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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2013 | SUMTER, SOUTH CAROLINA
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8 Shaw Air Force officers reprimanded in sexual misconduct investigation BY BRADEN BUNCH bbunch@theitem.com Eight high-ranking officers at Shaw Air Force Base have been reprimanded by the
military after a six-month investigation into sexual misconduct complaints from a female airman protesting misogynistic work conditions both at the base and through-
out the military branch. Two colonels, four lieutenant colonels and a captain received either letters of counseling or more severe letters of admonishment, and two of
the lieutenant colonels were reassigned to staff positions. A fifth lieutenant colonel cited on allegations has since retired from active duty. Substantiated allegations
Before you crank up the heater
against the officers include tolerating sexual harassment, failing to prevent sexual harassment, condoning display SEE OFFICERS, PAGE A7
Battalion chief gives tips on fire safety
1 year passes since woman struck, killed at crosswalk
BY JIM HILLEY Special to The Item
BY BRISTOW MARCHANT bmarchant@theitem.com
Barbara Harris is thankful her family is still alive. About 2 or 3 a.m. Monday morning, her mother and 18-year old son, Robert Smith, were awakened by the sound of a fire that started in the electric furnace in their mobile home. Harris said two of her sons live in the rented home, along with her mother and father. “My youngest reached into the furnace and removed the power source,” she said. Though Smith burned his hands, no one else was injured, and the fire went out. Harris said the smoke detectors did not go off. “If my 18-year-old son had not been there, my whole family could be dead,” she said. “Thank God my mom and my son knew about it. I am very thankful. It could have been bad,” she said. While Smith’s quick action may have saved property and lives, Battalion Chief Johnny Rose of the Sumter Fire Department advises against trying to fight fires yourself. “Call us. We are the trained professionals,” Rose said Thursday at Crosspoint Baptist Church. “It’s best to get out and call us.” With temperatures plunging
It’s been one year since a retired schoolteacher was struck and killed while crossing the street outside Tuomey Regional Medical Center, and her family and friends are still waiting for closure. Sumter police are still trying to identify the driver of the car that killed Jeanette Harrison on Oct. 25, 2012, while she was walking across East Calhoun Street on her way to visit a friend at Tuomey. The HARRISON driver then sped away, leaving the 70-year-old to die inside the hospital she had planned to enter only as a visitor. Investigators are still hoping someone will be able to provide them with the key information that leads them to identify the driver. “We have followed numerous leads; however, none have proven fruitful in identifying the person responsible,” said Police Chief Russell Roark. “We believe someone has the information to break this case, and we urge that person or persons to come forward, and do the right thing.” In an effort to keep the spotlight on the case, Staff Sgt. Tony Rivers with Sumter Police Department’s Traffic Division held a
MATT WALSH / THE ITEM
Battalion Chief Johnny Rose with the Sumter Fire Department explains that his firefighters will come replace the batteries in household smoke detectors for free during a presentation at Crosspoint Baptist Church on Thursday.
near the freezing level this weekend and people turning on their heaters, Rose said this is a good time to think about fire safety. Rose was speaking to the seniors at the church as part of the department’s effort to increase
safety awareness. He said the outreach is mostly targeted at schoolchildren and seniors. Seniors are especially vulnerable to fires, he said.
SEE HARRISON, PAGE A10
SEE FIRE SAFETY, PAGE A7
No excuse: Get a free smoke detector BY JIM HILLEY Special to The Item Battalion Chief Johnny Rose of the Sumter Fire Department stressed the
importance of having at least one smoke detector installed in every home. “One death is too many,” he said. “We should have zero deaths
20 N. Magnolia St. Sumter, SC 29150 (USPS 525-900)
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in Sumter because the fire department has smoke detectors for free, and we’ll install them for free.” Rose said people put themselves at risk by pull-
ing out the batteries or not replacing the batteries. “That shouldn’t happen because we will SEE SMOKE DETECTORS, PAGE A7
OUTSIDE COOL
DEATHS Herbert Sharpe Sr. Juanita R. Murray Randall G. Hill Jr. Ernest L. McKenzie Darrell C. Johnson
MATT WALSH / THE ITEM
Sumter Police Department’s Staff Sgt. Tony Rivers gives an update Thursday on the fatal hit and run that killed Jeanette Harrison one year ago at a crosswalk on Calhoun Street. Police are still trying to identify the driver of the car that killed her.
Lillie Cook Jeremiah Moultrie Curtis Brooks
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