March 9, 2016

IN PANORAMA:

Los Lonely Boys comes to Sumter C1 INSIDE

Can Trump build a wall?

Presidential candidate’s proposal faces hurdles A4

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Candy company closes 60 jobs lost

BY JIM HILLEY jim@theitem.com A quick view of Au’some Candy Co. in Live Oak Business Park confirmed reports received by The Sumter Item on Tuesday that about 60 employees arrived at the company ready for another day’s work but instead were called to a meeting and told the plant was immediately shutting down.

A supervisor who contacted The Sumter Item said the company, which is Chinese-owned, had sought out a merger or a buyer in China, but no one came to the rescue.

The supervisor estimated employees typically made between $25,000 to $30,000 a year working in the 100,000-square-foot facility, which had previously been occupied by Bosch Braking Systems. The plant manufactured Florida’s Natural Brand Nuggetts and 3-Dee Gummies.

Chairman of Sumter County Development Board Jay Schwedler said Tuesday he was as surprised as anybody by the closing.

“The first thing we are going to do is take care of the employees,” he said. “We will assemble a team and do whatever we can to find them jobs.”

Schwedler said such plant closings are not uncommon.

“It’s not the end of the world,” he said.

The supervisor said the skilled labor force that is now available because of the closure includes maintenance technicians, machine operators and laborers.

Slightly more than four years ago, local and state dignitaries gathered in a tent in the parking lot at Au’some Candy to celebrate the opening of the plant and the new jobs it was bringing to Sumter, according to a February 2012 article in The Sumter Item.

“Instead of sending companies overseas, we’re bringing companies from overseas back into this country,” Gov. Nikki Haley said at the plant’s opening four years ago.

“South Carolina is not waiting. We’re really making sure they’re invited.”

Greg Thompson, then chairman of the Sumter County Development

JIM HILLEY / THE SUMTER ITEM

The employee entrance to the Au’some Candy plant in the Live Oak Industrial Park stands silent Tuesday afternoon.

Then new employees at the Au’some candy manufacturing plant in Sumter were taught by representatives from Au’some’s home country of China how to operate the facility’s equipment before the grand opening in 2012.

SUMTER ITEM FILE PHOTO

Board, said Sumter was lucky to get the company’s only plant in North America.

“They could have put this any-

Chamber hosts Legislative Day in Columbia today

BY JIM HILLEY jim@theitem.com Greater Sumter Chamber of Commerce’s 10th annual Legislative Day will begin at 10 a.m. today at the Statehouse in Columbia.

The event will begin with a gathering in the lower lever auditorium at the Statehouse in Columbia to hear presentations and take a Statehouse tour. A luncheon at the Palmetto Club, 131 Sumter St., Columbia, will follow at 11:45 a.m.

Scheduled speakers include South Carolina Chamber of Commerce President Ted Pitts and S.C. Department of Transportation Secretary Christy Hall along with members of the Sumter General Assembly delegation, who will be available for a question and answer session.

“All the delegation should be there

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with the possible exception of Dr. Ridgeway,” said Chamber Director of Communications Suzie Massey.

“They will all have interesting things to say, and I am sure everyone will want to hear from Rep. Grady Brown, who is retiring this year,” Massey said.

Free parking passes are not available this year.

Massey recommended attendees use the Lady Street or Park Street garages, which are nearby and inexpensive.

Cost of the luncheon is $20, and reservations are required.

The annual event is sponsored by City of Sumter, Sumter County, Sumter Economic Development/Sumter Smarter Growth Initiative, First Citizens Bank and NBSC. For more information, visit www. thesumterchamber.com or call (803) 7751231.

where in the world, and they decided to put it right here,” Thompson said.

Sumter County Council Chairman Eugene Baten said Sumter County

worked hard to make sure the community was ready to welcome the candy company.

“When you invest in yourself, people will invest in you,” Baten said.

“When Au’some Candy was searching in the Southeast for the right place for their facility, Sumter County was doing things to make itself attractive. Au’some and Sumter County are a perfect fit.”

Also on hand at the opening were Sumter Mayor Joe McElveen and state Rep. Murrell Smith.

Au’some Candy Chief Executive Officer David Tsu had promised to invest $6 million and employ 120 people, according to the February 2012 article in The Sumter Item.

County rescinds ordinance to monitor tractor-trailer use on residential roads

BY ADRIENNE SARVIS adrienne@theitem.com During its meeting Tuesday, Sumter County Council voted to rescind first reading of an ordinance prohibiting tractor-trailer trucks from using certain county-maintained roads after recognizing that the ordinance would affect entities other than the intended group.

The ordinance would require that drivers or owners of tractortrailer trucks notify county public works of planned routes that take the vehicles on residential roadways.

Councilman Eugene Baten asked why council should not proceed with the ordinance because it

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would serve a good purpose, considering the critical state of some of the county’s roads.

Logging trucks traveling through the county were a major concern leading to the introduction of the proposed ordinance, but Sumter County Administrator Gary Mixon said it was brought to the county’s attention that tractor-trailer trucks are used for other purposes.

Farmers and real estate groups also frequently use tractor-trailer trucks, he said. Mixon said the county also cannot direct an ordinance toward one specific group.

Councilman Artie Baker commented that local industries with

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 2016

THE SUMTER ITEM

Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: pressrelease@theitem.com

Residents report rash of 14 vehicle break-ins

BY ADRIENNE SARVIS adrienne@theitem.com Sumter County Sheriff’s Office is warning vehicle owners to lock their vehicles at night after a rash of recent breakins and thefts, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office. Sumter Police Department is echoing that caution.

Residents living on McCray’s Mill Road, Kentwood Drive, Tamarah Way, Falling Water Lane, Brandy Court, Ashlynn Way, Jenson Road, Shallowford and Stadium Road reported a total of 14 incidents Friday and Saturday, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

The release states that a resident in the 300 block of Tamarah Way was frightened when

she walked into her garage about 6 a.m. Saturday and discovered a black man, who appeared to be about 20 years old, crouched down by her open car door going through her purse. The man fled when the victim screamed.

Also on Saturday, a resident of the 3100 block of Ashlynn Way discovered that someone used a crowbar to break the sliding glass door on his truck and stole a Lenovo Think Pad, valued at $650, during the night on Friday.

A resident on Brandy Court on Saturday found a neighbor’s wallet and returned it. A credit card was missing from the wallet that was reportedly taken from their car. Another Brandy Court resident report-

LOCAL BRIEF

ed a Louis Vuitton bag valued at $300, $10 in cash and a blow dryer valued at $20 were taken from their vehicle.

Sumter County Sheriff Anthony Dennis said in some cases nothing was taken but that did not stop the thief or thieves from ransacking the vehicles anyway.

“No one should leave any valuables in the vehicles at night,” Dennis said in the release. “However, if you must leave electronics or other valuables in the vehicle overnight, it should be either locked away in the glove box or trunk.

Nothing should be visible if someone looks inside.”

Dennis said the investigation into the reported vehicle breakins is continuing, and deputies

TIPS FOR AVOIDING BREAK-INS See www.theitem.com

will be patrolling these areas in an effort to stop this and any other criminal activity.

Sumter Police are investigating a number of vehicle break-ins in parts of the city since February.

The most recent break-ins were reported in the Foxcroft, Deerfield and The Cove areas of the city, a Tuesday news release stated. And, in most cases, the vehicles targeted were unlocked.

“It’s not unusual to have a spike in this type of crime as the days get longer and warmer,” Chief Russell F. Roark III

said. “The best course of action to protect you and your property is to always ‘Lock It Before You Leave It.’ Check to make sure your vehicle doors are locked as soon as you get out and check them again.

Make that a habit.”

Among the items reported stolen were a 20-gauge shotgun, debit and credit cards and Social Security cards.

If you do fall victim to a vehicle break-in, report it immediately and leave the vehicle the way you found it until it is cleared by an officer.

Anyone with information is asked to call Sumter Police Department at (803) 436-2700. Tips can also be given anonymously to Crime Stoppers at (803) 436-2718 or 1-888-CRIME-SC.

State Rep. Weeks honored for Adult Education efforts

FROM STAFF REPORTS

Local businesswoman hosts book launch party and signing Cassandra Miller Goodman will host a launch party and signing for her new book, “I Am Woman: 21 Triumphant Women Sharing Their Journey to Embracing Truth and Their Authentic Self,” at 4 p.m. Saturday at The Salterstown Community Center, 800 Salterstown Road. The book comprises the true stories of 21 women who survive abuse, rejection, betrayal and other painful situations to achieve peace and triumph.

Goodman is the founder and owner of Cassandra’s Dream Events, which she started in May 2013. She specializes in event planning and directing of weddings, corporate and community events.

She graduated from Central Carolina Technical College with a degree in paralegal studies/public services. She is also a graduate of University of Phoenix with a major in health administration.

She has worked in the health care industry for the past seven years.

Goodman volunteers with the National Kidney Foundation South Carolina team, Prevention Team of Sumter, the YWCA of the Upper Lowlands and other community programs in her area.

Admission is free, and the public is invited to attend. For more information, visit the website, www.cassandraspurpose.com/.

PHOTO PROVIDED

State Rep. David Weeks, D-Sumter, center, was named Legislator of the Year by the Adult Education Directors Division of South Carolina Association of School Administrators. The award was presented at the association’s meeting at Columbia Convention Center on Feb. 12 with nearly 400 adult educators in attendance. Weeks was cited for outstanding support of adult education. The award was presented by Sumter Adult Education Director and current SCAAED President Sharon Teigue, left, and David Stout, State Director for Adult Education, right.

Senate continues work on roads bill; doubts remain Editor’s note: This is the second in a series of four articles dealing with South Carolina’s roads.

BY CONOR HUGHES AND COLIN DEMAREST Carolina Reporter South Carolina’s Senate made headway last week on a bill that would address the state’s decaying network of roads by providing an additional $400 million in road money.

But the proposal is already hitting a major roadblock in the House. On Thursday, House Speaker Jay Lucas, RDarlington, expressed skepticism about the Senate road deal that uses monies from the

general fund, saying in a statement that it “simply kicks the can further down the road and frankly, into a pothole.”

The agreement reached in the Senate ends the gridlock and filibustering that has dominated the upper chamber ever since it began debates on a bill passed by the state House of Representatives last spring.

The bill now in the Senate does not include a hike in the 16-cent-per-gallon gas tax, and is far from the $1.47 billion that the Department of Transportation says is needed to fully repair roads and bridges.

DOT Secretary Christy Hall says she is encouraged by the dialogue in the Senate but still has concerns.

“My greatest fear is that we may have waited too long,” Hall said.

The Senate ended a Republican filibuster led by Sen. Tom Davis, R-Beaufort to scuttle an increase in the gas tax.

Gov. Nikki Haley has stressed that she would not sign a bill that included a raise in the gas tax and did not include income-tax relief.

Sen. Kevin Johnson, DManning, said he thinks the bill should include some type of recurring revenue for times when the general fund does not have a surplus.

“We need to have a designated source of funding for the roads,” Johnson said. “Yes we have a surplus right now,

but I know there are some years when you don’t have that kind of revenue.”

If passed, the roads bill will go back to the House of Representatives where it will face a new wave of deliberation and possible amendments.

Sen. Lee Bright, R-Spartanburg, who participated in the filibuster, says that he is satisfied with the development.

“We’re going to fix the roads, and we’re not going to have a gas tax increase,” Bright said. “So there won’t be a desire for the increase.”

Sen. Raymond Cleary, RGeorgetown, commended other states that have managed to fix their road problems, including Michigan and

neighboring Georgia.

He attributes their success to a legislative relationship with the governor, something he says is lacking in South Carolina.

Sen. Joel Lourie, D-Richland, feels that the proposal in the Senate is a temporary solution but he is glad to see progress.

“I think we’re going to get a roads bill through, but it doesn’t appear that the will and support is to do what is really necessary,” Lourie said.

“This bill is not too bad,” Johnson said. “I am hoping that is something that we can work on and end up with a bill the majority can support.”

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Sportscaster and television host Erin Andrews wipes tears as the verdict is read Monday in Nashville, Tennessee.

Jury awards $55M in lawsuit for nude video NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A jury awarded Erin Andrews $55 million in her lawsuit against a stalker who bought a hotel room next to her and secretly recorded a nude video, finding that the hotel companies and the stalker shared in the blame.

After a full day of deliberations, the panel said Monday that the stalker was responsible for 51 percent of the verdict and the two hotel companies should share the rest, which is nearly $27 million.

Andrews, a Fox Sports reporter and co-host of the TV show “Dancing with the Stars,” wept as jurors announced the verdict. She hugged her attorneys, family and several jurors after the verdict was read.

The jury heard directly from Andrews, who testified that she was humiliated, shamed and suffers from depression as a result of the video, which has been viewed by millions of people online. She had asked for $75 million.

Andrews’ parents described for jurors the terror they and their daughter felt after learning of the video but not knowing who took it, where it was shot and if someone was still watching their daughter.

An FBI investigation would later reveal that Michael David Barrett shot videos in hotels in Nashville and Columbus, Ohio, and posted them online.

The trial focused on the video shot in 2008 at the Nashville Marriott at Vanderbilt.

“I’ve been honored by all the support from victims around the world. Their outreach has helped me be able to stand up and hold accountable those whose job it is to protect ev-

eryone’s safety, security and privacy,” she said in a statement posted on her Twitter account.

On Friday, Davidson County Circuit Court Judge Hamilton Gayden found Barrett at fault and left it up to jurors to decide if the hotel owner, West End Hotel Partners, and former operator, Windsor Capital Group, should share any responsibility. The hotel is a franchise, and Marriott was not part of the trial.

Attorneys for the companies argued that while what happened to Andrews was terrible, the stalker should be solely to blame because he was a determined criminal. The attorneys also suggested that Andrews’ rise in her career showed she did not suffer severe and permanent distress.

After the verdict, they said they were disappointed and not sure if they would appeal.

They noted their cooperation in the FBI investigation and said the case had changed the hotel industry to make rooms more secure.

Andrews said her stalker’s arrest and imprisonment did not make the nightmare go away. She broke down on the stand repeatedly, saying she continues to suffer because people are still watching the videos and taunting her about them.

“This happens every day of my life,” Andrews said tearfully. “Either I get a tweet or somebody makes a comment in the paper or somebody sends me a still video to my Twitter or someone screams it at me in the stands, and I’m right back to this. I feel so embarrassed, and I am so ashamed.”

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POLITICS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 2016

THE SUMTER ITEM

Automatic voter registration takes hold on West Coast THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

A man mows his property along the border fence, in Brownsville, Texas, in October 2015. The staggered fence or “wall,” costing $6.5 million per mile, runs about 100 miles of Texas’ 1,254-mile border with Mexico.

Can Trump really make good on his promise to build a wall along the 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexican border to prevent illegal migration?

Great wall of Trump faces hurdles, question marks First, a 1970 boundary treaty governs structures along the Rio Grande and Colorado River at the Mexican border.

It requires that structures cannot disrupt the flow of the rivers, which flow across Texas and 24 miles in Arizona and define the U.S.-Mexican border, according to The International Boundary and Water Commission, a joint U.S.-Mexican agency that administers the treaty.

Trump has said his wall will not need to run the full 2,100mile length of the border, but even excluding those portions blocked by geographic features, there are serious issues.

In some places, treaty obligations and river flood zones would require the wall be built well into the United States, which would be awkward if the Mexican government is paying for it and overseeing the project. In addition to creating a sort of no-man’s land between the wall and the actual border, one government or the other would have to buy large amounts of private property as well as land owned by at least one Indian tribe whose territory straddles the border in southern Arizona.

In areas where the border is defined on dry land across New Mexico, most of Arizona and California, structures have to be built so that the wall doesn’t obstruct natural run off routes or otherwise induce flooding. Building in those areas can be complicated and costly. In sensitive sand dunes in Southern California, for instance, a “floating fence” had to be built to allow the natural movements of the dunes.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Can Donald Trump really make good on his promise to build a wall along the 2,000-mile U.S.Mexican border to prevent illegal migration? What’s more, can he make Mexico pay for it?

Sure, he can build it, but it’s not nearly as simple as he says.

Constructing the wall, now a signature applause line at Trump campaign rallies, is a complicated endeavor, fraught with difficulties. Numerous bureaucratic, diplomatic, environmental, monetary and logistical hurdles must be overcome.

And forcing the Mexican government to foot the bill won’t be easy, especially since its president has flat-out refused.

A physical barrier between Mexico and the United States has been tried before.

During President George W. Bush’s second term, Congress authorized $1.2 billion to build several hundred miles of double-layer fencing, but the government faced myriad obstacles. Private landowners objected to buyout offers. There were environmental concerns and lawsuits.

Some 650 miles of fencing now sits on the border, including roughly 15-foot tall steel fencing in many urban areas that is designed to stop or slow border crossers on foot and vehicle barriers, which are shorter steel posts filled with cement and planted in the ground.

Just getting that built was a challenge and a new, taller wall like the one Trump wants would almost certainly face as much, if not more, opposition.

Then, there are the conservation issues. Groups such as Defenders of Wildlife and the Sierra Club sued over parts of the existing partial fence.

And, federal regulations could prevent or at least significantly delay or increase costs of construction in certain areas.

A total of 18 federally protected species may be found along certain sections of the California border and at least 39 federally endangered, threatened, or candidate species live along the Arizona border, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Presuming Trump can overcome all of these bumps, he must also contend with the cost and the diplomatic consequences.

Numerous fact-checking organizations have taken issue with Trump’s estimate that the wall would be built for $10 billion to $12 billion. And, they have rejected his contention that the wall could be funded by reducing the U.S. trade deficit with Mexico. Figures released by the Army Corps of Engineers and the Congressional Research Service indicate that the total cost of the existing 650-mile fence has been $7 billion. And that doesn’t include maintenance and upkeep.

Trump has insisted that Mexico will pay for the wall, perhaps through fees on money that immigrants send home to their families, tariffs or other means. Fees would be wildly unpopular, and tariffs would likely run afoul of the North American Free Trade Agreement. The cost of such tariffs would also ultimately be borne by U.S. consumers.

Bloomberg decides against third-party run NEW YORK (AP) — Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Monday that he will not run for president, citing a concern that his independent bid would hand the White House to Donald Trump or Ted Cruz.

The billionaire, who has spent months mulling a third-party run that would have roiled this year’s already extraordinarily unpredictable presidential campaign, made his decision official through an editorial posted on the Bloomberg View website.

Bloomberg, in ending his third and likely final flirtation with a White House run, wrote that a three-way race could lead to no one winning a majority of electoral votes, which would send the race to the Republican-controlled House of Representatives — and, therefore, to one of the GOP front-runners.

“That is not a risk I can take in good conscience,” Bloomberg wrote.

Bloomberg was blistering in his critique of Trump, the GOP front-runner, saying the real estate mogul has run “the most divisive and demagogic presidential campaign I can remember, preying on people’s prejudices and fears.”

He was similarly critical of Cruz, saying the Texas senator’s “pandering on immigration may lack Trump’s rhetorical excess, but it is no less extreme.”

Bloomberg acknowledged that he and Trump had been on “friendly terms” and that he had twice agreed to be on Trump’s reality TV show “The Apprentice.” But the former mayor said Trump’s campaign “appeals to our worst impulses.”

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SALEM, Ore. (AP) — In a typical month, 2,000 people register to vote in Oregon.

In the first six days of this year, more than 4,300 joined the voter rolls under a new initiative that automatically signs up voters when they apply for driver’s licenses.

Oregon is the first state to adopt the idea that it is the government’s responsibility to register voters — a move that could increase the number of registered voters by 13 percent by the November election.

California has approved similar legislation, and automatic registration bills have been introduced in more than a dozen other states. But it remains to be seen whether the idea will take hold beyond two West Coast states dominated by Democrats or whether the newly registered will decide to participate.

“There’s no other fundamental right we have as citizens that requires you to register or fill out a form,” said Alex Padilla, California’s Democratic secretary of state, who advocated for the law. “I don’t have to register somewhere to exercise my freedom of speech. I don’t have to fill out a form somewhere to exercise my right to not be discriminated against.”

Researchers at the Pew

Center on the States reported in 2012, before the last presidential election, that 51 million Americans were eligible to vote but unregistered. Pew said last year that the United States has one of the lowest voterparticipation rates of the democratic world.

President Obama praised Oregon and California twice last month and urged more states to follow their lead.

“The job of our democracy is to make it easier, not make it harder for our citizens to be able to vote,” Obama told Democratic governors in a meeting at the White House on Feb. 19.

The idea has plenty of critics, who worry it will lead to more errors in voter registration databases, and could be especially problematic in the 12 states — including California — that grant driving privileges to people who can’t prove they’re legally in the United States. Officials in Oregon and California said driving records make clear who is a citizen.

