March 25, 2015 by The Sumter Item

IN SPORTS: Wilson Hall golf looks to continue winning ways in region B1 IT’S THAT TIME AGAIN!

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Continental rolls toward expansion Sumter plant will double capacity by 2021 BY JIM HILLEY jim@theitem.com Continental Tire the Americas plans to double the capacity of its Sumter plant by 2021, Sumter plant manager Craig Baartman told Sumter Rotary Club on Monday. “We currently have a capacity of 4 million tires (per year), which will take us to 2017 with a plan to get to 8 million by 2021,” he said. “We have more BAARTMAN than 1 million square feet under roof at the moment on over 500 acres of land, which means plenty of space for expansion.” Baartman said a lot has happened in the three years since Continental came to Sumter. “We have been hiring fast and furiously over the last few years; we currently have

PHOTOS BY ADRIENNE SARVIS / THE SUMTER ITEM

A cormorant dries its wings while standing on the trunk of a bald cypress tree in Swan Lake-Iris Gardens on Monday morning during USC Sumter environmental biology professor Austin Jenkins’ Nature Walk. One more Nature Walk will be held at the gardens on April 13 from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. The walk will be free and open to the public. Be sure to bring comfortable shoes and binoculars. Jenkins explains the pollination process of holly bushes during Monday’s walk. Participants learned about local plants and animals and their interactions at the gardens.

about 625 employees on board, and we will be hiring about another 200 before the end of the year, which will take us to about 825,” he said. The growth of the operation in Sumter reflects the company’s growth around the world. He said Continental Tire, which is headquartered in Hanover, Germany, has sales in excess of $37 billion and is nearing 200,000 employees worldwide. “Three or four years ago, we only had 140,000 or 150,000 employees, so we are growing exponentially,” Baartman said. “We have 317 locations in 50 different countries, so it truly is an international company.” He said Continental makes more than tires, including automotive interior and power train parts and hoses and belts for industrial applications.

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Help AmeriCorps team build trail’s boardwalk Wateree Passage project will include 2 workdays

invited to work from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on these workdays. Volunteers are asked to dress appropriately, wear closed-toed shoes or boots and bring work FROM STAFF REPORTS gloves, water and a bagged lunch. COLUMBIA — You’re invitLumber, materials, tools ed to help an AmeriCorps Naand equipment are funded tional Civilian Community through grants to PCF from Corps team that will be lendSCE&G, Cox Ining a hand to dustries and Kenbuild an elevated dall Foundation. boardwalk on the LEARN MORE The 7.2-mile Wateree Passage For more information on Wateree Passage of the Palmetto the Palmetto Trail and to begins in PoinTrail. find maps, check out sett State Park The team will Palmetto Conservation and runs to the work on the Foundation’s website at Wateree River, boardwalk from www.palmettoconservation. crossing through April 15 through org or its Facebook page Manchester State May 12, accordat www.facebook.com/ Forest and along ing to a news repalmettoconservation. the old S.C. Raillease from Palmetto Conservaroad bed to the tion Foundation Wateree River. and Manchester State Forest. The environment crossed by PCF will host trail workdays the passage comprises a varion Saturday, April 18, and Sat- ety of landscapes, from urday, May 2. PCF members and Palmetto Trail friends are SEE BOARDWALK, PAGE A4

U.S. will slow troop withdrawal from Afghanistan WASHINGTON (AP) — President Obama announced Tuesday that the U.S. will slow its military withdrawal from Afghanistan, maintaining 9,800 troops in the country through the end of 2015 instead of cutting the number

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by about half as originally planned. “Afghanistan remains a very dangerous place,” Obama said in explaining his decision at a press conference after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s first visit to

the White House since his election six months ago. Obama added that the size of the U.S. troop presence for 2016 will be decided later this year. Ghani had asked Obama to slow the withdrawal because

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Afghan security forces are bracing for a tough spring fighting season and are also contending with Islamic State fighters looking to recruit on their soil. The original plan was to cut the U.S. force to 5,500 by the

end of this year. Obama said he still intends to complete the drawdown by the end of 2016 and that the U.S. transition out of a combat role has not changed.

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DOT to replace bridge State’s decision on Fulton Street bridge will save city money BY ADRIENNE SARVIS adrienne@theitem.com Redevelopment of Sumter’s roadways continues as South Carolina Department of Transportation prepares to replace the Fulton Street Bridge over Turkey Creek. The department is in the process of evaluating and planning the replacement of the bridge. City Administrator Deron McCormick said the city is thankful that the department will replace the bridge. He said it is a good thing whenever the department of transportation replaces a bridge because the cost for construction can be very competitive. The bridge replacement is an S.C. DOT project, meaning the state department will cover the cost of replacing the bridge while the city of Sumter assists with utilities. Sumter City Council approved a resolution supporting S.C. DOT construction of the bridge

BY KEITH GEDAMKE / THE SUMTER ITEM

This bridge over Turkey Creek on South Fulton Street near the Shannontown community is scheduled to be replaced. during its meeting on March 3. Resident Construction Engineer Jeffrey Wilkes said the cost, start date and length of the bridge replacement project cannot be determined until the engineering evaluation is completed. The bridge replacement will mean that part of Fulton Street will not be accessible so alternate routes will have to be planned.

Wilkes said S.C. DOT will plan a detour that will not conflict with the detour already in place for the Lafayette Bridge. When the department begins work on the replacement of the bridge, McCormick has confidence that the project will de done right. “They always do a good job, and they’re experts at what they do,” he said.

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LOCAL & STATE BRIEFS FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

Florence man charged with heroin trafficking A Florence man faces several charges following an arrest Monday afternoon during which officers reportedly discovered drugs and seized thousands of dollars. Kelvin Benjamin, 32, of 227 Laurel Lane, was charged with trafficking in heroin, carrying a concealed weapon and resisting arrest in connection with the incident. According to a Sumter County report, deputies set up a driver’s license checkpoint in the 3800 block of Old St. John Church Road near the intersection at Lynches River Road. Benjamin approached driving a 2011 Chevrolet Impala, and officers detected the aroma of marijuana, leading to a search of the vehicle as well as the suspect and his passenger. Upon searching Benjamin, officers found two large bundles of banded money in his pockets, and a bag containing suspected heroin fell out of his other pocket. When the drugs fell to the ground, the suspect picked the bag up and fled the scene on foot. Deputies were able to apprehend him after a short foot chase, during which officers Tased him. Deputies seized $2,720 in cash as a result of the search, which also yielded a 9 mm Smith & Wesson handgun and about four grams of suspected heroin. The suspect’s passenger was detained for a short time and released from the scene.

Rembert sisters arrested after fight, stabbing

KEITH GEDAMKE / THE SUMTER ITEM

Sumter firefighters watch as smoke is vented out of the Central Carolina Technical College building M 300, Student Services, on the main campus off Miller Road on Tuesday afternoon.

A pair of Rembert sisters were arrested Sunday afternoon following reports that one of the women stabbed a man in the back. Ashley Jones, 27, of 7565 Pisgah Road, was charged with criminal domestic violence for her role in the incident. Alexis Horner, 22, of the same address, faces a count of second-degree assault and battery stemming from the ordeal. According to an incident report from Sumter County Sheriff ’s Office, the younger sister told deputies she en-

tered Jones’ bedroom when she heard a commotion and found the male victim on top of her sister tussling with Jones. She said she assumed he was assaulting her sister so she stabbed him one time in the back to stop him. Deputies observed a stab wound on the man’s upper back between the shoulder blades about a quarter-inch deep. Jones told officers she and the victim began arguing in her bedroom, and he kicked her dog in anger. She said she retaliated by punching him in the buttocks, at which point he pinned her down and Horner subsequently entered the room and stabbed the man. Jones told deputies the victim never struck her during their altercation.

Sumter: bull’s eye for archery tournament Forty-four schools from across the state will compete in S.C. Department of Natural Resources’ 10th Annual S.C. National Archery in Schools Program State Tournament being held today and Thursday at Sumter County Civic Center. Elementary school teams will compete today, and middle and high school teams will compete Thursday. The tournaments both days will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with an awards ceremony following the events. DNR held four regional tournaments across the state in January and February, with 1,765 archers participating. From that group, 720 archers were top finishers and were invited to compete in the state tournament.

Historic Preservation Committee will not meet Sumter City-County Historic Preservation Design Review Committee will not meet Thursday because there are currently no requests that require review from the committee. The next scheduled meeting is April 23 at 3 p.m. in City Council Chambers, Sumter Opera House, 21 N. Main St. For more information, contact the Sumter Planning Department at (803) 774-1660.

YWCA will host town hall to address domestic violence BY MATT BRUCE matthew@theitem.com A coalition of community leaders will gather together Thursday night trying to tackle one of the state’s foremost issues. One Sumter Community will converge with YWCA Upper Lowlands to host a town hall meeting to address domestic violence. According to recent statistics, South Carolina ranked sec-

ond in the nation in its rate of men killing women per capita. Last year, the Palmetto State led the nation in the category, and it has been among the top 10 for the past 15 years, advocates indicate. Thursday’s event is expected to combat the culture of violence in the state and herald a statewide push to remove South Carolina from atop the categories for domestic violence statis-

tics in the future. The meeting is slated to be held at 6 p.m. at Thomas Sumter Academy, 5265 Camden Highway, and it’s slated to include a question-and-answer panel as well as a public discussion. South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, Sen. Thomas McElveen, D-Sumter, State Rep. David Weeks, DSumter, and State Rep. Robert Ridgeway, D-Manning, and a domestic vio-

lence survivor are expected to be on the discussion panel. One Sumter is a convergence of business leaders, church leaders, school leaders, community organizations and residents who aim to improve the quality of life in Sumter through communication on large issues. For more information, call (803) 7755528 or (803) 840-3973.

HOW TO REACH US IS YOUR PAPER MISSING? ANNOUNCEMENT ARE YOU GOING ON Birth, Engagement, Wedding, VACATION? Anniversary, Obituary 20 N. Magnolia St., Sumter, S.C. 29150 (803) 774-1200 Jack Osteen Editor and Publisher jack@theitem.com (803) 774-1238 Rick Carpenter Managing Editor rick@theitem.com (803) 774-1201 Waverly Williams Sales Manager waverly@theitem.com (803) 774-1237

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The Sumter Item is published six days a week except for July 4, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day (unless it falls on a Sunday) by Osteen Publishing Co., 20 N. Magnolia St., Sumter, SC 29150. Periodical postage paid at Sumter, SC 29150. Postmaster: Send address changes to Osteen Publishing Co., 20 N. Magnolia St., Sumter, SC 29150 Publication No. USPS 525-900

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Students awarded scholarships during Sumter County Historical Society’s Student Recognition Program are, from left, Karli Fletcher, Elizabeth Orban, Kendall Brogden, Breona Harris, Blake Carraher and Allison Cox.

FROM STAFF REPORTS Sumter County Historical Society awarded six college scholarships to local students during its annual Student Recognition Program on Sunday. Five scholarships were awarded in the Myrtis Osteen Essay Contest, the 13th-annual competition designed to stimulate interest in local history, and The Sumter County Historical Society Scholarship was awarded to a local high school senior who plans to continue his studies at the college or university level. The Osteen contest is open to all Sumter County high school students in grades nine through 12, who are asked to submit an essay on the topic “The Value of History to Me.” Prizes for the top five essays totaled $650. Winners, who read their essays during the program, are Elizabeth Orban of Lakewood High School, first place; Blake Carraher, Lakewood, second; Allison Cox, Crest-

wood High School, third; Karli Fletcher, Lakewood, fourth; and Breona Harris, Lakewood, fifth. The Osteen contest is sponsored by Beauregard Camp of Sons of Confederate Veterans, Sumter County Historical Commission and Sumter County Historical Society. The essay competition is named for the late Myrtis Ginn Osteen, who helped found both the commission and the society; she was named Sumter County Historian in 1988. Kendall Brogden, a senior at Wilson Hall, received the $1,000 Sumter County Historical Society Scholarship. Michael Carraher is chairman of the society’s awards and scholarships projects, and William R. Ferrell coordinates the judging of both the essay competition and the scholarship awards. The scholarships are funded in part by dues of society members. For more information about the Sumter County Historical Society, call (803) 775-1091.

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STOLEN PROPERTY A 55-inch Samsung flatscreen television valued at $800 was reported stolen from a Rembert home in the 2700 block of Kings Highway about 9 p.m. Saturday. A pit bull and Siberian husky, both of undetermined value, were reportedly stolen from a 1997 Chevrolet Prizm in the first block of Mickens Street after 4 p.m. Sunday. A Hi-Point 9 mm handgun valued at $200 was reportedly stolen from the center console of a 2003 Ford F250 pickup in the 100 block of H

Street between 5 p.m. Thursday and 10:15 a.m. Sunday. A Samsung Galaxy Note 4 cellphone valued at $1,000 was reportedly stolen from a car in the 300 block of Palmetto Street between 3 a.m. Saturday and 3:30 a.m. Sunday. Three E-Z golf carts valued at $7,050 were reportedly stolen and another cart sustained damage to its ignition, valued at $80, between 2 p.m. Thursday and 7 a.m. Friday at Crystal Lakes Golf Course in the 1300 block of Louise Kellogg Drive. Two weed trimmers valued at $200, a duffel bag valued at $30 which contained a Bluetooth device valued at $100, a phone charger valued at $15, several IDs and $3 in coins were reported stolen from a warehouse in the 1100 block of South Lafayette Drive after 7:30 a.m. Monday. A 2012 Taotao mo-ped valued at $800 was reported stolen from the 500 block of Manning Road before 5 p.m. Monday. A .380-caliber Taurus handgun of an undetermined value was reported stolen from a Pinewood home in the 1400 block of Poole Road about 6:15 p.m. Monday. DAMAGED PROPERTY A four-door vehicle parked in the 1100 block of Cherryvale Drive about 9:40 a.m. Monday sustained about $1,500 in estimated damage after reportedly being vandalized. A First Choice Cash Advance business in the 700 block of Bultman Drive sustained an estimated $1,700 in property damage during a reported burglary attempt between 1:15 and 9 a.m. Monday. Suspects reportedly removed an electric meter, disconnected phone lines and a mounting box to the building and tried to dismantle one of the business’ doors to gain entry, all without success.

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POLICE BLOTTER CHARGES Kevin Edwards, 37, of 660 Aidan Drive, was arrested after 10 p.m. Sunday after a traffic stop at the intersection of Broad and Purdy streets. Police found and seized nearly 67 grams of marijuana, a scale with pot residue on it and a small amount of cocaine inside his vehicle, according to an incident report. The Sumter man was charged with possession with intent to distribute marijuana and possession of cocaine in connection with the incident. Akayshia Griffin, 21, of 115 Roxbury Court, was arrested Saturday and charged with criminal domestic violence of a high and aggravated nature after she reportedly stabbed her boyfriend during an argument in his car Saturday afternoon in the 1100 block of Russell Avenue. The suspect told officers she found out the 23-year-old Sumter victim was cheating on her and stabbed him in the right buttock as he tried to get out of his vehicle during their verbal confrontation. She also slammed her car into the rear of his vehicle after the stabbing before leaving the scene, reports indicated. Police recovered the knife reportedly used in the assault.

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BOARDWALK FROM PAGE A1 swamp to near-mountains in the High Hills of the Santee, one of the highest elevations in Sumter County, where a panoramic view of the swamp and Richland County can be seen. The three-quarter-mile elevated boardwalk will use existing support beams of the historic railway to raise the Palmetto Trail above the floodplain. AmeriCorps NCCC is a voluntary national service program for men and women 18 to 24 years old. The corps works with nonprofit organizations and other groups to perform needed community service while providing skills training and leadership experience to AmeriCorps members. The program is modeled after the Civilian Conservation Corps of the 1930s, which built Poinsett State Park, and the U.S. military. AmeriCorps NCCC volunteers commit to 10 months of service and work in teams of eight to 12 on projects, such as the Wateree boardwalk. PCF applied through a competitive process to host the AmeriCorps NCCC team that will build the Wateree boardwalk. For more information, to sign up or to schedule a group on another day, contact Matthew Lawson at mlawson@palmettoconservation.org. PCF’s mission is to conserve South Carolina’s natural and cultural resources, preserve historic landmarks and promote outdoor recreation through trails and greenways. Founded in 1989, PCF is a statewide nonprofit organization with offices in Columbia and Glendale in Spartanburg County. PCF also teaches outdoor skills and invites people to explore the Palmetto Trail and other natural areas in South Carolina.

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Plane crash kills 150 in French Alps SEYNE-LES-ALPES, France (AP) — A Germanwings jet carrying 150 people from Barcelona to Duesseldorf slammed into a remote section of the French Alps on Tuesday, sounding like an avalanche as it scattered pulverized debris across a rocky mountain and down its steep ravines. All aboard were assumed killed. The pilots sent out no distress call and had lost radio contact with their control center, France’s aviation authority said, deepening the mystery about the A320’s mid-flight crash after a surprise 8-minute descent. “The site is a picture of horror. The grief of the families and friends is immeasurable. We must now stand together. We are united in our great grief,” German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said in a statement after being flown over the crash

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A helicopter takes off at Seyne-les-Alpes, France, on Tuesday. A Germanwings passenger jet carrying at least 150 people crashed Tuesday in the French Alps, sounding like an avalanche as it scattered pulverized debris across the mountain.

TROOPS FROM PAGE A1 “We want to make sure we’re doing everything we can to help Afghan security forces succeed so we don’t have to go back,” Obama said. He said he and the U.S. commanders in Afghanistan have concluded the extra time in the country “is well worth it.” Ghani thanked American servicemen and women and civilian contractors. “I’d also like to thank the American taxpayer for his and her hardearned dollars,” he said. “Tragedy brought us together; interests now unite us,” Ghani said.

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counselors. One German town was rent with sorrow after losing 16 high school students coming back from an exchange program in Spain. “This is pretty much the worst thing you can imag-

scene and briefed by French authorities. The crash left officials and families across Europe reeling in shock. Sobbing, grieving relatives at both airports were led away by airport workers and crisis

He said the slower U.S. troop withdrawal “will be used to accelerate reforms, to ensure that the Afghan National Security Forces are much better led, equipped, trained and are focused on their fundamental mission. He added that he was pleased to say that “the departure of 120,000 international troops has not brought about the security gap or collapse that was often anticipated.” In Washington this week, Ghani is making his case that he’s a reliable partner worthy of American support, despite his fractured government and a litany of problems still rampant in Afghanistan’s military — illiteracy,

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drug abuse and desertions, to name a few. For Obama, Ghani represents the last, best hope to make good on the president’s promise to end America’s longest war by the time he leaves office, keeping just a thousand or so troops at the embassy to coordinate security. Ghani predecessor Hamid Karzai’s relationship with the White House was increasingly dysfunctional, and if the dealings with Ghani don’t turn out better, Obama risks leaving Afghanistan still vulnerable to the kinds of violent extremist groups that operated with impunity until 14 years ago, when the U.S. attacked after 9/11.

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ine,” a visibly rattled Haltern Mayor Bodo Klimpel said at a hastily called press conference. After night fell on the hard-to-reach site, French authorities called off the search, and helicopters stopped flying over the area. About 10 gendarmes planned to spend the night at the crash site to guard it, and search operations will resume at daybreak, Lt. Col. Jean-Marc Meninchini of the regional police rescue service said in the mountain town of Seyne-les-Alpes. Recovery operations are expected to last a week, he said. German Chancellor Angela Merkel insisted, “We still don’t know much beyond the bare information on the flight, and there should be no speculation on the cause of the crash.” Lufthansa Vice President Heike Birlenbach told reporters in Barcelona that for now “we say it is an accident.”

