December 5, 2015 by The Sumter Item

Strong hiring could clear way for interest rate hike Economy’s growth might lead to December increase SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2015

75 CENTS

BY CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER AP Economics Writer

SERVING SOUTH CAROLINA SINCE OCTOBER 15, 1894 2 SECTIONS, 16 PAGES | VOL. 121, NO. 44

WASHINGTON — The U.S. economy generated another month of solid hiring in November, making

it highly likely the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates from record lows this month. Employers added 211,000 jobs last month, led by big gains in construction and retail, the government said Friday. And the government revised up its estimated job growth for September and October by a combined 35,000.

The unemployment rate remained a low 5 percent for a second-straight month. More Americans began looking for jobs in November, and most found them. Employers have now added an average of 213,000 jobs a month during the past six months.

SEE ECONOMY, PAGE A7

REVIEW

Caroling for a crowd

‘The Wiz Live!’ will go to Broadway Playful musical features pop stars, updated vibe A5 RELIGION

Find our 8-page special section about our faith today C1 DEATHS, A7

KEITH GEDAMKE / THE SUMTER ITEM

The Wilder Elementary School choir sings “Silent Night” in German for the crowd attending the lighting of the Sumter County Christmas tree at the courthouse on Friday afternoon. After local choruses performed, children and their parents took the annual Walk with Saint Nick to the Sumter County Library for refreshments and storytelling.

David E. Johnson Orilee B. Turner James F. Hampton Kevin Belser Carrie F. Wilson Kenneth E. Hudak

WEATHER, A8 PLENTY OF SUN Mostly sunny today and clear tonight HIGH 60, LOW 36

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Sumter marks Arbor Day with park’s new tree BY ADRIENNE SARVIS adrienne@theitem.com City of Sumter celebrated 29 years as a Tree City USA community by replacing a tree at Memorial Park during its annual Arbor Day observance Friday. Sumter, along with more than 3,400 other communities across the country, is recognized by Tree City USA, established in 1976 by the National Arbor Day Foundation, for its commitment to urban forestry projects. During the ceremony, Mayor Joe McElveen read a proclama-

KEITH GEDAMKE / THE SUMTER ITEM

Andre Witherspoon, Jerome Stanley, city arborist Brock McDaniel and Master Gardener Dave Bilger work to plant a Chinese Evergreen Oak in Memorial Park on Friday to celebrate Arbor Day. tion declaring Dec. 4 as Arbor Day in the city. He said Memorial Park is a fitting place to house a unique collection of trees.

Several of Sumter’s Master Gardeners and members of the Council of Garden Clubs attended

SEE ARBOR DAY, PAGE A7

After 78-day trip, woman completes outdoor survival course BY KONSTANTIN VENGEROWSKY konstantin@theitem.com Sumter native Griffith Britton, 23, lived off the grid for a few months while taking an adventure of a lifetime. Britton participated in a spring semester course in Baja California Sur, Mexico, with the National Outdoor Leadership School from Jan. 29 through April 16. Britton, a Wilson Hall graduate in college, received four hours of college credit for a 78-day trip involving hiking the entire width of the Baja peninsula, sailing 126 miles and kayaking 100 miles in the

Sumter native Griffith Britton, far right, 23, sails with a group of students and instructors in the National Outdoor Leadership School in the Sea of Cortez, which separates the Baja California Peninsula from the Mexican mainland. Britton completed a 78-day spring semester course in Baja California Sur, Mexico, that involved hiking the width of the Baja peninsula, sailing 126 miles and kayaking 100 miles. PHOTO PROVIDED

Sea of Cortez. Britton, 11 classmates and three instructors from across

the nation and Canada completed the NOLS Spring Semester in Baja equipped with

technical outdoor skills, wilderness ethics and leadership skills.

Before the trip, Britton said she did not have experience in sailing and limited experience hiking, although she’s always enjoyed the outdoors. The group began its journey by hiking from the Pacific Ocean in Baja California Sur, Mexico, to the Sea of Cortez. Students carried all of their gear and food on their backs for about 62 miles, Britton said. They used portable gas stoves to heat up their food and set up tarps to sleep under. “Sometimes we would just sleep under the stars,” she said. “It was some of the most

SEE NOLS, PAGE A7

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2015

THE SUMTER ITEM

Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: pressrelease@theitem.com

LOCAL BRIEFS

Man arrested in cocaine bust pleads guilty

FROM STAFF REPORTS

Lee County to consider changes in zoning Lee County Council will hold its regular monthly meeting at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday in the Main Council Chamber of the Lee County Courthouse, 130 Council St., Bishopville. Items on the agenda include an amendment to the county zoning ordinance, proposed zoning changes from development district to rural district for properties owned by the Longview Family Limited Partnership and property owned by Edward Alexander, as well as the second reading of an ordinance approving a lease of county-owned property for private use. Also on the agenda are committee reports and the administrator’s report. Anyone who needs auxiliary aids may call Clerk to Council Julie Atkinson (803) 484-5341 extension 323.

FROM STAFF REPORTS According to a news release from District of South Carolina U.S. Attorney Bill Nettles, 39-year-old Bryant C. Ford pleaded guilty in federal court in Columbia on Friday to conspiracy to possess cocaine with intent to distribute and conspiracy to distribute cocaine. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Terry L. Wooten presided over the guilty plea hearing and will sentence Ford after the U.S. Probation Office prepares a presence report. Ford is one of 19 individuals who were arrested in Oc-

tober for their alleged involvement in a major cocaine distribution ring in Sumter, Aiken, Lexington, Saluda, Richland and Lee counties, according to local law enforcement statements earlier this year. Approximately 10 kilograms of cocaine, more than $750,000 in cash and more than 40 firearms were seized by law enforcement during the arrests. The release from the U.S. Attorney states that evidence gathered during the months-long investigation into drug trafficking in and across Sumter established that Ford, of Mableton,

Georgia, brought more than 40 kilograms of cocaine into South Carolina between September 2014 and June 2015. The investigation concluded on June 16 after Ford brought 5 kilograms of cocaine, in exchange for cash, to supply his codefendant Harold McFadden during an exchange outside of Augusta, Georgia. Troopers with South Carolina Highway Patrol, working in conjunction with Federal Bureau of Investigation and Sumter Police Department, conducted a traffic stop of McFadden near Aiken after his meeting with Ford.

Troopers found the powder cocaine hidden inside a secret compartment in the dashboard of a Chrysler van, which Ford had previously provided to McFadden. After Ford returned to Mableton, Georgia, FBI Atlanta executed a search warrant at his home and found more than $300,000 in cash, cocaine and various drug and money laundering paraphernalia. The case was investigated by FBI and Sumter Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys J.D. Rowell and Jay Richardson prosecuted the case.

Chamber of Commerce hosts Holiday Party

12 Bridges Road will close for 5 months A road construction company has announced plans to shut down 12 Bridges Road from Old Manning Road to U.S. 521 beginning Jan. 4, 2016. Cape Romain Contractors will be replacing bridges, building new roadway shoulders and paving the bridge approaches, according to information supplied by the contractor. The road should reopen in May. Property owners will continue to have access to their properties during the construction. Vehicles will detour using Old Manning Road to Pocalla Road to U.S. 521.

Local man wanted for 1st-degree burglary Sumter County Sheriff’s Office placed 53-year-old Darryl Terence Johnson on its Most Wanted list Thursday evening and is actively seeking information into the suspect’s whereabouts. Johnson, JOHNSON whose last known address is 106 Carolina Ave. in Sumter, is wanted on arrest warrants for first-degree burglary and felon in possession of a firearm charges. The suspect is wanted in connection with a Nov. 30 burglary, during which several firearms and electronic devices were reportedly stolen from a residence. Johnson is described as a black male standing 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighing approximately 140 pounds. He is bald with brown eyes and could have a thin mustache. Anyone with information about Johnson’s whereabouts is asked to contact Sumter County Sheriff’s Office at (803) 436-2000 or CrimeStoppers at (803) 436-2718.

RICK CARPENTER / THE SUMTER ITEM

Joy Cann, left, donned her Santa suit for Thursday’s Greater Sumter Chamber of Commerce Holiday Party at the O’Donnell House and networked with Aimee Hesseling and Anand Vora.

Sen. Scott hears from businesses, farmers hurt by flood BY JIM HILLEY jim@theitem.com U.S. Sen. Tim Scott held a Senate subcommittee on small business and entrepreneurship hearing Friday in Columbia City Hall. At the hearing, Jeremy Cannon, a Turbeville farmer, told Scott and others in attendance that after a summer of drought, he still had hopes of “finishing in the black” at his SCOTT family’s 1,700-acre farm. “Twenty inches of rain washed all remaining hope away,” Cannon said. Cannon said he is not sure people realize how it has affected the farm community. “Without crops there is nothing to sell,” he said. He said the most crop insurance will cover is 80 percent of a farmer’s crop losses, with the average farmer getting 70 to 75 percent. He said that with current low commodity prices, it is only about half of what farmers need.

Cannon, who has acted as the unofficial spokesman for the South Carolina farm community, said farming was his only livelihood. “This is my heritage and my family,” he said. “Throw out a lifeline.” Scott listened intently and expressed his concern as he listened to Cannon, S.C. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Ted Pitts and Michael Marsha, owner of Forest Lakes Fabrics in Columbia, testify about their damage from the floods and their experience with government agencies. “A lot of folks are very anxious about their ability to recover without some assistance,” he said. The senator said Congress had been able to restore $3 billion to the crop insurance fund, but what is unclear is how that will affect payments to South Carolina farmers to cover losses from the floods. Pitts said damage in the state is nearing the $1.5 billion mark. “No part of the state economy hasn’t been hit,” he said. Pitts said he was especially troubled by how the floods devastated the agri-

culture industry. “Agriculture affects all aspects of the economy,” he said. After the hearing, Cannon said the congressional delegation has been working to put money for farmers in the budget. “I think the money is going to be available for the farmers; now we have to see if the governor is going to request the money or not,” Cannon said. “The ball is in Gov. Nikki Haley’s court. If the governor doesn’t request it, we are never going to get it.” The South Carolina Senate subcommittee on the flooding will meet at 10 a.m. Monday in Room 105 of the Gressette Building, 1101 Pendleton St., on the Statehouse grounds in Columbia. State Sen. Thomas McElveen, who is on the subcommittee, said he was unsure if any state money should come from the state budget or a bond bill. “All I know is the money has to come from somewhere to get people some relief,” he said. Agriculture Secretary Hugh Weathers is among those expected to testify at Monday’s hearing.

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2015

FBI: California shooting investigated as act of terrorism SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (AP) — The FBI said Friday that it is officially investigating the mass shooting in California as an act of terrorism, while a U.S. law enforcement official revealed that the woman who helped her husband carry out the attack had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group and its leader on Facebook under an alias. David Bowdich, assistant director of the FBI’s Los Angeles office, would

not give further details about why the bureau made the determination, saying at a news conference that “there’s a number of pieces of evidence that has pushed us off the cliff.” Syed Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, killed 14 people at the holiday party for his co-workers. The Muslim couple died hours later in a fierce gunbattle with police. A Facebook official said Tashfeen Malik praised the leader of the Islam-

ic State group in a post at 11 a.m. Wednesday, when the couple were thought to have stormed a San Bernardino social service center and opened fire. The Facebook official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not allowed under corporate policy to be quoted by name, said the company discovered the account Thursday. It removed the profile from public view and reported its contents

to law enforcement. Malik, 27, was a Pakistani who grew up in Saudi Arabia and came to the U.S. in 2014 on a fiancée visa. Farook, a 28-year-old restaurant health inspector for the county, was born in Chicago to Pakistani parents and raised in Southern California. Another U.S. official said Malik expressed “admiration” for the extremist group’s leader on Facebook under the alias account.

Influence of churches now waning across South BY JAY REEVES The Associated Press SYLACAUGA, Ala. — Prayers said and the closing hymn sung, tea-drinking churchgoers fill Marble City Grill for Sunday lunch. But hard on their heels comes the afternoon crowd: craft beer-drinking, NFL-watching football fans. Such a scene would have been impossible just months ago because Sunday alcohol sales were long illegal in Sylacauga, hometown of both the actor who played TV’s Gomer Pyle and the white marble used to construct the U.S. Supreme Court building. While the central Alabama city of 12,700 has only one hospital, four public schools and 21 red lights, the chamber of commerce directory lists 78 churches. Yet few were surprised when residents voted overwhelmingly in September to legalize Sunday alcohol sales. Churches lacked either the heart or influence to stop it. That shift is part of a broad pattern across the South: Churches are losing their grip on a region where they could long set community standards with a pulpitpounding sermon or, more subtly, a sideward glance toward someone walking into a liquor store. In metro Atlanta, youth sports teams regularly practice and play games on Sunday mornings and Wednes-

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Owner Dee Walker talks to a customer Nov. 17 at The Fermenter’s Market at The Rex, a craft beer and wine shop now open on Sunday after voters in Sylacauga, Alabama, decided to legalize alcohol sales on Sunday. The change is part of a broad pattern across the South as churches lose their grip on a region where they could long set community standards. day nights — times that were strictly off-limits a generation ago because they conflicted with church worship services. In Mississippi, dozens of businesses display anti-discrimination stickers distributed by a gay rights group rather than worry about a church-based backlash. “It doesn’t matter who wants to buy a house,” said real estate agent Diana Britt, who drives around Jackson, Mississippi, in a work vehicle decorated with one of the stickers. “If they want to buy a house, I’ll sell them a house.” Church-based crusaders against gambling also are on a losing streak as all but two Southern states, Alabama and Mississippi, have lotteries. And, perhaps most tellingly, a recent survey by the Pew Research Center showed 19 percent of Southerners don’t identify with any organized religion. That’s fewer

“nones” than in other regions, but the number is up 6 percentage points in the

South since 2007. The South is still the Bible Belt, and that same Pew sur-

vey found that church affiliation remains stronger in the states of the old Confederacy than anywhere else in the United States. Seventysix percent of Southerners call themselves Christians, and political advertisements often show candidates in or near church. Religious conservatives remain a powerful force in many Southern statehouses. Still, the same South that often holds itself apart from the rest of the country is becoming more like other U.S. regions when it comes to organized religion, said Jessica Martinez, a senior researcher in religion and public life at Pew. And while race divides many things in the South, the trend is evident among blacks, whites and Hispanic adults, she said. “We’ve seen this sort of broader shift throughout the country as a whole with fewer people identifying as being part of the religious base,” she said. “In the South, you see a pattern very similar to what we are seeing in other regions.”

FREE SPEAKING PROGRAMS Glenn Givens is an Attorney and Experienced Speaker who is offering free speaking programs to local social, civic, religious, school and business organizations with 15 or more meeting attendees. Are you an organization looking for an upcoming speaker? Are you an employer or administrator who wants to reward your employees by offering an informative program? Glenn is offering speaking programs for Sumter, Clarendon and Lee Counties on the following separate topics from which to select: 1. Wills and Dying without a Will; 2. Trusts and Avoiding Probate and Distribution Planning; 3. Health and Financial Powers of Attorney and Living Wills. The programs allow for audience participation and questions during and after the program. If you are interested and have at least 15 meeting attendees, contact Glenn at (803) 418-0800; ext. 108.

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(HD) days (HD) 112 Fixer Upper (HD) Home on the Ranch (HD) Home on the Ranch (HD) House Hunters (N) (HD) Hunters (HD) Hunters (HD) The Ranch 110 Swamp People (HD) Swamp People (HD) Swamp People (HD) Swamp People Bait stealer. (HD) (:03) Swamp People (HD) Swamp (HD) Merry Kissmas (‘15, Romance) Karissa Staples. Woman thinks she may The 12 Wishes of Christmas (‘11, Holiday) Elisa Dono160 A Christmas Kiss II (‘14, Holiday) Elisabeth Harnois. A woman shares a whimsical kiss with a billionaire, but later resists his charm. have met “the one” after kissing stranger in an elevator. (HD) van. A fashion designer regrets her wishes. 145 A Gift Wrapped Christmas (‘15, Hol- The Flight Before Christmas (‘15, Holiday) Mayim Bialik. Two strangers get (:02) Dear Santa (‘11, Holiday) aac Amy Acker. A little girl writes a letter (:02) Flight Before iday) Meredith Hagner. (HD) stuck in snowstorm. (HD) to Santa asking him to bring her dad a new wife. (HD) (‘15) (HD) 76 I Married the Beltway Sniper The D.C. Sniper. (HD) Lockup Changing laws. (HD) Lockup (N) (HD) Lockup Two murder trials. (HD) Lockup (HD) 91 Thunderman Henry Ho Ho Holiday Special (N) Make Pop (N) Shakers Full House Full House Friends (HD) Friends (HD) Friends (HD) 154 Cops (HD) Cops (HD) Cops (N) (HD) Cops (HD) Cops (HD) Cops (HD) Back to the Future (‘85, Science Fiction) Michael J. Fox. Changing the past. (HD) 152 (6:30) The Day After Tomorrow (‘04, Drama) Dennis Quaid. A climatolo- The Lost World: Jurassic Park (‘97, Science Fiction) aaa Jeff Goldblum. A team of experts studies dinosaurs King Kong (‘05) gist tries to warn the world about a cataclysmic shift in climate. in their natural state on a secret island. (HD) aaa (HD) 2 Broke Girls The Big Bang Billy On The Big Bang The Big Bang The Big Bang The Big Bang Olympus Has Fallen (‘13, Action) aaa Gerard Butler. 156 2 Broke Girls (HD) (HD) Theory (HD) Theory (HD) Theory (HD) Theory (HD) Theory (HD) A guard searches for the president. Cour age of Lassie (‘46, Fam ily) Sun set Bou le vard (‘50, Drama) aaaa Wil liam Holden. A strug gling Su san Slept Here (‘54, Com edy) aa Dick Powell. A screenwriter takes on In a Lonely Place 186 aac Elizabeth Taylor. Dog of war. writer is drawn into the decadent world of an aging film star. the thankless task of looking after a delinquent girl. (‘50) aaac 157 Real Life Mysteries (HD) Real Life Mysteries (HD) Real Life Mysteries (HD) Real Life Mysteries (HD) Real Life Mysteries (HD) Mysteries Agent X (HD) 158 The Blind Side (‘09, Drama) Sandra The Hunger Games (‘12, Action) aaa Jennifer Lawrence. In a post-apocalyptic future, an annual event is held Agent X: Pilot Vice President is Bullock. A boy gets help. (HD) in which 24 young people are pitted against each other in a bloody game of survival. (HD) granted secret agent. (HD) 102 World’s Dumbest... (HD) World’s Dumbest... (HD) World’s Dumbest... (HD) World’s Dumbest... (HD) (:01) World’s Dumbest... (HD) Dumbest (HD) 161 (5:30) Road House (‘89) aac (HD) Instant (N) Instant (N) Raymond (HD) Raymond (HD) Raymond (HD) Raymond (HD) Queens (HD) Queens (HD) Queens (HD) Modern Family Modern Family Modern Family 132 (6:30) Baby Mama (‘08, Comedy) aac Amy Poehler. Bridesmaids (‘11, Comedy) aaa Kristen Wiig. A lovelorn and broke woman accepts to be Executive chooses obnoxious surrogate. her best friend’s maid of honor. (HD) (HD) (HD) (HD) Law & Order: Haven (HD) Law & Order: Sideshow (HD) Law & Order: Disciple (HD) Law & Order: Harm (HD) Law & Order: Shield (HD) Law (HD) 172 Blue Bloods: Moonlighting (HD) Blue Bloods: The Uniform (HD) Blue Bloods: Leap of Faith (HD) Blue Bloods: The Job (HD) Parks (HD) Parks (HD) Parks (HD)

An all-star salute, celebration of Ol’ Blue Eyes BY KEVIN MCDONOUGH William Shatner is in a Christmas movie! Some things, even movies as ridiculous as “Just in Time for Christmas” (8 p.m. Saturday, Hallmark), cannot be ignored. Eloise Mumford stars as Lindsay Rogers, a perky, girlnext-door type, who, in the logic of TV movies, is a philosophy professor just a few years older than her students. They love her for her deep, provocative thoughts about life’s big choices. When not writing her dissertation, she’s deeply in love with her small-town boyfriend, Jason (Michael StahlDavid), a pastry chef and coffee shop owner. On her way to a date with Jason, Lindsay receives a call from the Yale University Press. The editors seem eager to publish her dissertation. They think it can be a best-seller! Yale wants to hire her as a professor! Tenure awaits! Opportunities abound! In a movie filled with time travel and supernatural events, the notion that a university press edition of a philosophy dissertation might be a bestseller is the greatest miracle of them all! But I digress. Of course this big break coincides with a proposal from Jason. Not to give too much away, but after breaking Jason’s heart, Lindsay takes a walk near a harbor. There, she encounters Coachman Nick (William Shatner!), a mystical horse-and-buggy driver who sports a gray goatee not unlike Burl Ives’ snowman in “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” He offers pleasant, cryptic advice before magically disappearing, leaving Lindsay stranded — three years in the future. It’s then that she sees what life would have been like had she left town and become a celebrated author and professor. To underscore the movie’s time-travel theme, Lindsay’s grandfather is played by Christopher Lloyd (“Back to the Future”). This premieres the same night as NBC’s first re-airing of “It’s a Wonderful Life” (8 p.m.). In fact, a clip from the movie appears in “Just in Time for Christmas.” It’s interesting to compare the themes of the two movies. Made in 1946, after a decade and a half of depres-