“If you take away that need for that voter to communicate with their election official, mistakes will be made ... due to limitation of resources,” said Logan Churchwell, a spokesman for True the Vote, which advocates policies to protect election integrity.

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Shamed sheriff asks for 2nd chance

COUNCIL FROM PAGE A1 tractor-trailer trucks are already aware that they are responsible for any damage caused to county roads.

Mixon said South Carolina Forestry Association has expressed that it will include best practices for drivers operating logging trucks on county-maintained roads.

Also, council approved first reading of an ordinance to lease property to South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.

According to Sumter County Attorney Johnathan Bryan, council did not approve of the property initially chosen for lease and he suggested that council defer first reading until a new property is selected.

Councilman Charles Edens asked if council could approve first reading to avoid slowing down DNR’s plans since the ordinance is to lease the property in title only.

Council voted in favor of Edens’ suggestion.

In other news, county council: • Passed a motion to write letters in support of local farmers and forestry commission seeking further assistance from the federal government after the so-called 1,000year flood in October; • Approved final reading of an ordinance to rezone 1.87 acres at 286 Kingsbury Drive from general residential to general commercial; • Approved final reading of an ordinance to transfer the authority to conduct municipal elections in the town of Pinewood to Sumter County Election Commission; • Voted to defer second reading of an ordinance to abandon and convey a portion of Old Clarendon Road to the adjoining property owner to allow a public hearing before considering second reading; and • Approved first reading of an ordinance to authorize the sale of property on Pinewood Road in title only. Bryan said negotiations about the sale are still ongoing.

BY JEFFREY COLLINS The Associated Press SALUDA — A sheriff who resigned after using an inmate to build a party shed at his home is asking voters in Saluda County to trust him with a second chance.

The current sheriff is putting “In God We Trust” stickers on all of his patrol cars.

So who will voters put their trust in? The incumbent who turns to the Lord in an election year, the exsheriff or a third candidate who was once a chief deputy?

At stake is a powerful position in South Carolina.

Sheriffs only answer to voters.

They have unlimited hiring and firing powers and decide whether fighting drugs, traffic offenses or other crimes will be the priority.

The current sheriff, John Perry, has lived his whole life in this county of 20,000 about 60 miles from Columbia.

So have his opponents, former Sheriff Jason Booth, and Robin Freeman, who was Booth’s chief deputy.

Booth resigned after authorities said he was improperly using inmate labor and allowing that inmate unusual freedom, including unsupervised visits from a girlfriend that led to her getting pregnant.

He is campaigning with the slogan “A New Beginning.”

Under state law, since prosecutors accepted a plea deal to a misdemeanor and $900 fine in August 2012, he didn’t lose his law enforcement credentials.

Six other South Carolina sheriffs who have pleaded guilty or been convicted of using their offices for personal gain in the past five years have stayed out of law enforcement.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Former Saluda County Sheriff Jason Booth gets ready to plead guilty to a misconduct in office charge at the Aiken County Courthouse in August 2012. Booth, who resigned after using an inmate to build a party shed at his home, is asking voters in Saluda County to trust him with a second chance at being sheriff.

Booth did not respond to several interview requests.

His former chief deputy said he has no plans to emphasize Booth’s troubles.

“I’ve been to about 250 houses since I started campaigning. Trust me; they remember,” said Freeman, who promises to have a deputy in every school and to require county jail inmates do work such as pick up trash on the roadside before they get perks.

He is a police captain in the town of Saluda.

Freeman and Booth are Republicans in a county that seems to be turning more GOP. The current sheriff, a Democrat, is seen as vul-

St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church Rev. Willie J. Chandler, Senior Pastor

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nerable because he only received 55 percent of the vote in 2012 even though his only opponent was a petition candidate.

Freeman questioned the timing of the sheriff’s “In God We Trust” stickers.

“As a Christian, I can’t question John’s heart. I can question his timing a bit,”

said Freeman, who left the sheriff’s office by mutual agreement in 2012 when Perry was elected.

Filing for the office begins next week.

Perry said his re-election campaign has nothing to do with the stickers. He said they were inspired during a church service for Lent because the safety of his deputies keeps him up at night.

“Regardless of their personal beliefs, I know my God will keep them safe as they protect our community. This is why I want to give back to Him,” Perry said Monday as he unveiled the stickers at a news conference.

Some county residents have questioned whether Perry’s administration is serious about cracking down on crime.

Carton Oswalt, who lives in a rapidly growing area near Lake Murray and the Columbia suburbs, said he had cash and guns worth $5,000 stolen from him last year.

He said the investigator seemed to think he did it to get an insurance settlement and never looked for fingerprints or other clues.

“I’m not the only one who thinks they do nothing,” Oswalt said.

Other people aren’t ready to trust the ex-sheriff.

“He’s a crook,” said James Rauch, eating a piece a fried chicken sitting on the tailgate of his truck outside a barbecue joint.

“If just about anyone else did that, we would have been in prison.”

6th Annual

Daffodil Art & Craft Show March 12th & 13th, 2016

Saturday 9am - 6pm Sunday 12pm - 4pm American Legion Post 15 Home Bldg.

30 Artillery Drive Sumter, SC

Free Parking • Free Admission • Toys for Tots - Unwrapped Toys Needed • Relay for Life • Please bring nonperishable food for food drive Sponsored By: K.A.T.’s Special Kneads Small Animal Shelter 3845 Hwy. 15 N. • Sumter, SC For more info. call Debra at (803) 983-3235

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NATION | WORLD

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 2016

THE SUMTER ITEM

Despite U.S. strikes, Somali extremist group still active Al-Shabab fighters march with their weapons during military exercises on the outskirts of Mogadishu, Somalia, in February 2011. Somalia’s intelligence service cooperated with the U.S. in airstrikes that killed more than 150 al-Shabab members on Saturday.

AP FILE PHOTO

of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the press on this matter.

U.S. forces had been watching Raso Camp for several weeks, said Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokes-

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WASHINGTON — A federal judge sided Monday with the District of Columbia in an ongoing dispute over the city’s strict gun law, agreeing that the city can continue to enforce it while a lawsuit proceeds.

Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly denied a motion by opponents for a preliminary injunction halting enforcement of portions of the law.

Opponents immediately said in a court filing that they are appealing the ruling to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

Opponents of the law include city residents and the Bellevue, Washington-based Second Amendment Foundation.

They object to portions of the law that require a person who wants to carry a concealed handgun outside their home to show he or she has a “good reason to fear injury to his or her person or property” or another “proper reason” for carrying the weapon. Reasons might include a personal threat, or a job that requires a person to carry or protect cash or valuables.

Kollar-Kotelly said in her 31page ruling that opponents had not shown that their lawsuit was likely to be successful, leading her to deny the request for a preliminary injunction.

She also noted that appeals courts in other parts of the country had approved of laws in New York, New Jersey and Maryland that are similar to the District of Columbia’s.

Kollar-Kotelly’s ruling comes after a lengthy legal back-and-forth in the case already.

Opponents were initially granted a preliminary injunction by another judge in May 2015. That ruling was appealed, and the appeals court ruled late last year that the judge didn’t have the authority to decide the case. KollarKotelly was then assigned to the case.

Alan Gottlieb, the founder of the Second Amendment Foundation, said in a telephone interview that the ruling was what they had expected from Kollar-Kotelly but that he appreciated that she

made a quick ruling so that it could be appealed.

Gottlieb said opponents look forward to ultimately winning their case.

District of Columbia Attorney General Karl A. Racine, whose office has been defending the city’s gun law, said in a statement that his office was pleased with the ruling “because it means the District will be able to continue enforcing its law requiring applicants for permits to carry concealed guns in public to state a ‘good reason’ for doing so.”

Eddie C. Durant, Jr., D.D.S. Gregory A. Wheeler, D.M.D.

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BY JESSICA GRESKO The Associated Press

man. It appeared training was ending and the operational phase of a suspected attack against African or U.S. personnel was about to start, he said.

About 50 U.S. special operations forces rotate in and out of Somalia, advising

and assisting military forces sent by five countries belonging to the African Union. The air strike appears to have caused more casualties than any other attack against al-Shabab, said J. Peter Pham, the director of the Atlantic Council’s Africa Center.

But previous U.S. air strikes have killed even al-Shabab leaders, including Ahmed Abdi Godane, who had been the group’s top commander, in 2014. And yet the group, far from being vanquished, came back with ferocity.

Al-Shabab vowed to avenge Godane’s death and later carried out a series of attacks in Mogadishu and in neighboring Kenya. African Union ground forces and U.S. missile attacks have simply not been able to obliterate al-Shabab, which has proven to be a resilient group with links to al-Qaida. The official number of al-Shabab fighters remains unclear but numbers in the thousands and fewer than 10,000.

S. W

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — By U.S. accounts, it was a devastating air strike against Islamic militants in Somalia, with more than 150 killed in a training camp, but it likely won’t diminish al-Shabab’s ability to continue a wave of attacks.

African Union ground forces succeeded in ousting al-Shabab fighters from Somalia’s capital in 2011 and protecting the weak government. But they have been unable to stop attacks on AU forces — including one that killed up to 200 Kenyan soldiers in January — frequent suicide attacks on civilian targets in Mogadishu and an attempt to bring down an airliner in February.

The forested military training camp, located 125 miles north of Mogadishu, was al-Shabab’s main planning base, a Somali intelligence official said on Tuesday. Somalia’s intelligence service cooperated with the U.S. in its airstrike, said the official, who spoke on condition

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THE SUMTER ITEM N.G. Osteen 1843-1936 The Watchman and Southron

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 2016 H.G. Osteen 1870-1955 Founder, The Item

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COMMENTARY

Then along came Nancy W

ASHINGTON — They were just four words, but they denoted something that led to a wonderful swerve in world history.

They were words Ronald Reagan repeatedly used when referring to something that happened long before he spoke his most famous four words: “Tear down this wall.” The other four words described the most important event in his eventful life, an event without which Reagan probably George would never Will have been in a position to bring down the Berlin Wall: “Then along came Nancy.”

If she had not come along, he would not have come to the place he now occupies in history and in the hearts of his countrymen.

When filling out forms that ask if one is married, many people perfunctorily check that box. The Reagans should have put not a check mark but an exclamation point: They were the most married couple imaginable. Ronald was a reproach to every husband who does not write love notes to his wife as they sit together in evening repose. It was a remarkable woman who could elicit such private devotion from a public man with presidential preoccupations.

Reagan’s strength was reflected in his preternatural cheerfulness, which flowed from his marriage. Politics requires the patience, endurance and serenity that a happy marriage can confer. In a democracy, politics is a team sport. Parties are teams; congressional caucuses are teams; campaigns are teams.

But often the most important team is the smallest, a harmonious marriage. The presidency has had three especially history-shaping partnerships: Abigail and John Adams, Dolley and James Madison, Nancy and Ronald Reagan.

Much, but not too much, has been made of Nancy’s protectiveness, her steely devotion to her husband’s interests. With her in mind, one occasionally wonders whether the reason most societies have refused to allow women in combat is not that women are too frail for combat but that they are too fierce for it: They would not obey the rules.

Ronald Reagan was a friendly man who used friendliness as a buffer, keeping the world at a distance from his sphere of privacy. He had one true friend, and he married her.

She understood his amiable propensity for thinking the best of everybody, a mistake she did not make.

Her cool public persona and occasionally icy decisiveness sometimes obscured her warmth, her capacity for fun and her sly wit. She revealed the latter, for example, when describing a problem of Hollywood manners.

What should you do, she asked, when you are invited to the home of an actor or director for a private screening of his newest movie -- and the movie is dreadful? What do you say to your anxious host when he asks your opinion of his handiwork? Nancy impishly explained: You fix your host with an earnest gaze and exclaim, “You’ve done it again!” Her husband was not the only master politician living on the second floor of the White House.

Nancy bore the brunt of much criticism from people who were inclined but reluctant to assail her husband. She did not enjoy these slings and arrows, but she was shrewd enough to be stoical about her role as alternative target.

Today, in the midst of an unusually unseemly political season, it is salutary to remember that Nancy was faulted for what some considered her excessive interest in decorum and elegance in public life.

Now she goes to a grave on a hill, where she joins the love of her life. Atop that hill sits the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Library.

Emerson said that any institution is the lengthening shadow of a man. This library is the lengthening shadow of the woman who channeled through it her devotion that was undimmed through 12 years without her husband.

He spoke often of America as a shining city on a hill, words first used long ago to describe the American aspiration at a time when the nascent nation was a few hardy people on the continent’s rocky Atlantic shore. The hill to which Nancy now goes overlooks the sun-dappled Pacific shore of a nation grown great not just in size but in moral stature because of its fidelity to principles that the Reagans defended together.

For generations to come, Americans will continue to climb that hill in Simi Valley to renew their devotion to the nation. And to one another, moved by the luminous example of two people who changed the world as, and because, they moved through it as one.

George Will’s email address is georgewill@washpost.com. © 2016, Washington Post Writers Group

EDITORIAL PAGE POLICIES EDITORIALS represent the views of the owners of this newspaper.

COLUMNS AND COMMENTARY are the personal opinion of the writer whose byline appears.

Columns from readers should be typed, double-spaced and no more than 850 words. Send them to The Sumter Item, Opinion Pages, P.O. Box 1677, Sumter, S.C. 29151, or email to hubert@theitem.com or graham@ theitem.com.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR are

written by readers of the newspaper.

They should be no more than 350 words and sent via e-mail to letters@ theitem.com, dropped off at The Sumter Item office, 20 N. Magnolia St. or mailed to The Sumter Item, P.O. Box 1677, Sumter, S.C. 29151, along with the full name of the writer, plus an 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.

COMMENTARY

The seen and unseen C laude Frederic Bastiat (1801-50) — a French classical liberal theorist, political economist and member of the French National Assembly — wrote an influential essay titled “That Which Is Seen and That Which Is Not Seen.” Bastiat argued that when making laws or economic decisions, it is imperative that we examine not only what is Walter seen but Williams what is unseen. In other words, examine the whole picture.

Americans who support tariffs on foreign goods could benefit immensely from Bastiat’s admonition.

A concrete example was the Bush administration’s 8 to 30 percent tariffs in 2002 on several types of imported steel. They were levied in an effort to protect jobs in the ailing U.S. steel industry.

Those tariffs caused the domestic price for some steel products, such as hot-rolled steel, to rise by as much as 40 percent. The clear beneficiaries of the steel tariffs were steel industry executives and stockholders and the 1,700 or so steelworkers whose jobs were saved. But there is no such thing as a free lunch or a somethingfor-nothing machine. Whenever there is a benefit of doing something, there is a guaranteed cost.

A study by the Peterson Institute for International Economics, predicted that saving those 1,700 jobs in the steel industry would cost American consumers $800,000 per job, in the form

of higher prices. That’s just the monetary side of the picture. According to a study commissioned by the Consuming Industries Trade Action Coalition, steel-using industries — such as the U.S. auto industry, its suppliers, heavy construction equipment manufacturers and others — were harmed by higher steel prices. It is estimated that the steel tariffs caused at least 4,500 job losses in no fewer than 16 states, with over 19,000 jobs lost in California, 16,000 in Texas and about 10,000 each in Ohio, Michigan and Illinois.

In other words, industries that use steel were forced to pay higher prices, causing them to have to raise prices on what they produced. As a result, they became less competitive in both domestic and international markets and thus had to lay off workers.

Tariff policy beneficiaries are always seen, but its victims are mostly unseen. Politicians love this. The reason is simple. The beneficiaries know for whom to cast their ballots and to whom to give campaign contributions. Most often, the victims do not know whom to blame for their calamity.

Here’s my question to those who want to use tariffs to fight cheap imports in the name of saving jobs: Seeing as back in 2002, the typical hourly wage of a steelworker ranged between $15 and $20, in addition to fringe benefits — so we might be talking about an

annual wage package averaging $50,000 to $55,000 — how much sense did it make for American consumers to have to pay $800,000 in higher prices, not to mention lost employment in steel-using industries, to save each job? It would have been cheaper to tax ourselves and give each of those 1,700 steelworkers a $100,000 annual check.

Doing so would have been far less costly to Americans than the steel tariffs, but it would have been politically impossible. Why? The cost of protecting those steel jobs would have been apparent and hence repulsive to most Americans. Tariffs conceal such costs.

When Congress creates a special privilege for some Americans, it must of necessity come at the expense of other Americans. Then Americans who are harmed, such as the steel-using auto industry, descend on Congress asking for some kind of relief for themselves. It all reminds me of a passage in a Negro spiritual play written

by Marcus Cook Connelly, titled “The Green Pastures,” wherein God laments to the angel Gabriel, “Every time Ah passes a miracle, Ah has to pass fo’ or five mo’ to ketch up wid it.” I think Congress ought to get out of the miracle business and leave miracle-making up to God.

‘Tariff policy beneficiaries are always seen, but its victims are mostly unseen.’

Walter E. Williams is a professor of economics at George Mason University. © 2016 creators.com

LETTER TO THE EDITOR ENOUGH IS ENOUGH WHEN IT COMES TO ROADS It is time the taxpayers of this city and county start asking serious questions as to why the majority of all the roads in the whole county are getting unsafe. Every year the taxpayers pay taxes on a “road user fee”— who came up with this and why?

Let us see if we will get a straight answer. There is no more story line of when someone calls to ask why a road has moon craters in it — and really nothing gets done. Or, when posed with the question of repaving, one is sent to some tele-

phone number in Columbia with a statement of “the state did not give us any money.”

When the state is called, you wind up right back to Sumter County where you started; they state it is the county’s responsibility. This is the next agenda; when these people start feeling heat from the people of the city and county, they go and repair with a patch job. Notice entering another county — and the road transition from Sumter County moonscape — to nice, new, smooth and even? Then there is the uneven roller coaster nature of 90 percent

of county roads during travel due to years of squanderwhen they should have been repaved over the years.

The excuse of last winter’s rain storm in October caused it all — is also no excuse. The roads were bad before then. Everyone should keep track of who responds to the issue here — that is if they do. Watch what issue is addressed if there is response; they are good at diverting the issues, also, just trying to fix problems by addressing only a point or two of a true picture. Enough is enough.

JAMES C. KNOWLTON Sumter

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 2016

SUPPORT GROUPS Multiple Sclerosis Support Group AA, AL-ANON, ALATEEN: — Third Tuesday each month, AA — Monday-Friday, noon 5:30 p.m., Carolinas Rehabilitaand 5:30 p.m.; Saturday, 8 Support Groups: March 2016 121 E. Cedar St., tion 9, Hospital, p.m.; Sundays, 10:30 a.m. and Florence. Call (843) 661-3746.

7 p.m., 1 Warren St. (803) 775Amputee Support Group — 1852.

Fourth Tuesday each month, AA Women’s Meeting — 5:30 p.m., Carolinas RehabilitaWednesday, 7 p.m., 1 Warren tion Hospital, 121 E. Cedar St., St. (803) 775-1852.

Florence. Call (843) 661-3746.

AA Spanish Speaking — Sunday, EFMP Parent Exchange Group — 4:30 p.m., 1 Warren St. (803) Last Tuesday each month, 11 775-1852. a.m.-noon, Airman and Family AA “How it Works” Group — Readiness Center. Support to Monday and Friday, 8 p.m., service members who have a 1154 Ronda St. Call (803) 494dependent with a disability or 5180. illness. Call Dorcus Haney at (803) 895-1252/1253 or Sue 441 AA Support Group — MonZimmerman at (803) 847-2377. day, Tuesday and Friday, 8:30 p.m., Hair Force, 2090-D S.C. WEDNESDAY MEETINGS: 441.

Sickle Cell Support Group — last AA Summerton Group — Wednesday each month, 11 Wednesday, 8 p.m., town hall. a.m.-1 p.m., South Sumter ReManning Al-Anon Family Group source Center, 337 Manning — Thursday, 7:30 p.m., BehavAve. Call Bertha Willis at (803) ioral Health Building, 14 774-6181.

Church St., Manning. Call Divorce Care — Wednesdays, Angie Johnson at (803) 4356:30 p.m., Bethel Baptist 8085.

Church, 2401 Bethel Church C/A “Drop the Rock” Group — Road. Call (803) 481-2160.

Thursday, 9:30 p.m., 1154 Grief Share — Wednesday, 6:30 Ronda St. Call Elizabeth p.m., Bethel Baptist Church, Owens at (803) 607-4543.

2401 Bethel Church Road. Call (803) 481-2160.

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 them on Facebook.

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) — First Tuesday of each month at noon and third Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m., Wise Drive Baptist Church. Call Betty at (803) 469-2616, Carolyn at (803) 469-6059 or Margaret at (803) 469-6887.

Sumter Combat Veterans Group Peer to Peer — Every Tuesday, 11 a.m., South HOPE Center, 1125 S. Lafayette Drive. Veterans helping veterans with PTSD, coping skills, claims and benefits.

