Happening Now
CHAMPAGNE
Sumter residents make requests made for community development funding
Sumter School District bus driver Patricia Robertson speaks Monday during public participation at Sumter School District's Board of Trustees' meeting at the district office. Robertson has 27 years of experience as a driver in Sumter County.
Bus drivers, food service employees speak out on pay during Sumter school board meeting
Sumter Fire Department firefighters test out new air packs the department received Tuesday. The packs have newer features, and firefighters training with them said they're easier to use and have an upgraded communication system.
Sumter firefighters test new air packs
Sumter Purple Hearts donate to Shaw airmen
Lee County School District Parent Advisory Council to focus on finance

Living in shadows of history: County namesake Gen. Thomas Sumter owned the Stateburg property where home is for sale

A home in Stateburg that is for sale sits on property that was once owned by Sumter County’s namesake, Gen. Thomas Sumter. The Revolutionary War hero built the home in 1793, and AJ and Susan Heath are selling the home they’ve lived in since the mid-2000s.
Hidden in the High Hills of the Santee rests a Stateburg gem, a two-story, 226-year-old plantation home on property that was once owned by Gen. Thomas Sumter. The brick home on 6.5 acres at 6060 Brookland Drive was first owned by the Dinkins …
CANTY
Sumter school board will keep public on committees
A company to savor: Sumter veteran running her grandma's packaged rice, grits business taking Savor the Flavor to incubator program in NYC
PAINTER
Annual fundraiser benefiting Sumter United Ministries honors Bill Painter

Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019

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Studio Sumter

Sumter Today: A children’s author and photographer visits R.E. Davis

Charles Smith Jr. has written more than 30 books that focus on everything from sports to black history. He visited R.E. Davis College Preparatory Academy this week to talk about his books and how he …

South Carolina head coach Will Muschamp's coaching status has been frequently questioned this year, but an extension would prove that the USC brass is behind their embattled coach.
An extension for Muschamp would put out all fires
Jimmie Johnson will wave goodbye to being a full -time racer after 2020, as he announced his retirement from NASCAR on Wednesday.
7-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson to retire after 2020
Laurence Manning head coach Austin Floyd, left, coaches the Swampcats during their 48-42 playoff win over Ben Lippen on Friday. Floyd's passion for his players is one of the key reasons the 25-year-old has led LMA to an 11-1 season and an appearance in the state championship game this weekend.
For love of the players: Floyd’s passion for his team helps catapult LMA to state title game
Sports Items
FTC Lady Gamecock Tip-Off Classic begins Friday at SHS
South Carolina head coach Frank Martin and the Gamecocks fell to Boston College 78-70 on Tuesday.
Boston U earns 78-70 upset win over South Carolina
Poll of the Week

Sumter School District's Board of Trustees are debating whether to eliminate public involvement from its standing committees. Members of the public are currently part of one of three committees. Do you agree?

Have a question you'd like us to ask? Email newstip@theitem.com.

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More local news
Sumter County switching waste collection company; residents in unincorporated areas can get free cart with signup before Nov. 29
Sumter Police Department holds food drive to benefit food banks
Area Boy Scouts collecting food for needy
Sumter school board maintains public on committees in 6-3 vote
Miyah LaGrant, 11, rehearses for her role as Clara in the Columbia City Ballet's performance of the Nutcracker. The ballet will be performed Saturday at Sumter's Patriot Hall.
Dancer first from Sumter to be cast as lead in Columbia City Ballet's Nutcracker in a decade

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Carldrelle Cooper (3) is the only returning starter for Sumter High School from last year's boys basketball team. The Gamecocks will be under the tutelage of former Lakewood head coach Bryan Brown.
A very fresh start: Former Lakewood coach Brown prepares for Sumter debut with one returning starter
Sumter High School wing player Tamerah Brown, right, and her Lady Gamecock teammates will be playing host to the FTC Lady Gamecock Tip-Off Classic beginning on Friday at the SHS gymnasium.
Sumter High girls, Scott's Branch to host tournaments this weekend
Laurence Manning running back Wyatt Rowland (22) carries the ball behind a lead block from Nolan Osteen (5) during their 48-42 win over Ben Lippen on Friday. . LMA will take on Hammond on Saturday in Columbia beginning at 3:30 p.m. for the state title.
LMA, Hammond to play at 3:30 p.m. for 3A title
Abby Hoshour signs to swim at Wingate University.
Sumter's Hoshour signs to swim at Wingate
LMA running back Wyatt Rowland, center, scampers into the end zone for a two-point conversion against Ben Lippen on Friday night. Rowland rushed for 237 yards in the Swampcats' 48-42 victory to advance to the state championship next week against Hammond.
LMA holds off Ben Lippen 48-42, faces Hammond for SCISA 3A title

