June, 24, 2015 by The Sumter Item

IN SPORTS: P-15’s, Jets meet in League III Legion battle

Little Theatre revives revue Cabaret Night musical program returns for 2015 C1

SERVING SOUTH CAROLINA SINCE OCTOBER 15, 1894

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

County council passes budget

75 CENTS

Flag movement builds

BY ADRIENNE SARVIS adrienne@theitem.com Members of Sumter County Council and county administration gave thanks to one another for working hard and working together to create a 2016 budget which received unanimous final approval during council’s meeting on Tuesday. The $49.3 million budget with a two mill increase will go into effect July 1. Councilman Eugene Baten said this budget process has been one of the easiest he’s experienced while being on council. County Administrator Gary Mixon then thanked County Finance Director Pamela Craven for her work on the 2016 budget, her last budget cycle before she begins her retirement in October. Thanks was also given to the Lakewood High School Choir for “putting Sumter of the map” after being named a 2015 Grammy Signature School by the Grammy Foundation, according to Vice Chairwoman Vivian Fleming-McGhaney. The choir is one of 13 high school music programs selected for the honor this year. “Thank you all for representing us in such a wonderful way,” Fleming-McGhaney said. The vice chairwoman also said it means a lot to the community when young people give back positively to the community. Later during the meeting, council approved a resolution authorizing an inducement agreement and memorandum of understanding and an

SEE COUNCIL, PAGE A6

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Protesters hold a sign during a rally to take down the Confederate flag at the South Carolina Statehouse on Tuesday in Columbia. For years, South Carolina lawmakers refused to revisit the Confederate flag on Statehouse grounds, saying the law that took it off the dome was a bipartisan compromise, and renewing the debate would unnecessarily expose divisive wounds. The shooting deaths of nine people at a black church in Charleston have reignited calls for the Confederate flag flying on the grounds of the Statehouse in Columbia to come down.

Leaders join chorus to remove flag BY JIM HILLEY jim@theitem.com

JOIN THE DISCUSSION

Sumter Item Local and state readers weigh in leaders have rewith their own sponded to calls opinions on the for the removal of flag issue on A7. the Confederate battle flag from the ground of the South Carolina Statehouse in Columbia. Here are some of their words:

In the worst of tragedies, we have seen the best of South Carolina. Today, I am urging that the Confederate battle flag be removed from statehouse

grounds to an appropriate location. After the tragic, hate-filled shooting in Charleston, it is only appropriate that we deal once and for all with the issue of the flag. The love and forgiveness displayed by victims of this horrific, racially motivated shooting, along with all the people of Charleston, is an example to us all. The victims’ families and the parishioners of the Mother Emanuel AME Church reflect everything good about the Christian religion and the people of South Carolina. I hope that, by removing the flag, we can take another step towards healing and recognition – and a sign that South Carolina is moving forward.

— U.S. SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM

State declares incipient drought BY JIM HILLEY jim@theitem.com Extremely hot temperatures and sparse rainfall have prompted the South Carolina Drought Response Committee to declare incipient drought in Sumter, Clarendon, Lee and 28 other counties in the Palmetto State, the committee announced after meeting Friday by conference call. “Incipient drought” is the first level of drought. Additional counties declared to be in incipient drought include Aiken, Allendale, Barnwell, Bamberg, Berkeley, Calhoun, Charleston, Chester, Chesterfield, Colleton, Darlington, Dillon, Dorchester, Fairfield, Florence, Georgetown, Hampton, Horry, Kershaw, Lancaster, Marion, Marlboro, Orange-

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Legislature will debate the issue COLUMBIA (AP) — South Carolina lawmakers voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to consider removing the Confederate battle flag from their Statehouse grounds as politicians took aim at Civil Warera symbols in other states, saying

SEE LEADERS, PAGE A5

SEE DEBATE, PAGE A5

Fire destroys mobile home, 2 airlifted to burn center BY COLLYN TAYLOR intern@theitem.com

RICK CARPENTER / THE SUMTER ITEM

Sunflowers and bees were enjoying sunny skies and dry weather Monday near Stateburg. burg, Williamsburg and York. Though a stray shower passed through Sumter early Monday afternoon, State Climatology Office severe weath-

er liaison Mark Malsick said a break in the heat is not expected until this weekend. “We are going to continue

DEATHS, B7

Information: 774-1200 Advertising: 774-1237 Classifieds: 774-1234 Delivery: 774-1258 News and Sports: 774-1226

Minerva Jones Frederick Boatright Oliver Hayes Thomas Avonas Booker John Lawson

SEE DROUGHT, PAGE A6

Two people were airlifted to a burn center after a fire completely engulfed the house they were staying in. Sean Pack, 20, and his 7-year-old niece Dallys Pack suffered burns during a house fire early Tuesday. The fire started on the front porch of Sean’s father’s 1,500-square-foot mobile home in Wedgefield. The Sumter Fire Department received the initial alarm at 3:57 a.m. Tuesday from the homeowner, Robert Pack. Pack and his wife, Sylvia, made it safely out of the house. Sean was carrying Dallys

and a puppy out of the house when he opened the front door and flames “flashed over on him,” according to his brother Chris Houston. When he was hit by the flames, he fell to the ground, dropping Dallys. The puppy, which Sean had had for about two weeks, and the family’s pet squirrel both died in the fire, Houston said. According to Houston, Sean suffered burns to his left foot, hand and shoulder. Dallys has burns on her forehead, left foot and second-degree burns on her right arm from her

SEE FIRE, PAGE A6

WEATHER, A8

INSIDE

SUMMER HEAT AND STORMS

3 SECTIONS, 24 PAGES VOL. 120, NO. 212

Hot today with little chance of rain; partly cloudy with 55 percent chance of thunderstorm tonight. HIGH 100, LOW 76

Classifieds B8 Comics C6 Food C8

Lotteries A8 Opinion A7 Television C7

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

THE SUMTER ITEM

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Head Start gives our kids a boost Sumter’s program serves more than 400 children in county BY JIM HILLEY jim@theitem.com Tanya Wilson, now a speech pathologist for Lee County School System, has no doubts about the value of the Head Start program. “Personally speaking, it was one of the best things my parents could have done for me and that I could have done for my son,” she said. Tanya Wilson received a Head Start education when she was a child, and her son Tyreek also attended Head Start. Tanya Wilson went on to earn a doctorate in speech pathology, and her son will soon attend Clemson University. “As a speech pathologist, I have seen children who did have early intervention and attended a program such as Head Start and those who did not,” she said. “There is a vast difference (between) when children come in knowing their alphabet, knowing letter sounds, colors, shapes, the skills that are necessary for a good education and the children who may not have had that opportunity,” she said. Unfortunately, a large number of

Sumter County youngsters are not able to receive the service of Head Start. “We have way over 100 children on our waiting list,” said Georgia Mance, Head Start director for Wateree Community Action Inc., which is the granting agency for the Sumter Head Start program. She is also director for the Clarendon, Lee and Kershaw county programs. Sumter County Head Start serves more than 400 3- and 4-year-olds, she said. The children who are enrolled receive an array of services in the comprehensive program, Mance said, including education, two nutritious meals a day and a snack in the afternoon, she said, as well as medical, dental and mental health services. “We are responsible for making sure the child’s health is at the age level for that child,” Mance said. “For instance, if a child enters Head Start, the child has to have his immunization up to date. If the child is not up to date, our health component will work with the parent to put them in touch with the health department or a physician to get the child up to date.”

Mance said the program also provides dental, mental health, vision and hearing services, she said. “All of these services are required for us to remain in the Head Start program,” Mance said. She said children can also receive transportation if the parent needs it. Wilson said a lot of parents may not be aware of what the program has to offer and the positive effect it can have on their children’s education. It can help on a lot of other levels as well, she said, including financially. “The cost of day care is astronomical now,” Wilson said. “Even when my son was going to an after-school program, that cost $85 per week and that was for only two hours. All day is sometimes $200 to $300 per week, and that is for one child.” She also said some of those day-care options may not be education based. “They might sit them in front of the TV all day, so they are not necessarily learning anything,” she said. “With Head Start, they are watched, they are learning and so when they do start going to kindergarten or preschool, some of them are already reading.” Tyreek Wilson, Tanya’s son, said he

enjoyed Head Start when he was in the program and learned a lot. “It was a fun time,” he said. “At first I was scared about going away from family, but I also learned a lot socially, too. I was able to be with people my own age. I can see my growth now from Head Start to kindergarten, and I feel like it helped.” Tyreek Wilson said he has teachers from Head Start with whom he still keeps in contact. Tanya Wilson said she and her son are “poster children” for Head Start. ”I can honestly say without the Head Start program I don’t know what I would have been able to do,” she said. “I know that there are some lawmakers who determine what funding is set aside for Head Start and things of that nature, and I don’t think they realize the effect that cutting funding for those programs has on children,” Tanya Wilson said. For more information about Head Start in Sumter County, call the main office at (803) 772-1291. The phone number for Clarendon County is (803) 473-2757 and in Lee County it is (803) 484-5403.

Dedicated to helping those in need Soup kitchen director has been helping our community since 1982 BY ADRIENNE SARVIS adrienne@theitem.com Feeding 30 or more people every day can prove to be a difficult task, but it can be done if you possess the right level of dedication, according to Jean Williams, director of the Emmanuel United Methodist Church Soup Kitchen Ministry. Williams said the soup kitchen serves 30 to 50 people per day during the first two weeks of every month and 50 and 80 people per day during the last two weeks. She joked that since she has cooked for more than 30 people most days of the week for so many years, she does not know how to prepare a meal for one. Williams has been involved with the soup kitchen since it was established in 1982 and took a more permanent role in 2006, serving meals to those in need six days a week. “I just can’t seem to walk away from it,” she said, “It’s just a commitment that I’ve made.” Although she is in charge of most of the cooking throughout the week, Williams made sure to mention that the soup kitchen’s success is because of the help of volunteers and local organizations and churches. She said the bag lunches that are served on the weekends are provided by Church of the Holy Cross, Church of the Holy Comforter, Trinity United Methodist Church and First Baptist Church on East Liberty Street. Williams said her level of dedication is inspired by the previous soup kitchen director, who vowed to honor

RICK CARPENTER / THE ITEM

Jean Williams, director of the Emmanuel United Methodist Church Soup Kitchen Ministry, right, dishes up mashed potatoes in the soup kitchen with volunteers Cheyenne Palucvak, left, and Anthony Butler. Palucvak and Butler are volunteers from Shaw Air Force Base. her commitment to the ministry until she no longer could. Williams said the former director was 90 years old when she passed away and she was in the kitchen until she was unable to help. The Rev. Ralph Canty of Westend Community Church said at first, he could not think of words to describe Williams’ dedication to the community. “She’s so committed to that ministry,” he said. Members of the Westend congregation have donated time and resources to the soup kitchen since the church was founded in 2009. Canty described Williams as a

great representation of the word “ministry,” stating that it means “to minus one’s self for the good of others.” “We applaud Williams and the ministry at Emmanuel for providing the community with a much-needed service,” he said. EUMC soup kitchen serves lunch from 12:30 p.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday and hands out bag lunches from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday. The soup kitchen is located on the EUMC church grounds, 421 S. Main St. For information about donations call Jean Williams at the soup kitchen, (803) 773-1624.

LOCAL BRIEF FROM STAFF REPORTS

Learn how to make pine-needle baskets BISHOPVILLE — Join a park ranger at Lee State Park to learn how to make a basket out of longleaf pine needles from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. Participants will first learn how to collect and clean pine needles and will then begin making a basket. They may take supplies to continue working on their baskets at home if they don’t finish during the workshop. The program fee is $30, which includes project materials. This program is suitable for adults and children 13 and older. The class size is small to ensure individual attention for each participant. Registration is required. To register for the program, contact the park’s Education Center at (803) 4284988 or leesp@scprt.com. For more information on Lee State Park, visit www. SouthCarolinaParks.com.

PHOTO PROVIDED

Pictured is a sampling of the types of pine needle baskets that participants in Saturday’s class at Lee State Park might make.

HOW TO REACH US IS YOUR PAPER MISSING? ANNOUNCEMENT ARE YOU GOING ON Birth, Engagement, Wedding, VACATION? Anniversary, Obituary 20 N. Magnolia St., Sumter, S.C. 29150 (803) 774-1200 Jack Osteen Editor and Publisher jack@theitem.com (803) 774-1238 Rick Carpenter Managing Editor rick@theitem.com (803) 774-1201 Waverly Williams Sales Manager waverly@theitem.com (803) 774-1237

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The Sumter Item is published six days a week except for July 4, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day (unless it falls on a Sunday) by Osteen Publishing Co., 20 N. Magnolia St., Sumter, SC 29150. Periodical postage paid at Sumter, SC 29150. Postmaster: Send address changes to Osteen Publishing Co., 20 N. Magnolia St., Sumter, SC 29150 Publication No. USPS 525-900

LOCAL

THE SUMTER ITEM

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

Jack Osteen named Rotarian of the Year BY KONSTANTIN VENGEROWSKY konstantin@theitem.com

KONSTANTIN VENGEROWSKY / THE SUMTER ITEM

Maggie, 14, a participant at this year’s Camp Burnt Gin near Wedgefield, enjoys the pool with Spring Miles, camp counselor. Burnt Gin is a camp for children with disabilities and chronic illnesses that attracts more than 450 children from across South Carolina annually .

Local camp caters to kids with disabilities, illnesses BY KONSTANTIN VENGEROWSKY konstantin@theitem.com

Thomas, 14, was born with spinal bifida, a condition in which there is an incomplete closing of the backbone and membranes Maggie, 14, is attending camp for the first around the spinal cord. He has been coming to the camp for four years. time this summer at Camp Burnt Gin near “Camp Burnt Gin has helped me build Wedgefield, which offers children with physical disabilities and chronic illnesses an teamwork skills and to learn to be more independent in certain areas,” Thomas said. opportunity to make new friends, develop Campers are not the only ones who benerecreational skills, become more indepenfit from the experience, however. About 45 dent and improve their self-confidence camp counselors are hired each summer. while participating in traditional camp acMost of them are college students, considertivities. ing a career working with special-needs Maggie can’t walk, but she enjoys swimchildren or in a medical field. ming in the camp pool and taking part in Joshua Harris, an Eastover sophomore at the other events the camp has to offer. Benedict College majoring in sports man“I’ve really enjoyed everything about the agement, wants to pursue a career in coachcamp and have already made some friends ing. in the few days I’ve been here,” she said. “I want to help others through coaching,” The S.C. Department of Health and EnviHarris said. “Being a counselor here has ronmental Control provides the camp for helped me to gain patience and to become a free through private and public funds. better leader. I have also built some great Every summer, more than 450 children friendships with the campers here.” from across South Carolina attend the Taylor Jahnke, a recent graduate of Sumcamp. Burnt Gin operates four, six-day sester High School who planned a career in pesions for ages 7 through 15, two six-day sesdiatrics, said after serving as camp counselsion for ages 16 to 20 and a four-day camp or this summer, she may shift her career for ages 21 to 25. The camp’s activities inplans to work with children with special clude instructional and recreational swimneeds. ming, boating, fishing, arts and crafts, “I wanted an opportunity to work with sports and games, fine arts and nature special-needs children, and being a camp study. “It’s all about inclusiveness, giving every- counselor here has been a very rewarding job,” she said. one an opportunity to enjoy activities the Counselors, in a ratio of one for every two children may not otherwise have access to,” said Marie I. Aimone, camp director. “All of campers, live with the children in cabins these children have talents — some are nat- and assist those who require help with their personal needs and participation in differural leaders — and the camp allows for ent activities. Burnt Gin also has two nurses them to develop these skills and grow.” in residence. Aimone said after six days at the camp, For more information on the camp, visit the children go back home to their parents http://bit.ly/1RucXdb. more independent and confident.

Jack Osteen, editor and publisher of The Sumter Item, received Sumter Rotary Club’s 2014-15 Rotarian of the Year Award, at the club’s meeting Monday. The award is given to those Rotarians whose life’s work personifies the Rotary motto — “Service Above Self.” Osteen is one of the fifthgeneration owners of the family newspaper business. In addition to being the first fourth-generation Rotarian in the club, he is involved in his church and in the community through the Greater Sumter Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Revitalization, the Economic Development Board, the YMCA and local military affairs. As a Rotarian for nearly 15 years, Osteen has served in a variety of capacities within the club. He is a past president and a Paul Harris Society member. Named after Rotary’s founder, the Paul Harris Society recognizes Rotary members and friends of The Rotary Foundation who contribute $1,000 or more each year to the annual fund, PolioPlus, or approved global grants. Osteen led the charge in the club’s first community health fair and the second Farm to Table program this year, said last year’s recipient Britton Moseley, who presented Osteen the award. “I’m truly honored to have received this award from the Sumter Rotary Club,” Osteen said. “I don’t consider myself in the same league as our past recipients of this award, but will certainly continue to work toward making the Rotary Club and the Sumter community even better than it is.” Osteen said after receiving the award, he found out that the late Charles “Pap” Propst was on the committee that chose him.

‘To think Pap, one of Sumter’s finest leaders of this community and a mentor to me since I was a boy, thought I was deserving enough of the same award he received in 1984, is truly humbling.’ JACK OSTEEN Sumter Rotary Club’s 2014-15 Rotarian of the Year “To think Pap, one of Sumter’s finest leaders of this community and a mentor to me since I was a boy, thought I was deserving enough of the same award he received in 1984, is truly humbling,” he said. Osteen’s great-grandfather, H.G. Osteen, was one of the founders of the club in 1921. Outgoing President Travis McIntosh gave two Avenue of Service Awards to Kristi Curtis and Tony Barwick. The awards are presented to Rotarians “who have performed in an Avenue of Service in a recognizable, commendable and outstanding manner.” Curtis has been a member of the club for almost 11 years. She is a Paul Harris Fellow and has served as the club’s membership development officer and as program chairwoman. Barwick has been a member of Sumter Rotary for nearly 20 years. He is a Paul Harris Fellow and a past president. William Croft is the incoming president of the club for 2015-16.

JIMMY WOOD PHOTOGRAPHY

Jack Osteen, center with plaque, is joined by his family after receiving the Rotarian of the Year Award on Monday. From left are his father, Hubert Osteen; son, John; brother, Graham Osteen; daughter, Elise; mother, Jackie Osteen; and wife, Susan D. Osteen.

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NATION | WORLD

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

THE SUMTER ITEM

Doctors propose tool to help gauge the value of cancer drugs BY MARILYNN MARCHIONE AP Chief Medical Writer The pushback against soaring cancer drug prices is gaining steam. A leading doctors group on Monday proposed a formula to help patients decide if a medicine is worth it — what it will cost them and how much good it is likely to do. The move by the American Society of Clinical Oncology is the third recent effort to focus on value in cancer care. Two weeks ago, the European Society for Medical Oncology proposed a similar guide. Last week, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York posted an online tool suggesting a drug’s fair price, based on

benefits and side effects. “We have a broken system” with drug prices rising more than the degree of benefit, said Dr. Peter Bach, director of the Center for Health Policy and Outcomes at Sloan Kettering. “We hope consumers increasingly think about value.” New cancer drugs typically cost more than $10,000 a month, and patients are paying a greater share through higher copays and deductibles. “We have extraordinarily expensive technology that we have developed, but a lot of it doesn’t seem to move the needle that much” in terms of survival, Michael Porter, a Harvard Business School economist, told an audience at

the U.S. oncology group’s annual conference last month. Patients often are not fully aware of costs, which include not just the drug but also whether a patient needs to be hospitalized to get it, or to take other drugs to manage side effects, he said. The formula is something doctors can work through with patients to get a bottom line on the survival benefit, side effects and costs of a new treatment or combo versus older ones. So far, it’s just a prototype for four situations — lung or prostate cancer that has spread, advanced multiple myeloma and a common type of breast cancer. The group will take comments from the public until

AP FILE PHOTO

Chemotherapy is administered to a cancer patient via intravenous drip at a hospital in Durham, North Carolina, in 2013. A leading doctor group, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, announced on Monday that they are proposing a tool to help patients decide how much a drug will cost and how much good it is likely to do. The move is the latest of several recent efforts to focus on value in cancer care. Aug. 21 and plans similar efforts for other types of cancer. In the formula, treatments are given scores for how much they improve survival or the time until cancer worsens. For advanced cancers, bonus

points are given for drugs that greatly relieve symptoms or give patients a break from treatment. Side effects also are scored, and the points are combined to get a “net health benefit.”

