Happening Now
 Coronavirus cases across S.C. climb past 3,000
Sumter man killed in wreck on Wesmark Boulevard
Sumter man dies after Church Street house fire
Morris College's affiliation with a state Baptist denomination will help the college sustain as the coronavirus takes an economic toll on private colleges.
State Baptist group affiliation will help Morris College moving forward as coronavirus spreads
How to make a cloth face covering at home with or without sewing

Unity in separation: Social media initiative puts crosses online as services stay virtual for Easter in Sumter

The Carnelli home in Sumter burned Feb. 2, and owners Scott and Missy Carnelli made a cross for the front yard with some of the wood from the house. Thousands have placed crosses in their yards as a show of Christian unity amid online services because of COVID-19.
All our coronavirus coverage is free to the public. It’s the right thing to do as a public service to our community. If you find this article helpful or informative and want to support our …

DENNIS
Sumter County Sheriff's Office to deliver medications to residents through Operation Safe at Home
Sumter 17-year-old found safe after being reported missing
An empty parking lot is seen at USC Sumter.
Furloughed employees can now receive 'support payments' from employer and still be eligible for unemployment benefits

Saturday-Sunday, April 11-12, 2020

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Studio Sumter

Sumter Today: We give you the most up to date information we know about COVID-19's impact on our community.

Sumter County now has 126 confirmed cases, Clarendon 75 and Lee 24.Each of the tri-county rates represents the highest in the state only behind Kershaw County, whose Camden saw the earliest outbreak …

Wilson Hall assistant football coach Kurt Wilson, left, poses with his wife, Amy, before walking around the perimeter of National Healthcare on Thursday to bring some cheer to the residents as the Easter bunny.
Wilson Hall's Wilson goes from coach to Easter bunny
North Carolina State coach Jim Valvano waves the net in victory after defeating Houston in the 1983 NCAA championship in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
AP Was There: N.C. State stuns Houston 54-52 for 1983 title
Lakewood's James Wright (14) is one of three Gators who have been picking up FBS and FCS recruiting offers despite the recruiting process being limited due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Lakewood football players starting to get attention on the recruiting scene
Clemson wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) is among the players hurt by the coronavirus pandemic after groin injuries kept him from taking part in the NFL Combine and hampered him while running at his pro day.
Virus costly to draft prospects needing face time with teams
Memphis guard Ja Morant (12) and the Grizzlies may benefit from the season being shortened by the coronavirus, as one possibility is that the league skips the rest of the regular season and keeps Memphis in the eighth and final spot in the Western Conference. Morant, the former Crestwood High School standout, and the Grizzlies would open against the Los Angeles Lakers.
NBA coaches prepare for possible intriguing matchups in playoffs
Poll of the Week

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More local news
Midlands Gives fundraiser offers lifeline to nonprofits affected by canceled events
Barney Gadson, with the HYPE Program, sits in on a community forum at Pocalla Springs Elementary School during his stint as principal for a day in 2018.
HYPE After School Program continuing to serve students, families food
SMITH
I am Malchus
WIC offers services over the telephone, expands eligible products in S.C.
Grace Baptist to hold blood drive April 30

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More Sports
Sumter quarterback Hayden Vasquez (15) and the Gamecocks will have a new look to their region this year, as Sumter will be with Myrtle Beach schools in Region VI-5A.
Sumter has no problem being on island in Myrtle Beach region
SUMTER ITEM FILE PHOTO Softball teams in the South Carolina Independent School Association like Robert E. Lee Academy hope to gather in the circle at least a few more times this season. All of the spring sports schedules in SCISA and the South Carolina High School League have been suspended due to the coronavirus since the middle of March.
SCISA has plans should spring sports return
South Carolina head coach Will Muschamp and his staff are preparing for the 2020 season to start on time despite the coronavirus.
USC's Muschamp preparing as if season will begin on time
Stephen Kelly, right, lifts his hands as he runs a loop in the Quarantine Backyard Ultra around his neighborhood on Saturday. Kelly ran this loop with Rick Jones, back and center, and was cheered on by friends and family.
Community gathers as Sumter runner takes part in virtual last man standing race
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney believes that the college football season will start on time despite the sports world currently being shut down by the coronavirus.
Clemson's Swinney expects college football season to begin on time

