January 7, 2015 by The Sumter Item

Christmas for K-9s Couple donates money for dogs’ bullet-proof vests 75 CENTS

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015

SERVING SOUTH CAROLINA SINCE OCTOBER 15, 1894 3 SECTIONS, 24 PAGES | VOL. 120, NO. 69

PANORAMA

Local artists shine at Gallery SCGA opens 2015 with 3 new exhibitions

LOCAL

Bond denied for son, set for dad in family feud A2 DEATHS, B7 Ze’Brian A. Jackson Jenelle L. Amerson Larry W. Turner Bobbie LeGrand Chappelle Stephen C. Monroe Junior Lee Jones Ruth E. Barwick Hercules Smith, Jr. Dana G. Wilson Bruce O. Burkett George Archie Addie R. Moses

Three canine deputies with Sumter County Sheriff’s Office got some new threads this holiday season. Through the generous donation of George and June Rikard, the three dogs now have bullet-proof vests. “It really does me good to see them out here with their vests on,” June Rikard said Tuesday. “The dogs are just as important.” Her husband, a semi-retired state trooper with 32 years of experience under his belt, agreed. “I’m glad to see the dogs with them on,” he said. “It bothers me when I see them and they don’t have vests on. A lot of places don’t have vests for their dogs.” The sheriff ’s office now has five canine deputies, said Braden Bunch, public information officer. Thanks to the Rikards, they are all now vested and protected. “This means a great deal to us, especially the handlers,” said Hampton Gardner, deputy chief with the sheriff’s office. “These are their partners. This kind of donation is a Godsend. I’d like to thank the Rikards. They are very kind people.” The couple knows how dogs become part of the family, having had a German shepherd, a lab and beagles through the years. “They’re like our babies,” June said. “They’re like people to us. It breaks my heart to hear about someone shooting a dog. I couldn’t be a handler.” When her husband read in the newspaper about a company donating a vest for a canine deputy, he called up the sheriff to see how many more might be needed. “I knew if one got shot, it would be the one not wearing a vest,”

KEITH GEDAMKE / THE SUMTER ITEM

Cpl. Cameron Prescott plays with his K-9 Halo after placing a new vest on the dog. Halo was one of three canine deputies to receive vests. George said. He discussed it with his wife, and the two agreed they wanted to help. They hope their contribution will inspire others to give. “I’m sure many are unaware of a need like this,” June said. “This is a perfect way to not only keep a dog safe, but to protect law enforcement, too. If a dog is jumping on a

criminal, he’s going to shoot the dog, and then he might shoot the officer.” The canines are used for a variety of tasks from building searches to drug detection to tracking and pursuit, Gardner said. With this many animals available and safe, one can be out in the field or on call 24/7, he said.

Summerton Piggly Wiggly to close BY JIM HILLEY jim@theitem.com

WEATHER, A8 HOLD ON TO YOUR HATS! Windy and chilly; frigid temperatures tonight HIGH 48, LOW 17

INSIDE

Classifieds B8 Comics C6 Lotteries A8 Opinion A7 Television C7

Info: 774-1200 Advertising: 774-1237 Classifieds: 774-1234 Delivery: 774-1258 News and Sports: 774-1226

VISIT US ONLINE AT the

BY JADE REYNOLDS jade@theitem.com

.com

“What a shame.” That was a common refrain from customers walking out of the Summerton Piggly Wiggly on Tuesday. Many had heard Summerton’s only grocery store is scheduled to be closed in the next few weeks and were pondering where they would shop for groceries. “I have no idea,” said Kendall Shown. “I’ll probably go to Santee. It’s a crying shame everything is closing down in this town.” He said he knows several employees of the store and had heard a number of clerks had quit but did not know more details. Owner Ricky McLeod confirmed Tuesday morning the store is closing and later issued a prepared statement. “Substantial effort and capital has been invested in making (the Summerton store) successful. ... Closing a store is the single most difficult decision we must make in our business, and it is never entered into lightly,” the statement said.

PHOTOS BY JIM HILLEY

Residents of Summerton and surrounding areas will soon be looking for a new place to buy groceries when the town’s Piggly Wiggly shuts its doors in the next few weeks. Employees at the Summerton store will be considered for transfers to other Piggly Wiggly stores, the statement said. The closing of Piggly Wiggly will be one more blow to Summerton, a town that has been struggling for survival since the closing of the nearby Federal-

Mogul nearby in 2010. Clarendon County Economic Development has been seeking a new occupant for the Federal-Mogul building for several years, but so far the department’s efforts have not attracted a tenant.

SEE GROCERIES, PAGE A6

GOP takes charge in Congress

More women, minorities on Hill

BY ERICA WERNER The Associated Press

BY MATTHEW DALY The Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Republicans assumed full control of Congress on Tuesday for the first time in eight years in a day of pomp, circumstance and raw politics beneath the Capitol Dome. Before the new Congress was two hours old, a veto showdown with President Barack Obama was set as the White House announced he would reject legislation approving the long-stalled Keystone XL pipeline, which Republicans intend to advance. “Hard work awaits,” said the new Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. “I’m really optimistic about what we can accomplish.” House Speaker John Boehner, who faced down a

tea party challenge and won re-election Tuesday by his colleagues, said the GOP will seek Obama’s support for measures on jobs, energy and veterans. “It will be a sign the logjam is breaking,” Boehner declared. As the first snowfall of the winter blanketed Washington, Congress convened at noon as required by the Constitution. On the Senate floor, newcomers mixed with veterans as Vice President Joe Biden swore in senators in groups of four. McConnell ascended to majority leader, his elevation endorsed by rank-and-file Republicans last year after they won control of the chamber from the Democrats. Across the Capitol in the House, a similar scene unfolded as familiar faces and new ones crowded the aisles and

lawmakers of both parties recited the Pledge of Allegiance. But in the House, there was an element of suspense as Boehner faced a tea partybacked effort to unseat him. It came up short, but the 25 defections was a historically high number for a sitting House speaker. It served notice that the conservative faction that has been a thorn in Boehner’s side for the past two sessions of Congress will not fall quiet during the new one despite the GOP’s bigger control. Seeking unity despite the internal party dissension, the GOP moved swiftly to advance the Keystone XL pipeline, setting votes in a Senate committee and on the House floor for later this week.

SEE CONGRESS, PAGE A6

WASHINGTON — The new 114th Congress counts more minorities and women than ever, although lawmakers remain overwhelmingly white and male in the Republicancontrolled House and Senate. A record 104 women are in the new Congress, and for the first time, black members of both genders and representing both parties are among the ranks on Capitol Hill. The number of female lawmakers is up slightly from 100 at the close of the last Congress but represents about 20 percent of the total in Congress. It’s far less than the nearly 51 percent of the U.S. population. A total of 96 racial minorities will serve in Congress, about 18 percent. There are 100 senators and 435 seats in the House. The House will have 246 Republicans and 188 Democrats. One seat is vacant following the resignation on Monday of Rep. Michael Grimm, R-N.Y., who pleaded guilty to a felony tax evasion charge. The Senate will have 54 Republicans and 44 Democrats, plus two independents — Maine’s Angus King and Vermont’s Bernie Sanders. Both caucus with Democrats.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015

THE SUMTER ITEM

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

No bond for primary suspect in family feud BY MATT BRUCE matthew@theitem.com On a day in which two suspects in Sunday night’s street melee at a Sumter convenience store appeared before a judge, Sumter County deputies on Tuesday arrested a third man allegedly involved in the weekend skirmish that left one person critically injured. Charles Ridgill, 65, of 1555 Reynolds Road, faces three counts of first-degree assault and battery as well as a single count of pointing and presenting a firearm at a person in connection with the fracas at a Young’s at 3120 U.S. 15 S. According to reports from Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, Ridgill fired at three victims with a .22-caliber handgun during the incident. Investigators note he gave officers a statement admitting to firing the weapon. The Pinewood man turned himself in to authorities at

the sheriff’s office Tuesday afternoon and became the third suspect taken into custody since the Sunday evening ordeal. The father-and-son duo of Joseph Lloyd Henderson Jr., 20, and Joseph Lloyd Henderson Sr., 43, appeared for separate bond hearings inside SumHENDERSON JR. ter-Lee Regional Detention Center on Tuesday. It was their first court appearance since being jailed during the HENDERSON SR. weekend. Henderson Jr. will remain behind bars as the judge denied his bond, noting a Circuit Court judge must set bond on the suspect’s charges because of their seriousness. The junior suspect faces a count of attempted murder stemming from the frenetic incident. Investiga-

Man, 25, charged in stabbing BY MATT BRUCE matthew@theitem.com

tors allege he ran over a 41-year-old Sumter man and dragged him about 30 feet as he and his family members attempted to flee the scene of the brawl. The victim was airlifted to Joseph M. Still Burn Center in Augusta, Georgia, where he remained in critical condition Tuesday. The judge issued Henderson’s father a $525 surety bond during Tuesday’s hearing. Deputies booked him on a count of third-degree assault and battery after arresting him and his son at a church near the scene of the ruckus. Sumter County court records indicate Henderson Sr. was released from jail Tuesday. As of Tuesday afternoon, Ridgill and the Henderson duo remained the lone suspects to face charges in the case. A sheriff’s office incident report indicates Ridgill was a member of the contingent chasing down three members of the Henderson family, which included the

two suspects and Henderson Jr.’s brother. The Henderson men told officers the suspect fired several shots at them as they ran down U.S. 15. Ridgill and another man chased the trio to a nearby church, at which point officers descended upon the scene. Deputies recovered a .22-caliber pistol from Ridgill when they encountered him at the church. Sheriff’s office authorities allege the weekend donnybrook is rooted in an ongoing family feud several years in the making. One sheriff’s office spokesman described the rift as a “deep disdain” between the two conflicting parties. Officials said they still have not pinpointed the original source of the longstanding feud but indicated they had been called out to mediate between the two families for a number of years before the fracas Sunday. According to reports, the encounter began at a Food Lion about two miles north of the mini-mart parking lot,

where it spilled over. The sordid episode, which involved at least eight people, reportedly involved a short car chase, gunfire, pepper spray, PVC pipe, and led to one man being run over and dragged. Details of the brawl generated a buzz on several social media sites and Midlands news web pages Monday. Authorities identified Ridgill as the father of a 38-yearold Sumter woman who reportedly played a pivotal role in escalating the tensions Sunday. That woman has yet to be charged in connection with the case. Ridgill was also identified as the fatherin-law of the man hit and dragged in the incident. Sheriff’s office spokesman Braden Bunch said the investigation remains very active and ongoing as detectives continue to sort through witness statements to figure out exactly what happened. He noted more arrests could be forthcoming.

Women follow dream, open Parlor Darling BY JADE REYNOLDS jade@theitem.com

Two people suffered wounds and a man is behind bars after a stabbing Monday night. Dominic Mack, 25, of 860 Weeks St., was charged with attempted murder and first-degree assault and battery in connection with the incident. According to authorities, the violent episode MACK unfolded at the suspect’s house about 9:30 p.m. Monday. Tonyia McGirt, spokeswoman for Sumter Police Department, said the stabbing stemmed from a domestic dispute. According to reports, Mack allegedly assaulted a female family member and a male victim with a knife at the residence. McGirt indicated the male victim suffered minor cuts that were not life threatening, while the 53-year-old woman sustained multiple wounds to the upper body. Paramedics transported the woman to Tuomey Regional Medical Center for treatment. She remained there as of press time Tuesday in stable condition, McGirt said. Police arrested Mack at the scene.

CORRECTION Danny Eppling’s name was misspelled in Tuesday’s frontpage story titled “There has to be justice.”

With hard work and God’s blessing, dreams do come true. Mandy Ewing and Chun Allen opened Parlor Darling Salon LLC on Nov. 4, 2014. “We’ve been busy ever since,” Ewing said. Both have been stylists for years — 10 for Ewing, 17 for Allen — and had thought about opening their own business for years. “Doing cosmetology has always been a passion of mine, and an extension of that dream was to open a salon,” Ewing said. The two had worked together about a year. While at lunch one day in early September, they started discussing their mutual wish to open their own salon. Near where they were eating was a vacant shop, 1087-C Alice Drive. They noted how busy the area was and will continue to be with the further development of the road. “It’s an excellent spot,” Ewing said. “We just had a gut feeling. She and I work well together. It’s a 50-50 partnership. We have the same views and set goals. In this business, that is very important. God made this possible. He put me and her together for a reason. This is it.” By Sept. 11, they had signed the lease. “It’s been full throttle ever since,” Ewing said. “We couldn’t believe how quickly it started. Before we knew it, we were living our dream.” Parlor Darling is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and by appointment only on Saturdays. “We can work around our clients’ schedules,” Ewing said. “That’s the best part of the industry we’re in.”

KEITH GEDAMKE / THE SUMTER ITEM

Mandy Ewing prepares to cut Tori Johnson’s hair at Parlor Darling Salon on Alice Drive recently. sphere,” Ewing said. “You can look at the view of a busy street and enjoy yourself while you’re here.” ADDRESS: 1087-C Alice Drive They also play Christian music and HOURS: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. strive for a Christian atmosphere, she said. Tuesday through Friday “It makes it more calm,” Ewing said. Saturdays by appointment only “We give thanks to God we’re here. We PHONE: (803) 883-4363 wouldn’t have accomplished what we did without Him.” Another stylist is set to start by the end of the month, and Ewing said they They offer the usual — haircuts for are still looking for more to hire. men, women and children — and Down the road, Ewing hopes to add chemical services. Walk-ins and apgirls’ nights where women can get topointments are welcome, and prices gether for fellowship, finger food and a are competitive, she said. Parlor Darfun time learning more about how to ling also offers military and first recare for and style their hair. She might sponder discounts. Allen’s specialties are eye lash exten- even invite a specialist to give tips on make-up and skin care. sion along with color highlights and For more information, visit facebook. perms. Ewing’s are color and fusion com/ParlorDarling or call the salon at extensions. “Mostly we provide a relaxing atmo- (803) 883-4363.

PARLOR DARLING SALON

HOW TO REACH US IS YOUR PAPER MISSING? ANNOUNCEMENT ARE YOU GOING ON Birth, Engagement, Wedding, VACATION? Anniversary, Obituary 20 N. Magnolia St., Sumter, S.C. 29150 (803) 774-1200 Jack Osteen Editor and Publisher jack@theitem.com (803) 774-1238 Rick Carpenter Managing Editor rick@theitem.com (803) 774-1201 Waverly Williams Sales Manager waverly@theitem.com (803) 774-1237

Earle Woodward Customer Service Manager earle@theitem.com (803) 774-1259 Michele Barr Business Manager michele@theitem.com (803) 774-1249 Gail Mathis Clarendon Bureau Manager gail@theitem-clarendonsun.com (803) 435-4716

Member, Verified Audit Circulation

$40.80; three months - $20.40; one month, $6.80; EZPay, $6.80

Rural Route Home Delivery

Call (803) 774-1258

Call (803) 774-1226

TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday & Sunday, 7 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

One year - $174.25; six months $91; three months - $47.50; two months, $33; one month $16.50. EZPay, $14.50/month

TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED AD:

TO BUY A SUBSCRIPTION Call (803) 774-1258 Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday & Sunday, 7 a.m. to 11 a.m.

SUBSCRIPTION RATES Standard Home Delivery

Mail Delivery

TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

One year - $276; six months - $138; three months - $69; one month - $23 Printed on recycled paper with environmentally safe soy inks to reduce ruboff. The Item is recyclable.

Call (803) 774-1234 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

TO PLACE A NONCLASSIFIED AD: Call (803) 774-1237 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

TO PLACE AN

SATURDAY AND SUNDAY

One year - $84; six months - $43; three months - $22; one month $7.50; EZPay, $7.50

One year - $166; Six months - $87; three months - $45.25; two months - $31.50; one month - $15.75; EZPay - $14/month SATURDAY AND SUNDAY

One year - $81.60; six months -

The Sumter Item is published six days a week except for July 4, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day (unless it falls on a Sunday) by Osteen Publishing Co., 20 N. Magnolia St., Sumter, SC 29150. Periodical postage paid at Sumter, SC 29150. Postmaster: Send address changes to Osteen Publishing Co., 20 N. Magnolia St., Sumter, SC 29150 Publication No. USPS 525-900

LOCAL | STATE

THE SUMTER ITEM

POLICE BLOTTER

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015

County council members sworn in

CHARGES Reginald Durant, 30, of 401 Coachman Drive, was arrested during a traffic stop about 3:30 p.m. Sunday and charged with his third offense of driving under suspension. Nathaniel Spencer, 34, of 5446 Mayrant Road, Rembert, was arrested at 3:15 p.m. Saturday and charged with his third offense of driving under suspension after a traffic stop in the 500 block of Calhoun Street. STOLEN PROPERTY A 32-inch flat-screen TV valued at $150 and DirectTV signal box valued at $25 were reportedly stolen from a home in the 2100 block of Sans Souci Road between Dec. 27 and 4:30 p.m. Thursday. A Cricket .22-caliber rifle with a scope valued at $140 was reported stolen from a home in the 3800 block of Fourth Street about 8:40 p.m. Thursday. A wallet containing $680 in cash was reported stolen from a Rembert home in the 6700 block of Camden Highway after 9 p.m. Saturday. A speaker, amp and work equipment valued at $800 were reportedly stolen from a vehicle parked in the 500 block of Brutsch Avenue between Dec. 31 and 4:20 p.m. Sunday. A 60-inch TV valued at $1,300, four 32inch TVs valued at $400 apiece, an HP desktop computer valued at $800, a Compaq laptop computer valued at $400, a surround sound system valued at $200, a PlayStation4 valued at $450, several PlayStation4 games valued at $500, a basketball goal valued at $350, an entertainment center valued at $230, a stereo system valued at $600 and other items with a combined value of $880 were reported stolen from a Rembert home in the 4600 block of Pineside Drive about 11:15 a.m. Monday. Two 48-inch TVs valued at $1,300, gold jewelry valued at $1,900 and a Ruger 9 mm model P950 pistol were reported stolen from a Mayesville home in the 100 block of Willow Street at 10:40 p.m. Monday. DAMAGED PROPERTY One hundred and fifty feet of copper grounding cable were reported stolen from a Black River Electric Co-op. power station in the 700 block of Jefferson Road at 11:30 a.m. Monday. The power station sustained an estimated $3,000 in damage from the break-in. Four feet of copper grounding cable were reported stolen from a Black River Electric Co-op. power station in the 2600 block of Old Field Road after 10:30 a.m. Monday. The station sustained an estimated $2,000 in damage during the incident.

RICK CARPENTER / THE SUMTER ITEM

Eugene R. Baten, vice chairman of Sumter County Council, left, pins newly sworn in councilman James T. McCain Jr., of District 6, during a ceremony for recently elected council members Monday night. McCain became the newest member of council. Reelected members Artie Baker, of District 2, and Charles T. Edens, of District 4, were also sworn in for the next term.

McMaster accused of taking donations above limit COLUMBIA (AP) — Lt. Gov.-elect Henry McMaster, who touted his work on ethics reform during last year’s race, has been accused of taking about $70,000 in donations, exceeding the legal limit when he ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2010. Documents made public Tuesday show the state Ethics Commission voted last month to pursue allegations that McMaster took 51 overthe-limit contributions to help retire his campaign debt after he lost the primary. Donors can give statewide candidates a maximum of $3,500 per election cycle. He’s accused of accepting donations between $250 and $3,500 in excess of that. McMaster did not take out a loan for his 2010 race. Rather, he continued to fundraise to pay the campaign’s bills after losing the four-way primary that June, es-

sentially paying vendors as he raised the money to do so. He collected a total of $150,000 after the primary, paying off the campaign’s final bills in May 2011. The complaint, filed in April — two months before McMaster won the GOP primary for lieutenant governor — accuses the former two-term attorney general of creating a “phantom general election” in his campaign filings, as if he were competing in November 2010, to circumvent the law. McMaster’s attorney, Butch Bowers, contends debt retirement is a separate postelection cycle, in which donors can again give up to $3,500, so the complaint should be dismissed. McMaster spokesman Jeff Taillon called the complaint’s timing — in the midst of a four-way primary

for the GOP nod for lieutenant governor —”an apparent effort to embarrass Mr. McMaster.” The complaint was never revealed during last year’s race. By law, ethics complaints must remain a secret until the Ethics Commission determines probable cause exists to pursue the case further. The commission made that determination last month after the agency’s preliminary investigation. The finding wasn’t made public until Tuesday. A public hearing on the accusations is set for March 18. Taillon said the complaint raises a technical question about whether a debt retirement account is considered separate from the campaign and that McMaster relied on a 1992 opinion by the Ethics Commission in treating it that way.

BELK.COM

“Join Us Each Sunday at 11am” at

Calvary Christian Outreach Ministry 220 Hasel Street Sumter, SC LaShonda MCElveen, Pastor

We’ve Moved!!!

.............T Think hi k............

Lafayette f yettte G Gold olld & S Silver ilv ver er E Exchange x h ng Inside Vestco Properties We Buy: Gold, Silver, .925 Jewelry, Diamonds, Coin Collections, Pocket Watches & Wrist Watches Flatware & Estates

480 E. Liberty St. Sumter, SC 29150 (inside Coca-Cola Building))

Mon. - Fri. 8:30 - 5:30 PM • Sat: 8 - 2 PM

803-773-8022

january clearance

Palmetto Farm Supply Full Service Pet Grooming On Site!

shop Fri.-Wed., January 9-14

Don’t miss these savings, plus our storewide clearance

25-50%

FRI.-WED., JAN. 9-14

off

shopping pass

SPORTSWEAR BY CYNTHIA CYNTHIA ROWLEY, CROWN & IVY™, RAFAELLA, STATEMENTS & MORE Orig. 24.00-139.00 Sale 11.99-104.99

EXTRA

10% OFF home and shoes

50-70% WOMEN’S BOOTS off

Orig. 59.00-149.00, Sale 29.50-74.50 Select items are clearance priced.

A. Rampage Benelli B. ND New Directions® Zorro C. BareTraps® Sebastian D. Rampage Icon B

% OFF

sale priced purchases storewide

For misses and petites. Available in today’s woman at slightly higher prices

FARM PET GARDEN

brand new year

E. White Mountain Dime F. Rampage Ellerson G. ND New Directions® Friar

*Excludes Red Dot, Clearance, Earlybirds, Night Owls, Doorbusters, Bonus Buys, Super Buys, Everyday Values, Alegria, Alex and Ani, All Clad, Angelica, Assets, Better & Designer Intimates, Birkenstock, Bonobos, Breville, Brighton, Brooks Brothers, Buffalo, Casio, Citizens of Humanity, Clarisonic, Coach, Cole Haan, Columbia, cosmetics/ fragrances, Dansko, designer handbags, designer sunglasses, Diane Von Furstenberg, Dockers, Donald J Pliner, Dooney & Bourke, Eileen Fisher, Free People, Furla, Gameday, Gear For Sports, Graco, Herend, Hugo Boss, Jack Rogers, Kate Spade, Keen, Kensie Girl, kitchen/novelty electrics/coffee, Lacoste, ladies better swim, ladies designer & contemporary sportswear & dresses; ladies, kids & men’s designer shoes; ladies designer accessories, Le Creuset, Levi’s, Lilly Pulitzer, Lucky, lucy, Marc Jacobs watches, Mattel, Melissa and Doug ONLINE, Merrell, Michael Kors shoes & handbags, Minnetonka Moccasin, Miss Me, Monster Headphones, Munro, Nanette Lepore, Nautica, Nike, Orthaheel/Vionic, Ralph Lauren/Polo, Roberto Coin, Seven for All Mankind, Shape Active, Southern Proper, Spanx, Sperry Gold Cup, Stuart Weitzman, Swarovski, Tommy Bahama, Tommy Hilfiger apparel, Trina Turk apparel, Tumi, Ugg, Under Armour, Vera Bradley, Vietri, Vineyard Vines, Vitamix, Wusthof; fine jewelry watches and service plans, non-merchandise depts., lease depts., salon services and Belk gift cards. Not valid on prior purchases, special orders or Trunk Shows. Cannot be redeemed for cash, credit or refund, used in combination with any other discount or coupon offer. Valid January 9-14, 2015.

89228232

FRI.-WED., JAN. 9-14

clearance shopping pass

EXTRA

50-60

off

ENTIRE STOCK* LUGGAGE FROM SAMSONITE®, ANNE KLEIN, LONDON FOG®, RICARDO & MORE Orig. 40.00-620.00 Sale 19.99-309.99

% OFF

clearance purchases storewide

*Excludes Bridge Collections, Breville, Brighton, Coach, cosmetics/fragrances, designer sunglasses, Eileen Fisher, handbags, fashion accessories, small leather goods, hosiery, junior denim, Levi’s, Lilly Pulitzer, Resort, Vera Bradley, salon services and all lease departments. Not valid on prior purchases, special orders or Trunk Shows. Cannot be redeemed for cash, credit or refund, used in combination with any other discount or coupon offer. Valid January 9-14, 2015

11470265

*Excludes Tumi and Hartmann

WE CARRY A FULL LINE OF PET FOODS.

