Happening Now
Sketches of John and Jane Doe were published for years in an attempt to identify the remains found off I-95 in Sumter County in 1976.
Sumter's 1976 John and Jane Doe remains identified, to be revealed
Kamala Harris is sworn in as vice president by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor as her husband, Doug Emhoff, holds the Bible during the 59th Presidential Inauguration at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Wednesday.
Vice President Harris breaks barriers as next chapter in U.S. begins
2 SCISA schools, Laurence Manning Academy and Clarendon Hall, go virtual for week
Former President George W. Bush; House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, D-S.C. and native of Sumter; and former President Bill Clinton are seen ahead of President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration ceremony Wednesday in Washington.
Bush calls Sumter native, House Majority Whip Clyburn a 'savior' for boosting Biden
HARTMAN
Central Carolina Community Foundation opens scholarship application period

Biden takes helm as nation's 46th president

Joe Biden is sworn in as the 46th president of the United States by Chief Justice John Roberts as Jill Biden holds the Bible during the 59th Presidential Inauguration at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Wednesday as their children, Ashley and Hunter, watch.
WASHINGTON - Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States on Wednesday, declaring that "democracy has prevailed" and summoning American resilience and unity to confront the deeply divided nation's historic confluence of …

The City of Sumter mask mandate has been extended through March 21.
Sumter City Council extends mask mandate another 60 days
Learn your aerobic capacity; build on it
Rebel, a neglected hound, was removed from a residence in Mayesville by Sumter County Sheriff's Office deputies Dec. 31.
Neglected dog rescued by Sumter deputies makes speedy recovery for future adoption

Thursday, Jan. 21, 2020

View this issue

Browse other issues

Studio Sumter

Sumter Today: A middle school pageant contestant tidies up for those who have passed on

Cemeteries need to be kept up so the loved ones buried there aren’t grown over and lost, and we have a small team in Sumter making sure that’s not the case.

When she’s not taken …

South Carolina's Trae Hannibal, left, and Missouri's Dru Smith, right, battle for a loose ball during the the Gamecocks' 81-70 loss on Tuesday in Columbia, Missouri.
South Carolina can't slow down Tilmon in loss to No. 19 Missouri
Memphis guard Ja Morant (12) and the Grizzlies were not able to play against Portland on Wednesday night due to a high number of COVID cases on the team.
Grizzlies-Blazers postponed due to COVID
Sumter point guard Kiara Croskey, right, was offered by Ole Miss on Dec. 30, turning up the intensity of her recruiting process as a freshman.
Sumter's Croskey 'blessed' to be heavily recruited as a freshman
Former Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tom Lasorda, left, and pitcher Don Sutton both passed away in January, as Sutton died in his sleep on Tuesday at the age of 75.
Former Braves announcer, Dodgers Hall of Famer Don Sutton dies at 75
Wilson Hall's Zuri Anderson (20) and the Barons had to postpone two games this week after going into quarantine.
Coronavirus limiting high school basketball in Tri-County
Poll of the Week

Frontline medical workers at McLeod Health Clarendon received the first doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine in Manning in December 2020.

Will you get a COVID-19 vaccine when it is available to you?

View results

More local news
Fireside Fund keeps single Sumter mother's heat on after total income loss due to COVID-19
Prisma Health Tuomey Hospital leaders and radiologists cut the ribbon on the new portable MRI unit located near the Emergency Department. The hospital's existing MRI machine will be removed and a new one installed this winter with expected completion by early spring.
More advanced MRI technology comes to Prisma Health Tuomey
Three nonprofits in Lee County are providing food and necessity items through Blessing Boxes such as this one.
Lee County nonprofits need support in helping homeless, needy in area
Sunday alcohol sales start in Sumter
Nat Bradford helps Ralph Baker catch a swarm of bees in order to move them to a starter box, known as a nuc, on Bradford's farm on Monday after two swarms landed in trees near their hives.
What's the buzz with Baker's bees? Colonies swarm in Sumter during unusual time of year