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Panorama
Provided by Charleston Stage "The Seat of Justice," a play depicting the events surrounding Clarendon County's role in the desegregation of public schools, was first shown in 2004 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Briggs v. Elliott lawsuit that led to Brown v. Board of Education, Topeka, Kansas, which abolished segregation in public schools. A live stream of the play's revival in 2016 will be available from April 10-12. To view "The Seat of Justice," viewers can log onto https://charlest

See live stream of The Seat of Justice free online during Easter weekend

CLARENDON COUNTY - The year was 1947. A black farmer, Levi Pearson, was living in the Davis Station community when he asked the Clarendon County Board of Education for gas to fuel a school bus so that his children as well as neighboring children …

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Nation & World
U.S. expels thousands to Mexico after largely halting asylum

A U.S. Border Patrol agent wouldn't let Jackeline Reyes explain why she and her 15-year-old daughter fled Honduras and needed asylum, pointing to the coronavirus. It was just days after the Trump …

Stampede in Kenya as slum residents surge for food aid NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Thousands of people surged for food aid in a brief stampede Friday in Kenya's capital, desperate for help as coronavirus restrictions keep them from making a living. …
Justice delayed: Virus crisis upends courts system across U.S.
BOSTON - Courthouses shuttered. Thousands of trials on hold. Legal deadlines pushed. The coronavirus pandemic has crippled the U.S. legal system, creating constitutional dilemmas as the accused miss their days in court. The public health crisis …
U.S. astronaut Chris Cassidy, center, Russian cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin, bottom, and Ivan Vagner, members of the main crew of the expedition to the International Space Station (ISS), wave as they board to the Soyuz MS-16 space ship prior to the launch at the Russian-leased Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan on Thursday.
3 astronauts leave virus-plagued Earth for space station CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - Three astronauts flew to the International Space Station on Thursday, departing the virus-plagued planet with little fanfare and no family members at the launch site to bid them farewell. NASA's Chris Cassidy and …
Britain's Prime Minster Boris Johnson
UK's Johnson out of intensive care as his condition improves LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's condition has improved and he has been moved out of intensive care where he was treated for three days with COVID-19, his office said …

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State News
AP FILE PHOTOIn this photo provided by Bethany Hahn is a flock of turkeys at a Minnesota poultry farm.
Industry scrambles to stop fatal bird flu in South Carolina

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An infectious and fatal strain of bird flu has been confirmed in a commercial turkey flock in South Carolina, the first case of the more serious strain of the disease in …

Gov. Henry McMaster
Columbia mayor: Governor creating headaches with special waivers COLUMBIA (AP) — Expressing frustration that police officers - charged with enforcing Gov. Henry McMaster's stay-at-home order during the coronavirus outbreak - are not being told which …
Crafty Maibritt takes a box of produce to a customer during the American Legion Farmer's Market on Friday, April 3, which since the COVID-19 outbreak has turned into a drive-through.
Economists estimate SC to lose $1B in revenue from COVID-19 COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The best estimate at the moment is South Carolina's budget will lose more than $1 billion estimated to be in next year's budget because of the coronavirus.Predictions in …
Police: 19-year-old fatally shot while learning to clean gun GOOSE CREEK (AP) — A 19-year-old in South Carolina was shot and killed Tuesday night by someone who was cleaning a loaded gun, police said.Goose Creek police responded to an apartment building …
House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Murrell Smith, of Sumter, center, answers a question from state Rep. Nancy Mace, right, on the House floor during a special, one-day session of the South Carolina Legislature on Wednesday, April 8, 2020, in Columbia, S.C. This year's session has been paused for several weeks amid the new coronavirus outbreak. (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard)
State announces 12 deaths Wednesday as Santee Cooper roadblock stops SC Legislature spending plan COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The South Carolina Legislature's attempt to meet as quickly as possible Wednesday to assure the state can keep operating while they stay out of session and safe from the …

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Obituaries
FREDERICK STAHL WEAVER JR.

