Sumter High’s 1948 basketball state champions C3 COMMENTARY
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SUNDAY, JUNE 26, 2016
Candidates ready for runoff
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‘Rodney’s a walking miracle’
BY ADRIENNE SARVIS adrienne@theitem.com Four Sumter locals, two each running for Sumter County Coroner and Sumter County Council District 1, will face off yet again for a spot on the Nov. 8 Democratic ballot during runoff elections from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday. County Coroner Harvin Bullock said he has always done the best he possibly could for the people. This is about the office, he said. He commented that the voter turn out two BULLOCK weeks ago was very low and hopes more of his constituents will go to the polls on Tuesday. People have the right to vote, and they will miss a BAKER golden opportunity to make their wishes known if they do not, Bullock said. He said he is also happy with his positive and uplifting campaign and hopes he has encouraged more members of the community to show their support. Although Robbie Baker feels nervous heading into the runoff election he is also optimistic. "I've got a second wind," he said. To secure his spot in Tuesday's runoff, Sumter County Voter Registration had a mandatory recount for Baker and Isaac Johnson, the third democratic candidate running for county coroner during the primaries, because of the close results. To say the least, it was gutwrenching to have to wait three hours for the results, he said. Since the primary election, he has been reaching out to more people in the community, encouraging them to go out and vote on Tuesday. During his recent campaigning, Baker has been telling potential constituents that if they give five minutes to vote he will give 365 days of dedicated service if he is elected county coroner. Both candidates for county council district 1 said they are ready for the election and confident in their supporters to make it to the polls. Caleb Kershaw Jr. said he has been reaching out to potential constituents in person, through social media and radio advertisements trying to encourage more people to vote on Tuesday. After speaking with community members, Kershaw is looking forward to a better turn out than the primaries. He said he prays that he is elected.
SEE RUNOFF, PAGE A11
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Maggie Sumter Hunter, left, grandmother of Orlando club shooting victim Rodney W. Sumter II, and Tamekia Hunter Ross, Sumter’s aunt, hold up a family photo and Sumter’s high school senior photo.
Orlando shooting victim’s family shares story of survival, hope BY KONSTANTIN VENGEROWSKY konstantin@theitem.com Rodney W. Sumter II, who has ties to the City of Sumter, was assisting as a bartender at Club Pulse in Orlando in the early hours of June 12 when a gunman, Omar Mateen, came into the club and shot 102 people, killing 49 of them and leaving 53 injured. Sumter, 27, was shot three times, once in each of his arms and in his back, barely missing his spine. Bleeding and running on adrenaline, he ran outside into an adjacent parking lot, where he was assisted by a man who Sumter's family said saved his life.
Joshua McGill, a nursing student from Orlando, was hiding under a car and found Sumter. McGill tied his shirt and Sumter's shirt over his wounds to stop the bleeding and got him to the nearest police officer, according to his Facebook post on the incident. McGill rode with Sumter to SUMTER the hospital, holding him in a tight grip to keep him from losing any more blood. "Rodney's a walking miracle," said his grandmother, Maggie Sumter Hunter, a lifelong Sumter resident. "If it wasn't for Josh being there
that night, there's no telling what would have happened to him. Josh saved his life." Hunter had just finished up worship service at St. Luke AME Church in Sumter when she learned of the news from her daughter, Tamekia Hunter Ross, and her son-in-law, Arnteyus Ross. "I was numb," Hunter said. "All kinds of thoughts went through my head. It was like an empty feeling." Sumter is the son of Hunter's oldest child, Rodney Sumter Sr., a graduate of Sumter High School and an Army veteran. Sumter Sr. and his wife, Lenita King Sumter, live in Jacksonville, Florida. Rodney Sumter II has two siblings, Marquel
Sumter and Kyimi Sumter. Ross found out about the incident from her husband. "We were watching the news that morning before church but did not think Rodney was in that club that night," she said. Rodney was a bartender at another club in Orlando. He was assisting at Club Pulse, something he had been doing for only about three weeks, Ross said. "He was working behind the counter when the shooter came into the club," she said. "When the shooting started, he and another bartender ducked behind the bar. When the shooter came around the bar, that's when
SEE SURVIVAL, PAGE A7
Independence Day fireworks back in Sumter VA: Be mindful of neighbors BY ADRIENNE SARVIS adrienne@theitem.com
AREA FIREWORKS DISPLAYS
After several years of not having a local fireworks display, Sumterites can enjoy an Independence Day fireworks show at 9:30 p.m. on Saturday at Dillon Park. Sumter County Administrator Gary Mixon said Shaw Air Force Base used to host and sponsor a July 4 celebration called Jammin' July 4th but stopped after adjusting its expenses after the federal government's sequestration a few years ago. This year's show is co-sponsored by City of Sumter and Sumter County, which both approved $10,000 each for the display. Sumter County Council presented the idea of having a July 4 fireworks show to Mixon who then shared the proposal with city officials who agreed to partner on the project. It was important to bring back the celebration, Mixon said. Sumter is a community that is proud of its heritage, and this fireworks show will be something residents will be
Sumter City and County Fireworks Display 9:30 p.m. Saturday at Dillon Park. Contact: Phil Parnell, Sumter Recreation director, at (803) 968-2320 City of Manning Fireworks Display Best viewing from corner of East Boyce and North Church Streets. Begins at 9:30 p.m. Friday, July 1, and lasts 15 to 20 minutes. Patriotic music played during fireworks display. Festival atmosphere downtown with booths, balloon tying, face paintings, food and beverage all starting at 7 p.m.
happy to see, he said. Since July 4 is on a Monday this year, Mixon said holding the fireworks show on Saturday will be a better fit. He said the 15- to 20-minute event will only be a fireworks show and not a day-long festival. "It's good for the entire community, and we hope to get great participation," Mixon said. For more information about the
Sumter County Veterans Affairs Director Valerie Brunson said anyone celebrating the Fourth of July with fireworks should be respectful of his or her neighbors. Brunson said there are certain veterans who have post-traumatic stress disorder because of their war service. “Fireworks going off could bring up some war experiences where they did hear some loud noises like bombs,” she said. She asked that the public be mindful of veterans in the community and respect their war service.
SEE FIREWORKS, PAGE A7
SEE NEIGHBORS, PAGE A7
DEATHS, A11 Murl A. White Jr. Ruth Riley Richard F. Martin Tillman H. Rushing Daphne Swick Corrie Cabbagestalk
BY JIM HILLEY jim@theitem.com
Annie S. Gamble Lottie B. Pearson Roosevelt Dewitt Charlotte C. Lewis Rev. Thomas L. Junious Rebecca G. Gamble
WEATHER, A12
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5 SECTIONS, 34 PAGES VOL. 121, NO. 212
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