U.S. to put military equipment in several European countries, reassure NATO TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — The U.S. will spread about 250 tanks, armored vehicles and other military equipment across six former Soviet-bloc nations to help reassure NATO allies facing threats from Russia and terrorist groups, Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced Tuesday. Carter’s announcement, made as he stood with defense chiefs from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, comes a day after he announced that the U.S. would have other weapons, aircraft and forces, including commandos, ready as needed for NATO’s new rapid reaction force, to help Europe defend against potential Russian aggression from the east and the Islam-

ic State and other violent extremists from the south. The defense chiefs standing with Carter all spoke bluntly about the threat they perceive from Russia, and the latest military plans provide a show of solidarity across the region and in NATO. Estonia Defense Minister Sven Mikser said the Baltic leaders aren’t trying to restart the Cold War arms race or match Russian President Vladimir Putin “tank for tank,” but the additional military presences will be a deterrent to Russia and could change the calculus. “In global terms, Russia is no match conventionally to U.S. or to NATO, but

here in our corner of the world, Putin believes that he enjoys regional superiority,” Mikser said, adding that Estonia is eager and ready to accept the equipment immediately. Each set of equipment would be enough to outfit a military company or battalion and would go on at least a temporary basis to Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Romania. Carter said the equipment could be moved around the region for training and military exercises and would include Bradley fighting vehicles and self-propelled howitzer artillery guns. Germany will be participating in the expanded military effort but already

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June 15 15-19 19 & Jul July ly 13 13-17 17 9:30 - 12:00

Students will learn Ballet, Tap, Jazz and Gymastics. There will be a performance on the last day of camp. The students will choreograph their own dances for our show at the end of the week. Cost is $85 per camp or $150 for both camps. We will also have SUMMER INTENSIVES that will meet on WEDNESDAYS and THURSDAYS from June 17th thru July 23rd. Classes will be offered in Pre School Combination ages 3-5 (tap, ballet, tumbling) and for ages 6 & up in Jazz, Ballet and Gymnastics. Cost is $90 for 1 class or $150 for 2 classes. (This includes 2 free classes)

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has U.S. equipment. “We intend to move those equipment sets around as exercises move around,” Carter told a news conference. “They’re not static. Their purpose is to enable richer training and more mobility to forces in Europe.” He said the U.S. presence will be “persistent” but “agile,” and he said the troops will be able to stay at a higher state of readiness. But while the stated goal of the move is that American forces moving in and out of Europe will be better able to do training, it also would allow NATO nations to respond more quickly to any military crisis in the region.

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THE SUMTER ITEM

see our elected officials and people from across our state join together behind a cause that’s going to make the Palmetto State even greater in the years to come S.C. SEN. THOMAS MCELVEEN

LEADERS FROM PAGE A1 Character is often revealed during our darkest days, and the world has learned much about South Carolina’s character since last week’s tragedy. The way our communities and state have come together, the way we have seen love overpower hate, kindness soothe our pain, and good will defeat hostility, is absolutely incredible. After the terrible tragedy at Mother Emanuel in Charleston last week, fueled by hate and racism, our hearts were broken. While the Confederate battle flag did not cause this violent act, it is clear that our state and the people of South Carolina have reopened the debate on the flag. There is no doubt that South Carolina has a rich and complex history, and the Confederate battle flag is a part of that. The flag means many things to many people. I do not believe the vast majority of folks who support the flag have hate in their hearts. Their heritage is a part of our state’s history, and we should

not ignore that. However, for so many others in our state, the flag represents pain and oppression. Because of that, as a life-long South Carolinian, as someone who loves this state and will never call anywhere else home, I believe it is time for the flag to come down. I hope the South Carolina General Assembly will move to this topic swiftly, so that our state can continue to move forward. Following last week’s tragedy, South Carolina has been united as never before, and because of that love and hope, I have never been more proud to be from here. U.S. SEN. TIM SCOTT

DEBATE

tion, other states moved quickly. Mississippi House Speaker Philip Gunn called for removing the Confederate emblem from the state flag. Both Democrats and Republicans in Tennessee said a bust of Confederate general and Ku Klux Klan leader Nathan Bedford Forrest must go from the Senate. Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe wants vanity license plates depicting the Confederate flag replaced. McConnell joined Kentucky’s Republican nominee for governor, Matt Bevin, in calling for the removal of a statue of Confederate President Jefferson Davis from their state Capitol’s rotunda. Big businesses also took action: Wal-Mart, e-Bay and Sears Holding Corp. announced they would no longer sell merchandise featuring the Confederate flag, which e-Bay called a “contemporary symbol of divisiveness and racism.” The first South Carolina senator to take the floor and call for moving the flag to a museum was the son of the state’s most powerful politician of the last century, U.S. senator and segregationist standard-bearer Strom Thurmond, whose statue stands on the side of the Statehouse opposite the Confederate flag, striding confidently southward. State Sen. Paul Thurmond said the church attack compels flag supporters to reconsider. The Charleston Republican said he loves his ancestors but isn’t proud of a heritage that

I am pleased at the position Gov. Nikki Haley took. I am glad she decided to help us and support us on this issue. I am surprised at the bipartisan group of legislators who stood behind her at the press conference, that is what it will take to get some legislation passed on this issue. I think it is the right thing to do. It belongs in a museum, I don’t think we have to banish it completely, but when you look at how the shooter embraced the flag in is his racism I think it is time for it to come down S.C. SEN. KEVIN JOHNSON

I have always been proud to be a South Carolinian and always will be. I will remember June 22, 2015, as a day when South Carolina made me especially proud. As we continue to pray for the families of those whose lives were taken last week in Charleston, it is uplifting to

FROM PAGE A1 change is imperative after police said nine black churchgoers were slain in a hate crime. Prodded by Gov. Nikki Haley’s call the day before to move the flag to a museum, lawmakers approved a measure enabling a flag debate by a vote of 103-10 in the House and a voice vote in the Senate. Very few lawmakers rose to say the flag should stay, although some said they were saving speeches for what promises to be an emotional debate later this summer. Haley’s unexpected reversal — quickly seconded by leading Republicans including U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell — gave others the political opening to announce their moves. Many cited the church slayings as they abandoned the long-held position that even debating the status of the flag would be too racially divisive today. “Last week’s terrorizing act of violence shook the very core of every South Carolinian,” South Carolina House Speaker Jay Lucas said in support of the measure. Dylann Storm Roof, who faces murder and gun charges in the church attack, had posed in photos displaying Confederate flags and burning or desecrating U.S. flags, and told a friend that he was planning to do something “for the white race.” Once South Carolina took ac-

I think it’s appropriate for Gov. Haley to come out and to ask that the flag be removed. It is not a flag of sovereignty; it represents two different views to a number of South Carolinians, and I think it is

included holding people in bondage, and he wants to send a strong message to anyone contemplating a hate crime. “I can respond with love, unity and kindness,” Thurmond said, “and maybe show others that the motivations for a future attack of hate will not be tolerated, will not result in a race war, will not divide us, but rather strengthen our resolve to come together.” Outside in the sweltering heat, where hundreds chanted “bring it down, bring it down,” civil rights activist Kevin Gray said it’s time to stop using the word “victims” to describe the people slain inside Charleston’s Emanuel African Methodist Episcopalian church. They are martrys, he said, and if Confederate symbols come down around the South, their deaths will not have been in vain. There were a handful of dissenting voices in the crowd that gathered next to the Confederate monument where the flag flies atop a 30-foot pole in front of the Statehouse, in full view of the U.S. and state flags flying at half-staff.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

important that flags at our Statehouse represent all of South Carolina, and we need to be mindful of that. The first issue is we need to amend the sine die resolution to allow the flag issue to be included in it. In order to remove anything under the Heritage Act, you have to have a two-thirds vote in the General Assembly, and I think that probably we should go in and remove that reference in the Heritage Act so that we can have a simple, majority vote to remove the flag. S.C. REP. MURRELL SMITH I think it is very positive for the state when a chief executive takes a bold stand on an issue as Gov. Haley did today. I think South Carolina stands on the precipice of showing the nation that we are getting rid of the things that are divisive. The Confederate flag belongs in a museum in an honored place. In front of the Statehouse is not the right signal to show of our state. I will support any effort to make this happen. S.C. REP. DAVID WEEKS

I am very pleased to see so many state leaders taking a stand on this and I am especially thankful tha,t Gov. Haley is leading on the issue. I think it is a very positive thing for South Carolina and South Carolinians. I hope we can take steps beyond that to solve problems in this state. I think the folks in Charleston have set a wonderful example of how to face disappointment and adversity and hate, and we can all learn a lesson from that. I think we are all still really grieving over what has happened and to see the wonderful people who were killed, it is hard to think about other things, but I think we’ve taken a big step in recognizing that as a state we don’t need to do things that are hurtful to a large portion of our population. I am proud to be under the palmetto and crescent flag that’s been there all along, and that is the only flag I felt I ever needed as a South Carolinian. MAYOR JOE MCELVEEN

Open Mic dedicated to victims FROM STAFF REPORTS Thursday’s “How Sweet the Sound,” Sumter’s monthly open mic poetry event, will be dedicated to the Charleston 9, the Emanuel AME Church members who were killed last Wednesday. Founder and organizer of the event, Morris College professor and award-winning poet Len Lawson, said he will “read poems by Marjory Wentworth and Ed Madden from (Saturday’s) Take It Down rally” on the S.C. Statehouse grounds. He invites local poets to “Come with a poem from

any poet or yourselves to honor the nine victims of the Charleston shooting.” “’How Sweet the Sound’ is an open mic venue for poetry, spoken word, music, dance and other creative expressions,” Lawson said. “The purpose is to give a platform for the arts in Sumter.” The event is held from 7 to 9 p.m. on the fourth Thursday of each month at Starbucks, 1259 Broad St. The public is invited to attend and listen and/or share their work, or read favorite poems.

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LOCAL

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

FIRE FROM PAGE A1 elbow to her shoulder. Both Sean’s and Dallys’ injuries were not life-threatening. They were airlifted from a nearby field to Palmetto Health Richland in Columbia before being taken by ambulance to the Joseph M. Still Burn Center in Augusta, Georgia. Dallys had surgery for her injuries Tuesday, and Sean will have surgery today. Houston said he expects them to make a full recovery. Houston said he thinks Sean and Dallys will be staying overnight in the hospital and some of the family, including Sean’s mother and Dallys’ mother, will be staying with them. Other family members will go back to Sumter to help Robert and Sylvia. Both Houston and the fire department report say the fire started on the front porch before swallowing the entire house. Houston said the family thinks the fire was caused by an outlet shorting out near the front porch. The cause of the fire is still

COUNCIL FROM PAGE A1 amendment to an ordinance regarding a fee agreement between the county and a undisclosed industry referred to as Project Eagle. Ray Jones of Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP in Columbia, who introduced both agenda items, said the ordinance amendment would alter an existing agreement the county currently has with Project Eagle.

under investigation by the Sumter Fire Department, and Sumter County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Braden Bunch said if there is any evidence of criminal activity the sheriff’s office will investigate further. As for the house, it sits as a shell of itself. Burned blackened boards curl over the charred frame of the house, rubble scattered on the lawn around it. The fire department estimates the family lost $75,000 after the mobile home fire: $50,000 for the loss of the home and $25,000 for the loss of the contents inside. Along with the house and its contents, three cars on the property were burned. A Buick SUV sustained an estimated $15,000 in damage. A Toyota pickup truck suffered $10,000 in damage, and a Chevrolet pickup truck had $1,000 in damage. Combined damage to the home, contents of the home and cars on the property amounted to about $101,000. The family has set up a GoFundMe page to raise money to get them “back on their feet

during this time where it seems impossible.” According to the fundraising page, all the family has left is an undamaged camper with a few pots, pans and sheets inside.

Houston said there is no goal for total donations, and his family just needs help with clothes and money for cars and a home. Houston said his family are

“simple people,” and anything they can get is better than what they have now. Donations can be made at http://www.gofundme.com/ x4v8ybs.

In other news, council approved: • a motion authorizing the county administrator and county attorney to sign a lease agreement with an undisclosed local organization for a county-owned structure; • a motion authorizing the county administrator and county attorney to continue contractual negotiations with Motorola Inc. to upgrade the countywide Enhanced 911 radio communication system;

• a motion authorizing the county administrator and county attorney to spend no more than $10,000 of the county’s infrastructure fund for an unspecified economic development project; • second reading of a request to rezone four parcels of land totaling approximately 127 acres on Linran Lane from general residential to agricultural conservation. The applicant intends to use the land to host weddings and banquets if council approves final reading;

• second reading of a proposed amendment to the county zoning and development standards ordinance to remove the 10 lot or 10 acre final platting requirement to allow subdivision developers to record one lot at a time. Currently, developers must record 10 lots or 10 acres at a time before selling any of the parcels to builders; • second reading of a proposed amendment to the county zoning and development standards ordinance to

remove the lot width-to-depth ratio requirement for subdividing land in the agricultural conservation district; and • second reading of a proposed amendment to the county zoning and development standards ordinance to allow self-serve automatic vending machines to be placed in general commercial, light industrial-warehouse and heavy industrial districts without requiring the vending machines to colocate with larger commercial structures.

KEITH GEDAMKE / THE SUMTER ITEM

This house fire at 4355 Pond Loop road sent two people to the hospital and destroyed the home and several cars.

Locally Owned & Operated Since 1915

DROUGHT FROM PAGE A1 with above-normal temperatures this week,” he said. “It looks like Saturday night or Sunday, some sort of frontal boundary comes and kind of breaks the heat, and then we should go back to normal temperatures after that.” Malsick said parts of the upstate and northwest South Carolina have been getting some moisture, but the eastern part of the state has received very little. Clemson University Extension Agronomist David Dewitt said the hot, dry weather has put many crops behind their normal schedule. “This heat adds to things and makes it so much worse,” he said. “We are not used to being in the 100s — for what is it, 10 days now? In the middle of June, that’s a little bit much.” DeWitt said it is quite a contrast with the recent wet winter and spring. “We were so wet through the middle of April, and now it’s just turned off,” he said. The corn crop will be most affected by the heat, he said, even though many farmers with irrigation have been irrigating day and night. “Most of the corn planted in March is tasseled out now, and it’s going through pollination,” he said. “This heat — even with water and irrigation — will affect the pollination of the corn crop. You can run irrigation 24-7, and the heat is still going to knock back the yield.” DeWitt said that with the added expense of irrigation, a reduced yield and low commodity prices, corn farmers may be dealt a “triple whammy.” He said many farmers are holding off on planting soybeans. “It is just too dry, and the ground is so hard you can’t plant,” DeWitt said. “You don’t want the seed baking in the ground, so they are keeping it in the bag.” Cotton will tolerate the heat, he said, but will still be delayed. “If you got a good stand, it will wait around until the moisture is there,” he said. “Cotton likes heat, but it likes a wet heat, and it doesn’t like 105, it likes 95.” This year’s crop of winter wheat has been harvested, but a lot of farmers are waiting to put in their second crop. “People are just waiting on some rain to get the second crop planted,” he said. “Some have it planted and are waiting on it to come up.”

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THE SUMTER ITEM N.G. Osteen 1843-1936 The Watchman and Southron

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015 H.G. Osteen 1870-1955 Founder, The Item

H.D. Osteen 1904-1987 The Item

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Love requires flag to come down W

ASHINGTON — In a historic moment, South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley called Monday for removal of the Confederate Battle Flag from the Statehouse grounds. It was the right thing to do and, to many of us, long overdue. Whatever arguments have been offered in the past for its prominent placement on government property, the massacre of nine people at Charleston’s Mother Emanuel Church nullified them. The pro-heritage argument can no longer hold. I say this as a South Carolinian who joined others in 2000 in calling for the flag’s removal from the Capitol Dome. I say this today as a human being who, along with millions of others, insist that removal of the flag is the least we can do to honor those killed. To this end, Haley, surrounded by fellow leaders including senators Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott, the

COMMENTARY first black elected to the U.S. Senate from the South since Reconstruction, put the South Carolina General Assembly on notice that they will be called upon to remove the flag from where it was transferred 15 years ago. Kathleen Today it lists Parker upon a flagpole near a Confederate statue on the Statehouse grounds but close to the city’s more important intersection and more visible from the street. Removal of the flag may require a twothirds vote of lawmakers. The flag issue, which erupts every few years, has always been complicated. It is fair, as Haley pointed out, to respect the feelings of people whose forebears fought and died in the Civil War — and this has been the

argument for allowing it to wave. I myself had family who fought for the Confederacy, as well as other family members who fought for the Union Army. I have visited their graves deep in the woods of rural Illinois. I have a rocking chair that my Southern great-great somebody sat in, according to family lore, as she watched her soldier husband, minus one leg, hobble across a field toward home. I love that chair for the person who loved her husband who loved his homeland, who fought bravely — and who definitely never owned a slave — and from whom I am descended. For so many Southerners, and most weren’t plantation owners, the war was about protecting their homes and families from invaders who came to conquer and burn. The reasons for that invasion were noble, and no one would argue otherwise. Wars to liberate people from bondage are the noblest of all. But the story of honoring one’s forebears with the flag is as

true for many as is the story of hatred that the flag represents for so many others. To me personally, the flag was offensive long before a mad-boy of evil heart gunned down nine lovely, innocent people as they included him in their prayers. As I wrote many years ago, I was just as afraid of a pickup truck with a Confederate flag in the window as any black would be. This is because we all know that the occupants of that truck mean no good by showing that flag. It says: Danger. The fact that the mere sight of the banner brings pain and humiliation to our black neighbors is argument enough to bring it down. But last week’s brutal slayings nullified the pro-heritage argument. Forevermore, there’s no disputing its power as a symbol of racial hatred and the sickness of racism we all have a duty to fight with the same ferocity those soldiers a century and a half ago mustered to end slavery. It’s no longer a matter of if but when the flag comes

down and finds a home in a museum with other artifacts of historical significance. My hope is that the General Assembly will see it that way and that we don’t again witness a divisive issue split along racial lines. America and the world saw the coming together of whites and blacks in Charleston this past weekend and marveled that such a thing could happen in the Deep South where, indeed, the first shot of the Civil War was fired. The reason this happened in Charleston is because the city has been working on racial reconciliation for decades. The unity we all observed doesn’t happen overnight but takes work and commitment — and love. In the final analysis, love requires that the flag come down. Kathleen Parker’s email address is kathleenparker@ washpost.com. © 2015, Washington Post Writers Group

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CONFEDERATE FLAG HAS ALWAYS BEEN SYMBOL OF WHITE SUPREMACY I want to thank Graham Osteen for his magnificent and courageous column in Sunday’s paper. Graham, your statement that if the Confederate flag is not removed from the Statehouse grounds then we should replace the palmetto tree on the South Carolina state flag with a swastika is right on point because both the swastika and the Confederate flag are symbols of racism and white supremacy. In fact, the Confederate flag was never anything but a symbol of white supremacy. At the start of the Confederacy, its vice-president, Alexander Stephens, said that the ideas about all men being created equal as expressed in the Declaration of Independence were wrong because: “They rested upon the assumption of the equality of races. This was an error. It was a sandy foundation, and the government built upon it fell when the ‘storm came and the wind blew. ... Our new government (the Confederate States of America) is founded upon exactly the opposite ideas; its foundations are laid, its cornerstone rests, upon the great truth that the negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery, subordination to the superior race, is his natural and normal condition. This, our new government, is the first, in the history of the world, based upon this great physical, philosophical, and moral truth.” So from the very beginning the Confederate flag was the trademark of a sick and now discredited notion: white supremacy, an idea that in the wake of the horrific events in Charleston can only be described as a terroristic philosophy bent on death and destruction. We don’t need the emblem of a terrorist movement at the front door of the Statehouse. To paraphrase Graham, it’s time to stop being misguided and morally blind. Put the flag in the Confederate Relic Room where it belongs. RUSS WEINBERG Sumter

OSTEEN OUT OF LINE WITH FLAG’S COMPARISON TO SWASTIKA RE Graham Osteen Sunday column: How dare you compare the Confederate battle flag with the swastika? Your grandfather might have been a type of pre-20th-century Nazi, but my ancestors were patriots fighting for their nation. Even your grandfather apparently supported the resistance to the invasion of his country at one time. And you are right that nine people were murdered and their families are

grieving, but liberals like you see this as an opportunity to promote your liberal agendas. Why can’t you just let them have some time to grieve? You are also correct that most people in this country have a negative view of the Confederate battle flag. The reason for this though is that most people don’t know the history of this nation. They would rather let some liberal publisher or talk show host think for them rather than making an effort to learn the truth. But let not your heart be troubled. You and your kind will win (in the short term). As a Christian, Southern white male I am not allowed to have a heritage, and I have no voice in this nation. You will deny my rights, and you will embrace sodomy and the murder of infants in the womb and this nation will continue to spiral downward. The godly constitutional nation that was built, in large part by Southerners, is no more. Happy Fourth of July. JOHN DAVIS JR. Dalzell

IT’S PAST TIME TO DEBATE RACE RELATIONS, GUN CONTROL Wednesday, June 17, 2015, will go down in history as a day of infamy in the state of South Carolina. My thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the nine Christians who gathered in their church (Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston) for Bible study and were massacred by a welcomed but evil and ungodly racist. As a state and a nation, we cannot allow racism to prevail. This coldblooded murderer of nine innocent Christians in the house of God is not an act of one vile person. The murder, lynching and mutilation of black people in America and the state of South Carolina has a long and disgraceful history. This latest act of violence has put America on center stage. The world is watching and questioning why we have so much racism and guns to commit mass murder. Our image is deteriorating as a nation under God. It’s time for people in America to repent. The families of the nine people killed showed what true Christian love is by forgiving the person who took away the people they loved. They have set the path for all Christians to follow. This horrendous ordeal has brought people of all races and faiths together. They, as I have previously encouraged (Baten, The Sumter Item, June 9, 2015) are praying, holding hands and hugging one another. Sadly, it took a tragic event to make this happen. We must

not let our Christian brothers and sisters die in vain. It’s past time to have debates on race relations and gun control in America. It’s time for healing and also time for action. Our country leaders must come together to discuss race relations and gun control. South Carolina leaders must remove the Confederate flag from the grounds of our state capitol. American people are watching, the world is watching and God is watching. It’s time to send a powerful and courageous message to those who want to keep us divided. “The God of Heaven will set up a Kingdom that will never be destroyed.” EUGENE R. BATEN Sumter

ALL AMERICANS SHOULD STRIVE FOR TOLERANCE Symbols of heritage have a place to be displayed (not only flags), and it’s is called museums. That should pertain, however, to all flags except the flag of our nation, the Stars and Stripes (Old Glory). Our national flag represents all who live in the United States of America. Flags of other nations should only be displayed outside at consulates and embassies of those nations located here in the USA. If you want to personally display a flag from your heritage, display it all you want inside your home or office, not flown on a pole in public. If we need further recognition of our many nationalities in America, then instead of having only one group recognized, Black History Month, let’s designate months for other nationalities. Probably so many different groups we may have to reduce the time to a week. It is so easy today to find something that offends one another. If someone complains then there is outcry for removal from public view. This is what has occurred to religious freedom symbols. It is not majority rule anymore. There is a poster circulating currently depicting the Confederate flag at the top, bottom portion is two black males wearing their pants below the hips showing their underwear. The statement on this poster is basically if the flag offends you and it must come down, then the droopy pants also offends and they must be pulled up. Even families have disagreements, misunderstandings and a good old knock down and drag out. We as a nation of many different families we will never have complete harmony. Tolerance is the only thing we can re-

ally strive for. Let’s all be Americans in our hearts and minds, and we may just find a lot less turmoil in our communities. JIM AUSTIN Sumter

CONFEDERATE FLAG HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH SLAVERY I have kept my mouth shut about the Confederate flag and my convictions toward it, but when I see a post from S.C.’s own Sen. Lindsey Graham using the flag as propaganda to try to further his political future I will no longer stand for the blatant ignorance of what should be an educated man. The Confederate flag as we know is not the flag of slavery or oppression nor did the Civil War spawn from it. African slavery has been going on since before the fall of the Roman Empire; That’s before 500 AD. (We know slavery is in the Bible.) They started being sold and traded to Islamic countries in the Middle Ages, which continued well past the time when it (slavery) was abolished in the United States, as well as it not being abolished in Ethiopia until 1942. The Atlantic slave trade did not even begin until about the 1500s in European countries with England shipping the most slaves by the 1690s and more than the colonies of North America by millions. So why is the Confederate flag a sign of slavery when slavery existed before the Roman Empire fell? If you were to use a flag as representation of slavery, why not use the African countries or the Arabic countries flags or even England’s since they bought and sold the most slaves? And if you want the representation of slavery in only America well wouldn’t that be the American flag seeing as it was America, not just the Southern states, that bought and sold slaves? The North had slaves too, and the Civil War was started over states rights, not slavery. It’s absurd to use a battle flag from a war that killed more men than all other wars combined to represent something as awful as slavery (which Native Americans and Jews both are also races that have been used as slaves). That’s like a Jewish person saying the Christian flag is anti-Semitic when it’s purpose was never once perpetrated in that manner. AMANDA STEELE PEAK Sumter Editor’s note: Because this letter exceeded the 350-word length as stated in our Editorial Page Policies which appears regularly on this page, it can be read in its entirety under Opinion on The Sumter Item’s website, www.theitem.com.

HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY? Send your letter to letters@theitem.com, drop it off at The Sumter Item office, 20 N. Magnolia St., or mail it to The Sumter Item, P.O. Box 1677, Sumter, SC 29151, along with the writer’s full name, address and telephone number (for verification purposes only). Letters that exceed 350 words will be cut accordingly in the print edition, but available in their entirety at www.theitem.com/opinion/letters_to_editor.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

SUPPORT GROUPS AA, AL-ANON, ALATEEN: AA — Monday-Friday, noon and 5:30 p.m.; Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m., 1 Warren St. (803) 775-1852. AA Women’s Meeting — Wednesday, 7 p.m., 1 Warren St. (803) 775-1852. AA Spanish Speaking — Sunday, 4:30 p.m., 1 Warren St. (803) 775-1852. AA “How it Works” Group — Monday and Friday, 8 p.m., 1154 Ronda St. Call (803) 4945180. 441 AA Support Group — Monday, Tuesday and Friday, 8:30 p.m., Hair Force, 2090-D S.C. 441. AA Summerton Group — Wednesday, 8 p.m., town hall. Manning Al-Anon Family Group — Thursday, 7:30 p.m., Behavioral Health Building, 14 Church St., Manning. Call Angie at (803) 435-8085. C/A “Drop the Rock” Group — Thursday, 9:30 p.m., 1154 Ronda St. Call Elizabeth at (803) 607-4543.

MONDAY MEETINGS: Sumter Vitiligo Support Group — second Monday of each month, 5:45-6:45 p.m., North HOPE Center, 904 N. Main St. Call Tiffany at (803) 316-6763. Find them on Facebook.

TUESDAY MEETINGS: Sumter Connective Tissue Support Group — 1st Tuesday of Jan., March, May, July, Sept. and Nov., 7 p.m., 180 Tiller Circle. Call (803) 773-0869. Mothers of Angels (for mothers who have lost a child) — Every Tuesday, 6 p.m., Wise Drive Baptist Church. Call Betty at (803) 469-2616 or Carol at (803) 469-9426. Sumter Combat Veterans Group Peer to Peer — Every Tuesday, 11 a.m., South HOPE Center, 1125 S. Lafayette Drive. Veterans helping veterans with PTSD, coping skills, claims and benefits. Parkinson’s Support Group — Second Tuesday each month, 5:30 p.m., Carolinas Rehabilitation Hospital cafeteria, 121 E. Cedar St., Florence. Call (843) 661-3746. Multiple Sclerosis Support Group — Third Tuesday each month, 5:30 p.m., Carolinas Rehabilitation Hospital community meeting room, 121 E. Cedar St., Florence. Call (843) 661-3746. Amputee Support Group — Fourth Tuesday each month, 5:30 p.m., Carolinas Rehabili-

tation Hospital cafeteria. Call (843) 661-3746. EFMP Parent Exchange Group — Last Tuesday each month, 11 a.m.-noon, Airman and Family Readiness Center. Support to service members who have a dependent with a disability or illness. Call Dorcus at (803) 8951252/1253 or Sue at (803) 847-2377.

WEDNESDAY MEETINGS: Sickle Cell Support Group — last Wednesday each month, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., South Sumter Resource Center, 337 Manning Ave. Call Bertha at (803) 774-6181.

THURSDAY MEETINGS: TOPS S.C. No. 236 (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) — Thursdays, 9 a.m., Spectrum Senior Center,1989 Durant Lane. Call Diane at (803) 7753926 or Nancy at (803) 4694789. Asthma Support Group — Every 1st Thursday, 6 p.m., Clarendon County School District 3 Parenting Center, 2358 Walker Gamble Road, New Zion. Call Mary at (843) 659-2102. Alzheimer’s Support Group through S.C. Alzheimer’s Association — Every 1st Thursday, 6-8 p.m., McElveen Manor, 2065 McCrays Mill Road. Call Cheryl at (803) 905-7720 or the Alzheimer’s Association at (800) 636-3346. Journey of Hope (for family members of the mentally ill), Journey to Recovery (for the mentally ill) and Survivors of Suicide Support Group — Each group meets every 1st Thursday, 7 p.m., St. John United Methodist Church, 136 Poinsett Drive. Call Fred at (803) 905-5620.

FRIDAY MEETINGS: Celebrate Recovery — Every Friday, 6 p.m. dinner, 7 p.m. program, Salt & Light Church, Miller Road (across from Food Lion). For struggles of alcohol, drugs, family problems, smoking, etc. Wateree AIDS Task Force Support Group — Every third Friday, 11:30 a.m. Contact Kevin Johnson at (803) 778-0303.

SATURDAY MEETINGS: Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy/ Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Support Group — 1:30 p.m. every third Saturday, 3785 Blackberry Lane, Lot 7. Call Donna Parker at (803) 481-7521.

DAILY PLANNER

WEATHER

AccuWeather® ﬁve-day forecast for Sumter TODAY

TONIGHT

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

Very hot

Mostly cloudy, a t-storm; warm

Very hot

A t-storm in the afternoon

A shower and t-storm around

Clouds and sun

100°

76°

100° / 77°

96° / 74°

90° / 70°

82° / 66°

Chance of rain: 5%

Chance of rain: 55%

Chance of rain: 15%

Chance of rain: 50%

Chance of rain: 60%

Chance of rain: 25%

W 6-12 mph

SW 3-6 mph

SW 6-12 mph

SW 8-16 mph

SW 10-20 mph

WSW 8-16 mph

TODAY’S SOUTH CAROLINA WEATHER

Greenville 96/72

Gaﬀney 95/70 Spartanburg 97/72

Columbia 100/76

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

IN THE MOUNTAINS

Sumter 100/76

Aiken 97/73

ON THE COAST

Charleston 97/78

Today: Partly sunny and humid. High 91 to 98. Thursday: Times of sun and clouds; humid. High 92 to 96.

LOCAL ALMANAC

LAKE LEVELS

SUMTER THROUGH 4 P.M. YESTERDAY

Full pool 360 76.8 75.5 100

SUN AND MOON 7 a.m. yest. 357.84 75.23 75.12 97.48

24-hr chg -0.05 +0.02 -0.03 -0.20

Sunrise 6:12 a.m. Moonrise 1:40 p.m.

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

0.00" 1.87" 4.03" 20.25" 17.92" 21.65"

NATIONAL CITIES City Atlanta Chicago Dallas Detroit Houston Los Angeles New Orleans New York Orlando Philadelphia Phoenix San Francisco Wash., DC

Lake Murray Marion Moultrie Wateree

97° 74° 89° 68° 99° in 1954 56° in 1992

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

Today Thu. Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W 95/77/pc 94/75/t 79/63/c 72/57/t 94/75/s 94/75/s 80/61/pc 72/60/t 93/73/pc 89/75/t 82/63/s 81/63/s 93/77/t 92/77/t 84/68/s 83/66/pc 92/74/t 93/74/t 87/67/s 85/67/t 113/88/pc 112/88/pc 69/54/pc 76/57/pc 87/70/s 87/69/t

Myrtle Beach 95/80

Manning 100/78

Today: Some sun, very hot and humid. Winds light and variable. Thursday: Hot with a thunderstorm around. Winds light and variable.

Temperature High Low Normal high Normal low Record high Record low

Florence 99/76

Bishopville 100/75

Sunset Moonset

8:37 p.m. 1:11 a.m.

First

Full

Last

New

June 24

July 1

July 8

July 15

TIDES

Flood 7 a.m. 24-hr stage yest. chg 12 1.58 -0.02 19 3.45 -0.05 14 2.01 -0.03 14 2.28 none 80 75.99 +0.16 24 9.09 +1.34

AT MYRTLE BEACH

High 3:05 a.m. 3:59 p.m. 3:53 a.m. 4:50 p.m.

Today Thu.

Ht. 2.7 2.7 2.6 2.8

Low 10:06 a.m. 10:38 p.m. 10:51 a.m. 11:34 p.m.

Ht. 0.5 0.9 0.4 0.8

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

Today Thu. Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W 91/65/pc 91/68/t 100/74/pc 99/74/t 98/74/pc 98/74/pc 98/78/pc 96/78/pc 86/74/t 87/80/t 97/78/pc 97/78/pc 98/72/pc 99/74/pc 98/75/pc 99/76/t 100/76/pc 100/77/pc 99/75/pc 99/76/pc 87/70/t 87/75/t 97/75/pc 95/77/pc 97/74/pc 96/76/pc

Today City Hi/Lo/W Florence 99/76/pc Gainesville 92/73/t Gastonia 98/71/pc Goldsboro 94/73/pc Goose Creek 97/78/pc Greensboro 95/71/pc Greenville 96/72/pc Hickory 93/69/pc Hilton Head 92/80/pc Jacksonville, FL 95/74/t La Grange 97/76/t Macon 97/74/pc Marietta 95/74/t

Thu. Hi/Lo/W 99/77/pc 91/73/t 98/73/pc 94/75/pc 97/79/pc 95/74/pc 97/73/t 94/72/t 93/79/pc 93/73/t 97/74/t 96/74/t 95/75/t

Today City Hi/Lo/W Marion 92/65/pc Mt. Pleasant 96/80/pc Myrtle Beach 95/80/pc Orangeburg 98/75/pc Port Royal 95/79/pc Raleigh 94/71/pc Rock Hill 97/72/pc Rockingham 98/73/pc Savannah 97/76/t Spartanburg 97/72/pc Summerville 97/76/pc Wilmington 95/76/pc Winston-Salem 94/70/pc

Thu. Hi/Lo/W 93/68/t 95/81/pc 94/80/pc 98/75/pc 94/80/pc 96/74/pc 98/74/pc 99/77/pc 96/76/pc 97/74/t 97/78/pc 93/78/pc 94/73/pc

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

For Comfort You Can Count On, Better Make It Boykin!

PUBLIC AGENDA

803-795-4257

SUATS POLICY COMMITTEE Today, 10 a.m., council chambers, Sumter Opera House, 21 N. Main St.

COMMISSION Today, 3 p.m., council chambers, Sumter Opera House, 21 N. Main St.

GREATER SUMTER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Today, noon, chamber office

HISTORIC PRESERVATION DESIGN REVIEW COMMITTEE Thursday, 3:30 p.m., council chambers, Sumter Opera House, 21 N. Main St.

SUMTER CITY-COUNTY PLANNING

THE SUMTER ITEM

www.boykinacs.com License #M4217

LOTTERY NUMBERS ARIES (March 21-April 19): Keep your EUGENIA LAST options open. You don’t have to make a commitment if you aren’t ready. Time is on your side, and the possibilities are endless. An important relationship will expand into a bright, fruitful future.

The last word in astrology

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Be careful whom you deal with. Not everyone will offer an honest assessment of what they can contribute. Get everything in writing. Overspending or taking on too much will be your downfall. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Be confident about what you have to offer. Let your skills lead the way and speak on your behalf. It’s what you do that will make a difference and win you a spot in the limelight. Love is in the stars. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Keep your thoughts to yourself and avoid an emotional confrontation. Put your trust in what you know you can do, and forget about asking for favors. At the end of the day, you’ll get the most satisfaction from doing your own thing. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Mingle, share ideas and make positive changes. Helping others will lead to support you need to push your ideas through to the top. A professional change will help you earn respect and bring in more cash. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Say little, but do a lot. Your satisfaction and success will be directly linked to how much you accomplish. Partnerships and joint ventures won’t be in your

best interest. Go it alone and take the credit and the rewards offered. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Keep your wits about you when dealing with emotional matters. Think every situation through to the end before you decide to make a move. Back away from anyone looking for an argument. Use diplomacy. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Put more effort into finance, health and legal matters. Don’t be fooled by someone’s promises or faulty investment schemes. Opt for a lifestyle that will help you reach your goals. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Keep making positive changes and you’ll reach your goals. If someone tries to bully or pressure you, stand up for your rights. Do your own thing. Personal improvements will boost your appeal. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Don’t take on something you don’t want to do. Refuse to be forced into an impulsive move. Emotions will be difficult to control and are best left concealed. Don’t feel obligated to take care of someone else’s responsibilities. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Don’t let anyone limit you. Take the initiative to expand your skills and knowledge through research and trial and error. Experimentation is one of your strong points and will put you in a position to succeed. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Put some muscle into changes you want to make to your home. With a little effort, you’ll make the differences you need to expand on a moneymaking idea you’ve been contemplating for some time.

PALMETTO CASH 5 TUESDAY

POWERBALL SATURDAY

MEGAMILLIONS TUESDAY

8-11-16-20-37 PowerUp: 5

9-10-16-20-57 Powerball: 15; Powerplay: 2

numbers not available at press time

PICK 3 TUESDAY

PICK 4 TUESDAY

3-3-9 and 6-5-2

5-7-9-6 and 1-2-1-3

SUMTER ANIMAL CONTROL PET OF THE WEEK Stella, a beautiful young adult female lab mix, is available for adoption at Sumter Animal Control. It seems that Stella has never met a person or dog she doesn’t like. She would fit with a family or a single adult. Call Animal Control at (803) 436-2066 and speak with Rose for more information. Stella is in kennel 31 and hoping that you can provide her with a loving forever home. Hurry!

SECTION

Lee weighs in on ‘dream job’ with Tigers baseball Call: (803) 774-1241 | E-mail: sports@theitem.com

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

LEGION BASEBALL

Sumter scores big early, holds on P-15’s beat Jets 12-5, finish League III season today BY JUSTIN DRIGGERS justin@theitem.com DALZELL – Sumter used an 8-run first inning and a 12-strikeout performance by Jacob Watcher on the mound to secure a 12-5 American Legion baseball victory over DalzellShaw Post 175 on Tuesday at General Field. The win is the second straight in the 3-game series for the P-15’s and improved their overall mark to 13-3 and 12-2 in League III play. Dalzell fell to 1-12 and 1-9. The final game is scheduled for today at 7 p.m. at Riley Park. The P-15’s gave Watcher plenty of support in their first atbat, sending 12 men to the plate. Two walks and a hit batsman loaded the bases for Kemper Patton, who cleared them with one swing on a double down the first base line that made it 3-0 before an out was recorded. Courtland Howard, Dawson Price and Phillip Watcher all soon followed with RBI singles, Javon Martin added a sacrifice fly and Sumter got another run on a 2-base error as the P-15’s led 8-0 after a half-inning. Sumter added another run in the second when Martin was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. The HBP was the third of night for Jets starter Cole Benenhaley, who exited the game after 1 2/3 innings.

KEITH GEDAMKE / THE SUMTER ITEM

Sumter’s Jacob Watcher comes across home plate to score a run as Dalzell-Shaw catcher Lenny Gonzalez fields the throw during the P-15’s 12-5 SEE P-15’S, PAGE B7 victory on Tuesday at General Field in Dalzell.

AUTO RACING

COLLEGE TRACK & FIELD

Randolph track All-American for Voorhees BY MICHAEL CHRISTOPHER michaelc@theitem.com

Dai’Shaun Randolph became an example of how to make the most of a challenging situation this past season with the Voorhees College men’s track and field program. Randolph, who came to Voorhees as a 2013 state champion in the high jump at Sumter High School, was academically ineligible in the fall of his freshman year. “Being from the south side of Sumter, he (Randolph) al-

ways felt like he had to prove himself,” said former Voorhees College head track coach AlliRANDOLPH cia Golden, herself a track standout at both Sumter High and Voorhees. “He worked hard and actually had a 3.1 (grade point average), which was the highest GPA on the track team.” While ineligible to compete while building up his grades,

SEE RANDOLPH, PAGE B2

PRO FOOTBALL

Brady appeal continues into evening at NFL offices BY RACHEL COHEN The Associated Press NEW YORK — Tom Brady’s appeal of his four-game suspension lasted more than 10 hours Tuesday, ending in the early evening. The sight of Commissioner BRADY Roger Goodell leaving the league offices after he heard Brady and representatives

from the players’ union during the lengthy meeting, confirmed its conclusion. League security said Brady also had left. No details of the hearing were immediately available. Brady was suspended by the league for his role in the use of deflated footballs in the AFC championship game win over Indianapolis. He arrived at the NFL’s Park Avenue offices Tuesday morning, as did

SEE BRADY, PAGE B5

AP FILE PHOTO

A Confederate flags fly in the infield as cars come out of Turn 1 during a NASCAR race at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Ala. NASCAR is backing South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley’s call to remove the Confederate flag from the South Carolina State House grounds in the wake of a massacre at a Charleston church. Though NASCAR bars the use of the flag in any official capacity, many fans fly the flag at their races.

NASCAR backs recent moves on Confederate flag issue BY MARK LONG The Associated Press Confederate flags are as easy to find at NASCAR races as cutoff jeans, cowboy hats and beer. They fly over motorhomes. They adorn clothing. They are regular fixHIGDON tures, just like Ford and Chevrolet, and that is unlikely to change any time soon. NASCAR probably would like to see them go away. The sanctioning body for the motorsports series backed South Carolina Gov.

Nikki Haley’s call to remove the Confederate flag from the Statehouse grounds in the wake of the Charleston church massacre. NASCAR issued its statement Tuesday, the same day South Carolina lawmakers agreed to discuss removing the flag and one day after Haley said “the time has come” to take it down. And that is as far as NASCAR appears willing to go for now. “As our industry works collectively to ensure that all fans are welcome at our races, NASCAR will continue our long-standing policy to disallow the use of the Confederate flag symbol in any official NASCAR capac-

ity,” NASCAR said. “While NASCAR recognizes that freedom of expression is an inherent right of all citizens, we will continue to strive for an inclusive environment at our events.” International Speedway Corp., NASCAR’S sister company that owns a majority of the tracks, echoed the sanctioning body’s response. “We join NASCAR in support of South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley’s position on the Confederate flag,” ISC President John Saunders said in a statement. “ISC strives to ensure

SEE NASCAR, PAGE B5

SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

COLLEGE WORLD SERIES

Vandy holds Virginia to 4 hits, wins CWS opener BY ERIC OLSON The Associated Press OMAHA, Neb. — Carson Fulmer knew his career at Vanderbilt was over as coach Tim Corbin walked from the third-base dugout to the mound in the eighth inning. What a career it’s been, and what a way to finish. Fulmer held Virginia to two hits and struck out eight over 7 2/3 shutout innings Monday night, just the kind of outing the Commodores needed FULMER in a 5-1 victory in the opener of the College World Series finals. “It’s such a great memory for him to pitch his final game,” Corbin said. “That eighth inning was the right time to get him. Personally, I was glad to be able to do that so he would be able to address the crowd and the crowd could address him.” The Vanderbilt section gave him a standing ovation as he descended the dugout steps. His virtuoso performance left the defending national champion Commodores (51-19) needing one win, Tuesday or Wednesday, to become the seventh team to win back-to-back national titles, and the third to do it in the last 10 years. Fulmer (14-2), the No. 8 overall draft pick by the Chicago White Sox, completed his finest season. He was Southeastern Conference pitcher of the year

SCOREBOARD TV, RADIO TODAY

1 p.m. – Major League Baseball: Philadelphia at New York Yankees or Chicago White Sox at Minnesota (MLB NETWORK). 6:05 p.m. – Talk Show: Sports Talk (WPUB-FM 102.7, WDXY-FM 105.9, WDXY-AM 1240). 6:30 p.m. – American Legion Baseball: Dalzell-Shaw at Sumter (WWHM-FM 92.3, WWHM-FM 93.3, WWHM-AM 1290). 7 p.m. – NHL Hockey: NHL Awards from Las Vegas (NBC SPORTS NETWORK). 7 p.m. – Major League Baseball: Atlanta at Washington (SPORTSOUTH, WPUB-FM 102.7). 8 p.m. – College Baseball: College World Series Game Three from Omaha, Neb. – Virginia vs. Vanderbilt (if Necessary) (ESPN). 8 p.m. – Major League Baseball: Los Angeles Dodgers at Chicago Cubs (ESPN2). 11 p.m. – Major League Soccer: Portland at Los Angeles (ESPN2).