HEATHER WINES / CBS

Lady Gaga performs at the “Sinatra 100 — An All-Star Grammy Concert” airing at 9 p.m. Sunday on CBS. sion and six years of World War II, “Wonderful” taught us that a life of sacrifice and living for others could still be a rich and rewarding one. “It’s a Wonderful Life” uses a supernatural time warp to show George the virtues of his ways, not unlike Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” which uses the device to show Scrooge the errors of his. “Just in Time for Christmas” shows how our abundance of choices makes us crazy. Along the way, the time-travel fantasy warns Lindsay (not to mention the film’s female audience) that if she even thinks about pursuing an ambitious career, she will suffer a psychotic breakdown and dark existential nightmare. Merry Christmas! But at least she got to meet William Shatner. • Julie closes in on Victor’s father on “The Returned” (10 p.m. Saturday, Sundance, TV14). While this season has been as creepy as the first, the story’s increasing complexity has grown baffling. Not a sophomore slump on the order of

“True Detective,” but a disappointment. • Six days shy of Ol’ Blue Eyes’ centennial, “Sinatra 100 — An All-Star Grammy Concert” (9 p.m. Sunday, CBS) salutes the Hoboken, New Jersey-born crooner with an all-star fete taped earlier this month at the Wynn Las Vegas hotel and casino. Look for Tony Bennett, Garth Brooks, Alicia Keys, John Legend, Adam Levine, Carrie Underwood, Usher and others to celebrate Frank Sinatra and interpret the many songs he made popular. Few other artists remained so popular and influential as they matured. In his 20s and 30s Sinatra melted the hearts of bobby-soxers, but as he entered middle age, he appealed to an audience of both genders by exploring the aching longing associated with the autumn of one’s years. In the mid-1960s, when most of his contemporary artists were washed away by a tidal wave of boomer-centric youth culture, Sinatra remained popular and relevant by singing of the melancholy

(“It Was a Very Good Year”) and valedictory (“My Way”). Sinatra did not necessarily make for good television. Perhaps he was too “hot” for a “cool” medium. He had variety shows on ABC and CBS during the 1950s that were neither critical nor ratings successes. Arguably Sinatra’s most popular TV appearance saw him serving as host of the “Welcome Home Elvis” special in 1960, when Presley returned from the Army. Sinatra’s other television specials from the 1960s were prestige affairs, like “A Man and His Music,” which earned both a Peabody and an Emmy. He spent the following decades moving in and out of retirement and receiving accolades on all-star televised affairs similar to tonight’s posthumous celebration. The singer’s relationship with TV lasted until the very end. Sinatra died on the evening of May 14, 1998, when most of the media and tens of millions of Americans were glued to the series finale of “Seinfeld.” At the time, the conclusion of “the show about nothing” appeared to have overshadowed his passing. But in the long run, the memory of the man who sang “All or Nothing at All” has endured. • Spoiler alert: Things didn’t look too good for Quinn at the exciting conclusion of last week’s “Homeland” (9 p.m. Showtime, TV-MA). Jack Bauer (or Batman) would survive. But this isn’t “24” or a comic book. Is it?

CULT CHOICE Hidden furniture, stashed with loot, propels the plot of the 1970 comedy “The Twelve Chairs” (8 p.m. Sunday, TCM), directed by Mel Brooks, as well as “It’s in the Bag” (10 p.m.), from 1945, starring radio “rivals” Fred Allen and Jack Benny.

SATURDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS • College football action includes the Big 10 Championship with Iowa vs. Michigan State (8 p.m., Fox) and the ACC Championship with Clemson vs. North Carolina (8 p.m., ABC). • A storm forces two strangers (Mayim Bialik and Ryan McPartlin) to share a room in the 2015 holiday comedy “The Flight Before Christmas” (8 p.m.,

Lifetime). What could go wrong? • Cable stars appear on the “Nickelodeon Ho Ho Holiday Special” (8 p.m., TV-G). • A tangle with the Time Lords on “Doctor Who” (9 p.m., BBC America, TV-PG). • A druggy dream proves illuminating on “Ash vs Evil Dead” (9 p.m., Starz, TV-MA).

SUNDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS • A spoiled teen gets a lesson in humility on “Beverly Hills Christmas” (7 p.m., UP). • Scheduled on “60 Minutes” (7 p.m., CBS): legal and ethical qualms about recruiting youthful offenders as confidential informants in drug cases. • The Pittsburgh Steelers host the Indianapolis Colts in “Sunday Night Football” (8:20 p.m., NBC). • The new series “Work Out New York” (9 p.m., Bravo, TV-14) profiles the personal trainers and workout instructors who keep Manhattan spinning. • “Serial Thriller” (9 p.m. and 10 p.m., ID, concluding Monday, TV-14) spends three hours over two nights on a vintage abduction case. • Alex faces a ticking clock on “Quantico” (10 p.m., ABC). • M.K.’s powers seem boundless on “Into the Badlands” (10 p.m., AMC, TV-14). • DiDi tries to figure out a way to keep the ward open on “Getting On” (10:15 p.m., HBO, TV-MA).

SATURDAY SERIES Gibbs goes after frauds on “NCIS” (8 p.m., CBS, r, TV-PG) * Pride goes to Kabul on “NCIS: New Orleans” (9 p.m., CBS, r, TVPG) * “48 Hours” (10 p.m., CBS).

SUNDAY SERIES Lisa champions an unsung heroine on “The Simpsons” (8 p.m., Fox, TV-PG) * Swan songs on “Once Upon a Time” (8 p.m., ABC) * Unfriendly competition on “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” (8:30 p.m., Fox, TV-14) * In the slammer on “Family Guy” (9 p.m., Fox, TV-14) * Hap vows to avenge Carla on “Blood & Oil” (9 p.m., ABC) * Carol feels festive on “The Last Man on Earth” (9:30 p.m., Fox, TV-14). Copyright 2015, United Feature Syndicate

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REVIEWS

Find Christmas spirit with ‘Miracle on 34th Street’ BY JANE G. COLLINS Special to The Sumter Item The Sumter Item does not usually review youth productions, but the cast places Sumter Little Theatre’s “Miracle on 34th Street” in a fine line between a youth and adult play. The story certainly provides insightful entertainment for all ages, and, in many ways, the production emphasizes that many times “the play’s the thing.” The students portraying the elves afford great energy and staging in the opening scene and manage to serve as effective stagehands as well. They are consistent in character and

CATCH THE SHOW Sumter Little Theatre presents “Miracle on 34th Street” through Sunday and Dec. 10 through 13. Thursday through Saturday shows begin at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday matinees at 3 p.m. Tickets are now on sale and priced at $20 for adults and $15 for students, seniors and military. Call (803) 775-2150 to make reservations or visit the website at www.sumterlittletheatre.com.

enthusiasm throughout the performance. Hazel Grace Kolb has a firm understanding of her character

Susan, as does William Paul Brown as Kris Kringle. Despite some rough timing with dialogue and staging, the cast members do an adequate job of creating their roles. The important element, however, is in the plot and the strong emphasis on the importance of imagination to enrich one’s life. The play’s conflicts and themes manage to underscore human behavior and attitudes. Eric Reisenauer brings fantastic fun to his role of Sawyer, the Macy’s employee trying to discredit Kris Kringle. Pompous, sardonic, deliciously arrogant and priggish, he stalks his prey,

taking notes with the “Pink Panther” theme playing to underscore his sneaky behavior. Music plays another wonderful role with the humorous inclusion of the “Perry Mason” theme to serve as a foundation for the court scenes. Although opening night had its fair share of glitches, the production offers a wonderfully “feel good” venue to put people in the holiday spirit. Macy’s Christmas message “Believe” is prominently clear in both the colorful stage design and dialogue. As for me, I will continue to hang up my stocking. So far the big guy has not left me “empty stockinged.”

‘The Wiz Live!’ has real heart and playfulness 19-year-old newcomer Shanice NEW YORK (AP) — The Williams as Dorothy, who got third time’s the charm for stronger as the night went on NBC. and who crushed the song’s fiAn exuberant, inventive nale, “Home;” a strong Queen “The Wiz Live!” on Thursday Latifah as the Wiz with real night breathed new life into stage presence; Amber Riley, a the notion of full-scale musivery blue good witch of the cals on live TV with a happy North who destroyed “He’s the serving of ’70s soul and R&B, Wizard;” and a perfectly evil updated with a 2015 vibe. Mary J. Blige as Starring a the Wicked nice mix of pop Witch of the music heavyWest. weights, HollyBut it was the wood stars and guys on ThursBroadway veterday who really ans, the show shined: Ne-Yo, had a heart and as a winning Tin playfulness that Man, moving was missing fluidly despite a from “The rusty suit, who Sound of Music beautifully deLive!” with Carlivered “To Be rie Underwood Able to Feel;” and “Peter Pan Elijah Kelley as Live!” It even Queen Latifah as The Wiz is came in under seen during a dress rehearsal an athletic, three hours. of “The Wiz Live!” in New York. loose-limbed Scarecrow, who This time 12 gave us a funky “You Can’t cameras on Long Island capWin” while hoisted on a pole; tured even higher stakes with and a dreadlocked, extremely complicated costumes, fire furry David Alan Grier as the bursts, LED screens, a live Cowardly Lion, one who gets dog, smoke and Cirque Du Soseriously frisky with some leil acrobats in bouncy prospoppies. thetic stilts that looked sort of After a slowish, understated like curved snowshoes. And, start in the Kansas countryin a nice touch, Stephanie side and an underwhelming Mills, the original Broadway tornado scene, the show got Dorothy, played Auntie Em. into a groove once the four The TV musical starred

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From left, Ne-Yo as Tin-Man, Shanice Williams as Dorothy and Elijah Kelley as Scarecrow are seen during a dress rehearsal of “The Wiz Live!” in New York on Nov. 30. pals eased on down the road. The four had real chemistry, and each served the piece respectfully. The show was adapted from “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” by L. Frank Baum, with a book by William F. Brown and music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls. The production opened on Broadway in 1975 and won seven Tonys, including best musical. A 1978 movie version of “The Wiz” starred Diana Ross, Lena Horne and Richard Pryor. Michael Jackson costarred as the Scarecrow, with

Nipsey Russell as the Tin Man and Ted Ross as the Lion. “The Wiz Live!” honored its rich history and yet also added to it. The live event was directed with good cheer and genuine spirit by Tony Award-winner Kenny Leon and mixed songs from the stage and film. If anything, the high level of the performances exposed some weaknesses in the original songs and story. New material was written by Harvey Fierstein, who included iPad and cholesterol jokes and a bad Spice Girls reference. A dynamite new song

that served as the Act One closer, “We Got It,” was partly written by Ne-Yo and Kelley, a cool development that meant the Tin Man and Scarecrow got writing credits this time. This version of “The Wiz” is being planned for an extended life — on Broadway — and this telecast will surely boost that effort. It will join “Wicked,” which ran a commercial during the telecast, as if in welcome. There’s room for both these Oz tales, and for “The Wiz,” it will mean that Dorothy has once again returned “home.”

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ONLINE DIRECTORY Visit theitem.com to see these advertisers dvertisers with live links to their website: WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBE

FROM THE U.S. CENSUS NSUS BUREAU In the fall of 1621, the Pilgrims — early settlers of Plymouth Colony three-day feast to celebrate — held a harvest. rvest. This event is regardeda bountiful by many as the nation’s first Thanksgiving. The Wampanoag oag Indians in attendance played a key role. Historians storians have recorded ceremonies of thanks among mong other groups of European settlers in North These include the British orth America. colonists nists in Virginia as early as The legacy of thanks 1619. and st have survived the centuries, the feast as became a national holiday the eventt be 152 years ago go (Oct. 3, 1863) when President Abraham m Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday off November as a national day of thanksgivving. Later, President Franklin clarified that Thanksgiving Roosevelt should alwayss be celebrated on the fourth the month to encourage Thursday of shopping, never on the earlier holidayy occasional fifthh Thursday.

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20 adoptions fin in time for the hoalized lidays

WHERE TO FEASTT 117 million

Number of occupied housing across cross ss the nation in the second units ac quarter 2 — all potential stops uarter of 2015 for Thanksgiving Thanksgiviing dinner. nner.

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Number of multigenerationa l househol households lds in the U.S. in 2014. It is households, consisting possible thesee of re generations, will have three or more to purchase largee quantities of food to accommodate all the thhe family members sitting around the table for the holiday holida feast f — even if there e aree no guests!

Number of places in the named after the holiday’ United States s traditional main course. Turkey Creek Village, Louisiana, was the most populous in residents, followed by 2014, with 443 Turkey Creek, Arizona (412), Turkey City, Texas key Town, North Carolina (396) and Tur(296). There are also 11 townships in the U.S. with “Turkey” inn the thhe name.

Lafayette Gold & Silver Exchange THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Carrie Fitzsimmons takes her first flight on Birdly, a virtual reality flying machine, under the direction of Jonathan Talit, back, at Le Laboratoire Cambridge in Cambridge, Massachussetts, on Thursday. The simulator that lets people sample flight as a bird has been drawing crowds.

Bird flight simulator lets dreamers soar CAMBRIDGE, Massachussetts (AP) — With a few flaps of his arms, Kip Fenton soared into the New York City skyline, veering around a sea of skyscrapers as the wind whistled in his ears. Then, all too soon, the goggles came off and he was back in a bright white room near Boston, no longer a bird but a 59-year-old software developer in blue jeans and a green plaid shirt. Outside a tall window, a man with a cellphone stopped to snap a photo of Fenton and the odd contraption that had given him the sense of flight. “I’ve always wanted to fly,” said Fenton, of Holliston, Massachusetts. “It’s sort of one of those fantasy things where, if I could be an animal, I would be a bird.” The human fascination with flight is what inspired Max Rheiner, a Swiss artist and scholar, to invent the flight simulator that Fenton tested on Thursday. Called Birdly, the prototype is being exhibited through today at Le Laboratoire, a small art and design center tucked in Cambridge’s sprawling technology hub. “Birdly is actually the dream of flying come true,” said Rheiner, who has been taking his invention around the world since the summer of 2014. It looks like a futuristic examination table with wings. Users climb on, belly down, and stretch their arms out to either side, resting their palms flat against tilting boards that act as the flight feathers. After they slip on a set of headphones and virtual reality goggles, the machine tilts forward to bring their legs farther off the ground. Suddenly, the goggles fill up with a bird’s-eye view of Manhattan and everything is moving. During his test run, Fenton rotated his palms upward

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Number of places and townships in the United States that are named Cranberry, a popular side dish at Thanksgiving. Cranberry township (Butler County), Pennsylvania, was the most populous of these places in 2014, with 30,170 residents. Cranberry township (Venango Pennsylvania, was next County), (6,546).

Number of counties, places and townships in the United States named Plymouth, as in Plymouth Rock, the landing site of the first Pilgrims. The two counties, both named Plymouth, are in Massachusetts (507,022) and Iowa Plymouth, Minnesota, (24,874). is lous place, with 75,057 the most popuresidents in 2014. There are two places in the United States named Pilgrim: one, a township in Dade County, Missouri, had a population the other, a census designated of 129; Michigan, had a population place in of 36. And then there is Mayflower, population was 2,345, Arkansas, whose and lage, California, whose Mayflower Vilpopulation was 5,662.

Participants in the First Feast 24.4 million

umber of U.S. residents of y as of 2014. Some could English ancesbe descendants f the Plymo th l

Jayson Hoagland, second from the of their two youngest left, and his wife Jennifer, children. Eight-yearJayden, 4 months, old Jackson, center,second from the right, stand and his grandmoth with their newly JIM stands with his ers, Nancy Browne, expanded family HILLEY / THE SUMTER ITEM sister Jemma, 5, far left, and Sharon after the adoption brother Jentry, McMillion, far right. 22 months, youngest g sis ssister stter

Biaan Bian annnnnual ual eeve even veennntt prov pprr id iides d

BY ADRIENNE SARVIS adrienne@theitem.com

Just in time for days, 20 children the holiwere adopted into their forever families during Adoption Day at Sumter Finalization County Family

Sumterites grateful for family, friends

BY JIM HILLEY jim@theitem.com

15 families with

Court on Monday. Third Judicial Circuit Judge family court, really,” he George M. McFaddin said. The Jr. start- twice special day is held ed Adoption every year, once Finalization Day in 2008 to expedite in June and once in November the numer. ous backlogge November is d adoption also cases in the nized as National recogarea. “This is the happiest Month, declared Adoption such in 1995 day in by President Bill Clinton, to

flag from the Statehouse People around grounds to the are taking stock Sumter heroic efforts of their blessings this Thanksgivof South Caroing after a momentou linians helps year in the Palmetto HARVIN ing each other the Charleston State. From recover from shootings to the 1,000-year flood, it nearly twoseems as though feet of rain and South raging Carolina has floodwaters. reeled from one catastroph At a time like e to another. this, people But there is say they are much to b most tha kf l h

new members promote awareness of the children in need of permanent families. South Carolina of Social Services Department is promoting communit y education

SEE ADOPTION , PAGE A7

2 children killed in Monday blaze

BY ADRIENNE SARVIS adrienne@theitem.com

The start of the holiday season hit a low after two girls died Monday night in a Pinewood house fire. Sumter County Harvin Bullock Coroner 5-year-old Isa said the girls, C

and Clarendon counties stayed at the scene until 5 a.m. Tuesday. The residence with fire when was engulfed first responders arrived, Christmas said. He said there ple, including were four peothe two children in id

Open M-F 8:30-5:30, Sat 8-2 480 E. Liberty St. Sumter, SC 29150 (inside Coca-Cola Building Building))

803-773-8022

to climb toward the sky, the whole machine tilting his body upward, and then he reversed the motion to take a downward dive. To speed up, he flapped his long arms over and over. The whole time, a nearby fan rustled his hair, and the sound of wind whirred in the headphones. When he turned his head, he had a sweeping view of the entire horizon. “That was great. I loved it,” he said afterward. “The turning and the diving was all pretty straightforward.” Because there’s no way to know how a bird feels in flight, Rheiner and his team tried to replicate human dreams of flying. “People who have dreams about flying, they can just fly without training and they have great feelings,” he said. “We tried to model this experience like those dreams.” They aimed to make the maneuvers as intuitive as possible. After a couple minutes, most people pick it up naturally, Rheiner said. On Wednesday, the exhibit’s opening day, more than 100 visitors lined up to spend a few minutes trying the simulator. Since then, organizers have had to take appointments. Many give rave reviews, but some found it jarring. Carrie Fitzsimmons, the art center’s executive director, hopped off the simulator when it gave her vertigo. After more than a year, the Birdly team is winding down its tour and ramping up its company, Somniacs, which plans to manufacture and sell the simulator soon. It won’t be cheap to buy, Rheiner said, but they haven’t set a price yet. He’s also exploring whether the technology can be used in therapy, especially for people who use wheelchairs.

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THE SUMTER ITEM

ARBOR DAY FROM PAGE A1 the event. Ruth Ann Bigger, a local Master Gardener, said the city has been doing a great job replacing its older trees. Like everything, trees have a lifespan, she said. She said the Arbor Day ceremony is a good way to acknowledge the role trees play in our lives and the environment.

According to a news release from the city, Friday’s ceremony also served as a tribute to landscape architect Julia Lester Dillon, who designed Memorial Park, established in 1921 and created to honor those lost during World War I. The Chinese Evergreen Oak that was planted in the park Friday replaced the original that was planted by Dillon’s staff years ago and was lost after being struck by lightning this spring. City of Sumter arborist Brock McDaniel said the original oak was

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2015

brought to Sumter through Dillon’s connections to China and could be traced to the Chinese Evergreen Oak cuttings that are in production in the U.S. McDaniel said the new tree was grown at a nursery near Elloree and could be considered mature in about 25 years, though it could continue growing for the next 100 years. He said the city is very committed to its forestry efforts and replacing its older trees, and the oak was the seventh tree the city planted that day.

