Sumter Little Theatre’s ‘Agnes of God’
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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2015
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Amid devastation, heroism abounds KEITH GEDAMKE / THE SUMTER ITEM
Joy Conyers used Facebook to get someone to help her evacuate her apartment on Sunday. As the water rose, she carried her cat and some personal bleongings through the flood to a friend’s car.
Social media connected community Technology vital in time of need KEITH GEDAMKE / THE SUMTER ITEM
Amos Tolson used this paddle boat to rescue his best friend’s parents Sunday morning on Tanglewood Road; he used a second boat to rescue 16 other people .
Man rescues 18 by boat in Tanglewood BY JIM HILLEY jim@theitem.com Tanglewood Drive is a beautiful neighborhood, mostly constructed around 25 years ago. It’s just the kind of place to raise a family or spend a peaceful retirement. Few would have imagined before last week that many of the homes would be invaded by more than 8
feet of water. Around 10 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 3, Amos Tolson was near his home on Tanglewood helping a neighbor fill sandbags when he got a phone call from his neighbor and friend Ken Burdick. Burdick was away on vacation, but he asked Tolson to check on his parents, who lived down the street. “I got a call from Ken, and he said
his momma and his dad were alone in the house,” Tolson said. “They are in their eighties.” Tolson, who is an Air Force master sergeant and aircraft mechanic, put on his boots and rain coat and went to check on the elderly couple. “Evelyn had told Ken there was a little bit of water coming in their
SEE HEROISM, PAGE A6
Clarendon firefighters rescue 2 BY KONSTANTIN VENGEROWSKY konstantin@theitem.com Clarendon County firefighters Gene Morris and Michael Cothran knew exactly what to do when they approached the scene of two people stranded on top of a van in swift waters last Sunday. “This was water that an Olympic swimmer couldn’t swim through,” Morris said. “The current was that strong.” Cothran, a lieutenant with the fire department, has spent most of his life on the water. Morris, a 30year veteran of law enforcement and firefighting, has had extensive experience with water rescue operations. Both were assigned to a water-rescue operations team that day.
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“It was a nightmare; roads were filled with at least 10 inches of water in many areas,” Morris said, enough to move most vehicles off the roadway. Arriving at the scene, on North Brewington Road, the firefighters saw the van that had gone off the road into a ditch, which had turned into a river. The current had carried the van off the roadway into the ditch where waters were up to six feet, splashing on the vehicle’s windows. “The vehicle was wedged on its side in rising waters,” Morris said. The two occupants of the vehicle had been able to open the vehicle’s doors and climb on top of it. They
To help the public know of more ways it can help flood victims, The Sumter Item will list fundraisers and places to donate money, food or clothing. Here’s what we have so far: • South State Bank has established the South State Bank Emergency Relief Fund, with an initial contribution of $100,000, to provide financial support to the communities
SEE RESCUE, PAGE A8
Henry Harvin Jr. Ernest E. Moses Carl L. Burgess Nathaniel Coker
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5 SECTIONS, 36 PAGES VOL. 120, NO. 303
Partly cloudy and cool today and tonight with slight chance of rain.
Medicare Open Enrollment October 15 – December 7 Our agents are trained to help with Medicare enrollment. Call us for an appointment, and let us help you make the right decisions. 803 469-3030
SEE SOCIAL, PAGE A8
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During the past week, social media has been extremely beneficial to Sumter residents and local departments as people reach out to friends and loved ones as well as share vital information. “That’s all I’ve been doing,” Sumter Police Department Public Information Officer Tonyia McGirt said, referring to her use of Facebook and Twitter to share information with the public. She said the department has been pushing out safety tips, road closures, power outages and state and local updates on social media since Oct. 2. McGirt said the department has also been working closely with city officials and Sumter County Sheriff’s Office to make sure all information is timely and consistent. The department learned during the 2014 ice storm that social media is a tremendous tool for getting out information, she said. She said the department has also been answering individual questions on Facebook at Sumter Police Department and Twitter at @sumterscpolice. Braden Bunch, public information officer for the sheriff’s office, said social media has been a great help in providing immediate updates to the public, especially since situations constantly change. “It’s definitely been a vital tool,” he said. He said the sheriff’s office Facebook page has had more than half a million views and a dramatic increase in followers since the heavy rains last weekend.
SEE HELP, PAGE A9
DEATHS, A8 and A11 Holly Lee Watson Michael A. Kulungowski Patrick E. Lester M. Graham Drayton
BY ADRIENNE SARVIS adrienne@theitem.com
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