Happening Now
 Sumter County Sheriff's Office: 36-year-old man no longer missing
COOPER
Sumter deputies arrest convenience store armed robbery suspect
Sumter deputies investigate homicide of 27-year-old man
Sumter County Coroner Robbie Baker is seen at the old courthouse in downtown Sumter in January 2019. He announced he will run for re-election in November.
Coroner Baker announces re-election bid in Sumter
Nominate now for Best of Clarendon 2020

Signing on to join the family: 4 Sumter seniors sign on for program with Continental Tire

Ashar Rogers, a senior at Sumter High School, shakes hands with William Dyson, mechatronics instructor at Sumter Career and Technology Center, after Rogers and three other seniors signed to work at Continental in Sumter after graduation.
De'Andre Lewis says building and fixing things has always just come naturally to him. In elementary school, he said he fixed all his classmates' mechanical pencils, and for that he earned a certificate from the school as "Mr. Fix It." Now, Lewis …
Finances, open enrollment before Sumter school board
Sumter festival celebrating black heritage, culture is set for Saturday
Sumter School District committee: Funding issues still exist for district

Saturday-Sunday, Feb. 22-23, 2020

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Studio Sumter

Sumter Today: R.E. Davis hosts a multi-county quiz bowl

R.E. Davis College Preparatory Academy hosted a Quiz Bowl this week with middle schools from multiple counties competition against each other. Questions ranged anything the students should know at …

Cambria Parker, the 1A Girls Player of the Year from Scott's Branch, goes up for a layup during the Lady Eagles' 72-29 win over Charleston Math & Science in the second round of the state playoffs on Friday in Summerton.
Scott's Branch girls crush Charleston M&S; boys advance past Baptist Hill
Tamerah Brown led Sumter with 18 points in their loss to Byrnes on Friday.
Lady Gamecocks drop nail biter with Byrnes, 55-54
Crestwood's Ashanti Washington (3) fires a 3-point shot during the Lady Knights' 51-32 win over Airport on Friday in the second round of the 4A state playoffs at The Castle.
Crestwood cruises past Airport 51-32
WIlson Hall's Maddie Elmore scored 16 points to help push the Lady Barons past Pinewood Prep in the first round of the SCISA 3A playoffs on Saturday.
Elmore pushes Wilson Hall past Pinewood Prep; Cardinal Newman up next
Robert E. Lee's Caleigh Barrett (15) fights off a Calhoun defender on her way up the court during REL's 65-45 win on Saturday.
Lady Cavs crush Calhoun to advance in SCISA playoffs
Poll of the Week

This undated photo provided by America's Test Kitchen in January 2019 shows a Fallen Chocolate Cake in Brookline, Mass. This recipe appears in the cookbook "The Perfect Cake." (Keller + Keller/America's Test Kitchen via AP)

What's your typical Valentine's Day gift?

Have a question you want us to ask? Email editor@theitem.com.

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More local news
Student dancers at High Hills Elementary School perform during the school's Black History Month program on Thursday.
Sumter's High Hills Elementary School celebrates black history
SHELBIE GOULDING / THE SUMTER ITEM Jamie Rogers is the salesperson at B J's Health Food Store, 103 W. Liberty St. Rogers' mother, Pam Hall, is the owner.
Know your Sumter: Downtown health store keeping it healthy, in the family
Sumter City Council: Ricochet indoor shooting range, Palmetto Tennis Center details approved
Black swans on Swan Lake Wednesday afternoon in 2018.
Lee County schools starting late Friday amid snow, black ice forecast
BROWN
2 Sumter men charged with drug trafficking, possession of firearms

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More Sports
Gamecocks fall to Goose Creek 51-46
Former Sumter High School, Sumter P-15's and Clemson standout left-handed pitcher Charlie Barnes is a non-roster invitee to the Minnesota Twins big league spring training camp in Fort Myers, Florida.
Former Sumter pitcher Barnes gets non-roster invite to Twins' camp
Cambria Parker of Scott's Branch has been named the 1A Girls Basketball Player of the Year by the South Carolina Basketball Coaches Association for the second straight season.
Lady Eagles' Parker repeats as 1A Player of Year; 11 others All-State selections
Lee Central's LeBron Thomas drives to the basket during the Stallions' 71-53 win over Ninety Six on Wednesday. Thomas led Lee Central with 16 points in the victory in the first round of the 2A state playoffs.
Lee Central cruises past Ninety Six; second-ranked Christ Church next
Crestwood's CeCe Wells, left, and the Lady Knights will host Airport in their first game of the 4A playoffs on Friday at 7 p.m. at The Castle. The Lady Knights had a first-round bye.
Lady Knights open playoffs against Airport after rare bye

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Food
Lightlife Smart Sausages are displayed at a store in Jersey City, New Jersey, in September 2018.

