same person’s name and had different account numbers embossed on them, the report stated.

Officers also found $1,140 in cash in one of Vargas’ jackets and a laptop, iPad, two thumb drives and an Ohio driver’s license with Vargas’ picture inside the vehicle. Officers also found a card writer near the spare tire, under its cover in the trunk of the vehicle.

The report indicated Vargas claimed ownership of all the equipment and told officers he convinced his friend to put the credit cards in his pocket when deputies stopped them. Deputies released the South Florida man and seized the items found during the search.

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Magnets used to plant drugs under cars from Mexico SAN DIEGO (AP) — Drug smugglers are turning “trusted travelers” into unwitting mules by placing containers with powerful magnets under their cars in Mexico and then recovering the illegal cargo far from the view of border authorities in the United States.

One motorist spotted the containers while pumping gas after crossing into Southern California on Jan. 12 and thought it might be a bomb.

His call to police prompted an emergency response at the Chevron station and then a shocker: 13.2 pounds of

heroin were pulled from under the vehicle, according to a U.S. law enforcement official. San Diego police said the drugs were packed inside six magnetized cylinders.

The driver had just used a “trusted traveler” lane at the San Ysidro border crossing, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because some details of the case have not been made public.

Authorities have learned of at least three similar incidents in San Diego since then, all involving drivers enrolled in the enormously popular SENTRI program,

which stands for Secure Electronic Network for Travelers Rapid Inspection.

There were 12.6 million SENTRI vehicle crossings in fiscal 2013, more than double the 5.9 million four years earlier.

The program enables hundreds of thousands of people who pass extensive background checks to whiz past inspectors with less scrutiny.

Signing up can reduce rushhour wait times from more than two hours to less than 15 minutes at San Diego’s San Ysidro port of entry, the nation’s busiest crossing, where SENTRI users repre-

sented 40 percent of the 4.5 million vehicle crossings in fiscal 2013, the Government Accountability Office found.

But like other prescreening programs, there’s a potential downside: the traveler can become a target, and such cases can be tricky for investigators when people caught with drugs claim they were planted.

Using magnets under cars isn’t new, but this string of cases is unusual.

The main targets are people who park for hours in Mexico before returning to the U.S., authorities say.

Smugglers track their move-

ments on both sides of the border, figuring out their travel patterns and where they park. It takes only seconds to attach and remove the magnetized containers when no one is looking.

“It’s a concern for everyone, not as big a concern for me because I’m careful,” said Aldo Vereo, a SENTRI user and office assistant at the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency who parks in a garage when home in Tijuana and varies his routes. “People should be worried because they go straight home and straight to work.”

No-tip eatery offers food for thought on pay, benefits

BY KATHY MATHESON The Associated Press PHILADELPHIA — Customers to Girard Brasserie and Bruncherie might be in for a surprise when they read the note attached to their bills: “Tipping is not necessary.”

That’s food for thought in an industry where servers depend on gratuities for the bulk of their pay. Yet staff at the French-inspired restaurant earn about $13 an hour, and they get sick time, vacation days and health insurance.

The economics aren’t easy, said Girard co-owner Brian Oliveira. Ideally, though, the provisions make for more loyal and content employees, who then create a better experience for customers, he said.

“We had to make less money as owners and sacrifice some of that, but in the end, it created a better environment, and everyone’s happier,” said Oliveira, who is also the chef.

The unusual model highlights a debate about pay and conditions in an industry that employs 10 percent of the U.S. workforce, according to the National Restaurant Association. The group doesn’t track the number of notip models among the nation’s nearly 1

AP FILE PHOTO

Patrons eat near the lunch hour Nov. 25, 2014, at Girard, a “No-Tip” restaurant in Philadelphia. The new restaurant in Philadelphia offers French-inspired cuisine, and servers get sick time, vacation days and health insurance. The restaurant has reignited debate about working conditions in the food service industry, where high wages and benefits are almost unheard of. million eateries, but examples have popped up during the past year in Pittsburgh, New York, Los Angeles and near Cincinnati.

The federal hourly minimum wage for non-tipped workers, such as dishwashers and cooks, is $7.25; the minimum for tipped workers such as waiters and bartenders is $2.13. Paid time off and medical benefits are almost unheard of in the high-turnover business.

Congress hasn’t raised the tipped wage in nearly 25 years. The restaurant association, which has fought increased minimums, argues that re-

quiring higher wages will force owners to lay off servers, cut workers’ hours or raise prices.

Some cities and states, acting on their own to address growing income inequality, have established higher minimum wages that apply both to workers who receive tips and to workers who don’t receive tips. Among the highest: $10.74 an hour in San Francisco, $9.47 an hour in Washington state and $9.25 an hour in Oregon.

The state minimum for tipped employees in Pennsylvania is $2.83 hourly. After taking tips into account, that translates into a median wage of $8.25

an hour, or just over $17,000 per year for a full-time employee, according to Restaurant Opportunities Centers United, an organization seeking to improve conditions in the field.

But tips offer the potential to earn a lot more — and sometimes much more quickly — than even a higher hourly wage might allow, said Geoff Bowman, a longtime bartender in Philadelphia.

At Girard, the menu and checks explain that “dishes are priced accordingly” to provide staff with higher wages and benefits. A fixed price, three-course dinner ranges from $31 to $42.

New generation enters line to Saudi throne RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Saudi Arabia’s newly enthroned King Salman moved quickly Friday to name a future successor to the crown in his oil-rich kingdom, a significant appointment that puts the kingdom’s future squarely in the hands of a new generation.

King Salman bin AbdulAziz Al Saud’s actions came as the Sunni-ruled kingdom

mourned King Abdullah, who died early Friday at the age of 90 after nearly two decades in power.

He was buried Friday afternoon in an unmarked grave, his body shrouded in a simple beige cloth without a coffin.

The austere, subdued burial was in line with Islamic tradition that all people — even kings — are equal in death before God.

A royal decree affirmed Crown Prince Muqrin, 69, as Salman’s immediate successor. After Muqrin, Salman named Interior Minister Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, 55, as deputy crown prince, making him second in line to the throne. Mohammed is the first grandson of Saudi Arabia’s founder, King AbdulAziz Al Saud, to be named as a future heir.

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Crown Prince Salman gestures during a session at Shura Council on Jan. 6.

Early Friday, Saudi state TV reported King Abdullah died at the age of 90.

Saudi Arabia’s new king, Salman, is a veteran of the country’s top leadership.

AP FILE PHOTO

THE SUMTER ITEM

SATURDAY, JANUARY 24, 2015

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A5

REVIEWS Call: (803) 774-1221 | E-mail: ivy@theitem.com

Hands-on with Microsoft’s HoloLens headset device

BY BRANDON BAILEY AP Technology Writer REDMOND, Wash. — Microsoft didn’t use skydivers or stunt cyclists to introduce what it hopes will be the next big leap in computing technology. Instead, with its new HoloLens headset, the company is offering real-world examples to show how you might use threedimensional digital images — or holograms — in daily life.

And that might be what it takes to get people to buy a computer they wear on their face.

I got a brief peek at what wearing the HoloLens could be like in different scenarios: performing a simple home repair, pretending to be a scientist studying the surface of Mars and exploring a colorful, animated game that added new dimensions to an unremarkable room.

Microsoft unveiled HoloLens at its headquarters this week, on the same day the company touted its upcoming Windows 10 software release. What I saw of the device seems unfinished, but it shows potential.

A CROWDED FIELD Some of the world’s biggest tech companies are working on wearable devices that aim to create realistic, three-dimensional representations of alien worlds or imaginary creatures.

Google’s computerized eyewear, Glass, isn’t technically a virtual-reality device, but it shows the challenges of winning consumer acceptance.

Google introduced Glass in 2012 with a Vegas-style stunt that included mountain bikes and skydivers landing on the roof of a convention center. Last week, it suspended consumer sales after many people balked at the notion of wearing a digital camera and Internet-connected device on their head.

Meanwhile, Google has invested in a secretive start-up, Magic Leap, that’s working on virtual reality. Samsung and Oculus VR — which Facebook bought for $2 billion last year — are developing gaming headsets that essentially block the wearer’s view and replace it with an imaginary world.

Smaller companies have de-

Microsoft’s Lorraine Bardeen demonstrates the HoloLens headset as what she “sees” is projected on the far screen at an event at the company’s headquarters in Redmond, Washington. With the new HoloLens headset, Microsoft is offering real-world examples to show how you might use three-dimensional digital images — or holograms — in daily life.

veloped headsets for industrial or business uses.

Microsoft’s HoloLens was built by engineers who created the Kinect motion-sensing system for Xbox games. It projects a realistic image on a screen in front of your eyes, but the screen is transparent, so you can still see what’s in front of you. The holograms respond to gestures and spoken commands, detected by cameras and other sensors in the device.

AP FILE PHOTO

WALKING ON MARS The most striking demonstration involved a project in which Microsoft partnered with scientists from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

They’ve created a vividly realistic, three-dimensional landscape by knitting together photographs and data collected by NASA’s Curiosity rover.

When I moved my head, the landscape shifted as if I were actually walking on the planet. I peered under a rock outcropping. I was joined by a digital avatar, playing the part of a JPL scientist. We spoke and used hand gestures to place digital markers on different rocks, in an exercise simulating how scientists might use the system to direct the rover’s exploration.

A more whimsical demonstration involved the Microsoft-owned “Minecraft” game.

In a small living room, the HoloLens projected three-dimensional structures and animated creatures on an actual coffee table. I summoned imaginary tools and blasted a simulated hole in the room’s actual wall — and was surprised to see cartoon bats fly out.

But another exercise brought home how useful the gadget might be. I was guided through the process of installing an electric light switch. I saw a woman who showed me a series of sketches and talked me through each step. She was working in real time in another room, drawing sketches on a tablet computer and using Skype to talk with me. I could see the sketches, super-imposed over an actual wall outlet and protruding wires, while her face appeared to one side.

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LOCAL | STATE

SATURDAY, JANUARY 24, 2015

THE SUMTER ITEM

Training helped split-second decision

BY DANIEL J. GROSS The (Spartanburg) Herald Journal SPARTANBURG — A fraction of a second came between pulling the trigger and not.

Spartanburg police officer James Bogan said he nearly shot an armed suspect he had been chasing recently through the city’s Northside.

The man, 57-year-old James Anthony Nash, was taken to the Spartanburg County jail on multiple charges, and Bogan said he attributes not having to take a life that day to his police training experience.

A Spartanburg Police Department incident report from the chase describes the scenario step by step from the point Bogan first responded to a call for a domestic situation with a weapon on Milan Street and saw Nash walking away.

Bogan recalled trying to stop and talk with the man and seeing him reach into his waistband or front pocket and pull out a black handgun.

He then chased Nash through the neighborhood with his service weapon drawn. Before long, the two came to a fence.

“As we approached the fence, there was nowhere else to go.

He was either going to give up or whatever was going to happen was going to happen,” he said. “He turned his left shoul-

der toward me and his right hand moved in front of his body. At that point, I was worried he was fixing to shoot me.”

Bogan continued to describe the scenario — one of the more intense moments of his career. “I told him, ‘I will shoot you.’ And right about the time I started to squeeze the trigger, I saw him release the handgun and throw it over a fence. It was a half-second decision on his part and a half second decision on my part.”

Bogan tackled Nash to the ground. A struggle ensued, and after a couple of strikes to Nash’s chest, another officer responded and Nash was handcuffed.

Bogan said had he not paid close attention to Nash’s movements, the city could have recorded a fatality, and the state’s law enforcement division would be underway with an officer-involved shooting investigation.

“It was one of those situations that were ever-changing and evolving the whole time we were running,” Bogan said.

Such scenarios involving chases and foreseeable threats to law enforcement have become common precursors to police shootings. The cases of Michael Brown, who was killed by police in Missouri; Eric Garner, who died when police arrested him in New York; and Richard Combs, the former Eu-

PARENTING FROM PAGE A1 cycle of classes during the fall session, which ended with more than 20 people graduating from the program in December.

Pipkins, executive director of Lee County’s First Steps program, said a new cycle is expected to gear up in February. While the program targets helping Lee County families, Pipkins said he is looking to spread the program even farther this time around, eyeing sites that can accommodate as many as 18 people.

The Strengthening Families Program is an internationally recognized

tawville police chief, charged with killing an unarmed man, have focused national attention on police shootings.

Bogan began working for the Spartanburg Police Department in 2007 as a paramedic with the agency’s SWAT team. He graduated from the police academy in 2012 and has been serving as a patrol officer assigned to the traffic unit. He was awarded rookie officer of the year, said Capt. Art Littlejohn, the department’s patrol division commander.

Bogan credits his training and experience for his resistance to shoot last week.

“People talk about just having those gut feelings, but true gut feelings come from experience and training,” he said.

Milan and Raindrop streets have only a few occupied houses on them while several others are boarded up. A homeowner on Raindrop Street said she was not home when the foot chase took place but commended Bogan for taking the suspect into custody without having to use deadly force near her backyard. “Some people think police just walk down the street and shoot people,” said Angeliqueck Onassis Dube of Raindrop Street. “This police officer should have a medal. These officers every day are putting their lives on the line.”

Chief Alonzo Thompson described Bogan as “a great offi-

initiative aimed at high risk and regular families. The diversified team of volunteers who operate Lee County’s embodiment of SFP consists of those with no high school diploma to others who have master’s degrees. Each of the volunteers must undergo a twoday training course to be certified as an instructor. Pipkins said the team uses a curriculum aimed at the target population of 6- to 11-year-olds, a formative age bracket in child development. Coordinators note that most family programs are geared toward low-income families, but the program is meant to help any and all families.

“There are so many unique things about this program. It suits the whole family,” said program coordinator

h c t a r c S Ding &

AP FILE PHOTO

James Bogan, left, a senior patrol officer with Spartanburg Police Department, and McCrary Johnstone, a public safety officer with the department, are seen at the police department in Spartanburg in July 2014. Bogan said he nearly shot an armed suspect he had been chasing recently through the city’s Northside. cer.” He said his actions last week highlight officers’ training and what scenarios they often face.

Knowing when deadly force is necessary is a “tough call” Thompson said. “When we go to incidents, people are not inviting us to barbecue and tea.”

Training advises officers to put themselves in the least amount of danger when confronting a suspect, Thompson said. An officer has to always assess the threat. “It’s easy to criticize us, but it’s tough to understand unless you walk a mile in our shoes.”

Littlejohn said every second counts when trying to apprehend someone. He said the department trains officers to have a handle on several tasks

Mamie Bostit. “We know that parenting has always been a challenge in every county. But two of the unique things about this program are that it provides transportation for families that need it. And another thing is it provides a meal. So it has that familyoriented concept.”

The program also accommodated a wide range of parents. Last fall’s curriculum included parental figures ranging in age from their 20s to their 70s, all of whom participated in the sessions. Officials said the teachings are meant to improve communications between family members and noted that they aren’t limited to the traditional scope of a two-parent family with 2.5 kids and a dog. The program

at once. “You may be chasing somebody and trying to talk on the radio and tell everybody where you are and give a description, and at some time you make life or death decisions,” Littlejohn said. “At some point you go back to your training.”