Frederick Stahl Weaver Jr., 77, beloved husband of Paulette Bendas Weaver, died on Thursday, April 9, 2020, at his daughter's home in Dalzell. Born in Shamokin, Pennsylvania, he was a son of the late Frederick Stahl Weaver and Ruth Wood. Mr. …

PATRICIA DIANNE MCDUFFIE

Patricia Dianne McDuffie, 68, died on Friday, April 10, 2020, at Prisma Health Tuomey Hospital. Born on May 13, 1951, in Sumter County, she was a daughter of Willie Lewis Wilkes and Evelyn Wilkes. The family is receiving relatives and friends …

DA'QUAN TY'SHAWN MACK

Da'Quan Ty'Shawn Mack, 21, departed this life on Thursday, April 9, 2020. He was born on Dec. 24, 1998, in Sumter, a son of Marthette R. Mack and the late Willie L. Singleton. The family will be receiving friends at the home, 1140 Habitat …

PAMELA ANN MCALLISTER

Pamela Ann McAllister, age 61, died on Thursday, April 9, 2020, at her residence. You may go to www.bullockfuneralhome.com and sign the family's guest book online. The family has chosen Bullock Funeral Home of Sumter for the arrangements.

JAMES FREDERICK SPRUNGER

BISHOPVILLE - James Frederick "Fritz" Sprunger, 71, husband of Barbara "Bobby" Sprunger, died on Sunday, April 5, 2020, at his home. Born on March 24, 1949, in Decatur, Indiana, he was a son of the late James E. and Ruth E. Montgomery Sprunger. …

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Celebrations
MR., MRS. CHARLES VERBURG
Verburgs celebrate 50 years of marriage Mr. and Mrs. Charles Verburg of Sumter celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2020. They were married on Feb. 6, 1970. Their four children are Susan Verburg of Ann Arbor, Michigan, June and Steve Williamson of Mapleton, …
MR., MRS. JAMES MCLEOD
McLeods celebrate 64 years James and Rosemarie McLeod of Sumter celebrated their 64th wedding anniversary on Feb. 6, 2020. The couple's three sons are Leroy McLeod, Douglas McLeod and the late James W. McLeod. The couple has eight grandchildren, six great-grandchildren …

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Faith
SMITH
From Sumter Pastor Clay Smith: We are the world I read in the news today that the streets of Beirut are empty. Ditto the streets of Baghdad, Beijing, London and New York. ISIS, of all people, is telling its followers not to travel because of the virus. When you look at the Centers for Disease …
SMITH
The last time this happened Despite what my children think, I am too young to remember World War II. My parents, however, lived through that time. It was the last time in American history when everyone's lives changed. We forget there was rationing. People were allotted …
Catholic Diocese of Charleston livestreaming Mass and other devotions CHARLESTON -- In an effort to bring liturgies to the faithful across the state, the CatholicDiocese of Charleston is now livestreaming from the Chapel of the Holy Family, which is located …
Church News: Friday, March 13, 2020 Allen Chapel AME Church, 471 Lynam Road, announces: * Sunday, March 29 - Women's Missionary Society worship beginning at 10 a.m. Kiara Nicole Lint, young adult missionary, will speak. Beulah Union Methodist Episcopal Church, 2380 S. St. Paul …
Dear Abby
Pets for adoption
Jupiter is a laid-back boy who would be a great snuggle buddy

FAR LEFT: Jupiter is a housebroken and neutered 9-month-old American shorthair. He is a laid-back fellow who also sometimes likes to play with cat toys and laser lights. Jupiter is wonderful with other cats and children and would make the perfect …

Weddings
MRS. McSWAIN ARMFIELD II
Wright-Armfield COLUMBIA - Lauren Ashley Wright of Summerville and Roger McSwain Armfield II of Sumter were united in marriage at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, March 14, 2020, at Shandon United Methodist Church. The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. David Brian …
MRS. CHRISTIAN WARD
Jekel-Ward STATEBURG - Rachel Nicole Jekel and Christian Blake Ward were united in marriage at 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22, 2020, at Church of the Holy Cross. The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Stephen Jekel and the granddaughter of Mrs. Alton …
MR., MRS. MICHAEL DAVIS
Barton-Davis Jordan Taylor Barton and Michael George Davis, both of Sumter, were united in marriage at 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, 2019, at The O'Donnell House in Sumter. The bride is the daughter of Glenn and Stacy Barton of Sumter and the granddaughter of …
MRS. ZACHARY BYRD
Brunson-Byrd Emily Brunson and Zachary Daniel Byrd were united in marriage at 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 28, 2019, at Graham Baptist Church in Sumter. The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Wentworth Brunson III of Alcolu and the granddaughter of Ms. …