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Chick-fil-A Broad Street • DeMaras Italian Restaurant Hwy 441 D & L Diner 441 back gate at Shaw Duncan Dogs 5641 Broad Street El Cheapo Gas Station Hwy 76 Across from Shaw Gamecock Bowling Lanes Broad Street Georgios 5500 Sycamore at 5000 area of Shaw IHOP • Kwik Mart Hwy 441 Logan’s Roadhouse • McDonalds 76/441 at Shaw MRMA #441 Midlands Retirement Military Association Parkway Shell Station Hwy 441 at Shaw Quiznos • SHAW AAFES Gas Station & Shoppette SHAW Base Exchange Carter’s running star t shows desire to be SHAW Commissary major player in foreign policy Sumter Cut Rate Drug Store 32 S. Main St. TWO Main Entrances at Patton Hall 3rd Army Chick Fil A Forest Dr. at Fort Jackson YMCA Miller Road • Yucatan Mexican Restaurant Grouchos Deli Forest Dr. at Fort Jackson

FRIDAY, MARCH 6, 2015

Defense Secreta ry Ashton Carter greets Army Brig. Gen. Viet Luong after his arrival in Kandahar, Afghanistan, on Feb. 22, five days into his tenure.

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2015

Women in charge means bigger profits Studies suggest better-balanced companies make better decisions, but programs to increase gender diversity aren’t working BY DANICA KIRKA The Associated Press

better business decisions because a wider array of viewpoints is considered. Apple CEO Tim Cook told LONDON — When Rohini PBS it was important to hire Anand took over diversity programs at multinational ca- people who “complement you, because you want to build a tering company Sodexo in puzzle.” 2002, she had one goal: Prove “You don’t want to stack that it pays for a company to Chiclets up and have everyone have equal numbers of male be the same,” he said. and female managers. While most big companies Sodexo, which has 419,000 employees in 80 countries, says now have programs to increase gender diversity, many she’s done just that. A compaexecutives express frustration ny wide study last year found these programs aren’t workthat units with equal numbers of men and women in manage- ing. McKinsey found that 63 percent of the employers it ment roles delivered more surveyed had at least 20 initiaprofits more consistently than tives to address gender equity, those dominated by men. but women held less than a “It has become embedded quarter of the top jobs in 92 now. It’s not just me talking percent of the companies. about it anymore,” Anand says THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Sandrine Devillard, who with “I told you so” satisfaction. Aromatherapist Emma Arkell is seen with one of the natural remedies for the skin and body she makes has been studying the issue Evidence is growing that near Winchester, England, in January. Evidence is growing that gender equity is not just politically correct gender equity is not just politi- for the consultancy for about 16 years, said companies were window dressing but good business. cally correct window dressing nonchalant about retaining but good business. Companies “We’re on the cusp of a revo- ing from home even when not tive committee members and 2 are trying to increase the num- top female talent when she physically present, researchlution,” says Cary Cooper, a percent of CEOs. started. Now they want to ber of women in executive poers say. The use of the Interprofessor at Lancaster UniverIn France, Norway, Spain know what programs work. sitions, yet many are strugnet has helped working resity Management School in and most recently Germany, Fast. gling to do so because of a failBritain. “If organizations don’t motely, but for top managerial governments have sought to That’s because a woman’s ure to adapt workplace condijobs that might lead to the mandate progress by imposing allow more flexibility, more prospects for tions in a way boardroom, physical presence autonomy, they’re just going quotas for women on boards. promotion that ensures in the office and attending to keep losing (women).” Norway had the highest perfall off at qualified work-related social events reThe average workplace recentage of women on boards — every step of women do main crucial. Add in broader mains locked in a post-war 35 percent — among 20 counthe career not drop off social factors, such as expecfactory mentality with structries in Western Europe, North ladder, acthe corporate tations that moms do domestured hours and a requireAmerica and the Asia-Pacific cording to a ladder, surtic duty, and the pressures ment to be at the office — and region last year, according to separate surveys show. can become too much. the expectation to keep workdata compiled by Catalyst, vey of 130 The case which researches gender equilarge compafor compaAPPLE CEO TIM COOK nies conduct- ty. The U.S. and Australia were nies to act is ed by McKin- tied for 10th at 19 percent. compelling. Board quotas alone won’t sey in 2012. In a survey on his philosophy of hiring close the gender gap because While last year of people with complementary women made they only address the final step 366 compaviewpoints up 37 percent in the career ladder, researchnies, consulers say. The real challenge for of the total tancy McKemployers is to hire, train and workforce, insey & Co. promote talented women so they comprised 22 percent of found that those whose leadthey have a pipeline of qualimiddle managers, 14 percent ership roles were most balfied female candidates when of senior managers and vice anced between men and they need to fill senior roles. presidents, 9 percent of execuwomen were more likely to report financial returns above their national industry We’ve Moved!!! median. Companies with more balanced leadership do a better job recruiting and retaining Inside Vestco Properties talented workers, reducing the costs associated with reWe Buy: Gold, Silver, .925 Jewelry, placing top executives, McKDiamonds, Coin Collections, Pocket Watches insey found. They also have & Wrist Watches Flatware & Estates stronger customer relations 480 E. Liberty St. Sumter, SC 29150 because management better (inside Coca-Cola Building)) reflects the diversity of sociMon. - Fri. 8:30 - 5:30 PM • Sat: 8 - 2 PM ety, and they tend to make

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THE SUMTER ITEM

PLANT FROM PAGE A1 The tire division represents about 30 percent of the company, he said, with about 50,000 employees producing more than 500 million tires a year, including 30 million tires in the Americas. “It’s the biggest cash cow,” he said. Building a plant in Sumter got off to a shaky start, Baartman said. “We announced a $500 million investment. We have laid approximately 60,000 cubic yards of concrete, about 30,000 pounds of steel went into the infrastructure, and what was funny — not so funny at the time — we went through the whole process of site selection without detecting that Sumter is in a seismic zone, which we picked up later on and in the design process.” The Sumter plant produced more than 700,000 tires in 2014 with plans to produce two million tires next year. “There is a lot pressure on us to supply the market,” he said. “The market is hot, and they want tires, and that is fantastic.” Baartman said as part of the training process, the company sent about 180 local employees overseas. “Many of them spent between three and four months in foreign countries with foreign languages and all sorts of strange foreign cultures,” he said. “What is interesting is that many of these people did not have a passport, many

KEITH GEDAMKE / THE SUMTER ITEM

Marcus Wilson, a material handler in the Finished Goods Warehouse, stacks tires for shipment recently at the Sumter Continental plant. had never been on an airplane, many had never even left South Carolina. You can imagine the culture shock.” “Many of them saw it as a great adventure and a token representing their commitment to their development and to their futures,” he said. Continental has invested more than $6 million in training and development since coming to the area, Baartman said. “There is a ton of activity behind the scenes, from the Central Carolina Tech(nical College) perspective, for the schools, the colleges, universities and us to try to get pro-

grams established to cater for our needs as well as developing local talent.” Baartman said the investment in people is of critical importance to the company. “At the end of the day, this

is a long-term investment,” he said. Part of Continental’s efforts are focused on attracting employees of the future with high school career fairs and forums, and it has developed a youth apprenticeship program that allows high school students to work at the plant for limited hours during a sixmonth period. “We have field trips so high school students can come and smell the rubber, so to say, and see how we operate,” he said. A good source for employees has been people with military ties, he said. “We currently have 79 former military employees with us,” he said. “We have had a fantastic experience with local people joining us from the military.” Baartman said one problem the company faces is the number of job applicants who fail drug tests, even after going through an extensive assessment process including background checks. “We have about 20 percent who make it through the whole assessment process and

fall out due to failing drug tests,” he said. “This is not a Sumter-related problem or a state-related problem but a problem throughout the country.” Another problem with finding employees is the rapidly changing work environment. “One thing is very clear; we do not have the skills for the future — they do not exist,” he said. “Our equipment is getting more and more technical, and they have all of these high-tech systems that support and run it. We need people to at least maintain and continuously improve these systems.” He said it is a challenge to build a technical foundation for the future. “There are immense opportunities out there for those who have the acumen, the will, the tenacity and the courage to dive in to these careers,” he said. “There really is a desperate need, not only for technical, but also supervisory experience,” Baartman said. “It is such a struggle to find good leadership.”

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COMMENTARY

What’s gone wrong with democracy? T

he Economist magazine recently published “What’s gone wrong with Democracy ... and what can be done to revive it?” The suggestion is that democracy is some kind of ideal for organizing human conduct. That’s a popular misconception. The ideal way to organize human conduct is to create a system that maximizes personal liberty for all. Liberty and democracy are not synonymous and most often are opposites. In Federalist Paper No. 10, James Madison explained, “Measures are too often decided, not according to the rules of justice and the rights of the minor party, but by the superior force of an interested and overbearing majority.” Democracy and majority rule confer an aura of legitimacy and respectability on acts that would otherwise be deemed tyrannical. Let’s look at majority rule, as Walter a decision-making tool, and ask Williams ourselves how many of our life choices we would like settled by majority rule. Would you want the kind of car you own to be decided through a democratic process, or would you prefer purchasing any car you please? Ask that same question about decisions such as where you shall live, what clothes you purchase, what food you eat, what entertainment you enjoy and what wines you drink. I’m sure that if anyone suggested that these choices be subject to a democratic process, we would deem it tyranny. Our Founders saw democracy as a variant of tyranny. At the 1787 Constitutional Convention, Edmund Randolph said, “... that in tracing these evils to their origin every man had found it in the turbulence and follies of democracy.” John Adams said, “Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide.” Alexander Hamilton said, “We are now forming a Republican form of government. Real Liberty is not found in the extremes of democracy but in moderate governments. If we incline too much to democracy, we shall soon shoot into a monarchy or some other form of dictatorship.” By the way, the word democracy appears in none of our founding documents. The Founders of our nation recognized that we need government, but because the essence of government is force, and force is evil, government should be as small as possible. The Founders intended for us to have a limited republican form of government where human rights precede government and there is rule of law. Citizens, as well as government officials, are accountable to the same laws. Government intervenes in civil society only to protect its citizens against force and fraud but does not intervene in the cases of peaceable, voluntary exchange. By contrast, in a democracy, the majority rules either directly or through its elected representatives. The law is whatever the government deems it to be. Rights may be granted or taken away. Alert to the dangers of majority rule, the Constitution’s framers inserted several antimajority rules. In order to amend the Constitution, it requires a two-thirds vote of both houses, or two-thirds of state legislatures to propose an amendment, and it requires threefourths of state legislatures for ratification. Election of the president is not done by a majority popular vote but by the Electoral College. Part of the reason for having two houses of Congress is that it places an obstacle to majority rule. Fifty-one senators can block the wishes of 435 representatives and 49 senators. The Constitution gives the president a veto to thwart the power of 535 members of Congress. It takes twothirds of both houses of Congress to override the president’s veto. If you don’t have time to examine our founding documents, just ask yourself: Does our pledge of allegiance to the flag read to the democracy, or to the republic, for which it stands? Or, did Julia Ward Howe make a mistake in titling her Civil War song “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”? Should it have been “The Battle Hymn of the Democracy”? Walter E. Williams is a professor of economics at George Mason University. © 2015 CREATORS.COM

NOTABLE & QUOTABLE In “Principled or know-it-all,” The Washington Post’s Marc Fisher writes, “GOP presidential candidate Ted Cruz is a lightning rod for controversy and a stickler for process.” Read it online at www.washingtonpost.com: His father describes Cruz as a “modern Jeremiah,” delivering the final warning before the collapse, sending an unpopular but vital message. His Harvard law professor, Alan Dershowitz, calls him “off-the-charts brilliant.” Sen. John McCain, the Arizona Republican and unsuccessful presidential candidate, once dubbed Cruz a “wacko bird.” His own wife says Cruz’s supreme certainty had a way of being “irksome.” It is Cruz’s ramrod devotion to principle — or, its flip side, an unyielding insistence on getting his way — that could propel him to the front ranks of Republican contenders for president or render him unelectable. Those who find his newly announced presidential campaign thrilling and those who find the notion of Cruz in the White House disturbing agree that his devotion to principle reminds them of that of Barry Goldwater, the movement conservative and 1964 Republican presidential nominee who famously said “I’d rather be right than president” and got his wish. Beneath Cruz’s mesmerizing speaking style — midnight-smooth delivery, never ruffled, even as he drops lacerating lines about the evils of Obamacare — and his unthreatening appearance — suits, slicked-back black hair, baby-faced complexion — how the senator would govern remains unclear. Is he a rigidly uncompromising originalist or, as Cruz argues, more like Ronald Reagan, who preached

conservative populism but governed as a dealmaker? ••• In “How to Fight Anti-Semitism,” David Brooks writes, “There are three major strains of anti-Semitism circulating, different in kind and virulence, and requiring different responses.” Read it online at www.nytimes.com: On college campuses, many young people have been raised in a climate of moral relativism and have no experience with those with virulent evil beliefs. They sometimes assume that if Israel is hated, then it must be because of its cruel and colonial policies in the West Bank. In the Obama administration, there are people who know that the Iranians are anti-Semitic, but they don’t know what to do with that fact and put this mental derangement on a distant shelf. They negotiate with the Iranian leaders, as if anti-Semitism was some odd quirk, instead of what it is, a core element of their mental architecture. There are others who see antiSemitism as another form of bigotry. But these are different evils. Most bigotry is an assertion of inferiority and speaks the language of oppression. Anti-Semitism is an assertion of impurity and speaks the language of extermination. Anti-Semitism’s logical endpoint is violence. Groups fighting anti-Semitism sponsor educational campaigns and do a lot of consciousnessraising. I doubt these things do anything to reduce active antiSemitism. But they can help nonanti-Semites understand the different forms of the cancer in our midst. That’s a start.

••• The Greenwood Index-Journal writes, “Greenwood Promise holds lots of promise.” Read it online at www.indexjournal.com: It is not a handout, it’s a helping hand up. It is Greenwood Promise, an idea that has been incubating a while and appears ready to hatch and flourish. Greenwood Promise may well be an answer to a problem facing our area, which is the lack of a trained workforce to meet local (existing and future) industries’ needs. Once it takes off, the program is designed to provide local students who graduate from Greenwood high schools the opportunity to earn a two-year associate’s degree, with tuition and all fees paid through an endowment funded by private and public dollars. Banking on a successful outcome, proponents of Greenwood Promise say the next step will be covering tuition and fees for students who want to continue studies in targeted degrees at four-year institutions. At first glance, this might sound like an ill-conceived give-away program, but it is not. Greenwood Promise is not a feel-good dumping of public and private dollars with little or no return on investment. There are stringent guidelines students must follow in order to participate. Qualified students must be accepted into a twoyear program, attend at least their three final years of high school in Greenwood and maintain a 2.5 GPA while completing a minimum of 12 credit hours each semester. Notable & Quotable is compiled by Graham Osteen. Reach him at graham@theitem.com.

WHO REPRESENTS YOU SUMTER COUNTY COUNCIL DISTRICT 1 Naomi D. Sanders 5605 Borden Road Rembert, SC 29128 (803) 499-3947 (home) DISTRICT 2 Artie Baker 3680 Bakersfield Lane Dalzell, SC 29040 803-469-3638 (home) DISTRICT 3 James Byrd Jr. 13 E. Canal St. Sumter, SC 29150 (803) 468-1719 (mobile) (803) 778-0796 (office) (803) 436-2108 (Fax) jbyrd@sumtercountysc.org DISTRICT 4 Charles T. Edens 760 Henderson St. Sumter, SC 29150 (803) 775-0044 (home) (803) 236-5759 (mobile) DISTRICT 5 Vivian Fleming-McGhaney 9770 Lynches River Road Lynchburg, SC 29080 (803) 437-2797 (home) (803) 495-3247 (office) DISTRICT 6 James T. McCain Jr. 317 W. Bartlette St. Sumter, SC 29150 (803) 773-2353 (home) (803) 607-2777 (mobile)

DISTRICT 7 Eugene Baten P.O. Box 3193 Sumter, SC 29151 (803) 773-0815 (home) SUMTER CITY COUNCIL MAYOR Joseph T. McElveen Jr. 20 Buford St. Sumter, SC 29150 (803) 773-0382 jmcelveen@sumter-sc.com WARD 1 Thomas J. Lowery 829 Legare St. Sumter, SC 29150 (803) 773-9298 tlowery@sumter-sc.com WARD 2 Ione Dwyer P.O. Box 1492 Sumter, SC 29151 (803) 481-4284 idwyer@sumter-sc.com WARD 3 Calvin K. Hastie Sr. 810 S. Main St. Sumter, SC 29150 (803) 774-7776 chastie@sumter-sc.com WARD 4 Colleen Yates cyates@sumter-sc.com

WARD 5 Robert Galiano 608 Antlers Drive Sumter, SC 29150 (803) 469-0005 bgaliano@sumter-sc.com WARD 6 David Merchant 26 Paisley Park Sumter, SC 29150 (803) 773-1086 dmerchant@sumter-sc.com STATE LAWMAKERS Rep. Grady Brown, D-Bishopville District 50 420 S. Main St. Bishopville, SC 29010 (803) 484-6832 (home) (803) 734-2934 (Columbia) Rep. Joe Neal, D-Hopkins District 70 P.O. Box 5 Hopkins, SC 29061 (803) 776-0353 (home) (803) 734-9142 (fax) (803) 734-2804 (Columbia) jn@schouse.org Rep. Dr. Robert L. Ridgeway III, D-Clarendon District 64 117 N. Brooks St. Manning, SC 29102 (803) 938-3087(home) (803) 212-6929 (Columbia)

Rep. Murrell Smith Jr., R-Sumter District 67 P.O. Box 580 Sumter, SC 29151 (803) 778-2471 (business) (803) 778-1643 (fax) (803) 734-3042 (Columbia) murrellsmith@schouse.gov Rep. J. David Weeks, D-Sumter District 51 2 Marlborough Court Sumter, SC 29154 (803) 775-5856 (business) (803) 734-3102 (Columbia) Sen. Gerald Malloy, D-Darlington District 29 1216 Salem Road Hartsville, SC 29550 (843) 339-3000 (803) 212-6148 (Columbia) Sen. Kevin L. Johnson, D-Manning District 36 P.O. Box 156, Manning, 29102 (803) 435-8117 (home) (803) 212-6108 (Columbia) Sen. J. Thomas McElveen III, D-Sumter District 35 P. O. Box 57, Sumter, 29151 (803) 775-1263 (business (803) 212-6132 (Columbia)

NATIONAL LAWMAKERS Rep. Mick Mulvaney — 5th District 1207 Longworth HOB Washington, D.C. 20515 (202) 225-5501 531-A Oxford Drive Sumter, SC 29150 (803) 327-1114 Rep. Jim Clyburn — 6th District 319 Cannon House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 (202) 225-3315 1703 Gervais St. Columbia, SC 29201 (803) 799-1100 jclyburn@hr.house.gov Sen. Lindsey Graham 290 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 (202) 224-5972 Midlands Regional Office 508 Hampton Street, Suite 202 Columbia, SC 29201 (803) 933-0112 (main) Sen. Tim Scott 167 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 (202) 224-6121 (202) 228-5143 (fax) 1301 Gervais St., Suite 825 Columbia, SC 29201 (803) 771-6112 (803) 771-6455 (fax)

HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY? Send your letter to letters@theitem.com, drop it off at The Sumter Item office, 20 N. Magnolia St., or mail it to The Sumter Item, P.O. Box 1677, Sumter, SC 29151, along with the writer’s full name, address and telephone number (for verification purposes only). Letters that exceed 350 words will be cut accordingly in the print edition, but available in their entirety at www.theitem.com/opinion/letters_to_editor.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2015

SUPPORT GROUPS AA, AL-ANON, ALATEEN: AA — Monday-Friday, noon and 5:30 p.m.; Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m., 1 Warren St. (803) 775-1852. AA Women’s Meeting — Wednesday, 7 p.m., 1 Warren St. (803) 775-1852. AA Spanish Speaking — Sunday, 4:30 p.m., 1 Warren St. (803) 775-1852. AA “How it Works” Group — Monday and Friday, 8 p.m., 1154 Ronda St. Call (803) 494-5180. Al-Anon “Courage to Change” Support Group — Tuesday, 7 p.m., Alice Drive Baptist Church, Room 204, 1305 Loring Mill Road. Call Dian at (803) 316-0775 or Crystal at (803) 775-3587. 441 AA Support Group — Monday, Tuesday and Friday, 8:30 p.m., Hair Force, 2090-D S.C. 441. AA Summerton Group — Wednesday, 8 p.m., town hall. Manning Al-Anon Family Group — Thursday, 7:30 p.m., Behavioral Health Building, 14 Church St., Manning. Call Angie Johnson at (803) 435-8085. C/A “Drop the Rock” Group — Thursday, 9:30 p.m., 1154 Ronda St. Call Elizabeth Owens at (803) 607-4543.