Should you avoid meat for good health?
Hangovers happen as your body tries to protect itself from alcohol's toxic effects
This combination of images provided by Amanda Daley shows mockups of a soft drink can and a chocolate candy bar with labels for "exercise calories," or the amount of physical activity needed to burn them off. Daley, a professor of behavioral medicine at Loughborough University in the United Kingdom, says, "They may still ignore it, but let's give it a go. Let's at least give them a chance to be able to easily understand."
What if you knew a cookie would take 20 minutes to run off?

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Panorama
THE ASSOCIATED PRESSKaren Pence, wife of Vice President Mike Pence, poses for a photograph in her office in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House campus in Washington.

Karen Pence adds campaigning for President Trump to busy to-do list

WASHINGTON - Karen Pence has no shortage of projects. The wife of Vice President Mike Pence promotes the healing power of art therapy and help for military spouses. She's into honeybees and supports sister cities. She's a watercolorist who …

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Nation & World
Egyptian Vets for Animal Care, the country's first spay-and-neuter program, mark a puppy with red paint after giving it a rabies shot in Cairo, Egypt. After centuries of stigma, the street dogs of Egypt are finding more acceptance.
Once reviled, Egypt's street dogs finally get chance at better life

CAIRO - Karim Hegazi spends his days in a Cairo clinic taking care of animals long considered a menace in Egypt. Stray dogs roam in almost every Cairo neighborhood - lurking in construction sites, scavenging through trash and howling nightly atop …

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during a news conference on Monday, April 22, 2019, at the Department of State in Washington.
U.S., Taliban to begin a countdown to Afghan peace deal ISLAMABAD - The countdown to the signing of a peace agreement between the Taliban and the United States on Feb. 29 to end the 18 years of war in Afghanistan began at midnight Friday, when a seven-day "reduction of violence" promised by the Taliban …
Flowers lay in front of the hookah bar where a shooting took place in Hanau, Germany. A 43-year-old German man shot and killed several people at several locations in a Frankfurt suburb on Wednesday.
Survivor: German shooter emptied magazine, calmly walked out HANAU, Germany - Piter Minnemann and his friends were eating when they heard shots fired outside the door of the snack bar in Hanau where they had gathered. Minnemann, 18, recalled that he had just got his pizza when the first shots were heard at …
DEA agent accused of conspiring with cartel MIAMI (AP) - A once-standout U.S. federal narcotics agent known for spending lavishly on luxury cars and Tiffany jewelry has been arrested on charges of conspiring to launder money with the same Colombian drug cartel he was supposed to be …
Jenna Maurice / Victoria "V.E." Schwab via AP Victoria "V.E." Schwab, who writes adult and young adult novels, says she doesn't change her style or vocabulary.
Bestselling young adult authors aim at older readers NEW YORK - After gaining millions of young readers for her "Divergent" fantasy series, Veronica Roth decided she and her characters were ready for the next phase - a novel for adults. "I grew up on stories like 'Dune' and 'Harry Potter,' and …

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State News
BENNETT
Orangeburg sheriff seeks help solving 2018 killing

Darrell Bennett of Elloree always sent his girlfriend a text to let her know he had reached the Hot Spot convenience store in Eutawville on his way to work. His last text was at 5:30 a.m. on Dec. 16, 2018. According to Orangeburg County Sheriff …

SMITH
$100M for rural roads will be part of $10B budget going to Statehouse COLUMBIA - South Carolina's $10 billion state spending plan is on its way to the House floor after the budget writing committee made only a few changes to the governor's proposal. One chief addition the House Ways and Means approved Thursday was …
Democratic presidential hopeful Tom Steyer speaks at a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day rally on Monday, Jan. 20, 2020, in Columbia.
In South Carolina, Sanders could get a boost from billionaire Steyer SPARTANBURG (AP) - Billionaires are the consistent villains in Bernie Sanders' campaign narrative. He rails against what he perceives as the undue influence their wealth wields and how that contributes to the yawning inequalities of American …
Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey
2nd push to end debate on S.C. education overhaul bill fails COLUMBIA (AP) - A bipartisan group of South Carolina senators again stopped an effort on Wednesday to limit debate on a massive education overhaul bill that has already taken up almost all of the first five weeks of the 18-week session. Senate …
SCDOR lists top delinquent business, individual taxpayers FROM SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE Beginning Tuesday, the South Carolina Department of Revenue is publishing online lists of South Carolina's top delinquent individual and business taxpayers. The lists are a refresh of the SCDOR's …