Shown: all imported

Merchandise, offers & coupons in this event are not available at our Dutch Square Mall, Biltmore Square Mall, Four Seasons Towne Centre, Regency Square Mall & Bristol Mall stores.

65 CLEARANCE %

WHEN YOU TAKE AN EXTRA 30% OFF* CURRENT TICKET PRICE STOREWIDE

AND MORE

WOMEN’S, MEN’S, YOUNG MEN’S, KIDS’, JUNIORS’, SHOES, ACCESSORIES, INTIMATES & HOME

OFF

335 Broad Street • Sumter, SC

803-775-1204

Limited exclusions in Brighton, Eileen Fisher, Lilly Pulitzer, My Flat in London, Resort, Bridge Collection, Levi’s, Coach, designer and Michael Kors handbags, designer sunglasses and junior denim. Juniors total savings are 55-75% off. Fashion Accessories, Handbags, Small Leather Goods, Hosiery, Shoes, Ralph Lauren Kids, Home Store & Men’s Tailored Clothing total savings are 45-65%. COUPONS NOT VALID ON RED DOT.

Connect with us for special offers and promotions at Belk.com/getconnected

NATION

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015

THE SUMTER ITEM

Few leads in California shooting, baby’s death BY GILLIAN FLACCUS The Associated Press

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

A U.S. Customs and Border Patrol drone aircraft is prepped prior to its flight at Fort Huachuca in Sierra Vista, Arizona. The Department of Homeland Security’s border drones program costs far more than the government estimates, helps in the arrests of just a fraction of the number of people trying to cross the border illegally and flies far fewer hours than the government claims, an internal watchdog asserted in a report released Tuesday.

Report: Agency should abandon drone program BY ALICIA A. CALDWELL The Associated Press WASHINGTON — The Department of Homeland Security’s border drones program costs far more than the government estimates, helps in the arrests of just a fraction of the number of people trying to cross the border illegally and flies far fewer hours than the government claims, an internal watchdog asserted in a report released Tuesday. Inspector General John Roth said in his report that the Predator B drones flown along the border by Customs and Border Protection are “dubious achievers.” Customs and Border Protection doesn’t have any performance measures, so the agency can’t prove that the program is effective, it said. CBP planned to operate four 16-hour drone patrols a day, for about 23,290 total flight hours during the 2013 budget year that ended Sept.

30, 2013. But Roth’s audit found that the planes were actually in the air for about 5,100 hours, or roughly 22 percent of the planned flight time. Drones have also led to relatively few apprehensions of people crossing the border illegally. In the two busiest Border Patrol sectors, Tucson, Arizona, and Texas’ Rio Grande Valley, drones accounted for only about 2,270 of the more than 275,000 apprehensions in 2013. CBP spokesman Carlos Lazo said the agency disagrees with the report’s findings and said auditors don’t appear to fully understand the program, including future expansion plans. He said while CBP is authorized to add drones to the fleet, there are no immediate plans to do so. CBP has nine drones flying along the Mexican and Canadian borders as well as coast lines in Florida, Texas and Southern California. A

10th drone was downed over the Pacific Ocean last year after suffering technical problems. Roth said while the agency hopes to add about 14 aircraft in the coming years the $443 million the agency plans to spend on expanding the fleet could be better spent on manned aircraft and ground surveillance. The drone fleet also doesn’t patrol the entire Southwest border, as Homeland Security has previously reported, Roth found. Instead, drone operations are focused along about 100 miles of border in Arizona and about 70 of border in Texas. Roth’s review of the program also found significant disparities in cost estimates. Auditors concluded that the drone program cost roughly $62.5 million, or about $12,255 an hour, in 2013. CBP estimated a cost of $2,468 per flight hour, but that price didn’t include operating costs including pilots, equipment and overhead.

Winning isn’t everything. Saving hundreds on car insurance is. &YPXQER (V 7YQXIV

803-938-8200

Some discounts, coverages, payment plans and features are not available in all states or all GEICO companies. GEICO is a registered service mark of Government Employees Insurance Company, Washington, D.C. 20076; a Berkshire Hathaway Inc. subsidiary. GEICO Gecko image © 1999-2012. © 2012 GEICO. © 2013 GEICO. © 2014 GEICO.

LONG BEACH, Calif. — With no leads and no motive, investigators have pleaded for the public’s help to find a gunman who shot and wounded the parents and uncle of a 3-week-old baby girl who later was found dead in a trash bin near the Mexican border 120 miles from her home, police said. Police Chief Robert Luna said the lack of direction in the investigation and the dearth of information from the injured victims was frustrating. “If you’re talking about a crime that occurred at 6 p.m. on a Saturday in a highly dense, congested residential area, somebody had to have seen or heard something,” Luna said at a Monday news conference. The baby’s parents and uncle have spoken with police, but it was too early to know if the family was withholding clues, Luna said. Detectives do not think the crime was a random act, and the FBI is assisting in the investigation, Luna said. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is expected to offer a $10,000 reward Tuesday for information leading to an arrest and conviction, he said. Long Beach detectives have a limited description of the culprit and are looking for a man who is either

Do you need... HEALTH INSURANCE? OPEN ENROLLMENT:

November 15th - February 15th Sandhills Medical Foundation, Inc We will assist you at all our locations:

LUGOFF

40 BALDWIN AVE. 803.408.3262

CAMDEN

2611 LIBERTY HILL RD. 803.432.3447

SUMTER

City of Manning Business License Renewals for the 2015 calendar year are due and payable beginning January 2, 2015 and are delinquent if not paid in full before April 15, 2015. From April 15, 2015 to May 15, 2015 the penalty is 5% of the unpaid fee for each month or portion thereof after the due date until such time the license fee is paid in full. Information given will be veriﬁed for accurancy, so please make sure the gross income and the license fee, including penalties have been properly reported and calculated. If you have any questions or need to obtain a business license application, please stop by our ofﬁce at 29 W. Boyce Street or call the Business License Department at 803-435-8477 x 113.

black or Hispanic. They don’t have a description of a car or a license plate number, so they were unable to issue an Amber Alert during the weekend. Luna said nothing is being ruled out at this point, including that the gunman has fled to Mexico, or that family members or a drug cartel are involved. The mother and uncle remained hospitalized in critical condition. The father was released Sunday. “We don’t have the complete picture yet, but we’re going to get there,” Luna said. A transient found the body of the baby, a 10pound girl named Eliza Delacruz, on Sunday in a trash bin behind a strip mall in Imperial Beach, a two-hour drive south of the Long Beach neighborhood where her father, mother and uncle were shot. Mourners erected a makeshift memorial of candles and flowers outside a pizza shop at the mall. “To take a precious child from home, throw her in a Dumpster like a piece of trash, is something only a very heartless person would do,” Luna said. The San Diego County medical examiner’s office said it was unknown where or when the infant died. An autopsy had not yet been performed, and no cause of death was released.

425 N. SALEM AVE. 803.778.2442

MCBEE

645 SOUTH 7TH ST. 843.335.8291

JEFFERSON 409 E. CHURCH ST. 843.658.3005

KERSHAW

205 W. MARION ST. 803.475.4701

FREE ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE

Contact a Certiﬁed Application Counselor at 803-900-0702 to be assisted at any location.

Mt. Zero Missionary Baptist Church announces

Reverend Dr. Lucious Dixon’s 3rd year Anniversary Celebration Sunday, January 11 • 3:00 PM

with Reverend Issac J. Holt, Pastor of Royal Missionary Baptist Church North Charleston, SC 7827 Paxville Hwy • Manning, SC 29102

WORLD

THE SUMTER ITEM

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015

Pakistan approves military courts for terror case trials AP FILE PHOTO

An Israeli tank moves into position near the Israel and Gaza border on July 18.

Israeli soldiers divided about war probes BY TIA GOLDENBERG The Associated Press JERUSALEM — A fierce debate is raging within Israel’s military about the extent to which soldiers should be held legally accountable for their actions during last year’s Gaza war, with commanders increasingly at odds with military lawyers. The dispute has set off a firestorm in Israel, where many say the legal threat would shackle soldiers in any future battle, lower their morale and shatter a sacred trust on which Israel’s compulsory military service relies. But with the Palestinians announcing their application last week to the International Criminal Court, the decision to investigate becomes all the more pressing: A robust Israeli inquiry into its military’s actions could be essential in

thwarting an embarrassing and potentially incriminating outside probe. Israel launched the Gaza operation on July 8 and said it was aimed at halting relentless rocket fire by Hamas militants. During 50 days of fighting, more than 2,100 Palestinians were killed, most of them civilians, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry and the United Nations. On the Israeli side, 66 soldiers and six civilians were killed. Israel has defended the operation as an act of self-defense and blamed Hamas for the heavy civilian death toll, saying the militant group used residential areas for cover. But critics have pointed to the heavy Palestinian civilian death toll and questioned whether Israel’s response was proportionate. Israel has also come under fire from critics who say it fails to thoroughly investigate

its military operations or prosecute soldiers for abuses. Israel says it does investigate its actions, but those inquiries rarely lead to criminal punishment. After a similar operation in Gaza in early 2009, the army convicted a total of four soldiers on various charges, including looting, improper use of a weapon and life-endangering conduct. The most serious sentence was a three-and-a-halfmonth prison term. Israel’s outgoing military chief, Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz, has walked a fine line in the debate, trying both to soothe the troops’ worries and explain the need for inquiries. “Soldiers and commanders know they have the full support of the command level,” Gantz said last month. “I feel very secure with our support and with the investigations, which are a necessary tool for our continued improvement.”

OAK PARK

NOW ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS

FAMILY & AESTHETIC DENTISTRY

Catherine M. Zybak, DMD

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistani lawmakers voted Tuesday to allow military courts to prosecute terrorism-related cases in the latest government effort to get tough on militancy after last month’s Taliban school massacre. The legislation passed both houses unanimously and now must be signed by the president. It will become effective immediately and will last for two years. After the Dec. 16 attack that left 150 people dead — most of them students — the government has scrambled to find ways to combat widespread Islamic militancy. The prime minister lifted a death penalty moratorium and then announced a proposal to allow military officers to rule on civilian terrorism cases. “Military courts come into force in war time, and we are at war,” said Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar

Ali Khan in an address to parliament Saturday defending the proposed changes. The government has sought to allay fears that the courts would be used to persecute political opponents or try non-terrorism-related cases. Speaking to legislators Tuesday, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said the government would decide what cases will be heard in the military courts. He said many “hard-core terrorists” arrested during military operations and currently in internment centers would be tried in military courts. Pakistan’s overburdened legal system has often struggled to deal with terrorism cases. There is no protection for judges, witnesses and prosecutors. Police investigations are often flawed, and authorities complain that if they bring a case against a suspected militant, it is often thrown out.

h t u e o r n S B y l p m i S Rotisserie & Grill istro Southern Cooking with a Cajun Kick

Want A Lighter Lunch Or Dinner? Try One Of Our Delicious Salads CHEF’S SALAD Fresh chopped iceberg, topped with tomatoes, cheddar cheese, cucumbers, ham, turkey, bacon and croutons SPINACH SALAD Fresh spinach topped with candied pecans, Bleu cheese crumbles, dried cranberries, tomatoes and bacon SOUTHWEST SALAD Fresh iceberg topped with grilled chicken, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, cucumbers, black beans, corn and tortilla chips ROTISSERIE CHICKEN SALAD Rotisserie Chicken with grapes, candied pecans, celery, house blend spices and mayo. All of our salad dressings are made in house and you can add shrimp, salmon, oysters or chicken to any salad CATERING • GIFT CARDS • TAKE OUT

65 W. Wesmark Blvd (ACROSS FROM BILTON LINCOLN)

803-469-8502

Sun., Mon., Tues. 11:00am-2:30pm Wed. and Thur. Lunch 11:00am-2:30pm • Dinner 5pm - 9pm Fri. and Sat. 11:00am-9:00pm

Let’s be

Honest

NO ONE ELSE OFFERS

a Bundle of 5 FREE

Connection Installation , , Modem & Wi-Fi

200+ Channels Nationwide Calling

Digital TV

Internet - 4X1 Mbps

Starting at $89.95 for Phone, Digital TV & Internet

Security

Wireless

10% off

Security

Wireless

THE FTC

FAB www.ftcbundle.com | 888-218-5050 Offer available for new and existing residential customers who subscribe to a qualifying FTC package. Pricing shown reﬂects package, including FTC residential local phone with Unlimited Nationwide calling plan, Internet with speeds up to 4 Mbps and Digital TV with Vision Plus package. Package price excludes set-top box, applicable taxes, fees, surcharges, connection fees and installation. Channel count includes channels requiring HD access. 10% off Security is for the monthly or annual monitoring fee. 10% off Wireless is off the primary line and is not combinable with corporate discounts. Promotional rates and percentage discounts apply for 12 months. Normal retail rate applies after promotional period ends. All services may not be available in all areas. 12-month contract required - applicable early termination fees apply. Promotion offer expires 02/28/15. Security not eligible for free connection and installation.

Saturday, January 10 • 11am - 3pm 209 Broad Street • Sumter, SC

NATION

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015

THE SUMTER ITEM

Boehner calls on Obama to back GOP energy, jobs bills BY ALAN FRAM The Associated Press WASHINGTON — Newly re-elected House Speaker John Boehner says he wants President Obama to back Republican bills on energy and jobs as a way to break the partisan logjam that has stalled legislation in recent years. In prepared remarks, the Ohio Republican also used his first speech to the new Congress on Tuesday to rap colleagues — whom he did not name — for what he

House Speaker John Boehner, of Ohio, meets with reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington on Wednesday after a House GOP caucus meeting. With time running short before Congress adjourns, Republicans and Democrats agreed Tuesday on a $1.1 trillion spending bill to avoid a government shutdown and delay a politically-charged struggle over President Barack Obama’s new immigration policy until the new year.

called “shadowboxing and show business.” Boehner likened his job to a farmer’s, saying he tries to plant seeds and take care of pests. He asked lawmakers for patience. Boehner was addressing the House shortly after he was elected to his third term as speaker. He said that Obama should support bills helping workers and developing North American energy — some of which the administration opposes.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

GROCERIES FROM PAGE A1

CONGRESS FROM PAGE A1

Chuck Duke has lived in Summerton for 40 years. “I shop other places, too, but this is a good place. It’s a shame it’s closing,” he said. “That is an awfully good question,” responded Don Florence, a two-year resident of Summerton, when asked about his future shopping plans. “I’ll probably shop in Manning. I wish there was some way to keep a grocery store here.” Several employees around the store said they did not want to talk, and an assistant manager referred questions to the business office. “I am not going to comment,” she said. Clarendon County Council Chairman Dwight Stewart, who lives in Summerton and served on Summerton Town Council for 20 years, said it will be a hardship for people who don’t have transportation. “That’s the people I’m most concerned about,” he said. Stewart said he had spoken

to the owners, and it was his understanding the they were not planning to reopen under different branding. “They still have a lease on the property, and they are going to continue to pay the lease,” he said. Stewart said when he was on Summerton Town Council it helped the ownership at that time get a low-interest government loan to help the store move to its current location, and the possibility of getting a similar loan for any new outlet that wanted to move into the Summerton market should be explored. Summerton Mayor Mac Bagnal also declined to comment. “It will be a pretty substantial loss for the people of that town and the surrounding area,” said Clarendon County Administrator David Epperson. “I hope they will be able to find another chain to come in and provide that service to the town.”

After months of equivocating, the White House announced Tuesday that Obama would not sign the bill. Spokesman Josh Earnest said there is a “well-established” review process that is being run by the State Department that should not be undermined by legislation. “If this bill passes this Congress, the president wouldn’t sign this bill,” Earnest said. It was a preview of things to come as both sides positioned themselves for two years of clashes and, perhaps, occasional cooperation that will help shape the outcomes of the 2016 presidential and congressional elections. Obama planned to meet with the new congressional leaders at the White House next week. McConnell replaces Democrat Harry Reid of Nevada, who was a surprise no-show from the day’s proceedings after he injured

himself exercising. Reid, who broke several ribs and bones in his face when a piece of equipment snapped last week, said his doctor had ordered him to work from home Tuesday. A photo Reid posted to Twitter showed him with his right eye taped over as he met with lawmakers. His office also disclosed that he had suffered a concussion in the incident. Newcomers and veterans alike lifted their hands to swear the oath of office, many with spouses, children and grandchildren looking on to witness the biennial display of pageantry. The spectacle drew political veterans back to the Capitol as former Vice President Walter Mondale, a Democrat, and former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, a Republican, mixed with lawmakers on the Senate floor. McConnell and Boehner sought to move quickly to legislative battles ahead, but first, Boehner had to survive his re-election as speaker — the main event

on any opening day’s agenda. Tea party-backed Reps. Louie Gohmert of Texas and Ted Yoho and Daniel Webster of Florida were nominated by colleagues as challengers to Boehner. The ranks of the opponents grew in the hours ahead of Tuesday’s vote, and unexpected dissenters materialized during the lengthy televised roll call vote in the House chamber. But the challenge fell far short, and many lawmakers dismissed it as a needless distraction at a moment when the party should be showing voters it can lead. “It’s time to put all this silliness behind and move on,” said Rep. Phil Roe, RTenn. “We’re on probation. If we don’t perform ... (voters) can make a pivot in a heartbeat.” Though the rebels did not succeed in toppling the 65-year-old Boehner, they insisted they had sent a message that the current high command wasn’t conservative or inclusive

M L AU G H L I N F O R D $

199

PER MONTH

13,990

2013 Dodge Dart SXT

00 9 9 1

ONTH PER M

00 9 19

ONTH PER M

2013 Toyota Corolla

2013 Hyundai Elantra

00 199

ONTH PER M

199

199 00

TH ON M R PE

PER M ONTH

2013 Chevy Cruz LT

199 00

2013 Nissan Sentra

PER M ONTH

2013 Volkswagen Jetta

00 9 19

ONTH PER M

2012 Honda Civic

$ ONTH PER M

2013 Ford Focus

All vehicles equiped with Auto, Air, PS, PB, PW, Tilt, CD and More • Several Colors to Choose from.

GOOD CREDIT, NO CREDIT, BAD CREDIT–NO PROBLEM!

773-1481

950 N. Main Street • Sumter, SC • 1-800-948-7764

www.mclaughlinford.com

$1,000 DOWN ALL PRICES PLUS TAX & TAGS AND INCLUDES DEALER $249 CLOSING FEE WITH APPROVED CREDIT - 72 MONTH @ 3.9%APR SEE DEALER FOR DETAILS • PHOTOS FOR ILLUSTRATION PURPOSES ONLY

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

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015 H.G. Osteen 1870-1955 Founder, The Item

H.D. Osteen 1904-1987 The Item

Margaret W. Osteen 1908-1996 The Item Hubert D. Osteen Jr. Chairman & Editor-in-Chief Graham Osteen Co-President Kyle Osteen Co-President Jack Osteen Editor and Publisher Larry Miller CEO Rick Carpenter Managing Editor

20 N. Magnolia St., Sumter, South Carolina 29150 • Founded October 15, 1894

Liberals’ use of black people, part II L

ast week’s column focused on the ways liberals use blacks in pursuit of their leftist agenda, plus their demeaning attitudes toward black people. Most demeaning are their double standards. It was recently reported that Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., the House majority whip, spoke at a 2002 gathering hosted by white supremacist leaders when he was a Louisiana state representative. Some are calling on Scalise to step down or for House Speaker John Boehner to fire him. There’s no claim that Scalise made racist statements. Hardly anyone blinks an eye at the Rev. Al Sharpton’s racist statements, such as: “White folks was in the caves while we (blacks) was building empires. ... We built pyramids before Donald Trump ever knew what architecture was. ... We taught philosophy and astrology and mathematics before Socrates and them Greek homos ever got around to it.” Sharpton again: “So (if) some cracker come and tell you ‘Well, my mother and father blood go back to the Mayflower,’ you better hold your pocket. That ain’t nothing to be proud of. That means their forefathers was crooks.” Sharpton

COMMENTARY also offered, “If the Jews want to get it on, tell them to pin their yarmulkes back and come over to my house.” Despite such racism, President Barack Obama has made Sharpton his go-to guy on matters of race. But not to worry. Obama himself spent 20 years listening to the Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s antiSemitic and racist sermons. The news media and intellectual elite don’t condemn Sharpton or Obama, because they have two Walter standards of behavior: Williams one for whites and a lower one for blacks. The news media’s narrative about the police shooting in Ferguson, Missouri, is that a white cop shot and killed an unarmed black man who was holding his hands up. Their New York City narrative is that a white cop used a chokehold that killed a black man. The news media people and their liberal allies know the facts, but they

need to promote the appearance of injustice to keep black people in a state of grievance. During grand jury testimony about the Ferguson incident, seven black witnesses testified that Michael Brown was charging the policeman when he was shot. The autopsies, performed by three sets of forensic experts, including one representing Brown’s family, confirmed Officer Darren Wilson’s version of the event. The news media’s narrative of Eric Garner’s death in New York is that he died because a chokehold had stopped his breathing. He actually died later, in an ambulance, where his heart stopped while being taken to a hospital. The chokehold was instrumental in triggering Garner’s pre-existing health problems of acute and chronic bronchial asthma, obesity and heart disease, but he was not choked to death as claimed by the media. Both Brown and Garner would be alive today if they had not resisted arrest. But pointing that out would not serve the purpose of keeping blacks in a perpetual state of grievance. I’m old enough to remember the racist lynching mentality of yesteryear.

Regardless of the evidence, if a white woman merely accused a black man of raping her, the man was all but dead. Emmett Till, a Chicago teenager visiting relatives in Money, Mississippi, during the summer of 1955, was accused of flirting with a white woman. Klansmen took him to a barn. They beat him and gouged out one of his eyes. Then they shot him in the head and tossed his body in the Tallahatchie River. The New York Times published the street name on which Officer Wilson lived. Had the frenzied mob caught up with him, regardless of evidence, he might have suffered the same fate as Till. Multiethnic societies are inherently unstable, and how we handle matters of race is contributing to that instability. Decent Americans should see the dangers posed by America’s race hustlers, who are stacking up piles of combustible racial kindling, ready for a racial arsonist to set it ablaze. Walter E. Williams is a professor of economics at George Mason University. © 2015 creators.com

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR DONATIONS GAVE CROSSWELL KIDS A CHRISTMAS TO REMEMBER “Praise God from whom all blessings flow!” Here at Crosswell Home, we are so thankful for the blessings that have been poured upon us throughout the year, and God has blessed us tremendously through Sumter and surrounding communities this Christmas season. Through donations made by faithful churches, local businesses, organizations and individuals, we were able to provide Christmas for our 35 children on campus and more than 10 children and families that Crosswell has served in the past. Our children have been able to participate in activities on campus and off campus through

generous donations. We are so grateful to be able to not only provide Christmas gifts under the tree for our children, but also fun experiences for them to enjoy while out of school. We are humbled each year by faithful donors and volunteers that have never once asked for recognition for their generous gifts. Your gifts help us exceedingly meet the needs of the children we have the blessing to serve. Thank you for helping us give our children a Christmas they will remember for years to come. KELLY ROWELL Volunteer coordinator, John K. Crosswell Home for Children

PUBLIC MUCH SMARTER THAN ECONOMISTS WHO CREATED ACA The Sumter Item revealed on the front page Sunday that only 15 citizens came to the RV over a period of three days to enroll or to receive information on the Affordable Care Act. Sonya Del Rio and all staff are friendly and helpful. This opportunity to enroll was advertised on the front of The Sumter Item for several days. Why did so few come? Are the people of America stupid as Dr. Jonathan Gruber stated in the creation of this health plan? If something is really great you should have long lines. The answer is clear. The American people are much smarter than Dr. Gruber and most economists who created the ACA.