MONDAY MEETINGS: Sumter Vitiligo Support Group — second Monday of each month, 5:45-6:45 p.m., North HOPE Center, 904 N. Main St. Call Tiffany at (803) 316-6763. Find us on Facebook at Sumter Vitiligo Support.

TUESDAY MEETINGS: Sumter Connective Tissue Support Group — 1st Tuesday of Jan., March, May, July, Sept. and Nov., 7 p.m., 180 Tiller Circle. Call (803) 773-0869. Mothers of Angels (for mothers who have lost a child) — Every Tuesday, 6 p.m., Wise Drive Baptist Church. Call Betty at (803) 469-2616 or Carol at (803) 469-9426. EFMP Parent Exchange Group — Last Tuesday each month, 11 a.m.-noon, Airman and Family Readiness Center. Support to service members who have a dependent with a disability or illness. Call Dorcus Haney

at (803) 895-1252/1253 or Sue Zimmerman at (803) 847-2377.

WEDNESDAY MEETINGS: Sickle Cell Support Group — last Wednesday each month, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., South Sumter Resource Center, 337 Manning Ave. Call Bertha Willis at (803) 774-6181.

THURSDAY MEETINGS: TOPS S.C. No. 236 (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) — Thursdays, 9 a.m., Spectrum Senior Center,1989 Durant Lane. Call Diane at (803) 775-3926 or Nancy at (803) 469-4789. Asthma Support Group — Every 1st Thursday, 6 p.m., Clarendon County School District 3 Parenting Center, 2358 Walker Gamble Road, New Zion. Call Mary Howard at (843) 659-2102. Alzheimer’s Support Group through S.C. Alzheimer’s Association — Every 1st Thursday, 6-8 p.m., McElveen Manor, 2065 McCrays Mill Road. Call Cheryl Fluharty at (803) 905-7720 or the Alzheimer’s Association at (800) 636-3346. Journey of Hope (for families members of the mentally ill), Journey to Recovery (for the mentally ill) and Survivors of Suicide Support Group — Each group meets every 1st Thursday, 7 p.m., St. John United Methodist Church, 136 Poinsett Drive. Call Fred Harmon at (803) 905-5620.

FRIDAY MEETINGS: Celebrate Recovery — Every Friday, 6 p.m. dinner, 7 p.m. program, Salt & Light Church, Miller Road (across from Food Lion). For help with struggles of alcohol, drugs, family problems, smoking, etc. Wateree AIDS Task Force Support Group — Every third Friday, 11:30 a.m. Contact Kevin Johnson at (803) 7780303.

SATURDAY MEETINGS: Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy/Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Support Group — 1:30 p.m. every third Saturday, 3785 Blackberry Lane, Lot 7. Call Donna Parker at (803) 481-7521.

DAILY PLANNER

THE SUMTER ITEM

WEATHER

AccuWeather® ﬁve-day forecast for Sumter TODAY

TONIGHT

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

Clouds and sun

A couple of latenight showers

Clouds break for sun, a t-storm

Spotty morning showers; cooler

Mostly sunny

74°

62°

83° / 55°

66° / 40°

59° / 34°

62° / 42°

Chance of rain: 55%

Chance of rain: 65%

Chance of rain: 55%

Chance of rain: 60%

Chance of rain: 5%

Chance of rain: 0%

E 7-14 mph

SE 6-12 mph

SW 8-16 mph

NNW 8-16 mph

NW 8-16 mph

N 6-12 mph

TODAY’S SOUTH CAROLINA WEATHER

Gaﬀney 68/54 Spartanburg 68/55

Greenville 68/56

Columbia 74/61

Temperatures shown on map are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

IN THE MOUNTAINS

Sumter 74/62

Aiken 74/57

ON THE COAST

Charleston 74/62

Today: Partial sunshine. High 72 to 76. Thursday: A shower or two, but a couple of storms in the north. High 76 to 80.

LOCAL ALMANAC

LAKE LEVELS

SUMTER THROUGH 4 P.M. YESTERDAY

Today Hi/Lo/W 75/57/pc 51/33/pc 80/50/s 54/38/r 77/62/pc 82/62/s 78/63/pc 47/43/pc 87/66/pc 51/46/pc 88/63/pc 70/53/s 56/50/c

SUN AND MOON 7 a.m. yest. 358.25 75.40 75.18 97.35

24-hr chg -0.02 +0.07 -0.01 +0.08

Sunrise 7:19 a.m. Moonrise 11:18 a.m.

RIVER STAGES

Thu. Hi/Lo/W 77/44/t 44/22/c 65/45/t 49/26/r 72/50/t 94/64/s 76/55/t 64/45/r 85/69/pc 69/46/t 91/61/s 73/54/s 75/47/t

Flood 7 a.m. stage yest. 12 9.68 19 5.49 14 8.17 14 3.79 80 78.23 24 6.79

River Black River Congaree River Lynches River Saluda River Up. Santee River Wateree River

trace 3.52" 3.03" 14.58" 8.97" 10.45"

NATIONAL CITIES City Atlanta Chicago Dallas Detroit Houston Los Angeles New Orleans New York Orlando Philadelphia Phoenix San Francisco Wash., DC

Full pool 360 76.8 75.5 100

Lake Murray Marion Moultrie Wateree

73° 41° 69° 43° 88° in 1995 27° in 1986

Precipitation 24 hrs ending 4 p.m. yest. Month to date Normal month to date Year to date Last year to date Normal year to date

Myrtle Beach 69/63

Manning 74/57

Today: Mostly cloudy. Winds east-southeast 3-6 mph. Mostly cloudy. Thursday: A shower or thunderstorm around. Winds southwest 7-14 mph.

Temperature High Low Normal high Normal low Record high Record low

Florence 75/64

Bishopville 73/58

Sunset 7:37 p.m. Moonset 12:32 a.m.

First

Full

Last

New

Mar. 27

Apr. 4

Apr. 11

Apr. 18

TIDES

24-hr chg +0.09 +0.64 +0.25 +0.08 +0.13 +0.06

AT MYRTLE BEACH

Today Thu.

High 1:35 a.m. 2:08 p.m. 2:31 a.m. 3:05 p.m.

Ht. 3.3 2.8 3.1 2.7

Low Ht. 8:40 a.m. -0.1 8:48 p.m. -0.1 9:36 a.m. 0.2 9:45 p.m. 0.2

REGIONAL CITIES City Asheville Athens Augusta Beaufort Cape Hatteras Charleston Charlotte Clemson Columbia Darlington Elizabeth City Elizabethtown Fayetteville

Today Hi/Lo/W 64/53/sh 72/56/pc 76/56/sh 76/61/pc 63/59/pc 74/62/pc 68/55/c 72/57/pc 74/61/sh 72/62/pc 65/57/pc 73/63/pc 74/62/pc

Thu. Hi/Lo/W 73/40/t 79/46/t 83/57/sh 80/61/sh 67/57/t 81/62/sh 78/49/t 80/50/t 83/56/sh 82/55/t 74/52/t 78/56/t 80/55/t

Today City Hi/Lo/W Florence 75/64/pc Gainesville 83/59/pc Gastonia 69/55/c Goldsboro 72/61/pc Goose Creek 74/61/pc Greensboro 62/51/c Greenville 68/56/c Hickory 64/52/c Hilton Head 73/59/pc Jacksonville, FL 80/62/pc La Grange 78/56/pc Macon 76/54/pc Marietta 75/55/pc

Thu. Hi/Lo/W 83/54/t 82/63/pc 78/50/t 79/55/t 81/61/sh 76/47/t 79/48/t 75/45/t 75/60/sh 84/63/sh 78/47/pc 79/50/s 76/42/t

Today City Hi/Lo/W Marion 65/49/sh Mt. Pleasant 73/61/pc Myrtle Beach 69/63/pc Orangeburg 76/60/sh Port Royal 75/60/pc Raleigh 64/57/c Rock Hill 70/56/c Rockingham 70/57/c Savannah 79/61/pc Spartanburg 68/55/c Summerville 74/59/pc Wilmington 72/61/pc Winston-Salem 61/51/c

Thu. Hi/Lo/W 76/41/t 78/62/sh 74/60/t 82/56/sh 78/61/sh 78/47/t 79/49/t 80/53/t 83/60/pc 78/49/t 77/60/sh 74/59/t 76/46/t

Weather(W): s–sunny, pc–partly cloudy, c–cloudy, sh–showers, t–thunderstorms, r–rain, sf–snow ﬂurries, sn–snow, i–ice

PUBLIC AGENDA SUMTER CITY-COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION Today, 3 p.m., fourth floor, Sumter Opera House, Council Chambers

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Make plans to EUGENIA LAST run errands and get little jobs out of the way. Your friendly demeanor will help you draw positive attention and make new friends. Take part in whatever activities you enjoy, and an opportunity you least expect will unfold.

The last word in astrology

SUMTER COUNTY DEVELOPMENT BOARD Thursday, 7:30 a.m., Greater Sumter Chamber of Commerce boardroom, 32 E. Calhoun St.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Don’t let obstacles deter you. If you plan your actions carefully, you will outmaneuver anything that gets in your way. Don’t make promises to avoid an uncomfortable emotional situation. You are best to do your

803-795-4257

own thing and learn from experience. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Form partnerships with the creative people who share your vision. A personal change will help you recognize what you want and whom you want to spend more time with. Altering the way you live will enhance your life.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Put some thought into your TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Check investments. Find ways to cut out what credentials are required to fulfill a professional dream. Don’t corners or get rid of unnecessary let the work involved scare you. Set expenses. Downsizing or altering your lifestyle will help you get your your plans in motion and see life back in perspective. Set new where they lead. The only regret you’ll have is not making the effort, priorities. so get moving. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You’ll be Face emotional issues head-on and make whatever adjustments are emotional and sensitive to someone’s comments. Keeping necessary to move forward in a your distance and refusing to positive manner. Ignoring the retaliate will help you bypass an inevitable will only prolong the uncomfortable situation. Turn your agony of a situation that needs to focus to helping a cause you be dealt with now. Follow your believe in, and you’ll boost your heart. morale. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You CANCER (June 21-July 22): Do can get ahead if you take a what’s expected of you. You will be different path. You are best to blamed for something you didn’t avoid anyone who is unpredictable do if you get involved in other or looking for a free ride. Stick close people’s business. Don’t get angry to home and work on developing or act impulsively when your best your game plan for the future. response is to take care of your AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You own responsibilities. will know what you want and how LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Make to go about getting it. Don’t sit personal changes and express your back waiting for someone else to thoughts to people who have make the first move. Be brave and something to contribute. Don’t overreact if someone opposes you. get the ball rolling. Once you begin, the rest will be easy to Everyone is entitled to an opinion. Focus on those who are already on achieve. your team.

WITH WI T EQU EQUAL Q AL PAYMENTS S

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Someone older or more experienced will give you a hard time. Don’t back down or show emotion. Instead, use your creative imagination to outsmart anyone who tries to belittle or criticize you. Act with precision and confidence.

NO INTEREST TILL JANUARY 2020 See details a See at www.boykinacs.com

LOTTERY NUMBERS PALMETTO CASH 5 TUESDAY

POWERBALL SATURDAY

MEGAMILLIONS TUESDAY

6-15-17-28-33 PowerUp: 2

11-16-30-38-42 Powerball: 7; Powerplay: 4

numbers not available at press time

PICK 3 TUESDAY

PICK 4 TUESDAY

LUCKY FOR LIFE MONDAY

3-7-7 and 4-9-2

8-7-9-7 and 9-3-9-9

4-17-37-39-40; Lucky Ball: 18

PICTURES FROM THE PUBLIC Nancy Byer comments on her photo submission, “I’ve been lucky to have many of these gorgeous birds in my yard recently — this is a male Baltimore Oriole. They love to eat grape jelly and oranges, and I’ve had a lot of fun photographing them!”

HAVE YOU TAKEN PICTURES OF INTERESTING, EXCITING, BEAUTIFUL OR HISTORICAL PLACES? Would you like to share those images with your fellow Sumter Item readers? E-mail your hi-resolution jpegs to sandrah@theitem.com, or mail to Sandra Holbert c/o The Sumter Item, P.O. Box 1677, Sumter, SC 29150. Include clearly printed or typed name of photographer and photo details. Include a self-addressed, stamped envelope for return of your photo. Amateur photographers only please.

SECTION

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2015 Call: (803) 774-1241 | E-mail: sports@theitem.com

PREP FOOTBALL

Elmore to play football at Lackawanna JC BY DENNIS BRUNSON dennis@theitem.com Marquice Elmore is looking for the opportunity to play college football at the Football Bowl Subdivision level. In order for that to possibly happen, the East Clarendon High School senior is going to have to start his journey at the ju-

nior college level. Elmore, who did a little bit of everything for the Wolverines, recently signed to play with Lackawanna JC in Pennsylvania. “I feel like this is the best way for me to have a chance to play Division I (FCS),” said Elmore, who pointed out having to shore up his academic

portfolio was another reason why the JC route was the best opportunity for him. Elmore said he ELMORE did have a scholarship offer from South Carolina State, a Football Championship Subdivision school in Orangeburg.

Elmore was a 3-time allstate selection. He capped off his career by playing in the Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Bowl North-South game this season, catching a 50-yard touchdown pass for the South squad in its 23-18 victory. Elmore played wide receiver, running back, quarterback and defensive back for the

Wolverines this season. Elmore was EC’s leading rusher and pass catcher. He rushed for 1,121 yards and 15 touchdowns on 137 carries, while catching 35 passes for 649 yards and five scores. On defense, he had 86 tackles and three interceptions.

SEE ELMORE, PAGE B7

PREP GOLF

AUTO RACING

No place like home

NASCAR fans are buzzing over debris cautions

WH stays perfect on season with region match win at Sunset

BY JENNA FRYER The Associated Press

BY EDDIE LITAKER Special to The Sumter Item Wilson Hall’s varsity golf team took full advantage of playing on its home course Tuesday, shooting a 153 to top its four SCISA Region II-3A rivals in a region match at Sunset Country Club. Three Wilson Hall players broke 40 in the 9-hole tourney, led by junior Christian Salzer’s 34. Freshman Walker Jones and junior Grier Schwartz both finished the round at 38, with junior Coker RECTOR Lowder tallying a 43 for the Barons’ fourth highest score. Even the “high” scores for Wilson Hall, a 44 for senior Raines Waggett and 45 for sophomore Easton Ward, would have been in the scoring mix for all four of the Barons’ opponents. Wilson Hall head coach Glen Rector said he expects his players to play well at Sunset, due to their familiarity with the course. “Seven of my nine guys are members out here. They play the course pretty often and they know it pretty well, so they played pretty well today, overall,” Rector said as his team ran its overall record to 14-0. “Our goal as a team is to have four guys under 40, so we’re making progress. These guys have played together for a couple of years. We have one

KEITH GEDAMKE / THE SUMTER ITEM

Wilson Hall junior Grier Schwartz shot a 38 which helped the Barons to their second straight SCISA Region II-3A match victory on Tuesday at Sunset Country Club. WH shot a team low of 153 on its SEE BARONS, PAGE B6 home course to win the match and improve to 14-0 on the season.

CHARLOTTE — There’s no way to dance around the fact cautions for debris at Auto Club Speedway twice changed the outcome of the race. A race that at first should have been won by Matt Kenseth was derailed by a late debris caution. Then Kurt Busch was twice denied a trip to victory lane by yellow flags. In all, there were three cauKENSETH tions in the final 25 laps and only once were television viewers shown the actual debris. So a day after Brad Keselowski’s come-from-nowhere Sunday victory in California, NASCAR was again under attack for questionable officiating that altered the end of the race. It’s a decades-old issue in auto racing, where many of the calls made from race control are subjective. And for all the transparency that NASCAR is now promoting, there was no explanation available Monday that would satisfy conspiracy theorists convinced the sanctioning body is able and willing to manipulate races. It didn’t help that Busch, who had been closing in on taking the white flag that would have almost sealed the win, muttered “WWE,” on his team radio when a debris caution slowed his pace. The reference was apparently likening NASCAR to

SEE NASCAR, PAGE B5

COMMENTARY

Measuring stick for South Carolina comes Friday

he measuring stick for the University of South Carolina women’s basketball program comes on Friday. Many thought the Gamecocks’ No. 1-vs.-No. 2 matchup against women’s basketball dynasty Connecticut in early February would show just how far Dennis Dawn StalBrunson ey’s program had come. USC’s 87-62 loss to UConn showed it wasn’t quite where it needed to be on that particular day. That game, however, only showed how far South Carolina has to go. To get there, the Gamecocks need to be victorious against North Carolina on Friday in the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament’s Greensboro Regional. Despite four straight seasons of 25 wins or more, one outright Southeastern Con-

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

South Carolina’s Tiffany Mitchell, left, drives past Syracuse’s Cornellia Fondren after a steal during the Gamecocks’ 97-68 victory on Sunday in an NCAA Tournament second-round game in Columbia. USC will face North Carolina on Friday in Greensboro, N.C., in a rematch of last year’s Sweet 16 matchup as South Carolina tries to reach the Elite Eight for the first time under head coach Dawn Staley. ference regular-season title, a shared SEC regular-season title and an SEC tournament title and being seeded No. 5,

No. 4 and No. 1 in the three previous NCAA tournaments, the Gamecocks haven’t been able to move past the Sweet

16. For this to be a successful season, that has to happen. To be frank, leaving Greens-

boro, N.C., on Sunday with a ticket punched to the Final Four will be a disappointment for the USC women. South Carolina has been in the Final Four discussion since the season started, even after the lopsided loss to the Huskies. The Gamecocks are considered to have one of the deepest rosters in the country, leading to the anticipation of such a jaunt through the NCAA Tournament. USC now has to do it, to show that it has moved into a different echelon among the women’s college basketball power base. While UConn is in a class by itself, programs such as Notre Dame, Stanford and Tennessee and a few others are at that next level, teams that expect to be in that Final Four hunt each season. South Carolina is not there yet; a win over UNC followed up by a victory in the regional final on Sunday would have it knocking at the door, if not pushing its way inside.

SEE CAROLINA, PAGE B3

SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2015

BOYS AREA ROUNDUP

Lowder leads Swampcats past Cavaliers in 11-1 win MANNING – Adam Lowder had two hits, scored two runs and drove in two more to lead Laurence Manning Academy to an 11-1, 6-inning varsity baseball victory over Robert E. Lee Academy on Tuesday at Tucker Belangia Diamond. Cagney Brunson was the winning pitcher for LMA.

defeated on the season with a 4-0 victory over First Baptist on Tuesday at Patriot Park SportsPlex. The 6-0 Barons got goals from Jacob Cox, Robert Young, Dalton Miller and Cody King. David Tussey and Patrick Bell combined for the shutout in goal.

