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IN TODAY’S EDITION
Labor Day tribute The Sumter Item celebrates the end of summer with a salute to local workforce
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Iran nuclear deal set to pass Senate Democrats gather votes to secure agreement WASHINGTON (AP) — President Obama secured a landmark foreign policy victory Wednesday as Senate Democrats amassed enough votes to ensure the Iran nuclear deal survives
in Congress, despite ferocious opposition from Republicans and the government of Israel. Democratic Sen. Barbara Mikulski of Maryland became the crucial 34th vote in favor of the agreement. “No deal is perfect, esMIKULSKI pecially one negotiated with the Iranian regime,” Mikulski said in a statement. She called the accord “the best option available to block Iran from
having a nuclear bomb. For these reasons, I will vote in favor of this deal.” The backing from Mikulski, who is retiring next year, gives supporters the margin they need to uphold an Obama veto of a congressional resolution of disapproval if Republicans pass such a measure later this month. And it spells failure for opponents of the international agreement who sought to foil it by turning Congress against it. Leading that effort were Israel and its allies in the U.S., who failed to get traction after spending
millions of dollars trying. The agreement signed by Iran, the U.S. and five other world powers limits Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for hundreds of billions of dollars in relief from international sanctions. Republicans and Israeli officials contend that concessions made to Iran could enable the country to wreak havoc throughout the Middle East. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had personally lobbied U.S.
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Gas prices invite more Labor Day excursions
New Lafayette bridge nearing completion
BY JIM HILLEY jim@theitem.com Cheap gas prices for the Labor Day holiday are making the chance for a holiday road trip more enticing than at any time in more than a decade, but there doesn’t seem to be a rush for the exits from Sumter. According to AAA Carolinas, lower gas prices and an improving economy are contributing to an increase in Labor Day holiday travel for the third straight year for South Carolinians, and that could lead to the highest number of travelers in seven years. More than 455,500 Palmetto State residents are expected to travel 50 miles or more
SEE GAS, PAGE A3 BY KEITH GEDAMKE / THE SUMTER ITEM
Construction of the Lafayette Drive bridge continues to progress toward its anticipated opening in December. Jeffrey Wilkes, South Carolina Department of Transportation resident construction engineer, said the construction crew is in the process of pouring bridge deck, the material on which cars will drive, on the surface of the bridge. He anticipates that this process will be complete within the next week. He said the crew will then add curbs and gutters to the south side of the bridge near Hauser Street and add sidewalks and guardrails to the entire bridge.
China shows off new military gear with parade Chinese female troops practice marching in August near a billboard showing Chinese President Xi Jinping and the slogan “Strive to build a People’s Liberation Army that obeys the Party, Wins the war and has outstanding work style“ at a camp on the outskirts of Beijing. The soldiers were preparing for a massive parade on Wednesday intended to show off the nation’s newest military capabilities.
BEIJING (AP) — When China rolls out its latest armaments Thursday for a lavish parade commemorating the defeat of Japan in World War II, defense experts and foreign armies will be watching closely for any revelations about new military capabilities. Fueled by booming defense spending, the People’s Liberation Army is expected to showcase breakthroughs in missile technology and military aircraft that reflect its increasing focus on projecting force beyond its borders, especially adjacent seas where it competes with neighbors for territory and resources.
PARADE BASICS The parade will feature more than 12,000 troops, upward of 200 planes and helicopters and about 500 pieces of equipment, including tanks, rocket launchers and missiles of all sizes and ranges. China says more than 80 percent of the gear is being shown in public for the first time. Of greatest interest are China’s strategic weapons: bombers and missiles capable of attacking targets
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BY ADRIENNE SARVIS adrienne@theitem.com
China’s missile corps, formally known as the Second Artillery, has long served as its most potent means of projecting force abroad, and new developments are always closely scrutinized. Unlike the United States and Russia, China is not bound by the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty and has poured resources into developing missiles with ranges of 500 to 5,000 kilometers.
The public participation meeting that was held at Patriot Hall on Tuesday regarding traffic improvements in the Hampton Park Historic District was a success, according to Allan Yu, senior transportation planner at Sumter Planning Department. The purpose of the traffic calming study is to create and implement solutions to improve traffic safety through the historic district. The research is conducted through Sumter Urban Area Transportation Study, a local federallyfunded program, and $51,000 was appropriated for the study. Many of the 30 or so people who attended the meeting are residents of the historic district, Yu said. Yu said the purpose of Tuesday’s meeting was to gain
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SEE MEETING, PAGE A3
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
thousands of kilometers away. That’s of particular concern to the U.S. and its allies in the region, especially Japan, with whom China has tussled concerning mineral rights and the ownership of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea. China’s rising capabilities also expose the vulnerability of Taiwan, the self-governing island democracy that Beijing claims as its own territory and threatens to conquer by force if necessary.
Neighborhood airs views on calming traffic
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3 SECTIONS, 32 PAGES VOL. 120, NO. 270
A hot, stormy afternoon giving way to a mostly cloudy, humid evening. HIGH 94, LOW 72
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