Go on a gadget safari to New York’s CE Week
D1
CELEBRATE THE FOURTH
The American Revolution in S.C. Sumter County Museum examines state’s role C1 SERVING SOUTH CAROLINA SINCE OCTOBER 15, 1894
$1.50
SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 2015
IN SPORTS:
P-15’s rally falls short in 10-8 loss B1
Shooting prompts safety questions Sheriff ’s office offers seminar on church security BY COLLYN TAYLOR intern@theitem.com In response to the church shooting in Charleston killing nine people, the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office is try-
ing to prevent something like that from happening here. The office announced Saturday it will be offering seminars to all Sumter County religious organizations on developing security plans and how to respond to violent incidents. “Recent acts have brought church security to the forefront,” said Braden Bunch, Sumter County Sheriff’s Office public information officer. Anyone who wants to schedule a talk can call the sheriff’s office at (803) 436-2000 and officials will come speak
to the group for free. Bunch said it’s important to have an individualized plan because what may work for some churches may not work for all. The program is offered to churches, other religious organizations and nonprofits. Bunch said multiple churches can register together and have a joint seminar. The presentation deals with the types of violent crimes that can occur in houses of worship, how to develop a security plan and how members of the
congregation can help in execution of the plan. Deputies will also delve into how churches can prepare for an attack, even in a smaller city like Sumter. “It’s important we make sure we’re prepared, no matter how unpleasant it might be to think about or how remote we think the chances are,” Sumter County Sheriff Anthony Dennis said in a statement. According to research done by the sheriff’s office, about two-thirds of
SEE SEMINAR, PAGE A7
Director of Cotton Museum stepping down Janson Cox says goodbye after 17 years BY COLLYN TAYLOR intern@theitem.com Cotton is a staple in South Carolina, producing more than 500,000 bales in 2014, according to the National Cotton Council. And just like the crop he takes care of, Janson Cox is a staple at the South Carolina Cotton Museum in Bishopville. Cox came to the museum in 1998 and has served as executive director there for 17 years. But after all those years, he is stepping down as executive director. Cox has turned the Cotton Museum into more than just a cash crop cornucopia; he’s expanded it with interactive exhibits and a veterans museum. He’s made the Cotton Museum nationally known, saying people come from across the country to small-town South Carolina just to visit. Cox said a family came in the other day from Seattle, Washington, and wanted to see their grandmother’s memorabilia in the veterans part of the museum. He said that’s one of the most enjoyable things about his job, getting to talk to people and being hands-on with a lot of the exhibits.
KEITH GEDAMKE / THE SUMTER ITEM
Janson Cox, the director of the S.C. Cotton Museum, re-threads the ring spinning frame, which turns loose cotton into thread, on display in the museum. “I enjoy doing it. I enjoy talking with the people. I enjoy working the exhibits and the artifacts,” Cox said. “I have the knowledge to handle some of the stuff, which gives you a comfort zone you don’t
have otherwise.” Since Cox took over the Cotton Museum, he’s also added a library, and he’s created new exhibits like the oral history of war, with local veterans recording their stories
onto DVDs and leaving them at the museum for people to listen to. Cox said that has been his favorite memory in his time working there. His love affair with muse-
um work started long before he got to Bishopville. Cox grew up volunteering at museums and it continued when he was studying
SEE COX, PAGE A6
Is there a dim future ahead for fireflies? BY JIM HILLEY jim@theitem.com
A firefly is seen mid-flash.
VISIT US ONLINE AT
the
.com
Have you seen any fireflies this spring and summer? It seems there are fewer now than people remember from their childhood, but scientists say they are not ready to sound the alarm about their decline until they have good baseline numbers to work with. “There is a good bit of investigation into that,” said Austin Jenkins, a biology professor at the University of South Carolina Sumter. “It is the supposition of many, PHOTO PROVIDED including scientists, that they have declined.”
Among the scientists working to document firefly numbers is Alex Chow, a scientist with Clemson University’s Vanishing Firefly Project, which operates out of the Belle W. Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science in Georgetown. Chow said the loss of habitat could cause a reduction in firefly numbers. “A lot of people say they saw a lot as kids, but don’t see many anymore,” Chow said. There are several possible reasons for the apparent decline of the luminous insects. “We can make a preliminary conclusion based on habitat being
DEATHS, A9 Arnett Burgess Jeffrey H. Gunter Jr. James M. Godfrey Helen M. Williams Eva R. Brown
Plummie L. Kelly Sylvia H. Richburg Marie D. Lee Brian W. Meeks
lost,” Chow said. “More land is being developed for urbanization and housing; the habitat is being lost for sure.” The flashing bugs reproduce mostly in undisturbed forested areas, Chow said. Another possible culprit is herbicides and pesticides, Chow said. “Generally, the pesticides and herbicides are not intended to kill fireflies, but it is not necessary to kill them directly. “For example, some fireflies feed on slugs, so if people use chemicals to kill slugs, they may kill the fireflies, too.”
SEE FIREFLIES, PAGE A7
WEATHER, A10
INSIDE
SUNNY AND COOLER
5 SECTIONS, 34 PAGES VOL. 120, NO. 216
Sunny today and cooler with a 25 percent chance of rain; partly cloudy and cooler tonight. HIGH 89, LOW 66
Business D1 Classifieds D5 Comics E1
Lotteries A10 Opinion A8 Television E3