VARSITY TRACK AND FIELD

SOCASTEE 5 SUMTER 0

MYRTLE BEACH – Sumter High School suffered its first Region VI-4A loss with a 5-0 defeat at the hands of Socastee on Tuesday at the Socastee field. The Gamecocks, 5-5 overall and 2-1 in region, got just one hit, that coming from Chris Crawford. He also took the loss on the mound. HARTSVILLE 8 LAKEWOOD 2

KELLEYTOWN – Lakewood High School lost to Hartsville 8-2 on Tuesday at Jimmy White Park. Charlie McFarland was 2-for-3 with two RBI for the Gators. Trent Frye was 2-for-3 with a run and Daquan Ingram had a hit and a run. Tavian Butler gave up just two earned runs in 4 1/3 innings pitched.

VARSITY SOCCER WILSON HALL 4 FIRST BAPTIST 0 Wilson Hall remained un-

TYLER WINS LONG JUMP IRMO – Sumter High School’s Ky’Jon Tyler won the long jump in the Silver Fox Invitational on Saturday at the Dutch Fork High track. Tyler also finished second in the 100-meter dash for the Gamecocks, who finished fifth out of 15 teams. SHS’ Rodney Pitts was second to Tyler in the long jump, while Benjamin Austin was second in the pole vault. Troy Brayboy finished fourth in the discus.

JUNIOR VARSITY BASEBALL LAURENCE MANNING 12 ROBERT E. LEE 3

MANNING – Laurence Manning Academy defeated Robert E. Lee Academy 12-3 on Tuesday at Tucker Belangia Diamond. Jake Jordan and Brent Jordan each had three hits for the Swampcats. Cole

Hair, Trent Frye and Taylor Lee had two hits apiece. Dalton Page was the winning pitcher. WILSON HALL 8 ORANGEBURG PREP 1

ORANGEBURG – Wilson Hall improved to 2-1 with an 8-1 victory over Orangeburg Prep on Tuesday at the OP field. Daulton Dabbs was 4-for5 with two doubles for the Barons. Daniel Reynolds pitched four shutout innings with six strikeouts to get the win. HARTSVILLE 10 LAKEWOOD 0

Lakewood High School lost to Hartsville 10-0 on Monday at the LHS field. Dalton Browder and Zion Brown each had a hit for the Gators.

JUNIOR VARSITY SOCCER WILSON HALL 4 HARTSVILLE 0 Wilson Hall improved to 4-3 with a 4-0 victory over Hartsville Middle School on Tuesday at Patriot Park SportsPlex. Harrison Hudson scored two goals for the Barons. Mason Payeur scored on an assist from Brooke Michaels and Frampton Macloskie scored on an assist from Langston Cooper. Luke Reuwer had the shutout in goal.

GIRLS AREA ROUNDUP

WH softball remains unbeaten ST. MATTHEWS — Wilson Hall’s varsity softball team remained undefeated on the season with a 3-2 victory over Calhoun Academy on Tuesday at the Calhoun field. Holly Scott picked up the victory for the Lady Barons, who improved to 6-0 on the season. She had 10 strikeouts. Drake Ives had two hits and a run batted in to lead the offense. Becka Noyes had a double and an RBI, while Betsy Cunningham had a double and Scott had an RBI. THOMAS SUMTER 5 WILLIAMSBURG 2

KINGSTREE – Thomas Sumter Academy picked up a 5-2 victory over Williamsburg Academy on Monday at the Williamsburg field. Logan Morris and Emily DeMonte both had two hits and drove in a run for TSA. Carmen Silvester had two hits, while Haley Hawkins, Emily Nevels and Jordan Morris each had a hit and an RBI. DeMonte was the winning pitcher.

VARSITY SOCCER MARLBORO COUNTY 3 CRESTWOOD 0 BENNETTSVILLE – Crestwood High School fell to 0-2 in SCISA Region VI-3A with a 3-0 loss to Marlboro County on Tuesday at the Marlboro field.

Ashley Griffin had five saves in goal for the Lady Knights, who fell to 1-6 overall.

VARSITY TRACK AND FIELD STEPHENS WINS DISCUS

IRMO – Sumter High School’s Dae’Shondra Stephens won the discus in the Silver Fox Invitational on Saturday at the Dutch Fork High track. Ars’Breana Tyler finished second in both the triple jump and the long jump for the Lady Gamecocks, who finished fifth out of 14 teams. Tiarra Abram was third in the high jump.

JUNIOR VARSITY SOFTBALL WILSON HALL 16 CALHOUN 1 ST. MATTHEWS – Wilson Hall defeated Calhoun Academy 16-1 in three innings on Tuesday at the Calhoun field. Addy Carraway hit a grand slam home run for the Lady Barons. Carly Allred went 3-for-3 with four RBI and two runs, while Becca Cromer was 3-for-3 with two runs. Madison Sliwonik had two hits and two runs while Kinsley Waynick had two hits a run and an RBI. Camryn Bateman scored two runs. Madison Elmore was the winning pitcher and went 2-for-3 with a double, two runs and two RBI.

COLLEGE BASEBALL ROUNDUP

Coastal hands USC 9-8 extra-inning loss MYRTLE BEACH – Coastal Carolina scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to tie the game and won it with a run in the 11th to beat South Carolina 9-8 in a college baseball game at Spring Brooks Stadium on Tuesday. USC fell to 18-7 on the season while the Chanticleers improved to 18-6.

CLEMSON 19 WESTERN CAROLINA 2 CULLOWHEE, N.C. – An eight-run fifth inning and two 4-run innings helped Clemson to a 19-2 victory over Western Carolina on Tuesday at Hennon Stadium. The Tigers improved to 12-11 on the season while the Catamounts dropped to 9-12. Chris Okey’s 2-run double and Reed Rohlman’s 2-run single highlighted the fifth-

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inning uprising. Every Tiger starter scored at least one run in the game. WINTHROP 11 CITADEL 4

ROCK HILL – Winthrop defeated the Citadel 11-4 on Tuesday at Winthrop Ballpark. Sumter’s Jacob Watcher was 2-for-5 for the 14-9 Bulldogs. Winthrop improved to 16-8. From staff, wire reports

THE SUMTER ITEM

SCOREBOARD TV, RADIO TODAY

9 a.m. – Major League Exhibition Baseball: Houston vs. New York Mets from Port St. Lucie, Fla. (MLB NETWORK). 11 a.m. – Professional Golf: Sunshine Tour Investec Cup Final Round from Johannesburg (GOLF). 1 p.m. – Major League Exhibition Baseball: New York Mets vs. New York Yankees from Tampa, Fla. (MLB NETWORK). 3 p.m. – International Soccer: Denmark vs. United States from Aarhus, Denmark (ESPN, UNIVISION). 4 p.m. – Major League Exhibition Baseball: Oakland vs. Milwaukee from Phoenix (MLB NETWORK). 6:05 p.m. – Talk Show: Sports Talk (WDXY-FM 105.9, WDXY-AM 1240). 7 p.m. – Women’s College Basketball: NCAA Division II Tournament Semifinal Game from Sioux Falls, S.D. (CBS SPORTS NETWORK). 7 p.m. – NBA Basketball: Chicago at Toronto (ESPN). 7 p.m. – College Basketball: National Invitation Tournament Quarterfinal Game – Murray State at Old Dominion (ESPN2). 7 p.m. – College Baseball: Cincinnati at Tennessee (SEC NETWORK). 7 p.m. – NBA Basketball: Brooklyn at Charlotte (SPORTSOUTH). 8 p.m. – NHL Hockey: Chicago at Philadelphia (NBC SPORTS NETWORK). 9 p.m. – College Basketball: National Invitation Tournament Quarterfinal Game – Louisiana Tech at Temple (ESPN2). 9 p.m. – Major League Exhibition Baseball: Kansas City vs. Chicago White Sox from Surprise, Ariz. (MLB NETWORK). 9:30 p.m. – Women’s College Basketball: NCAA Division II Tournament Semifinal Game from Sioux Falls, S.D. (CBS SPORTS NETWORK). 9:30 p.m. – NBA Basketball: Oklahoma City at San Antonio (ESPN). Midnight – Major League Exhibition Baseball: Texas vs. Cincinnati from Goodyear, Ariz. (MLB NETWORK). 3 a.m. – Major League Exhibition Baseball: Toronto vs. Baltimore from Sarasota, Fla. (MLB NETWORK).

PREP SCHEDULE Varsity Baseball Crestwood at Swansea, 6:30 p.m. Lakewood at Wilson, 6:30 p.m. Manning at Laurence Manning, 6:30 p.m. Lee Central at Timmonsville, 6 p.m. East Clarendon at Dillon, 6:30 p.m. Wilson Hall at Calhoun Academy, 7 p.m. Junior Varsity Baseball Crestwood at Marlboro County, 6:30 p.m. B Team Baseball Ridge View at Sumter, 6 p.m. Junior Varsity Golf Lugoff-Elgin at Sumter (at Beech Creek Golf Club), 4:30 p.m. Varsity Boys Soccer First Baptist at Wilson Hall, 5 p.m. Varsity Girls Soccer Lakewood at Wilson, 7:30 p.m. Junior Varsity Girls Soccer Wilson at Lakewood, 6 p.m. Varsity Softball Manning at Marlboro County, 7 p.m. Lee Central at Timmonsville, 6 p.m. Thomas Sumter at East Clarendon, 6:30 p.m. Junior Varsity Softball Lakewood at Wilson, 5:30 p.m. Manning at Marlboro County, 5:30 p.m. Thomas Sumter at East Clarendon, 5 p.m. Robert E. Lee at Wilson Hall, 4 p.m. B Team Softball Andrew Jackson Academy at Clarendon Hall, 4 p.m. Varsity Boys Tennis Manning at Darlington, 5 p.m. Wilson Hall at Marlboro Academy, 4 p.m. Varsity Track and Field Crestwood, Spring Valley at LugoffElgin, 5:30 p.m. Manning at Timberland, 5 p.m. Laurence Manning at Wilson Hall, 3:45 p.m. Robert E. Lee at Orangeburg Prep, 4 p.m.

MLB SPRING TRAINING By The Associated Press AMERICAN LEAGUE W 13 11 12 13 12 10 8 9 9 9 8 7 7 8 7

L 8 7 8 9 9 8 8 9 9 11 10 10 10 13 14

Pct .619 .611 .600 .591 .571 .556 .500 .500 .500 .450 .444 .412 .412 .381 .333

NATIONAL LEAGUE

W L Pct Los Angeles 11 6 .647 Arizona 12 9 .571 New York 12 9 .571 St. Louis 9 7 .563 Pittsburgh 10 8 .556 Colorado 11 9 .550 Miami 10 9 .526 Cincinnati 9 9 .500 Philadelphia 10 10 .500 San Diego 10 10 .500 Washington 9 9 .500 Chicago 9 11 .450 Atlanta 9 12 .429 Milwaukee 8 11 .421 San Francisco 6 16 .273 NOTE: Split-squad games count in the standings; games against nonmajor league teams do not.

MONDAY’S GAMES

Pittsburgh 7, Tampa Bay 6 Atlanta 14, Houston 10 N.Y. Mets 12, Miami 3 Philadelphia 3, Minnesota 0 Washington 7, N.Y. Yankees 6 St. Louis vs. Boston at Fort Myers, Fla., ccd., Unplayable conditions L.A. Dodgers 7, Arizona 4 San Diego 10, Chicago White Sox 4 San Francisco 8, Kansas City 3 Cleveland 8, Oakland 3 L.A. Angels 5, Seattle 0 Colorado 5, Milwaukee 1 Texas 6, Cincinnati 6, tie, 10 innings

TUESDAY’S GAMES

Minnesota 6, Toronto 5 Baltimore 9, Pittsburgh 2 Philadelphia 5, Atlanta 3 Miami 9, Boston 4 Houston 4, N.Y. Mets 3 Colorado 7, Chicago White Sox 6 Texas 15, L.A. Angels 8 San Diego 6, Seattle 4 Oakland 14, Chicago Cubs 2 Detroit vs. N.Y. Yankees at Tampa, Fla., 7:05 p.m. Milwaukee vs. Arizona at Scottsdale, Ariz., 9:40 p.m. San Francisco vs. Cleveland at Goodyear, Ariz., 10:05 p.m.

TODAY’S GAMES

NBA STANDINGS By The Associated Press EASTERN CONFERENCE ATLANTIC DIVISION W Toronto 42 Boston 31 Brooklyn 29 Philadelphia 17 New York 14 SOUTHEAST DIVISION

L 28 39 40 53 57

Pct .600 .443 .420 .243 .197

GB – 11 121/2 25 281/2

W 53 40 32 30 22

L 17 31 37 39 50

PCT .757 .563 .464 .435 .306

GB – 131/2 201/2 221/2 32

W 46 43 34 30 26

L 26 29 36 40 44

Pct .639 .597 .486 .429 .371

GB – 3 11 15 19

Pct .704 .671 .638 .620 .529

GB – 21/2 5 6 121/2

Pct .647 .571 .443 .380 .229

GB – 5 14 181/2 29

Pct .814 .648 .535 .348 .265

GB – 111/2 191/2 321/2 38

y-Atlanta Washington Miami Charlotte Orlando CENTRAL DIVISION x-Cleveland x-Chicago Milwaukee Indiana Detroit

WESTERN CONFERENCE SOUTHWEST DIVISION W L x-Memphis 50 21 Houston 47 23 San Antonio 44 25 Dallas 44 27 New Orleans 37 33 NORTHWEST DIVISION W L Portland 44 24 Oklahoma City 40 30 Utah 31 39 Denver 27 44 Minnesota 16 54 PACIFIC DIVISION W L x-Golden State 57 13 L.A. Clippers 46 25 Phoenix 38 33 Sacramento 24 45 L.A. Lakers 18 50 x-clinched playoff spot y-clinched division

MONDAY’S GAMES

TODAY

Kansas City Los Angeles Toronto Oakland New York Boston Houston Seattle Tampa Bay Cleveland Minnesota Chicago Texas Baltimore Detroit

Oakland vs. Milwaukee at Phoenix, 4:05 p.m. Cleveland vs. L.A. Angels at Tempe, Ariz., 4:10 p.m. San Francisco vs. Colorado at Scottsdale, Ariz., 4:10 p.m. Chicago White Sox vs. Kansas City at Surprise, Ariz., 9:05 p.m. Texas vs. Cincinnati at Goodyear, Ariz., 10:05 p.m. Chicago Cubs vs. Seattle at Peoria, Ariz., 10:05 p.m.

Tampa Bay vs. Minnesota at Fort Myers, Fla., 1:05 p.m. Washington vs. St. Louis at Jupiter, Fla., 1:05 p.m. Houston vs. Philadelphia at Clearwater, Fla., 1:05 p.m. Miami vs. Detroit at Lakeland, Fla., 1:05 p.m. Toronto vs. Baltimore at Sarasota, Fla., 1:05 p.m. N.Y. Mets vs. N.Y. Yankees at Tampa, Fla., 1:05 p.m. San Diego vs. L.A. Dodgers at Glendale, Ariz., 4:05 p.m.

Houston 110, Indiana 100 Boston 110, Brooklyn 91 Memphis 103, New York 82 Chicago 98, Charlotte 86 Minnesota 106, Utah 104, OT Golden State 107, Washington 76

TUESDAY’S GAMES

Toronto at Detroit, 7:30 p.m. L.A. Lakers at Oklahoma City, 8 p.m. San Antonio at Dallas, 8 p.m. Miami at Milwaukee, 8 p.m. Philadelphia at Sacramento, 10 p.m. Golden State at Portland, 10:30 p.m.

TODAY’S GAMES

Indiana at Washington, 7 p.m. Chicago at Toronto, 7 p.m. Atlanta at Orlando, 7 p.m. Brooklyn at Charlotte, 7 p.m. L.A. Clippers at New York, 7 p.m. Miami at Boston, 7:30 p.m. Houston at New Orleans, 8 p.m. Cleveland at Memphis, 8 p.m. L.A. Lakers at Minnesota, 8 p.m. Philadelphia at Denver, 9 p.m. Portland at Utah, 9 p.m. Oklahoma City at San Antonio, 9:30 p.m. Sacramento at Phoenix, 10 p.m.

NHL STANDINGS By The Associated Press EASTERN CONFERENCE ATLANTIC DIVISION GP W L OT Montreal 73 46 20 7 Tampa Bay 73 45 21 7 Detroit 71 39 21 11 Ottawa 72 37 24 11 Boston 73 36 25 12 Florida 72 33 25 14 Toronto 74 27 41 6 Buffalo 73 20 46 7 METROPOLITAN DIVISION GP W L OT N.Y. Rangers 71 46 18 7 N.Y. Islanders 73 44 25 4 Pittsburgh 72 40 22 10 Washington 73 39 24 10 Philadelphia 74 29 29 16 New Jersey 73 31 31 11 Columbus 72 33 35 4 Carolina 72 26 36 10

Pts GF 99 193 97 238 89 204 85 212 84 193 80 177 60 193 47 138

GA 159 188 190 190 190 197 237 245

Pts GF 99 217 92 225 90 200 88 212 74 192 73 164 70 193 62 165

GA 163 203 178 180 215 186 225 199

Pts GF 97 223 96 208 94 206 89 209 88 205 80 228 78 193

GA 180 176 163 182 190 233 201

WESTERN CONFERENCE CENTRAL DIVISION St. Louis Nashville Chicago Minnesota Winnipeg Dallas Colorado PACIFIC DIVISION

GP W L OT 73 45 21 7 73 44 21 8 72 44 22 6 73 41 25 7 73 38 23 12 73 35 28 10 72 33 27 12

GP W L OT Pts GF GA Anaheim 74 46 21 7 99 216 206 Vancouver 72 42 26 4 88 206 193 Calgary 73 40 27 6 86 214 191 Los Angeles 72 35 23 14 84 192 180 San Jose 73 35 30 8 78 201 206 Edmonton 73 20 40 13 53 173 251 Arizona 73 21 44 8 50 149 242 NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss.

MONDAY’S GAMES

Los Angeles 3, New Jersey 1 Chicago 3, Carolina 1 Minnesota 2, Toronto 1 Ottawa 5, San Jose 2 Dallas 4, Buffalo 3 Calgary 3, Colorado 2 Winnipeg 4, Edmonton 1

TUESDAY’S GAMES

Minnesota at N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m. Los Angeles at N.Y. Rangers, 7 p.m. St. Louis at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. Anaheim at Columbus, 7 p.m. Arizona at Detroit, 7:30 p.m. Florida at Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m. Montreal at Nashville, 8 p.m. Winnipeg at Vancouver, 10 p.m.

TODAY’S GAMES

Chicago at Philadelphia, 8 p.m. Colorado at Edmonton, 8 p.m. Dallas at Calgary, 10 p.m.

TRANSACTIONS The Associated Press BASEBALL

American League CHICAGO WHITE SOX — Optioned INF Leury Garcia, LHP Onelki Garcia and INF Andy Wilkins to Charlotte (IL) and RHP Frankie Montas to Birmingham (SL). Reassigned RHP Logan Kensing, RHP Nolan Sanburn and LHP Joe Savery to minor league camp. DETROIT TIGERS — Optioned LHP Kyle Lobstein, RHP Alex Wilson and RHP Josh Zeid to Toledo (IL). Assigned RHP Alberto Cabrera to minor league camp. MINNESOTA TWINS — Agreed to terms with 2B Brian Dozier on a fouryear contract. Optioned RHP A.J. Achter to Rochester (IL). Reassigned C Tyler Grimes, INFs James Beresford and Jose Martinez, and OFs Eric Farris and Danny Ortiz to minor league camp. TEXAS RANGERS — Optioned INF Hanser Alberto to Round Rock (PCL). Assigned RHPs Alex Gonzalez and Ross Wolf to minor league camp. National League MIAMI MARLINS — Optioned RHP Carter Capps to New Orleans (PCL). Reassigned RHP Vin Mazzaro, RHP Ryan Chaffee, LHP Pat Misch, LHP Pat Urckfitz and C Vinny Rottino to minor league camp.