NOLS FROM PAGE A1 amazing beauty I’ve ever seen.” The terrain was diverse, from red rock mountain ranges to flatlands filled with low-lying cactus, she said. Students learned how to navigate using compasses, how to camp efficiently in the backcountry and be effective leaders in large groups, she said. Waking up before sunrise, participants would eat breakfast and then pack their bags for hikes going as long as eight miles some days. The outdoors was their classroom, with lessons on the environment, wilderness medicine training and more. Sometimes they would have cultural interactions with the natives. One night a man brought them a goat, which they cooked for dinner. “It was definitely an adventure,” Britton said. “One night a bull came up to where we were sleeping. We were able to chase it off, though.” The group went 17 days without showers and wearing the same shirts on their back, she said. Britton and the group transitioned from land to sea as they began the sailing portion of their semester. They traveled 126 miles in the Sea of Cortez along the coast of Baja California Sur. Students sailed 22-footlong Drascombe Longboats for about a month. They sailed for about five hours a day and camped on isolated island beaches under the stars. Besides learning how to sail, group members were also educated on marine biology and ocean ecosystems, Britton said. “I saw everything from Manta rays to whale sharks, dolphins and sea turtles,” she said. For the final section of their semester, the group kayaked 100 miles in about a month in the Sea of Cortez. They fished regularly and cooked their food. Students also did a lesson on wildlife, sea creatures or other nature they encountered for which they received a grade. Britton said she gained much from the experience, including a boost of confidence. “Being out there, I became the best version of myself,” Britton said. “I felt a sense of accomplishment and gained valuable life skills.”

PHOTO PROVIDED

Sumter native Griffith Britton, left, 23, is seen with a fellow classmate at San Basilio during the sailing section of the National Outdoor Leadership School. Britton completed a 78-day spring semester course in Baja California Sur, Mexico, that involved hiking the width of the Baja peninsula, sailing 126 miles and kayaking 100 miles in the Sea of Cortez.

ABOUT NOLS The National Outdoor Leadership School, based in Lander, Wyoming, is a nonprofit outdoor education school dedicated to teaching environmental ethics, technical outdoors skills, wilderness medicine, risk management, judgment and leadership on extended wilderness expeditions and in traditional classrooms. The NOLS mission is to be “the leading

source and teacher of wilderness skills and leadership that serve people and the environment.” NOLS runs courses on six continents, with courses in a variety of wilderness environments and for almost any age group. NOLS has trained more than 254,000 students. Source: www.nols.edu

ECONOMY FROM PAGE A1 The robust hiring indicates that consumer spending is powering the economy even as weak growth overseas and low oil prices squeeze U.S. manufacturers and drillers. Investors cheered the jobs report, with the Dow Jones industrial average jumping nearly 250 points in midday trading. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note was little changed at 2.29 percent. This week, Fed Chair Janet Yellen said the economy appeared to be improving enough to justify a rate hike as long as no major shocks undermined confidence before the Fed meets Dec. 15-16. The Fed has kept its key short-term rate at a record low near zero for seven years. But as the economy has gradually improved since the Great Recession ended 6½ years ago, the need to keep borrowing rates at emergency-level lows has subsided. For the Fed, conditions seem nearly ideal for a period of small and only slow rate increases in coming months: Job growth has been solid, and wages have begun to rise but not so much as to cause concern about future high inflation. Since the recession ended, average hourly pay has grown at only about two-thirds of the pace typical of a healthy economy. In November, average hourly wages rose 2.3 percent from 12 months earlier. The November jobs report shows that the U.S. economy “is strong enough to withstand an initial hike in interest rates from what were seen as emergency record-low levels,” said Chris Williamson, chief economist at Markit. “A December rate hike now looks to be in the bag.” Job gains were broad-based across the economy in November. Construction companies added 46,000 jobs, the most in two years. Spending in that sector has reached its highest level in eight years, boosted by more homebuilding and development of more roads and infrastructure. The sizable gain in construction jobs last month, even as the Fed is preparing to raise rates, suggests that few expect higher borrowing costs to derail homebuilding or sales. “It was heartening to see growth in construction and that manufacturing held steady as ... both are sensitive to higher interest rates,” said Tara Sinclair, chief economist at job search site Indeed.com. Government added 14,000 positions in November, retailers nearly 31,000. But factories shed 1,000 jobs.

OBITUARIES DAVID E. JOHNSON David Eugene Johnson, 57, husband of Malisa Geist Johnson, died on Thursday, Dec. 3, 2015. Arrangements will be announced by Elmore Hill McCreight Funeral Home & Crematory.

ORILEE B. TURNER SUMMERTON — Funeral services for Orilee B. Turner, 90, will be held at 2 p.m. today in the Chapel of Dyson’s Home for Funerals, 237 Main St., Summerton. Final resting place will be in Taw Caw Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery, Summerton. Mrs. Turner died on Nov. 28, 2015. Online condolences may be sent to www.dysonshomeforfunerals.com. Professional services entrusted to Dyson’s Home for Funerals, 237 Main St., Summerton.

JAMES F. HAMPTON James F. Hampton, 67, husband of Odessa Budden Hampton, entered eternal rest on Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2015. Born on July 15, 1948, in Pinewood, he was a son of the late Rev. Powell Sr. and Rosa Odell Green Hampton. He was a 1969 graduate of Manches-

ter High School. He was employed by Yuasa-Exide, Enersys and Sumter Packaging companies. He was a member of Antioch RMUE Church. Survivors are his wife; daughter, Jacklyn R. Williams; grandchildren, Matthew S. Williams and Alissah R. Williams; siblings, Johnny (Susan) Hampton, the Rev. Powell (Ernestine) Hampton Jr., the Rev. Charlie (Catherine) Hampton, Ernest (Emma) Hampton, Albertus (Linda) Hampton, Julia (Junior) McConico, Rosa Holliday, Frances Williams, Susan (Randy) Boston and Velvet (Levan) Tindal; father-in-law, Ervin Budden Sr.; aunts, Ruth Hampton and Annie Spann; a host of other relatives and friends. Viewing will be from 3 to 7 p.m. today at the funeral home. Funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. on Sunday at Greater St. Phillip RMUE Church with the pastor, Powell Hampton Jr., and the Rev. Williams Green, eulogist. Burial will follow in New Hope Commu-

nity Cemetery. The family is receiving relatives and friends at the home, 2910 Ervin Lane, Sumter. Online memorials can be sent to comfhltj@sc.rr.com. Community Funeral Home of Sumter is in charge of these arrangements.

KEVIN BELSER COLUMBIA — Kevin Belser, 58, entered into eternal rest on Friday, Dec. 4, 2015, in Columbia. He was born on Nov. 5, 1957, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to James Belser Sr. and Elma Conyers Belser. The family will receive rel-

atives and friends at the home, 9715 Stukes Road, Pinewood. Funeral services are incomplete and will be announced by Community Funeral Home of Sumter.

CARRIE F. WILSON BISHOPVILLE — Carrie Franklin Wilson, 68, passed on Friday, Dec. 4, 2015, at Levine & Dickson Hospice House at Southminster in Charlotte, North Carolina. Born in Lee County, she was a daughter of the late William and Voila McPherson Franklin. Funeral services will be an-

nounced by Square Deal Funeral Home, 106 McIntosh St., Bishopville.

KENNETH E. HUDAK Kenneth “Kenny” E. Hudak, 69, beloved husband of Lynn Papczynski Hudak, died on Friday, Dec. 4, 2015, at his residence. Arrangements are incomplete at this time and will be announced by Bullock Funeral Home.

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2015

AROUND TOWN The Town of Pinewood will hold lineup at 10 a.m. followed by the festivities at 11 a.m. Call its sixth annual Christmas paKatherina Caroline at (803) rade at 10 a.m. today. For information regarding partici- 453-5974 or Jeannie Jefferpresents on(803) 34th495-8181. son at pating in theSLT parade, call “Miracle PinewoodStreet” Town Hall at (803) The Sumter Civil Air Patrol’s 452-5878. Wreaths Across America ceremony will be held at noon on The Campbell Soup friends lunch group will meet at 11:30 Saturday, Dec. 12, at Sumter a.m. today at Golden Corral. Cemetery. Former U.S. Marine and retired Army ReA Zombie 5K Run, sponsored serve Master Sgt. Jackie by USC Sumter Fire Ant Baseball, will be held from 2 Hughes will speak. After the to 4 p.m. today beginning at ceremony, attendees may assist in hanging the USC Sumter Nettles Buildwreaths along the cemetery ing. Participants can walk, fence. For more information creep or crawl their way about the WAA organization, through the course. Visit contact Denise Owen at www.fireants.com. owenmom@aol.com or visit Sumter Little Theatre will pres- www.wreathsacrossamerient the Christmas classic “Mirca.org. acle on 34th Street” todaySunday and Dec. 10-13, at 14 The National Council of Negro Women, Sumter branch, will Mood Ave. Show times are 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday meet at 5 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 11, at Morris College. and 3 p.m. on Sunday. TickAttorney Glen Givens will ets: $20 for adults; $15 for speak. students / senior citizens / The Scotts Branch High School military. Call (803) 775-2150. Alumni will meet and hold its The annual Evening Optimist Christmas Parade will be held Christmas fellowship at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 13, at at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 6. The parade will begin at the Eagle’s Nest headquarters, 1 Larry King Highway, Sumcorner of Main and Dubose merton. streets and will proceed The Sumter Branch NAACP will south on Main Street to conduct the national board Bartlett Street. Featuring of directors election during marching bands, beauty the annual meeting at 5 p.m. queens, festive holiday on Sunday, Dec. 13, at First floats and more, the theme Baptist Missionary Church, for the parade is “Superhe219 S. Washington St. roes for Christmas.” The Lincoln High School Class The Dementia Support Group will meet from 4 to 6 p.m. on of 1963 will hold its meeting and Christmas luncheon at 5 Tuesday, Dec. 8, at NHC p.m. on Monday, Dec. 14, at HealthCare, 1018 N. GuigGolden Corral, 2385 Walmart nard Drive. Blvd. Call Ferdinand Burns at Clarendon School District One (803) 968-4464. will conduct free vision, hearing, speech and developmental The League of Women Voter’s Sumter County will hold its screenings as part of a child holiday social membership find effort to identify stumeeting at 6 p.m. on Tuesdents with special needs. Screenings will be held from day, Dec. 15, at Logan’s Roadhouse, 2531 Broad St. 9 a.m. to noon at the SumThe meal will be Dutch. We merton Early Childhood Center, 8 South St., Summer- are inviting all members or those who would like to beton, on the following Thurscome a member. Call Dee days: Dec. 10; Jan. 14, 2016; Feb. 11, 2016; March 10, 2016; Woodward at (803) 469-3485. April 14, 2016; and May 12, The Sumter County Education 2016. Call Sadie Williams at Association-Retired will hold (803) 485-2325, extension its meeting and Christmas 116. luncheon at noon on Wednesday, Dec. 16, at New The Sumter Stroke Support Beginnings restaurant, 1335 Group (Overcomers) will hold Peach Orchard Road. Call its Christmas meeting at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 10, in Brenda Bethune at (803) 4696588. the Alice Drive Baptist Church library on the corner The Sumter Combat Veterans of Loring Mill Road and Wise Group will meet at 10 a.m. on Drive. Bring your favorite Friday, Dec. 18, at the South homemade Christmas treat. HOPE Center, 1125 S. LafayThe Clarendon County Republi- ette Drive. All area veterans can Party will meet on Thurs- are invited. day, Dec. 10, at Cornerstone The Mayewood High School Free Will Baptist Church, Class of 1977 will hold an or2116 Greeleyville Highway, ganizational meeting at 11 Manning. Dinner will be a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 19, at served at 6:30 p.m. and the Mayewood Middle School. If meeting will begin at 7 p.m. you are a member of this class, your help is needed in The Town of Mayesville will planning the 40th class rehold its annual Christmas paunion. Come with ideas and rade on Saturday, Dec. 12, in suggestions to make the redowntown Mayesville. The union special in 2017. parade will begin with the

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Use your EUGENIA LAST energy and emotional sensitivity wisely. Focus on communication, passion and finding common ground with the people you care about most. Draw up new agreements and you will find the happiness and satisfaction you are looking for.

The last word in astrology

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Short trips and family get-togethers will offer spirited conversation and a renewed faith in family, tradition and beliefs. Let your intuition guide you when dealing with affairs of the heart. Embrace a challenge with confidence and willpower. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Creative pursuits or activities involving youngsters are suggested, but so is sticking to a budget and using moderation in all your dealings. A serious discussion will help improve an important relationship. A physical challenge will result in self-improvement. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Don’t let your emotions take over, or anger will set in. Keep busy working on home improvements that will make your place more inviting. Picking up an interesting hobby or checking out alternative lifestyles will give you something to look forward to. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): You may feel like a change of scenery, but it’s probably best to stick close to home. Engage in events in your community that will give you greater options and the opportunity to connect with someone you may be able to do business with. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Slow down and take a moment to figure out your best and most efficient plan of attack. Discipline and precise planning will ensure that

DAILY PLANNER

WEATHER

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You’ll have some interesting ideas that should be incorporated into the way you live. If you need help, ask, but be prepared to give something back in return. Find out what’s expected of you. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Situations will escalate quickly. It’s vital to assess matters and make your views clear when involved in any sort of joint venture. No matter how well you know someone, a difference of opinion could disrupt your plans. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Emotions will rise to the surface if you engage in talks dealing with sensitive issues. Step out of the battle zone and move on to pastimes that are enjoyable and that distance you from unsavory situations. Don’t overreact. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Take better care of your health and physical well-being. It’s important to tie up loose ends involving medical, legal or financial matters before it’s too late. New skills or information will enhance your professional options. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Someone will try to limit you. Have your facts and figures ready to counter anyone who gets in your way. Let your intuition guide you. Take time for creative endeavors and spending time with someone you love.

AccuWeather® ﬁve-day forecast for Sumter TODAY

TONIGHT

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

Mostly sunny

Clear

Mostly sunny

Rather cloudy

Abundant sunshine

Partial sunshine

60°

36°

59° / 44°

64° / 40°

62° / 39°

64° / 42°

Chance of rain: 0%

Chance of rain: 5%

Chance of rain: 10%

Chance of rain: 5%

Chance of rain: 10%

NE 7-14 mph

NE 6-12 mph

NNE 6-12 mph

NNW 3-6 mph

ESE 3-6 mph

SE 3-6 mph

TODAY’S SOUTH CAROLINA WEATHER

Gaﬀney 56/32 Spartanburg 55/34

Greenville 56/36

Columbia 60/37

IN THE MOUNTAINS

Sumter 60/36

Aiken 57/37

ON THE COAST

Charleston 63/44

Today: Partly sunny. High 59 to 63. Sunday: Times of clouds and sun. High 61 to 65.

LOCAL ALMANAC

LAKE LEVELS

SUMTER THROUGH 4 P.M. YESTERDAY

Full pool 360 76.8 75.5 100

Lake Murray Marion Moultrie Wateree

58° 38° 60° 36° 80° in 1978 18° in 1960

Precipitation 24 hrs ending 4 p.m. yest. Month to date Normal month to date Year to date Last year to date Normal year to date

Myrtle Beach 62/43

Manning 60/39

Today: Plenty of sunshine. Winds northeast 6-12 mph. Clear. Sunday: Sunny to partly cloudy. Winds east-northeast 3-6 mph.

Temperature High Low Normal high Normal low Record high Record low

Florence 60/37

Bishopville 60/36

Temperatures shown on map are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

SUN AND MOON 7 a.m. yest. 356.19 76.39 75.33 96.48

24-hr chg -0.05 -0.12 +0.06 -0.26

Sunrise 7:12 a.m. Moonrise 1:45 a.m.

RIVER STAGES River Black River Congaree River Lynches River Saluda River Up. Santee River Wateree River

0.00" 0.36" 0.41" 57.72" 35.01" 44.01"

NATIONAL CITIES

REGIONAL CITIES

Today Sun. City Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W Atlanta 58/40/s 62/44/s Chicago 45/30/s 45/29/pc Dallas 59/42/s 62/38/pc Detroit 49/30/s 47/29/pc Houston 63/41/s 67/42/pc Los Angeles 77/52/pc 79/53/pc New Orleans 64/53/s 68/51/pc New York 51/39/s 54/42/s Orlando 79/66/pc 80/65/c Philadelphia 53/34/s 55/37/s Phoenix 75/45/s 78/48/s San Francisco 58/49/c 63/51/r Wash., DC 52/34/s 54/37/s

City Asheville Athens Augusta Beaufort Cape Hatteras Charleston Charlotte Clemson Columbia Darlington Elizabeth City Elizabethtown Fayetteville

Today Hi/Lo/W 54/27/s 57/38/s 60/37/s 63/45/pc 61/53/s 63/44/pc 57/32/s 60/37/s 60/37/s 59/37/s 57/42/s 60/39/s 59/36/s

Flood 7 a.m. stage yest. 12 9.91 19 8.80 14 8.19 14 7.33 80 80.15 24 16.52

Sun. Hi/Lo/W 58/33/s 60/40/s 63/41/s 65/49/pc 64/53/pc 65/49/pc 59/35/s 60/40/s 62/42/s 59/42/s 62/43/s 61/43/s 59/41/s

Sunset Moonset

5:12 p.m. 1:55 p.m.

New

First

Full

Last

Dec. 11

Dec. 18

Dec. 25

Jan. 2

TIDES

24-hr chg -0.03 +1.79 -0.15 +1.78 +0.16 +3.55

AT MYRTLE BEACH

Today Sun.

Today City Hi/Lo/W Florence 60/37/s Gainesville 73/59/pc Gastonia 57/31/s Goldsboro 58/38/s Goose Creek 63/43/s Greensboro 55/31/s Greenville 56/36/s Hickory 55/30/s Hilton Head 63/48/pc Jacksonville, FL 68/57/pc La Grange 61/42/s Macon 62/38/s Marietta 58/39/s

Sun. Hi/Lo/W 59/44/s 75/58/pc 58/35/s 61/41/s 64/50/pc 56/33/s 59/38/s 57/34/s 63/52/pc 70/56/pc 64/43/pc 66/41/pc 61/42/s

High 4:20 a.m. 4:24 p.m. 5:10 a.m. 5:14 p.m.

Ht. 2.8 2.7 2.9 2.7

Low 11:05 a.m. 11:23 p.m. 11:59 a.m. ---

Today City Hi/Lo/W Marion 56/24/s Mt. Pleasant 63/46/pc Myrtle Beach 62/43/s Orangeburg 60/40/s Port Royal 62/47/pc Raleigh 57/32/s Rock Hill 57/33/s Rockingham 58/32/s Savannah 62/46/s Spartanburg 55/34/s Summerville 62/43/s Wilmington 62/42/s Winston-Salem 56/32/s

Ht. 0.8 0.6 0.7 ---

Sun. Hi/Lo/W 57/31/s 64/51/pc 63/49/pc 62/45/s 63/51/pc 57/36/s 58/36/s 59/37/s 66/50/pc 57/36/s 63/49/pc 65/48/pc 56/34/s

Weather(W): s–sunny, pc–partly cloudy, c–cloudy, sh–showers, t–thunderstorms, r–rain, sf–snow ﬂurries, sn–snow, i–ice

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you don’t head down the wrong path. Added responsibility can be expected. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Pick up the pace and do your best to keep up with your friends, loved ones or any competitors you meet along the way. You have what it takes to stand out and be noticed by the people who can help you get ahead.

THE SUMTER ITEM

Offer expires 12/15/2015. Financing is subject to credit approval. *For dates, details, and restrictions please see your independent Trane Dealer. All sales must be to homeowners in the United States. Void where prohibited.

LOTTERY NUMBERS PALMETTO CASH 5 FRIDAY

POWERBALL WEDNESDAY

MEGAMILLIONS FRIDAY

7-25-26-27-32 PowerUp: 2

14-18-19-32-64 Powerball: 9; Powerplay: 2

numbers unavailable at press time

PICK 3 FRIDAY

PICK 4 FRIDAY

LUCKY FOR LIFE THURSDAY

9-8-8 and 8-8-5

6-0-0-9 and 5-7-5-5

8-27-29-36-45; Lucky Ball: 1

SPCA CAT OF THE WEEK Sissy, a housebroken 5-month-old gray tabby and white female American short hair, is available for adoption at the Sumter SPCA. She is gentle, affectionate and active. Sissy loves to be held and would make a perfect lap cat. The Sumter SPCA is located at 1140 S. Guignard Drive, (803) 773-9292, and is open 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. every day except Wednesday and Sunday. Visit the website at www.sumterscspca.com.

The SPCA relies heavily on community support and donations. Currently, the biggest needs are for dry puppy and kitten food; wet cat food; cat litter; and cleaning supplies. The following are also appreciated: Newspapers; stuffed animals; heavy duty trash bags (30 gallon or larger); dishwashing liquid; laundry detergent; bleach; paper towels; sheets and comforters; baby blankets; canned dog and cat food; dry dog food; treats; leashes and collars; disinfectant spray; all-purpose cleaner; air freshener; no scratch scrubbers; two-sided sponges for dishes; litter freshener; and, of course, monetary donations are also gratefully accepted.

