IN SPORTS: Gamecocks, Gators square off on hardwood in county hoops rivalry B1
Congratulate Clemsonn on their winning season WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2016
| Serving South Carolina since October 15, 1894
75 cents
Call y ou
r represales and making it to the senta National Championship with for deta tive an ad in The Sumter Item 803.7or call ils 74.12 37 on our special pages!
City Council approves land transfer for hotel site BY ADRIENNE SARVIS adrienne@theitem.com Sumter City Council approved final reading of an ordinance to transfer .75 acres on North Main Street for the construction of a downtown Hyatt Place hotel after amending the ordinance to extend the hotel site. According to the ordinance, the main hotel site spans from 14 to 22 N. Main St. and the extended hotel site includes 10 N. Main St., along with two public rights of way, or alleyways,
which City Attorney Eric Shytle said are to be closed. He said street closing actions will be issued and ownership of the alleys will be transferred to the city. Construction of the hotel is anticipated to start in March or April and is expected to span 18 months, according to project architect Meredith Drakeford of Drakeford Architects. In other news, council approved final reading of the 2016-17 Community Development Block Grant in the amount of $285,929.
According to the ordinance, the funds will be distributed among several local entities and programs including city administration, demolition, housing repair and sewer improvements; youth employment; Sumter Family YMCA youth services; Wateree AIDS Task Force; and Sumter United Ministries. All of the funds, except those appropriated for city administration, are planned to benefit low- to moderate-income individuals and families and blighted neighborhoods.
Later during the meeting, Councilwoman Colleen Yates asked about the progress of the repaving project on Main Street. City Manager Deron McCormick said repaving Main Street will be the final part of the Main Street Revitalization project which also includes updating the utility lines, sidewalks and crosswalks. He said recent weather has pushed back some portions of the project, but he anticipates that it will be finished by the end of February. During public comment Tues-
day evening, several residents addressed council with concerns about blighted structures and neighborhoods in the city. Eddie Brown, a member of Crosswell Community Improvement Committee, said money should be spent evenly in all of Sumter’s neighborhoods. He said funds should also be prioritized to assist those most in need. Improving the downtown area will not bring more visitors if the surrounding neighborhoods are not also in good shape, Brown said.
Obama outlines gun measures President gives emotional address, will tighten sales, background checks BY JOSH LEDERMAN The Associated Press
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Tears streaking his cheeks, President Obama launched a final-year push Tuesday to tighten sales of firearms in the U.S., using his presidential powers in the absence of tougher gun restrictions that Congress has refused to pass. The president struck a combative tone as he came out with plans for expanded background checks and other modest measures that have drawn consternation from gun rights groups, which Obama accused of making Congress their hostage. Palpable, too, was Obama’s extreme frustration at having made such little progress on gun control since the slaughter of 20 firstgraders in Connecticut confronted the nation more than three years ago. “First-graders,” Obama said woefully, resting his chin on his hand and wiping away tears as he recalled the 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School. “Every time I think about those kids, it gets me mad.” Obama’s 10-point plan to keep guns from those who shouldn’t have them marked a concession by the president: He’ll leave office without securing the new gun control laws he’s repeatedly and desperately implored Congress to pass. Although Obama, acting alone, can take action around the margins, only Congress can enact more sweeping changes that gun control advocates say are the only way to truly stem a scourge of mass shootings. “It won’t happen overnight,” Obama
An emotional President Obama pauses as he speaks about the youngest victims of the Sandy Hook shootings on Tuesday in the East Room of the White House in Washington, where he spoke about steps his administration is taking to reduce gun violence.
Provided smoke alarm alerts Lee family to fire BY ADRIENNE SARVIS adrienne@theitem.com A Lee County family escaped a house fire early Tuesday morning after having a smoke alarm installed inside the home during American Red Cross’ Smoke Alarm Blitz program in 2015. Lee County Fire Chief Mike Bedenbaugh said the call
VISIT US ONLINE AT
the
.com
came in about 2:45 a.m., and when firefighters arrived on scene about at 2:59 a.m., the mobile home was 50 percent involved. The six occupants, a mother and her five children, made it out of the structure in time, he said. He said the children’s ages
SEE ALARM, PAGE A5
Disaster aid applications top 100K BY JIM HILLEY jim@theitem.com The deadline for individuals who suffered damage caused by the October floods to apply for disaster aid from Federal Emergency Management Agency was Monday. The agency received more than 100,000 applications for the federal aid from South Carolina households, said Kirk Pickering, a media relations specialist with
DEATHS, B5 Mary Athlene Thames Betty Lou R. Moody Roger Dennis Sr. Beverly Lawson Robert J. Longtemps Sr.
SEE GUNS, PAGE A5
Windell Palmer Billie Copeland Phillip Newman Antwane Dargan David Lee McGowan
FEMA, and $79.5 million in grants were distributed to individual households statewide. Pickering said that while the number of applications is as of the close of business Monday, the monetary numbers could change as more applications are processed. In the tri-county area, Pickering said, 9,878 applications were received in Sumter County, and $11.6 million was distributed to households, while 1,915 ap-
plications were received in Lee County and $1.2 million in grants was distributed. In Clarendon County, he said, 3,901 applications were received, and $2.3 million has been distributed. Pickering said there tends to be a rush of applications shortly before the deadline. “It’s pretty normal because some people procrastinate by nature, and because of that, we do a lot of
SEE FEMA, PAGE A5
WEATHER, A8
INSIDE
CLOUDY, COLD AGAIN
3 SECTIONS, 22 PAGES VOL. 121, NO. 69
Partly cloudy today and tonight with a slight chance of rain; . HIGH 47, LOW 35
Classifieds B6 Comics C6 Food C8
Lotteries A8 Opinion A7 Television C7