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Obituaries
MALVENIA JAMES

Malvenia James, 71, departed this life on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020, at Prisma Health Richland Hospital, Columbia. Born on Feb. 9, 1949, in Clarendon County, she was a daughter of the late Joseph James Sr. and Annie Blakely James. She is …

ANNIE DELL WILSON JACKSON

AUGUSTA, Ga. - On Monday, Feb. 17, 2020, Annie Dell Wilson Jackson, widow of Elijah Raven Jackson Sr., exchanged time for eternity at Doctor's Hospital of Augusta. Born on Dec. 13,1943, in Manning, she was a daughter of the late Willie Lee and …

RAYMOND VAUGHN SR.

Raymond Vaughn Sr., 66, departed this life on Monday, Feb. 17, 2020, at Simpsonville Rehab and HealthCare Center in Simpsonville. He was born on Aug. 1, 1953, in Sumter, a son of the late Clarence and Anna China Vaughn. Graveside services will …

ALPHONSO MACK

Alphonso Mack, 40, departed this life on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2020, in Sumter. He was born on Dec. 23, 1979, in Sumter, a son of Ella Mae Mack. The family will receive friends at home, 3325 Valencia Drive, Sumter, SC 29040. Job's Mortuary …

MAURICE DONTAE JAMES

Maurice Dontae James, 27, departed this life on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2020, at his home. He was born on Aug. 23, 1992, in Sumter, a son of Nicole Franklin and the late George M. James. The family will receive friends at the home of his mother, 54 …

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Celebrations
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 …
DANIELS
Daniels celebrates 100 years Mose Daniels celebrates his 100th birthday today, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2019, with his family and friends at Mulberry Baptist Church. He was born on Dec. 14, 1919, in Sumter. Mose retired from Korn Furniture and later worked at the recycling center …
MISS FORT
The Sumter Assembly The Sumter Assembly will present three debutantes on Wednesday, Dec. 18, at Sunset Country Club. Chandler Jewel Curtis, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Warren Stephen Curtis, will be presented by her father and escorted by Connor McCoy Curtis and Turner …
MISS WILLIAMSON
The Lord Clarendon Cotillion The Lord Clarendon Cotillion will present eight debutantes on Friday, Dec. 20, at The Matrix Center in Manning. Adela Carpenter Coffey, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Columbus Coffey III, will be presented by her father and escorted by William …

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Faith
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Rabbi Jacqueline Mates-Muchin smiles at Hanna Raskin during her bat mitzvah at Temple Sinai in Oakland, California. Since an anti-semitic graffiti incident at the temple in 2017 and the subsequent deadly attacks on synagogues in Pittsburgh and in Poway, California, Mates-Muchin says there's extra worry as she feels obliged to be constantly mindful of her congregation's safety.
Stresses multiply for many U.S. clergy NEW YORK - Greg Laurie is among America's most successful clergymen - senior pastor at a California megachurch, prolific author, host of a global radio program. Yet after a youthful colleague's suicide, his view of his vocation is …
What's a church? That can depend on paperwork filed with the IRS By Samuel Brunson Loyola University Chicago In 2016, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association told the Internal Revenue Service that it no longer wanted to be treated merely as a tax-exempt religious organization, free from the obligation to …
Turn backs leave everybody banged up We were working cows, and I was running them down the alley to the chute. Older cows have been through this before and know what to do. The cows are brought into a smaller pen where they can be examined. Then the gate man sends them through one at a …
Church News: Friday, Feb. 21, 2020 Allen Chapel AME Church, 471 Lynam Road, announces: * Sunday - Black history program at 3 p.m. The Rev. Lester Drayton will speak. Beulah Union Methodist Episcopal Church, 2380 S. St. Paul Church Road, announces: * Sunday, March 15 - …
Dear Abby
Pets for adoption
Axel is a protective boy who loves people

FAR LEFT: Axel is a 4-year-old Rottweiler mix. He is an active, protective and affectionate boy who loves people and attention. Axel likes some other dogs and is sometimes picky about who he wants to play with, but he loves people. The Sumter …