SECTION

Saturday, December 5, 2015 Call: (803) 774-1241 | E-mail: sports@theitem.com

Clemson Football

Tigers’ CFP hopes hinge on win over UNC Clemson faces No. 8 Tar Heels in ACC championship By STEVE REED The Associated Press CHARLOTTE — Larry Fedora believes his North Carolina Tar Heels deserve a spot in the College Football Playoffs if they snap Clemson’s 15-game winning streak Saturday night in the ACC championship. “I most definitely do,” The Tar Heels fourth-year coach said Friday at a news confer-

ence. “If we beat the No. 1 team in the nation, then I believe this team deserves to be in the College Football Playoff.” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney agrees. “We’ve got three top-10 teams in this league,” Swinney said. “I don’t think there’s any question that the ACC should be in one of them games. But what do I know? I just hope

we’re the one there.” A win would be a big boost for the Tar Heels’ (11-1, 8-0 ACC, No. 10 CFP) resume given the national stage, but wouldn’t guarantee them entry into the playoff. The eighth-ranked Tar Heels would likely need outside help to leapfrog the teams ahead of them.

File/ Richard Shiro/The Associated Press

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney and the Tigers hope to get to celSee clemson, Page B4 ebrate today when they face North Carolina for the ACC title.

prep basketball

Home opener shocker Lakewood takes down defending state champion Gamecocks

citadel Football

Cooper makes most of chance

Former Sumter standout happy with Citadel move By DENNIS BRUNSON dennis@theitem.com

ket from Grant Singleton – one of seven on the night for LHS – to pull away for the victory. “That was part of our game plan,” Brown said. “We’ve been shooting well all season and we felt like we wanted to get some shots up early. I think the jitters in the first half hurt our guys some, but once we went to man-to-man in the second half, they calmed down and a few started to drop.” That was not the case for Sumter, especially at the end, as the 1-1 Gamecocks made only one shot from beyond the arch in the second half and overtime.

When the news of the financial crisis facing South Carolina State University came to light earlier this year, it led Bulldog football player Mariel Cooper to consider the possibility of using his final year of eligibility at another school. “They were talking about the possibility of not having a football team, and that got me to thinking,” said Cooper, an All-State performer at Sumter High School. When Cooper’s position coach, Joel Taylor, left S.C. State for The Citadel and SCSU defensive coordinator Mike Adams departed as well, Cooper knew it was time for him to follow suit. With a degree in his hand, Cooper could transfer to another school as a graduate student and complete his eligibility. He chose another team of Bulldogs, this one in Charleston at The Citadel. And what a decision he made. Cooper earned a starting spot at left cornerback, and better yet, The Citadel won a share of the Southern Conference title and are playing in the second round of the Football Championship Suddivision playoffs today at 1 p.m. against Charleston Southern. “God has a plan. Everything happens for a reason,” Cooper said. “When I got here, the first thing (head) Coach (Mike) Houston said is our goal is to win the Southern Conference championship. We were picked seventh in the conference, but I felt good about it in training camp. We worked at it and it happened.” A victory in the first round happened last week as The Citadel defeated Coastal Carolina 41-38. However, Cooper was sidelined with an injury and missed his first game of

See shocker, Page B3

See cooper, Page B4

Keith Gedamke / The Sumter Item

Sumter’s Jaylen Corbett (22) battles with Lakewood’s Davonte Pack (11) for a rebound in the Gators’ 50-46 overtime victory on Friday at the SHS gymnasium.

By JUSTIN DRIGGERS Justin @theitem.com Lakewood High School boys basketball head coach Bryan Brown called Friday’s matchup against rival Sumter “the biggest game of the season” for the Gators. Not that he doesn’t expect big things from his squad this year, but the defending 4A state champion Gamecocks presented a mental hurdle for a program still building, he said. Consider this hurdle cleared. The Gators outscored Sumter 20-6 over the last half of the fourth quarter and the overtime period to earn a 50-46 victory at the SHS gymnasium.

“This game means a lot to us and I think it takes a lot of pressure off of us,” Brown said. “The mentality of the last few seasons and losing games like this and having a losing record – winning this one shows the kids that all the hard work we’ve put in during the summer has paid off.” It was free throws from Tyrell Still and Jarvis Johnson at the end of the fourth quarter that sent the game into overtime for the Gators, who improved to 4-1 on the season. LHS erased a 9-point deficit in the final period when it looked like the Gamecocks were finally pulling away. The Gators carried that momentum into overtime and got a big 3-point bas-

prep Football

12 locals to play in SCISA North-South All-Star Games today By DENNIS BRUNSON dennis@theitem.com Twelve players from the five local South Carolina Independent School Association high school football teams will be competing in the 31st Annual SCISA North-South All-Star Football Games today at Orangeburg Preparatory

School’s Indian Field. The 11-man game will kick off at 11 a.m with the 8-man game scheduled for a 1:30 p.m. start. Playing on the South squad from Wilson Hall are Robert James, Sam Watford, Jake Reaves and Edward McMillian. They will be joined by Weston Green and Travis Christmas

of undefeated 1A state champion Robert E. Lee Academy and Thomas Sumter Academy’s James Edens Rabon. Laurence Manning Academy will have three players on the North squad in Roshad Green-Younger, Tripp Mason and Olin Robinson. Gavin Allan and Matthew Corbett of Clarendon Hall will

play on the North squad in the 8-man game. James rushed for 1,116 yards and 18 touchdowns for the Barons, who went 9-2 on the season, while catching 16 passes for 277 yards and five more scores. Watford had 82 total tackles, six tackles for loss, four quarterback sacks and one interception, while Reaves

had 73 tackles, six TFLs and two sacks. McMillan was a leader on the offensive line for a team that rushed for over 260 yards a game and had 70 tackles on defense. Green had a huge season for 12-0 REL. He rushed for 717 yards and nine TDs on 95

See locals, Page B3

sports

Saturday, December 5, 2015

The SUMTER ITEM

Scoreboard

PRO FOOTBALL

TV, RADIO

Duane Burleson/The Associated Press

Green Bay tight end Richard Rodgers (82) reaches for the game-winning touchdown pass on the last play of the Packers’ 27-23 victory over Detroit on Thursday.

Hail Mary helps Packers close in on division lead By NOAH TRISTER The Associated Press DETROIT — It’s a play Mike McCarthy says the Packers practice every Saturday — because they’ve been victimized by this type of desperation heave in the past and want their defense to be prepared to stop it. “I’m not real happy when the offense gets the ball,” the Green Bay coach said. But McCarthy needed the Hail Mary to work this time, and the Detroit Lions gave Richard Rodgers a bit too much room in the front of the end zone. Rodgers came down with the 61-yard toss from Aaron Rodgers for a touchdown with no time on the clock Thursday night, giving the Packers a 27-23 victory. Detroit appeared to have the game won when Aaron Rodgers was tackled about 75

yards from the end zone, but Lions defensive end Devin Taylor was called for a facemask, giving the Packers one more chance from their own 39. The Lions, fearing the Packers (8-4) would start lateraling and force Detroit to make a tackle, did not put 6-foot-5 Calvin Johnson in the game for defensive purposes. Detroit had plenty of people in the end zone, but the Lions may have misjudged the high throw. Linebacker Josh Bynes dropped back away from Richard Rodgers to cover another potential target, allowing the tight end to drift into the end zone and haul the ball in at the front of a pack of players, with no Lions in great position to knock the pass down. “It’s written in the playbook that my job is to box out and Davante (Adams) is supposed to

jump and I’m supposed to wait for a tip,” Rodgers said. There was no need. After the touchdown, the Packers took a knee rather than kick an extra point. Green Bay (8-4) is now only a half-game behind first-place Minnesota in the NFC North. The Lions (4-8) had a three-game winning streak snapped. There were 6 seconds left when Green Bay snapped the ball from its own 21. Aaron Rodgers threw to James Jones about 20 yards downfield, then the Packers began lateraling. The ball got all the way back to Aaron Rodgers near the original line of scrimmage, and for a split-second, the game appeared over when the Lions closed in on him. Taylor, however, was flagged for a facemask, giving Green Bay an untimed down.

Panthers return to New Orleans where 15-game win streak began By STEVE REED The Associated Press CHARLOTTE — The Carolina Panthers return to the bayou on Sunday where their current franchise-record 15-game regular season win streak began last December. They do so as a more confident bunch, an undefeated 11-0 team looking to clinch its third straight NFC South championship with a win over the New Orleans Saints. A team with a swagger, eager to take another step toward securing home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. It wasn’t that way on Dec. 2, 2014. The Panthers arrived at the Superdome that day with a 3-8-1 record and not having won a football game in more than two months. Few could have predicted what would happen next. The Panthers scored on the game’s opening drive and rolled to a 41-10 victory over the Saints behind three touchdown passes from Cam Newton.

For the Panthers, all of the struggles from previous weeks culminated in one near-perfect all-around performance. Carolina hasn’t lost a regular season game since, their only hiccup being an NFC division playoff loss at Seattle. “That game kind of started this whole year of success we’ve had,” Pro bowl tight end Greg Olsen said. “That was the breakout moment to put us on this run. We have fond memories of the last time we went down there.” While Olsen acknowledges he never could have envisioned the Panthers were about to start such an impressive win streak, he sensed that the team was on the verge of putting things together. Despite the record, he said players hadn’t give up on the season, in part because they knew they still were in the hunt in the weak NFC South, which they eventually won despite finishing with a 7-8-1 record. “Did we believe in

what we were doing? Yes,” Olsen said. “We believed in our processes and our preparation and we believed it was a matter of time before we caught our groove. And here we are.” Panthers veteran safety Roman Harper credits coach Ron Rivera for keeping the team together through a tough two-month period that included a few closes losses and a difficult-to-swallow tie against the Cincinnati Bengals. A reflective Harper said he felt Rivera was the only person who truly believed in the team last year. “He continued to harp on it that, ‘Hey, we have a chance,”’ Harper said. “He would tell us every day, ‘Hey I believe in you guys.”’ When asked if he believed Rivera, Harper smiled and shook his head no. “Hey, I’m just being honest,” Harper said. “I mean we went two months without a win, so I was like, ‘Hey, I hear you coach, but I want to see something.”’

7:40 a.m. – International Soccer: English Premier League Match – Manchester City vs. Stoke City (NBC SPORTS NETWORK). 9:30 a.m. – International Soccer: Bundesliga League Match – Bayern Munich vs. Borussia Monchengladbach (FOX SPORTS 1). 9:30 a.m. – International Soccer: Bundesliga League Match – Bayer Leverkusen vs. Hertha Berlin (FOX SPORTS 2). 9:55 a.m. – International Soccer: English Premier League Match – West Ham Manchester United (NBC SPORTS NETWORK). 10 a.m. – International Soccer: English Premier League Match – Arsenal vs. Sunderland (USA). Noon – College Football: American Athletic Conference Championship Game from Houston – Temple vs. Houston (WOLO 25). Noon – College Football: Texas at Baylor (ESPN). Noon – College Basketball: Seton Hall at Rutgers (ESPNEWS). Noon – College Football: Conference USA Championship Game from Bowling Green, Ky. – Southern Mississippi vs. Western Kentucky (ESPN2). Noon – College Basketball: Binghamton at Michigan State (ESPNU). Noon – College Basketball: Indiana State at Butler (FOX SPORTS 1). Noon – College Basketball: Bucknell at North Carolina State (FOX SPORTSOUTH). Noon – PGA Golf: Hero World Challenge Third Round from Albany, Bahamas (GOLF). 12:20 p.m. – International Soccer: Bundesliga League Match – Borussia Dortmund vs. Wolfsburg (FOX SPORTS 2). 12:30 p.m. – International Soccer: English Premier League Match – Bournemouth vs. Chelsea (WIS 10). 12:30 p.m. – College Basketball: Temple at Wisconsin (WLTX 19). 1 p.m. – College Basketball: Syracuse at Georgetown (WACH 57). 1 p.m. – College Football: Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs Second-Round Game – The Citadel at Charleston Southern (WDXY-FM 105.9, WDXY-AM 1240). 1:25 p.m. – International Soccer: Portuguese League Match – Pacos de Ferreira vs. Porto (UNIVISION). 2 p.m. – College Basketball: Houston Baptist at Michigan (ESPNU). 2 p.m. – College Basketball: Chicago State at DePaul (FOX SPORTS 1). 2 p.m. – College Basketball: William & Mary at Virginia (FOX SPORTSOUTH). 2:30 p.m. – PGA Golf: Hero World Challenge Third Round from Albany, Bahamas (WIS 10). 2:30 p.m. – College Basketball: Maine at Marquette (FOX SPORTS SOUTHEAST). 3 p.m. – College Basketball: Weber State at Brigham Young (BYUTV). 3 p.m. – College Basketball: California at Wyoming (CBS SPORTS NETWORK). 3:15 p.m. – College Basketball: Arizona at Gonzaga (ESPN). 3:15 p.m. – College Basketball: Harvard at Kansas (ESPN2). 4 p.m. – College Football: Southeastern Conference Championship Game from Atlanta – Florida vs. Alabama (WLTX 19). 4 p.m. – College Football: Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship Game from Houston – Grambling State vs. Alcorn State (ESPNU). 4 p.m. – College Basketball: Mississippi vs. Massachusetts from Springfield, Mass. (NBC SPORTS NETWORK). 4 p.m. – College Basketball: South Florida at South Carolina (SEC NETWORK, WNKT-FM 107.5). 4:30 p.m. – College Football: West Virginia at Kansas State (FOX SPORTS 1). 5 p.m. – College Basketball: Georgia Tech at Tulane (CBS SPORTS NETWORK). 5:15 p.m. – Women’s College Basketball: Jimmy V Women’s Classic from Storrs. Conn. -- Notre Dame vs. Connecticut (ESPN). 5:15 p.m. – College Basketball: Buffalo at Duke (ESPN2). 6 p.m. – College Hockey: Massachusetts at Notre Dame (NBC SPORTS NETWORK). 7 p.m. – College Basketball: Southeast Missouri State at Memphis (CBS SPORTS NETWORK). 7 p.m. – College Basketball: Providence at Rhode Island (ESPNU). 7 p.m. – College Basketball: Montreal at Carolina (FOX SPORTSOUTH). 7:30 p.m. – College Football: Mountain West Conference Championship Game from San Diego – Air Force vs. San Diego State (ESPNU). 7:45 p.m. – College Football: Pacific-12 Conference Championship Game from Santa Clara, Calif. – Stanford vs. Southern California (ESPN). 8 p.m. – College Football: Atlantic Coast Conference Championship Game from Charlotte – Clemson vs. North Carolina (WOLO 25, WWBDFM 94.7, WPUB-FM 102.7). 8 p.m. – College Football: Big Ten Conference Championship Game from Indianapolis – Iowa vs. Michigan State (WACH 57). 8 p.m. – College Hockey: Ohio State at Minnesota (ESPNEWS). 8 p.m. – NBA Basketball: Charlotte at Chicago (FOX SPORTS SOUTHEAST). 8 p.m. – Professional Golf: PGA Tour of Australasia/European PGA Tour Australian PGA Championship Final Round from Gold Coast, Australia (GOLF). 8 p.m. – NBA: Miami at Cleveland (NBA TV). 8:30 p.m. – College Basketball: Western Kentucky at Xavier (FOX SPORTS 1). 9 p.m. – College Basketball: Wichita State at Saint Louis (ESPNU). 9 p.m. – Professional Boxing: Daniel Jacobs vs. Peter Quillin for the WBA Middleweight Title and Jesus Cuellar vs. Jonathan Oquendo for the WBA Featherweight Title from Brooklyn, N.Y. (SHOWTIME). 10:30 p.m. – College Basketball: Texas A&M at Arizona State (ESPN2). 1 a.m. – Women’s Professional Golf: The Queens Final Day from Aichi, Japan (GOLF). 3 a.m. – College Basketball: Colgate at Texas Christian (FOX SPORTS SOUTHEAST). 3 a.m. – Professional Golf: European PGA Tour/ Sunshine Tour Nedbank Challenge Final Round from Sun City, South Africa (GOLF).

NFL STANDINGS

By The Associated Press

AMERICAN CONFERENCE East New England N.Y. Jets Buffalo Miami South Indianapolis Houston Jacksonville Tennessee North Cincinnati Pittsburgh Baltimore Cleveland West Denver Kansas City Oakland San Diego

W L T Pct PF PA 10 1 0 .909 347 212 6 5 0 .545 272 228 5 6 0 .455 266 257 4 7 0 .364 225 287 W L T Pct PF PA 6 5 0 .545 249 260 6 5 0 .545 232 234 4 7 0 .364 236 299 2 9 0 .182 203 257 W L T Pct PF PA 9 2 0 .818 297 193 6 5 0 .545 266 230 4 7 0 .364 259 276 2 9 0 .182 213 310 W L T Pct PF PA 9 2 0 .818 252 207 6 5 0 .545 287 220 5 6 0 .455 264 280 3 8 0 .273 244 307

NATIONAL CONFERENCE East Washington N.Y. Giants Philadelphia Dallas South Carolina Atlanta Tampa Bay New Orleans North Minnesota Green Bay Chicago Detroit West Arizona Seattle St. Louis San Francisco

W L T Pct PF PA 5 6 0 .455 241 267 5 6 0 .455 287 273 4 7 0 .364 243 274 3 8 0 .273 204 261 W L T Pct PF PA 11 0 0 1.000 332 205 6 5 0 .545 260 234 5 6 0 .455 248 279 4 7 0 .364 261 339 W L T Pct PF PA 8 3 0 .727 231 194 8 4 0 .667 289 238 5 6 0 .455 231 264 4 8 0 .333 253 315 W L T Pct PF PA 9 2 0 .818 355 229 6 5 0 .545 267 222 4 7 0 .364 186 230 3 8 0 .273 152 271

Thursday’s GAME

Green Bay 27, Detroit 23

Sunday’s GAMES

Arizona at St. Louis, 1 p.m. Seattle at Minnesota, 1 p.m. Jacksonville at Tennessee, 1 p.m. San Francisco at Chicago, 1 p.m.

N.Y. Jets at N.Y. Giants, 1 p.m. Atlanta at Tampa Bay, 1 p.m. Houston at Buffalo, 1 p.m. Baltimore at Miami, 1 p.m. Cincinnati at Cleveland, 1 p.m. Denver at San Diego, 4:05 p.m. Kansas City at Oakland, 4:05 p.m. Carolina at New Orleans, 4:25 p.m. Philadelphia at New England, 4:25 p.m. Indianapolis at Pittsburgh, 8:30 p.m.

MondaY’s GAME

Dallas at Washington, 8:30 p.m.

NBA Standings

By The Associated Press

EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division Toronto Boston New York Brooklyn Philadelphia Southeast Division Miami Orlando Atlanta Charlotte Washington Central Division Cleveland Chicago Indiana Detroit Milwaukee

W L Pct GB 12 8 .600 — 11 8 .579 ½ 9 10 .474 2½ 5 13 .278 6 1 19 .050 11 W 11 11 12 10 7

L Pct GB 6 .647 — 8 .579 1 9 .571 1 8 .556 1½ 9 .438 3½

W L Pct GB 13 5 .722 — 11 5 .688 1 12 6 .667 1 10 9 .526 3½ 7 12 .368 6½

WESTERN CONFERENCE Southwest Division San Antonio Dallas Memphis Houston New Orleans Northwest Division Oklahoma City Utah Minnesota Portland Denver Pacific Division Golden State L.A. Clippers Phoenix Sacramento L.A. Lakers

W L Pct GB 16 4 .800 — 11 8 .579 4½ 11 9 .550 5 8 11 .421 7½ 4 15 .211 11½ W L Pct GB 11 8 .579 — 8 9 .471 2 8 10 .444 2½ 8 12 .400 3½ 7 13 .350 4½ W L Pct GB 20 0 1.000 — 10 9 .526 9½ 8 11 .421 11½ 7 13 .350 13 3 15 .167 16

Thursday’s Games

Miami 97, Oklahoma City 95 Denver 106, Toronto 105 Orlando 103, Utah 94 San Antonio 103, Memphis 83 Portland 123, Indiana 111 Boston 114, Sacramento 97

Friday’s Games

Phoenix at Washington, 7 p.m. Brooklyn at New York, 7 p.m. Milwaukee at Detroit, 7:30 p.m. L.A. Lakers at Atlanta, 8 p.m. Houston at Dallas, 8:30 p.m. Cleveland at New Orleans, 9:30 p.m.

Saturday’s Games

Denver at Philadelphia, 1 p.m. Golden State at Toronto, 5 p.m. Charlotte at Chicago, 8 p.m. Portland at Minnesota, 8 p.m. Sacramento at Houston, 8 p.m. Cleveland at Miami, 8 p.m. Boston at San Antonio, 8:30 p.m. New York at Milwaukee, 8:30 p.m. Indiana at Utah, 9 p.m. Orlando at L.A. Clippers, 10:30 p.m.