Bogan said he hopes people realize that more incidents are settled without firing handguns than the other way around.

“Police officers are in the life-saving business, not the life-taking one. We don’t come to work with the intention of ever doing any harm to anybody. “You have to hope and pray the good Lord looks after you and hope you make right decisions.”

catered to familial structures that include grandparents and focuses on no single socioeconomic group.

Pipkins said such a program is essential in a world that continues to place less emphasis on parental training even while parenting grows tougher.

“You can walk into many of our schools today, and their home-economic departments are actual ghost towns,” he said. “So what happens is that some of the degradation of our society in our communities is because we aren’t providing parenting sessions. A lot of our parents are younger. But if you don’t have any type of exposure to parenting skills, people are going to parent exactly how they parent — whether that’s good or bad.”

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LOCAL | NATION

THE SUMTER ITEM

SATURDAY, JANUARY 24, 2015

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A7

Good times keep rolling at the pump

BY JONATHAN FAHEY AP Energy Writer

KEITH GEDAMKE / THE SUMTER ITEM

Volunteers from Aldersgate United Methodist Church switch out students’ backpacks for ones that have been filled with food for the students to take home during the weekend.

BACKPACKS FROM PAGE A1 Sumter SC 20150.

It costs from $3,000 to $3,500 a year to conduct the program, he said.

“There is no waste whatsoever,” Belangia said. “Any money that we might have as extra rolls over to the next semester. It’s amazing to me how passionate people are and how willing they are to help.

They see we’re doing something that really matters. Our children really matter.”

Besides providing food, usually four or five adults also spend time with the children reading, playing games and addressing academic challenges. Most of the volunteers are women, and Belangia said he’d like to see more men join the program.

“A lot of these kids don’t

have a father influence,” the minister said. “The more guys that go in and help, the better.”

For more information about volunteering, call the church at (803) 775-1602.

A similar program has been at Crosswell Drive Elementary since 2011. Started by Zeta Phi Beta, the program originally served about 25 children every other week, said Gary Collick, guidance counselor and coordinator for the initiative at his school.

“The sorority members do all the shopping, and they come in and pack the bags for us,” he said. “All we do is provide them the area to work.

It’s been outstanding.”

It’s now up to every week and about 20 students.

The existing arrangement is what made it a perfect fit for St. Mark United Methodist Church about two years ago.

They heard about such a program and wanted to partner

with an existing one, said Jacquelyn Session, president of the church’s UMC women.

“When you’re hungry, it’s hard to focus and give it your best,” she said. “We have gotten very positive feedback that the students are really benefitting.”

Her group started with about 25 students every other week and also now does the backpacks weekly, Collick said.

The church’s portion of the program, which is called “Working Hands Backpacks for Hunger,” Session said, is funded by a grant from the United Methodist Conference Board of Global Ministries.

“Our purpose is to reach children, women and youth in the community,” Session said.

“This is part of our social action project (and) our way of giving back to families. It’s just a joy for us to be able to offer this service, and we may be able to grow it to be able to reach out to more.”

wife, Royce McKenzie Elmore; four sons, Pete Hammock of Columbia, Robert (Pam) Hammock of Greer, Hudson (Sandy) Elmore of Lexington and Johnnie (Betsy) Elmore Jr. of Sumter; three stepsons, Steve (Teresa) Bracey of Ocean Beach, California, J. Chris (Angie) Bracey of North Myrtle Beach and Derrick (Courtney) Bracey of Garden City Beach; three sisters, Libby (Harold) Jones of Loris, Diane (Billy) Lewis of Santee and Linda H. (Steve) Patterson of Sumter; and sister-inlaw, Sara Douglas of Dillon.

He is also survived by 13 grandchildren and five greatgrandchildren.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 2 p.m. on Sunday at South Strand Community Church. Officiating will be the Rev. Michael King.

Memorial donations may be made to South Strand Community Church, P.O. Box 16712, Surfside Beach, SC 29587.

Condolences may be made to www.burroughsfh.com.

Burroughs Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Murrells Inlet, (843) 651-1440, is in charge of arrangements.

the Army Reserve as a lieutenant colonel in 1977. His professional career was with Burlington Industries and Ralph E. Loper Co. in Greenville. In 1984, he moved to Atlanta and worked for Bank of America until his retirement.

He was a tireless and dedicated volunteer with Clothes Less Traveled in Peachtree City with people he dearly loved.

He is survived by Doug, Pam, Clay and Jack Evans of Greenville; Robert, Libby, Weeks, Haynes, Coleman and Rees Evans of Greenville; and Susan and Andrew Evans of Greenville.

He was predeceased by his beloved wife, Alice Pinckney Evans, in 1981; and his wife, Jeanne Evans, in 2006.

John’s family extends deep gratitude to the nursing and care team staff at The Cascades — Carrick for their love, care and support.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Sunday in Memorial Chapel at Buncombe Street United Methodist Church, Greenville. Interment will be at The Church of the Holy Cross, Stateburg, at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 31.

Memorials may be made to Clothes Less Traveled, 459 Georgia 74, Peachtree City, GA 30269.

NEW YORK — At some point this will end, perhaps even soon. The price of gasoline will not fall to zero.

But for the first time since 2009, most Americans are paying less than $2 a gallon. Just three months ago experts were shocked when it fell under $3.

“It’s crazy,” says Michael Noel, an economics professor at Texas Tech University who studies oil and gasoline prices. “But for consumers it’s very, very good.”

Consumers and the economies of the U.S. and most of the rest of the world are basking in the lowest prices

HALEY

for crude oil and gasoline in six years. U.S. crude oil traded Friday just below $46 a barrel, and the average price for a gallon of gas was $2.04.

While there are some losers, such as oil companies, the oil-producing states and the oil-exporting countries that benefited from $100 a barrel for four straight years, most economists agree that the good outweighs the bad.

The drop in prices is acting like an immediate tax cut for drivers, leaving them more money to spend on other things. The Energy Department predicts lower prices this year will save a typical household $750 compared with last year.

back either. For example, the Department of Social Services is trying to hire hundreds of additional caseworkers following bipartisan hearings during the past year on the agency’s failures to protect abused and neglected children. Haley’s budget includes money to do that. But the planned hires still won’t restore child welfare staff to prerecession levels.

The income-tax proposal is part of Haley’s stipulation for supporting a 10cent gas tax increase to fund road and bridge work.

FROM PAGE A1 The state is sending public colleges $300 million less than it did in 2008. That was the last year legislators followed state law on aiding local governments. And it would take $550 million more than Haley proposes next fiscal year to fully fund the so-called “base student cost” for K-12 education, as set by a 1977 formula, according to economic advisers.

Haley’s Cabinet agencies haven’t fully bounced

OBITUARIES EUGENE L. O’KONEK Eugene “Gene” Lawrence O’Konek, 84, loving father and grandfather, was born on July 30, 1931, in St. Cloud, Minnesota. He died on Friday, Jan. 23, 2015.

Gene was a 30year veteran of the United States Air Force and retired from Shaw Air Force Base in O’KONEK August of 1977.

He was a Korean War veteran and was stationed at Chanute Air Force Base, Clark Army Base, Philippines, and Shaw Air Force Base. He was a staunch Republican who enjoyed his family and friends, and he was an avid sports fan. He worked like he didn’t need the money, loved like he had never been hurt and danced like nobody was watching.

Surviving are his wife, whom he married in 1951; seven children; eight grandchildren; and five greatgrandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday in the Chapel of Elmore Hill McCreight Funeral Home.

The family will receive friends from 10 to 11 a.m. on Monday at Elmore Hill McCreight Funeral Home.

Interment will be in Evergreen Memorial Park cemetery.

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.

JOHNNIE L. ELMORE MURRELLS INLET — Johnnie L. Elmore, 80, of Surfside Beach, died on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2015, at Grand Strand Regional Medical Center.

He was born on Sept. 28, 1934, in Dalzell, a son of the late Hudson and Olive Hancock Elmore. He was a member of South Strand Community Church.

He was predeceased by two sons, Glynn Hammock and Curtis Hammock.

Johnnie is survived by his

JOHN W. EVANS John William Evans, formerly of Peachtree City, Georgia, died on Jan. 22, 2015, at The Cascades in Greenville.

John was born on Oct. 28, 1926, in Kingstree, to the late Robert William and Gladys Weeks Evans. He graduated from Kingstree High School in 1943 and enrolled at Clemson Agricultural College, leaving for active military service in the U.S. Army in 1944, where he served in the Philippines.

He returned to Clemson in 1947 and graduated in 1950 with a bachelor of science in textile manufacturing. Obtaining a commission through ROTC, he continued his military service when called back to active duty during the Korean Conflict and retired from

JOHN T. TIDWELL John Thomas Tidwell, 78, husband of Lily Pearl Anderson Tidwell, died on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2015, at a local nursing facility.

Born in Kershaw County, he was a son of the late Cole L. and Ada Beatrice Thomas Tidwell. Mr. Tidwell was a member of the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses-North Congregation. He was an auto mechanic.

Survivors include his wife of 51 years; four children, Melanie Merrell (James) of Conway, Melissa Tidwell of Sumter, Melinda Carrion (Jehu) of Charleston and

Trevor Tidwell (Kim) of East Africa; three grandchildren, Hailey Peters (Zack), Abigail Merrell and Desi Carrion; and one nephew, George Jackson (Linda) of Bishopville.

A memorial service will be held at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses-North Congregation with Victor Jackson officiating.

The family will receive friends at Mary Ann’s Deli following the service and other times at the home.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Worldwide Work of Jehovah’s Witnesses, c/o The Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses-North Congregation, 2280 Thomas Sumter Highway, Sumter, SC 29153.

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

of Louisville and Diana Schmidt of Cincinnati, Ohio; sister-in-law, Mary Joy Prendergast; and many nieces and nephews.

A Mass of Christian Burial will he held at 11 a.m. on Monday at St. Anne Catholic Church with the Rev. Thomas Burke, C.SS.R. officiating.

Burial will follow in St. Lawrence Cemetery.

The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 p.m. on Sunday at Bullock Funeral Home with the wake service being held at 5 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the American Diabetes Association, 2711 Middleburg Drive, Columbia, SC 29204 or to the charity of one’s choice.

You may sign the family’s guest book at www.bullockfuneralhome.com.

The family has chosen Bullock Funeral Home of Sumter for the arrangements.

JAMES P. LAWLER James P. Lawler, age 77, beloved husband of Sylvia A. Mike Lawler, died on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2015, at Tuomey Regional Medical Center.

Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, he was a son of the late John A. and Mary Perley Diller Lawler. Mr. Lawler attended the University of Louisville, where he earned his master’s degree in education and later attended the College of Wilmington, where he received his bachelor of arts degree in history and government. Mr. Lawler taught at the Sacred Heart Academy in Louisville, Kentucky; he was the former principal of Sumter Catholic High School; and finally retired from Crestwood High School in 2001. He served his country in the United States Army. He was a member of St. Anne Catholic Church.

Surviving in addition to his wife are one brother, John P. Lawler of Louisville; two sisters, Mary Catherine Fogarty

FERNANDO L. STEWART Fernando L. Stewart, 32, was born on Nov. 1, 1982, in Sumter to Jerry Johnson and Glen Stewart. He departed this life on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2014, at Providence Hospital in Columbia.

The family is receiving family and friends at the home of his mother, 523 Dingle St., Sumter.

Services entrusted to Whites Mortuary LLC of Sumter.

ROY LEE THOMPSON Roy Lee “Tommy” Thompson, 73, husband of Mary Ann Branham Thompson, died on Friday, Jan. 23, 2015, at Tuomey Regional Medical Center.

Services will be announced

by Elmore-Cannon-Stephens Funeral Home and Crematorium of Sumter.

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SATURDAY, JANUARY 24, 2015

FYI past and present, to share The Rembert Area Community memories and camaraderie Coalition (RACC) is accepting with old friends and make applications for the 2014-15 after school program. Applica- new ones, contact Allen R. Provide assistance, assistance justHobHope, president,or 3828 tions can be obtained at the find son Road, Fort Wayne, IN main office, 8455 Camden get involved Highway, Rembert, SC 29128. 46815-4505; (260) 486-2221 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; fax (260) 492For information, call (803) 9771; or email at hope4391@ 432-2001. verizon.net.

Having cancer is hard. Finding Hospice Care of Sumter LLC is help shouldn’t be. Free help for cancer patients from the in need of volunteers in Sumter and surrounding counAmerican Cancer Society. ties. Opportunities available Transportation to treatfor you to use your time and ment, help for appearance related side effects of treat- talents to be of assistance include reading, musical talment, nutrition help, oneents, companionship, light on-one breast cancer suphousekeeping, etc. Contact port, free housing away Joyce Blanding at (803) 883from home during treat5606 or hospicecareofsumment, help finding clinical ter@yahoo.com. trials, someone to talk to — all free from your American Agape Hospice is in need of Cancer Society. Call (800) volunteers. Whether your 227-2345. passion is baking, knitting, reading, singing, etc., Agape The Rembert Area Community Hospice can find a place for Coalition (RACC) offers a seyou. Contact Thandi Blandnior citizens program 10 a.m.ing at (803) 774-1075, (803) noon each Monday and 260-3876 or tblanding@ Wednesday at 6785 Bradley agapsenior.com.

St. (behind community car wash), Rembert, SC 29128.

Hospice Care of South Carolina Transportation is available. is in need of volunteers in For details, call (803) 432Sumter County. Do you have 2001. one extra hour a week? Opportunities are available for Sumter High School Class of 1975 will hold a 40-year class patient/family companionreunion celebration May 29- ship, administrative support, meal preparation, light 31. Send all addresses to household projects, student cindyd27@juno.com. education and various other Are you a breast cancer survivor? Maggie L. Richardson is tasks. Contact Whitney Rogers, regional volunteer coorseeking other survivors to dinator, at (843) 409-7991 or form a music group and give back to the community. whitney.rogers@hospicecIf you are interested in join- are.net.

Amedisys Hospice is in need of ing, contact her at mlrminvolunteers. Volunteer opporstry2012@gmail.com or tunities include 1) special (803) 236-9086. projects of baking, sewing, The Second (Indianhead) Diviknitting, crafts, carpentry sion Association is searching and yard work; 2) adminisfor anyone/everyone who trative/office duties of copyserved in the 2nd Infantry Division. Visit the website at ing, light filing and answering phones; and 3) patient www.2ida.org or contact companionship — develop Mike Davino at MDavino@ one-on-one relationships yahoo.com or (919) 498with hospice patients (train1910. ing provided free of charge).

Zumba classes will be held at Contact Rhoda Keefe, volun6:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and teer coordinator, at (803) Wednesdays at the Parks 469-3047 or rhonda.keefe@ and Recreation building on amedisys.com.