Parkinson’s Support Group — Second Tuesday each month, 5:30 p.m., Carolinas Rehabilitation Hospital, 121 E. Cedar St., Florence. Call (843) 661-3746.

Sumter Amputee Support Group — Second Tuesday each month, 6:30 p.m., Sumter Prosthetics & Orthotics, 259 Broad St. Call (803) 883-4356.

Sumter Chapter Parents of Murdered Children (POMC) — Third Tuesday, 5:30-7 p.m., Birnie HOPE Center, 210 S. Purdy St. Open to all families or friends who have lost a loved one to murder in a violent way.

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.

Alzheimer’s Support Group through S.C. Alzheimer’s Association — Every 1st Thursday, 6-8 p.m., National Health Care, 1018 N. Guignard Drive. Call Cheryl Fluharty at (803) 9057720 or the Alzheimer’s Association at (800) 636-3346.

Journey of Hope (for family 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 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., 508 W. Liberty St. Call Kevin at (803) 778-0303.

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) 4817521.

DAILY PLANNER

THE SUMTER ITEM

WEATHER

Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2016

AccuWeather® five-day forecast for Sumter TODAY

TONIGHT

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

Mostly sunny and very warm

Mainly clear and mild

Partly sunny and very warm

Periods of sun

An afternoon shower in places

Mostly cloudy, a t-storm; warm

80°

55°

80° / 58°

82° / 60°

78° / 61°

80° / 58°

Chance of rain: 5%

Chance of rain: 10%

Chance of rain: 10%

Chance of rain: 10%

Chance of rain: 55%

Chance of rain: 55%

SSW 6-12 mph

S 3-6 mph

SSW 7-14 mph

SW 6-12 mph

SSE 7-14 mph

SSW 8-16 mph

TODAY’S SOUTH CAROLINA WEATHER

Gaffney 75/55 Spartanburg 75/54

Greenville 76/54

Columbia 81/56

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

IN THE MOUNTAINS

Sumter 80/55

Aiken 77/54

ON THE COAST

Charleston 78/58

Today: Mostly sunny and nice. High 70 to 77.

Thursday: Partly sunny. High 70 to 78.

SUMTER THROUGH 4 P.M. YESTERDAY

Temperature High Low Normal high Normal low Record high Record low

75° 44° 64° 39° 88° in 1974 17° in 1960 0.00" 0.42" 1.05" 10.21" 11.83" 8.60"

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

Today Hi/Lo/W 76/58/pc 64/46/sh 71/56/r 64/53/r 73/62/t 74/54/pc 80/69/c 74/58/pc 83/62/pc 78/56/s 81/55/s 65/57/r 75/59/s

LAKE LEVELS

SUN AND MOON

Full pool 360 76.8 75.5 100

Lake Murray Marion Moultrie Wateree

7 a.m. yest.

357.51 76.19 75.58 97.04

24-hr chg +0.02 -0.01 -0.03 -0.11

RIVER STAGES

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

Thu. Hi/Lo/W 76/63/pc 51/38/sh 64/55/r 64/44/r 75/60/t 75/55/pc 78/64/r 75/58/pc 85/64/s 78/61/pc 86/58/s 65/57/r 80/63/pc

Myrtle Beach 71/56

Manning 82/58

Today: Mostly sunny and warm. Winds south 4-8 mph. Partly cloudy.

Thursday: Warm with clouds and sun.

Winds south-southwest 4-8 mph.

LOCAL ALMANAC

Florence 79/55

Bishopville 81/56

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

Flood 7 a.m. 24-hr stage yest. chg 12 9.94 -0.15 19 5.32 +0.62 14 8.08 -0.34 14 5.83 +0.15 80 79.65 -0.06 24 10.27 -2.88

Sunrise 6:40 a.m.

Moonrise 7:02 a.m.

Sunset Moonset

6:25 p.m.

7:23 p.m.

First

Full

Last

New

Mar. 15

Mar. 23

Mar. 31

Apr. 7

TIDES AT MYRTLE BEACH

Today Thu.

High 9:10 a.m.

9:24 p.m.

9:58 a.m.

10:14 p.m.

Ht. 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.6

Low 3:32 a.m.

3:58 p.m.

4:23 a.m.

4:46 p.m.

Ht. -1.0 -1.0 -1.0 -1.0

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

Today Hi/Lo/W 71/50/s 78/55/s 79/54/s 77/58/s 65/54/s 78/58/s 78/55/s 76/56/s 81/56/s 78/55/s 75/54/s 78/54/s 78/55/s

Thu. Hi/Lo/W 70/56/pc 78/58/pc 82/58/s 78/62/pc 66/57/s 79/62/pc 79/60/pc 74/59/pc 81/59/pc 78/58/pc 77/57/s 80/56/pc 80/57/pc

Today City Hi/Lo/W Florence 79/55/s Gainesville 83/59/s Gastonia 77/55/s Goldsboro 78/54/s Goose Creek 78/58/s Greensboro 77/55/s Greenville 76/54/s Hickory 74/54/s Hilton Head 73/58/s Jacksonville, FL 80/59/s La Grange 80/60/pc Macon 80/56/s Marietta 77/58/pc

Thu. Hi/Lo/W 78/58/pc 87/61/s 77/60/pc 79/57/pc 78/59/pc 79/59/pc 75/59/pc 75/59/pc 73/59/pc 83/61/pc 79/65/pc 82/58/pc 76/62/pc

City Marion Mt. Pleasant Myrtle Beach Orangeburg Port Royal Raleigh Rock Hill Rockingham Savannah Spartanburg Summerville Wilmington Winston-Salem

Today Hi/Lo/W 74/52/s 75/60/s 71/56/s 80/57/s 74/60/s 78/54/s 77/55/s 79/54/s 79/58/s 75/54/s 78/58/s 76/53/s 75/55/s

Thu. Hi/Lo/W 70/58/c 75/61/pc 72/60/pc 80/58/pc 74/60/pc 80/58/pc 77/59/pc 81/57/pc 80/61/pc 73/58/pc 78/59/pc 76/57/pc 78/59/pc

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 COUNTY VOTER REGISTRATION / ELECTION COMMISSION Thursday, 5:30 p.m., registration / election office, 141 N. Main St.

“Where Quality Matters”

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Combine EUGENIA LAST insight and originality with charm and you will achieve your objective. Using your talents in different ways will pay off by opening up a market that you never realized was available to you.

Romance is featured.

The last word in astrology

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Be inquisitive and show an interest and concern in what others say and do. Networking will open doors personally and professionally.

Sharing your feelings openly will help you find out exactly where you stand and who is willing to stand beside you.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Set a budget and don’t deviate from it, and you will be able to invest in something that benefits you and your loved ones. Put yourself first and don’t trust someone who is offering a fast-cash scheme or a tempting sales pitch.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): You’ll overreact to what others say or do, putting you in a vulnerable position. Don’t share personal information and you’ll avoid having your trust violated. The observations you make and the experience you gain will help you move your plans forward.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Don’t trust everyone. Stick to your plans and you will prosper. Do things on your own to deter anyone from taking credit for your ideas and hard work.

Do your best and don’t leave any room for mistakes, or criticism will prevail.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Step into the spotlight and show everyone what you have to offer. Your efforts will draw interest and allow you to expand your expectations.

Spending quality time with someone special will lead to long-

term plans and personal happiness.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Procrastination will be your downfall, especially when it comes to the role you want to play in your relationships with both personal friends and colleagues. It’s time to look at the pros and cons and make a decision.

803-774-2100

FURNITURE & BEDDING

SUMTER ANIMAL CONTROL PET OF THE WEEK

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Get out and mingle with people who are heading in a similar direction as you. Collaboration will lead to greater accomplishments and motivate you to go above and beyond what’s expected of you. A change of plans will work in your favor.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Be firm, and don’t let anyone get away with emotional manipulation.

Make it clear that you will be the master of your own destiny. Bring about positive changes at home and to the way you live. Do what’s best for you.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Keep your ideas and plans a secret for the time being. Ignore what others do even if it doesn’t play into what you are doing. Let past experience be your guide and you will have no regrets moving forward.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Change what you don’t like. It’s up to you to provide your own happiness. Whether it’s a different job or moving to a new location, it’s up to you to start the ball rolling. Keep your life simple and within budget.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You’ll instinctively know what others want and expect. Use your knowledge and experience to make things happen. Reuniting with someone from your past will help keep the momentum flowing.

Don’t let stubbornness lead to regret.

Meet Clementine, a young female hound, people and dog friendly. She does well on a leash and Clementine is people andwho dogisfriendly would like to find a family to love her. Look at those soulful eyes and you will fall in love with Clementine.

She is waiting for you in kennel 4 at Sumter Animal Control, 1240 Winkles Road, (803) 436-2066. Thank you for considering a homeless pet. You can view more adoptable pets on our Facebook page — Sumter Animal Control. Remember to check with us if your pet is lost.

SECTION

b

Wednesday, March 9, 2016 Call: (803) 774-1241 | E-mail: sports@theitem.com

Prep Baseball

Hatfield: Young LMA squad might be ‘special’ group

BY JUSTIN DRIGGERS justin@theitem.com Barry Hatfield and his coaching staff have had their eyes on this group for a while now.

“We’ve been watching them since B Team,” the Laurence Manning Academy varsity baseball head coach said.

“They’ve played the same positions in our system since then

HATFIELD

and moved up to JV and now varsity.

“They play together and they hold each other accountable. ... We really expect them to be a special

group.”

The Swampcats will likely need their young squad to adapt quickly to the varsity

level if they are to match and exceed the season they had a year ago. LMA went 17-4 and made the SCISA 3A semifinals before falling to Northwood Academy.

However, most of that group was comprised of seniors and the ‘Cats return just one starter — Morgan Morris — who played the same position a year ago. Starting catcher Tripp Mason will likely be the

everyday designated hitter while Buddy Bleasdale will take over first base when not starting on the mound.

There will be mostly new faces around the diamond though as LMA looks to fill the void left by J.T. Eppley, Cagney Brunson and Todd Larrimer among others. Of the eight position players, Laurence Manning will start five sophomores, a freshman and

south carolina BASKETBALL

USC looking to take next step at SEC Tournament

two juniors. Of the eight pitchers only one, Taylor Finley, is a senior.

“There will be times where we will not start a senior in the field,” Hatfield said. “But it’s a promising young group and an exciting one to be around.”

The young ‘Cats squad has gotten off to a fast start out of

See LMA, Page B5

keeping up

Limestone wrestler Mota fares well as a freshman

By PETE IACOBELLI The Associated Press

By Barbara Boxleitner Special to The Sumter Item

COLUMBIA — South Carolina coach Frank Martin looked at his buzzing, then broke into grin reading a text from San Francisco 49ers receiver — and former Gamecocks point guard — Bruce Ellington.

“He needs six tickets for Friday, “Martin said. “My gosh.”

Martin and the third-seeded South Carolina have had to adjust the past few days to being a top seed at the Southeastern Conference Tournament after years in the league’s bottom half simply playing to extend the season.

South Carolina (24-7, 11-7) awaits either Georgia or Mississippi State in the quarterfinals after earning one of the event’s double byes.

“The last couple of years we’d be getting ready to travel today,” Martin said Tuesday.

“To give our guys Sunday or Monday completely off, it’s good to just relax.”

The Gamecocks earned the break with one of their bestever seasons. The 24 wins are the most regular-season wins in program history. They had not reached double-digit wins since 2008-09. And they’re could be even more milestones ahead with South Carolina’s likely trip to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2004.

Martin and his players aren’t taking anything for granted as they head to Nashville, Tennessee for the SEC’s annual postseason event.

“There are no guarantees until you see your name Sunday night,” Martin said.

Still, Martin believes his team’s NCAA resume stacks up favorably with anyone out there this season.

“If that’s not good enough to get to the NCAA Tournament, then I need to go back to bouncing,” the burly Martin joked.

Freshman Mac Mota was a regular in the Limestone College wrestling lineup.

The Sumter High School graduate has been competing at 165 pounds.

The 5-foot-9-inch Mota had a 16-16 record, including a 4-3 mark in the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference. Mota had the fifth most victories on the squad and third MOTA most among the freshmen.

He won eight by decision, three by pin and one by major decision. He finished fifth at the Hokie Open.

Men’s track and field

The Associated Press

South Carolina’s Sindarius Thornwell (0) helped the Gamecocks to 24 regular-season wins heading See USC, Page B3 into SEC tournament this weekend -- the most in program history.

The Citadel’s Devin Singleton won the long jump and placed fifth in the 200-meter dash at the Wesley A. Brown Invitational. Previously at Wilson Hall, the sophomore tied for ninth in the 60-yard dash.

Duke University senior Robert Rohner placed third in the long jump and 60-meter at the Carolina Cup. The past Baron was seventh in the shot put.

Benedict College freshman Manuel Conyers, who competed for the Gamecocks, won the long and high jumps at the USC Open.

Cody Clark was one of two Waldorf College runners to break the school record in the mile run at the Minnesota Open. The senior out of Wilson Hall finished in 4 minutes, 53.18 seconds, two spots behind teammate Aaron Ward.

Coker College sophomore Brandon Campbell placed sixth in the shot put at the Winston-Salem Invitational.

He is from Robert E. Lee Academy.

Manning High School product Timothy Devitt is a freshman hurdler for USC Upstate.

See MOTA, Page B5

clemson BASKETBALL

Tigers open ACC Tournament against Jackets

BY Scott Keepfer skeepfer@greenvillenews.com

easy.”

No one knows that better than Georgia Tech coach CLEMSON — Razor thin.

Brian Gregory, whose team On many days and nights faces off with Clemson tonight throughout the course of the in the second round of the Atlantic Coast Conference bas- ACC Tournament. ketball season, such is the dif“I don’t know if you ever get ference between winning and over those tough losses,” Greglosing. ory said. “But you build some And that has never been scar tissue up a little bit.” more evident than this season.

The Yellow Jackets have Just ask Brad Brownell, scars aplenty; they were inwhose Clemson University volved in 11 games decided by team played six league games five or fewer points in ACC decided by five points or less. play this season.

“You’ve just got to put your “There is such a fine line head down and keep going,” that a lot of times a couple of said Brownell, whose team lost plays at crucial times makes three of those nail-biters. the difference,” Gregory said.

“Nothing in this league comes “If you watch us now, there

is nothing world-shattering that jumps out at you. If you watched us, you wouldn’t say it is a different team, but it is a little thing here and a little thing there that is making the difference for us right now.”

The Yellow Jackets have won six of their last eight games, which would qualify them as one of the hottest teams entering the tournament – a remarkable accomplishment considering they started off 2-8 in ACC play.

But it shouldn’t be all that surprising. Teams, games and even seasons have ebbs and flows, and that was never

The Associated Press

Clemson’s Donte Grantham, right, and the Tigers face Georgia Tech in See CLEMSON, Page B3 the opening round of the ACC Tournament today.

B2

|

sports

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

The SUMTER ITEM

Scoreboard

sports items

TV, Radio

The Associated Press

Atlanta’s Erick Aybar, right, slides into third base as New York Mets shortstop Wilmer Flores waits for the ball during the Braves’ 5-4 victory on Tuesday in a spring training game in Kissimmee, Fla.

Mets’ ace Harvey makes 1st appearance in loss to Braves KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Matt Harvey went three innings in his first appearance since Game 5 of the World Series as the New York Mets lost to the Atlanta Braves 5-4 in a spring training game Tuesday.

The right-hander threw 24 of 41 pitches for strikes in the first outing this year among the Mets’ heralded young starters. He surrendered three hits, walked two and gave up one run.

Matt Wisler threw two scoreless innings for the Braves, who won it with two runs in the ninth. Emilio Bonifacio had the game-winning hit, a single to center with two outs.

Atlanta first baseman Freddie Freeman was back in the lineup after sitting out the last two games. The Braves are bringing the slugger along slowly as he comes back from an ailing

wrist.

Sharapova loses Nike, other sponsors MOSCOW — Nike and other sponsors swiftly distanced themselves from Maria Sharapova on Tuesday after the world’s highestearning female athlete outed herself as a longtime user of a recently banned drug.

Swiss watch brand Tag Heuer and German luxury car company Porsche quickly followed the sportwear giant, suspending their support of the five-time Grand Slam winner after she announced on Monday that she took meldonium at the Australian Open in January, days after the substance was banned.

Many other athletes have attacked the messenger, challenged the results or blamed others after being confronted privately by posi-

tive tests for banned drugs.

Sharapova went public instead, taking full responsibility and effectively throwing herself at the mercy of the International Tennis Federation.

South Carolina 7 Wofford 1

COLUMBIA — Adam Hill and Tyler Johnson combined to go seven innings and allowed five hits and one run as South Carolina earned a 7-1 victory over Wofford on Tuesday at Founders Park.

Chris Cullen had two hits and drove in a run for USC while LT Tolbert had a 2-run single.

Dom Thompson-Williams added a pinch-hit, 2-run homer in the seventh for the Gamecocks, who improved to 11-2.

From staff, wire reports

Area Roundup

Sumter softball shuts out Lakewood 10-0 Hannah Bettencourt struck out six while tossing a 2-hit shutout and also doubled, drove in a run and scored twice to help lead Sumter High’s varsity softball team to a 10-0 victory over Lakewood on Tuesday at the SHS field.

Tara Rhodes had two hits and scored twice for the Lady Gamecocks. Chelsie Logan drove in two runs and scores two runs while Erin McCaffrey and Alexis Jacobs collect one hit each.

McCaffrey had an RBI and Jacobs also swiped a base and scored a run.

Laurence Manning 3 East Clarendon 2

TURBEVILLE — Laurence Manning Academy took advantage of four East Clarendon errors to score three unearned runs in a 3-2 victory on Tuesday at the ECHS softball field.

Brooklyn Fort took the loss for the Lady Wolverines despite allowing just four hits and two walks while striking out eight. Liz Hussey allowed two hits, walked six and struck out eight for LMA. Gracen Watts drove in two for ECHS and Olivia Singletary had a hit as well.

Thomas Sumter 10 Clarendon Hall 4

the season with a 6-0 loss to The Governor’s School on Tuesday at the CHS field.

The Lady Knights goaltender, Abigail, made 12 saves.

CHS travels to Lake City today.

JUNIOR VARSITY SOFTBALL

striking out seven in 51/3 innings. He also had two hits.

Ed McMillan had an RBI single and Daniel Reynolds collected a base knock as well.

WH, now 1-1 on the year, travels to Northwood Academy on Thursday.

Lamar 14 Crestwood 2

Lamar used a 9-run seventh inning to roll past Crestwood 14-2 on Monday TURBEVILLE — Sumter’s at the CHS field.

JV squad split a doubleheadColin Kermer took the loss er with East Clarendon on for the Knights after giving Monday at the ECHS softball up three earned runs in six field, winning the first game innings.

8-2 before dropping the secRichard Scurry, Kaquan ond 11-10.

Simon and A.J. Herrera all Morgan Berry struck out had hits for Crestwood. seven and allowed five hits On Tuesday, Crestwood in five innings of work for fell to Swansea 6-0. the Lady Gamecocks in the opener. She also went 2-for-3 VARSITY SOCCER with a triple and three runs Thomas Sumter 5 batted in.

Covenant Christian 0 Anna Lowder had two DALZELL — Josh Fugate hits, including a double, and and Kyle Decker had two drove in two runs. Kailin goals apiece to help lead Hodge, Kaydn Dickerson Thomas Sumter Academy to and Brianna Timmons all a 5-0 blanking of Covenant collected two hits. Gabby Christian on Tuesday at Kirkman had a double as General Field. well.

Richard Huntley had the In the second game, Sarah Richardson went 3-for-4 with other goal for Thomas Sumter while Josh Fugate three RBI while Kayleigh dished out two assists.

Benenhaley had two hits — including an inside-the-park David Crotts and Jackson Gaulke also assisted on homer — and drove in two goals. runs. Taylor Williams finThe Generals, now 2-1 on ished with two hits as did Braelyn Durham while Josie the season, host Wilson Hall today.

Self added an RBI. Katy Murray went 2-for-3 for Sumter and also fanned VARSITY GOLF six on the mound.

Wilson Hall 149

Sumter splits with East Clarendon

DALZELL — Logan Morris had three hits and Diamond Jackson collected an inside-the-park home run as Thomas Sumter Academy defeated Clarendon Hall 10-4 on Tuesday at the TSA softball field.

Josie Reed had two hits, BOYS including a double, and Carmen Sylvester also doubled.

VARSITY BASEBALL Haley Hawkins had two hits Camden 3 and Ellie Hunter picked up the win on the mound.

Wilson Hall 1 The Lady Generals, now CAMDEN — Camden 1-1 on the year, host Ben Lipscored three runs in the botpen on Thursday. tom of the sixth inning to edge Wilson Hall 3-1 on VARSITY SOCCER Tuesday at the Camden Governor’s School 6 field.

