May 9, 2015

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3 arrested in rash of armed robberies

Lawmakers will study future of dump site

BY JIM HILLEY jim@theitem.com

men, Rosdail said at a press conference held Friday at Sumter County Sheriff’s Office.

Rosdail said that a Clarendon County investigator spotted the suspects’ vehicle leaving a gas station in Summerton.

The suspects then got on Interstate 95 North, and a chase ensued. Speeds reached as high as 100 miles per hour, he said.

They got onto the emergency lane near the Ram Bay area, where they were

A subcommittee will be charged with gathering information about the Pinewood Site hazardous waste landfill that sits within 1,000 feet of Lake Marion.

Concerns have been raised about the safety of the site by Bill Stevens, the owner of Kestrel Horizons, the former site trustee, among others.

South Carolina state Sen. Harvey Peeler, R-Gaffney, chairman of the House Medical Affairs Committee, has announced a meeting of the Joint Pinewood Subcommittee at 9 a.m. Wednesday in Gressette Building, Room No. 105, 1101 Pendleton St., Columbia.

Testifying before the committee will be Department of Health and Environmental Control’s Director of Environmental Affairs Elizabeth Dieck, Pinewood Interim Administrator Inc. President Ben Hagood Jr., Vice President Robert Kerr Jr. and David Hagen, senior vice president of Haley & Aldrich Inc. Pinewood Interim Administrator Inc. is the current trustee for the site, and Haley & Aldrich Inc. is a firm that specializes in liability management, according to information listed on its website.

Sens. Thomas McElveen, DSumter, and Kevin Johnson, DManning, who sent a joint letter in February to Peeler and Sen. Danny Verdin, R-Laurens, chairman of the Senate Agricultural and Natural Resources Committee, calling for the hearings, hailed the decision in a joint statement.

“As state senators representing districts adjacent to the Santee Cooper lakes, we are very pleased with this week’s announcement of a Joint

SEE SUSPECTS, PAGE A3

SEE PINEWOOD, PAGE A7

KEITH GEDAMKE / THE SUMTER ITEM

Sumter County Sheriff Anthony Dennis, front, is joined by Eric Rosdail of Clarendon County Sheriff Office, left, and Sumter Chief of Police Russell Roark, as they announce the arrests of Darius Deonte Cummings and Deshaun Forrest for a string of robberies in Sumter and Clarendon counties.

4 law enforcement agencies work together to nab suspects

BY KONSTANTIN VENGEROWKSY konstantin@theitem.com Three men suspected in a series of armed robberies during the past week in Sumter County and at a store in Clarendon County were arrested by Clarendon County authorities Thursday after an attempted armed robbery in Summerton.

Both Sumter Police Department and Sumter County Sheriff’s Office charged Darius Deonte Cummings, 22, of the Charleston area,

and Deshaun Forrest, 25, of North Charleston, for incidents in the past week, including armed robberies of individuals at various motels in the city and county of Sumter.

Summerton Police Department has charged Cummings with armed robbery and attempted murder, according to Maj. Steve Phillips, detective with the police department. Additionally, Phillips said his department is charging another suspect, Denzel Moultrie, 22, with accessory to attempted murder and accessory to armed rob-

bery.

Clarendon County Sheriff’s Office and Summerton Police Department responded to an armed robbery in progress at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday at Dollar General in Summerton. One of the cashiers sustained stab wounds to the neck and back during the attempted robbery, according to Clarendon County Investigator Eric Rosdail.

The suspects had allegedly fled the store after the attempted armed robbery, and law enforcement combed the area looking for the two

U.S. economy rebounding with solid if unspectacular job gains WASHINGTON (AP) — Rebounding from a dismal start to the year, the U.S. economy added 223,000 jobs in April, a solid gain that suggested that employers are helping fuel a durable if still subpar recovery.

The job growth helped lower the unemployment rate to 5.4 percent from 5.5 percent in March, the Labor Department said Friday. That is the lowest rate since May 2008, six months into the Great Recession.

The figures provided some reassurance that the economy is recovering from a harsh winter and other temporary headwinds that likely caused it to shrink in the first three months of the year. Yet the bounce back appears to be falling short of hopes that growth would finally accelerate in 2015 and top 3 percent for the first time in a decade.

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Most analysts foresee the economy growing about 2.5 percent this year, similar to the modest expansion typical of much of the 6-year-old recovery.

In its report Friday, the government revised sharply down its estimate of March’s job gain to 85,000 from 126,000.

In the past three months, employers have added 191,000 positions, a decent total but well below last year’s average of 260,000.

“Job growth is going from great to good,” said Michael Feroli, an economist at JPMorgan Chase.

One reason the economy hasn’t accelerated faster is that overseas economic turmoil is still restraining growth. A stronger dollar, which makes U.S. goods more expensive overseas, has cut

SEE JOBS, PAGE A3

Don’t forget a gift for Mom

BY JIM HILLEY jim@theitem.com For those who have not been paying attention to the calendar, Sunday is Mother’s Day. So unless you want to slight the woman who brought you into this world, it’s time to find just the right gift.

Of course, flowers are always a great Mother’s Day gift.

Teresa Way, a floral designer at A Ring Around the Roses, 95-B Market St., said Mother’s Day is their most popular day of the year.

“We have a variety of floral arrangements with a whole variety of roses, lilies and Japanese asters,” she said.

A popular arrangement this year has been “Sweet Devotions,” she said, which is a vase arrangement of roses, daisies and carnations.

DEATHS, A7 Mary Ellen C. Compton Ervin Lesane Jr. Willie Pearson Jr. Alphonza Young Romeo O’Neal Cooper Sr.

Runette Peoples Winfred Williams Roland J. Foisey Tallie H. Stokes

KEITH GEDAMKE / THE SUMTER ITEM

Janet Morlan, a employee of Flowers and Baskets, works on an arrangement for delivery on Thursday. Mother’s Day is the second-busiest delivery day of the year.

“We have some real pretty containers with butterflies on them that are real popular this year, too,” Way said.

She said they also sell a

lot of blooming plants.

“Mom can plant those in the yard, or we have baskets

SEE GIFTS, PAGE A7

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

Member of Tuomey legal team withdraws

Continental in running for job-creation award

BY JIM HILLEY jim@theitem.com The departure of an associate member of Tuomey Healthcare System’s legal team should have no effect of the hospital’s appeal of a $239 million judgment against the hospital in the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, said Brenda Chase, a spokeswoman for the hospital.

Attorney Noah Sullivan requested and was granted a withdrawal from the case Wednesday in antici-

FROM STAFF REPORTS Continental Tire the Americas has been chosen as a semifinalist in the job creation category by the National Development Council for its Academy 2015 Awards, according to a news release. The awards recognize the top economic and community development projects in the nation and are part of the NDC Academy 2015 biennial conference, the release said.

In 2011, Continental announced it would create 1,600 new jobs in Sumter and invest more than $500 million by 2021 to complete a 1-million square foot plant. The plant began production in October 2013 and today reportedly employs more than 625 people.

According to the state of South Carolina, the per capita income in Sumter has increased by more than 11 percent since Continental announced its investment in the community and the area’s unemployment numbers have been cut in half.

“Sumter, South Carolina’s, unemployment rate has gone down, and the county’s unemployment rate has gone down because of Continental’s decision to locate in the county and bringing in suppliers,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C..

Recently, a Continental supplier, King Machine, established a $3 million location in Sumter County and created more than 20 jobs, the release said, and Continental has invested more than $100 million in small business in South Carolina to date.

The Continental Tire Sumter Project was selected by NDC as a semi-finalist in the Jobs Creation category. One project in each category will be awarded the top honor at the NDC Academy 2015 Awards on May 14, according to the release.

pation of his leaving the law firm of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher on Friday. Sullivan said in his request he has taken a position with the Virginia state government.

“It will no longer be appropriate for me to represent private litigants, nor will I be associated with the law firm Tuomey has retained to represent it,” Sullivan said in his motion for withdrawal.

“It will have no bearing on the case, whatsoever,” Chase said.

Still remaining on Tuomey’s legal team are lead attorney Helgi Walker and associate Chantale Fieberg.

Chase said parties in the case are still waiting for the court to announce its decision in the appeal, which was heard in October 2014.

“We were told these things usually take 90 to 120 days; obviously we are well past that,” she said.

Any guess as to when the judgment would come down would only be speculation, she said.

The case, Drakeford v. Tu-

omey Healthcare System, stems from a 10-year battle with the Department of Justice that concerned contracts the hospital asked doctors to sign. In 2010, a jury convened for U.S. District Court found Tuomey in violation of Stark Law, legislation governing physician self-referral for Medicare and Medicaid patients.

The case has clouded Tuomey’s financial future, including an anticipated partnership with Columbia-based Palmetto Health announced in February.

Fuel train vital to Shaw pilots’ training

BY SENIOR AIRMAN JENSEN STIDHAM Special to The Sumter Item Each month, the 20th Fighter Wing’s F-16CM Fighting Falcons use hundreds of thousands of gallons of jet fuel to climb into the sky, ensuring pilots receive the necessary training to maintain combat readiness.

Before the jets can be turned on, they have to be filled with jet fuel, which arrives at the base much slower than the speedy jets.

“When I first got here, I was extremely impressed that we still received fuel by train,” said Staff Sgt. Matthew Robinson, 20th Logistics Readiness Squadron fuels distribution supervisor.

“Other bases I’ve been to it was either by pipeline or by trucks only.”

Shaw is one of two stateside Air Force bases that still receive fuel by train.

“One of the first things they did when they made the base was build a railroad,” said Adam McDowell, 20th LRS train engineer.

Burning through millions of gallons of jet fuel in 2014, the train is an important function of the 20th FW mission.

“It brings the fuel from Charleston through Sumter and delivers it to us,” McDowell said. “They drop it off about 20 minutes from the base, so we have to go pick it up.”

Capable of pulling 28,000 gallons at a time, a spacer car is used to provide a barrier between the two engines and the rail cars to ensure safety while transporting the jet fuel from the rails to the jet.

“It’s very important for us to be compliant with our guidelines and rules,” Robinson said. “Compliance provides our airmen a standard to follow to

U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO / SENIOR AIRMAN JENSEN STIDHAM

The 20th Logistics Readiness Squadron locomotive is seen preparing to cross the road at Shaw Air Force Base recently. Operating approximately every two weeks, the train is used to pick up jet fuel located off base. keep them and the pilots safe.”

After arriving on base, the fuel is transferred by pipelines to holding tanks. The 20th LRS loads several fuel transport trucks, which stand ready to provide fuel.

“It’s highly important that we have fuel in our trucks and ready to go,” Robinson said. “We pride ourselves in a very short response time from the initial call for fuel to when we are actually out on the line fueling an aircraft.

From there the drivers head out to the flightline where they issue fuel to any of the aircraft that need it.”

However, before any of the liquid can be burned through the jet engines, a sample of each shipment is tested.

Testing the fuel is an extensive process done to ensure the fuel received

meets the standard. There cannot be any contaminants in the fuel because that could cause tremendous problems inside the aircraft. Tests are also run to make sure the fuel burns properly. At the end of the day, pilots rely on a quality product, Robinson said.

Fuel is typically provided to the jet upon post flight inspection each time the aircraft is flown. A rapid refueling method, known as “hot pits,” is used to fuel the jets while the engines are still on, which allows pilots to get back to the air more quickly.

“The train is highly important for the pilots getting out to the fight and getting their training and readiness in. It might be only one part of mission, but it is an important one,” McDowell said.

Police and Mount Pisgah AME team up to assist victims FROM STAFF REPORTS

PHOTO PROVIDED

Chief Russell F. Roark III of Sumter Police Department and pastor Betty Deas Clark of Mount Pisgah African Methodist Episcopal Church join forces to help survivors of criminal domestic violence.

Sumter Police Department and Mount Pisgah African Methodist Episcopal Church of Sumter have come together to assist survivors of criminal domestic violence through a support project that aims to empower individuals to lead comfortable lives.

“The issues associated with criminal domestic violence go well beyond what we can provide as a law enforcement agency,” Chief Russell F. Roark III said. “It’s a benefit to the entire community any time we can partner with local organizations that have a mutual concern for the well-being of others.”

The Nurturing Our World project

seeks to meet the transitional needs of women while bridging the gap of governmental assistance through collaboration, advocacy, counseling, support groups and educational programming.

Viola Bowers, NOW’s director, said an individualized plan will be developed and implemented for each survivor.

The term “World” was chosen as part of its name in order to convey that the organization is open to serving all people affected by criminal domestic violence, according to a news release.

NOW organizers will work closely with the police department’s victim advocates to provide survivors with much needed resources. The depart-

ment also will include NOW information in its materials and individuals can receive referrals to the organization at their request.

“Our desire is to serve side by side with other entities and to offer an open-door policy to everyone in need of our help and support,” said pastor Betty Deas Clark.

The NOW project was created by Mount Pisgah AME and is based at the church at 217 W. Bartlette St. Clark said, “The AME church has always been a denomination involved with the needs of people in the sanctuary and beyond its walls.”

Project services will launch on Mother’s Day.

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

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JOBS FROM PAGE A1 into factory production. Manufacturers barely added jobs for a second straight month.

And last year’s plunge in oil prices has led drilling companies to lay off thousands of workers.

Investors breathed a sigh of relief Friday because the figures suggested an economic rebound from the January to March quarter — but one not so explosive as to likely cause the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates from record lows anytime soon. The Dow Jones industrial average was up about 260 points in early afternoon trading.

The unemployment rate is nearing the level the Fed considers healthy. Yet many other signs suggest that the job market isn’t fully recovered. The number of full-time workers, for example, fell in April while the number of part-timers jumped more than 400,000 to 27.7 million — a half-million more than a year ago.

The increase came from Americans who said they preferred part-time work, the report said. The number of part-timers who want fulltime jobs declined 100,000 to 6.6 million. That’s still above pre-recession levels.

The nation’s job growth still isn’t raising worker pay much. Average hourly wages rose just 3 cents in April to $24.87. Wages have risen only

2.2 percent over the past 12 months, roughly the same sluggish pace of the past six years.

“We’re definitely back to that same discussion we were having before March and earlier this year,” said Tara Sinclair, a professor at George Washington University and chief economist at the job listings service Indeed.

“Things are looking pretty good and going in the right direction, but where is the wage growth?”

Corey Bowman, U.S. president of Pita Pit, a 240-store sandwich chain, said his company hasn’t had to raise pay even though it’s expanding and hiring. Pita Pit plans to add 45 restaurants this year with each location creating about 15 full- and part-time jobs.

“I haven’t noticed any change in terms of what you have to pay to get people,” Bowman said.

The Fed has been monitoring the job market for convincing evidence of a healthier economy. The chronically sluggish pay growth and the downward revision to March’s job gain may dissuade the Fed from raising rates in June or even by fall.

Other measures of pay that include bonuses are starting to show healthier increases.

That trend could reflect pay gains in skilled industries.

Paul McDonald, a director of job placement firm Robert Half, says companies are of-

fering pay 8 to 10 percent higher than a year ago to attract workers in such areas as web development, computer networking and accounting.

“It really is the age of specialization,” McDonald said.

“But specialists are hard to find; the demand is so high.”

Still, some higher-paying industries, especially those affected by lower energy prices or the higher dollar, are reporting losses. Mining, which includes oil and gas, cut 15,000 jobs in April. The industry has eliminated 49,000 jobs this year, more than offsetting the 41,000 it added in 2014.

Manufacturers added only 1,000 jobs last month after a flat reading in March. That’s down from the industry’s average monthly job gain of 18,000 last year.

During the past three months, mining and manufacturing have been subtracting an average of 12,333 jobs a month, said Jay Feldman, U.S. economics director at the bank Credit Suisse.

“I don’t think it’s enough to stop the recovery,” Feldman said. “But it’s big enough that it slows the overall pace.”

Construction companies, though, picked up much of the slack by adding 45,000 jobs, the most in 16 months.

That is a sign that cold weather had held back building projects in March when the construction industry cut 6,000 jobs.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Officials, community leaders confer after deputy shoots man CHARLESTON — As a South Carolina sheriff’s deputy responded to a report of a home invasion, he shouted commands at a black man holding a gun before firing at the man and wounding him in the neck, according to an incident report released Friday.

Also on Friday, officials released a recorded statement the wounded man gave to an investigator, acknowledging that he should have dropped the gun.

The Charleston County Sheriff’s Office report summarizes the incident involving Deputy Keith Tyner, who is white, and another deputy on Thursday in the rural community of Hollywood, in a subdivision of mobile homes and brick ranch homes.

On a 911 tape of the incident a male caller tells an emergency dispatcher, “Someone was trying to break into my house. Please come. ... It’s an emergency and they have guns. Please come!”

When deputies arrived at the mobile home down a dirt driveway they saw a gunshot hole in a front window and the back door appeared to be damaged, the incident report says.

The man, later identified as Bryan Heyward, came out of the back door with a gun and the officer told him to drop it, Sheriff’s Maj. Eric Watson said.

“As we were approaching, the back door swung open,” said the report written by Deputy Richard Powell, who responded to the scene with Tyner. Powell said he could not see into the house from his vantage point.

The deputy wrote that he “heard Deputy Tyner shout verbal commands and that there was a gun” and “next heard gunfire as Deputy Tyner fired to suppress the threat.”

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SUSPECTS FROM PAGE A1 met by another deputy who attempted to stop the vehicle. The suspects then got back on I-95, where they wrecked the vehicle.

Rosdail said that a short foot chase ensued, after which the suspects were apprehended by Clarendon deputies.