Weddings
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. …
MRS. MATTHEW WALTON
Miller-Walton Kristen Love Miller and Matthew Cole Walton, both of Sumter, were united in marriage at 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 4, 2020, at Grace Baptist Church in Sumter. The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Neville Hardee and the granddaughter of Mrs. …
MR., MRS. ROBERT KENNEDY
Smith-Kennedy CHARLESTON - Nicole Elizabeth Smith of Sumter and Robert James Kennedy of DeBary, Florida, were united in marriage at 4 p.m. April 12, 2019, at The Island House. The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Smith and the granddaughter of the …
MR., MRS. TAYLOR BRUNSON
Coleman-Brunson Alison Paige Coleman and Taylor David Brunson, both of Sumter, were united in marriage at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23, 2019, at Bethel Baptist Church in Sumter. The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Clayton Coleman Sr. and the …

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Engagements
MR. SPROTT, MISS STEPHENS
Sprott- Stephens Mr. and Mrs. Sarah DuBose Sprott 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 Stephens and Mrs. Danise Nance Stephens, both of Lake …
MISS JACKSON
Jackson-Anderson Mr. and Mrs. Scott Harmon Jackson Jr. announce the engagement of their daughter, Ann Perrin Jackson, to Mr. Patrick Jacob Anderson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Bradley Anderson, all of Manning. The bride-elect is the granddaughter of the late Mr. …
MR. HART, MISS HAGE
Hage-Hart Mr. and Mrs. Kris Eugene Hage of Lexington announce the engagement of their daughter, Kayla Diane Hage of Lexington, to Thomas Edwin Hart of Charleston, son of Mr. Edward Eugene Hart III of Tega Cay and Ms. Barbara Lee Hart of Clover. The …
MR. COLEMAN, MISS UNDERWOOD
Coleman-Underwood Mr. and Mrs. Charles Clayton Coleman Sr. of Sumter announce the engagement of their son, Charles Clayton Coleman Jr. of Goosecreek, to Ellen Andrea Underwood of Goosecreek, daughter of Ms. Linda Ellen White of Mount Pleasant and Mr. Andrew Kazimierz …
Reflections
Photo provided by Morris College Students at Morris take a break on the campus.

2 schools provided private education for black students in Sumter from 1895 to 1946

In celebration of Black History Month, Reflections remembers the origin of private schools for black Americans in the Sumter community. In Sumter, the only records to reference these private schools came from the "Annual Report of the State …

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Yesteryear
1945 - Sumter's downpour of 8.68 inches Sept. 17 caused many washouts throughout the county and rising waters. At Second Mill, the dam was washed away completely. Item photographer Mood Dollard got this picture shortly after the road was swept away by the torrent-swollen lake at the mill. The mill house narrowly escaped being taken away in the flood, too. The only way to proceed down this highway afterward was by boat.
Yesteryear with Sammy Way: Rain breaks dam; R.E. Davis students save girl's life 75 YEARS AGO - 1945 Sept. 14 - Sept. 20 - Gen. MacArthur directed today that the stark facts of Japanese atrocities, committed all the way from the Philippines to New Guinea - and back again - he told in full to the Japanese people. …
1970 - Bonnie Matthews, center, plays the role of Moonbeam McSwine, complete with pig and all, in the Sumter Little Theatre's production of "Li'l Abner" on May 15. Sensing that Moonbeam is around are other members of the Dogpatch crowd.
Yesteryear with Sammy Way: Wilson Hall hosts 1st picnic with contests; 'Sea Lion' war games end 75 YEARS AGO - 1945 Sept. 7 - Sept. 13 - General MacArthur was scheduled to lead a three-mile parade of American military might into the heart of Tokyo and within three days all the capital will be occupied. Meanwhile these other developments …
1970 - Amn. Bruce Alston, an audio-visual specialist with the 363rd Combat Support Group, takes inventory in the base film library May 5.
Yesteryear with Sammy Way: Citadel coach speaks to Hillcrest students; young men beautify Sumter with new trees 75 YEARS AGO - 1945 Aug. 31 - Sept. 6 - E. R. Crow, superintendent of the Sumter city schools, announced the faculties for the 1945-46 session and listed schedules for the opening days at the various schools. School will open at 9 o'clock on …

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From the opinion pages
Columnists
 Editorial cartoon: Saturday, Feb. 22, 2020
Editorial cartoon: Friday, Feb. 21, 2020
Editorial cartoon: Thursday, Feb. 20, 2020
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