NHL Standings

By The Associated Press

EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division GP W L OT Pts GF GA Montreal 27 19 5 3 41 92 60 Detroit 26 14 8 4 32 66 65 Ottawa 25 13 7 5 31 82 75 Boston 23 13 8 2 28 75 67 Florida 25 12 9 4 28 65 61 Tampa Bay 26 12 11 3 27 61 59 Buffalo 25 10 12 3 23 58 67 Toronto 26 8 13 5 21 57 73 Metropolitan Division GP W L OT Pts GF GA Washington 24 18 5 1 37 78 53 N.Y. Rangers 27 17 7 3 37 76 57 N.Y. Islanders 26 14 8 4 32 74 63 Pittsburgh 24 14 8 2 30 57 55 New Jersey 25 13 10 2 28 62 60 Philadelphia 25 10 10 5 25 49 67 Carolina 25 8 13 4 20 51 75 Columbus 26 10 16 0 20 61 78

WESTERN CONFERENCE Central Division GP W L OT Pts GF GA Dallas 26 20 5 1 41 92 68 St. Louis 25 15 7 3 33 66 61 Minnesota 24 13 7 4 30 66 62 Nashville 25 13 8 4 30 65 64 Chicago 26 13 9 4 30 71 68 Winnipeg 26 12 12 2 26 73 81 Colorado 26 11 14 1 23 75 77 Pacific Division GP W L OT Pts GF GA Los Angeles 24 15 8 1 31 60 51 San Jose 24 14 10 0 28 67 63 Arizona 25 13 11 1 27 68 75 Vancouver 27 9 10 8 26 72 75 Anaheim 26 9 12 5 23 52 67 Calgary 25 9 14 2 20 60 90 Edmonton 26 9 15 2 20 65 79 NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss.

Thursday’s Games

Colorado 2, N.Y. Rangers 1 New Jersey 5, Carolina 1 Washington 3, Montreal 2 Ottawa 4, Chicago 3, OT Detroit 5, Arizona 1 Florida 2, Nashville 1 Minnesota 1, Toronto 0 Dallas 4, Vancouver 2

Friday’s Games

Arizona at Buffalo, 7 p.m. Philadelphia at New Jersey, 7 p.m. Florida at Columbus, 7 p.m. St. Louis at N.Y. Islanders, 7:30 p.m. Boston at Calgary, 9 p.m. Dallas at Edmonton, 9 p.m. San Jose at Anaheim, 10 p.m.

Saturday’s Games

Washington at Winnipeg, 3 p.m. Pittsburgh at Los Angeles, 4 p.m. N.Y. Islanders at Ottawa, 7 p.m. Nashville at Detroit, 7 p.m. Montreal at Carolina, 7 p.m. Toronto at St. Louis, 7 p.m. Columbus at Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m. Colorado at Minnesota, 8 p.m. Boston at Vancouver, 10 p.m. Tampa Bay at San Jose, 10:30 p.m.

golf

By The Associated Press

Hero World Challenge Scores

Friday At Albany Golf Club, Nassau, Bahamas Purse: $3.5 million Yardage: 7,267; Par: 72 Second Round Jordan Spieth 67-66—133 Bill Haas 67-66—133 Jimmy Walker 66-67—133 Chris Kirk 69-65—134 Patrick Reed 69-65—134 Bubba Watson 67-67—134 Matt Kuchar 70-66—136 Paul Casey 66-70—136 Zach Johnson 66-70—136 Dustin Johnson 68-69—137 Brooks Koepka 67-70—137 Adam Scott 67-70—137 Rickie Fowler 70-68—138 J.B. Holmes 71-68—139 Anirban Lahiri 69-70—139 Billy Horschel 71-70—141 Justin Rose 71-72—143 Hideki Matsuyama 75-73—148

sports

The SUMTER ITEM

Saturday, December 5, 2015

sports items

Bonds joins Marlins as new hitting coach MIAMI — Barry Bonds is joining the staff of new Miami Marlins manager Don Mattingly as hitting coach. The media-shy, steroids-tainted home run king made a rare conference call appearance Friday to discuss his hiring, which raised his profile just as balloting is under way for 2016 Hall of Fame voting. “I’m a Hall of Fame baseball player with no doubt in my mind, no doubt in my heart,” said Bonds, 51. “God knows that. That’s all that matters to me. I’ll leave the voting process up to you guys.” Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria first suggested hiring Bonds, according to team president David Samson. Mattingly seconded the idea. “I’m extremely impressed with Barry’s willingness to be part of this team, and with his excitement about being back and teaching,” Mattingly said. The Marlins need hitting advice. In 2015, when they finished 71-91, they ranked next to last in the majors in runs and home runs, and last in walks — an area where Bonds excelled.

Jordan Spieth in a 3-way tie for Bahamas lead NASSAU, Bahamas — Jordan Spieth rallied from a rugged start for a 6-under 66 on Friday that gave him a share of the lead with Jimmy Walker and Bill Haas going into the weekend at the Hero World Challenge. Spieth feels like he’s on vacation in the Bahamas. On the golf course, it’s all business. Coming off two bogeys in five holes, he responded with three straight birdies and then an eagle and two more birdies on the back nine at Albany Golf Club. Walker took another step in working on a new move in his golf swing and drove the ball beautifully in his round of 65. Haas, one of the sponsor exemptions for the tournament hosted by Tiger Woods, also had a 66. They were at 11-under 133.

East Carolina fires Ruffin McNeill after 6 seasons GREENVILLE, N.C. — East Carolina fired coach Ruffin McNeill after six seasons, with athletic director Jeff Compher saying Friday the program “was not meeting competitive expectations.” Compher said at a news conference Friday afternoon that he made the decision earlier this week to part with the former Pirates defensive back, saying he “did not expect it to be a popular one” with fans. “In my opinion, the trajectory of the program was not going in the right direction,” Compher said. The Pirates finished 5-7 this

season — their first losing season since 2011 — and landed in fifth place in the American Athletic Conference’s East Division with a 3-5 record. They ended the season with a 19-16 home loss to Cincinnati last weekend. McNeill — who played for East Carolina under Pat Dye in the late 1970s — was 42-34 at his alma mater with one bowl victory with the Pirates. He took them to three straight bowls from 2012-14 but never reached a championship game in either Conference USA or the American.

Missouri hires defensive coordinator Odom COLUMBIA, Mo. — Missouri promoted defensive coordinator Barry Odom on Thursday to replace the retiring Gary Pinkel as head coach. The school said in a release that Odom agreed in principle to a five-year deal that will need to be approved by the school’s board of curators next week. “Coach Odom was the clear choice to serve as our next coach,” athletic director Mack Rhoades said. “He is a man of high integrity and possesses all the qualities you look for in a successful head coach.” Pinkel announced last month he had cancer and was retiring after the season and also had a public farewell news conference. The Tigers finished 5-7 but the defense ranked ninth in the nation, the first top-10 finish for the school since the NCAA began tracking defensive statistics in 1978. No. 2 Maryland 96 St. FrancIs 55 COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Robert Carter Jr. had 20 points, and No. 2 Maryland routed St. Francis 96-55 on Friday night. The Terrapins bounced back from their first loss of the season Tuesday against No. 9 North Carolina in the ACC/ Big Ten Challenge. Freshman Diamond Stone added 16 points, and Jake Layman scored 11 of his 16 points in the first half. Maryland (7-1) was 31 of 46 from the field (67.4 percent) and has shot at least 50 percent for five consecutive games. Ben Millaud-Meunier led St. Francis (3-4) with 13 points. Ronnie Drinnon added 11 points and 10 rebounds for the Red Flash, who have dropped each of their four road games this season. Layman scored eight points as Maryland opened with a 16-3 run. It was a nice response from Layman, who was 1 for 5 from the field and scored four points in the 89-81 loss to the Tar Heels. From wire reports

Keith Gedamke / The Sumter Item

Sumter’s Taylor Mylers (21) drives past Lakewood’s Shaquancia Lipscomb (5) in the Lady Gamecocks’ 83-50 victory on Friday at the SHS gymnasium.

shocker

From Page B1

“Open shots – we just missed,” first-year SHS head coach Shawn Jones said. “We didn’t do a good job of getting the ball inside, either. We’ve got to do a better job of posting up and getting the ball to our big guys. “But give Coach Brown and his team all the credit in the world because they wanted this game more. And that’s part of our inexperience. But we’ll look at the film and get back to work.” Johnson and Singleton led the Gators with 16 points apiece. Jaylenn Corbett led all players with 18 points and he also had 12 rebounds for the Gamecocks. The Sumter girls meanwhile received a banner prior to the game for being

Wilson Hall overpowers Ben Lippen Wilson Hall’s varsity girls basketball team improved to 4-1 on the season with a 52-42 victory over Ben Lippen on Friday at Nash Student Center. Catherine Kelley led the Lady Barons with 17 points. Susanna Hutson added eight and Courtney Clark had seven. On Thursday in Sumter, WH beat Laurens Academy 42-28. Lauren Goodson had 15 points and nine rebounds to pace Wilson Hall. BEN LIPPEN Griffin 13, Carter 9, Montgomery 8, Witherspoon 5, Readons 2, Rew 4, Carrible 1. Kelley 17, Munn 5, Cunningham 3, Clark 7, Fisher 2, Crawford 4, Goodson 4, Hutson 8, Stokes 2. Thomas Sumter 42 Robert E. Lee 24

FILE/The Associated Press

locals

From Page B1

carries while catching 20 passes for 534 yards and 10 more scores. Defensively, Green had 88 tackles, nine TFLs and three interceptions. Christmas graded out at 90 percent on the offensive line and had 71 tackles on defense, including 11 TFLs. Mason led LMA in tackes with 106 while Robinson had

97 tackles, including 21 for a loss. Green-Younger had 50 tackles, including 11 TFLs. Rabon played on the offensive line for TSA and anchored the defense at middle linebacker. Allan rushed for 1,779 yards and 20 touchdowns on 175 carries for the Saints while picking up 50 tackles on defense. Corbett rushed for 601 yards and 12 TDs on 106 carries, while making 89 tackles on defense.

Abram had 10 each. Anna McBride and Taylor Myles finished with nine each. For Lakewood, it was simply a matter of not playing the way it had all summer, head coach Demetress Adams-Ludd said. “We went away from everything we know how to do and what we’ve been working on,” the first-year head coach said of her now 1-1 squad. “But we can’t hold our heads down. It’s early and we’ll continue to work and we’ll get better.” One positive sign was the Lady Gators did not quit, Adams-Ludd said, and battled back in the second half. Gabby Carter led LHS with 14 points followed by Taja Randolph with 11. Randolph also had 10 rebounds, as did Shankekia Jackson, and Tatyana Weldon dished out five assists.

area girls roundup

WILSON HALL

Controversial all-time home run leader Barry Bonds is returning to baseball as the hitting coach for the Miami Marlins. He is joining the staff of new Miami manager Don Mattingly.

highly ranked in one of the 4A preseason polls. The Lady Gamecocks looked every bit of it from the outset en route to an 83-50 victory. Sumter started on an 8-0 run and was up 24-3 after one quarter – increasing that lead to over 30 points in the second quarter -- and cruised in the second half. “We got off to a very good start and had good energy,” said SHS head coach Jason Loudenslager. “One of our goals was to rebound early and really push the tempo. We were able to do that and get some easy buckets in transition.” Sumter (4-1) had four players post double figures and nearly had six. Kyra Wilson led the way with 18 points and nine rebounds. Jessica Harris had 12 points and both Kiara Jones and Tiarra

DARLINGTON – Thomas Sumter Academy defeated Robert E. Lee Academy 42-24 on Friday in the Trinity-Byrnes Tournament at the T-B gymnasium. Bree Stoddard led the

Lady Generals with 13 points while Latrice Lyons added 11. Reghann Griffin had 11 points to lead REL, which fell to 1-3. On Thursday in Darlington, Laurence Manning Academy defeated REL 5029. Meg Gaskins led the Lady Cavaliers with 10 points and Ivy Watts had 10 rebounds. ROBERT E. LEE Griffin 11, Watts 3, Gaskins 5, Watson 3, Goff 2. THOMAS SUMTER

Lyons 11, Stoddard 13, Hawkins 5, Ross 4, J. Morris 3, Gaulke 2, L. Morris 2, Bundy 2. Crestwood 66 Mullins 61

MULLINS – Crestwood High School opened its season with a 66-61 victory over Mullins on Thursday at the Mullins gymnasium. Shaquanda Miller-McCray had a triple-double of 10 points, 17 rebounds and 10 blocked shots for the Lady Knights. Avis Murphy led a bal-

anced scoring attack with 12 points while Lindsey Rogers added 11.

JUNIOR VARSITY BASKETBALL Wilson Hall 32 Ben Lippen 17 Wilson Hall improved to 3-0 with a 32-17 victory over Ben Lippen on Friday at Nash Student Center. Madison Elmore led WH with seven points and Becka Noyes had six. Sumter 34 Lakewood 25

Sumter High School opened its season with a 34-25 victory over Lakewood on Thursday at The Castle. Malaysia Scales led the Lady Gamecocks with 14 points.

B TEAM BASKETBALL Wilson Hall 31 Ben Lippen

Wilson Hall improved to 2-1 with a 31-4 victory over Ben Lippen on Friday at Nash Student Center. Gracyn Coker led the Lady Barons with 11 points.

area boys roundup

Morant’s 36 lifts Crestwood past Mullins MULLINS — Ja Morant scored 36 points to lead Crestwood High School’s varsity boys basketball team to a 90-85 victory over Mullins on Thursday at the Mullins gymnasium. Devin Nelson added 24 for the Knights. Wilson Hall 67 Laurens 39

Wilson Hall improved to 3-1 on the season with a

67-39 victory over Laurens Academy on Thursday at Nash Student Center. Drew Talley led the Barons with 15 points. Four other WH players scored eight points each. Nate Martin led Laurens with 18.

LAURENS

Martin 18, Burns 9, Anderson 3, Moore 5, Kesler 4.

B TEAM BASKETBALL Wilson Hall 37 Ben Lippen 23

Wilson Hall evened its record at 1-1 with a 37-23 victoWILSON HALL ry over Ben Lippen on FriTalley 15, Ward 8, Burgess 8, day at Nash Student Center. Dabbs 6, Carraway 8, Schwartz Emery Moore led the Bar8, Sonntag 2, Stone 6, Lowder 6. ons with 11 points.

sports

Saturday, December 5, 2015

sec championship

clemson

Vasha Hunt/AL.com

Alabama running back Derrick Henry (2) will try to help the Crimson Tide to a victory over Florida today in the Southeastern Conference championship game in Atlanta.

No. 2 Alabama shows no signs of letting up By PAUL NEWBERRY

playing these creatures,” McElwain joked Friday. In his ninth season as the ATLANTA — Alabama Tide’s coach, Saban has alhas set the bar high for the ready won three national tirest of the Southeastern tles. Discounting a rebuildConference. ing season when he took Heading into another apover a then-floundering propearance in the SEC chamgram in 2007, his teams have pionship game, there’s no in- posted an astonishing record dication that anyone is close (95-12), earned a spot in five to knocking off Nick Saban’s SEC championship games, behemoth from Tuscaloosa. and been a serious player in Certainly not Florida, every national race except which will face the No. 2 one (in 2010, when the Tide Crimson Tide on Saturday. “slumped” to 10-3). Despite a resurgent season Not that there seems to be under new coach Jim McElany joy in the ride. wain, the offensively chalSaban was in an especially lenged Gators are a massive grumpy mood Friday, barely 18-point underdog against cracking a smile as he coldAlabama (11-1, No. 2 CFP), ly, methodically discussed which is one victory away what it takes to stay on top, from a second straight trip to year after year after year. the College Football Playoff. “It’s not easy at all,” he “Not real excited about said. “You have to have the

The Associated Press

big ten championship

League title could be start for Spartans, Hawkeyes By MICHAEL MAROT The Associated Press

maining unbeaten teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision and, along with MichiINDIANAPOLIS — Mark gan State, was one of five Dantonio and Kirk Ferentz FBS teams with multiple kept the discussion on point road wins over ranked foes. Friday. With three teams ranked The Michigan State and in the top six and five in the Iowa coaches are in IndiaCFP’s top 15, the discussion napolis to win a Big Ten has now turned to whether championship. Nothing the Big Ten deserves two more. spots in the playoff — a subThey’ll let everyone else ject neither coach was willdebate the hot-button issues ing to touch. — the national champion“It’s great for interest in ship picture, whether two the sport. I’m not knocking teams from the same confer- it by any stretch, but I think ence deserve to make the it’s a lot of rhetoric,” Feplayoffs and which league is rentz said. “Really what hapthe nation’s best. pens is things get decided on “We’ve been here before,” the field.” Dantonio said. “This is still That’s one point both goal No. 1 for us.” coaches agree on. Even amid, the festive enRUN TO DAYLIGHT: vironment surrounding Iowa is the first FBS team Lucas Oil Stadium. since 1997 to have three The conventional wisdom running backs run for at is that the title game Saturleast 195 yards in one game day night is essentially a during one season. If Jorplay-in for one of the four dan Canzeri, Akrum Wadprecious spots in the second ley or LeShun Daniels do it College Football Playoff. If a against Michigan State’s few other things break the usually stingy defense, it right way, another Big Ten could be a long day for may slip in. Sparty. Michigan State, Don’t discount it. meanwhile, will rely on Unbeaten Iowa, champion- three blue-collar backs to ship game favorite Michigan poke holes in Iowa’s run deState and defending national fense, which finished No. 2 champion Ohio State were in the Big Ten (110.0 yards ranked Nos. 4, 5 and 6 this per game). week by The Associated QB QUOTIENT: Connor Press and the College FootCook is the first Michigan ball Playoff committee and State quarterback to earn their resumes might not first-team all-conference make it any easier. honors in 50 years. He’s conThe Spartans and Bucksidered one of the best proseyes both finished 11-1 over- pects in the NFL draft, alall and 7-1 in conference ready holds the school’s caplay, but East Division reer mark for TD passes (71) champion Michigan State and needs 338 yards to break earned its third ticket to Kirk Cousins’ career mark Indy in five years by upsetin that category. Iowa’s C.J. ting Ohio State in Columbus Beathard just wins. Since two weeks ago. taking over last season, he’s West Division champ Iowa 13-0 — the first Iowa quar(12-0, 8-0) is one of two reterback to achieve the feat.

The SUMTER ITEM

right psychological disposition to be able to sustain all those ups and downs and look at every one of those challenges as a test, not a sign of what’s going to happen. It’s a test of how you respond to it, how you react to it, and how you try to take advantage of it, good or bad. That’s the only way you have a chance.” Does No. 18 Florida (10-2, No. 18 CFP) have any chance? The Gators’ offensive woes were especially glaring as they struggled to beat Florida Atlantic in overtime and lost 27-2 at home to Florida State, with only a safety preventing Florida’s first shutout loss since 1988. The Gators are playing in the SEC championship game for the first time since 2009.

in the ACC in with 1,280 yards rushing and 16 rushing touchFrom Page B1 downs. If Williams avoids the turnovers, the Tar Heels can But first there is the matter score with anybody. of beating Clemson (12-0, 8-0 DABO’S 100TH GAME: ACC, No. 1 CFP). Swinney is leading his 100th Earning their first ACC game. Swinney, in his seventh championship in 35 years full season, said it’s hard to means the Tar Heels will have control when you reach a mileto slow down sophomore quar- stone. “A lot of people’s 100th terback Deshaun Watson, the game is against East Taboga ACC player of the year and a Community College and it is Heisman Trophy candidate. what it is,” he said. “But to the Swinney said Watson is the ACC championship game with “complete package,” comparyour 100th, it’s special.” ing him to former New York A BIG RETURN? In a game Yankees relief pitcher Mariawith both teams boasting prono Rivera. lific offenses, the Tar Heels Watson has never lost a could find an edge with punt game as Clemson’s starting returner Ryan Switzer. He’s quarterback. returned two punts for touch“He really doesn’t have a downs of 78 and 85 yards this weakness,” Swinney said. “.... season, and has seven for his He’s a tough one to beat. He’s career — one shy of matching not perfect. He’s not some suthe NCAA career record. Punt perhuman man. He makes returns are an area of emphamistakes, but you’re going to sis for UNC and directed by have to beat him. I mean, he’s Fedora personally, so the Tar not going to beat himself.” Heels could help their chances Fedora knows that. by springing Switzer for a big Watson torched North Caro- one. lina for 435 yards passing and PAST TITLE TILTS: The a school-record six TDs last last time North Carolina and season. The Tar Heels defense Clemson played with so much has improved dramatically at stake may have been Nov. this year under new coordina- 1981, a 10-8 Tiger victory that tor Gene Chizik, but will face was part of their 12-0 national the best quarterback — and championship run. Clemson perhaps wide receivers — was ranked second and the they’ve seen all season. Tar Heels eighth, marking the “He can extend plays,” Fedo- first-ever meeting of top 10 ra said. “And the thing I think teams in ACC history. Clemthat’s most impressive about son prevailed — and remained him is his poise. I don’t think undefeated — when defensive you ever see him get rattled. ... tackle Jeff Bryant recovered a They’ve got a rock that they lateral in the fourth quarter. can rely on, and I think he “There’s only been one 12-0 at makes it extremely difficult Clemson and we’ve tied that for a defense.” record,” Tigers tight end JorDO-OVER: North Carolina’s dan Leggett said. “We’re makonly loss came on this field to ing history as we go.” South Carolina in Week 1. In DOMINANT STARTS: UNC that game, senior quarterback has been downright dominant Marquise Williams threw three in the first half of games in interceptions, two in the end November. They led 38-10 at zone, while the Tar Heels curi- half in a 66-31 win against ously only gave just 12 carries Duke, 31-0 at half in a 59-21 (none in the red zone) to top win against Miami the followtailback Elijah Hood in the ing week. Then they ran out to 17-13 loss to South Carolina. a 35-7 lead in last weekend’s Don’t expect the latter to hap45-34 win at North Carolina pen again; Hood ranked second State.