Sumter Police Chief Russell F. Roark III said the first incidents in Sumter took place Monday about 10:30 p.m., when armed robberies occurred at the Quality Inn and Super 8 motels on Broad Street Extension.

Cummings was allegedly involved in the shooting of a woman he attempted to rob about 2:30 a.m.

Wednesday on Washington Street, according to Sumter police. The 43-year-old victim suffered a gunshot wound to the upper body after a struggle with the suspect.

Clarendon County Sheriff’s Office, the agency that made the arrest after a car pursuit, has charged the suspects with failure to stop for blue lights, according to Clarendon County Sheriff Randy Garrett.

Sumter Police Department charged Cummings and Forrest with two counts of armed robbery; two counts of possession

of a weapon during a violent crime; two counts of assault and battery, first degree; and conspiracy.

Sumter police will also charge Cummings with attempted murder, attempted armed robbery, first-degree assault and battery and possession of a weapon during a violent crime.

Sumter County Sheriff’s Office will charge Cummings with two counts of kidnapping and first-degree burglary as well as a single count of armed robbery.

Investigations by law enforcement are continuing, Sumter County Sheriff Anthony Dennis said at the press conference.

“This was a joint investigation by the four agencies involving six separate incidents in the two-county area over the last week,” Dennis said.

Both suspects have extensive records in the North Charleston area, Roark said.

Both men are being held at Clarendon County Detention Center.

Anyone with information about these incidents is asked to call either Sumter Police Department at (803) 436-2000, Sumter County Sheriff’s Office at (803) 436-2700 or Crime Stoppers at (803) 436-2718.

USPS reports $1.5B loss

Investigators work at a scene of a shooting in Hollywood on Thursday. A sheriff’s deputy responding to a home invasion shot the homeowner in the neck Thursday because he refused to drop his gun, authorities said.

BY BRUCE SMITH The Associated Press

SATURDAY, MAY 9, 2015

As Heyward was being rushed to the hospital, he told an investigator in a recorded interview that he should have dropped the gun that he had grabbed earlier to protect himself from intruders.

The recording was played Friday during a meeting between Charleston County Sheriff’s officials and about a half dozen community leaders. News reporters also attended.

Heyward was taken to the Medical University of South Carolina with life threatening injuries, Watson said. A hospital spokesman said Friday he had no information to report on anyone with that name.

In the ambulance, Heyward told police he had exchanged gunfire with two suspects who fled the home on bicycles, authorities said.

Later Thursday police arrested Thomas Zachary Brown, 22 and charged him with first-degree burglary and attempted murder in connection with the home invasion. Watson said he did not believe Brown sustained any injuries.

The State Law Enforcement Division is investigating the shooting and the sheriff’s office will investigate the home invasion, Watson said. The two deputies involved in the incident have been suspended with pay.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Postal Service on Friday reported a net loss of $1.5 billion during the first three months of this year, noting that while more people are using its shipping and package services, it’s costly to do, and revenues from other products have declined.

The Postal Service is an independent agency that receives no tax dollars for its day-to-day operations but is subject to congressional control. It has asked to end most Saturday deliveries, a request that was blocked by Congress amid opposition by postal unions and others.

According to its latest financial statement, which covers Jan. 1 through March 31, the Postal Service sent 420 million fewer pieces of mail compared to

the same period last year.

First-class mail fell by 2.1 percent and standard mail by 1.1 percent. But a 14.4 percent increase in shipping and package volume contributed to a slight uptick — 1.3 percent — in operating revenue.

That $223 million increase in operating revenue, however, was tempered by high operating expenses.

The Postal Service said it found some relief because of a decline in workers’ compensation costs that quarter. But the Postal Service said it’s still dealing with “higher compensation costs from growth in the labor-intensive shipping and package business, as well as higher retirement contribution rates” mandated by the government.

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Sofia Vergara, left, and Reese Witherspoon appear in scenes from “Hot Pursuit,” a new Warner Bros. Pictures movie. Meant to be a “buddy comedy,” at least one film critic finds it misses the mark.

Witherspoon and Vergara crash in ‘Hot Pursuit’

BY JAKE COYLE AP Film Writer “Hot Pursuit” has all the trappings of a buddy comedy except that whole comedy part.

The pairing of Reese Witherspoon and Sofia Vergara, like the recent Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart comedy “Get Hard,” is predicated on the distance between the two in height and culture. But, good lord, where are the jokes?

Witherspoon plays an uptight, lowranking San Antonio police officer named Cooper. In her first major assignment since accidentally Tasering a teenager (not the best timing for police brutality gags), she’s sent with a partner to protect a drug lord set to testify in court, along with his wife, Daniella (Vergara).

A shootout at their house leaves the husband dead and sends Cooper and Daniella on the run. They make an odd couple: an inexperienced but straight-as-an-arrow cop and a haughty, high-heeled trophy wife trailing her luggage.

The film, directed by Anne Fletcher (“The Guilt Trip”) and penned by “Ben and Kate” scribes David Feeney and John Quaintance, strains to find reason to keep the two on the lam. A corrupt police department excuse is cooked up and not one but two cell phones are destroyed.

As the two navigate the Texas countryside, they survive by exploiting the sexist underestimations of their male pursuers and those that get in their way. This is a promising enough conceit, and one wants to root for “Hot Pursuit,” the rare studio comedy led

by women both in front and behind the camera.

But the slapstick of the film is woeful, and Witherspoon and Vergara have little to do but repeatedly trade on the shallow qualities of their characters: Cooper’s uber-properness, Daniella’s prima donna.

They distract easy-to-dupe men with excuses of “lady business” or by kissing each other. There are incredulous running gags about Vergara’s age and Witherspoon’s supposed homeliness.

For Witherspoon, in particular, it’s a dramatic comedown from the heights of Oscar season, where she was nominated for the wilderness redemption tale “Wild” and was a producer on David Fincher’s “Gone Girl.” She can be a fine comedic actress, but she’s best when the humor

comes from the character (like the great Traci Flick of “Election”) rather than pratfalls.

“Hot Pursuit” feels like a comedy that forgot its comedian.

Catch up, instead, with the similarly plotted but far superior “The Heat,” with Melissa McCarthy and Sandra Bullock. That’s been one of the few recent excellent entries to the buddy comedy, a genre of seemingly simple chemistry that is nevertheless painstakingly elusive, leaving us to instead return again and again, to classics like “Midnight Run” with Robert De Niro and the great Charles Grodin.

The best you can say for “Hot Pursuit” is that Witherspoon and Vergara, the “Modern Family” star, do seem like buddies. At least they have that half down.

Schwarzenegger surprises in zombie drama

BY LINDSEY BAHR AP Film Writer

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Zac Brown Band’s new release is seen.

Zac Brown Band eclectic on new ‘Jekyll + Hyde’

BY MICHAEL MCCALL The Associated Press Zac Brown rightly names his new release after a famous, fictional schizophrenic, for few artists in this genre-focused era so openly embrace an eclectic muse.

Brown sets the tone immediately on “Jekyll + Hyde,” which opens with an aggressively rhythmic “Beautiful Drug,” the most electronic-driven track Brown has recorded. The variety doesn’t stop there, as he brings a Celtic melody to “Remedy,” big-band swing to “Mango Tree” (a duet with Sara Bareilles) and a grunge-rock guitar crunch to “Heavy Is the Head” (a duet with Sound-

garden’s Chris Cornell).

That said, there’s plenty of Brown’s breezy, islandinfluenced rhythms and his acoustic, folk-derived style, both of which emphasize his voice and his lyrical smarts. This time, he includes a rare cover on a powerful interpretation of Jason Isbell’s “Dress Blues.”

Brown and his large band changed record distributors and producers for “Jekyll + Hyde,” but the album sounds like a logical next step by a talented band. As always, they make it all sound coherent. They’re music lovers with a broad range of influences, and they don’t let pre-determined musical genres limit their scope.

Would you stand by your child if she was slowly dying of a gruesome and highly contagious illness?

That’s the central question that Arnold Schwarzenegger has to face in “Maggie,” a terminal illness drama where the malady at hand involves morphing into a member of the flesh-eating undead.

Director Henry Hobson’s film imagines a world devastated by zombies — although no one ever says that word. Instead of turning to genre conventions, though, “Maggie” stays small, intimate and fascinatingly realistic.

Set in a small Midwestern town, society is still tenuously functioning amid the breakout. Hospitals diagnose the afflicted and set terms for mandatory quarantines before the diseased turn truly dangerous.

The police, also, are there to enforce. Other institutions, though, are all but abandoned.

Gas stations are empty and electricity is unreliable.

For many, life continues as normally as possible. There are no rogue bands of hostile survivalists competing over bunkers and land and no massive zombie armies attacking.

“Maggie” is zombie tale that is more interested in the microcosm — the effects of the virus on the family unit and the community, not the shocks and thrills of an all-out war.

If this seems like a surprising choice for Schwarzenegger, it is. Even more surprising? He’s pretty great.

The heart of the movie is the relationship between Wade (Schwarzenegger) and his teenage daughter Maggie (Abi-

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Abigail Breslin, foreground, and Arnold Schwarzenegger appear in a scene from Roadside Attractions’ “Maggie.” gail Breslin). She’s infected and missing when the film starts, but Wade searches for two weeks to find her and bring her back to the country home that he shares with his new wife (Joely Richardson) and their young children.

There, Wade waits for Maggie to transform, trying to spend as much time with her as possible in the interim.

Maggie, in turn, fluctuates between all the emotions of dealing with a life cut too short — and her fatal, itchy and grotesque wound.

There are a few jump scares and horror movie elements that help to break up the melodrama. Maggie’s carefully designed physical transformation is punctuated by frightening visions of what’s to come — even if it’s unclear whether they’re nightmares or symptoms.

Still, everything is restrained. Schwarzenegger’s Wade only resorts to violence when protecting Maggie, and even those moments seem to

be done reluctantly. His despair is evident in his physicality and his eyes throughout.

Many of the scenes take place around the dinner table — some tense, some funny, but all with the heavy fear of the inevitable hanging over every moment.

Some of the more affecting parts involve Schwarzenegger weighing his options with various friends. The horrifying reality is that death is really the only solution. The “how” is the question.

And yet, for as fascinating as the conceit is (and as lean as the movie is), the deep emotions at play don’t really hit as well as they should. Part of the problem is the distracting look of the film. “Maggie” appears as though it was shot through a variety of Instagram filters — a dusty grey for the exteriors, and a warm, oversaturated orange for the interiors. Also, even at a brisk 95 minutes, the runtime feels like a stretch.

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Detail of a World War II-era pillow cover resting on a counter at a senior center in Millville, Massachusetts, is seen Tuesday. Dominic O’Gara mailed it from his U.S. Army base in California to his mother in Millville in 1942, and Millville resident Don Lamoureux purchased the sham from an online auction site.

Gift to mom, lost for 73 years, returns home

BY MARK PRATT The Associated Press MILLVILLE, Mass. — This is the story of a loving tribute from a soldier preparing for war to his mother on the other side of the continent, who didn’t know if she would ever see her boy again.

The elaborate pillow sham he sent her, lost for more than 70 years, has finally come home, just in time for Mother’s Day. The sham, emblazoned with the word “Mother” and sent in 1942 by Dominic O’Gara from his Army base in California to his mother in the small Massachusetts town of Millville, was discovered last month by a town native on eBay. The hope now is to put the sham on display in the town’s senior center, just yards from the house where the O’Gara family once lived.

“To me, it’s come back to where it belongs,” said Margaret Carroll, chairwoman of the town Historical Commission. “It’s as close to Mrs. O’Gara as it can get.”

Donald Lamoureux, who lives in Cumberland, Rhode Island, but who grew up in Millville, spotted an envelope for sale on eBay, and even though he had no idea what was inside, he knew he had to have it when he saw the date and the Millville address. He paid $5 for it.

He was stunned when he looked inside.

“There was this pillow sham that had been sealed away for 73 years,

Lamoureux, of Millville, Massachusetts, displays a World War II-era postal envelope, which he purchased from an online auction site. and it looked brand new,” he said.

Although it had deep creases from being folded for decades, it wasn’t frayed, stained or faded.

The white pillow cover has blue fringe, and in addition to the word “Mother” in blue is decorated with red roses with green stems and the words “Camp McQuaide, Calif.,” where O’Gara was stationed.

It also has this famous poem, written by lyricist Howard Johnson: M is for the million things she gave me O means only that she’s growing old T is for the tears she shed to save me H is for her heart of purest gold

E is for her eyes with love light shining R means right and right she’ll always be Put them all together they spell mother A word that means the world to me “It was very touching,” Lamoureux said.

Millville, about 40 miles southwest of Boston, had a population of about 1,800 in the 1940s. Even these days, it holds only about 3,200 people.

Where the pillow sham has been the past 70-plus years is a mystery.

The 6-cent airmail stamp on the envelope was canceled, indicating it had been delivered. But the cover appeared pristine. O’Gara’s mother,

Catherine, died in 1956.

Lamoureux bought it from a Rhode Island man who runs a collectibles shop and found the envelope in a box of junk acquired from an anonymous seller.

Of course, Lamoureux wanted to return the pillow cover to O’Gara’s family, but he couldn’t find any living relatives.

He found that O’Gara, the son of Irish immigrants, was an artilleryman who served in Italy in World War II, then lived for years in the nearby town of Milford before dying in 1998. His wife died in 1974.

Lamoureux turned to his own parents, Donald and Diane Lamoureux, and their friends in Millville, including Carroll and Council on Aging member Ellen Ethier Bowen, who both remembered the O’Gara family.

But even Carroll, who has an almost encyclopedic knowledge of town history, came up empty.

The group discussed it and came up with the idea of framing the pillow sham and envelope and hanging them in the senior center. The building is a short walk from the O’Garas’ former home in a section of town known as Banigan City, named for the former president of a now-closed rubber manufacturing plant who built the homes for his workers.

Bowen hopes to bring the proposal to the full Council on Aging. It would be perfect if the pillow sham could be hung by Memorial Day, she said.

“This whole story just tugs at your heartstrings,” she said.

Germans look for WWII soldier dads Children find ‘shadow families’ across Atlantic BERLIN (AP) — When Paul Schmitz was a little boy, he never understood why kids in his tiny German village taunted him as a “Yank” and beat him up. He was a teenager by the time he found out: His father was an American soldier his mother had a romance with in the final days of World War II. Schmitz was born about five months after Victory in Europe Day, when the Allied forces defeated Nazi Germany 70 years ago Friday. It would be the start of a life as an outsider, burdened by fear, discrimination and loneliness. He is one of at least 250,000 children of German mothers who got pregnant by Allied soldiers from the United States, Great Britain, France or the Soviet Union as the Third Reich crumbled.

Now many of those children have embarked on quests to find their fathers.

“I was a child of shame, a child of the enemy, even though it was the Americans who liberated us,” says Schmitz, a shy 69-year-old. “All my life I had a yearning for my father, but until recently I was too afraid to actively search for him.”

Schmitz decided to start looking for his dad 10 years ago, among hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Germans who have launched searches for their Allied soldier fathers in recent years.

“Almost all war children start their search alone, spending nights in front of the computer,” said Ute Baur-Timmerbrink, who found out in her 50s that she was the daughter of an American officer. She is now part of the group GI Trace that helps other war children look for their dads — quests that succeed about half of the time. She has helped dozens of war children and still gets up to 10 requests for assistance a week.

Many of the aging war children feel they have one last chance to discover the truth.

Silke Satjukow, a historian who wrote a book about the war children, said, “Of course, they know that their fathers will most likely be dead by now, but they’re still hoping to find ‘shadow families,’ siblings who were born after their fathers left Germany.”

Schmitz talks haltingly about his difficult life as a fatherless boy in post-war Germany. His eyes well up recalling the hardships he faced in a conservative rural area close to the Belgian border.

It took him years to figure

out — in his village of Kalterherberg — that he was just about the only one who didn’t know he was a “war baby.”

When he was around 14, he asked his mother why he didn’t have a father; she tersely revealed the truth. A few years later, she told him that his father’s name was John — but otherwise did not talk about him.

Most kids in Schmitz’s situation felt unwanted: The mothers were ashamed, and the U.S. military forces did not want to have anything to do with them, saying it was a private matter. The fathers themselves often started new families back home without imagining they might have a child on the other side of the Atlantic.

For Schmitz, the quest took him to the Belgian village of Sourbrodt, just across the German border from his village, where his mother, Margaretha

Paul Schmitz, a son of a United States World War II soldier, is seen as a little boy with his mother. Schmitz spoke to The Associated Press about his father and his life in post-WWII Germany.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Schmitz, then 32, was evacuated by the Americans in December 1944 during the Battle of the Bulge — Adolf Hitler’s failed gambit to split the Allied armies on the Western front.

Schmitz found an old lady who remembered his mother was friendly with a soldier named John, part of a medical battalion. With the help of veterans groups and archives in the United States, Schmitz identified the battalion and fi-

nally found out that his father was John Kitzmiller, a physician from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Kitzmiller was no longer alive. But Schmitz tracked down two half-sisters — and met them during a trip to the U.S. in 2011.

They took him out on family picnics, shared old pictures, showed him his father’s grave.

Before parting, they handed him his father’s old wrist watch.

“They told me that in America, it’s always the son who inherits the watch — and that’s me,” Schmitz said, tearing up.

“I no longer feel shame. Today I have a feeling of happiness when it comes to family.”

Memorial Day 2015

Recognize the deceased Veterans in your family. Return this form to The Item by May 18th, 2015.

To be published on May 24, 2015, honoring our military who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

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GIFTS FROM PAGE A1 that she can hang on the porch; those do real well on Mother’s Day as well.”

