IN SPORTS: Trio of girls’ hoops teams eye respective lower state berths B1 STATE
World War II vets, you’re invited to go on Honor Flight TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2015
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20 years of high police standards Sumter department up for re-accreditation; public input welcome tonight at meeting BY MATT BRUCE matthew@theitem.com Harold Johnson remembers traveling to Upstate New York in 1995 to make a presentation before a panel of police chiefs and sheriffs
from across the country. Johnson, Sumter’s former chief of police, was midway through his tenure atop the force. His presentation helped put the finishing touches on a process years in the making and set a stan-
dard for the agency that continues today. Sumter Police Department will be undergoing a four-day assessment as part of its national re-accreditation process, which includes a thorough evaluation of the police
unit’s compliance with professional standards accepted as the bestused practices. It’s a process that began for the department in the 1980s and one
JOHNSON
SEE DEPARTMENT, PAGE A6
The Blind Boys of Alabama visit Sumter
Wintry mix is possible today Winter weather advisory posted BY JIM HILLEY jim@theitem.com
KEITH GEDAMKE / THE SUMTER ITEM
The Blind Boys of Alabama sing for the crowd at Sumter Opera House on Friday night. The group included Ben Moore; Paul Beasley, with musical backup by Eric “Ricky” McKinnie on percussion; Joey Williams, lead guitar and vocals; and Peter Levin, organ and keyboard. The six-time Grammy Award winners sang a variety of songs and met with fans after the show. For more information on the shows remaining for 2015, call the Sumter Opera House box office at (803) 436-2616 or visit www.sumteroperahouse.com. Read a review of the concert on page A4.
Cold temps bring out warm hearts of donors BY JADE REYNOLDS jade@theitem.com Last week, The Salvation Army social worker was only able to see people two days for heating assistance. “We did help some people, and we are rescheduling some people,” Christy Lamb said. “We have a list to call back, and we’ll try to get them in the first of the week. And we keep getting calls. We have to tell people to call back. We have to see who we first had scheduled.” Hopefully she won’t have to cancel and reschedule appointments this week because of the giving nature of readers like you. Fireside Fund collected more than $5,000 last week. One donation alone, Mr. and Mrs. Bob Fisette’s donation in
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memory of Nancy Smith Fisette, was $2,000. William and Vicki Baker gave a total of $1,000. A partnership between The Salvation Army and The Sumter Item, Fireside Fund was started in 1969 to help people stay warm during some of the coldest months of the year. The newspaper collects the money and gives it to the nonprofit to distribute in the form of vouchers. So far this year, donors have given
$51,895.27 to help those in need. Kerosene continues to be a big demand, Lamb said, and electric bills continue to be high as well. “We’re also seeing a higher demand for food just because people are spending more money on their light bills,” she said. The Christian charity has a food pantry, but it’s running low. If you’d like to give nonperishable food items, call (803) 775-9336. This is also the same number to call if you need help heating your home. This year’s Fireside Fund has been dedicated to the late retired Maj. Gen. Tom Olsen. If you’d like to make a financial contribution, you may mail your gift to The
DEATHS, B6 Margaret Cole Honoria Fenstermacher Tina Louise Smith Rosa Lee Durant William Keith Patricia Ann Wilson Waterman Jacob Davis
Richard Johnson Patterson Clarke Jr. Jackie L. Norris Roger J. Smith Ravenell Dingle Harry Stone Lucas Milke V. Brown
SEE FIRESIDE, PAGE A6
The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory from 4 a.m. to 4 p.m. today in the southern and central Midlands and the northern Savannah River Area warning of possible precipitation in the form of rain, snow, sleet or freezing rain. Mike Proud, a meteorologist with the weather service in Columbia, said he does not expect conditions to get bad in the Sumter area. “It’s going to be a kind of weak system coming out of the west, but with the moisture we have over the area and with temperatures falling into the lower 30s overnight (Monday), we are expecting rain changing to snow, mainly about daybreak,” he said. “We are talking four, five, six in the morning.” Exactly what conditions you see will depend on where you are, he said. “As it changes over, I think the area is going to see what I would call a wintry mix. It’s going to be rain, snow, sleet, ice pellets, a little freezing rain,” he said. Proud said with temperatures being in the 50s on Monday, road temperatures should be high enough to melt whatever does fall. He predicted it will clear up late afternoon, but another system will come in behind it. “We are not getting rid of the moisture any time soon,” he said. The system on Wednesday will start as rain in the morning, and by nightfall the northern Midlands could get some ice. “Right in the same area as the ice last week,” Proud said. “It should stay just north of Sumter, where it should remain all as liquid.” The cold isn’t going away soon either, he said. “Unfortunately, we can’t get out of this winter pattern here,” he said.
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A bit of rain and snow possible; mostly cloudy and cold tonight HIGH 39, LOW 27
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