Public invited to free Sunday concert . A2
WALK-OFF WINNERS Soles’ 7th-inning grand slam helps Sumter knock off unbeaten West Florence. B1
I-95 bust nets more than $28K in heroin. A2
VOL. 118, NO. 129 WWW.THEITEM.COM
THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2013 | SUMTER, SOUTH CAROLINA
FOUNDED OCTOBER 15, 1894
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Officer OK after severe dog bite in Bishopville
LEADERSHIP FRIDAY BEGINS
Animal has not been found BY BRISTOW MARCHANT bmarchant@theitem.com A Bishopville police officer was airlifted to a Columbia trauma center after he drove himself to a Hartsville hospital Tuesday night with a severe dog bite. Master Patrolman Josh Kelly, a twoyear veteran of the Bishopville Police KELLY Department, was on a routine foot patrol of a residential area on the 800 block of North Main Street about 11:30 p.m. when he was attacked by a large dog, said Police Chief Sonny Ledda.
The animal reportedly left a deep bite in Kelly’s groin area, but the patrolman reportedly used his military training to stanch the bleeding himself. “He’s a combat veteran of the Army,” Ledda said. “He was able to get away from the dog and stabilize the injury.” Kelly then reportedly drove himself some 17 miles to the Carolina Pines Regional Medical Center while keeping pressure on the wound. When he arrived at the hospital, doctors determined the wound was serious enough for the officer to be flown to Palmetto Health Richland hospital SEE DOG BITE, PAGE A8
PHOTOS BY SENIOR AIRMAN AMBER E.N. JACOBS, UNITED STATES AIR FORCE / SPECIAL TO THE ITEM
Sumter Mayor Joseph McElveen Jr. talks to Team Shaw members about leadership at Shaw Air Force Base Community Activity Center on Friday. Presented by the Team Shaw Top 3, the event was part of a new effort called “Leadership Friday.” A guest speaker will talk to Team Shaw about leading every quarter. McElveen, a former Air Force officer, was the first guest speaker to share his experiences as a leader.
Sumter, Clarendon in middle of health rankings for state
U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Lemorie, center, USAF Honor Guard Drill Team commander, stands at attention during a performance while honor guard team members perform movements around him at the center. The honor guard visited Shaw in an effort to recruit new members.
Lee now comes in next to last state and the national benchmark of 5,317. Twenty-nine percent of the population in the county is in “poor or fair health” Recent rankings released by compared to 16 percent in the University of Wisconsin South Carolina and the national show Beaufort County to be the healthiest and Marion County to benchmark of 10 percent. Factors such as adult obesity, be the most unhealthy in South physical inactivity, sexually Carolina. transmitted infections and teen Of the tri-county, Lee fared birth rate were higher the worst, coming in 45 than the state’s figures out of 46 counties. Sumand national benchter and Clarendon did a ON THE NET marks. Other factors little better coming in such as a high ratio of 19 and 29, respectively. For more primary care physicians “The County Health informaand dentists compared Rankings data can vary tion on to the state and nation, greatly across commuthe new rankings, a higher percentage of nities,” said Barbara go online. children in poverty and Grice, state coordinator a high percentage of for Healthy SC Initiawww.countyfast-food restaurants tive. “The health of a healthrankings. were also reported. community depends on org About 40 percent of different factors includLee children are considing environment, education and jobs, access to quali- ered to live in poverty compared to 28 percent in the state and 14 ty health care and individual percent for the national benchbehaviors. That is why you see mark. High school graduation differences in counties in close was lower at 72 percent than the proximity to each other.” state’s average of 74 percent. LEE The unemployment rate is Lee County had 11,776 pre13.3 percent for the county mature deaths per 100,000 people compared to the 8,448 in the SEE HEALTH, PAGE A8 BY JADE ANDERSON janderson@theitem.com
Lee County could lose funding if city, county don’t support bypass project BY RANDY BURNS Special to The Item BISHOPVILLE — Millions in state and federal dollars intended for a bypass project around Bishopville’s downtown could be lost if both the local city and county councils don’t support it. Kathy Powell, interim director of the Santee-Lynches Regional Council of Governments, told representatives of the Bishopville City Council and Lee County Council at a joint committee meeting on Tuesday that state Department of Transportation is waiting for the COG to authorize the expenditure of federal funds for an environmental
impact study. “This road is not going to be built until this additional study is done,” Powell said. “And before the COG asks for this study, we want the city of Bishopville (council) and Lee County (Council) to support it.” Powell told the committees that the COG would need to make a decision on how to respond to the transportation department in the next four to six weeks. Participating in the joint committee workshop were Powell; former SanteeLynches COG Director Jim Darby; Lee County Administrator Alan Watkins; SEE BYPASS, PAGE A4
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