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South Carolina’s Alaina Coates (41) shoots while being defended by Syracuse’s Amber Witherspoon during the Gamecocks’ 97-68 victory on Sunday in Columbia in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. USC will look for revenge against North Carolina on Friday when the two meet in the Sweet 16 in Greensboro, N.C.

CAROLINA FROM PAGE B1

Coates’ dominance in paint continues to be work in progress for Gamecocks BY WILLIE T. SMITH III Greenville News COLUMBIA— Alaina Coates loves wearing high heels. But even she concedes that, because she is 6-foot-4, anything over three-inch heels is overkill. One place where Coates doesn’t need additional height, however, is on the basketball court. COATES Since joining the University of South Carolina women’s basketball team, Coates has become a dominant force in the post. It would be hard to find many inside players with her skill set of shotblocking, establishing her position in the post and then devastating her defender with a mean drop step. Despite her being selected the Southeastern Conference freshman and co-sixth player of the year after the 2013-14 season and second-team AllSEC and all-defensive team this year, many believe Coates has scratched only the surface of her capabilities. After a few bumps in the road this season, Coates appears ready to make that

next step. It’s coming at the right time for the No. 4-ranked Gamecocks, who will face No. 12 North Carolina at 7 p.m. Friday in Greensboro, North Carolina, in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen. Coates dominated in the Gamecocks’ 97-68 victory over Syracuse on Sunday, scoring 14 points, pulling down seven rebounds and blocking a shot in 14 minutes of playing time. She has become accustomed to there being little room in the paint when she enters games. USC opponents understand that Job One is packing it in in the paint to make sure Coates and fellow post players A’ja Wilson and Elem Ibiam have nowhere to operate. “They packed it in on us when we played them earlier in the season,” Coates said of Syracuse. “We just came up with scenarios and made sure we had options and different types of plays to be able to find the open man whether it be inside or outside. “Obviously, with the points in the paint, we did find the inside paint a lot. I knew that I was going to be extremely aggressive and make moves towards the basket and not move away. I knew I wasn’t going to come out here and

play soft. I knew I was going to have to come out and be more aggressive than I have been.” That comes on the heels of an impressive Southeastern Conference Tournament in which she joined USC senior Aleighsa Welch on the alltourney team. She has surged since a suspension for failure to adhere to team rules, she was held out of the Gamecocks’ game at Georgia. There was a team meeting a few days later when Coates was made aware of her importance to the team. “During the meeting (USC reserve) India Farmer told Alaina that we are a good team, but when she plays the way she’s capable, we’re great,” Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley said. “Alaina’s still very young. She’s just a sophomore. She’s still work-

ing out playing high-level basketball every single day. Winning is learning. Playing at the top of your game every day in practice is a learning process.” The Gamecocks understand, however, as they take the next step in their journey, it’s only obtainable if they all play their best. That includes Coates who, when in the moment, has proven to be virtually unstoppable. “That’s been a big thing for us for the past two years, because we’re at our best when she’s bringing that productivity to us, but also letting her know, even when you’re not, we have somebody who’s there who can pick you up,” Welch said of Coates. “We’re going to try to keep feeding the horse, and keep feeding somebody who’s been so productive for us all year.”

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Doing so will not be an easy task. It can be argued that UNC is one of those programs at the next level. The Tar Heels were the team that as a No. 4 seed last season sent No. 1 USC packing from the NCAA Tournament, and that was in California. South Carolina is going to have take UNC out in what should be a hostile environment. That being said, the Gamecocks have traveled well this season and its fan base could make it a neutral court. After a slow first half against Savannah State in the first-round game in Columbia last week, the Gamecocks dominated the second half as it should against a No. 16 seed. They followed that up by pounding Syracuse on Sunday, soundly beating a team they had struggled with in a tournament in the Bahamas earlier this season. The Gamecocks couldn’t be moving on in a much better position. If USC can come away with a pair of wins this weekend, then it will be time to move to another measuring stick — again.

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Chaos defines end of tourney games BY DAVE SKRETTA The Associated Press OMAHA, Neb.— In the 2008 national championship, with Kansas trailing Memphis by three and 10.8 seconds left in the game, coach Bill Self called for his team to run a play called “Chop.” The play, designed to provide multiple scoring options in moments of desperation, began with Sherron Collins dribbling up the court. Veering to his right, Collins handed off to Mario Chalmers at the top of the key, and Chalmers took the first of his options: He shot the 3-pointer. It splashed through the net to force overtime. Kansas went on to win the title, and that perfectly executed play became known as “Mario’s Miracle.” And if anybody thinks calling it a miracle is hyperbole, well, chances are they haven’t been watching as teams flounder through the final minutes in this year’s NCAA Tournament. Turnovers, missed shots, poor coaching and worse execution. Just call it organized chaos, late-game blunders that have nevertheless produced some memorable finishes. “First of all, the reason you struggle in games is because the other team’s pretty doggone good,” explained North Carolina coach Roy Williams, whose team survived two close games to reach the Sweet 16. “The other thing is the attention, the pressure — they’re still 18-, 19-, 20-year-old kids. I mean, they’re not going to get it right.” Indeed, many of today’s brightest stars are freshmen and sophomore, players unaccustomed to the game’s biggest stage. That dearth of veteran leaders, several coaches have argued, is also one of the big reasons that that scoring continued its downward trend this season. Another reason for the lategame flubs: Low- and mid-majors are often trying to upset a heavyweight, and the talent gap becomes more pronounced when the game is on the line. That appeared to be the case last Thursday, when UC-Irvine had Louisville on the ropes. The Anteaters were inbounding the ball near midcourt, trailing 57-55 with about 6 seconds left. Alex Young was promptly stripped by the Cardinals’ Terry Rozier, a turnover 40 feet from the hoop that prevented the Big West champs from even attempting a tying shot. “We had a quick play lined up and unfortunately I lost the ball,” Young said. “We couldn’t get a timeout, and it just happens. It’s basketball.” Speaking of timeouts, Northeastern burned through its allotment in the second half against Notre Dame, leaving coach Bill Coen unable to set up a final play with the Huskies trailing by two in the closing seconds. Instead of getting a tying shot off, Quincy Ford coughed up the ball, and the Fighting Irish added a couple of free throws to seal the victory. Asked about his timeout dilemma, Coen replied: “I wish we’d had one left.” Irvine and Northeastern weren’t the only teams that failed to get shots off with the game on the line, either. The same thing happened to Valparaiso, whose coach Bryce Drew knocked down that infamous 3-pointer that sent the Crusaders past Ole Miss in 1998. Valpo was trailing Maryland 65-62 with time running out on Friday, and Keith Carter got stuck in the corner in front of his own bench. He never even got a 3-pointer off.

WVU’s Huggins looks for another victory over Kentucky’s Calipari BY JOHN RABY The Associated Press West Virginia coach Bob Huggins has had his way against Kentucky’s John Calipari over the years. Huggins is 8-2 all-time against his close friend. Meeting No. 11 will be Huggins’ greatest challenge against a Calipari-coached team when West Virginia takes on the NCAA Tournament’s top overall seed in the Sweet 16 on Thursday night in Cleveland. “We’re going to have fun trying,” Huggins said. “He’ll have them ready. He always has them ready.” Whether fifth-seeded West Virginia (25-9) will be ready for double-digit favorite Kentucky (36-0) may be another matter, but Huggins insists his players won’t give in to the pressure. He noted that when senior guards Juwan Staten and Gary Browne were out with injuries late in the regular season, freshmen Javon Carter and Daxter Miles Jr. embraced the opportunity to lead the team into Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas, where the Mountaineers took the Jayhawks to overtime before losing 76-69. “These guys are different,” Huggins said. “They kind of relish the moment. They love to play, and that’s what’s fun about them. They love to play. They love being around each other.” So do Huggins and Calipari, who enjoy a longtime friendship. When Huggins suffered a heart attack at the Pittsburgh airport in 2002, Calipari went to visit him in the hospital. Huggins said he couldn’t estimate the number of times the pair speak during the year. “We talk about a lot of things,” Huggins said. “Sometimes it’s about basketball.” Eight of Huggins’ wins against Calipari came when Huggins was Cincinnati’s coach. Six occurred when Calipari was at Memphis and two when he coached Massachusetts. They’re 1-1 head-to-head with their current teams. It marks the third time in West Virginia’s last four NCAA Tournament appearances that it will play Kentucky.

AP FILE PHOTO

West Virginia head coach Bob Huggins, left, owns an 8-2 career coaching record against Kentucky head coach John Calipari, right, his close friend. Their teams will face off in an NCAA Tournament regional semifinal game on Thursday in Cleveland. West Virginia advanced to their first Final Four in 51 years by beating Kentucky 73-66 in 2010 when the Wildcats were a No. 1 seed in Calipari’s first season. Kentucky ousted the Mountaineers in the second round of the tournament a year later. In 2010, West Virginia used a 1-3-1 zone defense that forced Kentucky to shoot 4 of 32 from 3-point range. Huggins doesn’t plan to use that win as a blueprint this time. On offense, West Virginia made eight 3-pointers in the first half without a 2-point basket in the 2010 game. This year’s team is making only 32 percent of its 3-point

attempts and doesn’t have the same variety of longrange shooters. But what West Virginia lacks in all-around shooting accuracy is a tenacity and grit to go after loose balls, rebounds and get in the face of opponents. The centerpiece of West Virginia’s defense is a fullcourt press that has helped force an NCAA-best 19.6 turnovers per game. Maryland committed 23 Sunday night in West Virginia’s 69-59 win. West Virginia also leads the nation with 16.5 offensive rebounds per game — Kentucky allowed 21 offensive rebounds in a 64-51 win over Cincinnati on Saturday.

But West Virginia managed only nine points from its bench against Maryland. The Mountaineers also have been too aggressive at times — they’ve set a school record with 792 personal fouls, something that will bear watching against Kentucky. “I think they’re terrific defensively,” Huggins said. “John does a terrific job of getting them to guard, getting them to play together (and) share the ball. They guard so well. “I think the hardest thing is going to be figuring out ways to score. We’ve got to find ways to still be able to attack the basket and be able to get it on the rim.”

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Brunson mum on USC commitment L

inebacker TJ Brunson of Richland Northeast High School in Columbia made his second visit to the University of South Carolina for a spring football practice on Thursday. He was on commitment watch for the Gamecocks after saying last week a pledge was possible. “I didn’t commit,” Brunson said on Thursday. “I’m not going to until later. There’s no date anymore. I came for about the last 20 minutes or so (of practice) and I talked to (assistant) Coach (Kirk) Botkin and assistant Coach (Steve) Spurrier Jr. I didn’t say anything about committing. I just decided to wait.” Brunson said he’s still feeling the same strong interest from the Gamecocks, so that wasn’t the reason for putting off a commitment. “There are some other things to take into consideration,” he said. “I’m going to have arthroscopic surgery on a hip and they want to evaluate some of my senior year to make sure there is no setback. They’re still there as an option, but I’m going to get to see some other things unfold. I’m still favoring them.” Brunson said other than return trips to USC to watch practices, he has no other future visits planned. He also has offers from North Carolina State, Louisville and Georgia Southern. USC had more contact with former Kansas Jayhawk safety Isaiah Johnson (6-feet-1inch, 210 pounds). Johnson talked earlier last week with Gamecock recruiter Joe Robinson after announcing his decision to play his senior season away from Lawrence. Johnson said he and Robinson were back on the telephone with each other again on Thursday. “We talked about me coming up for a visit sometime soon,” Johnson said. “I’m real high on South Carolina. I really like South Carolina. My brother was recruited some by South Carolina. I didn’t know much about South Carolina while in high school, but I knew about (head coach) Steve Spurrier and some of the good players they had like Marcus Lattimore. And I’ve been there for games.” Johnson said USC, Louisville and Wake Forest are the three schools from which he’s heard. Right now, USC is the only one he’s certain of getting an official visit as long as the school will take him as a

transfer. “I should be up there soon,” Johnson said. He is free to talk to any school in the country except Rutgers, South Dakota and Memphis, because each is on Kansas’ schedule in 2015, as well as the other Big 12 schools. Johnson is a native of Cary, N.C., who signed with Western Carolina out of high school. After a year in Cullowhee, N.C., he transferred to Iowa Western Junior College for a season. He was a starter the past two seasons for Kansas, and in ‘13 was the Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year. Last season, he totaled 75 tackles with one interception and two passes broken up. Johnson decided to leave Kansas for personal reasons and will graduate on May 17. He plans to have a decision before then and will enroll this summer at his new school as a graduate student and will be eligible immediately. Defensive end Jordan Woods (6-3, 250) of Ocala, Fla., is coming off a junior season of 16 quarterback sacks and 60 tackles. He’s had 28 sacks over the past two seasons. His pass rushing skills are making him a priority for several schools, including USC. “They were one of the first schools to offer,” Woods said of USC. “I have a lot more interest than I show because I can’t get there every week. I’m trying to get up there for a visit. I’ll probably take an official visit to South Carolina.” Woods recently visited Florida and it was a good visit for him. The Gators, he said, are on him very hard. Growing up just down the road from Gainesville, it’s only natural that UF was one of his favorites growing up. However, the favorite part of that program now resides in Columbia. “My favorite coach of all time is Steve Spurrier,” Woods said. “He’s that coach that’s gutsy. I went to the USC at Florida game (last season). He’s a great coach. I don’t know why he won’t go down as one of the greatest coaches of all time.” Woods said he hears regularly from Spurrier Jr. USC, UF and Miami are all recruiting him hard at this point. Woods has also been to Florida State, Georgia and Miami and said he probably will visit FSU during his spring break. He will try to visit USC this summer or for an official visit. Woods cited his current top list as USC, UF, Miami,

NASCAR FROM PAGE B1 scripted television wrestling. One had to wonder if there was any truth to Busch’s gripe. Since Fox Sports did not show the actual debris on two of the final three cautions, no visible evidence was presented in NASCAR’s defense. So here is where it stands now: A fanbase that by nature is largely distrusting of NASCAR now seems to believe series officials conspired to keep Busch out of victory lane. Why would they do that? Well, because Busch is two races removed from a NASCAR suspension for an alleged domestic assault on an

ex-girlfriend. When the decision finally came from authorities to not charge Busch with a crime, he was reinstated by NASCAR and a monthslong, embarrassing legal saga closed. But fans used social media to vent that NASCAR simply wouldn’t stand for Busch to win in his second race back, and those debris cautions were used as roadblocks on Busch’s route to victory. Not true, insisted NASCAR executive vice president Steve O’Donnell. “That’s a preposterous allegation,” O’Donnell said Monday. “It’s a number on a race

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FSU and UGA in no order. Defensive lineman Naquan Jones of Evanston, Ill., visited Phil Kornblut USC in February and RECRUITING that visit, CORNER along with regular contact with recruiter Everette Sands and DL coach Deke Adams, has kept the Gamecocks strongly in the mix for the highly recruited defensive tackle. ‘I’ve been talking to Coach Adams a lot, building a relationship and scheduling a time when I can come back to South Carolina,” Jones said. “I will definitely come back. They are real high on the list. I’ve had really good talks with Coach Adams. I felt like I was at home when I was at South Carolina.” Jones has also been to Illinois, Michigan State and Notre Dame. In fact, he was back at ND over the weekend. From the schools showing him the strongest interest at this point, Jones has a top 10 of USC, Ohio State, Michigan State, Michigan, Wisconsin, Penn State, Kentucky, Pittsburgh, Illinois and Iowa. “But that list is not permanent,” he said. “I’m going to wait out my decision and see how the rest of recruiting goes. I want to make a lot of visits.” Jones picked up a Missouri offer late last week. USC signee Cory Helms, who is transferring from WF, said his appeal for immediate eligibility is in process and in the hands of USC compliance. Helms said he hopes to hear something before May because if the waiver is approved, he will enroll that month. If not, he will come in with the other recruits in June, but will have to sit out the season. USC offered linebacker Josh Brown of Charlotte, who is an FSU commitment. He has visits to Alabama and Virginia Tech planned for early April. USC offered tight end Thaddeus Moss of Charlotte, the son of former National Football League star wide receiver Randy Moss. Running back Tre’ Harbison of Shelby, N.C., plans to visit USC on Saturday for the junior day. USC RB target Elijah Holyfield visited ND over the weekend and another USC RB target Tyrek Tisdale visited UF. USC offered offensive lineman Scott Lashley (6-6, 300) of

West Point, Miss. He visited UGA on Saturday. Some of his other offers are FSU, Mississippi State, Alabama and Auburn. QB Jake Fromm, a ‘17 recruit from Warner Robins, Ga., visited USC for Saturday’s spring practice. His offers include USC, North Carolina and UK. USC offered ‘17 defensive back Joshua Brown of Fairburn, Ga.

car to NASCAR. We reinstated (Busch) and we made him eligible for championship competition.” Indeed, when Busch’s suspension was lifted following a three-race suspension, NASCAR granted the 2004 champion a waiver that made him eligible to make the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship should he qualify. A win at California on Sunday likely would have put him in the 16-driver Chase field. Alas, he’ll have to wait another week after debris twice denied him a victory. Matt Kenseth could certainly relate to Busch’s frustration. That was actually his race to win. He had enough

gas to get to the finish line and was the leader in what was shaping up to be a fuelmileage race when the first of the three debris cautions was called. The race leader is never going to be happy about a late caution flag, and Kenseth was

CLEMSON AND USC

Had he and his family not moved to Lawrenceville, Ga., LB Donta Evans (6-2, 230) would have been one of the state’s brightest stars in ‘15 at Lake Marion High in Santee. For the Gators last season, Evans had 147 tackles with 32 tackles for loss and eight sacks. Evans will play his senior season at Archer High where he figures to emerge as one of the top recruits in Georgia. He already has offers from Auburn, Louisville, UK, NCSU, UNC and WF, and it might not be long before USC and Clemson join the parade. “I’m hearing it’s looking real good that South Carolina will offer pretty soon, but nothing more than that,” Evans said. ‘I talked to (assistant) Coach (GA) Mangus, and he told me to stay patient and stay grinding. Of course, my family would love that. Getting an offer anywhere, especially one of the top schools in the SEC (Southeastern Conference), would be amazing.” Evans attended USC’s junior day in late January and has been there and to Clemson for games. He also was at Clemson a couple of weeks ago to watch a spring practice. “They have a lot of linebackers, but they are looking to offer me pretty soon,” Evans said. “That would mean a lot to me.” Growing up in the state, Evans said he was torn between the Gamecocks and Tigers. His dad is a USC fan and his grandfather a Clemson fan. Evans also has visited VT, UK, UNC, UGA and Auburn. He’s not sure about any future visits at this time and he doesn’t have favorites at this point. “All the schools that have offered me are amazing schools athletically and academically,” Evans said. He plans to wait on more offers before determining favorites, and he said USC and Clemson will have a chance to be on that list once they offer.