MLB STANDINGS

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Vanderbilt outfielder Bryan Reynolds (20) scores on a 2-run double by Will Toffey as Virginia catcher Matt Thaiss (21) looks on during the Commodores’ 5-1 victory in Game 1 of the best-of-3 College World Series final series on Monday at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Neb. after leading the SEC in wins, strikeouts and ERA. “What made it big for me was not only did I have coach there but the whole infield around me,” Fulmer said of his last moments on the mound as a collegian. “To spend that moment with them and to look back at the brotherhood we created, and to win the game, it’s a moment I’ll remember for the rest of my life. I couldn’t have asked for it to happen any better.” Fulmer outdueled Virginia starter Connor Jones (73), who allowed three hits over five shutout innings before the Commodores got to him for two runs in the

sixth. Will Toffey’s two-run double broke a scoreless tie, and Vanderbilt added three more runs in the seventh. Virginia (42-24), the Commodores’ finals opponent for the second straight year, scored in the ninth to end the Vandy bullpen’s streak of 22 shutout innings. “We’ve been in this situation before this year,” Cavaliers coach Brian O’Connor said. “We were in this situation going into Saturday, that if you win you get to continue your season and if you don’t, it’s over. This team has handled that kind of adversity all year long and I would imagine tomorrow night will be no different.”

By The Associated Press EAST DIVISION W L Tampa Bay 40 32 New York 38 32 Toronto 38 34 Baltimore 36 33 Boston 31 40 CENTRAL DIVISION W L Kansas City 40 27 Minnesota 38 32 Detroit 36 34 Cleveland 32 37 Chicago 30 39 WEST DIVISION W L Houston 41 31 Texas 37 33 Los Angeles 36 35 Seattle 32 39 Oakland 31 41

Pct .556 .543 .528 .522 .437

GB – 1 2 21/2 81/2

Pct .597 .543 .514 .464 .435

GB – 31/2 51/2 9 11

Pct .569 .529 .507 .451 .431

GB – 3 41/2 81/2 10

MONDAY’S GAMES

Philadelphia 11, N.Y. Yankees 8 Detroit 8, Cleveland 5 Toronto 8, Tampa Bay 5 Minnesota 13, Chicago White Sox 2 L.A. Angels 4, Houston 3 Kansas City 4, Seattle 1

TUESDAY’S GAMES

Philadelphia at N.Y. Yankees, 7:05 p.m. Baltimore at Boston, 7:10 p.m. Detroit at Cleveland, 7:10 p.m. Toronto at Tampa Bay, 7:10 p.m. Oakland at Texas, 8:05 p.m. Chicago White Sox at Minnesota, 8:10 p.m. Houston at L.A. Angels, 10:05 p.m. Kansas City at Seattle, 10:10 p.m.

TODAY’S GAMES

Detroit (Verlander 0-1) at Cleveland (Carrasco 8-6), 12:10 p.m. Toronto (Estrada 5-3) at Tampa Bay (Karns 4-3), 12:10 p.m. Philadelphia (Hamels 5-5) at N.Y. Yankees (Nova 0-0), 1:05 p.m. Chicago White Sox (Sale 6-3) at Minnesota (P.Hughes 5-6), 1:10 p.m. Houston (McCullers 3-2) at L.A. Angels (Shoemaker 4-5), 3:35 p.m. Baltimore (B.Norris 2-5) at Boston (Buchholz 4-6), 7:10 p.m. Oakland (Graveman 3-4) at Texas (W.Rodriguez 4-2), 8:05 p.m. Kansas City (D.Duffy 2-3) at Seattle (Elias 4-4), 10:10 p.m.

Lee: ‘This is a dream job of mine’ BY SCOTT KEEPFER Greenville News CLEMSON – Monte Lee feigned a verbal shortage. “I don’t know if I could put into words how excited I am,” Clemson’s new baseball coach said on Monday at his introductory press conference. To Lee’s credit, he certainly tried. “What a day,” Lee said. “This is a dream job of mine. What is so attractive about this job? The tradition of this program and the consisLEE tency of this program. “And our fan base is second to none. When you look at Doug Kingsmore Stadium, and I’ve been here many times, it’s as rabid a fan base as there is in college baseball.” Lee, who comes to Clemson after seven productive and winning seasons at the College of Charleston, his alma mater, will be charged not only with maintaining that tradition and consistency, but also with re-energizing the fan base while returning the Tigers to the College World Series. “I understand the expectations and I embrace those expectations,” Lee said. “This is a program that can compete at the national level. We have the opportunity to get to Omaha here.” Lee, 38, was named to replace Jack Leggett last Thursday, but Monday served as his official introduction.

He was joined for the press conference in Clemson’s WestZone team room by his wife, Eryn, their four daughters, Madelyn, Shelby, Blair and Alexa. Lee’s mother and grandfather also were on hand, as were two of his best friends and their families. Leggett was fired by Director of Athletics Dan Radakovich on June 4 after 22 seasons. Radakovich, who said the baseball program was stuck on a “plateau” under Leggett, sought a replacement who would “infuse energy and optimism into the program, create a new momentum and build upon the great foundation of Clemson baseball.” Clemson didn’t have to look far and wide to find its man – Lee is a South Carolina native who was born in Spartanburg, went to high school at Lugoff-Elgin and played and coached at the College of Charleston. His other coaching stops included stints at Spartanburg Methodist College and the University of South Carolina, the latter as an assistant under former coach and current athletic director Ray Tanner. Lee averaged almost 40 wins per season at the College of Charleston and guided the Cougars to four NCAA Tournaments. The Cougars were 8-8 in NCAA postseason play under Lee while advancing to one Super Regional. Lee, who has been cited by Baseball America as one of the nation’s top coaches under the age of 40, quickly emerged as a favorite for the position. His official welcome came Monday.

RANDOLPH FROM PAGE B1 During the ‘14 Christmas break, Golden delivered news that once again tested the resolve of Randolph. She announced she would be leaving to take a job at North Carolina Central University and her time would be limited coaching the team. That’s when Randolph stepped in and matured both as a leader and as a person. Golden said she entrusted him to run both workouts and practice while she was away. Focusing on his love for the sport, Randolph said his support system believed in him more than he did himself and further challenged him. “The season taught me that

dedication, focus; determination and due diligence can lead you a lot farther than just athletic abilities,” he said. “It’s like, if you want it you’re going to go out and get it no matter what’s in your way. If you focus on it you’re going to get it; if you focus there is nothing that’s going to stop you once you have your eye on the prize.” Randolph led the team in points (115) for the season and was named the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Most Valuable Player for the conference meet. He won the GCAC high jump and long jump (22feet, 9 inches) outdoor titles and ran the last leg of the 4x100-meter relay team that took first and also ran the anchor leg of the 4x400 relay

St. Louis Pittsburgh Chicago Cincinnati Milwaukee West Division Los Angeles San Francisco Arizona San Diego Colorado

TRANSACTIONS The Associated Press American League BOSTON RED SOX — Optioned OF Rusney Castillo and RHP Steven Wright to Pawtucket (IL). Reinstated RHP Justin Masterson from the 15-day DL. Agreed to terms with RHP Daniel Zandona on a minor league contract. Sent C Ryan Hanigan to Pawtucket (IL) for a rehab assignment. CHICAGO WHITE SOX — Sent LHP Dan Jennings to Charlotte (IL) for a rehab assignment. CLEVELAND INDIANS — Designated RHP Scott Atchison for assignment. Recalled RHP Austin Adams from Columbus (IL). HOUSTON ASTROS — Agreed to terms with 2B Ford Stainback on a minor league contract. LOS ANGELES ANGELS — Sent RHP Mike Morin to Salt Lake (PCL) for a rehab assignment. NEW YORK YANKEES — Placed INF Stephen Drew on paternity leave. Optioned OF Ramon Flores to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (IL). Recalled RHP Bryan Mitchell and INF Jose Pirela from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. SEATTLE MARINERS — Released OF Rickie Weeks. TAMPA BAY RAYS — Optioned LHP Enny Romero to Durham (IL). Recalled RHP Kirby Yates from Durham. Agreed to terms with OF Grady Sizemore on a minor league contract. Sent 2B Tim Beckham to Charlotte (FSL) for a rehab assignment.

WOMEN’S WORLD CUP By The Associated Press SECOND ROUND

Saturday, June 20 At Ottawa, Ontario Germany 4, Sweden 1 At Edmonton, Alberta China 1, Cameroon 0 Sunday, June 21 At Moncton, New Brunswick Brazil 0, Australia 1 At Montreal France 3, South Korea 0 At Vancouver, British Columbia Canada 1, Switzerland 0 Monday, June 22 At Ottawa, Ontario England 2, Norway 1 At Edmonton, Alberta United States 2, Colombia 0 Tuesday, June 23 At Vancouver, British Columbia Japan vs. Netherlands, 10 p.m.

QUARTERFINALS

NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST DIVISION Washington New York Atlanta Miami Philadelphia CENTRAL DIVISION

Earnhardt Jr., 508. 5, Jimmie Johnson, 506. 6, Brad Keselowski, 480. 7, Jamie McMurray, 464. 8, Matt Kenseth, 456. 9, Kasey Kahne, 447. 10, Jeff Gordon, 434. 11, Kurt Busch, 426. 12, Paul Menard, 421. 13, Denny Hamlin, 412. 14, Carl Edwards, 401. 15, Aric Almirola, 401. 16, Ryan Newman, 400. 17, Clint Bowyer, 388. 18, Kyle Larson, 361. 19, Danica Patrick, 357. 20, Greg Biffle, 351. Money 1, Kevin Harvick, $4,840,151. 2, Joey Logano, $4,015,820. 3, Jimmie Johnson, $3,718,871. 4, Denny Hamlin, $3,429,537. 5, Dale Earnhardt Jr., $3,171,955. 6, Matt Kenseth, $2,835,930. 7, Jeff Gordon, $2,835,180. 8, Brad Keselowski, $2,790,295. 9, Martin Truex Jr., $2,668,758. 10, Greg Biffle, $2,497,249. 11, Ryan Newman, $2,480,173. 12, Clint Bowyer, $2,461,750. 13, Jamie McMurray, $2,426,215. 14, Aric Almirola, $2,350,110. 15, Austin Dillon, $2,209,228. 16, Trevor Bayne, $2,202,665. 17, Kasey Kahne, $2,175,249. 18, David Ragan, $2,137,061. 19, AJ Allmendinger, $2,131,990. 20, Casey Mears, $2,123,433.

BASEBALL

AMERICAN LEAGUE

CLEMSON BASEBALL

Randolph continued to work out and eventually became an NAIA All-American by the fall of 2014. And he followed it up in the spring, again earning All-American honors. In a way, both Golden and Randolph said the freshman had to overcome a stigma. “My goal was to make it and bring back some notice to Sumter, S.C., where I was born and raised, and try to get them to know that there are real athletes in that area and that just because of a stereotype they placed on our area that there are still good athletes and hard-working people out there that’s dedicated to what they do,” Randolph said.

THE SUMTER ITEM

W 37 36 35 30 25

L 33 35 35 41 47

Pct .529 .507 .500 .423 .347

GB – 11/2 2 71/2 13

W 45 39 38 32 25

L 24 30 30 36 46

Pct .652 .565 .559 .471 .352

GB – 6 61/2 121/2 21

W 39 38 34 34 30

L 32 33 35 38 39

Pct .549 .535 .493 .472 .435

GB – 1 4 51/2 8

MONDAY’S GAMES

Philadelphia 11, N.Y. Yankees 8 Chicago Cubs 4, L.A. Dodgers 2

TUESDAY’S GAMES

Friday, June 26 At Montreal Germany vs. France, 4 p.m. At Ottawa, Ontario China vs. United States, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 27 At Edmonton, Alberta Australia vs. Japan-Netherlands winner, 4 p.m. At Vancouver, British Columbia England vs. Canada, 7:30 p.m.

SEMIFINALS

Tuesday, June 30 At Montreal China-United States winner vs. Germany-France winner, 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 1 At Edmonton, Alberta Edmonton winner vs. England-Canada winner, 7 p.m.

THIRD PLACE

Saturday, July 4 At Edmonton, Alberta Semifinal losers, 4 p.m.

CHAMPIONSHIP

Atlanta at Washington, 7:05 p.m. Cincinnati at Pittsburgh, 7:05 p.m. Philadelphia at N.Y. Yankees, 7:05 p.m. St. Louis at Miami, 7:10 p.m. L.A. Dodgers at Chicago Cubs, 8:05 p.m. N.Y. Mets at Milwaukee, 8:10 p.m. Arizona at Colorado, 8:40 p.m. San Diego at San Francisco, 10:15 p.m.

Sunday, July 5 At Vancouver, British Columbia Semifinal winners, 7 p.m.

TODAY’S GAMES

Connecticut Washington New York Chicago Atlanta Indiana

Philadelphia (Hamels 5-5) at N.Y. Yankees (Nova 0-0), 1:05 p.m. Atlanta (S.Miller 5-3) at Washington (Zimmermann 5-5), 7:05 p.m. Cincinnati (Leake 4-4) at Pittsburgh (G.Cole 11-2), 7:05 p.m. St. Louis (Jai.Garcia 2-3) at Miami (Latos 2-4), 7:10 p.m. L.A. Dodgers (Bolsinger 4-2) at Chicago Cubs (Hendricks 2-3), 8:05 p.m. N.Y. Mets (B.Colon 9-5) at Milwaukee (Nelson 3-8), 8:10 p.m. Arizona (Webster 1-1) at Colorado (Hale 2-2), 8:40 p.m. San Diego (Kennedy 4-5) at San Francisco (Vogelsong 5-5), 10:15 p.m.

WNBA STANDINGS By The Associated Press EASTERN CONFERENCE W 6 4 4 3 3 3

L 1 2 3 3 5 5

Pct .857 .667 .571 .500 .375 .375

WESTERN CONFERENCE Tulsa Minnesota Phoenix Seattle Los Angeles San Antonio

W 6 5 3 2 0 0

L 1 2 3 4 4 6

Pct .857 .714 .500 .333 .000 .000

GB – 11/2 2 21/2 31/2 31/2 GB – 1 21/2 31/2 41/2 51/2

MONDAY’S GAMES

No games scheduled

TUESDAY’S GAMES

NASCAR The Associated Press

Los Angeles at Washington, 8 p.m.

SPRINT CUP LEADERS

Atlanta at Chicago, 12:30 p.m.

Through June 14 Points 1, Kevin Harvick, 576. 2, Martin Truex Jr., 561. 3, Joey Logano, 520. 4, Dale

team that placed second. The Voorhees men finished fourth overall with a total of 101 points, 32.5 points which were earned by Randolph while the women’s team placed fifth. Throughout the season he competed in the 100 and 200 meters, high and long jump and was a member of the 4x100, 4 x400 and 4 x800 relay teams. “It’s something I love, and if it’s something I love I’m going to go hard at it no matter what,” he said. “I give results; I don’t give excuses.” Going into the NAIA Nationals, Randolph was ranked 10th in the high jump, but finished fifth overall with a personal best of 6 feet, 10 inches and 2.5 centimeters. That

TODAY’S GAMES

THURSDAY’S GAMES

Phoenix at San Antonio, 8 p.m. Minnesota at Seattle, 10 p.m.

earned him All-American honors. “I feel like I did set an example in the NAIA because during the championships people were, I won’t say scared, but they were shocked because it was like, ‘Man, we’ve got to deal with him for three more years,’ ” Randolph said. “It was crazy because my competition saw more potential in me than I did in myself, so that was a big boost of confidence for me without them even knowing it.” “Randolph has proven all throughout the year that it doesn’t matter where you are from or how big or small your program may be; the desire and love of the sport will motivate him to be the best at what he does,” Golden said.

SPORTS

THE SUMTER ITEM

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

Back-to-back SCISA softball state champions

PHOTO PROVIDED

The Thomas Sumter Academy softball team stands in the Statehouse in Columbia where they were recently honored for winning the SCISA 3A state championship. The Lady Generals won the title with a record of 20-2 after winning the 2A state title the previous year.

Perfect season 16-0 Danny’s Trophy Shop won the SKIB 9-10 year-old baseball league with a 16-0 record. Members of the team are, first row, left to right: Evan McCoy, Adam Chase, Bennett Wilson, Cecil Mitchum and Walker Smith. Second row: Coach March Campbell, Zyad Jeter, Davis Campbell, Bryson Hamm, coach Billy Lyons, Jackson Campbell, Hayden Lyons, Aaron Taylor and coach Chad Smith. PHOTO PROVIDED

AREA SCOREBOARD BASEBALL P-15’S BANQUET

The Sumter P-15’s American Legion baseball banquet will be held on Tuesday at the American Legion building on Artillery Drive. The banquet is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. and is open to the public. Tickets are $12 and will be sold at the door.

BASKETBALL EVRIK GARY SKILLS CLINIC

The Evrik Gary Skills Clinic will be held July 8-9 at Laurence Manning Academy’s Bubba Davis Gymnasium. The 2-day, 4-workout clinic is open to boys who will be rising ninth through 12th grades. The cost is $60 per player. The camp will runs from 10 a.m. to noon and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. each day. For registration forms, payment options or more information, visit MixKitBasketball@ yahoo.com. SUMTER CHRISTIAN CLINICS

Sumter Christian School will host two more basketball clin-

ics over two months at the school’s gymnasium. The clinics are for grades 6-9 on July 6-10 and grades 9-12 on July 27-31. The clinics, which will run from 10 a.m. to noon each day, are under the direction of SCS coaches Bobby Baker and Tom Cope at a cost of $45 per student. For more information, contact the school at (803) 773-1902.

VOLLEYBALL SCISA OFFICIALS NEEDED

The South Carolina Independent School Association is looking for volleyball officials for the 2015 season. For those who are interested, contact SCISA district director of officiating at (803) 446-3379 or at tweeks51@aol.com.

FOOTBALL POP WARNER REGISTRATION

Youth Athletics of Sumter is taking registration for its Pop Warner football and cheer programs. The programs are open to children ages 5-14. The registration fee is $100 for football and $120 for cheer and flexible plans are available. The last day to register is July 31. For more information, call

(803) 464-8453, (803) 720-6242, (813) 786-9265 or (954) 258-6817 or email youthathleticsofsumteryas@yahoo.com. OFFICIATING CLASSES

Training classes for prospective high school football officials is currently being held at the Sumter County Recreation Department at 155 Haynsworth Street. Classes are being held every Monday beginning at 6:30 p.m. To learn more about the South Carolina Football Officials Association visit its website at www.schsl.org/scofa.htm. For more information on the classes, call Granderson James at (803) 968-2391 or email him at grandersj@aol.com or call Richard Geddings at (803) 468-8858.

GOLF 9-HOLE SCRAMBLE

The Links at Lakewood is hosting a 9-hole Scramble event every Saturday beginning at 5:30 p.m. The cost is $25 per player and includes prize and dinner. The cost is $12 for those attending just the dinner. To sign up, call the pro shop at (803) 481-5700 up to 2 p.m. the day of the event. For more information, send an email to kayehowe1@aol.com.

Available at The Item

PRO BASKETBALL

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

THE SUMTER ITEM

Small ball was story of Finals, but bigs may own draft night BY TIM REYNOLDS The Associated Press Small ball was the story of the NBA Finals. It might seem temporarily forgotten at the start of the NBA draft. The first three players taken Thursday could easily be a trio of big guys. Karl-Anthony Towns seems the likely pick by Minnesota at No. 1, the Los Angeles Lakers would next figure to snare Jahlil Okafor at No. 2 and it wouldn’t surprise many onlookers if Philadelphia then took Latvian prospect Kristaps Porzingis with the third pick. Give or take an inch, they’re all 7-footers. So after a title series where Cleveland’s LeBron James and Golden State’s Draymond Green — both about 6-foot-8 — spent time at center and where the Warriors swung the series their way by going to a small lineup and forcing the Cavaliers away from what was working, all eyes when the draft starts will be on bigs once again. “I think big men still run the game,” Okafor said after a workout with the Lakers earlier this month. “When you have a dominant big man, that changes the aspects of the game. You can see that now, you can see the Golden State big men and the Cleveland big men doing big things for their teams. So we believe the big men still run it.” Not everyone would agree. The dearth of the NBA big man has been well-chronicled, although it seems to be making a bit of comeback with Antho-

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Emmanuel Mudiay (0) is one of three international players who is projected as a top 10 pick in the first round of Thursday’s NBA draft. Mudiay was born in Africa and played in China last year. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

The first three players taken in Thursday’s NBA draft could easily come from a trio of big men led by Kentucky’s Karl-Anthony Towns (12). The Minnesota Timberwolves have the first pick. ny Davis, DeMarcus Cousins, LaMarcus Aldridge and Blake Griffin all ranking among the league’s top eight scorers this past season. But in today’s league, small ball — the type of play where speed and shooting takes precedence over size and power — is clearly en vogue, because it’s working. “I understand the small ball,” Kentucky coach John Calipari said last week on a teleconference to discuss Towns and the Wildcats’ six other draft hopefuls. “Small ball is because a 6-7 guy can move his feet and hands like a guard, but now you’ve got a 7-footer that can do the same. In three years, if someone has two 7-footers that can move their feet, then we’re going back to the twin towers.” What Calipari is basically saying is that big men are trying to keep up with the times.