FCS Playoff SCHEDULE By The Associated Press

Second Round Saturday William & Mary (9-3) at Richmond (8-3), Noon Citadel (9-3) at Charleston Southern (9-2), 1 p.m. Colgate (8-4) at James Madison (9-2), 1 p.m. Western Illinois (7-5) at Illinois State (9-2), 2 p.m. Chattanooga (9-3) at Jacksonville St. (10-1), 2 p.m. Montana (8-4) at North Dakota St. (9-2), 3:30 p.m. Sam Houston St. (9-3) at McNeese St. (10-0), 7 p.m. Northern Iowa (8-4) at Portland State (9-2), 10 p.m.

Quarterfinals Friday, Dec. 11 or Saturday, Dec. 12 Chattanooga-Jacksonville State winner vs. The Citadel-Charleston Southern winner, TBA Colgate-James Madison winner vs. Sam Houston State-McNeese State winner, TBA William & Mary-Richmond winner vs. Western Illinois-Illinois State winner, TBA Montana-North Dakota State winner vs. Northern Iowa-Portland State winner, TBA

Semifinals Friday, Dec. 18 TBD, 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 19 TBD, 4 p.m.

Championship Saturday, Jan. 9 At Toyota Stadium Frisco, Texas Semifinal winners, Noon

College football schedule Saturday

SOUTH

C-USA Championship, Southern Miss. (9-3) at W. Kentucky (102), Noon Georgia St. (5-6) at Georgia Southern (8-3), 2 p.m. New Mexico St. (3-8) at Louisiana-Monroe (1-11), 3 p.m. SEC Championship, Florida (102) vs. Alabama (11-1) at Atlanta, 4 p.m. Troy (3-8) at Louisiana-Lafayette (4-7), 5 p.m. Appalachian St. (9-2) at South Alabama (5-6), 7:30 p.m. ACC Championship, North Carolina (11-1) vs. Clemson (12-0) at Charlotte, N.C., 8 p.m.

MIDWEST

West Virginia (7-4) at Kansas St. (5-6), 4:30 p.m. Big Ten Championship, Michigan St. (11-1) vs. Iowa (12-0) at Indianapolis, 8:17 p.m.

SOUTHWEST

AAC Championship, Temple (102) at Houston (11-1), Noon Texas (4-7) at Baylor (9-2), Noon Texas St. (3-8) at Arkansas St. (8-3), 3 p.m. SWAC Championship, Grambling St. (9-2) vs. Alcorn St. (8-3) at Houston, 4 p.m.

FAR WEST

MWC Championship, San Diego St. (9-3) at Air Force (8-4), 7:30 p.m. Pac-12 Championship, Stanford (10-2) vs. Southern Cal (8-4) at Santa Clara, Calif., 7:45 p.m.

Marjorie Maxon/The Citadel Athletics

The Citadel Cornerback Mariel Cooper (20) has made the most of his one season with the Bulldogs after transferring from South Carolina State to the Charleston military school as a graduate student to use his final year of eligibility. The former Sumter High School standout has started for co-Southern Conference champion, which takes on Charleston Southern today in the scond round of the FCS playoffs.

cooper

just felt right.” Cooper redshirted his first From Page B1 year at S.C. State. He saw significant playing time in each the season. He is supposed to of the next three seasons, finbe back today. ishing with 31 tackles in his “It was a little difficult S.C. State career while playing (missing the Coastal Carolina on two Mid-Eastern Athletic game),” Cooper said. “My Conference championship teammates kept telling me teams. that they were going to give Sickness allowed Cooper to me another game. It was a litbegin fall practice working tle touch and go, but we ended with the first team, and he has up winning the game. I was held on to the spot. He had an doing what I could to help on interception against Davidson the sidelines.” in the Bulldogs’ season opener. Cooper finds himself in He has 30 total tackles, includsomething of an unusual posi- ing 23 solo stops. four tackles tion as a graduate student at for loss and has broken up the military school. He doesn’t seven passes. have to go through the miliAbout the only sadness Cootary portion required at The per has experienced while at Citadel for the undergraduThe Citadel is when his brothates. He said he doesn’t catch er, Destin Wise, died in a car too much grief from his team- accident on June 14. Wise, who mates. played football at Sumter as “I really have a lot of respect well, was trying to get on the for what they do,” said Cooper, team as a preferred walk-on. who considered signing with “It was that big brother-little The Citadel when he graduated brother thing of trying to play from Sumter in 2010. “Seeing on the same football team,” what they have to do every day, Cooper said. “We wanted to do with football, the academics, that.” the military aspect. Just being The 9-3 Bulldogs will be takable to do that is something.” ing on a 9-2 Charleston SouthCooper said he considered ern team that handed them transferring to a couple of dif- one of their losses earlier this ferent schools, but when Tayseason. The Buccaneers won lor joined the Citadel staff that 33-20 on Sept. 26. caused him to lean in that di“Our team mantra is the rection. A visit sealed the deal. next game is the most impor“They embraced me, both tant game, so we weren’t lookthe coaches and the players,” ing ahead last week,” Cooper Cooper said. They made it feel said. “We’re here though and like home. this is the biggeest game in “It was really just the best school history. Hopefully, we’ll fit for me, career-wise, acabe able to go out and get a litdemic-wise, football-wise. It tle revenge.”

sports

The SUMTER ITEM

Saturday, December 5, 2015

college basketball

recruiting

Former Volunteer running back Paulk may look Gamecocks’ way

ormer Tennessee running back Treyvon Paulk made an unofficial visit to the University of South Carolina for the Clemson game last Saturday and could become more involved with USC once the coaching situation is settled. Paulk is a native of Alpharetta, Ga., and a former high school teammate of USC center Cory Helms. He missed most of his senior season in high school with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, though he did rush for about 700 yards in three games. He signed with Tennessee and redshirted in 2014, but was dismissed from the team by head coach Butch Jones following a domestic incident for which he was not charged. Paulk played at Hutchinson Junior College in Kansas this season and will transfer after the spring semester. He will have three years to play three. “I’m real cool with (USC assistant) Coach (Everette) Sands, (interim head) Coach (Shawn) Elliott and (offensive coordinator) Coach (GA) Mangus,” Paulk said. “We’ve been talking and they wanted to get me up for a game.” Paulk realizes with USC in the midst of a coaching search, it’s hard for the current staff to make decisions on offers and commitments at this time. He said he’s fine with that and is willing to wait while things play out. “We’ll figure out what’s really going on in a couple of weeks,” he said. “I’ve been talking with them for awhile. It’s definitely a good place. They have a good atmosphere and good support from the fans. I definitely like Coach Elliott’s energy and Coach Sands is a good guy. I like the staff and the players are good people. I definitely got a good vibe. It’s just day by day with the coaching deal and we’ll figure it out.” Paulk didn’t cite any other schools by name, but said schools from the Big 12 Conference and other Power 5 leagues are showing interest. However, he’s very interested in seeing if things might work out with USC. “It’s definitely a place that’s up there for me with them needing a back,” he said. “It’s a good place. It’s in the SEC (Southeastern Conference). I can see myself doing things here, but it’s one day at a time in the process with the coach. I’ll see who they give the shot to and move from there.” Paulk rushed for 669 yards and nine touchdowns this season, leading his team in both categories. Defensive end Mykelle McDaniel (6-feet-4-inches, 255 pounds) of Loganville, Ga., has USC as his favorite by a wide margin at this point, and he’s thinking about cementing his plans in the not too distant future. “USC is No. 1 for me,” McDaniel said. “I have always loved the Gamecocks and I really think that’s the place for me. If everything works out you will see a commit soon.” McDaniel has USC atop his list ahead of Nebraska, Florida and Tennessee. He’s also been considering Mississippi State. He said one of the big attractions for him at USC is the opportunity for early playing time. McDaniel’s Grayson High School team is still in the state playoffs. He has 73 tackles and 7 ½ quarterback sacks. Defensive back Martial Washington (6-2, 195) of Hinesville, Ga., was offered by USC last week. He visited during his spring break and was back for camp last summer. “USC coaches saw my size and invited me back to a camp to see how I ran and how I competed against the guys from Florida,” Washington said. “Then my senior season was the major factor on the offer.” Washington said USC is recruiting him as a safety. He played in six games this season and recorded 60 tackles with nine tackles for loss, five

pass deflections and two fumble recoveries. Washington currently is committed to Georgia Southern, but is Phil Kornblut going to look Recruiting around at other opportucorner nities and that includes USC. “I feel USC has a great, winning program even though this year has been rough,” Washington said. “My plan moving forward is to finish my first senior year semester with all As and just sit back and weigh my options. I will be taking my official visits soon to a couple schools.” Other schools involved at this point are Appalachian State, Middle Tennessee State and Charlotte. USC wide receiver target Dre Massey of Mauldin High and Holmes JC in Mississippi committed to Florida over the weekend while on his official visit. “They need my speed and my explosiveness,” Massey said. “Perfect fit and amazing atmosphere and coaching staff. Big future.” Massey also took official visits to Cincinnati and Oklahoma and was scheduled to visit USC this weekend and Auburn on Dec. 12, but said he’s finished with recruiting and won’t take any more visits. DE Sadarius Hutcherson of Huntingdon, Tenn., has set his official visit with USC for Jan. 15, 2016. That’s the only official visit he has set. USC has offered along with San Diego State, Memphis, Nevada and MTSU. USC running back commitment CJ Freeman of Greensboro, N.C., made an official visit to Wisconsin earlier this month and the result was a somewhat weakened USC commitment, though committed he remains. “It was a great visit, something I enjoyed,” Freeman said. “I’m thinking about a great opportunity. They do not have a running back commitment at the moment. They are really short at running back. “The coaches are all telling me they want me. I’m a top priority. They are only offering three running backs. They are trying to get me to come on board and be an early impact, the first one helping out. It’s something I’m definitely thinking about and talking to my parents about. My thought process will be better after I take all of my visits.” Freeman also has taken an official visit to Georgia Southern. He plans to visit Louisville and USC in December and then finalize his plans because he’s an early graduate. Freeman visited USC for the UF game and he’s been contacted by athletics director Ray Tanner, who has been encouraging the USC commitments to hold true to their word. “He told me they plan on knowing who the coaching staff is by the first or second week in December,” Freeman said. “He told me they definitely want me. He feels like the program is turning around and they need me to be a part of it. I still feel committed, but this visit made me think about possibilities. But I’m still committed to them.” Freeman did not make it to USC for the Clemson game. USC offensive lineman commitment Will Putnam was back at USC for the Clemson game and remains committed at this point. He recently made an unofficial visit to Virginia Tech, the other finalist before he committed to USC. DB Kris Pam of Blythewood High took an unofficial visit to USC for Clemson as did linebacker TJ Brunson of Richland Northeast High in Columbia. He has his Louisville official visit this weekend. He’s a UL commitment. DB Dreshun Miller of Marietta, Ga., was at USC for Clemson. He also visited for the UF game.

CLEMSON Defensive lineman Rashan Gary of Paramus, N.J., made his official visit to Auburn last weekend. He also has taken official visits to Michigan and Mississippi. According to his mother, Gary is set for Southern California on Jan. 16. That leaves one official visit spot to fill, and he may take that and some more unofficial visits. Clemson is in line for one of those stops. “We only did a day trip to Clemson and he needs two full days,” said Gary’s mother, Jennifer Coney, whose brother lives in Anderson. “We plan to take a couple of days in January to come down to Clemson, Georgia, Alabama and Ohio State on our own. We want him to be comfortable. We want to do what we want to do and see what we want to see — the campus, the students, the coaching staff, when things are normal.” Louisiana State is another school Gary visited, spending three days there. Coney said they won’t take any December visits because Gary will be focusing on academics and getting ready for the Under Armour All-American Game. At this point, Gary’s mother does not see a favorite emerging for her son. “He has a lot of schools he likes, but he doesn’t have a favorite,” she said. “I want him to have a favorite. I want him to go on a campus and say, ‘This is it.’ It’s not easy.” Gary has said he will make a commitment announcement at the Under Armour game on Jan. 2. Isaiah Wilson, a ’17 OL recruit from Brooklyn, N.Y., named Michigan as his leader. Clemson is in his top eight. Athlete Tancey Richardson of South Aiken, a ’17 recruit, was at the ClemsonWake Forest game.

CLEMSON AND USC OL John Simpson of Fort Dorchester High in North Charleston did not go to the USC-Clemson game because he needed to make up for lost time at his job due to previous weekend visits. However, Simpson said the staff turnover at USC, including the possibility former OL coach and interim head coach Elliott won’t be back, has diminished his interest in USC. “I really like Coach Elliott and that’s the only reason why I’m still like focusing on Carolina, because Coach Elliott is such a good coach like I’ve been saying,” Simpson said. “I’m not really sure who is going to be there next and stuff like that.” Simpson has taken an official visit to LSU, and he plans to set trips to UF and Clemson. UF will be the next official visit, but he hasn’t set the date. He said UF and Clemson are 50-50 at the top of his list. As for USC and the new head coach, Simpson said he will be willing to give them the opportunity to recruit him and he will wait on a decision until after he meets with them. Simpson is scheduled to announce his decision on Jan. 9 at the U.S. Army All- American Game.

Kelvin Kuo/The Associated Press

UCLA guard Jonah Bolden, right, loses the ball as Kentucky forward Alex Poythress defends during the Bruins’ 87-77 victory on Thursday in Los Angeles. .

No. 1 Kentucky falls to UCLA By BETH HARRIS The Associated Press

in the back of the locker room. He’s been getting double-doubles for us. He’s LOS ANGELES — Down one of the top rebounders 15 points in the second half, in the country. We needed coach John Calipari told him out here.” his Kentucky Wildcats they Freshman Skal Labiswere going to find out who siere was held to six points loves to fight and make and one rebound with four winning plays. fouls. The answer was no one. “‘Kid, you’ve got to fight. No. 1 Kentucky never You’ve got to battle,”’ Calimade a run bigger than pari told him. “One of the four points and led for all things I’ve told him is that of 30 seconds in losing 87-77 things don’t always go to UCLA on Thursday right. I told him that before night, when the Wildcats the game. The whole team. shot a season-worst 38 perYou’ve got to have fun playcent from the field. ing. You can’t do that if the “They beat our brains other team is punching you in,” Calipari said. in the face, and you’re not Thomas Welsh led five swinging back. You’ll never players in double figures play with joy.” with 21 points and 11 reThe result was a dramatbounds for the Bruins (5-3), ic turnaround from last Dewho beat a top-ranked cember, when the Wildcats team for the first time dealt the Bruins a 39-point since 2003. drubbing in Chicago. KenIsaiah Briscoe led Kentucky opened that game tucky (7-1) with 20 points with a 24-0 run and led 41-7 while Jamal Murray added at halftime. 17 and Derek Willis had 11. “This win is very, very The Wildcats had five special just because of players in foul trouble, inwhat happened last year,” cluding Alex Poythress, Bruins coach Steve Alford who fouled out with four said. “Not only were they points with under 10 minthe number one team in the utes left. They lost a regucountry, we had seven lar-season game for the points in the (first) half last first time since March 8, year.” 2014, at Florida. This time, the Bruins “We’ve been behind bedominated from the start, fore. We just had some guys going on a 9-0 run after who didn’t play very well, Kentucky scored the and there are about four of game’s first basket. They them,” Calipari said. ran off 10 straight points The Wildcats lost starting later in the half. forward Marcus Lee, who The Wildcats couldn’t get sustained a head injury in their offense in gear, apthe first half. He had scored pearing to try to do too in double figures in four much in a desperate bid to games and had two double- reduce their double-digit doubles. deficit. They got within sin“Marcus is so valuable,” gle digits just once — early said guard Tyler Ulis, in the second half. Willis’ whose right elbow was still three-point play got them to hurting from last Friday’s 67-57 before consecutive game. “I was looking for baskets by Hamilton and him during the game, askWelsh pushed UCLA’s lead ing, ‘Where’s he at?’ He was to 71-57.

2015-16

DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF CHARLES R. “PAP” PROPST

Please Mail To: The Sumter Item/Fireside Fund PO Box 1677 • Sumter, SC 29150

Or Drop Off At The Item 20 N. Magnolia St.

COMICS

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2015

THE SUMTER ITEM

BIZARRO

SOUP TO NUTS

ANDY CAPP

GARFIELD

BEETLE BAILEY

BORN LOSER

BLONDIE

ZITS

MOTHER GOOSE

DOG EAT DOUG

DILBERT

JEFF MACNELLY'S SHOE

Mother bars teen from wedding of old friend DEAR ABBY — I am 16 and my old friend from grammar school is getting married next month. I Dear Abby just received ABIGAIL a wedding VAN BUREN invitation in the mail. However, my mother does not approve of her getting married at such a young age (she’s 18) and has forbidden me to go or even talk to her. I haven’t seen this friend in more than two years because she moved away and has only recently returned. I want to attend her wedding. How can I go about convinc-

JUMBLE THAT SCRAMBLED WORD GAME By David L Hoyt and Jeff Knurek

ing my mom to let me go? Invited in Las Vegas DEAR INVITED — At 18, the bride-to-be is an adult, and while marriage at such a young age isn’t advisable for many reasons, there’s nothing immoral about it. I’m sorry you didn’t mention what might have happened in your friend’s life in the last two years, because it may be the reason your mother is worried about your associating with her. Your mom may want to protect you, but she’s going about it in the wrong way. You could learn a lot about life by simply observing what happens to your friend after she has reached the altar. DEAR ABBY — I was out this

THE DAILY CROSSWORD PUZZLE

morning for my daily run (facing toward traffic) and a very long funeral procession drove by on the other side of the road. The cars pulled over to the curb to let it pass. I continued to run, but now I feel guilty. Should I have stopped for the procession? Unsure in Michigan DEAR UNSURE — No rule of etiquette requires it. However, it would have been a gesture of respect and sympathy to have stopped running (and removed your cap if you were wearing one) until the procession had passed by. Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www. DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

SUDOKU HOW TO PLAY: Each row, column and set of 3-by-3 boxes must contain the numbers 1 through 9 without repetition.

By Barry C. Silk

ACROSS 1 Fulfilled 11 Powerful engine 15 Prior name of Burkina Faso 16 Understanding words 17 Raises may be tied to one 18 Opinion piece 19 First name in 1950s politics 20 Chemical relative 22 Key with one flat: Abbr. 25 Slumgullion, for one 27 Remove 28 Washington's forte? 30 "I Love Music" group, with "The" 32 Grandpa Munster portrayer 33 Big ape 34 Ltr. extender 37 Birdwatcher's lure 38 Point in the wrong direction 40 Sam Spade, e.g. 41 Wrong 43 Fawning

12/5/15 44 Night calls 46 Understanding words 47 Gushing flattery 49 1994 Polka Music Hall of Fame inductee 51 Eastern holidays 52 Feels sorry for 54 Landlocked Asian country 56 Arbitrary stake 57 Pine Tree State college town 62 One still maturing 63 Most common dolphin 64 Clarify, with "out" 65 A.1., for one

9 Off-road traveler, for short 10 Sitcom set in a garage 11 Misty 12 "The American Crisis" author 13 Assistance trio? 14 Hugo title word 21 Marine bioluminescence 22 First try 23 Free-for-all 24 Blather 26 Romance 29 Way more than cool 31 Oregon Treaty president

35 Experimental 36 Diving ducks 39 Ballerina Zakharova 42 Sydney's state: Abbr. 43 Team characteristic? 45 Familiarize 47 Fancy footwear 48 "Exodus" actor 50 Online reminder 53 Bad news reactions 55 Skunk River city 58 Spoil 59 Obligatory letters 60 White House advisory gp. 61 Wide size

Friday’s Puzzle Solved

DOWN 1 Sports prize 2 Patriots' Day mo. 3 Home of the NCAA Engineers 4 Took back 5 Hot 6 Demon 7 Gives 8 Number from the past

12/5/15

CLASSIFIEDS

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 05, 2015

THE ITEM

It’s Mayo’s “More for your money Christmas Sale”! Buy 1 Regular Priced Suit, Receive 2nd Suit of Equal Value FREE! Great Selection & Savings!