“Everybody loves diamonds,’ said Kim Hatchell, manager of Galloway & Moseley Jewelers, 444 N. Guignard Drive. “Diamonds are especially popular with husbands who are buying gifts for their wives on Mother’s Day.” Hatchell said the store has been very busy with Pandora bracelets and gift boxes that include a gold-dipped rose, a pearl bracelet or necklace and a box of chocolates being very popular.

“We have a lot to pick from and can fit just about everybody’s budget,” she said.

If your mom has a sweet tooth, Baker’s Sweets, 1089-D Alice Drive, can make a cake, said owner Jennifer Baker.

“They can come in and get Mother’s Day cakes and stuff; hopefully, she is not baking,”

KEITH GEDAMKE / THE SUMTER ITEM

Gail Drake, an employee of Flowers and Baskets, works on an arrangement of roses for delivery Thursday afternoon. she said. “We have the Grandma’s Six Layer which is our six-layer butter cake with chocolate frosting (and) the Nutty Praline (cake). Coconut cake does really well for Mother’s Day and lemon cake.”

Leigh Newman, director of Sumter Farmers Market, said the market is a great place to get a Mother’s Day gift on

PINEWOOD FROM PAGE A1 Pinewood Subcommittee hearing to further study issues and concerns related to the hazardous waste landfill located in Pinewood,” the statement said.

“As we have often stated along with countless others, this issue is not going away and we must do our best as South Carolina state senators to represent the interests of the people who elected us and to remain committed to the Legislature’s important oversight role.”

In the letter McElveen and Johnson

Saturday mornings.

“We have handmade soaps, handmade pine needle baskets, birdhouses, actual artwork and handmade jewelry,” she said. “There is a sketch artist who could do a quick sketch of a grandchild or something, and that would make a great gift.”

With strawberry season upon us, a gift of fresh South

wrote in February, they also raised concerns about the financial arrangement that partly funds site maintenance.

“Perhaps the worst mistake occurred in 1992, MCELVEEN when the DHEC Board caved to political pressure and reversed its original decision to require a $135 million trust fund for clean-up, leaving only a flawed $30 million insurance policy in its place,” the letter said.

During a tour of the site in April, Ha-

SATURDAY, MAY 9, 2015 Carolina strawberries might be a perfect Mother’s Day gift.

“I am assuming Michael Dellinger will have strawberries at The Farm Store this weekend,” Newman said. “I actually bought a big ol’ box of strawberries last Saturday for $12. They were delicious.”

There should be lots of other fresh fruit available as well, she said.

“He has a lot of squashes and cucumbers and celery and kales and that kind of stuff, and he also brings homemade breads and jams and jellies to the market.”

For more choices that are locally made, pay a visit to Elephant Ear Gallery, 672 Bultman Drive.

“Our store is a co-op of 20 artists, and each artist thinks of what they can do for Mother’s Day,” Betty Reese said on Thursday.

“We have a lady who handmakes the most beautiful jewelry, and we have a couple of girls who make homemade soaps,” she said.

good said it takes about $4.8 million to maintain the site each year and money from the 1992 settlement was “obviously not enough.”

“Without some sort of JOHNSON funding, the trust fund will be gone,” he said.

Verdin will serve as chairman of the Joint Pinewood Subcommittee, Peeler announced. Also serving on the subcommittee will be Sens. Tom Davis, RBeaufort, and Greg Gregory, R-Lancaster.

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Also available are paintings of all kinds, she said.

“We have ladies who find objects and repurpose them into things, and they have made some Mother’s Day items,” Reese said.

She said the co-op also includes a custom frame shop if mom needs anything framed.

“We haven’t had pottery in a while, but we have it now.

That makes great Mother’s Day gifts,” she said.

She said the gallery is the place to find the most unusual items.

“We have gardening wreaths, a grapevine wreath with little tiny clay pots attached to it with floral leaves and raffia attached to it which is great for a door or a garden gate,” Reese said.

Reese said the most popular Mother’s Day gift is probably jewelry.

“A lady was in earlier and bought a necklace for her mother,” she said. “They are buying the SoapSense items; ladies like the smell of them.”

McElveen and Johnson said they hope the hearing will lead to the creation of a standing oversight committee to monitor issues concerning the waste site.

“We know there are a lot of questions that haven’t been answered, and hopefully with these hearings we can get an insight as far as that site because to fully address the issue we have to know what the situation is,” Johnson said. “I am glad we got the hearing scheduled and we have these folks coming in to testify, and we’ll start there and see where that takes us.”

OBITUARIES MARY ELLEN C. COMPTON SUMMERVILLE — Mary Ellen Cain Compton, 91, widow of John Murray Compton, of Summerville, passed away on Thursday, May 7, 2015.

The relatives and friends of Mary Ellen Compton are invited to attend the Liturgy of Christian Burial Mass at St. John the Beloved Catholic Church in Summerville at 9 a.m. on Monday. The rite of committal will follow in Summerville Cemetery.

The family will receive friends at the home of her son, Wingard, at 206 E. Second South St., Summerville.

Mary Ellen was married to the late John Murray Compton. She was born on Oct. 9, 1923, in Charleston, a daughter of the late Mary Ellen Bowman and David Jamison Cain of Sumter.

She is survived by her five children, 13 grandchildren, 19 great-grandchildren, her sister-in-law, and several nieces and nephews.

Her children and their spouses are Ellen and David Brooks of Battleboro, North Carolina; Murray and Cindy Compton of Mount Pleasant; Rosa Saylor of Newberry; David J.C. and Debbie Compton of Mount Pleasant; and Wingard and Dawn Compton of Summerville.

In addition to her parents, she was predeceased by her sister, Adele; brother, Jamison Cain of Arlington, Virginia; and her son-in-law, Don Saylor.

Sug’s children would especially like to acknowledge the extraordinary level of care our momma received from her in-home caregivers. Carolyn Rock, Karhonda McKelvey and Kizzy Rock were wonderful with and for Sug and we want them to know how very much it meant to us.

“Sug,” as she was affectionately known to four generations, was active in Meals on Wheels as well as adult literacy programs, and she did love to play bridge! Sug lived at the Presbyterian Village for more than two decades prior to her death. Her easy-going personality, her loving heart, and her quick-wit made her loved and respected by residents and staffers alike … a love and respect she reciprocated twofold.

Sug’s wisdom and warm, forgiving nature grew into an absolute study in patience. In her later years, she became an inspiration in the art of aging gracefully. She knew the meaning of southern hos-

pitality and good taste. If courage is “Grace under fire,” she was a courageous soul, indeed; we will all miss her terribly.

In lieu of flowers, Sug would be so pleased if memorials were made to the scholarship established in memory of our daddy: The Citadel Development Foundation, The John Murray Compton Scholarship Fund, 171 Moultrie St., Charleston, SC 29409. Our “Gramps” was the love of Sug’s life and we wanted to honor them both.

Arrangements by Parks Funeral Home, 130 W. 1st North St., Summerville, SC 29483. www.parksfuneralhome.com

ERVIN LESANE JR. Ervin Lesane Jr. departed this life on Friday, May 8, 2015, at Tuomey Regional Medical Center.

He was born on April 6, 1963, in Sumter, a son of Wilhelmina McFadden Lesane and the late Ervin “T.D.” Lesane Sr. The family will be receiving friends at the home of his sister and brother-in-law, Silver and Anthony Sturdivant, 331 Pear St., Sumter, SC 29150.

Funeral plans are incomplete and will be announced later by Job’s Mortuary Inc. of Sumter.

WILLIE PEARSON JR. BROOKLYN, New York — On Tuesday, May 5, 2015, Willie “Bro” Pearson Jr., husband of Bernice June Pearson, heard his Master’s call at his residence.

Born on July 7, 1941, in Manning, he was a son of the late Willie “Abie” Sr. and Elizabeth “Bee” Johnson Pearson.

A service of remembrance for “Bro” will be held at 1 p.m. on Tuesday at Mt. Chapel Baptist Church, 5918 S.C. 260, Jordan community of Manning, where the Rev. Carnell Witherspoon, pastor, will bring words of consolation.

Service of Interment will follow at St. Matthews Cemetery, Manning.

Visitation will be held on Monday at the chapel of Fleming and DeLaine Funeral Home.

The family is receiving relatives and friends at the residence of his sister, Margaretta “Barr” Pearson Gatson, 1072 McDowell St., Red Hill community of Manning.

Fleming and DeLaine Funeral Home and Chapel of Manning is in charge of services.

Online condolences may be sent to www.flemingdelaine.

com or Flemingdelaine@aol. com.

ALPHONZA YOUNG Alphonza Young, 31, departed his earthly journey on Friday, May 8, 2015, at the Medical University of South Carolina.

He was born on March 28, 1984, in Sumter, to Sharon Wallace.

The family will receive friends at the home, 6 Foxworth St., Sumter.

Services will be announced

by Sumter Funeral Service Inc.

ROMEO O’NEAL COOPER SR. Romeo O’Neal Cooper Sr., 95, husband of Mary Louise Fortune Cooper and widower of Annie Mae Hampton Cooper, died on Wednesday, May 6, 2015, at Tuomey Regional Medical Center.

He was born on Sept. 10, 1919, in Gable, a son of the late George and Mary Coleman Cooper. Romeo was educated in the parochial schools of Clarendon and Sumter counties. He received his high school and some college education from Brainerd Institute, Chester. He did further studies at Morris College, Sumter. He was a member of Melina Presbyterian Church (USA), where he was an elder and served as clerk of session for more than 50 years. He was a member of Golden Gate Masonic Lodge No. 78. In his professional life, he taught public schools, farm and did industrial work, retiring from Campbell Soup Co. in 1983.

Survivors are his wife, Mary F. Cooper of the home; Celestine J. Cooper of Manning, Patricia (Joseph) Chestnut and Helen Williams of Sumter, Wendell (Mercedes) Fortune of Metchen, New Jersey, and Thaddeus (Janie) Benjamin of Gable; eight grandchildren, Sonya (Quincy) Burns, Russell Chestnut, Clarissa Chestnut, Nicole, Lee Mack and Brian Williams, Wendell Fortune Jr. and Antrone Williams; 11 greatgrandchildren; and one sisterin-law, Jessie L. Cooper of Sumter.

Public viewing will be held from noon to 7 p.m. today only.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. on Monday at Melina Presbyterian Church (USA), 3539 Black River Road, Gable, with the Rev. Samuel Sparks officiating, the Rev. Dr. Franklin D. Colclough Sr., the Rev. Carnell Hampton, the Rev. Dr. Ella Busby and the Rev. Mary Hagen assisting. Burial will be in the

church cemetery.

Mr. Cooper will in repose one hour prior to services.

Online memorials may be sent to www.samuelsfuneralhome.com.

The family is receiving friends at his residence, 7020 Skinner Road, Gable.

These services have been entrusted to Samuels Funeral Home LLC of Manning.

RUNETTE PEOPLES Runette Peoples entered eternal rest on May 8, 2015, at McLeod Hospice House, Florence.

The family is receiving friends at the home of her sister, Essie Boyd, 522 E. College St., Bishopville.

A service of remembrance for Ms. Peoples will be held at 3 p.m. on Sunday at the mortuary with the Rev. Sheila B. Neal officiating.

Wilson Funeral Home, 403 S. Main St., Bishopville, is in charge of arrangements.

WINFRED WILLIAMS DALZELL — Winfred “Midget” Williams, age 62, beloved husband of Debra Kay Smith Williams, went home to the Lord on May 7, 2015.

Born on Dec. 27, 1952, in Knoxville, Tennessee, he was a son of the late John Hal and Edna Ruth Ingle Williams. He was a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and dedicated more than 22 years of serving his country. He loved the outdoors, fishing, camping and spending time with family and friends. Writing poetry and playing the guitar were things he enjoyed sharing with his kids and grandkids.

Along with his love for the outdoors, he also shared his love of classic rock ‘n’ roll and southern gospel.

A dedicated friend, father, grandfather and husband, he is survived by his wife of 41 years, Debra Kay Smith Williams; son, Johnnie Williams (Alice) of Sumter; two daughters, Melissa “Missy” Williams (Ricky) of Greenville and Heather Brown (Barry) of Sumter; his eight loving grandchildren, Chelsea, Bryce, Elise, Kristen, Katie, Cody, Brandon and Brittany; his sister, Janice Gardner (Mike) of Kershaw; brother, Calvin Williams (Karen) of Appling, Georgia; uncle, Donnie Ingle (Joann) of Kodak, Tennessee; and many very loved nieces and nephews.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his two brothers, John Williams Jr. and Richard Williams.

A funeral service will be

held at 2 p.m. on Sunday in the Bullock Funeral Home Chapel. Interment with full military honors will follow in Evergreen Memorial Park cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Ronald McDonald House, 2955 Colonial Drive, Columbia, SC 29203; the MPPC, Hope House, 314 Hibben St., Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464; or the American Lung Association, 1817 Gadsden St., Columbia, SC 29201.

You may sign the family’s guest book at www.bullockfuneralhome.com.

The family has chosen Bullock Funeral Home for the arrangements.

ROLAND J. FOISEY Roland J. Foisey, age 82, beloved husband of Kathryn A. Foisey, died on Friday, May 8, 2015, at Tuomey Regional Medical Center.

Arrangements are incomplete at this time and will be announced by Bullock Funeral Home.

TALLIE H. STOKES On Thursday, May 7, 2015, Tallie Holliday Stokes, widow of Bennie Stokes Sr., exchanged time for eternity at Sumter East Health & Rehab Center.

Born on Nov. 29, 1915, in Manning, she was a daughter of the late J F and Martha Gibson Holliday.

The family is receiving relatives and friends at the residence of her son, Bennie Stokes, 1233 Fennel St., Manning.

Funeral services are incomplete and will be announced

by Fleming & Delaine Funeral Home & Chapel.

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AROUND TOWN es from 1960 through 1969 The Paxville School Reunion are welcome to send a repwill be held at noon today resentative to help plan at Paxville Baptist Church. the reunion celebrating the Bring a dish to share.

Don’t forget the Paxville School Reunion Modern Civil Rights MoveThe Sumter Chapter of the ment. Call Ferdinand Burns National Federation of the Blind will meet at 7 p.m. on at (803) 968-4464.

Tuesday, May 12, at Shiloh- Taw Caw Community Outreach Center will present an Randolph Manor. Susie evening of fashion and fun at Blanding will speak on fire 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 16, and safety. The spotlight at 1126 Granby Lane, Sumwill shine on Marcia Harmerton. Tickets: $10 for ton and the associate member is Diana Singleton. adults; $5 ages 5-12.

Transportation provided The Lincoln High School Preswithin the mileage radius. ervation Alumni Association If you know a blind or visu- will meet at 4 p.m. on Sunally impaired person, conday, May 17, at the Lincoln tact the president, Debra High School cafeteria on Canty, at DebraCanC2@ Council Street. Lincolnites, frontier.com or at (803) friends and community 775-5792. members are invited. Call James L. Green at (803) The Sumter Stroke Support 968-4173.

Group (Overcomers) will meet at 6 p.m. on ThursThe Morris College Alumni day, May 14, in the library Chapter of Lee County will of Alice Drive Baptist present its annual tots to Church. Call Joyce or teens pageant at 4 p.m. on Wayne Hunter at (803) 464- Sunday, May 17, at New 7865.

Zion AME Church, Wisacky.

The Sumter Combat Veterans Phi Omega Omega of ManGroup will meet at 10 a.m. ning will hold its Miss Ivy on Friday, May 15, at the Pearl and Little Miss Ivy Pearl South HOPE Center, 1125 S. pageants at 5 p.m. on SunLafayette Drive. All area day, May 17, at Manning veterans are invited.

Junior High School. The The Lincoln High School Pres- event is free and open to the public. However, nonervation Alumni Association perishable food items and will hold a dinner fundraiser old or used books are from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on being accepted for donaFriday, May 15, at the Lintion. Food items will be coln High School gymnasigiven to United Ministries um on Council Street. Cost of Clarendon County and is $8 per dinner and meal donated books will help will consist of fried fish or supply books for a free fried chicken, seasoned rice, green beans, roll, des- book drive in Clarendon sert and a drink. Dine in or County. take out. Call James L. Sumter’s Marine Corps Green at (803) 968-4173.

League Detachment 1202 will celebrate its 10th anniversary Lincoln High School Class of 1965 will meet at 11:30 a.m. at 6 p.m. on Monday, May 18, at the VFW, Gion Street. on Friday, May 15, at the The detachment was charLincoln High School gymtered on May 5, 2005, with nasium on Council Street.

49 former Marines signing All classmates are invited. the charter. All members, Call Betty Miller at (803) spouses, associate mem775-1616. bers, and spouses of those Lincoln High School Class of Marines who have passed 1963 will meet at 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 16, at Amer- on are invited to attend.

Call Bill Hartley at (803) ican Legion Post 202, 310 469-8723 or Jackie Hughes Palmetto St. Lincoln classat (803) 775-4555.