Hornets won’t pass over talent to get a shooter BY STEVE REED The Associated Press CHARLOTTE — General manager Rich Cho said while the Charlotte Hornets need a perimeter shooter, it doesn’t necessarily guarantee they’ll take one with the ninth pick in Thursday’s NBA draft. CHO The Hornets plan to draft the best player available, regardless of whether that is a point guard, power forward or center. “We’re going to address the shooting this summer, but it could be through the draft, free agency or a trade,” Cho said during a press conference on Thursday. Charlotte has been looking for a solution to its poor outside shooting for several years. They added Lance Stephenson last summer in hopes that he might help. Instead, he shot just 17.1 percent from beyond the arc, the worst single-season percentage in NBA history. As the team, the Hornets finished last in the league in 3-point field goal percentage at 31.8 percent. Cho would like to see that number in the high 30s. Gerald Henderson is currently penciled as the starting shooting guard, but he’s only a

30.9 percent career shooter from beyond the arc. Point guard Kemba Walker shoots 31.8 percent from deep range and small forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist has only attempted 18 3-point shots in his three seasons with the team. Power forward Marvin Williams and backup point guard Mo Williams are the team’s most consistent 3-point shooters. If the Hornets decide to address their shooting at No. 9, they have some options. Kentucky’s Devin Booker and Arizona’s Stanley Johnson are considered quality outside shooters and could be around. Cho wouldn’t rule out the possibility of trading up or back, adding that he’s already had trade discussions with several teams. The GM said “he’d love to move up” but added that a lot of scenarios are in play. Should the Hornets pass on a shooting guard in the draft, they don’t have enough salary cap space to bring in a bigname free agent this offseason after signing Al Jefferson two years ago and Stephenson last summer to big contracts. But they would have the middle-level exception to sign a player for about a $5.5 million first-season salary, which Cho thinks could help them land a quality role player.

NBA’s international pipeline getting bigger, deeper and stronger BY MICHAEL MAROT The Associated Press INDIANAPOLIS— When Pacers forward Damjan Rudez returned to the Basketball Without Borders camp earlier this month, there were some noticeable changes. The long, gangly European kids he competed with and against in 2003 had been replaced by bigger, stronger, more polished teenagers. Perhaps it’s just a natural progression for the program designed to turn international prospects such as Rudez into NBA contributors and then bring back those graduates as teachers to work with the next generation of international stars. Or perhaps, the players are maturing much quicker — much like American players seem to be. Either way, one thing is clear: BWB is helping to turn Europe into a fertile training ground for NBA hopefuls. An indication of the program’s success could come during Thursday night’s draft. A record 101 foreign-born players began this season on NBA rosters, and three more — Emmanuel Mudiay, who was born in Africa and played last year in China, Kristaps Porzingis of Latvia and Mario Hezonja of Croatia — are potential top 10 picks. “Honestly, the camp hasn’t changed a lot. The principles are the same,” said Rudez, who just completed his first NBA season with the Pacers. “The NBA has done a terrific job of organizing the whole thing — great gear, great conditions for working. But it seems like these days, the kids are growing like crazy. They’re huge. I don’t remember us being that tall or that powerful or that big when we were here.” The initial goals of BWB were simple — find the best players in the world, teach them skills that would make them productive pro players and continue to expand the talent pool. Since the inaugural 2001 camp in Treviso, Italy, more than 2,300 players from more than 120 countries have participated and

The Associated Press Held Thursday, June 25 At Brooklyn, N.Y.

FIRST ROUND

1. Minnesota 2. L.A. Lakers 3. Philadelphia 4. New York 5. Orlando 6. Sacramento 7. Denver 8. Detroit 9. Charlotte 10. Miami 11. Indiana 12. Utah 13. Phoenix 14. Oklahoma City 15. Atlanta (from Brooklyn) 16. Boston 17. Milwaukee 18. Houston (from New Orleans) 19. Washington 20. Toronto 21. Dallas 22. Chicago 23. Portland 24. Cleveland 25. Memphis 26. San Antonio 27. L.A. Lakers (from Houston) 28. Boston (from L.A. Clippers) 29. Brooklyn (from Atlanta) 30. Golden State

SECOND ROUND

31. Minnesota 32. Houston (from New York) 33. Boston (from Philadelphia through Miami) 34. L.A. Lakers 35. Philadelphia (from Orlando) 36. Minnesota (from Sacramento through Houston) 37. Philadelphia (from Denver through Houston, Portland and Minnesota) 38. Detroit 39. Charlotte 40. Miami 41. Brooklyn 42. Utah 43. Indiana 44. Phoenix 45. Boston 46. Milwaukee 47. Philadelphia (from New Orleans through Washington and L.A. Clippers) 48. Oklahoma City 49. Washington 50. Atlanta (from Toronto) 51. Orlando (from Chicago) 52. Dallas 53. Cleveland (from Portland through Chicago and Denver) 54. Utah (from Cleveland) 55. San Antonio 56. New Orleans (from Memphis) 57. Denver (from L.A. Clippers) 58. Philadelphia (from Houston) 59. Atlanta 60. Philadelphia (from Golden State through Indiana)

the success stories have steadily increased. Thirty-three grads have been drafted including Andrea Bargnani, the No. 1 overall pick in 2006, and Joel Embiid, the No. 3 overall pick last year. Two more players, Rudez and Boston’s Luigi Datome, have made rosters as undrafted free agents. The Europeans “are pretty good,” Charlotte center and former Indiana University star Cody Zeller said after working his second interna-

tional camp in two years. “I can see where there’s a couple that have that (NBA) potential, and even the ones that don’t make the NBA, I think, will have productive careers overseas.” This global trend isn’t subsiding. The last two No. 1 overall draft picks, Andrew Wiggins and Anthony Bennett, grew up in Canada. The NBA’s European contingent includes Luol Deng, Marc and Pau Gasol, Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Parker and Ricky Rubio. Manu Ginobili, Nene and Anderson Varejao all honed their basketball skills in South America, while Andrew Bogut and Kyrie Irving were born in Australia. Their once-subtle impact on the NBA is also growing. “There’s a lot of pride in Europe in teaching the fundamentals,” Pacers assistant coach Dan Burke said after working the camp. “From what I’ve seen, we don’t get as much opportunity to see the 17-year-olds (in the U.S.), but what we see coming in is a lack of fundamentals. There are a lot of different reasons for it. Some people say AAU just rolls the ball out and they play. They get by on athleticism and Godgiven talent. But the ones who really work, you do notice that, and the NBA game is getting to a point where you can’t just run over guys. “I think the states are getting back to teaching fundamentals, but I don’t see those building blocks like you do here.” In fact, the European style has even given American coaches new tools. At a recent high school coaching clinic, Kentucky’s John Calipari demonstrated how he used the Euro step with his own team last season. He explained it improved his players’ efficiency ratings because they could either get to the basket cleanly, allowing them to play at a faster pace, or draw fouls, which allowed them to score with the clock stopped. And now it’s time for the 20-something contingent of players like Wiggins and Rudez to reach out to the next wave of European prospects.

SPORTS

THE SUMTER ITEM

PRO GOLF

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Spieth might be best thing to happen to Chambers UNIVERSITY PLACE, Wash.— The course that was built for a U.S. Open needs a makeover. And when that’s finished, then it can fix the greens. Chambers Bay deserves another shot at hosting the U.S. Open for no other reason than the finish it produced. Jordan Spieth, with a big assist from Dustin Johnson, did more to put this course on the map than views of Puget Sound or the design of Robert Trent Jones Jr. For all the complaints — a tradition nearly as old as the U.S. Open — the lasting image is the guy holding the trophy. It helps when the winner is a 21-year-old with polished manners and a tenacious short game who made “Grand Slam” a summer topic for only the third time in the last 50 years. Throw in some heartache and it’s an ending that won’t be forgotten. The real mystery is how Johnson’s 5-iron into the 18th green didn’t come off that slope instead of leaving a 12foot eagle putt that was like putting down a luge track.

BRADY FROM PAGE B1

Jordan Spieth poses with the trophy after winning the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay on Sunday in University Place, Wash. Spieth won his second major title after Irmo native Dustin Johnson 3-putted to finish as the runner-up.

BY DOUG FERGUSON The Associated Press

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

That’s ice, not broccoli. Golf courses don’t always define great players. Sometimes it’s the other way around. Valhalla, for example, cannot be considered on the Alist of championship courses. But it gave us Tiger Woods winning in a playoff for his third straight major, and Rory McIlroy holding off Phil Mickelson, Rickie Fowler and Henrik Stenson in the dark. The greens at Chambers Bay were terrible. Everyone could see that. A few players — Billy Horschel comes to mind — couldn’t wait to say it. But they weren’t that much worse than Pebble Beach in 2010 (“These greens are just awful,” Woods said that year). They were only slightly more dead than those at Shinnecock Hills in 2004. Go back and watch that 12-foot putt Woods made at Torrey Pines to get into a playoff and try to count the bounces. This is the U.S. Open, not the Immaculate Open. It is meant to be the toughest test in golf, even when it gets a little extreme. The greens should be an easy fix. Poa annua crept into the fescue, which led to Hen-

rik Stenson’s reference that it was like putting on broccoli. Up close, it even looked like broccoli. It was difficult to make putts, though Spieth and Johnson made their share. So did Louis Oosthuizen, with six birdies on the last seven holes (one with a wedge from the fairway). Or maybe they all just got lucky. The overhaul has more to do with an aspect of the U.S. Open that was sadly overlooked this year — the spectators. For 50 years, the only way to see a U.S. Open in the Pacific Northwest was on television. And once the fans got onto the course, they were so far away from the action that the players looked about as big as they once did on a 19inch TV screen with a knob to change the channels. Adding grandstands isn’t the answer. At midday on Saturday, the 18th bleachers already were filled and the line was nearly 50 yards long, and not moving. Sounds like a fun way to spend the afternoon at a U.S. Open. Phil Mickelson’s wife was standing near the first tee in the opening round. She looked down the fairway and didn’t see fans on either side.

attorney Jeffrey Kessler, who is leading Brady’s defense. The hearing was expected to adjourn in late afternoon, but carried well beyond that. “I think we put in a very compelling case,” Kessler said, adding that no timetable on a decision by Goodell had been given. Kessler said he would have no further comments Tuesday night. While Goodell was hearing a myriad of testimonies, Brady supporters were outside, some wearing “Free Brady” T-shirts. At least until the rains came, that is. Some reporters joked that the meeting lasted so long because a summer storm was hitting the city and no one wanted to leave the building in such weather. But just past 8:30 p.m. EDT, the principles headed out. The NFL Players Association had asked Goodell to recuse himself from hearing the appeal because he could not be impartial and might be called as a witness. But Goodell said it was his responsibility to oversee the hearing to protect the integrity of the league. Based on the league-sanctioned Wells report, Brady was suspended and the Pa-

triots were fined $1 million and docked a pair of draft picks. Among the key elements of Brady’s appeal: who ordered his four-game suspension and whether science supports the league’s findings about deflated footballs. The NFL says Goodell authorized the discipline that was imposed by league executive Troy Vincent, who signed the letters sent to Brady and the Patriots informing them of the penalties. The NFLPA challenged Vincent’s power to issue punishment, citing Article 46 of the league’s collective bargaining agreement. Goodell dismissed the union’s claim. “I did not delegate my disciplinary authority to Mr. Vincent; I concurred in his recommendation and authorized him to communicate to Mr. Brady the discipline imposed under my authority as Commissioner,” Goodell said in his letter to the union on June 2. “The identity of the person who signed the disciplinary letter is irrelevant.” The penalties were announced after investigator Ted Wells found that the Super Bowl champions illegally used under-inflated footballs in the AFC title game.

NASCAR FROM PAGE B1 all fans are welcome to enjoy our events and maintains an inclusive environment at our facilities nationwide. ISC will continue our long-standing practice to prohibit the sale of Confederate flag material on our property.” Saunders declined a request by The Associated Press for further comment. Other tracks did not respond to requests for comment. Nine people were slain last week at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, and Dylann Storm Roof, 21, is charged with murder. The white man appeared in photos holding Confederate flags and burning or desecrating U.S. flags, and purportedly wrote of fomenting racial violence. Big retailers like Wal-Mart, Amazon, Sears, eBay and Etsy all said they would remove Confederate merchandise from their stores or websites and politicians across the South called for various

steps to move away from the symbol that many associate with racism. NASCAR has faced criticism over the years for various issues, often involving sponsors. A decade ago, there were questions when hard liquor companies emerged as potential sponsors for a sport built around fast cars and a series whose founding in 1948 gave ex-moonshiners a place to race. More recently, the National Rifle Association drew attention when it struck a sponsorship deal with Texas Motor Speedway not long after the Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting in Connecticut. Confederate flags have been flown by fans at NASCAR races for years. For NASCAR’s Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, a twoand-a-half-hour drive north of Charleston, a Confederate flag theme was part of poster merchandise from the 1950s into the late ‘70s.

SPORTS ITEMS

Czarnecki in control after a round of WSCGA Junior Championship Ashley Czarnecki of Greenville shot a 67 on Tuesday to grab a 6-stroke lead after the first round of the 26th Women’s South Carolina Golf Association Junior Championship at Sunset Country Club. Czarnecki had the only sub-par round of the day on the par 72 course. CZARNECKI Gracyn Burgess is second with a 73 while Jodee Tindal and Kelli Smith are tied for third with 74s. Jalen Castle led the 13-15 year olds with a round of 75. The second round will be played today and the final round on Thursday. The four low finishers will be invited to compete on the South Carolina team in the Georgia-South Carolina Girls Challenge Matches at Palmetto Golf Club in Aiken on July 25-26. EX-MLB PLAYER HAMILTON REMEMBERED BY METS, BREWERS

MILWAUKEE — The late Darryl Hamilton has been remembered with a moment of silence before Tuesday night’s game between two of his former teams, the New York Mets and Milwaukee Brewers.

Police on Monday said the 50-year-old Hamilton was killed in a murder-suicide in a suburban Houston home. An initial investigation determined Hamilton was shot several times and that a woman in the home died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The former center fielder had worked for the MLB Network since 2013. Hamilton’s 13-year major league career began in 1988 in Milwaukee, where he played all or parts of seven seasons. His career ended with the Mets in 2001. He was a member of the Mets team that reached the 2000 World Series. Hamilton filled in as an analyst on Brewers radio broadcasts in 2014. He worked a few broadcasts with Craig Counsell, who replaced Ron Roenicke as Milwaukee’s manager in May. ARKANSAS’ BENINTENDI WINS GOLDEN SPIKES AWARD

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — University of Arkansas outfielder Andrew Benintendi has been selected as the winner of the Golden Spikes Award as the top college baseball player in the nation. Benintendi was announced Tuesday as the winner of the

award that’s presented by USA Baseball and is sponsored by Major League Baseball. Benintendi was previously named college player of the year by Baseball American and by Collegiate Baseball. He is also the winner of the Dick Howser Trophy, is the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year and is an All-American. Benintendi is a sophomore who led the nation with 20 home runs and helped Arkansas to a spot in the College World Series. Benintendi was recently selected by the Boston Red Sox with the seventh overall pick in the Major League Baseball Draft. KLINSMANN PICKS 17 OF 23 WORLD CUP VETS FOR GOLD CUP

CHICAGO — The U.S. roster for next month’s CONCACAF Gold Cup will look a lot like the American team at last year’s World Cup. U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann selected 17 of the 23 players he took to Brazil last year, adding goalkeeper William Yarbrough; defenders Ventura Alvarado, Brad Evans and Tim Ream; and midfielders Alfredo Morales and Gyasi Zardes. From staff, wire reports

2015 The Sumter Item is asking its readers to join in its efforts to help United Ministries of Sumter County. Please choose to donate to one of the following: CRISIS RELIEF, which assists people who have received eviction and utility disconnect notices, and helps provide food, furniture and appliances for domestic violence victims. HOMELESS SHELTER (Samaritan House), which gives a safe place to sleep for up to 20 men and eight women. HOME REPAIR AND WHEELCHAIR MINISTRY (SAM), which makes homes safe, dry, secure and accessible by repairing roofs, floors, etc. Name: Address: Phone:

THIS DONATION IS BEING MADE: In Memory of: In Honor of: Anonymously

MY DONATION Amount Enclosed: ____________________

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Please Mail To: The Sumter Item/Summer of Caring PO Box 1677 • Sumter, SC 29150 Drop Off At: The Sumter Item 20 N. Magnolia St. • Sumter, SC 29150

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

RECRUITING

THE SUMTER ITEM

Reeves commits to Tigers over UGA O

ffensive lineman Chandler Reeves (6-feet-6-inches, 260 pounds) of McDonough, Ga., announced a commitment to Clemson’s football program over Georgia Tech on Friday. Reeves is the Tiger’s ninth commitment for the 2016 recruiting class and the second for the OL. He also had offers from Vanderbilt, Maryland, Syracuse, California, Cincinnati, South Florida and Indiana. Reeves visited Clemson twice this month, once for a camp and then he made a return trip a few days later with his parents. He also made a special trip to GT earlier this week with his father for a closer look at the Yellow Jackets. However, his mind basically was made up by then. “I went to the camp at Clemson and received the offer and went back up the next Saturday to look around and meet some more coaches and do my due diligence, and after doing that it was kind of a no-brainer that Clemson was the place for me,” Reeves said. “After coming back and talking with family and friends and coaches who I respect a lot, and doing a lot of praying, Clemson was the place I was being led. I’m just excited to be a part of the family.” On that Saturday visit, Reeves said he spent a lot of time with the coaching staff and saw what Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney and company were like behind closed doors. And he liked what he saw. “I saw a bunch of coaches that love the game and love the players and love each other as a coaching staff,” Reeves said. “Most of all, it’s one of the most faith-based organizations in college football and that’s a big deal to me and my family. And obviously a chance to win a national championship every single year. I think they are going to be working towards that in the next few years and that’s a real exciting deal for Clemson. So, it’s just the place for me.” OL Parker Boudreaux of Orlando, Fla., who has been listed with over 70 offers, now has his list down to Clemson, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Florida and Georgia Southern. Boudreaux released his list through Bleacher Report and cited a reason he chose each school. “Oklahoma has amazing tradition and great people around the program; Clemson is really friendly, great family environment; Georgia Southern is a great campus, great people and great tradition up there; Notre Dame is like Bishop Moore (his high school). it’s great people, small campus and also amazing tradition; and Florida, close by, awesome coaches and uprising program since Coach Mac (new UF head coach Jim McElwain) got there.” Boudreaux plans to make his decision at the end of the summer before his senior season. Tight end Charlie Woerner of Tiger, Ga., has Clemson, Georgia, Alabama and Oregon as his top schools right now. OL Tremayne Anchrum of Powder Springs, Ga., has his list down to Clemson, Boston College, UGA, Colorado, Nebraska, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech and Missouri. Defensive back William Poole III, a ’17 recruit from Hapeville, Ga., visited Clemson last Wednesday. Clemson offered ‘17 linebacker Levi Draper of Collinsville, Okla., last week. USC