Crestwood 0 McLendon Sears took the Crestwood fell to 0-4 on loss for the Barons after

Trinity-Byrnes 156 FLORENCE — Christian Salzer and Walker Jones each shot a 35 to share medalist honors as Wilson Hall earned a 149-156 victory over Trinity-Byrnes on Tuesday at Traces Golf Club.

Coker Lowder shot a 39 for the Barons and Grier Schwartz followed with a 40.

WH returns to action this weekend in the Wild Woods tournament.

TODAY 6 a.m. — Major League Exhibition Baseball: Washington vs. Houston from Kissimmee, Fla. (MLB NETWORK).

9 a.m. — Major League Exhibition Baseball: Pittsburgh vs. Philadelphia from Clearwater, Fla. (MLB NETWORK).

Noon — International Soccer: UEFA Champions League Round-of-16 Second Leg Match — Benfica vs. Zenit St. Petersburg (FOX SPORTS 1).

Noon — College Football: Alabama Pro Day from Tuscaloosa, Ala. (SEC NETWORK).

1 p.m. — Major League Exhibition Baseball: New York Yankees vs. New York Mets from Port St. Lucie, Fla. (MLB NETWORK).

2:30 p.m. — International Soccer: UEFA Champions League Round-of-16 Second Leg Match — Paris-Saint Germain vs. Chelsea (FOX SPORTS 1).

4 p.m. — Major League Exhibition Baseball: Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Los Angeles Angels — Tempe, Ariz. (MLB NETWORK).

5 p.m. — PGA Golf: Valspar Championship Pro-Am from Palm Harbor, Fla. (GOLF).

6:05 p.m. — Talk Show: Sports Talk (WDXY-FM 105.9, WDXY-AM 1240) 6:45 p.m. — High School Baseball: Camden at Lugoff-Elgin WPUB-FM 102.7).

7 p.m. — NBA Basketball: Memphis at Boston (ESPN).

7 p.m. — College Basketball: Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament Second-Round Game from Washington — Clemson vs. Georgia Tech (ESPN2, WWBD-FM 94.7).

7 p.m. — NBA Basketball: New Orleans at Charlotte (FOX SPORTS SOUTHEAST).

7 p.m. — College Baseball: Furman at South Carolina (WNKT-FM 107.5).

7:55 p.m. — International Soccer: Guadalajara vs. Dorado (UNIVISION).

8 p.m. — NHL Hockey: Chicago at St. Louis (NBC SPORTS NETWORK).

9 p.m. — Major League Exhibition Baseball: San Diego vs. Arizona from Scottsdale, Ariz. (MLB NETWORK).

9:30 p.m. — NBA Basketball: Los Angeles Clippers at Oklahoma City (ESPN).

9:55 p.m. — International Soccer: Mexican League Match — San Luis vs.

Celaya F.C. (UNIVISION).

11 p.m. — International Soccer: European PGA Tour/Asian Tour Thailand Classic First Round from Hua Hin, Thailand (GOLF).

Midnight — Major League Exhibition Baseball: Atlanta vs. Houston from Kissimmee, Fla. (MLB NETWORK).

3 a.m. — Major League Exhibition Baseball: Baltimore vs. Philadelphia from Clearwater, Fla. (MLB NETWORK).

PREP SCHEDULE TODAY Varsity Baseball Gray Collegiate at Lakewood, 7 p.m.

Lee Central at Central Pageland, 6 p.m.

Laurence Manning at Manning, 6:30 p.m.

McBee at Robert E. Lee, 6:30 p.m.

Junior Varsity Baseball Sumter at Hartsville, 6 p.m.

Gray Collegiate at Lakewood, 4:30 p.m.

Hannah-Pamplico at East Clarendon, 5:30 p.m.

McBee at Robert E. Lee, 4 p.m.

B Team Baseball River Bluff at Sumter, 6:30 p.m.

Wilson Hall at Orangeburg Prep (DH), 4 p.m.

Varsity Boys Soccer Crestwood at Lake City, 7:30 p.m.

Orangeburg-Wilkinson at Lakewood, 7 p.m.

Wilson Hall at Thomas Sumter, 6 p.m.

Junior Varsity Boys Soccer Wilson Hall at Thomas Sumter, 4:30 p.m.

Varsity Girls Soccer Lancaster at Sumter, 5:30 p.m.

Crestwood at Lake City, 6 p.m.

Orangeburg-Wilkinson at Lakewood, 5:30 p.m.

Varsity Softball C.A. Johnson at Lee Central (DH), 6 p.m.

Johnsonville at East Clarendon, 5:30 p.m.

Calhoun at Robert E. Lee, 6 p.m.

Junior Varsity Softball Calhoun at Robert E. Lee, 4 p.m.

Varsity Boys Tennis Ben Lippen at Wilson Hall, 4 p.m.

Varsity Track and Field Sumter in Richland 1 Middle (in Columbia), 5 p.m.

Lee Central at Scott’s Branch, 5 p.m.

Laurence Manning, Thomas Sumter at Wilson Hall, 3:45 p.m.

nba Standings

By The Associated Press

EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division

Toronto Boston New York Brooklyn Philadelphia Southeast Division

Miami Atlanta Charlotte Washington Orlando Central Division

Cleveland Indiana Chicago Detroit Milwaukee

W L Pct GB 41 20 .672 — 38 26 .594 4½ 26 38 .406 16½ 18 45 .286 24 8 55 .127 34 W L Pct GB 37 26 .587 — 35 28 .556 2 34 28 .548 2½ 30 32 .484 6½ 27 35 .435 9½ W L Pct GB 44 18 .710 — 34 30 .531 11 32 30 .516 12 32 31 .508 12½ 26 38 .406 19

WESTERN CONFERENCE Southwest Division

x-San Antonio Memphis Dallas Houston New Orleans Northwest Division

Oklahoma City Portland Utah Denver Minnesota Pacific Division

x-Golden State L.A. Clippers Sacramento Phoenix L.A. Lakers x-clinched playoff

W L Pct GB 53 10 .841 — 38 25 .603 15 33 31 .516 20½ 31 32 .492 22 24 38 .387 28½ W L Pct GB 43 20 .683 — 33 31 .516 10½ 29 33 .468 13½ 25 38 .397 18 20 44 .313 23½ W L Pct GB 56 6 .903 — 41 21 .661 15 25 37 .403 31 17 46 .270 39½ 13 51 .203 44 spot

Monday’s Games

Memphis 106, Cleveland 103 Indiana 99, San Antonio 91 Charlotte 108, Minnesota 103 Chicago 100, Milwaukee 90 New Orleans 115, Sacramento 112 L.A. Clippers 109, Dallas 90 Golden State 119, Orlando 113

Tuesday’s Games

Brooklyn at Toronto, 7:30 p.m.

San Antonio at Minnesota, 8 p.m.

Atlanta at Utah, 9 p.m.

New York at Denver, 9 p.m.

Washington at Portland, 10 p.m.

Orlando at L.A. Lakers, 10:30 p.m.

Wednesday’s Games

Memphis at Boston, 7 p.m.

Houston at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.

New Orleans at Charlotte, 7 p.m.

Miami at Milwaukee, 8 p.m.

Detroit at Dallas, 8:30 p.m.

New York at Phoenix, 9 p.m.

L.A. Clippers at Oklahoma City, 9:30 p.m.

Cleveland at Sacramento, 10 p.m.

Utah at Golden State, 10:30 p.m.

nhl Standings

By The Associated Press

EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division

GP W L OT Pts GF GA Tampa Bay 66 39 23 4 82 185 159 Florida 66 36 21 9 81 181 161 Boston 67 37 23 7 81 207 184 Detroit 65 32 22 11 75 164 172 Ottawa 67 31 29 7 69 193 208 Montreal 66 30 30 6 66 179 185 Buffalo 67 27 31 9 63 160 181 Toronto 65 21 33 11 53 155 194 Metropolitan Division

GP W L OT Pts GF GA Washington 66 49 13 4 102 214 151 N.Y. Rangers 66 38 22 6 82 188 171 N.Y. Islanders 63 36 20 7 79 184 158 Pittsburgh 65 34 23 8 76 179 166 Philadelphia 65 31 23 11 73 167 174 Carolina 66 29 26 11 69 161 178 New Jersey 67 31 29 7 69 148 170 Columbus 66 27 31 8 62 173 205

WESTERN CONFERENCE Central Division

GP W L OT Pts GF GA Chicago 67 41 21 5 87 191 160 Dallas 67 40 20 7 87 215 192 St. Louis 67 38 20 9 85 170 164 Nashville 66 33 21 12 78 181 168 Minnesota 67 31 26 10 72 177 169 Colorado 68 34 30 4 72 183 195 Winnipeg 65 27 33 5 59 169 194 Pacific Division

GP W L OT Pts GF GA Anaheim 65 37 19 9 83 165 151 Los Angeles 65 39 22 4 82 175 149 San Jose 65 36 23 6 78 195 174 Vancouver 65 25 28 12 62 157 188 Arizona 66 28 32 6 62 175 207 Calgary 66 27 34 5 59 178 207 Edmonton 68 26 35 7 59 167 201

Monday’s Games

Buffalo 4, Toronto 3, SO Washington 2, Anaheim 1, SO Philadelphia 4, Tampa Bay 2 Boston 5, Florida 4, OT Colorado 3, Arizona 1 San Jose 2, Calgary 1, OT Los Angeles 5, Vancouver 1

Tuesday’s Games

N.Y. Rangers at Buffalo, 7 p.m.

Pittsburgh at N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m.

Ottawa at Carolina, 7 p.m.

Detroit at Columbus, 7 p.m.

Dallas at Montreal, 7:30 p.m.

Boston at Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m.

Nashville at Winnipeg, 8 p.m.

San Jose at Edmonton, 9 p.m.

Wednesday’s Games

N.Y. Islanders at Toronto, 7 p.m.

Chicago at St. Louis, 8 p.m.

Nashville at Calgary, 9:30 p.m.

Anaheim at Colorado, 10 p.m.

Arizona at Vancouver, 10 p.m.

Washington at Los Angeles, 10:30 p.m.

MLB Spring Training

By The Associated Press

AMERICAN LEAGUE

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

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Washington Los Angeles Arizona Cincinnati Milwaukee St. Louis Philadelphia Colorado New York San Francisco Miami Atlanta Pittsburgh San Diego Chicago

W 6 5 4 5 4 4 5 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 0

L Pct 1 .857 1 .833 1 .800 2 .714 3 .571 3 .571 4 .556 3 .500 4 .429 4 .429 5 .375 4 .333 5 .286 5 .286 8 .000

W 6 4 4 4 4 4 5 4 3 3 2 2 2 2 1

L Pct 1 .857 1 .800 2 .667 2 .667 2 .667 2 .667 3 .625 3 .571 3 .500 4 .429 4 .333 5 .286 5 .286 5 .286 6 .143

Tuesday’s Games

Miami 1, N.Y. Yankees 0 Washington 4, Houston 2 Detroit 6, Tampa Bay 5 Boston 5, Baltimore 1 Atlanta 5, N.Y. Mets 4 St. Louis 5, Minnesota (ss) 3 Philadelphia 4, Pittsburgh 2 Toronto 9, Minnesota (ss) 3 Texas 10, Oakland 3 L.A. Dodgers 7, Chicago Cubs 3 Cleveland 4, Seattle 3 Chicago White Sox 10, Milwaukee 6 Kansas City 3, Colorado 2 San Diego 8, Arizona (ss) 8, tie L.A. Angels vs. Arizona (ss) at Scottsdale, Ariz., 6:10 p.m.

Cincinnati vs. San Francisco at Scottsdale, Ariz., 9:05 p.m.

Wednesday’s Games

Atlanta vs. Houston at Kissimmee, Fla., 1:05 p.m.

Toronto vs. Tampa Bay at Port Charlotte, Fla., 1:05 p.m.

Miami vs. St. Louis at Jupiter, Fla., 1:05 p.m.

Washington vs. Detroit at Lakeland, Fla., 1:05 p.m.

Boston vs. Pittsburgh at Bradenton, Fla., 1:05 p.m.

Baltimore vs. Philadelphia (ss) at Clearwater, Fla., 1:05 p.m.

Philadelphia (ss) vs. Minnesota at Fort Myers, Fla., 1:05 p.m.

N.Y. Yankees vs. N.Y. Mets at Port St. Lucie, Fla., 1:10 p.m.

Cleveland vs. Chicago Cubs at Mesa, Ariz., 3:05 p.m.

Milwaukee vs. Kansas City (ss) at Surprise, Ariz., 3:05 p.m.

Colorado vs. San Francisco at Scottsdale, Ariz., 3:05 p.m.

Texas vs. Cincinnati at Goodyear, Ariz., 3:05 p.m.

Oakland vs. Chicago White Sox at Glendale, Ariz., 3:05 p.m.

L.A. Dodgers vs. L.A. Angels at Tempe, Ariz., 3:10 p.m.

San Diego vs. Arizona at Scottsdale, Ariz., 3:10 p.m.

Kansas City (ss) vs. Seattle at Peoria, Ariz., 3:10 p.m.

Transactions

By The Associated Press FOOTBALL National Football League BUFFALO BILLS — Agreed to terms with G Richie Incognito on a threeyear contract.

CHICAGO BEARS — Signed WR Alshon Jeffery.

DENVER BRONCOS — Released TE Owen Daniels, G Louis Vasquez and LS Aaron Brewer.

DETROIT LIONS — WR Calvin Johnson announced his retirement.

GREEN BAY PACKERS — Re-signed G Lane Taylor.

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS — Signed DT Abry Jones and TE Nic Jacobs to oneyear contracts.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS — Released WR Mike Wallace.

sports

The SUMTER ITEM

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

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B3

college BASKETBALL

Picking SEC Tournament favorite a real challenge

By TERESA M. WALKER The Associated Press NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Southeastern Conference Tournament features something that coaches and players are looking forward to in Music City, at least everyone not playing against Kentucky and the horde of fans the Wildcats bring.

That something is a neutral court.

That’s significant since winning on the road in the SEC this season was difficult.

Teams successfully defended homecourts in 69.8 percent (8838) of league games. Only the Pac-12 had better home success (71.3 percent, 77-31).

Throw in the parity factor — four teams had a chance to split the regular season title on the final day — and this tournament is as wide open as it has been in years.

“I don’t think there’s a lead from anybody as to what might happen,” South Carolina coach Frank Martin said.

“We all know, the coaches in this league, just how good this league is, how balanced it is, and we all know we’re all prepared to have to play these teams again. These games are going to be incredible and

should make for a great tournament.”

Only Missouri, sitting out the postseason over NCAA violations, can be counted out before Auburn and Tennessee tip off Wednesday night.

Here’s a look at those with a chance to win along with those playing to improve their seed in the NCAA Tournament and those hoping to play their way into the tournament:

LEADING TITLE CONTENDERS Kentucky and No. 17 Texas A&M are considered the favorites to win the SEC tournament after sharing the regular-season title.

KENTUCKY: The 16thranked Wildcats also are the defending champs at a tournament they’ve won three times since John Calipari was hired.

His Wildcats also lost in the title game twice, in 2014 and 2012.

Calipari knows adding the 29th tournament title is what his fans want from the Wildcats (23-8).

“It’s a huge thing for Kentucky fans,” Calipari said.

“We’re going to play as well as we can play. We’re using the tournament to improve our seed in the NCAA Tournament.”

TEXAS A&M: The Aggies (24-7) come in with the league’s longest winning streak at six straight and also posted the only winning road record in SEC play. They have yet to win this tournament since moving to the SEC.

PLAYING FOR SEEDING South Carolina and Vanderbilt, along with Kentucky and Texas A&M, seem to be NCAA Tournament locks, but a strong showing at the SEC Tournament could improve the seed they get.

SOUTH CAROLINA: Martin’s Gamecocks (24-7) won at Texas A&M and also beat Vanderbilt and LSU this season. But they finished the regular season losing four of their final seven games.

VANDERBILT: Coach Kevin Stallings has his best team since upsetting then-No. 1 Kentucky in the 2012 title game, and the Commodores (19-12) come in having won four of five.

ON THE BUBBLE Florida (18-13) and Alabama (17-13) are firmly on the NCAA Tournament bubble, while the rest of the league likely needs to win the SEC Tournament for a spot.

USC

opponents who may not have even been on site when USC From Page B1 started play.

“Now, we’ve got that advanThe Gamecocks closed the tage,” said Thornwell, a junior regular season with 76-61 win named to the all-SEC defensive at Arkansas last Saturday, a team Tuesday. place where they had not come South Carolina could be out on top since 2010 before without leading scorer and reMartin arrived. bounder Michael Carrera, who Martin said it would’ve been missed the Arkansas game easy for his players, who had with hip problems severe lost their two previous games enough he was on crutches before facing the Razorbacks, last week. Martin would like to give in to late-season dolto rest him as much as possidrums. “Instead, they took ad- ble. Carrera, a senior, will vantage of another opportuni- most likely fight to play, Marty and the past two days every- tin said. one’s felt better about the Carrera was named to the team,” the coach said. all-SEC first team and teamGamecocks guard Sindarius mate Duane Notice was named Thornwell said the Gamecocks the league’s sixth-man of the are ready to keep moving foryear in voting of SEC coaches. ward in the tournament. They Whoever the Gamecocks had won two SEC tourney face will have confidence, as games each of the past two both Mississippi State and seasons, but their back-of-the- Georgia both defeated South pack runs ended in the quarCarolina in the past few terfinals against well-rested weeks.

CLEMSON

From Page B1

more evident than it was this year in the ACC. Parity reigned, and that could prove a rather enticing recipe for yielding a wild and wacky ACC Tournament, which began on Tuesday at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. Seven teams had 20 or more overall victories this season, and eight teams – more than half the league – finished in a mid-pack cluster separated by just 1½ games.

“How bunched were the ACC standings?” offered seventh-seeded Clemson “Had Clemson defeated Notre Dame on Feb. 8, Clem-

son would have been the No. 4 seed.”

Upsets and scares and lastsecond shots were the rule rather than the exception. A total of 53 ACC games were decided by five points or less, and it didn’t matter who the combatants happened to be.

North Carolina, which won the league’s regular-season title, barely escaped with a three-point victory at Boston College, which became the first team in ACC history to go 0-18 in league play.

Even consistent Virginia, which finished second in the league at 13-5, lost to Georgia Tech and Florida State, which wound up 10th and 11th in the league, respectively.

“In this league the difference between teams is razor

sec tournament At Bridgestone Arena Nashville, Tenn.

First Round Wednesday, March 9 Tennessee vs. Auburn, 8 p.m.

Second Round Thursday, March 10 Florida vs. Arkansas, 1 p.m.

Vanderbilt vs. Tennessee-Auburn winner, 3:30 p.m.

Mississippi vs. Alabama, 7 p.m.

Georgia vs. Mississippi State, 9:30 p.m.

Quarterfinals Friday, March 11 Texas A&M vs. Florida-Arkansas winner, 1 p.m.

LSU vs. Vanderbilt_Tennessee-Auburn winner, 3:30 p.m.

Kentucky vs. Mississippi-Alabama winner, 7 p.m.

South Carolina vs. Georgia-Mississippi State winner, 9:30 p.m.

Semifinals Saturday, March 12 Texas A&M_Florida-Arkansas winner vs. LSU_Vanderbilt_Tennessee-Auburn winner, 1 p.m.

Kentucky_Mississippi-Alabama winner vs. South Carolina_Georgia-Mississippi State winner, 3:30 p.m.

Championship Sunday, March 13 Semifinal winners, 1 p.m.

thin,” Virginia Coach Tony Bennett said. “So you have to be sound every game.”

Good luck with that. North Carolina and Boston College followed their preseason projections by finishing first and last, but the rest of the teams changed positions more than a political candidate in an election year.

Florida State, picked sixth, finished 11th. Clemson, picked 12th, wound up seventh. N.C. State, tabbed for eighth, placed 12th.

And Virginia Tech, picked 14th, fooled everyone and finished sixth.

Think about betting on tournament games? Think again.

Clemson and Georgia Tech don’t know what to expect, even though this will be their

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N.C. State’s Maverick Rowan (24), who scored 24 points, shoots past Wake Forest’s Rondale Watson (23) during the ACC Tournament on Tuesday in Washington. N.C. State won 75-72.

N.C. State advances after escaping Wake WASHINGTON — Maverick Rowan connected on a career-best six 3-pointers and leading scorer Anthony “Cat” Barber added 22 points as North Carolina State beat Wake Forest 75-72 on Tuesday in the opening game of the ACC Tournament.

Rowan went 6 for 13 from 3-point territory to finish with 24 points, just shy of his career high. Barber, the conference’s leading scorer who started 2 of 11 from the field, made five of his final 10 shots and a couple of key free throws down the stretch for 12th-seeded N.C. State (16-16).

