Respiratory illness sickens hundreds of children
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Scientist talks fight against Alzheimer’s Molecular biology professor praises The Sumter Rotary Club’s CART foundation BY JOE KEPLER joe@theitem.com What started out as a simple act of generosity 19 years ago in Sumter by a local Rotary club has now grown into a major charitable foundation aimed at the fight against Alzheimer’s disease. “Coins for
Alzheimer’s Research Trust,” or CART, has grown from nickels and dimes into credit cards and checkbooks to support a movement that has already awarded 26 grants worth $4.75 million to research clinics and college medical centers. Created in 1995 by Roger
Ackerman and Dr. Jack Bevan of The Sumter Rotary Club, CART initially served a literal purpose — donating coins from your purse, pocket or car’s cup holder to be pooled as future “seed” money for forward-thinking research on Alzheimer’s disease that may not otherwise be pursued.
Since its inception in Sumter, the movement now encompasses 450 Rotary clubs covering all the Carolinas and Georgia, as well as districts in Florida, Tennessee, Virginia and a club in Twin Falls, Idaho. Sumter’s club remains the tip of the fundraising spear, raising $376,000 alone for the fund.
One of the beneficiaries of CART was on hand Monday afternoon for a speech to Rotary club members from across the district concerning the disease and a new way to combat it. Dr. Ben A. Bahr, a professor of molecular biology at
SEE CART, PAGE A7
‘27 souls for eternity’ Alice Drive Baptist Church conducts annual lake baptisms
PHOTOS BY JADE REYNOLDS / THE SUMTER ITEM
Twenty-seven newly baptized people pray near the Wyboo area of Lake Marion on Sunday. Afterward, people from Sumter’s Alice Drive Baptist Church enjoyed an ice cream social.
Nearly 100 gather for ‘old-fashioned’ event in Wyboo BY JADE REYNOLDS jade@theitem.com
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bout 100 people dodged raindrops Sunday to gather for a lake baptism. Nearly 30 got dunked by Alice Drive Baptist Church pastors as their family and friends applauded on shore in the Wyboo area of Lake Marion. “Twenty-seven souls for eternity, you can’t beat that,” said Jock Hendricks, outreach pastor. “It was terri-
Jock Hendricks, front, outreach pastor for Alice Drive Baptist Church, prays after the lake baptism as Perry “Bubba” Moses, back left, director of operations, and Mark Partin, right, administrative pastor, stand with the freshly baptized Andy Cox. bly stormy, but folks came out to support us. The sky opened up, and it stopped.”
One such soul was Andy Cox, who said it went well. But the 34-year-old’s journey of faith and to this decision began before that day. “About the last month, everything has been happening real good for me, and I wanted more,” he said. His mother, Linda Cox, planned to take pictures at the annual lake baptism, and Andy told her he wanted to be part of it. “In church is more traditional, and I’m not a person to do traditional,” he said. “I wanted something different.” His mother understood. “How many can say ‘I was baptized down at the river,’” Linda Cox said. “It’s old-fashioned. It’s something you see in movies or hear your grandparents say.” So Andy talked to Hendricks about why he wanted to do this and what the process would be like.
“We ask people to speak to a pastor beforehand because we want to ensure people understand what they’re doing and that they really have taken the step of deciding to follow Jesus,” said Clay Smith, lead pastor of the Sumter church. “Baptism in the Bible was used as a sign in a number of religious groups to mark a transformation. Jesus told his disciples to be baptized as a sign of faith and to publicly profess faith. What we have found is in a more natural setting, such as a lake baptism, it really reinforces the public nature of giving voice to the fact you are ready to follow Jesus.” But that doesn’t mean you have to be perfect to take the dip. “A lot of people say, ‘I don’t feel good enough to be baptized,’” Smith said. “Nobody is good enough to be baptized. That’s why Jesus came. It’s kind of
SEE BAPTISMS, PAGE A7
Obama will broaden U.S. effort to combat militants WASHINGTON (AP) — President Obama will go on the offensive against the Islamic State group with a broader counterterror mission than he previously has been willing to embrace, U.S. officials said Monday. The new plan, however, still won’t commit U.S. troops to a ground war against the brutal insurgency and will rely heavily, for now, on allies to pitch in for what could be an extended campaign. Obama’s more aggressive posture — which officials say will target Islamic
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A Muslim woman releases a dove as a symbol of peace during a rally against the Islamic State group in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Friday. The banner reads: “ISIS is not Islam’s voice. Stop killing journalist.” Officials said Monday that President Obama will broaden U.S. efforts to combat the Islamic State group.
State militants comprehensively and not just to protect U.S. interests or help resolve humanitarian disasters — reflects a new direction for a president who campaigned to end the war in Iraq and has generally been deeply reluctant to use U.S. military might since he took office in 2009. He is to describe his plans in a speech Wednesday. The U.S. has already launched more
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DEATHS, B8 Leo J. Walker Jr. Rocky R. D’Addario Henry Jefferson James H. Singleton Sara Barkley Samuel Witherspoon
Elizabeth Kennedy Felicia Shorter David Richardson Sr. Laurence Benjamin Ethenia W. King Margaret D. Kvaternik
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Expect to see some sunshine today along with a few clouds; partly cloudy and humid tonight HIGH 85, LOW 68
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