LB Kash Daniel of Paintsville, Ky., who has narrowed his decision to South Carolina, Kentucky and Louisville has made his decision, but won’t reveal it until a press conference at his high school gymnasium around noon on July 4. “Yes sir, I know in my mind where I want to go to school,” Daniel said. “This whole recruiting process I always told everybody I’m going to go to school where I feel at home even if home is in a different state. The school that I chose that I know of right now in the back of my mind, whenever I step on campus I feel at home.” Daniel was in Lexington, Ky., last Thursday to appear

on a radio show, and while in town he stopped by UK and visited with head coach Mark Stoops. “I was just in town and stopped over there and said hi to everybody,” he said. “That was not planned. It was just in the back of my mind. If I could come down to South Carolina again, I would.” Daniel did talk the same day with USC recruiters Kirk Botkin and Steve Spurrier Jr. He attended USC’s Showcase camp two Saturdays ago. He said he will not take any more visits prior to his announcement. DB Marlon Character of Atlanta has not been able to make it to USC this month, but that hasn’t hurt USC’s position with him. “There’s something about South Carolina lately that’s been catching my eye,” Character said. “And I’ve never forgotten the game I went to there when they played Georgia. I can see myself playing there. “I’m closer to the Gamecocks right now, and I did tell (co-defensive coordinator) Coach (Lorenzo) Ward they are out front right now.” Character previously had USC and VT tied at the top of his list. He said he will visit USC within the next two weeks and a commitment is possible on that visit. Character has been to Alabama, UGA and Louisville for camps and visited Auburn on Thursday. He also plans to take another visit to VT before he makes his decision. Wide receiver Kelvin Harmon of Palmyra, N.J., camped at USC and has the Gamecocks in his top six. The other five are North Carolina, Temple, Rutgers, West Virginia and North Carolina State. “I had connections with the coaches and I really liked the programs,” Harmon said of his six favorites. He plans to take official visits before making a decision and USC will receive one. Harmon talked with his USC recruiter GA Mangus last week. “He was telling me stuff about South Carolina and how I can have a future there,” Harmon said. “I really liked it (at camp). Coach Spurrier Jr. is a good coach and I have a good connection with Coach Mangus. And I have a really good connection with (quarterback commitment) Brandon McIlwain.” Harmon has also been to camps at Rutgers, UNC and NCSU and is finished with camps. He said he might take visits to some schools not in his top six this summer, but doubts the six will change. LB Jeremiah Moon of Hoover, Ala., was offered by UF over the weekend on a visit. The previous weekend he was at USC for a camp followed by a visit to Mississippi State. Those three Southeastern Conference schools are at the top of his list. Moon’s camp experience at USC was his second look at the school and the program after attending a junior day in January. “I liked everything about it,” Moon said. “The campus was great. We had a tour and we got to see everything. They’re getting new dorms for the players and add-ons to the stadium. “I had a great time with Coach Botkin and I learned a lot. Everything was fast-paced. I just feel like I could play here. This would be a place where I can see myself playing. We’ll just have to wait and see.” Moon also has offers from Minnesota, UK, Mizzou, UNC, Mississippi, Wisconsin, Vanderbilt and Louisville. There are a few things he’s considering as he works on his decision, which he might have in a couple of weeks. “My decision is going to come down my bond with the coach, the scheme and see if I can fit into what they are doing and see what all their players are doing and all the redshirts and put myself in the best opportunity to maybe put myself on the field,” Moon said. “That’s what it’s going to come down to.” OL Will Putnam of Harrisburg, N.C., visited VT on Thursday and UNC on Saturday. After attending USC’s Showcase camp, Putnam said he favored the Gamecocks, but the trip to Blacksburg, Va., to

give his mother a closer look evened things again. “She loved it,” Putnam said. “She says it’s a big Phil Kornblut decision to make and RECRUITING each option CORNER seems to lead to a bright future. The trip was mainly for my mom to visit. But the coaching staff seemed very high on me. Virginia Tech is definitely giving USC a run for their money.” He plans to visit USC again before making a decision. UNC will also factor into his decision if he gets an offer. WR Larry Collins Jr. of Lower Richland High planned to be at UNC on Saturday. UNC is one of the offers for Collins, who also attended USC’s Showcase camp. Collins said he got some encouraging words from USC WR coach Spurrier Jr. “He said I did really good and had good hands,” Collins said. Collins has USC and UGA high up on his list right now, but wouldn’t call them a top two. He also likes Louisville. Collins said he won’t make a decision until after his season. One of the top talents at USC’s recent Showcase camp was defensive end Ron Johnson of Camden, N.J. The highly recruited Johnson holds offers from USC, Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan State, Virginia, WVU, Tennessee, Arizona State, Mizzou, Rutgers and others. USC recruiter Mangus has worked Johnson for months and has made him a high priority and that should pay off soon when Johnson narrows his list to five. “I plan to release my top five like July 20ish,” Johnson said, adding that the Gamecocks will make the cut. “(DL) Coach (Deke) Adams saw that I had a weakness in my change of direction and we worked on that and it got better throughout the camp.” This was Johnson’s second visit to USC this year and it gave him an even clearer view of the school and the program. “I got a good feel from the coaches and I saw the facilities and stuff like that,” Johnson said. “I had a good time with Coach Adams and stuff like that.” Johnson visited PSU last week and is trying to visit Michigan in July. He said he and his teammate, WR Brad Hawkins Jr., would like to attend the same school. Hawkins is favoring USC and Michigan at this point. USC offered OL Garett Bolles of Snow Junior College in Utah last week. He is a national recruit with offers from many of the Power Five Conference teams. OL Lloyd Cushenberry of Geismar, La., was offered by USC on Sunday, his 14th offer. OL TJ Moore, a ’17 recruit form Charlotte, picked up offers from UNC and NCSU. USC was his first offer. CLEMSON AND USC

LB PJ Blue (6-2, 200) of Montgomery, Ala., wasn’t able to make it to USC camps earlier this month, but he hopes to get to the campus later in the summer. Right now he has the Gamecocks and Mississippi at

the top of his list. “I really like South Carolina, but I’ve never been,” Blue Said. “I heard good things about it though. I’m kind of torn between them and Ole Miss.” Clemson, Nebraska, Mizzou, Troy, Southern Mississippi, UK, Louisville and Alabama are among his other offers. Ole Miss has been his only visit this month. USC assistant coach Grady Brown, who knows Blue’s parents, originally recruited him, but now he’s talking with LB coach Botkin. “He just told me he thinks I’m a really good athlete and that I could I could play linebacker or safety.” Blue said he wants to make his decision later this summer after he takes more visits. DE Tony Clayton (6-6. 218) of Vienna, Ga., is one of the most coveted players in the country at his position. His offer list reads like a who’s who of college football -- Clemson, USC, Alabama, Auburn, UF, FSU, GT, Louisiana State, Louisville, Michigan, Miami, ND, UNC, Michigan State, Oklahoma, PSU, Tennessee and others. Clayton visited Clemson recently. Clayton was very impressed by what he saw at Clemson, and the Tigers are at the top of the list. “The visit went pretty well,” Clayton said. “The love between the coaches and the players,” he said. “It’s not an employee-employer relationship. It’s kind of like a fatherson relationship.” Clayton spent plenty of time talking with DC Brent Venables and assistant coach Marion Hobby about their needs on defense and how he might fit in. And the Tiger coaches left him with a clear message. “There is a tremendous need for me there because they don’t have any D-ends coming in,” Clayton said. “I can just go there and start playing. The moment I commit they will start sending me plays over Twitter so I’ll be ready to go by the time I come on campus and start practicing. I’ll know all the plays. “And they talked a lot about education and the family part. That’s what I really like. They didn’t directly go right into football. They started with academics, then family and then they went into football. That’s what I really liked about it.” All of that information left a strong impression on Clayton, who currently gives Clemson a slight lead over the rest in his evaluation of the schools in pursuit. “Yeah, kind of,” he said. “Clemson, Florida, Georgia Southern, Tennessee and Auburn for now. Not permanently, but for now.’ Clayton also has visited FlSU, Auburn, Tennessee and Georgia Southern. OTHERS

USC OL target Luke Elder of LaGrange, Ga., committed to UNC on Saturday. DB Devron Davis of Merced JC in California committed to Colorado State. He also has a USC offer and he said he will take more official visits, including one to USC. DB Mark Gilbert of Fayetteville, N.C., committed to Duke. He also has a USC offer. WR Josh Wilkes of South Pointe High in Rock Hill committed to Eastern Michigan. LB

TJ Brunson of Richland Northeast High in Columbia will visit Louisville on July 15. He visited Georgia Southern last week. BASKETBALL

Jalen Johnson, a 6-6 player from Durham, N.C., was offered by Clemson last week, one day after making a visit with head coach Brad Brownell. The Tigers join WF, Texas Tech, Old Dominion, Virginia Commonwealth, North Carolina Greensboro, North Carolina Wilmington, Appalachian State, George Washington, Radford, High Point and GardnerWebb as offers for Johnson, who averaged 12 points, five rebounds and two assists per game last season. “Coach Brownell said they had researched me and have been tracking me and they saw my growth,” Johnson said. “He said he’s also recruiting me based off team needs. He said that I can shoot the ball which is something they are looking for. And not just to be a shooter, but also because I’m an athletic, bigger guard. He said bigger guards are definitely something he needed in the conference that they play in, the ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference).” Johnson visited UVa on Friday. He does not have any favorites at this point and wants to see what over offers he receives. The visit to Clemson did help the Tigers claim a stake in his thinking process. Johnson said he does most of his scoring on the perimeter, but is also good in transition. He would like to sign in November if he’s able to make a decision by then. De’riante Jenkins, a 6-6 player from Orlando, made an unofficial visit to USC two weekend ago. USC has yet to offer. He does have offers from Clemson, Indiana, WF, East Carolina, South Florida, Houston and VT. First-year head coach Duggar Baucom of The Citadel signed 6-5 Qwandell Newton of Naples, Fla., 6-3 Derrick Henry, who is transferring from Winthrop for his final season of eligibility as a graduate student, and 6-6 Cager Hicks of Salem, Va. BASEBALL

New Clemson head coach Monte Lee wasted little time in landing his first commitment for the Tigers. Lefthanded pitcher Mat Clark (6-0, 160) of Hilton Head High committed to the Tigers on Saturday. Clark had been committed to College of Charleston, Lee’s former employer. He also had offers from Furman, Charleston Southern and Liberty and drew interest from Clemson and UF. Clark has earned all-state honors each of the last three seasons. He had a 6-3 win-loss record last season with a 0.61 earned run average. Known for pinpoint accuracy, Clark struck out 104 batters in 57 innings. Clark is Clemson’s seventh commitment for the ‘16 class. The Tigers will not hold on to one of their ‘15 signees. Catcher Cal Raleigh of Sylva, N.C., was granted a release from his letter of intent after Jack Leggett was fired as head coach. He told TheClemsonInsider.com on Saturday that he will not re-sign with Clemson because he wanted to play for Leggett.

ASBESTOS ASSESSMENT Santee-Lynches Regional Council of Governments, on behalf of the Santee-Lynches Regional Development Corporation, is seeking Bids from SCDHEC-licensed ﬁrms to prepare initial asbestos assessments for approximately ten (10) vacant, dilapidated houses. The houses are of moderate size and are located in a concentrated target area within the City of Sumter. You are invited to submit a quote in accordance with the speciﬁcations in the Bid package. To obtain a copy of the Bid package, contact ECS Manager Sharon Durden, (803) 774-1988, sdurden@slcog.org. This project is funded in part by the Neighborhood Initiative Program (NIP) provided by the SC State Housing Finance and Development Authority. Quotes must be returned in writing to the attention of: Sharon Durden, Santee-Lynches Council of Governments, P.O. Box 1837, Sumter, SC 29151 or physical address: 129 S. Harvin Street, Sumter SC 29151 by 3:00pm on July 9, 2015. No late bids will be accepted. This solicitation does not commit the Santee-Lynches Regional Development Corporation or Santee-Lynches Regional Council of Governments to award a contract or pay any costs incurred in the preparation of the quote or to procure or contract for services.

SPORTS

THE SUMTER ITEM

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

LEGION BASEBALL

Post 68 rallies past Goose Creek for 9-8 win BY EDDIE LITAKER Special to The Sumter Item MANNING – After receiving a win from Goose Creek by forfeit on Friday, Manning-Santee’s American Legion baseball team found itself in a battle with Post 166 on Monday at Monarch Field. Post 68 spotted Goose Creek a 7-1 lead after four innings then rallied to CUTTER tie the score, 7-7, with four runs in the sixth. After missing an opportunity to take the lead in the bottom of the eighth and giving up a run in the top of the ninth, Manning-Santee put up two runs in the bottom of the ninth to close out a 9-8 victory. The winning rally began with an Eric Johnson walk off Post 166 relief pitcher Bailey Brock. Johnson took second on a Michael Burgess grounder to third, raced to third on a passed ball and crossed home plate with the tying run on a wild pitch.

Peyton Coker also reached on a base on balls, spelling the end of Brock’s night on the mound. Bryce Singletary came on to pitch to Dustin Way, but Coker was on the move without the benefit of a hit, stealing second and taking third on a passed ball as Way got hit squarely in the back with a pitch. With the winning run just 90 feet away, Justin Hair lifted a fly ball that sent leftfielder Billy Detins diving to make the catch and giving Coker plenty of time to tag up and score the winning run. Post 68 dug itself an early hole as starter William Ard walked four and had four errors committed behind him in the first. The result was Goose Creek sending 10 men to the plate and scoring five runs. “We gave them five runs in the first inning. I mean, we just stunk it up,” said Manning-Santee head coach G.G. Cutter, whose team evened its League III record at 5-5 and moved to 6-5 overall. “But I was proud of the way that we

battled back. We tied it up at 7-7 and they scored 8, and we just figured that we needed to score a run here (in the bottom of the ninth). We had an opportunity in the eighth inning to score and we made a terrible base running mistake, but we came back and the kid that made the mistake (Hair) came back and got the fly ball to score the winning run.” Hair opened the eighth with a smash to center that got booted into a 2-base error, putting the potential goahead run at second with no outs. A wild pitch moved Hair to third with cleanup hitter Ard at the plate. Ard hit a grounder up the middle that shortstop Sean Freeland fielded cleanly, and as Hair broke for the plate Freeland gunned the throw to catcher Tyler Braughton, with Hair unsuccessfully trying to jump over Braughton as the tag was applied. Manning-Santee scratched out a run in the bottom of the first against Goose Creek starter Mikey White as Coker drew a leadoff walk, stole

P-15’S, FROM PAGE B1 He allowed nine runs, eight earned, on six hits with three walks. Phillip Watcher produced the 10th run of the night for Sumter in the third. After walking to lead off the inning, he took second on a stolen base, third on a flyout and then came home on a delayed steal. Phillip Watcher reached base safely in all three at-bats and scored twice. Ryan Touchberry had an RBI single in the fourth and Jacob Watcher added an RBI double to make it 12-0. Meanwhile Jacob Watcher was near dominant on the mound for the first five innings. He struck out the side three times and allowed just two walks and one hit. The one hit was a big one, however. Ron York finally put Post 175 on the board for the first time in the series and finally tallied the first hit against the Sumter right-hander. York connected on a 2-2 pitch and deKEITH GEDAMKE / THE SUMTER ITEM posited it in the football stands Sumter starting pitcher Jacob Watcher delivers a pitch during the in right field to cut the deficit to P-15’s 12-5 victory over Dalzell-Shaw on Tuesday at General Field. 12-2. Watcher struck out 12 batters in seven innings. The Jets then denied Sumter

second and came home on a Hair single to center. Post 68 didn’t start pecking away at White again until the bottom of the fifth. Burgess led off with a single to left, took second on a Coker grounder to first, advanced to third on a grounder to the pitcher from Way and scored on a Hair single. Hair took second as Ard drew a base on balls and scored as Buddy Bleasedale smoked a single to left. Josh Whitley poked a single through the right side of the infield to load the bases before Tilton McCrea grounded to first to end the inning with the lead cut to 7-3. Hair worked out of trouble in the top of the sixth after a leadoff double to left by Zack Gonzalez. A passed ball moved Gonzalez to third before Singletary went down on a grounder to Hair, and Hair got Kyle Key swinging and John Bowman looking at a third strike. Manning-Santee added a run in the bottom of the sixth off of White as Johnson came off the bench and launched a

single to left. He took second on a wild pitch and scored on a Burgess single to right. With the score 7-4, Gonzalez took the mound in relief of White and induced a Coker grounder that Goose Creek second baseman Brock booted, leaving runners on the corners with no outs. A walk to Way loaded the bases for Hair, who worked Gonzalez for another walk to bring home Burgess. A fielder’s choice grounder up the middle from Ard scored Coker and Bleasedale launched another single to left to bring home Way, tying the game at 7-7 and chasing Gonzalez in favor of Brock. “After William settled down he pitched well, and Jared came in there and he just threw real well, so I was proud of them. We didn’t quit,” Cutter said. “That’s something that I think we’re learning. We’re learning how to compete. I told them in a 9-inning game anything can happen. They didn’t give up, so I was proud of them.” Goose Creek fell to 1-7 on the season.

LEAGUE III STANDINGS SATURDAY’S GAMES

League Overall W L Pct. GB Sumter 11 2 .833 Camden 8 2 .778 1 1/2 Manning 5 5 .444 4 1/2 Hartsville 4 6 .444 5 1/2 G. Creek 1 7 .143 6 1/2 Dalzell 1 8 .125 7

W L 12 3 9 2 6 5 4 6 1 7 1 11

MONDAY’S GAMES

Sumter 13, Dalzell-Shaw 0, 7 innings Manning-Santee 9, Goose Creek 8 Camden 8, Hartsville 2

TUESDAY’S GAMES

Sumter at Dalzell-Shaw Camden at Hartsville

TODAY’S GAME

Dalzell-Shaw at Sumter, 7 p.m.

Duplin-Sampson, N.C., at Sumter, 10 a.m. Garner, N.C., at Sumter, 7 p.m. Manning-Santee vs. Wilmington, N.C. (at Waccamaw High in Pawleys Island), 10 a.m. Manning-Santee vs. Texarkana, Ark. (at Waccamaw High in Pawleys Island), 1 p.m. Manning-Santee vs. TBA (at Waccamaw High in Pawleys Island), 4 p.m.

SUNDAY’S GAME

Greer at Sumter, 1:30 p.m.

JUNIOR LEGION SCHEDULE TUESDAY’S GAMES

THURSDAY’S GAME

Sumter at Manning Lake City at Manning-Santee

FRIDAY’S GAMES

Camden at Sumter, 7 p.m.

Hartsville at Camden, 7 p.m. Greenville at Sumter, 7 p.m. Manning-Santee vs. Williamston (at Legion Field in Florence), 1 p.m. Dalzell-Shaw at Lake City, 7 p.m.

THURSDAY’S GAME FRIDAY’S GAME

Manning Santee at Manning (Monarch Field), 6:30 p.m.

another run-rule victory in the sixth by plating three more runs. The first six batters reached base for Dalzell-Shaw with York coming through with a run-scoring double, Carson Floyd earning a basesloaded walk and Trequan Joe added an RBI single to make it 12-5. The Jets kept themselves in the game thanks to a strong outing from Dayton Ingram. Ingram came in the second and

pitched the rest of the way for Post 175, allowing just three runs on nine hits with fourth strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings. Matt Miles relieved Jacob Watcher in the eighth and pitched two scoreless frames to close out the victory for Sumter. Price had three hits to lead the P-15’s. Touchberry had two coming off the bench. York and Eric Lisenby led the Jets with two hits apiece.

Creight Funeral Home & Crematory, 221 Broad St., Sumter, (803) 775-9386.

Services have been entrusted to Whites Mortuary LLC of Sumter.

OBITUARIES MINERVA JONES MANNING — Minerva Earline Rhodus Jones, 71, wife of Horace DeVaughn Jones, died on Monday, June 22, 2015, at Lexington Medical Center. Born on Jan. 29, 1944, in Manning, she was a daughter of the late Leslie Martin Rhodus Sr. and Corine Rebecca DuBose Rhodus Ard. She was of the Baptist faith and she JONES attended Cross Roads Bible Fellowship Church. She is survived by her husband of 53 years of Manning; a son, Marty Jones (Linda) of Manning; a daughter, Becky Tobias (P.J.) of Manning; a sister, Ruby Harrington of Sumter; and five grandchildren, Wil, Kayla, Jay, Marti-Leigh and Joshua. She was preceded in death by a brother, Leslie Martin Rhodus Jr. A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday at Cross Roads Bible Fellowship Church with Pastor Eddie Harrington and Pastor John Hall officiating. Burial will follow in Oak Grove Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Thomas Harrington, Scotty Harrington, Kevin Hendrix, Emmett Stephens, Tony DuBose and Brian Gamble. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. today at Stephens Funeral Home and at other times at the home of her son and daughter-in-law, 209 Breedin St., Manning. Memorials may be made to

the American Heart Association, 1101 Northchase Parkway, Suite 1, Marietta, GA 30067-6411 or to Cross Roads Bible Fellowship Church, P.O. Box 449, Manning, SC 29102. Stephens Funeral Home & Crematory, 304 N. Church St., Manning, is in charge of arrangements, (803) 435-2179. www.stephensfuneralhome.org

FREDERICK BOATRIGHT MANNING — Frederick Boatright, 73, widower of Ernestine Johnson Boatright, died on Sunday, June 21, 2015, at the home of his daughter and son-in-law, Lillian and Harold Bradley, 1035 Canary Court, Manning. He was born on Jan. 5, 1942, in Manning, a son of the late Acie and Ruth Lee Martin Boatright. The celebratory services for Mr. Boatright will be held at 11 BOATRIGHT a.m. on Thursday at Mt. Chapel Missionary Baptist Church, Manning, with the Rev Carnell Witherspoon officiating and the Rev. David Pugh, Roberta Pendergrass and the Rev. Ramsey McFadden assisting. Burial will follow in St. Matthews Cemetery, Kingstree Highway, Manning. The family is receiving friends at the home of his daughter and son-in-law, Lillian and Harold Bradley. These services have been entrusted to Samuels Funeral Home LLC of Manning.

OLIVER HAYES THOMAS Oliver Hayes Thomas, 73, widower of Geraldine Ann Rogers Thomas, died on Monday, June 22, 2015, at Tuomey Regional Medical Center. He was a son of the late Luther James McQuage and Edna Earle Quick Thomas. Mr. Thomas was a retired U.S. Army staff sergeant and a veteran of Vietnam. Surviving are one son, David Hayes of Columbia; one daughter, Sherry Ann Perkins of Sumter; five grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. Online condolences may be sent to www.sumterfunerals. com. Arrangements are being handled by Elmore Hill Mc-

JOHN LAWSON

AVONAS BOOKER BISHOPVILLE — Avonas Paulette Adams Booker, 3, was born on Jan. 30, 2012, in Hartsville, to Lisa Adams and Willie Booker Jr. She departed this life on Monday, June 22, 2015, at Carolina Pines Regional Medical Center.