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Food

Ideal wine for Thanksgiving dinner? It's complicated

Cheesy Baked Mushroom Chicken is an easy, comforting meal
Cheyenne Cohen / Katie Workman via AP From cooking kits to ice cream makers to books to flights of honey, there are lots of way to fuel a budding cook's interest.
Encourage a young chef with the perfect gift

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Panorama

Homegrown concert at Sumter Opera House showcases local talent

The fourth annual Homegrown concert was held Thursday evening at the Sumter Opera House. The event brings together local - or "homegrown" - musicians from the area for an evening of varied styles of music. The theme of the two-hour concert was a …

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Nation & World
EPSTEIN
Epstein jail guards charged with falsifying records

NEW YORK (AP) - Two jail guards responsible for monitoring Jeffrey Epstein the night he killed himself were charged Tuesday with falsifying prison records to conceal they were sleeping and browsing the internet during the hours they were supposed to …

Police: White teen aimed to attack black Ga. church By JEFF MARTIN Associated Press ATLANTA - A white 16-year-old girl is accused of plotting to attack a mostly black church in a north Georgia city, where police say she planned to kill worshippers because of their race. Bethel African …
Characters from Disney and Fox movies are displayed behind Cathleen Taff, president of distribution, franchise management, business and audience insight for Walt Disney Studios during the Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures presentation at CinemaCon 2019, the official convention of the National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO) at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. On Tuesday, Nov. 12, Disney Plus launched its streaming service.
Disney Plus user accounts found on hacking sites, users shut out Disney says its new Disney Plus streaming service doesn't have a security breach, but some users have been shut out after hackers tried to break into their accounts. The news site ZDNet found stolen account usernames and passwords selling for $3 …
'Frost Fest' in place of Christmas tree lighting gets cool reception in New Hampshire town DURHAM, N.H. (AP) - Plans to hold a "Frost Fest" instead of a traditional holiday celebration are getting a frosty reception in a New England community. After concerns last year that the tree-lighting ceremony at a park in Durham, New Hampshire, …
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS James Swartz, director of World Against Toys Causing Harm, talks about the dangers of the Nerf Ultra One during a news conference in Boston on Tuesday. The organization says the Nerf Ultra One gun, which is billed as firing soft darts up to 120 feet, shoots the projectiles with enough force to potentially cause eye injuries.
Nerf gun, Power Rangers claw cited by toy safety watchdog; Toy Association dismisses claims BOSTON (AP) - A Nerf dart gun, ice cream-scented Nickelodeon slime and a plastic Power Rangers claw are among the toys topping a consumer safety group's list of worst toys for the holidays. World Against Toys Causing Harm unveiled its annual list …

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State News
S.C. sheriff: Father accidentally fatally shot daughter, 11

EASLEY (AP) - A South Carolina sheriff's report said an 11-year-old girl who died in an accidental shooting this weekend was shot by her father. The Greenville News reported witnesses told authorities that the father of Kylee Dawn Woods trying to …