ACA insurance has very high deductibles, high copays and high premiums. The publicity stresses it goes to infinity and pre-existing illness is covered. The young and healthy in our society know that their family illnesses will be broken arms, back pain, chest pain and numerous other ailments. Fortunately, few of the young and healthy will have kidney failure or cancer or a catastrophe. I agree with the young who don’t want to buy it. These policies can be compared to buying a new pickup and looking under the hood and finding no motor. PHIL BRANDT, M.D. Sumter

THANK LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS FOR THE WORK THEY DO I want to thank Pastor Blassingame for his letter on Tuesday, Jan.6 . It is good to hear from anyone who speaks the truth about what law enforcement officers have to do to help keep the rest of us safe from the evergrowing criminal element of our society. I love the TV program “COPS.” I can watch it for hours and do. Most of it is about the criminals running from police in a car, on foot and sometimes both. Ninetynine percent of the time they have committed a crime, are drunk and or on drugs or have warrants. It is funny to me how those big, bad, bullies turn in to little crybaby sissy cowards when the police catch them. They should keep in shape if they plan on running from the police. I have also noticed that a lot of them will say, “I can’t breathe, you hurt my arm, the cuffs are too tight, my finger hurts, my nose is bleeding, you injured my leg,” etc. I want to ask them, “Whose fault is that”? Even if I could talk to the person through the TV I have to realize the

shows are pre-recorded. Enough of this. You get the point, I hope. One last thing, can anyone out there tell me how the police are supposed to know who has guns/weapons and who doesn’t? People talk about how a policeman shoots an “unarmed teenager,” for example, but how do the police know the teenager is unarmed? Is there a way you could pause the event in midhappening and be able to somehow have X-ray vision into the clothes and body of that so-called “unarmed teenager?” I can’t seem to figure this out on my own. Last, I plan to thank any officer I see for all the work that they do. I hope that others will do the same. I have noticed people walking up to service members and thanking them for their service. We could start doing the same thing for our police force. Maybe some want-to-be criminal will see this happen and decide that maybe police aren’t what someone has told them they are. JACQUELINE K. HUGHES Sumter

EDITORIAL ROUNDUP A recent editorial from a South Carolina newspaper:

The Herald of Rock Hill Jan. 5

THIS YEAR’S FLU SEASON IS DEADLY During the recent Ebola scare, health experts trying to lend some perspective to the potential threat said that the next flu season probably would pose a greater risk for Americans than the Ebola virus. Turns out they were right. The Ebola epidemic was a tragedy for West Africa, its epicenter. The deadly virus infected 20,000 and claimed the lives of 7,800. But in the United States, Ebola was effectively contained. Only two people died in the U.S. from Ebola, and they had contracted the disease in Africa. By contrast, this flu season could be one of the worst in decades for the United States. The flu outbreak is so widespread that it now is officially termed an epidemic, with 43 states now reporting large rates of infection. The primary culprit is H3N2, the flu strain that is accounting for 95 percent of all cases reported. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which tries to match the seasonal flu vaccine with the most likely flu strain, bet wrong this year. Doctors say the virus mutated after the shot was developed and distributed. While they say that people still should get a flu shot if they haven’t already, it is only about 33 percent effective against the flu this season. The epidemic already has produced tragic results. Dozens of people have

died so far, including 21 children. In South Carolina, more than 10,000 new cases had been confirmed for the week ending Dec. 27, compared to half that during the same week last year. The number of people hospitalized with flu increased from about 180 to about 460 during the last three weeks of the year. Health experts had hoped to see a drop in the number of cases during the holiday season when children are home from school and adults are spending less time at the office. This year, however, the flu picked up speed during late December. According to the CDC, people at risk of flu-related complications include young children, especially those younger than 2 years; people over 65; pregnant women; and people with chronic health problems, such as asthma, heart disease and weakened immune systems. But anyone can get the flu. To avoid the virus, health officials advise washing hands frequently and avoiding contact with anyone who has the disease. For those who have the flu, the CDC has one essential message: Stay home. Don’t try to soldier on and go to work, where you can infect co-workers. And don’t send sick children to school. Doctors also say that getting a dose of anti-viral medicine, such as Tamiflu or Relenza, as soon as possible after the onset of symptoms might help reduce the effects of the flu. But there is no cure other than time. The old saying goes that just because you’re paranoid, that doesn’t mean something isn’t out to get you. This year it wasn’t Ebola, it was the flu that had us in its sights.

HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY? Send your letter to letters@theitem.com, drop it off at The Sumter Item office, 20 N. Magnolia St., or mail it to The Sumter Item, P.O. Box 1677, Sumter, SC 29151, along with the writer’s full name, address and telephone number (for verification purposes only). Letters that exceed 350 words will be cut accordingly in the print edition, but available in their entirety at www.theitem.com/opinion/letters_to_editor.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015

AROUND TOWN dues to: NFB Sumter ChapClarendon School District Two is ready to begin assigning stu- ter, P.O. Box 641, Sumter, SC Attention parents of Clarendon 29151. School Disdent devices as part of its Two students one trict to one technology The Pinedale Neighborhood Aslearning initiative through sociation will meet at 4 p.m. the Carolina Consortium of on Thursday, Jan. 15, at the Enterprise Learning. In order South HOPE Center, 1125 S. for students to receive a Lafayette Drive. Call FerdiMac Book Air laptop or iPaid nand Burns at (803) 968Mini, parents are required to 4464. attend one of the following The General George L. Mabry meetings: 6 p.m. Thursday, Jr. Chapter 817, Military Order Jan. 8, Manning High School of the Purple Heart, will meet (MHS) lecture hall; 6 p.m. at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. Monday, Jan. 12, Manning 15, at the Elks Lodge, 1100 Early Childhood Center (MECC); 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. W. Liberty St. All Purple Heart recipients are invited. 13, Manning Primary School For information, call (803) (MPS); 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 14, Manning Elementary 506-3120. The Lincoln High School Class School (MES); and 6 p.m. of 1963 will meet at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 15, Manning Saturday, Jan. 17, at AmeriJunior High School (MJHS) can Legion Post 202, 310 Paland Manning High School. metto St. Lincoln HS Classes The district’s Acceptable 1960 through 1969 are asked Use Policy, how devices will be used and how to care for to send a representative to help in planning the reunion the devices will be disto celebrate the modern cussed. A $50 user fee is reCivil Rights Movement. For quired for each student deinformation, call Ferdinand vice issued at MPS, MES, Burns at (803) 968-4464. MJHS and MHS. A $25 user fee is required for each stuThe 15th Annual Dr. Martin Ludent device issued at MECC. ther King Jr. Dream Walk will be held on Monday, Jan. 19. Clarendon School District One This three mile walk will will conduct free vision, hearing, speech and developmental start and end at USC Sumter Nettles Building, 200 Miller screenings as part of a child Road. Registration will begin find effort to identify stuat 8:30 a.m. with walk begindents with special needs. Screenings will be held from ning at 9:30 a.m. There will be a celebratory program at 9 a.m. to noon at the Sum11 a.m. Call Mary Sutton at merton Early Childhood (803) 938-3760 for details. Center on the following Thursdays: Jan. 8; Feb. 12; The Sumter Branch NAACP’s March 12; April 9; and May annual MLK Program will be 14. Call Sadie Williams or held at 3 p.m. on Monday, Audrey Walters at (803) 485- Jan. 19, at Jehovah Mission2325, extension 221. ary Baptist Church, 805 S. Harvin St. The One Sumter Community will meet at 6:30 p.m. on Free income tax filing services Sunday, Jan. 11, at Mount and FAFSA applications will be Zion Missionary Baptist provided Feb. 1 through Church. April 15 as follows: 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Manning High School Class of SC Works — Santee Lynches, 1971 will hold a planning 31 E. Calhoun St., (803) 774meeting at 6 p.m. on Mon1300; 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday, Jan. 12, at Branch days, 3-8 p.m. Saturdays, apStreet, Manning. For details pointments only on Sunand directions, call Loretta Cantey Conyers at (803) 528- days, Goodwill — Job Link Center, 1028 Broad St., (803) 8183 or Lillian Hilton Wright 774-5006; and 9:30 a.m.-7 at (803) 236-8049. p.m. Thursdays and 9:30 The Sumter Chapter of the Naa.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays, Lee tional Federation of the Blind County Adult Education, 123 will hold its monthly meetE. College St., Bishopville, ing at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, (803) 484-4040. For details Jan. 13, at Shiloh-Randolph and appointments, call Ms. Manor. All state dues for Samuels at (803) 240-8355. 2015 are now due. The spotHow much do you know about light will shine on Lori Anne Sumter’s cultural community? Coley and the associate The Sumter County Recremember is Patricia White. If you know a blind or visually ation and Parks Department will sponsor International impaired person, contact the chapter president, Debra Festival Day 2015 from 4 to 7 Canty, at DebraCanC2@fron- p.m. on Saturday, April 18. Call (803) 436-2248 for infortier.com or via telephone at mation. (803) 775-5792. Mail state

DAILY PLANNER

THE SUMTER ITEM

WEATHER

AccuWeather® ﬁve-day forecast for Sumter TODAY

TONIGHT

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

Partly sunny, windy and cooler

Windy

Colder with plenty of sunshine

Partly sunny and warmer

Chilly with sunshine

Cloudy and chilly

48°

17°

31° / 19°

46° / 23°

44° / 27°

47° / 37°

Chance of rain: 10%

Chance of rain: 5%

Chance of rain: 25%

NW 10-20 mph

N 12-25 mph

NE 6-12 mph

WSW 7-14 mph

NE 8-16 mph

TODAY’S SOUTH CAROLINA WEATHER

Gaﬀney 39/13 Spartanburg 41/14

Greenville 42/14

Columbia 50/17

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

IN THE MOUNTAINS

Sumter 48/17

Aiken 48/17

ON THE COAST

Charleston 53/18

Today: Times of clouds and sun; cooler in northern parts. High 50 to 57. Thursday: Colder with plenty of sunshine. High 32 to 40.

LOCAL ALMANAC

LAKE LEVELS

SUMTER THROUGH 4 P.M. YESTERDAY

Today Hi/Lo/W 37/15/pc 2/-11/pc 36/18/pc 12/3/sf 53/29/pc 81/55/pc 52/26/pc 26/10/sf 68/40/pc 26/11/sf 77/51/pc 66/47/pc 28/16/pc

SUN AND MOON 7 a.m. yest. 358.09 74.23 73.36 96.30

24-hr chg -0.03 -0.05 +0.01 +0.01

Sunrise 7:28 a.m. Moonrise 8:04 p.m.

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

0.00" 1.15" 0.77" 1.15" 0.38" 0.77"

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

60° 32° 54° 32° 78° in 1956 13° in 1969

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

Thu. Hi/Lo/W 31/23/s 12/0/sf 40/30/s 10/6/sn 43/35/pc 75/53/pc 42/33/s 21/19/s 60/48/sh 21/17/s 71/49/pc 63/48/pc 25/23/s

Myrtle Beach 51/19

Manning 50/17

Today: Decreasing clouds. Winds northwest 12-25 mph. Thursday: Sunny and quite cold. Winds south-southwest 4-8 mph.

Temperature High Low Normal high Normal low Record high Record low

Florence 48/17

Bishopville 47/16

Sunset Moonset

5:28 p.m. 8:48 a.m.

Last

New

First

Full

Jan. 13

Jan. 20

Jan. 26

Feb. 3

TIDES

Flood 7 a.m. 24-hr stage yest. chg 12 9.16 -0.08 19 6.49 +0.89 14 9.45 -0.07 14 7.61 +1.69 80 78.96 -0.17 24 12.87 +2.83

AT MYRTLE BEACH

High 10:14 a.m. 10:40 p.m. 10:51 a.m. 11:18 p.m.

Today Thu.

Ht. 3.1 2.7 3.0 2.6

Low Ht. 4:40 a.m. -0.2 5:15 p.m. 0.0 5:18 a.m. 0.0 5:51 p.m. 0.1

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

Today Hi/Lo/W 28/8/pc 41/14/pc 48/16/pc 54/21/pc 42/21/pc 53/18/pc 40/13/pc 43/17/pc 50/17/pc 46/15/pc 42/17/pc 44/17/pc 43/15/pc

Thu. Hi/Lo/W 30/21/s 34/21/s 36/18/s 38/25/s 31/24/s 37/22/s 29/21/s 32/25/s 34/20/s 30/19/s 33/22/pc 30/19/s 29/19/s

Today City Hi/Lo/W Florence 48/17/pc Gainesville 62/25/pc Gastonia 40/13/pc Goldsboro 41/15/pc Goose Creek 53/18/pc Greensboro 35/12/pc Greenville 42/14/pc Hickory 34/12/pc Hilton Head 56/21/pc Jacksonville, FL 61/26/pc La Grange 43/18/pc Macon 47/18/pc Marietta 35/13/pc

Thu. Hi/Lo/W 32/19/s 50/32/s 29/22/s 28/19/s 37/21/s 24/21/s 29/23/s 27/22/s 38/30/pc 46/32/sh 36/23/s 37/21/s 30/20/s

Today City Hi/Lo/W Marion 33/8/pc Mt. Pleasant 53/20/pc Myrtle Beach 51/19/pc Orangeburg 50/18/pc Port Royal 55/23/pc Raleigh 38/14/pc Rock Hill 41/12/pc Rockingham 43/12/pc Savannah 56/21/pc Spartanburg 41/14/pc Summerville 55/17/pc Wilmington 48/17/pc Winston-Salem 35/12/pc

Thu. Hi/Lo/W 30/17/s 37/25/s 33/24/s 33/20/s 38/24/s 27/17/s 30/21/s 30/15/s 41/26/s 29/21/s 39/29/s 33/21/s 23/21/s

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!

PUBLIC AGENDA TOWN OF LYNCHBURG PLANNING COMMISSION Today, 4 p.m., town hall

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Look for a EUGENIA LAST way to help others and you will be offered something in return. An innovative suggestion will open up conversations with people interested in hearing more about what you have to offer. Love is on the rise.

The last word in astrology

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Take action. If you share your plans first, you will face opposition and defeat. As long as you stay within your means financially, emotionally and physically, you will get what you want. Anger is a waste of time and energy. Stay calm. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Love, romance, travel and adventure will take your mind off any frustrations you face with a co-worker or employer. Enjoying what you have and the people you love will improve your mood and help you excel. A professional change looks inviting. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Consider professional adjustments and look for openings that fit your unique skills and interests. If you like what you do and enjoy the people around you, it will make your life and job much easier. Make changes for the right reasons. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Share your story and you will find a way to turn what you have done and can do into a prosperous adventure. Your charm and ability to present and promote what you have to offer will capture interest. Love is amplified. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Refrain from divulging secret information or getting involved in gossip. Look for a way to invest or make positive financial changes that will ensure greater stability. A personal upgrade will work in your favor and

SUMTER COUNTY VOTER REGISTRATION / ELECTION COMMISSION Thursday, 5:30 p.m., registration / election office, 141 N. Main St.

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

result in compliments. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Stay focused on your responsibilities. A twist in your personal life may take you by surprise, but could open all sorts of new opportunities to improve your standard of living. Love is favored, and physical improvements are attainable. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You’ll have trouble convincing others to think the way you do. You will get further ahead if you do things on your own. An unusual change at home will take time and effort, but will be worth your while in the end. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You’ve got plenty of energy and can accomplish a lot if you concentrate on using your skills and attributes with precision. Travel and communication will highlight your day and lead to romantic banter with someone special. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Don’t settle for less when you want more. Concentrate on what you know and do best, and strive to reach your goal. The people you deal with may not welcome your drive and determination. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Take on extra work and show everyone how capable you are. You will receive benefits that will boost your confidence and encourage you to apply your talents and skills to positions you may not have considered in the past. Love is highlighted. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Don’t worry about what kind of response you’ll get. Be up-front, ask for what you want and negotiate a fair deal. Someone you least expect will offer you help if you are willing to make the first move.

LOTTERY NUMBERS PALMETTO CASH 5 TUESDAY

POWERBALL SATURDAY

9-11-12-18-33 PowerUp: 3

4-18-43-46-55 Powerball: 25 Powerplay: 3

PICK 3 TUESDAY

PICK 4 TUESDAY

3-2-2 and 3-2-5

2-7-2-0 and 1-9-8-5

MEGAMILLIONS numbers were unavailable at press time.

PICTURES FROM THE PUBLIC Dee Dee Spigner comments on this photo she took in her yard, “Open your eyes to see the wonderful things in your world.”

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

SECTION

Obstacles not slowing Panthers progress Call: (803) 774-1241 | E-mail: sports@theitem.com

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015

PREP BASKETBALL

Sumter, Vikings split

Local teams fluctuate in prep polls BY DENNIS BRUNSON dennis@theitem.com

answered points to go up 12-3, forcing a timeout from Spring Valley head coach Anne Long at the 2:26 mark of the opening quarter. Sumter held an 11-point lead, 16-5, as the first quarter came to an end. The lead peaked at 14, first at 25-11 and then 27-13, before Spring Valley closed the half on a 9-2

Sumter High School’s boys basketball team fell out of the first South Carolina Basketball Coaches Association regular-season 4A poll, while the SHS girls team jumped into the poll. Also, the Crestwood girls team dropped a spot in the 3A poll and Lee Central dropped out of the 2A girls poll. The Sumter boys, who played in the lower state championship game, was ranked fifth in the preseason poll. The Gamecocks were 7-2 going into Tuesday’s game against Spring Valley, which fell from No. 2 in the preseason poll to No. 7. The Lady Gamecocks, who were 10-2 entering Tuesday’s contest against No. 6 Spring Valley, moved into the top 10 poll at No. 8. Crestwood’s girls, the defending state runner-ups, fell from No. 2 to No. 3. Orangeburg-Wilkinson remained atop the poll, while Lancaster went from being unranked to No. 2. Wando is ranked No. 1 in the 4A boys poll and two of Sumter’s Region VI foes are ranked. Conway is No. 8 and West Florence is 10th. Dutch Fork is the No. 1 4A girls team, while West Florence is third after not being ranked in the preseason poll. Crestwood is the only Region VI-3A girls team that is ranked. Darlington is the only Region VI boys team that is ranked, coming in No. 5. Lakewood opens its region schedule at Darlington on Friday. Lee Central’s girls were ranked No. 8 in the preseason, but have gotten off to a slow start. None of the

SEE SPLIT, PAGE B3

SEE POLL, PAGE B2

KEITH GEDAMKE / THE SUMTER ITEM

Spring Valley’s PJ Dozier, left, guards Sumter’s Ahkeem Lawson during the Vikings’ 69-60 victory on Tuesday at the SHS gymnasium. Despite the victory, Dozier was held to just five points.

SHS girls avenge blowout loss; boys hold Spring Valley star to 5 points but lose BY EDDIE LITAKER Special to The Sumter Item Sumter High School’s varsity girls basketball team atoned for its worst loss of the season on Tuesday, holding off a rally midway through the game for a 47-35 victory over Spring Valley at the SHS gymnasium. First-year Lady Gamecocks head coach Jason Loud-

enslager, whose team won its seventh straight game to improve to 11-2 overall, was pleased with the turnaround from a blowout loss at Spring Valley. “To make a 35-point turnaround in less than three weeks to me is a very impressive effort,” said Loudenslager. “We got drubbed by this team by 20 points just a couple of weeks ago, and that

was our last loss. To lose by 20 and then turn around and beat them by double digits to me is extremely impressive.” The game played relatively close throughout, though the final margin might not indicate such. Spring Valley’s only lead came early, as a Dominique Hill 3-point basket put the Lady Vikings up 3-2. From there, the Lady Gamecocks rattled off 10 un-

BASEBALL HALL OF FAME

Johnson, Martinez, Smoltz, Biggio to enter Hall of Fame BY RONALD BLUM The Associated Press NEW YORK — Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez and John Smoltz, a trio of star pitchers who dominated in an era of offense, were elected to baseball’s Hall of Fame on Tuesday along with Craig Biggio, the first time since 1955 writers selected four players in one year. The Big Unit, Martinez and Smoltz easily earned induction on their first tries, and Biggio made it on the third attempt after falling two votes shy last year. Steroids-tainted stars Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa remained far from election. Johnson, a five-time Cy Young Award winner with 303 victories and 4,875 strikeouts, was selected on 534 of 549 ballots by veteran members of the

Baseball Writers’ Association of America. “The Hall of Fame was never something that I surely ever thought about,” said Johnson, who has been pursuing a photography career since his retirement. The 97.3 percentage for the lefthander was the eighth-highest in the history of voting. “I don’t think people quite understand how difficult it is to be 6-foot-10 and be throwing a ball 60 feet, 6 inches away,” Johnson said. “In order to do that, you have to consistent with your release point and where you’re landing and your arm slot and all that. For someone 6-1, 6-2, there’s less body to keep under control, so it’s a lot easier.” ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO Martinez, a three-time Cy Young Former Atlanta Braves pitcher John Smoltz was elected to the National Baseball Hall of winner with flamboyance to go along

Fame on Tuesday. He was elected his first time on the ballot along with Randy Johnson SEE HALL, PAGE B6 and Pedro Martinez.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Floundering Florida has more problems than just depth BY MARK LONG The Associated Press GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida’s issues go way beyond depth. Yes, the Gators (7-6) have played short-handed much of the season, with guard Eli Carter, forward Dorian Finney-Smith, Duke transfer

Alex Murphy and center Chris Walker missing games. Coach Billy Donovan’s team, DONOVAN which lost four senior starters from last year’s Final Four team, also has had, at most, just nine scholarship players

available. So bodies have been a problem. But it’s not that simple for the Gators, who have blown double-digits leads in the second half against Miami, Kansas and Connecticut, and have their most losses heading into Southeastern Conference play since the 1974-75

season. Florida begins conference play Wednesday at South Carolina. “There is still a lot of basketball left to play,” Donovan said Monday. “Things can change. But do I think this is doing to change this year based on what I’ve seen so

SEE FLORIDA, PAGE B5

UNIVERISTY OF FLORIDA AT SOUTH CAROLINA WHERE: Colonial Life Arena in Columbia WHEN: Today, 7 p.m. RADIO: WDXY-FM 105.9, WNKT-FM 107.5, WDXY-AM 1240 TV: SEC Network

SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015

COLLEGE BASKETBALL ROUNDUP

No.1 Kentucky survives Mississippi 89-86 in OT LEXINGTON, Ky. — Aaron Harrison scored 26 points, including two big free throws with 1:29 remaining in overtime to put Kentucky ahead to stay, and the top-ranked Wildcats withstood three final Mississippi attempts to rally before escaping with an 89-86 victory Tuesday. Overwhelming favorites against a Mississippi squad they had beaten 102 times in 115 previous meetings, the Wildcats (14-0, 1-0 SEC) instead survived a backand-forth battle with the determined Rebels in their Southeastern Conference opener. Especially in OT, as missed free throws down the stretch gave the Rebels chances to either go ahead or tie the game. Mississippi couldn’t take advantage as LaDarius White missed on one possession and the Rebels (9-5, 0-1) lost the ball out of bounds on the next. The Rebels had one last opportunity after Trey Lyles missed two free throws with 15.4 seconds left, but Martavious Newby’s 3-pointer bounced high and was grabbed by Willie Cauley-Stein to keep Kentucky unbeaten.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Kentucky’s Aaron Harrison (2) shoots under pressure from Mississippi’s Aaron Jones during the Wildcats’ 89-86 overtime victory on Tuesday in Lexington, Ky. (23) ARKANSAS 79 GEORGIA 75

ATHENS, Ga.— Bobby Portis scored 21 points, Michael Qualls added 15 and No. 23 Arkansas rallied from a first-half deficit of 13 points to beat Georgia 79-75 on Tuesday night in the Southeastern Conference opener for each team. Arkansas (12-2, 1-0 SEC) needed a strong second half

for its sixth straight win. The Razorbacks played from behind before taking their first lead with about 6 minutes remaining. A rebound and basket by Georgia’s Marcus Thornton with 4.5 seconds remaining cut the Arkansas lead to 7775. Two free throws by Qualls pushed the lead back to four points. From wire reports

THE SUMTER ITEM

SCOREBOARD TV, RADIO TODAY

6:05 p.m. -- Talk Show: Sports Talk (WPUB-FM 102.7, WDXY-FM 105.9, WDXY-AM 1240). 7 p.m. -- College Basketball: Seton Hall at Xavier (CBS SPORTS NETWORK). 7 p.m. -- NBA Basketball: Houston at Cleveland (ESPN). 7 p.m. -- College Basketball: Temple at Tulane (ESPNEWS). 7 p.m. -- College Basketball: North Carolina Stat at Virginia (ESPN2). 7 p.m. -- College Basketball: Syracuse at Georgia Tech (ESPNU). 7 p.m. -- College Basketball: Florida at South Carolina (SEC NETWORK, WDXY-FM 105.9, WNKT-FM 107.5, WDXY-AM 1240). 7 p.m. -- NBA Basketball: New Orleans at Charlotte (SPORTSOUTH). 7:30 p.m. -- NHL Hockey: Boston at Pittsburgh (NBC SPORTS NETWORK). 9 p.m. -- College Basketball: Southern Illinois-Edwardsville at Belmont (CBS SPORTS NETWORK). 9 p.m. -- College Basketball: Colorado at Utah (ESPN). 9 p.m. -- College Basketball: Texas Christian at Kansas State (ESPNEWS). 9 p.m. -- College Basketball: Kansas at Baylor (ESPNU). 9 p.m. -- College Basketball: DePaul at Creighton (FOX SPORTS 1). 9 p.m. -- College Basketball: Tennessee at Mississippi State (SEC NETWORK). 9 p.m. -- College Basketball: Clemson at Louisville (WWBD-FM 94.7, WPUBFM 102.7). 9:30 p.m. -- NBA Basketball: Phoenix at Minnesota (ESPN). 10:30 p.m. -- NHL Hockey: New York Rangers at Anaheim (NBC SPORTS NETWORK). 11 p.m. -- College Basketball: Nevada at UNLV (CBS SPORTS NETWORK). 11 p.m. -- College Basketball: California at Southern California (ESPNU). 3:30 a.m. -- Professional Golf: European PGA Tour South Africa Open Championship First Round from Johannesburg (GOLF).