SHIRTS, TIES, PANTS & SHOES Buy 1, Get a 2nd HALF PRICE! IN-STORE ALTERATIONS, FOR THOSE LAST MINUTE OCCASIONS

BUSINESS SERVICES Child Care

3435 Kel Sam Dr. Dalzell, Sat. 8 am - 3 pm. Christmas items, jewelry, household, other misc.

ASE Certified Technician needed for a local franchise dealership. 5 day work week with competitive pay. Submit resume to: P-431 c/o The Item, PO Box 1677 Sumter SC 29151

Cleaning Services

2307 Harper St Sat 7-? Moving Sale & Christmas items!

JAC Home Improvements 24 Hr Service. We beat everyone's prices, Free Estimates Licensed & Bonded 850-316-7980

Legal Service Attorney Timothy L. Griffith 803-607-9087, 360 W. Wesmark. Criminal, Family, Accident, Injury

Septic Tank Cleaning

Living Estate Sale of Bill Hubbard 554 Sierra Dr , Sumter 29154 Sumter High Area, Friday Dec 4, 3:30pm-6:30pm & Saturday Dec 5, 8am-2pm. This Living Estate Tag Sale will have a lot of nice furniture. Dining Room, bedrooms, 3 sleeper sofas, 2 old oak tables, lots of crystal, wrought iron chairs, pictures, sewing room mis., curtains, wood working shop, hunting and fishing items, yard tools, jewelry, Christmas deco., and etc. Cash only! View pictures at: www.sugarplums-sc.com or Estatesale.com 2221 Gingko Dr. SAT. , baby items, baby, toddler & adult clothes, toys, linens, Christmas & hshld items 805 Torrey Pines Dr. Lakewood Links S/D, Sat. 7:30 am - ? Christmas decor, tools, fishing rods, 10" radial arm saw, 5 ft. animated Santa Claus, other misc.

LARGE GARAGE SALE Every Weekend Tables $2 & $3 FLEA MARKET BY SHAW AFB

Septic Tank Cleaning Call the pros for all of your septic pumping needs. 803-316-0429 Proline Utilities, LLC

Tree Service NEWMAN'S TREE SERVICE Tree removal, trimming & stump grinding. Lic/Ins 803-316-0128 Ricky's Tree Service Tree removal, stump grinding, Lic & ins, free quote, 803-435-2223 or cell 803-460-8747.

STATE TREE SERVICE Worker's Comp & General liability insurance. Top quality service, lowest prices. 803-494-5175 or 803-491-5154 www.statetree.net A Notch Above Tree Care Full quality service low rates, lic./ins., free est BBB accredited 983-9721

PETS & ANIMALS

3 Male AKC Long Haired Mini Dachshunds, shots up to date. Asking $400 Call 706-993-7916

Pets Free to a good home! Playful black kitten (F ) 10 Weeks. Call 803-773-5719

Poultry PALMETTO CORNISH CHICKENS $12 /case (of 12) B-Grade Southern States 335 Broad St., Sumter 803-775-1204 While Supplies last!

Sale @ 8 E. Bartlette St. Saturday, December 5th, 9-12. Inside/Outside. 28 Tanager Trl. Sat. 7-12 Huge multi-family, furniture, big TV, sporting goods, new items, etc. 3180 Caitlynn Dr. Sat., 7am-1pm. Household, furn. clothes, Christmas decor, misc. 2834 Camden Hwy. (Bishopville) Sat 9-4. Lots of old & depression glassware, household items, dining & living room & misc. furniture, antiques, washer & freezer. 803-459-8270

1900 Golfair Rd Sat 8-1 Misc. household items, file cabinet, garden tools & more.

Corner of Phelps and Cardinal St Sat 8am-? Lots of Good stuff! 361 Neeley St (Behind Fat Boys) Sat 7-1 Huge Multi Family, Furniture, baby items, women's clothes, Christmas decor. Lots more! Moving /Backyard Sale! 1140 Briar Bend St Sat 7:30-12 Manning - 1548 N. Brewington Rd. Sat. 8 am - 12 noon. Trailer, W & D, lg. sprayer, spreader, Christmas trees, Christmas deco, swing set, toys, boys clothes, household, etc.

For Sale or Trade Single grave plot for sale $700. at Sumter Cemetery. Call 803-316-3502

Lakeside Market 2100 Wedgefield Rd Tomatoes .98 lb Yellow Squash $1.29 lb Golden Kernel Pecan Co. 1214 S. Guignard Dr. 968-9432 We buy pecans, sell Pecan halves, Choc., Sugarfree Choc., Fruit cake mix, Butter Roasted, Sugar & Spice, Prailine, Honey Glazed, Eng. Toffee Gift Pkgs avail. M-F 9-5 Sat 9-1 We buy pecans! Warren E. Coker Farms, 341 W. Main St. Olanta. Call 843-319-1884.

Firewood Firewood for sale. $50 per load. Will deliver locally for free. Call 803-499-3843.

Homes for Sale

F/T Optical Retail Sales. Experience preferred but not required. Must work Saturdays. Will accept resumes on Thurs. Dec 10th from 1 - 4 pm at H. Rubin Vision Center, Sumter Mall. Dress to Impress! No phone calls, please. Clarendon County School District Three Is Accepting Applications for Special Education, Multi-Categorical or Learning Disabled South Carolina Teaching Certificate in Each Area is Required Applications Must Be Received at the Address Below by Monday, December 14, 2015 Mail Applications To: Dr. Connie J. Dennis, Ph.D.Superintendent Clarendon County School District Three P.O. Drawer 270 Turbeville, SC 29162 Clarendon County School District Three Is AnEqual Opportunity Employer

Legal Notice

5 BR 2.5 Ba, 2 kitchens, dbl garage, brick home $75k. Financing help available. Call 803-464-5757.

Manufactured Housing FOR SALE. MH, 3BR 2BA, porch & equip for handicap w/ 1 acre land. $98,000 Call 843-729-6076 Was your home affected by the recent FLOODS? Use your FEMA CHECK for a down payment on one of our quality used refurbished homes. We specialize in on the lot financing. Low credit score is OK. Call 843-389-4215 AND also visit our Face Book Page (M&M Mobile Homes)

TRANSPORTATION

Autos For Sale 1986 Pontiac Fiero GT, customized V-6, $5,500 OBO. Call 803-481-8286.

ASE Certified front end alignment tech. for a local tire dealer. Very competitive pay 50/50 commission. If you think you are that man, send resume to P-432 c/o The Item, PO Box 1677 Sumter SC 29151 Certified Activities Director Covenant Place of Sumter is looking to fill the position of Certified Activities Director. This position requires therapeutic recreation specialist, prefer minimum of 2 yrs experience in a skilled nursing facility. Please send Resume, Vita and Salary Requirements to: Risley E. Linder at rlinder@covenantplace.org. EOE

RENTALS Unfurnished Apartments

LEGAL NOTICES Legal Notice

Senior Living Apartments for those 62+ (Rent based on income) Shiloh-Randolph Manor 125 W. Bartlette. 775-0575 Studio/1 Bedroom apartments available EHO

Unfurnished Homes House for Rent $350 a month. Ideal for retired couple.Call 803-452-6260.

HUNTINGTON PLACE APARTMENTS

FROM $575 PER MONTH

1 MONTH FREE THIRTEEN (13) MONTH LEASE REQUIRED

(803) 773-3600 POWERS PROPERTIES

803-773-3600

595 Ashton Mill Drive Office Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9-5 4980 Hwy 15 S. 3br 1ba, liv. rm, din rm, kit., $650/mo + dep. Call 803-481-7118 Sect 8 OK 3 BR 1BA House for rent Sect 8 Welcome. Call 803-225-4963

Mobile Home Rentals

NOTICE OF INTENT TO SELL MEDICAL RECORDS Palmetto Health plans to affiliate with Tuomey Medical Professionals effective January 1, 2016 and will operate the Tuomey Medical Professionals physician practice Sumter Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery (Kevin R. Hanz, M.D.), which is located at Medical Office Building One, 115 N. Sumter Street, Suite 115, Sumter, SC 29150. Dr. Hanz will continue to be available after January 1, 2016 to provide services to patients at his current office location through Palmetto Health. All patient medical records are intended to be sold to Palmetto Health as part of this affiliation. If you are a patient of Dr. Hanz and do not want your medical records to be included in the sale, please call Becky Dabbs at 803.774.7546 to make other arrangements.

NOTICE OF INTENT TO SELL MEDICAL RECORDS Palmetto Health plans to affiliate with Tuomey Medical Professionals effective January 1, 2016 and will operate the Tuomey Medical Professionals physician practice Pain and Spine of Sumter (Michael Todd Warrick, M.D.), which is located at Medical Office Building Two, 100 N. Sumter Street, Suite 320, Sumter, SC 29150. Dr. Warrick will continue to be available after January 1, 2016 to provide services to patients at his current office location through Palmetto Health. All patient medical records are intended to be sold to Palmetto Health as part of this affiliation. If you are a patient of Dr. Warrick and do not want your medical records to be included in the sale, please call Amber Wilson at 803.774.6824 to make other arrangements.

2BR 2BA 453 Ridgeway $450 Mo +$450 Dep. No Section 8 803-775-2344

Green

Farm Products

Lewis Rd & RR Tracks. Fri & Sat 8-2. Misc. & Christmas items. 775-4555

371 Wildwood Ave. Sat. 7:30 10:30 am. Cleaned out attic! Household, clothes, shoes, misc.

Buck fireplace insert with blower. $800. Call before 6 pm 803-840-0440

Want to Buy

Garage, Yard & Estate Sales

710 S. Pike Rd. Sat. 7-12 Multi. Fam. Furn. toys, clothes, electronics, and much more!!

Expert Tech, New & used heat pumps & A/C. Will install/repair, warranty; Compressor & labor $600. Call 803-968-9549 or 843-992-2364

MERCHANDISE

PECANS Now Buying Farmers Exchange 405 Swamp Rd. 803-773-8336

Open every weekend. Call 803-494-5500

487 Pringle Dr. Multi-family sale, Sat. 8 - 11 am, Household, outdoor furn., toys, other misc.

Dogs

Wesmark Plaza • 773-2262 • Mon-Sat 10-7 Help Wanted Full-Time

930 Trailmore Circle. Moving Sale. Inside & Out Sat. 6-12. Furn., Appl., and lots, lots more!

Home Improvements

If your suits aren’t becoming to you, It’s a good time to be coming to Mayo’s!

Garage, Yard & Estate Sales

1460 Quail Trail, Eagle Pointe S/D Manning, off 260 South, Hugh Estate sale! Household, tools, lg. men's clothes, furniture. Fri. 10 am - 6 pm; Sat. 8 am - 2 pm.

Experience house keeper offering residential, office cleaning. For questions contact: Laquinta 803-944-8258 or email perfectcleaning913@gmail.com

MAYO’S SUIT CITY

EMPLOYMENT Help Wanted Full-Time Property Management Company accepting resumes/applications for the position of "Maintenance Tech" for their Sumter apartment community. Qualified individuals should have at least 2 years of experience in a warranty/handy man maintenance role. Looking for someone career minded for a company that cares about its team members as well as the service we offer our residents. Qualified candidates must have a valid driver's license and a clean background. Resumes can be faxed or emailed to Human Resource Director, 910-435-8934 or resumes@unitedmgtii.com

2, 3 & 4 Bedroom.Scenic Lake MHP, in Sumter/Dalzell area. 499-1500/469-6978 9pm-5pm 3BR 2.5BA Appl. incl. 600 mo.+ Dep Background check. No inside pets. 803-236-2214 3BR 2BA MH Fully Furnished, fully remodeled. Across from Shaw AFB 650/mo + $650/dep. Will check references. Mike 803-825-9075

• TRIMMING • TREE REMOVAL • STUMP REMOVAL

2 & 3 BRs 803-494-4015

REAL ESTATE

F/T Class-A CDL driver needed to haul poultry. Night Shift. Must have 2 years verifiable exp & good MVR. Call Walter 540-560-1031

Real Estate Wanted

Full time experienced auto mechanic. Must have 8 years experience. Call 803-775-8300

TOP CASH paid for houses & mobile homes. Call 803-468-6029.

NOTICE OF INTENT TO SELL MEDICAL RECORDS Palmetto Health plans to affiliate with Tuomey Medical Professionals effective January 1, 2016 and will operate the Tuomey Medical Professionals physician practice Industrial Medicine & Wellness (Eric Byrd, M.D. and James E. Gee, M.D.), which is located at 250 W. Wesmark Boulevard, Sumter, SC 29150. All physicians will continue to be available to provide services to patients at their current office locations through Palmetto Health. All patient medical records are intended to be sold to Palmetto Health as part of this affiliation. If you are a patient of any of the doctors referenced above and do not want your medical records to be included in the sale, please call Curt Ackerman at 803.774.8842 to make other arrangements.

NOTICE OF INTENT TO SELL MEDICAL RECORDS Palmetto Health plans to affiliate with Tuomey Medical Professionals effective January 1, 2016 and will operate the Tuomey Medical Professionals physician practice Sumter Orthopaedic Associates (Danny H. Ford, M.D., Kurt T. Stroebel, M.D., and Ryan C. Zitzke, M.D.), which is located at Medical Office Building Two, 100 N. Sumter Street, Suite 200, Sumter, SC 29150. All physicians will continue to be available after January 1, 2016 to provide services to patients at their current office locations through Palmetto Health. All patient medical records are intended to be sold to Palmetto Health as part of this affiliation. If you are a patient of any of the doctors referenced above and do not want your medical records to be included in the sale, please call Lora Scharf at 803.774.7621 to make other arrangements.

NOTICE OF INTENT TO SELL MEDICAL RECORDS Palmetto Health plans to affiliate with Tuomey Medical Professionals effective January 1, 2016 and will operate the Tuomey Medical Professionals physician practice Sumter OB-GYN (A. Cecil Collins, III, M.D., Mark A. Hucks, M.D., Helen D. Latham, M.D., Jill B. McLeod, M.D., Samuel M. Riddle, M.D., G. Murrell Smith, M.D., and Triz Van Smith, M.D.), which is located at Medical Office Building One, 115 N. Sumter Street, Suites 100 and 200, Sumter, SC 29150. All physicians will continue to be available after January 1, 2016 to provide services to patients at their current office locations through Palmetto Health. All patient medical records are intended to be sold to Palmetto Health as part of this affiliation. If you are a patient of any of the obstetric or gynecologist doctors referenced above and do not want your medical records to be included in the sale, please call Tori Whitaker at 803.774.9650 or 803.774.8351, respectively, to make other arrangements.

NOTICE OF INTENT TO SELL MEDICAL RECORDS Palmetto Health plans to affiliate with Tuomey Medical Professionals effective January 1, 2016 and will operate the Tuomey Medical Professionals physician practice Carolina Family Medicine of Sumter (Tracy L. DeBolt, M.D. a/k/a Tracy Ridgill, M.D. and Phillip Jansen, D.O.), which is located at Medical Office Building One, 115 N. Sumter Street, Suite 400, Sumter, SC 29150. All physicians will continue to be available after January 1, 2016 to provide services to patients at their current office location through Palmetto Health. All patient medical records are intended to be sold to Palmetto Health as part of this affiliation. If you are a patient of any of the doctors referenced above and do not want your medical records to be included in the sale, please call Casey Bryan at 803.774.9425 to make other arrangements.

NOTICE OF INTENT TO SELL MEDICAL RECORDS Palmetto Health plans to affiliate with Tuomey Medical Professionals effective January 1, 2016 and will operate the Tuomey Medical Professionals physician practice Sumter Surgical Associates (Mark M. Crabbe, M.D., James W. Ellett, M.D., Robert C. Jones, M.D., Steven C. Lauzon, M.D., Henry P. Moses, M.D., Michael J. Naylor, M.D. and Adam Przybyla, M.D.), which is located at Medical Office Building One, 115 N. Sumter Street, Suite 300, Sumter, SC 29150. All physicians will continue to be available after January 1, 2016 to provide services to patients at their current office location through Palmetto Health. All patient medical records are intended to be sold to Palmetto Health as part of this affiliation. If you are a patient of any of the doctors referenced above and do not want your medical records to be included in the sale, please call Ellen Geddings at 803.775.1550 to make other arrangements. NOTICE OF INTENT TO SELL MEDICAL RECORDS Palmetto Health plans to affiliate with Tuomey Medical Professionals effective January 1, 2016 and Palmetto Health will provide hospitalist services at Tuomey, which is located at 129 N. Washington Street, Sumter, SC 29150, through the following Tuomey Medical Professionals physicians: David B. Blalock, M.D., Kim J. Cortez, M.D., Bret E. Fisher, D.O., Justin Mitchell, M.D., Leeann A. Nelson, M.D., Aaron S. Provisor, M.D., Ornusa Teerasukjinda, M.D., Bela K. Udani, M.D., Joseph C. Williams, M.D., Suwarat Wongjittraporn, M.D., Bhisit Changcharoen, M.D., and Oliver P. Harden, M.D. All physicians will continue to be available to provide services to patients at their current location after January 1, 2016. All patient medical records are intended to be sold to Palmetto Health as part of this affiliation. If you are a patient of any of the doctors referenced above and do not want your medical records to be included in the sale, please call Vicki Towery at 803.774.1788 to make other arrangements.

Beer & Wine License Notice Of Application Notice is hereby given that Xclusions 2 intends to apply to the South Carolina Department of Revenue for a license permit that will allow the sale and ON premises consumption of Beer, Wine and Liquor at 3289 Broad Street, Sumter, SC 29150. To object to the issuance of this permit / license, written protest must be postmarked no later than December 21, 2015. For a protest to be valid, it must be in writing, and should include the following information: (1) the name, address and telephone number of the person filing the protest; (2) the specific reasons why the application should be denied; (3) that the person protesting is willing to attend a hearing (if one is requested by the applicant); (4) that the person protesting resides in the same county where the proposed place of business is located or within five miles of the business; and (5) the name of the applicant and the address of the premises to be licensed. Protests must be mailed to: S.C. Department of Revenue, ABL, P.O. Box 125, Columbia, South Carolina 29214-0907; or Faxed to: (803) 896-0110.

ANNOUNCEMENTS Lost & Found Found: small dog in vicinity of Evans Trailers on Hwy. 15 S. Owner call to identify 803-436-3100.

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THE ITEM

CLASSIFIEDS

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 05, 2015

THE SUMTER ITEM

aith

Joy

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2015

Love

Peace

ompassion

Goodwill

Hope

Charity

Joy

Faith

Love

Peace

Compassion

Goodwil

Hope

Charity

2015

TODAY

aith

Joy

Love

Peace

ompassion

Charity

Goodwill

Hope

Faith

Joy

Love

Peace

Compassion

Charity

Goodwil

Hope

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2015

FAITH TODAY 2015

THE SUMTER ITEM

Of government, taxes and Christmas BY W. CLAY SMITH Special to The Sumter Item

e had sat through so many of these discussions dur-

ing the past 40 years — how do we raise revenue for the government? Money was

SMITH

needed for the Army, the Navy, public works and social programs. The elite resisted the imposition of higher taxes — so once again, the government was caught in a bind.

Like all governments, they had several revenue streams — a sales tax on slaves, an inheritance tax, rent from government land and a population tax, based on the census of the population of the provinces of the empire. People in the meeting were posturing for the emperor — each wanting to impress him with their brilliance. Ideas, by turns inspired and insane, were bantered about, examined and rejected. But he had learned the best way to achieve consensus was to let everyone have their say, listen thoughtfully, see which way the political winds were shifting and then speak — usually to point out the obvious by asking a question. That’s how he had survived 40 years in the seat of power. His wisdom, born of experience, was tempered by the urgency of other tasks — to lead

Do faith-based articles belong in your newspaper? BY JAMIE WILSON faithmatterssumter@gmail.com Why faith-based articles in the newspaper? Faith-based articles can be some of the most contentiously debated articles in the realm of the written word. For all practical purposes, faith — the connotations of certain words and phrases, the implications of specific tenets, the personal convictions of its practitioners — is hard to whittle down to facts and statistics, which OSTEEN is the bread and butter of news reporting. There are some who believe stories of faith should be firmly relegated to softer reporting agencies or, at least, the opinion section of the newspaper. There are others who believe such stories deserve the prime realty of the front page. Despite those opinions, most news outlets find that stories of faith still have cultural relevance and, thus, find a seat at the proverbial table. The Sumter Item is one such newspaper, said Editor and Publisher Jack Osteen. According to Osteen, the publication has made it an aim to reflect the identity of the community in its reporting, which is why The Sumter Item regularly publishes Christian faith-based articles. “As the mainstream media continues to get more and more politically correct, it’s refreshing to have some conservative, Christian-based articles from time to time,” he

said. “It’s still a huge part of our society.” It’s why you see pictures from Vacation Bible Schools plastered across the front of the paper during the early summer months. It is why “He is Risen” is printed on the front page on Easter Sunday. It’s because these events and the faiths they represent reflect the community, maybe not in its entirety but in its majority. Although there are no hard numbers that speak directly to proportion of evangelicals in the community, most of the churches in Sumter carry a Christian banner. Osteen acknowledges there will be some who might not agree with The Sumter Item’s practice of printing such articles. “I have no problem publishing a letter to the editor from someone who, for example, believes God is dead,” he said. “We are always going to publish a variety of news and opinions.” The Pew Forum on Religion reported that, although those who personally associate with Christianity have decreased significantly in recent years, seven out of 10 people still identify as Christians. Many Americans still find their way to a weekly church service, and many make major family, career and political decisions based on faith. “We really just try to report what we think our readers would like to read about,” he said. “Sumter is a very religious community with 100plus churches, so we believe that’s a big part of our audience.”

an empire, you must juggle many priorities. Waiting in the outer court was a commander of a Roman legion with important information that needed to be weighed. It was time to bring this discussion to a close. He cleared his throat, and all conversation stopped. The emperor was about to speak. He asked, “When was the last time we had an empirewide census?” It was an obvious question. Those who had laid out complex taxing systems sheepishly replied that it had been some time — perhaps more than a decade. He asked another obvious question; “Have any babies been born in that period of time?” Good leadership is helping people connect the obvious dots. Of course, there had been more babies born, which equaled a population increase.