More News

More Sports
Former Sumter defensive tackle Jahkeem Green, right, transferred from Nebraska to South Carolina last week.
USC's Beamer likes Green's story, ability on defensive line
Scott's Branch boys roll past Hemingway to stay unbeaten
Memphis guard and former Crestwood standout Ja Morant (12) goes up for a shot during the Grizzlies' 106-104 victory over Philadelphia on Saturday in Memphis, Tennessee. Morant scored 17 points and had six assists after missing eight games due to a left ankle sprain.
Morant returns from injury ahead of schedule, leads Grizzlues to win
Former Sumter High defensive lineman Jahkeem Green, right, announced his decision to transfer to South Carolina on Friday.
Former Sumter DL Green transfers to South Carolina
Dia Clyburn, owner of the Clyburn Beauty Salon, works on Peggie Mintz, a 34-year client of the salon, on Friday, January 15, 2021. The salon recently celebrated its 70th anniversary.
Pillar of the community: 70 years later, a Sumter beautician keeps pioneering Black family salon legacy alive

More Sports

Panorama
Diane Kilgore Condon's art, including "Indian Summer," is on exhibit at Sumter Gallery of Art.

Recharge with Sumter Gallery of Art exhibits

Tired of the depressing COVID-19 statistics and political machinations? Well, the Sumter County Gallery of Art offers a wonderful respite and a chance to recharge your spirits with two special exhibits: "Wild Kingdom" by Diane Kilgore Condon and the …

More Panorama

Nation & World
AP FILE PHOTOStephen Bannon
Trump's pardon largesse a boon for well-connected fraudsters

WASHINGTON (AP) — A former congressman who pocketed millions of dollars in bribes from defense contractors. A Republican fundraiser who paid handsome sums to illicitly lobby a presidential …

Joe Biden is sworn in as the 46th president of the United States by Chief Justice John Roberts as Jill Biden holds the Bible during the 59th Presidential Inauguration at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Wednesday as their children Ashley and Hunter watch.
Biden takes the helm as president: 'Democracy has prevailed' WASHINGTON  — Joe Biden became the 46th president of the United States on Wednesday, declaring that "democracy has prevailed" as he took the helm of a deeply divided nation and inherited a …
President-elect Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, along with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, listen as Cardinal Wilton Gregory, Archbishop of Washington, delivers the invocation during a COVID-19 memorial, with lights placed around the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, on Tuesday in Washington.
Biden arrives for inauguration with big plans, big problems WASHINGTON - President-elect Joe Biden made a sober entrance to the nation's capital Tuesday, ready to assume power as America reels from the coronavirus pandemic, soaring unemployment and grave concerns about more violence as he prepares to take …
HALEY
Noem's tweet about student food pantry seen as dig at Haley PIERRE, S.D. - South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem took a shot at a Texas school's food pantry in a move that political strategists said was really aimed at former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, who is seen as a potential rival for the 2024 …
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Internally displaced boys play outside their temporary home in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan, on Monday. Half of Afghanistan's population is at risk of not having enough food to eat, including about 10 million children.
Group: $1.3B in aid needed to help Afghan kids in 2021 KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - Some 10 million children in war-ravaged Afghanistan are at risk of not having enough food to eat in 2021, a humanitarian organization said Tuesday and called for $1.3 billion in new funds for aid. More than 18 million …

More Nation & World News

State News
2 charged with homicide in S.C. for 3-year-old's death

SIMPSONVILLE (AP) — Two people in South Carolina were charged with homicide by child abuse in the death of a 3-year-old girl.Jerry Robinson, 34, and Ariel Robinson, 29, were arrested Tuesday …

THE ASSOCIATED PRESSPolice officers are the only people seen at the South Carolina Statehouse on Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021, in Columbia. The capitol was closed for safety concerns for President Joe Biden's inauguration.
Police outnumber demonstrators at inauguration event in S.C. COLUMBIA (AP) — Police officers and journalists outnumbered demonstrators Wednesday at the South Carolina Statehouse, which was closed to the public because of security reasons.About a dozen …
S.C. inmate to plead guilty in revenge murder-for-hire plot EDGEFIELD (AP) — An inmate at a South Carolina federal prison is set to plead guilty Tuesday in a murder-for-hire plot in which he used money from his prison account to try and pay a fake …
Trump supporters rally Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, at the Capitol in Washington.
FBI: S.C. man traced to U.S. Capitol during riot via photos WASHINGTON (AP) - The FBI has filed a criminal complaint against a South Carolina man who authorities said was captured taking a selfie with a statue of John C. Calhoun while illegally storming the U.S. Capitol with supporters of President Donald …
Public invited to Palmetto Trail meeting on Jan. 27 FROM STAFF REPORTS COLUMBIA - An informational meeting about a proposed new hiking trail in Richland and Sumter counties, to extend and connect the cross-state Palmetto Trail, will be hosted by the Palmetto Conservation Foundation from 5:30 to …

More State News

Obituaries
SAMUEL SANDERS JR.

