March 11, 2014

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SERVING SOUTH CAROLINA SINCE OCTOBER 15, 1894

Trial begins in deaths of infant, grandmother Summerton man charged in 2011 Manning shootings

75 CENTS

TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

3 SECTIONS, 22 PAGES | VOL. 119, NO. 124

ETV crew plans to film Farm to Table event for program BY BRISTOW MARCHANT bmarchant@theitem.com (803) 774-1272

BY JIM HILLEY jim@theitem.com (803) 774-1214 MANNING — The trial of a Summerton man charged in the shooting deaths of his nine-monthold son and the child’s grandmother is underway at the Clarendon

County Judicial Center. Twenty-four-year-old Justin Jermaine Johnson will be on trial for two counts of murder, as well as charges including kidnapping, attempted murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime before Circuit Judge Jeffery Young

this week. Attorneys for both sides agreed the case will likely take at least a week at a jury selection hearing Monday at the Clarendon County Judicial Center. Johnson was arrested in April

SEE TRIAL, PAGE A6

Colon cancer in the spotlight during awareness campaign

Attending this week’s Farm to Table event will not only get you some fresh farm produce. It could also get you on TV. A television crew from ETV’s “Making It Grow” will be at Thursday’s Rotary-sponsored event, shooting footage for a future broadcast of the gardening program. Amanda McNulty, host of “Making It Grow” and horticulturalist with Sumter County’s Clemson Extension Service, said the program will highlight locally grown

SEE EVENT, PAGE A6

SPORTS

WH, Sumter get ready for home openers B1

CLARENDON SUN PHOTOS BY JADE REYNOLDS / THE SUMTER ITEM

Anglers expected to flock to Santee Cooper tournament C1 DEATHS, B4, B6 William K. Harrington James Spain Jr. John Ashby Dick Hallie V. McLeod Jean Bell Kevin W. Herring Corsenior B. Bostick Clara Wilson

Roger W. Rice Anna Mae G. Kerr Robert A. Bates Fredderick L. Price Fred Hilton Tiffany R. Franklin Armstead C. Baylor Sam A. Martin Sr.

WEATHER, A10 ANOTHER WARM DAY Mostly sunny and very warm; cloudy tonight with rain possible late. HIGH 78, LOW 57

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Dr. Kent Cunningham of Sumter Gastroenterology shows how a snare fed through a scope appears on a monitor. The snare is used to remove polyps during a colonoscopy. March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.

Local doctors share benefits of regular cancer screenings BY JADE REYNOLDS jade@theitem.com (803) 774-1250 In 2010, it killed more than 52,000 Americans, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Resources, and each year, an additional 137,000 are diagnosed with this disease. But it’s 90 percent preventable. March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, and this weekend was the Center for Colon Cancer Research’s annual Gala, “Unmasking Colon Cancer.” It raises money to provide screenings for the uninsured through the South Carolina Colon Cancer Prevention Network. “A major misconception is if you’re not having symptoms, you don’t need to be tested,” said Dr. Kent Cunningham with Sumter Gastroenterology. “Everybody needs to be tested.” Symptoms include changes in bowel habits or blood in stool, said Dr. Raymond Dominici, general surgeon at Clarendon Memorial Hospital. One in three adults between the ages of 50 and 75 are not getting the recommended screenings, according to the DHHS.

Cunningham feeds a snare through the scope used in a colonoscopy. Colonoscopies are the best method for preventing colorectal cancers, he said, and the recommended testing age depends on your family history of the disease. “The avoidance is often a perceived discomfort,” Dominici said. “Every endoscopist now uses sedation. It’s a relatively comfortable experience. Most people don’t remember having it done. They wake up and ask, ‘is it over yet?’ The hardest part is prepping the day before, the getting cleaned out.” The best method for preventing this type of cancer is screening

for polyps via a colonoscopy. If polyps are present, they can be removed before they become cancerous. “Even if it is colon cancer, if it is caught early, it’s much more likely to be curable,” Cunningham said. Dominici agreed. “Fortunately, the death rate has

SEE CANCER, PAGE A10

Fireside Fund helps 439 with nearly $63K in donations BY JACK OSTEEN jack@theitem.com The annual Salvation Army Fireside Fund Drive has officially ended for the season but not before receiving one final generous donation. Madison Industries Inc. and its employees donated

$2,000 to the fund last week. Robert Perales, personnel manager of Madison, and owner Jay Schwartz stated in a letter that “the work you do for our community is greatly appreciated.” But what’s most important is the number of people who helped with the nearly $63,000 raised this year.

According to Salvation Army social worker Pamela Lassiter, 439 families or individuals received some sort of heating assistance.

Aid consisted of kerosene and propane vouchers, paying past-due electric and gas bills and purchasing wood. Lassiter said the last of the recent donations will be used for a list of appointments she still has. “This year has been somewhat emotional, and there

were many that came through that really appreciated the help,” she said. “I personally have been blessed to be the one helping those who came through. It’s so easy to forget that there are so many who truly need help to just

SEE FIRESIDE, PAGE A10


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