They had been apportioning taxes on old population numbers. If they recounted the population base and levied taxes on that number, they could raise revenue without raising tax rates. Good politics. The counselors and bureaucrats lavished praise on the wisdom of the emperor and told him that plans would be made immediately to execute a new census. They rose, bowed and made way for the next meeting. The emperor, having solved one more problem in a lifetime with thousands, moved on to the next meeting. The wheels of government turned slower in those days, but the process was the same. There were meetings held, procedures drawn up, orders sent out, all designed to put a population in motion to be counted.

In a far-off corner of the empire, in a place the emperor never heard of, a young couple with a secret were wondering what excuse they might come up with to get to their hometown of Bethlehem — because every Jew knew the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem. Imagine their laughter when they found out a far off Caesar, solving an age-old government problem of taxes and revenue, provided the answer. And once again, God worked good in all things — even in government bureaucracy and taxes — to bring about His good and perfect will. In this case, He brought us a Savior, born in the right place, just so we could have one more reason to believe. W. Clay Smith is the lead pastor at Alice Drive Baptist Church.

Local pastors weigh-in on this year’s tragedies BY JAMIE WILSON faithmatterssumter@gmail.com By most accounts, 2015 was a difficult year for many local residents. As the national and state headlines brimmed with stories of racial tension, political squabbles and acts of terror, the tricounty area dealt with a flood of historic proportions. “Homes are flooded, treaWILSON sured photographs and other possessions are lost, families are dislocated,” said Steve Holler, senior pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church. “It is an emotional rollercoaster that brings fear, joy, confusion, gratitude, shock, hope, helplessness, relief, despair, encouragement and a host of other feelings that are difficult to process.” Processing those feelings often falls, in part, to the faith leaders in the community who are often called upon by local residents to help make sense of the madness, to find hope from the flotsam of despair. Area pastors weighed in on the topic, explaining what the spiritual lessons are that they hope their congregations come away with despite a year filled with tragedy. Alice Drive Baptist Church Senior Pastor Clay Smith said the fallout from this year’s events has given rise to worry. “I want them to know the security and hope that comes from living in the kingdom of God. This is a hope and security that is even greater than living in America,” he said. Jehovah Missionary Baptist Church Senior Pastor Marion Newton said his congregation has found a way to combat racial tensions by being intentional in worship. “The recent tragedy in Charleston has brought about changes on the racial landscape of the church,” he said. “As a result, many of the churches led by Westminster Presbyterian, JMBC and Christ Community Church have begun studying together, fellowshipping together and worshipping together.”

It’s an opportunity, he said, to teach an enduring lesson. “We want our congregation to have hope enough to worship through whatever they are facing. We want our congregation to know that in light of all the things that God has permitted to come our way this year, we still have hope,” Newton said. “Our hope is in the resurrected Jesus Christ, and He gives us hope in tragedy and triumph.” Born out of both triumph and tragedy is an opportunity for outreach, said Chris Moore, pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church. “Through conversations we learn about one another, our differences and our shared interests,” he said. “It is only by getting to know one another that we can begin to share life together and therefore be on mission with Christ.” It’s a call, said Westminster Presbyterian Church Pastor Stuart Mizelle, to practice humanity in faith. “We’ve seen our church grow in our desire to pray, to mourn with those who mourn, to reach out into the community with the love and care of Jesus and to reach across the cultural, racial, political, denominational aisle to demonstrate that the gospel of Christ brings together all kinds of people, not just those who look, sound or act like us,” he said. The message is especially poignant as believers celebrate the birth of Jesus this Christmas. “If God can show up in a manger to a humble a couple and shepherds of questionable reputation, then God can show up anywhere, even in the middle of our messes, to bring a miracle,” Holler said. “And sometimes, God allows us — even expects us — to be the ones who offer God’s gifts. It is our sacred privilege and responsibility.” The sum of the year’s happenings can amount to a spiritually defining moment for believers, Mizelle said. “All the difficulties, calamities and sorrows this fallen world can throw at us are but tools in the hands of our Father to mold us into something more beautiful and glorious than we can imagine,” he said.

Come Celebrate Christmas Sunday, December 13 will be a big Christmas Music Sunday “Fantasia Noel" It will include a full orchestra and choir comprised of Alice Drive members, local professionals and various students from local high schools. Sunday, Dec. 20th will feature our Children’s Choir They will be singing selections from Charlie Brown’s Christmas and it will be a delight to all. Wednesday, December 23 at 7pm & Thursday, December 24 at 4 & 7 pm for Christmas Eve Services This will be wonderful and intimate time for your family to experience the Christmas story as told by various narrators mixed with modern carols and ending with a candle lighting to “Silent Night.”

Sunday Services at 8:30, 9:45 and 11 am Monday Service at 7 pm Live Online on Sundays at 9:45 and 11 am

1305 Loring Mill Rd Corner of Wise Drive & Loring Mill Road. Sumter, SC 29150 (803) 905-5200 Alicedrive.org

FAITH TODAY 2015

THE SUMTER ITEM

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2015

The incarnation of Jesus BY RON DAVIS Special to The Sumter Item

ohn’s account of the first Christmas is quite different than Luke’s account,

the story most read as “The Christmas Story.” To

understand John’s perspective it helps when we review the contrasts of the four gospel accounts of the first Christmas. Matthew presents Jesus as King so his gospel begins with a genealogy proving His right to the throne as the Christ. Mark presents Jesus

working God. John is presenting Jesus not as a king, not as a servant, not as a man like the other three gospel accounts. John is presenting Jesus as God in the flesh (incarnate). “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” (John 1:1, 14). One of the Old Testament prophesies often used during Christmas is Isaiah 9:6, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” The two state-

ments “a child is born” and “a son is given” are not redundant. The former statement refers to the humanity of Jesus — He was one hundred percent man, as presented by Luke. Luke gave the genealogy to prove the heritage of Jesus, the baby born to Mary. The latter statement refers to the deity of Jesus as Christ, the Messiah Who would come to save us from our sins. He is the Savior, the only Savior for man. He is God incarnate. His name Jesus means “Savior.” Is he yours? If not, this Christmas you can receive the gift of salvation from God through His Son, Jesus Christ. The gift is offered to all. Will you receive it? Ron Davis is pastor of Sumter Bible Church.

as a servant so his gospel begins with the public ministry of Jesus. A servant has no need of a genealogy so Mark includes none. Luke, the physician, presents Jesus as man so his gospel begins with a description of the birth of Jesus, showing his humanity. John presents Jesus as God so his gospel

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begins with eternity. God has no beginning so John

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shows the incarnation — God becoming man. Prior to His birth — the first two verses in John’s gospel tell us that Jesus was with God from the beginning. He was active in creating the universe with God the Father (verse 3). Yes, the world and all life was created by Christ, the eternal Son of God. No, the world and mankind did not evolve. That is a lie of the devil, and we as Christians are to avoid any that teach this lie (Romans 16:17). The forerunner of His birth — verses six through eight of chapter one tell us that John the Baptist was sent from God to announce the coming of the Savior, the “Light of the world.” The birth of John was miraculous (Luke 1:7-13). He was born to Zechariah and Elisabeth when she was well past her child-bearing days. John came preaching in the power of Elijah (Luke 1:17) and was eventually beheaded for speaking against adultery. The manner of His birth — Mary was the mother of Jesus. She was a godly, moral young woman. In Luke 1:42 we learn that she was “blessed among women” (not “above” women). She was also humble as she praised God by stating, “My soul doth magnify the Lord. And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.” She was thankful for the mercy and salvation she received from God through Jesus Christ, her Savior. We have seen the mother of His birth, now let’s see the place of His birth — a stable. It symbolizes the dirty heart of man (Jeremiah 17:9). How appropriate that the Lamb of God was born in a stable. John the Baptist, the forerunner of Jesus, proclaimed “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). The purpose of His birth — According to verses 11 and 12 of chapter one in John, He came to make us children of God. We understand from the Scriptures that the birth of Jesus does not save us. The stable was His first stop on His way to the cross. He came as a Jew to the Jews, and they rejected Him (John 1:11). Now whoever receives Him as Savior is given the authority to be a child of God (John 1:12). Not everyone in the world can call God his Father. He is Father to those to have been born into His family — those who have trusted Jesus Christ as Savior, as God incarnate (Emmanuel), those who have accepted the sacrificial substitute of the Lamb of God for our sins. The miracle of His birth — Jesus was born of a virgin, an impossible event without the intervention of a miracle-

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Caroling can be a great way to spread holiday share cheer. Although carols are often a blend of religious and secular tunes, many people find their faith is revitalized by joining their friends and neighbors to carol during the holiday season.

FAITH TODAY 2015

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2015

THE SUMTER ITEM

Tithing remains an unpopular topic new year brings a

‘The definition of stewardship is managing God’s money God’s way for God’s glory.’

new budget season

CHRIS BROWN

BY JAMIE H. WILSON Special to The Sumter Item

for many congrega-

Former pastor and host of the radio program “True Stewardship”

tions across Sumter and, with it, a new series of financial challenges as churches try to find a way to stay in the black and fully fund their ministries. Money can be a taboo subject but especially for preachers who often find themselves charged with soliciting monetary donations from their respective congregations. Many don’t like to preach on the topic, and most church attendees don’t want to hear about it. Tithing itself is a matter of theological debate, and the spectrum of spiritual conviction on the topic is wide. There are factions of believers who believe tithing should be adjusted for context; some argue specific giving mandates given to our faith ancestors no longer apply given the application of federal social aid. There are some who tithe based on their gross rather than their net income. Others conclude that one should tithe or give based on your spiritual convictions. This conjecture, however, pales in comparison to one crucial statistic of regular giving: Most church attendees simply don’t do it. In a 2013 study titled “The State of the Plate,” researchers concluded that about 10 to 25 percent of average congregations give. These contributions account from 50 to 80 percent of a congregation’s total intake. According to GenerousChurch.com, believers gave roughly 2.5 percent of their income in recent years. During the Great Depression, the same demographic gave

3.3 percent. Recent U.S. Census findings show the average household income in Sumter County is $41,366. A church with 150 income-earning households tithing 2.5 percent of that income could bring in, on average, roughly $155,000 to its financial coffers each year. The actuals of most congregations often reveal disparate levels of what could be and what is. According to GenerousChurch.com, if believers were to give a true tithe, faith-based ministry programs could help eradicate life-threatening issues such as starvation, water sanitation and death from preventable diseases.

The problem may be one of unwillingness but also of priority, according to GenerousChurch.com. Studies show that those who give regularly are generally more financially stable than their withholding counterparts, that they generally have less debt or other financial obligations. In a recent interview, Chris Brown, former pastor and host of the radio program “True Stewardship,” said the issue comes down to a simple question. “Whose money are we actually managing? Is it ours, or is it God’s?” he said. “The definition of stewardship is managing God’s money God’s way for God’s glory.”

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FAITH TODAY 2015

THE SUMTER ITEM

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2015

For some, holidays don’t end with Christmas Day FROM METRO

hristmas celebrants realize that the holiday season does not

end on Dec. 26 or even Jan. 2. For many people, Christmas and New Year’s Eve are merely a prelude to the real celebration to come on Three Kings Day.

Three Kings Day, or Dia de los Reyes, is celebrated on Jan. 6 to honor the wise men who visited and brought gifts to Jesus Christ. Also known as the Epiphany, the holiday marks the end of the Christmas season for many practicing Christians. Very little is known about the kings, or magi. These kings, who are only mentioned once

in the Gospel of Matthew, are never named. The story says they hail from the “east” and are guided to the manger by a mysterious light in the sky. They begin a journey to bring gold, frankincense and myrrh to the newborn king. Unbeknownst to many, the popular song “The 12 Days of Christmas” actually marks the 12

days after Christmas, ending on the Feast of the Epiphany, and not the 12 days preceding Christmas Day. Many traditions are associated with the Epiphany. Celebrants in Mexico serve Rosca de Reyes, an oval-shaped cake that symbolizes a crown. The cake has a small doll inside that represents baby Jesus and the hiding of Jesus from King Herod’s troops. Herod ordered his soldiers to seek out and murder all male infants born in Bethlehem in retaliation of the prophecy that a messiah would come and become the new King of Jerusalem. Roscas can be made with dried and candied fruits to symbolize the jewels that adorn real crowns. Whoever receives the plastic doll in his or her slice of cake is expected to throw a party on Dia de la Candelaria (Candlemas Day), which occurs each year

Exploring the familiar colors of Christmas FROM METRO Decorations adorning homes and businesses in the familiar colors of red and green are popular come the holiday season. Even gift wrap, greeting cards and clothing tend to lean toward red and green as the holiday season hits full swing. It is difficult to think of Christmas without envisioning everything awash in these popular colors, broken up only by the inclusion of gold, white or silver accents. The colors of Christmas are often taken for granted, and many celebrants are unaware of how these colors became symbols of the holiday season and why they remain so to this day. Several theories exist as to why red and green became the hallmarks of Christmas. One such theory is that the colors evolved from pagan celebrations similar to the evolution of Christmas traditions. Before the arrival of Christianity, many cultures viewed the color green as the symbol of

life. It is thought that, during harsh winters, evergreen trees were cut down and brought indoors to symbolize that life still exists and thrives despite the cold and darkness of winter. Other pagan holidays featured the use of green, red and gold, including the festival of Yule. As Christianity spread across Europe and eventually other parts of the world, red and green were linked to Jesus Christ. Green still represented life, but now this was the eternal life offered by Christ. Red was said to symbolize sacrifice, namely the blood of Jesus when he died on the cross. Some Christians believe that Jesus wore a crown of holly thorns whose berries were originally white. As Jesus’ blood touched the berries, they turned red. Some theorize that the red of the holiday season represents the apples on the tree of paradise in the Garden of Eden. About the 14th century, the faithful would put on Para-

dise Plays on Dec. 24 to share the story of creation with those who could not read. It is nearly impossible to find a fruit-bearing apple tree in the winter, so a pine tree adorned with red apples was used instead. Bishops also wore red robes, further tying the color red to religious masses and celebrations. Gold is frequently used in holiday decorations as well. Gold can represent the sun and light, both important ways to ward off the dark winter. In addition, gold was one of the gifts brought to baby Jesus, making it a color of significance within the Christian faith. Red and green poinsettias also are a symbol of the holiday season, but they didn’t start the colorful tradition. Poinsettias are a relatively recent addition to Christmas symbolism, as they were only first introduced to America in 1828, when they were brought back from Mexico by Joel Poinsett.

on Feb. 2. Unlike in the United States, where gifts are typically exchanged on Christmas Day, much of the Latin community exchanges gifts on the eve of Jan. 6. Puerto Rican children have been known to gather grass or straw in shoeboxes for the kings’ horses or camels. Some families display carvings and artwork of the three magi atop camels. Many celebrants participate in Three Kings Day parades and festivals. Family gatherings and parties that would rival other special holidays are common as well. A special meal consisting of corn tamales and hot chocolate may be served, while others may enjoy black beans, picadillo and yucca. Who were the kings?

While the Bible does not indicate how many kings visited Jesus on the Epiphany, based on the number of gifts offered, historians think there were three. Historians and theologians think these kings were Babylonians, Persians or Jews from Yemen. In the Western Christian church, the kings go by the names of Melchior (a Persian scholar), Caspar (an Indian scholar) and Balthazar (an Arabian scholar). The kings also were said to have distinct physical characteristics. Caspar, who brought the gift of gold, was the oldest and sported a long, white beard. Middleaged Melchior brought the gift of frankincense, while Balthazar, who brought myrrh, is believed to have been a darkskinned young man about the age of 20.

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Sunday School 9:00am Worship Service 10:15am Wednesday Prayer Service & Bible Study 7:00pm - 8:00pm

December Special Services

12/6 Holy Communion after 10:15 Morning Worship 12/19 Christmas Program/Fellowship Dinner at noon 12/31 Watch Night Service at 10:30pm

Everyone Welcome! Pastor Donald Amis 6750 Meeting House Road Dalzell, SC 499-2311

FAITH TODAY 2015

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2015

THE SUMTER ITEM

Traditions behind holiday gifts FROM METRO

he holiday season is a time to celebrate with friends and

family. Several holidays are celebrated in this relatively short time period, making this one of the most festive

from Africa. The holiday was developed in 1966 by Maulana Ndabezitha Karenga. The focus of Kwanzaa is on family and the harvest as well as certain principles, such as unity and faith. Gifts make up one of the seven symbols of Kwanzaa celebrations. However, gift-sharing is not the central part of

this special holiday. Gifts are symbolic of the labor and love of parents and the commitments made and kept by their children. Gifts are exchanged in abundance this time of year. The traditions behind the giving of presents is far-reaching and based in religious, secular and cultural traditions.

times of the year. Many holiday celebrations focus on the exchange of presents, which may be exchanged with relatives, friends and even co-workers. But are you familiar with the origins of exchanging gifts? Gift exchanges trace their origins to both religious and secular traditions, each of which has helped shape the holidays into what they are today.

CHRISTMAS People exchange gifts on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day all over the world. For Christians, Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, who Christians believe was a gift from the Creator. From a religious standpoint, gifting to others around Christmastime can be traced back to the stories of the Three Kings (also referred to as the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Three Wise Menâ&#x20AC;?) who visited Jesus after his birth. Frankincense, a fragrance involved in worship; gold; and myrrh, an incense associated with funerals, was presented. These gifts symbolized worship in Christ, that He would be the King of Kings, and that suffering and death would come to Him. Another giver of gifts is part of many Christmas celebrations. St. Nicholas, a fourthcentury saint, is a beloved figure across the globe who has a reputation for giving gifts in secret and helping the needy. The figure of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Santa Clausâ&#x20AC;? is based on St. Nicholas, and the blending of the two has evolved as history has mixed with folklore and personal traditions.

HANUKKAH Hanukkah is an eight-day Jewish celebration that commemorates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem. The word â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hanukkahâ&#x20AC;? actually means â&#x20AC;&#x153;dedicationâ&#x20AC;? in Hebrew. The Jews, including Judah Maccabee, helped drive the Syrians out of Jerusalem. In one of Judaismâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most central texts, Maccabee and others witnessed a miracle at the temple. Even though there was only enough oil to keep a menorahâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s candles burning for one day, the flames continued for eight nights. Traditionally, gelt, or money, was given as a Hanukkah gift. Many Hanukkah gift givers aim to give gifts that are thoughtful. Money is not exchanged as much today, with other gifts taking its place.

Joy!

Journey Toward Advent and Christmas at First Presbyterian Church 9 West Calhoun Street (at the corner of Main), Sumter, South Carolina

Sunday, December 6, Second Sunday of Advent

Worship 10:30 a.m. (Sanctuary) Festival of Choirs 3:00 p.m. (Trinity United Methodist Church)

Advent & Anchovies 5:00 p.m. (Fellowship Hall) Advent Workshop & Pizza Party

Sunday, December 13, Third Sunday of Advent

Lessons & Carols 10:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. (Sanctuary) Featuring the Chancel Choir, Instrumentalists, and Youth Bells

Wednesday, December 16

6HUYLFH RI &RPIRUW +RSH DQG -R\ 5:00 p.m. (Chapel) A prayer service for those who feel loss, stress, or uncertainty Featuring Kipper Ackerman, Harp

Sunday, December 20, Fourth Sunday of Advent

Worship 10:30 a.m. (Sanctuary) Wednesday, December 24

Christmas Eve Services

Candlelight Services with Communion (Sanctuary) 4:00 p.m. Family Service with Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Nativity 6:00 p.m. Traditional Service

KWANZAA Kwanzaa is an American holiday that pays homage to traditions and cultural influences

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