PUBLIC AGENDA CLARENDON COUNTY COUNCIL Monday, 6 p.m., Administration Building, Council Chambers, 411 Sunset Drive, Manning

Tuesday, 6:30 p.m., town hall

LEE COUNTY COUNCIL Tuesday, 9 a.m., council chambers

SUMMERTON TOWN COUNCIL Tuesday, 6 p.m., town hall

SUMTER HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION Tuesday, noon, Sunset Country Club

SUMTER SPCA ANNUAL MEETING Tuesday, 6:30 p.m., Elaine D. Korn Memorial Center, 1100 S. Guignard Drive

LYNCHBURG TOWN COUNCIL Tuesday, 6 p.m., Teen Center on Magnolia Street, Lynchburg

MAYESVILLE TOWN COUNCIL Tuesday, 7 p.m., town hall

SUMTER COUNTY COUNCIL Tuesday, 6 p.m., Sumter County Council Chambers

TURBEVILLE TOWN COUNCIL Tuesday, 6:30 p.m., town hall

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

DAILY PLANNER

THE SUMTER ITEM

WEATHER

Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2015

AccuWeather® five-day forecast for Sumter TODAY

TONIGHT

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

Mostly cloudy, a shower or two

Mostly cloudy with a little rain

Clouds breaking, showers around

Warm with sun and some clouds

An afternoon thunderstorm

Cloudy, showers around; warm

85°

64°

84° / 66°

87° / 68°

91° / 65°

84° / 61°

Chance of rain: 65%

Chance of rain: 55%

Chance of rain: 80%

Chance of rain: 15%

Chance of rain: 50%

Chance of rain: 60%

NNE 10-20 mph

NNE 8-16 mph

NNE 10-20 mph

W 7-14 mph

SW 7-14 mph

NE 4-8 mph

TODAY’S SOUTH CAROLINA WEATHER

Gaffney 86/61 Spartanburg 87/61

Greenville 85/64

Columbia 87/65

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

IN THE MOUNTAINS

Sumter 85/64

Aiken 88/64

ON THE COAST

Charleston 83/67

Today: Showers, but rain from Tropical Storm Ana in the north. High 78 to 84.

Sunday: Mostly cloudy; wind and rain.

High 75 to 86.

LOCAL ALMANAC

LAKE LEVELS

SUMTER THROUGH 4 P.M. YESTERDAY

Today Hi/Lo/W 88/68/s 63/47/c 79/68/t 81/60/t 87/74/c 68/56/pc 87/69/c 74/62/pc 91/70/pc 81/63/pc 79/62/s 66/52/pc 83/65/pc

SUN AND MOON 7 a.m. yest.

357.93 75.68 75.41 97.25

24-hr chg +0.02 -0.05 +0.05 -0.10

Sunrise 6:26 a.m.

Moonrise 12:24 a.m.

RIVER STAGES

Sun. Hi/Lo/W 88/69/pc 76/62/t 74/61/t 77/62/t 86/70/c 73/58/pc 88/73/pc 82/67/pc 94/71/s 85/66/pc 88/67/s 64/52/pc 86/68/pc

Flood 7 a.m. stage yest.

12 6.48 19 3.43 14 4.28 14 3.09 80 77.39 24 6.47

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

0.00" trace 0.78" 17.57" 12.58" 15.13"

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

Full pool 360 76.8 75.5 100

Lake Murray Marion Moultrie Wateree

86° 60° 80° 55° 95° in 1959 37° in 1989

Precipitation 24 hrs ending 4 p.m. yest.

Month to date Normal month to date Year to date Last year to date Normal year to date

Myrtle Beach 79/69

Manning 84/62

Today: Mostly sunny. Winds northeast 6-12 mph. Mainly clear.

Sunday: Humid with clouds breaking.

Winds northeast 6-12 mph.

Temperature High Low Normal high Normal low Record high Record low

Florence 84/66

Bishopville 84/62

Sunset 8:11 p.m.

Moonset 11:14 a.m.

Last

New

First

Full

May 11

May 18

May 25

June 2

TIDES

24-hr chg -0.38 -0.60 -0.30 -0.04 -0.33 -2.75

AT MYRTLE BEACH

Today Sun.

High 1:10 a.m.

1:33 p.m.

2:05 a.m.

2:33 p.m.

Ht. 3.2 2.8 3.2 2.8

Low 8:24 a.m.

8:25 p.m.

9:19 a.m.

9:26 p.m.

Ht. 0.1 0.2 0.0 0.3

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

Today Hi/Lo/W 82/58/s 88/63/s 88/62/pc 84/67/sh 76/64/r 83/67/r 84/62/pc 87/66/s 87/65/c 85/64/sh 78/65/sh 81/66/r 83/65/sh

Sun. Hi/Lo/W 82/59/pc 89/66/pc 88/64/pc 86/69/sh 77/65/r 80/68/sh 85/65/sh 87/67/pc 87/67/sh 82/65/sh 81/67/sh 78/67/r 80/66/r

Today City Hi/Lo/W Florence 84/66/sh Gainesville 89/64/s Gastonia 84/62/c Goldsboro 81/65/sh Goose Creek 83/67/r Greensboro 81/61/pc Greenville 85/64/pc Hickory 83/61/pc Hilton Head 82/67/sh Jacksonville, FL 87/64/pc La Grange 91/64/s Macon 88/62/s Marietta 88/66/s

Sun. Hi/Lo/W 81/66/r 91/64/s 84/64/sh 79/67/r 82/68/sh 82/64/sh 86/66/pc 84/64/pc 83/69/pc 92/67/s 92/65/pc 90/65/pc 88/67/pc

Today City Hi/Lo/W Marion 87/57/pc Mt. Pleasant 83/66/r Myrtle Beach 79/69/r Orangeburg 85/65/sh Port Royal 84/68/sh Raleigh 81/63/pc Rock Hill 84/61/c Rockingham 83/61/sh Savannah 86/65/sh Spartanburg 87/61/pc Summerville 83/66/r Wilmington 78/68/r Winston-Salem 82/61/pc

Sun. Hi/Lo/W 83/62/pc 82/69/sh 77/68/r 85/66/sh 87/72/sh 80/65/sh 84/63/sh 83/62/sh 87/67/pc 87/68/pc 83/69/sh 76/68/r 82/63/pc

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

WITH WI T EQU EQUAL Q AL PAYMENTS S

NO INTEREST TILL JANUARY 2020

PINEWOOD TOWN COUNCIL

803-795-4257

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Keep EUGENIA LAST emotions out of the workplace. Don’t allow anyone to badger you into a position of responsibility you cannot handle.

Use your intelligence to outmaneuver anyone who gets in your way or slows you down. Don’t make an unrealistic promise.

The last word in astrology

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Follow your heart and act on your instincts. Don’t worry about the changes others make. Focus on doing your own thing and finishing what you start. Financial gain is likely, but so is overspending. Put some thought into romancing someone special.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Get your facts straight before you offer your time, money or assistance.

Someone is likely to give you poor information that can turn out to be costly. Invest in yourself, not in what someone else is doing.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Take a break from your professional responsibilities. Enjoy the company of someone who has something unique to offer you. Discovering different philosophies or cultures will lead to self-improvement and a better future. Love is on the rise.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Expect to face physical and emotional problems. A change to the way you feel or do things will disrupt your personal life. Speak your mind, but do so diplomatically. Rethink your next move and prepare to take action.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You are overdue for a change. Travel to a place that will motivate and inspire you to fulfill your creative dreams.

Getting together with someone who shares your vision will help you reach your destination much faster. Romance is highlighted.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You are best to work quietly on your own, bringing about the personal changes that will make your surroundings user-friendly and comforting. A discussion with someone you can learn from will open your eyes to a lucrative endeavor.

See details a See at www.boykinacs.com

LOTTERY NUMBERS PALMETTO CASH 5 FRIDAY

POWERBALL WEDNESDAY

MEGAMILLIONS TUESDAY

2-22-27-28-38 PowerUp: 2

23-24-27-39-41 Powerball: 30; Powerplay: 5

11-21-42-62-71 Megaball: 7; Megaplier: 5

PICK 3 FRIDAY

PICK 4 FRIDAY

LUCKY FOR LIFE THURSDAY

4-3-6 and 7-6-4

3-7-4-2 and 9-3-5-3

4-14-19-26-40; Lucky Ball: 6

SPCA CAT OF THE WEEK

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Don’t let emotional sensitivity get the better of you. Uncertainty is likely regarding your relationship with someone special. A choice you are given will bring you to the conclusion that change is inevitable. Don’t feel pressured to act fast. Time is on your side.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Your friends and peers will recognize the changes you make. Begin a new diet or start a physical regimen that will help you build strength.

Embrace a challenge and be disciplined, but don’t go overboard.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Focus on facts, investments and making your life easier, happier and funfilled. Make plans to do things with family and friends, and work together to bring about the changes that will ensure a better future for everyone.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You’ll be in the right place at the right time.

Network, mingle and plant the seeds of an idea and you will drum up interest. Someone will be attracted to your energy, drive and your personal direction.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Get involved in an event that will bring you in contact with influential people. A fundraiser or networking function will allow you to show what you have to offer. Share your success with someone you love.

Artemis, a 7-year-old male cream and white neutered domestic long hair, is available for adoption at the Sumter SPCA. He is gentle, affectionate, playful and active. He is great with other cats, children and even dogs! Artemis is also housebroken. The SPCA is located at 1140 S. Guignard Drive, (803) 773-9292, and is open 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. every day except Wednesday and Sunday. Visit www.sumterscspca.com.

SECTION

B

SATURDAY, MAY 9, 2015 Call: (803) 774-1241 | E-mail: sports@theitem.com

PREP BASKETBALL

PREP TRACK& FIELD

Off on a high note

SHS trio aims for return to state meet

BY JUSTIN DRIGGERS justin@theitem.com

the playoffs.

The 2014-15 campaign was even better. LHS finished 22-5 and earned the Region VI-3A championship. The Lady Gators earned their first lower state title game and state championship game berths in program history before falling to Lancaster 44-42 in the 3A title

On any given day, a runner can be at his or her best.

Sumter High School girls track and field head coach Karen McFadden hopes that day is today – at the 4A state qualifying meet at Spring Valley High School in Columbia.

“You have to be prepared and ready to go,” she MCFADDEN said. “But anybody can make it to state. It’s not easy. It’s the best of the best competing.

“Hopefully we’ll have a good day and send a lot to state and compete for the team title.”

The Lady Gamecocks will send 12 athletes to compete in 12 different events beginning at 10 a.m. The top eight finishers in each of today’s events will advance to the state meet on May 15-16 at Spring Valley.

SHS will have three participants looking to get back to state in Dae’Shondra Stephens, Ars’Breana Tyler and Kadejuha Kennedy. Stephens is competing in the shot put and discus events while Tyler will be in the 100-meter dah, the long jump and triple jump events and is part of the 4x100 relay team that qualified.

Kennedy is also a part of the 4x100 and 4x400 teams and is participating in the triple jump as well as the long jump.

SEE FIELDS, PAGE B3

SEE TRACK, PAGE B3

SUMTER ITEM FILE PHOTO

After leading the Lakewood High School girls basketball team to its only 3A state title appearance in just two seasons with the program Frances Fields, left, is stepping down as head coach. The Gators went 15-8 in her first year and played for the 3A state title this year after posting a 22-5 mark and winning the Region VI championship.

Fields resigns after just two seasons as Lady Gators head coach

BY JUSTIN DRIGGERS justin@theitem.com After two years, a region title and a 3A state championship game appearance, Frances Fields is stepping away from the Lakewood High School varsity girls basketball program.

Fields confirmed she has resigned, but declined to go into further detail at

this point.

“We hate to see her leave,” Lakewood athletic director Frankie Ward said.

“We had a tremendous girls basketball season this year and I felt like she really put an identity on this program.”

The Lady Gators had great success under Fields. They went 15-8 her first year and finished second in the region while advancing to the second round of

PREP BASEBALL

Northwood upsets LMA with late rally

BY WORTHY EVANS Special to The Sumter Item COLUMBIA – The Laurence Manning Academy baseball team became the latest opponent to fall to a Northwood team riding a postseason wave.

The Chargers, a No. 3 seed who beat No. 2 Cardinal Newman and No. 1 Ben Lippen earlier in the playoffs, used a 4-run sixth inning to take a 9-5 lead, then HATFIELD held off a late Swampcats rally to seal a 9-7 victory in the deciding game of the SCISA 3A semifinal series.

“They are a very hot team right now,” Laurence Manning head coach Barry Hatfield said of Northwood.

“They had great at-bats, they put the ball in play. We hit some line drives at them, but I told our kids they have nothing to be embarrassed about, but on this night, they were the better team.”

Northwood, 13-11, plays Wilson Hall, the 2-0 series winner over Hammond, in the state championship series that begins on Monday at North Charleston at 7 p.m.

Laurence Manning finishes the season at 17-4.

With the score tied 5-5 going into the sixth, Northwood picked up four runs, three of which came on a bases-loaded, 2-out Michah Devaux triple. Will Lloyd grounded out to end the inning.

SEE RALLY, PAGE B3

Cavaliers hold off HHP 3-1; to defend last year’s crown

BY CHRIS CLARK Special to The Sumter Item ORANGEBURG — When two baseball teams have combined for 16 runs through two games, most coaches expect their team will need to plate at least five or six runs to win a deciding Game 3 in the series.

Robert E. Lee Academy head coach David Rankin sure thought so, until his Cavaliers held on for a 3-1 win against RANKIN Hilton Head Prep at Indian Field on the campus of Orangeburg Prep on Friday.

The victory gave REL a 2-1 win in the best-of-3 SCISA 2A state playoff semifinal series.

“We didn’t hit the ball well, but we took the walks and took what they gave us,” said Rankin, whose team

improved to 23-8 on the season. “I didn’t think it would be like this tonight. Thought we would need a few more runs to get it done.

“That’s a different team we put out there tonight, compared to last season at this point. Last year we had six seniors out there, but tonight we started five sophomores and a freshman.”

The Cavaliers, the defending state champions, now will prepare to face 20-3 Calhoun Academy in the state championship series next week.

Robert E. Lee and Hilton Head Prep, which finished 18-9, had swapped winning as visitors at each school’s parks, with HHP winning 6-4 in Bishopville and REL winning 4-2 at Hilton Head.

On Friday it was solid pitching, steady defense and taking advantage

SEE CAVALIERS, PAGE B3

Defending champs focused on task in front of them

BY DENNIS BRUNSON dennis@theitem.com In winning the 2014 4A baseball state title, Sumter High School had the proverbial target on its back the entire season. The Gamecocks were ranked No. 1 in the preseason, held onto it throughout the season and proved it to be the right choice as they went 29-2-1 in beating Northwestern to bring home the title.

SHS carried no such target into the postseason this year, going into the District VII tournament as a No. 3 seed with a 10-11 record. Sumter got to face the team wearing the target this year, Summerville, and hit the bull’s-eye, taking down the nationally ranked Green Wave twice to win the district crown.

The Gamecocks are now 13-12 and back in familiar territory, playing in the lower state tournament beginning today. SHS will play host to Region VI foe Carolina Forest at 7 p.m. at Gamecock Field in its opening game in the 4-team, doubleelimination tournament.

“We’re in a good place right now,” said Sumter head coach Brooks Shumake.

“They’re excited and ready to play.”

Carolina Forest is 19-9 after going undefeated in winning the District VII tournament. The Panthers finished second to Socastee in the region while Sumter was

KEITH GEDAMKE /THE SUMTER ITEM

Sumter High School’s Britton Beatson is being considered as starting on the mound for Sumter High in the opening game of the 4A lower state tournament against Carolina Forest today at 7 p.m. at Gamecock Field. third.

After playing Summerville during the regular season, Sumter gets a team that it played twice in Carolina Forest.

“The guys really haven’t said anything about that,” Shumake said. “They know that we’re playing someone that we know well and they know us well. We know we’re going to have to play well, good, clean ball if we want to win.”

The Gamecocks and Panthers split their regular-season meetings. SHS won the first

meeting at home in March 3-0 as James Barnes tossed a 5-hit shutout. CF got revenge in April, winning 4-1 in Myrtle Beach.

Shumake said he and pitching coach Joe Norris were still weighing their options as to who would start on the mound today.

Drew Hankins, Britton Beatson, Barnes and Brandon Spittle.

The other two teams in the 4-team lower state tournament are District V champion

SEE CHAMPS, PAGE B3

B2

|

SPORTS

SATURDAY, MAY 9, 2015

THE SUMTER ITEM

SCOREBOARD

PRO GOLF

TV, RADIO TODAY

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Jerry Kelly hits from the sixth tee during Friday’s second round of The Players Championship in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. Kelly and Kevin Na are tied for the lead at 8-under par.

Na, Kelly share lead at Players Championship

BY DOUG FERGUSON The Associated Press PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Jerry Kelly and Kevin Na headed into the weekend at The Players Championship with another chance at winning the PGA Tour’s biggest and richest event.

Thanks to a clutch putt by Tiger Woods rarely seen of late, he made the cut on the number and gets to keep playing.

Na, the 54-hole leader three years ago until he faded under intense scrutiny of serious NA swing issues, settled down after a wild start for a 3-under 69. He shared the lead with Kelly, a 48-year-old from Wisconsin who has even stronger memories of the TPC Sawgrass.

Kelly had a two-shot lead over Woods in 2001 going into a final round that took two days to complete because of storms. Woods went on to win, and two weeks later he completed his grand sweep of the majors at Augusta National.

Fourteen years later, Kelly and Woods are in different roles.

“I figured I would have another chance at this golf course,” Kelly said. “I didn’t think it would be that long, but it’s just strange. This whole career has gone by in the blink of an eye.”

Kelly and Na were at 8-under 136, two shots clear of Rickie Fowler (69), Chris Kirk (68), David Hearn (71) and Branden Grace (67).

Not much is left from all that star power on both ends of the draw at the start of the week.

Rory McIlroy held up his end. He had a 71

and was only four shots back going into the weekend. The other two guys in his group, Masters champion Jordan Spieth and Jason Day of Australia, won’t be around for the last 36 holes.

Spieth spent too much time trying to save par and finished with a meaningless bogey for a 72 to miss by three shots. Day started the second round tied with McIlroy and had two 7s on his card within four holes. He closed with a double bogey for an 81.

Phil Mickelson, who played in the group ahead of Woods, had two 6s and a 7 on his way to a 76 to miss the cut for the third straight year.