CLEMSON

WR Keyshawn Johnson Jr. of Mission Viejo, Calif., recently released his top 12 of Clemson, Ohio State, Arizona State, Arizona, Southern California, UCLA, Nebraska, Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, Miami and Texas. Clemson commitment TE JC Chalk of Argyle, Texas, was offered by Alabama, but he remains firm with the Tigers. He’s the grandson of former Tide head coach Gene Stallings. Clemson target OL Parker Boudreaux of Orlando, Fla., visited UF over the weekend. Clemson offered ‘17 QB Connor Curry of Shreveport, La. OTHERS

WR Christian Bruce of Wilson High in Florence was offered by Air Force. Dillon High QB Avery McCall was scheduled to attend UNC’s junior day over the weekend. OL John Simpson of Fort Dorchester High in North Charleston, and his ‘18 teammate athlete Kereon Joyner visited UGA over the weekend. Joyner picked up an offer from the Bulldogs, giving him three at this point. BASKETBALL

USC basketball head coach Frank Martin was scheduled to meet with 6-6 shooting guard Malik Ellison of Burlington, N.J., the son of former Louisville star and National Basketball Association No. 1 draft pick Pervis Ellison. “I’ve talked to Coach Martin, and he’s coming up Monday to watch a workout,” Ellison said. “Coach Martin is cool. He seems like a nice dude. I’m talking to a bunch of coaches trying to figure things out. I’m pretty open, giving every school a chance. I’m taking my time and will have a decision in April.” Ellison has not yet scheduled official visits and will do that after he visits with more coaches. Ellison said right now he’s primarily interested in USC, Minnesota, Maryland, WF, Temple, California and Rutgers. He is not claiming a current favorite. This season, Ellison averaged 20 points, seven rebounds and four assists per game.

no exception. But his day went downhill fast. A mechanical failure on the ensuing pit stop dropped him from racing for the win to a 31stplace finish. Like everyone else, he wondered where the debris was that had ruined his race.

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BARONS FROM PAGE B1 senior on the team. Christian and Grier have been on the team since they were in sixth grade, so they’ve been on the golf team for several years.” The Barons’ nearest competition was Calhoun Academy, which closed play with a team score of 167. Calhoun’s Justin Hood was the only other player to break 40 on the day, closing out his round with a 39. As a team, the Cavaliers were fairly strong, with Cooper McGee and Clay Crenshaw both carding a round score of 42. Rion Smith closed out the Calhoun scoring with a round of 44. “Last week we played at Calhoun and shot a 150, and Calhoun shot a 154,” Rector said, “so this is only our second re-

gion match. We’ve got another one Thursday at Beech Creek, which we’re not as familiar with as Thomas Sumter, so playing on your home course is a definite advantage, because you’re more familiar with the layout of the course and especially the speed of the greens.” Rounding out the match’s team standings were Thomas Sumter Academy at 173, Laurence Manning Academy at 182 and Orangeburg Prep at 192. Other low scorers included TSA’s Tyler Gray at 41, LMA’s Burke Mishoe at 42 and OP’s Jayke Wannamaker at 44. Rounding out the scoring for TSA were Walker Brooks with a 43, Ryan Dixon at 44

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and James Bracewell at 45. LMA’s individual scores included a 45 by Van Gardner, Tillman Tumbleson with 46 and Rutledge DuRant at 49. OP’s next three low scores were turned in by Carter Chandler with a 48, Kenny Troutman at 49 and Corey Antley at 51. After playing at Beech Creek Thursday, Rector said the Barons will journey to Atlanta on Monday to play in a tournament at the Atlanta Athletic Club. “It’s an invitational tournament with some of the top teams from the state of Georgia,” Rector said. “It’s the top five schools from the state of Georgia. It’s a pretty prestigious tournament, and these guys are really excited about the opportunity to play in it.”

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Wilson Hall junior Christian Salzer carded a 34 to earn match medalist honors in the Barons’ victory in the SCISA Region II-3A match on Tuesday on their home course at Sunset Country Club.

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Spurrier to speak to Sumter Gamecock Club today

Time to beat the clock

University of South Carolina football head coach Steve Spurrier will be the featured speaker at the Sumter County Gamecock Club’s spring banquet today at the NettlesSchwartz Building gymnasium. The dinner will begin at 6 SPURRIER p.m. with the program scheduled to start at 7. Other speakers will be announced at a later date. Tickets are $25 per person and can be purchased from Vernon Geddings at Danny’s Trophy Shop at 713 Bultman Drive. Information on sponsorships will also be available from Geddings. For more information, contact Geddings at (803) 775-7002. AGENT: PETERSON RETURN TO VIKINGS NOT IN ‘BEST INTEREST’

Adrian Peterson and the Minnesota Vikings have reached a standstill in their

professional relationship. Peterson previously expressed uneasiness about continuing to play for the Vikings, coming off a season lost because of the child abuse case the standout running back was involved in. But his camp has since advanced that stance to the point of wanting out. OWNERS SHOOT DOWN MOST REPLAY PROPOSALS

PHOENIX — NFL owners shot down nearly every video replay proposal brought to their meetings Tuesday, while approving six safety rule changes. Of the 13 replay alterations proposed, including extending the number of coaches’ challenges and letting them challenge all officiating calls, the only one passed will allow game officials to use replay for clock issues at the end of a half, game or overtime if more than 1 second remains. From staff, wire reports

ELMORE FROM PAGE B1 Elmore said Lackawanna is looking at him specifically as a wide receiver. Elmore will be teammates at Lackawanna with Sumter High School offensive lineman Blake Durant. The two were teammates in the all-star contest in December. East Clarendon assistant coach Clinton Bethune was

the one who got the ball rolling with Lackawanna, according to Elmore. “It’s a long way going all the way to Pennsylvania,” Elmore said. “I think this is right for me. Lackawanna is one of the best junior colleges in the country, and I can do my best on the field and in my studies.”

Pitchers put on timers in high minors BY RONALD BLUM The Associated Press NEW YORK— Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Rob Scahill thinks his mound mates will do just fine at beating the new 20-second pitch clock that will be used at Triple-A and Double-A this season, one that could lead to balls and strikes as penalties. “I think it’s going to affect the hitters more than the pitchers. They’re the ones with all the routines,” he said Tuesday in Bradenton, Florida, after the new minor league rules were announced. “Step out of the box, adjust the batting gloves, look for the sign from the third base coach, take a few practice SCAHILL swings. “Me, I just want to get the ball and throw it. Work fast,” added Scahill, who split last season between the Colorado Rockies and Triple-A Colorado Springs. “That clock wouldn’t bother me. There would be times when I’d be ready before the clock counted down.” In an effort to speed games, Minor League Baseball’s governing body said a ball will be called in the count starting May 1 when a pitcher fails to start his windup or reach the set position within 20 seconds after having possession of the ball on the mound. “The goal is to learn more about how effective it is as a tool to speed up the game. We did it in the Arizona Fall League. We think that it showed promise in the fall league, but that was 16 games,” said Chris Marinak, MLB’s senior vice president of league economics and strategy. “We want to be very thoughtful and careful about understanding the impact of various rule changes before we expand them on a wide scope.” The clock will be reset when with runners on base a pitcher feints a pickoff or steps off the rubber, or after any action that allows a hitter to leave the batter’s box. Depending on the situation, the hitter must be in the bat-

ter’s box or within the dirt circle surrounding the plate when the countdown begins. “It definitely is a little weird, especially for guys who take more time,” said New York Mets left-hander Jack Leathersich, who split last season between Double-A and Triple-A. “Everybody pitches differently. There’s no right way to do it. I think it’s good for the game to speed it up a little bit.” The speed-up rules are more radical than those instituted in the major leagues for 2015, where union approval was needed. Minor league violators in April will be subject to warnings only, the same as in the major leagues. “It’s an experiment,” major league umpire crew chief John Hirschbeck said. “Doing it in the minors that way, you can test it. They’ll collect all the data and see how it worked out.” Both the major leagues and minors will have clocks timing pitching changes and between-inning breaks: 2 minutes, 25 seconds for most games and 2:45 for big league games on national television. In the high minors, a ball would be called if a pitcher doesn’t start his windup or come to a set during the last 20 seconds. Clocks are being installed at 60 ballparks at the minors’ top two levels, paid for by Major League Baseball Advanced Media, the interactive branch of MLB. Each stadium will have two clocks behind home plate and one in the outfield. The major leagues also plan to enforce the rule used in the minors that requires a hitter to keep at least one foot in the batter’s box in many instances. Penalties in the major leagues are limited to warnings and fines. In the high minors this year, a hitter must be in the batter’s box and “alert to the pitch” with five or more seconds left on the 20-second clock. A first infraction during a game would result in a warning and a subsequent violation in a strike being called against the batter.

OBITUARIES JAMES WITHERSPOON James Witherspoon, 61, entered eternal rest on Tuesday, March 24, 2015, at his home, 203 Weatherly Road. He was born on Dec. 30, 1953, in Sumter County, a son of Harrison Witherspoon and the late Vermell Richburg Witherspoon. The family is receiving relatives and friends at the home of his brother, Gregory (Genova) Witherspoon, 1330 Boulevard Road. Funeral plans will be announced by Community Funeral Home of Sumter.

MARIAN G. WRIGHT Marian Green Wright, widow of Glen L. Wright Sr., was born on June 20, 1920, in Sumter, a daughter of the late Elliott and Nettie Green. She departed this life on Saturday, March 21, 2015, at Palmetto Health Hospital, Columbia. She was a member of Bethel AME Church, Wedgefield. She was educated in the public schools of Sumter County. Mrs. Wright leaves to cherish her memories: eight daughters; one son; 25 grandchildren; 49 great-grandchildren; 19 great-great-grandchildren; and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. Public viewing will be held from 2 to 7 p.m. today at Job’s Mortuary. Mrs. Wright will be placed in the church at noon today until the hour of service. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. on Thursday at Bethel AME Church, 1605 S.C. 261, Wedgefield, with the pastor, the Rev. Larry Clark, officiating. Interment will follow in Bethel AME Church Cemetery. The family will be receiving friends at the home, 4810 McQuiller St., Wedgefield. Job’s Mortuary Inc., 312 S. Main St., is in charge of arrangements. Online memorials may be sent to the family at jobsmortuary@sc.rr.com or visit us on the web at www.jobsmortuary. net.

DAWN P. ANDREWS Dawn Patricia Andrews, age 64, died on Monday, March 23, 2015, at Tuomey Regional Medical Center. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, April 4, at Bullock Funeral Home.

You may sign the family’s guest book at www.bullockfuneralhome.com. The family has chosen Bullock Funeral Home of Sumter for the arrangements.

ELIZABETH HILTON Elizabeth Newman “Lib” Hilton, 90, widow of John Bingley “J.B.” Hilton, died on Sunday, March 22, 2015, at her home in Sumter. Born in Sumter, she was a daughter of the late Van Telburg Newman and Selma Steele Newman. Mrs. Hilton was a lifelong member of the Grace Baptist Church, where she was a member of the Faith Sunday School Class, sang in the choir, and served as church pianist for many years, beginning when she was just 17. With her husband J.B. she led the fifth and sixth grade Sunday school class for 55 years, sharing her love of music and

faith in the Lord with hundreds of young people. To this day, the “Children of Grace” can attest to this by reciting the books of the Bible and singing the “Hash Chorus.” In addition to being a gifted pianist, she exhibited a myriad of other talents, including gardening and flower arranging. Her entrepreneurial spirit led her to establish Lib’s Dress Shop and Hilton Tours. Those who went on a “Hilton Tour” will remember her ability to organize fun and exciting excursions, complete with sing-alongs on the bus, creating lifelong memories. Her joyful spirit made every gathering of friends and family a celebration of love. Surviving are a son, Dr. John B. Hilton Jr. (Susan) of Sumter; a daughter, Patricia Hilton Limoges (Neal) of Sumter; a brother, Van Newman (Alice) of Columbia; six grandchildren, John Hilton III, Margaret Hilton, Tracy Spigner (Jeffrey), Sarah Atkins (Jason), Alex Limoges (Brett) and Kate Limoges (Tim); and six great-grand-

children, Anna Louise Spigner, Laney Spigner, Jeffrey Spigner Jr., Olivia Griffin, Cameron Atkins and Millie Atkins. Funeral services will be held at 4 p.m. on Thursday at Grace Baptist Church with Dr. Steve Williams and the Rev. Steve Shumake officiating. Burial will be in Evergreen Memorial Park cemetery. Pallbearers will be Steve Creech, Rob Crosby, Tom Lewis, Steve Mims, Richard Murrell, Steve Morris and Davis Reames. Honorary pallbearers will be the Faith Sunday School Class, Bogan Dees, Bert Hubbard, Dan Lyles and Jim Mallard. The family will receive friends from 3 to 4 p.m. on Thursday in the fellowship hall at Grace Baptist Church and at other times at the home, 2691 Wedgefield Road. Memorials may be made to Grace Baptist Church, 219 W. Calhoun St., Sumter, SC 29150 or to the Rotary CART Fund (Coins for Alzheimer’s Re-

search Trust), P.O. Box 1916, Sumter, SC 29151. Online condolences may be sent to www.sumterfunerals. com. Elmore Hill McCreight Funeral Home, 221 Broad St., Sumter, is in charge of the arrangements, (803) 775-9386.

DR. CHARLES W. LONG Dr. Charles “Bill” William Long, age 67, beloved husband of 28 years to Heather Murray Long, died on Tuesday, March 24, 2015, at McLeod Regional Medical Center. Arrangements are incomplete at this time and will be announced by Bullock Funeral Home.

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11:30 a.m. the day before for Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday edition. 9:30 a.m. Friday for Saturday’s edition 11:30 a.m. Friday for Sunday’s edition. We will be happy to change your ad if an error is made; however we are not responsible for errors after the first run day. We shall not be liable for any loss or expense that results from the printing or omission of an advertisement. We reserve the right to edit, refuse or cancel any ad at any time.

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LEGAL NOTICES Public Hearing Destruction of Special Education Records (300.573) Sumter School District will be destroying special education records for students exiting during or prior to the 2009-2010 school year. Records being destroyed include all special education referral records, evaluation reports, testing protocols, notifications of meetings, Individual Education Plans (IEP), reviews of existing data summaries, and all other personally identifiable information therein. Under state and federal law, special education records must be maintained for a period of five years after special education services have ended. Former students over the age of 18, or parents of students over the age of 18, who have retained parental rights through the court's determination, may obtain special education records by contacting and making an appointment with Mrs. Lillarweise Seymore at (803) 774-5500 (ext. 210).

Lawn Service Newman's Lawn & Tree Service Mowing, Landscaping, Irrigation, Spring Clean-up, Tree removal. Call 803-316-0128 Lifestyles Lawn Service New Year Clean-up Specials! Mil.-Sen. Disc.! Erik 968-8655 J.F. Landscaping Lawn maintenance services, bedding design, etc. License & insured. Call 774-8269 or cell 883-1066. We Do It For Less Commercial & Residential lawn care. Removal of branches & leaves. Call 803-565-6693. Daniel's Lawn Care • Tree removal • Lawn Service • Mulch / Pine straw • Debris removal 803-968-4185

Legal Service Attorney Timothy L. Griffith 803-607-9087, 360 W. Wesmark. Criminal, Family, Accident, Injury

MERCHANDISE Garage, Yard & Estate Sales LARGE GARAGE SALE Every Weekend Tables $2

In Memory

Robert's Metal Roofing 35 Years Experience. 45 year warranty. Financing available. Expert installation. Long list of satisfied customers. Call 803-837-1549.

Septic Tank Cleaning

Septic tank pumping & services. Call Ray Tobias & Company (803) 340-1155.

Tax Service

James A. Boyd March 25, 1964 Was a hardworking man & a great person. We loved him so much. Happy Birthday from wife, Catherine & entire Boyd family.

BUSINESS SERVICES Brick Work MJ Masonry Specializing in concrete, brick & stone. Contact Matt Johnson 803-460-0596 for more info.

Home Improvements Vinyl Siding, vinyl windows install for $189 and seamless gutters by David Brown. 803-236-9296

H.L. Boone, Contractor: Remodel paint roofs gutters drywall blown ceilings ect. 773-9904

Quick Refund Tax Service Special Discount for all New Customers $50.00 OFF Low Prep Fees/Free E-Filing 294 Bultman Dr , Sumter Walk-ins Welcome (803)775-7498 (Teachers Get an Extra Bonus Discount until April 15th)

Tree Service NEWMAN'S TREE SERVICE Tree removal, trimming & stump grinding. Lic & Ins.

803-316-0128

Ricky's Tree Service Tree removal, stump grinding, Lic & ins, free quote, 803-435-2223 or cell 803-460-8747.

STATE TREE SERVICE Worker's Comp & General liability insurance. Top quality service, lowest prices. 803-494-5175 or 803-491-5154 www.statetree.net A Notch Above Tree Care Full quality service low rates, lic./ins., free est BBB accredited 983-9721

Professional Remodelers Home maintenance, ceramic tile, roofing, siding & windows doors, etc. Lic. & Ins. (Cell) 803-459-4773 Land Clearing avail. includes: Digging ponds, excavation, and bulldozer work. Call T & N Septic Tank Co. at 803-481-2428 or 803-481-2421

Help Wanted Part-Time

Cert. Pharmacy Technician Recent photo. Please send resumes to Box 406 c//o The Item, PO Box 1677 Sumter SC 29151.

Church Pianist needed. Wednesday nights & Sunday Mornings. Call Crosswell Baptist Church. Call 775-2489 for details

Need OTR Truck Drivers. 1-1/2 yrs exp. Good driving records. Dependable & willing to work. Paid weekly. Paid Vacations. Call 888-991-1005

Trucking Opportunities

Locally established Heating & Air condition Co. looking for Exp. Service Tech. Needs to have good driving record. Pay range from $33k-$46k a year plus health insurance, retirement, bonus and commission available. Apply in person at 1640 Suber Street.

FLEA MARKET BY SHAW AFB

Open every weekend. 905-4242 or 494-5500

Lawn / Garden / Nursery CENTIPEDE SOD 80sqft - $20 250 sqft - $50 500 sqft- $95 Call 499-4023 or 499-4717

For Sale or Trade Expert Tech, New & used heat pumps & A/C. Will install/repair, warranty; Compressor & labor $600. Call 803-968-9549 or 843-992-2364

Roofing

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Help Wanted Full-Time

Maintenance Supervisor Maintenance Supervisor needed for community in Sumter. Candidates must possess at least 5 years previous apartment maintenance & supervisory experience. Ability to troubleshoot & repair electrical & mechanical systems, appliances, structural, plumbing systems and HVAC certification req. Must respond to rotating after hours emergency calls. Submit resumes and salary requirements to P-407 c/o The Item, PO Box 1677, Sumter SC 29151 Kitchen Manager/Cook Needed at local restaurant. Management/cooking experience a must. Please fax resumes 803-774-4822

EMPLOYMENT Help Wanted Full-Time

Medical Help Wanted

Full-time HVAC Tech & HVAC Duct Installer wanted for busy Heating & Cooling Co. in Sumter. Minimum 5 yrs exp. & strong job references required. Paid holidays vacations. Please call 803-968-2272 Seeking a full-time Apartment Manager for Woodside & Water Oak Apartments in Bishopville & Jefferson, SC. Successful candidate will have excellent administrative, communication and organizational skills. Excellent salary and benefits. Please email your information to resume@boydmanagement.com or fax it to 803-419-6577. EOE Exp. Brick Masons, starting $18 hrly. & Laborers $11 per hour , needed for Shaw AFB Project. Must be able to obtain badge for base access. Contact: sharon.colaconstructors@gmail.com Auto Technician needed at busy car lot. Min. 5 yrs experience. Apply in person, at 1282 N. Lafayette Dr. NO PHONE CALLS!!! Valid Driver's License Req. Must have own tools. Morris College, a private four year Liberal Arts College in Sumter, South Carolina, is seeking to fill the following position(s): COUNSELOR (STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES): Provide individual and group counseling for first generation freshman and sophomore college students. Develop, organize, and conduct enrichment and skill workshops, carryout academic advising activities; assist the project director in writing reports and evaluations. Must have a master's degree in Counseling, Developmental Education, Psychology or related field from a regionally accredited institution and must have two or more years of counseling experience. Effective Immediately. Submit a letter of application, personal resume, three letters of recommendation and official academic transcripts to: Director of Personnel, Morris College, 100 W. College St., Sumter, SC 29150-3599. Morris College is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. Shaw AFB Golf Course looking for a full time mechanic. Call Thad at 803-968-0047.