Freshman Bryant Crawford led 13th-seeded Wake Forest (11-20) with 19 points on 7-of-17 shooting. Seniors Devin Thomas and Codi Miller-McIntyre combined to shoot 10 of 30 from the field.

The game featured 15 ties and 17 lead changes.

The Wolfpack play 19thranked Duke on Wednesday.

Florida State 88

acc tournament At The Verizon Center Washington First Round Tuesday, March 8 N.C. State 75, Wake Forest 72 Florida State 88, Boston College 66 Second Round Wednesday, March 9 Pittsburgh vs. Syracuse, Noon Duke vs. N.C. State, 2:30 p.m.

Clemson vs. Georgia Tech, 7 p.m.

Virginia Tech vs. Florida State, 9:30 p.m.

Quarterfinals Thursday, March 10 North Carolina vs. PittsburghSyracuse winner, Noon Notre Dame vs. Duke-N.C. State winner, 2:30 p.m.

Virginia vs. Clemson-Georgia Tech winner, 7 p.m.

Miami vs. Virginia Tech-Florida State winner, 9:30 p.m.

Semifinals Friday, March 11 North Carolina-Pittsburgh-Syracuse winner vs. Notre DameDuke-N.C. State winner, 7 p.m.

V i rg i n i a - C l e m s o n - G e o rg i a Tech winner vs. Miami-Virginia Tech-Florida State winner, 9:30 p.m.

Championship Saturday, March 12 Semifinal winners, 9 p.m.

time, with FSU ahead 39-30.

But the 11th-seeded Seminoles (19-12) scored the first six points of the second half and never really were threatened again.

The 14th-seeded Eagles (7-25) got 21 points from Eli Carter.

Malik Beasley and Dwayne Bacon added 13 points apiece for a balanced FSU team, which faces Virginia Tech on Wednesday.

Boston College 66

WASHINGTON — Boston College wrapped up the first 0-19 season in ACC men’s basketball by losing to Florida State 88-66 in the first round of the conference tournament Tuesday, as Devon Bookert led the Seminoles with 15 points.

This was not a rout from start to finish and actually was relatively close at half-

third meeting in three weeks.

Clemson handed the Jackets a 14-point loss – matching Tech’s worst defeat of the season – on Feb. 13 in Greenville.

Then Tech returned the favor 10 days later, winning 75-73 in Atlanta.

The rubber match comes tonight, with somewhat higher stakes.

“It’s not like we’re a clear favorite,” Brownell said. “We’re a 7 seed, Georgia Tech is a 10 that has won five out of six.

They’re playing really well.

It’s a pick ‘em game.

“We split during the season.

The team that shows up and plays the best is going to win.

That’s the case a lot of times in these tournaments.”

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sports

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

The SUMTER ITEM

women’s college basketball

SEC poised to send record-tying nine teams to NCAA Tournament

By MARK LONG The Associated Press

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Despite third-ranked South Carolina becoming just the fourth team to go undefeated in the Southeastern Conference’s regular season and tournament, the league believes it has as much depth and parity as ever.

The NCAA Tournament might prove it.

The SEC is poised to send a recordtying nine teams into the NCAA field, which will be announced Monday night. The SEC has never had nine — it has sent eight teams four times — but is expected to match the mark set by the Big East in 2011.

“The conference has just been nuts this year,” Florida coach Amanda Butler said. “We always feel like we’re at the top in terms of top to bottom, the quality of teams and coaches and players in this league. This year I think is unprecedented. We have nine NCAA Tournament teams. We have several top-four seeds as well.”

No one in the SEC was able to beat the Gamecocks (31-1), who routed No. 15 Mississippi State on Sunday in nearby Jacksonville to capture its second straight conference tournament title.

South Carolina’s only loss was against top-ranked and three-time defending national champion UConn.

The Gamecocks have won nine in a row since and locked up a No. 1 seed by winning its three SEC tourney games by a combined 53 points.

Coach Dawn Staley has lobbied for the NCAA selection committee to place her team in the Lexington Regional, which would keep the Gamecocks as close to home as possible until the Final Four in Indianapolis.

“I think we did our part,” Staley said. “I think we did more than our part. ... We don’t have a defeat on our schedule in the last 10 games. We’re playing a lot better, just better looking out there. Hopefully that means we’ll get to play closer to home.”

Here’s a look at the rest of the league’s NCAA Tournament hopefuls: KENTUCKY: The 12th-ranked Wildcats (23-7) have won eight of their last 10 games, with both losses

Women’s Conference Tournaments Atlantic Sun Conference

At Higher-Seeded Teams First Round Friday, March 4 Stetson 74, Kennesaw State 56 USC Upstate 76, North Florida 50 Jacksonville 80, Lipscomb 51 Florida Gulf Coast 60, NJIT 31 Semifinals Wednesday, March 9 USC Upstate at Jacksonville, 7 p.m.

Stetson at Florida Gulf Coast, 7:05 p.m.

Championship Sunday, March 13 Semifinal winners, 2 p.m.

Big South Conference

At Kimmel Arena Asheville, N.C. First Round Thursday, March 10 Campbell vs. Coastal Carolina, 2 p.m.

Charleston Southern vs. Longwood, 4:30 p.m.

High Point vs. Winthrop, 7 p.m.

Quarterfinals Friday, March 11 UNC Asheville vs. Campbell-Coastal Carolina winner, Noon Gardner-Webb vs. Presbyterian, 2 p.m.

Liberty vs. Charleston Southern-Longwood winner, 6 p.m.

Radford vs. High Point-Winthrop winner, 8 p.m.

Semifinals Saturday, March 12 UNC Asheville—Campbell-Coastal Carolina winner vs. Gardner-Webb-Presbyterian winner, 2 p.m.

Liberty—Charleston Southern-Longwood winner vs. Radford—High Point-Winthrop winner, 4 p.m.

Championship Sunday, March 13 Semifinal winners, 2 p.m.

Colonial Athletic Association

The Associated Press

South Carolina guard Khadijah Sessions (5) and the No. 3 Gamecocks will be one of possibly nine SEC teams to reach the NCAA Tournament this year. coming against South Carolina. After a 4-6 start in league play, Kentucky is now projected to be a top-four seed and open the tournament at home.

TEXAS A&M: The 19th-ranked Aggies (21-9) are coming off consecutive losses to Kentucky and Tennessee and haven’t hit a 3-pointer in three games (0-for-16). But a tough non-conference schedule and a few quality wins should have Texas A&M a top-four seed.

MISSISSIPPI STATE: The 15thranked Bulldogs (26-7) advanced to the SEC championship game for the first time since 2000, thanks mostly to guard Victoria Vivians. But Mississippi State’s relatively weak non-conference schedule likely will keep it out of the top four.

FLORIDA: The Gators (22-8) have been up and down lately, losing four of their last seven games and getting blown out by Kentucky in the SEC Tournament. Still, Florida enjoyed a huge turnaround after going 13-17

last season.

TENNESSEE: The Lady Vols (1913) won two games in the SEC Tournament, essentially locking up a 35th consecutive spot in the NCAA field.

Tennessee played the nation’s top non-conference schedule.

GEORGIA: The Bulldogs (21-9) will limp into the NCAA Tournament having lost three of their last five games. They surely would be on the bubble if not for sweeping Florida and upsetting Mississippi State in January.

MISSOURI: The Tigers (21-9) failed to reach 60 points in their last three games and lost all three. But they will get in thanks to an RPI ranking of 45 and wins against Florida and Mississippi State.

AUBURN: The only real bubble team in the league, Auburn (19-12) feels like it solidified a spot in the NCAA field by beating Missouri and then playing South Carolina tough in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals.

At The Show Place Arena Upper Marlboro, Md. First Round Wednesday, March 9 College of Charleston vs. UNC Wilmington, Noon William & Mary vs. Towson, 2:30 p.m.

Quarterfinals Thursday, March 10 James Madison vs. College of Charleston-UNC Wilmington winner, Noon Elon vs. Delaware, 2:30 p.m.

Drexel vs. William & Mary-Towson winner, 5 p.m.

Hofstra vs. Northeastern, 7:30 p.m.

Semifinals Friday, March 11 James Madison—College of Charleston-UNC Wilmington winner vs. Elon-Delaware winner, 1:30 p.m.

Drexel—William & Mary-Towson winner vs.

Hofstra-Northeastern winner, 4 p.m.

Championship Saturday, March 12 Semifinal winners, 4 p.m.

Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference

At Scope Arena Norfolk, Va. First Round Monday, March 7 Coppin State 78, Norfolk State 54 Morgan State 52, N.C. Central 42 Howard 68, Maryland-Eastern Shore 51 Tuesday, March 8 S.C. State 61, Savannah State 53, OT Florida A&M 79, Delaware State 74 Quarterfinals Wednesday, March 9 Bethune-Cookman vs. S.C. State, Noon N.C. A&T vs. Florida A&M, 2:30 p.m.

Thursday, March 10 Hampton vs. Howard, Noon Coppin State vs. Morgan State, 2:30 p.m.

Semifinals Friday, March 11 Bethune-Cookman-S.C. State winner vs. Coppin State-Morgan State winner, Noon N.C. A&T-Florida A&M winner vs. HamptonHoward winner, 2:30 p.m.

Championship Saturday, March 12 Semifinal winners, 3:30 p.m.

Men’s Conference Tournaments

By The Associated Press

America East Conference

Championship Saturday, March 12 Vermont at Stony Brook, 11 a.m.

American Athletic Conference

At Amway Center Orlando, Fla. First Round Thursday, March 10 East Carolina vs. South Florida, 3:30 p.m.

UCF vs. Tulane, 6 p.m.

Quarterfinals Friday, March 11 Temple vs. East Carolina-South Florida winner, Noon Cincinnati vs. UConn, 2:30 p.m.

Houston vs. UCF-Tulane winner, 7 p.m.

Tulsa vs. Memphis, 9:30 p.m.

Semifinals Saturday, March 12 Temple—East Carolina-South Florida winner vs. Cincinnati-UConn winner, 3 p.m.

Houston—UCF-Tulane winner vs. Tulsa-Memphis winner, 5:30 p.m.

Championship Sunday, March 13 Semifinal winners, 3:15 p.m.

Atlantic 10 Conference

At The Barclays Center Brooklyn, N.Y. First Round Wednesday, March 9 George Mason vs. Saint Louis, 6:30 p.m.

Duquesne vs. La Salle, 9 p.m.

Second Round Thursday, March 10 Fordham vs. Richmond, Noon George Washington vs. George Mason-Saint Louis winner, 2:30 p.m.

Rhode Island vs. UMass, 6:30 p.m.

Davidson vs. Duquesne-La Salle winner, 9 p.m.

Quarterfinals Friday, March 11 Dayton vs. Fordham-Richmond winner, Noon Saint Joseph’s vs. George Washington—George Mason-Saint Louis winner, 2:30 p.m.

VCU vs. Rhode Island-UMass winner, 6:30 p.m.

St. Bonaventure vs. Davidson— Duquesne-La Salle winner, 9 p.m.

Semifinals Saturday, March 12 Dayton—Fordham-Richmond winner vs. Saint Joseph’s—George Washington—George Mason-Saint Louis winner, 1:30 p.m.

VCU—Rhode Island-UMass winner vs.

St. Bonaventure—Davidson— Duquesne-La Salle winner, 4 p.m.

Championship Sunday, March 13 Semifinal winners, 12:30 p.m.

Big East Conference

At Madison Square Garden New York First Round Wednesday, March 9 Georgetown vs. DePaul, 7 p.m.

Marquette vs. St. John’s, 9:30 p.m.

Quarterfinals Thursday, March 10 Villanova vs. Georgetown-DePaul winner, Noon Providence vs. Butler, 2:30 p.m.

Xavier vs. Marquette-St. John’s winner, 7 p.m.

Seton Hall vs. Creighton, 9:30 p.m.

Semifinals Friday, March 11 Villanova—Georgetown-DePaul winner vs. Providence-Butler winner, 6:30 p.m.

Xavier—Marquette-St. John’s winner

TODAY’S BASKETBALL TV SCHEDULE ACC

Second Round WKTC 63, ESPN Noon — Pittsburgh vs. Syracuse 2 p.m. — Wake Forest vs. Duke ESPN2 7 p.m. — Georgia Tech vs. Clemson 9 p.m. — Virginia Tech vs. Florida State SEC First Round SEC NETWORK 8 p.m. — Auburn vs. Tennessee BIG 10 First Round ESPN2 4:30 p.m. — Minnesota vs. Illinois BIG 12 First Round ESPNU 7 p.m. — Oklahoma State vs. Kansas State 9 p.m. — Texas Christian vs. Texas Tech BIG EAST First Round FOX SPORTS 1 7 p.m. — DePaul vs. Georgetown 9:30 p.m. — St. John’s vs. Marquette PATRIOT Championship CBS SPORTS NETWORK 7:30 p.m. — Holy Cross vs. Lehigh vs. Seton Hall-Creighton winner, 9 p.m.

Championship Saturday, March 12 Semifinal winners, 5:30 p.m.

Big Sky Conference

At The Events Center Reno, Nev. First Round Tuesday, March 8 Portland State 74, Northern Colorado 67 North Dakota 85, Southern Utah 80 Montana State vs. Sacramento State, 8:30 p.m.

Eastern Washington vs. Northern Arizona, 11 p.m.

Quarterfinals Thursday, March 10 Weber State vs. Portland State, 3 p.m.

Idaho State vs. North Dakota, 5:30 p.m.

Montana vs. Montana State-Sacramento State winner, 8:30 p.m.

Idaho vs. Eastern Washington-Northern Arizona winner, 11 p.m.

Semifinals Friday, March 11 Weber State-Portland State winner vs. Idaho State-North Dakota winner, 8:30 p.m.

Montana—Montana State-Sacramento State winner vs. Idaho—Eastern Washington-Northern Arizona winner, 11 p.m.

Championship Saturday, March 12 Semifinal winners, 8:45 p.m.

Big Ten Conference

At Bankers Life Fieldhouse Indianapolis First Round Wednesday, March 9 Illinois vs. Minnesota, 4:30 p.m.

Nebraska vs. Rutgers, 7 p.m.

Second Round Thursday, March 10 Michigan vs. Northwestern, Noon Iowa vs. Illinois-Minnesota winner, 2:25 p.m.

Ohio State vs. Penn State, 6:30 p.m.

Wisconsin vs. Nebraska-Rutgers winner, 8:55 p.m.

Quarterfinals Friday, March 11 Indiana vs. Michigan-Northwestern winner, Noon Purdue vs. Iowa—Illinois-Minnesota winner, 2:25 p.m.

Michigan State vs. Ohio State-Penn State winner, 6:30 p.m.

Maryland vs. Wisconsin—NebraskaRutgers winner, 8:55 p.m.

Semifinals Saturday, March 12 Indiana—Michigan-Northwestern winner vs. Purdue—Iowa—IllinoisMinnesota winner, 1 p.m.

Michigan State—Ohio State-Penn State winner vs. Maryland—Wisconsin—Nebraska-Rutgers winner, 3:30 p.m.

Championship Sunday, March 13 Semifinal winners, 3 p.m.

Big 12 Conference

At The Sprint Center Kansas City, Mo. First Round Wednesday, March 9 Kansas State vs. Oklahoma State, 7 p.m.

Texas Tech vs. TCU, 9:30 p.m.

Quarterfinals Thursday, March 10 Texas vs. Baylor, 12:30 p.m.

Kansas vs. Kansas State-Oklahoma State winner, 3 p.m.

West Virginia vs. Texas Tech-TCU winner, 7 p.m.

Oklahoma vs. Iowa State, 9:30 p.m.

Semifinals Friday, March 11 Texas-Baylor winner vs. Kansas— Kansas State-Oklahoma State winner, 7 p.m.

West Virginia—Texas Tech-TCU winner vs. Oklahoma-Iowa State winner, 9:30 p.m.

Championship Saturday, March 12 Semifinal winners, 6 p.m.

Big West Conference

At The Honda Center Anaheim, Calif.

First Round Thursday, March 10 UC Santa Barbara vs. UC Davis, 3 p.m.

Hawaii vs. Cal State Fullerton, 5:30 p.m.

UC Irvine vs. Cal Poly, 9 p.m.

Long Beach State vs. UC Riverside, 11:30 p.m.

Conference USA

At Bartow Arena Birmingham, Ala. First Round Tuesday, March 8 FAU 82, UTSA 58 At Legacy Arena at the BJCC Birmingham, Ala. Second Round Wednesday, March 9 Western Kentucky vs. North Texas, 1 p.m.

Old Dominion vs. FAU, 3:30 p.m.

Charlotte vs. Rice, 7 p.m.

UTEP vs. FIU, 9:30 p.m.

Quarterfinals Thursday, March 10 UAB vs. Western Kentucky-North Texas winner, 1 p.m.

Louisiana Tech vs. Old Dominion— FAU winner, 3:30 p.m.

Middle Tennessee vs. Charlotte-Rice winner, 7 p.m.

Marshall vs. UTEP-FIU winner, 9:30 p.m.

Semifinals Friday, March 11 UAB—Western Kentucky-North Texas winner vs. Louisiana Tech—Old Do-

minion—FAU-UTSA winner, 4 p.m.

Middle Tennessee—Charlotte-Rice winner vs. Marshall—UTEP-FIU winner, 6:30 p.m.

Championship Saturday, March 12 Semifinal winners, 2:30 p.m.

Horizon League

At Joe Louis Arena Detroit Championship Tuesday, March 8 Green Bay 78, Wright State 69

Mid-American Conference

At Quicken Loans Arena Cleveland Quarterfinals Thursday, March 10 Akron vs. Eastern Michigan, Noon Central Michigan vs. Bowling Green, 2:30 p.m.

Ohio vs. Northern Illinois, 6:30 p.m.

Buffalo vs. Miami (Ohio), 9 p.m.

Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference

At Norfolk Scope Norfolk, Va. First Round Monday, March 7 Savannah State 63, Delaware State 58 Coppin State 98, N.C. A&T 91, 2OT Tuesday, March 8 Morgan State 65, Maryland-Eastern Shore 58 N.C. Central 68, Howard 66 Quarterfinals Wednesday, March 9 Hampton vs. Morgan State, 6 p.m.

Norfolk State vs. N.C. Central, 8:30 p.m.

Thursday, March 10 S.C. State vs. Coppin State, 6 p.m.

Bethune-Cookman vs. Savannah State, 8:30 p.m.

Semifinals Friday, March 11 Hampton-Morgan State winner vs.

Bethune-Cookman-Savannah State winner, 6 p.m.

Norfolk State—N.C. Central-Howard winner vs. S.C. State-Coppin State winner, 8:30 p.m.

Championship Saturday, March 12 Semifinal winners, 1 p.m.

Mountain West Conference

At The Thomas & Mack Center Las Vegas First Round Wednesday, March 9 Wyoming vs. Utah State, 2 p.m.

UNLV vs. Air Force, 4:30 p.m.

Colorado State vs. San Jose State, 7 p.m.

Northeast Conference

At Higher-Seeded Team Championship Tuesday, March 8 Fairleigh Dickinson 87, Wagner 79

Pacific-12 Conference

At MGM Grand Garden Arena Las Vegas First Round Wednesday, March 9 Washington vs. Stanford, 3 p.m.

Colorado vs. Washington State, 5:30 p.m.

Southern Cal vs. UCLA, 9 p.m.

Oregon State vs. Arizona State, 11:30 p.m.

Quarterfinals Thursday, March 10 Oregon vs. Washington-Stanford winner, 3 p.m.

Arizona vs. Colorado-Washington State winner, 5:30 p.m.

Utah vs. Southern Cal-UCLA winner, 9 p.m.

California vs. Oregon State-Arizona State winner, 11:30 p.m.

Semifinals Friday, March 11 Oregon—Washington-Stanford winner vs. Arizona—Colorado-Washington State winner, 9:15 p.m.

Utah—Southern Cal-UCLA winner vs.

California—Oregon State-Arizona State winner, 11:45 p.m.

Championship Saturday, March 12 Semifinal winners, 10:15 p.m.

Patriot League

At Higher-Seeded Teams Championship Wednesday, March 9 Holy Cross at Lehigh, 7:30 p.m.

Southern Conference

At U.S. Cellular Center Asheville, N.C. Championship Monday, March 7 Chattanooga 73, ETSU 67

Southland Conference

At The Leonard E. Merrell Center Katy, Texas First Round Wednesday, March 9 Southeastern Louisiana vs. New Orleans, 6 p.m.

McNeese State vs. Nicholls State, 8:30 p.m.

Southwestern Athletic Conference

At The Toyota Center Houston First Round Tuesday, March 8 MVSU 87, Grambling State 73 Alabama A&M vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 9:30 p.m.

