Marrch 20, 2016

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Turkey season opens statewide today

SUNDAY, MARCH 20, 2016

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Hoping for clean water Sumter County family with well hopes county will provide access BY ADRIENNE SARVIS adrienne@theitem.com A Sumter County family is still on the same mission they started more than a decade ago to bring

Gary Mixon said the county’s water systems were too far from Plowden Mill Road so county council approved a request to expand Oswego Rural Water Company’s coverage. Robert said the expansion stopped about 3 miles from his home. “It’s a nice place to live. Just wish we had decent water,” said

clear, city water to their area. The family is now looking to its neighbors to take part in the mission. The mission to bring city water to the area started several years ago when Helen Patnode, who lives off of Plowden Mill Road, and her neighbors, attended Sumter County Council meetings to ask the council to expand its water systems to the Plowden Mill Road area. Sumter County Administrator

SEE REGISTRY, PAGE A9

SEE AWARDS, PAGE A11

Harrison Jessee, 1, shows off his firstplace Easter bonnet during the Sumter Recreation and Parks Department’s annual Easter Egg Hunt at Swan Lake-Iris Gardens on Saturday KEITH GEDAMKE / THE SUMTER ITEM

South Carolina considers refugee registry

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DEATHS, A11 Tiffany R. Ragin Zelma J. Rhodes Brenda M. Harrison Louise A. Wilder Essie Kennedy

The Sumter Item wins 20 SCPA awards

a registry of all refugees; civil liability for sponsors of refugees from counties considered state sponsors of terror by the federal government (currently Iran, Sudan and Syria) for crimes committed by refugees; a prohibition on the state spending any money on refugees and their families. Bryant said the goal of the bill is to protect people’s safety. Nearly 850 refugees from a number of countries in Europe, Africa and the Middle East have come to South

SEE WATER, PAGE A9

say they are less concerned about a possible constitutional challenge than a possible terrorist threat coming to the state. Opponents, however, say the measure is out of character for a state that often espouses the importance of Christian hospitality and loving your neighbor.” I want us to be who we have always been — a welcoming people,” said Sen. Kevin Johnson, D-Manning, who is helping lead the fight against the bill. Sponsoring Sen. Kevin Bryant said the bill has three components:

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The Sumter Item news department won 20 awards in the 2015 South Carolina Press AsCARPENTER GEDAMKE sociation News Contest held Saturday at the Marriott in Columbia. Managing Editor Rick Carpenter won HILLEY REYNOLDS three first places and reporter Jim Hilley and copy editor Jade Reynolds each won one first place. Staff memOSTEEN STEPHENS bers also won seven secondplace, seven third-place and one honorable mention awards. The newspaSMITH VENGEper won seven ROWSKY awards for writing, five for page design and eight for photography, including a sweep of first, second and third places in the general news photography category. The Sumter Item Editor and Publisher Jack Osteen said winning the awards illustrates the news department’s continuing effort to improve reporting, photography and page design. “I couldn’t be prouder of how hard they work each and every day to put out a quality newspaper for the Sumter community,” said Osteen. “Of course, when someone puts three quarters in a newspaper rack to buy the daily newspaper, that is the biggest reward of all.” The headline, cutline or other characteristic to identify the winning entry is noted: ENTERPRISE REPORTING: 1st Place, Rick Carpenter, Headline: “Patience required.” Info: an in-depth look at how Texas and Colorado’s Departments of Transportation dealt with epic floods and what South Carolina could expect following the October 2015 flood. BEAT REPORTING: 2nd Place, Konstantin Vengerowsky, Headline: “Vandalism kills 300k chickens.” Stories about how a burglar killed thousands of chickens in farms in Sumter and Clarendon counties, the arrest of a suspect and the subsequent release of that suspect. Honorable Mention, Matt Bruce, Headline: “Feud leads to pistol, pipes and pepper spray.” Stories about a family feud that erupted at a grocery store and ended a few miles down the highway with fist fights, guns being fired and a victim dragged by a vehicle. HEALTH BEAT REPORTING: 3rd Place, Jim Hilley, for his coverage of the federal case and settlement against Tuomey Health Care and its eventual merger with Palmetto Health. BUSINESS BEAT REPORTING: 1st Place, Rick Carpenter, overall coverage of business. Articles submitted included the Becton

…With all the frills upon it

COLUMBIA (AP) — While Republican front-runner Donald Trump continues to make waves nationally for his comments about banning Muslims from traveling to the country, lawmakers in two very different states are proposing that all refugees register with the government. Registration bills are being proposed in both New York State and in South Carolina, where if refugees commit an act of terrorism, their sponsors, under the bill, could be held liable. The South Carolina lawmakers

D3

Catherine Fant Earl W. English Roger Wheat Sandra B. Trapasso

WEATHER, A12

INSIDE

CLOUDY AND COOLER

5 SECTIONS, 36 PAGES VOL. 121, NO. 132

Mostly cloudy today and much cooler than recent days; chance of rain early in evening, chilly tonight.

Business D1 Classifieds D4 Comics E1

Opinion A10 Television E3

HIGH 57, LOW 38

With BOC Mobile, The Bank of Clarendon Is In Your Pocket. bankofclarendon.com 803.469.0156


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