BLOOMBERG
Bloomberg wins key S.C. endorsement ahead of possible 2020 presidential bid COLUMBIA - Before he's officially a presidential candidate, former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is picking up a key endorsement in South Carolina. Steve Benjamin, the mayor of Columbia, told The Associated Press on Monday that he's ready to …
Former governor of South Carolina and UN ambassador under President Donald Trump Nikki Haley speaks to students during convocation at Liberty University on Friday at the Vines Center in Lynchburg, Virginia.
Could Haley's role in Trump White House taint a 2024 bid? COLUMBIA - With the launch of her new memoir, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley has again ignited speculation that she may be gearing up for a possible bid for the White House, perhaps as early as 2024. But even though the former South Carolina …
This booking photo provided by Horry County shows Giles Daniel Warrick. Warrick accused in a series of rapes on the East Coast in the 1990s that led to the suspect being nicknamed the "Potomac River Rapist?? has been arrested in South Carolina. Warrick is being held without bond in a Horry County jail. He's accused of raping 10 women and killing one of them between 1991 and 1998. (Horry County via AP)
'Potomac River Rapist' suspect arrested in S.C. CONWAY (AP) - Genealogy websites and a cheek swab enabled U.S. Marshals to arrest a man suspected of being the "Potomac River Rapist," who terrorized the nation's capital in the 1990s. News outlets report 60-year-old Giles Daniel Warrick is now …
Jesse Osborne sits with attorney Frank Eppes during a sentence-related hearing at the Anderson County Courthouse on Wednesday in Anderson. Osborne, a teen who killed his father at home before fatally shooting a first-grader on a South Carolina elementary school playground in 2016, was sentenced to life in prison without parole on Thursday.
Teen S.C. murderer gets life without parole COLUMBIA - A school shooter who was 14 when he killed a first-grader on a school playground in South Carolina was sentenced Thursday to life in prison without parole. Judge Lawton McIntosh said Jesse Osborne showed little remorse after killing …

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Obituaries
RICHARD ANDREWS

Richard Hugh Andrews, 93, widower of Helen Anna Rose Peterson Andrews, died Monday, Nov. 18, 2019, at his home. Born Sept. 18, 1926, in Jamestown, New York, he was a son of the late Clarence Andrews and the late Doris Simmons Andrews. He was a …

FREDERICK BAKER JR.

Frederick W. "Freddie" Baker Jr., 81, husband of Sara E. Baker, died Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2019, at his home. Services will be announced by Elmore-Cannon-Stephens Funeral Home and Crematorium of Sumter.

CAROLYN MANSFIELD

Carolyn Mansfield of 319 Bradley Ave., Bishopville, and wife of Gregory Mansfield, entered eternal rest on Monday, Nov. 18, 2019, at the Carolina Pines Regional Medical Center, Hartsville. Funeral arrangements will be announced by Wilson Funeral …

ROBERT SIMON

Robert Simon, 69, died Saturday, Nov. 16, 2019, in Riverside, New Jersey. Born Jan. 26, 1950, in Lee County, he was the son of Robert Lee and Ruth Peterson Simon. The family will receive relatives and friends at the home, 6890 Peach Orchard Road, …

COUSAR

ROBERT COUSAR

MANNING - Robert "Bobby" Cousar, 70, husband of Rose Marie Mitchell-Cousar, died Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2019, a son of the late James Cousar Jr. and Ophelia Kennedy Cousar. Funeral services for Mr. Cousar will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday at Historic …

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Celebrations
MRS. FOZER M. ROBINSON NELSON
Fozer M. Robinson Nelson celebrates 100th birthday Fozer M. Robinson Nelson, widow of Franklin Nelson, celebrated her 100th birthday on Oct. 5, 2019, with family and friends. Born on Oct. 5, 1919, in Clarendon County, she is the daughter of the late Zoya and Vinnie Robinson. Mrs. Nelson was …

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Faith
Archbishop Jose H. Gomez, of Los Angeles, speaks during a news conference after being elected as president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops on Tuesday in Baltimore.
Gomez elected 1st Hispanic to lead U.S. Catholic bishops By DAVID CRARY and REGINA GARCIA CANO Associated Press BALTIMORE - Archbishop Jos G mez of Los Angeles, an immigrant from Mexico, pledged to push for a more welcoming immigration system after winning election Tuesday as the first Hispanic to …
Church News: Friday, Nov. 15, 2019 Bethel AME Church, 1605 S. Kings Highway, Wedgefield, announces: * Sunday - The Inspirational Choir's 35th anniversary will be celebrated at 3 p.m. Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church, 4319 Rowe Drive, Summerton, announces: * Sunday - …
SMITH
Should women go home? John Macarthur, a well-known preacher, was recently asked what he would say to Beth Moore, a well-known Bible teacher. His response: "Go home." What Macarthur implied was Beth Moore has no business teaching the Bible. She needs to stay home and …
Church News: Friday, Nov. 8, 2019 Antioch Missionary Baptist Church, 2571 Joseph Lemon-Dingle Road, Jordan community, Manning, announces: * Sunday - Pack the pew program, sponsored by the deaconess ministry, will be held at 4 p.m. Minister Tyrone Cummings will speak. Bethlehem …
Dear Abby
Pets for adoption
Despite having been abandoned, Zoey is a friendly and loving girl