Haynsworth Street. Classes are $5 each and no registra- Hospice Care of Tri-County is in need of volunteers. Voluntion is required. Contact teers offer support, comDeanne Lewis at zumpanionship and care to the badeanne@gmail.com. caregiver by running erThe Palmetto Singles Club rands, reading to patients, holds a dance from 7 to 10 listening and just being p.m. on the first and third there for patients who need Fridays of each month at companionship. All you the VFW on Gion Street. Call need is a willing heart and Sarah Shorter at (803) 847some time to give to others.

3288.

No medical background is Sumter Area Toastmasters required. Hospice Care of meets at 7 p.m. each TuesTri-County will provide you day at the Sumter Mall com- with the tools you need to munity room, 1057 Broad St. become a hospice volunThe group helps in develop- teer. Call Carol Tindal at ing speaking and leadership (803) 905-7720. skills. Call Douglas Wilson ROAD to RECOVERY is in need at (803) 778-0197 or Rebecca of volunteers in the Sumter Gonzalez at (803) 565-9271. area. The program provides Navy and Marine Corps shipcancer patients with transmates who served on the portation to and from treatUSS Columbus CA-74/CG-12 ments. Call the American from 1944 through 1976 and Cancer Society at (803) 750the USS Columbus (SSN-762) 1693.

DAILY PLANNER

THE SUMTER ITEM

WEATHER

Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2015

AccuWeather® five-day forecast for Sumter TODAY

TONIGHT

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

Rain ending this morning

Mainly clear and colder

Mostly sunny

A couple of showers possible

Sunshine

Sunshine

57°

33°

58° / 42°

56° / 32°

51° / 31°

51° / 30°

Chance of rain: 75%

Chance of rain: 5%

Chance of rain: 15%

Chance of rain: 30%

Chance of rain: 0%

Chance of rain: 0%

W 10-20 mph

W 4-8 mph

SW 6-12 mph

WNW 10-20 mph

N 6-12 mph

NNE 8-16 mph

TODAY’S SOUTH CAROLINA WEATHER

Gaffney 52/30 Spartanburg 55/31

Greenville 55/30

Columbia 56/34

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

IN THE MOUNTAINS

Sumter 57/33

Aiken 54/33

ON THE COAST

Charleston 61/36

Today: Morning rain; turning cooler in northern parts. High 59 to 63.

Sunday: Mostly sunny. High 56 to 60.

LOCAL ALMANAC

LAKE LEVELS

SUMTER THROUGH 4 P.M. YESTERDAY

Today Hi/Lo/W 48/35/pc 41/29/c 58/39/pc 36/26/sf 60/39/s 81/54/s 56/41/s 39/30/sn 67/40/pc 39/29/sn 76/48/pc 67/49/s 44/33/r

SUN AND MOON 7 a.m. yest.

357.69 74.11 73.43 95.78

24-hr chg -0.01 none +0.15 +0.24

Sunrise 7:24 a.m.

Moonrise 10:07 a.m.

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

0.13" 3.81" 2.96" 3.81" 2.50" 2.96"

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

49° 42° 55° 32° 79° in 1974 13° in 1960

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

Sun. Hi/Lo/W 57/39/s 32/20/sn 66/39/s 28/8/sn 67/43/s 83/56/pc 61/45/s 39/21/s 64/49/s 42/24/s 78/55/pc 66/49/s 49/33/s

Myrtle Beach 61/37

Manning 57/34

Today: Milder; cloudy followed by clearing.

Winds west 6-12 mph.

Sunday: Times of clouds and sun. Winds southwest 6-12 mph.

Temperature High Low Normal high Normal low Record high Record low

Florence 56/33

Bishopville 56/33

Flood 7 a.m. stage yest.

12 8.67 19 5.23 14 10.37 14 3.53 80 78.06 24 7.60

Sunset 5:44 p.m.

Moonset 10:46 p.m.

First

Full

Last

New

Jan. 26

Feb. 3

Feb. 11

Feb. 18

TIDES

24-hr chg +0.07 +1.18 -0.58 +0.55 -0.14 +1.53

AT MYRTLE BEACH

High Today 12:04 p.m.

--Sun. 12:26 a.m.

12:58 p.m.

Ht. 3.3 --3.2 3.1

Low 6:24 a.m.

6:55 p.m.

7:21 a.m.

7:48 p.m.

Ht. -0.8 -0.8 -0.5 -0.7

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

Today Hi/Lo/W 43/28/sn 51/33/pc 54/32/c 59/37/c 58/38/r 61/36/r 53/30/r 54/35/c 56/34/r 55/32/r 56/34/r 55/33/r 54/32/r

Sun. Hi/Lo/W 52/32/pc 57/38/s 59/39/s 60/44/s 51/44/s 59/43/s 55/36/s 57/41/pc 60/41/s 57/40/s 55/42/s 57/39/s 57/40/s

Today City Hi/Lo/W Florence 56/33/r Gainesville 60/34/pc Gastonia 53/31/r Goldsboro 51/33/r Goose Creek 60/36/r Greensboro 49/30/r Greenville 55/30/c Hickory 49/32/c Hilton Head 58/40/c Jacksonville, FL 60/34/pc La Grange 53/33/pc Macon 52/31/pc Marietta 47/32/pc

Sun. Hi/Lo/W 58/42/s 61/44/s 55/37/s 56/38/s 59/43/s 53/34/s 56/37/pc 54/37/pc 57/45/s 62/43/s 60/40/s 58/39/s 57/37/pc

Today City Hi/Lo/W Marion 47/29/c Mt. Pleasant 61/38/r Myrtle Beach 61/37/r Orangeburg 56/34/r Port Royal 59/39/c Raleigh 49/32/r Rock Hill 53/29/r Rockingham 54/29/r Savannah 58/35/pc Spartanburg 55/31/c Summerville 58/39/c Wilmington 61/33/r Winston-Salem 49/30/r

Sun. Hi/Lo/W 54/35/pc 58/44/s 56/45/s 59/42/s 59/45/s 55/36/s 56/37/s 56/36/s 60/43/s 57/39/pc 57/45/s 57/40/s 53/35/pc

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

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

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

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Don’t expect EUGENIA LAST anything and you won’t be disappointed. Take care of what needs to be done and keep moving. Emotional outbursts will cause problems and slow you down. Strive for equality, compromise and integrity in relationships. Focus on love.

The last word in astrology

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Refuse to give in. Take charge and make your own decisions. You’ll be taken for granted if you are too accommodating. A situation will get blown out of proportion if you aren’t precise. Diplomacy will be required.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Follow through with your plans regardless of what someone else does. Look after your best interests, not those of someone else. Don’t let anyone take advantage of you or make you look bad. Stand up and speak your mind.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Anger must be tempered if you want to avoid an incident that can lead to an unexpected change. Do your best to focus on improving your skills or the services you can offer.

A job opportunity looks enticing.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Explore new places and interests, and you will stretch your imagination and come up with innovative ideas that will capture someone’s attention. Love and romance are on the rise and can bring improvements to your personal and domestic life.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Keep a close watch on what others do.

Someone is likely to renege on a promise or misinterpret something you say. Keep your distance, but monitor whatever situation you face. Protect your reputation.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Take

advantage of any networking functions and follow through with the plans you make. Don’t be afraid to show love and affection toward the people you care about. You can stabilize your personal and professional life through open and honest communication.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Don’t mess with anyone who is on a rampage. Stick to projects that keep you occupied and out of trouble. Presenting and promoting what you have to offer will be fruitful. Don’t sell yourself short.

Hold out for the best offer.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Use your persuasive talents to get others involved in your pursuits.

You will learn as you go and charm those you encounter with your playful and positive attitude. A favorable change at home will provide you with great joy.

LOTTERY NUMBERS PALMETTO CASH 5 FRIDAY

POWERBALL WEDNESDAY

5-13-16-29-35 PowerUp: 3

11-12-15-28-57 Powerball: 23 Powerplay: 4

PICK 3 FRIDAY

PICK 4 FRIDAY

2-0-5 and 0-1-6

2-5-3-6 and 0-1-8-5

MEGAMILLIONS numbers were unavailable at press time.

SPCA CAT OF THE WEEK

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Take hold of whatever situation you face, but do so subtly and with caution. A quiet unobtrusive approach will help you get what you want before anyone can oppose you. Your intuition will not let you down.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Do what feels right and is best for you.

Love is in the stars, and planning a romantic adventure will put you in a favorable position. Positive changes are heading your way, and new responsibilities will be accompanied by perks.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Your insightful way of assessing what you need to do in order to get people’s attention will work to your advantage. Fairness and equality will ensure that you maintain the alliances you develop. Learn by listening to those who support you.

Fatty, a 3-year-old gray tabby and white spayed female American shorthair, is available for adoption at the Sumter SPCA. She is housebroken, loving, gentle, affectionate, active and playful. Fatty gets along great with other cats and she is also super with children. She would make a great new member of any family.

The SPCA is located at 1140 S. Guignard Drive, (803) 773-9292, and is open 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. every day except Wednesday and Sunday. Visit the website at www.sumterscspca.com.

SECTION

Federer ousted

by Seppi in third round B5

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

B

SATURDAY, JANUARY 24, 2015

PREP BASKETBALL

PREP BASEBALL

Crestwood boys, girls cruise past Red Foxes

Sumter’s Crawford signs with Fire Ants

BY EDDIE LITAKER Special To The Sumter Item

BY DENNIS BRUNSON dennis@theitem.com They might have taken slightly different routes to their final destination, but in the end both of Crestwood’s varsity basketball teams came away with blowout wins against Hartsville on Friday at The Castle.

The Crestwood girls opened the second half with a 13-2 run to begin pulling away from HartsEDWARDS ville and continue to distance themselves from the Lady Foxes in the fourth quarter on the way to a 62-36 victory.

In the boys game, Crestwood proved its superiority with a 24-5 second-quarter edge that put the Knights up 41-11 at the break on the way to a 73-42 thrashing of the Red Foxes.

The Lady Knights ran their Region VI-3A record to 4-1 while improving to 13-4 overall. Meanwhile, the Knights also moved to 4-1 in region play and 14-4 overall, building on the momentum of Tuesday’s 74-62 win over No. 5 Darlington.

“I thought they came out tonight and were focused, but once we got a little lead I thought they got a little complacent,” said Crestwood boys head coach Dwayne Edwards of his team’s effort. “They were trying to do things other than run our sets and play aggressive defense.

“I think they were playing more for the crowd instead of playing for the coach. So I had to kind of slow them down, and then we got back on track again. That’s the tendency a lot of times, that you try to celebrate when you get a big lead like that. We want to play consistent basketball through the four quarters, and that’s

SEE CRESTWOOD, PAGE B3

through the hoop as time expired to give the home team a thrilling comeback victory.

“I had one more timeout left but I told (the girls) during a timeout with eight seconds left, ‘If she hits the free throw, just take it to the basket; just go to the basket,” said Wilson Hall girls head coach Glen Rector. “That’s exactly what

Chris Crawford has enjoyed his share of success pitching and playing in the field for both Sumter High School and Sumter P-15’s baseball teams. Now he’s going to give it a shot with the University of South Carolina Sumter.

“I like the idea of going the JUCO CRAWFORD route,” said Crawford, who signed with the junior college program that came within one victory of reaching the Junior College World Series last season. “I think it will be better for me all around. I’ll get to stay home and I’ll be playing for a good coach.”

The Fire Ants will be in their second season under Tim Medlin, who guided the program to its first Region X title and to the championship round of the Eastern District tournament.

“I just like Coach Medlin,” Crawford said. “He’s a great guy.”

Of course, Crawford has to complete his senior season with SHS. He played a big role in the Gamecocks winning the 4A state title last season, especially on the mound.

Crawford was 7-0 with one save and a 1.74 earned run average in 31 1/3 innings. The right-hander had 26 strikeouts while walking 12 and allowing 30 hits. He had just two starts, coming on in relief nine times.

“Pitching-wise, Chris did a great job for us,” Sumter head coach Brooks Shumake said. “He always came in and did his job.

“He came in at some critical points in games and performed really well.

With the graduation of Charlie Barnes, Phillip Watcher and Jacob Watcher, who handled most of the starts last

SEE ESCAPE, PAGE B3

SEE CRAWFORD, PAGE B3

KEITH GEDAMKE / SPECIAL TO THE ITEM

Wilson’s Hall’s Hannah Jordan (5) puts up the game-winning shot between Thomas Sumter Academy’s Haley Hawkins (25) and Kayla Chappell during the Lady Barons’ 41-40 victory on Friday at Nash Student Center.

Perfect escape Jordan’s game-winning shot lifts Lady Barons past TSA 41-40 to keep unbeaten region record intact

BY MICHAEL CHRISTOPHER michaelc@theitem.com Wilson Hall senior Hannah Jordan hit the gamewinning shot in the varsity girls basketball team’s 41-40 victory over Thomas Sumter Academy and the Wilson Hall boys rolled to a 63-35 win without two starters as a packed crowd on Friday at Nash Student Center.

Both Wilson Hall squads

remained undefeated in SCISA Region II-3A. In the girls game, TSA freshman Latrice Lyons hit one of two free throws with 8.5 seconds left to play, giving the Lady Generals a 40-39 lead, but Jordan drove the lane and in between four defenders put up a floater. The ball made contact with the backboard, spun around on the back rim for a bit, taking precious time away, and fell

USC BASKETBALL

Carolina gets latest crack at No. 1 Kentucky

BY PETE IACOBELLI The Associated Press COLUMBIA — South Carolina is looking to channel its success against No. 1 Kentucky, which knows too well the dangers of entering Colonial Life Arena with a perfect record.

Those 2010 Wildcats featured NBA standouts John Wall and Demarcus Cousins and seemed certain to obliterate the Gamecocks. Instead, South Carolina ended Kentucky’s 19-0 start with a 68-62 victory.

The Wildcats learned their lesson.

Two years later, as the country’s No. 1 team and led by Anthony Davis and Terrance Jones, they ran past the Gamecocks 82-56.

While the cast of players is different, the situation is similar today, with No. 1 Kentucky (18-0, 5-0 Southeastern Conference) heading to South Carolina (10-7, 1-4).

Kentucky coach John Calipari brings another deep and talented team into a venue where it has lost three of the past five times. The most recent came last year when the Wildcats were beaten 72-67.

“The thing that they’ve benefited most of is that you don’t have to play

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

South Carolina guard Sindarius Thornwell (0) and forward Michael Carrera (24) will look to guide the Gamecocks to an upset victory over top-ranked Kentucky today in Columbia. well because we have enough guys,’’ Calipari said. “Now you can just worry about really playing hard and doing your best. There’s no, like, ‘If I

don’t play well we’re going to lose this game.’’’

That hasn’t always been the case in previous Kentucky visits.

Former Gamecocks coach Darrin Horn won three straight series meetings — two at home — in 2009 and 2010, including the program’s only win over a team ranked No. 1 in The Associated Press rankings.

Kentucky had ascended to the top spot for the first time in seven years and figured to stay that way against an up-and-down South Carolina. Instead, Gamecocks star Devan Downey scored 30 points and South Carolina’s defense rattled Kentucky in the upset.

