March 24, 2013

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INSIDE

MARCH MADNESS

Justice world celebrates 50th anniversary of Gideon vs. Wainwright A2

Lady Gamecocks open NCAA tournament with win

B1 VOL. 118, NO. 132 WWW.THEITEM.COM

SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 2013 | SUMTER, SOUTH CAROLINA

FOUNDED OCTOBER 15, 1894

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Local Jews prepare to celebrate Passover BY JADE ANDERSON janderson@theitem.com While many in America might be thinking of Easter, others are preparing for a different holiday. Passover begins at sundown Monday for those who practice Judaism. “It tells the story of the Jews leaving Egypt to escape the tyranny of the Pharaoh,” said Susan Scouten, temple board secretary and past sisterhood secretary for Temple Sinai. “They crossed the Red Sea and couldn’t bring leavened bread. So for eight days, we eat unleavened products basically honoring their escape from Egypt.” The Torah — “what most call the first five books of the Old Testament,” Scouten said — says to celebrate Pass-

ays, ys, but because of over for seven days, i ication and faulty callimited communication w started celebrating ws endars, some Jews a ard eight days to “guard b bilagainst the possibility of error,” statess i ism. www.reformjudaism. org. The local temple is a reform congregation, Scouten said. While “a dependable calendar exists” today, the praced d “intice has remained mee worshipers, grained” for some the site states. SEE PASSOVER, PAGE A4

ROB COTTINGHAM / THE ITEM

Robert Johnson, a former corrections officer at Lee Correctional Institution, tells the story recently of how he was shot in March 2010 by a man reportedly hired to fulfill a mercenary contract placed on him.

ALA-KA-ZAM!

Surviving a hit Former prison captain shares account of near-fatal shooting EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the first of a twopart story detailing the gruesome shooting of corrections officer Robert Johnson, his recovery and his pending lawsuit against many cellphone companies in connection with the shooting. BY ROB COTTINGHAM rcottingham@theitem.com Imagine yourself at home, getting out of bed to get ready for work. Still in your pajamas, the sun has yet to peep over the horizon as you trudge into the bathroom. The heat from the bed still encompassing your body, the cold tile floor startles you slightly and sends little chills up your legs. You stare into the mirror for a moment, looking for anything unusual as you let out a heavy sigh thinking about the toils of the oncoming day. You’re weary, but safe and calm. It’s just another day, which is plenty soothing for you. Boom Suddenly, your mind is jarred by the bonechilling sound of a man kicking in your door, yelling at the top of his lungs. Before your mind can even grasp the faintest concepts of reality, you step out of the bathroom and face a most terrifying reality as a large mass stands before you, arms stretched forward. A glint of silver stops your heart. Click-click You are now face to face with a loaded gun.

ABOVE: Joshua Peeples, 3, and Cheyenne Burrell, 7, kept their attention on a magic show by Atlanta company Houdini’s World on Saturday at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 10813 in South Sumter. RIGHT: Harry “Houdini” Simmons shows a paper trick to Jada Robinson, 8, of Sumter on Saturday. BELOW: Simmons showed different newspaper tricks to kids on Saturday during his show.

RIGHT: The magician shows his audience on Saturday how he accomplishes the trick of making a handkerchief disappear. PHOTOS BY ROBERT J. BAKER / THE ITEM

SEE HIT, PAGE A5

Item staff bring home press awards Jack Osteen selected as press group head FROM STAFF REPORTS

Item staffers were recognized for their work this weekend, bringing home nine awards, including a second-place General Excellence recognition among small daily newspapers in the state. The awards were presented Saturday during the South Carolina Press Association’s Annual Meeting and Awards Presentation held in Greenville. The Item’s specialty publication Lakeside, which focuses on a fivecounty area surrounding Lakes

Marion and Moultrie, also garnered a second-place award among other specialty publications or magazines published in the state. The Item is proud of all of its winners. However, the newspaper is particularly proud of its win for General Excellence, which exemplifies the work of the entire newsroom staff. General excellence takes into consideration the entire quality of the newspaper, including quality and quantity of local news, balance and depth of coverage, design and layout, photographs, sports and lifestyle cov-

20 N. Magnolia St. Sumter, SC 29150 (USPS 525-900)

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erage and editorial page quality. “No matter how many awards we win each year at the S.C. Press Association, our talented and hard-working staff continues to shine here in our local community which, of course, is the most important prize of all,” said Jack Osteen, Item publisher and newly elected Press Association president. 1st place — News Feature Writing, Robert J. Baker, Stem cell treatment. The story focused on a unique treatment for ailing pets

GREENVILLE — Jack Osteen, publisher of The Item, was elected president of the S.C. Press Association at the group’s annual meeting Saturday at The Westin Poinsett Hotel. Other officers elected are: Morrey Thomas, publisher of the News and Press in Darlington, as weekly vice president; Judi Mundy Burns, OSTEEN publisher of the Index-Journal in

SEE AWARDS, PAGE A4

Patricia D. Mack Betty M. Hawkins Ruby B. Cox John L. Shuford Wardell Moore

SEE PRESIDENT, PAGE A4

OUTSIDE COLD AND WET

DEATHS Information: 774-1200 Advertising: 774-1236 Classifieds: 774-1234 Delivery: 774-1258 News, Sports: 774-1226

FROM STAFF REPORTS

Nicole Ray Leroy McGill Henry P. Martin Jr. A9

INSIDE 5 SECTIONS, 34 PAGES

Cloudy and foggy with rain tapering off through the day; partly cloudy, breezy and very chilly at night. HIGH: 49 LOW: 39 A10

Agriculture Classifieds Comics Daily Planner Opinion Television

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March 24, 2013 by The Sumter Item - Issuu