Samuel Sanders Jr., 93, widower of Wilhemena N. Sanders, died on Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021, at his residence in Sumter. Born in Denmark, he was a son of the late Samuel Sr. and Elzona Tyler Sanders. In accordance with CDC guidelines in reference …

DENNIS LEE WILSON

Dennis Lee Wilson, 64, husband of Clara Colclough Wilson, departed this life on Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021, at his residence. He was born on April 9, 1956, in Sumter, a son of the late Elias and Ester Muldrow Wilson. Job's Mortuary Inc., 312 S. …

MICHAEL ROSE

LYNCHBURG - Michael "Mike" Rose, 72, husband of Mary Howard Rose, died on Monday, Jan. 18, 2021, at McLeod Regional Medical Center, Florence. He was born on Jan. 12, 1949, in Clarendon County, a son of the late McSwane and Willie Mae Smalls …

BRUNSON

ISAAC W. BRUNSON JR.

Isaac William "Ike" Brunson Jr., 66, husband of 46 years to Sandra Hope Baker Brunson, died on Monday, Jan. 18, 2021, at Prisma Health Tuomey Hospital. Born in Alcolu, he was a son of the late Isaac William Brunson Sr. and Eleanor Robosson …

CHOICE

RUTH KELLY CHOICE

Ruth Kelly Choice, 80, was born on Oct. 20, 1940, in Sumter County, a daughter of Anna Bell Kelly. She departed this life on Sunday, Jan. 17, 2021, at her residence. Public viewing will be held from 2 to 6 p.m. today at Job's Mortuary …

More Obituaries

Faith
Church News: Friday, Jan. 15, 2021 Pinewood Baptist Church, 10 E. Fulton St., Pinewood, announces: * Sunday, Jan. 31 - The church will host Christian vocalist, songwriter, speaker and author Dawn Smith Jordan (www.dawnsmithjordan.com) in concert at 6:30 p.m. Dawn committed her …
DURHAM
Column by Dr. Joey Durham of Open Bible Church: Have a new start this year through Jesus This week's devotion is "Being Able to Have a Brand New Start." My text is 2 Corinthians 5:17, where we see, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (KJV) As it is …
In response to Capitol attack, Sumter pastoral group hosting drive-in, outdoor prayer service Sunday at Jehovah Missionary Baptist In response to Wednesday's events at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, a large, local pastoral group will host a community-wide, drive-in, outdoor prayer service in Sumter on Sunday afternoon. Mandy Easton, a taskforce member with Sumter Leaders of …
SMITH
The Rev. Dr. Clay Smith: Truth and reality .... My mother had a simple way of teaching me the value of the truth. If she caught me lying, she spanked me. In those days, it was assumed children had enough padding on their bottoms to enable truth reinforcement. Telling what really happened was …
Celebrations

More Celebrations

Dear Abby
Pets for adoption
CoCo is an older girl looking for a quiet home

TOP: CoCo is a senior dog who is approximately 11 years old. She was found wandering and brought into animal control. Eventually her owner was located but, sadly, they cannot care for her any longer. CoCo is looking for a new home. She would do best …

Weddings
Underwood-Coleman Ellen Andrea Underwood of Charleston and Charles Clayton Coleman Jr. of Sumter were united in marriage at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, 2020, at Coleman Family Farms in Sumter. The bride is the daughter of Mr. Andrew Underwood of San Diego, …
MR. AND MRS. THOMAS E. HART
Hage-Hart FOLLY BEACH - Kayla Diane Hage of Lexington and Thomas Edwin Hart of North Charleston were united in marriage at 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21, 2020, at The Pelican Watch Pavilion. The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Kris Eugene Hage of …
MR., MRS. SEAN FLANAGAN
Rogerson- Flanagan SUMMERVILLE - Lindsay Rogerson of Sumter and Sean Flanagan of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, were united in marriage on Friday, April 10, 2020. The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Burrell S. Rogerson Sr. and the granddaughter of the late Mr. and …
MRS. DUSTIN PARSHLEY
Horton-Parshley Sierra Horton of Turbeville and Dustin Parshley of New Zion were united in marriage at 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3, 2020, at Perry's Pond. The bride is the daughter of Robbie Horton of Manning and Heidi Horton of Turbeville, and the granddaughter of …