Horn, an analyst on the SEC Network, recalls how a game earlier, his team’s late-game basket to take a lead at Florida was trumped by a Chandler Parsons’ 3-pointer to give the Gators the victory.

“We met Sunday and said, `We can’t sit around whining about what happened. We have to get ready’’ for Kentucky.

It also didn’t totally sit right with his team, Horn said, that Kentucky entertained a game-day call from President Obama for their fundraising efforts to help Haiti.

“They were in our building and worried about talking to the president,’’

SEE USC, PAGE B4

B2

|

SPORTS

SATURDAY, JANUARY 24, 2015

SCOREBOARD

SPORTS ITEMS

Braves , OF Gomes agree to 1-year deal ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves and outfielder Jonny Gomes agreed Thursday to a $4 million, one-year contract with a vesting option, a deal subject to a successful physical before it can be finalized.

Gomes, who played for Boston and Oakland in 2014, could be part of a left field platoon in a new-look GOMES outfield. He could share time with former Yankees prospect Zoilo Almonte, a switchhitter who signed as a free agent.

Gomes, 34, hit only .234 with a career-low six homers for Boston and Oakland last year. He hit .276 with four homers against lefthanders.

Gomes is a career .244 hitter with 144 homers. He had back-toback 20-homer seasons with Tampa Bay in 2005-06 and hit 18 homers with a career-high 86 RBI with the Reds in 2010. He hit .247 with 13 homers for the Red Sox in 2013.

SPORTS ILLUSTRATED LAYS OFF ALL 6 STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS NEW YORK — Sports Illustrated is laying off all six of its staff photographers as it restructures its photography department.

Scott Novak, a spokesman for parent company Time Inc., says that the magazine will be able to expand its contributor base worldwide by relying on freelance photographers.

Novak said Friday that the decision to move away from staff photography is not unprecedented at the magazine.

Sports Illustrated was founded in 1954 and has a weekly audience of more than 19 million.

BRYANT TO BE RE-EXAMINED BEFORE DECIDING INJURY FATE LOS ANGELES — Kobe Bryant’s torn right rotator cuff will be re-examined Monday before the Los Angeles Lakers decide whether the superstar guard needs potentially season-ending surgery.

Bryant was examined Friday in Los Angeles. He tore his rotator

AREA SCOREBOARD BASEBALL SPRING REGISTRATION

The Sumter County Recreation Department will take registration for its spring baseball program beginning on Monday.

Registration for children ages 4-12 will run through Feb. 12. The last day to register for ages 13-14 will be March 20.

Players will be placed in leagues bases on their ages as of April 30, 2015.

The cost to register will be $35 for ages 4-6, $40 for 7-8, $45 for 9-10, $45 for 11-12 Traditional, $50 for 11-12 O-Zone and $50 for 13-14.

A birth certificate is required if one is not on file at the recreation department.

A mandatory coaches meeting will be held on Thursday, Feb. 12, at 6 p.m. at the recreation department, which is located at 155 Haynsworth Street.

For more information, call the recreation department at (803) 4362248 or visit its website at www. sumtercountysc.org.

SCISA UMPIRES NEEDED

The South Carolina Independent School Association is looking for anyone who might interested in becoming a baseball umpire.

Experienced umpires are preferred.

For those who are interested, contact SCISA District Director of Umpiring, Teddy Weeks at TWeeks51@aol.com.

SOFTBALL SPRING REGISTRATION

The Sumter County Recreation Department will take registration for its spring softball program beginning on Monday.

Registration for children ages 5-12 will run through Feb. 12. The last day to register for ages 13-18 will be March 27.

Players will placed in leagues based on their ages as of Dec. 31, 2014.

The cost to register will be $35 for

cuff Wednesday in New Orleans.

Team physician Steve Lombardo confirmed the diagnosis and discussed treatment options with Bryant, including surgery to repair the tear.

Bryant will be examined again

by Neal ElAttrache of the Kerlan Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic on Monday, and they’ll decide whether Bryant needs surgery.

PALMER MISSES CHANCE FOR 59 IN HUMANA CHALLENGE LA QUINTA, Calif. — Ryan Palmer missed a chance to shoot 59 or lower Friday in the Humana Challenge, settling for an 11-under 61 after playing a nine-hole stretch in 10 under.

After opening with two pars, Palmer had two eagles and seven birdies on the next nine holes for the longest eagle-birdie streak in PGA Tour history.

Needing to play the final eight holes in 3 under to shoot 59, he bogeyed Nos. 2 and 3. He birdied the fourth, sixth and eighth holes and closed with a par.

Palmer was at 12-under 132, leaving him three strokes behind leader Matt Kuchar.

Kuchar shot 64 on the Nicklaus course.

NBA RAPTORS 91 76ERS 86 PHILADELPHIA — Kyle Lowry scored 17 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Toronto Raptors to a 91-86 comeback victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night.

Patrick Patterson added 14 points and 13 rebounds for the Raptors, who overcame a ninepoint deficit with 5 1/2 minutes left.

Robert Covington scored 18 points to lead six 76ers in doublefigures. It was the fourth straight loss and sixth in seven games for Philadelphia, which dropped to 3-18 at home.

Philadelphia’s Nerlens Noel returned to the lineup after missing Wednesday’s 98-91 loss to the Knicks due to sickness.

From wire reports

ages 5-6, $40 for 7-8 and $45 for 9-18.

A birth certificate is required if one is not on file at the recreation department.

A mandatory coaches meeting will be held on Thursday, Feb. 12, at 6 p.m. at the recreation department, which is located at 155 Haynsworth Street.

For more information, call the recreation department at (803) 4362248 or visit its website at www. sumtercountysc.org.

SCISA UMPIRES NEEDED

The South Carolina Independent School Association is looking for anyone who might interested in becoming a softball umpire.

Experienced umpires are preferred.

For those who are interested, contact SCISA District Director of Umpiring, Teddy Weeks at TWeeks51@aol.com.

BOWLING GAMECOCK LANES SCORES Dec. 5-11

Industrial Mixed: Otha Johnson 581; Raynard Jackson 214; Julia Jenkins 486.

Friday Night Mixed: Moses Jackson 290-741; Wardell Stevenson 236-587; Norris Kendrick 237-633; Curtis Anderson 255; Tyrone Bailey 266; Charlie Boykin 267; Joe Spangler 267; Richard Roarick 238; Bing Davis 245-655; Henry Watkins 221; Gene Jenkins 604; Leon Williams 654; Gregg Anderson 712; Lois Riles 186-456; Sue Bailey 237-659; Sarah Lawrence 501.

Bumper Bowlers: Sydnie Vohs 92-165.

Bantams/Preps: Victor Knezevich 141; Matt Bickley 168.

Jr./Maj./Sr.: Shykee Washington 231; CKody Lambert 205-541; Tristan Krug 178-469; Connor Batey 182-496; Shiem Blackmon 215-607; Joseph McColgin 128; Arianna Parker 146-371; Jordyn Griffin 152-346; Rachel Williams 137-361.

Sunday Night Mixed: Don Brown 298-648; Jimmy Ardis 423.

Hot Shots: Annie Stickland 172-420; Sarah Lawrence 206-513; Linnie Singleton 447; Les Shaw-Rembert 508.

Holy Bowlers: Jeanie McIntosh 168-402; Rick Marion 468; Dave Claeys 617; Joe Mader 425; Joan Flury 484; Ellen Monarch 434; Christine Stockton 436; Sandy Claeys 412.

Tuesday Night Mixed: Troy Blake 233-587; Richard Roarick 244; Harold Allan 259-699; Don Infelise 721; Russ Ratcliff 720; Claude Corbett 591; Ron Poole 544; Rita Blake 223512; Eva Jackson 218-577; Rosemary Smith 209-553; Teresa Harvard 517; Tara Draper 401; Amy Vohs 503; Marie Anderson 449.

Close Encounters: Marilyn Adams 175-473; Kathy Stafford 200; Lee Springs 524; John Brown 576; Stan Griggs 478; Roland Evans 510; Christine Morris 304.

Possibilities: Marie Anderson 474; Rosa Davis 577.

Afternoon Delight: Calvin McMillan 585; Edith Spann 447.

Thursday Night House: Don Infelise 267; Rowland Yates 268-760; Von Carraway 235/615; Joe Spangler 653; Steve Shirley 577; James Price 603; Felicia Lonon 501.

TV, RADIO TODAY

4:30 a.m. -- Professional Golf: European PGA Tour Qatar Masters Final Round from Doha, Qatar (GOLF).

9 a.m. -- Professional Tennis: Australian Open Men’s and Women’s Third-Round Matches from Melbourne, Australia (ESPN2).

10 a.m. – International Soccer: FA Cup Match – Middlesbrough vs. Manchester City (FOX SPORTS 1).

10 a.m. – International Soccer: FA Cup Match – West Brom vs. Birmingham (FOX SPORTS 2).

11:30 a.m. – Women’s College Basketball: Anderson at Queens (CBS SPORTS NETWORK).

Noon – College Basketball: Wake Forest at Clemson (WWBD-FM 94.7, WPUB-FM 102.7).

Noon – College Basketball: Kentucky at South Carolina (ESPN, WDXY-FM 105.9, WDXY-AM 1240).

Noon – College Basketball: Tulsa at East Carolina (ESPNEWS).

Noon -- College Basketball: Oklahoma State at Kansas State (ESPN2).

Noon – College Basketball: Rutgers at Penn State (ESPNU).

Noon – College Basketball: DePaul at Xavier (FOX SPORTS 1).

Noon – International Soccer: FA Cup Match – Bolton vs. Liverpool (FOX SPORTS 2).

Noon – Women’s College Basketball: Middle Tennessee State at Charlotte (FOX SPORTSOUTH).

Noon – College of Charleston at Drexel (NBC SPORTS NETWORK).

1 p.m. – College Basketball: Texas A&M at Tennessee (SPORTSOUTH).

2 p.m. – College Basketball: Kansas at Texas (WLTX 19).

2 p.m. – Auto Racing: Rolex 24 at Daytona Start from Daytona Beach, Fla. (WACH 57).

2 p.m. – College Basketball: Anderson at Queens (CBS SPORTS NETWORK).

2 p.m. – College Basketball: Florida State at North Carolina (ESPN).

2 p.m. – College Basketball: Arkansas at Missouri (ESPN2).

2 p.m. – College Basketball: Texas Christian at West Virginia (ESPNU).

2 p.m. – Women’s College Basketball: West Virginia at Kansas (FOX SPORTSOUTH).

2 p.m. – College Basketball: Northeastern at William & Mary (NBC SPORTS NETWORK).

2:30 p.m. – College Basketball: Georgetown at Marquette (FOX SPORTS 1).

3 p.m. – Figure Skating: U.S. Championships from Greensboro, N.C. – Pairs Free Skate and Free Dance (WIS 10).

3 p.m. -- PGA Golf: Humana Challenge Third Round from La Quinta, Calif. (GOLF).

3 p.m. – College Basketball: Georgia at Mississippi State (SPORTSOUTH).

4 p.m. – College Basketball: UCLA at Oregon (WLTX 19).

4 p.m. – Women’s College Basketball: San Diego at Brigham Young (BYUTV).

4 p.m. – College Basketball: Michigan State at Nebraska (ESPN).

4 p.m. – College Basketball: Miami at Syracuse (ESPN2).

4 p.m. – College Basketball: Iowa State at Texas Tech (ESPNU).

4 p.m. – Auto Racing: Rolex 24 at Daytona from Daytona Beach, Fla. (FOX SPORTS 2).

4 p.m. – Women’s College Basketball: Boston College at Pittsburgh (FOX SPORTSOUTH).

4 p.m. – College Football: Senior Bowl from Mobile, Ala. (NFL NETWORK).

6 p.m. – College Basketball: Houston at Southern Methodist (CBS SPORTS NETWORK).

6 p.m. – College Basketball: Oklahoma at Baylor (ESPN2).

6 p.m. – College Basketball: Louisiana State at Vanderbilt (ESPNU).

6 p.m. – College Basketball: Florida at Mississippi (SEC NETWORK).

7 p.m. – College Basketball: Wisconsin at Michigan (ESPN).

7 p.m. – NHL Hockey: All-Star Skills Competition from Columbus, Ohio (NBC SPORTS NETWORK).

7 p.m. – NBA Basketball: New York at Charlotte (SPORTSOUTH).

7:30 p.m. – Senior PGA Golf: Mitsubishi Electric Championship Second Round from Kona, Hawaii (GOLF).

7:30 p.m. – NBA Basketball: Detroit at Milwaukee (NBA TV).

8 p.m. – Figure Skating: U.S. Championships from Greensboro, N.C. – Women’s Final (WIS 10).

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

8 p.m. – College Basketball: Memphis at Tulane (ESPNU).

8 p.m. – Auto Racing: Rolex 24 at Daytona from Daytona Beach, Fla. (FOX SPORTS 2).

8 p.m. – International Soccer: CONCACAF Under20 Championship Final Match from Montego Bay, Jamaica (FOX SPORTS 2).

8:30 p.m. – College Basketball: Auburn at Alabama (SEC NETWORK).

9 p.m. -- Professional Tennis: Australian Open Men’s and Women’s Round-of-16 Matches from Melbourne, Australia (ESPN2).

9:45 p.m. – Professional Boxing: Gilberto Ramirez vs. Maxim Vlasov in a Super Middleweight Bout and Mike Alvarado vs. Brandon Rios in a Welterweight Bout from Broomfield, Colo. (HBO).

10 p.m. – College Basketball: San Diego State at Colorado State (ESPNU).

10 p.m. – NBA Basketball: Washington at Portland (NBA TV).

Midnight – College Basketball: Arizona State at Stanford (ESPNU).

3 a.m. -- Professional Tennis: Australian Open Men’s and Women’s Round-of-16 Matches from Melbourne, Australia (ESPN2).

PREP SCHEDULE TODAY

Varsity Basketball St. Francis Xavier at Dorchester (Boys Only), 5 p.m.

Varsity Wrestling Sumter in Gamecock Duals, 9 a.m.

GOLF The Associated Press HUMANA CHALLENGE PAR SCORES

Friday p-PGA West, Arnold Palmer Private Course: 6,950; par 72 n-PGA West, Jack Nicklaus Private Course: 6,924; par 72 q-La Quinta Country Club: 7,060; par 72 La Quinta, Calif.