Poor Zoey was found abandoned and tied to a stop sign all alone. She must be heartbroken and confused. Despite her sad situation, Zoey is a friendly and loving little lady. She adores the volunteers as well as the other dogs and seems to know …

Weddings
MR., MRS. KELLEN TOMPKINS
DuRant-Tompkins Delta Dawn DuRant and Kellen Richard Tompkins, both of Sumter, were united in marriage at 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2, 2019, at Shudwe Farm in Sumter. The bride is the daughter of Ms. Debbie Bramlett DuRant of Sumter and Dr. Eddie C. Durant Jr. of …
MRS. CHARLES BARNES
Posey-Barnes COLUMBIA - Sydne Rae Posey and Charles Segars Barnes, both of Sumter, were united in marriage at 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2, 2019, at The Millstone at Adams Pond. The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Steven Posey and the granddaughter of …

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Engagements
MISS JEKEL, MR. WARD
Jekel-Ward John and Kathryn Jekel of Sumter announce the engagement of their daughter, Rachel Nicole Jekel of Sumter, to Christian Blake Ward of Sumter, son of Allyson F. Lloyd and her husband, Paul, of Hanover, Maryland, and the late Christopher Lynn …
MR. BYRD, MISS BRUNSON
Brunson-Byrd Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Wentworth Brunson III of Alcolu announce the engagement of their daughter, Emily Ann Brunson of Alcolu, to Zachary Daniel Byrd of Sumter, son of Mr. and Mrs. David Henry Byrd of Sumter. The bride-elect is the granddaughter …
MR. TOMPKINS, MISS DURANT
DuRant-Tompkins Ms. Debbie Bramlett DuRant of Sumter and Dr. Eddie C. Durant Jr. of Wedgefield announce the engagement of their daughter, Delta Dawn DuRant of Sumter, to Kellen Richard Tompkins of Sumter, son of Mrs. Brenda Morrison of Greenville and Mr. Richard …
Reflections
The inside of Folsom's Jewelry Store is seen in 1944.

Sumter businesses: Mainstays of early economy

"It is in exchanging the gifts of the earth that you shall find abundance and be satisfied." - Gibran Reflections remembers several of the businesses that aided in the development of the Sumter economy and community. The Sumter business community …

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Yesteryear
SUMTER ITEM FILE PHOTO 1945 - Capt. Louis Levy, left, meets Lt. Don Heselwood after finals play in the Shaw Field officers' tennis tournament June 9. Lt. Kenneth Mattson is seen standing by to present the award, donated by the Officers' Club.
Residents asked to collect paper for drive; Mental Health Center expands on Calhoun 75 YEARS AGO - 1945 June 8 - June 14 - J. S. Rider, general manager of Consolidated Utilities Corp. (the gas plants of Sumter, Anderson and Florence), has been notified that his company has received the American Gas Association Merit Award for …
SUMTER ITEM FILE PHOTO 1994 - Kim Schneider, president of the Sumter Artists Guild, checks in art for an auction on Nov. 8.
Gen. Eisenhower observes June 6 as holiday; Bates student is semifinalist in national stamp contest 75 YEARS AGO - 1945 June 1 - June 7 - Jimmy Doolittle is teaming up with the Superfortresses to finish the job he started three years ago with his world-startling air attack on Tokyo. Disclosure that the mighty B-29s, scourge of Japan's skies, …
Pete the mule earns his daily oats plowing the victory garden for convalescents at the station hospital. Pvt. Sam Logan of Sumter (wearing arm band) is seen driving the mule while Cpl. Richard B. Robertson takes over the plow in this photo by Shaw Field News.
Yesteryear by Sammy Way: Teens renovate 'The Hangout'; Tuttle speaks at Sumter Touchdown Club 75 YEARS AGO - 1945 May 25 - May 31 - Beginning immediately, all mail for prisoners of war in Germany will be returned to senders. The May 15 Postal Bulletin will direct local postmasters not to accept mail after that date. The office of the …

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From the opinion pages
Columnists
 Editorial cartoon: Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019
GURTOV
Opinion: Getting rid of treacherous friends
Editorial Cartoon: Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2019
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