Quarterfinals Wednesday, March 9 Alcorn State vs. MVSU, 3:30 p.m.

Texas Southern vs. Alabama A&M-Arkansas-Pine Bluff winner, 9:30 p.m.

Thursday, March 10 Jackson State vs. Prairie View, 3:30 p.m.

Southern vs. Alabama State, 9:30 p.m.

Summit League

At Denny Sanford PREMIER Center Sioux Falls, S.D. Championship Tuesday, March 8 North Dakota State vs. South Dakota State, 9 p.m.

Sun Belt Conference

At Lakefront Arena New Orleans First Round Thursday, March 10 Georgia Southern vs. South Alabama, 6 p.m.

Georgia State vs. Texas State, 8:30 p.m.

West Coast Conference

At Orleans Arena Las Vegas Championship Tuesday, March 8 Saint Mary’s vs. Gonzaga, 9 p.m.

Western Athletic Conference

At Orleans Arena Las Vegas First Round Thursday, March 10 Utah Valley vs. UMKC, 5 p.m.

Cal State Bakersfield vs. Chicago State, 7:30 p.m.

Seattle vs. Texas Rio Grande Valley, 10 p.m.

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The SUMTER ITEM

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

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B5

PRO FOOTBALL

What to look for as free agency begins

By BARRY WILNER The Associated Press

The Associated Press

Detroit wide receiver Calvin Johnson, 30, retired Tuesday after nine mostly spectacular seasons.

Lions star WR Johnson retires after nine seasons

By LARRY LAGE The Associated Press DETROIT — Calvin Johnson, one the most spectacular receivers in NFL history, retired from the Detroit Lions on Tuesday and rekindled memories of the way superstar running back Barry Sanders quietly stepped away from football.

The 30-year-old Johnson called it a career after nine seasons filled with highlightreel catches, dozens of touchdowns and nearly 12,000 yards receiving. The 6-foot-5 receiver was known as Megatron, a sign of respect for his imposing skills and unusual mixture of speed, power and gracefulness.

“Let me assure you that this was not an easy or hasty decision,” Johnson said. “I, along with those closest to me, have put a lot of time, deliberation and prayer into this decision and I truly am at peace with it.”

Shortly after Detroit finished last season with a 7-9 mark — their seventh losing season in nine years — Johnson announced he was evaluating his future. He had reportedly told some teammates entering last season that it would be his last and told coach Jim Caldwell afterward that he was retiring.

Johnson piled up 731 career receptions for 11,619 yards, a league-record 86.1 yards receiving per game, and 83 touchdowns against defenses often geared to stop him. He reached 10,000 yards (115 games) and 11,000 yards (127 games) yards quicker than anyone in NFL history. Including the postseason, he has another league mark with six 200-yard receiving games.

Johnson, a three-time All Pro and six-time Pro Bowler, broke one of Hall of Famer Jerry Rice’s records with 1,964 yards receiving in 2012. He ranked among league leaders last season with 88 receptions for 1,214 yards and nine TDs, playing through lingering injuries as he often did.

“Not only is he as good as any player I’ve ever seen, but I am convinced that God has not put a finer person on this earth than Calvin Johnson,” Caldwell said.

LMA

With another major spike in the NFL’s salary cap, up about $12 million to $155.27 million, the spending spree that is free agency begins Wednesday.

Some teams that open up their vaults have prospered recently, most notably the Broncos. Denver won its third Super Bowl thanks to massive boosts from DeMarcus Ware, Aqib Talib, Emmanuel Sanders and Owen Daniels. Oh, and that quarterback, Peyton Manning.

All were acquired through free agency.

Of course, the Broncos spent wisely.

Other teams have traveled down the road to ruin for giving the big bucks to the wrong players. Such 2015 big-time free agents Ndamukong Suh, DeMarco Murray and Julius Thomas hardly made a positive impact on their new clubs.

Some things to look for in this version of March Madness:

WHERE DO THE ALL-PROS LAND? How about where they started? Three of the four 2016 All-Pros got franchise tags: Denver linebacker Von Miller, the Super Bowl MVP; Carolina cornerback Josh Norman; and Kansas City safety Eric Berry.

The one All-Pro seemingly headed for the marketplace is Buccaneers running back Doug Martin, who has sandwiched two injury-shortened seasons with a sensational rookie year and a 1,400-yard, six-touchdown performance in 2015.

Running backs present a dilemma to teams when their contracts run out. No position is marred by sharper and earlier fall-offs, and any RB with an injury history is extra worrisome.

Still, Martin is only 27, dynamic and a good fit with quarterback Jameis Winston.

“I know he wants to be a Buc and I know that we want him to be a Buc,” Tampa Bay GM Jason Licht said at the scouting combine. “I’m sure there will be some obstacles — there always are in negotiations — but we’ll prepare for either way. I’m optimistic and we’ll continue talking with him.”

In other words, the money talks.

WHO ARE THE BIG SPENDERS? Speaking of money talking, by carrying over huge amounts of salary cap space from last year — not to mention flopping on the field in 2015 — the Jaguars ($32.77 million), Titans ($20.78 million) and Browns ($20.73 million) can outspend pretty much anyone. That’s in addition to the bump in the cap number, and other contracts moves they’ve

The Associated Press

Tampa Bay running back Doug Martin is the one All-Pro seemingly headed for the marketplace. Martin has sandwiched two injury-shortened seasons with a sensational rookie year and a 1,400-yard, six-touchdown performance in 2015. made.

Other teams with millions upon millions to hand out in free agency include: San Francisco, Los Angeles, Tampa Bay, Oakland, Cleveland and Tennessee.

Remember, though, that having a vault full of cap space doesn’t mean splurging for the likes of safety Eric Weddle.

“We’re pretty healthy with our cap situation right now,” Giants general manager Jerry Reese says. New York has about $60 million in cap space. “We have to wait and see who’s going to hit the market. We’ll definitely look in the market and see if there’s players available for us to recruit. Hopefully we will be able to land some guys if some guys are available.”

Bushrod; guards Jahri Evans, and Alex Boone; and center Ben Jones. Oakland already has nabbed Baltimore guard/ tackle Kelechi Osemele, who can sign his deal Wednesday.

WHERE ARE THE BARGAINS?

They are everywhere. The trick is finding them, as Denver did with Daniels, Darian Stewart and Antonio Smith, all contributors to a championship.

Carolina got plenty of mileage out of Ted Ginn Jr., and Kurt Coleman. Anyone think Dion Lewis wasn’t a terrific signing for New England? Or Terence Newman for Minnesota?

This year, guys who might not make many headlines when they sign, but who could make key contributions next season range from a few of the offensive linemen above to cornerback MANNING THE TRENCHES Casey Hayward, safety Rodney McLeod, If NFL teams learned anything from DE Cedric Thornton, linebacker Mike the playoffs, it’s that mediocre or worse Neal, running back Bilal Powell and repass protection is a prescription for fail- ceiver Marvin Jones. ure. And one of the most difficult ANYONE INTERESTED? chores with rookie nowadays is teachEvery year, there are blue chippers ing them to pass block in a pro-style ofcarrying red flags. This season, the fense when so many colleges are runmarketplace has Greg Hardy, Aldon ning the spread and variations of it.

Smith, Adam Jones, Andre Smith, Nick So veteran behemoths on the offenFairley, Percy Harvin and Junior sive line become a prized commodity.

The most coveted might be tackles Rus- Galette. Lots of talent there, but plenty of locker room and off-field concerns, sell Okung, Mitchell Schwartz, Cordy too.

Glenn, Kelvin Beachum and Jermon

NFC SOUTH CAPSULES Capsules of NFC South teams heading into free agency.

Available salary cap space is an estimate. The 2016 salary cap is $155.27 million per team.

ATLANTA FALCONS (8-8) UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: DT Paul Soliai, G Chris Chester, DE Adrian Clayborn, DE Kroy Biermann, C Gino Gradkowski, OT Jake Long, OT Bryce Harris, CB Phillip Adams, TE Tony Moeaki, LB Philip Wheeler, SS Charles Godfrey, FB Collin Mooney, CB Travis Howard, PK Shayne Graham.

RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: ILB Paul Worrilow, OT Ryan Schraeder, OLB Nate Stupar, FS Ricardo Allen.

NEEDS: Release of 2016 starter Justin Durant makes linebacker obvious area of offseason emphasis. Other top needs include interior offensive line and wide receiver following release of veteran Roddy White. Team also released starting safety William Moore and may seek competition for Kemal Ishmael.

AVAILABLE SALARY CAP SPACE: $27 million.

CAROLINA PANTHERS (17-2)

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (7-9)

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (6-10)

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: CB Josh Norman (franchise tag), FB Mike Tolbert, CB Charles Tillman, WR Jerricho Cotchery, S Roman Harper, CB Cortland Finnegan, G Amini Silatolu, DE Frank Alexander, DT Kyle Love, P Brad Nortman, QB Joe Webb, G Tyrone Green, G Fernando Velasco.

RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: OT Mike Remmers, WR Brenton Bersin, LB Ben Jacobs.

NEEDS: The Panthers will be in the market for defensive end following the retirement of Jared Allen and the release of Charles Johnson. They have other needs in secondary, where it may be time to part with aging veterans Tillman and Harper, both starters last season. Finding a right tackle could be a possibility even though team tendered offer to Remmers, who struggled in the Super Bowl against Denver’s Von Miller.

AVAILABLE SALARY CAP SPACE: $26 million.

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: TE Benjamin Watson, S Rafael Bush, TE Michael Hoomanawanui, DT Kevin Williams, QB Luke McCown, OLB Anthony Spencer, DE Lawrence Virgil, OLB James Anderson, QB Matt Flynn, G Mike McGlynn, CB Chris Owens, S Jamarca Sanford, CB Kyle Wilson, T Tony Hills, RB Tim Hightower, RB Kendall Hunter, K Kai Forbath, RB Travares Cadet, DT Austin Brown.

RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: TE Josh Hill, G Tim Lelito, RB Khiry Robinson, G Senio Kelemete, G Ryan Seymour.

NEEDS: Saints’ top priorities include improving pass rush, but finding room under salary cap for top-tier defensive end in free agency will be tricky because of about $25 million in dead money from players who’ve been cut but still have pro-rated bonuses counting against Saints’ cap. New Orleans also is in market for tight end, particularly if it can’t retain Watson.

AVAILABLE SALARY CAP SPACE: $9 million.

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: RB Doug Martin, CB Sterling Moore, DT Henry Melton, DT Tony McDaniel, S Chris Conte, DL Da’Quan Bowers, DE Larry English, CB Mike Jenkins, RB Bobby Rainey, S Keith Tandy.

RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: FB Jorvorskie Lane, LB Danny Lansanah, S Bradley McDougald, WR Russell Shepard.

NEEDS: Despite tripling their victory total from two years ago, Bucs have lots of holes to fill, beginning with pass rusher. They haven’t had sack leader finish with at least 10 in single season since Simeon Rice in 2005.

There’s need for cornerbacks and safeties, too, after secondary was shuffled constantly because of inconsistent and, at times, flat-out poor play. Also could be in market to bolster guard and center.

AVAILABLE SALARY CAP SPACE: $54 million.

game. Finley will be the team’s closer while Frye might be the From Page B1 hardest thrower on the team, Hatfield said. the gate, posting a 5-1 record head“We plan to use him in spots,” ing into today’s matchup at Manthe ‘Cats skipper said. “But mostly ning High School. Pitching has we want him to be the everyday been an early strong point as LMA third baseman. We feel good about has allowed just 14 runs in six our pitchers. We have about eight games with 12 of those coming in guys we can turn to to give us qualtwo contests. The Swampcats have ity innings.” posted two shutouts and Bleasdale The offense has shown early is 3-0 with three 1-hitters to his signs of life as well — LMA is avercredit. aging nine runs a game thus far.

Ryan Touchberry, the No. 2 start- Hatfield said what the team might er and everyday outfielder, hasn’t lack in raw power it makes up for even pitched yet with arm soreness. in speed.

He’s scheduled to take the mound “We’ve got guys like Bleasdale, for the first time sometime this Mason, Frye and Touchberry in the week. middle of our lineup who can hit Brayden Osteen, Dalton Page, the gaps and get some extra-base Morris, Finley, Taylor Lee and hits,” he said. “But I think our freshman Trent Frye help round speed is going to be our biggest out the rest of the pitching pool for weapon that we can use to really LMA. Osteen, Page and Morris put pressure on other teams. have already combined on a no-hit“Players like Cole Hair and Morter in a preseason tournament gan and Taylor and Dawson Hat-

field — I tell them that I want them to be gnats. They’re going to fly around and aggravate and do whatever is necessary for the team.

They’ve been totally unselfish with how they play offensively.”

Lee and the younger Hatfield will make up the middle-of-the-diamond duo for LMA this year with Lee at short and Dawson Hatfield at second. Bleasdale will share time at first with sophomore Brent Jordan while Page and Mason will share catching duties.

Depending on who’s pitching, Touchberry, Morris and Osteen will make up the outfield with Hair seeing significant time as well.

“With a team as young as this, you’re going to have games where you’re very pleased and you’re going to have games where you shake your head and wonder what happened,” Coach Hatfield said.

“But it’s just a matter of them stepping into those roles and gaining experience as we go.”

From wire reports

MOTA

From Page B1 Women’s tennis Coker College sophomore Suzanna Mickey won 6-3, 6-3 at No. 5 singles against Lander University. The Sumter alumna lost 8-5 at third doubles.

Hannah Jenkins is a freshman for King’s College (Pa.). The Thomas Sumter Academy graduate has played second and third singles and first doubles.

Women’s track and field College of Charleston sophomore Deanna King set the school record in the 60-meter dash at the Bob Pollock Invitational. The former Gamecock finished her preliminary heat in 7.92 seconds, but did not advance to the final. She won her section of the 400 run and placed eighth overall.

Send updates about area athletes to Barbara Boxleitner at bboxleitner@outlook. com.

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sports SPORTS

Wednesday, March 9, 2016 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 2016

The SUMTER ITEM THE SUMTER ITEM

PRO BASEBALL

Braves’ July 3 game against Miami moved to Fort Bragg The Associated Press

The Associated Press

Tommy Giordano, center, special assistant to the general manager of the Atlanta Braves, scouts an exhibition spring training baseball game between the Braves and Pittsburgh on Saturday in Kissimmee, Fla. At age 90, Giordano enters his 69th year in professional baseball with no plans to retire and his passion for the game as strong as ever.

‘I’m going to do this until I die’ Braves’ 90-year-old scout Giordano entering 69th year in professional baseball

By PAUL NEWBERRY The Associated Press KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Tommy Giordano sits in a folding chair behind home plate at Champion Stadium, a stopwatch in his right hand, a lineup card in his lap, his eyes darting this way and that, always searching for the next great player, be it another Joe DiMaggio. Or Hank Aaron. Or Cal Ripken Jr. He’s seen ‘em all. Heck, he once outhomered the Hammer.

At age 90, Giordano’s mind is sharp, his passion for the game as strong as ever.

“I love what I’m doing,” said Giordano, who is with the Atlanta Braves in spring training as a special assistant to the general manager. “I’m going to do this until I die.”

His is a baseball life.

“I can’t wait to get up in the morning and go to the ballpark,” Giordano said.

“I’m still in baseball, so I must have been doing a pretty good job.”

He’s entering his 69th year in the game, having been everything from a major leaguer to a minor-league manager to a front-office executive. But his long career has largely centered on the behind-the-scenes world of scouting.

It is a thankless, often frustrating task, where the failures far outweigh

the successes. And in today’s game, dominated by computers and numbercrunching analytics, the boot-on-theground scout is increasingly viewed as an anachronism.

But John Hart, Atlanta’s president of baseball operation and the one responsible for bringing his longtime friend to the Braves, insists those such as Giordano will always play an important role in rooting out new talent.

“You’re absolutely crazy if you don’t use analytics,” Hart said. “But we’re also an organization that is committed to the opinions and the evaluations of the scout. If a scout doesn’t sign off on it, I don’t care what the analytics say.

We’re not taking him.”

During his time in Baltimore, Giordano was responsible for the Orioles drafting Ripken. After moving to Cleveland, he signed off on the Indians picking Manny Ramirez.

A successful scout, Giordano said, must rely on four things. He points to his head, his heart, his gut and, finally, below the belt. But, he added, the ability to soothsay where a young man is going to be five years from now requires the scout to dig even deeper.

One of the Giordano’s fondest memories was getting called up to the majors as a slick-fielding shortstop toward the end of the 1953 season. Giordano played

only 11 games for the woeful Philadelphia Athletics — the extent of his big league playing career — but it gave him a chance to meet one of the game’s most towering figures, Connie Mack.

In his very first game with the Athletics, he homered off the facade of old Shibe Park, going deep against Virgil Trucks, a 20-game winner for the Chicago White Sox. But Giordano hit only .175 during that brief stint and never returned to the Show.

It was also in 1953, while playing with Class A Savannah, that he encountered a 19-year-old second baseman on his way up, a teenager named Aaron.

That year, Aaron led the South Atlantic League in virtually every offensive category. Except one.

The player who would go on to break Babe Ruth’s record for most career homers — while playing the outfield — finished second in the Sally League with 22 homers.

The leader? Giordano with 24.

These days, Giordano is keeping his still-keen eye on all the young players the Braves are counting on to provide the foundation for a rebuilding team.

As an added bonus, Giordano gets to hang out every day with people just like him, those who view baseball as more than a job.

It’s been a full life. A baseball life.

NEW YORK — The Atlanta Braves and Miami Marlins will play on the U.S. military base at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, on July 3 in a 12,500-capacity ballpark to be built with funding by Major League Baseball and the players’ association.

The ballpark will be converted to a softball field and multipurpose facility after the game.

The matchup originally was to be played at Atlanta’s Turner Field, and the Braves will remain the home team. The game will be televised by ESPN as part of its Sunday night baseball schedule.

Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement Tuesday that it will be “a unique event that will benefit the men and women of Fort Bragg and their families for many years.”

Marlins manager Don Mattingly said the game is a chance to honor the soldiers on the base.

“It feels good to be able to go,” Mattingly said. “There are a lot of heroes there. Some of those guys have paid a heavy price.”

Braves catcher A.J. Pierzynski attended a 2012 college basketball game aboard the USS Bataan, an amphibious assault ship anchored at Mayport Naval Station in Jacksonville, Fla. He expects an even greater thrill playing at Fort Bragg.

“It’s going to be pretty awesome,” Pierzynski said. “To play in front of the troops, that’s kind of what you do this for. Because those guys are the real heroes. What they do protecting us and defending out way of life every day is pretty amazing.”

Col. Brett Funck, the garrison commander at Fort Bragg, thanked baseball and the union “for their support to our service members and families.”

“This historic event and the converted multipurpose facility will have enduring benefits for our entire Fort Bragg community for years to come,” he said.

OBITUARIES JUANITA ARDIS Juanita Elizabeth Pringle Ardis, affectionately known as “Nita,” widow of Donald Ardis Sr., was born on March 10, 1942, in Sumter. She peacefully entered eternal rest on Saturday, March 5, 2016.

She was a ARDIS daughter of the late Nathaniel and Lillie Odom Pringle. She lived in New Jersey for many years, where she attended public school. She was employed by Fairyland and Knickerbocker Toys in New Jersey and at Campbell Soup Co. in Sumter.

She loved poetry, music and watching tennis. She was an avid Clemson fan as well as New York Giants and New York Yankees. Juanita was a sweet spirit and a joy to be around.

She leaves to cherish her memory: three daughters, Lillie Dantzler and her husband, LaMonte, and Delilah Ardis, all of Sumter, and Amy Ardis and her husband, Clifford, of New York; six grandchildren, Direll Williams, Dasan Ardis, Keanna Ardis, Gabrielle Jackson, Taylor Clyburn and Aaliyah Dantzler; one brother, Robert “Bobby” Pringle of Sumter; three special nieces, Vera Pringle and Nina Jackson, both of Sumter, and Jamie Lawson of New Jersey; two special nephews, Victor Lawson and Clifford Lawson, both of New Jersey; along with several other nieces, nephews, a host of other close relatives and friends.

In addition to her husband and parents, she was preceded in death by her only son, Donald C. Ardis Jr.; three sisters, Mary Ann Lawson, Eliza Pringle and Vivian Pringle; and two brothers, Thomas Pringle and John Pringle.

A funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. on Thursday at Bullock Funeral Home Chapel.

The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. today at Bullock Funeral Home and other times at the home.

You may go to www.bullockfuneralhome.com and sign the family’s guest book.

The family has chosen Bullock Funeral Home for the arrangements.

WAYNE W. MARQUARDTT Wayne William Marquardtt, 57, died on Saturday, March 5, 2016, at Palmetto Health Tuomey.