Purse: $5.7 million Second Round Matt Kuchar 65q-64n — 129 -15 Michael Putnam 63n-67p — 130 -14 Bill Haas 67p-63q — 130 -14 Nick Watney 67q-64n — 131 -13 Justin Thomas 68q-63n — 131 -13 Scott Pinckney 64q-67n — 131 -13 Erik Compton 66p-66q — 132 -12 Alex Cejka 68q-64n — 132 -12 Ryan Palmer 71q-61n — 132 -12 Steve Wheatcroft 65p-67q — 132 -12 Nick Taylor 66p-67q — 133 -11 Jason Kokrak 65n-68p — 133 -11 Martin Flores 68p-65q — 133 -11 Brendan Steele 67q-68n —135 -9 Francesco Molinari 64p-71q — 135 -9 Patrick Reed 65q-70n — 135 -9 Sung Joon Park 68n-67p — 135 -9 Scott Verplank 70q-65nâ 135 -9 Harris English 67n-68p — 135 -9 Charles Howell III 67q-68n — 135 -9 Sean O’Hair 68q-67n — 135 -9 Scott Stallings 68q-67n — 135 -9 Tony Finau 71q-65n — 136 -8 Brian Davis 67n-69p — 136 -8 Webb Simpson 70p-66q — 136 -8 Boo Weekley 70p-66q — 136 -8 George McNeill 68q-68n — 136 -8

THE SUMTER ITEM

NBA STANDINGS

By The Associated Press

EASTERN CONFERENCE ATLANTIC DIVISION Toronto Brooklyn Boston Philadelphia New York SOUTHEAST DIVISION Atlanta Washington Miami Charlotte Orlando CENTRAL DIVISION Chicago Cleveland Milwaukee Detroit Indiana

W 27 18 14 8 7

L 15 25 26 34 36

Pct .643 .419 .350 .190 .163

GB – 9 1/2 12 19 20 1/2

W 35 29 18 18 15

L 8 14 24 25 30

Pct .814 .674 .429 .419 .333

GB – 6 16 1/2 17 21

W 28 23 21 17 15

L 16 20 21 26 29

Pct .636 .535 .500 .395 .341

GB – 4 1/2 6 10 1/2 13

W 30 30 29 27 21

L 12 13 14 17 21

Pct .714 .698 .674 .614 .500

GB – 1/2 1 1/2 4 9

W 31 22 18 15 7

L 13 20 24 28 34

Pct .705 .524 .429 .349 .171

GB – 8 12 15 1/2 22 1/2

W 34 29 26 16 12

L 6 14 18 26 31

Pct .850 .674 .591 .381 .279

GB – 6 1/2 10 19 23 1/2

WESTERN CONFERENCE SOUTHWEST DIVISION Memphis Dallas Houston San Antonio New Orleans NORTHWEST DIVISION Portland Oklahoma City Denver Utah Minnesota PACIFIC DIVISION Golden State L.A. Clippers Phoenix Sacramento L.A. Lakers

THURSDAY’S GAMES

Chicago 104, San Antonio 81 Utah 101, Milwaukee 99 Boston 90, Portland 89 L.A. Clippers 123, Brooklyn 84

FRIDAY’S GAMES

Toronto at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.

Oklahoma City at Atlanta, 7:30 p.m.

Indiana at Miami, 7:30 p.m.

Charlotte at Cleveland, 7:30 p.m.

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

Chicago at Dallas, 8 p.m.

New Orleans at Minnesota, 8 p.m.

L.A. Lakers at San Antonio, 8:30 p.m.

Houston at Phoenix, 9 p.m.

Boston at Denver, 9 p.m.

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

TODAY’S GAMES

New York at Charlotte, 7 p.m.

Detroit at Milwaukee, 7:30 p.m.

Philadelphia at Memphis, 8 p.m.

Brooklyn at Utah, 9 p.m.

Washington at Portland, 10 p.m.

SUNDAY’S GAMES

Miami at Chicago, 1 p.m.

Oklahoma City at Cleveland, 3:30 p.m.

L.A. Clippers at Phoenix, 6 p.m.

Dallas at New Orleans, 6 p.m.

Minnesota at Atlanta, 6 p.m.

Indiana at Orlando, 6 p.m.

Milwaukee at San Antonio, 7 p.m.

Detroit at Toronto, 7 p.m.

Boston at Golden State, 8 p.m.

Washington at Denver, 8 p.m.

Houston at L.A. Lakers, 9:30 p.m.

NFL PLAYOFFS PRO BOWL

Sunday At Glendale, Ariz.

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

SUPER BOWL XLIX

Feb. 1 At Glendale, Ariz.

New England vs. Seattle, 6:30 p.m. (NBC)

NHL STANDINGS

By The Associated Press EASTERN CONFERENCE ATLANTIC DIVISION GP W Tampa Bay 48 30 Detroit 47 27 Montreal 45 29 Boston 48 25 Florida 44 20 Ottawa 46 19 Toronto 48 22 Buffalo 47 14 METROPOLITAN DIVISION GP W N.Y. Islanders 46 31 Pittsburgh 46 26 N.Y. Rangers 44 27 Washington 46 24 Philadelphia 48 19 Columbus 45 20 New Jersey 47 17 Carolina 46 16

L 14 11 13 16 14 18 23 30

OT 4 9 3 7 10 9 3 3

Pts 64 63 61 57 50 47 47 31

GF 156 139 123 126 107 126 142 89

GA 127 119 106 121 122 128 150 167

L 14 12 13 13 22 22 22 25

OT 1 8 4 9 7 3 8 5

Pts 63 60 58 57 45 43 42 37

GF 151 138 134 137 130 113 107 98

GA 129 117 106 120 146 142 134 120

L 10 13 15 14 18 18 20

OT 5 4 2 8 10 7 6

Pts 65 62 62 60 50 49 46

GF 137 148 148 135 125 144 128

GA 104 111 108 117 137 151 137

L 10 17 16 19 15 25 26 win,

OT 6 6 3 3 12 5 9 one

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

GP 45 46 47 48 48 46 46

W 30 29 30 26 20 21 20

GP W Anaheim 47 31 San Jose 48 25 Vancouver 45 26 Calgary 47 25 Los Angeles 47 20 Arizona 46 16 Edmonton 47 12 NOTE: Two points for a time loss.

Pts GF GA 68 139 124 56 131 132 55 124 114 53 136 125 52 129 126 37 105 156 33 109 158 point for over-

TODAY’S GAMES

No games scheduled

SUNDAY’S GAME

NHL All-Star Game at Columbus, Ohio

TENNIS

By The Associated Press AUSTRALIAN OPEN RESULTS FRIDAY

At Melbourne Park Melbourne, Australia Purse: $32.9 million (Grand Slam) Surface: Hard-Outdoor Singles Men Third Round Tomas Berdych (7), Czech Republic, def. Viktor Troicki, Serbia, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4.

Grigor Dimitrov (10), Bulgaria, def. Marcos Baghdatis, Cyprus, 4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.

Andreas Seppi, Italy, def. Roger Federer (2), Switzerland, 6-4, 7-6 (5), 4-6, 7-6 (5).

Andy Murray (6), Britain, def. Joao Sousa, Portugal, 6-1, 6-1, 7-5.

Bernard Tomic, Australia, def. Sam Groth, Australia, 6-4, 7-6 (8), 6-3.

Kevin Anderson (14), South Africa, def. Richard Gasquet (24), France, 6-4, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (6).

Nick Kyrgios, Australia, def. Malek Jaziri, Tunisia, 6-3, 7-6 (6), 6-1.

Rafael Nadal (3), Spain, def. Dudi Sela, Israel, 6-1, 6-0, 7-5.

Women Third Round Julia Goerges, Germany, def. Lucie Hradecka, Czech Republic, 7-6 (6), 7-5.

Ekaterina Makarova (10), Russia, def. Karolina Pliskova (22), Czech Republic, 6-4, 6-4.

Yanina Wickmayer, Belgium, def. Sara Errani (14), Italy, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.

Peng Shuai (21), China, def. Yaroslava Shvedova, Kazakhstan, 7-6 (7), 6-3.

Eugenie Bouchard (7), Canada, def. Caroline Garcia, France, 7-5, 6-0.

Irina-Camelia Begu, Romania, def. Carina Witthoeft, Germany, 6-4, 6-4.

Simona Halep (3), Romania, def. Bethanie Mattek-Sands, United States, 6-4, 7-5.

Maria Sharapova (2), Russia, def. Zarina Diyas (31), Kazakhstan, 6-1, 6-1.

PREP SPORTS

THE SUMTER ITEM

SATURDAY, JANUARY 24, 2015

|

B3

BOYS AREA ROUNDUP

Sumter advances to championship pool of Gamecock Duals The Sumter High School varsity wrestling team advanced to the championship pool of the Gamecock Duals by winning all four of its matches on Friday at the SHS gymnasium.

The Gamecocks defeated Lake City 45-18 and Central Academy 55-28 before topping Stratford 43-28. They defeated Laurens in their final match.

Action will begin at 9 a.m. today. The championship pool will start at approximately 2 p.m.

VARSITY BASKETBALL SUMTER 76 SOCASTEE 57 MYRTLE BEACH — Sumter High School improved to 3-1 in Region VI-4A with a 76-57 victory over Socastee on Friday at the Socastee gymnasium.

Quentin Kershaw led the Gamecocks with 24 points.

Andrew Tiller had 14 and Micah McBride finished with nine.

KEITH GEDAMKE / SPECIAL TO THE ITEM

Wilson Hall’s Sam Watford (3) looks to get a shot off while being defended by Thomas Sumter Academy’s Drew Stengel, left, and Ron York during the Barons’ 63-35 victory on Friday at Nash Student Center.

ESCAPE FROM PAGE B1 she did and fortunately it went in.”

The Lady Generals, now 12-5 on the season and 2-2 in region play, appeared to have the game at hand, leading 39-33 with 48.3 seconds to play and in the double-bonus at the free throw line. However, that’s when WH began to chip away.

“I really felt like in the second half we didn’t execute and we forced some shots when we needed to run the offense,” Thomas Sumter head coach B.J. Reed said.

“Ultimately you could say that comes down to their defensive pressure on us or us maybe getting a little tight because we had the lead and this game means so much in our region.”

Two critical fouls cost TSA late as it had possession of the ball after Nicolette Fisher completed a 3-point play to help WH pull within a possession. An offthe-ball foul was committed before the inbound. On the ensuing Wilson Hall possession, TSA was called for a loose ball foul, putting Fisher at the line for two free throws with a chance to tie the game. Reed said the same scenario happened in its other region loss in overtime to Orangeburg Prep last week.

“It ultimately comes down to execution and that’s on me,” the Lady Generals head

coach said. “We’re going to learn and get better from this.”

Fisher scored 11 of her game- and career-high 17 points in the fourth quarter.

Jordan finished with 11 points.

Rector said his team played a better half, shooting 50 percent from the field and cutting down its turnovers from 13 to seven.

“Nicolette made some really big plays for us tonight,” Rector said. “Offensively, she was the key. Everyone contributed, but she hit some really big baskets for our basketball team, and Hannah has shown a tremendous amount of composure that a point guard is supposed to show.”

WH is now 13-4 overall and 3-0 in league play.

The Lady Generals came out with a first quarter statement with a 15-6 advantage.

They led by 13 at halftime.

TSA senior Hannah Jenkins led the team with 16 points and Lyons finished with seven points. Taylor Knudson finished with six points, five rebounds and six steals before fouling out with less than 20 seconds to play.

In the boys game the Barons, now 6-9 overall and 3-0 in conference play, opened the game on a 12-0 run and never looked back despite missing starters John Wells Baker and John Ballard.

“I thought we came out with a lot of intensity in the first half. We made shots and we really needed to get off to

CRESTWOOD FROM PAGE B1 what our focus was on tonight.”

The Knights maintained a comfortable cushion throughout the second half, leading by as much as 35 with the advantage never dipping below 25.

Devin Nelson scored 14 to lead three Crestwood players in double figures. Nelson was joined by Daklota Jennings with 13 and Gerald Dunn with 12.

Darius Rhodes scored seven to pace the Red Foxes, who dropped to 3-12 overall and 0-5 in the region.

In the girls game, Crestwood led 10-5 after one quarter and upped the advantage to 10, 24-14, at the break. Lady Knights head coach Tony Wilson was frustrated with the pace that the Lady Foxes was forcing on his team in the opening two quarters.

We wanted to come out and play our type of game, but they were picking us up fullcourt man and they did a dia-

mond press on us, so we were playing too fast in the first half,” Wilson said. “We were making too many mental mistakes, and a lot of times the girls weren’t focused and doing what they were supposed to do. I told them at halftime to just settle down and play our game, and they came out and took advantage of what they were trying to do.”

After the run to open the second half, the Lady Knights were up 37-16. Hartsville’s Jazmia Cornell then scored all of her team-high seven points in consecutive fashion to cut the lead back to 14, 3723. Crestwood would carry a 41-28 lead into the final quarter.

The Lady Knights put the game completely out of reach with a 14-0 run to open the fourth. Tyana Saunders scored six of her team-high 13 points in the run, which left Crestwood up 55-28 with 3:10 to go. A 3-point play from Dy-

a good start and we did,” Wilson Hall boys head coach Eddie Talley said. “We had a lot of people step up and contribute throughout the game, but especially early. Whenever you can make a few shots in the beginning it makes things a little easier for you.”

Talley said he came into the contest worried as the team had just seven players at practice even with starter Brent Carraway playing hurt.

Drew Talley led the Barons with 19 points while Clayton Lowder added 12. Sam Watford had seven and Jake Croft added six.

TSA, which fell to 5-11 and 2-2, turned the ball over on seven of its first eight possessions and only made 13 of 25 from the free throw line. Ron York led the Generals with 12 points while Tanner Brunson added seven in the loss.

“You’ve got to be smart about things at times and we weren’t,” TSA head coach Morgan Watt said. “We didn’t play very good defense, they had open looks and they made them. The biggest difference is they made their open looks and we missed ours.”

Watt said his team played a bit panicked, which is something that is out of character.

“For whatever reason we did not come to play, and I don’t know how you don’t after that girls game was so exciting and so hard-fought.

You should’ve brought your A-game and I didn’t think we did.”

eesha Cabbagestalk gave the Lady Knights their largest least, 62-32, before the Lady Foxes, now 9-5 and 1-4, got baskets from Chloe Quick and Lyric Harrell to close the scoring.

Shaquandra Miller-McCray grabbed 13 rebounds and blocked 10 shots to go along with six points. Cawasha Ceasar and Avis Murphy scored eight points apiece, with Ceasar adding three assists and Murphy grabbing four boards. Lindsey Rogers contributed seven points and seven assists while Saunders closed with six rebounds. “(Shaquandra) should have had a triple-double, because she missed a lot of easy baskets around the rim,” Wilson said. “She’s got to finish those, and she knows she’s got to finish. We played pretty good in spurts, but we didn’t come out focused like we need to play. We’ve got to have the mindset to come out there and play hard for 32 minutes. But we still got a victory, and I’m proud of that.”

ST. FRANCIS XAVIER 51 CLARENDON HALL 39

SUMMERTON — St. Francis Xavier High School improved to 6-3 in SCISA Region III-1A with a 51-39 victory over Clarendon Hall on Thursday at the CH gymnasium.

Dalton Foreman led the 11-8 Padres with 21 points, while Jay McFadden had 20.

Dustin Way led the Saints with 13.

ST. FRANCIS XAVIER Lyons 6, Foreman 21, McFadden 20, Rickabaugh 2, Harp 2.

CLARENDON HALL Way 13, M. Corbett 6, P. Patel 8, R. Patel 3, W. Corbett 2.

JUNIOR VARSITY BASKETBALL WILSON HALL 32 THOMAS SUMTER 23

Wilson Hall improved to 5-8 with a 32-23 victory over Thomas Sumter Academy on Friday at Nash Student Center.