PREP SCHEDULE TODAY

Varsity and JV Basketball Cardinal Newman at Laurence Manning, 4 p.m. B Team Basketball Orangeburg Prep at Wilson Hall, 5 p.m. Calhoun at Thomas Sumter, 6 p.m. Carolina at Robert E. Lee, 5 p.m. Varsity Bowling Wilson Hall at Orangeburg Prep (JC Lanes), 5 p.m. Varsity Wrestling Conway, Carolina Forest, Socastee at Sumter, 6 p.m.

THURSDAY

SPORTS ITEMS

Goose Creek coach Reedy retires GOOSE CREEK — Former Baylor head coach and Clemson and South Carolina assistant coach Chuck Reedy has announced his retirement as Goose Creek High’s head football coach. Reedy announced his decision at a news conference at the high school on Tuesday. He led Goose Creek to a 119-47 record over 13 seasons, winning a South Carolina state championship in 2011. The retirement takes effect at the end of January. REEDY Reedy served as head coach at Baylor from 1993 through 1996. He was also an offensive coordinator at Baylor, as welk as at Clemson and South Carolina. HEARING ON PETERSON’S PETITION TO VOID SUSPENSION SET FOR FEB. 6

MINNEAPOLIS — The NFL Players Association’s petition to have Adrian Peterson’s suspension overturned will be heard in federal court next month. The office of U.S. District Judge David Doty posted a notice Tuesday that a hearing on the case will be heard Feb. 6 at 2 p.m. in Doty’s courtroom in Minneapolis. The NFL suspended Peterson without pay for the last six games of the 2014 season through at least April 15 for the child-abuse case he was involved in. Peterson’s appeal was denied by a league-appointed arbitrator. Immediately after the arbitration decision was announced, the NFLPA and Peterson filed their lawsuit Dec. 15 asking the court to dismiss the ruling. UFC: CHAMPION JON JONES ENTERING DRUG TREATMENT

LOS ANGELES — UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones has entered a drug treatment facility after testing positive for

POLLS FROM PAGE B1 Lady Stallions’ Region VII foes are in the 2A poll, but Region VII member Lake Marion is No. 1 in the 2A boys poll and Timber-

the main metabolite of cocaine. The UFC issued a statement supporting the 27-year-old Jones on Tuesday, three days after he defeated Daniel Cormier to cement his reputation as the world’s best pound-for-pound mixed martial artist. Jones (21-1) was tested by the Nevada Athletic Commission last month heading into his title defense against Cormier at UFC 182 in Las Vegas. Benzoylecgonine is not banned by the commission for out-of-competition use, so Jones wasn’t penalized or suspended before he defeated Cormier by unanimous decision. CFP, NCAA WILL REIMBURSE ATHLETES’ FAMILIES FOR TRAVEL

The College Football Playoff will help pay for the parents and guardians of Ohio State and Oregon football players to travel to the national championship game in North Texas on Monday. The NCAA granted a waiver to the College Football Playoff to provide a reimbursement of up to $1,250 per parent or guardian that will cover hotel accommodations, travel and meals. The NCAA will pay up to $3,000 total in travel, hotel and meal expenses for family members of student-athletes who compete in the Final Four. The NCAA will pay up to $4,000 for each of the student-athletes who compete in championship games. TANNENBAUM TO TAKE OVER DOLPHINS’ FOOTBALL OPERATIONS

MIAMI — Former New York Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum is taking over the Miami Dolphins’ football operations. General manager Dennis Hickey will report to Tannenbaum, while coach Joe Philbin will continue reporting directly to owner Stephen Ross. From wire reports

land is No. 8. In Region VII-1A of which both East Clarendon and Scott’s Branch are members, the only ranked team is the Timmonsville girls, who are No. 10.

SOUTH CAROLINA BASKETBALL COACHES ASSOCIATION POLLS BOYS 4A

1.Wando 2. Dorman 3. Hillcrest 4. Byrnes 5. Wade Hampton 6. Irmo 7. Spring Valley 8. Conway 9. White Knoll 10. West Florence 3A 1. Dreher 2. A.C. Flora 3. South Pointe 4. Midland Valley 5. Darlington 6. Wilson 7. Travelers Rest 8. Orangeburg-Wilkinson 9. Stall 10. Southside 2A 1.Lake Marion 2. Battery Creek 3. Abbeville 4. Ridgeland-Hardeeville 5. Cheraw 6. Keenan

7. Chesnee 8. Timberland 9. Whale Branch 10. Edisto 1A 1. Burke 2. Southside Christian 3. Lewisville 4. C.A. Johnson 5. Christ Church 6. Branchville 7. Great Falls 8. Fox Creek 9. Latta 10. Calhoun County

GIRLS

4A 1. Dutch Fork 2. Dorman 3. West Florence 4. Irmo 5. Greenwood 6. Spring Valley 7. Woodmont 8. Sumter 9. Goose Creek 10. Ashley Ridge West Ashley 3A 1. Orangeburg-Wilkinson

2. Lancaster 3. Crestwood 4. Southside 5. Wilson 6. Wren 7. South Pointe 8. Eastside 9. Myrtle Beach 10. Lower Richland 2A 1. Mullins 2. Dillon 3. Bishop England 4. Lake City 5. Abbeville 6. Columbia 7. Newberry 8. Pendleton 9. Edisto 10. Andrew Jackson 1A 1. St. Joseph’s 2. Carvers Bay 3. Latta 4. Christ Church 5. Hemingway 6. Ridge Spring-Monetta 7. Green Sea-Floyds 8. Southside Christian 9. Allendale-Fairfax 10. Timmonsville

Varsity Basketball East Clarendon at Lake View, 6 p.m. Dorchester Academy at St. Francis Xavier (Boys Only), 6 p.m. Junior Varsity Basketball Manning at Crestwood, 6 p.m. Darlington at Lakewood, 6 p.m. B Team Basketball Marlboro County at Sumter (Boys Only), 5:30 p.m. Heathwood Hall at Laurence Manning, 4 p.m. Emmanuel Christian at Robert E. Lee, 5 p.m. Middle School Basketball Alice Drive at Mayewood, 5 p.m. Hillcrest at Bates, 5 p.m. Lugoff-Elgin at Chestnut Oaks, 5:30 p.m. Furman at Ebenezer, 5 p.m. Kingstree at Scott’s Branch, 5:30 p.m.

FRIDAY

Varsity Basketball Crestwood at Manning, 6 p.m. Lakewood at Darlington, 6 p.m. St. Francis Xavier at East Clarendon (Boys Only), 6 p.m. Varsity and JV Basketball Scott’s Branch at Palmetto Scholar’s Academy (No JV Girls), 5 p.m. Heathwood Hall at Wilson Hall, 4 p.m. Florence Christian at Thomas Sumter, 4 p.m. Laurence Manning at Carolina, 4 p.m. Trinity-Byrnes at Robert E. Lee, 4 p.m. Clarendon Hall at Patrick Henry, 4 p.m. Sumter Christian at Maranatha Christian (No JV Girls), 4 p.m. B Team Basketball Hammond at Laurence Manning, 4:30 p.m. Varsity Wrestling Sumter in Blue Devil Invitational (at Dreher High), TBA

SATURDAY

Varsity Basketball Sumter at Lower Richland, 3 p.m. B Team Basketball Wilson Hall at Thomas Sumter, 3 p.m. Varsity Sporting Clays Wilson Hall in Hermitage Tournament (in Camden), TBA Varsity Wrestling Sumter in Blue Devil Invitational (at Dreher High), TBA

COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCHEDULE The Associated Press

TODAY

EAST Lehigh at Army, 7 p.m. Lafayette at Bucknell, 7 p.m. Holy Cross at Colgate, 7 p.m. Saint Joseph’s at Duquesne, 7 p.m. Binghamton at Hartford, 7 p.m. UMass at La Salle, 7 p.m. Vermont at Maine, 7 p.m. St. Peter’s at Manhattan, 7 p.m. Md.-Eastern Shore at NJIT, 7 p.m. Fordham at Rhode Island, 7 p.m. Mass.-Lowell at UMBC, 7 p.m. American U. at Loyola (Md.), 7:30 p.m. Boston U. at Navy, 8 p.m. SOUTH Syracuse at Georgia Tech, 7 p.m. Florida at South Carolina, 7 p.m. Temple at Tulane, 7 p.m. Davidson at VCU, 7 p.m. NC State at Virginia, 7 p.m. E. Illinois at Tennessee St., 8:30 p.m. SIU-Edwardsville at Belmont, 9 p.m. Clemson at Louisville, 9 p.m. Tennessee at Mississippi St., 9 p.m. Duke at Wake Forest, 9 p.m. MIDWEST Ball St. at E. Michigan, 7 p.m. Bowling Green at Kent St., 7 p.m. Buffalo at Miami (Ohio), 7 p.m. N. Illinois at Ohio, 7 p.m. Purdue at Wisconsin, 7 p.m. Seton Hall at Xavier, 7 p.m. Missouri St. at Indiana St., 7:05 p.m. Drake at Illinois St., 8 p.m. S. Illinois at N. Iowa, 8 p.m. W. Illinois at S. Dakota St., 8 p.m. Bradley at Wichita St., 8 p.m. Loyola of Chicago at Evansville, 8:05 p.m. Maryland at Illinois, 9 p.m. TCU at Kansas St., 9 p.m. DePaul at Creighton, 9:01 p.m. SOUTHWEST IUPUI at Oral Roberts, 8 p.m. Our Lady of the Lake at Texas-Pan American, 8 p.m. Kansas at Baylor, 9 p.m. FAR WEST San Jose St. at Air Force, 9 p.m. Wyoming at Colorado St., 9 p.m. Colorado at Utah, 9 p.m. CS Northridge at UC Davis, 10 p.m. Utah St. at Fresno St., 11 p.m. California at Southern Cal, 11 p.m. Nevada at UNLV, 11 p.m. Cal Poly at Hawaii, Mid CS Bakersfield at Grand Canyon, 9 p.m.

NBA STANDINGS By The Associated Press

EASTERN CONFERENCE ATLANTIC DIVISION W Toronto 24 Brooklyn 16 Boston 11 Philadelphia 5 New York 5 SOUTHEAST DIVISION W Atlanta 26 Washington 23 Miami 15 Orlando 13 Charlotte 12 CENTRAL DIVISION W Chicago 25 Cleveland 19 Milwaukee 18 Indiana 14 Detroit 10

L 10 18 21 28 32

Pct GB .706 – .471 8 .344 12 .152 181/2 .135 201/2

L 8 11 20 24 24

Pct GB .765 – .676 3 .429 111/2 .351 141/2 .333 15

L 10 16 17 22 23

Pct GB .714 – .543 6 .514 7 .389 111/2 .303 14

WESTERN CONFERENCE SOUTHWEST DIVISION W Memphis 25 Dallas 26 Houston 23 San Antonio 21 New Orleans 17 NORTHWEST DIVISION W Portland 27 Oklahoma City 17 Denver 15 Utah 12 Minnesota 5 PACIFIC DIVISION W Golden State 27 L.A. Clippers 23 Phoenix 20 Sacramento 14 L.A. Lakers 11

L 9 10 11 14 17

Pct .735 .722 .676 .600 .500

GB – – 2 41/2 8

L 8 18 20 23 28

Pct .771 .486 .429 .343 .152

GB – 10 12 15 21

L 5 12 16 20 24

Pct GB .844 – .657 51/2 .556 9 .412 14 .314 171/2

MONDAY’S GAMES

Philadelphia 95, Cleveland 92 Charlotte 104, Boston 95 Dallas 96, Brooklyn 88, OT Washington 92, New Orleans 85 Chicago 114, Houston 105 Memphis 105, New York 83 Denver 110, Minnesota 101 Indiana 105, Utah 101 Portland 98, L.A. Lakers 94 Atlanta 107, L.A. Clippers 98 Golden State 117, Oklahoma City 91

TUESDAY’S GAMES

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

TODAY’S GAMES

Milwaukee at Philadelphia, 7 p.m. New York at Washington, 7 p.m. New Orleans at Charlotte, 7 p.m. Houston at Cleveland, 7 p.m. Memphis at Atlanta, 7:30 p.m. Boston at Brooklyn, 7:30 p.m. Utah at Chicago, 8 p.m. Detroit at Dallas, 8:30 p.m. Orlando at Denver, 9 p.m. Phoenix at Minnesota, 9:30 p.m. Oklahoma City at Sacramento, 10 p.m. Indiana at Golden State, 10:30 p.m. L.A. Lakers at L.A. Clippers, 10:30 p.m.

NHL STANDINGS By The Associated Press EASTERN CONFERENCE ATLANTIC DIVISION GP W L OT Pts GF Montreal 39 26 11 2 54 108 Tampa Bay 41 25 12 4 54 134 Detroit 39 20 10 9 49 109 Toronto 40 21 16 3 45 130 Boston 40 19 15 6 44 104 Florida 37 17 11 9 43 87 Ottawa 38 16 15 7 39 102 Buffalo 40 14 23 3 31 77 METROPOLITAN DIVISION GP W L OT Pts GF Pittsburgh 39 24 10 5 53 118 N.Y. Islanders 39 26 12 1 53 121 Washington 38 20 11 7 47 112 N.Y. Rangers 36 21 11 4 46 113 Columbus 37 17 17 3 37 96 Philadelphia 39 14 18 7 35 106 New Jersey 41 14 20 7 35 90 Carolina 39 12 23 4 28 77

GA 89 108 99 122 108 97 105 136 GA 94 109 99 90 119 120 117 102

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

GP 38 39 39 40 38 37 39

W L OT Pts GF 25 9 4 54 116 26 11 2 54 124 23 13 3 49 118 20 13 7 47 103 18 14 6 42 119 18 15 4 40 104 15 16 8 38 101

GA 88 85 99 96 124 106 117

GP W L OT Pts GF GA Anaheim 41 26 9 6 58 115 110 Vancouver 37 22 12 3 47 109 98 San Jose 40 21 14 5 47 109 105 Los Angeles 40 19 12 9 47 112 103 Calgary 40 21 16 3 45 115 105 Arizona 38 15 19 4 34 92 124 Edmonton 40 9 22 9 27 88 135 NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss.

MONDAY’S GAMES

San Jose 3, Winnipeg 2

TUESDAY’S GAMES

Buffalo at New Jersey, 7 p.m. Ottawa at Philadelphia, 7 p.m. Tampa Bay at Montreal, 7:30 p.m. Carolina at Nashville, 8 p.m. San Jose at Minnesota, 8 p.m. Colorado at Chicago, 8:30 p.m. Columbus at Dallas, 8:30 p.m. St. Louis at Arizona, 9 p.m. Detroit at Edmonton, 9:30 p.m. N.Y. Islanders at Vancouver, 10 p.m.

TODAY’S GAMES

Washington at Toronto, 7 p.m. Boston at Pittsburgh, 8 p.m. Detroit at Calgary, 9:30 p.m. N.Y. Rangers at Anaheim, 10:30 p.m.

TRANSACTIONS The Associated Press BASEBALL

American League CLEVELAND INDIANS — Named Jason Bere bullpen coach. Released RHP Tyler Cloyd. Agreed to terms with LHP Michael Roth on a minor league contract. DETROIT TIGERS — Designated RHP Luke Putkonen for assignment. Agreed to terms with LHP Tom Gorzelanny on a one-year contract. TEXAS RANGERS — Designated RHP Matt West for assignment. American Association KANSAS CITY T-BONES — Signed C Christopher Bianchi. Can-Am League TROIS-RIVIERES AIGLES — Signed RHP Alex Kreis.

FOOTBALL

National Football League BUFFALO BILLS — Signed G Alex Kupper to a future contract. CINCINNATI BENGALS — Signed LB L.J. Fort, OT Dan France, NT Kwame Geathers, DB Onterio McCalebb, TE Jake Murphy and WRs Tevin Reese and Eric Ward to future contracts. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS — Signed RB Michael Hill. Signed LB Victor Butler to a future contract. Placed G Hugh Thornton on injured reserve. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS — Signed PK Derek Dimke and OT Tavon Rooks to future contracts. OAKLAND RAIDERS — Signed P Michael Palardy to a future contract. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES — Signed LB Brandon Hepburn, RB Matthew Tucker and WR Arrelious Benn to future contracts. ST. LOUIS RAMS — Signed TE Brad Smelley to a future contract. Canadian Football League WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS — Signed OL Dominic Picard.

HOCKEY

National Hockey League COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS — Assigned RW Adam Cracknell and C Michael Chaput to Springfield (AHL).

SPORTS

THE SUMTER ITEM

GIRLS AREA ROUNDUP

Randolph’s double-double leads to big win SUMMERTON – Taja Randolph had a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds to lead Lakewood High School to a 61-8 varsity basketball victory over Scott’s Branch on Tuesday at the Scott’s Branch gymnasium. Randolph also had four assists for the Lady Gators. Sonora Dengokl had 13 points and five assists and Kamryn Lemon added eight points. CRESTWOOD 61 LEE CENTRAL 35

Crestwood defeated Lee Central 61-35 on Tuesday at The Castle. Cawasha Ceasar led the Lady Knights with 11 points. Shaquanda Miller-McCray had 10 points, nine rebounds and five blocked shots and Tyana Saunders added nine points. HAMMOND 57 WILSON HALL 38

COLUMBIA – Wilson Hall dropped to 7-4 on the season with a 57-38 loss to Hammond on Tuesday at the Hammond gymnasium. Lauren Goodson led the Lady Barons with 13 points, while Hayley Smoak had 10. Amelia Green led Hammond with 18 and Ahlea Myers had 12.

WILSON HALL Goodson 13, Smoak 10, Jordan 3, Alderman 2, Fisher 4, Belk 2, Scott 4. HAMMOND Green 18, Myers 12, Johnson 8, Clark 2, Hain 5, Fisher 2, Castles 2, Turner 2, Walker 6.

THOMAS SUMTER 48 THE KING’S ACADEMY 24

FLORENCE – Thomas Sumter Academy improved to 8-3 with a 48-24 victory over The King’s Academy on Monday at the TKA gymnasium. Taylor Knudson led the Lady Generals in scoring with 13 points. Logan Morris added 11 to go along with nine steals. Caroline Bochette led TKA with nine.

THOMAS SUMTER Chappell 2, Knudson 13, DeMonte 4, Jenkins 5, Ross 1, Morris 11, Gaulke 2, Hawkins 4, Lyons 7. THE KING’S ACADEMY Bochette 9, Blakes 2, Brown 5, Wilhoit 6, Bokelman 2.

JUNIOR VARSITY BASKETBALL THOMAS SUMTER 24 CAROLINA 8

DALZELL – Thomas Sumter improved to 6-0 with a 24-8 victory over Carolina Academy on Tuesday at Edens Gymnasium. Carmen Silvester led TSA with nine points and four steals. Mikaela Font added six points. WILSON HALL 41 HAMMOND 26

COLUMBIA – Wilson Hall improved to 6-0 with a 41-26 victory over Hammond on Tuesday at the Hammond gymnasium. Diamond Crawford led Wilson Hall with 13 points. Becka Noyes added eight.

B TEAM BASKETBALL WILSON HALL 34 HAMMOND 10 COLUMBIA – Waverly McIver scored 12 points to lead Wilson Hall past Hammond 34-10 on Tuesday at the Hammond gymnasium. Madison Elmore added seven points for the Lady Barons.

MIDDLE SCHOOL BASKETBALL BATES 35 ALICE DRIVE 28

Bates lost to Alice Drive 35-28 on Monday at the Bates gymnasium. Khamaya Hilton led the Lady Bantams with a doubledouble of 10 points and 10 rebounds. Niya Womack added nine points.

BOYS AREA ROUNDUP

Knights improve to 11-3 with 75-44 victory over LC COLUMBIA – Wilson Hall fell to 1-6 with a 32-18 loss to Hammond on Tuesday at the Hammond gymnasium. Noah Harvin had six points for the Barons, while Luke Scott had five.

THOMAS SUMTER 45

SUMTER 48

THE KING’S ACADEMY 39

SPRING VALLEY 35

FLORENCE – Thomas Sumter Academy improved to 3-7 with a 45-39 victory over The King’s Academy on Monday at the TKA gymnasium. Ron York led the Generals with 16 points, while Drew Stengel had 10. TKA’s Jared Zernikow led all scorers with 21.

COLUMBIA – Sumter High improved to 5-1 with a 48-35 victory over Spring Valley on Monday at the SV gymnasium. Jaylenn Corbett led the Gamecocks with 14 points. Darius Williams added 12 and Ahmad Peoples had nine.

THOMAS SUMTER York 16, Stengel 10, Hudson 9, C. White 6, N. White 2, Decker 2. THE KING’S ACADEMY Nero 9, Porter 6, Boaran 3, Zernikow 21.

WILSON HALL 34

BATES 50 ALICE DRIVE 45

Bates remained undefeated with a 50-45 victory over Alice Drive on Monday at the Bates gymnasium. Calvin Felder had a double-double of 22 points and 12 rebounds for the Bantams, who are 9-0. He also had four steals and two blocked shots. Dimone McKnight had nine points and five assists.

Call (803) 774-1200 and subscribe today.

SPLIT FROM PAGE B1 rally to cut the lead to five, 29-24. The rally continued as the second half began, with the Lady Vikings pulling within two on two occasions. Sumter answered with a 9-2 run of its own to close the quarter and take a 40-31 lead into the final eight minutes. A Cy Cooper trey to open the fourth put the Lady Gamecocks back up by 12 before a Christian Hithe bucket cut it back to 10, 4333, with 6:17 to go. The score would remain the same until the 2:58 mark, when Megan Davis sank the back end of a 2-shot foul then Joi Jones hit 1-of-2 at the line 34 seconds later, cutting the Sumter lead to eight. That would prove to be Spring Valley’s final points of the game as baskets by Kadejuah Kennedy and Cooper would close out the scoring. Loudenslager appreciated the way his team withstood the Lady Vikings’ furious rally before stretching the lead back out to win comfortably. “From a coaching standpoint, that was probably my favorite thing about tonight,” Loudenslager said. “We were up 14 with about two minutes left in that second quarter and we came to the locker room only up by seven because we had some silly turnovers, they hit a big 3 and a couple of baskets. So now, all of a sudden, we’re in a basketball game instead of them being frustrated like they were two minutes earlier. Then they came out and cut it to two, so for us to be able to respond tells us that we’re making strides out there.” One frustrating aspect of the win for Sumter was the many missed opportunities and points left on the floor. The Lady Gamecocks hit on just 3 of 14 free throw attempts and committed 14 turnovers. “We could have been up by 20 or 25 with the intensity we played with tonight,” Loudenslager said. “To me, that was the fall back three weeks ago. That was the only game we played all year long to where, as coaches, we told the kids we don’t know if they’re better than us or not, because y’all didn’t play tonight. Tonight we stepped up and we played hard, and we were able to overcome some of the simple mistakes because we played so hard. That’s

KEITH GEDAMKE /THE SUMTER ITEM

Sumter’s Jessica Harris (20) puts up a shot against Spring Valley’s Dominique Hill (23) during the Lady Gamecocks’ 47-35 victory on Tuesday at the SHS gymnasium. what we were missing three weeks ago, because we had the effort.” Cooper closed with 16 points, including 11 in the first half, and five steals, while Nijah Davis added nine points and seven rebounds. Jessica Harris scored eight and Kennedy had six points and four steals. Christian Hithe scored 15 to lead the Lady Vikings, who fell to 9-4 on the season. In the boys game, Sumter trailed by eight at halftime before falling behind by 21 in the fourth quarter. A late rally proved to be not quite enough as Spring Valley held on for a 69-60 win. Turnovers once again frustrated Sumter head coach Jo Jo English as his squad suffered its second loss of the season to Spring Valley.

“We lost to them by one there, and it was the same things that we did (tonight),” English said. “We kind of hurt ourselves, and as a coach I take full responsibility, because we turned the ball over close to 30 times. What’s even more amazing about it (was) we gave them 30 chances to beat us with a Division I player and we only lost by nine points.” The Gamecocks held University of South Carolina signee PJ Dozier to just five points. Cedric Rembert scored 17 and Charlie Patton added 12 for the Gamecocks, who fell to 7-3 overall. Malik Dunbar finished with 14 and Noah Harper added 13 for the Vikings, who improve to 7-6 on the season.