John Lawson, 62, husband of Brenda Jones Lawson, departed this life on Monday, June 22, 2015, at Tuomey Regional Medical Center. He was born on July 21, 1952, in Summerton, a son of the late Charlie and Carrie Briggs Lawson. The family will be receiving friends at the home, 933 Clay St., Sumter, SC 29154. Funeral plans are incomplete and will be announced later by Job’s Mortuary Inc., 312 S. Main St., Sumter.

COST ESTIMATION SERVICES Santee-Lynches Regional Council of Governments, on behalf of the Santee-Lynches Regional Development Corporation, is seeking Bids for professional cost estimation services for the demolition of ten (10) single-family residential structures in the City of Sumter, SC. The houses are of moderate size and are located in a concentrated target area within the City of Sumter. You are invited to submit a quote in accordance with the speciﬁcations in the Bid package. To obtain a copy of the Bid package, contact ECS Manager Sharon Durden, (803) 774-1988, sdurden@slcog.org. This project is funded through the Neighborhood Initiative Program (NIP) of the SC State Housing Finance and Development Authority. Quotes must be returned in writing to the attention of: Sharon Durden, Santee-Lynches Council of Governments. The mailing address is P.O. Box 1837, Sumter, SC 29151. Hand carried submissions may be delivered to 129 S. Harvin Street, Sumter SC 29151 by 3:00pm on July 9, 2015. No late bids will be accepted. This solicitation does not commit the Santee-Lynches Regional Development Corporation to award a contract or pay any costs incurred in the preparation of the quote or to procure or contract for services.

SECTION

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015 Call Ivy Moore at: (803) 774-1221 | E-mail: ivy@theitem.com

Come to the (2015) Cabaret SLT brings back popular revue BY IVY MOORE ivy@theitem.com

erforming arts organizations have ended their 2014-15

seasons, school is out for the summer, and the hot weather is getting oppressive. What’s a person to do for quality live entertainment? Sumter Little Theatre has a remedy for the doldrums with Cabaret Night 2015 on June 27. This is not the Kander and Ebb musical set in Nazi Germany that SLT presented last season, but rather it loosely follows the format of the classic nightclub performances from the first part of the 20th century, when the music of Cole Porter, Rodgers and Hammerstein, George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Stephen Sondheim, Harold Arlen, Jerome Kern and others was sung, usually by individuals who connected the songs with a witty narrative. The songs can be energetic, romantic, wistful, humorous, optimistic. Singers are usually accompanied by a pianist or a small combo. There’s often some rudimentary dancing. But truly, it’s all about the song, the delivery and the mood.

SUMTER ITEM FILE PHOTO

Michelle Blassengale, who played Sister Mary Amnesia in “Nunsense,” will sing “Climb Ev’ry Mountain” as the Mother Superior in “The Sound of Music.” While you’ll hear a few of the “cabaret classics,” a baker’s dozen of Sumter’s finest vocalists will offer many “new classics,” including Ann Floyd’s performance of “Since I Fell for You,” made popular by Lenny Welch in the 1960s and now considered a jazz and pop classic. She’ll be accompanied by music director and pianist Linda Beck and saxophonist Kevin Floyd. Ann Floyd will also serve as the mistress of ceremonies for the evening, a role for which she’s constantly in demand, and she’ll sing at least one more tune. Each member of the cast will sing at least two songs, Beck said, and look for a surprise or two. She has been rehearsing for a few weeks with some of the cast and admitted to getting “goose bumps” a time or two.

SUMTER ITEM FILE PHOTO

Linda Beck on piano and soprano Deborah Horton can be seen and heard in 2015 Cabaret Night this Saturday at 8 p.m. Beck is the music director for the show and will accompany the vocalists. The evening begins with a 7 p.m. reception in the theater lobby.

PHOTO PROVIDED

Elijah Bradford returns to Sumter Little Theatre for 2015 Cabaret NIght on Saturday, June 27. The musical event is a fundraiser for the SLT Youth Theatre program. “When Buzz Cornell sings Elvis’ ‘Love Me Tender,’ I just melt,” she said. Beck, a mainstay of SLT’s musicals, said the performers are selecting their own material, “so you know it’ll be good.” Cast members so far include Elijah Bradford, Cornell, Ann Floyd, Anne Galloway, Mitchell Champagne, David Shoemaker, William Paul Brown,Todd Warrick, Michelle Blassengale, Deborah Horton, Cierra Stewart and Marissa Boyd, all of whom have been in recent SLT productions. Champagne, Beck said, will accompany himself on guitar, “and you know he’ll be rocking!” She said Shoemaker, who’s an accomplished drummer and a singer, will likely also perform some soft rock. Warrick, she said, plans to sing a tune from “The Book of Mormon” and “The Galaxy Song” from Monty Python’s “The Meaning of Life.” Blassengale, known for her role as Sister Mary Amnesia in several “Nunsense” productions, will assume another nun’s persona as she sings the Mother Superior’s song, “Climb Ev’ry Mountain” from the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, “The Sound of Music.” Galloway, also a “Nunsense” sister, plans to sing two American pop standards, “Can’t Help Loving That Man of Mine” from “Showboat,” and Harold Arlen’s “Over the Rainbow”

SUMTER ITEM FILE PHOTO

David Shoemaker will accompany himself on drums, along with pianist/music director Linda Beck at 2015 Cabaret Night on Saturday at Sumter Little Theatre. from “The Wizard of Oz.” Horton, music director at Crestwood High School, will offer “Till There was You” from “The Music Man,” and Cierra Stewart, most recently seen at the theater in “Godspell,” will sing “Climbing Uphill” from “The Last Five Years” and “Maybe This Time” from “Cabaret.” One of Boyd’s songs is “I Dreamed a Dream” from “The Fantastiks.” Elijah Bradford and the Valentinos will perform “The Impossible Dream” and “For Once in My Life.” The full ensemble will perform together to open and

close the show. “It’s been a few years since we have done a cabaret, and I am really looking forward to an evening of great music from fabulous singers,” Beck said. At 7 p.m. Saturday, SLT will host a reception in the theater lobby, serving beer, wine, soft drinks and light hors d’oeuvres. The cabaret performance will begin at 8 p.m. Admission is free with the purchase of a season ticket for all of SLT’s 2015-16 productions or by a $20 donation to support the SLT Youth Theatre School. For more information call SLT at (803) 775-2150.

Shatner’s daughter gives him high parenting marks BY NICK THOMAS Tinseltown Talks Her father commanded a spaceship in a popular ‘60s television series. Two decades later, in 1988, Melanie Shatner was featured alongside her dad in an Oldsmobile TV commercial revealing her own desire to zoom around in something “space age.” But it wouldn’t be the last time father and daughter acted together. The pair shared some onscreen time the following year when “Star Trek V: The Final Frontier” was released. Directed by her father, William Shatner, also known as Star Trek’s Captain Kirk, Melanie can be seen wandering the Enterprise’s bridge throughout the film. “I actually auditioned for another part, but was completely wrong for it,” recalled Melanie – now Melanie Shatner Gretsch after marrying actor Joel Gretsch in 1999. “My dad called and said I didn’t get the part but there was another small role for the captain’s yeoman if I wanted it, and I said of course.” It launched her somewhat short adult acting career, which included two dozen movie and television roles over the next 10 years. “But I didn’t fully enjoy acting,” she admitted. “I made a

PHOTO PROVIDED

Melanie Shatner Gretsch and her father, William Shatner, are shown in a publicity shot for the film “Star Trek V: The Final Frontier” in 1990. living acting for a while but wanted to be successful in other ways.” That success was soon seen on Ventura Boulevard, in Studio City, California, in the form of Dari Boutique (see www.shopdari.com), which Melanie opened 16 years ago. Stocked with cutting edge fashions, Dari quickly became a popular destination for trendy shoppers. Melanie says her dad wasn’t too disappointed when she traded a career in entertainment for retail sales. “He was probably relieved because acting can be a brutal

profession,” she said. “But really, anything I wanted to do was OK by him. He even helped by loaning me the money to get the store started.” “She was always the kid wearing smart clothes,” recalls Bill Shatner, from his home in Studio City. “She just knew about style. Her sisters and all the other kids used to ask her for fashion advice.” Although growing up with a busy, famous father had its drawbacks, Melanie gives her dad high marks as a parent. “Ever since I was born he’s been on television and his of-

fice was a movie or television set. When we were younger, he’d take one sister at a time away on location for a whole week. We all have such great memories of getting to hang out with him and watching him work.” Shatner and his first wife were divorced in 1969, but Melanie says she and her two older sisters – Lisabeth and Leslie – remained close with their father. “We spent the weekdays with my mother and the weekends with him. He would do whatever it took to get home to see us, even if it meant driving all night. I think that illustrates what a wonderful, committed father he was and is.” “All divorces are traumatic,” added Shatner. “But the girls have turned out to be wonderful, smart women. We get together often as a family.” The Shatner clan expanded in 2005 when Andy Clement married Melanie’s sister, Lisabeth. He was a little surprised when told who her father was. “But the first time I had dinner with them all, he welcomed me into the family even though Liz and I hadn’t been dating long,” recalled Clement, who founded Creative Character Engineering in Van Nuys (see www.creativecharacter. com). “It was incredible to see someone so attached to his kids.”

Clement, whose recent movie work includes special effects for “Interstellar,” says he is also amazed by his father-in-law’s inventive, restless mind. “He really is a dynamo and his mind just never stops working. He always wants to get involved with a production to make it better. So many actors just turn it on when the cameras are rolling, but he’s always cranking.” Like most in the business, Shatner experienced his share of project clunkers over the years. But, says Melanie, “working is what keeps him young, excited and creative. You’ve got to give him points for always trying something new.” And if there’s a lesson Bill Shatner has learned in more than 50 years as an actor, it’s one he willingly shares as a father. “You can only pass on endurance,” he advises. “Everybody has to make their own mistakes and learn from them.” See a YouTube clip of Melanie and William Shatner’s Oldsmobile commercial at www.youtube.com/ watch?v=51J1rSU72ZU. Nick Thomas teaches at Auburn University at Montgomery, Alabama, and has written features, columns and interviews for more than 600 magazines and newspapers.

FOOD

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

THE SUMTER ITEM

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Char-Grilled Garlicky Eggplant Dip

Make the most of grill season by grilling most of the meal BY MELISSA D’ARABIAN The Associated Press

way, you might as well

ummertime grilling

much of the meal on

is in full swing.

there as possible.

And my feeling is

Don’t stop at grilling meat. How about grilling up a bunch of veggies for a warmed chopped salad? Just

that if you are going to crank up the grill any-

leverage it and make as

rub some oil on the vegetables before grilling, remove them just before they are tender, chop them and toss with a little lemon juice, fresh herbs and salt and pepper. You also can make great appetizers on the grill. I’m partial to the smoky flavor

of this charred eggplant and garlic dip. You stick the eggplant on the grill whole and let the skin char up completely. Then you remove the skin and use the tender flesh that has been infused with the flavor of the grill. Combine that with sweet roasted garlic (which you

also do on the grill), and you have a new backyard barbecue favorite. And with eggplant being so low in calories (about 30 calories a cup), you’ll want this dip in your summer repertoire regularly. Serve it with cut up veggies for an updated crudite everyone will love.

CHAR-GRILLED GARLICKY EGGPLANT DIP Start to finish: 45 minutes Servings: 6 1 head garlic 1 tablespoon olive oil Kosher salt 2 large eggplants (about 2 pounds) 1/2 cup tahini Juice and zest of 1 lemon 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley Ground black pepper Celery sticks, bell pepper strips, carrot sticks, cucumber rounds, or crackers, to serve Heat half of the grill to medium-high and other half to low. Set the head of garlic on its side and carefully slice off the top 1/2 inch to expose the tops of the cloves. Set the head on a sheet of foil, then drizzle it with the oil. Sprinkle generously with salt, then loosely wrap the foil around the head of garlic. Pierce the eggplants all over with a fork, then place them on the hottest side of the grill. Place the foil-wrapped garlic on the cooler side of the grill. Cover the grill and cook the eggplant for 20 minutes, rotating every 4 to 5 minutes until all sides are completely charred. Remove the eggplant from the grill, but continue to cook the garlic until the cloves are soft, about another 15 minutes for a total of 30 to 35 minutes. Once the eggplant has cooled enough to handle, cut each in half and scoop out the flesh. Place flesh in a colander to drain over the sink for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, remove the garlic from the grill and, when it is cool enough to handle, squeeze the softened cloves out of the skin and into a food processor. Add the drained eggplant flesh and pulse until chunky smooth. Add the tahini, lemon zest and juice, cilantro and parsley. Pulse 4 to 5 times just to mix well, then season with salt and pepper Serve with celery sticks, bell pepper strips, carrot sticks, cucumber rounds or crackers. Nutrition information per serving: 190 calories; 120 calories from fat (63 percent of total calories); 13 g fat (12 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 170 mg sodium; 16 g carbohydrate; 5 g fiber; 5 g sugar; 5 g protein.

The healthy dish to balance out holiday indulgences BY ALISON LADMAN The Associated Press This is the easy side you need to serve on July Fourth in order to feel virtuous. Which is to say, this is the side dish that balances out all the burgers and hot dogs and potato salads and mayo-rich pasta salads — and don’t even get us going on the desserts — that you really want as you celebrate our nation’s independence. You feel you need to serve something healthy. We get it. This is the dish. It’s simple. It’s do-ahead easy. And it’s versatile. Don’t care for green beans? No worry. Substitute broccoli, cauliflower or asparagus. They all work just as well in this simple, yet delicious dish. If you do it ahead of time (no more than a day), be sure to let it come to room temperature before serving.

GRILLED GREEN BEANS WITH HONEY, FETA AND DILL Start to finish: 15 minutes Servings: 6 2 pounds green beans, trimmed Olive oil 3 tablespoons honey 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1/2 cup crumbled feta Fresh dill Kosher salt and ground black pepper Heat the grill to high. In a large bowl, toss the green beans with just enough olive oil to lightly coat. Lay the green beans across the grate of the grill horizontally so that they don’t fall through. Grill, turning once or twice, for 6 to 8 minutes, or until lightly charred and THE ASSOCIATED PRESS tender. Grilled Green Beans with Honey, Feta and Dill While the beans grill, in small bowl mix together the honey, garlic and red pepper flakes. When the beans are done, pile them onto a serving plate. Drizzle the honey mixture over the beans, then sprinkle with feta cheese. Top with sprigs of fresh dill and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Nutrition information per serving: 130 calories; 40 calories from fat (31 percent of total calories); 4.5 g fat (2 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 10 mg cholesterol; 125 mg sodium; 20 g carbohydrate; 4 g fiber; 15 g sugar; 5 g protein.

FOOD

THE SUMTER ITEM

Basil mayo makes great potato salad BY SARA MOULTON The Associated Press I’m not a fan of potato salad that tastes like a bunch of spuds smothered in mayo. I want more. At the very least, I want to taste the potatoes. Trouble is, potatoes are pretty bland if not properly seasoned. They also need to be seasoned at the right moment during the cooking process. Here’s how to make that happen. To start, be sure that the water in which you boil the potatoes is well salted. The potatoes will absorb the salt as they cook. When they’re done, you won’t taste the salt, but the potatoes will start to come alive. And by the way, be sure to use white (boiling) potatoes for potato salad; they do a better job of holding their shape. Baking potatoes, such as russets, will fall apart. Pull the potatoes out of the water as soon as they’re tender. This will keep them from overcooking and falling apart. And toss them right away, while they’re still hot, with a mixture of vinegar and more salt. Good little sponges that they are, the potatoes will absorb much of the mixture within 15 minutes, and be even more deeply flavored than before. The vinegar, like the salt, helps to enhance their natural flavors. You can prepare the basil mayo while the potatoes are marinating. Normally, I recommend treating all fresh herbs very gently. If you use a very sharp knife and chop the herbs briefly, you can prevent them from turning into a bruised, wet mess. But for this recipe, I want you to pack the fresh basil into a blender with the mayo and pulverize it. All of the basil flavor and juices will go right into the mayo, making it taste like the essence of summer. One last note: When you toss the potatoes with the dressing, the potatoes may absorb all of the dressing at once, and you may need to add a little water to keep the sauce creamy. I had different results with different potatoes; some absorbed all the dressing, some did not. Finally, if you and your guests don’t somehow consume the whole batch the first time you serve it, this potato salad makes for great leftovers. Just add a little more water, if necessary, to be sure it is moist.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

Nutrition information per serving: 320 calories; 190 calories from fat (59 percent of total calories); 21 g fat (3.5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 10 mg cholesterol; 930 mg sodium; 31 g carbohydrate; 4 g fiber; 4 g sugar; 4 g protein.

The classic macaroni salad, not updated even a little BY ALISON LADMAN The Associated Press We reached all the way back to the “Mad Men” era for inspiration as we crafted this classic July Fourth side dish. It’s macaroni salad in all its tangy, comfortingly mayonnaise-rich, decades-ago glory. This is pasta salad as your parents — or more likely your grandparents — remember it. You won’t be able to stop shoveling it onto your plate. Want to make it more substantial? Shredded cooked chicken would be a fine addition, as would cooked and crumbled bacon. Or go for broke and add both. But whatever you do, don’t skimp on the mayo, and don’t even think about use light, fat-free or tofu mayo.

1 cup (6 ounces) cubed ham 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese 1/2 cup shredded carrot Start to finish: 30 minutes, Bring a large pot of salted plus chilling water to a boil. Add the Servings: 8 pasta and cook until just 12 ounces elbow pasta tender. Drain and set aside. 1 cup mayonnaise Meanwhile, in a large 2 tablespoons bowl, whisk together the cider vinegar mayonnaise, vinegar, mus1 tablespoon tard, sugar, celery seed, gratbrown mustard THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ed onion and chopped 2 teaspoons sugar Mid-Century Macaroni Salad sweet pickle. Season with 1/4 teaspoon celery seed salt and pepper. Stir in the 1/4 cup grated red onion celery, bell pepper, ham, cheddar and carrot. Stir 1/4 cup chopped sweet pickle in the drained pasta, then cover and refrigerate for Kosher salt and ground at least 1 hour. black pepper 3 stalks celery, chopped Nutrition information per serving: 420 calories; 220 calories from fat (52 percent of total calories); 24 g fat (4.5 g sat1 green bell pepper, cored urated; 0 g trans fats); 30 mg cholesterol; 420 mg sodium; and chopped

MID-CENTURY MACARONI SALAD

37 g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber; 5 g sugar; 12 g protein.

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POTATO SALAD WITH BASIL MAYONNAISE Start to finish: 50 minutes (30 minutes active) Servings: 4 1 1/2 pounds medium white potatoes, sliced 1/4inch thick, preferably using a mandoline 1/4 cup white wine vinegar 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus extra for salting the potato cooking water 1 cup packed fresh basil leaves 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest Ground black pepper 1/2 cup minced shallots In a medium saucepan, combine the potatoes with enough cold salted water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook just until tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Meanwhile in a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar and the 1 1/2 teaspoons salt until the salt is dissolved. When the potatoes are done, drain them well and immediately add them to the vinegar mixture. Toss the potatoes well with the vinegar mixture, then let cool to room temperature, stirring often, about 30 minutes. In a blender combine the basil, mayonnaise, lemon zest and a hefty pinch of pepper. Puree until smooth. Once the potatoes have cooled, add the mayonnaise mixture to the potatoes along with the shallots and toss well. If the potato salad seems dry, stir in some cold water and toss again.

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COMICS

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

BIZARRO

SOUP TO NUTZ

ANDY CAPP

GARFIELD

BEETLE BAILEY

BORN LOSER

BLONDIE

ZITS

MOTHER GOOSE

DOG EAT DOUG

DILBERT

JEFF MACNELLY’S SHOE

Woman raped by friend’s fiancé must share secret DEAR ABBY — Six months ago, my best friend’s fiance raped me. He is a man I’ve known for many years, and I Dear Abby didn’t see it coming. I beABIGAIL came pregVAN BUREN nant but had a miscarriage two months later. I recently had to have a hysterectomy from damage incurred from the rape and the miscarriage. I never went to the police or pressed charges, and very few people are aware of the whole horrific experience. I have been beyond traumatized by what happened.

THE SUMTER ITEM

My best friend knows nothing about it, and I have been unable to face her since that awful night. We text now and then, and she keeps asking why I have suddenly dropped out of her life. I don’t know if I can tell her the truth. We were as close as sisters, and I honestly miss her like crazy, but I can’t be part of her life if this monster is in it. Do I tell the truth? Or do I just shut her out of my life? This has taken a physical and emotional toll on me. Please give me some advice. Missing a friend in Canada DEAR MISSING — Gladly. Find the nearest rape and sexual assault treatment center in your province and make an appointment immediately! You need more help than any-

THE DAILY CROSSWORD PUZZLE

one can give you in a letter, and the people there can counsel you not only on what to do, but also what your options are at this point. Your friend should absolutely be informed about what she’s getting into if she marries your rapist, but I do not recommend that you tell her until you have strong emotional support beside you. 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. Good advice for everyone -- teens to seniors -- is in “The Anger in All of Us and How to Deal With It.” To order, send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $7 (U.S. funds) to Dear Abby, Anger Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. (Shipping and handling are included in the price.)