“I was thinking to myself as I was walking around, ‘I can’t believe I’ve actually won here,’ you know?” Mickelson said.

Woods, in his first start since he showed a remarkable short-game recovery at the Masters, hovered around the cut line most of the day until he got to the par-5 ninth for his last hole. He choked up for a soft pitching wedge to 10 feet, made the birdie and showed the kind of emotion he once reserved for big shots and big moments.

That gave him a 71 for even-par 144, making the cut on the number.

Given the nature of the Stadium Course, and the quality of the field, making the cut on the number means he was only eight shots out of the lead.

“I feel like I’m playing well enough to get myself up there,” Woods said. “I just need one good round and narrow up that gap between myself and the lead, and I feel like I can do that.”

Na was a different player in 2012. He was vilified for his slow play, which he attributed to having the yips with his swing.

MLB ROUNDUP

Harper stays hot, hits two more home runs as Nats beat Braves WASHINGTON— Bryce Harper hit two more home runs, giving him five in two games, and Danny Espinosa also connected twice to power the Washington Nationals past the Atlanta Braves 9-2 on Friday night.

Harper drove in five runs with three hits. On Wednesday, he homered his first three times up and drove in five runs.

The Nationals were off Thursday, and returned to action with their eighth win in 10 games. Harper has 10 home runs this season, along with those 10 RBIs in his last two games.

PHILLIES 3 METS 1

PHILADELPHIA — Ryan Howard homered and drove in two runs, Cole Hamels outpitched Matt Harvey and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the New York Mets 3-1 Friday night.

REDS-WHITE SOX POSTPONED

BY RAIN

CHICAGO — Reds first baseman Joey Votto will have to wait another day to serve his first major league suspension.

Votto was hit with a onegame ban and an undisclosed fine by Major League Baseball on Friday for mak-

7:40 a.m. – International Soccer: Barclays Premier League Match – Sunderland vs. Everton (NBC SPORTS NETWORK).

8 a.m. – Formula One Racing: Spanish Grand Prix Pole Qualifying from Barcelona, Spain (CNBC).

9:55 a.m. – International Soccer: Barclays Premier League Match – West Brom vs. Newcastle (NBC SPORTS NETWORK).

Noon – College Softball: Conference USA Tournament Championship Game from Miami (CBS SPORTS NETWORK).

Noon – College Lacrosse: NCAA Tournament First-Round Match from Ithaca, N.Y. -- Albany vs. Cornell (ESPNU).

12:25 p.m. – International Soccer: Barclays Premier League Match – Manchester United vs. Crystal Palace (NBC SPORTS NETWORK).

1 p.m. – College Softball: Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament Championship Game from Blacksburg, Va. (ESPN).

1 p.m. – College Softball: American Athletic Conference Championship Game from Orlando, Fla. (ESPN2).

1 p.m. – Major League Baseball: Kansas City at Detroit (FOX SPORTS 1).

1 p.m. – College Baseball: Florida at Vanderbilt (SEC NETWORK).

1 p.m. – College Baseball: Pittsburgh at Georgia Tech (SPORTSOUTH).

2 p.m. – PGA Golf: THE PLAYERS Championship Third Round from Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. (WIS 10).

2 p.m. – College Softball: Big East Conference Tournament Championship Game from Rosemont, Ill. (FOX SPORTS 2).

2:30 p.m. – College Lacrosse: NCAA Tournament First-Round Match from College Park, Md. – Yale vs. Maryland (ESPNU).

3 p.m. – College Baseball: St. Mary’s (Calif.) at Brigham Young (BYUTV).

3:05 p.m. – College Baseball: South Carolina at Texas A&M (WNKT-FM 107.5).

3 p.m. – College Softball: Oklahoma State at Oklahoma (ESPN2).

3:30 p.m. – IRL Racing: IndyCar Series Grand Prix of Indianapolis from Indianapolis (WOLO 25).

4 p.m. – Professional Boxing: Omar Figueroa Jr. vs. Ricky Burns in a Super Lightweight Bout from Hidalgo, Texas (WLTX 19).

4 p.m. – Major League Baseball: Atlanta at Washington (FOX SPORTS 1, FOX SPORTSOUTH, WPUB-FM 102.7).

4 p.m. – Professional Golf: European PGA Tour Mauritius Open Third Round from Domaine de Bel Ombre, Mauritius (GOLF).

5 p.m. – College Baseball: East Carolina at Houston (CBS SPORTS NETWORK).

5 p.m. – NBA Basketball: Eastern Conference Playoffs Semifinal Series Game Three – Atlanta at Washington (ESPN).

5 p.m. – College Lacrosse: NCAA Tournament First-Round Match from South Bend, Ind. – Towson vs. Notre Dame (ESPNU).

5 p.m. – College Baseball: Mississippi State at Mississippi (SEC NETWORK).

5:30 p.m. – International Soccer: Mexican League Match – Leones Negros vs. Cruz Azul (UNIVISION).

7 p.m. – NHL Hockey: Stanley Cup Eastern Conference Playoffs Semifinal Series Game Five – Tampa Bay at Montreal (NBC SPORTS NETWORK).

7:30 p.m. – College Lacrosse: NCAA Tournament First-Round Match from Durham, N.C. – Ohio State vs. Duke (ESPNU).

7:30 p.m. – NASCAR Racing: Sprint Cup Series Spongebob Squarepants 400 from Kansas City, Kan. (FOX SPORTS 1, WEGX-FM 92.9).

8 p.m. – College Softball: Southeastern Conference Tournament Championship Game from Baton Rouge, La. (ESPN).

8 p.m. – Major League Baseball: Los Angeles Dodgers at Colorado or San Diego at Arizona (MLB NETWORK).

8 p.m. – International Soccer: Mexican League Match – UNAM vs. Monterrey (UNIVISION).

8:15 p.m. – NBA Basketball: Western Conference Playoffs Semifinal Series Game Three – Golden State at Memphis (WOLO 25).

9 p.m. – Professional Boxing: Saul Alvarez vs. James Kirkland in a Junior Welterweight Bout and Humberto Soto vs. Frankie Gomez in a Super Lightweight Bout from Houston (HBO).

9:30 p.m. – College Volleyball: NCAA Tournament Championship Match from Palo Alto, Calif. – Brigham Young vs. California-Irvine (ESPNU).

10 p.m. – International Soccer: Mexican League Match – America vs.

Atlas (UNIVISION).

11:30 p.m. – College Softball: Oregon at Arizona (ESPNU).

11:30 p.m. – MLL Lacrosse: Ohio at Florida (SPORTSOUTH).

GOLF The Associated Press PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP PAR SCORES

Friday At TPC Sawgrass, The Players Stadium Course Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. Purse: $10 million Yardage: 7,215; Par: 72 Second Round Kevin Na 67-69—136 -8 Jerry Kelly 71-65—136 -8 Branden Grace 71-67—138 -6 David Hearn 67-71—138 -6 Chris Kirk 70-68—138 -6 Rickie Fowler 69-69—138 -6 Chris Stroud 70-69—139 -5 Bill Haas 72-67—139 -5 Zach Johnson 71-68—139 -5 Troy Merritt 68-71—139 -5 Ben Martin 68-71—139 -5

MLB STANDINGS

By The Associated Press

AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST DIVISION

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington’s Bryce Harper (34) celebrates his 2-run homer with Yunel Escobar, right, in front of Atlanta catcher A.J. Pierzynski (15) during the Nationals’ 9-2 victory on Friday in Washington. ing contact with an umpire during Wednesday night’s 3-0 victory at Pittsburgh.

But Cincinnati’s series opener at the Chicago White Sox was rained out.

AMERICAN LEAGUE BLUE JAYS 7 RED SOX 0 TORONTO — Josh Donaldson and Chris Colabello hit solo home runs, Aaron Sanchez pitched a careerhigh seven innings and Toronto beat the struggling Boston Red Sox 7-0 on Fri-

day night, the 3,000th win in Blue Jays history.

MLB UPHOLDS 14-GAME SUSPENSION FOR ‘JAYS COACH

TORONTO — Major League Baseball upheld a 14-game suspension for Toronto hitting coach Brook Jacoby after a fracas with an umpire, prompting the former All-Star player to say Friday he didn’t deserve such a “harsh” penalty.

From wire reports

W New York 18 Tampa Bay 15 Toronto 14 Boston 13 Baltimore 12 CENTRAL DIVISION W Kansas City 18 Detroit 18 Minnesota 16 Chicago 10 Cleveland 10 WEST DIVISION W Houston 19 Los Angeles 13 Texas 12 Oakland 12 Seattle 11

L 11 14 15 15 14

Pct .621 .517 .483 .464 .462

GB – 3 4 41/2 41/2

L 10 11 13 15 17

Pct .643 .621 .552 .400 .370

GB – 1/2 21/2 61/2 71/2

L 10 16 16 18 17

Pct .655 .448 .429 .400 .393

GB – 6 61/2 71/2 71/2

THURSDAY’S GAMES

Minnesota 6, Oakland 5 Kansas City 7, Cleveland 4 Detroit 4, Chicago White Sox 1 N.Y. Yankees 4, Baltimore 3 Texas 5, Tampa Bay 4 Houston 3, L.A. Angels 2

FRIDAY’S GAMES

Baltimore at N.Y. Yankees, 7:05 p.m.

Boston at Toronto, 7:07 p.m.

Kansas City at Detroit, 7:08 p.m.

Minnesota at Cleveland, 7:10 p.m.

Texas at Tampa Bay, 7:10 p.m.

Cincinnati at Chicago White Sox, 8:10 p.m.

Houston at L.A. Angels, 10:05 p.m.

Oakland at Seattle, 10:10 p.m.

TODAY’S GAMES

Baltimore (Chen 0-1) at N.Y. Yankees

(Whitley 1-0), 1:05 p.m.

Boston (J.Kelly 1-1) at Toronto (Hutchison 2-0), 1:07 p.m.

Kansas City (Guthrie 1-2) at Detroit (An.Sanchez 2-3), 1:08 p.m.

Minnesota (P.Hughes 1-4) at Cleveland (B.Chen 0-0), 4:10 p.m.

Texas (Detwiler 0-3) at Tampa Bay (Odorizzi 3-2), 6:10 p.m.

Cincinnati (Cueto 2-3) at Chicago White Sox (Rodon 0-0), 7:10 p.m.

Houston (Keuchel 3-0) at L.A. Angels (Shoemaker 2-2), 9:05 p.m.

Oakland (Hahn 1-2) at Seattle (Happ 2-1), 9:10 p.m.

NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST DIVISION W New York 18 Atlanta 14 Miami 14 Washington 14 Philadelphia 10 CENTRAL DIVISION W St. Louis 21 Chicago 14 Cincinnati 14 Pittsburgh 13 Milwaukee 9 WEST DIVISION W Los Angeles 18 San Diego 15 San Francisco 14 Arizona 13 Colorado 11

L 10 14 15 15 19

Pct .643 .500 .483 .483 .345

GB – 4 41/2 41/2 81/2

L 7 13 14 15 20

Pct .750 .519 .500 .464 .310

GB – 61/2 7 8 121/2

L 10 15 15 14 15

Pct .643 .500 .483 .481 .423

GB – 4 41/2 41/2 6

THURSDAY’S GAMES

L.A. Dodgers 14, Milwaukee 4 St. Louis 5, Chicago Cubs 1 Pittsburgh 7, Cincinnati 2 Arizona 11, San Diego 0 Miami 7, San Francisco 2

FRIDAY’S GAMES

Atlanta at Washington, 7:05 p.m.

N.Y. Mets at Philadelphia, 7:05 p.m.

St. Louis at Pittsburgh, 7:05 p.m.

Chicago Cubs at Milwaukee, 8:10 p.m.

Cincinnati at Chicago White Sox, 8:10 p.m.

L.A. Dodgers at Colorado, 8:40 p.m.

San Diego at Arizona, 9:40 p.m.

Miami at San Francisco, 10:15 p.m.

TODAY’S GAMES

Atlanta (Teheran 3-1) at Washington (Fister 2-1), 4:05 p.m.

N.Y. Mets (Niese 2-2) at Philadelphia (Harang 3-2), 7:05 p.m.

St. Louis (C.Martinez 3-0) at Pittsburgh (Worley 2-2), 7:05 p.m.

Chicago Cubs (T.Wood 2-1) at Milwaukee (Lohse 1-4), 7:10 p.m.

Cincinnati (Cueto 2-3) at Chicago White Sox (Rodon 0-0), 7:10 p.m.

L.A. Dodgers (Kershaw 1-2) at Colorado (J.De La Rosa 0-2), 8:10 p.m.

San Diego (T.Ross 1-3) at Arizona (C.Anderson 0-1), 8:10 p.m.

Miami (Phelps 1-0) at San Francisco (Bumgarner 3-1), 9:05 p.m.

NBA PLAYOFFS

By The Associated Press CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS

(Best-of-7; x-if necessary)

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Chicago 1, Cleveland 1 Monday, May 4: Chicago 99, Cleveland 92 Wednesday, May 6: Cleveland 106, Chicago 91 Friday, May 8: Cleveland at Chicago, 8 p.m.

Sunday, May 10: Cleveland at Chicago, 3:30 p.m.

Tuesday, May 12: Chicago at Cleveland, 7 p.m. x-Thursday, May 14: Cleveland at Chicago, 8 p.m. x-Sunday, May 17: Chicago at Cleveland, TBD Washington 1, Atlanta 1 Sunday, May 3: Washington 104, Atlanta 98 Tuesday, May 5: Atlanta 106, Washington 90 Saturday, May 9: Atlanta at Washington, 5 p.m.

Monday, May 11: Atlanta at Washington, 7 p.m.

Wednesday, May 13: Washington at Atlanta, 8 p.m. x-Friday, May 15: Atlanta at Washington, 7 or 8 p.m. x-Monday, May 18: Washington at Atlanta, 8 p.m.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

L.A. Clippers 1, Houston 1 Monday, May 4: L.A. Clippers 117, Houston 101 Wednesday, May 6: Houston 115, L.A. Clippers 109 Friday, May 8: Houston at L.A. Clippers, 10:30 p.m.

Sunday, May 10: Houston at L.A. Clippers, 8:30 p.m.

Tuesday, May 12: L.A. Clippers at Houston, 9:30 p.m. x-Thursday, May 14: Houston at L.A. Clippers, 9:30 or 10:30 p.m. x-Sunday, May 17: L.A. Clippers at Houston, TBD Golden State 1, Memphis 1 Sunday, May 3: Golden State 101, Memphis 86 Tuesday, May 5: Memphis 97, Golden State 90 Saturday, May 9: Golden State at Memphis, 8 p.m.

Monday, May 11: Golden State at Memphis, 9:30 p.m.

Wednesday, May 13: Memphis at Golden State, 10:30 p.m. x-Friday, May 15: Golden State at Memphis, 8 or 9:30 p.m. x-Sunday, May 17: Memphis at Golden State, TBD

NHL STANDINGS

By The Associated Press

SECOND ROUND

(Best-of-7)

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Washington 3, N.Y. Rangers 1 Thursday, April 30: Washington 2, N.Y. Rangers 1 Saturday, May 2: N.Y. Rangers 3, Washington 2 Monday, May 4: Washington 1, N.Y. Rangers 0 Wednesday, May 6: Washington 2, N.Y. Rangers 1 Friday, May 8: Washington at N.Y. Rangers, 7 p.m. x-Sunday, May 10: N.Y. Rangers at Washington, 7 p.m. x-Wednesday, May 13: Washington at N.Y. Rangers, TBD Tampa Bay 3, Montreal 1 Friday, May 1: Tampa Bay 2, Montreal 1, 2OT Sunday, May 3: Tampa Bay 6, Montreal 2 Wednesday, May 6: Tampa Bay 2, Montreal 1 Thursday, May 7: Montreal 6, Tampa Bay 2 Saturday, May 9: Tampa Bay at Montreal, 7 p.m. x-Tuesday, May 12: Montreal at Tampa Bay, TBD x-Thursday, May 14: Tampa Bay at Montreal, TBD

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Chicago 4, Minnesota 0 Friday, May 1: Chicago 4, Minnesota 3 Sunday, May 3: Chicago 4, Minnesota 1 Tuesday, May 5: Chicago 1, Minnesota 0 Thursday, May 7: Chicago 4, Minnesota 3 Anaheim 2, Calgary 1 Thursday, April 30: Anaheim 6, Calgary 1 Sunday, May 3: Anaheim 3, Calgary 0 Tuesday, May 5: Calgary 4, Anaheim 3, OT Friday, May 8: Anaheim at Calgary, 9:30 p.m.

Sunday, May 10: Calgary at Anaheim, TBD x-Tuesday, May 12: Anaheim at Calgary, TBD x-Thursday, May 14: Calgary at Anaheim, TBD

SPORTS

THE SUMTER ITEM

SATURDAY, MAY 9, 2015

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B3

LOCAL PLAYOFF SCHEDULE Baseball 4A Lower State Tournament Today Game 1 -- Wando at South Aiken Game 2 -- Carolina Forest at Sumter, 7 p.m.

Monday Game 3 -- Loser Game 2 at Loser Game 1 Game 4 -- Winner Game 2 at Winner Game 1 Wednesday Game 5 -- Game 3 Winner at Game 4 Loser Friday Game 6 -- Game 5 Winner at Game 4 Winner Game 7 -- If Necessary Upper State Tournament Today Game 1 -- T.L. Hanna at Northwestern, 1 p.m.

Game 2 -- Greenville at J.L. Mann, 6 p.m.