Born in England, he was a son of August and Mavis Marquardtt. He enjoyed the outdoors and loved helping others in any way possible. He will be remembered as a very loving and caring man, who loved all people, especially his children. He will be dearly missed by all who knew him.

Surviving are one son, Ryan B. Oliver; one daughter, Hailey Barnhill; one son-in-law, Matthew; and mother of

Ryan, Patty Oliver.

There will be a celebration of life from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday at his residence You may go to www.bullockfuneralhome.com and sign the family’s guest book.

The family has chosen Bullock Funeral Home for the arrangements.

friends at the home, 1330 Mose Dingle Road, Summerton.

Professional services entrusted to Dyson’s Home for Funerals of Summerton.

MARGIE HODGE POOLE

wife of John Perry Poole for 62 years, went to be with the Lord on Tuesday, March 8, 2016, at her home.

Services will be announced by Elmore-Cannon-Stephens Funeral Home and Crematorium of Sumter.

Spring on the road Margie Hodge Poole, 83,

A SPECIAL SECTION IN THE SUMTER ITEM

DAVID FELDER MANNING — David “Rat” Felder, 69, departed this earthly life on Sunday, March 6, 2016, at Clarendon Memorial Hospital in Manning.

Born on June 22, 1946, in Clarendon County, he was a son of the late John Thomas and Heddie Robinson Felder.

The family will receive friends at the home, 1092 Wilson Road, Summerton.

Funeral arrangements are incomplete at this time and will be announced by Summerton Funeral Home LLC.

As the weather warms up people like to travel.

Display your advertisement in our Spring Auto section.

deadline APRIL 1, 2016 publish

APRIL 9, 2016

JAMES E. BLANDING MANNING — The Rev. James Edward Blanding, 79, husband of Catherine Brailsford Blanding, entered into eternal rest on Monday, March 7, 2016, at Clarendon Memorial Hospital, Manning.

Born on April 9, 1936, in Clarendon County, he was a son of the late Boral and Edna Dixon Blanding.

The family will receive

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The Sumter Item is looking for a talented Graphic Designer to join our team. The ideal candidate will be highly motivated, have a great personality, be able to work in a fast-paced environment and possess the ability to handle multiple projects at one time. Must be proficient in Adobe Creative Suite (especially InDesign).

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Positions Available roofer/roofer helper, plumber/plumber helper, carpenter/carpenter helper & part-time auto mechanic. Apply in person at Roofco 1345 N Pike E , Sumter Hospitality Manager Duck Bottom Plantation Hiring full time Hospitality Manager responsible for total guest satisfaction, setting resort reservations, marketing, event planning, & lodge management. Resumes forwarded to info@duckbottomplantation.com We are a local company looking for exp. straight truck drivers. Over the road, home most weekends.

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The #1 Furniture Retail Company in the U.S. is seeking highly motivated individuals with outgoing personalities to join our Sales Team.

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We’re part of this community and we believe in Sumter.

Morris Pest Control is a 47 year old family run & family owned business in Camden, SC. We are recruiting a licensed & experienced PC/Termite Tech with fungi and termite damage repair experience for spring hiring or earlier. Needs to have clean driving record. Call Brett Morris at 427-1052 or the office at 432-5556.

Help Wanted Part-Time Light maintenance and handyman. Contact David Bell 843-209-1692 Maintenance Tech/Painter Needed. Approx. 28/hours/wk to work at elderly apt. community in Sumter. Exper. preferred in the areas of painting, plumbing, electrical, carpentry and appliance repair.

Email: jobswcsites.net or fax to 1-803-345-3804 Attn: Personnel

Trucking Opportunities P/T F/T Local Dump Truck Operator Wanted. Clean CDL and Experience a must! Retirees welcome.

Send Resume to Box 435 c/o The Item, PO Box 1677 Sumter SC 29151

Medical Help Wanted Full time Medical Assistant back office position in a private Family Medicine practice. Knowledge of Allscripts software desired but not required; phlebotomy skills desired.

Send resumes to: Box P-207 c/o The Item, PO Box 1677 Sumter SC 29151

Sell More PLACE AN AD

RENTALS Unfurnished Homes 6BR 3BA House. Lease to own.

Dwn pymt Required 803-468-5710 OR 803-229-2814 Nice 3 Br, 3 Ba, downtown historical district, refrig, stove, dishwasher, C/H/A, hardwood floors, FP, fenced in yard, lg. workshop with C/H/A, alarm system. No Pets. $1000 mo.

Call 803-491-5375.

Rent to Own 4BR 2BA house, Bishopville. Detached carport, fireplace, $35,000, $3500 down, $450 Mo. 803-929-0577 20 Burgess Ct. 3BR 1BA $495 636-A Miller Rd 2BR 1BA $425 Both have Central heat & air 638-B Miller Rd 2BR 1BA $345. Central heat only. Call 803-983-5691 or 803-305-1581 Mobile home for rent 15B at Whispering Pines Mobile Home Park.

2BR, 1BA, $475+deposit. Contact David at 803-468-3724

Mobile Home Rentals Scenic Lake MHP 2 Bedroom 2 bath , No pets.

Call between 9 am - 5 pm 803-499-1500

DW MH. 3BR/2BA, $625/mo + dep. Max 4 people. Incl water, sewage, garbage. No pets & No Sec 8.

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803-236-3780

STATEBURG COURTYARD 2 & 3 BRs 803-494-4015

20 N. Magnolia St. | Sumter, SC 803.774.1200 www.theitem.com

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THE ITEM

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 09, 2016

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Beer & Wine License

Church Branch: 3 Br, screened porch, pier, swimming area, rent weekly. Call Bobby Sisson at 803-464-2730

issuance of this permit/license, written protest must be postmarked no later than March 18, 2016.

For a protest to be valid, it must be in writing, and should include the following information: (1) the name, address and telephone number of the person filing the protest; (2) the specific reasons why the application should be denied; (3) that the person protesting is willing to attend a hearing (if one is requested by the applicant); (4) that the person protesting resides in the same county where the proposed place of business is located or within five miles of the business; and, (5) the name of the applicant and the address of the premises to be licensed.

Protests must be mailed to: S. C. Department of Revenue, ATTN: ABL, P.O. Box 125, Columbia, SC 29214; or faxed to: (803) 896-0110.

REAL ESTATE Homes for Sale 5 BR 2.5 Ba, 2 kitchens, dbl garage, brick home $75k. Financing help available. Call 803-464-5757.

Home for sale!! 412 Red & White St. Sumter, SC. $47k Call 404-909-5029 or 678-613-4250

Notice Of Application

A good investment or starter .

2BR 1BA master/ walk in closet. $55,000 OBO Call 912-980-4386 A nice 3BR, 2BA DW mobile home with land. Financing available. $64,900 Call 803-469-6973

Manufactured Housing Turn your Tax Refund into your dream home! We have quality used refurbished mobile homes. We specialize in on the lot financing. Low credit score is OK. Call 843-389-4215 AND also visit our Face Book page (M & M Mobile Homes).

Notice is hereby given that Eulalio Toledo intends to apply to the South Carolina Department of Revenue for a license permit that will allow the sale ON/OFF premises consumption of Beer at 207 Commerce St B, Manning, SC 29102. To object to the issuance of this permit / license, written protest must be postmarked no later than March 17, 2016. For a protest to be valid, it must be in writing, and should include the following information: (1) the name, address and telephone number of the person filing the protest; (2) the specific reasons why the application should be denied; (3) that the person protesting is willing to attend a hearing (if one is requested by the applicant); (4) that the person protesting resides in the same county where the proposed place of business is located or within five miles of the business; and (5) the name of the applicant and the address of the premises to be licensed. Protests must be mailed to: S.C. Department of Revenue, ATTN: ABL, P.O. Box 125, Columbia, South Carolina 29214; or Faxed to: (803) 896-0110.

Land & Lots for Sale Reduced Dalzell-Rembert 3 Mobile Home Lots remaining!

Investors or individuals! Call Burch 803-720-4129 7am-7pm

Storage Plus All property now stored in the units listed below will be sold pursuant to the assertion of a lien for rent. If tenant does not respond by 5:00 PM on March 12, 2016 their property will be sold at Storage Plus on March 19, 2016 at 830 South Pike West at 9:00am. CASH ONLY! All goods are sold as is and must be removed at the time of sale. There is a $30 clean up deposit. Storage Plus reserves the right to refuse any and all bids. •Brian Walton 071 •Wateree Community Action 010, 094, 107 •Brittany Barkley 027 •Bridgette Spann 018 •Pearline White 063 •Maria Williams 011 •Tonya Isaac 033

Summons & Notice SUMMONS FOR PUBLICATION IN THE FAMILY COURT OF THE THIRD JUDICIAL CIRCUIT 2016-DR-43-101 State of South Carolina County of Sumter Narendrabhai D. Patel Plaintiff vs.

Kirtiben Patel, Defendant TO: KIRTIBEN PATEL, THE DEFENDANT ABOVE NAMED YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED and required to answer the Complaint in this matter, the original of which has been filed in the office of the Clerk of Court for Sumter County, South Carolina, on January 21, 2016, a copy of which will be delivered to you upon request; to serve a copy of your answer to said Complaint upon the undersigned attorney for the Plaintiff at 5 Law Range, Post Office Box 1268, Sumter, South Carolina 29151-1268, within thirty (30) days following the date of service upon you, exclusive of the day of such service; if you fail to answer said Complaint with the time stated,

Plaintiff will apply for judgment by default against you for the relief demanded in the Complaint.

Jones, Seth, Shuler & Jones, LLP Richard T. Jones Attorney for Plaintiff 5 Law Range Post Office Box 1268 Sumter, South Carolina 29151 (803) 773-8676

In Memory

ANNOUNCEMENTS Card of Thanks

Public Hearing NOTICE OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION DESIGN REVIEW The Historic Preservation Design Review Committee will meet on Thursday, March 24, 2016 at 3:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers located on the Fourth Floor of the Sumter Opera House (21 North Main Street, Sumter, South Carolina). This is a public meeting.

HP-16-05, 4 E. Hampton & 35 N. Main St. (City) Request for Historic Preservation Design Review approval for demolition of the structure on property located at 4 E. Hampton Ave. and demolition of the façade on property located at 35 N. Main St. for proposed restaurant and music venue.

The properties are represented by Tax Map #s 228-12-05-026 and 228-12-05-002.

Documents pertaining to the proposed request(s) are on file in the Office of the Sumter City-County Planning Department and are available to be inspected and studied by interested citizens.

The family of The Late Sammie Lee "Boot" Ross Sr would like to thank everyone for the kindness shown to us during our time of bereavement. Sammie even though you are not physically with us , you are always in our hearts. We love you always. Your wife, children, grandchildren & extendeed relatives & friends

In loving Memory of Carolyn Jones Butler Everyday in some small way, memories of you come our way.

Though absent, you are always near, Still missed and dear.

Happy Birthday!

Love your husband, children, & grandchildren

YOUR AD HERE

Joseph T. McElveen, Jr. Mayor

COUNTY OF SUMTER BUSINESS LICENSES

TRANSPORTATION

Miscellaneous

Summons & Notice

Legal Notice

The County of Sumter Ordinance regulating licenses for County businesses states that “Every person engaged or intending to engage in any calling, business, occupation or profession within the limits of the County of Sumter, South Carolina is required to pay an annual license fee and obtain a business license.�

ROUTE OPEN IN Hwy. 15 N., & Dubose Siding Areas GREAT FOR PERSON LOOKING FOR EXTRA INCOME If you have good, dependable transportation and a phone in your home, apply in person at:

“The required license fee shall be paid for each business subject thereto according to the applicable rate classiďŹ cation on or before the 15th day of March each year.â€?

A 5% PENALTY WILL BE ASSESSED ON ALL LICENSE FEES WHICH ARE NOT PAID BY THE 15TH OF MARCH, AND AN ADDITIONAL 5% PENALTY WILL BE ASSESSED ON THE FIRST OF EACH MONTH THAT THE LICENSE FEE REMAINS UNPAID. “If any license fee shall remain unpaid for sixty (60) days after its due date, the Business License Department shall issue an execution which shall constitute a lien upon the property of the licensee for the tax, penalties and costs of collection.�

Refurbished batteries as low as $45. New batteries as low as $70.

Auto Electric Co., 102 Blvd Rd. 803-773-4381

If you do not receive an application in the mail, please stop by our ofďŹ ce at 12 W. Liberty Street in the Liberty Center (the old Brody bldg) or give us a call at 774-1601. We will be available to assist you with your application or answer any questions you might have.

Autos For Sale

DRIVERS WANTED

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Guaranteed Minimum Pay • Achievable Goals for Lucrative Incentives - CDL (Class A) w/ hazmat & tanker - At least 2 yrs. exp. - Clean MVR

LEGAL NOTICES

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Paid Vacation Paid Holidays Paid Sick Days Health Insurance Dental Insurance Life Insurance Short Term Disability 401(k) w/co. Match

Beer & Wine License

CONTACT Pat Joyner at 803-775-1002 Ext. 107 OR visit our website to download a job application and fax to (954) 653-1195 www.sumtertransport.com 170 S. Lafayette Drive Sumter, SC 29150 EOE

Circulation Department

20 N. Magnolia Street Sumter, SC 29150 or call Dean Benenhaley at (803) 774-1257

CONTRACTOR WANTED! PINEWOOD PANOLA & RIMINI If you have good, dependable transportation, a phone in your home, and a desire to earn extra income Call Lori Rabon at 774-1216 or Apply in Person at

20 N. Magnolia St. Sumter, SC

NOTICE OF APPLICATION Notice is hereby given that Brewers Social Club intends to apply to the South Carolina Department of Revenue for a license/permit that will allow the sale and ON premises consumption of beer, wine and liquor at 160 E Wesmark Blvd., Sumter, SC 29150. To object to the

ne STOP SHOPPING You can find everything you need for the new house or the new spouse in one convenient placeOUR CLASSIFIEDS! Sporting Goods • Electronics Appliances • Furniture • Cameras Jewelry • Dishes • Books PLUS A WHOLE LOT MORE!

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Shopping Circulars & Coupons Community Developments Special Event Listings Local Dining Reviews Movies & Entertainment School Sports Coverage Local Programming

CAREER FAIR Tuesday, March 16, 2015 9:00am – 1:00pm at Turbeville Correctional Institution 1578 Clarence Coker Hwy, Turbeville, SC 29162 Hiring All Qualified Applicants for the Position of

Correctional Officer II REQUIREMENTS: Must be a U.S. Citizen, at least 21 years of age, High School Diploma or GED, No Criminal Record, Must possess a Valid Current Driver’s License. If offered employment, you must pass a physical examination and drug test.

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Come dressed for an interview, take a tour and meet the institutional staff. You must bring your valid driver’s license.

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 2016 Call Ivy Moore at: (803) 774-1221 | E-mail: ivy@theitem.com

Sumter welcomes Grammy winners

Los Lonely Boys Texican, blues, brown-eyed soul at Opera House

BY IVY MOORE ivy@theitem.com

S

ince the debut of their eponymous album in 2004, Los Lonely Boys has re-

leased four more, all of them charting well. The Texican rock ‘n’ roll band comprising brothers Henry, JoJo and Ringo Garza will be in concert at the Sumter Opera House at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

All three brothers sing, Henry plays guitar, Jojo plays bass, and Ringo (his real name, after his father), is on drums and percussion; the group also includes other musicians on keyboard and percussion.

In 2006, Los Lonely boys won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for the single “Heaven, and their “More than Love” and “Onda” were both nominated for Grammys. Their fifth album, titled “Revelation,” is still charting well.

The Garzas are natives of San Angelo, Texas, about equidistant from Abilene and Austin, Still to come this where they grew up lisseason at Sumter tening to their father’s Opera House: conjuncto tejana band • Chonda Pierce, and playing with him Christian comedian, while they were still preApril 21, and teens. Conjunto music is • Shenandoah, country characterized by the use music band, April 29 of the button accordion.

Los Lonely Boys also play Chicano rock, Tex-Mex rock, blues rock, Latin rock and roots rock.

The band moved to Nashville in the 1990s and met with some success, but moved back to Texas, where they recorded their debut album, Los

PHOTO PROVIDED

Los Lonely Boy’s eponymous first album is seen here.

Lonely Boys, at Willie Nelson’s Austin studio; Nelson can even be heard on some of the cuts. The album was picked up by Epic Records, which led to wide distribution.

Since that time, the band has released two CDs of original music, a Christmas CD and an Extended Play of covers.

Los Lonely Boys is a supporter of many community causes, notably the Family Justice Center in Erie County, Texas, which provides services to victims of domestic violence. The brothers donated the proceeds of their single “Solid Ground” to FJC. Following health concerns — JoJo developed lesions on his vocal cords, and Henry had a spinal injury from a fall off a stage while on tour — Los Lonely Boys came back stronger than ever

with the CD Rockpango (rock party), featuring all original songs.

Their most recent CD, 2014’s Revelation, debuted on the Billboard 200 and Top Independent Albums charts.

Los Lonely Boys will present a concert of original music and covers at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Sumter Opera House, 21 N. Main St. Tickets are $35, $32 and $28 and can be purchased at the Opera House box office, by calling (803) 436-2616 or on the website http://www.sumtersc.gov/sumter-opera-house.aspx For more about Los Lonely Boys, visit their official website, https://loslonelyboys.com.

Star Trek’s DeForest Kelley was ‘the real McCoy’

BY NICK THOMAS Tinseltown Talks As the anniversary approaches of Star Trek’s first broadcast on NBC 50 years ago in September, Kristine M. Smith has just released a greatly expanded edition of her 2001 book now retitled “DeForest Kelley Up Close and Personal, A Harvest of Memories from the Fan Who Knew Him Best.”

“The enhanced version has more than 40 additional photos and 55 additional pages of anecdotes,” said Smith from her home in Tacoma, Washington Kelley died in 1999 and is best remembered as the sometimes crusty but always compassionate Dr. Leonard McCoy on the iconic ’60s TV series and subsequent six films. As a “Star Trek” fan-turned-family friend of Kelley and his wife, Carolyn, for more than 30 years, Smith grew to know “De” well, eventually becoming his non-medical caregiver in the final year of his life.

“He was just a salt of the earth guy and incredible human being in so many ways,” Smith said.

The two first met in 1968, after Smith drove two hours to Washington State’s Wenatchee Apple Blossom Festival where the actor was appearing, and she approached him for an autograph.

Impressed by his gracious

PHOTOS PROVIDED

The late DeForest Kelley, left, is seen with William Shatner, who played Capt. James T. Kirk, and the late Leonard Nimoy, who played science officer Spock on the 1960s’ TV series “Star Trek.” Kelley played Dr. McCoy, also known as “Bones.”

At left, DeForest Kelley is seen in a cowboy film before he joined the “Star Trek” TV program in the 1960s. At right is the cover of Kris Smith’s book about Kelley. interaction with fans, 17-yearold Kris wrote about the experience for a high school creative writing class and sent her essay to Kelley at her teacher’s suggestion.

“The Kelleys liked it so much, they submitted it to a New York publication, ‘TV Star Parade’ where it was printed in 1969 with only one line changed,” Smith said. “So De actually launched my writing career.”

During the next two decades, the bond between Smith and the Kelleys strengthened as they met at fan conventions across the country, exchanged letters and gifts and even visit-

ed each other’s homes.

Encouraged by the Kelleys to move from Washington to Los Angeles, Smith arrived in California with Deaken, her knee-high African serval cat.

“De and Carolyn actually went out knocking on doors trying to find a landlord who would let me keep Deaken in the back yard,” Smith said.

“That tells you the type of people they were.”

Smith remembers Kelley’s encouraging sense of humor, which was never mean-spirited.

“If he ever corrected you, you felt blessed rather than criticized,” she said. “At a

‘Star Trek’ convention once, someone asked if William Shatner was hard to get along with. De said he absolutely loved Bill but had to straighten his ass out a time or two.”

After a diagnosis of stomach cancer in the mid-1990s, Kelley never complained, preferring to shield friends from the severity of his illness.

“My own mother was dying from brain cancer so he didn’t reveal how sick he was to spare me the additional worry,” Smith said. “He only told me it was terminal after he ended up in intensive care in March, 1999. Unfortunately, Carolyn fell and broke her leg a year before that, and it never did heal.”

With no children of their

own, the Kelleys relied on Smith to help with house maintenance and personal business. And today, 17 years after Kelley’s passing, Smith is still amazed by the close relationship she forged with a legendary actor.

“You just don’t go from being a fan to being at the bedside of a star when he dies – it just doesn’t happen,” she said.

“But it did for me and that’s what my story is all about.”

Smith’s book is available in print at http://hireme.wordwhisperer.net/books Nick Thomas teaches at Auburn University at Montgomery, Alabama, and has written for more than 600 magazines and newspapers.