JV BASKETBALL

Crestwood High School’s varsity basketball team improved to 11-3 on the season with a 75-44 victory over Lee Central on Tuesday at The Castle. Devin Nelson led three Knights in double figures with 24 points. Dakota Jennings added 18 and Ja Morant had 14.

MIDDLE SCHOOL BASKETBALL

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015

HAMMOND 32 WILSON HALL 18

B TEAM BASKETBALL HAMMOND 16 COLUMBIA – Wilson Hall improved to 4-2 with a 34-16 victory over Hammond Tuesday at the Hammond gymnasium. Landon Van Patten led the Barons with 11 points and nine rebounds. Grey Holler added eight points. SUMTER 53 SPRING VALLEY 45

COLUMBIA -- Sumter High improved to 3-1 with a 53-45 victory over Spring Valley on Monday at the SV gymnasium. Cameron Singleton led the Gamecocks with 16 points. Ja’Vonta Singletary added eight and Jordan Gregg had seven.

Your community connection

what is stars & stripes? Stars & Stripes is a newspaper written for the military and has served American servicemen and women with editions printed and distributed around the world for more than 100 years. Now there is a domestic edition of Stars & Stripes that is distributed weekly to servicemen and women stationed on American soil.

Volume 6, No.

18 ©SS 201 3

FRIDAY, A PRIL 18, 2014

FAMILY REUNION

One soldier’s journey downr ange

and back hom e

| Pages 2-3

FIRST PUBLICATION JANUARY 22, 2015 ad deadline

EVERY FRIDAY AT 11AM

more information at www.stripes.com ★ DISTRIBUTED IN AND AROUND SHAW AFB AND MCENTIRE *AROUND FT. JACKSON - BASE ACCESS PENDING ★

CONTACT YOUR SALES REPRESENTATIVE OR CALL 803.774.1237

NFL

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015

THE SUMTER ITEM

Panthers still playing despite trying season BY STEVE REED The Associated Press CHARLOTTE — Panthers coach Ron Rivera said he’s never experienced a season like this one since he joined the NFL 30 years ago. Carolina’s journey to the NFC divisional playoffs has included quarterback Cam Newton flipping his truck and being hospitalized with two fractures in his lower back, franchise defensive end Greg Hardy being convicted on two counts of domestic violence, and Rivera’s house catching fire and causing $500,000 worth of the damage five days before the biggest game of his coaching career. “It has been different,” Rivera said. “You can’t make this stuff up.” There’s been nothing ordinary or predictable about the Panthers on the field, either. Carolina became the first NFL team to go more than two months without a victory and reach the playoffs. The Panthers won the NFC South despite a 7-8-1 record. And last Saturday, a defense that gave up 35 or more points in four of its first seven games held Arizona to 78 yards in the wild-card round, the fewest ever allowed in the NFL postseason. Safety Roman Harper said he wasn’t expecting this type of adventure in his first season in Carolina. The Panthers visit Seattle (12-4) on Saturday

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, left and head coach Ron Rivera have had their share of obstacles to overcome this season. Newton was involved in a car wreck while Rivera’s house caught on fire, yet the Panthers are still alive in the NFC playoffs. with a trip to the NFC championship game on the line. “It isn’t the prettiest thing, but we got a date to the prom at the end of the day,” Harper said, laughing. “We’re here. She’s probably not the bestlooking one; she’s not going to win prom queen, but we’ll have a good time.” The Panthers aren’t apologizing for their record. In fact, in some ways they believe the season has tough-

ened them and left them playoff ready. They had to win their last four games just to get into the playoffs. Newton has fought through ankle and rib injuries and the back fractures, and he has the Panthers on a five-game winning streak. Rivera is already hunkered down preparing for Seattle while his wife handles the details of where he’ll live for the

Cowboys Garrett has no problem gambling in first playoff game BY SCHUYLER DIXON The Associated Press

next 6-8 months while their burned-out home is rebuilt. Hardy still isn’t eligible to play, but his absence paved the way for fellow defensive end Charles Johnson to step out of character and become one of the team’s vocal leaders. Cornerback Josh Norman is convinced the Panthers have benefited from some divine intervention — particularly when it came to Newton’s accident.

PLAYOFF SCHEDULE By The Associated Press

WILD-CARD PLAYOFFS SATURDAY, JAN. 3

(CBS)

CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS SUNDAY, JAN. 18

Carolina 27, Arizona 16 Baltimore 30, Pittsburgh 17

NFC, 3:05 p.m. (FOX) AFC, 6:40 p.m. (CBS)

SUNDAY, JAN. 4

PRO BOWL

Indianapolis 26, Cincinnati 10 Dallas 24, Detroit 20

DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS

IRVING, Texas — Jason Garrett never hesitated with the biggest decision in his first playoff game as a head coach. One might say the usually stoic, Princeton-educated leader of the Dallas Cowboys went all riverboat gambler — going for it on fourth-and-6 near midfield when the safer play would have been to punt and hope to get the ball back. The Cowboys converted on Tony Romo’s 21-yard pass to Jason Witten with 6 minutes remaining and later scored the go-ahead touchdown in a 24-20 wildcard win over Detroit. Perhaps this is the key — it was Dallas’ first playoff game in five years. “What kept going through my mind was, ‘When you get a chance to go play at the Masters, you don’t lay up. You go after it a little bit,’” Garrett said after a win that sent the Cowboys (13-4) to Green Bay (12-4) for a division game Sunday. “And again, a lot of confidence in the guys to go out and execute it. They play football better than I swing a golf club.” There’s another key. The tools Dallas has on offense are a lot more potent than a defense that is surviving mostly on low-budget free agents, castoffs and young, generally lower-round draft picks. Dallas had NFL rushing leader DeMarco Murray running behind a line with three first-round picks from the past four years. Romo is the first $100 million player in the history of the proud franchise, and left tackle Tyron Smith joined him when he signed a new deal during training camp. Garrett gambled on that investment earlier against the Lions, with Murray scoring on a 1-yard fourthdown plunge late in the third quarter when the Cowboys were behind 20-7. The risky moves weren’t totally out of character, either. Twice in a span of five plays in a scoreless game at Chicago, Garrett went for it on fourth-and-1 in fieldgoal range. Murray got 4 yards the first time, and the

“If it weren’t for God’s angel covering him in that truck, I don’t know what would have happened,” Norman said. “We could have been talking about missing our quarterback, our leader, forever. But he was blessed.” The idea the Panthers are even still playing after a 3-8-1 start speaks volumes about the team, said center Ryan Kalil. “Some strange things have come up,” Kalil said, “but it’s been very telling of the character and closeness of this team that whether it is something happening inside or outside the locker room, this is a group that stuck together and continue to work and work.” Kalil said that is also a reflection of Rivera, the 2013 NFL Coach of the Year, for staying positive and keeping everyone together when it would have been easy to quit on the season. Rivera said he never once lost faith in his team. “At the end of the day you learn how to deal and cope with these things,” Rivera said, “and if you can keep your focus then you will have an opportunity and a chance.” Then again, maybe Carolina’s season isn’t that unusual. Former Jets wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery was asked about this year and simply laughed. “Well, I played in New York,” Cotchery said, “so I won’t even go there.”

SATURDAY, JAN. 10

Baltimore at New England, 4:35 p.m. (NBC) Carolina at Seattle, 8:15 p.m. (FOX)

SUNDAY, JAN. 11

Dallas at Green Bay, 1:05 p.m. (FOX) Indianapolis at Denver, 4:40 p.m.

SUNDAY, JAN. 25

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

SUPER BOWL SUNDAY, FEB. 1

At Glendale, Ariz. AFC champion vs. NFC champion, 6:30 p.m. (NBC)

Broncos’ Moore even-keeled as he seeks atonement BY ARNIE STAPLETON The Associated Press

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Dallas head coach Jason Garrett had no problem pulling the trigger on a gamble in the Cowboys’ 24-20 victory over Detroit on Sunday in an NFC wild-card game. second was another 1-yard scoring plunge. Dallas won 41-28. “I believe in our guys, our ability to control the line of scrimmage in some fourth-and-short situations, to win the line of scrimmage and to make those first downs,” Garrett said. “The fourth-and-6 really as much as anything was just a matter of saying, ‘Hey, who knows what happens if we punt this ball away.’” For years, Romo has carried the reputation of a gambler who drew the ire of Dallas fans fed up with late-game interceptions that cost the Cowboys games. So yes, he’s one to lobby Garrett in a lot of fourth-down situations. He didn’t have to say a word Sunday. “I give credit to coach Garrett for making that call and going to try to win the football game at that point,” Romo said. “It shows that he believes in us. I think that he thinks in that situation he wants us on the field to have a chance to win a playoff game.”

And that’s where the big gamble was the safest — Romo to Witten, the tight end who has caught more passes than anyone from the quarterback who has surpassed Troy Aikman as the franchise passing leader in touchdowns and yards. Witten ran straight up the field, got open by faking to his right and turning back to his left. The ball was there in plenty of time for him to pick up another 10 yards after the catch. Romo put the Cowboys ahead with an 8-yard scoring toss to Terrance Williams, his second TD of the game. “Tony and I have done that for a long time,” said Witten, who recently joined Tony Gonzalez as the only NFL tight ends with 11 straight 700-yard seasons. “It was a gutsy call by coach Garrett. He has the confidence to be able to go for it, and for Tony to give me that look and know that I was going to win, turn inside.” Kind of makes it sound like it wasn’t a gamble at all.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The physical scar serves as Rahim Moore’s motivation. So, too, the emotional one. But the Broncos free safety doesn’t want to ponder either one this weekend in his first playoff game since his infamous gaffe two years ago, which led to a franchise-jolting, double-overtime loss to Baltimore. Moore missed Denver’s drive to the Super Bowl last year after a MOORE rare muscle condition cut short his eye-catching comeback at midseason and sent him to the hospital where surgeons saved his left leg. When he returned to the practice field this spring, sporting a 13-inch scar that serpentines down his left calf, he cried. Moore doesn’t expect the tears to flow when the Broncos (12-4) face the Indianapolis Colts (12-5) on Sunday, one day shy of the two-year anniversary of his blunder against Baltimore and 14 months after his emergency operation. “I’m not anxious about anything,” Moore said, pledging to stay even-keeled until the game clock hits all zeros. “Don’t dwell on the past, you’ve got to be futuristic,” Moore said. “I’m going to go out there and do what I’ve been doing all year.” What he did was have another solid season, this time in the shadows of the Broncos’ three Pro Bowl defensive backs: Aqib Talib, T.J. Ward and Chris Harris Jr. In the hushed locker room following his ball-throughBuckner’s-legs moment

against Baltimore, Moore promised next time to make the play and make up for his mistake — going for the ball instead of the tackle at the 30, then mistiming his jump. To do that, he knows he can’t let his thirst for redemption get in the way. He said he plans to “just go out there and act like it’s a normal game, still keep the same preparations, still get after it, still work hard, don’t try to say, ‘Oh, you have this bad taste in your mouth.’ No, just go out there and make a play. When you make a play, all that stuff is over.” In Andrew Luck, Moore will be facing another quarterback who can sling it just like Joe Flacco did when he hit Jacoby Jones for that 70yard TD in the final minute of regulation. Luck also brings mobility and size. “Andrew Luck has elite speed and then when you try to tackle him, he may run you over, he may sidestep you,” Moore said. “He’s tough, too. He’s got good size. He’s one of those guys where you watch him on film, you’re like, ‘Man, he’s fantastic.’ But you hope he’s not fantastic versus you.” Two of Moore’s four interceptions this season came against Luck in the opener, which Denver won 31-24 after going up 24-0 at halftime and 31-10 in the fourth quarter. Moore also collected 50 tackles this season, broke up five passes, forced two fumbles and recovered one. According to the advanced statistics of Pro Football Focus, Moore had one of the best seasons of any safety in the NFL, leading the league in coverage snaps (688) and cover snaps per target (31.1) and ranking third in yards per cover snap (0.27) and cover snaps per reception (40.5).

SPORTS

THE SUMTER ITEM

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Buckeyes appear loose ACC schedule before national title game doesn’t get any easier for Tigers BY RUSTY MILLER The Associated Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio — When it was pointed out to Ohio State coach Urban Meyer that a small town in the state was changing its name to honor him, he thought it was a joke. Told that the village of Urbana, in western Ohio, was dropping its last letter in his honor — becoming Urban on Monday, when the Buckeyes play Oregon in the national championship game — Meyer was temporarily taken back. “You’re kidding,” he said with a grin. “They’re dropping the ‘a’?” Assured that was the case, he smiled and added, “Wow. That’s very nice.” That was just one of many amusing vignettes on Tuesday when Meyer and the Buckeyes faced questions on Ohio State’s media day. At one point, quarterback Cardale Jones did cartwheels, laughing loudly. (It should be noted, he did them with no coaches in sight.) It’s clear the Buckeyes are a loose bunch heading into the biggest game of their lives. During 30 minutes of a light practice open to reporters, the Buckeyes stretched and went through their paces — just like a typical workout inside the Woody Hayes facility. A four-inch snowfall overnight forced everyone indoors. H-back and kick returner Dontre Wilson, out the final six games with a broken foot, sat on the sidelines in a compression boot. Still, he’s listed as probable, along with tight end Jeff Heuerman (leg). Despite the grind of a long,

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones will lead the Buckeyes against Oregon in the national championship game on Monday in Arlington, Texas. 14-game season and playing in a winner-take-all national championship game just 11 days after playing another game that was win-or-gohome, the Buckeyes were in good spirits. Meyer won Bowl Championship Series titles after the 2006 and 2008 seasons at Florida, so he is a grizzled veteran when it comes to huge postseason games. But none of his players have ever participated in anything even remotely like this. Meyer was asked about his two previous titles (the first coming in a 41-14 rout of then-No. 1 Ohio State in Glendale, Arizona). “I just went back — practices were a little different,” Meyer said. “Those days, we had 37 days to prepare. I remember in ‘06 it was 37 or 47,

some ridiculous number. So that’s much different. “This is a one-game shot. You have four practices in shoulder pads. And tomorrow we’re going to give our guys a day off of practice. You just can’t go the tempo we went the last three days. You just can’t. You’re going to break them down.” The Buckeyes fly out on Friday. They’ll be taking a jumbo, double-decker jet that will accommodate all the players, support personnel and everybody in the travel party, instead of taking two planes. Jones threw with receivers during practice on Tuesday. Later, after the 6-foot-5, 250-pounder had shown off his acrobatic skills, he laughed while playing catch with an Ohio State employee. The Buckeyes’ third-string quarterback — he took over after first Braxton Miller (shoulder) and then J.T. Barrett (broken ankle) went down — said he never feels terribly nervous before or during a game. “There are little jitters before the game,” he said. “When you’re out there, it’s just you and your guys. You’re doing something you’ve done basically all your life, and something you’ve prepared with your guys. That eliminates all the nervousness.” Offensive tackle Taylor Decker spoke for most of his teammates about the Buckeyes’ work leading up to the big game. “Right now my focus is really on my preparation,” he said. “Because it is nice to be in this game, but it won’t matter at all unless we win.”

Grasu guides Oregon’s O-line after season of personal adversity BY ANNE M. PETERSON The Associated Press EUGENE, Ore. — Oregon center Hroniss Grasu jokes about how he should have planned ahead: His apartment lease ran out, so he’s staying in a hotel while the Ducks prepare for the national championship. Kidding aside, living out of a suitcase is just fine with Grasu because it means he gets to play in one more game with the Ducks. While quarterback Marcus Mariota is the unquestioned leader of the team, Grasu is its anchor. Both players decided last year at about this time that they would return for another season at Oregon. Asked this week about what it would feel like to win next Monday night when the Ducks face Ohio State for the title, Grasu GRASU said that he honestly hadn’t considered it yet. “I’m not thinking about what it would feel like if we win a national championship, I’m just thinking about what I’ve got to do to get this team in the best position to win,” he said. “We’ll just do whatever it takes.” The 6-foot-3 senior, who is just shy of 300 pounds, is considered one of the best players at his position in the nation and a top prospect at center for the NFL draft this spring. He’s always been a perfect fit in Oregon’s hyper-drive offense because he’s quick and agile despite his size. Going into the season, it looked like Oregon’s offensive line — which helped Oregon lead the Pac-12 in rushing, scoring and total offense last season — would be a force with

five returning starters. But then left tackle Tyler Johnstone injured his right knee during fall camp and was declared done for the season. Jake Fisher moved over from right tackle to take Johnstone’s spot and junior Andre Yruretagoyena took over at right tackle. That is until Yruretagoyena injured his foot against Michigan State in Week 2. Then Fisher hurt his knee against Wyoming the next week, leaving the Ducks with inexperienced options at tackle for games against Washington State and Arizona. Mariota was sacked 12 times over the course of those two games. Then tackle Matt Pierson went down with a left knee injury late in a victory over Stanford on Nov. 1. Grasu himself missed the final two regular-season games, against Colorado and Oregon State, after hurting his lower left leg on Nov. 8 against Utah. “There wasn’t one injury that I didn’t have faith in the coaching staff and the players that they weren’t going to step up. It was just, ‘Who’s the next guy? They’re going to step up.’ There was never any doubt in my mind that our team, our players weren’t ready or our coaching staff wasn’t ready,” he said. Grasu returned to play in the Rose Bowl playoff victory over Florida State, although he said he didn’t do as well as he would have liked. He’s like that, always trying to figure out how to get better. “I could have been a little more physical but we got the W and that’s all that matters to me,” he said. “But I felt good, I could move, I could run. Right now I’ve got to get healthy again and get ready to go.”

FLORIDA FROM PAGE B1 far? I don’t know. I don’t know. Now, we’re going to keep cranking and working at it to get that mindset and try to change it and get them in a better place. “But I think you’d all agree right now that what we’ve done up to this point has not warranted getting in the NCAA tournament. I don’t think anyone here would disagree with that.” Florida played a challenging, non-conference schedule that also included games against North Carolina and Georgetown.

But the Gators lost every meaningful matchup, leaving them ranked No. 144 in RPI heading into league play. That’s ahead of only Missouri (177) and Mississippi State (219) among the SEC’s 14 teams. “It’s disappointing, but you know we are what we are right now,” said shooting guard Michael Frazier II, the team’s lone returning starter. “So the only thing we can do is move forward from where we are. We’re at this point and the only thing we can do is fix it.”

It might not be that easy for this group. “We have some challenges,” Donovan said. “We don’t have a low-post presence as far as throwing the ball down near the basket to get fouled. We don’t get to the free-throw line a lot. ... Our defense has actually been pretty good. I think it can still get better. We’ve been inconsistent on offense. “I think all those things are going to need to get better before I can say, ‘Yeah, we’re definitely moving in the right direction.’ I haven’t lost hope in that, but to say, ‘All is well,’ no, I’m not going to say that.”

BY MANDRALLIUS ROBINSON Greenville News This appeared to be an arduous opening stretch in August when the Clemson University men’s basketball schedule was revealed. The stretch appears even more daunting now that Clemson has opened it. The Tigers commenced their Atlantic Coast Conference schedule at home Saturday with a 24-point loss to North Carolina. They follow that with three consecutive BROWNELL road trips to Louisville, Pittsburgh and Virginia. Louisville, which Clemson will visit tonight, is ranked No. 5 in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll. Virginia is ranked No. 3. Wedged between those national powers is unranked Pitt, which still enjoys one of the most smothering and raucous home crowds in the ACC. The treacherous trip is reminiscent of the stretch Clemson endured last season. The Tigers played five of six games on the road, including consecutive trips to Pitt, North Carolina and Florida State. The second road leg included trips to Syracuse and Notre Dame. Clemson’s only wins during that six-game stretch were at Florida State and at home against Georgia Tech. To avoid a similar skid this month, Clemson must make some rapid improvements — or take some drastic measures. “I’d like to tell you that No. 32 needs to come back,” coach Brad Brownell said, referring to former Clemson wing K.J. McDaniels. McDaniels earned firstteam All-ACC honors last season and was named the league’s defensive player of the year. However, he entered the NBA draft as a junior. McDaniels recently climbed into the starting lineup with the Philadelphia 76ers. Unfortunately for Brownell, McDaniels will not be able to step back down into Clemson’s starting five. Consequently, Brownell is still attempting to compensate for the 17.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.8 blocks

McDaniels averaged last season. Freshman Donte Grantham has filled McDaniels’ spot in the starting lineup, but he is not yet ready to fill that responsibility in the box score. Clemson closed last season ranked second in the ACC in scoring defense. It allowed merely 58.4 points per game. That average has increased to 62.9 per game this season. The defensive drop has neutralized Clemson’s modest improvement in scoring offense. The Tigers have averaged 65.2 points per game, which surprisingly is nearly two points more than what they averaged last season. Clemson also has increased its field goal shooting, albeit by one thousandth of a percentage point. Those figures may suggest an increase in productivity, but they do not reveal Clemson’s lack of efficiency. They do not reveal the turnovers Clemson has committed in the backcourt. They do not reveal the easy baskets those turnovers facilitated for opponents. They do not reveal the long scoreless stretches through which the Tigers have suffered. They do not reveal how decent starts are unwound, leads are erased and games are lost during those lulls. “Some of our scoring droughts have put pressure on us,” Brownell said. “We weren’t a great offensive team last year, but we did manage the game well and kept the game played in a lot of situations the way we needed to play. Some of our inefficiency on offense has made it more problematic for us to be better defensively.” The solution does not require drastic measures. Instead of attempting to coax the league into altering the schedule, perhaps with a signed petition or even an early Valentine’s Day gift, Brownell plans to utilize a more conventional approach. He will attempt to coax his veteran leaders to shoot, pass, screen, cut and defend more efficiently. Junior center Landry Nnoko has averaged 9.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.1 fouls per game. He and senior guard Rod Hall each have attempted merely 86 field goals, the fourth-highest total among Clemson players.

COOK’S PARTS CITY Auto Parts

Starters & Alternators

•Quality Remanufactured Starters & Alternators •100% Tested •Full line coverage

•100% New Starters & Alternators •Heavy Duty Internal Parts •Engineered to overcome OEM Weakness

Lifetime Warranty 3170 Frierson Rd. • Dalzell, SC 29040 Phone: 803-499-9086 • Fax: 803-499-4388 HOURS: MONDAY-FRIDAY 7AM-6PM • SATURDAY 8AM-5PM

FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED FOR 27 YEARS!

SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015

THE SUMTER ITEM

RECRUITING COLUMN

Wilkins a surprise commitment to Clemson

efensive lineman Christian Wilkins (6-feet-5-inches, 305 pounds) of Suffield, Conn., an Under Armour All American and regarded as one of the top defensive tackles in the country for the 2015 football recruiting class, announced a commitment to Clemson on Monday on his Twitter account. “Today I would like to announce my verbal commitment to Clemson University,” is how Wilkins put it. Wilkins has not made himself available for comment since making his announcement. National recruiting analysts did not see this one coming. Penn State or Ohio State appeared to be the choice. Wilkins made an official visit to Clemson on Nov. 21. He also made official visits to Stanford, PSU, Boston College and Ohio State. He gives Clemson 24 commitments in the ‘15 class, including three grayshirts who join the program this semester. Long-time Clemson commitment wide receiver Jae’lon Oglesby, the former start at Daniel High School in Central who attended Fork Union Prep in Virginia this season, will not join the Tigers’ program. Oglesby was a Shrine Bowl selection in ‘13 after rushing for 2,174 yards and 21 touchdowns. He played WR at Fork Union this past season. The Tigers, however, are picking up another Daniel standout. Shrine Bowl defensive back Amir Trapp (5-9 160) has accepted a grayshirt offer, meaning he won’t join the program until January of ‘16. Trapp is the son of for-

mer Clemson star James Trapp, who now works at the university. Trapp had 55 tackles and six interceptions this season and averaged 22 yards per punt return. Clemson commitment WR Ray-Ray McCloud of Tampa, Fla., confirmed to the media at the Under Armour Game last week that he will not enroll this month. McCloud committed to the Tigers last summer. He has steadfastly maintained his commitment and has refuted reports he will take other official visits, but the 247Sports network continues to report that he “most likely” will visit Alabama, Florida and UCLA this month. The 5-9, 180-pound McCloud committed to the Tigers in July of ‘14 with the plans to getting on campus this month. U.S. Army All American DB Mark Fields Jr. of Cornelius, N.C., picked up an offer from what he called his “dream school” last week in Louisiana State. Fields has set official visits to Clemson for Jan. 16, Texas on Jan. 23 and LSU on Jan. 30. Fields tweeted on Saturday Clemson is No. 1 with him and Texas is No. 2. The former University South Carolina commitment no longer is considering the Gamecocks. USC

USC will add a new punter prospect to the team this spring. Sean Kelly (5-10, 180) of Winter Garden, Fla., said on Sunday he had decided to accept a walk-on offer from the Gamecocks over Florida State and will enroll in school this week. Kelly played two years at Florida Atlantic be-

HALL FROM PAGE B1 with his fastball, appeared on 500 ballots (91.1 percent). Martinez was 219-100, struck out 3,154, led the major leagues in ERA five times and in 2004 helped the Boston Red Sox to their first World Series title in 86 years. Smoltz was picked on 455 ballots (82.9 percent) and will join former Atlanta teammates Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine, who were inducted last summer along with Chicago White Sox slugger Frank Thomas. Smoltz, the 1996 NL Cy Young winner, was 213-155 with 154 saves, the only pitcher with 200 wins and 150 saves. He went 15-4 in the postseason. Biggio appeared on 454 ballots, 42 more than the 75 percent needed and up from 68.2 percent in his first appearance and 74.8 percent last year. He had 3,060 hits in 20 big league seasons, all with the Houston Astros. The quartet will be inducted in Cooperstown on July 26. The BBWAA had not voted in four players in a single year since selecting Joe DiMaggio, Gabby Hartnett, Ted Lyons and Dazzy Vance 60 years earlier. Mike Piazza fell 28 votes

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO

Former Houston Astro Craig Biggio was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Tuesday. short but increased his percentage to 69.9 from 57.8 in 2013 and 62.2 last year. Clemens received 37.5 percent and Bonds 36.8 percent. Clemens, the only seven-time Cy Young winner, started at 37.6 percent in 2013 and dropped to 35.4 last year; Bonds, the only seven-time MVP, began at 36.2 and fell to 34.7. McGwire, in his ninth and next-to-last year of eligibility,

fore attending Tallahassee Junior College this fall and not playing football. He will Phil Kornblut have three years to play RECRUITING two. In ‘13, CORNER Kelly averaged nearly 43 yards per punt with 19 over 50 yards and 26 downed inside the opposition’s 20yard line. USC commitment defensive end Arden Key of Atlanta said at the Under Armour Game over the weekend that he has been contacted by new Auburn defensive coordinator Will Muschamp, who offered him while he was the head coach at UF. Key said he is considering making an official visit to Auburn, which he has visited several times unofficially. Key currently plans to visit USC, LSU, Miami and Georgia. The loss of Fields put USC back in the market for a replacement and the Gamecocks have stepped up with DB Maurice Smitherman (5-9, 180) of Adamsville, Ala. Smitherman committed to Mississippi State in June, but that commitment has weakened now to a 50-50 split between the Gamecocks and Bulldogs. “I plan to take an official visit to South Carolina (on Jan. 30),” Smitherman said. “I’ve been talking to (USC assistant) Coach Grady Brown. I really liked it the first time I went down there (for the ‘13 Clemson game). I haven’t been down there since then.” Smitherman said he’s soft-

ened on Mississippi State because he’s concerned about the future of his position coach there. “It’s Mississippi State or South Carolina right now,” Smitherman said, adding that Kentucky and UGA also are talking to him. Smitherman has taken his official visit to Mississippi State. This season, Smitherman was in on 42 tackles and four INTs. USC also has made a move with UK commitment DB Jeremiah Denson (6-0, 178) of Hialeah, Fla. “They (USC) offered about two weeks ago and are coming at me strong,” Denson said. “I’m real interested in them. They had two defensive backs decommit and Coach Brown came back and offered me. My interest is real good.” Denson’s never visited USC and plans to take an official visit, possibly on Jan. 16. He has seen the Gamecocks on television and has an idea of how Brown and defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward deploy the secondary. “They like to play five DBs, and there’s a good chance for me to get on the field as a freshman,” he said. Denson also has an official visit to Louisville set for Jan. 30. UK has been on Denson since offering in the spring and has remained in regular contact. “They hit me up every day and they really want me,” he said. “If I go on a visit (to USC) and they wow me, it (a commitment flip) is possible. I have to go through the process, go on a visit and get a feel for the coaches and everything.” Denson said he’ll make his final decision around National Signing Day in February. Denson said he’s considered

a lockdown cornerback and is good in press coverage. He had seven INTs his last two seasons. CLEMSON AND USC

Junior linebacker Jamie Skalski (6-1, 230) of Newnan, Ga., favored USC ahead of Clemson and Mississippi during the football season, but now he’s moved the Tigers to the top of his list ahead of the Gamecocks and Rebels. “My favorite right now is Clemson,” Skalski said. “I like (defensive coordinator) Coach (Brent) Venables and I like their defense. The way I play, I can fit right into their system and what he does… quick read and getting to the football.” Skalski continues to hear from USC. He also wants to look more at Ole Miss and at LSU. Skalski went to games this past season at USC and LSU. A broken thumb limited Skalski to just seven games as a junior. He still had 78 tackles and three quarterback sacks. OTHERS

One-time Clemson commitment WR/DB Juwuan Briscoe of Waldorf, Md., committed to UGA over the weekend. BASKETBALL

Sophomore guard Jalek Felton of Mullins High committed to North Carolina last week. He’s the nephew of former UNC star and current National Basketball Association player Raymond Felton. Schuyler Rimmer, a 6-11 transfer from Stanford who took an official visit to USC last month, decided to enroll at Florida as a walk-on. He’s a native of Orlando, Fla.

received 10 percent, down from 11 last year and less than half his peak of 23.6 percent in 2008. Sosa was on 6.6 percent of the ballot, down from 12.5 in 2013 and 7.2 last year but above the 5 percent threshold for remaining on next year’s list. Jeff Bagwell was at 55.7 percent, followed by Tim Raines at 55 percent and Curt Schilling at 39.2 percent. Other players included Lee Smith (30.2), Edgar Martinez (27), Alan Trammell (25.1) and Mike Mussina (24.6). Don Mattingly received 9.1 percent in his 15th and final appearance on the ballot. Under a change made by the Hall’s board last summer, players’ eligibility was cut from 15 years to 10 but the 11-15 group was grandfathered. Gary Sheffield (11.7 percent) and Nomar Garciaparra (5.5) will remain on the ballot. Among the 17 first-time eligiAP FILE PHOTO bles who will be dropped are Former Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Randy Johnson was elected to Carlos Delgado (3.8 percent) the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Tuesday. and players’ association head Tony Clark, who did not get any votes. Ken Griffey Jr., Trevor Hoffman and Billy Wagner are among the players eligible for the first time in next year’s ballot.

We’re moving to ....

Former Boston Red Sox pitcher Pedro Martinez was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Tuesday on his first time on the ballot. Martinez was 219100, struck out 3,154, led the major leagues in ERA five times and in 2004 helped the Boston Red Sox to their first World Series title in 86 years. AP FILE PHOTO

2 N. MAIN STREET EARLY SPRING CORNER OF LIBERTY & MAIN Your Sumter Hometown Clothing Store

MENSWEAR Corner of Wise and Alice Drive 803-905-4299 www.canthonysmenswear.com

OBITUARIES

THE SUMTER ITEM

ZE’BRIAN A. JACKSON Ze’Brian A. Jackson was born on Feb. 18, 1982, in Sumter. He departed this life on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2014, at Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston. He received his education in the public schools of Sumter County and Job Corps in JACKSON Kentucky, where he received a GED and high school diploma, along with a brick masonry certificate. He was employed with various industries in the Sumter County region. Ze’Brian was employed with a few employers including the following: Peace Textile Distribution, IHOP and UB’s Barber Shop. He leaves to cherish his memories: his mother and stepfather, Mary (Willie) Session; a daughter, Ze’Briana Jackson Session; one brother, Ricardo Akeem Jackson of Sumter; four stepsisters, Dee Dee Brown of Texas, Sheryl Session and Tonya Session, both of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and Ciara Session of Augusta, Georgia; his biological father, Robert Pearson; seven uncles, Ervin (Queen) Jackson, Frank Jackson, Samuel Jackson, David (Linda) Jackson, Josiah (Karita) Jackson, Timothy (Barbara) Jackson and Deacon Calvin Brisbone; one aunt, Mary Lee Jackson, all of Sumter; and a host of other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his maternal grandparents, James (Ethel) Jackson Sr.; two uncles, James Jackson Jr. and Daniel Jackson; and two aunts, Minnie Brisbone and Ruth Jackson. Public viewing will be held from 2 to 6 p.m. today at Job’s Mortuary. Mr. Jackson will be placed in the church at 11 a.m. on Thursday for viewing until the hour of service. Funeral service will be held at noon on Thursday at Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church, 325 W. Fulton St., Sumter, with the pastor, the Rev. Dr. James Blassingame, officiating. Interment will follow in Mulberry Baptist Church cemetery. The family will be receiving friends at the home, 70 Wells Court, Sumter, SC 29154. Job’s Mortuary Inc., 312 S. Main St., Sumter, is in charge of arrangements. Online memorials may be sent to the family at jobsmortuary@sc.rr.com, or visit us on the web at www.jobsmortuary. net.

JENELLE L. AMERSON Jenelle L. Baker Amerson, 86, beloved wife of 68 years to Wilson L. Amerson, died on Monday, Jan. 5, 2015, at Tuomey Regional Medical Center. Born on Sept. 21, 1928, in Sumter County, she was a daughter of the late Robert Benjamin and Lil- AMERSON lian Prescott Baker. She was a member of Northside Memorial Baptist Church and the Order of the Eastern Star. She was a military wife and the mother of three service children. She leaves to cherish her memory: her husband; five children, Wilson L. “Kirk” Amerson Jr. (Becky), Roy Joseph Amerson (Pansy), Sherry Amerson-Jackson (Thomas), Pamela Amerson-DuBose (Glenn) and Hiram Michael Amerson; 11 grandchildren; and 15 great-grandchildren. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday in the Elmore-Cannon-Stephens Funeral Home chapel with the Rev. Mark Barnette and the Rev. Jim Johnson officiating. Burial will be in Evergreen Memorial Park cemetery. Pallbearers will be Michael Moseley, Wilson DuBose, Matthew Amerson, Ryan Amerson, Dale DuBose and Lisa Moseley. Honorary pallbearers will be Bud Watford, Carrol Barnette, Jay Davis, Dale Atkinson, Gary Atkinson and Louis Jackson. The family will receive friends from 4 to 6 p.m. today at Elmore-Cannon-Stephens Funeral Home and other times at the home, 725 W. Emerald Lake Drive. The family would like to ex-

press a special thanks to her doctors and caregivers. Memorials may be made to the American Heart Association, 4217 Park Place Court, Glen Allen, VA 23060-9979. Elmore-Cannon-Stephens Funeral Home and Crematorium of Sumter is in charge of the arrangements. www.escfuneralhome.com

LARRY W. TURNER Larry W. Turner, age 76, beloved husband of 49 years to Elizabeth Ann Craft Turner, died on Monday, Jan. 5, 2015, at Sumter Health and Rehab. Born in Sumter, he was a son of the late Graham Wilson Turner and Annie Marie Bartlett Turner. TURNER Larry retired from Santee Print Works after 37 years. He was an avid fisherman and loved gardening and carpentry work. He was a member of the Bojangles’ Breakfast Club and the Sumter Calvary Church of the Nazarene. Surviving in addition to his wife are one daughter, Priscilla Turner Harrell and her husband, Sammy, of Sumter; three brothers, Rufus Turner and his wife, Frankie, of Sumter, James Turner of Sumter and Fate Turner of Greenville; special niece, Brandi Frye and her husband, Eric, of Sumter; special nephew, Brandon Cuttino; and three grandchildren, Ashton Harrell, Layna Harrell and Grayson Harrell, all of Sumter. In addition to his parents, Larry was preceded in death by two sisters, Katie Anderson and Margaret Turner; and two brothers, Preston Turner and Leo Turner. A funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. on Thursday at New Start Community Church of the Nazarene with the Rev. Greg Pressley, the Rev. Sammy Geddings, the Rev. Dale Turner and the Rev. Velma Horne officiating. Interment will follow in the church cemetery. Pallbearers will be Allen Cuttino, Brandon Cuttino, Brian Craft, Mike Craft, Wayne Dubose and Eric Frye. The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 p.m. today at Bullock Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to SAFE Federal Credit Union Memorial Fund for Larry W. Turner, 170 W. Wesmark Blvd., Sumter, SC 29150. You may sign the family’s guest book at www.bullockfuneralhome.com. The family has chosen Bullock Funeral Home of Sumter for the arrangements.

BOBBIE LEGRAND CHAPPELLE Roberta “Bobbie” L. Chappelle, 81, of Arvada, Colorado, passed away on Dec. 30, 2014. She is survived by her daughters, Cindy (Rocky) Kerns, Debbie (Tim) Alexander and Linda (Bob) Major; grandchildren, Jeremy, Justin, Joseph, Jamie, John and Steven; an older brother, Archie LeGrand Jr.; two nephews, Rosser LeGrand of Sumter and George LeGrand of Charlotte; and a niece, Emily LeGrand Loy of Cookeville, Tennessee. She was preceded in death by her mother, Mary Allen LeGrand; father, Archie LeGrand; and younger brother, David LeGrand. Bobbie grew up in Sumter and attended nursing school in Richmond, Virginia. She was a nurse at Ridge State Home for 30 years. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to a charity of one’s choice.

STEPHEN C. MONROE BISHOPVILLE — Stephen “Steve” Clark Monroe, 74, died on Monday, Jan. 5, 2015, at his home in Bishopville. Born in Monroe, North Carolina, he was a son of the late Roy L. and Mary Rummage Monroe. He was a member of Bishopville Presbyterian Church and was a retired employee of DuPont. He was a Marine veteran and served during the Vietnam War. He loved his family, his church,

the game of golf and the University of South Carolina Gamecocks. He was an avid golf player. When he was not playing golf, going to church or pulling for the Gamecocks, he was at home on his “couch.” Survivors include a son, Stephen Clark Monroe Jr.; two sisters, Pat Fields (William) and Margaret Hicks (Hap Hicks); two brothers, Mike Monroe and Bob Monroe (Kathy); and a special friend and soul mate, Pat Monroe of Florence. He was preceded in death by a daughter, Dadra Ellen Monroe. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday in Bishopville Presbyterian Church with the Rev. Ken Hicks officiating. The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday at Hancock-ElmoreHill Funeral Home in Bishopville. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Bishopville Presbyterian Church, P.O. Box 66, Bishopville, SC 29010 or the Shriners Children Hospital, 950 W. Faris St., Greenville, SC 29605. Hancock-Elmore-Hill Funeral Home of Bishopville is in charge of the arrangements.

JUNIOR LEE JONES Junior Lee Jones, 73, departed this life on Monday, Jan. 5, 2015, at Tuomey Regional Medical Center. He was born on Nov. 29, 1941, in Sumter County, a son of the late Frank Pringle and Lou Ethel Jones Pellman. The family will be receiving friends at the home, 1011 Huddlefield Drive, Sumter, SC 29154. Funeral plans are incomplete and will be announced later by Job’s Mortuary Inc. of Sumter.

RUTH E. BARWICK Ruth E. Barwick, 86, widow of Irvin L. Barwick, died on Monday, Jan. 5, 2015, at Tuomey Regional Medical Center. Born in Sumter, she was a daughter of the late Charlie and Ruth Jackson Compton. She was an avid Bingo player. Survivors include five children, Barbara J. Barwick (William), Patricia Griffin (Larry), Charles Medlin (Beth), Deborah Kelley (Bobby) and James Medlin (Stacey), all of Sumter; 13 grandchildren; 18 greatgrandchildren; a great-greatgrandchild; and a number of nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by three great-grandchildren; two sisters, Hattie Osteen and Bertha Spires; and two brothers, Charlie Compton Jr. and Jim Compton. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday at Green Acres Assembly of God with the Rev. Michael Bowman officiating. Elmore-Cannon-Stephens Funeral Home and Crematorium of Sumter is in charge of the arrangements. www.ecsfuneralhome.com

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015 cherished by his mother, Rosa Mae Smith of the home; four sisters, Dianna S. (Johnnie) Grinnell, Anita Smith and Dr. Vanessa S. (Ivory) Canty, all of Sumter, and Gail (Brain) Debose of Laurelton, New York; aunts, Bernice (Isiah) Anderson of Baltimore, Maryland, Sally Sumpter and Bernice Brunson, both of Sumter, and Jessie Mae Evans of Brooklyn, New York; a host of beloved grand aunts and uncles, Russell Pack and Leroy (Margurite) Smith, both of Sumter, and John Henry (Bessie) Smith and Kizer Dukes, both of Brooklyn; nieces, Sgt. 1st Class Tajuana Grinnell, Brittany Smith, Shareena Conyers, Shawn Moses and Nathaalie (Samuel) Carey; and nephews Johnny Grinnell, Ivory Canty Jr., Jarian Debose, Brandon Conyers, Jermaine and Silas Smith. In addition to his father, he was preceded in death by his maternal grandparents, Moise and Lucille Pack; niece, Toshia Ann Grinnell; and paternal grandparents, John Henry and Allie Dukes Smith. Public viewing will be held from 2 to 6 p.m. today at Job’s Mortuary. Mr. Smith will be placed in the church at 2 p.m. on Thursday for viewing until the hour of service. Funeral service will be held at 3 p.m. on Thursday at Enon Missionary Baptist Church, 2990 Pinewood Road, Sumter, with Pastor Stanley E. Hayes Sr. officiating. Interment will follow in Cain Cemetery. The family will be receiving friends at the home, 4745 Moses Lane, Sumter, SC 29154. Job’s Mortuary Inc., 312 S. Main St., Sumter, is in charge of arrangements. Online memorials may be sent to the family at jobsmortuary@sc.rr.com, or visit us on the web at www.jobsmortuary. net.

DANA G. WILSON Dana Genea Wilson, 32, departed this life on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2015, in Canton, Georgia. She was born on Dec. 27, 1981, in Sumter County, a daughter of Edward Jr. and Jenepher Fullwood Wilson. Funeral plans are incomplete and will be announced later by Job’s Mortuary Inc. of Sumter.

BRUCE O. BURKETT Bruce Olen Burkett, 57, entered eternal rest on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2015, at Providence Hospital. Born in Tripoli, Libya, North Africa, he was a son of Olen E. and Almeta Cribb Burkett. Mr. Burkett attended Green Acres Assembly of God Church. He was a 1975 graduate of Furman High School. The love of his life was his daughter, Monica, who he affectionately nicknamed “Monkey.” Bruce was known as a “Jack of all trades,” but his passion was being an electrician for 41 years. An avid hunter and fisherman, Bruce also enjoyed helping out with the

Royal Rangers of Green Acres Assembly of God Church. Surviving are his parents of Sumter; a daughter, Monica Ann Burkett of Sumter; two brothers, Danny (Donna) Burkett and Mark (Debbie) Burkett, both of Sumter; two sisters, Sheila Parnell of Georgia and Janis (Ronnie) Feazelle of Lugoff; a best friend of 40 years, Patricia Lee Burkett of Sumter; and a host of nieces, nephews and other family members. He was preceded in death by a sister, Debra Gail Kacho; paternal grandparents, Richard and Rosa Burkett; and maternal grandparents, Arnie and Retha Cribb. Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. on Thursday at Green Acres Assembly of God Church with the Rev. Michael Bowman officiating. Burial will be in Evergreen Memorial Park cemetery. The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 p.m. today at Green Acres Assembly of God Church and at other times at his parents’ home, 5637 Broad St. Ext., Sumter. Online condolences may be sent to www.sumterfunerals. com. Elmore Hill McCreight Funeral Home & Crematory, 221 Broad St., Sumter, is in charge of arrangements, (803) 7759386.

GEORGE ARCHIE George Archie, 65, died on Monday, Jan. 5, 2015, at Tuomey Regional Medical Center. Born on Jan. 20, 1949, in Sumter County, he was a son of the late Willie and Fannie McLeod Archie. The family is receiving friends and relatives at the home, 28 McLeod St., Rembert. Funeral arrangements are incomplete and will be announced by Williams Funeral Home Inc. of Sumter.

ADDIE R. MOSES Addie Rouse Moses, 82, widow of Hallie Moses, died on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2015, at Tuomey Regional Medical Center. Born on Aug. 19, 1932, in Sumter County, she was a daughter of the late Ozie Sr. and Ester Peterson Rouse. The family is receiving friends and relatives at the home, 3000 Cubbage Road, Sumter. Funeral arrangements are incomplete and will be announced by Williams Funeral Home Inc. of Sumter.

Call (803) 774-1200 and get started today.

HERCULES SMITH JR. Hercules Smith Jr. was born on Feb. 22, 1961, in Sumter, to Rosa Mae Pack Smith and the late Hercules Smith Sr. He departed this life on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2015 — his eyes closed and his lips were sealed, as he took flight from this world of sin, sickness, pain and sorrow to that land of pure delight, where every day is Sunday and Sabbath hath no end. Brother Smith was educated in the public schools of Sumter County and was a self-employed electrician. He was an honorary member of Birnie Elk Lodge No. 1195. Brother Smith gave his life to Christ at an early age at Enon Missionary Baptist and later joined Westend Community Church. He later renewed fellowship with his home church, Enon Missionary Baptist Church, where he served on the Enon Men of God (EMOG) Ministry. Brother Hercules was well known for his singing and his attitude toward others. His jovial nature and ability to make others laugh made him a rare tree in the forest of life. He will be remembered as being a very loving son, brother, uncle and nephew. Loving memories will be

LAUNDERED DRESS SHIRTS

$2.25 Plus Tax - With Coupon No Limits - Exp. 1-31-15

CLASSIFIEDS

THE ITEM

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 07, 2015

803-774-1234

OR TO PLACE YOUR AD ONLINE GO TO WWW.THE ITEM.COM/PLACEMYAD

CLASSIFIED DEADLINES 11:30 a.m. the day before for Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday edition. 9:30 a.m. Friday for Saturdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s edition 11:30 a.m. Friday for Sundayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s edition.

CLASSIFIEDS BUSINESS SERVICES 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.

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

803-316-0128

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 Farm Products Horse Hay for sale. Tight sq. bails $5. Some for $4. Heavy rnd. bails $40. Some $35 Corn oats hog feed. Call Warren 843-319-1884

Firewood For Sale Tons of fire wood premium seasoned oak. You pick up $40 per pick up load, delivered 1/2 cord $70. Call Collins Tree Service 803-499-2136

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

Open every weekend. 905-4242

For Sale or Trade 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

Split Oak Firewood $70/dumped, $75/stacked. Newman's Tree Service 803-316-0128.

Help Wanted Full-Time Utility Billing Clerk Small working office seeks full time billing clerk. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to entry of monthly billing data, processing of customer invoices, answering customer billing inquires, preparing daily bank deposits, answering telephones. Company provides paid employee benefits, holidays. Minimum 1 year experience, with a preference in utility billing experience. Selected candidate subject to background check and drug testing. Send resume and past salary history to Box 383 Utility Billing c//o The Item, PO Box 1677 Sumter SC 29151 Licensed Cosmetologist neededBooth rental. Call Mary Alexander 803 905-4220 Ding Dong Avon Calling Avon by Vi, ISR. $15 to start. Let's talk 803-934-6292 or join online today! www.startavon.com Ref: Viola Full Time Sales position available. Some experience preferred but will train. No calls. Apply at Wally's Hardware 1291 broad St . Assistant Body Shop Manager Qualifications: customer service / interaction exp., computer knowledge, honest, dependable. Body shop training provided onsite. Salary + commission, vacation, 401k plan, health benefits, sick leave, paid holidays. Apply in person M-F 8-6 at Prothro Chevrolet, Buick, GMC 452 N. Brooks St. Manning, SC 803-433-2535 Meter Reader/Utility Maintenance worker.Small utility company seeks full time meter reader/maintenance worker. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to monthly meter reading, disconnects for delinquent accounts, repair and maintenance of water distribution lines and services. Certification and licensing is a plus but not required. Training will be provided as needed. Company provides paid employee benefits, holidays. Experience in utility maintenance is preferred but not required, with proper aptitude. Selected candidate subject to background check and drug testing. Send resume and past salary history to Box 382 Meter Reader c//o The Item, PO Box 1677 Sumter SC 29151 Female non-smoker to do professional house cleaning for maid service. (Energetic.) Will train. 803-495-8018.

Help Wanted Full-Time

Early Tax Time Special No Payment Til Jan. As Low As $175.00 Per Mo. On Site Rent. For A Limited Time Only.

Why Rent When You Can Own? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Close to Everythingâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;˘ AC/Heat Bring back this ad & receive FREE application fee.

