September 15, 2015

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IN SPORTS: USC Sumter to hold dinner recognizing 2015 JUCO World Series B1

After years of cuts, districts face teacher shortages TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2015

| Serving South Carolina since October 15, 1894

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75 cents

Rivalry game means Hope 4 Hoge Event to help teen’s family cover costs after May accident BY KONSTANTIN VENGEROWSKY konstantin@theitem.com Hope 4 Hoge, a fundraising event for a former Thomas Sumter Academy student who was seriously injured in a diving accident in May, will be held on Friday when the Generals take on

with spinal cord injuries. When the Generals take on the Barons at Friday night’s game at Thomas Sumter, both teams will be fundraising for Hoge’s medical expenses. Hope 4 Hoge T-shirts, bracelets and car stickers will be sold. There will also be a blanket money toss, Chick-fil-A sandwiches, chicken bog and barbecue sold. Galloway & Moseley jewelers will auction off a bracelet. The goal is to raise at least $5,000, said Thomas Sumter Headmaster Debbie Nix. An anonymous donor has pledged as much as $5,000 to match the amount raised, she said.

longtime Sumter rival the Wilson Hall Barons. Michal Hoge, a student athlete who graduated from the school in 2014, was involved in a May 17 swimming pool accident HOGE that left him with three broken vertebrae in his neck. Two of his vertebrae were completely repaired, whereas another was rebuilt. Hoge is undergoing rehabilitation at Shepherd Center, a facility in Atlanta that specializes in medical treatment, research and rehabilitation for people

“Even though we’ve always been rivals on the field, we thought this may be a good night to put our rivalries aside and to honor and support Michal as he goes through a challenging time in his life,” Nix said. Nix described Hoge as an excellent student athlete. “Michal is a fighter. He was very strong and very competitive on the field but at the same time a true Southern gentleman,” she said. “He made friends easily.” Wilson Hall Headmaster Fred

SEE HOGE, PAGE A9

Senator calls for action on crossings

FOLKS FLOCK TO FARMERS MARKET EVENT

Student, 17, was 3rd pedestrian to die on freeway since 2010 BY JIM HILLEY jim@theitem.com

same issues. She said another added bonus about Palmetto Laundry Soap is that less product is needed per load of laundry. Carolyn Brunson Hodge, co-owner of Savor the Flavor, a gourmet rice and grits company based in Sumter, said her family’s products can be found in The Farm Store, Bradley’s Market on North Main Street and online at www. savortheflavor.com. Savor the Flavor was founded by Hodge’s grandmother, the late Betty Lee Brunson, about 25 years ago. The company sells 10 flavors of rice and two flavors of grits. The various flavors include Edisto Herb Rice, Litchfield Lemon Dill, Charleston Red Rice and the most popular product, Southern Garlic Cheese Grits. Hodge said the company also sells its

A recent fatality on Robert E. Graham Freeway has prompted members of the Sumter County delegation of the state Legislature to ask the South Carolina Department of Transportation to look into the problem of frequent pedestrian incidents on the freeway. Sen. Thomas McElveen, DSumter, sent a letter Friday requesting it “take immediate action” concerning the problem. McElveen’s letter came less than a week after 17-year-old Terrica Butler, a Sumter High School senior, was struck and killed while crossing the freeway. People who live in neighborhoods north of the freeway say they have few options for crossing the highway to access needed services or employment, with the nearest legal crossing more than a mile away from some neighborhoods. “Based on my conversations with constituents and others, I have been advised that there have been multiple fatalities in this area over the last five years,” McElveen said. “Time to take action to correct this dangerous situation is now,” McElveen said in the letter.

SEE TASTE, PAGE A9

SEE ACTION, PAGE A9

KEITH GEDAMKE / THE SUMTER ITEM

Mike Dellinger gives a cooking demonstration during the Downtown Sumter Farmers Market Taste of the South event on Saturday on Liberty Street. Dellinger arranged the special event featuring products from businesses of the South Carolina Specialty Food Association.

Taste of South successful despite rain BY ADRIENNE SARVIS adrienne@theitem.com The Downtown Sumter Farmers Market saw a good turnout Saturday despite the gloomy start to the morning. And the folks who decided to take a chance on the cloudy sky were able to sample foods from across the state during the market’s first Taste of the South event. The event featured homemade and locally grown products sold by membership businesses of the South Carolina Specialty Food Association. Mike Dellinger, farmers market coordinator and co-owner of The Farm Store, said all of the products that were on display Saturday are sold in the store at 584 Bultman Drive. While all of the products that were on display were homemade and organ-

ic, not everything was edible, such as the products from Palmetto Laundry Soap of Florence. Alex and Nathan Falco, owners of Palmetto Laundry Soap, started making the soap about two years ago as a way to alleviate Alex’s allergy to perfumes added to popular soap brands and to help with her daughter’s eczema. The laundry soap is free of harsh chemicals, parabens, perfumes and other fillers, Alex Falco said. Palmetto Laundry Soap has three kinds of soap: one to help brighten clothes, a stain fighter and one for delicates. Falco said the laundry soap for delicates is gentle enough for baby clothes. Falco said her family used the product at home for about two years and decided to share it with other families that may have been experiencing the

You can learn to teach yoga classes BY ADRIENNE SARVIS adrienne@theitem.com Southern Bliss Yoga will host a 200-hour teacher-training program for yoga practitioners who are ready to share their passion with others. Melissa McIntosh, owner of Southern Bliss Yoga, 600 Bult-

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man Drive, was motivated to offer the training class because she’s noticed a growing interest in yoga within the local community and worldwide. McIntosh said the teacher training program is accredited with Yoga Alliance, a nonprofit organization that supports educational and developmental ac-

tivities in the yoga community. She said the program will work for people with open or packed schedules. “Our participants can give total focus to their practice while having a full-time job, family and busy life,” she said.

DEATHS, B5 James Arthur Campbell Jr. Joan Barwick Janie B. Jefferson Morgan D. Brewer Jr. Ella Howard Ada Mae B. Muldrow Martha V. Gordon

KEITH GEDAMKE / THE SUMTER ITEM

Melissa McIntosh, owner of Southern Bliss Yoga, and Sarah Beth HasbSEE YOGA, PAGE A9 rouch, a teacher, lead a recent yoga class at the studio.

Hattie Windham Lee Carrie Mae McLean Raymond Glover Lorie Blyther John March Tillman E. Cuttino Jr. Moses Johnson

WEATHER, A12

INSIDE

STAYING NICE

2 SECTIONS, 20 PAGES VOL. 120, NO. 280

Mostly sunny and pleasant; mainly clear tonight HIGH 84, LOW 58

Classifieds B7 Comics B6 Lotteries A12

Opinion A10 Television A11


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