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C1 VOL. 118, NO. 245 WWW.THEITEM.COM
SUNDAY, AUGUST 4, 2013 | SUMTER, SOUTH CAROLINA
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Local law enforcement ready for National Night Out BY ROBERT J. BAKER bbaker@theitem.com It’s 6 p.m. Tuesday. Do you know where your children are? Sumter and Clarendon law-enforcement officials hope you all are taking part in any one of the numerous National Night Out events being held by communities that want criminals to know they are not afraid to stand up FILE PHOTO and stand against crime. A family poses for a photo with McGruff the Crime Dog in 2011 at the “National Night Out is Sumter County Sheriff’s Office’s National Night Out Rally. designed to heighten
crime-prevention awareness, foster police-community partnerships and strengthen neighborhood relationships, while sending a clear message to criminals that crime will not be tolerated in our community,” said Sumter Police Chief Russell Roark. The police department is not holding a single event, but rather encouraging communities throughout the city and
Police organize gun buy back BY BRISTOW MARCHANT bmarchant@theitem.com Anyone with an unwanted gun in their home and in search of a way to get rid of it will have a chance to trade it in for a free gift card this weekend. The Sumter Police Department is holding an anonymous gun buy back event Saturday in hopes of
SEE NIGHT OUT, PAGE A5
SEE BUY BACK, PAGE A5
Can she talk to animals? Sumter teen wildly passionate about all kinds of critters BY RANDY BURNS Special to The Item Colby Cole of Sumter is not like any 13-yearold you have ever met. She has green hair. She is home schooled by her mom. She doesn’t wear shoes. She doesn’t
play video games. There is no photo of Justin Bieber on her bedroom wall. And, she shares her room with three rats, two turtles, four snakes and three lizards. The family dog JoJo also stays inside, and there are always
dogs, cats and chicks in the backyard. And there are plenty of stuffed bears, birds, turkeys and deer heads adorning the walls throughout the house. Colby said she doesn’t remember life without animals. When she was 3 years o old, Colby went dove hunting with her parents — Jimmy
and Kathy Cole. When Colby discovered one dove was still alive, she picked it up and talked her parents into taking the bird home with them. With their help, she went on to nurse the bird back to health. “I guess that was the start of it,” Colby’s mother said. “There’s no telling what she’s going to bring SEE COLBY, PAGE A6
ABOVE LEFT: Colby is seen at Edisto State Park with a wild raccoon. LEFT: Colby went dove hunting with her mom and dad when she was 3 years old and rescued a dove. Colby took it home and nursed it back to health. Ten years later, she is still rescuing animals and taking them home. ABOVE RIGHT: Colby Cole holds a few of her favorite critters while her snake hangs from her neck. PHOTOS PROVIDED
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