Monday Game 3 -- Loser Game 2 at Loser Game 1

Game 4 -- Winner Game 2 at Winner Game 1 Wednesday Game 5 -- Game 3 Winner at Game 4 Loser Friday Game 6 -- Game 5 Winner at Game 4 Winner Game 7 -- If Necessary 1A Lower State Tournament Today Game 1 -- Bamberg-Ehrhardt at Hannah-Pamplico Game 2 -- East Clarendon at Latta, 2 p.m.

Monday Game 3 -- Loser Game 1 at Loser Game 2 Game 4 -- Winner Game 1 at Winner Game 2 Wednesday Game 5 -- Game 3 Winner at Game 4 Loser Friday Game 6 -- Game 5 Winner at Game 4 Winner Game 7 -- If Necessary

Upper State Tournament Today Game 1 -- Fox Creek at Lewisville Game 2 -- McBee at Christ Church Monday Game 3 -- Loser Game 1 at Loser Game 2 Game 4 -- Winner Game 1 at Winner Game 2 Wednesday Game 5 -- Game 3 Winner at Game 4 Loser Friday Game 6 -- Game 5 Winner at Game 4 Winner Game 7 -- If Necessary Softball 1A Lower State Tournament Friday Game 1 -- Lake View at Hannah-Pamplico Game 2 -- East Clarendon at Latta Monday Game 3 -- Loser Game 1 at Loser Game 2

TRACK FROM PAGE B1

SCISA STATE SOFTBALL TOURNAMENTS 3A

at Pine Grove Softball Complex Today Upper Bracket Game 5 - Winner Game 3 vs. Loser Lower Game 4, 11 a.m. (Field 5) Game 6 - Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 5, 2 p.m.

(Field 5) Game 7 - Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 6 (if necessary) Lower Bracket Game 5 - Winner Game 3 vs. Loser Upper Game 4, 11 a.m. (Field 3) Game 6 - Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 5, 2 p.m.

(Field 1) Game 7 - Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 6 (if necessary)

2A

at Pine Grove Softball Complex Today Upper Bracket Game 5 - Winner Game 3 vs. Loser Lower Game 4, 9 a.m. (Field 5) Game 6 - Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 5, 12:30 p.m. (Field 1) Game 7 - Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 6 (if necessary) Lower Bracket Game 5 - Winner Game 3 vs. Loser Upper Game 4, 9 a.m. (Field 3) Game 6 - Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 5, 12:30 p.m. (Field 2)

Game 7 - Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 6 (if necessary)

1A

at Pine Grove Sports Complex Today Upper Bracket Game 6 -- Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4, 9 a.m. (Field 2) Game 7 -- Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 11 a.m.

(Field 2) Game 8 -- Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 11 a.m.

(Field 1) Game 9 -- Winner Game 8 vs. Loser Lower Game 7, 1:15 p.m. (Field 3) Game 10 -- Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 9, 3:30 p.m. ( Field 2) Game 11 -- Winner Game 10 vs. Loser Game 10 (if necessary) Lower Bracket Game 6 -- Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4, 9 a.m. (Field 4) Game 7 -- Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 11 a.m.

(Field 1) Game 8 -- Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 11 a.m.

(Field 4) Game 9 -- Winner Game 8 vs. Loser Upper Game 7, 1:15 p.m. (Field 4) Game 10 -- Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 9, 3:30 p.m. ( Field 4) Game 11 -- Winner Game 10 vs. Loser Game 10 (if necessary)

AREA ROUNDUP

TSA routs Hammond, Ben Lippen WEST COLUMBIA – Thomas Sumter Academy’s softball team was dominant in its two victories, both coming in three innings, in the SCISA 3A state tournament at Pine Grove Sports Complex on Friday.

Wilson Hall and Laurence Manning Academy won their opening games and were facing each other at press time.

The Lady Generals beat Hammond 15-0 and Ben Lippen 16-0.

Emily DeMonte pitched two no-hit innings against Hammond and Jordan Morris gave up one hit in one

inning.

Carmen Silvester was 3-for-3 to lead the offense while Emily Nevels had two hits. Victoria Bundy had a double.

In the win over Ben Lippen, DeMonte threw a nohitter, striking out six and walking none.

DeMonte had two hits and four RBI, while Diamond Gibson was 3-for-3 with a double. Jordan Morris had two hits, including a double, and two RBI, Nevels had three hits, Taylor Knudson had a hit and two RBI and Logan Morris had a double.

Game 4 -- Winner Game 1 at Winner Game 2 Wednesday Game 5 -- Game 3 Winner at Game 4 Loser Friday Game 6 -- Game 5 Winner at Game 4 Winner Game 7 -- If Necessary Upper State Tournament Today Game 1 -- Dixie at St. Joseph’s Game 2 -- Lewisville at Wagener-Salley Monday Game 3 -- Loser Game 1 at Loser Game 2 Game 4 -- Winner Game 1 at Winner Game 2 Wednesday Game 5 -- Game 3 Winner at Game 4 Loser Friday Game 6 -- Game 5 Winner at Game 4 Winner Game 7 -- If Necessary

In the 2A tournament on Friday, Robert E. Lee Academy split its two games.

REL lost to Spartanburg Christian 3-2 and beat Pee Dee Academy 8-4.

In the 1A tournament at Oak Grove Softball Complex in Lexington, Clarendon Hall beat W.W. King 10-0 in five innings.

EAST CLARENDON 7 LATTA 3

LATTA – East Clarendon High School beat Latta 7-3 in eight innings on Friday at the Latta field in the opening game of the 1A lower state tournament.

Kennedy placed third at the state meet last year in the triple jump and sixth in the long jump.

Victoria Webster and Alexus Choice will each be in the 100 and 200 events. Choice is also a member of both relay teams while Webster is part of the 4x100 squad.

Raven Pringle, Annissa Brayboy, Tiarra Abram and Tiana Peoples are also participating in multiple events for Sumter. Pringle is in the 200, long jump and relay team events; Brayboy will compete in the 100 hurdles and triple jump; Abram will be a part of the 400 hurdles and high jump and Peoples is a member of both relay squads.

Kendra Alfred will compete alongside Stephens in the shot put while Amber Jones will compete in the discus. Brinee Scott qualified in the 400 hurdles.

On the boys side, the Gamecocks have 17 entrees in 12 different events, led by Ky’Jon Tyler and Rodney Pitts in four each.

SUMTER 4A STATE QUALIFIER PARTICIPANTS BOYS

GIRLS

REGION FIRST-PLACE FINISHERS

FIRST-PLACE FINISHERS

Ky’Jon Tyler 100, long jump; Colin Washington 200; Kalip Franklin triple jump 4x100 relay (Benjamin Austin, Tyreek Brown, Tiquan Colclough Rodney Pitts).

SECOND-PLACE FINISHERS

of gifts, including seven walks, that led to the 3-1 win.

Jay McCutchen, a sophomore in his second varsity start of the season, went 6-plus innings, allowing just two hits and one walk, against four strikeouts. A first-inning double surrendered to Tyler Fox was the only hit he gave up through six innings of work.

“We were prepared to use four pitchers tonight, but the two we put out there got the job done,” Rankin said.

REL took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth, as Nick Stokes got a 1-out walk, took second on a stolen base, third on a walk, and scored on a wild pitch by Dolphins starter Brooks Robinson, who worked four innings, allowing one hit, four walks and one earned run.

The Cavaliers struck again in the fifth inning, when Cem Caglyan came on in relief of Robinson. Tee Outlaw, who was 2-for-4 with a double, led off with a single and took second on a William Corbett sacrifice fly.

RALLY FROM PAGE B1 The Swampcats picked up two runs in the bottom of the sixth.

Adam Lowder opened the inning up with a doiuble to right, followed by Cagney Brunson’s single. Lowder scored when J.T. Eppley grounded into a 5-4 fielder’s choice.

Josh Martin then singled, and Eppley later scored on Davis Martin’s sacrifice fly to cut the lead to 9-7.

Laurence Manning got the tying run on base when Todd Larrimer reached on an infield single, but Robbie Page grounded out to retire the side.

“We had the person we wanted up there at the plate, but that’s just baseball,” Hatfield said. “There are more chances you’ll get out than not get out.”

The Swampcats had no luck in the bottom of the seventh. Lloyd who came on the mound in the sixth inning,

struck out Buddy Bleasedale and Tripp Mason, then got Adam Lowder to fly out to centerfield to seal the wins.

“We’re playing like we’ve got nothing to lose,” Northwood head coach Bryce Florie said. “And quite frankly, nobody thought we’d be here. We battled and had some good at-bats. We’ve got a bunch of guys who just played hard.”

Northwood got two runs off of three doubles to start things off. Laurence Manning’s starting pitcher, Eppley, struck out the side, but not before 2-baggers from Garrett Jarrell, Lloyd, and Hunt McLeod gave the Chargers a 2-0 advantage. Jarrell and Lloyd scored for Northwood.

Laurence Manning responded with a 5-run second.

Larimer reached base on an error, and two outs later, scored on Mason’s double.

Mason came home when Lowder clocked a Jason Casonello pitch right down the leftfield foul line for a 2-run home run to make it 3-2.

Brunson reached on a dropped third strike and Eppley singled, setting the table for Josh Martin’s 2-run single to make it 5-2. Davis Martin, the ninth batter in the inning, struck out to retire the side.

“That was just them executing and getting the job done,” Hatfield said. “We’re looking at the chart to see what kids are hitting, who hasn’t done much in the series, but they came up in a big spot and got some base hits.”

Laurence Manning’s lead didn’t hold for very long.

With Buddy Bleasedale on the mound in relief of Eppley, Northwood scored three runs, including McLeod’s 2-out, 2-run triple.

McLeod scored the gametying run when Casanello reached base on an error.

SECOND-PLACE FINISHERS

Choice 100, 200; Tiarra Abram 100 hurdles, 400 hurdles; Kennedy triple jump; Amber Jones discus; 4x400 relay (Abram, Choice, Kennedy, Peoples).

THIRD-PLACE FINISHERS

Victoria Webster 100; Pringle 200, long jump; Annissa Brayboy triple jump; Kendra Alfred shot put.

Franklin 110 hurdles; Pitts high jump; Troy Brayboy discus; 4x800 relay (Canty, Zachary Delaney, Favor, Tyren Horace).

FOURTH-PLACE FINISHERS

After an HHP error, Outlaw took third on a walk and scored on a 2-out, bases-loaded Travis Christmas hit by pitch. Chris Godwin followed up with an RBI-walk, giving REL a 3-0 lead.

McCutchen cruised through six innings and was relieved by Stokes after facing one batter and allowing a hit to start the seventh inning. Stokes gave up hits to two of the four batters he faced, including an RBIsingle by Nick Lucchesi that gave the Dolphins their lone run and a glimmer of hope at a comeback.

The Cavaliers ended any chances at HHP tying the game one batter later, as Stokes struck out leadoff hitter Jim Cagleyan and catcher Harry Cook nailed Lucchesi attempting to try to steal second.

Fittingly, McCutchen was playing shortstop at the end and finished the game just like he started it, with the ball in his hand.

Now, the next challenge for the Cavaliers is another set of Cavaliers.

“Calhoun beat us like 10-4 and 2-1 earlier this season,” Rankin said. “We’ll battle and see what happens.”

Ars’Breana Tyler 100, long jump, triple jump; Dae’Shondra Stephens discus, shot put; 4x100 relay (Alexus Choice, Kadejuha Kennedy, Tiana Peoples, Raven Pringle).

Brandon Poston 3,200; Damien Dinkins-McCall 110 hurdles; Champ Newman pole vault; Pressley Harvin discus; Franklin long jump; 4x400 relay (Austin, Henry Canty, Tobias Favor, Pitts);

Pitts long jump; Brayboy shot put.

CAVALIERS FROM PAGE B1

Ky’Jon Tyler will run in the 100 and is a member of both the 4x100 and 4x400 teams along with Pitts. The duo also qualified for the long jump event – which Ky’Jon Tyler placed second in last year at state – as did Kalip Franklin.

Pitts is competing in the high jump as well. Franklin and Damien Dinkins-McCall are running the 110 hurdles and Franklin will also be in the triple jump event.

In the field events, Troy Brayboy will compete in the shot put and both he and Pressley Harvin will throw in the discus event. Tuner Newman is the lone pole vaulter for SHS. The Gamecocks will send three relay teams. Benjamin Austin, Tyreek Brown, Tiquan Colclough and Colin Washington are part of the 4x100 squad, with Washington also competing in the 200. Austin and Washington are also a part of the 4x400 team along with Tobias Favor and Henry Canty.

Canty and Favor also comprise half of the 4x800 squad that also includes Zachary Delany, Tyren Horace, Brandon Poston and Takoda Spann.

FIELDS FROM PAGE B1 game in Columbia.

“We really feel like the program is moving in the right direction,” Ward said. “I understand in this business that there are times when people have to make changes for a number of reasons.

“Right now my job is to find the best basketball coach for our girls and here and move forward.”

That process has already begun, Ward said, although there is no set timetable to find a replacement.

“Everything’s been posted and we’re just taking in resumes right now,” Ward said.

“Once our deadline for those has passed, we’ll pick the best candidates and start the interview process.

“There’s no set time. We want to do things the right way.”

That being said, getting a new head coach by the end of the school year would be

THIRD-PLACE FINISHERS

FOURTH-PLACE FINISHERS:

Webster 200; Brayboy 100 hurdles; Brinee Scott 400 hurdles; Abram high jump; Kennedy long jump.

ideal, Ward added.

“It would be nice to have someone in before summer,” he said. “A lot of basketball things happen in the summer, so it would be nice to have someone come in, introduce them to the girls and have them get their plan and expectations in place so things can just roll when school starts next year.”

The new coach will be the third for the Lady Gators in the last four years.

Prior to taking over the head coaching job, Fields was a 3-year assistant with Lakewood and head junior varsity coach her final year as an assistant.

As a standout point guard at Sumter High, Fields helped the Lady Gamecocks win three straight region crowns from 2004-07, including a 27-3 year in ‘06-07. She was named all-region three times, was a North-South All-Star and scored more than 1,000 points in her career.

CHAMPS FROM PAGE B1 Wando and District VI winner South Aiken. Wando, 20-8, will play at 16-10 South Aiken today at noon.

None of the four teams in the lower state tournament were the No. 1 seeds in their districts. Wando and Carolina Forest were No. 2 seeds, Sumter a No. 3 and South Aiken a No. 4.

The upper state tournaLook no further than your local newspaper for

The right advertising opportunity!

Call (803) 774-1200 and get started today.

ment will have District I champion T.L. Hanna playing at District 2 champion Northwestern, which Sumter beat for the state crown last year, today at 1. District III champion Greenville will play at District IV champion J.L. Mann today at 6.

Hanna and Mann were No. 1 seeds, Northwestern a No. 2 and Greenville a No. 3.

B4

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SPORTS

SATURDAY, MAY 9, 2015

THE SUMTER ITEM

PRO BASKETBALL

Numbers telling story of NBA playoffs

BY TIM REYNOLDS The Associated Press

say the least.

— He has three triple-doubles. The rest of the league has zero so far in these playoffs.

— Nine games, nine doubledoubles. He’s the only player with one in every postseason game thus far. And keep in mind, no one had more than nine of those in the entirety of the 2014 playoffs.

A look inside the numbers of the NBA playoffs, as the conference semifinals resumed Friday night with Cleveland at Chicago and Houston at the Los Angeles Clippers.

The other semis pick up again on Saturday, with Golden State at Memphis and Atlanta visiting Washington.

HOME-COURT ADVANTAGE

Or more specifically, what home-court advantage?

Home teams are 29-20 going into Friday’s games, and everyone who had home court for Games 1 and 2 of the conference semifinals no longer has the home-court edge going into Game 3 of their respective series.

All of them are knotted at a game apiece.

3 FOR ALL

More 3-pointers are being shot in playoff games than ever.

By a lot. By a whole lot.

Entering Friday, the average NBA game in these playoffs has featured 50 free-throw attempts — thanks, Hack-a-Everybody — and a staggering 49 tries from 3-point range. That’s a pace well above the 44.7 attempts from 3-point range during last year’s playoffs, and is also way ahead of any regularseason clip in league history.

It’s been clear that this is easily basketball’s most three-happy era since the arc was added, but consider that just three years ago the average playoff game had 47 freethrow tries and 35 shots from long range.

Now, the numbers are basically even.

Atlanta is averaging 32 attempts from 3-point range per game in these playoffs. Of the eight teams left, the only one that isn’t at times totally reliant on that particular shot is Memphis, which averaged about 13 attempts from distance in its first seven playoff games.

And all that shooting from

LEBRON 7K THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Cleveland’s Kyrie Irving (2) drives against Chicago’s Taj Gibson (22) during their Eastern Conference playoffs semifinal series. Several statistics, including more 3-pointers and low percentage shooting, are the trend in this year’s postseason. deep partially explains this ...

CLANK

That’s the sound everyone’s hearing a lot of so far in these playoffs.

Going into Friday, the league was shooting at about 44 percent in the postseason — on pace for only the 40th-best single-playoff effort in NBA history.

But that’s not all on the 3-pointer, where teams have been connecting on about 35 percent of their tries. Foul shooting has been downright putrid as well.

NASCAR

Across the league, teams have hit 73.5 percent of their shots from the foul line in the playoffs, a number that is obviously watered down by all the intentional hacking of primarily DeAndre Jordan and Dwight Howard. That’s on pace for just the 47th-best playoff season from the line leaguewide.

There is some good news for the lovers of offense, however. Despite all those misses, playoff games haven’t had this many points (202.5 per game entering Friday) since 1992.

BREAKOUT BLAKE

Your early front-runner for NBA Finals MVP (provided he gets there, of course) might very well be Blake Griffin of the Los Angeles Clippers.