Easton Ward led the Barons with nine points, while Noah Harvin had seven.

Zach Fugate led TSA with 11 points.

B TEAM BASKETBALL WILSON HALL 39 THOMAS SUMTER 29 Wilson Hall improved to 7-5 with a 39-29 victory over Thomas Sumter Academy on Friday at Nash Student Center.

Chandler Scott led the Barons with 15 points.

Grey Holler and Landon Van Patten added eight apiece.

Billy Colquitt led TSA with eight.

MIDDLE SCHOOL BASKETBALL HILLCREST 48 EBENEZER 38

DALZELL — Hillcrest Middle School defeated Ebenezer 48-38 on Thursday at the Hillcrest gymnasium.

Josh Simon led the Wildcats with 17 points. Datrick Neal and Josh Goodman both had eight.

GIRLS AREA ROUNDUP

LHS tops Manning to stay perfect in region MANNING — The Lakewood High School varsity girls basketball team improved to 5-0 in Region VI-3A with a 72-44 victory over Manning on Friday at Thames Arena.

The Lady Gators, 14-3 overall, were led by Sonora Dengokl with 22 points.

Kamryn Lemon added 18 and Shalexia Pack had nine.

B TEAM BASKETBALL WILSON HALL 39 THOMAS SUMTER 9 Wilson Hall improved to 12-0 with a 39-9 victory over Thomas Sumter Academy on Friday at Nash Student Center.

Shelby Guldan led the Lady Barons with 12 points.

Waverly McIver added eight.

Alissa Law had four to lead TSA.

JUNIOR VARSITY BASKETBALL WILSON HALL 43 THOMAS SUMTER 17

Wilson Hall defeated Thomas Sumter Academy 43-17 on Friday at Nash Student Center.

Zan Beasley led the Lady

CRAWFORD FROM PAGE B1 year, Crawford’s role will be changing some this season.

“We’re probably going to be having him starting and finishing games this season,” Shumake said.

Crawford also played the outfield and batted .216

Barons with 11 points. Ida Segars added 10 points and Diamond Crawford had nine.

Josie Reed led TSA with nine.

HARTSVILLE 31 CRESTWOOD 19

HARTSVILLE — Crestwood High School fell to 4-3 with a 31-19 loss to Hartsville on Thursday at the Hartsville gymnasium.

Alexandria Dukes led the Lady Knights with eight points.

MIDDLE SCHOOL BASKETBALL CHESTNUT OAKS 37 MAYEWOOD 12

Chestnut Oaks Middle School defeated Mayewood 37-12 on Thursday at the CO gymnasium.

Ceradsie Wells and Ameri Singleton each had 13 points for the Lady Falcons.

CORRECTION

Rebecca Dinkins had 14 points in Robert E. Lee Academy’s 31-24 B basketball victory over Timmerman on Thursday.

She was incorrectly identified in Friday’s edition of The Sumter Item.

with four doubles, 10 runs batted in and nine stolen bases.

Crawford said the plan for him at USCS at the moment is to pitch and be a position player.

Crawford received interest from some 4-year schools, but no offers. The other offer he had was from Florence-Darlington Technical College.

B4

|

SPORTS

SATURDAY, JANUARY 24, 2015

THE SUMTER ITEM

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

MARK MY WORDS

1K for Coach K

Good teachers excel at giving feedback and confirmation

I

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski will become the first men’s coach in Division I with 1,000 wins on Sunday if his fifth-ranked Blue Devils beat St. John’s.

Duke’s Krzyzewski looks for milestone victory on Sunday against St. John’s

BY JOEDY MCCREARY The Associated Press DURHAM, N.C. — Mike Krzyzewski is on the verge of yet another coaching milestone.

The Duke coach will become the first men’s coach in Division I history with 1,000 wins on Sunday if his fifth-ranked Blue Devils beat St. John’s.

That milestone could come in the same arena where three seasons ago he became the winningest men’s coach in college basketball’s top tier.

A win at Madison Square Garden would bring his record to 1,000-308 during a career that spans four decades and includes four NCAA tournament titles and 11 Final Fours.

He says the wins that

matter most are the ones that bring titles, not milestones, and he calls the forthcoming accomplishment “a heck of a thing ... but it’s not a championship.’’

“In order to win that many games, it’s taken 40 years — that’s a long time, and so you don’t win like that by being in the moment of a single-game accomplishment,’’ he said.

“You do it in the accomplishment of what you’re trying to do for an entire season.’’

For Krzyzewski, it’s the same approach he took three years ago when he drew closer to the record of 902 career wins — a mark held by his college coach and mentor, Bob Knight. He passed Knight in November 2011 by beat-

ing Michigan State in the Garden.

Now — after consecutive surprising losses put history on hold for a brief while — Coach K is in position to earn yet another memorable victory there.

He insists it will be just another win. His players know differently.

“When I was trying to decide what university I wanted to attend, being a part of Coach K’s legacy had a big part in me coming here,’’ said freshman big man Jahlil Okafor, a preseason All-American who was one of the nation’s top recruits. “So I’m excited for it.’’

Krzyzewski’s colleagues say the forthcoming milestone is a testament to his longevity, with Miami coach Jim Larranaga jok-

ing that “it means we’re old’’ because “you can’t get 1,000 wins in two years.’’

Without question, it took a long time and much patience. Krzyzewski spent five years at his alma mater, Army, where his first victory in 1975 was a 56-29 win over a Lehigh team coached by future NBA coach Brian Hill.

Krzyzewski has lasted 35 years — and counting — at Duke after a famously rocky start in which his first three teams were a combined 38-47.

Then came the 1982 recruiting class of Johnny Dawkins, Jay Bilas and Mark Alarie that helped propel the Blue Devils into seemingly permanent status among the nation’s elite.

CLEMSON BASKETBALL

Tigers look to turn tide against Wake Forest

BY SCOTT KEEPFER Greenville News

COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCHEDULE STATE

CLEMSON — The Clemson University men’s basketball team might not be in the best frame of mind right now, and that may not be such a bad thing.

“Players don’t hurt as bad or as long (as a coach) after a loss, BROWNELL and sometimes they need to be reminded of a poor performance,” Tigers head coach Brad Brownell said. “I wanted to make sure that our guys understood that our last performance wasn’t a good one.”

Brownell’s players have spent the past couple of days watching film from Monday’s home loss to Florida State. The Tigers were rather unimpressive on both ends of the court and converted just 16 of 31 free throw attempts in the

Today (1) Kentucky at South Carolina, noon Wake Forest at Clemson, noon College of Charleston at Drexel, noon VMI at Citadel, 1 p.m.

Allen at Furman, 1 p.m.

East Tennessee State at Wofford, 7 p.m.

Presbyterian at Coastal Carolina, 4 p.m.

Campbell at Winthrop, 4 p.m.

Gardner-Webb at Charleston Southern, 5:30 p.m.

Norfolk State at South Carolina State, 6 p.m.

Stetson at USC Upstate, 2 p.m.

ACC

Today (15) North Carolina vs. Florida State, 2 p.m.

Miami at Syracuse, 4 p.m.

59-55 loss.

“Everybody’s a little down because we’re not where we want to be,” senior point guard Rod Hall said.

Where the Tigers are would be 10-8 overall and 2-4 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, tied for 10th place in the league standings — one game ahead of Wake Forest, the Tigers’ opponent at noon today at

USC FROM PAGE B1 Horn said with a laugh.

Things were tight throughout and Horn said an official came over late in the game with South Carolina out front with a message from Calipari.

The coach congratulated the Gamecocks since Calipari expected bedlam at the arena and wanted to get his players off the court quickly.

“That’s when it set in,’’ Horn said.

Two years later, Kentucky made sure not repeat its mistakes as the No. 1 team pounced on the Gamecocks. Davis, this week named an NBA All-Star starter, had 23 points,

Sunday (2) Virginia at Virginia Tech, 1 p.m.

(5) Duke vs. St. John’s, 2 p.m.

(8) Notre Dame at N.C. State, 6:30 p.m.

(10) Louisville at Pittsburgh, 4 p.m.

Boston College at Georgia Tech, 1 p.m.

SEC

Today Texas A&M at Tennessee, 1 p.m.

Arkansas at Missouri, 2 p.m.

Georgia at Mississippi State, 3 p.m.

LSU at Vanderbilt, 6 p.m.

Florida at Mississippi, 6 p.m.

Auburn at Alabama, 8:30 p.m.

TOP 25

Today (3) Gonzaga vs. Pacific, 8 p.m.

(6) Wisconsin at Michigan, 7

Littlejohn Coliseum.

The Tigers need to win to regain a measure of confidence, boost their standing in the ACC and enhance postseason possibilities.

Wake Forest (9-10, 1-5) is hoping for much the same.

Under first-year coach Danny Manning, the Demon Deacons have given some of the league’s better teams fits, challenging Louisville

eight rebounds and eight blocks.

Kentucky was not on top of the rankings year ago. Still, it was team expected to easily put away Frank Martin’s Gamecocks.

USC, though, took a double-digit lead and held on despite the Wildcats’ late rally for one of the biggest victories in Martin’s three years.

Calipari was ejected in that game, a moment that sparked his team’s second-half comeback to get within a point before losing.

“We didn’t bow our necks until I got tossed, and then we bowed our necks and played. But they’re going to be physical,’’ he said of South Car-

p.m.

(7) Arizona at California, 10:30 p.m.

(9) Iowa State at Texas Tech, 4 p.m.

(11) Kansas at (17) Texas, 2 p.m.

(18) West Virginia vs. TCU, 2 p.m.

(19) Oklahoma at (21) Baylor, 6 p.m.

(22) Dayton vs. Richmond, 7 p.m.

(25) Iowa at Purdue, noon Sunday (4) Villanova vs. Creighton, 7 p.m.

(12) Utah vs. Washington, 8:30 p.m.

(13) Maryland vs. Northwestern, 7:30 p.m.

(14) Wichita State vs. Drake, 1 p.m.

(20) Northern Iowa at Illinois State, 4 p.m.

(23) Indiana at Ohio State, 1:30 p.m.

(24) Seton Hall at Butler, 3 p.m.

and Duke until late and falling at Syracuse in overtime, 86-83 on Jan. 13.

“They’re playing a lot of young players and they’ve proven on several occasions that they can play at a high level,” Brownell said. “They’ve got two outstanding players, and when you’ve got two players who can go for 25 points, it makes them very dangerous.”

olina. “They come right at you.’’

The Gamecocks had hoped to be challenging for the top of the SEC at this point — they entered league play off a victory over then ninth-ranked Iowa State this month — but have lost four of five in league play so far.

Guard Sindarius Thornwell, part of last year’s win, said his team can feel good about what happened in 2014, but can’t rely on that to defeat Kentucky this time.

“It’s a new year, we’re a new team and they’re a new team,’’ Thornwell said. “So we’re just coming out, trying to create good vibes and come in and do the right thing.’’

was thinking back to my prep school days — no, not a posh boarding school in New England, but Strom Thurmond High School in Edgefield — and was trying to assimilate the qualities I liked most about my favorite teachers. There is little doubt that being older, more well read and hopefully wiser has affected my reasons for liking the ones I did. Having said that, I will go ahead and discount the ones who required nothing of me and let me get away with murder.

As a teenager, some of those folks Mark would have been in Rearden my list, but I would never have taken the time to care why I liked them.

Once I was able to turn off the teenage filter, I recognized that the best teachers I had all had two things in common, probably more than that, but two qualities that stand out. The first is continual feedback and the second is affirmation or confirmation.

Let’s look at feedback. When I looked up feedback in the dictionary the first definition was this: the process in which part of the output of a system is returned to its input in order to regulate its further output.

WOW! Does anyone doubt we are now in the digital age? Let’s see if we can calm that definition down a little bit and give you a bit more, well, feedback. I realize I am playing your role and mine, but you are not here with me so I have no choice.

Feedback is what is returned to your students to help deepen their understanding of the material or skill. One hopes as a teacher they will give you some feedback too, but it is your role to figure out how to get feedback from them. Most adolescents are not going to “go there” on their own unless they have particularly good communication skills. Even then, insecurity will inhibit a kid who is eager for more information from asking the next question. So, much like our definition implies, feedback is a 2-way street, but as the instructor, sometimes you have to make the student get behind the wheel.

The second part of feedback is the word “continual.” Disclaimer: this does not imply that you never shut up. What this means is you arm the student with the basic information for the skill first. Then, as the student works on honing the skill, you give them feedback as often as seems appropriate. As students, we want to know when we do it right, when we do it wrong and when we could do it better. So, continual just means constant attention to the students striving to do it better. Give them enough time to work it out on their own and then step in and offer the advice that keeps the learning curve working for you.

The second part is affirmation or confirmation. Both of those words have similar meanings: affirmation is a statement asserting the truth of something, and confirmation is to make something valid by confirming it or ratifying it.

All good teachers do this. It serves several purposes. No. 1, remember how good it made you feel to hear, “You can do this,” especially when you were afraid of the outcome.

Having someone believe in you gets you out of the blocks when you don’t feel it yourself yet. It validates that the student possesses the tools to do it. You are the authority on the subject so you should know whether they can or cannot, right?

No. 2, it lets the student know someone else cares about them besides their family. Don’t miss this one. It is not that someone else cares about their work, someone else cares about them. This is huge.

For those who are extraordinary teachers, taking the time to validate or ratify the students’ efforts outside the classroom goes to a whole new level. You are no longer just teaching, you are inspiring, you are paying it forward for the next generation.

Those students will not forget how it made them feel to have a teacher who cared. Mark my words, I was not an exceptional student, but I still remember and appreciate the good teachers and coaches I had.

On a side note, affirmation even feels good as an older adult. I had someone come into my office the other day and offer thanks and appreciation for writing the weekly articles. Good teachers never stop teaching, do they?

SPORTS

THE SUMTER ITEM

SATURDAY, JANUARY 24, 2015

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B5

PRO TENNIS

Seppi shocks Federer 14-time major winner ousted in 3rd round of Australian Open

BY JOHN PYE The Associated Press MELBOURNE, Australia — Roger Federer is out of the Australian Open, his chances of reaching a 12th consecutive semifinal at Melbourne Park erased in a shocking thirdround loss to Andreas Seppi on Friday.

Rafael Nadal is still in contention, rebounding from his five-set, second-round win to beat No. 106-ranked Dudi Sella 6-1, 6-0, 7-5 in a thirdround match lasting a little over two hours to reach the fourth round.

No. 2-ranked Federer came into the season’s first major in form, winning the warmup tournament at the Brisbane International and aiming for an 18th Grand Slam title. Nadal was coming off a lengthy stint on the sidelines, and hadn’t given himself much chance of collecting a 15th major.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Roger Federer makes a forehand return to Andreas Seppi during Seppi’s 6-4, 7-6 (5), 4-6, 7-6 (5) upset victory on Friday in the third round of the Australian Open in Melbourne, Australia.

