Hootie & the Blowfish album hits 20th year
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Would you choose the simple life? These biologists did. SUNDAY, JULY 6, 2014
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Big focus of new penny tax is roads, roads, roads ‘It costs about $500,000 per mile to pave a road, so that’s enough to pave two miles per year.’ EDDIE NEWMAN Director of Public Works
BY BRISTOW MARCHANT bmarchant@theitem.com (803) 774-1272 EDITOR’S NOTE: This is one in a series of stories examining the proposed projects for a renewed penny sales tax, which Sumter County voters will be asked to approve in November. Money raised by the tax will
go toward a series of building, infrastructure and other projects throughout the county. The capital penny sales tax covers a wide variety of infrastructure projects, but looking at the list of proposals for the latest round, it’s clear one item received the most detailed attention. The longest sections of text on
the proposals list deal with road work; a combined $12 million is allocated for the paving and resurfacing of county roads, covering 37 miles and 125 different named roads, each one listed separately on the proposal list. Road maintenance was one of the
SEE ROADWAYS, PAGE A7
1 crushed ‘ ... And the rockets’ red glare’ in assault with SUV Witnesses: suspect struck victim on purpose after argument in Manning BY ROB COTTINGHAM rcottingham@theitem.com (803) 774-1225 MANNING — A 46-year-old man is dead after reportedly being intentionally crushed against another vehicle by a driver in an SUV on Friday in Manning. Keith Alexander Smith, of 169 Lake Babar Drive, Palm Beach, Florida, was found in the 2600 block of Durant Lane early Saturday morning and pronounced dead at the scene by the Clarendon County Coroner’s Office after succumbing to his injuries. Officials with Clarendon County Sheriff’s Office have arrested Roosevelt Sabb Jr., 35, of 1221 Thurston Drive West, Wilson, North Carolina, and charged him with murder in connection to Smith’s death. According to reports, a deputy responded to the incident location shortly after midnight Saturday and observed a man, later identified as Smith, laying next to a grey Ford Explorer as he was being treated by EMS. Another deputy, who had been dispatched to the scene earlier, told him that the victim had been struck by another vehicle and pushed into the Explorer. Across the street, officers located another Ford Explorer with two men standing near it. An eye witness identified one of the men as the driver of the vehicle.
PHOTOS BY MATT WALSH / THE SUMTER ITEM
Above, Jacob Matthews watches the fireworks at New Zion’s Fourth of July celebration on Friday. Spectators, right, watch the fireworks in New Zion on Friday as they partake in the Independence Day celebrations. Below, a boy covers his ears as a firework explodes overhead.
SEE SUV ATTACK, PAGE A7
Salvation Army pantry running low on basic essentials BY JADE REYNOLDS jade@theitem.com (803) 774-1250 When you open your fridge or cabinets, you scan to see what you are going to eat. Or maybe you make plans for what to fix later. But what if you saw next to nothing? The devastation of that realization is something Pam Lassiter, social worker with The Salvation Army’s local unit, sees week in and week out. “The Salvation Army has a great slogan, ‘Need knows no JADE REYNOLDS / THE SUMTER ITEM season,’” she said. “While While there were some cans of vegetables on the shelf Wednesday, your family is on vacation, The Salvation Army’s food pantry is low on the basics to make a comthe struggling doesn’t stop. plete meal such as rice and meat, said social worker Pam Lassiter. That is the worst part of my
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DEATHS, A5 and A9 Wallace ‘MW’ Moses Jr. Lois A. Caughman Kathleen M. Roberson Hailey J. Bordeaux Mack A. Herring Frances R. Carolina
Sammy English James M. Alsbrook Arlyn Klemetson Murray Montgomery Sr. Donta’ O. Wilson William Calvin
job when I have to tell a mom with a screaming child or a senior that I can’t help.” The problem now is, other than vegetables, she has little to offer them. “As a mother and a grandmother, I want to serve my kids a nutritious meal,” she said. “With children being home, there is more of a need. During the school year, they eat two times a day. Now they run out of food quicker. We really need donations.” While they accept food donations of all kinds, they are especially in need of items such as rice, dried beans and canned meat.
5 WAYS TO HELP 1. Drop off donations of nonperishable food items or financial contributions at The Salvation Army office, 16 Kendrick St., between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday. 2. Mail a check to The Salvation Army, PO Box 2229, Sumter SC 29151. 3. Donate items to The Salvation Army thrift stores. 4. Shop at local The Salvation Army thrift stores, 5264 W. Broad St. Extension or 445 Broad St. 5. Give online at salvationarmycarolinas.org.
SEE EMPTY PANTRY, PAGE A7
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A STORM IN THE P.M.
5 SECTIONS, 34 PAGES VOL. 119, NO. 224
A thunderstorm in the afternoon; partly cloudy through the night. HIGH 88, LOW 69
Business D1 Classifieds D3 Comics E1
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