Here’s all he’s done in these playoffs, going into Friday’s play: — He’s the NBA playoff leader in total points (229), rebounds (129) and assists (69).

Yes, the Clippers had the benefit of playing more games than anyone else so far in the playoffs, but for Griffin to have more assists than anyone in the early going is unexpected, to

LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers is closing in on yet another longevity milestone, that being 7,000 minutes in NBA playoff games.

He’s at 6,966 heading into Game 3 of Cleveland’s series with Chicago on Friday night.

He’ll become the 12th player in league history to log that many playoff minutes, and he’s going to climb the league’s assist charts as well.

James goes into Game 3 with 1,059 playoff assists, tied with San Antonio’s Tony Parker for No. 6 all-time.

Chances are, James will be No. 4 on that list before too much time has passed in Game 3; Steve Nash is No. 5 on the playoff assist list with 1,061, and Larry Bird is No. 4 at 1,062.

SPORTS ITEMS SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS 400 LINEUP

The Associated Press After Friday qualifying; race Saturday At Kansas Speedway Kansas City, Kan. Lap length: 1.5 miles (Car number in parentheses) 1. (22) Joey Logano, Ford, 192.397 mph.

2. (5) Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, 191.911.

3. (2) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 191.857.

4. (78) Martin Truex Jr., Chevrolet, 191.782.

5. (19) Carl Edwards, Toyota, 191.578.

6. (4) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 191.299.

7. (16) Greg Biffle, Ford, 191.015.

8. (41) Kurt Busch, Chevrolet, 190.853.

9. (1) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, 190.228.

10. (42) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 190.154.

11. (24) Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 189.9.

12. (18) Erik Jones, Toyota, 189.54.

13. (11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 190.712.

14. (43) Aric Almirola, Ford, 190.691.

15. (31) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, 190.557.

16. (14) Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, 190.51.

17. (88) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 190.496.

18. (20) Matt Kenseth, Toyota, 190.476.

19. (48) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 190.282.

20. (17) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ford, 190.228.

21. (15) Clint Bowyer, Toyota,

190.188.

22. (27) Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 190.047.

23. (55) David Ragan, Toyota, 189.76.

24. (13) Casey Mears, Chevrolet, 189.175.

25. (51) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 189.607.

26. (9) Sam Hornish Jr., Ford, 189.434.

27. (10) Danica Patrick, Chevrolet, 189.347.

28. (3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 189.162.

29. (47) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 188.917.

30. (6) Trevor Bayne, Ford, 188.904.

31. (95) Michael McDowell, Ford, 188.904.

32. (33) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 188.818.

33. (26) Jeb Burton, Toyota, 188.613.

34. (35) Cole Whitt, Ford, 187.748.

35. (83) Matt DiBenedetto, Toyota, 187.669.

36. (7) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 187.559.

37. (23) J.J. Yeley, Toyota, Owner Points.

38. (38) David Gilliland, Ford, Owner Points.

39. (34) Brett Moffitt, Ford, Owner Points.

40. (98) Josh Wise, Ford, Owner Points.

41. (40) Landon Cassill, Chevrolet, Owner Points.

42. (32) Joey Gase, Ford, Owner Points.

43. (46) Michael Annett, Chevrolet, Owner Points.

Failed to Qualify 44. (62) Brendan Gaughan, Chevrolet, 183.936.

Gordon still looking for first win of season

BY DAVE SKRETTA The Associated Press KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Jeff Gordon has been fast this year just about every time he climbs into that car. He has had promising runs just about every time he’s taken the green flag.

He is still trying to find his way victory lane.

Good thing the Sprint Cup series is at Kansas Speedway this weekend. Gordon knows exactly where to find it, winning the first two races ever held there and again last spring.

“I remember coming here, this place was GORDON just natural in how I drove the track, and still is, even after the repave,” Gordon said, reflecting on the inaugural race that he won in 2001.

“Every time I drive into the corner, I like this place, like the way it flows, like the way the car feels,” he said. “I just feel like I know this track every well.”

Gordon’s farewell season began on the pole at the season-opening Daytona 500, but the day ended with the first of several miscues that have made for a frustrating year.

Despite having one of the fastest cars, and leading 77 laps, a wreck left him in 33rd place.

At Martinsville, Gordon took the lead with 58 laps to go, only to get penalized for speeding on pit road. He barely managed to sneak back into the top 10.

Then last week at Talladega, Gordon again started on the pole and was running up front with the rest of his Hendrick Motorsports teammates. But on a track where he’d won six times, and should be intimately familiar with just about everything, the four-time champion once again made an inexplicable blunder as he entered pit road.

Gordon was dinged for speeding, just like at Martinsville. He was shuffled to the back and finished 31st, while teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. roared to the win.

Jaguars rookie Fowler injures knee, likely out for year JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Dante Fowler Jr. didn’t miss a game in three years of college.

The former Florida star likely will miss his entire rookie year in the NFL. The Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end, the third overall pick in last week’s NFL draft, is likely out for the season after tearing a knee ligament during his first practice.

Fowler tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during rookie minicamp Friday. ESPN first reported the extent of

the injury.

SERENA’S UNBEATEN STREAK ENDS IN MADRID OPEN

MADRID — Serena Williams had not lost a match all year until she ran into Petra Kvitova at the Madrid Open on Friday.

No wonder, after being thoroughly beaten by the Czech player in the semifinals, she didn’t feel quite like herself.

It was Kvitova’s first win over Williams in six career meetings, but she dominated throughout with her powerful ground-

strokes and broke the American six times.

Maria Sharapova was also eliminated, losing 6-2, 6-4 to Svetlana Kuznetsova in the first semifinal.

In the men’s tournament, Rafael Nadal advanced to the semifinals by beating Grigor Dimitrov 6-3, 6-4.

Nadal’s opponent will be sixth-seeded Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic, who defeated John Isner of the United States, 3-6, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (1).

From wire reports

Going, going, Golson: Where could QB transfer

BY RALPH D. RUSSO The Associated Press For all of Everett Golson’s maddening turnovers and befuddling inconsistency, he would be an upgrade at quarterback for dozens of FBS teams.

There are plenty of prominent teams, especially in the Southeastern Conference, that are heading toward preseason practice with no clear starter, though the SEC is no lock to accommodate Golson.

The league has a rule prohibiting schools from accepting graduate transfers who have been disciplined by their previous schools. Golson was suspended for academics by Notre Dame in 2013. An SEC school could apply for a waiver to have Golson’s transfer accepted.

Probably smart to eliminate any team that plays Notre Dame — Texas comes to mind — because Notre Dame would likely look to block a move like that. And would Golson really want to deal with playing the Fighting Irish?

Another thing to consider when looking at possible destinations is whether a team’s quarterback competition was seemingly settled in the spring. A coach might be

leery to pull the job from a player to whom he has already made a commitment All that said, here are some possible destinations for Golson.

LSU

The rumors about Golson transferring to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, started months ago. The Tigers are facing another season of two quarterbacks, but no good solutions.

Neither Anthony Jennings nor Brandon Harris seized the job in spring. Improved quarterback play could be the difference between playoff contention and second-tier of the SEC West for a Tigers’ team with plenty of talent elsewhere.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Maybe the most obvious spot for Golson, who went high school in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Coach Steve Spurrier has no answers right now at quarterback after a three-man competition in the spring produced this reaction from the Ball Coach: “We’re still trying to see if one guy is better than the rest.” The downside for Golson: the Gamecocks are probably not a good quarterback away from competing for an SEC title.

Feel free to throw Florida, Georgia and Mississippi on this list, too. Heck, maybe even Alabama, which is still waiting for Florida State transfer Jake Coker to blossom.

Speaking of Florida State, coach Jimbo Fisher seems to be comfortable with Sean Maguire as his guy going into next season.

DUKE

Pro: Blue Devils coach David Cutcliffe knows how to develop quarterbacks. Con: Duke lost some significant contributors on offense, which doesn’t necessarily make it the ideal spot for a quarterback looking for one last big season to beef up his NFL resume.

OREGON STATE

Corvallis is a long way from home, but new coach Gary Andersen could use an experienced quarterback to run his spread-based system.

WASHINGTON

No connection here, either, but Chris Petersen has a gaping hole at quarterback after Cyler Miles, last year’s starter, took what the school called a voluntary leave of absence and is not expected to play this season.

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‘Stockholm’ is psychological thriller with creepy end

BY KEVIN MCDONOUGH Lifetime departs its comfort zone with “Stockholm, Pennsylvania” (8 p.m. Saturday, Lifetime, TV-14). Adapted from a stage play and screened at the Sundance Film Festival, the film plunges viewers into the more intimate and agonizing aspects of an abduction and brainwashing drama.

Kidnapped when she was 4, 21-year-old Leia (Saoirse Ronan, “Atonement”) is returned to her distraught parents, Marcy and Glen (Cynthia Nixon and David Warshofsky). They’ve maintained her room and much of the house as a virtual shrine.

They have no way of understanding their estranged daughter, whose kidnapper, Ben (Jason Isaacs), filled her head with visions of a ruined world and an alternative cult philosophy based on snippets of science-fiction. Even her adopted name is taken from “Star Wars,” a film she never saw.

“Stockholm” jettisons all of the plot devices that usually propel such stories toward happy endings. There are no intrepid detectives, SWAT teams or tearful reunions.

Hugs are decidedly unwelcome. Even the “Welcome Home” teddy bears piled on the front lawn are consigned to the trash in an early scene.

What we’re left with are a lot of painful silences. It takes a full half-hour for “Stockholm” to offer up a flashback to Leia’s captivity. And by then, you’re grateful to get back to the bunker. It takes even longer for Marcy to react to events with any real emotion, and when she does it’s often so affected that it borders on over-the-top.

In its first half, “Stockholm” leans on psychological tension, asking us to watch as Marcy becomes Leia’s new captor, as her daughter shows undying allegiance to the only father she can remember. In its last act, it careens toward more standard thriller territory before its creepy, if contrived, conclusion.

In playing out “Stockholm” more as an existential drama than a police procedural, the writers ask us to examine how we usually approach horror and dread. We think nothing of spending a few hours with vampires, witches and

The battle to be Selena’s “brain” reaches a denouement as faithful aide Amy (Anna Chlumsky) bristles at her boss’s new reliance on Karen (Lennon Parham), a spineless equivocator incapable of making a single decision.

Not to give too much away, but a candidate’s crisis leads to some interesting ad hoc auditions. Look for Hugh Laurie in a memorable guest spot.

SATURDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS

PHOTO BY AARON EPSTEIN / STOCKHOLM PA, LLC / LIFETIME

Saoirse Ronan, sitting, stars as Leia and Cynthia Nixon as Marcy in the all-new movie “Stockholm, Pennsylvania” airing at 8 p.m. today on Lifetime. serial killers. But mere moments with Leia and Marcy may leave some viewers shuddering.

This notion of emotional reticence as sheer terror reminded me of an old “SCTV” bit where fake kids’ show host Count Floyd (Joe Flaherty) played a parody of Ingmar Bergman’s “Persona” instead of a more traditional monster movie. “Ooh, I got scared, kids!” he assured them.

One needn’t go back three decades to see the comic potential of this situation.

“Stockholm, Pennsylvania” and Netflix’s recent Tina Fey comedy “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” seem to have climbed out of the same bunker — but with very different attitudes.

• While real political campaigns drag on for years, “Veep” (10:30 p.m. Sunday, HBO, TV-MA) unfolds at light-

ning speed. We’re already up to convention season, with now-President Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and her staff floundering as always.

While traditional views of West Wing politics, like, for instance, “The West Wing,” kept matters elevated and dialogue lofty, the emphasis here is almost always on the petty, the small, the neurotic and the personal. This tightly choreographed absurdist ensemble comedy always has a crowded feel and beehive intensity, with established comics and improvisational actors furiously interacting in nearly every scene.

President Meyer surrounds herself with people — most notably, the slavish and sycophantic Gary (Tony Hale) — so as to never be alone with her thoughts. Perhaps to avoid discovering that she doesn’t have any.

• The Memphis Grizzlies host the Golden State Warriors in game three of the NBA Western Conference Semifinals (8:15 p.m., ABC).

• Sarah makes desperate efforts to save her sister on “Orphan Black” (9 p.m., BBC America, TV-MA).

• Claire and Jenny plot a rescue mission on “Outlander” (9 p.m., Starz, TV-MA).

• Kit Harington, Rebel Wilson, Matt LeBlanc and Mumford and Sons appear on “The Graham Norton Show” (10 p.m., BBC America, TV-14).

• Reese Witherspoon hosts “Saturday Night Live” (11:30 p.m., NBC, TV-14), with musical guest Florence and the Machine.

• “Christopher Titus: Angry Pursuit of Happiness” (midnight, Comedy Central, TVMA) features the former Fox sitcom star in a stand-up special.

sian double agent speaks and a ballerina’s rise from poverty (7 p.m.); Robert Ballard’s underwater wonders, the creator of the CrossFit workout and an interview with an FBI mob infiltrator (8 p.m.).

• A persecution campaign begins on “A.D. The Bible Continues” (9 p.m., NBC, TV-PG).

• Jon strikes a peculiar alliance on “Game of Thrones” (9 p.m., HBO, TV-MA).

• Jackie rallies the rank and file on “Nurse Jackie” (9 p.m., Showtime, TV-MA).

• Julius’ illness fills Thom with dread on “Happyish” (9:30 p.m., Showtime, TV-MA).

• Kidnappers snatch Russ on “Battle Creek” (10 p.m., CBS, TV-PG).

• Harrison wants to finish his father’s story on “American Odyssey” (10 p.m., NBC, TV14).

• Growing pains on “Silicon Valley” (10 p.m., HBO, TV-MA).

• Insomnia consumes Don on “Mad Men” (10 p.m., AMC, TV-14).

CULT CHOICE Epic in length, the 1970 rock documentary “Woodstock” (8 p.m. Sunday, VH1 Classic) required seven editors, including a young Martin Scorsese and Thelma Schoonmaker, whose collaboration as director and editor has endured for nearly half a century.

SATURDAY SERIES SUNDAY’S SEASON FINALES • The Author chooses sides on a two-hour “Once Upon a Time” (8 p.m., ABC, TV-PG).

• Alicia’s client claims to be held by police in a secret facility on “The Good Wife” (9 p.m., CBS, TV-14).

• Emily comes clean on “Revenge” (10 p.m., ABC, TV-PG).

This series has been canceled.

• Cromwell adjusts as Anne Boleyn falls far from favor on the season finale of “Wolf Hall” on “Masterpiece” (10 p.m., PBS, TV-PG, check local listings).

SUNDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS • “Great Performances at the Met” (noon, PBS, check local listings) presents Jacques Offenbach’s “Les Contes d’Hoffmann,” featuring Italian tenor Vittorio Grigolo.

• Scheduled on two helpings of “60 Minutes” (CBS): a Rus-

A Navy SEAL’s child vanishes on “Hawaii Five-0” (8 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14) * A lawyer goes missing on “Criminal Minds” (9 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14) * One head game too many on “Bones” (9 p.m., Fox, r, TV-14) * Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Paul Simon appear on a vintage “Saturday Night Live” (10 p.m., NBC, TV-14).

SUNDAY SERIES Marge takes on bullying on “The Simpsons” (8 p.m., Fox, TV-PG) * Holt questions Wuntch’s motives on “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” (8:30 p.m., Fox, TV14) * Peter’s secret identity is revealed on “Family Guy” (9 p.m., Fox, r, TV-14) * Stormy weather on “Bob’s Burgers” (9:30 p.m., Fox, TV-PG).

Copyright 2015, United Feature Syndicate

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COMICS

SATURDAY, MAY 9, 2015

BIZARRO

SOUP TO NUTZ

ANDY CAPP

GARFIELD

BEETLE BAILEY

BORN LOSER

BLONDIE

ZITS

MOTHER GOOSE

DOG EAT DOUG

DILBERT

JEFF MACNELLY’S SHOE

Teen fears she’ll regret not choosing another path DEAR ABBY — I have been dating “Brandon” for three years.

I’m 19, going to a four-year college and I’m planning Dear Abby to move in with him. I ABIGAIL enjoy his VAN BUREN company and can see myself with him in the future, but I wish I hadn’t met him so young. I wish I could have experienced more -- other people and situations. I’m afraid I’m falling into a trap where it is more convenient to stay with Brandon.

I don’t want to feel confined, but I also don’t want to break up with him and find it was

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the worst decision of my life.

We have discussed it. He said he will understand if I want to leave, but I’m afraid it might destroy him.

I enjoy being around Brandon, but I don’t want to stay if it means missing half my life.

He isn’t the most attractive guy compared to others, so maybe that’s where all this is coming from. More attractive guys talk to me, and I assume they would treat me as well as Brandon does. Maybe that’s what has got me thinking.

Some advice, please?

Not sure in North Carolina DEAR NOT SURE — Feeling as ambivalent as you do, do not move in with Brandon. To do so would be cheating both of you. Because someone seems more physically attractive

THE DAILY CROSSWORD PUZZLE

than your boyfriend does not guarantee the person would treat you as well — or better — than Brandon does. However, this is a lesson you may need to experience firsthand.

It could also be a growth experience for Brandon to date others. He has already told you he will understand if you leave, so he may be emotionally stronger than you give him credit for. This does not mean you won’t eventually wind up together, but it may make you both more appreciative of the special relationship you share because you will have something to compare it to.

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.

JUMBLE

SUDOKU

THAT SCRAMBLED WORD GAME

By David L. Hoyt and Jeff Knurek

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

ACROSS 1 Grooming tool 11 Holding pattern nos.

