Officials urge safety during cold weather BY MATT BRUCE matthew@theitem.com
75 CENTS
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2014
SERVING SOUTH CAROLINA SINCE OCTOBER 15, 1894 2 SECTIONS, 26 PAGES | VOL. 120, NO. 33
Sumter residents have endured some unseasonably frosty temperatures this week with overnight
lows dipping to almost 20 degrees. Tuesday and Wednesday saw nearrecord lows, as temperatures fell to 25 and 21 degrees on those nights, respectively. With the cold front upon us, local officials this week began issuing
weather safety tips for residents to mind during the winter chills. From indoor fire hazards to overexposure, the effects of the cold weather can be deadly as residents
SEE COLD, PAGE A10
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL
They’ve shelled out for a feast
9 and counting Undefeated Hammond preps for LMA, another shot at 3A state title B1 GET OUT
Register now to save money on annual Turkey Trot race A3 ENTERTAINMENT
Nat Geo’s ‘Eat’ offers feast of food for thought A11
Eric Rygalski, above, shucks an oyster during Thursday’s 17th annual Carolina Backcountry Oyster Roast at the Martha Brice Gardens on the Sumter County Museum complex grounds. The all-you-caneat fundraiser for the museum always draws a crowd to enjoy the fresh Lowcountry and Chesapeake oysters as well as chili, whole-hog barbecue and Glenn Evans’ “drunken collards.”
DEATHS, B6 Helen A. Geddings Nancy Gruber Robert Lewis Jr. Jonnie Mae Harrison
Robert Smalls Robert E. Gamble George W. Ramsey Jr.
Hank Edens and Jim Comeau, left, stir chili during the oyster roast. PHOTOS BY MATT WALSH / THE SUMTER ITEM
WEATHER, A14 A SUNSHINY DAY A full day of sunshine; clear and cold tonight HIGH 56, LOW 27
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Court refuses to block S.C. gay marriages BY BRUCE SMITH The Associated Press CHARLESTON — The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday refused to block gay marriages in South Carolina, but Attorney General Alan Wilson said the issue is still not settled. The court denied Wilson’s request to prevent the marriages while he appeals last week’s decision by a federal judge tossing out the state constitutional ban on gay marriage. On Wednesday, a Charleston judge issued the first gay marriage
licenses in the state, and a lesbian couple exchanged vows on the courthouse steps. The U.S. Supreme Court order said only Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas were in favor of granting Wilson a stay. “The order from the U.S. Supreme Court officially puts an end to the long fight for access to marriage for South Carolina’s samesex couples and their families,” said Beth Littrell, an attorney for Lamda Legal, a national civil rights law firm that assisted the plaintiffs in a Charleston case. Wilson said in a statement the
issue is not over. “Despite today’s refusal to grant our motion, the U.S. Supreme Court has not yet resolved conflicting rulings by federal appeals courts on the issue,” he said. While a 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision cleared the way for gay marriages in the circuit that includes South Carolina, Wilson has argued a decision by the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upholding gay marriage bans in several Midwest states means the matter will likely go to
SEE MARRIAGES, PAGE A10
Obama spurns GOP with immigration orders Almost 5 million won’t be deported BY JULIE PACE AP White House Correspondent WASHINGTON — Spurning furious Republicans, President Obama unveiled expansive executive actions on immigration Thursday night to spare nearly 5 million people in the U.S. illegally from deportation and refocus enforcement efforts on “felons, not families.” The moves, affecting mostly parents and young people, marked the most
sweeping changes to the nation’s fractured immigration laws in nearly three decades and set off a fierce fight with Republicans about the limits of presidential powers. In a televised address to the nation, Obama defended the legality of his actions and challenged GOP lawmakers to focus their energy not on blocking his actions, but on approving long-stalled legislation to take its place. “To those members of Congress who question my authority to make our immigration system work better, or question the wisdom
of me acting where Congress has failed, I have one answer: Pass a bill,” Obama said, flexing his presidential powers just two weeks after his political standing was challenged in the midterm elections. Still, Obama’s actions and the angry Republican response could largely stamp out prospects for Congress passing comprehensive immigration legislation under the current administration, ensuring that the contentious debate will carry on into the 2016 presidential campaign. Republicans, emboldened by their sweeping victories
in the midterms, are weighing responses to the president’s actions that include lawsuits, a government shutdown, and in rare instances, even impeachment. “The president will come to regret the chapter history writes if he does move forward,” Sen. Mitch McConnell, the Kentucky Republican who is soon to become the Senate majority leader, said before Obama’s address. While Obama’s measures are sweeping in scope, they still leave more than half of the 11 million people living in the U.S. illegally in limbo.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
President Obama announces executive actions on immigration during a nationally televised address from the White House in Washington on Thursday.