Call Now! 469-8515

www.mhcomm.com Housekeeper needed, must have exp. and references avail. Call 803-236-3603 $$$ AVON $$$ FREE TRAINING! 803-422-5555

Rent to own 2BR/1BA all appl. incl. C/H/A, water & sewer incl. $385/mo. + $400 Dep.Call 803-464-5757

Senior Living Apartments for those 62+ (Rent based on income) Shiloh-Randolph Manor 125 W. Bartlette. 775-0575 Studio/1 Bedroom apartments available EHO

Rooms for Rent ROOM For Rent Bi-weekly or monthly. Near Morris College. Kit. privileges, all utilities incl 469-4668

1, 2 & 3 - BEDROOM APARTMENTS â&#x20AC;˘ TOTALLY ELECTRIC â&#x20AC;˘ CARPET/STOVE/REFRIGERATOR/BLINDS â&#x20AC;˘ LAUNDRY FACILITY ON SITE â&#x20AC;˘ WASHER/DRYER CONNECTIONS â&#x20AC;˘ INDIVIDUAL STORAGE â&#x20AC;˘ PLAYGROUND

LIMITED RENTAL ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE FOR QUALIFIED APPLICANTS â&#x20AC;&#x153;In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, religion, sex, and familial status. To ďŹ le a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, director, OfďŹ ce of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410, or call (800) 795-3272 (voice), or (202) 720-6382 (TDD).â&#x20AC;?

ACCESSIBLE UNITS TDD RELAY # 1-800-735-2905 REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS

Bath Towels $4.00 each

29 Progress St. - Sumter 775-8366 Ext. 37

Tub Mats $2.00 each Hand Towels $1.25 each

Autos For Sale

2 & 3 BRs 803-494-4015 Oaklawn MHP: 2 BR M.H.'s, water /sewer/garbage pk-up incl'd. RV parking avail. Call 803-494-8350

Commercial Rentals Unfurnished Homes 3 & 4 Br Mobile homes & houses, located in Manning & Sumter. 3 - 4 Br houses in Wedgefield / Paxville. No Sect. 8. Rent + dep. req. Call 803-225-0389.

For Rent: 3BR/1BA, 5075 Peach Orchard Rd. $300/mo + dep. Call 803-305-8657 Nice 3Br/2Ba dble carport, w appliances 10 mins from Shaw military discount. $850/mo (Diggs), 803-968-4192.

Homes for Sale On 88 acres of Farm and wooded land, Monte Carlo Ln., 4BR 2BA, Heat pump, carpet & vinyl floors, Contact: R. Davis 270-839-0459

Manufactured Housing 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.

Reconditioned batteries $40. New batteries, UBX 75-7850. Golf cart batteries, 6V. exchange $300 per set, while they last. Auto Electric Co. 803-773-4381

LEGAL NOTICES Abandon Vehicle / Boat

Land & Lots for Sale 399 Rogers Ave., City water & city sewer hookup. $1995 Call Lee 803-983-6965.

Commercial Industrial

2, 3 & 4 Br, all appliances, Section 8 accepted. 469-6978 or 499-1500

Miscellaneous

REAL ESTATE

101 Jasmine St. 3Br 1.5Ba, LR, DR, Den. $725 mo+dep. Call 803-481-4013 or 803-775-3364.

Near Shaw: 3BR/2BA MH, Lg Lot # 46. Previous rental reference required. $550/mo + dep. Mark 803-494-3573, 803-840-3371

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

1 Acre fenced in repo. car lot on E. Liberty St. $400 month. Bobby Sisson 773-4381.

Offices for rent in Dalzell . 15x15 & 10x10 Newly remodeled w/ access to conf. rm. and full kit. 70x25 Building / Shop for rent w/ 10x10 roll up door. Includes 10x10 office. Dalzell area. Call Brian for details 843-230-7165.

Abandoned Boat Notice

To all persons claiming an interest in: 1969 14' Hustler, Joseph Brunson will apply to SCDNR for title on watercraft/outboard motor. If you have any claims to the watercraft/outboard motor, contact SCDNR at (803) 734-3858. Upon thirty days after the date of the last advertisement if no claim of interest is made and the watercraft/outboard motor has not been reported stolen, SCDNR shall issue clear title. Case No: 20140708950520

Your Community. Your Newspaper. Subscribe today, and stay in the local loop. Shopping Circulars & Coupons Community Developments Special Event Listings Local Dining Reviews Movies & Entertainment School Sports Coverage Local Programming

and much more Call 803-774-1258 to start your subscription today, or visit us online at www.theitem.com ÂŠ1 ÂŠ0DJQROLDÂŠ6WUHHWÂŠÂ&#x2021;ÂŠ6XPWHU ÂŠ6&

HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHERS ACCEPTED

Bath Sheets $5.00 each

TRANSPORTATION

STATEBURG COURTYARD

RENTALS

HOUSING FOR FAMILIES, SENIORS & PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

Store Hours Mon. - Sat. â&#x20AC;˘ 9:30 - 5:00 Closed Sunday

Swan Lake Apts. Now has openings. 2Bd 1Ba remodeled apts. in quiet, scenic neighborhood. $445 mo+dep 803-775-4641.

Opening for Medical Asst. Mail resume to: Box 384 c/o The Item, PO Box 1677 Sumter SC 29151

APPLICATIONS ACCEPTED AT THE SITE OFFICE Wednesday THURSDAYS, AND FRIDAYS, 8:00 AM UNTIL 3:00 PM

Wait Staff. Must be responsible and good with people. Apply in person at China Palace 459 Broad St.

Mobile Home Rentals

Medical Help Wanted

300 EAST SOUTH STREET MANNING, SOUTH CAROLINA 29102 803-435-4492

Sumter Financial Services is seeking a collection specialist to handle all collection duties. Must have at least 1 year or more collection experience in the finance industry. Email resume to: larry.holiday@asburymgmt.com

Unfurnished Apartments

Handy Man for mobile homes. Must have transportation and tools. 803-469-6978.

MANNING LANE APARTMENTS

Metal Car Port 12x20 $300, 14' John Boat and Trailer eâ&#x201E;˘ $275 Call 803-983-5364

EMPLOYMENT

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.

Shop with us and . . .

SAVE! SAVE! SAVE!

MAYOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S SUIT CITY

Microfiber Sheet Sets Twin Full

$5.00 per set

Queen King

$8.00 per set

6 Pack $3.00 per package Washcloths

TUXEDOS AVAILABLE for rental or purchase

Winter Clearance Sale IN PROGRESS NOW!

If your suits arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t becoming to you, Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a good time to be coming to Mayoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s!

Wesmark Plaza â&#x20AC;˘ 773-2262 â&#x20AC;˘ Mon-Sat 10-7 â&#x20AC;˘ www.MayosDiscountSuits.com

SECTION

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015 Call Ivy Moore at: (803) 774-1221 | E-mail: ivy@theitem.com

PHOTOS PROVIDED

William Carl Bell’s final painting before his death in 2013 is titled “River Princess.” The Sumter County Gallery of Art will present a special exhibition of the work of the longtime Sumter artist.

Art x 3 will start new year

Sumter gallery opens 2015 with trio of shows BY IVY MOORE ivy@theitem.com

he Sumter County Gallery of Art offers three shows to wish art lovers a Happy New Year, and each offers works by area residents. The South Carolina Watermedia Society Traveling Exhibition comprises the best paintings by artists statewide working in mediums that include watercolors, gouache, acrylic and others. The South Carolina Watermedia Society (SCWS) is the largest statewide visual arts guild with a mission to promote South Carolina artists by providing exhibition opportunities and educational programs. The 2014 SCWS show is especially vibrant. Its juror was William Jameson, a native of Honea Path. Jameson and his painter wife live and work in Saluda, North Carolina, where he continues to be influenced in his work by the history and natural beauty of S.C. Jameson studied with Frank Rampola at the Ringling School of Art in Florida and continued his studies while teaching landscape painting and life drawing as a graduate assistant at the Instituto Allende in San Miguel de Allende in Mexico. Among his many influences are the dry point etchings of American landscape artist Chaunc-

ey Foster Ryder and the Renaissance masterpieces of Titian. Vickie Bailey Ebbers won the Best in Show award with the deceptively simple “Bill’s Bucket.” Jameson said his reasons for selecting Ebbers’ painting were that it was “Close to perfect, (with) strong drawing, composition, texture and beautiful use of analogous color.” He cites Rose Metz’s “use of negative space to produce a strong composition and (her) great use of warm and cool color” in her “Abstract Floral.” This watercolor/collage also won Best in Show in the 2013 Sumter Artists’ Guild Show. With “Metz’s recent passing, which shook the Sumter arts community and beyond, her inclusion in the 2014 show is bittersweet,” said Karen Watson, director of the Sumter County Gallery of Art. She noted, “The South Carolina Watermedia Society show is one of the most popular shows the gallery presents each year; it has been presented by the gallery for over 20 years.” Frank McCauley, curator for the gallery, said, “This show has a wonderful selection of diverse work with a little something for everybody. The variety of imagery and subject matter is stunning, from mixed media abstract

The late Sumter artist Rose Metz is represented in the S.C. Watermedia Traveling Show by “Still Life,” above, and “Abstract Floral,” which won Best In Show in the 2013 Sumter Artists’ Guild Show. works to more traditional representational work including landscapes, figural and still life compositions. The South Carolina Watermedia Society Show is one of the finest examples of the incredible talent of South Carolina artists.” McCauley also had praise for the Sumter Artists Guild Winners Show because it showcases such a broad range of styles and approaches: Randy Abbott’s painting titled “Lost in Thought” won first place, David Sanders’ carved wood sculpture “8th Protocol” won second place, and Carole Carberry’s “Supper at Café Marsh” won third place. Watson added, “This year’s winners’ exhibition is particularly exciting because the work for the 2014 Sumter Artists’ Guild Show was so strong, and we are excited

about the addition of the People’s Choice Winner.” Honorable mentions include Trisha King for her photograph “I’ll Follow You,” Don Hatcher for his painting, “Jeans #7”; and the winner of the Sumter Artists’ Guild Show’s first ever People’s Choice Award went to Thomas Alexander Blackmon for his pyrography on wood piece titled “Farm Across the Way.” The gallery will also present a special exhibition of works by longtime Sumter artist William Carl Bell (1946-2013). “William Carl Bell: Legacy” features his works that evoke memories and feelings of rural South Carolina. Born and raised in Cartersville, Georgia, Bell spent most of his life in the Deep South. A self-taught artist, Bell described himself as “an observ-

LEFT: Randy Abbott’s painting titled “Lost in Thought” won first place in the 2014 Sumter Artists’ Guild Show. More of his work and that of the other winners can be seen at the Sumter County Gallery of Art from Thursday evening through Feb. 6. A reception with many of the artists present will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday. RIGHT: “Bill’s Bucket” by Vickie Bailey Ebbers was the winner of the 2014 S.C. Watermedia Society show, which opens Thursday at the Sumter County Gallery of Art.

David Sanders’ wood carving titled “8th Protocol” took second place in the Sumter Artists’ Guild Show. er of life.” His composition featuring the state flag of South Carolina titled “The Stately Trio” garnered sales of more than 21,000 copies in less than six weeks. Viewers of Bell’s work are struck by the diversity of styles and subject matter — landscapes, birds, buildings, still life and portraits. His ultimate artistic goal was to create art that was natural and pleasing to the eye. The exhibitions open Thursday with a reception from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. They can be seen through Feb. 6. Watson noted that the gallery’s community partners make these exhibitions possible. For this show, they are: NBSC a Division of Synovus, Black River Electric cooperative, Dr. and Mrs. Wendell Levi (in memory of William Carl Bell and Rose Metz), and the Sumter Artists’ Guild. Flowers are provided by Fair Edmunds, the Council of Garden Clubs of Sumter. The Sumter County Gallery of Art, 200 Hasell St., is in the Sumter County Cultural Center. For more information call (803) 775-0543.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015

FOOD

THE SUMTER ITEM

High heat turns cabbage into a winner BY MELISSA D’ARABIAN The Associated Press My grandmother, who lived to be 92, always said the key to her good health was that whenever possible, she ate cabbage. Now if that isn’t a motto worth needlepointing somewhere, I don’t what is... But maybe Grandma was on to something. Cabbage is full of vitamins, as well as calcium and iron. And 1 cup of it has only about 20 calories, so you can load it onto your plate without worrying about your waistline. What my grandmother didn’t tell me was exactly how she proposed eating so much cabbage. I mean, cabbage doesn’t exactly pull in clamoring crowds. Most people aren’t all that excited about it thanks to its rubbery texture when raw, it’s potent cruciferous taste, and it’s somewhat unappealing sulfuric smell when cooked. So let’s avoid all of that. But can I talk you into roasting your cabbage? Roasting cabbage brings out its sweetness, as well as a delicious earthiness. Pair it with some aromatics like onion, shallot or garlic and a hearty spice, then you’ve got a dish that is downright tasty. Even my husband loves my roasted cabbage recipe, and he usually is a cabbage holdout. The secret to making this cabbage delicious cutting the cabbage correctly and roasting it at high heat. You want the oven hot enough to crisp up the edges just enough to impart some roasted smokiness. But the interior of the cabbage should remain just tender, not mushy or steamed. Another hint: Add some spice, sweetness and tartness to the cabbage. In my curried roasted cabbage, I use a hot curry powder and balance the spice with tangy-tart apples and dried currants (though golden raisins would be fine, too). The result is something that I think my grandma would have loved.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

CURRIED ROASTED CABBAGE Start to finish: 25 minutes Servings: 4 1 medium head green cabbage 1 yellow onion, sliced into thick wedges 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced into 8 wedges each 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon curry powder, hot or mild Kosher salt and ground black pepper 1/4 cup currants 1/4 cup toasted almonds slivers Lemon wedges, to serve Heat the oven to 400 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Cut the cabbage into quarters, then cut out the thick stem and core from each piece and discard. Slice each quarter into 4 wedges for a total of 16 pieces. In a large bowl, combine the cabbage wedges with the onion and apples, then drizzle with the olive oil and toss gently to coat. Sprinkle the curry powder over everything, coating all sides of the cabbage mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking sheet. Bake until tender and all sides are golden, about 20 minutes, turning halfway through. Sprinkle the currants and almonds over the cabbage, then toss lightly to mix. Serve with lemon wedges. Nutrition information per serving: 250 calories; 90 calories from fat (36 percent of total calories); 10 g fat (1.5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 40 g carbohydrate; 11 g fiber; 20 g sugar; 5 g protein; 170 mg sodium.

Quick-Pickled Carrots and Radishes are healthy snack BY J.M. HIRSCH AP Food Editor In terms of healthy eating, snacking is my downfall. So long as I abstain, I’m fine. But once I start, I can’t stop. But we all know that abstention isn’t realistic, at least not in the long run. Conventional wisdom has always been that rather than deprive yourself of snacks, you should make healthier choices about them. Not a horrible idea... And you often hear the suggestion to keep a bowl of cut and readyto-eat vegetables — such as carrot sticks and celery — in the refrigerator to satisfy those urges. As if. When I’m feeling like polishing off a loaf of bread and half a pound of cheese, a bunch of carrot sticks aren’t going to do it for me.

It took many years for me to realize there are ways to make this otherwise silly advice work. I’ve discovered there are things I can do to carrot sticks (aside from dunk them in sour cream) and other veggies to render them way more satisfying, yet still healthy. And I found that while these doctored veggies in no way can be confused with a bag of potato chips, they can be satisfying enough to prevent me from inhaling the refrigerator. One of my favorite ways is to turn the vegetables into a quick pickle. Turns out that bathing them in a salty-tangysweet brine can radically up their appeal. The best part is that these veggies are fast and simple to prepare, and it’s easy to double or triple the recipe to make sure you have ample healthy munchies on hand.

QUICK-PICKLED CARROTS AND RADISHES Don’t fret too much over how you cut your carrots. The trick really is just to get all of the pieces roughly the same size. Usually if I’m dealing with medium to large carrots, I cut off the bottom half and leave it as is, or cut it in half lengthwise. Then I cut the upper half into quarters lengthwise. But feel free to cut shorter lengths as you see fit. Start to finish: 20 minutes, plus cooling Servings: 8 3 cups cider vinegar 1 cup sugar 1/4 cup kosher salt 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 teaspoon caraway seeds 1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon onion powder 2 pounds carrots, peeled, trimmed and cut into spears 1 pound red radishes, trimmed and quartered In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the vinegar, sugar, salt, cumin, caraway, mustard seeds, garlic powder and onion powder. Bring to a simmer, stirring often, until the salt and sugar are dissolved. Add the carrots and radishes, then bring to a boil. Cook for 5 minutes, then set aside off the heat until cool. Once the vegetables are cool, use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a jar or bowl. Ladle just enough of the liquid over the vegetables to cover them. Cover and refrigerate for up to 7 days. Nutrition information per serving: 70 calories; 5 calories from fat (7 percent of total calories); 0 g fat (0 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 15 g carbohydrate; 4 g fiber; 9 g sugar; 2 g protein; 580 mg sodium. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

FOOD

THE SUMTER ITEM

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015

A simple, healthy lentil salad tastes anything but BY ELIZABETH KARMEL The Associated Press When I was in high school, my parents took my sisters and me to Paris. That trip shaped me in so many ways, most of them culinary. So many of the dishes I make even today were inspired by that trip. One night, we went to a small, rustic restaurant in the heart of the city. The meal started with hunks of cheese, sausages, cornichons and a bowl of “country caviar.” The bread, cheese and meat were as delicious as you would expect, but it was that last item that blew us away. It’s hard to believe that a trio of sisters from the South would get so excited over a bowl of what basically was just a cold lentil salad. But these lentils were different than the Indian lentils we had eaten in dal. They were small, greenish-black in color and didn’t lose their shape. It was evident why the restaurant referred to the dish as country caviar. It looked like caviar. The lentils were perfectly cooked so that they were creamy and popped a little in your mouth. They were dressed simply with a homemade vinaigrette slightly pungent with sharp Dijon mustard and red wine vinegar. Minced shallots, carrot and curly parsley added color, crunch and flavor. The dish was simple, but the combination was rich and the texture addictive. We couldn’t stop eating it. I asked the owner of the restaurant what they were, and he wrote the name, “Lentilles du Puy” down on a piece of paper and told me I could buy them at a little grocer nearby. Lentilles du Puy — often labeled green French lentils in the U.S. — are grown in the rugged mountainous region of Auvergne in the South of France. Only those grown near Puy-en-Velay can be called lentilles du Puy. They are grown in volcanic-rich soil and much like old vine grapes are left to grow with no fertilizer or watering, giving them far more flavor. Like other lentils, they are high in protein and fiber. But you will make them because they taste so good, are easy and very satisfying. Happily, the recipe traveled well and my sisters and I make the salad often. It is a side dish that goes with just about everything. And this time of year, when I am paying penance for all my holiday indulgences, I am excited to make food that is both healthy and delicious.

gently, taking care not to smash the lentils. Taste and adjust the vinegar and salt, if necessary. The dressing should have a hint of mustard and enough acidity to offset the richness of the lentils. Serve the salad warm, room temperature or chilled. Keeps in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Nutrition information per serving: 320 calories; 170 calories from fat (53 percent of total calories); 19 g fat (2.5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 30 g carbohydrate; 8 g fiber; 2 g sugar; 10 g protein; 230 mg sodium. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Carolina Children’s Dentistry

This page is brought to you by these community minded businesses.

FRENCH LENTIL SALAD Start to finish: 25 minutes Servings: 4 1 cup dried small green lentils (French lentils or lentilles de Puy) 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 3 tablespoon red wine vinegar Kosher salt and ground black pepper 1?3 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 small carrot, finely chopped 2 medium shallots, chopped 2 tablespoons chopped fresh curly parsley Place the lentils in a mesh strainer and rinse with cool water. Discard any gravel or other debris. Place the lentils in a 4-quart saucepan, then add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Set over medium-high heat and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to mediumlow, then simmer until the lentils are just tender but not falling apart, about 15 minutes. When lentils are done, drain them, then return them to the saucepan and cover. Set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, vinegar and a pinch each of salt and pepper. While continuing to whisk, drizzle in the oil and whisk until fully combined and emulsified. Drain any lingering liquid from the lentils, then place them in a medium bowl. Add the vinaigrette, carrot, shallots and parsley. Toss

Columbia, SC (803) 736-6000

Sumter, SC (803) 775-4793

Specializing In Infants, Children, and Adolescents

Call 1-800-293-4709 to sponsor this Exciting Page!

Buying used Mobile Homes, Lots, Acreage, or Houses In Need of Repair

This page is brought to you by these community minded businesses.

Call 803-773-8022 anytime

“Proud Supporters Of Literacy In Our Community”

Call 1-800-293-4709 to sponsor this Exciting Page!

Kitty’s Sumter Family Miss Children’s & More Dental Center

piggly wiggly

(Now located with Miss Kitty’s Fabrics)

4 Locations To Serve You Better “Investing In Our Futures by “Promoting Literacy For Our Kids”

Sumter Cut Rate Drugs

VESTCO PROPERTIES

740 Bultman Drive, Sumter, SC 29150

75 W. Wesmark Blvd., Sumter (803) 905-5266

(803) 773-3328

10am - 6pm Tues.-Fri. • 10am - 4pm Sat.

This page is brought to you by these community minded businesses.

803-773-8432

32 S. Main St. • Sumter Free In-Town Delivery Since 1936 Hours: M-F: 7AM - 6PM • Sat 9AM-4PM www.sumtercutratedrugs.com

Call 1-800-293-4709 to sponsor this Exciting Page!

1283 Broad Street Sumter, SC 29150

803-905-5500

Sumter Laundry & Cleaners

1091 Broad St., Sumter 938-9767

FREE Home Pick-up & Delivery

GEICO Field Representative

775-3962

Telephone: 803.938.8200

Roger Armfield 639 BULTMAN DRIVE

Buy a Happy Meal or a Mighty Kidʼs Meal and GET A

FREE COOKIE

COMICS

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015

BIZARRO

SOUP TO NUTZ

ANDY CAPP

GARFIELD

BEETLE BAILEY

BORN LOSER

BLONDIE

ZITS

MOTHER GOOSE

DOG EAT DOUG

DILBERT

JEFF MACNELLY’S SHOE

Woman’s affair seems to upset only her sister DEAR ABBY — My sister has been seeing a married man for two years. He has told her the only reason he is staying in Dear Abby this loveless marriage is ABIGAIL for his VAN BUREN daughter (standard lie of a cheating husband). His wife found out midway through this “relationship,” but forgave him when he swore he would stop, which of course he didn’t. When I told my sister how wrong this relationship is and that she deserves better, I ended up alienating her. I have recently learned that

THE SUMTER ITEM

his wife just had a second child, and my sister is pregnant, too. I’m sick to my stomach with all of this. I told her how crazy her situation is, but she refuses to see how horrible “the man she loves” really is. She says she is fine raising this child alone, and if her lover is in their lives, then she will be satisfied with that. I am the only one freaking out about this. How do I deal with it and not totally lose my sister? Freaking Out in Illinois DEAR FREAKING OUT — Your sister is an adult. She has made her choices and may have to learn the hard way what you have been trying to tell her. Realize that as much as you love her, you cannot live her life for her. Let her know you’re there

THE DAILY CROSSWORD PUZZLE

for her and the baby, because she’s going to need all the support she can get. DEAR ABBY — If I sit at the end of a pew in church and someone comes in after me insisting I move because it’s his/her “favorite” seat, should I do it or ask the person to sit somewhere else? Got there first in Pennsylvania DEAR G.H.F. — If you’re sitting in God’s house, you should be on your best behavior. Don’t commit a sin of omission; be an angel and shove over. Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www. DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

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 Neutral hue 5 Book of legends? 10 Irreverent radio host 14 Become painfully dry 15 Airboat area 16 Narrow margin 17 Hardly noticeable amount 18 Black-eyed peas dish 20 Like some Netflix movies 22 Wore a belittling look 23 Notable gap 26 More pleasant 27 Pretend nothing’s going on 31 Empty the recycle bin, e.g. 32 Petri dish gel 33 Cast off 37 Informal pass 38 “Also sprach Zarathustra” composer 41 Miner issue 42 Reunion attendee 44 Third Pillar of Islam subject 45 Short stroke 47 Brunch fare 50 Bygone Detroit brewery 52 Gas leak

warnings 53 Starts a revolution 55 Comparable to, with “with” 59 Country star with an uncountrylike name 62 What “will keep us together,” in a 1975 hit 63 Hamburg’s river 64 “Transcendental” Liszt piece 65 Blunted blade 66 Downhill coaster 67 Pitching scout’s device 68 Lowly worker DOWN 1 Bounce back 2 Uppercut target 3 It’s tender in Johannesburg 4 Market advances 5 Picnic area barrel 6 __-Face: duplicitous Batman foe 7 __ cat 8 Rock concert gear 9 Dreidels and pinwheels 10 Adds to a

conversation, as a remark 11 “A Visit From St. Nicholas” poet Clement Clarke __ 12 Seat finder 13 Delight 19 Frau’s refusal 21 Draws back in fear 24 Hairbrush targets 25 Gable/Gardner classic set in Africa 27 Actress Olin 28 __ hygiene 29 Pearl Harbor locale 30 Led to 34 Native Arizonans 35 Obama attorney general Holder 36 Bit of hail

damage 39 Swiss luxury watchmaker 40 Strict 43 Deserved 46 Source of TV revenue 48 “Crikey!” 49 Midday tryst 50 Compete in a bee 51 34-Down, e.g. 53 Luau strings 54 Arg. miss 56 Religious leader associated with the ends of the four longest puzzle answers 57 State as fact 58 Great Barrier __ 60 Future bloom 61 Oral health org.