15 Disappears 16 1974 N.L. batting champ Ralph 17 Huge success 18 Morales of “Criminal Minds” 19 In Paris, in Paris 20 For whom New York’s Queensboro Bridge was renamed 21 Diamond discovered in the ‘60s 22 Tight ends?

24 Weather report abbr.

25 Casual qualifier 26 Child player 29 “Camelot” Tony winner, 1961 30 Character in “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?”

34 Try to win 37 Do a fixerupper job 38 Fed. property overseer 39 Pie order 42 Family secret, perhaps

43 Best in a restaurant 47 Creator of Heffalumps 48 Fighter acronym 51 “M*A*S*H” actor 52 Surfeit 53 Warning 56 Realize 57 Bonanza 58 Capital on I-77 60 Through 61 Term coined

by Hugh Hefner 62 Bonds 63 Winnings DOWN 1 Pays 2 Relative of a stilt 3 Comparatively kooky 4 Photo __ 5 Learning method 6 Gave rise to 7 Literary symbols of daybreak 8 One of a literary trio 9 Prepare for takeoff, maybe 10 O.T. book 11 18 for graduating high school, e.g.

12 Combat game 13 Quislings 14 Colombo’s country

23 Et __ 25 “Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak” writer 27 Atlas section 28 Bug 29 1951 Reagan co-star 31 Mole, maybe 32 31-Down strategy 33 Only Super Bowl won by the Jets 34 Virtuous feeling 35 R.E.M. hit, with “The” 36 Blocked 40 Ones saying “warmer,” perhaps 41 Justice Dept.

agency 44 City near Bethlehem 45 Specialized cactus branch 46 In 48 “Real Time” host 49 14th-century Russian prince 50 “Still Standing” co-star Jami 53 Sputnik letters 54 Sailor’s direction 55 Time spent in one’s seat 59 It’s nearly 700 mi. south of Sea-Tac

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Bonanza Flea Market Free Outdoor Vendor space in April & May. Come have your yard sale with us. 1048 Bonanza Crossing Road in Manning. Also have indoor spaces avail. 803-460-0014

317 W. Hampton Ave. Multi Family sale. Fri. & Sat., 8am-1pm. Keyboard piano stand, Avon, Airsoft equipment, books, hsehold, rugs, clothing & many other items. Priced to sell!

GIANT SALE 4300 Pond Loop Rd Fri & Sat 7-3 3.5 mi. from old Hopewell nursing home. Clothes racks, couch, glass tables, metal bunk bed, Twin & Dbl bed, some tools, racing tires(asphalt) racing rims, 2 race car frames, motorcycle 1163 Briar Bend St. Fri & Sat 7-12 Furniture, catering supplies, cake decorating supplies , misc hshld items, camping supplies, tools etc..

510 Rainbow Dr. Sat 7-1 Huge sale. You don't want to miss!

Everything Must Go! 2287 Dartmouth Sat 7-12 Household goods. Too much to list!

2701 Sequoia Dr. Fri 3-until, Sat 8-until Glass, jewelry, linen, hunting-misc.

878 Ridgehill Dr Sat 7-1 Proceeds will go to Relay for Life.

2424 Highview St. Sat. 7-until.

4 wheeler, chairs, kit. items., clothes, tools, decorating items & much more 570 Alpine Dr. Sat. 7:30 am - noon.

Toddler items, adult & children's clothes, household items, decorations, furniture, etc.

Timberline Meadows (off Loring Mill Rd)-Sat 7-12 multiple family, kids clothes, hsehld items, furniture

LARGE GARAGE SALE Every Weekend Tables $2 FLEA MARKET BY SHAW AFB

Open every weekend.

905-4242 or 494-5500 124 Laverne St. Fri. 8-8 Sat. 8-2 furniture, bikes, household items, tools, Price to sell. Don't miss Semi-annual Yard / Bake / Hot dog Sale. Lemira Church, 514 Blvd.

Rd. Sat. 7a-1p. Too many items to list but all are priced to sell!

Help Wanted Full-Time

3204 Mayflower Ln., Garden Gate off Wise Dr. Sat. 7 am - 2 pm.

Clothing (men, women, juniors), craft items, kitchen table, Party Lite, Pampered Chef, books, knick knacks, many, many items.

For Sale or Trade Martin's Used Appliance Washers, Dryers, Refrig., Stoves.

Guarantee 464-5439 or 469-7311 Expert Tech, New & used heat pumps & A/C. Will install/repair, warranty; Compressor & labor $600.

Call 803-968-9549 or 843-992-2364 89' Mallard Gooseneck 5th Wheel RV 32ft. $3,600 & 86' Playbouy Pontoon 24FT. with a 2014 50HP Yamaha 4 stroke with trailer $6,000 OBO. Call 803-968-2271 5 piece bedroom suit-wrought iron bed with box spring & mattress.

Washer & dryer set, & dishwasher.

Call 803-469-2997

ASE Cert. Mechanic wanted at dealership. Fast worker who can multitask w/ quality work. Prof. mechanic exp req. Domestic & Import work. Have valid driver's lic. & tools. Immediate hire. 866-224-5963.

A growing and expanding organization is seeking an Information Technology (IT) Specialist with knowledge and skills to work independently or as a member of a team, in the administration, development, delivery and support of IT systems and services. Competitive full-time salary position, 401k, medical and dental benefits. Please reply

by May 11th.Box 413 c//o The Item, PO Box 1677 Sumter SC 29151 The #1 Furniture Retail Company in the U.S. is seeking a highly motivated, detailed oriented individual with an outgoing personality for a full-time position to handle Administrative and Customer Service duties.

MUST be proficient in Microsoft Word and Excel. College degree preferred but not mandatory. Please send or drop off Resume' to: Open Position, 2850 Broad St., Sumter, SC 29150. INTERVIEWS BY APPOINTMENT ONLY!

Help Wanted Full-Time Looking for experience masons and helpers.

803-464-4479.

Looking for something that is more than just a job? Do you like to surround yourself with beautiful things and happy people? Are you a highly motivated and goal oriented person? Are you a Team Player with a competitive spirit? Do you love to make money? If your answer is YES to all of the above questions and you are computer literate, please send resume' to P-409 c/o The Item, PO Box 1677 Sumter SC 29151. This position is with a local, well established company who is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a member of the BBB and the Sumter Chamber of Commerce.

Sell Your Items In Appliances, Cars, Pets, Furniture, Yard Sales & More.

Must Be Willing to Complete 5 Days of Classroom Training And 10 Hours of Behind-The-Wheel Training, Clear Criminal Background Check, Good Driving Record Pay: District Bus Driver Salary Scale

Law office seeks employee for Secretarial position requiring efficient typing, dictaphone, computer and office skills. Send resume to Box 338 c//o The Item, PO Box 1677 Sumter SC 29151

All Interested Persons Should Contact Tamara N. Alston District Transportation Supervisor 843-659-2102

Help wanted. Roofers and laborers please apply at Southern Roofing Services, Inc. 785 N. Wise Drive, Sumter, SC Experience not necessary but helpful.

F/T Experienced cake decorator needed with retail experience. Pls apply in person at the Piggly Wiggly on Pinewood Rd.

Interested in Buying or Selling lake property?

I can help.

Betsy Hair,Realtor, GRI, CBR

Century 21 A Walton Agency

It’s Easy - Call Today 803-774-1234

Denise Wells,Realtor, Broker, ABR

TREE REMOVAL • TOPPING • SPRAYING • PRUNING • FERTILIZING • BUSH HOGGING

OVER 40 YEARS EXPERIENCE LICENSED & INSURED

469-7606 or 499-4413

FIREWOOD DELIVERY

First Carolina Real Estate Group

327 N. Main 803-236-1721 dwells1913@aol.com 4 Brogdon St. This beautiful 3 bedroom, 2 bath home located in a quiet established neighborhood features hardwood floors, wood fire place in the family room, French doors, formal dining room, sunroom, 4 year old roof and vinyl siding

$99,500

Patty Wood,Realtor, BIC

Remax by the Lake 326 S. Mill Street 803-410-0082 pattylu2@msn.com

300 W. Wesmark Blvd.

803-491-6822 betsy@walton21.com

www.theitem.com

’S TREE SERVICE PO BOYFREE ESTIMATES

Po Boy’s Rex Prescott Tommy Thompson

•Bus Drivers

Agent Owned Realty 401 S. Mill Street 803-505-2788 yanakmathis@gmail.com

MERCHANDISE

• TRIMMING • TREE REMOVAL • STUMP REMOVAL

Medical practice seeking someone w/exp. in electronic insurance billing & posting. Send resume to: carofamilypractice@gmail.com

Clarendon County School District Three Is Accepting Applications For:

Yana Mathis,Broker

A Notch Above Tree Care Full quality service low rates, lic./ins., free est BBB accredited 983-9721

TREE CARE

South Carolina Teaching Certificate in Each Area is Required, HighQualified Preferred.

Applications Must be Received at the Address Below by 4 PM on Monday, May 18, 2015.

Mail Applications to: Connie J. Dennis, Ph.D. Superintendent Clarendon County School District Three P.O. Drawer 270 Turbeville, SC 29162 Clarendon County School District Three is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

F/T EXPERIENCED Maintenance Technician needed for a busy, mid-size property in Sumter, SC. Drug Free Workplace and Equal Opportunity Employer. CFC and CPO certifications ARE REQUIRED. Must have a valid driver's license, insurance and reliable transportation.

Must be available for night/weekend call duty. Salary commensurate with experience. Pd vacation and Personal/Sick. Benefits include: 100% (employee) paid medical and dental.

Please fax resume to 803-775-3595.

No phone calls please!

Let us show you

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

1205 Pinewood Rd. Multi-Family sale, Sat. 7 am - 12 noon. Craft supplies, + size clothes, etc

Clarendon County School District Three Is Accepting Applications For: •Middle Level Science •Special Education, Multicategorical •School Psychologist II (Contract Services)

THE WAY HOME!

Tree Service

Garage, Yard & Estate Sales

Help Wanted Full-Time

brick Call

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

STATE TREE SERVICE Worker's Comp & General liability insurance. Top quality service, lowest prices. 803-494-5175 or 803-491-5154 www.statetree.net

Help Wanted Full-Time

Looking for a carpenter experienced in floors, windows, and other rental property maintenance. MUST have valid Drivers License. Submit resume to: M-414 c//o The Item, PO Box 1677 Sumter SC 29151.

EMPLOYMENT

Jean's Flowers & Plants 244 Wildwood Ave. Fri. & Sat. 7AM. clothes, Eps.photo printer ETC..

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

We will be happy to change your ad if an error is made; however we are not responsible for errors after the first run day. We shall not be liable for any loss or expense that results from the printing or omission of an advertisement. We reserve the right to edit, refuse or cancel any ad at any time.

655 Aidan Immaculate home! 3 bd 2 ba whirlpool tub and separate shower in masterbath fireplace/ gas logs sprinkler system with well security sys

1905 Clubhouse Road Summerton Waterfront Home move in ready! Fully renovated, this home has two fireplaces,3 bedrooms, 2BAS house and guest room with full bath first floor of 2 car garage. Pier has trexx decking, boat house.

$144,880

$399,000

Debbie Lee,Realtor, GRI, CBR Remax by the Lake

326 S. Mill Street 803-983-3083 1105 Cherokee, Manning 4 BR, 2.5 BA, very well built home located in nice established neighborhood.

Large lot with mature trees.

Home has these great features, split level, pocket doors to separate family room, in-wall ironing board, quality wood doors & windows

$138,000

Agents...

Want to advertise your home listings here?

Please call Mary at 803-774-1284 for more information

B8

CLASSIFIEDS

THE ITEM Help Wanted Part-Time

Deliver Phone Books Work Your Own Hours, Have Insured Vehicle, Must be at Least 18 yrs old, Valid DL. No Experience Necessary.

1-800-518-1333 x 224 www.deliverthephonebook.com P/T Roofers needed. Must have built up roofing exp. Call Robert Nunnery 803-478-2950. $$$ AVON $$$ FREE TRAINING! 803-422-5555

RENTALS Unfurnished Apartments Downtown apartments 2br/2 bath $975, rent incl. water & elect.

803-775-1204 Mon.-Fri. 8am-5pm.

2BR/1BA Duplex conv. to Shaw AFB. Washer and dryer, lawn service included.

Avail.

6/1/15 Call 803-968-5627.

Senior Living Apartments for those 62+ (Rent based on income) Shiloh-Randolph Manor 125 W. Bartlette.

775-0575 Studio/1 Bedroom apartments available EHO

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. Fax resume to 1-803-345-3804 Attn: Personnel.

P/T cleaner needed immediately in Wedgefield. Daytime position, cleaning a small office, Monday - Friday.

Must have own transportation, pass background & drug screen. $12 hour. Contact Bob at rnlundygvpm@gmail.com Housekeeper needed. Permanent position. Exc. work, reliability, punctuality, bckgrnd ck req 803-468-1741 PT floral designer. Must have floral shop exp. Excepting applications at The Daisy Shop 343 Pinewood Rd. No phone calls please.

Medical Help Wanted

Unfurnished Homes 2245 Dartmouth Dr. 2BR/2BA, 2 car garage, appl, nice neighborhood, behind Wal-Mart, $850/mo + sec. Call 803-934-0434 before 5, After 5 803-600-1284 For rent-Newly Renovated 3BR 1BA C/H/A, carport, $650 Mo. 4 br, 1 ba, $700 mo. Call 646-315-3274.

Nice Area 2BR 1.5BA C/H/A, Appliances. New carpet, paint. No Pets/Smoking $625mo. & dep.

803-983-8463.

A growing and expanding organization is seeking licensed therapists (LISW or LPC) to provide behavioral and mental health services for people in their community. Competitive full-time salary position, 401k, medical and dental benefits. Please reply by May 11th. to Box 411 c//o The Item, PO Box 1677 Sumter SC 29151.

Near Shaw AFB 3BR 1BA $550 Mo.+1 Mo. Rent Dep Call 301-802-5263

Opening for MT/MLT Multiple positions available for Medical Technologist and/or Medical Lab Technician in a large physician's office laboratory in Sumter, SC. Full and part-time openings available for generalist MT / MLT. Performs routine and special diagnostic procedures requiring technical skill, judgment, and independent decision-making following established standards, policies, and procedures. Performs duties under minimal supervision. Flexible shifts available. Pay DOE. Respond to:325 Broad Street, Ste 100, Sumter, SC 29150 or fax 803-403-9977.

2, 3 & 4 Bedroom Trailers for rent, Cherryvale & Dogwood Area $250 & up. (803) 651-9926

Ren. 3BR/2BA brick home. All hrdwd, 1,850+ sq ft. $1,050 + dep.

Military dis. 803-968-9019

Mobile Home Rentals

Scenic Lake, 2BR 2BA No pets.

Call between 9am-5pm 499-1500 or 469-6978.

3Bd 2Ba MH near Pinewood New carpet & appliances, no pets $500 mth + dep. Call 843-884-0346

STATEBURG COURTYARD 2 & 3 BRs 803-494-4015

Work Wanted Resort Rentals Housekeeping Low rates, Offices & Churches. Good Ref. Avail. Call 803-565-9546

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

Commercial Rentals Warehouse space available.

Some with office space 12,000 to 35,000 sq ft. Call 773-8022

CONTRACTOR WANTED! For Routes In The

WYBOO PLANTATION WHITE OAK II AREA.

Earn Extra Income If you have good dependable transportation and a phone in your home and a desire to supplement your income,

COME BY & APPLY AT

20 N. Magnolia St. Sumter, SC or Call Harry at (803) 774-1257

I’ve never seen so many cars and people!

What do you think is going on over there?

Well, I was told she’s having one of those ‘Garage Sales.’

Can you imagine?!

Minnie told me she made over $100 last time she had one... Just by placing a Classified Ad in

Do you think we should have one and place an ad?

It sure would help with Spring Cleaning!

20 N. Magnolia St. Sumter, SC 803.774.1234 www.theitem.com

REAL ESTATE Real Estate Wanted

Land & Lots for Sale MIN TO WALMART/SHAW 1 +/acres, paved road, utilities. $12,900.

888-774-5720

TRANSPORTATION

We buy houses, mobile homes, land anywhere in SC. CASH FAST! No high payoffs. Call 803-468-6029.

Homes for Sale 905 Arnaud St 2BR/2BA All appl's, fenced patio, screened porch. $109,900. Great rental investment.

803 464-8354

Manufactured Housing MH for Sale, Near Wedgefield, 3BR 2BA $30,000 Neg. On large lot. Call 968-0930 or 968-1196 LOW CREDIT SCORE? Been turned down for bad credit? Come try us, we do our own financing. We have 2-3-4 bedroom homes. For more information, call 843-389-4215 AND also visit our Face Book Page (M&M Mobile Homes)

SATURDAY, MAY 09, 2015

LEGAL NOTICES ANNOUNCEMENTS Beer & Wine License Notice Of Application

Autos For Sale 2011 Ram 2500 White, Heavy Duty Cummins Turbo Charged , Hide a hitch, 11825 Mi. 35K Call 803-938-2928

Notice is hereby given that Thai Development Group intends to apply to the South Carolina Department of Revenue for a license permit that will allow the sale ON premises consumption of Beer, Wine and Liquor at 3289 Broad Street, Sumter, SC 29150. To object to the issuance of this permit / license, written protest must be postmarked no later than May 18, 2015. 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.

Announcements Ladies Archery Night Beginning May 14th. Every Thursday night @ 6:30pm. Come join the fun!

Beginners and Advanced. Equipment provided, instructed by certified instructor. Sumter Co. Fair Grounds BLDG#10, For more info contact Beth 803-983-2625.