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Judge plans to summon 600 Charleston shooting case requires large number of potential jurors CHARLESTON (AP) — A South Carolina judge has ordered that a jury pool of 600 people be summoned in the trial of a white man accused in the shooting deaths of nine black parishioners at a Charleston church. The state is seeking the death pen-
alty in the trial of 21-year-old Dylann Roof, who faces nine counts of murder, three counts of attempted murder and a weapons charge in the slayings that occurred during a Bible study at Emanuel AME Church last June.
The trial is set to begin on July 11. On Wednesday, Circuit Judge J.C. Nicholson issued an order saying a jury pool of 600 is needed because of the complexity of the case. The judge also ordered that questionnaires that will be used to screen potential jurors remain sealed until they are given to members of the jury pool June 28. Members of the pool will then report back to the court in groups of 20 to be questioned by attorneys the day the trial is set to begin. Attorneys
have said the trial is expected to last several weeks. Roof also faces dozens of charges, including hate crimes and obstruction of the practice of religion, in federal court. Prosecutors have not yet said whether the federal government will seek the death penalty and indicated in earlier hearings it could be March before the Justice Department makes a decision. A hearing on the status of that case will be held next month.
1st female OBGYN in state receives Y award Dr. Blanchard named 2015 Humanitarian of the Year BY KONSTANTIN VENGEROWSKY konstantin@theitem.com The YMCA of Sumter named Dr. Mary Elizabeth Blanchard as the 2015 Humanitarian of the Year at the organization’s annual “Mission in Action” event at Sunset Country Club on Thursday. “This is the greatest honor of my life,” Blanchard said. “I’ve had many blessings in my life, and I thank you for recognizing me in such a way.” She became the first female obstetrics and gynecology physician in South Carolina in the 1950s. Originally from Lee County, she came to Sumter in 1956 and worked at Sumter OBGYN for 30 years. Blanchard held many leadership positions in various organizations in her lifetime, both
KEITH GEDAMKE / THE SUMTER ITEM
Dr. Mary Elizabeth Blanchard receives a standing ovation after being named the 2015 YMCA Humanitarian of the Year at the YMCA of Sumter’s SEE AWARDS, PAGE A6 luncheon at Sunset Country Club on Thursday.
Col. Stephen Jost, center, and Sumter Mayor Joe McElveen, right, speak at Thursday’s Community Partnership meeting.
USC Sumter kicks off new eSports program BY ADRIENNE SARVIS adrienne@theitem.com
JIM HILLEY / THE SUMTER ITEM
Shaw Air Force Base, Sumter sign agreement for use of golf courses BY JIM HILLEY jim@theitem.com The 20th Fighter Wing hosted a Community Partnership meeting at Carolina Skies Club on Shaw Air Force Base on Thursday. The Community Partnership Program is an Air Force initiative designed to bring Air Force installation leadership and local community leaders together to identify potential partnerships. Base Commander Col. Stephen Jost welcomed attendees and said
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the program has been of benefit to both the community and the base. “The tighter we become, the better,” he said. Col. Lori Walden, deputy director and partnership broker for the program, said 53 installations are part of the initiative. More than 1,000 initiatives have been proposed, she said, with 142 signed memorandums of understanding with 30 in the works. Nine of those are at Shaw, including
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University of South Carolina Sumter’s eSports program, one of the college’s new student sport opportunities, started its competition season Wednesday evening with its first two matches of the year. According to a news release from USC Sumter, the team came together last year after USC Sumter Dean Michael Sonntag read of other campuses starting eSports teams. USC Sumter Student Life Director Kris Weissmann, one of the team’s coaches, said the program was very well received when it was first introduced on campus last year although there were some students who did not know about eSports. USC Sumter’s team has about 10 members, he said. And, even though the team did not fare well during Wednesday’s competition, losing both matches, Weissmann said the players have improved, and they know what it will take to improve.
DEATHS, B5 and B6 Paula Lynn Skipper Jackie Dennis L.J. Brown Willie M. Burgess Thoams W. McElveen Roosevelt Collins Sr. Larry Caldwell Mary McDonald
Ray Kevin Johnson Russell Tindal Jr. Dorothy D. Bradley-Tank William Logan Elvia R. Terry Leola R. Varick Leroy Cook Johnny Lee McKenzie
The college competes as a co-ed team in the Division 2 League of the National Collegiate eSports Association, an intercollegiate gaming league open to all accredited colleges and universities in North America, according to the release. According to USC Sumter’s website, eSports commonly take the form of organized multiplayer video game competitions and are most often real-time strategy, fighting, first-person shooter and multiplayer online battle arena. Weissmann said a popular game is League of Legends, which has 27 million daily players worldwide, according to the school’s news release. Most gaming matches will have two teams of five people, each team member controlling one character, playing against one another, Weissmann said. There is a gold counter and a kill, or score, counter to show how much gold has been collected and how many enemies, characters from the other team, have been defeated, he said.
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