More Weddings

Engagements
MR. SOWARDS, MISS COX
Cox-Sowards Richard and Sherry Cox of Dalzell announce the engagement of their daughter, Allison RayAnn Cox of Dalzell, to Garrett Hunter Sowards of Merritt Island, Florida, son of Bradford and Stephanie Sowards of Melbourne, Florida. The bride-elect is the …
MISS LYNCH, MR. COKER
Lynch-Coker Mr. and Mrs. Neal C. Lynch of Alcolu announce the engagement of their daughter, Katherine Lorena Lynch of Alcolu, to Zachary Scott Coker of Turbeville, son of Mr. A. Lanair Coker and Ms. Lucia Welsh Coker, both of Turbeville.The bride-elect is the …
MISS WILSON
Wilson-Davis Mr. and Mrs. John Joe Wilson Jr. announce the engagement of their daughter, Olivia Dean Wilson, to Raymond Bradley Davis, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ervin Lee Davis, all of Manning. The bride-elect is the granddaughter of Mrs. Kay McFaddin Gibbons and …
Reflections
SUMTER ITEM FILE PHOTOS Parker Auto Supply was on North Main Street.

Reflections by Sammy Way: The impact of U.S. 15 on Sumter's development: Part III

Episode III of this series on the early history of U.S. 15 as a Sumter thoroughfare begins at Poinsett Street and concludes at the intersection of Loring and Warren streets. Included in the research is Parker Auto Supply building, Crosswell Home …

More

Yesteryear
SUMTER ITEM FILE PHOTO Fulton B. Creech, left, who became commander of the Post 15 of the American Legion in July 1946, is seen receiving the congratulations of Dr. W. L. McCutcheon, retiring commander.
Yesteryear by Sammy Way: 130 from Sumter dead or missing in World War II; museum's backcountry homestead plan approved 75 YEARS AGO - 1946 June 28 - July 2 - Danger that the coming Fourth of July holiday may be marred by traffic deaths approaching if not exceeding the prewar toll of more than 200 street and highway fatalities was stressed today by the American …
This enormous turnip, weighing 12 pounds, is exhibited by Loring Baker of the Bethel community of Sumter County in June 1946. The large turnip was grown on the farm of his father. Loring was a former outstanding 4-H Club member. Loring's father delayed harvesting the turnip, awaiting the return of his son from the service, but because of the greater delay in getting his discharge than expected, the tuber kept getting larger and larger. Roland P. Alston, assistant county a
Yesteryear by Sammy Way: Carnegie Library holds reading program; postcards show Sumter's beauty 75 YEARS AGO - 1946 June 23 - 26 - A supper will be served on the lawn at Millvale, near Ellerbe's mill, from 6 until 8 o'clock Wednesday afternoon. The proceeds will be used to help repair the Church of the Ascension and Hagood. The meal will …
Mayor Steve Creech hands over the keys to the Sumter Bank Building to United Ministries Director Katy Greenawalt in December 1995. The city of Sumter donated the building to United Ministries.
Yesteryear by Sammy Way: Sumter farmer demonstrates flamethrower; rare bird found in swamp 75 YEARS AGO - 1946 June 18 - 22 - Contestants in the Beauty Parade, which is to be held June 17 under the sponsorship of the Sumter American Legion Post, will be allowed to wear flowers, furnished either by their sponsors or some other …

More

From the opinion pages
Columnists
 Column by Manning Pastor Sam Livingston: We will never be alike
Column by Dr. Joey Durham of Sumter: The saved are promised a piece of Heavenly real estate
WALLACH
Opinion: The day that jolted Congress back to life
Your view
© Copyright 2021 The Sumter Item | Terms of Use / Privacy Policy | Cancellation / Refund Policy
Powered by Creative Circle Media Solutions