Registered Nurse Join our growing team of health care professionals! Seeeking RN’s to provide excellent care for our hospice patients in Sumter & surrounding area. Excellent computer skills, req. EOE Please apply online at: www.carishealthcare.com - Click on Carrer tab Or send resume to: LHardy@CarisHealthCare.com Help Wanted Part-Time

$$$ AVON $$$ FREE TRAINING! 803-422-5555 Now hiring position working with animals. Must not have allergies to animals & be able to do heavy lifting. Must be dependable, honest & hard working, able to work wknds, & must work well with others. Job consists of cleaning & caring for animals. Send ref. & resume to P 405 c//o The Item, PO Box 1677 Sumter SC 29151. Serious inquiries only

Contact Job Greenall at 803-469-2777 or apply in person at

GOODWIN COLLISION CENTER 2600 Broad Street • Sumter, SC 29150

Store Hours Mon. - Sat. • 9:30 - 5:00 Closed Sunday

Hand Towels........$1.25 ea. Bath Towels.........$4.00 ea. Bath Sheets.........$5.00 ea.

Manufactured Housing

Unfurnished Homes Duplex Historic Dist. private completely renovated, lg yard. 1BR 1BA $475 mo + dep. 513-827-5383 before 8am or after 5pm

Mobile Home Rentals Taking applications for 2 BR MH $350 Mo.Large Rms, Clean, quiet areas. No pets. Call 803 840-5734

Unfurnished Apartments

Turn your Tax Refund into your dream home! Low credit score? Been turned down for bad credit? Come try us, we do our own financing.We have 2-3-4 bedroom homes. For more information, call 843-389-4215 AND also visit our Face Book page (M & M Mobile Homes).

Mobile Home with Lots 2003 DW 4BR & Bonus Room, 2BA C/H/A on 1 Acre $29,900 OBO Call 803-528-4351

HUNTINGTON PLACE APARTMENTS

Mobile Home Lots MH Lot for sale @ 34 Robinson St $2200 OBO Call 404-895-3972

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TRANSPORTATION

Mobile Home Rentals DW 3BR/2BA shady lot behind Shaw Gate Pawn Shop on 378 by Shaw AFB. 803-491-7604

Autos For Sale

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Ernest Baker Auto Sales & Equip. Located 3349 N. Main St 5.5 miles from 378 overpass at N. Main., on Hwy 15 N. next to Baker Mini Warehouse. Remember Cars are like Eggs, Cheaper in the Country!!! 803-469-9294

2 & 3 Bd houses for rent Call 803-406-0113.

Resort Rentals Ocean Lakes 2BR/2BA C/H/A Sleeps 8, near ocean. Call 803-773-2438

Modern Turf is hiring for Seasonal & Part Time Positions. Opportunities are available now through September. Tractor Operators and sod stackers. Come to the Rembert Office, 8840 Camden Hwy, to fill out an application.

Good communication and interpersonal skills are a must. Good computer skills and working knowledge of programs such as Word and Excel. Health insurance plans available • 401K

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RENTALS

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COMFORTER SETS

A good investment or starter . 2BR 1BA master/ walk in closet. $70,000. Call 912-980-4386

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Drivers: Regional & OTR. Mileage or Hourly Pay Rate. Excellent Home Time. Newer Trucks. Deborah at Barnes Transportation: 855-204-6535

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Twin.....................$25 per set Full......................$35 per set Queen..................$40 per set 29 Progress St. - Sumter King.....................$45 per set

Homes for Sale

REAL ESTATE Homes for Sale Lake House 2 Bd/ 2 Ba deep water, dock, boat ramp, on Tawcaw Creek, $220,000 obo, call 803-928-6326

INVITATION FOR BID The Housing Authority of Sumter will receive proposals for Extermina on Services for all proper es on or before April 16, 2015, un l 2:00 p.m. at the administra ve office located at 15 Caldwell St., Sumter, SC. Proposals shall be in sealed envelopes labeled as follows: Proposal Submi ed From:___________________________ For: Extermina on Date/Time of Bid Opening: Proposed Forms of Contract Documents, including specifica ons are available from the Administra ve Office located at 15 Caldwell St. A en on is called to the Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirma ve Ac on Provisions and Requirements of all contracts entered into by the Housing Authority of Sumter. All bids will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, na onal origin, age, marital or veteran status, the presence of a non-job related medical condi on of handicap, or any other legally protected status. Wayne Turner, Moderniza on Coordinator (803) 774-7315

SAVE THE DATE!!! FAMOUS WAREHOUSE SALE!!! SAT., APRIL 4, 2015 8AM - 5PM

200 COUNT SHEET SETS

Twin.................$8 per set Full..................$10 per set Queen..............$11 per set King.................$12 per set Assorted Shower Curtains $10 each

SECTION

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2015 Call Ivy Moore at: (803) 774-1221 | E-mail: ivy@theitem.com

Learn some new skills this spring with Shepherd’s Center’s Adventures in Learning BY IVY MOORE ivy@theitem.com

ith the arrival of spring comes the opportunity to learn new things and improve on old skills with Adventures in Learning. The new session of programs beginning April 9 at The Shepherd’s Center of Sumter offers a wide variety of classes, and several of them are related to springtime activities. Shepherd’s Center Director Jeanette Roveri-Smith said there is a class on container gardening, one on making hypertufa pots and a public information program on lawn care for spring and summer taught by Clemson Extension. Roveri-Smith will be facilitating Container Gardening Tips and Techniques, a threesession DVD course that offers instruction on such topics as designs in a pot, creating a new space, edibles and ornamentals, shade design, cool season changes, indoor gardening and more. Gus Becker is again teaching “Make and Take a Hypertufa Pot.” He will give instruction on how to make the planters that look like heavy concrete, but that are very light, and participants will be able to take them home and plant them, perhaps using skills learned in the container gardening class. Jane Collins’ Short Stories class also returns for the spring session, and RoveriSmith said, “She’s got a really interesting selection of stories this year.” Among the titles are Ray Bradbury’s “There Will Come Soft Rains,” which begins with a homeowner’s dream (or nightmare) of the perfect home; W.D. Wetherell’s coming-of-age piece, “The Bass, The River and Sheila Mant”; and Mary Gordon’s “Intertextuality,” about an emotionally distant family. Collins also

teaches line dancing. And Roveri-Smith said, “The Shepherd’s Singers are back! A lot of people have been missing this group. We’ve got a new instructor, Yvonne Kim. Hopefully, they’ll be able to provide the entertainment for one of our luncheons.” If you’ve got a new laptop computer, iPad or another tablet, or if you’re having issues using it, bring it to the Shepherd’s Center on Thursday mornings beginning on April 9 and get expert help. The center’s classes are very diverse, Roveri-Smith said. “I’ve learned to crochet, quilt, ‘chicken scratch,’ speak a little Spanish, and I brushed up on my sign language in the seven years I’ve been director,” she said. “I even learned to do simple repairs on my lawn mower.” The spring session will also bring classes on Middle East geography, creative card making, low impact aerobics and much more, including a UFO class on Wednesdays. Madi Meeker will host this course, for which members will bring in their UnFinished Objects to complete. In addition to the Thursday classes, some Shepherd’s Center members participate in a variety of activities on other days, including bowling; several card games, from bridge to hand and foot; yoga, Sit to be Fit; and more. For a very reasonable fee, members can also join in on trips and tours, Roveri-Smith said; for example, in September there is a seven-day trip to Miami and Key West, Florida, and in June, six days in Lancaster, Pennsylvania’s Amish country. Shepherd’s Center classes and programs are available to anyone 50 years of age or older who becomes a member. The 2015 membership is $20, which is paid just once for the entire

The Shepherd’s Singers are back for the spring session of Adventures in Learning at the Shepherd’s Center of Sumter. The group for those who love to sing also performs, often at the center’s luncheons. The short stories class taught by Jane Collins is always popular with Shepherd’s Center members who love to read and discuss a variety of stories. Authors of this session’s works include Ray Bradbury, Mary Gordon and W.D. Wetherell. Classes meet each Thursday beginning April 9. SUMTER ITEM FILE PHOTOS

year, and class participation is $15 if paid by April 6, $20 thereafter. A member may take any number of classes for just $15 per session of Adventures in Learning. There is a $6 charge for each meal. Menus are available at the center. The public information classes are open to the public at no charge and are held in the FaHaLo classroom at Trinity United Methodist Church. They will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursdays, as well,

beginning April 9. On the schedule so far are: • April 9 – Getting the most from your iPhone, led by Chip Chase of FTC • April 23 –Understanding Advance Directives, Living Wills and Powers of Attorney with Wade Kolb of Kolb, Murphy and Givens Law Firm • April 30 – Lawn Care for Spring and Summer, Clemson Extension The Shepherd’s Center of

Sumter is supported primarily by local congregations, business sponsors and membership fees. For more information and a complete schedule, call (803) 773-1944 between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Monday through Friday or stop by the office at The Lincoln Trinity Center at 24 Council St. during the same hours, e-mail sumtershepherdcenter@yahoo.com or visit the website www.shepherdscenter. com.

Silent Marx brother Harpo was devoted, happy dad BY NICK THOMAS Tinseltown Talks

TOP: The Marx Brothers are shown in the famous stateroom scene from their film, “A Night at the Opera.” RIGHT: This family Christmas photo with the Harpo Marx family shows Bill sitting next to Harpo, Minnie in the middle, Alex on the bottom left, and Jimmy on the bottom right. Harpo was a devoted family man. PHOTOS PROVIDED

he final Marx Brothers film is generally considered to be “Love Happy.” Premiering in San Francisco in 1949, it was released throughout the U.S. the following March – 65 years ago this month. Since Groucho, Chico and Harpo never appear on screen together, Marx Brothers fans have little “love” for the movie. Nor were the Brothers particularly “happy” making it, although it did provide some enjoyable moments showcasing Harpo’s silent talents. Harpo’s son, Bill Marx (see www. harposplace.com), was 12 when the film was released. “It was a difficult film for dad to do,” Bill told me in a 2009 interview. “Originally it was going to be his movie. But in order to get financing, the producer had to write Chico and Groucho into the story. So the final film was nothing like Dad originally had in mind. It was an awful experience for him, but he had to do it as he was under contract.” Harpo, of course, was the silent Marx Brother known for his outrageous on-screen mimes. Softly-spoken with a distinctive New York accent in real life, according to son Bill, he was largely mute in public, too. “He would rarely speak for any sort of public relations event or on TV to pitch something,” said Bill. “Very rarely did he ever speak on stage. I’ve got some audio recordings of his, but they will never be heard publicly. There’s not a whole lot, mostly family recordings.” Some recordings of his voice have found their way to the Internet over the years, much to the disappointment of the Marx family. “We were all actually very disturbed when those things came out,” said Bill. “It was contradictory to his philosophy of the character he created and the public embraced. That’s why he once turned down

oodles of money from a TV network to say just one word. He felt that would violate the public’s trust in the mime they knew as Harpo, thus diluting its curious mystique.” At home with his four children, Harpo naturally didn’t give his family the silent treatment. He was, daughter Minnie Marx told me, a devoted dad. “He never raised his voice to us, ever,” she said. “We were each treated with respect and love. In the early days when he had to travel a lot for his work, the time with the kids became very special.” She says Harpo was also a man of simple tastes. “He never drove a fancy car, didn’t wear expensive clothes from France or Italy, or live an extravagant lifestyle. Simple things made him happy.” Minnie says Harpo raised her well. “My dad taught me that you always have to look for the good in people. He never had a negative thing to say about a person, at least that I ever heard. He also taught me to think before you speak, especially when you are mad.” In addition to his silence, Harpo was also recognized for his harp playing. “He loved to practice,” recalled Bill. “He’d do it for two to three hours a day whether he was working or not. He just loved the harp – its feeling, its sensuality, the vibrations, and the harmony and sounds of the chords. The harps you see in the films were his personal instruments.” Harpo died in 1964, but his harps have not remained silent. “When he passed away, my mother and I went to Israel and donated them to the Rubin Academy of Music, now the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance,” said Bill. “Students are still playing them, which is wonderful.” Nick Thomas teaches at Auburn University at Montgomery, Ala., and has written features, columns, and interviews for more than 550 magazines and newspapers. Follow on Twitter @TinseltownTalks.

FOOD

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2015

THE SUMTER ITEM

Go ahead, give in to the pressure! BY J.M. HIRSCH AP Food Editor t’s one of the most per-

vasive of culinary cliches — the exploding

pressure cooker. And thanks to it, all manner of otherwise adept home cooks fearfully retreat from this kitchen workhorse. Except that it’s a fear justified only if you are using a pressure cooker manufactured decades ago. It’s been a long time since even bargain versions of these speed demon cooking pots lacked sufficient fail-safes to ensure your pot roast or baked beans wouldn’t erupt. Which is why cookbook authors Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough hope to retire the cliche and get people excited about pressure cooking. But the changes aren’t just about a lack of explosions. Modern pressure cookers — sales of which have boomed recently — are predominantly electric, Scarbrough said in a recent telephone interview. And electric pressure cookers require different cooking times and volumes of liquid than stovetop models. They also come with more bells and whistles, including doubling as slow cookers and Bluetooth controls via a smartphone. For those not in the know, pressure cookers work — and work more quickly than traditional cooking methods — by trapping the steam produced during cooking. This allows you to cook beyond the standard boiling point of 212 F, usually closer to 250 F. This means that foods that typically need long, slow simmers can be cooked fast and with surprisingly good results. Scarbrough and Weinstein walk readers through all this — including how to adjust cooking times based on traditional vs. electric models — with 500 recipes in their new book, “The Great Big Pressure Cooker Book.” Scarbrough recently chatted about all those changes, and why a simple soup may help people appreciate them. (Interview edited for length and clarity.) People tend to be relatively fearful of using a pressure cooker. So while they’re popular, there still is this disconnect. Scarbrough: Everybody’s got stories about “My grandmother blew the window out of her house” or “My grandmother blew the ceiling off her kitchen.” Of course, that has all been taken care of with the modern invention of the rubber gasket. You can’t really blow the lid off these things anymore. You can blow the gasket out and it will spill out down the side of the pot and onto the stove, but you can’t take the ceiling off the top of your stove anymore. I think we may also have a bit of gadget fatigue going on, because my god, how many more gadgets do I need in my kitchen? That may change because the way pressure cookers are all morphing is into the three-inones; it’s a slow cooker, a rice

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

White Bean and Pancetta Soup is one of 500 recipes in “The Great Big Pressure Cooker Book.” cooker and a pressure cooker all in one pot. I think that may help. If you tell people they’re getting the slow cooker they like, and they’re also getting a pressure cooker, they are going to be more inclined to not only give the real estate to it, but also try it. Scarbrough: Sales of pressure cookers have escalated so much over the past five to 10 years, clearly there is an appetite for shall we say the microwave replacement — something that makes dinner fast, but makes it without the mushiness of microwaved food. Honest braises and soups without a long, two hours, four hours, six hours in the oven. I think the pressure cooker also appeals to people because the slow cooker forces you to think ahead. You have to have shopped yesterday for today to set it up this morning. The pressure cooker, you can actually shop on your way home from work. There’s also a sense that the only things a pressure cooker does is beans and roasts, which it does quite well. But most people don’t eat beans and roasts every day. So how do you turn it into an everyday tool? Scarbrough: We have a whole chapter of fish dishes in the book, which seems absurd. But most of those fish dishes in the chapter are using the pressure cooker to make a quick, literally five-minute deeply layered sauce. Then you take the lid off and stir the fish or the shrimp into it at the last moment. I think that automatically makes people think, “Oh wait, there’s something

WHITE BEAN AND PANCETTA SOUP Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough caution against substituting canned beans in this recipe. They say dried beans hold their texture better. They also suggest that for a smoky flavor, you can substitute slab bacon for the pancetta, or use 2 ounces of pancetta and 2 ounces of slab bacon. Start to finish: 30 minutes (plus soaking the beans overnight) Servings: 6 2 cups dried great northern beans (about 1 pound) One 4-ounce chunk pancetta, chopped 1 small yellow onion, chopped 1 quart chicken broth 4-inch sprig fresh rosemary 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper Up to 1/2 cup heavy cream (optional) Soak the beans in a big bowl of water on the counter for at least 12 hours or up to 16 hours. Drain in a colander set in the sink. Put the pancetta and onion in a 6-quart stovetop pressure cooker set over medium heat or in a 6-quart electric pressure cooker turned to the

else I can do here.” I can also say that in the demos that we’ve done, people have been blown away by the cheesecakes in the pressure cooker. They are creamier and denser and a bit chewier in a kind of true New York-style cheesecake way than you can often get in the oven. It is an amazing thing to make a cheesecake in the pressure cooker. What do you think is the most likely recipe to make a convert out of somebody, or at least make them more willing to explore? Scarbrough: I have been pointing people to a recipe in the book for white bean and pancetta soup. It kind of does everything a pressure cooker

browning mode. Saute until the pancetta is crisp at the edges and the onion has softened, about 4 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the broth, rosemary, pepper and salt, as well as the drained beans. Lock the lid onto the pot. STOVETOP: Raise the heat to high and bring the pot to high pressure (15 psi). Once this pressure has been reached, reduce the heat as much as possible while maintaining this pressure. Cook for 10 minutes. ELECTRIC: Set the machine to cook at high pressure (9 to 11 psi). Set the machine’s timer to cook at high pressure for 15 minutes. Use the quick-release method (according to your pressure cooker’s instructions) to return the pot’s pressure to normal. Unlock and open the pot. Discard the rosemary sprig. Mash some of the beans against the walls of the cooker with a wooden spoon to create a thick paste to thicken the soup. Stir well, adding the cream, if desired. Nutrition information per serving: 340 calories; 80 calories from fat (24 percent of total calories); 8 g fat (2.5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 10 mg cholesterol; 47 g carbohydrate; 12 g fiber; 2 g sugar; 21 g protein; 1,080 mg sodium.

should do. Dried beans in an amazing amount of time. The pancetta gets luxuriously soft. The other thing that has proven itself in demos is the chili mac. It is amazing that you can put the dried pasta and the cheese and all the ingredients in there and end up with chili mac in five minutes. Pressure cooker technology has changed so much, recipes no longer seem to match up with older models. These days, you can make nuanced adjustments to the pressure level you cook at. But in pressure cookers even a decade or so old, you just don’t have that level of control. That must make recipe writing for these devices a challenge. Scarbrough: Especially be-

cause the electric pressure cooker has become the bulk of the market. Electric pressure cookers have all these sensors that let you adjust the pressure. Also, the problem is, those electric pressure cookers do cook at a lower pressure than the one on your stove. So timings are all off for electric. Many times the liquid level is off. You often have to use less liquid because often they don’t release any steam during cooking. What astounded us when we went to write this book is that despite the fact that the bulk of the sales are electric, almost all food writers still wrote every recipe as though it was for the stovetop model.

A light, vibrant chilled soup fit for spring, Easter dinner BY ALISON LADMAN The Associated Press Soup can be an unusual choice for a spring dinner. We’re supposed to be celebrating light, bright flavors and a return of fresh produce. Heavy and hearty are out of place. Except that spring soups can be bright, light and a delicious blend of fresh — rather than long-simmered — flavors. Looking for an accompaniment to the traditional flavors of Easter dinner, we created this rich, creamy chilled soup that is simple and refreshing. It blends blanched peas, cucumber and avocados with mint and basil for a rush of beautiful green flavors. This soup and pesto are easily prepared up to a day ahead, then refrigerated. Let warm slightly to room temperature before serving.

