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Gunmen rob Jewelry Wholesale Police seek help identifying 2 suspects BY JIM HILLEY jim@theitem.com “We need to get these people off the streets,” said John Copeland, owner of Jewelry Wholesale, 41 E. Wesmark Blvd., after five people, including his son and daughter, were held at gunpoint and forced to lie on the floor by two men who entered and robbed the jewelry store shortly before closing time Monday. According to Copeland, the men demanded a bracelet from his son, took all of their cell phones and the wom-
en’s purses. Sumter Police Department released images of the men taken from security cameras at the store and are asking the public for help to identify the suspects. Police say the men fled on foot toward Sumter Mall after exiting the store. It is unclear if a getaway vehicle was involved, police said. Copeland said the store has had snatch-and-run robberies during his 36 years of ownership but nothing like Monday’s armed robbery. “Never anybody with a gun before;
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Sumter Police Department asks the public to help identify two men who robbed a local jewelry store Monday afternoon. Anyone with information is asked to call the departSEE ROBBERY, PAGE A6 ment at (803) 436-2700.
Iris Festival ended early because of bad weather Tropical storm Bonnie rains out parade, more BY ADRIENNE SARVIS adrienne@theitem.com
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Raigen Wright, 9, gets some help navigating the Safe Kids bike course from Brian Jones on Saturday. See more pictures on page A3.
The 76th annual Sumter Iris Festival ended a day early this year because of severe weather predicted for Saturday evening and Sunday. The 11th annual Shrine Day parade scheduled for Saturday night and all of Sunday’s events were canceled because of predicted thunderstorms and lightning from tropical storm Bonnie. The festival typically continues rain or shine, but the weather predicted for Sunday called for the activities to be canceled amid safety concerns for visitors, said City of Sumter Communications Director Shelley Kile. Rain was predicted to fall in Sumter by midday Saturday and was predicted to fall offand-on Sunday, according to a previous statement from National Weather Service Meteorologist Mike Proud. Kile said the Shrine Day parade was canceled in order to protect the safety of those participating and spectating, especially because part of the event was planned to be held after dark. Bobby Schwabenbauer, assistant chairman of the Jamil Streakers, said about 70 units were expected to participate in the parade. He said the group is still discussing what its next move will be after the canceled parade. Despite the weather and its
SEE FESTIVAL, PAGE A6
Time of the essence when caring for a stroke victim BY JIM HILLEY jim@theitem.com Every minute matters when someone is having a stroke. From the moment a patient is brought into Palmetto Health Tuomey, either by emergency medical services or a friend or family member, things need to move quickly. The triage nurse or physician will quickly get a patient with stroke symptoms to a room so treatment options can be weighed and started as soon as possi-
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ble. What treatment doctors prescribe depends on how long it has been since the onset of the initial stroke symptoms. “The difference between using a clot dissolving drug or pulling the clot out manually, the time is important,” said Dr. Scot Dilts, an emergency room physician at Tuomey. One of the first procedures will be a CAT scan of the patient’s brain to determine what type of stroke is responsible for the symptoms. There are two types of stroke, Dilts
said. The most common is the ischemic stroke, which occurs when a blood clot or plaque fragment has cut off blood flow to a portion of the brain, depriving it of oxygen and nutrients. According to the American Stoke Association, ischemic strokes account for more than 80 percent of stroke incidents. The second type of stroke is the hemorrhagic stroke, in which blood leaks into the brain, either because of a burst aneurysm or a weakened blood vessel. Though less common, hemor-
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rhagic strokes more often lead to bad outcomes, including death. Time is critical, Dilts said. “If it has been more than eight hours since the onset of symptoms,” he said, “it is beyond treatment.” In the first three to four hours after an ischemic stroke, treatment will usually involve an intravenously administered anti-clotting agent. “Within three hours, a patient is a candidate for t-PA (tissue plasminogen
SEE STROKE, PAGE A6
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3 SECTIONS, 24 PAGES VOL. 121, NO. 191
Expect a thunderstorm today in the area; partly cloudy and humid tonight. HIGH 86, LOW 70
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