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Engagements
MISS TOLBERT, MR. RAMIREZ-GARCIA
Tolbert, Ramirez-Garcia Mr. and Mrs. Will Tolbert announce the engagement of their daughter, Ashley Marie Tolbert, to Adrian Ramirez-Garcia, son of Mr. and Mrs. Adrian Ramirez-Rivera, all of Sumter. The bride-elect is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. William R. …
McMeekin-Montgomery Mr. and Mrs. John Stephen McMeekin of Winnsboro announce the engagement of their daughter, Caroline Mayes McMeekin of Seattle, Washington, to Mr. John Watson Montgomery of Seattle, son of Dr. and Mrs. Alan Bruce Montgomery of Medina, …
MR. SMITH, MISS PASTORE
Pastore-Smith Mr. and Mrs. Anthony C. Pastore of Sumter announce the engagement of their daughter, Chelsea Marie Pastore of Sumter, to Brandon S. Smith of Chesterfield, son of Mr. Scott Smith and Mrs. Lisa G. Hardwick of Chesterfield. The bride-elect graduated …
MR. STEPHENS, MISS SPROTT
Sprott- Stephens Mr. and Mrs. Harmon Burgess Sprott III of Manning announce the engagement of their daughter, Sarah DuBose Sprott of Conway, to Mr. Daniel Carlton Stephens of Lake View, son of Mr. David Norman …
Reflections
This article was published in November 1918 and gave ways to prevent the spread of the flu. It even advertised a product called Dreco that was sold by Sibert's Drug Store in downtown Sumter. Dreco was advertised as "great for a tonic and strength producer" for people who had contracted the Spanish flu.

REFLECTIONS BY SAMMY WAY: South Carolina confronted 'Spanish flu' pandemic 1918-20

Reflections remembers South Carolina's involvement in World War I and the difficulties encountered with the spread of influenza among troops at home and abroad. This respiratory infection soon …

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Yesteryear
SUMTER ITEM FILE PHOTO Four racers leap out from the starting gate in the Cub Scout Pinewood Derby as the starter and participants look on June 30, 1970.
YESTERYEAR BY SAMMY WAY: Troop trains give Sumter positive reviews; city plans for 'garbage explosion' 75 YEARS AGO - 1945 Oct. 26 - Nov. 1 - America's transportation system will consist mainly of streamlined air liners, diesel-electric trains and diesel-powered buses within the next 10 years, in the opinion of Gordon Lefebvre, president and …
SUMTER ITEM FILE PHOTO On March 25, 1995, Gregg Herlong, right, owner of Manning Tractor, shows Clarendon farmer Scott Jackson a new planter recently released by the John Deere Company. The planter operates on the principles of vacuum rather than the traditional principles of gravity.
Yesteryear by Sammy Way: Swan Lake bridge construction underway; Bradford competes at Classic 75 YEARS AGO - 1945 Oct. 19 - Oct. 25 - Decay-producing organisms remain alive for many months in sweet potato storage houses, say Clemson plant disease specialists, who advise that these organisms be eliminated before the new crop of sweet …
SUMTER ITEM FILE PHOTO J. Harold Wilson, president of the Sumter County Farm Bureau, presents Denise Ann Compton, 10, with a check June 16, 1970, that will enable her to compete in the National Majorette Association finals. The event was to be held the week of June 22 in Portsmouth, Virginia. Denise is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James F. Compton.
Yesteryear by Sammy Way: Red Cross Canteen members greet every troop train; 'puff mud' found 75 YEARS AGO - 1945 Oct. 12 - Oct. 18 - Four air bases in the two Carolinas, including Shaw Field at Sumter, are included in the list of 85 flying fields, depots, hospitals and other establishments the Army Air Forces has recommended for …

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From the opinion pages
Columnists
 Editorial cartoon: Saturday, April 11, 2020
GORDON
Opinion: Lockdown creates special pressures for U.S. veterans
DAVIS
Opinion: Is it virtual learning or virtual nightmare?
Your view
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