JUMBLE

SUDOKU

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

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

ACROSS 1 “__ to Be Square”: Huey Lewis & the News hit 4 Pair on a rowing club wall 8 Press __ 13 “David Copperfield” blackmailer 16 Humble 17 *Lightweight kitchen appliance 18 Himalayan region 19 Thing on a ring 20 Story 22 Nevertheless 23 Energy 24 *”Let me help” 27 “To be continued” installment 29 “The Simpsons” shop owner 30 Works in a museum 31 Father 33 Brits’ raincoats 37 *Not doing one’s job 42 Since, in a seasonal song 43 Nerd 44 When repeated, a Kenyan rebel 45 Play about Capote

48 De __: strictly proper 50 *Romance 55 Game console letters 56 Saloon order 57 Says lovingly 58 Flop opposite 59 Capital of Belarus 61 Wayne’s World catchphrase, and a hint to the end of the answers to starred clues 66 Bring to mind 67 Made a point of? 68 Mail in, as payment 69 Bordeaux belief 70 African antelope DOWN 1 “Say what?” 2 Portfolio element, for short 3 Eponymous detective agency founder 4 “Yowza!” 5 Sashimi tuna 6 T. __ 7 “Ciao!” 8 Forty winks 9 Geisha circler 10 Torah teacher

11 12 14 15 21 23 24 25 26 27 28 32 34 35 36 38 39 40

False: Pref. Little fight Masterful Backside, slangily “In the Year 2525” record label Fencing deflection Battle of the Bulge conflict, briefly French __ Feeling nothing Paw parts Chef’s meas. Bird-to-be First-nameonly gathering Santa __ Put-down Tennis great Sampras Actress Hatcher Will beneficiary

41 Pre-op test 46 Clamor 47 What a weather balloon may be mistaken for, briefly 49 Make one 50 Less credible, excusewise 51 Greenish color 52 Stingray secretion 53 Fancy dressers 54 Beer brand from Tokyo 58 Promote aggressively 60 Deal with moguls 62 “Far out!” 63 Afternoon ora 64 Patriarchy rulers 65 Kin of gov

TELEVISION

THE SUMTER ITEM TW

7 PM

WIS News 10 at Entertainment Tonight (N) (HD) news update. News 19 @ 7pm Inside Edition (N) Evening news up- (HD) date. Wheel of ForJeopardy! (N) tune: California (HD) Coast (HD) Carolina Class- Expeditions with rooms (N) (HD) Patrick McMillan (HD) The Big Bang The Big Bang Theory (HD) Theory Penny worried. (HD) How I Met Your Anger ManageMother (HD) ment Charlie’s diagnosis. (HD)

E10

10 7:00pm Local

WLTX E19

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WIS

WRJA E27 11 14 WACH E57

WKTC E63

4 22

A&E

46 130 Duck Dynasty

AMC

ANPL

BET

7:30

8 PM

8:30

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

9 PM 9:30 LOCAL CHANNELS

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10 PM

10:30

11 PM

American Ninja Warrior: Houston Qualifying Contestants arrive in Houston WIS News 10 at for the Houston qualifying round of the competition, hoping to make it 11:00pm News through a series of obstacles. (HD) and weather. Criminal Minds: Nelson’s Sparrow News 19 @ 11pm The Briefcase: Owens/AponteKassimatis Student loans and home An escaped murderer kills again. (HD) The news of the day. renovations. (N) (HD) Modern Family: (:31) black-ish: Celebrity Wife Swap: Vince Neil; ABC Columbia The Cold (HD) Law of Attraction Gunnar Nelson (N) (HD) News at 11 (HD) (HD) First Peoples: Americas Discovery First Peoples: Africa Scientists reTavis Smiley challenges long-held belief. (N) (HD) think man’s appearance. (N) (HD) (HD) (:01) Bullseye: Defying Gravity (N) (HD) Supernatural: Fan Fiction Sam & Dean investigate a disappearance. (HD)

11:30

12 AM

(:35) The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger. (N) (HD) (:35) Elementary: Bella Sherlock disproves a software program. (HD) (:35) Jimmy Kimmel Live Celebrities and human-interest subjects. (HD)

BBC World News International news. WACH FOX News at 10 Local news TMZ (N) Mike & Molly: report and weather forecast. Dennis’s Birthday (HD) The Walking Dead: When the Dead The Walking Dead: Made to Suffer Come Knocking Rick makes drastic Andrea attempts to re-establish order. (HD) decision. (HD)

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(HD) nounced nounced (HD) (N) (HD) Show (N) (HD) Show (N) Million Dollar Listing New York: Million Dollar Listing New York: Million Dollar Listing New York: What Happens Million Dollar Listing New York: 181 Million Dollar Listing New York: Don’t Count Your Eggs ... Dude, Where’s My Broker? Luis 2.0 Deal that got away. The Final Shakedown (N) (N) The Final Shakedown 62 The Profit: Grafton Furniture Shark Tank New inventors. (HD) Shark Tank New ideas. (HD) Consumed: Real (N) (HD) Shark Tank (HD) Shark (HD) 64 Erin Burnett OutFront (N) Anderson Cooper 360° (N) (HD) Anthony Bourdain Parts: Beirut CNN Tonight with Don Lemon Anderson Cooper 360° (HD) Anthony (:52) South Park South Park: (:56) South Park: (:28) South Park South Park: The F South Park (HD) Daily Show (N) Nightly Show w/ (:01) @midnight 136 South Park: Breast Cancer Show Ever Wendy fights Eric. (HD) (HD) Pre-School (HD) W.T.F. (HD) (HD) Word (HD) (HD) Wilmore (N) (N) (HD) Undercover Jessie Movie I Didn’t Do It: Blog: Will Sing for So Raven The 80 (6:00) The Incredibles (‘04, Adven- Rio (‘11, Comedy) aaa Karen Disher. Mundane bird’s (:40) Austin & ture) aaac Jeff Pidgeon. (HD) lifestyle is transformed. (HD) Ally (HD) Watch group. making. (HD) Twin It to Win It Food Truck makeover. 103 Alaskan Bush People (HD) Alaskan Bush People: Now or Never Walls and roof. (HD) Air Pressure Young pilots. Alaskan Bush People (HD) Air Pressure 35 (6:00) SportsCenter (HD) 2015 NCAA College World Series: from TD Ameritrade Park Omaha in Omaha, Neb. z{| (HD) SportsCenter (HD) Sports (HD) 39 2015 NBA Draft Preview (HD) MLB Baseball: Los Angeles Dodgers at Chicago Cubs from Wrigley Field z{| (HD) MLS Soccer: Portland vs Los Angeles (HD) Boy World: Band 131 Baby Daddy (HD) Melissa & Joey Melissa & Joey (:31) Baby Daddy (:02) Fun With Dick and Jane (‘05, Comedy) aac Jim Carrey. Man and The 700 Club (HD) (N) (HD) (N) (HD) wife deal with a sudden reversal of fortune by becoming thieves. on the Run 109 Diners (HD) Diners (HD) Mystery (HD) Mystery (HD) Mystery (HD) Mystery (N) Craziest (N) Guilty Diners (HD) Diners (HD) Mystery (HD) 74 On the Record with Greta (N) The O’Reilly Factor (N) (HD) The Kelly File News updates. Hannity Conservative news. (HD) The O’Reilly Factor (HD) The Kelly File 42 Championship Bull Riding Golden Boy Live: from Indio, Calif. no} (HD) World Poker Tour no} (HD) World Poker Tour no} (HD) Bull Riding The Middle (HD) The Middle: The The Middle (HD) The Middle: The Golden Christmas Golden Pregnant Golden: Great Ex183 The Waltons: The Fox Reenactment The Waltons: The Burnout, Part 1 of San Juan Hill charge. Home destroyed. Yelling (HD) Bee (HD) spirit. teen. pectations 112 Property Brothers (HD) Property Brothers (HD) Brother vs. Brother (N) Hunters (N) Hunters (N) Property Brothers (HD) Brother 110 American Pickers (HD) American Pickers (HD) American Pickers (N) (HD) Alone: And So It Begins (HD) (:03) Leepu & Pitbull (HD) American (HD) Ghost Whis perer: Bad Blood Ghost Whis perer: All Ghosts Lead Ghost Whis perer: Hol i day Spirit Ghost Whis perer: Slam Haunted Ghost Whis perer: First Do No Harm Ghost Whisperer 160 Haunted house. (HD) to Grandview A girl’s gift. (HD) Santa ghost. (HD) high school. (HD) Death blamed on Jim. (HD) (HD) (:02) Hope Floats 145 (6:00) The Nanny Diaries (‘07, Com- Hope Floats (‘98, Romance) aac Sandra Bullock. A woman searches for (:02) Bride Wars (‘09, Comedy) aa Kate Hudson. Friends become edy) Scarlett Johansson. (HD) true love after her husband admits his love for another. (HD) bridezillas when their wedding plans conflict due to an error. (HD) (‘98) (HD) 76 Hardball with Chris (N) (HD) All in with Chris Hayes (HD) The Rachel Maddow Show (N) Lawrence O’Donnell (HD) All in with Chris Hayes (HD) Maddow (HD) 91 Henry Sponge Full House Full House Full House Full House (:55) Prince Prince Friends (HD) Friends (HD) Friends (HD) 154 (:08) Cops (HD) (:47) Cops: Coast to Coast (HD) (:26) Cops (HD) (:05) Cops (HD) (:44) Cops: Coast to Coast (HD) (:23) Cops (HD) (:02) Cops (HD) (:41) Cops (HD) (:20) Cops (HD) Underworld (‘03, Horror) aaa Kate Beckinsale. A medical student becomes 30 Days of Night (‘07, Thriller) 152 (6:30) The Day the Earth Stood Still (‘08, Science Fiction) aac Keanu Reeves. An alien brings a warning for mankind. embroiled in a war between vampires and werewolves. (HD) aaa Josh Hartnett. 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(HD) Beckett confront feelings. (HD) cates gang in crime. (HD) 102 Jokers (HD) Jokers (HD) Jokers (HD) Jokers (HD) Jokers (HD) Jokers (HD) Fake Off (N) (HD) Jokers (HD) Jokers (HD) Jokers (HD) 161 Gilligan’s (HD) Gilligan’s (HD) Raymond (HD) (:48) Loves Raymond (HD) Raymond (HD) Raymond (HD) Queens (HD) Queens (HD) Queens (HD) Queens (HD) Mr. Robot: eps1.0_hellofriend.mov (:11) Mr. Robot: eps1.0_hellofriend.mov Cybersecurity 132 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: Suits: Denial (N) (HD) Lost Traveler (HD) Friending Emily (HD) Hacker encounter. (N) (HD) tech encounters hacker. (HD) Law & Order: Hot Pursuit (HD) Law & Order: Paranoia (HD) Law & Order: Humiliation (HD) Law & Order: Angel (HD) Law & Order: Blood Libel (HD) Law (HD) 172 Funniest Home Videos (HD) Funniest Home Videos (HD) How I Met How I Met How I Met How I Met How I Met How I Met Rules (HD)

Viewers will be yelling for more of ‘Mr. Robot’ BY KEVIN MCDONOUGH Daring, challenging and compelling, “Mr. Robot” (10 p.m., USA, TV-14) could be the most talked-about new drama of the summer. The challenging aspects of “Mr. Robot” present themselves immediately. Its main character, Elliot (Rami Malek, “The Pacific”), lives primarily in his own thoughts, forcing the drama to rely heavily on voice-overs. A programmer genius working cyber-security for an independent firm hired to protect the computer systems of the world’s largest corporation, Elliot has mixed feelings about his job. Or, rather, he emphatically hates it, hates his client and the rigged system it represents. Elliot moonlights as a hacker by night. He’s first seen riding the subway, alone with his thoughts, consumed with the notion that he’s being followed. It would be easy to believe that he’s merely a disturbed paranoid. Then he announces himself to the owner of an enormous coffee bar chain and tells him that he’s broken into his deeply encrypted personal files, revealing criminal activity of a sordid nature. We quickly learn that Elliot isn’t blackmailing this man. He’s out for justice, not money. “Mr. Robot” follows a trend in presenting the highly intelligent, quasi-autistic activist as a new kind of superhero. It makes interesting work of Elliot’s antisocial nature. His interior monologue consistently crowds out the conversations of others in ways both jarring and funny. In one scene, a buttoned-down colleague wonders why they can’t just “chill”? In another, a repressed superior spills that he’s really gay, not suspecting that “coming out” means little to a person locked in his own thoughts. How hard to love is Elliot? He can’t communicate “normally,” but he hacks everybody, including his therapist (Gloria Reuben), whose eHarmony profile reveals a life of desperate loneliness that he can understand. Elliot’s selfmedication of choice is morphine. His most consistent relationship is with a fish named Qwerty. While not an easy guy to like, Elliot could emerge as TV’s next great antihero. It doesn’t hurt that many of his

PETER KRAMER / USA NETWORK

Christian Slater, left, stars in the title role as “Mr. Robot” and Rami Malek stars as Elliot in USA’s new drama “Mr. Robot” premiering at 10 p.m. today. subversive and caustic asides are immediately tweet-able. Elliot comes out of his shell to some extent when he encounters Mr. Robot (Christian Slater), a mysterious masterhacker whose anti-corporate schemes mirror his own. Slater’s scenes and utterances are few — a good choice — maintaining the mystery around his character and minimizing the reminders of Slater’s many failed and forgettable TV shows. It remains to be seen where this drama can go after jumping down Mr. Robot’s rabbit hole, but this instantly engaging pilot, shared on many video-on-demand platforms since late May, will have viewers clamoring for more. • Starting today, Hulu will begin streaming every episode of “Seinfeld,” the comedy series “about nothing” that dominated the dial in the 1990s.

TONIGHT’S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS • Charles Barkley joins the

cast of “Suits” (9 p.m., USA, TV-14) as it enters its fifth season. • Phil embarks on some creative editing on “Modern Family” (9 p.m., ABC, r, TVPG). • Vince Neil hasn’t really appeared on a thousand different reality shows. It only seems that way. Look for him on “Celebrity Wife Swap” (10 p.m., ABC, TV-PG), along with Gunnar Nelson. • Martin must steal a new report on “Deutschland 83” (11 p.m., Sundance, TV-MA).

SERIES NOTES A career rewind on “The Middle” (8 p.m., ABC, r, TVPG) * Breakfasts of champions on “MasterChef” (8 p.m., Fox, TV-14) * A cyber-attack paralyzes Starling City on “Arrow” (8 p.m., CW, r, TV-14) * Pops fumbles on “The Goldbergs” (8:30 p.m., ABC, r, TVPG) * A windfall must be shared on “The Briefcase” (9 p.m., CBS) * A high school musical feels frighteningly familiar on “Supernatural” (9

p.m., CW, r, TV-14) * Dre is unmanned on “black-ish” (9:30 p.m., ABC, r, TV-PG) * A new crack at an old case on “Criminal Minds” (10 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14).

parecidos visit “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (12:35 a.m., NBC) * Rebecca Romijn and Sam Rockwell appears on “The Late Late Show With James Corden” (12:35 a.m., CBS, r).

LATE NIGHT

CULT CHOICE

Andrew Napolitano is scheduled on “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart” (11 p.m., Comedy Central) * Houndmouth appears on “Conan” (11 p.m., TBS) * Jimmy Fallon welcomes Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mike Birbiglia and Major Lazer on “The Tonight Show” (11:35 p.m., NBC) * Channing Tatum and Desa-

Ursula Andress plays an ancient, immortal goddess in the 1965 Hammer Films fantasy “She” (10 p.m., TCM), costarring Peter Cushing, Bernard Cribbins, John Richardson, Rosenda Monteros and Christopher Lee. Copyright 2015, United Feature Syndicate

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

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South African Beef and Apricot Sosaties (Kebabs)

EST. 1935 | 78 YEARS STRONG

This Fourth of July, why not try a South African braai? BY AARTI SEQUEIRA The Associated Press

hen one of my best friends here in Los An-

geles recently moved away, a near-weekly tradition went with them — the Sunday braai (pronounced “bry”). Rene and her husband returned to their home, South Africa, a country that could not have seemed further away from the United States. And yet, when they were here, they brought with them a tradition that sat very well with their American friends — gathering around a grill, the men tending the fire and cooking various cuts of meat while the women either relaxed (for once!) or cooked a few sides. We’d all sit outside in their backyard, soaking up the California sunshine and let the children play basketball or secretly practice a song that would be performed after dinner. It was quite idyllic. In a country with numerous official languages and long-standing ethnic ten-

sions, South Africans unite over the hot coals of a braai, the Afrikaans word for barbecue or grill. The contents of that grill reflect South Africa’s diverse history. Dutch settlers brought Indonesian slaves to the country, and along with them spices such as ginger, cardamom and curry pastes, as well as dishes such as chutneys and

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sosaties (kebabs). The Dutch also brought spices from their own trade, along with dried fruit. The indigenous people, meanwhile, offered a wide variety of meats, from fish tugged from the waters around the Cape, to mutton and goat further inland. In this way South African barbecues are a delightful global adven-

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For information about advertising, contact (803) 774-1212 or (803) 774-1284 ture, with everything from local sausage (boerwors), sweet spice-laced chutneys and spicy Portuguese-style piri piri marinades to cheese, onion and tomato sandwiches cooked right on the grill (a kid favorite!). It’s a social affair where friends are welcomed as family. Waiting for the coals

to burn allows time to chat, put away the colder glow of digital devices and savor each other’s company. It reminds me so much of our own Fourth of July celebrations, where we focus on what we love about America — family, feasting and the long tradition of embracing stranger as our own.

SOUTH AFRICAN BEEF AND APRICOT SOSATIES (KEBABS) Start to finish: 30 minutes, plus marinating Servings: 6 Large bamboo skewers 1/4 cup sunflower or grapeseed oil 1 medium yellow onion, sliced into 1/4-inch rings 1/4 cup cool water 1/2 cup apricot jam 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 3 tablespoons curry powder 6 bay leaves 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 6 cloves garlic, minced 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger 2 pounds boneless beef sirloin, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks 30 dried apricots Boiling water 30 frozen pearl onions, thawed 15 jarred Peppadew or hot cherry peppers Place the bamboo skewers in a large zip-close plastic bag. Add warm water, then close the bag and set aside to soak. In a large saucepan over medium-high, heat the oil until shimmering. Separate the onion rings with your fingers, then add them to the saucepan, flipping with tongs periodically until starting to turn golden brown,

about 6 minutes. Add the cool water, jam, vinegar, curry powder, bay leaves, Worcestershire sauce, garlic and ginger. Stir together and bring to a gentle boil. Simmer for 5 minutes, uncovered, then remove from heat and allow to cool. Pour half of the marinade into a large bowl. Add the beef to the bowl, turning to coat. Set aside to marinate for 1 hour at room temperature. Reserve the remaining marinade for serving. After the beef has marinated for 30 minutes, in a medium bowl, combine the apricots and enough boiling water to cover. Let sit for 30 minutes. Prepare a grill for medium-high heat, indirect cooking. For a charcoal grill, this means banking the hot coals to one side of the grill. For a gas grill, this means turning off one or more burners to create hot and cool sides. Thread the skewers, starting with a piece of meat, followed by an apricot, then a pearl onion and a pepper. Repeat until you have 2 to 3 pieces of meat per skewer. Place the kebabs over the hottest part of the grill, cooking just until each side chars, about 2 minutes per side. Move the kebabs to the cooler side of the grill and cook, rotating every now and then, until the beef chunks read 130 F at the center, about another 6 minutes. Transfer to a platter and cover with foil for 5 minutes. Serve with the reserved marinade. Nutrition information per serving: 490 calories; 140 calories from fat (29 percent of total calories); 16 g fat (3 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 90 mg cholesterol; 190 mg sodium; 53 g carbohydrate; 6 g fiber; 39 g sugar; 36 g protein.

Ditch the bottled vinaigrette and go Italian for pasta salad BY ALISON LADMAN The Associated Press Make this the year that you elevate your July Fourth pasta salad. By which we mean, avoid the temptation to simply dump a bottle of vinaigrette over cooked pasta and a bag of frozen peas and call it a day. Because turning out a far better pasta salad isn’t particularly difficult. And the results are so worth the (very little) extra effort. For our improved pasta salad, we kept the Italian inspiration, but ditched the bottle of salad dressing. Instead, we borrowed the flavors and ingredients of a classic Florentine pasta — spinach, Parmesan and tomatoes — and repackaged them in a cool, refreshing salad. There’s no mayonnaise in this pasta salad. The cloying sweetness wouldn’t sit right with the other ingredients. Instead, we went with the savory, smooth flavor of wholemilk ricotta cheese, which complements the peppery bite of the fresh basil and the tang of the balsamic glaze.

FLORENTINE PASTA SALAD Start to finish: 30 minutes Servings: 10 1 pound fresh small pasta Olive oil 1 1/2 cups whole-milk ricotta cheese 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves Kosher salt and ground black pepper 16-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese Balsamic glaze Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain the pasta, then spread on a rimmed baking sheet. While tossing lightly, sprinkle the pasta with just enough olive oil to prevent from sticking. Set aside to cool. Meanwhile, in a food processor combine the ricotta, garlic and basil. Process until the basil is well chopped and the ricotta is smooth. Season with a hefty pinch each of salt and pepper. Drain the spinach in a mesh strainer, pressing to squeeze out as much liquid as possible. In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta mixture, spinach and cooled pasta. Spoon into a serving dish and top with the tomatoes and Parmesan. Drizzle with balsamic glaze.

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Florentine Pasta Salad

Nutrition information per serving: 280 calories; 60 calories from fat (21 percent of total calories); 7 g fat (4 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 20 mg cholesterol; 240 mg sodium; 39 g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber; 3 g sugar; 13 g protein.