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FOOD

THE SUMTER ITEM

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Nutritional yeast tastes way better than it sounds Give it a try on roasted vegetables

BY MELISSA D’ARABIAN The Associated Press Of all the trendy/healthy/ unusual ingredients I use regularly in my cooking, the one I get questions about most is nutritional yeast (which tastes way better than it sounds).

Nutritional yeast — not the same as baking yeast — is a golden, flaky powder typically sold in natural foods stores (usually in the bulk section).

It doesn’t look like much, but boy does it pack some flavor!

I love nutritional yeast because it has a cheesy, nutty, savory flavor and can be sprinkled liberally on just about any vegetable or savory/salty snack that I make.

Freshly-popped popcorn or homemade baked kale chips with a bunch of this yeasty, cheesy goodness all over is, quite frankly, snacking perfection.

Nutritional yeast also is my weeknight dinner go-to seasoning for roasted vegetables or veggie purees (mashed potatoes are super tasty!). And in the mornings, it gets sprinkled on just about every egg white I cook. Plus — bonus! — it’s vegan, so if you are cooking for a crowd, it’s a safe bet that everyone can enjoy it.

Did I mention it’s incredibly healthy, too? Every 2 tablespoons of this stuff adds 9 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber to whatever you’re

making, and only 1 gram of fat and 60 calories. Most nutritional yeasts are fortified with B vitamins, making it even better. Plus, nutritional yeast is a naturally good source of iron and selenium.

Please ignore the unfortunate name and try nutritional yeast next time you roast some veggies. And just for fun, in today’s recipe I’m sharing a quick stovetop method for making one of my all-time favorites — roasted broccoli. I love roasted broccoli, but sometimes I need dinner on the table in minutes. This recipe makes that happen. So enjoy this double-duty recipe — a new ingredient, and a new technique.

STOVETOP-ROASTED BROCCOLI WITH NUTRITIONAL YEAST Start to finish: 10 minutes Servings: 4 3/4 pound broccoli florets 2 teaspoons olive oil 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed Pinch red pepper flakes 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock or broth (or water) 1/4 cup nutritional yeast 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt Heat a large, heavy saute pan or Dutch oven over high until very hot.

While the pan heats, in a medium bowl, toss the broccoli with the olive oil until well coated. Place the florets in the hot pan, in a single layer, lightly pressing with a spatula to maximize contact with the hot surface (you should hear sizzling). Cover and cook for 1 1/2 minutes, or until the bottoms of the broccoli have some browning and char.

Uncover and flip the broccoli with the spatula, then press gently again. Cover and cook for another 1 1/2 minutes. Uncover and stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes. Once fragrant (about 1 minute), add the stock and cover, allowing the broccoli to steam for 1 minute. Uncover and sprinkle on the nutritional yeast and vinegar, then stir. Let cook until all the liquid evaporates. Season with salt.

Nutrition information per serving: 80 calories; 25 calories from fat (31 percent of total calories); 3 g fat (0 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 160 mg sodium; 10 g carbohydrate; 4 g fiber; 3 g sugar; 7 g protein.

Food Network star Melissa d’Arabian is an expert on healthy eating on a budget. She is the author of the cookbook, “Supermarket Healthy.” http://www.melissadarabian.net

Espresso-Scented Coffee Cake is perfect for brunch FROM METRO Sunday brunch is a tradition for many families.

Though some families may enjoy Sunday brunch at a nearby restaurant, those who enjoy spending their Sunday mornings lounging at home can still enjoy a bountiful brunch that in-

cludes some popular staples of restaurant brunches.

Therefore, when hosting your next Sunday brunch for family and friends, consider the following recipe for “Espresso-Scented Coffee Cake” from Betty Rosbottom’s “Sunday Brunch” (Chronicle Books).

ESPRESSO-SCENTED COFFEE CAKE Serves 8 to 10 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and diced, plus more for the pan 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 cups light brown sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon 3/4 cup pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 3/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup buttermilk 1 egg, at room temperature 1 tablespoon instant espresso dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Confectioners’ sugar Creamy Espresso Glaze (see below) Arrange a rack at center position and preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter the bottom and sides of a springform pan and then cut a sheet of parchment paper to fit

the bottom of the pan. Place the paper in the pan and then butter the paper. Butter the sides and bottom of a ramekin and place, right-side up, in the center of the pan.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar and cinnamon.

Add the diced butter and rub the mixture between your fingers until it resembles coarse crumbs. Remove 3/4 cup to a small bowl and add the chopped pecans; set aside.

Add the baking powder, baking soda and salt to the large bowl with the flour mixture and stir to combine. In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, dissolved espresso, and vanilla and then stir them into the dry ingredients just until well blended. The batter should be quite thick.

Ladle half of the butter into the prepared pan and spread evenly

with a spatula. Sprinkle half of the nut mixture over the batter. Repeat with the remaining batter and nut mixture. Place the pan on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until a tester inserted into the area around the ramekin comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes.

Cool the cake to room temperature, about 45 minutes. Then run a sharp knife around the inside edge of the pan to loosen the cake. Run the knife around the outside of the ramekin to loosen it from the cake.

Gently remove the ramekin and the sides of the pan. Dust the cake with confectioners’ sugar, drizzle the glaze over the top, and serve.

CREAMY ESPRESSO GLAZE 3 tablespoons milk, plus more if needed 1 1/4 teaspoons instant espresso powder 3 ounces cream cheese at room temperature, broken into small pieces

1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk and espresso powder until the espresso has dissolved. Add the cream cheese.

With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the mixture until blended, and then gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar. The glaze should be smooth and thin enough to drizzle over the coffee cake. If too thick, thin with a teaspoon or more of extra milk.

FOOD

THE SUMTER ITEM

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 2016

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Add homemade onion rings to your next backyard barbecue FROM METRO Backyard barbecues typically leave all the preparation to the family grillmaster. But the menu at such a soiree need not be exclusive to grilled foods. Hosts who want to give their guests something a little different can pass around a hearty helping of Beer-Batter Onion Rings courtesy of Neal Corman’s “Virgil’s Barbecue Road Trip Cookbook” (St. Martin’s Press).

BEER-BATTER ONION RINGS

then in the flour again. Place the twice-breaded onion ring on the sheet pan (making sure to keep ring separated), and repeat the process until you’ve breaded all the onion rings. Refrigerate the rings for 10 to 15 minutes or fry immediately.

Add the oil to a large and deep saute pan or electric skillet, so it is one-third full, and heat it to 340 F. Fry the rings in batches, being careful not to crowd the pan. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and let cool for several minutes before serving to prevent burns.

Suggested serving: Serve with ranch dressing.

Serves 4 to 6 Flour mixture 2 pounds all-purpose flour 3/4 cup granulated garlic 1/2 cup granulated onion 3 tablespoons kosher salt Batter 6 extra-large eggs 2/3 cup all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons baking powder 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper 1 tablespoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon paprika 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon pepper 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon onion powder 1/4 teaspoon dried basil 1 1/2 cups ale beer Onions 2 pounds large yellow onions, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch slices 4 cups canola oil Sift all the ingredients for the flour mixture together into a large bowl.

Blend the eggs for the batter in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment on medium, or in a large mixing bowl if using a hand mixer.

Reduce the mixing speed to low and add all the dry batter ingredients. Beat until incorporated.

Add the ale and transfer to a large shallow bowl or baking dish.

Set up a breading station with the flour mixture, the batter and a clean sheet pan.

For each onion ring, dredge the onion in flour, then in the batter,

Sugar cookies still a treat FROM METRO Cookies come in many flavors, shapes and sizes. While cookies have evolved over the years, one favorite remains a staple for many: sugar cookies. Enjoyed among adults and children alike, sugar cookies, like the following recipe for Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies from the “Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book” (Meredith Books), make a delicious midday snack or post-dinner treat.

OLD-FASHIONED SUGAR COOKIES Makes about 48 cookies 1 cup butter, softened 1 1/2 cups sugar 2 eggs 1 teaspoon cream of tartar 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 to 1/3 cup sugar In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the 11/2 cups sugar; beat until combined. Beat in eggs, cream of tartar, baking soda, vanilla, and salt until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in remaining flour. Cover and chill for 2 to 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 F. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll balls in the 1/4 cup sugar to coat. Place balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 9 to 12 minutes or until light brown.

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COMICS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 2016

THE SUMTER ITEM

BIZARRO

SOUP TO NUTZ

ANDY CAPP

GARFIELD

BEETLE BAILEY

BORN LOSER

BLONDIE

ZITS

MOTHER GOOSE

DOG EAT DOUG

DILBERT

JEFF MACNELLY'S SHOE

Man looking at gay porn may be more than curious DEAR ABBY — I’ve been with my fiance for three years and I’m very much in love. A few months ago I asked to use Dear Abby his phone to ABIGAIL look up VAN BUREN something on the Internet because my battery had died. It opened up to a gay porn site! I was shocked and asked him if it was something he was looking at. He admitted that it was.

Nothing like this has happened to me before, so I began asking if that’s what he likes and is into. He assured me the answer was no.

He said he looked because he

was simply curious about it.

He told me he loves women and doesn’t want to be with men. He said he was just looking.

I believe him, but is this normal behavior?

Weirded out in the West DEAR WEIRDED OUT — I took your question to an expert on the subject of adult entertainment viewing, Larry Flynt.

He said that while CURIOSITY is normal, not many heterosexual men make a habit of viewing gay male porn sites. He added that if your fiance is a regular consumer of this kind of entertainment, he may have latent homosexual tendencies.

I then consulted Jack Drescher, M.D., a psychoanalyst and expert on gender and sexuality, who told me that

THE DAILY CROSSWORD PUZZLE

some people fantasize about people of the same sex, but never ACT on it. According to Dr. Drescher, what is important is that you and your fiance are able to talk about sex honestly and openly. If you need more assurances, continue this discussion so that you both will know what you’re getting if your betrothal leads to marriage.

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.

DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

For an excellent guide to becoming a better conversationalist and a more sociable person, order “How to Be Popular.”

Send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $7 (U.S. funds) to: Dear Abby, Popularity Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447.

(Shipping and handling are included in the price.)

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.

By Bruce Haight

ACROSS 1 Computer whose 27-inch version has a Retina 5K display 5 Down in the mouth 9 Rum-soaked cakes 14 Part of rock's CSNY 15 Midterm, e.g.

16 Eel, to a sushi chef 17 *Seriously indoctrinate 19 13-Down actress Normand 20 Miracle-__ 21 *Improvised rap 23 Medical screening system 26 Tell (on) 27 Fiver 28 *Risqué 31 Hill-building stinger 33 LAX summer setting 34 Director Kazan 36 "Blue Bloods" actor Will 37 *Weighttraining exercise 40 Nurse at a bar 43 1956 Mideast crisis site 44 Mensa concerns

3/9/16 47 Hometown of the Ivy League's Big Red 49 *Markdown 52 Chinese menu general 53 Nev. neighbor 55 Binges 56 *Brand created in Toronto in 1904 60 Chow line?

61 More than chubby 62 Permanent place, and a hint to the ends of the answers to starred clues 66 "__ Black" 67 River to the English Channel 68 "Don't look at me" 69 Brown ermine 70 Hard to box in, ironically 71 52 Pickup need DOWN 1 Having five sharps, musically 2 Scratch, say 3 At no cost 4 President before Sarkozy 5 Digression lead-in, in texts 6 Table extension 7 Cold War initials

8 Early anesthetic 9 Foul tip?

10 Med. school subject 11 Newborn's natural insulator 12 Botox target 13 Films that usually had live music 18 Scrubbed, at NASA 22 Word with bud or flap 23 Bikini part 24 Country mail svc.

25 Utility abbr.

29 Chihuahua cheers 30 Tear to pieces 32 ISP option 35 Service pro 37 Feathery neckwear

38 Contentious border happening 39 Israeli guns 40 "Maude," "Phyllis" and "Rhoda" 41 "You're on!"

42 Dir. assistance info 44 Frozen floater 45 "¿__ pasa?"

46 Beale and Bourbon: Abbr.

48 Canine care gp.?

50 Tax time VIPs 51 Thing to run 54 For this purpose 57 Pacific Rim continent 58 Avis modifier 59 Hip-hop's __ Yang Twins 63 King of Spain 64 Non-Rx 65 Neat ending?

Tuesday’s Puzzle Solved

©2016 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

3/9/16

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WGN presents flawed but powerful ‘Underground’

BY KEVIN MCDONOUGH Featuring an impossible trek against incredible odds, “Underground” (10 p.m., WGN, TV14) retells an incendiary story at the heart of our country’s history. Given all that, why hasn’t the story of the Underground Railroad been turned into a TV series before? That’s a question that goes to the heart of our culture, entertainment history and commonly accepted national narrative.

Set in 1857, “Underground” follows a group of slaves who embark on the forbidding task of escaping their Georgia plantation and walking more than 600 miles through deeply unfriendly territory to arrive in northern states and Canada.

Aldis Hodge stars as Noah, the slave who sets the great escape in motion. Other cast members include Christopher Meloni as August Pullman, a man of many secrets whose morality and motivations are always hard to read. Amirah Vann portrays Ernestine, the matriarch of the “house” slaves, fiercely protective of her daughter, Rosalee (Jurnee Smollett-Bell), whose naive notions about her protected status evaporate at the bitter end of a whip.

“Underground” has the difficult task of laying out the social pecking order within the slave world and the social stratification of the slave-owning society, from the plantation plutocrats to the poor illiterate men who brutally hunt down fugitive slaves.

Into this world arrives John Hawkes (Marc Blucas), an idealistic abolitionist lawyer, and Elizabeth (Jessica De Gouw), his fragile, infertile wife who withers amid the heat, humidity and rampant racism. In a ludicrous departure from history, Hawke’s plantation-owning brother embraces him as part of his Senate campaign. That doesn’t seem likely, given John’s politics.

With all this going on, is it wise to inject 21st-century pop music into the mix? The script also careens from the exalted language of freedom and liberation to rather banal utterances worthy of a soap opera.

There’s no effort to approximate mid-19th-century dialogue, so both the script and soundtrack rattle with anachronisms.

Is this an effort to reach a wider, younger audience, or something else? Filmmakers from Baz Luhrmann (“Moulin Rouge”) to Sofia Coppola (“Marie Antoinette”) have played similar games. Did they popularize history? Or reduce it to MTV- and YouTube-friendly snack food?

“Underground” features a narrative powerful enough to transcend these quibbles. Its story is still subversive and inflammatory 150 years after Appomattox, a century beyond “The Birth of a Nation,” two generations removed from “Gone With the Wind” and nearly 40 years after “Roots.”

TONIGHT’S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS • A contestant can’t stand the heat on “Survivor” (8 p.m., CBS).

• The best of the blind auditions on “The Voice” (8 p.m., NBC, TV-PG).

• Villa clashes with her new partner on “Rosewood” (8 p.m., Fox, TV-14).

• In the second season premiere of “The Carmichael Show” (10 p.m., NBC, TV-PG), Cynthia witnesses someone’s spouse stepping out. A repeat (10:30 p.m., TV-PG) follows.

• Sebastian has a eureka moment on the season finale of “American Crime” (10 p.m., ABC, TV-14).

• “The Internet Ruined My Life” (10 p.m., Syfy, TV-14) recalls social media transgressions.

• A traffic app is used as a tool for robberies on “CSI: Cyber” (10 p.m., CBS, TV-14).

• Rosa changes her mind on the season finale of “Man Seeking Woman” (10:30 p.m., FXX, TV-MA).

CULT CHOICE

VIVIAN ZINK / NBC

Loretta Devine stars as Cynthia Carmichael and David Alan Grier as Joe Carmichael in “The Carmichael Show,” returning for a second season at 10 p.m. today on NBC. TV-14) * Frat house frolics on “Modern Family” (9 p.m., ABC, r, TV-PG) * Monsters abound on “Supernatural” (9 p.m., CW, r, TV-14) * Explicit lyrics on “black-ish” (9:30 p.m., ABC, r, TV-14).

LATE NIGHT Sacha Baron Cohen is booked on “The Daily Show With Trevor Noah” (11 p.m., Comedy

Central) * David Mizejewski, Walton Goggins and Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real visit “Conan” (11 p.m., TBS) * Mac Miller is booked on “The Nightly Show With Larry Wilmore” (11 p.m., Comedy Central) * Sally Field, Jerrod Carmichael and Esperanza Spalding are booked on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” (11:35 p.m., CBS) * Jimmy Fallon welcomes Penelope Cruz, Peyton

Manning, Magic Johnson and Halsey on “The Tonight Show” (11:35 p.m., NBC, r) * Jason Sudeikis, Kelly Rohrbach and Matthew Heineman visit “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (12:35 a.m., NBC, r) * Martin Short and Will Arnett appear on “The Late Late Show With James Corden” (12:35 a.m., CBS).

Copyright 2016 United Feature Syndicate

2015-16

DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF CHARLES R. “PAP” PROPST

Two women (Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis) become desert desperadoes in the 1991 drama “Thelma & Louise” (8 p.m., Encore), written by Callie Khouri (“Nashville”).

SERIES NOTES Brick’s secret protector on “The Middle” (8 p.m., ABC, r, TV-PG) * Oliver adjusts on “Arrow” (8 p.m., CW, r, TV-14) * Karma chameleons on “The Goldbergs” (8:30 p.m., ABC, r, TV-PG) * Home on the range on “Hell’s Kitchen” (9 p.m., Fox,

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Sasha Hocter and Michelle Barnes started their baking business in 2014 making healthy items for their friends; now in 2016, they ship products across the country.

Buff Bites, a bakery for the fit by the fit

BY SUSAN DOHERTY OSTEEN sdosteen@me.com

E

veryone wants to have their cake and eat it too.

This well-worn idiom epitomizes the American obsession with having it all, especially when it comes to food choices. The dilemma of wanting to eat healthily and enjoy delicious treats inspired Michelle Barnes and Sasha Hocter to start their own baking company.

“We wanted a way to eat healthy and satisfy a sweet tooth,” Barnes said. Both OSTEEN women are fitness trainers.

They became friends while training at the Sumter YMCA and now travel to fitness competitions across the country.

Barnes and Hocter founded Buff Bites in August 2014. The cottage bakery produces mini muffins, snack mix and muffin mix.

They began their business selling locally to friends and at travel fitness competitions.

Soon, people began asking them to ship the product. Now the company produces 50 to 60 dozen orders a week and ships nationwide and internationally to APO addresses.

“Buff Bites are a high-protein, low-calorie snack or meal replacement,” Barnes said.

“They are wheat free, gluten free, oil and butter free. We use only Stevia to sweeten all our products. They are the prefect way to satisfy a sweet tooth while staying on track with your diet and healthy eating.”

Buff Bites are offered in three flavors weekly, which vary seasonally. Their most popular flavors are French toast and orange cranberry. Each $10 bag of Buff Bites contains two servings, but the serving size is generous — six mini muffins.

“The surprised looks we get when we tell customers they can have six muffins for a serving is priceless!” Hocter said. “You can eat more because of the nutritional content. I, myself, have a hard time eating just one serving!”

Buff Bites Muscle Mix snacks are $5 for a three-serving bag and come in four flavors: Cinnabun, birthday cake, peanut butter chocolate and s’mores. Limited edition flavors such as pumpkin spice or banana nut are also popular. The dry mix ($6) is available in double chocolate, birthday cake and snickerdoodle. Customers simply add egg whites and almond milk. The mix makes two-dozen mini muffins and can also be used to make pancakes, waffles or cakes.

“Being able to use my knowledge of nutrition to guide my creativity in the kitchen allows me to come up with new and interesting recipes that make eating healthy and enjoyable for others and me,” Barnes said.

“You can taste the love, health and passion these ladies are putting in these Buff Bites,” said frequent customer Jennifer Goodwin Hudson.

Customer satisfaction has gained Buff Bites a loyal following. Many have the products delivered weekly, and customers stock up when their favorite flavor becomes available.

“Buff Bites freeze very well,” Barnes said.

Hocter said the most rewarding part of the business is the bond she has formed with Barnes and the support they receive from their families. This support system will be put to the test as Sasha and her Air Force family relocate this month to Clovis, New Mexico.

Instead of folding, the Buff Bites company is using the move as an opportunity to expand.

Sasha will run the first Buff Bites franchise and fulfill orders west of the Mississippi. She is grateful for the support from her friends, family and Buff Bite customers. “Without them,” Sasha said, “we wouldn’t get to chase after our dreams of helping others reach or maintain their fitness goals and giving them a healthier option.”

Buff Bites posts weekly flavors and availability on its website www.buffbitesbakery. com. The deadline for weekly orders is Monday at 8 p.m., and local deliveries are Wednesday. For more information visit the website, connect through Facebook, or email Barnes and Hocter at buffbitesbakery@yahoo.com.

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