CHILLED CUCUMBER, AVOCADO AND PEA SOUP WITH MINT PESTO Start to finish: 15 minutes Servings: 6 1/2 cup packed fresh mint leaves 1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves 6 tablespoons olive oil Kosher salt and ground black pepper 1 teaspoon lime juice 1 cup fresh or frozen peas 2 avocados, pitted and peeled 1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks 1 1/2 cups buttermilk 1/4 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt To make the pesto, in a food processor combine the mint, basil and olive oil. Process until smooth, then season with salt and pepper. Stir in the lime juice,

then set aside. In a small saucepan, heat 1/2 inch of water. Once the water is simmering, add the peas and cook until tender but still bright green, about 2 minutes. Drain the peas and cool completely. Shortly before serving, in a blender combine the avocados, cucumber, peas and buttermilk. Process until very smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the soup into serving bowls and drizzle with the pesto. Top each with a dollop of sour cream or yogurt. Nutrition information per serving: 300 calories; 220 calories from fat (73 percent of total calories); 25 g fat (4 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 5 mg cholesterol; 15 g carbohydrate; 7 g fiber; 6 g sugar; 7 g protein; 250 mg sodium. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

FOOD

THE SUMTER ITEM

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2015

A lemon-pepper pork that should have been chicken BY J.M. HIRSCH AP Food Editor This is the pork tenderloin that was supposed to be a chicken. But it ended up being one of those delicious mistakes I was so glad I made. I was aiming for a roasted whole chicken that was rubbed under and over the skin with a potent blend of coarse black pepper, kosher salt, dried thyme, garlic powder and lemon zest. Then I’d drizzle it with oil and pop it in the oven. When it came out, I was planning to squeeze the lemon juice over the crisp skin. I could already smell it. And that was the problem. I pulled the chicken out of the refrigerator and started to unwrap it. The smell hit me hard. The chicken was spoiled. And I didn’t have a spare. But I did have a bowl full of the lemon-pepper seasoning I’d made. To make the best of it, I grabbed the only other fresh meat I had on hand — a large pork tenderloin. I rubbed, oiled, roasted and drizzled it just as I’d been planning for the chicken. It was outrageously good, tangy and savory and salty with a nice bite from the pepper. No idea if the seasoning mix will make a good chicken. Still haven’t tested that, but this pork recipe will make you glad I didn’t.

This roasted pork tenderloin recipe features coarse black pepper, kosher salt, dried thyme, garlic powder and lemon zest. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

the tenderloin. Set the pork on the prepared baking sheet, then roast for 15 minutes, or until it reaches 145 F at the center. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes, then slice into 1/2-inch-thich slices. Squeeze the lemons over the sliced pork and serve immediately. Nutrition information per serving: 220 calories; 60 calories from fat (27 percent of total calories); 7 g fat (1.5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 110 mg cholesterol; 1 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 0 g sugar; 36 g protein; 810 mg sodium.

LEMON-PEPPER ROASTED PORK TENDERLOIN Serve this pork tenderloin with a side of roasted new potatoes. Toss them with olive oil, smoked paprika, salt and pepper, then roast at the same temperature as the pork for 20 minutes, or until tender. You can even roast them on the same baking sheet. Just arrange the potatoes on one half, roast for about 5 minutes, then add the pork to the other half of the pan and continue roasting. Just before serving the potatoes, squeeze a little of the lemon juice over them at the same time as you do the pork. Start to finish: 25 minutes Servings: 4 2 lemons, zested 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt 1 teaspoon dried thyme 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 1/2-pound pork tenderloin Heat the oven to 425. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. In a small bowl, mix together the lemon zest, salt, thyme, garlic powder and black pepper. Drizzle the olive oil over the pork tenderloin, then rub to coat evenly. Sprinkle the lemon zest mixture evenly over all sides of

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COMICS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2015

BIZARRO

SOUP TO NUTZ

ANDY CAPP

GARFIELD

BEETLE BAILEY

BORN LOSER

BLONDIE

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Daughter-in-law who flashes needs to cover up DEAR ABBY — My fiance, “Jerry,” has a daughterin-law who flashes both of us intimate parts of her body. At Dear Abby a recent gathering, ABIGAIL she went VAN BUREN down to the floor 2 feet away from where Jerry was sitting and gave us both a full view up her dress. Abby, she did it deliberately! I thought the time one of her breasts popped out of her blouse was a “wardrobe malfunction.” I no longer feel that way. Jerry is a pushover. He doesn’t say anything; he just

THE SUMTER ITEM

runs away from it. I’m afraid things will only get worse. She must be trying to run me off. I can’t think of any other reason for her behavior. We have decided to not go on vacation with them this year because of this. Jerry is doing what he can for us to avoid being around her, but he has his 1-year-old granddaughter he adores to consider. What do you think is going on? Covering my eyes in Texas DEAR COVERING — I think the daughter-in-law either has no sense of modesty or she’s an exhibitionist who enjoys shocking people. Because it bothers you and embarrasses your fiance, he should tell his son and explain how it makes the both of you feel. If the son delivers the message to his

THE DAILY CROSSWORD PUZZLE

wife, it shouldn’t cause a family rift. DEAR ABBY — Last year my unmarried 30ish niece became a mother. Never once at family gatherings has there been any mention of a father. I am more than a little bit curious. A one-night stand? A fertility clinic? A do-it-yourself turkey-baster job? Would I be wrong to bring up the subject? Curious uncle in Oregon DEAR UNCLE — Yes, you would. I can 100 percent guarantee that a male was involved at some point in the conception of that child. And if the father’s identity was any of your business, you would already know the answer to that question.

JUMBLE

SUDOKU

THAT SCRAMBLED WORD GAME By David L. Hoyt and Jeff Knurek

HOW TO PLAY: Each row, column and set of 3-by-3 boxes must contain the numbers 1 through 9 without repetition.

ACROSS 1 Visits 8 Legal test, familiarly 14 Reporter’s needs 15 Punk rock surname 16 Like some watches 18 Cost-of-living fig. 19 Feed in a bag 20 “Am __ the right track?” 22 Bath floater 26 Gumbo veggie 27 Nylons, fishnets, etc. 28 Petty squabbles 29 Penny-__ 30 “I’ll have another” responder 34 Neon, or fuel for a Neon 35 Patchwork plaything 36 Public image, briefly 39 Freaked out 40 One-eighties 41 Freak out 44 Shows proof of 46 Player with a record 14 100-RBI seasons 47 Running a marathon may be on it 50 ‘90s “SNL” regular Meadows 51 “__ Jim” 52 Knack for

snappy comebacks 53 Project suggested by the starts of 16-, 22-, 35and 47-Across 59 River through Toledo 60 Hall who won on “Celebrity Apprentice” in 2012 61 Linen closet stack 62 Jones with a diary DOWN 1 Cincinnati-toNashville dir. 2 Shelley’s “__ Skylark” 3 Pariahs 4 Private school student 5 Parchment user 6 Atmo- kin 7 “Ash Wednesday” poet’s monogram 8 __ by fire 9 Speed 10 Ambulance VIPs 11 Fluffy scarf 12 Golfer Sorenstam, who was among the first women to become honorary members of St Andrews golf club in

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(HD) Women: LA (HD) 76 Hardball with Chris (N) (HD) All in with Chris Hayes (HD) The Rachel Maddow Show (N) Lawrence O’Donnell (HD) All in with Chris Hayes (HD) Maddow (HD) 91 Thunderman Thunderman Full Hse Full Hse Full Hse Full Hse Prince Prince Friends (HD) Friends (HD) Raymond (HD) 154 Cops (HD) Cops (HD) Cops (HD) Cops (HD) Cops (HD) Cops (HD) Cops (HD) Cops (HD) Cops (HD) Cops (HD) Jail (HD) 152 Beast of the Bering Sea (‘13, Science Fiction) Cassie Scerbo. Single father Atlantic Rim (‘13, Science Fiction) Graham Greene. U.S. government uses Bermuda Tentacles (‘14, Science Fiction) Linda Hamiland family are in a fight for their lives against sea vampires. robotic warriors to fight against giant sea monsters. ton. U.S. Navy team awakens creature. Seinfeld: The The Big Bang The Big Bang The Big Bang The Big Bang The Big Bang The Big Bang Conan James Corden; Christopher The Office Stupid 156 Seinfeld: The Caddy (HD) Seven (HD) Theory (HD) Theory (HD) Theory (HD) Theory (HD) Theory (HD) Theory (HD) Plummer. (N) (HD) games. (HD) A Letter to Three Wives (‘49, Drama) Jeanne Crain. Women get a letter The Whales of August (‘87, Drama) aaac Lillian (:45) The Blue Gardenia (‘53, Crime) 186 (6:45) Target (‘52, Western) ac Tim Holt. Land thieves. saying one of their husbands has run off with another woman. Gish. Elderly sisters face changing times. aaa Anne Baxter. 157 Strange (HD) My Strange My 600-lb Life (HD) My 600-lb Life (N) (HD) Strange (N) Strange (N) My 600-lb Life (HD) Strange (HD) Castle: Recoil Senator William H. Castle: Reality Star Struck Reality TV Castle: Target A business man’s CSI: NY: Lat 40° 47’ N/Long 73° 58’ CSI: NY (HD) 158 Castle: Death Gone Crazy An adult filmmaker is murdered. (HD) Bracken. (HD) star is found murdered. (HD) daughter is kidnapped. (HD) W Bodies across town. (HD) 102 Jokers Jokers Jokers Jokers Jokers Jokers Kart Life A risky choice. (N) (:01) Bar Class vs. sass. (:02) Jokers 161 Walker: Lucas, Part 2 Fam. Feud Fam. Feud Raymond (HD) Raymond (HD) Cleveland (N) Soul Man (N) Queens (HD) Queens (HD) Friends (HD) NCIS: Better An gels Gibbs leaves NCIS: Al ibi Re-in ves ti gat ing a NCIS: Devil’s Triad Vic tim linked to NCIS: Home sick Mys te ri ous ill ness Mod ern Fam ily Mod ern Fam ily Mod ern Family 132 mid-case for his father. (HD) hit-and-run case. (HD) Gibbs’ ex’s boyfriend. (HD) hits military kids. (HD) (HD) (HD) (HD) Law & Order: Ritual (HD) Law & Order (HD) Law & Order: Expert (HD) Law & Order: Castoff (HD) Law & Order: Grief (HD) Law (HD) 172 Funniest Home Videos (HD) Funniest Home Videos (HD) How I Met How I Met How I Met How I Met How I Met How I Met Rules (HD)

‘Big Time in Hollywood, FL’ offers little to care about BY KEVIN MCDONOUGH The Internet has been a fertile ground for comic talent. “Broad City,” starring Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer, has just completed its second season on Comedy Central. It’s one of the better examples of a Web-based series that found a larger audience on more traditional television. It has a cheap and dirty feel about it that meshes nicely with its storylines about two perfectly ridiculous 20-something women. In contrast, the new series “Big Time in Hollywood, FL” (10:30 p.m., Comedy Central, TV-14) is set in the world of go-nowhere young people, but has a decidedly slick look and professional feel. Alex Anfanger and Lenny Jacobson star as Jack and Ben, brothers who see themselves as budding filmmakers but depend entirely on their parents, Diana and Alan (Kathy Baker and Stephen Tobolowsky), for, well, everything. Things come to a head when Mom and Dad decide to kick them out so they can get jobs and, perhaps, a life. And it’s around this point — scant minutes into the proceedings — when the tone shifts toward the ugly and incredible. The brothers shout obscenities at their father and accuse him of sexual molestation and later decide to scam their parents into bankrolling their film project and auteur lifestyle. Neither their goofy delusions nor their harsh turn toward extortion are entirely believable — or much worth caring about. And the “Big Time” production values are completely out of sync with its subject matter. For those who stick around, look for cameos from Cuba Gooding Jr. and Michael Madsen. • Do people watch “Nashville” (10 p.m., ABC, TV-PG) for its guilty-pleasure melodrama? Or the music? Fans of the latter are in luck. For the second year, “Nashville on the Record” offers cast members performing from Music City’s Grand Ole Opry House. The actors/performers are joined by real Nashville talent, including Reba McEntire and acclaimed singer/songwriter Deana Carter. • Lost in the conversation about series available exclu-

JESSE GRANT / COMEDY CENTRAL

Alex Anfanger, left, and Lenny Jacobson star as brothers Jack and Ben Dolfe in the new series “Big Time in Hollywood, FL” premiering at 10:30 p.m. today on Comedy Central. sively on streaming services like Amazon or Netflix are those made available only on the DirecTV satellite system. Over the years, DirecTV became the home to the final seasons of “Damages” and “Friday Night Lights.” The Audience Network on DirecTV features the season debut of “Full Circle” (8 p.m.), starring Terry O’Quinn (“Lost”) as a Chicago cop whose investigation sent his own father-in-law (Stacy Keach) to prison.

TONIGHT’S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS • The wages of interns are murder on “The Mysteries of Laura” (8 p.m., NBC, TV-14). • Allegations hit close to home for Carisi on “Law & Order: SVU” (9 p.m., NBC, TV14). • Phil feels old on “Modern Family” (9 p.m., ABC, TV-PG). • Arsonists strike by remote control on “CSI: Cyber” (10 p.m., CBS, TV-PG). • The gang goes undercover

at a convention on “Chicago P.D.” (10 p.m., NBC, TV-14). • Collateral damage on “The Americans” (10 p.m., FX, TVMA). • Miller’s sister’s problems come to the surface on “Broadchurch” (10 p.m., BBC America, TV-14). • Moira and David launch a cosmetics line on “Schitt’s Creek” (10 p.m., Pop, TV-14). A second season for this comedy has been announced.

CULT CHOICE Downsized and decidedly middle-aged, two salesmen (Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson) try to reinvent themselves on the Google campus in the 2013 comedy “The Internship” (9:15 p.m., HBO).

“The Goldbergs” (8:30 p.m., ABC, TV-PG) * A politician’s wife vanishes on “Criminal Minds” (9 p.m., CBS, TV-14) * A series of suicides investigated on “Supernatural” (9 p.m., CW, TV-14) * Middle-aged crazy on “black-ish” (9:30 p.m., ABC, TVPG).

LATE NIGHT Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering are scheduled on “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart” (11 p.m., Comedy Central) * James Corden, Christopher Plummer and The Mavericks appear on “Conan” (11 p.m.,

TBS) * James Franco, Jake Johannsen and Action Bronson appear on “Late Show With David Letterman” (11:35 p.m., CBS) * Jimmy Fallon welcomes Mitt Romney, Grace Helbig and G-Unit on “The Tonight Show” (11:35 p.m., NBC) * Jeremy Piven, David Benioff, Daniel Weiss and Marina and the Diamonds visit “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (12:35 a.m., NBC) * Kevin Hart, Will Ferrell and Leon Bridges appear on “The Late Late Show” (12:35 a.m., CBS). Copyright 2015, United Feature Syndicate

SERIES NOTES Frankie and Sue anxiously wait for acceptance letters on “The Middle” (8 p.m., ABC, TVPG) * Diggle marries Lyla on “Arrow” (8 p.m., CW, TV-14) * Diedrich Bader guest-stars on

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When combined, eggs, ketchup and a pot of boiled chicken (along with a few other ingredients) create this yummy Red Chicken Stew, which is seen here on a bed of rice.

McKagen’s Stew ‘Red Chicken’ hatched in Sumter

t is widely known Sumter is the Gamecock City. A lesser-

known fact is that a regional treat, Red Chicken Stew, was invented right here in Sumter County. I always assumed Red Chicken Stew was a Southern dish. Upon further research into cookbooks and recipe forums, I found it is, in fact, distinctly South Carolinian. Wander past the state OSTEEN line and our much-beloved stew morphs into bog or cacciatore or coq au vin. Slow-simmered chicken by any name is delicious, but you can’t call it red chicken without including ketchup, eggs and rice. If you look in the many local cookbooks produced by schools, churches or leagues, you encounter several versions of the recipe. Take a seat at any lunch counter,

A sign outside Mary Ann’s Deli on Bultman Drive lists Red Chicken Stew regularly on its weekly soup menu. Several local restaurants feature Red Chicken Stew on their menus.

McKAGEN’S (RED CHICKEN) STEW SUMTER FILE PHOTOS

McKagen’s (Red Chicken) Stew made its debut at Sunset Lakes Pavilion, above. The recreational resort offered swimming, dancing, sporting events and food for patrons. It was a popular social spot from its opening in May 12, 1924 until it was destroyed by fire Jan. 2, 1930. An advertisement, right, announces the opening of Second Mill Pavilion near the present-day site of the Elk’s Lodge. home-style restaurant or cafe in Sumter, and it’s likely Red Chicken Stew is the Soup de Jour. Walk into your neighbor’s kitchen and you might just find a pot of the delicious stew bubbling and ready to go over rice. Sumterites have been cook-

ing up pots of red comfort for nearly 100 years, but few know the stew’s beginnings or its inventor, George Phillip McKagen Jr. (b.1874-d.1933). McKagen was the son of George Phillip McKagen Sr., Confederate Army veteran and Sumter County deputy sheriff, and Emile Cecile Singleton. According to family genealogical records, he lived in the old Singleton house by Green Swamp just off Lewis Road. McKagen began making the stew to serve to patrons at Sunset Lake Pavilion. This popular 1920s recreational spot was located at Second Mill off Liberty Street, near the present-day site of the Elk’s Lodge. It’s not difficult to imagine the inspiration behind the dish; a little bit of chicken feeds a crowd, and if more people show up you can always add a few more eggs to the pot. McKagen’s stew was a hit, and soon other people began making it. Eventually, over the years, it became known as Red Chicken Stew. Jackie Hughes, Singleton family historian, learned the history of McKagen’s stew

1 hen 4-5 eggs 2 large onions, diced 4 large potatoes, diced 1 bottle ketchup Worcestershire sauce 1/4 tsp. each red and black pepper Salt to taste 1 tbsp. flour mixed with 1/4 cup cold water 1/2 a stick of butter 2 cups rice (6 cups cooked) Cover the hen with water and boil till done. Set aside to cool. Remove meat from the bones and cut it up. Be sure to save the chicken broth. While chicken is cooling, hard boil 4 to 5 eggs. Slice or chop eggs. Add the potatoes and onions along with the eggs to the chicken broth. Cook until tender, approximately 30 minutes. Add 1 large bottle of ketchup. Add 2 teaspoons of Worcestershire Sauce Add red pepper, black pepper and salt to taste. To thicken, add flour with water. Add butter (optional). When the stew is ready, add the cut-up chicken and simmer for about 30 minutes. This is best served over rice, so don’t forget to make it while you are making the stew.

from her aunt, Virginia (Jennie) Mellette Capper, a cousin of McKagen. Aunt Jennie made the stew all the time and passed the story and original McKagen recipe on to Hughes. “I don’t think this story has been told lately,” Hughes said. “All the people who knew about it are probably dead. We are talking about something that happened nearly 100 years ago.” When asked if she feels a sense of pride when she sees Red Chicken Stew on a menu she said, “Not necessarily.

But my aunt did.” Hughes was kind enough to share the original recipe, passed down through the Singleton family. It makes enough to feed a large family, and if unexpected guests arrive simply make more rice and add an extra chopped egg or two. It’s a taste of history that continues to delight, and you can assure your family and friends they are enjoying an original Sumter dish. Email Susan Doherty Osteen at sdosteen@me.com.