Federer had never lost to No. 46-ranked Seppi in 10 previous meetings, but made some uncharacteristic errors including nine double-faults in the 6-4, 7-6 (5), 4-6, 7-6 (5) defeat.

Seppi, a 30-year-old Italian who had only advanced beyond the second round once at his nine previous trips to the Australian Open, held his nerve despite some withering winners from Federer, who registered his 1,000th career match win earlier this month

in Brisbane.

Federer also had a 4-1 lead in the second-set tiebreaker and let it slide.

“I knew how important that second-set tiebreaker was — clearly that hurt, losing that one,’’ Federer said. “It just broke me to lose that second set. And actually the fourth, I should win it, too. Just a brutal couple of sets to lose there.

The end wasn’t pretty.’’

Seppi will almost certainly get another match on Rod

Laver Arena for his fourthround meeting with Australian teenager Nick Kyrgios, who shrugged off concern over a nosebleed to beat Malek Jaziri of Tunisia 6-3, 7-6 (6), 6-1. Kyrgios has form in the fourth round, beating then No. 1-ranked Nadal at that stage at Wimbledon last year.

Nadal faces a fourth-rounder against No. 14 Kevin Anderson, who beat No. 24 Richard Gasquet 6-4, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (6).

Three-time Australian Open

finalist Andy Murray beat Joao Sousa 6-1, 6-1, 7-5 to set up a fourth-round clash with No. 10 Grigor Dimitrov.

On the women’s side, No. 2-ranked Maria Sharapova needed just 61 minutes for her 6-1, 6-1 win over No. 31 Zarina Diyas and will next meet No. 21 Peng Shuai.

Eugenie Bouchard struggled through a scrappy opening set before getting on top in a 7-5, 6-0 third-round win over Caroline Garcia.

PRO FOOTBALL

NFL: No conclusion yet on Pats’ footballs Historic Super Bowl regardless of winner

BY HOWARD ULMAN The Associated Press

BY BARRY WILNER The Associated Press PHOENIX — An historic Super Bowl is before us.

Next Sunday, Seattle goes for a second straight title, seeking to be the first team to repeat since the Patriots a decade ago. A victory, particularly a convincing one, would stamp the Seahawks as one of the great teams of the Super Bowl era.

Meanwhile, New England’s coach and quarterback chase a record-tying fourth Super Bowl ring.

Yet, as has been the custom this season, major distractions have taken focus away from the field.

As much as Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, Pete Carroll and Richard Sherman might want the spotlight to shine only on the game itself — and the potential achievements at hand — much of the buildup to the kickoff will be about anything but.

From the New England underinflated balls saga to injuries for All-Pro defensive backs Sherman and Earl Thomas to Marshawn Lynch being fined yet again for his code of silence with the media, the 49th Super Bowl has taken on a circus atmosphere.

Which seems fitting given all that has gone wrong for the NFL off the field — even as pro football remains as popular as ever.

Just finding any comments about the matchup of the dynamic defense from Seattle and the potent offense from New England has been a chore. Everything else, it seems, has been in play.

Belichick, who can equal Chuck Noll’s four Super Bowl rings as a head coach, is grilled about the air pressure in a football, not about the pass pressure Seattle can bring on Brady.

Brady, in turn, gets cross-examined about the weight of the footballs, not about the weight of trying to reach Joe Montana/ Terry Bradshaw territory with a fourth Super Bowl triumph.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The NFL said Friday it has interviewed dozens of people and collected physical evidence but has no conclusions yet on how the New England Patriots used underinflated balls in their last game, offering no timetable for resolving the cheating accusations with the Super Bowl nine days away.

The league said evidence shows the Patriots used underinflated footballs during the first half of the AFC championship game Sunday night against the Indianapolis Colts.

It issued a statement that the Patriots have pledged full cooperation and have given the league information it requested and made personnel available upon request. Quarterback Tom Brady said Thursday afternoon he had not been contacted at that point.

The NFL said it began its investigation Sunday night and expects cooperation from other clubs. It hired an investigatory company to help review electronic and video information.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft said investigators were in Foxborough for three days this week after he received a letter from the league Monday informing him of the probe.

“We provided access to every full- and part-time employee the league’s representatives requested to speak with and produced every communication de-

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

The NFL said its investigation into whether New England quarterback Tom Brady (12) and the Patriots intentionally used underinflated footballs in the AFC championship game is still ongoing with no conclusions and no timetable for resolving the cheating accusations. vice that they requested to search,’’ he said. “I very much support the league’s desire to conduct a complete investigation.’’

The Patriots are preparing to meet the defending champion Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl on Feb. 1 in Glendale, Arizona.

The league said its conclusions will be quickly shared when reached.

“Over the past several days, nearly 40 interviews have been conducted, including of Patriots personnel, game officials, and third parties with relevant information and expertise,’’

the statement said.

NFL Executive Vice President Jeff Pash and Ted Wells of the law firm of Paul Weiss are leading the probe.

Wells was the investigator in the Miami Dolphins bullying scandal. His report last February detailed widespread harassment in the team’s locker room that extended beyond the two players at the center of the probe. It said guard John Jerry and center Mike Pouncey followed Richie Incognito’s lead in harassing offensive lineman Jonathan Martin.

The NFL requires game

balls to be inflated to between 12 1/2 and 13 1/2 pounds per square inch.

It wants to find out why footballs were underinflated during the first half and whether “deliberate action’’ caused it.

“We have not made any judgments on these points and will not do so until we have concluded our investigation and considered all of the relevant evidence,’’ the league said.

The balls were properly inflated for the second half and remained properly inflated after the game, the statement said.

What trick will Belichick pull from his hoodie sleeve next?

BY JIMMY GOLEN The Associated Press FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick has long been a fan of trick plays.

Some of them are even legal.

But he won’t be alone in next week’s Super Bowl: Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll also went deep in his playbook to earn a chance to play for an NFL championship.

Carroll used a fake field goal to help the Seahawks rally from a 16-point deficit and beat the Green Bay

Packers in overtime in the NFC championship game.

Belichick reached his sixth Super BELICHICK Bowl as a head coach with the help of a touchdown pass to a 320pound offensive tackle.

That was one week after Belichick pulled out a double-pass and some innovative lineman deployment to beat the Baltimore Ravens, a strategy that impressed his Seahawks counterpart.

“I think it’s great ball,” Carroll said of the man who

succeeded him with much success as the New England coach. “It’s within rules; it’s great ball. They are figuring out a way to get an advantage. ... It makes you stay on your toes; I think it’s really good coaching.”

Belichick has long been known as a coach who will pursue every advantage, a doggedness that has helped him win three Super Bowls.

But has also gotten him in trouble.

In 2007, the Patriots were caught videotaping the other team’s signals despite a warning from the league to stop doing it; Belichick

was fined $500,000, and the team was fined and forced to give up a first-round draft pick.

Now Belichick is under suspicion again because the NFL found that the footballs used in New England’s victory over the Colts in the AFC championship game were insufficiently inflated.

On Thursday, Belichick denied having anything to do with the deflated footballs.

But there’s no doubt that he is intimately familiar with the rule book and willing to push its limits.

For fear of giving up a competitive advantage, he

B6

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COMICS

SATURDAY, JANUARY 24, 2015

BIZARRO

SOUP TO NUTZ

ANDY CAPP

GARFIELD

BEETLE BAILEY

BORN LOSER

BLONDIE

ZITS

MOTHER GOOSE

DOG EAT DOUG

DILBERT

JEFF MACNELLY’S SHOE

Teen, family grasp for answers following suicide DEAR ABBY — My 15-yearold daughter’s best friend took her life today.

My daughter is devastated.

As a parDear Abby ent, I don’t know what to ABIGAIL do. I’m afraid VAN BUREN to go to bed this evening because I want her to fall asleep before me. It hurts not being able to take that pain from your child. She needs her space, but I don’t know how to help her.

I don’t know how it feels to be so young and lose a best friend by her own hand. What can I do?

How do I take the pain away DEAR HOW — The smartest

THE SUMTER ITEM

thing you and the parents of other friends of the deceased girl can do is to see that your children have access to grief counseling by a professional.

When a tragedy like this happens, many schools offer it to the students, but if this isn’t being offered at the school your daughter and her friend attended, then the parents should step in.

DEAR ABBY — I am 22 and will graduate from college soon. I have worked hard for the last four years and will graduate with two degrees.

Recently, I decided to throw away all my makeup. I rarely wore it, and I think I am beautiful without it. Now that I’m about to enter the job market, I’m worried society won’t see me as looking professional without it. I have appropriate dress clothes and I’m comfort-

THE DAILY CROSSWORD PUZZLE

able without the added “fluff” of makeup, but how will others see me? Is makeup a necessary part of the business attire?

I want to go into job interviews with as much confidence as possible and do well in my career. Also, if I wear makeup to an interview, will it be necessary for me to wear it on a daily basis once I get a job?

Please enlighten me.

Bare and beautiful DEAR B AND B — Unless wearing makeup is part of the job description, I don’t think it’s a requirement.

How others will view you depends upon how well you perform the job for which you’re hired. If you do it well, you will be respected. If you don’t, no amount of makeup will put you in a better light. Being well-groomed does not necessarily mean wearing makeup.

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 Meg, to Jo 4 Lighter 8 Fashion first name 12 Cathedral feature 14 “Fr re Jacques,” e.g.

15 Heartfelt class?

16 Dismiss, in a way 17 Adopted 18 Daughter of Oceanus 19 Monopoly acquisition 20 Installments 22 Run using water, as a plant 24 Unsettled items 25 Gets absorbed 26 Lightweight boxer?

27 Redcap’s workplace: Abbr.

28 “__ Down In Darkness”: Styron novel 29 Little projectiles 32 Hardly keeps cool 34 Rock __ 35 Greeting words 37 Like some pasta

38 Full of vitality 39 Filing aid 40 Call before a head-tohead contest 43 Reacted to a sock 44 Fruit sometimes fried 45 City on the Rhone 46 Like some fancy stationery 47 Forest coat 48 “Walkabout” director Nicolas 49 Many boomers: Abbr.

DOWN 1 Plastic surgeon’s concern 2 “Roger that” 3 Reduced to ashes 4 Drive in the bedroom?

5 Words with throw or have 6 One of an elite eatery trio 7 Spots for private shoppers?: Abbr.

8 Gave 9 “Almost ready!”

10 Covers 11 More than not sure about 13 Quails 14 Nutritionist’s unit 16 Lincoln Center locale 18 Subject of a 1996 holiday craze 21 Sword’s superior?

22 Not square 23 Venerable 27 Forms a new state 29 Aquatic plant that reduces erosion 30 More rare, in a way 31 __ Redman, Gary Sinise’s

role in Stephen King’s “The Stand” 32 Like expressions?

33 Fuel __: reactor component 34 Rabbit predators 35 They have plots 36 Traditional beverage 37 Prefix meaning “sacred” 39 Scotch serving 41 Local theater, informally 42 Purposes 44 __ se

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November

Pirate adventure series ‘Black Sails’ begins new season

BY KEVIN MCDONOUGH “Black Sails” (9 p.m. Saturday, Starz, TV-MA) returns for a second season. If possible, it looks more violent than ever.

That’s hardly unusual for a cable series.

“The Walking Dead” and “Game of Thrones” have cultivated TV’s most passionate audiences with extremely gory fare.

The sophomore helping of this gorgeously produced Michael Bay pirate adventure finds the crew of the Walrus stranded on an island, with a Spanish fleet between them and the gold they covet. The fetching Eleanor Guthrie (Hannah New) can still carve out a mafia mastermind’s business empire while looking like a heroine from a CW drama. And words cannot describe newcomer Ned Low (Tadhg Murphy).

OK, words like “homicidal” and “psychopath” come close.

Speaking of words, “Black Sails” is hardly alone in saddling its 18th-century characters in 21st-century vernacular laced with sexual and scatological profanity of “The Sopranos” variety.

This trend continues on the History Channel’s “Sons of Liberty” (9 p.m. Sunday, TV-14), a three-night, six-hour miniseries about the men and the moments behind the American Revolution.

Viewers searching for serious history will probably depart during the first 10 minutes, as “Liberty” kicks off like an epic adventure: “Sam Adams: Super Rebel.” Directed by Kari Skogland (“Vikings”), “Liberty” begins with all of the kinetic frenzy and violence of the History Channel’s Nordic saga. A narrator tells us that the colonists were “so oppressed” that they fell to fighting among themselves. Later, a mob is seen looting the British governor’s mansion and urinating on a portrait of King George III. What drove these men to such violence? How were they oppressed? It takes “Liberty” some time to get to that, so at first Boston’s rabble are like so many vandals, Visigoths or Vikings.

Fortunately, “Liberty” settles down to offer an entertaining, if slightly preposterous, tale. The language and attitudes are all ridiculously anachronistic. But once you get over that, it’s a rather thrilling ride.

Ben Barnes (“The Chronicles of Narnia”) brings a certain smoldering, bad boy attitude to Samuel Adams. Michael Raymond-James (“Jack Reacher”) is cast as Paul Revere, because, well, Steven Seagal was not available, or is too old. Even the thoughtful, venerable Benjamin Franklin (Dean Norris, “Breaking Bad”) has the musculature of a football coach. In contrast, John Hancock (Rafe Spall, “Prometheus”) is portrayed as rich, effete and ready to compromise with the British until they make him one too many offers he can’t refuse.

It’s not only the language in “Liberty” that’s apparently influenced by gangster movies. It’s the attitudes and even the plot. Much of the first episode (cov-

DAVID BLOOMER / STARZ ENTERTAINMENT

From left, Hannah New stars as Eleanor Guthrie, Clara Paget as Anne Bonny, Toby Schmidt as Jack Rackham and Jessica Parker Kennedy as Max in season two of “Black Sails,” premiering at 9 p.m. today on Starz. ering events in Boston between 1765 and the Boston Massacre of 1770) involves an intricate operation established by Hancock, Samuel Adams and Revere to smuggle wine into the city under the noses of British tax collectors. There’s a lot of “Boardwalk Empire” in “Liberty,” and I’m not just talking about its dark, brooding cinematography.

“Sons of Liberty” is hardly the first retelling to put a preposterously contemporary spin on the American Revolution. And, unlike AMC’s turgid Revolutionary War spy drama “Turn,” it’s frequently fun and exceedingly entertaining. Educational? Not so much.

• Two ABC series end their seasons Sunday night. “Galavant” (8 p.m., TV-PG) concludes with a little knight music.

“Resurrection” (9 p.m., TV-PG) wraps up shop as the returned unite in their efforts to keep Rachael’s baby from being born.

SATURDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS • Lily Collins and Julia Roberts star in “Mirror Mirror” (8 p.m., ABC), a 2012 adaptation of the Snow White story.

• “Morgan Spurlock: Inside Man” (8 p.m., CNN, r) puts personal robots to the test.

• Three single women vow to walk down the aisle before the year is out in the 2015 romantic comedy “With This Ring” (8 p.m., Lifetime).

• “MythBusters” (9 p.m., Discovery, TVPG) tests the physics of gadgets and

events featured on the 1980s adventure series “The A-Team.”

SUNDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS • Scheduled on “60 Minutes” (7 p.m., CBS): A joint interview with House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell; a Cleveland youth shot by police while holding a toy gun; a profile of tennis player Li Na. • Natalie Morales and Thomas Roberts host the 63rd annual Miss Universe Pageant (8 p.m., NBC).

• Elon Musk (as himself) conspires with Homer to update the nuclear plant on “The Simpsons” (8 p.m., Fox, TV-PG).

• Jason Lee (“My Name Is Earl”) stars as a protective widowed dad in the Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation “Away and Back” (8 p.m., Hallmark, TVPG).

• NFL talent meets in the Pro Bowl (8 p.m., ESPN).

• Hollywood honors its own at the Screen Actors Guild Awards (8 p.m., TBS).

• Mary’s cavalier stance shocks Tony on “Downton Abbey” (9 p.m., PBS, TVPG, check local listings).

• Elijah feels at home in Iowa on “Girls” (9 p.m., HBO, TV-MA).

• Michelle meets a guy on an educational mission on “Togetherness” (9:30 p.m., HBO, TV-MA).

• Kindred spirits mingle on “Revenge” (10 p.m., ABC, TV-PG).

• An engagement party becomes a crime scene on “Grantchester” (10 p.m., PBS, TV-14, check local listings).

• A face from Sean’s past causes trouble on “Episodes” (10:30 p.m., Showtime, TV-MA).

CULT CHOICE A powerful columnist (Burt Lancaster) destroys the reputation of his sister’s suitor (Martin Milner) with the help of a groveling publicist (Tony Curtis) in the always-quotable 1957 drama “Sweet Smell of Success” (10 p.m. Sunday, TCM).

SATURDAY SERIES An explosive development on “CSI” (8 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14) * A sniper shoots a bride on “Stalker” (9 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14).

SUNDAY SERIES Off the rack on “Undercover Boss” (8 p.m., CBS, TV-PG) * Sophia can’t find time for Jake on “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” (8:30 p.m., Fox, TV-14) * Murder among the morbid on two helpings of “CSI” (9 p.m. and 10 p.m., CBS, TV-14) * Meg has peculiar fans on “Family Guy” (9 p.m., Fox, TV-14) * A dirty deal on “Bob’s Burgers” (9:30 p.m., Fox, TV-14).

Copyright 2015, United Feature Syndicate

B8

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We will be happy to change your ad if an error is made; however we are not responsible for errors after the first run day. We shall not be liable for any loss or expense that results from the printing or omission of an advertisement. We reserve the right to edit, refuse or cancel any ad at any time.

4 PIECE PLACEMAT SETS Sale $3.00 per set Reg. $5.00

29 Progress St. - Sumter 775-8366 Ext. 37 Store Hours Mon. - Sat. • 9:30 - 5:00 Closed Sunday

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

Lawn Service Four Seasons Lawn Care Serving Sumter for almost 20 yrs!

Free est. 494-9169/468-4008

Roofing All Types of Roofing & Repairs All work guaranteed. 30 yrs exp. SC lic.

Virgil Bickley 803-316-4734.

TABLE RUNNERS Sale $2.00 each Reg. $4.00

SELECTED ROUND COTTON BRAIDED AREA RUGS 1/2 OFF Regular Price

For Sale or Trade

Help Wanted Part-Time

For Sale King Size Bed 803-696-6171

Full time Musician Area church is seeking a full time musician. Please call 803-481-4501 to obtain an application or email your contact information to salvation@ftc-i.net and an application will be mailed to you. A background check will be required.

Thermador Double Oven Model cmt231 , gas cook top used like new $1650. 803-968-2392 Firewood for Sale Will Deliver. Call 803 651-8672 6 x10 -6x12-6x16 Utility Trailers for sale 803-972-0900 Expert Tech, New & used heat pumps & A/C. Will install/repair, warranty; Compressor & labor $600.

Call 803-968-9549 or 843-992-2364 Martin's Used Appliance Washers, Dryers, Refrig., Stoves.

Guarantee 464-5439 or 469-7311 Massey Ferguson 35 gas, very nice, $3750. OBO Cash only. Call 803-972-0900

Septic Tank Cleaning

EMPLOYMENT Help Wanted Full-Time

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

Tree Service A Notch Above Tree Care Full quality service low rates, lic./ins., free est BBB accredited 983-9721

STATE TREE SERVICE Worker's Comp & General liability insurance. Top quality service, lowest prices. 803-494-5175 or 803-491-5154 www.statetree.net Ricky's Tree Service Tree removal, stump grinding, Lic & ins, free quote, 803-435-2223 or cell 803-460-8747.

Mention this ad & get 10% off.

MERCHANDISE Furniture / Furnishings Victorian Mahogany Furniture 4 pc. set. flowers etched in frames $1200 (downsizing) Call 696-4294

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

Open every weekend.

905-4242

Auction the late Buddy Bradley 3595 Myrtle beach Hwy. Sumter, SC Jan.24 , 2015 9AM Contents of Welding shop. Conducted by Tommy Atkinson SCAL 3879 assisted by Bill's Furniture & Antiques. Go to auctionzip.com for photo's and details.

Estate

Of

Sumter County Civic Center Indoor Garage Sale.

700 W. Liberty St. Saturday, January 31, 2015 8 am - 1 pm.

Free admission.

Call 436-2271 for details.

Shop with us and Save on all of Your Household Needs . . .

Assistant Manager needed by the Sumter Branch of World Acceptance Corp. Valid Drivers License and Auto required. This is a Manager's Trainee position and a career opportunity that offers excellent salary and a complete fringe benefits package. Promotion to Manager is possible within 15 months. No experience necessary.

Apply in person at People's Finance 730-B Broad St. Sumter.

Clarendon County School District Three is accepting applications for Head Football Coach/ Athletic Director for East Clarendon Middle / High School for the 2015-2016 School Year. Applications are available online at www.winthrop.edu/scteach.

Deadline for applications is noon, February 9, 2015.

If interested, please send a letter of interest and resume to: Dr. Connie J. Dennis, Superintendent P.O. Drawer 270, Turbeville, SC 29162 or email cdennis@clarendon3.org Clarendon County School District Three is an equal opportunity employer.

Metal roofer installers & sheet metal mechanics. Must have own transportation. Only exp. need to apply. Call 968-2459 before 5 pm!!!

Senior Teller Sumter, SC SAFE Federal Credit Union For details, please visit our website at: http:/www.safefed.org

Trucking Opportunities Experienced Diesel Technician Needed. Immediate opening for experienced Diesel/truck Technician for a locally based truck fleet.

Duties include trouble shooting, general repair and PM Service.

Experience with CAT, Cummins and Detroit along with hydraulic systems a plus. Benefit package includes: medical, dental, prescription plan and life insurance. Paid holidays, paid vacation, 401K, profit sharing and uniforms supplied. Must have tools and pass pre employment physical and have a valid driver's license. Salary will be commensurate with experience. Apply at FCI 132 Myrtle Beach Hwy, Sumter, SC 29153 or e-mail resume to tkrigbaum@freeholdcartage.com or call 803-773-2611 ext. 25 for Todd

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

Medical Help Wanted FT RN (Days) To work in Local County Jail Medical Unit. Excellent Pay! All Applicants are subject to Drug Screening and the Issuance of Security Clearance by the Facility in Which Work is to be performed.

Apply by sending resume to: nurseswanted@rocketmail.com

RENTALS Unfurnished Apartments Swan Lake Apts. Apply now.

Remodeled builds. in back, 2Bd 1Ba apts. in quiet, scenic neighborhood.

No section 8. 803-775-4641.

2BR/2BA, Close to Sumter Mall. All appl incl., W/D hookup. $625/mo + dep. (803) 491-5618. Avail now.

Senior Living Apartments for those 62+ (Rent based on income) Shiloh-Randolph Manor 125 W. Bartlette.

775-0575 Studio/1 Bedroom apartments available EHO

Unfurnished Homes 3BR 1BA on 1 acre. $550/mo + $500/dep. Shaw AFB area. Call Mike 803-825-9075 Must see! Large family friendly waterfront home in Deerfield,4BR 2.5BA Lg Rec room $1800 Mo +Dep Call 803-468-4659 or 469-0555

Nice 3Br/2Ba dble carport, w appliances 10 mins from Shaw military discount. $800/mo (Diggs), 803-968-4192.

SAVE! SAVE! SAVE! Low Low Prices REAL ESTATE Homes for Sale 2 Br, 2Ba New windows, new wiring and fuse box, well insulted, gas furnace, c/a, fire place, tax appr. $46000 sell $29000.

Call 803-883-2877

Manufactured Housing For Sale Nice 4Br 2Ba DW w/ lg. lot 803-983-0408 Turn your Tax Refund into your dream home! Low credit score?

Been turned down for bad credit?

Come try us, we do our own financing.We have 2-3-4 bedroom homes. For more information, call 843-389-4215.

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

RECREATION Campers / RV's/ Motorhomes 2011 Ultra-lite 32' camper. Elec slideout, AC, heat, sleeps 8. Exc cdtn $14,500. 803-481-8301

TRANSPORTATION

Autos For Sale 2010 Chevy 2500 HD Z71, crew cab, excellent condition, 60,000 miles, $25,500 2002 Isuzu Axiom SUV, clean, fully loaded, 171,230 miles, $4000 Call 803-469-4442 or 803-905-7760 Buy Here Pay Here, no interest, no credit check, no document fees, Floyds Used Cars, 1640 Toole St. 803-495-9585 or 803-464-2891

2 - 3Bd 2Ba Brick Homes for rent good subdivisions $1350 $1250 mo.+dep. Call 803-469-8147

2BR/2BA, Lrg private lot, fenced yard (Dalzell). $550/mo + $550 /dep. 803-499-1265, 468-1913 3 Bd 1Ba, all laminate floors, country living, $650 mo.+ dep. Call 803-469-3713

Mobile Home Rentals

NEW ARRIVALS

ASSORTED SHOWER CURTAINS $10.00 each LIGHT WEIGHT BATH TOWELS $2.00 each SELECTED HAND TOWELS 3 for $1.00

LEGAL NOTICES Summons & Notice SUMMONS IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS 2014-CP-43-2482 STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF SUMTER United States of America, acting through the Farmers Home Administration, United States Department of Agriculture, Plaintiff, vs.

Margaret C. Rivers, Defendant.

TO THE DEFENDANT ABOVE NAMED: MARGARET C. RIVERS YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED and required to answer the Complaint herein, a copy of which is herewith served upon you, and to serve a copy of your Answer to said Complaint upon the subscriber at his office at P. O. Box 508, Irmo, SC 29063 within Thirty (30) days after service hereof, exclusive of the day 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.

NOTICE OF FILING 2014-CP-43-2482 TO THE DEFENDANT: MARGARET C. RIVERS YOU WILL PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the Lis Pendens in this action was filed in the Office of the Clerk of Court for Sumter County on or about November 19, 2014 and that the Summons, Notice of Right to Foreclosure Intervention and Complaint were filed in said Clerk's Office on or about November 19, 2014, the object and prayer of which is to obtain the relief stated in the Complaint.

NOTICE OF RIGHT TO FORECLOSURE INTERVENTION 2014-CP-43-2482 YOU ARE NOTIFIED THAT pursuant to South Carolina Supreme Court Administrative Order 2011-05-02-01, you may be eligible for foreclosure intervention, for the purpose of resolving this foreclosure action. If you wish to be considered for foreclosure intervention, you MUST, within thirty (30) days of service of this Notice contact Gary P. Rish, PC, at his office at PO Box 508, Irmo, SC 29063.

PLEASE NOTE that Gary P. Rish, PC represents the Plaintiff in this action. Gary P. Rish, PC does NOT represent you, and is prohibited from giving you legal advice.

IF YOU FAIL, REFUSE OR VOLUNTARILY ELECT NOT TO PARTICIPATE IN FORECLOSURE INTERVENTION, THE FORECLOSURE ACTION MAY PROCEED.

Summons & Notice

2014-CP-43-2482 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that an action has been commenced and is now pending in this Court upon the Complaint of the above-named Plaintiff for the purpose of foreclosing a certain Mortgage of real estate heretofore given by Carl Rivers and Margaret C. Rivers United States of America acting through the Farmers Home Administration, United States Department of Agriculture; said Mortgage being in the principal sum of Twenty-Six Thousand and 00/100 ($26,000.00) Dollars bearing the date of November 23, 1981 and was recorded in the Office of the RMC for Sumter County on November 24, 1981 in Volume 300 at Page 682 and thereafter Margaret C. Rivers gave a Mortgage unto United States of America, acting through the Farmers Home Administration, United States Department of Agriculture; said Mortgage being in the principal sums of Twenty-Six Thousand and 00/100 ($26,000.00) Dollars and Ten Thousand Five Hundred Forty and 00/100 ($10,540.00) Dollars, copies of said Mortgages being attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference and the United States of America, acting through the Farmers Home Administration, United States Department of Agriculture, is the present owner and holder of the subject Note and Mortgage. The premises covered and affected by said Mortgage by the foreclosure thereof, were at the time of making and at the time of the filing of this Notice, described as follows: ALL that certain piece, parcel or lot of land, with the improvements thereon, situate, lying and being in Mayesville Township, School District 2, in the County of Sumter, State of South Carolina, being shown as Lot No. 4, Block A, on that certain plat of Joseph R. Edwards, RLS, dated June 30, 1970 as amended December 15, 1970, and recorded in the Office of the RMC for Sumter County in Plat Book Z-28 at Page 115. The said lot has such metes, boundaries, courses and distances as are shown on said plat which are incorporated herein in accordance with the provisions of Section 30-5-250, Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1976, as amended.

This being the identical property conveyed unto Carl Rivers and Margaret C. Rivers by deed of the United States of America recorded November 24, 1981 in the Office of the RMC for Sumter County in Volume 300 at Page 686.

This being the identical property conveyed unto Margaret C. Rivers by deed of Carl Rivers recorded August 14, 1995 in the Office of the RMC for Sumter County in Volume 628 at Page 1234.

TMS #309-81-01-004 Property Address: 2160 Avenue A, Mayesville, SC Gary P. Rish Attorney for Plaintiff P. O. Box 508 Irmo, SC 29063 (803) 749-1764

LIS PENDENS

STATEBURG COURTYARD 2 & 3 BRs 803-494-4015 3BR 1 1/2BA MH partially furnished on N. Brewington in Clarendon Co. Call 803-473-3100 or 803-410-1241.

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

2BR 1 BA MH partially furnished on N. Brewington in Clarendon Co. Call 803-473-3100 or 803-410-1241.

2, 3 & 4 Br, all appliances, Section 8 accepted. 469-6978 or 499-1500 Beautiful 3 bedroom/1 bathroom mobile home for rent. Only $599.00 per month.Located in Sumter, SC. Available for immediate occupancy, act now this home won't last! Call 803-469-8515 for additional details.

MAYO’S SUIT CITY

TUXEDOS AVAILABLE for rental or purchase

Winter Clearance Sale IN PROGRESS NOW!

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

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