TELEVISION

THE SUMTER ITEM TW

WIS

E10

WLTX E19 WOLO E25 WRJA E27 WACH E57 WKTC E63

7 PM

7:30

8 PM

8:30

WIS News 10 at Entertainment Tonight (N) (HD) news update. News 19 @ 7pm Inside Edition (N) 9 9 Evening news up- (HD) date. Wheel of Fortune Jeopardy! (N) 5 12 (N) (HD) (HD)

9 PM 9:30 LOCAL CHANNELS

The Mysteries of Laura: The Mystery of the Frozen Foodie Culinary case. (N) (HD) The Mentalist: Green Light Abbott must hide the DEA’s mistakes. (N) (HD) The Middle: Pam The Goldbergs Freakin’ Staggs Garage cleaning. (N) (HD) (N) (HD) NatureScen Expeditions with Nature: Wild France A look at the un11 14 Patrick McMillan expected flora & fauna. (N) (HD) (HD) The Big Bang The Big Bang American Idol: Auditions #1 Audi6 6 Theory Friend Theory Parking tions begin in Nashville, Tenn. (N) procedure. (HD) battle. (HD) (HD) How I Met Your Anger Manage- Arrow: Draw Back Your Bow Woman 4 22 Mother: Lucky ment (HD) believes The Arrow is her love. (HD) Penny (HD) 3 10 7:00pm Local

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015 10 PM

10:30

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: Chicago P.D.: Shouldn’t Have Been Forgiving Rollins Claims withdrawn. Alone Investigating Burgess’ shoot(N) (HD) ing. (N) (HD) People’s Choice Awards 2015 The 41st annual ceremony presents viewer-voted winners with handcrafted Waterford Crystal trophies for their accomplishments across 58 various categories. (HD) Modern Family (:31) black-ish: Forever: The Man in the Killer Suit Resolutions. (N) Law of Attraction High-class man found murdered. (HD) (N) (HD) (HD) NOVA: Rise of the Drones Technolo- Nazi Mega Weapons: V1: Hitler’s gies behind drones examined. (HD) Vengeance Missile Development of weapon chronicled. (N) (HD) (:01) Empire: Pilot The head of a mu- WACH FOX News at 10 Local news sic empire learns that he has a seri- report and weather forecast. ous heart condition. (N) (HD) Penn & Teller: Fool Us: Penn Gets The Walking Dead: Home A debate Nailed Cubic Act Nick Einhorn Miarises within the prison. (HD) chael Vincent. (HD)

11 PM

11:30

WIS News 10 at 11:00pm News and weather. News 19 @ 11pm The news of the day. ABC Columbia News at 11 (HD)

12 AM

(:35) The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Comedic skits and celebrity interviews. (HD) (:35) Late Show with David Letterman Popular celebrities are interviewed. (HD) (:35) Jimmy Kimmel Live Celebrities and human-interest subjects. (HD)

Tavis Smiley (HD)

BBC World News International news. TMZ (N) Mike & Molly: What Molly Hath Wrought (HD) The Walking Dead: I Ain’t a Judas Security in the prison is compromised. (HD)

Charlie Rose (N) (HD) Modern Family: The Last Walt (HD) Hot in Cleveland: Bad Bromance (HD)

CABLE CHANNELS Duck Dynasty Duck Dynasty: Duck Dynasty Duck Dynasty Duck Dynasty (N) (:01) (:31) Donnie Loves Jenny: The Wed- (:32) Duck DyDuck Dynasty: (HD) (HD) G.I. SI (HD) (HD) (HD) (HD) Wahlburgers (N) ding (N) (HD) nasty (HD) G.I. SI (HD) Jurassic Park III (‘01, Science Fiction) aac Sam Neill. Dr. Alan Grant is Lake Placid (‘99) 180 Jurassic Park (‘93, Science Fiction) Jurassic Park III (‘01, Science Fiction) aac Sam Neill. Dr. Alan Grant is Sam Neill. Dinos escape. (HD) deceived into returning to the island to help find a lost boy. (HD) deceived into returning to the island to help find a lost boy. (HD) aac (HD) 100 Treehouse Masters (HD) Treehouse Masters (HD) Treehouse Masters (HD) Treehouse Masters (HD) Treehouse Masters (HD) Treehouse Apollo Live Amateur talents comMovie To Be Announced Programming in- Wendy Williams 162 Apollo Live Amateur talents compete on stage. (HD) pete on stage. (HD) formation unavailable. Show (N) Top Chef: Big Sau sage Dishes in Real House wives of At lanta: Tea The Real House wives of At lanta: Top Chef: For Julia & Jacques French What Hap pens Top Chef: For Julia & Jacques Ramen 181 spired by literary works. With a Side of Squashed Beef 50 Shades of Shade cooking. (N) (N) dish and French cooking. 62 Cocaine Cowboys II (‘08) aaa Shark Tank (HD) Shark Tank (HD) Shark Tank New ideas. (HD) Shark Tank Dating service. (HD) Car Chaser 64 Erin Burnett OutFront (N) Anderson Cooper 360° (N) (HD) Anthony: South Africa CNN Tonight Anderson Cooper 360° (HD) Anthony South Park (HD) South Park (HD) South Park (HD) South Park: The South Park (HD) South Park (HD) Daily Show (N) (:31) @midnight South Park: 136 South Park (HD) South Park: Manbearpig (HD) List (HD) (HD) (N) (HD) Bloody Mary (HD) Blog: Avery Radio Rebel (‘12, Drama) aac Debby Ryan. Shy teen- (:40) Austin & (:05) Liv and Dog Blog: Stan A.N.T. Farm (HD) Jessie: Toy Con Good Luck Char80 Austin & Ally (HD) Schools Tyler ager does mock broadcasts. (HD) Ally (HD) Maddie (HD) Talks to Gran (HD) lie (HD) 103 Dual Survival (HD) Dual Survival (HD) Dual Survival: Twin Peaks (HD) Dual Survival (HD) Dual Survival (HD) Survival (HD) 35 NBA Basketball: Houston Rockets at Cleveland Cavaliers z{| (HD) NBA Basketball: Phoenix Suns at Minnesota Timberwolves from Target Center (HD) Sports (HD) 39 College Basketball: North Carolina State vs Virginia z{| (HD) College Basketball: Colorado Buffaloes at Utah Utes z{| (HD) SportsCenter (HD) NBA (HD) Boy Meets 131 (6:00) The Goonies (‘85, Adventure) aaa Sean Astin. Dark Shadows (‘12, Comedy) aac Johnny Depp. A vampire imprisoned for 200 years wakes The 700 Club A group of kids finds buried treasure. (HD) up in 1972. World: Killer Bees 109 Diners (HD) Diners (HD) Mystery (HD) Mystery (HD) Mystery (HD) Mystery (N) Restaurant: Impossible (HD) Restaurant: Impossible (N) Mystery (HD) 74 On the Record with Greta (N) The O’Reilly Factor (N) (HD) The Kelly File News updates. Hannity Conservative news. (HD) The O’Reilly Factor (HD) The Kelly File 42 UFC Unleashed (HD) Golden Boy Live: Joseph Diaz Jr. vs. Roberto Castaneda (HD) World Poker Tour no} (HD) World Poker Tour no} (HD) Golden (HD) The Middle: The Middle (HD) The Middle: Sig- The Middle (HD) Golden A job for Golden Girls: Golden Sad 183 The Waltons: The Stray The Waltons The Waltons: The Recluse Jason find a boy hiding. meets a woman. Worry Duty (HD) nals (HD) Dorothy. Love, Rose Santa. 112 Property Brothers (HD) Property Brothers (HD) Property Brothers (N) (HD) Hunters (N) Hunters (N) Property Brothers (HD) Prop Bro (HD) 110 American Pickers (HD) American Pickers (HD) American Pickers (HD) American Pickers (HD) (:03) American Pickers (HD) American (HD) Cold Case: Glory Days Football Cold Case: True Calling Teacher’s Cold Case: Wednesday’s Women Cold Case: Roller 160 Cold Case: Two Weddings Bride may Cold Case: One Fall Murdered be killer. (HD) dockworker. (HD) player’s slaying reopened. (HD) death investigated. (HD) Freedom Summer. (HD) Girl (HD) Little Women: LA: Mama Drama (:02) Big Women: Big Love: Pota- (:02) Little Women: LA: Mama (:02) Little 145 Little Women: LA: Season 2 Kickoff Little Women: LA: Baby on Board Special (HD) Booze cruise. (HD) Tonya feels betrayed. (N) (HD) toes and Cheese (N) (HD) Drama Tonya feels betrayed. (HD) Women: LA (HD) 76 Hardball with Chris (N) (HD) All in with Chris Hayes (HD) The Rachel Maddow Show (N) Lawrence O’Donnell (HD) All in with Chris Hayes (HD) Maddow (HD) 91 Witch Way (N) Max Shred (N) Full Hse Full Hse Full Hse Full Hse Prince Prince Friends (HD) Friends (HD) Raymond (HD) 154 I Am Legend (‘07, Science Fiction) Will Smith. (HD) I Am Number Four (‘11, Science Fiction) aac Alex Pettyfer. Teenage aliens. Kick-Ass (‘10, Action) Aaron Taylor-Johnson. (HD) Scarecrow (‘13, Horror) Lacey Chabert. A high school educator hosts a de- Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant (‘09, Ac152 Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant (‘09, Action) aac John C. Reilly. Youth befriends mystery man at circus. (HD) tention period for six students. tion) aac John C. Reilly. Youth finds work. (HD) The Big Bang The Big Bang The Big Bang The Big Bang The Big Bang The Big Bang Conan (N) (HD) Cougar Town 156 Seinfeld Pasta ac- Seinfeld (HD) cident. (HD) Theory (HD) Theory (HD) Theory (HD) Theory (HD) Theory (HD) Theory (HD) (HD) The Brothers Karamazov (‘58, Drama) aac Yul Brynner. A controlling father’s murder has a (:45) Crime and Punishment (‘35, Drama) aac Peter Lorre. A young 186 (6:00) Sunday in New York (‘63, Comedy) aaa Cliff Robertson. profound effect upon his three sons. university student murders a rude pawnbroker for money. 157 My 600-lb Life (HD) My 600-lb Life (HD) My 600-lb Life: Where Are (N) My Strange Addiction (N) (HD) My 600-lb Life: Where Are (HD) My Strange Grimm: Bears Will Be Bears Mysteri- Grimm: Beeware A flash mob turns Grimm: Lonely Hearts Monroe un- Supernatural 158 Supernatural: The Devil You Know Grimm: Pilot Nick finds out he is a Handler. (HD) Grimm descendant. (HD) ous family. (HD) into a homicide. (HD) dercover. (HD) (HD) 102 Pawn Pawn Pawn Pawn Pawn Pawn Barmageddon (N) (:01) Pawn (:31) Pawn (:02) Pawn 161 Walker, Texas Ranger: Faith Fam. Feud Fam. Feud Raymond (HD) Raymond (HD) Cleveland (N) The Exes (N) Queens (HD) Queens (HD) Friends (HD) NCIS: Hereafter Director Vance dis- NCIS: Whisky Tango Foxtrot Explo- NCIS: Past, Present, and Future Tony NCIS: Los Angeles: Allegiance NCIS: Los An132 NCIS: Internal Affairs NCIS team in murder investigation. (HD) covers information. (HD) sion in D.C. (HD) tracking Ziva in Israel. (HD) Money transfer. (HD) geles (HD) SWV Reunited: Voice Lessons SWV Reunit A new song. SWV Reunited: Coko’s Choice SWV Reunited: No Backup (N) (:04) SWV Reunited: No Backup SWV Reunit 172 Funniest Home Videos (HD) Funniest Home Videos (HD) How I Met How I Met How I Met How I Met Rules (HD) Rules (HD) Parks (HD)

A&E

46 130 Duck Dynasty

AMC

ANPL

BET

BRAVO

CNBC CNN

35 33

COM

DISN

DSC ESPN ESPN2

42 26 27

FAM

FOOD FOXN FSS

40 37 31

HALL

HGTV HIST

39 45

ION

LIFE

MSNBC NICK SPIKE

36 16 64

SYFY

TBS

TCM

TLC

TNT

TRUTV TVLAND

38 55

USA

WE WGN

68 8

A big night for Fox as ‘Idol’ returns, ‘Empire’ premieres BY KEVIN MCDONOUGH I’m not terribly surprised that “American Idol” (8 p.m., Fox, TV-PG) enters its 14th season tonight. Sometimes it seems like it’s been 30. I’m still surprised that it has now been 16 years since the debut of “The Sopranos,” a series credited with sparking a revolution in television drama and golden age of challenging series. Fox turned down the “Sopranos” back in the late 1990s. By means of some compensation, they bring us “Empire” (9 p.m., Fox, TV14), a 21st-century network take on the “difficult men” genre that includes “The Sopranos,” “Mad Men,” “Breaking Bad” and “The Wire.” Terrence Howard stars as music mogul Lucious Lyon, who has just received a grim medical prognosis and wants to groom one of his three sons to take over his business. The corporate-savvy Andre (Trai Byers) is the logical choice, but he’s all business and has no feel for music. Jamal (Jussie Smollett) is a gifted prodigy, but he makes Lucious uncomfortable because he’s gay. Hakeem (Bryshere Gray) is a promising rapper, but he’s also a spoiled, undisciplined brat. Lucious’ life is further complicated when his tempestuous ex, Cookie (Taraji P. Henson), returns from a long prison sentence for drug trafficking. She’s the boys’ mother and a living reminder of Lucious’ notso-respectable past, something he’s worked hard to transcend, particularly now that he’s so focused on his legacy. It’s not easy to sympathize with Lucious, and that’s the point. He’s not above pitting his boys against each other or abandoning those who helped him climb to the top. He’s selfish, scheming, homophobic and cruel. But he’s also dying and trying to make sense of it all. And his quandaries may be small change compared to Cookie’s backstory and her many motivations. A meaty soap opera with more than a few glances at Shakespeare’s “King Lear,”

MICHAEL BECKER / FOX

From left, Keith Urban, Jennifer Lopez, Ryan Seacrest and Harry Connick Jr. return for a new season of “American Idol” with a special, twonight, three-hour premiere event beginning at 8 p.m. today on Fox. “Empire” shows great promise. It’s a lot grittier than “Nashville” and shot through with potential violence. But just as you don’t have to like corporate country music to enjoy that ABC show, you don’t have to like hip-hop/R&B to appreciate “Empire.” If I have one quibble with “Empire,” it’s the strenuous and annoying use of Auto-Tune. But that’s a conversation for a music columnist. It’s no secret that Fox had a terrible 2014. An ambitious series like “Empire” is just the thing to change minds and attract new viewers in 2015. That said, you have to wonder if the pairing of this serious series with the family-friendly and frequently insipid “Idol” makes any sense.

TONIGHT’S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS • Being a star chef can be murder on “The Mysteries of Laura” (8 p.m., NBC, TV-14). • Laila Robins (“Homeland”) narrates the “Nature” (8 p.m., PBS, TV-PG, check local listings) presentation

“Wild France,” a look at wildlife from Paris to the Pyrenees. • Allison Janney and Anna Faris host the People’s Choice Awards (9 p.m., CBS), broadcast live. • Rollins’ old friend unravels on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (9 p.m., NBC, TV-14). • A crisis before breakfast gives everyone second thoughts on “Modern Family” (9 p.m., ABC, TV-PG). • Burgess takes a bullet on “Chicago P.D.” (10 p.m., NBC, TV-14). • A British aristocrat takes a fatal stroll in Central Park on “Forever” (10 p.m., ABC, r, TV-PG). • Elsa anticipates her Hollywood career on “American Horror Story” (10 p.m., FX, TV-MA). • Donnie Wahlberg and Jenny McCarthy prepare to get married on the new cable series “Donnie Loves Jenny” (10:30 p.m., A&E, TVPG).

CULT CHOICE Richard Brooks directed the 1958 adaptation of Dos-

toyevsky’s novel “The Brothers Karamazov” (8 p.m., TMC), starring Yul Brynner, Claire Bloom, Lee J. Cobb and Richard Basehart. And look out for a youngster named William Shatner(!) as Alexey.

SERIES NOTES A botched mission inspires a cover-up on “The Mentalist” (8 p.m., CBS, TV14) * A face from the past boosts Frankie’s self-esteem on “The Middle” (8 p.m., ABC, TV-PG) * A determined killer on “Arrow” (8 p.m., CW, r, TV-14) * Murray orders Beverly’s hoard out of the garage on “The Goldbergs” (8:30 p.m., ABC, TV-

PG) * “Penn & Teller: Fool Us” (9 p.m., CW, r, TV-PG) * Dre feels unmanned on “blackish” (9:30 p.m., ABC, TV-PG).

LATE NIGHT Ava DuVernay is scheduled on “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart” (11 p.m., Comedy Central) * Julianne Moore and Catfish and the Bottlemen appear on “Late Show with David Letterman” (11:35 p.m., CBS) * Drew Carey guest-hosts David Arquette, Jessica St. Clair and Esther Povitsky on “The Late Late Show” (12:35 a.m., CBS). Copyright 2015, United Feature Syndicate

Subscribe today, and stay in the loop

(803) 774-1200

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015

THE SUMTER ITEM

Order Up!

Call Rhonda Barrick at: (803) 774-1264 | E-mail: rhonda@theitem.com

me o Ho

f the Chicken Wing! Eat In or Take Out

TUESDAY NIGHT WING SPECIAL

Featuring

Dine-In Only 6:30-9:00 pm

Combos • Milkshakes • Ice Cream Local Favorites • Snacks & Sides 2 Locations in Sumter 1091 Broad St. • 803.938.9767 2022 McCrays Mill Rd. • 803.934-8822

775-6538

1961-B McCrays Mill Rd. Hours: Mon.-Sat. 11am-10pm

Sumter’s Oldest FULL SERVICE

Soda Fountain!

Buy a pita and chips and get a FREE drink

EST. 1935 | 78 YEARS STRONG

Breakfast and Lunch Daily Monday-Friday 7am-4pm Saturday 9am-3pm

Sumter Cut Rate Soda Fountain 32 S. Main St. Sumter 7 773-8432 73 843ex2. 3

Expires 2.25.15

1029 Broad Street Sumter, SC

www.SUMTERCUTRATEDRUGS.com

773-4820

Freshest ice cream on earth! Made fresh daily

105 Wesmark Blvd Sumter, SC 29150

(803) 774-7522

Hours: Sun-Thurs: 12-10 • Fri-Sat 12-11

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

However you stir it, chicken in a pot is a wonderful meal BY SARA MOULTON The Associated Press

hicken in a pot. Not a very romantic name, I’ll

admit. Luckily, the French have the more melodic “poule au pot” to fill that gap for this utterly delicious dish. But however you say it, chicken in a pot is a traditional French country dish that dates back to Henry IV in the 17th century. You see, he apparently promised that during his reign everyone would be able to afford chicken in a pot on Sundays. A few hundred years later, this idea was revived in American politics when Herbert Hoover’s presidential campaign promised a chicken in every pot, and a car in every garage. Monarchs and presidents aside, you need to learn this simple and fantastic recipe. The traditional version of chicken in a pot consists of a whole stuffed chicken poached with vegetables. All of the ingredients contribute

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS/ SILVER PLUME PRODUCTIONS

Sara Moulton on the set of her PBS show, “Sara’s Weeknight Meals.” to a rich broth, which then is served over the chicken and vegetables, often garnished with pickles, mustard and coarse salt. But truth is, most of us won’t bother with the stuffing. And that’s a good thing. Because then this becomes a lean dish, one well suited for the new year as we try to recover from the excesses of the holidays.

Given that all animal protein becomes tough when boiled, the key to success in this recipe is to cook the chicken gently, ensuring that it stays moist and tender. In my recipe, the chicken simmers softly for just 25 minutes. Then, pulled off the burner, it finishes cooking in the residual heat of the broth. The vegetables are cooked afterward in the same broth. Finally, the chicken is skinned, deboned and returned to the pot in large chunks, but only to be reheated, not cooked any further. All of this care pays off in the finished texture of the star of the show. Rubber chicken is a dish only a comedian could love! In terms of seasonings, I’ve taken this French dish to Morocco, adding ginger and harissa, a hot chili past from Africa. I serve it with country bread, toasted and rubbed with garlic, though you’re welcome to ladle the chicken and vegetables onto couscous instead, which would complete the Moroccan theme. Whatever you decide, this is a wonderful dish to serve to a crowd.

For information about advertising, contact (803) 774-1212 or (803) 774-1284

MOROCCAN CHICKEN IN A POT Start to finish: 1 hour 50 minutes (50 minutes active) Servings: 8 For the harissa: 16-ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 2 teaspoons minced garlic 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes 2 teaspoons lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt For the chicken: 3 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 large leeks, trimmed, halved lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces 1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, quartered 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic 1 1/2 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger 3 1/2-pound whole chicken 3 quarts chicken broth 1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces 1/2 pound parsnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces 1/2 pound turnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces 1/2 pound white potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces Kosher salt and ground black pepper Chopped fresh cilantro or parsley, to garnish To prepare the harissa, in a blender combine all ingredients and blend until smooth. Set aside. Can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. To prepare the chicken, in a 7- to 8-quart stockpot over medium, heat the oil. Add the leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the chicken, breast side down, then pour the broth over it. The broth should cover the chicken. If not, add a bit of water or additional broth. Bring the broth just to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, skimming any scum that comes to the surface, for 10 minutes. Cover and reduce the heat to simmer gently for another 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the chicken sit in the hot broth, covered, for 30 minutes. Carefully remove the chicken from the pot and set it on a plate. Let it cool until it can be easily handled. Add the carrots, parsnips, turnips and potatoes to the broth, then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, covered, until the vegetables are just tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, pull off and discard the skin from the chicken and remove the meat from the bones in large chunks. When the vegetables are tender, return the chicken meat to the pot and cook gently, just until heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle the soup into soup bowls and top each portion with a spoonful of harissa and some cilantro.

Dairy products can help fuel your fitness efforts BY FAMILY FEATURES Many people are looking to get fit this time of year, and as they do, they’ll be looking for ways to fuel their efforts. Enter dairy, a protein powerhouse that provides numerous benefits to active individuals. More protein per ounce The perfect addition to snack or mealtime, dairy foods offer a convenient way to add the protein needed to help you achieve your fitness goals. While helping your body build and repair muscle, as well regulate metabolism, it also keeps you satisfied longer. In fact, one serving of milk, cheese or yogurt provides approximately 8 grams of high

quality protein, including all essential amino acids. Protein-packed whey Whey protein is a high-quality protein found naturally in dairy foods, and it provides the nutrients that help promote better health. Need a helpful way to remember this beneficial nutrition source? Think “Y-M-C-Whey” when you’re looking to fuel your fitness efforts: • Y is for Yogurt: Enjoy this versatile food at any time of day. Double up on protein with Greek yogurt, which often contains twice the amount as regular yogurt. • M is for Milk: Reach for low-

fat chocolate milk after exercise. The protein it provides supports healthy muscles and the carbohydrates help refuel you with energy. • C is for Cheese: Grab a slice, wedge or stick when you need something to tide you over between meals. The protein in cheese can curb hunger, which makes it a great tool for weight management. • W is for Whey: Add whey protein powder to your post-workout smoothie or cereal, which can help build and maintain lean muscle. Find more nutrition information and recipes to power up at www.dairymakessense.com.

RAINBOW FRUIT & CHEESE KABOBS Servings: 6 Prep time: 15 minutes 6 straws (8-inches or longer) 6 ounces Monterey cheese, cut into 18 cubes 1/2 cup strawberry halves 1/2 cup cantaloupe, cut into 3/4-inch cubes 1/2 cup pineapple, cut into 3/4-inch cubes 1 kiwifruit, peeled and cut into 6 pieces 1/4 cup blueberries 6 purple grapes To make a rainbow for each kabob, thread onto a straw a piece of cheese, a strawberry halve, a cantaloupe cube, a pineapple cube, another piece of cheese, a piece of kiwi, 2 blueberries, a grape and another piece of cheese. Repeat pattern with remaining straws. Nutritional information per serving: 135 calories; 9 g fat; 7 g protein; 8 g carbohydrates; 1 g dietary fiber; 25 mg cholesterol; 135 mg sodium; calcium 22 percent of daily value.Source: Midwest Dairy Council